Aello glanced over her shoulder to find Septimus trotting behind her, and smiled weakly. Her eyes glimmered as she turned herself back around, forcing herself to concentrate on the two animal forms of her companions. First, the dark haired wolf, with golden eyes. His fur long grown out now, with the season. Matted with blood and dirt, for they never seemed to find enough time to get it truly clean. She imagined how it felt beneath the tips of her fingers; soft, plush, and warm. Yet, tangled, as though a Alenias' nest grew there. She imagined the blue jay next. Her bright blue feathers, coupled with tufts of snow white around her face, and underbelly. Her beady black eyes, her tiny black beak. Smiling to herself, as she pictured them, the aurist could feel the bond between them strengthening. Alerting her to their general whereabouts, several paces away from where she was now leading the horse Kelvic.
"Nex seems to be veering off from where Alenias was before," Aello whispered, as the invisible string that bound them rippled. Humming silently, a tune that only she could hear, denoting that Nex was padding along. She assumed he was looking for something. Hunting, or perhaps going off to find a place to rest, she couldn't be absolutely certain. But, should the first hold true, she thought it best not to go after him, with a horse in tow. She imagined the string then, that tied her to Alenias, tugging on her. Drawing it closer to her companion. She could sense the girl flying towards her, and assumed she was with Yune, more than likely just stretching her wings, or trying to find the last, frozen over berries of the season for a snack. "We'll go after her then. She has been bonded to me for a greater period of time. It makes it easier to find her, sometimes, when we're apart."
The woman paused a moment, considering her words, before shrugging and heading onwards. Stepping over fallen branches, and patches of frost to reach her destination. "Alenias is also the friendlier of the two," Aello added with a chuckle. "So perhaps, it would be best to meet her first anyway." Again, she smiled weakly to herself, although the horse would be none the wiser, as she moved along for a time, before looking up at the sky. She could hear chirping off in the distance, and if she looked through the spider web the tree's barren branches cast, she could see a dot of light brown. Yune, Aello thought, as she pointed up at the sky, alerting the horse to the bird's presence. Surely Alenias isn't far behind. Not when I can feel her... like this.
The string seemed to hum more insistently. Begging the girl pay attention. She scanned the sky, taking in every inch for a time, until a small, blue bird dipped in its flight, and darted towards the sparrow. The sparrow chirped in fright, as the blue jay darted past its wing. Frightfully close. "Alenias, would you stop frightening poor Yune!" Aello called, causing the bird to come out of its dive, and to simply fly through the branches. Weaving in and out, the sparrow following in a frenzied pursuit. "Come say hello to our new friend! You always said you wanted to meet a horse love, why not now?" she called up the bird, causing it to chirp merrily as it darted past her ear and away.
Aello watched it go. Listened to the cord's hum dying down as the bird was carried away. Aello sighed. "Well that was Alenias, although, she doesn't seem to be in the mood for initial meetings right now," the aurist whispered, before glancing up at the sky, towards Yune, who had seemed to lose her trail. "Yune! Come here love! Come meet this stranger," Aello instructed, causing the bird to swivel around, and settle on the clenched fist the girl had left out for her, to perch upon.
"That's a good girl," Aello whispered, as she raised the chirping sparrow to her lips, and planted a delicate kiss on her head, before pulling her away, and holding her out at the horse's side. "This is Yune. My companion, and close friend to Alenias. Surely, you don't need to be told that those alike can speak with themselves. Or rather, amongst themselves." Aello paused, taking a moment to study the horse's eyes. What they seemed to hold. Yet, as she looked, she wasn't so sure she could truly, with confidence, pick anything apart. But that, she supposed, was what her magic was for. She called it to her instantly, hoping it would be enough to gage where this situation was headed.
"So what do you think of her?" Aello asked. "She's quite nice. Wouldn't mind picking the bugs off your coat if you'd let her," she added, thinking it a nice touch, at least, to the mind of a horse. |
