Months since she felt her hands find stillness, since her heart was not felt in every beat against her ribs. She pushed herself as far as she could in every moment that rest did not find her. Fate filled her lungs, did not let her mind come to an ease.
Instead she spent her hours that should be resting in prayer, interspersed with deep quiet that was as close to resting as her world seemed to hang upon waiting for something to slip. It will come in the following days - though she is not to know, now, as she walks as alone as she can in her gardens in the night - to the statue of the Goddess Mahalakshmi - so taken her name from, her husband's Lakshmi though he has passed from her with their son.
Now she goes, perhaps not to plead with Gods, maybe just to be close to the memory of an easier time. When her life had been simpler - though perhaps not at all. It's in those memories she kneels, at the foot of the goddess, bows her head, clasps her hands, and tries to usher something as close to dreaming to her waking mind as she can. The bright blue of her veil all threaded with silver is carefully draped across her head. The skirts swept out as she holds herself.
As close to dreaming as she can be - as close to peace when there is a war to come that she can feel like a storm in the air. A tepid cool in her mouth just about to be swallowed down on.
Perhaps that is why she does not startle when she finds herself with company that is not - her ladies, her guards, her family. Her eyes snap open at the nearest sound, the dagger at her waist not drawn but - her breath goes still, trying to work out who would be bothering her here of all places. ]
[ A faerie should not be accustomed to traveling far. Cast out of his clan, however, for having poor sight and a strange magic that did not belong where magic was truly needed, he was forced to live on his own. Many times had he almost died, a small faerie in a large world, hunted down by hungry beasts and greedy humans. Somehow, he made his way to where a goddess was asked for guidance, a woman at her feet. If asked, Kaevyn would have ridiculed the concept of a human-like figure worthy of worship. Something deserving more devotion than Nature - ludicrous!
Distracted by his self-righteousness, the small creature doesn't realize the sounds he's been making. Given away, he hides further into the leaves, though his retreat only seems to make matters worse.
He knows one thing he will not do - show his true form. So from behind his hideout, the faerie emerges as a young man. ]
I am traveling. [ His eyes try to focus, wide and locked on her without fear. His tone, too, is without any kind of intimidation, or apology. ] And you, what is it that you are doing here?
[ He is not at all one of family, her guard, she might ask if he were a trader than had wandered far from his goods, to look so different to any of her people and still be here. But that was impossible too - in the heart of her palace, no less? How could he have just wandered in here? Maybe he had been looking for one of her advisers and stumbled through the wrong path of the Mahal?
Her hands are still clasped, the silver tray with offerings at the Goddess at the foot of the stone statue. In her many hands, each holds an emblem, a symbol of her many fold divinities. The stone old, not painted as many were, but carved in intricacies, and around her neck, hangs a necklace of yellow flowers.
Her eyes turn to it - before back to him. Her leg curling around herself. The stone under her knees was warm still despite the sun setting long ago. But out here - in the flat rocky plateau of Jhansi, nothing ever truly seemed to cool. ]
I would say you have definitely done that. [ Her hands settle at last, into her palm. If he was an assassin, he would not ask such. He would have struck her already. ] I look for calm and solace. [ She doesn't take her eyes off him, but her chin lifts, indicating the quietly smiling Goddess. ]
[ Once again, Kaevyn tries to focus his eyes. It is no harder to see in a human shape than it is as a faerie; the difference lies in how people can perceive the changes in his expressions. Bugs aren't quite as expressive as young men, and women. ]
Why is that? Tell me, what is it that troubles you?
[ As though asking, what could possibly trouble you humans, who are without conscience? ]
[ Her face turns away from him then - how could he not know? Everyone felt it, and not just because of her endless preparations. It hummed full in the air, in the call of drums, in the desperation of prayers.
Unless he was a man fleeing the dawn, and as such as not been brushed with news of what was following him. ]
War. [ She intones without puncture or hesitation. ] War is what troubles me, for it comes without mercy or delay.
[ A sigh, she will never know, will she, until it is done. What is to become of her, what she must become again. Her sleepless days, her breaths wracked in her chest. Slaughter is what will come. ] If you are travelling, then perhaps you should further. This place used to be a meeting of many such wanderers, but you will find it nothing but stripped bare, these days.
[ It's an exclamation, of anger, not quite pain - the unpleasant surprise of a wasp stinging you. ]
Of course. Humans know nothing but war.
[ He had little experience with them, and the entirety had been unpleasant. They were so unpleasant. Imposing. Arrogant, believing that they were allowed to trespass. ]
[ Does she keep company with some kind of spirit then? Perhaps, she had heard the Afghani's speak of djinn, that would appear and disappear at random like phantoms of bad will. A nursemaid's stories to get a little girl into her bed on time, no doubt, but...
... in hours as long as these, whose to say what might wander forth? ]
I never wished for it - and yet it came to me. [ Never wanted anything but to protect her people, never cared for anything but their lives and now someone was coming to take them away. Not someone, but things, monstrous things, she knew they would not spare them, any of them. Their bellies would drag on the ground with how much they will eat - men, women, children. All will be consumed, and she - will fight till the breath gave out of her body. ]
Yet you are here. On the eve of war, if you have such a distaste for human acts of such a kind.
[ What strange things he says - such removal from this much misery bearing down. To the end, the chatter of war is like saying the sun will rise. It does not matter, it will be happen, and whether he is here or not, she would fight and bleed and fight again for as long as she drew breath. ]
[ And with three little words, Lakshmi makes him snap with an offended huff. ]
'What'! As though I were a thing - no more than a pebble on the ground! Have you absolutely no respect, human? Or shall I simply name you a Pebble instead?
[ Rather than get offended, she blinks, smiles. ] Have you not been doing just above that this whole time?
[ Human this, human that. Like she could ever have been born otherwise. Like it's her fault for being such. ] Or perhaps we shall both be pebbles then.
[ Though even they are not entirely useless - good for throwing at birds to take their pieces for tools and trinkets, or even to throw at humans who dare to enter the forest he lives in. ]
My name is Kaevyn. Be respectful enough not to forget it.
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Months since she felt her hands find stillness, since her heart was not felt in every beat against her ribs. She pushed herself as far as she could in every moment that rest did not find her. Fate filled her lungs, did not let her mind come to an ease.
Instead she spent her hours that should be resting in prayer, interspersed with deep quiet that was as close to resting as her world seemed to hang upon waiting for something to slip. It will come in the following days - though she is not to know, now, as she walks as alone as she can in her gardens in the night - to the statue of the Goddess Mahalakshmi - so taken her name from, her husband's Lakshmi though he has passed from her with their son.
Now she goes, perhaps not to plead with Gods, maybe just to be close to the memory of an easier time. When her life had been simpler - though perhaps not at all. It's in those memories she kneels, at the foot of the goddess, bows her head, clasps her hands, and tries to usher something as close to dreaming to her waking mind as she can. The bright blue of her veil all threaded with silver is carefully draped across her head. The skirts swept out as she holds herself.
As close to dreaming as she can be - as close to peace when there is a war to come that she can feel like a storm in the air. A tepid cool in her mouth just about to be swallowed down on.
Perhaps that is why she does not startle when she finds herself with company that is not - her ladies, her guards, her family. Her eyes snap open at the nearest sound, the dagger at her waist not drawn but - her breath goes still, trying to work out who would be bothering her here of all places. ]
What are you doing here?
no subject
Distracted by his self-righteousness, the small creature doesn't realize the sounds he's been making. Given away, he hides further into the leaves, though his retreat only seems to make matters worse.
He knows one thing he will not do - show his true form. So from behind his hideout, the faerie emerges as a young man. ]
I am traveling. [ His eyes try to focus, wide and locked on her without fear. His tone, too, is without any kind of intimidation, or apology. ] And you, what is it that you are doing here?
no subject
Her hands are still clasped, the silver tray with offerings at the Goddess at the foot of the stone statue. In her many hands, each holds an emblem, a symbol of her many fold divinities. The stone old, not painted as many were, but carved in intricacies, and around her neck, hangs a necklace of yellow flowers.
Her eyes turn to it - before back to him. Her leg curling around herself. The stone under her knees was warm still despite the sun setting long ago. But out here - in the flat rocky plateau of Jhansi, nothing ever truly seemed to cool. ]
I would say you have definitely done that. [ Her hands settle at last, into her palm. If he was an assassin, he would not ask such. He would have struck her already. ] I look for calm and solace. [ She doesn't take her eyes off him, but her chin lifts, indicating the quietly smiling Goddess. ]
no subject
Why is that? Tell me, what is it that troubles you?
[ As though asking, what could possibly trouble you humans, who are without conscience? ]
no subject
Unless he was a man fleeing the dawn, and as such as not been brushed with news of what was following him. ]
War. [ She intones without puncture or hesitation. ] War is what troubles me, for it comes without mercy or delay.
[ A sigh, she will never know, will she, until it is done. What is to become of her, what she must become again. Her sleepless days, her breaths wracked in her chest. Slaughter is what will come. ] If you are travelling, then perhaps you should further. This place used to be a meeting of many such wanderers, but you will find it nothing but stripped bare, these days.
no subject
[ It's an exclamation, of anger, not quite pain - the unpleasant surprise of a wasp stinging you. ]
Of course. Humans know nothing but war.
[ He had little experience with them, and the entirety had been unpleasant. They were so unpleasant. Imposing. Arrogant, believing that they were allowed to trespass. ]
I am not surprised. You will not find calm.
no subject
... in hours as long as these, whose to say what might wander forth? ]
I never wished for it - and yet it came to me. [ Never wanted anything but to protect her people, never cared for anything but their lives and now someone was coming to take them away. Not someone, but things, monstrous things, she knew they would not spare them, any of them. Their bellies would drag on the ground with how much they will eat - men, women, children. All will be consumed, and she - will fight till the breath gave out of her body. ]
Yet you are here. On the eve of war, if you have such a distaste for human acts of such a kind.
no subject
[ He would regard it the same way. The instigators only happen to make matters worse. ]
Wishes would have never been yours to have.
[ Just, so she knows. ]
no subject
What are you?
no subject
'What'! As though I were a thing - no more than a pebble on the ground! Have you absolutely no respect, human? Or shall I simply name you a Pebble instead?
no subject
[ Human this, human that. Like she could ever have been born otherwise. Like it's her fault for being such. ] Or perhaps we shall both be pebbles then.
no subject
[ Though even they are not entirely useless - good for throwing at birds to take their pieces for tools and trinkets, or even to throw at humans who dare to enter the forest he lives in. ]
My name is Kaevyn. Be respectful enough not to forget it.