You know it’s no ordinary horse by immediate sight, its eyes glowing red and its coat a pure, glossy shadow-black that melts into the alley’s shadows. But if you hadn’t recognized it by that, you’d have recognized its mistress astride its back, long dark braid spilling out from her hood: The Storm-Ridden Flock Above Bare Branches, sometimes known as the Rider.
"I figured," you say, shrugging, some of the tension leaving your shoulders in the motion.
"Of course you did,” she says. "We won't have much time before Crow notices I'm missing."
"Sure.” You nod, and pinch the bridge of your nose, not bothering to mention that this isn’t the greatest time; she knows that well enough. “Are we going to find ourselves at odds again soon? I don't know if you can tell me what your orders are."
"I hope not," she chuckles. It's more of a cackle, but you know her well enough to know it's a humorous reaction, not any kind of baiting. "Red Crow's orders are to keep the factions fighting. Mine are to assist him in any way he asks.
"But that's not what my mistress really wants."
She tosses something at you.
You catch it—not as deftly as Oroonoko would, but you don't fumble. It's some sort of small leather sack, with laces around one end; you open it, curious, but there’s nothing inside. Though—it’s just about the right size to be tied around a horse's hoof, now that you think of it.
"Take that to your Dragonblooded friend,” says the Rider. “She'll know what to make of it."
You look up again, and give a curt nod. "I will," you say. "And also—I was wondering—“
You pause for a moment. Should you go on? Is it even right to expect an answer from her? After all, what you’ve been to each other in the past—colleagues, friends, occasional lovers—well, you more or less cut off any future there when you left the Walker’s service, never to return.
Still, though, you forge ahead: “Why are you helping me?"
The Rider smiles, with a tinge of bitterness. ”Because we're friends? And—because my mission is not Red Crow's mission. My true mission, that is."
You pause for a long second, but then smile in turn, though it’s a bittersweet expression. That's enough. "I—well, I'm glad you still count me as a friend. I just wish I'd met you anywhere else." You tuck some stray hair behind your ear, and the smile fades. “I guess the Seer hasn’t changed much. What is your mission, anyway?"
The Rider sighs. "Rain, there's much more going on here than a single, ancient feud. You've met the Seer. She always sends us on these odd quests that seem nonsensical, but always make sense after the fact. For whatever reason, she wants the Roseblack off of this isle, with her army intact. And do not tell anyone I told you that."
"Well—" You sigh, albeit in mild relief. So your plans do align. "Consider it secret. I'm... glad to hear that, although I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me more than a little uneasy."
A brief bark of laughter. For a moment, the atmosphere is such that you could be back together in the Seer’s manse, swapping black humor over trading sips from a flask. “You and me both."
You laugh, as honestly as you have in a long while. "You should know that some of my friends have designs on killing Red Crow. You might want to make sure you're out of the way when they come after him."
She cackles again, and crosses her arms across her leather-armored chest with a smirk. "You mean you have designs on his head. Don't worry, I'll stay out of the fight."
"Well—you know me." You smile again, though this time it doesn't really reach to your eyes. "Although—well. I have something else I need to take care of, before that." You pause, rubbing at your arms, and the old scars there. "Something bad's going to happen if I keep going like this."
She starts to turn her horse away. "Rain... it was good to see you again." Though before she lifts the reins to ride off, she adds, as parting— "Think back, Rain. Have you ever seen me miss a shot?"
Her horse disappears into the darkness.
Notable:
White-haired Shrike.
That sure is an evil-looking horse.
Remember that asshole from Memory 4 and one of Persephone's memories? That seems to be "Red Crow"
She seems to be in a similar climate/area to the one she was in for Memory 13.
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softlyfalling) wrote2019-01-24 12:53 am
memory 014
"I figured," you say, shrugging, some of the tension leaving your shoulders in the motion.
"Of course you did,” she says. "We won't have much time before Crow notices I'm missing."
"Sure.” You nod, and pinch the bridge of your nose, not bothering to mention that this isn’t the greatest time; she knows that well enough. “Are we going to find ourselves at odds again soon? I don't know if you can tell me what your orders are."
"I hope not," she chuckles. It's more of a cackle, but you know her well enough to know it's a humorous reaction, not any kind of baiting. "Red Crow's orders are to keep the factions fighting. Mine are to assist him in any way he asks.
"But that's not what my mistress really wants."
She tosses something at you.
You catch it—not as deftly as Oroonoko would, but you don't fumble. It's some sort of small leather sack, with laces around one end; you open it, curious, but there’s nothing inside. Though—it’s just about the right size to be tied around a horse's hoof, now that you think of it.
"Take that to your Dragonblooded friend,” says the Rider. “She'll know what to make of it."
You look up again, and give a curt nod. "I will," you say. "And also—I was wondering—“
You pause for a moment. Should you go on? Is it even right to expect an answer from her? After all, what you’ve been to each other in the past—colleagues, friends, occasional lovers—well, you more or less cut off any future there when you left the Walker’s service, never to return.
Still, though, you forge ahead: “Why are you helping me?"
The Rider smiles, with a tinge of bitterness. ”Because we're friends? And—because my mission is not Red Crow's mission. My true mission, that is."
You pause for a long second, but then smile in turn, though it’s a bittersweet expression. That's enough. "I—well, I'm glad you still count me as a friend. I just wish I'd met you anywhere else." You tuck some stray hair behind your ear, and the smile fades. “I guess the Seer hasn’t changed much. What is your mission, anyway?"
The Rider sighs. "Rain, there's much more going on here than a single, ancient feud. You've met the Seer. She always sends us on these odd quests that seem nonsensical, but always make sense after the fact. For whatever reason, she wants the Roseblack off of this isle, with her army intact. And do not tell anyone I told you that."
"Well—" You sigh, albeit in mild relief. So your plans do align. "Consider it secret. I'm... glad to hear that, although I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me more than a little uneasy."
A brief bark of laughter. For a moment, the atmosphere is such that you could be back together in the Seer’s manse, swapping black humor over trading sips from a flask. “You and me both."
You laugh, as honestly as you have in a long while. "You should know that some of my friends have designs on killing Red Crow. You might want to make sure you're out of the way when they come after him."
She cackles again, and crosses her arms across her leather-armored chest with a smirk. "You mean you have designs on his head. Don't worry, I'll stay out of the fight."
"Well—you know me." You smile again, though this time it doesn't really reach to your eyes. "Although—well. I have something else I need to take care of, before that." You pause, rubbing at your arms, and the old scars there. "Something bad's going to happen if I keep going like this."
She starts to turn her horse away. "Rain... it was good to see you again." Though before she lifts the reins to ride off, she adds, as parting— "Think back, Rain. Have you ever seen me miss a shot?"
Her horse disappears into the darkness.
Notable: