[ P ] Walking with a Ghost

Rhiannon was alone once more in the embrace of twilight. It seemed to be an inescapable state of being for the stormy wolfess. Even when it seemed banished to a lonesome past, by the promise of a coven or companionship, the solitude seemed inevitable. Nimue had been absent for weeks now; this time, Rhiannon had sought her out with intention. But unlike times past, her Lady of the Lake was not to be found.

News of the protest had arrived in the Lowlands weeks ago. Rhiannon had not attended – what was the point of it all? After months spent in self-prescribed solitude, why should it matter to the priestess what became of Rionnach or its inhabitants, or which foolish man would be the next to attempt to dominate the masses?

But Nimue, in true fashion, had gone south to participate in what would turn out to be a bloody battle in the streets. Nimue still believed in the Voice’s cause, where Rhiannon’s faith had wavered some time ago. Now, Rhiannon had only overheard whispers of the violent night in the Mainlands. She had neither seen nor heard from her love since then, and while her intuition suggested that Nimue had not been a casualty of the chaos, she still worried.

Goddess only knew why Rhiannon had been drawn to this place of phantoms, a location once so familiar to the smoke-hued woman, long abandoned by the priestess. But she found herself there with only the company of her raven, who sat perched on her shoulder as she moved slowly along a rocky path overlooking a pitch black valley below.

@Nimue

art & code by alexandre

A

shriek from overhead resounded among the desolate pitfalls of Ayr. A flutter of wings followed until a lone corvid could be sighted high above circling the new arrival. This particular corvid was a scald crow. Instead of the standard shroud of pure darkness, it's central body was covered in feathers of white aside from wings, tail, and a black hood worn over it's head.

After having examined the she-wolf and her raven as though she might be prey, it swooped around and quickly vanished behind another cliff side. It was not long before the sound of pawsteps could just barely be heard as graceful pawsteps picked their way carefully down a slope and rounded the corner to come face to face with the visitor the crow had warned of.


A figure appeared a cloak drawn over her shoulders, her visage shrouded in the dark of a hood, similar to that of the scald crow's who could now be seen perched on the shoulder of the mysterious wolfess. “Alright, Argo, who have you brought me t-" The words were immediately cut off, the other woman halting in her tracks. “Rhia?" Her voice broke, the hood falling back to reveal a familiar face, aside from the new scar forming from a gouge across her muzzle.

Moments after the reveal, Nimue rushed forward to embrace her love, shaking her head as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. “Forgive me, please, forgive me...I've been learning to work with the corvids...I was to send a letter, I just didn't know where it would reach you...I-" She pulled back to allow her eyes to feast on the face she had only dreamed of in recent days.


@“Rhiannon"

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

A

voice so familiar caught her attention – and surely, it was the cruel work of a mischievous sprite. There was no chance that voice could be real, and not just a figment of imagination. But like a specter, the woman who had long lingered in her dreamscape appeared from the darkness, the cloak she had been wearing falling away from her visage. ”My Sapphire.” Was it another night, another dream, always her?

The Feminine Divine had asked for her patience, but her wishes had been fulfilled after many agonizing weeks. Rhiannon’s smile was bright in the darkness. But as Nimue swept closer to her like a leaf on the wind, the mark on her face came into crystal clear view, and Rhiannon stared in disbelief. The shock of the sight of the healed blemish was forgotten for the moment as Nimue embraced her.

Rhiannon’s ears flicked as Nimue apologized profusely, her soft breathing the only sound she made. The woman’s words were unnecessary. What difference did any of it make if it meant Nimue was still alive? ”I thought–” She began in her low vocal tones, the threat of vulnerability almost causing her to stop her from admitting. Violet eyes searched the stormy blue eyes of the other enchantress for the courage to be honest – for one never knew how close their last breath may be. ”I thought perhaps you had been taken from me,” she admitted quietly. The priestess imagined the savagery of the guards. Their purpose was to control the masses. But these two belonged not to men, nor to any one man.



@Nimue

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

N

imue's brows knit with concern as she studied Rhiannon's expression with intensity. The tone of her voice paired with the words she dared to utter, gripped her heart tighter if it was at all possible in the presence of the other woman. Her ears perked forward, blinking in surprise when she realized what it was that Rhia was trying to say. "Oh, dear heart, no...no, no..." The thought of being wrenched away from this world, away from the affections of the woman in front of her now only drew her closer. "They wouldn't dare..." She huffed with a hint of a growl, thinking of the governing body of the Royal Court.

Nim nuzzled her forehead into the soft, flowing fur of cheek, shaking her head as she imagined how it must have felt for Rhiannon to have believed her dead. "They'd locked me up for a bit...fortunately for me, I have friends with connections, or, well...at least an ability to act a part higher than his current station..." She withdrew again and touched noses with her lover, gazing into her eyes with a sheepish grin. "They may or may not be out looking for me. I didn't exactly leave Castle Stuart on their terms. I had to lay low for at least a little bit." Nimue lost herself in the depths of those gorgeous eyes she'd fallen into what felt like a century ago. "Oh, my Amethyst...I missed you so..."

@Rhiannon

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck