In a village that Lou will not name, she wasn’t chosen. Her best friend was, the little and slight Lumina who was all pale skin, long blonde hair and blue eyes that rivaled the sky. The adults made a big deal out of it, talking about how Lumina was special and how she’d make the mountain god very happy as his wife. Lumina was removed from doing chores, could eat all the strawberries she wanted, and spend all day inside reading.

Lou thought it was her parent’s way of trying to apologize for sending their daughter to the mountain, riddled with badgers and bears and boars. The scariest thing of all was the gods themselves. No one had ever seen one, but the village could feel them: in the spring when the frost didn’t melt fast enough, in the summers without rain, in the autumns with blights and plague, and in the winters when one was so hungry they ate snow and ice while shivering.

She took it upon herself to trade places with Lumina. Lumina, despite all the time spent reading, didn’t know about poisonous plants or venomous snakes, and her sense of direction was horrible. Surely, gods cared little for looks, and besides, what god saw a thirteen year old girl and thought her to be beautiful? Despite the ceremony wrapping the bride-to-be in all white with a heavy veil, Alouette was sure that anyone sent to the mountain was a sacrifice, not a bride.

The day came, their plan was a success, and Alouette went to the mountain instead of Lumina. Unable to go back, Alouette continued to go forward, and that was how she came across a bear cub. It’s true: the mother wasn’t far behind. Close to death, it was through only the interference of Tsaoi-talee, the supposed mountain god, that saved Lou. He brought her into his world, not as his bride (she was right, thirteen was too young!) but as a maid to look over his estate— or, the trash dump as she first called it before turning it back into a home. It was there that she learned about weaving and imbuing properties relating to the nature around her.

Years passed, the life being monotonous and simple but pleasant nonetheless. Alouette had grown accustomed to their little pocket of life and the chance to learn and advance her hobbies. She didn’t think of change until Syr Noa happened upon their home. When Alouette woke up the house was empty, garden gone, and nothing was as it should.

Ditching morning drills with Roki | Runabout Soul
Joining in on a surprise party for a friend | Not Far From the Tree
A relief mission for Crusoe | Stinging Nettles and Weeping Willows
Holiday fun with Arbok and Gruki | Festival of Lights: Illun Serath