deuteragonist

For all intents and purposes, this should have been an easy little trip. Just a week away from the Academy all told--a day's journey to one of the outlying mountain villages to check on their progress after a nasty mudslide took out some buildings a few months back, then a day's journey back.

Something routine. Normal. He can absolutely, totally, one hundred percent handle it. He's a grown man, for Naga's sake! And really, things were fine! He held it together! All that's left is the march back to the Academy and then he can wallow in peace.

He's got to stop tempting Lady Fate.

Laslow warned Azura at the start of their journey home about the incoming clouds. There's a certain feel in the air the precedes a snowstorm; not like the calm anticipation of a rainstorm, but rather a sudden chill, a last gasp of warmth before the freeze.

Their shelter, as ramshackle as it is, will serve. He's not even thinking about any personal issues until what he assumes is evening falls.

Hand clutched tightly around the blanket he'd stuffed into his pack on a whim, he keeps his suddenly flushed face carefully hidden away from her. "Ah--Azura, you didn't happen to pack another blanket, did you? I just have the one...."

Laslow had been wonderful company this entire time, and she was thankful for his presence. He'd been attentive to both the mission and her comfort, even making her giggle at some of his silly antics. He had made her feel at ease the entire time.

Of course, there was nothing either of them could do about the aforementioned weather.

She wraps her arms around her shoulders and sits down next to Laslow in the small enclosure. It's not warm, but it will stop the both of them from freezing to death.

Which is enough, right?

It is quite simple to press flowers and it does not require any special equipment. All you need is a piece of parchment paper and a heavy book! Simply set the flowers you wish to press sandwiched between the parchment paper and then close that in your book. Set something heavy on top and all that is required is your patience for a few weeks.

You will want to choose a book you do not plan on reading, however, otherwise you will risk opening it too soon! I would love to hear how your endeavors go if you do decide to try. I find pressed flowers make lovely surprises tucked away in hidden places for others to find.

I am quite familiar with Professor Jakob! We've been acquainted for some time now and I think he will be an excellent mentor for you. You are, of course, more than welcome to join in on any of my classes but I will admit that I find teaching to be difficult. It is more important to me that my students know they have someone they can trust and turn to. There are many students here who have been through quite a lot in their young lives. I only hope that I can serve as a calming presence for them.

But I cannot go on and on about myself while still knowing so little about you! I do not care if it is interesting or not. I simply would like to know you better.

Yours,

Thank you for your directions regarding pressing flowers. I appreciate the instructions, and I would like to try. I think it would be more enjoyable with someone else, if you are willing to visit me. I would be open to the idea.

I will take you up on your offer to watch some of your classes. I would like to see as many different techniques as possible, and this would help me to understand how to better my own teaching style. May I ask how you and Jakob know each other?

I appreciate your interest in me. I enjoy singing, and that's mainly what I do in my spare time. I taught my son how to sing, so if you would like I can teach you as well. It would be my thanks for being kind to me.

I cannot wait to hear from you again,

"..."

There is only one solution to this, she thinks. The fact that this has happened three times makes it so obvious that something is wrong, and she cannot ignore it. Her hand goes to the newly wounded pegasus' chin and she presses her forehead to its cheek.

Azura hums something under her breath, one half of a melody, and keeps her eyes closed. She only straightens when she hears someone else approach.

"Are you here to see to them as well?" she asks in a low, quiet tone. "I fear another pegasus has been wounded."

It hadn't taken much to convince Lyn to come along on this weekend trip – even if the school year hadn't been so taxing, the heavy burden of expectation of the real world waiting for them after the long awaited graduation, it would still be nice to fill her lungs with the scent of nature, to feel the crisp breeze of mountain air and to hear the burbling of creek water nearby lulling her to sleep. 

The cabin was a convenient excuse to get away – from whatever it was they wanted to get away from, or to get away to. In her case, it was homophonous to a freedom that she hadn't felt since coming to the busy college town. 

She was sure they all had their reasons, her companions – glancing up from the passing of trees as they wound their way up the mountain switchbacks, Lyn's eyes settled on the friends that had piled into the car with her for this getaway, from their placid driver to the quiet couple in the backseat. Dependable companions all under times of duress, but that wasn't what they were here for, now, was it? 

Smiling softly, Lyn propped her chin once more on her fist and watched the scenery flit by – then, as her eyes caught on the reflection of the sun against an expanse of bay windows, she perked up, straightening in her seat and patting Lukas excitedly on the shoulder, twisting back to face Niles and Azura. 

"There it is!" 

The remaining couple of miles could not have passed quicker for her liking, and she had rolled the window down to lean her head out into the whipping of fresh mountain wind, inhaling the scent of pine and clear skies. 

The car had scarcely come to a stop as she unclipped her seatbelt, her gait rolling onto the gravel drive as though she had only taken one step after another, reaching her hands to the sky with a contented sigh. 

Lukas was busy, yes, but he didn't really consider himself wound up. He enjoyed school, even if it all got to be a bit much all at once every now and then. Some pressure was good motivation. But, when the offer was made, Lukas figured that it didn't matter too much where he did his work, and it was supposed to be nice out in the mountains this time of year.

At the very least he wouldn't have to decline going to whatever parties would be cropping up while they were gone.

It was a mostly quiet drive up, but Lukas didn't mind taking the wheel. It really was scenic out here, he couldn't recall the last time he'd been out somewhere like this. Car windows were rolled down to let in fresh air, the easily forgotten scents of nature, the warmth of the sun as it slowly strode through the azure sky.

His gaze doesn't leave the little used road they'd been on for some time now when Lyn's excitement had her patting at his arm, a soft but good natured chuckle escaping him at her enthusiasm. He may not reach her level of anticipation, but as they finally pulled up to the cabin, Lukas could admit to a brighter outlook on this whole...relaxing business.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, one hand idly playing with his fingers while the other thumbed the pendant around her neck.

She wasn't paying attention to the road when Lyn turned to let them know they were close -- she sat up straight and smiled back at her friend.

This was going to be good. She could feel it.

She gave Niles' hand a squeeze as the car stopped and opened the door. "Thank you, Lukas," she said in her soft voice, "I can take my bag in. I might want to go down to the lake later, though, for a quick swim. If anyone would like to join me?"

The touch does come as a surprise, and she jolts just a little. "I'm sure we can both handle it," she agrees, and holds her left wrist with her right hand. Her eyes cast down towards the plans again, and she shrugs. "There are some suggestions here, but I think we can come up with better ones. We're surely as smart as whoever put this together."

The words are said with a confidence despite her soft voice, and even if they have no experience with this sort of thing she has no reason to believe they won't succeed.

Firstly, some of the work here was brutal. It's not a problem for him, he's gotten quite good at only working for what he's been paid, but he can't help but worry about his coworkers. And, on top of that...

How in the world was he supposed to catch these damn things?!

He's tried to draw them in with food, attempted to blind them with his trusty torch staff, and tested to see if a direct attack could work. But, no matter the tactic, the creatures hardly show until he least expects it, and never stay long enough for him to get a better understanding about what they are.

There's a rustle in the nearby bushes, and Hugh clears his thoughts. That sounded pretty close! If he's slow about this, and takes his time to get a glance of the creature up close...

Wait, hold up.

That's not a monster. Or any beast local to the island. "Oh! Er..." This was a person - were they familiar with the area? Or were they tempted by the money, too? "Sorry if I spooked you! I'm just, well....looking, for something."

"What's someone like yourself doing out here?"

Hence why she has taken this job.

She doesn't know how to go about it, however. Not properly. She's light on her feet and graceful through the terrain, in her hand a lance that she might use to protect herself should the need arise. Her eyes are scanning for any evidence of these monsters, though she is not skilled at tracking monsters.

There are many things that she hasn't been able to put together, but she's luckily not the only one who was hired for this job. Instead of searching for the beasts she's shifted gears in order to find an ally.

She moves through the bushes, trying and failing not to make too much sound. As she emerges she sees the other person here -- someone who is distinctly not a monster -- and lowers her weapon.

"I wasn't afraid, but I'm sorry if I frightened you," she says softly. He looks like he's out here for a reason, and as soon as the words leave his mouth she nods in understanding.

It takes far more effort than he's willing to admit not to lean into her touch, to let his eyelids droop. Instead, he returns her laugh with a self-deprecating one of his own, ignoring the empty feeling in his chest once she releases her hold.

His own arms fall away. He swipes at his cheeks with the heel of a hand, sniffling as he does. "Sorry, sorry. I promise these are tears of happiness!" Silence, thick with the grief of unspoken things, threatens to burst their joyful little bubble.

Laslow shifts, unsure if he should reach out for her again or offer some reassurance. The bag at his side clinks. "Heh, any time we meet is special! Say, what song were you singing? I don't think I've heard that one before."

The flowers near their feet seem brighter after her song, or perhaps he's imagining some things after all. He certainly feels rejuvenated--even with the tears.

She takes his hand in hers -- does not realize, never realizes, what such a motion might do to Laslow's bright and beautiful heart -- and draws him over to the flowerbed. She lets him go, kneels down and fans her skirt out behind her to avoid getting it dirty. She gently touches the petals of one of the plants and plucks it gently from its stem, then places it in Laslow's palm.

"This one matches your eyes. I was thinking that when I came in here to sing, and it made me miss you even more. It feels like fate that you should find me, right after."

My dear Lady Azura,

I am told that you will be joining the teaching staff for the Black Eagles house. How exciting! In fact, this is why I have been assigned your partner for this activity. I have been a professor for the house for quite some time now. I will not pretend I am the most skilled at the profession but I will do my best to aid you in any way that I can.

Unfortunately, this is all I have been told about you. I would love to learn more! Your interests, your family, your home. Anything you would like to tell me, I would like to hear!

I hope that we will be able to become good friends!

Yours,

Deirdre

P.S. The flowers I have included are snow drops. They have begun blooming already even though it is still quite cold and they are often used to represent new beginnings. I thought it was quite fitting. Pressing them is a bit of a hobby of mine.

Thank you for the kind welcome. I have put the flowers you gifted me in a glass vase in my room, but I must admit I do not know how to properly care for them. If you would like, I would like be open to being shown how to press them, since you have said you enjoy doing so.

I fear I am not all that interesting, and do not have anything to share. I am excited to begin teaching, and currently am studying under my friend Jakob in order to learn how to better engage with the students. Perhaps I could sit in on one of your classes as well? That is only if you have the time, of course.

I am excited to hear your response.

Best,

loathe he be to admit it, he did mourn. azura, though he would not admit it, was a friend. the two had bonded over matters of childhood songs, and perhaps jakob had spoken too much on his own past in the process. the reality of the fact that , yes , jakob was cut and broken apart by what he had experienced had died alongside azura.

he blinks once, twice, three times over. "lady azura ?" his tone is surprised, as is his expression. he makes no motion to hide it. ". . . i beg your pardon ?"

the dead walk ! and one is right in front of him. the irony of such ? she has pursued faith magic, something that had failed to help her before.

"hold, please," he sets stave down from previously cleaning it, and remains a distant few paces away from her. "you . . . i am sure you know what i want to ask."

"I don't know," she says. She doesn't know, there aren't words to describe how she reformed; the crystals that clotted her lungs now coat her fingertips, the salt of the sea flows through her veins. She does not feel any different, but she remembers how much she belongs to the waves. It can always call her daughter back, and Azura will always have to answer.

"I wanted to come back. Maybe there was some magic there that helped me." It sounds foolish, but Azura keeps her expression as even as she can. There are whirlpools of emotions and chaotic ramblings that splash against the inside of her ribcage, and she does not want to worry Jakob more than she already has.

He sniffles once, twice, as he slips his arms around her in return. Only once her weight settles against his chest does he believe she's not some figment of an exhausted mind. She's solid, alive, laughing with a voice like birdsong.

His heart aches. Laslow spares a moment to bury his face in her hair, press a soft kiss to the crown of her head. "I missed you so much." The words are muffled, but he makes no move to break their embrace.

"Honestly, darling, we've got to stop meeting like this," he eventually says, reluctantly pulling back so he can finally see her beautiful face. Azura looks unharmed, if a little hollow-cheeked. Later, over tea and pastries and surrounded by bright sunshine, he'll ask her for the truth of what happened that day.

(If she can't tell him, then he'll understand. It's not the first secret between them.)

When she lost her mother, she never imagined just how loved she would become. And sometimes she thinks that her heart will burst with affection all her own; she hopes it's shown in her expression as she looks into her best friend's eyes.

So much has happened between now and when she was lost to the world. There has been so much pain that she has left, and yet --

"I missed you."

Because she was water, he was light and dance and holding back all his fears. She missed him. She cups his cheek now, smiles like she's looking at the sun, and laughs so softly.

"You're going to make me cry, Laslow." The words are teasing, light, but she looks down and lets him go. Here stands her best friend, and yet she has no words to bridge the gap between past an present.

But maybe she does not have to. Maybe she does not need to explain what happened, where her head rested in the time between defeating Garon and now. Laslow has always been -- and she does not doubt that he always will be -- kind, considerate, and not push for more than Azura can give.

All it needed was some sweeping, and a good scrubbing along the grimy windowpane, and ta-da, a perfectly secret--if tiny--dance room. (One day, he'd like to smuggle in a mirror or two without raising questions.) His little forest clearing remains his favorite spot to practice; but on the days he's not in the mood for hiking all the way out there, or the weather is too cold even for his blood, he's grateful for a backup plan.

Tonight, he'd opted for his hidden room, the exhaustion of a string of sleepless evenings finally catching up to him. Hopefully a few hours' practice would tire him out enough. Laslow yawns, shutting the door behind him, then slings his bag over a shoulder. The dancer's rings inside clink softly. He keeps his pace even, trying to hide the labored rise and fall of his chest.

He pauses. Tilts his head. There's no mistaking that melodious voice, the melody flowing from her lips like water. This has to be a dream; his tired mind conjuring up memories of the past before he passes out in a heap here on the pathway between the dormitories and the greenhouse.

But the glass door is cracked open, and he's not back in Ferox or Ylisse or even Nohr, where most of his dreams take place. As if in a trance, he tiptoes forward, afraid to break whatever spell has descended upon him.

Poking his pink head into the greenhouse proper, he swears he's seeing things. His best friend, his artistic confidant, who left without a trace, kneeling here, singing to a garden? If this is a dream, then he's happy to live here for just a little while longer.

Azura's eyes are closed, the palms of her hands face downwards as she conducts herself to cascade over the rolling winds and through the washed up seafoam. She lets it through her, over her, and to the world around her.

There is magic, here, and it does not hurt her to sing anymore.

Her song finishes and she smiles. Eyes open and turn skyward, looking away from the puddles and the rain and the invisible water that swirls around her. Her soul feels light, and she almost doesn't hear him.

Then she turns, still knelt on the ground, and sees Laslow standing there. Where the water has lead her has been only brought her happiness, and each time she reaches out towards the mist she feels she might not be able to touch.

But she takes the leap. She stands, looks at him and takes only a few long strides until she is in his arms. She holds her best friend around the neck and laughs, so softly, and it sounds melodious.