Always You

[Criala 728]

 

Spoiler

 

 

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? Since we first met." A 'ker murmured to herself, hand resting on the trunk of a willow tree. Head tilted back just a touch, eyes staring up at the tree trunk. "And what a journey it's been to get here." 

 

A glow of deep lilac purple took over the normal teal hues. Her focus was entirely on the tree in front of her. If anyone showed up now, she wouldn't have noticed.

 

“It was always you.” The words were whispered aloud, her forehead now pressed to the trunk of the willow tree. “No matter what, it was always you.”

 

Stopped before the gates of Linandria, the 'ker peered up at them. A tilt of her head as she did, eyes narrowing into a squint. Trying to see through the bars, no doubt.

 

Getting inside the city was quick at least. The first row of gates lifted before she called out, and in she was. 

 

A male 'ame was who let her in. Brown hair, one visible green eye, a green bandana covering his left one. A dark brown coat that had seen better days, but it suited him. Right hand appeared to be made of wood.

 

A joke came to mind, but she held it off. Well, for as long as she could. It wasn't made until later on in knowing each other, at least.

 

Introductions were made.

 

Calius Terin. That was his name. Or Cal, for short. Everyone seemed to just call him Cal. 

 

Her own was given in return. Vienele. Just that, nothing else to go with it.

 

From the beginning, he was very easy to talk to. To spend time with. Time passed far too quickly for her liking when they spoke. Too soon, it ended. But he was always around, so it wasn't long before it started up again.

 

There was a night a couple months later, recalled so fondly and clearly to this day. Playing her violin, along with a friend and their lute. Just next to the edge of the fountain, she danced along to the music being made. 

 

He was seated on the edge, not too far away, watching and listening as this went on. A smile on his face.

 

Amidst her playing and dance, she glanced at him, letting her gaze meet his. Time stopped when teal met green. With that shared look, she knew. And it seemed he did too, with the way he paused and his cheeks darkened.

 

That night stuck with her.

 

He was the first she’d heard of druidism. An offer for her to watch a lesson with one of his students. She didn’t mind, curious to see what went into one. It was also a good excuse to spend more time with him.

 

Some of it, she didn’t understand, since she wasn’t a druid. What she did know was it was about connecting to a seed and causing it to grow. What came from the seed Cal grew was a lavender flower. Once he was done with it, he gave it to her.

 

A smile came to her face though, careful as she held the flower. Honestly, it took her focus off of what was going. So, anything else regarding that lesson was fuzzy. The lesson didn’t last much longer, from what she could remember at least. His student went home, leaving them by themselves. 

 

The night took them to the Terin tree, outside of the city, in the forests of Linandria. They stopped at the base of it, and he was kind enough to offer her a place to stay. Touched by it, she gave him a hug in return. The action surprised him, but he was more than happy to return it. It lasted a moment or two, before they moved to pull back. But not enough to be pulled completely apart. Their eyes met. He leaned down, and she stretched up to meet him. That night was when their relationship first started.

 

After that, she met his twin sons. Ruin’nir and Tam’naeuth. They were the spitting image of their father. Maybe eight years old, left without a mother because theirs had died a few years earlier. Her heart ached for these boys, the boys that would become hers in time, for she knew the pain of losing a parent. Both of hers were gone.

 

From the start, she treated them as though they were her own, without any hesitation. Nothing was expected in return. No mentions of them acting like she was their mother or calling her Haelun. Always best to let the children come to you in situations like this. Eventually, both of them said it for the first time. Her bottom lip trembled when she heard it, from each of them, tears threatening to spill as her heart swelled.

 

Many years together, with Cal, went by. Last she talked to him, he said he loved her, and that he would be back home later. Later never came. Years went by, but still, she waited. With so many years going by, the worst was concluded. He had to be dead. The conclusion was heartbreaking. Grief consumed her, and she vanished.

 

When she appeared again to find Caras Eldar in Atlas, it was a pleasant surprise to run into Tam’naeuth. Profuse apologies were given to her son, apologies for disappearing. He reassured her it was okay, but what he told her next caused her heart to stop and her blood to run cold. 

 

Cal was alive, but he was with someone. Heartbreak hit again, but it was mixed with something else. Anger. He was alive, and she knew nothing of it. Relief danced along with heartbreak and anger, because he was alive.

 

Tam’naeuth tried to stop her, but she pulled herself up from the fountain bench, aiming to exit the city. If Cal happened to show up, she didn’t want to see him right now. Not with the hurt and anger so fresh. The universe has a funny way of working, because on the way out, Cal was on his way in.

 

She froze, as did he, upon seeing each other. He found his voice first, though it was only an utterance of her name. 

 

Everything spilled out at once for her, her emotions unable to be held back. Cracks and falters with her words. It was a struggle to get those first words out, but once she was able, there was no stopping her. How she thought he’d been dead, how she’d had to take the time to get over her grief, and here he was. Alive and well, with a new partner, with no word to her. The more came out, the more her voice softened. Her gaze fell to her feet, droplets hitting the stone beneath her.

 

His reply was how he’d run into bandits and wandered off after on his way home, into nature. The call of nature was something druids could not ignore. He thought her dead when he didn’t find her in Caras Eldar, some years before. 

 

Easy enough to think. She thought the same of him, so she couldn’t be mad when he thought it of her. Regret replaced the dying down anger. If she’d only continued waiting, if only she’d not disappeared. 

 

‘I wouldn’t have lost him.’

 

Despite it all, she still loved him. She never stopped, and her heart still melted at the sight of him, as it had years ago. 

 

Within the tavern of Caras Eldar, a short time later, the two found themselves seated at a table. She had something for him. With a careful hand, she produced a heart shaped wreath, made of lavender flowers. Brown and clearly having been dead for some time. It was a miracle it was still in one piece. But great care had been to keep it intact. It was a gift she’d made for him a long time ago. Originally, kept so she could place it on his grave, if she ever found it. But, since he was alive, it felt only right to give it to him. 

 

Shock was evident on his features at this, stunned with how long she’d kept it. With a turquoise glow taking over his visible green eye, the wreath slowly returned to life, vibrant purple and green instead of brown. A slight smile came to his face as he thanked her, lifting the wreath up.

 

The smile on his face brought a small one to hers. An internal debate went on, and in the end, she decided to bring it up, lest she regret it later. A love for him that never stopped, how she still cared for him, and a willingness to try again, should he want to. He didn’t have to, but the offer was there.

 

There was a slight hesitation. He still cared for her as well, but with his relationship, he needed time to think about it. Something that she respected and wouldn’t push. In the meantime, she stayed around, often visiting the Mother Grove to check in on him. A reply to her hadn’t been given, but overhearing a conversation with his partner’s family was enough to tell her his decision was made. To respect such, she pulled back, happy as long as he was. No avoidance of him, just a distance maintained to be respectful. 

 

During this time was when she first made the steps toward becoming a druid. Her dedicancy became her focus, Guyden as her guide. Her Terin mark was also obtained this time. Unofficial, she’d been one for a long time, but it was now official. 

 

There was a willow tree outside of his house, in the grove, just down the hill from it. She found herself there, sitting beneath it or on the roots, just talking to the tree. On good, bad, neutral days. There was also time made to go see it and talk, whether the soul within it could hear her or not.

 

It took her years to try to date again. The first a dark elf, but the relationship only lasted a few years, before he vanished. A handful of years later, she met her future husband. A whirlwind of a relationship with many ups and many downs. During this relationship, in the new land of Arcas, she was attuned as a druid. Sister Lilac. In that time, his relationship had ended, but another had blossomed.

 

Her visiting the willow tree didn’t stop, even with the changing of lands. Arcas now, within the Talus Grove. Time was still made to stop by. More days than usual were spent there though, especially during the end of her marriage. Those were some particularly bad days for her. As time continued, it got better, but the amount of time she spent at that tree remained the same. 

 

A brief relationship happened, but it didn’t last. It wasn’t anything he did. He was a good man. It was on her side. Her feelings hadn’t faded, not even a little bit, for the man she first met back in Axios. No one was him. She tried not to think about it, because as far as she knew, he was still with someone.

 

Nenar was the one to force her to confront it. Despite the way she deflected it, the ‘ame woman saw right through her, urging her to talk to him. An uncertainty of if he still felt the same way. But the argument was she wouldn’t know if she didn’t try. With enough prodding, she relented, but asked for time to be able to bring it up. Sure, but if it took too long, Nenar would talk to Cal herself.

It was atop the willow tree, where a bench was, when the talk happened. Nenar and Tam’naeuth sped the process up, with their comments and jokes. Ruin’nir seemed to be none the wiser, but made his leave to attend to business. His brother and sister followed not long after. That left them alone to talk. 

 

Nerves were almost eating her alive, but they were eased, for the most part. Talk of how they’d missed one another, and how they hadn’t stopped feeling for the other. His green bandana was removed, two green eyes meeting her teal ones now. Her hands lifted to find his cheeks, gently cupping them as her forehead rested against his. The rest of the time was spent with quiet conversation and kisses being made up for.

 

Some time later, they were seated beneath the tree, her sitting beside him. Hareven made his appearance, chatting with the both of them. Not long later, Cal left, leaving her alone with Hareven. And what he said caused her to choke on air. 

 

“So, y’all *******?” 
 

 

Art By VixieBee

 

Spoiler

(( A bunch of kinda fluffy writing for @Calioos! The duo's entire journey together!

 

@Keefy

 Best way to end this post! C:

 

[Keefy 2047]

"And I was ******* right!" Hareven iterates to noone but his possibly confused wife, apropos of nothing 

[DragonofTaters 470]

Around the continent one might catch sight of a redhaired woman. Darting in and out of bushes, dashing from one place to the next. Never sitting still. It's a wonder she didn't end up falling off a cliff on one of her weird adventures. But no matter how far her feet took her, she always made her way back. Back to the grove, back to the tree. And she'd smile at the sight of the pair together. A note would be left, to be found perhaps days, perhaps years, in the future. Three little words... "I told you..."

[DahStalker 2846]

Spoiler

Very wholesome post

 

[Criala 728]

15 hours ago, DragonofTaters said:

Around the continent one might catch sight of a redhaired woman. Darting in and out of bushes, dashing from one place to the next. Never sitting still. It's a wonder she didn't end up falling off a cliff on one of her weird adventures. But no matter how far her feet took her, she always made her way back. Back to the grove, back to the tree. And she'd smile at the sight of the pair together. A note would be left, to be found perhaps days, perhaps years, in the future. Three little words... "I told you..."

One day said note was found. A curious look was on the 'ker's face when she picked it up, unfolding it to see what was written inside. 

 

"..."  

 

She shook her head, letting out a sigh. There was the faintest hints of a smile on her face though.

[Criala 728]

On 5/23/2021 at 9:25 PM, Keefy said:

"And I was ******* right!" Hareven iterates to noone but his possibly confused wife, apropos of nothing 

Vienele could just feel Hareven's reponse, thinking that when he said that, she and Cal hadn't done that again yet!