Lilli stands before Elaina, still mystified. That smile quirks, coming lopsided as it so often does when she feels at ease when she can be herself. ”Ye old Legacy clan?” She laughs then, a pretty bright thing in Hyaline’s darkness. ”You sound like Jay now,” she replies, thinking of her wise and all-knowing older brother. ”Where, oh mythical spirit, are you guiding me?” Lilli grins at her cousin, inviting and hoping for another jesting reply. As her blue eyes continue to absorb Elaina’s lovely golden form, Lilli can’t help but feel grateful she is here. The crimson girl has tried and struggled to find her way, to find herself again here and Elaina serves as a reminder of who she once was, of who she could be again.
The little chestnut filly from Murmuring Rivers was a long way from the sheltered borders of the land she had been born to. Elaina comes as a beacon in the darkness.
Elaina laughs and to Lilli, it is the most beautiful sound in the world. It echoes within in the recesses of her ears, lights her soul and banishes the pain that has been festering within her like an infection. When the laughter dies and the night quiets again, her blue eyes lock with Elaina’s amber ones and love is so bright within her own, shining out into in the darkness. Of all the things Lilli has needed these past few months, Elaina is the one to absolve her of all her fears and worries, to ease her sorrow and to make her laugh again. Divinities, gods, fates, whatever has a hand in this thanked with each soft and peaceful breath that comes from the young chestnut mare.
Lilli studies her cousin and then looks out into the darkness again, her gaze searching for shapes and formations in the shadows. She wonders what about Hyaline reminds Elaina of Windskeep. And the thought comes again that she should see the land of her ancestors, the place that her father lingered so long in. Was he there now? Had Elaina seen him on her most recent journey? Unable to discern anything but trees, she turns her attention back to her palomino cousin. The fresh scent of running water, the sweet scent of cherry wood settles itself on Lilli’s nostrils and she wonders what this place must look like in the hours of daylight. Perhaps Pangea isn’t entirely a wasteland like she has heard.
”No,” comes Lilli’s gentle reply. ”I had been staying in the Common Lands.. down by the River because it reminded me of where I was born. I found a corner just like our favorite bend,” she smiles then, wistful in memory.
Elaina tells her to not be sorry but there is a part of Lilli that feels like a part of this is her fault. If she had just been more patient, if she had just waited then the two of them.. could have what? Waited in Beyond? What would they have waited for? Malachi to make a decision? For Valerio to return? For Broch? She turns her head then, inclines it gently and touches her cousin's lovely cheek lightly. There is still a touch of apology there, something that Lilli refuses to let herself wash completely clean of. It is an apology for everything – for Aerwir, for the months that followed, for not being there when Elaina returned.
She says her father's name and Lilli pauses then, her expression giving way to sadness. ”No,” she whispers in a way that gives admission to the pain and worry. ”You know how Mama is though.. she refuses to leave without him.” Lilli has a hard time saying those words and they threaten to break apart. It brings her last memory of her silver mother to mind, Aletta looking so resolute on her mountain. It had been the last place that Valerio had been with her and her mother had been so determined that she be there when he came for her as the gray woman so absolutely believed he would.
Lilli prayed that he would, that he already had. If anyone deserved a fairy tale ending, it had been her parents. ”They are supposed to explore the world together,” she murmurs.
Her features brighten at her cousin’s next words, the smile spreading and Lilli finds herself laughing again. ”Is it really so shocking? Can you see Bri with a son?” Her eyes crinkle at the corners then as she imagines her creamy sister with this feisty daughter, thinking that Brielle deserved nothing less. The mention of Liam only incites further laughter and bubbles out into the summer night around them, drowning out any song that the crickets or frogs might otherwise offer. The laughter dims again and Lilli reaches for her cousin’s neck, another reaffirming touch as Elaina expresses her thoughts. Lilli finds herself at a loss at what to say, at what kind of consolation she could give in Elaina’s circumstance.
The loss of a parent, of both parents, is something that the inner child might never overcome. It would always be a scar that Elaina would always have, a burden she would always carry. Lilli glances to her cousin then, hoping to convey the love and the notion that Elaina wouldn’t have to carry that burden alone. Lilli would shoulder it with her.
The conversation moves forward and Elaina’s question of why she chose to go to Taiga brings an image of a certain palomino stallion to mind. She banishes that, another improbability and something else that just further confuses her. She shrugs then, turning her gaze from her cousin just in case that the golden mare might be able to see the flicker of uncertainty that comes. ”It seems nice,” she says vaguely. ”Quiet in a way that reminds me of home.” She searches for something out in the darkness just long enough to hope that Elaina might become distracted with her, the pair of them looking for something that doesn’t exist. Her gaze turns to the stars, standing alone with her thoughts but whole with Elaina beside her.
Lilli takes her blue eyes from the stars then and turns her head slightly inward to Elaina so she can fully meet her gaze. ”Not at all,” she affirms, whispering the words solemnly below the stars ethereal gaze. The crimson girl understands this completely and she studies Elaina, she thinks that the golden mare with her directness and her intensity had the potential to be a great politician. ”I think you’d be a wonderful politician and that whatever realm you represented would be lucky to have you on their side.”
@[Elaina]
The little chestnut filly from Murmuring Rivers was a long way from the sheltered borders of the land she had been born to. Elaina comes as a beacon in the darkness.
Elaina laughs and to Lilli, it is the most beautiful sound in the world. It echoes within in the recesses of her ears, lights her soul and banishes the pain that has been festering within her like an infection. When the laughter dies and the night quiets again, her blue eyes lock with Elaina’s amber ones and love is so bright within her own, shining out into in the darkness. Of all the things Lilli has needed these past few months, Elaina is the one to absolve her of all her fears and worries, to ease her sorrow and to make her laugh again. Divinities, gods, fates, whatever has a hand in this thanked with each soft and peaceful breath that comes from the young chestnut mare.
Lilli studies her cousin and then looks out into the darkness again, her gaze searching for shapes and formations in the shadows. She wonders what about Hyaline reminds Elaina of Windskeep. And the thought comes again that she should see the land of her ancestors, the place that her father lingered so long in. Was he there now? Had Elaina seen him on her most recent journey? Unable to discern anything but trees, she turns her attention back to her palomino cousin. The fresh scent of running water, the sweet scent of cherry wood settles itself on Lilli’s nostrils and she wonders what this place must look like in the hours of daylight. Perhaps Pangea isn’t entirely a wasteland like she has heard.
”No,” comes Lilli’s gentle reply. ”I had been staying in the Common Lands.. down by the River because it reminded me of where I was born. I found a corner just like our favorite bend,” she smiles then, wistful in memory.
Elaina tells her to not be sorry but there is a part of Lilli that feels like a part of this is her fault. If she had just been more patient, if she had just waited then the two of them.. could have what? Waited in Beyond? What would they have waited for? Malachi to make a decision? For Valerio to return? For Broch? She turns her head then, inclines it gently and touches her cousin's lovely cheek lightly. There is still a touch of apology there, something that Lilli refuses to let herself wash completely clean of. It is an apology for everything – for Aerwir, for the months that followed, for not being there when Elaina returned.
She says her father's name and Lilli pauses then, her expression giving way to sadness. ”No,” she whispers in a way that gives admission to the pain and worry. ”You know how Mama is though.. she refuses to leave without him.” Lilli has a hard time saying those words and they threaten to break apart. It brings her last memory of her silver mother to mind, Aletta looking so resolute on her mountain. It had been the last place that Valerio had been with her and her mother had been so determined that she be there when he came for her as the gray woman so absolutely believed he would.
Lilli prayed that he would, that he already had. If anyone deserved a fairy tale ending, it had been her parents. ”They are supposed to explore the world together,” she murmurs.
Her features brighten at her cousin’s next words, the smile spreading and Lilli finds herself laughing again. ”Is it really so shocking? Can you see Bri with a son?” Her eyes crinkle at the corners then as she imagines her creamy sister with this feisty daughter, thinking that Brielle deserved nothing less. The mention of Liam only incites further laughter and bubbles out into the summer night around them, drowning out any song that the crickets or frogs might otherwise offer. The laughter dims again and Lilli reaches for her cousin’s neck, another reaffirming touch as Elaina expresses her thoughts. Lilli finds herself at a loss at what to say, at what kind of consolation she could give in Elaina’s circumstance.
The loss of a parent, of both parents, is something that the inner child might never overcome. It would always be a scar that Elaina would always have, a burden she would always carry. Lilli glances to her cousin then, hoping to convey the love and the notion that Elaina wouldn’t have to carry that burden alone. Lilli would shoulder it with her.
The conversation moves forward and Elaina’s question of why she chose to go to Taiga brings an image of a certain palomino stallion to mind. She banishes that, another improbability and something else that just further confuses her. She shrugs then, turning her gaze from her cousin just in case that the golden mare might be able to see the flicker of uncertainty that comes. ”It seems nice,” she says vaguely. ”Quiet in a way that reminds me of home.” She searches for something out in the darkness just long enough to hope that Elaina might become distracted with her, the pair of them looking for something that doesn’t exist. Her gaze turns to the stars, standing alone with her thoughts but whole with Elaina beside her.
Lilli takes her blue eyes from the stars then and turns her head slightly inward to Elaina so she can fully meet her gaze. ”Not at all,” she affirms, whispering the words solemnly below the stars ethereal gaze. The crimson girl understands this completely and she studies Elaina, she thinks that the golden mare with her directness and her intensity had the potential to be a great politician. ”I think you’d be a wonderful politician and that whatever realm you represented would be lucky to have you on their side.”
@[Elaina]
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind