"Y-yes, you have horns l-like Zio..." The lesser demon softly repeated, although he quickly reminded that one of his horn's tips was broken off, downing his head a bit. "B-but Zio's horns don't l-look as good as y-yours..."
Hyggelig tilted her head. "...Zio," she echoed, the name quietly tasting unfamiliar in her mouth. Her small fingers touched one of her curled horns, thinking for a long moment.
"That broken part... it means you didn’t fall apart." A pause. Her voice became a little quieter. "I think Zio’s horns are very brave-looking."
Astryn didn’t know why she had been so urgently called. Silas was so cryptic about what he wanted, she didn’t know what to expect. A ride out on horse with a baby slung to her chest was not the greatest start to her day. Whatever issue Silas had, Astryn was going to bite his head off first. She can’t always be around to fix Mister Noble-Birth’s issues. She has her own life, her own family, to worry about!
As she came up on the tower, she jumped off her horse and got it settled. There was a faint sound of a baby crying. She figured it was her own lack of sleep, Aster on her chest was not an easy sleeper. Even now, he was fussing from the bumpy horse ride here. She soothed the infant as she made her way up the tower, which only made the sound of baby crying louder.
It wasn’t her imagination.
Now she was worried.
Astryn’s steps up the tower quickened, a sudden pit of anxiety growing inside her. Foregoing her own child’s fussing at the sound of another’s cry, she swung the door open to the tower’s main room. Her eyes met a very disheveled Silas’.
Had she ever seen him look deprived of sleep? Well, a few times, but never outside of his own excitement trumping his need for sleep. It only took a moment for her eyes to lock on to the source of the crying as she bounced and soothed Aster.
The source of the crying was a tiny bundle wrapped in a too-large cloak, settled haphazardly in a nest of blankets on the old couch. Astryn barely had time to process the sight before her head snapped toward Silas.
“What in the world is this?” Her voice came sharp, hushed only by the presence of children. Aster stirred against her chest, letting out a little whimper before she resumed bouncing him.
Silas, looking more frazzled than she had ever seen him, rubbed a hand over his face before gesturing toward the bundle. “It’s… complicated.”
Astryn stepped forward, eyes narrowing as she peered at the child. The baby girl wasn’t just an ordinary infant. Tiny, downy-furred ears twitched atop its head- cat-like, soft, and clearly not human. A delicate, white tail uncurled from beneath the blankets, and patches of fine fur covered parts of it’s arms and legs.
Astryn blinked once. Then twice.
Then she turned to Silas, deadly calm. “What. Did. You. Do?”
Silas grimaced. “Now, before you get angry-”
Astryn took a deep breath, nostrils flaring, before lowering her voice into a harsh whisper. “Silas.” She grabbed the front of his shirt, gripping the fabric like it was the only thing keeping her grounded. “Explain. Now.”
He hesitated, looking anywhere but at her. “You remember that old stuffed cat I brought back from the old Rhoswen home?”
Astryn pinched the bridge of her nose. “The one that was so tangled in String we couldn’t tell what the spell on it was?”
“Yes, that one.” He shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I… I may have been trying a spell. A transmutation, to bring it to life.”
Astryn stared at him.
“It was calling to me. It wanted to be- to be freed. It was… Suffering. I just wanted to make it into a real cat, you know? I thought it might help.”
Astryn’s mouth flapped open and closed. She was speechless. How insane had this man gotten in just a few days?
Silas cleared his throat. “It, uh… didn’t quite go as planned.”
Astryn threw up the hand that had been gripping his shirt. “No, really? I never would have guessed that turning a stuffed cat into a real one could somehow result in a whole damn child, Silas!”
“Look, I don’t know what went wrong! One moment it was just fabric and stuffing, and the next- poof!” He gestured wildly. “There she was, crying on the floor, ears and all!”
Astryn exhaled sharply, eyes drifting back to the baby. The little one had finally quieted for a moment from their arguing, blinking up at them with wide with bewilderment, eerily intelligent blue eyes, with slits for pupils. Her tiny fingers flexed, grasping at the air, tail curling around the edge of the blanket.
Astryn sighed, rolling her eyes before thrusting Aster into Silas' arms. Silas barely caught him in time, his entire body stiffening as he awkwardly cradled the infant. “What- Astryn, what are you doing?”
“Since you’ve gone and made yourself a baby, you can hold mine while I figure out how to deal with yours.”
Silas swallowed, looking down at Aster like he was holding a flaming log. “I don’t- I don’t know how to hold a-”
“Figure it out.” She shot back as she sat beside the cat-eared child, scooping her up with practiced ease. The baby fussed for only a moment before nestling into Astryn’s warmth, her cries softening into sniffles. “Has she eaten?”
“What? Uh, n-no. I don’t-” The sharp look he got from her made him shut up
Astryn made a few soothing noises, shifting her tunic so the child could nurse. The effect was almost instant—the little one relaxed, tiny fingers clutching at Astryn’s shirt as she drank, her eyes fluttering contentedly.
Silas, meanwhile, was doing his best not to drop Aster, who was squirming in his arms. “How do you-? He won’t-?!”
Astryn didn’t even look up. “Support his head, don’t hold him like he’s a sack of potatoes, and bounce him gently.” Silas adjusted his hold, still looking completely out of his depth. But after a moment, Aster settled with only mild grumbling.
Astryn, satisfied that at least one of the babies was being properly handled, sighed. The cat-eared infant was already dozing, her breathing soft and steady against Astryn’s chest.
After a moment, Silas spoke, quieter this time. “…You’re really good at that.”
Astryn glanced at him, unimpressed."I have five kids, Silas."
Silas flushed, shifting Aster in his arms. “…Fair point.”
Astryn exhaled, rubbing a hand over her face before looking back down at the strange little girl in her arms. Brushing her fingers over the cat-like ears, fascinated by how they flicked in response. The fur color matched the white of the hair that grew out of her head.
Once the baby was satisfied, she took time to make sure she was burped. Hardly paying attention as Silas sat down, still rather stiffly trying his best to hold Aster properly. “Do you have a name for her yet?”
“What?” Silas snapped back to reality, having been focused on following her instructions.
“Does the baby have a name?” Astryn asked, a little more forcefully. Her patience with him was already thin, only punctuated by her lips in a thin line as she looked at him.
Silas frantically glanced around for a moment, unsure of the answer. “The- The collar she had on- before changing…” He trailed off as he tried to remember. “It was.. Beatrice? No, no. Bella? B… B….”
Astryn stared at him. He was too frazzled for his big brain to do anything useful, wasn’t he. She looked at the side table, where a collar had been sitting, and picked it up to look at it while Silas continued to ramble. “Bianka.” She read out loud.
He immediately perked up. “That’s what it was! Bianka!” He looked over with the start of a smile, proud to remember it, before pausing to see what Astryn was holding. “Ah.”
She scoffed, her mood lightening at this display. Before looking back at the baby. “Bianka. Well, the name fits you.” Astryn cooed, brushing her hand through the fine white hair on the baby’s head. Bianka seemed to settle even more, her small form relaxing in Astryn’s arms, eyes drifting closed.
Silas, looking both relieved and still bewildered, shifted Aster in his arms as he watched Astryn. “Bianka.” He echoed under his breath, a touch of disbelief in his voice. “I’ve never- never seen anything like this before.”
“What, a baby?” Astryn asked dryly. “Apparently you need to visit me more often.”
No, this spell. This reaction.” There was an excitement in his voice that he was trying to hold back. Now that the problem isn’t obvious, he’s in full Wefan mode. “It was like it was alive, ‘Ryn. Whatever spell was on the stuffed cat? It- it almost seemed to hijack my own work. It wasn’t perfect- but that’s why there’s, well…” He gestures to Bianka. “Something not a cat, and not a human.”
Astryn hummed with a mild fascination. As a Wefan, even she knew the outcome was bizarre. Silas wasn't one to easily lose control, especially when it came to making spells. But that was a separate issue, at least for current matters.
“Now.” She muttered. “What in the world are we going to do with you?”
“I was hoping you could take her in.” Silas admitted, looking sheepish.
Her mouth twisted, clearly trying to hold her temper for the sake of the two dozing babies. She placed the child back into the nest of blankets that Silas had made, before turning to him. “What am I, a maid who has to clean up all your damn messes?” She jabbed a finger into his chest as she spoke. “I already got kids waiting at home for me, this is your problem.” The woman took her son from his arms before marching towards the door.
“Astryn-” She ignored his plea, swinging the door open.
“Goodbye, Silas.”
His next words made her finally stop. “‘Ryn, I don't know how to care for a baby.”
Her teeth grit, fighting with her own pride as she stood motionless for a long moment. Then sigh. Strings above, this kid is going to die in his care if I don't do something.
After a moment longer of mulling, she finally turned to look at him. With a free hand settling on her hip, she glared at him. “I will help you care for the tyke. But I will not be her caretaker. Understood?”
It was the simple things to fill her monotonous day. She could easily make it so the simple task of getting water for the day was autonomous. But, going to walk the perimeter and getting a bucket of water at least had her doing something and not wasting away in her tower. The water's weight made her arms ache and she struggled to keep it steady in her hands. She needed to start moving around more, or she couldn’t do things for herself.
Being outside and taking in the scents and sounds was a nice change of pace from her near-constant supervision at the crystal ball. Although, admittedly, she was anxious to get back to it.
Bianka nearly walked right past the crumbled heap just off the path, immersed in her thoughts. But, the smell of both a stranger and blood made the feline pause, before dropping her bucket in shock. Did one of the dragons make a meal out of someone and didn’t finish? Or was this something else? How had this person gotten within the barrier? All she could see was the cloak covering them and not much else. She could smell blood.
Bianka slowly crept up crouching next to the stranger and putting a hand on their shoulder just to see if they’d wake up. No response. She pulled to roll them over on their back, revealing a woman, who seemed to have taken a blow to the head at the very least. Green hair was mixing with and matting to the blood on her forehead, but at the very least, she seemed to be breathing.
Her now-spilled bucket long-forgotten, Bianka reached out, tugging at the strings to call for something to help carry the strange woman back to her tower. They’d probably move with some urgency, which would no doubt startle the hell out of Gad, but she couldn’t be worried about that right now.
Doing a once-over for any other wounds, Bianka noted it seemed that she had fallen down something. The woman was covered in dirt and her clothing was torn in places, with scrapes showing through the tears. But, luckily, it seemed the head wound was the worst injury on her.
Bianka hoped.
Bianka’s summons didn’t take long. The brooms sped and stopped right at her side with a sheet to use as a makeshift stretcher. Unfortunately, it seemed that the sheet they brought was one that Gad himself had been lounging on. It took a moment to untangle him with her shaking hands. Usually, that would be enough to make her laugh, but not now.
With a glance at the unconscious woman, Bianka carefully directed the brooms to position themselves at her sides, gently sliding the sheet underneath the stranger, and forming an impromptu stretcher. The woman’s body was gently lifted off the ground, and Bianka sighed with some relief. That was one problem solved.
Gad, after overcoming his initial shock of suddenly being swept away, flitted up and landed on the makeshift stretcher. His patches of gray fur ruffled every which way, and his orange eyes clearing of their drowsy haze narrowed as he took in the stranger. He stared between her and Bianka with a slightly accusatory look.
“I found her,” Bianka replied, her tone distracted as she guided the brooms back toward the tower. “She’s hurt badly. Are you gonna judge me or are you going to help?.”
Gad snorted, his nostrils flaring, but didn’t complain further. Instead using the brooms as a steady support as he checked over the woman himself. “Do you think a dragon got to her? Maybe snatched her up and changed its mind?” Bianka asked, glancing between him and the stranger.
Gad leaned closer, sniffing carefully over her body. He certainly seemed to have found interesting scents, with how intently he leaned in to press his nose to her clothing. However, after a moment, he raised it and looked at Bianka. “Well?” She asked, trying to prompt his opinion. He huffed, flicking his tail, settling himself into a crouched position, looking rather relaxed. “I’ll… Assume that’s a yes.” Gad probably wouldn’t be so relaxed if this was a dragon attack.
Once inside the tower, Bianka directed the brooms to gently lower their burden onto the long divan near the hearth. The warm glow of the fire cast soft shadows over the woman’s dirt-streaked face, highlighting her features despite the blood and grime. Bianka quickly gathered her supplies: a clean cloth, a bowl of water, and bandages.
She cleaned the wound on the woman’s forehead, leaning over her with a damp cloth to dab away the dried blood on the unconscious woman's face, her face close just to make sure she didn't agitate the wound again. The woman stirred underneath her, but Bianka didn't think too much about that until she pulled away. Her eyes made contact with the hazel eyes of the person beneath her, Bianka pulled away in shock.
The woman only smiled in amusement to herself before her eyes closed again. "Really must've died if I wake up to 'n angel takin’ care of me…" She mumbled out, dozing off once again before Bianka could even reply.
Bianka hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath until the woman’s head dropped again. Sputtering for a moment, she nearly dropped the rag when her surprise subsided. Gad snorted, but she ignored him. “Focus. Focus.” She muttered, trying to ignore the burning sensation in her ears.
She wrapped the wound carefully, ensuring the bandages were snug. She checked the woman’s pulse and breathing, relieved to find both steady despite her unconscious state.
Should I contact Astryn? Bianka wondered idly, sitting back. At least Astryn can heal, unlike her. Maybe it would be easier that way. Looking back down at the strange woman, she gingerly started pulling away clothing, looking for other injuries. Bruises, scrapes, mostly. There was a stab wound, but it seemed to be superficial, it had stopped bleeding without any intervention.
However, the stranger carried her own weapons. Knives hidden in pockets and under clothing, a sword scabbard missing its mate, and what looked to be a quiver, though also empty. She took care and padded the stab wound, just in case, and wiped clean the other bumps and scrapes she could reach without difficulty.
Once she was done she laid back on the floor, letting out a sigh. It was quite the turn of events, certainly. Her body ached from being upright and still for so long. She wondered again about contacting Astryn but decided to wait on it after thinking. Surely the stranger wasn’t dangerous, especially not with how she reacted when she woke up earlier.
Astryn would probably heal her as painfully as possible and then send her on her way with no further questions. If even heal her, depending on if Astryn was in a good mood or not.
Bianka was too curious to let go. She wanted to know. What happened to the stranger? How did she end up here? But those would be for after she woke up. After she recovered. Outside of the head wound, which Bianka was worried about the extent of that damage, the outcome seemed positive.
Bianka sat up. She studied the woman’s face for a long moment, brushing some curly hair out of the way. It would all have to come in due time. For now, she should probably find some clean clothes for her.
"Mmm." The lamb couldn't help but stare at the strange woman, looking her up and down as she tried to form the right words to say. "...You smell weird."
Basically, Deidre's father tried to bridge a way to make a relationship with Marie. Since Marie held somewhat of a grudge for him for deciding to go after someone who already had a child, possibly widowed, and barely had the means to care for herself.
In essence the blessing is one of luck. Marie is blessed with "good luck." But it's kind of a double-edged sword. If you guys know the whole thing with Diarmud Ua Duibhne and his love spot, which charmed women who looked at him, it's kind of a double-edged sword like that.
It doesn't change her situation very much. While it may make her a little more magnetic to people, it doesn't change how they particularly act. They won't just give their life's fortune to some kid, she's not going to come across some buried vast fortune.
The luck is enough to keep her alive. It's caused awful things to happen, too.
The forest was dark, and cold, and damp, but most importantly alive - and it was hungry. Cold yellow eyes glinted from every rock, bush, tree, and hole in the earth as the child ran, frantically and tearfully, trying to escape but never able to leave the foliage and mist-
In his dreams, his nightmares, the Fae's memories replayed themselves over and over, twisting unto themselves as a particularly intoxicated ouroboros might - consuming its own tail and regurgitating darker and more warped recollections with each repeat...
No wonder, then, that this particularly potent nightmare attracted the dream-eating little lamb, or that even when unable to catch them properly the nightmares were dispelled by the girl falling on top of the giant- waking him suddenly, for a moment of sheer panic before he blinked away his tiredness to look at the one who fell on him.
"Erm... hallo, miss? Are you quite alright? You are not lost, are you?"
The lamb looked up in dismay, just in time to watch the nightmare dissipate as the large man awoke. She grumbled some as she sat up, pouting over a lost meal. "Why'd you have to wake up?"
Climbing off him and sitting back on her knees, she stared at him almost expectantly. Her stomach even growling as if to empathize her question. "I'm not lost. Was just hungry. Your nightmare was really loud, so I followed it here."
When Hyggelig's stomach growled again, she turned her attention away from him, mumbling in annoyance to herself. It looked like grass had to be good enough for now.
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