(Starla)
Ohh! What do we have here?" He bent down and scooped him up in his large hand. Doodles appeared like an orange furball in his lean hands.
"Doodles, it’s my cat."
He burst out laughing, loud and horrendous.
"Doodles? What kind of name is that?" This man was pure trouble with no filters.
"The kind I like," I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. But Doodles didn’t seem to mind, and Alistair began to pet him with his other hand.
"Of course! I didn’t mean to be disrespectful; I just never heard a cat called Doodles before." He was haughty but not condescending.
Did he not hate humans like his brother and other Beastmen?
"So you didn’t answer my question." He tilted his head a notch, giving me that roguish smile again.
"I don’t know," I said honestly. "I just... touched him. And something clicked."
"Something clicked," Alistair repeated the words, his smile widening. "That’s all?"
"That’s all."
He laughed boisterously, like thunder rolling. "You are a mystery, Starla. And I love mysteries."
I didn’t tell him my name. How did he know my name?
He offered me his free arm, his grin infectious.
"Walk with me. Tell me everything. And I mean everything, from the moment you crossed the Wall to the moment you touched my brother."
I hesitated. But there was something about him, something warm and open and utterly disarming. No one has been this open and inviting since I came here. No cold stares, a simple curiosity to know me.
"All right," I said, taking his arm. "But it’s not that interesting."
"I will be the judge of that."
We walked through the corridors, Alistair asked questions, a hundred of them, and I answered as best I could, careful to keep my secrets hidden.
"And Azkan?" he asked, his azure eyes sharp and yet kind. "What do you think of my eldest brother?"
I felt my throat constrict at the mention of him. "I have barely been here for four days. It’s too early to form an opinion."
"Still." His smile was knowing. "What do you think of him?"
I looked away. "He is the Warden of this place, and he has given me a place to live."
Alistair laughed again. "You have a way with your words. I know my brother is not an easy man, especially when it comes to humans. He is giving you a tough time and others too. It’s not their fault; humans have not given us any reason to think otherwise."
We reached my chamber, and Alistair released my arm with a bright grin. "But I don’t judge a whole species. I judge individuals, and you are an interesting individual with a positive vibe, secretive but positive."
He handed Doodles back to me. "And who doesn’t have secrets? Right?" He winked at me, making me bite down on my lower lip.
At least someone was reasonable here, or I had begun to think all beastmen were thick-headed.
"I have no secrets, and I am going to help Aksel to transform back into his human form."
"I am sure you will. It was a pleasure meeting you, Starla. Truly." He smiled again. "Thank you for helping my brother."
I felt warmth spread through my chest. "You don’t have to thank me."
"Yes, I do." He held my gaze for a moment longer. "And I intend to properly. When you are not so tired."
He winked and walked away, his laughter echoing through the corridor. He waved at me with the back of his hand, his white cape trailing behind him.
I stood there for a long moment, my heart pounding. He was walking, talking, trouble; I could sense it.
Three brothers. Three impossibly and very different brothers from what I had gathered so far.
And I was attracted to one of them, the one who disliked me the most.
I pushed open the door to my chamber and collapsed onto the bed. Doodles jumped and curled on my chest.
This was going to be a disaster, but one trouble at a time.
Sleep evaded me even though my energy was drained. I remembered that strange tree in the courtyard when I had arrived. I had wished to observe it from near but never got the time.
Maybe I could go now and play the violin underneath it. I knew the moon was full today; the tree would be quite a sight under the silvery rays.
Once Doodles had drifted off to sleep, I slipped on my fur coat, carefully took out my violin and left the room.
On cat feet, I tiptoed through the corridors and emerged into the courtyard below. Not a soul was in sight; the whole place seemed to be in deep slumber apart from a few scattered guards.
The night air was cold against my skin as I silently ambled forward towards the looming tree. The moon hung full and silver overhead, its light spilling across the courtyard like liquid pearl, catching on the white bark of the tree, its crimson leaves turning them to something darker, like blood made black in the shadows.
What a sight. It sent a shiver running through my body, the more I stared at the breathtaking tree. My fingers touched its cool bark, and it carried a rhythm, a kind of nostalgia too. Quietly, I settled underneath it on the small wooden bench that had been placed there.
I adjusted my violin and let my hands move without thinking. The melody that emerged was soft and aching, something that spoke of loss and longing and the fragile hope of dawn. The notes drifted upward, mingling with the rustle of leaves, and I closed my eyes, letting the music carry me somewhere else entirely.
I didn’t hear him approach. I didn’t realise I wasn’t alone until his voice cut through the silence between notes. "You shouldn’t be out here in the middle of the night." My eyes snapped open, and there was Azkan, standing right in front of me with his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. Silver rays bathed him, making his scales and skin glisten. He was a sight, and I didn’t want to look away.
There was something in his posture, a slight softening, that told me he hadn’t just arrived. He had been there a while. Listening.
"I am sorry, I couldn’t sleep. Music eases me and helps replenish my energy."
His eyes softened just slightly. "That piece...I have never heard it. Where did you learn it?" I didn’t answer right away. Something passed between us in the moonlight before I answered.
"I created it."
He appeared moved by what he had heard, but he would never admit it.
"Right. Go to sleep, Starla. It’s late. I will drop you to your chamber," he said with finality.
With a sigh, I stood up to head back before this beastman’s mood soured anymore.