Another morning, another day for work. Cedric breathed in the cool air as he strolled through the market, and exhaled warmly. He wore his white work tunic and tan breeches, and had his hair pulled back in a tail. A few locks still hung loosely around his face. He had already picked up several new bridles from the blacksmith, and was making his way back towards the castle. The market area was always so packed with people, no matter what time of day it was. Some creatures from other races mingled with them, but the population here was primarily human. He watched them nonchalantly as he walked, judging several of them but never lingering too long on any particular face. After a while, they all started to look the same.

That is, until a uniquely colorful girl stopped ahead of him, caught up by a shopkeeper. It wasn’t a good color she carried, but rather the sulking pinks, purples and blues that came with abuse. Even from behind, she looked as if she had been battered. Her wings seemed mangled, as if someone had plucked out patches of feathers. Were those even feathers? Her gait seemed to sway back and forth as she moved away from him, like she neither had a direction nor a care as to where she ended up. Odd. Cedric thought, but brushed the thought aside. It was a dark world they lived in, even for someone who appeared as light as she did. They all had their sufferings.

He lost sight of her as he made his next stop, and forgot about her soon after. He paid a textile worker for an order of fine cloth halters, and the woman bustled about the shop as she searched for his box. As she finally located it and handed it over, Cedric thanked her and went once more on his way, the bridles and the box of halters slung over his shoulder.

Deciding to make a shortcut through the courtyard, he took a left at the fork and started his way towards it. As he neared its walls, however, he stopped to listen as he heard one of the guards shouting. ...Feathers? Grimacing with confusion and curiosity, he peered through the archway and watched the scene that unfolded. It was the same girl from the market! One of the guards was berating her for what looked like petting his horse, and possibly feeding him something he shouldn’t. It was a pitiful sight. Humans are dirtbags. He thought to himself, watching her curl into the horse’s body as the guard shouted. Clearing his throat loudly, he decided to intervene.

“Maybe I fed your horse feathers!” Cedric called as he entered from the other side of the courtyard, inserting himself into the situation. He crossed the distance with a cocky swagger, his riding boots echoing on the stone floor. As he reached them, he stood ever-so-slightly in front of the girl to block her from the guard, and set down his cargo. Cedric folded his arms over his chest, his stance wide, and smiled arrogantly. “What are you going to do about it, Bursey?” He challenged him jeeringly, but hardly gave him time to respond before he continued. “I happen to know that your horse eats shit on a regular basis. Those feathers might just be the fiber he needs!”

“Watch your mouth, Abendroth.” The guard glowered warningly. "I could have you flogged." 

“I also happen to know that you have a unit of soldiers standing outside, sweating in their armor like stuffed pigs. Best not keep them waiting.” His eye contact never faltered, his body language never submitting. Cedric wasn't intimidated by the likes of Bursey, not in the least. “I’ll take care of this.” he added, referencing the horse and the girl.

“See that you do.” Bursey growled, snatching the reins from the tethering post and thrusting them into Cedric’s hands. “And bathe this animal.” he spat, and marched off to attend his troops.

Cedric turned to the woman, looking her up and down with his blue and curious eyes. He noticed the discoloration on the exposed parts of her skin, and the shredded appearance on parts of her wings. She looked like a badly whipped horse. Even her bones protruded from her skinny frame, her wrists as thin as twigs and knobbly as a bone. “Well you look like the chicken that escaped the butcher!” he said at last, not thinking on the insensitivity. But then he lowered his voice to be more gentle, and spoke to her as he might have coaxed an abused horse on whom he had taken pity, “Come on,” he said, slowly holding out his hand to offer her the reins he held. “You can help me get him cleaned up, and yourself too while you’re at it.” Cedric stroked the horse, straightening his tousled forelock and scratching his ears. “He doesn’t really eat shit.” he added, looking the horse over, who tilted his head to direct Cedric’s hand toward whatever specific spot on his ear was itching him. Then he winked at the girl, “He does eat dirt, though.”

In his fifty years among the humans in the kingdom of Emberi, Cedric had watched them intensely, untrustingly. Though the mindset of each generation seemed to vary from one to the next, overall they fell into patterns which made them all look the same. Some were arrogant and lived on the worship they received from others. Some were full of holes, and filled those holes with things like wine, gambling, fighting, and women... sometimes all at once. Some people had no backbone, and stood with their shoulders hunched, slouching, faces turned down in submission. But only rarely had he seen them behave the way she behaved. So... fearful. It was strange for humans to act fearful, those who had never known war. And it was even somewhat strange to see fearful beings of the other races, whom had been so hardened by the war that only the threat of another war could scare them. This one... she clearly wasn't human, but he still wasn't sure exactly what she was. Whatever the case, she behaved like a hunted deer. Cedric knew was it was like to be hunted.

He was glad of her small smile. It actually wasn't often that he saw anyone smile, especially at anything he said. It suited her, even if it was temporary. "No, I did not feed him feathers." he confirmed, holding back what might have turned into a laugh. Just he way she said it, so obviously, was almost funny. And of course the look on Bursey's face had been gold. Cedric loved to try his luck with the guards every now and again, test their false sense of social power and assert his own awkward dominance where it didn't belong. He loved to frustrate them, those poor boys. Tough as they thought they were, they often didn't really know how to respond. "And I know you didn't feed him feathers." he continued, returning to the subject. "If I had to guess, I would say he nipped them off you. He's a bit of a mouthy one, him." Bending to pick up the feathers, or whatever they were, his eyes met hers with questions he wouldn't ask, but just seemed to be looking for. What happened to you? He wondered. Who happened to you? Questions he kept to himself. "I hope he didn't hurt you." he said, almost implying it as a question of whether or not he had. Cedric picked up his box of halters and pile of loose bridles and returned them to his shoulder.

"We bathe the horses with buckets, water, soap and brushes." he told her, motioning for her follow with a nod of his head as he slowly began to lead them back to the stables. The horse began to follow automatically, obedient and glad to be free of waiting around the tethering post. "There is a spring, but it's farther away from the castle and the stables than most care to travel. We do have a well, which is what we use for our purposes. Cedric was walking backwards now so that he could continue to look at her while he talked. "And that is Devil, by the way." he told her, gesturing to the horse. "But I don't think it suits him, so I call him Edward." explained Cedric with a small smile. The horse just acted... well, like an 'Ed'. "And you? What do they call you?" he asked her.

”I’m… Lux.”
His brow furrowed subtly as he noticed her stiffen, his sharp ears picking up the mild shakiness as she drew a breath, clearly able to observe the pain that stemmed from her mind that appeared to ripple over her body in waves. Cedric bobbed his head to the side, deciding to give her a piece of advice in a way that only Cedric could - wrapped in a little teasing humor to sugar the medicine. “Lux?” he said, mirroring the manner she’d said it but properly forming the question. “Are you sure?” He winked to let her know it was in good sport. ”A better question would be: What do you call yourself? That’s all that really matters, anyway. Then you can be sure.” His chest puffed up as he created emphasis. “But if you’re sure it’s Lux… I hope it is. It’s a very strong name. It suits you.” Cedric intentionally traded the typical compliment ‘pretty’ for ‘strong’. He wasn‘t sure why he was try he was trying to empower her so much. In the market, he had easily dismissed her. And his earlier thought was still true: they all had their sufferings. But since the run-in with the guard, Cedric seemed to feel that like the horse, she had also been left in his care.Therefore, as a good caretaker it was his job to do what he could to care for her, for the internal as well as the external.

Then she asked for his name, and his eyebrows furrowed again. Gods, she looked like she thought he would hit her. Cedric wasn’t one to offer up his name when it wasn’t asked for; he liked to maintain his anonymity as long as he could. But he wasn’t rude either, most of the time. And she was as nonthreatening as they came. “I am Cedric von Abendroth.” he told her confidently, and made to extend his hand to her. In that motion, the thought occurred to him that she might shy from it, so he let his hand swing a little wider as he bowed slightly instead. “At your service, milady.” he offered her a smile as he finished his introduction.

”Are you-you aren’t like the other men.” Well that was an odd thing to ask.. or say? He really wasn’t clear which it was. However she meant it, Cedric of course took it as a compliment not to be affiliated with those human barbarians. Also, he had a rather large idea of himself in his head, and it only boosted his ego. “Thank you for noticing.” he grinned. “I’ve never cared for the way most men behave. I like to make my own rules.” He adjusted the bridles on his shoulder as he looked at the gate coming up. “And yes, I take care of the king’s poor horses, first under the stablemaster. I feed them, wash them, break them to ride and train them up.” Cedric watched her tense and fold her wings, her face taut for a moment as she shifted. “Sometimes I pity them,” he told her though it was unsummoned, “They bear more burdens than they deserve under the crown.” The dragon untied the gate and leaned his back against it, holding it open for Lux and Edward to walk through.

This… woman was probably the strangest being he had ever met. She seemed so secretive, and yet every move she made betrayed the gist of her past. She tensed again, as Cedric had predicted, when he had almost moved to shake her hand. She tensed a lot. She averted her eyes… a lot. She made herself small. She clung to the horse. Her body was almost more bruise colored than it was flesh colored, and her poor wings were practically falling apart. Everything about her just screamed ‘abuse’, all that was left were the details. If she was trying to hide it, she wasn’t doing a very good job. But that was just it. It was obvious she was hiding something, and Cedric respected that. He also didn’t make a habit out of prying to others’ personal lives.

He watched her as she moved through the gate, and caught a glimpse of her ear as she adjusted a piece of her hair. Quietly he wondered how old she was and how she had experienced the war, if she had experienced it at all. Of course, the fae which she most prominently resembled were well-known for not participating. But whatever she was mixed with was another factor altogether. As a general rule, hybrids were hated for what they were. A lot like dragons… he thought to himself.

”There are lucky to have you then… There are few who would strive to understand the burdens of another.”
Her comment arrived late to his ears as his brain was momentarily occupied by thoughts of the war. ”Thanks… it gives me something to do, to think about. I wish I could say it was rewarding, but I can’t save them from the guards and the military treatment. But caring for them while they’re with me makes me happy, and it makes them happy, so at least that works out.”

Cedric accepted the reins back from her and watched as she bustled about, apparently eager to help with the bath. For a moment, he wondered if she could even lift a full bucket of water. Those things were heavier than they looked, and especially for someone so frail. Still, he gave her credit for gathering what she could, and was glad when she didn’t find the water. He wouldn’t have expected to do everything. He moved Edward into a wash-rack and tied him before working on removing his tack and putting it aside to be cleaned and polished later. ”If you wait a moment, I’ll help you.” answered Cedric, hanging Edward’s bridle on a hook. He reached out and gently took the bucket from her and nodded towards a metal tank of water on the other side of the barn aisle. ”I’ll fill this, if you want to get a bar of soap and a cloth out of that cupboard.” He pointed to a cupboard not far from where they stood, and then went to the tank and submerged the bucket, bringing it up full and carrying it carefully back to where the dark horse stood.

The breeze made him shiver too as it wafted through the airy stables, its gustiness almost amplified by the height of the building. His eyes went to Lux, wondering if she was also cold, and found her wrapping herself in her wings. Cedric smiled. He hadn’t realized how big they were, but then again, Lux was kind of tiny anyway. For one happy moment he wondered how well she could actually use those wings to fly, but his smile fell slowly as he realized it didn’t matter. They could never go flying together. He could never fly with anyone. He had to maintain his secret. And on her part, she was a mess.
”I do have a horse.” he answered her, pointing out towards his servants quarters. A pen was partially visible behind the building, where another black stallion stood alone. “His name is Björn.” Cedric was proud of his horse, hence why he kept him close to his house where he could see him. Björn was somewhat older and more filled out than Edward. His mane was shaggier too, and hung in his face as he grazed. ”Do you like to ride?’ he asked her, stooping to mix the soap and water.

A cool chill came over him as she spoke that was almost soothing, though he hadn’t realized until then there was any emotion in him that could be soothed. Her voice was soft, as it had been since they had been speaking, but it was soft in a different way. It seemed as if there was less fearfulness in it. Perhaps it seemed that way because she had actually used his name. He liked it when she said it for the first time. The rolled ‘r’ made it sound as if it was purred, though he doubted it had been intentional. Cedric just nodded in response, agreeing with her and listening.

He snorted though when she said Björn looked big. ”Yeah, he’s a bit of a jump to climb up. He knows it, too. He likes to push his weight around sometimes.” he told her, looking up at his horse from where he crouched. But his eyes shifted to her when she described her no-riding riding experience. He was going to say something, but she started another thought, so he listened. Cedric’s eyes brightened when she mentioned two of his favorite things within a few sentences: horses and flying. “I love riding. It’s… I’ve heard it’s the closest thing to flying.” he answered her eagerly. Horses had made up his life for the past fifty years, of course he loved it. “I could teach you, if you wanted. I broke all of these horses myself, you could have your pick of them.” by this point, Cedric had a great big smile spread across his face. “And yes, I noticed your wings. They’re beautiful.” the dragon said, admiring them. Obviously he could see the missing patches, but he could also see past that and imagined them full and white. “I’m sure when the rest of your plumage grows back, you’ll be flying faster than anyone!” With the rare opportunity to discuss his favorite things, perhaps some of his carefulness had been forgotten. But his voice was full of excitement, as if he could really picture it. Cedric would have loved to have seen her fly.

“Do you like to fl-”
The dragon’s bright blue eyes flashed, wild with excitement before they dimmed to a more controlled state. No one had ever asked if he liked to fly. No one knew he could fly. No one could know. Cedric just smiled, more aware of himself now as from his strange little burst of energy subsided. “That is a very wonderful thought.” answered Cedric, a mischievous sparkle in his pupils as he avoided a real answer. “I like the way you think.”

Then he sighed and stood up, almost as a transition into another subject. That blip of conversation had brought him more joy than any conversation he had had in more than fifty years, and it almost scared him how close it came to what it couldn’t come to. Soapy brushes in hand, he offered one out to the fae. “So, Lux,” he said, “Tell me about your Niwertri, where everyone flies. It must be amazing to live in such a place.”

Her enthusiasm about riding had only added to his excitement. Of course he would be glad to teach her. It had been a while since Cedric had done anything fun for work. He enjoyed the horses on a day to day basis, but teaching a new rider would something special, and much different than working with the young squires as they trained into knights. It would mean more to her, he thought, which meant it would mean more to him. For once, he might actually do something that felt rewarding. He wondered for a moment which horse she might like best, as there were many in the stable to choose from, each with its own personality.

However, he caught her sourly reluctant notion of respect as a bit of a surprise. It wasn’t as if she was insincere, but wore a grimace nonetheless. And despite that, her excitement had not faltered in the least. So many mixed messages… the stablehand wasn’t really sure how to respond. His self-pride would not allow him to reject respect, and he felt as if he deserved it anyway. He may not have actually had the title of ‘lord’, which might have been a bit lavish, but it wasn’t in his nature to shun it away. “It would be no trouble at all, my lady.” said Cedric. “It would be my pleasure.”

Ah, gliding. The dragon remembered what that was like. His favorite thing, though, was to fly as high as he could and then dive towards the ground in a rush. Before he came to close, he would open his wings again and lift up into the air. But that was what his wings were suited for - sharp aerodynamics and speed. Looking at hers, he supposed they probably would be better for gliding. They were probably quieter too with her feathery plumage, without the constant flap flap flap sound that his leathery wings generated. His blue eyes made contact with hers as she thanked him. “You’re welcome.” Cedric gave her a half smile.

A small chuckle rumbled in his throat when she mentioned wishing she could return the favor. For a moment he imagined how silly they’d look, her trying to carry him through the sky. “I appreciate the sentiment.” Cedric laughed. “But even if you were strong enough, I might be too afraid that you’d drop me. I’m heavier than I look.”

Bubbles lathered on Edward’s withers as the stablehand moved the curry comb in small circles over his coat. Dirt lifted with the soap, leaving the hairs beneath in a squeaky clean shine under the lather. Edward’s lips wiggled happily, and he nipped at his rope like a toy. “A century?” commented the dragon, also watching his work as he spoke. “You don’t look that old at all. But I suppose, none of the nonhuman races really look their age.” He dwelled on her words a moment… “I’m taking my time.” He wondered just how long it would take to travel to Niwertri. In the days of their persecution, Cedric had been so young, and they had traveled so much that it had all been a blur. His concept of what lands were far and which were near was skewed. He knew the maps, but the distance was a mystery to him. “I’ve lived here and there, everywhere really.” Cedric told her, which was the truth. Being hunted forced one to live literally everywhere. “I lived somewhat of a nomadic life before I finally settled in to work here. But it’s an interesting city. It may not be perfect, but it’s enough to keep me satisfied. Though I admit, it can get a bit old every now and then.” He stooped to reload his brush with more suds, gently removing the tip of her wing without thinking and standing again to curry Edward’s back. The horse’s ears flicked for a moment and then relaxed, his lips still moving contentedly.

“Is there a long journey ahead of you?” asked the dragon, glancing up at her. “I’d hate to think of you on the road alone. If you’d have me, I’d be glad to escort you there. I’m sure the stablemaster could spare me and two horses for a time. It would quicken your pace.” Truth be told, Cedric was curious now of what the rest of the world looked like. He had never seen the lands in a peaceful state, despite his century and a half long life. It would be worth seeing before that peace broke again. And he knew she was an easy target on her own. It would be below him not to offer his protections.

Cedric suppressed a smile from spreading over his face as he felt her eyes on him before she abruptly averted her gaze. He bit his tongue to keep from saying something funny, not wanting it to be perceived the wrong way or for their conversation to go down a tangent. But he thought it was cute. He would have said he was used to the reaction, a lot of women looked at him that way. It did nothing to discourage the his egotistical head about himself.

"My immortal half can be thanked for that I suppose. I stopped aging a long time ago."
Now it was his turn again, if they were taking turns, to look over at her. “I was wondering about that.” said Cedric, unthinking. He had caught a glimpse of her ears before, when they were outside. They really were more alike than what was there at first glance, he and she. Bottom of the totem pole, except the dragons had been able to sign the treaty despite the hatred they bore from the other races. Her kind had not been accounted for at all. So when she asked his age, the dragon actually had to hesitate. His first instinct, as it had been for so many years, was to lie. But she had shown some degree of trust in him, letting him in on her secret; it made him feel obligated to share at least a part of his. And yet the issues he had with trusting others weighed on his mind like a seesaw, and it was his turn for his throat to tighten a little. Cedric’s blue eyes looked into hers, searching for a moment for ulterior motives. Finding none, he actually found her eyes to be quite pure, even if they were clouded by her own pain. “Not to be repeated,” he prefaced, giving a quick glance about to make sure they were still alone. He knew they shouldn’t be interrupted, the other barnhands were helping with the new guard training today and wouldn’t be back for some time. “But I’m probably about your age.” His eyes had returned to look into hers as he spoke. It was an action that did him in, however, as an ounce of usually concealed pain lingered in them as she asked her next questions, but with his great practice, he concealed it again with a quick aversion back to the horse. “It wasn’t lonely at first. I had companions, and then I didn’t. And then it became very lonely.” It was a simple answer that gave nothing away, but did not do her the dishonor of lying. A twinge of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as she mentioned changing the city of Cendra, but he didn’t have the chance to respond before chaos unfolded in their little stall.

“Ed, you great git!” was his first response as the equine began to jerk within the wash rack. He threw himself between them and grabbed Edward’s rope firmly with one hand, the other going to his shoulder. “Whoah, whoah.” Cedric tried to calm him with limited success. As her wings spread those efforts seemed hopeless as the horse became more unsettled, and the dragon turned to the girl instead.

Somewhere in the frenzy of fluttering wings, the stallion’s startled hopping and Lux’s whimpering… at the end of it all, the dragon found himself with his back to the horse, grasping the elbows of the frail little fae as he shielded her. That feathery material floated in the air around them as if a fox had chased the chickens in one door and out the other. “Yeah he’s fine, I’m not worried about him.” answered Cedric quickly. “Are you ok? Did he kick you?” His blue eyes traveled over her body, searching to and fro for injuries but unable to distinguish between what had been there already and what may have been new. She was so bruised as it was. Despite the pinks and purples of her wounds, the rest of the color had gone from her face, and she felt clammy. When he realized he was still holding her arms and standing closer than she was probably comfortable with, he released her. “Let me get you something, I think you should sit down.” he excused himself for only a moment as he lifted a wooden stool and brought it back for her.

Cedric looked her over a moment longer, not entirely convinced of her well being and wanting to be sure. With a thought, he left again for another brief moment. When he returned, he passed a cup of water and an apple to her gently. “I’m sorry.” he told her. Like her earlier ‘thank you’, his apology had been left open ended. For the horse spooking, for grabbing her, even for what had happened to her that formed her wounds. Taking a breath, he tried his best to resume their conversation. “It’s an open offer.” he told her, nodding his head towards her. “If you need me, you know where to find me.” He was knelt in a squat, speaking to her at eye-level. “Who are ‘they’?” he asked. “Is it the one you mentioned earlier, that Eriu?” The stablehand watched her carefully, still mildly riled up from what had transpired. She looked depleted. "Are you sure you're alright?"