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The salt in the air tickled Liadan's nose as she stepped out of the Topmast Apartments, her satchel slung over one shoulder. She tipped her head back to stare up at the bright sun in the clear blue sky and smiled to herself. She'd miss this...for all she'd once thought she'd never miss anywhere but the Shroud. Yes, she'd miss this place. Adjusting her satchel on her shoulder, she headed down the cobblestone path towards the docks and the ferry across the bay to Limsa.
And we find what we're made of
Through the open door
Is it fear you're afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Limsa Lominsa that afternoon held the chaos and bustle she'd learned to love about the city, and she took her time making her way through the market towards the ferry to Thanalan, for it would likely be some time ere she saw it again. A bolt of brilliant blue cloth, a pouch of dried Chamomile, and a small tin of Paprika later, she finally found her way past Maelvaan's Gate to the ferry docks. Her expression was thoughtful as she watched the white city fade from sight aboard the ferry ship.
Helplessness as Dominic Morris was carted away to his sentence.
The comfort of Ursuline and Guerrique's arms around her.
Raw fear at the sight of the Gunship approaching the Iron Bitch.
Overwhelming power the moment when the storm became hers to command.
Shame at having misjudged a man who deserved her respect.
We're only here for a season
I'm looking for the rhyme and reason
Why you're born, why you're leaving
What you fear and what you believe in
Three days into her journey north through Thanalan, she still had no answers. She had studiously avoided thinking in-depth about the situation with the singer, and probably for the best - that was a wound that would not fade easily, if ever. And still Haelsytrmm's words continued to nag at her.
The Alchemists of Thanalan were very...particular about where and how they offered their aid, and the Executioners were not well-favored, nor were most pirates.
Aye, that was what bothered her the most. That he had been turned away by those with the power to save his wife. That he never thought to look further for help, or perhaps the Fane would have turned him away, as well. It all seemed so wrong to her.
"If it's the hope of all mankind, Courageous, why do we insist on hiding it under a rock, doling it out to only those we deem worthy?"
Alas, the pale chocobo had no answers for her, merely trilling a high-pitched kweh, as though commiserating with her. She sighed, reaching down to pat the neck of the bird, "I know. People are stupid."
And she was headed right back into the thick of it...the prejudices, the petty hatreds and disdain for those who didn't look like them, didn't talk like them, didn't know any better. All the while, the Empire loomed ever closer over the boughs of the Shroud.
Why you're living and breathing
Why you're fighting it and getting it even
Let's go headed down the open road unknown
And yet, the closer she drew to the Shroud, the more excited she became. The desert had ever been her bane, a thing she couldn't help but detest. So the first sight of the scrub and small trees in Wellwick Wood that marked the beginning of the transition between Thanalan and the Shroud proper caused her to break out in a wide smile.
Most people described feeling nothing passing through the Hedge, but Liadan was not among them. She could feel the moment she stepped back inside the forest that had been her home for as long as she could remember. She slid off the back of her chocobo, walking over to the nearest tree and leaning her forehead against it with a sigh. Her eyes blurred with tears as she stood there for several minutes, simply breathing in as the cool breeze ruffled her hair.
How we have waited...
The whispers in her mind began almost immediately, with a clarity and coherance she hadn't heard in months. She pushed away from the tree with a smile and started walking further down the path, her chocobo following in her wake. As she moved deeper into the Shroud, a small glowing orb floated out of the treeline to hover over her shoulder.
So I'm back to the basics
I figure it's time I face this
Time to take my own advice
Love alone is worth the fight
She didn't regret it, not any of it. She hadn't completely succeeded, but no one ever did. She'd persevered where it mattered, though, and brokered a middle ground. It wasn't what she had wanted, but it was better than the alternative. She'd have to cling to the memory of Ursuline finally unburdened by what had occurred so long ago in Toto-Rak, and the promise of Morris's freedom. She'd carry the memory of Haelstyrmm's failure to save what mattered most to him, as well, and remember her own failure in judging him by what others said, and the visage he presented, instead of looking at his heart.
The drums of war were already echoing throughout the forest, and she'd have to hope she'd learned enough from all she'd seen, all the mistakes she'd made, to make the right decisions this time.
I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And what I can do, that I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the grace of the Twelve
I shall do.
And we find what we're made of
Through the open door
Is it fear you're afraid of?
What are you waiting for?
Limsa Lominsa that afternoon held the chaos and bustle she'd learned to love about the city, and she took her time making her way through the market towards the ferry to Thanalan, for it would likely be some time ere she saw it again. A bolt of brilliant blue cloth, a pouch of dried Chamomile, and a small tin of Paprika later, she finally found her way past Maelvaan's Gate to the ferry docks. Her expression was thoughtful as she watched the white city fade from sight aboard the ferry ship.
Helplessness as Dominic Morris was carted away to his sentence.
The comfort of Ursuline and Guerrique's arms around her.
Raw fear at the sight of the Gunship approaching the Iron Bitch.
Overwhelming power the moment when the storm became hers to command.
Shame at having misjudged a man who deserved her respect.
We're only here for a season
I'm looking for the rhyme and reason
Why you're born, why you're leaving
What you fear and what you believe in
Three days into her journey north through Thanalan, she still had no answers. She had studiously avoided thinking in-depth about the situation with the singer, and probably for the best - that was a wound that would not fade easily, if ever. And still Haelsytrmm's words continued to nag at her.
The Alchemists of Thanalan were very...particular about where and how they offered their aid, and the Executioners were not well-favored, nor were most pirates.
Aye, that was what bothered her the most. That he had been turned away by those with the power to save his wife. That he never thought to look further for help, or perhaps the Fane would have turned him away, as well. It all seemed so wrong to her.
"If it's the hope of all mankind, Courageous, why do we insist on hiding it under a rock, doling it out to only those we deem worthy?"
Alas, the pale chocobo had no answers for her, merely trilling a high-pitched kweh, as though commiserating with her. She sighed, reaching down to pat the neck of the bird, "I know. People are stupid."
And she was headed right back into the thick of it...the prejudices, the petty hatreds and disdain for those who didn't look like them, didn't talk like them, didn't know any better. All the while, the Empire loomed ever closer over the boughs of the Shroud.
Why you're living and breathing
Why you're fighting it and getting it even
Let's go headed down the open road unknown
And yet, the closer she drew to the Shroud, the more excited she became. The desert had ever been her bane, a thing she couldn't help but detest. So the first sight of the scrub and small trees in Wellwick Wood that marked the beginning of the transition between Thanalan and the Shroud proper caused her to break out in a wide smile.
Most people described feeling nothing passing through the Hedge, but Liadan was not among them. She could feel the moment she stepped back inside the forest that had been her home for as long as she could remember. She slid off the back of her chocobo, walking over to the nearest tree and leaning her forehead against it with a sigh. Her eyes blurred with tears as she stood there for several minutes, simply breathing in as the cool breeze ruffled her hair.
How we have waited...
The whispers in her mind began almost immediately, with a clarity and coherance she hadn't heard in months. She pushed away from the tree with a smile and started walking further down the path, her chocobo following in her wake. As she moved deeper into the Shroud, a small glowing orb floated out of the treeline to hover over her shoulder.
So I'm back to the basics
I figure it's time I face this
Time to take my own advice
Love alone is worth the fight
She didn't regret it, not any of it. She hadn't completely succeeded, but no one ever did. She'd persevered where it mattered, though, and brokered a middle ground. It wasn't what she had wanted, but it was better than the alternative. She'd have to cling to the memory of Ursuline finally unburdened by what had occurred so long ago in Toto-Rak, and the promise of Morris's freedom. She'd carry the memory of Haelstyrmm's failure to save what mattered most to him, as well, and remember her own failure in judging him by what others said, and the visage he presented, instead of looking at his heart.
The drums of war were already echoing throughout the forest, and she'd have to hope she'd learned enough from all she'd seen, all the mistakes she'd made, to make the right decisions this time.
I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And what I can do, that I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the grace of the Twelve
I shall do.
![[Image: hFalP38.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/hFalP38.jpg)