Perfect Imperfection [Closed]
Posted: February 4th, 2016, 11:29 pm
Nykkolaia Zeran Sedai
This corner of the gardens was little used, because there was not a proper path to reach it. The closest thing to it was a faintly foot-beaten line where the grass was less enthusiastic than the greenery that grew around it. To many, the cluster of trees may have seemed tall and perhaps their shadows were intimidating.
Not so to Nykkolaia. In fact, it was one of her favorite places when she needed the quiet. She had stumbled on it as an Accepted, when the crowds and the expectations and the constant eyes had gotten to her. It had become a place she frequented.
Life was nothing now like what she had thought it would be, and yet in many ways, it was better. Better than she ever could have expected, than she had ever dreamed. It all chased against the shadows that lingered in her mind and in her past until, at moments, she could almost forget that they had ever existed at all.
Almost.
Slipping through the trees, she channeled a small ball of light as she moved deeper into the trees. Their canopy shielded the small clearing from the sun's interference, but she only needed to see her footing. The darkness was otherwise comforting to her, and she reached the depth of it and took a seat. Perhaps it was not fitting for an Aes Sedai to sit in the grass, but she didn't care.
Nykk leaned back against a thick tree trunk and rested back her blonde head, inhaling deeply. She was letting her mind dip deeper into itself, an almost meditative state, when she heard a noise...
...it was a tiny noise, just on the ground and to her left. Were it not for saidar flowing through her system, and the extra awareness that it brought, she might well have not heard it at all. She opened her eyes and looked. There was the usual stalks of foliage and littered detritus, but she was sure that she had heard something.
Her red-scaled hand brushed away the green, and she gasped when she found the source of the noise. She almost didn't even realize what she was seeing, at first. "Oh..." she breathed the word and then turned her body so she was on her knees, facing the source. Biting her lip, her blonde brow furrowed with concern as she slid both hands very carefully under the curled-up ball of spiky, grey fur.
It was a baby opossum, just a tiny thing with its eyes open but seemingly helpless. "Where is your mother, little one?" she asked quietly, as if it could answer. It blinked those black, shiny eyes at her like it would. For a moment, she almost did believe that it would.
As the One Power was still flowing through her, she wove together the threads of Air, Spirit, and Earth that would comprise the weave known to the Blue Ajah to summon animals. It worked on rodents, and this was close enough. She sent it out through the small clearing and the trees that comprised it. Soon, she had three birds twittering around her and one very chatty squirrel, but no mama opossum.
She released the weave and let the others go back about their way. Shifting the baby into her left, scarred hand, she held it nearer the warmth of her chest. It let out a small squeak, but did not otherwise protest. With her other hand, she rooted around the foliage she had found it. She searched all the rest of the clearing and looked up into the trees as best she could.
For all her searching, she found no sign of any others. It was beyond her how this little guy could have ended up here, but here he was and here she was. Something about that white, pointed face--so ugly it was cute--and those big ears were more than she could resist. With no sight of a mother, she swiftly departed her sanctuary with her new-found companion.
Not so to Nykkolaia. In fact, it was one of her favorite places when she needed the quiet. She had stumbled on it as an Accepted, when the crowds and the expectations and the constant eyes had gotten to her. It had become a place she frequented.
Life was nothing now like what she had thought it would be, and yet in many ways, it was better. Better than she ever could have expected, than she had ever dreamed. It all chased against the shadows that lingered in her mind and in her past until, at moments, she could almost forget that they had ever existed at all.
Almost.
Slipping through the trees, she channeled a small ball of light as she moved deeper into the trees. Their canopy shielded the small clearing from the sun's interference, but she only needed to see her footing. The darkness was otherwise comforting to her, and she reached the depth of it and took a seat. Perhaps it was not fitting for an Aes Sedai to sit in the grass, but she didn't care.
Nykk leaned back against a thick tree trunk and rested back her blonde head, inhaling deeply. She was letting her mind dip deeper into itself, an almost meditative state, when she heard a noise...
...it was a tiny noise, just on the ground and to her left. Were it not for saidar flowing through her system, and the extra awareness that it brought, she might well have not heard it at all. She opened her eyes and looked. There was the usual stalks of foliage and littered detritus, but she was sure that she had heard something.
Her red-scaled hand brushed away the green, and she gasped when she found the source of the noise. She almost didn't even realize what she was seeing, at first. "Oh..." she breathed the word and then turned her body so she was on her knees, facing the source. Biting her lip, her blonde brow furrowed with concern as she slid both hands very carefully under the curled-up ball of spiky, grey fur.
It was a baby opossum, just a tiny thing with its eyes open but seemingly helpless. "Where is your mother, little one?" she asked quietly, as if it could answer. It blinked those black, shiny eyes at her like it would. For a moment, she almost did believe that it would.
As the One Power was still flowing through her, she wove together the threads of Air, Spirit, and Earth that would comprise the weave known to the Blue Ajah to summon animals. It worked on rodents, and this was close enough. She sent it out through the small clearing and the trees that comprised it. Soon, she had three birds twittering around her and one very chatty squirrel, but no mama opossum.
She released the weave and let the others go back about their way. Shifting the baby into her left, scarred hand, she held it nearer the warmth of her chest. It let out a small squeak, but did not otherwise protest. With her other hand, she rooted around the foliage she had found it. She searched all the rest of the clearing and looked up into the trees as best she could.
For all her searching, she found no sign of any others. It was beyond her how this little guy could have ended up here, but here he was and here she was. Something about that white, pointed face--so ugly it was cute--and those big ears were more than she could resist. With no sight of a mother, she swiftly departed her sanctuary with her new-found companion.