Bloom

Spoiler Article: Context, Ilgor is the now leader of the Skullbrood clan in the Soft and Subtle Wind Manuscript, While Halgier is the Second King of the Dwarves assisting the Kingdom of Galus with their War with the Caliphate.

As seen in

The Great Tree: Soft and Subtle Wind

Halgier asked a few of his soldiers to bring him some rations from the convoy wagons. A few onions, butter, flour, a small keg of beer, his softest gambeson. Asking one of the passing goblins to see if they couldn’t grab Ilgor for him. Thinking back the first time he had met her on that cloudless moonlit night. Gjorn and he, had heard a faint melodic voice singing to the empty air.

Feeling his smile grow as he thought back to her dancing to her own song in that abandoned building. The graceful swing of her long braid as it fought to keep up with her. Her voice ringing out to night like a lovers call, that lone lantern behind her. The stars outside the broken windows silhouetting her slender form. The way her violet eyes caught the light, glowing softly in the gloom.

The goblins he recognised from Ilgor’s original crew. “Who were they again? She told me their names, She’d be happy if I remembered at least a few of their names” Thinking to himself, huffing as he dragged over a log to sit on, gathering a few large stones making a ring for his cooking fire.

Busy at work, shoving a few logs around his cooking cirlce where he set up a wrought iron tripod with a large skillet set on it. Slowly heating up as he breathed life into the small fire. The magic he breathed, an inferno to begin his process. A warm glow started its way from his chest, an anxious grin as he thought of how this was going to look.

Bringing out a skillfully made knife that Gjorn had gotten him. He cut a few pieces of the butter into the skillet while he began chopping the onions. Losing himself in the thoughts of his other kin doing this same thing for those they courted. Always the same with his Dwarven brethren, the men would show they were useful to the women they wished to seek. While he knew he was useful, he wasn’t entirely sure why he wanted to do this, only that tradition demanded it. “I always wondered about that, why do we do the things we do.” Halgier muttered to himself. “The heart is an enigmatic thing.” Still he pushed through a nervous hesitation he didn't quite understand.

Wiping away the tears from the acrid sting the onions had caused him, he tossed the skins into his fire. The blaze briefly illuminating brighter, reflected in his eyes. The memories he had of the countless fires he had seen, through war and destruction. Yet here he was, thinking of the morose and melancholy while trying to cheer up someone from the same things that plagued him.

He didn’t notice as Ilgor walked up behind him, pressing herself close to him as he slowly carmelized the onions. Her skin soft on his, warm and comforting. He jumped, turning to her grinning wide. Her face only mere inches from his, her wide eyes reminding him of deep veins of amythyst.

Her smile made his stomach flutter faintly, embracing the feeling he returned her smile with one of equal measure. Years of being the flamboyant playboy, years of being the charmer of his clan lent him the practiced swagger he was looking for. Waving an outstretched palm to the log, where he had placed his heavy padded gambeson. Offering her a place to sit more comfortably.

She asked, her voice sweet to his ears. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

In a more solemn tone than she was expecting, he answered. “I see that sadness in your eyes. I know it is hard.” Turning he grabbed a stein of the beer his soldier had brought him from the kegs, handing it to her. Quickly grabbing one of his own, clinking their steins together. She reached out a slender hand and touched his, the vessel instantly becoming cool.

With an appreciating smile, he began again. “It’s never easy when I lose my soldiers either. I’m not expecting you to talk about it, but I just wanted to do something nice for you." Pausing for a moment, he said "Heavy is the crown.” Getting back up to tend to his skillet, carefully making sure it didn’t burn. There was a lone silence, thinking he erred with his commentary, she didn't say anything.

Halgier turned to look at her, seeing she was staring right back at him, blushing furiously. Her pale green skin, tinged crimson, she looked away. Gripping his gambison tightly, as she sat there watching a King of the Dwarves prepare a meal for her. She was shocked that anyone outside of the clan would be, well she didn’t know.

Walking back to her, sitting beside her, not so subtly testing his limits by placing his hand on hers. Though, she smiled at the contact. “Enjoy, it’s a cream ale we had been brewing for the last few months. The Baron had a few varieties of hops growing in his vineyard, he let us pick what we wanted.” He took a swig from his stein.

“You’re preparing a meal for me, and sharing a drink that you had spent so much time on. Just to make me feel better?” She stared down at the pint in her hands. “Thank you, Halgier. After the incident with Glaion, I wans't sure anyone would even want to bother with us. I had only thought I brokered just enough for them to leave us be.”

"I apperciate all the help you're people have given us" Halgier only barely hearing her whisper uner her breath "All the attention you have given me."

A few soldiers noticed the scene going on. Deciding it best to move along, though the conversation they were having still caught Halgier’s ears as he got back up to tend to meal. He was beginning to anticipate a crowd soon.

“Wars with the Caliphate aside, I know the sacrifice you made for your family. It isn't easy to put down one of your own like you did. I want you to know, the amount of courage I saw from you as you wrapped the Baron around your finger, was inspiring. I just don’t want to see you put on that mask, I know a few of your inner council can see what I see as well. You don’t deserve it.” He said over his shoulder, sprinkling in flour to make a rue of his buttered caramelized onions. The rich aroma of the onions and hearty scent of the butter filling the air around them. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't bring up such dour topics, given that" She spoke over him, her voice soothing his anxiousness.

“You really don’t hide it, you came here looking for me.” She said, thinking back to the day Halgier brought his clan to their gates. The city of Glaion desperately tried to stop them, thinking they were going to attack us. “You teach my people more skills than I knew how to do, teach them to fight, become skilled craftsmen. Now here you are, brewmaster and chef.” She took a swig from the pint, delighted by the subtle citrus notes and the creamy texture of the beer. An appreciation for the amount of effort he was putting into this, it made her smile.

“Now, master and chef might be pushing it!” She laughed sweetly. Those damnable fluttering wings in his stomach just wouldn’t leave the more she spoke.

She moved one of the logs to sit closer to him as he worked. He added in a few pints of beer to the dish, simmering off the alcohol, tossing in a few pieces of stale bread for texture. They chatted away while the dish bubbled happily away, talking of nothing and everything. She laughed as he told his stories, his deeper baritone joining hers. The friendly atmosphere they made while they enjoyed the moment of peace, brought a few onlookers.

They both realized at about the same instance just how intimate the scene looked, when a few of the other Dwarves started setting up their cooking apparatus around them. Hob, and Ghet had strolled by and asked what was going on. They left and came back with supplies for a small feast.

A scant few minutes later, the little circle Halgier had hastily put together was burgeoning with a small crowd. Though, none of them bothered the couple, only smiles and friendly greetings. Ilgor caught Ghet’s knowing grin as he walked to sit with a group of the Dwarves, starting a conversation about local politics. “That sneaky old man, he was the one who told me to come here.” Ilgor thought to herself, helping Halgier with the dish now.

Halgier bowled out a helping of his dish to Ilgor, refilling her pint of beer. Enjoying the sound of the crowd, the camaraderie that wafted through the air. The dish was a simple one, one they had many times in their long years of marching across the continent. From wars and skirmishes, to chapels and court chambers, the dish was never anything particularly special. But now, having this same meal he had hundreds of times over, with her.

It felt different, it tasted better. He hadn’t felt this before, a small warmth in his chest. He was happy just to be here. Ilgor commented on how good his cooking was, while shoveling into it. She asked for a second bowl of it, laughing as he handed her another. He noticed how the light caught her eyes, their deep purple sparkling like stars in the night sky.

They sat and watched the crowd as they began cleaning up. Snuffing cooking fires, scrubbing pots and skillets. Doling the scraps out to one of the War Boars that wandered by looking for its handler. She saddled up next to Halgier just a little closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Halgier.” She whispered out.

“If only just to enjoy a moment of your time” he said, his smile never having left. She rested her hand on his, entwining her fingers with his.