Ahriana's copper hair streamed out behind as she ran. She wasn't required to bind it yet and even when she was, had no intentions of doing so. Who was going to tell her she had to? Fairsh never bound his hair and it flowed around his face, in wavy strands, bouncing and flying with his stride. If he didn't have too, then neither did she.
When they reached the lake he was breathless.
"Little Bird, you have too much speed and stamina to sit around doing nothing. You don't act like a Princess, so you should just give in and come to the sparring grounds with me. It would be fun to teach you some tricks."
He grinned at her when he finally caught his breath again.
Ahriana just gave a shrug.
"I really don't want to hack at people while trying to find a way to kill them just yet in my life. Apparently I'll have enough of that later on; I should probably take it easy while I can." She told him, narrowing her eyes.
She didn't want to have this argument again; they had it yesterday, and two days before that. She did things, just not things Fairsh understood as worthy activities. It was her mother however who felt these pointless lessons were important. Such as, how to address visiting nobles, how to decorate a table and plan a party. It was more torturous than her history lessons.
Fairsh caught the hint, throwing his hands up and walking over to the trees that lined the lakeshore. He grabbed their fishing poles that they always stored there. If her mother knew she spent any time at all baiting a hoo, nira would probably have a heart attack. Ahriana's current total of fish was higher than Fairsh's and she had no intentions, her mother's impending heart attack or not, to stop fishing.
"I'm going to catch all the fish today, cheater, I don't know how you do it but somehow I'm going to make sure when I leave here I have ten more than you do," Fairsh challenged.
"You're on." She said, chuckling and shaking her head.
Ahriana looked around to make sure Meekah wasn't bothering Tesba . Faith's bonded animal was an ever growing white panther.
"Ehh he isn't bothering her so much, and Tesba isn't so old that she should forget what it's like to be young. She just got through that phase herself. She's a bit snobby now, so it does her good to be annoyed here and there." Fairsh said following her eyes.
Ahriana didn't agree, Tesba had always bested Meekah horribly when they wrestled. She also had a horrible temper; Ahriana had seen her and Fairsh fight so often, you would think they were brother and sister. Tesba had a very short fuse, combined with her temper she was always ready to lash out. Ahriana watched her as Tesba's blue eyes glared at Meekah, and one of her large white paws twitched exposing long yellow claws. Like always, Fairsh could see Ahriana's thoughts on her face.
"Not to worry Little Bird, one day soon Meekah is going to be something. I can't wait; even Tesba won't even blink wrong at him. He's going to be a monster, the good kind of course."
"Oh of course yes the good kind." Ahriana said with irritation, she didn't like where this conversation was starting to head.
Ahriana focused on making sure that her bait was secured and cast the line out into the water. It whistled as it cut through the air arching over the lake's glistening surface, finally landing with a soft dull splash, small ripples drifted across the turquoise surface. Fairsh nodded in approval then cast his own line and sat down on the ground. He looked up at her and blinked a few times quickly. He was clearly in a talking mood, which was fine, as long as it wasn't something she didn't feel like discussing. Which of course were usually the subjects he felt like discussing.
This meant that Fairsh would change topics until he saw her squirm. He would search endlessly watching the contours of her face until he brought up a subject that drew tension. He always said it was better out than in, which usually warriors said implying much more revolting things that normally followed a long night in a tavern. Still he felt that bad emotions would just stew and simmer inside you until one day you exploded and caused more harm than if you had just spoken up to start with. It was solid logic; Ahriana just didn't care for it much.
"Okay Little Bird, you can either get it out now, or I will poke and prod until you talk. Make a choice, I want to know," he said evenly, but she could hear the command just under the surface. Ahriana glared, he was so pushy.
She stared at the lake and gave one of those sighs that revealed just how heavy the burden on her chest felt to her soul. She felt the emotions fill her chest then creep to her throat and sting her eyes. She refused to look at Fairsh, because she knew if she did all the tears building up would just spill forth underneath his gaze.
Fairsh's steel colored eyes bore into her. His beautiful face staring at her patiently waiting for the gush of emotions he saw dashing across the lines of her face. Ahriana didn't want to show that kind of weakness, she didn't want to expose that part of her fears to anyone, and yet she never could say no to him. She turned her head ever so slightly and from the corner of her eye saw him staring patiently.
She knew she wasn't the beautiful creature she was supposed to be. Not yet anyways, she was mostly skinned knees, odd bruises and had the uncomfortable gait of someone trying to figure out how to use her body after a quick period of growth. In public she hid all those traits, and the people of Imerald worshiped her beauty that she could not see. Fairsh knew her ; he knew where all her scars both emotional and physical, lay. He knew how damaged she already was without the prophecy having even come to pass. She knew he saw her for the ugly duckling she truly was, and it threw her off balance with him.
He was too gorgeous to refuse; it hadn't always been that way of course. Now that she was a woman that was all she saw. So when he asked she gave in, eventually.
Fairsh was all muscle, from the top of his head to his smallest toe. It rippled and bunched with every breath. Every line on his body was smooth and strong, each one flowing endlessly to the next. His skin was bronzed from standing in the sun everyday, and his hair was almost white for the same reason. His high cheekbones and strong jaw gave him a refined appearance not truly meant for a warrior. There was something terrifying and regal about him at the same time. She had never seen a more good looking man in all her life. If that man was out there she wanted to see him because surely the world couldn't have created anything more perfect. If he existed he would have to move mountains with a smile just to top Fairsh.
"Fine, you want to know, do you? Well, it's no different than any other day since I was born. Father is happy I will be his princess forever, but refuses to defend me to Nira, or take any kind of stand against her. I- I don't know, I guess I'm hurt, sad, angry, confused, bitter, jealous. Meekah is depressed because he is starting to slow down in growth, because apparently if I don't find my power, destiny, fate whatever Meekah is stunted forever."
Ahriana inhaled so deeply Fairsh was surprised she didn't swallow a bug before continuing.
"Moreover, the best part is no one would care about any of that if the stupid prophecy never existed. Then sitting in studies all day learning about what is supposedly my future, but you know what? Not one thing in that stupid book has come true. I wish everyone would just forget about it and leave me alone!"
She was shouting by the time she finished, her chest heaving and hair whipping about as she gestured wildly to the sky.
Fairsh just stared; she had never really lost her temper that much before, not since she aged well past twelve, Ahriana was very near to twenty now and the outburst surprised him. He narrowed his eyes, after a moment and looked away. Without so much as looking back at her, he called out.
"Meekah a moment please."
He came trotting over looking a little silly on his too long legs, but with his gorgeous ebony coat glinting in the sun no one ever noticed. He sat down in front of Ahriana and she assumed Fairsh said something to Tesba who passed it on. Stupid silly connection, she hated it. You should have to use words when you talk. Since she had Meekah shut out of her mind during these trips, he was going to have to say, whatever it was out loud. Yet, he just sat there staring at her with those deep emerald eyes.
"WHAT?" She finally shouted at all of them.
"Well, Little Bird currently before you stands part of the prophecy; he is your Greatling correct? Bonded to you with magic, able to talk to your heart and mind? Correct?" he said smugly.
Ahriana wanted to smack Fairsh; he wouldn't feel it, except maybe emotionally, though she doubted he would even feel that. She controlled the urge though and stormed off in a dramatic sigh. Meekah followed, Fairsh being her best friend, knew to give her some space. Meekah didn't really count in the need for space; he was so much a part of her if he was more than ten feet behind, she felt alone and cold. By now in their lives it was a connection that if severed would take their lives, killing either of them immediately. Ahriana was fairly certain her heart would cease to beat if Meekah's did. If his mind went dark, then hers would follow quickly after. Meekah wasn't separate from Ahriana, he was her, so if she needed space then so did he.
"Ahriana, you can't really stop the future, or the truth of it. What will be, will actually be, no matter how hard we dig in against it." Meekah said softly, once again dropping into that irritating habit of his being far wiser than his years.
Ahriana blinked a few times to bring herself back to the present. Her muscles quivered from remaining stiff for too long and she gasped as air filled her lungs again. She felt like her chest was collapsing and had to lean forward on her knees to finally calm her body. Meekah had blocked his mind from hers when he felt her begin to day dream. Those memories held too much pain for him to feel comfortable staying connected. It usually felt like the very fabric of her soul was being torn and then shredded, stomped on, and torn again, right up until it became dust in the wind. She hated the feeling, and had often considered going to the healers and requesting a rare memory procedure. At least the pain and flash backs would stop. Meekah however forbade it any time she brought the idea up either mentally or verbally.
"Ya know you have happy memories of me, you could recall happy times in our youth," he said irritated as she entered the kitchen.
He glared harder than usual since in the moment she had wrenched her mind out of the quick sand that was her past the first normal thought she had was of the memory wipe the healers had offered her the last time one of them had visited and seen the black circles under her eyes and the strain in her face. Ahriana had never heard of it before that day, now it was nearly all she thought of.
Since Meekah had been inside, and she was out, he likely had cut the connection a bit late. With distance came delay. Had she shouted, Meekah would have heard it as loudly as if she stood next to him with his keen hearing. Thoughts were different though, distance and focus mattered. Meekah would have been ambushed when the pain of her memories rushed in, he would have sought the source, then found the cause, then quickly become irritated. Ahriana just shrugged as she tossed the vegetables into the wash sink.
"That one had you in it actually, doing your best to irritate me and Tesba."
She tossed a carrot and he easily dodged it, wrinkling his nose at the lack of meat it contained.
"Excuse me, it's not my fault that I have wisdom you need on a regular basis."
Ahriana just shook her head and continued making dinner.
No I won't be eating rabbit food thank you I'm going to go hunt while you do whatever it is with that green stuff.
He answered the question she hadn't even managed to completely form in her mind. Ahriana hurled a bit of potato at his retreating back as he dashed out the door with venison on the mind.