Secrets Untold

The climb. Muscles ached, and her skin burned from the wind. Though she pushed on. How easy it would have been in another form, but no... she had to do this the hard way. Always the hard way. A pause, and she surveyed the distance yet to where she saw the steam rising in thin whisps, and bellows from the bellies of the springs. Excitement.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity on the rocky mountain side, she crested the lip of the cliff that jutted out of the side of the mountain. There, atop the somewhat steep climb lie an oasis of warmth. Una hated winter, given what she was it was never good on her body. A quick look around, and she lifted her nose. She didn't sense any around her. Good.

Finding a soft patch of Lichen she shed her outer layers, and tested the water with a dip of her toes. It was hot, inviting, and supple to her skin. A happy knot formed in the pit of her stomach as she sank slowly into the heat of the spring. Her chestnut hair tied into a messy bun atop her head to keep it from getting wet.

Up to her shoulders she sank into the water, letting the heat work her muscles free of the tight bunches they had been just moments ago. A low rumbling growl sent the water vibrating as her inner dragon felt more at peace now being warmer. Her eyes closed for a moment as she simply took it all in.

Snow began to fall around her. Thick lashes opened, and blinked off the small flakes that got snagged there. The view she had was breath taking, and she truly had missed being home.

He stepped out of a ray of light, groaning with each step, he had come up here to relax his aching joints and body in the heat of the pools, and watch the light play across the landscape below. He let his outer jacket vanish into mist as he stepped towards the pool. The last few months had been hell on him, from the escape to his return to the lands. Reaching up to rub his shoulder, hoping the heat would relax the knots out of his muscles. As he stepped around a last rock, he saw Una already in the water, and froze, but, as he did so, his foot came down on a stick, which snapped and cracked under his boot, which appeared to be made of leather. "Uh..." He said, looking at her, frozen.

Chocolate eyes looked up when she heard a voice coming from the rocks in front of her. The snow created little tufts of steam as they hit the water and melted instantly in the heat of the spring. "Hello Callahan." She said with a smile, and gestured with her hand in front of her, the water rippling with her movement. "Please join me." She said, her accent still thick but her English had gotten better in her time away.

Her skin glistened with droplets of water, as the steam collected on her skin and hair slowly. The heat of the water made her relaxed and docile. "The water is perfect." She spoke softly, in a gentle melody of a voice. She had indeed missed being home.

Callahan paused for a minute, then shrugged his shoulders, letting the undershirt dissolve back into light. As the shirt disappeared, his torso was revealed, showing a multitude of scars across his chest and back, including one running from his chin, across his eyes, with them seemingly scared as well. Stepping forward, he pressed light out in front of himself, ensuring he did not trip over anything. He reached the edge of the pool, and slowly stepped down into it, wincing as the hot water washed up over his calves.

"Oh gods that feels good." He said, relaxing backwards, leaning against the edge of the pool.

Una looked over his scars..bearing a few new ones of her own, though not nearly as drastic as his own. Soft lips turned to a smile when he sank into the water and visibly relaxed. "Absolutely." She agreed that it was delightful to feel such waters against the skin. The snow continued to fall, and it was beautiful. "Have I missed much in my absence?" She asked him, her voice a soft drawl from being content and warm.

A soft content growl left her lips and she giggled softly "One could fall asleep in here" she said, then raised her head to look at Callahan again. The apples of her cheeks tinged a soft pink from the heat of the water. "What happened to Willow?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to Una, or, if I even knew her. Things before I left here are a bit, shall we say, fuzzy?" Callahan said with a touch of regret. He shook his head, throwing a bit of water off of his golden hair. Stretching out his hand, he began to pulse a little light through the water, changing its colors, which, when mixed with the ripple affect of the turbulence from the current, gave off a swirling appearance of the light. A strand of light crept up out of the water, brushing against Una's cheek, waving in front of her as though it were dancing upon the wind and water.

A slight frown crossed her lips when he said he didn't know what happened to Willow. thin brows furrowed slightly as she thought about this. Her head tilted for a moment. "You left too?" she asked curiously. Wondering if the Nayati had any original members left. She had scented Griffin around, so that made her feel a little better. Now that she was home she realized she had much to catch up on. Una smiled then, and looked to Callahan. "Well what did you do in your time away?"

"Well, first off, I should probably start off with the reason why I left to begin with." He said sighing, as the the heat began to sink into his muscles. "It was not exactly by choice." He admitted after a minute. "A group of bounty hunters attacked me out of nowhere. Tied me up, bound, gagged, and sealed me into a completely black crate, cutting me off from light. From there, they proceeded to take me, or tried to take me, back to the light realm to be tried for a crime I could not have possibly committed, since I cannot travel on my own to my home anymore." He took a breathe, memories of that were painful.

"They brought me before the Council, and I was sentenced to a life sentence in the dungeon. I stayed about a month, and was flogged at least 12 times, thus all of the scar tissue on my back and shoulders." He said, leaning forward and turning so she could see it. Leaning back again, he groaned in pain and jumped at the feel of the scars on the cold edge of the pool. "I also had to fight off a few of the beasts they kept down there as well, which explains, certain other scars." He said, bringing a hand up to touch his face, particularly around his eyes.

Una frowned as she listened to Callahan speak of his time in the light realm. Her chocolate eyes looked over the scars and she sighed softly. "I am sorry to hear that. However, I am glad you are home again." She said and smiled then, trying to make the conversation a little lighter. She had been on her own hard journey, but nothing quite like that. A soft growl of content left her lips, and she let the heat seep into her bones. "Have you seen Freya? Perhaps she can heal those a little more for you?" she said softly.

He shook his head, chuckling, "No, I have been to healers, these are magically infected scars, so, I would not even begin to know if she could heal them, let alone my eyes." He said, turning to face her, actually letting her see the milky whites of his eyes for the first time, letting the illusion drop from in front of them. "Yeah, he said, anticipating her reaction, the scars across my face, took my eyes too." He said, tracing his fingers along the scars like they were claws. "In fact, one isnt even an eye." He said, pointing to where the scars started, "Watch this." He tapped the side of his head, pushing a bit, and a glass eye popped out. "So, yeah."

A thin brow raised when he popped his eye out of his head. Her head tilted lightly and she looked at him. "You do not need to wear magic guards around me Callahan, we are pack. I would never think any less of you." She said, and frowned lightly. "I am sorry that happened to you." She said, wishing she could have been there to help him, that she should have stayed, and maybe he wouldn't have left. Maybe she could have convinced them to let him be. "Still, I am glad you are home now. There is no other place like it." She said softly, a light content growl in her words.

"Its force of habit from ho- the light realm" He said, catching himself in mid reference. "There, if you are deformed, in anyway, and cant hide it, you are automatically a social pariah. I was lucky though, I had the ability to hide it flawlessly." He said, sitting up, and reaching a hand out to brush a strand of hair back behind her ear. "The ability to control light as I do doesnt hurt at all. Even though I cant see, I can, feel, if you will, the shape of things through light, I can even feel colors as drug addled as that may sound." He said with a laugh and another wince as he sat back. "And, even though I can no longer see you with my own eyes, I can still, feel, your beauty." He said, smiling.

Her head tilted lightly. "that seems awful." She said, and smiled a little when he tucked the hair behind her ear. The apples of her cheeks turned slightly red, and she nodded lightly. "It is adaptation, that makes us stronger." She said, and looked at him. "Your senses will get stronger, even without your eyes." Her voice was soft as she spoke, and his compliment made her smile. "You are very sweet Callahan. I am glad that has not changed." A content sigh escaped her lips, and she growled happily. "These pools are amazing." She said softly. "It is good to be home. Yes?"

He chuckled at her words. "Yes, home, that is what I would consider this place now, isnt it?" He could feel the smile on her face by how the light shined from it. "And, yes, my control of light has, amazingly become even more controlled and refined, as amazing as that may sound." He said, slightly bragging as he raised a hand, twirling a small tower of light from his fingers. The small structure rotated and floated around his hand. With a wave, he dismissed the construct, and leaned his head back, letting out a sigh of relaxation.

Her eyes brightened up and she nodded softly and chuckled softly. Her lashes batted once and she sat up a little straighter as he manipulated the light around him. Soft clapping and she sat back again with a soft giggle. "That's impressive." She said and then growled softly, happily. "Man, I could do this all the time." She said softly, and her eyes closed.