The Chronicles of a Court Ch. 01

This was never a tale I thought I'd find myself putting to paper. It was never one I've been overly keen to record. But one that the others for the most part have thought deserved to be recorded and so I shall, at least in my own way. It is a long tale, one not easily told and with many things that happened along the way for good and ill. It has all led to this point I suppose so things have unfolded as they have had to, to bring us here. Some would call this luck, others fate perhaps it has been that and more.

It began many years ago now. So long ago that truthfully, I can barely remember some and so doubt the accuracy of any tale I put to paper could be properly trusted. That is for the thought of those who read it to think upon. I was young back then, young and alone making my way in the wilds. I had been born in court one of many that existed. They shifted often some dissolving, some disappearing, some amalgamating with others, more being destroyed. It varied and was impossible to track with any certainty. Politics, events, pure emotions often drove these things not that I understood it then. Even now there are a myriad of things that can happen in such a short space of time it is hard to fathom.

But my tale begins with Carliah. She was the first I met, she was the first that came into my circle, she was the first who decided we needed to change things ourselves and find our own way with our own power and the purpose to do more than what we had enjoyed so far. For that alone I'd be grateful. But I owed her far more than that. It was she that first taught me who I was, it was her that first unlocked the power in my blood and her that was the first to start teaching me how to use it.

I don't pick from those I share my life with, but it all begins with her which is why the tale starts here.

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I didn't know how long I had been living in the cave at that point. The days blurred, and I was more focused on surviving than anything else. Something not easily done. I had done my fair share of things since being exiled from court. At times I'd begged, at others I'd stolen mostly I'd scraped by on luck as much as anything. I had no real skill or talent for hunting and had little knowledge of how to find anything edible in the local area.

I'd found shelter of a sort. A cave cut back into the side of a cliff, thankfully uninhabited when I found it. I'd crawled inside and slept on the rough floor too tired to do anything else. Afterwards I didn't venture far. Partly this was a lack of energy or will to do much more than survive. The rest was simply avoiding people. Leaving court had taught me several valuable lessons in that regard and I was keen not to repeat them.

It was late in the evening my back was against the wall my eyes shut listening as the rain fell outside. Always useful as it meant I didn't have to travel to find water. I had a small fire burning something I had at least managed to learn. The light flickered and danced of the walls of the cave and offered some comfort.

The scuffling I heard at first, I ignored. Too often I thought I heard something and found it to be my imagination. Other times it was merely some inquisitive animal looking for food. It was the shadow that fell across my eyes that disturbed me enough to look. I opened them blearily and just stared at a figure outlined against the entrance. Even then I didn't do anything. I thought at first, I was asleep, or it was another moment of my imagination creating something. It wouldn't be the first time.

This figure though took several more steps inside and the faint outline reformed and focused becoming more distinct. I realised it was the figure of a woman. I saw the flicker of her eyes and then moving slowly she cast back the hood of her cloak. Raven haired, a sleek figure all those things I was dimly aware of. The water dripping from her as she edged inside as well. But her eyes were the most startling of all. They were grey, flecks of blue flickering around the outside.

I tensed immediately I knew all too well what those eyes meant. She was from a court. Not from my former one otherwise I'd have known who she was, but she was a blooded member. I shivered as I looked at her and tensed up immediately wondering if my time had come. Maybe my own court had decided to change my sentence. Maybe another court was looking for sport. There were any number of reasons why someone would be on my trail. None that made sense to me. I had no power, no blood and nothing of value to anyone that I knew of. But fate was funny, the gods had their eye on me, and someone had not forgotten me.

I didn't know it then, but Carliah had been sent to keep me alive to keep an eye on me in case there was some value to be had in the future. Someone liked to have options available even if they never used them. She had been banished from another court. Little reason for it other than court politics and dynamics between different families. She was dangerous and unlike me she was blooded. Death sentences were rare for those who had a bloodline. Instead, she was cast out. Something often worse than death anyway. I knew that myself.

No one had wanted her at that point. Her court was preeminent at the time. No one wanted to cross their rulers. At least apart from one. Even then they wouldn't court her openly or find her a home in their own court. But as they liked to keep options available, they'd recruited her for another task instead. I had asked her afterwards why she accepted the charge. Her answer had simply been what else was she to do? Without a court one didn't have a home. Exile was worse than death, by accepting she gave herself some purpose, some use and maybe she'd find her way. In that she'd been all to correct.

That first night was all too long. Neither of us spoke. We watched each other like weary animals. I had my arms wrapped around my legs, my chin resting on my knee and looked at her warily. She'd been travelling for days, looking, searching hunting me far more successfully than I'd have guessed. She was skilled in that. She was a tracker without peer. A fearless hunter and blademaster to contend with the best. Another reason she'd be exiled.

In the early days as we lived and built, learning and finding our way she most of all was probably the reason we survived. She had a reputation few wanted to cross without good reason. Not many tried and those that did were never foolish enough to do so openly.

She leaned back against one side wall let out a sigh as she stretched her legs and slowly relaxed her muscles. Her eyes never left mine, she looked on thoughtful, watchful and tired I'd thought then. Something very true. Neither of us slept we just looked at one another. I was part horrified and part fascinated. Being away from the court away from home was like a part had been cut away. Instantly with her there my world settled somewhat. I was sure it was the same to her. Blood called to blood.

One could always sense another of the blood. Some were more skilled than others. Some could tell from which court you came from, even those you'd been with merely by studying and focusing on someone. The blood called and responded to others of the blood. Alone by yourself....... that was the reason exile was considered a death sentence. It was like a part of you was torn away and cast aside. I hadn't realised how bad it had been until she slipped her way into my cave.

The next morning the rain had stopped although the skies remained grey and thick with heavy clouds. Wearily she had stirred and stretched out cold limbs. I still watched her fascinated by everything she did. The way she looked, the way she moved. Maybe it was the fact I had been alone for so long. Maybe it was having been away from court as long as I had. Maybe it was just her.

She'd almost smiled at me I think looking back. We'd both been aching back then. We both felt the call of who and what we were. Being close helped but it wasn't quite the same. Once she'd moved herself, she'd slowly shaken out her body and then slipped away as graceful and as quietly as she entered.

I hadn't moved before. I didn't move then. Part of me I think wondered if I was still dreaming. Another part had desperately, achingly wanted to follow her. Anything so that sense of desolation and hunger would go away. I didn't though. I didn't attend to the fire as I had been, I didn't even go to take any water. I remained as I had been staring at the entrance wondering who she had been whether she was real whether she'd ever be back.

I don't know how long it was. A good amount of time I suspect. But eventually there was the sound of scuffling again and then the scrape of boots on stone. Finally, a shadow in the entrance as I held my breath looking out and then it was her bent over now, a carcass slung over her shoulders that'd she hunted down and brought back with her. She'd set it down looked around the cave taking in the full amount of space there was and then looked at me again no doubt wondering why I hadn't moved.

Almost without even knowing it I'd relaxed as she came back. Already my wariness of her faded. I supposed if she had been there to do something she'd have done it long before. Maybe the hunger and ache she had called forth had overwhelmed reason. Or maybe it was my instincts. I've always trusted them, and they didn't react to her in any other way than a simple all-consuming ache.

She'd grunted and then dragged the carcass back outside to butcher and clean. She worked efficiently and quickly. Once the animal was prepared, she'd gathered more wood and then kindled the fire once more. Soon enough she had meat cooking away roasting gently over the flames as she turned it over. The scent of it was one of the few things that managed to override the ache I had for her.

I'd probably been staring for some time utterly absorbed by just watching her. She'd tested the meat eventually biting of one end and tasting it. She'd grimaced then but it was obviously cooked enough. She had taken one of the crude spits she'd fashioned and held it out towards me. I'd hesitated although it can't have been more than a moment then finally moved myself. I'd almost groaned then feeling the ache of my body that had long gone stiff. I did groan as I had carefully taken the end of the spit and pulled it back into my corner to gingerly tear into. I'd closed my eyes at the sheer indulgence of it overwhelming my senses.

It had been a long, long time since I'd had meat. Let alone fresh meat. It might not have been the best for her, but to me it had been everything. We resumed our careful weariness of one another. Both taking our former positions and watchful only occasionally moving as more food was ready. Eventually she had added a few more bits of wood to the fire and then groaning laid herself out wrapped in her cloak with her hood up to sleep.

I still watched her, curious, fascinated, still feeling that bubbling ache throbbing in my blood, my head, my heart. But eventually I too had at least dozed sitting back against the cave wall and sleeping fitfully. I'd stirred early to find her gone. I'd blinked the sleep away and dragged myself forward. The fire was still burning low and had been tended. I'd made my way to the entrance and carefully looked around before emerging out.

I didn't see anything untoward and had eventually made my way out to start my own basic tasks. I saw her in the end. She was higher up on the slope working away on something. Assured she was still close I had made my way out found water, cleaned myself and then feeling especially efficient had set about enthusiastically gathering more wood for the fire.

So, the two of us established a pattern. She hunted and made our little cave home more habitable. I did little other than gather wood and studiously watch her. She was more than aware of my attention. I thought she had probably seen me as feral. Really, she'd known it was more the ache we both felt. Perhaps she had known I had felt it longer, even if I wasn't aware of it as well as she was.

It was several days before the two of us even spoke. Sat close to the fire one night sharing out the food she had been cooking she'd held out the spit and glanced at me. I'd moved myself away from the wall, now sitting closer to the fire by this point. I was cautious but her constant presence and the fact she hadn't tried to kill me or disappear had meant I was less wary of her than I was.

She simply held the food out as normal and as I'd reached for it, she spoke. Her voice soft and warm teasing across my senses. "Carliah." She'd murmured simply. I'd hesitated for a moment, my body shivering at the sensation awakening inside me. When had been the last time I had heard someone speak? I didn't remember. I'd looked at her then, more than I had at any point up to now after that first night. She'd pointed at herself and repeated it. "Carliah."

I nodded slowly and accepted the food as she held it out. I didn't say anything back and she didn't ask. We settled back as we had started to do the silence returning as the fire burned until it was much later just little whisps of flame curling up from it. "Trisalion." I'd spoke softly my voice almost startling myself. I kept my gaze on the fire just watching her from the corner of my eye. She didn't react. I just watched her turn a little and look at me. "Trisalion." I repeated softly. She nodded slowly and that was that.

The two of us settled into an easier pattern after that. We spoke more although it was still sparingly really. Carliah worked at improving our situation. She had skills and talents far beyond me although she often showed me how certain things worked or how to do others. I picked up some although I never acquired her talent for much of it. Truthfully, we were doing little more than surviving still. It was a rough existence but simple, especially compared to the courts and maybe that was why it worked for us both.

Always though the ache was there. I was certain we both felt it, just the odd stares we would give each other from time to time. She worked tirelessly hunting. Soon she had built a rough bed for the cave, framed with wood and covered with hides and furs she'd left to dry and scraped clean. She screened of the entrance with another piece that kept out the worst of the weather for the most part. But things were still very different to the court lifestyle. Maybe at the time it was what we both needed.

Most days we did little more than survive. She'd hunt, fish, sometimes she'd work on something and show me different things. Rare was the time when there wasn't something that needed to be done, some job, some chore. Things changed unexpectedly in the end. I suppose it had to be something like that, to finally stir us from the pattern we had established. I never questioned her, never asked about the constant ache I felt around her. It was almost natural at this point. We had spent enough time together that I didn't even need to look for her at this point. If I closed my eyes and thought of her, I could usually tell the rough place she was in by merely following the echo of that ache. The pulse of her blood reverberating around me.

We were outside one day sat out on the lower slopes beneath the cave. As usual she was working on another project. Her belt knife was out, and she'd jerked awkwardly dropping both the knife and the hide she had been working on. She caught the hide. At the same instant her other hand had flicked out for the knife. I'd seen her do it many times. Her reflexes were sharp. That time though for whatever reason she was a fraction slower.

I had caught it almost by instinct just catching it in my palm. At the same time her fingers caught me brushing across the back of my hand. There was a second's pause and then the word around us almost felt like it realigned. The constant ache that I felt pulsed suddenly bursting through me in a flood of sensations. But the feeling was most startling for the sense of how perfect it felt. All the aches, all the pains, all the worries were suddenly smoothed. I let out a ragged sigh at how good it felt how everything was suddenly much calmer and how much more aware of everything I was.

Her hand fell away breaking the contact and the moment ended. Even so I felt her touch there still on my hand. Rather than the constant tearing ache I'd felt though it was softer now soothed out by the contact. Carliah though, when I looked at her, she was just staring at me lips parted eyes wide. I wasn't used to asking her anything. Instead, I'd turned the knife over and held it out handle first towards her.

She gathered herself and slowly took it back of me. This time much more careful about touching me. She still had a startled look and for the rest of that day and had seemed as restless as I'd ever seen her. Later that night we'd been sat around the fire as normal sharing food. She'd held some out almost hesitated as if thinking about something. When I'd moved to take it, her fingers had brushed against mine in passing once more. It looked casual but I knew it was deliberate. We had spent too much time together at this point for it not to have been. I knew well enough she was too quick to have not avoided it if she'd wanted.

Again, there was a pulse of recognition, a shifting of things around us and moving into alignment. I shivered at the sensation. Watching Carliah her eyes fluttered her lips parted and she almost shook herself. She took a breath and we continued as normal. The days that followed continued in a similar vein. We touched more as we worked together. More deliberately now seeking out the contact. She'd show me how to do things placing my hands guiding them along. She'd touch my body adjusting my limbs as she directed me around.

It wasn't just her. I found myself reaching for her in similar ways. I brushed her shoulder, reached out to touch her arm, or hand. Once one night at the fire as she had sat on the edge of the bed I'd sat back and leaned against her leg, her arm had dropped down and rested on my shoulder. It became almost second nature, to the point where I was barely aware of us doing it. Life was much easier after it. The ache didn't go away but it was soothed and more mellow than it had been.

She was lighter then, her mood seemed more lifted, or maybe I saw her differently. I saw her smile one morning and it changed her completely. It was the most relaxed I'd seen her. Soon after we started training. She taught with me sticks usually leaving a mottled collection of bruises over my body by the time we'd finished. She'd said it was better to do something and it was a useful enough skill to learn even if it was not something I'd ever use. My time at court told me it was something worth having some idea of.

One day sparring a blow on the back of my calf dropped me like a stone. She closed in the stick she held placed lightly against my throat. I acknowledged the point and took her hand as she offered it allowing her to lift me back to my feet. It was then I realised I was taller than her. Pressed close together my senses swam with her presence. We stood there just looking at one another still gripping each other's hands. She gave mine a squeeze and chuckled briefly tossing her head before we went back to training.

Later that night she'd been stretched out laying on the bed she'd made. As usual I was sat back against one wall. Occasionally I'd drift closer to the fire and end up sprawled there but mostly we had our own defined space we kept to. At some point she'd turned over laying on her side watching the fire. I'd been sat against the wall dozing when she spoke up again.

"You know you don't have to lay on the floor or against the wall every night, don't you? There is more than enough room for you to just lay on this as well." She murmured softly still just gazing into the fire.