Fantasy ~ An Icy Encounter ~

[Kiss and Cry]

With the glow of sunrise becoming more and more prevalent in the repurposed inn, candles and lanterns were being doused as the makeshift barracks began to bustle with the early risers. The large stately building of curved wooden roofs and stonework would've made for an impressive sight were it not for the ravages of war; judging by the sheer size of the mahogany doors, the place must've been a popular place with merchants and common travelers alike. The Tierran soldiers who had come with Aria's unit had left their mark, with every instance of the Calligian double-headed eagle being defaced, sometimes brutally. One carving in the main hall, too big to be cut down, was instead draped with the Gryphon banner of the Kingdom.

Despite the thorough job the first Tierran residents did of vandalizing the place, the furnishings were left mostly intact. As such, it was easy for Aria to navigate through the brightening halls until she reached the main foyer that doubled as a pub. Some Dragoons, evident with the same blood-red coat Aria wore, were nursing morning drinks, scarfing down a rudimentary breakfast, or maintaining their personal kit in preparation for the day. They weren't her business yet; she had to get breakfast for herself and Evelyn first and foremost.

The few civilians who minded the inn and its tavern were not happy when the Tierran Dragoons marched in and made the place early on in the occupation. The few Officers, Aria included, were at least civil and maintained strict discipline with the common troops. Despite a few incidents with drunken Dragoons, most of the staff had begrudgingly remained to serve the new occupants, so long as they continued to provide coin. Aria herself didn't draw in as much attention when she helped herself into the kitchen, where a few Calligian civilians were up ladling a foreign-looking stew into wooden bowls. Aria helped herself to two steaming bowls and crudely carved wooden spoons, and after taking a leftover loaf of baked bread that the cooks didn't seem to have a problem with, Aria left with one Tower less in her purse and a decent breakfast in hand.

"... Geh, I forgot to check on Serry... I'll do it after breakfast."

Random thought aside, Aria was back standing in front of the door to her assigned room. Evelyn had just finished exploring and uncovering what personal belongings Aria had in that room when the Dragoon knocked on the door with the toe her boot. "Miss Celice? I got some bread and stew for us." Of course, Aria had completely neglected that she needed both hands to carry the bowls of stew and bread she was carrying, so the otherwise mundane affair of opening a door turned comical as Aria resorted to awkwardly cradling one bowl in the crook of her elbow while her now-free hand opened the door in front of her.

Evelyn's gaze urgently turned to the door from the sound of the knock, and the promise of food. She hadn't even realized how hungry she had been with everything that had been going on. Had she been without food for the hundred days she had missed? No, that wasn't physically possible, she knew that much.

Regardless, Evelyn was quick to spring to help Aria, carefully sliding the bowl of warm stew out of the younger lady's awkward grip. "Thank you." Evelyn expressed her gratitude, flashing a warm smile towards Aria.

As she sat down in front of the small table, placed the bowl down, and grabbed the crude spoon, her eyes gravitated towards the bed again. More specifically, underneath the bed. She stared at the darkness there, unable to forget what was being kept there. After staring emptily underneath the bed for a few seconds, soup spoon in hand, Evelyn's eyes turned to Aria, who seemed focused on just eating for now.

Suddenly it felt strange to thank and smile at the younger lady, knowing what she might do in the war, or might already have done.

A slight sigh escaped Evelyn's lips. She couldn't focus on that right now. She needed to eat. After all, she didn't want to die of starvation before reaching the outpost. Fortunately, any thoughts of war or anything else of the sort disappeared the second she brought the first mouthful of the stew into her mouth. For the soldiers that had been eating the same stew for months, it might have been bland and just a means for nourishment, but for Evelyn it felt like the tastiest meal she had had in years. Hell, for all she knew, it might have been the first one for her in months now!

Less than two minutes had passed, and Evelyn had emptied the bowl completely, scraping every last drop of the stew out of the bowl, letting out a deep exhale of satisfaction afterwards. After placing the spoon back in the bowl, Evelyn placed the palm of her left hand over the back of her right hand, and gave Aria a small bow in her chair. It was the traditional way of thanking someone for a meal, the Espian way. Having done multiple times every day of her life, it came out nearly automatically for Evelyn after every meal she ate, no matter what.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Evelyn was quick to spring to help Aria, carefully sliding the bowl of warm stew out of the younger lady's awkward grip. "Thank you." Evelyn expressed her gratitude, flashing a warm smile towards Aria.

As she sat down in front of the small table, placed the bowl down, and grabbed the crude spoon, her eyes gravitated towards the bed again. More specifically, underneath the bed. She stared at the darkness there, unable to forget what was being kept there. After staring emptily underneath the bed for a few seconds, soup spoon in hand, Evelyn's eyes turned to Aria, who seemed focused on just eating for now.

Suddenly it felt strange to thank and smile at the younger lady, knowing what she might do in the war, or might already have done.

A slight sigh escaped Evelyn's lips. She couldn't focus on that right now. She needed to eat. After all, she didn't want to die of starvation before reaching the outpost. Fortunately, any thoughts of war or anything else of the sort disappeared the second she brought the first mouthful of the stew into her mouth. For the soldiers that had been eating the same stew for months, it might have been bland and just a means for nourishment, but for Evelyn it felt like the tastiest meal she had had in years. Hell, for all she knew, it might have been the first one for her in months now!

Less than two minutes had passed, and Evelyn had emptied the bowl completely, scraping every last drop of the stew out of the bowl, letting out a deep exhale of satisfaction afterwards. After placing the spoon back in the bowl, Evelyn placed the palm of her left hand over the back of her right hand, and gave Aria a small bow in her chair. It was the traditional way of thanking someone for a meal, the Espian way. Having done multiple times every day of her life, it came out nearly automatically for Evelyn after every meal she ate, no matter what.

Aria blinked and stared rather blankly when Evelyn managed to completely devour her bowl of stew, and at a record pace no less. Aria would admit that Evelyn likely never had something like a traditional Tierran stew before then, but the fact was that when a meal so ubiquitous with common Tierran culture was served day-in and day-out to the troops without much in the way of variety, even the hardiest of Dragoons would grow sick of the monotony. Aria herself had already grown a tad bored of the stew after a straight month of nothing but it and the occasional hardtack...

Still, Evelyn looked completely content with the humble bowl of beef and vegetable stew, and she was quick enough to pick up on foreign cultural cues despite knowing little about Espian culture. "Think nothing of the meal, Miss Celice. I'm honor-bound to care for you until you're safely back home in Espea with your family." Aria herself was slower and more deliberate with her own steaming bowl, both to keep herself and her uniform clean of spillage and because she wasn't enjoying the bowl as much as Evelyn had.

"After this, I'll be checking on and caring for my horse in the stables outside; he's been growing restless since he can't freely wander like back home in my family estate." The look of fondness in Aria's eye was hard to miss, and the little smile she didn't realize she had on told a lot about her affection for her mount. Mayhaps she was an animal lover? "You're free to do whatever you wish; I'll mostly be taking care of business and keeping an eye on the unassigned Dragoons in the inn since I can't do a whole lot as a Cornet. I'd advise some caution if you plan on going outside alone though: if you're seen with me or any of the other Dragoons, you might get labelled as one of us by the Calligians still in the city. They haven't warmed up to us yet."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Aria blinked and stared rather blankly when Evelyn managed to completely devour her bowl of stew, and at a record pace no less. Aria would admit that Evelyn likely never had something like a traditional Tierran stew before then, but the fact was that when a meal so ubiquitous with common Tierran culture was served day-in and day-out to the troops without much in the way of variety, even the hardiest of Dragoons would grow sick of the monotony. Aria herself had already grown a tad bored of the stew after a straight month of nothing but it and the occasional hardtack...

Still, Evelyn looked completely content with the humble bowl of beef and vegetable stew, and she was quick enough to pick up on foreign cultural cues despite knowing little about Espian culture. "Think nothing of the meal, Miss Celice. I'm honor-bound to care for you until you're safely back home in Espea with your family." Aria herself was slower and more deliberate with her own steaming bowl, both to keep herself and her uniform clean of spillage and because she wasn't enjoying the bowl as much as Evelyn had.

Honour-bound, huh? To be completely honest, the concept of "honour" was a foreign one to Evelyn. Aria was honour-bound to care for Evelyn until she got back home, but simultaneously, she'd most likely be honour-bound to go into war if she was called to it, and to take another person's life there, if necessary. She wondered where the honour in that was. "In Espea, we're taught that we should be grateful for every meal, no matter what, because it might be your last." Evelyn clarified her show of gratitude. Only after saying it out loud did she realize how morbid the tradition sounded, when worded in such a simple way.

"After this, I'll be checking on and caring for my horse in the stables outside; he's been growing restless since he can't freely wander like back home in my family estate." The look of fondness in Aria's eye was hard to miss, and the little smile she didn't realize she had on told a lot about her affection for her mount. Mayhaps she was an animal lover? "You're free to do whatever you wish; I'll mostly be taking care of business and keeping an eye on the unassigned Dragoons in the inn since I can't do a whole lot as a Cornet. I'd advise some caution if you plan on going outside alone though: if you're seen with me or any of the other Dragoons, you might get labelled as one of us by the Calligians still in the city. They haven't warmed up to us yet."

Evelyn caught the glimpse of fondness in Aria's expression when speaking about the horse, and she could only assume that she had a special connection with the mount. A slight smirk grew on Evelyn's face as well, as it reminded her of the horse back home, Maple. Although Maple wasn't exactly a distinguished mount for a knight, and rather a work horse who only felt like actually working half of the time, Evelyn had grown fond of the animal over time.

"Don't worry, I won't wander too far." Evelyn tried to ease some of Aria's nerves. "I mean, I wouldn't even know where to go in the first place..." She added afterwards with a slight chuckle, although it wasn't an exactly humorous situation.

Evelyn got up from the chair, and stashed the piece of bread that she had received in her pocket, in case she got hungry out on the town. She gently pulled the hood of her cloak onto her head, just in case. Based on Aria's warnings, it'd probably be best off if she didn't attract too much attention to herself, since she didn't want the residents to mistake her for one of the foreign invaders.

"Then... Should we meet back here, in the evening, for example?" Evelyn wanted to confirm, one foot essentially out the door already.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"In Espea, we're taught that we should be grateful for every meal, no matter what, because it might be your last." Evelyn clarified her show of gratitude. Only after saying it out loud did she realize how morbid the tradition sounded, when worded in such a simple way.

"Don't worry, I won't wander too far." Evelyn tried to ease some of Aria's nerves. "I mean, I wouldn't even know where to go in the first place..." She added afterwards with a slight chuckle, although it wasn't an exactly humorous situation.

Evelyn got up from the chair, and stashed the piece of bread that she had received in her pocket, in case she got hungry out on the town. She gently pulled the hood of her cloak onto her head, just in case. Based on Aria's warnings, it'd probably be best off if she didn't attract too much attention to herself, since she didn't want the residents to mistake her for one of the foreign invaders.

"Then... Should we meet back here, in the evening, for example?" Evelyn wanted to confirm, one foot essentially out the door already.

"Anytime you so wish; the stables my fellow Dragoons keep their horses is right outside here, so chances are that you can find me there or still inside this inn at any given point." Aria waved off, some minor concern still in her expression over Evelyn being set free to wander Noringa by her lonesome. Her specific troop was well-disciplined and honourable, with the only cases of vandalism being every instance of Calligian symbolism. The same couldn't be said for the other regiments in Noringa however...

While Aria's lonesome Troop of Dragoons were the only one of their kind present in the Calligian city, there were plenty of other Tierran regiments that were also present. The venerable "Lancers of the Rose" with their signature long spears and white feather plumage on their helms were hardly inconspicuous on their feared mounts, and the drab grey-green coats of the Tierran Line Infantry and Halberdiers were almost everywhere in Noringa. Aria could vouch for the honour of the Lancers, being held to a higher standard than even Dragoons, but the common soldier were unpredictable outside of battle...

"Go on; I'll clean up after us. Just be careful, you hear?"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"Anytime you so wish; the stables my fellow Dragoons keep their horses is right outside here, so chances are that you can find me there or still inside this inn at any given point." Aria waved off, some minor concern still in her expression over Evelyn being set free to wander Noringa by her lonesome. Her specific troop was well-disciplined and honourable, with the only cases of vandalism being every instance of Calligian symbolism. The same couldn't be said for the other regiments in Noringa however...

While Aria's lonesome Troop of Dragoons were the only one of their kind present in the Calligian city, there were plenty of other Tierran regiments that were also present. The venerable "Lancers of the Rose" with their signature long spears and white feather plumage on their helms were hardly inconspicuous on their feared mounts, and the drab grey-green coats of the Tierran Line Infantry and Halberdiers were almost everywhere in Noringa. Aria could vouch for the honour of the Lancers, being held to a higher standard than even Dragoons, but the common soldier were unpredictable outside of battle...

"Go on; I'll clean up after us. Just be careful, you hear?"

"Of course I will!"

Evelyn shouted from the hallway in response. The scene seemed all too familiar for some odd reason. It reminded Evelyn of a parent, telling their child to be careful when they went out to play. Her own parents. Who now believed their only daughter dead, most likely. Not for long, though, hopefully.

Evelyn quickly made her way through the barracks, trying to not let her curiosity get the better of her, and lead her anywhere she shouldn't be. Once outside, she spotted the large building connected to the main one, which she assumed to be the stables that Aria had mentioned. Even though seeing some horses there might have made her feel a bit more at ease, and relaxed, Evelyn considered it more important to get a handle on where she was right now, and the state of things.

Passing the stable, she took her time walking towards the city centre, with her eyes pointed upwards at the buildings in awe. Grand architecture. That's all she knew of Noringa, and that much was definitely true. The grand, spiring towers rose towards the clouds, connected to larger buildings that could host an entire village inside. It was truly a sight to behold, especially for Evelyn, whose town wasn't exactly known for architecture of any sort.

When Evelyn's gaze moved down to street level, that's where the awe quickly faded away. What she assumed to be a busy market square, with merchants and products flowing from every nook and cranny, was completely abandoned instead. The streets were all but empty. The wooden market stands had been left in the city square, a handful of now rotten vegetables or fruits left there. The results of war.

Even if blood and bodies didn't cover the streets, it felt like it to Evelyn. It was almost eerie. It was almost as if the spirits of the merchants were still clinging onto the market square, making the air feel heavy to breathe there, weighing down on Evelyn's chest. Getting a proper inhale felt like an impossibility. She had to get out of there.

Taking a sharp turn to a smaller side alley from the square, she finally spotted another person, that wasn't a Dragoon, or something similar. A shabby older man, sitting on the small stairs that lead to an even shabbier-looking house. The man was clearly down on his luck based on his appearance, having a long, overgrown beard and hair to match, as well as dirty, ragged clothing.

A pang of sympathy hit Evelyn. She couldn't stop the war, but she should at least do something. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed the small loaf of bread she had leftover, and extended it towards the man. "Excuse me...?" She cleared her throat quietly to get his attention. "You can have this." She offered, sporting a weak smile, while waiting for the response.

The man stared at Evelyn for a few seconds in silence, his dull expression hard to read. He aggressively snatched the loaf from the young woman, and took a bite of it right away. While still chewing, he lifted his eyes to meet Evelyn's ice-blue ones. "Leave me alone, Tierran dog..." The man grumbled with an angry tone of voice, getting Evelyn to flinch slightly from the unexpected response.

"N-No, no, I'm not-" The white-haired Espean was about to retort and explain, but she stopped mid-way. Don't draw attention to yourself. If she were to explain and make a scene with the man here, she might get herself and Aria in trouble, and that meant no way home.

"I'm so sorry.'" An apathetic frown formed on Evelyn's face as she apologized to the man, and walked away, not daring to look back.

 

[Aron the Aron]

With Evelyn gone to explore and wander (hopefully without causing trouble), Aria sighed to herself as she gathered the wooden bowls and cutlery left over from their breakfast. Aria would have to admit that Evelyn was an interesting person, and not just because she wasn't an enemy who was immediately thinking of ways to kill her, another Tierran nobleman who simply saw her as a potential trophy wife, or an Officer who saw her as an obstacle from another promotion, and the fame and fortune that came with it. Evelyn was a farmgirl who needed help, and despite their difference in station, she easily talked to Aria without that feeling of walking on eggshells. It was a refreshing change of pace.

With breakfast cleared away and Evelyn no longer in the room, Aria turned and set about her usual daily ritual: clean her weapons and armor, write in her journal, care for her horse, then report in for duty. Her armor and clothing were the easiest pieces of her equipment that she could reach, so they were first. Her sewing needle and threads were always a quick reach in the nightstand away, and with technique learned from her mother she began her work.

Every frayed stitch she found on her gambeson she found with a critical gaze. Every patch and hole she spotted on her skirt and tights she painstakingly mended with a steady hand. Every missing button on her greatcoat, every broken lace on her boots, she would fix again and again until they were perfect in her mind's eye. She would accept nothing less than utter perfection, and when her uniform was properly cared for in her view, she smiled to herself with satisfaction.

Her armor proved a touch more troublesome to work out. The tiny imperfections on the otherwise smooth surface of her breastplate were remnant marks from that boarding action she partook in during her transit to Noringa, and the sight aggravated her to no end. Sadly, there was nothing she could do about them herself. The negligible mars weren't enough to warrant visiting a blacksmith over, and she was far from knowledgeable when it came to the art of blacksmithing and hammering. Loathe as she was to admit, she could only dust and clean the straps that held her armor together until it sustained enough battle damage to require repair... or replacement.

Then came her weapons. It took a few minutes to fetch everything from inside her nightstand: rags, a bottle of grease for her carbine and pistol, and a whetstone for her cavalry sabre.
When Aria bent down under the bed to bring them out of hiding, she didn't miss the ramshackle way the cloth she had been wrapped around them and was puzzled. Odd; Aria clearly remembered putting them away properly when she came in the night before... Maybe she didn't do as good a job as she remembered; she had been more immediately concerned about Evelyn's condition... Bah, she should get going with the maintenance already.

The steel edge of Aria's sabre rang with a sharp hum when she pulled it free from it's scabbard. The blade had been a gift from her father for her sixteenth birthday, itself a precious heirloom that had been in the family for twelve generations. It had been a gift from one of the first kings of Tierra, back when the name "Brakava" meant something to the Courts. It's flawless blackened Tierran steel was still razor-sharp and diamond-hard like the day it had first landed in the family's hands, forged in flames made hotter than any mundane furnace by one of the finest fire mages of the era... at least, that was what her father would always tell when whenever they practiced her swordsmanship.

As she began the long process of sharpening her sabre, she couldn't help but let her mind wander...

"Go on; I'll clean up after us. Just be careful, you hear?"

Just remembering the words she had said seconds ago to Evelyn made her nostalgic for the family she had back home; she remembered saying similar things whenever she would call out to her younger brother and sister to not give their mother more grief with their boisterous personalities. It made her remember the younger and happier days. Days when her responsibilities were to fool around in the forests of her estate; days when all she needed to worry about was if she fed the horses before running off to play; days when she didn't need to worry about growing up... But reality was always hot on her heels from childhood. The Brakava Family was nobility of an old, bearing a proud name with influence dating back to the hero kings of old. But generations of waning material fortunes had taken their long toll on the family, and nobody was more affected than the one person she cared for most.

"Papa..."

He was the reason Aria was an entire ocean away from home, armed with heirlooms that had been passed down by the generations. She had to fight, not only out of a duty for her nation, but out of desperate hope that she could rescue the family from ruin. She couldn't afford to fail... She couldn't afford to let down her family...

"..."

Aria shook herself out of her reverie and went back to sharpening her cavalry sabre. She couldn't afford to brood or think; not when she had a war to win... not when she had a family to save...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

With Evelyn gone to explore and wander (hopefully without causing trouble), Aria sighed to herself as she gathered the wooden bowls and cutlery left over from their breakfast. Aria would have to admit that Evelyn was an interesting person, and not just because she wasn't an enemy who was immediately thinking of ways to kill her, another Tierran nobleman who simply saw her as a potential trophy wife, or an Officer who saw her as an obstacle from another promotion, and the fame and fortune that came with it. Evelyn was a farmgirl who needed help, and despite their difference in station, she easily talked to Aria without that feeling of walking on eggshells. It was a refreshing change of pace.

With breakfast cleared away and Evelyn no longer in the room, Aria turned and set about her usual daily ritual: clean her weapons and armor, write in her journal, care for her horse, then report in for duty. Her armor and clothing were the easiest pieces of her equipment that she could reach, so they were first. Her sewing needle and threads were always a quick reach in the nightstand away, and with technique learned from her mother she began her work.

Every frayed stitch she found on her gambeson she found with a critical gaze. Every patch and hole she spotted on her skirt and tights she painstakingly mended with a steady hand. Every missing button on her greatcoat, every broken lace on her boots, she would fix again and again until they were perfect in her mind's eye. She would accept nothing less than utter perfection, and when her uniform was properly cared for in her view, she smiled to herself with satisfaction.

Her armor proved a touch more troublesome to work out. The tiny imperfections on the otherwise smooth surface of her breastplate were remnant marks from that boarding action she partook in during her transit to Noringa, and the sight aggravated her to no end. Sadly, there was nothing she could do about them herself. The negligible mars weren't enough to warrant visiting a blacksmith over, and she was far from knowledgeable when it came to the art of blacksmithing and hammering. Loathe as she was to admit, she could only dust and clean the straps that held her armor together until it sustained enough battle damage to require repair... or replacement.

Then came her weapons. It took a few minutes to fetch everything from inside her nightstand: rags, a bottle of grease for her carbine and pistol, and a whetstone for her cavalry sabre.
When Aria bent down under the bed to bring them out of hiding, she didn't miss the ramshackle way the cloth she had been wrapped around them and was puzzled. Odd; Aria clearly remembered putting them away properly when she came in the night before... Maybe she didn't do as good a job as she remembered; she had been more immediately concerned about Evelyn's condition... Bah, she should get going with the maintenance already.

The steel edge of Aria's sabre rang with a sharp hum when she pulled it free from it's scabbard. The blade had been a gift from her father for her sixteenth birthday, itself a precious heirloom that had been in the family for twelve generations. It had been a gift from one of the first kings of Tierra, back when the name "Brakava" meant something to the Courts. It's flawless blackened Tierran steel was still razor-sharp and diamond-hard like the day it had first landed in the family's hands, forged in flames made hotter than any mundane furnace by one of the finest fire mages of the era... at least, that was what her father would always tell when whenever they practiced her swordsmanship.

As she began the long process of sharpening her sabre, she couldn't help but let her mind wander...



Just remembering the words she had said seconds ago to Evelyn made her nostalgic for the family she had back home; she remembered saying similar things whenever she would call out to her younger brother and sister to not give their mother more grief with their boisterous personalities. It made her remember the younger and happier days. Days when her responsibilities were to fool around in the forests of her estate; days when all she needed to worry about was if she fed the horses before running off to play; days when she didn't need to worry about growing up... But reality was always hot on her heels from childhood. The Brakava Family was nobility of an old, bearing a proud name with influence dating back to the hero kings of old. But generations of waning material fortunes had taken their long toll on the family, and nobody was more affected than the one person she cared for most.

"Papa..."

He was the reason Aria was an entire ocean away from home, armed with heirlooms that had been passed down by the generations. She had to fight, not only out of a duty for her nation, but out of desperate hope that she could rescue the family from ruin. She couldn't afford to fail... She couldn't afford to let down her family...

"..."

Aria shook herself out of her reverie and went back to sharpening her cavalry sabre. She couldn't afford to brood or think; not when she had a war to win... not when she had a family to save...

After the unfortunate encounter with the local, Evelyn found herself deeper within the city, in an alleyway branching away from the market square. Her eyes were pointed down at the ground as she took one slow step forward after another. Her monotonous rhythm of walking with her head occupied with thoughts of war was soon interrupted by a small puddle, as she stopped right in front of it. The girl stood in front of the small puddle, and stared at the reflection, frozen in her spot in the middle of the street.

Her hands slowly moved towards her hood, lifting it off of her head to reveal the white, formerly dark brown, locks of hair. Gently, Evelyn twirled her fingers around her own hair, observing the reflection as it obviously mirrored her movement. What on earth was going on? This had to be an illness of some kind, she was sure. Why hadn't Aria said anything to her about her hair?!

After getting over her initial shock, Evelyn wanted to take an even closer look, and knelt down on the ground, ignoring the fact that she was dirtying up her clothing. Essentially on all fours in front of the puddle, she stared at the reflection, until she noticed something even more intriguing than the sudden change in her hair. The same had happened to her eyes as well! The dark, hazel eyes that had matched her brown hair, had turned into a brilliant, bright blue, almost resembling shiny gemstones.

Carefully, Evelyn reached out with her hand, feeling an urge to touch the reflection in the water to make sure it was real, as it was hard to believe so. As soon as the tip of her slender finger gently touched the puddle, a small ripple travelled through the surface. The ripple, however, came to a sudden halt as the puddle began to solidify with frost.

"What the...!"

Shocked to see the sudden development, Evelyn nearly flow back on her behind in surprise, quickly pulling her hand away from the puddle. For a moment, the girl herself was frozen as well, just sat there, unable to move a muscle. Was she dreaming right now? Carefully, she got off her behind to look at the puddle again, if you could even call it such any more. The water, previously reflecting the sky and buildings above, had now frozen completely into a chunk of ice, perfectly moulded into the road.

Unable to believe it, Evelyn carefully knocked on the surface with her hand. Immediately, the surface felt cold against her knuckles, proving that it had really frozen over. Had... she done this? With her touch? No, there was no way. It just simply wasn't possible. She was hallucinating, surely!

To test this theory, Evelyn got up right away and nearly ran towards the next puddle, just a few steps along the same road. She crouched down with a racing heart, and reached her nervous hand to touch the new puddle...

And nothing. Absolutely nothing happened. Only a single finger in the lukewarm, dirty water. With her mouth agape, Evelyn held her finger in the puddle for a few seconds longer, until finally pulling it out. She must have looked insane doing this. And now, she was unsure what had actually happened. Glancing back over her shoulder, the frozen puddle was still there. It was driving her crazy.

She should go back. The faster she'd get away from this city, and back home, the faster things would go back to normal. That was the only logical outcome Evelyn could come right now. Swiftly, the girl turned around in the alleyway and pulled her cloak back over her hair, heading back towards the barracks.

 

[Aron the Aron]

The polished wooden lacquer of her Dragoon carbine gleamed in the windowlight as Aria gingerly enshrouded it under layers of old linen. The process of self-maintenance had consumed a lot of her focus and care, but the noblewoman was stubborn in going through with her morning ritual, and left all the more satisfied when she was finally done. She was always the glittering example of dress and decorum amongst her fellow Officers: clean, elegant, gallant, and with a healthy amount of courage that didn't come from a bottle. Sure, Aria attracted no small amount of envy and disdain for what some would call "pretentious showboating", but to her it was her way of showing dedication to everything. Tierra, her fellow Tierrans, and the righteous cause they fought for...

The cavalry sabre and pistol were already neatly tucked away on Aria's person when she returned her remaining weapon back to it's hiding place under the bed. Her trusted sabre sat ready to be drawn from her hip at a moment's notice, and the duelling flintlock she kept for emergencies was squared away in it's holster right next to her sabre, only visible via the butt of the grip sticking out from under the scabbard. Both weapons were startlingly easy to conceal despite Aria's size; her greatcoat proved a significant boon in masking the leather webbing around her waist.

"... I forgot my headdress!"

Snapping her fingers at an admittedly small detail, Aria marched around her room in search of one-and-only headdress. Uniformity was a bit lax for women of His Majesty's Army, considering the myriad accessories such as earrings, rings, necklaces, and pendants that many Lady-Officers wore with their uniforms; Aria was no different as she finally found what she had been looking for in her drawers.

The headpiece had been a gift from her mother: a delicate headband shaped like two interwoven wings of black. Besides the obvious fact that it made Aria seem that tiny bit taller than what she actually was, the headdress felt comfortable atop her head, and made her feel that tiny bit more distinctive without needing to rely on her size for fame...

Content that everything was in order, Aria d'al Brakava felt ready to tackle her day. She turned and fetched the bowls and utensils that she had left on the sidelines into one arm, and with the other, opened the door to tackle the no doubt innumerable problems that assailed an Officer in the midst of a war.

"... Uh, how long were you standing outside for Miss Celice?"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

The polished wooden lacquer of her Dragoon carbine gleamed in the windowlight as Aria gingerly enshrouded it under layers of old linen. The process of self-maintenance had consumed a lot of her focus and care, but the noblewoman was stubborn in going through with her morning ritual, and left all the more satisfied when she was finally done. She was always the glittering example of dress and decorum amongst her fellow Officers: clean, elegant, gallant, and with a healthy amount of courage that didn't come from a bottle. Sure, Aria attracted no small amount of envy and disdain for what some would call "pretentious showboating", but to her it was her way of showing dedication to everything. Tierra, her fellow Tierrans, and the righteous cause they fought for...

The cavalry sabre and pistol were already neatly tucked away on Aria's person when she returned her remaining weapon back to it's hiding place under the bed. Her trusted sabre sat ready to be drawn from her hip at a moment's notice, and the duelling flintlock she kept for emergencies was squared away in it's holster right next to her sabre, only visible via the butt of the grip sticking out from under the scabbard. Both weapons were startlingly easy to conceal despite Aria's size; her greatcoat proved a significant boon in masking the leather webbing around her waist.

"... I forgot my headdress!"

Snapping her fingers at an admittedly small detail, Aria marched around her room in search of one-and-only headdress. Uniformity was a bit lax for women of His Majesty's Army, considering the myriad accessories such as earrings, rings, necklaces, and pendants that many Lady-Officers wore with their uniforms; Aria was no different as she finally found what she had been looking for in her drawers.

The headpiece had been a gift from her mother: a delicate headband shaped like two interwoven wings of black. Besides the obvious fact that it made Aria seem that tiny bit taller than what she actually was, the headdress felt comfortable atop her head, and made her feel that tiny bit more distinctive without needing to rely on her size for fame...

Content that everything was in order, Aria d'al Brakava felt ready to tackle her day. She turned and fetched the bowls and utensils that she had left on the sidelines into one arm, and with the other, opened the door to tackle the no doubt innumerable problems that assailed an Officer in the midst of a war.

"... Uh, how long were you standing outside for Miss Celice?"

As Evelyn arrived back at the barracks, her thoughts were a mess. She walked through the door, and down the hallways of the building with a blank stare, pointed towards the wooden floorboards. What she had just seen, and experienced, it all seemed so impossible. Yet, it still felt so incredibly real. She could swear that she felt the jolt of energy flowing through her fingertip, into the small puddle to freeze it.

Evelyn paused outside the door leading back towards her room, essentially just staring at the handle. In the unlikely case, that what she had experienced was, in fact, not a hallucination, but her own doing somehow, what then? She couldn't replicate it for the second puddle. It happened by accident. That meant she didn't have control of whatever the occurrence was. Should she tell Aria about it? Conflicting thoughts filled her head even further. The Dragoon might know more about it...

Suddenly, the door swung open, and the two were face to face, both women just as surprised as each other. "Err... Just a minute, or so?" Evelyn responded to the question, unsure how long she had even been stuck in thought behind the door. "I wasn't trying to listen in, or anything!" She quickly raised her arms up in defence. "I was just... thinking about all the recent events." The farmer continued, technically not lying, but not telling everything either, at least just yet.

Being so close to Aria, Evelyn's eyes couldn't help but gravitate to the piece of headwear that the lady was sporting. It definitely didn't look like a traditional soldier's helmet. No, it was far from it, as it looked more ceremonial than anything.

"...What's that?" Evelyn lifted her hand, index finger pointed at the headdress, following up with the rather blunt question out of nowhere.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

Suddenly, the door swung open, and the two were face to face, both women just as surprised as each other. "Err... Just a minute, or so?" Evelyn responded to the question, unsure how long she had even been stuck in thought behind the door. "I wasn't trying to listen in, or anything!" She quickly raised her arms up in defence. "I was just... thinking about all the recent events." The farmer continued, technically not lying, but not telling everything either, at least just yet.

Being so close to Aria, Evelyn's eyes couldn't help but gravitate to the piece of headwear that the lady was sporting. It definitely didn't look like a traditional soldier's helmet. No, it was far from it, as it looked more ceremonial than anything.

"...What's that?" Evelyn lifted her hand, index finger pointed at the headdress, following up with the rather blunt question out of nowhere.

"Hm? Oh this!" Aria pointed at the headdress atop her head. "It was originally my mother's headdress, but she passed it down to me when I left for here. Claimed that 'the Saintess would watch over me' if I wore it into battle." She reached up and traced a finger up one of the silken wings she was wearing. "'The Wings of Saintess Frederica', Tis a legend of a Warrior Queen who united the kingdoms of the Winter Isles into the Unified Kingdom of Tierra four-hundred years ago; burning longsword in hand as she gathered everyone under the banner of the Grpyhon." Aria couldn't help but do a quick pirouette on the toes of her boots, letting Evelyn get a quick 360 of her headdress. "Do you like it?"

It looked a smidge silly when the headdress was clearly meant to be worn by someone a little larger than Aria; there was a lot of doubt that the wingtips were supposed to be criss-crossing like they were with their current wearer. The Dragoon herself didn't seem to give it much thought though; she was more concerned about Evelyn's wellbeing. "I was going to go down to the stables and brush my horse when I opened the door. Certainly didn't expect you to be standing there all silent."

It was only then that Aria brought up the distant and unfocused look Evelyn had snapped out of when she opened the door. "Are you okay? You look... pensive, if only a little. Did something happen while you were out?" Aria hadn't quite yet made the connection in her head that Evelyn had magic, and rightfully so. Mages were rare to the point of being urban legends, people you were always raised to believe in, yet never expect to meet yourself. The illness Evelyn had she chalked up to some exotic illness or strange hitherto condition that wasn't endemic to the Winter Isles, and she firmly believed that she'd never meet a mage in her lifetime...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"Hm? Oh this!" Aria pointed at the headdress atop her head. "It was originally my mother's headdress, but she passed it down to me when I left for here. Claimed that 'the Saintess would watch over me' if I wore it into battle." She reached up and traced a finger up one of the silken wings she was wearing. "'The Wings of Saintess Frederica', Tis a legend of a Warrior Queen who united the kingdoms of the Winter Isles into the Unified Kingdom of Tierra four-hundred years ago; burning longsword in hand as she gathered everyone under the banner of the Grpyhon." Aria couldn't help but do a quick pirouette on the toes of her boots, letting Evelyn get a quick 360 of her headdress. "Do you like it?"

Evelyn just listened silently with her mouth agape, taking in the brief, but impactful history lesson provided alongside the 360-degree view of the headdress. "It looks great on you! I had no idea there was a story like that behind it." Evelyn nodded in response, her attention momentarily diverted to her own clothing. She didn't have anything with a story quite like that. The only legendary history in her own clothing was the lengths she had to go to clean her tunic from the dirt and mud on the fields. She should get something like that, to pass down to her own children later on in life.

It looked a smidge silly when the headdress was clearly meant to be worn by someone a little larger than Aria; there was a lot of doubt that the wingtips were supposed to be criss-crossing like they were with their current wearer. The Dragoon herself didn't seem to give it much thought though; she was more concerned about Evelyn's wellbeing. "I was going to go down to the stables and brush my horse when I opened the door. Certainly didn't expect you to be standing there all silent."

It was only then that Aria brought up the distant and unfocused look Evelyn had snapped out of when she opened the door. "Are you okay? You look... pensive, if only a little. Did something happen while you were out?" Aria hadn't quite yet made the connection in her head that Evelyn had magic, and rightfully so. Mages were rare to the point of being urban legends, people you were always raised to believe in, yet never expect to meet yourself. The illness Evelyn had she chalked up to some exotic illness or strange hitherto condition that wasn't endemic to the Winter Isles, and she firmly believed that she'd never meet a mage in her lifetime...

Getting a bit side-tracked in her thoughts, Evelyn was soon brought back by Aria's sudden question. "Hm?" Evelyn's eyes refocused, meeting Aria's once again. "Oh, nothing that special. I was just a tad bit surprised, seeing the streets so empty." Evelyn flashed a forced, and somewhat uncomfortable smile. Her parents had always said to her that she was a bad liar. That her emotions showed on her face much too obviously to trick anyone. Maybe it was the case here as well.

Sensing that Aria might not be entirely convinced with the answer, Evelyn began to push the conversation forward. "You were headed to the stables, weren't you?" She rotated to a question of her own. "Do you mind if I join you there?" A follow-up question.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

Getting a bit side-tracked in her thoughts, Evelyn was soon brought back by Aria's sudden question. "Hm?" Evelyn's eyes refocused, meeting Aria's once again. "Oh, nothing that special. I was just a tad bit surprised, seeing the streets so empty." Evelyn flashed a forced, and somewhat uncomfortable smile. Her parents had always said to her that she was a bad liar. That her emotions showed on her face much too obviously to trick anyone. Maybe it was the case here as well.

Sensing that Aria might not be entirely convinced with the answer, Evelyn began to push the conversation forward. "You were headed to the stables, weren't you?" She rotated to a question of her own. "Do you mind if I join you there?" A follow-up question.

As a noble-born woman, Aria had been run through the obligatory lessons of the decorum, duplicity, and deception that came with the station. From birth, she was taught and had to learn for herself the languages of secrets and lies that was so rampant in aristocratic society. She'd be the first to tell anyone that she was no master of reading faces or picking up cues, but even she wasn't quite blind enough to not notice Evelyn's lie. The way the farmgirl forced a smile that felt as rushed as it was ingenuine, along with her hasty (and frankly: clumsy) attempts at redirecting attention away from herself drew deep concern out of the Dragoon. Aria had half-a-mind to press on and discover what was ailing her, simply out of the plain desire to help someone that clearly needed it.

"I don't mind at all; I'm sure the horses would love to see a new face after seeing the same Dragoons over and over again for the past few weeks!" Aria slipped by Evelyn and closed the door behind her with a satisfying click; and after ensuring the door was locked with a faded brass key, both women were on their way...

The inn's main foyer, which doubled as a pub, was the way through. The same Dragoons with their same morning drinks and breakfasts had gotten a quick bark out of Aria when she passed by. "Oi! Aren't you lot supposed to be at the Main Square for assignments? Git!" Even as the lowest-ranked Officer, an Officer was still an Officer, and none of the rank-and-file were eager to test their luck against a pint-sized Cornet. Most abandoned their drinks and left for the day's duties (and a possible berating from the Troop Captain for drinking on-duty), while the more sheepish had the decency to clean up after themselves before leaving.

The stables, it turned out, was a convenient door away from the pub. Granted, it was an inconspicuous door that was tucked away where nobody could really see it at first glance, but still, it was convenient. Just before Aria opened the door however, she turned and looked at Evelyn in her bright, ice-blue eyes.

"... I want to help you, Miss Celice; I want to help you in any way I can if you will allow me. This isn't me and my "noblesse oblige" or whatever; this is me from the bottom of my heart. I hope I can gain your trust, so that you don't have to feel like hiding anything from me."

Flashing one more smile, Aria swiftly turned back around and threw open the door as if she never said anything.

 

[Kiss and Cry]

As a noble-born woman, Aria had been run through the obligatory lessons of the decorum, duplicity, and deception that came with the station. From birth, she was taught and had to learn for herself the languages of secrets and lies that was so rampant in aristocratic society. She'd be the first to tell anyone that she was no master of reading faces or picking up cues, but even she wasn't quite blind enough to not notice Evelyn's lie. The way the farmgirl forced a smile that felt as rushed as it was ingenuine, along with her hasty (and frankly: clumsy) attempts at redirecting attention away from herself drew deep concern out of the Dragoon. Aria had half-a-mind to press on and discover what was ailing her, simply out of the plain desire to help someone that clearly needed it.

"I don't mind at all; I'm sure the horses would love to see a new face after seeing the same Dragoons over and over again for the past few weeks!" Aria slipped by Evelyn and closed the door behind her with a satisfying click; and after ensuring the door was locked with a faded brass key, both women were on their way...

The inn's main foyer, which doubled as a pub, was the way through. The same Dragoons with their same morning drinks and breakfasts had gotten a quick bark out of Aria when she passed by. "Oi! Aren't you lot supposed to be at the Main Square for assignments? Git!" Even as the lowest-ranked Officer, an Officer was still an Officer, and none of the rank-and-file were eager to test their luck against a pint-sized Cornet. Most abandoned their drinks and left for the day's duties (and a possible berating from the Troop Captain for drinking on-duty), while the more sheepish had the decency to clean up after themselves before leaving.

Evelyn simply nodded in response, just glad to turn the conversation away from herself. Maybe her small lie had worked out after all? It wasn't really even a lie, per se. She just... didn't tell the whole story. At least thinking about it like that made her feel a bit better about her deception.

As Evelyn followed Aria through the pub, she was a bit taken aback by the other soldiers that quickly began to disperse from just a few words from Aria. Sure, based on her equipment and clothing, Aria didn't seem like a common footman, but it was still a small surprise. Just how high-ranking was she exactly? Well, even if she were to tell Evelyn, she most likely wouldn't understand much, as ranks of soldiers wasn't something she had even a slight grasp of.

A few of the Dragoons that Evelyn passed cast a few curious glances towards the white-haired girl. They clearly wanted to know more about the strange lady following Aria, but held their tongues for now, especially after getting chewed out for just lounging about on the job. Meeting one of the soldier's gaze, Evelyn just offered a small, but sympathetic nod of the head, before springing into a light job to catch back up with Aria.

The stables, it turned out, was a convenient door away from the pub. Granted, it was an inconspicuous door that was tucked away where nobody could really see it at first glance, but still, it was convenient. Just before Aria opened the door however, she turned and looked at Evelyn in her bright, ice-blue eyes.

"... I want to help you, Miss Celice; I want to help you in any way I can if you will allow me. This isn't me and my "noblesse oblige" or whatever; this is me from the bottom of my heart. I hope I can gain your trust, so that you don't have to feel like hiding anything from me."

Flashing one more smile, Aria swiftly turned back around and threw open the door as if she never said anything.

Aria's sincere words, accompanied by the matching smile, made it hard for Evelyn to push her away, and keep the truth from her. Since the young lady was going to such lengths to help her out, Evelyn felt like she was obliged to tell the truth, or at least try to. The only challenge was just communicating it in a way where she wouldn't land herself in more trouble than she already was in.

"Well, uhh..." Evelyn started off, a tad bit awkwardly, as she followed Aria into the stables. She grabbed one of the small stools there, and pulled it closer to sit down on it. "Out there... something did happen." The girl admitted finally, letting out a slight sigh. She couldn't believe she was actually about to tell her crazy story that may or may not have even happened.

"Basically, I uhh... I touched this puddle, on the street, with my finger..." She started off, lifting said finger up for demonstration. "And the puddle, it, uhh... it froze over." Evelyn gulped, and paused for a second, checking Aria's expression. "As in, completely. A solid block of ice." She clarified.

Realizing how crazy the story sounded, she needed to add more material to it. "And my hair, and eyes... They've both been dark brown my whole life, until now." Evelyn gently grabbed a lock of her white hair, holding it between the tips of her fingers. "When this... whole thing, happened... they just suddenly changed colour." The young woman added, just hoping that Aria wouldn't dismiss her confession as a lie, or worse, a sign of delusion, or insanity.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

Aria's sincere words, accompanied by the matching smile, made it hard for Evelyn to push her away, and keep the truth from her. Since the young lady was going to such lengths to help her out, Evelyn felt like she was obliged to tell the truth, or at least try to. The only challenge was just communicating it in a way where she wouldn't land herself in more trouble than she already was in.

"Well, uhh..." Evelyn started off, a tad bit awkwardly, as she followed Aria into the stables. She grabbed one of the small stools there, and pulled it closer to sit down on it. "Out there... something did happen." The girl admitted finally, letting out a slight sigh. She couldn't believe she was actually about to tell her crazy story that may or may not have even happened.

"Basically, I uhh... I touched this puddle, on the street, with my finger..." She started off, lifting said finger up for demonstration. "And the puddle, it, uhh... it froze over." Evelyn gulped, and paused for a second, checking Aria's expression. "As in, completely. A solid block of ice." She clarified.

Realizing how crazy the story sounded, she needed to add more material to it. "And my hair, and eyes... They've both been dark brown my whole life, until now." Evelyn gently grabbed a lock of her white hair, holding it between the tips of her fingers. "When this... whole thing, happened... they just suddenly changed colour." The young woman added, just hoping that Aria wouldn't dismiss her confession as a lie, or worse, a sign of delusion, or insanity.

If Aria hadn't been already confused by Evelyn's predicament, then the added mess of what she was being told had turned it into something straight out of a novel she'd read as a child. It was almost too fanciful to be believable: some girl with mysterious (if extremely pretty) white hair and blue eyes is found almost frozen to death in a burnt section of the city, then gives a story that she's a farmgirl from a neutral neighboring state, has her last memories dated to a few months ago, and is telling Aria that not only was her hair and eyes the wrong color, but that she froze a puddle somewhere in the city...

Aria had every justification of writing Evelyn off as just some madwoman or an exceptionally confused girl, but she refused to entertain either of those conclusions. Evelyn was of sound mind, and she had already proven herself an exceptionally terrible liar. She was an earnest girl, and Aria chose to put her trust with a girl she only met the night before. Common sense was advising her otherwise, but she ignored it for Evelyn's sake.

"We can take Serry and ride out to wherever this puddle is once I'm done brushing him. It's not that I don't believe you, but we should take a look at this puddle and see what we can learn from it. Maybe another pair of eyes like mine can help with figuring things out!" Speaking of: that reminded Aria of why she was in the stables in the first place. "That's right: I didn't get to show Serry to you! Oh you'll absolutely love him; he's the biggest softie that walks on four legs!"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

If Aria hadn't been already confused by Evelyn's predicament, then the added mess of what she was being told had turned it into something straight out of a novel she'd read as a child. It was almost too fanciful to be believable: some girl with mysterious (if extremely pretty) white hair and blue eyes is found almost frozen to death in a burnt section of the city, then gives a story that she's a farmgirl from a neutral neighboring state, has her last memories dated to a few months ago, and is telling Aria that not only was her hair and eyes the wrong color, but that she froze a puddle somewhere in the city...

Aria had every justification of writing Evelyn off as just some madwoman or an exceptionally confused girl, but she refused to entertain either of those conclusions. Evelyn was of sound mind, and she had already proven herself an exceptionally terrible liar. She was an earnest girl, and Aria chose to put her trust with a girl she only met the night before. Common sense was advising her otherwise, but she ignored it for Evelyn's sake.

"We can take Serry and ride out to wherever this puddle is once I'm done brushing him. It's not that I don't believe you, but we should take a look at this puddle and see what we can learn from it. Maybe another pair of eyes like mine can help with figuring things out!" Speaking of: that reminded Aria of why she was in the stables in the first place. "That's right: I didn't get to show Serry to you! Oh you'll absolutely love him; he's the biggest softie that walks on four legs!"

"Thank you for believing me... let's do that." A sigh of relief escaped the white-haired girl's lips. Somehow, Evelyn had seemingly managed to convince Aria with her somewhat shoddy and unclear explanation of the situation. At least she hadn't laughed in her face, which was good enough. Now, she just hoped that the frozen puddle would still be where she left it. Surely, with this kind of weather, it would melt in minutes, wouldn't it? Would she have to freeze another puddle? She couldn't repeat the "miracle" when she had tried it a second time. If that happened when she'd bring Aria along, Evelyn would just make a fool out of herself.

But that was all a worry for the near future. Right now, she was much, much more interested in meeting this "Serry", as based on the high praise Aria had given him, he seemed like quite the mount.

"Great, I can't wait to meet him!" Evelyn clasped her hands together with excitement. "We also have a horse back home, Maple." She added with a quickly growing smirk. "Although... he is quite the handful. Half the time, he straight up refuses to pull the plow when he isn't in the mood. He even went as far to kick a hole in his stable door! Can you believe that?" Evelyn reminisced, of course being appointed as the one to fix said hole.

"But, I think he still liked me, quite a bit. I do wonder how he's been doing for the past hundred days..." Evelyn's giddy and jovial expression faltered a bit, her thoughts brought back to the days she had missed, far away from home, doing Gods know what.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

"Thank you for believing me... let's do that." A sigh of relief escaped the white-haired girl's lips. Somehow, Evelyn had seemingly managed to convince Aria with her somewhat shoddy and unclear explanation of the situation. At least she hadn't laughed in her face, which was good enough. Now, she just hoped that the frozen puddle would still be where she left it. Surely, with this kind of weather, it would melt in minutes, wouldn't it? Would she have to freeze another puddle? She couldn't repeat the "miracle" when she had tried it a second time. If that happened when she'd bring Aria along, Evelyn would just make a fool out of herself.

But that was all a worry for the near future. Right now, she was much, much more interested in meeting this "Serry", as based on the high praise Aria had given him, he seemed like quite the mount.

"Great, I can't wait to meet him!" Evelyn clasped her hands together with excitement. "We also have a horse back home, Maple." She added with a quickly growing smirk. "Although... he is quite the handful. Half the time, he straight up refuses to pull the plow when he isn't in the mood. He even went as far to kick a hole in his stable door! Can you believe that?" Evelyn reminisced, of course being appointed as the one to fix said hole.

"But, I think he still liked me, quite a bit. I do wonder how he's been doing for the past hundred days..." Evelyn's giddy and jovial expression faltered a bit, her thoughts brought back to the days she had missed, far away from home, doing Gods know what.

The stables connected the tavern/inn were far from impressive, although the combination of thatched roof and sackcloth ceiling ensured that whatever mounts resided inside wouldn't be exposed to the elements. Horses belonging to Aria's fellow Dragoons, all of varying degrees of "large", sat neatly behaved in their little pens despite most of them being what the average person would call "unruly" stallions. Evelyn didn't have a lot to compare horse sizes to besides her own horse back at her family farm, but the destriers on display were massive. Many of them looked far stronger than any workhorse Evelyn could imagine, inspire equal parts awe and terror that people were insane enough to breed horses that big. Aria, being a horse-lover herself, couldn't help the smile on her face as she strode past formidably-sized warhorses, giving affectionate pats on the nose to some as she made her way to the very end of the stables.

There, at the far end in a pen of its own, was her monstrous beast of a warhorse. Evelyn's eyes almost struggled to comprehend the impossibility of it, that Aria essentially rode a giant who was as terrifying as he was jaw-dropping to behold. The proud white blaze marking on its face beautifully matched the fluffy feathering of its hooves, bringing a surprising amount of life to what would otherwise have been an imposing all-black Stallion. Any internal comparison she made with Maple died on the spot; her moody horse didn't hold a candle to the charger Aria had led her to! Just from the ground to the top of its withers, the Stallion was taller than Evelyn! Heck; Aria's horse was likely bigger than any other horse that lived!

Spoiler: Horse measurements

In real life and this universe: horses are measured from the ground up to the top of its withers (the ridge of the back that is between the shoulder blades) in a measurement unit known as "hands". Put simply: one hand = 4 inches. Keep that in mind...

The height of an average horse is around 13-17 hands. Aria's Horse: Serendipity, is 19 hands tall, which is over 6 feet tall up to the back.

Aria didn't seem too concerned about the absurdity that was her magnificent Warhorse; she was too busy hugging her horse's nose and cooing at him! Just the sight of a tiny girl who barely reached five feet pampering and petting a horse that looked like it could pull two fully-laden wagons was absurd. Aria was either completely insane, or an exceptional horse-rider to have a steed that felt more fitting carrying a hero or a king.

"Serry! Aw you weren't too lonely while you were here, right?" Aria lovingly traced her tiny hands over the bridge of her horse's muzzle as she turned to Evelyn. "This is Serendipity! He's been my horse ever since he was born six years ago, and he's just the biggest, "goodest" boy ever!" Perhaps as some form of divine joke at Evelyn's expense, Aria's horse had an astoundingly gentle nature as Aria ran off to fetch a wooden bucket and grain to feed him. Not once did Serendipity flinch, rear up, or even dare act out in any way if Evelyn approached. Instead, the horse merely turned to look at the white-haired farmgirl before letting out a light and playful snort.

... This was a dream, right?

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

The stables connected the tavern/inn were far from impressive, although the combination of thatched roof and sackcloth ceiling ensured that whatever mounts resided inside wouldn't be exposed to the elements. Horses belonging to Aria's fellow Dragoons, all of varying degrees of "large", sat neatly behaved in their little pens despite most of them being what the average person would call "unruly" stallions. Evelyn didn't have a lot to compare horse sizes to besides her own horse back at her family farm, but the destriers on display were massive. Many of them looked far stronger than any workhorse Evelyn could imagine, inspire equal parts awe and terror that people were insane enough to breed horses that big. Aria, being a horse-lover herself, couldn't help the smile on her face as she strode past formidably-sized warhorses, giving affectionate pats on the nose to some as she made her way to the very end of the stables.

There, at the far end in a pen of its own, was her monstrous beast of a warhorse. Evelyn's eyes almost struggled to comprehend the impossibility of it, that Aria essentially rode a giant who was as terrifying as he was jaw-dropping to behold. The proud white blaze marking on its face beautifully matched the fluffy feathering of its hooves, bringing a surprising amount of life to what would otherwise have been an imposing all-black Stallion. Any internal comparison she made with Maple died on the spot; her moody horse didn't hold a candle to the charger Aria had led her to! Just from the ground to the top of its withers, the Stallion was taller than Evelyn! Heck; Aria's horse was likely bigger than any other horse that lived!

Spoiler: Horse measurements

View attachment 1102752

In real life and this universe: horses are measured from the ground up to the top of its withers (the ridge of the back that is between the shoulder blades) in a measurement unit known as "hands". Put simply: one hand = 4 inches. Keep that in mind...

The height of an average horse is around 13-17 hands. Aria's Horse: Serendipity, is 19 hands tall, which is over 6 feet tall up to the back.

Aria didn't seem too concerned about the absurdity that was her magnificent Warhorse; she was too busy hugging her horse's nose and cooing at him! Just the sight of a tiny girl who barely reached five feet pampering and petting a horse that looked like it could pull two fully-laden wagons was absurd. Aria was either completely insane, or an exceptional horse-rider to have a steed that felt more fitting carrying a hero or a king.

"Serry! Aw you weren't too lonely while you were here, right?" Aria lovingly traced her tiny hands over the bridge of her horse's muzzle as she turned to Evelyn. "This is Serendipity! He's been my horse ever since he was born six years ago, and he's just the biggest, "goodest" boy ever!" Perhaps as some form of divine joke at Evelyn's expense, Aria's horse had an astoundingly gentle nature as Aria ran off to fetch a wooden bucket and grain to feed him. Not once did Serendipity flinch, rear up, or even dare act out in any way if Evelyn approached. Instead, the horse merely turned to look at the white-haired farmgirl before letting out a light and playful snort.

... This was a dream, right?

Evelyn slowly followed Aria through the stables, the white head of hair on a constant swivel as she curiously had a look at each large horse there. Not only were the horses massive in size, they were also clearly very well taken care of. At least the soldiers could take care of the animals despite the war currently raging on...

Once the two reached the end of the long corridor, Evelyn finally saw Aria's horse for the first time. "Whoa." Before she could say or do anything else, an involuntary expression of awe came out from the farm girl, in awe of the massive horse. There was little sense in comparing the warhorse to Maple back home. It would have been the same as drawing a comparison between a mouse and a bear.

Despite the imposing appearance of the massive, nearly jet-black stallion, it did seem quite calm. Especially when Aria went to pet the charger lovingly. "Serendipity?" Evelyn repeated the name, taking a cautious step towards the horse. As the charger lightly snorted in her direction, Evelyn froze for a second in her spot, just staring at the horse for a few seconds.

The biggest, "goodest" boy, huh? Well, here goes nothing, I suppose...

Evelyn slowly reached out, mimicking Aria's motion, as she lightly ran her hand over the horse's muzzle. Going well so far, as the horse didn't show any bad reaction to a stranger's touch.

"How do you even manage to get on top of him? He's so tall, and you barely can even see the top of his back!" Evelyn asked, gaining a bit more confidence in petting the warhorse. Even though she didn't mean it as such, her comment could have possibly been perceived as a sleight towards Aria's rather short stature.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons​

---

Once the two reached the end of the long corridor, Evelyn finally saw Aria's horse for the first time. "Whoa." Before she could say or do anything else, an involuntary expression of awe came out from the farm girl, in awe of the massive horse. There was little sense in comparing the warhorse to Maple back home. It would have been the same as drawing a comparison between a mouse and a bear.

Despite the imposing appearance of the massive, nearly jet-black stallion, it did seem quite calm. Especially when Aria went to pet the charger lovingly. "Serendipity?" Evelyn repeated the name, taking a cautious step towards the horse. As the charger lightly snorted in her direction, Evelyn froze for a second in her spot, just staring at the horse for a few seconds.

The biggest, "goodest" boy, huh? Well, here goes nothing, I suppose...

Evelyn slowly reached out, mimicking Aria's motion, as she lightly ran her hand over the horse's muzzle. Going well so far, as the horse didn't show any bad reaction to a stranger's touch.

"How do you even manage to get on top of him? He's so tall, and you barely can even see the top of his back!" Evelyn asked, gaining a bit more confidence in petting the warhorse. Even though she didn't mean it as such, her comment could have possibly been perceived as a sleight towards Aria's rather short stature.

For someone who was somewhat conscious about her height, Aria giggled at Evelyn's incredulity out of good nature. "Oh I get asked that all the time, though the first questions usually tend to be "where did you find him?" and "where can I get one?". In fact, I was the first person to ask your question the first time I rode atop Serry!" The wooden pail of wheat grain didn't feel heavy as Aria lifted it up in front of her, letting the midnight-coated stallion crane downward to feed. "I have a special saddle that helps me get up atop Serry, but the long and short of it is: I have to jump pretty high! It took a lot of trying to get it right; Serry had to be kneeling down the first several times I tried to climb atop myself. Nowadays I can do it pretty consistently while he's standing up!" The explanation was as absurd and comedic as it sounded; just the image of an even younger and smaller Aria needing to jump up and clamber aboard a kneeling horse was equal parts adorable and amusing.

"Serendipity came with me all the way from my Barony in Tierra. He and his horse ancestors have basically grown up with the Brakava lineage for as long as we've been nobility; he's practically family to me." Aria set down the now-empty bucket and unlatched the gate that kept Serendipity inside his pen, and Evelyn could spot a saddle and bridle hung neatly inside one of the pen's four walls. "I'll brush you down until you're sparkling, and then take you out for a quick ride, okay Serry? The lovely lady and I could use your help getting somewhere! Now where did I put that brush...?"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

For someone who was somewhat conscious about her height, Aria giggled at Evelyn's incredulity out of good nature. "Oh I get asked that all the time, though the first questions usually tend to be "where did you find him?" and "where can I get one?". In fact, I was the first person to ask your question the first time I rode atop Serry!" The wooden pail of wheat grain didn't feel heavy as Aria lifted it up in front of her, letting the midnight-coated stallion crane downward to feed. "I have a special saddle that helps me get up atop Serry, but the long and short of it is: I have to jump pretty high! It took a lot of trying to get it right; Serry had to be kneeling down the first several times I tried to climb atop myself. Nowadays I can do it pretty consistently while he's standing up!" The explanation was as absurd and comedic as it sounded; just the image of an even younger and smaller Aria needing to jump up and clamber aboard a kneeling horse was equal parts adorable and amusing.

To be perfectly honest, the two questions that Aria had mentioned as common were the things that Evelyn was second most curious about. After all, she had never seen a horse as large as Serendipity, and she had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing any bigger ones anytime soon.

The more Aria explained her methodology of mounting the horse, the more Evelyn's amused smirk grew. Despite the weaponry, armour, and overall sense of militaristic pride, Aria didn't exactly feel like a soldier to her. She seemed too... nice?

"Ah, that makes sense..." Evelyn responded plainly, covering her growing smirk with her hand in an attempt to keep herself from laughing out loud at the mental image of the short girl trying, and failing, to get on top of the massive horse.

"Serendipity came with me all the way from my Barony in Tierra. He and his horse ancestors have basically grown up with the Brakava lineage for as long as we've been nobility; he's practically family to me." Aria set down the now-empty bucket and unlatched the gate that kept Serendipity inside his pen, and Evelyn could spot a saddle and bridle hung neatly inside one of the pen's four walls. "I'll brush you down until you're sparkling, and then take you out for a quick ride, okay Serry? The lovely lady and I could use your help getting somewhere! Now where did I put that brush...?"

With a quick scan of her surroundings, Evelyn caught the wooden handle of said brush poking out of a stack of hay. "This one?" She asked as she reached out, and pulled the brush out. "Speaking of getting somewhere... When exactly are we leaving for the post?" Evelyn handed the brush over, the previous smirk long gone, as heading into a possible active war zone wasn't exactly a laughing matter.

"Do we need... supplies of some sort for the trip? Do we need to stop somewhere on the way?" The white-haired farmer continued to ask, as she wasn't quite sure what was necessary to bring, and what wasn't. You couldn't blame her though, as the longest trip she had ever made (apart from the one she couldn't remember at all) was about 45 minutes from her house.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons
​

---

With a quick scan of her surroundings, Evelyn caught the wooden handle of said brush poking out of a stack of hay. "This one?" She asked as she reached out, and pulled the brush out. "Speaking of getting somewhere... When exactly are we leaving for the post?" Evelyn handed the brush over, the previous smirk long gone, as heading into a possible active war zone wasn't exactly a laughing matter.

"Ah, thank you kindly Miss Celice." Aria's smile faded into a more subdued curve as she graciously took the wooden brush and began grooming her warhorse with a the same tender care a mother would give her child. It helped her take off the immense anxiety of bringing a civilian into an active conflict; the sheer amount of trouble she could get into if a superior officer caught on to Evelyn's scheme and Aria's (begrudging) compliance was best left unsaid. "I'm supposed to report in two weeks from now, although technically I can report in anytime before then. My best guess would be that it's a three or four day ride if we go at a good pace, maybe another half-day on top if you need to stop for breaks. That means we can leave whenever you're ready, or spend around nine or ten days in Noringa before we'd have to set off." Aria made sure to leave the intended message clear: "We'll leave the moment you feel ready and want to go."

"Do we need... supplies of some sort for the trip? Do we need to stop somewhere on the way?" The white-haired farmer continued to ask, as she wasn't quite sure what was necessary to bring, and what wasn't. You couldn't blame her though, as the longest trip she had ever made (apart from the one she couldn't remember at all) was about 45 minutes from her house.

"Aside from enough rations to feed... five grown men and two ladies? I'm sure you wouldn't need to pack much. I'll be bringing my personal kit and belongings in a saddlebag and harness, and Serry's strong enough to carry another saddlebag." Aria had finished brushing all the stray hay, dirt, and dust off of her warhorse's coat, and had largely moved to the littler details like making sure his horseshoes didn't have any debris, or checking his mane and tail for parasites and fleas. "You don't have to worry about any of the necessities; I'll make sure to handle that before we leave. Just bring whatever you have or wind up buying in Noringa, and I'll purchase another saddlebag specifically for you."

Serendipity looked even more magnificent when he had been properly brushed down for the day; his inky-black coat and white facial markings looked amazing when they were cleaned up, even better when Aria fastened a dark leather saddle and bridle that was startlingly well-made. Serendipity looked every bit the imposing charger with the dark leather around his head and on his back, and Evelyn could fancy a guess as to why there were conspicuous handles stitched onto the jockey flaps.

"All set Serry! Let's get you out into the morning sun for a ride, hm? And I get to show you how I mount up!" Aria looked eager to demonstrate how her barely-over-five-feet self was able to climb up onto a fully-standing warhorse the size of a bull, giving herself a three-pace run-up before jumping. One of her hands grabbed ahold of a handle that was mounted on the side of the saddle, allowing her to swing up as her other hand reached upward onto the top of her seat... at least, that's what was supposed to happen.

"Serry!? Wh-aaaaaAAAH!"

When Aria had taken ahold of the handle, Serendipity had the fancy to lie down all of a sudden. Suddenly, instead of Aria smartly swinging herself up onto the saddle, Aria was suddenly sent flying over her horse, and straight into a pile of hay inside the pen. When all was said and done, what was visible of Aria was her upturned skirt revealing some very tasteful tights and her knee-length boots.

And judging by the little wheeze of laughter from Serendipity, the horse very intentionally sent his rider into the hay. The muffled "Very funny Serry!" from Aria helped confirm that this wasn't a one-off occurrence too...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"Ah, thank you kindly Miss Celice." Aria's smile faded into a more subdued curve as she graciously took the wooden brush and began grooming her warhorse with a the same tender care a mother would give her child. It helped her take off the immense anxiety of bringing a civilian into an active conflict; the sheer amount of trouble she could get into if a superior officer caught on to Evelyn's scheme and Aria's (begrudging) compliance was best left unsaid. "I'm supposed to report in two weeks from now, although technically I can report in anytime before then. My best guess would be that it's a three or four day ride if we go at a good pace, maybe another half-day on top if you need to stop for breaks. That means we can leave whenever you're ready, or spend around nine or ten days in Noringa before we'd have to set off." Aria made sure to leave the intended message clear: "We'll leave the moment you feel ready and want to go."


"Aside from enough rations to feed... five grown men and two ladies? I'm sure you wouldn't need to pack much. I'll be bringing my personal kit and belongings in a saddlebag and harness, and Serry's strong enough to carry another saddlebag." Aria had finished brushing all the stray hay, dirt, and dust off of her warhorse's coat, and had largely moved to the littler details like making sure his horseshoes didn't have any debris, or checking his mane and tail for parasites and fleas. "You don't have to worry about any of the necessities; I'll make sure to handle that before we leave. Just bring whatever you have or wind up buying in Noringa, and I'll purchase another saddlebag specifically for you."

Evelyn nodded intently, making mental notes of Aria's response in case of future long-distance travels that might occur. Although, after she'd get back home, Evelyn had absolutely zero plans of going anywhere further than the eye could see.

"I don't really have anything, so I'm essentially ready already." Evelyn itched the back of her neck with a slight snort with amusement. At least she didn't have to spend any time packing her belongings. And even if she did, it wouldn't make much of a difference to her. She'd leave whatever she had behind in a heartbeat, if it meant that she'd get to go back home sooner. This wasn't a matter that could wait. But before all that, it was time to go check out the frozen puddle.

Gods, what a strange thing to say...

Serendipity looked even more magnificent when he had been properly brushed down for the day; his inky-black coat and white facial markings looked amazing when they were cleaned up, even better when Aria fastened a dark leather saddle and bridle that was startlingly well-made. Serendipity looked every bit the imposing charger with the dark leather around his head and on his back, and Evelyn could fancy a guess as to why there were conspicuous handles stitched onto the jockey flaps.

"All set Serry! Let's get you out into the morning sun for a ride, hm? And I get to show you how I mount up!" Aria looked eager to demonstrate how her barely-over-five-feet self was able to climb up onto a fully-standing warhorse the size of a bull, giving herself a three-pace run-up before jumping. One of her hands grabbed ahold of a handle that was mounted on the side of the saddle, allowing her to swing up as her other hand reached upward onto the top of her seat... at least, that's what was supposed to happen.

As Aria prepared to mount the mighty warhorse, Evelyn found herself tensing up a bit as well. Sure, Aria seemed more than competent enough, on top of assumable having done it many times already, but it still seemed like quite the hard task. After all, the height difference between the Dragoon (who was already a fair bit shorter than Evelyn) and the dark charger was tremendous.

Ready to be amazed, Evelyn's icy blue eyes were essentially glued to the shorter lady as she sprang into a short sprint, followed by a hefty leap. As Aria's hand wrapped tightly around one of the handles, Evelyn began to relax almost instantly. Why did she even doubt the girl? She was a soldier, after all! Surely someone like that wouldn't make a fool out of themselves on such a simple task!

"Serry!? Wh-aaaaaAAAH!"

When Aria had taken ahold of the handle, Serendipity had the sudden fancy to lie down all of a sudden. Suddenly, instead of Aria smartly swinging herself up onto the saddle, Aria was suddenly sent flying over her horse, and straight into a pile of hay inside the pen. When all was said and done, what was visible of Aria was her upturned skirt revealing some very tasteful tights and her knee-length boots.

And judging by the little wheeze of laughter from Serendipity, the horse very intentionally sent his rider into the hay. The muffled "Very funny Serry!" from Aria helped confirm that this wasn't a one-off occurrence too...

The second that Evelyn realized that "Good Boy Serry" had ducked right under the small, flying soldier, her eyes shot wide open. As if time had slowed down, she merely watched as the previously-so-confident lady essentially launched herself into the pile of hay head first.

For the handful of seconds of silence that followed the action sequence, Evelyn was in total shock. She didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified. What if Aria had got hurt? She was her only way home as well!

Fortunately, that wasn't the case, as the muffled complaint soon rang out from the hay pile. That's when Evelyn, along with Serendipity, began to laugh. And it wasn't just a brief, polite chuckle, either. She really laughed. Harder than she had in a looooong time.

"I- you-! You just-! Flew!" The girl tried to speak, but she couldn't get more than a mere start of her sentence out her mouth due to her uncontrollable fit of laughter, tears nearly forming in her eyes.

"Are you, hah... are you okay?" Evelyn managed to ask, wiping her eyes onto the sleeve of her left arm, and reaching with her right hand out to help pull Aria out of the hay.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons
​

---

For the handful of seconds of silence that followed the action sequence, Evelyn was in total shock. She didn't know whether to laugh or be horrified. What if Aria had got hurt? She was her only way home as well!

Fortunately, that wasn't the case, as the muffled complaint soon rang out from the hay pile. That's when Evelyn, along with Serendipity, began to laugh. And it wasn't just a brief, polite chuckle, either. She really laughed. Harder than she had in a looooong time.

"I- you-! You just-! Flew!" The girl tried to speak, but she couldn't get more than a mere start of her sentence out her mouth due to her uncontrollable fit of laughter, tears nearly forming in her eyes.

"Are you, hah... are you okay?" Evelyn managed to ask, wiping her eyes onto the sleeve of her left arm, and reaching with her right hand out to help pull Aria out of the hay.

The hay-mussed Aria popped her head out after a second to contemplate why she bothered trying to show off; she was thankfully unharmed, but her pride had been sabotaged by her hilarious flop of a stunt. Leave it to her horse to ruin her moment to preen a little...

"I'm okay; just some hay in my hair and uniform." She waved off, clambering out with Evelyn's hand before shooting Serendipity an understandably dirty look and a pout. "You were supposed to be on my side for that one Serry!" She huffed. "Ah, whatever; I'll show off another time. Since he's lying down, it's a good opportunity to get you up and on the saddle. I'm definitely not having you walk back to the puddle, that's for sure!"

Unlike with her master, Serendipity was a lot kinder when Aria helped hoist Evelyn up atop the saddle. It was certainly different to the saddle Evelyn would have been used to using with Maple, and it wasn't just the quality of the make. The seat was flat with a low pommel and cantle, and the complete lack of a riding horn meant holding onto Serry if he were to make any sudden or violent movements (which he thankfully didn't) was going to be difficult. It was obviously meant to accommodate a rider who was confident in their balance and needed little obstruction while they rode... like if they were wielding a weapon for example...

... moving on; it was weird that Evelyn fit so snugly in the saddle. It was just the tiniest bit too small to be a perfect fit, but considering that her only point of reference was the saddle she used with Maple...

"Alright, you look ready to go!" Aria nodded to herself, patting Evelyn on the hand as she gave one last tidbit. "You can trust in Serry; he'll treat you well. Alright boy: let's get going on the trot!" At the prompt, Serendipity gracefully rose up to his full height, giving Evelyn another six feet in height as Aria led them to the stable doors. By the gods, she felt like a giant atop the horse! Anyone that would've matched her height suddenly looked puny, and Evelyn had to look straight down just to see Aria leading the horse along. The charger himself was also incredibly well-behaved. He was a deceptively smooth and pleasant ride at the trot, which was especially impressive given his initial appearance giving off the impression of a wildcard who should've been a monster to handle. "Alright, lead the way Miss Celice; which way do we go?"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

The hay-mussed Aria popped her head out after a second to contemplate why she bothered trying to show off; she was thankfully unharmed, but her pride had been sabotaged by her hilarious flop of a stunt. Leave it to her horse to ruin her moment to preen a little...

"I'm okay; just some hay in my hair and uniform." She waved off, clambering out with Evelyn's hand before shooting Serendipity an understandably dirty look and a pout. "You were supposed to be on my side for that one Serry!" She huffed. "Ah, whatever; I'll show off another time. Since he's lying down, it's a good opportunity to get you up and on the saddle. I'm definitely not having you walk back to the puddle, that's for sure!"

Unlike with her master, Serendipity was a lot kinder when Aria helped hoist Evelyn up atop the saddle. It was certainly different to the saddle Evelyn would have been used to using with Maple, and it wasn't just the quality of the make. The seat was flat with a low pommel and cantle, and the complete lack of a riding horn meant holding onto Serry if he were to make any sudden or violent movements (which he thankfully didn't) was going to be difficult. It was obviously meant to accommodate a rider who was confident in their balance and needed little obstruction while they rode... like if they were wielding a weapon for example...

... moving on; it was weird that Evelyn fit so snugly in the saddle. It was just the tiniest bit too small to be a perfect fit, but considering that her only point of reference was the saddle she used with Maple...

Despite the fact that the war charger had essentially just launched his owner into a pile of hay, Evelyn didn't feel all that anxious about getting on the horse herself. Maybe the two had created a slight bond over their very obvious enjoyment of Aria's moment of flight...

Evelyn followed Aria's instructions to a tee, and managed to mount Serendipity without any issues. Even with the horse kneeling down, Evelyn felt like she was at around the same height as she had been when riding Maple back home.

"Looks like he doesn't mind me as much..." Evelyn smirked, throwing out the off-hand teasing comment while making sure to hold on tight in case she'd fall off and eat her words right away.

"Alright, you look ready to go!" Aria nodded to herself, patting Evelyn on the hand as she gave one last tidbit. "You can trust in Serry; he'll treat you well. Alright boy: let's get going on the trot!" At the prompt, Serendipity gracefully rose up to his full height, giving Evelyn another six feet in height as Aria led them to the stable doors. By the gods, she felt like a giant atop the horse! Anyone that would've matched her height suddenly looked puny, and Evelyn had to look straight down just to see Aria leading the horse along. The charger himself was also incredibly well-behaved. He was a deceptively smooth and pleasant ride at the trot, which was especially impressive given his initial appearance giving off the impression of a wildcard who should've been a monster to handle. "Alright, lead the way Miss Celice; which way do we go?"

Once the stallion stood up to his full height, Evelyn felt like she might just hit the roof of the barn any second now. Obviously, she wouldn't, but it certainly felt like it with how high up she was! She looked down at Aria, who somehow seemed to look even shorter than usual - something that Evelyn had thought was impossible. The words "you look like an ant from up here!" almost left Evelyn's mouth, but she figured that she probably shouldn't mess with the Dragoon after her little mount/dismount-incident. Well, at least for a little bit.

"Right, towards the city centre. The market square, to be exact." Evelyn instructed, pointing in the general direction of the location.

"Once we get there, we take a right..." Evelyn continued, more so revising the directions to herself, rather than giving them to Aria. "...Or was it a left?" She muttered quietly, the smooth ride allowing her time to think.

"It's the alleyway where you can see all the tall buildings, you probably know it better than I do." The peasant-girl eventually gave up, as navigating through a city she had spent less than quarter of a day in wasn't the easiest task for her.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Lady Aria d'al Brakava of Lancaster
Cornet of His Tierran Majesty's Royal Dragoons
​

---

"Right, towards the city centre. The market square, to be exact." Evelyn instructed, pointing in the general direction of the location.

"Once we get there, we take a right..." Evelyn continued, more so revising the directions to herself, rather than giving them to Aria. "...Or was it a left?" She muttered quietly, the smooth ride allowing her time to think.

"It's the alleyway where you can see all the tall buildings, you probably know it better than I do." The peasant-girl eventually gave up, as navigating through a city she had spent less than quarter of a day in wasn't the easiest task for her.

"It's alright, I know it can be difficult navigating a big city like Noringa. It took me the better half of a week to get the general layout memorized." Aria smiled up at Evelyn to reassure her, reaching up to pat her hand (it was a miracle that Aria was even capable of reaching up high enough). "I know where the market square is, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find where the puddle is!"

Serendipity's heavy hoofbeats clicked and clacked loudly against the uneven cobblestone roads as Aria led them through the city. All around them were the signs of war that nobody wished to see in-person; burnt out homes that once could've housed entire generations of a single family, collapsed mills that could've comfortably fed entire villages by their lonesome, and the permanent scars of damage on Noringa's grand towers were the only things Evelyn could bear to see from atop Aria's warhorse. Aria herself seemed to consciously ignore the damage and dilapidation, her only actions being returning salutes from rank-and-file Tierran soldiers that they passed by, or the rare Officer that more often than not out-ranked her. It was perhaps fortunate that the occupying invaders had the decency to arrange funeral pyres and burials shortly after taking the city; Aria wasn't sure if Evelyn could've stomached the sight of bodies littering Noringa's streets...

... And Aria's saddle having fitted holsters for her sabre and gunpowder weapons were just extra reminders that the overcoat-wearing lady helping Evelyn was still a soldier at the end of the day...

Passing the stable, she took her time walking towards the city centre, with her eyes pointed upwards at the buildings in awe. Grand architecture. That's all she knew of Noringa, and that much was definitely true. The grand, spiring towers rose towards the clouds, connected to larger buildings that could host an entire village inside. It was truly a sight to behold, especially for Evelyn, whose town wasn't exactly known for architecture of any sort.

When Evelyn's gaze moved down to street level, that's where the awe quickly faded away. What she assumed to be a busy market square, with merchants and products flowing from every nook and cranny, was completely abandoned instead. The streets were all but empty. The wooden market stands had been left in the city square, a handful of now rotten vegetables or fruits left there. The results of war.

The market still looked as eerie as the last time Evelyn visited it that earlier that morning. The undamaged stalls had only rotten produce to show, and the occasional upturned wagon or ruined stand suggested horrific bouts of looting. Whether it was from the invaders seeking to plunder or desperate locals just searching for a meal was up for debate...

As Serendipity stopped to look around and snort at the flies gathering around some molding fruits, Aria had come around to Evelyn's side with a raised hand. "Come on, let's get you down from atop Serry so you can stretch your legs. There's a lot of alleyways around here, and you're the only one who knows which alleyway it is exactly that we're looking for."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"It's alright, I know it can be difficult navigating a big city like Noringa. It took me the better half of a week to get the general layout memorized." Aria smiled up at Evelyn to reassure her, reaching up to pat her hand (it was a miracle that Aria was even capable of reaching up high enough). "I know where the market square is, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find where the puddle is!"

Serendipity's heavy hoofbeats clicked and clacked loudly against the uneven cobblestone roads as Aria led them through the city. All around them were the signs of war that nobody wished to see in-person; burnt out homes that once could've housed entire generations of a single family, collapsed mills that could've comfortably fed entire villages by their lonesome, and the permanent scars of damage on Noringa's grand towers were the only things Evelyn could bear to see from atop Aria's warhorse. Aria herself seemed to consciously ignore the damage and dilapidation, her only actions being returning salutes from rank-and-file Tierran soldiers that they passed by, or the rare Officer that more often than not out-ranked her. It was perhaps fortunate that the occupying invaders had the decency to arrange funeral pyres and burials shortly after taking the city; Aria wasn't sure if Evelyn could've stomached the sight of bodies littering Noringa's streets...

... And Aria's saddle having fitted holsters for her sabre and gunpowder weapons were just extra reminders that the overcoat-wearing lady helping Evelyn was still a soldier at the end of the day...

Once the two were in the centre of the city, Evelyn's heart began to slowly sink once again. With all the laughter and the somewhat playful mood that she had been back at the stables, she had almost forgotten about the situation outside. The clear signs of war scattered all around the city, served as a harsh reminder, making it impossible to not remember.

Evelyn's eyes fell on the Dragoon, who was leading her through the city. It was Aria's fault as well. Not solely, of course, but she was still a soldier, taking part in this war. On top of it all, the lady didn't even seem affected by the damages her side had caused to Noringa. Was she just a cold-hearted soldier who did as ordered without a second thought, or was she just blocking out those types of emotions as they might make her waver during battle? Evelyn couldn't be sure.

The market still looked as eerie as the last time Evelyn visited it that earlier that morning. The undamaged stalls had only rotten produce to show, and the occasional upturned wagon or ruined stand suggested horrific bouts of looting. Whether it was from the invaders seeking to plunder or desperate locals just searching for a meal was up for debate...

As Serendipity stopped to look around and snort at the flies gathering around some molding fruits, Aria had come around to Evelyn's side with a raised hand. "Come on, let's get you down from atop Serry so you can stretch your legs. There's a lot of alleyways around here, and you're the only one who knows which alleyway it is exactly that we're looking for."

As the duo closed in on the general whereabouts of the alleyway, Evelyn grabbed a hold of Aria's hand momentarily, and hopped off of the dark stallion. Now back on the ground, she suddenly felt shorter than she had previously, the horse having offered such a high viewpoint of the city.

"Right. It should be around here, somewhere..." Evelyn muttered, as she began to lead the soldier and her charger around the city with hesitant steps, and long pauses in-between them to think about the correct path.

After two wrong turns, nearly going around the entire block in a circle, and a few confused head scratches, Evelyn finally found her way to the correct alley. "Yes! This is it!" She exclaimed, immediately recognizing the surroundings.

Unable to contain herself, she ran down said alley, her eyes down at the bumpy cobblestone road below, scanning every tiny body of water for that one particular puddle. "No... not that one... not here..." She whispered quietly to herself every time she passed a puddle that was just plain, muddy water.

Lifting her eyes from the ground for a second, she looked forward in the long alleyway. There were countless puddles there, as the damages caused by the war had cracked the roads to no end. Would she really have to go through every single one? She wasn't even certain that the ice was still here, or that it even existed in the first place!

That's when a ray of sunlight shone directly into the girl's eyes, making her squint and shield her vision with her hand. Slowly opening her eyes, and lowering her hand, Evelyn could see that the light was reflecting off of something. A mirror like surface on the ground.

"I found it!" She exclaimed loudly, glancing back at Aria and running to the source of the reflection, the frozen puddle. She knelt down in front of it, and stared deep into it. Even with the sun directly shining into the chunk of ice, for over an hour now, it still showed no signs of thawing. Even when Evelyn carefully ran her finger across the surface, it still felt just as cold as the first time she had touched it, and without a single droplet of melted water touching her skin.

"It's still here..." She mumbled quietly in disbelief. To be honest, she was most likely even more doubtful of the existence of the "ice puddle" than Aria ever had been.