10/27/2026, 3:12 PM
other brother. fa’liya catches the distinction, though much of what follows slips beyond her understanding. she watches the change in his expression with greater interest than the words themselves. something has quieted there, however briefly, beneath the easy amusement he wears so comfortably. she recognizes that much. there are subjects upon which even the most talkative creatures become unwilling to linger. her own mother is one such subject, and she has learned to recognize the careful way others approach her absence.
then he smiles again, and whatever had troubled him seems to disappear beneath it.
fa’liya blinks at his answer. beauty. world. thanks to you. the words are familiar individually, but together they make something she cannot immediately understand. she considers them with a faint furrow between her brows, turning each over as though their meaning might become clearer for the effort. perhaps he is thanking her for showing him this place? except she has done nothing of the sort. he was here before her, and the forest has hardly changed for her arrival.
there is a small measure of satisfaction in having understood him, even if she has perhaps missed the compliment altogether. still, the way he had said her name troubles her pleasantly. she has not been called pretty before in any language. among the saatsine, concern is a more familiar companion to admiration. she is accustomed to being looked upon and found wanting, or worse, pitied for what cannot be corrected.
her gaze returns to him, pale against the dark markings of her face.
above them, the raven gives a short croak. fa’liya looks up, her expression turning thoughtful. it has followed sverke this far, apparently without invitation. perhaps the bird has been entrusted with something he does not understand. perhaps it is merely hungry and ill-tempered. she has encountered enough of both varieties to know that the difference is not always obvious.
then he smiles again, and whatever had troubled him seems to disappear beneath it.
fa’liya blinks at his answer. beauty. world. thanks to you. the words are familiar individually, but together they make something she cannot immediately understand. she considers them with a faint furrow between her brows, turning each over as though their meaning might become clearer for the effort. perhaps he is thanking her for showing him this place? except she has done nothing of the sort. he was here before her, and the forest has hardly changed for her arrival.
oh.her ears turn sideways.
it is.. pretty. here.she glances toward the wisteria, finding it an easier subject than the peculiar warmth of his attention. long curtains of blossoms hang nearly to the earth, and where the sunlight passes through them, the woodland seems to have been steeped in something sweet and golden. she has seen little like it near the territories of her birth. the northern woods are beautiful in their own fashion, though they have always been rather economical with their colors.
flowers are...she hesitates, searching for a word that will not come. beautiful seems insufficient, but it is the only one she knows.
very beautiful. yes.
there is a small measure of satisfaction in having understood him, even if she has perhaps missed the compliment altogether. still, the way he had said her name troubles her pleasantly. she has not been called pretty before in any language. among the saatsine, concern is a more familiar companion to admiration. she is accustomed to being looked upon and found wanting, or worse, pitied for what cannot be corrected.
her gaze returns to him, pale against the dark markings of her face.
you find him? other brother.
above them, the raven gives a short croak. fa’liya looks up, her expression turning thoughtful. it has followed sverke this far, apparently without invitation. perhaps the bird has been entrusted with something he does not understand. perhaps it is merely hungry and ill-tempered. she has encountered enough of both varieties to know that the difference is not always obvious.
maybe he help,she suggests, tipping her muzzle toward the black creature.
birds see much from sky.