Hello loves! While I haven't been writing, I have been working on updating some issues that have been hanging around on the layout! The Character change box is now at the bottom of the page, beside the up/down arrows! Green and Gold dragon flight dates have been shifted to the bottom of the page, where the (useless!) discord widget was located. Where the dragon flights were in the header, is now replaced by a Monthly Event box! This will be updated at the start of each month, with a fun mini-event you can take part in, if you want to! Thistle!
11.May.14, 09:59 PM
Free time.. It seemed like a luxury these days and after the last few months Alicona was determined to enjoy every last ounce of it she managed to find. On this particular day, she had been given a bit of leave from her duties in the new creche and had decided that it was time for some much needed peace and quiet. The old Katila Weyr was a ruin, the move was finished, and the rumors had started. At some point in the helter skelter of moving into the new Weyr, the partially finished letter she had written to J'tir had gone missing. With the grief that had swallowed the residents of Katila, it was easy to chalk it up as lost to the landslide. Alicona couldn't simply be that lucky, it just wasn't fated for her. Someone had found her letter, either by snooping or by chance, and had shared its contents.
The rumors had started shortly thereafter. Did you hear J'tir fathered a whelp on the quiet blonde in the creche? Does he know? Then came the looks, the sidelong glances and hushed conversations when she entered the kitchens or the communal area. The jumpy one. You know, the one that sits alone and doesn't talk to anyone? It hadn't bothered her at first, but she knew what the letter had contained and what had yet to be written within its pages. As if it hadn't been enough that she opted to stay apart from the masses living at Katila, the rumors had distanced her even farther it seemed. Funny, how solitude could be stifling in a place full of people.
Since the weather was beautiful and there were several heated pools a bit farther into the woods, she had informed some of the others of her destination and trekked out into the trees. It wasn't a terribly long walk and a nice breeze whispered over her bare arms and played with the wispy blonde hairs that had come loose from the bun at the nape of her neck. Spring had well and truly sprung on the southern continent, and the leafy canopy above left the path before her dappled with little patches of sunlight. The light, cream colored skirt swished merrily around her ankles and the dirt beneath her bare feet was warm and comforting as she padded to the edge of the steaming pool.
She stripped off her shirt, draping the pale blue garment over a nearby bush. The skirt followed in short order, tossed almost carelessly over the shirt. After a quick glance around the woman shimmied out of her remaining garments, placed them with the rest and sank happily into the pool. This was her favorite spot outside; a small pool just large enough for herself and perhaps another person and far enough from the larger pools that she wouldn't be bothered. Not that people generally followed her out to the hot springs anyway. It was still nice to have some quiet after the noise that accompanied working in the creche, be it wailing babies or the shouting and laughter of older children.
Ona sank deeper into the water, letting the warmth seep into her bones with a content sigh. Birds chirped and sang overhead, and a smile appeared on her lips. Sitting in the water, letting the heat sink into her bones; it felt like all her worries and sadness could just melt away and drift off on the rising steam. The rumors would pass eventually and everything would go back to what it had been before. The blissful monotony of routines. Her head tiled back, resting lightly against the edge of the pool. Ona took in a deep breathe, reveling in the scents of the woods. What a lovely day! She hummed softly to herself, eyelids drifting closed as the humming gave way to singing.
“When I trample on my destiny
I'm cutting out the best in me,
With an unskilled hand and heavy heart
Been beating back what blades won't carve
I'm not wishing to see better days
Just someone to help collect the pain
I was blind but now I surely see
Was deaf, now I began to sing
And I can promise you that
Everything will be all right
Then I will think on all these years
I’ve kept up this fight
Oh I could scream until my lungs turn blue
Try to change these walls protecting you
But the ice, that runs within their veins
Won't they see I've changed
Can they say the same?”
She sang quietly, but there was no doubting she had inherited her father's voice. The words drifted into quieter tones until only her lips moved and no sound left her throat. Her thoughts drifted back to the rumors, pulling a soft sigh from her. She had passed through the eye of the storm and come out unscathed, only time would tell what would happen next.
The rumors had started shortly thereafter. Did you hear J'tir fathered a whelp on the quiet blonde in the creche? Does he know? Then came the looks, the sidelong glances and hushed conversations when she entered the kitchens or the communal area. The jumpy one. You know, the one that sits alone and doesn't talk to anyone? It hadn't bothered her at first, but she knew what the letter had contained and what had yet to be written within its pages. As if it hadn't been enough that she opted to stay apart from the masses living at Katila, the rumors had distanced her even farther it seemed. Funny, how solitude could be stifling in a place full of people.
Since the weather was beautiful and there were several heated pools a bit farther into the woods, she had informed some of the others of her destination and trekked out into the trees. It wasn't a terribly long walk and a nice breeze whispered over her bare arms and played with the wispy blonde hairs that had come loose from the bun at the nape of her neck. Spring had well and truly sprung on the southern continent, and the leafy canopy above left the path before her dappled with little patches of sunlight. The light, cream colored skirt swished merrily around her ankles and the dirt beneath her bare feet was warm and comforting as she padded to the edge of the steaming pool.
She stripped off her shirt, draping the pale blue garment over a nearby bush. The skirt followed in short order, tossed almost carelessly over the shirt. After a quick glance around the woman shimmied out of her remaining garments, placed them with the rest and sank happily into the pool. This was her favorite spot outside; a small pool just large enough for herself and perhaps another person and far enough from the larger pools that she wouldn't be bothered. Not that people generally followed her out to the hot springs anyway. It was still nice to have some quiet after the noise that accompanied working in the creche, be it wailing babies or the shouting and laughter of older children.
Ona sank deeper into the water, letting the warmth seep into her bones with a content sigh. Birds chirped and sang overhead, and a smile appeared on her lips. Sitting in the water, letting the heat sink into her bones; it felt like all her worries and sadness could just melt away and drift off on the rising steam. The rumors would pass eventually and everything would go back to what it had been before. The blissful monotony of routines. Her head tiled back, resting lightly against the edge of the pool. Ona took in a deep breathe, reveling in the scents of the woods. What a lovely day! She hummed softly to herself, eyelids drifting closed as the humming gave way to singing.
“When I trample on my destiny
I'm cutting out the best in me,
With an unskilled hand and heavy heart
Been beating back what blades won't carve
I'm not wishing to see better days
Just someone to help collect the pain
I was blind but now I surely see
Was deaf, now I began to sing
And I can promise you that
Everything will be all right
Then I will think on all these years
I’ve kept up this fight
Oh I could scream until my lungs turn blue
Try to change these walls protecting you
But the ice, that runs within their veins
Won't they see I've changed
Can they say the same?”
She sang quietly, but there was no doubting she had inherited her father's voice. The words drifted into quieter tones until only her lips moved and no sound left her throat. Her thoughts drifted back to the rumors, pulling a soft sigh from her. She had passed through the eye of the storm and come out unscathed, only time would tell what would happen next.
