Continued from here...
Asking someone to go for a walk is usually pretty simple, with no real need for more of a closer and deeper analysis of the ask. However, for Rohka, asking her mentor this question right after the knowledge she gained from seeing into her past more clearly...
She felt strange. It almost felt wrong. There was a true sense of ice enveloping her heart as she braced herself to get up again.
"Roh," said Markham, seeing the blues returning in her aura. "Take it easy. Of course we can go for a walk. Just don't expect it to be as simple as it was for you before. You'll need to build strength. You'll need time... to heal those wounds." The traveler kept his voice measured and balanced, his deeper truth telling him that he was speaking to more than they both knew at this point. He figured it would be as good a time as any for her to brace herself for what she was about to carry, if his hunch was right.
Or, more accurately... if the magic was right.
Markham pointed to her bracelet and spoke up again.
"You'll notice that there's another charm there. I guess you were distracted by what you saw when you touched the 'x'. Look closely," he said.
She looked down to the bracelet and saw the little triangle that was now glowing as it dangled on her wrist. She brought her hand up closer to her face to examine it, marvelling at the blue-ish white glow that emanated from it, as if some viscous, luminescent liquid was swirling inside the charm. Entranced, she touched this too, wondering if it had a similar effect as the 'x'. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Markham shaking his head in a way that confirmed her suspicion. This charm was different.
"Why is it glowing?" she asked.
Markham took in a deep and slow breath, his brows raising. He didn't want to answer this question. Deciding to go with his first instinct, he fluidly swung his feet out of the bed they were in and placed them on the ground of the room they were in. As he stood up, he answered in earnest.
"You should be able to figure that out as we go for a walk. At most, I can tell you that you probably found things difficult to do at times because of the situation that is making that charm glow. I'll bet that you'll have an easier time doing things when that charm isn't glowing. For now though, I'll help you walk out of here. We can talk as we walk. Do remember, even though you're here to heal, you're not here to mooch. You'll need to pay your way in this city, 'cause the food supply isn't great. Plus, the journey over here took an awful lot of work, so I'll expect you to hold your end of the deal on behalf of The Mystic Eye.
And look, I trust you'll find it all worthwhile. I'm a betting man. Besides, I'll know how to find you and bring you back to work with me if you don't do what you need to do here. So there we go, I'll do my best to answer your questions with what I know, and then hopefully you'll remember enough of it to come back here and write it down if you need to. Does that sound good to you?"
Rohka gave him a smile. She was eager to get up and go. The medicinal meal from earlier had been almost miraculously good at bringing some strength back into her mental state. "Yes," she answered, readying herself.
Suddenly, she remembered something she'd written down earlier.
"Can we walk outside as well?"
Hearing this, Markham gave it some thought. Having just gotten up so recently from unconsciousness and learning what she needed to learn from him, he figured that the young woman might become a bit overwhelmed if she walked outside so soon. Experience had made him understand that overstimulation was absolutely a phenomenon to be keenly aware of avoiding by all means necessary. Rohka had always been an eager one. She was frankly reckless at times too, from all that she'd done on their Saique together. It was almost like she never learned what a limit really meant, or that she never even believed a limit could exist. It was sweet at best and entirely a pain to handle at worst.
"Later. We'll stroll the centre first." He walked around the bed to come and stand by her side while she slowly but surely moved to bring her feet to touch the ground again. Markham sensed the difference this time in comparison to last time. Rohka, on the other hand, felt slightly nauseous. She didn't want to tell him that. The sybil resolved to hold in her feelings and choose to put one foot in front of the other.
One step at a time.
The thought came into her mind easily, and she remembered her note to herself. Despite the coldness inside, she gently stood up. Rohka stood steadily. She took in a breath as deep as she could, completely filling her lungs to its fullest capacity before letting go. The air rushed quickly out of her mouth in the exhale.
"Give me... a moment," she said, closing her eyes. "Just... praying. Need to... prepare," she said, whispering.
Asking someone to go for a walk is usually pretty simple, with no real need for more of a closer and deeper analysis of the ask. However, for Rohka, asking her mentor this question right after the knowledge she gained from seeing into her past more clearly...
She felt strange. It almost felt wrong. There was a true sense of ice enveloping her heart as she braced herself to get up again.
"Roh," said Markham, seeing the blues returning in her aura. "Take it easy. Of course we can go for a walk. Just don't expect it to be as simple as it was for you before. You'll need to build strength. You'll need time... to heal those wounds." The traveler kept his voice measured and balanced, his deeper truth telling him that he was speaking to more than they both knew at this point. He figured it would be as good a time as any for her to brace herself for what she was about to carry, if his hunch was right.
Or, more accurately... if the magic was right.
Markham pointed to her bracelet and spoke up again.
"You'll notice that there's another charm there. I guess you were distracted by what you saw when you touched the 'x'. Look closely," he said.
She looked down to the bracelet and saw the little triangle that was now glowing as it dangled on her wrist. She brought her hand up closer to her face to examine it, marvelling at the blue-ish white glow that emanated from it, as if some viscous, luminescent liquid was swirling inside the charm. Entranced, she touched this too, wondering if it had a similar effect as the 'x'. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Markham shaking his head in a way that confirmed her suspicion. This charm was different.
"Why is it glowing?" she asked.
Markham took in a deep and slow breath, his brows raising. He didn't want to answer this question. Deciding to go with his first instinct, he fluidly swung his feet out of the bed they were in and placed them on the ground of the room they were in. As he stood up, he answered in earnest.
"You should be able to figure that out as we go for a walk. At most, I can tell you that you probably found things difficult to do at times because of the situation that is making that charm glow. I'll bet that you'll have an easier time doing things when that charm isn't glowing. For now though, I'll help you walk out of here. We can talk as we walk. Do remember, even though you're here to heal, you're not here to mooch. You'll need to pay your way in this city, 'cause the food supply isn't great. Plus, the journey over here took an awful lot of work, so I'll expect you to hold your end of the deal on behalf of The Mystic Eye.
And look, I trust you'll find it all worthwhile. I'm a betting man. Besides, I'll know how to find you and bring you back to work with me if you don't do what you need to do here. So there we go, I'll do my best to answer your questions with what I know, and then hopefully you'll remember enough of it to come back here and write it down if you need to. Does that sound good to you?"
Rohka gave him a smile. She was eager to get up and go. The medicinal meal from earlier had been almost miraculously good at bringing some strength back into her mental state. "Yes," she answered, readying herself.
Suddenly, she remembered something she'd written down earlier.
"Can we walk outside as well?"
Hearing this, Markham gave it some thought. Having just gotten up so recently from unconsciousness and learning what she needed to learn from him, he figured that the young woman might become a bit overwhelmed if she walked outside so soon. Experience had made him understand that overstimulation was absolutely a phenomenon to be keenly aware of avoiding by all means necessary. Rohka had always been an eager one. She was frankly reckless at times too, from all that she'd done on their Saique together. It was almost like she never learned what a limit really meant, or that she never even believed a limit could exist. It was sweet at best and entirely a pain to handle at worst.
"Later. We'll stroll the centre first." He walked around the bed to come and stand by her side while she slowly but surely moved to bring her feet to touch the ground again. Markham sensed the difference this time in comparison to last time. Rohka, on the other hand, felt slightly nauseous. She didn't want to tell him that. The sybil resolved to hold in her feelings and choose to put one foot in front of the other.
One step at a time.
The thought came into her mind easily, and she remembered her note to herself. Despite the coldness inside, she gently stood up. Rohka stood steadily. She took in a breath as deep as she could, completely filling her lungs to its fullest capacity before letting go. The air rushed quickly out of her mouth in the exhale.
"Give me... a moment," she said, closing her eyes. "Just... praying. Need to... prepare," she said, whispering.
