Dust of the stars in her eyes [Winter Soulstice]

"You're coming to tomorrow evening's ball, aren't you Piti?" Ryland was helping Tormund cook their last good meal before they set off on their trip to Aldlight for the solstice festivities. Tormund was a whirlwind in the kitchen, and Ryland grounded his passionate (albeit intimidating) techniques.

Piti shook her head and rubbed her ankle anxiously. "I...find I'm quite deficient in the dexterity required for endeavours such as balls."

Tormund scoffed, stopping mid-stir and leaving Ry to the stove. He dove over to Piti who was perched on the settee and scooped her up, causing her to yelp uncharacteristically. 

"Pititi Alovelight," he launched her into the air with ease, laughter escaping her as she flew close enough to the ceiling to reach out and touch it. "You shall go to the ball!"

"Tormund!" Huffed Piti, catching her breath. Somehow the warm woolyne always managed to make her crack a smile. He seemed to be the only one. "You've already agreed to come to Aldlight anyway!" Ry began, and Tormund joined in enthusiastically. "It would be a shame not to go to the ball!"

"I only agreed to come because I wanted to see the auroras." Piti sighed. "Even if I were to make the effort, It's a bit late to decide that now...what would I don?"

Both Tormund and Ry paused. "Well, you could always borrow my robes or an old dress?" Ry posed.

Piti and Tormund simultaneously frowned at this, taking into account that Ry towered over Piti and anything of hers would drown the young woolyne.

"You could rent a dress in Aldlight?" Torm suggested.

"It just seems so last minute." Piti shook her head. "I'd much rather just go for the breathtaking skies."

Ry nodded understandingly but looked visibly disappointed, something about her expression made Piti suppress a giggle. Tormund gave her an 'at least we tried look'. 

Piti, of course, wasn't going to tell them that she had a beautiful ballgown she had inherited, and would indeed be going to the gala the next evening. If she was going to do something so far out of her comfort zone, she was going to make it a spectacle. She'd always been a little all or nothing. In fact, she wasn't quite sure why she had decided to attend the ball. She had only felt a rare urge to go and make an effort with other woolyne, and so she wanted to grab it by the horns.

"How will we fit?" questioned Piti, catching the two Woolyne by surprise as they concentrated quietly on their meal and own thoughts.

"On Shy?" Ry asked. "It will be very snug, but Shy is a big girl and you're small. She won't mind an extra passenger." 

Piti nodded silently.

"Perhaps I shouldn't stuff myself with this casserole then!" Laughed Tormund. "My tum might bump you off!" He exchanged in a quick poke fight with Ry.

Piti noticed that Tormund and Ry got on particularly well, and she had a feeling travelling together might strengthen their bond. She smiled to herself. They suited each other.

Ry lifted the large pot off the cooker and carefully placed it onto Tormund's dining table. She glanced up at Piti. "That's a good look for you."

Piti looked down in confusion, knowing she wasn't wearing anything, only to quickly realise Ry had meant her smile. She blushed warmly. 

It was unlike Piti to feel comfortable around Tormund's friends; nay, anyone's friends, but Piti was relieved to find that Ry was very likeable. She hoped Ry liked her too.

Since Tormund had met Ry at the bar, Piti had found her company to be not at all imposing. Most close to Tormund knew that he was like a father to Piti, and Piti was relieved to find that she didn't feel scared to lose her friend when Ry was around. And for someone like Piti who had lost so much and so many, meant the world.

"Want to eat?" Ry asked, laying out bowls. 

The scent of the tomatoey sauce and spiced meats filled her senses. It smelled delicious.

Tormund tucked himself into the table. She shook her head.

"You sure?" Tormund persisted.

Again, she shook her head. 

"I'll get too nervous to travel."

"Drink something, at least." Ry poured her a glass of juice. "You'll need something." 

Piti downed it, believing her.

* * *

Dawn came sooner than she thought. She was up packing when there was a knock at her door and a husky voice. "Piti, you up?"

"Mm!" Piti responded, shoving her dress wrapped in tissue paper into her backpack- which had been cleverly enchanted to hold more than it might appear. It wasn't a cheap spell, either.

She quickly buttoned up her shirt and clasped her belt, not bothering to rub the sleep from her eyes before grabbing her cloak and wrapping it around her. The morning was chilly, as they tended to be this side of the seafront. Pink light peeked through the windows, the sun barely licking the horizon. An early start. Piti would have been much more comfortable taking Cosette- and was rather uncomfortable leaving her behind for a few days- but flying on Shy would take a quarter of the time. Piti trusted that Ry knew what she was doing- or at least she hoped. 

"Ready to go?" Torm's voice was croaky and deep, still not warmed up. It cracked comically, and Torm gave her a look asking for pity. It made Piti think of the funny voices her mother would do when reading her bedtime stories. Her heart suddenly stung. She turned away from the memory.

"Yes," Piti replied. "Where is Ryland?"

"Outside, waiting for us. I'm going to lock up, you go and mount."

Piti walked out into the morning sun, seeing Ry along the street near a trough. She was hushing her drakern, which was making little-frustrated squawks at the outrage of their owner withholding treats from them. 

Ry spotted her. "Ah, Piti. You're in the middle between me and Torm so you're snug as a bug tucked in all safe." She grinned and Piti smiled back. "Need a hand getting up?"

"I think I can manage." Piti determinedly replied as she prepared to climb onto the huge beast. Ry calmed the drakern as Piti grabbed the saddle with two surprisingly strong arms and heaved herself up. She managed to get her belly onto the saddle but struggled to tip her weight enough to swing her legs around. Luckily, she felt two guiding hands heft her up further. "Up-ya go," Ry grunted.

"Thank you." Piti smiled meekly. "Heavier than I look." 

"I underestimated your strength for sure. Might give Tormund a run for his money in a fight." She winked. "Speak of the devil." 

Tormund emerged from the front door, yawning with such vigour that he shuddered. 

"Ever the dramatic." Piti teased.

"Oi you, I'm tired." He snorted back before mounting Shy with ease, though he seemed a little apprehensive. Ry got on last, swinging herself over the saddle expertly and landing her hooves in the stirrups.

"Got your bags? Food and drinks? Wallets? Keys? Yes?" Ry chimed, trying to perk the two sleepy woolyne up. They nodded drowsily.

"Right then. Lead!" She called to Shy who immediately began to beat her wings and rise in the air. It had been years since Piti had flown, and she was still as scared of heights as she remembered. She clung to Ryland's waist and buried her head in the fluff of her collar, fearing to look down until they were steady in the sky. Tormund, on the other hand, had woken up a bit and was swigging from a water flask, eyes half shut in the whipping breeze.

Ryland, being a traveller supposedly knew the way, and the day went by quickly as they soared over varying landscapes and cities, passing other drakerns on their way. Piti drifted in and out of sleep, still clutching tight to Ryland though she was sure it was safe to hold onto the saddle handles.

Her fears dissipated by the time dusk fell, and her energy was renewed by the auroras that were beginning to form high in the sky. She finally let go of Ry and leant onto the handles in front of her, giving her a wider range of view. All three of them stared in wonder as the evening grew darker and Shy began to descend.

Ry emitted a few cryptic whistles and clicks to Shy who responded to them accordingly, much to Piti's admiration.

* * *

Piti was glad to be back on the ground, though she politely thanked Ry for the ride. 

They were all rubbing their backsides, sitting on a saddle for hours on end left you feeling rather sore. Piti had equipped Cosette with a saddle that was specifically made for longer journeys, but Piti was sure that finding a drakern saddle like that- that seated two was much more difficult.

"I was worried I would hate being on my feet all night at the ball, but I'm honestly glad I don't have to sit any longer." Ry was stretching as she settled Shy into the hostel's barn. She rustled her feathers, gulped down food and fell straight to sleep. Ry stroked her nose fondly, thanking her for their long flight today.

They checked in at the hostel, and Tormund and Ryland dressed up for the ball. Tormund was in a navy half cloak that was modest but formal, and Ryland had changed into a deep blue set of dress robes with comfortable looking legs. "Well," Ry dusted off specks from Tormund's cloak medallion. "We're off Piti! We'll see you either this evening or in the morning depending on how late we stay."

Tormund walked over to Piti, scruffing her curls up with his large hand. "You have a nice time with uh...the sky. You have the keys, so don't lose them."

Piti nodded, trying to hide a smile as they waved goodbye and started their walk up to one of the large courts.

Moments after they walked out, she grabbed her bag, unzipping it and digging around for the package hoping it wouldn't be too crumpled. She tore open the paper and lay out the dress on one of the beds. This dress had been left for her from her grandmama in her will, and so she was excited to wear it for the first time. She wasn't generally one for fancy clothes, but a rare formal occasion like this had excited her enough to make an effort for it.

'So many petticoats' Piti thought, pulling on the third layer of ruffles. At this rate, she would get there at midnight. She pulled on the soft powder pink dress, straightening out the folds and fluffing her petticoat out. Looking in the mirror she clasped a gem choker on and clipped a pretty tiara into her hair. She spun around, humming approvingly. She couldn't help but feel a little princess-like. 

As she left the hostel she whistled for one of the nearby nikyaxis, while she wrestled to heave her dress up enough from the streets so it wouldn't drag through any dirt. It was a short journey to the courts where the ball was, though she received many looks on the journey- her dress glittering in the twilight atmosphere.

Handing a few pennies to her rider, she leapt off the mount and stood at the door of the courts. There was a warm hum coming from inside, telling her the festivities were already underway. Two doorlyne stood in the grand doorway, tall and neutral. They noticed Piti wavering in the pathway and called to her. "Miss, the ball is just through here." 

Piti edged forward, for the first time feeling a wave of doubt. She'd never done anything like this before, was it foolish to try and go to such a heavily social event? She held onto the thought of being the belle of the ball, much like in the fairytales of her childhood. She was flooded with a rush of determination.

"May I see your invite ma'am? For name clarification and the like?"

Piti handed it to him 

The doorlyne opened the doors for her and she stepped into the room. There was a direct light shining on the stairs from above her, so she couldn't make out Tormund's or Ryland's faces. She quickly noticed that the room had hushed, and she froze unsure what to do, eyes wide.

A sophisticated announcing voice startled her and rang around the room. "Young Miss Pititi Alovelight."

A warm applause started up and she instinctively curtseyed at the impressed murmurs around the room. She finally spotted her two friends, slack-jawed by the refreshments table, eyes gleaming with pride.

She smiled as she elegantly descended down the staircase. She was proud of herself, too.