Aunt Ector

Vatan's didn't exactly dream, there was no room for that cloudy scope of imagination among the vital information that was kept for later use.

But during Her points of half-consciousness, Black-Crow's mind sometimes relayed bits of old memory into her feverish sleep, clusters of the past that would lock together into something very tangible... and now as Crow lay in Aetri's arms, lost in unconsciousness, She recalled their coming to Uld.

The Northern land of Norn, Uld Village, Frey's Day 8 Years ago

Black-Crow forced herself onwards, trudging through the mercilessly cold snow as the storm of ivory whipped against her thick black cloak, a small hand clutched tightly in hers as she pulled the Boy through the icy sludge.

They had travelled far, and without much food, it was difficult to navigate through these plains, everything was lost in a mirage of white, white in the sky and on the ground, and furiously pelting against her so that the pain of the frost stung even through Her thick garb.

"M-Miss, Crow!" The Boy cried, his many furs and thick coats coated in ice and snow as she felt him shiver "I-I'm so cold... and you... d-don't look well!" He cried, trying to sound audible over the roar of the growing storm.

Crow clutched the Boy's hand tighter, pulling him in as her chest burned and Her sight began to split in twain.

"Keep him safe, Crow."

The Command echoed in her mind and reinforced her will, Her vision corrected and her eyes thinned to focus on the light in the close distance "We are nearly there. Stay close." She said to the boy, holding him close as they continued their trek towards the village.

She was careful to keep out of sight, spotting Archer's nests to the East and West respectively, a challenge considering Her poor condition, dark clothing on the white and the Boy's presence, but she had already formulated a plan, spotting some crevices built up by the overzealous snowfall, they had torches up there that she knew would render them blind to a target that moved swiftly with the winds that blew from further up north.

"W-Why are we hiding, Miss Crow, I thought this place was safe?" The Boy asked

Crow ignored his question, grasping a hand full of snow for the ground before letting it rest in her mouth.

She did the same again and offered it to the boy "Let this rest in your mouth, it will hide your breath on the air." He was afraid, this could serve to be a problem, but she had a solution "We will rest and sup when we reach Her Lodge."

"Who's lodge?" He asked, his eyes soft and his face red from the ice that pinched at it

"A person that I suspect may take You in, protect You, maybe train You if that is still your wish. But you must stay silent and follow my exact directions, understood?" The Boy's eyes became harder, more determined, though he did still look slightly frightened

"O-Okay..." He said, taking the snow from her gloved hand and stuffing it into his mouth.

Just as planned they approached following the thick mist that blew on the Northern wind along the west side, careful to hide behind the snowy bank from the archers.

They had made it through to a blind spot in the village wall, tall Logs pressed against each other, but She had seen a small weakness that two small people could fit through it she chipped away for a moment.

"M-Miss Black-Crow. We're not welcome here are we?" The Boy asked, She shook her head and shrugged

"No, at least not at the moment. Now stay quiet." She said, finally chipping through a weak part of the log to create a wide opening.

The Village was especially active, apparently, some kind of Norn event was going on because people were dancing through the streets, many fires burned and the smell of beer, mead and honey filled the air, but Crow kept to the shows, weaving in and out of the tall huts and halls with The Boy's hand in her grasp... He didn't speak Nornish and so couldn't listen to their whispers as she could, hearing of the frightening drunken healer that lived on the outskirts of town and that even during this festive time refused to leave that Lodge that the Jarl had allowed her to build.

She was about to head towards it when her chest began to splinter with pain, her head writhing as she wobbled, finding it hard to stand through the dizziness. Crow felt a trickle of blood fall from her nose as she clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cough which painted her hand red.

Just as she was about to lurch forward into the light due to her spasming, the Boy pushed her back into the dark, looking around fearfully as she finished her cough "M-Miss Crow... are you okay?" He asked, fussing over her.

Crow looked to the boy, her eye twitching as Her chest warmed unnaturally "Y-Yes... Thank You." She said, forcing herself back up to her feet "Come... Her Lodge is on the outskirts of town."

She was a mess, trying to employ stealth while in this state was difficult, but much to her surprise, the Boy assisted, helping her walk the best he could while they approached the outskirts.

"He is brave for child... and tactful, perhaps He may take well to training, I just hope that it doesn't overwhelm him-" Crow lurched again, The Boy holding her up

"Almost there Miss Crow, the Lodge is just over here."

Crow grimaced... she wasn't supposed to feel that, she wasn't supposed to feel anything, what is...

"Hello!" The Boy was hammering his fist on the door desperately "H-Hello, W-We need some help!" He cried. Nobody answered at first, and so He waited a moment before sighing angrily.

But just as He was about to knock again, the Door cracked ajar slightly, half of a shadowed face poking out, Her emerald eyes surveying the two of them lazily "Whaddya want?" She asked, her voice slurred and irritated

The Boy froze under that hard Emerald gave for a moment before mumbling "I-I was told that You could help us, It's very cold... a-and My friend is sick."

Crow's face was obscured, probably why the Woman eyed her suspiciously "Go away." She growled, slamming the door in their faces.

She felt her muscles begin to relax, her breath becoming shallow... she had gone for too long, no other Vatan would have normally been able to survive this long without a Tether, at least the boy was here, He'd find his way through it.

"Miss Crow! Miss Crow stay awake!" He pleaded as she fell to her knees, her hood falling askew slightly and Her silver mask falling free.

The Boy began to pound desperately on the door "PLEASE, PLEASE COME BACK, SHE'S DYING!"

Once again the door opened, a little more this time and the Woman could be seen in full this time. She was tall with sand coloured skin, paired round cheeks that were rosy red from her intoxication, Her eyes were thin and serpentine with lips ruby red, a lazily but angry expression on her pretty face.

She whipped her mane of wavy black hair, gritting her teeth at the boy who she yelled at "Can't you see that it's Frey's day, Boy? I told the Jarl already, I'm not here to cure anyone's fucking hangover..." She paused, eyes thinning as she swayed clumsily "Wait... You're a Briton, aren't you? I haven't seen you in the Village, how did you-"

"My friend is dying." The Boy insisted angrily, pointing at Crow who's face was exposed to the bitter cold.

When Lee locked eyes with her, she froze, staring wide-eyed for a moment before recoiling with a grimace "W-What are... How..."

"Ector... Lee-fu Ector..." Black-Crow whispered, lost in quite a haze by now.

Lee's eyes welled slightly before she reddened with fury "G-Get that.... that thing away from me, go away, just leave, before the Uld find you and kill you." She said, clearly and soberly.

The Boy was clearly confused, muttering in tears as the Woman slammed her door shut, leaving them out in the cold.

Crow was barely conscious at this point, she could barely feel her limbs as the Boy struggled to drag her into the small open stable where Lee kept a couple of horses.

She blinked weakly as the Boy did His best to keep her warm, blowing hot breaths into his hands and rubbing her cheeks "I-It's gonna be okay, Miss Crow... I'll get that stupid woman to help us, I promise..." He said, his face stained with tears.

Crow could not yet speak, she was too tired to even move her jaw, though the Boy's warmth helped somewhat... that was when she saw them coming, trouble...

"Hey, who the Hell are you!?" Said a Young man in Nornish, who was accompanied by five or six of his friends, Crow could see that they too had had a little too much to drink, stumbling around nosily towards them.

The Boy gulped, She knew that He didn't understand a lot of the Northern tongue, just what his Governess had taught him back home, but He stood up straight, putting on a brave face and trying his hardest to recall what he knew "Hello, Might us... behaving the Kelp... from who?" He stumbled over the words clumsily.

The Uld man's eyes thinned a fierce look coming on his bearded and slightly drunken face "A Briton?" He said with relative ease "What in One-eye's beard, what is an outsider doing here!?" He said angrily, the group all tensing up as a few of them unsheathed their broadswords.

The Boy outstretched his arms in protection "S-Stay away... we... we just need help from The Healer!" He said, though it did nothing to stop the Uld warrior from charging at the two of them, sword raised and ready to attack

"That one there, she wears the vestments of a spy... an Easterling Spy!"

"Outsider's die!" He yelled.

He didn't get within an inch of them, because a tall woman with dark hair and leanly built muscles had pushed her palm into the charging Warrior's nose, the horrible crack of it sounding audibly as He cried out stumbling while holding his bloody face.

Lee scowled at them, a few looking on confused "Aunt Lee? these outsiders were-"

"Leave." She commanded, her eyes hard and stubborn, most looked terrified, but the one with the broken nose charged at her again in a rage.

Lee smashed her fist into his chest, knocking the wind out of the Boy who fell down to the ground breathless "Leave. My. Home." She commanded again, and the others, of course, weren't stupid enough to try and attack her, but alas that same young Uld hadn't learnt his lesson, getting up and roaring angrily "Run at me again and I'm breaking your fucking jaw, beyond repair." She warned, her tone like iron.

But just as Crow suspected, again He ran, tears in his eyes as He ran right into Lee's fist, the knuckles cracking bone as she struck him leftwards and then to the right so that he fell, Her wrecking ball of a fist smashing into his face twice more and making his jaw crunch unnaturally.

She stood straight, her fist bloody and her eyes furious "These are my guests" She whispered darkly "You will inform the Jarl. You will take this filth from my sight and be gone." they looked at her dumbfounded, and the woman exploded darkly "Leave. My.... HOME!" she growled, making the group cry out in fear as they dragged their unconscious friend away

"Y-Yes Aunt Ector!" one said as He quaked in terror

"Right away Aunt Ector..." Another girl said, grabbing her ruined companion by the arms as they pulled them away.

As soon as they had gone, she turned, whipping the blood off of her hand in disgust, She seemed to have softened a little, allowing her drunken doziness to shine through "Bloody drunken idiots. brrrr Cold." She said a little girlishly, holding her arms and shivering "Boy, bring her inside." She said before moving to walk away

"B-But... I can't pick her up, she's too heavy, I'm just a kid!"

She flashed him a monsterous glare "I will not repeat myself." She said in a hard tone again, making him jump and scramble to grab Black-Crow, dragging her into the warmth of the house as she finally lost consciousness.