→ your obedient servant

[roman]

ＷＯＲＤ ＣＯＵＮＴ // one thousand, one hundred and thirty-three

it took all of my self-control to keep a gasp down. I swallowed it, but just barely. the woman showed no notice of my surprise, but I was sure she knew. her face was as straight and serious as ever. "my name is arryn, please call me as such," she said monotonously. not unkind, but not exactly friendly either. I started to introduce myself, but I held my tongue, realizing that she already knew who I was. she surveyed me with the same cold eyes as yesterday, and nodded slowly as if confirming I was the one she really wanted.

"come with me," she instructed, turning towards the outskirts of the city I knew and loved. I realized with some distaste that I couldn't recall anything about my life outside of the city. obviously, I had been on the other side of those looming gray walls, but I surely didn't remember any of it.

even more distasteful was the fact that who I really was lay beyond those gates. I thought I would be excited when I finally had the opportunity to find out who I used to be, but now that it was really happening, I wished for nothing more than to remain in blissful ignorance.

no one had outright told me, but the headmistress let things slip. I had pieced together that just days after beona took me in, four strangers had showed up at the entrance, raving. they wore black cloaks, had swords belted to their hips, and rode on sleek war horses. they were denied access to the city, but they had tried to force their way in anyways. they failed, of course, but as they turned to leave, they had shouted an ominous warning at the gatekeepers. "we will come for her in three years. you will not deny us then."

I swallowed my fear, but my voice was still painfully quiet. "you're one of them, aren't you?"

she stopped walking, but her back remained to me. she didn't speak for a long while. I was too busy looking at ways to escape to notice the seconds ticking away. finally, she said, "no, if you are referring to the four soldiers who came looking for you three years ago. yes, if you are referring to the counsel they originally belonged to. they were promptly expelled afterwards."

she began walking again, and I struggled to keep up with her brisk pace. I had so many questions, but every time I worked up the courage to ask one, the elf would respond, "victoria, I am not at liberty to discuss that with you."

so she was cryptic. two could play at that game. we walked in complete silence. the sounds of the city would have been muffled by the rain that was approaching quickly, but everyone was still in bed. the only sound was my footsteps. I was surprised at the grace with which arryn moved. she made no sound, except her occasional comment about hurrying up.

it took us less than ten minutes to reach the cracked stone wall that encircled the tired city. it had felt like hours to me. two horses were grazing near a large oak tree, and the elf took us towards them. I guessed they were the ones we were to ride to the capital, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she hadn't bothered to tie them up. wasn't she worried about them running away?

they were both wearing tack, but the saddles were light and looked very uncomfortable. the reins were just as light and small, and didn't have bits. I had to admire the care they were so obviously crafted with, but I winced as I thought about the long hours I would be placed upon one.

I stopped some distance away from the two grazing stallions, but arryn walked right up to the one on the right. he looked up at her, and his beauty caught my breath. I had never seen a horse as majestic as he. he was tall and sleek, and his ears were trained on each sound that escaped the grasp of silence. his warm brown eyes displayed wisdom and kindness. his coat shone and his muscles were toned and revealed that he was not only agile and quick, but he was strong. stronger than my first glance had revealed.

arryn muttered something I couldn't make out, and the horse looked at me with his piercing brown eyes. he tossed his head and snorted, and the elven woman made an apologetic gesture. he ignored her and came sauntering over to me. his soft muzzle met my face and I jumped back. he tilted his head at me, as if to say be calm, I'm not going to hurt you.

I inhaled and nodded my head at him, feeling a little silly as I did so. he was a horse. as if he could be thinking in any respect. maybe the stress was getting to me.

he swayed his head back to look at arryn when he was finished examining me thoroughly, and she shrugged.

out of the blue, a blinding pain coursed through my head. a smooth masculine voice entered my thoughts. relax, it said. the pain won't go away until you do. I let a ragged breath escape my lungs, and relaxed my tensed muscles. my ears stopped ringing, but it took all my strength not to push the alien presence from my mind. it's magic, I realized.

when I opened my eyes, I wasn't in beona anymore. I was standing in a huge hallway. it was made of stone, but it looked new. no cracks lined the walls. it was sparse when it came to decoration. I was standing on a large red rug embroidered with gold. there was a small oaken table with a candle on top of it. it provided the only light in the corridor. a figure emerged from the blackness and made me jump.

he was tall and had neat, short black hair, handsome angled features and pointed ears. his warm brown eyes displayed wisdom and kindness. his clothing was identical to the uniform arryn was wearing. something about him was so incredibly familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it, and it was driving me to wit's end.

"hello," he said, and I recognized his voice as the one who had cautioned me to relax. I realized with wonder that it didn't echo off the cold stone walls. "my name is lincoln. I met you just moments ago, but I thought I'd like to introduce myself instead of neighing uselessly."

then it struck me. who he was. it hit me with crushing force. he was the bay stallion arryn had gone up to.

[Ranger of the North]

well that was unexpected

[calliopë]

what did you just do to me

[roman]

ＷＯＲＤ ＣＯＵＮＴ // one thousand, two hundred and nineteen

despite myself, I stood there for a second, silent, trying to digest what was just revealed. with all the things that had happened to me in the past few days, I was beginning to expect things like this. but I had never once been exposed directly to magic in what I remembered. it wasn't exactly a widely practiced art.

magic was tricky to say the least. if you weren't born with at least a little natural talent, you would have to study hour upon hour to get the simplest of spells. humans provided a talented child every once in a while, but the majority of humanity had little to no skill in magic.

vampires came second in the lineup of talent. each one could naturally preform simple spells such as levitation or communicating through thoughts even with animals. but spells like the one being maintained here were of myth and legend. it required immense magic power, and you had to train and work with no time to do anything else to master spells such as this.

demons and ghosts and spirits were hard to measure ability for. for demons, it depended on what station they held when it came to their king. with ghosts it came to what they were before they died, and what they accomplished during life. like demons, it depended on the station they were when it came to their reining deity. take, for example, water spirits. they answer to poseidon, fire spirits to hades, war spirits to ares, and so on.

at least, that's how it was in beona and the nearby outskirts. I wasn't sure whether it was different outside the walls. part of me screamed yes, but was it even possible? how could magic abilities change when you entered a city? it didn't quite make sense. but hey, nothing that happened to me ever made sense. and I was just getting used to life in beona.

I slowly bent my head in a bow. "it is an honor to meet you, master lincoln," I said.

I observed that my voice didn't echo off the walls either.

when I raised my head up again, he had curved his mouth into a rueful grin. what did I say? I thought nervously. he was obviously a creature of great power. had I not done enough? I should have groveled on the floor and kissed his feet, I thought with some disgust. some nobles expected as much.

he seemed to have known what I was thinking because he said, "forgive me, victoria. you have done nothing wrong. if you will allow me to explain?" he paused, and I arched an eyebrow to tell him to continue. "you have probably heard of the viennen horses?"

I shook my head. beona was a city that kept to itself. it was on the very edge of the empire, and nobody really came or went. he nodded, and was silent. I guessed he was revising the way he was going to tell me his story. I sighed mentally. he probably saw me as some uneducated child. but he showed no sign of frustration or contempt.

"viennen horses are reserved strictly for the viennen council, which I'm sure someone as smart as you has already guessed."

I smiled sarcastically. there he was reading my thoughts again. yes, I guessed that. anyone with a brain would've, I thought. then my own rueful smile presented itself. I might as well just say these things. he probably already knows anyway. but he continued on, not acknowledging that he knew what was running through my head.

"they are known for being the best horses. strong, fast, and they can't be stolen. that's because each horse bonds with it's rider, and unless the rider permits it, the horse won't allow any other to ride him or her. yes, horses are intelligent creatures, but it is rumored that the viennen horses have the intelligence of a human or greater. this rumor is true, as each viennen horse is bonded with a ghost or spirit," he said thoughtfully.

I wasn't sure, but it seemed like he was remembering something as he spoke. something that wasn't making him happy. he spoke with a pained tone, and it tugged at my heart. his warm brown eyes were glazed over with years of wear and tear as he spoke.

"it is a very arduous procedure, and some spirits don't survive the process. as I've already said, I am one such horse. but I don't remember anything about my life before. I have always been lincoln the bay stallion. the viennen council had to teach me to speak english again, and I've never been outside the capital until just recently. what I know about the world came from my teachers. they've told me my former name, and that I was an ancient being, but in joining this horse, I mentally became his age. I'm inexperienced in most things, and I tend to be impulsive. yes, I kept my magic abilities, my elven ability to learn, and this optional form, but I'm just a horse. it doesn't make sense even to me, and I'm sorry if none of what I just said carries any meaning for you," he finished.

tears had sprung to my eyes. how they got there, I didn't know. it didn't really matter. lincoln had just laid his life out before me. of course it meant something.

before I could say anything though, he inched closer and knelt in front of me. he held up his hands but lowered his head. beautiful golden reins materialized in them. he spoke, but I had to strain to hear what he said.

"victoria lee, you are the first person the counsel has presented me to that I feel a connection to. I would be honored to have you as my rider."

I didn't say anything, but I felt hot tears running down my cheeks. it didn't take a second thought. I reached down and grabbed the reins from his hands.

when I opened my eyes, I was standing in front of lincoln's four legged self. his head was pushed into my shoulder, and I wrapped my arms around his muscular neck. it had begun to rain while I was occupied with lincoln's vision, and I was soaking wet. arryn stood abruptly from her seat on a bench a few meters away. she must've been watching me, and the movement startled her. how long had I been in conference with lincoln?

I really payed no more attention to her than that. I smiled as I recognized the spirit's presence still lingering in my mind. we were joined mentally now. he would always be there for me, and I would be there for him. we would be unstoppable. I laughed with pure mirth. I probably looked crazy, but I didn't mind. lincoln raised his head up, stamped around and whinnied in his version of laughter.

arryn arched an eyebrow as she approached. "I take it the bonding process was a success?" I didn't answer her. besides I was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question. she nodded to herself, and I heard lincoln's voice among my flow of thought. she does that a lot, he laughed. I couldn't help but smile. yeah, she does. doesn't she?

[watermelon.]

i love this a lot, a lot
i really have no words, but in a good way.
<3

[calliopë]

dead

[Ranger of the North]

Awww that was cute <3 and awesome <3 and wonderful <3 and touching <3 <3

[roman]

@watermelon ⠀thanks so much aghh
I just don't know what to say to these things except that I really really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment <3

@torë ⠀that's not allowed, no dying here
I need you to live my dude <3

@ranger ⠀omg I'm glad you think so!
I was going for that vibe, since my other chapters were a little depressing ^^'

new poll is up!
I would really love to hear your opinions
I've got this idea for maybe a story set in the american revolution? idk I am content with writing only "just great"
by the way, if you're confused, I want to say that if I do end up writing another story, I won't drop "just great"! I'll just write both uwu

[roman]

ＷＯＲＤ ＣＯＵＮＴ // seven hundred and eighty-four

the wind attempted to sweep the dirt from the streets, but failed miserably. it did, however, successfully bite into any clothes, no matter how layered or thick, like a rabid dog desperate for blood. it chilled anyone who dared exit the inviting warmth of home. it howled through the alleyways and tilted the rain so it was falling almost vertical. it hit almira so hard it almost knocked her slim frame over. "almost home, almost home," she consoled her shaking body.

along with the usual blue coat symbolizing a revolutionary soldier, she wore a thick cloak in a vain attempt to block out the chill of new york. her face was hidden by a cowl that she was rarely allowed to take off. being one of the only two women allowed to join general washington's rag-tag believers in freedom, she had to take special precautions. most of the time, she dressed as a man, wore her long curly mop of brown hair in a pony-tail (at least washington hadn't asked her to get it all cut off), and hid her face by a hat or hood. she had grown to accept these guidelines. as long as she was fighting for freedom and justice, she would have done anything the general asked of her.

she weakly climbed the cracked stone steps that led to her home's door, welcoming the sight of a blazing fire through the windows. she swung the doors open and, securing them again, rushed into the living space. her body greedily devoured the warmth the fire offered.

her husband entered the room, and said with a smile, "welcome home."

after she was satisfied with the warmth she had received, she walked up to him, threw her hood back, and pecked him on the cheek. he hugged her, and she embraced him. "those damned red-coats didn't hurt you, did they?" he asked, pushing her out in front of him. a rueful grin placed itself upon her lips, but she said, "no, mr. worrywart. I'm fine."

he let a barking laugh go, and almira took hold of his hand. "I knew the risks when I joined the army. you can't possibly fight with your leg being how it is. I love you. I would take on a whole battalion by myself if it meant saving you."

he shook his head, but said nothing. almira knew he was probably flustered beyond compare. even after a year of being married, he still got that way around her. she thought it was cute. she pulled away from his grasp, and said, "I had better go get changed." the man kissed her one more time, and nodded, returning to his place before the fire.

almira sighed and went to a large room at the very back of the house. the bed was neatly made, and the floor was recently swept. a nightstand sat diligently by the bedside, with a small candle struggling to light the room. a bouquet of flowers rested a safe distance away. things like that might be considered a woman's touch, but lee was the one who was a clean freak. sometimes I think I was meant to be the husband and he the wife, she thought, barely keeping back a giggle.

she lifted a floorboard, and felt the cold seeping up from the ground below. the girl unstrapped her rapier, wincing as the cold metal met her hands. she carefully placed it in the hole. next, she removed her uniform and dressed in the modern fashion: a beautiful maroon dress and matching accessories. she placed her uniform alongside her sword. next, she removed the tie that kept her unruly hair in place, and put that on top of the blue coat. the floor groaned in protest as she replaced the board.

when she returned to the living room, her husband was staring down something. almira rolled her eyes. he was probably just staring at the wall, deep in thought. the orange light of the fire danced around on his face. it highlighted his high cheek bones, and his muscular build.

her heart threatened to jump out of her chest as she rounded the corner and the room came into full view. a tory sat equally as silent, a musket resting muzzle up next to him. they both looked up at almira when she entered. the redcoat stood out of respect, and her husband made a slow attempt to do the same. he winced as he sank back into his chair. "can we help you?" she asked, overjoyed that her voice showed no sign of the panic that was pooling in her stomach.

through a horrible smirk, the man opposite her husband said, "I'm curious. which one of you is the soldier?"

[leda.]

SCREAMS AND POINTS

I KNOW THIS I KNOW THIS

but for real, i LOVE this new story. aah i love almira and the husband's relationships. they seem so fond of each other, although thats whats expected in a marriage tbh.