HOME | DD

Description
A cool grey breeze tried to brush through Ashelynn’s hair as it lay confined to its strict braid, falling long past her shoulder. She held lightly to the bars on the window she was leaning out of, peering into the unfathomable depths of mist in Limbo beneath her.
     “It’s so dark out there,” she mused, softly to herself. Her escort heard the quiet remark, and as much as the reverence in her voice concerned him, he couldn’t help but smile out at the pale grey before them. Its shimmering dimness was paled in the light of Heaven. He sighed and gently pulled her back, as she had continued to try and get a better look from the tower window. His fair hair brushed past his ears and fell into his face as he looked down at the curious eyes that turned to meet his. He could almost see the multitude of questions arise yet again into that young blue-grey gaze, shadowed by deep brown hair. He swept her bangs behind her ears neatly, and gave her a mild look of warning to keep her inquiries quiet for the time as he led her from the room.
     Ashelynn watched her mentor as they walked. His glasses would flash with light when they would pass an inner window, overlooking one of the many courtyards just inside the outer wall of Heaven. His eyes, usually a shade so much like hers, were clouded with thought, a deeper sort of grey that she had rarely ever seen.
    “Come,” he sighed in a hushed breath and they walked down the gleaming streets on a dazzling evening. Ashelynn paid no notice to the all-consuming shinning gold and white around them. She had found her own thoughts and, characteristically, had drifted off deep into them as likewise her mentor had shifted. When they reached their home on another edge of Heaven, they found his wife to still be out on business in the Summerlands. In the quiet of her absence, they went about Ashe’s studies as normal. Then her tutor sent her off to her room with a recommended book to read before she went to bed. But she did not go immediately. Only then did Ashelynn finally speak up.
     “Ian…” she addressed her elder cautiously, as he entered his study to work. He glanced up as he gathered some papers and sat at the desk. She thought about how she could word all her questions so as to get as many of them answered before her mentor got concerned about her curiosity. “Have you ever seen a demon?” she had never been good with subtlety.
      Ian heaved a sigh; he had known she was thinking something like that. “Yes,” he replied simply, then looked back to his papers.
     “Are they really… do they… what are they like?” Ashelynn could not hide the excitement in her voice. Ian looked back up, patiently. He regarded her for a moment, noting the hardly suppressed enthusiasm she usually had when learning about anything outside her safe bubble in Heaven.
     “And why would a young angel have any interest in demons?” he smiled understandingly as she looked away with a mumble about simple curiosity. “That is not something you should be troubling yourself with,” he chided her calmly, but firm enough to get his point across, “I’ve told you how very dangerous it is to be look too deep into those matters.” His response could be seen as expected across her disappointed face. She looked down in shame and mumbled her apologies for forgetting her place. Ian sighed as he looked back down at some notes, “I don’t blame you for wanting to know, but I urge you never think on that note again. Demons are of no concern for young angels, Lynn.”
     “Yes, but… I mean … well… ugh,” she tried hopelessly, before a thought struck her. “You know, it’s probably better if I did know. Then, at least, I would not be fueled by sheer curiosity into doing anything too terribly irrational. Maybe if you could just warn me better, I’d know why you did so,” she said cleverly, prompting an amused laugh from Ian.
     “As logical as that may sound, and as much as respect your effort, I think not, at least not yet,” was his reply, and Ashe deflated in exasperation. “I do intend to tell you someday, but not yet. You should not think of such things for the time being,” he reiterated. Ashe desperately wanted to argue, but knew it would not help, and also did not want to irritate the closest thing to a father she had. Not much of anything could stir his stoic demeanor in the slightest. Ian rarely ever showed any emotion in the extreme, his training and naturally ingrained manner kept him calm and collected at all times- a logical thinker, advisor, philosopher, and a brave, intelligent warrior always. Of course, that is not to say he did not feel emotion. Far from ice, he was a warm sort of neutral.
     So Ashe slunk from the room to go and lose herself in a book. But that did not work. She read without taking anything in, then would drift off. She just wanted to know. She took comfort in knowing things, loved to learn anything and everything she could (though this quality in her had a tendency to fade when it came to her real studies). She had been riveted when Ian told her of Tartarus and Olympus, and proved just as keen and enthusiastic of an audience when his wife, Arelstacia, had graced her with stories of the Summerlands. Why should Hell be anymore taboo? She brooded on this for some time.
     In the deep silence, all the stillness of night reigned, and it was quite a while before she realized just how much time had passed. The darkness was at its fullest, or at least as dark as could be in her own shimmering glow. She set her neglected book on the bedside table and paused. She decided before thinking, and left before considering.
     Ashelynn walked briskly down the gold-paved sidewalk. She nodded and smiled to a passing soldier, who returned the greeting just as silently. No one thought of stopping her or asking where she was going. After all, they were in Heaven. What could possibly go wrong?
          ~*~

Description
A cool grey breeze tried to brush through Ashelynn’s hair as it lay confined to its strict braid, falling long past her shoulder. She held lightly to the bars on the window she was leaning out of, peering into the unfathomable depths of mist in Limbo beneath her.
     “It’s so dark out there,” she mused, softly to herself. Her escort heard the quiet remark, and as much as the reverence in her voice concerned him, he couldn’t help but smile out at the pale grey before them. Its shimmering dimness was paled in the light of Heaven. He sighed and gently pulled her back, as she had continued to try and get a better look from the tower window. His fair hair brushed past his ears and fell into his face as he looked down at the curious eyes that turned to meet his. He could almost see the multitude of questions arise yet again into that young blue-grey gaze, shadowed by deep brown hair. He swept her bangs behind her ears neatly, and gave her a mild look of warning to keep her inquiries quiet for the time as he led her from the room.
     Ashelynn watched her mentor as they walked. His glasses would flash with light when they would pass an inner window, overlooking one of the many courtyards just inside the outer wall of Heaven. His eyes, usually a shade so much like hers, were clouded with thought, a deeper sort of grey that she had rarely ever seen.
    “Come,” he sighed in a hushed breath and they walked down the gleaming streets on a dazzling evening. Ashelynn paid no notice to the all-consuming shinning gold and white around them. She had found her own thoughts and, characteristically, had drifted off deep into them as likewise her mentor had shifted. When they reached their home on another edge of Heaven, they found his wife to still be out on business in the Summerlands. In the quiet of her absence, they went about Ashe’s studies as normal. Then her tutor sent her off to her room with a recommended book to read before she went to bed. But she did not go immediately. Only then did Ashelynn finally speak up.
     “Ian…” she addressed her elder cautiously, as he entered his study to work. He glanced up as he gathered some papers and sat at the desk. She thought about how she could word all her questions so as to get as many of them answered before her mentor got concerned about her curiosity. “Have you ever seen a demon?” she had never been good with subtlety.
      Ian heaved a sigh; he had known she was thinking something like that. “Yes,” he replied simply, then looked back to his papers.
     “Are they really… do they… what are they like?” Ashelynn could not hide the excitement in her voice. Ian looked back up, patiently. He regarded her for a moment, noting the hardly suppressed enthusiasm she usually had when learning about anything outside her safe bubble in Heaven.
     “And why would a young angel have any interest in demons?” he smiled understandingly as she looked away with a mumble about simple curiosity. “That is not something you should be troubling yourself with,” he chided her calmly, but firm enough to get his point across, “I’ve told you how very dangerous it is to be look too deep into those matters.” His response could be seen as expected across her disappointed face. She looked down in shame and mumbled her apologies for forgetting her place. Ian sighed as he looked back down at some notes, “I don’t blame you for wanting to know, but I urge you never think on that note again. Demons are of no concern for young angels, Lynn.”
     “Yes, but… I mean … well… ugh,” she tried hopelessly, before a thought struck her. “You know, it’s probably better if I did know. Then, at least, I would not be fueled by sheer curiosity into doing anything too terribly irrational. Maybe if you could just warn me better, I’d know why you did so,” she said cleverly, prompting an amused laugh from Ian.
     “As logical as that may sound, and as much as respect your effort, I think not, at least not yet,” was his reply, and Ashe deflated in exasperation. “I do intend to tell you someday, but not yet. You should not think of such things for the time being,” he reiterated. Ashe desperately wanted to argue, but knew it would not help, and also did not want to irritate the closest thing to a father she had. Not much of anything could stir his stoic demeanor in the slightest. Ian rarely ever showed any emotion in the extreme, his training and naturally ingrained manner kept him calm and collected at all times- a logical thinker, advisor, philosopher, and a brave, intelligent warrior always. Of course, that is not to say he did not feel emotion. Far from ice, he was a warm sort of neutral.
     So Ashe slunk from the room to go and lose herself in a book. But that did not work. She read without taking anything in, then would drift off. She just wanted to know. She took comfort in knowing things, loved to learn anything and everything she could (though this quality in her had a tendency to fade when it came to her real studies). She had been riveted when Ian told her of Tartarus and Olympus, and proved just as keen and enthusiastic of an audience when his wife, Arelstacia, had graced her with stories of the Summerlands. Why should Hell be anymore taboo? She brooded on this for some time.
     In the deep silence, all the stillness of night reigned, and it was quite a while before she realized just how much time had passed. The darkness was at its fullest, or at least as dark as could be in her own shimmering glow. She set her neglected book on the bedside table and paused. She decided before thinking, and left before considering.
     Ashelynn walked briskly down the gold-paved sidewalk. She nodded and smiled to a passing soldier, who returned the greeting just as silently. No one thought of stopping her or asking where she was going. After all, they were in Heaven. What could possibly go wrong?
          ~*~