Completed [Maiden District] I Can't Feel

[Sigrun Dominic]

55th of Winter, 508 AV The Maiden District "Sigrun..." The cold winds were sharp and biting, like the fangs of a hungry canine, as they smacked Sigrun in all portions of her body. Her hands gripped Sigmund's tightly as the two strolled down the street. Thin layers of snow enveloped the houses along the Maiden district, with small icicles forming along the edges of their roofs. Every window was shut closed and tightly, revealing nothing of the homes within but the orange light of a candle or hearth. "Sigrun." The young blonde had her skinny body enveloped in her father's old coat. It was itchy and incredibly uncomfortable, but it kept her warm enough to withstand the harshness of the winter. Her brother walked slowly next to her, his light blue eyes scanning the few amounts of people that roamed the streets. A select few of brave peddlars had their wares sprawled out on the ground even at the late hour, and their items for sale were intriguing to the young boy. "Sigrun, you're hurting me." The roads began to spin as Sigrun's vision began to blur. The cold was beginning to attack her head in the form of a migraine, and yet she kept on going, her hand wrapped tightly around Sigmund's. "Sigrun, stop!" The young boy forcefully pulled his hand away from his sister's. The young girl halted abruptly and turned around to face him. "Y-You're... You're hurting me, sister..." "We need food," the older sibling responded curtly. Sigmund whimpered. "I can't leave you there alone in the house. Snowe is sick, he can't protect you." "I can't feel my legs, Sigrun, I can't feel my legs." The young boy pressed himself onto his sister, his arms wrapping around her thin waist from underneath her oversized coat. Sigrun stared at his small blonde head, a shade lighter than hers, a shade much closer to their mother's locks. "Silly boy. If you couldn't feel your legs, you shouldn't be able to walk," she mumbled affectionately. Slowly, she brought up her hand and caressed Sigmun's head. "We need to eat, Sigmund. You need to eat, most especially." she said gently, soothingly. "Where's Francis?" The older sibling made no effort to respond. Sigmund began to cry. "No, no," Sigrun shushed the boy softly. She knelt down before him and wiped the tears from his eyes and kissed his flushed cheeks. "No one wants to see you cry, dear brother," she said sweetly, "do you want to make people sad by crying?" "Why must I always concern myself with other people's sadness when I myself am upset?" he responded stubbornly, stomping his foot on the thick snow. Sigrun giggled. "Alright, alright, how about this," she eyed the undone buttons of his coat and began to fasten them. "Be strong." "Not this again, sister," Sigmund whined, "I can't be strong for you if I can't even be strong for myself." "No," the girl's eyes met with his, "don't worry about me, this time. I'm asking you to be strong for yourself, just yourself." "Sigrun..." the young boy trailed off. "I'm serious, Sigmund," the blonde girl shook her brother's shoulders, her eyes gazing deep into his, "life was never meant to be easy. It will never be easy. You need strength. Francis can't be here with us anymore, it's just you, me, and Snowe now." "Sigrun." "People can give you strength, certain things can give you strength, and even you can give some to yourself, but it is your responsibility to retain and maintain all of that within you, and use it to your benefit." "Sigrun..." The young girl rose and took her brother's hands once more, her gaze moving over towards the street. The shops weren't too far ahead; hopefully it wasn't too late to purchase even just a loaf of bread. "Sig..." "That's what mother always told us, remember?" she turned around and smiled at the young boy, only to find his grip from her hand loosening as he fainted onto the ground. "Sigmund!"

[Ronan Dugal]

Winter had never been one of Ronan's favorites. The cold, the snow, the wetness form the melting snow, the dirty snow, the ice, the slipping. It wasn't for Ronan. With a small hop, he pulled the backpack further up his shoulders, making sure it wasn't slipping. The goods inside clanked together and felt heavy on his back. His feet pulled him through the snow and mud as he walked to his destination. The goods in his backpack would fetch quite a Miza with the trader he was heading for. If he ever made it there, of course. It wasn't all that clear if he would or not. The poor sod outside the city gates had sold him the whole deal for a bargain, since he had been refused access to the city. Perhaps not very friendly, but preying on other people's misery had made Ronan quite a bit of money already. Ronan's cloak was wrapped tightly around his body, protecting most of it from the cold winds. His face, covered in the hood of the cloak, was hidden from sight but alas, not from the cold. His nose and cheeks were red from the wind and his lips felt dry and cracked as he licked over them. He sniffed constantly. In his rush he brushed passed two children walking side by side. "Pardon me." Ronan barely took the time to look as he moved on. He had things to do. Sometimes people say things happen for a reason, Ronan had never shared in that philosophy but sometimes he did feel like things happened, things out of his control, that benefited him in some way. He could feel his nose curling up as he breathed in. A loud sneeze echoed through the near empty street as Ronan stood up. He wiped at his nose with the cloak as he sniffed some more. "Damn cold." As if guided by something different, something out of his control, Ronan turned around. Behind him, the two children were... sitting in the snow in the middle of the road? That wasn't right. Watching the two, Ronan saw that one of them was lying down and the other one was yelling and tried to do something. For some reason, Ronan felt concern for the one lying on the ground and he retraced his steps, walking back to the two. "Is everything alright?" Ronan leaned over the kid on the ground as he questioned the other one. It didn't look alright to him. Ronan knelt down, one knee in the snow as he reached for the kid and felt his forehead. It was much too hot considering the cold wind and the time of year. "I think he has a fever." Ronan offered as advice not that it would help much. "You should take him to a doctor." It took only a single glance over the two children in front of him for Ronan to know that they didn't have money for a doctor. He recognized the look, the type of clothing, the general behavior of the child that hadn't fainted. With a closer look he saw that she wasn't as young as he had initially thought. His mind wandered back to when he was a child and was living on the streets and how he must have looked to the people that had helped him out back then, had helped him to get his feet on the ground and not in a cell somewhere. "Do you need some help carrying him?" In an attempt to somewhat repay the debt he owed those people, Ronan offered his help towards these two little ones, who needed his help just as much as he had needed the help of others when he was younger.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"Sigmund? Sigmund," the young blonde frantically called out her brother's name, her hands clutching both sides of his arms as she shaked him repeatedly. "Sigmund!" she cried out, bringing her palms to his face, but the little boy was unresponsive. "Oh shykes," the girl swore through her teeth, cradling her younger brother as she found a young man standing over them. "Shykes," she hissed under her breath. The man was dressed in warm clothing and looked a lot more well-off than they did. From what she could see underneath his hood as she was perched on the street, he seemed pale-skinned with raven hair. It could've been auburn for all she knew, and the darkness caused by the cold weather only made it appear darker than it actually was. Sigrun held her brother closer as she glared up at the man with a scowl. Gently, subtly, she moved backwards and assumed a defensive position. "Is everything alright?" Sigrun's eyes softened, though she still wrapped herself around Sigmund like a human cage. She looked down at her brother and then up at the man once more, suddenly unable to explain the situation. "He fainted," she responded faintly. Suddenly, all the stress of caring for herself and Sigmund broke through a crack in her resolve and allowed a lone tear to roll down her left cheek. She moved backwards once more when the man knelt before them, and jerked her brother away when he brought his hand out to touch his forehead. He laid it there for a moment. Sigrun stared at him intently, her eyes scanning his features, but found that his facial expression did not betray anything malicious. "I think he has a fever," the man said, "you should take him to a doctor." Sigrun stared at the snow beneath the man's feet. They could barely afford anything to eat with the measly income she earned from fishing, as she was horrible at it. She had been saving the little inheritance they had left for more important dealings, such as the possibility of Sigmund to have an education. The young girl opened her mouth to speak, but still could not find the words to. "Do you need some help carrying him?" A pause. Sigrun eyed the man once more, observing the way he carried himself, and sighed internally. She wouldn't be able to manage carrying Sigmund back to their home, especially not in this weather. He did not seem at all that suspicious, and if he truly did have any ill intent, she could simply scream for a knight to come and assist her. Hopefully such a situation wouldn't have to happen. "Yes," she said curtly, with a nod, "I'm afraid I'll have to take him home."

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan smiled, honestly, as he saw the girl look up at him. He could feel the daggers coming from her eyes. Somehow he was jealous of the fainted boy. A sister like that would have made his own life so much more bearable. As he knelt down next to them, he noticed that they both had blonde hair, almost white because of the cold and snow. Such a complete contrast to his own. Ronan moved carefully. The girl seemed to be like a mother animal taking care of her child. If he moved too quickly or too suddenly she could lash out at him. Probably not personally but there things she could do that would get him in trouble. And trouble was best avoided in this city. Ronan slipped his hands under the boy's knees and arms, lifting him off of the ground. "He's lighter than I thought." Probably the lack of food. Ronan sighed slightly as he looked at the boy's face. So young. Checking to make sure that the girl was alright to walk, Ronan started walking, back from where he had came. "Which way, young lady? I'm afraid I don't know the way to home so you'll have to guide me." Ronan managed a smile towards the girl, trying to assure her a little with an attempt at humor. It didn't seem like the boy was going to be well off at home but who was he to argue with her. She didn't trust him. He could tell and he admired her for it. Trust was not something you should give to anyone, really. Ronan never had and he had turned out better than most of his past companions. With the weight of the backpack pulling on him from behind and the lighter weight of the child pulling from the front, Ronan was quite encumbered. He stepped through the snow after the girl, cursing at the cold weather. With both hands holding the boy, he didn't have any hands left to keep his cloak tight around his body. The wind swept it aside and played with it, pushing it left and right while constantly blowing ice cold air in Ronan's outfit, making him shiver. He wished 'home' was close. "Are we there yet?" It sounded like an annoying child to Ronan. The thought made him smile a little. The boy in his arms stirred and called for Sigrun but it wasn't more than fever mumbling as he quickly grew silent again, lying still in Ronan's arms.

[Sigrun Dominic]

Sigrun reluctantly released her hold on her younger brother, slowly, cautiously, as the stranger snaked his arms underneath the little boy's lithe frame. "Careful," she mumbled, but the man wasn't rough at all. "He's lighter than I thought," he commented. "Yes, well, he isn't a big eater," she responded with a bite of her lip. She stared up at him as he carried Sigmund, and quickly raised herself to her feet to join him. The man was tall, and his considerable size was intimidating, but nonetheless his face did not give away any ill intent. Sigrun loosened up quite a bit, but stuck close to the man as they walked back up the district. "Which way, young lady? I'm afraid I don't know the way to home so you'll have to guide me." Sigrun kept on checking up on the man, watching his movements, but still saw nothing suspicious. When he saw the stranger smile, she loosened up quite a bit and sighed with relief as she led him up the street. Even so, she kept looking behind her and observing him, making sure he wasn't going to try anything. They walked for a few more minutes before the man spoke up once more. "Are we there yet?" "We didn't get very far," she called out in between a gust of wind. She heard her brother whisper her name, and she paused to kiss the little boy's forehead. He stirred, nuzzling himself against the stranger's chest. Sigrun smirked. "In fact, we're already here." She moved towards the left of the street and over to a small home wedged in between two much larger structures. She struggled with the door for a moment before finally managing to swing it over. Turning to face the man. "After you." It was a modest-sized home that looked as if it was once bright and vibrant. The walls looked as if they were once painted to be cream, but now they appeared to be a moldy yellow, and wherever the paint peeled there were signs of graying brick. The floorboards creaked, and some portions of the floor were moist with humidity. On one side of the house was a stone kitchen with a small dining set that seemed to have once had four chairs, but now only had two. The lit hearth on the other side sported tattered lounge chairs, and the open door nearby led to a bedroom that only had one two-person cot and a small desk where multiple lit candles were perched. An Inganu Deepwoods appeared from the bedroom and growled at the stranger. Sigrun shushed the canine, mouthing its name, and it immediately calmed down, but remained seated by the bedroom entrance. "To the bedroom, please," the young girl gestured to the other door, "be mindful of our dog."

[Ronan Dugal]

As the boy nuzzled himself into Ronan's chest, Ronan couldn't help but smile. All he did was carry the lad, not like he was his surrogate father or anything. Even in the biting cold wind, Ronan could feel the forehead of the boy burning against his clothes. He stopped as the girl worked with the front door, trying to open it. "Normally I'd say ladies first but considering..." The rest of sentence was left hanging in the air. Ronan walked in the house and couldn't help but whistle in amazement. "Your house is bigger than mine..." Ronan wasn't too bothered by the growling dog who quickly seemed to quiet down as the girl spoke to it. He walked past the dog and towards the bedroom where he took care to put the boy on the bed. He left his side for only a moment, to put the large backpack against the wall near the door. The lack of weight on his back felt good and Ronan stretched out, cracking his back lightly. A satisfied sigh left his lips before he moved back to the bedroom to check on the boy. "You need to cool him down but make sure not too much. Do you have some cloth and cold water?" Sure, Ronan wasn't trained as a doctor but he knew how to take care of the little things. They would need a doctor soon, though. "Where are your parents?" As he asked the question, Ronan already knew the answer. From the state of the house and the fact that the girl had to carry the boy through the wind and snow to wherever they had been going told Ronan enough. There were no parents in this house. And if there were any, they weren't very good at their job, which was low balling it. A little rude but necessary, Ronan went through the kitchen, opening the drawers and cupboards looking for a bowl of some kind. If he found one he would simply step out into the cold and scoop up some of the snow. Almost as soon as he got back inside the warmth of the house it was starting to melt. "Use this to cool his forehead but make sure it doesn't freeze him. It is quite cold." He put the bowl near the bed and headed for his backpack and started rummaging in it, looking for something.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"Normally I'd say ladies first but considering..." Sigrun smirked. "Considering the circumstances..." she mused, as she closed the door behind them and made for the kitchen. She exhaled sharply with amusement at the sound of his whistle. "Your house is bigger than mine..." The young blonde glanced over towards him and opened her mouth to speak, but the words came a few minutes later. "My family used to be bigger." Snowe immediately followed the man into the bedroom and then hopped onto the bed with Sigmund. The dog nuzzled himself next to the young boy and whimpered, his tongue lapping at the feverish boy's cheek. "You need to cool him down but make sure not too much. Do you have some cloth and cold water?" Sigrun watched the stranger as he left his things by the wall and returned into the bedroom. The young girl was already filling a small bowl with water. She took of her coat and left it on the table, revealing a thin beige tunic over a pair of dark stockings. Before she could bring the bowl over to the man, however, he'd already helped himself to the cupboards and filled another one with snow from just outside. The young girl smirked once more, and instead of feeling invaded, she felt relieved. It had been a long time since someone else took charge around this household. "Where are your parents?" Her smile faded quickly. "Permanently indisposed." She followed the stranger into the bedroom and watched as he set the bowl near the bed and sat next to her younger brother on the mattress. Quickly, she ran over to the drawers and brought out an old shirt. "Use this to cool his forehead but make sure it doesn't freeze him. It is quite cold." As the stranger got up, Sigrun moved over and took his seat by the bed. She soaked the shirt in the ice water and then gently dabbed it over Sigmund's forehead. She glanced over at the bedroom entrance and waited for the sound of the front door closing behind the man, but it never happened. He must still be around. Shrugging to herself, she continued to wipe the wet cloth around Sigmund's face and around his chest and shoulders. Snowe watched them curiously, his nose sniffing the little boy's ear.

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan could feel the pain in the girl's voice when she spoke about her family. They had obviously led a good life, until something had happened. Some sort of tragedy had caused these two children to live in this house alone. He felt like he was supposed to say something but at the same time couldn't. There was something here, something this girl had seen or lived through that Ronan recognized and that made it difficult for him to talk about it. He stepped back to let the girl take care of her little brother as the dog used him as a lolly pop. He leaned against the frame of the door as he watched the girl and the dog with the boy. How nice it would have been if he had had someone in his past. Sure, there had been other boys on the street and other kids in his neighborhood but nothing like this. No bond that could replace this. A silly dream of a single child. "Even with just the two of you, your family is still bigger than mine." There was a light and friendly tone to his voice, a little playful as he tried to get her attention off the worst of what was happening. With nothing else to do, Ronan simply removed himself to the first room of the house, where his pack was stationed against the wall. With his search for the bowl, Ronan had also seen the lack of anything remotely edible in the house. There was enough cutlery and tools in the kitchen to prepare the food but there was nothing to prepare. Pushing the chair he had been sitting on back, Ronan made a decision. He quickly moved over to his backpack and rummaged through it once more, searching for something. With a triumphant look on his face he pulled out a bag from it, a small pouch, really. From the outside it seemed to contain a few small objects, not bigger than a pebble. Without a word he put his cloak back on and pulled it tightly around himself before stepping out, the door slamming close behind him as the wind pulled on it. His backpack remained inside, against the door. The wind was still howling and blasting cold air into Ronan's face as he made his way through the streets of Syliras. How he hated the cold and the snow. With his cloak tight around his body, Ronan braved the cold. He was gone for quite some time, leaving the children and their dog alone. He returned almost a bell later, knocking on the door, his arms filled with bags thick with all sorts of items. In one bag he had simple food and vegetables, not as fresh but at least better than nothing, and some meat, which was by far the most expensive item in his arms right now. The other bag, much smaller, contained herbs to treat fever and herbs to mix with water to help someone to relax. The third bag contained more food, bread in all shapes and sizes, and a half wheel of cheese, also not fresh from the oven but once again, better than no food at all. The pouch hung empty from his belt.

[Sigrun Dominic]

"Mama?" "Shh, no no," Sigrun whispered soothingly, her fingers brushing the hair away from Sigmund's face as the young boy opened his eyes to face her. "Oh, mama," he whispered raspily, flashing his sister a toothy grin, "I had a dream." "It's sister," Sigrun's brows furrowed, her eyes filling with tears, "I-It's your sister, Sigmund." She dipped the cloth into the cold bowl and squeezed out the excess liquid before placing it upon Sigmund's body once more. The young boy groaned and closed his eyes. Sigrun could feel the eyes of the stranger looking at them, at her, at Sigmund, and at Snowe. It was a brief discomfort that later on became a sense of security; someone was watching over them for once. "Even with just the two of you, your family is still bigger than mine." His voice was kind, friendly, and reminded Sigrun of her father. He spoke similarly to the way her father once did when he was teaching her how to fish. The young blonde smiled softly and turned around to look at the man, but he'd disappeared into the other room already. She wanted to respond to his words, but it took time for her to collect her thoughts and open her mouth. However, before she could speak, the front door creaked open and then slammed shut. She stared at the bedroom entrance and sank into the mattress, disappointed. Deep inside of her, she hoped that the man would stay and help them, take care of them, or at the very least keep them company a little bit longer. "Mama?" "No, Sigmund," Sigrun sobbed, her eyes swelling with tears as she buried her face in her brother's shoulder, "mama's not here, it's Sigrun." The weight of her responsibilities broke through her shoulders and caused them to shiver and shake. The young girl cried for a moment, before inhaling deeply. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, she willed the tears to go away. "I dreamt that I saved everyone in Syliras, mama," Sigmund said softly. Sigrun froze, her arms limp around the young boy's little body. "I was a knight, mama, and I saved everyone from a monster!" "Did you, now?" Sigrun whispered, smiling to herself. "I saved everyone, including sister, and papa, and you of course!" "Good boy, good," she responded, "I expect that you'll make that dream materialize." "I will, mama," Sigrund mumbled, "I will for you." A long pause. One of the flames that flickered from the nearby table went out as its candle ran out of wax. Sigrun snuggled closer to her brother. "Do it for yourself." Another candle. "Do it for yourself, Sigmund." The boy was unresponsive. "Sigmund." The front door opened and closed. Sigrun rose from the bed and eyed Sigmund, who was fast asleep again, but dangerously still and unresponsive. The young blonde darted over to the other room and eyed the stranger as he re-entered their home carrying so many things. The young girl was panting. "What is that?" she asked him frantically, "It's... It's Sigmund, he's... I don't know." She broke under the pressure. Her knees gave in and she fell to the floor. Looking up at the man, she cried out, "I don't know what to do anymore."

[Ronan Dugal]

Ronan had expected a slightly happier response to his return but the girl seemed to be quite distressed as she collapsed on the floor. "Don't worry. Calm down. He's sick, so of course he's not very well. Alright, you take a seat right here." Ronan had put the bags on the table and was heading over to the girl before lifting her on her feet. Careful, he put her on the chair, making sure she was alright before taking a peek into the next room. The boy was asleep, which was good. The dog was still taking care of him, which was also good. He moved back to the table and opened the smallest of the bags. "This is tea. It's good for sick people. You put it in hot water and you wait for a while, stirring it. Then you give it to the patient, careful not to burn them, though." He set the tea leaves aside. "I'll leave the rest of the bags to you to explore." A small grin on his face as he moved back to the bedroom, Ronan checked on the boy properly. He felt his neck with his fingertips and listened to his breathing. The boy was still alive but very weak. He felt his forehead and immediately knew he was still burning up. The tea should help, at least a little. The rest was up to the boy. Or a doctor, but neither the children nor Ronan had the money to pay for one in Syliras. He stood up and made sure the boy was tugged in before joining the girl in the main room. "I can't get over how big your place is..." He smiled, trying to get her mind off of things. "You know how to cook?" A rather stupid question considering she was the adult in the house. Ronan picked up the heaviest of the two bags and carried it into the kitchen. He took out some of the vegetables and some of the bread and spread it out on the table in the kitchen. "I'm not good at cooking and your brother can't eat much so we'll stick to soup. What do you say?" Ronan smiled at her as held a carrot like it was a knife. First he took a large pot and filled it with water before hanging it in front of the fire, so the water would heat up. He planned on using a cup of it for the boy's tea and the rest for the soup. With the bowl of water the girl had prepared for her brother earlier, Ronan washed the vegetables for the soup. Some tomatoes, some carrots and one onion. "I'm Ronan Dugal. We haven't been introduced." He handed her the carrots as a handshake. "Cut those into pieces, if you will." With his knife, Ronan started cutting the tomatoes first and then, a little hesitant, focused on the onion, slicing it up as well. Once he was done with slicing vegetables, he used one of the spoons from the kitchen to scoop up and test the water in front of the fire. It was getting there, slowly. "I'll show you how to make the tea as well, once this is a little warmer."