The pull of the barrens for nouls must play on their need to heal Vykeli. The endless cracked earth and brutal heat didn’t seem to be much of a deterrent to them. Many would make trips out into it, many even lived nomadic lives out here. Cordelia was one of many, one who felt the pull to wander the wasteland. She endured the sun the bored down on her backside as she mapped out the world she was born into. Being an atmos or solar gifted noul would have been beneficial but as an aqua noul, she was still able to pull water from deep below. This allowed her to fill her water jugs and continue on.
In a passing thought, she did hope to see the doe who raised her again. The only mother she ever knew vanished into the barrens, seeking endless skies and adventure. Cordelia had hoped that Tempest found that but she still craved connection with her. Her thoughts seemed to be the only constant companion in her life as even the little jack hop decided to stay in Homewood and Midir too. Nonetheless, Cordelia pressed on, through the barrens. The dry cracked earth crunching under hoof.
As the sun would fall, relief from the heat would come but it did grow chilly at night. Cordelia would wait and watch the stars appear in the darkened sky. They filled her gaze as her eyes roamed the sky, traversing a path that her feet could not. What mysteries did it hold? Did the stars stay there even with the sun up? Or did they wander away and come back? So many questions but never any answers when it came to the world above her head. Unlike the sun, the moon was cold and ever changing, growing and shrinking. The light crisp and clear. So vast was the night sky, it held Cordelia’s attention every night.
The following day was a trial in and of itself. The heat had grown too much but Cordelia had managed to find the remains of a tree, still reaching for the sky. The shade was little but still welcomed. She reached for a flask and found it lower than she had recalled. It was time to refill again. She reached deep down for the magic blessed upon her, it was still wild and raw. Cordelia, although a quiet doe, relished harnessing it and taming it. She brought it up and felt it flow out, it reached into the ground and found what it was looking for. The soil started to darken and soon water began to bubble up from below. It rushed over the ground and to her feet. Cordelia set her flask down, letting the water flow in.
Although she wasn’t much of a gardener, she hoped maybe there was some seeds buried here. Probably best to take a moment to mark this location on her map and double back later. She was wanting to travel back to Mistfruit forest and see what else she could discover. The dam, lake and river were appealing to her but it was simply a matter of getting there. She still wished that Claystone had come with her but the dear jack hop wanted to stay back and try for a family at least once. Cordelia understood, it was always nice to know that you had someone out there.
She was going to take the time to rest in the shade near her small pool of water. As much as it wasn’t wise to travel at night, she would use the stars and keep her wits about her. She would cover more ground without the sun sucking her dry of fluids. Eventually, she pulled out her maps and began to mark on them. She was working on some by foot and some of the sky, both had their pros and cons. Cordelia was thankful that her memory was decent enough, she just hoped her calculations and sense of direction was decent. She didn’t have a mentor in learning how to do this but she did her best. It was a matter of returning to these places that will test her.
After a rather hot nap, Cordy woke to the sun setting and painting the sky in brilliant colors. She looked over at the pool she had created and the ground was already drying once more. What a shame, but that was just how it was out here. She rose, stretching the kinks out and shook herself of the dust. She’ll walk as far as she could in the dark, heading straight towards the dark mountains and hills on the horizon. Maybe she’ll meet another noul or creature out here, something to help break up the monotony.
She knew that she was getting closer as the landscape grew rocky and craggy. There was a bit of an incline in places. She just needed to find the canyon and river once more. This is where she pulled out her maps and by the light of the moon, looked at them. The star map was her best bet but she used it in correlation to her land map. Comparing the two and gazing upwards to find the stars she needed. Cordelia stuffed the maps away once again and continued onwards. Her ears flicking back and forth as she listened for anything beyond her sight but also for the sound of the river.
By the end of the night, the sounds of water tickled her ears and she felt relief that she found the river once more. She continued to press on as the sun rose into the sky, heating up the world around her. The river was something she could at least wade out into to find relief from the heat. The light glinted off it in the distance and she picked up a light trot, heading straight for it. The hills of Mistfruit forest rose up behind it. Cordelia just really liked the idea of this strange new place and her first trip wasn’t thorough enough. It was time to really explore that dam, check out the lake more and wander the strange trees within.
WC: 1,028
Ability Used: Spring
