Novus.
He had only mentioned it in passing, just a quick slip of his tongue. She had listened to him talk about his home; the solar courts and the gods that ruled over them, the markets of Denocte, the library of Delumine, the beasts that ravaged the deserts of Solterra, the Kelpies that dominated the waves of Terrastella. She had no idea what any of it meant, the legends of Novus and their inhabitants, but she had fallen in love with them.
She had fallen in love with him.
Escaping the confines of the House had always felt unattainable, but when she had heard this particular ship, The Wave Treader, was to set off for Terrastella’s port in the morning she wasted no time in gathering what little valuables she had. Now she was stepping off the port and onto the cobblestones of the very place she had chased in her dreams. It was so much more beautiful than she could have imagined.
That’s probably why she didn’t notice the other girl until they crashed.
It had been a simple miscalculation on both their parts; Euphrosyne had run directly into her path with little regard for her surroundings, and Noëlle simply hadn’t stepped out of the way in time. She was already apologizing before Euphrosyne even had a chance to do it herself. O-oh! I’m so sorry! I should know better, miss. Head in the clouds. Are you alright? She couldn’t help but laugh, carefree and full of joy, as she picked herself up from the street.
“Don’t apologize! It seems we both have something in common already.” She gave her a friendly wink and a gentle shake of her wings before answering her question. “I’m perfectly fine. Just a bit ruffled. Are you okay?”
It wasn’t long before their wreck had attracted another; a long and lanky man made of burnt umber and eyes of green jade. He was beautiful, though she felt woe to admit that even to herself. It seemed he was used to that reaction. Good day, gentlefriends. I heard your collision while pondering something scholarly and not at all while lingering in an alleyway. Is everyone alright?
Right. “How kind of you to look after us.” She gives him a look up and down, which might have been mistaken for flirting if it weren’t for the unimpressed expression she forced herself to wear. “Were you pondering, by chance, better ways to spy on others?”
He had only mentioned it in passing, just a quick slip of his tongue. She had listened to him talk about his home; the solar courts and the gods that ruled over them, the markets of Denocte, the library of Delumine, the beasts that ravaged the deserts of Solterra, the Kelpies that dominated the waves of Terrastella. She had no idea what any of it meant, the legends of Novus and their inhabitants, but she had fallen in love with them.
She had fallen in love with him.
Escaping the confines of the House had always felt unattainable, but when she had heard this particular ship, The Wave Treader, was to set off for Terrastella’s port in the morning she wasted no time in gathering what little valuables she had. Now she was stepping off the port and onto the cobblestones of the very place she had chased in her dreams. It was so much more beautiful than she could have imagined.
That’s probably why she didn’t notice the other girl until they crashed.
It had been a simple miscalculation on both their parts; Euphrosyne had run directly into her path with little regard for her surroundings, and Noëlle simply hadn’t stepped out of the way in time. She was already apologizing before Euphrosyne even had a chance to do it herself. O-oh! I’m so sorry! I should know better, miss. Head in the clouds. Are you alright? She couldn’t help but laugh, carefree and full of joy, as she picked herself up from the street.
“Don’t apologize! It seems we both have something in common already.” She gave her a friendly wink and a gentle shake of her wings before answering her question. “I’m perfectly fine. Just a bit ruffled. Are you okay?”
It wasn’t long before their wreck had attracted another; a long and lanky man made of burnt umber and eyes of green jade. He was beautiful, though she felt woe to admit that even to herself. It seemed he was used to that reaction. Good day, gentlefriends. I heard your collision while pondering something scholarly and not at all while lingering in an alleyway. Is everyone alright?
Right. “How kind of you to look after us.” She gives him a look up and down, which might have been mistaken for flirting if it weren’t for the unimpressed expression she forced herself to wear. “Were you pondering, by chance, better ways to spy on others?”
