#veselin

Tan Lines...

They're like the card on a gift: “here's something just for you; nobody at the beach even got a peek.”

~~

He couldn't tell when Veselin had managed to work his way into his heart, but it warmed him all the same that the boy thought of him as the father he never got to meet, nor have.

Veselin was worriedly pacing, muttering under his breath as his anxiety laid bare for all to see on his face. Kalle watched with mixed amusement and exasperation, eyeing the rut in the ground the young man was slowly making.

“Veselin.” His words fell on deaf ears, pacing past Kalle as he sat on a protruding root beneath the great tree in the village center. When Veselin paced back to Kalle, the large man reached out and gently prodded his shoulder, “Stop pacing, everything is fine.”

A sigh escaped the little mortals chest, a hand running through his long hair nervously, “But what if-”

“Veselin, sit down.” Kalle’s brooked no room for argument, and Veselin obediently took his place next to Kalle. “Patience would suit you better.”

“I know, I know…”

Veselin and Kari married nearly over a year ago, and had wasted little time in starting their own family. Her first pregnancy had the couple excited beyond what words could describe, but as the child’s due date came closer and closer Veselin became more and more worried for the health of his wife and unborn child.

His mood only escalated when Kari started having her first contractions. Veselin’s mother came looking for him earlier in the day, pleading with him to keep Veselin away from Kari to alleviate any stress he could induce. Kalle agreed, and he was happy he did, Veselin was starting to even stress him out.

The hours passed by slowly, Veselin casting a glance at his home in the distance where Kari, his mother, and several other village women were currently inside. Kalle tried everything to keep his mind from wandering with whatever craft he had on hand, this time trying his hand at wood carving himself. He didn’t quite have the dexterity Veselin had, but he was quite pleased with his work by the time one of the midwives stepped out of the house.

Veselin was on his feet in a flash, his work abandoned as he ran to the elder woman. Kalle followed quickly after, catching the tail end of conversation as Veselin was finally allowed inside. Not wishing to intrude upon the special moment between the parents and their child, Kalle sat down on the ground next to the door, and waited patiently.

Veselin’s mother stepped outside soon after and placed a careful hand on his shoulder, she looked weary but pleased, “Thank you.” She said, a smile on her face. One by one the midwives left after, until the village settled in a calming peace. Most of the men were out hunting while others were clearing the trees for more fields. The planting season was going to be upon them and with the village growing they needed more room and food.

Humans had shown up from the far north in the last year, weary and thin from a war that was raging between clans far from the region. They were accepted easily into the village with open arms, but with more people came more mouths to feed.

“Kalle,” The astartes was torn from his thoughts, and he looked up to find Veselin poking his head out from the door, “Come on in, we want you to meet her!”

Kalle got up as Veselin disappeared inside, ducking low through the threshold into quaint little home. He found Kari resting on their bed, a small bundle cradled in her arms as she looked up with tired eyes. She smiled as Kalle came to kneel at the end of the bed, not wishing to intrude upon her personal space with his massive size.

Veselin spoke gently to Kari, who gave him a single nod of her head. She relinquished hold of their small bundle, Veselin cradling the babe’s head oh so carefully before he walked over to Kalle. The astartes froze as the baby was placed into his hand, so very tiny that she fit easily into his palm. The breath from his lungs seemed to be stolen away from him the moment he laid eyes upon her, her face peaceful as she slumbered.

So, so very small he was afraid to move lest her drop her.

“We want you to name her, Kalle.”

“What?” Kalle looked up at Veselin in surprise, his gaze quickly flicking to Kari who gave him a nod.

“You gave me my name, made me who I am. I can’t tell you how much you mean to me, to us. It only seems fair for you to name her.”

“It’s okay, Kalle,” reassured Kari, and their words left him to think in silence. What to name something so sweet and innocent. Their patience was rewarded when he finally spoke a single, but fitting name,

“Nadjya.”

“What does it mean?”

“Hope.” Kalle smiled as Nadjya shifted in her slumber. He eventually gave the babe back to her father, who in turn placed her in her mother’s arms. Veselin and Kari looked at each other for a long moment before Kari turned her weary gaze to Kalle,

“Kalle,” she paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully, “I was wondering if you would like to move into the village to be closer to us. I know that you prefer your solitude, and you certainly don’t have to agree, but both Veselin and I thought it would be grand if you were closer to us. To help look after Nadjya. You are a part of our family, we’d love nothing more than to have you close to us.”

They looked expectantly at him, and Kalle admitted some uncertainty. It was true he preferred his solitude, but their words touched him. And a part of him wondered if his solitude was doing more harm than good, there were people here who he loved and loved him return.

The region was about to head into its rainy season, so even with the sun high overhead the day itself wasn’t unbearably hot. Even the blossoms seemed to be in full bloom today, adding to the air of romance and excitement. The entire village was in attendance today; laughing, drinking, and singing. Kalle didn’t participate himself, content to hang away from the crowds and observe, but couldn’t deny that the festivities put him in a good mood.

Veselin looked happy, unbelievably so. There was a new sense of wonder in his eyes as he danced with his new wife, Kari, gazing down at her with unbridled love. The bride herself even seemed to be walking on air. Laughing as her husband spun her in joyful circles, the wreath of flowers in her hair falling off with the motion.

Kalle sat in the shade of one the trees in the village center, happily watching as everyone else celebrated. In hand he had his own drink, a kind of wine that the villagers liked to produce and were using to day. It was surprisingly good, and strong, he already felt a light buzz in the back of his head. Granted, he would need at least a couple dozen more to get truly drunk, but it was pleasant nonetheless.

Then, he felt a presence at his side. Veselin’s mother settled in her own spot just within arms reach of him and smiled,

“He reminds me so much of Merrick.” Her tribal tongue was gutral and low, but Kalle understood just enough to make out what she said. 

Merrick, Veselin’s blood father, had died when the boy was young. The memories he had on his father were a blur at best, but Veselin would often tell Kalle the one thing he remembered most was how much his mother used to laugh. Her laughter died when he did. When Kalle questioned Veselin about the man’s death, the boy simply shrugged,

“I don’t know, I think it was a war with a rival clan. We all moved shortly afterwards.”

“I’m so proud of him, Merrick would be too.”

Kalle nodded, not really sure what to say to her. They really talked, the pair of them, and Veselin’s mother never really understood her son’s fascination with the mysterious Astartes. It was fine, Kalle wasn’t here to make a good impression. She must have sensed his unease for the pair of them fell into a comfortable silence as they watched the celebration together.

As the hours passed by Kalle began to feel the buzz in the back of his head get stronger and stronger, each time he drained his bowl of wine it was quickly replaced by another. Eventually, when the evening fully set in and Veselin finally found his way to his side, Kalle realized he was drunk.

Very, very drunk.

An observation he made to his son, which elicited a loud laugh from him,

“Good, I’m happy to see you’ve finally loosened up! You look so serious all the time.” Veselin made a face, gently nudging Kalle in the arm. The astartes tried to scowl, but broke down into drunken laughter with Veselin.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll have even more fun tonight.” Veselin nodded across the way, towards the other side of the village center. When Kalle followed his gaze he found a pretty village girl looking their way. She sputtered and blushed with a quick turn when she noticed them.

“Tallim has been making eyes at you all night. I think you should go for it.”

Kalle almost choked on his own spit, a furious red heat filling his cheeks despite his best effort. That… situation was...new...

“I think she would be disappointed,” He muttered, glaring down at the bowl in his hands. Just how much did he have?

“Maybe, you won’t know until you try.”

Veselin clapped Kalle on the shoulder, leaving the Astartes to his drunken thoughts. He’d never really been interested in another person before. In the Great Crusade there’d never been time, fighting in one conflict after another, or devoting his energy in keeping Lita alive and tended to. Not that the venture had worked out in the end, but now?

Intimacy?

That was an entirely new territory. These humans were the first real kind of social contact he’d in a long time.

If Kalle was honest, Tallim was very pretty. Long brown hair falling over her slender frame in waves, with her bright green eyes casting him a shy glance every now and again. There was a look on her face each time she looked his way, until he watched her shoulders go rigid and turned on her heel.

For a brief moment he was disappointed that she was leaving, until his drunken brain figured out she was walking straight towards him. Kalle inwardly panicked, gazing at her dumbly as she finally took as seat mere inches away from him. His hearts started to hammer wildly in his chest, a nervous lump forming in his throat that he couldn’t seem to clear no matter how much he tried.

Tallim was the village winemaker, having made the wine used in today’s celebration. It was made from the blossom fruits that grew in the trees, and Kalle couldn’t help but notice how she smelled just as sweetly as them.

Events started to blur afterwards the more he drank her sweet blossom wine; one moment she was talking about the process of making it, the next she kissed him. Her lips soft and sweet against his, a hand placed on his knee as she reached up to him. Then they were giggling like two teenagers, Tallim pulling him into her darkened house and onto a bed that barely fit him.

~~

Kalle woke up with a pounding headache the next morning, his limbs feeling like jelly, and a dry mouth. He gazed at the ceiling high overhead for a moment, trying to pull his thoughts together. He wasn’t back at his camp, he could hear the voices of the villagers just outside and smell food on the cooking fires. A hand on his chest brought his attention to the small form at his side, Tallim softly snoring away in peace.

Bits and pieces of their night together came flooding back, making a heat rush into his cheeks at the thought. Gently, he prodded her and single green eye opened to gaze at him.

“Hungry?” He asked, and she nodded.

They left together after they dressed, Tallim pulling her hair tightly into a ponytail with Kalle following right behind her. The communal fire had a few villagers left around it, pouring themselves food from the massive pot. Veselin and Kari were there, sitting and talking to each other when Kalle finally sat down.

Tallim handed him a large helping of food and took a seat next to him, turning to converse with a friend who had approached. Kalle could feel Veselin shifting excitedly next to him, and when he turned to look he found the young man’s lips pressed tightly together in a vain attempt to hide his smile.

“I don’t want to hear a word out of you.” Kall warned in his low gothic tongue. Veselin sputtered into his bowl, a mirthful laugh poorly hidden by a cough,

“I didn’t say a thing.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

Yet, there was a smile on his face as he ate in silence. Watching the villagers flit to and fro between their work and their family. He felt…

Calm.

"Kalle!" The large Astartes grunted as a small figure suddenly jumped onto his shoulders. He paused his work for a moment, a small bone knife, and glanced at Veselin who hung there happily, "Will you teach me how to fight?"

"Why the sudden interest?" Kalle inquired as he returned to his project, carefully carving out the handle in sweeping, precise strokes.

"I want to do the things you can do! Like the things you can do with the shadows, or how you can make fire appear out of nowhere!"

Kalle coughed to hide his chuckle, "Those feats may be out of your reach, Veselin. You do not possess the talent for it, and it is not something that can be thought to those who don't."

"Well then, teach me how to use your glaive!"

Kalle sighed in amusement, barely containing the smile on his face, as he dropped his head before gazing back at the young boy. He was... Thirteen? Maybe fourteen, now? Time once again lengthened Veselin's frame with more muscle appearing year by year. His face had lost all of its baby fat, and yet...

Still there was that wonder in his bright, blue eyes.

"I'll ask again, why the sudden interest."

"Because..." He hesitated for a moment, averting his gaze. Suddenly, he slipped from Kalle's shoulder to kick at the ground, his bare feet scuffing up dirt, "I want to be like you. You're strong, and smart, and you're never afraid of anything."

His words froze Kalle's blood, giving him pause for thought.

"There are always those who will be stronger than I," he looked down at the knife in his hands, Kalle hoped Veselin would never have to meet them, "But if you want to learn, know this. I will not be a forgiving teacher; if you fight you will do so in your own defense, or in the defense of others."

Kalle stood then, turning to bear down upon the young human boy. There was fear in his bright, blue eyes then as he shivered beneath Kalle's icy gaze, "For if I find out you're using the skills I give you to willfully harm others," The warp around Kalle bent frighteningly, the shadows dipping around the pair, "Boy, it will be the last thing you do."

Veselin swallowed thickly, before giving him a single resolute nod.

The pull of the warp dissipated as Kalle gazed down at the knife in his hands. After a long moment of thought, he gently tossed it to Veselin who deftly caught it. A look of confusion passed over the young boy's face,

"But, I wanted-"

"We start small," Kalle ordered, "And we start tomorrow. Clear?"

@weapon0010

Prompt: Sunlight

~~

"Kalle, why do you want to get inside the mountain so badly?"

Veselin's question was asked as the young boy sat beside Kalle, the pair of them sitting near the mouth of the mysterious cave and it's mysterious sealed door. His young companion, for the most part, had been spending the better part of the morning working on a carving in his hands. The strokes were quick and precise as the figure began to take shape.

The campfire behind them was now dwindling into embers, the rays of morning coming just over the horizon, bathing the valley in a pinkish and orange hue.

"Because I want to know what's inside." Kalle answered simply, picking at the meager meal he'd made for himself. They were once again running low on supplies; today would be their last day here before heading back to Kalle's camp.

Veselin hummed at that, still busily working away on his little project. Kalle returned to his meal, gazing out over the valley as the rays of sunlight brought light and warmth. Several years had passed, and he was still no closer to opening the sealed door than when he had first discovered it. Every day her meditated, working on increasing his reserves of power and his strength, but whatever lay behind the door was still vastly out of his reach.

There were other ways to obtain what he wanted, but Kalle refused to walk down such a dark path. He would not give in to the temptations of a deamon, or drain the life force of any humans that lived here. He was better than that; so he would be patient, and if took a thousand years so be it.

He liked this planet, he liked living so freely without the demanding expectations that were pushed upon him before. It was...

Simple.

Kalle was pulled from his thoughts as a thick cord was suddenly thrown around his neck, and a heavy weight nestled over his breast. He looked down, a hand reaching out to pick up and observe the crudely shaped totem.

"What's this for?"

"I'm not surprised you don't remember," Veselin teased, nudging him in the arm, "Today is the day we first met."

His forgetfulness didn't surprise Kalle either, but Veselin's gift was touching. These totems were common for Veselin's village, each human gifted one upon their birth and the second when they came of age. More were gifted for great deeds throughout life, but this was the first that Kalle had ever been given himself. The shape was of a proud, and powerful bird that dominated the skies of this small planet, mostly sticking to the higher mountain ranges to the west of Kalle's camp.

"What does it mean?"

This time Veselin hesitated, his face turning a furious red, "Well, it's supposed to mean 'protector', but..."

"But?" Kalle prompted, and Veselin coughed nervously.

"Village men are given the totem when they become father's themselves..."

It was quietly spoken, but Kalle heard the boy all the same. He gave the young child a sideways glance, who had nervously turned his gaze off into the sunrise, and felt the smile twitch at his lips. He couldn't tell when Veselin had managed to work his way into his heart, but it warmed him that the boy thought of him as the father he never got to meet, nor have.

And it hurt too.

Like he'd looked up to Lita, Veselin looked up to Kalle. It was nerve wracking and overwhelming just how much of an influence he had, and a part of him wondered if he was doing well to raise him. To instill within him the morals and ethics Lita had worked so hard to give to Kalle.

He found himself hesitating as well, cautiously reaching a hand out to Veselin and gently resting it atop the boys' head. He relaxed under Kalle's gesture, prompting the large Astartes to pull him in closer with a content hum.

To which Kalle punished him for with a swift blow to the boy's chest. He heard Veselin wheeze as he hit the ground with a hard thud, rolling as he clenched his abdomen.

"Again." Kalle ordered, rolling his shoulders. It took a moment for Veselin to collect his wits enough to get to his knees and push himself to his feet. Stagginer slightly as he gripped the bone knife. Kalle had no real reason to be concerned with the weapon itself, cuts and bruises always healed fairly fast for him and Veselin was still so new to fighting and self defense the Astartes doubted there would be any real damage.

Veselin eyed Kalle for one long moment, gauging his options more than likely, before he dug his feet into the ground and launched forward. He stayed low to the ground, attempting to unbalance Kalle by going for his legs. The Astartes stepped back, kicking out a foot to trip Veselin's sloppy stance, and watched in amusement as he stumbled a few paces.

"Again."

Kalle watched as the boy's shoulders tensed in irritation. When he turned around there was a frustrated snarl on his face, and he quickly lashed out at Kalle with the knife. Kalle scoffed, this time taking the glaive he held in his other hand and non too kindly knocked some sense into Veselin, sending the young boy careening to the ground.

"Never," Snapped Kalle, approaching Veselin as he wheezed and rolled around in pain, "ever, let your emotions get the best of you. I don't care how frustrated you get, never act recklessly. This isn't a game, Veselin; if you find yourself in a fight the other person will not hesitate to kill you if you leave yourself open!"

He had talent, but lacked discipline. It wasn't anything that couldn't be taught, but he'd be damned if he let Veselin act out like his battle brothers from so long ago. He knelt down next to him and rapped a knuckle gently on his head,

"You have a brain, Veselin," He said, the boy gazing up at him, "use it."

It would take time, but one day Kalle would teach him to fight fiercely enough to match an Astartes, to use the fear tactics of a Night Lord. To dispatch an opponent before they knew what was happening, to be merciful and quick.