Title: As Told By The Stones
Author: mikipau
Rating: K
Fandom: The 100
Pairing: Abby/Raven (Doctor Mechanic)
Disclaimer: I do not own the 100.
Summary: Raven worries when she's about to meet her soulmate. Fantasy-ish.
A/N: Doctor Mechanic Week. Day 6: Soulmates AU. I'm sorry. I found today's prompt impossible.
The soothsayer threw the stones onto the ground, the firelight flickering in the small room. Raven sat very still, holding her breath and hoping, wishing for the Goddess to be on her side just this once.
"The Goddess tells of the stones we receive her message, a message we must venerate and obey for it is for our own happiness." The soothsayer was old, her hands wrinkled, her lips thin and painted black. She had no teeth and one eye was clouded over as if in constant mist. It reminded Raven of the fog on the lake early in the morning.
The room was warm and the air dry. Raven felt sick, her heart beat uncomfortably fast in her chest as she waited for the Goddess' words to be conveyed to her.
"The stones tell of your soulmate, the one you share your spirit with. For you to be complete you must be united with the one the Goddess has chosen for you." A gnarly finger pointed at one of the stones.
"With this stone the Goddess confirms that your mate is alive and on this earth." The finger moved on to another stone. "She is female and of high clan."
Raven bit her lip. This was exactly what she didn't want to hear. She'd hoped the stones would tell a completely different story. She'd wished for her soulmate not to be here on this earth, she'd prayed to the Goddess, asked her to not pair her with someone. Raven had even begged the head of her clan not to take her to the soothsayer, but all for nothing. This was their way and there was no escaping the Goddess' will.
"She shares her heart with someone. A child maybe."
The old woman gathered the stones from the ground, carefully putting them back into the leather pouch hung around her neck. She took a piece of coal from the fire, crushing it in her hand, the pieces falling into her lap, but she took no notice. Her good eye focused on her hand and the pattern the coal had created on her palm.
"Your soulmate is the fourth in line to the house of Griffin."
...
Raven wanted to cry. She'd been told that Abigail was fourth in line to the house of Griffin, a woman with power and position. A woman much older than Raven and with a child none the less. Raven would have no voice in this new home of hers. She was younger and lower in status, an orphan taken into the Reyes clan, a low clan in the east. Now she was to move to the north, to live in a house where she wouldn't be respected, where she would have to obey a woman she knew nothing of. She wondered why the Goddess wanted this for her. Hadn't her life been hard enough?
She knew very little about the ways of the northern clans. She knew the weather was colder where they lived and that they wore thick coats of fur. Her mentor had told her that the Griffins were a fair clan, that they had the respect of the other houses and even though they were warriors, they rarely quarreled with their neighbours. Raven didn't know if she should trust what she was told, sometimes people said nice things because they felt sorry for you.
She'd packed her bag. It wasn't much; clothes, knives and a few trinkets she'd collected over the years. The clan had given her new clothes to travel in and she'd carved an intricate bracelet to give to her soulmate upon her arrival. Custom said she had to show her respect and gratefulness for being welcomed into a higher house. She'd carved the bracelet during the winter months, not intending for it to be given to anyone in particular. She knew her jewellery was desirable, the traders were always interested in her rings and pendants when they came to visit the Reyes. Hopefully Abigail would deem it a worthy gift.
They travelled on horseback, through the familiar forest and out onto the dry plains. When they arrived at the shore of the northern ocean Raven was taken in by the fierceness. The ocean was vast and frightening, not at all like the calm lake she was used to. She wondered about the depth and about the size of the fish. She'd been told that the sound of the waves was soothing but she found it lurid and cold. Scared she made sure her horse stayed well away from the waterline, instead keeping to the small strip of land where sand turned into dry and tufty grass.
The day they arrived at the village where the Griffin clan resided was a rainy one. Heavy clouds hid the sun and most of the villagers were indoors, away from the downpour. The air was cold and Raven was soaked through, her shirt sticking to her skin and her hands cramped around the reins. She longed for a roof over her head, for dry clothes and a warm fire. Shivering she tried to gather her thoughts and not to let the misery she felt take control. She had to be strong, to make a good impression and hopefully one day, she'd see this drab place as her home. She doubted it, but what choice did she have? The Goddess had directed her here and so this was where her future lay.
A group of young men met them to help stable the horses and show them the way to the hall. Raven clumsily retrieved the bracelet from the pouch attached to her belt and prepared herself to meet her soulmate.
The doors to the hall were pulled open and Raven walked into the warmth. The hall smelled of food, wet wool and smoke, people sat around long tables either side of her and children were gathered around the fire roasting apples. The hall in itself was beautiful, the ceiling high and painted with pictures of sea monsters and mighty warriors slaying the beasts. At the end of the hall, opposite the doors, stood the high chair of the head of the Griffin clan. An old woman sat in the chair, her hair white and her eyes bright and sharp. She focused her gaze on Raven, sizing her up.
One of the young men who had greeted them when they arrived took a step forward, clearing his throat.
"Raven, orphan, taken in by the house of Reyes, designated by the Goddess as the soulmate of Abigail of the house of Griffin."
The hall fell silent.
Raven bowed her head in reverence, doing her best to hold back the annoyance of being introduced as an orphan. She was a proud woman and every reminder of being less than who she deemed her peers to be made anger bubble up inside her. Her mentor had tried to show her ways to control her defiance and she'd grown more restrained over the years, but it still came to the surface from time to time.
The head of the clan gestured with her hand for Raven to come closer. The old woman took her time, she stared at Raven as she stood shivering in her soaked clothes, the warmth of the hall not enough to drive away the chill from her bones. Raven met the steady gaze, her pride making her face any judgement head on. The head of the clan nodded once in approval.
"You look strong, Little Bird, underneath all that wet misery. Abigail!"
A woman rose from one of the tables to walk up to the high chair. She was Raven's height, but thinner and her skin was lighter. Her hair was long and brown, braided in an elaborate fashion and adorned with beads. Her eyes met Raven's, they were dark and curious, kind even.
So this was her soulmate. She was beautiful but Raven had seen men and women taken in and fooled by beauty many times before and she'd learned that trust was earned by actions, nothing else. This was the woman who could treat Raven like a slave, her age and position giving her the right to do so. Soulmates were not always equal and Raven was very aware of the precarious situation she was in.
"This is my granddaughter, Abigail, fourth in line to the house of Griffin."
Raven bent to one knee, holding the bracelet out in front of her. She felt miserable, shivering like a newborn lamb. She set her jaw, tensing her muscles to try to will them to stop shaking. Appearing to be weak was not in her best interest and Raven forced herself to meet the eyes of her soulmate. Abigail took the bracelet from her hand and a soft 'thank you' reached Raven's ears before the head of the house spoke again.
"The Goddess has chosen well. Raven, you are welcomed into our house and our clan."
The hall cheered and moments later everyone went back to what they had been doing before Raven's arrival. Raven got to her feet, feeling slightly less self conscious now that she wasn't the center of attention anymore.
"Abby, get the poor child dry clothes and something to warm her stomach. We'll hold the ceremony tomorrow."
...
They'd left the hall and her travelling companions to walk out into the rain, through the village and into another house. It was significantly smaller than the hall, but larger than the house Raven had shared with her friends in the east. A fire burned in a stone-lined hearth in the middle of the room and cots were placed along two opposing walls. There was a table and stools as well as a low bench covered in furs by the fire. A small child lay sleeping in one of the cots, her hair tousled and her cheeks rosy from the warmth of the blankets and furs.
Abigail held out a tunic and a pair of trousers. "Here, these are dry and there's a coat for you on the cot over there." She inclined her head towards one of the cots; a thick coat with a fur lining lay on top of it.
"I've been told the east is warmer, that you're not used to the winters of the north. I hope the coat will keep you warm."
It was a nice gesture, Raven's bag and its contents probably as wet as the clothes she had on. She nodded her thanks, too cold and tired to say anything. She took the clothes and as she walked towards the cot she saw Abigail avert her eyes, turning to the fire to give Raven some privacy.
She changed quickly, the dry fabric against her skin instantly making her feel better. Hanging the wet clothes on hooks in the wall she looked through her bag to see how her belongings had fared; damp, but otherwise undamaged. She left the coat on the cot, taking a seat by the fire she held her hands out to bring warmth to them.
"There's soup if you want some or we can go back to the hall for stew."
"Soup is fine. I really don't want to go out into the rain again."
Abigail smiled. "You get used to it."
Raven doubted that to be true.
They sat in silence as Raven ate. Abigail was seated on the other side of the fire, needle and thread in her hands as she carefully mended a child's tunic. The soup warmed Raven from the inside out, relaxing her muscles. She ached all over, travelling on horseback for days on end was more straining than her body was used to. By the time she swallowed the last of the soup she'd worked up the courage to ask some questions, if this was to be her new home she wanted to know more about it and the people she was to share it with. She decided to start with the basics first.
"Do you prefer to be called Abigail or Abby?"
Abigail looked up from her mending. "Abby."
"Okay, good, Abby it is." Raven studied the face of the woman the Goddess had matched her with. Abby was older, but her face was still youthful, the small signs of age only enhancing her beauty. Time would tell if her personality was as attractive as her exterior. Abby stared back at her, probably as curious as she herself was. Raven looked away, her gaze landing on the sleeping child.
"What's her name?"
"Clarke. She's my brother's child. Jake and his wife died. I'm her mother now."
An orphan, just like Raven. From what she could see the child looked cared for and healthy, her cheeks chubby and face clean. Taking in a child, even if related to it, meant Abby had a kind heart.
"Is this your house?"
"Ours. The three of us will share it."
Raven nodded.
Abby put the mending to the side, instead focusing fully on their conversation. She cleared her throat nervously and spoke in an earnest voice. "I know this is strange. We're from different clans and undoubtedly our backgrounds differ from each other." Raven took Abby's words to be a nicer way to mention their difference in status. "I just want you to know that I don't care. I judge people by their actions and what's in their hearts. I don't know you yet, and you don't know me, but I want you to understand that I view everyone as equal and I won't hold my position above you, or let anyone else in this clan do so. After the ceremony tomorrow you will be treated the same as me, as the fourth in line to the high chair."
Raven couldn't meet Abby's eyes. Her worries had just been spoken aloud and she felt exposed, even though she herself had given nothing away.
"Raven, I-" Abby stood from her seat. She started to turn away but stopped mid motion instead taking a deep breath, steeling herself. "I'm sorry if I'm not what you expected. I know I'm older than you, and I've taken in a child. We, Clarke and I, might not have been in your hopes about the future, but the Goddess has spoken and we must do as she asks. My wish is that we'll at least become friends."
Raven took in the words, silently mulling them over as she looked at the honest expression on Abby's face. She didn't know why, maybe it was the hopeful look in Abby's eyes, how her words touched so close to home or maybe it was the child sleeping peacefully nearby, but Raven decided to trust Abby, at least for tonight.
"Friends is a good start."