"I don't understand how this is possible."
"Well, my mother says-"
"You have a mother."
She gave him a long look. "Of course I have a mother. Do not you?"
"I… sorry yes. Is your mother human? Or Grimm?"
"She is… well she calls me a Grimmling, so I suppose that she is the same. She is like me. Or I am like her."
"Yes, but how? And your father? He is a… Grimmling also?"
"No he is like you… no… no he is a human. Not a … faunus. Though I have difficulty understanding the difference."
"Ears, spots."
"Yes, and my mother has red veins on her face, but she and I are not different species."
"Hmph. Fair. But you say your father is human?"
"Yes. He is… or was… at least mother says he was a Huntsman as well. I do not completely understand how it happened. But mother says he is free to come and go, but it is a difficult journey and risks both he and us, so he rarely manages, if he still lives."
"And your mother is a… Grimmling?"
"Yes. I suppose. Though I would never call her thus. And none of her servants do."
"What do they call her?"
"Hmmm well normally 'My Queen'.
"Queen… Queen of…"
"Queen of the Grimmlands, of course."
"And your father is a Huntsman…" he repeated stupidly.
She sighed. "Yes. I didn't… I don't think I fully understood what that implied until you explained it. Mother did not say, and father avoided answering. I suspect it was a sensitive topic, knowing what I know now."
"I can imagine."
There was a long pause.
"You are staring at me again."
"Yes… well… you are…"
"A Grimmling. And apparently not something that exists."
"Yes."
"Hmmph. Then am I allowed to stare as well? Mother says it is rude."
Garek blinked and gave a low laugh. "I suppose it's only fair."
"You have… four ears," she observed. "Is that normal? Father does not have four ears."
"No that's a Faunus thing. At least some Faunus."
"Do they all hear?"
"Yes. But differently. These are good for normal conversation. These" pointing higher "are better for triangulating distant sounds. They've saved me more than once."
"And the spots?"
"They just make me look good."
She smiled. "I see."
Another long pause.
"Do you know your grandparents?"
"Grandparents?"
"Your parent's parent?"
"I don't… I don't know if mother had parents. Or I never met them. She says she is very old. Hundreds and hundreds of years old." Selene laughed, "But she does not look old to me. She looks little older than I am, and I am only 26 years old."
He laughed with her. "You saved me from asking how old you are."
"Is that not allowed?"
"It's considered poor taste." He paused. "I am 25, so almost the same age as you." He considered. "And no brothers or sisters?"
"No… just me, mother, and her servants. Human servants mostly. Though I suppose one is a Faunus now that you have explained this to me. And the Grimm of course."
"And the Grimm… and they don't attack the servants?"
"Why would they?"
"Because… gah. I don't know. My whole world has been upended."
"I supposed. It is possible that Mother has told them not to? I mean, Blackfeather obeys me when I ask him to do things."
"Blackfeather?"
"My pet. Well, he is also my transportation."
Garek sighed as realization struck. "He's a Nevermore, isn't he."
"Yes. Of course."
"Of course."
"But please, tell me about your family."
"Well, mother is a retired Huntress. We tend to retire early, if we are not killed, because the life can be hard and it wears us out quickly. And father is a game hunter. He shoots animals for food. They live in a small village in Mistral."
"And do you have brothers or sisters?"
"No, just me also."
They talked for several more hours, taking a quick break for a meal, before he suddenly yawned, realizing how late it was. "I am... well frankly I am exhausted." He looked at her. "Do you sleep?" She snorted, then yawned back at him. "Okay. That's a yes. I can set some of my blankets up into a pallet. The tent is big enough for both." He realized he was no longer thinking of her as a captive, and instead as a compatriot.
Am I stupid? Naïve again after so many years? Going to wake up being eaten by Grimm?
"I have my own equipment. Though I am happy to not have to put up my own tent. I left it down the trail before I approached your fire.
"Ah. Would you like me to get it, or do you want to?"
She held his gaze. "You would trust me?"
He sighed. "What would I do at this point? I can't tie you to a tree and go to sleep. I would feel like a bastard."
"I will return."
"Well, it is your quiet place."
She paused and turned slightly. "I… yes it is. It was mine first." She smiled. "I may be inclined to share, if the company is polite and does not stick swords into me."
He laughed. "I will be on my best behavior."
Selene paused, pack in hand. She gazed down the trail to the east, where lay the clearing. Then back to the west, where only a half hour hike led to a larger clearing, where Blackfeather waited patiently for her return. She couldn't communicate with him at this distance without screaming, but he would come if she did.
And then what?
Or she could simply leave. And this faunus… Garek, could be left to his own devices. No one would be hurt, though he might fear to return.
Her quiet place would be hers again.
Unless he returned with others, assuming she would do the same.
She sighed. If her mother knew her explorations extended beyond the Grimmlands, she would be wroth with her. But her instructions had been clear. Do not go to the other continents. And so she did not. But the little islands… mother had said nothing about those.
Perhaps she had intended that be included.
But she had not said.
She looked left, then right, and then shouldering her pack she turned back to the camp. She would convince him to let her go before Mother missed her, in a way that did not make him wary. Then she could keep her quiet place and not be in trouble.
He awoke twice during the night.
Once because of a nightmare. One where a Grimm with black and red eyes ambushed his partner, cutting his throat. That one was familiar other than the eyes, which was a new painful twist. It had him sitting up, hyperventilating and trying to drag himself back to reality. He'd managed not to scream, and found Selene fast asleep in her own sleeping bag near his.
The second time it was to find they had both moved in their sleep against the chill night air, shifting sleeping bags so that they were using each others backs as a support and source of warmth. He shook his head slightly at the unreality of it, and let sleep reclaim him.
He awoke with an arm draped over his own. It was warm and soft despite being Grimm bone-white, and he lay still for several minutes exploring the concept in his mind like a person would worry a gap in their teeth.
He extracted himself eventually, and began to make breakfast. It was nearly done when Selene exited the tent, yawning.
The daylight made her features even more uncanny. She wasn't just pale. She lacked any pigment at all. And the contrast between that and such a mundane action as a yawn and stretch made his brain itch.
He shook his head and returned to the meal.
They ate in relative quiet, enjoying the sounds of nature. It was near the end when she broke the silence "Garek, I must make a request."
"Oh?"
"My mother does not expect me to be away for seven days. If you keep me here, she may send others to look for me. And even if not, there would be questions when I returned."
"Yeah, I was worried about that when you started telling me about her. So today?"
"No. Tomorrow is acceptable."
He considered, and realized that he really didn't have any choice. Well. No good choices. He couldn't keep her here, based on that. And he couldn't leave early.
"That's fine."
"Truly?"
"It will have to be. If you bring others, I'll defend myself. But-"
"I would not. I would have to explain why I was here, and I would never be allowed to return. This place is important to me."
He regarded her carefully.
This is not then. She is not a White Fang terrorist.
"Agreed."
That conversation seemed to change their relationship. Initially it had been a power dynamic based on mutual fear, with him holding the power. Then it became one of cautious curiosity and confusion. Slowly, it shifted to companions sharing time. They both felt calmer, contemplative.
It made the time pass more quickly.
Selene was packed and ready to go.
"How closely can I accompany you?"
"To Blackfeather?"
"Yes."
"As close as you wish? Once we are within range of my voice, he will obey me. Right now, his orders are to stay until I return."
Garek shook his head. To walk up on a Nevermore large enough to ride, without his rapier drawn. It was madness.
He felt his legs shake as they approached, whereas her gait seemed to gain confidence.
This is it. This is the moment of truth.
"Is something amiss?"
"Eh?"
"You are distressed."
"Oh it's… I think I will miss your company." He lied. Or didn't. But that wasn't why he was nervous.
"Oh." She smiled. "And I yours." She paused, one hand gripping feathers. "Do you know when you will return?"
Is this wise?A small voice asked. Bad enough that she knows you are here for four more days. But to allow time for a full response? Or to set a trap? An ambush?
"How about…. three months from the day we…."
"From the day you captured me?" Laughter in her eyes, rather than fear.
He sighed. "Yeah. Sure. I will set up the camp, and you can join me when you are able. I'll do another week."
He watched her fly away. She circled back to the east, over the campsite, then bore west.
The rest of the week finished in blissful solitude.
It was boring.
Dammit. She broke my refuge.