Fable - Ask Through the Veil..

[Ariel]

Her hand was small in his, but it was a feeling Ariel would never grow tired of. Perhaps it was arrogance to think he was helping a poor, small creature. He thought it all the same.

“Are there humans here?"

“Yes.” It was a short answer to an exceptionally complicated question, and he guided her up a twisting staircase to the second level, where their heads were now above the great chandelier and the firelight flickered from below. "But it is not what they expected."

How was he to explain to her what it meant to be human here? If he told her the truth she would surely flee this cabin in terror. He ought to tell her, then maybe she would leave. It would be safer for her then, but he didn’t want her to go. That was it. He just didn’t want her to leave.

She should not be here. He should take the amulet from her. He should send her running back across the wall. It was selfish of him to keep her here. But she was young and beautiful and he was a fool for just those things. What harm could there be in letting her stay just one night?

He opened the first door on their right to reveal a cozy, yet still luxurious bedroom. A bed made from sturdy full tree branches that twisted and climbed into bedposts as if they had grown in the exact shape of a bedframe. The bed itself was heaped high with thick blankets of autumn colors, and while they appeared woolen they were soft as silk. A separate fireplace crackled within this room next to a fine writing desk and a large plush chair.

He motioned for her to enter. "If you need anything, I will be just downstairs," he said. The doorway's narrow entrance ensured that they were very close together. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked with a smile not unlike a fox surveying a hen house. Somehow he had kept the light from the fire within his green eyes all the way up the stairs, and he leaned his tall body ever so slightly over Katja's small one.

 

[Katja]

Katja's pale cheeks warmed a little more at the lingering touch, his hand unexpectedly comforting.

She mustn't be complacent. He wasn't to be trusted.

Her grey eyes widened as though trying to take in too much at once as he led her up the staircase and into the room, her mouth slightly agape as another wave of warmth enveloped her. The bed was inviting to say the least, and she couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh at the sight of it and the thought of the relief that awaited her after so many nights of miserable discomfort.

Still, she couldn't help but feel like she was selling her soul in some way, and the distraction of the cosy room was enough to quiet her questions for a while, until he was looming over her and she was starkly reminded of whose company she currently kept. A ridiculously handsome Fae no doubt more deadly than any creature she had ever crossed paths with. She understood the allure, of how humans could be charmed right into their hands.

"Just one night is all. Thank you." she answered him, lifting her chin and fixing her eyes on his, determined to hold his gaze this time.

"And, what did you mean?.. Why wasn't it what they expected?.. That, would depend on what they expected in the first place, no?.." she frowned.

 

[Ariel]

Ariel's lips curled upwards. He wondered what she had expected, when she crossed over. What had she been told by whomever had sent her here? He stole another glance at the necklace, glittering despite the darkness.

"There are things about this place that no human can know, not before they see it for themselves." Her hair was still damp, and he was drawn to the way it clung to her face. She was not at all like the doe-eyed farmer's wives he had grown so fond of over the decades, nor the pretty young ladies that wanted to feel what an adventure with a handsome stranger would be like. Katja had been hardened by something, he could see it in the bones of her face, and the coldness behind her eyes. "I guarantee you too will be surprised, if you stay long enough."

It was a warning.

"Most faeries are not kind, but I suspect you know this already." His breath would be like a cool rain on her skin. Despite his unusual softness for the mortals, he was Winter Court, and there would always be a grain of darkness at his very core. It was a darkness that encouraged the hedonistic passions of his people, that encouraged self-fulfillment, and that rejected guilt for wrongs perceived or otherwise.

He stood then, releasing her from his shadow and opening the door fully to usher her inside. "I like to think I am one of the exceptions, but I will let you be the judge of that. There should be dry clothing in the dressers. Do let me know if you need help."

And unless she spoke to stop him, he would gently shut the door and slip away back downstairs.

 

[Katja]

Her intrigue was betrayed by the slight tilting of her head as he spoke of surprises. She couldn't stay to find out what he 'things' he spoke of, she shouldn't even have been here now, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes as she narrowed them on him. His words seemed more a warning than a temptation, and that only made it more captivating.

"Hm.. It's a shame I'm only staying for the night then, isn't it?.." she murmured in answer, her tone as uninterested as she could manage. "And yes, I'm aware.." she sighed, her gaze fixed on his and her muscles tense as she resisted a shudder that had nothing to do with fear.

She didn't answer him as he gave his own character reference. That she was still here at all said much, for if he'd been cruel to her she'd have run. She glanced to the dresser and back to him as he stepped away, and she was surprised to find some dull urge to ask him to stay. She didn't, of course, but she couldn't deny that the thought had been there for however fleeting a moment. A nod was all she gave instead, and she watched him until the door clicked softly shut before she turned to look around the room.

Her legs keep asking her to rest, to get herself warm and cozy, to simply enjoy this free luxury she'd been gifted. Her body, her brain, her tired soul, could testify that she'd worked at full tilt for so very very long. The truth was , in this state, in terms of her biological capacity and energy stores, she could no longer afford to care about all of the things she had been caring and worrying so very deeply about. If there was a price attached to her night of rest, she was sure she hadn't agreed to it.

She could feel the fear in her chest waiting to take over. Perhaps it only wanted to protect her, but was there really any danger? It sat there like an angry ball propelling her towards an anxiety she just didn't need. She pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment, feeling her body already begin to relax before she wandered over to the dresser to find some dry clothes.

Katja was surprised to find clothes in her size and found herself wondering who they belonged to. They seemed new, and after she'd stripped and pulled the cosy nightclothes on, she unceremoniously tossed her own damp clothes in front of the fire and hugged herself. She had never felt anything so soft let alone worn it, and she relaxed a little more still as they leeched whatever cold and stress had been left in her body.

The bed, for her at least, was pure luxury. She sunk into it's feather mattress and pillows and pulled the fluffy quilt over her all the way to her chin with a smile, and quickly fell asleep to the sound of crackling fire.

 

[Ariel]

The moment the latch clicked shut, Ariel's face cracked into an icy grimace. The fire swept from his eyes as he strode back to the stairs' threshold and swept down them two at a time with chilling silence. He turned at the base and entered a room with a low ceiling and wall-to-wall shelves of dried herbs, cured meat, and curiously fresh bread. The kitchen boasted a large cast-iron oven, the irony of which Katja may have appreciated, and Ariel made his way towards it.

He placed a silver pot on top of the stove, lit the fire within from a nearby candle (he had no gift with flames), and set water to a boil, drawing the liquid into the pot from a nearby jug in a glittering arc.

Ariel had not heard Katja stir since the sounds of bedsprings came from her room, but he checked over his shoulder nevertheless before stepping to the side of the heavy furnace and tapping a finger on the wall beyond.

There was a soft click and a gentle rumble as the iron beast slid forwards to reveal a hidden staircase. Ariel descended at double time, and the stove slide back into place.

The lodge's secret library was almost as fine as the upper levels. Deep wood tones covered the floors, shelves, and reading desk. Ariel slid his fingers over book spines as he scoured the shelves, lichen eyes glancing back and forth in search of specific tomes.

Surely it could not be... but what if?

He gathered three of them and set them upon the desk, flipping through them with cold focus. He thumbed past chapters on enchanted bracers and cursed goblets, bewitched clothing and all manner of stolen treasure hoards. He tossed the volume aside, and then a second, until in the third he stopped with a grim sigh.

On the page, in fine detail that only faerie hands could produce, was an ink drawing of the very amulet Katja had been wearing. He sat, and began to read. In the kitchen, a pot of water boiled perpetually.

 

[Katja]

Katja had never slept so soundly. The easeful, feather bed and downy quilt were more luxury than she'd ever been afforded in her lifetime, and even in her dreams she lay floating on her back in a tranquil, starry ocean. The soft morning light woke her feeling slightly disorientated but well rested. She sat up and squinted around the room for a moment, rubbing the grittiness from her eyes before flopping back into the mattress with a huff to stretch and savour another few glorious minutes of comfort.

She rolled reluctantly from bed and crept cautiously to the door, her dainty feet stretched onto her tiptoes as she tried to stay as silent as she could. The door clicked only slightly as she pulled it open a fraction to peek out into the hallway. She didn't want to assume that it was still only the two of them here, and so she listened for a moment, chewing gently on her lip before she slunk out of the room and peered over the balcony..

Her toes turned toward the stairs before she paused and turned to consider the corridor of doors and her brow quirked. Whenever she was curious it was a key that could only be turned by figuring out a puzzle or stepping over whatever boundary stood in her way. This place interested her, and she'd only skimmed the surface and she had every desire to dive into the depths and discover the untapped magic of it. Even something as simple as a closed door seemed so much more intriguing to her when she knew she wasn't supposed to be here at all. Her feet twisted and she crept her way along the corridor, her greedy gaze taking in all that it possibly could.

She glanced over her shoulder before letting her fingers curl around the first carved doorknob, her ear pressing against the door for a moment before she turned it and peeked inside.

 

[Ariel]

"If you wanted a tour you need only have asked," he spoke so close that his breath tickled the hair by her ear.

Even the greatest of human stalkers moved like elephants to faerie ears, and the delicate points of Ariel's had stirred the moment Katja stepped from her bed. Unburdened by her gaze he had swept up the stairs and sealed the secret door. He was prepared to fake his preparation of breakfast (the stores had enough enchantments in them to prepare themselves into the simplest dishes), but paused when he heard the young woman returning down the hallway.

He had moved in a silent breeze up the twisting stairs to discover his guest in a moment of, dare he say, mischief. It had been a simple thing to step to her side unheard.

Pending her reaction to his sudden manifestation he pushed the door so that it swung with a gently creak to reveal a room not unlike her own, albeit about half the size and without quite so much finery. His eyes stole to the necklace she wore with renewed interest, and he felt a weight form in his stomach from what he'd learned.

Did she know what she possessed?

 

[Katja]

The scream she let out was anything but dignified. Her entire body jolted so hard she pulled the door shut against her fingers and yelped, clutching hold of them as she spun to face him and stumbled backward into the room, aghast and angered.

"Don't DO that!" she snapped at him, gripping tightly at her throbbing fingertips with a look of pain and frustration. How had she not heard him move?

Katja's grey eyes didn't shift from him to bother looking around the room she'd staggered into, her heart so loud in her ears that she couldn't hear herself think let alone concentrate on anything but breathing and bearing the pain in her bruising fingers.

"I didn't want a tour I was just..." her jaw tightened and she huffed, trying and failing to calm herself. "I don't much appreciated being snuck up on." she muttered.

 

[Ariel]

"I wasn't sneaking," he said, though the levity in his voice was marred with a concerned look to her fingers. "Though I... am sorry if I frightened you." Again he took in the necklace, the gentle blue and green hues of it swirling together. It was ensnaringly beautiful for something so dangerous.

His eyes had also found themselves wandering below the necklace, to Katja's body that was not so fully concealed beneath only thin nightclothes. His gaze started to trace the way the fabric hung off of the bends and curves of her figure... but he wrenched himself back to attention on her cool, indignant eyes.

"You were just...?" He put on a pleasant expression, hoping to convey that she was not in trouble or a prisoner. Of course, with that necklace around her throat there was no way he could allow her to leave. Not on her own. Not yet.

 

[Katja]

Sorry?

Katja's brow remained furrowed in scrutiny of him for a moment, as though his apology would be followed up with reprimand. When it didn't seem that she was in trouble, the crease across the bridge of her nose slowly smoothed out, though her lips remained drawn into a thin line as she let out a nasal huff in mute acceptance of his apology.

She watched his eyes as they studied her and she glanced down at herself, her cheeks flushing instantly in realisation and words turned to stone in her throat. Was she flattered? It was becoming more and more difficult to keep in mind what he was and that he was one of the least trustworthy creatures she'd ever met. He'd been kind to her, apparently at least, and she'd never seen a being as beautiful nor as charming; how could she not be flattered that eyes like those seemed to laud over her?

"Curious." she admitted in a growl of reluctance and slowly let go of her crushed fingers with a careful flex. Her gaze fell sheepishly from his face and she allowed herself to look around the room, taking interest in the fact that it hadn't been quite as lavish as the one she'd slept in. Her lips twisted and she cleared her throat.

"My clothes should be dry..." she said as she looked back to him, her chin a little higher. "Will you be accompanying me back to the wall?.." her brow quirked.

 

[Ariel]

He could feel that flush, hear her heartbeat change if only for a moment. It was very thin ice Ariel was treading on here and yet... that did make it all the more enjoyable. He stood back up, putting a scant bit of distance between his face and her body before he, too, gave any obvious betrayal of... never mind.

Curious

"Yes... yes I suppose you would be," he said with an airy smile. Of course a human would be curious. They were always curious. Even those who had just thought he was foreign when he visited had possessed no end of questions. Where was he from, what was the weather like, what sort of people lived there, why had he come here? Had any one of them been brought into the wonderland that was his home... they might have died of shock.

Perhaps Katja had been lucky that this cabin was considered very simple by high fae standards. Perhaps it was good she had not seen a host of lesser faeries or ethereal creatures. Could she see them with the aid of that necklace?

"Well you are welcome to explore. There isn't anything very interesting to find, I'm afraid. This hall is bedrooms, there's a bath on the first level, the main room we were in and a small kitchen."

He wished she hadn't mentioned the wall. Going back. "Certainly," he said, resuming the faintest hint of chivalry in his tone. "If you are to reach the wall alive I had better come with you. But I wonder what your hurry is. You must have had a very important reason to come here, after all, to put such effort into it."

Be persuaded, he begged mentally. This was not the time for his looks and charm to fail him. He could not let Katja return, not with that stone around her neck, and he didn't dare tell her what it was.

 

[Katja]

Katja's arms folded around her chest, a slender brow arching at his assumption that she couldn't look after herself. Still, he was no doubt right, and he knew this land when she did not.

She considered his words, her head tilting as she chewed idly on the inside of her cheek, her pale eyes still settled on his face as she weighed up her options whilst trying to hide her intent from her eyes. What was another few hours? Another day. He'd sent her out here not knowing how long it'd take her to find the wall or if she ever would. Or if she'd even survive if she did or did not. She had things to do here, but since she'd been caught upon her first visit, she'd hoped to return to collect what she could later on.

"I just wanted to know if it really existed." her head tilted the other way, the slight twitch of her lips and mischievous narrowing of her lashes betraying that her mind had been made up before she even bothered to shrug and say. "I suppose I could stay a little while longer, if you insist." she smirked and cleared her throat, her toe twisting into the polished floor.

"That bath you mentioned..." her brow quirked and her teeth latched onto her lower lip in effort to suppress a grin of sheer excitement at the thought of soaking in a hot bath.

 

[Ariel]

His eyes positively sparkled in relief (and no small amount of mischief as she mentioned the bath), and he took a single step back from the door. "It is this way," and he walked slowly down the hall and through the tall arch to the stairs. Quite contrary to the steam-like rush he had made on the way up, he streamed slow and graceful down the twisting steps.

She had lied to him, obviously, but he wasn't too put off by it. Any human who simply waltzed into this world would lie about it, if they were smart. It made him like her more, somehow, and he ignored the tiny warning bells that set off in his mind. She was entertaining, that was all, and quite unlike the others he had met.

At the stairs' end he lead her to a set of wide, dark doors near the back of the lodge. They opened without a touch, and a waft of steam briefly obscured the room beyond. It was another wooden room, as was the whole building, but this one held a deep and wide recess at its center. This, too, was wood, but it seemed to have been carved from a single unbroken piece. The rings that rippled out from its center suggested it was a cross-section of some truly massive tree, and it shone impossibly smooth and sturdy beneath the piping water.

The opposite wall was glass and looked out into the pristine winter forest, a beautiful contrast to the warmth within. Soft cloths and towels had been placed beside the basin, along with soaps and balms of all sorts that smelled of fruits, spices, and pine.

Ariel moved on and took a seat by the suddenly roaring central firepit, lifting his feet before it. "Just call if you need anything," he said, picking up a book in a foreign script and thumbing through its pages. "Or if you'd like company."

 

[Katja]

Her lips thinned apathetically at the glint of mischief in his mesmeric eyes, as though she wasn't entirely captivated by him. She supposed, he was supposed to have that effect on humans, the entire place was unfathomably beautiful, and it really was no wonder that some of her kind had never left..

Her mind instantly fell into a wonderful daydream where this was her life, her home, and Evander had no choice but to set her free, or perhaps thought her dead. But of course he wouldn't. It was a foolish fantasy and she frowned at herself for allowing such things even a moment's belief.

Still, it wouldn't stop her from indulging just a little. She deserved this much, she told herself. The warm steam seemed to envelope her as the doors opened into the bathroom, but as it cleared her grey eyes widened a fraction in effort to better take in the opulent loveliness, the likes of which she'd never seen in her life. Baths for her was a wrought iron tub that she only barely fit into, and the water was almost always cold.

But this..

She might've cried at the sight had she not the self restraint to control herself. Her gazed drifted around the room and then out through the woods outside, staring in utter reverence until he spoke and dragged her mind back out of those delicate daydreams.

"Hm.. I'm sure I'll manage on my own, thank you." she glanced back at him, her lips twisting in vague amusement.

She wasted no time in slipping out of her nightclothes and dipping her toes into the water. Of course, it was the perfect temperature. Everything here was perfect, as though it knew her. Katja sat down at the edge of the tub and let herself slide slowly into it, a deep sigh she'd held for weeks shuddering from her chest as she was submerged in absolute bliss.

There wasn't a soap or oil she didn't try, though she particularly enjoyed a soap that smelled of honey, walnut and milk. The water never seemed to cool, and she soaked for well over an hour until there was not a single ache left in her body and her mind was entirely at ease. It was easy to forget her troubles here as she watched strange birds and animals and trees outside and the tub cradled her like a mother.

A pang of hunger reminded her how long she'd been there for and she sighed as she stood with a rush of water and steam rising from her porcelain skin. Of course, the towels were the softest thing she'd ever felt, of course the balms gave her skin a healthy glow and made her smell wonderful and of course the white knitted sweater and grey leggings were the most comfortable things she'd ever worn.

She was towel drying her hair when the doors opened for her and she wandered back out.

"Are you trying to keep me here?.." she asked quizzically.

 

[Ariel]

Mortals were entertained so easily by so little of what the fae had to offer. And yet, he thought, stilling the smirk from his lips, this one had taken quite a bit more to soften her defenses. Oftentimes his face alone was enough to convince a human to go along with a plan or suggestion. There was no vanity in this thought, it was true. He was beautiful. They all were. Faeries highborn and low were living monuments to physical perfection.

It didn't always fit his designs, for where was the fun if everything was easy? If a maiden's favor was won with a glance, had he really earned it? Would she agree to come dancing because she enjoyed it, or because she wanted to stare at his face a little bit longer? Ariel wasn't so stupid that he didn't count his blessings, but neither did he ignore the little tug of war he and Katja seemed to be playing. He couldn't remember the last time a woman had been apathetic towards him, and he thought with a blithesome grin that maybe this one would keep a clear head.

He hadn’t yet decided if that was what he wanted. He needed to get that necklace, after all, and it would have been easier if she had fallen all doe-eyed when they met. He was happier that she hadn't.

He hadn't read a single page of the book in the time it took Katja to bathe, for his fae-sensitive hearing could pick up each bubble and splash of the water as she moved in it, and his mind (quite disobediently) would not stop trying to reconstruct the visual from the audible.

He turned to her as she entered and said with little delay, "Yes."

Faeries could lie, and it was a convenient misunderstanding that mortals thought they could not, but the concept was not without disdain. Ariel's face was bright, kind, and for this moment honest. Yes, he most certainly was trying to keep her here.

"Does that concern you?"

 

[Katja]

Her vigorous hair drying was momentarily paused as she quirked a brow at him. Her surprise may have only lasted a beat, though she'd let it slip and she gave a laugh under her breath.

"At least you're honest." she answered in a grumble. She'd had time to mull things over during her long soak, time to consider the best way to get what she needed, time to resent Evander for essentially everything and to wonder why she should rush back for him. It might have taken her another month to find the wall at all for all he knew, for all he knew she might still have been wandering alone in the dark and rain to fend for herself. But she'd let the soapy water melt those thoughts from her mind and a smile had curled at the corners of her lips.

"I'm not sure if it concerns me. I'm wise enough to know that it probably should." she said casually as she folded her towel over the fireguard and took a seat opposite him, the soft cushions pulling her into a cosy embrace. She tilted her head as she stared at him in scrutiny, her fingers combing through her damp hair.

"Would you stop me from leaving if that's what I intended?..Is your hospitality an attempt to tempt me, or trap me?" she asked next, her slender brows rising. She didn't feel like she was in any imminent danger. On the contrary she felt far more relaxed than she strictly should have, but she had to know that she still had a choice before she foolishly let herself believe that she was making one. She couldn't possibly stay here, regardless of how alluring a place it was.. But she'd dismissed the sense of urgency to leave for now.

 

[Ariel]

Ariel laughed like a bubbling stream, and he set down the book that he had thoroughly ignored. "Trap you? I certainly hope I don't appear so wicked. If I wanted to trap you it would not be an 'attempt,' but no, you are not a prisoner." He reclined further on his own couch setting his hands behind his head while cool, mossy green eyes glinted at her. "As for tempting you... why? Is it working?" He smiled impishly.

Before Katja could retort, or throw one of the many plush pillows that surrounded her, Ariel snapped his fingers and two steaming mugs floated in front of them. Katja's was formed of a deep blue clay and held a thick, roiling mixture of molten chocolate. Ariel took his own, the contents of which were hidden from the mortal and drank a sip with eyes closed.

"You are free to leave whenever you'd like," he continued lazily, glancing back up at her. "But I would be sad to see you go so soon. I've told you that I find you interesting, that was not a lie. And as long as we're telling truths, I can say you are easily the best company I have had here," he indicated the lodge.

 

[Katja]

Her lips pressed thinly in response to his impish smile, her eyes rolling and yet there was a slight sparkle of amusement in them. She didn't have time to answer before further temptations were literally hovering in front of her and she gave an incredulous laugh under her breath as she looked at him. Katja had been reluctant to like him giving the countless warnings that had been drummed into her, but he was making it difficult. Yes, he was beautiful and frustratingly charming despite her standoffishness, that much she'd been told to expect, but as far as she could tell, he was being honest with her, and she didn't feel like she was in any sort of danger here.

She sighed quietly as she took the mug. Another thing she hoped she wouldn't be indebted for. She supposed this inner conflict would rage on until he had escorted her safely to the wall and she returned home, but she really hoped she wasn't being as stupid as she was sure most other human women in her position would be.

The molten chocolate sent her tastebuds buzzing and slipped pleasantly down her throat, comforting her instantly. A quiet 'shit, that's good' murmured into the cup as she took another slow drink from it. She licked at her chocolate moustache as he commented on how interesting she was again. She smirked and shook her head. "You can't have had many guests here then." she mused. That he, a Fae, with the sort of power he possessed and the sort of land that he lived in would consider her interesting, she couldn't fathom, but she couldn't deny how intriguing she found him.

"If I stay for another few days.. Will you show me more of your realm?.." her brow quirked, and she kept her eyes on him over the rim of her mug as she took another sip of heaven.

 

[Ariel]

The chocolate had the desired effect, and Ariel let his cup of pale tea warm his hands. He watched her with a face of benign attention, watched her reaction to his ridiculous flirt, the doubt behind her sarcasm, and then the spark of curiosity and, yes it was there, wonder that lit up behind her eyes.

He'd been to the mortal realm often enough to know this cabin was gaudy at best compared to what Katja was likely used to. Did it strike him as unfair? Yes it did. When he was younger and more foolish he had felt very poorly about the situation of the humans and other short-lived races. Why did the fae not help them? The Winter Court was more accommodating than most, accepting halflings and changelings and the like. Why then did they keep to themselves, when something inconsequential to them may mean the world to some poor wretched soul?

He'd snapped out of that daydream rather quickly. Spend any amount of time across the border and it would be impossible not to see the greed, violence, and evil that infiltrated almost every facet of society. Granted, the faerie courts weren't much better, but they were tied to the land and its ethereal rules. Humans, with such short lifespans, could easily ignore any long-term consequences. Could easily justify any act if it benefitted them quickly.

Maybe that was why he was so drawn to Katja, and the other mortals he met. When one of them was good, when one of them just wanted a fair and decent life... maybe he felt a little bit vindicated in his softness.

That necklace around her throat spoke to the former category, of mortals that would corrupt and cheat, but... he didn't think Katja truly knew that. He hoped she didn't. Heavens, he hoped she didn't.

"I've had the unfortunate chance to have lodged with many people here, though I wouldn't say 'guests,' this place doesn't belong to any one of us in particular. I shouldn't be unkind but they're all hunters and sportsmen of the worst sort. 'Oh, look how big the horns on this elk are,' or 'I tracked this boggart for five weeks in a storm.' It gets very boring.

"So I would be delighted to show you more. I am sure your opinions will be much more honest than another faerie's. New eyes have lesser bias, wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Katja]

What the fuck was a boggart?

Her expression alone asked the question, though she wasn't sure she truly wanted to know and so didn't muster the courage to ask. She was certain that the fae lands were brimming with creatures she'd never heard of nor imagined in her wildest nightmares. Evander was certain of that too, and yet here she was, alone.

Or not alone. Surely having a fae who belonged here and knew these lands well was a far safer way to explore it? Perhaps he was more intent on keeping her out of their sights because they might convince her to stay longer, like Ariel had. Perhaps it had nothing to do with how terrible or dangerous they could be but that he needed to be sure she would return. Her jaw tightened bitterly at the thought and she let out a sigh as she transformed it into a smile.

"I would agree. Though I wasn't aware that Fae concerned themselves with the opinions of humans with our mayfly lives." she smirked and lifted her shoulder in a nonchalant shrug.

"What is it like?.. To live so long?" she asked, settling herself into a more comfortable position as though expecting him to tell her his life story, which she was certain would be a far larger tome than hers.

 

[Ariel]

She surprised him. That was rare. Older humans never seemed to shut up about death but the young ones, they hardly ever wished to discuss it. He certainly would not have, not at Katja's point in life which, he assumed, was barely beginning.

He settled back as well and tented his fingers, staring out into the gently drifting snow for a few seconds before forming his answer. "It is... difficult to put into words." He frowned, trying to think of some way to explain. Trying to find some method of describing eons to one whose mind was only meant to experience a flash.

"It is nice to not feel rushed," he began, "and to not have to choose my experiences. For instance, I can safely say I will have time to visit the entirely of the known world and then some, should I choose to." Another crease of his eyebrows.

"But... imagine you are wading upstream. The current isn't strong, but neither is it weak, and it will never stop. Now, you can walk for a while before you get tired. You could walk for a very long time, indeed, if you were strong enough. But... eventually you will tire. Eventually you begin to think 'wouldn't it be easier to just stand still? Where am I going anyway?'" He still looked at the forest, but his eyes seemed much farther away just now.

"You humans don't get a very long river, it's true. You don't get to explore the next bend or even have time to think about what's on the banks, but you also don't have time to become quite so... life weary." He looked back at her. "Does that make sense? Or have I waxed poetic into a flurry of total nonsense?" He smiled and pushed back a few stray golden hairs that had fallen into his face.

"Truth be told I know quite a few fairies who have done less with a thousand years than most humans have done with fifty. I very much value your opinion over someone like that."

 

[Katja]

It was impossible to fathom quite how long eternity was. As far as she knew, unless the Fae were killed in some way, they would just keep on living. That she would grow old and wither and die, and her bones would turn to dust but he would remain unchanged for centuries more. It was an odd thing to consider. She was certain that even after one day in his company, she would never forget Ariel as long as she lived, because Fae were not creatures she happened upon regularly. She might never meet another one as long as she lived, in fact. And yet she would be a spec in his memory that would no doubt be wiped clean before long.

Her brow furrowed as his did, her attention devout as he tried to explain in his own way. She'd been listening and considering (and watching him brush the hair from his face) so intently that when he asked her a question it took her a moment to realise that he had and she blinked, clearing her throat and nodding. "It makes sense to me.." she answered, and opened her mouth as though about to ask more but she thought better of it and brought the cup of chocolate to her lips to sip as she looked instead to the fire..

"I suppose, if they feel no rush to do anything, there is always tomorrow." she shrugged pensively, and her cheeks dimpled. Her opinion? Nobody valued her opinion, let alone someone so...seasoned. She'd have expected to have appeared childlike in her wisdom and opinion, having had so little years in comparison to learn or experience things.

"Sadly though, I cannot say that I have done very much either. I study, I read, I practise but I have not seen very much of any world."

 

[Ariel]

Humility was a good feature, though like many human women Katja wore it a little too heavily. She had the air of someone who’d been told she was not extraordinary in any way. It was a chief injustice, he felt, to have ones self worth hidden with lies.

“Reading already puts you ahead of most of your… peers. As for the world, I can help with that. We can walk the woods around here.” He set down his cup and stood gracefully, looming tall and svelte next to her and took just a few long strides to a back window. He touched it, and it… disappeared. Somehow the chill of the outside didn’t penetrate the now open threshold.

“Come,” he beckoned, extending a hand. He hadn’t put on a coat or any sort of extra clothing and still wore the thin, loose-fitted shirt and trousers that draped over his celestial figure. “I can keep you warm enough.”

 

[Katja]

Katja's lips wore a ghost of a smile and her eyes narrowed with a gentle curiosity at his words. She recalled the warnings once again, Evander's voice ringing in the back of her mind, though she dismissed it before it could grow louder and gain dominance over her thoughts. He controlled her every action, but she was a world away from him now and she chose to be charmed by Ariel's kindness, to be soothed by his comforts and be lulled by the sonorous sound of his voice.

She set her cup down and watched him move toward the window, her head tilting as the glass disappeared and a wider smile grew. It took her only a moment to consider as she looked up at him and his offered hand. If they were all like him, it was no wonder so many mortals had been ensnared by their allurement. If it was a trap, then she chose to fall into it. She was either trapped here or trapped there, at least here she could indulge in a little comfort. At least Ariel seemed kinder than Evander.

Katja took his hand and laughed under her breath, looking at him as though he were mad after another glance outside. She wore soft, white woollen leggings and a matching long sleeved tunic, meant to be worn for sleeping through the winter months. She didn't question him, choosing instead to trust that he wouldn't let her freeze after going to so much trouble to warm her.

She glanced to the bow she'd left by the door, the urge to retrieve it quelled by a momentary squeeze of his hand. She'd be safe without it, she told herself, and allowed him to lead her into the snow.

"I was warned not to be seen on this side of the wall, you know. If I was, I was supposed to run and do everything in my power to get back to the mortal world, that if I were to be caught, I'd be trapped here forever. I was told that there are terrible creatures that would skin me alive and eat me, some that would torture me or twist my mind. But I was told, that the most terrible sort, are the beautiful charmers with silver tongues.." she quirked a brow.

 

[Ariel]

"Well... if we see any I'll let you know," he smiled back. Her hand felt very small in his own, and very fragile. He knew very well that humans were not made of glass but he had, for some reason, a difficult time reminding himself of this in regards to Katja. Perhaps it was the small treasure she wore around her neck that drove his protectiveness. Yes, that must be it. She needed to be alive for his plans. It was not her. It was not that the thought of something happening to her was unusually painful...

He stepped over the threshold and wove a gentle blanket of ley magic around Katja as she followed. It was simple enough and should keep her comfortable. As for himself, well, the Unseelie had their advantages.

"There are creatures here that would skin you alive and eat you, and many that would find your torment delightful. Mortals do not come here often, and immortals get bored." He returned a soft squeeze to her hand. "But you are safe so long as you are with me."

...mostly. Ariel felt confident against anything in this woods that they were likely to encounter. So long as they didn't run across a more powerful duannan, or one of the scant handful of creatures powerful enough to contend with them, they would not be disturbed. This close to the wall there should not be anything that dangerous.

Normally.

Ariel let his bare feet sweep through the powder, but he made sure that it parted softly for Katja.

"The woods here has small game. Deer, foxes, and the like. Honestly I prefer watching to hunting." He pointed up into a tree where a small owl observed them in absolute stillness through barely-open lids. "Magic is less prevalent here, except for the barrier, of course." As he spoke, a soft blue light flickered between trees in front of them, like a firefly made of ice.

He looked at Katja, wanting to see her reaction.