Work Text:
Aloth stared at his new companion as she sat across from him at their table in the Black Hound Inn, and not because she was a Moon Godlike, as unusual and striking though that was.
He stared at her because she had taken his side when the villages had turned on him; stepped protectively in front of him, spear in hand as if she wasn’t barely half his height and they weren’t badly outnumbered. Even after all that she had still suggested that they travel together.
No one had ever done that for him before, been so unquestioningly on his side, especially since she had in fact heard Iselmyr’s helpful commentary before the villagers had turned on them, and had also accepted his poor explanation without prying further.
He didn’t really know what to make of it, but travelling with her seemed like a good idea, at least for now, while he tried to figure out his next move.
“Buy her a bloody drink already,” Iselmyr demanded, and to his relief Aloth realised that he hadn’t said it aloud. For once he had to admit that she hadn’t given him bad advice. It would certainly be a nice gesture, after everything.
“Ah, Nelda, wasn’t it?” he asked awkwardly, and her strange glowing eyes focused on him, rather than on the other inn patrons. “Could I perhaps…”
He was interrupted by the barmaid coming over and placing two mugs of ale and two bowls of rather unappetising looking porridge on the table in front of them. Nelda struck up a conversation with her about the inn’s missing cook, and Aloth realised that he’d missed his chance to make a gesture of gratitude.
---
It had been pouring with rain the entire time they had been trudging through Black Meadow. Aloth’s boots squelched as he walked and his hood dripped rain on to his nose. The rest of his companions were in much the same state, huddled into their own cloaks, gloomy and silent.
Nelda however, looked the most unhappy. She couldn’t pull her hood up over her crescent shaped horns, and her usually shimmery white hair was dark and plastered against her head and neck. She walked with her head down, a tired slump to her shoulders. She seemed weighed down by the great sword she usually carried with ease. As Aloth watched, she sneezed a couple of times, then sniffled sadly to herself.
She looked miserable and exhausted and Aloth’s heart twisted in sympathy. He concentrated for a moment, then cast spirit shield above her head to try and protect her a little from the elements.
It took Nelda a few more moments to realise that the rain was no longer hitting her, and she looked up to see the slight glimmer of the spell above her head. She turned around and smiled at him, bright and sweet.
Aloth tripped over his own shoes. Iselmyr snickered in his head. Eder snickered next to him.
Nelda dropped back to walk alongside him. “Thank you,” she said, and Aloth nodded self-consciously.
“I’ll recast it when it fades, but hopefully the rain won’t last too much longer,” he said.
“I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to be dry,” she sighed, brushing some of her wet hair out of her eyes.
Before Aloth could respond an arrow whistled past his face, and they looked ahead to see a group of bandits pouring out of the woods. Nelda huffed, drawing her sword. “You think they wouldn’t bother on a day like this,” she complained as the bandits charged towards them.
The fight didn’t last long, only made difficult by the slippery mud underfoot, but afterwards Nelda looked even wetter and muddier than before.
“Ah, my apologies,” Aloth said as Nelda came back to his side. “I let the spell fade.”
“Forget about that,” she exclaimed, eyes wide. “You’re bleeding!”
She tugged his arm until he was leaning down and reached out to touch his cheek, her hand glowing with a paladin’s healing power. She lingered for a moment, looking him over carefully, the touch of her hand on his cheek becoming more of a caress that he was leaning into.
Aloth opened his mouth, but he had no idea what would come out until Sagani, crouching down near the fallen bandits, called her over to investigate.
Nelda blinked, drawing her hand away before she turned to join her.
Aloth’s only realised he was touching his cheek and staring after her when Iselmyr started making crude comments inside his head. He determinedly forced her back, and recast the spell to shelter her.
---
They had finally reached Defiance Bay after what seemed like an endless journey.
Nelda seemed enchanted by the city, looking around wide-eyed and fascinated. Aloth found himself watching her, smiling a little to himself at her excited expression.
As they walked through the market she suddenly stopped dead, looking around her.
“What is it?” he asked, hand slipping down to grip his wand in case she had spotted some danger, but she smiled and beckoned him over to a stall.
“I haven’t had one of these for ages,” she said, handing over a few coins and getting a bag in return. She opened it and inhaled deeply, before holding out the bag to him.
He dipped his hand into the bag and pulled out a cookie.
“Try it,” she urged. “It’ll change your life.”
He took a bite, and closed his eyes, trying to supress a moan. It was one of the best things he had ever tasted. “What is that?” he asked, taking another one when she waved the bag under his nose again.
“Darkest Rauatai cookies,” she told him with a smile that was suddenly more wistful than eager. “A little taste of home.”
Aloth bit his lip, looking at her downcast face. The memory of her comforting him in the sanatorium, the way she had held his hands and promised he was safe, and her utter disgust at his father that pleased and confused him at the same time was a precious one to him, one he held close and would recall often whenever he was alone.
(It also made him feel guilty but he tried not to think about that).
But if he could comfort her at least at small amount in return, then he would try. He reached out and clumsily placed his hand on her armoured shoulder. She didn’t pull away, and he felt some of the tension in her frame seep away.
“Is everything alright?” he asked quietly, and she nodded.
“The cookies just remind me of my parents,” she explained, clutching the bag tighter. “It’s a good memory, but it hurts a bit, you know.”
He nodded. He didn’t know exactly what had happened with her parents, but he knew all about memories hurting.
“You can tell me about it, if you like,” he offered awkwardly. “Or anything you want to.”
Her entire demeanour brightened, and Aloth felt his breath catch in his throat. He was in so deep, he had been for a while, but it hit him all at once just how much trouble he was in.
“Thank you,” she said sincerely. “That means so much to me.”
Aloth found himself stepping closer, as she reached one hand up to cover the one he’d placed on her shoulder. She licked her lips, nervously, and he found himself leaning down, and -
“Are they darkest Rauatai cookies?” Kana exclaimed cheerfully, coming up behind them.
“They certainly are,” Nelda answered, stepping away from Aloth with a quick smile before holding the bag out to Kana. After he took a cookie, she gave them both an awkward sort of wave and went to join Eder and Sagani over at the weapon stall.
“Sorry for interrupting,” Kana said ruefully, and Aloth took a deep breath and sighed.
“Nothing to apologise for,” he replied. It was probably for the best, anyway.
---
The newly rebuilt library of Caed Nua was a wonder, one that Aloth could happily while away many hours in if left to his own devices.
Nelda had started spending some of her (rarer) free time in the library as well, more so as her sleeping became more erratic. It wasn’t uncommon at all for her to dump a pile of books at the other end of his table and join him for the evening.
He found himself focusing more on her than on his reading, most nights.
He watched her yawn, consulting a list she had removed from inside one of her books.
“What are you working on?” he asked, curious.
A few weeks earlier, he wouldn’t have dared to ask. But since he had come clean about his involvement with the Leaden Key and she had told him in no uncertain terms that she wanted a friend not a follower, he felt more comfortable asking.
It was hard to tell, but Aloth was sure she was blushing.
“It’s a list of words I need to look up,” she admitted, looking at her paper and not at him. “You probably think that’s dumb, huh?”
He stared at her, surprised at the revelation of this sudden insecurity. “Of course not!” he said at once, seeing her relax at his words.
“It’s just, you know, being enslaved on a pirate ship for all those years really messed up my education.” Nelda said it lightly, but he could sense the tangled web of regret and anger behind her words.
“You mean they weren’t interested in –” he tilted his head to read the spine of her book “– The Light of Dawn: A Readceran Morality Play Part Two: Compassion and Judgement?” he asked in mock surprise.
She laughed, the remainder of her anxiety melting away, much to his relief. “Astonishingly not, though I can’t say I blame them too much on that one. Besides, most of them could only sign their name with X anyway.”
“That sounds like some of the nobility I’ve met,” Aloth comment dryly, and Nelda laughed.
“If you like,” Aloth suggested, his heart starting to race. “I could help you with your list.”
“I would like that,” Nelda replied, and moved down a seat so she was next to him. She passed him the paper, but Aloth found his himself taking her hand instead.
Now that he no longer felt guilt for lying to her, he found it hard to conceal his affection for her.
The way she was smiling at him suggested she didn’t mind.
“I -” he began, when the sound of someone apologetically clearing their throat made them both look towards the door.
Marshal Forwyn stood at the entrance, looking uncomfortable. “Apologies, my lady, but the troops we hired have arrived and their commander would like a word.”
“Of course,” she said, squeezing Aloth’s hand before letting it go.
Aloth sighed as he watched her leave. There would be another chance, he was sure.
---
His chance never arrived, what with all the trials and dangers of their journey, much to his own exasperation. It had been six weeks since Aloth had left Caed Nua in order to begin his mission to dismantle the Leaden Key before he found himself arriving back at the fortress.
Nelda had told him he was welcome any time, to think of Caed Nua as home, which he appreciated more than he could say. He had tried to express it to her and had even worked up the nerve to give her a goodbye kiss, but he had been interrupted, yet again, by Hiravias squeezing her goodbye and the moment had passed them by once more.
Aloth was content, travelling with a purpose and Iselmyr silent in his head unless he looked for her. It was only the constant ache of Nelda’s absence that was troubling him. But now he was back, if only for a short while before he was back on the trail of the Leaden Key, and he was determined that he was going to make a chance to confess to her while he was here.
He made his way to the Main Keep where he smiled at the welcome, familiar sight of her sitting on her throne, feet dangling well above the floor, listening gravely to a petitioner. When she finished speaking to the man, she looked up, stretching as she did, and saw him standing at the end of the hall.
Without another word, she scrambled down from the throne and crossed the hall to meet him, taking both of his hands in hers.
“Welcome home,” she said, beaming at him.
He opened his mouth to reply when there was a polite “excuse me” from one of the servants behind them.
“I’m sorry my lady,” she said, “but Lord Berolt is still waiting for his audience.”
Aloth huffed a little laugh – it was all too familiar – and tried to let go of her hands, but Nelda refused to let him.
“Give him my apologies,” Nelda said, not looking away from him, “but an important matter has just come up. Make sure he is comfortable and I will see him first thing in the morning.”
The servant bowed her head, and Nelda led him out of the hall, still holding his hand. A few people tried to intercept her, but she politely dismissed them as she guided him back to Brighthollow.
She closed the door firmly behind them and turned to him, grinning. “Finally, I thought we’d never get away.”
“I thought I’d never manage to get you all to myself,” Aloth replied.
“I missed you,” she told him, and finally Aloth did as he had wanted to for so long, and bent down and kissed her.
She met him half-way, going up on her toes, her arms going around her neck as she melted into him with a sigh, and he gripped her closer, not ever wanting to let her go, kissing her more deeply.
“I missed you too,” he told her breathily, when they finally pulled away. “In case it wasn’t clear.”
Her arms were still around his shoulder, so he could clearly see her expression of contentment.
“Can you stay for a while?” she asked him. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to have you all to myself again.”
“We should definitely make the most of this,” Aloth agreed, before kissing her again.