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Neutral
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Alvaro allowed Rowan to do her job, he wasn't one for comforting children. He just wasn't good with them. Still, he knew that his aura calmed most woodland creatures so he allowed himself to let it flow through him. Meanwhile, he looked at the manticores who were still not dissipating. This was insanely odd. Most of the time the monsters would disappear soon after being killed. Unless they were powerful. But manticores had never ever been powerful enough to remain after being killed. Alvaro crouched down in front of one of the creatures, reaching out a hand and beginning to scan it for abnormalities. Shifters should be able to easily defeat three measly manticores. The child slowly crawled forewords. Her inquisitive eyes battling to flee or run straight into the big lady who gave off the same aura of her mother. Strong and woody. Finally, the kitten jumped straight into the woman. Not viciously, she did it like a coward. Running to the first nice person. She just needed someone right now.
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Neutral
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Rowan was taken by surprise, but all she did was let out a small huff of air before continuing her song. With soft hands and a soft heart, Rowan comforted the little girl as best as she could. Rowan also shifted herself to be a block between the death and the child. The poor, poor thing. Well, Neo would soon have a little sister.
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Neutral
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The kitten was just beginning to settle when Alvaro started to dry heave. He disappeared for a few minutes. Leaving the shifter alone with Rowan. Already she was getting used to the woman and she was slowly shifting back. She stared wide-eyed at where Alvaro had disappeared. When she spoke, her little sharp teeth poked out. "He feels them." There was a pause as the girl tried to gather the words in the language the woman spoke. "There is something wrong with them. They feel...wrong. Like an- a uh, an." The tiny girl sniffled as she tried hard to figure out the word. "Like an inf-fe-infection." She didn't speak English well. So it was hard to describe how the ufwufers made her feel. How they had grown to strong for mum to fight. The presence of them alive felt like sharp claws in one's heart. It hurt a lot.
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Neutral
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Rowan nodded curiously, and when she spoke, her words were carefully chosen, "He will figure it out. He is very smart, and wants to help. I will do my best to help, too." Once the little girl seemed mostly back in a human form, Rowan continued, "My name is Rowan," she introduced. All the white she hummed lightly under her breath, save for when she was speaking, or when the little girl spoke.
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Neutral
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The child huddled closer to Rowan. Her eyes staring in the direction where Alvaro had disappeared off to. Where quiet noises had started to drift in the air. He was obviously having the same reaction she had had when she first saw the tainted manticores. Now it was wearing off. The shock still very apparent and the tears began to form at the corner of her amber eyes. The girl looked lanky and already had a mature look about her. She wore a simple brown dress that allowed full movement of her legs so she could move anywhere as fast as she needed to without worrying about being slow. That's what her mamma had told her at least when she made the dress. She had said that the giving of new clothes meant that training for the future would begin. That as time went on, she'd have to adapt to the situations that came at her. So that's what she was gonna do. Even though she was still fighting tears, she spoke rather steadily. "It's hard to say in English. My name I mean. It's Naykuraufwa." (What the hell am I doing 😂) The girl made a series of huffs and growls in order to say this. Then she tried to translate it, without momma's help for once. Which made her tear up a little. "I think it's Nakia in English, it means pure." Nakia rested against Rowan. Listening to the woman's heartbeat. The ancient magic setting in place. Even if Rowan didn't want her, her mother's dying words held true. Rowan and Nakia were bonded now. The little girl would never want to leave Rowan again. She felt safe with her, as she would for the next hundreds of years.
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Neutral
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Rowan rubbed her hand along the little girls spine in what she hoped was a comforting way, "Hello, Nakia. I am here, now, and I will protect you. I promise." She buried her nose in the girls hair, and blinked back her own tears. Oh gods. Now she had two children to take care of, who she will forever love, but never forget how they came to her. The poor children...
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Neutral
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Nakia began to cry again. Her tears slipping down her little face. Hiding in Rowan and her comforting presence. Alvaro appeared again from the woods. Looking horribly pale and mad. His green eyes glowing with anger.
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Neutral
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Rowan's eyes met with Alvaro's, searching, looking for any sign or clue as to what was going on. "Nakia..." Rowan whispered, "You know of the Border? I am going to try and help it become strong again. It will protect you, and everyone else." There was a determined steel in Rowans eyes. She would not let anyone else be hurt.
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Neutral
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Alvaro's reaction was obvious, "later,"he looked pointedly at the little girl in Rowan's arms. She didn't need to hear this after she'd watched her mother die. "We were trying to get to the border when they got here. When they attacked. The Border has always been safe for us. Mommy said that the Faeries would protect us from the bad things." Nakia cried a little harder.
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Neutral
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"I'm so sorry," Rowan murmured, "I'm so, so sorry, love. I promise you; I will protect you. Okay? I'll be right there. Hear my heartbeat? It'll never go away." Quite literally. Rowan felt the immortal blood pumping through her veins. It explained why being stabbed and sliced and hurt so many times never killed her. It would take a beheading or really big magic to kill an immortal.
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