Sunset Swim [Emmadalor, Ruby]

by **Una Tanta** on December 27th, 2013, 5:31 am

29th Day of Winter, 513 AV

Una had spent the last few days trapped in the Savintar Warrens with Sizzle nipping at her feet desperate to go outdoors. Their short forays involved Una holding on desperately to the handle of the door, the wind threatening to rip her flesh from her bones while Sizzle wandered around taking his time to tinkle. As Una awoke she rolled over groaning at the darkness around her. Slipping out from under the covers she roamed the room naked except for the darkness that covered her like a nightgown. Sizzle nipped at her heels annoyingly as she lit the rooms lanterns.

The wood in the cabin was light and reflected the light of the lanterns to echo across the room. Usually the small windows on two walls allowed plenty of daylight in but covered in snow as they were Una could see nothing outside. She knew the storm hadn't ended as the roar of the wind could be heard. Heavy pine made the cabin keeping the roar low enough that she could hear Sizzle whimpering behind her. Opening the door and hiding behind it to keep herself out of the wind she let the red bother out to pee.

Returning covered in snow he dutifully wiped his feet on the floor making Una laugh. Settling down on the bed Una patted the blanket encouraging Sizzle to jump up. Following her gesture the puppy crawled across the blanket settling down into her lap his golden black eyes gazing up at her. Ruffing up his coat Una and Sizzle played gently, him nipping at her wrists while she tickled his stomach. "Time for practice puppy!" She declared standing and taking the opportunity to teach him. She had taken a book out of the library. It was a journal from a dog trainer and much better written than the last journal she'd read.

"Sit!" She instructed the dog firmly. The book said to do it firmly. Sizzle gazed up at her hesitating before plopping his butt on the ground. Grinning, Una handed him a small piece of dried meat which he gobbled happily. "Down!" Una instructed firmly but Sizzle was too excited by the meat and ignored her to chomp down on it. "Sizzle" Una scolded tapping the puppy on the nose to get his attention. "Down!" Sizzle gazed at her blankly wagging his tail. Usually a reserved puppy being stuck indoors had left him more distracted than usual. "Down!" Una instructed again using the puppy's jingling collar to pull him to the ground. When he stayed down she gave him another piece of jerky.

"Good boy!" Una smiled plopping down and petting the bright red dog.

~Hours Later~

Una continued the training until even she was cross-eyed with boredom. Rising from the floor she smiled ecstatic. The howling had stopped! Grabbing her shovel in the entryway, every cabin came with one, Una opened the door and Sizzle bounded out snuffling in the large mounds of snow.

Shoveling her way out to the main path happily Sizzle bounded around her yipping and pouncing at the snow. She had never seen him so outwardly thrilled. Even his stump didn't hold him back. She hadn't put it on him the entire time they'd been stuck in the house and she hadn't bothered to put it back on yet. The Vantha who worked at the Savintar Warrens were clearing the main path and when her own path collided she almost whooped herself.

Her cabin was close to the main path. As she gazed at the others digging their way out she felt obligated to help them but swallowed the guilt and bounded down the street in the opposite direction Sizzle bounding awkwardly behind her. It was night time and the air was frigid. She pulled her coat tighter around her, buttoning it and pulling on her gloves and hat.

Everyone was gathering in the Crystal Hall to watch the sunset after the long wait but the only thing Una wanted was to dive into the ocean. She had gotten through the last few days by submerging herself in the snow everyday to moisten her skin but she longed like a parched horse for water. She watched the Dire Kelvic Bears launch themselves into the water swimming toward the sun that bled into the water and Una ran after them forgetting Sizzle for the moment as she dove into a crack in the Ice.

Sizzle ran up at down the crack barking loudly and whining. When Una didn't resurface he barked louder at the water. Running in circles Sizzle sat back and howled at the moon, the sound rolling into the city.

by **Emmadalor** on January 7th, 2014, 6:13 am

It was the piercing, mournful sound of howling that drew Emmadalor's sled toward the coast. It was such a familiar sound, one that echoed with her own soul. She drew her sleigh toward it, feeling as if it were cry just for her, summoning her soul to where it belonged. The horse would not pull her onto the ice above the sea, so she had to get out and crawl the rest of the way.

When she got closer, she saw that the howling creature was a puppy, and it had summoned her to a hole in the ice big enough to slip through. Of course. She always knew that if she were going to die, it would be underwater. She would drown to death, suffocated by the sum of her myriad unbearable emotions. Not questioning the omen, she shed her furs. The cold Avanthal wind bit at her flesh, causing her weakened muscles to scream out in pain, but it wouldn't matter much longer. Soon, she would be free.

With this resolve in mind, she took a deep breath, and flopped through the hole.

The world was much different on the other side of the surface. It was still uncomfortably cold, as her tail and finger-stumps felt all too well. But it was a warm kind of coldness, the embrace of the ocean comforting even as it chilled. Emmadalor closed her eyes and relaxed, even letting her wings unfold. Though, the injured one did give a twinge that broke the Akvatari's peace and caused a few tiny air bubbles to escape her mouth.

The wing's pain was different from the pain of the parts of her that had been frozen. What was left of her tail and hands had been frozen almost to the point of numbness, and cold only made her feel that a quiet death approached her. But her wind was different; it had not frozen, but broken, and every twitch was fire, as if her wing embodies the one part of herself that wanted to live and was ready to fight for that cause. It made every living moment an agony because no matter how much pain she was in, it refused to let it end.

With a shudder of annoyance, she forced her wings out straight, stretching then as wide as they would go, not relaxing them even when they began to tire. Perhaps this way she would finally be able to wallow in peace.

by **Una Tanta** on January 13th, 2014, 5:45 am

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Una gazed up at the creature. From the dark depths the tailed creature had appeared like a seal until the wings outstretched. Her silhouette was dark against the white moonlight ice at her back. Her hair slithered through the water coiling and twirling and her wings shivered. Like a moth caught midair Una for many moments could only watch.

Her baubles glowed, dimming as she approached the brighter surface. Moving up from beneath the creature Una's hand silently reached out to run through the soft tail that without a fin was slowly sinking toward her grasp. Not knowing the intent of the creature Una's muscles tense ready to dash but the glimmering wings held her transfixed.

Sliding up the womans body Una's mouth was at her navel and then up along her ribcage to her neck until they gazed at each other. "You are beautiful..." Una whispered into the ocean her pink eyes gazing deep into the creatures. She had never seen a creature such as this in Avanthal, a creature built for the ocean like her.

Hypnotized by the glimmering wings Una was putting herself in danger if this woman was indeed dangerous. Gazing up at the opening she had slid through into the water she saw Sizzle pawing at the surface. She loved the company on land but the little dog limited her. She had no freedom in the seas so long as he was at her heels.

Possibly selfishly Una turned her attention back to the creature before her ignoring the paw pleas of her puppy. "Swim with me?" She offered her hands tangling with the strangers. Things were different under the sea and it hadn't been since her childhood that she had really swum with another creature before. She hadn't realized how much she desperately longed for it until it swam before her, offering itself.

.

by **Catastrophe** on May 4th, 2014, 4:21 am

c

Una Tanta :

Emmadalor :

Notes :

c

Closed Sunset Swim [Emmadalor, Ruby]