dawn, and with it
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
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#1
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
Amalia crosses the line between the Hollowed Grounds and the Wildwood on a cold Flowerbirth morning, the sun having yet to crest above the dense canopy of trees. She can see her breath crystallizing before her, plumes of steam exhaled through warm lips to coil and dissipate into space.

She does not step further underneath the canopy; she knows the new rules, that the Grounders are forbidden from entering the woods, that the border is closed.

That the barrier is, essentially, back in place.

Fingers clenching over the grip of her staff, Amalia shifts, her dark eyes sharp as they slip between the boughs. She does not expect to see the fae until they deign to appear, but she knows they must be watching, waiting, whispering in a language which sounds more plant than animal. They know why she is here, and she does not insult them by calling out her intentions. Delah will come, or she will not. All the Shield can do is wait
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#2
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
It happens as the baker thinks. Whispers are transferred from leaf to thrush and soon the war chief appears. There is no humour in her moss stare, only mockery as she arrives seemingly alone.

"I am not surprised you are the first to break the rules, Amalia." The Guardian says dryly. Crossing her arms she raises her chin if only slightly, for Amalia is indeed a great deal taller than she. "Shall I save everyone the trouble and simply have my warriors kill you?"


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#3
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
A nod, a dip of her head in response- nothing flamboyant, but respectful, mild, the staff still shifting uneasily between her fingers. Delah has never been kind to Amalia, but she has treated her with something approaching open hostility and mockery since the trials. Biting back a frown, the baker licks her lips at the open threat, her toes curling in the ground as she maintains eye contact with the shorter woman, doing her utmost to avoid showing weakness, showing anxiety, showing fear.

But she would rather not die today, all things considered.

"Delah." Inhaling sharply, the girl pulls a slight smile over her lips, a flicker of brightness that does not quite meet her eyes. "I would have thought you wanted that pleasure for yourself."
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#4
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
"Only the worthy or those who are an immediate threat see my blade." The guardian sneers back. After Amalia's stunt in the Cloister she has proven herself only a nuisance. "You are neither."

Enough small talk.

"I can only assume you are here for some purpose you think gives you the right to break what were very clear laws." Delah says with an exasperated sigh.


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#5
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
Her grip tightens, a flash of frustration and defiance suddenly swelling in her breast as Delah slings yet another slight her way, sneering, rude, and for what? Horns sprout suddenly from her forehead, lilac and silver in the nest of gold hair. "You don't know my worth," the baker shoots back quickly, taking a small step forward before she can rein her temper back in.

But she is here for a purpose, one that is greater than the girl. Amalia clicks fanged teeth together, taking a breath and opting not to point out that she is scarcely more than a foot over the border. "Yes. I need to speak to someone about how to move books from Safrin's library into the Undercroft." Questions about the portal can wait until she has fulfilled her primary objective without being killed.
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#6
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
Delah watches the horns appear with a predatory amusement. If anything she likes Amalia better like this, but she knows it won't last. "Your worth is what you are to the world. Whatever you are hidden deep inside is not you." But the guardian was not here to debate personal philosophies; already her patience was growing short.

"Books?" Delah's arms relax slightly, her interest thoroughly gained. "Go on."


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#7
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
"I am not hiding anything." The horns grow just a little longer, accompanied now by slicked back ears, flames licking harmlessly around her bare feet. Delah does not know what she has been through, what she has done. "I am not a fighter. But that doesn't make me any less." She is tired of this sparring, of flipping between Delah's favor and her disrespect. She has done her best- to help the Tulmhainar, to heal the Greatwood, to help the gods they both profess to serve.

At least the books seem to east the tension, a shared point on which they can settle. The qilin ears raise up slightly, fire flickering back out of existence as Amalia, too, relaxes slightly. "Yes. There is a library beneath the Hollowed Grounds, with books that seemed to have life of their own. Safrin would have them moved to the care of the fae, and ." A grimace quirks across her face: she doubts she will have a chance to study the tomes further if the fae take possession of it, but Amalia will not deny her goddess, no matter how prickly Delah may be.
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#8
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
"And yet you continue to stand here defending yourself." The guardian points out with a shrug. It is the mark of the weak-spirited to need to change hearts and minds, to want to persuade with words rather than actions. The fire for instance. Now that is interesting, but this is not the time nor the place, though the war chief doesn't hide the way her eyes appraise Amalia's new features.

"Sentient books of a certain sort can be difficult to deal with." Delah acknowledges with surprising sympathy. "However, until Wessex removes herself as leader we will not aid you. The ascended have committed treachery after treachery against us, and the Hollowed Grounds have let it happen. Besides, we are banned from your lands." This she added with a sneer; the Grounds were nothing compared to the Greatwood, so it was no great loss for them.


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#9
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
"We encountered three." Amalia brings her empty hand to her neck, absently running her fingers over the warm charm that is Safrin's bone. "But there were many more. One was a book of portals- it's how Jigano got to the Mathair, before LongNight." The implication, she hopes, is somewhat clear: if it is found again it may lead more into the Greatwood.

The comment about Wessex makes her flinch, unhappiness with the situation and the Ascended queen apparent on her face. Have faith in me, Wessex had asked, and where had that faith led? "She will be held responsible," the girl answers softly, certainly, clenching the staff with now-clawed fingers. Raising an eyebrow, she half-smiles wryly. "Besides- being banned has never kept you from completing a task from Safrin before." Zariah had issued a similar edict before they went down to the Tulmhainar. That Delah is afraid of Wessex's judgment is laughable at best.
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#10
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
”Ahha. That would mean he tried to steal it then.” Delah said with a laugh. She knew well the book of which Amalia spoke, and the only way it worked as an actual portal was to deter thievery. It was why the girl was here, presumably.

“Oh I could see that. The way the big man she was with, the one from the Spire, simply let her walk away after hearing what she admitted to doing. Five lives, Amalia. And the great Mathair died because of her. Because of the ascended.”

Shaking her head, Delah raises a brow. “That rule was against your people not to enter the Spire. Not mine. Your queen is being a petty bitch in banning our presence in the Grounds when unlike the lot of you, we have only brought you good things. I’ll not give her any reason to think herself more high and mighty by breaking her laws as immediately as you have.”


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#11
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
"I know." Amalia's voice is quiet, hard and terse in the cool spring air. She knows what happened, she knows of the Queen's sins, and she has no intention of letting them go unanswered. "Wessex has promised a forum, where she will answer for her actions to the people of the Hollowed Grounds." It hurts, to think about their fight, to think of what her words here mean. "She... we were close, once. She was like family to me. But the Voice... clearly whatever part of her soul once remained is lost, now."

But Amalia doubts that Delah cares for the family squabbles of the Hollowed Grounds. Sighing and pushing back her hair, the Shield glances back at the Guardian, something of a wry mirthless smile on her face. "She broke her own laws first," Amalia points out. "I'm surprised you did not hold her here. Have a trial for her crimes against your people."
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#12
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
"Oh a forum? Is that where you all get together and talk about things?" The Guardian's tone indicated her thoughts on such a civilized way of dealing with things. Shrugging off Amalia's admission, Delah caring absolutely not at all for whatever friendships she did or didn't have, the chieftess raised her chin slightly as she sighed.

"A trial?" Delah echoes, a dark smile on her features. "That was her trial. She is guilty, forever banned from our woods. Should she find herself in our borders once again? Well.." The jaguar trailed off with a feral grin.


Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
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#13
Amalia
don't make a shadow of yourself, always shutting out the light
"It doesn't sound as though you did much other than talk, either," she counters testily, dark eyes narrowing at the warchief's declaration. "Wessex assists in spreading the blight, leads a group into your woods to fell a sacred tree, kills five of your soldiers- yet I'm the one receiving death threats." It seems a little hypocritical, but then, Amalia is not well versed in the privileges afforded to those in power. Perhaps there is a level of immunity Wessex walks with that the simple baker cannot hope to ever understand.

Sighing with a shrug, Amalia glances away. "I have wanted to ask- the Tulmhainar. Is... is it well? Was it affected by the blight?"
Delah Tàirneanach
the Greatwood Guardian
War Chief

Age: 108 | Height: 4' | Race: Fae | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Greatwood
Level: 5 - Strg: 11 - Dext: 30 - Endr: 25 - Luck: 28 - Int:
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#14
Delah
The games of luck our soldiers played
The stones we cut, the songs we made
"If only you could do more than spit my words back at me." Delah replies tersely, shaking her head. "Must be your charm. A trait I"m sure you'll put to good use."

Tired of this nonsense, of being used as a source of information to soothe Amalia's worries, the jaguar moves towards the shadows of the trees ignore this last question. "You had your chance to prove yourself once Amalia, and you tossed it away. Perhaps before you come back looking for answers and aid you'll wait and see what needs we have of you, and try to even the score."

So saying, Delah all but vanishes. That is, the woods simply swallow her up, muffling her footsteps and making it impossible to know if she's flown, walked, or shifted in the shadows.

~FIN




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