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!
This was an incredibly stupid decision. But it was the season of tricks and when Sah had offhandedly mentioned the idea to Ilma, the woman had insisted he do it. The old woman really was quite the spitfire, and it really shouldn't be a surprise that she'd be on board to help prank her daughter.
During the renovations of his house to put in his hunting workshop, Aino had mentioned how her mom never brought her muffins. For some reason that had stuck with Sah, and when he went to visit Ilma he'd asked if she'd help him make some for her. It was as they were baking that the idea had been thrown out. And instead of making one batch, they'd spent the next few days making as many as possible.
And now, using a key given to him by the woman, Sah snuck into Aino's house while she was gone. Working fast, he ran back and forth from Ilma's to Aino's. Each time bringing as many muffins as he could hold. The end result? There were muffins spread out randomly throughout the soldier's house. Just about every kind and size. There were likely near a few hundred. Every flat surface in the house was nearly covered. Running out of time, Sah placed one last muffin at the doorstep outside and hid in a bush. Now all he had to do was wait for Aino to come home.
Steady, long-legged strides crunching down the path announced that the boy indeed was out of time. Aino came stomping up the road to her house with a stormy look on her face and a sword dangling from its belt in one hand. A nasty bruise had already begun to purple along the side of her face, and something red and crusty clinging to her nose suggested that whoever she had sparred with had been less than gentle. Or skilled, for that matter.
Muttered oaths kept sizzling the air as she passed, spat in rhythm with her steps, and she did not appear to see anything other than whatever miserable scene that had played out on the training field that day.
She nearly stepped on the muffin before realizing that something was there. Freezing, Aino staggered aside and nearly slipped, bit off a few more curses and bent down to pick up the thing. Scowling, she looked at the muffin. Then she looked around.
"What the..."
Very suspiciously, she sniffed at the baked good. Light colored eyebrows shot up as a delightful aroma annunced that yes, it was indeed a proper muffin.
Something in her expression softened then. Something weary and worn fell away, and the little smile carried a look so tender and warm that most in town would have been shocked to see it on the straight-faced, no-nonsense woman's face.
Taking a bite of the muffin, Aino reached for her door. Pulled it open. And was left staring dumbfounded as the overwhelming scent of freshly baked treats came wafting out, like this was a bakery and not her boring, ramshackle hovel of a house. Gaping, the woman tried to find a place to set her feet in order to even enter the house... but it was too crammed with sweets.
Her shoulders began to shake. A chuff huffed out warm breath in a laughter that began slowly, quietly. Unaccustomed, unheard for a long time; it rose gradually yet relentless, until the woman had to grab hold of the doorframe in order to keep on her feet.
After a while, it was difficult to say whether she was still laughing, or whether those shaking shoulders were due to something else.
Sah eyes Aino's reaction with equal parts wariness and triumph. The glimpse of a warm smile had an equally soft look coming to his face. He was glad that he'd brought such a look to his adopted sister. The shaking shoulders were what had him antsy. The laughter was a nice surprise but now Sah couldn't tell if it was humor or anger.
Letting out a low exhale, he appeared from his hiding place, hands up in surrender. "In my defense, it was just an off-hand joke. Ilma is the one who decided that it had to become a reality. My initial plan was one batch, not... this..." He gestured towards the insanity that lay behind the door, a sheepish smile on his face.
With the swiftness of a trained warrior, Aino spun on her heel as someone spoke up behind her. As she turned, it became immediately apparent that the uneven breaths were brought on by glistening dampness on her cheeks. Red rimmed eyes widened at the sight of Sah, and in three strides she had crossed the distance between them and wrapped the youth into a fierce hug.
Whatever storm of emotion that brougth this on was contained, if barely, into a faint tremble. It never came easy to her, these things, and now she had been taken off guard. But despite that... despite this...
"Thank you, Sah," she murmured hoarsely into his shoulder. "I had a shitty day... until now. Thank you."
Was it still a prank if it made people happy? Perhaps. Maybe that was how all pranks should be carried out.
Sah felt a surge of horror to see Aino crying, but that was quickly washed away when she hugged him. Thanking him was the last reaction he expected, but he wasn't upset about it. Returning the hug with just as much ferocity, he held her close. "I'm sorry you had such a bad day. I'm glad that I was able to help." He whispered, resting his chin on her shoulder.
The Abandoned felt a surge of protectiveness fill him toward his sister. He desperately wanted the names of who had dared to upset her. But right now such interrogations would likely only worsen the situation. So Sah would have to dig around later. For now, he'd hold Aino as long as she needed him to. And then likely help her figure out what the fuck to do with a house full of muffins.
It took her a moment to calm down. Aino wasn't used to surprises of the good kind, and happiness was somehow harder to quash than anger. But when she finally pulled away, the only traces of her temporary lapse in composure was a redness to the eyes, and the kind of blotchy coloration only fair skinned people could relate to.
Keeping an arm slung around Sah's shoulders, she straightened with a sigh.
"So," she said, trying a stern look at youngster, that was only slightly ruined by the crooked smirk. "Muffins? Really?"
That her mother was involved was no surprise, but that Sah would even initiate it was both sweet and annoying. The audacity sort of made her want to shove him head first into a snow drift. Well... maybe not until tomorrow.
At the question, Sah burst out laughing, one arm still around Aino as well. "Well when you and Deimos helped me out, you mentioned that Ilma never made you muffins." He shrugged, a mischievous grin present. "So I went and asked her to help me make you a batch. I may have made an off-hand joke about making more then you could handle and....." He chuckled, gesturing towards the open door. "Well, you can see where we ended up." There was a tint of self-satisfaction, pride in a well delivered prank. The fact that it was a trick that sparked joy only made it better.
Sah was honestly both surprised and relieved to still be in one piece. He hadn't been sure how Aino was going to react. Part of him had expected to be thrown in the snow or even lectured on wasting food. But the food wasn't wasted yet, and he had an idea. "We could distribute the muffins around Halo. Unless you want to eat them all yourself, no judgment on my part." Sah snickered at the small jibe, easily falling into banter with the laid-back atmosphere.
Aino did see. Looking in through the open door, she had to shake her head at the industriousness of the prank. The scale of it... her mother must have depleted every stash of flour and sweetening in every relatives stores to pull this off.
"Muffins..." she muttered. Clearly moved by the gesture - it was the first time she'd received any since she was a girl - but also increasingly grumpy about not being able to enter her own house.
"Those are my muffins," she still complained, when Sah began to talk about giving them away. "Oh, fine. But I get to eat as many as I want first." Snatching up a handful from just inside the door, she slumped down to perch on the steps and bit a huge chunk out of one of them.
Only belatedly, and with great reluctance was Sah offered one. Just one, mind. Even for just a moment, Aino was determined to revel in this unexpected fortune.
Sah laughed at Aino's indignation. "Of course. You get first dibs." He too scooted a pile of muffins to the side so that he could sit. Honestly they could probably feed an army with the mass array of pastry surrounding them. There wasn't any flour or sugar left in Ilma's, Sah's, or half their neighbor's houses.
When offered a muffin, Sah took it gratefully. He held in reverently for a moment, raising a brow at Aino. "For me? You would offer one of your valued muffins to me? I'm honored." The Abandoned couldn't keep a straight face and ended up cackling, barely suppressing it enough to eat his muffin.
The clever mouth earned Sah a shove that might have sent a smaller person flying off the stair. Aino gave him a lofty glare over a menacing smile. "I provide for my family, lad. But there are limits to how generous I feel, so. Careful."
She was kidding, of course. A good sized portion of these would be following the youth home, and over the past few days he might find himself plied with a curious amount of 'gifts' from people. Leather workers with some time on their hands offering better clothing, an old weapons master offhandedly giving him 'spare' spears... and so on.
One good turn deserved another, and Aino had many contacts in the village.
"So, how was that party of yours?" she asked around another mouthful of muffin. "Worth the trip? One hell of a long way to go for some food." Aino had not bothered, even though the pamphlets and the idea of distant lands were tempting.
Sah cackled, putting his hands up in surrender. "Noted." The Outlander was going to be very confused at the sudden surge of generosity thrown his way in the coming days. He'd eventually figure out the cause however, and would likely end up doing his best to ensure that this was not what he became known.
The mention of the party had Sah freezing and a dark look overtaking his features. Placing his muffin down, Sah eyed Aino. "No one's told you yet." He noted, a hint of pity in his voice. Sah hated that he had to be the one to bring such dark news. "Some kind of entity or voice appeared. Not The Voice, but just a voice. And... " He let out a deep sigh, his tone turning solemn. "They announced that in eight seasons the war would begin."
The muffin set aside was given a long, stern glance. But Aino noticed the shift in Sah's mood, and listened to his explanation with a stoic expression. If he had expected shock or devastation, the young man would be left disappointed. She was a soldier, after all; calls to arms was par for the course.
No, the woman's only real response was a snort as she shook her head. "War, eh. Once again the high divines have found something to squabble over." She gave Sah a long, searching look. "You're not getting yerself dragged into that whole mess, are you? I know you're young and hot blooded and all of that, but just because they say there will be a war doesn't mean you have to fight in it."
Almost demonstratively she reached for another muffin. She would absolutely not let the topic spoil her appetite, or ruin Sah's surprise by not savoring the rare treat.
Sah was relived that Aino didn't despair. He knew she was a soldier but he hadn't been certain of her reaction. As she relaxed, so did he, returning to eating his muffin happily. "Yup. Just my luck that I arrive in Caido just as a war begins to brew." He shook his head, a cyclical smile in place.
Sah met the searching look with one of determination. "I intend to protect my loved ones to the best of my ability, however I have to." Letting out a sigh, he gave her shoulder a playful nudge with his own. "Don't worry, I don't plan to just go and sign up for war. I've seen enough of it to last multiple lifetimes. But I'm not going to sit back and watch if someone goes after my pack. er... family and friends." He corrected as he recalled Aino's reluctance to believe his past. But even if she didn't believe him, Aino and Ilma were firmly in that formerly stated category.
Her expression remained doubtful, even as the look in her eyes softened. "That's usually how young fools end up dead in the snow," she nodded, with a sigh that suggested she had seen her fair share of fighting. Nothing grand enough to be called war perhaps, but she had faced enough cannibals and cultists in her time. "I ain't sayin ye should do nothing, alright? I'm only askin ye to be wary when dealing with gods and spirits."
Picking her muffin apart between her fingers, Aino devoured it with steady determination. The flavor was sweet and familiar, impossible to ruin even with grin talk like this.
"They may pretend to care about us people, but I've always doubted that. Do you truly care about the mites in yer bed, or the ningos in the street? For a time ye might find one ye like and ply it with food and a nice word. Might even take it inside and keep it as a pet. But when the times get rough, the ningo is always the first to be sacrificed." Because family and friends came first.
"Choose yer friends carefully, in times like these," she went on. Gaze on her hands, words offered to accept or discard, as he saw fit. "If ye do end up speaking to gods... Remember that they always serve themselves first. And they'll make it very difficult to say no. Lots to lose, and very hard to stay out of it if your... pack... is made up of people on one side, or the other."
Aino gave her adopted brother a half smile, humoring his tale and occasional odd phrasing. As time went by, her indifference towards his past was less due to doubt, and more born from a desire to help him fit in here and now. Humans did not form packs... and Sah was human now. Like it or not.
