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Love is devotion.
Elm had always believed it so, although Liese would only giggle, warm fingers wrapped around her wrist or forearm as large hoop earrings flapped against her jaw with the contrary shake of her head, sharp eyes concealed by layers of long, thick lashes. Love is freedom, she would argue, sunlight glinting off the tips of fangs bared in impish delight, and the joy you share with others.Of course her reasoning was sound, the unending freedom and compassion enjoyed by the Satyros tribes a long-standing tradition, but it was never quite what she meant. Somewhere in the pit of her hardened heart, Elm yearned to cross paths with someone to whom she could devote her life, who would fight beside her and travel this dying world until the root of the problem was ripped like a long-dead tree from the source. You'll find someone, Liese had promised with a squeeze, warm cloth on bare skin without the hard bands of her bells, as Elm studied the earthy blend of her uncovered eyes; browner than tilled soil, with a green more subdued than all of Celestia sprawling around them. Oblong pupils spanning those hazel fields narrowed for the harsh glare of sun in their depths. She was beautiful.Sometimes Liese complained that no one glanced her way with the same impassioned gaze of one longing for a mate, but at times like this, Elm could not voice the secrets in her chest – that Liese would have more luck if she viewed the world with parted lashes, her natural beauty ascended to an almost otherworldy radiance when she regarded her like this, her generous heart on full display for all the world to see if it only dared to look.On frequent days when neither Lady Aht nor other village children vied for her attention and teachings, dancing with her, circling about her at a canter with their carefree sentiments, her companion often trod the same path as she. There was much protest the first time she had invited herself to one of her patrols, suspicions of distraction and danger, but Liese only laughed, well-toned arms loose at the curve of her spine, and assured Elm that she would protect her. In truth, that was what she feared, but under the condition of her silence she had reluctantly agreed.They often travelled through the hush of the world like this, where fetlock-high grass bowed noisily beneath the careful pick of hooves and distant birds chirped their glorious greetings. Every now and again Liese would hum to herself, temperate air between them sweetened by gentle notes as she followed Elm's unhurried rhythm. She did not sing with Lady Aht's untempered cries, nor with the rich, deep, reverberating tones of Vanoss. She did not sing at all, really, her melody one with a closed mouth and desirous of any words. But despite her restraint, their mutual quiet, never in the many watchful glances that Elm spared over her shoulder did Liese seem ill at ease.After some weeks, she found herself following Liese in turn, standing guard at a clearing they had claimed as their own or ensuring she returned to the village unscathed. Today Liese was truly content in her endless practice, mischievous eyelids smoothed over a myriad of mysteries closed tighter than usual as she swayed this way and that, pursued the innate rhythm of her body as far as it would take her. Synchronised arms snaked at her sides as though her body did not exist, with a looseness only emphasised when they aimed themselves her way. Her secretive smile returned with what may have been a wink had she only widened those sublime eyes, alternating hands dragging longingly toward herself as though they tugged the invisible cord that united them. Although Elm returned neither the gesture nor the expression – did not entertain notions of the impossible – her guarded posture eased somewhat while her armour fell lax at her ribs. She lingered here longer than anywhere else, between her vigil and hunting trips.It was on one of many such pleasant afternoons that her friend truly surprised her.“Hey, dance with me!”Elm had no time to protest as limber hands tugged her forward with a greater strength than she knew her to possess, powerful legs jerking to keep her balance. Not even she could stay stoic under the circumstances.“Now?” Never in all her years on this plane had her voice pitched like that. “...But there's no music.”“Like that matters!”Then Liese was laughing with all the mirth in her chest, free as she ever was, more forceful than usual as she guided stiff limbs into her desired positions. Elm had never considered herself graceful, not in the way that dancers were, clumsy outside of combat, but once Liese settled down enough that her coaxing no longer bordered on painful it was not terribly difficult to follow her lead.Really, there wasn't much need for her at all; Liese twirled and hopped, only using Elm's hand to support herself while she spun to the edge of her reach and back in, or when she arched like a serpent along the rigid brace of her arm, the unbroken line of her body between her outstretched hoof and the masterful curl of smooth fingertips stretched high above her head a lesson in perfection. She stayed like that for far longer than she had any right to, smirking up at her above her heaving chest, a secretive hazel glint sparkling from betwixt dark lashes. A flash of heat surged behind Elm's ribs, and against her very nature she was the first to look away.“Heh heh, I knew that would do the trick!”Liese lay heavy in her arm for only a moment longer before she righted herself with all the poise she had come to expect, body playfully pressed up against her own, practice-warm and full of life.“You need to take life by the horns sometimes, Elm! Make a moment every now and then.”An indignant flush burned hot along the nape of her neck, and still she could not meet her friend's eye. “...I suppose if you request it, my lady, then I've no need to refuse.”At that her friend pouted, nose wrinkled adorably. “Honestly, Elm! You need to lighten up! That's it, I'm taking you dancing every day until the festival!”Their horns bumped against one another in her haste to affirm her intent, gaze narrowed in suspicion. “Excuse me?”“You heard me.” It was not only her nose that scrunched, this close, but her cheeks as well.“That really won't be necessary...” Despite every nerve in her body screaming at her to do so, Elm did not step away. She had already betrayed enough of her pride.Long serpentine arms wrapped tight around her torso as Liese seized her chance, squeezed so tight Elm was grateful for the cuirass groaning softly against her skin. Her expression twisted into something more like a sneer than anything with good intentions, the pink of her tongue barely visible beneath a line of razor teeth. “Oh? What was that about you not refusing me?”“I- Er...”Her words lay thick on her stricken tongue. Any residual moisture she may have yet held dissipated for an insistent burn beneath her skin when Liese mockingly rubbed their noses together. Compared to the blaze within her cheeks, that supple face was a balm, cool as a refreshing dip in one of their many pristine springs.At long last and yet all too soon, Liese gradually eased away to allow a space between them – enough for Elm to breathe, to collect her muddled thoughts.“I have to go teach the little ones to dance now, but I'll be back tomorrow. Every day, got it?”In what she would never admit was defeat, Elm dizzily sighed, gave her a bothered nod as fingers flexed and lay lax. “So be it. We'll meet back here tomorrow.”“Great! It's a date!” With no more than a heartbeat's pause, Liese pranced across the grove, only turning to wave with alternating fingers before she crossed the gnarly threshold at a trot.“Well, that was pointless.”“I dunno, Elm,” her best friend chuckled behind her, stepped clear of the trees at her back, “I'd say that went delightfully well.”“The world ill wishes one who spies on intimate moments, Samra.”There was no venom in her words as she turned to face him, however, his lanky frame covered poorly by his oversized vest. Broad golden feathers stretched from his hunting quiver to curl like the wings of a swan between spiralling nut-brown horns, as though he borrowed hats from those horrible humans. Uneven teeth flashed his grin of a thousand suns, rival only to Lady Aht's, while he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.“Hey, I waited 'til she left, didn't I? Wasn't about to interrupt.”Despite herself, Elm snorted, the tiniest crack in that cultivated facade as her chin tucked slightly towards her throat.“It is good to see you, old friend,” she finally conceded, and leaned as though to embrace him. “What news do you bring?”Long had she learned to leave off her instinctive 'of the war', even just the word enough to twist his mouth into knots and anxious fingers gripped white. She would have liked to make him her second in command if he only cared to fight.He knew well her meaning, however, and without the familiar phrase he offered word much more willingly. “They're sending teams out again, although from their movements, they do not appear defensive at this time. Maybe this time I can open negotiations?”“I will never understand why you desire it so. You could achieve anything else.”There was some effort to ensure the fall of hand to her hip did not draw attention to her sword. His own, a gorgeous mottled green carved with runes to protect its wielder so long as it remained on their person, sat untouched at his side. It would not rust so long as it continued to regulate Mana, but still she wished he made better use of it. Wandering beasts made poor prey for such a noble blade.With nought but a huff of a laugh and a pleasant shrug, Samra only beamed. “Perhaps it is because it is unlikely that I desire it so. Would peace throughout the world not be the finest of all achievements?”It was at times like these that she wondered just how he had succeeded up until this point, so enraptured as he was by his boyhood dreams. And yet, despite it all, stalwart lips softened into the tiniest of smiles as armoured arms folded loosely over her chest.“If you managed that, none would stand in your way.”From her silent vigil at the outskirts of the village the world hummed around her, as alive with Mana as with song and merriment. She sipped at her drink on occasion, the warmth of bonfires and twirling bodies dancing within her steadying cup. Even as a lass she had never been one for festivities, too loud or distracting, or just simply unable to connect with those around her as they all did with each other. It never bothered her these days; not since she had turned down her first dance, the exaggerated pout of her potential partner no more than a sliver of regret in her heart as they marched away on trembling hocks, when she was on the cusp of adulthood all those years ago. None had braved an offer since.None but Liese, of course, the fires' glow reflecting off beautiful bronzed skin as though she were made of crystal, golden jewellery and instruments like molten flames where they adorned her kindest features. That sizeable bell jingled on the wrist elegantly extended towards her.“Come dance with me!”Elm was grateful she had just swallowed her mouthful, eyed the slender hand suspiciously with rigid cheeks. What possible reason would she have to accept a dance after all this time?“Why? I seem to recall you saying 'until' the festival.”The arm not offered tapped a slim finger against contemplative lips, the shadows of her stance leaping around her face, deepening its furrows. Her head tilted this way and that, fiery hoops clinking lightly against her jaw.“Did I say that?” She shrugged, grinned, surged forward to set her half-emptied chalice on the stump table beside her and pulled those newly freed hands with her. “Well, whatever! I always meant for you to dance at this festival with me. Now come on!”Elm hardly put up a fight, the way the heels of her hooves dug into the dirt only for show, just long enough for Liese's insistent tugs to shift from adorable to pitiable before she finally moved with her. Nothing could have prepared her for the sheer delight that spread up those lovely features, coppery in the firelight, on the edge between material and otherworldly once more. Her own steps faltered a moment, but as Liese guided her from the treeline and into the swathe of startled, curious partygoers, a wide, lazy circle quickly forming around them, she was glad it had gone unnoticed.Her gaze darted this way and that, bothered, not a single set of eyes away from them despite the swarm of other dancers.“Everyone's staring,” she muttered awkwardly, lips pressed tight. For Liese's sake more than her own, it would not become a grimace. Even if she had to fight hoof and fang to keep it that way.“Let them stare,” Liese whispered back, breath hot across her throat, slid sensually up against her body before backing off in that way that had grown so familiar, their fingertips still touching. Still she danced mostly on her own, and still Elm could not fathom why she requested such a stalwart partner.“That's easy for you to say, when eyes are always on you.”Liese smiled at her musings then, soft, sweet, more affectionate than unimpressed, and twirled right in close. Slender arms came to rest about the curves of her waist, bared for the festivities, and Elm dare not raise a brow.“It's nicer with music though, isn't it?”Elm pondered, and thought, and waited, her airy words filled with surprising weight. She had not considered how it might be any different, but now that she thought about it... perhaps her steps came a little easier. Certainly, the heat of bonfires sliding over flushed skin brought a different kind of warmth, and without the silence she could not hear the clumsy march of her hooves. Perhaps there was some merit to Liese's insistence after all.“Just one dance,” Liese continued, her smile almost gone, secretive. A promise. “Then I'll let you go back to your evening.”Only the faintest tip of her head accommodated her request, hardly enough to alter the angle of her horns as Elm let her eyes fall closed. Easier to ignore the prickling along her skin that way, if she needn't stare back at them.“Good. Just focus on me, okay? There's no one else here.”She always said that, when they danced. Even when Samra still watched from afar, although those times were fewer than she might have assumed. At this point, surprising for the swiftness of it all, those words grounded her. Her own palms fell to Liese's hips, and she could practically sense the smile in the way their noses brushed. Those lovely hands, accentuated by the chiming of her bells, slid up the small of her back, guiding, comforting, to curl firmly about her shoulders. As though she could not let her go, even if she wanted to.A flare of heat seared her skin once more, but those gentle touches could go wherever they liked. All she had to do was focus on her breaths, low in her chest, and the careful shuffle of hooves. The brush of Liese's fuzzy leg against her own. She had always admired the sleekness of her fur, if she were truly honest. How much time did she spend unmatting it to keep it that smooth? Hours? Days? It was humbling to realise she found the time for it at all amidst how often she danced. She barely stopped to eat, most days.Their routine ended all too soon. Elm startled herself with the thought.Still her easy grasp rested on Liese's hips, although her friend did not seem to mind much either. That lithe tail, adorned with a wide golden ring inscribed with expressions of cheer and elegant as the rest of her, swept lazily back and forth with their idle swaying. On occasion she felt a hint of envy amidst that admiration as she beheld its flowing movements, the shuffle of heavy hooves barely able to keep pace with her; adding her own tail to the mix, however refined she may appear for doing so, would only spell disaster.Their noses rubbed together again, a gesture that was quickly becoming almost strikingly familiar. “I'm glad I got to dance with you in front of everyone, Elm!”Elm scoffed, but did not force away the faint curl of her lip that demanded to be seen. “I do not see why. I never know what goes through that pretty head of yours.”Liese reared back as though stung, open-mouthed, wide, bright eyes locked onto her own, and Elm had to think hard to realise what she'd just uttered. Her skin flared with embarrassment. Why had she said such an uncharacteristic thing? Why had Liese not brushed away her words or revelled in the compliment like she would from anyone else?In a moment that was far too long, unending, yet in truth delightfully swift, Liese lightly swatted her bicep, giggling. “Oh, you. You really had me going there!”Elm turned sharply away, mouth tight, cheeks ablaze as though she had stumbled into a flare trap. “Yes, I suppose I did.”Warm arms squeezed softly about her, forgiving all failings, only the faintest hint of pressure to prove that she was really there.“Well, no matter. Thanks for telling me how you really feel!”Liese teetered on the edge of her hooves to lightly bump her horns against Elm's before she twirled skilfully away, eager to find a more passionate partner. A heavy sigh lowered her unarmoured chest, soft in her ribs, before familiar snickers swelled into uncontrollable laughter behind her.“Elm! I can't believe what I just heard!” Samra could barely get the words out for how hard his chortles wracked his lungs, chest quivering, skin and sinew flexing in every effort to stop as he huddled over further tensing arms. “You've never complimented anyone before!”Her usual scowl returned in force as hard hands fell to her hips, stared down at him with the full force of her authority. Still he could not entirely contain himself, although his noises did quieten.“It should come as no surprise that Liese was so baffled! What happened, did you have too much punch?”“You'll be the one receiving a punch if you do not desist.”Samra clamped a meaty palm over restless lips, grin so wide it still crept past the edges, but said no more until he had managed to calm himself; or, rather, had cast aside enough remaining jests to uphold the illusion of control. Finally, he shrugged, his tone remarkably serious for the absurd statement that followed.“You should compliment her more often. She already likes you well enough – why not take the next step?”Elm's lips twisted sharply, the notion sour on her tongue. Distracting music all around them morphed from a terrible cacophony into a dull drone that could almost count for silence. True, she felt for Liese more warmly than anyone barring Samra, but they were both far too soft. A single instant beyond her reach in a war-torn land, and she could lose them both. Not that she would dare let them join her on the patrols that took her beyond the barrier, but one could never be too careful. No, Elm needed someone stronger if she were to ever allow someone by her side.Watching her expression, his own just barely still playful, he held up long-fingered hands in surrender. “All right, all right, I'll stop. Just know that if you ever do decide she's the one for you, you have my blessing. That's all I wanted to say.”Elm did not thank him, then, his sentiment lost on her. She did, however, allow the glide of an easy palm along one of her horns, unbothered by the errant thoughts of onlookers around them or the wayward glances their way. They did not need to be bonded to exchange such affection.Besides, he was not nearly tall enough to knock his horns against hers; few were, only Vanoss and perhaps three or four others, unless she deigned to bend a knee or was already seated.Eventually his touch drifted away, a lingering fondness in his gaze and the residual tingle of Mana. One could almost mistake him for a spirit as he slipped effortlessly into the roiling crowd, his carefree gait undeterred by the shifting press of bodies, as he presumably sought more drink. She almost envied her people their revelry, when her heart did not clench so.It was not uncommon for Liese to vanish for a couple of moons, gone alongside Vanoss and their troop once or twice a year. Lady Aht was still too young to join them; her pleas pierced the clearing, as Liese stumbled with her words and tried futilely to coax her away. Samra swooped in then, undeterred by her mighty horns and wild thrashing, to carry her contentedly in slim arms while he exchanged words with Liese. Elm knew not of what they spoke, the wind at her back, their lips too far away, but Liese's smile was all teeth and cheer when she turned to wave her way. Elm raised a hand in parting, in greeting, and silently bid her well.Already two moons had passed since that day. Samra would depart on a journey of his own in short order, and with Liese's expected return, she would not be alone for long.“Where will the winds take you this time, I wonder?”A thoughtful expression spread along Samra's pondering face, contemplative, indecisive, before he nodded sharply as though he'd obtained the greatest idea ever to grace this plane.“I think I'll visit Alistel. Maybe if I bring a gift, they'll be willing to at least hear me out.”Brows furrowed as Elm closed her eyes against the lingering displeasure. It was a fool's errand, a hopeless dream that could never come to fruition no matter how he worked for it. Still she failed to understand why he could not let it go, why he wished so fiercely to open communications with humans. “You give them too much credit. We've been at war for centuries. What makes you think it will end soon?”“Things will only stay the same if we do nothing.”She met his determined green eyes when her own finally dragged open, soft lips set as much in hard lines as hope. Cool padded armour curled against her temple to ward off the flare of disappointment at his recklessness. Dash it all, his words held merit!“I do wish you wouldn't,” she let her heavy head fall as strong fingers fell to her pack, rummaged unhurriedly until she found what she was looking for, “but if you must go, here.”The smooth wooden surface left her fingers in the same instant his own brushed over her wrist, their hold lingering until his curiosity overwhelmed him. Brilliant eyes shone like stars while he turned it this way and that, its dull, oiled sheen shifting in the light that filtered between lazy leaves, before he threw himself rather roughly onto a fallen log as a small knife pulled free of its sheath. Elm watched with muted curiosity as deft hands worked their picturesque script into the wide surface of the band. She'd ask his chosen words later, once he'd finished his resolve.Eventually he leapt up and put his knife away to softly blow shavings from that wooden surface with a serenity and hope that one might express when wishing upon a dandelion. When she picked her way towards him he swiftly slid it onto his finger, grinning from ear to ear. She simply raised a brow in response.“I'll let you know what it says when I safely return to your side! You won't even know I'm gone!” Eager hands hovered as though to hug her, although he barely restrained himself from following through, teetering on his hooves. “We'll meet again in three turns of the moon, give or take a few suns.”“All right. Then I shall expect to see you in three moons' time.” Something about his enthusiasm was charming today. Elm reached forward to squeeze his shoulder with as much warmth as she could muster, an uncharacteristic smile pushed onto her lips. “Be safe, Samra.”Widely he grinned, twisted easily out of her grip to crush her in an embrace so tight that it may have injured her spine were it not for the protective layer of her breastplate. Every now and again she would ponder why Samra insisted on such a greeting until she recalled the shape of his horns, their position, far too difficult for most to brush their own against. The challenge did not forestall his attempts when they were young, memories which often brought a warmth to her chest on solitary nights. More than once had his horns been locked with another's, two panicked children that required aid of another as their struggling and fussing only entangled them further.Still, they suited him well, unwilling to harm or provoke. Their sloping curls mingled with those of his hair, a kinder golden green than crusty desert outskirts and the hue of the ill, as gentle as the rest of him where they curved passively towards the shell of his ears. Perhaps he would not have been so proficient with a bow or blade had their shape not necessitated another means of defence - a thought better left concealed. However he wielded his favoured weapon, it benefitted all.For once, warmth around her frame and the flow of Mana between them like the soothing lull of a bath, she found herself hugging back. It must have been Liese's affections rubbing off on her.“You know me, Elm. First sign of danger and I'll be off like a bolt!”He didn't really run – not until things looked grim – but she wasn't about to remind him of that.Samra pulled back only far enough that both still gripped each other's shoulders, his wide, almost childish grin still high on angular cheeks. They lingered far longer than usual on each other's eyes, gazes darting from one iris to the other and back again, over and over in an unending dance, before he took another careful step back, palms sliding down her bare arms in what could only be described as another prolonged hug.“I'll be back before the third moon is full,” he reiterated, a promise. “Be seeing you, Elm.”Samra's absence made itself known far more quickly than usual, his gleeful demeanour ever a source of warmth. She was not bereft of company for too long, however, Liese's arrival falling fifteen suns after Samra's departure.It was not unpredictable that someone had taken a fancy to Liese while she travelled. It was almost expected, in fact. She was the sort that needed attention; it was just how she was, Elm thought, a little self conscious about the shape of her pupils, prone to overcompensating with the sensuality of her dance. No, what surprised her most was that Liese had fallen for the stranger back, positively glowing as bubbly words cascaded from hasty lips, unintelligible save for the bliss in her expression. Whilst she would really rather she hadn't been captivated by a human of all things, there was no denying the comfort she took in seeing her so overjoyed.It was only when Liese bolted to her feet with a giddy enthusiasm and a word of parting, sleek fingertips sliding down her forearm, that Elm realised she was the first one told. She blinked, nodded, watched her prance off with gleeful twirls and endlessly easy steps with a striking fullness to her heart.She returned to her side not two hours later, sidling silently alongside her patrol. Lithe hooves fell in time with her own despite the slender curves of well-toned arms resting without care in the small of her back and the cheeky twists of lips, playful as a young one. Elm spared her an occasional glance from the corner of her eye, appreciative of the company, and in those fleeting moments she could have sworn wicked features sharpened further. That she held her tongue now with all the excitement she harboured was an achievement worthy of praise.Once her patrol was finished, a further hour later, she took the initiative to offer her palm to her friend, whose thin brows rose beautifully in surprise before she glided into her hold. Even having become rather accustomed to it, Elm stumbled and staggered, unable to keep up. Liese always danced so passionately, but with this newfound vigour, she trod and twisted and swayed as though the world had only slowed for Elm. They found themselves slightly winded by the time they finally ground to a halt awhile later.“I'm glad I got to dance with you again, Elm!” Delighted, devilish laughter sounded right in her face, unfairly composed. How she recovered so swiftly would always remain a mystery. “It's what I miss most when on the road, you know?”“So you tell me,” Elm muttered back, righted despite her heaving chest, “yet I cannot fathom why you would miss my company so. Celestia offers many more enticing pastimes than I.”“Well, maybe.” All she received was a flippant shrug in return. “But I still like you lots. The 'why' isn't important.” The why is always important, Elm wished she could say, yet nothing other than trying to understand emotions – those of herself and others – kept her up half the night.Three moons passed, then five, and Samra did not return. Elm did not know how to feel. In truth, the way she felt was never clear, but before now, it had never been quite so mixed. Her tone grew quickly sharper. Countless eyes upon her, once stoked with nothing short of admiration, harboured an edge of uncertainty, and fear. Her huntsmen did not drink as merrily with her around, and unnecessary chatter dwindled to nothing when she passed. She was not so selfish as to charge into a one-man war on Alistel, had no intention of bringing human attention to Celestia, but she found herself leaving to hunt and patrol for longer and longer days.Liese alone treated her no differently. Lady Aht, too, in her kindness and words, but there was a sadness to her gaze that lingered in a deeply unpleasant way. Liese perched beside her on their log, cheek resting upon her shoulder, her small, simple horns angled out at the world as though to pierce her foes alongside her. But alas, like Samra, she was far too gentle for all that.“I'm sorry for your loss... I know what he meant to you.”“There is time yet.” Armoured fingers squeezed fiercely against one another, trembling fists clenched so harshly that leather and metal groaned. Elm glared at the grass between her knees as though the land would tear itself apart beneath the grind of vicious hooves. “Lady Aht simply said she can no longer sense his soul. Alistel is a city of Mana-sapping machinery, easily capable of masking his presence. Distance is another limiting factor.”Elm would remind no one, not even herself, that not once had Samra broken a promise.“...Yeah, of course.” There was a tiny note of a smile in her words. A sad smile, but nevertheless a hint of her usual self.“If we ever find his soul... I'll never forgive the humans.”“If that's how you feel...” Sorrow filled those dark, doe-like eyes when Liese lifted her head, lashes parted in sympathy. Kind fingertips dragged one fist from the other to coax knitted muscles apart. “Maybe I should call it off with that guy.”“Don't let me ruin your life,” Elm scoffed, finally turned to her with a touch more compassion than she thought she still possessed. The grasp she returned was firm. Sincere. “I've never seen you happier.”Liese grimaced. “But humans hurt you both so badly! How could I keep seeing one of them, if it only makes you miserable? If-”The flurry of Liese's tongue came crashing to a halt before her tirade could truly begin as Elm gently squeezed that tender hand within her own. She made certain to catch her eye.“I don't want you to stop living your life just because the fruit of my heart has not returned to mine. It would be better if...”What was she saying? What could she possibly say at a time like this, with that conflicted expression warring endlessly between sympathy and guilt, tinged with a touch of trepidation over her uncertain future? Those precious treasures amidst lovely features marred by her own concerns? Finally, Elm swallowed, uneasily glanced away.“...Well, I suppose you're free to choose whatever path you feel is just. I only ask that you ensure you will not regret it.”Sympathy won out, in the end, a smoothness returned once more to gentle features. Still her cheeks retained that faintest pinch, that worry she could not discard, but as a slender thumb dragged reassuringly over the heel of her hand, between the gaps in her mythril defences, she smiled.“...Thanks, Elm. I'll think about what's right for me.”Despite the decisiveness of her words, Liese did not make to leave. It would seem she was content here for the time being, fingers laced between her own, with more grounded sincerity than Elm had assumed her friend to possess. If she were the smiling sort, stern lips would have expressed how that thought settled within her heart.Each festival arrived all too soon, abuzz with indescribable cheer she could only dream of possessing, and without fail, Liese selected her for the first dance. Still Elm could never comprehend why, with most of the village far more adept and inclined than she, but every season, Liese would insist. And every time, Elm accepted, their slow, awkward shuffling drowned out by the music while Liese did all the work.“So, that guy...”A smooth fingertip lain upon her lips shushed her with an effortless charm, Liese's cheeky smile offset by an almost-grimace. “Hey, festivals are for enjoying! And it's okay, really. Things weren't going to work out between us anyway. We're just too different, after all.”Elm frowned, but said nothing.Her leg bowed as a wayward child crashed into her, wide, startled eyes filled with a burst of fear and apology, but Elm simply forced a smile and helped the boy back onto his feet. “Mind where you tread, little one, and make merry. Now off you go.”Hurriedly the boy nodded before he scampered off, perhaps a touch less anxiety in his little hops.“I never picked you to be good with kids,” Liese purred, long, fluid fingers fluttering down her bared shoulder.“...Nor I,” Elm conceded, equally baffled.What a strange thought indeed.Elm had loitered long enough. A quarter-hour had passed, and still Liese's tears showed no sign of letting up. She was careful, as long grass bowed beneath hooves that crept more like a Satyros than a soldier, to stay in her line of sight. It wouldn't do to distress her further.Liese made no move of having heard her, but no sooner had she sat down than oft graceful arms threw themselves about her torso, muffled sobs pitched to unrestrained wails at the pit of her throat. Awkward hands hovered for a moment, uncertain, before one clasped Liese's elbow, the other curled loosely about her back. Elm tried to ignore the way those sobs wracked through them both, the furrows of the log beneath them digging into fur and skin with the force. All she could do was be here, patient and still, until Liese had worn herself thin and let the worst of it come to pass.She did not ask what had happened; it was painfully obvious, even without words. Human lives were far too short, even more so for their endless destruction. It was never going to work. Liese herself had said as much, but Elm would never be so cruel. Never had she laid eyes upon Samra's body – there was no telling how she would have acted had she been afforded that same chance.Eventually her friend lifted her heavy head from her collar to wipe puffy eyes on the bandage that garbed her wrists, her smile noticeably forced.“Thanks,” she whispered, voice more rasp than warmth.Elm nodded stiffly, careful with her actions, and did not bring up how the word sounded more like an apology instead.They stayed like that, then, until the moon had long risen to bathe them in its watery light and hushed sounds of the night creatures murmured softly about them. Whether or not Liese had dozed off a few times, she could not say for certain.Liese did not hum at all after that day in her arms, although she cast herself dutifully into her dance. Their kinsmen threw compliments around like humans spewed perversions of Mana, quick to reassure her that she continued to improve, but all knew they were only pleasant words meant to distract from the void. Liese stumbled where never she had before, the passion swept from her performances to leave an empty shell swaying limply in the breeze. Secretly, one hidden thought among many, Elm suspected she danced to numb herself against it all.Even when Liese sought her in private, when they would meet in their secluded grove by an edge of the mighty barrier where no one ever seemed to find them, there was no soul to her embrace, their routine. Weeks passed to their wordless monotony until one day, out of the blue, with a voice so cowed as to hardly be heard even as hot breath swirled, tickling, into her ear, she finally uttered that long-held plea, long fingers curled sharp into her forearm.“Hey, dance with me...”She couldn't help but feel, as Liese clung weakly to her shoulders, as their sluggish movements traipsed in dull, uneven circles around the unchanging clearing, that she was still not herself. It was unclear if she ever would be again, the Liese she once knew dead alongside the soldier she'd never met.Still Liese did not hum, though from the natural fall of her nose against her neck, the thought clearly crossed her mind. Sorrowful eyes were closed, completely, focused entirely on their practiced waltz. For once, Elm did all she could to take the lead. To assume responsibility and take the burden off Liese's mind, if she were able. A tiny smile brushed the skin of her throat, and with a secretive joy, Elm mirrored it in her hair.“I'm glad I got to dance with you again, Elm,” her friend whispered when at last it came to an end. “It's what I miss most when on the road.”Elm still recalled her shameful words when first that phrase had been uttered. The ensuing embarrassment. Samra's laughter. Bittersweet memories that would never again be made anew. Instead, her words were kinder, a ferocious attempt to be more compassionate. “I anticipate your visits with bated breath, my lady.”Liese snorted at that, long lashes damp, but made no move to wipe them away. Heated hands tightened minutely across the muscle of her back.“I'm... I'm glad I have someone to come home to. We should... keep gathering reasons, to hold on.”“Wise words, as are often cast from your lips. I will always remain here upon your return.”Liese shook her head, then, starry tears returned to the skies, and allowed her forehead to rest on the bareness of her sturdy shoulder. “I... I think I'll hold off on travelling, for awhile.” Sharp fingers dug almost painfully into her elbow. “It would... be too much, at the moment. The memories...”Instead of words, Elm simply nodded once again, allowed her muscular arms to curl fully about her as though they were still in their dance. Liese whimpered, softly, more in surprise than rejection, and clung to her tighter. As though her very soul would slip away if she did not.There were times where she, too, dare not be alone. Places she could no longer visit without a hardened heart.Almost as one the pair closed their eyes, lost to the gentle lull of their movements, lazy hooves captured by familiar shuffling steps as they started their dance anew. Only when she stepped too wide and felt the brush of bark at her back did Elm's gaze fly open.There was only a sliver of hazel – of Liese's true intentions – before puffy lips crashed harshly against her own, the rigid tree behind her leaving no room to back away, startled breath caught between their mouths. She could only stare, wide-eyed, Liese's own squeezed shut with crinkles all about them, as she tried to comprehend it all. Trembling fingertips dug tightly into padded armour as though to let her go would be to give in to despair, unbearable.Liese pulled away panting, mouth agape, and swiftly loosened her hold as shining eyes flew wide. Long fingers hovered halfway to reddened lips before that shaking arm fell clumsily to her side, expression as lost and conflicted as the tone that followed. “Sorry. Thank you. That was... so sudden, I-”She winced, but in Elm's baffled silence, her skyward brows, Liese finally found her courage.“...I just needed you to know. My words would never reach you, Elm, you know this. Thank you, for always taking care of me. I'd like... if you choose me, too. I understand if you don't want to, though. No one's ever interested you, after all.”“I...” Elm swallowed hard, fingertips on her own swollen lips, unblinking gaze fixed on the heartbroken fall of Liese's face that tore her own into pieces, pierced a dozen times over by a quiverful of arrows and wrenched from the pits of her chest. “I need some time to think.”“O-Of course, yeah...”Oft elegant fingers found each other loosely before her hips, clumsily prodded and twirled. She took another step back, then another, but did not stray further than that. Freed from the paralysing spell that had befallen her, rigid hocks carried Elm clumsily sideways, picked carefully around any snaking tree roots that lay between her and her goal.“D-”She paused at the muted cry pulled from startled lips to curiously regard her restless form.“...Don't keep me waiting,” Liese finally pleaded. Yearning fingertips fell from where they reached for her to tuck dejectedly – defensively – atop her heart. “A 'no' is fine, but the wait is...”Elm nodded with a deliberate slowness, careful, firm, before heavy hooves took the path untrodden. She would endeavour to give a swift answer once she had soothed her frenzied mind.Familiar underbrush raced past her in blurs of countless shadows, faster than they should have for her unhurried demeanour. When she regained her senses enough to examine what lay around her, she found herself crouched before a pond. It was little more than a puddle compared to expansive springs that dotted Celestia's terrain, but for her intentions, none served a greater purpose.Children often occupied themselves with skipping stones across this very pool, unfettered laughter all around; a thing of beauty when one could appreciate the simplicity of it all. At present, Elm's muddled mind allowed no such freedom. With hardly a hint of reluctance she dipped her uncovered forearm into transparent depths to procure a handful of smooth stones, pale and grey as an overcast sky. They tumbled onto flattened grass at her side as she let them slip from her grasp alongside errant droplets, leaving only one in her hand. For a long time she stared down at it as though it carried all the answers she sought, let its smooth, cool surface caress the pad of her idling thumb. Then, strong fingers closed loosely around it while she relaxed her outstretched arm.The stone plunged terribly in the tiny pool, a large spire of water that cleared the top of her crown drawn from deceptive depths. Ordinarily, she would never engage in such a childish activity, but she dare not risk herself hunting in this state, and fiery nerves needed an outlet.
Grief does strange things to people.
She tossed another pebble towards crystal pond, although this time it clipped tufts of grass by the bank and rolled in with a lacklustre plop.
It is not uncommon to seek comfort in pleasures of the flesh. We need reassurance, and compassion. Those come from a safe place. Friends, family. Other partners.
Plonk.
Liese has often chosen me for a myriad of mundanities. It is only natural that she would choose me now as well.
This time, the pebble skipped, leapt frantically across that fluctuating surface as though it had a hope before it finally succumbed to the depths.
I never beheld Samra's body. I was not there when he died. I cannot say with certainty that I would not be driven to the same extreme, after going on a war path.
Bare fingers grasped blindly at disgruntled grass, her small pile of stones already at an end. She cared not to gather more.Instead, she let slippery grass glide against her hooves, pulled her knees to her chest to rest her angular chin upon them. The reflection staring back at her, wobbling faintly, looked utterly miserable. Had she worn this same gloomy expression when she'd asked for more time? How could Liese bear to speak with her after that, if this was the face she was presented with? What would Samra say if he saw her like this, pitiful and pallid, as though she would be the one risen from the grave?He'd start by trying to push her in, knowing him. A tiny twist of a smile carved the razor edge of her mouth at the thought of his reflection skittering away, scrambling to get ahead before she inevitably gave chase to hunt him down. Defeated hands would hover between them as she cornered him against a tree, fist raised threateningly, but with no true desire to strike. Samra would laugh, then, nervousness shifting into delight, and let his hands fall. He would stare her right in the eye and tell her what a fool she was, to let something like this tear her up inside. Broad hands – the only thing broad about him, she recalled – might take the one not threatening his cheek, and stroke her knuckles until the vengeance drained from her soul. Doubtlessly he would give her a gentle shove, then, and tell her to be true to herself.She dusted herself down as groaning knees creaked beneath her weight, then spared one final glance at her determined reflection before turning back. Remnants of the day left the sky bleeding by the time she crossed the village gates, and only hoped that Liese was in her hut.Long pupils stared at her with surprise before dark lashes once more concealed them, a tentative smile on tight lips that hardly eased as the firm tentflap fell loosely along her back, nudging her inside, towards those slightly furrowed brows.“First of all...” The moment she had crossed the threshold, and smooth, elegant hands could easily reach out to touch, Elm knelt, ironclad forearm resting heavily across her thigh. Startled palms landed roughly on her shoulders, silently bid her to stand. She did not. “I would like to apologise.”“There's no need,” Liese hastened to assure. Insistent hands still tried to urge her up. “I was the one who sprung it on you. It's only natural you'd leave.”“Even as a surprise,” Elm continued firmly, as though she had not spoken – as though her words did not still shred her aching heart. “I reacted poorly. I should not have run off like that.”It would seem that Liese finally found her silence. Or her curiosity, perhaps, as her burning gaze prickled along her scalp.“It should not have taken me so long to realise that... you are the one that brings joy to my life. You, and only you, make this land feel like home, now.”When finally she righted her head, lifted steadfast eyes to where despicable drops regrettably shone in Liese's own, she saw her resolve reflected back at her.“If my lady wishes it, I shall stay by your side evermore. If your desires are only a fleeting comfort... so be it. I will gladly assist with whatever you need.”At last, demanding hands finally coaxed her to her hooves, and then again to the straw-stuffed mattress at her side. They sat at first, and talked. Held one another, wept, smiled. They kissed; tentatively, needily, gratefully. Neither truly knew when they had shifted from sitting to their sides, or when their kisses became touches too, but neither felt need to complain. Love is devotion, Elm remembered, Liese tucked close to her side, snoring softly, as it finally, truly dawned on her that she had indeed dedicated her life to someone. There was no parade, no fanfare – none from her own heart, anyway. Yet despite the fact that it felt as though nothing had changed, as if the closeness she had often shared with Liese were truly no different than their camaraderie, as her companion's even breaths cast errant strands of gold across her nose in peaceful waves, typically sleek fur mussed alongside her own, it was clear she had made her choice. They had found solace in each other, in a restfulness held by nowhere else.Comprehension as persistent and stubborn as she settled within the near-silence of the night, the pitch darkness of their tent, to announce that there was no place she would rather idle away her days than delighted, contented, in the curl of Liese's wonderful arms.