The Ethaefal could feel the eyes of her fellow Drykas lifted to her as she passed them during her exiting of the pavilion. Each one was like a weight laid upon her shoulders. She felt judged and dirty. Like she was doing something so wrong that she was causing her people to turn away from her. That may or may not have been the case, but whatever the truth really was did not matter. Not when all Taurina could feel was a hollow ache of something like guilt filling her core. She kept her gaze cast down, walking as quickly as possible behind the walahk so that she might be back outside sooner rather than later.
It did not take long. At least his feet were not slow and Taurina moved easily behind him. Soon the pair was back out in Syna’s heat filled light, the golden rays shining bright as ever. Nothing about the day had changed. It was still overwhelmingly hot. Syna still high and bright. The Drykas people still moving about their everyday business. The horses still vying for the coolest spots with the strongest breeze. It was like everything was just as it had always been and nothing was different. The Ethaefal felt different though. She felt as though she had come out of Baultime’s Barrel with a piece of herself no longer there. It was not about the money she no longer had, but about the wound that had been inflicted upon her pride. She felt as though she could never look her people in the eyes again. Never look her family in the eyes again.
The male kept going forward, heading towards wherever his destination was and Taurina moved to follow him, but she had one thing to do first. She could not leave behind Starfire. She may have felt tainted, but she that did not truly change anything about who she was or those she cared for. So she went back for him. Quick work was made of it for his attention was easily gathered, though he did not seem happy to be moving again. Taurina gathered up the yvas in her arms and vocally directed the strider to follow her. She had to run to catch back up to the male, but he was easy enough to find now that she had found him a first time. That hat was easy enough to pick up in a Drykas crowd.
They were probably halfway between the pavilion and where the male eventually stopped when Taurina caught up to him with Starfire following close behind. She was sweaty, her arms aching, and her breaths coming in ragged gasps; but she did not complain. She did not say anything at all, actually. Instead she just followed behind the male, a new uneasiness spreading in her chest. They were going out into the grasses where tents would not surround them. It would be more private there, but.. the grasses. Taurina gnawed on her lower lip, silent curses running through her thoughts. Was history repeating itself? Had she been a fool also in not thinking of this possibility?
They stopped (Taurina stopping just soon enough to avoid running into the male) and the walahk announced his belief that where they stood was a good place to do their work. Taurina looked at him, she looked at the area surrounding them, looked back towards the city. He was right in saying they could still get back, run for it if they had to, she could still see the tents of the Ruby clan. A slow sigh escaped the Ethaefal. They were not within the tent city. They were in the grasses. Last time such a scenario had played out things had not gone to plan, but this would be different. She just kept telling herself that. Things would be different because she would make sure they did not turn out the same.
“Alright,” Taurina agreed verbally before she let the yvas drop from her arms.
Her arms gave an ache of relief as she allowed them to drop to her sides. She sighed and stepped away from the yvas, moving to a clear space. Not that she would need it, as things stood her magic rarely travelled farther than her hands. Hands were raised and she signed to Starfire to relax, but stay near. If the horse understood, he did not acknowledge, but the signs were repeated twice more and Starfire was never more than a hundred yards away. With that done, Taurina was able to focus on what her newest mentor had asked of her.
It was easier to sit and focus. To feel the ground solid beneath her and allow the body to take a moment of rest. Breath came in and out, heartbeat loud in her ears. Taurina closed her eyes for a moment, focusing and allowing her mind to clear. It was so easily clouded by all those thoughts of guilt and all the fears that plagued her. The Ethaefal could not give control over to those emotions, however. Not right at this time. She needed her head clear to focus on the magic. Needed her mind on this one thing so that she might succeed. Everything else could be dealt with later. Would be dealt with later.
Palms faced the sky as steady breaths were drawn in and out. She rested the back of her hands on her knees for her legs were crossed. Taurina allowed her body to relax as she sat there. Chimes passed. Her mind focused on the sound of her heart thrumming in her chest. She just focused on the sound, nothing else, and allowed her mind to clear. Then she silently willed for the magic to come. For a ball of res to begin to form above the palm of her right hand. It did not take so much effort as it had the time before, but it did take her much longer than it had taken the male before her to light his pipe. Much, much longer. When she was done, the Ethaefal only had about a large marble size of res floating above her palm in a rough spherical shape.
Taurina opened her eyes, looked at the opalescent colored res. She did not turn her gaze to the male before her, but kept her attention on the magic. He did not matter just now. She was not done. Instead, she focused in on that heartbeat again. Found that connection within herself to the magic so that it might shift from gel to liquid. It was not easy, it was never easy, but it was getting better. Faster anyway. The res became like a puddle floating in her palm. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. It was decent enough.
“I can only change the res from the gel to the liquid as of now. I have not tried the others. I can change the res to water, that’s all so far," Taurina told the male, much calmer now without so much attitude, before demonstrated by letting the liquid res turn to liquid water that dropped into her palm and fell through her fingers to the grass below, “I do not have much control of it. Never was told how to maintain any control after turning it to the water.”
Taurina quieted after that and lifted her gaze to meet the male’s once more. She just stared at him, calm and patient with none of the judgement from before, and waited for his instruction.
It did not take long. At least his feet were not slow and Taurina moved easily behind him. Soon the pair was back out in Syna’s heat filled light, the golden rays shining bright as ever. Nothing about the day had changed. It was still overwhelmingly hot. Syna still high and bright. The Drykas people still moving about their everyday business. The horses still vying for the coolest spots with the strongest breeze. It was like everything was just as it had always been and nothing was different. The Ethaefal felt different though. She felt as though she had come out of Baultime’s Barrel with a piece of herself no longer there. It was not about the money she no longer had, but about the wound that had been inflicted upon her pride. She felt as though she could never look her people in the eyes again. Never look her family in the eyes again.
The male kept going forward, heading towards wherever his destination was and Taurina moved to follow him, but she had one thing to do first. She could not leave behind Starfire. She may have felt tainted, but she that did not truly change anything about who she was or those she cared for. So she went back for him. Quick work was made of it for his attention was easily gathered, though he did not seem happy to be moving again. Taurina gathered up the yvas in her arms and vocally directed the strider to follow her. She had to run to catch back up to the male, but he was easy enough to find now that she had found him a first time. That hat was easy enough to pick up in a Drykas crowd.
They were probably halfway between the pavilion and where the male eventually stopped when Taurina caught up to him with Starfire following close behind. She was sweaty, her arms aching, and her breaths coming in ragged gasps; but she did not complain. She did not say anything at all, actually. Instead she just followed behind the male, a new uneasiness spreading in her chest. They were going out into the grasses where tents would not surround them. It would be more private there, but.. the grasses. Taurina gnawed on her lower lip, silent curses running through her thoughts. Was history repeating itself? Had she been a fool also in not thinking of this possibility?
They stopped (Taurina stopping just soon enough to avoid running into the male) and the walahk announced his belief that where they stood was a good place to do their work. Taurina looked at him, she looked at the area surrounding them, looked back towards the city. He was right in saying they could still get back, run for it if they had to, she could still see the tents of the Ruby clan. A slow sigh escaped the Ethaefal. They were not within the tent city. They were in the grasses. Last time such a scenario had played out things had not gone to plan, but this would be different. She just kept telling herself that. Things would be different because she would make sure they did not turn out the same.
“Alright,” Taurina agreed verbally before she let the yvas drop from her arms.
Her arms gave an ache of relief as she allowed them to drop to her sides. She sighed and stepped away from the yvas, moving to a clear space. Not that she would need it, as things stood her magic rarely travelled farther than her hands. Hands were raised and she signed to Starfire to relax, but stay near. If the horse understood, he did not acknowledge, but the signs were repeated twice more and Starfire was never more than a hundred yards away. With that done, Taurina was able to focus on what her newest mentor had asked of her.
It was easier to sit and focus. To feel the ground solid beneath her and allow the body to take a moment of rest. Breath came in and out, heartbeat loud in her ears. Taurina closed her eyes for a moment, focusing and allowing her mind to clear. It was so easily clouded by all those thoughts of guilt and all the fears that plagued her. The Ethaefal could not give control over to those emotions, however. Not right at this time. She needed her head clear to focus on the magic. Needed her mind on this one thing so that she might succeed. Everything else could be dealt with later. Would be dealt with later.
Palms faced the sky as steady breaths were drawn in and out. She rested the back of her hands on her knees for her legs were crossed. Taurina allowed her body to relax as she sat there. Chimes passed. Her mind focused on the sound of her heart thrumming in her chest. She just focused on the sound, nothing else, and allowed her mind to clear. Then she silently willed for the magic to come. For a ball of res to begin to form above the palm of her right hand. It did not take so much effort as it had the time before, but it did take her much longer than it had taken the male before her to light his pipe. Much, much longer. When she was done, the Ethaefal only had about a large marble size of res floating above her palm in a rough spherical shape.
Taurina opened her eyes, looked at the opalescent colored res. She did not turn her gaze to the male before her, but kept her attention on the magic. He did not matter just now. She was not done. Instead, she focused in on that heartbeat again. Found that connection within herself to the magic so that it might shift from gel to liquid. It was not easy, it was never easy, but it was getting better. Faster anyway. The res became like a puddle floating in her palm. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips. It was decent enough.
“I can only change the res from the gel to the liquid as of now. I have not tried the others. I can change the res to water, that’s all so far," Taurina told the male, much calmer now without so much attitude, before demonstrated by letting the liquid res turn to liquid water that dropped into her palm and fell through her fingers to the grass below, “I do not have much control of it. Never was told how to maintain any control after turning it to the water.”
Taurina quieted after that and lifted her gaze to meet the male’s once more. She just stared at him, calm and patient with none of the judgement from before, and waited for his instruction.
Common | Pavi | 'Thoughts'
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