Chapter Text
It was deep into the season of winter within the land of Miroslav, and a small village in the region of Vipin was especially getting hit hard by numerous snowstorms. There seemed to be only a day or two break in between storms, often with bitter cold air that hurt to breathe, so it was hardly much of a break.
The people were barely scraping by and in fact, many were struggling. Food was being carefully rationed and any healthy adult, man or woman, was sent out in an attempt to bring more food home. Whether it'd be hunting or foraging, though with the snow there wasn't much to forage for.
Just as the people began to get their bearings again, a sickness had befallen the village. No one could tell what the source was, but the illness itself was quite crippling, leaving many stuck in bed while loved ones and friends did what they could to provide.
This went on for a while, more people got sick, less food was found and fewer people were in good enough shape to even go out. Winter was only getting worse and would remain harsh for a few more months. Things were looking bleak.
A young and tiny girl, reaching in height to most people's knees despite her age of seven, seemed to be the only one not sick now for some reason. She didn't understand why, for she was with many of the other sick villagers, including her mother, helping them the best that her limited abilities allowed. Sadly, due to her size, that remained pretty limited and she knew that if something didn't change soon, folks won't be able to hold on much longer.
They have since run out of meat and produce, Lilly was foraging for roots through the snow when she could and today she was going to set out to try again. Though she knew her chances were low, as the snow got deeper, it became harder to dig anything up from the frozen ground. Nevermind the fact that the snow was nearing half her height in some places.
As she ventured out this time however, she noticed strange prints in the snow. Big and round, like a horse, but very heavyset... Could it have been a jumart? A magical cross between a horse and a bull? They were not entirely unheard of, though Lilly hadn't seen one herself, only pictures. Their features ranged wildly in said pictures though, so she honestly wasn't sure what to expect. But there was one thing she did know and that was jumarts were rarely wild. So it was possible someone was out here, maybe someone who could help?
With renown hope, the young girl opted to follow these tracks. They looked fresh, like whoever it was just passed through here, narrowly missing their poor little unfortunate village. She started slow, but as desperation and hope for help filled her, Lilly picked up the pace. Jumarts were not known for their speed after all, but were more beasts of burden that one could ride while carrying a fair amount of gear, more than a horse could, without tiring too much. So with any luck, she might be able to catch up to the rider.
Weaving between trees and brush, Lilly wasn't really paying attention to how far out from the village she went, relying solely on the assumption that she would find this person.
Luckily, she did.
Trudging slowly through the tundra was a man riding upon a large jumart, chestnut in color, with three white socks. She only saw it from behind, but she was pretty sure she saw horns sweeping out the side of the creature's head.
The man himself was fairly tall and of average build, wearing a light blue vest, brown pants and boots, with short black hair laid down on his scalp. He seemed to be carrying a fair amount of gear with him as his jumart clanked with various bottles and the like.
As Lilly approached closer, she also became aware of the axe hanging on the man's belt. It was standard enough, with a wooden handle wrapped in leather and a string of beads hanging from the bottom. The head was made of simple iron, but it looked sharp. Enough so that she hesitated to approach any further.
But then he stopped his mount and slowly turned towards her anyway. Ice blue eyes settled on her and she took note of the strange silver highlights in some of his hair. It was faint, but noticeable out here in the sunlight. The sunlight that mocked warmth while the air remained bitterly freezing.
"What's a kid like you doing out here all by yourself?" He asked, his deep, but quiet voice laced with concern. He spoke slowly, but not because he sounded dumb, it just seemed to be how he preferred to speak.
His jumart huffed at her, not seeming to like standing around in the cold. But as suspected, it did have a pair of sizable horns and right between them was a white blaze, matching the sock markings.
Lilly shuffled a bit on her feet, feeling similarly to the jumart in terms of standing in the snow. Especially since, for her, it reached up to her waist in some places. Thankfully not here, or at least, it wasn't as long as she didn't sink through that far. But she had to answer him, the hope of him helping her and her people returned and the only way that would actually have a chance of happening is if she explained what was going on.
"B-because... I'm l-looking for food. Everyone in the village is sick, mister, including my momma... B-but I'm not sick! I don't know why... So I’m trying to help them." She explained, but then lowered her gaze, feeling a sense of hopelessness wash over her now.
"But I can't..." She murmured ever so quietly. So quietly that she didn't really expect him to hear her.
The man however didn't hardly flinch at the notion of a plague nearby, in fact he didn't miss a beat at all. "You came out here to find food for them, and sought me out. You have very likely just saved your entire village, child." He said with gentle confidence.
Lilly looked back up at him, smiling. "Really? Why is that?" She inquired.
A smile appeared on his face then, good natured and friendly. "Because I am an herbalist. I'll be able to help them."
The tiny child gasped, eyes widening in awe to this reveal.
"You really mean it?! Then we have to get you to them right now!" She exclaimed, before she began to look around, trying to remember which way to go to get back to her village.
"It uh... um... uhmmm-" She found herself soon cut off.
"Fear not, young one. I know the way." He said, not betraying why or how, but Lilly didn't really worry about it.
Instead, she watched as the man lowered his hand, offering to pull her up onto the jumart's back with him. Normally she wouldn't go off with strangers like this, but she did need to get out of this snow, and walking while he rode back to the village didn't make much sense. So with a short little breath that almost sounded like a huff, she broke free of the snow around her ankles and scurried forward, taking a running jump and grabbing onto the man's arm with both of her hands.
WIth a soft grunt from him, Lilly found herself raised up with ease! Wind breezing by her before she found herself comfortably seated in front of him upon the saddle. He had at some point scooted back to give her room, not that she needed much to start with.
Another snort came from the large jumart, then with a gentle nudge, the herbalist turned the great beast around to backtrack through the woods at a steady trot.
Lilly held onto the saddle horn, finding the ride to be slightly bouncy, but not enough to stop her from asking questions.
"What's your name, mister?" She asked him, glancing behind her, but all she saw was his blue vest.
A soft noise of surprise came from him, before he answered. "Oh, it's uh, just Darther. And Morrell too-I mean as a family name."
Darther Morrell, a simple yet unique name, she liked it! "Thank you mister Darther Morrell for coming to help us. My name is Lilly Burton!" She told him, letting out a tiny squeak afterwards as the jumart jumped over a small log.
"It’s nice to meet you too Miss Lilly, but… Don't thank me yet, I haven't seen their condition." He warned her, before ducking below a low hanging tree branch.
Lilly frowned at that. "It's not good... Aren't you afraid of getting sick from them?" She asked, worried that if he saw how bad they were, he'd leave.
The girl noticed him taking a breath, then held it for a little longer than he should have. "No, I... have ways to keep myself safe from what ails them." He explained, albeit cryptically, as he exhaled.
The child wasn't sure what that meant, but she shrugged it off and decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. She seemed immune to the illness herself, for some reason, so she supposed it wasn't that strange.
She thought about what more she wanted to ask him, but before she could decide on something, she saw the village huts come into view already! Perhaps his steed of choice was quicker than she gave the creature credit for.
"Momma is over there! She got sick first." Lilly said truthfully, pointing towards a smaller house, next to the village inn.
Darther rode over to said house, before he dismounted and gently plucked Lilly off the saddle, before placing her back on the snowy ground. Then he spoke, tone gentle, but with a request that she didn't much agree with.
"Stay here, allow me to check up on her."
Lilly let out a tiny huff to that and was already following him at his heels as he made his way onto the porch.
"No way! I promise I won't bother you, but this is my momma!" She exclaimed.
Darther paused, hand on the door handle, eyeing the little stool nearby that Lilly had been using for such a task. Then he eyed her, while the tiny girl had her arms crossed, giving him her most serious and determined look. The man looked apprehensive, but with a deep breath, he opened the door with a simple response.
"Alright then."
Lilly didn't respond verbally, but she did uncross her arms and dart inside, right in front of his feet! Luckily she didn't trip him as he closed the door, then made his way over to Lilly's mother, Sarah.
All that was shown beyond the old grey blanket was her face and ragged blonde hair. Her skin was deathly pale, but her hazel eyes did flutter open, still bright with life. Upon focusing her vision on Darther though, she gasped, a sense of fear appearing on her face. Probably due to the fact she suddenly had a strange man in her house and was too weak to do anything about it.
Lilly scurried up beside him and spoke up. "It's okay mommy! I found him! He's an herbalist and says he can help!"
Darther looked between the child and her mother, before speaking. "It's true, I only wish to help you and the rest of the village ma'am. Please?" He requested, not coming any closer until he got some kind of response.
There was a moment of silence, and of stillness. For that moment, Lilly worried that her mother would remain distrustful. But eventually, Sarah nodded.
It was so faint that it probably took all the strength she had in her to do such, but she managed. Darther then let out a breath that Lilly didn't realize he was holding, before he slowly approached, grabbing a simple wooden chair on the way over and lifting it with one hand. He did so with a sense of ease that almost didn't seem quite all natural. But it was just a chair…
Lilly blinked, but before she could think too much more on it, he was already seated. He didn't seem to do anything special to protect himself from getting infected either, it was as if he was also immune and knew it? She wasn't sure how he could know it. She wasn't even sure if her immunity was real or if she was just very lucky. It wasn't as if she intentionally exposed herself to test it.
For now though, she did as she promised and didn't pester him, instead she merely watched as he laid the back of his hand on her mother's forehead. The woman had a cold sweat all over her body, struggling between a fever and keeping warm in this winter cold.
"You have a pretty bad fever, but I think I can bring it down." He told her, a soft groan escaping her mother as she turned her head from his touch.
He pulled his hand away at the same time and began fishing around for something in his satchel. At the same time, he spoke.
"Are there any provisions to make soup with?" He asked Lilly.
The child blinked, surprised to be addressed in the situation. "Uhm, n-no, we ran out of meat and stuff a long time ago..." She told him.
A frown crossed his brow, before he slowly stood up. "I have a bit of venison with me, on my jumart. It will have to do."
Lilly then watched as he walked back outside, before she got an idea! If he was making soup, they needed to start the fire! She had done that before, so she scurried to the hearth of the little house and worked to start said fire. There was already wood and some half burned coals in there and it was getting time to light them all anyway, to keep the villagers from freezing tonight.
Darther soon came back with a lump of something in hand. She assumed the meat, judging by the bloody cloth wrapped around it. In his other hand was a brown sack too, did he have vegetables as well?
Silently, she watched in curiosity as he went over to the kitchen area, to the cutting board specifically. Lilly had another crate pulled up to the counter so she could get up there, but he obviously didn't need it. It would be nice to have someone else do this part, for it was quite hard when she had to, and now she was a fair bit weaker with so little to eat herself.
Darther on the other hand had no trouble pulling over a great black kettle, before he laid the meat onto the board. It was a sizable hunk but he made quick work of it with one of her mother's larger knives. One that Lilly couldn't use.
In no time at all, it was a bunch of little chunks, and the potatoes and carrots that spilled out of the brown bag became the same. He knew how to handle a knife, that much was clear. For now, the reasoning behind it was a good one. With the pot having more actual food in it than they had in nearly a month, Darther began working to fill the rest with water. Amazingly, it was just warm enough that their waterflow hasn't frozen over yet from the nearby river. Things were going to get really rough if it ever did.
The rest of the evening was Lilly watching Darther put various herbs and such in the soup, explaining that it would help her mother and would hopefully bring down her fever in time for him to create an actual potion for her. It made the soup smell a little funny, but the alchemist assured her that it would still taste decent.
Later that evening, Lilly set out to light everyone else's hearth and make sure they were holding together. Darther even gave others of those who had a critical fever a bowl of the soup, but alas they did not have enough to feed everyone.
"I'll have to go hunting tonight. These wilds have always been ripe with game, you just need to know where to look." Darther said to Lilly as they walked back to Sarah's house together.
"You've been here before?" Lilly inquired, curious.
The man nodded once. "Passed through, camped out a few times a year, yeah. I never spent much time in this little village of yours though. Didn't realize people still lived here."
Lilly found a bittersweet smile on her face, her eyes a little watery. "Thanks to you mister Darther, they do and will continue to live here."
He let out a dry chuckle to that though. "I hope you are right Lilly, though I must warn you… Many are in very rough shape. The road of recovery is going to be long, we'll need more food and herbs to give them a better chance. I will have to leave you here with them while I search the forest for what we need." He explained, but paused, the look on his face telling Lilly that there was something more he wanted to say.
"All alone?" She asked, not meaning for her voice to sound as pitiful as it did.
He didn't answer right away, his gaze sweeping to his resting jumart instead for a few moments.
Then he finally replied. "No, I have someone I want you to meet."
Lilly grew curious, and just a bit excited, to that!
"Really? Who?" She asked, a slight skip in her step as she followed him over to the creature.
"She's a friend, she will watch over you and come find me if there's a problem." Darther replied and opened a flap on one of the saddlebags. Lilly grew even more curious as she watched to see what he was looking in there for? And where was this friend he spoke of?
"Hnnng... Darther? What is it? Can't you see that I am resting?" A female, slightly ethereal voice asked, sounding not exactly the most friendly, but the voice came from the bag.
"You've been sleeping all day, Soot. And... I need your help." He said down into the bag, to whatever resided inside. His tone sounded a little stern at first, but grew more sheepish by the end.
Lilly heard an exasperated sigh that also didn't quite sound natural, before a small creature emerged from the leather home it-she had. She clawed her way to stand on the edge of the bag and stretched her black feathered wings, then walked onto Darther’s arm as he offered it.
She was a raven, a rather large one, with beautiful black feathers covering her entire body. The tips had very faint, dark purple highlights in the setting sun's rays, while her beak, feet and talons were various shades of more purple and indigo. Then there were her eyes, glowing with solid bright purple, swirling with what Lilly could only describe as magic.
The raven clacked her beak and tilted her head at Darther, before speaking.
"What is it now? Is it the full-" She began, but Darther quickly shushed her, with a sense of urgency the child had never seen him have before. He pinched her beak closed, before nodding towards Lilly.
Those glowing pools of purple settled on her now and the child was filled with a sense of awe, but also an instinctual fear of the unknown. Darther soon let go of the raven's beak and she adjusted to address Lilly.
"Well hello there dear child. I'm not sure why Darther is allowing you to see me but I assume it's for a good reason." She said, her voice a strange mixture of kindness and a sense of cold scolding. Probably to Darther.
"Uhm, h-hello there miss..." She trailed off, trying to remember what Darther called her.
"Call me Soot, dear. And my my, I haven't had anyone call me miss in a good few hundred years! It feels good." She ran her left wing over the top of her head as she spoke, sounding prideful.
Lilly let out a tiny giggle, the raven didn't seem quite so bad... but just how old was she? WHAT was she? There were stories of demons possessing animals like this to bind themselves to the mortal realm, but she imagined a kind man like Darther wouldn't have a demon with him.
"Soot is a witch's familiar. A witch who is... no longer with us." Darther suddenly said, as if he somehow knew what she was concerned about. But the way he said that last part, he sounded sad, mournful.
A witch… Lilly didn’t know a lot about them, but she knew that they were not always bad, so she didn’t assume anything negative.
"Yes, so now I am his familiar, unfortunately." Soot said in a more flat tone, before she turned her beak to groom her shoulder, her eyes closed.
"C'mon Soot, I don't ask much from you. But I must ask now that you stay here with Lilly. I need to set out and gather food for these poor people." Darther replied with.
Neither he nor Lilly got a response right away, Soot being too focused on getting whatever that was bothering her so much. After an awkwardly long moment, the raven focused back on Lilly.
"Very well. Babysitting this child can't be any more difficult than babysitting you." She said bluntly, before she flapped her wings and swooped down towards Lilly.
The child squeaked and took a few steps back, watching the large bird hover before her.
"Relax dear, I will not peck your eyes out or any such thing. Though I must say you do have quite the unique set." Soot said as she stared into Lilly's pink irises.
The girl blinked back at the raven, unsure how to take any of that. "T-thank you?" She timidly replied.
Darther let out a soft chuckle. "She's like that, but don't let her scare you." He said as he closed the saddlebag back up.
"If the dear wishes to be frightful of me, it makes no difference to me. I offered my assurance." Soot remarked, then flew off to perch in a nearby tree. "Off you go, Darther, I will come find you should me and the child be unable to guard a bunch of sickly villagers."
Darther huffed through his nose and shook his head, a slight smile on his face. But it left as quickly as it came when he looked back down to Lilly, expression growing serious. He slowly crouched down before her, still taller than she was, but at least they were closer to eye level.
"Listen, you must stay in the village tonight, okay? I will come back, I swear it. But at night, there's no telling what beasts dwell in those woods. It's not safe for you to be out there." He calmly told her, his tone a mixture of gentle, but serious and urgent. Lilly soaked up every word, knowing how important it was.
"Okay, I believe you mister Darther." Lilly said back with confidence. And she meant it too, she did not think the man would suddenly leave them now. And she currently had no plans to go out in those scary woods at night!
Darther smiled and lightly ruffled Lilly's hair, prompting a giggle from the girl before he stood up. "Good, I'll be back by sunrise. Keep an eye on our patients and keep handing out soup to those who need it. If any of them suddenly get critically worse, tell Soot to fetch me. She can find me anywhere in those wilds."
Lilly nodded and watched as the man set off on foot. She thought he'd be hunting, but he didn't have a bow, so maybe he was going to just gather herbs? She wasn't sure, but decided not to question him. Time was still of the essence and delaying him any longer wouldn't help anyone, especially her mother.
However, having his familiar here, perhaps she could get some information from the old bird.
After Darther was well out of sight, Lilly turned to Soot, who had found a beetle on the tree and was currently eating it, bit by bit. Lilly made a slight face, but focused on her question.
"Miss Soot? Can I ask you a question?" She asked politely.
The raven tilted her head, seeming caught off guard for a moment. "Yes dearie, you may ask, and I might answer." She replied cryptically.
After a short moment of thought, Lilly decided to keep it simple. "Are you and mister Darther friends?"
Soot laughed, or maybe it was more like a cackle? Lilly couldn't tell, especially with the faint raven caws in-between each laugh. The tiny girl just stared and watched, waiting for the laughter to die down and for a coherent answer to come.
In truth, it didn't take long at all, even though the raven had to take a few breaths to regain her resolve.
"A friend... an amusing human concept, I must say." She remarked, not even looking at Lilly now, but instead the sky beyond. No more words were spoken for a good long moment and the child wondered if that was all she was going to say on the matter.
But then the bird spoke again.
"I am his familiar, passed down by my previous master. She was a splendid white witch, kept out of human settlements and stuck to herself. But then Darther, the buffoon, came..." She trailed off and Lilly spied a glimmer of sadness in those pools of violet.
The girl grew curious about that and took a tiny step closer to the tree, tilting her head.
Soot seemed to notice, given how she blinked at the tiny child before shaking her feathers, puffing up a bit as she did so.
"The witch passed after she tutored the boy. The boy who's now a man, such as it is. She passed me to him too, to watch over the fool and make sure he doesn't get us both in trouble. I am his familiar, even if he is not a witch or warlock, he is gifted in other ways. Such as the art of alchemy, something he actually seems to have some natural talent in." She further explained, seeming to sound a hint impressed by the end.
But Lilly couldn't help but notice one thing. "You don't seem to like mister Darther much though, why?"
The raven snorted and glanced away pointedly. "Because he's a fool, he should stay away from society like me and Becky did. But no, he travels, openly offering his skills for free, dragging us all across Vipin and beyond. I'm sure we will cover the entirety of Miroslav one day." She exclaimed by the end, spreading her wings in a show of frustration.
The girl let it linger, not daring to speak for a good few moments, at least until the familiar's feathers relaxed, since they were quite ruffled. While she waited, she thought about some of the things said. Lilly assumed this ‘Becky’ person was the witch previously mentioned.
Still trying to unpack the raven’s words, the girl noticed her finally relaxing, despite her purple pools for eyes narrowed a bit with irritation.
With a spike of bravery, Lilly spoke again, slowly, like she was walking on glass with her voice.
"But... he helps people, people who are sick and in need. Isn't that good?"
Suddenly, Lilly found herself taking a few steps back as Soot leaned her head down closer, her beak looking sharper than it did before. Probably a trick of the mind, really, but it was enough to make her regret her words already.
"For you, maybe." Soot said in a low, cold tone, those eyes of her’s swirling with unnatural energy. Suddenly it felt like they'd engulf Lilly in darkness if she wasn't careful.
Then the raven continued. "But there's one thing I learned in my time with humans. Their kind is selfish, they accept help now because they have no choice. Otherwise, they wouldn't care for Darther being in their village. Tis why we avoided this place, we knew they would not welcome us with naught but wary glances, whispers and suspicion. Too many humans treat alchemy and magic with disdain and distrust, I am forced to hide myself in a prison of leather less some peasant sees me and decides to take a shovel to me for being a 'demon' or some other nonsense." She explained, her frustration rising again a bit more, but then it died almost as quickly as it came. Instead, she added one last part, if a bit somberly.
"Then there's if they knew the truth about Darther..."
Lilly didn't miss a beat. "The truth? About what?" She asked innocently, with a hint of wariness.
"Well, that he's a-" Soot began, but then cut herself off, a wave of fury washing over the bird. "Blast it all! Such is not a secret that is my right to give!" She spread her wings again, feathers ruffled and puffed. "Begone child, I am done talking. If someone's dying, let me know, otherwise leave me be."
She then made a gesture with her wing that looked a lot like Lilly was being shooed away.
"But-" Lilly started but didn't get a second word out.
"Done. Talking." Soot cut her off in reply, blunt and direct.
"I promise I won't tell anyone else, I just want to know!" Lilly assured, but the corvid didn't even regard her. Instead she was pruning herself again, eyes closed, avoiding a mere glance.
The child frowned, lowering her gaze, before with a quiet sigh, she reluctantly went back to her duties. The village still needed her help, what little she could provide. So she did what she could, handing out food and keeping the stoves stoked. But as evening turned to night, she grew worried. Soot was still in the tree, just watching, observing, like a specter under the full moon's light. There was something particularly eerie about it and Lilly was starting to get desperate for Darther's return.
But night soon turned to midnight, Lilly was getting tired and there were still no signs of the man. Desperate for answers, Lilly decided to go back to Soot again.
"Miss Soot?" She requested politely.
The bird did look at her this time, those strange pupil-less eyes softening a tiny bit from before.
"Yes? What is it dear?" She replied, her tone somewhat on the friendly side, probably as friendly as she got. It seemed she had since calmed down from her outburst.
"Well... when will Darther be back? Is he okay?" She asked worriedly, remembering his words before, about the woods not being safe at night.
Soot scoffed lightly. "I assure you child, he is perfectly safe out there and will be back with his kill soon."
Lilly made a face at the word 'kill'. So he was hunting after all. "I didn't see him have a bow though..." Lilly mused, looking out into the wilderness, where he vanished a handful of hours ago.
Soot didn't reply, again. This bred determination and frustration in Lilly, knowing that the bird was hiding something from her.
"I'm going to find him." She declared suddenly, tiny chest puffed up, a frown on her brow.
Soot paused mid groom, beak open. After a few rapid blinks, she spoke. "I don't recommend that. As Darther told you, it's not safe out there."
It was now Lilly's turn to not listen as she already began marching off towards the forest line. Though she did hear Soot take flight, likely after her.
"Wait! Didn't you hear me child? Do you have grubs in your ears?" She exclaimed, swooping down in front of Lilly.
It did startle her, causing her to pause for a moment with a gasp. But then her shoulders tightened and her hands turned to fists, a tiny fire stirring in her heart.
"He could be hurt out there! All he had was that little axe, what if a bear attacked him? Or or-"
"If a bear attacked him, it would not live long." Soot remarked bluntly, continuing to hover in front of Lilly in an effort to block her path.
"How do you know that?" The young one asked, her voice a little breathless as she kept trying to duck around Soot to continue onward.
"I just-I just do, alright? Please dear, I assure you that you do not want to be out here tonight, not now." The raven said, a hint of a plea in her voice now, which was pretty uncharacteristic of her behavior up to this point Lilly thought.
It didn't slow the girl down though as she remained marching onward, soon entering the treeline of the forest and leaving the parameter of the village.
"Mister Darther?! Mister Darther?! Hello!?" She called out into the darkness of the forest, the trees so dense that the moonlight struggled to reach its depths.
"We shouldn't be here! You're as stubborn as he is!" Soot hissed in a loud whisper, now opting to fly beside Lilly as the girl ventured deeper into the wilds.
"Wait, didn't he say that you could find him anywhere?" Lilly asked, remembering something about that before he left!
The raven hesitated, her beak opening and closing a few times. Before finally, she actually spoke. "I can, but I don't think that it is wise. He is fine, I know that, and even if he wasn't, what could the two of us do about it?"
Lilly finally stopped, the raven's words finally sinking in a bit... She had a point, they were just a tiny child and a talking bird, what could they do if Darther was actually injured?
"How do you know that he's okay?" Lilly asked Soot in a softer voice, her determined frown now warping to one of worry and confusion.
The raven looked long and hard at Lilly, but unlike before, she wasn't irritated or mad. If anything, the bird actually looked sympathetic.
"I... can't tell you, dear. Like I said, it is not my secret to share." She told her at length, but sounded apologetic, like she truly wanted to tell.
She then looked back to where they came from, towards the village.
"I can say however that I must urge for us to leave this place, before-" Soot paused suddenly and for good reason.
For in that instant, a long, echoing sound that came from deeper in the woods threatened to split the sky in two. If Lilly didn't know any better, she'd say it was the howl of a wolf. The sound seemed close, but this was different. It was louder, deeper and more powerful with a sense of viciousness that wasn't actually present in wolves. She heard the howl of wolves before and as much as they scared her, they did not compare to how this sound sliced right through her and even threatened to pierce her soul like some otherworldly knife forged in terror.
"Run, now! Back to the village!" Soot urged in a voice that was with unmistakable panic. It was so abnormal to hear that it snapped Lilly out of her fear induced daze. She didn't even question the raven now and whirled around in an instant.
Thankfully, Soot led the way, flying low enough so Lilly could see her as she guided the child back to the village. The girl was panting as she pushed herself to her limit, images of some frightening demonic beast right on her heels lingered in her mind, keeping her from even faltering.
Lilly did not venture too far into the forest, so returning to the village wasn't too far of a run. But she did not stop, even after Soot flew off into a tree, once the village was well in sight. Instead, the girl ran straight to her home, to her mother.
The door had been closed, so she had to drag the little crate she was using to stand on over to the latch again. In her panic, she fumbled a bit, looking behind her with wild eyes.
Nothing, just darkness beyond what bit of light that the full moon provided. Soot was perched in the same tree as before, her tiny feathered chest also heaving from the workout. Lilly didn't feel like staying outside anymore though, so she worked that door open and darted inside as fast as she could. She considered offering Soot to come inside with her, but she then looked to her mother, who was awake and probably wouldn't take kindly to a talking raven with glowing purple eyes.
"What's wrong sweetie? Why were you outside so late?" She asked worriedly, before letting out one of many coughs that Lilly had almost grown used to hearing now.
"I-I... I don't know." Was all the girl said, which at the time wasn't a lie. Her mind was so jumbled about what she heard, she wasn't sure what to think.
"I'm pretty sure I heard a wolf, so you should stay inside. I'm sure everyone will be alright until morning..." Her mother said, before she let out a quiet groan and laid back down in bed, obviously still pretty tired and ill.
"I will momma." Lilly said with earnest, before her body gave an involuntary shiver.
She looked at the windows, ready to close them if they were not already. But of course she already did that, she closed everyone's windows before she set out looking for Darther. Darther... he was out there with that thing, whatever it was. But Soot was right, there was nothing they could do if it did find him. All Lilly could do now was hope and pray to the three Gods that their only hope of recovering from this sickness was going to return to them in one piece.
Then someone knocked on the door.
She wasn’t sure how long she was staring off into nothingness, her mind reeling about all of this. But the knock had all but made her jump out of her skin.
“Lilly? Can you open the door? I forgot my bag.” A familiar male voice said, it was Darther!
With a squeak, she scrambled to her feet and unlatched the simple lock on the door, letting the fellow inside.
Lilly scanned him from head to toe as he stepped inside. He didn’t really look any worse for wear, though his hair and clothes looked a little mussed up. He didn’t really regard the child as he went instead to, as previously mentioned, grab his small brown satchel that he left near the kitchen. He seemed a little distracted, for some reason.
“Did you find any food?” Lilly asked as she followed him back outside.
“Oh! Yeah, sorta. I have to dress it.” He answered, sounding as distracted as he appeared in his movements.
Lilly looked around in the darkness, hesitant on being out here again so soon, but thankfully they didn’t go far from the house, for Darther did indeed catch something. It was a full sized buck lying on the ground just beyond the house deck, the animal otherwise untouched save for its neck missing.
The child wasn’t overly squeamish, they had hunters in the village and she saw them bring back dead animals before. It was never a pretty sight, but gazing upon this deer left her with a sense of dread.
Usually there would be a snare on its leg, a knife wound to give it a swift death, or an arrow. But this thing looked like it had been expertly killed by some massive, vicious beast.
“Did you… find it like this?” Lilly asked tentatively, keeping her distance as Darther looked through his bag, readying a moderate sized skinning knife.
Instead of getting to work however, he paused, blinking at her with those ice blue eyes of his, looking to be a bit lost for words.
“Well… no, not exactly.” He awkwardly replied, before he cleared his throat. “It’s best if you go back inside and stay with your mother. This isn’t really something you should see.” Darther then said with a bit more seriousness and stability in his tone.
Lilly didn't budge though, looking between Darther and the buck. "What happened to it?" She asked him, avoiding his suggestion altogether.
Darther fiddled with the knife a bit in his hands, before a hint of realization crossed his features and he laid it down. From there, he ran a hand through his hair, a sigh coming from him.
"A beast, or... monster. One that you don't want to meet, which is why you should go back inside." He told her, his tone holding a hint of urgency beyond the seriousness of it.
Lilly narrowed her eyes at the man, something was strange here, she didn't like it. But there wasn't a whole lot she could do, whatever creature did this could probably snap her up in one bite.
"Okay... I'm glad you're not hurt, mister Darther." She told him, offering a small, timid smile.
He looked surprised by that, blinking at her, before letting out a low, awkward chuckle. "Thanks, but you don't need to worry about me. I know how to navigate the wilderness, and what lives in it." He assured in a lighter voice, before he made a lighthearted shooing motion with his hand. "Go on now, you really don't want to watch me do this."
He was right about that and given her lack of options, she nodded and decided to listen to him, for now. So with that, she left him in peace and began walking back to her house. But she paused on the steps, looking up in the tree that Soot liked hanging out in. Lilly noticed that the bird wasn't there, but was instead on the ground, pecking at something in the snow.
Lilly paused and tilted her head, before she slowly closed the door. Then, as quiet as a mouse, she carefully crept around Darther as he worked, then around the tree. There were no bugs or anything to eat in the snow, not for a raven, and not merely on the surface. So what was she doing?
The child approached with surprising stealth, watching as the raven kicked snow about, seeming to be obscuring something. Lilly frowned and stood up to her full height, peering out towards a set of tracks that led from the forest, right to the village.
"Soot, what are these?" She asked, approaching closer to one print that looked undisturbed.
Soot let out a startled screech, wings flapping in a panic as she turned to face the child.
"Blasted girl! You startled me!" She complained, before after a few rapid blinks, she hopped over to where Lilly was heading towards and began messing up the print.
"It's nothing! Don't concern yourself with it. Didn't Darther tell you to go inside?" The raven asked as she scratched her foot across the print. Between her efforts and her body blocking her view, Lilly couldn't make out any details besides that it was big.
"He did and I was about to, but then I saw you out here. Why are you covering tracks?" The child asked, totally baffled by this strange behavior.
After a few satisfied pats with her feet, Soot stopped finally and fully regarded the girl. "It's... it's.... Well, you see, it's for..." Soot trailed off, her head tilting back and forth between each 'it's' that she said.
While this was happening, Lilly took a few steps around her to investigate another print, one that hadn't been disturbed. While Soot still struggled to come up with an answer, she didn't even seem to notice Lilly wandering past her.
What the girl saw however, was almost as horrifying as the howl from earlier. It was the footprint of an animal, looking to be a dog-no, a wolf, but far bigger than it should have been. It was as big, if not bigger, than a bear's paw! But she knew what a bear paw looked like, and this wasn't it. This was a wolf, somehow one rivaling the size of a bear.
"W--what... What is that? It came here! It came into the village!" Lilly exclaimed with fright, prompting Darther and Soot to look over.
She didn't notice the former approaching as she scrambled back, before bumping into his leg. She stopped then, but she continued to stare at the print, breathing heavily as her heart thumped in her ears again, like when she ran from the howl.
"Hey hey, it's okay, it's gone now. It's not in the village, alright?" Darther said above and behind her, his voice soft and soothing, trying to pierce through her panic.
He didn't touch her, but he did crouch down, then Soot walked in front of Lilly and began messing up the print.
"W-why is she hiding them...?" Lilly asked in a small, pitiful voice, looking up at Darther.
"To... soothe the village. The beast won't be back, so there's no reason for them to see these and get all worked up." He explained, though after he said so, he rubbed the back of his neck.
"H-how d-do you know it w-won't be back?" She wondered, still not convinced, and still quite terrified.
"Uuhhh..." Darther began, which arguably wasn't the most convincing thing. "Because... because I have and will continue to see to it, that's why." He declared, tone lighter and filled with confidence while offering the child a comforting smile.
Lilly considered his words, trying to figure out if they made sense or not. But before she could decide, Darther held his hands out.
"Come, I'll take you back to your mother, if you'd like." He said, offering to carry her.
Being still quite young and now terrified, Lilly decided to accept the offer and walked into his hands, allowing him to gently gather her up and bring her to his chest. It was like a warm hug against his blue vest and tan tunic, which helped soothe her nerves. As she laid her head against where his heart was, Lilly took note of the rather intriguing necklace he wore. A large fang hung in the middle, perhaps even a wolf's fang, with various color beads on each side, all strung on a leather cord. It was rather simple in design, but intriguing to her nonetheless.
Soot went back to covering the rest of the prints, while Darther calmly carried the child back to the small house. With some careful dexterity, Darther opened the door and stepped inside, giving Sarah a polite bow of his head, before he brought Lilly to the girl's bed, which was just on the other end of the room.
"Here, get some rest, and we'll get everyone healthy again tomorrow, okay?" Darther said to her, kneeling beside her bed after setting her down.
Lilly hesitated, letting out a small whimper. But it had been a long night, it had actually been many long nights, so... maybe he had a point.
So, reluctantly, she nodded to the man and replied. "Okay... I'll sleep."
She then slipped off her shoes and wormed her way under the covers, peering up at Darther afterwards.
"Thank you for helping us." She said to him sweetly.
That earned her a lopsided smile from him, and a casual shrug. "Ah, it's nothing, I rather like putting my skills to good use." He assured, before glancing to the fireplace and kitchen.
"Listen, I might be in and out, I'm going to dress the buck and make some more stew for everyone, with more herbs to curb the symptoms. Then tomorrow, we'll work on a proper cure. I will need your help for that, but I promise it won't be difficult." He explained to her and Lilly grew a bit curious.
"What do you need my help with?" She inquired, tilting her head.
Darther stood while giving another shrug, already taking a few steps away. "Nothing big, I'll explain it to you tomorrow. For now, you need to rest and I need to get to work."
Lilly blinked, the young one debating about pushing the subject a bit more for an answer... But in the end, she really was tired, and he seemed to mean well, even if he and Soot were definitely hiding something.
So she nodded to him, and allowed herself to close her eyes. Before her vision became fully blackened, she saw him walk away, likely to do all that work he mentioned.