[Wistful Willow Bridge] Flowers & Long Lost Friends (Open!)
16th of Cryaxtum, Spring Era I, Era XV PF
Secrets :
Just west of Natura, deep within the thick woods, a lone bridge curves across a meandering stream too small to be a brook, but not yet large enough to be dubbed a river. The bridge is a feature of beauty and magic, its structure wooden, its color reminiscent of majestic beech trees. Flowers bloom here in the warm months, lustrous canary bird blooms that resemble feathery birds in flight mingling with the tender white buds of honeysuckles, their fragrance nearly overwhelming when in full-blossom and both edible should the mood strike lovers.
Lovely as the bridge might be, it was the willow tree arching over the burbling stream which earned the spot its name, its weeping tendrils tickling the surface like a lover reaching endlessly towards its sweetheart. It was a magnificent tree, ancient and graceful, the sort that sprouted rumors of tree-spirits, of graceful nymphs.
Rumor had it that a pair of Druid lovers had visited this spot too many patterns past to count. They lay together beneath the comforting branches of the willow tree, then just a small sapling, and confirmed their love together amidst the watchful eyes of the stars. The small stream and its lilting willow tree became a regular rendezvous for the pair as the eras ate away at their beauty and their youth. In their final eras, they sat beneath the willow, now tall and grandiose, and spoke of visits in eras past. Wishing to forever mark the place as a tender spot where lovers meet, the pair focused their arcana upon two beech trees and warped them into their present form. Before they left, the Druids planted seeds around the base of the two entrance points and willed the creeping vines to twine around the supports of the arching roof.
Most memorable about the bridge, perhaps, were the words etched above the entrance to the eastern side of the bridge, chiseled into a flat panel supposedly by the two Druid lovers themselves.
May those who lay beneath the willow never forget the arms that held them.May those who kiss beneath this bridge know love so strong it transcends Aetheria.
To those who love, we bless you.
Sitting down along the edge of the small river not too far off from the bridge itself, Farrah sat in a kneeling position, her purple skirts drifting around her form. She had come to the bridge to let her mind wander, to let her spirit soar and to rekindle the fond memories she had of this fair place from her youth.
Farrah had come to the bridge when she was younger with her best friend Laera many times to play, sit along the top of the bridge and hang their legs off the edge and talk about the most random things. As she sat in the grass, Farrah sighed, a gentle breeze coming through the wood as it ruffled her white blouse, the front unbuttoned down half way, her hands reaching upwards as she plucked a small budding flower from the bush she was sitting next to.
The woods brought much peace and tranquility to Natura but Farrah was still lost in her own little world. Her mind was flustered and while she'd signed up to become a ranger in Natura, her life was quite lonely. Ever since her family left her alone and Laera disappeared after that embarrassing meeting between her and Farrah, she had no friends, no one to talk to except the plants, the water and the animals. Her father's abandonment had driven her to become too close, too intimate with Laera, having given her a fickle kiss of confusion in a time of desperation and now she was paying for her soul's confusion with a deep loneliness she couldn't satisfy.
Twirling the small, purple flower in between her long, soft fingers, Farrah reached back, gathered her hair behind her head and then stuck the flower in behind her ear as she hummed near the stream, her soft melody drifting over the waters of the running brook before her.
"By angel's grace...The light grows...
Her wings so steady, blessed by the hands of a maiden...
Ready she guards the forests, her bow and arrow in hand...
To her father's name she fights...In the sky and on the land.."
Her voice trailed off as she continued to hum in a somewhat solemn tune. It had been a small verse her father used to sing to her when she was little. Farrah missed her father very much. So much so, she had continued to pray to Carmelya to help bring him back one brightening so that she could tell him she was sorry for what happened with mother and Logan and Laera...All of it...but he wasn't there and it brought a tear to her eye as she sat in the green grass, her slender form weeping ever so slightly at the water's edge.
As a child, just like Farrah, The Wistful Willow Bridge was a place where she would go with a friend, or more likely, her younger brother Matthias. It was a beautiful and peaceful spot, a very needed thing when taking care of a rowdy sibling. Matthias was always a handful, and Sarai would bet a few crowns that her Aunt was probably having a rough time with him. He was a huge troublemaker, and Sarai was really the only one who knew how to calm the little bugger down. Having the afternoon off, since Hart Briarwood of the Drowsing Dryad was such a kind fellow, she returned to her childhood pastime. Sadly, this time, was without her brother. She missed the kid, dearly.
Sarai wore her new clothing, a lavender blouse, with two buttons on the top unbuttoned, her brown leather trousers, and boots. A skirt was no place for a small hike in the woods to get to such a splendid oasis. Upon arrival, Sarai sighed in content and took the beauty in. The area was just as pretty as ever, with the intertwining trees, the colorful flowers, and the serene waters. And in this beautiful picture, was a lone woman, seeming to complete it. Sitting on the grass with her flowing red hair, and a flower in her hand, Sarai thought the girl could’ve been an angel of sorts. Having no preference for either male or female, something she found out at the age of 14 in Primus Gaudeo, Sarai could easily find the girl breathtakingly gorgeous. But Sarai wasn’t sure if it was just the scenery playing tricks on her.
As Sarai entered the area of the Wistful Willow Bridge, she noticed a slight change in the girl, a sob perhaps? Sarai was uncertain. She walked over to the girl towards the water, her boots crunching the earth ever so slightly. Sarai approached her from the side, and hesitated a moment.
“Is everything all right?” She asked, in a careful manner.
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Status: Classes have started, I'll try my best, please be patient.
Normally Farrah was not the one for dramatics, nor did she have that true soft spot many women possessed. She considered herself strong, strong enough to resist the constant push of emotions that prodded and poked at her as she thought about her father. It just so happened that brightening was the one where she gave into them briefly as she really couldn't hold it back anymore.
Sarai's approach from behind the young woman wasn't noticed until the crunch of her boots upon the earth made Farrah stop in mid-weep and she gave a soft sniffle, wiping away whatever was on her face. The redhead turned around and looked at Sarai as the woman spoke out, wondering if everything was alright.
Farrah's cheeks ran a light shade of red as she'd been found out, exposed amidst the quiet grove near the bridge. Dark green eyes fluttered about in a surprised and embarrassed manner, still slightly damp. Turning around on the grass, Farrah placed a hand on her skirt, the other still trying to wash away the few tears that were attempting to escape.
"Oh..." She looked up at the figure of Sarai and forced a bit of a smile. "She looks a little like Laera..." It was the first thing that came to her mind as she lowered her chin a little, trying to hide her face with a drooping strand of fire. "Don't be a fool...Say something."
"Yes...Yes I'm alright. Hah, I did not expect anyone to be out here..." Farrah stood up and flattened out her lavender, knee high skirt, brushing the odd bits of grass off her white blouse that had ended up on it. Farrah had a curvy form and she was also quite athletic having been trained by her father, the one she'd come to remember and weep over. She was a bit of a wreck, but her elegant features seemed to persist through the sadness as a bigger smile appeared on her rosy lips.
"You must think me some crybaby or something..." Farrah looked to her left, still slightly embarrassed that she'd been caught crying by the river side. She ran a hand through her long red hair and looked down at the ground before looking back at Sarai with a wry smirk. "I'm sorry, where are my manners...I'm Farrah. Farrah Grayven. I thought a good walk and a trip down here would calm me down but it's done quite the opposite. You wouldn't happen to be some sort of soothsayer would you?" There was a hint of sarcasm as she tried to break the tension in the air around them both. Her hand reached up and brushed at her cheek.
Sarai gave a comforting, yet somewhat sad smile back when Farrah tried to force one. She must have gone through a lot to be so upset, she thought. She pitied her, but would not say so aloud, for it was rude, and Sarai most likely had never been put through something similar enough to relate. Sarai had also lost her father, though it was permanent, but she didn’t know the circumstances that would cause Farrah’s tears.
“Yes…Yes I’m alright. Hah, I did not expect anyone to be out here…”
“It is a secluded spot, I’m sorry if I am intruding…” Sarai said, hoping she wasn’t, and watched as Farrah tried to regain her composure. Sarai could almost see the layers of protection begin to wrap around the woman, or was that just her imagination? Up close, Farrah was even more beautiful, her green eyes sparkling from the tears. The color reminded her of a cat and it made them all the more mysterious.
“You must think me some crybaby or something…” Sarai wanted to say no, but couldn’t exactly find the right words to say so. Sarai watched the embarrassed woman’s adorable antics and smiled, then finding the right way to tell her. “How could I think that? A crybaby is someone who cries more often than not, and I’ve only see you cry once. I don’t think you qualify.” She said, trying to cheer her up a bit. Farrah gave Sarai a wry smirk, and she replied with a true bright smile of her own, the kind most often found on the young girls face.
Sarai giggled before answering her question, “To my knowledge I am not, though who knows? My name is Sarai DeLano, and it’s a pleasure to meet a beautiful lady like yourself, despite the tears-”she said with a smirk “- I also come here to think. This is a favorite spot from my childhood.” Sarai then walked closer to the water’s edge, playing with the mud a little bit with her foot. She smiled to herself upon recalling a mud battle with her brother. Sarai then scratched the back of her head and turned to Farrah.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what has caused you such grief? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” She said holding her hands up in a pose one would use to stop someone from passing. Sarai then shrugged, she didn’t want to make Farrah uncomfortable. They could talk about anything, for all Sarai cared. Alone with a gorgeous redhead? The possibilities.
"No, no...It's quite alright." Farrah gathered herself up and while she did try to force a smile, it formed initially but stayed as she talked with Sarai more, almost thanking Carmelya for helping break the solemn, silent mood she'd been sulking around in for the past few candlemarks. Sarai was a sight for sore eyes and her arrival couldn't have been better. She needed a pretty face to cheer her up.
Farrah appreciated Sarai's attempt at cheering her up and it was working...slowly but surely. Blushing and shaking her head slightly in disbelief that she was being so foolish, Sarai's comment about her not qualifying just accented it all. "Thank you..." Her eyes dipped but came back up as it was hard not to look at Sarai, as she reminded her so much of her old friend Laera. It was almost looking into a mirror...with a few minor adjustments made. Adjustments she liked but she probably wouldn't have admitted them to anyone...
"It's nice to meet you Sarai." Farrah was still a little speechless as she'd been caught off guard and then handed a rather flattering comment as she was called beautiful by the stranger. "Mine too...I used to spend candlemarks on end here with my best friend..." Her voice faded off as she watched Sarai walk over and stick her foot in the mud and play with it a little. Her eyes traced over Sarai's face as she fiddled with the water in the stream and then looked back to the bridge where she and Laera had once played and just simply fooled around. They were happy memories but combined with the loss of her father and then the eventual loss of Laera as well...It had driven her to a great grief...One that Sarai was trying to help her out of and in her somewhat vulnerable state, had begun to take a slight liking to the woman in front of her. Sarai had that caring aura about her that made her feel comfortable in the somewhat awkward situation.
"Well..." Farrah almost felt another tear coming on but held it back as she thought of Laera and her father. "My father...he left me a few eras ago..I-" The redhead stopped and looked up at Sarai with a face filled with hesitance. She didn't try to escape or move from her position as Sarai put up her subtle blockade, Farrah didn't feel threatened by her presence, quite the opposite infact.
"Heh, I can't believe I'm telling you this...I just met you. Surely it isn't all that important to you." She reached up and pulled on a strand of her hair and twisted it near the base of her neck, curling it upwards in a nervous fashion. Farrah really wasn't sure if she should say another word as she looked at Sarai, biting her bottom lip. "I...I just miss him is all...He left after my mother died of the Pox and he didn't say why. I tried to tell my best friend Laera...but she didn't like it...any of it." An idle hand picked itself up and Farrah nibbled on the end of her slender, index finger. It was a bad habit, one she'd picked up from her mother.
A curious glint entered Farrah's eyes, the hint only flickering but a second as she looked at the woman, wondering as to why the woman was so interested. Perhaps she had other motives, perhaps she was just the curious type. Farrah couldn't tell, not yet anyways. The only thing she knew was that Sarai was rather good with dispensing compliments she liked to hear.
When Sarai heard the word father, a frown formed on her lips, and she put her hands down. She lost her father when she was only nine ordinations old, and to hear that word only reminded her of that fact. The whole reason she was back in Natura was because of him, and her goal to follow in his footsteps and hopefully surpass him. She had even taken it upon herself to learn the arcanic sphere of Thaumaturgy. Since her father was such an excellent healer with the use of herbal medicine and alchemy, she believed the only way to surpass him was to learn the Healing Magic. The wonders of herbs couldn’t save her father or others with the same disease, but maybe Thaumaturgy could.
Then Farrah stopped her explanation, and Sarai raised her brow in concern. She gave a small smile, hoping to keep Farrah telling her the story. Sarai was genuinely interested and hoped the woman didn’t believe otherwise, but that didn’t mean her motives were entirely innocent. Farrah was beautiful and it was something about the red hair that had Sarai all warm inside. She always considered herself someone aligned with the element water, and the fire Farrah represented was something she would like to experience. But that wasn’t something she would try to do today, today was about cheering Farrah up and getting her out of a vulnerable spot. Sarai wasn’t low enough to take advantage of Farrah in a situation like this.
“… Surely it isn’t all that important to you.”“Why do you say things like that? You shouldn’t be little something that is important to you. If it’s something near and dear to your heart, you should share it with others, happy or sad.” She said, trying to convey that she was truly interested. Farrah then continued and explained he moved away after losing her mother, and a friend named Laera didn’t take Farrah’s reaction to it all very well.
Sarai took a tentative step closer to Farrah to speak with her. The hesitation was there because she didn’t want to seem like she was… coming on to her or something. “The only reason I feel comfortable saying this is because I have lost as well. I’m sorry that you are going through such rough times.” She didn’t share anything more than that unless Farrah would ask. Sarai did this because she knew how someone could twist something to bring attention to them, and didn’t want to seem like she was doing just that. She wanted to impress Farrah, and sounding pretentious or narcissistic was not the way to do it.
If Farrah asked her divulge the information, she would continue to do so, otherwise Sarai would try to change the subject to a more cheery note.
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Status: Classes have started, I'll try my best, please be patient.
She was exposed and had been found out. Her face turned a light shade of red as she admitted her past to the stranger. Farrah hadn't told anyone what had happened, although there were more than likely some rumours having circulated through the village when it all happened.
Farrah hadn't expected Sarai to react the way she did. The healer seemed quite engaged and attentive to her plights, something Farrah had never experienced before. She hadn't expected sympathy but she received it anyways. It was a nice feeling to know what someone in the world cared.
"I...I suppose you're right." Her green eyes lifted from the ground briefly as they fluttered open then diverting themselves back to the river, Farrah giving a subtle gulp as she was still nervous around strangers.
"Thank you...I'm sorry to hear you have experienced loss as well..." Farrah kept twirling her strand of hair with one hand, unsure as to whether or not she should actually ask about Sarai's experience in the past. A rushing sensation hit her head and Farrah just threw caution to the wind. Never really making any friends, perhaps this was her chance to connect with someone in town.
"W-What happened to you? In the past? If you don't mind me asking...?" The redhead's voice was treading lightly, her eyes flickering up to match Sarai's, somewhat curious to see if they had similar pasts. Sarai had truly peaked her interest as there was something there they could both relate to. That drew her in farther and father, hook, line and sinker.
And indeed, Farrah inquired about Sarai's past, as expected. Sarai took a deep breath and nodded at Farrah, meeting the red haired woman's gaze. "Well I grew up with my father and brother here in Natura, in a small shop that my father ran for healing and herbs and the like. I don't remember my mother, she disappeared when my brother was born. But that doesn't truly matter, I don't feel any loss for her, I only knew her for the first 3 years of my life."
She sighed and reached up to her braid, pulling it over her right shoulder. Sarai played with it and looked down at the ground as she continued. "At the age of nine, my father died of a mysterious illness, and my brother and I stayed with our aunt for a time. I just recently moved back." She said matter-of-factly, not wishing to dwell upon the matter. It was hard losing her father, and day by day it seemed her memories of him fade. What was even worse was that her brother, Matthias, barely even remembered the wonderful man that raised them. Their aunt, Emilia, is the closest parental figure he's ever known, besides his sister of course. She lifted her gaze back up to Farrah and bit the inside of her lip, worrying about her mischievous little brother.
"Well now that we've gotten the hard part over with," she said and the expression on her face changed dramatically from sad and tentative to happy and carefree. "Why don't we talk about something more cheerful? Like how beautiful the spring is thus far." Sarai stated, trying to change the subject.
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Status: Classes have started, I'll try my best, please be patient.
It was a rather dreary meeting, that was for sure. Farrah listened quietly as Sarai told her side of her past. It was all too weird and unsettling to have the both of them letting their confided pasts out into the air like that. Somehow Farrah was a little more comfortable around Sarai, she had a humbling aura about her.
The information spouted off by Sarai made Farrah lower her head, it was saddening to hear someone of the same town suffered like she had at the hands of her own family. The redhead could sense it wasn't easy for Sarai to share such information and at that point, Farrah felt as though she had asked too much of the young woman.
Farrah didn't say anything to Sarai at first, unsure of how to respond but Sarai had quite literally saved her the embarrassment of having to console her as she tried to change the subject. This lit up Farrah's somewhat grim frown into a large smile as her rosy lips curled upwards.
"That sounds like a much better idea." She kept smiling and gave a bit of a giggle as the young Grayven tried to shrug off the past few moments of drudgery. She had come out here to mourn her father but something much nicer had come out of all of it. An unexpected surprise it could be said.
Glancing at Sarai, Farrah reached up and grabbed the small purple flower that she had put in behind her ear not moments before Sarai had surprised her. She twirled it inbetween her nimble fingertips. "I am so glad spring has come, it makes for some brilliant plant life. My father was a ranger and he showed me all sorts of things, including some beautiful plants. I have always enjoyed their scent." Her slender nose took a gentle waft of the flower and she let out a small smile.
It was hard for Farrah to admit that Sarai was quite pretty. It was a bit of an odd feeling as she stood there in the small clearing next to the Willow Bridge. She reminded her so much of Laera but she was still quite hesitant to act on anything for fear of driving her away like she had Laera.
"You um...You said you had moved back to Natura. Have you come back to study? Work? I'm afraid I've locked myself away these past few eras, not going many places, tending to stay to myself a lot but I've been trying to...trying to meet new people. I recently signed up at the Ranger's Hall to become a Silver Fox. I've always thought there needed to be more female rangers roaming the forests, so I've come out of my shell-" Farrah stopped herself and she became a little flushed and then continued. "I've gone out and done something for myself. It feels nice to be 'out there' now."
Her finger continued to twirl around a braid of her red hair as she idly walked around the clearing, her gentle steps carrying her through the grass as she looked around at the plant life, taking a few seconds now and then to look back at Sarai with a pleasant smirk.
Suddenly, the sad, unfortunate girl before Sarai seemed to bloom in front of her to an even more beautiful flower. Farrah smiled. Sarai melted a little bit inside, and her good posture collapsed slightly along with. When Farrah smiled it raised the level of her beauty to new heights. Sarai just could'nt get over how adorable and gorgeous this woman was. She watched Farrah's lips as she spoke, and wished she was the flower so close to Farrah's face. Yet, even though she wished it, Sarai would not act upon these feelings today. She just met Farrah, and adding on to the fact that Farrah was in a vulnerable state at the moment, it just didn't seem right. And ofcourse there was Apakai... and Guomondr. The other two in her life that Sarai were somewhat interested in. But that didn't mean Sarai didn't want to chase after Farrah and kiss her. Sarai would just have to wait and see how it fell into place.
When Farrah finished speaking of the flowers, Sarai forced herself to resume the good posture from before and nod in agreement. "Another thing we have in common, my father was an herbalist and healer of sorts. He taught a bit about plant-life as well. Thus I always loved the spring with the new life and beautiful flowers." She said with emphasis on beautiful flowers and looked at Farrah with a smirk. Sarai was tempted to wink, but held it in, not knowing enough about Farrah. Was Farrah interested in other women? Sarai didn't know, and like most people she hated rejection. So taking it slow was the best solution in Sarai's mind.
Farrah continued speaking after, and asked why Sarai had returned. Farrah explained that she had recently enlisted with the Rangers of Natura and had been trying to introduce herself to new people. Well, Farrah had successfully introduced herself to Sarai, that was for sure. Then, Farrah said something... odd. Well it wasn't necessarily odd but it could be construed as something else besides going out into the world. When she said, "It feels nice to be 'out there' now." Sarai thought Farrah was alluding to being 'out' as in interested in women while being a woman. But she wasn't sure and also thought it was wishful thinking.
"I returned home to study and to work. I'm manager and waitress at the Drowsing Dryad Inn and Tavern, it's surprisingly fun work. I also study at the Temple of the Blessed Hands, probably not too far a walk from the Ranger's Hall where you have enlisted. About a cycle and a half ago I began to study Thaumaturgy there." Sarai answered Farrah's question truthfully, and as soon as she had finished speaking Farrah began to walk about the clearing.
And that smirk, oh that smirk. It was getting harder and harder for Sarai to contain herself if Farrah continued these antics. She wanted to chase Farrah around the clearing and steal a kiss... or two. No... Sarai thought to herself, she wouldn't act upon her emotions now. She sighed with content and amusement and placed her hands on her hips. Sarai tilted her head slightly, smirked, and raised her eyebrow in reply to Farrah's smirking. What was Farrah up to? Sarai mustered up all her courage and began to follow the red-haired mistress around the clearing.
"Little nymph, what's on that mind of yours?" Sarai asked, trying to catch up with Farrah, giggling along the way.
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Status: Classes have started, I'll try my best, please be patient.
Her brightening was 'brightening' so to speak by the second. "Her father was a herbalist?" Farrah's slim eyebrow raised itself in curiousity, linking their connection a little bit further. Sarai's careful observation's had Farrah curious even more now as the woman was taking a keen interest in the woman as they stood across from each other and the young woman could feel it growing as much as Sarai's doubts started to widdle away slowly.
Then again, she had been known to be wrong in the past, she certainly had been with Laera.
Beautiful flowers were definitely something Farrah had been interested in and her lips curled into a soft smile as Sarai emphasized the last part of her sentence. Farrah didn't linger long as her head turned back and she circled around a small bush with a few dark red petalled flowers. "I could not agree with you more." Farrah's hand raked gently through the brush and passed through a few idle leaves, disturbing their place in the serenity of the setting.
Sarai began to rattle off her brief history and past doings. Farrah gave a coy smirk from her hiding place and then circled out back around as she gave another smell of a bright yellow flower. She didn't know what to do with this woman but at the mention of Thaumaturgy, her attention had been drawn in and she stepped closer to Sarai and looked at the woman's hands and smiled. Reaching down, she grabbed the left hand of Sarai's and rubbed it briefly with the soft touch of her thumb. "You definitely have the hands of a healer..." Her cheeks flushed as she became embarrassed at her own actions as she took a step or two back, turning as her hair swirled slightly in the breeze.
Circling around a tree and stepping quickly towards the bridge, Farrah thought she heard a noise coming from underneath but the disturbance in the gently flowing creek was nothing but a big bullfrog. Sarai's nymph comment made Farrah's face scrunch up for but a brief second as she let out a soft chuckle and smirked again. "Nothing that you would be interested in I don't think....No, definitely not." Giving off a grin, she reached up and grabbed hold of one of the bridge's supports and ran underneath, giving off a low giggle as she hopped across a few rocks and towards the other side. The chase was on...Would Sarai catch her prize?
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