The Sun's Awakening

Chapter Thirteen

Amidst the ancient forest, a bridge of woven vines and weathered wood spanned across a chasm, connected by two of the grandest trees Eledorah had ever laid eyes on. She paced in the center of the bridge, suspended high above the verdant canopy below. Each step upon its creaking planks echoed through the stillness of the morning air. 

As she pivoted to pace eastward once more, she spotted a figure silhouetted against the backdrop of the forest. Anja. There was a stillness about her, a sense of quiet contemplation that seemed to permeate the air around her.

"Anja!" Eledorah called out, unsure whether to bow, wave, or remain in place. As she struggled to process what to do, her mind combined the actions and produced an awkward curtsy cut short when she switched to waving with both hands before she slapped herself mentally and stood up pin-straight with her hands behind her back.

Anja cracked an amused smile. "You don't have to act so formal with me. Dragonborn are not fond of fake flattery. Action... Now that is the way to earn our respect. Tell me, Eledorah, when was the last time you had to take action?"

While she spoke, Anja made her way to the center of the bridge where Ele stood in contemplation. It swayed gently with each movement and stilled when the weight distributed evenly in the middle.

The air was alive with the fragrance of damp earth and dew-kissed foliage, mingling with the heady aroma of pine needles and wildflowers. The dawn chorus of birdsong filled the air, a harmonious melody that danced on the breeze, accompanied by the gentle rustle of leaves and the distant murmur of running water.

Ele swallowed. "When I saw the atrocities that fell upon my home and realized that I had to do something. That's what led me here."

"Let me specify what I meant," Anja leaned against the ropes, which barely hit the middle of her back. The woman was tall, at least half a foot taller than the faenix in front of her. "When was the last time you fought for something? I saw you fight for your life against Fenrir's children and to save that fanged man, but what do you know of saving something even greater?"

"I... My mate had an evil trapped within him and I had to vanquish it to save Scepulchre." The casualness of that remark nearly made Anja break out into laughter until she saw the solemn face of the faenix girl and knew that what she spoke was truth. 

"Hmph, you wouldn't be able to tell that just by looking at him. I could tell Roman had secrets–"

"Roman? My mate?" Ele doubled over at the waist, clutching the rope so as not to fall over from the eruption of laughter that disturbed all the birds nearby and caused them to take flight. "Oh gods no! Ha, no no no. He is not my mate. He's just... He's..."

"Oh child, there's no need to explain what you yourself can't even see." The dragonborn cast her knowing gaze away, looking over her shoulder at the forest floor below. 

Changing the subject before more embarrassment ensued, Ele inquired, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

Anja hesitated, "There's something I need to tell you," She began, her voice low and serious. "Yet I'm beginning to think that showing you may be easier." 

Before Eledorah could respond, Anja leaned back against the railing, her movements slow and deliberate. Her heart skipped a beat as she watched Anja teeter on the edge of the bridge, the chasm below yawning open like a gaping maw.

Instinctively, Ele reached out, her fingers grasping desperately for purchase on Anja's arm. But it was too late. With a sudden lurch, Anja toppled over the edge, disappearing into the depths below. Without a moment's hesitation, she followed, her own body hurtling through the air with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation.