Mid afternoon | XX, Spring 517 A.V.
The Travertine hot springs was a work of art. Nature had created something of beauty along the cliff sides just outside Riverfall, and despite this being her first visit, Claire had little doubt it would not be her last. The weather was on the warmer side, signaling that summer lingered around the corner. The heat did not bother her like she thought it might, even with the massive amount of feathers her raptor form wore. She was not a bird for water, but the heat it seemed was more than easily dealt with—a lazy day in the shadow of orchard trees for example.
The Kelvic normally held a large amount of patience, as it was nearly built into her hunting system. On the rare occasion she indulged in a hunt, the waiting game had always been the key to a successful catch. It was something as dependable as medicine—something that was born of her and learned through patience and practice. And as of late it was also something she was failing at. It seemed another instinctual feeling was capable of rendering her nearly useless, and it was tied to one thing—one person.
Rhodri…
Waiting to hear from the Eypharian was maddening. It tore at her soul and pushed against everything she stood for. The raptor was normally calm and collected—capable of making swift, decisive decisions without panic. And the infuriating six armed man had robbed her of it the day at the tower just above her home. Claire held no patience for the hunt. She preened herself to the point her feathers had begun to look nearly ragged. Flying gave no distraction. And medicine brought no joy either. Basic mistakes had begun to filter into her normally clean routines, and not even the quiet solitude of the conservatory among the flowers could bring her harried emotions to soften.
The brute left her nerve-wracked.
It was beginning to show outside her daily hobbies too. Her so called brother had made several attempts to speak to her—none of which actually ended well for him. Her sleep had deteriorated vastly and it made for one cranky girl. Tristan was far more wary of her than before… but this could have also been for the fact she no longer saw Rhodri, given she had promised to give him space. She had no idea what Tristan had against the man, but any mention of the Eypharian made his face twist into an unidentifiable emotion to her. But Rhodri's lack of presence meant Tristan no longer hovered—at least as closely as he dared before. It made shifting to flee his sight entirely a rather easy affair. The Kelvic needed space for herself, nothing within the city to remind her of the very thing she was missing, and the hot springs seemed an interesting first visit.
And while the warm waters tried to relax her muscles, it seemed they did very little for her soul.
The girl had chosen not to bring anything with her—clothing wasn't a necessary requirement for water—and taken up residency in one of the lower pools away from the top of the cliff. It had taken a bit of time to find one that suited her preference, warm enough to keep her happy yet cool enough to ensure no permanent burns. Not to mention prying eyes. Or perhaps it was just another effect of her unfinished bond. Indecisiveness.
Or wishy washy. That term worked too.
Currently, Claire had pressed herself along the far edge of the basin she had chosen. Her arms delicately folded along the edge while her chest and stomach rested against the wall of the pool. The edges of her hair drifted in the water, turning black as they twisted through the slight current. Her legs were folded beneath her and twisted off to one side so that they wouldn't become cramped because the Kelvic had decided to spend a great deal of time at the hot springs.
She had a choice to make.
The raptor has promised Rhodri she would wait. It wasn't a decision to make lightly and the bird knew that pushing the Eypharian would only result in failure. But holding out hope was beginning to ruin other aspects of her life. Every day seemed to pull her further into sorrow—and it didn’t help that the last time she had seen the man he had been fairly difficult. In one breath he seemed protective, and the next his attitude reflected anger. The situation had certainly been stressful enough, and the Kelvic was left more confused than ever.
Her need to bond was a biological one, but it was her desire that steered her towards the brute. Loneliness clawed at her chest so deeply she half expected there to be physical signs of her emotions across her skin. It had been lonely before Rhodri of course, but even with his arrogance and belittling ways he somehow managed to make her feel whole.
Even when she was scathingly pissed off at him.
Today had to be a turning point. No matter how much it bothered her to give up on him… she was alone in Riverfall. No one to rely on if she failed. She couldn't allow herself to fall into trouble with her job or living situation. If he hadn't come to find her yet… the Kelvic found it hard to believe that he would be accepting her at all. And the mere thought was enough to conjure tears to the corners of her eyes. Perhaps he had found a way to live without her after all. Was it her turn now? He wouldn't be the only one she could ever bond with. But he was certainly special. Gods only knew if he heard such a statement out loud. He would likely lord it over her until the day she died.
As the Kelvic let a breathy sigh from her throat that sounded vaguely like pained moan as she let her chin fall to rest on her arms, but kept her eyes firmly locked on the sea in the distance. Today would be the last day she fretted over the beautiful man who thought himself as divinity. She had to hold conviction… to regain some order. Because while he wasn't going to be her only choice…
… she had wanted him to be. And that made her decision all the more difficult.
The Kelvic normally held a large amount of patience, as it was nearly built into her hunting system. On the rare occasion she indulged in a hunt, the waiting game had always been the key to a successful catch. It was something as dependable as medicine—something that was born of her and learned through patience and practice. And as of late it was also something she was failing at. It seemed another instinctual feeling was capable of rendering her nearly useless, and it was tied to one thing—one person.
Rhodri…
Waiting to hear from the Eypharian was maddening. It tore at her soul and pushed against everything she stood for. The raptor was normally calm and collected—capable of making swift, decisive decisions without panic. And the infuriating six armed man had robbed her of it the day at the tower just above her home. Claire held no patience for the hunt. She preened herself to the point her feathers had begun to look nearly ragged. Flying gave no distraction. And medicine brought no joy either. Basic mistakes had begun to filter into her normally clean routines, and not even the quiet solitude of the conservatory among the flowers could bring her harried emotions to soften.
The brute left her nerve-wracked.
It was beginning to show outside her daily hobbies too. Her so called brother had made several attempts to speak to her—none of which actually ended well for him. Her sleep had deteriorated vastly and it made for one cranky girl. Tristan was far more wary of her than before… but this could have also been for the fact she no longer saw Rhodri, given she had promised to give him space. She had no idea what Tristan had against the man, but any mention of the Eypharian made his face twist into an unidentifiable emotion to her. But Rhodri's lack of presence meant Tristan no longer hovered—at least as closely as he dared before. It made shifting to flee his sight entirely a rather easy affair. The Kelvic needed space for herself, nothing within the city to remind her of the very thing she was missing, and the hot springs seemed an interesting first visit.
And while the warm waters tried to relax her muscles, it seemed they did very little for her soul.
The girl had chosen not to bring anything with her—clothing wasn't a necessary requirement for water—and taken up residency in one of the lower pools away from the top of the cliff. It had taken a bit of time to find one that suited her preference, warm enough to keep her happy yet cool enough to ensure no permanent burns. Not to mention prying eyes. Or perhaps it was just another effect of her unfinished bond. Indecisiveness.
Or wishy washy. That term worked too.
Currently, Claire had pressed herself along the far edge of the basin she had chosen. Her arms delicately folded along the edge while her chest and stomach rested against the wall of the pool. The edges of her hair drifted in the water, turning black as they twisted through the slight current. Her legs were folded beneath her and twisted off to one side so that they wouldn't become cramped because the Kelvic had decided to spend a great deal of time at the hot springs.
She had a choice to make.
The raptor has promised Rhodri she would wait. It wasn't a decision to make lightly and the bird knew that pushing the Eypharian would only result in failure. But holding out hope was beginning to ruin other aspects of her life. Every day seemed to pull her further into sorrow—and it didn’t help that the last time she had seen the man he had been fairly difficult. In one breath he seemed protective, and the next his attitude reflected anger. The situation had certainly been stressful enough, and the Kelvic was left more confused than ever.
Her need to bond was a biological one, but it was her desire that steered her towards the brute. Loneliness clawed at her chest so deeply she half expected there to be physical signs of her emotions across her skin. It had been lonely before Rhodri of course, but even with his arrogance and belittling ways he somehow managed to make her feel whole.
Even when she was scathingly pissed off at him.
Today had to be a turning point. No matter how much it bothered her to give up on him… she was alone in Riverfall. No one to rely on if she failed. She couldn't allow herself to fall into trouble with her job or living situation. If he hadn't come to find her yet… the Kelvic found it hard to believe that he would be accepting her at all. And the mere thought was enough to conjure tears to the corners of her eyes. Perhaps he had found a way to live without her after all. Was it her turn now? He wouldn't be the only one she could ever bond with. But he was certainly special. Gods only knew if he heard such a statement out loud. He would likely lord it over her until the day she died.
As the Kelvic let a breathy sigh from her throat that sounded vaguely like pained moan as she let her chin fall to rest on her arms, but kept her eyes firmly locked on the sea in the distance. Today would be the last day she fretted over the beautiful man who thought himself as divinity. She had to hold conviction… to regain some order. Because while he wasn't going to be her only choice…
… she had wanted him to be. And that made her decision all the more difficult.
Common | Isur