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rainbowfic2015-08-02 12:12 am
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2015-08-02 12:12 am
Angel Cake #15, Aurora #12, Milk Bottle #14
Name: kay_brooke
Story: The Myrrosta
Colors: Angel Cake #15 (Fire born), Aurora #12 (Midnight Office), Milk Bottle #14 (Ring toss)
Styles/Supplies: Graffiti (Duck Gallery)
Word Count: 1,002
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Hopina and Edward talk.
Notes: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
“I know all sorts of things,” Edward told her. The firelight cast deep shadows against his face, and Hopina thought she had never been so in love, nor would she ever be again.
“Is that so?” she said teasingly, scooting a little closer to him. He looked up and out over the camp, gaze lighting on her father talking with a group of men. Including Atro. And not all men, either: the woman, Jay, she was with them, too, a frown on her face and her arms crossed. Hopina didn’t want to pay them any mind, and she wished Edward wouldn’t, either. It disturbed her to see him so discomfited when he was usually more carefree than anyone Hopina had seen in her life, and it especially disturbed her that she was the cause of it, that Edward was so afraid of impropriety.
If he is so afraid, said part of her with gleeful relish, that means he feels things that could be thought improper. About you.
It gave her a wicked sort of boldness, so she regained his attention. “Tell me what sorts of things you know. Tell me one of your stories.”
“It’s a story you want?” Edward leaned back on his hands and tipped his head up to look at the night sky.
“If you won’t tell me what sorts of things you know.”
“I know stories.” Edward grinned at her. “You hear tell of enough of them, you learn things other people don’t know.”
“Such as?” She was sure her father and Atro and the other men were discussing things important to their rebellion, things she should be insisting on learning, too. But right now, being alone with Edward was more thrilling.
Edward thought for a moment. “Salkiys. They’re not really demons, you know.”
“I know that!” Despite herself, her face grew hot. It had not been that long ago that she had seen Lord Martyn’s demon--salkiy--sitting next to a fountain, and felt afraid. And then had come that horrible Proclamation Night, when the salkiy and Atro had conspired to murder the Lord Councilor. But that had been a lie, according to Atro, though the salkiy wasn’t with him now, and that made Hopina wonder. “What are they, then?”
“Folks like you and me,” said Edward. “Not exactly, mind you. They’re not human and they have some strange customs. But they’ve got families and schools and trade same as us.”
“What about the magic?” Hopina was very interested in, and a little frightened of, the magic. There was a story a nursemaid had told her when she was a child, of salkiys roaming the woods, making the trees and rivers and animals do their bidding. “They say it has power of nature itself.”
“That may be,” said Edward, infuriatingly lazily, as if he was merely speaking of the weather. “But I don’t think it’s as powerful as all that. I’ve seen them look at the future in a bowl of water. I’ve seen one light a campfire without stone or flint.” He nodded toward the group of men on the other side of the fire. “That was your man Atro’s one. Merrus. We traveled together for a short time, did you know? It rained, and everything was too soggy to catch, but he brought up a fire all the same.”
Hopina’s blush grew even hotter. “Sir Atro is not my man. Why do you say that?”
Edward looked at her for a few moments. “Ah, Lady Hopina,” he finally said. “It’s only an expression. The merchant tongue is a rougher one than yours. I only meant that he is your lord. Or he soon will be, if your father’s rebellion succeeds.”
Hopina still didn’t like the sound of that, but it was technically correct, so she said nothing further about it. “What about talking to animals?” she asked, leaning forward, partially blocking his view of her father. “I’ve heard they can do that. They can make them do what they please, like attack.”
“Maybe,” said Edward, stroking his chin. “I’ve never seen proof myself, but I’ve heard tell of salkiys charming fish into their nets and convincing bears to stay away from their food stores. But I’ve never seen nor heard of a salkiy with an army of mountain cats, if that’s what you want to hear.”
Hopina ducked her head. “So you’ve heard that story, too.”
“Of the she-demon Befekar with her vicious cats?” said Edward. “No, I can’t say I ever have.”
Hopina lightly swatted him on the arm, and there followed a moment where Edward stilled and stared at her, and she wasn’t sure where to look, so she folded her hands in her lap and worried at a wrinkle on her dress.
Finally, Edward spoke again. “I know the story. I doubt it’s true. For one, Befekar isn’t a salkiy name.”
“I always thought it sounded a bit too Catan,” said Hopina. “Though perhaps it was the Catans who gave her the name, and her true name was known only to her.”
“Another mistake,” said Edward. “The Catans never encountered salkiys. They never went that far east.”
“Perhaps there were once salkiys in the west?”
“Here?” Edward laughed, and Hopina frowned, feeling silly and a bit belittled. “I heard a lot of stories, but never once heard that salkiys were ever seen west of the mountains. Except your man--sorry, Sir Atro’s salkiy. But I think he was just looking for trouble, that one.” He grinned.
“Well, that’s boring, isn’t it?” said Hopina, to get a bit of her own back. “Salkiys using their magic for such mundane things.”
“If you had magic, wouldn’t you use it for mundane things?”
“I suppose,” said Hopina. “But it doesn’t make for a very good story, does it?”
“Well, you have me for that,” said Edward, and was he leaning just a little bit closer to her?
“I do,” said Hopina. “Now tell me a story. You promised.”
kay_brookeStory: The Myrrosta
Colors: Angel Cake #15 (Fire born), Aurora #12 (Midnight Office), Milk Bottle #14 (Ring toss)
Styles/Supplies: Graffiti (Duck Gallery)
Word Count: 1,002
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply
Summary: Hopina and Edward talk.
Notes: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
“I know all sorts of things,” Edward told her. The firelight cast deep shadows against his face, and Hopina thought she had never been so in love, nor would she ever be again.
“Is that so?” she said teasingly, scooting a little closer to him. He looked up and out over the camp, gaze lighting on her father talking with a group of men. Including Atro. And not all men, either: the woman, Jay, she was with them, too, a frown on her face and her arms crossed. Hopina didn’t want to pay them any mind, and she wished Edward wouldn’t, either. It disturbed her to see him so discomfited when he was usually more carefree than anyone Hopina had seen in her life, and it especially disturbed her that she was the cause of it, that Edward was so afraid of impropriety.
If he is so afraid, said part of her with gleeful relish, that means he feels things that could be thought improper. About you.
It gave her a wicked sort of boldness, so she regained his attention. “Tell me what sorts of things you know. Tell me one of your stories.”
“It’s a story you want?” Edward leaned back on his hands and tipped his head up to look at the night sky.
“If you won’t tell me what sorts of things you know.”
“I know stories.” Edward grinned at her. “You hear tell of enough of them, you learn things other people don’t know.”
“Such as?” She was sure her father and Atro and the other men were discussing things important to their rebellion, things she should be insisting on learning, too. But right now, being alone with Edward was more thrilling.
Edward thought for a moment. “Salkiys. They’re not really demons, you know.”
“I know that!” Despite herself, her face grew hot. It had not been that long ago that she had seen Lord Martyn’s demon--salkiy--sitting next to a fountain, and felt afraid. And then had come that horrible Proclamation Night, when the salkiy and Atro had conspired to murder the Lord Councilor. But that had been a lie, according to Atro, though the salkiy wasn’t with him now, and that made Hopina wonder. “What are they, then?”
“Folks like you and me,” said Edward. “Not exactly, mind you. They’re not human and they have some strange customs. But they’ve got families and schools and trade same as us.”
“What about the magic?” Hopina was very interested in, and a little frightened of, the magic. There was a story a nursemaid had told her when she was a child, of salkiys roaming the woods, making the trees and rivers and animals do their bidding. “They say it has power of nature itself.”
“That may be,” said Edward, infuriatingly lazily, as if he was merely speaking of the weather. “But I don’t think it’s as powerful as all that. I’ve seen them look at the future in a bowl of water. I’ve seen one light a campfire without stone or flint.” He nodded toward the group of men on the other side of the fire. “That was your man Atro’s one. Merrus. We traveled together for a short time, did you know? It rained, and everything was too soggy to catch, but he brought up a fire all the same.”
Hopina’s blush grew even hotter. “Sir Atro is not my man. Why do you say that?”
Edward looked at her for a few moments. “Ah, Lady Hopina,” he finally said. “It’s only an expression. The merchant tongue is a rougher one than yours. I only meant that he is your lord. Or he soon will be, if your father’s rebellion succeeds.”
Hopina still didn’t like the sound of that, but it was technically correct, so she said nothing further about it. “What about talking to animals?” she asked, leaning forward, partially blocking his view of her father. “I’ve heard they can do that. They can make them do what they please, like attack.”
“Maybe,” said Edward, stroking his chin. “I’ve never seen proof myself, but I’ve heard tell of salkiys charming fish into their nets and convincing bears to stay away from their food stores. But I’ve never seen nor heard of a salkiy with an army of mountain cats, if that’s what you want to hear.”
Hopina ducked her head. “So you’ve heard that story, too.”
“Of the she-demon Befekar with her vicious cats?” said Edward. “No, I can’t say I ever have.”
Hopina lightly swatted him on the arm, and there followed a moment where Edward stilled and stared at her, and she wasn’t sure where to look, so she folded her hands in her lap and worried at a wrinkle on her dress.
Finally, Edward spoke again. “I know the story. I doubt it’s true. For one, Befekar isn’t a salkiy name.”
“I always thought it sounded a bit too Catan,” said Hopina. “Though perhaps it was the Catans who gave her the name, and her true name was known only to her.”
“Another mistake,” said Edward. “The Catans never encountered salkiys. They never went that far east.”
“Perhaps there were once salkiys in the west?”
“Here?” Edward laughed, and Hopina frowned, feeling silly and a bit belittled. “I heard a lot of stories, but never once heard that salkiys were ever seen west of the mountains. Except your man--sorry, Sir Atro’s salkiy. But I think he was just looking for trouble, that one.” He grinned.
“Well, that’s boring, isn’t it?” said Hopina, to get a bit of her own back. “Salkiys using their magic for such mundane things.”
“If you had magic, wouldn’t you use it for mundane things?”
“I suppose,” said Hopina. “But it doesn’t make for a very good story, does it?”
“Well, you have me for that,” said Edward, and was he leaning just a little bit closer to her?
“I do,” said Hopina. “Now tell me a story. You promised.”
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Thanks for reading!