Homesick
It had been only a year and a half since she'd left her homeland of Tír na nÓg, but it somehow felt much longer than that to Keeva. She didn’t hate this strange land she was now forced to live within; Hadreon was rather nice, all things considered, but it wasn’t her home.
This sense of loss bothered her in the very beginning, of course, but she could push those thoughts and feelings aside for a time. The longer she found herself away, however, the harder it became to ignore the aching feeling that had made a home of its own within her.
This was further worsened by Lan. She knew that he could feel what she did through their link as summoner and eidolon, at least to some extent. It was obvious he was trying to help her as much as he could. He would listen, distract her, keep her moving and her mind on other things. It only did so much, however. Eventually it seemed to Keeva that he’d grown tired of it. He wished to be unfettered from her, he would say. Keeva, of course, would oblige to these requests, although it did not come without an even sharper ache within her as the link that bound their lifeforce to one another shattered for a time.
He just wants to be happy, she thought to herself, smiling despite the loneliness. I can’t deny him that.
With each request to sever their link it became harder for her to say yes, especially in those horrifying instances where he failed to return to her in time. When she felt what little connection they did have remaining snap completely, that loneliness consumed her utterly until he finally recovered from as close to death as an eidolon could reach. There were a handful of times where she did finally deny his wishes, but after seeing how distraught Lan became… she had to relent.
She wanted him to be happy, she honestly did, but why did he want to leave her so often? Although he seemed eager to talk with her when they were together, his own thoughts and feelings were significantly more guarded than her own. She didn’t know what he truly felt.
She thought about asking why, but decided against it. It felt easier not to know.
There eventually came a day where Lan, after returning much sooner than usual, seemed almost bursting with excitement.
“I have something I want to show you!”
Keeva was suspicious, but before she could say anything, he had swept her off her feet and flew away as fast as his mighty wings would allow. He dipped into the forest as soon as he spotted an entrance large enough within the branches. Farther and farther into the woods they swiftly flew, bursts of stray sunshine shining through the canopy of leaves acting as their guiding light. After a while, he slowed to a stop, landing in front of a strange archway of silvery-green leaves. Keeva gave him a curious look that seemed to make Lan even more giddy with excitement.
“Go in!” he said, carefully setting her down on the ground. “It’s safe, I promise.”
Her curiosity got the better of her. Keeva walked forward through the arch of leaves, which seemed to quiver as she passed by. It seemed almost to be a hallway, continuing on and on, twisting every so often until she had no idea which way she was facing. She gave a wary glance behind her to Lan, who merely grinned widely in response.
Finally, she saw what appeared to be the end of this passage, the suns’ light shining brightly on the other side. She stopped once she reached the edge of the leaves and stared with wide eyes, uttering a small sound of surprise.
It was as if a piece of home were lifted and dropped within this little clearing. Flowers of all kinds littered the ground, climbing up into the large trees that acted almost as walls. An abundance of color lay everywhere one looked. She lifted a hand as she passed underneath one of the more willowy trees, lightly brushing through the strands of purple leaves and flowers that dangled delicately from the low-hanging branches. She walked as if in a daze and sat herself in the middle of the blue-green grass where the flowers were small and seemed to dance in a gentle breeze that could not be felt. Lan joined her, seeming pleased with himself.
There were no words shared between them as they sat. It was the pleasant kind of quiet where you felt warm and safe, no cares in the world to weigh you down.
“I could feel you were homesick,” he finally said with a soft smile. “It took me a while, but… I hope what I found is worth the pain I put you through.”
She leaned against him, resting her head against his arm as she settled into a hug.
“Thank you.”