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Cadr, as a hawk, watched Sabine for a few moments when she was left in the woods. It was near enough to his nest that he could probably guide her there without even changing back to humanoid form, but far enough that the nest wasn't visible yet. Fluttering his wings, he went down to a lower branch to get a better look at her.
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Sabine had been made to wear a dress, nicer than her normal clothes, and she picked the skirt up out of the way as she started to sneak away from the priests. To hell with them; she wasn't waiting around for some god to take her, as her sister had been taken. She was going to get away while she could and go see if she couldn't get Aislin out too. So she started sneaking off towards the temple.
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Well, that wouldn't do. Spreading his wings, Cadr took off and landed behind a tree just in front of her and shifted back to his human form.
"That eager to leave?" he asked mildly. |
Sabine jumped and turned to look at him, surprised. Although she did avert her gaze again. She wasn't quite that brazen.
"I didn't realize you were around," she said. "I figured this was some elaborate hoax." |
"I thought it was best to observe for a minute," Cadr replied easily. "Although now that I'm here, you're going in the wrong direction." He gestured vaguely towards his nest. "That way."
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Sabine eyed him from under her lashes for a few moments before she turned and started walking. Well fine. She'd just have to find some other way to escape later on. Because there was simply no way she was living with a god.
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Cadr walked with her, occasionally correcting their course when she started to stray. Finally, they came upon what seemed to be an immense tangle of trees so thick it seemed solid. There was an opening in the front that Cadr gestured to.
"Home," he said simply. |
Sabine looked at the place dubiously. It wasn't even a building, just a bunch of trees that grew too close together. But she moved cautiously towards the opening, edging inside and trying to look around.
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The inside was hollow, and completely enclosed. It seemed like it was originally all one giant space, but it had been separated into rooms with handmade walls and silk curtains. It was warm and dry and comfortable, and was obviously lived-in. Once Sabine had gone in, Cadr followed, stretching a bit and relaxing.
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"This is where you live?" Sabine looked around dubiously. At least it was fairly neat and dry. Even if it was really odd. She didn't try to look around or anything, instead memorizing the layout.
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"Most of the time," Cadr replied. "When I'm not in the temple." He raised an eyebrow. "It's warm, dry, and private. What more do you need?"
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Sabine didn't answer that, instead glancing around again. So far it wasn't bad. Of course, she also didn't see anywhere to sleep. Maybe she could take down a curtain and make a bed for herself by the door. Since there was only one door she'd have to be careful about getting in and out.
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Cadr was already taking care of the bed situation. He'd had Saif stay with him once or twice, so he had spare bedding. 'Bedding' in this case meaning a hammock to match the one he had already strung up in his own sleeping space, and a pillow and blanket to go with it.
"You'll have everything you need here," he commented as he pulled the bedding out of an alcove in one of the walls. "If you find you want something, speak up." |
Sabine smiled in a jaded way at that, watching him set up the hammock. "Why do you want me here?" she asked quietly. "I understand that the snake god needs a sacrifice once in a while, it's normal, but you've never asked for a human before. Why now? Why me?"
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Cadr shrugged a bit.
"Companionship, I guess," he replied as he strung up the hammock in a large alcove behind a silk curtain. "My best friend raves about his new human girl, I wanted to see what the fuss was about." He glanced at her and grinned. "And I like you, you've got backbone." |
Sabine clenched her jaw for a moment, moving over to the hammock, intent on having what privacy she could. "That 'new human girl' he raves about is my sister." Her voice was cold, and she tugged the curtain into place to break off her new 'room' from the rest of the house.
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Cadr blinked. Well, he hadn't been expecting that. Of course, it was just his luck that the human girl he picks is related to the one Saif was given... But clearly, the girl wasn't going to acknowledge him again for a while, so he left her alone and went to relax for a bit. He'd see if her mood improved later.
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At first Sabine wasn't sure what to do with the hammock. She'd never really seen one before. Sure, she knew they could be used, but that was only hypothetically. Actually using it and sleeping in it was something else entirely.
But once she settled into the hammock, without falling off, she relaxed. Okay, this she could get used to. |
Once Cadr was sure Sabine was settled, he went to the door. Only one of the priests knew where his nest was, but that was enough; there was a basket set just outside the door that held what Cadr could only assume was appropriate foods for Sabine. Cadr himself preferred meat and fish, but he could see bread, cheese, and fruit in the basket as well. Apparently, humans could eat almost anything. He brought the basket inside, and made sure to leave it where Sabine would find it. Then he went and settled into his own hammock to rest.
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Sabine woke up a little later than normal the next morning, and she had a quick breakfast. She knew where he'd gotten the food from, and she was debating between ignoring it and hiding it. Really, she didn't need this much food; she'd have been fine with half the amount. But getting the amount adjusted meant having to actually talk to him, and she was still too indignant about having been comandeered as a trophy/test subject to talk to him.
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Cadr was just outside of the nest when Sabine woke up. He was taking the opportunity to enjoy the morning air, and every so often he liked to transpose his wings onto his human-like form. It felt good to do that sometimes, and now was one such time.
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Sabine caught a glimpse of him, and she had to stop and look for a moment. That was one of the most impressive things she'd ever seen. She hadn't realized the gods could do things like that.
Then she shook herself and went back to being mad and indignant and set the basket aside somewhere out of the way, since Cadr didn't have much furniture. |
When Cadr heard Sabine up and moving around inside, he put his wings away again and went to the door.
"Good morning," he greeted mildly when he saw her. |
Sabine just snorted and straightened out the curtains idly, glancing around. There wasn't much to do in the nest; everything was about as clean as it was going to get, and many of the 'rooms' were still curtained off. She had no idea what to do with herself.
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Cadr studied her for a moment. His nest was sparse, he'd admit to that, but he liked it that way. He wasn't a magpie, after all. But Sabine seemed bored.
"You know," he said after a moment, "I haven't bothered Saif in a few days, so he's overdue for being nagged. I might go crash his temple." He glanced at her. "Of course, I would prefer not to leave you behind." |
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