the waters and sands of lake dark are midnight with stars pushed to shore
all light disappears an acorn's width below the still surface
zer'atesh declined for his own reasons but the rest of us had to know
medya dove beneath the surface with barely a ripple and when she came back up a few seconds later she looked so happy and calm that i knew it would be safe
i felt a bit awkward because my front floats a little lower now but i relaxed and dipped under
i had a brief vision
a wide open gallery room is silent in the glow of midday
several hallways disappear into sunlight
a single cloud-grey marble pedestal sits in the center
a unicorn of gleaming porcelain and copper trim lies dormant
a gryphon of burgundy crystals and copper filigree rests on top
talons and paws gently fuse to withers and croup – inseparable
all is peaceful and timeless
a brass plaque on the pedestal shows the name of the piece:
"dreaming in harmony"
medya had the same vision
we laid together on the shore and nuzzled close and said nothing and cried gently
how can i even describe the feeling?
the promise of wholeness ... forever with my favorite person ... a masterwork complete
it was so dreamlike that i don't actually know what language the inscription was in ... but it felt real in the ways that matter
lately we've seen so much death twisted into the opposite of life that we needed a purifying view of what it's meant to be
spark and bell and relic each had their own visions of rest but theirs aren't mine to share
along with lake dark we've been enjoying the calm of lakeside sanitarium
everything here is simple and high quality
despite its odd hue the bread is tasty and wholesome and it reminds me of ... home
where i could relax around familiar folks and just be a sculptor
where i didn't have to worry about winterwolves or fiends or undead or explosions or evil in general
where i felt safe
speaking of home safety
spark bumped into one of the dwarves we met on the train months ago and they shared news
that's how we learned that the tordannon estate – in "krona pass" where grenda went to avoid nolan toranak's wrath – had burned to the ground
nobody died but many were injured
the local watch said it looked like arson and i can guess who did it – badberry janat is the reason i know the galifari word "arson" in the first place!
i don't think he and i can be friends
despite that bad news today's been good for all of us
tomorrow i have a much-needed appointment with a nearby farrier – my front hooves don't grow but the back ones still do so being overdue for a trim feels worse than usual
i also feel overdue for a chat with dad ... and i think i'll ask him to pass the stone to my brother for a chat because i miss him too
right now i will enjoy several hours of sleep in this comfortable bed in this comfortable place