• Graded • [Treth] Unexpected Encounters

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

1 Cylus, 717


The dim twilight of Cylus gave the Willow Woods a quality that most would find eerie. But Tei'serin found it to be beautiful in its own way. Many of the inhabitants of the forest were hibernating; curled up in their dens, dreaming of better times as they waited for the warm weather to return. Owls went about their business during the day as well as at night, perhaps confused by the perpetual twilight of the season; silent shadows gliding from branch to branch as they searched for prey. The ever present bird song was missing, though. A lot of birds would have flown to warmer climes for the cold seasons, and those who remained were held in drowsy silence, as confused by the twilight world as the owls were.

As Tei'serin walked through the quiet forest, she got a fleeting sense of oddly colored trees. But when she tried to grasp it, the image in her mind faded away. Had it been a dream she was remembering? Tei'serin put the thought out of her mind as she continued on her way.

The loudest sound she could hear was that of her own footsteps, but rather than making her uneasy, it gave her a sense of peace. Alone was safe. If she was alone, that meant that he wasn't there, and neither were any of the men that he sent for her to "entertain." Even so, she walked quickly as she made her way towards Treth. The bitter cold of Cylus did not encourage lingering outside more than was absolutely necessary.

Tei'serin wouldn't have made the trip at all if she had had any choice. But she had forgotten an important exam that her students had taken not long ago. It was a lengthy exam, consisting of both lengthy essays, and questions that required shorter answers. Since it was a significant part of their term grade, she needed to grade the exams as quickly as she could. To do otherwise would be cruel to her students, especially those who would graduate this year if they passed this exam.

By the time she reached the small school house, Tei'serin was quite chilled. So she lingered longer than strictly necessary as she gathered up her students' exams. If she gave herself enough time, she might be warm again before it was time to leave.

[Maltruism]

Tei'serin might have thought she had dozed for a while. She woke to notice a relaxed warmth. Not as if it was spreading through her right then; but as if she had been warm, comfortable and at peace for some time. Looking outside would not really help determine the passing of time. The dark of Cylus, offset by the white blanket across all the visible landscape, made an artist's charcoal sketch of the world beyond the window, that changed little from break to break. But looking at the window would confirm that the newfound comfort of the school house was no figment of of the imagination of a mind in the grip of hypothermia. The window was dry and free of any rimy patterns of ice in the corners, inside or out.

The lack of any distorting ice layers allowed her to see a man approaching the building. His cloak was open, waving leisurely in what must have been a light breeze. His head was uncovered, his long hair a flowing extension of the serenity embodied in his peaceful smile. His eyes were closed as he walked. But they opened when Tei looked out the window at him. His smile was infectious with peace of mind, which generated an increasing sense of security as he came to the window.

He blew warm breath on the window to form a steamy background, which was remarkably symmetrical, with detailed scroll work in the corners formed of intricate cracks of icy webs. Just a hint of playfulness shown in his eyes as he took a finger to the glass. Even the squeaking of the friction gave a musical tone as he wrote:

Shall you join me out here in the glory of the snow's silent melody?
Or shall we listen from the warm comfort of each other's company?

With that, he blew a second time on the glass, and the pane opened up. Despite the concurrent rise in the snowfall, and the flowing artistry of the snow curling in the wind, there was no cold. The man did not attempt to enter, though he clearly could have.

"I too, am off duty now, my lady. And, like you, I still find satisfaction in my work." He turned back to face the landscape, leaning against the building. "Is it not beautiful? Would you prefer depictions?..." he asked before taking a few moments to once again breath on the remaining glass panes, each of which frosted over in icy patterns that displayed peaceful snowy scenes. "...or would you rather see them first hand?"

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tei'serin blinked sleepily as she looked around to find herself in her class room. Had she dozed off while grading her students' exams? No, that didn't feel quite right. Since she lived so far away from Treth, she had planned to get the exams, and bring them home to grade rather than risk traveling home at night. Being Cylus, it wouldn't get any darker than it was now, but it would get even colder at night. Perhaps the journey into the town had tired her more than she'd thought. She had already made the trip to Treth and back home once already today. That, and the chilling cold might have been enough to sap her energy to the point where she had fallen asleep as soon as she'd begun to warm up a little. The soothing warmth she felt now was certainly evidence pointing in that direction.

How long have I been asleep? she wondered.

It was impossible to tell by looking out the window. The twilight darkness and white snow that greeted her eyes now was the same sight she had seen when she'd arrived at the school this morning to teach her class. In some ways, it was a beautiful sight, but it did nothing to suggest the passage of time.

As she stared out the window, she noticed a man approaching the school. That would have been strange enough at this time of day, when the school was usually empty. He wasn't an especially tall man, though he was much taller than her own diminutive height. But there was a quality about him that made him seem to be...more than his appearance would suggest. He had long, curly brown hair that trailed past his shoulders, and a serene, peaceful smile. The man looked strangely familiar to her, but Tei'serin couldn't remember where she might have seen him before. The fact that he was walking with his eyes closed, and that she felt none of the usual fear she felt when approached by a strange man soon distracted her from even trying to figure out who he was. Instead, she felt strangely safe, and peaceful in his presence.

When the man blew on the window, Tei'serin began to wonder if she was dreaming all of his. The foggy background created by his breath was symmetrical. She had seen many children blow on windows in Zi'da, and Cylus over the arcs, but never had she seen that before. And the icy webs in the corners were beautiful. They framed the clouded area of the window like a picture frame, or a scroll. Then the man began to write.

The message that appeared on the window was an invitation. The thought of taking comfort in a man's company was an alien one to her. She had certainly never enjoyed the company of the men that Thorin sent to her. And while she considered Ti'niva, and Finn to be her friends, her deeply ingrained fear of men kept her from ever feeling truly relaxed in their presence. There was always the thought of "what if...?" lurking in the back of her mind.

But she felt none of that fear now. And the invitation was truly an inviting one. As Tei'serin considered how to respond, the man blew on the window pane once more, causing it to open, as if by magic. It began to snow harder, and snowflakes danced merrily in the wind, but strangely, it got no colder in the classroom, even with the window open.

His words triggered a revelation in Tei'serin, when added to what she had seen of the man. "Off duty," and "satisfied in his work" when associated with the beautiful snowy scenes he painted on the the window panes suggested that his "work" was the snow. Or at the very least, related to the snow. In Tei'serin's mind, that meant that his "work" was Zi'da, and Cylus, the times of the year when snow existed. And if Tei'serin was right, that meant that this man was no mere man at all. He was Ziell, the Immortal of Zi'da, peace, and prophecies. That thought made Tei'serin remember where she had seen him before. She was thinking of teaching her class about the Immortals in the not too distant future, and in preparation for that, she had been reading up on them herself. One of the books she'd borrowed for that purpose had contained painted likenesses of the Immortals. This man resembled the image of Ziell she had seen in the book.

Awe mingled with intense interest in Ziell's offer, and the comfort of the peace she felt in his presence as she gave him her answer.

"Yes, it truly is beautiful. And I have always found that seeing something in person, experiencing it first hand, is far better than a picture, no matter how beautiful that picture may be." she said softly.

In her own life, restricted as it was, she had little chance to experience many things first hand. Thorin didn't much like her even going into Treth, though he permitted it. Travel to more distant places was utterly forbidden. But even so, she knew the value of real life experiences. She loved Willow Woods with all her heart. It was beautiful to her in every season. Going out into the forest herself to gather herbs, or simply to seek a sense of peace was far better than looking at pictures of far off forests that she would never see in a book.

[Maltruism]

Ziell smiled, seeing that the woman recognized him and was not afraid. Though he was not connected to any overtly dark and dangerous domains, many feared the delivering of a prophecy. They feared the likelihood of it involving their death; feared that any attempt to avoid it would always be what ended up bringing it about. But in the same manner, they felt foolish to meet it head on with no hesitation whatsoever.

Ziell was glad to see the woman show no such hesitation. He knew, of course, what prophecy would be connected to this encounter: this woman would bear his child. Not every woman desired such a burden. He felt no guilt however, he was fulfilling his nature to advance the prophecies of the world. The fact that he was involved in this one was of no relevance to his calling.

He did not know what was to be the ultimate role of this offspring in the future of Idalos. It was not even conceived yet. There was no course to glimpse any prophecy from yet. It was possible there would never be one. "Prophecy" implied significance. The fact that a blacksmith would finish a large cauldron for a tavern's purchase was not a basis of prophecy. But if a traveling diplomat was to be poisoned from food prepared within it, that could be the foundation of the riddles that would form a prophecy.

For this reason, however, there was cause to believe the child would be of importance in some way, or he'd have had no call to vision about it. His visions only involved the intimacy with this woman, though. Nothing of what was to result from the course the child might follow.

This was not to say he had no feelings for the woman beyond duty and calling. He had seen her devotion to the nurturing of children demonstrated in her love of teaching. And though many teachers were nothing more than academic task masters, she had shown a far more dedicated side, one gifted with a compassion and connection to her class. A willingness to go beyond simply making knowledge available and then leaving her students to their own efforts, unaided.

He had likewise known of her courage on the killing grounds of Oscillus, maintaining order in a healer's tent gone mad with the illusions of Aelig. There were, of course, several others that could boast of this same courage in these tents. Only one had resonated in the consciousness of his own prophetic future though. He felt that same resonance now.

He turned now from his reverie to see that she had come outside to join him. He would add boldness to her list of virtues. He smiled, knowing that, while he would not be linked to her in any marital way, he would never be far, owing to his shop's location. He did not know yet if she was of the sort to boast of bedding an Immortal. "Boldness" misguided could result in such indiscretion. But he did not see any such events in the future.

"There is so much to see, my lady, that though the soft whisper of the snow beneath our feet will be missed, it will be more than compensated by the sigh of the crystals sliding through your hair." he waved his arm in a wide arc, as he spoke, a delicate trail of scrolling mist following its path as his hand came ultimately to come up behind her neck. His fingernails touched the skin lightly, her downy hair rising to meet them as he ran his fingers in her hair. A sigh rose, as he said, but none could say whether it was his voice, hers, or the snow itself.

For a moment, as he looked into her eyes, his fingers still poised behind her head, he thought of bringing her close to brush his lips with hers, but decided he would leave knowledge of that intent unspoken. He knew that she would now understand the nature of the prophecy that had brought him to her. If she chose to remain with him, it would be as an acknowledgement of a tryst.

He turned now to sing a long clear note that rode the wind into the white distance. In short order, what had appeared to be smoothly snow-coated hills now were revealed as gorgeous white horses, approaching amid a glorious spray of white mist that seemed almost to be that from which they were made. They came to him, one turning to nuzzle Tei'serin as if it had known her all its life. "Shall we ride then?" he said. The fact that he was already astride his mount left no doubt what answer he anticipated.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Prophecy was something that many people feared. Tei'serin knew this well. Part of her wondered why she was so unafraid of what Ziell''s coming to her might mean. She held no illusion that he would have sought her out because he was interested in her for any reason. She was no hero. There was nothing special about her. Nothing that might attract the interest of anyone, let alone an Immortal. But Ziell was the Immortal of prophecy. If there were some prophecy involving her somehow, that would draw Ziell's attention. Was it one of her students, perhaps? Maybe one of them would grow up to be someone important? As their teacher, Tei'serin had some influence over them. Could there be something she must do, or not do that would set one of her students on the path of a prophecy?

There was some chance that there was a prophecy that affected her directly somehow. Would her death, or an incident involving her influence someone else in some way? A lot of people would be terrified by that idea. But Tei'serin didn't fear death. She didn't particularly welcome it, but she didn't fear it. Her mother had told her that death was not final for a Sev'ryn, so they should not fear it. It was an ending of their current existence, yes. But they would be reborn into the world again some day, so it wasn't the end of everything. An ending...didn't seem so bad, really. She would never seek it out herself, nor did she like the idea of ceasing to exist as herself. But an end to the pain that Thorin's men brought her...that would be welcome indeed. For that reason, Tei'serin did not fear whatever prophecy she might be involved in.

Ziell spoke, but any response she might have made was lost when he ran his fingers through her hair. There was something incredibly intimate in that simple touch. But it was not a frightening one, nor did it bring her any pain. As she looked up at Ziell uncertainly, something in his eyes told her what would happen if she were to stay with him. It was her choice.

One small part of her was terrified at the thought. She had never known anything other than pain, and terror at the touch of a man. That part of her wanted to flee. And yet...she did not. A larger part of her wanted...even needed to know what it could be between a man and a woman. What it should be. When she was still in school, many of her classmates spent a great deal of their time trying to impress boys that they liked. None of them had been afraid of where such actions might lead, or what the boys might do to them if they succeeded. One of her students had an aunt who would be getting married next Saun. Tei'serin had met the woman a few times in Treth. She was happy about the thought of getting married. There was no fear in her about what her husband would do to her; only anticipation. It made her realize that there had to be something more than the pain that was all she had ever known at the hands of a man. Tei'serin wanted to know what made them want to seek that kind of intimacy. So she stayed.

A single note of song startled Tei'serin out of her thoughts. Within a few trills, two white horses ran towards them, as if they had been conjured out of the snow. Perhaps they had been. They were so beautiful that Tei'serin could only stare at them in awe and admiration as they approached. One of them turned to nuzzle her, as if he was greeting a friend he had known forever. Tei'serin smiled as she stroked his nose gently, offering a greeting of her own.

Tei'serin was so enraptured by the stallion that she didn't even notice when Ziell mounted his own horse. But when he asked if they should ride, Tei'serin offered him a shy smile, and nodded. Then she mounted the stallion that had greeted her so warmly, trusting that he would not let her fall. She knew the basics of riding, of course. But she was no expert, and she knew her limits. Still, she put her trust in both Ziell, and the stallion.

"Yes. Lead the way." she said softly.

[Maltruism]

Ziell clapped his hands and swung his hand forward, the snowy mounts responding quickly. They rode with the snowy gusts over the rolling hills, coated in a smooth layer of glistening snow. Trees jutted cones of white icing in patches in the lowlands as the two looked down from the sparkling hilltops.

Creeks carved lines of crystalline reflections, bringing the starlight down to flash on the surface. Shrubs added a cottony soft fill to all the features around them. And to add bright highlights to the beauty, the glow of fires on hearths and flickering candle lights brought the warmth of family to the whole scene. The smoke from the chimneys spicing the crisp air with a woody richness.

They stopped in a hollow on the side of a hill, where the contours of the land made a natural foundation for a restful scenic viewpoint. Though there was no indication of a windbreak, the snow fell softly in a blanket round them. While beyond their little inset in the hill, the wind raised choreographed swirls and scrolls of snow dancing over the land below.

Ziell helped Tei'serin down from the back of her snowy mount, and the magnificent creatures trotted off to disappear into the stark black and white of the snowbound Cylus backdrop. And although it was moonless, the very starlight itself lit the pattern of drifting flakes, painting a slowly falling mist of soft haze stretching as far as the eye could see. Serenity dominated the scenes in every direction, from the wilds of the foothills behind them, to the tamed and cultivated lowlands before.

Only the roads seemed to violate the purity of the vista, with the disturbance of the underlying dirt. But in truth, it only added a dynamic of artistic counterpoint. The faint echo of song lifted from the taverns with the wind and brought depth to the sigh of the breeze through the branches overhead. In time, small denizens of the forest began to creep cautiously forward to investigate the visitors, feeling no sense of threat embodied in the pair as they sat, peacefully overlooking the domiciles casting the yellow glow of hearth and health upon the glistening white contours.

Zeill smiled as a fox sniffed at his outstretched hand, reflexively retreating only a single step as the Immortal laughed at the tickle of its whiskers. Several snowy rabbits bounded past, and even a trio of wolves, who did not approach the pair, but offered no threat of tooth or raised hackles, content only to look for a few moments before continuing on their way.

"Such beauty..." the Immortal sighed, "Such splendor attained only with the addition of the invigorating cold. I remember all this, back when it was unspoiled by these habitations, and thought then that it would be ruined by townships of men. But I find it is not so after all. There is a character that is vibrant with the lives of mortals, adding their unique changes to the roll and cut of the hills. The shaping of the farmlands bringing grain and texture to the lie of the snow."

He turned to look her in the eyes, though his own shifted to take in all the features of her face, "It is not unlike the way that a woman changes the framing of her face with a new style of hair. And yours now sparkles with flakes that catch the light of the stars, as do your eyes."

A sad look came across his features, and he looked away. "It shames me greatly to have only taken notice of you recently because of the force of my calling. I feel so at home here with you now that almost I could forget the pull of fortune that bids me to know you. Can you forgive me my lady? I would be content only to sit and see a starry range above, but then you would know that my next visit, and my next after that, and any beyond would have a pressure that would steal the ease which I hope we both enjoy this night. I would not have such a celebration of life be a duty.

"Tell me of yourself. Though I know somewhat of your life as it passes in the here and now, I know little of your past. have you lived here all your life?"

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

The view was amazing. That was the only word that could describe it. Such stunning beauty that it took her breath away as she gazed at the world around her. The horses moved quickly, obeying Ziell's slightest gesture. After a time, they came to a stop in a hollow on a hill. Snow danced around them as it covered the world in a sheltering blanket of white. Once her Immortal companion helped her down from her mount, Tei'serin whirled around in circles for a few trills, dancing with the snow that flew all around them in sheer awe and delight.

When she realized that they were no longer alone, Tei'serin stopped. A fox had joined them, followed by some rabbits, and even a few wolves. Tei'serin held her breath as she watched them, not wanting to disturb them. The peace found in this hollow permeated the air itself, and Tei'serin wanted to do nothing that would disturb it. She couldn't help but smile softly as Ziell laughed when the fox's whiskers brushed against his skin.

Everything was...perfect. It was one of those rare perfect moments that came few and far between, but when they did, you wanted to hold onto them forever. And even though you couldn't, the memory of them was enough to get you through just about anything. Tei'serin tried to commit every tiny detail of this perfect peaceful scene to memory. She wanted to remember it forever.

Ziell's words startled Tei'serin out of her intense concentration, and she looked up at him as she contemplated his words. What must it be like to live forever? To have seen the world as it was long before mortals had come into being, and to know that you would still be there to see it long after all traces of mortals had vanished into memory? Tei'serin couldn't even begin to guess; it was completely beyond her ability to imagine. And that was as it should be.

"It is beautiful." she said softly.

Tei'serin's eyes widened slightly when Ziell apologized to her. The idea of an Immortal...of anyone, really...apologizing to her...Tei'serin couldn't even begin to know how to respond to that. Especially coming on top of a compliment like the one Ziell had just given her. Really...seeking her out at all was an honor that she didn't feel worthy of. She didn't know what prophecy Ziell had seen, or what part she might play in it, but she wanted to do everything she could to make sure that she did the right thing. After a while, she simply shook her head, and smiled.

"There is nothing to forgive. You are here now." she said softly.

"What you have shown me...sights of such breathtaking beauty...I will never forget them, no matter how long I live. And I am enjoying your company, too." she finished shyly.

When Ziell asked about her past, she felt flattered by his interest. She was also curious how much he knew of her, but she didn't think it was her place to ask, and she didn't want to seem nosy.

"Sometimes it feels as though I have." she began slowly.

"I never knew my birth father. He died before I was even born. But my step father, Randar was a very good man. He treated me like he was my real father, and I never once doubted that he loved me as much as my birth father would have had he survived. When I was very young, we lived on my step father's family ship. They were a large trading family, who claimed me as theirs just like my step father did. My memories of living with them are vague...but the time that I lived with them was the happiest time of my life. We always sang every night, and my uncle was always in trouble for swearing in front of us kids. Every time he did, my aunt made him but a gold nel in a jar, and at the end of the arc, the entire family would get to do something fun with all the money that he had put into the jar all arc long. All the adults had to pay a gold nel for swearing in front of the kids, but my uncle was the one who did it the most. One of my clearest memories of that time was of his loud, booming laugh, and this huge smile that made everything okay when you saw it." she said with a soft smile.

"When I was five, our ship got caught in a terrible storm. It sank off the coast of Ne'haer, and my step father and I were the only survivors. He never got over the death of my mother, though, so when he got sick soon after the ship sank..."

Tei'sarin's voice faded as sorrow overwhelmed her briefly. Even after all this time, the memory of losing the only father she had ever known was a painful one.

"I don't know what would have happened to me if my father hadn't met Thorin. He's...he's my guardian. When my father died, he brought me to the farm I live on. And I've lived there ever since."

Tei'serin didn't know how much Ziell knew about Thorin, so she didn't elaborate on him much. It was painful to think about the man, never mind talk about him. And she was worried about what would happen during their tryst. Would Ziell be mad at her when he learned that she wasn't...that he wouldn't be her first? Would he punish her for that the way others had in the past? It was a fear that Tei'serin knew would overwhelm her if she let it, so she didn't want to think about it too much. So she tried to change the subject.

"What about you? What is it like to be an Immortal? Do you ever get lonely living forever the way you do?"

Tei'serin blushed at asking such direct questions.

"I'm sorry. If that's too personal, you don't need to answer." she said apologetically, hoping that he wouldn't get mad at her for daring to ask such things.

[Maltruism]

There was a moment of silence as the Immortal fell into an introspective state. He then turned back to his companion with a melancholy smile. "You are kind, Tei'serin. You think of my feelings over a question you think may be overly personal, yet have no protest over my having done the same."

He lowered his gaze, "It is sad. You mortals have such short spans anyway. For one to be cut short, is sadder still. I am sorry for your loss. I wonder though, if the short lives of mortals have caused them to develop a greater ability to accept such things than we possess, because of it."

He looked back up and lay back on the ground beside her, his eyes drifting off to arcs past, "I dwelt in gloom for hundreds of arcs over the death of Daia. I felt such loathing towards the...new beings of Idalos. But I have seen the fatalism with which they accept their lot, and it has affected me, for the better. I have lost nothing that they have not. The fact that Daia and I may have lived for ages is balanced by the fact that mortals' life spans are also essentially the same by comparison."

He rolled up on one side, bringing himself closer to her, "I hope my saying that does not offend you. But you are right, It can be a lonely existence, if you have no one of your comparative life span to share it with. I am certain this is why we probably seem rather aloof to your kind."

He made an embarrassed face, "Fates! I do it now myself...'your kind'...Many have had relationships with mortals. But it always ends badly; either in the mortal growing old before our eyes, often resenting the changelessness we possess, hating us as they die. Or in the grief of a truly loving partnership, ending in what feels like such a brief time. Many do not want to feel too strongly toward any mortal, having suffered this loss over and over."

He sat back up, this time taking hold of her hand, "So we try to find a balance, not retreating entirely into our...domains in this world...But neither abandoning them for the sake of a love to which we cannot truly commit. We hope to benefit those we care for, But it cannot happen if we abandon our domains. For it is only in the wise administration of our callings that we can provide such benefit. And these callings must take many of us away from mortals that we might have otherwise...loved."

He looked down as if he could not meet her eyes as he spoke the last word. "And in my case, it is that same calling that both brings me TO you, AND takes me away." He looked up again, a measure of regret in his eyes. "Destiny...prophecy...foretelling, as well as peace, and the necessary cycling of the seasons. All the world has its share of me."

Now he held both her hands, his hope subconsciously pulling her close, "I would give you more than just a share. But then I cheat the rest of the world. But I would share this night with you. Can you accept so much, and so little, of me?"

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Kind? Tei'serin sure how to respond to that. It was true that she wanted to be seen as a kind person. And that it was natural for her to treat people the way she herself wished to be treated.

"Thank you." she said, at last.

Tei'serin listened in fascination as Ziell tried to explain his existence...and by extension, that of Immortals in general. To watch someone you loved, or at least cared for grow old and die in front of you while you yourself remained eternal seemed impossibly sad to her. And for it to happen over, and over every time an Immortal found a mortal they cared about...what would that be like? How often could someone bear that sorrow before they lost the ability to care? Tei'serin could understand why some Immortals preferred not to care about the mortal races much.

"I don't take any offense at it. I think...I think that it is all relative. To you, the life of a mortal like me must feel like nothing more than a few trills."

She paused, trying to figure out how to say what she felt.

"When I was young, one of my classmates owned a pet song bird. She was very close to that bird, and when it died of old age, she was devastated. She couldn't understand how something could grow old in the span of a few short arcs. Our teacher tried to explain that a few arcs was a short time for us, but to the bird, it lived a full, long life. I think it's that way for us. To me, eighty arcs feels like...well, forever. But for you, who have seen the world before mortals even existed, and will continue to exist long after my many times great grandchildren have died of old age, eighty arcs is the span of a single breath. To me, the thought of living forever is..."

Tei'serin shook her head, unable to even imagine it. She could sort of understand why someone who feared death would want to live forever. She herself feared the pain of dying. But death, itself? No. It was simply the other side of life.

"I have difficulty in even imagining what it must be like to live forever. And yet..."

Again, Tei'serin paused, struggling to find the words to explain how she felt.

"Immortals are different than mortals are. Of that, there can be no question. You have abilities that we do not. But is that so very different than the differences between one mortal race, and another, except in scale? A Sev'ryn loves the forest with the same passion that a Biqaj loves the sea. Avriel have wings, and the Ellune are giants who thrive in cold so intense that few others could survive in. And in turn, warmer parts of the world, like Treth are dangerous to them because such places are too hot for them."

Tei'serin knew little about most races. But as a teacher, whose job it was to teach the next generation, she did know a few very basic facts about most races.

"I like to think that for all that people are different, they share similarities, too. No matter what race a person is, they have hopes and dreams. Goals that they want to achieve in their lifetimes. Strengths and weaknesses, fears, and desires...what each of these things are varies from one person to the next. But each and every person alive has them, regardless of race, or how long they might live. In that sense, I believe that mortal, and Immortals are the same."

Tei'serin hesitated.

"Perhaps now I should be the one hoping that I have not offended you. Many mortals would say that Immortals are far greater than any mortal could ever hope to be. They could even be right. But at the same time, aren't people just...people? Different races, different backgrounds, different skills, and different lives...but at the heart of the matter, people have similarities just as they have differences. A person's strengths vary from one person to the next, but everyone has at least one. The same can be said for weaknesses. Or dreams. Whether someone dreams of wealth, or power, or peace...what is dreamed of changes. But not the fact that each person has a dream, and a goal to work towards."

Tei'serin shook her head.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I have no idea what I am talking about. These are concepts that I think about from time to time, but I have never really tried to talk about, So I don't really know how to explain what I feel."

When Ziell asked her if she could accept "so much, and so little" of him, there could only be one response, and she smiled softly as she nodded.

"Yes." she said simply.

Tei'serin knew that Ziell would not stay with her past this one night, nor would she ever ask him to. And yet...it would be enough. She wanted...no, needed to know that something existed between a man and a woman beyond pain, and terror. As a child, she never once doubted that her mother loved her adopted father with everything she had. But there could be no love, no trust in what she suffered at the hands of her guardian, and his men. Tei'serin had no illusions that Ziell loved her in the same way that her parents had loved each other. But he would probably be kind to her. Everything he had said and done so far suggested that much. Perhaps it would be enough to convince her that real love really was possible. If it was...then perhaps she would find it herself some day.

[Maltruism]

The Immortal rolled his eyes, but in a friendly, easy-going manner, "Many have said this, but it is not so. Eighty arcs is eighty arcs, Immortal or no. It may have the possibility of comparing to such a short span in the long run, but time passes for us at the same rate. It is more that we of our part can truly make long-term plans, with the real hope of seeing them come to fruition."

He leaned back, still holding her hands to bring her beside him. His gaze looked now into an indefinite point in time, "Something that may take five hundred arcs can only have the first stage or two initiated in most mortal lifetimes. I suppose that we must seem unable to grasp the yearning to fully accomplish a goal in your own lifetime, and not settling for seeing it only partially complete; and having to trust others to see it through."

He was looking into her eyes again, "I suppose we are as guilty of thinking a mortal is being too impatient for wanting something completed in only fifty arcs as a mortal is of thinking we are only biding our time for not rushing to complete some important task in less than a few hundred. We have a lifespan capable of allowing us to consider there to never be any true deadline to completing a task."

Her talk of living forever obviously made her feel uncomfortable. He smiled and shook his head, "There is no offense to apologize for. You are correct. Even among those with unceasing lifespans there are great differences in focus and approach. There are certainly those among us that lack the patience I just spoke of. They are almost always the ones with conquest on their minds. There is legitimate strategic benefit in being the first to establish a base of power; so they hurry to accomplish this, and they do what they can to hold others back. Even those that do not crave power may hold a domain that will be an obstacle to them. And what weaknesses one may have will figure into the fear, or opportunism, another may have of exploitation."

His look did become seriously contemplative for a moment. "Living forever has a daunting feel to it though. The very first time you feel boredom, or redundancy in how you pass your time, it suddenly looms large and terrifying. I've seen others of my kind fall into some bouts of desperation at the thought of how they will continue to provide themselves with enough interest to carry on. They are bound to their domains, and must maintain their importance, but it can become quite stale.

"I'm actually pretty lucky in that regard, as the focus of prophecy is never requiring any input of my own. New things are always coming to me. I see images of things to come and wait to see how the actions of the world bring them about. Tonight is honestly one of the most hesitant visions I have ever encountered, simply because I am directly involved."

He started to lean close, his eyes locked on hers as they slowly closed, "For instance, I saw this occur, but..." he kissed her, slowly, patiently, pulling back to finish, "...but you could have changed the outcome, turned your face away, and I'd be uncertain how to proceed. I do not always get much more than impressions in a prophetic vision. There is much guesswork. But your eyes just then were exactly as I had seen them...as they are now again."

He kissed her again, his arms finding their way around her arching back, letting the passion rise as he leaned in where she gave ground to him, eventually lying on the soft snowy hillside together, the heat of their bare bodies neither dissipating in the Cylus cold, nor melting the snow around them. They shared much laughter as his comments on what he'd seen in his visions came frequently into the unfolding of their intimacy.

Dawning daylight is surprisingly magnified on a snowy landscape. Tei'serin was awake in plenty of time to meet and prepare for whatever obligations her schedule demanded. She found herself, and her clothes, cocooned in a wrap that appeared as if made from several layers of the most intricately laced snowflakes. Initially, it was simply a blanket, but when she sought to wrap it around herself, it seemed as if sleeves grew from it. There was a note attached:

Sweet Tei,
It occurred to me only now that I rarely retain memories of my prophecies once discharged. I can only assume that it is because I was involved in this one that it breaks this pattern. I find both a glorious joy and a sweet loss in this. You deserve better than the absentee father I must be, but your heart and resolve will fill this lack. Take this additional gift as a sign of my affection. Cold will not penetrate through it, but can be absorbed by it. One last aspect of my vision regarding us tells me that this will be a help to you.

While I said that we feel the passage of time the same as do mortals, there is the problem that we forget that this period encompasses such a large portion of a mortal life. Wearing this cloak will keep me aware of your presence, wherever I am. I will not swear oaths where I can truly only promise hope, but I truly hope to be able to look in on you and the child from time to time.