The Academy: If I was beautiful like you // Simon!

The sun was just rising from behind the peaked mountains. Its rays reached out to groom and caress the stony crevices, coaxing and cooing until the rock lost its menacing glare and softened up a little. It was with this coming light that she set off, a spring and bounce in her step that relayed her youth and optimism. She enjoyed her time in the mountains, even went so far as to look forward to the first snowfall (she thought it would be a pretty sight, was all). But now it was time to escape for a little bit, to follow a path that she was certain would lead to great things.

Eventually the air would grow more dense, settling almost heavily on her shoulders until her lungs and body became more accustom to the abundance of it all. And the land would settle out into a carpet of green instead of the stony greys and browns. Her ears were pricked, listening intently to all that surrounded her. The chirp of a bird caught her first, then later the scriff scraff of a fox or other small mammal scurrying along in its pursuit of life. There was much to listen to, or much to ignore if you preferred it that way.

It became quiet. Still. Eerie, in a sense. Yet it was still warm. Welcoming. Embracing. Her pace slowed the slightest bit as she came upon the gardens and all the secrets it held. She could hear the whispers of all that had passed here, could feel the history settling in around her shoulders and making itself comfortable amongst the darkened hide. In her minds eyes she could see the questioning gaze of the pupil, and hear the deep rumble of wisdom coming from those that had already embarked and complete the long journey that she was just setting forth on. But this, of course, was all her minds doing. There were no others present in reality, as far as she could tell. And of course there were no whispers on the wind…

It wasn’t what she had expected, not really. Her rather overactive imagination had picture dull and boring, withered shrubs that were long past their due date, and equally as old equine who were attempting to educate the unworthy youth of today. Her mind had brought up really old things, covered in dust and age and nonsense. But this was not what had greeted her (thankfully). Her mind had been misled, but her heart had not. Although it was now winter, and the colors had already gone through their change and leaves had melted away, she could see that in the spring and summer this was a place of life and abundance. She could see the twigs, now mostly bare and alone, covered in leaves. And she smiled to herself. Misled indeed.

A soft call escaped her lips, quiet in the sense that she didn’t want to disturb anything. It was picturesque and she thought it unfitting for a loud, barrelling, demanding yodel. So instead she let it drift off from her body in its own time, settling into the colder temperatures and cascading between bough and twig. A non demanding request for her teacher to appear and make himself known to her.

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Hello! My name is Eithne. I'm a mix of temper and humor, of stubborness and second chances. It's been 4 years I wandered off from my homelands. I dance to my own beat, and if I don't like you, then I really, really don't like you. However! If you can convince me to be friends, then we're friends for life.