[Flashback] From Small Beginnings

[Siana Skyglow]

Peering over Aneira's shoulder, Siana screwed up her features as she tried to make sense of the lines and waves drawn on the sheet of paper. She had never been the most artistic soul, truth be told. Oh, she could certainly appreciate the artwork created by others; her upbringing amid a family of carvers had at least taught her how to see not only the surface beauty of art, but also the thought that went into creating it. But if someone gave her a canvas and paintbrush or a chunk of ivory and a chisel, she wouldn't know how to do more than a few daubs or chips. Siana just couldn't visualize what she wanted to create, though she wished she understood how others could do it.

So, she obediently stared and squinted at the few lines that Aneira had swiftly sketched out, trying to make sense of them. It felt a little like watching clouds go by or gazing at the stars and imagining what shapes they made. At first glance, she thought Aneira had drawn a pair of fish swimming together. But what did fish have to do with their play? Besides, there were curving lines radiating outward from them and something that looked like a necklace made of snowflakes…

Then Siana remembered the few words Aneira had muttered before she'd flown off toward her room, half-heartedly beckoning Siana to follow. Aneira had talked about an eye mask --- or was it an ice mask? --- and snowflakes in her hair. She squinted anew at the drawing, and suddenly the shapes fell into place and became clear to her.

"A mask for Morwen," she murmured aloud. "I think I see it now. The eyeholes there, and then on top you have a crown made of snowflakes. That's so pretty! But why is it only half a mask?"

"It's better for acting that way," Aneira explained, looking up from the scraps of paper scattered over her desk. "It leaves the mouth open for talking. Otherwise, your voice is muffled by the mask and no one can understand a word you say."

Siana nodded in understanding. But then a thought occurred to her. "What about my mask, though? It covers my whole face. Can you fix it?"

"Don't worry, I can adjust it," Aneira assured her. She held up a piece of paper. "What were you trying to do here, Siana? Were you drawing a picture of a costume?"

"No, no, I can't draw," Siana mumbled, craning her neck forward to look. Her cheeks reddened when she realized what it was. "Oh, that! I was just trying to write the dialogue on both sides of the paper. But the candle wasn't very bright, so everything got slanted everywhere. See? This was supposed to be a draft of the speech Morwen gives when she meets with the Spirit of the Aurora."

Unconsciously, while she spoke, Siana stood up straight and her face grew very solemn. Her gestures became fewer and more graceful. Reading from her scribbles of the night before, Siana recited, "You and I are both goddesses in our own right. You are the goddess of the northern sky of Mizahar, where even the sun dares not linger for fear of the cold. I am the Queen of the Vantha and the goddess of winter, snow and ice. Only through your domain will my children be able to travel to a new world where they will thrive and grow. They alone will settle in the frozen North, and every night they will turn their faces skyward to watch your dance and give you the love that you have missed and needed. We are the answer to each other's needs, Lady of the Aurora, and together we will create a new wor…"

A sharp knock on the door cut her off in mid-sentence. They turned to see Aneira's mother standing at the threshold, her eyes bright with amusement. "I hate to interrupt, girls, but Siana's mother is at the door. She's asking if Siana wants to come home or if she can just drop off all of Siana's belongings and clothes here so that she has one less person to cook and clean for at home."

Siana grinned. "Not a chance. I guess I better be heading back before she starts getting impatient." As she turned to leave, she looked back at Aneira. "How about we meet tonight to discuss this? I can come back here in the evening, after our main meal, and we can keep coming up with ideas for the play. Does that sound all right with you?"