The harvest celebration in Oba was very different from what Constynce was used to back in Tale. Despite the southern land looking just about as desolate as the dry rocks that spread over Sauti, the town harvest festivals were in full swing to celebrate the crops that did manage to grow in the sandy landscape. While she had thought that the people of the land would have to work harder to keep plants from shriveling in the sun, it seemed like life had found its own way. Much like her surprise at the variety of plant life in the snowy cold of Zena, Constynce couldn’t help the awe of the farms she passed by in the excessively heated land of Oba. It was amazing to see how adaptable plants could be! She felt like she shouldn’t be so surprised, but she still felt in awe of the accomplishments.

This was going to be her first year outside of Tale during the mid-season harvest; at least, her first time willingly outside of Tale. Constynce was traveling with Tryston on a trip to Matori! She had never imagined that she would travel so far from home, but with the order for Tryston to take time before returning to Zena, what else was there to do? Tensions were still a little on the rough side with her grandmother, so staying in the village had not been an ideal choice. Besides, Constynce wanted to spend time with Tryston. Just the two of them. They had spent a lot of time together before, but that had been completely different. It had been Tryston and it had been Constynce. Now, it was Tryston and Constynce! There was no hiding or no running for their lives, and the only uncertainty was the exhilarating suspense of not knowing what laid ahead for them. She loved the ice man with her whole being, and she wanted to make up for the time they had spent apart. The best part was, she knew he felt the same way.

Still, it was a rather poignant emotion that held in her chest when she thought of what she was missing back home. Festivals were always a grand time, and the struggle of the lands over the past years made this one even more special. She had always been part of the harvesting, loving the feeling of digging her fingers into the earth to bring up life giving and delicious food or adding fertilizer to help the fall crops grow strong. There was nothing quite like seeing the results of the village’s collective hard work and dedication. She could see Tale in her mind as clear as day with villagers carrying their loads of crops while her grandparents watched proudly over the whole process. Even as a youngling, she had been able to appreciate what the festivities meant to the people around her and to herself. It was a time to be thankful for what they had.

Especially this year, Constynce wanted to thank the gods and the land for her fortune. The land had suffered as she had, but they both were ready to flourish with new life. The land had its crops, and she had Tryston back. In her eyes, both were irreplaceable sources of life.

She might not be in Tale, but the land was all still connected. Tale would hear her, surely. Protected from the blazing southern sun by an oversized, wide-brimmed sun hat, Constynce cleared away the top layer of sand to find a cooler layer underneath and knelt down. It was a neat trick that she had seen some of the local wildlife do! Settled down, she dug her fingers into the sand and giggled at the odd consistency of the land. The feeling of the grainy earth was definitely not like home, making her further appreciate the adaptability of the life here. She gave the Oban lands a few words of appreciation and encouragement first, and then she requested her prayers and thanks to be sent through to Tale.

She couldn’t help adding a small prayer that her own life might one day turn out as productive and plentiful as the harvests, cheeks now bright with more than just the heat of the air. Well, was it such a strange thought to have? New life could come from anywhere, and this life that she was setting out on? Surely this life was worthy of growing and spreading as well! One day, maybe, she would have a cute little crop of her own to share in the delight of harvests and agricultural life…

(( Word count: 766 *5points ))