-1168 Harpstring Moon-
._._._._._._.
"Hmmmm? You're here again?"
Beles stared at the girl in front of him. Her eyes mirrored his own in color. He honestly did not expect that.
"Are you sure you're not here for my spot?"
Beles blinked once. He wasn't. Her spot wasn't exactly warm to begin with.
"For a cheeky brat, you're awfully quiet."
The girl placed an elbow on the armrest and brought her hand up to her chin.
"Tell me, you must have a name."
Beles didn't know how to answer.
"Oh wait, no. I already know what it is."
The girl waved a hand and gestured him to come closer, "Come, Beles, let me have a closer look at you."
He didn't know how she knew his name. He covered the small distance between him and the throne. She reached over to touch his face. He didn't flinch. It felt a lot different than Rhea's touch.
"You don't know who I am, do you?"
Beles stared at her and slowly shook his head. She smiled.
"Neither do I. How strange… I know nothing of myself, yet I know you as if you are mine."
His eyes only widened by a fraction. Beles didn't understand what she said. The girl pulled back and looked past him.
"Hm? More children? I don't remember seeing you before."
Beles followed her gaze.
Byleth was there at the top of the steps. Her eyes were wide in surprise.
"You… Who are you?" the girl asked her.
"…Byleth."
Beles stepped away from the nameless girl, who hummed, to stand by Byleth. She was obviously confused if not surprised. He only touched her hand to let her know he was just as surprised.
The girl leaned forward.
"Tell me, child, under what Moon and day were you born into this world?"
"20th of Horsebow Moon."
Beles blinked. What?
"Oh! How odd - we all share the same day!"
She sat back and gazed at them intently.
"This feels all so familiar - I'm not sure why."
She sat up and her hands gripped the edge of her seat for support.
"Wait! What are mere children doing in a place like this?"
The girl suddenly stood up with a clap of her hands, and stepped away from her throne. Beles was a bit confused when Byleth took a small step in front of him. What was she doing?
"Well! I have not the slightest idea of how you children are here, but I guess it's up to me to care for you!"
Beles shared a flat look with Byleth. He could tell that she wasn't very happy with that idea. He, himself, didn't know what to think of it.
"You both may call me Sothis! I am also known as 'The Beginning'."
Sothis paused with confusion on her face.
"Oh? How…. odd. I did not remember my name until now."
"Sothie."
"What?"
The girl looked at Byleth, who looked at Beles.
Beles didn't even shrug as he wrote on Byleth's hand again. She stared at him impassively.
"You want to call her Sothie."
There was a twitch of his lips. Sothis gasped and pointed at him.
"Sothie?! Absolutely not! I am— I am…"
Beles stared at Byleth, almost as if he dared her to say anything else. As one, they both turned to their newest friend with their blankest of faces.
"We're calling you Sothie."
"Excuse me?! I did not agree to thi— Hey!"
Beles didn't bother to listen to her rant as he suddenly tapped her outstretched hand. He spun on his heel and pulled Byleth down the steps. She seemed to get the message halfway through as she called over her shoulder.
"You're it, Sothie."
Together, they easily fell into an old routine, one he did not mind at all.
"Get back here!"
Well, with a new member to play with of course.
"Will you both stop running and let me catch you!"
All that echoed in the odd, odd darkness was the sound of pattering bare feet of children and their only guardian yelling small threats as she scrambled to catch them.
It was then that Beles realized something.
Sothie was actually awake to play with them.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
-1169 Blue Sea Moon-
._._._._._.
It was raining today. Beles didn't mind it at all.
In fact, he liked to walk in it. Especially since it would mean he technically took a bath—
While walking.
In the rain.
He always got caught though. The entire staff knew what to look for at this point. Strangely enough, there wasn't many out - in fact they all seemed to be scrambling for shelter.
"Beles, for the last time— get out of the rain!" Sothis snapped. Beles fought the urge to give her a look as he grudgingly ducked under the stables. He unlatched the closest door and slipped right in.
"Oh, do not give me that attitude, Bel!" Sothis began as she floated right next to him, "now, take off your cloak — It's all soaked!"
Beles did not frown, and did as he was told. He hung it over the closest stall to dry, while the rain outside poured.
He almost didn't know what to think of Sothis. At first, he was just— what was the word? Happy? No, actually, he was more than happy and really relieved that she was awake. Unfortunately, she seemed to nag on almost everything he did.
No one ever told him that he shouldn't dig in the mud for fish bait. No one ever told him to not sleep in the sauna (it was warm— how could he not?). No one ever scolded him for running down the stairs when he was in a rush.
Only Sothis did.
She even told him to not to eat his sweet buns before dinner or he'd spoil his appetite.
His sweet buns that Rhea personally gave him.
What kind of rule was that?
Vaguely, he had wished Sothis stayed with Byleth today, or took a nap. He could definitely do without the scolding. She was almost like a second Rhea or something.
One Rhea was enough.
The horses neighed at his presence and a few cats trotted up to him. Beles gave the cats a quick pat on their heads and stared out of the top half of the stable doors. He wasn't all that surprised that no one was around. It was almost noon, and no one would have half the mind to wait out a storm in the stables.
Beles had a strong urge to facepalm. He really should've noticed that it was a bit too rainy to be a gloomy day.
"How in Fodlan does the monastery ever keep track of you?"
Beles reached his ever present bell tied around his neck and flicked it. It rang obnoxiously. At the corner of his eye, he could see Sothis bury her face in her hands with a mutter that sounded like, "I should've just slept today."
The rain didn't seem to let up anytime soon, and the horses seemed a little antsy. Beles came up to each stall and hoisted himself at the edge with a hand to support himself as he petted them all, one by one. He made two rounds with the horses before he made himself comfortable against a haystack. While he would've preferred a blanket, the pile of cats that curled against him was enough. He watched the rain fall from the grey sky, wondering if Rhea wouldn't mind if he skipped his duties today.
Originally, he planned for a trip to the market. The Goddess' Rite of Rebirth was soon, and grand preparations were underway. He lost count of how many rehearsals he already went through, so now was his only free time. He knew it was about to rain since the air was humid and the clouds looked heavy. He just didn't anticipate it to rain this hard.
"Honestly, what am I going to do with both of you? You're just as terrible as Byleth on a sunny day."
Well, Beles never asked her to watch over them - it was all her idea.
"Wait— you didn't tell anyone where you were going, did you?"
He didn't.
Sothis sighed yet again as she sank to the floor with a hand on her hip.
"Tell me, you must have a reason for braving the rain like a fool. Go on."
Beles raised his hands and spelled out every single word. He never taught Sothis further than the alphabet just yet.
"I planned to buy seeds."
Sothis placed a hand on her chin with a hum, "What for?"
Beles didn't answer when a light flashed as bright as noon day. A few seconds later a loud thunder followed. He was not prepared for the sudden bundle of wetness that smacked into his face. His bell rang loudly and cats yowled as he fell through the haystack.
"Bel! Are you okay?"
The wet bundle on his chest floundered around and he could feel claws scraping his skin. Beles quickly sat up and caught it before it could scratch him anywhere else.
"What is that?" Sothis asked. She hovered next to him as he took a closer look at the squirming mass of... wet feathers?
His mind suddenly clicked.
A bird.
A bird just flew into him in a thunderstorm.
"Beles?"
He quickly, but gently, ran his hands over the feathers to wipe as much water out. It was small, and thoroughly soaked to the very bone. He felt the wings to search for anything that felt out of place. There was an odd sound the bird made when he touched a joint.
He carefully rearranged his hold on the bird to rest it against his chest. Beles was glad that Sothis kept quiet as he closed his eyes. He had healed cats and dogs of their injuries, but never birds. Even so, he focused a small amount of his magic and cast a heal.
Under his hand, he felt the odd bones shift into place and lumps to smoothen out.
"Ah, the poor bird looks much better now. Good job, Bel! But what is a small thing doing in a weather like this?"
Beles opened his eyes to see Sothis hovering her hands over the bird, almost as if she wanted to hold it herself. For a second, he wanted to let her.
Lightning flashed and thunder rolled again, and Beles was able to identify the bird.
It was a baby white owl.
"Oh, it's shaking! Go find a blanket."
Beles looked around and didn't see any in sight. He shook his head at Sothis and raised a hand.
"I do not see one."
"Oh no, what are we going to do? Ah! No. I will not allow you go out in that rain again."
Beles did not pout.
He looked around again, but the three cats that scrambled away came back. A cat curled against his side, another at his leg, and the last nosed at the owl in his arms.
He blinked.
"Cats."
"What? No! They're going to eat it!"
Beles decided to prove her wrong as he coaxed the one by his leg to lay with the other cat at his side. It took a bit of finger snapping and petting, but he managed to get the cats in one place.
Slowly, he gently placed the owl in the middle of the warm pile of cats.
There.
"Huh. Well, I suppose they could keep the owl warm."
Sothis crosses her arms.
"What about you? You're shaking."
Beles got up and grabbed his still drenched cloak. He twisted it to get as much water out before he wrapped it around himself.
"No! Child, noooo! Take that off right now. You'll catch a cold!"
Beles did not heave a sigh and did as he was told.
He really wished that Sothis took a nap or something.
._._._._._.
Beles went missing again.
Despite her calm appearance, Seteth was well aware that Rhea was not calm.
At all.
She paced back and forth in the tiny space of Beles' empty room. Seteth stood at the doorway to stay out of her way. When the storm came, it was expected as it built up over the past few days— but not a sudden downpour.
They only found out that Beles was missing when Seteth suggested to have afternoon tea with the boy. Tomas claimed not to see him. Hanneman heard a bell ring past his office. Alois wasn't in at the moment. The cleric in the infirmary caught a glimpse of Beles going down the hall.
"Rhea, I'm sure he's fine—" Seteth began, but he couldn't finish.
"Seteth, there is a nine— almost ten year old boy wandering about in the rain— no, a storm and you, of all people, knowhow he is."
"Rhea—"
"He'll get soaked without even realizing it! He's not wearing his overcoat—" She emphasized the point by pointing to the said overcast hanging on a hook by the door.
"Rhea—"
"What if he slips and hurts himself? What if he gets blown away? He's never been that heavy to begin with—"
"He's not going to—"
"What if he gets lost? He's so small— What if he gets kidnapped?"
Seteth took that moment to take a deep, deep breath and exhaled. He had dealt with her unnecessary worry rants before, and at this point, he was certain that she changed a lot since he reunited with her. Who know that adopting a random child would make her an almost unbearable mother?
"Rhea," he began firmly. The Archbishop almost glared at him as he continued, "You said it yourself, Beles is almost ten. He can handle himself very well, even if he is a little odd. He won't leave the monastery either. Besides, if someone tries to kidnap him - which is highly unlikely - Professor Hanneman taught him blizzard just last week. This is literally a passing storm. He's probably taken shelter in the other buildings."
"But—"
"Come now, the boy is smart and very resourceful. Have you seen him ration out his sweet buns to make them last long enough without spoiling?" Seteth shook his head at the memory, "Do you not trust him?"
He held her burning gaze before Rhea sighed.
The archbishop sank into Beles' desk chair and placed a hand to her head, "You're right... It's just—"
Thunder clapped through the sky and Rhea sighed again. Seteth could clearly see the worry in her eyes. He was worried too, since the storm outside the window was oddly violent. At the same time, he wasn't. He had literally seen the boy jump from the second floor and land on his feet once - must had been the influence of the cats he always cared for. Beles was far more observant than Rhea always gave him credit for. It was only a matter of time before Seteth would take it upon himself to train him to hold a weapon. The telltale signs of Beles' unusual agility almost concerned him.
"Beles will be fine," Seteth assured her, but his words were nearly drowned out by the crack of thunder.
._._._._._.
Beles took a peek out the stable door and noted the rain had lightened up. The thunder eventually died down and he only heard rain outside. It wasn't all clear, and heavier than a drizzle, but it was enough to let him hurry back to the main building. He ducked back in and shook his cloak. It was relatively dry as he inspected it.
"Hey - you're not going back out there are you?"
Beles raised a hand and painstakingly signed.
"I cannot take care of the owl here. I must go back home."
"What?"
Beles didn't respond as he threw his cloak back on and lightly nudged at the napping cats. He didn't know how long he had been stuck here, so he knew he had to get back. It was hard to tell when it was still dreary outside. He gently cupped the damp, but warm baby owl in his hands, and felt it snuggle against his palm. It made his lips twitch.
He watched the cats wake up and stretch before shifting his hold of the owl. The cats would be fine without him. The owl rested in the crook of his arm and pressed against his chest. It made little chirping sounds as it clicked its beak at him. Beles only gave it a tiny pet with the tip of his finger and wrapped his cloak a little closer to himself.
"Hmmm, I wonder why animals like you so much," Sothis said as she shook her head. She turned to the stable doors and gestured him to follow her, "Come along— we must get back before you get into any trouble."
Beles swept his eyes over the stable one last time. The cats seemed content to stay were they were and the horses only watched him from their stables. He threw his hood up and finally clicked the stable door open.
"Hurry, hurry! This way!" Sothis called to him.
The owl squirmed in his light grip, but Beles didn't feel any of the water falling on it. He followed Sothis past the graveyard, into the Reception Hall, and passed by a guard.
"Pfgh— Beles?! You're soaked!" spluttered the nearest knight. Beles only gave them a quick nod of acknowledgement and trotted up the staircase at the end of the smaller hall. He ignored the wide eyed stares he got from staff and visitors alike. It was probably his bell that caught their attention.
He only sneezed once when he got to the second floor and his bell rattled violently.
Almost out of no where, Hanneman rounded a corner.
"Bel! Thank the goddess, you're alright!"
Beles almost dropped the owl in his arms at the tone the old man used with him. He shared a look with Sothis (although she had the face that clearly said, "you asked for it") before he looked at Hanneman— no, not just the old man— Rhea and Seteth were right behind him.
"Ah, you certainly are in trouble now, child."
By the look in Rhea's eyes, he didn't dare to disagree.
"Beles! Where have you been? You should've known not to go out!" Rhea said as she dropped to her knees and grabbed his shoulders. He almost dropped the owl, which was still hidden under his cloak, in surprise. "Oh, you are completely drenched!"
Hanneman appeared at his other side with a face of concern and maybe relief - Beles couldn't tell.
The heavy coat the professor wore was wrapped around his shoulders and it smothered him in a sudden warmth.
"Goodness, child— You must be freezing."
It was then that Beles realized that he was shivering. Everything felt too warm against his skin.
He wasn't prepared for someone to carry him from behind. His feet left the ground and he felt an arm under his knees and another supporting his upper back. He was held against Seteth's broad chest. The owl in his arms made a sound and fluttered its wings.
"What were you—" Seteth began, but stopped. Beles was confused at the sudden pause.
"An owl?" Rhea questioned. Beles tried to rescue for the baby bird fluttering out of his reach. He only saw it drop out of the corner of his eye.
He panicked.
Sothis gasped somewhere, "Beles, stay put!"
His eyes widened when he felt himself tip too far away from Seteth's chest. Luckily, he felt the older man quickly heft him back into place, but his hands couldn't reach the owl. There was a strange, strangled sound that felt odd in his throat.
"Easy, Bel— I'm not going to drop you." Seteth hugged him closer and Beles had no choice but to fist his shirt. He didn't want to fall again.
"Seteth, take him to his room - I'll take care of this little one and meet with you shortly," he heard Rhea say. What did she mean by that? Was she going to let it go?
"Of course, Lady Rhea."
Beles didn't want to leave, even though Seteth turned on his heel. He shifted and made a strange noise again in his throat. He didn't want to leave the owl alone— even if Rhea had it in her care.
It wasn't right.
"Don't worry, Bel!" Sothis said as she hovered in his sight, "Rhea's got the owl! Now will you please relax?"
That didn't reassure him at all. Beles shifted again and again and tugged insistently at Seteth's shirt.
"Beles, stop—" Seteth tried. There was something in the man's voice, but Beles wasn't sure what to call it. He raised one hand and quickly spelled one word over and over again in front of his face.
"Owl? That little baby owl? You don't want to leave it?"
Beles nodded vigorously. He needed to know that it would be okay.
Seteth frowned as he tucked Beles under his chin, "Don't worry, Rhea will return the owl to you, but you need to listen to me first, okay?"
Beles bit his lip, but grudgingly nodded. His grip on Seteth loosened and the strange warmth he felt made him uncomfortable. He didn't like it one bit.
He barely realized that he was back in his room. A tender hand rubbed circles on his arm and another brushed his bangs away.
"Rest now," he heard Seteth say, "When you wake up, the owl will be right here with you."
Beles didn't want to sleep, but he could feel Sothis pulling him under. If resting really meant that the owl will come back, then he'd let her drag him into that familiar cold.
._._._._._.
"Are you trying to get yourself sick?!" Sothis snapped at him.
Beles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He needed to save the owl - not that he knew why he wanted to. He didn't want it to get hurt again. Maybe it was because it was so small?
It was a baby owl.
He wondered where its mother went.
Sothis sighed and sank into her stone throne. She seemed exhausted. Was it his fault?
"Beles, come here."
He pulled himself away from his thoughts and sat next to her on her chair. It was big enough to fit the two of them. Maybe when Byleth arrives, she could sit with them too.
"I have put you to sleep for now. You certainly caught something from that rain."
Ah, so that was why he felt tired and dizzy. He brought his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He still felt cold.
"How foolish can you be?"
Very, apparently.
"Ah, never mind that. For now, review with me. After all, someone needs to teach Byleth how to sign. Honestly, I can never understand how patient you both are when it takes so long for you to write on her hand!"
Beles did not smile—
But his eyes did sparkle as he spelled out one word.
"Ha."
"Wha—what is that supposed to mean?"
He didn't bother to elaborate, though he could feel how light he was despite the dizziness. He leaned back and kept only one hand raised to recite the alphabet.
"W-wait! Slow down! It's hard to copy your hands when you move that fast!"
Beles gave her mercy and slowed his motions. He could feel his hand getting tired anyway. He watched how concentrated Sothis seemed as she copied his movements and said the letters out loud.
"H…I….Jaaaaaay…. Kaaaayyyy—"
For once, he fell asleep on her.
._._._._._.
When Beles woke up a few days later, he found the same little white owl nestled in the crook of his neck and the bright morning sunlight streamed through his window.
The storm was gone-
But the odd chilling, ache that clung to his bones was not.