always follow the voices beneath | childhood | for llinos

[cadcamlan]

It isn't that he's never seen a girl before. He has. His aunt is, technically, a girl--just taller and prouder and with the same unbridled ferocity in her toothy grin as he could faintly remember from his jumbled recollection of his mother. Then there's the mouse of a girl who helps keep things tidy in their little corner of the woods, who brings him little bits of sweets and suet among the apples and pinches his cheek fondly when he puts the gathered wood into neat piles. And there are the girls who flit through their lives like so many fluttering birds, stopping for a while to consult with his aunt and leaving with long straight spines and a secret in their smiles.

It's more that he's rarely ever seen one so close to his own age.

That's what's fascinating. This girl doesn't stand a head above him the way most other girls do. She doesn't have the sway in her body of the girls who sweep through their lives (teenagers, although he hasn't quite learned that yet). She's small the way he is; less a miniature of what he's used to and more something that comes before.

He doesn't know what to do with it. He knows to slip in silent shadow past the visitors and to tug affectionately at the swish of the cleaning girl's skirt, but he doesn't know what to make of such a young visitor to the sanctuary of their little glen. Even without a touch of magic, she'd likely have felt the quiet blue eyes (like your father, poor thing, Anti Morgan always tsks) peering uncertainly from the shadow at the door. He's been told to run along and scout about in the woods while Anti holds lessons, but he can't quite make it past the frame.

Comments

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

She considers the problem for long moments before offering, "We could make a pact that we will remind each other to be good when we're older."

[cadcamlan]

"A pact?"

His lips press together firmly for a moment, bright sparks of blue glancing back and forth between her eyes thoughtfully.

"...all right."

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

She doesn't smile, because this is far too solemn a thing for smiles. She holds out a hand to him instead.

"I so swear."

Two kids so wrapped up in magic probably should know better.

[cadcamlan]

They should both know better. At least they know better enough than to bite their thumbs and seal it with blood.

Mordred will be spitting in his hand for the shake, though.

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

Then so will she. Such a binding agreement. May it serve them well.

And then she smiles again.

"Friends forever."

[cadcamlan]

"Accountable forever."

But it's spoken with a little smile mirroring hers, this time much more obviously of his own accord.

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

She nods solemnly, even though she's still smiling.

"I'm Llinos."

[cadcamlan]

"Llinos."

He relishes the knowledge for a second. None of the other girls who flit in and out of their lives never have names he's allowed to know. Holding a name is holding power.

His breath comes in a sharp, pleased huff. "I'm called Mordred."

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

Names have power, but surely there's no need to protect herself against a friend? Friends don't hurt each other.

(She's ten. It's required she be a little bit foolish.)

Brave. It's a good name for him, she thinks. "Mordred. That's a nice name. Thank you for telling me."

[cadcamlan]

Smiling isn't quite an easy thing, but there's something still bright in his eyes as he bobs his head in return.

"You'll come see Anti Morgan again, then?"

Now that they've shared names and a fairy offering.

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

"I will. And I'll come see you too."

She can smile for both of them. She's got plenty to spare.

"It's getting late though. I should go home soon."

[cadcamlan]

It's a fascinating thought, that she might come to see him. No one ever has.

There's almost a grin on his lips before he vanishes back into the woods.

[linnetbornwithinthecage]

She laughs at that, standing up and brushing off her skirt.

"I'll find you next time!" The promise is called out into the forest. He'll hear, or someone will tell him.

[cadcamlan]

His laugh is brief, clearly something that startles him even as it echoes out through the trees.

It's entirely possible he'll start properly stalking around the edges of her lessons, eyes curious and much less confused.