06-03-2021, 01:57 PM
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It’s a work-out to cross the wide plain, and the snow piles high enough to reach Targaryen’s knees. By the time they reach the entrance to the maze, the tobiano feels warm from the exercise. He’s thinking about how being warm and cold at the same time feels very strange when Cheri moves next to him. He’s grateful the bitter cold swipes away any perspiration he has as her wing glides against his. And as they begin to wind through the maze, Targaryen notices how the wind leaves them, caught in the barriers of ice that they wander through.
His brown eyes find Cheri’s face as she speaks. Targaryen watches excitement brighten her green eyes, and he keeps his face carefully neutral for a moment. When she’d first told him about her thirst for adventure, he’d been excited for her. He’d told her to pursue her dreams, to find Yanhua and mention it every chance she could get, to fight until she got what she wanted. Targaryen cares for her; despite the way he feels upside-down right now, both confident and severely nervous, he’s always wanted to see her happy. Cheri had told him she would be happier away from Taiga, exploring places she’s never been before and discovering who she is away from her family, and he couldn’t deny her that.
But now that the possibility is real, Targaryen finds he feels less excited for Cheri. The appaloosa had made Taiga feel like home to him. She had breathed life into the redwoods and made them familiar to him, and when he’d gotten lost during the eclipse Targaryen had missed her even more than he missed the ancient woods. When Cheri healed him on that first night at the river, she’d mended the loneliness inside him as well. And, if he’s being honest, he’s scared the loneliness will return when she leaves.
There’s a possibility he could go with her, but Taiga truly is home to him. He’d feel guilty for leaving the redwoods, for neglecting the responsibilities Yanhua has started to give him, for leaving the life that he’s beginning. And underneath it all, Targaryen wonders if she’s leaving to get away from him. It’s a doubt he can’t shake, and it, unfortunately, shows up in his brown eyes. He tries to rearrange his reaction from one of fear into one of optimism, but he’s always been too good at being honest.
His efforts only work partially, enough for him to give her an animated smile even when his eyes suggest otherwise. Targaryen uses their crossroad in the maze as an opportunity to think about his response. He chooses the path to the right, which seems like the best option simply because the snow is less thick. As they begin walking again, his voice comes out soft. “I’m excited for you, but I can’t say I won’t miss you. Cheri, you’ve made Taiga feel like home to me. It’s not going to be the same without you.”
Their childhoods were very different — he grew up alone and wandering, while she had a family and a single place to live. The redwoods are a comfort to him because of his untethered life as a child, and perhaps the redwoods feel like a prison to her because she has spent all her days under them. So he takes a deep, cleansing breath and says, “I can understand why you want to leave, though. There’s so much of Beqanna to discover. You’re going to do amazing things, wherever you are.”
His brown eyes find Cheri’s face as she speaks. Targaryen watches excitement brighten her green eyes, and he keeps his face carefully neutral for a moment. When she’d first told him about her thirst for adventure, he’d been excited for her. He’d told her to pursue her dreams, to find Yanhua and mention it every chance she could get, to fight until she got what she wanted. Targaryen cares for her; despite the way he feels upside-down right now, both confident and severely nervous, he’s always wanted to see her happy. Cheri had told him she would be happier away from Taiga, exploring places she’s never been before and discovering who she is away from her family, and he couldn’t deny her that.
But now that the possibility is real, Targaryen finds he feels less excited for Cheri. The appaloosa had made Taiga feel like home to him. She had breathed life into the redwoods and made them familiar to him, and when he’d gotten lost during the eclipse Targaryen had missed her even more than he missed the ancient woods. When Cheri healed him on that first night at the river, she’d mended the loneliness inside him as well. And, if he’s being honest, he’s scared the loneliness will return when she leaves.
There’s a possibility he could go with her, but Taiga truly is home to him. He’d feel guilty for leaving the redwoods, for neglecting the responsibilities Yanhua has started to give him, for leaving the life that he’s beginning. And underneath it all, Targaryen wonders if she’s leaving to get away from him. It’s a doubt he can’t shake, and it, unfortunately, shows up in his brown eyes. He tries to rearrange his reaction from one of fear into one of optimism, but he’s always been too good at being honest.
His efforts only work partially, enough for him to give her an animated smile even when his eyes suggest otherwise. Targaryen uses their crossroad in the maze as an opportunity to think about his response. He chooses the path to the right, which seems like the best option simply because the snow is less thick. As they begin walking again, his voice comes out soft. “I’m excited for you, but I can’t say I won’t miss you. Cheri, you’ve made Taiga feel like home to me. It’s not going to be the same without you.”
Their childhoods were very different — he grew up alone and wandering, while she had a family and a single place to live. The redwoods are a comfort to him because of his untethered life as a child, and perhaps the redwoods feel like a prison to her because she has spent all her days under them. So he takes a deep, cleansing breath and says, “I can understand why you want to leave, though. There’s so much of Beqanna to discover. You’re going to do amazing things, wherever you are.”
@[Cheri]