Katie

“Without the night, we could never see the stars.”-Hope’s Spring, Chapter 4.

“Keep your eyes peeled, the Changeling Bandit was sighted nearby!” A brisk, rough voice shouted. 

“Yes, captain!” A meek voice replies. “Is it true that she’s just a child? I don’t wanna hurt a child.” 

The captain sighs. “Here we go,” he whispers. 

“Wait, I thought she was some middle-aged woman?”

“I heard she’s just a teenage girl.”

“She’s a young woman in her twenties you idiot!” 

“You’re both wrong! I saw her once, and she’s as old as they come. Surprisingly agile for an old lady though...”

The captain pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs again. “Listen…”

“I reckon she’s actually a boy, I saw her turn into one once. Would make a perfect cover wouldn’t it?”

“A boy? But…when I saw her she was...hot…are you certain?” 

“LISTEN!” The captain shouts. “She’s a FAEBORN! A damned Mageblood...She can disguise herself with illusions, you fools! Stop your damned bantering and watch out for trouble, the duchess of Arivel needs this shipment of food and nourishments for her party. Emperor’s breath, she even sent Ironguards…So ready yourselves boys. Keep your heartsbane bracers on standby, the empire does not tolerant magic.“

His eyes fall on the mechanical facsimile of a man, on its deathly, almost impossibly sharp blades, straight out of a nightmare. The artificial creature slowly turns its hauntingly human-like, smiling metallic face to the captain, its glass eyes boring into the captain’s face. 

“State your order, Captain Scalrio.” Its distorted, screeching voice silenced the guards, and the captain gulps. 

“I..um…” 

“State your order.” 

“Guard..the..cart?” He clears his throat. “Guard the cart.”

A slight whirring noise escapes the creature, and it stares at him as if considering his order. Then it clashes its blades together and marches to the front of the cart with its heavy, yet slim limbs. “Order accepted.”

The captain’s heart skipped the beat as another ironguard stares at him. “You too.”

“Order accepted.” It follows his companion in a slow march.

“Right then, men! Everyone take positions around the cart and let’s get going.”

The guards salute and position themselves. “Get it moving!” 

An armored man on a horse nods and starts pulling the shipment forward. “Shame we don’t have one of those fancy steam-powered vehicles…” he mutters. 

“Don’t complain, guard. It won’t get you anywhere.” Captain Scalrio scolds. 

“Yes sir.” 

An aged woman in an obsidian frilly, silk-woven dress steps in front of the cart with a cane in her hands, and a grin on her face. “Hi!” She chirps, before clearing her throat and frowning sternly. “I mean-Good dusk gentlemen.” 

The captain nearly choked on his spit and bows. “Duchess Lenora? To what do we owe the pleasure?” 

“I…” Her grey eyes linger on the wooden crates stocked to the brim with food. “Desire to...inspect your cargo! Yes, immediately, right now!” 

The captain blinks. “Uh, your grace, may I ask as to why-“

“Do not question my desires! Or are you some kind of…” Her frown deepens. “Vagabond?” 

“I am not homeless, my lady.” 

Her eyes widen. “You…you, youuuuu...will be if you don’t do as I say!” she sputters. 

The guard captain’s eyes narrow. “Ma’am?” 

The duchess draws her lip back into a snarl.

“Do as I say you stupid oaf! Obey your...duchess! I am a ma’am am I not? So I shall be obeyed! Or!” She pokes the man’s cheeks with her stick. “There will be dire consequences! Do you hear me? Dire! Very dire. Yes!” She nodded as if agreeing with herself. 

A trembling young fella inches forward to the guard captain and whispers in his ear, “Sir, I believe the duchess of Arivel is only 20 solar cycles old. I’ve seen her myself when I was part of her escort to the Stargazer ball last year.”

He takes a wide step back and draws his blade. “The duchess of Arivel is only 20 solar cycles old huh...why does no one ever tell me these things...Ironguard! confirm this woman’s identity.” 

The machines step forward, their glassy eyes studying the woman closely. “Changeling Bandit sighted.” 

The woman grits her teeth and waves a hand over her face, her appearance shimmers, revealing a small auburn-haired girl. She shakes out her tangled hair and it falls down to her mid-back. 

The guards all groan and clutch their heads as if suddenly struck by a headache.

“Fine! We’ll do it the hard way!” A guard blushes at the sound of Katie’s voice, despite his headache. Her voice reminds him of a chirping nightingale, high and musical. 

“I thought everyone with a title was stuffy old people!” With a mixture of spring green and hazel brown eyes, she glares at the captain and blows him a raspberry, waving her cane around. “Do ya ken how much time I spent looking for a stupid stick?! Way too much!” 

Scalrio blinks and rubs his chin. “You’re…a kid?”

She jumps and wacks captain Scalrio in his face with her cane, then springs on the cart, deftly dodging the ironguards swords in the air. “I’m nae a wee child!!! I’m EIGHTEEN! But don’t you dare call me a ma’am either.” 

Katie stands tall and puts her fists on her hips. “I am the Changeling Bandit, bitches! Cower and piss yourselves while you still can!” She tries her best villainous laugh, but it comes out more like an amused giggle if anything. 

The men all stare at each other In sheer confusion. 

“I said COWER!” She pouts, stomping her foot, then sighs in resignation. “Note to self, work on evil laugh…” 

The machines screech in perfect unity. “Combat protocol 6.”

“Ooo! I like that one.” She giggles, jumping on the horse. “Hiya!”

The man eyes her, a mixture of confusion and shock crossing his face. 

She makes a slicing motion in the air and a gust of sharp wind cuts the rope connecting the horse to the cart apart, she follows up by slapping the animal’s butt, sending it running away. 

“Bye horsie!” Katie springs in the air and gracefully lands on the shipment, still dodging her enemies' blades. 

“Damnit boys just grab her!” The captain barks. 

“Damnit boys just grab her! As I’m far too damned lazy to do it myself!!” She taunts in a perfect impression of his voice. 

One of the guards snorts until he’s silenced by his superior's glare. 

“Well fellas, it’s been grand! But I gotta run now, see ya pricks!” Katie drops herself on the cart, then kicks her foot backwards, shooting herself and her haul forward with a blast of wind.

“Wooohoooooo!” She squeals in delight, riding the cart with a joyful smile into the distance, before stopping just around the corner. “I wonder…” she brushes her hair behind an ear and waits.

Captain sclario’s jaw drops. “What…the fuck….just happened?” 

An ironguard turns to him. “The duchess of Arivel is displeased, captain. Relaying audio message,” 

“CAPTAIN!” A shrill, whiny voice shrieks from the machine. “TELL ME THAT I DON’T HAVE TO CANCEL MY TEA PARTY BECAUSE OF YOUR INCOMPETENCE!”

He grimaces and cradles his forehead. “Fucking hell...I’m going to hear that voice in my nightmares tonight…”

“Relaying reply to, duchess Lenora of Arivel, now.” The captain’s face pales, and he instantly starts fast walking away.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY???” The duchess’s voice screeches. 

Katie giggles. “Stuffy bitch.” 

She catches a glimpse of a shadow in the corner of her eyes, and her heart skips a beat. “Damnit.” 

Katie kicks her feet and blasts away, just in time to escape from an ironguard forcefully planting its sword in the ground, exactly where she was, moments ago. 

Her pupils dilate, and she throws her palm back, increasing her speed. 

“Combat protocol 11.” The mechanical beast lowers its back and spreads its legs, lightning arcing across its feet. “There is no escaping the emperor’s justice, delinquent.”

“Eleven? There’s an eleven?” Fear chills her heart, and her breathing grows quick and shallow. 

She blinks, and the machine is gone. 

Katie gasps, and instinctively ducks, just barely missing its blade, but still it cuts a sizable length of her hair clean off. 

She grinds her teeth, her fear giving way to impulsive anger. “Nobody cuts my hair.” 

The cart races around a corner and crashes into a building. 

“Nobody.” Katie clenches her fists. She looks at the cliff, at the raging seas close by, and runs up a building, narrowly avoiding its blade once again. “Come and get me you walking scrapyard!” 

The ironguard blows a gust of steam, as if frustrated. “Switching power from morality and safeguard modules to secondary set of Caliburn blades.” 

Its eyes flash, and a second set of limbs extends itself from its back as it jumps on the building. 

A light, static noise flows out of the steel monster, and a low baritone begins talking. 

“Ah, this plays if the machine is sufficiently...frustrated. Should I even bother going through the process of having the machine say this? It’s a rare event, I’m sure. Though in the event that it does, it must disable its morality in favor of increased combat prowess...whatever, it’ll kill them all.”

Katie’s lips part. “Just when I thought you couldn’t get any worse…well as long as another iron-are doesn’t just drop from the sky-“ 

As if on cue, a second ironguard lands aside the other machine. 

“Probability of successful capture of neutralization, 78.4%” the robotic soldiers' screech. 

She sighs. “Me and my big stupid mouth…” Katie blinks, and her pupils light up in a bright, daisy white gleam. 

She weaves between the artificial monsters, dodging their attacks until their blades pin her boot to the ground and she falls on her face with a squeak. 

“Fuck!” Katie squeaks. “I ain’t dying today!” She swiftly pushes her feet out of the boot right before they get the chance to slice it to pieces. 

“One shot!” She roars, stomping her feet against the side of the building she soars through the air, then her legs connect to a large tower opposite the building. 

Her blazing eyes meeting the soulless oculars of her enemies. A shockwave of wind crashes across the tower, and she takes as deep of a breath as she can, then launches herself from the tower with a boom, followed by an even greater shockwave, the tower rumbling wildly at her departure. 

The ironguard she targets leaks a bit of oil and tries to shield itself with its mere two blades, but her power wins, and the war machine falls off the building, into the ocean. 

Katie lands on her hands and exhales, her breath sending a barrage of wind at the ironguard that chased her, but the metallic monster just walks forward. 

“Probability of successful capture or neutralization, 39%” 

She tumbles backwards and spits at the machine’s face with a sneer. “You should get your head checked you dafty scrap-pile!”

The ironguard charges, its deathly blades poised to cut her open, and the windborn girl falls. 

In a split second Katie grabs the ledges of the building, swings herself upwards, and hooks her legs around the monster’s chest, “Error. Probability of victory, 0%”

“Piss off you iron-prick!” She shouts, before swiftly tossing her foe into the raging sea at last. 

She falls against the side of the structure and breathes out a long, cathartic sigh of relief as she pulls herself up and catches her breath. 

“Seven hells…” 

Katie looks at the starry sky and wipes away a stray tear from her lashes. “I am so going to mess with some stuffy-prissy-prick tomorrow…”

She leaps off the building and soundlessly lands on the ground. While she’s rubbing her eyes a small hand tugs her sleeve. 

“Hmm?” Katie looks down and meets the puffy eyes of a child. “Hi! Oh, ya must be hungry, do ye like... um…” She scratches her cheek. “What do ye like? I’m sure I have something for ya!”

The child blinks and tilts their head. “Are you part of the Western orphanage? Haven’t seen you there. Are you new?” 

They shake their head. “Bread?” The child squeaks. 

Katie smiles and crouches, ruffling their hair. “I’m sure I’ve got some bread for you.” She climbs on the cart and digs through barrels and chests, letting out a gasp as she picks up an object wrapped in ornate cloth. “Expansive cheese from Sylvari! How fancy!” She grumbles. “Must’ve been some tea party. Welp, here we go!”

Katie grins, her eyes sparkling with joy as she waves a loaf of bread in the air. “More where that came from.” 

She grunts as she puts down a crate of bread on the ground. “Tell your friends! I know they’re hiding around here.” 

The child grins joyfully, and whistles on their fingers. Before Katie knows it she’s being hugged by a whole group of kids. 

She giggles and hugs back as many kids as she can with a teary smile. “How about I give you all some bread?” 

The children squeal and cheer, as Katie takes the time to give each and every last kid as much bread as she can give. “There!” She breathes out with a sigh of relief before climbing back onto the cart to address the party “Which one of you is the leader?” 

A small but rough-looking boy raises his hand. 

“Hiya!” Katie chirps, and reaches into her almost empty purse, save for one gold rioga. Her last gold coin. 

“Catch!” She tosses the coin at the boy, who gingerly snatches it before the rioga can hit the ground, making sure not to let the grime of the city damage its sheen. 

“Make good use of it, okay?” She flashes the children a bubbly smile and waves her hands, casting a torrent of wind behind her, riding the cart away into the evening.

She catches sight of the orphanage, and her heart sinks in her chest. “There’s the orphanage...” She mumbles. Katie peers at the barrels of wines and flicks them off her cart with a powerful burst of air. 

The cart suddenly stops next to the old gothic building, and she hops off it as the mud slinks onto her boot, and her bare foot. 

A weathered hag steps into view, a scowl on her harsh face. “It’s about time you got here, wind-witch. These gremlins are getting intolerable.” 

Katie rolls her eyes. “My sincere fucking apologies Miss Eveline. Next time I’ll try tossing a murderous death robot into the sea a little faster.” 

The old lady’s wrinkly face contorts like a folded piece of paper, and she spits at the dirty girl’s feet. “Don’t think you’ll be getting paid now!” 

Her shoulders slump. “Would you at least consider letting me stay here? I just want…” She glances at the playing and giggling children, and tears sting at her eyes.

“NO!” The hag shrieks. “We do not tolerate your kind, all wicked and magical.” She sneers, hatred boiling in her eyes. “Go away, wind-witch. We don’t want you here, this is a faithful orphanage. Now leave,” She holds a grey finger over a cardinal red button. 

“Or die to the Empire’s blades, Mageblood.” 

Katie sniffs, and inches away from the woman. “I’m sorry! I’ll go, alright?” 

“I’ll go…” She squeaks, breaking into a run. Her feet barely touch the ground as she sprints across the barren fields, away from what finally could’ve been her home. 

“I’ll go!” Katie sobs and accelerates her steps, moving faster and faster until she’s almost a blur to anyone else, not like her.

She slams her bare foot against the cold tiles and soars through the air, lightly cracking the stone beneath her feet. 

Katie then soundlessly lands on her roof and sits down on her dirty, torn mattress. 

“Ow…” She rubs the sole of her foot, wincing at the pain from slamming it against the stone. “Stupid…” Katie mumbles. 

“It went that horribly, did it?” A smooth, masculine voice asks. 

She looks up and meets the visage of a lordly gentleman. His leathery, dark brown suit looks tailored exactly to his measurements, and to exhume the appearance of true wealth and power, from the gold buttons to his shiny cuffs. 

“Aye…” The girl breathes, looking back at her sore foot. 

“I did warn you. Madam Eveline is a true zealot of the Doctrine of Venefica. She follows it to the latter.” The man strokes his well-trimmed beard. 

“Scripture Alpha Tres comes to mind. Thou shall not host those of wicked blood.” 

Katie rolls her eyes. “I’m not bloody wicked, Lord Pee-to.”

The Lord gives her an amused, charismatic smile. “Indeed you aren’t. My offer...still stands. No matter how many times you butcher my name.”

She scoffs and ignores his tempting, honeyed words. 

“Katelyn dear, you’ve tried and failed to find a family. So many families and orphanages you’ve tried to...convince..into accepting you but it was all for naught. But I could at least give you a roof, you could work for me full-time instead of part-time, and I would ensure your happiness. Of that, you have my word. Bound in blood and Gold.”

Katie sighs, she looks at his wolffish face, and her resolve seemingly wavers. Then she curtly shakes her head. “My name is Katie, and I already have a roof.”

“Above your head?” 

Katie scowls and spits at him, but her attempt falls short and merely falls on his boot. 

“Ah, good thing I decided to wear my ugly shoes. This time…” 

She grins mischievously. “Aye, this time.” 

“Regardless. The offer stands, child.” He rests his clean hand on her shoulder. “Even if you do not wish to work full time now, or ever. I cannot stand knowing you are still living on the streets. The Empire…”

He glances downwards, at the marching battalion of soldiers and ironguard, their footfalls matching a steady, ancient rhythm. 

“…Does not forget its enemies or those with a bounty.”

He tosses a paper scroll at her feet, it rolls open, revealing an meticulously accurate drawing of Katie’s features. 

It reads:

“Changeling Bandit. Reward: 50 Gold Rioga’s. Reward only applies if turned in alive. 

Wanted for: Being of magical nature; heresy. Disruption of order, harassment of nobility, theft, numerous impersonations, assault, destruction of imperial property; ironguard.

Known abilities: Air manipulation. Illusory magic, presumed to currently only be capable of disguising appearance. Heretical agility. 

Known habitats: None.

Peculiarities: Cirrian accent, no known birth records. Childish height despite her age. Has been witnessed biting multiple imperial guards. Known for excessive swearing.

Please report any signs of Delinquent to the nearest imperial guard.”

Katie’s eyes fall on the drawing of her face, and she pouts. “They didn’t get my good side.” 

Pietro frowns and rubs his forehead. “This is a serious matter, girl.”

“I ken! I mean only 50 gold rioga’s? I ken it’s more money than most ever see but come on! I gotta fix that shite.”

The fancy man lets out an exasperated sigh and rubs his chin. 

“Katelyn…” 

“It’s Katie!” She snarls, puffing her cheeks. “Don’t make me sound all fucking prissy.”

Pietro chuckles. “It’s a beautiful name, nothing ‘prissy’ about it dear girl.”

“I beg to differ.” She runs her fingers through her auburn mane. “I’m no prissy lassie.”

The lord rises and pats her head. “No, of course not. I’ll see you in the morning?” 

Katie shrugs. “Aye, suppose so.” 

“Good. I know you don’t like what you have to do. But I assure you, you are helping people.”

She quietly nods. 

“Just keep that in mind, dear. Stay well.”

And with that, Lord Pietro departs, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. 

“Or I’ll have to find another.” He whispers under his breath, too silently for anyone to hear.

Katie stares at the setting sun, blossoming on the horizon like a fiery rose, still illuminating the world with its soft light until it makes way for the enchanting starry night sky. 

She breathes out a sorrowful sigh and rests her head on the worthless mattress.

Katie’s eyes flutter to a close, and she starts to daydream of when her mother sang her lullabies. Nearly every night when they were together.

“Óho mo leana,” She sings in her mother’s soothing voice as she gazes at the dusk sky and a few early stars, her heart aching to be with her mother.

Óho óho óho mo leana, (Oh my children,)                     

Óho mo leana, is codail go fóill. (Oh my children, still asleep.)

Óho óho óho mo leana, (Oh my children,)

Mo stóirín inti leaba inti chodladh, gan brón. (My sweetheart is still asleep, without sorrow.)

Sleep, o babe, for the red bee hums the silent twilight’s fall, 

Aoibheall from the grey rock comes, to wrap the world in thrall. 

My child, my joy, my own, my heart’s desire, 

The crickets sing your lullaby, beside the fading fire. 

Seoithín seo thó, mo stór é mo leana, (You are this jewel, my children are my treasure,)

Mo sheod is mo chuid den tsaol mhór, (My jewel, and part of my life,) 

Seoithín seo thó, nach mór é a taitneamh, (This sight, what a pleasure,

Mo stóirín inti leaba inti chodladh, gan brón. (My sweetheart is still asleep, without sorrow.)

Dusk is drawn and the green man’s thorn is wreathed in the fog, 

Siabhra sails his boat till morning, upon the starry bog. 

My child, the pale moon has ringed her cusp in dew, 

And weeps to hear the sad, sweet tune, I sing to you. 

Ar mhullach an tí tá síogaí geala, (On the roof of the house are bright fairies,)

ag imirt agus ag ól na hoíche ar shiúl, (Playing and drinking the night away,) 

Is seo iad aniar iad a’ glaoch ar mo leana, (They are the ones calling my children,)

Le súil is a mhealladh isteach sa lios. (Hoping to lure you into the great courtyard.) 

A leana mo chléibh, go n-éirí do chodladh leat,(Children of my heart, may you sleep,)

Séan agus sonas gach oíche ‘do chomhair. (Blessing and happiness every night for you.)

Tá mise le do thaobh a’ guí ort na mbeannacht, (I am by your side wishing you blessings,)

Seoithín mo leana, is ní imeoidh tú leo. (My children, you will not go away with them.) 

Óho óho óho mo leana, (Oh my children,) 

Óho mo leana, is codail go fóill. (Oh my children, still asleep.)

Óho óho óho mo leana, (Oh my children)

Mo stóirín inti leaba inti chodladh, gan brón... (My sweetheart is still asleep, without sorrow...)

Her eyelids slowly close, as the tranquil embrace of sleep claimed her.

SnowRosie

The song I used is called “Seoithìn, Seo Hó.” It’s a Irish lullaby mothers used to sing for their children to warm them of the Fae that might steal or lure them away if they didn’t sleep. Fun fact! while the English translations are always gender neutral, the Irish Gaelic version usually uses he/him pronouns but i think I changed them to she/her as the song was for Katie. I also wrote and translated the whole song from memory instead of just googling it like a dummy>.< Stay safe everyone❤️