Conundrum

[cassiel]

A cool breeze, shifting across the mountains lazily. The soft cold air touching everything, passing through concaves or lifting higher up into the mountain top. The wind starts to settle as the breeze floats down to the valley below, it hits the water running from the mountain top from the drying snow. The current mixes itself with the water bringing the cool air down to the valley underneath, the breeze and water drop like a roller coaster into the lagoon below.

The spray of cold water and cool mountain air rushed pass as Cassiel sits by the waterfalls end, the cool mist coats his clothes and hair making the moisture drip from his skin. His eyes are closed as he sits pondering the basic questions that have plauged him for quite some time now, his thoughts stir endlessly trying to find answers to questions he wanted to know. Another wave of mist makes him open his eyes, his gold laced eyes scan the valley. His senses picking up several critters and birds, he sighed his breath coming out in a long drawn out notion. His hands flatten on the stone he sits on pushing himself up easily to his feet, his head swivels around checking again his surroundings. A small sound catches his ears, he stays still listening for more but under the sound of the falls it was hard to make out exactly what it was. Another sound yet still so unfamiliar, his head whips around suddenly. His hand clenched, small bits of blue lightning sizzle and crack underneath his fist. His voice is controlled and demanding

"Come out whoever you are, your not hiding from me."

His eyes scan the forest behind him... Still nothing, he waits his mind ever at the ready.

[Я Є Đ WOLF]

There was the sound of music, unlike anything heard before. Through the cascading waft of cool water-weary mist, the sound rose eerily. Or, perhaps it would seem eerie, had the sound been high and wain. The note of this specific song, however, was rich and full. It did not haunt through the mist, but rather it cleared the mysterious clouds away with its clearness and sharpness. It permeated the deep, soaked gorge with a reverberating essence, and it lifted high and heavenward, as if it were meant to be sung simply for those that were pure enough to hear it above.

The sweet melody died as she approached, but with its death birthed the trod of hooves on the mossy rocks by the seething spring. The creature there was but a figure obscured in the wafting droplets of water - half woman and half fawn. Or, this is what it appeared to be. When she drew nearer, and the fog lifted from her form, there was but a simple girl, smiling.

"So anyways, I was talking to him and he totally blew me off for some other girl. Can you believe that?"

She frowned a delicate frown, turning from the finch with which she was speaking to another perched on her outstretched arm. The creature seemed completely involved in listening to her every word, and did not twitch a feather as she continued on in her low, sing-song way.

"I guess that's squirrels for you... They're always chasing the girl with the bushier tail."

Then, as if someone had jolted her with electricity, she stopped moving entirely. The cloud of birds surrounding her quickly ruffled their feathers and left. She stood there a moment, gawking at the sound she heard.

I uh... OHEYLOOK. A person!"

In all reality, Dante had made no attempt to hide that she was there. But that was a forest spirit for you. Never hear those things sneak up! She had thought of wearing a bell or something, because she heard those and then she hoped other people would too. She missed other people... She had been asleep a long time, and she hadn't seen one in ages.

So, as is Dante's way, she had wandered aimlessly throughout the forest she had woken up in and had been babbling away at whatever would listen. Squirrels, she found, were unreliable people. You couldn't get a word in edgewise, and then you couldn't run fast enough to catch up to them when they were bored of you. Birds were a lot nicer, but you know they gossiped a lot. She was sure all her deep dark secrets were spread all over the forest by now! And what if she needed those secrets for later? Then what?

But we are getting off topic. Dante had not, since waking, seen a human yet. Sure, there were a lot of human shaped stumps she could talk to, but they really had no personality. Real people were best. Delighted with her recent discovery then, she wandered up to the strange looking fellow with a big, cheery smile.

"Hey! You're not a person! But you know what, you look a lot like one, so I'm getting closer. What's your name? Why are you all wet? Is it the waterfall's fault? I can fix that, if you want. They waste so much water it's amazing someone doesn't shut them off every once in a while, right?"

[cassiel]

A sound from the forests edge suddenly re-broke Cassiel's concentration, the birds from the trees suddenly took flight and a voice rang out into the daylight.

"uh... OHEYLOOK. A person!" Cassiel flinched at the sound, he could tell immediately whoever it was had no intention to harm him but did have the intent to come and talk to him.

He stayed seated listening to the persons footsteps but surprisingly heard none, his eyes opened as his mind went to the possibilities. Only very quiet and subtle creatures could ever sneak up on him, and that was hard enough in the dark. This one didn't make a sound in broad daylight and made it to a close enough distance to strike without his knowledge, the person made him question his motives.

Cassiel turned his head in time to see a young woman approaching with a very odd grin on her face,

"Hey! You're not a person! But you know what, you look a lot like one, so I'm getting closer. What's your name? Why are you all wet? Is it the waterfall's fault? I can fix that, if you want. They waste so much water it's amazing someone doesn't shut them off every once in a while, right?"
Cas sat looking up at her from over his shoulder, his eyes a little wide at the out burst of questions from her, he turned his head back to the water, blinked twice and turned back answering every question

"I am not a person no, My name is Cassiel, I am wet because I have been sitting her meditating with the waterfall, Yes it sort of is the waterfalls fault, No you dont need to fix it. The water isnt wasted here its wasted at the dam 3 miles south of it, and as for shutting it off well..." he couldnt respond to a thought like that from such a person, was she really that powerful? He turned back to the water and closed his eyes speaking evenly

"What if your name? and try to tell me in one sentence." He smiled a little at his own humor, he continued to meditate waiting for the girls reply.

[Я Є Đ WOLF]

Dante, all very confused by this answering of all her questions at once, tried to pay attention to the man as he listed them off to her. Some people just needed to yap away, didn't they? Still, she nodded attentively, though her dark eyes strayed a few times, watching as the plentiful supply of bug life fluttered and whirred by her. Bugs were so pretty. They must have so much fun flying and bumping into things all the time!

Wondering about this half-formed theory, she poked a finger out at a passing by ladybug. The little insect landed wearily on the tip of her nail, wing casings closing over the membranous wings. Then it proceeded to crawl and feel its way down the side of her finger, over her palm, and down to her elbow. At first, watching the bright bug was entertaining. Then, the little scurrying legs tickled and she squirmed, laughing until the little bug was fed up with the commotion and fluttered off to find a more stable perch.

"Did you see that-"

She stopped, remembering she was talking to someone, and that that person was still talking to her. With a stifled giggle, she folded her arms so she wouldn't be distracted, and made it painfully through the rest of what couldn't have been more than a five second string of speech.

One sentence? He wanted just one sentence from her? This seemed unreasonable on many occasions, and she thought he'd like to know why.

"But speech is a beautiful thing," she insisted - her own voice very much like the refreshing spray of the deep, cool, waterfall-carved gorge. "It connects the people that are alone, and gives their thoughts a chance to interact with other thoughts. There is nothing quite better than listening to two people speak and understand one another."

She flashed another overly cheerful smile.

"So uh, okay... One sentence... I can do this..."

Not realizing she had already failed to "do this" she continued on her quest for the perfect words to describe herself.

She had never had a name before, so she had borrowed someone elses'. It was a very pretty name too.

"I'm Dante Alighieri."

Smiling even wider - if that was at all possible - at her achieved goal of only using one sentence in a sitting, she then scooted closer to him. There must be a reason he was sitting here, she thought to herself. Was there something pretty to look at? A smooth stone at the bottom of the lake, perhaps? This "meditating" thing was all well and good, but what did it do? She thought she should ask him, but instead she was caught on another part of his explanation.

"Those damn dams," she chuckled, "always wasting water! But doesn't the dam waste water so people can live without being drowned? It's unfortunate that they don't have gills, sure, but you can't blame them for that. Blame the gods!"

She chuckled again.

"Silly, for not making built-in gills on an island!"