87 SUMMER 497 AV
It was dark, well into the night of a crescent moon, and all was still across the scattered tents that made up the small Sweetwater Pavillion that Dwyn strained to even hear the odd bay of a dog or nicker of a horse. Nestled in a clutch at the Southern-most fringes of Endrykas, Dwyn struggled to fathom how it could be so quiet. In a place of so many people and creatures, cast across a land brimming with life, silence was an odd thing and one the young girl had a hard time dealing with. Rolling to one side, she tugged the thin, worn blanket that covered her up towards her chin and stared blindly into the darkness at the silhouette of her cousin Welissa who laid next to her.
She hesitated and, for a moment, feared the silence might be too sacred a thing to disturb but she was far too awake now and she did not like the quiet one bit. “Welissa,” she whispered but the sound seemed so much greater that she immediately shrunk under her blanket, eyes darting about.
The form next to her remained still.
Rallying her confidence, the young girl wriggled forward and craned her head towards the lump of spindly body and blankets beside her, “Welissa. Hey. Welissa. Wake up.”
She held her breath and watched, willing the lump to move, to speak.
“Welis-”
“What..” The lump finally replied, sounding hoarse and grumpy as it wriggled like some caterpillar.
“I can't sleep.”
“So?” The lump stirred and rolled again, back to the opposite side.
“Please talk to me,” Dwyn half pleaded, voice still hushed, “The quiet makes me uncomfortable.”
The other small voice mumbled in protest, “Wyeta says that quiet is good. That silence is necessary.”
“That doesn't mean I have to like it,” Dwyn countered. She let a few ticks pass before whining quietly, “Welissa.. even the animals are quiet.”
Her cousin groaned, “Probably because they are sleeping, like I want to be.”
Sighing, Dwyn wriggled on her bedroll in an effort to scoot it and herself closer to her cousin's form, “Please.”
As if relenting, Welissa's form rolled back over with such dramatics that it caused Dwyn to grin and giggle as the girl snuggled in close, her frizzy, rose-blonde head nuzzling under Dwyn's chin. The girl then turned, rolling onto her back with a yawn, arms stretching out before falling, sprawled, on Dwyn's curled body. “So what is it you want to talk about.”
With a grin of smug satisfaction firmly planted on her lips, Dwyn breathed a happy sigh as she merely delighted in the warmth and presence of her cousin's form, “I don't know.” With a hushed yet excited breath, she added as she shut her eyes, “Anything. Everything.”
She hesitated and, for a moment, feared the silence might be too sacred a thing to disturb but she was far too awake now and she did not like the quiet one bit. “Welissa,” she whispered but the sound seemed so much greater that she immediately shrunk under her blanket, eyes darting about.
The form next to her remained still.
Rallying her confidence, the young girl wriggled forward and craned her head towards the lump of spindly body and blankets beside her, “Welissa. Hey. Welissa. Wake up.”
She held her breath and watched, willing the lump to move, to speak.
“Welis-”
“What..” The lump finally replied, sounding hoarse and grumpy as it wriggled like some caterpillar.
“I can't sleep.”
“So?” The lump stirred and rolled again, back to the opposite side.
“Please talk to me,” Dwyn half pleaded, voice still hushed, “The quiet makes me uncomfortable.”
The other small voice mumbled in protest, “Wyeta says that quiet is good. That silence is necessary.”
“That doesn't mean I have to like it,” Dwyn countered. She let a few ticks pass before whining quietly, “Welissa.. even the animals are quiet.”
Her cousin groaned, “Probably because they are sleeping, like I want to be.”
Sighing, Dwyn wriggled on her bedroll in an effort to scoot it and herself closer to her cousin's form, “Please.”
As if relenting, Welissa's form rolled back over with such dramatics that it caused Dwyn to grin and giggle as the girl snuggled in close, her frizzy, rose-blonde head nuzzling under Dwyn's chin. The girl then turned, rolling onto her back with a yawn, arms stretching out before falling, sprawled, on Dwyn's curled body. “So what is it you want to talk about.”
With a grin of smug satisfaction firmly planted on her lips, Dwyn breathed a happy sigh as she merely delighted in the warmth and presence of her cousin's form, “I don't know.” With a hushed yet excited breath, she added as she shut her eyes, “Anything. Everything.”
Pavi • Grass-sign • Common • Tukant • Others |
