Work Text:
A light breeze ruffled the short grasses and tossed about the anchored cloud mallow. Light for Sohm Al, anyway. It was a constant wind since they stepped foot on the floating mountaintop. But with the wind came fresh air and new smells. A black-haired Miqo'te reclined against a bent tree, chewing on a long blade of grass.
Ysayle and Estinien were setting up camp for the evening. While he still heard occasional bickering from the two, they had yet to try to kill each other. Again. Alphinaud sat on a low wall, balancing his tome on his knees while scribbling something on a piece of parchment laying on the tome.
The Miqo'te stood and stretched before he walked over to Alphinaud and peered over his shoulder. He was sketching the landscape afore him- broken land, the sea of clouds, and the statue of Shiva. As soon as he sensed his presence, Alphinaud twisted away from him and reeled back, almost smashing his work into his chest. “X’yahma, pray do not sneak up behind me like that.” He relaxed, only to find his drawing crinkled beyond repair.
“Sorry, sorry, force of habit.” X’yahma looked at the ruined artwork. “A shame. It was quite a piece of work.” He looked at the sheaf of paper laying in a bag. "You got another piece?" he asked as he bent down to get a closer look.
Alphinaud grinned as he turned around. "Aye, though only a few sheets remain." He reached into a bag and retrieved a piece of charcoal, tossing it over to his friend. "I never thought you an artistic sort."
"I'm not. Estinien’s a mite-” A crash from the campsite stole their attention, and the two nemeses began to bicker again. “Busy at the moment…”
“Indeed.” Alphinaud handed over some parchment. “Have you an idea for a theme? I think a landscape would be beyond your skills.”
“How about a portrait?”
“Ah! I have it!” Alphinaud produced paper for himself and resumed his previous position. “A self-portrait. A fair challenge for the both of us, I think.” X’yahma nodded and went prone on the wall, using a flat stone as a table.
After some time- X’yahma was lost in his work- He looked up to see Alphinaud concentrating. He looked back to his paper. It certainly lacked the detail that Alphinaud’s earlier drawings had but if X’yahma looked, he could certainly see himself staring back. Aye, it lacked his mint green eyes, but there was only so much one can do with black and white. He stood and looked over Alphinaud’s shoulder again to see what he had drawn.
It was Alphinaud, maybe. It certainly looked like him, but taller. And the bulk of muscle was clearly drawn in as well. Alphinaud’s head snapped towards him, as his face turned a tinge of red. “X-X- I’m not finished!” He held the tome to his chest to obscure X’yahma’s view.
He chuckled before sitting back down. “Now, if I had known you wanted us to draw how we wanted to look…” he trailed off as he added two choice lines to his drawing. All he ever needed to add.
Alphinaud sputtered briefly- as his face grew redder- before calming somewhat. “In a few short summers, you’ll see.” He started muttering to himself as he continued his work. Meanwhile, X’yahma returned to his. He began to draw another form next to his own. A lithe hourglass at first. Sinewy arms and thick legs followed, and a head with a short crop of hair. Piercing eyes with a soft smile completed her likeness. “It won’t be long before you see her again.”
X’yahma looked up to see Alphinaud standing over him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “She must be worried for me. Think I’m dead, maybe. If only-” If only it weren’t for the dragons, he caught himself thinking.
“On the morrow, we’ll speak with Hraesvlgr. It won’t be much longer,” Alphinaud said before stretching. He watched Alphinaud return to the campsite where Estinien and Ysayle were arguing again. Or were they still arguing from before? It didn’t matter. His eyes turned downward back to Loonh Gah’s portrait. If only he had a bell longer that day.