DAWN
i just killed off what was left of the optimist in me
As she waits, she ponders the heartbreak she has experienced in her short life, and cannot help but wonder if there is any happiness looming anywhere on the horizon. Rhae’s dismissal of her, and those words sent on the wind only to her the first time she had visited Tephra; Litotes caring touches and gentle words meant to soothe her soul; Clayton’s passionate touch that had set her skin ablaze. Rhae had vanished without a trace not long after that conversation, and it seems that Clayton has followed in his footsteps. Her relationship with Litotes is broken beyond repair, and she fears that all of the friendships she has made in her time here are also beginning to crumble.
It is hard to push back the tears that prick in the corners of her eyes as the magician queen arrives before her, simply blinking into the space in front of her as if she were always standing there. Dawn doesn’t flinch before her, merely meets her eyes with pained ones of her own, sighing softly as Leliana invites her into the kingdom. She steps across the border gratefully, glad to put Loess and the other southern territories behind as they move deeper into Tephra.
She watches curiously as flowers burst through the nearby charred areas of Tephra, and a quiet smile plays at her lips as the earth becomes alive beneath her hooves. Leliana asks her of her intentions and she looks back to the magician, trying desperately to quell the waves of despair threatening to overwhelm her. Leliana is her mother’s friend, and while they may be relatives, she does not want to burden the queen with problems that she will probably view as petty.
“I’m here... for my mother, mainly,” she murmurs, her eyes falling as she speaks. “I thought she would greet me when I got here; she always would when I would visit her in Loess. Is she here?” She glances back up to Leliana, praying that nothing has happened to her mother. She could visit Loess and her grandsire to find out, but she isn’t so sure she wants to make another trip to that place, especially not today of all days.
With a sigh, she continues. “Though I suppose that is not the only reason I am here,” she admits, eyes darkening with emotion. “The war is barely days past, and my general, who leads Pangea, has challenged me for my throne. The throne that was given to me not even a season past, one that I have spent over a year trying to prove that I am worthy of.” She breaks off, not wanting to spill her entire guts, but hardly able to contain herself. “He knows that I am hardly a warrior myself. I would have died during the recent battle here if not for my dear friend Caelestra. If he wins the fight, I fear for what will happen to the East, and my children in the Cove.”
She swallows hard before looking at Leliana again, offering her an unsteady smile. “I apologize for thrusting all of this upon you. I’m just scared, and unsure of my next steps in the days to come. I guess I just wanted a hug from my mom, which is why I came all this way.”
@[leliana]