A Fool

[Brisa Ga'ran]

Stone, earth...it was one of the few things that could be remained unchanged in nature, the carvings of great Fey were always thought to be immortal, but the winds, the storms, rushing water, sun...they slowly chipped away at that so called immortality until all that was left was sand, dust to be carried away on the wind. The sentimate of the carvings though, that feeling could remain immortal as long and other remembered.

Fallen soldiers, the statues a cruel reminder that even those not meant to fight still would fall. Brisa would often come out this far, listening to the rumbling thunder that echoed across the valley with the briefest breaks of sunlight through gray clouds. Walking among the carvings she let them be a reminder of why she was ruler now, of what she must do.

Thick curls were pulled up into a bun, the wind pulling strays along, the peach colored gown fluttering, giving little resistance to the wind as she sat down upon the eroded, sun-bleached base where a statue once stood. This place, as a child had been a place to play, to hide among the stone sentinels, to pretend to be Kings and Queens giving orders, a place with little significance in a childs mind. To a ruler though, to her it was now something she understood to well. The sadness that lingered in her heart though did not make the slight smile on her face fade as she smoothed a hand along the light linens she wore.

"Another day of peace and balance brothers...another day of foolish, meaningless politics." Brisa whispered, her gaze skimming the form of a solider who looks so familiar now as a ghost of her past, "If we were mortal beings would this still be just a foolish to go like this?"

[Jck'Lnn Mrk'ss]

She was always called back to this starting place. Any time her ongoing search led her nowhere, their bittersweet song pulled her in like a Siren wishing to watch her drown. She always hoped to find some new clue in her waking place, and that particular cancer doesn't die easily. It seemed that something important did always happen when she came back, Evette was one example, an incarnation of Xue was another.

And so Jck'Lnn walked through the rows of stone soldiers, her eyes and feet automatically going to the flute player that housed her tomb. Upon reaching it, a mass of dark hair, a bit further up the row, caught Jck'Lnn's eye. Her head tilted. Who could that be? The Fey looked a lot like..well, she should get closer before she assumes. In doing so, she did not attempt to conceal herself; it would be quite pointless. Her bright orange wide leg pants and matching shirt would see to that.

She had not seen the young queen in a while. Being the Untouchable did not require her to be at court all the time, allowing Jck'Lnn to enjoy her solitude. "Good day, my Lady," she called as she got closer. "What brings you to this forgotten valley?"

[Brisa Ga'ran]

Brisa's fingers clutched tightly at the fabric of her dress as she remained seated, her head bowed as she continued to let her thoughts roam. She tried not to think too darkly of the past, but still in her own solitude the seemingly amused demeanor lost its brighter edge. Some part of her wished for her brothers, for a time where she could once more take pleasure in company that did not judge her for silence, or her powers.

She felt the shift in the wind before she could see the person. Looking up sky blue eyes glanced over the brightly dressed form, brown curls fell elegantly back over her shoulders as she rose, smoothing a hand down her ground length gown. The Untouchable...the Queen gave little time to her court, her preference for being alone. She offered a rather bright, airy smile to the other.

"Ah, Jck'Lnn..." Her voice was soft, no sign of darkness within it as she spoke, "I grew tired of being within the palace...I wanted to see more of the storm from here." Looking back up into the sky a rumble of thunder rolled through the valley, heavy as if bearing the weight of the world as it trembled.

"I find that storms are soothing. In all their chaos they just make things feel clean. And what of you? What brings you to this place, not to take me back to the palace I hope..."

[Jck'Lnn Mrk'ss]

Jck'Lnn's voice was infused with laughter, though she didn't outright laugh. "I would no more drag you back to the palace than I would live there. It is partially why I took on the role of Untouchable, instead of Divine; I am free to roam, and to be reclusive."

She looked to the dark grey clouds, thoughtful. She sat on the grass with her back to the statue base, sweeping her long, pale hair over one shoulder with a practiced ease. Something about the twisting winds, beautiful lightning, rumbling thunder, and clean rain washed away all her worries and fears and excitements, leaving just a calm and blessedly empty state of mind. Storms always left her feeling both energetic and peaceful at the same time. Jck'Lnn's skin tingled in anticipation of rain.

"I do not know why I am here…perhaps it was to speak with you? It seems, more and more, that I am the one being led rather than the leader. Or perhaps it has always been as such and I am only now coming to realize it." That was an interesting thought, one that suggests that Fate is preordained. As she controls Fate, does it also control her? Only the Mother Wind can answer me that, she thought. Jck'Lnn breathed in deep, the pre-rain smell acting as a drug. Lightning split the sky like a cracked looking glass in the distance.

"It has always been my belief that the possibilities of the future are as many as the raindrops in the sky at any given moment. Do you think the future and Fate, Destiny as some call it, are one in the same?"

[Brisa Ga'ran]

The humor in the other's voice was appriciated as Brisa gave a gentle chuckle herself. "You know there are other kingdoms that let their Divines travel. If you make it sound like a prison sentence I won't even want to go back to continue my rule." As joking as she was she knew that her own words weren't true. By the evening's start she would be back within the castle. "Must be nice to travel around with such freedom."

The gray sky grew darker, a few cold drops of rain sprinkling down, a taste of what was to come. The air smelled heavy with water, a heady scent. She moved to face the other as she sat down. "This world seems to be something that leads us all...the idea of power is simply an idea, and sometimes that idea of our power has led our fellow Fey's into pointless things like war." Her gaze grew a little darker but her amused smile still remained as she slowly turned away.

"Fate, Destiny...I like to think that there is noting in this world set to stone, even if there are a million of them. There is a moment and that is the present...if we look too much into the idea of the future then we cannot focus on where we are now." Brisa ran a hand through the loose locks of hair that floated freely on the wind as it picked up, whistling through the valley, "Like the discussions of all Fey's to come together, to keep the peace."

[Jck'Lnn Mrk'ss]

A dash of pity went through the Untouchable. How terrible to be so tied to something that you couldn't leave it even every now and then, especially for the Wind Fey so prone to wanderlust. She didn't know if Brisa was one such, but many with that thirst for knowledge were. Curiosity was a fickle mistress.

"It must be nice to travel. Unfortunately, I have never been able to travel much. Moved around plenty of times, but I've not been to other Kingdoms quite as much as I'd like to." Jck'Lnn's smile grew a bit more pronounced. The rain always brought out a jolly sort of mood in her. "For some reason, I've always wanted to see the giant flowers in Njosnavalin…"

Her hands began to move, as if playing an invisible piano. She didn't seem to be aware that she was doing it, though it went on for several minutes before finally stopping, coming to the end of the piece. It was a wonder, who did the controlling. If it were Fate controlling her, then there was nothing she could do about it. If she controlled Fate, then that eliminated the question. Either way, did it matter? "You might have something there, Lady Brisa. There is an old saying, one my mother once spoke to me. If you are surrounded by literal mountains of laundry, you will only trip on your feet by staring and worrying about the mountain. Start with what is at your feet, right in front of you, and it will be done before you know it."

Something the other said caught Jck'Lnn's attention. "Are there such discussions in play?"