A fifteen-year-old Eira laid in bed with her girlfriend. They had been laying in bed together for hours, just enjoying each other's company. She held her hand out and they both watched the calm swirls of ice and snow that she created for them to watch. Mabelle watched with a relaxed grin, leaning into Eira's embrace. She lazily lifted up her own hand and stared at it.
"I wish I could do that," Mabelle admitted with a sigh, her hand falling to her side.
"Well, I wish I could fight with swords like you," Eira retorted after a few moments, her eyes wandering to the sheathed sword leaning against the wall.
"I've offered to teach you! Doesn't your mom have those two swords in storage? They're absolutely beautiful, and you'd probably be able to combine the swords with your powers!" Mabelle rambled a bit, making Eira grin.
Eira turned and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. "I'll take you up on that one day."
The two sat in comfortable silence, watching the small snow and ice show above them. Mabelle traced invisible designs on Eira's other hand, occasionally making her guess what she was drawing. The two had been together for almost a year. They had been friends for as long as either could remember but decided to give their relationship a chance to go further. However, both wanted to go off and fight. Eira often sat in on meetings with the Lucina's and knew that they needed more fighters.
Growing up in Valsaire, Eira had met plenty of people from the coven- she even went to school with some of them. She had nothing against them, just their leadership. She knew their children and plenty of them were innocent. Eira figured that if she went to battle, she could fight the real root of the problem and help ensure the best option for both the coven and the rest of Thera.
Mabelle wanted to fight as well. But she wanted to join a group of warriors called the Fortenas. They were an elite group of people who fought without powers. They used swords and other weapons to fight. While it seemed to be perfect for Mabelle, it could mean having to give up Eira and her life in Valsaire. The Fortenas were constantly on the move, they didn't fight for any single realm. They went where they saw fit and fought for whichever side aligned with their views, and that could change over time. They were known to be some of the best warriors of Thera and each realm fought to have them on their side. The warriors essentially gave up their identities, they had to leave the past behind to truly put their all into their fight.
Mabelle sat up, startling Eira slightly, making her raise an eyebrow in question. "I have something for you."
She reached her hand into her pocket and dug through until she seemed to find what she was looking for. Mabelle pulled out a beautiful necklace. It was a black wired necklace with a bright red stone attached to it. Eira held the stone up to the light, completely mesmerized by the way the rock glowed.
"You know, I did some research. Apparently, red is kind of a color for your family," Mabelle informed her.
Eira hummed, tilting her head as she observed the stone. "Red, huh? Figured it would be white or something, you know- snow."
"I was surprised too, I like the splash of color, though."
"I do, too," Eira said as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Thank you."
"Think of it as a lucky charm. Even if I can't fight by your side at some point, I'll be with you here," Mabelle said, gently reaching up to graze her fingers along the stone.
"We'll see if I ever get to fight at all," Eira grumbled in annoyance.
"Your parents again?"
"They just keep going on about how our family has a bad history in wars. You'd think we were cursed or something," Eira said with a roll of her eyes. "It's just... how can we sit idly by? People need us and we can help."
Mabelle smiled, leaning over and cupping Eira's cheek. "That's one of the things I love about you."
"My teenage rebellion?" Eira smirked, tilting her head coyly.
"That," Mabelle emphasized playfully, "and also how much you care about people."
"Or maybe I just care about you and want to follow you to the Fortenas."
"Sorry, no mystical powers allowed," Mabelle teased with a grin, gesturing to the snow show still happening above them.
Eira gawked and swept her hand and the snow disappeared. "Since when do you play by the rules?"
"Well..." Mabelle seemed to hesitate for a moment, her head bowing slightly. She licked her lips nervously, moving her eyes back to Eira. "Since I got a message from them. I, um... I join the Fortenas in a few months."
Instantly, Eira felt like she was falling.
She was falling... falling.
And for the first time in her life, it didn't feel like Mabelle would be there to catch her before the blow.