MagiStream

As soon as Iona had pecked sol on the check his entire world went blank. His mind had halted all cognitive abilities. He witnessed eternity pass before him. Just standing there a silent statue. Guarding nothing but his inner most thoughts. By the time he snapped back to reality a plethora of questions bum rushed him. What just happened? What does this mean? How do I respond? He thought for a moment and walked to her room to see if she was awake still. He was slightly disappointed to see her asleep already so he bent over and kissed her forehead and whispered into her ear "may the rains bring gentle dreams and the winds carry my loving whispers" he tucked a strand if her hair behind her ear turned to leave stopped for a moment and produced a grass weave blanket to out over her. He left the room and went to his. No bed, just a few rocks and flooring made of sand. He sat in the middle and meditated, his method of sleep.

Iona's sleep was undisturbed by dreams that night. She awoke the following morning a little after sun rise. At first she wasn't sure of where she was, then all the events of the previous day came rushing back to her memories. Iona sat up quickly and looked around. Then she noticed there was something different. Glancing down Iona saw that she had been covered by a woven grass blanket. She knew only Sol could have produced that for her and she smiled at his kindness. She ran her brush through her hair to get rid of the knots and slipped on a spare change of clothes. Unsure if Sol was awake yet or not Iona quietly made her way downstairs. As she tip toed through the house her thoughts turned to all the questions she had before she went to sleep. The one plaguing her mind most was, what would his reaction be?

Sol had kept in silent meditation for most of the night until the rain had stopped. He opened his eyes to catch the early morning light. He gave a soft smile knowing some answer he had last night. He heard Iona trying to tip toe downstairs and a flush of fear came over him. A soft wind blew in through his window whispering words of encourage ment. Not having been one to doubt the words of the northern winds he rose and followed her downstairs, matching her foot steps trying to keep silent. He crept up right behind her and took her in a loving embrace and kissed her cheek as best he could from behind her. "as I told you before.....I owe you a great deal of thanks...now more than what even I know" his face was blushing so much that he could easily be mistaken as sun burnt. "you could very easily have sent me on my way like anyone else...what about me possessed you to want to get closer.?" he asked turning her around. Looking as best he could into her eyes with his one. The scar starting to burn slightly.

Iona jumped when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. Her heart hammered in her chest like a herd of horses, and her mind went numb as she felt his lips on her cheek. Iona barely registered his words as she was turned around. She was hyper aware of their proximity, even more so than they had been the night before. She could tell her face probably matched the same hue as a cooked Lobster. It took her a moment before her mind was able to function properly once more. She glanced down at the ground and shrugged.
"I could probably come up with a whole slew of answers." Iona replied. "But I couldn't tell you if any of them were the real reason. I suppose it could be as simple as the fates drew us together and I just never thought to deny them."
She looked back up at him.
"But I told you before, there is no need for you to thank me."

sol heaved a heavy sigh at Iona answer and brought her in for another embrace. He heaved a sigh of content. "What ever the reason, the earth-mother has truly blessed me..." he whispered and kissed her cheek again. "And you can say I owe you nothing...but I will always owe you a great debt. One that can only be paid from the heart" he said with a smile. His stomach felt like a it was going through an earthquake that broke the richter scales of old. He had never felt so enraptured in his life. Not even when the wind would play with him as a child. Not when the earth would laugh with him at his jokes. No. This girl, he felt, was the answer to all his problems. He had found reason to try and remove the dragon's blight form the world. He had found reason to no longer be wary of the world. In his mind if someone as wonderful as her could pay attention to an abomination like himself. He could get on in life. Sol had found home in Iona.

Iona gave a soft "eep" when Sol pulled her into another embrace, but quickly melted into it. She noticed, absently, that she fit well in his arms. She had not had a hug in a long time, but she guessed it had been even longer for Sol. Her face flushed scarlet when he gave her another kiss on the cheek. Iona looked up at him and smiled.
"We're each others family now." She said.

"I rather like that." sol said smiling at her. He looked to the window and saw the sun coming in more brightly through it. "we should start traveling soon if you wish to make it to the next town." sol added giving one last squeeze before letting the embrace go. He ran a hand through his hair, where he touched becoming immediately damp from water. He shook his head a bit, water flinging out from the ends, and let his hair settle as a mess. "when your ready let me know. I'm going to be putting this into memorization so next time we need a night out of a town I can bring this up faster." he walked into the room where his staf was currently housed and sat down in meditation again. Letting the staf bathe him in its light. Trying to pick up on its echo with the earth.

Iona giggled as Sol shook his head and turned her face away from the water droplets. She looked back up at him.
"Ok, I'll be back in a little bit." She said. "I'm going to freshen up."
She picked up her backpack and headed out of the house to the near by stream. Iona made sure that their northward path stayed close to water sources. She enjoyed bathing in the cold, wild, refreshing waters of the outdoors. Slipping behind a grove of trees and bushes she glanced back at the house making sure he was still inside. It wasn't the she didn't trust him, she just felt strange taking a bath around a man... who was still mostly a stranger. Shaking her head, Iona hanged her backpack on a branch and stripped. She waded into stream, tensing as the fridged water inched up her body. Finally she submersed herself fully to get used to the temperature. Iona stayed under for as long as she could, then broke the surface of the water and gasped for breath, both from holding her breath and the cold. She bathed quickly and got out about ten minutes after she had gotten in. Drying off, she slipped her clothes back on and grabbed her backpack to head back to the house and see if Sol was ready.

Sol heard the door shut as sheeft and he listened to the rumblings of the earth-mother. sol had intended to meditate on the hluse but when the earth-mother calls you listen. She bemoaned a ballad of enslavement. Dragons scorching her children. Devils drakes devouring her delicate kin. Hungering for her heart. Sol had weeped for her. Now he understood the argument of ths storms from the last few nights. They mustve been fighting over how to defend their maker. He rose as soon as Iona had returned tears pouring down his face. "she weeps for her children evdn all the while she is hurt worst of all" he he whispered to her. "what do they intend to pluck from her?" He sobbed bording hysterics.

Iona entered the house and was met immediately with a near hysterical Sol. She blinked rapidly to try and decipher what he had said, and finally figured out he had connected to the earth and felt pain radiating from it... or her, rather, as the dragons continued their rampage. Iona's heart ached to hear such sorrow and pain in his voice, and she quickly took him into her arms and led him to the couch.
"I couldn't tell you what their desires are." Iona said softly. "But I can tell you that I will stand by you to save the earth from their reign, or die trying."