Vig: Light Through Clouds
Who: Milani, Milandra, Kethen
When: Sunset, day 4, month 5, turn 24 of Interval 10.
Where: Cove Hold
What: Milani considers going home.
Sunsets at Cove Hold were almost always picturesque, but this evening's light show was particularly lovely, deep gold rays seeping through multiple layers of purple and rose cloud, the ocean turning to fire as Rukbat slipped lower and lower on the horizon.
Milani sat perched on the porch rail, watching the sun set and Milandra running after the waves as the tide slowly drifted outwards. The little girl's reddish brown curls bobbed jauntily as her daughter scampered after the foamy froth then ran away laughing and squealing as the water curled, gathered and came crashing back in toward shore.
"Lovely evening, isn't it?" Kethen's voice spoke lowly from the doorway and Millie turned her head to smile at her cousin. "Isn't it always, down here, Auntie?" she queried and gave the rail a little pat. "Sit with me?" she invited and Kethen laughed. "I think my old bones can manage it," she joked softly and came over to climb up onto the bottom rail first, swung her long leg over slowly, but with an ease that belied her advancing turns.
"Milandra really loves the beach," Milani said, looking out after the little girl as she made another dash at the waves and idly reached down to rub between Puddle's headknobs. "And Puddle's a sucker for the copious quantities of sunshine and plenty of spots to curl up and nap in," she continued with a fond chuckle for the brown lizard in her lap.
"Mmm. I think that Cove is one of the most beautiful places in the world," Kethen said softly, reaching up to slowly unbind her braid, fingers massaging at her scalp intermittently. "Andi's done well here," she added after a moment, tucking the strings that had tied her braids up into a pocket. "As you have too." She paused and turned her head, green eyes taking in Milani's profile. "Are you ready?" Kethen asked even more quietly and Milani's eyes closed, chin tipping down toward her chest, fingers stilling atop Puddle's hide.
If Kethen had asked her the same question a month ago, she'd have said no. There was trepidation in her heart still, lingering fear that perhaps the winter dark at the Reaches could bring back that fog, the haze that had made her so unlike herself. The seasons were changing though, summer was coming far to the north while autumn closed in here. Autumn at Cove was a far cry from autumn at the Reaches though, the changes subtle, so very mild by comparison. She exhaled and nodded slowly.
"Yes, I think I am. It's been lovely here and you've helped me so much. It's been good working with Keri too, but I feel ..." she trailed off, silent for a moment before going on. "Homesick. I miss Niki. I miss K'del. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I feel like I could fit in here, over time, if I needed to stay, wanted to." Another pause. "But I want to go home."
Kethen smiled over at her, gave a little nod. "There's nothing to stop you from visiting of course, or coming down to stay for an extended period again if you have the need. I think though, that if you find those blues returning, that the mixture we've sorted out over the last few months at the dosage I've been giving you should stave off the worst of it."
Milani nodded a few times and hitched herself over a little closer to the healer to slide her arm around her. She brushed Kethen's wrinkling cheek gently with her lips. "Thank you, Auntie. For giving me myself back." Kethen's arm circled her waist in turn and she squeezed gently. "It's been a pleasure, my dear girl, a pleasure."
The sun sank lower and the two women lapsed into silence as the waves continued to wash up onto shore and Milandra kept chasing them even as twilight clustered thickly on the beach and the pinpricks of late firebugs started to speckle the blue. The sound of dishes clinking inside announced Griffin setting the table, but Milani waited until Rukbat was gone before she called Milandra inside for supper.
When: Sunset, day 4, month 5, turn 24 of Interval 10.
Where: Cove Hold
What: Milani considers going home.
Sunsets at Cove Hold were almost always picturesque, but this evening's light show was particularly lovely, deep gold rays seeping through multiple layers of purple and rose cloud, the ocean turning to fire as Rukbat slipped lower and lower on the horizon.
Milani sat perched on the porch rail, watching the sun set and Milandra running after the waves as the tide slowly drifted outwards. The little girl's reddish brown curls bobbed jauntily as her daughter scampered after the foamy froth then ran away laughing and squealing as the water curled, gathered and came crashing back in toward shore.
"Lovely evening, isn't it?" Kethen's voice spoke lowly from the doorway and Millie turned her head to smile at her cousin. "Isn't it always, down here, Auntie?" she queried and gave the rail a little pat. "Sit with me?" she invited and Kethen laughed. "I think my old bones can manage it," she joked softly and came over to climb up onto the bottom rail first, swung her long leg over slowly, but with an ease that belied her advancing turns.
"Milandra really loves the beach," Milani said, looking out after the little girl as she made another dash at the waves and idly reached down to rub between Puddle's headknobs. "And Puddle's a sucker for the copious quantities of sunshine and plenty of spots to curl up and nap in," she continued with a fond chuckle for the brown lizard in her lap.
"Mmm. I think that Cove is one of the most beautiful places in the world," Kethen said softly, reaching up to slowly unbind her braid, fingers massaging at her scalp intermittently. "Andi's done well here," she added after a moment, tucking the strings that had tied her braids up into a pocket. "As you have too." She paused and turned her head, green eyes taking in Milani's profile. "Are you ready?" Kethen asked even more quietly and Milani's eyes closed, chin tipping down toward her chest, fingers stilling atop Puddle's hide.
If Kethen had asked her the same question a month ago, she'd have said no. There was trepidation in her heart still, lingering fear that perhaps the winter dark at the Reaches could bring back that fog, the haze that had made her so unlike herself. The seasons were changing though, summer was coming far to the north while autumn closed in here. Autumn at Cove was a far cry from autumn at the Reaches though, the changes subtle, so very mild by comparison. She exhaled and nodded slowly.
"Yes, I think I am. It's been lovely here and you've helped me so much. It's been good working with Keri too, but I feel ..." she trailed off, silent for a moment before going on. "Homesick. I miss Niki. I miss K'del. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I feel like I could fit in here, over time, if I needed to stay, wanted to." Another pause. "But I want to go home."
Kethen smiled over at her, gave a little nod. "There's nothing to stop you from visiting of course, or coming down to stay for an extended period again if you have the need. I think though, that if you find those blues returning, that the mixture we've sorted out over the last few months at the dosage I've been giving you should stave off the worst of it."
Milani nodded a few times and hitched herself over a little closer to the healer to slide her arm around her. She brushed Kethen's wrinkling cheek gently with her lips. "Thank you, Auntie. For giving me myself back." Kethen's arm circled her waist in turn and she squeezed gently. "It's been a pleasure, my dear girl, a pleasure."
The sun sank lower and the two women lapsed into silence as the waves continued to wash up onto shore and Milandra kept chasing them even as twilight clustered thickly on the beach and the pinpricks of late firebugs started to speckle the blue. The sound of dishes clinking inside announced Griffin setting the table, but Milani waited until Rukbat was gone before she called Milandra inside for supper.