Alas, She is but a Shadow

Alice (Alas) Ward // Wyrmrest Accord // Inactive // Archive 

[monstrousthingsrp]

Monstrous Headcanons:

Because we can’t all just put brains in jars to see how they tick.

♦ - HOARD - something that is precious to them ✿ - DECAY - an old memory, from childhood perhaps ⚔ - DUEL - a meeting or relationship that was important to them ♥ - STAKED - a jarring event, something that changed their life/outlook ∇ - TOMBSTONE - who they are versus who they appear to be ☼ - DAYSTAR - a secret they don’t want coming to light ☂ - THUNDERSTORM - a difficult or miserable time in their life ⚖ - SCALES - how well they balance their good and bad impulses ϟ - LIGHTNING - something they thought they’d left in the past, returned ☢ - BIOHAZARD - the most dangerous thing about them to others ♬ - DIRGE - a habit, hobby, or obsession they can’t seem to shake ■ - LAIR - where they live, work, or spend most of their time ☠ - DEATH - the closest it’s come to touching their life

Ask on-anon or off!

[aestheticsmut]

[weltenwellen]

Mary Oliver, from “White Owl Flies Into and Out of the Field”, Devotions

[nocturne-dreamer-deactivated202]

Ko-fi portrait for @olivia-lovecraft of their precious half-elf. Thanks so much for the ko-fis. I hope you like the art as much as I enjoyed drawing her for you!

[sailynthesayaad]

The Letter

Sai’lyn had been lounging rather then working as of late, there was little desire and little push for her to do anything. Even working on her drug trade had already grown boring and tedious. As much as she wanted to keep up to it and look after the people under her, money just seemed like a stupid concept and a waste of valuable metals. She would much rather just steal the money, maybe just kill a couple nobles here and there to get the resources she wanted to jump start the projects she had in mind. For now, she had been spending a good portion of her time drinking, lavishing herself out at the bars and of course plotting. Though, considering she was only taking this whole thing with her “Daughter” semi-serious, there felt little drive to push things forward. Not to mention the fact she seemed to be more so on the ropes or playing by others, letting them do all the work while she did nothing. Perhaps it had it’s little bonus’, making others do the work and be at risk, but as of late it just didn’t sit well with her. Alice was her first friend, no one had ever called her that before and she felt it to be genuine, she didn’t want to lose that. After her pretend fight with Alice who was pretending to be this Helriel, who seems to have quite the history of living in Duskwood, she decided to go off and get her strength back with another bit of feeding here and there and enjoy herself out. The fight didn’t drain her too much, but with never knowing what Ava was up to, it felt safer to always be at full strength. Just healing up the couple wounds here and there she sustained and the little bit of magic she wasted on away, it felt good to feed on just the little bit of life-force and energy that was so wasted in Stormwind. After which, it was time to head off to see Angel and Missy, well their apartment. It was good to pretend they were still there, she did ensure to make a couple visits even prior to this fight with ‘Helriel’, even if Ava knew they were moved, she’d still think this location was important. Shuffling around the shabby apartment, pulling out remnants of alcohol to drink along on her own. Sai’lyn had been in some run down gutters before, but honestly, she would defiantly list this place near the top of the list. Of course her own labs and dungeons for prisoners were always number one and two, so that seems to mean something. Setting down onto the shabby, broken down straw bed, she’d pull out the letter Alice had given her to read. Tapping it in against her fingers as she seemed to think back on the conversation, it made her curious on just what the other was planning. For now, she simply opened it with a slice of her nail and pulled out the parchment to unfold and read: Mortals don’t make good pets, do they? I mean, I can understand keeping them close like livestock, but they are so fragile. They die so easily. I considered bringing back some of the pieces when I break these, but I know you aren’t that sentimental. You’ll find better pets. xoxo Helriel P.S. – Stay off my land. At first she wasn’t sure just quite how to make it out, eyes narrowing as she read the words over and over. Then a smirk spread in over her lips and a burst of laughter soon joined. Mind began to reel in all sorts of directions. Could Alice have betrayed her this whole time? Could she have been working with Ava since the start? After all they only briefly met once before and it wasn’t all that grand of a meeting and then later she did seem to happily take Sai’lyn on as a ‘friend’. Did she suspect or help corner Angel and Missy off just to capture and keep them? Was this a fair warning for such? Of course, none of this was true and even the shadows around her body began to chuckle over such thoughts. It was a good play. In many different outcomes, this idea and plan would cover many bases. If Alice was discovered she could play that card of wanting to betray Sai’lyn and having been investigating Ava to see if she was worth even joining with. If Ava already knows or learnt about Angel and Missy being moved, she would have to rethink if that was true or not and that could cause some mistrust among her ranks. It also opened a way to solidify that Helriel was a threat to Sai’lyn and would be someone to curry favor with. Not to mention it would leave herself seeming valuable and weak, giving Ava a false sense of confidence in whatever her next move was. Smiling down to the letter seeming to approve of it’s contents, she would go ahead and fulfill her next part. It wasn’t hard getting fake angry, no one had ever seen her become in such a state of pure enraged ferocity. The building of course would have to burn down, not just for the acting but also because it was such a disgusting state and no one deserved to live in it. Least, she told herself she was being generous as she began to smolder and unleash a quell of Fel fire to seep in the termite infested wood. Of course, after piling all the alcohol into her little pocket of the nether, can’t waste such after all. The letter she would ensure to leave behind, crumbled and slightly singed. Putting a small charm onto it to ensure it’s safety. She wasn’t the best at such magics, protection spells or charms, but she learned enough over the years to least ensure this one would last the hour and be undetected. After all, she wouldn’t want Ava thinking she meant to leave it behind. There was much trust that the city would act fast enough to put out the fire, so moving on ahead, as soon as the roof began to cave in under the night sky, she’d ascend into it’s light. Casting her shadow over the old towns distract, in the form she often desired to not use, but once more, she had to make this look like it struck home and only her true form would ever show how serious she was in any thing. Taking a small quick look down towards the green fires, she would quickly fly off further into the sky and head back home.

( @tristan-forester​ @alas-ward​ )

[libre07]

[alas-ward]

Necessarily Evil

It was hard to be away from Quin. It was nearly impossible, in fact, after her last efforts to keep people safe had led her deep into madness. She had lost grip on reality and the dark passengers she carried altered her memories and beliefs. It was the worst it had ever been, and she carried guilt for attacking Anthion, even if she hadn’t actually hurt him.

But Quin’s trust and support gave Alice the strength to overcome her recent dalliance with insanity. He made her strong and sane, and with his newfound strength, he breathed life into her faith. She could help Sai’lyn, she could help her friend, because he was never going to let her fall again.

So, with his backing from afar, Alice haunted Duskwood wearing a face that was not her own. For the next month or so, Alice Ward existed only in whispers and shadows. She was an invisible force associated with Sai’lyn, but something that was nearly impossible to catch sight or scent of. Instead, Alice was now Helena Duskheart, a raven-haired half-elf who was regarded as a witch by the locals of Duskwood.

More importantly, though, Alice was Helriel.

Helriel had died so that Tristan could live. She had been pulled from him, kicking and screaming, and left a deep relief in his void-touched soul. Alice felt guilty about resurrecting the wretched creature in this way, but it was a necessary evil.

And Alice intended to commit many necessary evils in the service of keeping Sai’lyn’s beloved pets safe.

“Where are we going?” The young guard asked quietly. His tone was thick with alcohol and amorous intentions, but Alice could tell that his suspicions were on the rise.

“Just a little further. There’s a beautiful grove up ahead,” she assured, perfectly matching the soft, otherworldly rasp of Helriel’s tone.

“You know, I am not picky, right? I mean, a little picky. You’re beautiful,” he slurred. “But we could have done this anywhere.”

“This place means something very special to me,” Alice purred in return, turning icy blue eyes on the man. She didn’t have the power of magical charm or seduction, but the potion she had slipped in his drink at the tavern, and her natural flirtatious nature, gave her an edge that kept him following her to the site of Olivia’s former Duskwood manor.  

“Ain’t this where that witch lived, though? Like, I am really not into all that spooky shit or challenging spirits. We can just—”

His protests were cut short as Alice turned and suddenly kissed him deeply. It was as much an effort to shut him up as it was applied incentive to keep him moving.

“It is just a little bit further. I can see the moonlight. Don’t I deserve a beautiful moment with you?” she whispered against his lips, breaking the kiss for only a few breaths before delving deeper.

In response, the man groaned wantonly and suddenly picked up the petite, dark-haired woman. He carried her hastily towards the clearing, matching her passion all the while. It was a wonder he didn’t trip on a branch or root as he hustled through the darkness. It amused Alice, but she didn’t dare express it.

The grove was literally a place of magic. A powerful Druid had cleared the charred remains of Olivia’s house. He had sunk them beneath the earth to feed the newly established fruit trees and flowers. As fall approached, the trees were heavily laden with apples and plums. No one dared pick them, though, because the lush growth was seen as witchcraft. They were sure the place was still haunted and cursed, so it was the perfect place for “Helriel” to commit her dark deeds.

“I need you,” the man whispered huskily as he put Alice down. His hands went instantly to the hem of her dress as he backed her into a large oak tree. His patience was all spent, and Alice couldn’t exactly blame him. If anything, she was impressed he had managed to withstand the lust potion for as long as he did.

“And you shall have me,” she purred again. She reached up to gently caress his face. Her thumbs traced his plump, youthful cheeks and as she approached his eyes, she whispered again. “Close them. Indulge me in this simple act of trust.”

Alice was not the sort of predatory that Helriel was, but she felt a swell of pride when the man hesitated. Some distant part of his primitive brain recognized the danger he was in, but that part was far away and weakened by more pressing matters. He closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her again. As they kissed, Alice called upon the empty, despairing energy at her disposal. Tendrils over void and shadow extended from her. They were like heat mirages in the darkness, and for the time being, she was the only one to feel them. They coiled about her limbs and waited for her command.

But when she broke from the kiss, there were no words this time.

Instead, she placed her thumbs over his eyelids and started to apply gentle pressure. As he started to pull away and panic, Alice used the void to hold him in place. He struggled more and threatened to scream, but the expression died in the hollow of his gaping mouth when Alice’s spell took hold.

Memories, vivid and dreadful, poured into him. He saw Helriel’s true form, but only in incomprehensible flashes. The space between each flash was filled with his own imagination. She stirred up images of things that scared him and things that aroused him. She pressed hard to muddy his memory of their evening together. She warped the image of who he was with to the point that he wouldn’t remember her eye or hair color. She wasn’t seeking to do irreversible damage to his mind, not like past victims, so it took a significant amount of focus to back off as he started to cry and piss himself. When Alice let go entirely, the man dropped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been suddenly cut.

“Necessarily evil,” she whispered, as if to remind herself that she couldn’t finish him off nor could she let him die. She pulled out a flask from his pocket and emptied the contents on his clothes and chin before pressing it into his hand. She left his pants in their unfastened state but took care to drape a nearby blanket over him.

Alice didn’t want the man to die. She wanted him to remember a brush with a monster and have no one truly believe his story. So, if he was going to survive a night, alone and passed out in the Wood, it meant Alice would have to watch over him to keep other predators from taking advantage of his vulnerability. She wrapped herself in shadows and climbed a nearby tree to keep an eye on him until he got up and wandered back to town.

Then she could return to Quin for the night. She could go home and wash the demonic stink from herself and engage in an act of love that was more recognizable.

[ Mentions @anthionsoulshade​ @subjectragnar​ @sailynthesayaad​ and @thoseoftforgotten​ ]

[alas-ward]

3♦️ - How does your muse handle indecision?

Alice rarely experiences true indecision. If she feels like she can’t decide, she leaves it to chance and flips a coin or something. If she finds that she is disappointed with the outcome, then she goes with the other possibility, deciding that she must have had a strong feeling about it after all.

Thank you for the ask, @nocturnedreaming!

[lacetulle]

Jean Paul Gaultier | Spring/Summer 2006 Couture

[raynhart-deactivated20171110]

♥️ ♣️ Send a playing card to my ask box! ♦️ ♠️

A♥️ - Who was the first person your muse ever fell in love with? 2♥️ - What’s your muse’s family like? 3♥️ - How would your muse react to a confession of love? 4♥️ - What are your muse’s thoughts on starting/raising a family? 5♥️ - What was your muse’s most heartbreaking separation/divorce/etc? 6♥️ - What sort of charity work has your muse done? 7♥️ - Has your muse ever cheated or been cheated on? 8♥️ - How well does your muse perform in social situations? 9♥️ - Has your muse ever had unrequited feelings for someone? 10♥️ - What was the last party or social event your muse went to? J♥️ - Who does your muse consider their best friend? Q♥️ - Who is someone special that your muse always thinks about? K♥️ - Who does your muse look up to as a role model?

A♣️ - What’s your muse’s strongest talent? 2♣️ - What topics of conversation does your muse enjoy the most? 3♣️ - How creative is your muse? 4♣️ - What does your muse have the most passion for? 5♣️ - What would your muse change about their current lifestyle? 6♣️ - How do your muse’s “gut feelings” usually turn out? 7♣️ - Has your muse ever felt “trapped”, either figuratively or literally? 8♣️ - What is your muse the most stubborn about? 9♣️ - What is your muse’s proudest accomplishment? 10♣️ - When was the last time your muse took a vacation or trip? J♣️ - Who does your muse trust the most? Q♣️ - Do other people consider your muse charming? K♣️ - How important is integrity to your muse?

A♦️ - What is the most important message your muse has ever received? 2♦️ - How important is money to your muse? 3♦️ - How does your muse handle indecision? 4♦️ - Is your muse more of the patient or instant gratification type? 5♦️ - How often does your muse change plans? 6♦️ - Is your muse responsible with their money? 7♦️ - When was your muse the most down on their luck? 8♦️ - Has your muse ever received money or gifts from a mysterious benefactor? 9♦️ - How much money does your muse spend on average? 10♦️ - How financially successful is your muse? J♦️ - Who does your muse do the most business with? Q♦️ - Has your muse ever been gossiped about or participated in gossip? K♦️ - If your muse were to start their own business, what would it be?

A♠️ - What was the most painful loss your muse had to go through? 2♠️ - How often does your muse wish to be left alone? 3♠️ - Does your muse ever let anyone see them cry? 4♠️ - What’s the worst injury your muse has ever recovered from? 5♠️ - Has your muse ever had to change their lifestyle in a major way? 6♠️ - Does your muse believe in fate/destiny? 7♠️ - What’s a hard truth that your muse has to learn/has learned? 8♠️ - What does your muse work the hardest for? 9♠️ - Has your muse ever felt forced to change? 10♠️ - How does your muse cope with grief? J♠️ - Who would your muse most likely end up in jail with? Q♠️ - Does your muse manipulate others easily or are they easily manipulated? K♠️ - What is one thing your muse considers a grave injustice?

[alas-ward]

The Painful Part

“Alice…” Tristan’s reaction was equal parts surprise and annoyance as he came around the corner of his cottage in Derweg. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey! What do you think about Marten?” Alice blurted out as she hopped down from the pile of wood she was sitting upon.

“Who is Marten?”

“You! Not like the name but the animal. It is in the weasel family. They are small but skilled hunters,” Alice explained.

Tristan rolled his icy blue eyes and put his key into the door’s lock. “Why can’t you just call me Forester if you are going to pick a mortal name. Or Tristan like everyone else.”

“Because that breaks the rules. It is either Marten or Viper.”

Tristan paused before pushing the door open. The way she said the word drove her point home. It was a name that would tether his shame to him forever.

“Marten is good. I have seen them in this forest, so it is fitting,” he conceded as he opened the door and gestured for her to enter. “Is that why you are here? To assign my new nickname to me formally?”

“No,” Alice sighed. “You’re going to want to sit down.”

Tristan rolled his eyes a second time as he stalked to the kitchen counter. He unloaded some small, dressed game from a pouch on his back and shook his head. “I will stand. I have work to do before Darcy gets back. Just say whatever it is you need to say.”

“I need to be Helriel,” Alice replied without hesitation.

Tristan leaned forward to plant both hands on the kitchen counter and froze. For several moments he put aside ever ounce of his practiced humanity. He didn’t breathe. He didn’t blink. His grip tightened on the edge of the countertop until the thick hardwood squeaked in protest.

“I need Helriel to return Duskwood for a month. It needs to be her. She has a history.”

“She’s dead…” Tristan replied. To Alice’s surprise his voice was weak with pain or fear rather than anger. “She died in the house fire, remember?”

“She was a demon,” Alice persisted. “I am going to have some friends spread a few rumors that Helriel is making a comeback to stand against another demon who’s trying to encroach on her territory.”

“I…I don’t have to do anything?”

“No. Oh, Tristan, no,” Alice replied, suddenly realizing that she hadn’t been clear enough. The relief in his tone cut straight through her and she was silent for a few breaths. She cleared the distance and wrapped her arms around the disguised demon. He was stiff as stone and felt almost as cool to the touch. “No. I am going to take her mortal and demonic appearance, with magic, and play the role. I just wanted to let you know since she … was with you, like a warden, for so many years. You won’t see me, or even hear from me in that month to two that it takes for me to properly…”

“I don’t care, Alice,” Tristan remarked, twisting in her grip to pull her close to him. His hold on her was desperate, reminiscent of the hunger he used to turn on her. However, his face was filled with sorrow. “I don’t need to know. She is dead, no matter what you do. She is never coming back. I will never be that again. Do whatever you need to do, but…make sure she goes back to being dead after, alright?”

He maintained his grip on Alice and she couldn’t decide if he was holding her hostage or using her as an anchor.

“She is a ghost. That is what I need her to be. I just…I thought you should know in case word got back to you. I didn’t want you to think I was being cruel.”

“Wouldn’t I deserve it if you were? Helriel…I killed your beloved companions.”

“You learned that lesson, Tristan. You aren’t tethered to those crimes any longer. You are a different creature, so…no. You wouldn’t deserve that.”

Tristan released Alice along with a heavy sigh he had been holding too long. “Thank you. I recognize the consideration in your gesture. You have…my blessing? Is that right?”

“Thank you, Tristan,” Alice replied with a nod. She looked around the cottage and cooed softly. “You really do have to introduce me to your lover someday. He has impeccable style.”

“I helped decorate,” Tristan huffed as he returned his attention to his rabbits. “Now get out of here. I need to focus on getting supper finished before he comes back from the village and I don’t want you here.”

“I am hurt, Tristan!” Alice called, her tone dramatically mournful as she staggered to the door. “Hurt that you are so shamed by me that you will not let me meet the man who has made that icy heart of yours beat.”

“Out!”

A wave of magic slammed the door closed before Alice was entirely out of the frame and she narrowly kept all of her fingers. “You’re still a moody bitch!” She stuck her tongue out at the door and then skipped off to the castle. She couldn’t drop into Derweg without saying hi to her favorite parental figures.

[ Another behind the scenes story for @sailynthesayaad​ and @darthea-the-demon​ | Mentions @tristan-forester​ ]

[alas-ward]

The Hard Part

An otherwise pleasant visit turned instantly sour with the utterance of a single name. Olivia had been inspecting the two bracelets and the collar for quality, but she put them aside as soon as Alice mentioned Sai’lyn.

“This is for her?” Olivia asked icily as she lifted her stony green stare to meet Alice’s eyes.

Alice smiled casually at Olivia from her seat across the coffee table but lifted a hand and with her palm facing the floor she wobbled it side to side.

“What makes you think I am going to help her?” Olivia scoffed derisively. The blond was pushing her luck with the warlock as she shrugged and said nothing. Olivia’s manicured nails turned inward and bit into the tender flesh of her palm as she tried to swallow her fury. However, despite her reaction, her attention returned to the trinkets that Alice had presented. “She is vile.”

“Why haven’t you outright refused?” Alice asked, interrupting Olivia’s pending rant. The assassin’s had vanished but the amusement remained warm in her golden gaze.

Olivia only opened her mouth, aghast by Alice’s insinuation. At least outwardly horrified. “Because you are asking me. Not her,” the warlock sneered. “I believe you are a smart woman, Alice, so I want to know what makes you think I would help her? I want to know what makes you take her side.”

“There are no sides, Olivia. The war is over,” Alice replied calmly, still watching as Olivia grew angrier and more agitated.

“She got ‘Thea killed!”

“No, she didn’t. Kol’tak killed Dar’thea. Sai was just there,” Alice rebutted.

“Dar’thea would have still been…”

“Dar’thea is alive.”

“BUT NYMORA IS NOT!” Olivia finally roared, standing up and towering over Alice. The taller woman remained sitting to allow the warlock her illusion of control.

“And you blame that on Sai?” Alice remarked calmly.

“Of course I do! If Dar’thea hadn’t died, then Nymora wouldn’t have felt it necessary to sacrifice herself to bring her back. I would have them both.”

“Why do you love Nymora?”

“How can you even ask that? I would not have bound myself…”

“She tried to give you to Kol’tak. She betrayed your trust and painted a much larger target on your back,” Alice fired back, once more interrupting Olivia. The warlock’s teeth ground together behind her painted lips and her glare was practically aflame.

“Alice…I think you should leave,” the smaller woman stated firmly as she bent down to pick up the leather trinkets. As she thrusted them out to Alice, though, she found the assassin was looming over her. The typically cheery blond looked deeply saddened, even hurt. Her tan hand closed around the bracelets and collar, but also closed around Olivia’s hand.

“Listen to me, Olivia. You aren’t going to like what I have to say, but I need you to hear it. You are a hypocrite.” Her grip tightened subtly when Olivia tried to pull away. “You say that you love the unloved. You have forgiven creatures and demons that have hurt you over and over, but only if they serve you. Sai will never serve you and that infuriates you. She will not supplicate before you and take away all the guilt you carry for what happened to Thea. To Nym. Sai won’t ask you to forgive her for doing only what has been in her nature. Sai doesn’t need your approval and you hate that. But here’s the deal, you need to get over that hurdle and stop projecting all your anger onto her. You need to deal with it like an adult.”

Olivia had opened her mouth several times to object, and even tore her hand from Alice’s grip, but the assassin pressed on, not hearing the smaller woman’s protests.

“You lean heavily upon others and seek to control everything because you have been traumatized all your life. Your family used you. The sanitarium abused you. Tristan trapped you. A string of shitty boyfriends has made you feel unworthy of love. My heartaches for you. It truly does, and you know that I will always be here to help you. I will do anything to help you. However, I can’t let you continue to project your pain and trauma onto Sai.”

Alice stepped back, giving Olivia some room but made no movement towards the door.

“Are you quite finished?” Olivia asked, her lower lip forcibly stiff as she lifted her hurt glance to briefly meet Alice’s eyes. “Because I think I would still like for you to leave.”

“I will leave, if you agree help Missy, Angel, and Inu’era.”

“Who?” Olivia’s pain vanished as she looked taken aback and even shocked by the list of names. She looked again at the items she still held.

“They are three people who care about Sai and who are getting caught in the crossfire as someone seeks to hurt her. They mean something to Sai as well. She wants to keep them safe until she can deal with the threat.”

Olivia instinctually scowled but in the raw wake of Alice’s harsh truths, the warlock could not summon true disdain.

“So, I am helping her keep other people safe?” Olivia asked with a tired sigh.

“If it helps, you are helping make my job easier and you are keeping three innocent people safe. I know you aren’t as compelled to acts of random altruism as I am, but I know that you don’t want people to get hurt by monsters, even when you love monsters.”

“I will think about it.,” Olivia replied tersely, gently putting the trinkets down.

“You need to warn the items against both Sai and Kol’tak. The threat has both of their blood…”

“Wait…this is about Ava?”

Alice’s fair brows shot up her forehead as the name slipped past Olivia’s lips. “Yes…”

“She is…opposed to Sai’lyn? An enemy.”

“She is tormenting and testing her, but more than that, she is threatening to hurt…”

Olivia silenced Alice with a wave of her hand and shook her head. “I don’t care. Ava is a potential thorn in Dar’thea and Bel’s side as well. I would like to thwart her from afar. I will help those girls.”

“Oh. Spite….that’s it? You will help Sai out of spite?”

It took it a moment to sink in but eventually Alice was laughing too hard to hear Olivia’s reproachful defense.

“Get out of here, Alice. It will take me a day to make the wards you have listed here. Go on!” Olivia demanded, shooing the snickering rogue towards the door.

“I should have known!” Alice giggled as she opened the door. “I thought I would have to appeal…”

“Goodbye, Alice.”

The door slammed firmly behind Alice before she could finish laughing, so she just sat on the top step and giggled.

When the mirth subsided, though, she realized she still had one more errand to run before she could return to Sai. If Helriel was making a return, it was only fair that Alice talk to the man who was most haunted by the demon’s ghost.

[ Another behind the scenes story for @sailynthesayaad​ and @darthea-the-demon​ | Mentions @olivia-lovecraft​ ]

[alas-ward]

The Easy Part

Alice was a welcomed guest at the Lockhart farm, so when she lifted herself to sit on top of the work bench, Kat didn’t grouse about it.

“So, ya need to know ifin there’s rentals in the Wood that ya can rent for your friends? I got that right?” Kat asked as she resumed working on the busted pylon.

“Yup! They need somewhere relatively quiet and I figured the safe houses that the Brothers once used were probably left to survivors or taken over by that Lord friend of yours. Think you could put in a word with him?”

Kat was quiet for a moment as she put the final touches on a small sensor. With one last spark of the soldering iron, she leaned back and looked at Alice with a crooked smile. Alice thought the young woman’s smile was breathtaking. It was something that was once rarer than sunshine in Duskwood. Kat smiled more often now, but the pleasant novelty of it remained intact.

“Yea. I can do that. Buy you ain’t stayin’ in it?”

“No. I will keep an eye on the young women who are staying there, but they aren’t helpless, and they aren’t troublemakers. I am vouching for them.”

“That ain’t why I was askin,” Kat laughed. “Nah. I was just hopin’ if you and Quin ever move outta your current place, that maybe you’d move north. It’s somethin’ I’ve talked to Darsa about, and I don’t think there’d be much issue findin’ ya’ll a place to live. It is nice havin’ the two of you around.”

Alice’s laughter joined Kat’s and the chorus rang out from the small workshop. “No. Don’t you worry. When we move, Deephaven’s high on the list, and I really don’t see us as the renting types. No. This is an arrangement for some friends who need to get out of Stormwind for a little while. They’ve…they’ve got someone hunting them but they are going to be fine.”

The smile on Kat’s features melted and she nodded with understanding and moved with new purpose. “In that case, then, I’ma go see Ricky now, alright? I will have a place secured for them before the week is out. That work?”

“Yea! That would be great,” Alice cheered as she hopped down from the bench. “Thanks, Little Lion.”

“It’s the least I can do given what you did to keep me safe. I reckon I’ll be payin’ it forward all my life. Go on in and see Ma before you go. She’ll tan both our hides if you sneak off again.”

Kat moved to a sink and washed her hands before grabbing her sword belt and travel bag from the hook near the door. “I mean it.”

“I don’t have much time, but I will stop in and say ‘hi,’” Alice laughed.

Kat gave one more wave before she whistled shrilly and walked out into the courtyard. A magnificent warhorse easily jumped the paddock’s fence and trotted over to join her. The small paladin didn’t bother with a saddle. She patted the great beast’s neck and muttered something to him. He bowed down slightly and with the ease of skipping, Kat pulled herself onto the bareback of the steed and was off without any fuss.

In the two years since Kat’s greatest traumas, she had truly flourished, and when Alice reflected on it, she was overwhelmed by emotion. She took a few extra moments in the workshop to have a brief cry before heading up to the farmhouse to see Jane.

Then it was off to undertake the second, and more difficult errand of the day.

[ A little behind the scenes for @sailynthesayaad​ and @darthea-the-demon​ | Mentions @kat-lockhart​ @darsacarrington​ and @subjectragnar​ ]

[noizzex]

Assassins

[meiselr]

A - Z Myth Aesthetics

R - Reaper

[putridum]

[rpxdeas]

Send a ⁂ for my muse to make a flowercrown for yours.