Everlong

[Ricky]

Ashan 12 718

Location: ??? ????????'? ????

He hadn't really been too busy once the evening had hit in Scalvoris, just the usual routine that involved tidying up after supper. Once his dishes were washed and the cookware too, he proceeded to strip away his layers of clothes down to his trousers. From there he dropped all the loose fabric on the floor of his room, and practically tumbled into a plop into his hammock where his blanket and pillow awaited him. By the seven it felt so good to relax after another long trial, and with the recent times spent preparing for his trip beyond Scalvoris; Enrick had much more to do before he considered himself ready.

Still he wrapped himself up within his blanket and with a sigh, dangled within the hammock as it swayed back and forth slowly. Before too long the rocking motions brought a gentle lull to his mind, and his hazel eyes closed shut to embrace the sleep that swiftly came. For what felt like a mere Bit's worth of time he remained this way, until the sound of his sloop rocking stirred him awake a little. Was there a storm in Scalvoris? He tried to shrug it off but the motions worsened, as though he were somehow already out on the open seas instead of the docks he'd anchored at. "What's te meanin' o' t'is?" He wondered with a stir of his body finally, as he turned to place his feet on the wooden planks beneath him.

The floor was cold and wet. Deep brown eyes quickly shifted to black as he looked to his feet, surprised to see that water slowly flooded into his cabin. Oh no! "Son o' a bitch!" He cursed as he immediately ran for the door to pull it open, yet when he did it wasn't the harbor of Scalvoris waiting for him; it was some kind of forest he had never been in before. Rain poured down like no tomorrow as he stepped out onto the grass, perplexed by the fact his sloop was only here via his own cabin. Where was the rest of his ship? He walked barefoot onto the wet grass as he felt the rain drench his hair, the surface of his skin covered in a thin film of water already as he observed the area.

Trees. Trees. More trees. He turned around enough to look back to his cabin but found it gone next, as nothing but trees seemed to go on for miles and miles. "This... isn't..." But it had to be. Disbelief filled his mind but somehow he felt sure, and just as he looked to the roof of the forest above him; plants within the undergrowth rustled as though something moved within. Bronze colored eyes looked to the source as he heard a noise, some sort of animal that let out an alarming sound somewhere. Vega had instructed him on what to do, the next time something as vivid as this happened. It had to be one of those dreams!

Enrick ran forward determined to chase the sound as it grew distant rather swiftly, his upper body made to dunk below tree limbs while he also darted around shrubs. He pursued it no matter how far away the creature's echoes became, determined to finally have the answer he'd longed to receive. His Familiar. "Wait!!" He called out hopeful that the entity would listen, whatever it may have been when it drew near. "Waaaait!!" Once more he beckoned as he still gave chase, though it seemed as though the creature had managed to completely leave him behind. He came to stop at a nearby river that flowed smoothly over a jagged terrain, which trailed further down through the trees as it started to grow wider in girth.

Maybe...

The rain lightened up some but he could still see droplets ripple the water, as the darkness of night seemed to shroud his ankles and knees. The river was getting deeper! Unsure of where to go next he looked back from the way he came, his eyes a mixture of silver and blue as he started to walk the path of the river.

[Ellen'wyn]

"How many times do I have to tell you to get up?"

Branches rustled overhead and Ellen opened her eyes, immediately irritated. But she wasn't lying in bed. She was sprawled awkwardly across the roots of the same gnarled tree she'd been seeing on and off for trials now. With a groan she crawled to her feet and peered up into its leaves.

"Who are you?" It was not a kind question.

Silence.

Always that damnable intermittent silence.

The mixed-blood growled under her breath and turned toward the rest of the forest. A wild expanse of trees all tangled and ancient and stoic spread out before her. Insects hummed. Birds twittered, whistled, and called high above. The branches of the big oak rustled again, displacing several leaves. Her eyes turned up with a glare.

"What do you want?"

"For you to hurry up."

Twigs snapped and branches swayed, but she couldn't see the source. Something was moving away, running along the tree limbs high above the ground. Without hesitation Ellen gave chase. The mixed-blood had her suspicions at this point, but as of yet her short life had been an unlucky one. Could she be so hopeful to think that a spirit was calling out to her in her dreams? Or were these simply the irrational musings of a troubled mind? Was she creating these fanciful moments as a distraction from the nightmares? Perhaps she was already crazy.

Ellen'wyn huffed along through the thick understory. Low limbs scratched at her cheeks and pulled her hair. She swatted them away, trying to keep the bobbing leaves above well within sight. She hopped over logs, stepped over roots, and skirted around patches of dense thorns. Whatever it was, it didn't ever seem to grow tired. Slowly, it started to pull farther and farther away.

"Wait!" It didn't. "Stop!" And then it was gone.

The redhead stumbled to a halt. Resting a hand on the knobby bark of a younger ash, she leaned over to try and catch her breath. It was fast. If not for the trees growing so closely, she might have tried to fly up to the canopy. Alas her skills in such a habitat were less than ideal despite growing up in Desnind. Really, this forest almost reminded her of home. It felt old and watchful. Like it was its own kind of entity. Ellen felt the first droplets of an oncoming rain shower hit her face as she stood back up. She couldn't see the sky, but she thought perhaps she was meeting the weather in the middle.

She waited there in silence, watching and listening. She doubted whatever it was had left her so suddenly. It was far too insistent she was beginning to realize. After a few ticks, low and behold, there was a call. An eerie but familiar sound. Something like an owl, but not quite. It screeched in the distance a few times. When she didn't move, it called again with increasing tempo.

"Okay! Okay!" Ellen relented, then off she went once more.

There was no movement to follow, just the direction of its call. When she was on the move again, whatever it was went silence once more. Even the rest of the noises had ceased. All except for the approaching sound of running water. She made no attempts toward stealth or discretion. The mixed-blood burst from the treeline and skidded to a stop over shale and loose stone at the edge of the deep river. The current was swift and smooth, but she felt the faintest soothing spray of cool water on her warm face. There was no sign of her quarry though. Ellen strained her ears for a few bits as the rain gradually picked up.

"Where are you?" she called over the sigh of the river and rain. Droplets ran down her skin and feathers. Her hair was damp soon, and she pulled her wings in close to shield her back.

Snap!

A limb broke under foot somewhere nearby. The mixed-blood whipped around, grabbing for a knife but found nothing at her belt. On instinct her wings flared open part-ways--it made her appear larger, more threatening. A figure approached, but on the other side of the river. She relaxed slightly, but only just so.

[Ricky]

The sound of the animal he heard called out once more further downriver, and for a moment he about proceeded to run until... "Shyte!" He nearly fell forward into the pitch black waters beneath him, the surface level already inches above his knees when he staggered forward. There was no way he could run in this amount of water, not when it was too dark to see wherever he was stepping as well. It was pointless. The animal he was meant to chase had already left him behind, and thus he was left to wander the wilderness as the rain drizzled from the canopy.

It was then another seemed to run into his general direction when he walked forward, a winged creature that must've named the wood it's own domain! He stood warily of the being as the outer span of the wings were first to notice, and yet when his eyes looked closer to the body of the creature; the quicker he realized that this wasn't some predator of the night. This was a winged female who seemed to wander the wood just like he did, although it looked as though she might've belonged her given her posture. Immediately Enrick could see that she belonged here, that the wilderness itself welcomed her willingly.

He remained still as he didn't want to frighten her, but if she did happen to live or belong here... then maybe she winged woman knew how this place worked. So Enrick slowly raised arms in a surrendering manner to prove himself harmless and unarmed, a hand also held up to gesture that he hadn't any intention to hurt her also. "Y' a friend or foe?" He checked before he slowly took a step forward towards her direction, although the mud beneath him slipped away under his feet. This of course didn't make the slow approach as easy as he wanted it to be, and therefore he waited until she gave an answer in return. Presumably falling along the lines of 'friend' if she understood the Common Tongue, Enrick relaxed a little and moved his foot forward to take another step.

Big mistake.

His foot missed something evidently as there was no mud for it to sink into, just an endless bottom he quickly plummeted into the moment he made that step. His entire form fell face first into the cold black water before him as he went under, and for a moment Enrick had to wonder just where the hell that deep hole came from. Regardless his surprise had been followed with a lack of air, thus he quickly threw himself backwards from the water. To escape that immediate drop and remain where he was safe, with gasps to follow as he nearly fell on his ass into the water yet again.

"Mother o' Pearl," He swore in his heavy accent, "river gets deep t'ere by te way! Just so y' know!" The fisherman pointed out with hands raised again, hopeful that his brief panic didn't startle her.

[Ellen'wyn]

A man. Ellen's amber and hazel eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he didn't seem to notice her at first. He traipsed along swiftly, looking rather intent, and stumbled right into the river. Not particularly aware of his surroundings, it seemed. It was then, drenched past the knees and shocked back to the now that he finally noticed her. She didn't blame him for being so surprised--she shared the sentiment.

Ellen didn't recognize him at all. Some figment of her dreaming mind, it seemed. Surely that's what this was. Last the redhead remembered she was curled up and miserable in bed, feeling sorry for herself and aching all over.

He raised his hands in a placating sort of gesture and she cocked a brow. He had a thick accent that she didn't necessarily recognize, but she'd heard people talk similar down around the port at Foster's Landing. Sailors and the like. He shuffled closer through the water, but still had that same posture of surrender. If this really was a dream, then wouldn't that mean he wasn't a threat? He looked harmless enough, soaked to the thigh in the middle of the rushing water. He definitely didn't look the type of a woodsman. Why would her mind come up with such a strange image?

"That depends," Ellen finally chirped. His featured relaxed slightly, like he was surprised she could talk. "Who are y--?" the mixed-blood went to continue, but the man suddenly slipped and dropped right into the water.

Down into the cold he went, under the surface completely, then back up and floundering in the shock of it all. He almost fell again, but half-caught himself. He sputtered and cursed, and Ellen couldn't help herself. Her serious features faltered and her face broke into a crooked grin. A little laughing snort bubbled out of her. Definitely not a mindful man. Ellen picked up her feet one at a time and stripped her moccasins off. She tossed them aside and stepped carefully down toward the edge of the river.

Her toes dug into mud then splashed into the chilly water. She waded in until the current rushed around her calves and offered him a hand. Her fingernails had grown quite long and unkempt as of late. They were more like claws at this point, and her slender fingers looked almost like talons.

"Here. I don't feel like watching you drown."

[Ricky]

He had never in his life expected to wake up in the middle of some woodland area like this. Honestly Enrick had never expected much of anything out of his simple life, so it was naturally quite easy to determine him well out of his own element here. Therefore while he'd been given the inclination that this other person or entity here might be friend, he clearly proved himself to be the fish out of water in this place. When he had plummeted into the water before him, he hadn't expected it to be so vibrantly cold since the air didn't feel that chilly anyways. In comparison it felt warm and humid which is why the dramatic change shocked him so, and now he couldn't help but shiver some as he still felt the rain trickle down his torso.

He was cold. But hearing the girl briefly burst into a moment of laughter amused him, enough that he couldn't help but smile in her general direction. She then proceeded to remove her shoes and walk within the other side of the riverbed, an hand outstretched towards him as she seemed inclined to help. "Never said Oi couldn't swim lass." He mused with a more careful step taken forward, after a couple more cautious ones were made he found that spot again. Right where the decline went he felt his foot practically miss the mud beneath him, and it seemed quite a bit of a decent gap between him and the winged woman. Carefully he eased his foot down as the flowing water immediately rose up just over his chest, and sure enough he found that bottom he had missed earlier before.

Except it was still very dark and impossible to see, and the current didn't feel strong at first but that could change. Enrick also couldn't help but gasp and pant a few times over how cold the water felt, his mouth hung open as he slowly tried to take another step closer. Up to his collar bones now. The water still felt gentle in comparison to before, so maybe the current wouldn't be so bad as he feared it could be. "Ok-kay," He muttered briefly as he shivered in his spot, "Oi'ma try t' push over t' ya." He gave her a warning before he bounced his knees a couple of times, and then followed up with a push off into the stream before him. "Oh jeez! Ooooh this is cold!!" He barked as he reached out some before himself to grasp at the hand, although the woman still seemed several feet away.

Sure enough after a few paddles he made it over to her side, close enough to grasp the hand she held out to him as he felt her pull him in. He'd made it then. Right on the other side of the riverbank into the shallows, where he could easily feel mud rest under his feet again. "Tanks, mother fuck o' Pearl it's cold." He shuddered loudly with a few loose shakes of his body, glad to get back out of the cold water where the air felt slightly warmer. Only slightly. Once the water level was at his ankles he bent over with hands rested on his knees, a few deep breaths taken to help slow down his heart rate after the cold. "So 're y' it?" He inquired with silver eyes curiously locked upon her. "Are ya m' spirit guide or... however tis weird t'ing works?"

He watched her curiously as he noticed the woman seemed just a couple inches less taller than him, and more human up close than from afar when he saw her before. It was too dark to really tell what color her eyes were, but he could outright tell that the color of her hair was ginger. That works for him. Enrick always had a thing for red-heads naturally, thus it didn't surprise him that this spirit guide would probably have that. If she was. "Y' know?" He checked as she didn't seem to outright understand. "Tis Sev'ryn ting? Yer suppose t' show me m' familiar?"

Evidently he knew next to nothing of these dreams.

[Ellen'wyn]

"You could have fooled me," she said with a quirk of her brow as he made his way toward her across the current.

He did seem confident though when his feet were finally under him and he had his bearings. Ellen personally could not swim, so she stayed safely in the shallows. She'd always been afraid of being pulled down by waterlogged wings, or the thought of liquid filling her lungs. Unpleasant to say the least.

The mixed-blood shuddered and dismissed the images from her mind as the stranger finished the crossing and clasped her firmly by the arm. His big hand swallowed her wrist in its grasp, and as she helped him out of the water was surprised by the sheer size of him. He was much taller than he'd looked, and squatting there with his hands on his knees he looked like a sopping wet grizzly.

"You're welcome," she chimed, amused by his exclamations despite herself.

His hair was plastered to his head and his clothes clung to every nook and cranny as wet garments tended to, but he seemed in good spirits despite being freezing cold and soaked to the bone. He stood then and fixed her with a curious gaze. He was even taller than he looked initially, and Ellen had to tilt her head back just to meet his eyes.

Spirit guide? Her face was surprisingly blank. Behind the mask she was shocked. Too shocked really to even make a face. This man was Sev'ryn? She'd never met such a person. He looked and sounded nothing like one. But why then would he ask such a question? Ellen'wyn's eyes narrowed slightly, and she looked him up and down, head to toe.

He was big and broad, but didn't have the look of the wild about him. He was dressed like a very normal run-of-the-mill man, soaked as he was. Boots, pants, shirt, vest. She grabbed his hand in silence and turned it over in her own, scrutinizing it. She felt his fingers and the flesh of his palm. Calloused and strong. She dropped the limb and paced around him in a circle, plucking lightly at his clothes, feeling the fabric, sizing him up. Finally she stopped in front of him once more, arms folded over her chest and chin stuck out.

"Ke’u awt Sev'ryn? Dẹọdọ ies ke’ua srer?" Ellen spoke in rapid Xanthean, gauging his reaction, but found it lacking. She could tell by the look on his face that he had no idea what she was saying.

"What makes you think an Osẹ-bori is calling you? You've felt its pull?"

Her own heart was pounding. Was this some sort of vision from her spirit? Was this how it was calling out to her? In the shape of this stranger?

Translations

Ke’u awt Sev'ryn? - You are Sev'ryn?

Dẹọdọ ies ke’ua srer? - What is your name?

[Ricky]

Enrick couldn't help but puff a little as laughing while swimming didn't seem possible, and of course when he seemed to finally reach the side she stood on; he was quickly better able to study her more carefully. Now that they were up close she definitely looked more so the part, in terms of what he believed to be her spirit guide in this dream. Her clothes were that of furs and leather which resembled that of a huntress, a look surprisingly similar to one he knew back at his home island. Where was Scalvoris now? He never recalled there being any rain forests like this there, and the river didn't mimic and body of water drawn on his map... at least he didn't think anyways. Not that he could immediately tell since it was dark, and the forest seemed pretty sizable to look at from where he stood.

Still it was easy to tell that he practically dwarfed the lass in comparison, even though she had a magnificent pair of wings at her back. What stood out most was the red hues that outlined her hair, as the braided locks seemed to dangle in a drift when a breeze brushed on by. How could this lady not be his spirit guide in this instance? Immediately when he looked at her not only did he get the 'Sev'ryn' vibe from her, but also a more alluring interest albeit based of inner curiosity. Enrick kind of shivered a bit now that he was out of the water, the chill his body experienced from temperature changes producing goosebumps on his tanned skin. Plus his clothing had been all drenched now, a surprise to discover since he remembered sleeping without the majority of them.

Strange... Just what in Idalos was going on here? When it seemed he expected his guide to have all the answers, she merely spoke what sounded like riddled words at first. Until he realized... they weren't riddles in comparison, just the language he never understood to begin with. Yet he felt something towards them, a sense of semblance in their meaning even though he didn't understand a lick of what he heard. The way the woman spoke though, she did so quickly and confidently without a second thought. As though the words were second nature to her, while a complete mystery on Enrick's own behalf. And then the real questions! The one's he could actually understood in Common.

Blackened hues lit up to an array of silver within his irides, as Enrick found himself able to quickly answer on behalf of that. "Oi dunno actually," He admitted with a slight chuckle, "Oi dunno much o' anyt'ing about me Sev'ryn half in truth..." At that he rubbed the back of his neck a little sheepishly, his lips still upturned into a smirk as he looked around their environment once more. Ose-bori? Was that the familiar thing he was supposed to locate here? He remembered hearing something like an animal, and as he was told he tried to give chase... So here he was now... with this red-headed lass with wings. But she wasn't his spirit guide? "Ye... sure y' not suppose t' be me spirit guide ting? Oi only know Oi was suppose t' follow some sort'a creature or somethin. Some kinda animal was suppose t' call out t' me, and when Oi t'ought it did Oi followed it t' te river... ten t' ya."

At that note the water rippled behind them. Something within seemed to stir on it's own, and then the water level at their shins rapidly started to descend. At the center of the river where the water seemed thickest, a large body of it started to bob and bounce to life. Now the water level had reached their ankles, and a massive amount of the river seemed to accumulate into one single entity as it took on a life of it's own. "Holy... Is t'at suppose t' happen??" Enrick checked with a look from it to the woman in disbelief, unsure as to whether or not they were in immediate danger now. But the water didn't seem to treat them as such. Instead the large mass drifted closer towards them, much of the rivers flow coursing along the surface of the entity.

"Ibiti tidings tä anou äjọdun sọ ke’u." A soft and gentle voice lulled from within the depths of the water.

"Ọgä ke’u shäurï tare, murädï azuka fẹsï ke’u tsämï tä ailewu"

Off Topic

Figured with two 'spiritual' races interacting with one another, I'd spice things up a bit with the idea of a 'spirit' appearing to speak with them.

Translation:
"Ibiti tidings tä anou äjọdun sọ ke’u." - "Good tidings to the two of you."
"Ọgä ke’u shäurï tare, murädï azuka fẹsï ke’u tsämï tä ailewu" - "Together you stand now, so ask whatever you seek to know."

[Ellen'wyn]

She was close enough now to see the change of his eyes. When the color shifted suddenly Ellen bounced on her muddy toes with a start. A strange man indeed.

"So you're some kind of half-breed?" Her brows furrowed then, and she tilted her head, peering up at him.

He looked like a normal human aside from those eyes. He claimed to be half Sev'ryn, which was a quality they shared. But what did mean of the other half? Hers was rather obvious. The wings jutting from her shoulders were impossible to miss, whether she liked it or not. If she really thought about it though, the stranger's eyes were just as striking--in their own way--and that made her feel like she stuck out a little less like a sore thumb for some reason.

"I've never heard of someone being another's spirit guide," she explained tentatively, slowly shaking her head. Ellen didn't look particularly convinced though. She was no real expert. "I'm sorry."

Why was she sorry? Maybe because she could empathize with the hope and confusion felt by another half-blood. But he claimed to have heard something calling him. Something had called her too. Was it the same creature? Was it really a spirit, or some kind of trick? There wasn't such a thing as a shared familiar, that much she knew. So either they heard different things, or they were both hallucinating. But if they each heard a separate call, then found each other, what did that mean? Her head was starting to hurt.

Ellen rubbed her eyes as the water behind her began to shudder and roll. His hand tapped her shoulder rapidly, and she blinked the black specks out of her vision.

"What?"

He was pointing out into the river. She realized then that the chilly water had receded from her calves and lapped around her feet. Ellen followed his finger, then froze. Her mouth popped open and her eyebrows climbed halfway up her forehead. She wasn't sure they'd ever come back down. He was still tapping her shoulder--probably in shock, without realizing--and she grabbed his wrist, holding it steady as they both watched, dumbfounded, as a large blob of water rose from the river and floated towards them.

When it spoke, the corner of her mouth turned up in a disbelieving grin. Her eyes flicked briefly to her companion's face to gauge his reaction. Confusion and shock, as expected. It spoke Xanthean, so she doubted he understood what it was saying. Ellen cleared her throat and went to speak, but nothing really came out. She paused, licked her lips, trying to look calm and confident, and tried again.

"It--uh--says hello," the woman explained. There was a brief hesitation then. "It says that we can ask it what we want." She was curious and engaged the entity directly then, switching to their shared tongue. "Hefitswo awt ke’u? Dav ke’u ailewu herwìva ïdäkẹjẹ awt tọ?"

Translations

Hefitswo awt ke’u? Dav ke’u ailewu herwìva ïdäkẹjẹ awt tọ? - Who are you? Do you know why we're here?

[Ricky]

At the mention, and apology, over the fact that she was no spirit guide; Enrick could only slightly scowl his lips in contemplation, unsure as to what to think beyond the fact this was beyond unusual. When he looked at her and saw the beautiful ginger hair, along with the majesty of her brilliant wings, something about her just gave off that impressionable vibe. So why not? Why wasn't she a spirit guide? "Aye, ain't no skin off m' back really. Oi've been tryin' t' make sense o' tese dreams fer arcs." He implied with a shrug only just before the next strange event occurred, sure enough the supernatural of this world decided to make it's presence known to them. Enrick was utterly in disbelief to be sure, never seeing anything like this event in his entire life.

Honestly he wanted the girl who wasn't his spirit guide to pinch him or something, make him realize that he might've in fact been dreaming. And then... the water spoke. The fekkin water spoke. Though in what sounded like the similar language the winged woman spoke, which of course still sounded rather foreign if not alien to Enrick. So... what did it say? Hello? The ginger confirmed this as well as another statement, one that implied they were both welcome to ask it questions. Wait. So... they could speak to it? Already the ginger seemed to ask questions, and somehow Enrick felt jealous for lacking understanding.

"Sev aji ïbẹẹrẹ, whakamātao sọ anou mïshän. Sev aji av furta mpishi, kikọsilẹ av ojúṣe ayipada kọv ïdäkẹjï tìrol sọ anou mätū"

The body of fluid responded as it's surface rippled and bounced in an animistic manner.

"Ke’u awt cehnek tọ osise àtíjọ, anou diri ke’u awt connected inan besven alama. Anou nenailtsih ke’ua paths jasi idan tọ, means ke’ua yeztli ties ke’u cehnek ọgä"

Almost instinctively the spirit reacted with what could've been a turn of it's form? Perhaps in a sense to look upon Enrick just before it spoke further. "Ïdäkẹjï whakamātao sọ anou ïbẹẹrẹ, latsi takip ärä tä säju."

The entity said once more, before finally echoing something the fisherman did understand. "I greet you in peace, Därïyä burestu, you and Mïshän härumtä both.""

"You can speak Common then?" Enrick inquired as a particular word the entity spoke resonated in him, the memory of a name he remembered hearing from his father a long time ago.

"I speak to you, through you so that you might understand."

"So why?" He inquired as he had obviously missed that part of conversation. "Why is it we're both here? Are you what's suppose t' guide us?"

"I do nothing but flow, for I am water and that is all. You however seek your selves here, your connection to a Diri referred to as Osẹ-bori."

Enrick craned his head with eyes narrowed on the body of water, a look past him to Ellen to see if she could enlighten him on this.

Off Topic

Translation:
"Sev aji ïbẹẹrẹ, whakamātao sọ anou mïshän. Sev aji av furta mpishi, kikọsilẹ av ojúṣe ayipada kọv ïdäkẹjï tìrol sọ anou mätū" - I am water, child of the sky. I am a constant entity, ever a flow even in this part of the realm.

"Ke’u awt cehnek tọ osise àtíjọ, anou diri ke’u awt connected inan besven alama" - You are both here for purpose, the Diri you are connected with await discovery.

"Anou nenailtsih ke’ua paths jasi idan tọ, means ke’ua yeztli ties ke’u cehnek ọgä" - The fact your paths have cross here, means your fate ties you both together.

"Ïdäkẹjï whakamātao sọ anou ïbẹẹrẹ, latsi takip ärä tä säju." - This child of the water, does not seem to understand.

"därïyä burestu" - sea bear

"mïshän härumtä" - sky rider

[Ellen'wyn]

Child of the sky.

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. The name made something in her chest stir, but she let it be. Ellen wasn't about to argue with a spirit, so the half-breed kept her mouth firmly shut for once and let the entity continue. She glanced at her strange companion uncertainly.

Fate ties us together?

The redhead thought she might explode with questions. The man looked down at her, catching her staring, and she looked away briefly. But there was no helping it. She'd seen her own curiosity mirrored there in his strange eyes. They both wanted answers.

"Somehow--" Ellen paused, chewing on the words, looking as if she wanted to squirm. It sounded idiotic and prophetic in her head, but she wasn't sure how else to explain her theory. "Somehow, you and I may be on a similar path. One that--" She squinted at the water spirit, and as its globulous body shifted she got a strange sense that it was coaxing her almost encouragingly. "One that connects us to our Osẹ-bori. Our familiars."

She'd looked away from him again, brows furrowed and face pinched as she thought about the possibility and implications. It didn't make any sense--but did it have to? The woman was at war with herself. Two sides arguing wildly with each other. One was afraid, the other was hopeful. Ellen had never given herself much opportunity to think an Osẹ-bori might want to bond with her. She was a half-breed after all, and a bit of a wild card. She'd always thought her Avriel half would get in the way like it always had. But now... Ellen rounded on the man.

"I don't even know your name. I don't know who you are. What you are. Where you are. And you don't know anything about me. So does that mean I must come find you before I can find my Osẹ-bori?"

She looked at the water spirit but it remained silent. It jiggled slightly, shimmering like the rippled top of a lake under a gust of water, but was waiting for her to finish. It had infinite patience after all. A quality she did not share. Ellen looked back up at the man, frustrated but also encouraged by its silence.

"My name is E--"

Her dream shattered. In an instant she was gone, like a candle being snuffed.
Ellen shot up in her bed as a door slammed loudly across the hall. Voices shouted angrily at each other. She was back in her room, tangled in the sheets and covered in sweat. Her heart was pounding. Some sort of lover's quarrel had woken her. Immediately, she was furious. It was an important dream. She knew that much, but all she had was the fuzzy image of a face. A man's face.

Rolling over, she picked up her knife and threw it at the door, screaming at the top of her lungs. The hall well silent as the knife bounced off and clattered uselessly on the floor. Her ribs protested painfully and her shoulder ached. Ellen curled up on her side, fuming, angry tears spilling down her face. His features were fading now, slipping through her fingers like sand. Sleep would not come again for the rest of the night.

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