Sanctuary Under a Paleblood Sky

by Dragonfire2lm

Sifdóttir

Author's Note:

For those familiar with Bloodborne, I've taken some liberties with larger buildings like Iosefka's Clinic.

I've had this written for several months, and just don't have the focus to finish this, so pardon the short chapter.

It was startling at first, feeling the young filly go limp in her arms and change before her eyes, but now in the safe hands of Iosefka, Raine was relieved that the girl wasn’t in any danger.

Sunset lay asleep on a small cot in one of the spare rooms in the clinic. The now human girl, in a faded dark green dress, was so pale that the hunter almost panicked upon seeing the change.

But thankfully, the child was only exhausted, some rest and food should be all she needed.

Raine sat in a chair by her bedside and every so often she would glance around the room, from the wooden floors to the chandelier above her head, and back to the stonework on the walls.

All the while her mind could never cease the whirlwind of thought. There was something more to all of this, from the fleeting wisps of power she sensed beneath the pony city, to the princess’s treatment of Sunset.

The way Celestia spoke, of Sunset being too emotional, it brought to mind the treatment she had received growing up. The feeling of never being good enough, of being judged no matter how well she behaved, all due to things beyond her control.

Words were long forgotten in those distant memories from her mortal childhood, but the feelings remained, the hurt, the hopelessness, the righteousness that welled up from such mistreatment echoed long after those years had passed.

I am a beast in man’s skin she wryly mused.

She was pulled from her bitter memories by the sound of someone entering the room and looked up to meet the gaze of a fellow hunter.

“Gascoigne,” she greeted quietly. “How’re the girls?”

The man, dressed in his old hunter garb that marked him a hunter of the church, was carrying a large suitcase in one hand. He smiled at the mention of his family.

“They’re eager to meet the young one in your care,” he replied and nodded at the still sleeping sunset as he handed her the case. “Jane picked these out herself, said your girl would love them.”

She was thankful for Gascoigne and his family, the man was one the few she had managed to save upon her return to the streets of Yharnam, and his family had welcomed her with open arms.

In her near panic at seeing Sunset transformed into a human girl, she had sent Gascoigne a note asking for any help he could provide, and he had replied not long after through his own messengers with the promise of some clothes.

“I’ll have to thank Jane the next time I come visit,” Raine replied as she set the suitcase of clothes beside her chair. “Sunset looks to be about her age, and I don’t have any clothes that would fit.”

Gascoigne nodded, looking at Sunset thoughtfully.

“…So, she yours then?”

The question took a second to process. It bewildered her, stunned her that he would ask such a thing. She stood, and in one swift motion grabbed the man by the arm and dragged him out into the hallway.

When she was sure she far enough away to not wake anyone, it was the early hours of the morning after all, she let him go and turned to face him, aghast.

“What?”

He shrugged. “You look old enough.”

“Do you kiss your wife with that mouth?” she shot back. Children in this age were few and far between, they were a blessing, a miracle, and she’d fight tooth and nail at the accusation Gascoigne made.

“I am not some spineless waif that would abandon a child!” she snapped, bristling at him. “No, she isn’t mine. And no man would lay with me regardless.”

Gascoigne raised his hands in surrender.

“There is no shame in it, but people will assume—”

“That instead of being a spinster, I am an unfit mother?” she retorted. “As I said, no man would have me even if I was inclined to show interest.”

At her assertion, he looked confused. “And what makes you so sure of that?”

Raine began to pace, the urge to run, to flee, to hide from the conversation grated at her. The anger at his suggestions, the bitterness at herself, it all came to a head and the words spilled out before she could take the time to think.

“Because I am a blood-child! A wolfwoman! Sifdóttir! I am a wild, beastly thing wearing a woman’s face and none will have my company, friend or foe alike, because of the circumstances of my birth!”

Gascoigne muttered a prayer at the admission, but it hardly mattered, and she almost felt like laughing. From a cursed child to a hunter, and finally to a Great One. She had done all she could to run from her past, to hide it, even as far as to embrace the stigmas associated with being a hunter.

But during that long night, the long night where she had lost friends, struggled to grasp fleeting shreds of hope, and faced a world gone mad…She had tired of running.

And upon slaying The Moon Presence Raine had been granted life anew. Of all the vast power of a great one at her command, she used the last vestiges of her mortal self to gain dominion over a single, yet vast word in the great one language.

Remembrance.

“Sunset isn’t mine by blood,” she reiterated, staring him down despite her shorter stature. “She was in the care of a noblewoman who had her head shoved so far up her arse that a lesson on obedience was wilful negligence!”

“Sunset would be dead if it weren’t for me,” she added. “The girl had thought all she had known had abandoned her, cast her out. I would not stand idle at such despair.”

Gascoigne looked sheepish as he stepped back. “Sorry, shouldn’t have assumed…”

“No, you damn well shouldn’t have.” She said and sighed. “What’s done is done. Would you still be fine with letting Sunset stay with you until I get the house ready for her?”

“Course, Viola and the girls would be happy to have her over,” Gascoigne replied. “…This spat of ours stays between us?”

She looked at the man bemused. “Scared of the missus?”

“Just don’t want to disappoint my girls, they’re looking forward to having a new playmate.”

“Ah, well you treat Sunset right, and all is forgiven.” She replied.

---

When she arrived back in Sunset’s room, Gascoigne trailing behind her and still cowed by her prior outburst, Sunset was already awake and staring at her own hands.

Raine immediately headed to her side.

“You alright?”

Sunset looked up at her and nodded. “I feel fine…Is something wrong? You sounded angry.”

“Must have good ears if you could hear that.” Gascoigne commented.

“This, is Father Gascoigne, a former hunter of the Healing Church,” Raine explained. “He’s a friend of mine and has offered to look after you while I get the house ready for you…”

Raine paused. “…I’ll need money…”

“How do you not have money?” Sunset asked, confused.

“Haven’t needed to use it til now, the house was just sort of there…never needed that til now either.” She replied, mentally running the numbers on how much coin she would need to stock the house with necessities.

“But, where do you live then?” Sunset asked.

She answered somewhat absentmindedly, half-focused on planning further ahead now that Sunset was out of danger. “The space between dreams and reality.”

“Huh…can I see it?”

Raine blinked. “I suppose? You would need to sign a contract, but the adoption papers should cover that once we get them.”

A quick glance at the clock she had maybe enough time to grab a few things stashed away at her hometown before people would be up and about. She glanced back at Sunset.

“I need to head out to collect a few things, once Iosefka gives you a clean bill of health, Gascoigne will take you to his place,” she explained. “Once my business is concluded, I’ll stop by before my work this evening.”

Raine tried to be encouraging. “Gascoigne has a couple of girls of his own, so you won’t be bored for long,” she leaned down to pick up the suitcase and showed it to the girl. “They even picked out some clothes for you.”

“I’ll be out in the hall.” Gascoigne announced and left the room with a respectful nod.

Sunset accepted the case and opened it. Her face lit up at its contents.

“These are all for me?”

“They are,” Raine affirmed and turned towards the door. “Will you be alright with me leaving so soon? I know it’s not ideal, but the sooner this is done, the more time I’ll have for helping you adjust.”

“I’ll be fine,” Sunset looked up from where she was starting to sort through her new clothes. “And…um, thanks…for taking care of me.”

“And it is a joy to have you, now I best be off,” Raine said. “Be good, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

Comments

[Kevin shough]

I like

[The first vicar]

This story is amazing. Hope that you continue it soon!