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!
Two whole sentences. Wow. She was impressed. Maeve huffed, rolling her eyes at him. Not that he saw it. "And here I was thinking I'd done something to deserve it." She drawled, picking at the tar that was sticking to her skin and trying to get it off with little success. What she wouldn't do for a bath. She couldn't wait to be home.
She got it. Really. This fucking sucked to be frank. She disliked this and kind of disliked him too, but she didn't say that. Not when they were making some sort of progress here. "Fair... All the more reason to get home." Maeve didn't say anything else.
Instead they walked in silence for what felt like hours until her feet started to ache and her legs grew tired. She didn't know how much further they had to go. Maeve finally spoke up after a while, "Should we.. find a place to camp at some point or are we going to keep going through the night?" They could maybe manage that once before they needed to rest. She'd be willing to push through if it meant getting home sooner.
Rigby nodded in response to her last statement, an acceptance of his reconciliation. There, was she happy now? No more complaining, just let him try and figure out a way home in silence.
They were quiet for a while, weariness kicked in as they'd walked and walked for hours. Rigby was tired, but stubborn, and if she hadn't piped up he might've kept going through the night. The sun was beginning to fade behind the wall of fog, which had cleared up as they'd left the pits. It was just clouds now, less polluted, and somewhat darker.
He didn't want to camp, but he did want to sleep. His stomach growled but he figured finding food would have to wait until the sun was coming up, not as it was going down. He stopped walking, shoulders slouched as he glanced around at the marsh. A moment more to think, the boy decided on a tall magnolia tree nearby and walked towards it, grabbing on to a low branch and hoisting himself up.
Sleeping in trees was the safest choice, he did it all the time when he didn't feel like finding a nook or cranny in Haulani to post up in. He shifted around, crouched on his branch, and reached out his hand for the third time, less reluctantly than before, to help Maeve up.
She was grateful they stopped walking. Her feet were killing her. Surely covered in blisters by this point. Maeve looked around slowly, wondering why they were stopping here. Surely there was a better place to camp than just out in the open? Before she had a chance to ask, he was climbing the tree before them. Oh. Well that was going to pose an issue. It seemed that Rigby was already ahead of her, extending his hand down to help her up. He didn't say anything, but he also didn't look at her scornfully either. It was progress.
Maeve took his hand, using it to hoist herself up while her feet scrabbled against the bark of the tree. With both of their combined efforts, she got into the branches with him. It took some maneuvering to feel secure and vaguely comfortable, but she managed eventually. Her eyes drifted over to him in the fading light as exhaustion seized her body, soreness settling into her muscles. "Goodnight..."
It was all she offered as she settled in to sleep, ignoring her dry mouth and growling belly. They still had a ways to go. Days of travel surely, but things were going to be okay. They had to be. With that final thought, Maeve fell into a restless sleep in the boughs of the tree. She didn't wake until the first rays of the sun broke through the clouds and canopy.
Rigby hoisted the girl up, helping her catch her footing on the wide branches, easing her into the canopy. Maeve chose her spot, settling in and making herself secure. He wouldn't say it, but he did hope she wouldn't fall. It'd taken him a few spills before he'd learned how to safely sleep in a tree, and Maeve didn't seem like the type to have hunkered down in an oak before. He climbed up a bit further, cradled himself in a little nook, and grumbled in response to her good night.
When morning came, Maeve was up first. The clouds this morning had kindly parted, shining through the wide waxy leaves and across the hand that covered his eyes. Rigby continued snoring, sleeping as though this was just another day. It easily could be, from this position he could just be in another tree in Torchline. Oh how lovely that would be.
Maeve winced as her muscles screamed in protest. She was sore as hell. Sleeping in the tree hadn't done her any favors, but it was at least dry and off of the ground. She looked over to where Rigby was resting above her and reached up to give his leg a pat. "Hey.. Get up. We need to get moving." Maeve called up to him, grabbing onto the branch and hoisting herself up before planting her feet on the branch so she could be level with him. "Should also find something to eat."
She was just as eager as him to get out of here, but right now, he didn't seem all that willing to get up right now. Maeve carefully lowered herself down from the branch and eventually back onto the forest floor. She looked around slowly, taking stock of where they ended up. It wasn't as bad as where they were before. Less swampy and the air was clearer. Easier to breathe. She took a few paces away from the tree Rigby was still resting in, bending to inspect one of the plants and carefully plucking a few berries from it and lifting them to her nose to give them a little sniff. "I'm pretty sure these are safe to eat.." She called to him over her shoulder.
Rigby started quickly with the pat to his leg, his arm flailing out as for a moment he felt he might fall. When he sat up and realized it was just Maeve, and he was still in the middle of nowhere growing increasingly hungrier, he groaned and rolled over. Food did sound good, but he'd rather just sleep a little longer.
He didn't respond, spiteful and rude as usual, instead he waited in his nook until she called over to him, something about eat. The street rat weaseled his way out of the tree and sulked over to Maeve, crouching over the berry bush and giving them a quick inspection. Frankly he had no idea what they were, they didn't look like any berries he'd had in Torchline, but he was hungry enough to give it a shot.
"Feel free to go first," he replied dryly, starting to pick some for himself.
Maeve rolls them around in her palm, examining the dark plum color of them. She picks one up and squishes it between her fingers, dark juice staining her skin. Maeve rubs it on the back of her hand, waiting for a burning sensation or anything that might give away that they aren't safe for consumption. Nothing happens and a sweet scent wafts up from where the juice sits on her skin. With her investigation done she pops a few into her mouth. They're tart with a sweet after taste. "They're fine. I thought they were, but I just wanted to be sure."
With that she plucks more from the bush, being sure to leave plenty for him. Maeve stands, looking around and finding a cluster of the same plant. Plenty for them to harvest off of. Once they've both eaten their fill and she collects some for later, she prepares to depart again. "We should try to cover as much ground as possible before we lose the sun again."
Rigby watched as Maeve investigated further, curious as she popped one into her mouth. When she didn't die or at least flare up with some sort of mystical hives, he stuffed his handful into his mouth. They were tart, but he didn't care at this point. They were something. Hastily he gathered more, eating quickly as they had little time to waste.
He was chewing through a handful as she spoke, suddenly having decided to take charge today it seemed. That worked for him, he shrugged and wiped the magenta juice of his chin. There wasn't much to say, and they didn't have anything to pack. Rigby shoved as many of the berries into his pockets as he could, and set about in a direction he'd deemed west. Hopefully that was right.
It was about midday before he decided to sit himself down on a boulder, his feet worn and tired and the berries in his pockets having turned to mush and bled through. They'd gone far, the trees had changed and the forest became less marshy. Rigby frequented the Torchline jungles, but he'd never hiked this much in his life. Without much consideration to the mess he made, he pulled out some of the berries/jam and stuffed it into his mouth.
Maeve had a bit more forethought than Rigby did. She had torn one of her sleeves off and tied the bottom closed to make a pouch of some kind that she filled with berries. So by the time they stopped, hers had not been turned into a poor excuse for a jam. She sat nearby, content to rest for a moment. Her feet ached and she could feel the blisters pressing against her boots. Which were admittedly ruined. Maeve sighed softly, opening up her own berry pouch and eating from them slowly. "Would you like some?"
The girl extended the bag out to him. She was still being nice. Even if he was a dick. Might as well be civil while they get through this. "My name is Maeve, by the way... Figured it was about time to introduce myself... What's yours?"
Rigby glanced her way when she sat nearby, eyes only half open and seemingly unamused. He could easily nap here, he was starting to forget why they were trying so hard to get home anyway. What was better in Torchline? It's not like he had a bed there either. He sighed, only making eye contact when she offered something he wanted.
He nodded, dark curls bobbing as he reached out expectantly. No please, not thank you, she'd offered after all. She mentioned her name, something he hadn't thought to learn even after all this time. Even now it could just slip into the wind, forgotten like that of everyone else. But he held on to this one, for who knew what reason, popping a berry into his mouth as he laid back again, "Rigby."
At last she had a name. Now she knew who exactly she was directing most of her irritation towards. To be fair, they were dealt a shit hand. She didn't have it in her to be as hard to the world as he was. She wasn't made for that. Maeve was made for softer things. Sweeter relationships that went down like mulled wine and warmed her veins. This thing with Rigby... It was definitely not that. They might as well be total opposites. Still, she smiled softly at his name, tucking it away. The girl didn't speak again.
Instead she ate her berries and shared what she had with Rigby until her feet stopped aching enough that she could stand. "We should keep going..." They were finally making progress and if they were lucky they might be able to get somewhere with running water tonight that they could drink from as well as a safer place to sleep.
There was no need for further introduction after that, a name for a name; her berries for... not having to hear him grumble about being hungry. With the moment of rest past, Maeve decided it was time to go. It was almost better with her calling the shots, he was less stressed, it was easier to simply mill about. She'd decide when they'd stop, and he'd navigate.
"Fine," he agreed, pushing off the rock and back onto the marshy ground. And they continued on, walking and stopping and getting more and more irritable as hunger and fatigue set in. Finally they left the swamp land in favor of somewhere greener, less icky. As the sun began to fall over the horizon, the sound of water hit him. He grinned, an actual genuine grin and not one of those sarcastic ones he so often gave.
He hurried up, defying his body's aches and begs to stop, before stopping by a small creek. He dropped to his knees by the side of it and practically dunked his head in. You never know, the water here could be magic too, a catalyst that would take them home. It didn't, but it sure felt good.
Maeve heard the sound of running water the same time that Rigby did and her eyes went wide at the sight of his grin. One that she found herself returning as she rushed after him towards the creek. She fell to her knees beside him, dunking her hands into the water and washing them clean; scrubbing what she could of the grime away from her skin before lifting scoops of water to her mouth. Maeve drank and drank and drank until the dryness in her throat finally seemed to dissipate. She sighed, falling back onto her haunches as relief settled over her. Water was good. This was good.
She took a moment to breathe and let the water settle in her belly as Rigby did the same. There was a chance that she could find them some vegetables if they were near water. Some Deepfrost roots that hadn't withered away yet. Maeve looked around slowly in the fading light, trying to spot somewhere that might be suitable to rest besides a tree. Coming up with none, Maeve spotted a large tree that would do them for the night. "I think I have enough berries for us to split tonight. I can look for other food tomorrow morning."
Rigby pulled his head from the cold water, his matted hair even messier all clumped together. He cupped his hands to drink some, reveling in how fresh it tasted. He'd resorted to drinking some of the swampier water earlier, and that had been such a mistake. He plopped himself down to sit for a moment, alongside his companion. She'd become more and more tolerable as they days had gone by, but he wouldn't dare say that out loud.
Another night, another tree, the one Maeve picked out would do just fine. He started climbing up, swinging up and stopping to offer a hand. Interesting, he'd done it without being prompted, asked or shot some snappy remark. He hardly noticed, but if he had he might've gagged. Once again she announced a plan, foraging in the morning and berries tonight. He gave a silent agreement, sighing deeply before settling in at a crook near the trunk.
