Chapter Text
Caramel Arrow let out a sigh as she leaned on the side of her watchtower. It was a quiet day. And it would likely remain quiet. She had heard the distant roar of a snow lion some time ago; an omen that a blizzard would soon descend upon the land. It was snowing already, though the flakes were drifting lazily down for now.
She headed out the door leading to the rest of the Great Chocolate wall. No creature, even the monsters of the Licorice Sea, would risk attacking during a blizzard. As dangerous as blizzards were, they were a promise of safety until they ended. The Black Citadel had enough supplies to see them through the blizzard and then some. Caramel Arrow was more worried for the villages beyond the safety of the Great Chocolate Wall.
She alerted Gatekeeper that she was going to do one final sweep around the villages before returning to the Black Citadel to wait out the blizzard with everyone else. Gatekeeper nodded to her to let her know they heard her. Caramel Arrow made her way down the wall, after that, and rushed out into the wilderness.
The forest was silent, save for the howling of the wind, and the crunch of snow beneath Caramel Arrow’s feet. She couldn’t hear horns in the distance from a village in need of help. It seemed all was well. Not that it was surprising. Very creatures were willing to venture out right before a blizzard.
Well, except snow lions. The roar of a snow lion did not bother her. Snow lions rarely went near the villages anyway, unless they were truly desperate. They preferred to prowl around the forest, searching for any lone Cookies they could ambush. Caramel Arrow had fought snow lions before. She knew how to deal with them.
Though something about this lion’s roar made her stop. It was higher pitched than normal, almost like a shriek. Was it fighting something? A Cookie’s shout confirmed this theory, and Caramel Arrow ran towards the commotion. Cacoan Warriors were a force to be reckoned with, but a snow lion’s fur was thick and difficult to cut through. She could only hear one Cookie’s voice. They would need backup if they were truly facing the beast alone.
She soon found, however, that the Cookie didn’t exactly need help at all. By the time Caramel Arrow made it there, the snow lion was lying motionless on the ground. A Cookie was standing over the body of the snow lion, their breathing labored, and body tense, but alive. Blood was dripping down from various different wounds. The wounds were, thankfully, shallow. It looked as though they had beaten the snow lion to death with their bare hands.
Shallow or not, however, wounds were wounds. If the Cookie’s weren’t treated soon, they would either bleed out, or fall to infection. Caramel Arrow could not in good conscience allow that to happen. Not on her watch.
“Who’s there?” The Cookie snarled out, whipping around to glare in Caramel Arrow’s direction as Caramel Arrow stepped out of the trees. They both let out startled noises and jumped as their gazes met.
All Cacaoans had reflective eyes. The monsters of the Licorice Sea were more active at night, so over time the Cacaoans had adapted to being awake at the same time as their mortal enemies. Most outsiders thought it was merely the Coffee Tribe who had reflective eyes, so it could be quite a shock for them to learn that it was a trait shared by all Cacaoans.
This Cookie, however, didn’t have reflective eyes. But her eyes were not normal, either. One of her eyes was glowing. Rather brightly, at that. It was a haunting pinkish glow, not too dissimilar to the color of the eyes on the crow that had fluttered down to huddle on the Cookie’s shoulder. Caramel had never met anyone whose eyes outright glowed in such a manner.
The crow on the Cookie’s shoulder that puffed out its feathers at Caramel Arrow, cawing a warning to her. Crows were a rare sight. Adaptable little critters, Caramel Arrow was certain they could live just about anywhere if they really wanted to. They seemed to dislike the near eternal snow and ice of the Cacao Kingdom, though. They were only ever seen during the warmer months. She’d never known a beast tamer to tame a crow before.
“It’s alright,” Caramel Arrow said, stepping out from the tree she had been standing under. “I am the First Watcher of the Dark Cacao Kingdom, Caramel Arrow, at your service. I heard the snow lion’s roars from afar and realized someone was fighting it. I came to offer help, but it seems you had it handled all along.”
She gave the Cookie a polite smile, eyes darting across her clothing. The Cookie was dressed in a ragged cloak. It looked far too thin to be of any use in the frigid air of the mountains. There were wraps along her visible arm and legs, though the ones on her arm and legs were now tattered and bloodied after the snow lion’s attack. Her boots, too, did not appear fit for the snow. The Cookie sank almost hip deep into the snow with every step, a clear sign she did not have cords of straw laced into the bottoms of her boots like most Cacaoans.
She wondered why the Cookie was out on her own in the wilderness. The Citadel was in need of new Watchers after the last attack from the monsters from the Licorice Sea. More were lost fighting off the beasts that tried to invade while the wall was being repaired. Perhaps this stranger was here to become a Watcher? She certainly seemed capable of it, given how she had managed to defeat a snow lion on her own, without a weapon, and in clothing very unsuited for the weather.
Frost was clinging to the Cookie’s ragged clothes. Snow had gathered in small piles on her hair and shoulders, fluttering down whenever she moved. She visibly shivered whenever she stopped for longer than a couple seconds, which wasn’t all that often. Her gaze constantly darted around, taking in every detail, from the way the trees bent under the force of the howling wind, to the distant shadows of birds as they soared overhead to find a place to hide from the coming storm. She took a small step back when Caramel Arrow moved to approach her.
“Which clan or village do you hail from, traveler?” Caramel Arrow asked her. “I am willing to see you home safely. It’s dangerous to be out in the middle of the night, especially with a blizzard on the way.”
“Right.” The Cookie stared blankly at Caramel Arrow as she rambled on. “I’m used to being up at night. I’ll be on my way, now.”
She was dodging questions. Was she some sort of criminal fleeing from the village she’d wronged? Or was she like Crunchy Chip had been; surviving in the wilderness all alone with nothing but an animal to keep her company? Regardless of the reasoning, despite her suspicions, Caramel Arrow did not feel comfortable simply leaving her out there alone with her injuries.
“Allow me to help you,” Caramel Arrow said quickly, rushing to walk beside the Cookie as she began to walk away. “I can escort you to the Black Citadel. I know all of the fastest routes there.”
Judging from the withering stare the Cookie cast her, Caramel Arrow got the sense she was not too enthused to have a companion. Still, the Cookie nodded and motioned for Caramel Arrow to lead the way. If she had any complaints, she kept them to herself.
Caramel Arrow swiftly wrapped up the Cookie’s wound with some supplies she always kept on her. She could worry about getting her proper help once they made it to the Black Citadel. She was able to stop the bleeding, at least, and that would be enough for now.
Caramel Arrow had to stop several times and wait for the Cookie to catch up with her. It was already difficult enough for the visitor to have to make her way through the snow without the proper clothing for it. But she was also injured, and likely already exhausted from her fight, and whatever traveling she’d been doing before the attack.
“Are you alright?” Caramel Arrow asked, hurrying to the other Cookie’s side when she saw her stumble.
“I’m fine,” the traveler huffed. “Not having a great time, though, I’ll admit that much. I’m getting snow in places it should never be.”
Caramel Arrow had to stifle a laugh. The Cookie’s wit was still sharp, it seemed. That was a good sign. She was still focused and alert. But how long would that last? No doubt the chill was already creeping in, judging from the way the visitor was shivering. It wouldn’t be long until the cold sapped whatever strength she had left.
“I could carry you, if that would help,” Caramel Arrow offered. “We could make it back to the Citadel much faster that way, and you wouldn’t have to be stuck in the snow.”
The Cookie thought over her offer before shrugging. “Sure,” she replied. “If it means I don’t have to deal with this powdered bullshit, I’m willing to let you carry me.”
Caramel Arrow carefully picked up the Cookie, trying not to jostle her too much as she continued walking. The Cookie’s crow fluttered off her shoulder and perched on Caramel Arrow’s instead, clicking its beak as it huddled against her neck. Its feathers tickled.
“This is actually pretty nice,” the Cookie hummed. “Maybe I should have asked you to carry me sooner.” Her voice had taken on a deeper, more smoother tone. Caramel Arrow nearly tripped.
On the way back to the Black Citadel, Caramel Arrow tried to get more information out of the Cookie, but she was very secretive. The most Caramel Arrow could get out of her was that her crow’s name was Grape. Which was not exactly helpful, though it was kind of cute. A fitting name for the round bird.
She sat the Cookie down once she felt the stones of the path leading to the Black Citadel beneath her boots. Caramel Arrow motioned for the Cookie to stay close to her as she approached the Black Citadel so Gatekeeper knew the Cookie was a guest.
“Here we are.” Caramel Arrow smiled. “Welcome to the Black Citadel, miss…?”
“Thanks,” the Cookie said, ignoring the obvious request for her name. “Can we head inside, now?” She seemed rather uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Her blunt tone nearly made Caramel Arrow choke. Caramel Arrow couldn’t quite blame her for wanting to get inside quickly, though. It was growing colder by the second, and the Cookie’s clothing hardly seemed warm. Perhaps this attitude was brought on by the cold, and her injuries. Still, it would take some time to get used to her informal tone, regardless of the reason behind it.
“Seriously, can we head inside?” the Cookie asked again, more wearily this time, snapping Caramel Arrow out of her thoughts. “I’m freezing my ass off out here.”
Caramel Arrow stood corrected; it would take a lot of time to get used to this Cookie’s manner of speaking.
“Of course,” Caramel Arrow replied, sputtering a bit. “Please, follow me.”
“First Watcher!” And there was Crunchy Chip, returning from a training session in the wilderness to wait out the blizzard in the Black Citadel. He was grinning, a good sign that all was well with the Cream Wolf Division, and Crunchy Chip himself. Caramel Arrow smiled as he approached.
“Who’s this?” Crunchy Chip’s cream wolf slowed to a stop, sniffing curiously in the direction of their guest. Crunchy Chip’s eyes narrowed. The Cookie stiffened as the two approached, her eyes darting warily down to the cream wolf.
“A guest,” Caramel Arrow replied. “We were just about to head inside. I found her out in the wilderness. She killed a snow lion on her own with her bare hands, but was injured in the process. She doesn’t seem to live in any of the nearby villages, so I offered to shelter her here at the Black Citadel.” Crunchy Chip’s brows shot up.
“She killed a snow lion?” he echoed. “Alone?” His gaze found the scar that slashed across the right side of her face and stayed there until the Cookie’s crow fluttered off of Caramel Arrow’s shoulder and back to its owner’s.
Oh, boy, Caramel Arrow thought. I need to stop this right now.
Crunchy Chip had a habit of chatting with other beast tamers for hours upon meeting them. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue. But the last thing their guest needed was to be kept out longer than necessary in the snow.
Caramel Arrow cleared her throat, catching their attention before Crunchy Chip had a chance to even ask about the crow. “We will head inside now. If you are alright with it, dear guest, I can lend you a Watcher uniform to wear while you are here. It will be far warmer.” The Cookie tipped her head to the side, considering the offer.
“That sounds like a good idea,” the Cookie replied, a hint of a smile on her face. “It would be nice to be able to walk around without worrying about turning into an icicle within an hour.”
It was almost endearing, in a way, how this Cookie was so willing to joke around with strangers, if not a bit odd. It was as if she already considered them to be close friends, despite just meeting them. Caramel Arrow hoped that she truly was there to become a Watcher, or at the very least would consider it.
“Yeah, I don’t want to be the one to tell the king that you froze to death out here on our watch,” Crunchy Chip said.
Crunchy Chip was always good at adapting to others. He must have picked up on the guest’s more relaxed and aloof attitude, and was now attempting to copy it. Sometimes Caramel Arrow wished she could so easily match another Cookie’s energy like he could. It would probably make this whole thing go a whole lot smoother if she could.
Crunchy Chip nudged the visitor with his elbow, and she responded in turn with a shove of her own that knocked him right off his cream wolf’s back and into the snow. Crunchy Chip howled with laughter and jumped up. The two danced around each other, each trying to shove the other into the snow while also trying to keep pace with Caramel Arrow as she walked through the Black Citadel. The visitor’s reflexes were fast, but the snow slowed her down. Caramel Arrow wondered what it would be like to witness her fight without being hindered in any way.
Caramel Arrow knew she should be scolding Crunchy Chip and insisting he be more professional. Such antics normally weren’t allowed when they were working, but an exception could be made this once, Caramel Arrow decided. Affogato wasn’t there breathing down their necks, threatening to tattle to the King at that moment. Instead he was safely tucked away in the Black Citadel. And they did have to make sure their guest was comfortable and happy. If that meant goofing around a bit with her, then so be it. Still, Caramel Arrow kept out of the roughhousing herself. Maybe another time she could join in, but she was on duty now.
“Oh, I see how it is.” Caramel Arrow looked over her shoulder as their guest scoffed. Her crow had nestled into the cream wolf’s thick coat of fur, dissatisfied with its owner’s inability to keep it warm. “You abandon me at the first sign of something else to cuddle with. Rude.”
“Nothing can keep you warmer than cream wolf fur,” Crunchy Chip laughed, reaching over to pat his wolf’s side. “That’s why those of us here in the Black Citadel line our clothes with their fur!”
Many of the Watchers and Warriors stationed around the Black Citadel stopped to bow their heads respectfully to Caramel Arrow as she walked by. They cast curious looks to the Cookie, who fiddled with her cloak and wrapped it tightly around herself.
“You really don’t like attention much, do you?” Crunchy Chip asked her.
“I prefer to keep watch in the shadows,” the Cookie replied tersely.
“Well, you won’t stand out too much once you have that Watcher’s uniform,” Crunchy Chip said as he dusted the snow off himself and climbed back onto his wolf’s back. “I’ll let you do that now, and notify the King of your arrival.”
“I wish you wouldn’t bother him,” Caramel Arrow sighed. “I don’t think he’ll mind. He trusts me enough to let me handle a single guest.” Crunchy Chip gave her a weird look.
“I think he should still know,” Crunchy Chip said. Something in his voice had changed. Caramel Arrow made a mental note to question him later about it.
“Alright,” Caramel Arrow nodded to him. “I’ll take her to get a uniform, then. Try not to challenge Affogato Cookie, Crunchy Chip Cookie. We don’t need another incident between you two.”
“I won’t make any promises,” Crunchy Chip replied.
“Oh, hush, you,” the guest scolded. Caramel Arrow was taken aback by her tone, thinking for a moment she was speaking to Crunchy Chip. She realized her mistake before she made a fool of herself. The Cookie was merely speaking to her crow, who was now cawing in protest as she plucked it from its spot on the cream wolf’s back.
The crow perched back on its owner’s arm, glowering at Caramel Arrow as she led the Cookie through the halls. Caramel Arrow tried to ignore the stare of the crow as they stepped into a room. She picked up an unused uniform that had been recently washed.
Each Watcher had their own uniform custom tailored to them, made up of specific shades of brown and black, always with a lighter pattern on the bottom that curved like waves. Each uniform had at least three layers, the innermost of which was made from Cream Wolf fur to keep them warm on the coldest of nights.
The uniform Caramel Arrow had grabbed was one often worn by new trainees until they could have their proper uniform made for them. It was simple in design compared to the personal uniforms, but still contained the same three layers, and it’s quality was no lower than the custom uniforms. She turned to hand the uniform to the Cookie, and sucked in a breath at the sight that greeted her.
The crow had moved up to sit on its owner’s head as she removed her cloak and the guard covering her right shoulder. Caramel Arrow understood now why she kept that side protected with the guard. The Cookie was missing most of her right arm, a scarred stump being all that was left of it. There were various other scars scattered around that were now visible now that the wrappings covering her remaining arm were off. The muscles in her remaining arm were far easier to see now. Her right arm must have been lost long ago, the left having grown stronger to make up for its loss.
Caramel Arrow wouldn’t deny that she was staring. Quite intently, at that. It was a silent request for the Cookie to share the story behind each of her scars. To give her an excuse to boast about her own strengths, and allow Caramel Arrow to learn about her in a more subtle way while doing so.
Cacaoans knew better than anyone that one could learn more about a Cookie than most would expect in a fight. In watching another fight, they learned about the way they moved, whether or not they were light on their feet and preferred to dodge around a blow, or if they preferred to take the hit and block it, using their own brute strength to throw their enemy off balance.
They learned if they preferred to plan out their next move, keeping their distance, or holding their enemy by locking blades until they came up with a plan to defeat them. Or if they preferred to make things up as they go along, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of weakness that could be exploited at a moment’s notice.
They learned if they were reckless and ran into a fight, blades gleaming, or if they stood back and studied the enemy before jumping in, perhaps even had the patience to wait for the enemy to come to them.
However, the Cookie didn’t seem to understand the implications of the way Caramel Arrow was staring at her.
“What?” The Cookie shifted slightly as she noticed the way Caramel Arrow was staring at her. She followed Caramel Arrow’s gaze. “My arm? It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. It happened a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry,” Caramel Arrow said quickly, deeply confused as to why this Cookie was suddenly so self conscious. “I swear to you, I meant no disrespect. Scars are nothing to be ashamed of. They’re actually quite attractive; they’re proof you fought a difficult battle and survived. I was merely curious about the battles you fought to earn them, and was hoping you might be willing to share them with me. Eventually, at least, if not today.” She grew flustered when the Cookie’s brows shot up. “I mean- well- ahem. I will leave you alone to change, now!”
Caramel Arrow couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. She could faintly hear the lovely sound of the Cookie’s laughter through the sliding door. One way or another, this visit was going to be the death of her. She just knew it.
Crunchy Chip returned shortly thereafter, before the Cookie had finished training, and motioned for Caramel Arrow to come over to him. He still looked troubled. Caramel Arrow got the feeling that this was about whatever was bothering him earlier.
“First Watcher, she doesn’t smell Cacaoan,” he whispered. Caramel Arrow blinked. Crunchy Chip was never one to beat around the bush. But his words still perplexed her. He could communicate seamlessly with his wolves, and his sense of smell was certainly stronger than the average Cookie's, but Caramel Arrow had no idea that Cacoans had a distinct smell about them.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I dunno.” Crunchy Chip shrugged, making a face. “It’s just- well- Cacaoans smell of bitterness and chocolate. But she doesn’t smell like either of those things. I mean, she’s not sweet, sweet, but her smell isn’t anything like ours. It’s actually kind of strong? Sort of... Tangy, I think? It's hard to explain. It's like a dried fruit.”
“What does that mean?” Caramel Arrow asked slowly. She was already starting to pick up on what Crunchy Chip was implying, but she was having a bit of trouble believing it.
“I don’t think she’s from our Kingdom,” Crunchy Chip replied. “I don’t think she’s even from this region of Earthbread. I think she's from past the Giant Icing Ridge. Way past it. Maybe from a different Kingdom.”
He was right. He had to be right. It was the only explanation Caramel Arrow could come up with for why the Cookie had been so underdressed for the weather. Why she didn’t seem to understand how to act in front of high ranking officials like Caramel Arrow and Crunchy Chip. Why she didn’t seem to understand the customs of the Cacao Kingdom, and hid her scars away instead of displaying them proudly.
But that only caused Caramel Arrow’s stomach to twist in concern even more. What made her brave the wilds of the Dark Cacao Kingdom? Why come all this way from whichever other Kingdom she’s from?
Caramel Arrow and Crunchy Chip quieted as the Cookie stepped out of the room, wearing the uniform she’d been given. Caramel Arrow noted that the uniform fit the Cookie quite well.
Caramel Arrow walked over and, after gaining permission to do so, helped adjust the uniform and fix the belt. The Cookie had fastened the belt a bit too low. She also made sure to pin up the right sleeve as well so it wouldn’t get caught on anything.
A part of her really wanted to know the story behind the Cookie’s missing arm. Well, all of her scars, really. Such stories were easy to hear from Cacaons. All you needed to do was let your gaze linger on a Cacaoan’s scar, and then suddenly you’d be swept up into a grandiose story of survival and glory. They always loved an excuse to boast about their scars. Caramel Arrow herself was no exception to this, but she at least would ask if someone had the time to listen to the story before rambling on.
She was unsure if it would be appropriate to ask the Cookie upfront about her scars, though, especially her arm. Now that she suspected this Cookie was from a different Kingdom entirely, she was now painfully aware of the cultural differences between them. Judging from how tense the Cookie had grown when she caught Caramel Arrow staring, Caramel Arrow feared it may be rude to ask.
She wondered if it was rude to ask for the Cookie’s name outright as well. She still had not yet learned the name of this mysterious visitor. She would likely learn it eventually, so Caramel Arrow tried not to dwell on that question for too long.
“Hey, do you think I could speak with your king?” the Cookie asked. “I have a letter for him, from one of the other kings. I mean, it’s not urgent or anything, but it still needs to get to him at some point.”
“You- you what!?” Caramel Arrow sputtered. Crunchy Chip stiffened and let out a strangled noise.
“Why didn’t you say that sooner, like when I went to tell him of your arrival earlier!?” he questioned. The Cookie shrugged.
“Didn’t come up,” she answered. “So, can I speak to him or not?”
“Yes, yes, of course!” Caramel Arrow replied. She and Crunchy Chip shared a panicked look before Crunchy Chip scurried off to gather the rest of the council, and notify Dark Cacao of the situation.
I hope the King isn’t too upset by this last minute meeting, Caramel Arrow thought to herself. How troublesome this guest is! She should have led with this when we first met!
“Come, I will take you to the throne room,” Caramel Arrow tried to keep her voice steady. “We will have a warm meal during the meeting. After that, we’ll see about getting your wounds treated.”
“I thought you’d forgotten about my fight with that lion,” the Cookie snorted. “I should be fine. I heal fast.”
Considering she had survived losing her arm, along with numerous other wounds, possibly while she was entirely on her own, Caramel Arrow didn’t doubt that. Still, she didn’t want to risk their guest succumbing to infection. She wondered what had led the Cookie to carry a message from another Kingdom. Caramel Arrow doubted it was bad, if it wasn’t urgent. But considering the Cookie’s attitude, she wasn’t sure if that was true or not, or if the Cookie just thought it wasn’t urgent.
Please, let this meeting end well.