Fearne doing things as a sign of faith is so. Its so. She doesn't know if the Wildmother is even alive, with everything going on. She certainly didn't do anything like this before. She's never- she doesn't know how to do this. She doesn't know. But she's standing there with some flowers and saying: hey. can you- if you're there? Just tell Orym we're okay? That maybe we'll see him and them all again soon? Just- she doesn't know if he's fine. (But he has to be). But he doesn't know if they're alive, and he would be worried, so- so. Just.
She's standing in a temple of a god she doesn't worship, unsure if the god is there, if the god is alive, speaking into the air, thinking of a friend who believes and hoping against hope that a message will make it to them.
Flowers in hand.
"Maybe there's a connection there with Orym. To let him know we're alive."
At first, Fearne thinks the twin looks of relief are because they’ve finally found each other again. Overjoyed at their reunion, and sandwiched in between a much needed group hug, she doesn’t notice until after they’ve broken the embrace. She doesn’t notice, or maybe ignores, that their relief is also twisted up in sadness.
When she sees Imogen and Laudna hold onto each other like they’ll never let the other go again, when she sees Ashton give FCG the most affectionate fist bump they can muster, that’s when she realizes… twin looks?
“Where’s Orym?” She asks, smile still spread wide, looking around the forest they’re in.
If she didn’t want to acknowledge something was wrong before, it’s hard to deny now.
Because now Ashton is looking down, at Chetney, at Grass, anywhere but back at her.
Because now Laudna has black tears collecting in her eyes, hands squeezing tighter around Imogen’s.
Then she notices the sling on Ashton’s back. One that looks eerily like the one he used to carry Laudna back then. They start to undo the knot to lower its contents to the ground.
“No,” Fearne says, taking a step forward. “No, that’s not—” She pauses, unable to look away as the genasi bends down to pull back the shroud. “Stop.”
Ashton does, just lets a hand hover over the fabric. They still can’t look at her. “I— Fearne, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop,” she repeats, “It’s not— it’s not.” She kneels, barely registering that Chetney has skittered over to her side, the rest of the Bells standing quietly in a half-circle before them. Deanna and FRIDA have hung back, expressions of worry and curiosity gracing their features.
Fearne grips the edge of the shroud, slowly pulling it down, until brown hair is visible, until his face is visible. She calls his name once because he looks a little like he’s sleeping. (But she knows better, because he hasn’t looked this peaceful in a long time.)
“What the fuck happened?” she demands, though it comes out pleading.
“We got into some trouble,” Ashton starts. “He tried to… he did save me— and Laudna! We didn’t see— we were going to find someone to heal him, and then we found you guys!”
“He died protecting you? Why didn’t you help him!?”
“I tried, Fearne, I did, but we didn’t have any potions and I don’t have that kind of magic,” Laudna exclaims, despair in her tone. “But it’s only been a day, not even a full day! We can help him, right? We can find something?”
The magic is already sparking at Fearne’s fingertips before Laudna can even finish her sentence. She brought him back before with this, obviously she can do it again. She sends the revivification spell through his still body, and does what she knows can work. “Hey, best friend, you gotta come back, ok, please? We— we’re here, we’re all here, we're back! Just missing our fighter!”
He lies there, unmoving.
“Hey… hey, Orym?”
FCG wheels over, spindly fingers reaching out towards her. “Fearne, that only works one minute after they’ve—”
“I can do it!” She snaps, putting both hands over his torso and trying again, even though the magic has already fizzled out, even though she doesn’t even have the components needed. She can’t do it again. “I can— FUCK!”
She looks up at everyone there, searching their faces, all broken, all helpless. “Deanna? Can you-? You have to have something!”
The gnome shakes her head, apology on her lips.
“Ok, then, what do we do?” The druid asks, gathering up her friend again, cradling him close to her. Mister crawls out from under her hair then, and climbs onto her shoulder. He paws at Orym, screeching quietly, eyes fixated on him. “Wha— what can we do? We should call the— umm, Pike, right? Imogen? She can get him back!”
“Yeah, yeah, of course!” Imogen nods, one hand letting go of Laudna’s and finding Fearne’s. “Messages are still— they’re still not working, but that’s ok! We- we just… we need to figure out what’s going on with the solstice and- and the teleportation circles and we’ll find a way to Whitestone!”
“Here, let me—” Motioning for the faun to pass him towards them, FCG gently bumps heads with the halfling, a spell coursing through to bless him. “There, it’s like what I did with Laudna, so his body stays protected and we can have more time to get him back.”
“As long as the spirit is willing,” FRIDA adds and before the thought fully leaves him, he knows he’s made a mistake.
Fearne whirls on him, a fire rapidly simmering behind her eyes. “Why would you say that? You don’t know him! Orym would never leave us, leave me, like that!”
“No, no, we don’t doubt that!” Deanna jumps in, bailing the aeormaton out. “FRIDA just means it does get… more difficult to come back the longer— at least, that’s sort of what it was like for me.”
"I'm sorry, who the fuck are you?" Ashton questions, though no one has a chance to answer before Fearne gets up, her little spoon laying limp in her arms.
“Well, ok… then, I’ll just get him back now!”
“Fearne, we will,” states Chetney with conviction. “But we can’t right this second. Where would you—?”
“I’ll figure something out! The magic here is all— what if we take too long? What if Pike can’t-?” She doesn’t allow herself to finish, just shakes her head clear. “I need to go home— Nana… she’ll— she’ll know what to do!”
“Yeah, yeah, Nana Morri, that’s a good idea!” FCG chirps, wheeling back the way they came. “We just have to find our way back to the gateway! Let’s go!”
“No, no, what about the solstice stuff? Your mom, Keyleth? You guys focus on that, I’ll go—”
“What?” Imogen interrupts, “that’s— no, come on, we’ll get Orym back first. That can wait. We’re coming with you.”
“It’s ok,” Fearne says, a bit tersely. “We need to figure out what’s happening out here with the arcana, divide and conquer is the best way.”
“But we just found each other again,” Laudna mumbles, a sad smile finding its way to her lips. “We should do this together. Like you all did for me.”
“What’s…” Chetney wonders aloud when he notices the conflicted glower on the faun’s face. “Do you not want us to come with you?”
“… not really.” Adjusting her hold on Orym, Fearne blows out a breath and rubs at her eyes with one hand. There’s a memory coming forth in her mind, one of a dark fey— of a fanged, soot-black skinned, angry version of her. She glances down at her one hand, forming the blackened claw-like fingers into a fist. “If this doesn’t work… I don't know if you'll like the person I'll become.”
When there is only stunned silence, she flicks her gaze back up to her friends, letting out a short laugh. “But you guys will figure it out, I know you will! So even if I can’t, I’ll come back and magic will be turned on again and we— we can try again, right?”
“Are… are you sure?” Imogen asks, stepping closer to her, cupping Orym’s cheek with her other hand.
“Yes,” Fearne nods. “I wasn’t there for him before, but I can be now! I’m going to get him back.” She looks at everyone assembled there for a moment, then turns to Deanna, lowering Orym down to her. “Can you hold him for just one second?”
“Of course.” Without hesitation, the cleric hands her staff off to FRIDA, taking him in both her arms.
As soon as she does, Fearne reaches out towards Bells Hells, pulling them all in for one more hug. Separately giving one to FCG and Imogen, she says, “he’s gonna be fine!”
“We trust you,” they reply in unison.
Doing the same for Chetney, she stoops down, lays her head on his yarn hat for a moment and declares, “I’ll be back before you know it! You won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“How could I not?” She hears him mumble back and bites back a snicker. “Be safe,” he tacks on, “bring him back to us.”
She turns lastly to Ashton and Laudna, holding her lost companions a little tighter and a little bit longer than the rest.
“Fearne, I really—” They both start to say, stumbling over their words slightly.
“I know,” Fearne cuts them off, nuzzling her head in between theirs. “I know it wasn’t your— We got separated and you got into a fight and… I know it can’t be helped, because that’s just the kind of guy he is! He’s selfless and protective and really, really great… so I am going to get him back, ok?”
“Ok,” is Ashton’s only reply.
“I wish you’d let us go with you,” Laudna laments, hand carding through seafoam green hair.
“I can’t,” Fearne reiterates. “If he’s gone…” she trails off. It’s not their fault, she knows, but she can’t help thinking otherwise. It’s cruel, she knows, but she can’t help the way she feels. “If he’s gone,” she whispers through tears, “I will never forgive you. I’ll never—”
She stops there, places one more kiss to Ashton’s head, squeezes Laudna once more, and turns to take Orym back.
“I’ll come back… We— We’ll come back,” she promises, “we’ll find you.”
With one last look at her friends, she leaves into the forest, Mister at her heels.
Orym following a Fearne from a distance bc he's worried about her wellbeing but also "doesn't want to interrupt her thing". .....Orym trailing a little cockatiel in the dead of night bc he's concerned! but also he doesn't want to interrupt, you know. *camera cuts to a little flouncing bird*
wails. orym waking up bc fearne is moving. the sleepy "is everything ok." fearne's "no its fine im just gonna go for a walk!" the rushed but sincere "okloveyoubye". waaaaahh.
Orym running over to hug Fearne's leg..... Fearne saying in a shaky voice "Don't do anything stupid".... I didn't realize we were separating them... I DIDNT REALIZE WE WERE SEPARATING THEM......
Its very important to me that the timing of Fearne's plea to the Wildmother and Orym's plea to the Wildmother are close to each other in the timeline. Partly for: the heartwrenching image of Orym, exhausted, voice sad and tired, fresh off of his friends, again, wondering if the gods are- worth the hassle. Pleading to the Wildmother, desperate and lost. Unaware that somewhere, sometime adjacent, Fearne, scared but whole, had wandered into the Wildmother temple. And prayed to a god she wasn't sure was alive, leaning on Orym's faith, thinking of him, channeling him, for his sake. Asking to- above all else, let him know they're alright? He'll be worrying. (And he was. And he is).
And partly for the image of the Wildmother, presumably very busy with some kind of apocalypse handling logistics, to either:
- Recieve Fearne's ask of "hey..... tell Orym we're okay (and maybe keep him okay too. if you can)" only to immediately recieve Orym's message and go "oh yeah hes absolutely NOT okay, oof"
OR
- Recieve Orym's wavering, heartfelt plea, followed immediately by "hey lady!! if you're still alive can you tell orym we're okay-" and thinking "oh yeah Orym your friends are fine-"
(i cant figure out which is funnier. in a tragic kind of way.)
