[Training] No child's game

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

After her activities in Torchline, Thal felt the need to let off some steam through physical exertion. Although she wasn't one to complete useless training, there was a desire to run. To let her mind go blank and feel the rush of wind around her. It wouldn't help her outrun the problems of the world or the emptiness of her past, but maybe it would help clear her mind enough to push out the negative thoughts and emotions.

The rebuilding of the Rum Fountain had given her the chance to see Maea again in a low-stress capacity. It had stimulated old negative emotions while also giving her the desire to reconnect in a situation that didn't fuel their tempers. Maybe she hadn't given their 'friendship' a fighting chance. A run was just what they needed.

She'd sent the Ancient an invitation and now waited patiently to see if she would show. Although patiently was putting it generously as she fidgeted and stretched, anxious to get moving.

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She came drifting in on a winter wind, pale as snow and free from most burdens that used to drag her down. Maea had left those behind in the Inner Quarter along with her bag. To say that she was in a good mood would be an understatement, but it wasn't as though she felt dreadfully bad either. Like the frozen landscape stretching out below her, her emotions felt mostly distant, and a bit numb. That kind of hollow and empty that came after a good cry.

Spying Thalassa like a dark blotch against the bright snow, the albinistic gore crow lowered herself down in ever tightening circles. When she was still a few spans from the ground it shimmered and changed, turning into the small woman's thin form. Falling down from the sky, she sunk almost knee deep into the drifts and staggered forward, unsteady and teetering on the brink of falling over; it was only some graceless flailing that saved her from plunging head first into the snow. But even that was an improvement. She just might stick a good landing soon.

"Hello Thalassa," she greeted, while dusting off her clothes. "It's nice to see you again." The long skirts of her dress only proved a minor hindrance as she strained to close the distance; the armored garment was becoming like a second skin for Maea, she felt naked and strange any time she wasn't wearing it.

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Thal looked up at the approach of the gore crow, noting the white shade of its feathers and preparing herself for the woman's transformation. Sure enough, the creature shifted seamlessly into the pale Ancient, if not a lacking a little grace as she stumbled slightly. It caused Thal to raise her eyebrow in slight amusement. Obviously, there was some practice to be had, but she wasn't sure she would fare much better.

Tightening her cloak's hood against her neck during a particularly chilly draft, she gave Maea a cordial smile. "Hello Maea. You as well." Shrugging her shoulders to continue warming her body, she gestured to the hill looming next to them. "I'm glad you got my invitation. I figured we would both benefit from stretching our legs a bit. Shall we?"

Without waiting for a response, she started jogging through the shallower sections of snow towards the peak of Peekaboo Rise.

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Straight to the point, eh? The older woman couldn't say she minded. There was plenty positive things about simply shutting up and doing a thing, and the promise of working up a good sweat appealed to her. There had been enough thinking and worrying for the rest of the year - and she meant that knowing that LongNight was just around the corner.

Without another word Maea fell into a jog and followed Thalassa towards the hill. Content to keep a moderate pace for a while, she waited until her joints were warmed up. Then she picked up the pace until she came up alongside the pirate, keeping up with an ease that might be surprising given her shorter stature and the mass of fabric gathered around her legs. The slits worked into the skirt did their job well, though - with every stride there was a flash of red as silken underskirts made themselves noticed, occasionally offering a hint of slim legs beneath. Covered in fleece lined trousers, of course; she was not a complete idiot.

And just because she could, and because it felt good, Maea tried lengthening her stride just a little bit, to see whether she could pass the dark-haired ancient before they reached the Peekabo Rise.

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Thal let the movement of her legs and the pumping of her arms pull the stress from her body. Her thoughts became comfortably empty, just focusing on the fire building in her chest from the knife-sharp inhales of icy air. An itchy sensation ran down her muscles from the increased blood flow, turning slightly red on the areas that peaked out from beneath her cloak.

She took a moment to glance over at Maea who had caught up with her despite the Ancient's shorter stature. Her cumbersome attire made Thal surprised by her speed, giving her a boost of competitiveness. With a lengthening of her stride, she accelerated up the snowy slope, hoping to leave Maea in her drift.

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The air was crisp and dry, stinging the throat and drawing tears to her eyes. It felt good. Even though it was cold, even though she knew from painful experience how quickly this could go from a refreshing sprint into an emergency requiring blood or fire to thaw out a petrified digit, it reminded Maea of how much she had loved winters in the past. That her sensitivity towards the cold had doubled or even tripled had seemed like a barrier too vast to overcome - but perhaps that just wasn't true. Maybe she really could love a thing even though her ability to touch it had diminished.

Thalassa put on a burst of speed, easily overtaking Maea as they reached the hill. This was where skirts became an issue, because no matter how she tried to avoid it, she kept stepping on the hem and nearly falling over. Forced to pick up the skirts and carry them in hand, she had lagged behind a bit but tried doggedly to keep up. Perhaps once they reached the crest of the rise, she would be able to close the distance that was opening up between them.

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Thal's eyes brightened in pleasure at her lead over Maea in what had become somewhat of a race. With a clenching of her teeth, she made a final push to the top of the hill. As she crested the hill, the expanse of powdered snow opened before her and she spread her arms to embrace the sunlight momentarily.

A chuckle escaped between the fast puffs of white coming from her shallow breaths. Not pausing for long, she began her descent down the hill. Her pace relaxed into the momentum, pulling her down the slope. Spinning around to kick up some snow and shoot Maea a playful look, she yelled, "Is that all you've got?" Their qualms were forgotten in the glittering snow and pulsing blood that rushed to her head like a bath of cleansing flame.

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Up the hill, across the crest, and there Maea was finally able to take out her strides again. Her legs went like drum-rolls across the wind-packed snow, and Thalassa's words had barely hit the wind before Maea had caught up with her.

"Watch me!" she quipped with a toothy grin. Heedless of the steep slope she threw herself down the other side, running and skidding and sliding so that a sheet of snow was set sliding beneath their feet. It wasn't exactly an avalanche in scale, but in essence it came close. A whooping cheer of pure excitement tore from the short ancient's voice, and the moment she hit the bottom of the hill she leaned into the wind, let go of her skirts and shot off like a blink-hare across the snow-swept meadow.

"Last to reach the sea pays for drinks!" she called, challenging Thal to try and overtake her.

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

At Maea's sprint down the hill and subsequent challenge, Thal laughed out loud. "You're on!" The other Ancient's antics threatened to disrupt the snow beneath her feet, but with the grace of a dancer, she avoided tumbling into the avalanche of snow. With a burst of renewed energy, she let loose all her restraint. She practically flew over the snow with the speed of a luxere, chiming a crystal laugh along the way.

Little did Maea know, that the call Thal felt towards the sea always gave her an extra pull, spurring on her return to its glistening shores. She could already hear the crashing waves and smell the salty tang in the air. Although her opponent was fast, Thal didn't even need to focus as she let her feet guide her 'home' once more.

By the time she came to a stop at the water, she was puffing with effort while the gleam of joy and perspiration shone on her face. She wasn't certain who had won and yet she found that she didn't quite care anymore. The cathartic motion of sprinting through the snow had cast aside her worries, leaving only content exhaustion.

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How far had they run? Time blurred and ceased to matter as their feet ate up the distance. The burn in her lungs became a rhythm as fundamental as a heartbeat, as the steady drum beating in her ear that whispered forward, forward, forward until the small part of her that would rather stop soon drowned and fell away.

If she won in the end, it was a narrow thing and only because of a slight headstart down the hill. Thalassa's long legs more than made up for any difference in strength or dexterity, and yet there was no real sense of triumph by the time she reached the shore. Only a deep contentment, and perhaps slight disappointment that they had to stop already.

"That was fun," she noted, in an understatement of the year, as soon as she could breathe again.

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth

Thalassa

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

With an airy chuckle, she looked to Maea as if she had forgotten the ancient was there. Neither seemed to care about the competitive race or the cold anymore. Their heavy mental burdens had been left behind in the snow. Now, Thal smiled at Maea with no resentment or anger, only genuine delight at the sensations her body gave her. The way she could feel her heart pounding in her chest and sense the pump of blood to each extremity or how the crisp Deepfrost wind allowed the refreshing oxygen to reach every inch of her lungs. Every easy shift of her body and whisper of touch against her skin was a welcome distraction that she embraced.

Knocking some snow from her cloak, Thal placed her hands on her hips with confident ease. She felt tired, but good. Cocking her head at Maea, she asked mischievously, "So who's buying drinks?" It wasn't a clearing of their past few conversations or a warm hug of all-encompassing friendship, yet it was a start. A way for them to meet again on neutral terms with no goals other than to enjoy a couple drinks and laugh about the snow packed into their shoes.

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Breathless and rosy cheeked, Maea laughed hoarsely into the wind. "Allow me," she offered generously. "Which do you prefer, Jack Tar taverns or the Last Whisper?" Each were rowdy in different ways, and for once Maea thought she might just enjoy a bit of noise.

Finally catching her breath, the dusted snow off her clothes before turning back to the young woman. "It feels like it's been a while, even though we just came back from Torchline. What have you been up to?" Nudging a chin towards the distant road to indicate they should start to move, Maea was content to listen to whatever.


{Fin}

Maea

Just a glimpse of truth