[o] Just Run

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

          A soft crunching of snow echoed through the woods, soon dissipating as the walker reached the grass covered grounds. Bundled up with clothing from her father, shielding her from the bone-chilling wind that circled through the air. Catalina's freckled face and blue-green eyes peered from beneath the cream colored fur that helped keep her warm. Yet, every time she breathed, a mist pursued from her lips - giving away that she was in fact, a living, breathing creature.

        "I'm going to surprise him with the largest fish I can catch..." She spoke to herself quietly. She had an old cane pole slung over her shoulder. The trudge on foot would surely be worth it. Her father had been quietly resting at home after stoking their fires, tired from the drudgery of the tasks and chores at the camp.

        Catalina seemed as though she was in an oddly cheery disposition, even in the brisk cold weather. Even though the weather was treacherous, it was easy to find the beauty in the day. All the way from the sunrising, the snow dissipating into greenery, to the babbling stream that cut it's way through the land. 

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

Though Halo was far from one of Flora's favourite places to be—she much preferred the tropical shores of Torchline—now that Longheat had descended properly across Caido, even Halo's arctic climates were somewhat bearable. The queen still wore a long woollen coat, her tanned skin utterly repulsed by the chill, but she wasn't as bundled up as she had been in other seasons such that she was able to move with relative ease through the dense forest. Overhead, a small pale dragon flew on opalescent wings, skirting around the tops of the conifers and occasionally glancing down to trill her delight.

"You would like the cold." Flora says under her breath, rolling her eyes affectionately up at the small dragon, as if enjoying the cold was traitorous to the bond they shared. From said bond, Spice relayed the image of a woman with a shock of red hair. Assuming it must be Evie, and, having not seen Halo's other Warden in quite some time, Flora altered her course ever so slightly to bring her in line with the course the other woman was trudging toward the river bank.

"Evieeeee?" She called out, her voice sing-song and bright.

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

Bringing down the hood from her coat, the sun's brilliant rays cast along her cheeks. Even though the cold was still there, turning the tip of her nose and her cheeks a flushed color, the sun was a welcoming feeling. How long had it been since her and her father made it to these parts? The winter nearly made it unbearable and seemed to draw out time longer than it was. The quietness was welcomed, but.. it was all her father and her experienced these past several months. 

Bringing her cane pole down, she unwrapped the string that she had secured around the pole earlier. Reaching into her pocket, she had pulled out a cloth that had been securing something. Opening up the cheaply made cloth, it exposed a white and rather pungent cheese that had been purchased from one of the markets. "Now remember, Cat. The fish need something to guide them. The smell of the cheese will help lure them to you." A flashed memory had crept into her mind, remembering what her father had told her younger self. "But how can they smell under water? It hurts my nose when I try..." At that, her father had laughed, as he had reached down and tousled her hair.  It was a memory that the red head held dear to her.

Evieeeee! She heard a distant call before dropping her hook into the water. It was a cheery voice, a woman calling out to another. Peering curiously back over her shoulder, she had seen an elegant woman walking with ease through the tall trees. The trees were almost protecting her, and shielding her, and something shimmered above her. The brightness of the sun reflected almost blindingly, enough to make Cat squint her blue-green gaze.

"Are you looking for someone?" Cat had called out, forgetting the most important lesson her father had given her.  To catch a fish, one must remain quiet. Every word her father spoke, was law and true. That much she was for certain... Or at least it was to her belief.

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

No sooner had the woman turned around than Flora realized her mistake. Honestly, it should have occurred to her much sooner that a woman who'd given birth only a few seasons before and who ruled over all of Halo probably wasn't out fishing by herself, but stranger things had happened such that the queen wouldn't have thought anything about it. Clearly, she should have.

Grinning apologetically, Flora raised a hand in greeting before continuing to make her way down toward the water. "Hey, sorry, my bad. I thought you were someone else." She explained with a shrug, flashing the other woman a bright smile. Above, Spice circled a few times before swooping low and eventually coming in to land on Flora's shoulder. Curling up around the blonde's neck, the dragonling appraised the fishing pole with a vibrant stare, her nostrils flaring. Clucking under her tongue and lifting one of her shoulders in order to upset the dragon's posture somewhat, Flora smiles again, rolling her eyes affectionately.

"She can smell your bait." Laughing under her breath, she pulls out a small piece of jerky from her pocket for the dragon. "I'm Flora, by the way."

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

Cat gave Flora a lopsided grin as she had made her way closer. Cat though nomad, never laid her eyes on royalty. She had only heard of them through her father, as her father attempted to keep her as secluded as possible, away from strangers, and any possible danger that could befall her. The names Flora and Evie ringing a slight bell in her memory. The Queen surely wouldn't be traveling by herself, so that was the thought most furthest from Catalina's mind.



Cat gave Flora a lopsided grin as she had made her way closer. Cat though nomad, never laid her eyes on royalty. She had only heard of them through her father, as her father attempted to keep her as secluded as possible, away from strangers, and any possible danger that could befall her. The names Flora and Evie ringing a slight bell in her memory. They had similar names to the Queens, did they not?



"There's no need to apologize, honestly. It's a simple mistake that can happen to anyone. She has the same name of the Queen as this region..." Cat thought out loud, clearly processing the thought. It wasn't unheard of that people shared names amongst one another, but some names were too rare to share. Especially if they held royalty to them.



Seeing the small dragon make it's way onto the woman's shoulder, Catalina looked at the magnificent creature with wide eyes. Opalescent scales and coloring, vibrant as the snow. It was rare for Cat to even see Pearl's, let alone creatures with such gentleness to them.



A soft giggle left her lips at the mention of the pungent cheese. Cat looked at the small slice that had been dangling from her hook, ready to be plopped into the water at any moment. "I don't know very much about the winged creatures.. Would she or could she like some cheese? If that's even something she can eat?" Cat tilted her head inquisitively, looking up towards the woman with eyes filled with curiosity. Seeing the woman smile so affectionately towards the dragon, another giggle left her lips. "I've got plenty and I don't mind sharing."  Cat reached down towards the cloth that had enveloped the cheese, the slices cut unevenly. Grabbing one of the slices, she had offered it with her hand towards Flora.



 "It's nice to meet you Miss Flora. I'm Catalina. You can call me Cat though. I .. haven't seen you around these parts before."  Catalina observed quietly. The woman's clothing were neat, and kept in pristine condition it seemed. Unlike Cat's that were trudged with dirt, mud, and whatever else she managed to fall against.
 


"Are you a frequenter here? If I'm intruding on your fishing grounds, I can find somewhere else to fish. I apologize if I intruded on it."  Clearly, Catalina didn't fully realize who she was talking to, or maybe it was her half-tired self from rising so early.

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

"I bet it happens to you all the time, what with your red hair and all." Laughing, Flora can only shrug off her error. She wasn't the type of woman to be easily embarrassed, not that calling out the wrong name was anything worth getting red in the face over, anyhow.

"This is Spice." The queen offers, taking a few steps forward before nudging her shoulder and off-balancing her small companion. In response the little dragon slipped down, spreading her wings and gliding the last few remaining feet towards Cat before perching at her feet like a mild-mannered dog begging for a scrap of food. "And yeah, she'll basically eat anything." Snickering as the dragon stood up on her hind legs, wings splayed for balance, Spice's teeth snapped a few times to indicate that Flora didn't need to act as a middleman—Cat could deposit the cheese directly into her mouth, please and thank you.

"Oh please, just Flora." The queen murmurs, shaking her head. "Oh, gods no." It's a catchall, meant to answer whether or not she frequented Halo and whether these were her fishing grounds. Unbuttoning her jacket now that she was out of the thick shade provided by the forest and into the sun, the queen playfully rolled her eyes. "I don't come to Halo much. My mom used to live here and every now and then when the weather isn't too bad I bring Spice, but.." Her nose wrinkles prettily despite the feigned look of disgust on her features. "..I hate the cold."

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

"Me?" Cat asked thoughtfully. The thought had astounded her, simply for the matter she was more secluded than most. Though, she wouldn't admit that just yet. A small giggle left her lips at the thought.  

Her attention shifted back over towards the dragon who had seemingly been more concerned with the cheese. "It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." A gentle smile crept at the corner of her lips, twitching upwards. It was amusing to see such a creature, especially one that had seemingly been so enamored with the cheese. 

As Spice had perched at her feet, Cat leaned over to place the cheese into the opalescent dragon's mouth. "There ya' go. Maybe you'd like some fish too." Cat said thoughtfully. Truth be told, creatures of all sorts had Cat's heart, companion and wild alike. The purity that enveloped them mirrored what Cat thought the world was like. So she hoped anyways.

When Flora said this wasn't her particular fishing spot, let alone area, this made Cat relax a little more.   "I wish I could say the same, honestly. Father and I move camps from time to time. Though, he seemingly wants to stay in Halo for majority of what I can remember." Cat had shifted her weight onto one foot, looking at the hook that had been displaying the bait. As it swayed with the gentle breeze, she had dropped it into the water with a soft plop. 

"Where do you mainly live at? If not here." Cat's question seemed as though she was an enthralled child who had been discovering a sweet treat for the first time. "Somewhere warm?" Cat had asked curiously, excitement brimming in her voice and her eyes wide with wonder. Though a young adult, she seemed to be very much curious of the vast world surrounding her small tiny world she had been confined to between her and her father. 

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

Flapping her wings as if to draw Cat's gaze back toward her, Spice happily monched the cheese before her eyes grew wide at the mention of fish. "Ah, ah. You don't need anything else." Flora hummed scoldingly, shooting the dragon an admonishing little smile before returning her gaze to Cat. Sulkily Spice huffs, tailing her curl tightly around her back legs and exhaling a plume of frost towards Flora.

"Oh? That sounds tough." The queen murmurs, offering the other woman an understanding frown. "In Torchline." If Flora was at all bothered by the fact that Cat didn't recognize who she was, she gave no indication. It was a bit of a relief, actually, to not have her (or her family's) reputation go before her. "I lived in the Greatwood when I was younger, but as soon as my twin and I were old enough, we moved south to the coast. I've been there ever since." She explains with a soft shrug. Needless to say Torchline definitely was warm, as evidenced by the queen's tanned skin.

"Have you ever been? To Torchline?"

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

Cat covered her mouth with her fingertips, stifling a small giggle at Spice's sudden plume of frost in protest at Flora's sweetened no. Suddenly, a swift bite had been taken onto the rod. Cat reared back the cane pole, which it wasn't too far from where Cat had been standing for Cat to just lift up the fish. Looking down at the creature that had taken the large bite, it... was such a small fish. Her once excited face drooped into a softened smile. "I don't think you could even feed the smallest creature." she giggled at the fish. 

Unhooking the small fish, she had plopped a tiny piece of cheese in the fish's mouth before sending it on it's way down the cold stream once again. It was such a quick release, as Cat stood back up to rebait her hook. 

"Mm. I mean, if we're talking about the endless chores, I suppose. But, everyone has it tough, don't they? If it was easy, everyone would have the same life." The freckle faced woman said thoughtfully, plopping her baited hook right back down into the water. Now? It was a waiting game. 

"Where one thinks their life is hard, another would think it's luxury. At least that's what dad would always say. Especially with us living such a simple life. He says that he's sure there's people who wish for it. Which, I don't question him on that. Who would argue when you can take in such breath taking sights? When the sun hits over the ridges just right at sunrise or sunset... It's absolutely stunning." Cat said with a flashing grin, pointing up towards the ridge covered with snow. 

"It's the little things in life, really."

When Flora had said the south coast, Cat's eyes widened with wonder. It didn't cease to amaze her that someone could had traveled all this way. 

"No. Dad always said that everything we need in life, is right here in Halo."

Cat then quickly added. "If.. You don't mind me asking.. Could you tell me about it? Or at least yours and your sister's favorite things about it?" Cat almost looked like a child ready to listen to a fairytale.

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

Standing back as Cat reeled in her line, despite living on the coast Flora had never once gone fishing. She'd purchased fish from any number of stalls and stands and had happily stood by while the local fishers did their thing, but in this she'd be utterly no help and so she left the other woman to it. Grinning at the size, the queen can only shrug. "Might go good in a stew, though?" But no, apparently not.

'It's true.' The queen agrees, stepping forward once again. "Besides, isn't there some saying about how the tough parts make all the good parts that much better?" Something about rain storms growing flowers, or shadows revealing the light? Glancing up where Cat was pointing, Flora tried to imagine the ridges painted in golden light as the sky screamed with the colours of dusk and dawn. "I bet it's really something." She hums under her breath, a slow smile spreading out across her lips.

"Well, if you ever want to find out for yourself, you're welcome to come visit. I've got an extra room you can stay in." Flora offers with a grin and while her offer is genuine, as Torchline's queen, she's also keen to prove to a Halovian that actually the coldest part of the world is not all that.

"Well...it's always warm. Longheat is like...crazy hot and you'll find yourself running from shadow to shadow to stay cool. But we've built fountains all over the city to help people stay cool and hydrated." Smiling, Flora's aqua eyes take on a slightly faraway sheen as she imagines her colourful coastal home. "Ever since the war half of the city is now raised into the air—it's like a long island with half in the water and half about a kilometre or so up. All of our houses are painted bright colours, so when you're sailing by on the coast it almost looks like something out of a fairytale. We have docks for regular ships and sky boats, and our coast is lined with torches and bioluminescent plankton so it constantly glitters at night like starlight."

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

Cat laughed softly at Flora’s comment, but shook her head with a playful smirk. “Maybe... but sometimes the smallest creatures deserve a chance to grow, you know? They’ve got their place in the stream too – and it’s only fair they get to live a little before ending up in someone’s stew.” . 

"The tough parts are sometimes the parts that make it the most rewarding." Cat smiled at Flora's understanding. 

Almost immediately, Cat felt another tug on her line, this one stronger, more urgent. Her grip tightened, and with a determined grin, she began to reel it in, muscles tensing with effort. The water splashed wildly as she pulled up a much larger fish, its scales glinting in the light. “Now, this one… this one would definitely be worth cooking up!” she laughed, holding it up proudly.

As she secured the catch, she turned her attention back to Flora, eyes bright with excitement. “And speaking of living a little,”   she continued, “I'd love to visit! I’ve always wondered what it would be like to wake up somewhere warm, where your breath doesn’t turn to ice the moment you step outside."  

The idea of exploring Torchline, with its vibrant streets and glimmering coastline, seemed to set her spirit alight. "Your home sounds so full of life… so different from Halo’s quiet cold. It would be incredible to see it for myself."  

Cat’s expression softened with genuine enthusiasm. “Maybe one day soon, I’ll find the courage to start exploring more of Caido. And I can't think of a better place to start than with your invitation."   She grinned at Flora, clearly captivated by the thought of a new adventure.

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath

Flora

Flora's hum of agreement dies on her lips as her attention is drawn by the sudden flinch of pressure at the end of Cat's line. Once again having utterly no way to help, the queen merely grins her support before gasping theatrically as a much larger fish is tugged out of the water. "Nice!" She chimes, grinning.

Laughing, Flora nods emphatically. "Honestly, it's like the complete opposite of here. Even sleeping with just a sheet on your bed feels too hot sometimes, and there are days you'll want to peel yourself out of your skin it's so warm, but at least you can always go into the ocean to cool off."

Whistling for Spice, Flora inclines her head toward the little dragon indicating that they should start thinking about making their way back home. "Well, if you're ever in Torchline, feel free to drop my name. It'll get you what you need." There were times that Flora introduced herself as Torchline's queen, and others when it felt uncomfortable to do so. This being one of those times, the blonde merely shrugged. "I know Halo has skyships that fly between their port and ours, so it shouldn't be hard to make it over."

Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me
Misery, Like the war of words I shouted in my sleep

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Guileless Son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief

Catalina laughed in delight as she pulled the larger fish from the water, its weight making her grip tighten on the rod. She grinned at Flora’s praise, holding up the fish with a triumphant smile.
"This one’s definitely coming home with me!" she said, placing the fish into her basket.

Listening to Flora describe the heat of Torchline, Catalina nodded thoughtfully. "Torchline sounds like such a different world from Halo. I’d love to visit one day."

As Flora called for Spice, Catalina gave the little dragon a friendly wave before turning her attention to her own belongings. She began packing up her gear, securing her fishing rod and gathering the basket of fish. "Thanks for everything, Flora. I’ll definitely remember your name if I’m ever in Torchline" she said with a warm smile.

With her things in hand, Catalina gave one last look at the peaceful water, then started heading back home, the weight of her basket a satisfying reminder of a good day’s catch.  

Looking over towards Flora as she had given her a smile. "I think this will do for today. Thank you for keeping me company today. It's so nice to ... talk to someone else rather than the ol' coo." Giggling quietly, Catalina waved her hand towards Flora. 

"Safe travels back home. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon!"

~FIN

Catalina

And you won't understand the cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath