Fable - Ask The Wolf and The Bat

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Spoiler: Music

---

Puddles splashed harshly on buckled shoes. The rain had caught her by surprise, forced her to seek shelter in these unfamiliar lands with naught a light to guide her on what should have been a simple moonlit walk. Navigation would have been short work any other night, but with so much rain? The girl could hardly see her own two feet.

The ground seemed to change abruptly, grass catching at her robes, footing raised above the incline of the path.

Had she lost the road?




*CRRRAAAASSSH*

A flash illuminated the sky.​

Lilette near-leapt at the thunderous sound, but in that brief moment, she saw silhouetted in the distance; a farmhouse.

The road seemed to fork in that direction, past fields and trees, up to a barn or some such. The girl looked from side to side, seeing no better option than to trust in the kindness of strangers.

Clothes dampening, she ran towards the homestead.

The sound of her footsteps seemed to rouse the livestock from sleep, worried sounds and distant heartbeats filling her ears the closer she came until her sprint diverted towards the house proper, where the young maiden dusted off her cloak and habit, for what little good that may do.

*Tap* *tap* she knocked nervously.

"Hello...?" her words came strained, and the little nun cleared her throat.

"Ahem... Hello? Art thou home? Anyone?"


*Tap* *tap* *tap!*




"...prithee..."

"...someone..."​

---

Orion Fald’ir​

 

[Orion Fald’ir]

The scratch of a quill, the crackle of the hearth fire, and a soft, steady hum filled Orion’s house at the same time.
It was later at night; almost too late to justify staying up maybe, but he didn’t have a mind for thinking about that now. After a long day of hard work preparing for the upcoming winter, Orion allowed himself to unwind by journaling. He wrote down what he had done today in quick notes, after which he started sketching his favorite horse, Maple. He put down his quill in favor of some charcoal and pressed it down on the paper with some force, as the mare had a beautiful dark coat and mane. Careful not to fill in the places on her back where she had her white spots, he continued his drawing. He was nearly done when a loud banging on his front door made him jerk his hand; ruining his sketch in the process.

Orion sighed as he eyed the door suspiciously. Who’d come over to his secluded farm at this hour? He was kind of planning on ignoring them as it felt like trouble, but when he heard the soft, almost frail voice of a woman he knew his heart wouldn’t allow him to do so.

The big man got up and opened the door of his farmhouse, taking in the sight of the drenched young woman in front of him. “Can I help you ma’am?” His voice was gruff, but his eyes were warm. “Are you alright? What are you doin’ out here at this hour?” Orion looked around to see if there was any trouble, but it seemed to just be her. Hmpf, if she had nowhere to go tonight, she’d be welcome to stay. It wan’t a full moon, after all.​

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

Her ears twitched the moment he neared, despite the pitter patter of rain.

Still his arrival was not without surprise, for his stature did make the girl look slowly up at him, eyes wide and shimmering like the stars above; silver, and faintly luminous.

"Ah! salutations good ser!"

"Forgiveth mine intrusion upon so late the hour," she said with a nervous smile on her pale lips.

"Tis this dreadful storm, thou see'th, caught me by surprise It didst and rendered me most lost I am afeared."

"And, uhm." the soft spoken lass shook her hood some, casting droplets astray.

"Well, mayhaps a wee soggy also."

The young maiden pinched her fingers together as though an approximate measurement, and unlike her hooded face, this uncovered hand was of such visibly porcelain complexion that it almost glowed under the moonlight. Though these hands were also soft, unblemished by labor nor war.

Yet here she was, knocking on stable doors.

"If thou'rt amenable, I wouldst rest mine head within yon barn." she pointed to the stables.

"And I shalt be gone come rain's end, of course."

---

Orion Fald’ir​

 

[Orion Fald’ir]

The woman at his door was a little strange. He wasn’t one to judge, of course, with his affliction and all.. But her eyes were unlike any Orion had seen before, and her skin so white and delicate. Perhaps she was a species he’d just never met yet; despite Alliria’s many citizens and visitors it was bound to happen someday, with the many different beings wandering these lands. It piqued his curiosity, but he was a sensible man who knew to be wary of the unknown.

As she spoke and explained her situation, the intrigue around her grew. She spoke with a strange dialect that he couldn’t quite place, so different from his own rustic way of speaking. He laughed heartily as she talked about being slightly soggy. “Lemme get a towel for ya,” he replied, but got halted in his actions by her next words about sleeping in his stables. Look, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his stables, but he wasn’t gonna let her sleep there, for god’s sake. What kind of man would he be?

“Nonsense,” he said. “You’ll sleep inside the house, you can have my bed or sleep up in the attic, whatever sounds best to ya.” With that he stepped aside, gesturing her inside. “Come in, come in, I’ll get you that towel.”

Orion walked towards a chest positioned near the entrance, where he kept all his linen except for his clothes. From here he grabbed one of his own towels, made out of rough linen still but better quality than towels he’d use for his horses. He turned around to give it to her. “There ya go, ma’am.” He walked past the big wooden table he had just sat at towards the hearth, where his cozy chair stood. With a frown he realized he owned but one of those chairs - he’d let her have it for the night, then. “You can settle down here if yer not ready to sleep yet, ma’am. Have you eaten? D’you want a bath? I can heat some water up.” It was late, though, so she’d probably want to sleep sometime soon, but he’d feel bad if he didn’t offer.​

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Ah, forsooth! If 'tis no trouble?" the girl beamed, "thou hast mine thanks."

Her thanks were accompanied by a little curtsy and a few more drops of water before she quickly ducked inside. The soaked hood was pulled aside, exposing to hearth-light freckled features and the night blue clerical garb of a Celestialist nun. And perhaps a few rogue locks of ashen hair.

Curiously, the hilt of a sword glinted behind her slim shoulders, chained into it's sheath.

The towel was accepted with another gracious bow of her head, and immediately after set to drying off her hands and face.

"Ah, thou'rt a kind sort to offer, though I hunger for naught."

A lie most blatant as it was rare from her frowning lips, but necessary she feared.

To the offer of a bath however, the pale girl put thumb to lip in thought. When did she last have opportunity to bathe? she'd made quick progress marching day and night both, but with few stops between.

She looked down at her little buckle shoes and the muddied hem of her robes.

"A bath would'st do me well, if 'tis no trouble."

"Ah, but where doth mine manners run?" grey brows shot up, as did a pale hand to her chest.

"Upon my name is Lilette of the Falwood, doctor and sister of the celestial temple, at thine service."

"And prithee, what shalt I call thee?"

---

Orion Fald’ir​

 

[Orion Fald’ir]

The woman seemed to be pleased with his offer and he waved her words of thanks away. "It's no problem, ma'am," he said, dutifully as ever, after which he stepped aside to let her in. As he went to hand her the towel he had grabbed, his hand halted abruptly. The woman had taken off her coat, revealing the clothes she was wearing underneath - he'd recognize the colors and garb anywhere. His late wife had been a Celestialist priestess, after all, and his father was a devout religious man. He tried to pull himself together, hoping the other hadn't seen the tremor in his hands as he handed her the linen cloth.

He nodded absentmindedly as she mentioned not being hungry, with that peculiar way of speaking that she had. If he wasn't distracted he might have thought to question why not, but alas, he was distracted. His mind raced with thoughts about his wife, his daughter, the life he had lived; all thoughts completely unwelcome in a moment like this.

The woman said she'd like a bath and once again he nodded, forcing himself to speak this time; "Of course, I shall heat the water up." The woman then introduced herself as Lilette of the Falwood, a nun of the Celestial faith, after which she asked for his name. "Orion Fald'ir, ma'am, it's a pleasure." His hand went out to tip his hat out of habit, but he wasn't wearing one. "Of the Falwood, eh? You grew up around here then?" Slowly he managed to slip back into the casualness he had had before. With strong arms he picked up the bucket by the door, still full of water, and used it to fill the pot hanging above the hearth.​

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

She took the cloth gently in both hands, though silver eyes lingered a moment on the man's trembling fingers. So sudden, or perhaps she'd missed it before? Her lips pursed, but it was his voice that filled the room first.

His introductions were met with a soft smile.

"Well met, mister Fald'ir!"

"But nay good ser, closer to Vel Anir I am afeared. I hail from the borderlands south o' Vel Hetren."

"Tir'Rhosyn 'tis called, or the Briarlands by humans."

Not that many knew of the place, ravaged by old wars at it was and inhospitable as those woods were.

"I must confess, Alliria wilt be the farthest eastward I hath seen."

Silver eyes looked up at this large man in such a way as to suggest she was pleasantly surprised—relieved even—by his gracious hospitality and mellow company.

Though of course it made caring for his health easier, even if he hoped she wouldn't.

"Ehm. might I ask," she said shyly, "about thine tremors?"

"In mine pack, I mayest have something for it."

Ever the doctor, Lilette slipped passed to search her bag, which now hung beside her sword from the chair.

"How long hath they troubled thee?"

---

Orion Fald’ir​

 

[Orion Fald’ir]

Despite his previous emotional response towards her garbs, Orion did like the woman. She was friendly - or maybe social was the better word. Many folks out there were suspicious and scared easily, but she didn't seem to back away from his big stature or deep voice. It was a pleasant change.

It surprised him that Lilette of the Falwood actually did not hail from the Falwood, but a place called Tir'Rhosyn or the Briarlands, located near Vel Anir. Though, he supposed, that would be nearby enough to still justify the name. "I've not heard of this place," he admitted, after which he frowned. So, the woman was indeed not human, hm? What exactly had he welcome into his house, then?

After he had emptied the bucket of water into the cauldron to heat up, the woman asked about his tremors. Orion wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. He looked at his hands, then at near-stranger, and back at his hands again. "I almost feel like this'll disappoint you, but I don't have a tremor." He held up his hand which was now not shaking at all. "Your clothes reminded me of someone, is all." It surprised him she had noticed it at all. Very perceptive, this woman.

"Would ya like to take a seat here, while we wait for the water t' heat up?" A very subtle subject change, indeed. ​

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"Ah? well, 'tis good news I should think." replied Lilette in awkward relief.

Truth be told she was a little disappointed, if only because she had nothing else with which to repay the man's hospitality. She closed up the travel bag, the rims of corked bottles barely visible through the thinning sliver.

To the offer to sit she gave another polite smile and nod, easing back and dropping her slender shoulders in a way that suggested the sister had not sat in some time now.

"Many thanks." she said softly, allowing her eyes to rest for but a moment.

"Tis unsurprising thoust not heard of Tir'Rhosyn hitherto. 'twere ne'er easy to reachest on account o' the thorns, secluded too far into the Falwood for humans to venture willingly, nor close enough for the folk of Fal'addas to bother neither."

"Ah, but our magi?" the sister hummed.

"Elders comest to make good on the solitude. 'twas no fame in retirement, and that suited them fine."

Lilette smiled wistfully, but nostalgia was short lived.

The chair creeked when she abruptly turned, glancing at nothing in particular till she knew what to say.

"What of this place? Is it quiet, outside the city? or dost travelers stumble in the wee hours oft?"

Another grin, cheeky this time. sharp even.

---

Orion Fald’ir​

 

[Orion Fald’ir]

Well, at least she was gracious enough to drop the matter. He really didn't feel like discussing the biggest failure of his life with a woman he had just met, however friendly she was.

Orion invited the other to sit in his good chair, to wait while the water was heating up. She gratefully took him up on his offer. He grabbed one of the wooden chairs from the dining table for himself, setting it down across from hers before taking a seat as well. They talked about her hometown, Tir'Rhosyn, which he had never heard about. It was interesting to hear what she had to say about it - something about thorns shielding the place, and magi that were very skilled. She sounded happy, while talking about the place. "D'you still live there? You sound like ya really like it there."

He chuckled at her question. "Nah, it's mostly quiet here. Just me, my horses 'n my sheep. I like it that way, though." He sighed as he mulled over his current living situation. He'd been living here for what, about ten years now? And he really did like the peace and quiet of it. Besides, he wouldn't harm anyone, here. Living in the big city would, from a werewolf perspective, bring many risks about. And he didn't want to live in that damned city, anyway. Yes, this home worked out well for him, though he also got lonely. He was a social man, after all, and his place was secluded save for the occasional folks stopping by to temporarily leave their horses in his care. ​

 

[Lilette Blackbriar]

"I did, yes." she smiled, but her drifting eyes belied much.

"But not for some time. I left mine home some two years ago, to eh. join a convent."

The girl wrung her delicate hands and stared at the fire. It caught her eyes in a way that shone brilliantly, white hot like the sun's reflection off a full moon. Or the visage of a nocturnal beast.

"I journeyed to Vel Anir at first, terrible mistake." she laughed awkwardly, changing the subject of home.

"The humans wert most unkind, which didst inspire mine venture into the Amol Kalit, to study medicine in resplendent Ragash. I livest there hitherto, yet travel taketh me to Alliria now."

"Tis mine first journey so far eastward, I must confess." said the nun nervously.

"I hearest tell 'tis quite a grand city, where one may findest anything. even trouble."

The woman fixed him a curious look, as though trouble were of special interest, if not concern.

"Hast thou any local wisdom to impart upon one newly arrived as I?"

---

Orion Fald’ir​