The Academy: fire and cold;

Many dark and sleepless nights have I been a companion for owls.
Birds - or shades of themselves - fly across the sky and the ghost of a name touches light as a feather - as wingtips - to her mind; Fei. She had been friend to them both; a sad smile finds her face in that moment of remembering the mare and her companion-birds.

Raven had spent a great deal of time amongst the glade in a viper’s embrace; sad smiles became fonder - happier even. In that same glade of endless green and shade; she had lain at his feet in great and terrible pain as their daughter burned her from inside. She grits her teeth to taste the charred and smoky memory of it; can still feel her flesh sizzle and pop like logs thrown on a flame and shudders just once in the company of her student. Raven’s absence from the mountains had been because of this - childbirth and promises as exhausted as their touches and never less beautiful for that. It is possible that she had not returned until Oceantree had gone from them to the desert.

She smiled at Oceantree. “Good. I believe you can do it too.” She felt the strength and truth of it in their shared language and held great faith in the mare by her side. Her ears - once relaxed - came forward and caught at the mounting hesitation and reluctance. She untangled hope from despair and laid gentle lips against the painted flesh in encouragement. “Have faith,” she murmured against the desert-smelling fur and pressed a smile therein against the grains of hair and sand. “If he doesn’t… it is his loss.” perhaps there was something strangely fierce and maternal in her voice as she said that.

ooc: great! i'm glad i came up with a good one. :) to be honest... i don't much about how the academy works beyond everyone talking and learning from one another and such. they can continue to talk and befriend one another or part ways and meet up later when oceantree completes her objective. they can always meet up again before that. yehl's here for moral support and whatnot if oceantree needs it. <3

Earth II; Apprentice