A Raven and a Swan [Closed]

"Eep!" Kari yelled.

She'd flip back out of the way of the explosion. She fortunately didn't get singed, but the wind did cause her to stumble and roll into the snow. As she rolled, Kari would hook her scythe into the ground, before flipping herself back up.

"Whoo!" Kari said in relief.

As Solana ran, Kari dispersed into the forest. A small wind blew and the trees rustled. As Solana traveled, random ice shards would shoot from the trees trying to aim for her like arrows from a stealthy archer. If she listened, she'd hear the clicking of glass against the wood, moving parallel to her position.

***

Fie listened to Fey, hesitantly placing a hand on the fairy's head. Their eyes shifted sideways.

"Well...okay..." Fie said quietly. "But first..."

Fey would feel Fie's arms wrap around her own waist. At first it would seem like they were about to hug her, but the moment they were fully around her, the fairy would be lifted and slung on Fie's shoulders like a potato sack.

"Let's get away from Solana's fires, hm? Can't distract your crying with explosions, now can we?"

Fie would start marching, carrying Fey over their shoulder as they did.

"You're free to sob in this position if ya want," Fie said brusquely.

***

Eala allowed herself an amused smile as Corvus joked about the near-death experience. She started walking towards the balcony and leaned against the bannister. When Corvus asked her about her reasons, she merely

"I have my reasons to want the Red Witch," she said. "She's not wanted by me, mind you. Saoirse and Aldmerrow are quite eager to take her for their own. Saadedge would easily kill her as well. You could say...she'd be...safest with me, even, given my intentions."

She let out an amused hum.

"Yes, the Red Witch would be a nice toy for me to play with," she said.

She turned away from the bannister to lean back against it. She started drawing circles on the railing.

"So you have lost someone?" she asked. "I have trackers who can start a search, if that's what you need. I take it they won't pose any combative threat if they were pursued?"

"AH!"

Solana cried out as ice began to rain around her, She dashed forward, using small bursts of flame to move her just a bit faster. Still, Solana was no acrobat, Eventually and ice shard slammed into her, causing her to spin and fall in the snow. She stared up and the sky, dazed. She realized this was still a game, she couldn't just start flinging dangerous spells willy nilly. She didn't want to hurt her friend after all. She shook her head, shivering slightly as she felt the ice lower her body temperature. She felt sluggish, her mind was getting foggy.

She exhaled again, letting out a few whispers as the area around her burst out in another gout of flame. She needed to obscure herself again while she warmed up.

--

Fey let out a small relieved sigh as Fie finally caved, placing a hand on her head. Next she wrapped her arms around her waist, Fey leaned in, seeking comfort. Suddenly, she found herself slung over Fie's shoulder. Fey was shocked at Fie's words. She...she really thought this was any kind of comforting? Despite her sobs, Fey began to laugh. What kind of person was Fie? That this seemed to be her best? "I prefer bridal style..." She half laughed, half whined. Still, she didn't keep up the attitude long, eventually breaking down into soft sobs as she was carried. She didn't quite care where they went. She just hoped she could receive some modicum of comfort from Fie.

Or anyone for that matter.

--

Well, that wasn't good. Corvus always had his doubts about Eala, but she was worrying him more and more often as of late...A toy for her to play with huh? As much as that brat annoyed him, he didn't want to sell her to some crazy princess. At the same time though, Hana could be in real danger. It was a tough choice...

But one he could figure out later.

"Understood, I'll make sure not to kill her." He said flatly. No need to give more than that really. "That's hard to say, really." He sighed, leaning back and crossing his arms. "She, herself is quite friendly. Should come along easily enough. The person with her, however." His eyes narrowed. "Whoever they are, they're quite powerful." The amount of destruction there...No 'patient' there could've done such a thing.

"I'd like them both alive as well."

As Solana was recovering, Kari took the opportunity to disappear from out of the woods, slashing her sickle in the air as multiple gales of winds would try to push at Solana. Her eyes bright and her smile wide, entirely unaware of Solana's current state and how affected she was by the hit.

"Nanaaaa...run some more!" she said in a singsong voice.


***

When Fey complained about how she was being carried, Fie scowled.

"That's highly impractical! If I carry you bridal style, I won't have a hand free to use my weapon just in case an attack happens!" Fie said as they continued to march along the snow. They continued speaking, stiff and in military-like fashion. "This form of hold is very efficient. Not only is my hand free, but I am able to carry the full weight of an individual with the least unnecessary muscular strain. Especially since you are heavy."

Of course, Fey started sobbing again. Fey wouldn't see it, but Fie's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sound. They looked to the side uncomfortably.

"Anyways, you won't have to complain for long. We're almost there."

As they got deeper in the forest, the two would come to a clearing. The sun shone bright from above, reflecting on a vibrant blue frozen lake. Fey would also see a series of snowmen and ice statues around, often of angles or people dancing. There were a few broken down logs rolled near the lake and a small put out campfire.

Fie would carry Fey up and place her down on one of the logs. They crossed their arms, frowning softly.

"So...do you still not want to talk about it?"

***

Eala inspected her nails boredly.

"That is doable," she said. "All I'll need is their name and appearance. I'll have my associates in Aldmerrow look out for them."

Eala stretched and let out a small yawn.

"Just to be fair too, since you asked why I wanted the Red Witch, I want to ask why you want to find your own people, too."

Solana took a few breaths, dropping to the ground and covering herself as winds began to buffet her. She sighed, inhaled and whispered a few more incantations. Suddenly, she exploded out of the flame, moving away from Kari once more. She would be noticeably slower if she wasn't propelling herself with flames. Suddenly though, she'd stop, tuck into a roll, and twist. A wall of fire a good fifteen feet wide suddenly spread out between the two. Solana moved a couple feet in one direction and planted her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.

She...really hated ice attacks.

At this point, she figured Kari would up and catch her...But she didn't mind all too much. This wasn't life or death, and Solana could still probably escape her grip if she really wanted too.

--

"I'm not heaaavvvyyyyy." Fey whined, lightly batting her fists against Fie's back. Despite it all, Fie really was trying her best. Fey couldn't honestly fault her for that. She sighed as she was placed down, her hands raising back to her eyes as she began to wipe some fresh tears off.

Slowly, her arms outstretched once more. "I...I want hugs and pets first." She sniffled, her eyes looking directly into Fie's. "I need it...Please. I-if you do...I-I won't bother you anymore...I just. I need this now, a-and then I'll tell you everything." Tears up and continued spilling from her eyes as she spoke, at this point it seemed like it was going to continue for a long awhile.

--

"Thank you." Corvus nodded. He pulled out a piece of paper he'd kept in his chest pocket. It seems he was ready for this transaction. Quietly he moved forward and held it out for Eala. "These should be all the details you need. For both of them." Once she took the paper itself, Corvus would take a small step back and cross his arms once more.

"I knew her in another lifetime." He stated flatly. "I owe her quite a bit. I, honestly, don't see why anyone would want to take her. I'm hoping to find that out as well."

As Kari got close, the fire wall came up and she jumped back.

"Impressive as always, Nana!" Kari bellowed from behind it.

She could vaguely see Solana's silhouette panting in the distance. Kari's smile started to fade.

"N-nana?" Kari asked. "A-are you okay?"

Kari would try to brush wind at the fire wall and make it through, singeing her clothes in the process.

"Nana?" she asked.

***

Fie rolled her eyes when Fey started begging for hugs and pets.

"How do hugs and pets fix anything--" Fie started, but then Fey started mentioning that she wouldn't bother Fie after that. Fie groaned and stabbed their sword into the ground. They leaned their arm against it as they moved in closer to Fey.

Their glassy white eyes looked at Fey firmly, a scowl on their face. They sighed and their eyes shifted to the side.

"You irritate me," they said bluntly. "But that's different from being a bother. It's fine."

They raised a gloved hand, gently placing it over Fey's head. And then started to stiffly patting it.

"That's how this works right?"

***

Eala swiped it from him, but would quickly toss it aside to the table.

"Perfect. I'll send word for her then," she said.

She then let out a small hum.

"Another lifetime, eh?" Eala said. "You mean like Tala, right?"

In and out...
In and out...
Just breath.
Just breath...

A short distance away, Kari began to shout. She was worried...She couldn't let her worry. Kari would see Solana's silhouette shift shift. The next moment, there was a blast. Solana would shoot from the flames, towards Kari. The burst ended short though, Solana stumbled, rolled and suddenly wrapped Kari tightly into a hug. "I GOT YOUUU!" She giggled, nuzzling against the girl's cheek. Despite her cheeriness, Solana was breathing fairly heavily, and leaning a little hard on Kari.

She...REALLY hated ice magic.

--

Fey couldn't help but let out a sigh as Fie's words and actions. Why was she being so difficult now? Still, she was trying at least..."Thank you, Fie." She muttered. She...couldn't take it anymore. She moved forward and threw her arms around Fie. "This helps me...J-just accept that please..." If Fie threw her off...Well she'd understand..."Just...Let me have this for a bit..." Her eyes closed as she let out a few more sobs, her body shaking slightly.

--

Corvus wasn't too surprised when she up and named Tala. While he would've loved his legend to push his old life into anonymity, Eala easily had the resources to dig up those old memories. Still...This was inconvenient. "Yeah. Like Tala." He stated, letting out a sigh.

"It won't be an issue."

Kari yelped at the sudden burst of fire, but was pleasantly surprised as Solana tackled her. Kari would lose her balance and would end up dragging Solana into the snow in her, still hugging.

"Ooohhh, good one, Nana!" Kari said. "You DID get me! That was really fun!"

She'd straighten up into sitting position. She then noticed Solana's breathing being not so steady, and a look of worry came on the crystal girl's face.

"Nana?" Kari asked. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

***

A flash of red came across Fie's face as Fey hugged her again. A part of Fie wanted to get angry at her, but the hug felt different this time. There was no pestering or teasing or trying to get a reaction out of Fie. In fact, Fey was even asking them politely. Fey would feel a stiff sigh. Her soft arms would feel the porcelain-like limbs wrap around her and one gloved hand gently stroke her hair.

Fie was definitely not a fan of doing this, but this was how Kari used to enjoy being held when she was sad. This was the best Fie could do for Fey's case, they supposed.

"You're so needy," Fie said, though there was the tiniest bit of a laugh to it. "But okay. Just this once."

They then pursed their lips.

"For the record, you're not telling anyone about this got it?" they then added.

***

Eala smiled, amused at Corvus' response.

"Interesting," she said. "Very well. I'll let you go about your business. Once you bring me news about the Red Witch, I'll bring you news about your little friend."

She walked away and started moving back to her study. She paused.

"Oh, and before you go, don't forget your earring," she said. "Can't have you forget it now, can we?"

She gave Corvus one more glance, a smirk on her red lips.

"It's been a pleasure doing business, as always, Mister Corvus."

And then proceeded back to whatever business she was doing before.

Her hitting the snow honestly didn't affect her much. She already felt cold, and snow barely did anything to her in the first place. Solana shivered slightly despite herself, letting out a small sigh as she was sat up. Idly, she turned her hand, reaching out to something that was clearly not there. "...I wondered where she went. Playing the tactician hmm?" She giggled lightly, up and leaning against Kari. "You did incredibly, Riri. Wasn't able to recover, so instead I cheated." Another giggle. "Just a little cold..." She muttered. She felt tired, but knew better than to give into that urge. "Do you think the ghosts would mind if I burned this patch? I need to warm up..."

She glanced to the side again, looking at nothing. "Why is she not coming close....Riri is she upset with me?" She glanced back, a small frown on her face.

--

"Thank you..." Fey sighed, practically burying herself into Fie. Honestly she'd probably feel better about all of this if her hopes hadn't been dashed so hard. Truthfully...She didn't even know why she was reacting this way. It felt like the thing to do...Maybe she was just making up for lost time. She was usually honest with her emotions...usually. "I won't tell anyone..." She muttered, simply relaxing and falling into quiet sobs for a long while.

She needed to work this out.

It would be awhile, that was for certain.

--

"Right." Corvus sighed, beginning to move out. There was a beat of silence at her next demand. He glanced back, his eyes narrowing. After that, the look shifted, he looked almost sad. If this was someone his age, maybe he could stay mad, she was young though, far too young. There was nothing he could really say, but he was pretty good at seeing writing on the wall at this point. The rumors, her subjects and their interactions. It wasn't good.

She wouldn't last.

He bent down, picking up the earring and rolling it in his hand. "I think you may have fooled yourself." He spoke, his hand curling around the earring before disappearing into a pocket. "Though, Fey was always more optimistic than me." He muttered and shook his head. The room seemed to grow darker as he began to step back. "Take it from someone who's seen this before. Rethink your actions or..." He'd step back into the shadows and seemingly fade out of existence, his last words hanging in the air. "Get some better fucking advisors."

For the slightest moment, Kari's brows furrowed.

"Oh no...did I hit too hard?" she asked.

She looked around and found a few pieces of broken branches and carried them towards Solana.

"If we make a fire, will you feel warmer?"

Solana then expressed her worry about Fie, to which Kari tried to reassure her. She dropped the wood in front of Solana and wrapped her arms around her. Her cheeks rubbed against Solana's face.

"Don't worry about Fie!" she said. "I'm sure they're just being super grumpy or something. It's probably nothing to do with you. Or maybe she saw a beast and decided to kill it!"

Kari beamed at Solana. She hated it when Solana got upset and even if she WAS worried about Fie, she didn't want to cause Solana to freak.

"Tell you what," Kari said. "Once you're all warm, we'll go find them? We can think of it as Fie playing hide and seek from us!"

***

As another moment passed, Fie sighed. No doubt about it that Fie felt extremely uncomfortable holding onto Fey and just having the thing sob on them. They had better things to do. Sure, Fie felt bad about the situation, but it wasn't practical to just stand around here. They awkward. Useless, even.

"Got it out of your system yet?" Fie said. "I really think it would help if you just....tell me what's wrong. Crying can only do so much."

***

"Hm."

Eala gave a smooth shrug and barely glanced when Corvus vanished. Instead, she moved over to her drawer. She tucked away the finished deed by Corvus and pulled out another envelope instead. It had the Expiate seal on it. The wax had already been peeled because Eala had read the letter before. She pulled out the letter gingerly from the envelope, retracing the first sentences of the message.

We are sad to inform Her Highness that the Chief Commander will not be able to fulfill the request for a visit. On account of a recent outbreak of crime in Leiger, he will be...

Eala's fingers pressed hard on the paper, rubbing it stiffly with her thumb and index. She stared hard at the letter.

"Love really is the secret if normal people," she murmured before pushing the letter away.

Solana gave a slow blink as Kari asked her questions, but smiled widely when she brought wood for her. "You have always been so kind to me." She beamed, kneeling down and moving the branches in a pattern. "Do you know how to start a fire without magic?" She asked idly, looking around her for a moment. She grabbed at the air a few times before letting out a small sigh. "I find it enjoyable." Despite her words, she snapped her fingers and a small spark fell from her hand. It landed on the wood before bursting into a roaring flame, far too big for the wood provided. "Still, magic works just as well in a pinch."

After her odd tangent, she happily returned Kari's hug, seeming to forget her visions of ghosts entirely. "She may have gotten bored and run off. She does not like me very much, I think." She said it very matter of factly, and, despite a small dip in her tone, she still kept up her smile.

--

Fey inevitably let out a sigh as Fie continued insisting on her talking to her. While she didn't let go, she just gave a curt nod, sniffling lightly. "I think I'm just sick of things not working out..." She muttered. "I pretend a lot, Fie. Lie a lot. Sometimes I convince myself of things." There was a moment of silence and she seemingly held Fie tighter. "I tried to propose to the princess. The trade off was the death of Corvus. I didn't think she'd actually do it." She muttered. "Gave this whole...sappy speech, tried to get her to realize that she wasn't some kind of monster that could just crush people for now reason and that..." She seemed to stammer a bit and frowned.

"L-listen, the point is. My life sucks and I wanted to make it better. Figured I could do the same for her. Now Corvus is pissed, she thinks of me even less than she already did and I just...don't know what to do next." Despite her story, the more Fey talked, the calmer she seemed to get. There was an air of melancholy in her tone, though, and she did not once move to push away from Fie. "I don't see what talking does Fie...I..I just...I don't know. I want someone here."