Soto(mentioned)

I walked at their sides today, from our burning and broken forests of Ashenvale to the place they will stay and fight from. Navires told me it was good to see me, she smiled and acted as if it was true, but I did not forget her last words to me. Child, gifted and only allowed to stay because of my gifts. She is not pleased to see me, not the me that is anything other than these robes I wear.

I walked beside Aquanus who said not one word to me. Beside Soto who called me friend but did not come see me the long days I was at the Temple. I walked beside these people that call me sister but do not see beyond the gifts that Elune gave me.

 The Golden Hall is silent save for the popping and crackling of the fire in the hearth. Aurry sits, staring at the fire, her eyes puffy from lack of sleep and likely crying. She sits perfectly still, the only movement coming from her breathing and the occasional blink of her weary eyes but her mind is a torrent of thoughts. She sighs, finally lowering her eyes from the dancing flames to look down at her hands. The glow there is evidently in the firelight and Aurry plays with it. Drawing in more power to brighten it, then releasing the magic into the air to soften it. It's as easy, as second nature as breathing is to her.

 The area is secluded, quiet and peaceful with only the trees and nature to keep her company. Aurry is fine with this right now, she's looking for the peace, looking for the silence to try and calm nerves that seem to be constantly on edge. This place is special, a spot she had found and never shared with anyone save her mounts. It was her special place.

Here, for a little bit, she could stand in her own skin and be okay with it. She had come here so many times and had found that she never got disturbed by a soul. Sometimes it seemed as if Elune had carved this little lake out just for her and Aurry was thankful for it.

One hand
Reaches out
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
They say what good have you done
By saving just this one
It's like whispering a prayer
In the fury of a storm

The child was small and from a distance it was impossible to tell if it was a boy or girl. One thing was certain, the long upright ears made the child a Sin'dorei. Dirty faced, in clothes that could only be considered rags, the child sat with it's back pushed against a building, skinned knees pulled tight to his or her chest. It made a pitiful picture.

“Why are you being punished Aurry?”

“Because I did it wrong.”

“You are a child, albeit one with powers beyond her years. I would see you leave the Order.”

“Why are you being punished Aurry?”

“I'm a child.”

The candle light flickers against the walls. How are they not burned out yet? She doesn't recall anyone walking in, but they must have to replace the candles and remove her waste. When was the last time she had eaten?

The first day wasn't so bad. Aurry had a hard time sitting though at first, something in her was wound up and demanded to be released. Pacing didn't get rid of that, so she tried the form the Warden had taught her. Although there wasn't a lot of room, she managed to do most of it and it seemed to help her calm down at least enough to sit still.

Her mind though refused to focus at first. It was too full of things that had happened recently to settle enough to let Aurry start on what had directly lead her to be in isolation. The conversations with various people about she had done wrong and their recommendations, hearing Navires say out loud the thing Aurry always feared was true, and more confusing, the gentleness she thinks she had seen for a brief moment in the Warden and then more so in Soto.

The Temple was quietly busy this time of night. Women that were still in training moving in groups to their next lesson, others helping people that came in with some injury. Aurry moves to the moonwell, starting her night in the Temple the same way she had ended it earlier, by kneeling and sending silent prayers to the Goddess.

Standing, she heads up the ramp to the upper levels, moving swiftly to stay and wait her turn to speak with the High Priestess. She has much to report this night. Dropping a quick curtsy, she tells first of their push in the Citadel, giving as much detail from her point of view that she can recall. Next is the conversation with Soto and the decision about her punishment for her disobedience with the Order. Softly exchanged words, and Aurry heads to her room, followed by two other Priestesses.

The first knock was soft, obviously made by someone that didn't really know the sleeping occupant on the other side of the door. The next round was louder, the third round finally got a fuzzy response that sounded vaguely like, “It's too early.”

“Priestess, you wished to be awoken at this time. Do you not remember?”

It was a simple glance and a newly remembered memory that lead Aurry to be sitting with an older Sentinel, her eyes lowered after having told her story.

“You have always lead with your heart, child. Even the time you tried to run away and I found you.” The woman sighs. “I would say the first thing you need to learn is how to listen.”

At Aurry's frown, the Sentinel raises a hand to stop the much younger woman from talking. “No, Aurorana, honestly listen. I have watched you long enough in your life to know you hear the bad first and then block out the good. Take your conversation with the Shan Navires. All you heard was the negative. You did not hear how she is impressed with your abilities at all.”