When Ellara awoke, she felt like she had woken from a coma, and was experiencing a new world. Her muscles tingled and her skin crawled, her body alive with some foreign energy that didn't belong to her. The entire world seemed to have been painted fresh, even though all she could see were the dull tones of her current living space. She breathed out, then back in the rich and light feeling that was beginning to seep into her thoughts. A slight smile fell over her lips and she stretched, reaching her arms out to welcome this rejuvenating force that was filling her with life. What a life! It took several minutes for her to realize that it was caused by the spring solstice. While she had never had an experience quite like this, her life had never been as good as it was now. She blamed this for her overpowering feeling of joy and she accepted the newfound strength graciously. Standing, she rolled her shoulders before putting on a clean white tunic with purple edging and toffee-colored breeches.
She greeted her farmer friend with surprising fervor, and he left with his own grin, the contagious feeling having spread to his body. Ellara could hear him whistling as he skipped down the stairs and she laughed. It was when she was eating that Ellara realized it must have been early for her to have conversed with the man, so she opened the window to check. Sure enough, grey twilight fell over her room, and the morning fog extinguished the lone candle she had lit, but the dull dampness only lifted her more. She pulled the dew into her body and grinned triumphantly. I wonder if the soldiers have to train on a day like this... probably. Wolfing down the last morsels of her food even as she walked, she slipped out the door, bouncing down the stairs and out into the street.
After having swallowed the last bit of apple, Ellara glanced around. The streets were empty except for the people that lived in them. Bristling with the passion she had been entrusted with, she strode down the street, humming to herself as she went. She continued like this until she reached the edge of the city, where the wall stood before her. She followed it until she reached the east gate, the one closest to her home, then she looked out. She could see, from where she was, a group of trainees and soldiers jogging around a large track, in the center of which was a practice field. Her eyes lit up as she watched them, then she sprinted out and matched their pace, falling into stride a few yards to their outside. It took a little while before one of the soldiers noticed her, and when he did he cried out in alarm, surprised by her appearance. Ellara laughed and raced ahead of them, not going as fast as she could, but still going as fast as some of the better runners of the city. She stretched her arms out toward the sky, then cut across the track and began to leap through an obstacle course. Some of the training men slowed to watch the fluidity with which she moved even though she never stopped and flew at breakneck speeds, and Ellara felt proud of all the work she'd done to achieve the form she had.
After scaling a wall, she stopped and sat at the top, staring out over the fields that surrounded Novus, struck by the beauty of the entire place. She then slid carefully down the side and rolled into a standing position at the bottom. Her eyes fell once again on the group of men, and she spotted Robert in the lead of the group. She grinned, waved, then turned back to the capital and jogged back. Instead of going to the gate, however, she went to the wall, carefully climbing up. A few drowsy soldiers on guard duty were quite alarmed when Ellara sprang up and one of them actually tackled her, but upon seeing that she carried no weapons, he immediately helped her up and apologized profusely. Unperturbed, Ellara quickly forgave him and proceeded to tell the men a few jokes, with which she spread the energy growing inside her, and to which they fell into uncontrolled bouts of laughter. Leaving them in this state, the lady dropped to the other side of the wall and closed her eyes.
What a wonderful life, indeed!
Picking back up the pace she'd taken before exiting the city, she walked into the wealthier, upper part of town, where the nobles and rich men slept soundly. She did encounter one woman, who asked who she was and why she was in such a good humor. Ellara explained herself, and the woman, probably in her late thirties, shared a story with her about her first spring solstice in the city. Laura then told her a tale that was told in her hometown on the holiday, a silly story of love, which delighted the older lady. She informed Ellara that she was going to tell all her friends and her children as well, and Laura bowed and thanked her.
"Child, continue as you are, and spread your love to the whole city, then let them spread it to the world. You have brightened my day ever before the festivities, and I will be interested to see how you change this year's celebration."
With this, they parted, and Ellara descended down to the middle of the city, where she went into the market and helped some people get their tents into working order. When she told an elderly woman of her position after helping her collect a series of necklaces she had dropped, the woman offered her one that matched her tunic, refusing to let Laura give it back. Ellara then slipped a silver coin to her counter and made an exit, stopping some distance away to put the trinket on.
Her trip to the lower city was perhaps the merriest. She came across a pair of older gentlemen whom she'd met at her job while they were playing a game of checkers. After having the game explained to her, one of them gave up his seat and Ellara quickly bested the other. The two men clapped her on the shoulders, one of them nearly knocking her over, and then they all chuckled before she waved and they parted. Further down, she met a group of young women and teens washing their clothes. Ellara sat and took care of one woman's basket, listening to their stories of secret and superficial romances. When they asked Laura to share, she shook her head, smiling and shy. They all laughed and splashed her with water, so she fled, grinning as their laughter grew fainter. It wasn't long before she stumbled upon a group of children who all seemed to be doing something so they could make merry later. Ellara showed the boys how to carve the branches they'd found so they looked more like swords, and she told them all the same story from before. She then took the time to join them in a game of leap frog before she asked them if they would excuse her. Only after each child had hugged or kissed her would they let her leave, and Laura's mind churned with gentle happiness.
Ellara walked back to the barracks and sat with the soldiers who, at the pink hours of sunrise, were eating breakfast, and exchanged some banter and chit-chat with them. Each of them winked and nudged her, asking who her sweetheart was, but Ellara laughed away the joking offers. The soldier who she had startled out in the fields sat beside her and asked, "Well, is it all that difficult for someone like you to find company?" She gave him a threatening glare and the men all snickered. He looked away sheepishly and she let a smug smirk twitch onto her lips. "I choose to remain alone because silly little boys like you aren't worth my time." The table erupted into laughter and Ellara grinned, smacking him on the back and shaking her head. Very funny!
The table must have been causing quite a bit of ruckus, because they were soon joined by other tables. The seat on Ellara's other side, which had been empty, was filled by a familiar face: Robert. Ellara was surprised when the soldiers all greeted him with "Robby," something she didn't even call him. At first, Ellara was mildly uneasy with him so close to her, but it took little time for her to loosen up and laugh with the soldiers and him. At one point, the entire place had broken into chaotic jubilee, and a commander came over to put the men in their places, but when he saw that Robby and Ellara were the cause of it, he quickly shrank back, his face rather pale and his eyes somewhat annoyed. All too soon, it seemed, the breakfast was over and the men were called back for their daily training. Laura stood and watched them go, then smiled to herself and began to help clean up the mess the young men had left.
She greeted her farmer friend with surprising fervor, and he left with his own grin, the contagious feeling having spread to his body. Ellara could hear him whistling as he skipped down the stairs and she laughed. It was when she was eating that Ellara realized it must have been early for her to have conversed with the man, so she opened the window to check. Sure enough, grey twilight fell over her room, and the morning fog extinguished the lone candle she had lit, but the dull dampness only lifted her more. She pulled the dew into her body and grinned triumphantly. I wonder if the soldiers have to train on a day like this... probably. Wolfing down the last morsels of her food even as she walked, she slipped out the door, bouncing down the stairs and out into the street.
After having swallowed the last bit of apple, Ellara glanced around. The streets were empty except for the people that lived in them. Bristling with the passion she had been entrusted with, she strode down the street, humming to herself as she went. She continued like this until she reached the edge of the city, where the wall stood before her. She followed it until she reached the east gate, the one closest to her home, then she looked out. She could see, from where she was, a group of trainees and soldiers jogging around a large track, in the center of which was a practice field. Her eyes lit up as she watched them, then she sprinted out and matched their pace, falling into stride a few yards to their outside. It took a little while before one of the soldiers noticed her, and when he did he cried out in alarm, surprised by her appearance. Ellara laughed and raced ahead of them, not going as fast as she could, but still going as fast as some of the better runners of the city. She stretched her arms out toward the sky, then cut across the track and began to leap through an obstacle course. Some of the training men slowed to watch the fluidity with which she moved even though she never stopped and flew at breakneck speeds, and Ellara felt proud of all the work she'd done to achieve the form she had.
After scaling a wall, she stopped and sat at the top, staring out over the fields that surrounded Novus, struck by the beauty of the entire place. She then slid carefully down the side and rolled into a standing position at the bottom. Her eyes fell once again on the group of men, and she spotted Robert in the lead of the group. She grinned, waved, then turned back to the capital and jogged back. Instead of going to the gate, however, she went to the wall, carefully climbing up. A few drowsy soldiers on guard duty were quite alarmed when Ellara sprang up and one of them actually tackled her, but upon seeing that she carried no weapons, he immediately helped her up and apologized profusely. Unperturbed, Ellara quickly forgave him and proceeded to tell the men a few jokes, with which she spread the energy growing inside her, and to which they fell into uncontrolled bouts of laughter. Leaving them in this state, the lady dropped to the other side of the wall and closed her eyes.
What a wonderful life, indeed!
Picking back up the pace she'd taken before exiting the city, she walked into the wealthier, upper part of town, where the nobles and rich men slept soundly. She did encounter one woman, who asked who she was and why she was in such a good humor. Ellara explained herself, and the woman, probably in her late thirties, shared a story with her about her first spring solstice in the city. Laura then told her a tale that was told in her hometown on the holiday, a silly story of love, which delighted the older lady. She informed Ellara that she was going to tell all her friends and her children as well, and Laura bowed and thanked her.
"Child, continue as you are, and spread your love to the whole city, then let them spread it to the world. You have brightened my day ever before the festivities, and I will be interested to see how you change this year's celebration."
With this, they parted, and Ellara descended down to the middle of the city, where she went into the market and helped some people get their tents into working order. When she told an elderly woman of her position after helping her collect a series of necklaces she had dropped, the woman offered her one that matched her tunic, refusing to let Laura give it back. Ellara then slipped a silver coin to her counter and made an exit, stopping some distance away to put the trinket on.
Her trip to the lower city was perhaps the merriest. She came across a pair of older gentlemen whom she'd met at her job while they were playing a game of checkers. After having the game explained to her, one of them gave up his seat and Ellara quickly bested the other. The two men clapped her on the shoulders, one of them nearly knocking her over, and then they all chuckled before she waved and they parted. Further down, she met a group of young women and teens washing their clothes. Ellara sat and took care of one woman's basket, listening to their stories of secret and superficial romances. When they asked Laura to share, she shook her head, smiling and shy. They all laughed and splashed her with water, so she fled, grinning as their laughter grew fainter. It wasn't long before she stumbled upon a group of children who all seemed to be doing something so they could make merry later. Ellara showed the boys how to carve the branches they'd found so they looked more like swords, and she told them all the same story from before. She then took the time to join them in a game of leap frog before she asked them if they would excuse her. Only after each child had hugged or kissed her would they let her leave, and Laura's mind churned with gentle happiness.
Ellara walked back to the barracks and sat with the soldiers who, at the pink hours of sunrise, were eating breakfast, and exchanged some banter and chit-chat with them. Each of them winked and nudged her, asking who her sweetheart was, but Ellara laughed away the joking offers. The soldier who she had startled out in the fields sat beside her and asked, "Well, is it all that difficult for someone like you to find company?" She gave him a threatening glare and the men all snickered. He looked away sheepishly and she let a smug smirk twitch onto her lips. "I choose to remain alone because silly little boys like you aren't worth my time." The table erupted into laughter and Ellara grinned, smacking him on the back and shaking her head. Very funny!
The table must have been causing quite a bit of ruckus, because they were soon joined by other tables. The seat on Ellara's other side, which had been empty, was filled by a familiar face: Robert. Ellara was surprised when the soldiers all greeted him with "Robby," something she didn't even call him. At first, Ellara was mildly uneasy with him so close to her, but it took little time for her to loosen up and laugh with the soldiers and him. At one point, the entire place had broken into chaotic jubilee, and a commander came over to put the men in their places, but when he saw that Robby and Ellara were the cause of it, he quickly shrank back, his face rather pale and his eyes somewhat annoyed. All too soon, it seemed, the breakfast was over and the men were called back for their daily training. Laura stood and watched them go, then smiled to herself and began to help clean up the mess the young men had left.
