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wayfarers_lodge) wrote2015-03-11 12:19 am
wayfarers_lodge) wrote2015-03-11 12:19 am
{Fatimah} Blackbird
Fatimah stifled a smile as she watched Karlin strap some steel to her spine. Looking at the younger bint Shaitan, she could see herself reflected, in even more quiet, subdued tones. That she was being urged to the position of Imam was no surprise, and heralded a more temperate, reasoned time for her bloody and thunderous covenant.
She paused for a moment, still flushed with pleasure at her success, and the praise from her sister- nay, daughter now, by both their admission. There was still one unanswered question.
"I forgot to ask. Why was Bishop Wolfric put into torpor, to bring all this about?"
Karlin's face grew nervous, and she shifted a little in her seat, even as her eyes flashed with anger. "He hasn't yet, he has begged three months to set the affairs of his Requiem in order. But... he sent Eira to the Final Death, using Theban Sorcery."
The news ran through Fatimah like ice, and she began shaking her head wildly.
"No. No no no. That can't be right. No, not my litte okhti, please. Anyone else but her, sister..."
"I'm sorry, Imam, it's true," Karlin replied, looking helpless. Her hands fluttered in her lap, as if to reach out to comfort her, but unsure of their welcome. "I tried to stop them it was a stupid plot-"
"A plot? A PLOT?!" Fatimah interrupted, trembling, "WHY WOULD THEY PLOT AGAINST HER?! SHE'S BEAUTIFUL. She's so beautiful. She- she- she didn't deserve this. No no no. She can't be gone. She can't."
"I don't know why! Wolfric said it was because her humanity had fallen so low. I think..." Karlin paused, and leaned in a little, "I think it was because of what happened in Brisbane. He said it was a plan by the Volmark. He wouldn't hear me when I tried to urge caution or suggest alternate means... when they brought it to me, when I refused to have part in it. They said they planned to torpor her. I don't know I don't know if they meant to kill her, but it went too far."
Fatimah's hand snaked out and clamped down on Karlin's exposed wrist, with enough force to bruise a mortal. The younger Kindred froze like a deer in the headlights, feeling the surging of her elder's Beast as it struggled to be free.
"Now you listen to me. If anyone raises their hand to you, you cut it off without hesitation. They will regrow it. We will not regrow you. Just like we're not going to regrow her. And if you fall, I will take you in and keep you safe. I promise. Do you understand me?"
Karlin looked surprised momentarily, then sad. "I do. I... I told Eira I was studying a ritual to restore morality to those who had lost it. She said she wanted to try once it was ready. Wolfric... used that conversation to draw her into the trap, and used the wings of her own wrongdoing to cut her down."
Fatimah nodded, her anger turning cold. "The Bird of Sin. I know it. I will study it myself, and I would be interested in helping you with your research. It's too useful in these nights, and it's what... what Eira would have wanted."
With a sudden movement, Karlin closed the distance between them, wrapping Fatimah in a brief but fierce hug.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into her shoulder, "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."
After a tense moment, Fatimah hugged back, muttering "I'm sorry, too. I tried." She pulled away again before her Beast could snap it's leash.
"I'm sorry. I have to go. I need to fly."
Karlin nodded. "Go. It's OK. I'll stay safe here, I promise."
"You'd better," she replied, a trace of her usual tartness returning, "If I have to come to the Underworld to find you, I will be pissed, I swear."
~*~*~*~
The little Mekhet didn't know that Fatimah had forsworn wings to save herself the temptation of claws, and would never understand how much that vow was costing her tonight. Finally on her own, she wept in silence, straining the wings she didn't have to try and lift her away from the pain, and up to where her blackbird sister now flew.
She had failed her. All the promises to help, all the cups of tea and laughter, all the curses and forgiveness now meant nothing, as there would be no one to claim them until the Day of Judgement.
Just before dawn, she stopped trying. Trembling with the effort of not breaking her promise, and wishing she could some how fly away, Fatimah allowed herself one piercing, animal shriek of pain before sinking into the earth.
She paused for a moment, still flushed with pleasure at her success, and the praise from her sister- nay, daughter now, by both their admission. There was still one unanswered question.
"I forgot to ask. Why was Bishop Wolfric put into torpor, to bring all this about?"
Karlin's face grew nervous, and she shifted a little in her seat, even as her eyes flashed with anger. "He hasn't yet, he has begged three months to set the affairs of his Requiem in order. But... he sent Eira to the Final Death, using Theban Sorcery."
The news ran through Fatimah like ice, and she began shaking her head wildly.
"No. No no no. That can't be right. No, not my litte okhti, please. Anyone else but her, sister..."
"I'm sorry, Imam, it's true," Karlin replied, looking helpless. Her hands fluttered in her lap, as if to reach out to comfort her, but unsure of their welcome. "I tried to stop them it was a stupid plot-"
"A plot? A PLOT?!" Fatimah interrupted, trembling, "WHY WOULD THEY PLOT AGAINST HER?! SHE'S BEAUTIFUL. She's so beautiful. She- she- she didn't deserve this. No no no. She can't be gone. She can't."
"I don't know why! Wolfric said it was because her humanity had fallen so low. I think..." Karlin paused, and leaned in a little, "I think it was because of what happened in Brisbane. He said it was a plan by the Volmark. He wouldn't hear me when I tried to urge caution or suggest alternate means... when they brought it to me, when I refused to have part in it. They said they planned to torpor her. I don't know I don't know if they meant to kill her, but it went too far."
Fatimah's hand snaked out and clamped down on Karlin's exposed wrist, with enough force to bruise a mortal. The younger Kindred froze like a deer in the headlights, feeling the surging of her elder's Beast as it struggled to be free.
"Now you listen to me. If anyone raises their hand to you, you cut it off without hesitation. They will regrow it. We will not regrow you. Just like we're not going to regrow her. And if you fall, I will take you in and keep you safe. I promise. Do you understand me?"
Karlin looked surprised momentarily, then sad. "I do. I... I told Eira I was studying a ritual to restore morality to those who had lost it. She said she wanted to try once it was ready. Wolfric... used that conversation to draw her into the trap, and used the wings of her own wrongdoing to cut her down."
Fatimah nodded, her anger turning cold. "The Bird of Sin. I know it. I will study it myself, and I would be interested in helping you with your research. It's too useful in these nights, and it's what... what Eira would have wanted."
With a sudden movement, Karlin closed the distance between them, wrapping Fatimah in a brief but fierce hug.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into her shoulder, "I'm sorry I couldn't save her."
After a tense moment, Fatimah hugged back, muttering "I'm sorry, too. I tried." She pulled away again before her Beast could snap it's leash.
"I'm sorry. I have to go. I need to fly."
Karlin nodded. "Go. It's OK. I'll stay safe here, I promise."
"You'd better," she replied, a trace of her usual tartness returning, "If I have to come to the Underworld to find you, I will be pissed, I swear."
~*~*~*~
The little Mekhet didn't know that Fatimah had forsworn wings to save herself the temptation of claws, and would never understand how much that vow was costing her tonight. Finally on her own, she wept in silence, straining the wings she didn't have to try and lift her away from the pain, and up to where her blackbird sister now flew.
She had failed her. All the promises to help, all the cups of tea and laughter, all the curses and forgiveness now meant nothing, as there would be no one to claim them until the Day of Judgement.
Just before dawn, she stopped trying. Trembling with the effort of not breaking her promise, and wishing she could some how fly away, Fatimah allowed herself one piercing, animal shriek of pain before sinking into the earth.