a morning under the eternal sun

[Talon]

T A L O N

2 Glade 125

The temple was largely empty of any others at that time, save for the clergy that tended to the shrine. The Son of the Dragon King had come to pay his respects to his Divine Father. The soft light of Arcas’ nimbus illuminated the interior of the temple. The gentle rays of the sun’s first light were touching upon the city of Silfanore, ushered to caress the Crown City of Sol’Valen with that much more grace because of His presence. Was it the solemnity of Justice that caused a hush to fall over the temple? Was it the emotional swell of Hope that sprung forth from Him? Such was for mortals to decide on their own. The Temple of Eikaen Pater was serene that morning. The great shrine to his Divine Father was quiet, as though there were a breath being held. Perhaps there was. Perhaps it was his own.

He felt a great many things as he stared at the monument to his Divine Father. The gap that existed between himself and Eikaen was more than a physical one. Thousands of years had passed since his first life but for the gods, yesterday was as present as today. Every time he stepped into the Aetherium, embracing the fullness of his divinity, he relived every moment, every pain, every hardship and every joy. The pain of being just a little boy, sobbing among the ashes that fell from the skies on that terrible day, was just as present in that moment as it had been those many Ages ago.

Their reunion in the Halls of Pantheon had been…anticlimactic. As a god, he understood Eikaen’s position. He could, in-fact, fathom the vast weight of responsibility that rested upon the Dragon King’s shoulders. How could he not? While there was no comparing the scope of their divine obligations, his were far lesser, he could still grasp all that his Divine Father was. For even in that quiet moment, he could feel the ebb and flow of the Dragon King’s presence guiding the cosmic structure of the universe. As a Prince, he knew the weight of royal duties. The court of divine politics that the Dragon King had to deal with were magnitudes more complex than anything he had to face.

As a son…he could not help but want more. Perhaps that was because he and his Mortal Father had been close. Savien had been a dutiful sovereign but had been a steady and persistent presence that had made him recognize the strength found in the love of family. Part of him recognized that he would likely never have that sort of relationship with Eikaen. How could he? The world was not the young and mysterious place it once was. It had suffered too much damage in the Ages since the days Eikaen walked the world in the guise of a mortal man.

As his thumb brushed over the silver jewel that hung around his neck, he understood that the Dragon King showed him the care and grace that he could afford to.

The Draegir in him understood.

But the boy still mourned for what could have been. He suspected it would be many more years before that wound was fully healed.

Dressed in simple white garments and a white sash around his waist, the only object of finery he wore was the Gem of Order around his neck. Talon got down on his knees, adopting a meditative posture. He spread his wings out behind him then took the jewel from around his neck, cupping it lightly in the palms of his hands. He rubbed his thumbs over its surface, idly staring at Eikaen’s shrine in thought. He was not sure how long he sat there before he closed his eyes. Quietly, he paid his respects at the shrine of the Dragon King. He bowed his head in reverence. He steadied his breathing and he prayed just as any other worshipper would.

[Hekatos]

A Morning Under the Eternal Sun

While Taegan Sol'Eilran had commissioned four architects to oversee construction of this temple over the ruins of a more ancient edifice defiled and destroyed by the Lysanrin usurpers, it had not been completed until the reign of the current Phoenix King, Ailuin Dreamweaver.

It was impressive.

Currently, the largest temple in Sol'Valen, it had been crafted by a cadre of stonesingers, Hytori geomancers whose magical focus was shaping stone into buildings and bridges and art. Columns of limestone and marble, chased in platinum, were arrayed in precise mathematical locations according to the ancient art of divine geometry. For the Lord of Order, the most ordered of sanctuaries.

Where Eikaen's son knelt, there was a vast space, and a statue lit by sunlight from an oculus, bent to always shine upon the figure of Eikaen Pater. The statue was colossal, too, at once elven in shape, but with draconic elements. His face was vague, unformed—not in the uncanny valley, but as the priest would say, 'how can we hope to see the face of God until we have faces ourselves?'

From within the calm of the room, one could still hear the faint plash of the fountain Tuine and the softer rush of the river Hyarmenya outside. This too was curated both by the acoustics enjoined by the architects and magic, which was ever-present in Sol'Valen.

The draegir was powerful enough now that he could hear a prayer uttered to him in faith. So too did his Father hear all his prayers. Whether there was something particularly special about this temple over all others, none could say. It was, however, in this temple that the sense of accumulated faith in the room changed into something subtly, but markedly, different. The gem his hands glowed faintly, and faintly within Talon's soul, a sense of something at once as simple as paternal love and as unknowable as his divine Father truly was.

"...was just telling Ionsōra the other day..." came a reedy voice, which came from a reedy, ancient elf who walked slowly upon Akantha's arm.

The suppliant didn't see it, eyes closed in prayer, but the priest Eikaenion and his royal crutch did as soon as they entered the God's 'dwelling' as they called such things in Sol'Valen. Sacrifices and rituals were mostly performed outside on temple grounds, save those performed by mystery cults. The building itself housed votive offerings, and allowed one to feel as though they were in the presence of the God. In a sense, they were.

Today, they most certainly were. The beam of light from the oculus had split as if some special lens had been placed in the ceiling, and while the light still played mostly over the gigantic effigy of the God Himself, a portion of that fell upon the kneeling draegir.

"Oh," he said. This was not the first time Eikaenion had been in the God's Presence, but it was hardly frequent and always overwhelming even if there was only the faint tingle in the air as if lightning were about to strike, rather than the gravity even Talon could pull if he were not enshrouding his divine nature. "Please..."

The ancient priest eased himself to his knees, releasing Akantha's arm. It was a testament to his faith, perhaps, that he carefully folded himself to touch his forehead to the marble floor in the presence of His God despite the aches and pains inherent in a failing body.

Akantha felt it too, a Presence that defied all she knew and sensed with her own well-trained Rune of Semblance. Even her Val'Melua blood could not See the God without going blind and so He limited Himself even now. But she felt His gaze, felt seen, as if He had reduced her to an impossibly complex set of algorithms, a clockwork creature no mortal mind could contain—but His could.

It might have been an hour or it might have been a heartbeat; Eikaen paid heed to Time only when necessary. The Moment burst like a soap bubble, though, and all three of them felt as if they were waking from a dream. Eikaenion was weeping quietly in joy. Akantha felt approbation the likes of which even her father's approval didn't give, as well as a little something resolving within her.

Talon felt love unfathomable and ineffable, the awareness that Eikaen wished He could give more but was restricted by other unfathomable, ineffable circumstances. He also heard a tiny voice enjoin him:


C̴̡̣̳̬̱͖̟̠͖̫͋̅͌̊̈́̒̊̾̆̍̾̀͝o̴̡̧̯̦̖͕͕̲̳̹̓̃̀̒̎̽̈́͊͑̆̎̕͜͝͝ͅŭ̴͎̝̙̹̫̔ṣ̶̛͖̆͆̀͂̊͑̋̉́̇̄̎͂̐̚͝i̷̧̡̨̛̬̫͓̼̤̪͎̟̖̯͑͂͋n̸̢̝̣̺̹̝͙̰̗̻̬̣̙͕̘͔͆̂͋͑̓̉̽̊͐͝

!

Message from: Hekatos

You have been mod-bombed. Eikaenion will remain and you can just ping me if you need him for anything; otherwise, he'll be praying. Akantha now has a tiny Boon from Eikaen. She isn't aware of it as such, but if, at some point, she ever prays to Eikaen (even just a throwaway Eikaen grant me patience because things are not following the Order she thinks they ought to, ping me and there will be a divine mod-bomb. Can't promise it'll go her way, but it'll hopefully be interesting. OK, game on.

[Akantha SolEilran]

Akantha had chosen to visit the Temple of Eikaen Pater as a way of bringing in the New Year. The young Hytori princess would be continuing to make her rounds with offerings and prayer over the next several days. She had visited the temple for Thiovan the day before, considering the importance of the great Dragon God of Dreams to her family and house. She would be visiting the temples of Aedrin, Raella, Aileor, Naori, and Fyraea before the first week of the new year was up, and others throughout the rest of the month. She made her offering with a white pillar candle that upon being lit, would stay lit, at least for the year. Where she might normally have had designs engraved and etched upon it, the candle for Eikaen bore no such frippery.

She had offered her prayers to the Dragon King, and now she was walking with Pater Eikaenion. Some of their people would cringe away from those who displayed their advanced age, no matter their position, but the Princess of Thorns was not one of them. Her Animus teacher, Ionsōra, was quite advanced herself, and she had gotten used to that undeniable, physical confrontation with mortality. She walked slowly, the white gown fluttering with her aerolyth shards. While she wore waves of fabric, it was cut elegantly and fairly simply, in a more traditional style than she might wear to other places, with a bodice that was decorated with pearls and beadwork. Her long, honey-blonde hair was pulled back away from her face, though it was largely loose and flowing, a loose braid laying over the rest of the soft waves. Tiny white flowers and pearls decorated her tresses, and simple pearl and filigree leaf earrings dangled from her pointed ears. Her nails were shiny, perfectly shaped, and unadorned, and she wore sandals over her feet that laced up around her ankles.

"Of course," she nodded to the priest, listening attentively. She wouldn't interrupt him, perhaps ask a question here or there to encourage him. There was a great deal of respect owed to these elders who had made it so long through their lives, and the priest was incredibly knowledgeable and insightful. "I do think she mentioned something like that at our last lesson..." Her steps were light and measured, taking the lead from Eikaenion. They walked at his pace, after all, not her own. But this gave her time to look around, too, and admire the work of the Makers and Mages who had built this magnificent place of worship.

Her blue eyes swept around, and there was no mistaking that silver hair and the wings, nor the gem that he held in his pose of meditation. Talon Novalys, Arcas reborn. She felt something, and she didn't know if it might have been the holy place, the connections of old, or perhaps because Talon was here, but clearly, she wasn't alone in the feeling as the elderly priest wanted to prostrate himself on the cool flooring. Akantha helped him, making sure he did not fall or otherwise lose his balance, before she, too, lowered herself to the temple floor to prostrate herself before the Divine that was was with them. She moved with a feline grace as she knelt and lowered her torso to the floor, her own forehead touching the ground between her palms. Princess though she may have been, she was not His child, and as such, even she knew her place before the Highfather.

She knew better than to even consider Semblance in such a Presence; that had been one of her earliest lessons with Princess Vomira. The Gods were not for them to Look upon in such a way, and if They desired to be observed, They would make it possible or give some sort of sign. In the absence of such, she simply revelled silently in the moment, the exultation of being Seen. How many spent their lives without ever being noticed? This was a sacred moment in a sacred space, however long it lasted. Only when she heard the priest weeping, did she then bring herself back up to her knees. Her palms were open upon her knees as she faced the statue, her face looking up with wonder. The Approval of the Lord of Light, patron of kings and sovereigns... perhaps a portent, perhaps nothing. A wise leader wouldn't let it go to their head, and as such, neither would she.

She did check on Eikaenion, to make sure that the elderly Pater was alright, and was prepared to assist him with rising if he so desired. Otherwise, she was content to stay still and be, reflecting on what she had just experienced.

"There is no rose without a thorn."

[Talon]

T A L O N

The feeling that filled him reached into the depths of his soul. Tension that went beyond simply physical unwound itself all across his body as he felt an old, old part of himself soothed. Intellectually accepting that his Divine Father must be who He must be was different from knowing that in spite of all of it, he was still loved. Logically, Arcas has known that but to be affirmed so completely brought a level of healing that he had needed, so very much. The grace of the Dragon King was never a small thing but it was not the grace of the Dragon God he sought, it was the simple but all-encompassing love of a father validating his son. Arcas felt it and that was a gift that he treasured above all else.

When the moment passed, he opened his eyes, squeezing the gemstone in his hands softly. He felt the wet streak of tears, shed in silence, on his face. Talon let out a shaky breath and smiled, looking down from the great statue to the gem. A single of his tears fell and landed upon its surface.



C̴̡̣̳̬̱͖̟̠͖̫͋̅͌̊̈́̒̊̾̆̍̾̀͝o̴̡̧̯̦̖͕͕̲̳̹̓̃̀̒̎̽̈́͊͑̆̎̕͜͝͝ͅŭ̴͎̝̙̹̫̔ṣ̶̛͖̆͆̀͂̊͑̋̉́̇̄̎͂̐̚͝i̷̧̡̨̛̬̫͓̼̤̪͎̟̖̯͑͂͋n̸̢̝̣̺̹̝͙̰̗̻̬̣̙͕̘͔͆̂͋͑̓̉̽̊͐͝



He heard the small voice, prompting him to blink in surprise and confusion. As soon as he heard it however, the voice faded. Something to be explored at another time as he became aware of others in the hallowed hall of his Sacred Father. Rising to his feet, Talon turned. He placed the gem back around his neck and regarded the two elves who were on the floor in supplication.

Talon appeared only partially in his full glory as a demigod. His nimbus shone softly about his head. The veil of mortality that he usually kept around himself had partially fallen away. In that moment, he appeared much less mortal, his connection to the Aetherium having come more to the forefront as he had been overcome with emotion at being blessed with Eikaen’s Presence. There in the sanctum of Eikaen Pater, he stood as truly the Son of the Dragon King. He looked to the two. The elder elf who wept openly in joyous reverence was not one that he recognized. He recognized Akantha immediately.

“Princess Akantha?” Talon reached up with the back of his hand to wipe away some of the tears he had shed in silence. “Forgive me, I would have greeted you and your elder sooner but…”

He looked back up at the statue of Eikaen. Again he was filled with that soft sense of affirmation, the shaft of light that had broken away from the great monument still shining upon him. It filled him with warmth and for that he was glad.

“I needed a moment with my Father.”

[Hekatos]

A Morning Under the Eternal Sun

The elder didn't wipe his tears away. There would only be more.

A nod of respect for the new aspect of Arcas, and a nod of assurance to Akantha. Even in this earthly space set aside for the Most High, she had to be their Princess and properly greet the foreign Daizoku, though he needn't remind her that in this house, Talon was the Prince, the son of the King of Kings. But of course she understood the intricacies of power and prestige better than most. Even her father deferred to the other princes when visiting their thrones.

Comfortable enough, he gazed at the statue, though his eyes seemed to look through it as he contemplated what he had just experienced.

He would be present should they need him, but his role was not political and so he would abide unless they had questions religious.

!	Message from: Hekatos
	PM me if you need me!

[Akantha SolEilran]

It was a rapturous experience, and it bore reflecting on here in the Temple of Eikaen Pater. She stayed on her knees, her palms open upon her lap and facing the sky. As her mother had said, it was through meditation that they were most likely to hear the Gods answer them, and she relaxed herself further. She was as grounded as the marble pillars, and about as still. Centred, and symmetrical. She remained there in reverent contemplation, leaving herself open to the King of Gods.

When she heard Talon’s voice, she thought she heard something more. Something different than when they had met at her ball and later on... She rose easily to her feet, the elegant, pearlescent dress smoothing itself without her needing to. “Brother Arcas. Prince Talon,” she smiled at him, inclining her head, and shoulders, in both greeting and respect. At another time, she might only have inclined her head; but this was different. They were in a sacred, and now sanctified, place, and Arcas was the son of the Highfather. Respect was owed and would be given accordingly. "This is Pater Eikaenion. He is the most senior priest here," she added. Perhaps she did not need to explain; but he had been mentioned, and he deserved his due recognition. Perhaps Talon may enjoy a chat with him at a later date.

“You needn’t apologize. I could not begin to comprehend how difficult that must be... so close, and yet, so far," the Princess offered the silver-haired Avialae godling. She did notice the beads of moisture on his skin from the tears, but Akantha would never be the one to bring that up. She knew how much she craved time with her parents, her father especially, and yet, they were close - she could reach out and touch them if she so chose. The relationship between Arcas and Eikaen was a very different beast altogether, and perhaps it was complicated beyond mortal comprehension. And yet, perhaps... it was a longing that most children had for their parents. She knew that Talon's mortal father had been assassinated fairly recently, and perhaps that had something to do with it. But her religious education suggested quite strongly that the Highfather could not walk amongst them so easily; and whether they could meet in the Aetherium, she had no idea. There was a great deal of debate about it. Perhaps, after some time, it might be something she would ask.

She inclined her head to the great statue of Eikaen, looking up at the King of Dragons. "We are truly blessed in His presence." She, clearly, had felt something too, to judge by the awe that tinged her voice. "I do hope that the moment that He shared with you helped you with what you seek."

"There is no rose without a thorn."

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon bowed his head in respect to Eikaenion but did not disrupt the priest’s musings. Time with a god, especially the Dragon King, was sacred on a level that even he understood. His Divine Father gave his direct attention sparingly, he would do as little as possible to interrupt such quiet reflection. If or when the priest was moved to join them, he would.
He looked up at the statue of the Dragon King. When he did so, there was less hurt in his expression as he did so. There was still grief, there was still pain, but it was far less pronounced than what it had been. His expression was filled mostly with a look of peace.

“He did.” He affirmed Akantha’s polite inquiry. He squeezed the gemstone around his neck lightly before dropping his hand. “And please, you may call me just by name when we are not on ceremony, Your Royal Highness.”

Taking in a breath, he ran a hand through his hair. It was only then that he noticed that his normally iron grip on the veil of mortality that he held around himself had slipped. It was only a small slip but he quieted his presence, pulling the veil more firmly into place. The light of his nimbus faded and Talon once more appeared less the god and more the man. He smiled at Akantha though it was clear he was still touched by the experience of a visit from his Divine Father.

“May I walk with you for a short while, Princess? It is quite alright if you have other matters to attend to.” It was an open request. He would not feel an ounce of offense if she declined. He understood all too well the weight of royal duties that rest upon Akantha’s shoulders.

“Aoren is presently visiting with some of the other dragons. I would not pull him away from that. Although he is already fussing at me over the Bond.” Talon chuckled.

[Akantha SolEilran]

"I am glad to hear that. May His Light and warmth continue to resonate within and through you," Akantha smiled. A great many of Sol'Valen's stories talked of times when the greatest of the Gods walked with them through here, and it was of no surprise to her that the Highfather would Look upon them here in His Temple, and bless them with His attention, even if it was only for a short while.

"You may call me the same, in private," the Princess of Thorns nodded. Some places stood on ceremony, some preferred to relax such etiquette and allow for a less rigid interaction. In Sol'Valen, where the families of the Princes mingled often with the public, it made sense to have some flexibility. If Talon found it more comfortable, then far be it for her to decline. In front of others, they would be proper and correct, but between the two of them, they could allow for a level of familiarity as they got to know one another. If he was going to be visiting more, and it seemed that he would, why not?

She watched as that light that was emanating from him faded, or, rather, seemed to retreat within him. Hytori were a curious people, and Akantha wouldn't have minded Sembling... but for the fact that he was Divine, would certainly know she was trying, and it would be considered quite rude and inappropriate. Especially here. She had already scoured the necklace that he wore briefly at her ball, but that could be left to the grandmasters and the lorekeepers who might well find something about it. "Of course, I would be delighted," she inclined her head, and when he was ready, she would fall into step beside him. He had nearly a foot on her, especially since the sandals that she wore were not heeled, and she did not mind. They did tend to be a taller sort; Kala and her twin were more the exception to the rule. The fabric of her dress whispered with her steps as it stayed just off of the ground. There was always a great deal to do, even if they had a rather different level of responsibility; but that was something that Prince and Princess were doubtless familiar with.

"I would imagine he is. It is clear how much he loves you." She remembered seeing the two of them dancing at her Frost ball, and the protective love that Aoren had for him was fierce, present, and unmistakable. Dragons were dangerous when something was bothering something, or someone, that they considered theirs. "Is that challenging, sometimes, managing the Bond with him? We may not fight every battle on our own... but sometimes it is good to assess our own emotions and process them, I would think." She had learned as much over her years - it was one of those habits that needed to be maintained by one's self in order to truly consider the weight of those emotions when dealing with situations. With the Avialae bond, and how much one partner could influence the other... it seemed to her that perhaps it could be stabilizing, or destabilizing, depending on the individuals.

"There is no rose without a thorn."

[Talon]

T A L O N

He inclined his head, grateful for the fact that at least for the moment, they did not have to stand on ceremony. His gaze glanced to Eikaenion, he did not disturb the priest from his meditations but Talon would have questions for the elder elf at a more opportune time. When he was not sorting through his own thoughts so heavily and the experience were not so raw. It had been a joyful experience, unmistakably so, but he needed to put some distance between himself and it in order to think clearly.

To Akantha's question, he shook his head.

“The Bond does not choose its mate idly. It begins as a greeting. It deepens to a friendship. Finally it becomes a partnership. Few attain the level of Bonding that Aoren and I share. Even my mortal parents did not share such a deep Bond.” Off the top of his head, he could not think of many Avialae who had developed a Core Bond.

“I can think of only a few pairings that have what is called the Core Bond. Myself and Aoren, Lady Kala and her brother, and one of the other Daizoku and his partner. It is a rare thing.” He walked with Akantha through the temple, considering his words on how to describe what he shared with Aoren.

“It…is a living thing, in a way. The mystery of it is something only the maker of the Avialae truly knows and he has been gone from this world for centuries. The Bond, especially the one that Aoren and I share, waxes and wanes in intensity depending on what either of us needs it to be.” In that particular moment, it was a soft hum that flowed warmly across his whole body. It did not intrude but it felt as though Aoren were gently soothing the tension across his body. The muscles between his shoulder blades lost some of their tightness. The unsettled feeling of butterflies in his stomach eased. The overwhelming swell of emotion that had brought tears to his eyes, was calmed. Aoren was not actively doing these things, it was the part of him that wanted to comfort Talon that acted on a subconscious level.

“We can feel when either of us is in distress. The Bond does not force us to act, it guides us and lets us see how best to act for each other. When I need space, he knows it. When I want him close, he knows it. When he needs me, the Bond shows me in what way I am needed. At our level of connection, the two of us could exist side-by-side for centuries and never speak a word to each other but still have conversations on an intuitive level.” It was hard for him to describe, especially considering that the Bond was such an integral part of his culture. It was a reason why Synnekar possessed such a deep emotional intelligence in most cases. The Bond required it of them and lent itself to developing a keener sense of people's emotions in connection to each other. Avialae might have largely been a warrior people but there was a reason they placed so much emphasis on community over individuality.

"It is not that the Bond completes us, we are complete in who we are. The Bond just...adds to it." Which meant that Aoren fussed over him because he naturally wanted to and there were moments when Talon enjoyed that fussing. Aoren naturally knew when to act on that fussiness, the Bond just made it more clear when it was the right time to do so.

[Akantha SolEilran]

As he spoke, she listened, content to absorb the explanations that he offered her. This was a great deal of new, in-depth information. She had learned a bit about the Bond Avialae formed, but not quite to this level of detail. The Princess of Thorns had inquired about it with some of the winged Hytori guards that came with her to her flight nook when she went flying, because she had been intrigued about the subject through her introduction to Kala and Kaus. There were books about the younger races, such as they were, but reading that information was not the same as listening to someone describe their lived experience. Ionsо̄ra had advised her that if she wished to make a totem of them for the wings, then she should at least study them a little bit in order to prepare herself for their physiology. She understood that she could achieve some of their abilities through taking the Avialae totem - the magic wings and their hardiness to cold temperatures - but something like the Bond would not come through the totem. Which in many ways made sense; she simply wanted to experience their utterly magical ability to fly, even if she trained steadily to build herself up enough to fly with oversized osprey wings.

That aside... if she was to be the Phoenix Queen one day, then it would only help her serve her people if she understood them, and with the number of Winged Hytori here in Sol'Valen, having a better idea about something that was such an integral aspect of their lives could only benefit them all. It would further help her with understanding the Avialae that visited her homeland - Kala and Kaus had been the most regular, and now Talon and Aoren were spending more time here while they researched the Gem of Order that Talon had received from the Highfather.

She digested all of this: there are multiple levels of Bonds, from friends to this Core Bond that Talon mentioned, with that one being the rarest of them all, and there was bound to be a reason why it was so rare that was not being mentioned here. Perhaps she would ask Kala and Kaus their opinions on that; she was more familiar with the two of them, and this did seem to be quite a personal, individual subject. They may have different feelings on it. But the bond was also apparently utterly unique to those who shared it, and therefore it could be quite different indeed how each perceived it. That ability to communicate through it was beyond useful as well, and knowing the state of the other could be very helpful indeed.

As they walked, she watched Talon - he seemed to be relaxing a bit, and calming down from the heightened state of emotion he had been in. She did wonder how much of it was him, and how much of it came from Aoren. She couldn't blame him, really - sometimes there was something about having someone that could greatly improve your mood just by being there, and with the Avialae Bond, they didn't even have to be there. "That was decidedly insightful, and I thank you for sharing it with me... I've learned some before about it, but not to this detail. We do have a number of winged Hytori here, and I think that it will considerably help with understanding more about them, too. A great deal of preparing to lead and meet the expectations that await us has to deal with preparing ourselves... emotionally, among other ways. Having that level of support must be invaluable, what with all of the responsibilities, projects, and stresses you have." He had mentioned a number of projects at the ball, and she doubted that any of them had gone away since then.

Her parents had impressed upon her and her siblings the importance of developing self-control and fortitude in order to weather whatever life threw at them without being overwhelmed with negative emotions that came from a situation. And while they may react to external stressors and events, how they reacted was on them. She did wonder if that made things harder on Avialae that were so used to the feelings of connection with another - if they might experience distress or anxiety when deprived of their Bonds.

"I noticed that you have been with us more since you arrived in Frost. Have you been enjoying your visits? Is it strange, walking amongst Sol'Valen again when you have the divine memory of doing so before?" She did wonder how he felt about it, reconciling the past and present... and understanding that might lead to more perspectives on the history of her home and her people.

"There is no rose without a thorn."