you can run but you can't hide
breath on your skin, I've arrived
On the surface, her once unique gift with sight had seemed almost banal in the first blush of her youth. Though she could steal and alter it at her whim, it was not at its core a particularly frightening or awe-inspiring gift. Not in the way her ability to destroy was when she received it. But it had not taken her long to discover it’s true power. Over the years, she had honed and perfected into an unusual weapon.
And for a time, she had reveled in it. Over time however, it had made its way silently through her offspring, manifesting only on rare occasions. In the end, that had proven enough. She had learned then, in a way impossible for her to see before (when it had been only her with such abilities), just how dangerous it could be. Not to others (though it could be that too), but to the self. She had known of the stories told of her. Had known even that they tried to emulate what they heard. But as so often happens with stories, they grow and become far more than they ever were in truth.
Had she been a better woman, she might have tried to provide them instruction. But even to this day, she believes her tutelage would have been far more damaging than helpful. She doubts Gale would understand, so it is a truth she would forever keep locked close.
Her lips curve upwards in faint smile at his greeting. Despite all appearances to the contrary, she does genuinely care. And so he receives the softer side of her. The one that does not immediately speculate or call into question the motives of the day.
That he recognizes her does not surprise her in the slightest. That he immediately delves into a deeply controversial topic does (though she rather suspects he doesn’t yet realize just how controversial a topic it is). She does not answer him immediately, instead considering his question carefully. After years of navigating the finer points of her ability, even she does not fully understand the source of it. But she does know visual memory is not in the eyes, as Wyrm had once quite wrongly assumed.
The short answer to his question would be yes, but it is hardly the full answer.
“I have,” she finally answers, her words slow and thoughtful. Her blue eyes don’t waver from him, sharp and focused in their intensity. “Whether anyone has seen the end of the darkness, I cannot say. I gave up on seeking future visions long ago.” She tilts her head slightly, gaze sliding briefly to the water lapping at the pale sands. “They are as fickle and ever-changing as the waves. The past is a far better tutor than the future will ever be.”
heartfire
@[Gale]