TORIELLE
It's only me who wants to wrap around your dreams
Torielle had lost track of time. After she had broken from Veil to speak with Jarek everything had gone so askew. When she had needed the star most she had been walking away. The mare knew that it had to have been for a good reason, but the sinking that had swallowed her gut had been undeniable. It had only been the swift intervention of Vreis that had saved her. Even that, though, had been strange. She couldn’t quite place why she had felt so safe with him, but perhaps it was just her panic. He had been so kind to her, offering to protect her from Jarek interfering further. She was still holding onto the tome that he had bound for her, the veil he had made thrown across her shoulders. Though the fabric was feather-light, it weighed heavy on her. The scholar did not know what to do with these unexpected gifts, and the polite part of her said that she should just keep them, if hidden away so she need not look at them until she settled her feelings on the matter.
Vreis had whisked her away to a hidden tent, cozy and comfortable and they had exchanged stories. She couldn’t help that now that she was away from the stag that he may have held his own motivations for spiriting her away from the crowds that surrounded Jarek. The mare shook her head as she walked, trying to clear the nonsense from her mind. Surely he couldn’t have been taking advantage of her. Though he had used up much of her time in the name of being sure that she would not encounter the obsidian encrusted brute again.
The stalls were closing, the denizens of each court settling to their respective places as the bonfire in the distance started to burn low and slow. The moon shone high overhead now, bathing everything in a faint blue glow. Firebugs floated between the tents, as if guiding the mare back to the start of this whole venture. She just hoped she was not too late.
Torielle had promised Veil a dance, and she was going to be sure that she had one, even if it was the last of the evening. The scholar broke from the line of merchant stalls into the open space set aside for the festivities, seeing only a handful of souls still lingering, most of them couplings, holding each other close as the musicians played soft melodies for them to sway to. The doe scanned the area, hoping to spy the starwoman first. Hopefully she’d not been waiting too long. The woman’s gut twisted at the idea of potentially having stood up her friend.
Their day had already been so eventful, what with the shopping trip earlier that morning. Torielle’s heart lurched, remembering the flirtatious interaction, and how her mind and actions had wandered far beyond friendship. And yet, Veil still wanted to dance with her. After they’d had some time away for the afternoon, to eat and mingle with others, things had settled and, for Torielle at least, felt like they had gone back to normal. No strange tensions or desires bubbling just underneath the surface. Would Veil have changed her mind? Would she have seen all these pairings and decided that she could not dance with the antlered woman in such a way. The dappled mare wouldn’t have been able to blame her, of course. Perhaps the friend of hers had seen their earlier encounters and wanted to speak with Veil to tell her all the things that they had seen in Torielle’s eyes. What the meanings were behind her words, her actions, how obvious it was to those around her.
As those thoughts of doubt crept in, the hope of seeing the star before the festival concluded for the evening started to dissipate. She had probably thought Torielle had wandered off with Jarek or else some other person and would not be returning. How foolish of her to have wandered so far with Vreis. To allow herself to lose track of time. How would she make it up to the star if she broke her promises? True, it was only for a dance, but if she could not keep up simple bargains, how could she be trusted with more severe ones? Torielle’s blue pools scanned the faces of those present, both dancers and observers alike, hoping to see the woman, but steeling herself for the very real possibility that Veil was no longer there, and she had missed her opportunity.
art by the-day-of-shadow character by scapeh table by sunny
