forum Private with Serpentess

Started February 11, 2022 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

Mardicos chuckled shyly when she stammered, realizing that he might’ve been a bit impulsive in asking that. He watched her a moment, listening to her as his eyes deliberately avoided any glimpse of the flame.

In his youth, he was taught that each flower had meaning, and he remembered quite a bit of it. Though, her answer did confuse him a bit.

“I don’t know any ‘Celtic’ culture… unless it’s those strange ass Talraeans… but I do recognize the symbolism. Though, if I recall that’s not all they can mean. Besides purity and innocence, there’s the associations with mornings, new beginnings, beauty…”he let his voice grow quieter before trailing off as he stared at Farah. He had somewhat intentionally mentioned ‘beauty’, but as he replayed his words, he noticed that it fit almost exactly with how he and Farah had met. What did that mean?

His eyes hung on hers when she looked at him, their glow somehow convincing him to relax slightly. Mardicos already knew what was going on, why she affected him like she did, but he didn’t want to admit it to himself. Because admitting that he liked her would almost certainly doom them, especially her. Every witch he had cared about, and he remembered at least three, had betrayed him or otherwise provoked him, and then he killed them without truly meaning to. He didn’t want that for Farah.

Her words broke him out of his thoughts, reminding him of how strange it was to be in her home. Mardicos stammered a moment, a bit flustered, but he quickly recovered.

“I… honestly don’t know. It’s been so long since I… I’ve been a feral for so long that I… barely remember what it’s like to be welcome inside another’s home. And, I haven’t had a home of my own in… fucking centuries, since my youth, since before this fucking curse,”he said, no longer looking at Farah.

His hand repeatedly squeezed the handle of his axe, needing some distraction from the overwhelming thoughts and feelings. The worn wood helped ground him, reminding him of how long the axe had survived in his care. Though it had been repaired a handful of times, the axe was almost as old as he was, and had served him well the entire time.

Farah's eyes widened. Shit. She hadn't intended on mentioning the First World – it had only slipped out. Still, she didn't intend to talk about it anymore, especially not since the brief mention had passed.

Against her wishes, another flush worked its way onto her face as he listed off other meanings behind daisies, staring at her as he ended with "beauty." She felt her heart skip a beat. No, you can't…

Almost without wanting to, her eyes maintained their glow as she read his thoughts. She immediately sensed his growing feelings for her, and it overwhelmed her own senses. Not just attraction, but also… fear, again. Worry. Denial? Regret?

With a subtle shake of her head, she withdrew herself from his mind. She found her magic to be invasive, which was why she did her best to keep to herself in her little barrier.

"Well then," she replied warmly, taking the teacup in her hands and slowly approaching him, "I believe it's about time you remember."

Farah's gentle hands took his and slipped the delicate teacup into his fingers. "There you are," she murmured, unable to help herself from gazing up at him. And she had thought she was tall… Mardicos towered nearly an entire foot over her. She hadn't been able to entirely determine his height while they'd been sitting – the difference was much more obvious now.

Mardicos didn’t think too much on the mention of a culture he didn’t know. He still had many places to visit, and he didn’t know where Farah was from, so it wasn’t a big deal for him.

A soft smile appeared when he saw her flush, and it lingered as he admired her glowing eyes. He had little experience with telepaths, so he was completely unaware of her intrusion. He did notice when she shook her head though, but he figured it was her own thoughts getting to her and didn’t question it. A tiny part of him was curious what she was thinking.

A small smile breifly appeared at her words. As Farah approached, Mardicos set aside his axe, placing it against the wall where it was clear to see. When Mardicos turned back to her, he seemed even more shy than before.

He watched her place the teacup in his hands, then held the cup with care. The sight of it brought back memories of his youth, watching his mother drink from similar cups, and then being taught how to hold them himself. It had been ages since he last held a true teacup.

After a breif moment, he looked up from the cup. He was so used to towering over people that he didn’t even notice the height difference as he met Farah’s eyes. That shy gleam lingered, but there was also something else in his eyes, something younger, like a scared child coming out of hiding for the first time in a very long time.

“Thank you,”he breathed. His tone had multiple meanings. Not only was he grateful for the tea, but also her help, her magic, her company. She was the first person in five hundred years and a continent and a half to be so kind to him, and he would never forget that, no matter what happened between them.

As Farah gazed up at him, she could see in his eyes that his reserved nature was falling away, and she was incredibly intrigued. It happened so suddenly that one moment he was an intimidating lycanthrope, and the next, he was a vulnerable man holding a delicate teacup in his brawny grip.

She gently – and very hesitantly – reached up to cup his face. "You're welcome," she murmured. And that was all she planned on saying… but the words began to rush out of her so suddenly, she couldn't stop them.

"I can feel you… I can feel your hurt as though it is my own. I am an empath. Everything you feel, I can feel about twice as strongly. Your rage, and hurting, and fear of your past. Your denial, your worry, your regret, your apprehension and regret with the witches from your past, and…"

Here, she hesitated for the first time, unsure if either of them wanted to acknowledge the unspoken feelings growing between them. Finally, she said it, "And I can feel your growing attraction to me almost as powerfully as I can feel my growing attraction to you."

It had been a long while since she'd spoken so much so openly and consecutively that when she was finished, Farah staggered backwards and turned away, her face immensely flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," she whispered. "I had no right to say those things… if you want to leave, I understand."

As Farah turned her back to him, he could see now with great clarity the elegant updo she'd done-up for the last morning. It was elegant, tasteful, refined… and almost severe.

Mardicos watched her, surprisingly holding still as her hand reached up to touch him. In almost any other case, he would’ve already flinched away, and likely snapped or growled at her. But, this time was different. She was so gentle, so timid. There was no threat to be found.

When she spoke, the words just pouring out of her, his eyes widened. At first, he was surprised, caught off guard by her descriptions. But, every description hit a nerve, especially when she mentioned that she liked him as much as he liked her. He froze, too stunned, too flustered, to do anything.

When she moved backward, looking away from him, he barely registered it, but her words were clear. She hadn’t meant to be so forward. But, she had been nonetheless.

He slowly looked up at Farah. Even with his mind out of sorts, he took a moment to gaze at her. When his eyes fell upon her hair, for a reason he couldn’t quite fathom, though it was likely just buried beneath everything else whirling in his head, he couldn’t take anymore.

Mardicos glanced off to the side, to the table, and moved over to gently set down his cup. It was rattling as he put it down, but he didn’t want to openly admit how shaky he had become.

“I… um…”

He wanted to say that he didn’t want to leave, that her words had just startled him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Her words had hit every sensitive chord. He couldn’t breathe. He needed air… fresh air, a breeze, anything.

“I… suppose I can just walk right out of the magic barrier you have, yes?”

Mardicos waited a moment for her answer, raking his hand through his hair. Then he was gone, walking to and through the front door without another word. The gentle sound of the door closing was all the noise he made.

His prized axe still rested against the wall.

Farah winced, hearing him stammer. Still, she nodded at his question. "Yes," she whispered. Oh, gods… this was what always happened when she got close with someone. Her abilities always scared them off in one way or another. She hadn't been able to control her emotions, something that hadn't happened since…

Rosalind.

The woman winced painfully and flinched at the gentle sound of the door shutting. "Leave me alone, Rosalind," she spoke aloud to no one in particular. "Get out of my head. I can't mess this one up." She hurried to the door and opened it to see Mardicos walking toward the edge of the barrier.

"I'm sorry!" she called after him, staying in the doorframe.

The moment he closed the door, tears started pouring from Mardicos’ eyes. He tried to ignore them, to let the feeling pass as he headed for the barrier, but the closer he got to the barrier, the more tears came.

He knew Farah hadn’t meant it, that she couldn’t easily dissuade her telepathy, but it felt like a betrayal anyway. It was a stupid feeling, one that he wished he could tear apart for even daring to invade his thoughts. But, after revealing so much to her, after just opening himself up to the possibility of something better, she had discovered the core of his very being. The reasons why he was a walking mess of a man that had grown so used to running that he could barely face his own alter ego, let alone another person. It was just too much too soon.

Farah’s call froze him mid-step. A small whine escaped him and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply for a minute. He then turned somewhat to look back at Farah, wishing he could go to her.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Farah. But, I don’t have any control. I never have,”he called back to her.

It tore him to bits hearing those words come from his mouth, but it was true. He was simply too feral, the wolf in him too powerful to contain. But, he wouldn’t allow the beast to destroy the beautiful creature that was Farah, not if he could help it.

Mardicos reluctantly turned around, continuing toward the barrier. He would go back to wandering, back to the utter loneliness, where only his weapons kept him company. It was for the best.

"I can teach you!" Farah called out, heading across the grass towards him. "I taught myself how. You can't hide feelings, Mardicos, they'll break you from the inside. If you can harness and control them, it can make you stronger when you need to be and tamer when you want to be."

She felt the tears stinging in her own eyes, and she suppressed the rush of power she felt building through her. "Please, Mardicos… let me teach you. I promise, everything will be okay. You're safe in the barrier and I'm safe in the barrier. You won't hurt me, I swear it!"

He turned around again at her call, and listened. He then started shaking his head.

“It is not my emotions that I can’t control, it’s the wolf! You may have read about Midnight Wolves, but I doubt you’ve ever met one in person, but I’ve lived with this fucking beast almost all of my life. The sheer power of it can shred a full grown bear! I don’t want that happening to you,”Mardicos replied.

As Farah drew nearer, he started backing away. He felt the beast rising, drawn to the surface by his stress, and by the possibility of a threat. Part of Mardicos told him to run, the other part told him to give in and charge at this woman that dared to approach him while he was so out of sorts. A whine burst from him, one of his eyes turning icy blue, and his fingertips aching as claws threatened to break through to the surface.

“How are you so sure that you’ll be safe anywhere near me?”he asked, desperate.

"The emotions are what can sometimes lead to your wolf form, yes?" Farah asked. Her heart was racing, and the wind in the barrier began to pick up as a result. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and the strengthening air flow weakened to a gentle breeze.

Farah stopped approaching him the second she saw him begin to back away from her. "I met you for the first time when you were in your wolf form. I'm not afraid. I'm not. Not of you." She took deep breaths, keeping herself calm and maintaining the positive balance of the inner barrier. "It's alright."

She could hear the desperation in his voice. "You need to relax," she encouraged. "It'll only make your transformation easier if you're calm. I'm sure I can be safe around you because I trust you, Mardicos!"

“I don’t…”he paused, thinking more deeply on her question. Anger and stress could definitely cause a morph, but that was all he knew. Did that qualify as his emotions sometimes controlling the wolf? He wasn’t sure, and he was still too out of sorts to properly think.

When the wind picked up, Mardicos closed his eyes to savor it. Wind reminded him of running along flat plains or hills, and that was something he always found soothing.

When he opened his eyes, the wind had settled and Farah was no closer than when he’d closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, listening to her again.

“I was wounded, dying. I… How do you not fear me?”

Now, Mardicos was becoming confused. Everyone he ever encountered, particularly as a wolf, was afraid of him. And Mardicos couldn’t tell if Farah was being honest, or lying to comfort him. She was much harder to read than most.

As she continued, he grew even more confused, but he did start to calm down. Her voice was soothing to him, her words a relief, even if he was skeptical.

“It is never easy to change. Never. And it’s morning, which means it’s harder,”he said.

Mardicos took several deep breaths, the ache in his fingers dying down. He then looked at her warily. His eyes were still moist, but he was no longer crying and his one eye had returned to its normal blue grey.

“I… don’t trust myself,”he said, his voice quieter.

"I was afraid when I first saw you, yes. But then I saw you were wounded, and when I when I approached you, I wasn't afraid because I felt you, at least a tiny bit, were. And if you indeed had attacked me, there were a number of things I could've done to stop you," Farah answered simply.

"Think about it," she continued calmly, "have you ever changed when you were relaxed? Or has it only been when you're upset or angry? And I'm not talking about the moon contributing to it."

She kept a safe distance until she visibly saw him taking deep breaths and his eye had changed back to its normal color. "Don't you see?" she whispered, taking slow steps toward him. "You calmed yourself down and the wolf inside you was tamed. You don't have to trust yourself right away. It is often difficult and comes with time. But for the time being, just know that I trust you, and I hope that will be enough."

Farah held out her hand. "Come back inside," she said softly. "Please."

“How? I don’t remember. It… it’s like a dream, a nightmare even. It’s never clear,”he asked shakily.

Mardicos did think about it, as much as he could in his current state of mind. Her words made sense, but she was missing details. She wasn’t including the moon’s influence, and she also misunderstood the amount of influence it had. And that wasn’t even including the influence of Eidna, of her memory, and of what she had done to him while she had lived.

“I can change voluntarily when I’m calm. When I’m pissed or stressed or provoked, it’s never voluntary. Then, there’s battles. I can never resist the call near a battle. And then, the moon. Full moons are obvious, the easiest, and… then the new moon. You have no fucking idea how painful it is to morph during the new moon… but sometimes I do anyway,”he said with a sigh.

He watched her warily, taking a single step back. After a few more deep breaths, Mardicos didn’t move anymore, just watching her approach. Her words stunned him. How could she trust him? Him? It made no sense.

Mardicos stared at her hand for a long moment, then looked at her. He didn’t know what to do. Part of him still wanted to run, but now the other part was telling him to go with her. Why did that darker side want to go with her? Or was it just a trick, an innocent stay that would turn into another bloody mess?

“I don’t want to hurt you. And, if for any reason, that wolf gets out, I will kill you. I don’t want that,”he said, his voice quiet and pleading. He wasn’t sure what he was begging for, what he planned to do. He was lost, too flustered and torn to really think.

Farah studied him desperately. She kept her arm extended, and it was within reach for him to take without moving. "Mardicos, I can defend myself if the need were to arise," she said quietly. It would mean using more magic than she'd used in years, but she could do it. She knew how powerful, how capable she was.

"You told me your most sensitive moment in your past… it's time I returned the favor." Farah's words were shaky and her voice was quiet. "But inside… please."

Mardicos stared at Farah and her outstretched hand for a long moment. He was still torn, still worried he’d hurt her, and it nagged at him, but he found himself wanting more and more to stay.

He then noticed how shaky she had become. With a gentle grip, he took her hand in his, his thumb caressing the back of her hand.

“Alright. But… don’t rush yourself if you’re not ready,”he said softly.

A few random thoughts came to his head then. It was obviously morning, and he hadn’t eaten anything since that bear cub last night, and then a small dinner before that. And, besides that, he was still covered in dirt, and would be going back into her house again. What was he going to do?

“Um… strange question before we head inside… Do you have somewhere I might wash? Or could you maybe even summon a rain cloud or some such? I am feeling awfully self-conscious right now,”he said, chuckling shyly. He then started wiping off the tears on his face with his free hand.

Farah sighed with relief when he finally took her hand. It was amazing how familiar his touch was to her already. It was rough and wild and… comforting.

"You deserve to know," she murmured, faintly smiling, but it was gone quickly. "It's the reason why I live here now and not where I came from. And… why I'm terrified of…" She trailed off, holding up her hands to symbolize her powers.

At his request, she chuckled quietly. "Yes, I can do that." Her eyes turned silver-blue, and she gathered moisture from the air to rain down on him and wash him as he'd asked.

Mardicos smiled a bit, starting to draw small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. She was still so soothing to be around, and holding her hand reminded him of simpler times, before he had learned that Eidna was a cruel witch, when all he knew was the adoration in the Queen of Flame’s eyes. Would Farah ever look at him that way? Or would his fears be prophetic once again?

Mardicos nodded at her words.

“Much like how my past has influenced my decision to roam as a feral,”he replied softly in understanding.

He noticed her eyes change again, still fascinated by it. Though, it was probably not a good idea to keep meeting those eyes. But, it was difficult not to.

When the rain fell on him, it tore him from his thoughts, and he couldn’t help bursting into laughter. She was a witch. Of course, she could, and would, summon rain. Why hadn’t he expected it?

Regardless, it was refreshing, and it didn’t bother him at all that his clothes became soaked as well. Hell, they probably needed a good washing as well.

Farah couldn't help but smile at his amazed laughter. "I told you, I'm well versed," she remarked knowingly. He'd already seen her demonstrate her mind powers, earth powers, light powers, fire powers, and now water powers. Come to think of it, with the wind just a few moments ago, he'd also seen her air powers in use. Mardicos had gotten a glimpse into each type of magic she possessed, which suddenly made her feel extremely vulnerable.

"I can dry you off as well, whenever you're ready," she remarked, watching him with a soft gaze as her rain drenched his clothes and left him soaking wet.

“I know. I just didn’t consider how fast you could summon your magic. It’s amazing,”he replied, his mood considerably improved.

He hadn’t really noticed how much of her magic he had actually seen, but it didn’t matter to him. He had made it clear that he didn’t want to hurt her, involuntarily or otherwise, and he always stuck to his word. So, when he smelled that something was off about Farah, he gave her a gentle smile and his other hand wrapped around hers, cradling and caressing her soft fingers.

“Being wet doesn’t bother me, but I understand that dripping water everywhere isn’t always ideal. Whenever is fine,”he said with a chuckle.

A happy, even playful, gleam had entered his eyes, and it was accentuated by the strands of hair splayed on his face. The starkness of the white streaks in his jet black hair was even more apparent, and some of the stray strands were a combination of the two colors.

Farah smiled. "I've created this barrier as a conduit to the magic of the land. Channeling my magic isn't difficult outside, but it's even easier in here," she explained softly.

A soft gasp escaped her as he touched her hand so gently. It was odd to see the gentle side to a man who took on such a hostile creature in his other form, but Farah found herself comforted by his delicate treatment of her. The way he handled her, it seemed that he thought she'd break if he was too rough with her.

She studied the effect the water had on him, rejuvenating and uplifting. She kept herself out of the way of the raindrops, knowing that if she got wet, she could dry herself, but she allowed Mardicos to indulge in the water alone.

“I never thought that the land itself would have magic. That actually explains a lot,”he said, intrigued.

Mardicos heard her gasp and his smile grew slightly. He continued to cradle her hand in both of his.

“I want you to know that, even with my fears and my curse, I hold no ill will toward you in any way. I was raised to be a gentleman, and I have always done my best to remain so. And you, dear Farah, have done so much for me. I honestly don’t know how to repay you, and that’s just for the things you’ve already done,”he said softly.

It took him a moment to notice Farah’s avoidance of the rain, but it didn’t really bother Mardicos. If she didn’t want to get wet, that was her choice. He was actually quite content. It had been awhile since he’d savored a good rainy day. And if he was in his wolf form, he’d likely be playing around in the mud or chomping at the rain droplets.

That thought brought a snicker out of him. Even when he was a small boy, he’d always found the rain both fascinating and amusing. Though, despite all the fun times in the rain, he loved snow above any other form of weather. He was a child of the mountains after all.

"The land is how I use my magic," Farah murmured. "I… I use the elements. In fact, you've seen little bits of each element already," she finally admitted.

But despite her own wishes, the fairy's entire demeanor softened when he addressed her as "dear Farah." Her warm brown eyes met his blue-grey ones, and she found herself trapped in his gaze, but she didn't panic.

"I don't wish a payment of any kind," she assured him gently. "I don't expect my acts of kindness to be reciprocated anymore." Her eyes lowered, almost embarrassed as she spoke, but before she did, Farah noted the childish glint in his eyes that came with the rain.

Farah almost wished she could be childish again. Her youth had been taken from her quickly, by Rosalind, and she'd been turned into a loyal soldier before she even realized it. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt genuinely relaxed in the presence of another… until now.

“That… actually makes a lot of sense. I don’t know much about magic, so this is all new to me. And…”Mardicos trailed off in thought, trying to remember all of the examples.

“I didn’t realize that until now. It’s intriguing, but, if I’m honest, it’s also a bit daunting. You are powerful enough to remove scars that no one else could. I can only imagine what you can do with the rest of your magic,”he said.

He stared into her eyes for a long while, amazed by both her power and her beauty. And the way she seemed to relax at his words made her even more mesmerizing.

Without realizing it, Mardicos took a step forward, still cradling Farah’s hand, still staring into her eyes. He then blinked when she started speaking, momentarily dazed.

“I understand… but I would be a poor excuse of a gentleman if I did not express my gratitude somehow,”Mardicos said. He moved a hand to gently lift her chin so their eyes could meet again. His other hand wrapped around hers, holding it tenderly.

“Shall we head back inside, that I may properly acknowledge, and savor, your hospitality?”he asked softly.

Farah smiled weakly. She didn't like to talk about her power… and for good reason. When they got inside, she would tell him, as she promised, the darkest moment from her past. She could feel her heart beginning to race at the thought of telling someone what had happened, but she immediately relaxed when Mardicos took a step closer to her and lifted her chin.

The mind fairy instantly flushed, and the rain stopped. For a moment – one sweet moment – it was the two of them with their gazes locked and their hands together.

"Yes," Farah breathed her answer before smirking casually and using her air magic combined with a slight bit of fire magic to dry him off with a heavy gust of wind.