Closed The Quiet Slip (Briar Holden)

[Valkyrie]

Fall 59, 512

Briar’s steps led him near the icy spar that held Frostpoint Lighthouse, which was still clearly visible despite the light snowfall. The snow was not yet thick enough to turn the bright light from Kennar’s Beacon to ominous green. The bridge that led over the slick spar to the Lighthouse itself stood only a few strides from Briar. Chunks of ice floated atop the water that gently lapped at the thin slice of land beneath the bridge. In the dim light from the snowfall the water looked black and ominous compared to the white brilliance of the snow that blanketed the city.

A young couple stood on the bridge together, firmly ensconced in the bright love and youth they found in each other’s eyes. A few Vantha sailors and workers from Coolwater trudged through the snow around Briar; most were bound for some unknown occupation or activity in the port. A young child tightly wrapped in fur and wool played near the water’s edge kicking snow into the waves to watch it disperse and melt with quiet giggles.

Briar’s eyes were on the child as it played carelessly. He watched as the child lifted one boot clad foot back and kicked down at the snow. The child’s boot met the clear ice smoothed by the lapping of waves at high tide and the youth slipped backwards onto his back, any noise muffled by the snow beneath his fur coat. The child did not even have time to scream, with a quiet whoosh of breath his young body slid forward into the water which covered him without a splash and barely more then a ripple.

Silence. Briar could look any way he chose but it was clear that no one had noticed the child slip into the water. It was likely the child’s heavy furs pulled him down as there was no sign of struggle breaking the water’s surface. The couple continued to indulge in their youthful bliss and the workers continued plodding on towards some distant task. The quiet descent of the child into the frigid seawater was known only to the red-haired foreigner.

[Briar Holden]

. Well. Turns out his aimless wandering in the city had at least served one purpose thus far. He wound his way back to the lighthouse, as much of a miracle as that was. While its light should suffice to guide him where he's supposed to go, he came to rely too much on watching his feet as he wandered on along the streets and pathways to truly pay much attention to the obvious signs and roadmarks. Watching his surroundings, Briar sank back into his heavy furs to make the most of the heat it was helping him keep in order to shelter him against the crippling cold outside. It wasn't easy to live in this sort of environment for someone not used to these temperatures, and Briar still couldn't help but wonder how the Vantha could stand this in their day-to-day life. Morwen surely looked after her people, he figured. Not people like him. Lifting his gaze again from the ground, he watched the pair on the bridge for the briefest of moments before tearing his attention away once more. Unfortunately, the heartwarming romance of youth didn't interest him much these days. It was an illusion to him that he couldn't wrap his head around and he felt a headache creeping up on him from the phantom of the thought. Instead, the child had caught his attention. A lonely child. He felt a tug in the dephts of his chest, but found himself unable to really look away. There were many things out there that could serve as a painful reminder of his past and it seemed he was gazing straight back into it as he watched the child play. Perhaps he was obsessing a bit too much over it, but it was a deciding factor in why Briar had wound up where he was right now. He just couldn't help it. There were no green fields in Taldera. It took him a couple of seconds to completely register what happened when he watched the figure of the child slip, fall and disappear off the edge and into the water below. It was almost soundless, and Briar probably wouldn't have registered it at all if he hadn't been watching all along, despite momentarily slipping off in thought. A swift look around proved to him that no one else was moving to the child's side, and he forced his body into motion. Quickly moving through the snow, Briar ditched his cloak and blouse at the edge before he threw himself down in the frigid waters without even a split second of hesitation. It occurred to him before he hit the water just what he was doing and he bit down against his tongue in preparation before breaching the surface, the icing water washing over him. He wasn't completely unfamiliar to cold---Sunberth had snow in the winter, as well. Some winters had been completely unbearable for a poor child back then who couldn't afford proper clothing or shelter, but Briar had never dipped himself in ice-cold water. This was a first for him, and he could immediately feel his skin stinging violently in pain and shock. He could've planned this better, he realized, but if he'd done this any differently... Perhaps it would already be too late for the child. He wouldn't have that. If the water felt this cold for him, he had no doubts in his mind it would feel the same or worse for the youngin'. ... He just prayed he made some noise when he jumped. Pushing that thought to the back of his mind, Briar opened his eyes under the water and reached a hand out in front of him. Where was the child? ... There were no green fields in Taldera. .