Unexplained Responsibility, Part One (04/01/2006)
'So this is the home that Eirnae is so proud of? All I see are trees. Rows and rows of nothing but trees. Well, there is that huge blotch of green in the middle of it all, with its occasional interuptions of blue, but still ...'
"Beautiful, isn't it?" The elf asks of her blue furred companion, shifting herself into a more comfortable sitting position. From way up here near the top of the Skyshorn Mountains, most of Emerald Haven's valley is visible. The sight has yet to fail to take her breath away and draw a smile from the depths of her being. All this, this rich land surrounded by its ring of mountains, has become home. "I could stay up here all day taking it in, and never get tired of it."
"If you say so," is Shi's unenthusiastic reply. Yes, the view is indeed pretty, but not nearly nice enough to veer her from remembering the latest chapter in the book she was reading before being dragged up here. Not to mention that the winds at this altitude are freezing! How can Eirnae stand it? Last she checked, the elf doesn't have fur of her own, and those skin-tight leathers of hers can't be helping much.
"Are we bored?" Eirnae asks while twisting around so she can get a good look at her Mozou's face. She doesn't give Shi the time to answer, instead scooting back and away from the end of the ledge she had been dangling her legs over. "Right. We'll get you inside the manor. You should warm up soon enough." A sly smirk of a smile precedes the teasing comment of, "And I thought you liked nature, Shi."
Damnit, she'd tried so hard not to shiver. "I like nature just fine. It's this wind I'm not fond of." For the third time since arriving on these gusty peaks she remembers choosing to leave behind her leather jacket. The memory of its soft fur lining teases her as she shivers again and crosses her arms over her chest, not caring if her paws rub her fur the wrong way as she tries to warm up by running them up and down her biceps.
A look of concern comes over Eirnae's features, one that Shi is now well acquainted with. It remains as the elf gets to her feet and moves to rest both hands on her Mozou's shoulders. It feels almost unnatural for the five foot one elf to have to look down at one of those she's taken under her wing, but with her standing beside Shi she has to just the same. "Hold steady now," she advises before concentrating on the thin shadows to the right of them, focusing on gathering them together and setting them spinning into a gateway between this plane and that of Shadow.
"Oh, not this again ... " Shi groans, shutting her eyes tightly as Eirnae tugs her along for the ride between planes. Deciding to avoid another bout of vertigo, she refuses to even peek to see where she is going as they start to walk. It was dizzying last time how fast the landscape changed from pristine color to a monotone blur, and proved even more disconcerting when it all readjusted back to what passed for normal once they had reached the mountainside. No further complaint is offered, as Shi realizes that without this unique form of travel she and Eirnae would have to hike their way down the mountain. That would be much worse indeed, and keep her from a warm glass of milk and the promise of the manor's library all the longer.
Another lurching in the pit of her stomach, and all movement comes to a halt. Eirnae's voice is what alerts her to the fact that the world is no longer at a stand still. "Shi, you can open your eyes now."
What a sight there is to behold for her literature craving eyes! Shelf, after shelf, after shelf of books in all sizes line the walls of the huge circular room. "The library?" she asks, unable to voice anything else during her moment of amazement. Which one will she dig into first? There are so many to pick from!
"Aye, the library," Eirnae agrees, her eyes twinkling at the wonder expressed in the tone of Shi's voice. She figured that her bookish Mozou would love the Haven's library once she got a glance at its vast stock of manuscripts, but she hadn't counted on how precious Shi would appear with her current 'dumbstruck with delight' look plastered over her face. She files the image away to bring out for future use. "For being such a good sport about the plane hopping, I'll see that you get your lunch in here today." She takes advantage of Shi being distracted and pecks her Mozou lightly on the cheek, then straightening up and heading for one of the exits. "I'll send Lasse up to check on you in about an hour," she calls over a shoulder before she steps into an open doorway and literally disappears from sight.
Shi barely felt her Mistress's kiss on her cheek, and even Eirnae's following words are only half heard as she looks from shelf to shelf. She wanders over to one of the closer ones, lifting up a paw and tapping the side of a leatherbound volume. Now all wrapped up in the selection of her next 'good friend', naught else matters to the questing Mozou. She'll make up for this morning's unpleasantness yet!
