the pride.
Mar. 25th, 2009 10:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
[n.b.: originally posted here.]
some little while after the first; or possibly longer. time is funny thing, on the isle.
***
Lilith had somehow managed to gather up most of their attention entirely for herself, like a greedy child offered a handful of sweets. She sat with one elbow at a window sill, and one hand stroking the green-tinged gold curls of the dryad Eilidh at her feet, and Delande standing behind her, braiding Lilith's hair into an intricate southern style. Delande kept meaning to have one of her servants sent, to do her hair and the lili's properly; she never remembered, and to be honest, she had rather liked doing it herself. Funny that it took until now to understand why Candide had enjoyed it so--Delande had only learned out of a certain sense of duty toward a sullen, angry little sister who had fought combs and braiding like a mantacore with mangled tail after Candide had left, until Delande finally coaxed her into sitting for her instead. And thus, was doomed to tend to Obelenna's hair for her for the better part of decade. Delande hadn't known to treasure those days until they were over and gone, until she was far from home, tending to the dark tangled hair of a deamhaness. She hummed an old Avalon cradle-song under her breath.
From behind them all came another voice, cool and musical, ringing. "You've another messenger from Avalon by ship to see you, tá. Have ye heard?"
Delande smiled a little, though did not pause in her braiding. "Nil hea, Nemanda. I think you've beaten him here."
Eilidh raised her head from Lilith's lap and stared at Nemanda for a moment with huge expectant eyes; the mermaid settled herself at the other end of the couch and tossed over a small sack. "There you are, little sapling. I didn't forget ye."
The dryad made a delighted noise, and laid her head back down again, opened the bag and started playing with the shells inside, turning them around and around in the light. "So many pretty things! I might be able to finish this windchime and start another. I thank you."
"You're quite welcome, tá."
Lilith coiled a bit of mist around one finger. "May I have the messenger?"
Delande laughed. "Nil hea. I will read the letter, add it to the pile, compose a response, and send him home again like all the others."
"Why do they keep sending them?" She hissed petulantly, annoyed by the refusal.
"This is how very formal requests are made. They're hoping I'll change my mind about going home."
Lilith turned her head entirely 'round on her neck and looked up at her with shining black eyes. "Will you?"
Delande sighed. "I don't know. I will have to go home eventually, tá?"
"Nil hea." The lili snarled. Several feathers appeared out of nowhere and drifted to the floor, soft gray, dusky brown and sand, barred with a chocolate so deep as to be almost black.
"Oh Lilith, contradicting is rude. And stop being silly--I do have to return someday. Technically, the only reason I am here is to collect Faruquar Gaelminah-mé."
"Does it normally take over a century for your people to collect a bull?" Nemanda snorted. "Tis little wonder nothing ever gets done."
Eilidh mewled unhappily. "You don't like it here with us? Cé?"
"Of course I do, but this isn't my place, and these are not my people to rule. Besides which, I doubt my father approves of my current circumstances. Lugh is highly unlikely to ask for my hand, and I'm certain my father has any number of more appropriate matches in mind."
"Turn your head back 'round, Lilith, you're making m'skin crawl." Nemanda interrupted.
"If I were your skin, I'd crawl off of you out of principle."
"That's amusing, tá. I'll remember that the next time you try crawling on me, mit."
"I'd keep your skin--it's pretty. The rest I'd throw back."
"Hush." Delande gave a lock of hair a gentle tug. "It would make it easier to finish this, my dear."
Lilith sighed, and swiveled her head again, turning back to the window. "Fathers are useless anyway. Annoying things. You should have done what I did with mine--seduced him and had his soul for dinner."
"That's TERRIBLE, Lilith." Delande told her. She couldn't quite keep from smiling, though. Some things were just so terrible they went right back around to amusing again.
Lilith beamed wickedly. "Would you have me do it, then?"
"I'd really much prefer that you didn't." Delande said mildly.
"After all, ye were so successful trying to take on this Ard Rí, tá?" Nemanda snickered. "The last thing Faerever needs is yet another sister."
"Shut up, Nemanda!" Lilith snarled; there was an echo of a hideous screech behind it, and a few more feathers flew. Then she heaved a woeful sigh. "It isn't my fault. I've tried devouring him, lots of times. It never quite seems to work."
"Try using your teeth, next time." Nemanda suggested coldly.
"Ohhh, I wouldn't. I'd think that'd only make him angry." Eilidh volunteered, wide-eyed. "And he is keeping a promise for me. If you did devour the Ard Ri, what will become of my grove?"
"They're only teasing." Delande said firmly. "Hush, you two."
"No I'm n--!"
Delande's voice went mild again. "If you make her cry again, Lilith, I will be very upset with you."
"She always cries about everything." Lilith muttered sulkily. Then after a moment's silence, but for the softly falling rain, she added. "If I did devour him, I could go home again, also."
"If you did, none of us would have a reason to be here, nil hea?" No one quite dared to answer that.
"...But I like it here. With all of you. Why is everyone talking about going away?" Eilidh demanded. She was starting to quiver. When properly upset she shook like a small tree in a high wind.
"Now that you have planted a new fear in your garden, what will you do to uproot it?" Sighed a soft voice, full of silibants, from the other end of room. Eilidh got up and curled next to Lady Bai, who was busy in the middle of a particularly delicate bit of embroidery.
"Faerever's not going away, Eilidh, and neither is Lilith, it's merely talk and hot air." Nemanda told her.
"It was Delande who started it. Her and her stupid Ard Rí father." Snapped Lilith.
Delande threw up her hands. "I'm sorry!" All the women glared at her. "I am." And then under the weight of four steady gazes, she sighed and inclined her head a little. "I wouldn't ever leave if I didn't have to--do you understand? It is so very different, here. I can sing. I can--well, I can throw up my arms like this, and no one flinches. There is no one scrutinizing my every thought and move, either the Rian to find me true to our truce, or my own family to keep me true to our name, and everyone else to see that I am worthy to rule. It seems as if no one here as ever heard of the Revolution at all! I'm so fond of all of you that it hurts--yes, you too, you terrible thing--and--and I shouldn't be saying any of this out loud, it practically verges on diré, doesn't it? That I love it here because I can't bear living in the shadow of the past, with the weight of future? That I can barely say the words 'Order and Light' without choking upon them?"
Nemanda looked around at them all. "Tell me, Faerever. Where else could you speak those words and be safe? Whom would we tell? The law of the Sidhe ends at the tide-line. The Sea is the Sea in every place; all one, and her laws are her own. It cares nothing for your heresy, why should I? Lilith lives to spurn your law. The Lady Bai has honor that no inquisitor could pierce, and Eilidh is only a tree--she doesn't know anything."
"I know lots of things!" Eilidh protested in the silence that followed, shaking angrily. "I know things you don't! Can y'make your own food from t' light of the sun?"
Nemanda inclined her head. "Sé maith, little sapling, that bit of wisdom is beyond me. I apologize."
There was silence for a while, and then Delande gave a helpless palms up shrug. "I only wish to do what is best for everyone."
"Spoken like a true Faerever." Said a dry voice from the doorway. They all turned and stared at Gavian. She seemed in a particularly acidic mood this afternoon, Delande noted. "That would be why everyone finds you all so fucking irritating. There's another messenger for you, Princess, in the antechamber."
some little while after the first; or possibly longer. time is funny thing, on the isle.
***
Lilith had somehow managed to gather up most of their attention entirely for herself, like a greedy child offered a handful of sweets. She sat with one elbow at a window sill, and one hand stroking the green-tinged gold curls of the dryad Eilidh at her feet, and Delande standing behind her, braiding Lilith's hair into an intricate southern style. Delande kept meaning to have one of her servants sent, to do her hair and the lili's properly; she never remembered, and to be honest, she had rather liked doing it herself. Funny that it took until now to understand why Candide had enjoyed it so--Delande had only learned out of a certain sense of duty toward a sullen, angry little sister who had fought combs and braiding like a mantacore with mangled tail after Candide had left, until Delande finally coaxed her into sitting for her instead. And thus, was doomed to tend to Obelenna's hair for her for the better part of decade. Delande hadn't known to treasure those days until they were over and gone, until she was far from home, tending to the dark tangled hair of a deamhaness. She hummed an old Avalon cradle-song under her breath.
From behind them all came another voice, cool and musical, ringing. "You've another messenger from Avalon by ship to see you, tá. Have ye heard?"
Delande smiled a little, though did not pause in her braiding. "Nil hea, Nemanda. I think you've beaten him here."
Eilidh raised her head from Lilith's lap and stared at Nemanda for a moment with huge expectant eyes; the mermaid settled herself at the other end of the couch and tossed over a small sack. "There you are, little sapling. I didn't forget ye."
The dryad made a delighted noise, and laid her head back down again, opened the bag and started playing with the shells inside, turning them around and around in the light. "So many pretty things! I might be able to finish this windchime and start another. I thank you."
"You're quite welcome, tá."
Lilith coiled a bit of mist around one finger. "May I have the messenger?"
Delande laughed. "Nil hea. I will read the letter, add it to the pile, compose a response, and send him home again like all the others."
"Why do they keep sending them?" She hissed petulantly, annoyed by the refusal.
"This is how very formal requests are made. They're hoping I'll change my mind about going home."
Lilith turned her head entirely 'round on her neck and looked up at her with shining black eyes. "Will you?"
Delande sighed. "I don't know. I will have to go home eventually, tá?"
"Nil hea." The lili snarled. Several feathers appeared out of nowhere and drifted to the floor, soft gray, dusky brown and sand, barred with a chocolate so deep as to be almost black.
"Oh Lilith, contradicting is rude. And stop being silly--I do have to return someday. Technically, the only reason I am here is to collect Faruquar Gaelminah-mé."
"Does it normally take over a century for your people to collect a bull?" Nemanda snorted. "Tis little wonder nothing ever gets done."
Eilidh mewled unhappily. "You don't like it here with us? Cé?"
"Of course I do, but this isn't my place, and these are not my people to rule. Besides which, I doubt my father approves of my current circumstances. Lugh is highly unlikely to ask for my hand, and I'm certain my father has any number of more appropriate matches in mind."
"Turn your head back 'round, Lilith, you're making m'skin crawl." Nemanda interrupted.
"If I were your skin, I'd crawl off of you out of principle."
"That's amusing, tá. I'll remember that the next time you try crawling on me, mit."
"I'd keep your skin--it's pretty. The rest I'd throw back."
"Hush." Delande gave a lock of hair a gentle tug. "It would make it easier to finish this, my dear."
Lilith sighed, and swiveled her head again, turning back to the window. "Fathers are useless anyway. Annoying things. You should have done what I did with mine--seduced him and had his soul for dinner."
"That's TERRIBLE, Lilith." Delande told her. She couldn't quite keep from smiling, though. Some things were just so terrible they went right back around to amusing again.
Lilith beamed wickedly. "Would you have me do it, then?"
"I'd really much prefer that you didn't." Delande said mildly.
"After all, ye were so successful trying to take on this Ard Rí, tá?" Nemanda snickered. "The last thing Faerever needs is yet another sister."
"Shut up, Nemanda!" Lilith snarled; there was an echo of a hideous screech behind it, and a few more feathers flew. Then she heaved a woeful sigh. "It isn't my fault. I've tried devouring him, lots of times. It never quite seems to work."
"Try using your teeth, next time." Nemanda suggested coldly.
"Ohhh, I wouldn't. I'd think that'd only make him angry." Eilidh volunteered, wide-eyed. "And he is keeping a promise for me. If you did devour the Ard Ri, what will become of my grove?"
"They're only teasing." Delande said firmly. "Hush, you two."
"No I'm n--!"
Delande's voice went mild again. "If you make her cry again, Lilith, I will be very upset with you."
"She always cries about everything." Lilith muttered sulkily. Then after a moment's silence, but for the softly falling rain, she added. "If I did devour him, I could go home again, also."
"If you did, none of us would have a reason to be here, nil hea?" No one quite dared to answer that.
"...But I like it here. With all of you. Why is everyone talking about going away?" Eilidh demanded. She was starting to quiver. When properly upset she shook like a small tree in a high wind.
"Now that you have planted a new fear in your garden, what will you do to uproot it?" Sighed a soft voice, full of silibants, from the other end of room. Eilidh got up and curled next to Lady Bai, who was busy in the middle of a particularly delicate bit of embroidery.
"Faerever's not going away, Eilidh, and neither is Lilith, it's merely talk and hot air." Nemanda told her.
"It was Delande who started it. Her and her stupid Ard Rí father." Snapped Lilith.
Delande threw up her hands. "I'm sorry!" All the women glared at her. "I am." And then under the weight of four steady gazes, she sighed and inclined her head a little. "I wouldn't ever leave if I didn't have to--do you understand? It is so very different, here. I can sing. I can--well, I can throw up my arms like this, and no one flinches. There is no one scrutinizing my every thought and move, either the Rian to find me true to our truce, or my own family to keep me true to our name, and everyone else to see that I am worthy to rule. It seems as if no one here as ever heard of the Revolution at all! I'm so fond of all of you that it hurts--yes, you too, you terrible thing--and--and I shouldn't be saying any of this out loud, it practically verges on diré, doesn't it? That I love it here because I can't bear living in the shadow of the past, with the weight of future? That I can barely say the words 'Order and Light' without choking upon them?"
Nemanda looked around at them all. "Tell me, Faerever. Where else could you speak those words and be safe? Whom would we tell? The law of the Sidhe ends at the tide-line. The Sea is the Sea in every place; all one, and her laws are her own. It cares nothing for your heresy, why should I? Lilith lives to spurn your law. The Lady Bai has honor that no inquisitor could pierce, and Eilidh is only a tree--she doesn't know anything."
"I know lots of things!" Eilidh protested in the silence that followed, shaking angrily. "I know things you don't! Can y'make your own food from t' light of the sun?"
Nemanda inclined her head. "Sé maith, little sapling, that bit of wisdom is beyond me. I apologize."
There was silence for a while, and then Delande gave a helpless palms up shrug. "I only wish to do what is best for everyone."
"Spoken like a true Faerever." Said a dry voice from the doorway. They all turned and stared at Gavian. She seemed in a particularly acidic mood this afternoon, Delande noted. "That would be why everyone finds you all so fucking irritating. There's another messenger for you, Princess, in the antechamber."
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Date: 2009-04-01 08:08 pm (UTC). . . Someone needs to take her to a really OLD forest sometime and see if she'd say that.
They all turned and stared at Gavian. She seemed in a particularly acidic mood this afternoon . . .
How does the Sea get wetter? [/dry]
no subject
Date: 2009-04-02 01:42 am (UTC)yeeah. no argument there. i'd hope she'd have more sense. *solemn* they'd miss her, if it turned out that she didn't.
bwahaha. *ahem* point.
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Date: 2009-04-09 02:16 pm (UTC)I love how the pride interract with each other :). I don't know what Lugh would do without Delande to act as head lionness :)
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Date: 2009-04-14 08:04 pm (UTC)they're fun, if not slightly headache-y to write. =) *snerk* it may well have been one of the reasons he pursued her. (or drove her to pursue him, whatever.)