Under The Full Moon

Spirit Renewed

Broin waited with Gale for a time, watching as the others came from the trees. Giving his horse a gentle nudge he moved it toward the group, Gale and Valor following shortly behind him. He gave a wave to the man in the lead, who nodded back to him. Gale herself had gone to her father, taking up the space beside him. As Broin watched, Gale smiled at her father, Harland reaching to set a hand on his daughter's arm. "Was it a good ride? You look just like you had before," Harland spoke softly, a smile of his own having formed on his lips. Gale nodded.

"It was. You never realize how much you truly enjoy something until it is taken from you," Gale responded. There was a lot that she couldn't do while being stuck in the forest and it put life in a new perspective for the young woman. She looked up to the clear sky, the blue dotted with the occasional fluffy white cloud. Smiling some, Gale drew in a breath, exhaling quietly through her nose. She made a silent promise to listen better to her father and the others that tried to keep her safe. They were right, and she was willing to admit where she had gone wrong. As stubborn as she was, Gale wasn't too proud to admit she was wrong. She was drawn from her thoughts, Valor's shift beneath her signaling he was walking downhill. Her father hadn't said anything beside her, though his expression showed that he agreed with Gale. 

Gale's eyes widened a little as they reached the valley, watching the sights that unfolded in front of with the wonder of a child. Gale had never been to the valley, neither before nor after her transformation. She looked to her father, a chuckle leaving his lips. He nodded to her, permitting her to go ahead to explore some. "Just stay close," he said, though he had no doubts that she would listen to those words before they were even spoken. Gale bumped Valor, the horse turning to the right as she lightly tugged the reins. She passed the soldiers and went ahead a little way before she slowed Valor to a stop. Standing up in the saddle to get a better look, Gale shielded her eyes from the sun, a smile bright on her face. She could see down into the valley some, though at the bottom the trees seemed to cut it off. From where she stood, when the wind blew just right, she could catch the soft scent of a river. There was a pang in her chest after a moment before she climbed down off the saddle. 

"As much as I didn't like being forced to be what I was... I kind of miss it now," Gale said softly to the horse, resting her hand on his shoulder. She looked toward the Valley again, patting Valor's soft hide before she turned him around to rejoin her father. 

"See anything?" Harland questioned, Gale answering with a shake of her head. "That's a shame. The view was something though, wasn't it?" Gale smiled at this. 

"It was. I think there might be a river down there," Gale explained, though she frowned after a moment. "If I could still fly I would be able to tell for sure..." She looked at the saddle beneath her, running her finger over the leather of the horn. Harland's smile faded, his hand reaching out and resting on her shoulder. He wanted his daughter back, but he did understand that there were things that she was going to have to get used to not having again. Namely her ability to fly. He wasn't the one that was flying before, but that brief glimpse that he had gotten when she had taken him into the sky gave him an idea of how freeing it could be. 

"I understand," Harland said, his tone gentle. He gave her shoulder a soft pat, though something made him stop. Gale had stopped responding and her head had lifted. She seemed to stare off into the distance, her expression blank. "Broin?" He called, grabbing Valor's reins and bringing the horse to a stop. He waved a hand in front of Gale's face, though she didn't do so much as blink at the motion in front of her face. "Broin!!" Harland shouted this time, his voice full of concern. Broin turned in the saddle, noting that they had stopped and Gale was sitting unresponsive. He felt a cold chill run down his spine before he turned his horse and hurried back to Gale and Harland. 

"What happened?" Broin asked, bringing his horse to an abrupt stop beside Gale and Valor, the black horse standing with his ears back. Valor looked as though he could sense something wasn't right, his eyes beginning to widen a little to reveal the whites. After a few seconds, Valor let out a squealing neigh, rearing up some and trying to bolt forward. Harland, holding tightly to the reins, was able to keep the horse from going far. He climbed down off the horse he had been seated upon, Broin doing the same as they tried to settle the horse. Gale had yet to move, though there was a soft glow from the collar about her neck. "Wysteria!" Broin shouted for the sorceress, hoping she might be able to do something to help. Hearing her name, she didn't hesitate to hurry back to them, the rest of the company stopping their horses, some turning to look to see what was going on. 

Harland was fighting to get Valor under control, the horse panicking as though there was a big cat trying to catch him. The large horse tossed his head, trying to pull the reins free of Harland's grip, the man speaking softly to him, trying to settle him. Broin grabbed Gale's arm, pulling her toward him and off the horse. Only once Gale was down off his back did the horse seem to remotely begin to calm down. He looked up to Valor, the horse's eyes rolling and his nostril's still flared in panic before he looked to Gale. She still stared forward, her expression hadn't changed once in the time between Harland's noticing her and now. He patted her cheek, looking up as Wysteria climbed down off her horse and rushed to him. "What's going on?!" She asked, kneeling beside Gale, reaching to take the young woman's face in her hands. She seemed to search Gale's eyes before going into a state of deep concentration.

"I'm not sure, Harland called me back and then Valor lost his mind. Her collar is..." He started, though before he could finish, light erupted from the collar, though it wasn't the same blinding white that had been there before. Instead, it was a warm pinkish colored light that washed over them, making them shield their eyes briefly before it dimmed enough for them to see again. Harland looked over to them from around Valor's trembling shoulder, a worried look on his face. 

Gale's eyes had taken on a soft glow, her body following suit after a moment or two before the light began to dim further. Her eyes were the last to dim, followed by a rapid blinking as she seemed to come back around. She looked between Broin and Wysteria, her brow furrowing in confusion and worry. "What happened?" She mumbled, sounding as though she had just woken from a heavy sleep. Wysteria shook her head, her hands leaving Gale's face before she looked to Broin, then Harland. 

"I-I don't know how but..." Wysteria looked back to Gale. "Something happened that allowed for you to use your dragon form at will... I'm not sure if it was the magic of the collar or the death of the Crone..." Wysteria stopped, unsure of how to finish. She frowned. "I tried to see what it was but... whatever happened was behind a veil. I can't see it,"