Winterbound, Part 24 - Dawn

For a moment there was only black. It stretched on to infinity, to as far as the eye couldn’t see – a nothingness, an empty void. It enveloped Anaya from all sides, except Anaya didn’t exist either. If she had, she would have found this contradiction interesting. But she didn’t. Nothing did.

It lasted a second. It lasted a thousand lifetimes.

And then it was Everything All at Once. Anaya would have screamed – the sudden onslaught of feelings thrusting her so deep into a sensory overload it was unbearable – but until just now she had been nothingness and in the time it took her to reinvent her lungs and her vocal chords, Kaneq had wrapped herself around Anaya and Everything was quiet again.

The sun rose outside the window, bathing the workroom in a warm, golden hue. Anaya was heaving, her every nerve still vibrating with excitement even as she slowly calmed down. Kaneq sat by the loom. She was in her human form, a forlorn expression on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said, brushing her hand along the strings. They played out a soft melody. “I couldn’t find you faster.”

“What happened?” Anaya managed. Bit by bit she was becoming aware of herself again, of her physical self that sat in an abandoned temple, of three hands pressed against her back.

“Forming a brand-new bond of anchoring is much more intense than inheriting it,” Kaneq said. The loom wove itself as she spoke, a colorful pattern that did but didn’t make sense to Anaya’s muddled mind. “Normally a new anchor is added into the existing bond of a previous anchor, without needing to touch the other end of the bond. It’s a simple ritual, and one that doesn’t require too much from the anchor. However, the situation being what it is…” She paused, strummed the strings again. “We’ll have to tie the rope to the ship as well, so to speak.”

“I…” Anaya tried then swallowed. “Was that… your mind?”

Kaneq looked at her and she was human, but also she wasn’t. She was so much more, but she was missing something, she was the uncanny valley, she was the perfect form, she was unattainable but easily approachable, she was dangerous, an apex predator and a parental figure, she was the best and worst thing that had even happened to Anaya.

“That was my beginning,” she said, her voice echoing through millennia. “And the beginning of the universe.”

“I need to sit down,” said Anaya.

“You are sitting down,” said Kaneq, a glint of amusement in her voice, and she was correct. Anaya was sitting next to her, on the bench in front of the loom. It felt familiar to Anaya; like sitting there with her grandma, except… not quite.

Kaneq reminded her in many ways of her grandma, but Anaya supposed that made sense. Grandma had been Kaneq’s anchor and based on what little either of them had told her, it sounded like they had been good friends until something had called Kaneq away.

Anaya picked up the weft shuttle and pushed it through the strings. “What happens now?” she asked.

Kaneq received the shuttle on the other end of the loom. “We have to venture a little further into my mind, I’m afraid,” she said as she set it down. “But I promise, it won’t be as hectic as what you first saw.”

Anaya hummed, fiddled with the comb she picked up to smoothen the line they wove.

“We can take a moment for you to get ready,” Kaneq suggested, but Anaya shook her head.

“I won’t get any more ready by waiting,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

Kaneq studied her for a moment, before nodding and taking her hand. Anaya braced herself. The workroom around them melted away.

They were in the void once more, but this time it wasn't empty. And they weren't alone.

~x~

Hacer shields her eyes against the harsh wind whipping sharp snow in her face. She got separated from her party a few paces back; not a good thing even in the best of circumstances, never mind with a blizzard brewing. She keeps stumbling through the snow, towards the direction she thinks the cliffside is. She needs to find cover soon, or she'll freeze to death.

Eventually the dark form of the mountain comes into view through the sheet of white falling down. She hurries her steps and, once she's close enough, presses her palm against the rock. There are several caves around these parts, all she has to do is follow the wall north.

The wind grows stronger the further she goes, as does a gnawing tension in the pit of her stomach, but she knows, she knows, that a cave is just around the corner. She just has to make it there and she'll be fine. She continues walking, never letting her hand leave the side of the mountain.

She sees it finally, the little crack in the wall. The mouth of a cave. She smiles, allowing herself a moment of relief. She will survive the blizzard yet. A strong gust nearly throws her off balance as she approaches the cave and she lets out a small shriek.

Why... why is the wind coming from inside the cave?

Her heart is hammering in her chest, but she steels herself and peeks inside. Another gust pushes her hood off, almost snatching her hat as it goes. She swallows, pressing her hat deeper onto her head and pushes on.

It is cold inside the cave, abnormally so, the gusts of wind brushing past her in a steady rhythm. Her footsteps echo as she slowly makes her way deeper into the tunnel. She rounds a corner and a large cavern opens in front of her, its floor and walls and ceiling covered in a layer of ice, powdery snow piled up in the corners.

In the middle of the room, coiled like a snake, lies a dragon.

The beast is massive, huge wings and three pairs of legs tucked against its body, its long neck resting on the ground. As it breathes out, a wave of icy wind rushes down the tunnel.

It appears to be asleep, but that does nothing to diminish the terror Hacer feels, especially when it suddenly opens one emerald green eye.

Except no, that's wrong. Kaneq isn't a beast, nor is she terrifying.

And her name isn't Hacer, its...

~x~

Gamze is almost vibrating with excitement. Today is her 25th birthday, which means she's finally old enough to have her ceremony. She's yearned for this day for a good decade, the day she can become a part of the living tradition of her family, to become the next piton in the long line of anchors for the Great Kaneq.

A gentle knock on her door draws her attention from smoothing down her dress for the umpteenth time and she turns to see her father's head peek through the door.

"Are you ready, kiddo?" he asks and her heart feels like exploding. He takes her by the hand and leads her through the house and into the yard where the stone dais has been set up.

Her heartbeat is in her ears as she steps up onto it and sits on one of the three marked spots. Her father steps up after her and sits on her left side. He gives her a reassuring smile. She fiddles with the soul stone around her neck.

The wait, scarecly 20 seconds, feels like an eternity.

A coolness settles over them and a small snowflake lands on her arm despite the warmth of the midsummer day. She looks up with wide eyes as the long form of the Great Kaneq floats gracefully down and lands with nary a sound. The grass around the points Her feet touch become immediately covered in a layer of white.

'Hello, Gamze,' a magnificent voice echoes in her head for the first time and her breath catches in her throat.

But no, this is wrong too. She's heard this voice before, she knows this presence like her own by now. She isn't Gamze either, she is...

~x~

Neadi sneaks through the quiet house by candle light. She shouldn't be up this late, she knows, mother will be cross with her if she finds out, but she just has to see the tapestry one more time. She'd watched mother weave it earlier that day and something about it had been so captivating she couldn't fall asleep. Just a quick peek, she tells herself, and then she's back to bed.

The door to the workroom creaks a little as she pushes it open and she glances down the hall to see if anyone heard. When nothing stirrs in the rest of the house, she quickly slips through and presses the door closed again. She lets out a small breath of relief when she's finally alone in the workroom.

Except she's not alone.

She jumps as she turns around and sees a figure standing by the loom, dropping the candle in her shock. The small flame goes out as it collides with the floor, plundging the room into near total darkness.

"Oh dear," says the intruder and then the blinds in front of the window roll up, letting the bright moonlight into the room. It's not a lot to see by, but enough for her to make out the tall, tall form of a person. "Aren't you a little young to be up this late?"

She is shaking, terrified in the knowledge that she is only ten and there isn't much she can do against an intruder, especially one this big, but also her mother has told her to always stand her ground so that is what she will do.

"Y-yes," she stammers. "Yes, I am." She pauses to swallow. "But, but what are you doing in... in my house?"

"Your house, is it?" the intruder says and she can see a glint of snow white teeth in the moonlight. "Not your mother's?"

"Wh-wh-what do you want with my mother?" she demands as best she can. She looks around for something, anything to use as a weapon, but only spots the candle she dropped. She fumbles to pick it up.

"Your mother invited me over, she wanted to present her new tapestry to me," the intruder answers, giving her pause.

"The... the tapestry?" Her eyes flick over to the loom, where the still unfinished fabric lay. Oh no, the intruder wants to steal it! She points the candle at the dark shape standing next to it and slowly begins to inch closer. "Don't touch that! Mother said it was very special!"

"Yes, she did," the intruder says squatting down so that they are around the same height. "She said it was a gift to her good friend Kaneq, did she not?"

"How... did you know that?" she asks, lowering the candle. The intruder reaches over and with a pinch the wick is ablaze once more. The newly illuminated face is gentle and otherworldly and the woman is smiling softly.

"That is because I am her friend Kaneq," she says.

Neadi is silent. On some level she knows that anybody could've come in and claimed that, but somehow, deep in her heart, she knows that this person is telling the truth. That this is the Kaneq her mother often speaks about. Her eyes land on the tapestry once more. It depicts a woman, tall and pale and beautiful, a long white dragon wrapped in a circle around her in the background, and she knows that they are both Kaneq and so is the person in front of her.

She also knows that she isn't Neadi at all, because Neadi was her grandmother and she also knows Neadi is already dead. And finally she knows who she really is.

~x~

Anaya opens her eyes. She is standing on the shore of a lake and in the middle of that lake stands Kaneq, her long whiskers swaying in a nonexistent breeze. They stare at eachother for a while as Anaya regains herself once more, breathing deeply the cool evening air.

"I saw so many lives," she says. The surface of the lake crackles as it freezes under Kaneq's feet. "They were all your anchors once upon a time, and I saw them when they met you."

'You did,' echoes the lake.

"There were so many," she marvels, running a hand through her hair.

'I am very old, Anaya,' the forest reminds her.

"I know," she says. "I suppose I didn't realize quite how old, really."

She falls silent for a moment. Kaneq continues to make her way towards the shore.

"It's a lot," Anaya says.

'I know,' the breeze whispers. 'I'm sorry.'

She shakes her head. "Don't be," she says and smiles. "It... it's a bit exciting, really. To be a part of something this big. To be connected to my family like this." She lets out a little laugh. Kaneq stops in front of her and lowers her head. "Never had much of a connection before, especially after grandma's passing."

'We were both lost in our own way,' Kaneq says.

Anaya cups her head between her hands. "So let's find our way together," she says and presses her forehead against Kaneq's.

~x~

Anaya gasped for breath as she lurched forward. Her lungs ached, desperate for air, like breaking the surface after a long dive. Three hands were still pressed against her back, but now three more tried to grab at her, to hold her up.

“Anaya, are you okay?” Tiu was the first to ask, desperation in her voice. She had grabbed a hold of Anaya’s upper arm and was squeezing a bit too tight.

“I’m fine,” Anaya wheezed once she finally had enough breath. She looked over at Kaneq in front of her, their hands still interlinked. “Did it work?”

Kaneq was quiet, her eyes closed. Her whole body felt rigid, her fingers twitching occasionally. Anaya could feel her power moving underneath her skin, around their shared bond. It was searching for something that was beyond her.

Finally, Kaneq opened her eyes. She let out a shaky breath.

“It did,” she said like she almost couldn't believe it herself. “I can finally feel the entire timeline again.”

Anaya lunged at her, a joyful laughter bubbling from her chest. In one smooth movement Kaneq grabbed her and stood up, embracing Anaya tightly as she spun them around.

“Whoo, yeah!” shouted Kimo who had also stood up and was jumping around Kaneq in excitement.

“Great job, Anaya!” said Madiza as she stood up, Tiu echoing her sentiments with, “I knew you could do it!"

Kaneq stepped over and hoisted the rest of the group into a big hug as well. She had apparently grown an extra pair of arms to fit them all.

“A big thank you to all of you,” she said. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and she was shaking slightly. “Thank you so, so much…”

She fell to her knees on the ground. Their connection was almost bursting with joy and relief. Anaya stroked her arm. Before the anchoring, this amount of emotion from Kaneq would’ve probably incapacitated her, or at least made her extremely dizzy and tired, but now she was feeling better than ever.

Kaneq held them for a long while as she slowly calmed down again. Slowly her grip on them loosened and she swallowed thickly as she set them down. Anaya beamed at her and then smooshed her face between her hands.

"Let's go home," she said and Kaneq smiled.

~x~

It had been quiet for several years. Their grand adventure had been exciting, but ultimately excitement always yields to everyday life. Anaya picked up weaving again. She had done it a lot at home with grandma, but after moving to the school, she had understandably let the habit fall. Now though, it felt like the most obvious thing in the world, to start weaving again.

Especially once she turned 19 and was allowed to move out on her own. The house had of course been in use during the decade she'd lived under the roof of the school, but it had been her grandmother's house and now she was finally inheriting it. There were a lot of basic furniture missing after everything that had been in the warehouse was brought back in, but Anaya figured that getting a new table and a few chairs would be easy enough. She had the most important things.

And so, once more, the old loom stood in the middle of the workroom. The room wasn't as it had been, how it was in her mind, but that was fine. It wasn't grandma's workroom anymore. It was Anaya's now.

A few months later on her 19th birthday Tiu also moved in. She had lived at the school for longer than Anaya, and hadn't been quite so lucky when it came to inheritance, bringing in only her personal belongings. But that didn't matter, because they were family and as such Anaya's home was Tiu's home.

Madiza also moved in with them. Being older, she had moved out of the school before them and had lived out of town for a year, trying to reconnect with her father. That apparently hadn't gone exactly great, given how huffy she was when she came back. Still, that didn't matter either, because against all odds, Madiza too had become family, and Anaya's home was also Madiza's home.

And in that home they lived their lives, working and playing, relaxing and having fun. Anaya started selling her fabrics and Madiza began writing and illustrating books about dragons. They became very popular. Tiu on the other hand was content to do work for the community. People with strong magic were always needed for various jobs and with Tiu's powers, people were often coming to her for help. It was a nice life, simple.

It was early one morning, barely dawn. Anaya had been unable to sleep, so she'd slipped out of bed and went to work on her tapestry instead. She sat in front of the loom, lost in the world of colors and textures, when something pinged in her mind. She froze then stood up, turning around swiftly and looking out the window. The sun was just coming over the horizons and somewhere far away she could barely make out a shape in the sky.

A wave of familiarity washed over her.

The shuttle dropped on the floor with a clatter as she rushed out of the room and down the hall. She threw the bedroom door open and it smashed against the wall. Madiza shot upright in bed, sputtering in a panic.

"Madiza, get up, get up!" Anaya called, crossing the room with a few airy strides and grabbing her by the arm.

"Huh what where?" Madiza asked and nearly toppled out of bed as Anaya dragged her out. Her eyes were wide but unfocused. "What's happening?"

"Come on, Madiza, we gotta get out!" Anaya said, still pulling. Madiza turned to look at her, suddenly horrified, but when she saw the big grin on Anaya's face she calmed down again. "Come on come on come on!"

"Stop pulling Ana, I'm coming," Madiza groaned and, a bit reluctantly, Anaya let go. But as soon as she was up, Anaya grabbed her hand again and whisked her out. She let out a surprised yelp and then they were running through the house. She barely managed to grab a shawl from the side of the door before they burst out of the house and into the streets.

"Where are we going?!" Madiza demanded. "And what about Tiu?!"

Anaya just laughed. "We'll grab her on the way!"

And a few blocks down they did. Tiu, on her way form a morning ritual, had just enough time to look up at the two approaching women and then Anaya had grabbed her hand too and yanked her back the way she was coming. She didn't slow down even a little.

"Oh morning!" she said, considerably less perplexed by their situation than Madiza was. "Where are we going this early?"

"I don't know, she won't tell me!" Madiza shouted.

"We're going to the uroxoo tree!" Anaya cheered.

"But I just came from there," Tiu said, but Anaya didn't answer anymore. She just laughed again.

They rounded the corner into town square and in front of them stood the tree. A few people milled about, but not that many this early in the morning. A few fishers were making their way down to the docks and a couple were setting up their stalls for the day. The three women breathed hard, catching their breaths after quite a long sprint.

"And why, huff, exactly are we here?" Madiza asked again.

"We're here to meet someone," Anaya said, gazing up at the sky. "Actually, two someones."

"Two?" Tiu said quietly and then a gust of cold wind blasted through the square.

It had been some years since Kaneq's last visit, but a dragon showing up wasn't something a town forgot very quickly. So, most people just about afforded a cursory glance up before continuing their way. It took a while before people started to realize there were indeed two this time.

Anaya rushed over to meet Kaneq as she landed, cupping the dragon's long face in her hands and pressing their foreheads together.

'Hello, little one,' the familiar voice echoed in her head. 'You've grown since I last saw you.'

"Well, maybe if you visited more," she teased, and then the other one touched ground and all eyes were on her.

'I apologize,' Kaneq said, amusement dripping from every word. 'Guiding someone else over is a lot less precise than coming alone.'

A loud crash caught their attention as Kimo fell face first through the door of his house. He fumbled to stand up.

"My dragon senses were tingling! Is Kaneq back?!" he shouted as he pulled himself into his full height. He'd recently finished his growth spurt, standing now almost a full head taller than Anaya. He stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes landed on the second dragon and his mouth fell open. "Is that...?" he whispered, turning to Madiza.

Madiza's hands were pressed over her mouth, her eyes wide. She took a shaky step closer and Tiu had to grab her to keep her upright. Tears were welling up in her eyes and the soul stone around her neck glowed ever so gently.

The dragon, smaller but wider than Kaneq, her scales glimmering in all the shades of blue and aqua, her long tail whisking behind her, stepped closer as well. She lowered her head next to Madiza, who swallowed thickly.

"Roe," she said and placed a hand gently on the snout of her dragon.

 

End.

____________________________________________________

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I know I said this'll come out on the 25th in the last one but that was dumb of me, because it was christmas and of course I didn't have time to write! I did manage to write most of this in the train home, but I got motion sickness and couldn't finish and then new years happened and then we just watched anime for the entirety of the 1st, but!!! Now it's finally done so hurray!

This was a pretty interesting one, I have to say... not only did the story not go in all kinds of directions I didn't expect, but also writing with this type of setup was... well, it was an interesting experience. I think next year I'd prefer to write just Mutu and me though, it feels a lot more cohesive that way lol (we'll have to figure out a schedule that works though, because as stated before, uni courses end in December so I have a lot to do, but we'll figure that out next year)

It was also interesting in the sense that I haven't struggled with writing one of these this much since... since Inheritance honestly, which is the first and only story we ever abandoned. I don't even know why, like on the surface I love everything going on, we got dragons and intrigue and rebelling teenagers, but I just could not find words the way I could with, say, Trouble with Time. Or Doors. Or even our earliest stories. I don't know. Maybe that's also a side effect of having such little control over the story (even though I did proofread/edit every part before they came out) I don't know. Anyway.

I suppose that's all from me for this year? Hope everyone had as good a year as 2021 was capable of being and see y'all next year with a new story!

For the final time this (last) year;

Pede out.