■■■ on ✧ brokenWINGS┊ic

[Roux-tsu]

thx caff for lending me your coding ahaha <3

It was an endless bout of violence. Blood and fragments rained down as Ezra hacked away at the ymir, its wails silencing with low drawn-out groans. The vandr was folding in on itself, crashing onto the ground as Odila caught up. The shock of seeing her heill wielded by another was eclipsed by her hammering heart, confidence shredded when the valdir appeared remarkably ready for another round. It was a brutal image that she’d never forget: Ezra’s bloodlust shining through the ymir’s remains, her heill a deadly weapon in his hands.

With that came the realisation that he had more potential than she would ever be able to manage, having done a better and more skilful job at using her heill than herself.

She approached Ezra from the side. Wary and skittish, like he would lash out against her any moment. It suited her just fine that he said very little, opting to return her heill. The boomerang was foreign in her arms. “Welcome,” she murmured, gaze flitting to the ymir’s corpse. It had only been defending its territory, hadn’t it? Odila lowered her gaze, frightened by the matter-of-fact thought that had occurred. What was she doing? This was no time to be empathising or sympathising with the vandr.

They made their way towards the elding, Odila hesitating for a second before going over to the aetla bandaging the petite brunette – Meri. She avoided staring too long at the fenrir corpses that strewn the ground, though her fingers did hover over the inflicted wounds to ascertain their origin. Blade marks littered the fenrir, while fur scrapes and gouge marks in their surroundings was sufficient proof.

She opened her wrist pouch, going over to each elding to dress the superficial wounds with a herb patch that would soothe and numb the area. It was a temporary measure before they returned. Odila was adamant in placing them on the elding, often fixing a blankly neutral stare when any of them protested against it. She did, however, made sure to steer clear of Ezra. He would possibly scoff at her pathetic expression, and there was no way she would allow him to shame her further.

The sword of Sendire had given her no strength; it was a wicked blade of loathing, that she was sure.

After checking that vials of the vandr blood were obtained, Odila nodded in the direction of the headquarters. “You will be notified after we’re back at the Rose Towers,” she said, giving Delilah a softly strained smile. Relief was a fleeting touch in her gaze. The elding now looked none the worse for wear, despite their numerous injuries. Conscious of the chip on her heill, the Valkyrie slotted the boomerang at a different angle across her back. “Time to go. Steadily, without fuss or attracting any more attention,” she concluded, smile softening after a beat.

Their return trip felt longer than the journey to Haelbreth Hills. Odila was extremely self-conscious throughout their journey, keenly aware that she was unable to fan out her senses for any vandr. She was drained. Any attempt at conversation was cut short by her preoccupied gaze and an absent tilt of her head, making it clear that the Valkyrie was in no mood for small talk.

Once the Rose Towers were within sight, Odila unfastened her waist cloak, grimacing slightly at the soggy feel of her sweat round the brim. Without it, the Valkyrie looked even less imposing, her frail frame contrasting with the boomerang on her back. Upon reaching a cluster of buildings, she glanced at Ezra before addressing the elding. “You may wish to return to your quarters to rest and, or, seek medical attention. Await for further instructions within the Towers.” She managed a brighter smile, “May we be Sisters in time to come.”

Giving a tiny nod of farewell, and a quick bow to Ezra, Odila was fleet-footed in her trek back to the comfort of her room. She did not want to stay near Ezra any longer than necessary, fearful of the question he might end up asking, dreading the ugly emotion that worsened with his effortless brilliance. She bolted the door in a hurry, taking care not to slam it so that nobody would notice her. She would be quiet.

So very quiet.

Odila stripped off the bed sheet, letting the cloth land on the floor in an ungraceful heap. She pulled out the edges and straightened. Her heill was laid upon it with reverent care, lips quivering as she examined the damage. It was the length of her little finger, and a little more than an inch from the surface. Odila raised her arm. No, she thought, and lowered it. Slicing her arm would be an obvious injury, one that might draw unnecessary attention.

Lifting her heill, she pressed the jagged edges against her left inner thigh. Odila watched in raptured numbness as skin gave way to the veins beneath it, blood trickling onto her heill, dripping onto the chipped portion. Her fingers pressed against the gnash, applying pressure while she reached towards the stash of medical supplies in the bedside cabinet.

The boomerang was whole; she was hollow.

[silvieon]

click through the flowerssssss

"Running is an interesting response, isn't it? After all, where does he have left to run to, I wonder?" Selith thought aloud because he always thought aloud, but maybe also he'd be able to get an interesting response from Eydis. Maybe she'd have something to show him yet that he didn't know. As a last ditch effort to glean some kind of information from her (although not quite so desperate sounding, perhaps more last chance than anything else). "After all, there's nothing back the way we came. Unless he fancies some kind of end. Or maybe he's expecting tea and a chat with vandr."

Well, that was certainly what Selith wanted, anyways. He leveled his crossbow in the direction that Rowan had fled, watching through the sight for any kind of movement, but all he could catch sight of were upturned leaves. And anyways, he only had half a thought about shooting. That was a lie, it was actually probably more like three - quarters, but he brought his hiell down all the same. Maybe later there'd be time.

It wasn't as if Rowan had made a bad decision; if he wasn't executed immediately when he got back to the Silent Keep, then he'd probably just be executed at a later date. Or on a mission. There really weren't many options for him to return, exactly. And killing Valkyrie wasn't really useful, for AV or for Selith. Especially not ones who were no longer actively hunting vandr. And if a couple of stray Valkyrie were killed off at the same time, it didn't hurt Selith either. The Einn were harmless enough. Their movements were far more intriguing than the AV's, in any case. And maybe Rowan would have something to tell him later. As useful as seeing Thais again would be. Eventually he had to know what she had done after he spared her.

"Let him go. We can just say that he ran away before we could catch him after the vandr attack," he said to Eydis, strapping his hiell into its place on his back. None of that was untrue necessarily, which was the way Selith liked it. "They can't fault us when we did what we were supposed to. Maybe they'll even like us with those crystal samples you grabbed." If only he could've grabbed one too before they left, what a shame. He hated secondhand reports from the AV. There was always something they left out.

Nevertheless, he'd have time to swipe some of their crystal samples later. First, of course, was getting back to the Silent Keep. A good day's journey at least. Plenty of time for things to get lost, if neither of them were careful. "I'm sure they won't be able to control themselves when they hear about the vandr this time. I wonder whether they'll be excited. Or maybe terrified. Or some mix of both. Or maybe they'll think we're both liars." He tapped his chin thoughtfully as they picked their way down the path from the Sleeping Giants (perhaps not a location he'd try to visit again any time soon, but one that had proven interesting in the end). "They don't seem to like me very much. I rather doubt they'd take anything I say at face value."

That, of course, wasn't a bad strategy to live by. But it wasn't as if Selith were untruthful. He didn't lie, per say. Just perhaps forgetful, maybe. Or a little tight - lipped about things. But it wasn't as if they didn't trust Eydis, then. Her report would be much more worthy than his. (Besides, it was only okay when AV left things out in their reports and not him? For shame.) He wondered if they threw his reports out the moment they got them, or read them first and then threw them out. Or burned them. How rude that would be. "Perhaps they'll be more amenable if you tell them what happened, then."

[shiny ponkan]

She was not surprised to see them turn and run. Fighting the Valkyrie of One, even two against one, was still basically asking for a death sentence. Their third option was surrendering, but they had left the Vanguard for one reason or another, so naturally they would not be keen on returning, especially with whatever punishment for their defection lying in wait.

She had climbed upon large rubble that seemed strong enough to support her weight, the height giving her vantage over the area. Judging from how they weaved through the ruins, the einn knew the terrain well. But they could not escape her senses. With every step, every breath, every fluctuation in their aura, she pinpointed their location, their pace, their utter desperation.

Her partner followed the einn leisurely, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, the opening that would set everything else in motion. Waiting for the twang of the bow as she released the arrow that would fly swift and true to its intended target, for that target to stagger and fall as the shaft pierced the back of her thigh and rendered her hamstring useless.

Now!

The corners of her mouth curved upwards briefly as she leapt off her perch.

After the initial bone-crunching sounds of fists hitting their marks, her ears picked up the clinking of metal and the thumps of objects hitting the ground, and finally a soft voice, carefully yielding. She arrived to see Azuriah pinning Hildr to the ground and Thais surrendered on her knees nearby.

“Stay where you are,” she commanded, holding her heill threateningly before her in warning. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated her focus on the fafnir to gauge the time they had left. From what she could perceive, the fafnir was not yet making a move towards them. After a long moment of stillness, she returned the arrow to her quiver and slung the bow over her shoulder. “I appreciate that you chose not to fight,” she said calmly as she kicked the chained daggers away from the girl.

“Azuriah, tie her up. I trust you can carry her?” she asked, motioning at Hildr and tossing over a length of rope from her bag. Warily approaching Thais, she skillfully bound the girl’s hands behind her back before backing away to pick up the chained daggers. “We must leave swiftly, lest the fafnir notices and comes for us.”

[malurus coronatus]

DIG UP HER BONES BUT LEAVE THE SOUL ALONE
malmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalH E A R T _ W I T H _ A _ G A P I N G _ H O L E
LOST IN THE PAGES OF SELF MADE CAGES _ ♛ _ LIFE SLIPS AWAY AND THE GHOSTS COME TO PLAY
█████████████████████████████████████████████ ██ ███ █ ████████████████████
x
malmalKISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH_ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH _ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH _ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH
malmalmalmalmalmalmalTHESE ARE HARD TIMES FOR DREAMERS

Eydis was unsure if she was relieved or disappointed by Rowan’s refusal, and she tried not to linger too much on the feeling, especially the disappointed part. In spite of the horrifying nature of what the Valdir had done, Rowan was an excellent fighter and, more than that, had been a friend. A good one. A trusted one. And the fact that she hadn’t really stopped thinking of him that way bothered her, because it was an injustice to those he had slain.

Giving the Valdir a stiff nod and in a stilted voice, said, ”May Dielach bless your travels, and Camue watch over you.” Despite the halting way she said them, Eydis found herself surprised in the sincerity of her sentiment. Whether Rowan heard her words or not, he did not acknowledge them, already running off in a flurry of wind and leaves.

With a deep sigh, Eydis rubbed at her sore shoulder, giving a short hiss at the tenderness she found there. It would take at least a day to go away. Faster than she would have healed were it not for the shards of surt horn embedded to either side of her spine, but slow in comparison to someone like Hildr, who would have been fine within minutes, probably. Eydis winced again, though not from pain this time, but of thinking of another Einn whom she hadn’t been able to entirely let go of. Pressing her lips together, she turned her attention to Selith, focusing on him, rather than letting her mind wander too far.

”It is strange,” she agreed. ”I doubt he will head back to the Giants, but I do believe that there is a village to the east of here, according to some of the maps at the Keep. It would be a day of travel on foot. Two, maybe, because there are no roads.” Eydis shook her head and slid her hand from her shoulder back to her side, propping it on her hip. ”Either way, the mission was not for us to capture him or bring him back. Kill him, if he was lying or had Awakened. Viviane will probably not care too much. The information he provided was good, and there was something strange going on with the vandr there.”

Another sigh escaped from her, and she traded hands carrying the crystal samples so that she could heft them over her shoulder. Giving an agreeable hum, she nodded at Selith’s observation. Those who worked in the administration would likely love the samples—something so shiny and unheard of, maybe a different breed of surt? Maybe a fafnir? Either way, it wasn’t too much of Eydis’ concern. Not until she or others were sent to kill it.

She cast Selith an appraising glance and couldn’t help but smile a little. ”Maybe if you tried a little harder, they would, Selith,” she pointed out. While he was a little odd, Selith didn’t seem nearly as bad as others had made him out to be. Quick-thinking, discerning, and having an odd way of speaking, as if he didn’t filter his thoughts too much, saying each one as they cropped up, but not bad.

After a moment, her eyes turned west, in the direction of the Keep. From where they were, it might take them two days of travel. One, if they really pushed themselves. Reshouldering her burden, she nodded at Selith. ”Let us be off, then. I will be giving the official report to Viviane, anyway, but perhaps we can discuss both our observations and corroborate a report together. You seem to have sharp eyes. You may have caught something I missed.”

They set off in the direction of the Keep, pace not wholly hurried, but neither sedate either. Eydis was still on edge from the earlier battle, and she cast her sensing net further in an attempt to avoid running in to any further troubles, sacrificing the ability to differentiate what few details she could in exchange for gauging distances better. With her partially injured shoulder, she did not relish the idea of entering combat again so soon.

Most the journey, which took a day and a half, including a brief period of rest, was a quiet affair. There had not been much else to say, once she and Selith had exchanged their observations, coming down to the similar conclusion that the vandr had been behaving strangely—too in sync for it to be natural. Further proof that they communicated by auras, perhaps? Or maybe another beast entirely. Maybe a fafnir that had yet to show its head. Eydis would have to look into the records, maybe, though those were not always entirely reliable.

Upon reaching the Keep, she gave a short bow to Selith. ”I will go make the report to Viviane. You had best rest while you can. There is no telling when you will be assigned your next mission, or where it will be to,” she advised, voice soft. ”If there is anything of interest, I will be sure to tell the analysts to contact you, should you still be around, or when you return here.” It seemed Selith had a taste for knowledge, and it was an admirable trait. Eydis would not dream to deny him any information, and who knew, perhaps the young man would uncover something those who worked at the Keep would not.

”It has been an honour working with you, Selith, and a pleasure. I hope to repeat the experience again in the future. May your aim be true, Brother.” Eydis curled her free hand over his shoulder in a sturdy grip for a handful of seconds before releasing it and turning away, readjusting the sling she had created to carry the javelin-like crystal samples. Viviane was likely waiting for her report and it was never a good idea to keep the head of the Vanguard waiting.

As she made her way off, she absently realized that the Hunts would be over by now, and she couldn’t help but wonder how many of the Elding had passed. More specifically, had Meri passed, and had Ezra done as promised and kept watch over the girl?

[Fausty The Lamp]

There wasn't a chance for Lucile to understand what exactly had happened after he had turned his back to the vandr. He tried to take a step but he had a brief moment of confusion when his feet weren't touching the ground. Then he realized that he was no longer upright. He was rolling along the ground, kicking up dust after being sent flying by something. Lucile didn't feel anything, not the pain from being struck in the back or the feeling of the coarse earth grinding into him as he rolled.

“___________”

The other valkyrie showed up beside him and said something. What was it? Lucile could barely open up one eye but he could see Sannul's mouth move. That's right his name was Sannul. She had said it at some point. What was he saying? Lucile could only hear a ringing sound in his head. He looked angry. The valkyrie was probably mad at him. Lucile didn't hear Sannul's words but could probably guess what he had said. "Don't turn your back on the enemy." is probably what those muffled words were. It was such a simple thing and he had forgotten about them. Overconfident and overeager were probably going to be the things that would be thrown at him, well that and careless.

“_______ Cassis!”

Oh yeah, what should she say about all this, about this failure. He had clearly screwed up badly. A hero shouldn't fail or falter after all, and him, well he stumbled on this first step. She would probably be disappointed.

"...Alexei?"

The fellow eldling came into view upon his approach. He must have succeeded where he must've failed. Lucile turned his head with what little strength he had left. If Alexei was back then that means she must've returned as well. She must be fighting the vandr along with Sannul. He tried to look for her but noticed something else happenning.

"Where," he struggled to speak, "where are you taking me?"

Lucile addressed Alexei with his question once he noticed the moving scenery that wasn't just his head spinning. Maybe he was dragging him out of the combat zone so that he wouldn't be a hindrance to the elder valkyries. Lucile didn't know. Everything was a confusing mess to the half dead eldling. Alexei dropped Lucile into a brook and walked off to do something that only god would know. The chill of the cold water shot through his nerves as he laid in the brook trying to stay awake.

How were the elder's doing? Where was Alexei? Did she get hurt? Is he going to live through this?

A bunch of questions just ran through his head since he was slowly bleeding out and alone. Well not that he was alone for too long, everything just felt long. Or maybe Alexei never trailed off that far to begin with. Lucile couldn't tell. The only thing he could tell was that the eldling was messing around with some herbs and his knife.

“This is probably going to hurt a lot,”

Alexei pressed a salve against Lucile's light wounds and dressed the larger ones. The second the salve touched his open wounds Lucile grit his teeth hard and gripped Alexei's leg with an arm momentarily. The pain of the salve was about as bad as the wounds themselves. And the strained expression that Lucile was giving his fellow eldling should have said everything it needed to say. His grip on Alexei's leg loosened once the medical aid was finished and Lucile had basically passed out.

[hyperion blue]

By the time she’d recovered enough to stand, the jormungandr was a limp corpse on the ground. Cassis winced, running her eyes over the gaping holes punched clean through – edges ragged with half-healed flesh that was more of a testament to Sannul’s strength than lightning fast strikes.

”Well,” she said, recovering some of her usual cheer, ”Shall we go see to the Elding?”

They found the two sitting on the ground – Lucile slumped over Alexei and clearly unconscious. And just as clearly unable to collect a vial of blood. Cassis hesitated for only a moment before wandering back to gather the vial herself. It was a strange situation, to be sure, but she thought it better to have the blood than not. Eyeing the jormungandr, she toyed with the idea of collecting a trophy – perhaps a fang? – for the Vanguard, if not something to mark the occasion. It was a rather large specimen, after all, and a Heill from such a beast would no doubt be powerful indeed.

But then she shelved the thought, because Sannul was scowling and Lucile showed no sign of waking.

Now, how best to split the burden? Valkyrie strength or no, Lucile was on the heavy side, and Cassis didn’t fancy having to drag him all the way back to the Keep. But until he woke – and even past then; she had no idea about the extent of his injuries, as her own fighting style relied on not being hit. Ever. – he would be a burden that they had to carry.

Literally. Leaving him behind wasn’t an option; they weren’t nearly in as much danger as would make that necessary.

Lifting an arm over her good shoulder, she hefted him onto her back, frowning as she noted that Lucile’s feet were dragging on the ground. And he was heavy, enough to force the air from her lungs in an unhappy huff. But as long as his arm refrained from smacking into her own bruised one, she thought it would work out. At the very least, she could take some of the burden off Sannul, Alexei being too weak to do much carrying of heavy Elding who brute forced their way through everything.

Cassis tried, she really did.

She managed about three steps before starting to wobble, but kept gamely on. It was only when she’d almost killed herself stumbling over a rough patch that Sannul stepped in, muttering under his breath as he took the unconscious Elding from her.

The trip back to the Keep took almost two days, interspersed with casually frequent rest breaks to ease their journey. None of them said anything about formation, Cassis automatically taking point and scouting ahead while Alexis occasionally let a hand. Lucile remained unconscious through all of it, even the skirmish against the group of nixes that she’d run off. It was concerning, to be sure, but she wasn’t really sure what to do about it. None of them were skilled in anything more than emergency first aid, and while she could set a brace it was with the acknowledgement that it was nothing more than a stopgap measure and that a healer would be seen at the first opportunity.

Sannul remained fairly quiet through all of it, and for whatever reason he didn’t challenge her pace, even though he had to know that she was deliberately setting an easy one so that he wouldn’t tire. And truth be told, there was no real reason to rush back, the skies were clear, and the wind fresh in her face. Her arm was much better, despite the awkwardness of having to fight one-handed because she wasn’t fool enough to aggravate a healing injury, but that encounter had been easy enough, the vandr dispersing after she’d taken down two in rapid succession and felt Sannul’s aura flare from behind.

And then they were at the Keep, Sannul dumping the injured elding on Alexei as they made their way inside, sparing a quick smile and parting wave before trotting off to report.

It was only when they were in the office that Cassis realized she still had the vial of jormungandr blood in her pocket.

[voleur deception]

They greeted them right at the edge of the Keep, offering a salute and lazy smiles, near mirror images of the other. The man at her side moved the instant the group was in reach, relieving the Valkyrie of their burden and leading the elding away. Felicity waited until her twin was gone before she addressed the two standing before her.

”Be polite,” he murmured in her head, and she rolled her eyes in reply.

”Welcome home, brother, sister. The elding and their injuries will be tended to, of course, but I’m afraid your rest will have to wait. My brother is waiting with to hear your report. If you will follow me?”

She didn’t wait for an answer, leading them past one building, then another, before entering the tower that served as the Administration head’s. They didn’t climb all the way to the top, Felicity stopping before a door and holding it open. She ushered them inside and shut the door behind Sannul, her footsteps receding on the other side.

”Make your selves comfortable.” He gestured to the chairs, two already occupied by the waiting Valkyrie, but rose from his own seat behind the desk himself, coming to lean against it instead.

When they were settled, he finally spoke again, his voice low. ”Accompanying an elding on a Hunt is done for two reasons: to protect them from any harm and also to assess their abilities so that we may make a more accurate decision. Your first task is over, but I’d ask now for your second.”

It was the dark-haired woman who spoke without prompting. Cassis Roland, twenty six. Her smile was fixed in place. “Alexei is intelligent and capable of orchestrating a successful plan. He’d be a great asset as a Valdir. I can’t say anything about Lucile though, perhaps Sannul will be more useful?”

Sannul Nielsen. Twenty one. Her partner picked up where she left off, nodding. “Alexei is more than prepared to become a Valdir; I trained with him previously and didn't doubt he would pass. As for Lucile, he went up against a jormungandr and its healing abilities made it difficult to see how much damage he had done. Perhaps under different circumstances he would have passed, but rules are rules."

Lawrence was silent a minute, reconciling the image Nathaniel had sent him, the blood still staining his clothes. ”You would have him fail?”

He looked from one Valkyrie to the next, but Sannul seemed resolute and Cassis only shook her head modestly, “I was unable to see him fight and would be ill-equipped to make a proper decision.”

He gave a short nod. One of two then. He turned his eyes towards the other two, bypassing the man sitting sloppily and looking first to the pale-haired woman beside him. Odila Flindt. Thirty seven. ”Your opinion?”

She seemed to have given it some thought. The words came as if rehearsed. "The aetla, Elizabeth and Delilah, displayed admirable coordination, though there is still room for increased syncing. Separate, Delilah is more proactive in her attacks but rushed headlong without waiting or a quick consultation with others. Elizabeth appears to be the more restrained of the two. Meri Sylle gave sound strategy and direction; her aura perception was highly attuned during the battle. I would recommend all three elding for ascension."

“Disagree. The aetla were a mess. Uncoordinated, reckless, putting everyone at risk.” Ezra Spari. Nine. He gestured at the woman beside him and then himself, “We even had to get involved. If you ask me, they should all fail.”

”I am asking you.”

That made the Valdir’s eyes narrow, but Lawrence was unperturbed. There was a silence, and then finally, “Fine, Sylle is fine, but the aetla are too large a risk. Don’t come crawling to me the day they awaken and expect me to put them down.”

He bit back the obvious response, the "if that day comes, I would take care of them myself". Instead, Lawrence nodded slowly, not wholly satisfied by the results but keeping those thoughts to himself. Two out of five with proper recommendations, neither of them were particularly strong. Meri Sylle would pass then, though her ascension was perhaps intrinsically linked with Viviane’s own curiosity. He doubted she would have failed, just as long as she survived to return. Alexei would likely make a strong asset, as Cassis said, but his strategies were reliant upon experience, something he still had little of. It had been Lucile that Lawrence was most surprised to hear about, expecting a glowing report, but right now the boy still lay in the medical ward with grave injuries. As for his own students, Elizabeth and Delilah, the thought of their failure just made his eyes narrow. They would not take well to the news.

He pushed himself up from the desk, crossing his arms. ”Tomorrow the Ascension ceremonies for Alexei Schwarz and Meri Sylle will be held. Your presence will be required, of course. But for now, your time is yours to do with as you please.” He smiled briefly at them all, the expression natural but lacking any of the grace of his younger siblings. ”Welcome back, my brothers and sisters. I'm glad to see you well and uninjured. Rest now, while you can.”







"I have noticed that your proteges' auras still remain at the Keep. Is there a good explanation for this?"

He did not waste words when he replied. The question was a long-time coming after all. ”If I may? Under the circumstances and considering the reports from Zur—Azuriah and Eydis, it seems best that we consider the elding’s growth as soldiers to be our top priority. Elizabeth and Delilah are better than this, I have—” A faint note of annoyance crept into his tone and he reigned it in, knowing Viviane had probably caught it. ”I have trained them better than this. They simply need a second chance. Lucile Orseus as well—the instructors from the Proving Grounds were most certain of his abilities, rarely are they ever wrong.”

Lawrence paused here, watching her expression carefully. It would not be wholly incorrect to say he was doing it half to prove his own disciples were better than this, but at the same time, the situation was dire. The news the Valkyrie had brought back from the Ruins and the Giants hardly boded well, and their numbers were dwindling every day.

"Making more trouble for me, I see. Very well. They may have their second chances. Unusual times, and all. But they will not be sent on second Hunts. If you are so sure of their abilities, they will be sent on missions, like proper Valkyrie."

He took a breath. He had expected to come this far, naturally, but there were other things to clear first. "Understood. I've put some consideration into the Valkyrie best suited to accompanying them, assuming of course, they will have mentors once more. For Lucile, Selith Virius. They are polar opposites, but I believe Lucile needs someone who will be able to direct him. Selith remains stronger as long as Lucile is yet unascended; not to mention we need not worry about biased reports this time around. As for the aetla...I would wish for Eydis to watch them. Most importantly, she will be more than capable of taking them down, but her fighting style is something I believe they can learn from."

"You have thought this out, I see. How long did you spend creating your pitch?" She smiled in his direction and he was struck again with the feeling that she saw him much better than she ever let on. "Well, no matter. It shall be done."

He bowed before her, habit even though she could not see. "Then I will have Felicity and Nathaniel inform the elding immediately." He straightened, and allowed himself a smile as well, speaking just before he left the room. "Thank you."

[voleur deception]

infoO1 ┊✧ THE SILENT KEEP
The Valkyrie and elding have all returned from their missions, some more successful than others. Of the elding, only SYBILLA ✶ PERITIA and APIS ✶ AUXILIUM were able to Ascend and are resting up, waiting for their mentor assignments which should come at the end of the week. Meanwhile, LAMPYRIDAE ✶ GLORIA is being held in the infirmary, treated for wounds obtained during his Hunt. In the lower levels of the Keep, beneath the ground, LIONYX ✶ VINDICTA and ARANEUS ✶ PATRONUS are being held captive in separate cells. All the Valkyrie on site have been warned in case either of the captives try to escape.
objectives✧ Ascension ceremonies are over at the start of the intermission

[voleur deception]

Viviane folded her hands together neatly on the wooden desk before her, eyes fixed in the direction she felt the familiar aura buzzing for her attention. It had become a new way for her to see after losing her sight during her Ascension and, in some ways, was a lot more telling than expressions and body language.

Right now, Eydis’ aura flickered, and despite the way that Eydis had delivered her report, full of poise and giving away most nothing, that flicker told Viviane of unsettled emotions. That the Valkyrie was, perhaps, conflicted over something that had occurred over the course of her assignment. Not over the new information regarding the vandr though, no. From the few years she had known the young woman, Eydis would be bothered, but not this bothered. Neither would it had been about Selith, for Eydis had only offered the utmost praise. No, this was about the Einn. Rowan.

It would figure that Eydis would not be entirely able to let go. Her compassion and attachment to others were some of her greatest strengths when it came to interacting with her fellow Valkyrie, but also one of her greatest weaknesses. One day, it might even be the reason Eydis died, no matter how skilled a combatant she seemed. It would be a waste.

Finally, after much consideration, Viviane spoke, voice cool. ”And the Einn? What are your thoughts on him?” There was an understood question of ’Will he post a threat? Should we eliminate him?’ there that went unsaid, and it made Eydis aura flare sharply. Displeasure?

Whatever it was, the young woman did not let it audibly affect her. “The Einn showed no interest in attacking Selith or myself. There were also signs of remorse—he buried Priya and Elyan the proper way—though I suppose it could also be guilt. However, from the way the vandr attacked shortly after, I doubt it was for the act of killing them. He also ran at first opportunity, as I previously mentioned.” The Valkyrie paused here and let Viviane consider her words, intriguing as they were. ”At this time, I do not believe he is currently a threat to the Vanguard. In fact, he could even possibly be an asset. His skills have not failed him at all in the past year, and he killed a sleipnir and fenrir without aid.”

There was another pause here, but this time, it was different. Less for Viviane’s benefit, and more for Eydis’, as evidenced by further shifts in Eydis’ aura. Viviane leaned just a little more forwards. ”Go on,” she said.

“I know it is not the way of the Vanguard to take Einn back into the fold. However, I believe it could be beneficial to take Rowan back. He is already skilled and familiar with the vandr, unlike any elding who might Ascend, and was witness to the events at the Slumbering Giants.”

And there it was. What was likely causing the inner conflict within Eydis. It was an interesting proposition, and a solution to the fact that there were still several numbers in the Vanguard that still needed to be filled. They could even do something similar with the two Einn brought back by Azuriah and Asriel, waiting at the depths of the Keep for their judgement. Considering the strange activity at the Giants, and the appearance of a giant fafnir at Eidorn, it was hard to entirely dismiss Eydis’ proposition.

The gears in her mind clicked away together, processing and churning all the new information from the past few days, from the elding’s Hunts, to the capture of Hildr and Thais, along with the reappearance of the Eidorn fafnir, and now all this. So many factors to consider, and so many routes that could be taken.

Finally, Viviane leaned back into her seat. ”I will take your opinion into consideration,” she finally said, tone smooth. ”You are dismissed for now. Go find Azuriah and summon her for me. I have a few matters to discuss with her.”

Viviane had expected the Valkyrie to leave immediately, for her aura to fade away from sharp and right in front of her to a dull hum, mixed with all the others that currently filled the tower. However, the young woman surprised her in lingering. ”Was there anything else?”

“The elding. I was wondering how many successfully Ascended,” Eydis immediately responded.

Ah. Viviane’s lips pressed into a thin line. Only two had been recommended amidst five, an overall disappointing performance. However, that was likely not what Eydis was interested in. Or, not what she truly wanted to know. ”Young Meri successfully passed. She was given high praise by her proctors.”

Sensing the Valkyrie was about to speak, and already knowing what Eydis was about to say, Viviane raised a single hand to stop her. ”You will not be taking mentorship of her. While several fine Valkyrie have been produced from under your guidance, Meri’s skill set would not be suited to your own. Ezra Spari will be filling that position. You may inform both of them of the news, if you should like. After you find Azuriah, of course.”

It was gratifying that Eydis knew better than to protest, no matter what her feelings, and only left with a short, “Of course. I will do as you request right away.”

[Brethil24]

▇ ✦ ⋮⋮ SMOKE THAT BILLOWS FROM HER DREAMS
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXBETWEEN XX STIFF XX FINGERS XX OUT XX TO XX SEA



She’d been expecting another mission when Eydis came to fetch her. Asriel would have been the better choice if Viviane needed a more detailed report on what’d happened in Eidorn, and things were looking pretty grim; giant fafnir aside, she’d just overheard some Valkyrie chatting about how only two of the five elding had been approved for ascension. Fewer Valkyrie and dangerous times meant more missions, even if it’d been just a little over a day since she’d returned from her last one. That was how things went.

Gulping down the last of her midday meal, Azuriah took a minute to finish chewing before knocking on Viviane’s door. At the woman’s acknowledgement, she went ahead and let herself in.

“Azuriah. I hope you have been resting well since your return?”

Azuriah caught herself nodding before she could stop herself. Not that Viviane wouldn’t have noticed, but it just felt more… polite to speak up. So she gave a brief yes before waiting for Viviane to explain. It didn’t take long.

“As you have seen, Eydis and Selith returned from their mission by the Slumbering Giants. They have found some most interesting information for the Vanguard there, and also something that might interest you.” Viviane’s words felt both very light and very grave at the same times. Even if Viviane’s eyes didn’t work, she could tell she was being watched. Azuriah frowned and shifted beneath their weight. “Rowan lives.”

“…What?”

Viviane continued speaking like she hadn’t interrupted, and for a moment Zuri wondered if she’d even spoken up at all. Her voice was oddly muffled, like it was coming from far away. It was very hard to focus on what she was saying, and her jumbled thoughts weren’t helping. “It seems that Eydis and Selith were merciful and let him go.” Alive, Rowan was alive. “It is a shame they could not capture him—not like you and Asriel did with Hildr and Thais.” Alive, alive, alive like Hildr, like Thais. “It would have been perfect, you see. Three Einn to fill the spots that three elding were unsuccessful in claiming.” Perfect, Rowan was alive, which meant he was not dead, which was wonderful except it made no sense because if he wasn’t dead where had he been all this time what had he done why had he run he had run because he killed someone and that was not perfect at all. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense.

“Oh well, such is life, and I did not call you here to dwell on possibilities. Rather, I thought I might pick your mind and see where you think he might go from here? Eydis does not seem to think he will be a threat, but you were his teacher? Do you have any opinions on the matter?”

Azuriah blinked. Viviane was staring at her. She was staring at her because she was waiting. “I…” Viviane was waiting, she needed to respond. “I don’t…” Azuriah wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and shrink away. She didn’t.

“Not far. A nearby town maybe, close to a main road. Not the wilderness. Not for long. He was very good at getting lost.” Azuriah opened her mouth before closing it again, this time her words really failing her. She wanted to say he wasn’t a threat, and then she wanted to say he was, but neither would come out. It was impossible to imagine Rowan being dangerous to anyone who wasn’t a vandr, but apparently he’d been exactly that. Dangerous enough to kill.

The two of them sat in silence for a good while longer before Viviane cleared her throat, catching her attention. "I see. Thank you for your insights. You won't be getting a mission for at least another week, so make sure to rest up. Dismissed."

Nodding vaguely, Azuriah turned and left, brow deeply furrowed. What now? Normally a break meant she would take naps or find food or draw in her sketchbook, but she… couldn’t. She just couldn’t. So instead she walked. And she thought.

It’d taken a long time for her to believe that Rowan had died at first. Not that people didn’t die while she was away on missions. They did. It was just Rowan was… wrong. The reason he’d died felt wrong, the lack of a grave felt wrong. The way she had to erase his face every time she tried to put him in her books felt wrong. Killing people was unforgivable, killing a fellow Valkyrie even worse. But not forgiving Rowan felt terrible, especially when she didn’t understand. She couldn’t even stop missing him. He’d seemed so happy the last time she’d seen him, so very fine. But he couldn’t have been fine. Fine people didn’t kill their comrades for no reason.

So she had to find someplace in the middle. Think about him, but not too hard. Thinking too hard made her heart hurt.

But she couldn’t not think. Not anymore.

Azuriah bumped into someone, bringing her aimless wandering to a stop, but even so her mind continued to race, chasing itself in circles. Rowan was alive. Rowan was a criminal. Criminals were bad. Rowan was bad. But Rowan was good. Why? Why… everything? She didn’t… She just wanted to know, to understand—!

Azuriah froze, something finally clicking into place. She then broke into a run, practically tearing through the Silent Keep as she yanked open doors, searched for auras and almost ran over several bystanders before finally stumbling across the right room.

“Eydis!”

It didn’t take long to find out what she needed. She was gone within the hour.


…


The Slumbering Giants were as chilly as she remembered them. Despite the warmth that came with the end of Teryla’s Bloom, she could still see a smattering of snow on the tips of the mountain’s peaks; down here it wasn’t quite as bad, but there was a slight drizzle, the kind that was light and fuzzy and managed to leave everything damp even though it was barely there. Azuriah tugged the hood of her heil a little further over her hair and resumed inspecting the battle site.

Scuffed up dirt. Lots of broken rocks. A few shards of that odd crystal Eydis mentioned. Azuriah paced around the clearing, trying to imagine Rowan’s light quick steps in her mind’s eye before stopping to orient herself. Eydis had mentioned a settlement in the direction Rowan had headed. It was as good a direction to head as any other. Taking one last look around, Azuriah began walking in the same direction.

She’d been walking for a while when out of habit, Azuriah found herself scanning the trees… and then pausing. There, on that slightly crooked pine tree. A star.

Azuriah stared at the star. She poked it. Scraped at it with her finger. The star remained firmly in place. Which made sense because it’d been carved right into the tree’s side. Like someone had put it there. Like someone who got lost very easily and wanted to tell which tree he’d passed by had put it there. Like a certain someone she was looking for.

A warm, bubbly feeling appearing in her chest, Azuriah immediately started heading north with a slightly eastish slant. Kept going north with a slightly eastish slant. Slowed down a bit. Stopped. Stood there for a moment before walking back to the tree and staring at it again. She could already feel that warm feeling start to fade.

This mark was from Rowan… right? It looked like his. Animals didn’t make little stars, and most people probably didn’t make theirs so neat. But no, that wasn’t the main problem. A year was a long time. Things were different now. Eydis said Rowan was good at hiding his aura, very good. Maybe Rowan was good at not getting lost now. Maybe Rowan didn’t need marks like this anymore. Maybe they weren’t his at all. Azuriah frowned, and rubbed at her chest.

If it’d been five years ago, or even Teryla’s Bloom last year, she would have followed the mark without thinking. She would have just known what it meant. She still knew what it meant; she’d seen Rowan’s little stars all the time when she’d trained him. But that was then. And this was now. Azuriah wasn’t sure if she knew anything at all now.

Azuriah stared at the star. Poked it. Scraped at it with her finger until some of the bark chipped off, leaving it not so even and neat. Azuriah stared at the crumbly tree bits for a long while before letting out a sigh and getting to her feet. When she resumed walking it was northeast again, though not quite as quickly as before. She kept her heil up, her aura down and her eyes on the lookout.

She wasn’t sure. But she wanted to try.

[Sakura Meringue]

’”You are very brave, or very reckless.”’

Those were the words Beth had said to Meri after unearthing her from the debris that partially served to save her life – the other part being Lila’s and Beth’s impeccable teamwork.

The truth was—well, there was no truth. But there were no lies either. Meri had done what she felt was needed – come hell or high water. She wanted to graduate, and on her own merit, too. If she did nothing – participating as a spectator would – she couldn’t have accepted anything but failure. So she had acted in her own best interest, but even if she tried to claim selfish motives for her actions, her teammates had really been top priority.

That’s why it made the whole situation worse when the news was broken that the Aetla had not graduated alongside her.

Without their quick thinking and skills that surpassed her own in battle, Meri would have probably been killed…Probably. Despite what made them formidable, she did understand why they didn’t pass; she suspected the fault lie more heavily upon Lila’s shoulders than Beth’s. It was after all why Meri had taken a more proactive role in the battle; Lila had bitten off more than she could chew, and that would have left them all at a disadvantage if the Valkyrie hadn’t gotten involved.

So while her graduation felt bittersweet, it was still less bitter and far sweeter for the newly-ascended Valkyrie. And if she was honest, during the ceremony, she hadn’t thought once of the Aetla – her mind full of thoughts of her mother and how she had been striving so hard to reach that day in hopes of making her proud. Whether or not she succeeded would forever be a question that lingered in her heart though.

It was best not to dwell too much on the passed days – not when she was looking forward to her fast-approaching meeting with Eydis. It was something that had been long overdue; though they saw each other in passing often enough, something like quality time was rare and would most likely become even more so now that Meri had ascended. Their separate responsibilities would see to keeping them busy.

Of course, there was always that one chance.

With the idea fresh in her mind, Meri subconsciously picked up her pace – nearly colliding with a few Elding as she turned a corner. Pausing only briefly to smile and apologize, she was off again – making a beeline for the dining hall where she and Eydis promised to meet.

Surely the second-ranked Valkyrie would have good news for Meri – something she could truly rejoice over. It would only make sense – be fair – for Eydis to act as her mentor for the next three months. Who else could possibly take on that most sacred of positions?

Smiling broadly despite her generally serene demeanor, the brunette entered the spacious dining hall and made a quick decision to grab some lunch before she sought out her companion. She had skipped on breakfast – a habit she would have to break – and hunger was starting to get the better of her. Fortunately, there were very few people crowding the serving station, so Meri had soon helped herself to a very healthy portion of food – the most notable on her plate being a large piece of meat prepared as rare as possible without being inedible.

Locating Eydis wasn’t difficult; even if there weren’t many people in the dining hall, the older woman possessed an aura of self-confidence that made her stand out in any crowd. Meri admired that about her. Actually, Meri admired everything about Eydis – from her confidence to her easy nature and even to her abilities on the battle field. It was no wonder to anyone why Eydis had climbed so high in the ranks.

Demure in her actions as she approached, Meri set down her tray of food and then contemplated her next move. Glancing around, she concluded there were too many people around to be openly casual regardless of their friendship being common knowledge, and carefully took her seat. At the very least, she didn’t feel as if she had to salute Eydis or anything quite so military.

”I’m glad we could meet today,” Meri spoke naturally, her lips parting in a smile. ”I know you’ve been terribly busy these last few days, so to catch you with some free time is really lucky.” For the time-being, Meri ignored her food; she was more interested in whatever Eydis had to say – especially if it had anything to do with mentor assignments, and she said as much in a way that she hoped wasn’t too straight forward. ”Perhaps we’ll get to spend more time together in the near future?” As hard as she tried though, Meri couldn’t disguise the anticipation in her voice, but there was no point in becoming flustered over it. ”Y-you must have some news,” she lightly prompted the other woman, placing her clasped hands on the table before her. So focused on Eydis, Meri was not paying attention to the others in the dining hall and completely missed when the high-ranked valdir who had overseen her hunt entered.

[The Ducko]

“We failed?” Lila hissed, stalking over to the twins. Nathaniel shrugged, taking a loud, juicy bite from his apple.

“I guess you’re just not cut out for combat; back to the frilly dresses, it seems.” He said slyly, seeing Lila’s expression of pure fury and bursting into laughter. “Oh come on, you make this too easy. I wanted to string you out a bit more, but alas, it seems your patience is as lasting as ever.” Nathaniel never missed an opportunity to poke fun at Lila’s short fuse, but at this point in time she felt like ripping his smarmy little head off. Not that she could, of course, but the image was soothing.

“Please, don’t overwhelm us with information,” she said through gritted teeth, a vein on her neck becoming particularly enlarged. Nathaniel took another bite of his apple, feeling no rush to acquit her of her anxiety. Beth was sitting on their bed, staring out the window. Felicity stood over Beth’s injured arm, examining how it was healing and applying a salve.

“Fine, fine. A little birdy told me one of your instructors was less than impressed with your tactical decision making. I mean, come on Lila, a ymir? Really?” He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “But the higher ups are willing to give you another chance.”

“I wonder which instructor," she hissed. "Another hunt?” Lila asked, half way to relieved but still waiting for the catch.

“Not exactly.” Felicity spoke up, finished with Beth’s arm. “You’ll be doing missions under the guidance of Eydis. She will decide if you are worthy.” Beth looked up at that, turning her head and frowning, but that was the extent of her contribution to the conversation. Lila chewed her lip, feeling restless and frustrated. She imaged Laurence’s disappointment, and felt sick to her stomach. She had hoped to impress him, and the bitter taste in her mouth was far from what she expected after their hunt.

“Learn from this, Lila.” Nathaniel said, throwing his apple core in the bin. “The whole purpose of a bond like this is to make your weaknesses your strengths, but it doesn’t work if you ignore Beth.” He spoke seriously for a moment, and then sighed. “None of us predicted this, but it isn’t anything we cannot handle.”

“Beth,” Felicity started. “You are just as at fault. Why didn’t you stop her? You knew the outcome of that fight and let her bite off more than she could chew.” Beth nodded, and turned to Lila.

“Apologies,” she said, eyes fixed to Lila’s. Lila waved her hand at her, dismissing it, looking long and hard at Nathaniel. He was right.

“Dammit, you’re right.” She breathed, the words leaving her mouth like lead. A pain to utter, but once they were out she felt better. “But damn it, a fail? Really?” Lila muttered, trailing off. “I don’t s’pose Laurence is too stoked about this?” She asked hesitantly, rubbing her temples as she felt her anger subside. Felicity smiled, and adorned a performed quizzical expression.

“I guess you’ll just have to find out next time you see him,” she mused, evoking a groan from Lila. The twins left after a little more banter which ended in Nathaniel putting Lila in a headlock for a few minutes as she cursed and kicked at the playful man. When they were alone, Lila plonked down on the bed next to Beth.

“So Eydis, hey?” Lila breathed. Beth leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her clasped hands.

"We’d best not make another mistake.” Beth replied.
“Hmm...” Lila trailed, wondering what the famous rank two would be like. “I’m going to miss those two,” she lamented, flopping back on the bed. “Do you ever get the feeling they’re all just waiting for us to explode in a vandr-y rage?”

“Why do you think we, two failed elding, are being paired with rank two, a woman widely accepted as the preferred leader of the vanguard?” Beth muttered.

“Ah.” Lila said, pouting. “Bunch of cynics.”

. . . . .


Beth sat with Lila at one of the smaller tables at the back of the dining hall, as was their customary position. After a few failed attempts at the start of their training by Lila to socialise normally, Beth got her to begrudgingly agree solitude was the best solution. Lila sulked beside her. Having wolfed down her meal, she was now slumped forward on the table, head on her folded arms, staring unhappily at Meri and Eydis.

“I can’t believe she passed and we didn’t,” Lila muttered for the millionth time, waiting for Beth to agree with her. “I mean... she’s a shrimp!” Still Beth said nothing. “I mean, if I were a less morally concerned individual I could’ve easily sabotaged her resolve-”

“She performed well.” Beth cut in, taking a long drink of water. “Sore losers aren’t attractive,” she smiled, finding Lila’s tussle of blonde hair quite lovely even despite the frown imbedded in her forehead.

“Urg, I swear Nathaniel has turned you against me. All this teasing, one day I’ll snap and kill you all.” She grumbled, watching how shy and timid Meri acted.
“I’m quivering in fear at the thought of it.”

“What’s got you in such a good mood, anyway? There’s little to be pleased about.” Lila seemed grumpy, but in a harmless way. Able to admit her mistakes, Beth felt hope for their possible progress. In all honesty, she felt like this cross road was something they had to experience. Failing the hunt could be the best thing that ever happens for their training. A reality check for Lila, it also made Beth aware of her responsibilities. She couldn’t afford to be quiet and let Lila take the lead in matters she wasn’t skilled in. For their sakes, she had to take control of their tactical choices. They had to take this seriously.

“Eydis is quite something.” Beth said, hoping to change the focus of the subject. Eydis really was... something else. The smallest of her movements hinted at the efficiency of her battle style. Ever since Beth saw her at the proving grounds in the early days, she had been captivated with the woman’s, well, perfection. “That is what it means to be ranked two, Lila.”

“She looks pretty average to me,” Lila moped, squinting over at them. They couldn’t hear their conversation, thank goodness, or Beth was sure Lila would engage in a running commentary. “I thought she’d be taller.” Laughing, Beth kissed the top of Lila’s head. By all the gods, Lila was frustratingly endearing.

[second day sea]

He pushed at a sore spot in his neck with a knuckle, grimacing as he walked. Adjusting to a bed again after months on hard earth was somehow more difficult than vice versa. The bedroom was more cramped than he remembered, the miscellaneous things he had collected taking up a dusty corner. Had things always been so uncomfortable? Or maybe that was just because he was getting antsy, stuck in this place without a mission for days now. How long had it been since he came back?

Four days ago the ceremony had taken place. Which meant he first got his Ascension ceremony orders four days before that. Over a week and he was still here. Disgusting.

The stagnation was doing things to him.

He slugged into the dining hall, not paying attention to who else was there, making his way to the table where food was laid out. He selected an apple after some time, sighing wearily at nothing in particular as he leaned against the counter and finally deigned to look upon the masses.

"I'm bored," he announced, to no one except the woman who happened to be taking food beside him. She gave him a look and departed as quickly as she could, leaving Ezra sighing again after her.

The people here were largely administration, aka the ones who constantly nitpicked at him, complaining of insubordination and recklessness when in all reality they needed him when it came to dealing with their ********. He had little interest in exchanging words with any of them. Worse yet were the valkyries themselves though. Arrogant and cocky; thinking the world of themselves all because what, they were a little strong? Azel's a**, there were a lot of them here.

Something had to have been happening considering how many valkyrie were milling about in the Keep. By his count, at least fifteen posts were left untended to thanks to the recall of soldiers and still no word on what would happen next had come out. Azuriah had disappeared almost the day she returned from Eidorn, off on some random quest. He shouldn't have been as surprised (or as disappointed) as he was. He couldn't understand what went on in her head, nor was he in any rush to, but rarely did he see her and he was itching for a fight.

Or it'd be more accurate to say another fight, because he had had one. He just didn't want to count it. The day of the Ascension ceremony for the two elding, Ezra had managed to rope the other valdir there--Sunny or something--into a little duel. Another one of Eydis' little pupils, but this one she had actually thought to bring up to him so he had made a point to remember. As it turned out, there was a reason Sannul was rank twenty one and Ezra nine. It had not lasted nearly long enough. It practically took just as long to beat him up as it had to goad him into accepting a challenge. To be fair, they had been interrupted and Sannul got away scratch-free, let's be real. Everyone knew where it was going to go.

He supposed it was Eydis' affection for her students that made her so blind to their faults.

"Typical."

Oh, speak of the devil. He pushed himself, spotting Eydis in some nook, speaking to someone. Ignoring the fact that the woman had obviously been there long before him and the fact that she was in conversation with someone else, he strolled over and announced himself by dropping his half-eaten apple on her tray, before claiming the seat beside her and draping an arm around her shoulders. It was vaguely awkward, but at least he could do this when they sat; he'd take his chances where he could.

"Ho, buddy. I won't bother asking why you haven't come to see me yet. Let's not ruin our reunion. You're welcome by the way, your little pet passed-" He finally registered who was sitting in front of him, somehow unrecognizable now with the Valkyrie's uniform on her diminutive frame. "Oh. It's the little pet herself."

A brass plaque gleamed dully and he tilted his head at it. Sliding his arm off Eydis' shoulder, he leaned forward interestedly. "How's ascension treating you? What rank are you now? Do we have a new 50?" He grinned at that, entertaining the thought. "You should really thank me, you know. You heard? Your annoying buddies didn't make it? What a sorry bunch of rookies. Eydis, you've got your work cut out for you training this one."

[malurus coronatus]

DIG UP HER BONES BUT LEAVE THE SOUL ALONE
malmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalmalH E A R T _ W I T H _ A _ G A P I N G _ H O L E
LOST IN THE PAGES OF SELF MADE CAGES _ ♛ _ LIFE SLIPS AWAY AND THE GHOSTS COME TO PLAY
█████████████████████████████████████████████ ██ ███ █ ████████████████████
x
malmalKISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH_ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH _ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH _ KISSING DEATH AND LOSING MY BREATH
malmalmalmalmalmalmalTHESE ARE HARD TIMES FOR DREAMERS

Breathing out a deep breath, Eydis leaned back into her seat and folded her arms over her lap. It was the first time since she had first arrived at the Keep that Eydis finally had a proper break. Between reporting to Viviane, finding Azuriah, dropping off the specimens collected, answering Azuriah’s questions, reporting to the researchers, and writing an actual report, she had been kept very busy during her waking hours. Thankfully though, it was all over, and she was free of most responsibilities until her next assignment.

Stifling a yawn that threatened to overtake her, Eydis pulled her chair forwards, and stared down at her food, a well-balanced meal by proper standards. She mechanically began to work her way through the plate, taking no time to savour the flavours. Her mind was already focused on other things, like where Azuriah had disappeared off to, the two Einn located below the Keep, and then the troubling news that it would be Ezra taking over Meri’s mentorship, not her.

The first problem, she was fairly certain she had the answer to. Based on the questions the first-ranked Valkyrie had asked, she had likely gone after Rowan, probably to retrieve him. At least, that seemed like the most likely scenario. If Viviane had wanted Rowan dead, she could have sent Ezra, their usual sweeper of choice when it came down to matters like rogue Valkyrie. What Viviane planned to do with a returned Rowan, however, Eydis was unsure, and that made her feel some discomfort. Would he be locked away, waiting for judgment, just like Hildr and Thais had been?

This, of course, led her to thoughts of the two Einn, locked away below and their potential fates. She did not know Thais well, but had always respected the Valkyrie and her abilities. Liked her as well, as much as she could for having only spoken to Thais a handful of times. Hildr, however, was another story. Eydis had known Hildr well, as well as Tira, and the loss of both women had been a heavy blow. Two more good friends gone, though for entirely different reasons. One dead and the other now possibly on Azel's doorstep. Part of her wanted to go down and speak with Hildr, but the other part was resistant to the idea. It was only after a few moments of consideration on the topic, with no resolution in sight, that her third problem arrived with a quiet smile, and looking like a young woman in her Valkyrie regalia, no longer a child.

Eydis quickly set her cutlery down and returned Meri’s smile with her own, a wave of pride and fondness rushing over her. ”Meri, you look well. I, too, am glad that we could meet. I wanted to congratulate you on your Ascension. Your mother would be proud, I am sure, as am I.” Her words were spoken softly, but there was no mistaking the sincerity behind them. Eydis was proud of Meri’s accomplishment, Ascending at such a young age was a feat. A touch of sadness lapped over her though, regret that she had not been there to see it, nor would she be there to watch over her for the first few months.

For a moment, Eydis felt her attention waver, honing in on a familiar aura that had entered the room, one of the few she could easily pick out and recognize. Ezra. Much as she would have liked to greet him though, she refocused her attention back on the younger female before her.

”I do,” she answered, though she did not yet want to relay the news. It would truly be a shame that she would not get the opportunity to personally oversee Meri’s growth. Eydis wished she could have been selfish and made the request, but Viviane had already made the decision, and though she did not love it, the reasoning behind choosing Ezra was sound.

However, before she could speak any further on the subject, there was a half-eaten apple on her tray and an arm slung over her shoulder. A smile blossomed over her face again, though different from the one she had given to the young woman opposite of her. ”Ezra. It is good to see you, as always,” she greeted, in fond amusement. Then, chidingly, ”There’s no need to be rude, you know. Meri is not a pet.”

Her words fell on deaf ears, and exasperation for Ezra rolled over her, somehow still tinted with fondness. Shaking her head, Eydis reached for her glass of water, taking a small sip, before having to choke back a cough at the Valdir's last remark.

”It is funny you should mention that, Ezra. Meri and I were just about to discuss her mentorship.” With both parties present, it seemed like now was as good a time as any to deliver the news. ”Regrettably, Meri, much as I would have liked to be the one to look over your next months of adjusting to your new role, Viviane has deemed that our pairing would provide little benefit to Vanguard operations. Fortunately though, you will be in good hands. Ezra’s hands, in fact.”

Clapping her hand over Ezra’s shoulder, she turned her attention back to the male. ”So it seems that you will have your work cut out for you,” she said, turning his words on him, before casting Meri a reassuring glance. ”Though I have faith that you are merely being too harsh. Meri will make a fine Valkyrie, and I am sure there is much you could learn from one another.”

[Justified Grudges]

The past few days had went by like a blur. Ever since he had faced the vanguard, he had not been able to escape from the dread that hazed his mind. A year of forgetting, refusing, and denial suddenly turned to waste as feelings of attachment and longing clawed at his heart. Rowan had spent several days in the village nearest to The Slumbering Giants, thinking, with his mind in circles. Dwelling and doubting only exhausted him further.

There was only one thing that the Einn was sure of; he had made the right choice by rejecting Eydis' offer to return to the vanguard. That was one journey that he knew would be too painful to make. And yet, just days after fleeing the mountains because of unpredictable vandr activity, he was heading back to that wilderness that had already taken the lives of his former comrades. As graceful as he was with the sword, with everything else, the blond was rather a klutz. He had only been reminded about that factor when he had gone to purchase bread and water to last him during his travels to the next town, only to find out that his coin pouch was gone.

Too desperate to consider that he had been pick pocketed, he settled for assuming that he had left his money at the small camp he had made within The Slumbering Giants. How unfortunate. Hadn't he told himself that he'd never go back there? But despite any impending danger, the silence of the mountains and the breeze that flowed through the trees was oddly welcoming. It made him feel alone, but not lonely; Rowan knew better than to believe that he was truly alone. A vandr could come after him at any moment, especially as he stood idle at a tree, carving into its chilled bark with a few quick stokes of his dagger.

He was also lost, but somehow, that didn't unease him, probably because he refused to accept he was truly and utterly lost despite his best effort to mark a path for himself.

"Perhaps I should have just let it go. . . I didn't have much in there anyway." He lamented to himself as he picked away at the remaining few pieces of bark that disrupted his near perfect star maker. A sound in his stomach disagreed with that statement. Being hungry, sore, and tired (and lost) made it a struggle to concentrate on concealing his own vandr aura. No wonder humans were so vulnerable. He silently turned away from tree, sliding his dagger back against his belt and lowering the hood of his cloak. Tilting his chin up, he glanced up at the grey skies, which released a light rain. He'd come too far to abandoned his hopes of purchasing a warm bed for the night; one more night in a tent would be sure to leave a dent in his back.

He kept on walking, keeping his pace light and quick, eyes searching the ground.

A sharp pain tore into his side before he even realized that his feet had left the ground. Landing in some bushes, he let out a groan as he struggled to sit up with haste. Up righting himself, he saw his attacker, a Fenrir. It was average of size and alone, but Rowan could tell that it was especially territorial by the way it had rammed him. He wasn't really surprised that he had been attacked; this was The Slumbering Giants after all, but he was rather discouraged by this set back. Rubbing his aching side, he stood up and released his hold on his own aura; allowing the demon blood within his veins to give him strength, as well as numb the pain he he was experiencing. A bloody bruise was only a dent in his endurance; he had enough confidence left to tell himself that much.

He reached for his heill and slid his feet into an attacking stance simultaneously, but as his sword was halfway drawn, the back of his heel slid into some thing that jingled lightly. His eyes darted to the source of the noise and he nearly smiled; his coin pouch, a little dirty, but over all untouched, laid in the leaves next to his foot. He leaned to scoop it up and as soon as he moved so did the Fenrir. It charged at him, this time with its strong jaws open for a bite.

Unwilling to allow but so much of his own aura to slip, Rowan settled to evade the attack rather than counter it. He leaped, and used the hand that held his sword to press against the large head of the monster, vaulting himself over its body. Landing behind it before the Fenrir could react, Rowan used the spare moment to slide his coin pouch into his pocket before promptly fastening both hands around the hilt of his rapier. The Einn swung at the vandr as it moved to face him. His blade connected with its chest, leaving a gaping gash in the flesh of the beast. It snarled violently in response, but Rowan almost felt bad for it. He had been the one to come into its territory. So, he opted to take it down quickly out of mercy and just plain decency.

The Fenrir raised its head, ready to gouge him with its horns. Rowan sidestepped around its frontal attack and thrust his blade forward, back into its chest; this time for a deep, straight hit. A grotesque gurgle flooded from its throat as it keeled over on to its side.

The blond sighed and sheathed his rapier. His carelessness was what got him into this unfavorable situation, but at least he wouldn't be leaving empty handed. For once, a sudden flood of optimism warmed his heart. He'd be able to sleep in a bed that night. Rubbing his side, and suppressing his aura once more, he turned to go back. . . but he couldn't really tell which way was 'back'.


. . . . . . . . . . . . .


He ended up walking in a circle twice before finally spotting one of the small stars he had engraved in a tree that marked the right path. Relief. The feeling made him pick up his pace, bringing it to a light footed, moderate sped trot. He sees A star. Then Another. For the first time, in a long time, he felt rather relaxed, jogging through nature with a chilled breeze pulling at his bangs and cloak. If he weren't sore in the side this might have felt like a leisurely activity. Again, he felt human, but this time not in a vulnerable way. It was a good feeling.

But the feeling vanished as soon as he curved around a set of trees and spotted a figure in the distance. He skidded to a stop, his boots tussling the leaves and earth beneath his feet. Hesitant at first, his crimson gaze searched the stranger's visage. He didn't need to see a face to know who it was. Who else graced a silver mantle; one that gave him a bout of heavy nostalgia? Who else would be wondering around the mountains, where he has been conveniently seen last by the vanguard? Rowan was not the brightest but he wasn't a complete idiot, though perhaps, at this moment, he wished he was. Just the thought of of being confronted by his former powerhouse of a mentor was enough to make him break into a sweat. But seeing her was enough to make his feet feel heavy. Rowan might as well had been rooted to the ground.

He wanted to run, but all he could do was stare, body stiff and pale faced, silently praying that is was someone else. Someone else who was following his placement markers.

Maybe he was an idiot.

His teeth sunk into his lower lip; he was unable to think and without doing so, he could only will out a single step back.