ÐÏࡱáÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿýÿÿÿþÿÿÿþÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿRÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿÿenger of hope to its mistress...
Within the emptiness of their decision, the two who were Flame Quickning missed the first rumble that shook the land. All around the Beach was reacting to something, and in their tired and ragged state, it took long moments to figure out what that something was.
~They have returned Flame...~ Warrior deciphered the message
first. Her declaration was joyous, and it was all that needed to be said. The next thing Flame knew she was nearly flying across the sand towards the House, feet pounding out a rhythm that matched the Earth's. Bursting through the front entrance, she dashed down the hall to the door that lead to the sanctuaries. Flame could feel, even with her limited Water abilities, that the ocean rejoiced in Storm's return...she rejoiced too.
Melding without conscious thought, Flame entered the cove to see the two lying as if dead upon the sand. She forgot her rumpled clothes and her bedraggled appearance, forgot the scars and bruises that laced most of her body, forgot everything, even the resolution made not minutes before. All vanished except for the two who had appeared like a miracle in the cove.
Thistle was curled up tightly, muscles knotted dangerously close to breaking. Her arms were wrapped over her head while her whole body quaked with shivers. Soft mewling sounds escaped her throat, echoing in the clear air of the cove. Somehow she was unaware of the blade protruding from her body, let alone her other surroundings.
Frozen still in the shock of actually seeing her sister and beloved again, Flame missed Storm's toothless grin and sigh. Emerald eyes filled with tears as she rushed to pull Storm from the water's edge.
"I'm fine...Thist's the one that needs help..." Storm said, words slurred due to the lack of teeth.
"I will take care of you, please let me." Pleading laced Flame's tone as she carried Storm to where Thist lay in the sand. If she could not help with the rescue, then at the very least she could put them back together again. Not waiting for a reply, she placed gentle hands on them both, sinking into the Earth. There was a better place waiting, ready for the work that was to begin.
CONTINUED...
$by Jessica Cahil
The days passed with bleak regularity, with nothing to mark a difference one way or another. Flame kept to routine only because she thought she'd go mad otherwise.
The sun tipped the horizon, casting faint colors across a cloudless sky. She
punched and kicked the air savagely, trying desperately to find some meaning in the emptiness of the false dawn. Eyes held tightly shut, she blurred through the forms of the exercises, pushing her body near its limit, so that she would be too tired later to try and get into another fight.
Gone was her usual grace. The flowing precision of her movements was replaced by a frantic desperation, made clear in every line of her body.
~It's difficult to even think right now with you brooding like that.~ Warrior's announcement was only slightly waspish.
~Excuse me if I'm having a hard time being alone.~ Flame responded with
irritation.
~Hardly alone.~
~You know what I mean,~ was Flame's snapped reply.
Silence dwelled between the two beings for long moments, the body they inhabited together still whirling through exercise patterns. Sweat ran freely down the body, an indication of the exhaustion level Flame existed in.
The words were tentative, as if Warrior did not know exactly
how to say them, ~I knew exactly what you meant, and I am...aware of your desire...~ a sigh filled the pause, as if courage were required for the rest. Flame continued her work, only half her mind occupied by the conversation. Finally Warrior finished with a rush, ~If you wish to go...then we will go.~
The last brought her to an abrupt halt, sand kicked up as her
foot slipped. Flame sat down forcefully as her legs gave out, staring dumbly at the rolling ocean. ~I did not think...~
~I know you did not, which is why I felt the need to say it. Flame, we are halves of the same whole...how could I not know the grief you feel? My feelings for Thistle may not be exactly the same as yours, but that does not mean I feel her loss any less.~ Warrior slipped her presence throughout the body, the warmth that flowed being as close to a hug as was possible. ~And, should you leave, I could not stay in this body alone...I am not meant to.~
Tears flowed from their shared eyes as Flame pressed their face into their hands. Ragged breathing clutched their chest as they both struggled to encompass what was held between them. It was something dark and ugly, something that allowed no retreat once surrender was offered. It promised pain and peace in the same guise, a wicked chameleon that fooled even the most enlightened at some point. It held the two halves that were Flame Quickning in thrall.
Hands drifted down into their lap, bloodshot emerald eyes dull with acquiescence. Neither was sure who spoke, perhaps it was both...
~I want to go...~
Storm Quickning's Beach was a special place, one rich in the influence of the Elements. With both the sisters living there, it had become aware of itself in a fledgling way. At the very least it knew when one of its dwellers was missing...or hurt. Storm's disappearance had it troubled, all dwellers vanished from time to time, but this span was too long, even for the Beach. The other dweller sitting in the sand had the Beach nearly in a panic, it was thinking of leaving...permanently!
The slow season made it hard to be, much less to think. Sleep was feeling more and more the thing to do, so the Beach missed the actual moment of Storm's return. Water was the first to react, knowing the feel of the mistress within the cove. A heavy wave crashed upon the land,
alerting Earth to what it should have already known. That gave Earth the distinction of being a mess¦