Change of Heart

Featuring Éliot (age 9), mentioning a friend
Autumn, Year 761 of the New Age
Ridgeback River, Outside of Glenmore

Suggested music for reading: Beltaine - Beltaine

Sometime previously: [link]

It was like a gap, a slim crack in the canopy that suddenly ripped open, giving way to a flood of golden sunlight. It gushed through, transforming the forest path ahead into a stream of light - with bright little spots dancing around, darting across rocks and stones just like ripples in a fast-flowing mountain creek. Éliot could almost hear the happy gurgling; light was swirling around his feet as he broke free from the more dense and dark part of the forest and stepped onto this new path.

Here, a gap in the baldachin of colourful leaves revealed a strip of orange sky. He knew where he was going; lifting his hooves, he started wading through the grass as if it was really water after all. If it hadn’t been for the soft light lining the way, the rambling path would’ve been hard to follow, but sounds were leading him now - sounds that were, in a way, familiar.
Éliot leapt over a rock, a fallen tree, circled some others - all with seemingly endless energy – until the path ended, and the sounds, the rushing, the gurgling, reached their maximum volume.

Here was the river again, still a majestic body of water. The young stag knew he was nearing the mountains with every step he took; the river in front of him had gotten younger since he’d last seen him. Now, it seemed to have regained all of the energy it had lacked when it had been broader. Gone was the laziness: here lay a stream that knew where it was going, a stream that actually wanted to reach its goal.
Éliot felt how easy it was to let himself be carried away by the river’s attitude, the way it changed with every day of walking: if he’d been lazy and reluctant to leave Glenmore at first, he was now full of zeal to set out and soak up every little experience and bit of knowledge he could get. The world was in motion. It was autumn now – and even though he was pretty much alone and remote from the whole business that was rut, he felt the changes in himself as well.
He was more energetic than ever – if that was even possible. He would often take little detours or dart off the path if he thought he’d be rewarded with something fantastic to see, and for some reason the world seemed to look more beautiful and admirable with every day that was passing. He didn’t know why, he didn’t know how, but in a curious way all that he saw made him think of someone. He’d had this thought for a while now - it was slowly turning out to be a persistent one, as it only ever seemed to become stronger and more prominent with every day.

Whatever was happening; it was confusing him. Eli had never been one for sentiments (or at least, hadn’t seen himself as this type of stag) – and yet one name was crossing his mind again and again, and didn’t really care to leave anytime soon.
Rusalka.

Rue.

Rue had always been special. She was a free spirit – she’d wandered the mainland before he’d even set a single hoof on it. In a way, he felt close to her as he was walking here on foreign grounds.
Éliot’s thoughts wandered back to the last time they’d seen each other: it was a bittersweet remembrance, but a beautiful one nonetheless. But it was so far away… it seemed like an eternity was laying between then and now. And yet, the thought filled him with something weird - something that felt like homesickness, only worse. The sensation was so entirely unfamiliar that Eli was outright confused by it, and walked into the wrong direction for a solid hour before he woke from his absentmindedness and realised his mistake.

What was this supposed to mean?

Each of his steps felt both lighter and heavier than the last; one time he felt like he was light enough to be able to fly away anytime - like a bird - the other time it was like a heavy burden was pressing him down and his throat was dry as if he hadn’t drunken for a while.

He was going mad. Yes. Yes, that must be it.

Walking along the riverbank, the memories soon started to sing inside of him. From their first meeting to the latest, he remembered everything; the words and sentences almost forming themselves as he did so. Éliot felt a slight breeze pick up and play with his short mane, something that always happened when he felt a song bubbling up to the surface inside of him – but today, it wasn’t the wind that sang, it was his heart.

The sky is different everywhere,
you say - you need to seek
for places with some lighter air
that you find smells unique

And so, the bird began to fly, is soaring up and soaring high,
The filly with the wandering heart

You leave to see that sky of yours
along the beaten track,
I’d come, but these familiar shores... -
something holds me back

And so, the bird began to fly, is soaring up and soaring high,
The filly with the wandering heart

There is a sky that I can’t find -
The clouds are black and grey
Although the sun may be behind
the darkness, I must stay

And so, the bird began to fly, is soaring up and soaring high,
The filly with the wandering heart

We both lived under different skies,
but now it’s one, I know
I’ve seen yours with my own two eyes
and back now I will go!

Eli sighed. The wind had long stopped, his voice was wafting over the river’s crystal-clear surface all alone.

And so the bird began to fly, is soaring up and soaring high…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sooo excited! This thing was even part of the initial planning for Eli's plot: having finished this now feels like I'm actually getting somewhere with the whole story (despite my sloth-ness) and that feels goody-goody.
I'm kinda curious where this will lead, or if it will lead anywhere at all. *tag tag Tattered-Dreams*
But I... kind of knew it was coming? :'D Eli isn't very subtle to me.

I always knew I wanted to do another full-colour traditional piece for that part (Eli pics, or fawnling pics in general are JUST THE BEST THING EVER to do) and I'm really glad that whitsun break came inbetween and I could finish the whole thing in Croatia. It was super fun, working on it. I worked closely with a reference, which shows, haha xD

Writing the story was... surprisingly okay, though it took too long. And the song was kind of difficult to write - there's a lot behind the verses and why they are how they are, but I won't explain that further here.

ANYWAY I hope you like it - ever since I started the picture I have been looking forward to this moment

REFERENCE USED (found on pinterest) (I'm not making profit with this)
Art (c) by me
Eli is mine
Rue belongs to the fantastic Tattered-Dreams (aaah I'll be answering your note asap!!)