Adornment and The Villiage

Cave by the Sea

Adalyn

Morning came early and was heralded in by seagulls and the sound of ocean waves lapping against the rocks. Sunlight crept it's way in to warm sleeping Adalyn's face. She began to wake, covering her eyes as she did. 

"Mom... it's too early." Whimpered Adalyn as her body stretched. The cold stone and the sand on the floor jolted Adalyn back  to reality. It wasn't her mother opening her window, it was sunrise in a cave. Not far from her, the fire smoldered, and Meriwether watched her with sad, knowing eyes. Luckily she had the presence of mind to look away. 

"Morning, Adalyn. I have breakfast if you want. I couldn't catch much. I'm out of stamina with the baby and all." Meriwether offered with a kind smile and Adalyn stretched, sitting up. Her skin was raw and irritated from the sheer layer of the dress. It wasn't made to sleep in, and by now it was pretty damaged. Adalyn unzipped it and folded it, putting it in her bag. The corset still looked fine. 

"Thanks Meri, we will figure out a food plan today, that way you don't have to swim much." Adalyn offered coming to sit by the fire. She took over the spit and began roasting the fish herself. Meriwether settled back and watched. 

"Do you think he will wake up today?" Meri asked looking at her husband. Adalyn thought about it. 

"Maybe. We need to get us set up for while hes healing though. I have some of the necessities but not all of them." Adalyn admitted as she pulled the fish off the fire and went through her bag. "I have seeds but those wont grow till spring. I have enough paracord to make a snare, and I could probably use magic to grow some of the root vegetables a bit along with my magic seeds. As far as food goes though I could also fish I have a hook set." While she went through her options she had no idea the other girl was looking at her with such awe. 

Meriwether wasn't sure what she was talking about; but found the items fascinating. Some of them she recognized the shape and use of… but not how they were made. "Are these things from your world?" Meriwether asked, then blushed. Obviously they were or how would Adalyn have them. 

"Yes. They are items my Grandmother made me carry. I use to think it annoying, but now… I would give almost anything just to hear her nag at me again." Adalyn admitted as she touched the bracelet on her wrist. 

"What are these?" Meriwether asked as she touched the small pouch that Adalyn hadn't noticed. They honestly weren't something she thought would be useful for anything but looking pretty. 

"Hair ornaments. My Grandmother and I use to make them." Adalyn explained as she took a look at Meriwether. The pastel yellows and golds of the scales on her arms made Adalyn's smile. She took a hair leather with stones of similar colored stones of gold and yellows with hints of pale blue.

 Adalyn gathered the top layer of Meriwether's hair and used the loop of the leather to secure it to her hair. Carefully she wove it through her hair, the stones glittering on top of the hair and the leather crossing beneath. Soon she was finished and wound the hair into a round on the back of Meriwether's head. A rose of stones and hair sat carefully on her head, a pair of leather lengths and stones still hung from her hair. 

"See, perfect." Adalyn smiled and pulled the girls bangs free to frame her face. She glowed with radiance and curiosity. "Go look in the water deary. It will only take me a moment to do my own hair." Adalyn replied with a smile. Meriwether dashed out excitedly and Adalyn wove a simple braid into her own hair, amethyst stones settled where the braided strands crossed. The long braid fell over her shoulder and the cord dangled a few inches longer. 

Meriwether came back and held out a folded fur. Adalyn raised an eyebrow. "A dress to… trade? It may be too big but..." 

Adalyn smiled and slipped the dress over her corset. Indeed it was too loose but at least the corset made her feel safe. Reaching for her sewing kit, in minutes the fur dress fit her body at the chest and flared out at her waist to its original size. "Glad I learned to sew."  

"WOW you… look great! Now it looks like a more fair trade; but do you plan to stay a serpent?" Meriwether asked curiously and Adalyn eyed her for a moment. 

"Is there an option?" Adalyn asked a bit guarded. 

"Yes. Oops, I forgot your not a natural serpent. Close your eyes and thing 'Be Twixt' that should allow you to be human again." Meriwether replied and she nodded. Within seconds she focused and felt the magic rush through her body. Moments later, Adalyn stood on her two legs again the dress ending at her mid thigh. It looked like a day dress. Great. 

She couldn't help but throw her arms around Meriwether and lifted her and spin. "You are an angel Meriwether!" She cheered so glad to stand again. She didn't notice the shock on her new friends face. At least not till she set her down and the girl was still blinking curiously. "What's wrong?" Adalyn asked between excited giggles. 

"You were a serpent." Meriwether pointed out and Adalyn nodded. "Then why are there feathers in your hair?"  

Adalyn reached up and felt the feathers, some woven onto her braid and others hanging out above. "Okay… I mean my tail had feathers at the end?" Adalyn pointed out a bit curiously. 

"Yea but I thought that was adornment… like the bracelet." Meriwether replied and Adalyn's heart dropped. 

"Maybe I have two forms?" She offered almost hopefully. 

"No… they wouldn't merge. The only other option is… are you a Quetzal? A wind drake." Meriwether asked seeming rather concerned. Adalyn bit her lip, she could remember the ancient ruins and the beastly serpents the lost ancients once praised as gods. However, Drakes seemed to be much more negative here. 

"I… I don't know but I am a child of the phoenix…  the fire." Adalyn tried to rebuke. Meriwether was giving her the feeling this may not be a good thing. She vaguely remembered her mentioning a legless drake did the damage to Ryo.

"When fire and air dance, it is a goodly dance." Meriwether replied and Adalyn's eyes widened as she remembered thinking the same as she fell through the air into her new home… had her 

thoughts melded the magic and made her what she believed to be true?

"Is this a bad thing?" Adalyn asked honestly concerned. Meriwether shook her head hastily. Adalyn felt the tension drain away a bit.

"It just means we won't have to fear the Drake Kin. They can't hurt you, or they will be scaled." Meriwether smiled as she spoke, rather happy. Adalyn nodded and ran her hands over her hair, the feathers were smooth and pliable, she could hardly tell the difference from their long fibers and her actual hair. 

"Wait… why can't they hurt me?" She asked suddenly realizing that sounded odd. She also wanted to ask what 'scaled' was, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know. 

"Its because wind drakes, Quetzals are very rare since they were almost all female. The became serpentine Mermaids when they joined their sisters in the water. Only 2 of them have ever returned to the land." Meriwether replied as she looked Adalyn over from head to toe. 

"I see. Great; so hide this till the last possible moment." Adalyn started rubbing her forehead. Was there anything she didn't need to be wary of here? 

"Well… you had a plan for today?" Meriwether asked and Adalyn shook off her self annoyance. She had to move forward. Grandmother had been clear on that fact. Fit in. Build a life. That's what she had to do. 

"I need to go to some sort of shop. We need some supplies if I'm going to build a trap. I need some sort of metal worker too." Adalyn realized honestly stressed out. So much to do, and no idea how to do any of it. 

"There's a city up the beach?" Meriwether offered pointing toward a bend in the coastline. Adalyn slid her bag on and nodded. 

"Alright. What's the currency here?" Adalyn asked and Meriwether smiled softly. 

"It's a trade system. Seeds, food, fur, and trinkets mostly." Meriwether handed her a pouch. "This has some shells and such that are rare if you need them. I can find more." She smiled and winked at Adalyn. 

"Alright. Wish me luck." Adalyn took the bag and left. It wasn't a far walk before she began to see the first hints of a city in the distance and it was not what she expected. 

Rising up off the cliff side was something out of a fairy tale book. A castle with high walls and a set of towers with cone roofs was perched on the cliff. The white stone was interestingly beautiful and edged with the beginning of Ivy draping. Compared to the castles in fairy tales, this one appeared new. The walls were barely kissed by the salt of the sea. 

As Adalyn made her way up the winding stone path she started to notice people. Just a few, but most of them were strapping young men. Several of whom turned to follow her  after she passed them. She kept her magic primed around her as she walked into the village and was not disappointed. There was a river running through the town, and shops and little stone cottage looking houses that went on as far as she could see. People in pathways or dating in and out of shops made for quite a site. 

Nearly everyone wore fur, and she caught the barest glimpse of a woman or two, but not nearly as many as she hoped. Several males were paying her close attention and Adalyn wished she bad brought Meriwether along. 

"Hello little Miss where is your escort?" Asked a tall man that she would swear on her life was a manticore. His dark mane of hair, and the scales climbing up one side of his neck gave off that vibe. Dark eyes filled with curiosity were trained on her as if trying to read her soul. Adalyn was unsurprised though annoyed to find she was indeed shorter than this man as well. He had a few other boys with him but most of them seemed polite enough. 

Adalyn felt shy and panicky. Doing this alone was not a good idea. She looked down bringing her arms in closer to herself. "I just wanted to do some shopping." Adalyn replied, her voice gentle and sweet. He grinned further. 

"Maybe we can help, what do you think boys?" He asked his group of five. Adalyn's heart sped up more and the magic crackled under her skin. 

"Its fine, I don't want to be any trouble." She said stepping back only to bump into someone behind her. She jumped realizing she was surrounded. Her breathing quickened and her eyes widened a bit. "Please back up…" she spoke softly but  clearly. This was out of her comfort zone. 

"Hey, boys your frightening her. She's a smaller, country female and you all look like brutes." A voice reminded them, making them step back. The Manticore seemed to realize he was right. 

Adalyn turned to see her savior and smiled at him Thankfully. A man stood nearby, his cloths a bit messy from traveling. Red hair fell into a pair of smoldering eyes that captivated Adalyn for a moment. He walked over to her side but seemed to respect her space. 

"I am Talisen. What's your name?" The brilliant red haired savior asked with a heart stopping smile, but there was something else in those eyes. He had other things on his mind. 

"Adalyn. Thank you for the help, Talisen." She smiled at him with a little bit more confidence. 

"Of course, not that you needed it. The boys were just overly excited to see a new female around during The Season." Talisen explained "Your not from around here, are you?" 

"No, I'm from further north. We… have a different understanding of personal space." Adalyn replied with a genteel smile, she batted her eyelashes coquettishly, but then she felt rather shy. She was a teenager after all, and he is hot and she knew it. 

"Personal space?" He said the word a little curiously. The lopsided smile had a raised eyebrow now that made her want to giggle. What the hell… she was behaving like a giddy teenager. 

"Yes, personal space is the space I'm not comfortable with outsiders entering." Adalyn explained motioning to the space around her. He seemed to consider this for several long moments. 

"But an insider may step close?" He asked seeming to read into her words more. She nodded. 

"Dear friends and guardians often step within, but only at the permission of both parties." Adalyn replied tried to explain and he chuckled. 

"You are a strange one, young dear." He replied as the splash of water drew away her attention from him. Someone had fell into the river…