Closed Insomniac (Aela)

[Aidara]

Timestamp: Seventy-sixth of Spring, 512
Where: Wind Reach and the Unforgiving
Who: Aidara, Aela

Leth attempted to cast his nightly glow through the clouds that hung low over the city, the pale light dappling everything it touched. The mountain was completely silent, only the distant rustles and chirps from various nocturnal animals hinting that there was any life here at all.

Wind Reach had taken a beating when Ivak escaped; the volcano on which the city was build had erupted with the God as he rose from his prison, shattering mountain peaks and city structures alike. Much had crumbled and much had been lost. Only now were the Inartans really starting to rebuild their lives.

The days were full of anxiety and stress. Many things had changed, and for creatures of habit and seclusion, this was extremely distressing. There was also the lingering effect of Ivak himself over the mountain, his preference for emotional upheaval making everyday life a chore. Loud and boisterous, the city of redheads were much subdued.

It was the nighttime that was the easiest for Aidara. The darkness covered everything that was wrong; add in a little stubbornness and a smidgen of petulance and it was almost as if the Healer could pretend nothing had happened. Not to mention her knew preference for the night gave her ample time to train.

Ash hardly made a sound as he glided through the cool night air, playing in the slip streams and currents that ran in abundance around the mountain. Black on black, the owl was almost impossible to see. Only the faint rustle of feathers could tell Addy where her charge was, and that was only because she was listening for it.

Perched on the overhang of the Edge of the World, the little woman had taken her Sooty Owl out for a fly. Having found the bird in the most interesting of ways as a chick with a broken wing, the healer had nursed it back to health, earning not only its trust but its loyalty; the baby had been young enough to imprint somewhat on Aidara, thinking the Inartan to be his mother.

Shifting her position, Addy slung her legs over the ledge, reclining back on her elbows as she let Ash fly. The cliffs no longer held power over the woman, her fear of falling having been overcome long ago. It was a good night to watch the stars, anyway, feeling the cool wind tickling her toes. Even in the worst of times, joy can be found.

[Alori Sai]

Back in her room after a hard days work, Aela settled in and readied herself for bed. She stopped the flow of gas from circulating throughout the bulky frame of the lamp. The light that had once shined brightly, casting a golden glow upon her alabaster skin and forcing the dark shadows to retreat to the bottom of the bed, was now gone. The room was now engulfed in darkness with only the faint light of the moon pouring softly through the window. She crawled into the bed and rolled onto her side with a heavy sigh. Staring off into nothingness, she lightly brushed the strains of hair away from her eyes as she tried to relax. It had been another trying day in the shop with the always predictable Perith. He still didn't like the idea of her trying to become an Endal, especially when she hadn't mastered Glassblowing yet. ""Aela, you should stick to glassblowing, you have a natural talent for it, but you will only be able to master it if you put all of your time and effort into it."" She sighed again, turning a bit further into the bed, arching her back and swinging her slender hips to make herself more comfortable. "He's just saying that because he doesn't want me to rise above him. I mean, how can he expect me to grow if he won't teach me the master level techniques? I know I'm ready. He's...he's just jealous." It was almost completely dark and it was impossible to see clearly, but somehow her blind eyes in the dark made the silence more comfortable. She turned more, curling her body inward and bringing her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Frustrated and tired, she soon fell asleep, drifting deeply into her self conscious. Suddenly and with a violent thrash, she was sent into a spiral, as if she were falling through endless clouds. Scattered thoughts and memories vibrated within her mind before vanishing just as they came. Little sparks kissed at her skin, her fingers and toes tingling from the new sensations. Her heartbeat thumbed faster and she could feel herself being torn away into another time and place. Sounds reverberated in her ears, voices but she could not make out what was said. She found herself in a field of flowers. A meadow filled with flowers for as far as she could see, and she could hear the songs of the birds as they flew over her head. Giant eagles loomed overhead, their bodies and massive wind span eclipsing the sun above. In the distance she could see a couple, a man and a woman dancing together in the field ahead. She smiled as she raced toward them curiously. Upon reaching them, she was easily welcomed into their celebration and happily joined in their dance. A warm feeling washed over her and she felt a familiar sense of belonging. Giggling she continued to dance about the field until she noticed that her companions had suddenly disappeared. She spun around left then right looking for them finding herself alone in the massive field. As she spun around, she was amazed by the sight of an giant golden eagle landing in front of her. The sun shined brightly upon it making it look as if the feathers were made of solid gold. Alea slowly moved closer, her eyes fixed on the bird's and it's eyes fixed on her. She paused suddenly, a strange wind began to blow, caring with it the essence of death. The flowers started to wilt, turning the meadow in a smoldering pile of ash that laid at her feet. The sky turned from the bright sunlit rays into gray thick clouds that swept across the blue drowning out all light. A loud and thunderous screech called out as an ominous figure appeared. Swimming through the field of ashes, he rose from beneath them, stalking the young Inarta. His face was shrouded in darkness, and his eyes were a heavy void, completely absent of light. Aela quickly climbed onto the bird to escape, she held on as best as she could while the eagle fled from the dread that hunted them. Flapping it's wings hard and strong, the eagle took to the skies leaving the deadly presents alone in the field. Another loud screech crashed through the sky and as Aela looked over her shoulder she saw a vulcher, completely engulfed in fire and ash rising from the field in pursuit. The eagle yelled and changed directions to throw off the vulcher but it was fast and easily closed the gap between them. The vulcher was right on their backs and Aela could feel the heat from it's fire heating her skin and burning her hair. The eagle yelled again as it spun into a dive before going left and inadvertently sending Aela off it's back and into the wind. She cried out and reached for the bird, but she had already been sent tumbling backwards into the wind, with the vulcher baring down on her. Aela opened her eyes and quickly sat up in bed, her heart beat was rapid and light beads of sweat covered her head, neck, and chest. "T-That...was just a dream?" Another heavy sigh escaped her lips and she dropped back onto her bed with a soft thud. Just a dream.. The moon had shifted in the sky above, climbing upward, allowing more of it's rays to enter the room. There was a mist like glare forming about the window, and with a soft, angelic light cropping the upper part of the bed. Enveloped in the covers, she laid still now. Her eyes gleamed with a strange hue of gold and green, the fiery locks that daintily graced her head shined beautifully in the moon's rays. That was so vivid, It felt so.... real. Aela laid in the bed for a while, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that would not allow her to rest again. Throwing the covers back, she slipped to the end of the bed and sat there. Such dreams were unlike her and she didn't remember having any as vivid or as violate. Perhaps it could be contributed to her passion of becoming an Endal or possibly she had been working too hard. Whatever the reason, she was now awake in the middle of the night. I gotta get out of here. Aela moved from her bed and dressed herself before heading outside. It was a bit cooler out as the wind had nothing to hold it back and she wondered if she should have brought her cloak. Gently hugging her chilled shoulders, she began to walk. The dream had struck something in her, more so than even she realized. "It's just a dream, it means nothing. I will become an Endal, and the best ever born."

[Aidara]

"I used to tell myself that, too. Every night." The soft voice cut through the darkness, shattering the silence even with it's gentle sound. Aela had been walking for a while, it seemed, to have made it to the Edge; darkness always seemed to skew ones perception of distance. But had she realized she was chanting the same thing over and over again out loud?

Addy had heard the Avora coming even before Aela had been close enough to see in the moonlight; her eyes had adjusted the longer she sat beneath Leth's glow, the determination in the glassblowers voice causing a smile to blossom over the healers pretty features, a dimple peeking in each cheek.

"I am over here." Not really wanting to stand from where she perched, Addy lifted a hand and waved it around until the young woman saw and proceeded over. "What are you doing out so late? I haven't met another soul out here for days." Her tone was polite and friendly, the smile welcoming. Addy was hard not to like when she turned on the charm.

Patting the ground next to her, the little healer launched into another series of questions. "I haven't seen you around before, though that doesn't tell me much other than you don't frequent the Infirmary or Inclement Weather." A knowing eye cast over the young woman before she smirked. "Though, you do remind me a bit of myself."

[Alori Sai]

Goosebumps began to form on her pale skin and Alea rubbed at her arms and shoulders as she continued to walk. Her young mind raced with thoughts and emotions, evening causing her heart to speed up. Her ambition was growing stronger and it seems at times as if it was trying to swallow her. There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to be and yet, she felt as if she were running in place. Day after day she spent in the hotshop working with Perith, and even though he had taught her more, she knew there was a lot that he wasn't telling her. It was worse than frustrating for her but there was nothing she could do about it. To make matters worse, she had been hunting alone mostly. Either the other hunters were busy, or they didn't care to take her along because of her inexperience. She was careful and was able to bring back a kill, but she knew that she would need to train a lot more if she wanted to become a skilled hunter like the Endral. To do this, she would need to spend a lot more time in the fields hunting and less time in the hotshop. That was something that Perith would not allow her to do, at least not to the extent that she wanted. This new dream was another cause for frustration in the young girl's mind. Dreams past in time, and they are usually nothing more than a jumble of subconscious thoughts. However for a dream so strange, it seemed almost foreboding, there had to be more to it. Or perhaps it wasn't a deadly sign at all, maybe it was just her fear of failure. Failure to become and Endral as she had always dreamed of being. She tried to force the thoughts from her mind and as she walked, her lips parted and what started as a whisper soon became louder. Still walking and held hostage by her own dreadful thoughts, she saw the Edge in the distance and realized just how far she had walked. A soft, feminine voice, almost a whisper of the wind itself slipped into her ears, and Aela stopped suddenly and looked around. Her eyes were still adjusting, and the further she moved into the night, the more she could see. I know I heard someone.... She continued to scan the area, her pupils expanded to account for the absence of light, as she searched for the voice. Finally, she saw a young woman sitting at the edge of the cliff. The voice didn't sound familiar but it sounded friendly, and that was something she could use at the moment. Aela slowly made her way over, still unsure of who the woman was and being careful to watch her step as she walked. "I'm just out for a walk, seemed like a good night for it. Do you come out here every night? As she approached the woman, the moons subtle glow allowed her to get a better look at her features. She was beautiful, her long dark hair, rich, but a contrast to her fair skin. Her eyes were dark yet friendly, and in her own glow, she appeared to smile toward her. Aela felt at ease now that she could see who had called to her and sat down next to her. With her legs hanging over the edge, she looked down, seeing nothing but darkness around them. It had been years since she had come out and climbed the wall, and she had all but forgotten it was there. "The Inclement Weather, my mentor Perith wouldn't approve of that. He thinks I should spend all of my time in the hotshop working on my skills be become a better glassblower." Leaning back with a sigh, she moved her fingers through her hair as she tried to clear her mind and calm herself. It was at that moment that she recalled the woman's first words. Her words had been in response to her own rambling and she realized what it meant. Sitting up, she turned and leaned in closer to the woman as she spoke. "So you're an Endal?"

[Aidara]

"I'm a healer." They were the first words to jump to her lips, the one thing she identified herself most as; Many an Inartan had chased the little woman down the corridors shouting "Endal!", only to receive no response. Those persistant enough would get the little healer to turn around eventually, if only to yell at whatever Endal was ignoring the poor person. Only for it to be her. How embarrassing.

With a slight incline of her head as the young woman joined her, Addy amended her first response. " I am Endal, yes. Though I run the Infirmary most of the time." Holding out her arm so that Aela could see, Addy showed the swirling endless knot on the inside of her left elbow, a gnosis mark from the Goddess Rek'keli "Sira is capable of hunting alone most of the time. When I have time, I do join...though I prefer not too. Most of my Endal duties end up being the Watch." The last word was almost spat, even the thought of sitting for endless hours, alert and waiting for nothing to happen highly distasteful.

"I'm Aidara by the way." The arm that was extended to show the Gnosis mark was then offered in a handshake. "I've been coming out here recently in order to let Ash fly. He prefers the night time."

As if summoned, the small black owl fluttered down into the shaft of moonlight that danced over the two women, beating his wings slowly as he tried to control his swoop. Originally planning on lighting upon an outcropping of rock nearby, something made the owl change his mind and veer sharply towards both Aela and Addy. A cooing squawk of frustration and the little thing lost it's balance in air, wings starting to beat off time with each other. Seeing an inevitable crash, Addy held out her ungloved arm with a wince already appearing on her face; with no time to slip on her leather glove, those talons were going to hurt.

"Ooooooh." Letting the pain out in a sharp hiss as Ash plummeted towards her arm, talons grasping wildly at her unprotected skin as he fought to grasp the human perch. Grunting and turning her face away as the wings beat wildly for balance, Addy turned a pained smile towards Aela. "And this is Ash."

[Alori Sai]

Aela listened intently as the woman told more about herself and saw that she was not fulfilled in her position as an Endal. Aela had her own thoughts of what it would be like but apparently, it wasn't so for the Endal beside her. Her words told a different story, and it appeared that she enjoyed her work as a healer more so than that of the Endal. Aela was surprised, in her naive she thought that the Endal were the dream of all Inartan hunters. "I guess you enjoy your work at the Infirmary more." She leaned forward as the woman did, and watched as she held out her left arm, showing her the swirling knot on her elbow. "You have a gnosis mark?" She asked curiously as she pulled her bangs behind her ear. She reached out slowly, as if to touch the mark on the woman's arm but pulled back. "How did you get it?" Aela was surprised by the Endal's story, she had made mention of Sira, and Aela could only guess that was the name of her eagle. She wasn't sure, but it seemed that the young woman didn't enjoy hunting, or maybe she wasn't allowed too much. Aela noticed the emotion in her words and they sounded similar to her own. As the woman reached out and introduced herself as Aidara, Aela reached out again and lightly shook her hand with a smile. "I'm Aela, So Ash is his name? I like it." Aela stared out into the dark again, a reddish color grew over her cheeks. Aidara was the first Endal she had meet, and the encounter had started when the young Endal had saw her walking and rambling to herself like some loon. I must have looked ridiculous to her. "Aidara..What is it like to..." She paused as she looked up and saw a black Owl coming toward them. It's wings spread wide, seemed to flap strangely. A quick glance toward Aidara told her that something was wrong, and as the healer held out her arm, Aela knew what was to come next. The Owl had lost the air beneath it's wings and needed somewhere to land. Aela winced as Aidara did, imagining the pain she must feel. " Ooh, A-Are you OK?" She watched as the bird settled in and became comfortable on the healers arm. Returning Aidara's smile, she looked away and sighed. Aidara and her Owl had to have a strong bond for her to offer her bare arm to him for support. It was a closeness, a bond that she wanted and dreamed of having. Looking back to Ash, she decided to finish her earlier question. "What is it like...to fly?"

[Aidara]

"I was born with it." With her teeth gritted against the pain, the words came out far more clipped and agitated than she intended. An apologetic glance was shot in the young woman's direction as she struggled to her feet. Ash wobbled precariously on her arm for a moment, beak opening in an indignant sounding chirp as he tried to fan his wings for balance. "I still question why She chose me so young." Aela's inquary to her health was answered with a nod and another wince. "Yeah, I'm used to this. Happens more than I'd like."

"There ya go..." Careful steps had brought Addy to the outcropping that Ash had originally intended to land on. A lowered arm allowed the little bird to hop from her arm and onto the nearest stone. Still holding his wing awkwardly, Ash hooted a thank you and fluffed his feathers before beginning to preen.

Watching the little owl with a motherly smile of satisfaction, Addy nodded thoughtfully at Aela's question, her sparkling gaze flickering over to where the other woman still stood. There was a definite thread of wistfulness in her voice when she spoke of the Endal. It stirred a memory deep in the healers mind, buried by time.

It took a moment for Addy to find her words, the images of the many Wind Eagles she herself had tried to cajole and pamper into picking her as their rider flowing before her eyes. If only she had known then what she knew now. "Walk with me." Holding out her hand toward Aela, Addy gave a small smile as she felt her affection for this timid woman growing by the minute.

"It's hard to put into words really, what it's like. There is no other feeling in the whole world, to be honest. You feel so powerful and helpless all at the same time..." Green gaze flickered to what Addy could see of Aela's face as they wound their way away from the Edge of the World, down one of the less used mountain paths. "I'm not like other Endal though. Not as accepted among them as you would think."

A curved path brought them to a ledge, the edges looking to have crumbled away recently. Even though she had no idea where she was leading them, Addy didn't even hesitated sliding out onto the dangerous lip, stepping carefully in the darkness as she made her way across. "Do you enjoy your Glassblowing? I've always wished I could create such beauty."

[Alori Sai]

Aela had heard of people being blessed with marks that allowed them excess to the power of the God or Goddess who gave them the mark. The young Endal said that she was a healer and Aela assumed that the mark had been given by the Goddess Rek'keli. She was the Goddess of healing and notably the most generous with her powers among those who served her. Aela had learned of such things in her studies and found it fascinating. Aidara must have been special to be born with the mark, and it made her wonder what her future held. When the slender woman stood up, Aela stood also, pulled herself up and watched as the woman skillfully made her way to the perch that the owl was originally aiming for. Again she would see the close, personal, relationship between the two and it reminded her of something she had seen before. Aela smiled as the owl hooted a thank you, one that the woman would understand more than she could. Although the woman was young, just a bit older than Aela, her words carried wisdom and Aela could tell that she spoke the truth. Her words came with passion and emotion from the experiences she'd had in her life. She didn't speak the gospel of the text book or speak of the guidelines that one is supposed to govern themselves by. It was a refreshing point of view, and while she was surprised by what she heard, she knew it was all true. Aela found herself watching the owl as it settled onto the outcropping. The Endal woman had to have stories to tell her, and Aela was bubbling with more questions and in anticipation of the answers to come. Looking to Aidara, who had extended a hand toward her, Aela gently placed her hand into the woman's and began to walk with her. There was something about Aidara, a closeness she felt, something that made her want to trust the woman. It was a new experience for her, since her youth she never felt close to anyone. Perith was the first person that she had formed a close relationship with and even that took time. "It must be the most amazing feeling..." She paused as she remembered the dream she had and as she had felt herself tumbling off the eagle into the sharp winds in the sky,that was exactly what she had felt...helpless. Aela listened as she spoke and followed her down the path. The descent was dark and small rocks littered the path. Aela stayed close to the woman, almost mimicking her movements to keep from falling. Hearing that Aidara wasn't accepted among the Endal came as a shock to Aela. She lowered her gaze, her thoughts going back to her own life as she didn't feel accepted in the hotshop among the Glassblowers. "Then...Maybe you should make them accept you." The word came out fast without much thought to how childish they would sound. Reaching the curved path, Aela followed the woman out onto the lip and continued forward with little thought as to where she was taking her. She smiled a bit when she was asked about her work. Although she enjoyed it and felt pride in what she did, she didn't think that an Endal would be interested in such things. "I do, I like it a lot, and I'm getting really good at it. But, my mentor Perith doesn't seem to think so." Aela squeezed the woman's hand a bit, her frustration beginning to grow inside her. " He's overly critical, he doesn't trust that I'm ready to move on to something harder. He just doesn't understand." Aela signed and released Aidara's hand and gave her an apologetic smile before looking away again. "Have you ever....wanted to get away, and just leave it all behind?"

[Aidara]

"I wish it were that easy." Wrinkling her nose at the thought of simply ordering the other Endal to listen to her, Addy was glad that nights dark embrace hid her smile from the other young woman; it wouldn't do to let her new friend see her laughing. The sentiment had been a sincere one, not to mention advice that Addy could very easily seen herself giving only a handful of seasons ago. "But unfortunately..."

They had almost made their way along the precarious ledge when Addy stopped short, head snapping towards the empty space to their right and peering off into the darkness and open air. "Did you hear that?" Voiced in barely over a whisper, Aela would hopefully have stopped in time to avoid crashing into the now inert healer; neither of them would survive the fall should they topple onto the rocks below.

Her recent months with Sira, flying above and hunting within The Unforgiving had left Addy with an increased awareness of sorts; things that the little woman would have previously overlooked or ignored now brought her to a grinding halt. No longer did she believe that there was nothing out there just waiting to hurt the next unlucky soul.

It was the silence that alerted her this time; gone were the gentle noises of the night that she had grown so accustomed too since having started taking Ash out to fly. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, gooseflesh rippling up both of her arms simultaneously. Something was wrong.

"Aela, hurry!" Lifting her voice as much as she dared, made nervous by the eery silence, Addy chirped something indistinguishable in Nari, a command for Ash to join them as rising panic spurred her feet back into action and the pair attempted to scamper from the ledge.

OOCPlease, don't be afraid to make things happen. Yes, I have a plan but that doesn't mean you can't throw your own crazy twist in!

[Alori Sai]

Aela looked out into the darkness once more, wishing that she had thought her last comment over more before she said it out loud. The last thing the aspiring Endal needed was for Aidara to think her some kind of loon. First impressions were important, especially in a place like Wind Reach where most people spoke their minds all the time, and unless she missed her guess, the little woman probably already thought she was idiot. Aela flipped her head and pulled back her hair, as she drove the negative thoughts from her mind. While her comment may have seemed naive or immature, she was sure that Aidara understood. They were alike after all and if Aidara's passion burned as hers did, then she would have felt the same, or so she told herself. "That's not the way things work.....Right?" Aela continued to follow her new friend along the ledge, she wanted to ask more, she wanted to know more.There had to be more to being an Endal than what little she had told her, and she wanted to know everything. Aela stopped in her tracks as Aidara suddenly did and quickly balanced herself on the tips of her toes to keep from tumbling forward. "Hey..why'd you stop?" She asked, her voice a tad higher than normal, but the answer she received was in the form of a question. "What?....You heard something?" Aela froze, hoping to tune into whatever Aidara had heard, but sadly she was at a disadvantage. It wasn't til recent weeks that Aela began to hunt and always in the light of day. What the Endal was experiencing now was beyond her level of skill, and something that she would learn through experience over time. The silence was haunting and it brought an ill feeling to Aela's stomach. As she looked around more, she heard a sound. It was faint and barely higher than the wind that swirled around them. It was a grumbling sound, a hungry sound and something that brought goosebumps to her pale skin. As she stared out into the darkness, a glint of light reflected off two round ovals bringing a fit of terror into the young woman's heart. Aela moved quickly as Aidara called out, her slender legs sprung into action, instinctively pulling her along the curve of the ledge. The moment, life or death was intense and caused her heart to pound inside her chest as she followed the nimble Endal to safety. It was all too sudden, and if she'd known that she would be venturing outside of the city she would have brought her bow. But now wasn't the time for regrets or thoughts of would-be plans, the only option was to survive. "Is that what I think it is?" She yelled not wanting to look back herself. OOCI'll add a twist next, I want to see where you're taking them hehe.