“I am Mora.”

In the quiet of the cave softened with the rhythmic rain, her voice was clear and loud. Though the words in her mouth felt both strange and familiar. Strange as her throat felt like she doesn’t speak often. Familiar, as such a feeling is as per usual to her introverted old/real self.

She has a good voice, a bit more volume that she ever had before but kids right, pleasing her a bit. She was contemplating the differences between her old and new voice so she didn’t expect someone to respond. She jumped and grimaced at the pain the sudden movement caused.

“Merry meet, Mora.”

The words echoed around the stone walls around her, confusing which direction it came from. Mora narrowed her eyes as she still attempted to look for a person around despite that fact. The voice was deep and sonorous. A guy voice. Like...a liquor commercial guy voice.

“Um. Merry meet.”

That’s Wiccan right? Or just Old World.? Her thoughts are racing as her head turned and tilted trying to see the person/creature/thing that spoke.

She tensed her legs, slowly getting up, bracing a hand on the cave wall to support herself. In case of wild animal encounters, move slowly but don’t show fear—maybe. She waited a few dragging moments to see if that someone would speak again. She’s not that patient, honestly.

“Hello?”

“You are injured.” No shit, Sherlock.

“If I say yes, are you gonna attack me?”

A pause. Mora took a step ouch towards the entrance. The rain is still pounding the dirt into mud.

“No.”

She stopped to lean on the cold stone wall, her injuries throbbing.

“Then, yes. I am injured. Where are you?”

“In the cave. You should leave.”

Haha. “I can’t see you. And it’s raining. I just got out of that downpour.”

“Hmm... Then go deeper.”

“It’s dark.”

“Obviously. Are you not scared?”

She took a few tentative steps deeper into the cave, making sure she’s still reached by the dim light coming from outside.

“You said you won’t attack me. Can’t you just come here? As you’ve noticed, I’m injured. Also... it’s reeaaally dark.”

A deep chuckle rumbled around and a shiver shot up her spine. Fear or excitement? She’ll never confess to such a thing officer, what do you mean? I am ten years old, I am ten years old. I am TEN years old now!!!

“This one is also injured.” Eh? It’s not an undead right? Could there be undead in this world?

“Oh? You don’t sound hurt.”

A snort. “You do not sound hurt.”

“I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve been walking for hours with these.”

There’s a sound of thoughtful assent and then, “This lord have also gone used to these.”

“Are you a guy?”

Mora absently asked as she tried to be truly careful as she kept going forward, her eyes adjusting a bit, detecting rocky shapes in the shadows. Enough to walk on and not die falling again.

“A guy?” She should really try to act more old timey or whatever. She might get burned at a stake like this. But a question was asked and she wanted to answer. Just in case.

“A man, a hombre, a mister, a male, a person without a womb, but one with balls and a dong. A guy.”

A bark of loud laughter punched into the air and made her smile. Can she be proud of herself now? Probably not, she made a ten year old’s mouth say such a thing. But it’s close, haha.

“Yes. Maybe. What do you think?” A teasing lilt to the voice made her shiver again. Damn my preferences. Damn me.

“Your voice sounds so good. Like dark chocolate with caramel. Also very much a man. I think.”

She flushed at the words that just came out unbidden, heat spreading over her face and down her neck. Well, at least she’s not cold anymore.

“Come closer, Mora.”

Her head snapped towards the definite command. The voice didn’t echo around anymore and she could directly point out where the sound was coming from. A pair of eerie violet eyes glowed from somewhere forward or is it backward, as she should certainly be running away now...but she’s still going there, umm.

“That’s what people say and then they chop you up into pieces and offer you to the old gods as a virgin sacrifice.”

The glowing eyes narrowed. In amusement or disdain, who knows?

“Is that what your parents told you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the servants? My parents don’t do the ‘talk’ that much.” Or at all. Poor girl.

She carefully made her way onward, stopping a distance away. Estimating how far it would be to be safe if that person lunged. New sounds entered her senses, something clanging... like metal? Shit. Is the glowy-eyed guy in chains? She froze where she stood, trying not to hyperventilate from the implication of that.

“Come closer.” The eyes are staring, letting her breathe only when she confirmed that person do blink. She didn’t move.

“Are you scared?” There’s mocking amusement coloring the question and if she wasn’t getting shaky from fear, she’d whap him a good one. “Why do you not come here, so you can see?”

“I’m getting scared, yes. Your eyes are glowing. And... are you in chains?” She still didn’t move.

“Look for yourself.” Another snort. “There is a light pearl somewhere near my feet. It rolled away when this lord dropped it. If you touch it, we can have some light.”

Something moved, the guy/person moved a bit and she could clearly hear the sound of chains dragging across the ground and against rock.

“Don’t attack me. I’m coming closer...” she tried to sound stern as she forced her feet to move. It is seriously dark and she wants that pearl which maybe stupid, but she dislikes the dark when she’s not distracted by damned yummy voices.

“Yes, yes. This one had already said so.”

Mora moved forward, stopping every so often to check if her injuries would still let her run if need be. She’s close enough to the glowing eyes that she could see eyelashes shadowing the violet light when the person spoke again.

“Stop there, see if you can find the pearl by your feet. And do not step on me. This lord does not wish to move.”

She slid her foot forward a bit and bumped lightly against what she could only assume was his leg. She slowly knelt and placed her hand lightly on the ground. Mora frowned.

“There’s so many rocks, pebbles here...how?”

She looked up to the face again and the eyes are narrowed in mirth again. Disdain, still?

“Obviously, the pearl is round.” She made an irritated sound that only curved the laughing eyes more. “And it will light up once you touch it. This one cannot see from this angle, otherwise this lord would direct you exactly where it is.”

“Fine.” Hmph.

She slid her palms across the pebbly rocks, hoping to quickly find the pearl. Hopefully it’s not small enough to get in between the coin-sized smooth rocks. And if her luck was bad, she just managed to jinx herself with that thought.

It took a bit of doing and groping around, but somehow she felt calmer with another maybe person in front of her.

“Oh.” She was about to call out about the definitely round thing her sliding palm came across when she was instead surprised by the sudden light that grew glowing from the thing that the guy called a ‘light pearl’.

She smiled, finally able to see the light-colored pebbles she had been fondling this entire time. She raised her head to comment about the pretty rocks to the person in front of her when her breath was choked by the words she was going to say.

He is freaking beautiful. But also...sharp teeth displayed by a wide smile. Scary.

“There you are.” A chilly shiver worked its way through her crouched body. “Greetings, Mora.”