45 Frost 120
The last slivers of Northern lights waved and shimmered farewell, fading like jeweled smoke in the wake of morning's return. Down below, a lone Fae stood by their doorway, knee deep in fresh snow. They watched as their breath hit the frigid mountain air and turned into puffs of white, rising higher and higher before they, too, disappeared without a trace.
”You would laugh if you heard me now, Mother,they murmured, their smile bittersweet,but I think I’m actually looking forward to Spring.”
It was odd to most denizens of Kalzasi not to pine for Glade, for sunshine and shedding of coats and green things to return. But to a Fae of the Court of Fall, Spring brought with it a sort of unappealing frivolousness. People were all too eager to forget the adversity from which they were reborn. And forgetting, history might suggest, tends to start the same old cycles anew. Usually for worse.
Releasing their daily morning sigh, Faine lifted their shovel and began clearing a path through the snow. They knocked ice off of various surfaces as they went, including the temporary roof over their garden, which had started to sag from all the weight. It was a tedious task, more so because Faine’s metabolism had been intentionally slowed. Needing to eat less came with its setbacks, but surviving all of Frost in the Astralar Mountains did not exactly allow for compromise or negotiation.
They straightened once the chore was finished, taking a moment to catch their breath. The last thirty some days had been a whirlwind of action. Though Frost had arrived with many challenges, including unrelenting snow that continued to pile day after day, the isolation it imposed was a welcome respite. Few dared to travel far in conditions so harsh. Which, in theory, meant less intrusions and complicated requests.
Unfortunately, the theory was disproved within days. As fate would have it, their closest neighbor happened to be the very type who dared.
Faine had been by the fireplace, sniffing their innumerable jars of tinctures, when a series of sharp raps broke their concentration. Irritated, the Fae strode to the door with dagger in hand. No one in their right mind came knocking past sunset.
To their surprise, a courier stood shivering at their door, covered in snow that was made all the whiter against the dark blue of their livery. Faine may not have been savvy with Kalzasi’s nobility and their complicated affairs, but they recognized the emblem on the courier’s chest right away.
"G-good evening," the boy managed through chattering teeth. He could not have seen more than fifteen Summers at most, slight as he was. "I c-come on the behalf of House L-Leukos, of g-greater House Br—"
"Yes, I know," Faine interrupted, sheathing the dagger before placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder. "Please, come in before you freeze."
Awash with relief, the child complied without hesitation and stepped into the warmth. Once inside, Faine made sure his wet coat was hung to dry, then wrapped the messenger with a coarse blanket and placed a hot mug of tea in his hands. It did not take long to understand the purpose of the courier's visit, nor to realize their own error in having assumed. The Fae learned that he was in fact a she, and that this young woman had undertaken a rather harrowing journey to offer a commission from His Lordship Kaus of House Leukos.
"It is meant to be a secret," the girl, whose name apparently was Ingrid, explained. "Lord Kaus wishes to surprise his twin sister, which is why he sent only me."
Faine stared pensively at the fire, unsure of what to make of it all. "I would be remiss to decline such an auspicious offer. But I must be honest, Ingrid...in order to create a scent of true authenticity to its wearer, I must know the person well. Every piece of understanding is important. What they like, what they hate, the nuances of their skin."
At the last part, Ingrid blanched a little. "It is true that Lord Kaus wants the scent to be as close to perfect as possible, as Lady Kala can be quite particular in her tastes. This business about her skin, however..."
"I need not touch her in any intimate sense," Faine clarified, unbothered by the insinuation, "I only need to understand the nature of her skin. It will help me know which scents and compounds will sit longest and most accurately on her person."
The young courier chewed on her lip, mug of tea long since drained. "Alright, I will see what can be done. It will be difficult, as Lady Kala is incredibly hard to fool, but Lord Kaus can be quite clever in his own right. I'm sure we will think of something. I will return as soon as we have a plan in motion."
And so it was that Faine came to be standing between two heaps of freshly shoveled snow, wondering for the fourth morning in a row if today would be the day that Ingrid returned with a convoluted plan in tow.
Common ❀Valasren