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With all of their running and staying on the move, Nari’s hair had been slipping out of its carefully braided state. She found herself constantly brushing strands out of her eyes, even with the beanie she was wearing in her human “disguise”. Between that and the anxiety that spiked every time the warm wind caressed her skin gently, she was reaching a breaking point.
That was when Douxie put his hands on her shoulders — she hadn’t realized she’d been pacing — and sat her down in a chair at their current hotel room. She was a little caught off guard but she did settle back, peeking back at him.
“You’re starting to stress me out more than I already am,” he teased her while he pulled the beanie from her head.
“Oh.” Nari shifted a little, fingers absently playing with the leaves at her waist. Once the restraint was gone, her hair practically covered her vision and she swiped at it in frustration. “I am sorry, Douxie.”
“Nah, I get it.” Douxie brushed it off and reached to pull back her hair. “Can’t say I’m any good at this sort of thing, but you seem to be pretty agitated by it?”
“It is…difficult to do on my own,” Nari admitted absently. “Galahad…he helped, but we also were not running as much as we are now with his flying castle. And Merlin would sometimes help, too…”
At Merlin’s name, Nari could feel the tension in Douxie’s hands as he worked in brushing her hair back, undoing what had been there. She hesitated before reaching back, touching his thigh.
“Ah…well, least I know I’ve only got two other competitors,” Douxie mused absently, doing his best to shake his discomfort. “Did you keep it like this before?”
“Yes.” It was Nari’s turn to tense, and she absently hugged herself. “…Skrael is really good at the caring of hair. He is the one that cuts Bellroc’s when it gets too long that it bothers them, and…he is the one that first braided my hair…”
“Oh.” Again, there was a tension with Douxie, and she could hear the frown on his face with just that one word. “Y’know, we talk a lot about their hate for humanity, but…you haven’t told me too much of just…them? Before all this?”
Nari leaned back in the chair and peeked up at him upside down, watching the tightening of his eyes or the downturn of his mouth. When he caught her looking, however, he flashed a smile.
“Are you sure you wish to know more of them?”
“May as well get as much info as I can from the two all-powerful wizards that are pursuing us,” he pointed out before his expression softened. “…plus, the way you talk about them — seems like you really miss them.”
“I…” Nari straightened again so he could continue brushing out her hair. In a way, having her hair straightened from its complex braid, especially now knowing that they were all the closer to her, made her feel as if she was just that much more disconnected from them. “…I do.”
Douxie’s hands shifted in her hair, and there was a moment where his hand gently brushed along her antler that helped her relax just a little. The way he was already handling her hair pulled herself into the past.
Nari’s mouth was moving, but what she heard was different; she was in a stone room, surrounded by various plant life long since extinct, and seated in front of an icy mirror that had been created from the floor up. In the corner was a nest piled with pelts and furs, made up of long dead and currently new animals. Remembering and appreciating life… She squirmed a little and made to move, but a cold hand pushed her down gently.
“Skrael, how long is this going to take? I want to go outside,” she whined, trying to peek back but once again his cold hand kept her facing the icy wall.
The reflection showed her in vibrant greens accented with flowers of various colors and finished with striking gold and black eyes. But for as clear as she was, the being behind her looked to be simply a floating cloak adorned with a helmet made of a skull from a long forgotten animal. Just beneath it was a glowing blue from the depths of the shadows.
“I would prefer that you do not trip over this ridiculous mess that you call hair,” he answered. His voice was just barely above a whisper, but it felt like it caressed her skin, bringing up bumps along her arms. His frigid breath on the back of her neck only added to that.
“It is not that bad!” Nari huffed indignantly. “I can still see.”
“Barely.” His hand moved, brushing away her bangs. In the mirror, she saw just how much hair had really been in her face once he pulled it aside. Her eyes sparkled a little before she huffed, lips downturned.
“I do not wish for it to be cut off like Bellroc. I like what it looks like!”
“I will not cut it that short.” Skrael’s voice sounded amused, and over her shoulder she could see the smile on his face. “I have seen a curious new trend among mankind involving intricate hair patterns. If those creatures look acceptable with that, you will look far more beautiful.”
Nari blinked a few times at him but she did settle back a little while his fingers raked through her hair, carefully pulling aside large chunks. She could feel him pull them together, and her foot tapped a little with her impatience.
“I did not know you were looking at those beings,” she commented in half amusement. “I thought the North Wind preferred to remain far away. “For the balance”.” She mimicked his whispering voice and received a playful tug on her hair.
“I do not interact, unlike a certain someone I know.” His voice was accusing, and she ducked her head as much as she could. “However, I do watch. And I see. Their traditions are…intriguing, and perhaps they have creativity enough to craft something beautiful.”
“Careful, Skrael. You almost sound like you’re praising them,” Nari teased, but she did settle down for him.
He hummed behind her, and she tried to read his expression in the reflection. But he was hidden beneath his hood, and the only part of his body she saw were his clawed hands brushing her hair back between her antlers. It was soothing, and she leaned a little more into it. She couldn’t see what he was doing behind her, but it was feeling nice.
“You should keep your distance from them. Mankind is not one of ours,” Skrael commented after a moment, and Nari exhaled.
“You sound like Bellroc,” she mumbled, pulling her knees up so she could rest her chin on top. “They are not that bad…and the young like to play, just like any fawn or kit.”
“Hmmm.” Skrael was starting to weave her hair together, she could feel him gently but tightly pulling each chunk he had separated earlier. “There are already troubling signs of their overreach.”
“They are still finding their place,” Nari responded absently. “The balance is not yet at risk, and…I enjoy the smiles on their faces.”
“You do not need to make your case to me,” Skrael stated simply. “I simply want you to be careful about getting attached.”
Nari huffed, blowing a stray strand out of her face before it was pulled back into the weaving. Silence settled between them again, the only sound her breathing as she thought on his words. Both of them were so quick to judge, but things had been fine so far. There was nothing to worry about…
“There.”
Nari didn’t realized Skrael had finished until he floated into her line of sight, and she lifted her head up. He gestured towards the icy mirror, and when she followed the gesture, she saw he had put up another mirror behind her to show off the intricate patterns he had braided her hair into. Her eyes brightened and she smiled.
“Skrael, this is beautiful!” She hopped up onto the knotted roots that she had been sitting on, twirling around.
“I think it could use some flowers,” Skrael commented, helping her down by the hand and floating to her side. “Hmm…pink would be a good color.”
Nari smiled and she waved a hand over one of the braided sections. From the greens of her hair sprouted pink petals, and she smiled at her reflection.
“It looks really good, Skrael,” Nari said. But Skrael wasn’t there. She turned her head a little, almost confused when she saw she was no longer in the cave — instead, she was in some rundown hotel in front of a propped up, glass mirror, seated on a wooden chair, and staring into the dark eyes of a surprised Douxie.
“Heh, well I’ll take my wok being compared to Skrael as a compliment?” He offered, though he looked concerned.
“Douxie…” Nari looked around, brows knitting a little, before she somewhat slumped. “Sorry. I suppose I…lost myself there, while telling the story.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Douxie squeezed her shoulders before helping her up. “Are you okay…?”
“Yes.” Nari ran a hand over the braid her hair was in. Similar, but it lacked the craftsmanship of… She shook her head. “I miss them, but I do not agree with what they want from me. We must keep moving.”
Douxie offered a smile. He helped get her beanie back on and offered his hand. She reached to take it, scooping up the potted plant that had been resting on the nightstand between beds.
On their way out, there was a gust of wind that seemed to swirl around her. It was colder than the other day, and it pulled her lips into a frown. The caress felt more like a cut, and she leaned closer to Douxie.