ephemeral.
— goldenrod
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▶..............................................................................marigold.
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s e a s o n _ spring
l o c a t i o n _ mount eskel
s t a t u s _ i'll raise the ladle to your lips / drip water on your fingertips / and stay although my heart says flee / will you look up and smile at me?
It is spring, the season of hope. A layer of frost remains on the ground, but here and there, you notice bright patches of green. A few tree branches are dressed in leaves the shade of pine green, while most are bare. Flowers have started to emerge from the ground, and others are just opening their petals. The sky is a light shade of baby blue, dotted with white cotton balls. You cannot deny that there is not a feeling of hope in the air.
s e a s o n _ summer
l o c a t i o n _ mount eskel
s t a t u s _ no wolf falters before the bite / so strike / no hawk wavers before the dive / just strike
It is summer, the season of joy. The sun beats down mercilessly on Mount Eskel, but you still work in the quarry. At day, it is warm, but at night, it is still cold. Some days when you return home after a long day at the quarry, you sit and listen to the wind howl. The breeze tickles your ear and makes a sound almost like a giggle. You are tired, but you still smile. After all, how could you not when the air is begging like a persistent child for you to play?
s e a s o n _ fall
l o c a t i o n _ mount eskel
s t a t u s _ she's as lovely as a girl with flowers in her hair / the mountain, my lady / she's as bright as spring sun drying from the air / mount eskel, my lady
It is fall, the season of comfort. The trees adorn their annual gowns of gold and red and orange. They toss the extra fabric on the ground. They have one last celebration before they discard their gowns and close their eyes and sleep. You feel tempted to follow, but you do not have time to rest. The traders are almost at Mount Eskel, and you must work harder in the quarry. It is difficult, but when you return home, you fall asleep before you remember to groan about your empty stomach. You had almost forgotten the feeling of hunger this year.
s e a s o n _ winter
l o c a t i o n _ mount eskel
s t a t u s _ whisker taut, front teeth bared / shaking breath, round eyes scared
It is winter, the season of peace. You wake up early each day, looking outside your window as if that will make the traders appear. Every morning, you slip on your boots and escape from your home, only to find that nobody is there. You almost give up hope, until one day you hear a sudden commotion. All the villagers of Mount Eskel are rushing outside, and you cannot help but try to discover what has happened. Only, this time,
it is not just the traders. A man with a yellow feather in his hat and a wrinkled nose and a sour expression stands by the traders, and you are sure he is not one of them. He says he is the chief delegate of Danland.
"This past summer, the priests of the creator god took council on the birthday of the heir. They read the omens and divined the home of the heir's future bride. All signs indicated Mount Eskel."
He sputters on, making his disgust and anger clear, but you do not listen. You are lost in your thoughts. Princess? Prince? It seemed like almost a dream.
The next day, they take you away from your family. Your father yells at the soldiers to stay back, and your mother weeps uncontrollably behind him, pulling on her husband's arm. The dream has become a nightmare.
s e a s o n _ spring
l o c a t i o n _ the princess academy
s t a t u s _ no small thing, a bee's sting / when it enters the heart / not so benign, the growing vine / when it tears stone apart
It is spring, the season of fear. As the soldiers guide you towards your destination (you had asked them where you were going, but they ignored you like you were a small and insignificant flea), you try to distract yourself with the scenery. It's nothing special compared to Mount Eskel, but your eye catches on the pretty flowers adorning the trail. The marigolds beam at you, and it almost feels like it's gifted you good luck for the future.
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coded by: _nechesyn
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