From being an Abandoned who had rarely left the Hollowed Grounds, to embracing the call of adventure, to dying and being reborn first as an Ascended and then as an Ancient, Maea has gone through quite the amount of changes in her life. One thing remains common, though, in her attempts to find out just where she belongs; she’s always had a craving for knowledge which has brought her to so many places and to meet so many people here in Caido. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for her!
Congratulations, Maea!
Credits
Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
Skinning and hosting by the epically talented Kaons, and functionality fanciness by the coding magic of Neowulf. If you ever see either of them around, make sure to show them some love!
"No? Then why do you keep getting involved in my business, Loren? You keep weedling and prodding, trying to fix me. Well, I'm not broken. I never asked for your help, so you have no right to get offended when I don't accept it." Korbin paused with his hand on the doorknob, and threw a dark glare at the Healer. This whole thing was unraveling quickly, and he was too caught up in the roil of his own emotions to think about what he was doing.
"I have been treating you like everyone else. Clearly you have not been paying attention. Maybe I was just more blunt about it since you seemed able to handle it. Apparently I was wrong."
He pushed the door open and made to leave. This was stupid, he never should have come. Throat burning, he swallowed down harshly without even trying to understand why the lump had formed in the first place.
As Korbin responded, Loren found his angry bleed away, replace by a weary exhaustion. Because I'm lonely, okay? Because I'm desperately trying to fit in here. Because I want to feel needed and helpful just as much as you do. The truth of those words seared through the link.
At that, he buried his head in his hands. As he did, he shut down the bond between the two of them. Not looking up, he sighed. Look, I'm sorry. Okay? If you really don't want to be here, then go. Turning so he didn't have to look at the hunter, the healer took a sip of the too hot tea. It scalded his mouth and he didn't care.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
He had not expected a reply, or the kind of raw sincerity he was flooded with down the bond. It stopped the boy in his tracks, hand still lingering on the open door. His gut twisted with a softness he had come to hate over the years; pity made you weak. Vulnerability got you killed. Caring for people that inevitably left brought only pain, which really was even worse.
Korbin hesitated. Wanted to leave, yet his feet wouldn't obey. Long fingers tightened their grip on the handle... then slowly, quietly shut it.
Turning, he gazed upon the man, crumpled and weary looking. Tried desperately not to feel anything about what he saw... but failed.
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be," he replied. "But you keep mixing up that loneliness of yours with this work. What do you expect from me? What do you even want, Loren? I don't get it."
And he really didn't. Halo citizen he might be, and reasonbly well known, but Korbin was no one. Just a Snowcloak kid like any other. His troubles weren't that different from anyone else's, and he certainly wouldn't be able to fix any of Loren's problem.
At the sound of the door closing, Loren finally looked up. When he saw that Korbin hadn't left, however, the healer blinked, surprised. He quickly schooled his features into a neutral mask. Sipping from the tea, using it as an excuse not to respond, he found his foot tapping nervously against the floor before he stilled it.
You just told me not to expect anything from you but candor and for you to show up to work. I can live with that. I'm sorry for asking more of you than that, and for intruding where I was not welcome. Again, he kept all emotion out of the bond, though his fingers had tightened until they were white-knuckled around the cup. Would you like to continue with the lesson or call it a day?
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Clearly there had been expectations. Hopes, wishes. It was made clear by the way the Healer replied. And Korbin had just as clearly shattered some of them. It should make him pleased to hear that his point had finally come across, been hammered in beyond a doubt - he didn't want anyone to care - but for some reason he just felt heavier by the response. Not lighter.
"Consent and permission," he sent back, his own emotions withdrawing until the words were made entirely dry and impersonal. Like they had been when they first spoke like this. "Seems it applies to everything."
Korbin pushed away from the door and took a few steps further into the room. Didn't accept or reject the apology; it was just ignored.
"I'm here to work. Lessons are necessary for that. Go on." But the spark of interest was gone from the boy, and he looked withdrawn where he stood. Absent, like his thoughts were far away.
Loren just sipped from his cup, expression still carefully neutral. Equally carefully, he responded to Korbin. Understood. There was no hint of emotion or openness in the healer's mind.
Sit down and drink your tea. And yes, that is part of the lesson. He poured a cup for the hunter and slid it to the other end of the table. This is chamomile. Although many people drink tea to stay warm or for the taste, almost all of them have additional effects and uses in medicine.
The Launceleyn nodded at the cup he'd just poured. For instance, chamomile has a calming effect and is often used as a sleep aid.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Dark eyes narrowed as he was told to sit down. He didn't really trust that this wasn't some new attempt to make him open up or relax, but his only real option was to go along with this, or leave.
So, the tall youth sauntered across the room and sat down in the chair, but didn't try to make himself comfortable. Just perched on the edge of it, wariness in his eyes and in the stillness of him as he watched the tea being poured.
Drinking had been part of the instruction. Rather reluctantly, Korbin picked up the cup and smelled the aroma, to remember it. Then he took a careful sip, and set it down again. Waited, to hear what the next part was.
He had no intention of imbibing more of anything that would make him drowzy.
As Korbin sipped from the tea, Loren nodded. Still keeping his emotions hidden, he pointed at the shelf where the rest of the teas rested. The labels there give an indication what each tea does. Feel free to go study them. He continued to sip his own tea, finishing the first cup and pouring another.
Finally rising, he walked over to the workstation from earlier. Pulling out a mortar and pestle, he set it down. Then he grabbed a basket walked around the outer edges of the room, plucking leaves, roots, and flowers from the various plants growing there. Once his basket was full, he put it down at the workstation as well, then just sipped more of his tea as the hunter finished perusing the teas.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
It was ridiculous, really. This tension. Possibly it wouldn't have been as pointed if they hadn't been conducting the conversation - or argument - in each others minds. Korbin might not have been so blunt, or so cornered, felt the intrusion into his space quite so keenly. But here they were. All because of a single step across a line the raven might never be ready to erase.
He rose and went over to browse the shelves. The silence and stillness of the bond was like a new layer of deafness around him. It rang in him like an echo, quite as painful and vexing as the constant intrusion of voice and thought had been, but stubbornly, the raven refused to acknowledge that anything was amiss. Drowning in the task was easier. Reading labels, sorting which herbs did what...
Which, as it turned out, was a lot. It staggered him to think that a few plants could do so much to affect the body and mind. He became only more resolved not to drink any more of that tea.
Eventually, when he noticed the Healer was waiting, Korbin returned and came to stand by the table, hands on his back. Quiet, attentive, remote as the moon.
As Korbin came towards the workstation, Loren raised his eyebrows. Any questions about the teas? He paused to give the hunter time to respond.
Then the healer pushed the mortar and pestle towards the other man. Next up we're going to see how well you can grind herbs. It's harder than it looks. Taking out a second mortar and pestle, he sprinkled some leaves into the mortar. Then, lifting the pestle, he slowly ground the leaves into a powder. However, it was clear he was quite practiced at it.
Setting the tool down, he pinched a few sprigs of mint into Korbin's mortar. Your turn. Again, Loren's features and thoughts were impassive and entirely neutral.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
The question had him look back to the shelf. Pause, then return to the healer. "There was no dosage on the labels. How is that determined?"
Dry, efficient. Boring. What was so wrong with the banter they'd had going before? Korbin hadn't done or said anything differently today; what about it had ticked the man off?
It didn't look very difficult to crush a few leaves. Korbin took over the mortar and pestle and began. It took a bit of getting used to before he was comfortable with the weight of the tools. The icy fresh fragrance of the mint rose up as he ground them into a fine dust, and without thinking about it he breathed in more deeply. It reminded him of the Tundra. Of flying, of the bite of icy wind on his skin.
It was a good question, and Loren nodded approvingly at Korbin. Excellent question. In general, use your judgment. Most teas are so diluted that they only have a mild effect on an individual. The longer you let it steep, the more leaves you use, and the more you drink, the more powerful it will be. Usually a handful of leaves over three to five minutes is optimal.
As the hunter worked on the mint, the healer watched carefully. It wasn't bad, though there was a few twists of the other man's wrists that caused the Launceleyn to press his lips together. Good technique. Just be careful not to press down too hard. If you do, you'll end up with something too fine to be useful. He handed Korbin something to scrape the mint out of the mortar, along with a small vial for it. Then Loren tossed more mint in front of the hunter.
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
Didn't sound as though he would kill anyone by making mistakes with the teas, at least. Korbin nodded. "Got it," he said quietly.
He hadn't thought the praise would keep coming, with all that had been said. But either Loren didn't find it as awkward as the raven did, or he was just that meticulous about the job of instructing. Either way, Korbin kept his gaze on the work, on the new mint leaves and the act of grinding them up, scraping the powder out - not as finely ground this time - and adding it to the vial.
It was a simple enough job. No deep thinking required. Korbin thought he could get used to it.
"What else will be required of me, aside from treating small wounds and grinding herbs?" he asked, as he worked. Just to get it out there, so he knew what to expect.
This time, Korbin did a better job and Loren nodded. Good. Taking the vial of mint, he raised his eyebrows at the hunter's question. The healer rested his palms on the table as he met the other man's gaze squarely. That depends on what you're willing to do, and how quickly your training progresses.
The Launceleyn reached for a lid for the vial, screwing it on tightly. You'll likely take over caring for and harvesting some of the plants. In addition, I'll teach you how to make new bandages. In general, I'd like you to make sure we are fully stocked.
He paused to let that sink in. Once you've got enough experience, you can assist me in treating more serious conditions, before progressing to treating patients all by yourself. Finally, I'll let you run the infirmary part time, when I am otherwise occupied. He tilted his head to one side. How does all that sound?
look at how a single candle can both
defy and define the darkness
