Torbjaer Mountains west of Northgate
21 Winter 217
Astarael
It’s the day after the fight with the scorpions, and Roux, Talith, Astarael and Vanja have been making their way back to rejoin the rest of the group. Roux is leading the way, with Somersault. The fey horse had shown an aversion to the monster parts, and Vanja seemed to be wary of the horse as well, so she was bringing up the rear of the group, dragging along a makeshift sledge loaded with the trophies they took from the dead scorpions. Talith has been walking with Vanja, and she’s been animatedly telling him some stories for a while. Astarael hasn’t been listening, but instead has been lost in thought.
Talking about her childhood last night had stirred up some strange memories. Ones that barely felt like hers anymore.
Astarael had been following behind Roux, but she decides to rest for a brief moment. Vanja passes her by, and she finds that Talith has caught up to her. She smiles at him, and resumes walking at his pace. They walk in silence for a few minutes. Talith is usually pretty talkative, but perhaps Vanja’s worn him out a bit. Even so, she asks what’s been on her mind.
“So, Talith. I’m curious to know more about you and your friends, the ones you grew up with. What were you like as kids? What was growing up in Aelorean’s Crossing like?”
Talith
Talith had been walking pace with Vanja for some time. They had been discussing her river magic, the concept of fate, and how it all ties together. By the end of the conversation, to say that Talith’s critical thinking skills had been spent would be an understatement. Vanja mentioned something about Roux’s own abilities as well as fighting, and moved ahead to catch up with him.
As Talith kept his pace in the back, he looked to the sky. It was a beautiful picture. The sun had begun to set and the clouds above had taken on an orange hue that meshed together with purple. He clasped his hands behind his head and couldn’t help but linger on his previous discussion, despite being spent.
“So then it’s fate that painted the sky the way it is now…” He murmured to himself. “So…it was already predetermined that the sky would be this way right now..? Wait, no that can’t be right though. If I decide I want to do something, how can it be fate? It’s just my decision. Hmm….yeah because if I decided to jump right now then…oh wait! But then that would still be fate because fate determined what happened for me to have the thought to jump so…am I really in control of my own fate? My decisions and fate are the same thing?”
At this point, Talith had begun to exhaust himself once more.
“Ughh. Okay fine then. Know what? I just won’t jump.” Talith let off a smirk as he continued under his breath. “Take that, fate!”
Though, even then the dilemma still probed at his mind with continuous questions such as does fate determine what people decide to eat? Is fate really how they obtained their abilities? Is fate responsible for two lovers meeting for the first time? How does…
“So, Talith. I’m curious about your friends…”
The words broke Talith’s thought when he saw a familiar, welcoming face just next to him. For a brief moment, his words wouldn’t come out. He was absolutely stunned by the image in front of him. The setting sun had highlighted all of Astarael’s features from her chin, to her perfectly shaped cheekbones, her currently radiant eyes, and to her slightly raised eyebrows that typically display when one prompts a question. She was absolutely gorgeous.
Okay, fate, Talith thought to himself as the two continued walking. Let’s see if you can talk for me then.
Not even a second later, Talith ever so slightly felt his weight stolen beneath him before catching himself. Just beneath the layer of snow, a small sheet of ice sat there, waiting for its next victim. While Talith had managed to recover, there was no hiding the brief flailing of his arms.
His face took on a slight shade of pinkish red as he attempted to laugh it off. “Hahaha well slippery when wet am I right!?” And now the pinkish red turned to full on red.
“Ahem Yeah, my friends! Umm…hmm let’s see..” Talith said as snow crunched beneath their feet.
“Well, Aelorean’s Crossing was a crossroads sort of place, so it was normal to see travelers coming and going. The best part though, was the stories that they would sometimes share. Whenever one of us would hear a scary story or some legend, we would always tell the rest of our friends…”
Talith’s eyes now seemed to reach forward with excitement and joy. It was as if they were traveling somewhere the rest of his body couldn’t go. He felt as if he were reliving the positive moments of his past.
“And sometimes, we would have tree climbing contests or sword fights - wooden swords, of course. Oh and Bax, he used to always smell! Like, always! One time, I found him during hide and seek just because I passed by a barrel that smelled as if it had a dead animal inside. Sure enough, guess who was in there?” He laughs to himself.
“Oh! And Ethan, was a bit different back then too. He was…a bit more carefree than he is now. That’s not to say he didn’t work hard though. He even made his own business at one point called ‘Small Potatoes,’ but that didn’t end well. Lucky for me though because he ended up working at the inn with me and ended up saving me from getting beaten up by a drunken traveler!”
Without giving a second thought, Talith continued.
“Speaking of getting beat up, Roux actually DID beat me up once. Oh, but it was all over a misunderstanding! In truth, Roux was like a big brother to us all seeing how he’s the oldest. He seemed to have a strong sense of justice as well.
“And Danica was always really sweet, but always had a sense for learning and adventure. I don’t think I ever beat her once in our sword fighting contests now that I think about it..
“Then, there was Jordan. He was a good bit older than the rest of us, but he was always nice to me and would play games with me as well.” Talith chuckles. “Though, if I’m being honest, I think some of it had to do with my sister. He had a huge crush on her, well so did a lot of people, but he REALLY REALLY had a crush on her. Unfortunately, she never had a desire for such things. Jordan was a super nerdy dwarf and not very athletic, but by some miracle… and I stress miracle, he actually beat my sister in a race at one of our festivals and got to go on a date with her because of some deal they made if he actually won!
“Ahhh yeah he was probably one of my favorite older kids at the time. He would even let me ride on his shoulders and beat him in stick fights! …Or maybe he actually WAS trying now that I think about it… Anyway, he ended up moving away from Aelorean’s Crossing some time ago. I wonder what he’s doing nowadays…”
Astarael
Talith just looks at Astarael. For a brief moment, she’s worried that she’s asking inappropriate questions again.
Maybe this is a sore subject? Oh no! Some of his friends died, right? Ugh, Astarael, why would you…
She starts to blush a bit. He’s just…looking at her weirdly. But suddenly as they walk along, Talith slips on a patch of ice hidden by snow. He windmills his arms a bit, recovering his balance, and she claps one hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. His face turns bright red with embarrassment. He’s even cuter like that.
She smiles reassuringly at him, and is relieved when he begins to talk about his life growing up, even more so when he seems happy to talk about it.
Phew. Maybe he just needed a minute to collect his thoughts after talking to Vanja.
She enjoys hearing about the games the group used to play. About Bax being found by scent, Ethan’s attempt at a business. It’s hard to picture him being more carefree, but perhaps they all were, before their lives were changed by the arrival of the Painted Swans. She imagines Talith would be great working at an inn. She enjoyed conversing with people she met at the ones she would stop in, on the first part of her journey, after leaving home. But then this makes her think of Oliver. She focuses back on what Talith is saying. He seems to be talking about someone she does not know. Jordan, and his sister, Vivian. Astarael laughs a little at the story of Jordan winning the race, and the date with Vivian.
“I’ve only seen her a few times while we’ve been fighting, but Vivian seems very beautiful. I’m sure she did have many suitors.”
She playfully nudges him with her elbow.
“How about you? I’m sure you’ve had plenty of girlfriends.”
Talith
Upon hearing the question, Talith shifts his gaze forward. It was partly so he would be sure not to trip again, but also because he was unsure of how to answer the question himself.
“Me? A girlfriend? Hmm…let’s see.. Well I kind of did a little over a year ago. I think so anyways. It was odd. Her name was Sara Fasstrel and we definitely had something, but I don’t know. Not long after I realized how she felt about me and she realized how I felt about her, she just disappeared; she left.”
Talith places a knuckle under his chin.
“I’m not sure where she went or why she left, but I beat myself up over it afterwards, wondering how it was that I messed up or what I did to drive her away.”
The end of his sentence seemed to linger in the air for a brief moment as he pondered on the mystery.
“Well, anyways that’s all history. I’m way past that now.”
“Oh! And I definitely didn’t have one back at Aelorean’s Crossing. Yeah, no people didn’t seem to view me quite the same way as they did my sister. Maybe it’s the ears!” Talith laughs as he points to his full human ear and his full elf ear with a finger to each.
In that instant, a sudden realization had occurred to Talith.
“Oh that’s right! I don’t think I’ve ever told you. Vivian, she’s technically my half sister. She’s one hundred percent full human. Still though…” Talith rubs his ear a bit. “Even though I’m a half elf, my ears are still different from other half elves. That much has been pointed out to me many times while growing up.” He offers a chuckle.
Astarael
Astarael is also closely watching the snow ahead, as they walk along. The footing seems especially difficult here. She glances over at Talith as he talks, though, noting his facial expressions as he mentions Sara.
“No, I don’t think you’ve mentioned that Vivian was your half sister. I don’t see what difference that should make. I like your ears, Talith. If anyone back in Aelorean’s Crossing let such a trivial thing get in the way of liking the rest of you too, well, that’s their loss I suppose.”
When Talith had brought up Sara’s disappearance, it reminded her a bit of her situation with Thorley. She had taken full advantage of having some fun with him before she left, but it’s perhaps best if he just thinks she never returns from her trip. He may not know much about her, but he was bound to see her wanted poster at some point and connect the dots. She didn’t want to put him in any unnecessary danger either. Still, she was embarrassed at the idea of just disappearing on him. She hoped that while she was gone, he might find someone else and forget about her. Maybe someone who can actually tell him their real name.
It was nice to be around people she felt she could trust with such things. To be able to talk about herself, and her past.
They seem to have fallen a bit behind Vanja and Roux. Astarael could see them both rounding a corner of the path up ahead. Even so, she stops for a moment, because they’ve arrived at an overlook. The sun is nearing the tops of the mountains now, and the sunset is breathtaking.
“I don’t know about Sara, but people have all kinds of reasons for needing to disappear sometimes, or end relationships. I doubt it was something you did, Talith.”
Talith
His heart had started beating a bit faster than usual. Talith hesitated to respond only for a brief moment in order to process what was going on. Although his face wasn’t quite red, it felt to him as though it were warm enough to melt the snow. He wasn’t entirely sure, but it felt as if a string were tugging at his very heart with each beat, as if his heart were attempting to leap out of his body. While it was a new and slightly alarming experience for Talith, it felt nice at the same time.
He let his head tilt to the side as he tried to find a target, anything to focus his eyes on. He simply didn’t know what to do or where to look. This situation felt much different than his past experiences. Sure enough, his eyes found their target once more back to Astarael.
A genuine smile lit across his face. Though the corners of his mouth were slightly turned upright, it was in his eyes that his smile currently showed the most. It was a smile stemming from appreciation and trust.
“Thanks, Astarael.”
Astarael
She turns from looking at the scenery to see the smile on Talith’s face, and matches it with one of her own. Then she looks past him, and realizes that Vanja and Roux are now out of sight.
“Hmm, it looks like we’re falling pretty far behind. We should probably catch up. We’ll need to make camp before it gets even more freezing out here.”
They begin to walk forward, making their way over the crest of a small rise. Astarael pulls her cloak a little tighter around her, as the temperature is dropping with the sinking of the sun, and she steps closer to Talith, letting her shoulder connect with his. Suddenly Astarael’s foot slips on some unseen ice beneath the surface of the snow. She starts to topple over, and she instinctively grabs onto Talith’s arm to steady herself, but manages to fall anyways, and pulls him down with her.
“Oh!”
They land together in the snow with a thud, and Astarael begins to laugh, her face turning an unmistakable shade of red.
“Talith, I’m so sorry. (laughter) I didn’t mean to take you down with me. (laughter) I guess it was my turn to slip…”
Talith
In an instant, Talith’s vision came crashing to the snow beneath the two. Once his vision stabilized, he realized that he was now on top of Astarael. He’d managed to catch himself with his hands on either side of Astarael, eliminating any potential force of impact. Snow dust seemed to flutter through the air until their erratic behavior gently settled into a dance around the two, each one crystalized and glowing in the setting sun. Time seemed to cease around him as his eyes locked with Astarael’s, his necklace gently swaying back and forth.
Everything around the two was beautiful from the sunset, to the crystalized blanket of snow beneath them, and even to the subtle chilled breeze that now caressed past them both. None of that seemed to matter to Talith, for his eyes now gazed upon the most beautiful being in existence. Women of his past, star filled skies, the octurne, river magic; none of that compared to the woman he saw beneath him.
Thump - Thump
He’d felt it. His own heart had skipped a beat, maybe two. Along with it came a tingling sensation in his chest and upper abdomen. It was a pleasant feeling as if something were fluttering around inside. He’d never felt this sensation before, but he wanted it to last forever - he wanted this moment to last forever. That’s when he noticed it.
Talith found that his own lips were slowly gravitating towards Astarael’s.
Thump Thump
Even closer now.
Thump Thump
They were so close, he could even see the crystalized snowflake which gently landed onto Astarael’s cheek, melting away into a rivulet.
Thump Thump
And in this moment, all logic and rational thinking left Talith as his heart seemed to want only for his lips to meet hers, everything else around the two simply vanished.
Thump Thump
Astarael
Astarael’s voice trails off as she looks up at Talith. The snow she is lying in should be making her feel colder, but she can’t feel it at all. She sees the look in his eyes, and everything else fades away completely. All she can hear is the sound of their breathing, and feel her heart beating more rapidly, acutely aware of how close their bodies are in this moment.
Astarael raises her head, bringing her face slowly closer to Talith’s, wanting to kiss him more than anything in the world. But just as their lips begin to touch, a loud crunching noise jars her out of the moment, and she freezes.
She turns to see Vanja emerging from behind some brush, seemingly about to call out to them, but then an amused look comes across Vanja’s face, while she stifles a laugh.
Astarael blushes again, and looks at Talith, frozen with embarrassment at being caught.
Talith
Everything around them came crashing into existence as soon as he noticed what Astarael had. Vanja had come back, perhaps to make sure the two were okay. Though the moment they had just experienced seemed to freeze time, in reality, enough time had passed to cause for slight concern it had seemed.
“Ahem.” Talith cleared his throat as the two scrambled to their feet, both stumbling with embarrassment and interrupting each other with words such as, “Oh, we should probably—” and “Oh, yeah it’s getting cold and all—”
And with that, the two made their way to the rest of the group to keep pace. It was brief, but likely a moment the two wouldn’t ever forget.
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