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The saviour of Khaenri'ah is shivering. His father must've gotten things wrong. How can he be their last hope if he can't even handle some rain without beginning to shiver like a lamb in the wolf's den? The sound of his teeth chattering is almost as loud as the rain.
The rotting wood of the shack does little to keep him dry, even after scooting close to the wall to stop the rain from pelting his side. This shelter is falling apart, maybe he should find another. His skin is cold and beginning to numb under his soaked cloak.
Up the hill, a large manor house glows warmly. It would be inviting, but the little would-be hero knows it's full of strange people who speak a strange language. He's not prepared for that yet. There's another structure nearby in the same style of the manor, not as bright as the main building with a connected pasture. It looks like a stable.
Before Khaenri'ah was reduced to rubble, Kaeya's father had been the stable master for the king's horses, so he'd spent no small amount of time around the horned animals.
Cautiously, he creeps out of the shed and up the muddy road. The lantern swinging on the post by the door is miraculously still lit.
Kaeya has to stand on his toes and really stretch to reach the lock keeping the smaller door shut. It slides out of the way and he smiles. The wind fights against him as he tries to open it before eventually ripping the door out of his grasp. It slams into the wall with a horribly loud noise and, judging by the way a light comes on in the nearby house, alerts someone.
Startled, the little Khaenri'ahn boy scurries into the barn and tries to pull the door shut behind him to no avail.
A man shouts from the direction of the house he'd seen earlier and he abandons the door, moving deeper into the building. He peeks in a couple of the stalls, the horses mostly pay him no mind. None of them have horns which is… odd. Did they get cut off?
Coming across an empty stall to hide in, he unlocks the gate and pulls the door open. He closes it behind him and ducks down to avoid being seen as two voices enter the stables.
They draw closer, speaking to each other in their strange tongue that he doesn't understand.
He holds his breath, clenches his jaw to stop his chattering teeth, and pushes himself against the wall as they stop in front of his hiding spot. The lock for the gate slides shut again and the two men leave soon after.
With a sigh of relief, the boy sheds his soaked cloak and sets it aside. His clothes underneath are wet but not soaked. He's still quivering from the bone-deep chill inflicted upon his body by the wind and rain.
He breathes into his cupped hands and rubs his arms, pulling up his legs to his chest. The sawdust and hay bedding is warm and dry, but he really wishes he had a blanket. He relaxes into the corner. It will be bright and dry when he wakes up, surely.
Outside the rain is still pouring, dripping from the eve of the building and into the small channel which has begun to form. He's tucked into the corner farthest from the open door leading out into the pasture, giving him a nice view of how awful the current weather is.
A flash of light hits the ground, followed instantly by a near deafening boom.
Kaeya jumps with a yelp. Tears well in his eyes and fall down his cheeks.
Tevyat is awful. It's loud and cold and now it's so dark he could barely see in front of himself when he was outside.
He hides his face in his knees and begins to cry.
He wants to be back home with his momma and papa and sisters. He misses his bedroom and his blankets.
He cries until his eyes feel too heavy to keep open. He's half-asleep, curled up in the hay when the snort of an animal startles him.
Expecting to see some kind of monster ready to tear him apart, he's almost surprised to be met with a horse's twitching nose sniffing at his cloak.
She's tall, very, very tall, grey with a black face and legs, and a white star on her head where her horn should be. She could easily squish him like a bug considering how big she is compared to the other horses he'd seen.
He shrinks back and she lifts her head to look at the boy, bringing her nose to sniff him.
He's expecting her to figure out he's an intruder and kill him. Instead she continues to sniff around for a moment before trying to nose open his traveler's bag. It's a small thing with barely any room to actually store anything.
"Food?" he asks slowly, reaching in and pulling out a cloth baggy tied up with a piece of twine. When the fabric falls open, he retrieves a shiny red piece of fruit and lets the horse eat it from his open palm.
She pushes her nose into his hands, prompting him to gently rub her face.
"Good, good," he recites. The horse doesn't care if he can't properly speak Tevyat Common and is only crudely copying what few words his father had taught him. He gives her another piece of fruit.
Eventually, though, Kaeya runs out of fruit slices and the horse moves to lay down beside him, resting her head on his legs.
The rain has begun to calm down and Kaeya finally drifts off to sleep.
===
There are many things the servants at the Dawn Winery expect when they enter the stables. The smell of horses and hay, the occasional bird nesting in the rafters. And Valkyrie's burning hatred for everything that breathes.
The one thing they don't expect when opening the gate to her stall just enough to deliver her bucket of feed is the sight of a small boy in the corner.
Naturally, the stable hands panic. One of them goes to fetch the winery master while the other three muster up the courage to disrupt the shire's breakfast and retrieve what's likely a corpse from her bedding.
Master Crepus arrives to pandemonium in the stables. One of the stable hands is rushing out with a bloodied cloth held to her hand. The other two are out in the pasture trying to pull a very stubborn workhorse out of her stall. And in the midst of it all, there's a child crying somewhere.
Poor little Kaeya's peaceful sleep had been interrupted by the murmuring of strange voices all around him. He woke to a woman crouching in front of him with her hand outstretched to grab him, speaking words he didn't understand.
This was supposed to happen, he was supposed to infiltrate into Tevyat society and use the information to save Khaenri'ah.
But he's not ready to be a hero yet.
He whimpered and backed into the corner he'd been hiding in the night before, shaking his head. With a squeal, the mare suddenly turned her head to the lady and swiftly nipped her little finger off. The worker retreated with a screech.
The horse pinned her ears flat at the workers and snorted, as if daring them to mess with the boy again. They retreat to fetch a rope and pull her out.
It takes half an hour of bribing and tugging to finally get Valkyrie out of her stall, even then Crepus is almost convinced she only left to chase the stable hands out of the pasture.
The outer gate is closed, ensuring the ornery mare won't be able to come back in from the field.
“What's your name?” The man asks, sitting on the opposite side of the stall.
Kaeya pulls his knees to his chest and looks away. He didn't know what the man was saying, but he knew that last word. Softly, he mumbles, “Kaeya.”
It takes two hours for Crepus to coax the boy out of the murderous horse’s stall.
This is it, Kaeya thinks, the start of his hero’s journey. He's still not ready.
===
Kaeya is ten when he gets his own horse. Dolly is a strong and sturdy silver bay thoroughbred, young and obedient. She's easy to ride and Crepus helps him learn how to seamlessly.
But there's no chemistry between them. Kaeya likes her, he really does, but hanging out with her outside of practice just isn't enjoyable. He prefers to spend his time in Valkyrie’s pasture reading books to her as she lays beside him.
The workers had panicked the first time he'd climbed over the fence into her field, dragging him out and scolding him the whole way back to the manor. That never stopped him though as time and time again he'd return to sit in the shade of his favourite tree until they gave up trying to dissuade him.
He's sitting out there the day a man arrives. He pays no mind to him at first, after all people visit the winery all the time. Soon, however, he finds the man approaching the fence, trying to talk to him.
“Excuse me, stable hand, where can I find the master of the house?”
Kaeya closes his book and looks up at him. Was this man speaking to him? He's not a stable hand.
“Father is in the main house.”
The man shakes his head, “no, no, not your father. The winery master, Crepus Ragnvindr.”
Kaeya stares, now confused and no longer confident enough to answer him.
The stranger sighs and pinches his nose.
“Could you just go fetch him? Tell him that Sir Lawrence is here about the workhorse for sale.”
“We have none workhorses for sale.”
“The shire, Valkyrie. She's listed for sale on the message boards in the city.”
Kaeya shakes his head, still confused.
“Valkyrie is not for sale.”
It's clear the Lawrence man is beginning to get frustrated.
“I will not sit here and explain this to a servant boy. My business here is with Master Ragnvindr, now go fetch him.”
Kaeya shrinks back and the man finally catches the attention of the murderous mare who'd been grazing nearby. She pins her ears back, lifting her head to look at him with a snort.
“It would do you some good to treat my son with respect, Sir Lawrence,” Crepus says approaching the nobleman. Diluc runs up to the fence, calling out for Kaeya to come play with him.
The Lawrence man splutters, at a loss for words. After all, Kaeya looks nothing like the other Ragnvindrs, how was he supposed to know?
Said boy jumps up from his seat under the tree and wraps his arms around the mare who's now standing beside him. She leans down to rub her face on his shoulder. He's so tiny compared to her, not even half her height.
“Father! That man says Valkyrie is for sale on the messaging boards.”
Crepus grimaces at the tear-filled, puppy eyes pointed at him.
Everyone at the manor had agreed it would be best to sell her off. She's never been the same after the loss of her foal, any grief she should've had was replaced only by rage. Sure, she was strong and made plowing the fields a breeze (when she was willing to work,) but was it really worth the amount of workers she'd injured or chased away. He had some reservations about selling her regardless. After all, what kind of husband sells his deceased wife’s favourite horse. Ultimately, he yields.
“I fear there's been a mistake, Sir Lawrence. Those posters are outdated, this horse is not for sale.”
Kaeya cheers and hugs the huge workhorse as best he can. She leans her head down so he can wrap his arms around her neck.
He runs off to play with Diluc soon after.
===
Kaeya is fifteen when he first truly sneaks out on his own. He'd left the house in the middle of the night before, usually to get into mischief with his brother or simply to lay in the pasture and stare at the stars. This time though, he's leaving in the early morning hours far before the sun rises, traveling on his own to collect a cake he'd ordered for his adopted father's birthday. It was a secret purchase and he wanted it to be a surprise when the man woke up.
He heads out to the stables, peering into Dolly’s stall. After a fall in the arena a few days prior leaving her partly lame in one leg, she's unable to be ridden until it heals. He reaches into her stall and rubs her nose before moving on until he reaches a familiar gate.
“Hey, girl, wanna go for a ride?”
Valkyrie allows him to lead her out of her stall, standing patiently as he throws a saddle over her. He adjusts all the straps and cinches, slipping on a bridle and bringing her out of the stables further away from the manor.
She doesn't flinch when he slips trying to get into the saddle, waiting until he's successful and gives her the cue to move before breaking into a gallop.
Kaeya shouts, grappling at the reins to regain his composure in the saddle. Then, he laughs, loud and maybe a little delirious. Leaning forward, he pats her neck and steers her towards the city.
They make it to Mondstadt in record time. He pulls tight on the reins, urging her to stop. She skids across the cobblestone of the bridge and halts right before bowling over the guards.
They look petrified, Kaeya does too. He laughs nervously and bids them a good morning, raking his hands through his windswept hair. Dismounting, he leads her into the city behind him.
The giant shire draws the attention of whatever citizens or knights are wandering, obediently tailing the young man as he travels along the cobblestone streets.
He guides them to a house, one of the noble clan houses and quietly knocks on the door.
Jean Gunnhildr opens the door with a smile.
“Kaeya, good morn--” she stops abruptly, staring at the horse looming behind her friend. Diluc had told her the horror stories before, which had been passed all around Mond by this point. “Is she gonna bite me?”
“No, no, of course not,” Kaeya answers with a laugh. “Probably. She's not really that bad.”
Her response is a hesitant, “oh-- okay. I'll go get the cake.” She pads back into the house and emerges a moment later with a box, handing it off to her friend. “It's been in the ice box for a while, so the icing shouldn't smudge off if the ride back is bumpy.” She looks up at the horse who's leant over to sniff the box in Kaeya's hands. “Can I pet her?”
“You might want to give her an apple or carrot to show your good will, but of course you can.” He steps around Valkyrie to load the box into the saddlebag on her back, securing it in with the straps he'd sewn in the week prior. It's a bit difficult to reach considering how big she is, but he manages.
Valkyrie demolishes the apple Jean gives her and allows her to pet her face and neck.
The blonde teen laughs softly.
“Aww, she's sweet. Why do people think she's so mean?”
“She bit a servant's finger off my first day at the winery,” Kaeya answers with a small laugh as he pats her shoulder. “Never been mean to me, though.”
“Oh. Maybe all those stories are true then.”
“Some of them are, but I think a lot of them are just exaggerating though--”
“Kaeya!”
Diluc charges over on his own horse, Vanessa, identical to Dolly but chestnut instead of bay. She shared a name with Mond’s great hero and her stature reflects that.
“Uh-oh, sounds like you're in trouble,” Jean laughs, waving to the redhead. He dismounts, tying his horse to a post nearby.
“Kaeya, what in Barbatos’ name are you doing? And why did you bring her! Father is going to be worried sick!”
“Relax, Diluc. Valkyrie is a fine horse and she got me here in one piece. I came to get a cake for Father.”
Diluc's temper simmers.
“Oh, I see. In that case, we should go. Dawn is approaching and Father will be awake soon.”
Kaeya nods, giving Jean a hug and thanking her again. She hugs him back and bids them both goodbye.
“I'll see you both at Headquarters on Monday.”
They lead their horses back out the front gate and mount on the other side of the bridge.
“Why didn't you take one of the other horses? You could've rode Vanessa.”
Kaeya doesn't fumble getting into the saddle this time, saving himself the embarrassment.
“I didn't need to.” He clicks his tongue for Valkyrie to move and, thankfully, this time she doesn't take off like a spooked boar.
“She's not exactly known for being safe, Kae.”
“Never been mean to me.”
“It's a miracle,” his brother responds sarcastically, catching up with him.
“You're just sour because she doesn't like you.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“Am not.”
This continues for a few moments before Diluc pulls Vanessa to stop.
“Alright, fine, if she's so great, let's see her win a race.”
“You wanna race?” Kaeya laughs, stopping just ahead of him.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Alright, you're on. Last one home does the other’s chores for a week. Deal?”
“Deal.”
Diluc takes off first, leaving Kaeya to catch up.
Vanessa is fast, she was bred for speed and strength, but she spooks easy. Which is precisely what happens as they wind through the gorge past Springvale. A cryo slime off to the side of the road has her rearing back and nearly throwing Diluc off. Their lessons, of course, had prepared them for this. He holds on tight until all four of her feet are back on the ground before drawing her away and trying to calm her down.
“You okay?” Kaeya asks, passing in front of him. Valkyrie’s confidence in being able to scare or murder everything means she's far tougher to spook. The cryo slime knocks into her back foot and she kicks it away. It leaves behind nothing but some measly slime balls.
“Yeah, we're good,” the redhead answers, gently shushing his mount and rubbing her neck to calm her down. He assures her that the scary thing is gone, having watched the poor slime get obliterated.
“Good! The race isn't over yet!” Kaeya shouts, taking full advantage of his new lead.
“That's not fair!” He hears Diluc shout as he stretches the distance between them. Vanessa, now calm, heeds his cue to move.
It's a close call, but Kaeya wins, passing the first grapevines just before Diluc reaches them with a cheer and a laugh.
“You cheated!”
“I did not!”
“Did to!”
“Did not!”
“Boys!”
The siblings stop their squabbling upon hearing their father's voice.
He's standing near the short wall of the winery, arms crossed and hair disheveled. Adelinde is standing beside him, much in the same condition.
“Kaeya snuck out first!” Diluc tattles, approaching the pair of concerned adults.
“Hey! I had a good reason!”
Kaeya's quick to catch up, trying to argue his ‘Good Reason’ without giving away the surprise. Which is probably a futile endeavor at this point, he realizes, Father is already awake and he's now eyeing the saddlebag containing the cake.
“Enough bickering, you two. Kaeya, where were you?”
“Mmmondstadt city,” he answers sheepishly, turning around and pulling the box out of the bag, “I had to pick up something.”
“And that is?”
He hands him the box and smiles.
“A gift for you. Happy birthday, Father.”
===
Kaeya is freshly sixteen when everything goes to shit.
The rains have been heavy recently and the path through the canyon is slick with mud, close to flooded, but it's the fastest way to Mond. Kaeya isn't thinking when he pushes Valkyrie to run, gripping the reins with his free hand. The other holds his frigid vision, biting his fingers with frost.
Inevitably, Valkyrie slips in the mud, toppling both her and Kaeya to the ground with a frightened neigh. His foot catches in the stirrup, crushing his leg under her as she slides through the mud. His boot slips free, saving him from being dragged further, but dropping him to the ground. The back of his head connects with the mud and the rocks dig into the burned skin of his arm where his uniform had been scorched away.
As tempting as it is to lay in the mud and succumb to a cold death, Kaeya pulls himself up to his knees and looks around for his companion. His vision doubles and blurs.
She's sitting near the side of the road, staring at him but making no effort to stand up.
He crawls over to her, left leg dragging behind him and tears running down his face as he begs, “come on, girl, get up. Please, please, get up, please.”
A horse that can't stand is a dead horse. It's already a bad sign that she didn't immediately get up after the fall.
Kaeya sits beside her and cries, resting his head on her shoulder and clutching his vision to his chest.
He's lost his father, betrayed his only remaining family, and now he's the cause of his closest companion’s grievous injury.
“Please, I'm sorry, please get up,” he sobs, “I can't lose you too.”
She rests her head on his shoulder, allowing him to lean on her and cry. He flinches when thunder shakes across the sky. The rain still isn't letting up, pelting them both.
Finally, blessedly, she shifts and attempts to stand. Her front hooves slip in the mud and her legs are unsteady, but she manages to pull herself back up.
Kaeya's unsure if he can do the same. The leg she'd rolled on ached so deeply, he was sure something was broken. He tries to force himself on to his feet only to fall again.
And he can't help but cry harder.
Everything is ruined and it's all his fault.
He sits hopelessly in the mud, feelings his tears freeze on his cheeks in response to his new Celestial chain.
Valkyrie leans down and tries to help him up, nosing at his uninjured leg like trying to coax a foal to stand for the first time. She nickers softly, laying back down when it becomes apparent he won't get up. And she tries again, nudging him gently towards the saddle.
He doesn't want to be a burden on her injuries, but things won't get better if they stay here, soaked in mud and trekking towards hypothermia. Hesitantly, cautiously, he pulls himself back into the saddle with whatever strength remains and she stands again.
And though there's a limp in Valkyrie's gait, and Kaeya's now barely conscious, slumped forward, they're moving.
They'll be fine as long as they get to---
As long as they get to---
He wakes in a bed. Not his bed, he notes, sitting up. A bed in a room he doesn't quite recognize. The decor is familiar, but he's too out of it to put a finger on where.
His entire body cries as he forces himself to sit up through ache and pains. The dawn crawls in through the drapes, offering some insight into the rest of the room.
Oh, it's Jean's house. He can recognize the guest room he's laying in.
How'd he get here? And where's Valkyrie?
With resistance and a lot of pain, he swings his legs over the edge.
The door opens and Jean stands in the hall, bathed in the light behind her.
“Kaeya! Don't stand up.”She steps over to him and the tear tracks on her cheeks become obvious. “I did the best I could to heal your injuries. Deaconess Barbara is going to be over soon to help with the rest.”
“What happened?”
“I should be the one asking you that. I found you and your horse collapsed in the alley--”
“Valkyrie! Where is she?”
“Relax, Kaeya, I brought her to the Favonious stables. I assure you she's receiving care for her injuries.”
He relaxes back into the bed.
“I think I passed out in the saddle.”
“About that, what on earth happened last night?”
Kaeya explains through chokes and sobs, unable to find any lies or half-truths. And when he decides he's done, Jean will pull him into her arms, being wary of his injuries, press a chaste kiss into his hair and reassure him that she still loves him, no matter what.
By the time the Deaconess arrives to mend his broken leg and all other injuries, Kaeya's fallen back asleep and Jean's on her way to the now empty winery.
After a week of strict bed rest and daily visits from the Deaconess, Kaeya's allowed to stand and walk again, though he does so unsteadily.
Jean doesn't tell him that the winery is empty as they walk to the stables.
She'd been to visit her best friend’s favourite horse a few times since that night. It had been an awful experience convincing the shire to leave her injured rider and every time she'd seen her afterwards, things seemed more grim.
The usually bitter and aggressive mare only ever spent her days lying around in the stall, barely eating. She hasn't even tried to bite the stable hands.
Vision healing doesn't work as well on animals, but the healers had managed to mend the fracture in her hind leg and the other few injuries which weren't as serious. She should be up and walking by now.
“Kaeya, before we go in here.” Jean stops him outside the stable, “I feel like I have to tell you. Valkyrie might not be in good shape. She hasn't been acting like she's feeling well since that night. I just want you to be prepared.”
Kaeya's face drops and goes pale, like he's just been told she's already dead. All he does is nod and follow Jean as she takes his hand.
They enter the stables which are nearly empty with the upcoming expedition the cavalry unit is taking and the blonde knight leads him down the walkway to a stall with Valkyrie's name written on the chalkboard.
He peers over the door, finding her doing nothing but laying in the hay.
“Vally,” he calls softly. Immediately, she sits up, spotting him, then stands.
She'll be okay.
Kaeya smiles, with tears in his eyes and steps into the confined space with her. He wraps his arms around her neck and cries. She's all he has left of home now.
They'll be okay.