[ P ] The Lagoon

Ashira

OOC: Rilo’s ticket is being used for this thread. ❤️

Naiad’s Lagoon had been a place Ashira had never set paws. She had travelled to different parts of the highlands, taking care of wounded army soldiers (current and retired), but it had mainly been for her duties. Being the charge nurse for the Imperial Army was not an easy job, but Ashira was not one to expect life to be easy. She knew there would be setbacks and interactions with others whom would label her with negative names and comments. All of the encounters with their “bad” experiences rolled off her back like water on a duck’s. They were meant to happen and that’s how it would always be for her.

Destiny sent a small breeze of warmth around Ashira as her paws touched the warm soil of the lagoon. Various scents reached her nose - perfumes, earth, water, trees - that also blended in perfectly with the setting before her. A fog-like mist swirled around Ashira’s ankles, her monochrome frame moving at the pace fate wanted. She was in no hurry - her day off had been ordered by the commanding officer - and she looked at every piece of natural life she came by.

When the sound of a small waterfall reached her ears, she saw the impressive body of water as the mist parted for her. The pool was clear, bright, and inviting for anyone who came near it. Ashira looked down at the bank, moving one front paw out, and dipped in her toes. The water created small ripples and she slowly pulled back her paw to rest it on the earth. “Fascinating,” she softly stated.

  

  

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I'm still running against the wind

Am I asleep or awake?

Finch had not seen the familiarity, the beauty of the Highlands in many months now. He had been kept in the Mainlands for too long, though not every moment had been torturous, thanks to the Spirit who had discovered him. The borders were now guarded by wolves of both sides, bitter Imperial soldiers, as well as war-worn Jacobites. Their world was undoubtedly different, but no less dangerous it seemed. Finch had been determined to find a way home, but instead he had found… Something else.

Here, the air was sweet with perfume, a scent he couldn’t define. It wasn’t exactly like spring flowers, for it was something even better. The cold of winter seemed to grow distant as he continue through the unfamiliar forest, bathed in a gentle mist, as if drawn in by the hand of kismet. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Finch would have thought it all dreamy delirium. It was very unlike the dreams he had, a far cry from the war inside his head that haunted him still. But it was real. He could smell the sweet perfume in the air, feel the warmth that kissed his skin, a sensation that shouldn’t have existed in the dead of winter when the rest of the world was frozen and dreary…

The brute had heard stories about places like this, places were sprites and fairies live, were mortal should be careful, should they ever want leave again. A place seemingly untouched by war. Peaceful. He hadn’t felt so carefree in… well, there was no telling. It was possible he had never felt that way, but here, here it was different. Finch had been picking flowers that he had never seen before, in shades of vivid colors he had not known existed before this day.

It was all surreal — and about to get even stranger when he realized he was not alone in this ethereal place.

Her.

The same specter who had saved him from the snow, now in a wildly different setting. The same silver crescent gems that still lingered in his thoughts. Her monochromatic pelt stood in contrast to the mist that enveloped her svelte form, causing his heart to flutter within his ribcage. His bouquet of exotic flowers dropped from his maw in his astonishment, and the delicate blossoms fell onto the earth at his paws. She was the last person he’s expected to see, especially at a place like this, wherever it was. But he wasn’t disappointed.

With a growing smile, he called out from the opposite shore. ”Now I know I must be dreaming if you’re here, Spirit.”



@Ashira

Ashira

The chances of running into other wolves she had met in her previous paths' lives were higher than normal. This location appeared to woo anyone who came near it, enticing them with the possible warmth of the waters, the colors of the birds that were perched in sections of tree branches...and those were just the beginnings of what could be offered for anyone who came here. Although these things were not what brought Ashira to the bank - for fate was always her guide - she would not deny or object on the beauty that was in her surroundings. Perhaps fate had led her there to see and observe what was around her...but that would have been a misgiven, if she had indeed believed that possiblity.

'Now I know I must be dreaming if you are here, Spirit.' Silver eyes rose to fall upon the dark frame of Finch, her former patient and newly discovered ally. Her eyes widened slightly, but that was all she gave up as she returned her part of the conversation that was initiated. "I am as real as you are, Finch," she stated, for there was no indication that either of them was a mirage. While the steam that rose from the warm and clear waters appeared as mist, Finch stood solid against the haziness that attempted to fog senses. "I trust you are faring well since our last encounter?" A nurse, no matter if it was her day off or not, always checked up on patients, despite the amount of time that possibly flew by.

  

  

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I'm still running against the wind

Silver-hued sights, so radiant they could put the moon itself to shame, found him there, growing wider for only a moment – the only indication that Ashira was surprised or even confused by this random happenstance. He was still puzzled, but he also felt relief, tinged with something else he couldn’t put a name to – happiness, perhaps, though it had been such a long time since he had known such a feeling. Finch hadn’t noticed that he was smiling as he gazed at the monochrome fae, ethereal. Like the mist that surrounded the pair, his lonesomeness seemed to dissipate in the ether. But then…

"I trust you are faring well since our last encounter?"

Finch’s heart dropped as the healer spoke in soothing, feminine tones, treating him as a nurse would regard any patient. His smile tarnished at the perceived recognition that his excitement was solitary, unmatched by Ashira. She hardly seemed surprised at all, much less happy, to see him again. Now he grasped that he was, indeed, just like any other patient. Why would he ever hope for anything different?

”Yeah,” he finally responded, still attempting a smile. ”I was trying to find my way home…” But maybe home wasn’t any one place in particular. He had been considering this all day, each day since Finch had left the Mainlands, and Spirit, behind. Azure gaze averted to the looming trees overhead, unwilling to meet those beautiful silver sights again. "Uh, and you? You look well," he observed awkwardly. "Are there many wolves to heal out here in whatever this is?"



@Ashira

Ashira

After she spoke, his features appeared to droop. They had shown happiness - smiling face, wagging tail, bright eyes - and alternated to a more somber look. Ashira took note of the changes and she was curious to know what had caused them. Her friend did not appear happy anymore, but just the opposite. She found herself wondering, Did I say something wrong? She normally didn’t question herself after something altered in each encounter she made. Fate caressed her shoulder after she thought this silent inquiry, however, and she felt as if she had pinned down the right reason.

‘Yeah, I was trying to find my way home…’ He avoided eye contact, attempting to smile where it had been so easy before. Ashira’s ears perked as he continued. ‘Uh, and you? You look well.’ She gave a nod and stated, ”Thank you, I feel rather well.” No sickness or fatigue has haunted her, which was a rare thing for someone who was normally around it when wartime grew intense.

‘Are there many wolves to heal out here in whatever this is?’ The question brought around a small scene that Ashira had not considered. She walked down the bank, monochrome paws carrying her along the soft ground as she wordlessly attempted to find where her bank and Finch’s bank met. She gave a brief pause, inviting him to fall into step across from her, before she continued and answered his question. ”The number is unknown to me, Finch. I don’t know anything about this place, including its wolf population and those injured within those numbers.”

The two wolves continued to walk along the bank, seeming to draw closer as the water’s measurements between them grew smaller. ”Is this your first time being here, too?”

  

  

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I'm still running against the wind

His heart felt heavy just moments after seeming so light. Why should he be disappointed? It was an unexpected treat to find the lady at all, who was at least a friend, he supposed. And the way she stayed there to care for him, of course, because that’s how a nurse treats their patients. Finch followed Ashira’s wordless lead, turning to walk down his side of the lagoon, on the opposite bank. He began to walk, but stopped short when he felt something soft beneath his giant paws. In his path, the tropical flowers he had gathered, already wilting and now crushed entirely, lay trampled at his feet. He frowned, but continued to move, leaving the heap of broken petals behind.

Her response was pragmatic, with a voice that was steady and a facade that still gave nothing away. ”The number is unknown to me, Finch. I don’t know anything about this place, including its wolf population and those injured within those numbers.” Finch hummed in acknowledgement. He admired Ashira – she understood her purpose and lived it steadfastly, every day and with every breath. Finch had nothing of the sort. He was no more than dust carried on the wind.

The brute had been silent for some time, uncertain of what to say, when Ashira broke the quiet: ”Is this your first time being here, too?” Finch nodded. ”Yeah. My mum always warned against going too deep into the Fae Forest. Being here kind of makes me wonder…” His words tapered off momentarily as blue eyes scanned his surroundings again. ”Stories that sometimes wolves go in, but they disappear. The work of magic. Or that’s what they say, anyway,” he offered with a halfhearted shrug. ”If you believe in that sort of thing.”

She was so near now that it would take mere seconds to fill the space between them, but his pace remained measured, steps hesitant. Finch felt a tumult of unfamiliarity within his ribcage. Part of him still wanted to be light and free. To simply be. Finally, he paused, head lifting to search for Ashira’s indecipherable facade, brilliant silver sights.

If he was to be lost in a random magical forest, well... He was still glad it was with her.




@Ashira

Ashira

Their conversation was not harried, nor was it socially unacceptable when it came to the standards of society's rules. Ashira was not aware of rules, though, so those unspoken ways of living were left alone. All she knew was the way she lived her life, having fate and destiny combined ensuring safety and that she would not be in harm's way. Even when the days came that her life thread could almost be taut against a pair of scissors, she was not afraid of what may happen. Whether her lifespan was meant to be long or short, Ashira did not even consider it. All she knew was that she was meant to live her life the way destiny intended. A conversation topic for another time, this one.

'Yeah. My mum always warned against going too deep into the Fae Forest. Being here kind of makes me wonder…Stories that sometimes wolves go in, but they disappear. The work of magic. Or that’s what they say, anyway.' A brief pause and shrug, before Finch concluded, 'If you believe in that sort of thing.' The walk that both of them had taken led them to a mere seconds apart at this point. Ashira's silver orbs met Finch's own blue-tinted eyes and she did not falter from the gaze. I don't usually believe in something unless it comes to me first, she stated. In the most recent years of my life. I have believed in unseen things, but they have, somehow, revealed themselves before I considered them...if that makes sense.

The magic of the Fae Forest - if magic really was the root of this lagoon - seemed to loosen Ashira's tongue. She did not object to it, but felt the gentle caress of fate along her shoulder and accepted it without hesitation. A ghost of a smile appeared on her normally stoic face, brightening her eyes as she came near Finch before stopping a few breaths' width of his personal bubble. Do you believe in 'magic', Finch? A simple question, but it could carry many answers as a result.

  

  

template by bean

I'm still running against the wind

Within his chest, his heart pounded in double-time with every steady step. All the while, the adjoining shores continued along, parallel, with water between the wolves as they moved slowly along. With every second, the paths they tread upon would draw closer to each other. Silver met sapphire as their eyes found each other again. She spoke in soothing tones: ”I don't usually believe in something unless it comes to me first. In the most recent years of my life. I have believed in unseen things, but they have, somehow, revealed themselves before I considered them...if that makes sense.”

And then it happened. The hint of a smile, a flash in her silver sights Finch had not yet seen. She was ethereal, and for a second, he wondered if indeed she was the spirit he had once suspected her to be. He wanted to be the one who inspired that smile. The two were so close now that if he tried, he could reach a paw out and touch her… which he didn’t do, for fear of – rejection? Intimacy? Then, an unexpected question parted her delicate lips: “Do you believe in 'magic', Finch?”

”I…” A brief pause before he admitted: ”...want to believe.” Maybe it was just a coincidence that they were here. But maybe it was more than that. Here, far away from the past, and present, where nearly anything felt possible. Here, with Ashira, so close that her scent filled his senses like perfume. His voice was deep as he mused aloud: ”Maybe this is magic. Finding you again. Or, being found by you again. I can’t take credit for that.” A grin accompanied his words.

He couldn’t guess her response, but Finch understood that each moment was fleeting. They would never be there again, in that time and place. Though his heart still beat furiously in his chest, he dared to admit: ”You were in my dreams last night, Spirit. Just last night…”

She was still so close, he didn’t have to speak loudly. ”If this isn’t magic, then what is?” His voice was soft, nearly lost to the tumbling water cascading, as Finch shared another Northern proverb: ”Le lámh cinniúint, aimsímid ár n-áit.” He would translate: ”By destiny's hand, we find our place.” He was quiet for a second before adding, ”I – think it means we end up where we’re supposed to.” Now, he would fall silent, nervous to receive a response but glad that he had the nerve to speak it out loud.



@Ashira

Ashira

Ashira did not have to wait long for Finch to answer her question. 'I...want to believe,' he admitted. 'Maybe this is magic. Finding you again. Or, being found by you again. I can’t take credit for that.' He gave her a grin, allowing it to remain as their paws continued to walk along the shallower banks of the pool. The aura that surrounded Finch's frame appeared to float, casting his fur in a faded light that, possibly, only Ashira could see. No sign of astonishment or shock showed itself; Ashira only watched with bright silver eyes as they continued to move.

'You were in my dreams last night, Spirit. Just last night…' A confession that Ashira had not received - ever - from anyone of her past or present encounters. "Oh? she asked, leaving room for a potential explanation that would further fuel the reasoning behind his dream's source. Ashira had not considered being a subject for anyone's dreams, so when destiny showed her this moment, she accepted it and continued to show genuine curiosity.

When he was ready to talk about it, she would have open ears. Until then, Finch pushed ahead with their ongoing conversation about magic. 'If this isn’t magic, then what is?' She noticed the notes in his voice, as if he were trying to grasp onto the moment and not let it pass by so freely. ' Finch's voice remained soft against the tumbling of the cascading water in the background, but Ashira could still hear him without an issue. 'Le lámh cinniúint, aimsímid ár n-áit...By destiny's hand, we find our place.'

By this time, the banks had stopped being separate and joined to complete the boundary of the water's shores. Finch watched Ashira as he suggested, 'I – think it means we end up where we’re supposed to.' The atmosphere between them was almost tangible, destiny weaving magical threads back and forth along their auras. Ashira's smile grew at Finch's words and she knew he meant each one he said. "We are meant to be here, Finch..." she confirmed, monochrome tail waving behind her not once, but twice. "Your belief is the same as mine...and I enjoy it." The air between them felt so thick, yet both wolves were breathing without difficulty. A couple of seconds passed, then: "I enjoy you and your presence, Finch."

It was as close to a flirt that Ashira had ever come, but she would not initiate physical intimacy unless she received the actual green light from the man in front of her.

  

  

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I'm still running against the wind

There was a tension in the air, mysterious, palpable and enticing, with each second that drew him closer to her. Finch watched, interest piqued as he observed a smile had appeared on Ashira’s normally stoic facade, where she had always seemed distant, unreadable. Now, the signs were subtle, but there: the wag of her tail – twice – accompanied by a growing smile. And then she spoke:

Your belief is the same as mine...and I enjoy it. I enjoy you and your presence, Finch.

Dark features registered his surprise as Ashira’s words lingered in the ether like perfume, his sapphire sights growing wider as he processed her soft syllables. ”In my dreams,” he began in a hushed, reverent voice, ”We are standing at the foot of tall mountains at dawn, looking up. Together. Before, my dreams were – uh, not like that,” he mumbled the last part, unwilling to acknowledge the traumas that had haunted his dreamscape – until Spirit had come along, replacing the shadows with her light. The man’s eyes closed for a second or two as he gathered his nerves to admit: ”And – that’s what I want, Ashira,” he spoke in tones little more than a whisper, using her true name. ”I want to be by your side, if – if that’s what you want. If it’s possible…” Finch took a lengthy breath in, prepared for rejection – but not expecting it.

They belonged on different sides of the border, to different tribes – at least, according to the men who called themselves kings. And yet here they stood, on the precipice of a shared path. And even if they found themselves in opposing lands again when the sun rose again… At least they had this moment together. She was only feet away when she had once felt impossibly far. Finch felt a rush of warmth that coursed through his veins, and a flutter of nervousness in his belly as he took a tentative step closer to Ashira, followed by another. The monochromatic wolf had waited long enough for this – for an opportunity to be nearer, to simply be in his Spirit’s tranquil, steady presence, and Finch found he couldn’t hesitate another moment.

A large paw rose to rest gently upon Ashira’s much smaller paw; he felt a jolt like electricity, and Finch exhaled in a deep sigh as he sought her spectral sights that he had found in so many nightly visions. Still, he didn’t want to rush something he had longed for; it was too meaningful to be hurried. ”Is… this okay?” If she would allow, the brute would lean closer to press his muzzle against hers in a gentle nuzzle, caressing her soft cheek with his own.

If this was a dream, he hoped that he would never wake from it.


@Ashira