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 Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:52 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:55 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:57 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:59 am
Neith always hated this part of travelling. Sitting there, staring at the slowly changing landscape, waiting for something exciting to happen. It was probably a obvious fact that she'd never done well sitting still... not after being used to the excitement and full on activity of being mom to many.
They were in a cart. She, with her elf friend had started for the north. Neith hadn't left as a free woman entirely... she still had one baby that needed her full attention. In the back of the cart a little toddler-sized girl was curled up in a nest of blankets and toys. A corner nearest to Neith and --- had been set up to provide Aquene with a place to sit, play, without any chance of her crawling off again. The toddler 'walls' had seen to that. She had bars on the side facing Neith, and the opening to the front of the cart, but the other three walls were solid and painted with bright pictures.
At first, Neith had panicked over the idea of travelling for a long way with a girl as young as Aquene. But she'd been surprised- Aquene had liked the first few days, and on the fifth day, they'd been joined by another couple of travelling elves also returning to the Mountains. These elves had children of their own of all ages, and it'd become a slightly larger group of elves. This always was a good thing, it meant song, laughter, much colour all over the place, and that sense of family that Neith adored. Once she'd been a insecure half-elf, who was sure she didn't belong...
That had changed though. When Neith had adopted her first baby, a little Egyptian fa'e, elves had started to turn up on her doorstep. She eventually moved to a bigger land, as they wanted to stay with her. It'd been a awakening for Neith, she'd finally noticed that they did share the bond she'd been sure was never there. And as her children grew, more elves were drawn to the land until they'd created a community. All of Neith's insecurities about her human half were long gone now, and she often found some of the full blood elf children trying to pry information out of her about humans. As if she was some sort of genius who had special insight into the human way of life.
And the way they flocked around Aquene! That had really helped with the trip, the older children wanting to babysit the 'little fairy girl', the younger ones attempting to convince Neith to let her play with them at all hours of the day. When the elf children had discovered the half-elf was also guardian of a 'fairy child', that awe over her bloodlines only made them stare and cling more. Surely she was the secret daughter of a fairy princess, one had exclaimed! And so stories about Neith's history started to pop up amongst the children. It was never hard for their minds to run off into the clouds.
Aquene adored the attentions of the children, but she seemed to always be in her own little world. No one really knew what she was thinking, and that only added mystery to Neith and Aquene's entire myth. Neith had tried to explain a few times that Aquene was a legend baby, not a fairy!... but it never worked. If anything, it made things worse.
Today was no different. Aquene sat behind Neith lost in her own world, her hands held high above her face. The trip would last another day before they reached the right ocean, and another week by ship. Neith sighed, sat back and attempted to doze.
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Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2005 8:41 pm
a flutter of wings and a turn of the wind leave something under your doorstep:
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:07 am
A raggard and wet looking group returned home by Taxi. It was a small group, only Neith and Aquene, but with the amount of things they'd brought back with them... and the state of the taxi driver, who had spent a long time driving them here... it looked like they'd come with a circus. Or two. No one was home, which didn't surprise Neith. In fact, she was really glad of it, she wanted to get Aquene to bed without someone coming along and waking the little girl up. Aquene had been awake all night in the Taxi, eyes plastered on shiny streetlights as they flew by. Neith had only managed to get the toddler to sleep by convincing the Taxi Driver that errecting a small umbrella over the toddler (To block out Aquene's view of the streetlamps) wouldn't be either bad luck, or dangerous. It had worked too. No shiny lights, no wide eyed Aquene! The cab driver didn't drive away too fast either. He even stayed for a cup of tea after he unloaded all the suitcases and packages, while Neith tried to make a bed for Aquene on the couch. SHe half suspected it was because he was fasinated by Aquene's wings- how often did someone see a pair of wings that didn't seem to be there at all? When the cab driver was gone and paid for, and Aquene was in her real bed, Neith found an envolope sitting on Aquene's toybox. She carried it back to the kitchen, took out her diary and finally got around to writing about the past few months. Quote: Dear Diary I don't know how long this will be, I've been awake all night. I wonder why we didn't just take a taxi drive up north? It didn't take as long as it did by horseback. Well... we went up north. I wanted to see my half-kin, so we went by horse and carriage that belongs to one of hte elves living on my property. She came too, of course. It's tradition to travel like that, and we found ourselves with a whole lot of hangers on. Other elves, even some families! I wondered then if it was because of holidays, and it turns out it was. They all had to work in the cities as well... so they took advantage of the holidays to return home for a longer time. Or to visit family. So it was a long drawn out trip. You'd think there were lots of times to write, and there were... but it always slipped my mind. I was enchanted and lost in their world, I suppose. They adored Aquene. Esspically the little elves. She became their sort of fairy princess, and I think she learnt to walk and belt out words just from them. I've never seen anything like it, but I feel almost as if she was more comfortable out there in the wilderness than she was here in the comfort and safety! She never made an effort to walk or run before we left, but when she saw a lot of elf children doing it, Aquene wanted to straight away! We reached the ocean then, and went on these beautiful cruise liners. Okay... sailing ships are traditional, but I think most of us were quite excited by the temptation of wine, fine dining, and beautiful warm rooms. That voyage was a short one, just a few days. It didn't take long to reach the islands on the ship. Aquene and I were never apart then, I was petrified she'd crawl/walk off the side of the boat! But as one of the children said to me, she's not stupid, just little. SO I think I was being a bit stupid and protective. The islands are as beautiful as I can remember. There were some changes that really shocked me, namely the growth of some of the man villages, and the sudden appearance of a LARGE seaside city that was a fashionable home to all races. They seemed pretty controled by the elves though, so I'm thinking that the elf architects and builders were in charge of building. It was really beautiful, there wasn't any snow (It's a warm climate up north), and there were lights strung along the streets and through the trees. There were a lot of festivals and things for Christmas, but we only stopped there for a few days. SOme of the elves that we traveled with stayed there, and some left for other islands. But we went on into hte mountains. The elves have a sort of ...tradition. For those that leave. One night of wine and... well, adult things. And I snuck away. So I was 'punished' with two nights of it, one night for the day I left, and one night for the return. They're only a blur to me now... but I'm amazed at myself for not telling people I was going. If only to get that ... that... tradition! I'm still buzzing from it, and I'm almost tempted to move back home. Apparently, these sorts of ...nights.... happen for quite a few different reasons. (No wonder why my half-kin seem so happy and relaxed all the time!) Aquene was with my old nurse during then, and I'm told that she was pretty happy and pampered herself with sweets and games. So we remained up there. It was really strange to be back there, and I felt a bit restricted at times. But I love them, and I'm starting to wonder if all of the anxieties and rebellion that I had was just my teenage mind. It probably was. They don't seem to mind about my human side at all. Or perhaps it is because of the multi-race on the island now? Are they used to other races? So after that, we relaxed. It was ... well, like we were living there. We had work to do as well, and I was sent back out to do patrols like I used to. Aquene was babysat by my old nurse.... and I'd come home to find her beaming. She also kept talking to the elves, and to the trees... I don't know where she got that habit from, or where her shyness has gone. It's like she's discovered a connection with the elves! Not really possible. She isn't an elf. Maybe she just got tired of being quiet all the time. We celebrated Christmas there, which was another surprise. The elf children love the idea of Santa though. And we celebrated the new year. We left for home only three days ago, by boat and taxi. The elf friend who owns the horse and carriage has decided to remain with the elves for a while longer. I can't say I blame her, and my sending off was... well, fantastic. (I'm going to miss that dark haired elf, especially. WOW.) And here I am home again! I could write more about it, but it was very general after we arrived. I hunted creatures, I love that, it's too bad Gaia isn't surrounded by dangerous things, and lived like I used to, and let Aquene chatter to trees as if it was a normal thing to do... It was very relaxing. Now that I'm home, I'll see about going out. A lot. Aquene's acting social again, and I'm going to see if I can get her to make friends with that new found ability! Right after I sleep for a few weeks. Goodnight! -Neith. Neith picked up the letter, and crawled into bed with it. She opened it slowly, yawning... and fell asleep just as the glue came unstuck.
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:33 am
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Posted: Tue May 02, 2006 8:25 am
Neith brought Aquene home a few hours after the meeting at HQ.
They had gone shopping afterwood and picked up some things. Some dresses for Aquene mostly, she couldn't keep wearing odd little tribal outfits.
She had been surprised at the way Aquene had been so social at HQ. Neith wasn't used to seeing her around girls her own age, so that sight had made her wonder if she needed to keep Aquene going out more. The baby always seemed content but Aquene had enjoyed that time so much...
Aquene had already crawled off by then. Neith decided to think about that a little later on when the baby was in bed, and took off after Aquene to keep an eye on her.
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 8:11 am
Neith wasn't exactly one to think things through, as most of her friends had probably found out. She loved to make rash choices, decide to do things on a whim, or to change something...
But it wasn't exactly normal for her to do something as big as change homes.
It hadn't been a quick change. Neith had started out by having her huge block of land subdivided. One quarter of it became homes and property, one half of it became a protected nature reserve, and last quarter became an area solely for Elves. This had been planned without telling anyone but the elves.
It hadn't been hard to rent out the houses she'd built, and she'd been lucky. The properties became pretty popular- after all, they were within a stone's throw of a nature reserve and parkland, and were close enough to Barton without being too close.
Neith had bought a new property when she'd decided she had enough renters sign contracts. It was twice as large as her first, twice as far from anywhere, twice as wild and uncleared. But the best part about this land was a river. It had a large river running straight down the middle of the land, with smaller islands dotted right along the river.
The land, Neith had been told, had once been cleared for use. Once it had native bushland, and sheltered fields. But neglect had seen blackberries take over everything. Shrubs and bushes had grown wild over the open areas, and soon the land had become an area too overcome with thorns and prickles to be useable any longer.
She had been assured that if someone could just take the time to clear the land back to the original state, it would be just as good as it used to be.
Neith had bought it, seen it and realised what 'a bit o' work' had really meant.
It was a lot of work.
There was only one small field that was almost-clear. On one edge of it behind a rotting wooden fence was a small cabin, dusty and falling apart with neglect. The cabin only had three main rooms, a main bedroom, a bathroom and a living/kitchen room. There was apparently a cellar as well, but Neith couldn't find any trace of an entrance under the trash or the overgrown garden.
She had cleared out the field around the garden and cabin. While Neith went about renting their Barton home, her friends had started to set up the field for living in. Large tents were erected, the house made useable, areas for water-collecting from the large river...
Neith, Elle and Aquene weren't the only ones moving onto the land. They had been joined by ten of the elves who had originally settled on Neith' first land. And after a quick meeting, it was decided that the cottage would be used as a general building. Everyone would live in tents.
Elle was NOT impressed. She was even less impressed when most of her furniture and belongings were stored in a storage place in Durem... but it was the fact that she was now living in the middle of no-where that really annoyed her.
Aquene, however, was impressed. For a good three hours she'd entertained herself in the overgrown garden next to the cabin. According to her, there was nothing better.
By the end of the week things were set up. There was a tent city on the small cleared field, the cottage's broken windows had been either boarded up, replaced, or stickytaped with plastic wrap till something better could be done.
Aquene and Neith slept in the same tent. It was like all the others- a tall strong-framed tent rather like Arabic tents, with several fabric rooms made. Aquene and Neith slept side by side now, with only wooden deviders seperateing the rooms. Neith had a small tent folded and set aside nearby for the day Aquene wanted her own space, but they were both pretty happy with the new set up.
And besides, they were rarely inside now. Aquene and Neith would be in the cottage or the garden, Neith fixing, weeding, mending, while Aquene played and explored. And, save for Elle's moments, it was a pretty peaceful place out there now.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:02 pm
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 9:07 pm
Dear Diary
We've moved again!
We live now in this property further out. Lots more land, lots more work, weeds coating nearly every inch of the land. It was cheap because of the work needed. But then it also has lots of land, forest, and there's this amazing river right down the middle of it that goes to the sea.
I haven't seen the river since we first inspected the property. I forgot the way, the old owner had somehow cleared a path to the river for inspectors, and now I can only see a wall of thorns again. We're all joking about how we'll probably find a sleeping beauty in there somewhere.
There was a cottage, but no one could live in it. The old owner did but no one can figure out how... it is as badly overgrown as the rest of the place. We put some work into it and now we can store things like a kitchen, one bathroom (For over fifteen people!), and the lounge to keep electrical stuffs safe. It wouldn't have them, but we did bring an electrician in at first. So I don't think there'll be a problem.
I hope there won't be.
Aquene seems to take better to it than Elle does, which is strange. You'd think she would find it harder to get adjusted. But no! She went from that place to this easily. It's really strange. I keep saying that word. Strange. I know babies adjust quickly, but she is strange about it. Like, attitude the around elves or neighbours. She acts different. But when we go to Barton, she's back to being Aquene.
But when she's here...
Well, she plasters makeup all over her face. Wanders around in dress up clothes, tripping every few steps. Proclaims, that's the best word, things at the top of her voice at the elves.
The elves aren't offended. She makes them laugh.
She isn't like that all the time. She found the overgrown garden for the cottage. Overgrown everything, and Aquene is in her element there! It's like a Eeenie-sized-jungle just for her. I feel a bit bad now, I have to weed it, Aquene enjoys it with weeds.
Speaking of weeding, if I don't finish it soon, it'll come back as fast as Jack's Beanstalk.
(I feel like I've just been pushed into the land that inspired all fairytales, and I don't mean that in a good way.)
Neith
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Posted: Wed May 10, 2006 5:23 am
Quest Time!
Exploring among the overgrown cottage garden while Neith weeds, Aquene stumbles upon a hole large enough for her to climb into. Like the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, this one leads to a large ( for a baby ) cavern below ground.
On the walls of the cavern are markings that stir something deep inside Aquene's young mind. Not something from this life, so perhaps from another. (What is on the walls? What does it cause Aquene to remember?)
Her quest is a mostly passive one. She should remember something of who she was in the past and perhaps learn more about the interesting poperties of her wings.
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 6:52 pm
Exploring, Part One.
The early morning frost still lingered in the garden. Blades of grass, weeds, emerging flowers, they all had tiny little droplets of clear water that clung to Aquene's clothes as she toddled through the most overgrown part of the garden.
And over her in a canopy of green and purple, several giant lavender bushes grew where they had been left to grow wild, creating a natural cover from the sporatic rainfalls.
Under here, amongst where the flowers and weeds grew happily in shade, Aquene liked how the rainfalls out there never seemed to reach her. They would create little waterfalls around the edge of this 'lavender jungle', sometimes drip-drip-dripping through, but never enough to get her really wet.
She crawled now on hands and feet as if she were a monkey, a tiny toddler backpack around her stomach to stop it from snagging, glittery wings and glittery raindrops appearing to be made of the same stuff, damp yellow hair all around her face. Aquene was heading for a new area of this little lavender jungle. It was furthest away from the house in a corner. Aquene had been looking foward to seeing this new area, she had been trying to get there for over a week now.
There had been obsticles. Tiny stringy thorns that Aquene's tiny fingers managed to pull aside and wrap around a thick branch or pin under a rock. Big frogs, Aquene was afraid of them, standing guard over a small deep pond. The pond itself- she had to somehow get around it without the frogs getting close to her. Or her falling into it. It was a nice pond with water plants and fish, but it had green slimy stuff in it, and in some of the areas where branches and fallen leaves had seperated areas into sheltered bits, there were also lots of wriggly tadpoles and funny little egg things.
But Aquene got around the pond. She scared off the frogs with a shake of her little walking twig. Those little mini-ponds of wriggly tadpoles and funny little egg things never trapped her in them! She was around the pond and again crawling towards where she wanted to go.
Aquene stopped at the edge of a giant wood cliff. Pulling out a toy shoval out of her toddler-backpack, she started to hack at the cliff. It was rotton, and came away in giant chunks of white wood, brown wood, insects and dirt. She kept at it till there was a small gap in it for her to get through.
Then she went through and stared.
Roses!
Lots and lots of roses!
At least, she thought that's what they were. They were red, and yellow, and orange, and pink and white... and all the colors she could think of for roses!
And there was a path around these bushes as well, all windy-curly. Aquene started to walk around the path in this new forest of rose-bushes. The path winded up a small slope, through more rose-like flowers and big trees of leafy greenness, till Aquene found it stopped.
She was right up at the edge of a smooth white cliff. It was very bare compared to the wild garden Aquene had just come through, and she was surprised that she couldn't see it from the cottage. But when she turned around to wave at where Neith would be weeding, all she could see was a living green barrier of trees.
Aquene turned around again and peered at the cliff. It wasn't perfect, there were lots of funny shapes in it. Mini-caves, where the cliff dipped in or areas where the cliff came back out again in a little lump. And bushes liked these areas, clumping together in the areas they could grow in.
It was under one of these lumps where Aquene saw the dark something against the white of the cliff. It was behind some of those stubborn bushes. She pushed aside the brush and peeked at a small dark hole just big enough for her.
"Woooo!" Aquene called and was pleased to hear it come echo back at her. "WOOOO!"
She only hesitated for a moment before starting to wriggle into the hole. Aquene pretended to be a wriggly worm and soon she found herself sliding inside. The first few inches of this hole were easy to hold onto. But very quickly, before she could react, Aquene felt nothing meet her hands and she toppled over headfirst to fall headfirst into the darkness of the hole.
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 6:55 pm
Exploring, Part Two.
Down and down Aquene fell and slid, dust and leaves collecting all over her. When she finally slid to a stop at the bottom of whatever that was, she was too bewildered and surprised to be upset or to notice she had some sore bruised areas.
Aquene pulled some leaves out of her hair and climbed to her feet again. She'd lost a shoe back there somewhere but it was too dark to see very far. Aquene tugged off the other shoe and her socks so that she could walk barefoot. Then she tried to look around.
It was like the world had forgotten about color. Everything was grey or black, with a dim light from some holes providing only little bursts of white. Though it was a cave, it was also very smooth and clean. There was only dust and dried leaves down here.
She wasn't afraid, Aquene decided as she looked around for the way she'd come in, but she didn't like this cave either! It had no color and a cave with no color was not what she liked. It even made her all grey and black. Maybe it would look better if it had crystals in the little shafts of white light?
As her eyes adjusted to the dark cave, Aquene could make out more and more by the second. It had some funny spiky things sometimes. (She was very glad she hadn't slid into one of them!) The ground was very nice and smooth, the walls rounded but just wide enough for her liking, the top of the cave was as tall as... as... Aquene tried to think of something that was that tall. Neith's table was that tall! It was like she was standing under Neith's table.
There was lots of little openings to the surface, but they were like windows. It didn't seem at all odd to Aquene that these little openings were also sealed from the top with glass.
Yes, Aquene told herself, it would be very nice down here if there were crystals that made rainbows!
She now could see where she'd come in from. There was a long slide up there with some big step-like-shapes, which was how she'd fallen and one of which had her shoe, but it was very long and went black up there. But in the other direction, Aquene noticed, there was a little funny opening. It was bigger than the opening behind the bushes up in the cliff just before! It reminded Aquene of a door opening at home where the door had fallen out.
She glanced from the opening she'd fallen down, and the one that was big and more inviting. Aquene at least wanted to see why there was a door the shape of a shoebox in a funny little grey and black cave. So she went over in that direction.
"Hewo?" Aquene called into the dark doorway. She could see tiny markings all over the doorframe, lots of swirls and shapes, but nothing inside. She reached a hand inside and felt that it was much warmer and cosier in there than in the cave.
She tugged her arm back out and tried to see the markings better. Aquene always loved to stare at things to find out what they meant, but this one triggered something else in her. She wanted so badly to see what these were saying, for Aquene was sure they were saying something, so why didn't she understand them too? She sighed.
Aquene finally got bored of staring at the markings. She couldn't find a story for them. They didn't look like marks that told her something like a story.. but they were trying to say something. She might have stayed longer, but Aquene's mood was growing more and more depressed with every second she remained in that dark grey and black cave.
It was either the way she came in, which Aquene wasn't sure if she could climb up anyway, or through that door into some place warmer.
The toddler only hesitated for a second before stepping through the second opening.
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Posted: Fri May 12, 2006 6:57 pm
Exploring, Part Three.
"Oooo..."
Aquene leant against one of the funny spike things as she gazed up and about.
The rock ceiling fell away from Aquene's head and curved upwards in a long gentle arch. Nearly every inch of it, save for an area in the dead centre, was littered with funny little crystals that juttered in all directions. They appeared to glow, but when Aquene inspected the closest one, she could see that there were several small glowing creatures around the crystal. But they weren't the only crystals. She could see BIG ones around, from ceiling to floor, almost transparent and very beautiful.
Her eyes fell onto the walls then. Though she couldn't seem properly, they also seemed to have things on them. Aquene wasn't as interested in them as she was in the glowing crystals, her attention going right back to the shiny things around her.
The crystals sent the glow right throughout the cavern in here, so that Aquene could see properly. She was back to being color now! That made her very relieved, she'd hated being only black and white. It would have been very bad to be that color.
Going over to the nearest, a tall smooth white one, Aquene patted it all over with her hands. Aquene loved the feel of it. It was very smooth all over, with no jaggard edges, and the white crystal was very warm to the touch.
And from there, Aquene went from the dark door towards the middle of the carven. For her small steps it was a long walk, so it took a while for AQuene to finally reach it. She stood in the centre of the entire cavern, spinning on her small feet while her eyes tried to take in every inch.
"OOO!" Aquene called, and was delighted to hear it echo strangely all around her. She laughed and clapped in delight, even more pleased when that too came back to her. She would never be lonely in here! It was like the crystals talked back to her in a magical voice. Like they were alive!
Maybe they were alive, Aquene wondered, awestruck. Maybe the walls would explain to her why they were alive?
She made the tiny journy to the nearest wall. Aquene reached up with her tiny hands to trace the markings there, feel the smooth perfect curves, the edges, the cold writing in the warm wall. She didn't know why she knew they were writing but she did and she almost understood what it was.
Aquene read it out slowly as the world dimmed around her, hearing another voice say it perfectly in time with her own.
"Never back down to Tribesfolk male..."
The toddler became aware that she was standing in a room now. Where had her cavern gone? Aquene was now standing beside a desk, gazing up at those very same markings on a screen. WHen she looked sideways, she almost fell over. A flood of emotions, of thoughts, of sensations washed through the toddler as she gazed on an older Aquene.
She and Aquene were apparently bored and falling asleep.s
"Why don't we?" The woman that Aquene reconized as tutuor asked, eyes boaring into older-Aquene's half closed ones.
"Because we are more important, even if we are less domanint." Aquene replied again, yawning.
"EXACTLY!"
Everyone jumped at the tutor's yell.
"You are more important than any of them, no matter their standing in Tribal Hiarcary. Never forget it!" The woman started to lecture the finer points, and while the older Aquene could manage to keep awake to scribble notes, Little Aquene wasn't as good as fighting weariness. She shut her eyes for a long moment.
And then all of a sudden she was standing somewhere else. She was only feeling herself now, other Aquene wasn't there anymore.
It was the same cavern as the one she'd found, only much larger. Or was it? The crystals were all over the ceiling, but there were no big ones standing by themselves. There were openings all over the edges, doors leading to different areas of the city. Thousands of people mingled in the carvern. They were all dressed in their best, some holding glasses of alcohol and laughing gaily, others with cameras or recorders in hand.
And at one end of the cavern was a large stage.
That was where she was now, Aquene realised, when her eyes fell onto a small ten-year-old. That was her.
She pushed through the thousands of legs, shoved, climbed, crawled and wriggled till she was right at the front. Once she had climbed up the staircase, she could see herself perfectly. The little toddler flopped onto her feet. Now that she was close to the bigger her, she was starting to feel things. Emotions, sensations, thoughts. Everything that the bigger Aquene was experiencing, the toddler started to experience as well. Overwhelmed, all Aquene could do was flop on the stairs and let it all happen.
Aquene was standing but she was having trouble staying that way. The clothing was partly to blame- the sash tied rightly around her waist was very restricting when it came to breathing. But it was more than just the sash. Aquene was sweating heavily and looked like she was glowing, her heart was racing a thousand beats a minute, (or so it felt), her eyes darted from citizen to citizen. If they made her stay there too much longer she'd be sick. Already her stomach was whirling around.
She had done their work, why couldn't she go lie down? She craved to lie down.
Relief flooded in both the girl and the toddler when something dimmed, dimmed, dimmed, till everything was pitch-black.
The toddler's shared conscience melted away and she was left alone again.
It wasn't over though.
A sudden freezing cold pierced Aquene to the bones, and she yelped in surprise.
She was now rocking in a boat?
The world around her was freezing cold. Bigger her lay warm and cosy under a blanket, but little Aquene was still wearing her exploring outfit and wasn't ready for the icy cold. They were both in a boat being rowed by a taller older man, slowly moving and rocking on a slush-covered water. Fireworks kept exploding overhead, they lit the world up in greens, oranges, blues, yellows, reds, reflected in the frost on the boat, the slush and the water, the eyes of her older self.
This time it was very relaxed. Cold, but relaxed. Aquene crawled over to try and get under the blanket as well. She was sure that the frost was on her too, just like it could be on plants.
But just before she'd slipped under the warm blanket...it all dimmed to black again.
Aquene fell away from the wall covered in markings, panting. The cold of the boat ride still clung to Aquene. But she was so glad to be back in the warm cavern of crystal and light. There wasn't any frost on her, Aquene discovered with relief, but she still felt cold.
She could read the writing now. It said, 'Greeting, new Apprentice'.
A sharp stab in the back made Aquene yelp in pain, as a voice demanded-
"Aquene. Why did you come here? Why, when you knew we would only turn you away? Why, when I should kill you for the life you took?"
Aquene spun around to stare up at a tall lean body. She was now standing at the feet of larger Aquene, feeling the overwhelming guilt and fear that spilt over from the other one.
The lean body was dressed very simply. Fabric wrapped around her waist and a shawl hid the wirey woman's chest, though from little Aquene's perspective, not very well. When she peeped backwards to see the words on the wall again, there was nothing but endless green forest.
"Sister." Larger Aquene's voice quavered at the word. "I had to come."
The tribesfolk woman and the Apprentice gazed at each other for a very long time, the wiry woman and the heavily pregnant one. The tribesfolk woman twisted around to stare at two tiny fledgling wings on Aquene's back, shimmering and pale. They were unable to be touched when the woman passed her hand over them, and she sighed.
"You still carry his child." It was a statement, not a question. But a tension in the air had vanished at those words. Larger Aquene felt safe now.
Aquene nodded and hung her head.
Little Aquene blinked slowly, drowsiness overcoming her again. When her eyes had opened she was back in the cavern. But Aquene was so tired. She curled up on the warm stone floor and fell asleep.
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