Velouria was a bit like a queen. Understandable, seeing that she stood not too far from such position. Her father, Keaton, held the position of alpha over a large Wolfskin pack in Nohr. Though raised in a Deeprealm and never introduced to her kindred, Velouria certainly behaved as her position would lead. Siegbert acknowledged the fact multiple times, occasionally acting upon it. His research arrived at one conclusion: the best way to express friendship or love to Velouria was by presenting a gift to her. His many sources around camp reported that they earned her friendship by simply giving her something she wanted.
However, finding what Velouria wanted posed as the challenge, for her tastes swung randomly.
Siegbert had confidence in his decision one day, however. While waltzing around a suspicious market one day, he happened upon a lovely string of pearls. It was not just a string of pearls, though: it was a string of pearls that presented a cloudless opal in its heart. Hailing from royal blood, Siegbert happened to be able to purchase it without hassle. The true hassle, however, was the anxiousness of bringing its intricate house, a box wrapped in velvet skin, to Velouria's tent. Velouria's tent rested beneath a distinct tree in the midst of camp, but that was not the reason why everyone knew Velouria's tent was Velouria's tent. Everyone knew Velouria's tent was Velouria's tent because it was the one surrounded by a heap of garbage. Correction: it was the one surrounded by a heap of "treasure."
This treasure gushed from the inside of the tent and spread a good way across the outermost lawn. Even the stupidest knew that Velouria would not leave her mound unprotected, however. When she guarded not her hoard, a fence of logs protruding from the ground did. Using the niftiness of her beast form, she worked on that fence for weeks after being introduced to the ranks. She ventured into the woods to gather thick cylinders of lumber, which she planted in the ground after digging a designated hole. Her efforts did not go fruitless. The barrier stood about as tall as a man, and the crown of each totem had been sharpened, presumably by her dangerous claws. This place, this haven of hers, was where she found the most content, so she defended it viciously, even though there loomed no apparent threat. Nobody, with the exception of Keaton, planned to steal from her stash. Not even that suspicious girl that hid around camp.
Velouria growled at anyone who passed, Siegbert being an uncommon exception. When he came along, she greeted him contently, just not in the face. Said face maintained a familiar, mopey expression, but the sight of her wagging tail made him feel welcome. The oscillation swung only slightly, but to a noticeable degree nonetheless.
"Hello," he said while welcoming himself into her small yard. "How are you today?"
"The better question would be asking how are you today."
"I'm quite fine."
"Your face doesn't look it. Probably because you're still hung up over what we discussed last week." She once lounged in what little space had not claimed by trash. To meet him, she rose. Upon uniting with Siegbert, she took one of his wrists and led him into her dwelling insistently. Inside rested just enough room for them both to sit. Even then, though, Siegbert felt the need to compact himself, fearing he would brush against what he thought was the source of an awful stench. Velouria set herself in front of him before motioning her head in regards to her stash. "If it makes you feel better, I'll let you gander at my treasures. You just can't have anything in here; I keep my most valuable belongings in my tent. I might consider letting you have something on the outside, though."
Though did not visit to snoop through her things, he had to confess to his curiosity. Inside the tent rested all she kept dearest to her. What Velouria valued spoke the most about her character...
And he had to say that he did not know how to define her character. When he began investigating, his expression morphed into many extremes: once it was disgust, then fascination, then confusion, then amusement. There were many things, things ranging from the bones of dead animals (or humans. He was not keen on anatomy), leaves of unique shape and color, the corpses of small creatures such as mice or lizards, sticks that seemed like ordinary sticks, a platter from the mess hall with a chip in its side, a fork bent out of its mold, the broken handle of a hand axe, pieces of crumbled paper, dented tea kettles, petrified wood, dead beetles of frightening size, and dried flowers with blackening petals.
One piece, however, happened to capture his interest more than anything, so he reached down to take it. An easy task, seeing that it sat just inches away from his body, concealed by nothing. It was a pinecone he found strikingly similar to the one Velouria picked up last week, but it possessed a few bunches of golden hair tangled within its needles. Puzzled, he held it higher.
"Um... Is this my...?"
"Careful with that one. It's one of my favorites."
"Truly? I find that strange because it looks like it has my hair in it."
"That's because it does have your fur in it, silly." She took it from him before bringing it up to her nose. As if it were a drug, she gave it a mighty whiff. It proved to be one of the few things to invite a large smile onto her stoic face. "Ah. It smells just like you. Wanna try?" She offered it again, only to have it declined by a lifted hand.
"Erm... No thank you."
"Fine then, suit yourself." She proceeded to please herself with it again.
"By the way, while we're on the subject..." He seized the opportunity to then present his offering to the goddess, peeking up in hopes of approval. She eyed it with prejudice before abandoning her beloved pinecone. She adopted a new love.
"Oh, is this for me?" she inquired, vaguely delighted.
"Yes."
"Wow! Thank you! I love it very much!" As she did with the pinecone, she brought it to her face, but not to give it a good sniff. Instead, she roughly rubbed her cheek against its velvet surface. "It's really soft and feels great on my skin. I bet it'll be all the better once it ages and starts to wear a little bit. When it gets a bald spot, it'll be to die for!"
Baffled, Siegbert stared at her, watching as she continued to run her cheek against the gift.
"Well... Um... What I meant to bestow upon you is inside the box."
"This is a box?"
"Indeed. Simply ease it ajar..." His hands went over to pinch the top and follow his own instructions. Sure enough, a familiar, but lovely, string of pearls with an opal special feature awaited her. Each bead, deliciously shiny, could pose as mirrors, and they were cool to the touch.
Velouria was not amused.
"Oh. The gift is this thing?" She probed at it a few times before suspiciously picking it up. Before her face, she dangled it, observing intently. No amount of time seemed to change her opinion.
"Do you like it?"
"Mm..." Her eyes wandered lustfully back to the box. She carelessly tossed him the necklace and proceeded to caress it again. "I like this part better. You can keep that. Thank you." Her eyes, once so blissfully closed, opened excitedly all of a sudden, and they immediately went to the pinecone she had set on the top of her mound. She stole it, opened the box again, and set it inside. It pleased her greatly to see that it fit perfectly, for it even left enough room to allow her to close it shut. "Wow! Even better! Now my Siegbert-scented pinecone will never get crushed by something on accident." Her ears lifted slightly. "You're finally starting to get my tastes. I'm so glad now. I'm excited to see what other kinds of treasures you'll bring me in the future... But that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here for you." Shortly afterward, she set her prize in the midst of her hoard and began to crawl out of her tent, beckoning him to follow. "Let's get started on our session."
It puzzled Siegbert to name the time he shared with Velouria. Sure, she called it a "session", but he had not been completely sold on the title. Session for what? Session for answers? When he put it that way, he felt repelled at how pompous it made their situation sound. It was as if they were making the endeavor into some sort of grand journey, all in pursuit of the prize of a lifetime: the coveted answers to the mysteries of love, humanity, and existence.
The situation had not the direness in the grand scheme of things, for it just had them wandering around camp asking questions as if they worked for the census records.
First, Velouria had them stop at the sparring grounds, where he immediately realized that she lead him to Soleil, who busied herself with hacking away at a dummy. Velouria used the moment to turn to Siegbert, take notice of his puzzled expression, and nod toward the girl.
"Before we get started, you need to go apologize to her for last week." She commanded, evoking a sigh from her neighbor. He sucked his lips into his mouth, eyed away, and felt a blanket of red sweep across his cheeks. He did not oppose Velouria's commands. Instead, he hung his head and began to limp toward his soon-to-be-retainer.
Upon arriving at her side, Soleil paused her work and turned to look at him. For a moment, a maximum of five seconds presumably, the two exchanged stares. She had worked up quite the sweat, but still seemed to be filled to the brim with energy. Such was why, when time expired, she broke out her trademark smile.
"Hello there, Future Lord Siegbert," she greeted with a bow.
He failed to bring himself to muster even a smile.
"Hello," he replied, eyes wandering to the grass. A hand darted to the back of his head, where his fingers began to toil in the thickness of this golden locks. He blinked a time or two awkwardly before clearing his throat. "Erm... I came to today to um... settle something..." He took a deep breath. "About last week..."
"Oh, that? You don't have to worry about it." She shook her head. "I should've listened to you when you said you weren't feeling well, so you could say I got what I deserved for being forceful. There's been a lot on your mind, hasn't there? I can tell by the look on your face; you're growing those ugly bags under your eyes and you've been frowning more than smiling. I can understand why, though. The battle in those caves was the first skirmish you've been in, wasn't it? The first battle's always the worst. I can tell you that from experience." He stopped once feeling her rough hand pat his shoulder. Still having injuries there (and everywhere for that matter), Siegbert flinched. Soleil apologetically retracted her hand. "That down look on your face doesn't suit you, Future King of Nohr. I don't know what it is you're going through, but I think you should try to chin up."
Her words made those same eyes, darkened with bags hanging beneath them, dull. Stiff shoulders dipped solemnly.
"Soleil... You're so forgiving. I don't deserve the friendship, nor the service, of someone like you."
"I already told you not to worry, didn't I? Apology accepted. Heck, I'm flattered you even approached me to bring it up to in the first place. I'd be too embarrassed to admit I did something wrong."
"No, I feel that I need to express myself with more than just words." The memory of the contents of his side pack invaded his mind to prompt a solution. Quickly, without hurting himself, he buried a hand down a flap. "Just a moment... Um... Here..." He withdrew the string of pearls, which he offered to her. "I don't know if this happens to humor your preferences, but... Accept this as an apology gift, please."
Soleil, upon gazing at the offering, blinked. With time, though, she eventually took it as he requested.
"Oh. Wow... Do you always keep precious jewelry on your person?"
"Of course not. It's a long story into which I'd prefer not to delve, but I believe it ultimately belongs with you."
"Well, thanks! This'll surely get a girl to like me now!"
That was a weight off of Siegbert's shoulders. He could not help himself from silently commemorating Velouria for having the insight, as it vastly improved his mood. The change occurred just in time, for just a while later, after abandoning Soleil to continue with her practicing, the two proceeded to dig into their long-anticipated session of questioning. It was reasonable for them, particularly the less dominant of the pair, to feel the awkwardness that came with introducing the question to every face they encountered.
Their first subject would be the man that rode his armored horse, baring unruly gray hairs.
"Mister Silas," Siegbert announced in hopes of grabbing his attention. It was a successful endeavor, for just seconds later, Silas had his steed halt before him.
"How's it going, Prince Siegbert? Velouria?"
"I am well and have come to inquire something of you."
"Sure. Lay it on me."
"With your life experience thus far, how would you describe being Nohrian?"
The inquiry clearly stole Silas' balance, for his face morphed into a confused creature's. He stared down at the boy, then his neighbor, perhaps while he contemplated an answer.
"What's it like be Nohrian? Uh... Not to sound rude, but you're Nohrian too. Why do you need me to answer that?"
"He has his own opinion and wants yours," Velouria simplified. "He just likes to make things difficult."
With a flush, Silas laughed.
"Oh, I see. Hm... My opinion on being Nohrian... Well, if I weren't Nohrian, I would've never met Corrin when I was younger, which would mean I would've never joined the army. Most important of all, if I hadn't joined the army, I would've never met my darling wife and all the great friends I now have. So, I would have to say that being Nohrian has made my life wonderful."
Too bad Siegbert did not have a sheet of tree and charcoal with him, otherwise he would have furiously jotted Silas' words for future reference. He expressed his gratitude with the slight nod of his head before going his own way with his follower. Said follower's tail began wagging as she trotted up to his side.
"That was worthwhile. Maybe tomorrow we should ask my mom what she thinks of Nohrians. Since she grew up as a Hoshidan villager, her opinion should capture you interest," she mused thickly.
"Yes, that is a brilliant idea indeed, but why do you suggest asking tomorrow? Is she busy today?"
"No. She's not doing anything. I just think that's the most investigating we should do for now." She took him by the wrist again and suddenly began tugging. Alarmed, he loosely followed. "Let's go hunt for treasure."
Originally, it disappointed Siegbert to see that their daily sessions failed to seize Velouria's interest. She limited their questioning to one person per day (two if she happened to be feeling generous) before dragging him into the woods for a few solid hours. They would not emerge until dinner time. He thought she changed the subject the way she did because she had a selfish streak, which she did at times. His theories were anything but far-fetched.
As it turned out, though, that was not entirely the case.
"Velouria? Why aren't we asking more than one person every day? It isn't as though we are going to be running out anytime soon."
While trudging through a pile of leaves, Velouria suddenly leaped into the air and dove back into the ground head first. Her hands, small and delicate, hastily swiped at dirt. With a growl, she embarked on a chase around a tree until her hands landed on a particular plot of land. When she lifted her palms, both clasped together, she smiled with uncharacteristic delight. As he began to wonder what got her worked up, she rose and hastily made her way back to where he sat on the crunchy ground. Carefully, she brought her captive closer to him, and she steadily eased her fingers asunder.
To Siegbert's surprise, there peeked a small, and furry, face with elongated whiskers and two beady eyes. Its nose, perhaps even if it were tired, would not stop twitching, just as its eyes would not stop worriedly darting around. It could not squeeze through the small window Velouria's fingers gave it, so it quickly began struggling. Despite the creature's predicament, Siegbert chuckled and reach out with his finger, which he used to lightly pat its furry white head.
"Oh. What a cute thing." he commented, but that was before the rodent suddenly reared its mouth to his index and sunk its two sharp teeth into his skin. Hissing, Siegbert pulled back and observed his wound. Though it was a slight amount, he could not ignore the red that welled out and streamed down his finger.
His Nohrian blood.
The sight made him cringe, but not for long; Velouria quickly stole what attention the wound gathered.
"Uh oh, did he bite you?" Her face scrunched with a disgusting amount of offense before it turned back to the creature in her hands. "I won't let you get away with that, scoundrel. I felt sparing since Siegbert liked you, but now that I don't have any obligations, I must say you look awfully delicious..." Without a word more, and drawing a yipe from her audience, she shoved the creature into her mouth. Terrified, Siegbert watched her jaw wiggle before it sounded with a crunch and a satisfied mewl. A lump traveled down her throat until it disappeared into her chest. She released a sigh, closed her eyes in delight, and ran a bloody tongue over her chops. When she reopened her eyes, she met the bewildered expression that was Siegbert's face. Her droopy ears fluttered with concern. "Oh, I'm sorry. That was rude of me not to share. Do you want me to catch you another?"
"N-No, actually. What I'd like you to do is-"
"And your poor hand!" She lugged herself closer to him, snatched his wrist, and brought his finger closer for observation. For only a moment, her eyes followed the stream of blood. It sunk down the rest of his finger, flowed over the sole of his palm, then began to make its way to his forearm. Before it could get any further, the tip of her tongue caught the head and slithered up his arm. When she united with the pad of his index, she took his finger into her mouth. As red splashed across his face, he paused to allow her to suckle for the time being.
"Um..." he uttered awkwardly. When he tried to withdraw, her teeth took his finger captive and gave it a bite strong enough to keep it still. "Velouria... Please let go..." She did eventually, but later than he would have liked. Upon retraction, she looked at him with curious eyes. Siegbert avoided her gaze to glance at his finger. She had coated it with a thick case of her drool, he observed, which caused him to wince and immediately drag it over his trousers.
"Don't wipe it off!" Velouria scolded. "You'll heal faster if you keep it on there."
"Regardless, it's unsanitary and sickening," he replied quickly. His words were bred from impulse and disgust, so the moment they left his lips, he quickly wished them back into his mouth. Her face dropped hints of darkness, but she wiped it clean with neutrality.
"Hm. You humans must not lick each other's wounds. Not only are human squishy, you also adapt to strange customs." Another lick to the chops erased what red had gathered there beforehand. "And you have the tastiest blood."
"Strange... customs?"
"Yeah. Why don't humans lick each other's wounds?"
"I already told you: it is unsanitary and sickening."
"Us Wolfskin think otherwise. Did you know a cut heals three times as quickly if it has mouth-juice on it? Daddy told me that his mom saved his daddy's leg by licking it when it got caught in a hunter's trap. It's what mates do."
An awkward pause erupted between them, especially in the boy. The crimson on his face grew deeper, perhaps because his heartbeat intensified. Seldom had Siegbert been the one to jump to conclusions, which is exactly why he blinked a few times before clearing his constricting throat.
"Erm... Mates?"
She flushed as well. What a rare sight. For one who always seemed apathetic, she certainly seemed to be getting worked up. He wondered if it was because of what he thought it was because... No, it was not.
"And friends. Friends do it too. Wolfskin do it to everyone in the pack. Friends, family..." She rose and hopped elsewhere, where she started to scavenger on the ground. "Come on, let's find something nice before we have to head back for dinner. I'll let you have whatever we find. Oh! Except for this pine needle. This is a very nice pine needle."
Siegbert did not bother bringing the subject back up to her.