Work Text:
I never thought I could see something more beautiful in my entire life. Sure, I’ve seen the reemergence of the dragon prince and the many wonders of primal magic, but I have never seen this. This was something even more magical to me.
It all started when I was walking along the worn trail beside the river, easing my way down through the rough patches of rocks and dirt. I made sure to keep quiet, as I didn’t want to alarm anyone about my whereabouts. Plus, you never know what may be lurking in the shadows of the trees. As I was walking, my ears began to pick up on a sound. Nothing alarming, yet I was intrigued. Was it a person? Someone in need of help? It didn’t sound like it. As I walked closer, I tiptoed as to not make any unnecessary sounds.
I arrived at a large stretch of the river, where the rocks dispersed and made way for a small clearing void of pretty much everything except grass. I noticed a figure standing there-or not standing there, per say, but dancing. Unable to make out the person a few yards in front of me, I inched closer. And then I realized.
Rayla? Rayla’s here? Dancing? My confusion overwhelmed me to the extent where I had to sit down by the closest tree. It’s not that the thought of Rayla dancing by herself was weird- okay, maybe a little bit- but I just have never seen her dance like this by herself before. I mean, Rayla has shown me a couple of Moonshadow Elf traditional moves, but this seemed like something way more than those fragmented steps. In fact, this seemed to be even more- dare I say- sacred.
Entranced by her, I felt as though I was caught in a daze. So much so that I forgot what I came there to do. It was not until she looked over to the area where I was sitting that I inched closer to the tree so that it covered me more. I opened up my sketchbook, shaking my head from the thoughts about her. Gripping onto the chunk of charcoal I had with me, I touched the paper with its point. I thought for a moment about what to draw, and though I told myself to stop thinking about her, my hand was moving faster than my thoughts. I couldn’t help it.
Soon enough, I had rough lines and shapes filling up my page, carrying the essence of her. I looked back up at her in-between each stroke on the paper, making sure I was getting the form right: her delicate yet calloused hands, the determination of her sparkling eyes, and the way her body seemed to flow like the river.
I then began to hear her start humming, the soft notes carrying resonating through her body and vibrating on her lips. At this point, I was completely staring at her with such appreciation and awe of what she was doing. The smooth flow of her movements, accompanied by her well-known agility, made for a beautiful dance that I could not put a name to. For several minutes, as I was watching her, I tried to rack my brain for what any of those movements meant. But, alas, I was left dumbfounded and with my mouth gaping open at her.
Turning back to my drawing, I decided to use less shadows and let the natural highlights of the moonlight accentuate her features. After all, whenever I looked back up at her, the moonlight was glistening all over her- on her exposed skin, her gorgeous long hair billowing in the slight wind, and her light iridescent eyes. In that moment, it was indescribable what I was feeling for her- it was not yearning, though I did long to run up to her and embrace her. No, it was something more than that. More sweet, more sad. For I knew the journey ahead for us- for all of us- would be arduous and difficult at the very least.
So, I just looked at her. Entranced by her beauty, enthralled by her dancing. Each movement of hers kept me in a trance; her feet gracefully moving with the rest of her body, her arms guiding her legs. Every now and then she would look over in my general direction, and my heart would begin to beat rapidly. It’s not that I was trying to be secretive, I just didn’t want to interrupt what she was doing. I considered leaving, to allow her to have a moment to herself. I got up gingerly, using my hand on the cool grass for lifting support. I walked backwards for a few moments, not wanting to turn my back in case she saw me. But they were a few moments too late.
“Hellooo?”
I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart beating as if it was about to leap out of my chest. Hoping she didn’t see me, I kept going- slower and quieter. Though I made it about four steps before I heard her voice calling out to me.
“Callum, I know you’re there.”
I turned around slowly, my teeth clenched as I sucked in air. I didn’t want her to think that I was watching her- I mean I was, but like not in that way. Still, I turned to face her, and I realized at that point that her cheeks were just about as red as mine (if not redder). I bit my lip, trying to not laugh even though her embarrassed face is just so funny- in a cute way.
“Callum…” she started, averting my eyes, “what are you doing here?” Looking back at me once her cheeks returned to their normal hue, she searched me with her eyes to try and understand as to why I was sneaking around.
“Rayla, listen, I promise I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you or anything. I was just coming down here to draw the night sky- because you know how beautiful the sky gets here at night, especially with the crescent moon out tonight- and then… I found you.” I paused, taking my gaze up from my feet to look at her face- her furrowed brows and questioning eyes that seemed to pierce my skin and deepen the red color of my cheeks. Clearing my throat, I continued, trying to explain myself. “When I saw you here… well, I couldn’t look away for some reason. I don’t mean to sound weird or anything, but the way you were dancing… it just felt comforting to watch and I know it isn’t my place to be intruding on something that seems to be very personal or anything but I just want you to know that watching you dance in the moonlight makes me so happy. Like, so, so happy and emotional because you are so beautiful and… what are you doing?”
Rayla stepped closer and closer to me- so close that I could feel the air coming out from her laughing on my deeply reddened face.
“Rayla? What are you…”
Cutting me off, she took my face in her hands in one swift motion, pressing her lips gently onto mine. Pulling away but keeping my face in her grasp, she smoothed my cheeks with her thumbs, tracing what was left of my embarrassed blush. She laughed again, softly, her eyes twinkling with fondness.
“Oh, Callum. You don’t need to explain yourself. It’s okay.” She fully pulled away then, her hands departing from my cheeks and down to my hands. She interlocked them with mine, gently urging me to walk with her.
“Come. Dance with me.”
Walking slightly in front of me, Rayla led me back to where she was moments earlier, dancing in the soft light of the moon. She didn’t let go of my hands; instead, she placed them under her arms so that we were embracing. She started swaying, feeling the cool, night breeze rush past her. Closing her eyes, she started humming again, the tune unfamiliar to me but comforting nonetheless.
After a few moments of this, I moved my head closer to her shoulder, until I was nestling in the crook between her neck and shoulder. I began to hum, too, once I got familiar with the pattern of notes vibrating on her lips. My eyes began to tear up, the emotions beginning to surface all at once. A few fell, departing from my cheeks and onto her shoulder.
“Callum? Are you okay?” She whispered, pulling away from the embrace to look at my face. After taking her thumbs and wiping away the wet residue of my tears, she frantically combed through my hair, caressing my cheek as her fingers fell through the chestnut strands.
“Yeah. I just…” I looked back at her, the tears starting to roll down my face again, “I love you, Rayla.”
“Oh Callum.” She smiled softly, tears of her own cascading down her face. “I love you, too.” She immediately wrapped her arms around me, squeezing me gently but firmly enough to make me feel safe, secure, and most importantly- loved.
As we slowly began to sway to the rhythm of the river and oncoming breeze, we fell into a very deep conversation.
“Well, to be honest, I’m not quite sure why I keep dancing here at night. You know, I’ve done it every night this summer when I can see the moon. Dancing in its glowing luminescence makes me feel- I don’t know- safe? Loved? I can’t describe it, really.”
“Do you think-“ I started, but then immediately wanted to retract my words.
“What?”
“I just was thinking- and I could be wrong- but maybe you feel like being with the moon in such a way with your body and mind makes you feel more connected to the people you’ve lost? Tell me if I’m just making a weird assumption. But watching you dance like that? Reminds me of how I look when I think about everyone who are gone. Those that have left me behind- have left the whole world behind. Free from the greed and burdens of reality, but leave me suffering from their absence.” I pause, almost out of breath, and pull away to look at her. “I’m sorry, I’m probably way off, I just…”
“No, you’re right. I think… I think this is my way of coping, you know? Like, I don’t think I have ever fully processed or even truly grieved everyone I’ve lost. I think the moon gives me that space to do that, though.” She paused, shifting her gaze to the moon. “And the dancing… well, it just reminds me of some Moonshadow Elf traditional dances that reminds me of home. It’s not any particular dance that I’m doing. It’s just fragments of ones I love; messages and stories that I am intertwining with every step and move my body makes. It makes me feel like they’re right here with me; their stories and spirits still with me now.” She looked back at me with blurry, sorrow-filled eyes as new tears trickled down her face.
“Oh, Rayla.” I pulled her back into an embrace, caressing her back in gentle motions. I stroked my hand through her hair, comforting her as best as I could.
“I’m sure if they could see you now they’d be so proud. I know I am.” Pulling away from me, she smiled softly.
“Thanks, Callum. I know they would be proud of you, too.”
I brushed away the few tears that had sprung in the corners of my eyes, returning my hands back to Rayla’s back, holding her in an embrace as we swayed and hummed under the light of the comforting moon. We said no more words for the rest of the night; we talked in only comforting movements of our bodies. The soft kisses and gentle swaying kept the morning at bay, letting us savor and cherish what would soon end up being nothing more than a memory for a few more hours. And when the morning did come, we were reluctant only for a moment; our strength then came flooding in like the river, our interlocking hands and impassioned love for one another letting us know that there would be more times like this to come- even if the journey ahead would prove to be difficult.