Dragoncrest Cliffs & Lord, if I’ve never had courage in my life before, let me have it now —

ok! I’ll post one more time after this one <3

Everything within her was screaming: the sea, the wind, her heart. Only the Road was ahead, and the aching eyrie within her wouldn’t allow anything sweet and chiding to roost.

She hadn’t been stoppered in a geda long enough, brewed since birth, to understand the weight that those gathered carried with them. She herself had stayed, at first, for love — love for the kru, love for the cheka, of the cliffs. Now she left for life, for children, for the kru who made to follow. And if those before them did indeed follow them... would they stay? Or would they strain away into the world, without another word? 

Aure didn’t entirely understand the concept of natrona, and therefore couldn’t entirely comfort — not unlike how she’d regarded the despondency in the wake of Antumbra’s passing. ...But she’d favor being branded a deserter, rather than die at the fangs of the oubourous of the Sound. Yes; she would gladly stride from all of this if it meant delivering her children to a place more prospering.

The arrival of the Luks, truth be told, could’ve been called a blessing in itself; it saved her from shouldering between Reina’s and Verx’s remarks with a quip of her own, and gladdened her to know some had come with their word. When time was spent with Isleña or her brother, the kindling of wanderlust made itself known; dusted itself off before her like some long-lost, archaic tapestry. There were times where it lie before her, begging to be scoured — so she would, for these next few days.

Looking to the Luks with a guarded but not unkind gaze, ”Yes. We will head for Elysium, since Vonn has gone ahead. From there—“ But then she heard her name, wavering from Opalia’s voice; knew by the first consonant of it that Dio’s children would not follow. The Trigedasleng went unheard, unknown by her, but Aurëwen turned to heed Opalia all the same.

Instead, she found the yearling’s snout at her jaw, somber-eyed. The crescent of Aure’s own jaw became tremulous, then; a muscle flickering somewhere in her cheek. Since Verx’s impairment, she’d truly thought the well of her soul had dried of tears — but there they were, all infernal salt cresting dark lashes. She did not want Opalia or Dacio to remember her this way: rosy-cheeked and spittling through her words.

”We will be well... as well as we can be,” she breathed, and then arced her porcelain throat about Opalia’s cream shoulders without hesitation. It wasn’t so much to hide her tears as it was to convey all which she couldn’t express through speech alone. But she ruffled the girl close, tenderly, eyes heavy and hooded. Had it been her and Vonn alone in this world, she may as well have done the exact same thing Opalia meant with Dacio. But there was love in her heart — life in her hold. ”Wind guide you; sky guard you, sora mea... Give my faith to your family.”