Emberflame Ridge in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me

✹☾❂

 

Eleuthera glanced up at Revui, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. It was a wonderful thing, to see this brute trip over his words and blurt out things that didn’t make sense. She marveled at him, momentarily — how he towered above her, the form of him nearly blotting out the sun. He was close enough now that she could see he was a fighter, as if there had been any doubt of that. He could break her.

Yet, he wasn’t.

If she had known the similarities between their thoughts, it might have procured a laugh from Leu. She too let herself explore a fantasy of this creature amongst the willows — his hulking form solid amongst the dancing tendrils and scent of the rose garden, light on the wind. What would he think of such a place? Would he hate it, or would he be entranced? And, most of all, what did he think of her?

Perhaps it was clear, and even though Eleuthera wished to ask him such things, she did not. Then, Eleuthera found that she had not moved for many, many moments — her gaze thrust upwards, her tail hung low — her body falling inert as her mind played host to dangerous fantasies. Her ears gave a flutter as life returned to her muscles; and she followed his lead, looking out at their surroundings as if the mountain lion might jump out at any moment. Imperceptibly, maybe even only energetically, she moved closer to him at the thought of it. 

“I did scent one," she admitted, knowing that there was no coquettish answer for these concerns — as they were very real. But still… “But you mustn’t be afraid,” Eleuthera couldn’t help herself, and she gave a playful shimmy to overtly denote that she was being facetious. Was it ridiculous, to be playful with such a stalwart hellhound? “Clearly I am enough to scare them away myself." The lilac faerie had given Revui a fright, hadn't she?