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!
"I do!" Noah said brightly. He held up his hand to gesture he would be right back, and for her to wait for him. Quickly, Noah turned and trotted for his little makeshift cabin. He stepped inside and rummaged for a moment before trotting back towards Cordelia, making sure not to slip and fall in the ice. Wrapped in a section of cloth, Noah handed the parcel to her. "I made it so that you would feel a little more at home. A piece of Halo, with you in King's End." He cross his arms some, hugging his torso as he waited for her to unwrap it, expectantly.
Inside the woman would find a windchime made of tangled brambles, fishing twine, and pieces of glass that he had salvaged from the burned, sand-filled targets that he and Deimos had trained with. Hanging from the tangled bramble was the glass and dried, bright red berries that he had gathered. "I tried to make it like the ones that we hang from houses during the winter."
I want trees instead of gravestones nothing to confess
She can't help but smile at his sudden enthusiasm and any residual embarrassment is quickly forgotten. The Attuned waited patiently, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she wrapped her arms around her middle, trying to fight back her smile and failing desperately. Especially when he reappeared, beaming from ear to ear, a carefully wrapped parcel in his hands. Her brows raised and she cocked her head to the side, rather intrigued as to what might be waiting inside for her. Unable to resist the urge, she gave it a little shake, hearing the faint tinkling sound inside. "Oh?" What could he have possibly gotten her from Halo?
Her soft exhale as she finally got the gift unwrapped cannot be missed and she felt a stinging in her eyes, "Oh... Noah, it's wonderful. I used to make these every year with my mom and sisters." She murmured, smile growing as she looked up at him with bright eyes, "Thank you. I'm going to hang it up now." The woman practically skipped over to her small cabin, hanging it from one of the beams by the door, turning back to him as the wind made the glass tinkle slightly.
Cordelia moved back towards him, suddenly seizing his hand and tugging him towards her temporary home, not allowing him to stop until they were inside. It was fairly barren. A few bundles of drying herbs were hung up, a small fire going in the hearth, and a bed covered in furs. "I have something for you too." She breathed, picking up a longer parcel that was carefully bundled, wrapped in a pelt. Cordelia swallowed thickly, stepping forward to offer him the gift, bottom lip catching between her teeth. "I hope you like it." Inside he'd find beautifully crafted arrows. As good as any you would get from a master craftsman in Halo. The arrows are fletched with raven feathers.
And nothing hurts anymore, I feel kinda free We're still the kids we used to be
Noah’s enthusiasm to give her the present turned to a careful fluttering of his heart, a worry that she wouldn’t like it. He hoped she would accept it, and that the gesture would bring joy rather than sadness. He knew she felt sad that they were separated from the home that they both knew, and Noah wanted this windchime to be a salve to that pain, rather than a thorn to amplify it.
Her reaction was everything he hoped it to be, and the smile that broke across her features flooded him with relief. He let out the breath he hasn’t noticed he was holding as she turned and bound for her shelter. Noah followed, rather slowly, just taking in the joy that sparked each of her steps. He smiled, a soft smile that warmed his whole face.
”I am glad you like it.” he said as she turned back to him, his smile broadening some. It turned, rather quickly, into raised eyebrows and jaw slightly open as she grabbed his hand and pulled him into her shelter. The color that rose to his ears he could not prevent, and he stood rather still as she grabbed her own parcel. He held out his hands and unwrapped it carefully. The arrows inside were beautiful, well made, and a blessing to him. His smile returned as he lifted and inspected them. ”Thank you. These are wonderful.”
I want trees instead of gravestones nothing to confess
His smile was one that warmed her down to the marrow of her bones, making her stomach flip nervously, a sparkle in her eyes to see it turned her way. To think that she could potentially be the reason for that smile was an idea that Cordelia held onto tightly. So caught up in her musings that she didn't even realize the flush on his cheeks until a moment later. Her breath caught in her throat as she held out the parcel for him to take, amber eyes roving over him from head to toe, tucking away that to reflect on later when there weren't butterflies in her throat. "You're welcome. I, uhm, I picked raven feathers for Korbin. I thought it might be nice to have a memory of him."
Cordelia explained softly, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she looked up at him from beneath thick lashes. She took a small step forward, less than an arms length away from him, a heat crackling between them that she tried her best to contain. It was a gentle heat. Like that of a warm fireside or a hot cup of tea thawing frozen finger tips. Nothing overwhelming, but it was a soft simmer between the both of them.
And nothing hurts anymore, I feel kinda free We're still the kids we used to be
Noah turned the arrows over and over in his large, rough hands. His fingers traced down the shaft of each arrow. The smoothness was brilliant. "You must have worked hard on these." Noah said, suddenly feeling a small sense of embarrassment. He was no master crafter, and her chime was nowhere as beautiful or as useful as these arrows. "Deimos made me a quiver that imbues the arrows with fire. I won't use these ones in that quiver. They're too perfect to be swallowed by flames." He laughed some, "You two are so generous to me." His smile brightened with the genuine words he spoke.
When she mentioned the feathers, Noah's smile faltered. He ran his fingers over the fletchings again, gently and slowly. His jaw feathered, eyes swelling with the faintest hint of tears. "Thank you." He said again, clutching the bunch of arrows in one hand and lowering them, point away from them. His other arm lifted and pulled the woman in against him, the full embrace of a hug coming from his gratitude.
I want trees instead of gravestones nothing to confess
Amber eyes watched as he ran his fingers along the shafts of the arrows, following the line of them, feeling the smoothness that she'd spent hours achieving. Cordelia felt her cheeks heat and she ducked her head shyly, "It's nothing." She murmured dismissively, feeling that spark of embarrassment from him and wanting nothing more than to banish the thought. "My father taught me how to make arrows. I've just had a lot of time to practice." A small nod was offered at his words, knowing that Deimos had made that for him. She'd been with him when he had. To know that Noah thought her arrows too perfect for that quiver left her with a twisting in her belly.
Before she could answer him he was tugging her into a tight embrace and Cordelia melted into it. Her arms came up to wrap around his waist, cheek nuzzling to his chest as she ducked her head, keeping her face hidden from him as she murmured. "You deserve it, Noah. You deserve so many good things." And she'd never stop giving them to him as long as she was able. Cordelia drew back just enough to look up at him, head tipping back and lips parting as her gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips and back again, swallowing thickly as she remained flush against him.
And nothing hurts anymore, I feel kinda free We're still the kids we used to be
She curled into him, and Noah suddenly could not release her warmth. The way the soft curve of her body felt pressed in against all of his hard, rugged edges was nearly enough to send him melting. He kept his arm wrapped around her as she nearly nuzzled into him. When her amber eyes lifted to his, he could not remove his glacier gaze. Their closeness was not lost on him, but neither was their emotional vulnerability. They had gone through so much in the last season. They were tangled up in it all together, and Noah was thankful for that. Her gift meant so much more to him that gaining new tools. It was a solidification of the fact that they were in this together, with Deimos, as resilient and strong as the Fangs they loved.
And so he lowered his chin, closed his eyes, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. For now, that was enough.
FIN <3
I want trees instead of gravestones nothing to confess
