Fields of blue

Chapter 2-A fathers guidance

Adaline did not even think before she started to attack them in return, she originally just wanted to hurt them a little, get them to leave her alone. Instead she killed them... She did not even know how that happened, she saw red and the next she saw their blood on her own sword... red stained bits of her own wool too.

The sword she held clattered to the ground when she looked at her own blood stand hooves "w-what have i...?" tears ran down her face again as she realized the gravity of what she just did. She killed them, sure they wasn't innocent and she was only defending herself but, she still took their lives. She didn't know them, they could have families waiting for them...and she did the same thing to those families that happened to her parents. "I-I..." she struggled to speak as her hands shook, the sword formed back into the crown and appeared on her head again, its single red eye matching her emotion...She is distraught, how can she be no better than the bishops...?

"Forgive me....forgive me..." she sobbed, not even knowing who she's asking forgiveness to. Herself maybe? her dead parents who must feel so ashamed for having a murderer for a daughter? her other father? maybe even the people she just killed...? all of the above could be the answer... Adaline couldn't tell how long she was standing there crying, begging for forgiveness to nothing in particular, but as soon as she pulled herself together she takes a deep breath and venture forward. She couldn't stay there forever to grieve the ones she had no right to grieve, still has her end of the deal to make after all...

She took her time walking the forests edge, occasionally wiping old and new tears, smearing her face with the blood that's still on her hooves. Walking up to a clearing she sees a old rat picking camellia flowers like she originally planned to do, the rat struggles to lean down and stand back up even with the large walking cane like branch in his hand, and the paper crown on his head somehow stays despite the movement he is doing. Adaline's eyes tear up again as she takes a step closer, a branch crunching under her hoof, catching the rats attention. The rat turns around quickly, ready to fight whoever was there, but then his eyes soften at the sight of Adaline standing there, all bloody and face stained of tears as new ones start flowing again. "Adaline..." he spoke, a knowing look in his eyes as if what he feared the most had happened...

Adaline couldn't hold it in any longer as she goes to hug the rat...."f-father I'm so s-sorry!!" she sobbed, hugging her father so tightly. In her teens, it would be kind of embarrassing to hug and cry to her father like a child who got scared of the dark, but right now? she would want to see and hug her father after the experience of getting kidnapped and executed...anyone probably would. There should be no shame in it. Her father, Ratau, does not say a word and returns the hug, letting his daughter let out all the fear and sadness until she runs out of tears.

"How about we go home and talk about it over a game of knucklebones...?" he asks when they pull apart, Adaline hesitates to explain she needs to start a cult for the one who waits, but her father spoke up like he already knew what she was about to say "you have plenty of time to work later...for now lets go and talk about it" he assures, trying to ease his daughters nerves "yes father..." Adaline finally agrees, not having the mental strength to argue with her father. The walk back was very silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Adaline can tell her father isn't angry, not even disappointed, just concerned... As he should be.

Ratau and Adaline arrived at a lone shack in the middle of nowhere, far from the bishops eyes. a safe space, a home that Adaline lived in since she was only 4. Inside is 2 beds and a fireplace and small trinkets strewn about here and there, in fact there is a small corner of little mementos Ratau collected over the years, such as small drawings Adaline made or pretty stones Adaline found in the waters by the door of anchordeep as a child. What was most eye catching was a large knucklebones board table full of dice. The two gathered around the table and Ratau picked up a set of dice and hands it to his daughter "you can start first little lamb..." he offers.

Let the games begin...

Adaline rolls the dice and start placing 5 facing die in the position she wanted, the blood on her hooves have long dried and did not stain the dice. after Adaline's turn Ratau does the same and rolled the dice "do you want to talk about what happened....?" he spoke up after his turn, he set a 2 face up die on the board. Adaline knows that he only asks because of how distraught he found her in and would've answered no, but she feels her father needs to know of the events that transpired... "I-I...I've been found...i know you told me to stay away from darkwood but i wanted to get the flowers for you so you wouldn't have to make that whole trip just to make some medicine..." she started the story, rolling the dice and placing a 6 face up die. Ratau nods his head as he listens, he would want her to finish her story before he says what he thinks, he then rolls the dice and sits another 2 face up die.

"W-when they kidnapped me they pushed me to a alter to get sacrificed and i....i got executed..." Adaline almost struggles to talk for a moment, the rush of adrenaline and fear came back to her after recalling the memory "and when i opened my eyes...i was in this strange place of fog, the one who waits was there and h-he spoke to me...said he can bring me back i-if i start a cult in his name..." she continued, rolling the dice and placed a 6. The expression on Ratau's face didn't change as she speaks her tale, almost forgetting about the game entirely..."a-and when i woke up...i was back at the alter and the same people was there, i-i don't know what happened i just trying to defend myself and i was scared and angry but..." Adaline wanted to cry again, but she no longer has the tears for it, crying so much today made her dehydrated.

"but when i looked at what i did....t-they were dead father...i killed them..." Adaline trembles, forgetting about the game herself, she waits in silence. Waiting for him to scream at her for disobeying the only rule he had for her 'never enter the bishop's areas', hell even killing people would be something to yell about...but instead Ratau walks closer and hugs his daughter again "it's ok Adaline...I'm not angry at you...you was scared and confused...your heart was in the right place and i can't fault you for trying to do something like that for me...you only done what you needed to survive out there..." he comforts her, a sense of relief eases her nerves..."what do i do now father...?" Adaline asks, looking at her father for guidance "what you had promised to do...build a cult" he answers.

Adaline doesn't even know where to start, let alone how to run a cult about a god she barely knows herself. "Don't worry. I'll walk you through it" her father promised, like he knew what he was doing the moment he saw her back at darkwood "have you run a cult before father?" Adaline asked a little surprised, she never imagined her father to be a old cult leader "you was not the first vessel of the red crown... but that's a story for another time alright?" he answers and pats her shoulder.

 "Let's start with a location...a place for your cult to flourish"