SOMNUS
A rueful smile pulled at the corners of the Regent’s lips despite his best efforts of keeping a neutral expression. “Alba is a rather finicky creature, I’m afraid.” It was certainly one way of describing her, which was for certain. The barn owl had no qualms in ever letting her displeasure known, and didn’t care a lick for who might be offended from her brash behavior. No matter. Alba was young yet and had plenty of growing left to do, and Somnus could not fault her for her way of thinking. Maturity came with age, after all. Age and experience.
Curious verdant eyes glanced upwards, regarding the striped woman almost curiously for a moment. If she had no knowledge of Delumine, then she was clearly not from Novus. He wondered where she might be from, and what might have brought her here… But to reach so deeply within Novus and have no wings? And in her injured state? Curious. Later, if she was willing, he would inquire for more information to satisfy his curiosity, but not force or demand. Never that. He was far too much a gentleman to demand answers to his inquiries, especially from an injured stranger.
From there he listened, nodding his head during her tale. The Regent’s handsome face grew pinched with uneasiness, trying to conjure up an image of this horrific beast that she spoke of. Nothing like it existed within this region. At least to his knowledge. Perhaps he would have Ulric send out some of their warriors to secure the border between the Creek and Delumine’s forests, just to be on the safe side. The last thing they needed was for some crazed, slavering beast to terrorize the locals and destroy the wildlife.
Keeping his voice soft and patient, Somnus finally breached his silence. “I’m relieved that it did not manage to snag more of you, if the beast is as fierce as you say. I was unaware that we had such a menace in these parts.” Her leg, stained in red blood and mangled with torn flesh, looked terribly painful and puffy with swelling from the trauma, but she would heal. She would survive. It wasn’t life threatening, and with proper medical attention, Somnus did not believe that it would cripple her for life, either. Perhaps untreated… The thought was immediately cast aside. No. She would be fine. He could not lose another to senseless violence, stranger or otherwise.
She went on, introducing herself, and the golden tactician gave a polite nod of his head. Pavetta. “Pavetta.” It was a confirmation of understanding, tasting the name on his tongue with elegant vocals and filtering it away to recall, along with her face. She was a pretty thing, in a valiant, visceral kind of way, unique in her brindles and barring. Abruptly then, he paused, brows raised as he regarded Pavetta with a look, glittering emerald meeting sly rose-quartz. He recalled briefly a conversation of his past, upon encountering his beloved, beautiful King for the first time, and found himself echoing his late-King’s words. “Please, think nothing of it. What's done is done… No, I am nothing so grand and reputable as a healer-knight, good Pavetta, though I wish I could say so. I am merely a servant of the Dawn Court. Of Delumine.” And he was. Regent or not, those in the Regime were the ultimate servants to the Dawn Court, to Delumine, to Oriens.
Then, recalling that she was unaware as to what or where Delumine was, the golden Regent cleared his throat. As much as he wished to offer her explanations, they truly did need to tend to her wound. “Do you think that you can stand? Lean upon me if you can, and I will lead you back to the stream so that we may clean you wound. Perhaps then I can tell you a bit of where you are. It must be frightening.”
@Pavetta <3
