Fantasy ~ An Icy Encounter ~

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

Evelyn lingered for a moment longer in Aria's arms, taking in the comforting words that slowly helped her regain control over herself. No longer did her mere presence feel like a freezing winter wind, as it was reduced to a slightly chilly feeling, only a couple of degrees colder than the regular outside air.

After she felt a bit more like herself, she pulled away from the embrace slightly, enough to be able to look the dragoon in the eye. Despite Evelyn's blue eyes looking as bright and piercing as always, there seemed to be a lack of passion behind them. The same passion that had made the girl so eager to debate with Aria, and the same passion that was driving her desperate journey to get back home.

"...Let's go." She said quietly to the cornet, not much emotion, negative, nor positive, left in her voice.

"We shouldn't make the journey any longer than it already is..." She added, clearly looking tired already, despite it just barely being past noon. The incident with the bandits had taken a clear toll on her, both physically and mentally. With that said though, it was much too early to camp down, as they had just barely made it out of Noringa. If they stopped here for the day, it would take them ages to reach the outpost.

It was hard for Aria to ignore how blank Evelyn's eyes felt past the light. There was little weight behind her gaze, the spirit inside having died in place of her life. Some part of her felt that Evelyn would never recover from what she had just borne witness to, but the optimist inside said that she could bounce back with enough time and help.

"Alright. Let's get going."

For now though, Aria would broker no argument. She still had her duty to her nation, and the sooner they got back on the road, the sooner they could leave behind this gorefest of a battlefield. Standing Evelyn back up proved easy when she offered no resistance, and after a quick trek to retrieve the shield and carbine Aria had dropped, the two ladies were on their way back to where the rest of Aria's Dragoons were waiting.

Throughout the walk back, Aria unintentionally kept calling attention to the fact that she had killed. She had spent the trek back wiping her bloodied sabre and shield with an old rag, the same sabre and shield that she had used to brutally end the lives of multiple bandits just minutes ago. Her sabre still had the same menace despite Aria wiping away the evidence of her callous bloodshed, and the conspicuous splatters on her shield were more uncomfortable reminders of what happened.

Not even her pistol and carbine had gone untouched. Her pistol had burn marks near the bore as she poured black powder and lead shot down the barrel. Her carbine was far worse; the dagger-like bayonet was completely red, and Aria had been particularly slow and careful in wiping and reloading the piece.

---

Thankfully, the quiet walk back had been mercifully short, and farmgirl and Dragoon were back in the company of Aria's rank-and-file troopers. The four Dragoons that had helped lay down and spring Aria's plan had already cleaned, reloaded, and stowed their equipment away on their horses to continue the trek back. And conspicuously enough, the fifth and final Dragoon of Aria's sextet patrol was with them... without the farmer he had been tasked with escorting no less.

"Ma'am."

"Trooper Campos." Aria only nodded back at her the salute she had been given. "I recall tasking you with escorting the farmer who sent us here, Trooper, and don't see a farmer next to you. What happened to him?"

"Lying on the side of the road, Ma'am. Bastard tried to grab my rifle when he thought I wasn't looking." Aria let out a loud "Tsk" when her suspicions were confirmed. "Then he was in with the bandits we found. Go figure." The fact that even the farmer that had pleaded for help turned out to be in with the bandits was just another punch to the gut for Evelyn, who had urged Aria to act...

"Bandits, Ma'am?" Ah, that's right; Aria's fifth Dragoon hadn't been made privy to everything that went down.

"There were never any hostages, just a crudely planned ambush by some bandits." She sighed out, seeing her faithful steed ambling forward to meet her and Evelyn. Serendipity had the sense to lie down when he saw the more despondent Evelyn, garnering a smile and a pat on the nose from Aria. "Good to see you Serry." She said softly, turning her head to Evelyn. "Hop on; you look like you need some time to yourself."

And with that, Aria gave Evelyn some time for introspective thought and reflection... Well, not totally alone...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

It was hard for Aria to ignore how blank Evelyn's eyes felt past the light. There was little weight behind her gaze, the spirit inside having died in place of her life. Some part of her felt that Evelyn would never recover from what she had just borne witness to, but the optimist inside said that she could bounce back with enough time and help.

"Alright. Let's get going."

For now though, Aria would broker no argument. She still had her duty to her nation, and the sooner they got back on the road, the sooner they could leave behind this gorefest of a battlefield. Standing Evelyn back up proved easy when she offered no resistance, and after a quick trek to retrieve the shield and carbine Aria had dropped, the two ladies were on their way back to where the rest of Aria's Dragoons were waiting.

Throughout the walk back, Aria unintentionally kept calling attention to the fact that she had killed. She had spent the trek back wiping her bloodied sabre and shield with an old rag, the same sabre and shield that she had used to brutally end the lives of multiple bandits just minutes ago. Her sabre still had the same menace despite Aria wiping away the evidence of her callous bloodshed, and the conspicuous splatters on her shield were more uncomfortable reminders of what happened.

Not even her pistol and carbine had gone untouched. Her pistol had burn marks near the bore as she poured black powder and lead shot down the barrel. Her carbine was far worse; the dagger-like bayonet was completely red, and Aria had been particularly slow and careful in wiping and reloading the piece.

As the adrenaline coursing through her body began to wane, Evelyn could slowly feel the burn of the cut on her cheek. She raised her hand, carefully touching the tips of her fingers against the fresh wound, only to wince in pain, and pull away immediately. As the cut wasn't that severe, it wasn't even bleeding any longer, but it still left a red mark against her otherwise white gloves on the tips of her fingers.

The cut didn't stand out all that much in her appearance, as her face was still quite red from the blood of the bandit. She had rubbed off most of the excess onto Aria's coat earlier, but the Espean's face was left tinted dark red, in need of a thorough wash to reveal her pale skin underneath.

During the walk to rejoin the other dragoons, turned her attention away from herself, and onto Aria. The white-haired girl's piercing stare focused on nothing else but the dragoon walking ahead of her, cleaning her weapons off of the remnants of murder.

They had shared a moment that had brought them much closer to each other than before, but simultaneously... Evelyn wanted to push the cornet further away, having seen her true colours when it came to death.

Thankfully, the quiet walk back had been mercifully short, and farmgirl and Dragoon were back in the company of Aria's rank-and-file troopers. The four Dragoons that had helped lay down and spring Aria's plan had already cleaned, reloaded, and stowed their equipment away on their horses to continue the trek back. And conspicuously enough, the fifth and final Dragoon of Aria's sextet patrol was with them... without the farmer he had been tasked with escorting no less.

"Ma'am."

"Trooper Campos." Aria only nodded back at her the salute she had been given. "I recall tasking you with escorting the farmer who sent us here, Trooper, and don't see a farmer next to you. What happened to him?"

"Lying on the side of the road, Ma'am. Bastard tried to grab my rifle when he thought I wasn't looking." Aria let out a loud "Tsk" when her suspicions were confirmed. "Then he was in with the bandits we found. Go figure." The fact that even the farmer that had pleaded for help turned out to be in with the bandits was just another punch to the gut for Evelyn, who had urged Aria to act...

"Bandits, Ma'am?" Ah, that's right; Aria's fifth Dragoon hadn't been made privy to everything that went down.

"There were never any hostages, just a crudely planned ambush by some bandits." She sighed out, seeing her faithful steed ambling forward to meet her and Evelyn. Serendipity had the sense to lie down when he saw the more despondent Evelyn, garnering a smile and a pat on the nose from Aria. "Good to see you Serry." She said softly, turning her head to Evelyn. "Hop on; you look like you need some time to yourself."

And with that, Aria gave Evelyn some time for introspective thought and reflection... Well, not totally alone...

After hearing the fate of the farmer, or rather... last bandit, Evelyn wasn't even that surprised any more. In fact, she would have been more taken off-guard, if the bandit had somehow survived with his life intact. Despite her lack of surprise, it still affected her the same, and was another murder added onto a long list of others.

At least they were reunited with Serendipity now. Evelyn hadn't ever thought she'd be this happy to see the massive horse, but right now, Serry felt like the only one really on her side. The only two ones that did not spill blood in the battle.

"Hey there..." She whispered quietly to the warhorse, running her hands delicately through his midnight mane.

Evelyn did as Aria said, mounting the horse, but that was as much as she acknowledged the cornet. The farmgirl didn't even spare a single glance towards Aria's general direction, only focused on the horse in front.

After managing to get on Serendipity, Evelyn could feel the other dragoon's gazes on her. Whether they were of sympathy, annoyance, intrigue, or just the blood on her face and clothes, she did not care. As far as she could see, she didn't want to get to know any of them any closer. They were all murderers.

Just like Aria.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"Hey there..." She whispered quietly to the warhorse, running her hands delicately through his midnight mane.

Evelyn did as Aria said, mounting the horse, but that was as much as she acknowledged the cornet. The farmgirl didn't even spare a single glance towards Aria's general direction, only focused on the horse in front.

After managing to get on Serendipity, Evelyn could feel the other dragoon's gazes on her. Whether they were of sympathy, annoyance, intrigue, or just the blood on her face and clothes, she did not care. As far as she could see, she didn't want to get to know any of them any closer. They were all murderers.

Just like Aria.

"Alright gentlemen: let's get back on the road. We've already spent enough time here as-is." Quick, simple, and to the point; Aria kept her debrief as minimal as possible while she tied down her weapons back into their places on the saddle. She didn't bother thinking about the bodies she was leaving behind; no time to erect a pure to burn the dead, and Aria had somewhere to be.

When she hopped into her place on the saddle, it was seemingly business as usual. Aria was back to awkwardly looking and reaching around Evelyn to guide Serendipity, and after one last check to ensure she didn't leave behind anything; she let out a bark.

"Let's get back to it, Dragoons! Forward!"

---

It had been several hours since the fateful ambush and battle at the gorge. Noringa had long disappeared behind them as morning shifted to afternoon, and the Calligian climate was beginning to come out in full force. The hot summer sun beated down on the fully armored troupe of Dragoons, making the ride unpleasant as some began to stave off the heat with their canteens.

Neither Aria or Evelyn spoke to each other since the encounter with the bandits. The air between them had grown a figurative barrier as both parties had plenty to think on each other about...

The only thing Aria had done since to interact with Evelyn was silently offer a silken handkerchief for her to soothe the cut on her cheek with. It had been too late for Aria to wipe off the blood on her armor, or the blood on Evelyn's only clothes; they'd have to settle for sleeping in blood-splattered clothing if they didn't camp down near a body of flowing water...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

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

---

"Alright gentlemen: let's get back on the road. We've already spent enough time here as-is." Quick, simple, and to the point; Aria kept her debrief as minimal as possible while she tied down her weapons back into their places on the saddle. She didn't bother thinking about the bodies she was leaving behind; no time to erect a pure to burn the dead, and Aria had somewhere to be.

When she hopped into her place on the saddle, it was seemingly business as usual. Aria was back to awkwardly looking and reaching around Evelyn to guide Serendipity, and after one last check to ensure she didn't leave behind anything; she let out a bark.

"Let's get back to it, Dragoons! Forward!"

---

It had been several hours since the fateful ambush and battle at the gorge. Noringa had long disappeared behind them as morning shifted to afternoon, and the Calligian climate was beginning to come out in full force. The hot summer sun beated down on the fully armored troupe of Dragoons, making the ride unpleasant as some began to stave off the heat with their canteens.

Neither Aria or Evelyn spoke to each other since the encounter with the bandits. The air between them had grown a figurative barrier as both parties had plenty to think on each other about...

The only thing Aria had done since to interact with Evelyn was silently offer a silken handkerchief for her to soothe the cut on her cheek with. It had been too late for Aria to wipe off the blood on her armor, or the blood on Evelyn's only clothes; they'd have to settle for sleeping in blood-splattered clothing if they didn't camp down near a body of flowing water...

After multiple hours of silent travelling, Evelyn wasn't feeling much better. Calmer, definitely, but better, not so much. This wasn't exactly how she had imagined her first journey out of her home country being. Well, at least they had been spared any more conflicts on the way, so that was a plus.

Looking around a bit, she could spot the dragoons accompanying her sweating a fair bit, taking frequent chugs from their canteens, and overall looking a bit sweltered. It must have been all the armour and equipment they were carrying around, because Evelyn felt nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, she hadn't noticed any sort of change in temperature since leaving Noringa. It felt exactly the same to her, even with her canteen of water nearly full, not a single drop of sweat in sight.

The farmgirl's thoughts were pulled away from the weather by the sudden offer of a handkerchief from Aria. Evelyn stared blankly at the small, silken cloth, debating whether she should take it, which just made her feel a bit childish.

"Thanks." She replied in a small voice, grabbing the handkerchief, and pressing it against the cut on her cheek lightly. The wound had stopped bleeding for the most part, but was still quite sensitive to touch. All things considered, Evelyn was fairly certain that it would leave a permanent scar of some sort on her face, but she wasn't exactly worried. It wasn't as if she had any reputation or status to uphold that a mark like that would damage.

---

More time passed, and Evelyn wasn't even sure how much. For all she knew, it might have been an hour or two, or just fifteen minutes. With how uneventful the journey had been so far, it all blended into one. On the other hand, she was relieved. An uneventful journey was much preferred to anything similar to what they had encountered just after leaving Noringa.

There was no population in sight, but the dragoons spotted something better. A running river. Well, more like a small stream, but it was still more than enough to refill their canteens. It moved perpendicularly through the road, before straying towards a more wooded, covered area, away from the path.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

More time passed, and Evelyn wasn't even sure how much. For all she knew, it might have been an hour or two, or just fifteen minutes. With how uneventful the journey had been so far, it all blended into one. On the other hand, she was relieved. An uneventful journey was much preferred to anything similar to what they had encountered just after leaving Noringa.

There was no population in sight, but the dragoons spotted something better. A running river. Well, more like a small stream, but it was still more than enough to refill their canteens. It moved perpendicularly through the road, before straying towards a more wooded, covered area, away from the path.

Aria d'al Brakava was many things, but "resistant to the Calligian summer" was not once of them. Bone-chilling winters were nothing to the Tierran, but the hot continental sun made her swelter in her steel armor and heavy overcoat. Even Serendipity, who had previously spent his entire life in Tierra's blistering cold climate, was beginning to chuff from heat exhaustion. Suddenly Aria was thankful that the troupe had unspokenly agreed to go as far as they could before stopping for the day; Aria could confidently estimate from the position of the sun that it was only a few hours until sunset.

"This blasted heat... Let's take shelter and set up for the night under the canopy there, Dragoons." She said, not realizing the hints of exhaustion in her voice until she needed to reach down for her own canteen.

... Bugger; she downed all the water inside already.

"Come on Dragoons; I know you want out of this heat as much as I do!"

---

The green canopy offered was certainly better than staying out in the sun, and as Aria's Dragoons came back from sweeping the nearby surroundings for danger, everyone seemed thankful for the little reprieve. While the five Dragoon Troopers under her command set about starting a rudimentary campsite or refilling the group's canteens in the nearby stream; Aria and Evelyn had swiftly dismounted from atop Serendipity to rest. For Evelyn, it was likely her first time riding on horseback for such an extended period of time; the ride had already begun to grow a tad uncomfortable when Aria made the call to bunker down for the day.

Speaking of Aria, she had busied herself caring for Serendipity, one hand brushing the dark stallion down with a hairbrush, the other holding up a small pile of oats that the horse happily snacked on.

"Geh, I've read stories of how hot the Sand Sea down south can be even in the winter months. Tierra isn't anywhere near this warm..." She half-heartedly complained. She didn't turn to look at what Evelyn was up to, but she did call out to her anyways as if she were nearby. "I'll check your cut once I'm done with Serry here. I have some strong gin and ointment in my saddlebags that could help it heal."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Aria d'al Brakava was many things, but "resistant to the Calligian summer" was not once of them. Bone-chilling winters were nothing to the Tierran, but the hot continental sun made her swelter in her steel armor and heavy overcoat. Even Serendipity, who had previously spent his entire life in Tierra's blistering cold climate, was beginning to chuff from heat exhaustion. Suddenly Aria was thankful that the troupe had unspokenly agreed to go as far as they could before stopping for the day; Aria could confidently estimate from the position of the sun that it was only a few hours until sunset.

"This blasted heat... Let's take shelter and set up for the night under the canopy there, Dragoons." She said, not realizing the hints of exhaustion in her voice until she needed to reach down for her own canteen.

... Bugger; she downed all the water inside already.

"Come on Dragoons; I know you want out of this heat as much as I do!"

---

The green canopy offered was certainly better than staying out in the sun, and as Aria's Dragoons came back from sweeping the nearby surroundings for danger, everyone seemed thankful for the little reprieve. While the five Dragoon Troopers under her command set about starting a rudimentary campsite or refilling the group's canteens in the nearby stream; Aria and Evelyn had swiftly dismounted from atop Serendipity to rest. For Evelyn, it was likely her first time riding on horseback for such an extended period of time; the ride had already begun to grow a tad uncomfortable when Aria made the call to bunker down for the day.

Once the group had camped down in a quickly fashioned clearing, Evelyn sat down on a small, fallen tree, now turned into a chair. She glanced down at her hand, still covered by the cotton glove, deep in thought. Not only about the bandit massacre that had taken place earlier in the day, but the aura of frost that had taken over her following the event. The powers were clearly linked to her emotions, that she was absolutely certain about. Despite having gained at least a bit more knowledge about the mysterious magic, Evelyn was even more at a loss now than ever.

If her power was directly linked to her emotions in one way or another, could she ever hope to gain control over it? Or would she be doomed to uncontrollable bursts of magic whenever she felt strong emotions? That felt... dangerous, to say the least. It also meant that Evelyn would have to somehow control her mental state far more strictly than she was honestly equipped for.

Whatever the result was, Evelyn made the decision right then and there. She was going to have to learn to control her powers. It was a must. If she didn't, she would end up hurting others, and herself, whenever the magic would begin to pour out again. The only problem was the methodology. Where was she even supposed to start with something like that?

Speaking of Aria, she had busied herself caring for Serendipity, one hand brushing the dark stallion down with a hairbrush, the other holding up a small pile of oats that the horse happily snacked on.

"Geh, I've read stories of how hot the Sand Sea down south can be even in the winter months. Tierra isn't anywhere near this warm..." She half-heartedly complained. She didn't turn to look at what Evelyn was up to, but she did call out to her anyways as if she were nearby. "I'll check your cut once I'm done with Serry here. I have some strong gin and ointment in my saddlebags that could help it heal."

Another mention of the hot weather, that Evelyn couldn't exactly place her finger on. "...Is it really that hot? I don't feel it." Evelyn asked calmly as she got up from the log, walking towards Evelyn and Serendipity. The other dragoons seemed to like at the white-haired girl with raised brows, unsure whether she was joking or not. Sure, Espea was a lot warmer of a place compared to what she guessed from Tierra, given the location, but she still experienced all four seasons there, snow included. The summers weren't exactly swelteringly hot either, so it couldn't have been that big of a difference.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

Another mention of the hot weather, that Evelyn couldn't exactly place her finger on. "...Is it really that hot? I don't feel it." Evelyn asked calmly as she got up from the log, walking towards Aria and Serendipity. The other dragoons seemed to like at the white-haired girl with raised brows, unsure whether she was joking or not. Sure, Espea was a lot warmer of a place compared to what she guessed from Tierra, given the location, but she still experienced all four seasons there, snow included. The summers weren't exactly swelteringly hot either, so it couldn't have been that big of a difference.

"We come from a place where it snows every day of the year; it might seem a frozen hell to most people, but it's a frozen hell we Tierrans hold dear to us." The images of Aria's homeland were hard to picture to someone who natively experienced the seasons like most folk. A place where it snowed every day? That sounded either like a winter wonderland or a hellish wasteland, perhaps both. Evelyn could hardly imagine what living in such a place would be like (what was Winter like in Tierra when it snowed in Summer?), but if the attire of Aria and her Dragoons was anything, it as proof that Tierra was bloody cold.

Maybe it was the fact that Espea was next door to Imperial Calligia, or that Evelyn was native to such climates and thus wasn't as bothered, but Aria still raised an eyebrow when Evelyn noted her unperturbed feelings to the heat. Even Serendipity snorted and craned his head to the side in confusion, though Aria gave a lighthearted smack to his cheek when he started being a little too conspicuous with his feelings.

"That's enough outta you, Serry; you know that staring is impolite." She said purposefully, eliciting a few embarrassed coughs from her Dragoons as their Officer-Lady reached into the saddlebag on Serendipity's flank. "I'm no surgeon, but I know enough about medicine to see if I can do anything about that cut of yours. Let me take a look-see if I can do anything about it."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

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

---

"We come from a place where it snows every day of the year; it might seem a frozen hell to most people, but it's a frozen hell we Tierrans hold dear to us." The images of Aria's homeland were hard to picture to someone who natively experienced the seasons like most folk. A place where it snowed every day? That sounded either like a winter wonderland or a hellish wasteland, perhaps both. Evelyn could hardly imagine what living in such a place would be like (what was Winter like in Tierra when it snowed in Summer?), but if the attire of Aria and her Dragoons was anything, it as proof that Tierra was bloody cold.

Maybe it was the fact that Espea was next door to Imperial Calligia, or that Evelyn was native to such climates and thus wasn't as bothered, but Aria still raised an eyebrow when Evelyn noted her unperturbed feelings to the heat. Even Serendipity snorted and craned his head to the side in confusion, though Aria gave a lighthearted smack to his cheek when he started being a little too conspicuous with his feelings.

"That's enough outta you, Serry; you know that staring is impolite." She said purposefully, eliciting a few embarrassed coughs from her Dragoons as their Officer-Lady reached into the saddlebag on Serendipity's flank. "I'm no surgeon, but I know enough about medicine to see if I can do anything about that cut of yours. Let me take a look-see if I can do anything about it."

As the cut was still fairly sore, Evelyn decided to do the sensible thing and let Aria take care of it. She plopped down onto a smooth rock, her eyes following Aria's hands, with her head staying mostly still.

"I feel like a frozen hell might be more suitable for me at this point..." She muttered out, half-jokingly. At least in a place like that, her powers might be a bit more inconspicuous. Nobody would bat an eye if she were to freeze a stray puddle in the road in a place where it was commonplace around the year, but in Noringa? It would definitely bring a lot of unwanted attention to her, at least according to Aria's warnings. The warnings which reminded her...

"Are there..." Evelyn started off, before pausing to glance at the rest of the camped dragoons. She hushed her voice down, and scooted a bit closer towards Aria. "Are there others... like me out there? With magic?" She questioned carefully, unsure what to expect. She wasn't even sure what she would do with that info. Even if she got a name, and an address, she wouldn't be able to meet anyone right now. Nor might it even be a good idea in the first place.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

As the cut was still fairly sore, Evelyn decided to do the sensible thing and let Aria take care of it. She plopped down onto a smooth rock, her eyes following Aria's hands, with her head staying mostly still.

"I feel like a frozen hell might be more suitable for me at this point..." She muttered out, half-jokingly. At least in a place like that, her powers might be a bit more inconspicuous.

"Maybe, maybe not. Tierra's likely far too different from Espea in every way for you to comfortably live in though." The metallic flask in Aria's hand noisily sloshed with an unknown liquid (likely the gin Aria mentioned) when she pulled it out from her saddlebag. The strong odour of alcohol was hard to miss, but the hints of citrus took some of the edge off the scent when Aria twisted the flask lid open.

"Here, pass me the handkerchief?" The cut adorning Evelyn's cheek looked shallow to Aria at an initial glance, but she opted to err on the side of caution anyways. The alcoholic smell of navy-strength gin was nearly overwhelming when Aria wetted her handkerchief with the beverage; the reflexive wince out of Evelyn when she felt the damp silk cloth press against her cut. "Looks like you got lucky: that bandit only managed to graze you with his rusted piece, so the cut is only skin-deep. I highly doubt it'll leave behind anything permanent, but I'll put some ointment on it later before you turn in for the night." The alcohol definitely hurt aplenty, but Aria seemed to know what she was doing.

"We don't have any arable land in the Winter Isles; can't grow anything when everything's covered under layers of snow and frost. We've gotten by our entire existence by trading for food we can't grow on our own; our homeland compensates for the lack of farmable lands with vast forests and tall mountains with every precious metal and gemstone you can think of. Small wonder that Tierra boasts some of the best blacksmiths and woodworkers this side of the world, but hardly has anyone that knows how to work a frozen field."

"Are there..." Evelyn started off, before pausing to glance at the rest of the camped dragoons. She hushed her voice down, and scooted a bit closer towards Aria. "Are there others... like me out there? With magic?" She questioned carefully, unsure what to expect. She wasn't even sure what she would do with that info. Even if she got a name, and an address, she wouldn't be able to meet anyone right now. Nor might it even be a good idea in the first place.

"I'm certain there are others like you out there in the world. Personally, you're the first I've ever met." Aria admitted, her own voice low enough that nobody could eavesdrop on their conversation. "I doubt either of us will ever encounter another person who can use magic; either they're hiding, so far away that we'd never meet them even if we tried, or they're in positions of power that make them untouchable. Monarchs, generals, diplomats, people who wouldn't have the time of day for either of us..." Aria was only minor nobility at best, and despite her magic, Evelyn was still an unremarkable farmgirl with little to her name or history. Unless Evelyn went public with her magic (which was as good as throwing her life away), nobody with magic would likely entertain her...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"Maybe, maybe not. Tierra's likely far too different from Espea in every way for you to comfortably live in though." The metallic flask in Aria's hand noisily sloshed with an unknown liquid (likely the gin Aria mentioned) when she pulled it out from her saddlebag. The strong odour of alcohol was hard to miss, but the hints of citrus took some of the edge off the scent when Aria twisted the flask lid open.

"Here, pass me the handkerchief?" The cut adorning Evelyn's cheek looked shallow to Aria at an initial glance, but she opted to err on the side of caution anyways. The alcoholic smell of navy-strength gin was nearly overwhelming when Aria wetted her handkerchief with the beverage; the reflexive wince out of Evelyn when she felt the damp silk cloth press against her cut.

"I have a feeling that comfortable is not going to something I'll be familiar with anytime soon..." Evelyn responded, taking into consideration the war she had somehow managed to tangle herself up in, not to mention the mysterious magic that had somehow fallen upon her.

"On top of th- ah!" The Espean girl winced when the handkerchief soaked in alcohol came into contact with the cut, forcing a sour expression to don the girl's face for a brief moment.

"We don't have any arable land in the Winter Isles; can't grow anything when everything's covered under layers of snow and frost. We've gotten by our entire existence by trading for food we can't grow on our own; our homeland compensates for the lack of farmable lands with vast forests and tall mountains with every precious metal and gemstone you can think of. Small wonder that Tierra boasts some of the best blacksmiths and woodworkers this side of the world, but hardly has anyone that knows how to work a frozen field."

Evelyn pondered on how such a place could even exist in the first place. All she had ever seen was Espea, and she wasn't exactly well-versed with her own country either. Espea had many larger cities and famous landmarks, but she had only heard of them through word of mouth, unsure what was real and what was added to the story to make it seem even more grandiose. All she knew was her small town, and her family's even smaller patch of land in it.

That being said, she was curious about Aria's home nation. It was true that Evelyn would most likely struggle there, if farming truly wasn't an option like it was in Espea, but she'd like to at least visit the place some time. But that would have to wait, as she needed to get back home first. That, plus with the ongoing war, now was most likely not the best time to take a tour through the foreign country.

"I'm certain there are others like you out there in the world. Personally, you're the first I've ever met." Aria admitted, her own voice low enough that nobody could eavesdrop on their conversation. "I doubt either of us will ever encounter another person who can use magic; either they're hiding, so far away that we'd never meet them even if we tried, or they're in positions of power that make them untouchable. Monarchs, generals, diplomats, people who wouldn't have the time of day for either of us..." Aria was only minor nobility at best, and despite her magic, Evelyn was still an unremarkable farmgirl with little to her name or history. Unless Evelyn went public with her magic (which was as good as throwing her life away), nobody with magic would likely entertain her...

"Hmm..." Evelyn couldn't respond with much more than a low hum of her voice. She wasn't going to reveal her condition to anyone, that was definitely settled. But simultaneously, she wished for nothing more than to speak with someone in the same position as she was. What would give more insight to gaining control over her magic than that? However unlikely it was for her to speak with such a person based on Aria's description of status, it was still something the farmgirl left in the back of her mind, if nothing else.

"...Fair enough." Evelyn concluded as she got up from the rock, careful not to touch her wound, even with the itching and burning the alcohol had caused. "Thank you for dressing the wound, and..." The words got caught in her throat.

Thank you for saving my life.

She couldn't speak the words out loud. Yes, she was grateful that Aria had rescued her in a time of need, that much went without saying, but it had come with a cost of another person's life. A price much too high for her. She couldn't possibly show her gratitude to Aria when she had exchanged another existence for hers.

"...I hope we make it to the outpost without any more troubles." Evelyn finally finished her sentence, diverting from her original intentions.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"Hmm..." Evelyn couldn't respond with much more than a low hum of her voice. She wasn't going to reveal her condition to anyone, that was definitely settled. But simultaneously, she wished for nothing more than to speak with someone in the same position as she was. What would give more insight to gaining control over her magic than that? However unlikely it was for her to speak with such a person based on Aria's description of status, it was still something the farmgirl left in the back of her mind, if nothing else.

"...Fair enough." Evelyn concluded as she got up from the rock, careful not to touch her wound, even with the itching and burning the alcohol had caused. "Thank you for dressing the wound, and..." The words got caught in her throat.

Thank you for saving my life.

She couldn't speak the words out loud. Yes, she was grateful that Aria had rescued her in a time of need, that much went without saying, but it had come with a cost of another person's life. A price much too high for her. She couldn't possibly show her gratitude to Aria when she had exchanged another existence for hers.

"...I hope we make it to the outpost without any more troubles." Evelyn finally finished her sentence, diverting from her original intentions.

"You can thank me when you're home, safe and sound with your loved ones. Until then, keeping you safe is the main priority until we find a big enough lull in this war for me to request leave." Aria waved off, screwing the cap of her alcohol flask shut and cutting off that pungent scent of booze with it. She was more than aware of Evelyn's mixed feelings and attitude towards the way the Dragoons had handled the bandits earlier that day; the Espean's face and voice were both equally terrible at hiding her inner emotions and feelings. Aria would stand by her decisions on violence; garnering Evelyn's dislike or even hatred was a price she was willing to pay if it meant bringing her to her family alive and well.

At least Aria would be doing something unequivocally good in the midst of this war...

"The Dragoons should be staring up a small fire pit to turn their hardtack into something more edible; you can go check if they're turning the rations into another haphazard stew of tack and pig fat (they love inventing new ways of making the stuff edible). As for me: I'll be by the creek washing my armor and clothes once I'm done brushing and feeding Serry down for the day." Ah, that's right: Aria still had blood staining her, and given how most of them had dried off, she was sure to be by the creek for awhile scrubbing at bloodstains. Evelyn for that matter also had dried blood all over her, and while the blood on her face and hair could be easily washed away with enough water and effort, the same couldn't be easily said about her clothes. They were the only change she had, and while the clothes were simple and likely rugged enough to easily wipe away the red, the light splotches on them were still noticeable from anybody's perspective... "Feel free to drop by too if you have the time; I can wipe the dried blood out of your hair and face if you catch me still there."

... The choice was rather clear for Evelyn...

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"You can thank me when you're home, safe and sound with your loved ones. Until then, keeping you safe is the main priority until we find a big enough lull in this war for me to request leave." Aria waved off, screwing the cap of her alcohol flask shut and cutting off that pungent scent of booze with it. She was more than aware of Evelyn's mixed feelings and attitude towards the way the Dragoons had handled the bandits earlier that day; the Espean's face and voice were both equally terrible at hiding her inner emotions and feelings. Aria would stand by her decisions on violence; garnering Evelyn's dislike or even hatred was a price she was willing to pay if it meant bringing her to her family alive and well.

At least Aria would be doing something unequivocally good in the midst of this war...

"I will." Evelyn replied simply. All she could do was to hope for a more peaceful journey from here on out, and not one covered in blood and war. Although, with how things seemed to going between the two warring countries, that hope felt more fleeting by the hour.

"The Dragoons should be staring up a small fire pit to turn their hardtack into something more edible; you can go check if they're turning the rations into another haphazard stew of tack and pig fat (they love inventing new ways of making the stuff edible). As for me: I'll be by the creek washing my armor and clothes once I'm done brushing and feeding Serry down for the day." Ah, that's right: Aria still had blood staining her, and given how most of them had dried off, she was sure to be by the creek for awhile scrubbing at bloodstains. Evelyn for that matter also had dried blood all over her, and while the blood on her face and hair could be easily washed away with enough water and effort, the same couldn't be easily said about her clothes. They were the only change she had, and while the clothes were simple and likely rugged enough to easily wipe away the red, the light splotches on them were still noticeable from anybody's perspective... "Feel free to drop by too if you have the time; I can wipe the dried blood out of your hair and face if you catch me still there."

... The choice was rather clear for Evelyn...

"Alright, thanks. I'll, uhh... go check out this stew, if you can even call it that..." With a brief wave and a smile that was merely a formality, rather than a genuine feeling, Evelyn headed into the opposite direction from the cornet, towards the camp. She was more than eager to get all the blood out of her face and hair, but things with Aria still felt rather awkward. Not that Evelyn expected much more from the rest of the group of dragoons, but it was still some variety at least.

Evelyn soon joined the others at the camp, having built up the small fire pit just as Aria had told her earlier. The Espean farmer took a seat in front of the fire, blankly staring into the flames. Despite her focus being on the camp fire, she could feel the other's focus on her, but she didn't mind. The dragoons didn't seem to bear any negative feelings towards her, at least, or so Evelyn had interpreted things so far. To be fair though, she hadn't been in their presence without Aria there to smooth things over if any questions were to arise.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"Alright, thanks. I'll, uhh... go check out this stew, if you can even call it that..." With a brief wave and a smile that was merely a formality, rather than a genuine feeling, Evelyn headed into the opposite direction from the cornet, towards the camp. She was more than eager to get all the blood out of her face and hair, but things with Aria still felt rather awkward. Not that Evelyn expected much more from the rest of the group of dragoons, but it was still some variety at least.

As expected, the tall bunch of rank-and-file Dragoons has gathered around a small, but roaring fire they had raised just minutes before. The fire itself crackled and popped amidst the discussions and chuckles the men were having amongst each other, audible enough for Evelyn to eavesdrop as she approached the fire.

"... and them Halberdiers were chuffed when they heard ol' Milswerth got his pay docked by a half-year! 'He bloody well deserved it!' They kept on shoutin', even moreso when they learned that the lass he was with ran off with his coin!"

Bawdy banter aside, the men seemed a lot less strung up when Aria wasn't around. Three were merrily chattering each other's ears off with random bits, while a fourth stirred into a heavy-looking iron pan with a stick. The food inside looked... less than palatable by any discernable metric, just a mushy mass of reddish-brown sizzling on pig grease. Definitely something Evelyn was likely going to eat alongside the Dragoons...

The only person with an eye out was none other than Sergeant Lanzrel. He was sitting on his own log near the fire, but he was less focused on the other Dragoons as he was their immediate surroundings. It made sense; someone had to keep watch while everyone else relaxed, and the Sergeant definitely looked big and bulky enough to intimidate any unwanted company out of funny business. He didn't pay Evelyn much when she approached and sat down by the fire, unlike the other four who turned their curious eyes to the only civilian of the group.

Evelyn soon joined the others at the camp, having built up the small fire pit just as Aria had told her earlier. The Espean farmer took a seat in front of the fire, blankly staring into the flames. Despite her focus being on the camp fire, she could feel the other's focus on her, but she didn't mind. The dragoons didn't seem to bear any negative feelings towards her, at least, or so Evelyn had interpreted things so far. To be fair though, she hadn't been in their presence without Aria there to smooth things over if any questions were to arise.

"By the by..." Who was the name of the Dragoon who was stirring the pot; was it Hernandes or Finlay? "Wot's with the little Cornet dragging her along, eh? I know the Sergeant said we were huffing it to the River, but I don't recall him or the lass saying anything about us needing to escort anybody."

"Beh! For all I know she could be the King's secret wife or the Cornet's nightly entertainment. I dunnae what them Officers do in their free time!" The crude comment got more than a chuckle out of the rest (sans Evelyn), but it certainly didn't stop the scrutiny. "But serious now: the heck is the little lady thinking, bringing along some dame like her? I dun recall anyone important being in Noringa save Lord Rendower and his pompous arse!"

"Lay off, ya rats! Any louder and we'll have brigands sticking their knives in our necks while we sleep!" It was Sergeant Lanzrel once again who was the voice of discipline when Aria wasn't around. "Eh, keep the lot at arm's length, Lassie; they're the best of a sorry lot, but they're rough 'round the edges."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

As expected, the tall bunch of rank-and-file Dragoons has gathered around a small, but roaring fire they had raised just minutes before. The fire itself crackled and popped amidst the discussions and chuckles the men were having amongst each other, audible enough for Evelyn to eavesdrop as she approached the fire.

"... and them Halberdiers were chuffed when they heard ol' Milswerth got his pay docked by a half-year! 'He bloody well deserved it!' They kept on shoutin', even moreso when they learned that the lass he was with ran off with his coin!"

Bawdy banter aside, the men seemed a lot less strung up when Aria wasn't around. Three were merrily chattering each other's ears off with random bits, while a fourth stirred into a heavy-looking iron pan with a stick. The food inside looked... less than palatable by any discernable metric, just a mushy mass of reddish-brown sizzling on pig grease. Definitely something Evelyn was likely going to eat alongside the Dragoons...

The only person with an eye out was none other than Sergeant Lanzrel. He was sitting on his own log near the fire, but he was less focused on the other Dragoons as he was their immediate surroundings. It made sense; someone had to keep watch while everyone else relaxed, and the Sergeant definitely looked big and bulky enough to intimidate any unwanted company out of funny business. He didn't pay Evelyn much when she approached and sat down by the fire, unlike the other four who turned their curious eyes to the only civilian of the group.

As Evelyn was pulled away from her focus on the fire ahead, she couldn't help but let a slight smirk form on her face from hearing the admittedly rowdy, but still light-hearted banter between the dragoons. It all brought some much-needed levity to her current circumstances. Besides, Evelyn didn't mind partaking in some light banter herself either, despite what first impressions might give. Evelyn's appearance was somewhat lady-like, and elegant in nature, but her upbringing was quite far from it. A farmer's life wasn't easy in a small town like hers, which, in turn, developed the people there to be hardy in their nature, and in their banter.

There was a single role model for the opposite side of the spectrum for Evelyn as well. Her mother, whom she inherited her strong morals from, as well as her rather "proper" manner of speaking, at least when compared to the stronger Espean dialect you would otherwise hear in the village.

"By the by..." Who was the name of the Dragoon who was stirring the pot; was it Hernandes or Finlay? "Wot's with the little Cornet dragging her along, eh? I know the Sergeant said we were huffing it to the River, but I don't recall him or the lass saying anything about us needing to escort anybody."

"Beh! For all I know she could be the King's secret wife or the Cornet's nightly entertainment. I dunnae what them Officers do in their free time!" The crude comment got more than a chuckle out of the rest (sans Evelyn), but it certainly didn't stop the scrutiny. "But serious now: the heck is the little lady thinking, bringing along some dame like her? I dun recall anyone important being in Noringa save Lord Rendower and his pompous arse!"

"Lay off, ya rats! Any louder and we'll have brigands sticking their knives in our necks while we sleep!" It was Sergeant Lanzrel once again who was the voice of discipline when Aria wasn't around. "Eh, keep the lot at arm's length, Lassie; they're the best of a sorry lot, but they're rough 'round the edges."

Evelyn's ears perked up further when she could recognize herself being turned into the focus of the conversation. Her gaze did not leave the fire, but her focus was solely on the gossip circling the dragoons. King's secret wife? She wished! That way, Evelyn would have already been home in the snap of a finger, rather than stuck here, in a foreign country, with foreign people, in the middle of a foreign war. The next piece of gossip was the one that caught her off-guard, and nearly made her jump up to deny it.

The Cornet's nightly entertainment!? Hardly!

Evelyn cleared her throat, loud enough to make sure to get the attention of all the dragoons, turning her icey-blue eyes from the fire to the group of three. "I can guarantee you that there's absolutely zero entertainment going on between Aria, and I." She announced sternly, addressing the cornet by her first time, which she only realized after the fact. It was most likely no big deal, right? "Should I tell her you were curious about her personal night-life, hm?" She added, with a more sarcastic tone.

After saying what she had to say, Evelyn turned her attention to sergeant, her expression and tone of voice softening a bit. "It's nothing I can't handle." She replied with a slight nod of her head. Blood, death, war, she definitely could not handle, but a bit of crude banter? That much she was capable of for certain.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Evelyn cleared her throat, loud enough to make sure to get the attention of all the dragoons, turning her icey-blue eyes from the fire to the group of three. "I can guarantee you that there's absolutely zero entertainment going on between Aria, and I." She announced sternly, addressing the cornet by her first time, which she only realized after the fact. It was most likely no big deal, right? "Should I tell her you were curious about her personal night-life, hm?" She added, with a more sarcastic tone.

Instead of anything resembling embarrassment, shame, or even concern, the Dragoons only laughed hard. One even raised his canteen of water like he was proposing a toast. "Would'ya look at that: the dame has a spine in her after all!" He got a cheer from his other mates, and an eyeroll from Lanzrel off to the side. "Well make sure to leave you two alone. We ain't that desperate to have the little Cornet castrate us!" Well, at least Evelyn now knew that her threats held about as much weight as a feather...

"Idiots, the lot of us..." Lanzrel huffed as he sat his crude monster of a blunderbuss by his trousers. "Oi, Finlay! Make sure these three don't devour the whole lot; we still need something left for the Cornet and our guest."

"I'm aware of how much of a grump the Cornet can be when she's left hungry Sarge."

"Hah; who isn't?"

"The rest of them Officer's lot?"

"Beh, she just acts all hoity-toity with a stick up her arse 'cuz she looks like some Lord-Colonel's teenage daughter! If I didn't know better, I'da thought she slept her way into being a Cornet!"

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Instead of anything resembling embarrassment, shame, or even concern, the Dragoons only laughed hard. One even raised his canteen of water like he was proposing a toast. "Would'ya look at that: the dame has a spine in her after all!" He got a cheer from his other mates, and an eyeroll from Lanzrel off to the side. "Well make sure to leave you two alone. We ain't that desperate to have the little Cornet castrate us!" Well, at least Evelyn now knew that her threats held about as much weight as a feather...

"Idiots, the lot of us..." Lanzrel huffed as he sat his crude monster of a blunderbuss by his trousers. "Oi, Finlay! Make sure these three don't devour the whole lot; we still need something left for the Cornet and our guest."

"I'm aware of how much of a grump the Cornet can be when she's left hungry Sarge."

"Hah; who isn't?"

"The rest of them Officer's lot?"

Evelyn quickly came to the same conclusion as the sergeant on how she viewed the three dragoons. Even with her recent disagreements and arguments with Aria, the Espean definitely saw time spent with the Cornet as far more enjoyable than with the dragoons, at least so far. Although, she did enjoy hearing a bit of gossip about Aria as well, hearing a bit more about her "rescuer".

"Beh, she just acts all hoity-toity with a stick up her arse 'cuz she looks like some Lord-Colonel's teenage daughter! If I didn't know better, I'da thought she slept her way into being a Cornet!"

When the light-hearted gossip turned into something more akin to insults, Evelyn's light-blue eyes narrowed slightly. There was banter, and then there was going too far, and this was definitely a case of the latter, at least in Evelyn's eyes. Forgoing the disagreements with Aria, Evelyn wouldn't stand for this. She swiftly got up off of the ground, ready to hurl a barrage of berating words and heated insults towards the group of men. However, right as she was about to open her mouth, she felt paralyzed.

That same, familiar feeling. It was back, again.

A quick glance down, towards her arm, and she could see the effects of her emotional state loud and clear. A fine sheet of ice, coating her right hand, starting from her fingertips, and quickly growing towards her palm. Horrified, Evelyn quickly covered her frosted hand with the help of her sleeve, and took off without a word.

As soon as she was out of sight from the dragoons, her rushed walk turned into sprint towards the cornet. "Aria! Aria! Help!" She shouted, closing in on the creek where she knew the cornet was. Once the lady was in sight, Evelyn halted in her tracks, holding her hand in front of her, as if it wasn't a part of her body. Despite the ice, Evelyn still held full mobility in her fingers, her hand trembling with fear more so than the actual cold.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

When the light-hearted gossip turned into something more akin to insults, Evelyn's light-blue eyes narrowed slightly. There was banter, and then there was going too far, and this was definitely a case of the latter, at least in Evelyn's eyes. Forgoing the disagreements with Aria, Evelyn wouldn't stand for this. She swiftly got up off of the ground, ready to hurl a barrage of berating words and heated insults towards the group of men. However, right as she was about to open her mouth, she felt paralyzed.

That same, familiar feeling. It was back, again.

A quick glance down, towards her arm, and she could see the effects of her emotional state loud and clear. A fine sheet of ice, coating her right hand, starting from her fingertips, and quickly growing towards her palm. Horrified, Evelyn quickly covered her frosted hand with the help of her sleeve, and took off without a word.

The flowing creek near the rudimentary campsite turned out to be a lot smaller and less impressive up close. Combine that with the otherwise uninteresting sights of green hills and sparse woodland, and it was no wonder that Aria found her mind wandering as she scrubbed the last bits of blood off her gambeson.

Most of her equipment laid off to her side in varying states of disassembly, Aria having decided to take the time to properly maintain her arms and armor since she would've otherwise been idle. Her weapons only needed a cursory run with some water and an oiled rag to clean them out, and her sabre proved hardy enough against the bandits' cobbled armor that she didn't need to pull out her tiny whetstone. That left her with the simpler task of cleaning the blood off her clothing and armor.

As such, Aria had been in the middle of rinsing the last flecks of dried blood off her gloves when Evelyn came shouting from the treeline. Clad in her tunic and skirt, she really didn't look all that different from a normal peasant girl were it not for the weapons sitting next to her.

As soon as she was out of sight from the dragoons, her rushed walk turned into sprint towards the cornet. "Aria! Aria! Help!" She shouted, closing in on the creek where she knew the cornet was. Once the lady was in sight, Evelyn halted in her tracks, holding her hand in front of her, as if it wasn't a part of her body. Despite the ice, Evelyn still held full mobility in her fingers, her hand trembling with fear more so than the actual cold.

The sight of Evelyn's freezing hand alarmed Aria when she turned her head around to acknowledge the Espean, and without thinking she dropped her leather gloves and ran up to Evelyn and pulled her by the wrist to the stream's edge.

"What in Saint Octavia's name happened!?" She hissed as she vainly splashed some water on Evelyn's half-frozen hand. Her voice remained low enough that nobody could hear her, on the off-chance that someone was eavesdropping. Aria had cupped the frozen fingers, uncaring that it felt really cold against her bare hands, and more worried that Evelyn was about to lose control again (Aria's hands did feel pleasantly warm against Evelyn's fingers, curiously enough). "I swear, I can't go a minute without something happening..."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

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

---

The flowing creek near the rudimentary campsite turned out to be a lot smaller and less impressive up close. Combine that with the otherwise uninteresting sights of green hills and sparse woodland, and it was no wonder that Aria found her mind wandering as she scrubbed the last bits of blood off her gambeson.

Most of her equipment laid off to her side in varying states of disassembly, Aria having decided to take the time to properly maintain her arms and armor since she would've otherwise been idle. Her weapons only needed a cursory run with some water and an oiled rag to clean them out, and her sabre proved hardy enough against the bandits' cobbled armor that she didn't need to pull out her tiny whetstone. That left her with the simpler task of cleaning the blood off her clothing and armor.

As such, Aria had been in the middle of rinsing the last flecks of dried blood off her gloves when Evelyn came shouting from the treeline. Clad in her tunic and skirt, she really didn't look all that different from a normal peasant girl were it not for the weapons sitting next to her.



The sight of Evelyn's freezing hand alarmed Aria when she turned her head around to acknowledge the Espean, and without thinking she dropped her leather gloves and ran up to Evelyn and pulled her by the wrist to the stream's edge.

"What in Saint Octavia's name happened!?" She hissed as she vainly splashed some water on Evelyn's half-frozen hand. Her voice remained low enough that nobody could hear her, on the off-chance that someone was eavesdropping. Aria had cupped the frozen fingers, uncaring that it felt really cold against her bare hands, and more worried that Evelyn was about to lose control again (Aria's hands did feel pleasantly warm against Evelyn's fingers, curiously enough). "I swear, I can't go a minute without something happening..."

"I don't know!" Evelyn exclaimed back, unsure what to do. The water splashed onto her hand, formed into brittle icicles as soon as it came in contact with her, only making things worse, rather than better. "It just... suddenly became like this...!" Evelyn stuttered back, her worries only growing as the ice kept slowly creeping up her hand, towards her wrist.

Before the Espean even realized, Aria grasped her frosted fingers in her own bare hands. "Wait, don't-!" She tried to warn her, even attempting to lightly pull away. If the water splashed onto her hand had frozen like that, what would happen to Aria?

As Evelyn had feared, things were only getting worse. With how much water had been on both Aria and Evelyn's hands, it had frozen in between their hands, acting as a bridge between them, much like how a tongue would get stuck on a metal flagpole in the winter. Aria was stuck. Upon realizing this, Evelyn knew she had to do something before the both of them ended up as human icicles.

"Okay, just relax, nothing is going to go wrong... Take a deep breath..." Despite whispering the soothing words out loud, Evelyn wasn't speaking to Aria, but herself instead. Doing as she had just said, Evelyn closed her eyes, and stopped moving. She took a slow and deliberate inhale, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled. Inside her head, she was attempting to clear up her feelings of frantic panic and worry, trying to replace them with calmness and control.

Then things all fell into place. For this one short moment, Evelyn was the one in control over her magic, rather than the other way around. The ice slowly growing and surrounding her hand, and now Aria's as well, stopped spreading. A mere second after that, it all shattered into a million, miniscule shards that shimmered in the air, before falling into the creek and melting upon landing onto the flowing water.

Evelyn slowly opened her eyes, nervously checking her hand first. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Only Aria's hands grasping hers. Granted, her fingers did still feel a little stiff and below average temperature, but that didn't exactly bother her.

"I... did it...?" Evelyn raised her eyes to look at the dragoon, forming her sentence more like a question, rather than a statement, as she was still unsure of how she had exactly done it.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"I don't know!" Evelyn exclaimed back, unsure what to do. The water splashed onto her hand, formed into brittle icicles as soon as it came in contact with her, only making things worse, rather than better. "It just... suddenly became like this...!" Evelyn stuttered back, her worries only growing as the ice kept slowly creeping up her hand, towards her wrist.

Before the Espean even realized, Aria grasped her frosted fingers in her own bare hands. "Wait, don't-!" She tried to warn her, even attempting to lightly pull away. If the water splashed onto her hand had frozen like that, what would happen to Aria?

As Evelyn had feared, things were only getting worse. With how much water had been on both Aria and Evelyn's hands, it had frozen in between their hands, acting as a bridge between them, much like how a tongue would get stuck on a metal flagpole in the winter. Aria was stuck. Upon realizing this, Evelyn knew she had to do something before the both of them ended up as human icicles.

"Okay, just relax, nothing is going to go wrong... Take a deep breath..." Despite whispering the soothing words out loud, Evelyn wasn't speaking to Aria, but herself instead. Doing as she had just said, Evelyn closed her eyes, and stopped moving. She took a slow and deliberate inhale, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled. Inside her head, she was attempting to clear up her feelings of frantic panic and worry, trying to replace them with calmness and control.

Then things all fell into place. For this one short moment, Evelyn was the one in control over her magic, rather than the other way around. The ice slowly growing and surrounding her hand, and now Aria's as well, stopped spreading. A mere second after that, it all shattered into a million, miniscule shards that shimmered in the air, before falling into the creek and melting upon landing onto the flowing water.

Evelyn slowly opened her eyes, nervously checking her hand first. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Only Aria's hands grasping hers. Granted, her fingers did still feel a little stiff and below average temperature, but that didn't exactly bother her.

"I... did it...?" Evelyn raised her eyes to look at the dragoon, forming her sentence more like a question, rather than a statement, as she was still unsure of how she had exactly done it.

"I don't know if you should chalk everything up to yourself, divine intervention, or just blind luck. It's likely all three..." For someone who's hands were briefly stuck to a human icicle, Aria was taking everything remarkably well. Her only reaction to the split-second crisis was retroactively shaking the tingles of numbness off her fingertips, and after a cursory check to make sure she still had fine motor control over her hands, went straight back to grasping Evelyn's once-frozen hand to check her over

Evelyn's hands were cold, as if Aria wasn't grasping a hand, but a solid icicle... Evelyn's bare hands.

"I'll see if I can get you something like some gloves; try to avoid touching anything with your bare hands until then. If we're lucky, then you freezing anything requires a direct touch out of you, and we can mitigate and hide that."

"Where did you put your gloves?" The question came out a lot harsher than Aria thought due to her worried tone, making it sound less like a question and more like a demand. "Geez... You should be a more careful with yourself if you take them off. We still don't know if wearing them's any good at stopping things like this from happening."

Despite the scolding, Aria looked and sounded more relieved than exasperated; her thumb was subconsciously rubbing circles on the back of Evelyn's hand the whole time she spoke. "The hells did you even do for this to happen? Because from what I can recall, things like this don't happen with you for no reason."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

"I don't know if you should chalk everything up to yourself, divine intervention, or just blind luck. It's likely all three..." For someone who's hands were briefly stuck to a human icicle, Aria was taking everything remarkably well. Her only reaction to the split-second crisis was retroactively shaking the tingles of numbness off her fingertips, and after a cursory check to make sure she still had fine motor control over her hands, went straight back to grasping Evelyn's once-frozen hand to check her over

Evelyn'shands was cold, as if Aria wasn't grasping a hand, but a bunch of ice... Evelyn's bare hands.

Evelyn merely furrowed her brow in response. In truth, she wasn't all that sure whether it had been an act of divine intervention either, but she still had a feeling that she had some modicum of control in that one passing moment. She could feel her spirit shattering the ice, as if striking it with an imaginary hammer. She wasn't certain whether she could replicate the act, and how, but at least now, Evelyn knew that it was possible, which was the most important part.

"Where did you put your gloves?" The question came out a lot harsher than Aria thought due to her worried tone, making it sound less like a question and more like a demand. "Geez... You should be a more careful with yourself if you take them off. We still don't know if wearing them's any good at stopping things like this from happening."

"Sorry, I..." Evelyn started off, glancing down at her hands, the white cotton gloves stashed into her back pocket. "The gloves... I took them off because there was a lot of blood on them, and... it was only for a second..." Evelyn stumbled over her words slightly, pulling said gloves into sight with her free hand. She was flustered because Aria was completely right. She shouldn't have taken them off, even if it was for a short moment. Even if they had no idea whether they actually worked or not. The two had agreed on it.

Despite the scolding, Aria looked and sounded more relieved than exasperated; her thumb was subconsciously rubbing circles on the back of Evelyn's hand the whole time she spoke. "The hells did you even do for this to happen? Because from what I can recall, things like this don't happen with you for no reason."

"I was minding my own business in camp, and then..." Evelyn paused for a moment, considering how she wanted to explain the situation. She wanted to tell the full truth, of course, but she also did not want to reveal how some of Aria's men truly felt about the cornet to her, to possibly hurt her. With a troubled expression, Evelyn lingered on the paused silence for a moment longer. "There were some... words exchanged there by the other dragoons." Evelyn started off her roundabout way of explaining.

"And, err... some were a bit... unpleasant, and directed towards, well... you?" Evelyn slowly came to reveal the nature of the conversation, trying to gauge the cornet's reaction with every word leaving the Espean's lips.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"Sorry, I..." Evelyn started off, glancing down at her hands, the white cotton gloves stashed into her back pocket. "The gloves... I took them off because there was a lot of blood on them, and... it was only for a second..." Evelyn stumbled over her words slightly, pulling said gloves into sight with her free hand. She was flustered because Aria was completely right. She shouldn't have taken them off, even if it was for a short moment. Even if they had no idea whether they actually worked or not. The two had agreed on it.

Aria could only sigh and pat Evelyn's hand with her remaining free hand. In the end, she couldn't find any significant fault in Evelyn; poor lady had no reason to suspect she'd suddenly lose control minutes after taking them off. It was still careless in Aria's eyes, but not enough to earn her disappointment or ire. "I'm not telling you that you should wear those every waking hour; I'm just telling you to be mindful when you take them off. Those are meant to help protect you until you've gotten a proper hold of yourself and your magic." The part where the gloves also provided some minimal shielding from prying eyes went unsaid, but obvious.

"Promise yourself that you'll be more careful, okay? This was likely a close call, and I don't know if you accidentally let anyone see."

"I was minding my own business in camp, and then..." Evelyn paused for a moment, considering how she wanted to explain the situation. She wanted to tell the full truth, of course, but she also did not want to reveal how some of Aria's men truly felt about the cornet to her, to possibly hurt her. With a troubled expression, Evelyn lingered on the paused silence for a moment longer. "There were some... words exchanged there by the other dragoons." Evelyn started off her roundabout way of explaining.

"And, err... some were a bit... unpleasant, and directed towards, well... you?" Evelyn slowly came to reveal the nature of the conversation, trying to gauge the cornet's reaction with every word leaving the Espean's lips.

"And you got upset on my behalf?" Ah, so that was the reason why Evelyn came running down to Aria: back-talk about her from the common soldiery. Truth be told: Aria had long grown used to the fact that she'd be looked upon with some measure of disdain. She looked five years younger than she actually was (which could've been a compliment if she was a decade older), and her youth combined with her gender made her an easy target of ridicule from everywhere. It didn't mean she was going to lie down and accept it -she would get her due respect with enough time and effort-, but that didn't mean she was free to speak her mind. Not yet anyways...

"I won't lie and say that I'm not flattered in some way, Evelyn. I'm already used to the chattering going on when my back's turned, and while I'm about as pleased as you are about it, getting mad here and now won't do anything about it." Aria probably looked so admirable with her coolheadedness, something Evelyn could maybe tap into or find refuge with for her magic and emotional control. "Just... ignore them for now, okay? I'll deal with them in due time when I get their respect."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

Aria could only sigh and pat Evelyn's hand with her remaining free hand. In the end, she couldn't find any significant fault in Evelyn; poor lady had no reason to suspect she'd suddenly lose control minutes after taking them off. It was still careless in Aria's eyes, but not enough to earn her disappointment or ire. "I'm not telling you that you should wear those every waking hour; I'm just telling you to be mindful when you take them off. Those are meant to help protect you until you've gotten a proper hold of yourself and your magic." The part where the gloves also provided some minimal shielding from prying eyes went unsaid, but obvious.

"Promise yourself that you'll be more careful, okay? This was likely a close call, and I don't know if you accidentally let anyone see."

"Yeah..." Evelyn let a sigh out, and pulled her hand away from Aria's to fit the gloves back on. "I promise, I won't let this happen again." She continued. Even though she was completely serious in her promise, Evelyn wasn't completely confident whether she could actually keep it or not. Her life had essentially got twisted upside down, and it constantly felt like she had no idea what was coming her way next.

As for the gloves, Evelyn was now committed to not taking them off unless absolutely necessary. Even though Aria had told her that she didn't need to wear them "every waking hour", an incident like this sure made Evelyn feel like it. And that was without fully knowing whether they'd even work or not, in case anything similar happened to her again.

"And you got upset on my behalf?" Ah, so that was the reason why Evelyn came running down to Aria: back-talk about her from the common soldiery. Truth be told: Aria had long grown used to the fact that she'd be looked upon with some measure of disdain. She looked five years younger than she actually was (which could've been a compliment if she was a decade older), and her youth combined with her gender made her an easy target of ridicule from everywhere. It didn't mean she was going to lie down and accept it -she would get her due respect with enough time and effort-, but that didn't mean she was free to speak her mind. Not yet anyways...

"Well... I guess so..." Evelyn murmured a bit quietly in response. Hearing her own course of actions made Evelyn feel a bit flustered, although she couldn't exactly explain why. Yes, she had gotten upset on Aria's behalf, but hearing it phrased as such made her feel a bit strange.

"I won't lie and say that I'm not flattered in some way, Evelyn. I'm already used to the chattering going on when my back's turned, and while I'm about as pleased as you are about it, getting mad here and now won't do anything about it." Aria probably looked so admirable with her coolheadedness, something Evelyn could maybe tap into or find refuge with for her magic and emotional control. "Just... ignore them for now, okay? I'll deal with them in due time when I get their respect."

Evelyn was about to argue back with Aria about how she personally couldn't just ignore their words when they were so clearly insulting the cornet, but figured that it wasn't her choice to make in the matter. "Fine, but I won't be happy about it..." Evelyn muttered in response, unsure if she could actually ignore the dragoons again if she were to placed in a similar situation again.

With the situation having calmed down from the initial panic and hecticity, Evelyn took a step out of the shallow creek, her boots more than wet from standing in it for so long. She sat down on a large rock just a few steps from the flowing water, and slowly ran her fingers through her white hair from front to back, letting strands of the unnaturally-coloured hair fall down to curtain her face from either side.

"What will happen to me if I get found out? What if..." Evelyn started off, equally curious and horrified of the answer. "What if the people at the outpost find out about my powers?" It wasn't an easy question to answer, especially since the answer wasn't one that Evelyn would want to hear, at all.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"Yeah..." Evelyn let a sigh out, and pulled her hand away from Aria's to fit the gloves back on. "I promise, I won't let this happen again." She continued. Even though she was completely serious in her promise, Evelyn wasn't completely confident whether she could actually keep it or not. Her life had essentially got twisted upside down, and it constantly felt like she had no idea what was coming her way next.

As for the gloves, Evelyn was now committed to not taking them off unless absolutely necessary. Even though Aria had told her that she didn't need to wear them "every waking hour", an incident like this sure made Evelyn feel like it. And that was without fully knowing whether they'd even work or not, in case anything similar happened to her again.

The cotton gloves were stained with the same red blood that were on her clothes, the same red blood Aria had spilled to save Evelyn's life earlier that day. Even though Aria was totally in the right, she could tell that Evelyn was uncomfortable with the constant reminder of what happened that day.

"Come on: at least let me wash those off first before you wear them." She spoke, her voice soft and gentle as she gently pinched Evelyn's gloves and took them off with a simple, but smooth pull. All of Aria's armor and most of her more distinctive bits of clothing were sat nearly on the grass next to the two ladies, all of them drying out in varying degrees of dampness after being thoroughly washed by the Cornet. The only things she hadn't washed were her dark-green skirt and cream-colored tunic, and if Evelyn didn't already know of Aria's militaristic occupation, she could be easily passed for another civilian girl.

Already barefoot in the stream (her tights and boots were off next to her drying greatcoat), Aria had begun the simple, but nonetheless laborious process of washing the cotton gloves until they were free of any blood. A splash of water, a dabble of the strong gin that she still had with her, and some gentle rubbing with her fingers were producing some results, but it was clear that it was going to be awhile before they were blood-free.

With the situation having calmed down from the initial panic and hecticity, Evelyn took a step out of the shallow creek, her boots more than wet from standing in it for so long. She sat down on a large rock just a few steps from the flowing water, and slowly ran her fingers through her white hair from front to back, letting strands of the unnaturally-coloured hair fall down to curtain her face from either side.

"What will happen to me if I get found out? What if..." Evelyn started off, equally curious and horrified of the answer. "What if the people at the outpost find out about my powers?" It wasn't an easy question to answer, especially since the answer wasn't one that Evelyn would want to hear, at all.

"They won't." There it was again: that complete confidence Aria had in "You won't get found out, because you and I both know what would happen if you do." Evelyn didn't need the reminder of her personal stakes; the mere idea that she'd never see her home country again was far too cruel, especially from the very kingdom Aria was fighting for.

"But if the worst comes down to it: we can probably use the fact that you're Espean to delay word reaching Grenadier Square or His Majesty's ear. You being a citizen of a neutral state should be enough to make everyone pause, long enough for me to find someone who can smuggle you home..." Aria looked up at Evelyn, dead seriousness and determination in her eyes. "I did swear to get you home to your family alive and well, after all."

 

[Kiss and Cry]

The cotton gloves were stained with the same red blood that were on her clothes, the same red blood Aria had spilled to save Evelyn's life earlier that day. Even though Aria was totally in the right, she could tell that Evelyn was uncomfortable with the constant reminder of what happened that day.

"Come on: at least let me wash those off first before you wear them." She spoke, her voice soft and gentle as she gently pinched Evelyn's gloves and took them off with a simple, but smooth pull. All of Aria's armor and most of her more distinctive bits of clothing were sat nearly on the grass next to the two ladies, all of them drying out in varying degrees of dampness after being thoroughly washed by the Cornet. The only things she hadn't washed were her dark-green skirt and cream-colored tunic, and if Evelyn didn't already know of Aria's militaristic occupation, she could be easily passed for another civilian girl.

Already barefoot in the stream (her tights and boots were off next to her drying greatcoat), Aria had begun the simple, but nonetheless laborious process of washing the cotton gloves until they were free of any blood. A splash of water, a dabble of the strong gin that she still had with her, and some gentle rubbing with her fingers were producing some results, but it was clear that it was going to be awhile before they were blood-free.

After Aria took the gloves from her, Evelyn inspected her pale fingers quietly. Not a single scratch left on her skin from the ice, although all the old marks and nicks were still present. At least the magic didn't seem to leave her with any sort of long-lasting effects that she could notice as of now. The more remarkable thing had been how she had managed to make the ice shatter just by using her mind. It was something she would have to investigate more, but how exactly? Evelyn couldn't create ice to control out of nowhere, and even if she could, there was no guarantee that she could prevent it from spreading again. It was a slippery slope to even attempt to recreate any of the events today.

"They won't." There it was again: that complete confidence Aria had in "You won't get found out, because you and I both know what would happen if you do." Evelyn didn't need the reminder of her personal stakes; the mere idea that she'd never see her home country again was far too cruel, especially from the very kingdom Aria was fighting for.

"But if the worst comes down to it: we can probably use the fact that you're Espean to delay word reaching Grenadier Square or His Majesty's ear. You being a citizen of a neutral state should be enough to make everyone pause, long enough for me to find someone who can smuggle you home..." Aria looked up at Evelyn, dead seriousness and determination in her eyes. "I did swear to get you home to your family alive and well, after all."

"Right..." Evelyn hung her head down. Delaying the word from reaching the higher-ups being the best course of action didn't exactly inspire all too much hope within the Espean, but then again, she hadn't expected much else from her question.

"I know you promised, and I don't doubt you, but..." Evelyn started off, a bit cautious with her words as she paused to think over her wording for her following, rather sensitive question. "...If the word does reach this Majesty of yours, and he tells you to bring me to him - will you still keep your promise?" Evelyn wasn't even sure what she hoped to gain from learning Aria's answer. If someone with status like that heard about her, it seemed like she'd be screwed either way, regardless of what Aria did next.

 

[Aron the Aron]

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

---

"Right..." Evelyn hung her head down. Delaying the word from reaching the higher-ups being the best course of action didn't exactly inspire all too much hope within the Espean, but then again, she hadn't expected much else from her question.

"I know you promised, and I don't doubt you, but..." Evelyn started off, a bit cautious with her words as she paused to think over her wording for her following, rather sensitive question. "...If the word does reach this Majesty of yours, and he tells you to bring me to him - will you still keep your promise?" Evelyn wasn't even sure what she hoped to gain from learning Aria's answer. If someone with status like that heard about her, it seemed like she'd be screwed either way, regardless of what Aria did next.

"Of course I will." Not an ounce of hesitation out of Aria; she answered so simply and quickly like as though her answer was obvious to the world. "My promises come first, even before the needs of my kingdom. I'd likely be arrested and executed for treason if I refuse to hand you over, not that the threat would dissuade me." She continued on. Her casually mentioning the possibility of her dying for disobeying her king was more than a little disconcerting (the notion that Aria would willingly die for Evelyn the least of her concerns), as if Aria didn't fear Death itself. She only continued to scrub and wash the blood off Evelyn's cotton gloves, like a maid idly gossiping with a friend.

Suddenly, Evelyn's mind came back to what Aria had said earlier when they were on horseback, right before they had argued...

​

"... I mean it; as long as I'm around, I won't let anything bad happen to you. I swear on my name and my life that you'll come back home to your family alive and well."​

​

"I will protect you with my life from anything and everything."

It felt so frightening how serious that promise was with the power of hindsight. Aria was genuinely willing to die for Evelyn, a complete stranger, if it meant getting her home. Something was wrong with her...