Chapter Text
“Did you pack a coat?”
“I’m wearing it.”
“A second one I mean. What if it gets wet?”
“That’s what coats are for, mother.”
Melina mentally rolled her eyes. Marika had been over her shoulder checking if she had everything since the dawn. It was now nearing noon. Melina could had packed everything in an hour, but no. Her mother had be overbearing and stall them forever again.
“Did you bring a coat?” Melina counterattacked as she checked that her bandages and healing herbs were still secured.
“You know I don’t need one.”
“Second pair of shoes, one or two more chitons,” Melina suggested.
“I’m fine like this.”
Like this was a simple black chiton with the only notes of royalty being the golden pin on the shoulder and the string on her waist, which was painted royal purple. Her feet were naked, but Melina knew she would switch to sandals when they left the capital.
“Unlike you, mother, your clothes can be damaged,” despite the eons of years Marika had over her, Melina often felt like she was talking to a teenager. “You don’t want to return to the capital torn up and with broken sandals. You still have an image to uphold.”
Marika rolled her eyes and dragged her steps towards a chest. A thousand years old teenager. Melina smiled at the thought. At their rare trips they took together, her mother was completely dropping her legality and ruthlessness, becoming a person you could be fooled to think was a normal human. Well, apart from her size.
“I’m taking one,” Marika announced and threw a wrinkled chiton at her daughter’s pack.
“Sandals?” Melina asked, folding the clothing carefully.
“I’ll walk barefoot.”
“Of course,” Melina was already dreading the inevitable complaining in a few days time. “I believe that’s everything. I’ll pass by the market to get some things, you need anything?”
“Cakes, nuts and honey. And you need to say goodbye to your brother,” Marika said. Ever since Radahn had his big fight with his siblings, Marika had grown anxious about her kids not liking each other. It was a valid fear, since most of the Carians held a grudge at her and the Golden Order.
“I’m getting cakes and nuts. I’m not carrying jars of honey on Torrent,” Melina dreaded the thought of having to clean honey off of Torrent’s mane and skirt. “And I talked to Godwyn at dawn, he wished us well.”
“Oh. Well, I’ll go on my own then,” Marika sounded disappointed. “I’ll meet you at the north gate?”
“Yes.”
“Good, good. Be safe,” she said, leaving the room.
The villages were still and quiet. The only movement came from the windmills, as their blades were slowly pushed by the wind. Lower, at the hills overlooking the forest, golden reeds moved like gentle waves. From her vantage point next to the guard tower, Melina could some times see the villagers moving around the fields.
The calm of the noon was interrupted by the heavy flapping of wings coming from behind the walls. Melina turned to look and soon enough, Fortissax made their appearance over the walls. Immediately they spotted her and blinked at her.
Melina waved, hiding her amusement at the dragon’s attempt of a wink. In her human form, they were able to copy human expression and ways fairly easy, despite their bewilderment for most of them. Melina had spend some time teaching her how to wink to surprise Godwyn, but in Dragon form their technique needed much improvement.
Her thoughts of Fortissax’s human teachings vanished as she saw a knife jump off their back, turning into Marika in the air, and plummeting down to the ground. To her surprise, she landed silently and with barely any dirt kicking up. The aura of a spell was circling her chest and feet, letting Melina know that she had used one of her silent incantations.
“Hi,” Marika greeted her with an amused smile.
“Hello, mother,” Melina kept her own smile small. “How did you convince Fortissax to carry you?”
“I didn’t,” Marika’s smile widened as she waved up at the Dragon. “I disguised myself as one of Godwyn’s knives.”
Up in the air, Godwyn was frantically apologising and trying to convince Fortissax not to restart the Great Dragon War.
“Oh, mother…” Melina hid her face on her hand, ashamed for the acts Marika would never be.
Above them, Fortissax roared with rage enough to send the guards on the tower to their knees. The Dragon circled over Marika and Melina for a moment, then flew away, flapping their wings with anger.
“You can’t go riding whomever you want,” Melina started and immediately regretted her choice of words at the look her mother gave her.
“I can’t?” Marika’s smirk widened.
“Oh, for Erdtree’s sake, don’t.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I know what you’ll say, and it’s dumb. And I don’t need to hear my mother making innuendos this early in the trip,” Melina insisted and tried to return to Fortissax’s reaction. “You’re gonna have to deal with them, and find a proper way to apologise.”
Marika shrugged.
“Mother, I’m serious,” Melina’s face hardened. “That was too far, they’re not some mount you can ride whenever you want.”
Marika returned her serious look, observing her daughter carefully. After a moment, she raised her hands to her head.
“Alright, alright. I’ll talk with them when I return,” she surrendered.
“You’ll apologise?”
“Oh— Fine! yes, I’ll apologise, I promise.”
“Thank you,” Melina softened and smiled. She knew that apologies wasn’t something Marika did often. “Now, shall we go through the villages first? I helped with the harvest once, when a son was sick. We might be offered some honey after all.”
“Always the helper,” Marika teased and began walking. “You know that I named you after honey in my old language?”
“Yes,” Melina followed her.
“You know why?”
“Yes, you’ve said it a thousand times.”
“Well,” Marika continued unfazed. “I saw you, and I immediately knew you’d be sweet as honey.”
Melina rolled her eyes, smiling. Travelling alone with Torrent was her life, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t miss her trips with her mother.