Don't Ask Too Much

Mariah had watched the exchange from a distance, huddled behind the dim silhouettes of bushes, her heart pounding in her chest. The sight of her sister's interaction with the trader filled her with a strange mix of relief and dread. Relief that she finally understood what was driving Fia, and dread at the implications of what Fia's newly found interest could mean. The moment Fia turned back towards her position, Mariah froze, her breath catching in her throat. With casual interest, she watched as her older sister approached, but her expression wasn’t one of anger or annoyance. It was more akin to amusement than anything else- an eerie calmness above all.

As Fia tossed her a bottle of wine, the comment that followed jolted Mariah out of her stupor. She hadn't anticipated the sudden flying projectile, but it was sent arcing it through the cold winter air between them. She barely managed to catch the bottle in surprise, fumbling with it for a moment before finally securing a tight grip. Wine. Her sister’s request started to make sense in her mind. She eyed the bottle studiously, her silver eyes flicking back up to meet Fia's inquisitive gaze. She didn’t respond right away, instead, she chose to take a moment and collect her thoughts before she spoke.

Looking at the bottle, then back at Fia, she took a deep breath and tightened her grip around it. "Fia..." Mariah began casually, "You know this is not...ideal." It was then that she noticed her words were laced with more concern than anything- but they still maintained a casual tone. It wasn’t exactly her place to chastise the older fae- a woman more grown than herself. Mariah sighed, her warm breath creating a small cloud in the crisp air. She felt the icy chill creep into her bones, yet she made no move to retreat. Her gaze remained locked on Fia, her eyes searching for answers that were not there. The silence that stretched between them gave Mariah a brief moment time to review what she had observed before being taken over by impulse.

It took very little effort to open the bottle that was passed to her. Tipping the bottle back, she took a small sip. Holding the liquid in her mouth for a moment, letting the flavor settle on her tongue. The robust and earthy taste of it made her grimace slightly but she swallowed it down.

"Mariah Mendacium"