Peaceful Pathways (Finished)

[Satu]

She waited in silence, as the Ivaski seemed to struggle with her name; Satu gave him time in the chill night air without questions or judgements. “I will warm as we walk,” she said when he appeared satisfied, then added, “Gromhir”.

“Thank you for your concern. I truly carry a burden heavy in my heart. I have no desire to leave here, this is my home, and the only one I ever wished to have,” Satu sighed, thankful to speak her thoughts aloud to someone not close to her, it made confessing her fears that much easier. “I can no longer ignore Avalis’ wishes, I must go. And soon, though I do not have a destination. I feel I am being washed ashore into an unfamiliar world, alone.” Looking out over the dark waters of the harbour her distant eyes searched for something to grasp onto and give her strength. When she discovered that unknown thing, it gave her a modicum of courage and she said slightly more enthusiastically, “No, not alone, I will follow Avalis and she will guide me as she wishes…”

“You have been to Syliras then? That is a place I should see.” She had trouble picturing so many colours and people together in one place. The chaos must be incredibly unordered to the eye. Surely someone could remedy the situation with a little civic planning and foresight! Gromhir spoke of the land away being free, but Satu saw it only as wild and lawless. A short visit was to her liking, she only hoped her goddess desired a path for her as swift and smooth as she.

Her eyes returned once more to the sea, weighing if she should speak more. But the Ivaski was a refuge to her this evening and his presence calmed her. “I fear…,” she whispered then stopped. “You are aware of HeartSense, yes?” she asked her companion instead. “I fear what I must ‘see’ out there, in others. I fear to carry their ugliness in my Heart, to be surrounded by it, with no Konti sanctuary near. I have heard stories, tales of ruthless and immoral behaviour! Oh, what am I to do, Gromhir? ”

[Gromhir]

“Avalis?” the Kelvic’s mind worked away as he tried to place the name. He’d heard it before from many of the other Konti. Avalis was one of the people they worshipped. “Why would Avalis wish you to leave? I thought gods remained in their realm?” Gromhir’s knowledge of Gods was limited to say the least. He didn’t truly understand them or what they did. Where did they get their power from and how do they impart it to the people of Mizahar? He understood Nature, he walked with it, alongside it and it ran through him.

“Syliras is the castle,” Gromhir replied as she asked. It was almost like reading from a book when he spoke but it was where Gromhir had learned much information. “I have never been there, merely the land around it. I am not fond of crowds or being close to people whom I do not trust, especially in human form.”

Gromhir let her finish her words about her fears. He listened attentively to each word. Her mind seemed turbulent; there was no calmness there. Her emotions were wild and she feared what was made out to commonplace when it was not. Another puzzling thing about humans, they always made the bad news sound worse, everything was amplified. It was never deceitful or intended to be but it was always exaggerated. Mura was a safe haven that much was true and there were no other cities like it but not everything was out to destroy outside of Mura.

“Satu, not all across the sea are dangerous,” Gromhir replied once invited. “But you would be a fool to think it would be like Mura.” Gromhir looked down to the stone he held. In looked black in Leth’s light but as it flashed off the white glyph, Gromhir looked up to Satu. “Nature works in mysterious ways,” Gromhir spoke to himself. “I would show you something that would help? A way to calm the mind.”

[Satu]

“Avalis yes, our goddess calls us to do what she wills and it is our honour to comply. At times what she wills is transparent, some are called to take a mate and to return home to bear a Konti child. Or, when a worthy person of high import needs guidance, Avalis may choose to send one of the Konti to act in an advisory manner. We are used according to our sight and capacity,” she said without hesitation.

“I have not seen where I am needed yet…” Satu didn’t think Gromhir understood her. What would he or others not of Konti blood know of such things? The invisible, gossamer pull of the heartstrings, the longing that filled the heart and the mind, one had no control over these things. They were not entirely unpleasant feelings, for they were of Avalis, but most Konti were more willing initially to depart for lands unknown than Satu. It was her HeartSense that made her hesitate amid the changes so difficult and frightening, not the will of her goddess.

“You are Kelvic, drawn to your nature in every action you take. That is your way.” She tried to explain, “It is my nature to do HER bidding, as her blood runs through my veins. That is the Konti way; the way of acceptance and peace.”

Satu smiled at her companion. It was understandable that the Ivaski disliked crowds; she herself was not fond of them either. At festival times, when the influx of outsiders visited the Island and swelled the numbers, she felt the most uncomfortable. Crowds were boisterous, and filled with conflicting desires and dreams. Even here in serene Mura they could be emotionally charged to someone attuned to others feelings.

“A way to calm the mind?” Satu repeated slowly, as if she did not understand. Throughout her life, her family had wished her to study the path of mediation to compliment her “sight”. Satu, as daughters were wont to do, choose an opposing path. Full of excuses, the girl wanted to move and dance, and experience life. But now more than ever, with her life changing and the peaceful streets and white walls of Mura almost behind her, Satu knew she needed to learn what she could to assist her on her journey.

“Yes, I am willing to learn, thank you.”

[Gromhir]

Gromhir listened to her talk. He didn’t fully understand and he doubted he ever truly would. Satu’s way of explaining how Avalis called her to her bidding did not make much sense to him. He wasn’t drawn to Nature, he was part of it, just as Satu was. Gromhir saw no need to follow something but would not judge others because of it, least of all the people who accepted him into their society without thought. Then it hit him.

“Is it like looking for a bondmate?” Gromhir asked after a few moments silence. “I did not know what I was looking for until nature guided me to Kamalia. She was kind to me, showed me compassion when so many others have tried to exploit me and my gifts. Or tried-“ Gromhir cut off, the memories sparking anger and sadness inside him. He loved being what he was but so many tried to abuse that fact.

When Satu agreed that she was willing to learn, Gromhir smiled and nodded. He began to lead them towards the Opal Temple. Gromhir never really spoke what was on his mind too often but he felt he could with Satu. Maybe it was their shared ability to sense emotions? Either way, he spoke, “I would have thought that most Konti knew of how to calm the mind? Given what I have seen about this city, many of you are so relaxed.”

[Satu]

“It must be… yes! It is like looking for a bondmate. Not knowing what or who you are looking for until you find it… or them. This longing to be away, it fills my heart with hope and sadness all at once. The search to fill a void I didn’t know I had. Yes!” Satu was happy to have reached an understanding with Gromhir as they walked, and as unlike as they appeared, they were truly not so different underneath.

Konti girls learned about Bondmates and The Call at an early age. It was taught that Konti Seers travelling off the Island would often be accompanied by a bonded Kelvic. It was a beneficial arrangement of companionship and protection, but it was also something much more mysterious. A heart reached out to another across the land, across the blue sea and by a goddess’ hand two strangers were connected.

A story told by Satu’s friend, Dorew came to mind, a unique tale about her poignant search for a bonded companion. It was heartbreakingly stirring and wildly romantic, and the HeartSeer sensed instinctively that this was not the norm among the bondings of Kelvics and the women of the Island.

Satu did not wish for a dramatic type of bonding, such as this. Truthfully, she did not want to be linked to another at all. All her life, HeartSense joined her to people around her; she had no desire for more. But a hidden smile crept to her face as she remembered the silky feel of raw emotion that slid off Dorew while she narrated her story. Lust, delicious and raw. All the while Dorew’s eyes skipped to her bondmates at regular intervals. There are no hidden inhibitions within the heart vessel, and for those who can feel, it is magical. Blushing from the rush of remembered excitement, Satu glanced toward Gromhir, lids lowered, still smiling.

But she sensed an old anger and sadness within the Ivaski. “Now you have found her, dear Gromhir. And is she not everything and more you had dared hope? Allow the past to retreat and like the morning tide it will wash away.”

“I hope someday to find that which you have already found. No, no. Not a bonding, I do not think that is my path. But I hope to find completion of this Calling. Pray Avalis I may return swiftly.”

Gromhir’s next words made Satu choke uncharacteristically, “Gromhir,” she managed, “Are you politely saying I am not relaxed?” She laughed lightly in the still, cold air. Waving her hand she said, “You are right of course. I was too busy studying the suvai. I always said later, and then later I will learn. Now on the eve of departure, it seems I have made a grave mistake.”

She looked wistful, accepting the worries of the day as part of her new path. “Though, at the Weapons Pavilion I am more myself than anywhere else. I have focus and peace while in motion, the cares and concerns of others do not touch me as brutally. In stillness, there is no rest and no peace."

[Gromhir]

Gromhir looked to the ground at Satu’s words. He had only ever eluded to the facts of his past before he came here, he had never spoken of it. But Satu’s HeartSense gave her a brief glimpse into his mind that few had the privilege or maybe the curse of seeing. He did, however, take Satu’s words to heart. The Kelvic smiled and Satu felt the waves of happiness that erupted from Gromhir. She could feel how much he cared for Kamalia, not merely as his duty but as a friend and although Gromhir didn’t know or even understand something more than a friend as well.

“Kamalia is the most wonderful thing to happen to me, that is true,” he looked up at Satu and despite these human emotions; there was still a distinctly feral look in his eyes. “I could not have hoped for more in a bondmate.” Gromhir feel back into silence again, merely listening to Satu’s words as they approached the Opal Temple.

The temple itself did not much the magnificence of the Temple in Syliras. It was smaller but the craftsmanship of the Konti was exquisite in all its beauty. One could not look at any part of the temple without seeing some form of devotion to the Gods of the White Isle. Paintings, statues, carvings all showed how revered their gods were. However, the artwork was something that was lost on Gromhir. No matter how magnificent the piece, it simply did not register with the Kelvic.

They turned into one of the herb gardens illuminated vibrantly by Leth’s light. The sea’s mist rolled low along the ground veiling the green behind the white. Gromhir topped abruptly in the middle of the lawn itself and looked skywards towards the shining disc in the sky before looking back to his companion. “It is never too late to learn. Maybe you just weren’t looking in the right place? Sit, please.”

As he asked Satu to do so, he did as well. He sat crossed legged facing the beautiful woman, the sapphire stone held in his hands while his arms rested before him. “Do you have your-“ Gromhir cut off, trying to remember what Kamalia called the thing. “Levai?” Gromhir had not taken much notice of the three-pronged weapon of the Konti. It was never important to him what weapons humans used, so long as he had fangs, he would never use a weapon.

“An object of meaning to you that you can focus on helps when searching for calm,” Gromhir’s voice had changed. His tone was soft and smooth; Satu could feel him begin to relax despite him not using any real technique yet. “Having something familiar with you that you have used before will help you meditate in the future.”

[Satu]

There is no finer place in Mura than the Opal Temple, Satu thought as she looked upon the exquisite building. She had been often to this place, but at this late hour the white, stone walls reflected Leth’s light and glowed brightly in the night. To her admiring eyes it appeared to shimmer and pulse in the mists that clung to its stony foundation. It did not appear to be a large building; though there was much under the surface that the eye could not see. And was that not the way of the Konti, to see more than what was sitting upon the surface? The Konti saw deeper and farther than the other races, and sometimes they saw more than even they were willing to see.

Often Satu visited this place, it was as simple and serene a place as she could wish for. On pleasant days she came to train on the Temple grounds, though others came to heal or to study. The HeartSense found rest here and Satu loved the Opal Temple dearly for its peace and calm.

Satu looked down to where Gromhir indicated and lowered herself gracefully to the green lawn, long legs folded beneath her. The effortless way she sat cross legged suggested an ease with her body and its movements. “Perhaps I was waiting all this time for the proper teacher…” Satu’s replied, only half teasing. She followed Gromhir’s positioning; he was relaxing already, his voice taking on a mellow sound that made her want to follow him on a meditative journey.

She was sure they looked like a pair of finely carved statues in the garden mist, a Konti woman and an Ivaski man at peace. The Opal Temple gardens were a fitting and proper place for it as the Ivaski were cared for here in the kennels.

Gromhir held a sapphire stone in his hands and asked about her ‘Levai’. Satu looked at the Ivaski blankly, until comprehension dawned, "My Suvai? Yes I have them here.” Pulling out the left blade, she cradled it in her hand with the tip pointed to the side away from either of them. Resting in her lap the suvai also gleamed in the moonlight and Satu smiled, “This weapon of Laviku does have meaning to me, I can think of nothing better to use.”

[Gromhir]

Gromhir smiled at her comment about him being the right teacher. “Sorry, suvai. I could not recall its name,” he spoke apologetically. His eyes drifted from hers down to the stone he held in his hands. He saw the reflection of a face in the smooth surface that the rune was inscribed on. A human face but he knew it was his face. He could feel his mind drift back towards wildlands of Sylira, home was here but there was where he’d grown up. His first home if you could call it that.

The Ivaski drew in a deep breath, “Focus on the weapon.” He knew he was talking to one who was more than capable of that already but it was a process that one had to go through. If things were done wrong, one could not meditate fully and completely. “The only thing that matters right now is you and it. Just as nature binds all things, you and it will be the same. Two parts of one whole, linked by your emotions.” As Gromhir spoke, he did the same. This was not just for Satu’s benefit but his own as well.

“Breath slowly. Calmly. Smoothly,” there was no sharp tones in Gromhir’s voice it was soft and inviting, relaxing. “Feel the rhythm of your heart. Feel it slow as you relax. Feel the world around you disappear. All that matters. All that is. All that was. There is just you and the weapon now. Focus on it. Do not think. Let the thoughts flow away into the weapon. Observe them. See your worries and let them be stored. Your weapon will keep these worries so they cannot bother you.”

Gromhir’s eyes closed as he spoke. Although he had instructed Satu not to, he did. He followed his own instruction, however. As he did, the white rune began to emit a soft glow that bathed the pair of them in a strange warmth. Gromhir watched his own thoughts as they flew by him, like birds flying out into the sunset. Some darker ones he did not acknowledge, ones he had not wanted to remember. But there were happy ones that flew past him as well.

An image of a beautiful human woman and a small white pup, barely a year old, playing in the hay of a stable. One of Gromhir’s favourite memories, one he held precious to him but one he refused to share. Satu would feel his joy remembering that scene for the briefs moments the memory stayed in the Guardian’s mind. But that was not why Gromhir had come to meditate. He had worries, doubts and fears.

These were the things he never spoke of. Satu could feel his negativity in his emotions. “Let the feelings flow into the weapon. It is only your feelings that matter. You must open them up to the weapon and focus on your own emotions. Let the weapon take away all others and leave you with calm.”

[Satu]

She watched her companion gaze at the sapphire stone in his hands, and Satu’s curiosity rose. The stone seemed important to him beyond its beauty. What was the stone’s meaning and where did it come from? The question nagged her, but Gromhir was already directing her to focus on her own object, the suvai, just as he focused intently on the stone. It was extremely vital she learn how to meditate, so she did as the Ivaski suggested.

Focus on the weapon. That she could do, Satu realized with relief. Each time she stepped foot into the practice ring and danced the dance of the suvai, she focused on her weapons. Their comforting weight and the subtle movement of air as they slid in graceful, breathless arcs about her always centered her.

The only thing that matters is you and it. His words flowed smoothly, deeply. Two parts to the whole. They were connected, yes, a cherished extension of one another. Linked by your emotions. Linked by her emotions? Satu glanced quickly from her downcast eyes at the Ivaski, but Gromhir appeared not to notice for his eyes were closed. Emotions were important; above all people Satu knew that truth in her soul. But the only time Satu truly acknowledged her own emotions was in the absence of other people’s, or how she felt in response to another’s emotions. Hers changed rapidly depending on the situation and what was happening around her. Often other people’s feelings felt more pressing and powerful to her HeartSense than her own.

So many times in the past she had given up meditation quickly, before ever getting started. She needed this to work! She needed to learn to shut out the world. And if she could focus during suvai training on her weapons, then this might also provide a similar calm. With renewed effort she resumed her focus to the object in her hands as Gromhir continued in his soft, clear voice. She found herself breathing deeply and her body relaxing. As she relaxed further her mind felt deliciously slow.

See your thoughts and worries flow into the weapon. Tentatively at first the thoughts came, the cold grass, the impending journey, worry that this technique would not work for her, and then Gromhir’s fleeting joy followed by an undefined fear, but it too passed quickly. It was difficult to let the thoughts go. It was more difficult not to watch the play of emotions in Gromhir’s heart. But the suvai she trusted to hold her innermost thoughts in safety, as the Ivaski had said it would. So she let the thoughts go, again and again.

Let the feelings flow into the weapon. It is only your feelings that matter. Yes, yes and yes, Satu mentally cheered. To a HeartSeer, all feelings mattered and held value. But a grim, new thought emerged, uninvited. Who was she without another’s feelings? What was she truly? The answer came immediately. Empty. Her heart would be transformed into a sad and lonely vessel filled with deathly stillness, and that stillness frightened Satu. She would be nothing inside it. It was why she trained so hard with the suvai, and why she avoided mediation, to avoid the absence within.

Tears rolled down her face. And then the words came to her, Let the weapon take away all others and leave you with calm. As the tidal surge builds quickly and silently, somehow Satu let her pent up fears wash into the white, horn blade, as if sharing her innermost secrets with a confidant.

[Gromhir]

Gromhir fell silent after he’d spoke. The glow from the rune faded away and he opened his eyes to look up at Satu. He didn’t say anything and remained completely still, masking his emotions slightly. He could feel the calm wash over her just as he felt her emotions shift as she tried to quiet her mind. Just as she’d felt his emotions shift, so had he felt hers. It was a strange experience and one that he was glad he’d partaken in. He smiled knowing that even on some small level, she had taken a little something from this.

His eyes, however, told the full story of his emotions. At least, the ones he’d felt through Satu. The weaker emotions he had managed to ignore but the strong ones he had struggled with and it had taken its toll. It wasn’t her fault; she had done as he had asked. He should have been aware that this would happen but he had never expected her to harbour such powerful emotions; emotions that he had struggled with not two seasons ago.

The barren void that she felt inside her without others emotions. The hole that loneliness made inside your soul was one many struggled to fill. It brought back his memories of the wilds, searching for something, anything that would fill blank space inside him. It was a struggle to keep himself going and the only thing that did was the fact that nature was guiding him towards what he sought. Could he have given up? Would he have taken his own life? He wasn’t sure.

“Good,” he spoke finally after many moments watching her. “Now, slowly, feel the world around you return. The grass, the cool air. Take a deep breath. Feel your body return anew.” He smiled at her but avoided looking at her directly. Gromhir wasn’t sure what to say and so in his usual way, chose to sit in silence. It would be first light soon and he would need to return to Kamalia before she awoke.