Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
They had crammed them onto the ship. Arah had boarded The Last wish with all of her most prized possessions. Her ruby pendant hung around her neck, nestled against her chest. It's familiar weight comforted her. Tilney's lantern, collected from his graveside hung from her left antler. The candle had almost completely burnt out. When she reached her new destination she would have to buy new ones. Lastly her history book, with quill and ink pot, was sealed carefully in a watertight container provided by the crew. Dressed in her moonlight cloak, draped carefully over her ears, the hem kissed the salty soak wooden deck. They had been sailing for a little over a day now, crammed together underdeck. The smell and sounds of the other passengers forced her above deck for some fresh air. As they sailed they moved past an unfamiliar land. Something tugged her head up. A presence she had not felt in sometime. One she was beginning to think she would never again feel. So long it had been buried within her. A spark that was practically dead. But...there. The silver doe felt it again.
Almost as if in a daze she pulled the small crate to her size, strapped it down and left from the side of the ship. Shocked cries filled her ears but she ignored them instead swimming as quickly as she could towards the shore. Closer to that pull that she had been desperately searching for. It was not the promise of the rising sun, the escape from the frigid waters, the assumed safety of the land or the escape from a waterer grave that the doe gaining. It was the tug, the feeling that had become apart of her only to have been ripped away. The emptiness within her had been so long ongoing that it almost had became apart of her. But now. Now there was something else. There was an angry holler behind her and she knew that she was committed to this decision now. The ship was not waiting for her. Then again the silver doe was not unfamiliar with starting over in new lands. Again she felt the spark within her pulse. It's absence had caused her a pain that had been almost unbearable. Yet she had bared it. Endured the pain of Tilney's death, the loss of her home, her children vanishing and Wynter's dissapearence. Now this feeling bit be leading her to the final piece of her puzzle. To truely lay the ghosts of her history where they belonged. In the past.
Another wave broke over her head, sending the silver doe beneath the surface of the water. Desperately she kicked her legs and broke above the surface. Her lungs gasped for air, her mind reeled with shock. The weight of her moonlight cloak weight her down. It her fallen from resting over her ears. Now it was tangled around her neck chocking her slightly. It was not enough to stop her. Legs kicking, lungs expanding and contracting and golden orbs focused on the shore the silver doe swam for her life. She saw the sun begin to delicately paint the grains of sands in it's delicate morning colours. The roar of the ocean drained out all other noise but it did not matter. The silver doe would not succumb to the water. Not when she was so close for the first time in years. She could feel it. Instead she fought for the spark inside her. When her hooves brushed the edge of a sandbank she pulled herself up surely. As always her study legs held up upright and proud refusing to give into the urge to crumble. Truding through the smaller waves to the shore she emerged on the beach and allowed herself a moment to breath. Just find a moment of peace. Moving up the shore to the tree line she managed to suck off the soaping wet cloak and inspected the chest with her book. Opening it slowly she was relieved to see her records had survived the rather sudden and dramatic swim. As she pulled her book from the chest however it collapsed, useless drift wood. She would need another way to carry her life's work but that wasn't important now. Placing the record carefully to the side, the die rightened. Closing her eyes she took three deep breaths. As she did her heart slow, mind stopped racing and anxiety eased away. Turning her attention even further inward she found that strand within herself. Found the thread that gently pulsed. Gently, as if caressing a lover, she pulled on the thread.
Opening her eyes to the world she allowed the present to flood back in. The strange smells, foreign and unfamiliar. The sight of the land, it too was new and completely unknown to her. The sound of the ocean crashing against the shore, the sounds of a morning as the world slowly began to awaken around her. This land she had not traveled before. This land hold be where the final piece of her puzzle had been hiding.
There. Arah turned and looked towards the cliffs. The spark suddenly spluttered inside her, as if it were dying. For a moment she panicked. Then one spark...two...BOOM. Like a supanova the feeling of her bonded beamed to life within her. A figure, bigger than she remembered pulled away from the morning birds. Blacked out by the sun Arah stared at the shape, watching as it came closer. The beat of the string wings. Suddenly a cry pierced the air. "Wynter." Whispered the doe. Suddenly The silver doe was flying down the beach, fatigue from her swim forgotten. As if emerging from a dream, Wynter dropped from the gaze of the rising sun and Arah was able to behold her in all her truth. Pale, ivory feathers framed her companion's face, her lion's body was more detailed, stronger and toned. Finally the griffin dropped to the sands and Arah met her, collapsing to the ground as well. Dust flew around them, capturing them in their own private moment. "Wynter." Arah repeated. Then the pain finally exploded from the doe. Tears streamed down her face as she pressed her forehead to her the griffin's. She sobbed as Wynter rubbed her cheek with her own. Cried as her bonded moved in close to be snuggled beneath her head. Bawled as she finallyy inhaled the scent of her companion, the smell she had begun to wonder if she would ever smell it again. Cooing Wynter emerged from begin her soaking hair and gazed up at her." Im gar- near- in cín gwathren" The silver doe whispered to the griffin. There was a moment of silence as Wynter gazed at her then 'A I'm.' Wynter whispered into her mind through the bond. The sound of her companion's voice was enough to send Arah spriliaing again. Tears free flowing she cried as she gazed down at her griffin. "Nin mel." Arah muttered. "Nin emel.". 'Nin mel. Nin emel.' Arah repeated over and over to the griffin through their bond. The passed with Wynter supporting her mistress's head, making gentle chirping noises at her. It was undeniable. This was one of those moments when Arah' knew everything she had endured had lead her to this moment with her bonded.
Sighing and rising from their moment Arah smiled at Wynter. 'Tul-', she spoke softly and behind to head back down to beach to her abandoned cloak and record collection. As Arah walked Wynter strolled beside her, able to keep pace a little easier than before. It was certainly down to the griffin's growth. Now she reached just above Arah's knees in height. 'Cin guin- hi?' Arah enquired glancing down to her companion. Only Wynter did not seem to be paying her much attention. Her focaus was on the distacrded items. As they arrived by the cloak she looked up at Arah, 'Tilney a Maude ú- hi?' Pausing Arah bent down to inspect her cloak and inspect her cloak and not meet the keen gaze of her bonded. 'Arah' came the demand. Sighing the doe straightened and looked down into the griffin's gaze. 'Baw. Im chil Maude hen nos. Im chil hen na rad- cin.' She had left Maude settled and happy with her own family. Left her daughter in safety to seek out Wynter. Arah knew that both she and Maude did not think they would see each other for quite sometime. But Arah had to leave. Had to finish the puzzle. Breathing in deep she blinked away tears as she summoned the strength she need to answer the griffin's question. 'Tilney na- firn.' There, on the face of her bonded she saw a flash of the pain she had endured. Tilney is dead. He was gone and never would return. A fact that Arah had come to accept, though it was a struggle. Sniffing she turned back to her cloak. It was still in basically pristine condition. The concern had been that it might have torn in the waves. Any damage would have been worth it. Worth it for the connection with her bonded.
'Na- hi near?" Arah asked Wynter gazing over their new surroundings. It took a moment for Wynter to respond. Clearly she had taken the news of Tilney's death rather hard, Finally the response came shaky through the bond. 'Im ceri- ú- gar- hon golodh.' Undeterred by this Arah bent to gather her cloak. With a powerful beat of her wings Wynter rose to assist placing the soaking cloak over her shoulders. Without being asked the griffin next collect the book of records. Setting off the two bonded began to under the world they did not know. Arah had a feeling, however, that their adventure here had only just begun.
