Anticipation

The morning was the misty sort; the kind of peaceful, quiet morning that was still slumbering, filled with mysteries and just waiting to wake up and share them. Hoshiko sat by the open window with her choice of morning brew, watching the woods around their home as the sun began to rise, the first notes of birdsong filling the morning air. She inhaled slowly, exhaled, and tried to calm her bouncing nerves. Lugh had finished whittling down the piece of jade they'd selected together for their offering to Qing. Truly, it couldn't have been more perfect, taking the shape of a leaf in his skilled hands. She'd found a beautiful length of hemp twine, and fine threads of copper, weaving a little cage around the newly shaped stone, and making a necklace with the threads. She'd picked some small pieces of tri-colored amber to weave at intervals about the thread, and the finished work just screamed of Lugh and Hoshi, just as they'd hoped.

Their first thought after collecting everything (after Lugh had playfully teased her for bringing home FAR too many shinies) was that they'd wanted the offering not only to please Qing, but also to be something they both had contributed to, that spoke of their relationship. After the necklace was complete, Lugh had picked herbs and fruits from the garden, which Hoshi had dehydrated, dried, and made a tea from. His gardening skills, her tea skills, blending just like the two of them had after they'd met. She'd never forget stumbling upon him on one of her adventures to the forest to gather tea ingredients. She'd always been interested in plants, but Lugh was a WEALTH of knowledge on the matter, and she'd never felt so awkward as she had in front of him that first day. The attraction had been almost instant, but neither of them had been prepared for it. His quiet strength had been the missing piece to her puzzle, the one she had practically lost hope of ever finding. Life had a funny way of doing things at just the right time, and now, a year later, they were going to make it official.

She'd already prepped a cup of tea for him as he joined her at their little table, stepping back to admire the offering they'd made. He knew she'd been up early with the jitters, both nervous and excited about what the day would bring. He was better at hiding it, but she was an expert at reading his emotions, placing a hand on his to try to ease his own anxiousness. There was always the worry that it wouldn't be a good enough offering...had an elder ever refused to bless a union? Would they be the first? They both knew that was ridiculous to think, but were both exactly the type to think it. He was just FAR better at easing her fears on the matter than she was at easing his, or at least, so she thought. She felt him relax at the touch of her hand, and realized maybe, just maybe, she wasn't so terrible at being his rock at times, too.

When they'd finally finished their tea and the sun was breaking through their window and chasing the last wisps of fog away, they packed a picnic lunch and carefully bundled their gifts, making the trek to Tianshu from their little home tucked in the heart of Lifestream Delta. Qing wasn't generally too difficult to find, he liked being amongst the hustle and bustle of the people in the city, participating in the festivities. He usually resided in the temple, easy enough to track down for things like the soul binding ritual. No elder would have been more suited for it than he. While neither of them particularly loved the busy city life, Hoshi was a bit more accustomed to it since she had to work the tea shop every day. Lugh relied on her knowledge of direction here, never really bothering to enter these gates unless he absolutely HAD to. Both of them had a fondness for the quiet peace of nature, a thing Hoshiko had strived to capture in the Trusty Tetsubin, her little bubble of solace in the middle of the bustling city. But they'd both deal with the city life today, it was worth every moment.

Before they knew it, they'd come to the massive sakura tree that guarded the city's heart, the temple. After a brief moment of respite under the tree's watchful branches, eating the goodies they'd packed for themselves, they both headed for the temple's massive entrance. It was the one relic leftover from the war of the elders, speaking stories of ages long gone and almost forgotten, serving as a reminder of those lost memories. There was a magic about this place that touched the heart of any shiji who beheld it, and Qing spent a decent amount of his time here. As they passed the carved guardians at the temple entrance, a sense of awe was practically palpable on the inside. As their eyes settled on the elder, who wasn't too far from the temple entrance, Lugh swallowed almost audibly. Despite being the youngest of the remaining elders, Qing's presence commanded attention. His bright feathers and intense eyes gave Hoshi pause, her hands clutching the small bundle of offerings to her chest. Lugh gripped her hand in reassurance and they walked slowly forwards. She'd lost her words and was thankful for Lugh as he spoke on their behalf after they both bowed in respect. "Great Qing, we've come seeking your blessing for our soul binding. We hope these gifts that we've made will be enough..." and with that Hoshiko took the cue to gently place the prepared offerings on the altar before the red and black elder.

It felt like they held their breath for a lifetime waiting for a response, the fresh spring nearby awaiting them for the exchange of scales, should all go as planned...