Chapter Text
Dear Varka:
I hope this letter finds you well. The other day, when we first met, I couldn’t stop thinking about…
You? No, that’s too blunt.
He tapped the pen on the table, letting the right words flow to his mind.
… the stories you told me of your adventures around Mondstadt.
Now, that’s better.
Certainly, you’re intriguing. And an expert adventurer as well. You differ from the standard of a knight —don’t get me wrong, I mean this as a compliment—; rebellious and curious in nature, but kind hearted at your core. At least, that’s what I perceived from our brief chat.
It would be nice to rendezvous with you somewhere else, besides training at Favonius Headquarters.
Let me know what you think…
and, my apologies if this request disturbs you in some way, it really isn't my intention.
Best regards,
C.
He signed off the letter, quickly putting it in an envelope and sealing it with wax. The clan’s sigil was embedded on the wax, contrasting with the simplicity of the envelope. His heart was racing a little at the thought of Varka reading his letter. They had recently met during the start of the Favonius exams, the ones where civilians who aspired to be knights could become one, should they pass the trials. The trials consisted in two parts: the written exam, where one would review the theory, the logistics of it all, and in general, common knowledge about Teyvat. Young Master Crepus Ragnvindr had prepared extensively for this part, having read everything they had available at the manor’s library.
The second half, however, had Crepus feeling not so confident, as it required a lot of stamina and strength. And, well… It wasn’t like he couldn't run at all, but he struggled to maintain his energy, and sometimes, the sword would fall off his hands, leaving soft cuts in them.
His parents were worried about him, seeing how often he would get hurt trying to learn swording techniques, wondering why he was putting so much effort into becoming a knight, when he already was the heir of the family business.
“There’s no need for that” His father said to him, while having dinner all together. “You will have to take over the Winery eventually, it would be better if you focused on what’s important.”
He ignored it, obviously, as he was too in his own head, going through the exercises over and over again, figuring out where he went wrong.
His parents sighed, and decided all together to not get in the way of his pursuit. He’d have to learn the hard way to get his priorities straight, they thought.
And so, there he was, standing in front of the Knight’s Headquarters, holding a bunch of papers and hugging them close to his chest, his heart racing and legs trembling. I can’t believe I’m actually doing this… Maybe it’s a mistake.
He was ready to turn around, make his leave and pretend nothing happened, when suddenly someone bumped into him, making him fall and drop his papers all over the floor. Crepus grunted, feeling the pain on his knees.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, man! I didn’t see you there!” Crepus glanced upwards, a blonde boy was staring at him, genuine worry in his eyes. “Here, get up.”
The blonde boy extended a hand to him, and Crepus froze for a second. He was annoyed, yes, but this boy was really charming to his eyes. He took the boy’s hand and stood up, shaking the dirt off his vest, frowning. Gosh, I just got that clean. Mother is going to kill me…
“Hey, are you alright? I swear on Barbatos I didn't push you on purpose…”
“Yes, I’m alright. Don’t worry.” Crepus said, bending to get the scattered papers in order.
“Oh! Uhm… Let me help you pick those up…” The boy grabbed one of the papers, reading it, recognizing the Favonius symbol. “You’re here for the Knight's applications?” he said, surprised. Crepus snatched the paper off his hands, clearly annoyed this time. “Don’t read that!”
The boy laughed at the sudden reaction. “Ha, ha, ha! Calm down, I’m here for the same thing too! It really is great to meet a future fellow knight. Name’s Varka.”
Crepus eyed him head to toe, examining the boy. He looked like he was telling the truth… Should he trust this stranger?
Isn’t that one of the knightly virtues anyways? He sighed, offering a hand to the boy.
“I’m Crepus, nice to make your acquaintance.” Varka shook his hand enthusiastically, as they both got up from where they were.
“Acquaintance? Ha, ha. You sure speak really formal for someone your age.”
Crepus cleared his throat, acting oblivious to that comment. “Shall we go inside then? I believe the applications will be ending soon.”
“Right! Let’s go.”
After leaving their papers in the office, they took a little detour to one of the gardens near the church, where they indulged in a lengthy conversation. One Crepus couldn't stop thinking about after two days. They had agreed that they would be sending letters to each other, in case they wanted to chat a bit more after training. It seemed weird to Crepus that they connected so well despite knowing each other for so little; a thing that Crepus thought only happened in books, where two strangers meet and suddenly they’re soulmates. But there he was, sending the letter he just wrote to Varka. And not long after, he received his response.
To Crepus:
Hey! I wanted to be the first to send you a letter, but it seems you beat me to it. Well played. I really thank you for your kind words, but I don't think I’m THAT great… It’s nice you think that of me, though, makes me feel a little more confident about this whole ordeal. Exams really make me nervous…
Also, I would like to go out too! I had a blast talking with you the other day. Should we go to Windrise or Starsnatch Cliff? There's some good views there. Although, if you can't go that far, we could just go near Cider Lake and do some fishing. How’s that sound?
P.S: You don't have to be so formal with me, don’t worry!
Greetings,
Varka.
A grin slowly appeared on his lips as he was reading the letter, his cheeks blushing slightly. This was the first time he was going to meet someone that didn't have anything to do with aristocracy or the Winery. His first genuine friend. Crepus was so happy and excited, he started writing his reply right away.
Dear Varka:
Perhaps Cider Lake would be a better option, as my parents wouldn't let me go any farther from the city. Let’s meet up tomorrow, at 3 PM. I’ll bring some apple cider to share.
Also… I can’t stop being formal, as it is required for a Ragnvindr to be polite at all times. Hope it doesn’t bother you too much.
Sincerely,
C.
Now that it was sent, Crepus went to sleep. At least he tried, but he hardly concealed any rest at all. His mind was wandering somewhere else, thinking of all the possibilities of their encounter, hoping he wouldn’t get too nervous around Varka.
The next morning, Crepus eagerly prepared himself, waiting and looking at the clock. It would almost be time for them to meet, so he parted immediately, taking a basket to put his stuff in, punctuality being very important to him. When he arrived, Varka was already there, greeting and waving his hand at the young Master. Varka was sitting on a log near the shore, with enough space for Crepus to sit next to him, while holding a fishing rod with one hand.
“Hey, man! You’re on time, I just catched something.”
“Did I keep you waiting for long?”
“Nah, don’t worry. Can’t believe I was this lucky, though. Normally it would take me like half an hour to fish something… Maybe you gave me good luck, ha, ha!”
Crepus chuckled at the thought.
“Don’t be ridiculous…” said the redhead, taking a seat on the log.
“So… You said there would be apple cider…”
“Right, here it is” Crepus got a bottle out of the basket and two glasses. He poured a little bit on each glass, carefully trying to not spill any of it. “There you go.”
Varka didn’t hesitate a second and chugged down the glass, leaving Crepus speechless.
“Ah! Wow, this is great, where did you get it?”
“My family’s cellar…?”
“Oh. Right, I forgot your parents own like half the drinks in Mondstadt.”
The young Master was about to reply, when suddenly, the fishing rod Varka was holding started moving.
“Shoot! There’s another one!” The line was moving erratically, and water was splashing near them. Whatever fish that was, it sure was a big one, and it was fighting for its life.
Varka held the fishing rod with both hands, as he stood up to maintain balance, reeling the line towards him. “Ha, ha! Gotcha!”
But before he could chant victory, the fish started pulling him into the water, yanking him out of his place. Varka tried to bury his feet in the mud, trying to make some leverage to the ridiculous strength this fish had, to no use. His feet were leaving a trail in the dirt, getting closer and closer to the fresh water of the lake.
Crepus got up quickly, in disbelief of what he was witnessing. What the hell? What were they feeding to this fish?
“Oh, no! Varka, hold on!” Crepus ran to him, holding Varka by the waist and pulling him back. “Keep pulling!”
“That’s what I’m trying! This damn fish is too big!”
“Oh my archons, we’re going to–!”
The fishing rod went flying off of Varka’s hands, and both youngsters fell in the water, big splashes surrounding them as the fish swam rapidly away from the shore and took the rod with it. Crepus raised his head from the water, rubbing his eyes. His clothes were all drenched, sticking to him and making him feel slightly heavy. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain this to his parents, let alone how he was going to get back to his house, dripping, and probably catching a cold on the way. He probably wouldn’t hear the end of it…
He glanced forward, Varka was still underwater, facing up. Crepus approached him, shaking him desperately.
“Varka? Varka!” The blonde opened his eyes and quickly sat up, coughing. “Thank, Barbatos, you scared me. Are you alright?”
“Woah. I almost got drowned by a fish… There really is a first time for everything, huh.”
Crepus was… puzzled.
“How is that your first reaction to almost drowning?” The young Master put his hands over his mouth, eyes open in surprise. “I-I’m sorry, I said that without thinking…”
“Ha, ha, ha!” Varka’s laugh sent a chill down his spine. “I mean, what are the possibilities in this life to die because a fish dragged you in the water? It really is a good anecdote… Glad to have you as my witness, because nobody would believe me!” Varka slapped Crepus’s back, laughing. The young Master flinched at the sudden hit, looking at the blonde boy.
“Hmph. You really are weird…” said Crepus, with a soft smile on his face.
Varka smiled back, and for a moment, Crepus forgot all his troubles.
That was, until he returned to the manor, still wet and shivering. Varka had offered himself to take him to his home, even willing to take the blame in case Crepus got grounded. But the young Master refused any of that, saying he had to take responsibility for his actions, and that running away from tribulations wasn’t that proper of a knight. Varka hesitated, but still let him go, knowing that Crepus would do what he wanted anyway. He just hoped that his family wouldn’t ground him for too long.
Crepus knocked on the door, the sun already setting above the vineyard, when one of the maids greeted him at the entrance, worry immediately showing on her face as she realized how unkept he was.
“Young Master, what happened?” she asked, taking him inside.
“Nothing, I just fell on the water by accident... Atchoo!”
“Oh, my. You catched a cold. We’ll prepare a bath for you and some tea so you can rest.”
“Thanks, but I’m alri– Atchoo!” He sneezed a second time, blaming his body’s awful defenses for not enduring a single day without getting sick.
Now he was in his bed, freshly out of the bath, covered in sheets and a cup of warm tea beside his night table, staring at the ceiling. Despite it all, it was a nice day, he thought. He felt so alive and fuzzy inside, a feeling he was starting to get accustomed to since meeting Varka. The blonde was like the sun personified, bringing joy wherever he went. Maybe he could teach him how to be more carefree.
He incorporated on his bed, searching on the drawers for his pen and some paper.
Dear Varka:
I really enjoyed your company today.
Even if we almost drowned, it was fun, and I would love to share more moments like these. I don’t know if this is improper of me, but… I consider you a good friend now. So, next time we see each other, I’ll bring another glass of apple cider for me and you. Fortunately, my parents didn’t ground me this time, so I’ll be seeing you on training —or I hope so, anyways.
Oh, I also got a cold, but it's nothing to worry about. I’ll be fine in a day or two, and the maids are taking care of me, so I’ll recover soon.
Take care,
C.