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 Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 4:44 pm
Ravenna's call came, like clockwork, a week later - through the time was a little less than opportune on his end. This left Ankou with a choice - either he was to track down Cosine, or he was to bring Caelia with him.
His beloved had headed to the library to clear out the archives some more, in preparations for her temple. The young Augury was very much not a fan of the library, that much had been evident - give Caelia one moment and she would gladly run off to places unknown, so it had seemed best for the active little girl to remain in his care for the afternoon.
Which meant that, in reality, Ankou did not have much of a choice, especially as his servants were otherwise occupied. And well... the valkyries were not babysitters, and leaving a child to Jinx... Well, he would probably come back to more mayhem than if he dropped Caelia in the library.
Good thing he'd been bad at having plans. Having solid plans with three young children were more or less impossible. So he left a note telling Cosine where they had gone, opened a Door, and went.
This was amazing.
This was utterly amazing.
This was certainly the best day of her life. Of course, Caelia thought this of most of her days, but this took the cake. Daddy had said that they were going to another world. And that had to be amazing. And the door had done all sort of strange things !
And...
And...
AND !!!!!
It was hard to be quiet, as her father asked - even harder to behave, as Augury had wanted nothing more but to dart off and explore, so her father had no other option than to carry her - still, she leaned against her father's front, eyes wide like saucers and tiny little wings fluttering.
This
was
amazing.
Ankou had a good idea where Ravenna was waiting for him. Shapeshifting might have been a futile endeavor, given the young lady he was carrying, but he still did it - hid his wings, at the very least, shifted to be less imposing and noticeable.
There was no need to leave a trail of broken pots in his wake, after all.
"Ravenna ?" He called out, as he entered his shrine proper. He looked about as regal as someone trying to hold onto a wriggling toddler could, really.
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Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 11:26 pm
It took her most of a week to convince the Good King of the efficacy of having a God's own Temple on the island. He was an immortal, who had lived millennia without allowing any one god true dominion over the Peaceful Place; he was an old man full of regret and anger and she would never speak of the things she had been compelled to do to earn this for her God, but she had done it, and she would never ask payment for it. Gwyn ap Nudd's belief in her was pride enough for her to give up other kinds.
Still, she was tired as she knelt before the statue, waiting patiently for him to come. Underneath her dark eyes were faint shadows, at the corner of her jaw a crescent that might have been a bite mark, hidden beneath inexpertly-applied makeup; she'd never had to learn the particulars of a woman's arts, and it showed, but it all faded to the back of her mind with the smile she turned to offer the Warrior with the Blackened Face, and his… his…
"My lord," she questioned, nails digging into her knees; there was a small winged child in his arms, a very small, very winged child who looked ridiculously excited to be where she was. "…My lady," she ventured, bowing from her knees. Then she attempted to get up, blood rushing into her legs again and filling them with a prickling sensation that she found very much distasteful, but she would not sit down again. She was the Avalon Guide, and she was not weak. "My lady, I am Ravenna," she said, sketching a bow once she no longer felt quite so precarious. "I serve your… father?… by guiding souls here. Might I know your name?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 11:31 am
Ravenna looked weary. He could see the dark circles under her eyes, and the way he struggled to stand. He did not move to help, would not until it was obvious she would fall - not only were his arms quite occupied as it was, but Ravenna had her pride. Ankou had already gathered that much. The mark, even if inexpertly hidden, he did not notice. And it was probably better that way, as he would have indeed questioned it.
He would not easily let one get away with harming his servant, not even her own king.
So he pretended not to see the weakness - and the wriggling young girl in his arms certainly helped.
Oh, there was a pretty lady ! "HIII~ !" Caelia grinned.
Ankou frowned slightly, one finger raising to poke the tip of his daughter's nose lightly. "Indoor voice, dear." That... was still very much a work in process. "Sorry... If I took her to her mother, well... I would have a library to put back together." This was only barely an exaggeration.
Caelia pouted at her father, but the reproach was quickly forgotten. There was so much to be excited about, after all. "Caelia." She nodded. "'m..." The little girl blinked, tiny little brows furrowing as if trying to recall something. What was that word again ? Ah ! "Augury."
"Dadddddddyyyyy. Down." She only wriggled all the more. She wanted to go see the pretty Ravenna lady !
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