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I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

Back in the Oerwood, to explore for places to lay his vial beneath Safrin's stars, Noah stood at the edge of a tropical crevasse. The waterfall pounded and roared over white-washed stone, drowning out all other sounds. Even the near-constant thrum of wildlife, the everlasting trills and calls of birds. It was all gone beneath the overwhelming power of the waterfall. Noah let his gaze roam over all of it, drinking in the way the sun glinted and sparked against the running, roaring water. his breathing was even and steady, but his ears poked through his tied back hair as that of a polar bear. He needed the keener senses with the way the waterfall drowned everything else out.

It was marvelous. Everything in this place was cut and carved straight from majesty. Every breath Noah uttered was full of reverence for the gods that impregnated the land with such majesty. Taking a step forward, still careful to stay a safe distance from the edge, Noah crouched and rested his forearms on his knees. He sucked in a deep and long breath, as if he could hold each particle of this place within his chest and keep it forever.

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

Liam had never been much of a wanderer, but with an abundance of time on his hands, he found himself curious about the world outside of Stormbreak or the Greatwood. So it was that he ended up one afternoon in the Oerwoud, having heard much about its natural splendor, prepared for a bit of camping and hiking. He carried a pack laden with supplies as he meandered through the forest until he found a path that led up, and up, and up. Following it was easy in that the trail was clearly marked, but difficult in that it was a challenging hike, and by the time he reached the summit, he was a little winded by the ascent.

It was a beautiful view that greeted him, though, and as he quickly recovered from the climb, he took a moment to simply admire the beauty of the falls. So this was the so-called Leap of Faith. Not that he'd be doing any leaping, but he could see why people came here. Liam took a few steps towards the edge - though still at a safe distance - and it was then that he noticed the stranger who seemed to have made the same trek he'd made. "Hello!" Liam called over the thrum of the waterfall. "It's beautiful up here, isn't it?"

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

The other man’s voice barely made it over the sound of the crashing, roaring waters. But with Noah’s keen polar bear ears, he heard it. Turning to him, though staying crouched, the Sentinel of the North nodded. ”It truly is a wonder.” He made sure his voice was loud enough to carry over the natural sounds of this place. ”The only other waterfall I know is in the Climb.” He said, though last time he had been there it was a deep crimson from the blood sacrifice the Voice had made to Dygra to raise her children and keep the Voice’s own followers safe.

”I’m Noah.” He said, extending a hand to the stranger. Still crouched, Noah had to reach up towards him. He studied the man’s face, and tilted his head some. ”You look familiar. Dragoon?” He kept studying Liam’s face even as they shook hands. Noah’s time in Stormbreak was spent doing only a few things, and one of them was training with the Dragoon soldiers. The man’s face was familiar in a way that made Noah think they had spent some time within the same proximity, but never face to face.

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

The Leap of Faith was indeed a wonder to behold, and Liam nearly missed Noah's outreached hand as he inspected the falls with keen eyes. Belatedly, he reached to shake Noah's hand before crouching next to him. "I'm Liam," he said with a friendly smile. "And yeah, I was. I left not too long ago." It was still strange, no longer being a Dragoon. There was a part of him that wasn't sure who he was anymore, and that lingered in the back of his mind like an itch he couldn't quite scratch.

"You have me at a disadvantage," he said with a laugh. Noah looked vaguely familiar, perhaps, but not in any way that triggered a specific memory, time, or place. "Were you a Dragoon, or...?" He doubted it, seeing as they didn't know each other, but perhaps they had crossed paths in Stormbreak at one time or another.

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

"No, I just trained with them before the war." He said. "Must have seen you around a little bit. Ronin was the commander at the time, and I had just been stationed in Stormbreak." By who or by what Noah didn't clarify -- but it was unusual for someone from Stormbreak, especially a previous dragoon, to not recognize the name of a demigod. He was recognized on the streets of Stormbreak more often than not, as he supposed the others would be if they walked around like he had.

"What drew you away from the dragoons? Most take a lifetime commitment." Noah asked, head tilting in a bear-like fashion. His glacier eyes scanned around the man, at the skies and trees, at the misty open air that laid out before the waterfall. No dragon to be seen, so he couldn't have climbed too high within the ranks.

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

Maybe it was unusual or maybe it was writer error, but Liam nodded along with Noah's explanation. He knew Ronin, at least, and it was entirely probable that Liam and Noah had crossed paths in the past. As for why he'd left the Dragoons, Liam couldn't help the small frown that appeared on his face. He'd left Stormbreak to get away from his memories, but any time he brought up having been a Dragoon, it seemed like they were dragged back up again despite his best efforts to the contrary.

"It was less to get away from the Dragoons, and more to get away from Stormbreak," he clarified. "My wife and children were killed in the attack on Stormbreak, and I couldn't..." He trailed off. "I just needed a change of pace." It was easier than trying to explain the despair that had gripped him in the time since his family's death.

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

”I am so sorry.” Sincerity, compassion, and apology flashed all in Noah’s glacier blue eyes. He sunk some, his own heart reflecting on the faces of his wife and children. ”I understand. I don’t think I could stay where I lost my family, either.” But a past Noah had — a past Noah had stayed in Halo after losing his parents and baby sister. Had stayed and dedicated himself to the land and the people. Did the only thing he knew how to do. And present Noah? Present Noah was gifted with two things: the charge in another land, and the ability to run.

So, although in one lifetime he had done what he said now he couldn’t, he certainly couldn’t now.

Shifting his weight Noah sat from the crouch he had been in observing the waterfall. He splayed his legs out before him in the loamy soil. ”Where do you call home these days?”

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

"Thank you," said Liam, touched by the other man's apparent sincerity. It had been long ago, now, but sometimes the pain was as fresh as though it were yesterday. He'd done his best after his family had died, but there was only so much of himself left to give after their loss. It often felt as though he was only a shell of his former self, relegated to wandering empty halls filled with only memories.

But that was in the past, and this was the here and now, and the conversation was moving on. "I live in the Greatwood now. It's about as different from Stormbreak as you could get," he added with a chuckle. "But I've been enjoying it, so far. Peaceful. Quiet." Nothing like Stormbreak, with all the hustle and bustle, and under the leadership of someone who cared deeply for the land. Apparently there was some newcomer running Stormbreak these days, and though he didn't know enough about her to have an opinion of her leadership, he had to question someone so young taking the helm.

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

”Do you know Phoebe?” Noah asked, eyebrows reaching for his hairline. His friend had charge of the Greatwood. Noah’s heart warmed with a fondness at the mention of her, though he hadn’t seen her in a long time. She was the first one in his life to help him explore other lands that weren’t Halo. The Frey demigoddess was kind in a way that others, no matter how hard they tried, were not able to grasp. And it came to her naturally. He knew, too, that her fire and her temper matched that kindness in all of its weight. He nearly chuckled, thinking about it. ”She leads the Greatwood.”

He turned his head slightly so that Liam couldn’t see the color flaring in his eyes. Of course Liam knew who she was, even if he had never met her. Every land’s citizens knew their leaders. His jaw feathered a bit, and he glanced sideways at the stranger. ”She’s lived all over. She might be a good reference for learning to adapt to a new home.” He remedied his own blunder, though the sound of the crashing waterfall grew louder in his ears.

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

"She actually welcomed me when I moved in," Liam admitted, not noticing the other man's so-called blunder. He remembered the way Phoebe had helped on moving day, unpacking boxes and helping him get most of his things put away. If she hadn't been there, he knew it would have taken far longer. In the time since his move, they'd become friends. He was even teaching her to play chess. "She's been very kind. I'm pleased to call her a friend."

He looked at Noah curiously. The man was friendly, and Liam was pleased to have run into him, even if he hadn't recognized the demigod (even though he should have because the writer is a dumb). It seemed that they had each made their own blunder - not that Liam had noticed Noah's. He could be a bit oblivious that way. "What about you? Where are you from?"

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

Noah made a humming noise from his throat that indicated his fondness for the woman. "She really is great. It's not a surprise why Frey chose her to be one of their images unto the world." He smiled, thinking of the woman. It was a good thing that Liam had already made good with her, and was building a relationship. He hoped it served the two of them well. While he didn't know the ins and outs of Phoebe's relationship struggles, he did know that the woman was alone in ways that many others couldn't understand.

"Halo. Born and raised." And now raising another generation of Halo's children. Pride leaked from every part of him at the mention of his homeland. "A great many people don't like the cold, but those that make their home there are fiercely loyal to it." He smiled, this time looking back at Liam fully and letting the embarrassment roll off of him like water off a duck.

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky

Who was it that led you on
And makes you want to hurt me so?

Liam was not surprised to find that Noah seemed fond of Phoebe. The woman was lovely and kind, and Liam had to assume that she had charmed many in the same way she had charmed him. He felt lucky to call her a friend - even if she did take far too much enjoyment from making him blush. Demigoddess of Frey, indeed.

"I've actually never been to Halo," Liam confessed. "I rarely traveled outside of Stormbreak until recently." He grinned wryly. "I'm not sure I'm brave enough to venture into the tundra until spring, though." Sure, Stormbreak could get cold, but an actual freezing wasteland? (Well, perhaps wasteland was too strong of a word, but you know what he means.)

Who do you want to forget?
Who forgot you long ago?

Liam

I'll follow you down through the eye of the s t o r m

Noah chuckled some. ”The tundra is certainly a dangerous place. But the Citadel is warmer than it used to be, and our sky boats are fortified by Frey to be able to traverse even the harshest of weather.” Pride tinged his voice, but he still understood the man’s hesitancy.

Noah shifted some, then rocked to his feet and pulled himself to stand. ”It’s getting late.” He extended a hand to Liam, to help the man up as well and to shake it before he departed. ”It was nice to meet you Liam. I hope your journey back to the Greatwood is uneventful.” He offered the man a nod, before he started walking away from where he had come originally. Once he was a certain distance off, Noah thumbed the compass within his pocket and disappeared from one part of the realm and reappeared in the most frozen part.

FIN

Don't worry I'll keep you w a r m

infinite inspiration and endless thanks to odd and sky