Sometime past midday, when they’d finally reached the borders of the enchanted forest, Araminta had taken to holding his arm again where the terrain became uneven and unstable steps would shoot little twinges of pain up her leg. Like before, the forest had this serene ethereal feel to it… although this time less threateningly so in Araminta’s opinion. It smelled of autumn honeysuckles and crunchy leaves, and somehow completely unrecognizable even though she was certain they’d taken the same path as before.
Well it could be known that she hopped like a little frog trying to get back what he wasn’t going to hand over too willingly right now. If she truly needed it, of course there would be no hassle or resistance to offer back the pack that was hers. But that moment was not now. Rather he waited for her to give up the efforts so he could carry the pack gingerly without worrying that she might try to make a dive for it. Somehow guessing it wouldn’t be outside her wheelhouse of complete feral gremlin if it meant getting the bag back simply out of principals.
Once she relented, their way was pleasant.
And stupid dumb. Still trying to fathom why they just wouldn’t use his abilities to their advantage. Brooding on the uselessness of walking place to place at what he might consider a snail’s pace, even if the scenery lent itself to wanting to be observed.
Eventually she begun to hang onto him. Silently provoking him to observe her gait as if looking for something obvious to why her change in grip. Leaving him to witness the way she moved somewhat but unable to determine if it was because of fatigue or because the terrain. Needing to observe this for longer periods to make a educated answer. It wasn’t till they were closer to the forest side that he slowed his own steps. “Rest.” A single word given, “Five minutes.” He indicated that it was best to take a moment for her to relax. Seeing as they would be plenty busy within now having to collect enchanted dark oak and locating the white fae wolf, if she did not want to be found.
Theon gave her a rather lengthy look from those silver rings, speculative but not yet speaking what it was forming within. Just that he made a point to a seemingly softer spot of soil for her to put her bottom down. “Rest.” Repeated in case she didn’t hear him the first time or thought he was merely jesting.
Araminta had more than enough stamina to keep walking, and they were already there in the forest now, so why not continue that much further? She was even ready to out right refuse him, giving him that dubious, slow examining look when he’d actually pointed at a spot and expected her to just plop and sit.
Well, if he was brave enough to make demands, who was she to say no?
Though reluctant, to at least make the point she didn’t need to, Araminta did gracefully nestle herself into a comfortable seat. Shooing away a few brightly colored beetles before leaning back against a tree. After a stationary moment or two, that walk indeed was starting to catch up to her with the heavy vibrating feeling of having been on her feet in motion for hours. Finding that maybe five minutes or so to just sit wouldn’t hurt after all.
The enchanted forest was a pretty place to just sit, too. Warm autumn colors and cool gentle breezes, Araminta quite liked being outside when she wasn’t shivering to death or being chased by critters.
“It’s not morning anymore, Theon. You could eat,” she suggested, unable to hide that devious look on her face. Turnabout was fair play! “Or have a drink of water.”
Much to his own relief did she settle down to rest. Leaving him a long moment to consider her position before he might have meandered a bit away to survey their local area. Wanting to be aware of what could potentially pop up out of nowhere or which direction would be the best advantage for surprise. Save, Araminta was not so silent in that moment.
Drawing his line of sight towards her when she mentioned the time of day no longer was that of the morning. Rather past the high point of the sun while tagging on that he should eat. Baring witness to the way her features arranged themselves into something that he felt like he ought to be leery of. Lightly cinching brows one moment then separating them with a gradual incline to his head. Turning slightly on his heels that seemed he was about to respond to at least one of the two instructions.
Taking waterskin over the means of something to eat right now. It was not time to saturate one’s stomach with foods that would make him sluggish for the next task. So he drank at least before letting the waterskin go back to a rested state.
He’d eat. Later. When he wasn’t in the presence of another. Not about to openly express he didn’t find it comfortable to eat with company watching him. Or in general. A particular quirk that was all his!
Theon was rewarded with a wide sweet smile and Araminta’s resumed silence. Having no need to tease or give him a hard time about it, just quietly giving herself the small win.
As for the resting, Araminta was very good at being idle. She’d never been one who needed to keep her hands and bodied occupied to feel comfortable – easily entertained within her own thoughts and observations when in a space she could feel safe. To most it’d seem like she was staring off into space or that there wasn’t a single thought in that pretty little head of hers. But she was quite keen to what was going on around them.
For one, watching Theon being Theon was a very interesting new hobby. He let so little be expressed on his face, especially when he thought someone was looking. Yet when there was a snap of a twig or a sudden angry warble of a bird, Araminta could see where he paused ever so slightly. To tilt his head or to peer those silver eyes far out into the distant woods. It became a game of sorts to see if she could spot the things he noticed… all the while wondering if he was keen enough to see the things she could spot.
Araminta was no hunter, but if something was cute and fuzzy she was going to notice. No matter how stealthy they were prowling through the forest. She was also quick to tell the difference between a normal animal and something distinctly fae. There were ways fae creatures moved that came so elegantly, so strangely unreal that it’d send an uncanny shiver up ones spine if you watched them for too long. A stag nearby had gotten curious enough to do a few rounds circling them. Some of the birds up above them weren’t quite singing the way birds were supposed to.
Most interestingly a chipmunk sporting it’s own tiny set of goat-like horns had skittered around the trunk of Araminta’s tree and was attempting to snip off locks of her ebony hair with it’s teeth, for what she hoped was just nesting material and not nefarious purposes.
“Please don’t do that,” she whispered to the thing, offering a raspberry out of her pocket. It took the raspberry and her hair, leaving a very disgruntled Araminta checking the dark edges to see how much damage had been done.
The simple answer was no. He likely didn’t notice what she did. At least not in the same way. Maybe he stowed the presence of the animals around them into his subconscious but they were considered inconsequential. Hardly worth the effort of lending a focal concentration upon them. Seeing as he was looking out amongst their general surroundings for anything that was a dire threat. Beings that were profoundly dangerous rather than potentially annoying.
Where his gaze could veer somewhat to take stock enough to notice one particular fae was curiously hanging back against the darkness of brush. Holding its body upon a staff of gnarled wood while horns of a deep ram curl positioned itself on the goat’s features. Red eyes of blood watching but stood to simply obverse. One of the more dangerous fae that warranted a silent glimpse upon another, till the Baphomet beast turned to slink further back. Hardly away but just outside the naked eye’s telling.
Ears themselves picked u p the sound of Araminta rather than words. Insisting he turn around to consider her. Drawing close to where he seemed to notice that she was checking her hair for something. “When you are ready.” Holding a hand to her to aid in helping up, “Curious creatures are drawing. I would surmise that the fae have been talking amongst themselves about you.” Theon paused them and gave her a look, “Do not give your name to any faeling here.” His words were cryptic, “A name is a powerful thing to possess in the hands of a fae. Even the king, should not possess it.”
“Well that seems counter-intuitive to making new friends if we can’t even introduce ourselves,” commented Araminta, not sure if she even believed such things. A name was just a name… and people could have so many of them and titles too! Still, if he was concerned about it, she’d just have to be careful not to huff any exasperated Theons while a fae was in earshot.
Taking his offered hand and pulling herself to her feet, she swallowed a grimace and a wince at the ache that still seemed to linger. At this point Araminta supposed it had leeched down to her bones and something would always be hurting. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d woken up and not been in some sort of pain or another!
Now wasn’t the time to grump about that, however, as Theon was very correct about their curious spectators starting to gather. Once they’d started walking about, it was very clear even to her untrained ears that they were being followed the deeper they wandered into the forest.
“Do you think we should ask where the white wolf is?” she wondered out loud. “Or should we find and greet the king himself? Hmn, maybe that would be too much of a bother for him, he must have more important kingly business.”
“Friends?” Was that what she was here for. To make friends, because he could reason plenty enough that his suggestion of keeping her name close to her chest was done because of how dangerous a fae could use one’s name. They were tricky creatures and in the wrong hands, they would assure you knew that your life was by their control. A name was who you were after all. A bound piece of you that could be used in so many dangerous ways.
Just maybe she needed to learn that on her own. Which was a harrowing thought but one no less.
Regardless as she came to her feet, he waited till she was settled upon the levels of her feet before turning to indicate their forward path. Feeling the finer hairs on the back of his neck prickle as they delved into the enchanted glade once more. “If the king wishes to see you, he will make his presence known.” Theon pointed out, “Much the same with the white wolf. I believe they are high fae’s. They come at their own leisure, not when they are sought. So perhaps we can search for the dark oak while we wait them to come and greet you are their discretion.”
He gave a nearby area a once over, “Be advised of the horned goat fae as well. I noticed him close and he is not one to trifle with. A king in his own right and one that will gladly do as he pleases.”
Araminta’s green-eyed glance shot up to see if she might spot this goat-horned fae lurking out in the wood, but found nothing more than the usual suspects. There were so many different sorts of faeries, Araminta knew. With their own courts and their own rules… they were all truly of another world, and it’d do her well to remember that. Faerie rules were not quite the same as in the mortal human world.
Still, a good rule of thumb was to be nice to a fae and they won’t be likely to eat you. Araminta had seen far more frightening things, and didn’t have a lick of sense to be afraid of faeries.
“Maybe next time we’ll bring him a gift,” she mused out loud, meaning the goat-horned faerie. “We’ll need to get to the darker parts of the wood, I think. Where the tree canopy starts blocking out the sun?” That seemed far enough, Araminta was sure.
Along the way, though, Araminta stopped keeping watch for adorable fuzzy creatures and starting watching for nicely sized branches of the dark oak persuasion. Anything that looked big enough to make something nice out of, but not so big that she couldn’t pick it up and carry it into her arms.
…Although, when she did come across a rather large fallen oak log, she did pause for a minute to hold out her arms and debate whether or not she could drag such a thing. With some rope and ingenuity, surely she could!
“No.” His tone was impressively curt when she mused about bringing a gift to the fae he mentioned. Turning the eyes of coloured steel upon her, “If you wish to insult the fae king that favoured you, then I suggest you do not jest about that.” Lips temporarily pressed together as he debated how much information he could say. Starting to puzzle together that Araminta didn’t seem to consider what he said mostly as a warning of actual consideration. Which then felt familiar.
If she did not consider what he had to say as anything more than mere bull honky, then it was likely she thought of him as a lesser anyways. Much akin to what he was familiar with handling. With that new information set into his thoughts, Theon designated he would be silent once more.
To leave her to her devices. It was her fate to choose how and what to do, he was not warranted part of that. It was wise for him to hush up and keep his knowledge private unless asked for. Rather than given too freely as he apparently had been doing more. Realizing that he had been talking more in general. Which he supposed was too adventurous for him anyways.
Sliding steps back as thoughts came to fruition, settling to watch what she was trying to do as they wandered further into the darkness of the forest. As she eyed a large log, he stopped moving to stand there. Watching silently waiting to see what she had in mind.
Araminta didn’t respond to his curt no and following advice straight away. In fact, while she examined that large log, for all intents and purposes, it appeared as if she truly wasn’t listening and was far more interested in trying to figure out how to haul that giant chunk of wood.
She was listening, though. To more than just his advice.
For one, she wasn’t jesting at all about a gift. Araminta’s intentions were sincere, as there was no better way to show goodwill than to show up with a welcoming face and a gift. But if there were strife in the faerie realms between kings and would-be kings, then it wouldn’t do for her to go traipsing around this forest like some over friendly toddler looking for hugs from anyone with open arms! She needed to be thinking more like an actual Princess and not this refugee wildling, ferreting out goodies for a mad queen.
More importantly, Theon seemed to know a lot more about the fae than he’d ever let on.
Araminta should’ve expected as much. He was only now starting to speak more openly. Of course she couldn’t expect him to give her a full report on the politics of the fae as if he were her advisor! The man wasn’t supposed to even be talking to her at all. He was supposed to kill her!
So when she did finally speak, it felt as if it were coming out of no where.
“I’ll try to be less…hm,” she paused, searching for the right word. Less friendly? Less open? “…I’ll just try to be less.” Araminta settled on that, as it seemed to be the most apt for the situation. Araminta was not made for subtly and subterfuge and courtly games of chess. And that was in a normal court with people like the Imperial Queen. She for certain had no business accidentally enraging and insulting any of the fae.
With that, she decide to also abandon that particular log. Without an axe to chop it with, she’d never get it down to a manageable size anyway. Better to stick with sticks that she could actually carry.
He gave a simple nod to her. Mentally completing his own hurdles of hastily putting back the means of expectations and behaviours he was far more known with. As not to step outside those arranged unseen blocks due to his own strangely new motives. Deciding that to be too bold as he had been was likely too much. Settling back into the comfort that was ghost. Less he was asked for something, he’d be wise to keep things plenty to himself.
The inner sanctum of one’s own thoughts were his comfort after all. Shortly falling back into line to tarry after the woman when it seemed her unknown idea with the log hadn’t come to some fruition. Though he considered their various gawping stares.
Some growing intrigued enough to skirt the brush line. Peering out with various sights at what was marching deeper into the grove that humans often avoided. Before their concern shifted and they grew uncomfortable enough to get away from his own aura. Hurrying back to avoid any potential qualms that wouldn’t come to be anyways.
As the sky was blocked further and further out, he took it upon himself to summon that tender ember for radiating light. Holding it outwards to cast its beams for sight, as the… well he supposed he was now a fallen prince as well. Not that being a prince ever had been anything of his life. Just a fancy collar that kept commoners at bay and apparently enough to make fun of behind his back. As was their right.
Something shuffled noisily with a springing lunge away from their wander, hissing loudly as if they had been disturbed from that of a slumber. Seemingly likely as Theon moved to pull the cowl up over his crown. A vain attempt to lessen those to look upon him. Surely the brighten spectacle of a princess such as she was far better to gaze upon, especially when she came with song in hand and potential in that thing called a lyre.
Araminta, in trying to take her cues from Theon, did her best to figuratively keep herself contained in a little quiet ball. To adopt his quiet, stoic demeanor… to be a gliding ghost in the faerie wood. Unseen, unheard, just a silent visitor. That became increasingly hard the farther into the forest they trekked, where bushes, twigs and rocks made her footing even more clumsy than usual. Where disturbed inhabitants skittered, urging out her rushed whispered sorry, sorry every time one bolted. Araminta was no Ghost no matter how hard she tried.
Luck came in the form of a copse of old oaks with trunks so large they must’ve been ancient. There was more than enough branches and sticks lying about to be collected, and if not, plenty of trees with low enough limbs she could climb up into should she need more. Delighted with this find she shrugged off her backpack to set along side one of the trees. Then unclipped her cloak to spread over the ground to use for collecting all of her sticks.
One in particular had her giving an exciting squeak lifting it in the air as if she’d found a treasure.
“A new staff! This one is just the right size!” she exclaimed, already trying to snap off the extra twigs to get it as straight as possible.
As quiet as the smallest of mice, the ethereal white wolf took up a pleasant seat next to Theon without so much as a hello or a grand entrance. Once again in her full winged glory, as luminous and bright as the full moon.
Why have you returned, lost son of the forest?
They came upon quite the motherlode it would seem. Delighting Araminta to where she pulled that of her very cloak off to act the part as cradle. Though he was certain they could take some of the nearby vines and fronds to weave into cords that would work well as bundling the bits of wood rather than using her cloak. However if he was about to reveal that information, it didn’t seem to be making its way out.
Instead he observed her. Curious to see the inner machinations of her mind coming out to where he was little more than wondering how these things came to be. Till she was seemingly thrilled about a larger stick that would work wonders for being a walking aid.
She really did have a thing for sticks, didn’t she?
Perplexing.
A soft sensation of awareness rolled upon his spine as head inclined politely to greet the silent specter as it came to sit at his side. As if she had always been there, regardless of the thoughts of one’s own mind. Querying no sooner just why he of all people had returned. Supposing his presence might be a slight against the fae seeing as he was neither part of their world or a helper of it. “Sticks.” He replied candidly. “And gifts. Of the lady.” He gestured to Araminta then, “I will make sure not to darken this place further in the future.” His head was bowed cordially in an act of seeking polite forgiveness.
Either Araminta was too wrapped up with her stick hunting or she did not see the white wolf. She certainly could not hear the soft angelic voice of this ancient fae, as she thumped her fluffy white tail on the ground in a motion that appeared to be amused.
We accept the girl as your gift to us. She is pleasing.
One of her ears flickered as she tilted her massive head and peered one deep, dark eye at him.
This is your home, you do not darken it. Though some fear the one that bore you.
Softly he considered her reply paired with the wagging nature of her tail thumping. “Not the girl. She is a free spirit. But she brings you a gift to have.” Theon corrected less he accidentally enslave Araminta to being the forever doomed lyre player of the enchanted forest. To become a new woven tale that humans spoke of. The woman that went in and never returned but became the musical coveted precious of the fae. One made to play every day and night to their whims less she be devoured by their displeasure.
Even he wouldn’t wish that on anyone. “She comes in good action. What she brings, I doubt any other has thought of for those of the forest.”
Still to feel the dark eye upon him, he felt his features frown subtly. Avoiding looking at the marvelous creature but found her words were rather empty. Well the first half, not so much the last. “As they should, the Imperial Queen is someone to wisely fear.” The prince lowered his cowled head, “We should not dwell too long within your domain. I have seen Baphomet present and I believe his eyes have caught the girl within them. Please allow her to bestow you the gift she created and we will leave before trouble becomes ours to hold too close.”
Baphomet’s interest is a troublesome omen. Take great care as you travel.
As massive as she was, when the white wolf rose to her big paws and headbutted him in the side, it very nearly moved him off his feet. Only to leave him quickly to lower down on her haunches and begin a stealthy creep across the ground. How she managed to go unnoticed even despite her beautiful luminescent fur glowed in the dim lighting of the forest and way her tail swished up in the air as if it were a shark fin in sea waters.
Without warning she might a leap, sending sticks flying as the girl gave a startled yelp and hit the ground with a dull thud.
Araminta found herself dazed and looking into the fathomless midnight eyes of the white wolf.
“La luna, you scared me!” Araminta declared, scooting back so she could at least sit up to greet the fae proper. “He said you needed me?” she asked, careful not to say Theon’s name out loud. She remembered.
I do not need you. Answered the white wolf, like a soft whisper in Araminta’s ear. The voice was so lovely, yet so chilling… a dreamy quality to it.
“But he said you wanted him to find me?” she asked with some confusion, shooting a look to Theon himself.
I told him to do as he wished. He wished to find you. answered the wolf easily. Puffing up her chest and flipping her tail on the ground again with that subtle amusement.
“I see,” she said, that bright pink returning to her face again. Araminta didn’t see at all, as this was very confusing and she wasn’t sure who got mixed up where. Certainly not the white wolf who seemed to be in full confidence of what she actually wanted and did not want. But Theon being told to find her by the fae was a very different thing than Theon deciding to come fetch her on his own. A very different thing. “Regardless, I did bring a gift for the fae?”
At the wolf’s nodding head, Araminta crawled her way over to her backpack to retrieve the scroll tied neatly with gold thread. Unraveling it to spread on the ground for the white wolf’s perusal. Araminta’s Aria scrawled at the top with the little added birds, flowers and butterflies she’d drawn from Theon’s inspiration.
The magnificent white wolf took in a very, very deep breath and with a mighty blow of gold sparkling mist she sent the papers of sheet music scattering upwards into the wind. They twisted and fizzled until they where nothing but the mist itself, then bundled all together with a bright and shiny POP! until there was nothing left but a round flapping bird. It fluttered in circles before landing neatly on Theon’s shoulders, where it then open it’s tiny beak to sing the very notes of it’s creation.
Araminta had never in her life ever seen something as spectacularly amazing.
Body moved as though he were bidding farewell to that of a god rather than just another fae. Stooped proper at the waist with a soundless flourish offering amicable partings. Letting the knowledge of the fae demon rest at the fore front of his mind. Understanding that seeing the presence of the goat beast was truly problematic and if the beast was just as enamoured as those of the faeling’s Araminta charmed, then they could truly have troubles. One best avoided as much as possible. As the white wolf expressed while her body had made itself into the mischief scrunch before knocking the princess over.
To stop the encounter would have likely been rude. Leaving him to turn to rather consider their whereabouts once more before taking forth his own idea of taking vine and whatever else to pull free for the effort of finding sticks that would be plenty chunky and sturdy for trade. Allowing the means of privacy to be held between the two.
Not about to lurk so near that his ears were fanned open to be a nosy eavesdropper. Picking and choosing his own little bounty of suitable sticks that radiated a colourful dark hue, lustrous even with that of its bark still plenty present upon that of spindly sticky body. Arranging a small collection together till it seemed that whatever occurred next had resulted in a noisy creature adopting his shoulder to hark its sound from.
Urging him to straighten with a interesting consideration to the avian making its song. Sure it sounded pretty but he wasn’t sure if it was intended to be a melodious melody that sang to hearts and softened spirits. Offering dull consideration back to that of the princess and gleaming lupine, almost in waiting for an explanation if necessary.
“It’s a quite literal song bird!” declared Araminta with all the amazement in the world. The luminous white wolf beside her puffed up her chest, seeming quite proud of both her creation and the response it was eliciting. Only looking momentarily stunned when the princess threw her arms around her furry form in a gracious hug, before the wolfish fae preened a little taller and thumped her tail against the ground.
The bird chortled and warbled it’s song to it’s little heart’s content on Theon’s shoulder before it took flight again, of to continue singing it’s merry way through the entirety of the enchanted forest.
Streeeeeetching her limbs, the wolf left Araminta to do a slow circle around Theon. Eyeing him carefully with those deep dark eyes.
There will come a time in the trials, lost son, that you will not know what to do. Come here to us and we will aide.
Strange that she did not give the instruction to Araminta herself, Araminta thought. Curiously watching as the faerie in wolf form did a final perusal of them both and softly wandered back out into the dark forest beyond. Somehow even now, very faintly in the distance they could still hear Araminta’s song being chirped and carried along in the wind through the trees.
“I’m not so certain it’s me that has the fae’s favor,” commented Araminta with a squinting glance at Theon.
There was something truly magical about the bird being made from paper and notes, even as it fwipped off into the rest of the enchanted forest. Leaving the white wolf to eventually give up herself from the affectionate embrace that had come from the animated princess, to instead approach him once more. Rotating her position about his before he spoke at him.
About a trial that would come with him not knowing what to do. With an invite to return here to aid him. In which he felt his mouth tug somewhat downwards with this heavy information. Not even sure it was up to the wolf to give out such verbal aid before he was feeling a gaze moving over his form.
Lowering his head some. Debating if he would voice the conjecture that it was unlikely to hold any weight of truth but decided not to wallow about such things that were hardly needed in the moment. Rather turning to look at the small collection of sticks he had accumulated, before looking to her spilled stack. Moving promptly to start regathering them up so they could all be put together with the intention of binding them with the vine found. “Should not linger.” Was all he said.
Theon appeared to be right back at square one again, with as few spoken words as possible, drawing Araminta to pause and examine him carefully for a minute It was difficult to tell what had change from the the moment they’d left the village to now, and he sure didn’t offer up any easily deciphered clues. All Araminta could guess was that maybe it was difficult for him to be in the forest full of faeries when he’d spent his entire life separated from something that was a very big part of who he was. His life had turned upside down almost overnight, quite directly caused by herself, so really she should be expecting him to have a whirlwind of feelings about it.
Araminta understood being trapped in that confused, purgatory sort of mindspace very well.
For the time being, she picked up on his use of vines to bind up sticks for easier grouping. Her face brightening at this clever idea, and immediately set herself to reassessing just how many sticks and branches they could now carry back. Not content with a single meager bundle, Araminta put together three in total. Theon’s stack and then two for herself. One of which she fashioned into a stick version of a backpack to carry on her back alongside her knapsack, and then a second smaller bundle to carry under one arm. Leaving her other hand perfectly free to manage her new staff, that she was still very happy to have found.
She’d hoped to spend the evening there in the enchanted forest, but if Theon was concerned still about that goat-horned fae, then she wasn’t going to argue it. Once she was certain they’d gathered up and securely tied what was need, Araminta gave Theon her affirming nod that she was ready to get on their way.
There was increasingly little to be said at this point. A realigned mental compass had completed its efforts of pointing the being that was his own body and mental prowess back to north. Merely considering the amount Araminta had put together to carry with a passing glance but offered no more. Not an idea of help, or perhaps suggesting there was an overabundance to what was being collected. A look and a shuffling of his own bundle upon back to make use of itself.
Giving a tip of crown to suggest their way now was to exit that of the fae blessed area. Insisting that she move forward first as he intended to come up the rear to keep a dutiful eye upon things.
Save, things were apparently to come to them.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that for one so large, they were so silent. Leaning on the gnarled twisted looking branch that had a skull of some sort melded into the head of its creation. Knotted rather. It looked as though roots themselves had sprung from the bent staff to ensnare the bony piece in its forever hold. Mouth parted to be held in place by those rogue tendrils of wood. As hands themselves were set stern upon holding the item. Supporting the grand weight of a creature that born its torso as man but head and legs of beast. Idly keeping two dark feathered appendages as casually laced up on its back as it could. Currently sharing a look of horizontally split red at those in which had perhaps dallied too long.
The ring of metal surely belonged nowhere within these words but rang no less. Held by pommel and hilt for the balance of itself, Theon might have been described as potentially glowering. Just far less aggressive as most would.
Come so soon, leave as swift. It’s voice spoke as two. Male and female. Pitches unsynced. Where one whispered the other sounded as if it were booming! Rain and thunder in one chord. A first pass into these woods ought to have been boon enough to stave oneself from returning.
Theon stepped up and nudged her with an elbow. Indicating she was to take a wider berth for the means of departure. You hold a toothpick at me, not quite human, not quite nokken but pet all the same to whomever curls their hand upon collar. Amusing you are but not worth the effort. It’s head tilted and its long face grinned, This one carries the smell of demons on her. Pleasant, is it not.
Araminta was fairly good about not screaming when something unexpected appeared, which certainly came in handy out in the enchanted wood where she didn’t want to inadvertently insult any particularly beastly look fae. So when this one did step out, there was only her sharp intake of breath and the immediate freezing in place. She’d recognized quick enough that this one was the one Theon had concerns over by the horns and eyes… but it was the chilling statement that he smelled demons on her that affirmed to her that Theon was correct. She knew exactly what was meant by that terrifying observation.
This was no friend. This was danger.
Taking two whole steps backwards, Araminta quickly shook her head.
“I’m so sorry, I don’t have time to chat,” she spoke, strangely quiet for her usually exuberant self. Then took a few smaller steps to the side, with every intention of doing exactly what Theon instructed her to do. If this creature were one of her trials, perhaps she’d have chosen a different course… but it very much wasn’t.
No matter which way he thought of an exit plan from this creature, nothing was coming up solid. Granted he knew of the faeling before him. Something of both an enchanted beast and from the infernal hells themselves. A mixture of an abomination that was undoubtedly dangerous. And it damn well knew it by how its features grinned all the more. Stretching to proportions that were beyond mortal capability.
Ah so you would leave another to die? The wind speaks girl. How your lands are overrun with brethren and how they feasted upon those of delectable quality.
Surely this one was simply talking to get a ruse out of her, urging him to straighten the weapon out properly once more. Stepping forward to ensure the only thing this Baphomet was going to be contending with, was him.
It cast him almost a bored look. The effort nearly as laborious as if the beast had carried an entire mountain upon its shoulders. Shortly shooing hand at him that departed staff, stepping inwards itself. Cloven hooves easily ruffling the pile of soil beneath its weight. I’ve no purpose playing with a half dead thing. We all know who’s already took the fun bits from you. Another wave of its hand before it turned over to beckon at Araminta. Didn’t you come here to find a way to save your home, girl? And the Imperial Queen did nothing but… perhaps you came to the wrong person. Luckily, I’ve come to offer you assistance. You should stay. Chat, as you said.
As quickly as he lunged forward, it leapt backwards. Evading effortlessly the strike of steel with a mocking guffaw. Eyeing him once more with renewed annoyance, Don’t you know when you aren’t being spoken too?
“Go. Left. Run and seek asylum outside the forest.”
Araminta shook her head again and even she was unsure if it were at this fae creature or to Theon who was urging her to run. She’d opened her mouth with every intention of stating she wasn’t afraid – but that was a lie. She might’ve said she had no interest in what he had to say – but that was a lie too. Araminta had ran before with gnashing teeth and obsidian devil’s horns not far behind, leaving people to a terrible fate she knew, she knew was true because she’d seen a great deal of it with her own eyes. Even with that churn in her stomach and knowing that a deal with a dark fae was nothing but trouble, the temptation to listen was so strong that it must’ve been some sort of alluring magic. The Imperial Queen’s offers had been simpler to refuse, so why couldn’t Araminta just turn away an refuse one that was so obviously a trick!
A flash of steel catching her eye had her shaking again, letting out a sudden rush of breath and somehow finding her bearings back in the present where she belonged. Araminta leaned to gently set down the bundle of sticks she carried under her arm to make means of escape a little easier. Taking up her new make-shift staff in both hands just in case.
“Thank you for the offer, but no thank you,” she managed to state evenly, calmly. Despite how she felt her own heart was in her throat. Though she wasn’t turning around and running, she was still making the motions to do as Theon asked. Backing away as steadily as she could in the correct direction – not quite trusting to turn her back… but more importantly, unwilling to run and leave Theon behind.
Leaving him behind was the one thing she couldn’t do.
If he could, he might have turned to actually usher her off. To shoo her like some bothersome fly rather than trying to assure that she had a chance to start making some swift haste to leave. As it was apparent to likely all of them that he was not Baphomet’s interest. Rather he was just a pest that was standing between a very potential and very unlikely agreement.
One didn’t made deals with fae without giving up more than they thought. They always worded it to sound like the person was getting the better end of the deal but the loop holes, the bargains and the twist of words came into such a play that there was no truth to winning.
There was no freedom. No even deal. And right now, it seemed this one had a particular eye with Araminta. Likely a thought that surely she needed the help of a demon creature to combat that of the Imperial Queen, of the demons that made their grounds on her old home.
You haven’t even heard what I could offer you. Merely taking a toothless pup’s advice when there is nothing to gain from a broken dog. Baphomet chuckled finding his own turn of words amusing. I offer protection. Safety. Ability to get back what is yours. All you have to do—
The creature suddenly burst into a pained squeal with the paired eruption of bright white light. Fabrics fluttered with the hasty turn with sword itself behind drooped to be kept out and ready to strike with his other hand making a snapping grab for her wrist. “Run!” It was the only time he probably ever actually sounded close to urgent. “Do not stop, run.” Theon insisted as he was not about to start actually trying to hack pieces off a greater fae beast. Knowing it would only end with an all too quick death on his part. The best he could do now as insist that they did not stay to fight and that she was made to get out of here rather than a polite tarry.
Protection and safety sounded so very nice, Araminta was nearly hanging on those words. Being on her own for so long and the ever constant pain and struggle it was just to do even the simplest of things. Always choosing the hard way because it was the smarter choice, rather than the easier route and finally having it over and done with.
All she had to do was what?
In an instant that almost-spell was broken by Theon grabbing her wrist and actually blurting out an order with a stressed intent she’d certainly never heard before. She obeyed without hesitation, kicking her feet into stumbling motion to move as quickly as she could, lest he end up dragging her behind him! Araminta didn’t dare shoot glance over her shoulder, being too terrified to know what she’d find behind them. That angry fae or something more akin to the living nightmares she’d seen before.
So Araminta ran, with no intention of stopping until Theon stopped or she passed out in the process!
The wailing hissing cries were a surefire way to assure that one didn’t stop their running pace. Noticing how other faelings had certainly cleared the area as they had no interested staying around to be a witness to what might come next. Where pained sounds became enraged bleats of pure ire; he tugged Araminta’s hand forward. Insisting without asking any means of straggling was to be closed and him slowing to almost slingshot her forward. “Do not stop.” Pivoting back on feet with a stab of the weapon’s head into the ground, all he needed to do was stall for time.
He wasn’t saying he was going to stay and try his luck, but he certainly wanted to make sure Baphomet knew that it wasn’t worth his effort either to chase!
Fire would be effective but it would also damage the woods. Which would only endanger more than just themselves so the option was light. A strong twist and alteration of the usually helpful healing arts to twist it into a borealis arrangement. Certainly not something he did often and it came with a heavy toll of taxing due to the magnitude of concentration of mana it took. No less, a shield of light would be the best option. Twisting and finding the words of the art lost within a tumbling mind to erect the shimmering bends of unnatural light from earth to canopies. Slicing through the darkness of the forest to cast in pastel glimmers that could at least temporarily stop the demon fae from approaching further.
Sweat puckered to roll across brow to cheek, smearing upon the bristled red as a falter pulled at his mind. Erecting the wall that span too far for it to be a smart effective move from any sort of mage, Theon whirled.
Stumbling sideways to almost topple over into a nearby bush but managed to find his footing. Slipping another time before forcing legs to move against their own fatigued protesting. Needing only the encouragement of the slithering black tongue of the hellish beast screaming at his backside to hasten his leave.
Feeling the phantom fingers of cold pulling at body with the over expenditure of magic, lacing the sides of vision with blackened spots. Clouding closer and nearer by the second though he refused to stop! All they needed to do was get outside the boundary of the forest and the goat beast would not be able to tread further.
Do not stop.
Araminta had heard that phrase before, and it made her entire chest ache the same way it did then. But she did as she was told and kept running. Even when he’d let her go and she knew he was turning back. Even when her lungs felt like they were on fire and a searing pain was shooting it’s way up her leg. No wild branch to the face stopped her, nor the tripping stumble through overgrown brush. Araminta ran until the dark shimmery dream of the enchanted forest opened up to the more warm and bright parts of the wood kissed by the glow of a soon to be setting sun. Then she ran that bit further until the trees broke away at the edge of the forest itself to the clearing where they’d entered.
She all but fell face first to the ground once that awareness set in that she was no longer in the woods themselves. Only to just as quickly shed off the bundle of sticks on her back, the knapsack she carried, and even her cloak. Stumbling wildly to her feet with just her branch-turned-staff in her hands with every single intent to go charging back into the woods to fetch Theon and drag him back to safety by the legs if need be!
He wasn’t sure how long he kept moving. How far. Just that the sounds of the rightfully furious beast behind him had grown smaller and smaller. Becoming distant noise that turned into absolutely nothing. A wondrous sound that might have been worth a whoop of triumphant if it weren’t for the fact that he was cold.
Mana depletion was one of the first things every mage learnt. They all had a to understand that each and every single of them had a pool of mana. What allowed them to use magic. Some were monstrous oceans that seemed to never wane and others were like shallow puddles that looked that one good stomp of a happy toddler would never let it gather again! His own was somewhere in the middle. Impressively good for being a half human but it was by far not as large as his mother’s was. Something about being fae had likely to do with that.
But what came from a mage that went beyond the boundaries of their own magical prowess was what they called the onset. It was akin to losing too much blood just unlike that, there was no were to staunch the bleeding. Some killed themselves out of desperation by using more than they had. Others merely grew dizzy and needed to stay off their feet for an hour. His own was seemingly just beyond that. Feeling as though permafrost itself had crept into his bloodstream and was chilling from the inside out. Slowing everything down that when he broke that boundary line, not even the gleam of the setting sun was enough to warm.
Vision was akin to texture. Fluffy, blurry and useless as knees gave way. Declaring that they were on final protest and they would not move an inch further! Not that he was going to try, sink to flop much like a fish out of water might to dry land. Just without all the leaping and flailing with gaping mouth. Grateful that he had some sense to drop the sword aside rather than himself upon it. Sure the smell of dirt up his nose was going to be pleasant later!
Pallid, cool and free… two of those things he could do without. But… as long as they were out then that was what mattered.
Fruitlessly the effort of turning skull felt like moving a mountain, using the Gaussian blur of sight to look for the dark haired blob to at least confirm the means of her own survival. Though he couldn’t be sure. Being that of a snuffed flame did one wisely succumb to forced unconsciousness.
That’s just where Araminta found him – not quite yet free of the forest itself, nearly nose in the dirt and for all she knew a corpse ready to be eaten up by the bugs of the earth. She didn’t check him immediately, first ready with staff in hand, examining the expanse of the trees for movement or sound. Ready to start swinging and crack that horned fae right in the nose should he come barreling out of the wood. When all that she could hear was birds and squirrels, and all she could see the wind through branches, that’s when she finally bent to take a knee and see if Theon were even still alive.
“Theon!” The press of her hand to his cheek came back dreadful cold, sending a gut wretched sense of panic through her. Araminta hadn’t seen what he’d done, but as far as she could tell there was no blood or wound. An expelling of magic would’ve been the most likely culprit then. Where she could stitch a wound, there was nothing Araminta could do about magic, be it damage from another or to oneself.
“You’re a foolish, stubborn man!” she hissed at him. Not having to be afraid to hurt his sensitive feelings while he was beyond unconscious. For all she knew, he was already well on his way to being dead and she was now wasting the breath.
“You did too much,” she lectured his unconscious, potentially dead body. Taking the moment to catch her own breath while she assessed the best thing to do. “You do too much. Moderation is important even for a skilled half fae knight…”
Araminta didn’t trust to leave him here even in the edge of the forest. Once she could breath steady again, she got to work removing his bundle of sticks and branches – telling him he was quite lucky he hadn’t landed on those and broken his back in the process – gathered up his sword, and her bag he’d been carrying and took them where she’d left the rest of her things.
On her return she hobbled a circle around him, pondering on how best to move him with doing as little additional damage as possible. In the end she used his own cloak to wrap partially around the crook of his arms and shoulders to give her some leverage to sit him up. Then it was a quite awkward maneuver of sitting back to back until she could get her own feet under her for the leverage needed to lift him juuust enough off the ground that she could shuffle forward. Like the strangest turtle alive, Araminta scuffled and hobbled and at the very end even had to crawl and then drag him to the spot she’d deemed safe enough for camp.
She’d ran out of the breath and will to fuss at him by this point. Her anger and frustration now turned on herself, for he was still so very cold and Araminta still had no idea how to light a blasted fire. She made do with covering him up with his cloak and her own then sat close enough that hopefully the heat of herself would at least offer some sort of warmth to leech. Holding her staff in both hands as she watched the treeline of the forest, just in case something nefarious deciding to come after them.
Araminta eventually fell asleep sitting there, leaning against her branch to keep herself upright.
It was a slow, crawling effort in the figurative sense to even return to the world of the waking. With a strong uncomfortable chill holding firm that made teeth chatter even against his will. Feeling as though each individual digit were frozen in its own personal icecube, the sound of the world around them was enough to allow him a sluggish focus. The night charm of crickets and distant frogs filling the ambience. Barely broken by a all too far away song of the coyote’s singing to another. And how breath itself felt as though it ought to be coming out in frosty puffs beyond lips.
Leaving thoughts to drop one block at a time to make a singular whole one. To realize with so much length that the rapid-fire expenditure of mana came much like a flash fire. Swift, too much and burned far too quickly leaving everything a fine reminder that it was not done with nothing asked in return.
It was unclear how long it took for him to even will his body to think of sitting up, let alone doing it. Delayed with a slothful effort, the consideration of cloaks slumped at his waist were practically that of a great mathematical equation for it took too long to realize that two there accounted for. Leaving dull gray eyes to roll practically in skull at the form that needed a lot of added staring to even assess that he knew her face. And that her name was Araminta.
Chills racked and shuddered. The night wasn’t cold per say, but it was hardly enough for him due to the depletion. One could assume she was no better. Slumped on her branch with nothing to cover, it was a obdurate effort that shirked the cloaks and fumbled literally with the effort of digging tinder and stone from his little belt of survival tools. He’d might as well have been a frozen turtle with turning, shifting, moving and at some point managing to strike flint and bits of fluffy bits that made for great firestarters, to do just that. Start a small flame.
It was pathetic but one would need to gather sticks to feed it, something he could at least do while adjusting on the ground. Pulling bits of grass and itty bitty twigs to feed till he could will enough effort to crawl around for something larger. It was a pathetic little flicker of flame but it was something in the midnight twilight.
Araminta could have slept through the entire night and never noticed he moved at all had she not been precariously balanced between holding onto her upright staff and his sleeping form. So deep within eerie, uncomfortable dreams, that the first scented plumes of smoke only seemed to add to the hellfire and brimstone. A mix-mash of demons and faeries and evil queens all dancing merrily through absolute chaos.
But without him lying there, her position slowly started to shift sideways until she inevitably clonked her own head with her staff and awoke with a start as she toppled over. Coming to wakefulness quite a bit quicker than he had even in her confusion. Immediately scrambling into panicked action!
“No, Theon!” she squeaked out in her panic, dropping her staff to the side to go grabbing at him and make him sit still in one place. “Sit and stay!”
Not waiting to see if he was going to obey, Araminta scuttled around the ground on her hands and knees like some sort of wild goblin, snatching up twigs and stones and bringing them back to the tiny fire he’d started. Fueling it with the dry wood and using the stones and a bit of the surrounding soil to make sure there as a nice well to contain the flames.
Once the fire had been properly stoked to something good and toasty her attention was set to Theon himself. Pressing the back of her hand against his forehead and scowling deeply that he still felt so cold to the touch. Leaning in too close to check his eyes by the light of the fire and still frowning all the same. She’d plucked up his cloak to drape around his shoulders and pull the hood of his cowl up. Then her own cloak was tucked over his lap again.
“You’re not allowed to die before I do, Theon! Consider it a royal demand! Do you understand? You’re not allowed to die first!”
It moved so quickly that she might as well have been a supersonic creature moving beyond mortal limits of comprehension! His name drawn and even before he could comprehend the way she told him to sit and stay, he was trying to fathom what this being was doing scrambling around on the ground. Lacking the wits to clue in that she was fueling the hungry flame till it was plenty warm and he was beset by cloak, cowl and another in his lap. Staring at the latter for a good long moment while brain seemed to take notice that she had even touched him at all. Somewhere processing that little tidbit in the slowly creaking cogs that would likely eventually startle at the fact she was being so forward.
Even the effort of blinking seemed like it was worse than snail’s pace. Realizing at some point that she was talking at him.
Die. Demand…
Chin tilted gradually towards her letting gaze rest to observe the practically angelic form of the woman when it eventually all came into place to form a full concentrated sentence of various periods.
Not allowed to die before she did. It was a decree from a royal that he was to comprehend loud and clear.
Carefully did he move his posture to tug knees up to cross arms over top. Bracing chin into their hold watching the flickering dance of the brightened heat with a depth of lethargic reflection. Surely digested each letter rather than the word itself till it could be a part of his every being with no lack of being ever forgotten. “Y e s.” Such a simple reply took a great deal of effort but he understood what she had said then and there. If he was to find the eternal resting place, it would have to come after her own. Not particularly clear as to why that mattered but it seemed vitally important for her.
Add that to the growing list of oddities.
It felt like an agonizing amount of time for him to finally get out that stilted yes. His movement stiff and slow, like he was having to force his body through mountains of powdered snow and barely making any progress at all. A twinge in her chest had her feeling terrible for a moment – like she’d taken advantage of him while he was too weak to think for himself, knowing the way he blindly followed orders. She wouldn’t have made such an unfair demand had she stopped for two seconds and thought about it. Araminta didn’t have any right to tell him how long to live or when to die, she just…
It’d be a terrible thing if he died for her. Died for nothing.
“Okay. Okay…” she finally murmured, accepting that at least for now he was alive. Not well yet by any means, but enough rest could hopefully do the trick. Araminta dragged over one of her bags, making sure it was within his arm’s reach.
“Food and water,” she instructed, but didn’t demand that he eat. Deciding one demand was enough already and he’d eat when he was ready.
Only then did she finally settled back down herself. Directly next to him, and possibly too close, but Araminta wanted to be sure she could reach and grab him should he try to go scurrying off before he was ready. With the moon high in the sky, it was far too late to make any attempts at going back to his hut. Laying down in the grass she rest her hand over her eyes and let out a long weary sigh.
It seemed the means of whatever it was that caused her to proclaim such a need had promptly died. Now replaced with a point that he ought to eat and drink. Urging a considering glance around to allow his mind to recall that the time was very late and he had avoided the means of consuming much of anything since well… a while.
Just his stomach whinged, forcing a dry swallow before turning to look away from her. Never mind how close she came to sit beside one moment and then was laying down shortly after. Leaving him to wonder if she was going to roll down the way out of mere curiosity. Needing additional time for thoughts to clue in that it wouldn’t be worthwhile anyways.
“C-can’t… eat with others.” Theon murmured slowly taken due care to force every letter to exact enunciation. “Young. Poisoned… uncomfortable with it.” It wasn’t common, actually it was pretty close to never that he shared any details about himself to anyone. Let alone a stranger that was trying to seek help from his mother that had no intention of doing so. Shuffling somewhat further into his neat little upright fetal ball to try and get his core to warm up first seeing as that was the most vital of area.
It took every ounce of Araminta’s willpower not to bolt upright and stare at him. Maybe it helped that she was exhausted and she was growing used to him making statements that both stunned and infuriated her all at the same time. Araminta wasn’t unaware of the dangers of being born of royal blood and the potentials of unsavory sorts attempting to kill you in one fashion or another, even in her old life of general safety. That was just a thing you had to worry about when you were in a position of power.
Only… he’d said young, which surely meant he was a child at the time, and what sort of evil, horrible, terrible monster would try to poison a child? Then again he was the son of the Imperial Queen and people often did awful, desperate things.
“I’m not looking, I’m sleeping,” she stated softly then. Even rolling over in the grass so her back was to him. Despite the fact she very much wanted to get up and give him a tight soothing hug. Araminta bet he’d never been hugged in his entire life. He’d probably think she was trying to strangle him!
“You could hand me bites first if you wished, but I am sleeping,” she offered. Then squeezed her eyes shut just in case he decided to peer at her and check.
There was a strong hate relationship with food he had now. He’d eat of course but he had to be alone. He had to make it so he knew there was nothing wrong with it. Helped when he also hunted it. Because then, the risk of it being poisoned or tampered with was so low that it was practically close to impossible. Just of course there was other ways the food caught could be harmed, usually by natural effects.
Still, it felt strangely necessary to tell her about his lack of desire to have a meal with her there. As it was sure to start raising more than eyebrows when he refused to do so after how many days. Water was of course just as cautious but the waterskins had been refreshed by himself, so he wasn’t too hesitant there.
However she did figure him out quick when he turned to slowly look at her and the obvious lies that he was sleeping. Evidently she was hungry and he decided that it was better she at least did that. Moving to do as she wanted about handing her the means of something to eat back before silently sighing. Feeling the heat move into his toes enough to wiggle them. “Baphomet… did not follow… correct?” he asked then softly.
Araminta was fairly certain he was only passing food to her because if she ate it, he wouldn’t have to. But on the tiniest chance that her eating would encourage him to feel safe enough to try, she shuffled herself back to sitting up and accepted the offered food. Wasting no time at all shoving as big of a bite of chicken pie into her mouth as she could, and giving a affirming hrmph. There was at least two more in her pack if he got daring enough.
She had to chew through his question, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth before she had the chance to swallow. Finally coming around to another affirming nod. So Baphomet was the dark fae’s name.
“Had he come out of the woods I would’ve thonked him right on the nose,” she muttered darkly. “Though I might’ve been snatched off to the faerie realm as a result.”
That urge to soothe him was there again… as well as the urge to yell at him for being so foolishly reckless with whatever magic he cast. Neither of which would go over well, she knew, so Araminta simply sat there watching the fire flicker and pop instead.
“But thank you. Again.” she merely said instead.
Well it might not have been the faerie realm she was absconded too had she whacked that beast upon the nose, but it certainly would have been a surefire way to assure she was taken. A prisoner of some sort. Pressing the heel of palm into eye socket to rub it in a vain hopes to warm up the sluggish slush that was persistent on his brain; Theon was just grateful the monster had not attempted to come after them. There would be little he could do when he was passed out from his own expenditure. And he wasn’t so bold as to hope that Araminta had a cluster of guardian angel’s watching over her that would have swooped down to spare her from such efforts of fighting a high fae.
“Do not thank.” Lips mumbled, “It was irresponsible… and irrational to do as I had.” He seemed to know his efforts were not of the smartest. Even if it had afforded them the means to escape without losing limbs, souls or their entire selves. Plus he didn’t know what to do with her gratitude, it felt so burdensome that it might as well have been a hornet trying to get under his clothing.
Liable to be frantically swatted at. Shuddering as the heat was working its way to melt the frost away from clinging to bones beneath, brow was bent to rest on the surface of knees. Squeezing arms about to keep that means of building warmth, “Running… did it hurt your leg further?” Theon asked randomly from the nest he had created for himself. Seemingly pointing out he was aware she was sometimes walking with an awkward gait.
Bless that he had his face buried and she’d also taken another bite of food, as immediately she could feel that flush of red in her own cheeks and almost blurted out a stubborn No! at having such a thing even acknowledged. Araminta twisted just a bit in her seated position until her back was to him, knowing that she was going to out right lie and it’d likely be obvious all over her features.
“A clumsy flailing run through the forest is no worse than climbing a cliff, I’m fine, Theon,” she lied. She terrible, awfully, flat out lied.
But what was the use in telling him the whole truth, anyway? He’d already done so much, too much, and Araminta doubted him knowing about some stupid old wound was going to help matters at all.
She did, however, take the time to press her hand to the spot on her leg and check to see if anything was reopened and bleeding through. In Araminta’s mad dash out of the wood and then dragging him back to safety, she hadn’t really taken the time to pause and see what shape she herself had been in. Everything always hurt all of the time, at this point it was hard to tell sometimes whether or not she had reopened a wound or had something new.
“Sleep will do us both good, in any case,” she muttered over her shoulder. “If necessary I could go to the next trial alone. I doubt the Queen really cares about there being a witness if the whole point was to kill me, anyway.”
He felt her shuffling around more than he dared to pry his face out of the hole. Unsure of why but the way she worded her reply almost seemed… mixed. He couldn’t tell if she was being cautious to how much she said or if she was just telling him to mind his own business. It sounded messy and convoluted without it actually being so, but he was hardly the one to press such matters. Accepting what was said with a soft hum.
Leaving them a few minutes to sit in that midnight silence with no more than the natural world completing their symphony of the night. Till he hear her murmuring over shoulder about rest and then the tagged on addition that she could go to the next trial alone. Pointing out that his presence originally was highly unneeded since he was supposed to sever neck from head anyways. “I will leave come morning as not to hinder further.” Theon acknowledged with a strong sense of acceptance. “Apologies for lingering too long.” She was on a mission and right now he was neither the witness, the assassin, the prince or the ghost. His presence was not required for those trials and he did not wish to leave her with anything more of a weight.
There was already so much going on, just because he seemed to be having a rebellious streak, did not mean that was her burden to carry.
“O-oh. Okay.” That… That wasn’t what Araminta expected to hear. Or wanted to hear, she was surprised to find out, as it came with such a sharp pain of disappointment that had she’d been standing she would’ve needed to sit down. Of course the man had no bond to her, no allegiances, or even a connection of friendship. He’d only remained with her as long as he had because he’d been severed from his own path in life because of her and he didn’t yet know what else to do.
Araminta knew deep down she was fooling herself if she believed her want to keep him near was all for his benefit. He did need someone to look out for him, and she very much wanted him to be in a place where he could exist as wholly himself without someone else dragging him around by the neck. But Araminta couldn’t offer him protection or safety, or anything at all that’d actually be a help to him. It was she who was reaping all the benefits of his presence, and how did that make her any better than his awful mother?
Tears welled up – thankfully out of his line of sight – and she attempted to swallow down the aching lump in her throat as she struggled with the indecision. Hating herself for caving into what was ultimately the wrong choice, but finding she didn’t have the will power to be better.
She was a terrible, horrible, selfish girl.
“I don’t want to go on alone, Theon,” she whispered softly, hoping that maybe if it was soft enough he wouldn’t hear it and consequently wouldn’t be entrapped in her stupid trials.
It seemed it was an agreement. At first.
Although is brain was still on a heavy freeze, it would have already attempted to think of what was to come next for himself. Returning to the castle would be a surefire way to lay his life down. That broke the agreement he had just made with her stating her own death had to come first. So that was entirely out of the question. Granted he had no social skills or firm grasp of social cues to know that he could merely leave the empire to somewhere else. A hermit life seemed possible but it would need to be still outside the empire.
Though that wasn’t accounting for the fact that he seemed stuck in this place for some reason or another. And it was hardly out of sentiment.
Still, it took barely a few breaths before there was seemingly a change. A soft sound at his back that might as well have been as soft as a dove’s coo. Tilting his head somewhat, “I do not understand then. I do not wish to be a hindrance to you. You are busy with these trials. I am not your witness. Assassin or such. Would my present not be merely…” Theon paused looking for the right phrase he had heard before. “Is bump on a log appropriate to use for this?”
The man’s earnest questions were making her feel even worse about the entire thing! Drawing out the tiniest of sniffles that was easily disguised as taking a deep breath and sighing. Brushing the edge of her sleeve against her cheeks quickly, because what a silly thing to be crying now. She was a princess, probably technically a queen now and queens didn’t cry when they were being terrible. They probably cackled and chortled and maniacally laughed as they tugged on people’s strings.
“You’re not a hinderance, Theon, you’ve saved my life at least twice now and that’s not even counting the not killing me part, or the continuously being kind,” she insisted. Araminta wished she could shake the sense into him so he’d know exactly how tremendous and amazing of a thing that was! People were always happy to do little kindnesses, but it wasn’t the same thing as throwing fireballs at harpies and feeding you and shielding you from dark fae! The average person just didn’t do things like that.
Araminta at least owed him the truth of it, if she were going to continue. Somehow, it was strangely easy to be this honest about her thoughts and feelings. Maybe because she was going to die in these trials anyway, what did it really matter now if she sounded foolish?
“My problems aren’t your problems to have and I shouldn’t be asking you to risk your life to stay with me based on promises I know I won’t be able to keep. I can’t protect you from your mother, and I’m attracting strange attentions, and I’m surely going to die in one of these stupid trials.”
She paused there, a hitch catching in her breath and forcing her to have to take a moment to breathe lest she actually start sobbing and making an ever bigger fool of herself.
“I’m scared and I don’t want to die alone.” she muttered with a final whisper. “I know you don’t understand that. You don’t have to come with me, but I do want you to. That’s all.”
It was such a strange thing to hear someone thank him for doing something that seemed so inconsequential to him. Where the idea that to do what he had done was likely not to be repeated by another. And to think that she found it kind.
“I risk my life every day.” One stated matter of fact. “I’ve turned from the Imperial Queen and now life will continue to grow into the means of watching what will come.” Perhaps he ought to be worried but he had long since given up the fear of death. It no longer even sat in the corner of his mind whispering anything. “I… don’t need protection Araminta.” To think she was wanting to even bother, was crazy. “Perhaps… I just would like a chance to be amongst company that… that?” He lost the words then. Not really sure what it was he was looking for. Ultimately shrugging, “I am not sure. But, I do understand. I might be a strange person but I am not without comprehension.”
He turned then, pulling her cloak from his lap to make a slow swivel. Careful not to knock her over from leaning against him. But unfurled the cloak to wrap around herself. “If you will have me, I will stay.”
“You are strange,” she responded softly. “But a good sort of strange.”
Even now he was being unbelievably sweet, after she practically admitted that she wanted him around just so she wouldn’t be alone. And he just… accepted it. Accepted it like it didn’t mean the world for her. Araminta pulled the edged of her cloak tighter around herself and twisted back around so she could actually look at him proper. Forgetting in the moment those streaks of tears, just because she needed him to know this was important.
“I’ll be good company,” she insisted. “We’re friends now, okay? Real friends and partners. You can teach me how to make fires and how to fight people and I’ll show you all the fastest and best ways to make money while staying in a village. We’ll be a prince and princess for a kingdom of two, and it won’t be much, but it will be ours and that’s better than nothing at all.”
These were of course very ridiculous and dramatic things to say, but Araminta, even for all her cleverness and practical habits, was still a dramatic princess by her very nature.
There was a good and bad strange? Suppose that was going to need some introspective studying because he didn’t know if that was entirely true! Though a good ponder might reveal the sliver of each. To keep his gradually returning mind active with something more than mere scenery.
As she turned around to face him, the slickness of cheeks were hard to ignore. Considering them as she seemed to have a rolling strength broiling internally that needed to be vented outwards. Expressing that she would be good company and that what they were two things he really had no history with. Friends and a partner. It sounded like a fairytale itself but he was hardly about to start squawking about semantics. Rather stewing on it as she gave a powerful declaration to it all. That there would be things to be taught in equality while their little kingdom was that of two. It was all incredibly waxing poetics.
Still, it did sound nice. Enough that the measure of her confidence seemed to stretch outwards to invite a mote of courage into himself. Reaching to cup the coolness of hand to that of a cheek to wipe at the streaks of tears. Nodding lightly to suggest he understood her declaration though it would take time for him to feel as emboldened about it. But he wasn’t about to declare it all moot point either.
He was something so very special. Araminta kept that thought to herself, though, offering just a small smile and a soft relieved sigh. It’s not as if things had changed drastically – truthfully it probably hadn’t changed anything at all. But knowing she wouldn’t be alone while tackling such difficult challenges gave her the tiniest sliver of hope where one hadn’t been before. Tackling the impossible didn’t seem so daunting when you knew someone would be there with you.
“I’m going back to sleep,” she told him, before gesturing towards her bag again. “You should sleep more too, after you try to eat. We have sticks to deliver and a fishing trip to get to.”
Araminta was certain it wouldn’t be as simple as just fishing, so they would need all the strength they could get. With a last glance of those grey eyes and red beard, just to be extra sure he was recuperating, Araminta did finally settled to lay back down while pulling her cloak up over her shoulders.
“Goodnight, Theon.”
One waited a rather long time to be certain that she was asleep. Before even attempting to look at the bits of food that might have been deemed okay enough to even chance that mental hurdle. Not well mind you. A mind was a dangerous tool after all and worst to a host that had its own problems to get over. Making it only a few nibbles before he ultimately couldn’t without feeling a rising twist of belly threatening that it would certainly remove anything that entered against it’s approval.
Settling for water and a means of cat napping between keeping the fire stoked enough to keep the heat present. As his mind didn’t think it wise to sleep entirely when they were on the Imperial Queen’s lands. Likely to need a guard at all times if they wanted to assure that nothing was liable to happen. And if it did, a prompt fleeing could occur.
Only when the sun began to lightly crest that of the horizon, did he shed his own cloak to put overtop of her. Stoking the fire a little further before rising to test the limits of his limbs and joints. Finding some sluggish fatigue there from his depletion, the return of manna would take a day or more yet. Limiting what he could do and certainly not allowing the use of his longtravel form to cross any mass distances.
What he could do was at mill about to see if there was anything that could be caught for a bit of protein so Araminta would be able to keep her energy up. And if he felt bold enough before she awoke, attempt his hand once more at eating so he wouldn’t have to deal with a empty stomach full of water.