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edenfallingThis one's from later in her life, after she's finished her pledged service to the University. So she's about thirty here. (It's difficult to tell Ekanu's exact age, because her people don't consider birthdays important. They count age by winters. So she's thirty winters, but whether she's thirty years? I dunno.)
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The Painted Sky, part 1
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Its people called this country the Land Under the Circle of Heaven, and as she looked across the waters, Ekanu was prepared to believe the name. The sky opened like a flower, blooming in colors of gold and violet and rose, and the sun dazzled as it descended beyond the western mountains.
Not the western mountains, Ekanu reminded herself, but the Tei'an Pao -- the Wall of the Emperor of Heaven. They had such marvelous names here in Merin, which was the closest the old Estarin conquerors could come to the land's proper name. It was about as close as Ekanu could come herself, even after a month in Bintang.
She'd come to Merin after completing her three-year inspection of University chapterhouses in the Sea Countries, Sirion, and Pythas. Merin, so far as she knew, still had no intention of allowing the University a foothold in this land, but they welcomed foreign scholars openly enough, and she wanted nothing that would remind her of her recently fulfilled responsibilities. She had served her pledged term, she was now a full Mistress of the University, she wanted a chance to be herself without the incessant politics of the chapterhouses, and nobody had the right to refuse her anymore.
So she'd traveled down the Imyrin until it joined the Imgon, and then caught a spice-trader's wagon overland to Kaiming. When she'd asked about peaceful retreats in Kaiming, they'd advised her to seek the shrines of Bintang, the westernmost of the great cities, and so here she was at the shore of the Great Sea, in the shadow of the Tei'an Pao.
One of the old kings, from the days before the emperors had brought the west under firm control, had built a causeway out to an island in the bay. That had fallen into disrepair -- which was quite proper, the people assured her, as it had upset the natural flow of harmony between the sea and land -- but in his memory, one of the city governors had built a small shrine several hundred yards from the shore, and a graceful, multi-arched bridge to allow public access.
It was here that Ekanu stood, leaning on the carved and brightly painted rail, watching the wash of colors play across the sky and dance reflected in the waves. Behind her, men in blue silk robes were lighting braziers atop dragon-shaped posts, made to look as though they lived and breathed the fire they carried. The flames cast flickering shadows on her hands.
Caught by the light and shadow, she was unsurprised when a voice insinuated itself into her ears. "They say that sometimes, you can see the ghost of King Xü'na'ouh's causeway as it drifts on the tide between here and Aigo. Which is properly called the Island Where the Dead Walk in Blue Fire, but that seems a bit long; Aigo is better, would you not agree?"
"Shorter, certainly," she said, not turning. "But my people are fond of long names, too. I like that about this land."
"You are not from Estaria, then?" the man asked, his lilting accent chopping the syllables of her adopted language.
"No more than anywhere else, now. I am of the University."
"A scholar!" he exclaimed. "How wonderful. What do you study?"
"Music. Languages. And how to keep the chapterhouses from turning on each other." She turned, finally, to face her partner in this conversation. His age was hard to pin down, as was true for many people in this land, but she thought he was younger than her thirty winters. And his dark eyes were alight with interest above his neatly-tended robes. She smiled.
"My name is Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva," she said. "But to the University, Ekanu Thousandbirds."
"And I am Ki'o'ien Darei hsüi Gai Le'irh. But to you, Darei Ko'en." He bowed. "May I ask what a Mistress of the University seeks in Bintang, and if I may be of service in her search?"
Ekanu returned his bow and smiled. "The Mistress of the University is on leave, Master Ko'en. As for what Ekanu is seeking, I think I may have found it."
"Ah. Then may I take the liberty of suggesting supper?" Darei asked, reaching for her hand.
Ekanu slipped her fingers into his and squeezed gently. "Yes."
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Inspired by picture #12 at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
15minuteficlets
Continue to part 2
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And as I should not be up at such an hour, despite Tuesday being a no-class day, I will sign off and get some sleep. Yay sleep!
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The Painted Sky, part 1
---------------------------------------------
Its people called this country the Land Under the Circle of Heaven, and as she looked across the waters, Ekanu was prepared to believe the name. The sky opened like a flower, blooming in colors of gold and violet and rose, and the sun dazzled as it descended beyond the western mountains.
Not the western mountains, Ekanu reminded herself, but the Tei'an Pao -- the Wall of the Emperor of Heaven. They had such marvelous names here in Merin, which was the closest the old Estarin conquerors could come to the land's proper name. It was about as close as Ekanu could come herself, even after a month in Bintang.
She'd come to Merin after completing her three-year inspection of University chapterhouses in the Sea Countries, Sirion, and Pythas. Merin, so far as she knew, still had no intention of allowing the University a foothold in this land, but they welcomed foreign scholars openly enough, and she wanted nothing that would remind her of her recently fulfilled responsibilities. She had served her pledged term, she was now a full Mistress of the University, she wanted a chance to be herself without the incessant politics of the chapterhouses, and nobody had the right to refuse her anymore.
So she'd traveled down the Imyrin until it joined the Imgon, and then caught a spice-trader's wagon overland to Kaiming. When she'd asked about peaceful retreats in Kaiming, they'd advised her to seek the shrines of Bintang, the westernmost of the great cities, and so here she was at the shore of the Great Sea, in the shadow of the Tei'an Pao.
One of the old kings, from the days before the emperors had brought the west under firm control, had built a causeway out to an island in the bay. That had fallen into disrepair -- which was quite proper, the people assured her, as it had upset the natural flow of harmony between the sea and land -- but in his memory, one of the city governors had built a small shrine several hundred yards from the shore, and a graceful, multi-arched bridge to allow public access.
It was here that Ekanu stood, leaning on the carved and brightly painted rail, watching the wash of colors play across the sky and dance reflected in the waves. Behind her, men in blue silk robes were lighting braziers atop dragon-shaped posts, made to look as though they lived and breathed the fire they carried. The flames cast flickering shadows on her hands.
Caught by the light and shadow, she was unsurprised when a voice insinuated itself into her ears. "They say that sometimes, you can see the ghost of King Xü'na'ouh's causeway as it drifts on the tide between here and Aigo. Which is properly called the Island Where the Dead Walk in Blue Fire, but that seems a bit long; Aigo is better, would you not agree?"
"Shorter, certainly," she said, not turning. "But my people are fond of long names, too. I like that about this land."
"You are not from Estaria, then?" the man asked, his lilting accent chopping the syllables of her adopted language.
"No more than anywhere else, now. I am of the University."
"A scholar!" he exclaimed. "How wonderful. What do you study?"
"Music. Languages. And how to keep the chapterhouses from turning on each other." She turned, finally, to face her partner in this conversation. His age was hard to pin down, as was true for many people in this land, but she thought he was younger than her thirty winters. And his dark eyes were alight with interest above his neatly-tended robes. She smiled.
"My name is Sulila Ekanu sur Shima nem Koshva," she said. "But to the University, Ekanu Thousandbirds."
"And I am Ki'o'ien Darei hsüi Gai Le'irh. But to you, Darei Ko'en." He bowed. "May I ask what a Mistress of the University seeks in Bintang, and if I may be of service in her search?"
Ekanu returned his bow and smiled. "The Mistress of the University is on leave, Master Ko'en. As for what Ekanu is seeking, I think I may have found it."
"Ah. Then may I take the liberty of suggesting supper?" Darei asked, reaching for her hand.
Ekanu slipped her fingers into his and squeezed gently. "Yes."
---------------------------------------------
Inspired by picture #12 at
15minuteficletsContinue to part 2
---------------------------------------------
And as I should not be up at such an hour, despite Tuesday being a no-class day, I will sign off and get some sleep. Yay sleep!
