Fable - Ask There is no normal life, just life

[Kasimir]

​

It wasn't much but it was theirs.

For beings who had known nothing more than the darkness and evil that lurked beneath Vel Anir, a horror reserved for its peoples dirty secrets, the tiny thatched cottage the oddball family had found themselves was... paradise. Sure the roof leaked and Kasimir had had to mend it twice after vicious storms and the fire only heated a small section of the house in the deep winter, but they were dry. They were safe. They... had the makings of a life. Or at least what the three of them pictured as a normal life. A year ago Kasimir would have never thought what he now had was possible.

"See yer tomorrow, Kas!"

Kasimir wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up to wave to the two others he worked with one a dwarf and the other a minotaur. It was the dwarf who had given his family their home and so, unbeknownst to him, Kasimir had said a silent pledge to the mans safety.

"Good night Master Balor. I won't be much longer," the dwarf shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Yer work tae 'ard lad, get some rest, go kiss that pretty wife o' yers!" The minotaur chuckled at the 'mens' joke. It had taken Kas a while to understand he did not laugh because they thought of Nat and himself as other and wrong. Kas gave a small smile.

"I will," the men said their goodnights and Kasimir waited until they were gone to put the blacksmith forge back in order for the next day. He lowered the flames so they would not go out but simmer all night, he emptied the water and set a fresh barrel for the morning, and he put back all the tools wiped clean from the grime of the day. Truthfully, Kasimir enjoyed this part of the day. He felt pride in his work, even if he was just an assistant. It was more than he could have ever dreamed. He hung up his apron when he was done then set off with his small basket back home to their tiny, perfectly imperfect cottage, on the edges of the village.

"I'm home!" he called and peeled himself out of his boots by the doorway and unwound the scarf from his neck. The smell of food scented the air and made his stomach growl. "Mistress Balor has sent me home with apple pie," the forges mistress had taken a particular liking to young Rumer and Nat and had made it her mission to fatten the pair of women up.

 

[Nathaira]

Something moved in the hut. Something slinking and undulating it’s way around a cramped kitchen and old furniture. Something with predatory intent in its amber, reptilian eyes.

”Yesss!” Nathaira, clad in a faded orange apron and thin olive tunic, swept the pie from Kasimir’s hands and inhaled its aromas deeply. Her eyes closed in sensory bliss with a long, satisfied sigh. ”What a wonderful woman.”

She turned and stood on tip toes to plant a kiss on Kasimir’s cheek before sweeping back to a simple wooden table.

Nathaira “Scaleborn,” an assassin that would have been feared had anyone lived long enough to spread her story, now set a pie down before moving to check a boiling pot over the fire. Her leather wrappings had been replaced with colorful cloth, and when her tongue snaked out it was to smell the cooking stew, not to track prey. Her clothes were not all that had changed. Her thick, tangled dreadlocks had been replaced with braids and her skin, lightly scaled, had acquired a soft sheen.

The only hint of her bloody past was the dagger at her waist, though it was only one instead of two.

“Almost done,” she said uncertainly. She was very good at acquiring food, it turned out, but doing much more than roasting on a stick was outside her expertise. She relied heavily on Rumer and Mistress Balor’s instructions.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer seemed to be growing by the day. For the first time in her fifteen years she'd had a sustained period of safety and stability and a little extra nourishment. She'd had plenty of years of starvation and stingy meals of white slop and stale bread to make up for, and the girl never took a single crumb for granted.

She was no stranger to work, and so she busied herself with chores and setting snares around the surrounding forest, she picked berries and foraged wild garlic and mushrooms. It hadn't been the sort of 'work' she'd been used to, this was freedom, and regardless of how dirty and sweaty or tired she was, she loved every minute of it.

This though, this was her favourite time of the day, when she's washed the day's toil away and had settled on the lumpy armchair with her parchment and charcoal whilst Nathaira fussed around, cooking the family meal. A year ago, such a vision would have made her laugh. It still did when she thought about it too hard, but by now it was the new normal. Nobody had come to rip it from them yet, but as every creak she jumped at and every nightmare she woke from made evident, Rumer was yet to be entirely convinced that this life was truly theirs to keep. And so, she'd continue to savour every minute, every morsel and every shred of warmth she could, whilst she could.

Her stomach was grumbling with anticipation already, but when Kas came through the door with another of Mistress Balor's apple pies, it gave a little flip and she beamed, charcoal-faced, up at the tiefling. The sound of shuddering iron snagged her attention however, and she scooted from the armchair to shift the stewpot before it started to burn.

"Done.." she murmured with a twist of her lips in amusement as she shuffled up to Kasimir and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. "Welcome home."

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir was still taken aback whenever Rumer hugged him but he was quicker to get over it months now in to their little evening ritual. The first time she had done it Kas had asked Nat repeatedly whether something bad had happened to the girl. His arms wound about her small frame and he worried - not for the first time - about how slow she was to gain the weight back her body so desperately needed.

"Thank you, little mouse," he murmured and then pulled back slightly and crouched down before her. "I have a little surprise for you," from within his pocket he produced a delicate metal little mouse. The features were painstakingly sculpted into the iron work including thin rounded ears and a little nose with whiskers. The eyes gleamed like polished onyx. It was poised on its back legs with a sketchbook clutched in its little paws.

"For you," he pressed a kiss to her forehead then stood and moved over to Nat. A gentle brush of his hand across her back before his arms snaked around her to take the pile of plates and help lay them.

"How was everyone's day?"

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira nodded in thanks for Rumer's assessment of the stew. She carefully lifted it from the fire and set the pot on a thick wooden slab to cool at the center of their small table. She moved with her same serpentine fluidity to gather the settings, but found Kasimir's warm touch at her back to be disarming, just as much as ever. She let her fingers rest on his forearm for just a moment before he drew them back, taking in the warmth that the sun had left on his skin.

She did not mind the smell of iron and flame that clung to him. It had taken time not to worry while they were apart, not to go and see if he was still at the forge and not captured, beaten, or dead. Rumer had helped to keep her grounded, and served as an excuse to her nerves that she needed to stay with the girl.

She poured water into sturdy mugs and made sure that everyone had a good helping of stew. It had been made with a good, fat rabbit she'd caught that morning. What was more, it had vegetables and even some herbs that she'd managed to purchase with Kasimir's earnings. She still wore her hood up in town, but she had dropped the face veil recently. No one recoiled from her here.

"Quiet," she answered Kasimir with lingering relief. It was, after all, what they had all fought for.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer took the little mouse in her hands and looked down at it. She was silent as he kissed her head and went to greet Nathaira. All she could do for that long moment was stare at the gift. Trying to fight the tears was useless. They rose up too quickly, the ache in her throat too painful to swallow, and so they fell fast, running tracks down her sooty face, and she pulled her sleeve over the heel of her hand to wipe at them as quickly as she could.

Her mind was everywhere. It was on her father who'd never given her a gift in her life. It was on Norris, his voice reminding her how weak it was to cry and how she'd pay for every tear. It was on the happy little home she now found herself in and the constant fear that none of it was real. She so wanted it to be real.

She nodded and cleared her throat at Kasimir's question, turning to look between the two with her eyes wide and glassy, her lips curling into a smile. "Real." she answered, and held the iron little mouse to her chest.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir's chair creaked when he sat on it and it was one of the most pleasant noises in the world. It was one of the first things he'd made with his own two hands. Made. Not destroyed. He hadn't thought his hands capable of anything else but destruction and he marvelled every time they did something wonderous. Like this chair. Or Rumer's little mouse. He had something in the works for Nat too but he wanted it to be perfect, oh so perfect, before he could give it to her.

"Then it was a good day," he nodded contently at both their answers and helped himself to some of the food.

"I had a good day too," Kas continued happily. "We completed the order for Farmer Leo today, all his new tools and ploughs. I get to go and deliver them tomorrow. Perhaps, you should come with me Rumer. He has a daughter your age."

 

[Nathaira]

Their small cottage was meager, even by the standards of their new hamlet, but for the three of them it seemed incredibly lavish. The ceiling was low, but it did not leak thanks to Kasimir’s efforts. The windows were small but secure thanks to Nathaira’s locks and latches. The room itself was crowded, but clean from Rumer’s efforts.

Nathaira ate at a slower and daresay almost polite pace. With food no longer a scarcity, she did not need to swallow an entire chicken at a time. Now she could actually savor the stew and allow herself a small congratulations on its flavor. Her body would always be slim and sinuous, but the sharpest edges had been softened ever so slightly.

Nathaira coughed loudly, nearly choking on her stew as Kasimir suggested bringing Rumer along on his delivery. She dropped her spoon and took a greedy gulp of water to quell her sputtering. With her airway clear, she shot a look at Kasimir with enough venom to bring her fangs to shame.

”Are you ssure that is wise?”

The words left her lips before they could be considered, although reason had very little to do with Nathaira’s protest. Was there truly a great risk out here? Not likely, especially after so long. Could Kasimir keep Rumer safe? Yes, even without his full host of dark companions. All that aside, was Rumer the strongest and most dangerous one of the three fugitives? Without a doubt.

None of that mattered, however, when Nathaira thought of the girl out of her sight and beyond the safety of their home. She tried very hard not to confine the girl, vowing that she should never feel imprisoned, but she had similarly sworn never to let harm come to her. In keeping to the latter, she had impinged upon the former.

 

[Rumer]

The girl's dark brows shot up, her expression ignited by the sudden spark of far too many thoughts and feelings all at once. The thought was terrifying, because she fully believed that there were still Anirians out there looking for them. If they were spotted, news would spread, and this reality would be all too brief. Would another girl her age even like her? She'd likely find her odd, or something to be abhorred. Creatures like her didn't have friends.. And yet, yes. Yes she wanted to go, she wanted to see the farm and meet the farmer and the girl and she wanted to be proven wrong. She wanted Norris to be proven wrong.

Nathaira's choking fit lodged her answer in her throat however, and the hope on her face dimmed. It wasn't wise, Nathaira was right and she knew it, and she wanted this little life more than anything. She wouldn't want to put it at risk for something as silly as having friends.

"Mh.. I should stay here." she answered with a small smile at Nathaira, hoping it would quell any worry. It was nice to be worried about, though.. "I set some snares today, i'll be busy checking on those tomorrow. And I found a new patch of wild garlic... Soo that'll take up some time too.." she cleared her throat and smiled between them as she sat down with her bowl of fresh and thankfully unburnt stew.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir looked to Nat in surprise when she choked on her food. He would have thought she would share his desire to see their... to see Rumer have friends. To make more of a life beyond these walls and the forest beyond. Neither of them had had the chance to have a childhood but Rumer still could. There was still time to snatch back a few precious, innocent moments for her. His brows pulled slowly down into a frown and he opened his mouth to try and argue in Rumer's favour when the young girl made him turn next towards her in disbelief.

That she would prefer to pick mushrooms...

"It is wise," Kasimir said softly but there was a firm conviction to his tone. Tenderly he reached out and put his hand over Nat's however and gave it a tiny squeeze. "Rumer needs friends her own age," he reasoned then glanced to Rumer. "We didn't escape only to put ourselves into a cage of our own making. It's time."

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira fought a roiling, primal desperation behind amber eyes and clenched jaw. Her need to protect Rumor was so great and so absolute that, for a moment, she could not agree with the tiefling.

It was only a moment, though. The wave of maternal rage was quelled with a swallow and a long stare into Kasimir's eyes. They were always so gentle in spite of their infernal colors. Those eyes had never lied to her, which in itself was astounding given their history.

She released her tension in a long hiss and a few nervous flicks of her tongue. "Yess, yes of course." She put on her best semblance of a smile, though the too-many needle teeth would have made most people uneasy. "I'll check your ssnares."

She busied herself with her meal before she changed her mind. "Freedom" was so much more difficult than she'd envisioned.

 

[Rumer]

The girl slowly blew the steam that rose from the stew as her gaze shifted back and forth between the two as they discussed. She wouldn't involve herself. They had both suffered enough without having to worry about her. They had fought so hard to be here in their home, safe from the world, that she wouldn't dare risk seeming ungrateful by wanting more. This was all that mattered.. There was no more pain here, they were together and she was cared for, and she was happy.

Though talk of friends still tugged at some tangled little thread in her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder, as terrifying as such wondering was. Rumer stopped blowing air at her stew the moment Nathaira spoke, her head lifting to stare at her and her brows rising in surprise at her answer. A sudden burst of adrenaline exploded in the pit of her stomach, but despite all urge to show her excitement, she calmly set her bowl down and got up to go to the serpentine woman and her arms wrapped tightly around her.

Rumer smiled and closed her eyes as she hugged her.. "I promise I'll be okay, Nathaira." she assured, opening her eyes to look up at Kasimir with a sparkle of excitement as she smiled at him.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir quietly watched the two with the spoon halfway to his mouth and a small smile curved his lips. This was the right decision, he could feel it in the very pit of his stomach, and when the girl embraced Nat a sense of peace settled on his shoulders like a comforting warm blanket. They would build a life for themselves here. Perhaps, one day, he might even convince them to move into the town itself. Be a part of the little world there. Such dreams were big for a man such as Kasamir who, until a year ago, had believed his future was only bleakness and death. Now the idea of sweeping a porch and waving to neighbours thrilled him.

"You could always come too, Nat. His wife always asks after you when I see her. These people... want to welcome us I believe."

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira swallowed her stew very carefully. Her amber eyes darted between Kasimir and Rumor and then back to her bowl, painfully aware of the predator's pupils within them.

It was a frightening prospect. She would have been much more comfortable going to kill someone, that she at least knew how to do. She knew a thousand ways to do that, but having a pleasant conversation? No... no that was impossible.

She looked back at Kasimir, ready to decline, ready to coil back into the comfort of her solitude... but she saw his eyes. His damned warm, pretty, soft eyes... and she knew this was important to him. A glance at Rumor's hopeful face told her the same.

Sssssshit.

She nodded, and forced a smile.

 

[Rumer]

The girl's brow slowly rose at Kasimir's suggestion and she turned her gaze back to Nathaira with a growing smile. The moment she nodded, Rumer beamed and squeezed gently, allowing a little of the bubbling excitement she felt reach the surface until she had to bite down on her lip to stop herself grinning.

The next morning she was awake before the fingers of first light had crept along the floor. She'd fussed over her clothes and hair, trying her best to clean herself up and hide her scarred ears before she cooked porridge with honey and apple and set it out on the table before whacking the pot a few times with the ladle.

"Breakfast!" she proclaimed, and hoped it might calm the butterflies in her stomach.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir, in direct contrast, hadn't even found a shirt to put on yet. He was mid yawn, having not expected anyone else to be awake yet, when Rumer accosted him in the kitchen. He blinked at her and then smiled, lowering his arms which he had stretched over his head in a morning stretch, to gently pat her hair. Carefully though, having noted how much care she had put into her appearance this morning.

"You look beautiful, little mouse," he murmured and bent to kiss her cheek. It was a gesture he had seen the Blacksmith do with his own daughters and Rumer every day occupied more and more of that space in his heart. "Nat is still asleep," he spoke softly, conscious his voice could carry when he did not take care. "Shall we take some up to her?"

With Rumers agreement they made a tray and crept upstairs to surprise her.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira had fallen asleep late. Kasimir had needed to explain his position a couple more times before she could relax enough to accept it fully. He had cheated, though, because his body produced heat and the night had grown cold, and Nathaira eventually agreed to whatever he said so long as she could stay close.

She was not afraid, she told herself. Fear was something to hide and crush and revile. No, this wasn't fear, this was strategy. Assassins didn't just waltz into danger, announcing themselves to any and all foes. They didn't let anyone see them until the kill... and often not even then.

You aren't an assassin any more.

Can you ever be anything else?​

That internal battle had fueled particularly bizarre dreams. She awoke to Kasimir and Rumer ascending the stairs. She might not be at risk of surprise attacks any more, but her body had not accepted that. Nevertheless she was indeed surprised to see the pair of them with... food?

"What... what is thiss?" she asked, sitting up on the quaint straw-packed bed and feeling a smile play at the corners of her wide lips.

 

[Rumer]

The smile that Nathaira wore filled her with what she had described to herself as 'warm fuzzies'. She felt them often, these days, whenever she saw the two embrace, whenever they embraced her, whenever they praised her or called her things like 'little mouse'. She loved her family, and she wouldn't take a moment of their new life for granted.

"It's porridge!" she told her. "I think I got it right this time." she smiled and wandered over to set the tray down beside her, watching her eagerly for her verdict.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir sat on the other side and gently stroked his fingers along her hand.

"We thought you might like it ahead of a busy day," that it might make this day easier, he left those words unspoken but they were written in his eyes as clearly as ink on a page. He smiled with as much encouragement as he could manage without looking too expectant and excited. She knew he would worry she would let him down if he showed too much how much this meant.

"It is very good, Rumer has much improved," his eyes twinkled at that joke. Anything was an improvement to the scraps they had once been given.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira ate the meal, and it was lovely. The warmth flooded through her and within minutes she felt the surge of energy that accompanied it. Her heart rate picked up, her eyes focused, and everything around her took on a new clarity and crispness.

She was still having trouble processing these sorts of family acts. The word itself still felt alien. It had been much easier to process her affection for both Kasimir and Rumer when it was wrapped in fear and violence. She was familiar with that.

She tried not to think too much as she got ready for their trip. She smoothed her mossy-hued braids into some semblance of order and put on a blue garment, one of the few that was not faded. She still did not care for the stuffy collars and sleeves of most clothing, so she wrapped the fabric around her gaunt waist and over her shoulder, fastening it with a copper pin.

She didn’t like caring about what she looked like, but it was difficult to avoid. Nathaira was very good at being unseen, which apparently made it difficult to know how she should be seen. She made a point of not wearing a shawl over her head today. It made her uneasy, so she made a second point of strapping a dagger to her thigh, out of sight.

She came down the tiny, creaking steps. ”Are we ready?” she asked the single room. The sunlight coming in from the small windows was enticing, and if she had to do this she may as well enjoy the warmth.

 

[Rumer]

Rumer paced as she waited, her fists clenching and unclenching at her sides as she tried to burn off the nervous energy that made her fidgety. The moment she heard the creak of Nathaira's steps she stopped and turned with a nod and a smile a little more anxious than it had been earlier. They were actually going to meet people..

"Mhmm..." she answered.. "You look very pretty, Nathaira." she told her with a smile and looked to Kasimir. "Doesn't she, Kas?" she pressed before skipping toward the door. She paused in front of it, drawing a breath in deep before she pulled it open and stepped outside. The breath tumbled out and her shoulders relaxed, the morning sun warming her face.

Still safe..

"Let's go."

 

[Kasimir]

One would think a blush would not show on someone with red skin, but it definitely did.

"Of course she does," he shot Rumer an almost panicked look. Would Nat think he honestly did not think that? He was quiet with his admiration and love for her. Perhaps he needed to be more bold like the men in the village. He frowned at the thought, mulling over what exactly that should entail for Nat, and followed Rumer outside.

The trip back to the small village was not a long way and Kasimir led them through the well trodden pathway to the smithy. Outside a wagon and pony were already waiting and the other worker - Balth - was just finishing loading it with the goods that needed to be delivered.

"Ah! There you are Kas, perfect timing," the Smithy shuffled his large frame round the cart and beamed when he saw both Nat and Rumer. "Making a family day of it I see, very wise, very wise, Sally up at the farm would have made you fat if it were just you!" he chuckled to himself at the joke.

 

[Nathaira]

Nathaira did not have the circulation to blush herself, but she saw Kasimir's face glow brighter as his warm blood rushed to his cheeks. Rumer's statement, and Kas' confirmation, made her happy... but she was still learning what to do with that emotion so she gave a very awkward half-smile and accompanied Rumor out the door, touching Kasimir's arm as she walked by. Like the red devil, words were not her best means of affection.

It was easier than she expected to show her face, especially when the sun was so gentle and warm on her skin. With each step she felt a bit more lively, and by the time they reached the smithy she was stepping as lightly as Rumor.

"H-hello," she greeted the Smithy. "Thank you very much for having uss-" she clipped her "s" as much as she could, though a serpentine lisp slithered through.

 

[Rumer]

Fuelled by nervous excitement, Rumer half jogged, half skipped along the path, constantly having to stop and wait for Kas and Nat to catch up to her. The moment they emerged from the tree line however, and the man addressed Kasimir and set his eyes upon her, her stomach clenched and she stepped back against Nathaira with a tight smile. He was smiling, not scowling, and his voice seemed friendly. Then again, she had known several with friendly tones and warm smiles who were anything but kind. Perhaps she wasn't ready for this.

She did feel a small spark of warmth in her chest at the stranger's words, however.. It was still new to her, this idea of being part of a family. She looked up at Nathaira as she spoke. Nat was always so brave, and she had taught Rumer to be just so.

Her glassy gaze returned to the man after a glance at Kasimir. "Nice to meet you..." she offered politely, wringing her fingers together..

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir had never thought he would be the one out of the three who found it easiest to smile and talk to the human before them. There had been a time in his life when he had thought he would never speak at all. The memory of those dark days surprised him and he felt the relief all over again at how they had escaped that hell before one of them had had their light completely snuffed out. Of course he would be braver, Kasimir reasoned, he was the one who came here every day.

"I thought it best to save my own waistline," the tiefling replied and despite his usual soft tones the joke didn't seem any less funny to the Smithy who threw back his head and roared with laughted, clapping Kasimir on the shoulder with a grin.

"Let me show you the things real quick," he said, tugging Kasimir to the back of the cart. He paused before following to glance at Nat and Rumer and say.

"Get settled up front, I'll join you in a moment."