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!
LongNight was over, and with it came the rise of spring.
And with spring came snowmelt, and with snowmelt came trash that had been covered by the white, frozen liquid.
Soh had first noticed it one morning on her way to the Tower. At first it was only a piece here or there - easy enough to pick up and throw into a trash can. But then it was a little more, and a little more, until Soh stood one day outside her shop, scowling at the bits and bobs that had apparently escaped detection all winter, determined that today, she would do something about it. She'd cleared her calendar for the day and she was determined to make a dent in cleaning up Stormbreak's streets.
Tarak, bless him, was feeling more generous than usual, and he toiled alongside his bonded on the cobblestones, pawing at various pieces until they made a neat pile for Soh to come along and sweep up. Time passed slowly, but it was honest work, and Soh found that she didn't mind a little physical labor. It was better than spending another day reading reports and staring out the window at a city she barely got to see anymore.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
LongNight had kept Lena busy with her normal routines; animals coming in, being tended to and mended, before another habitual cycle came in. She’d been seeing stranger circumstances though, and wasn’t quite certain who to consult on the matter…keeping the notions in the back of her mind, and within her notebook, dictations scrawled and close at hand.
Bustling through the Plaza was another inherent notion, given how often she snagged at new bandages, but the amount of debris wasn’t. Wrinkling her nose at the sight, she tutted underneath her breath, either appalled or confused by the state the citizens of Stormbreak had left their wake. Maybe it had been left over from some event? Not that it was any excuse, but the Caretaker approached most situations with a calm, logical air.
Snagging at some drifting by her feet and sweeping it into her basket for later, Mittens, surprisingly, began to help, catching at bits and pieces trying to maneuver past it in the light spring breeze. “Good work,” she murmured in kind to the companion, who screeched, before shaking her head with a kind, ambivalent poise, and catching sight of Sohalia up ahead. She seemed to be doing much the same in regards to the refuse and litter, and the Attuned gave a wave. “Hello! Did you have a peaceful LongNight?”
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
It wasn't a particularly warm day - pleasant, but still a little on the cool side - but Soh had worked up a sweat with her efforts by the time she heard a familiar screech. Looking up, she spotted Lena and Mittens approaching, and she wiped her brow with the back of one hand as she straightened, waving to her friend. It had been a while since they'd been able to spend time together outside of council meetings, and Soh had to admit that it would be nice to catch up with the caretaker.
"Lena, hi!" she exclaimed, a wide smile on her face. Tarak, too, squawked a greeting, leaping from the ground to flutter towards Soh's shoulder, where he perched precariously as he looked over the approaching duo. "It was quiet," she said of LongNight, which had been dark and dismal without anyone to boost her spirits. "Aside from those strange lights in the sky - did you see them?"
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Mittens had taken to…eating some of the debris, and Lena glanced on with a slightly concerned brow, before Sohalia’s response contorted and followed. By the time she’d ventured over, the Caretaker had been gently prying out bits and pieces of paper from the snowball’s stony maw, seemingly unbothered by the circumstances and chaos surrounding her. “Nothing wrong with a quiet LongNight,” she gave in return, a smile remaining, before pocketing the refuse.
While her companion stared down Sohalia’s, as if to figure out how to torment it, Lena immediately went to her basket, snagging at several treats laden within. “I did while working in the Celestine. Have you heard anything else about them?” The Caretaker, given her occupation, had clearly not taken the time to meander her way through to make any other discoveries.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Sohalia watched with a vaguely concerned interest as Lena pried refuse from her companion's stony mouth - what did an abominable snowball eat, anyway? - and nodded along as Lena smiled. "I was a little relieved, to be honest. LongNight back in the Grounds was always a little terrifying." Her guardian had always made her stay inside, but she remembered the screeches of the LongNight monsters and the tales of their destruction.
Mittens stared at Tarak, and the griffin stared back, clicking his beak and chittering low in his throat, shifting on Soh's shoulder as though he meant to jump onto the other companion. Don't, she thought forcefully, sending a wave of no through the bond that was, thankfully, strong enough to quell the griffin's desire for mischief. Instead, he sulked, leaping back to the ground and hiding under a nearby bench. "I've only hear about some meteor crash site in King's End," she said. "There are rumors that the two are connected, but as far as I know, nobody has found any evidence of that yet."
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
A few more papers blew in her direction, and before they could either collide with her feet or wander off further into the midst of impending storms, she crouched, picking them up one by one. LongNight in the Grounds sounded like a horrifying nightmare – she’d read enough about them within the tomes of the Collegium to know better than to pry deeper into those memories. “So I’ve heard. I’m glad that’s no longer an issue.” Calm and composed, she placed the damp papers within her basket, intending to put them in the trash when she got closer.
She meandered some more steps, following a trail of debris, while Mittens continued to stare the griffin down. While it wasn’t necessarily doing anything, the silence, and perhaps the smug turn of its stony smile spoke volumes. Lena held tighter to its leash.
Besides, meteor crash sites, and potential connections, had her thoughts reeling elsewhere. “I can’t even recall a time that’s happened. Maybe someone can do some research in the library,” she began to hum and murmur, a mind collectively absorbed by the potential of past occurrences. “Or if it has anything to do with Safrin disappearing.”
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Soh had to wonder where these loose papers had come from, to be strewn about the roads in such a haphazard way. Perhaps they had once been flyers or notices and had been blown free by the wind, but why so many in one place? Perhaps someone had thrown a LongNight party and forgotten to clean up after themselves. Whatever the reason, she was most displeased as she picked up pieces here and there, gathering them for a trip to the nearest trash bin. While she worked, Tarak began to groom himself beneath the bench, studiously ignoring the snowball that he had so rudely been told not to play with.
"Nor have I," Soh replied grimly, shaking her head. "But that's a good idea. Perhaps there would be something in the library." She hoped that they could find some information somewhere. So far, they had only been left with questions since Safrin had disappeared. It was about time they found some answers.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
As she inched her way along the plaza, there seemed to be more than just paper, but perhaps little strips of confetti, sparkly bits strewn about. It could’ve been blown off of someone’s decorations for whatever purpose, given the nature of the weather lately, or a party…Stormbreak wasn’t known to take LongNight as seriously as someone from the Hollowed Grounds would, having no monsters of the Voice’s creation within their vicinity. Mittens took a delight in following a trail of hues mixed with a vibrant green and blue, and the Caretaker snagged those quickly too.
Humming under her breath, content to be productive, she pondered over the theory she’d already started with. “I may head over there after I’m done here.” She only needed to pick up a few more things, could glide over to the Collegium, and do some minor research before heading back to the Celestine. With a bright and kind smile, the Attuned persisted. “You’re more than welcome to join me. Might be a nice break,” from whatever else had been going on in the leader’s life.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Little bits of paper and confetti floated by on the breeze, and Tarak finally stopped pouting as a gust sent one rolling by his hiding place. He pounced on the scrap and, upon finding it in his paws, trotted eagerly over to Soh, proudly displaying his catch and leaving it by her feet. The young griffin then hurried off, searching for more morsels to hunt.
Hiding a smile, Soh gathered the pieces that Tarak brought back for her even as she continued to work on her own. Lena's offer was kind, and the girl smiled with relief. "You have no idea how wonderful that sounds," she told her friend. She'd only been on her way to do paperwork and stew over recent life happenings, and neither of those sounded particularly appealing. "Maybe we can grab some lunch. Make an afternoon of it. If you don't have anything else going on, that is."
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Mittens eyed the griffin again, watching in predacious, hawkish fashion behind stony eyes as the youth clambered along, snagging at morsels. It narrowed its gaze until Lena seemed to send some warning through their bond, and the snowball growled, hissed, and sputtered, snaking and coiling over towards another few wisps of confetti.
Lena followed along dutifully, looking completely unbothered by most of the bizarre proceedings. Instead, her attention went to Sohalia, catching the glimpses of relief, and wondering what lay underneath all those layers. “Of course. After I tend to some of the animals around lunchtime feeding?” There were still some that required an herbal remedy by clockwork, and the Caretaker always put the creatures first.
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
Mittens sputtered and hissed, earning a raised brow from Soh. Tarak studiously ignored the snowball, instead focusing on pouncing on a few bits of paper that blew in the breeze. Once he'd captured them, he trotted proudly over to Soh with the bits in his beak, dropping them at her feet before scampering away to snare more of the debris. Soh gathered up Tarak's gifts and placed them in a nearby bin, then looked around. Their efforts had paid off; the area was considerably cleaner than it was when Soh had begun.
"Of course," said Soh. "After the animals is perfect. Do you need any help?" Anything to get out of more paperwork and worrying. Besides, she'd always liked the Celestine, and Lena was a dear friend. Spending time caring for the animals alongside her would be time well spent, indeed.
and sweetest in the gale is heard and sore must be the storm
Between their efforts, the street and portions of the Plaza they stood upon seemed much cleaner, brighter, and lacking in LongNight residue. Calmed, even with the constant pattering of rain, the Caretaker smiled, watching the companions and their interwoven reactions. At the prospects and proposals of next actions, however, her eyes went back to the Heart. “If you’d like,” knowing Sohalia enjoyed aspects of the Celestine, and with enough assistance, they’d be able to accomplish things quickly, efficiently.
Glancing around, and eventually finding another trash receptacle, she placed all the found bits and bobs within. “There. I’d say we’re done here. Come join me?” With a sweet grin and the extension of her elbow, Lena offered the leader an opportunity at some respite from the ongoings of the world.
{FIN <3}
that could abash the little bird that kept so many warm
