[M/IC] Under an Iron Moon (Midori and Naming)

[Namingtoohard]

Celia's gaze flickered back across to the injured knight as he spoke, and a wry smile flickered across her features, despite her current situation. Oh, if only things were half as simple as Rowan's simple question made them sound. The approaching servant had been responsible for several beatings she had received at the hands of her family, but had never raised a hand against her himself. He was hardly evil himself - just loyal, albeit to someone who frequently put him at odds with Celia. She opened her mouth to say as such, only to cry out softly when the knight forced himself to his feet.

"What are you doing?" she cried out at first, only to remember herself. When she spoke again her voice was softer, but no less aggravated. "I pulled an arrow out of you just this very evening. You have no business being up and walking at the moment" she practically hissed, expression a mixture of frustration and concern. Perhaps scolding the faen knight wasn't the best idea for a human out in the woods, but that didn't seem to stop her.

"Celia?"

That voice again, and much closer this time. Celia practically jumped out of her skin upon hearing it, and turned just in time to watch a middle-aged man step out of the treeline. He was dressed in traditional servant's garb, and cut a lean figure besides, his age clearly evident in the lines on his face. The man didn't glance at Rowan or the pixie at all as he stepped forward to confront the princess. Just as Rowan had suggested, he wasn't able to see either of them.

"I heard you speaking. You weren't off chasing another one of those...delusions, were you?" he scowled, eyes narrowing. Celia immediately lowered her gaze, saying nothing. All the spirit she had shown quickly vanished, just like that.

"And just what have you done to your dress? Your father is going to throw a fit when he hears about this"

The man seized the princess by the upper arm and quickly started shoving her along ahead of him, back towards her father's estate. Celia stumbled a little at first, before regaining her balance and marching along. She threw a glance back over her shoulder, but failed to catch a glimpse of the wounded knight before she was forced to turn her attention forward again to avoid tripping over.

[Midori-Hime]

"The willow has helped to ease my pain." He assured her, finding himself amused by her concern and perhaps even a bit intrigued by it. He couldn't recall a time where anyone fussed over him the way Celia did. A human, of all creatures, was so worried about his well being?

His amber gaze quickly flickered away from the anxious young woman, to the source of the voice that was now much closer than before. Rowan eyed the man, his hand rested on his sword, ready to defend himself and the lady should be have to. Even in his current state, he could make quick work of this human. But for now he stayed as still as the tree behind him, simply observing.

Rowan felt a frown pull at his lips, watching how easily Celia was dispirited by the servant's words. Though the moment the man grabbed her arm, the knight immeditately stiffened behind her, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. And yet Celia had not called for him, nor given him permission... So he stayed put, simply watching as the golden beauty was dragged through the trees, eventually disappearing from sight.


"Won't you go after her?" The pixie chimed in suddenly, chiding him. He groaned, his hand dropping away from his sword to swatch at the annoying little creature. "It is none of my affair... She had the chance to call on my favor and yet she did not." He grumbled before slowly sinking back down to sit on the ground. Though he would not admit it, especially not to the pixie, Rowan was disappointed to see the girl go so soon. But perhaps this would not be the last time they met, when and if the girl ever called upon him. For now he would simply rest and wait for his wound to heal enough.

[Namingtoohard]

The walk back to her father's estate proved much shorter than Celia remembered. Within moments, the large multi-story mansion was looming over daughter and servant both. The man who escorted her seemed to feel none of Celia's apprehension, however, and quickly marched her into the building's foyer through the front doors. Up the stairs they went, before the man hastily manoeuvred Celia through the door leading to her father's study. Only then did he deign to release her, shoving her forward before retreating for the door.

Celia turned her eyes towards the fine mahogany desk that dominated the far end of the room, and the man seated at it. With a lean build and sharp features, her father cut an impressive figure, dressed in his finery as he was. Their eyes met, and his expression immediately darkened into a scowl as he took in the sight of her. He rose from his chair with slow and deliberate movements, before stepping around the desk and striding towards her.

"Father, I-" Celia started, quickly intending to try and defend herself. Before she managed so much as half a sentence, however, the man struck her. A stinging backhand that sent his daughter reeling, executed as casually as if he were swatting a fly. His daughter fell to her knees then, one hand coming up to cover her sore cheek, whilst tears welled in the corners of her eyes.

"How many times have I told you? You will speak only when spoken to, girl"

The man's voice was deep and rich, but he sounded nothing short of annoyed. Contemptuous. Celia glared daggers at him, but held her tongue.

"Just look at what you've done to your dress. Do you never spare a thought for the gifts I have given you? All I have done for you?" the man tutted, shaking his head. "At least tell me you weren't out there chasing those delusions of yours again." Not trusting herself to speak without crying, Celia simply shook her head. Her father watched her for a moment longer, and for a few brief moments she feared that he might lash out at her again, and accuse her of lying. After a tense few seconds, however, he turned his gaze back to the servant who had brought her here.

"Escort my daughter to her rooms. We will deal with this matter tomorrow"

The man moved back towards his desk as the servant stepped forward, seizing Celia's arm again. He allowed her the liberty of rising to her feet, at the very least, before walking the girl to her room. She was pushed into her bedroom in much the same manner as before, before the servant closed it behind her. Celia heard the definitive sound of the latch sliding home as the man locked it from the outside, trapping Celia inside alone.

[Midori-Hime]

After Celia was gone from sight, Rowan sat in silence with nothing more to do than to rest and wait for his wounds to heal. However, thanks to the human's help, he would recover even more quickly. The pixie, on the other hand, was not satisfied with how things were left. While she hadn't been very specific on her demands, this definitely put a kink in her plot. Which shouldn't have been much of a mystery.

At least Rowan knew what the pesky pixie had in mind and he didn't want any part in it. The little creature stomped her feet on a branch in irritation before Rowan sent a rock flying in her direction. It barely missed, making the pixie even more irritated. "There is nothing more to see here... Leave already." He growled, knowing he wasn't going to get any rest so long as she continued to pester him.

With a huff, the pixie would fly off, leaving the knight to sit in peace. By the time the sky began to lighten with dawn approaching, Rowan would stir, checking his wound. What had been a deep wound was now nothing more than a angry red mark on his otherwise flawless skin. And as soon as he was home, it would disappear completely in no time at all. Without any more stalling, the faery knight would put on his armor and gather his things to make his leave. However, the nosy pixie hadn't actually gone far and seeing the knight on the move only made her more disappointed that she would not get her way.

Or wouldn't she? Her little pout slowly curved into a sly grin. She might still get her payment yet. "Leaving already?" The pixie piped up, making Rowan groan in irritation. "What of it?"

"The Lady... You promised her a favor, didn't you." That gave Rowan a pause. Reaching into his belt, he took out a single leaf from the mountain-ash. "Then give her this... All she needs to do is whistle and I will come to fulfill my favor." He said before continuing on his way. With a quick bob of her head, the pixie took off to follow the path that Celia had taken, until she came across the mansion. It took a few minutes, flying from window to window until she came across Celia's bedroom. The pixie then proceeded to bang at the glass, which would only come across as a sharp tapping to the girl. She had to be quick, or her plans might be foiled again.

[Namingtoohard]

Now confined to her room, the rest of Celia's night proved rather uneventful. She was an old hand at pulling herself together after the abuse heaped upon her by the rest of her family, and only spent part of the evening coming to terms with the new blossom of pain on her face. Once she had cried herSself out, the girl rose on unsteady feet. Quickly stripping away her dirty ruined dress, she tossed it aside with careless abandon, before taking a few careful steps towards her dresser. After quickly changing into some lighter nightclothes, she quickly made her way to her bed, looking forward to a few hours of blissful unconsciousness. She was so familiar with the process that she didn't even bother double checking if her door was locked, or trying to get out via the balcony.

After spending the night tossing and turning, Celia had managed only a few fitful hours of sleep by the time that dawn came. Such was the state she was in when the first few rays of golden morning light began to creep over the horizon, reaching in through the balcony windows to gently caress her cheek. It was only when the pixie had begun to knock on her balcony window that she finally began to stir.

When she finally did rise, dragged unwillingly back into consciousness by the pixie's constant banging, it took her a few moments to locate the source of the noise. Who would expect someone to be knocking on the outside of their balcony, after all? She took a few steps towards the door, before finally realising her mistake. Rushing over to the balcony, she pulled the large double doors open. When she saw the little pixie, her eyes went wide in something akin to disbelief.

"What are you doing here?" she asked hastily, before quickly glancing towards either side. She peered out over the balcony's railing, searching for any of her father's servants who might be close enough to listen. Only once she was satisfied did she turn her attention back to the fae floating before her.

"What happened last night? Is Rowan hurt? Is he still out there?"

The questions tumbled from her mouth one after another, Celia forgetting her manners and dishevelled appearance in her hunger to know more.

[Midori-Hime]

While Celia was busy looking out for any servants that might overhear them, the pixie was busy fluttering around her room. She was obviously curious about the human's possessions, checking out the strange decor and finally flopping down on the lady's plush pillows with an excited huff. However, as Celia turned back to her, blurting out one question after another, the pixie sat up.

She seemed rather pleased by Celia's reaction for some reason, though by the little smile on her face, it was probably safe to assume that it was nothing that dire. "The knight is quite alright. His wounds have healed enough... that he is returning to Faery." She said before hopping up and then floating over.

"He asked me to give this to you. For his favor." The pixie explained, presenting Celia with a single leaf from the Rowan tree. "Just blow on it like this... to whistle. And he will come to grant you your favor as you wish." The pixie gestured with her tiny hands, then waited until Celia took the leaf from her before floating over to the balcony doors. "Such a shame." She said then. "He will have crossed over by the time the sun rises." She said before looking back over at her shoulder, studying Celia's expression. "I suppose you'll just have to wait until you decide to call on him... If you wish to see him again..."

[Namingtoohard]

Finally satisfied that none of her father’s servants were close enough to overhear, Celia quickly pulled the patio doors closed, ensconcing the both of them within the relative privacy of her room. Only then did she turn to face her unexpected guest good and proper, to eagerly await the news she had to share. Word of his returning health was good, but the news he was leaving so soon left her inexplicably torn. Relief and disappointment flickered across her features in equal measure, and lingered even as she reached for the leaf that was offered to her.

“This...it just seems like a normal leaf” she pointed out. That did not, however, stop her from cupping it in her hands as if it were something much more precious. She lifted the leaf to her lips for a moment, as if intending to blow, before thinking better of it. Instead she gently tucked it away into one of her pockets, sequestering it away within the lining of her clothes. The action was gentle, almost tender - as if she feared damaging the leaf and rendering its power null and void.

She was silent as the pixie continued to speak, pontificating over the fact that he would be gone by the time the sun rises. Despair seemed to well up inside Celia’s chest at her words, as if bemoaning some sort of loss. Rowan was her link to the fae world, the truth behind her visions, and reassurance against her family’s claims of insanity. She couldn’t just let him slip away like that...could she?

“...I need to see him again. Even if only to say goodbye”

Her resolve, which had evaporated in the face of her family, seemed to return now. She briefly considered asking the pixie if she could lead her to him again, but Rowan’s words from earlier echoed in her mind, and Celia promptly decided against it. Still, she quickly made her way back over to the balcony, pushing the doors open and stepping up to the railing. After a deep breath, taken to calm her shaky nerves, she slipped over the handrail and dropped down into the garden below. Her landing was awkward and painful. After stumbling a little, though, the girl managed to regain her footing. After glancing around quickly to see if her fall had been noticed, she headed towards the outer boundary of her father’s estates, and slipped into the forest beyond.

There would be hell to pay when she returned if her family discovered her flight, but in the heat of the moment it seemed a worthy price to pay. She simply had to hope that she managed to find Rowan again before he slipped out of her world and back into theirs.

[Midori-Hime]

The pixie's eyes glittered with excitement as she watched the girl handle the leaf tenderly. "It might seem normal, yes... But a favor from a Faery knight is no trivial thing." She corrected.

The little being stood on the handle of her balcony doors, waiting for Celia to decide, though to her pleasant surprise, it didn't not take the maiden long to make up her mind. Suddenly the pixie floated up into the air. "Follow me... I can take you to him. If we are not too late." She said urgently, following Celia out of the doors and waiting for her to descend from the balcony, though she hadn't expected the girl to take such a abrupt route. As the girl stumbled, the pixie giggled. "Come... hurry!" She urged again, leading Celia once they entered the woods.

They would soon reach the tree where Celia had found Rowan, but now in the morning light, it seemed much less than before. With all traces of Rowan gone, the spot seemed like any other ordinary tree in the forest. "Quickly now... Dawn's approaching!" The pixie zoomed ahead, making the girl work to keep up. Though soon she would stop, waving for Celia to catch up. "There... See him there?" She whispered, pointing ahead where Rowan's dark figure stood before two trees. There didn't appear to be anything special about these trees, but their shadows. As the morning light moved across the landscape, the shadows of the trees bending trunks shifting and coming together to form an archway.

Once it was the opportune moment, Rowan stepped forward between the two trees and then suddenly disappeared from sight, as if he had wandered through some invisible doorway. "Oh no, we were too late! He's crossed over into the other realm." The pixie lamented. "Though... the path will still be open for a few minutes longer."

[Namingtoohard]

Celia pushed herself to move even faster at the pixie's urging, doing her best to ignore the mild pain in her left ankle. Still, by the time they had reached the place where she had found the knight lying the previous evening, Celia was breathing hard. She stopped in the clearing momentarily, head swivelling back and forth as she searched for any sign of Rowan. She found nothing, of course - the pixie had already told her that the knight was moving on. Within moments, she had been urged into the a run again as her little companion zipped ahead once more.

Truth be told, Celia wasn't sure why the pixie was still helping her. She would've expected any more assistance to come in the form of another promise, just like the first. Or was all this dedicated towards making sure she was able to fulfil the first with Rowan, and not somebody else? For a few brief moments, she found herself wondering what the pixie's stake in this was, before pushing the thought to the back of her mind as her attention was dragged back to the task at hand.

She came to a halt again as the two caught sight of the knight, before her eyes invariably widened as he semingly vanished from sight. The trees alone didn't look like much of a portal, but there was no doubting what she had just seen. No, she was quite finished second-guessing everything she saw with her own eyes.

When the pixie remarked that the gateway would be open for just a few moments longer, Celia hesitated, biting on her lower lip gently. After a few seconds of silent thought, though, she made the second monumental decision of the evening.
Celia began to walk towards the portal, eyeing it dubiously as she approached. She had no idea what to expect on the other side, or what the transition would even feel like. She paused to take a deep breath, doing her best to steel herself.

"Okay. Just a brief look around to find Rowan, a quick goodbye, and back again before it closes" she muttered, more to herself than the pixie. Oh, if only she knew. Finally, the girl stepped forward, moving through the portal, and making the transition from the human world to the world of fae.

Nothing seemed to change physically as she moved from one side to the other. At least, not at a glance. The forest was...still a forest. Still, some instinctual little voice in the back of her head told her - without words- that things were different now, somehow. Still, she quickly found herself focusing on searching for Rowan, checking if he was in the immediate vicinity. He couldn't have gotten too far in the time between when he had stepped through and when she had, right?

[Midori-Hime]

At first glance it might seem as those the forest was the same as any other, but the longer Celia lingered, it quickly became apparent that these woods were unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The colors of the leaves seemed to shift hues right before her very eyes, becoming brilliant shades of blue and purple, with splashes of blood red. Fruits and berries hung heavy from some branches, glistening like jewels. Everything suddenly seemed so vibrant... and alive. More than anything this landscape felt aware, sentient even, and ever changing.

The surrounding area seemed especially silent as Celia searched for her knight. Though she was correct in thinking he hadn't gone far. The knight had felt as though someone were near, which urged him to cross over quickly. Feeling that same presence continue to follow him into the other realm, Rowan hid himself, watching and waiting cautiously. However, the faery knight had not been expecting that presence to be the same human girl who had saved his life.

Celia would not have to wander far before a hand shot out, seemingly out of no where, grasping her wrists in a gentle but firm hold. "What are you doing here?" Rowan hissed lowly, dragging him with her as he immediately turned back the way they'd come. "Leave now" He ordered. Rowan seemed angry, his dark brows furrowed when he came to a stop. There was no obvious pathway back to the human realm. There were no longer two trees that had created an archway in the light of the rising run. Just more endless forest.