"Well, Nordrem, I am Rakara Langridge Fairchild of Jakesha. Soot's did not leave me out here... I was being tested on my knowledge of being able to evade enemies and camouflaging myself without being tracked. I was arrogant when I evaded my instructor with my abilities and wished to parade myself coming out from a different area than they would expect. In my arrogance, my ignorance has found me lost here before you." I bow my head in shame before him, as he takes a deep breath through his nose, sniffing the air.
"Fairchild? You do not smell like you are Fey. I smell Fey on you but your blood line is, " He pauses taking another sniff, "Soot's. You belong to Soot's. I know Abigale, but you are not her. Are you her offspring then?" He sits back leaning his back against a tree and gets comfortable.
"Um, you knew my mother?" It's more rhetorical than an actual question but I receive a nod anyways.
"Fairchild is my married name." I say quietly, fixing my skirts as I stand to fix the fallen saplings of my shelter and sit down on my bed of leaves and pine needles.
"You married a Fey royal? Impressive, unless it is a political marriage? I do not know much of the world outside this one anymore, but it is safer that way. Even if my curiosity is hard to control I will stay here in this world until everything else crumbles or Soot's asks us to leave. So to satiate my curiosity," He grumbles, leaning closer to the fire to toss a piece of wood onto it, "tell me of the world and universe that you know about. The last bit of news we received was dated 8960's for Jakesha. That was the time that Abigale left here. Soot's was controlled by his anger and hurt at first, but for the past couple hundred years, has just been hurt and longing. He used to come visit our halls, but has avoided us for many decades." He sighs and stretches his long legs out, making me try not to stare as what I thought were boots are actually his clawed feet that resemble an eagles, only black and scaled. He pushes back his cape, and pulls a bag out from under his arm, opening it up and tosses something my direction.
"Here, you're probably hungry." He states as I open my arms and a pear lands in my lap before I can catch it. He sniffs rapidly at the air, and I do believe he's laughing at my poor hand eye coordination just now.
I shake my head, "Thank you. I'm sorry he's avoided you for so long. What would you like to know exactly?" I take a bite of the pear, the juices cascading down my chin in the most un-ladylike manner.
"Tell me how is your mother Abigale? We have missed her too. Is she at Soot's dwelling too?" Nordrem asks perking up, a sinister looking smile crossing his face which he quickly rearranges his face to be more neutral.
I shake my head, sighing, "I wish she was, but unfortunately my mother died when I was a little girl. I only found out about Soot's a few days ago being my grandfather. And that did not go well, for either of us." I scoff thinking about it.
Nordrem pauses with half an apple in his teeth, looking wide eyed and sorrowful at me. He removes the apple, clearing his throat, "Abigale has left us and rejoined the Elements? Truly?"
I nod, sadly.
He quickly stands and turns to the sky, letting out a powerful, mournful, roar that fades into a painful whine, echoing across the forest, making even the trees tremble in grief. He repeats this several times, making my heart clench in this shared grieving of the loss of my mother. Even though it happened long ago for me, it just happened for him.
When he finally sits back down, I'm quiet, staring at him as I finish my pear. He avoids my gaze and eats the whole apple in one bite, crunching it in his mouth loudly. "My people here with me will have heard my cries of mourning, don't be afraid. They will be here shortly."
Taken aback, I nod slowly, "They're coming here? Why?"
"I was fond of your mother, we all were fond of your mother. She was a good friend. We are going to take you back to your dwelling and will light the fires and send her our energy so that she will be remade by the Elements and be given a new life in a new vessel somewhere."
The sound of many large feet, marching and moving through the forest has me looking around in all directions. Nordrem stands and offers me his hand.
"We will move faster if you let me carry you on my back. All I ask is that you don't touch my horns or pull my hair. Otherwise your husband will be very upset that my tribes people demand you fulfill the offer made." He informs me seriously.
Hesitating, I give him my hand and he pulls me up onto his cloaked shoulder, laying me on my belly. Then he grabs his cloaks ends and pulls them up under and over me, securing the metal buttons onto loops near his throat. Once done, I'm comfortable standing or leaning against his shoulder, wrapped securely in his warm cape.
"Nordrem, what offer are you speaking of that they would demand I fulfill?" I whisper as more shapes begin to make their way towards us through the trees.
He chuckles looking at me over his shoulder, "Females who touch a males hair and horns are offering to give that male offspring for the next breeding season. They are not allowed to take it back, no matter what race. Younglings are the only ones who are excused for such behavior."
I pull my hands into the cape, "Thanks for informing me." I give him a tight smile, which causes him to laugh more and bounce me around in the cape.
When I can focus my rattling eyes on his people, I see that majority of them have similar features like him, just different colored scales, eyes, hair, skin, and amount of horns. The ladies wear different styles of hair, purposely showing off their horns. Their capes are also worn on both shoulders and not just the one. Many take a look at my face poking out over Nordrem's shoulder and stare at me intently.
Nordrem does not speak, just turns and begins to run, making the mournful roar that fades to a painful whine, his people echoing his sound as they run beside and behind him. The sound alternates between him and them, accompanied by the thunder of their feet hitting the ground as they run. I'm bounced around a bit, but the cape holds me in. I just have to keep my face from smashing into Nordrem's shoulder when he jumps over logs.
The sound of the thundering feet, the echo of Nordrem roar and whine is haunting but beautiful at the same time. It hypnotizes me and has me wanting to join the sound. When his people make the sounds next I join under my breath, just to hear my noises join.
When his people sound again, Nordrem says over his shoulder, "No Rakara, you join my voice." He then faces the front again and roars.
I gather myself as his people roar again. Taking a deep breath as they start to whine, I join Nordrem, using my diaphragm to force out the sound from deep within me, keeping my mouth closed even as I whine. It was the closest I believe I would ever come to mimicking the sounds that they were.
I have no idea how long this continued, but it didn't seem to take long to break free of the trees and spot the estate, lit up brightly, with everyone gathered out front.
I noticed Soot's was out there with everyone, pacing, before he saw us. Nordrem jumped over a large log before entering the meadow, causing my knees to buckle. I fell down into the cape, but Nordrem kept running roaring and whining, so I did it from the inside of the cape since I could not stand in it yet.
The pace of Nordrem and his people slowed down. The roar and whine fading away like the thunder of their feet.
The melody was fractured by Soot's crying out though. "Nordrem! Did you find a woman looking like Abigale named Rakara? She's my granddaughter! Please don't tell me the mourning call was for her!" He sounds absolutely frantic, even more so when Nordrem is silent, catching his breath from running and roaring for so long. "No... Nordrem, your silence..... Please no..." I can actually hear tears forming in his voice, Bav's joining his.
"What?! No, that can't be! It's not Rakara! I would know if she ... if she..." Bav struggles to finish his words.
Struggling to stand in the cape, I give Nordrem's side a firm bump with my hand, who quickly undoes the cape, catching me just as I was about to his the ground, in his large, clawed, and solid palm, knocking the wind from me. He sees my wide eyes as he cradles me to the front to give to them.
"NO!" Bav and Soot's both shout in unison, as Nordrem looks at me in question.
'I'm trying to breath here.' I glare with my eyes. Nordrem props me up, helping my diaphragm move some air around.
I cough, sitting up shakily, and slide from his arm. Bav closes the distance between us, taking me tightly into his arms, kissing my face and checking me over. "You're okay? Are you injured? Are you hungry? Thirsty? What happened? We searched all day for you and couldn't find you at all. You covered your scent and I could not find you. I was so worried my love. We were all out searching for you, when Soot's heard the Zohkan mourning cry, we rushed back here." Bav strokes my hair, as I hold him close.
Nordrem says quietly, "Rakara, your husband promises you many children. May your breeding be as fruitful as his promises."
I can't help it, it's inappropriate, but in the moment for him to comment on that, of all things... I burst into laughter, quickly covering my mouth as Nordrem gives me a large smile. He said that on purpose, as a joke. He knew what he was doing, he easily lightened the heavy mood that was building.
I think I know why my mom would have enjoyed time with him.
Bav held me closer, whispering in my ear, "Soot's has been frantic since we heard the mourning cry. He thought it was you they were mourning."
I take a moment to process that information but it only makes me shake my head in disbelief.
I look over Bav's shoulder in Soot's direction, but he avoids looking at me, keeping his face neutral as Nordrem walks over and talks with him. Bav releases me from his hold and we walk hand in hand over to the rest of the group. I explain what happened and how Nordrem showed up.
"The mourning cry was for my mother." I add at the end.
I turn back to the people of Dragosvellier, Nordrem now instructing them to start setting up.
Setting up? Are they camping for the night?