Michellin

Wanderers

Kire couldn’t help rubbing her face in embarrassment when Ysaryn made her comment. But, for once, she laughed honestly in front of Ruli at his remark once the elf had left. “Yeah, no. Subtlety doesn’t exist in her vocabulary, in common or Elvish, I surmise.” She was glad he offered to walk; she needed to do something with her feet, or at least distract herself with the woods while they talked. As they stepped outside, she kept quiet, trying, and failing, to remember what she had thought to say and in what order she thought she would say them.

“I—I think we got off on the wrong foot today,” she said finally. “I don’t know how mornings after that worked. First time, he was gone by the time I woke, and then you earlier—well. I. There. I don’t know how these work normally, is what I’m trying to say.”

Wanderers

Kire looked at Zeke when he reminded her about her Ring and nodded, slipping it off and handing it to Narda. When the giantess took it, she noticed her ring finger and frowned. “What happened there?”
“The cost of the gate,” Kire said with a shrug. “It doesn’t hurt anymore, at least.”
Narda shook her head. Magic always had a cost. She almost expect the Ring to suddenly feel white-hot against her palm, but no such thing happened.

Kire had half-expected them to be accosted by yet another taciturn elf guide, but seeing how Narda and Zeke were unconcerned as they strode into Raielwen territory, she relaxed, if only a little. Once they had reached the marble court, Aera was there to greet them, looking a little worn. Doubtless, because of them. Kire inclined her head respectfully at the princess. She put on a smile and gave a brief account of Ed and the soldiers’ well being, as well as letting them know everybody in their party was well and accounted for. “Good to know. The sooner those woods are destroyed the better, even if the immediate threat has been somewhat contained.”
“I shall be glad to watch it burn,” Narda said with a huff.

When Aera asked if they preferred to stay at the borders, Kire nodded, a little somber, remembering that she and Ruli had a discussion to finish, too. “Yes, please. That would be best.”
“Besides, we still have to cook these,” Narda put in with a chuckle, gesturing at the game they had caught. “You should come with us one of these days, Zeke. A proper hunt. We’ll catch more than hare.”

It didn’t take long for the elves to ready the supplies and bring them out for them. On the way back outside, Narda talked to Zeke about hunting grounds in Amria, whereas Kire was quiet, piecing together what she would say to Ruli later. What do I want out of this? she thought, Narda’s advice in mind. The way he was acting, it didn’t really convince her that he wanted anything more. Or was that just awkwardness? Was he like that with anybody else he had bedded? Should she ask?

“Here we are,” Narda declared upon their return to the other two, immediately starting on setting up. “Not as lavish as Elva’s manor, but you’d prefer this to a cell or to restraints, I wager,” she said with a chuckle. Kire managed to chuckle along with her at the remark before turning to help her set up. She made no comment at the fact that she had expected smaller, individual tents, but she supposed they couldn’t be choosy about a temporary arrangement. “So, Wyvernling, what’s the plan after this? Presuming the destruction of the thicket goes smoothly.”
Kire snorted at that, not quite believing her luck at such things, but after the days they’d had, she hoped Narda’s presumption was correct. “We’ll go back to Envy and let him know we’re alive, for one. Depending on how it goes later, rest for the night. And then we go home.” She looked at Ysaryn. “It might be a while before the battle begins. Though Ed and the girls will miss you,” she said with a smirk.

The tent was large, almost as large as one of the tents they had just used yesterday. “They’re not the camping sort, are they?” Kire commented, a little amused.
“I won’t complain, if their idea of camping means sending along luxuries,” Narda said with a grin. Besides the tent, the Raielwen had given them provisions to make their stay comfortable enough, such as enough blankets and pillows for all of them (double for Narda). “We better get these hares ready, gods I’m starving,” she said to Zeke once they had finished preparing their lodging for the day. “Are you hungry? I assume Elva had you well-fed. You smell of that spiced wine you like so much.”
Kire grinned sheepishly at that. “Yeah. Too much, Elva says. She might be right. You two go on ahead.” She turned and realized she was left with Ysaryn and Ruli again. She looked from the elf to Ruli and, to her credit, wasn’t blushing as much as she had been this morning. “So.” The composure was short-lived, as the blush returned, and she had quite forgotten the rehearsed sentences she thought of earlier. “Can I borrow him for a minute?” she asked Ysaryn, then cringed, figuring the elf would find her phrasing funny.

Wanderers

Kire looked behind her at Ruli and Ysaryn, and she wondered if the elf was only pretending just so she could talk to Ruli and tease him some more. And Ruli, what would he say about her in her absence? She faced forward instead, sighing. Gods, when was the last time she had been this nervous?
Narda looked down at her and shook her head. “You are a million miles away, little Wyvernling. What’s wrong?”
“Uh. Nothing big,” Kire replied, waving it off. “So, how have the two of you been faring while we were gone?”
“Not too badly, the second time around, especially since we mild-mannered ones were left behind, eh, Zeke?” Narda responded with a chuckle.
Kire shook her head at that, though she kept her objections to the statement to herself. “But why are you out here? Didn’t they give you lodging?”
“They offered, but we do miss meat, hence the hunt today. It wasn’t because they wanted to starve us, mind.”
“Ahh. Makes sense.”

Kire fell silent as they walked back to Lithilote. “Tell us about the gate, woman!” Narda needled, clicking her tongue.
“Oh! Sorry. I should probably start with what happened when we got separated.” Kire rubbed her nape, then did her best to retell their side of yesterday: how she emerged from the gate separated from the others. How Ed and Ysaryn were found, and then later, how the crew of the Wench stumbled upon Ruli. Her jaw clenched at the memory of the parlay with the Gemini emissaries, and she recounted how she and Ruli worked to tear apart the gate. And when that was done… Kire paused her retelling right where they had gone back to Elva’s manor in the North. “Your turn,” Kire said afterward, looking at them. “Did you have to fight your way through the thicket again?”

Kire listened, determined to distract herself from her thoughts, falling silent afterward. Narda looked down at her old friend, frowning. When Kire noticed the look on the giantess’s face, she sighed. “Narda,” Kire began, hesitating. “When you and Ed…the day after. Was it awkward? Did it feel like you had destroyed your friendship?”
Narda’s brows rose in surprise. Now that she hadn’t expected. She glanced at Zeke momentarily. “For a while. We had known each other a while already by then, and it took a while to navigate that new terrain. But once we were clear on what we wanted from each other, as bedmates and as friends, things went easier. But, Wyvernling,” the giantess’s tone was gentle, “this sounds like a conversation that needs a drink. And a more appropriate venue. And if I am to offer you advice, I would perhaps needs better details on your end, no?”
“Yeah.” Kire sighed.

Wanderers

Kire felt him release her hand at Ysaryn’s teasing, though she was thankful that he didn’t at least do so with revulsion. She listened to the two of them argue about where to go next, and when their tempers rose she was about to step in when Ysaryn addressed her. “Thicket first—” Kire began, then her eyebrows rose when Ysaryn teased her rosy cheeks. She pouted at the elf, trying to wave her fingers away, when Ruli interrupted. The two of them had keener senses, so Kire waited to see what they smelled. Gemini. She saw the look of fear cross Ruli’s face, and Kire frowned, her hand on her sword as Ysaryn led the way.

The sight of the burnt wolf, and the vine tied around it, was a relief. She had no doubt Narda killed the wolf, and Kire guessed they had dragged the corpse to Lithilote to show the elves what kind of threat this thicket was. She arched a brow at Ysaryn’s cackling, then turned when she pointed behind her.

“Ahh, and the Wyvernling returns!” Narda called, hurrying towards them. “And here we were getting ready for breakfast.”
“Hey Nard,” Kire said, grinning honestly, “and Zeke. I’m glad you both are in one piece.”
“Hah! But I bet we missed out on a lot, didn’t we?” Narda said, thumping Kire on the back. “And I see you found our little trophy there.” She snorted. “The Raielwen are deciding on how best to deal with this evil wood. I trust Ed has returned home, and that you’ve dealt with the gate?”
“Yes,” Kire replied, “and ‘dealt with the gate’ is an understatement, but dealt with it we have.”
“Mm.” Narda looked at Ysaryn, seeing the coat and the sword she was carrying. “If I had to hazard a guess, you’ve been to the North, and you’ve met the crew of the Wench.” The giantess grinned. “Now that everyone’s here, I suppose we must let Aera and our hosts know that we’re about to take leave of them now.”

Kire let them lead the way, glad that Narda and Zeke were perfectly fine while they were gone. She glanced at Ruli, lips pursed. “Could we talk later, after?” she murmured, her ears going hot.
“Hmm?” Narda remarked. “What’s this then?”
“Magic stuff. Gate things. You wouldn’t understand,” Kire replied quickly.

Wanderers

Kire glanced up suddenly when Ysaryn cackled, followed by Ruli’s voice. She looked at the elf, and the look on her face made her wide-eyed again. She knows. “I…” The cousins were looking at her now, wondering at her flustered expression. She looked at him this time and cleared her throat. “I—I just said you helped me with the gate, and you were really good with your magic,” she said, trying to read his face. He had been about to sneak out earlier. And he was withdrawn as they ate. Did I ruin it? she wondered. Did he not like it? The thought was like a splash of cold water on her. He didn’t enjoy it.
“Kire, dear,” Elva said gently, “are you sure you’re alright? Oh,” she clicked her tongue, “I should’ve looked you over before you went to bed last night.”
“No! No. I’m fine. I’m great, actually,” Kire stressed, putting on a a smile to reassure her. Jan narrowed her eyes, while Ed looked from his cousin to Ruli to Ysaryn, who clearly had a very good time watching them. Curious. Kire picked at her food then. “I probably should bring these two back to theirs. Have to make sure Zeke and Narda are alright, too,” she said. “So if you’re giving her a proper look at Amria, Ed, you’ll probably have to save that another time.”
“I’ll count on that,” Ed said, glancing at the elf beside him. “We’ve only just begun the tour.”
“Right. So. After we eat, we can go back,” Kire said, sighing. The other Wyverns looked at each other. Something was definitely up with Kire. Ed had a suspicion, given Ysaryn and Ruli’s behavior, though the other two women hadn’t known Ruli long enough to know whether his attitude was normal or not. They all seemed to be in a good mood last night, as far as Ed had seen, so whatever this was had transpired in the night.
Jan looked at Kire, then a memory made her behavior click. When Kire looked at her, Jan’s lips were parted, as if raring to say something. “Not now,” Kire said, a look of panic in her eyes. “Later. I promise. Later,” she stressed, looking at both Elva and Ed. Kire shoveled her breakfast down as fast as she could now, washing it down with some hot chocolate. Any other day, she would have enjoyed the breakfast. If it wasn’t so gods-be-damned awkward, we would both be enjoying breakfast.

“Alright, breakfast over,” she finally declared, standing up from her seat. She bent to kiss Jan on the cheek, and Elva too, who pulled her into a hug. Ed stood up, and Kire gave him a hug, too. “Welcome home,” she said, patting his back.
Ed grinned. “It’s good to be home,” he said. “Now don’t be too long away.” He turned to Ysaryn and grinned at her, bowing his head politely. “That goes for you too.” His gaze went to Ruli. “You take care now,” he said. “And give my regards to Envy.”

They stepped back to the Great Hall so Kire could give them all a few moments for breakfast to settle. “I’ll take us back to the Lithilote borders,” she said, taking Ysaryn’s hand. She took Ruli’s and almost expected him to pull away. The touch of his hand made her remember where his fingers had been last night, and she blushed all over again. “Deep breath. This’ll be faster than the gate, at least.”

As she had said, they stepped out into the edge of the Raielwen territory. Perhaps because of the residual gate energy, it was a lot more instantaneous than her previous portals. Thankful that she didn’t feel nauseous after that one, Kire looked to the other two to see if they managed just as well, then realized she was still holding onto Ruli’s hand.

Wanderers

Ed watched her reaction to the snow and a warmth spread inside him, pleased that she liked it. “We don’t always like it, and I’m sure there’s much about it that annoys Elva as someone who has to be around this more often. But yes, the North holds its charm for us,” he admitted. He gestured at the mountains. “The cold and the mountain range provide excellent natural defenses, yes.” Always thinking of the battle ahead, this one. But then again, he wasn’t much better. He watched her bend and touch the snow on the ground, and he admired the way the morning light shone on her hair, the glow in her eyes.

Both of them turned when Ruli joined them not long after, and it was clear he wasn’t as delighted by the snow as Ysaryn was. “Morning,” he greeted anyway, though his eyebrows rose when Ysaryn threw a snowball at Ruli. Chuckling, he ran his hand through his hair. There was something about her curiosity and eagerness that was invigorating. “I’m glad you do. Though be careful; the cold could sneak up on you after a while. Best ask for gloves if you’re going to play longer outside. You might get frostbite.”

Kire had made her way to the great hall by then just as Ruli had gone back inside. She stopped short on her tracks, a little wide-eyed. “Um. Dining hall. There’ll be food soon. I’m sure you must be hungry.” She colored at that, though the blush hadn’t really left her cheeks since this morning. You made a promise. “Are they outside?” she asked. From the laughter she heard, it seemed they were, and having a good time. Or Ysaryn was, anyway. “I’ll just call them in. I’ll be back.” When she turned away she cringed at her own awkwardness, though she had to rearrange her expression once she was outside.

She hissed, having forgotten her coat. “Morning you two,” she greeted, pausing to look at the view. Cold as it was, she did like what she saw. One of the few things she did enjoy about the North. She turned to Ysaryn, smiling. “Ah. I see you’ve discovered snowballs.”
“She’s a fast study,” Ed remarked, grinning. “You alright? You must be really cold.”
“Uh. Yeah. Anyway, there’ll be breakfast soon for everyone,” Kire said, gesturing with her thumb behind her before stepping back inside.

By the time they reached the dining hall, someone was already seated beside Elva. Another woman, her raven hair loose around her shoulders, was speaking softly to her cousin, her emerald eyes alert as she saw the group walk in, her expression stern out of habit. “Good morning, Jan,” Kire said.
“Morning,” Janes replied, rising from her seat. “You’re back,” she said simply to Ed, though there was a soft smile on her lips.
“Indeed,” Ed replied, stepping towards her to give her a hug. The two spoke in Taakalon for a few moments to each other before Jan pulled away.
“Breakfast first. And,” she turned to the other two. “You must be Ruli and Ysaryn. Kire’s talked a lot about you two these past three months.”
“Yeah,” Kire said, glancing at them. “Uh. So. This is Janes, another Wyvern cousin. She and Ed are my two naggers while I’m on the throne.”
“Please,” Jan said, raising an eyebrow, “throne or no throne, we will still nag you. Unless this one wants to retire,” she said, gesturing at Ed, who shook his head.
“Telling the Empress what to do is one of life’s little pleasures,” he put in with a playful nudge at Kire. “Now come on, I’m starving.”

With Elva and Jan already having their seats, and Ed and Ysaryn finding their places, Kire sat beside Ruli, trying to both not look at him too much and not avoid his gaze, either. Turning her attention to the food, she piled cured meat, cheese, and bread on her own plate, realizing she, too, was starving from the long night they had.
“Elva filled me in on what you two talked about,” Jan said to Ed, before turning her attention to Kire, who was chewing her food with concentration. “How are you feeling after the gate? That must have been painful.”
“Yeah, it was a right bitch, that was,” Kire answered honestly. “To think that wasn’t a big gate. I’m just glad our whole crazy plan worked.” She looked down at her finger and saw that the burn mark had partially healed. “Half the work was done by Ruli,” she added. “He knows a lot of magic. He’s really good.” Without meaning to, she smirked at that last statement, and when she realized it she bent over her food again.

Wanderers

Ed stifled a chuckle when Ysaryn answered the door, clearly having just woken from such a deep sleep. When she finally snapped awake and realized what he was there for, he laughed softly, quite amused by her. Definitely not like Kire there. He watched, grinning, as she put on her boots, and before he could ignore the thought, he’d decided she looked adorable. “Yes, snow,” he called after her, chuckling. “And I understand. I was tempted to laze about, myself, but sadly habit’s made me an early riser.” He unfolded the thick coat he had brought along with him and draped it over her shoulders. “You’ll need that.”

He led her downstairs, where the servants were preparing breakfast and getting the manor ready for the new day, giving respectful nods towards the lord before continuing their work. Once they had reached the great hall they had arrived in last night, he turned right, going through the foyer until finally they reached the entrance. The moment the doors were opened for them, a chilly morning breeze blew in, along with a few snowflakes. Ed stepped outside, glad for the coat he had on, having been unused to Elva’s home for a long time. The manor was nestled against the mountainside, and spread out below them was a large town similarly situated against the slopes. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the homes below, and the early risers were already at work, trudging through the snow. Children swaddled in thick clothes were running about as well, playing with the snow and laughing.

Around them, they could see the snow-capped mountains, the newly risen sun peeking from between the peaks. Ed’s breath rose in steam in the cold air, his face already red from exposure to the chill. “What do you think?” he asked her.

--

Kire turned abruptly when she heard his voice. Her blush colored her cheeks as she realized she was still naked in his bed, and she sat up, hugging her blanketed knees to partly cover herself. She looked him over, and it took a couple of moments to realize he had just been about to leave. She stared at him in silence for a spell before she spoke. “Morning. So. That bad, huh?” she said, though she cracked a smirk after that, betraying the joke. She rose, resisting the urge to wrap the blankets around herself and focused on putting on the shift she had worn last night as quickly as possible. After she wrapped the robe around herself, she looked at him, her mind trying to sort out what to say next. “Breakfast,” she blurted out, “I’ll, uh, just pop back into my room and wear something more presentable. I’ll see you downstairs.”

She turned away and had to consciously walk like she wasn’t in a hurry to get out, particularly concerned with being seen either Ysaryn or Ed outside. In her room, she dug through the wardrobe and found travelling clothes, dressing slower than she had done back at Ruli’s room, buckling her sword around her waist before stepping back outside.

Downstairs, she could smell both coffee and hot chocolate, and a little more of the cinnamon and nutmeg from last night. The smell made her blush again. Gods, will my face just be red the whole day?
“Well, good morning!” she heard Elva’s cheery greeting as the Lady of the north climbed downstairs. “I honestly expected you much later than this. Jan will be down soon.” She stopped, curious, noticing Kire’s face. “Are you alright, dear?”
“Hangover,” Kire said quickly. “Just need to shove some food in my mouth.”
“Mmhmm. Well. You do have a rather unhealthy relationship with that mulled wine,” Elva said, winking, before going into the kitchens. “Breakfast will be done soon, so best gather everyone into the dining hall.”

Wanderers

He was hesitating. Kire could see as much, and she swallowed, already preparing herself for what seemed like an inevitable rejection. She already had some excuse in mind, ready to assure him she had no hard feelings for what he was about to say, when he leaned towards her and kissed her. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss, leaning into him partly, the scent of cinnamon filling her mind even as he broke the kiss. When she saw him tug at the blanket, Kire unfastened her robe and pulled it from herself, letting it drop to the floor before climbing in.

Kire slept deeply afterward, though she was right about her body feeling sore from destroying the gate, and now from her night with Ruli, too. She was, as usual, slow to wake. She hadn’t known what, exactly, to expect with him, beside the general hope that it would at least be somewhat enjoyable. But that… “…wow,” she whispered, still facing her side of the bed, feeling a slight chill on her naked shoulders, the blanket only covering half her body.

--

Ed had stayed up well into the night, having a long conversation with Elva. He told her about Aera, the elves of Lithilote, what it had felt like when they first got stranded, what he had to do to cope. She in turn told him about how they had found out about their brother dying, the hellish months when Kire and her forces had tried to keep afloat as the empire dissolved into warring factions. They lapsed into silence at some point before reminiscing bittersweet memories of Earnest. When it seemed that both of them couldn’t stay awake any longer, the siblings put off the rest of their catching up for the night. Ed was directed to his chambers, where he had been told that the rest of their company was staying nearby. Briefly, he looked to the door that was presumably Ysaryn’s, hesitating. Figuring, however, that he was too tired, and that she might be needing rest as well, he went into his own chambers instead.

He rose early, however, as he was wont to do. Outside, last night’s weather blanketed the mountainside with glittering snow. Remembering that Ysaryn had wanted to go out and see snow, Ed left his chambers, returning not long later with a coat, and another smaller one slung over his arm. He knocked softly on Ysaryn’s door.

Wanderers

Already her ears burned, and it took all she had not to grab more of the wine and just drink it all straight. “I know,” she replied just as softly when he pointed out her own confession earlier. “And I know we have only known each other a short time but, you’re not a complete stranger either.” She didn’t voice the rest of what she felt, that she had this inkling that the loneliness she felt inside her was something she could see in him, too, because she couldn’t quite explain that feeling, either. She didn’t have the words for it yet.

When he confessed to not wanting to be a regret, Kire took a deep breath and, after a few moments of silence between them, she stood and sat at the edge of his bed. “Alright. How about this.” She turned to him. “You know I’m good with my word. I promise I won’t avoid you. I’d like to think what we’ve been through together counts for something, right?” She held his gaze. “I promise we’ll still be friends after this.”

Wanderers

Kire had half-expected the blunt question, though when it finally came, she still turned crimson and felt her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She set her mug down and laced her fingers together. “I—don’t entirely know,” she said, followed by a nervous laughter. “It’s been an awfully long time since I’ve had—since that. And I already know you’re good with your hands.” She looked briefly at him then turned away, a little embarrassed at her awkward come-on. “I think I’m at the point where I can’t go to bed with a complete stranger. And I thought—I thought—you're...” She tried to find the words through all the drunken emotions she was feeling right now. “Can’t I just say I want a nice fuck for the night without a whole speech about it?”