It had been a long, long day. Unlike most of the village, Tanith had duties to attend to while the mass was in session. She went, of course, for a few hours as was proper, but then she had to leave before it was finished so she could light the candles. A few children helped her, as they were a little young to spend all day in the church, got too antsy and this gave them something to do without breaking the spirit of the day.
The candles were mostly lit now, just a few more, then she would have to hurry home like everyone else and grab the food she had prepared for the feast. She had worked extra hard this year on a few dishes and even had a small, personal pie set aside. She had found some winter berries and honey and a few spices and made what she hoped was an amazingly wonderful treat.
The Father had teased her about it, and kept threatening to eat it. He had managed to get out of Tanith it was for a man, but it wasn't like that or anything! She just wanted to thank Alexander for being so nice the other night.
Lightening the last candle, Tanith shooed her helpers back into the church to meet with their families and she entered the building after them, wanting to get the final blessing.
It was one of her favorite masses, so sad and brave and beautiful. The Father really did have a wonderful voice. As mass ended, Tanith's eyes searched for Alexander in the crowd, but there were too many people and she wanted to finish baking off the pie before she left.
Once she managed to make her way back to her room, Tanith quickly grabbed the food she had made the day before. The pie and bread went into the oven to finish baking and she shoved the rabbit back over the fire to warm it up again, carefully applying another layer of the glaze.
While it cooked, Tanith brushed out her dress again and tried to fix her long, thick blond hair. The horns made it impossible to do much with, but Tanith did her best. Not that it mattered or anything this year. It was just nice to have a reason to dress up.
Because it was the festival. Not for a person. She wasn't thinking about a person at all!
Before long, the food was pipping hot again and quickly packed into a basket and she was out the door. People were already making their way along the candle lit path toward the graveyard. She had the whole place covered in candles and there was a large area of it cleared where a bonfire was going and musicians were already starting up a song, a few people dancing.
Food was everywhere and Tanith added the bread and rabbit to the table, keeping the pie carefully wrapped in one of her pockets. She would hopefully run into him soon, but until then, there was plenty of cider and wine and things to eat.
Helping herself to a mug of honey mead, Tanith helped herself to some dinner, chatting with the brewers apprentice.
It was well into the night and Alexander was taking a break from all the dancing to gulp down a second mug of ale and have a long breather. Some of those women could dance him under the table, and he wasn't quite as spry as he used to be when he was younger, before all the soldiering, before he'd taken injuries that slowed him down and made his joints stiff. Laughing, he waved away a middle-aged woman he'd been dancing with earlier that tried to grab his arm and tug him back into the fray, and she gave a mock huff of disappointment before she snagged a younger soldier and dragged him off.
It was a beautiful night, the stars bright in the cloudless sky, though they would have been much brighter if the light from the bonfire and hundreds of candles weren't competing with them. The graveyard was all aglow, tiny flames making the shadows dance...it was easy to get lost in the sight, and about as much fun watching the dancers as it was participating.
And it wasn't even half over yet.
Settling down at one of the tables and finishing off his drink, Alexander rested his arm on the table and pillowed his cheek in his hand. Tanith had done a wonderful job this year, but where was she? He hadn't seen her yet this night and--well, he just thought it was only proper to seek her out and say hello, congratulate her for all her hard work, thank her again for her hospitality that stormy night several weeks ago. That's all. It would be rude not to and--ah!
He caught sight of her then, blending in with the crowd, and pushed himself to his feet. Better go now before she vanished again! In a few quick strides, he'd made it to her side, and he reached out and lightly touched her arm to get her attention.
"Merry soul's night, Tanith," he greeted with a smile. "You did a lovely job."
Tanith had spotted Alexander a few times during the night, but he always seemed to be dancing with someone. It stood to reason, he was still very handsome and kind and of course he would be popular. Not that she was hoping to dance with him or anything. She just wanted to thank him for his time and that was all.
Honest.
Though after getting about 8 mugs of cider, Tanith was starting to feel it a little and she was trying to psych herself up to drag Alexander away from that cow. That was when she felt the touch on her arm and that voice in her ear.
Whirling, Tanith stared up at Alexander, cheeks growing warm at the compliment, "Oh! Yes! What? Oh, no, this wasn't all me. I had help..." Tanith struggled to kick her brain into working, smiling up at him, "But, um, I wanted to see you tonight.Tosaythankyou! For the other night, when you stayed with me."
Still nervous and talking much to fast, Tanith shoved her hand into her pocket and pulled out the wrapped pie. Then paused, suddenly feeling so stupid for bring it, "I...um...I had made this and you don't have to eat it...it was silly...and I just..."
Alexander tried not to laugh, not wanting to embarrass her, but she was so flustered that it was kind of...cute. Cute, and a little worrisome. He didn't mean to spook her or send her into a nervous panic and he had kind of hoped that after that night, she would be a little more comfortable with him rather than acting like he was one of those villagers just looking for an excuse to cry witchcraft. She was a nice girl, was all! That was why he cared.
"It was no trouble, Tanith, honestly," he said with an awkward grin. He wasn't really used to being thanked so much just for, well...for doing what any man should do. It wasn't right, leaving a young girl all alone like that. Even if it hadn't been storming, that was still dangerous!
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, why, that was probably the most fun I've had this year, so really, I should really be thanking you for--hmm?"
That was when she brought out the pie and his words cut off. He glanced briefly at her face, then back to the pie, and slowly took it from her. Her words caught his attention and he looked back at her in confusion. "Silly? No! I don't think that's silly, I...I appreciate it, Tanith. You didn't have to, and..."
And why the hell did he feel so awkward now?
To try and cover it up, he lifted the pie to his nose and smelled it, then smiled. "It smells delicious. Hey, why don't you come over here, we can share it," he said, motioning toward the table he'd occupied earlier.
Oh no! He didn't like it! It had been too much! Tanith watched as the confusion spread across his face and she inwardly swore. Of course he wouldn't want it, it was too much and she had been too eager. Stupid!
"Oh, it was nothing really. I just had some extra lying around, and the Father needs to eat less sweets and you can share it with everyone if its too much..." She felt her cheeks heating up and she ducked her head, hoping the soft candlelight didn't reveal too much.
She glanced over at the table, not sure if she was supposed to actually go or not. He was so genuinely nice, it was hard to know if she was taking advantage of him or not. But it couldn't hurt...
Nodding her head, Tanith made her way over to the table and sat, feeling tongue tied and awkward.
Alexander took a seat on the bench opposite Tanith and set the pie on the table. "Nothing? No, you still had to go through the effort of making it, extra laying around or not. I really appreciate it," he said and, carefully, split the pie in half, revealing the dark fruit filling. Steam rose from the center, still warm and fresh.
He passed her one half and took a bite of his--then let out a pleased sound, the crust wonderfully rich and flaky, the berry filling sweet and tangy without being overwhelming. He closed his eyes and savored the flavor. God, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had something like that; normally he wasn't one for sweets, but that was delicious.
Looking over at her, he gave her a surprised look. "You made this? It's amazing."
Listening to Alexander talk about the pie just made Tanith blush, shaking her head, "Really, it wasn't any trouble at all. And you went out of your way to keep me company when the storm hit. It was the least I can do."
Tanith was confident in her cooking skills and it filled her with pride that he enjoyed her pie. A small part of her, that she quickly squelched, wondered if it was better than his wife's pie had been.
"I'm so glad you like it. I made the roasted rabbit too, I don't know if you tried that. The lord gave the Father some game and I figured it was the perfect time to share..." She was rambling now, nervous and talking too much.
"I only did what any man oughta do," Alexander answered, feeling a little sheepish. It seemed to mean so much to the girl but it wasn't like he'd done that much! He couldn't help but feel a little flustered, unused to such gestures since, well...since his wife passed.
Opening his mouth, he was on the verge of telling her that he hadn't yet gotten a chance to try the rabbit when a gasped, "Ooh, is that pie?" cut him off.
A boy nearer to Tanith's age approached them, looking out of breath from dancing, strawberry blond hair falling out of its tie. He waved to Tanith, grinning. "Hey! I know you! Remember me? Faolán? With the bleeding?" he asked with a wink and then laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You saw way more of me than most folk."
Alexander swallowed the words and shot the kid an unamused look that was lost on him, because he had eyes for only Tanith.
Tanith was startled when Faolán approached. She remembered him all too well and a dark flush crept across her cheeks when he mentioned how much she had seen of him. That really wasn't what she wanted Alexander to hear.
But it was odd to have such a good looking boy talking to her, his eyes intent on her. That never happened to her!
"Of course I remember. It is a little hard to forget someone you stitched back up. How is your leg doing? You seem to be enjoying the dance."
When she mentioned dancing, she glanced over at Alexander. She adored dancing and was still hoping he might ask her.
"It's doing great!" Faolán said, bending his leg experimentally as though to prove it. "Still healing and still pretty sore but like I'd let a little something like that stop me from enjoying this. Food and dance? I'd have to be dying to miss it. Man, dunno how I missed the pie! Did you make that?"
Reaching over, he snagged a piece of Alexander's pie and popped into his mouth before the man could protest, chewing with relish. "Ansgar's toes, this is good. Did you make this? Because it's really, really good. Hey! We should dance! You done any dancing yet?"
Okay, so maybe he was running a little high on sugar and energy. Either way, Alexander was not impressed, and he couldn't keep himself from scowling at the kid. He'd stolen his pie! And he didn't really approve of the way he was looking at Tanith.
The boy was talking so fast it was a little hard to keep up with it, but she caught the compliments, her cheeks flushing. Tanith was glad it was dark and she nodded her head, "I did. It isn't anything speical...but umm...dance?"
She glanced over at Alexander, wanting to dance with him much more than she did Faolán, but there was no way to really say that without being rude. And Faolán was cute and cute boys almost never asked her to dance.
Turning her attention back to Faolán, Tanith stood up and held out her hand, "N-no, I'm not all danced out. I would love too."
When Tanith glanced at Alexander, he quickly composed his expression into one placid serenity--rather than the scowl he just knew he was wearing. He smiled at her and waved her on. "Go ahead. Don't mind me, I'll, uh, I'll be here."
"Perfect! Then let's do it, m'lady!" Faolán said, taking Tanith's offered hand and pulling her up. He beamed a grin at Alexander and saluted with his other hand. "Thanks for letting me borrow her, sir!"
And with that, he wasted no time in dragging the girl to the dancing area, giving her hand a squeeze. "I'm gonna be so tired tonight!" he laughed.
Alexander didn't seem to have a problem with her dancing with Faolán, not that he would, but a small part of Tanith had wanted him too. Not that there was anything wrong with Faolán, he was sweet and funny and good looking, not at all the type that normally talked to her.
But she didn't have much time to think, getting pulled out into the dancing. Despite her odd feet, Tanith was good at dancing, strong and quick and graceful. Laughing, she threw herself into it, trying to pretend she wasn't bothered by Alexander's disinterest. Who would be interested in her anyway?
"You better be careful about that leg. Don't want to have to get sewn up again, do you?"
"Oh, I'm being careful! But hey, that must mean ya can't notice my limp! I'm just that good, I guess," Faolán said with a bright grin. But for all his boasting, he was being careful, wasn't trying to twirl Tanith too much or dip her or anything too crazy. His leg still pained him and felt stiff and sore, but he was well on the mend and why should he let a sorry thing like that stop him from having his fun?
"You're pretty good at this, by the way. Ya do a lot of dancing?"
"Still! You don't want me having to sew you up again, do you?" Tanith twirled around, laughing delightedly, changing partners for a moment. There was always that brief flicker when people had to touch her, but the drinks and the lighting and the festive atmosphere made people tend to forget.
And she had learned to avoid the ones that would react badly. It wasn't long before she was back with Faolán again, "I love this festival. I almost never get to dance like this."
Faolán twirled a young farmer around before finally rejoining Tanith. He laughed, nearly bumping into her, a little dizzy, but he managed to catch himself before he did. "Same here! It's been a long time. Well, uh...I mean, since last year."
"You only dance once a year?" Tanith grinned, teasing him a little. It was strange to be around someone so open with her. She didn't think for a moment he was actually flirting with her, but it was nice how he didn't seem grossed out by her.
And the cider was starting to effect her, everything soft and warm and for a little while, she felt wonderfully normal, even with her horns and freak feet.
"No!" Faolán laughed. "But we only have All Souls Night once a year!"
The dance came to an end then, but Faolán gave the girl one last spin and then caught her, hands on her hips and breath coming fast, cheeks slightly flushed. He grinned up at her--for she was taller--and let out another laugh. "Well, that was fun! Wanna go another round?"
"You should give other folk a turn," a voice said from behind Faolán and he looked over his shoulder to see Alexander there, arms folded.
Nope. Alexander did not approve of the way the young soldier was holding her hips, and though they had been directed at him, the Father's words came back to him--Tanith was naive and someone could take advantage of her. It was not going to be an irreverent soldier, as this one was proving to be!
Faolán stared up at Alexander, then released Tanith and took a step back. "Haha, wow, someone's popular tonight!"
The hands on her hips had been surprising and nice. Tanith had had a few people show some interest in what was up her skirts before, even with her deformities. But that had been all they were interested in and Tanith had no interest in them. But with Faolán, it was a little different. He seemed so nice.
And then Alexander was there, handsome and strong. And wanting to dance with her. Her pale cheeks went a dark red and Tanith gave a short, nervous laugh, "Well, a first time for everything I suppose!"
"Can't let you two have all the fun," Alexander remarked with a wry grin and offered Tanith his hand. "That is, if you don't mind dancing with an old man," he added with a wink.
"You aren't an old man!" Tanith was so glad it was dark as her face had to be bright red. She took Alexander's hand, her heart thudding in her chest as they started up the dance. She took extra care with her feet, not wanting to brush them against Alexander accidentally or even worse, step on them.
Again, she moved away from him, passing partners around until she was back with him. So many things tumbled through her head, trying to think of the right one, "You have very strong arms!"
...that was not the right one.
Alexander laughed once they were together again, surprised by that announcement--and both amused and a little taken aback by it. It was such a...random thing to say--and it also made his face heat a little, though he blamed it on exertion.
"I should hope so!" he said. "I was a soldier, after all!"
And he still kept in shape, still practiced his swordplay--and it was a little flattering hearing it showed, and yet horrifying because it was so inappropriate coming from her.
...And worse because he kind of liked it, and shouldn't.
"I can tell!" Tanith laughed, blushing a glad her comment hadn't come out too badly. She clung a little closer, the drinks making her feel a little bold. Plus, she had kinda, maybe been flirted with by someone.
"It makes me feel little!"
That made Alexander flush a little hotter, but he blamed it on the alcohol. He laughed--and the Father's warning flashed through his head, warning him of danger. He quickly shook it away. It didn't mean anything...
"Haha, well, now you're making me feel big. Uh. Strong. Ah--how are you liking the festival?" he said, clearing his throat.
"I love it! I love getting to dance and talk to people." Tanith was glowing as she spoke, beaming up at Alexander, "It's the best night!"
"Agreed!" Alexander said, and decided she had had quite enough to drink. He could see what the Father meant--and it would be bad if anyone with bad intentions came upon her now. Like that other soldier. Yeah. It was probably a good idea for him to stick close to her. To protect her. Yep.
"It's a lot of fun, not having to worry about the usual things. I'm, uh...glad we got to run into each other again. You're rather good at this."
"Really? I'm so glad you think so!" Tanith laughed again, feeling a little giddy, "I think I want another cider though. It makes it easier to talk to people!"
"Oh, I think you've had enough cider!" Alexander said as the dance ended, not realizing that he was holding her a bit closer than was entirely appropriate. "And I can understand ya just fine. You don't want too much or you'll start slurring, and then you may be chattier but people won't know what you're saying!"
He smiled to show he was teasing--though, really, he didn't think it wise for her to get any tipsier.
Tanith shook her head, clinging to him as they walked. It was okay, right? They had been dancing and he was leading her and he smelled really good, "I guess, but its so tasty. You're a really good dancer! Thank you, for dancing with me."
"That's how it gets you--because it's tasty," Alexander said. "It's not so tasty coming back up. Why don't we get you another sweet cake? That's even tastier and won't fog your mind."
Her comment had him glancing down, awkward. "Anyway, uh...thanks. That was a lot of fun." And ugh, he wished he could say something that didn't sound so...stiff. But everything else he wanted to say (like that he liked seeing her enjoying herself, or that she had a good smile) wasn't really appropriate.
"Oh, I don't get sick." Tanith shook her head, "Because I'm a monster, I can drink a lot more than a human can." It hurt saying those words, but thats what she was. Inhuman.
"I like cake though!" Tanith headed over to where the food was, helping herself to another mug of cider and a sweet cake.
"Don't say that," Alexander said, frowning. "You're not a monster."
Mage? Sure. Monster? Monsters were evil. Whatever her deformities, she was not some slavering, evil beast.
And, after that day spent trading stories and gossip in the church, he noticed those traits less and less, anyway. Sure, sometimes it was hard not to stare, hard not to study her horns or feet and wonder how the hell she got that way--but beneath it all was a young, pleasant, naive village girl, and it was that girl he'd gotten to know.
Tanith gave another small laugh and reached up, touching her horns, "I think these say otherwise." She held out a cake to Alexander, "Try some. They're very good."
Alexander didn't really know what to say to that, so he said nothing. Instead, he took the offered cake and tried a bite.
"Mm, those are good. But not nearly so good as the pie you made." Which that one kid had stole some of! He was still a little bitter about that. "Ah, I think if I eat much more I may burst!"
There wasn't much to say, because according to the world around them, she was a monster.
She flushed and gave Alexander a bright smile, "Really? I would be happy to make you another one!" Tanith had been going to say more when the party came to a bit of a halt. A soldier, a soaked bandage around his leg, was limping into camp. He looked rather like hell and he was making a beeline for Faolán.
Leon grabbed the kid into a tight bear hug, "Thank Ansgar you are alive!"
Alexander had been about to say he'd love that when the soldier arrived.
One he quickly recognized, though he said nothing, not wanting to interfere with the current reunion going on.
Faolán had been making his way back to the tables to sit down when a sudden hush fell over the party. Before he could turn to look and see what was up, he felt strong arms around him as he was wrapped up in a tight embrace, a familiar voice filling his ears.
His heart leaped and he twisted around in the hug to face Leon, then squeezed him tighter, face buried against his neck. "Leon! Thank God. I'd been asking for ya but I couldn't really go far 'cause, well--hey! You're hurt!"
Pulling back from Leon, he stared down at his leg, remembering the way that thing had snapped the bone. Indeed, wrapping his leg was a soaked bandage. Faolán winced and looked up at Leon in horror. "Haven't you gotten that treated?"
"There really wasn't time as last time I saw you YOU WERE BEING DRAGGED OFF BY A MONSTER!" Finding Faolán alive and well had been a relief, but finding him at a party, after he had been searching and worried out of his mind was a little upsetting.
He hadn't really even noticed that he knew the village pretty well. His old mentor had settled here, though his eyes were for Faolán only. He hadn't even noticed the freaky looking girl that was standing next to them, wide eyed and staring.