A Court of Games and Fate

A Tumble Down a Wall

          Andromeda had never winnowed so far. Velaris to the Illyrian Camps felt like she was being thrust through numerous barriers at once, but it did not feel to be too much for her. Perhaps it was two lengthy winnows in one day, or her distracted mind tearing through her focus like a spear, but something was immediately wrong with this leap.

          Mist shrouded her form, her eyes only catching whirling shapes that could only be made out slightly from the darkness surrounding her. Her limbs felt like they were being held back from passing into whatever location she was aiming for as if swimming through hardened molasses. She kept picturing the location, feeling for the innate pull from a fated string inside her. Familiar or not with Tamlin's home, her mate was there and nothing could hide him from her instincts.

          It felt like many strained minutes before her body gave out from whatever exertion this winnowing was causing. Mist melted away in a pathetic wheeze as her small frame collided hard with a surface. Andromeda shrieked as her familiar, threatening mist dissipated instead into a cloud of dirt and twigs. The air left her body as she tumbled across the seemingly forest floor, her hair snagging on random branches or sticks. She threw her arms out to try and shield herself in the tumble, only to receive many small scratches that annoyingly stung.

          Coming to a halt, Andromeda rolled onto her back, groaning out in pain and annoyance. This was not how she was hoping to enter the Spring Court, though she supposed this was likely what she deserved after all her stunts today alone. Staring up at the bright, afternoon sky, Andromeda was pleased to see that despite her winnowing journey feeling like ages, it was still well before nightfall. Cauldron, this day has felt like a decade. The branches filled with luscious green leaves swayed lightly above her as birds and insects chirped nearby. A light trickle of water told her there was likely a stream close to her. Outside of the ambient signs of nature, Andromeda was unable to sense anything or anyone in her vicinity. She groaned again. Leave it to her to miss her mark on her first winnowing journey.

          She remained there on the ground for a while, letting the cool breeze pass through her, soothing the scrapes and bruises gained from the tumble. The surrounding nature calmed her senses only slightly, though she was still completely unfamiliar with the area in which she landed. Attempting to winnow again was not a current option as her power felt completely drained, though Andromeda was hesitant to rest much longer in unfamiliar and potentially unfriendly territory.

          Annoyance flooded through her, mixed with defeat. She really was just an immature child. How was she meant to take on a journey such as this? Her father was still off brooding if his lack of reaching out was any indication, not that it mattered considering she was blocking out their connection in avoidance of any initial raging. She knew little about the Spring Court other than the fact that Tamlin's family was responsible for the deaths of her own. All she was following here was a mate who potentially wanted nothing to do with her and supposedly a wedding between her father's mate and her father's greatest enemy.

          Perhaps she made a mistake.

          A branch shifted above her, allowing a beam of sunlight to pass through to her within her shaded resting place. The beam warmed her skin and allowed her to sigh from the sensation of a familiar comfort. The sunlight pulled her from her sinking thoughts that tried so hard to spiral into their typical flow of self-pity. She wasn't going to face the world lying down in the dirt. Andromeda was there for a purpose and she wasn't going to waste her chance. Wherever she was, she was free and she was going to take advantage of it.

          A few more breaths passed before she pushed herself off the ground, stifling another groan as her limbs protested. Her bag had slid off of her turning her fight with gravity and was in the dirt only a few paces away. First thing first, she needed to figure out where she was. Andromeda attempted to brush off as much dirt as she was able to from her clothing and carefully plucked some stray sticks from her tangled curls. If her mate could see her covered in blood like a rabid animal, she figured he wouldn't care about her appearance now.