A mystery to unravel (Austin)

[Jade Alanon]

Third Cycle of Cryxatum, Season of Summer

Leaving the Inn early that morning, Jade moved silently through the quiet morning city, it was a relaxing feeling that coursed through Jade but beneath her she felt a deep sadness. The need to travel grew inside her, she had stayed too long in Natura and was feeling the burning need to get out on the road again, travel to a new city or perhaps return to Aeylria Prime for more training. Returning to Natura had been done on a whim, a need to relax and get away from the spilling of blood and she had done so, meeting new friends in the Anora and Avrie and of course, Austin.

She wasn't sure exactly what to think of Austin, did she have feelings for him or was she simply infactuated with him and his obvious charms? It was hard to say really and had it not been for him, she most likely would have left Natura already. She passed a few early risers walking around, going about their business as usual, not even passing Jade a glance as she moved along. She had chosen a sleeveless emerald green dress that set off her eyes, her weapons left back at the Inn.

Nymira had slept in that morning but as Jade walked out, Nymira woke up and followed at a distance. She knew Jade needed some room that morning and if she met up with Austin, Nymira didn't want to make them uncomfortable. Jade had already told Nymira that they would be leaving Natura soon, she simply wouldn't leave without telling Austin good bye, she would then seek out Avrie and tell her good-bye as well. Nymira kept a distance from her bondmate but kept her in her gaze at all times, never wanting anything to happen to her.

Jade enjoyed the summer, loving the heat and bright sun that came with it, but Nymira abhored it, thankfully it wasn't all that hot that morning. Jade hoped to see Austin that morning but who knew if she would, last time she had visited the wish tree, she had met with Avrie Eventide, perhaps she would see another Eventide if she took another trip to the Wish Tree. She found the tree easily enough, walking up the hill slowly, not bothering to rush. She found the tree a place of solance, coming there almost every day to think and even though she didn't believe in wishes, she found herself making tiny wishes as she sat with her back against the ancient tree, the warmth of the bark a comfort.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin was always one to rise early of a brightening. So long spent tending to the various chores around the winery made it difficult for him to sleep past the first signs of light. Summer was one of his favorite seasons due to the warmth and beauty that it brought to the land. Although Spring was a time for new growth, Summer was the time to enjoy that new growth. Thus he strolled through the streets of Natura as he did each early brightening. Unlike previous times however, he caught a familiar figure leaving the city. She was heading in the direction of the Wish Tree. He knew there would be no sense in trying to closely follow without being noticed by Nymira whom although he didn't see, knew had to be near nonetheless.

He waited for her to get just out of sight before following. When he caught sight of her again, Austin saw Jade sitting up against the tree. He had heard of the Wish Tree during his short time in Natura; a place one goes to leave offerings as well as wishes, hopes and dreams to the Goddess in hopes of having them answered and gaining Her blessing. Austin casually walked up to the tree while giving a silent prayer to Carmelya.

Quietly so as not to frighten her, Austin said, "Let me guess, you were wishing for me to appear. Well here I am." A smile spread across his face and he held both arms out to either side while giving a slight bow.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade had her eyes closed as she leaned back against the three, enjoying the warmth of the bark on her back, she had a feeling that Nymira was nearby but for some reason she chose not to join her. The grass was wet from the dew and felt good on her legs, for a moment she wished she had her staff with her, not for a weapons purpose but for that familiar comfort it provided her. Jade would miss this comforting feeling that Natura brought to her, returning to Prime would be so different now, she would know what she was missing.

She hadn't noticed Austin following her and for that she was annoyed, she should have known, she was obviously getting sloppy and would need to work on it when she returned to Coldlight. She made a silent wish to the tree as she did whenever she visited, finding shade beneath the many branches. She often could imagine her silent words floating upwards to nestle into the branches, the tree was filled with so many other wishes made by others.

She tensed a bit when she heard a voice but since he was so quiet, she didn't jump. She looked up at him and smiled softly, surprised and pleased to see him. Was it coincidence that Austin had showed up at that moment like she had wanted? She couldn't help but smile, boy he was so modest. Nymira came over the crest of the hill and laid down in the comfortable grass, trying to get the dew through her fur to keep her cool. She gave a nod of the head as he bowed low and gestured for him to have a seat beside her. "Well the wish tree does work, I will have to tell others about this." She smiled teasingly. "It's good to see you again Austin, especially not dancing around trying to bring stars down." She was still a bit embarrassed about it because she remembered everything she had said and done. "Not that it wasn't fun of course."

[Austin Eventide]

Austin spun around and plopped down on the ground next to Jade. He looked over at her while she spoke. Elvish features always fascinated Austin and as Jade carried such features, they added to his perception of the exoticness and mystery that surrounded her. "Hey, you can dance with me and the stars anytime you want. Don't let on to the tree working though otherwise I will have people trying to summon me all the time." He smiled widely and stretched his legs with a slight groan. Along with not getting a lot of sleep as he usually didn't, Austin often woke a bit sore and more than a little tired. It normally took a candlemark or two to really get into the day.

"Fun it was." Austin remembered back to the dance beneath the stars where he and Jade danced and talked and overall just had fun. He noticed something was a little off and asked "Hey, you alright? What'sup? Is the ground too uncomfortable? We could stand if there's bark digging in." He flashed a grin as tried to lighten the mood. He briefly wondered where Nymira was hiding out but chose not to look around too much as to make it seem as though his attention was anywhere but on Jade, which is exactly where it was.

[Jade Alanon]

Jade felt a mixture of nervousness and familiarity with Austin, she wasn't as standoffish as she had first been during the Masque yet she wasn't as..free as she had been the night she decided to star dance with him. Hey, you can dance with me and the stars anytime you want. She wished that were true, but the sadness of her departure was coming and she had to tell him soon enough, though perhaps that could wait a bit, she didn't need to tell him immediately. She giggled and rolled her eyes a bit at her unmodest remark about being summoned. "Hm...here I thought I was special." She gave a bit of a mock pout, though she couldn't help but laugh. "But alright, the secret is safe, no one will summon you away for now."

She couldn't help but smile as she remembered the fun and laughter she and Larien had started, when Bythius and Austin had joined in and made it all the more fun. "I most likely would have woken up from that night with a concussion if it hadn't been for you, I was just a tad tipsy." She was of course making an understatement. "I can't remember if I thanked you so if I didn't, thank you."

He obviously noticed that somethin was amiss with her, she bit her lip unsure if she should talk about it now. "I'm fine, it's no worries Austin. Just a few things on my mind I guess." She was trying to decide whether she should open up to him a little bit, she wanted so badly to have someone she could trust, but even if she chose to trust him, there was a whole life she couldn't tell him about. She brushed her hand over the gold ring around her neck and smiled over at him, resting her head against the tree again. "So what wish did you make, I mean you can't come to the wishing tree and not make a wish." Change of subject of course, but hopefully he would go with it.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin shared in the laughter and then said, "Jade, you need never thank me for coming to your aid." He winked and smiled. "It's what I do; since I was young boy come to think of it." He raised an eyebrow as Jade mentioned some things on her mind. Although he hadn't known the woman very long, Austin knew Jade well enough to know that she was a difficult apple to peel. He also knew that with a little finesse, he could accomplish just that. Before he could put on his best charm and wrestle her thoughts from her mind, she changed subjects on him. Part of Austin, the young, reckless, bull-headed boy that still hovered in the shadows, saw it as a game of cat and mouse; a game of maneuvering in order to find the best spot from which to pounce as it were. The target of course was whatever Jade was choosing not to say at that moment. The older, bit more mature Austin however decided that it would be best to wait and let her open up on her own.

His eyes widened slightly and he smiled widely as Jade asked him about what he wished for. He had always been told that to reveal a wish would cause it to never come true. However, he had found that speaking his wishes often brought them to fruition, for better or worse. With a soft shrug and continued smile, he said, "My wish? I have so many of them but I think this brightening, the one I will bring to the tree is I wish I could get a kiss from a beautiful elven woman beneath a wishing tree early in the morning." He said it while looking off into the distance and avoiding making eye contact; keeping his face steady and serious but couldn't hold it for long and his eyes wandered to the side to see if Jade was looking at him.

[Jade Alanon]

It was amazing how easy it was to laugh with him, she couldn't tell if it was Austin himself that put her at such ease or if it was Natura's peace and beauty that did so. She only knew that she had never laughed or smiled as much as she had in Natura and when she left, she would be saddened. Austin spoke, catching her attention, causing her to look over at him just in time to see him wink. He only confirmed what she knew about him already, that he was a protector of those that needed help, something Jade wished she could be but alas, her job was not to protect but to destroy.

Her abrupt change in subject seemed to be noticed as a way to keep from saying what was really wrong, to keep from saying good bye. While she tried not to seem it, she was such a dramatic person at times, it really wasn't that hard to say good bye and it wasn't as though she and Austin had been lovers, she enjoyed the man's company and he seemed to like her as well, but really they didn't know each other all that well. She wondered if he would ask about her thoughts and if he did, would she open up to him?

She titled her head to the side a bit and smiled, waiting for his answer. It was a known fact that if one spoke their wish that it wouldn't come true, Jade didn't believe in wishes coming true anyway, though Austin coming along when he did after she wished to speak with him was rather odd. He smiled widely and she had to wonder what she had just asked, would he be foolish and say a silly wish or would he be serious and tell her his true wish. She didn't know Austin very well but she knew him well enough to know he had two sides to him, one being the mature protector and the other being the immature, reckless, bull headed young man that just wanted to have fun.

Jade could feel her cheeks burn as he spoke his wish, he wasn't looking directly at her as he spoke, so he didn't see her blush. He wanted a kiss from her? What a good way of putting it, he had tact that was for sure. She wondered for a moment if he was serious about his wish, if he really did wish to kiss her, did she want to kiss him? She recalled the night of star dancing, she had actually thought about kissing him, enjoying the feel of her being held so close to him. These weren't the sort of thoughts Jade was used to having, but Natura and Austin obviously had an effect on her that she hadn't counted on. She looked down for a moment, her hair blowing across her face, her cheeks still flushed. When she look back up, she found her gaze held on his blue eyes, a smile on her face. "Shall I go fetch a beautiful elven maiden for you then." She said teasingly, sitting from her current position and moving a bit closer.

[Austin Eventide]

At the mention of fetching a beautiful elven maiden, Austin rubbed his chin as if he were thinking about it; countering Jade's teasing with a bit of his own but then simply flashed a toothy grin and said, "No, I would not want them feel jealous when they end up paling in comparison to you. That just wouldn't be nice now would it?" He allowed himself the briefest of moments to glance down at Jade's emerald green dress. The way it brought out the color in her eyes made it all that more appropriate that her name also matched.

Austin leaned toward Jade and said softly, "You know, we are sitting here under the wish tree and well, I heard that normal rules for speaking one's wishes aloud are null and void when sitting in such place." Austin took a chance and brushed the back of his fingers against Jade's upper right arm where he caught for the first time, a good look at the birthmark in the shape of what, for lack of better comparison, looked like feathery wings.

Austin thought back to a story he read once, an elven story about a beautiful elven woman with wings descending upon a scene of battle where a single man battled back a orc raiding party; successfully defending a helpless village from attack. Although the man had killed the entire party, his own wounds were fatal. As he lay in a pool of his own blood, his life failing him, the winged elf maiden, taken by the man's bravery and selflessness, blessed him with a single kiss. When he died, his last vision was that of a Goddess coming down from the heavens and sending him off to the afterlife with a divine kiss. Looking back to Jade, to her emerald eyes, he saw her as a sign that his own life would be taking a new direction.

[Jade Alanon]

After she spoke, she waited to see what he would say, when he rubbed his chin as though he were actually considering it, she wasn't sure whether to laugh or smack him, but he then gave her a toothy grin. He was such a charmer and Jade loved how easily he could make her cheeks burn from his compliments and such. In a way, he was only making it harder to say what she really needed to say to him, to say good bye to him and Natura. "No it wouldn't be, how could I have been so inconsiderate." She said with a laugh. "Maybe we could stay in Natura a bit longer." Her bondmate's voice entered her head, it seemed Nymira was enjoying simply watching the two though she made no snarky remark, she obviously saw how much Jade enjoyed Austin's company. "No Nymira, we can't." Was all she said before returning her attention to Austin.

She didn't flinch or pull back when Austin leaned forward, which was amazing in itself since she was rather a jumpy person in this sort of situation. She had been trained with the mindset that no one was worthy of her trust, how could one man change that sort of thinking? "So does that mean you believe your wish will be granted?" She said this as though she was clueless though she wasn't a simpleton, she knew what he meant. She shivered a bit as his fingers brushed against his bare upper arm, the same placed where she bore her odd birthmark.

She had never known the reason for her birthmark, perhaps the Gods simply chose to give her wings in a different way, ones she couldn't fly away with but simply marked her. She used to think the wings made her special, but she lost that special feeling a long time ago. Jerack used to call her his little angel and while it made her feel good as a child, it repulsed her now.
When he looked back at her after a few moments of looking as though he were in deep thought, she couldn't tear her gaze from his eyes, was she foolish to allow her guard down in such a way? You are making it hard to leave Austin. She thought to herself. Deciding to take a small chance and see what occured, she leaned forward, almost hesitant at first until her face was inches from his, with a smile she whispered. "Wish granted." She then leaned forward and pressed her lips gently against his for a moment, she always was one to take initiative. She then pulled back from the kiss, her cheeks red from her actions but really, she had enjoyed the kiss, but what would he say about it?

[Austin Eventide]

Austin enjoyed the little teasing although a small part of him wasn't quite sure Jade would be ready to kiss him. He had noticed that there were widening cracks in the armor that she apparently wore yet since their first meeting at the Rose Masque, he saw her open up a little more each time they met. He wondered what could have happened to cause her to feel the need to protect herself so much. Perhaps he would ask her soon although such a thing could push her further away. His thoughts were quickly interrupted as Jade leaned in closer, very close and whispered before blessing him with a kiss.

He thought he detected a bit of hesitation from her at first but when it happened, Austin leaned gently into the kiss. In the instant, he realized that it had indeed been worth the wait. The softness of her lips, the lightness of her touch mixed with the soft Summer breeze that blew as they sat beneath the tree in the early daylight created a moment that Austin couldn't remember having experienced before.

When she pulled back, her face was slightly flushed. Austin too slowly leaned back. He was at a loss for words at first; still caught up in the feeling of the kiss. When he was able to speak, he said in just above a whisper, "That was definitely worthy of a divine wish." Austin reached up and gently brushed her cheek as he spoke. He was afraid to say anything else hoping to preserve the moment for a bit longer.

[Jade Alanon]

Getting this close to someone was dangerous, not only for her but for him as well, but she couldn't help herself. Kissing him had been a risk but it was worth it, her first gentle kiss and she had been the one to take initiative, that was quite humorous really. She couldn't help but smile as she waited to see what he would say, her heart moving quicker and quicker, kissing was such a rush, a better rush then when she killed. What had made her smile so much was the slightl surprise she felt some him and then he leaned into the kiss, it was better then what she had imagined it to be. "You imagined about it?" Nymira just had to interject her thoughts into the moment. "Butt out Nymira."

She waited for him to speak but he was speechless, which almost made her laugh, but she thought her laughing might ruin the moment. She didn't want to leave now, she wanted to stay and see if there wasn't anything for her with Austin. She closed her eyes against his touch and smiled, gods it felt so nice. It's not going to last, you're leaving! She opened her eyes as he spoke, his words making her smile though her cheeks were still flushed. "Well I am happy my wish came true so yours could." Gods she sounded so corny but she didn't care.

She wanted to kiss him again but she didn't want to push her luck. She brushed her hair from her face and sighed contently. "I didn't expect this to happen." Those words embodied so much emotion and so many thoughts. "But I'm glad it has." She brushed her hand lightly against his cheek. "Gods you such a romantic." Jade ignored Nymira for now, her focus entirely on Austin.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin marveled at the beauty of the woman before him. Although no stranger to the sight of a beautiful woman, Austin couldn't help but find himself entranced by the mystery and exotic sensation of meeting an unknown elf woman in an unfamiliar city and then sitting with her beneath a mystical tree during a warm, early Summer morning. Never could he have planned such a thing. With his ever present smile, he said softly, "Jade, we are two strangers from two different worlds, brought together here in this moment without expectation..." He leaned in and pressed for another kiss, this one a bit longer and deeper than the first. With his lips still touching hers, he paused momentarily and whispered from the side of his mouth, "Go with the moment." He lifted his hand to place it gently behind her head, weaving his fingers into her hair and holding the kiss awhile longer.

He silently hoped that he wasn't going too far yet he indeed believed his own words and chose to seize the moment in case it were only fleeting. He supported himself with his other arm and with his mind focusing mainly upon Jade, he allowed himself a moment to thank Carmelya for the blessing of the moment. As long as the moment lasted, Austin indulged until slowly he allowed the kiss to soften and finally end. He looked into her eyes and then blinked.

[Jade Alanon]

Nymira got closer as she watched the two sit below the tree, Jade would have much prefered a short swift goodbye and then she would be gone to continue her work, but Austin unknowingly was making such a thing impossible. Jade was almost like a child when it came to such things love because she knew nothing about it, she was fragile in that respect while in others she was strong and for that reason Nymira felt she needed to protect her bondmate. But how could Nymira protect Jade from such a situation, she clearly had feelings for the young Eventide man and he seemed to like her as well, but could she really allow herself to explore the possible relationship instead of leaving Natura?

Austin continued to smile at her, his soft words causing her to remember why she had come here in the first place, what she needed to tell Ausin. Strangers from different worlds, that described them quite well, perhaps too well really. She wanted to say something but before she could speak her good bye to him, he leaned forward and pressed his lips back against hers for another kiss, though this one he held longer and deeper then she had held their first kiss. She was stunned and yet she relaxed against the kiss easily and returned the kiss, this was going further then she had thought it would and though she thought perhaps they should stop, she didn't want this moment to end.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard him speak, pulling back from the kiss though his lips still touched her. One side of her was telling her the exact same thing Go with the moment. While her other side was telling her to pull back from the kiss and tell him good bye, then make a run for it before he made it even harder to leave. She didn't have a moment to think before she felt his hand slide gently behind her head, his fingers intertwined in her hair as he pressed back into the kiss and held it a bit longer. She closed her emerald eyes and let herself get lost in the sweet kiss, her one hand down on the ground to support her while the other arm slid around his neck gently.

It felt like forever and yet didn't feel like long enough as she felt the kiss soften and then felt him pull back, ending the kiss. She opened her eyes to look at him with a sort of shy smile, her cheeks flushed, suddenly she couldn't remember what she had wanted to tell him. She slid her arm from around his neck yet she didn't move away for she enjoyed the closeness. She recalled then the tarot reading Austin's sister Avrie had done and almost gasped at the realization, was this the choice she had to make, to commit herself to Austin in a way by staying or leaving Natura and Austin? She seemed speechless at the moment and then blinked as well. "Shouldn't you know a girl better before you kiss her like that." She said teasinly with some invitation, she knew she was a puzzle to him and while she couldn't tell him everything, there was still other things she could tell him.

[Austin Eventide]

Austin shook his head at Jade's words and then looked back up at her. "Often, one must go with what their heart says and not what their mind tells them." Austin knew that he sounded a bit cliche but forgave himself and continued. "But perhaps you are right. I am young, and according to my family, naive, but I know when someone has things to tell. Jade, in the short few cycles since meeting you, I can tell there have been things on your mind, things you wish to tell me. We sit here now, sharing in a wondrous moment and yet you are right. There are things I do not know about you." He swallowed lightly, knowing that he was finally presented with the chance to unravel a bit of the mystery which surrounded the young lady whom he realized he was falling for.

Waiting no longer, he asked, "Tell me if you will, why is there that slight hesitation about you in our meetings? I know a bit about people and I know when there is hesitation beyond simply being nervous or unsure. Even now as we just shared in a such a divine moment, I sensed some amount of hesitation. Why?" Austin's tone, though questioning, was not one of frustration or anger. It was simply one of concern, of wanting to know. He couldn't imagine the answer being all that bad. How could one who seemed so innocent, so alluring, be anything but that. He waited patiently, hoping that some part of the mystery which he sought to unravel would be revealed.

[Jade Alanon]

Going with your heart instead of listening to your mind, was such a thing truly possible? Pretty words but they made Jade wonder if she couldn't follow her heart instead of her head, perhaps she had done so when she went with the moment and didn't think about saying good bye. She didn't need to rush out of Natura afterall, perhaps she could spend the rest of the brightening with Austin thought yet again, that would make leaving him all the more hard. Things she wished to tell him, more like things she wished she could tell him, she wanted him to know all of her, the good and the bad but it was the bad part that kept her from really trusting this to be real.

She had given him the invitation on purpose though and would answer any questions he had as truthfully as possible. The question he asked though was not on family or background as she half expected but instead about her hesitation with him. How could she explain that she was afraid her presence around him would somehow get him hurt, not only because of the Rhasic but because of Jerack who was out to make her life completely miserable. If Jerack knew she had found someone that she believed she could actually love, he would go after Austin to get at Jade, she couldn't allow it.

A question asked about hesitation was met with more hesitation, her eyes looking away from Austin's at that moment, her heart beating a bit faster as she pondered what to tell him. His tone held no irritation or anger nor did it hold judgement, it held gentle concern and a need to know more about her, to solve the mystery that had surrounded her. When she finally did look up, there was something behind her emerald eyes, she sighed a bit before she spoke. "I will admit, I am scared to allow myself to get close to another, bring myself to trust another." She was speaking rather cryptically and she knew that, so she continued. "People around me always seem to get hurt, whether through my actions or actions of others out to get me, I just..." She looked down again. "I distance myself from others to keep them as safe as possible."

"How you slipped through my defenses, I'll never know." Her hand brushed softly against his cheek, a soft smile touching her lips. "I just couldn't bare it if something happened to you because of me."