fic: Culture Clashes
Jun. 30th, 2020 02:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Culture Clashes
Series: Fire Emblem Tellius (9/10)
Character/pairing: Nailah/Rafiel, Volug
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nailah and Rafiel's first attempts to court each other don't go so smoothly.
Word count: 4,328
Author's note:
I didn't set out to write a sequel to Branches and Berries, or I should say a prequel, it just sort of happened with the bridal FEH update.
Plus Rafiel's mention of courting reminded me that it needed to happen. So here it is.
You don't need to read Branches and Berries to get this one, as it's before it, though.
Oh, and CW for wolves hunting = gore? Probably canon-typical, but I figured I'd put that in there. Oh, and a cw for emetophobia.
Happy birthday, Gothita.
These days, the ruins within the Hatari echoed with songs. She awoke to Rafiel, golden haired and beautiful, with a soft smile and an apology. Did I wake you? I know you were up late patrolling.
However, this morning, the ruins had gone silent now. Rafiel still slept. His wings were folded across his back, and his long golden hair lay over one shoulder. Sleep had tangled his glorious mane, she saw now.
She would have to fix that later.
He was fragile in ways she did not fully understand, though not simply because he could not fight. The journey had weakened him, and even more his brush with the humans. Whereas it would've simply stoked a need for vengeance within her, to Rafiel it was draining, like a corrosive force hollowed him out from the inside.
Usually, it was him who rose with the dawn and greeted the sunrise with his song. Volug and Nailah hunted during the night. Going out during the day would mean burnt paws and sunburns, and that was if the heat stroke didn't come.
Volug lifted his head. His furry tail softly thumped against the stone floors as he awaited her command. She gave him an imperious nod.
"Keep watch over Rafiel while I am gone. I will hunt alone," she said.
Volug glanced up. He preferred to simply stay in his beast form. Still, she could read the question in his eyes. Alone?
"I will be fine. It is him who I worry about. He's so...fragile. I could not think of leaving him alone. Even in these ruins where few tread. And if the forces of Daein came here, I dare not think what they would do to him..."
Volug stared at her pointedly.
"Do not give me that look. I am the Queen of the wolves, of the Hatari. It would take far more than some wild game to fell me."
That was all she said, her last command, as she left. Volug made no complaints.
*
Nailah shifted as easily as jumping into water. Her wolf side was aware of many possible prey. Jackrabbits with large ears ran through the desert, between the many cacti. However, a mere rabbit wouldn't be enough of a gift for him.
Her future mate.
He was unlike any laguz she had ever met. Resplendent, elegant, gorgeous, and yet fragile. He deserved a far better gift than an easy catch which would barely sate a wolf's hunger.
Would it sate a Heron's? She would have to find out.
The moon was still up in the sky, even as the dawn approached. The seemingly endless heat had not come yet, and the air was still cool. Her nose caught the scent of many scurrying prey, but none were good enough. A tiny snake, or a small bird wouldn't been enough for her mate.
Tarrying too long and she'd have to take shelter from the intense noonday sun. With renewed determination, Nailah took off on a run through the desert.
A lizard ran back to the cover of an outcropping of rocks. Black and white birds let out distress calls from the cliffs.
She gave them a disdainful sniff. Their swooping was little more than an annoyance. And she had no interest in their babies. The loud bits of fluff wouldn't be worth the trouble of finding a way to scale the cliffs. Even if she were starving, there were far better options. She'd eat the prickly fruit from the cacti before she tried that. Still, they could not understand her, and let out loud cries of consternation until she left the cliffs.
Her ear twitched as she heard a snuffling sound. At the foot of some truly large cacti, a a large boar dug for roots. The boar had tusks which could gore her easily. Now, if Volug were there, it would be easier to distract the prey, so she could leap in for the kill.
Now this was far more worthy a gift for her mate.
She leap into the fray, and onto the massive creature's back. It let out a squeal, and tossed her aside. Blood in her mouth, she rounded on it again. For Rafiel, she thought, my future mate.
Not even this massive boar could best the queen of the desert, the queen of the wolves.
*
She returned to the ruins just as the striking and intense noonday sun rose up. Dragging the beast home had been more difficult than even felling it. Its brown fur was matted with thorns and prickly cacti fruit which had fallen in the night. She considered it little more than garnish.
Her maw was covered with blood. She brought the prize right to his feet. She had expected him to lick his lips, and dig in, just as a wolf would. To take pride in the gift she had spent such effort to find and catch for him. Instead, his lovely face was contorted green, and with an expression of sheer horror.
"My queen, what has happened...You have so much blood upon you..."
She shifted, to make it easier to talk. She wiped away the blood at her chin, with a smirk.
"Oh, this? It isn't my blood."
"Oh...." Rafiel covered his mouth suddenly, but couldn't keep the noise of a barely concealed retch. "That...poor thing."
"N-No thank you. I cannot.... I truly cannot...Ugh...the stench. I..."
Rafiel bent over and heaved.
Nailah flinched back as if she had been struck by the full weight of a dragon. It hadn't been an easy kill. It wasn't enough for him? What kind of prey would it take to please him? A full grown lion? A dragon?
"I'm sorry, ahem...Please forgive such a display. The stench simply was too much for me."
He drank from a flask of water to clear his mouth.
"I...understand that others must consume flesh and I accept this, however... I cannot eat this. My kind only eats berries and nuts."
Berries? Nuts? How was she supposed to hunt down those and present them to him? Yes, he had eaten mostly the fruit of the cacti, nuts and berries, but she assumed he took some meat. After all, she had met other birds who were avid hunters as well, and had run with some truly strong hawks during her time.
Volug wagged his tail. He nosed towards the kill inch by inch. His dark eyes were pleading.
"Go ahead," she said tiredly, "But don't get any ideas about it meaning anything."
Volug gave her a look which required no words. There never was even a spark, a question of them, even if they were the same species. Even in wolf form, even without words, he managed sarcasm easily.
Rafiel had to look away as Volug tore into the boar. Suddenly, Nailah didn't feel quite like eating.
*
Nailah spent the worst of the noonday heat asleep within the deepest, dampest caverns of the ruins. When she awoke, she returned again to the main corridors, and Rafiel stopped his song, and rose to greet her.
"As for earlier... I hope I have not offended you, my queen," Rafiel said.
Such sorrow filled his countenance, that it made her ache. "I fear I was rude, but you see, my kind cannot take such...gore well. The very sight of such chaos caused such a reaction, I could not control it."
Oh, she couldn't stay angry at him. And indeed if she were to look deeper, she would know that much of the blame should be laid at her feet. She had thought only how a wolf would want to be courted, but he was no wolf. She knew he was too fragile for the battlefield, and hadn't even considered what the scent of fresh blood might do to him.
To her, the thrill of the kill and the hunt, the scent of fresh prey were truly some of the apex of life. But to him, it was enough to cause anguish.
"It seems we have much to learn about each other still," Nailah said.
"Yes, I am afraid so," Rafiel said.
"Once the twilight comes, we will go hunting for more of your berries. Surely, the amount we picked before has wilted, or been eaten by now."
Finally, he brightened a little at that.
*
His fingers were stained red from the berries. Up the cliffs, berry bushes thrived. Rafiel gorged, or if such delicate eating could be called that, upon the bountiful feast that nature provided. He broke out in song, often spontaneously, as Nailah and Volug watched from the bottom of the cliffs.
Usually, such berries weren't enough sustenance to bother the trek up the cliffs to get them. Of course, such a feat was easy for Rafiel, whose wingspan allowed him easy access to the berries.
Even the noisy black and white birds didn't swoop at him.
Rafiel flew to her side, and landed softly, gracefully, even elegantly on the sands. He
lifted a tart, vibrant berry to her lips. Her tongue flicked over his thumb as she took it, causing a faint flush across his cheeks.
"Not bad," Nailah said.
Not as good as a fresh kill, but she could almost see what Rafiel saw in such things.Even more, the utter joy in his face, the sunlight caught in his spun-gold hair.
*
As night came, Rafiel unfurled his wings. Volug looked up from where he had been curled asleep, napping away the heat.
"Sorry for waking you. However, Volug, I must request your help."
"Mrrr?" He cocked one ear.
"I need to search for something. As it is now twilight, and she has gone to hunt, now is the perfect time."
He clasped his hands together.
"This is very important...you must not tell her of this. It will be our very own secret. Understood? Things will be clear in time."
Volug gave him a look which required no words. Of course, he wasn't transformed, and could not speak, at least in any tongue Rafiel knew.
"You still can howl and bark...a language I am afraid I do not understand. I hope we can still communicate."
Even with a shared language, things between Nailah and him had gotten mixed up recently. But those unfortunate mix ups did not change his feelings in the least. And Rafiel knew exactly what he must do to express those feelings.
Rafiel transformed and took flight. Twilight made the cliffs silhouetted. He closed his eyes and listened to the chattering of the black and white birds which lived within the cliffs.
There were no trees for miles. As it had many times over the past decades, hope shrielved up inside him. But, he still pushed on, persisted even in the face of such turmoil.
At the edge of the cliffs, he caught sight of the most beautiful thing he had seen since he had awoken in Nailah's arms.
Plain and brown, yet perfect for his purposes. Perhaps another bird, in making a nest, had dropped this branch. Either way, it surely was a gift from the goddess. He lifted up the branch and held it to his chest, with a prayer of thanks.
"Thank you for guiding me here, Volug. We must return and greet the queen."
He felt fluttery with anticipation as he flew through the desert, the stick clasped in one claw. He caught sight of her, glorious and regal. This time he managed to stomach the scent of blood.
Rafiel bowed low, slowly shifting back to his other form. He presented the stick, like it was a gilded treasure, and to him, it indeed was. This stick would be the fundament of their nest. It would be his heart, laid bare to her.
A smile came over her face. "Oh? What fun."
She instantly shifted. In her sleek, powerful wolf form, she jumped up and took it from Rafiel's hands.
The stick snapped in two within her jaws. Rafiel could only stare in horror. She shook her head, and bit playfully at the pieces. On the ground, she chewed them up until there was nothing but splinters left.
Then, she shifted back.
"Ahahaha, I haven't had that much fun since I was a pup. There's been no good branches to chew on here. It's been so very long since I played a good game of fetch."
Tears rolled down Rafiel's cheeks. This was what she thought of the idea of a nest together? Little more than a game to break apart?
Her brow furrowed. "What is it? Who hurt you? I'll tear their livers out and eat it before them as they die--
"No...I...." Rafiel took a shuddering breath. "I was reminded of something. I would like to be alone now."
"Then it is the humans who hurt you again. Damn them all."
He didn't have the strength to contradict her assumptions.
*
It wasn't as if he could simply fly himself away within the Serenes Forest to hide his shame. The Serenes Forest was gone, and so was his entire family. Nailah had been his rescue, his home. The ruins of Hatari was his new forest.
He was a fool to think she could think of him that way.
He'd thought that he'd sensed something of her feelings, so much so that even a grand gesture like this was not too soon. But he must have been mistaken. The smoke and chaos of the forest burning had clouded his mind, and made him see what clearly was not there.
As he sang, he mourned not for simply the past, but the future he would never have.
*
Nailah paced the length of the Hatari halls. Rafiel's mournful song echoed throughout the stone walls.
What could she do to bring a smile back to his face? She couldn't simply take him to the hunt, as she would a fellow wolf, or bring back a kill--perhaps one only slightly injured, to let him take the final blow.
She sat upon the throne of past kings and thought. Birds liked shiny things, didn't they? Or was that merely ravens. Either way, the ruins were filled with treasures no one had claimed. One surely would not be missed among many.
*
His eyes were still red and swollen. The mere sight of that stoked a rage in her. She would need an army to take out the humans who had made him shed such tears, and the rest of her kind was still across the continent.
She held out the necklace she had found, etched with runic inscriptions and glittering jewels.
Rafiel glanced down at the treasure. "You wish me to translate?" Before she could respond, he lifted it up from her hands, and began to recite.
"The world is created now, by divine hand. The clouds above us rejoice...this part is smudge, but I believe it says 'glee.' His fingers traced across the ancient lettering.
"It is the ancient tongue then?" Nailah said.
Rafiel nodded. "Yes, very ancient."
"Then take it," she said.
"Oh, I could not..."
Nailah's brow furrowed. "You don't want it?"
"Ah....this is from a grave. I was gladdened to help translate it, but I could not steal it from whatever laguz it was buried with. I would feel horrible, and likely be haunted by their spirit."
For a moment, there was an awkward silence.
"If you could...ahem, if it was not too much trouble, could you lead me to this place and let me pray upon the grave, and ask forgiveness of whoever it is? I believe this is from the gave of one of my ancestors personally. I do not know how they left the Serenes, but it seems they met an untimely end. I hope wherever they are, they have found peace."
She led him through the maze of corridors deep within the ruins, until she came to the very spot she had found the shiny thing.
He knelt in prayer at the stone slab and laid the necklace upon it.
So much for shiny things cheering him up.
*
The heat had lessened, ever so slightly, as the skies were covered in gray. Volug stared up at the skies.
"Yes, it is time for the yearly downpour. It will be some sight."
This was what she had been looking for. She couldn't singlehandedly bring back the forest that was his home, but surely the sudden burst of life would bring back the smile she so missed.
"Rafiel, I must show you something. Come to the cliffs with me. You too, Volug."
The first drops of rain began to fall as they passed the cacti and jackrabbits aside. She'd almost had Volug wander away after them, but in the end, he had followed along.
She led them up through the cliffs. The caves were painted with ancient etchings.
"Can you read them?"
"It says 'one for heaven, one for earth.' I believe it refers to the ancient hero Altina."
"I see," she said.
The downpour began as they stared out at the valley. Rafiel's white, magnificent feathers were tight against his back as he watched.
"It will be a rough journey home if the rains continue," he said softly.
"Don't worry; we're high enough that it won't flood here."
She waited for that first moment of intense greenery. Flowers sprung up from the sands. A beautiful fragrance filled the night. Rafiel gasped.
"How beautiful...I never imagined these flowers could grow so fast."
"They're hidden away until the rains. An entire land will be filled with greenery for an instant."
Even then, the flowers had begun to bloom.
"It's magical..."
"I do sense an old magic here. No wonder they grow so fast."
"It must be blessed by the Goddess Herself," Rafiel said reverently.
"Perhaps," Nailah said.
Volug chewed at a bone in the back, both ignoring the splendor and them. Nailah could hardly complain that he'd more or less given them some privacy.
"Thank you for showing me such beauty, my queen. I must admit, I needed this."
"I would do all this and more for you, Rafiel," Nailah said.
He blushed at that, his red cheeks hidden away by his luxurious golden hair as he looked down.
With a roguish smile, she braved the downpours.
"My queen, no!"
Her clothes stuck tight to her skin in the cold rain as she reached out for a single white flower closest to the caves. She rushed back as the water pelted her, and held up the prize as a treasure.
She placed it behind his ear.
His graceful hands touched to where she had touched and stayed there, to linger where they had shared that momentary warmth.
"It fits you," she said.
At the mouth of the cave, she saw a stick that had been knocked loose by the downpour. She bent down and retrieved it, before it washed down past where she could reach.
Rafiel let out a sharp intake of breath. His cheeks were markedly flushed as Nailah inspected the stick.
"This will make for good chewing." She smiled at him. "You don't exactly have fangs, though I suppose it could keep your beak in check."
"Ah....is that what your kind uses sticks for?"
"Indeed. What would your kind use them for."
"Nests," he said pointedly.
"It sounds like a rough bed to sleep on, but I suppose it could be worse. You could use cacti," Nailah said.
There was a moment of awkward silence. "Yes, I suppose to you it would," Rafiel said quietly.
From behind them, Volug let out a groan.
*
Once the rains stopped, they returned to the ruins. Rafiel, exhausted by the trip, set to rest, but Nailah was filled with new purpose. All through the night, beneath the light of the full moon, she gathered berries.
So it was that as the sun came up, the table was set.
Flowers gathered from the valley were laid on the ancient stone table, and upon the unearthed copper plate was a veritable mountain of berries. She'd spent much of the night foraging, which was close to hunting, she assumed. Because Nailah had never been more certain. If a boar would not please Rafiel, then she would hunt down what would please him.
"Oh my! This is glorious. Is it truly for me?"
She leaned on her arm, and gave him a wolfish smile. "Yes, all for you. I collected them myself all night."
"You climbed up those very cliffs?" Rafiel looked concerned. "And with no sleep for so long? Heavens above....are you all right?"
He quickly came to her side and looked her over. For a moment, he reached out and tentatively touched her arm.
"I am fine, though those black and white birds certainly wished to help swoop me and push me to my death."
"I must speak with them next time. They believe you are a danger to their nestlings."
"I've no interest in their babies. They'd hardly be worth the effort. Barely more than a mouthful," Nailah said.
"Thank you for such kindness, my queen," Rafiel said. He smiled tenderly.
"The truth is, all this time, I have been attempting to court you. Foolish, I know...But it must be said. I would not wish to misunderstand your gift..."
"Foolish? I was attempting to court you," Nailah said. Incredulity filled her voice as the truth of the situation came to light.
"But, you chewed up the stick. You refused the offer."
"The offer? Wait... Sticks mean that much to you? I thought you said they were just part of nests."
"Yes...it is a proposal of marriage. The first stick of a nest is a very important gift. One could even call it a sacred."
It took several seconds for the realization to hit Nailah. "A proposal?"
Rafiel nodded gravely. "Yes, my queen. I...overstepped my bounds, surely."
She closed her eyes, and shook her head at the memory. "And I chewed it in two...."
"It felt as if you gnawed on my very heart, my queen," Rafiel said. His voice was very low, and the abject pain within made her wish to tear in half whoever had hurt him.
Except, it was becoming abundantly clear that she was the one who broke his heart. Not by cruelty or design, but by mere differences in culture.
"Had I known, I would've treasured it. Even if it did look rather tasty, and fun to rip apart. I have tried all this time to capture your heart, and never succeeded a moment."
"Y-You tried? I thought surely I was mistaken all this time, and you thought of me only as a friend."
"I have brought gifts and flowers and heaped upon jewels on you. I'd conquer Daein if that pleased you, and rain vengeance upon all those that hurt you. Their heads would be your offering, each and every one who burned your forest."
"My queen, I wish for no bloodshed. All I wish is to be granted the gift of being beside you."
"Then, all this time you were trying to court me?" Nailah smiled wolfishly. "I caught you a kill myself. And that, is how my kind courts."
"It is?" Rafiel looked alarmed. "Then I must've caused such a grave offense with my behavior. I am so sorry. My kind cannot take the stench of death well, I am afraid. If I could've controlled myself better, I would have."
"Actually...it's rather funny. But only in retrospect," Nailah said.
She reached out and brushed his long blond hair back. "We've both been fools, it seems, my beautiful bird."
"Let us forget the foolishness of the past. I will be blunt. I have never seen a finer person than you within the entirety of the world, and that we are far different laguz means nothing to me. You have beauty beyond compare, and I would want nothing more than you by my side for the entirety of my life."
Rafiel bowed his head, as if in prayer.
"My queen....I would want nothing more than that. But, I cannot fight. I am too fragile, in the end, for such a thing. I cannot help but think that one day, you would regret a match with someone so...lesser than you."
"Has that bothered you all along? I need no guardian, I fear no beorc or laguz that would come to try and steal these ruins from me. You are not lesser in any form, for you have powers I cannot even fathom."
"I am gladdened by such a thought, my queen," Rafiel said.
"However, I did not consider our differences, and instead crashed blindly forward. And for that, I am sorry for any tears I ever caused you to shed."
"I, too, did not consider your own kind's needs and wants. After all, no wolfkind has nests. I am very sorry to have been so very rude as to reject gifts from you."
"No harm done, in the end. I feel as if this is a good reminder to let us remember to not simply assume that all laguz have the same traditions. And make some traditions of our own."
Rafiel smiled. And it warmed her heart completely. "Nothing would make me happier, my queen."
Series: Fire Emblem Tellius (9/10)
Character/pairing: Nailah/Rafiel, Volug
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Nailah and Rafiel's first attempts to court each other don't go so smoothly.
Word count: 4,328
Author's note:
I didn't set out to write a sequel to Branches and Berries, or I should say a prequel, it just sort of happened with the bridal FEH update.
Plus Rafiel's mention of courting reminded me that it needed to happen. So here it is.
You don't need to read Branches and Berries to get this one, as it's before it, though.
Oh, and CW for wolves hunting = gore? Probably canon-typical, but I figured I'd put that in there. Oh, and a cw for emetophobia.
Happy birthday, Gothita.
These days, the ruins within the Hatari echoed with songs. She awoke to Rafiel, golden haired and beautiful, with a soft smile and an apology. Did I wake you? I know you were up late patrolling.
However, this morning, the ruins had gone silent now. Rafiel still slept. His wings were folded across his back, and his long golden hair lay over one shoulder. Sleep had tangled his glorious mane, she saw now.
She would have to fix that later.
He was fragile in ways she did not fully understand, though not simply because he could not fight. The journey had weakened him, and even more his brush with the humans. Whereas it would've simply stoked a need for vengeance within her, to Rafiel it was draining, like a corrosive force hollowed him out from the inside.
Usually, it was him who rose with the dawn and greeted the sunrise with his song. Volug and Nailah hunted during the night. Going out during the day would mean burnt paws and sunburns, and that was if the heat stroke didn't come.
Volug lifted his head. His furry tail softly thumped against the stone floors as he awaited her command. She gave him an imperious nod.
"Keep watch over Rafiel while I am gone. I will hunt alone," she said.
Volug glanced up. He preferred to simply stay in his beast form. Still, she could read the question in his eyes. Alone?
"I will be fine. It is him who I worry about. He's so...fragile. I could not think of leaving him alone. Even in these ruins where few tread. And if the forces of Daein came here, I dare not think what they would do to him..."
Volug stared at her pointedly.
"Do not give me that look. I am the Queen of the wolves, of the Hatari. It would take far more than some wild game to fell me."
That was all she said, her last command, as she left. Volug made no complaints.
*
Nailah shifted as easily as jumping into water. Her wolf side was aware of many possible prey. Jackrabbits with large ears ran through the desert, between the many cacti. However, a mere rabbit wouldn't be enough of a gift for him.
Her future mate.
He was unlike any laguz she had ever met. Resplendent, elegant, gorgeous, and yet fragile. He deserved a far better gift than an easy catch which would barely sate a wolf's hunger.
Would it sate a Heron's? She would have to find out.
The moon was still up in the sky, even as the dawn approached. The seemingly endless heat had not come yet, and the air was still cool. Her nose caught the scent of many scurrying prey, but none were good enough. A tiny snake, or a small bird wouldn't been enough for her mate.
Tarrying too long and she'd have to take shelter from the intense noonday sun. With renewed determination, Nailah took off on a run through the desert.
A lizard ran back to the cover of an outcropping of rocks. Black and white birds let out distress calls from the cliffs.
She gave them a disdainful sniff. Their swooping was little more than an annoyance. And she had no interest in their babies. The loud bits of fluff wouldn't be worth the trouble of finding a way to scale the cliffs. Even if she were starving, there were far better options. She'd eat the prickly fruit from the cacti before she tried that. Still, they could not understand her, and let out loud cries of consternation until she left the cliffs.
Her ear twitched as she heard a snuffling sound. At the foot of some truly large cacti, a a large boar dug for roots. The boar had tusks which could gore her easily. Now, if Volug were there, it would be easier to distract the prey, so she could leap in for the kill.
Now this was far more worthy a gift for her mate.
She leap into the fray, and onto the massive creature's back. It let out a squeal, and tossed her aside. Blood in her mouth, she rounded on it again. For Rafiel, she thought, my future mate.
Not even this massive boar could best the queen of the desert, the queen of the wolves.
*
She returned to the ruins just as the striking and intense noonday sun rose up. Dragging the beast home had been more difficult than even felling it. Its brown fur was matted with thorns and prickly cacti fruit which had fallen in the night. She considered it little more than garnish.
Her maw was covered with blood. She brought the prize right to his feet. She had expected him to lick his lips, and dig in, just as a wolf would. To take pride in the gift she had spent such effort to find and catch for him. Instead, his lovely face was contorted green, and with an expression of sheer horror.
"My queen, what has happened...You have so much blood upon you..."
She shifted, to make it easier to talk. She wiped away the blood at her chin, with a smirk.
"Oh, this? It isn't my blood."
"Oh...." Rafiel covered his mouth suddenly, but couldn't keep the noise of a barely concealed retch. "That...poor thing."
"N-No thank you. I cannot.... I truly cannot...Ugh...the stench. I..."
Rafiel bent over and heaved.
Nailah flinched back as if she had been struck by the full weight of a dragon. It hadn't been an easy kill. It wasn't enough for him? What kind of prey would it take to please him? A full grown lion? A dragon?
"I'm sorry, ahem...Please forgive such a display. The stench simply was too much for me."
He drank from a flask of water to clear his mouth.
"I...understand that others must consume flesh and I accept this, however... I cannot eat this. My kind only eats berries and nuts."
Berries? Nuts? How was she supposed to hunt down those and present them to him? Yes, he had eaten mostly the fruit of the cacti, nuts and berries, but she assumed he took some meat. After all, she had met other birds who were avid hunters as well, and had run with some truly strong hawks during her time.
Volug wagged his tail. He nosed towards the kill inch by inch. His dark eyes were pleading.
"Go ahead," she said tiredly, "But don't get any ideas about it meaning anything."
Volug gave her a look which required no words. There never was even a spark, a question of them, even if they were the same species. Even in wolf form, even without words, he managed sarcasm easily.
Rafiel had to look away as Volug tore into the boar. Suddenly, Nailah didn't feel quite like eating.
*
Nailah spent the worst of the noonday heat asleep within the deepest, dampest caverns of the ruins. When she awoke, she returned again to the main corridors, and Rafiel stopped his song, and rose to greet her.
"As for earlier... I hope I have not offended you, my queen," Rafiel said.
Such sorrow filled his countenance, that it made her ache. "I fear I was rude, but you see, my kind cannot take such...gore well. The very sight of such chaos caused such a reaction, I could not control it."
Oh, she couldn't stay angry at him. And indeed if she were to look deeper, she would know that much of the blame should be laid at her feet. She had thought only how a wolf would want to be courted, but he was no wolf. She knew he was too fragile for the battlefield, and hadn't even considered what the scent of fresh blood might do to him.
To her, the thrill of the kill and the hunt, the scent of fresh prey were truly some of the apex of life. But to him, it was enough to cause anguish.
"It seems we have much to learn about each other still," Nailah said.
"Yes, I am afraid so," Rafiel said.
"Once the twilight comes, we will go hunting for more of your berries. Surely, the amount we picked before has wilted, or been eaten by now."
Finally, he brightened a little at that.
*
His fingers were stained red from the berries. Up the cliffs, berry bushes thrived. Rafiel gorged, or if such delicate eating could be called that, upon the bountiful feast that nature provided. He broke out in song, often spontaneously, as Nailah and Volug watched from the bottom of the cliffs.
Usually, such berries weren't enough sustenance to bother the trek up the cliffs to get them. Of course, such a feat was easy for Rafiel, whose wingspan allowed him easy access to the berries.
Even the noisy black and white birds didn't swoop at him.
Rafiel flew to her side, and landed softly, gracefully, even elegantly on the sands. He
lifted a tart, vibrant berry to her lips. Her tongue flicked over his thumb as she took it, causing a faint flush across his cheeks.
"Not bad," Nailah said.
Not as good as a fresh kill, but she could almost see what Rafiel saw in such things.Even more, the utter joy in his face, the sunlight caught in his spun-gold hair.
*
As night came, Rafiel unfurled his wings. Volug looked up from where he had been curled asleep, napping away the heat.
"Sorry for waking you. However, Volug, I must request your help."
"Mrrr?" He cocked one ear.
"I need to search for something. As it is now twilight, and she has gone to hunt, now is the perfect time."
He clasped his hands together.
"This is very important...you must not tell her of this. It will be our very own secret. Understood? Things will be clear in time."
Volug gave him a look which required no words. Of course, he wasn't transformed, and could not speak, at least in any tongue Rafiel knew.
"You still can howl and bark...a language I am afraid I do not understand. I hope we can still communicate."
Even with a shared language, things between Nailah and him had gotten mixed up recently. But those unfortunate mix ups did not change his feelings in the least. And Rafiel knew exactly what he must do to express those feelings.
Rafiel transformed and took flight. Twilight made the cliffs silhouetted. He closed his eyes and listened to the chattering of the black and white birds which lived within the cliffs.
There were no trees for miles. As it had many times over the past decades, hope shrielved up inside him. But, he still pushed on, persisted even in the face of such turmoil.
At the edge of the cliffs, he caught sight of the most beautiful thing he had seen since he had awoken in Nailah's arms.
Plain and brown, yet perfect for his purposes. Perhaps another bird, in making a nest, had dropped this branch. Either way, it surely was a gift from the goddess. He lifted up the branch and held it to his chest, with a prayer of thanks.
"Thank you for guiding me here, Volug. We must return and greet the queen."
He felt fluttery with anticipation as he flew through the desert, the stick clasped in one claw. He caught sight of her, glorious and regal. This time he managed to stomach the scent of blood.
Rafiel bowed low, slowly shifting back to his other form. He presented the stick, like it was a gilded treasure, and to him, it indeed was. This stick would be the fundament of their nest. It would be his heart, laid bare to her.
A smile came over her face. "Oh? What fun."
She instantly shifted. In her sleek, powerful wolf form, she jumped up and took it from Rafiel's hands.
The stick snapped in two within her jaws. Rafiel could only stare in horror. She shook her head, and bit playfully at the pieces. On the ground, she chewed them up until there was nothing but splinters left.
Then, she shifted back.
"Ahahaha, I haven't had that much fun since I was a pup. There's been no good branches to chew on here. It's been so very long since I played a good game of fetch."
Tears rolled down Rafiel's cheeks. This was what she thought of the idea of a nest together? Little more than a game to break apart?
Her brow furrowed. "What is it? Who hurt you? I'll tear their livers out and eat it before them as they die--
"No...I...." Rafiel took a shuddering breath. "I was reminded of something. I would like to be alone now."
"Then it is the humans who hurt you again. Damn them all."
He didn't have the strength to contradict her assumptions.
*
It wasn't as if he could simply fly himself away within the Serenes Forest to hide his shame. The Serenes Forest was gone, and so was his entire family. Nailah had been his rescue, his home. The ruins of Hatari was his new forest.
He was a fool to think she could think of him that way.
He'd thought that he'd sensed something of her feelings, so much so that even a grand gesture like this was not too soon. But he must have been mistaken. The smoke and chaos of the forest burning had clouded his mind, and made him see what clearly was not there.
As he sang, he mourned not for simply the past, but the future he would never have.
*
Nailah paced the length of the Hatari halls. Rafiel's mournful song echoed throughout the stone walls.
What could she do to bring a smile back to his face? She couldn't simply take him to the hunt, as she would a fellow wolf, or bring back a kill--perhaps one only slightly injured, to let him take the final blow.
She sat upon the throne of past kings and thought. Birds liked shiny things, didn't they? Or was that merely ravens. Either way, the ruins were filled with treasures no one had claimed. One surely would not be missed among many.
*
His eyes were still red and swollen. The mere sight of that stoked a rage in her. She would need an army to take out the humans who had made him shed such tears, and the rest of her kind was still across the continent.
She held out the necklace she had found, etched with runic inscriptions and glittering jewels.
Rafiel glanced down at the treasure. "You wish me to translate?" Before she could respond, he lifted it up from her hands, and began to recite.
"The world is created now, by divine hand. The clouds above us rejoice...this part is smudge, but I believe it says 'glee.' His fingers traced across the ancient lettering.
"It is the ancient tongue then?" Nailah said.
Rafiel nodded. "Yes, very ancient."
"Then take it," she said.
"Oh, I could not..."
Nailah's brow furrowed. "You don't want it?"
"Ah....this is from a grave. I was gladdened to help translate it, but I could not steal it from whatever laguz it was buried with. I would feel horrible, and likely be haunted by their spirit."
For a moment, there was an awkward silence.
"If you could...ahem, if it was not too much trouble, could you lead me to this place and let me pray upon the grave, and ask forgiveness of whoever it is? I believe this is from the gave of one of my ancestors personally. I do not know how they left the Serenes, but it seems they met an untimely end. I hope wherever they are, they have found peace."
She led him through the maze of corridors deep within the ruins, until she came to the very spot she had found the shiny thing.
He knelt in prayer at the stone slab and laid the necklace upon it.
So much for shiny things cheering him up.
*
The heat had lessened, ever so slightly, as the skies were covered in gray. Volug stared up at the skies.
"Yes, it is time for the yearly downpour. It will be some sight."
This was what she had been looking for. She couldn't singlehandedly bring back the forest that was his home, but surely the sudden burst of life would bring back the smile she so missed.
"Rafiel, I must show you something. Come to the cliffs with me. You too, Volug."
The first drops of rain began to fall as they passed the cacti and jackrabbits aside. She'd almost had Volug wander away after them, but in the end, he had followed along.
She led them up through the cliffs. The caves were painted with ancient etchings.
"Can you read them?"
"It says 'one for heaven, one for earth.' I believe it refers to the ancient hero Altina."
"I see," she said.
The downpour began as they stared out at the valley. Rafiel's white, magnificent feathers were tight against his back as he watched.
"It will be a rough journey home if the rains continue," he said softly.
"Don't worry; we're high enough that it won't flood here."
She waited for that first moment of intense greenery. Flowers sprung up from the sands. A beautiful fragrance filled the night. Rafiel gasped.
"How beautiful...I never imagined these flowers could grow so fast."
"They're hidden away until the rains. An entire land will be filled with greenery for an instant."
Even then, the flowers had begun to bloom.
"It's magical..."
"I do sense an old magic here. No wonder they grow so fast."
"It must be blessed by the Goddess Herself," Rafiel said reverently.
"Perhaps," Nailah said.
Volug chewed at a bone in the back, both ignoring the splendor and them. Nailah could hardly complain that he'd more or less given them some privacy.
"Thank you for showing me such beauty, my queen. I must admit, I needed this."
"I would do all this and more for you, Rafiel," Nailah said.
He blushed at that, his red cheeks hidden away by his luxurious golden hair as he looked down.
With a roguish smile, she braved the downpours.
"My queen, no!"
Her clothes stuck tight to her skin in the cold rain as she reached out for a single white flower closest to the caves. She rushed back as the water pelted her, and held up the prize as a treasure.
She placed it behind his ear.
His graceful hands touched to where she had touched and stayed there, to linger where they had shared that momentary warmth.
"It fits you," she said.
At the mouth of the cave, she saw a stick that had been knocked loose by the downpour. She bent down and retrieved it, before it washed down past where she could reach.
Rafiel let out a sharp intake of breath. His cheeks were markedly flushed as Nailah inspected the stick.
"This will make for good chewing." She smiled at him. "You don't exactly have fangs, though I suppose it could keep your beak in check."
"Ah....is that what your kind uses sticks for?"
"Indeed. What would your kind use them for."
"Nests," he said pointedly.
"It sounds like a rough bed to sleep on, but I suppose it could be worse. You could use cacti," Nailah said.
There was a moment of awkward silence. "Yes, I suppose to you it would," Rafiel said quietly.
From behind them, Volug let out a groan.
*
Once the rains stopped, they returned to the ruins. Rafiel, exhausted by the trip, set to rest, but Nailah was filled with new purpose. All through the night, beneath the light of the full moon, she gathered berries.
So it was that as the sun came up, the table was set.
Flowers gathered from the valley were laid on the ancient stone table, and upon the unearthed copper plate was a veritable mountain of berries. She'd spent much of the night foraging, which was close to hunting, she assumed. Because Nailah had never been more certain. If a boar would not please Rafiel, then she would hunt down what would please him.
"Oh my! This is glorious. Is it truly for me?"
She leaned on her arm, and gave him a wolfish smile. "Yes, all for you. I collected them myself all night."
"You climbed up those very cliffs?" Rafiel looked concerned. "And with no sleep for so long? Heavens above....are you all right?"
He quickly came to her side and looked her over. For a moment, he reached out and tentatively touched her arm.
"I am fine, though those black and white birds certainly wished to help swoop me and push me to my death."
"I must speak with them next time. They believe you are a danger to their nestlings."
"I've no interest in their babies. They'd hardly be worth the effort. Barely more than a mouthful," Nailah said.
"Thank you for such kindness, my queen," Rafiel said. He smiled tenderly.
"The truth is, all this time, I have been attempting to court you. Foolish, I know...But it must be said. I would not wish to misunderstand your gift..."
"Foolish? I was attempting to court you," Nailah said. Incredulity filled her voice as the truth of the situation came to light.
"But, you chewed up the stick. You refused the offer."
"The offer? Wait... Sticks mean that much to you? I thought you said they were just part of nests."
"Yes...it is a proposal of marriage. The first stick of a nest is a very important gift. One could even call it a sacred."
It took several seconds for the realization to hit Nailah. "A proposal?"
Rafiel nodded gravely. "Yes, my queen. I...overstepped my bounds, surely."
She closed her eyes, and shook her head at the memory. "And I chewed it in two...."
"It felt as if you gnawed on my very heart, my queen," Rafiel said. His voice was very low, and the abject pain within made her wish to tear in half whoever had hurt him.
Except, it was becoming abundantly clear that she was the one who broke his heart. Not by cruelty or design, but by mere differences in culture.
"Had I known, I would've treasured it. Even if it did look rather tasty, and fun to rip apart. I have tried all this time to capture your heart, and never succeeded a moment."
"Y-You tried? I thought surely I was mistaken all this time, and you thought of me only as a friend."
"I have brought gifts and flowers and heaped upon jewels on you. I'd conquer Daein if that pleased you, and rain vengeance upon all those that hurt you. Their heads would be your offering, each and every one who burned your forest."
"My queen, I wish for no bloodshed. All I wish is to be granted the gift of being beside you."
"Then, all this time you were trying to court me?" Nailah smiled wolfishly. "I caught you a kill myself. And that, is how my kind courts."
"It is?" Rafiel looked alarmed. "Then I must've caused such a grave offense with my behavior. I am so sorry. My kind cannot take the stench of death well, I am afraid. If I could've controlled myself better, I would have."
"Actually...it's rather funny. But only in retrospect," Nailah said.
She reached out and brushed his long blond hair back. "We've both been fools, it seems, my beautiful bird."
"Let us forget the foolishness of the past. I will be blunt. I have never seen a finer person than you within the entirety of the world, and that we are far different laguz means nothing to me. You have beauty beyond compare, and I would want nothing more than you by my side for the entirety of my life."
Rafiel bowed his head, as if in prayer.
"My queen....I would want nothing more than that. But, I cannot fight. I am too fragile, in the end, for such a thing. I cannot help but think that one day, you would regret a match with someone so...lesser than you."
"Has that bothered you all along? I need no guardian, I fear no beorc or laguz that would come to try and steal these ruins from me. You are not lesser in any form, for you have powers I cannot even fathom."
"I am gladdened by such a thought, my queen," Rafiel said.
"However, I did not consider our differences, and instead crashed blindly forward. And for that, I am sorry for any tears I ever caused you to shed."
"I, too, did not consider your own kind's needs and wants. After all, no wolfkind has nests. I am very sorry to have been so very rude as to reject gifts from you."
"No harm done, in the end. I feel as if this is a good reminder to let us remember to not simply assume that all laguz have the same traditions. And make some traditions of our own."
Rafiel smiled. And it warmed her heart completely. "Nothing would make me happier, my queen."
