there's light at the edge of the darkness
Loren had meant to come out to the College to help Phoebe with, well, experiments and LongNight preparations and classes, and all sorts of things. Unfortunately, life sort of got in the way: he’d grown increasingly busy and increasingly isolated as LongNight approached and his former friends and loved ones drifted away from him. And yes, he knew that he had pushed them away as well, and that he had no one but himself to blame for the departures, given how he’d been acting recently. However, it was harder and harder to find a spare hour and to muster up the energy to do anything above the bare minimum.
But he was still trying to stick to the few promises he hadn’t broken yet. So, Astra by his side, serviceable but unflattering brown woolen clothes and brown cloak wrapped loosely around his increasingly gaunt frame, he made his way through the Deepfrost snow to the College. When he arrived, he was surprised not to see anyone there. Then again, he barely spent any time there and he was the only student, so maybe he shouldn't have been shocked after all. Why spend time at a school if there was no one around to teach.
However, a sound drew him to the back of the building, where he discovered a small courtyard. And in that courtyard was a bunch of hay and other treats, a small herd of luxere, and Phoebe. Who was singing. The summoner simply leaned against the doorframe, listening to her voice coax the magical deer closer. Astra, for her part, immediately joined the crowd of her wild and larger cousins in eating and frolicking around the healer.
It was a simple and repetitive tune. So, when Phoebe reached the chorus again, Loren joined in, his soft baritone hopefully not startling the woman too much.
Ho, ro, the rattlin’ bog,
The bog down in the valley-o
Real bog, the rattlin’ bog,
The bog down in the valley-o
He’d been singing a lot, recently, given how much the luxere (Astra included) and while his voice was entirely untrained, it was pleasant enough. Hopefully this particular set of luxere would think so as well. Strangely enough, even though he felt dead inside, the magical deer didn’t seem to mind his presence. Just because he was an empty and hollow man didn’t change the fact that his magic was light and his hands were clean.
Of blood, at least.
But he was still trying to stick to the few promises he hadn’t broken yet. So, Astra by his side, serviceable but unflattering brown woolen clothes and brown cloak wrapped loosely around his increasingly gaunt frame, he made his way through the Deepfrost snow to the College. When he arrived, he was surprised not to see anyone there. Then again, he barely spent any time there and he was the only student, so maybe he shouldn't have been shocked after all. Why spend time at a school if there was no one around to teach.
However, a sound drew him to the back of the building, where he discovered a small courtyard. And in that courtyard was a bunch of hay and other treats, a small herd of luxere, and Phoebe. Who was singing. The summoner simply leaned against the doorframe, listening to her voice coax the magical deer closer. Astra, for her part, immediately joined the crowd of her wild and larger cousins in eating and frolicking around the healer.
It was a simple and repetitive tune. So, when Phoebe reached the chorus again, Loren joined in, his soft baritone hopefully not startling the woman too much.
Ho, ro, the rattlin’ bog,
The bog down in the valley-o
Real bog, the rattlin’ bog,
The bog down in the valley-o
He’d been singing a lot, recently, given how much the luxere (Astra included) and while his voice was entirely untrained, it was pleasant enough. Hopefully this particular set of luxere would think so as well. Strangely enough, even though he felt dead inside, the magical deer didn’t seem to mind his presence. Just because he was an empty and hollow man didn’t change the fact that his magic was light and his hands were clean.
Of blood, at least.
loren
