Dark Crow Rising

"Vapooliar, surely you'd take this time to... Oh, I don't know... Rest properly now that you have an actual bed to sleep on!?" I cry out to the injured wind-person as she continues her non-stop martial practice.

Ever since we got here, it's all she's done. Again and again, I am being left anxious because of these grunts of pain she is making. She's clutching her wound knowingly but all she has been doing is train. We only have one day left before she goes out with the aelenvari's soldiers and witches.

I don't understand why she feels the need to practice like this. She's... Was a Valkinvar, she already knows all of this! Every kick and punch she has thrown out, each swing of her sword, this isn't in need of refinement.

The fact I feel comfortable somehow just casually walking beside her as she does it is a testament to this!

She finishes her routine with a sudden kick, toppling a dozen trees with the force of the wind, "If you wish to rest, then do so. I cannot until I have fulfilled my duty..."

My ears turn in the direction of a dozen falling logs whilst my face straightens out at her, "Duty?"

Vapooliar looks at me with tired, shadow-rimmed eyes as she limply stretches her body. Reacting once again to the pain she is feeling, she holds her gut gently. I cross my arms and back away as she bathes her immediate vicinity with pale emerald magic. She sighs and her thoughts seem to linger.

"Yes... My duty." she slowly goes.

"With all due respect, Vapooliar. You turned your back on your actual duty in a fit of rage. We came here looking for help to save someone we barely know. You, barely know!" I point out to her as I back away some more slightly. I can't imagine she'd be livid over my words, but, it doesn't help to be prepared. I'd like to stay alive...

My paranoia, though, is proven false and Vapooliar's magic simmers down. She doesn't raise a hand or move to do anything sly. She just frowns at the dirt beneath us. At the grass she has both shredded and flattened with her awesome power.

"I know enough..." she answers with an almost mute voice.

"Then please, tell me what you know of him?" I sarcastically ask, ready to dismiss anything she might say. I want to hammer in how idiotic she is being at the moment. To try and get her to at least take the idea of looking after herself seriously... This training isn't going to help her, if anything, it will only be to her detriment.

And, frankly, I'd rather not be forced out into the wilderness by these snooty aelenvari...

"He's rather young... Surprisingly young. He's... Not from anything particularly noteworthy by his own admission..." she slowly recollects and I raise a finger with each claim. Glancing at the v-shape I am left with, I put them down. I turn my unimpressed gaze onto her and she goes quiet.

"Face it, Vapooliar. You don't know enough if anything. You're just being clingy." I say to her and she turns away to look at some trees.

"I... I owe it to him after everything he did for me..." she tells me as she returns to facing me.

"Wow, a whole shove." I comment as air blasts through my nose.

Her eyes narrow and I take note of this, at the moment, gentle anger...

"Look... I may not know you well myself, I won't pretend to. Nor will I go about making assumptions. But I do know one clear fact about you, Vapooliar. You are a soldier, so much of your life involves individuals going out of their way to help others at the expense of their own lives. Maybe, possibly, I don't know the specifics. But, the Ho is not special in that regard..."

"His name is Nin..." she sneers as her blade moves. The hairs on my back move slightly, but otherwise, I keep still.

"I know what his name is," I spit out in response to her correction, "but until I see that he is different. I will not speak his name."

"You can't just judge him for the actions of others." Vapooliar tells me and I scoff.

"I can, however, judge him for his lack of action when he saw me and my family chained up tilling their fields!" I snap as I recall when I first saw him. Sat up there in that monstrous machine right next to the evil woman herself.

"Now that is just not fa-"

"Don't you start telling me about fair! Or do I need to repeat myself? Hm!?"

Silence falls on us and my aggression drains away through my nose. Our eyes briefly meet and mine turn towards the dirt. I kick at it as my hands pick away at my tail as it swings closer to my flexing fingertips. Vapooliar starts to shuffle about and I return my focus to her.

"It doesn't matter... It doesn't matter if I don't know him fully. I will have plenty of time to do that when I return him the favour for what he did for me twice. My duty to him may not be one driven by oath or faith. But it is one driven by a crucial moment in my history and I will at least see him smiling in the warmth of the Orbital-Halo's light rather than stuck in the darkness of that abominable hive!" she declares in a grandiose manner.

"Well let's hope what you say about him is as true as the stone you etch it on." I say as my ears turn first towards the approaching aelenvari. Led by the rose-red-haired one in the skimpy but heavily decorated dress. A dozen or so aelenvari fully-armoured soldiers follow after her in a protective crescent. Well, 'fully-armoured' might be pushing it...

What they have on is more equivalent to lingerie, albeit, with the usual trappings of armour. Admittedly, I like the way some of it looks and how their figure is displayed despite the often thorny, leaf-shaped armour plates. But, still looking over at what is left of Vapooliar's armour, it seems odd. Like an erotic underwear maker decided to try their hand at making armour.

A decent amount is covered, but a lot of their bodies also aren't. However, knowing what I do about the aelenvari, these open areas are probably a show of strength. Magic makes the body stronger amongst other things. It makes me grumble in the back alley of my mind as it all confuses me sometimes.

Why can't it just stay simple and be 'magic-user shoots some wind from their hands,' done and dusted! None of this material-altering stuff...

"Honoured guest, is there anything you require?" the leading rose asks us as her hands come together. Sneering, I hide my face as she moves closer to Vapooliar. Yeah, I get it... I'm me...

Surprisingly, though, she only just spoke in words, none of this light business.

"No, no we are fine, Ivy-Mother. Your caravan has done more than enough for my companions and me." Vapooliar answers and the aelenvari noble laughs.

"Nonsense! You are Valkinvar yet you are still dressed in that filthy thing as if you are no better than a root! I'm sorry, Valkinvar, but I must ask you to come with me for the betterment of all." the Ivy-Mother explains haughtily as they sneer in disgust at the torn-up overalls. I'm pretty sure I even catch that sneer facing me briefly...

"I'm fine, Ivy-Mother, but thank you for the offer." Vapooliar tells her as she tries to get back into her pointless training regime. The aelenvari, however, makes a point of getting in her way.

"Let me put it this way then, Valkinvar. You want to go out to save someone dear to you? Oh, don't give me that look, Dear. No one would put in such effort for a mere friend you met over a meal. My experience with our Gilded-Bark has taught me that very clearly with his... Affection... For his beloved. However, to keep to the point, if the Champion is so important to you then surely you should be a sight worth seeing, no?"

Oddly, Vapooliar seems to be almost offended by her words, "If I save him then I will be more than enough for him to look upon."

"Valkinvar, Valkinvar..." the Ivy-Mother tuts as she walks around the powerful soldier. One of her hands gesture towards but narrowly avoid contact with the overalls. Though, she is more than happy to place her hand on what is left of Vapooliar's armour.

Or Vapooliar herself.

"When you meet with the Champion again. He will be filthy and scarred from battle. No one in their right mind would appreciate seeing someone they thought they saved looking no better than them. He will think that his efforts meant nothing, that you wasted them. Again, I must insist that you let us dress you well so that you may that his efforts were fruitful." she explains as her narrow, fuzzy tail excitedly whips about.

Vapooliar quietly ponders her words as she keeps her eyes on the curvaceous woman. She touches her ruined armour and the same-state overalls almost nostalgically. She starts to nod and the Ivy-Mother's smile grows. Vapooliar reluctantly lets go of the overalls and she meets the aelenvari's mostly black eyes with her brown ones.

"I guess you have a point... It will be best for him. It is also rude of me to carry on wearing these even as I make use of your efforts to look after us." Vapooliar lets out as she plants her sword into the ground.

"Excellent! If you'll come with me then, Valkinvar... And we will try our utmost best to dress you in something more fitting for your station!" she tells Vapooliar as she tries to direct her in the direction she and her retinue approached us from. Stopping her, Vapooliar gestures for me and my lowering ears reverse their direction.

"Might as well sort you out too." Vapooliar tells me as she brings me in close.

"Of course... She may come as well." the aelenvari lets out as she hastily steps away from me. Her disgust is evident. Growling quietly, I stick to Vapooliar as if she suddenly became my mother.

We depart the gradually growing field and pass through the downed forest. The caravan has changed a lot since we first arrived, lots of thick, brown leather tents now dominate the front. Makeshift streets have propped up all around us and the ground has become a well-pierced path covered in narrow holes. Despite the population of this place as well, little gets in our way thanks to the aggression of the aelenvari soldiers.

Aelenvari dressed in a similar material to the tents are violently forced away. Many more are smart enough to move aside on their own with the elders remarking about it to their juniors. Yet, somehow, despite their treatment, they still seem to look at the Ivy-Mother with joy. At least, that's what I am assuming as I can barely see a thing past those thickly padded visors they have.

I look away in disgust as I start to think of my pack members back in Tobaballe. Images of all they have gone through, what I went through, they're all over my mind. I cower more so into the shadow of Vapooliar. If I wasn't with her, I'd be treated this way...

Thankfully, we reach the richest part of the caravan relatively quickly. Coming up on an extravagant tent woven out of many different colours, we enter it as the soldiers vanish. All about the interior and the exterior are these pieces of inlaid metal that seemed to be telling a story. Whatever it is, though, I do not know.

"Alright then, as you can see Valkinvar. We have more than enough material for you to choose from. We can work something up quickly and have it be ready before you leave... Or, we can look through the already-made pieces and work something out now." the Ivy-Mother tells her as her hands and tail run through all of the clothing hanging about. There's even some armour on display, though, compared to even what's left of Vapooliar's...

It might as well just be decoration rather than something practical.

Obviously, I catch Vapooliar eyeing them mostly as she seems to nervously rub an arm with the opposing hand. I assume she wants to try and get something as close to her usual attire as possible. But, well, good luck with finding anything that can be called 'full' here. She certainly needs it with how much she is refusing to look at any further.

Though taking the opportunity, I try to see if there's anything I might like... Would be nice to get out of these slave rags finally. Soaking in the water has managed to relieve my fur somewhat of the smell of smoke. But, when I keep putting on these damn rags afterwards...

There's more to it than just that, I suppose. The damn 'petals' refuse to let me use brushes, soaps or perfumes and I only get filthy water to wash in. I spend all this time looking like a wrinkly old bitch just trying to clean my tail... All these aelenvari do is dismiss me with arrogant huffs while they worship the ground Vapooliar walks on.

"No... This won't do at all..." Vapooliar dismays as she finishes looking through all of the armour pieces. Leaving my miserable train of thought, I look back over at her and the selection she has. Briefly hiding my face with my tail, I return to her. Everything here is certainly armour by the loosest definition of the word.

"Is there a problem?" the Ivy-Mother asks as she returns from admiring other pieces. Her face lights up with joy and she takes a liking to Vapooliar's current inspection. A white dress of some kind.

"None of this is any-" Vapooliar tries to say before her attempts to put the dress away are overruled.

"Oh, yes, this will definitely work for you, Dear." the Ivy-Mother interrupts as she takes the pristine, pearly white dress out fully.

"No... I need something practical. But all your armour is far too exposed!" Vapooliar tries to explain as the Ivy-Mother shakes her head. Though, I am finding it slightly funny. A soldier trained in the best ways to protect herself is trying to pick something out from a collection meant for aelenvari. A culture that loves to heavily emphasise how beautiful one is supposed to be.

"Well, of course...? Why wouldn't we want to show off your perfection?" the Ivy-Mother lets out confusedly as Vapooliar's lack of enthusiasm fails to process in her mind. But, then, she starts to smile suggestively and she presses herself up against Vapooliar. My eyes widen and the pressed-upon woman stares down at the aelenvari in a similar fashion.

The Ivy-Mother's tail coils upwards and prods at Vapooliar.

"The Champion prefers the enticement of clothes that cover more?" she asks and Vapooliar's cheeks turn redder than the Ivy-Mother's rose-coloured hair. She starts to stammer incoherently and the Ivy-Mother steps away with a couple of quiet taps. Shaking her head, Vapooliar seems to get her head in order.

"N-No I jus-"

"Well, start getting undressed, then." the Ivy-Mother orders as she shows off the dress some more. Briefly, I watch as Vapooliar starts to strip and I look away with slightly red cheeks. Her body is near-completely just refined, toned muscle under a tight sheet of tanned skin... And I thought the farmers back home were well-built!

The amount of effort she must've gone through to get a body like that. Rather curiously, though, she did not let anyone see her lower abdomen. Something she only upped the effort on when the Ivy-Mother moved closer to touch the left on armour. Vapooliar wearily follows her and I ponder what kind of boundaries this aelenvari must have.

As she is, was, a Valkinvar, though, both mine and the aelenvari find ourselves looking at her breasts. My tail swishes about slightly at how mine are bigger and more filling, but otherwise, I try to spot the scar. The famed ceremonial scar the women of the Valkinvar cut into their chest. I can only catch the edges of it, though, under her left breast.

"May I?" the Ivy-Mother asked her as her hand reached for the scar only to be slapped away by the defensive former Valkinvar. The Ivy-Mother's not bothered by such an action and just accepts the response, she must be fully aware of what that scar is if she let such an action go so effortlessly. The Ivy-Mother very much strikes me as the kind of person who would be furious at the mere touch of someone else, let alone being hit by someone.

"I'm keeping the armour on." Vapooliar sternly declares as she adjusts a damaged pauldron.

"I advise personally, swapping it out for, cleaner, less damaged pieces." the Ivy-Mother tells as she brings over the bright, white dress. She smiles at Vapooliar as she slowly starts to nod at the dress. Vapooliar then starts to take off the armour and it falls thunderously so she can put the dress on. Though, she also makes a point of keeping the Ivy-Mother's hands away from the magic-rich gear.

"If you can, may you please find me something I can use to clean it with?" Vapooliar asks the aelenvari as her patience for her attempts to take the armour away vanishes.

"Of course." the Ivy-Mother says as she turns and leaves the tent.

Looking at Vapooliar, I catch what looks almost like tears, "Are you doing okay over there?"

"I'm fine, go on. Grab some clothes yourself while you can." she answers as she starts to put the dress on. Smiling slightly, I do as she says. Leaving my concerns for her out of my head for the moment.