Chapter Text
meet the group
The party of four decided to trust Steven and search for his childhood friend, in their quest to visit the dwarf king Anthony to bring him an old relict from the north of the mountains. Although none of his companions liked the sound of an orc joining their journey, they couldn't deny that they needed more strength. Clint was the loudest in his disagreement. If it wasn't for Natalia, his fellow elf, he would have left the party in protest. Walking through the dense forest, worries rose in Steven's mind. He had fond memories of his friend. Growing up as a sick child, he didn't have the body to win one fight, but he certainly had the heart to start thousands. So one day Steven found himself defending the orc tribe that had settled near his village, which led to his first and for a long time only friend, Buck. But what if his old friend didn’t want to join them? What if his memories were just that, memories, not strong enough to descend into the present.
meet the fairy
The amounts of trees begin to lighten and a big body of water is before them. The party stops, all of them seeing another person for the first time in days that isn't one of their own. She is laying on the grass with her feet in the water. Next to her is a small wooden kart. The kart is filled with fabrics. Samuel is the first one to approach her. He has the most manners when it comes to talking to strangers. Steve and Bruce are often overcome by their shyness and the elves have many times been perceived as rude, so Sam does most of the talking. The others are behind him with a small distance. Clint whispers in Natalia's ear.
'That's a fairy, they can be quite mischievous'
If it wasn't for his chronic distrust, Nat would have been impressed with Clint. Recognizing that, even without the stranger showing her wings wasn't easy. Many would think she is an elf herself. But she just ignores his comment.
The woman leaves her eyes closed, even when she hears someone approaching. She opens them when the sunshine doesn't reach her face anymore.
'Can I help you?'
Sam puts on his most charming smile.
'Well, I wouldn't want to bother such a stunning woman as yourself.'
She gets up and leans on the kart while putting her shoes back on. Before Sam can flirt more Bruce chimes in to stop him from further embarrassment, or at least he tries because she can clearly hear the dwarf whisper to the bard.
'She is married.'
Then the human repeats with raised eyebrows.
'You are married.'
The woman before them has to laugh.
'I’m married. How did you know?' She questions the dwarf.
'The braid', he points to it, 'in dwarf tradition braids show bonds between loved ones and a braid like this must be for marriage, although I have never seen thread so beautifully woven into one.'
'Well thank you, it's not only a dwarf tradition, the orcs of the Lynn tribe do it too.'
Now everybody is in shock. Clint is the first one to speak again.
'Don't play with us, don't lie!'
Stephen puts his hand on Clint's shoulder to calm him down, but he just slaps it away, now turned to his captain.
'No, don't you dare, as if a fairy would marry a beast, like an orc. I hardly believe that this old buddy of yours was even a real friend.' Clint goes off. Natalia notices how the stranger, standing in front of them, now has her hand in the kart beside her. Natalia wasn't on Clint's side, but she was cautious. Elves seemingly hated everybody, including themselves, and she had heard stories about the tricking ways of fairies. When she turns to the kart, Nat pulls out her knives.
'There is nothing you could show me not even a ...,' Clint’s next words are stuck in his throat, the party is silent, Nat quickly puts her weapons back. A head with bright green skin and brown locks tries to hide into the fairy's neck. The child is fighting with themself to not wake up, as chubby fingers grab onto the women’s clothes.
All trouble seems to be blown away, as soon as Clint has the child in his arms. He talks about his children at home and his wife, Laura. Meanwhile, the group learns that the fairy's name is y/n. She is married to an orc. She has never heard of a Buck, but she invites them for dinner and rest for the night.
'My husband, James, will join us in the evening. Maybe he can help you to find your friend' She says as they all arrive at her home. It’s a big cottage, parts made of stone others are wood. The entrance is gigantic, a sign for the size of its other resident. The afternoon flies by in a hurry as everybody prepares for dinner. Clint and Samual are entertaining the child, while Steve and Nat are working on a campfire. The fairy and dwarf are inside in the kitchen preparing food and talking. She learns about their mission and its importance.
The sun begins to go down as Steve enters the house to let them know Nat has started the fire. Y/n wants to thank them again for their help when she hears a door opening.
'That must be him.'
She hurries to her husband. Still in the kitchen, Bruce and Stephen can’t make out words spoken between the marriage partners, nor see them directly. The fairy quickly stretches on her toes to kiss him on the cheek and tell him about their guests. Her husband is not very sociable, so he isn’t really amused by the strangers in his home. She knows that. But he knows that she enjoys the company and being a host. His big hands touch her face. He thinks about the last time they had guests. When the baby was born, they had lots of visitors, but that was also over a year ago. So for her, he will endure it. If he could have his ways, it would just be the three of them forever, alone, safe, and in peace. But with another kiss from his wife, he prepares himself to greet the unexpected dinner guest. To everyone's surprise, the blue eyes he meets first are not unfamiliar at all.
'Buck.'