Chapter Text
Waking up early to some came naturally, it was a part of their day as usual as having breakfast. As expected as a sunny day in summer and as nuanced as a windy day in autumn. It was their very own nature for some people really. It was just written in their own being that made them get up to face the day as good followers did, to greet another day of toil and worship as early as they could manage.
As her cloud white wool body and two little horns might suggest she was a sheep. Decidedly a diurnal creature that did not find it hard to wake with the sun and as a sheep she never had any issues with that part since her early days as a lamb growing up. No, from the days of her youth in the meadows her childhood had been spent, to her adulthood traversing dense woods of Darkwood, to now running a cult away from the prying eyes of those that seek them. For her t was getting off the bed that was the hard part for her.
Bite her, It was hard to deny the wool clad bed, as delightful as a spring morning and fluffy as… well wool. The newish bedding and blanket was like a vortex in the river. As fish found it impossible to escape its watery prison, so did she find the silky comforter hard to escape.
Now that alone was no sin, one did not need to partake in the err of sloth just because they couldn’t deny themselves comfort. One could find productivity from even the comforts of one's own bed. Grab a book perhaps to read up on, perhaps the book she got from Fornious a week prior or pick up her yarn ball and continue knitting something for the coming winter months, like the beanie she was planning to give to Lancelot. Mayhaps just carry a tune while meditating the way Ratau taught her many moons ago.
No, she was not doing any of those. She was mostly just staring at the roof of her cottage. Cottage that if she may add, was rather well built. She glared at the rustic piece of architecture as if it held the mysteries of the universe and all that is beyond it. As if each seam of the great oak beams could somehow show her of the very nature of their world one knot at a time.
She sighed for perhaps the fifth time this morning. As to why she kept a count, well that's just what one does when you are that particularly bored. The sort of bored mood where one lacks even the motivation to alleviate their own bored state.
Before she could scratch a notch on the sigh counter a deep and smooth voice spoke from the crown, a voice she knew the owner of rather well. Playful and yet questioning ‘’So little lamb, how goes the cult business I do hope thou art winning yes?’’
As punctual as ever is her boss. Well more like God but really what's the difference when one looks into the size of the ego and demands. Then again, out of all of her past employers The One Who Waits was certainly the one with the most benefits and perhaps the least egotistical outright.
A huff followed ‘’Indeed my lord, I am winning alright.’’ A broken stone green crown neatly placed on a pillar proved that part. She got into a sitting position on the bed. Had to show that there was some attempt at civility, or really tried to before a particularly loud pop stopped her on her track.
‘’Ouch’’ She gently rubbed her back, trying to apply pressure near her neck. grumbling ‘’I can’t believe how the crown will fix all the wounds but won't fix the back ache somehow.’’ To be fair, that was mostly self-inflicted. She really didn't need to push herself last night. However, what she suffered in back aches would make up for not getting a headache for having to listen to followers' complaints about the corpse situation. Who knew bears were hard to carry even with the crown and somehow even with all bravado the said bears still couldn’t survive a warehouse incident?
The amused and frankly almost mocking noise in her head added ‘’Pain most horrid I am sure my lamb.’’ chuckle ‘’it must truly be an agony unparalleled to feel the ache of a 4 ‘4 height. Standing shoulder with the mountains up in the clouds truly takes a toll alright.’’
More now annoyed grumbling ‘’excuse me, I am 5 '2. That's pretty tall for an ewe I will have you know.’’ That was a lie, her mother was taller than her and really she was pretty average for her people… a slight pang in her heart made itself known at the thought of them.
But before she could fall into the usual rumination spiral, their lord whisked her thoughts away again thankfully. ‘’You are excused my dear little lamb, as is expected from a God as gracious such as I.’’ The pompous side of their Lord made itself known at last.
A hidden chuckle before a barely audible ‘’asshole.’’
She could almost hear the smile as he asked ‘’hmm what was that dear Lamb?’’
Giving a faux bow ‘’I said, O great and terrible God of all that is death, I seek forgiveness for even daring to utter complaint while in thine service. how can I, a lowly servant hope to be absolved of such err?’’
After moment of thinking and no doubt a chin scratch ‘’Well, You can get your fluffy butt out of the bed for starters.’’
She smiled, she liked moments like this as rare as they tended to be when it was just the two of them not talking about anything serious. She found it hard to find normalcy in her life these days. ‘’Surely your eminence’’
Outside was as she left it, few cottages and sadly many tents. She wished to fix that problem at some point but the usual problems and other duties didn’t make such labor easy. Still, most families with kids had something to call home. It was mostly the bachelors and the bachelorettes that had to take the tents. What few elderly they had were given a retirement home of a sort that had some things lacking, but it was a working progress.
Speaking of working progress, the very pathway she took to the temple. It was still mostly gravel which was a pain in her hoofs but it had to do until she could sort out the housing.
As she walked she took in the gentle atmosphere of the cult grounds. Some folk were already up and working while some seemingly took a similar approach as her. There were many that offered her a head bow or polite greeting that was cordially answered in kind.
Truth be told, she at times had found it hard to remember the names of those who gave her greetings. It was not surprising however. As the days where there was only a couple of downtrodden she could scrunch up from the unforgiving claws of the old faith, where they had to ration berries and water as if they were gold and precious stone were a thing of the past thankfully.
Alas she couldn’t shake the feeling that those memories of the early days were the ones that she would carry longer than the ones now. She found it disturbingly hard to remember the faces of those who looked up to her with adoration she sadly couldn’t return.
She knew nostalgia was not healthy when it was this constant, and yet when the future felt so dawning it was hard to keep oneself away from it. Simpler times they were, where she had yet to spill the blood of a God and take him from his once gilded throne.
She felt a ghost of a smile at the memory. The moment of her triumph where after numerous tries and copious visits to her Lord’s realm and many days training with the brothers. She was finally able to take the worm’s head off from his neck. With it did the Chaotic God of darkwoods fall, ‘an end most fitting’ as her Lord had called it.
That was also the time where she learned their Lord had a sense of humour. It was small at first but after each death and her rapidly declining will to continue, it was his encouragement that gave her the push… that and his extensive tutoring on how to dodge fast moving projectiles.
Seriously, she should be calling him a nerd for gushing that much about magic at each visit to the after life. Maybe he used that to torture some poor academics that managed to go to purgatory.
She chuckled at the thought after which a sigh escaped her. That was truly an exhausting year. Some time had passed since then and so much had changed it was hard to truly put it into words.
So instead of trying to, she instead focused on the now. The cult ground for an autumn day was rather clean for example. well it was early September so the leaves hadn’t declared war against the concept of a clear grass field just yet.
Yet.
She made a mental note of getting a cleaner or two ready for it. No flock of hers had to suffer a meadow plagued with dead leaves of any kind. It was green soft grass and clover for all, as it should be.
Lost in her thoughts it took her a moment to realise the duo in front of her.
Yarlen, her most capable disciple… well more like the only disciple she had but still he was good at his job. He was with her sister, Jalala who as usual looked worried. She Panda had relaxed ever since things calmed down but she still was prone to outbursts and the occasional hysterics. Still she was cute and a really good farmer, who knew you could get so much mileage out of just crop rotating?
Clearing his throat, with his usual enthusiasm ‘’Good morning my glorious lamb!’’ a slight bow ‘’I wish to inform you of morning report if you will have me’’
She nodded, a smile in her lips. ‘’Morning to you two too, lay it on me stinky’’
He blushed in his usual way. Probably at the nickname which she wasn’t sure why he was fine with. It started as a one off joke but he never complained about it for some reason ‘’Of course right away ma’am. Firstly the scouts report some movement close to Darkwood. No doubt the fanatics from the dead God’s domain are up to something.’’
She groaned slightly, thinking ‘Of course, the chaos God’s followers would be trying to find them. It made sense how with people still somehow clinging onto his doctrine would be more than willing to throw themselves at them with senseless abandon fueled in equal measure by vitriol and zealotry.’
Trying to keep her disappointment away from her voice ‘’Alright, keep me updated on that when you get more reports by the scouts. If any return tell em to monitor only, no engagement.’’ She was going to make sure to reward those who agreed to act as scouts. They seldom made it back unscathed but their work was invaluable especially now. She couldn’t plan a crusade to Kallamar’s domain before she wiped this threat off first.
‘’Understood ma’am.’’ Now with a slight feeling of pride ‘’On a brighter note, my sister has informed me we are expecting a rather good harvest this time around so we may need a few extra hands this time around.’’ That was a relief, a good harvest always meant happy followers, which meant getting to possibly fix the housing issue.
She nodded ‘’Take Rinor then, and a few more from the woodcutters, we have enough wood piled up for now and we have enough time till winter to take care of the firewood, although snow will not grace us the cold will inevitably.’’ The she Skunk was reliable if not a bit overconfident and also prone to less than ideal hobbies. Seriously, how does she get that many ‘recreational’ drugs from under her nose?
‘’Alright ma’am will let her know of her assignment at once, other than that it says we have sermon before noon in the schedule.’’
‘’I see, take your sister and make sure to get the temple ready then.’’
He gave her a bow as usual ‘’Understood ma’am, right away my glorious leader.’’ with that he took off with his sister in tow.
She sighed, a smile tugging at her lips as she saw them leave. Talking to each other about the assignment and Lord Knows what else with enthusiasm. The siblings were both useful and almost more importantly cute. It almost reminded her of…
She sighed. No, she would not dwell on that today. The day had just begun and there was no way she would let it be one of those days.
The Temple was as quiet as it has always been, other than the few followers doing their morning prayer at the pews. She felt the quiet, empty atmosphere added to the charm of the place. Most of the structure had been wood, the same as the cottages with not too many decorations to cause clutter. It was mostly oak, as were many things in the cult grounds. Mostly sourced locally that gave it a familiar warmness in its homogeneity, overall leading to a utilitarian rustic look.
Sadly her Lord had not been a fan of it. Her Lord had nagged her at least once or twice on it ‘A God is seen most by his church as much as his follower.’ he had said. She got the idea that her lord was more of a fan of the grandiose as opposed to her more humble likings.
Growing up she hadn’t been to many grand temples. Her people kept themselves on the move and even the occasional time they could afford to build a makeshift temple, they weren't exactly ‘grand’. Yet she found it charming back then perhaps that's why she stuck to the aesthetic.
She tried to recall the old thing they had for a year or two back in a more stable time. The wood was of maple unlike the one they had here. It was mostly built into the ground to not get too much attention, which led to a comfy all year round warmness that sadly also led to a frequent dampness problem.
Still she had fond memories of the place. She had few friends growing up, at least none that she was peers with, save for a girl she had met in the said temple. Her thoughts eventually led to their old priest, a black cat not too unlike their lord.
They were one of the few that put their lot with her people on the run. She didn’t know them much as they were kind of grumpy most of the time, was also really old but she knew they were a good person. Mostly proven by her diligence and the rare times she offered them sweets.
‘Alright, enough of that before another bout of nostalgia fueled spiral.’ Why was she so prone to it today? It was not this bad most of the time yet today it felt like wherever she looked there was another memory waiting to strike at her.
Trying to distract herself she found herself staring at the new addition to the temple. To sate their Lord’s more refined palate, she eventually caved in and commissioned a statue of him wielding a scythe. It was, as he requested, made of marble he loved so much.
Looking at the stone statue she could only imagine it being more gaudy than grandiose. Yet even though she felt it didn’t really fit in with the decorum much she couldn’t deny the craftsmanship, her followers sometimes really surprised her. Her master's praise was also really pleasant if she had to be honest.
Pressing on the memory of his praise she felt a slight blush creep up on her. Before she could really think why she found her paw lightly grazing the face of the marble surface.
The surface was coarse as expected. She felt a powdery feel in her fingertips no doubt the leftover dust from the craftsman’s work and perhaps some dust. Yet even as her paw was covered in white she couldn’t stop her paws from moving against his cheeks closer to his jaw line.
She frowned, the angular shape felt too strong all of a sudden. His face was shapely sure but not like this. His felt strong yet somehow gentle in its tilt. Their Lord was far more impressive than any statue as was expected. Now up close she did feel like this was far lower quality than was worth his stature.
The statue simply couldn’t capture his grandness. Really now that she was looking at it, she didn’t get why he had been so pleased with this thing. ‘Perhaps because I got it for him?’ Her mind tried to supply but that felt too hopeful. It was most likely because he had no other than this.
Though it was still a sweet thought alright.
Lost in the thought she felt her thumb grace stone lips. There was no dust in this part… not after ‘that’ incident.
She felt shame bubble up in her, her heart beating against her chest with fervor. This embarrassment she would rather leave alone for now and perhaps forever.
The voice was sudden, full of mirth a little pleased with itself ‘’Admiring the Greatest God there is I see dear Lamb.’’
She sighed to mask her surprise ‘’My Lord’’ clearing her throat ‘’I didn’t realise you were watching.’’
An amused ‘hmph’ "Well dear Lamb, your heart rate spiked for a moment as well I felt a touch of stress from you so I felt it was appropriate to check up on you.’’
‘Wait he can feel what I feel?’ The thought came to her suddenly. It was an odd thing to focus on at the moment but for some reason it felt like it would be relevant in the future. Really there was more to it but now she had to focus on something else or really someone else.
His tone shifted, serious without the casual warmness and familiarity. She felt a slight disappointment whenever he switched to it, but could understand the necessity of having to talk business ‘’What are your plans for today vessel of mine?’’
She cleared her throat to try to match him in tone ‘’Well my Lord, I was informed by my disciple that I might possibly have to mop up a few of Leshy’s leftover cultists.’’ She shifted slightly in place before ‘’Well at least I was planning on that until I was informed of the harvest. I was planning on letting the followers deal with it but I feel it might be a bit much after the incident with the warehouse. We are down a couple of workers… few of them permanently.’’ Seriously, even after death the overconfident bear managed to piss her off beyond the grave.
Their Lord took his time ‘’Hmm I see… well you see Lamb, I do have a bit of a proposition.’’
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