Rosethorn sighed as she sauntered down Winding Circle's winding path. It seemed such a mundane task. Behind her lay the Hub, where all her worries and concerns currently sat. Those meetings ate at her mind. What would she do when all the pressure completed its steady build up?
She prayed she'd lose her mind. At least then it wouldn't be so muddled and misty. With a grin she kept making her way to Discipline—at least she was leaving the pressures behind her in that tall, glass building. It would collect her cares and stresses as easily as it collected the sunlight.
Sunlight. An ironic thought yet again, as a drop of rain splashed across the bridge of her nose. She looked up at the sky: cloudy. It must have clouded over while she had been stuck in the stuffy building. The chestnut-haired beauty smiled at the rain—it was appreciated, as the temples hadn't been watered in some time.
Up ahead a tall figure in the green of Earth strode down the path, whistling and smiling away. Rosethorn grinned.
"Lark!"
The woman looked up and winked, then toyed with her curly dark curls. "Rosethorn, my lovey."
"Where are you off to?" the shorter woman replied.
"Off to pick up some fire."
"What do you mean?" the pale-skinned female questioned further. Lark had reached her by that time, and bent to scoop the smaller woman up and hold her delicately but firmly.
"You."
There was desire in those dark eyes. Rosethorn melted into them even as she smiled in a wry, almost dirty way.
"You have no idea how much I'd adore the release," she remarked with her eyes lit with passion.
Hours later Rosethorn roused from her deep, comfortable sleep and sat up in bed. It was a comfy, warm bed. The cloth of the sheets and blanket seemed to hug her and the mattress offered extra softness, showing its love with open stitches.
The sky was dark in the window. Stepping carefully out of bed as to not wake the slumbering bird beside her, she walked to the window to see the slightly noticeable commotion.
There was a flock of dark birds flying across the equally dark sky. Amongst the group there was one light, almost virgin white bird. Rosethorn smiled. It held no great meaning to her. Just a bunch of loony birds flying in the rain.
She looked to the bed and her face softened to see the sleeping form of her heart, Lark. Rosethorn couldn't fathom where she would be without those steady, gentle hands and arms. That fertile ground of love to support her roots. Before meeting Lark, the plant mage had had no clue as to how lost she had been. She only knew when she found her home.
"Mmm, Rosie?" Lark mumbled into the near dark. Rosethorn could hear the slight smile in the woman's voice.
"Coming, love."
Rosethorn walked to the bed and straddled Lark at the hips, leaning over to brush her thumb lightly over the woman's cheek.
"There you are," Lark said slowly as she smiled up at Rosethorn.
"Here I am," Rosethorn replied as she steadily dropped her lips to Lark's. Their breath mingled and warmed the other's lips; they both smiled at the warmth as their lips locked.
Rosethorn grinned as a choice struck her. Love her tenderly or… do something else with a bit more oomph? The thought of her driving a wagon came to mind. Why not drive? There was no where to hide in this dark and intimate room.
"Ready to have some more fun?" the woman asked as she wiggled her own hips from side to side over Lark's, then up and down. The woman laughed in response and put her graceful hands over those hips.
"As always," she responded in a purr and sat up to kiss Rosethorn vertically.
"I'd be incredibly tame if you weren't so insatiable."
"That's good. I never, ever want to see a tame Rosethorn."
Sure, Rosethorn was happy she had exited her relationship with Crane. They had history, but what was history to what she had now? She smiled into Lark's golden collarbone.
Oh yes, she hadn't known she was lost until she had found the right sign. She had found what she wanted that night.