She leans into the warmth of her teacher with every ounce of emotional strength she has, desperate to cling to this small piece of the world she knows. In her turmoil, she forgets that Evangeline had been missing for nearly two seasons when Helovia had come to its abrupt and violent end. Simply overwhelmed with her need to be near to her friend and mentor, rather than wandering aimlessly alone (as the past few months of her life had seemed an endless trail of time to herself), Maude feels her fractured heart tremble and expand inside her chest. The feeling of a great gap widening there as Eva pulls away is distinct, and draws a small, almost silent exhalation of worry. Don’t go, not yet, she almost blurts, except for the mention of her name holding her words as fretful sniffles and mournful tears. Instead, she waits, eyes wet and leaking, ears splayed to either side of her antlered head, occasionally loudly sucking in the snot that threatens to leak out of her damp nose. Suddenly remembering that miss Evangeline probably hasn’t a clue what she’s talking about (she’s been missing, remember? Maude’s more rational self chides of her simpering, childish one). The thought isn’t exactly comforting, however, and the tears begin to leak out of her eyes all the faster, despite the chestnut mare’s hurried attempts to assure the maiden that her father would be looking for her. How? Maude might have blurted, if she wasn’t so trapped in the painful idea of telling this wonderful woman that their home had been destroyed. “Oh… you don’t know, do you?” she slowly says, very quietly, to her hooves. Blessedly, a distraction sweeps overhead, the shadow drawing the wary youth’s eyes abruptly. Unlike Evangeline, she had just come from a realm of magical miscreants, where the trees were as likely to get you as the civilians and beasties. Immediately distrustful (especially considering her very early encounter with a band of hungry griffons, also flying), the girl turns away from Eva to face the tall stranger as he approaches. It’s not until he speaks, however, that she realizes he is only a boy. What a giant kid! And he was talking to her! With eyes wide and flitting from he to Evangeline as he roughly gestures to her, Maude wonders if he is accusing her of hurting the elder mare, or vice versa. Either way, the fact of the matter was that it was not true, so much so that she’s immediately offended, just like Eva is. Her head lifts abruptly, her tear-lined face raised into the summer winds so that her pale forelock dances gently across her chiseled ginger features, and though his proclamation to defend her softens her expression (and draws the faintest of smiles over her former scowl), Maude hasn’t time to speak her opinion on any of it, before her brazen teacher speaks up for them both. “Miss Eva!” gasps Maude as the copper mare curses, sorrowfully (because she is) and apologetically (because it is what ladies are in cases like this), she hurriedly adds, “She’s my friend, young sir knight. I am quite lost, you see, as I was one place, then suddenly another, and now I'm here, though how and where and why I am quite afraid I do not know. But! Thankfully, by the grace of the Gods, Miss Evangeline is here! She was my teacher back home, in He-e-e-loooviiiaaaa…” Emotionally blubbers the youth, to distraught at the mention of a land that was no more to continue on, even in defense of her beloved tutor. & you just can’t fall asleep, I’ll sing a song beside you. and if you ever forget how much you really mean to me, every day, I will remind you. |
@Damascus @
