Cold.
The nights always were..
Illuminated beneath the gaze of the moon, silver light charged with the frigid gusts of whistling winds swept over the open fields like crashing waves, no more alike than the shores just off to the west; the white frothed hills rolling over dark seas crashing upon jagged rocks lining the shore. It wasn't unwelcome, however, far from it. You grew used to the breeze, to the cadence of the waves. It was soothing in a sense, a familiarity recognized as home and it was hard to let go of that…too hard although some things weren't meant to stay that way, they naturally slipped away from you—at some point the doors forward became too small to let the both of you through, stepping past them meant letting go…and that was fine, understanding that was simple. He just wished, maybe, that it wasn't pried from his hands instead, that would've been nice perhaps…
His gaze lowered, what did that matter anyway, the only thing left was what lied ahead…no one could walk backwards. Shifting for something strapped along his waist, he'd made sure he wouldn't lose the map he'd garnered like he somehow did a lot of things. Certain that it was there, he felt the confidence to finally leave; this was behind him now, all of it was. Pushing back a thin strand from his head, he made an effort to turn around—wanted to at least, fixed atop that hill like a statue to the whistling winds. They enjoyed the wind actually, roaring even. Lights from below weren't so cold then, houses lit in lamp light, a bonfire flickering in the middle of the night with the fervent movements of dancing torches. Nights like this were celebration, the breath of the winds just as the waters, the grass, the mountains and the boundless skies were proof that their great mother lived; even as the corpse of a mountain.
It was a shame the threat of recent storms kept them in this time around…or perhaps was it his own presence, maybe, as improbable as that was, the thought of his absence brought silence. Maybe if they waited long enough, there might wake a new dawn without him. That seemed about enough, he thought, taking one last look before he turned around to leave, pausing as he did. "Beautiful, isn't it? You've been there for quite a while" The voice traveled, airy against the winds as he stared into the shallow darkness, a figure beneath the pale light, hard to make out with his vision but easy to recognize from the voice alone. "Teacher Helm…" he muttered, "Gohlm, you little sprout, you get a little older and here you are already, pondering in the night" He playfully chastised, "although I must admit, it is a good night tonight, the moon is full"
Helm chuckled, a voice unraveled by time; ancient and yet it seemed nothing had shaken it, perhaps nothing ever would. He could feel him grin, the nature of it however, completely lost on him as he heard him sigh, glancing off to his side. "Great storm's are approaching, it'd be best if we headed back now…" he spoke softly, perhaps he'd misheard and truthfully he likely hadn't; the word 'we' seemed accentuated, said with a certain cadence bordering towards coercion. For a moment too long, there was a pause, one inhabited by the growing fierceness of the winds until Helm sighed, "I thought that might work, I should've expected no less from such a stubborn student" he chuckled and shook his head, resonating with him as Gohlm scoffed—glancing off to nowhere. Smiling at that, or at least…he assumed that he was, the turbulent winds at this point bellowing silver-white hair, bellowing the fur collared cape atop Gohlm's shoulders too and a small silence between them sat there before Helm stared over him, to the town below.
"…People can be idiots, Gohlm, misinformed. They make mistakes and it is then the duty of those that know better to inform them of such…there is a place for you here, wherever you deem as home" The winds continued, his words were almost convincing…too convincing. Wherever he deemed as home was it? His gaze lowered, threatening to glance back but it didn't, he wouldn't allow it to. Home was a distant thing, home was where those unlike himself resided. Helm chuckled, a short one as he stared at him again, "I see, it's a shame really, you were quite the talented fighter"
"Far from it…" Helm scoffed, "You detest yourself and now you wish to discard your abilities? There is nothing to be ashamed of with what you fight with, who you are, what battlefield exists with such rules where that would ever be a problem?" He shook his head, "I know your stance and I vehemently refuse it, you are my student and I give you permission to continue to use what these isles have taught us. If you have a problem with that, address it now with your fists—renounce yourself of our teachings…but similarly if anyone else questions this decision then they will do so with me…"
Gohlm blinked, whipping his head up to meet him as Helm chuckled, more than just amused whilst stepping forward towards him, soon enough he'd made his way to where he stood beside him, his feature's still blind to him, encased in a blur and an impenetrable scene of darkness as Helm gazed over the image of town, "I hope you do find a home, Gohlm, I hope you accept it"
He didn't answer, a promise like that felt too heavy, an impossibility. Nodding a shallow acknowledgement at the request but not exactly accepting it, he stepped forward, moving to truly leave now before Helm glanced back, "And," Gohlm turned around, the sound of metal ringing in the air and something glinting beneath the light that he instinctively caught, "When you get to that city of yours and you insist with this get up, buy yourself a helmet will you? I can almost hear it, 'the Bucket Headed Warrior of the West'" He scoffed, "I'll ridicule it, Gohlm, I swear I will"
A chuckle left his lips too, shaking his head as he turned to leave again whilst pocketing the gold coin as Helm muttered, "When you do find it, fight to keep it this time, stand firm. Do not think yourself below such a thing" His heart shuddered, embers floating in his view as the world seemed. to be set asunder, a warm blaze encapsulating it all and somehow it felt like hom—
His eyes shot open, catching sight of the stars above the night sky, a gentle chill wafting him in the night before he'd realized anything at all, 'Dreaming…?' he thought to himself, catching a small groan from beside him as he glanced over to where Gale slept, his draconic features snorting in the shallow light with a frown of annoyance at his sudden movements. "Hrmm" he heard him grumble, a growl more than anything as a gentle sigh left his lips in small amusement, staring for a small while before standing from the scarlet mane he'd used as a pillow, the lack of weight enough to slightly rouse the other from slumber, {Where are you going..?} he heard him mumble.
"A bath, you can rest—" But a rumbling huff told him that he'd gone back to sleep anyway, smiling with an exasperated huff before making his way towards the lake; scattering fireflies fluttering in the night. He found the saddle as he made it to the lake's edge, still discarded beside it and unblemished, glad at least that it hadn't been ravaged by some curious woodland creature attracted by the oddity; half joking to himself that perhaps because it smelt like dragon or was it a secret part of the enchantments they'd had riddled all over it when wanting it to be able to change size. Curious indeed, he chuckled. The stars shone brightly deeper into the night, at their zenith, their dull hues engulfed the lands below in a pale veil that seemed gentle in its light, lulling even as he slowly moved and un-clipped the cape first, let it fall to the ground like a dark puddle beside the edge before moving to his chest, his arms, his legs and hands. By the time it was done, all that remained was the helmet, an expressionless stare atop the surface of the dark waters rippling against the gentle winds whilst stepping into them like that.
The water splashed as he settled in moments later, almost flinching at the temperature, 'Cold' he thought, sighing as he sunk in and let the waters cool him down, neck to toes; it wasn't as though he was unused to it, the dark seas were almost freezing. Chuckling to himself at that, he smiled, dimming slightly at the thought. The dark seas, the western isles where he was born. Letting the thought fester, unconsciously as he floated beside the edge, staring at the shimmering ripples, his chest tightened as he shook off the thought. He hated dreaming for that very reason, remembering the past like that when it'd been buried so long ago, lowering his gaze at the thought. 'I hope you do find a home, I hope you accept it' he frowned, staring into the abyss, his reflection staring back at him above the ripples but perhaps—more aptly, he lifted a faint hand, dark waters seeping between the gaps in his fingers, fixated onto that faint reflection until it emptied, until it was just his hand, the shallow light making it all too clear, the grim reminder he'd been born with. Home…home was for those unlike himself.
He leaned back, relaxed by the cold waters and content with a drawled out sigh and a rustling thump, glancing to where Gale slept, their tail absentmindedly sweeping the ground as a faint smile crept across his lips; fading slowly as he dipped his hands below the waters, peeled his gaze from the rest of his body and stared up towards the stars. That calmed him for a while.