[PRP Yael] Never Without You [Niva/Pyrrha]

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

It did not strike Nivalis as surprising that with the threat of dretch hanging overhead, and with many of her sisters confined to the main camp, that tensions would escalate. Her tribe was one of many proud warriors, who did not take kindly to threats and often took just as well to orders. She did, however expect that as a great and powerful family, none would be so cruel as to condemn one of their own by sending them away.

This was, apparently, not the case.

There'd been many times in her life that Nivalis had wanted to scream in frustration, many times her cousins had acted in ways she didn't understand, but she couldn't think of a time when she'd been filled with rage almost as much as fear. Her beloved sister Pyrrha had been banished from her home, for reasons Nivalis didn't understand and didn't have time to find specifics for. Because the girl was gone. Gone from the tribe, and banished out where they'd all agreed no one should go alone. She could be captured as easily as her cousin had been while in the presence of many. Her own guardian had been the one to exile her.

It was impossibly unfair and traitorous, as far as Niva was concerned, to send away a girl who hadn't even yet achieved their highest rank of training during a time like this. Nivalis resolved to find her all but as soon as she'd heard the news.

She made it out from the main camp and down one of the lesser paths toward the lake. She didn't know where Pyrrha would eve go among the wilds, but Niva could only hope her sister would remain safe until she was found. And Nivalis would not stand by. She couldn't. Not this time-

"Mystic," Atris' voice came sharply a moment before a hand shot out to snare her wrist. Nivalis stalled in her steps as she stared out into the jungle wilds beyond, but did not turn back. "Please," Her guard rumbled thickly. "Allow my sister and I to search for her. We are more familiar with the paths than you, and better trackers, besides. It will be quicker if we go alone, and will not have to watch for your safety while we search for her. Grant us this honor. We won't fail you."

Nivalis' first instinct was to refuse. She loved Pyrrha as she did every Elarian, and her sister was worth her time, especially now.

But it was likely true that Atris and Niteo would fare better if she stayed behind this time. It pained her, but really, if they couldn't find Pyrrha, what chance did she have, either with them, or alone? Her posture slackened marginally, and she breathed out. "You will return before nightfall," she muttered. "Bring her to me, once you've found her."

The twin girls before her gave a nod and set off, while Nivalis remained behind in the safety of the camp.  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

The crack of thunder brought Pyrrha's attention to the sky above. Even in the darkness she could see a storm looming. The moon itself was being covered by incoming clouds, and soon, the stars would follow. She reached her palms out to the sky as if she could claim the rain that had begun falling, first in a light mist, and then in a downpour around her. Elzira held no dominion over the sky; so whatever spirit wept for her was just as worthy of Pyrrha's attention in that moment as the goddess she served.

Even when lightning snapped across the heavens the elarian didn't move. She'd walked for what felt like days now - perhaps it had and she had failed to keep proper count - stopping when she felt the need, only eating once when she remembered to, and eventually her body had brought itself to the coast. She'd taken a familiar route to a little hap-hazard hut she'd built well over a year ago. Three sides stood with a thatched roof, and while it leaked in spots it was still far better of a home to Pyrrha than the one she'd been banished from.

Her mother couldn't keep her from the village, she didn't hold that kind of power, but Pyrrha hadn't felt any need to stay after that. She'd felt released to return to the life she wanted, and maybe, if she were truly honest with herself, to the Dretch she hoped would take her away....

Her clothing clung to her shaking skin. The cold nipped at her, but it wasn't the reason for her shivering. Fat tears burned down her cheeks in sharp contrast to the temperature around her. And still, Pyrrha remained in the eye of the storm. holding her hands skyward, praying that Elzira would see fit to give her the wings she so desperately wanted to take her away...

And yet she was stuck, standing along in soaked sand with waves lapping against the earth only paces from where she stood.

Pyrrha was unaware of how long she stood like that. It was still raining when the twins found her, but the lightning had long since left. Her arms, limp and exhausted, hung by her sides, but the teenager still held her head aloft, eyes searching the sky above for a sign. She remembered their names, knew that they now served Nivalis personally, but little else. The flowers had long since fallen from her hair when she finally acknowledged them; how long had they been talking to her before she responded?

"No, I won't go."

And yet, here she was, walking closer to Nivalis' home in the early morning light. One of the twins murmured something about coming back before nightfall, and she had to wonder if there had been a deadline for this. Had there been a struggle to bring her in? She hoped there had been; she'd done her best to run from them. Pyrrha remembered taking to the trees, but something had collided with her head and the next thing she remembered was waking up halfway back to the village with a sore spot on her scalp and a headache.  

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

There was the chance they wouldn't find her. She might have been found by the dretch almost immediately after her lonely departure. She could've been attacked by a family of limbara, killed, and made a meal of. Has she brought any weapon to defend herself when she'd set off? Pyrrha was a one-of-a-kind girl, with an attitude unlike any Elarian Nivalis had seen before. If she'd been belittled and ridiculed before she left, if she'd felt alone and abandoned, what if she had killed hers-?

No.

Nivalis's fingers pinched against her knees where she knelt before the Great Mother. Her teeth dug into her lip, her brows furrowed, and her lids pinched. No, she reasoned. Pyrrha was different, yes, but even a sister whose ideals were so unlike the others would think it nothing short of dishonorable to die in such a way. She would survive, regardless of how many days passed. It was the Elarian way. She was a warrior, regardless of what her guardians mothers thought of her.

When Atris and Niteo returned to her, empty-handed, it was only a matter of moments between their arrival that they explained there had been resistance in her return. Apparently, they had brought her into their village unconscious after the struggle. Nivalis highly doubted there had been a need for such excessive force... But perhaps there had been. She'd allowed herself to breathe easier and for the beginnings of a smile to edge back onto her features. As she'd said, her sister was a warrior.

Now, "Pyrrha," Nivalis moved from her hut beneath Elzira's branches as soon as the twins told her their charge had awoken. "Sister," Nivalis ran to her, flinging her arms about the other girl's neck as soon as she was in range and hugging her to herself. "I was distraught," she informed Pyrrha, nuzzling into her neck as she clung and held her close. After several moments, with her arms still about her, she allowed herself to take a step back.

"I'm so happy you're safe."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

The reality of her situation was still so fresh on Pyrrha's mind that she didn't immediately reciprocate Nivalis' hug. She simply stood, face as forlorn as her spirit, and arms limp at her sides. The warmth of another against her skin helped her to remain in the present instead of slipping off into places her mind wanted to take her while in the jungle. Darker places; areas of the mind that no one as young as she should have even known of.

She mechanically rubbed her head against Nivalis' when the smaller elarian nuzzled against her neck, a soft, saddened and all together fake smile on her face. "I am sorry that I troubled you so much. It wasn't my intent." Pyrrha briefly raised her arm to rub her cold fingers against Nivalis' back, as if to sooth the mental anguish she'd so thoughtlessly thrown onto the mystic. She had enough to contend with without having to worry over Pyrrha now as well.

When Nivalis pulled away, Pyrrha allowed her hand to drop, and once again, it fell limp at her side. "I am happy that you are happy." Was all she said. What else was there to say? That she would have been just as happy to be taken by the Dretch as she was to be back in Zinris, where she could very well be forced to deal with Kou once more? "May I be allowed to leave, Nivalis? My mother will not like it that I am so close to her again." Pyrrha's voice was low; down trodden, beaten, and without the emotion it normally carried.
 

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

From this close, staring up at the other girl's face after having just held her in her arms, Nivalis would have to be a fool not to immediately notice how different Pyrrha was acting as opposed to her norm. Pyrrha was one of her more soft-spoken sisters, generally speaking, but now there was a quietness and a peculiar sort of politeness that was almost suffocating and stiff. Sad, forlorn, limp, almost dazed... Nivalis swallowed, and rubbed her fingers up and down her sister's arm as if to warm her.

Niva's face fell, and her voice was quieter when she spoke again. "Please forgive me," Niva whispered, as her minty gaze remained intent upon her sister's face. "I instructed Atris and Niteo to bring you back to camp, heedless of whether it went in hand with your wishes or not... I suppose I am not as familiar with the situation of your home life as I thought I was, and I assumed- perhaps incorrectly- that you would want to be back with your sisters and your tribe in our camp..." And then it had apparently come to blows in the twins' effort to bring her back. "If you are sore still, I will heal you, but..."

Her sister did not look happy, despite her words, though Niva understood that the current situation was a difficult and complicated one.

"You are not my prisoner," Nivalis murmured. "If it's true that you would rather be away from here, I wouldn't do anything to stop you." Her brows knit and her teeth pinched hard into her cheek to keep from any too-obvious frustration that stemmed from Pyrrha's concerns over her Alkidike guardian, of all things. "However, my concerns don't lie with your guardian's feelings," Niva practically hissed.

"They are with you, and I am uncertain for you being out and alone at this time... You will always have a place with me, and this is your home." As she spoke, her voice gained tenor, and her words started to spill messily from her lips. "I will not allow you to be treated as less than you are, a noble daughter of Elzira, whose place is here. With me..."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

"They were most adamant that I return with them." She certainly hadn't wanted to, but Pyrrha wasn't a match for a trained warrior on the best of days, let alone two. The sisters hadn't been unnecessarily rough; if anything Pyrrha's bruises, light as they were, had been brought on by her own attempts to escape their holds. It wasn't as if they hadn't tried talking with her; she just didn't want to listen.

"I...I don't know what I want, honestly." Pyrrha raised her hands and turned her head down to look at the palms. The callouses on her flesh were so much less than that of her own sisters' or even her mothers, and yet there were also scratches that came from the wilds that none other than herself could have obtained.

"I want to be better so that my mothers will not suffer so, so that Pruu will be proud to have me as a twin, and yet....I also very much want to be left alone." She quirked her lips into a sardonic smile and barked out a little laugh. "I ask for much, and thus, I have none." Pyrrha intended to use her hands to smooth back her bangs, but she ended up bringing them to her face to help smooth away the gathering tears. Her breathing quickened, causing her chest to shudder as she tried to stay calm, for Nivalis' sake.

"I-I will come back to Zinris, if you wish, but I will need time to build a home..." Her voice was shaky at best, and laced with emotion. A home, with Nivalis? Perhaps in the broad sense that Zinris was where they belonged, but she couldn't stay with her friend. Even if Nivalis weren't the mystic the situation would become complicated quickly, and she wouldn't burden her more than she already was.
 

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

Despite the severity of the situation and the turmoil she felt at the thought of potentially allowing her sister to head back out into the forest to fend for herself, the hesitant twitch of a smile ghosted over Niva's features. Her twins probably had been quite adamant to complete the task they'd been given. She couldn't say for certain if it was simply because it had been something Niva asked for specifically, or if they also felt some sort of line had been breached by allowing an Alkidike to dismiss an Elarian from her home. Niva couldn't even be angry at them for causing Pyrrha any unnecessary ails, as they'd only been following her orders.

She shook her head. "I suppose I can't possibly tell you with certainty how to proceed, and neither of us could know which path would make you the happiest, but it seems that working hard to make your twin proud and being left alone entirely don't have to be mutually exclusive." She decided not to mention how she felt regarding any feelings Pyrrha's guardians might have.

"But I am also not certain that I have the willpower to leave you alone. It will always be a fear for me hat Elzira's daughters may tire of our village and seek out a life elsewhere. If that is your wish, I wouldn't stop you. But I'd be very sad."

Niva's fingers skimmed down her sister's arm, tugging Pyrrha's hands from her face and grasping them in her own. "You do not need to 'build a home.' Any shack you could make anywhere isn't 'home.' This whole camp is your home. You can find shelter anywhere; with me beneath our mother's branches, if it pleased you."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

If only Nivalis knew. Pyrrha feared that Pruu would write her off in much the same way her guardians had, and why not? Her bloom mate was rising within the ranks at a steady, respectable pace while Pyrrha was a continuous disappointment. She'd once sneezed from her mouth instead of her nose, and she could have sworn that even that bit of divergence, small as it had been, was enough to cause a twinge in her twin.

She wanted to leave; there was no thought stronger inside of Pyrrha's heart. If they'd left her alone long enough she may have fashioned a boat from the drift wood, and sailed the ocean as far as it would carry her. Maybe a storm would capsize her vessel, dragging her further down into the dark sea, or perhaps the spirits would be kind enough to see her across the abyss into lands that knew nothing of her. Lands where no one would care if she were a little 'strange'.

The breath she inhaled was shaky, staggered at best, but she tried. "I couldn't ask that of you, Nivalis. It isn't right of me to stay here." She said it light enough, but the double meaning was there; whether she meant in the mystic's home, or the camp as a whole, no one would know. Pyrrha gave her friend's hands a squeeze and tried to calm her breathing, to keep herself from cracking beyond the point of repair.

"...If you ask me to stay I will." When Pyrrha looked into the minty eyes of her mystic, her voice wavered. "Please. Tell me you want me to stay." Nivalis had certainly expressed her concerns, but she also hadn't outright stopped Pyrrha from leaving. There was nothing concrete to tie her here, and as free spirited as Pyrrha was, a part of her needed that sense of grounding. She was a social being at heart; one who wanted others to be there for her, and when face with the abyss, that giant gaping darkness that stretched out in front of her....well, it just made her want that assurance from a friend all the more.  

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

"You can ask anything of me!" Nivalis assured, and even to her, the words sounded as if they held some sort of desperation in them. Where would Pyrrha go, what would she do? She couldn't leave here; it wasn't safe! As much unsafe as it wasn't right for her to feel so ostracized when this tribe had been crafted in honor of seeing the Elaria be the strongest they could become. Their mother had blossomed here in this cursed soil so that her daughters could rise anew and see the world beneath them.

Pyrrha belonged here. And Niva wanted her to know that. She wanted to tell her- order her to stay here because it was her home, and she would be safe, and Nivalis would do everything in her power to see her sister happy here. But neither did she want to exert that will onto someone else. Even someone as independent as Pyrrha would head her wishes, and Nivalis didn't want to be the one to take that freedom away...

Then came her sister's plea. 'Tell me you want me to stay.'

Niva's lashes dipped. her gaze skirted away briefly because those words needled at her own personal conflict with exerting that force over someone she didn't think deserved it. Then her pale green orbs were back on Pyrrha's again. "I want you to stay," because it was true, and she was so frightened that if she allowed the other girl to leave, she might not come back. "Stay with me. We will build you a hut if you do not wish to share mine and if your twin and guardians won't offer you protection in the home you were raised in. I will find those who have hurt and shunned you, and they will come to understand that this behavior will never be accepted."

She reached, curling her arms around the taller girl's shoulders and tangling her fingers in the long drapes of Pyrrha's dreads. "Our mother fashioned you as you are, and goddesses do not make mistakes. There is nothing wrong with being different than your bloom mate..."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

Pyrrha had never heard anyone sound like that, much less when speaking to her. It took her by surprise, leaving her already emotionally dampened mental facilities stunned. She wasn't sure if Nivalis was acting this way because she felt a personal responsibility over the elaria, being their mystic, or if she was genuinely concerned over Pyrrha herself as an individual.

Does it matter?

No, it didn't.

Because regardless of why Nivalis was so determined to keep Pyrrha in Zinris someone was actually trying. It was more than her mothers had ever done for her; the very women who shaped her, who saw to her care since infancy, had excluded her from the family, but an outsider was willing to support her. Maybe it was because of that that Pyrrha felt safe around Nivalis. It wasn't just that this girl was her mystic, but also because Pyrrha personally felt that Nivalis was her friend, regardless of Nivalis' true intentions in all of this. She had been scared of being shunned again, of finally being told to vacate her home, and instead was met with hugs.

It was enough to break her down into a sniveling, crying mess.

"F-f-for a time, until my own hut is built." As kind as Nivalis was being, Pyrrha felt it best she stay on her own; for the time being, anyway. There was a lot in her life she needed to adjust to, and maybe some time on her own would be best. "That isn't...I don't want that. They shouldn't be punished; my family doesn't understand, but that doesn't make them wrong. I want them to be happy." And if that meant they should be separated to accomplish that then so be it.

She pulled her hands away from her face, and looped them underneath Nivalis' arms, pulling her friend closer to hold her. "I hope not...because I like being me." She cracked a sad little smile; it wasn't much, but she was trying.  

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

Nivalis held to the young woman in front of her as if releasing Pyrrha may cause her to disappear in a plume of smoke from where she stood. She shut her eyes and pressed ever closer. Had she been so blind? It stung to think that yes, she had been, but that must be the truth of the matter... It wouldn't just happen overnight that anyone could come to feel so unwanted and abandoned that the best option was to leave into the dangers of the wilds without informing friends or- or someone.

Nivalis had thought she'd known any ill-doings in her camp. She thought shed been friends- familiar with everyone so that she would know about burdens just like this one and be able to take them on before it came to this point. Pyrrha might have been lost to her forever, because Niva hadn't known-

Except she had somewhat, hadn't she? Maybe she hadn't realized the extent, or what it meant exactly for their family, but Nivalis had known from both Pyrrha and Pruu that Kou was at odds with her daughter's whimsical nature. She'd known the Alkidike woman had very little softness to compensate for an overabundance of pride and expectation in her children. And if Pyrrha didn't follow those expectations...

Nivalis should have been ready for as much.

"I've failed you," she murmured against Pyrrha's shoulder. "And I'm so sorry... But never again. I am not going to punish anyone," Niva said, though she grimaced as she did. It would have been nice to know there was some retribution from somewhere, but it probably wasn't her place to be the enforcer of that... "I just want them to understand, is all... I suppose I won't waste my time, if you think it a lost cause, Sister."

She petted a hand down Pyrrha's back, gave the girl a tight squeeze, then leaned back enough to look at her. "I also love you being you, and I will protect that for as long as I live. I hope you feel able to come to me, whenever you are feeling unwanted or stressed."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

Pyrrha smoothed her hands down Nivalis' back, offering what comfort she could in her own emotional distress. She leaned her head up against her mystic's, breathing in her scent, and knowing that, if just for the night, she was in a place of safety. Pyrrha could ask for little else.

Her mothers had always stressed the uncertainties of life. Perhaps one day they would be gone from this world; who would care for her then? Would she burden her sisters or would she stand on her own? And yet, when Pyrrha had taken the time to distance herself, to be the 'solid' individual her mother had always claimed to want, she'd been shunned. Was it not better to be confident in herself than to doubt? Pyrrha had chosen her path, and while it may not have been what was right for Kou it was right for her and at the very least, Nivalis had her back.

"You never failed me, Nivalis." She had no way of knowing how bad things had been. Pruu and Myrcella weren't ones for long, drawn out sessions of venting and Pyrrha had been one to smile through it all. How could anyone have known the weight of Kou's expectations? "I think....that for now, this is enough. My mothers have a right to their choices, as do my sisters, and we have ours."

When contact was removed, even the slightest to allow the two to look at each other, Pyrrha felt a little more resolved. It wasn't a good feeling; she still had so much to deal with, but for tonight she didn't have to think about it at all. Tonight she could stay by the side of a friend who wanted nothing more out of her than a smile, one she was happy enough to give.

"I thank you for that, Nivalis. I'm....I was going to wait to tell you this, but time waits for no one. I've chosen to follow the path of a Sacred Heart. Kou discredited me, she was very adamant that I change my mind because of the responsibilities involved, but I can't think of anything else I'd rather do here than to become someone who can do right by my goddess and my friend."  

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

It was difficult to tamp down the sheer frustration Nivalis felt toward the Alkidike women who had raised this girl only to shun her. Who had given them the right to tell Pyrrha anything about herself was less than perfect? Certainly not Elzira. Any who claimed to live by her goddess must surely know that the Great Mother would never begrudge one of her daughters for being different than any other. They were not born to be clones and copies. Pyrrha's differences were a beautiful gift that everyone should cherish... And Nivalis was so offended that there were those who didn't.

So she had failed. She had failed to make this known such that every single member of her tribe would know, understand, and agree, and each of her Elarian sisters would be welcomed and adored in whatever family claimed their blooms, regardless of how closely they followed the warrior path.

'It's not fair.'

The thought kept ringing through Nivalis' head, despite her sister's assurances. And really, it was Niva who should be making the other girl feel better, not the other way around! She was frustrated about that, too. "No one has right to send you from your home," Nivalis muttered. "Not until the mother claims your spirit and your body is sent to rest at the furthest reach of her roots... Many, many decades from now..."

She released a disgruntled and resigned puff of air. If Pyrrha wanted to forgive and forget, Nivalis should at very least try to remain reasonable if she should ever face that woman again, and there were other aspects of Pyrrha's life that were more important than the woman who raised her. Including the admission that followed.

Nivalis' lips curled into a smile of her own. "No one should discredit you," she hummed. "You will make a wonderful Sacred Heart, and I believe your compassion will be better for it. And..." The tips of her antennae twitched, and her smile turned almost mischievous. "You will have ample opportunity to show me. You know it is the mystic who trains her sisters in the magical arts."  

[Painted Moose]

Fluffesu

"It was never really my home," Pyrrha mused. "Maybe at one time, when I was still small and resembled a daughter. I'm apart of Zinris, but not that house; never again." Even if Fassala were to go against her mate's wishes to bring their daughter home, nothing would change. Kou's words were final; they branded Pyrrha's soul like hot iron, and what more damage could she do than that? For a mother to completely write her child off like that...Even if their relationship was strained it burned all the same.

It was something she would never forget, and yet, it was also the very thing she was trying so hard to push out of her mind.

"I am...not as focused as the others, but my aim is true." On the rare occasions Pyrrha bothered to show up to training it was difficult for her to get into the mindset. So many were pushing themselves all around her, creating such a tense atmosphere that she almost always tried to get out of it. "The only reason I ever tried to keep up with my training...was for Pruu. I thought if I could try a little harder then we could talk about something she liked."

You know it is the mystic who trains her sisters in the magical arts.

For the first time in their conversation, Pyrrha's antennae gave a pleasant little curl and her eyes brightened. "I had heard about that. I'm sorry to say, but I'm not easy to teach." Still, it was thrilling to know that maybe some of Elzira's magic was inside her. She couldn't think of anything more rewarding than to be able to tap into that in defense of all she held dear.  

[Fluffesu]

Painted Moose

It still sickened her to know that one of her own siblings didn't consider the house where she was raised to be her home. But so long as Pyrrha acknowledged that Zinris was, regardless of what others said, Nivalis supposed that was enough. Niva inhaled slowly, then gave a crisp nod. She didn't care what any of the guardian Alkidike mothers thought. There would be no tolerance for treating any Elarian like they were lesser, no matter where their skills led them. And though it was true that as a warrior tribe, there was a lot of pride in physical strength, brute force, and capability to overcome obstacles with combat rather than anything else, there were other types of strength that could be just as important.

Nivalis thought she understood that to some degree. Even though she'd been trained to fight alongside her sisters, she was not expected nor wanted at the forefront of any battle. She had her own place that didn't rely on slaughtering her enemies, and so she expected that if it could be so for her, it must be possible for Pyrrha as well.

"There is no need to force yourself for anyone else's sake," Niva assured, clasping her sister's fingers in her own. "If the type of training you've been asked to do does not play to your strengths, then there is no point. It will be easier to better yourself when you work with what you enjoy and do things how you'd like to do them..." Though, admittedly, Nivalis wasn't sure where exactly that put Pyrrha. "What is it that you enjoy? If you've set your mind on the path of a Sacred Heart, we will need to find some way to make the practice entertaining and worthy of your time."

If she was to help her sister progress (though she was no master of magic herself, yet), they would need to become more personally familiar with each other... Pyrrha had always had a different way of thinking, and Nivalis couldn't say she was entirely accustomed to it, yet, regardless of how accepting she was.