Private Tales Twice Cursed, Once Introduced

[Aineflynn]

As Cassandra slipped from the bath, Aine was more distracted on putting her clothes back on, which thankfully they were washed, though as she looked at herself in the mirror at the weathered yellow dress, she'd have to start saving for new clothes, this one wasn't going to last long, nor her slippers.

Once she swung the black hooded robe around her shoulders to rest with a soft swish. She tied the ribbon in a neat bow around her neck as she turned to look at Cassandra, a tad confused. Of course, she was going to see her in the morning.

A slight raise of the hand was the gestured Cassandra would need to know that Aine didn't need to thank her, and she'd be there as that was her word. The two would leave things there at their doors, located side by side, luckily. Aine entered her room, closing the door behind her. She'd flop onto the heavenly bed and drift to sleep.

In seconds, the door of Cassandra's flung open a lit candle in one hand and a broken chair leg in the other. Aine stood in a defensive mode, ready to slaughter whatever was happening. She lowered the weapon of choice and moved further inside the room, closing the door.

She moved to set the candle down on the table beside Cassandra's bed, gracefully moved crossed the room, picked up the chair neatly tucked under the desk by the window, and carried it near Cassandra's bed.

Aine quietly seated herself in the chair.

" Yoo're safe, jist a nightmaur, gang oan back tae sleep, i'll bide reit haur, Ah willnae lae. loch Ah said yer nae aloyn." She called to Cassandra, leaning herself back in the chair. Aine had her fair share of nightmares, so she understood when one needed reassurance that all was fine.

Also, she didn't mind not sleeping in her bed, though it was lovely. Aine had come accustomed to sleeping on far more complex things, though the chair was nothing. She closed her eyes. Whether Cassandra thought this odd or not, the way Aine acted was like this was natural. This idea was not realistic and more unheard of; most cared for themselves. It was survival, but Aine didn't see it that way. Obviously.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

Cassandra squealed as Aine suddenly burst through the door of her bedroom, ready to swing a chair leg like a club. In a moment she realized that Aine had come not to hurt her, but protect her.

"Goodness, Aine, if you did that a few more times I think you might scare the Shade right out of me," she said, her tone surprisingly light considering the nightmare she'd just endured and her general status. She watched as Aine then took a seat, and despite being in her undergarments Cassandra really didn't mind that it seemed she would be waiting there.

"It seems I must thank you again, for making sure I'm safe... and that I'm not alone." She gave Aine another hopeful smile, lit by the dim candlelight. She gently laid back down again, getting snug beneath the covers. She wistfully looked out the window one last time before she closed her eyes. In a few minutes, she would be asleep again, and blessedly this time there would be no nightmares.

She awoke to the morning sun peeking through the window, at dawn. She gently rubbed her eyes, slightly sitting up as she yawned. A real hunger settled in as she scanned the room, hoping to see if Aine was still there after the night had passed, but expecting her to have gone back to her own room, or even left by now. Still, she didn't hear the Shade, and that boded well...

 

[Aineflynn]

"Hink naethin' ay it, lassie," Aine replied with a slight yawn as she wiggled a bit more in the chair, still keeping her eyes closed.

Her hooded robe covered Aine; anything else she wore could not be so easily seen. As time melted down, as seen by the candle, its wax had now snuffed out. The sun wiggled its way through the window and washed what it touched in a golden hue.

As Cassandra peered around the room, Aine didn't leave; no, Aine still curled in the chair. The sun bounced off her fair cheeks, and her chestnut hair seemed to be sporting a bright aura around it.

There was no magic to it, but just how the light reflected off the creature before her. A slight snore escaped from the dead to the world Aine and the slight murmur as she turned the other way in her chair to get comfortable under the robe draped over her form.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

Her eyes finally met Aine's at the other end of the room--well, her face anyway, as it seemed she was still asleep, a fact that made Cassandra more than a little amused. In fact, when she heard Aine snore, she giggled a little bit, her laughter such a rare occurrence that Cassandra almost didn't recognize the sound as it left her own mouth. Sadly, her joy wouldn't last as she got a strange feeling again, and felt like a child stealing from a cookie jar. She wondered if the Shade would come back, and if so both how, and when it would do so. She couldn't quite tell, but... she wondered if Aine were to leave suddenly what the Shade might do to her. Could it hear everything they'd discussed? Did it know Cassandra was trying to kill it?

With that, she slipped out of bed, taking care not to wake Aine. She left to go to the inn's dining area, where she grabbed some breakfast for the two of them: a simple plate of sausage, eggs, and biscuits. The Shade didn't come back, but... she started to feel something: an incomprehensible exhaustion, where she felt almost too tired to walk or hold the breakfast she'd just gotten for them. Had they gone to sleep too late last night? She shrugged it off for the time being, heading back to her room and Aine.

"Aine, wake up!" she said, cheerfully, a smile gracing her features once again. "I... I brought breakfast. Would you like some?"

She decided she would wear this fantasy, this dream of being normal for as long as time allowed. Even if the hope was fain.

 

[Aineflynn]

"ack aff square those acorns ur mine!" Aine's blurted out with another loud snort snore that made her cough and wakes up.

"Hmm, whit." replied, sitting up straight with a start rubbing her eyes with the back of her gloved hand. The robe would fall to the ground; Cassandra could see that the girl didn't wear a nightgown but her everyday clothes.

Of course, her hair was a mess from the sleep, but still, it was a pretty jumble of waves and curls. The smell of food helped widen her senses as her eyes were fully open. Aine followed Cassandra's movement as she spoke. Did she want some, did a bear pee in the woods? Yes, she wanted some.

" Och aye, thenk ye Cassandra that's huir uv a thooghtful, Ah truly appreciate thes."

She slowly got up, put the robe back around her, tied it, and moved toward where Cassandra set the food, be it a table or whatnot. Aine leaned over to have a better look at the goodies on display. Deciding what to eat first, she took the biscuit in hand with one swift chomp. She bit down on the soft, delicious baked good and began to chew. She swallowed and let out a satisfying moan.

"Wi' scones loch thes, aam doobtin' th' whole plan ay travelin' tae th' academy an' jist see if we cannae bide reit haur." Aine teased with a wink and soft laugh as she began to pour herself some water from the pitcher.

She wasn't going to bring up what happened that night, and it wasn't her place to ask. The whole ordeal was Cassandra's alone, and only Cass would confide in her in time. Aine was respectful in that aspect of her life. She moved passed the window once more. The sun bounced off of her just for a second, making an enchanting glow around her.

Soon, she seated herself back in her chair, with all the goodies in hand, feasting on breakfast her companion had so kindly retrieved.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

Cassandra would have waited for Aine to start digging in after she left her food on the table, but she was feeling far too hungry and started stuffing her own face instead. She didn't really know if this qualified as good food, but as she often ate little more than what the Shade would let her, it was more satisfying than it probably would have been otherwise. After all, it was just sausages, fresh eggs, and biscuits; how good does a dish like that really get? She supposed it didn't matter.

Cassandra was really beginning to love Aine's sense of humor. Every time she cracked a joke, it seemed to make Cassandra smile in return. Maybe it was just her more hopeful attitude, though. Hope was something she hadn't really felt in a very long time, so long had she been trapped by the Shade at this point.

"I suppose we could just stay here and take baths and eat together," she said, between bites, giggling a little. "The world needn't know we're cursed, and when you look at the two of us now, you wouldn't even know it!" She then took a preposterously large bite of a biscuit, taking several moments to chew and swallow.

The road laid before them started to daunt her, though, as such a happy moment as having breakfast with a friend was something she didn't know she wanted quite so desperately until it actually happened. In time, she would finish her food, then go about the business of starting to ready herself for the journey. She would be ready in a few minutes, equipping her sword once again and tightening her sorry excuse for clothes at this point so they would fit to her body while traveling. Once she was ready, she waited for Aine outside the bath house. The Shade hadn't reappeared yet, but while she was waiting, she swore she felt a chill in the air despite the relative warmth of their surroundings...

The road to Alliria was open. At last, it was time to go.

 

[Aineflynn]

"True, but we baith ken, neither ay us hae ever chosen th' easy path." A half smile crept along her lips.

Aine would almost mirror Cassandra, not meaning to, and it was just how she did things. Aine took a tiny moment for herself, and she used this brief time to examine her features in the mirror that rested on the desk in the sleeping chamber.

The nomad life had defiantly made its mark as her face showed all the signs of weariness. It had been surreal that she had found someone who could somewhat understand the path she had been traveling. Aine slowly pulled the hood over her head, watching as her profile faded in shadow.

It was time to see where this path would lead the two; hopefully, it was something that leaned more toward the positive than the negative. Hope had been fleeting for days like water leaking from a sieve. Aine wondered if perhaps the hole had temporarily or permanently clogged, and Cassandra had something to do with it.

She took one finally inhale and ex-hale and went to meet Cassandra and begin their journey for answers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Time passed, and Aine's expression couldn't prevent a slight smile as she approached Cassandra, who, as she said, waited for her in front of the Bath House.

"Sorry, if aam a wee late, Ah hud a mishap wi' supplies. aw sorted noo." She replied, tapping the strap that rested on her shoulder from a medium sack she carried.

"Weel, haur we ur, shaa we?" Aine gestured toward the dirt road leading away from the town.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

Cassandra laughed as Aine explained she had a 'mishap' of some kind--what it was, she could only wonder, but she was nonetheless quite pleased to see that their journey was going to go forward after all. She actually hopped in place out of excitement, as much to her own surprise as perhaps to Aine's, and then laughed again as she started walking forward on the dirt road before them. As they left the boarding house behind them, Cassandra looked to Aine and asked a puzzled question.

"How far is Alliria from here, anyway?"

---

They'd traveled for a few days now when Cassandra thought she spotted something on the horizon: walls. And tall buildings. She quickly pointed this out to Aine as she grinned, happy that it seemed their destination was close now. Traveling with Aine had been pleasant, and it had been especially wonderful to not be alone at night. She still hadn't been reclaimed by the Shade, so she wondered if Aine's presence acted as some kind of suppressant for the spirit. It was the happiest she had been in a very, very long time, as she performed camp duties and stood watch with an almost constant smile on her face the whole time.

She was appreciative of Aine herself, too. She grew more comfortable with her unique mannerisms and way of speech, and it seemed like whatever was happening, Aine would find a way to put a smile on her face. In fact, Aine specifically was probably the reason she was smiling so much, not just that she wasn't alone anymore.

As they exited a small patch of forest along the path into an open field, Cassandra stopped and took a deep breath. "We're almost there, Aine. Are you... feeling as nervous as I am?" she asked, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.

In the sky, Cassandra saw what appeared to be an eagle, or vulture out of the corner of her eye. She wondered if it saw something close by, like a rabbit or two, or perhaps something that was already dead...

 

[Aineflynn]

Cassandra's question confused her, as shouldn't the woman know how far, after all, hadn't she been there before. A sudden realization of how long this Shade had possessed the poor woman dawned on her. Did Shade have its shadowy tentacles in Cassandra's soul so long that it was in charge the whole time?

A deep cringe gripped her soul as she took a guess telling Cassandra said guess. In a comical joking manner.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aine studied her new friend as she explored this new sense of freedom with no judgment but support. The woman would go on and on about things that did seem a little mundane to Aine, but she was not going to tell Cassandra that.

It was lovely having someone she could talk to and not curse. Oh, it was a relief, and not being able to physically touch when comforting Cassandra when she'd suddenly remember a past trauma and be in tears didn't bother her as much as she found new ways to relax her travel mate.

Aine called Cassandra Cassie just out of sheer laziness, and it felt right to give someone she was starting to care for; it was a sign of friendship as she had seen many other strangers do it.


It also brought her own eyes to look sad at moments when silence would creep between the two as they moved without talking, though as rare as they were. Aine's thoughts would drift to her issues and the idea of not remembering if she had friends in the past or not. They even cared she was gone if she did have friends. Were they worried sick or not? Both made her feel more guilty and upset in different ways. Cassie would save Aine from herself by breaking the dreadful silence by pointing to some other exciting ruin they passed or a tree that shaped someone.

Aine would joke that trees had different personalities, and she'd begin to make other voices imitating said tree and how their characters came through. It was good to not dwell on her trauma and help someone with their own and distract them with weird ways.

The nights were just the same, and though Cassie would always want to stand watch, Aine was not a stranger to how Cassie was appearing. The woman glowed with life, yet it was dwindling like sand through a sieve. It was making her more concerned, and she didn't know how to tell Cassie or should even tell the woman.

Sometimes she insisted on taking watch so Cassie could sleep and perhaps gain back some strength. Aine would have breakfast ready in the mornings with maybe a surprise or two for Cassie. Like her finding some rare, delicious berry or perhaps a tiny braided bracelet made from some herbs to look pretty and help any inflection she might feel, ache, and weariness.


Aine's character was odd, as yes, an introvert would be something to call her, but she was also kind, awkward, mysterious, clever, and of course, very secretive. Some subjects she would slither passed like a snake within a snake berry bush, and sometimes Cassie would fall for it, or it appeared she did. Aine knew the truth; Cassie didn't fall for anything; she was appeasing her most likely.

She dreaded the moment when Cassie would call her on her shite and make her tell her the whole story. How could she even do that? Aine didn't remember any of it; that was the real secret, no memory of her past.

The field was a delightful sight; with spring just beginning, the wildflowers were abundant, painting the lush green canvas with a bouquet of different colors. Not wanting to crush such lovely things underfoot, Aine did her best to carefully make a path that led to the minor victims, if any. It was a graceful feat that Aine was pulling off with what appeared to be ease.

Aine paused her movement as she inhaled the fresh air and exhaled it to mingle with the wind that blew gently.

"That's guid tae ken, Ah leuk forward tae sinkin' mah teeth intae some honey buns." Aine replied and then paused a moment, thinking about how to answer Cassie's question. How did she feel? Yes, perhaps nervousness was one of the emotions, as there were many. The different feelings were dread, fear, curiosity, sadness, happiness, etc. It was hard to pin down a word of what she was feeling.

"Och aye, Ah tay feel 'at way, an' a excited fur some cakes in mah belly." Aine continued and ended her avoiding any other way to go further into how she felt by making a joke and trying to make Cassie laugh to distract her. The action Aine added to her mark was taking her hand and gently pointing with her first finger to her lower torso while making a silly look.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

Cassandra couldn't help but giggle a little at Aine's mention of sweets. She didn't have them often--the Shade preferred a bare minimum diet of 'healthier' foods--but when she had eaten them in the past, they were indeed a delight. Once again her humor helped ease the tension that seemed to always be worming its way into Cassandra's heart, a salve upon the wound the years of being the Shade's thrall had taken on her. Cassandra was almost growing comfortable in her own mind and body now, a sensation she would violently defend if it came to it.

"Cakes? Honey buns? I want to try all of them!" she said, conceding to Aine's better culinary knowledge. She had wondered along the way about Aine's past, but her new friend wasn't forthcoming about the details. Even Cassandra could tell that she'd been hiding something, and unlike Cassandra, Aine didn't wear her secrets as brazenly in the open. She wondered, perhaps, if she would ever find out. And a sinking doubt began to set in about whether or not this peace from the Shade would last. Sadly, she was about to find out sooner rather than later.

Looking up again, the eagle in the sky appeared to be getting closer. Not only that, but it was bigger than she'd imagine. Much bigger.

"Aine, we have to get out of here!" she shouted, pointing at the winged beast rapidly descending upon them. She wasn't thinking when she suddenly dove into Aine to protect her, successfully knocking her over but at the same time, something terrible had occurred as a result, as the familiar forcefield projected and suddenly repelled Cassandra in another direction. The Griffin's talons came within inches of grabbing them, just barely missing, as Cassandra stood back up, drawing her sword. It swooped down again, as Cassandra narrowly dodged.

She looked to Aine with desperation and sadness.

I can't protect you. But I know who can.

"I'm sorry, Aine. I don't have a choice."

It was the hardest decision she'd ever made, she felt. She eased her mind, calling to the amulet on her neck with her thoughts. There, she found it: the Shade. It was all too eager to be brought back again, as Cassandra underwent a terrible transformation again, her hair and eyes becoming that light shade of purple again as its grip on the sword grew tighter. The sword itself morphed into a very long, thin blade with a tapered point--not quite a pike, but about as close as a sword could reasonably get.

Cassandra's last conscious thought was a silent plea to Aine, hoping she could get to safety with the time she'd just bought her, and that somehow she would be able to see her friend again...

 

[Aineflynn]

I speak to those who've had this moment, and it's a moment when time goes so slowly that you think it would never end, and you want it to because the feeling that caused this is dread. The utter fear that something terrible happened and all that you felt in the past is now replaced with a knowing that your life will never be the same and you can't stop it.

Aine felt it as she hit the dirt by being shoved to the ground by Cassandra and quickly rolling to the side to see what was happening. It was too late to scream no to Cassandra, as it was apparent the woman had made up her mind, and yes, there was a chance they would be this beast's meal, but still, there were always other ways.


As Cassandra screamed, she had no choice. Aine's stomach was bubbling with so many different emotions like a witch's potion gurgled within the cauldron. She wasn't going to leave, no, she would stay, but of course, she wouldn't be in the way.

Once Cassandra had the distraction of the hungry predator, she quickly darted to the side and hid behind a tree, staying low to the ground. The way Aine hid gave her enough shelter to keep from sight, but she could still see the battle scene, and once the battle was over, she would confront the shade.

Cassandra would not go back into prison again, and they would finish what they started. The beasty within her companion would listen to her and hopefully listen to reason. Cassandra had fast-tracked her plan, which annoyed Aine, but it was probably best, and it happened now and not in the academy.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

The Shade noticed the other woman--Cassandra's new companion, it seemed--scurry back to the treeline. It could deal with her after the griffin, or better yet, perhaps she'd gone entirely, allowing it to roam freely and reign over Cassandra's body again with impunity. Regardless, the griffin was upon her now, and it readied itself as the eagled-headed beast descended, talons ready to grab. But the Shade was ready, giving a vicious thrust with its elongated blade, puncturing one of the beasts paws, causing it to lose balance and fall to the ground, dirt and dust being scattered as it crash-landed. The fall was only enough to wound it, however. And now, it was furious.

Pulling back the blade, the Shade made space between the two as it limped over and attempted to strike, its attacks growing desperate. The Shade thrust the blade into the beast's chest, only to its dismay to watch it try to strike again. It narrowly ducked in time, almost feeling the beast's talons as they flew overhead. It seemed clear that one thrust wouldn't do the trick, so the Shade would have to get creative. Thankfully, it knew more than a few ways to kill such a beast. The glowing blue blade shifted shape again, adopting that of a large greatsword. Again the Shade made some distance between the two of them; this time, as the Griffin swung, a backswing of the greatsword met its paw, cleaving it from the beast and causing it to screech in pain.

But the Shade wasn't done. Relentless, it immediately spun forward, and used the momentum of the blade to drive it into the beast's neck. Blood showered from it, and almost immediately the impact caused the once-noble griffin to collapse to the ground, having finally fallen. The Shade then took a few momentous steps towards its carcass, leaning down to touch one of its claws. Energy, green and purple, began flowing from the griffin, surrounding Cassandra's body in a similarly-colored aura. In a few minutes, the process would be complete, and the Shade would return the blade to its normal size after retrieving it.

Face half-covered in blood, the Shade turned back around, looking for the woman. Right--the one with the forcefield, and the one who suppressed it for multiple days with her mere presence. She had to be dealt with, or forced to leave. There was no way around it, if the Shade were to continue existing. So, it started approaching the treeline, blade still in hand...

 

[Aineflynn]

It was hard to watch as the evil within her friend tore through a creature who was perhaps starving or looking for food to feed her offspring into two, like a piece of parchment. Aine had to turn her head away a few times as her stomach really couldn't take some of the deathly blows. When she turned her head back to the crime scene, Cassandra, or rather Shade, began to walk toward her.


The time had come to speak with this vile thing, and though fear weaved its web within her guts, she couldn't show it nor back down; Cassandra's life depended on it. She took in a deep breath and stepped out of the tree line right in the path of Shade. Aine made sure to be a few feet away, just so as not to do that tango of throwing either one back by the invisible force.

"Dornt tak' anither step, yoo've dain yer job, noo lit cassandra it ay 'er cage, an' loch a guid wee beasty ye crawl back in it." Aine replied, showing no cowardness but determination.

If Aine's plan went as she had hoped, it would buy Cassandra a little more time and keep Shade in check. The Gods had given both women a golden feather as they had the upper hand, and Shade, if the creature were wise like she thought, would know this.

 

[Cassandra Galanis]

It didn't take long for the Shade to find the woman again, as she presented herself from the treeline. Initially, it raised its blade in a high stance, ready to try to pierce through the wall of force separating them--except that she began speaking, and it seemed she'd grown attached to the woman whose body it was inhabiting. Intrigued, it lowered its faintly glowing blue blade, letting its point stick in the ground. It spoke, its voice once again an unsettling combination of Cassandra's and a more sinister echo.

"Hmph. What's to stop me from just leaving? I could just drive the girl off a cliff if I felt like it. Besides, if you care about the girl so much... did I not just rescue her life, and yours? She's no good with a sword. Like it or not, she needs me."

It wouldn't admit it, of course, but the Shade needed Cassandra, too. Her spirit was part of what kept the Shade fed, sustaining its wicked life energy with her own emotional force. This usually kept Cassandra quite subdued, but with Aine around, she'd been able to feel a lot of her own feelings again. The Shade had tucked itself away in the amulet around Cassandra's neck, but as Cassandra herself had learned, the amulet bound the two of them, and could not be removed or destroyed without irreparably damaging Cassandra herself.

Hence why Cassandra needed the Academy, and needed Aine. However, the Shade was loathe to let itself be destroyed in such a fashion. And this woman would learn the hard way not to cross an ancient spirit like itself.

 

[Aineflynn]

This was going to be a rugged mountain to overcome, and Aine knew that she couldn't show any weakness, so as she stood there unmoving, her posture was of pure strength and resolve. She was drilling into Shade's wicked mind that Aine was in charge, not the other way around.

Aine just smiled, seated herself down on the ground cross legged and began to toy with her dress to cover her body, then closed her eyes, placing both her hands out palm up, resting them on her knees, with her first finger and thumbs pressed together like one would do when starting to meditate.

The action was to intimidate and startle the predator. Aine cleared her throat.

"Ye coods dae 'at beasty, but ye an' Ah baith ken ye want. see, Ah doobt by th' filth in which ye jist spilled. yoo need 'er mair than she needs ye, an' see Ah coods hae easily handled said creature, but that's th' hin', Cassandra doesnae ken me 'at weel an' neither dae ye." She paused briefly to allow just enough time to have that information sink into its greedy skull.

"Noo wa dornt ye tak' a comfortable seat an' listen tae whit Ah hae tae say, either way yoo'll hae nae choice but tae listen, coz Cassandra is noo mah mukker, an' Ah dornt use 'at title lightly, which means nae matter whaur ye gang, whit ye dae, Ah will hunt ye tae th' ends ay thes warld an' tae th' next. Ah am nae afraid ay ye. och, also, ye hae a wee issue an aw, 'at Cassandra will nolonger be a guid host an' yoo'll need tae fin' anither sheel tae crawl intae loch th' toxic hermit crab ye ur." Continued eyes still shut, in itself, the whole aura around Aine was eerie; perhaps she wasn't someone to mess with either.

The emotions that wiggled within her belly hid under a blanket of pure will, Aine wouldn't screw this up, and she would help Cassandra, even if it took her own life. If the plan went as she hoped, no lives would be lost today. Hopefully, Cassandra was still there to see that Aine cared for her, and she was still not alone.