ORIGIN

She sat in the meadows, a small figure among the flowers that stretched across the open fields of Pegasus. Her hair was down, gently waving in the breezes that flowed through the caves, the warm air kind on her skin. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that this wasn't a cave deep within the stomach of Let but the mountainside meadow near the village where she grew up. She'd often gone there to play as a child, hiding in the grasses, chasing her friends along the paths. As an adult, she'd picked flowers to weave into her hair - and Lilith's - or simply sat there and enjoyed the sun, hands working on whatever latest craft she'd picked up, a rare moment of silence from the bustle of village life.

But this was not the mountainside.

One thing that Ellie had noticed immediately upon awaking, and something she still hadn't gotten used to, was the smell. The air here was heavier and damp, as if no breath of true wind had stirred within the walls for a millennia (most likely, the sky had never touched this place). She'd always enjoyed the fresh, crisp air of the mountains, but now she mourned, for she would never taste it again. She could get used to the air here, but it simply would never be the same.

With a soft sigh, she opened her eyes and tried to turn her mind away from the homesickness and sat up. Tamulus had told her that she would be able to nurture magic easily here, where on the surface it had been something that took years of study and practice. Perhaps it was time to see what she could do.

Reaching forward, she cupped her hands and scooped up a handful of the rich earth at her feet, digging her fingers into the ground until she had a decent handful. Closing her eyes, she tried to do...something. Her mother had told her that if she had the gifts, she would have magic of the growing earth so perhaps she could do something here.

There was a reaction deep in her gut. Her hands felt warm for a brief moment and an energy she'd never felt before surged through her body. It wasn't particularly strong, but it was unexpected and unfamiliar enough for her to snap her eyes open and let out a high pitched yelp. She flinched back, sending the dirt flying back to the ground, but as she stared at it, she realized she could spot green in there that hadn't been there before. Little sprouts had begun to grow from the dirt, beckoned up by her magic.

Excitement and joy ran through her at the realization of what she had done. Perhaps in the grand scheme of the caves, it was a tiny feat, but to Eleanora, who had never in her life been able to cast the simplest of spells, it was an astounding victory that left her giddy. She sat up, wondering what else she could do with these new powers.

So wrapped up in the discovery of magic, Eleanora didn't notice the newcomer's arrival, but as Aethril got close, she certainly felt her presence. Perhaps it was this new awakening of magic she was experiencing or simply the danger and presence that the Valkhand exuded, but it alerted her enough for her to look in the direction of the woman standing before her and she was, for a moment, dazzled by her beauty.

Back in her home village, there had, of course, been many women but they were like Eleanora - hardened by survival, simple in dress, often freckled hard by the sun or scarred by the dangers of living in the Vaa. They did not have the luxury to be concerned with appearances, too busy with the life of peasantry to create beautiful, elegant clothes and jewelry or groom themselves so finely. Some did, of course, to the best that they could, but being a witch meant living away from the humans, for fear of their lives. They simply did not have access to the same standards of beauty. (Of course, to Eleanora, Lilith would always be the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen.)

But the woman standing before her, clad in elegant blue robes that shimmered under the lights of pegasus, delicate blue skin that shone with health, sharp, angled facial features unmarred by large scars or bruises, luminous hair and painted nails, was unlike any woman she'd ever seen before. The aesthetic beauty took her breath away and, for a moment, she was silent, simply staring with wide eyes.

Her brain eventually caught up and she seemed to come out of a trance after a few seconds of silence. She sputtered for a moment, trying to find her words. "Um uh....ah...I'm sorry...I was just..." What did she ask again? Oh right who let her in here. "Tamulus did!" The answer was out of her mouth before she thought about it and she wondered if perhaps she should stop telling everyone that someone that might be a traitor had sent her here. They could be as suspicious of her as Master Vargas had and the less attention she got from the higher ups, the better.

She had nothing better to add, almost dizzy from the woman's sheer presence and grace.