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!
10-12-2022, 01:30 AM (This post was last modified: 10-12-2022, 01:30 AM by Phoebe.)
PHOEBE
It seemed the young woman was deadset on her course and naught would sway her. It was a shame really. "You ought to try calling out for the Heralds of Vi and Mort instead." she suggested. Maybe she would and get lucky. Maybe one would answer and tell her that she was not fit for this war of the gods. If Frey didn't want her in it, then why would they want someone who couldn't sit still without coughing?
The bunny inched closer again, bolder than before despite the earlier scare.
"My son and I will both be in the sanctuary per Frey's request. I will pray that we see you there too." she said with a soft sigh, giving up on the losing battle. Only the gods could change this girl's mind now.
The rabbit now came very close to the women, and Phoebe stilled. It sniffed at the food in their hands, daring to nibble on the lettuce Lisbeth held.
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
Lisbeth held her breath for a moment, then remembered what happened last time she did that. Instead, she tried her best to keep her breathing slow and steady, making as little noise as possible. The rabbit took a few little nibbles. Lisbeth kept her fingers on the ground, unmoving. To the rabbit's eyes, she might as well have been a rock.
It nibbled more. She could feel just the slightest touch of its nose against the tips of her fingers.
She smiled up at Phoebe, and said in the faintest whisper, "I have no idea what you're supposed to do next. This is as much as I know about animals."
She looked back down at the rabbit. It was adorable. It made her think of the peaceful place Phoebe was speaking of, the sanctuary of the nature god. Probably a place with lots of sweet fruits and cute animals.
She sighed. If she survived the war, she'd try to find such a place for herself. But she had resigned herself to her fate.
Phoebe was equally statuesque as the rabbit approached Lisbeth. It kept the rabbit at ease as it moved in closer to get more of the lettuce, whiskers tickling Lisbeth's hand.
As for what to do next, Phoebe was equally unsure. She had never tamed a rabbit before! But she had a gut feeling that getting it accustomed to touch would be an important step. So ever so slowly she reached out -
The rabbit looked her direction and Phoebe froze, hand hovering in the air. Ever so slowly she offered up the dandelions in her other palm. This seemed to appease the fickle bunny who happily munched away. Then, with a feather light touch, Phoebe stroked the back of the rabbit.
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
10-13-2022, 12:29 AM (This post was last modified: 10-13-2022, 12:30 AM by Lisbeth.)
Lisbeth nodded. "Kind of like a cat," she whispered. "Just got to let it decide if it likes you."
She'd had a cat once, when she was young. She remembered the way the cat had liked to be touched, so much so that it would come rub against her insistently until she pet it just the right way.
She reached down, taking advantage of the rabbit's calmed state, and let her fingers brush against its cheek. It flinched, but seemed to enjoy the gentle touch. She used just the tip of her finger to rub his cheek in slow, gentle strokes.
"So," she whispered, unsure where to go next, "what exactly do you need to do with it? Take it with you?" She had serious doubts about the rabbit going so far as to allow itself to be picked up and carried off. Even her cat would squirm and kick when it wanted to get down, and the cat hadn't been able to teleport. Taking the rabbit anywhere away from its home seemed an impossible task.
That Lisbeth could also pet the rabbit gave her hope that this just might work. Phoebe increased the pressure of her back pets until she was using her full hand and pressing softly down on its back. The rabbit seemed to grow accustomed to the pets, shivering before continuing to nibble on the treats.
"I need to take it with me to give to Frey." she said. Yeah. Damn near impossible. But she would find a way. She had to. She was doing all of this for her son so she couldn't give up now. Using her free hand, Phoebe placed some treats onto her lap to hopefully coax the rabbit onto it.
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
Lisbeth sat back and stopped petting the rabbit, so she wouldn't interfere with it potentially climbing into the woman's lap. She didn't know how they were going to pull this off. She also...didn't know when or why she'd started thinking of it as something they had to do. She didn't know this woman at all. She'd just come across her while heading back to the city.
Maybe, she thought, it was because the woman was so beautiful. Way out of her league, of course. Not that that stopped a few stray thoughts from flashing in her mind.
She lowered her eyes, banishing such thoughts. She cleared her throat. "You know, you never told me your name. I'm Lisbeth."
The rabbit sniffed at the treats on Phoebe's lap, just out of reach. Harrumph. In a bold move it hopped up onto the demigoddess's lap, intent on getting treats. Food wasn't always so bountiful in the wild after all!
Phoebe continued to pet the rabbit, prepping her basket with more treats. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Phoebe." she said with a small smile.
As the treats in her lap dwindled, she moved the basket closer to the rabbit. There was enough food inside to put it into a food coma. The rabbit sniffed, then hopped right in!
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
Lisbeth smiled. "If it goes to sleep, you can take it anywhere...well, depends how far you have to go, I guess. To one of the shrines, I imagine?"
She gestured vaguely in the direction of Stormbreak. "There's a shrine in the city. You probably know that, sorry. But if you're not from around here, I'd be happy to guide you there." She'd gotten enough rest to be ready to continue her journey now. Plus a thought occurred to her...
"Do you...do you think I could come with you? To give Frey the rabbit, I mean. I've never met one of the gods..."
Her face turned red and she looked away. She realized she had probably just overstepped her bounds. But just the idea of meeting one of the gods, face to face, was too enticing to pass up.
"That's what I am hoping." Phoebe said, peering in at the rabbit now munching away in the basket. Very carefully she placed the lid on top. There! She had a blink hare! Now she just had to keep it.
"I used to live in Stormbreak for a time." she said with a smile. She appreciated the offer though. It had been kind of Lisbeth to stay with her while trying to catch the rabbit then offer to show her where the shrine was.
Ah, but it came with a catch. "There are still a few things I need to acquire before I go back to Frey." she said. "But how about this, you go to the shrine with some peaches and ask Frey to give you advice about the upcoming war, whether you should fight or not. If they don't show up, then I will make sure to bring you along when I turn in all the items for my quest?" It was a fair compromise she thought, given all they had discussed while trying to coax the rabbit to them.
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
Lisbeth sighed. She knew she shouldn't have just expected this stranger to invite her along on such a personal mission, but she had still gotten her hopes up. Still, though, the counter-offer was quite enticing.
"I doubt Frey will answer," she said. "I've never had the chance to actually meet one of the gods. But I'll give it a try." She nodded firmly. She usually didn't pray to Frey in particular, being more devoted to Vi and Mort. But she respected all the gods, and their heralds.
"How will I get in touch with you afterwards? I mean, I live in the barracks on the south side in Stormbreak. You can almost always find me there, or my commanding officer would know where I am."
Which reminded her, she did need to get back to the city. She had to report in, and she had lost track of time. She might be in for a reprimand for tardiness.
Phoebe smiled, glad that the young woman was taking her up on her counter offer. Frey would advise against joining in the war, of that she was certain. Why would Frey tell her not to join but tell Lisbeth to do so after all? It didn't make sense.
The Nightingale stood, carefully picking up the basket. "I live in the Greatwood. You can just send a letter to the Sidhe Village and it will find its way to me." she said with a small smile. "Thank you for all your help. It was good to meet you, Lisbeth." she said before turning to depart and head on back to Torchline to get Jude.
{FIN}
I look up to the little bird
The flies across the sky
And I, I wish that I could be that bird
And fly away from here
