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!
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Nobody would ever call Delphine intelligent, that was a given. Sure, she was smart, when it came to things she cared about; that affected her. But if something did not directly affect her... it went right over her head. And just like that, navigation was not something she was the best at. Honestly, a miracle her children had survived for as long as they had. It was probably a miracle she had survived as long as she had, too.
She was smart when it came to healing, plants and botany, paints... She could even skin small animals, though it was rudimentary. But she could not navigate without a map. It had taken her a while to navigate Snowcloak, and that was just because she had memorized where the house was.
But Delphine had not gone out on the tundra since arriving, and... well, LongNight was over and she had realized she'd left her bird. Where she had left him, she was not quite sure, but she was certain she could follow the path to the portal.
It never occurred to her that the portal would still be covered by snow. Or that the path that led the way would be covered in places... and that was how she went off-track. At least this time she was dressed for the cold, with some bread and dried meat in a pouch, to tide her over if she got hungry while in Torchline.
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
The only real difference between Deepfrost and Flowerbirth in Halo, aside from the return of daylight after the long week of darkness, was the sun. From the gloomy, oppressive cloud cover pregnant with snowfall into glorious, high skies of the palest blue, the winds of the new year swept clean the slate and smoothed the white dunes into a new floor, just a bit thicker than last year. How long would it take before the Tundra equaled the peaks of the Fangs in height? Did the snow actually evaporate ever so slightly under the bright kiss of sun, so that the cauldron that was Halo would never quite be filled? Pray that the days never grew warm enough for that ice to melt lest the region be sunk beneath the waves, bringing an Atlantis fate upon the land.
Korbin imagined that he actually felt the sun warm his feathers where he flew, high above the tundra. It was likely only wishful thinking, yet he indulged himself in the illusion all the same. These were days of renewal, of rebirth, days to rediscover who he was and what he wanted. While memories of Weaver haunted the houses and streets of the Citadel, here Korbin could be himself. Could let go of obligations, sentiments, duties and the ingrained habits of nineteen years in the shadows of a family loved and lost. They were gone now, and he would always miss them... but his friends were right in that he would have to find a way to live anyway.
It was never easier to accept that than when he flew. Suspended on dark wings, carried by the wind and navigating the currents with practiced ease, Korbin never felt more himself than when he put on the feathers. Like this, he was free. Bold, brave, confident and daring, he had no reason not to veer off course and go where he willed. Upon spying a dot crawling slow over the white expanse below, he even felt playful enough to pursue it. A stray animal, a lonely hunter? Even the remaining cannibals of Whitebrim could not phase him.
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Delphine continued forward, hoping that she'd run across a hunter (really she's hoping for a specific hunter), though she has no idea if anyone would hunt out this way or not. Hunting was certainly one of those things she didn't care about, and therefore had never bothered to learn about, outside of feeding herself before Noah came into her life.
How she missed being vegetarian. That was part of why she'd left Snowcloak, she wanted to go to Torchline and get some vegetables, some fruit... and her bird.
She couldn't call the bird her child, because that meant she'd abandoned yet another thing she loved, but...
Here they were.
Her, walking towards what appeared to be a building, and hoping that maybe anyone inside could give her directions. As she walked, she found herself wondering why someone would live so far from the Citadel.
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
The raven followed the speck on the ground with lazy caution, that grew into more keen wariness as the ramshackle buildings of Whitebrim came into view. From his lofty position Korbin had an excellent view over the longhouses huddled together behind a slipshod barricade. It was a small settlement but well planned, able to withstand the elements and animal attacks well enough. This soon after LongNight the buildings were mostly snowed over, and he could detect no movements below.
Except, that is, for the solitary figure that waltzed right up to an outlying building. Was there people living here still? Had someone survived the Warden's purge? Ravens couldn't frown, but Korbin did the equivalent and angled his wings, dipping into a smooth circle that brought him spiraling down for a closer look. If it was an exile, he would have to report it to the Warden. If it wasn't, the person was an ignorant fool who had no idea how dangerous his place was.
The big bird let out a deep, sonorous croak in the hopes of drawing the person's attention. If he could only make them look up for a moment...
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Delphine, hearing the croak of a bird, stopped walking and shielded her eyes. She turned away from the building, to search the skies for the bird. It was not Poe--no, Poe wouldn't come for her; she'd have to go to Poe...
But it was a raven. Hazel eyes narrowed, and she called, "Korbin?" She had not met any other ravens, thusfar in Halo... and so it was safe to assume that the young man was the bird she was seeing.
She glanced over her shoulder, back to the building, and called, "I was trying to find the path to the portal--but I..." The wind picked up and her words are lost, or she stopped trying to speak, recognizing her words would be lost.
"What is this place?" She called, once she was pretty sure she could be heard.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
The raven, upon seeing the oh so sweet and oh so fucking familiar face, bit off a foul curse. It was quite intelligible, as corvids did have the ability to mimic sounds of just about any nature. And Korbin had a lot to say about the appearance of Delphine here. In Whitebrim, on the Tundra, in his presence in general.
Unfortunately, talking with a beak was far from comfortable, and she was being far too loud already. The bird beat its wings hard and shot down between the girl and the building; then shimmered and changed. Korbin landed on his feet in the snow, and made a grab for the blonde to drag her closer to the wall of the building, while making a shushing gesture. If she tried to keep talking, he would just put a hand over her mouth; the young man's whole demeanor was tense and wary as he listened, eyes darting about the area. Listening for sounds, watching for movement.
When nothing immediately jumped out at them, he turned on Delphine. "Keep your voice down. This is Whitebrim. Do you have any idea what kind of danger you have put yourself in?" His blue gaze had a flinty quality to it, but his grip was quite gentle.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Delphine had no idea where she was, so when the man shifted and grabbed her, dragging her behind him, she stumbled along silently. At least until she thought they were done walking.
"What is this plff--" A hand across her mouth caused her words to be muffled, and then the resulting scream of frustration, at being interrupted was muffled as well. It took everything she had not to bite the man from instinct alone. The wall was cold, even through her furs, and she licked the man's hand until he let her go.
At least, moved his hand from her mouth. "What's Whitebrim?" She inquired, whispering. "This place looks empty, what do you mean danger? I was just gonna see if someone lived here still..." But it really looked empty, it reminded her of sections of the Hollowed Grounds.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
With a disgusted sound Korbin jerked his hand away, wiping his sullied hand off on the heavy overcoat. Giving the girl a glare, he was tempted to stuff her mouth with snow just to keep her quiet, but thought better of it. At least she wasn't shouting anymore.
"Noah didn't tell you?" Korbin's own voice was barely more than a breath of air, just barely loud enough to be heard over the ever present wind. He gritted his teeth, and turned away to keep surveying the area. "It's a village, of sorts. For exiles. Criminals. Cannibals." Korbin shot her a glance, and raised a brow. "I'm sure they'd love to invite you for dinner."
It was impossible to know if she would take him seriously, but it was important that she did. He knew he should explain better, but this wasn't really the time, or place. Motioning for Delphine to stay put, Korbin began to creep towards the corner of the house, meaning to peek around. It had been difficult to tell if there were any footprints on the yard beyond; no smoke rose from the houses but that didn't really mean anything.
They could be holed up. They could be out hunting. They could be dead, for all he knew, but he really wasn't going to find out while unarmed and with a squishy outlander girl in tow.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
"Tell me...?" She furrowed her brow at the young man, still speaking quietly. And then he said: cannibals. She snorted, chuckling under her breath. "Just because they're criminals does not mean they're cannibals, Korbin! That's rude."
She moved to step away from the wall of the house, even as Korbin motioned for her to stay foot. "You should get to know people before you assume things about them," she stated, speaking normally. She thought the boy was crazy.
No wonder Noah hadn't told her, it was a joke. "If you're being truthful, why wouldn't Noah tell me about this place?" He was acting awfully cautious, but Delphine was used to tricks being played on her. And she didn't exactly trust Korbin, not that much. She'd move to try and go past him, aiming to explore the small settlement she'd stumbled upon.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Ah, she did not believe him. Go figure. It wasn't the kind of thing people would be happy to accept, after all. But Delphine's disbelief was quickly bringing her towards possible disaster, and Korbin hissed in frustration when she not only followed him, but tried to bypass him as well. Making no move to hide, or even be careful. He made an attempt to grab hold of her arm, to bring her back, his face deadly serious as he turned back towards her.
"You're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about!" he hissed, still keeping his voice down. "At best, the people who live here are rapists and murderers. People who used up all their chances at the Citadel. They won't welcome you. Not in a way you would enjoy." Korbin was deadly serious, his irritation undercut by a very real sense of dread that only grew the longer they lingered. "Laugh all you want; the cannibals are very real. I've seen them cut a man to pieces like you would butcher a luxere. If Noah hasn't told you, then it's probably because he didn't want to scare you."
There was no jest in the way he spoke, or the nervous glances he cast about. Of all the fucked up, idiotic situations to land himself in this was probably the worst; stuck in Whitebrim with a foolish girl, not knowing whether the settlement was truly abandoned or if they were one shout away from being swarmed by angry axewielding exiles. It was the kind of thing that made him wish he never left bed in the morning.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Delphine yelped, as he grabbed her and brought her back behind him. When he mentioned rapists, murderers, Delphine quieted. And then he began to describe how the cannibals butchered their meals, and she drifted into a deep silence, staring at the raven.
After a moment, she whispered, "Why wouldn't he have told me where it was, to avoid it?" Well, she knew if he'd said not to come to Whitebrim, she'd have snuck off and come on her own...
Which was slightly different than getting lost. "Which way is home?" Halo was home, Noah was home. Which way was home. Though she knew the man could get a better vantage point from the skies, he'd gotten her to believe him and she wasn't about to let him leave her by herself. Her fingers curled against his arm, "Hey, while I've got you. You're not back to drinking again, are you?"
Really stupid time to ask after Korbin's health, but... she didn't know the way home and didn't want him to leave her here.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He shushed again when she yelped, hissing like a leaking kettle whenever she made a soun. But finally it seemed that he was getting through, if the way she stared at him was any indication. Korbin drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, filtering the air between his lips so that it wouldn't steam as much.
"Would you have believed him? We don't talk about Whitebrim unless it's necessary. Noah especially wouldn't bring it up." Not after what happened last time they strayed too close. He regarded Delphine with a quiet, thoughtful expression. Had Noah told her about it? Somehow, he didn't think so. And that meant Korbin couldn't say anything either. It wasn't important right now.
When she asked for home, Korbin pointed out the direction without even having to think. Delphine seemed keen to leave now (fucking finally) but Korbin didn't go right away, and he gently pried himself loose from her grip. Ignoring her question about his drinking - was she trying to bring her thoughts away from the immediate situation? - he hunched down close to the wall and smoothed out a patch of snow with a hand.
"If we are to get home safely, you're gonna have do as I say. We are here - " he poked a dent in the snow, indicating their location "- and the Citadel is here." He made another mark, a fair distance away. "Here is the road to the portal. We're going to head for that; there should be patrols heading out about now, and the likelihood of coming across other travelers will be better." It wasn't too far; looking up, Korbin searched for landmarks on the horizon. Finding one, he pointed out a peak of the far distant mountains. "See that cone-shaped mountain? That's the right direction, it will take us to the road. Once we find it, we'll travel with that same peak on our left shoulder. Do you understand why I'm telling you this?"
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Pull me from the dirt,
No, you don't want me in your garden.
Dandelion, dandelion.
Delphine shook her head slowly, that no, she wouldn't have believed Noah if he'd tried to tell her. At least, she was pretty sure she wouldn't've. She stayed quiet, he ignored her question about his drinking, and that did not convince her any further that he was okay but...
Then he was giving instructions, drawing in the snow, and she was watching. One thing she did understand, maps. Even makeshift ones. She had gotten far off-track, and she frowned at that fact, listening as he spoke. She'd been raised by a soldier, even though her brother hated raising her, she had once known how to protect herself. But...
Years of being protected by her husband, and then of isolation, had worn her skills down. And she murmured quietly, "You're telling me because... you're going to leave?" She gestured toward the sky, frowning. It was an assumption, but why wouldn't he? His wings could carry him away from Whitebrim faster than her legs.
Too bad he couldn't carry her with him.
"Don't leave, please?" She wasn't thrilled about pleading for the man to stay but... she'd rather not wind up wandering alone, not again. She didn't like to be alone.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He looked at her gravely. Maybe it was her tone, or the situation, or maybe it was just his anger fading but Korbin's expression softened ever so slightly. He shook his head, firm. "I'm not leaving. But if something happens, I need to know that you can find your way back on your own. Can you?"
It was true that he could make his way out with no problem if he shifted. But there was no way he would leave her here. Not only because she was Noah's partner, though that was reason enough. One just didn't leave anyone behind on the Tundra. It was an unwritten law, so deeply ingrained in him that Korbin didn't even have to consider it.
"There's a possibility that there are guards posted," he went on. "The place is bigger than it looks from here, and I don't know how many they are, if there are any people left. We'll stay low, move slowly, and once we're out of sight, we're going to run. Ready?" He waited for her to reply, then nodded and rose, indicating for Delphine to move ahead of him along the wall of the house, and then off towards a crevasse that yawned open in the ground some distance away.
Keeping low, Korbin almost doubled over due to his height, his nerves were tight as lutestrings as he got them moving. The moment they left the relative shelter of the house, he felt as if eyes were piercing the skin of his back, every fiber of his being crawling with the need to run. He willed himself to take it slow, however, with one eye on Delphine ahead and the other on the surroundings. Ready for anything... or so he hoped.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
