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!
07-12-2023, 02:58 PM (This post was last modified: 09-07-2023, 05:17 PM by Anju.)
Anju
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Her quest is nearly done, and now with her skill honed by Noah’s attentive hands, it is time for Anju to hunt.
Given how modern and advanced Stormbreak is, and of course the more obvious problem of it hovering in the air, there is understandably little natural wildlife - and with the Celestine, a very pro-farming-vs-hunting mentality - so she had taken the short skyboat ride down to the Oerwoud for larger game.
The early autumn day is beautiful and serene, the plentiful spiderwebs oddly pretty in the golden light that streaks like watercolor paint through the boughs of the trees. Riya hunts from just beyond, occasionally touching Anju’s mind when she comes back into range or giving little directional nudges when her landwalking sister is approaching a dead end. Riya knows the Captain wants to do this on her own.
Water is the best way to find prey, as nearly all Vi’s creations must drink. The soft riverbank provides plentiful opportunity to spot tracks as well, and it has led her well. A stag stands across the river, clearly indulging in the waters during his busiest season. Anju crouches from the other side, getting her shot lined up perfectly. Fire crests along the arrowhead the moment she releases it, striking true into the stag’s heart just behind its shoulder. A quick and merciful kill. Standing, Anju approaches the water while holstering her bow. Time to find a quick way across.
You're frightened by my bite though it's no harsher than my bark
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Liam was on a camping trip to the Oerwoud; having left the Dragoons, he found himself with too much time on his hands and not enough to fill it. So far he'd hiked up to the Leap of Faith to enjoy the view from on high, and now he turned his attention to the Wishtide Waterways. The series of tiny streams glittered with treasures long since lost, and Liam found it fascinating to wade through the shallows, taking in the sights without removing any of the lingering riches. Let them stay where they were, lost to time and to nature.
He walked through the soft mud of the waterway banks, barefoot with his pants rolled up to his knees, carefully treading so that he didn't get stuck or otherwise trip and fall flat on his face. This would be an interesting place to train, he thought; somewhere for new recruits to learn how to balance in unforgiving terrain. But that wasn't his job anymore. Nothing was his job anymore, and though he'd assured Phoebe that he'd be willing to help around the Greatwood, it didn't seem that there was much that needed doing as of yet.
The twang of a bowstring caught Liam's attention and he froze, not wishing to inadvertently step in the way of a hunter's shot; a soft thud from down the bank told him that whoever was hunting had hit their target. He emerged from the undergrowth to find a downed stag before him, its hunter - huntress - standing across the waterways. A familiar face, well-known from his days as a Dragoon: Anju.
"Captain," Liam called by way of greeting, raising a hand casually rather than offering a formal salute. He'd parted on good terms with the Dragoons, and he found himself eager to hear the news from Stormbreak. How were the other soldiers faring since he'd left?
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Anju is not expecting company - and certainly not human company - so she re-draws and lifts her bow when she hears the mud and muck being displaced by approaching feet. Surprise and recognition dawn simultaneously on her face as she lowers her bow, trained to never point it at someone she doesn't intend to kill. In fact she reholsters it entirely, and pauses in her trek across the stream to raise a hand in return.
"Liam. It's good to see you." It has been some time after all, and she'd been sad to see him go when he had, no matter how well she'd understood his reasoning. "And, please, call me Anju. Out here I'm nobody's Captain." Just a woman on a hunt.
Gesturing towards the felled stag, she steps into the water, glad for her tall boots keeping it away from her skin. "Care to join me?" Perhaps they can catch up while she quarters it up for travel.
You're frightened by my bite though it's no harsher than my bark
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Liam smiled at the woman's insistence that he call her Anju, nodding his agreement as he watched her wade over. "Old habits die hard," was all he said in response. It was good to see her again. He'd had nothing but respect for the captain when he'd served under her, and he'd wondered often how the Dragoons were doing after he'd left. Of course, if she was determined not to be a captain out here, then maybe he would steer away from talk of her work.
"I'd be glad to," he said, approaching the stag and waiting for Anju. "Just let me know how I can help." For he wasn't one to stand by idly while someone else worked, without even the offer of assistance. If anything, he was overeager to be of assistance. He always had been. "How have you been? How are things in Stormbreak?"
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
Anju can concede that point, lips tilting in a slightly wry smile. "I understand that. Though I'll make sure not to order you about," she jokes, which is rare enough already for most to witness. Given Liam had only ever known her as Captain, it would hopefully impress upon him the fact that she was different out here in the wilds, that he could be himself as much as she could.
Crossing the river carefully so as not to fall straight on her ass due to an algae-slick stone, Anju considers the questions as she watches her feet, only deigning to reply once she's by his side. "I am well. I do not live a very novel life." Instead dictated by routine, duty, and solitude. She's no extrovert, but it does inspire negative emotions at times - thus her hunt. Kneeling to retrieve her arrow and begin field-dressing her kill, she focuses on the larger question. "Stormbreak is making small steps toward a new future. Dismantling old rules and prejudices, changing the perception of our ruling departments." Koa's revitalization of the jails had made her prouder than anything.
Glancing up at him from her peripheral where she kneels, genuine concern flits briefly over her face. She knows why he left. Knows what he lost. Anju had made it a mission to find out the death toll and the personal losses of her Dragoons and fellows after the war; more material to lay on her shoulders and impress upon her the importance of perfection. "And you? How are you these days?" Had moving been good for him so far?
You're frightened by my bite though it's no harsher than my bark
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
It was strange to hear a teasing tone in Anju's voice, so much so that Liam looked momentarily surprised. He settled quickly, though, waiting for Anju to join him on the bank and following her lead in field dressing her kill, not wanting to get in her way but feeling the need to do something other than simply stare at her. "I'm glad to hear it," he said of Stormbreak. "It will be good to shake things up a bit." For a moment, he regretted leaving the Dragoons, regretted leaving his home. He knew that he could have done some good there, could have helped with any negativity from the changes coming to Stormbreak.
For a moment, he kicked himself for being so weak that he'd run from his responsibilities.
But then talk turned to him, and he shook himself out of the doldrums. "I'm settling into the Greatwood," he said. "It's very different from Stormbreak." He was still growing used to the great expanse of the forest, to having green everywhere he looked - a far cry from Stormbreak's grey streets. Mostly he stuck to the same old routines: training, wandering (albeit in the woods rather than the streets). Sometimes he played chess with Phoebe - a bright spot in his otherwise relatively dull life. Not that he was unhappy with his choice; it was just a difficult transition for a soldier.
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
More hands make lighter work, and Liam is someone she trusts to help her strip the deer over nearly any other stranger she could have come across in the woods. "I agree. It will surely be hard for a time, but it will be worth it." Anju may not be the staunchest, loudest proponent of change, but she has always determined a person's worth by their own merit. It makes sense for her not to be as bound by tradition and prejudice as some of her peers. It's merely unlucky for them that they weren't talented enough to become Captain.
Though she had known most of the details of his departure, where he settled had been a mystery, and a warmth enters her expression as she glances sideways at him. "I quite like the Greatwood. Ludo sent me there to speak with the Fae and awaken Mort's daughter. It is a wonderful place." Which is the equivalent of her blessing, if she is arrogant enough to believe he would want that from her.
Sitting back on her heels and wiping the bit of exertion from her forehead, Anju cleans her knife before sheathing it, beginning to pack the meat and hide into separate bundles for transport. If Liam notices that she separates the meat into two bundles, well, any arguments would be ignored. He would be going home with it regardless. Pausing, and hoping not to overstep boundaries now that she can push them a bit being outside of her role, Anju watches Liam quietly for a moment. "I couldn't offer you the level of condolences I wished as your Captain. I hope - that is, I want you to know you do not have to cut yourself entirely from Stormbreak. You are always welcome to seek me out." She'd lost so many in the war, but nothing so profound as the sort of family he'd lost. Anju has never had bonds that close outside of Riya. She can't pretend to fully understand, but she can at least offer her company.
You're frightened by my bite though it's no harsher than my bark
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
That Anju had spent time in the Greatwood - under a herald's orders, no less - should not have come as a surprise to Liam, but he paused in his work to glance up at the Captain all the same. That she spoke highly of his new home filled him with pride. He'd always been the sort to give everything he had to anything he did, and that applied just as much to his home as to his work. If he was going to be a Greatwood resident, he was going to be all in.
Liam began to help Anju bundle the meat, and that it was separated into two piles did not go unnoticed. While he might have argued, old habits died hard, and starting an argument with his captain was very much not on Liam's to-do list - no matter how much Anju might insist that they were beyond those formalities now. He didn't notice at first that she stopped to watch him, and at her words he paused, looking up to meet her gaze.
"I - thank you," he said, flushing from the unexpected invitation. He had not left on bad terms, it was true, but to have his former captain invite him back home was a surprise that he had not been expecting. For a moment, he wondered if he'd ever known Anju at all; she'd surprised him a great deal today, after all. "I would very much like to come visit, if you're sure."
The knife twists at the thought that I should fall short of the mark
He is not the first to realize that Anju’s demeanor as Captain is so often affixed to her face that few people ever see past it. She is trying to be better about it, but change is slow, and she has scarcely ever felt she needed anyone to see beyond it before. Now, with so many lost in the war and the years falling one by one behind her, Anju often realizes she is lonely. That she misses being known and understood by the few close friends she’d once had.
His flushing nevertheless makes her smile slightly, reserved but sincere. “I am. You’re welcome to seek me in Stormbreak, but I can travel to you as well.” She won’t force him to return to the region he’d intentionally left, nor risk triggering any painful memories. Standing, she holds out the neatly bound and wrapped meat and hands it to him, glad he does not object. The carcass will be eaten by the local wildlife, and she has the hide and other half of the meat in her own possession to take back home. Smiling, she grabs his wrist in a firm, kindly grip where others would perhaps hug. “It was good to see you Liam.” Pulling on her bond with Riya, she says her goodbyes before heading back across the stream to begin the trek back to her camp.
- Fin!
You're frightened by my bite though it's no harsher than my bark
