Aegir was pleased that the bird held so much interest in his water reading and didn't think it strange. He had to restrain himself from jumping into a whole long speech about what exactly the water spoke to him and, instead, simplified it so that it was easier for the bird to understand.

"The water says many things to Aegir. It divines the state of things, what should and shouldn't be known. It tells of the future sometimes too, in ripples and waves and rhyme. It answers questions and tells of the deep workings of the questioner. It is sometimes hard for Aegir to listen and read. The water is different than Aegir's understanding, but, still, the water speaks these things to Aegir." Words that Aegir barely understood came spilling out, making perfect sense to him in this situation, but perhaps not in others. He fully expected the bird to ask for a reading and so now was scoping out the best place where the water was clear and calmest.

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Heart-Song

Their enthusiasm only grew as the bear described, what, exactly, the water spoke to him. "The water tells you the future?" Heart-Song flapped their wings in excitement as they imagined they, too, getting told what the future held for them. A brief fantasy flitted through their mind- a fantasy of being told that what the future held for them was popularity- more Gembounds than they could even count filling up an entire area of the caves, watching them sing. Picking one or two especially talented creatures out of the crowd to come on up and sing with them...

Heart-Song snapped back to reality, proving Aegir's prediction true as she asked "Could the water tell my future?

@Aegir

Aegir had been expecting the question and he smiled gently. Of course, everyone wanted to know their future. Or at least a glimpse of what was to come. His searchings were fruitful - not far away was a large pool of clear, crystal water. It would be easier then the river in Polaris, certainly.

"Aegir will ask the water of this bird's future. And...before Aegir does so, what is the bird's name?" He waited for an answer before he twitched his ear and turned towards the pool. "Come. Aegir shall ask."

He led the way forward, his eyes on the water, wondering what it would be like to read these crystal, beautiful pools, surrounded by the rushing waves and falls. Would it be easier with such music or more distracting? He would find out soon enough.

He stopped at the edge and turned to the bird. "Aegir can ask questions of the water and it shall give answers, either vague or clear...or Aegir can ask of the future and it shall reveal what it wishes in whatever manner suits it best. Would would you like Aegir to ask?"

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Heart-Song

"My name is Heart-Song." they replied, following the water shaman as he lead the way towards one of the beautiful pools of Pisces. Although the constant cold was certainly not the most comfortable of things, they decided they liked this place more than any other, (except, perhaps, Orion) both for the events that had happened here and the beautiful sounds of the water. Heart-Song slipped into thought as they decided whether or not they should ask questions or let the water reveal what it wanted of the future.

"Ask of the future." they said after a few moments of debate. It was better to keep their options open, wasn't it?

@Aegir

Aegir dipped his head at Hear-Song's request. It was always the most difficult, of course, trying to divine such a vast world in simple water, but there was always an answer. Even if it was vague and incomprehensible. Aegir would do it anyways, as was his duty.

He stepped forward so that his paws were almost hanging off the edge and lowered himself to his belly. His jaws opened and a stream of water poured forth. Three, in fact, perfectly timed, perfectly sized, bolts of water in three separate places. As soon as they touched the water, he immediately leaned forward as far as he could to observe the ripples and the splashes in the water, watching the pattern, watching the way it moved. "Heart-Song wishes to know, she wishes to know what comes for her. Show, show that which will come." He sang this softly, barely a whisper as meaning poured into his head.

After a moment of silence as the ripples died away, he began to speak. "Aegir sees many thing, but one that connects. Balance. It is balance that will decide Heart-Song's fate. Many things, yes, many things, but this, this is what connects them. You wish for something, you will see it through, yes, it will happen. Something important further in your life. Perhaps it has happened now, perhaps it will happen later. But you must not attempt to move it along. You cannot interfere or all will be lost. Control...you must keep yourself in control. Balance, yes, balance. That is what connects it all. Heart-Song will feel this thing is theirs to control, but it is not. You must learn what you can and cannot control and do your best to stay in what you can. That is what will keep the balance."

He went silent for a moment after this before taking a deep breath and getting back up to his feet. He turned to Heart-Song and dipped his head. "This is what the water says to Aegir. Are there any other questions Heart-Song has for Aegir and the water?"

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Heart-Song

Heart-Song watched in awe as Aegir moved to the water's edge, watching as three identical fountains of water spouted up. As the fountains receded, they shifted closer to the bear, waiting for her fortune.

They felt anticipation for what was to come. They would see through what they wished- as long as they didn't interfere with what was to come. They were a bit disappointed that they would have to wait, but there were other things to do while they waited, and they'd much rather wait than interfere with their future fame and have it all come crashing down. Control and balance seemed to be key themes in Aegir's future-telling, as well. Control over themselves. Learn what they can and cannot control and do their best to stay in what they could. They decided right then, right there, to take these words to heart. These words would guide them and shape them.

Heart-Song looked up at the bear as he got up to his feet. "Just one question." they said. "What magic will I learn in the future?"

@Aegir

Aegir watched Heart-Song's reaction carefully and then chuckled at her second question. Of course, magic. He wondered if the water would ever divulge such information, but it wouldn't hurt to try. "Of course, but rarely does water tell Aegir such things. Only vague direction, glimpses. But Aegir shall ask."

He turned back and, instead of shooting water into the pond, he instead picked up a small pebble in his claws and tossed it into the water. He watched the splash and the ripple and chuckled again at the water's answer. Of course, it would not tell him specifics. "The water does not tell Aegir what magic Heart-Song will learn, only that what you have now, the magic you practice, it will succeed. That is what Heart-Song will learn. What exactly that is, Aegir does not know. But it is the magic within you."

He nodded to himself, reaffirming that this was what he read in the water before turning back towards Heart-Song completely. "Heart-Song may ask any question, unless they have none left."

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Heart-Song

Heart-Song nodded in understanding, watching the bear as he tossed a pebble into the water. There was no specifics, only that whatever they practiced would grow in power. Not as important as the other fortune, but it was nice to know that their magic would successfully grow.

"I'm out of questions." they said. "Thanks for telling my future!"

@Aegir (sorry, short response, I don't have much to describe here)

Aegir gave a small dip of his head. A sudden question of his own came to his head and, without warning, whipped around and tossed a pebble into the water. The ripples immediately gave his answer and he happily turned back to the bird. "Heart-Song is friend, yes? Aegir has another friend?"

The bear cub held out his front paw and focused on the palm. After a few seconds, a little crystal suddenly appeared and began to grow, as he laid more and more layers of ice on top of the first little ice crystal until it began to take shape. A small little antler, similar to the one on top of Aegir's head. He held it out to the bird, still not aware of how ice melted where things were not freezing. "Aegir likes to give friends gifts. A small token of thanks for being Aegir's friend!"

My voice is speaking...
My thoughts are swirling...

@Heart-Song

At this, Heart-Song broke into a large smile, fluttering their wings. "Of course we're friends!" The cockatiel gingerly took the antler in their wing, admiring its beauty. They had figured out a bit earlier while flying towards Pisces that ice did, indeed, melt into water (after freaking out over A. snow and B. how cold snow was), having seen the melting snow on the ground as they flew through the tunnel that connected Pisces and Orion, but Aegir looked so happy that they chose not to inform him of this fact. "Thank you for this amazing gift! I love it!"

@Aegir