Work Text:
I want to hide here
Sometimes there were these moments that Tetia couldn't quite place. Moments where fear just happened to take over her. Consume her, and threaten to swallow everything around her. There were moments of doubt about her being. Questions that she couldn't quite ask. Memories that didn't quite fit. She watched as her master gathered the supplies for their class, packing away every aspect that made them witches. Yet in the corner of her mind, there was doubt. She simply stares quietly at him watching, observing how his fingers grasped the various books and wands. Place them inside the bag neatly. She wished there was a way for her to shrink as well and hide amongst the ink.
“Tetia, something on your mind, dear?” Qifrey asks. Tetia simply shook her head as an answer.
“Then would you mind helping me with the basket?”
Silently Tetia gets up from the couch and walks over. She gathers the folded blankets on the bench and places them in the basket. There were various dishes and accompaniments that she gathered as well. Items for their lunch this afternoon. She remained silent, unsure of what to say. Maybe it was best not to say anything at all?
As she packed away the items, she continued to mindlessly stare at her master's back as he went about his duties. He was tall, taller than any other man she knew. He wore his outdoor clothes, and shoes. They were headed out to the forest for the day to learn about the history of the fauna and how they changed.
Brushbuddy made an appearance as he slowly descended from her head disrupting her line of vision. She startles out of her staring contest with her masters back in order to catch the creature before he falls. Suddenly, a book was gently placed on her head. When she looked up her master was smiling knowingly.
“Tetia, I’m curious. I promise not to be upset. But is there something on my back that has you so concerned?”
She startles backwards into the table. A couple of dishes fell that were to be packed. Luckily after countless stray spells. Their master decided wooden plates would be safer outdoors.
She tried to say that she was fine, and that there was nothing to worry about, but what came out was.
“Master, your too tall”
Her master was stumped. Unsure as to what to say to that.
“Tall?” his parroted. “...you’ve been staring at my back because I’m… tall?” His head tilts in confusion as Tetia attempts to regain her composure.
“Um… what I mean to say is…” She hesitates to tell what's really on her mind. There was a moment before she finally gave up on articulating her words. She simply runs off towards her room. Though not before hearing “We will revisit again later, Tetia” there was a part of her that wished that he would forget…
Later on…
They all sat on the blanket in a clearing in the woods. Qifrey taught them about the adverse issues that magic had on the animals. Though their master had visited this concept before. It wasn't as clear as it is now.
In front of the girls was an oversized book that described the fauna they saw in the forest. Sperrals, apparently used to be two different animals entirely. A "squirrel” and a “sparrow” respectively. Owlcats were owls and cats.
The stories on how these animals came to be was one of caution. While magic was considered a blessing, we must not use it to change the natural world entirely. Hence why there were rules.
Tetia understood this, they all did. But there was a part of her that wondered, why a lot of them seemed so targeted. What about the bad people who hurt others for fun? They can't hurt them in return.
Unbeknownst to her, Qifrey was aware of her odd behavior. She claimed the word ‘tall’ in reference to him, but maybe it was deeper than that. Much deeper. He remembered their earlier days together. How frightened she was of this new home she was in. Her master recused her from her father, but they never breached farther than what he witnessed. There was a part of him that worried for her and her aversion to other adults. Though looking back at the events that happened after and the state she was in. He understood better than even she, why she got this way.
“Tall” in her eyes.
Tall for her.. is concerning for him.
Flashback start
There in the Great hall stood two guards of the Knights Meralis looming over a body. He couldn’t tell who the person was or what the issue could have been but there was a feeling in his gut that he couldn't ignore. Another form was off to the side unconscious and only a twitch could be seen as evidence that the person was still alive. Earlier he had brought his student to the great hall for a normal check up. That was the thing it was supposed to be normal!
He was sitting with his master waiting for her appointment to be over when one of the guards stormed in asking for him. There was mayhem as he begged them to elaborate on what the issue could have been. When he got to the medical spire something in him made him slow down as apprehension invaded his being.
‘Why was the knight meralis here?’ he pondered with his heart in his throat. It took him great effort to push himself forward towards the figures ahead.
“What happened?” Qifrey asked with his heart in his throat.
One of the guards came over and whispered in his ear, explaining the situation. It made his blood run cold. There was a mindlessness that burned through his veins. A coldness that bloomed in his chest. Someone dared to harm her! Her father dared after he warned him! Without thinking, Qifrey drew a spell that blasted the knights away from his child's form. Further he drew another spell that encased her in a protective shield. There were voices, but he had only one goal in mind.
He took out his rain cleaver and moved closer to the other form on the ground. His motions were mindless. He only had one thing on his mind as he moved forward. The other nights could do little to stop his advance. Such a despicable creature existed, and it needed to be purged.
“QIFREY” came from the voice of his master. Suddenly, a force came between him and his foe. He was pushed back from his mission. He wanted to scream at them. “My child was violated!”
Yet the words wouldn't come.
“Qifrey, I understand you’re feelings But murder would not solve the damage that has already been done!” He turns angrily at his master. The knight's Meralis return, screaming insults. Yet even they couldn’t fault the man for wanting justice.
“Papa!” Called the voice of Tetia in the most heart wrenching call. Qifrey runs over to her, not thinking twice about answering her call. His child needed him! He pulls off his cloak to hide her he calls out to Beldaruit.
“She needs a doctor! She’s injured”
“Then take her there!” his master responds. “I’ll settle things here!”
Qifrey immediately gathers the girl in his arms and rushes off to the doctor once more. He knew nothing of the aftermath that he left behind. Nor the punishment that befell her father.
…
It took a long time for Tetia before they ultimately realized that she needed a more extreme treatment to heal. Even now, Qifrie's heat tore open as he remembered placing his hat on her head. He remembered, and it haunted him everyday. Yet, seeing her now smiling. He refused to allow himself to regret it. He swore that day to never return to the great hall with her unless absolutely necessary. He watched as Tetia recovered from it. He also watched the unspoken signs manifest. Her aversion to older, taller men for example. Yet in spite of her fear, she always ran to him.
There was a habit of hers. One that sometimes brought a bittersweet taste. She often would steal his cloak. He would be aware of it gone missing, only for it to appear in her room or, her bringing it back ‘master, you keep leaving your cloak in my room!’. Though they both knew and he refused to point it out. There were times, even. When Tetia would climb up his person in crowds. As high as she could go, so that she didn't feel so small around other people. Especially in towns where there were a lot of men. Olly would sometimes be found with Tetia hiding within his cloak in the kitchen, not wanting to be perceived or noticed by other people. They didn’t mind, because they knew the battles that she was fighting.
‘Tall’ meant something more than simply being tall for Tetia. It meant trauma.
End of flashback
Qifrey watched as Tetia practised her spells, noting the shaky fingers as she drew. Her mind was in a battle right now and more than ever, he suspected her to feel exposed.
“Tetia, dear” He called softly, hoping to break her cycle. “Come over to me dear.” He instructs.
Tetia glances at him before making her way over. He gently grasps her hands and pulls her to sit as close to him as she is able then pulls his cloak around her. If her being perceived was causing her trouble. Why not hide her?
He then continues his lesson before they finish for the day. Tetia stayed tucked into his side for the rest of the evening.
Later in the evening, Qifrey knocks on Tetia's door. There was a rule in their house that the children were in control of their own space. If Tetia didn't want him there, he would respect her wishes.
He could hear her scrambling from the other side of the door before opening it ajar.
“Papa?” she asked meekly (she stole his cloak again)
“Hello, dear. I was curious, and it's fine if you don't want to but might we spend time together this evening?” He asks.
He could see her thinking hard on his offer. He caught a glance of the harness being clasped around her neck and smiled. After a few more moments, Tetia opens the door wider and joins him. Taking his hand and allowing him to lead her. His cloak remained firmly around her (it was very big and clunky but her refused to say anything).
They spent a few hours together simply reading by the fire. After some time, Qifrey closes his own book and places it beside himself. He then carts his fingers through his daughter's hair as she rested against him. Tetia leans into his touch.
“Tetia, Does being tall frighten you?” He asks cautiously. It was a heavy topic and one that could cause her to tense. He starts taking parts of her heart and braiding it. Allowing the motions to keep her calm against him.
“Not you, papa. But sometimes taller men push me around and I hate it” His fingers stop for a moment, thinking about all the times they had been to town. He hadn’t noticed other men pushing her and the thought of them doing this without him noticing caused his blood to boil.
“Tetia, have other men been pushing you?” he asked purposely resuming his movements.
Tetia hesitates before responding. “...Yes, there’s a man in town that targets both Coco and I when we are there. When he visits his booth he sometimes touches us and pushes us when you’re not looking.”
Qifrey glared at the wall as she said this, his blood was at a boiling point.
“Tetia… When things like this happen, you need to let us know. I want to protect you four and will do so with my life. That is the promise I made when I adopted you” He said, before he could let her protest, he called for Olruggio. He places his hands gently over her ears before yelling “Olruggio, Come in here!”
Tetia attempts to protest, to which he shushes her.
It wasn't long before Olruggio came into the room panting.
“Qifrey, where's the fire?” he asks. He take a moment to observe the look in Qifrie's eyes before.
“Who are they? What did they do? And where are they” Olruggio adds. Tetia nervously fiddles with the cloak. One thing that she understood was that when it came to the girls' well being. Their papas didn't play
“We have a touchy vendor in Kaln” Qifrey simply states. Not needing to elaborate. Olly, quickly heads to the door. Cloak billowing behind him. “Say less, I’ll handle it”
“Wonderful!” Qifrey says happily. Tetia felt like she received whip lash from the sudden shift in mood. She looks up as the man beside her only to see him smiling down at her. She hated to know what would happen to the man.
“I will have to have a chat with Coco as well, and we will need to be more mindful. That kind of act won't be tolerated. He says simply, allowing the matter to rest.”
They continued to sit together until the other girls joined them for dessert. It was a while later when the girls were asleep that Olruggio came home with a satisfied grin. He walks over to the couch and sits besides his partner smiling widely.
“Careful my dear, your smile will remain that way” Qifrey says while reading his book.
“Good, your’s will too once I tell you what happened.”
The next morning, there might have been a message from the Great hall. That message might have talked about a mysterious body that was found in the sea in Kaln. There was word that a fire broke out in a man's home that charred him to the bone. When he couldn't escape, the man fell into the river and drowned. Whose to say how the fire started…