Had it not been for the ice seeping into her bones, the frozen pond Cinder lurched and crawled from would have been one of the coldest experiences she would have ever felt. Her arms, legs, chest, all rot with ice still thrashed and beat heavily through the dense, ink-like pool. The bright setting she had so unceremoniously been cast from burned into her mind. Yellow fire and blinding flashes she had called forth were long since distant as she fell. Certainty of this being her end exploded through the Fall Maiden's mind, cursing the world with whip-like motions of her frozen appendages. Gradually, and unnervingly, her limbs began to refuse her thrashing commands. Feeling retreated from her flesh hand, her feet long since a forgotten part of her being. Cinder's mind was filled with anguish, directed at everything around her, hate of the Brawnwen, anger at Emerald and Mercury. Though the boiling fury within her burned bright and hot, it did not steeple the exponential slowing of her movements. The last thing Cinder Fall thought about was how much darker the world around her was getting.
Light, the flickering kind that danced like something all too temporary, etched the thin world Cinder could see from her prone position. Colourless turf, mundane and cold, scraped against her skin, her body began to regain consciousness. Her lungs wretched, heavy and hard, forcing her to fight just to perch herself atop her knees and elbows. Water spilled from the Maiden in a dark slurry; once emptied, Cinder's cold and rasping breath then filled the dark cavern. Her flesh hand-scraped at the ground, moving to her face and whipping the clumps of wet hair from her. The cold began to retreat from her, though the fire burned ever still in her mind. Looking upward, she could see the orange shrine she had been cast from. Letting this fire burn, Cinder's eye sparkled with heat, the monstrous unnatural black fist crunching into a hearty fist before driving it into the stone before her.
The heavy limp to her steps, the dull pounding in her skull, the way she could barely keep her eyes open. Some small part of the Fall Maiden wished she would have stayed ice. At the very least, it would have kept this bodily pain at bay. The thin ring of sand that she dragged herself through and onto her feet crunched painfully beneath her. At first, it was a stumble, "Shit…" Cinder cursed, stepping awkwardly, her ankle twisting to the side sending the beaten Maiden forth. Her hands scarcely went out for balance before her chest impacted with a winded wheeze. Gasping once more for air, Cinder's eyes flashed downward. Pieces strewn in the sand indicated that her glass shoes had capitulated from all the stress, something Cinder was considering to mimic. Groaning, the air coming slow and unevenly as she did so, Cinder moved one hand from her side up and forth. Trying to make herself move was a trial all on its own; the bellows of thunder and violent slashes of lightning far up high did little to motivate her. Though the downpour did mask for Cinder the sandy slappings of shoes, rabid and quick.
A low, drawn-out hiss of pain emanated from the Maiden; her voice was broken somewhat from air loss. "Damn… Branwen." Cinder's thoughts were shattered as her vision was filled with a sudden appearance of sandaled feet. Cinder blinked, confused for a moment before she forced her arms underneath her, pressing herself up. The person before her reflected the move by shifting to move downward. Out of instinct, Cinder summed up all her remaining powers, her eye beginning to burn like fire and her mouth twisting into a venomous scowl. But, just as Cinder made to use her control, mere inches from her flame embroiled eye stared back the most luminous pair of fright-filled lilac pools. Now, there was something to say about the crew of Salem's, and that was there were precisely zero people Cinder had ever looked at like… that. A woman, her hair spilled down to earth as she watched Cinder draw herself from the floor. Her face, gods her face, Cinder had never seen such a beautiful face in her agonizing life. Soft, youthful, delicate, her addled chest rung loud with the beating of a burning heart just by seeing such a unique divine gift.
In less than two seconds, the fire which had burned with villainous intent to incinerate sputtered with a fit of steam in the rain. Cinder's scowl sputtered, her growling snarl spat out a sudden cough "I-I-." The angel stared down at her; the fear remaining in her made Cinder fight to move again. Her hands caved from under her, tied to a broken body that felt as if it had become jelly just from proximity to this ethereal being. Cinder collapsed, her chest heaved with the sudden forced movements to rise, and old wounds began to come to bear once more with the action. The woman's large basket dropped with a thunderous *whump* to the mud and muck below her in response. Darkness returned to Cinder, though she felt herself be drug up into an embrace so comforting. Her mouth slacked, words spilled from her wounded self in slurred bumbling, "D-don't need." A voice like silk made sharp swiped at Cinder, however, "Quiet, it's okay, we'll get you a blanket." A blanket? Perhaps this woman was indeed angelic. She could feel her naked feet slip in and out of both her tattered dress, her flesh arm dangled over the woman. To the weakened dependence of Cinder, it was evident that there was a woman of great strength beneath the robes and drapery.
The mere thought of which sent the Fall Maiden's face burning hot, eye dimmed, shifting everywhere it could to avoid the woman's being. Though filled with rain and the forest's mildew, the air swam with the scent of flowers and sweetness for Cinder. Her sudden warmth had seemingly not gone unnoticed either, with the woman's voice coming through a hot groan, "You're burning up, dear." Like a melodic instrument, Cinder was mesmerized in her delirium, a coughing gasp replied from the Maiden, "T-thanks." Fighting down a dry gulp of air, Cinder pressed on, "You're lucky I'm... "Another cough espoused from the woman, forcing her head to thrash away from the woman as she did so. A slightly taken aback "Tch" Echoed from the woman at the sudden movement, "You're lucky to be awake." The strong woman said, gripping Cinder tighter around the waist and pulling the arm over her shoulder along, bringing the pair of women even closer together. While the dragging bore onward, Cinder could feel her air begin to at least in part calm down; the dryness of her throat now sat more uncomfortable rather than a painful strain.
A soft inhale escaped Cinder as she tried to fill their silence. With a charming scoff, the woman hummed out jovially, "So what happened? Did you fall?" It took some deal of power not to openly show disdain for the choice of words on Cinder's part, "You could say that." She managed, nodding with a forced scoff; her eyes remained pointed forward. Though she wanted so desperately to say something more, Cinder's head was blank, save for her panicked temperature control. Though what was odd for Cinder was there seemed to be no perceived need to fill the empty dialogue. She felt secure, of course, physically; the broken Maiden was utterly reliant on the woman's strength. Still, she was imbued with a sense of calm she had never felt before. They continued to wander for a time in that sublime solitude. Amongst the rain, there was nothing but their breath, the sweet smells, and the heat of Cinder to accompany them. Their long winding journey through the tunnels of overhung trees barricaded the storm, allowing for the darkness of the weather to giveaway to the subtle black of the night. The journey weighed on the injured Cinder, who continued to nestle herself involuntarily into the woman, the blush on her form becoming a necessary condition for staving off the deepening cold.
A setting began to surround the pair as they hiked, the forest transforming gradually with almost a fairytale-like wonder. The trees turned from the dull, wet, and monstrous tendrils of vegetation to a site that surprised the wounded Cinder. Trees of beauty, coloured vines stretched from the in lively greens up and around them with magic-like quality, bathing the world in a luminous wonder of colours. Colours projected in soft beams down onto the floor, making the world seem alien to the widened eye of Cinder. The light which filled her view was only partially to blame for her amazement. These great vines' brilliance was amplified by the bloomed flowers, outrageous in colours that iridescently glowed. The sight forced the Maiden's mouth wide; her eye likewise darted from tree to tree. "Wow.." She mumbled in stunned amazement; the shrillness of her voice brought a hum of laughter from the other woman. Cinder's face turned fast, taking in fully the woman's angelic features from an even closer perspective. Her olive skin reflected beautifully, even in the rain, the lights danced charmingly off the woman to Cinder's shocked silence. Though to the Maiden's detriment, her obvious gawking had not gone unnoticed as the woman's mesmerizing eyes swung down to look over the injured bashful woman. "Wow, indeed, you're burning." Adding a wink to the comment with a slight tease of laughter. The small show of affection was one of the most brilliant things the Maiden had ever seen or heard, forcing the poor bashful Cinder to swing her face out of sight.
As she did so, Cinder came face to face with what her pained legs hoped was the end of their march. Bathed in the glow of hundreds of flowers in the center of a small clearing, a snug and quaint home sat. Its foundations of stone were complimented by dark wood additions, paired with a strong roof, in the door and windows bellowed out the light of the tall fireplace. The sight felt ripped from a long-forgotten dream of Cinder's life, so removed and so different, this was like no other place in Remnant, it seemed. It was one of the most spectacular places Cinder could have been brought, feeling the mud beneath her feet turn to hard stone as a path became set beneath her. Approaching the heavy set door, the woman at Cinder's side pressed the pair in.
The woman stepped off of Cinder for a brief moment, her hand lingering as she reached back and slammed the door shut behind them. Letting the wind bite and snap at the door and windows as if it was a crazed animal. Now, Cinder was seemingly able to inspect the quaint abode. The whole place was largely open-planned, snug and wholesome. A handknit carpet stretched from the door across to the other end, which appeared to be some form of small reading chair and side table. A larger bed sat to the back left to which Cinder was moved towards by the woman's guiding hands. "Here, lie down." She said, her voice calmer than humour-filled now. Cinder's legs, for the few moments she had stopped moving, had turned to led. Before she had even touched the red blanket upon the bed, she was sure of how desperate to lie down she had become. Though actually performing the action of sitting was a hearty challenge, the woman's guiding hands directed her again in that regard.
The arms of her escort slinked up, and under Cinder's arms, the Maiden stiffened a pained groan as she was hoisted by the woman and placed at the foot of the bed. The woman sighed with a huff, moving from the bed to the small den-like setting. Retrieving a large quilt and throwing it over the bed. "Now lie down." She said sternly, the quilt covered much of the mattress and pillow. Her lilac eyes once more fell on the Maiden, stunning Cinder with their dark mauve essence. "Lie down?" Cinder stuttered, having to clear her throat as the heat in her face returned to her. The woman leaned in with a pointed pat to the bed, "Lie down. What, did you hit your head as well?" Well, it wasn't too far from the truth; Cinder's jaw was still rattled from the butt end of a katana. Though her absent-mindedness was more due to her lilac imbued imaginations.
It took some work, lots of assisted moving and hand-holding. Still, Cinder eventually got into the bed with a blanket drawn up to her chin, with only her flesh arm and collar above the trappings. The pillows and mattress were the softest things she could have ever felt, "What in the gods?.." She muttered, her arms sunk into the void of comfort. Even in her monstrous appendage, she could feel some level of relaxation. Though she nearly jumped when Cinder was essentially slapped in the face by a wet rag. Cinder sputtered a growl. "What are you-?" In response, her mouth was slammed shut by the rag again, "Quiet, you've already got so much dirt on my bed, just hold still."
The woman said with a disciplinary tone, her face held tersely while her hand moved from a small pale of warm water to Cinder. The wounded Maiden watched as her face was gently scrapped, then the woman's tender and slim hands moved to her arm. Watching as the woman visibly sighed, placing the towel down into the pale before going back to the long glove which sat tightly to Cinder. The gold-encrusted piece on her bicep was swiftly removed, Cinder savouring the fleeting seconds her skin was touched by the woman's hands. The heat build-up within the Fall Maiden brought steam to rise from where the glove was. Lilac's eyes grew in size as she looked over the arm, "Did you get into a fight with an Ursa?" Cinder hissed quietly, leaning up slightly to look over herself. The tired arm was partially purple with heavy bruising. Her hands were thick with calluses and torn skin. The glove, it turned out, was little good for actual fighting, much like the red gown it seemed. Though it did allow Cinder some partial relief to both have her skin exposed and cleaned, the wet cloth worked hard to clean around the wounds. A gasp still escaped her every so often, to which the woman would herself cringe and slow her cleaning.
Already stuck in the bed, Cinder had little choice but to endure the slapping of warm water onto her brow and face. "The Maiden's attention reverted to a steadfast inspection of the woman who cleaned her. Cinder could now make out more clearly the messy bun upon her beautiful head in the more lit home. Internally, Cinder cursed this growing admiration. The woman sighed, dropping the cloth down into the bucket and moving her hand to touch Cinder's face, "Gods, when was the last time you washed?" Cinder felt her hand touch her own. It was calming and chilled; her caress was a feeling Cinder could live with, perhaps forever. However, the slender fingers pursued the jawline of the Maiden, drifting from the dirtied pale skin of Cinder's right side and onto the dry and charred left. The woman's hand froze, lifting gently from the skin in a moment Cinder held great disdain for. Though when she realized what this woman was trying to see, with the movement of her blackened bangs, Cinder quickly tried to turn her head.
A choked breath made her shift her head away, "N-no," Cinder managed, trying to wrestle herself from the bedding. The woman, in turn, stiffened a breath. The grievous wounds weren't exactly hard to see, Cinder's scarring stretched deep and visibly from just her face, and the arm wasn't doing her any favours.
From her turned position, Cinder could only scantily see the angelic person, her throat clenching as she sought to speak, "I-I'm…" A monster. That's what the woman must have been thinking. It's what Cinder wanted to say. Though her self-deprecating statement was not reciprocated, instead, in a shaken and newly energetic tone, she coughed out. "You need a lot more than a towel. I'll get a bath going." Cinder blinked, turning her head back to the woman who smiled down at her. "It's okay, you'll be fine, it's just superficial, we'll save that pretty face." That bright smile might as well have been an arrow through her heart. The supple hand drifted down over Cinder's bare arm, flinching as it touched the bruises made her fist clench. When the hand left her, Cinder swallowed hard, her voice coming back to her for a glorious purpose. "Wait!" Her voice held too much bark. The strong bellow making the woman jump in surprise. "Inside voices, good lords." The woman's hand grasped at her chest, a silly smile grew on her as once more, Cinder's redness grew.
"S-sorry." Cinder swallowed again, her eye darting from the ground to the woman as she fought to sit up a little bit. "I-I just.." Cinder tried, watching as the woman's smile turned to a snark-filled smirk, "What's your name?" Cinder spat out, upon her elbows now, able to see the woman in a kinder angle. In turn, the standing woman coughed a laugh, "Lilia, what's yours?" The Maiden, not wanting to be silent for too long, shot out, "Cinder, Cinder Fall." Lilia laughed a little, crossing her arms, "Fall? Fitting name then." She joked with mirth. Cinder hummed a laugh as well, "Yes, I suppose so, Lilia." She huffed, sitting back into the bedding more, Lilia moving on with a blush of her own and shake of her head. "But what am I Falling for now?" Cinder whispered, letting her blushing head fall back into her pillow.