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Warm sunrays were the first sensation that Asta felt.
Birds chirping.
A gentle breeze blowing something that was billowing, making a soft, barely-there fluttering sound.
Soft, plush blankets surrounding her body.
The smell of cedar, cinnamon, and yes, that ever present hint of lavender.
The doe didn't open her eyes for several moments as she allowed the rest of her senses to take in her surroundings. Partially, she just didn't want the world to spin in front of her again. She had spent, what she felt like was hours, feeling like she was going to vomit and die, while being screamed at in that dark, underlit chamber that stunk of leather.
But she also wasn't entirely sure she hadn't died. She didn't want to open her eyes and find out she was dead. Nobody in her herd had a hard set idea on what death and the afterlife would be; they always bickered about it around the fire late nights while roasting apples. But she felt that if the Idols did favor her, they'd send her somewhere cozy and comfortable. She just wasn't sure she had wanted to be killed and sent off there, yet.
"Asta?"
With a slow inhale, Asta realized she wasn't, in fact, dead, or she was unfavored and the Idols had sent her into hellfire, because she breathed in a wolf. Her large eyes flying open, she laid stone still for a second, before registering that the female voice was familiar, and friendly.
Prim had sprung up from the chair she had been seated in, placing her book down by the nightstand.
"Thank the Idols! You're awake!"
Without any warning, the wolf grabbed the doe's hand, pulling her in to embrace her.
"Wh-where am I?" Asta sputtered, blinking.
Prim laughed, gesturing her arm open as if she was in awe herself. "This, if you can even imagine it, is my stupid little brother's home. Well, the top floor, anyway. I will say, you being out for so long did give us time to fix it. Men."
Asta had pushed herself up so she was sitting, still tucked snuggly under the large plush quilt, but she too was amazed when she looked around.
For one, her herd homes had no second floor. This was a log cabin, with it seemed, two stories built into it. the top floor had a tall peaked ceiling, the bed placed in the middle. The room was spotless, pegs set up in a neat row holding all of Molaki's clothing on one wall, a large desk next to it stacked with books and parchment. There were windows on two walls, letting in ample light, both windows open to the outside to let a cross breeze through.
Even though it was a bedroom, the room still had a long table by one of the window, with a pitcher of water, a big bowl of fruit, and cheese wrapped in parchment and twine.
Most of all though, she noticed that besides the fur and leather garments hung on the wall, nothing was made of death. The rug on the floor in front of the bed was old, but a chunk knit wool, the bedsheets and pillows were all cotton and linen - there may have been down feathers in one of the blankets, but it didn't bother the doe. Even Prim was dressed in linens. Looking down at herself, Asta realized she had been redressed, in a loose cotton dress she didn't recognize.
"I hope you don't mind," Prim interjected. "My mother and I did it. Not Molaki. You were just so... we wanted you do wake up clean and safe."
Asta wasn't sure if she minded, but she also knew it didn't matter, and it was done in earnest.
"How long was I asleep?" she asked, realizing her head still didn't feel clear.
"... almost two days. If you stayed out until tonight or early next morning, it would have been. Not even that witch of an elder who made the tonic knew how long it was supposed to last or how the effects would wear off. I'm still searching through books to see what we have written. We have so much written, you'd think a book on the truth tonics would have been easy to find."
Asta shook her head, trying to get her mind to clear, starting to remember the interrogation more clearly.
"Am... Am I safe, though?" The doe whispered. As terrible as she had felt during those intense hours, she did remember the conversations. They were pieces here and there, but it was there.
She knew that, at least as far as the wolves were concerned, she had been lied to for her entire life. That her herd ancestry was a bunch of murderers, and they were screaming at each other over if they should let the enemy walk among us. Her. She was the enemy.
Prim fumbled with her dark grey braid, pinching her lips together. "Yes. Well. You lost conciousness and 'Lak finally lost control and once that happened, everyone backed down. Between the truth tonic and the way he reacted, I think you've both convinced everyone you're a true pair, and our laws are unwavering about not separating such pairs. I don't think they were written with the understanding we would ever find a deer pairing again, but they also didn't make an exception, so it would be morally reprehensible. Even Zylo had to agree, it wasn't an argument."
Asta forced a small smile, looking back out one of the windows. She still felt better seeing escape routes, even though she knew practically she'd be injured leaping from such a height.
"Why are you afraid just now?"
Prim had stopped bustling around, tilting her head with an eyebrow raised.
Asta didn't think she would ever get used to the fact that her emotions couldn't be masked by cautious silence around these people.
"I'm... I'm not. I just, Prim. I was just fated to be with a man, a wolf, who seems lovely and I know, for certain, I am drawn to your brother in a way that I cannot explain, but, it's so much."
Prim nodded, but kept one ear back, her face painted with suspicion Asta had not seen on this woman's face yet.
Sighing, Asta added, "In a few short days, I thought I was going to die, instead found my True pair, in a man I was always told was evil, and then found out - if I am to believe it - it's me, my family, who's evil. I don't know what to do."