Learning Violet Harvest BG - Chalice

The unlikely trio stood at the edge of the cliff as the morning sun rose. Even the morning made the snow sparkle like nothing Chalice had seen before. Though, she had to admit there was very little of Roenden that she had seen. Vega and Fearghas watched the sunrise with her. All three vayrons were silent as they took in the sight. 

“Where to next?” Vega asked after a moment.

“Well,” Chalice hesitated. She would really appreciate the older vayron’s wisdom and guidance, but she didn’t want to burden her more than she already had. 

Vega sensed the younger adult’s hesitation and urged her to speak her mind, “Don’t make choices for me, ask away.”

Chalice laughed, “There’s one more place in Roenden I wanted to visit before I return home.”

Vega nodded and watched as her foster pup started to roll around in the glittering snow around their feet. Vega knew the little Fearghas was having a great time exploring all these places they were traveling, so it wasn’t any trouble for the pair.

“It’s described as rolling hills covered in snow, yet the people there still manage to harvest even in the cold,” Chalice repeated what she read in one of her books. 

“There are a few places like that,” Vega thought for a moment, “But I think I know which one would make it into books.”

“Is it far from here, or actually, is it further from Thedale?” 

Vega smiled at Chalice as she answered, “It’s further from here, but there’s a path that leads to Thedale not far from it.”

Chalice nodded as Fearghas, with his energy restored, kicked snow at her feet. It was clear he was trying to get her to play with him. Chalice entertained him for a few moments while Vega watched, but eventually, she realized she hadn’t asked how long this new journey would take. Originally, she had only wanted to be gone for three days, but those three days had come and gone. It was now day five, and she wanted this quest to be over quickly. 

As Chalice flicked snow at Fearghas, she asked Vega, “How long will it take to get there?”

“About a full day,” Vega said nonchalantly. 

Chalice stopped playing with Fearghas, causing him to make sounds of protest, but she knew if this was to be over quickly, they needed to leave now. 

“We should be on our way then,” Chalice said urgently. 

Vega nodded and gathered Fearghas onto her back. The mother and son pair spoke to each other for a moment before Fearghas got comfortable in Vega’s thick fur. Chalice watched them as she shifted her weight, feeling the need to leave them behind, except she didn’t know where to go. Without a word of warning, Vega took powerful strides and started running through the thick snow. Chalice struggled to collect herself, but when she finally managed to start running too it was hard to keep up in the heavy snow. However, Vega never relented; with Fearghas secure on her back, she plowed a path through the snow, not once looking behind her. 

Chalice heaved in the cold air as she tried to keep up. One thing she was thankful for was that Vega was making a very clear path in the snow, so even if Vega was out of sight, the paw prints in the snow let her know she was going the right way. Chalice followed the path at her own pace for hours. Some stretches she tried to run hard and other parts of the path carved in the snow she walked carefully. All in all, by the time the sun started its descent Chalice managed to reach Vega and Fearghas. 

“Not far from here.” Vega called when Chalice was within earshot. 

Fearghas brightened when he spotted Chalice and he jumped off Vega’s back to meet her as she approached them. Chalice was breathing hard, but she still managed to laugh as Fearghas bounced between her feet. 

“You take no prisoners,” Chalice wheezed sarcastically. 

Vega smiled, “You wanted to get here quickly.”

Fearghas still weaved between Chalice’s legs as she took in the hills around here. They were small hills, but they reminded her of sand dunes. The low slopes of white snow seemed as uninhabitable as the deserts in Thedale. 

“Is this the right place?” Chalice asked. 

Vega shook her head, “Ah, I wasn’t loud enough, no. The destination isn’t far from here.”

The trio walked through the snow dunes as a weak breeze pushed the snow powder around their feet. Chalice watched the sun move closer to the horizon wondering how much further they had to walk. 

“If I have the timing correctly,” Vega started to say, “We should reach the village right as the moons rise and wash the village in a purple light.”

“Interesting,” Chalice said, dreading that Vega mentioned the moons would be in the sky by the time they got there. Fearghas, unaware of what all the conversation meant, was content to bounce between Vega’s legs and Chalice’s. 

Vega’s prediction was right. The sun was hidden behind the horizon and the moons were half full in the sky by the time the trio reached the village. Here the mountains didn’t have sharp peaks and edges, everything was soft curves. Chalice took in the hills these fields and homes were built on. They were massive. Tall slopes that curved gracefully into the next, and even with only the moonlight, Chalice could make out the cross sections that made up fields on some of the furthest hills. 

“Hmm, it shouldn’t be much longer.” Vega looked around, everything was the usual night lighting. There was nothing unique about the colours. 

“This is still amazing,” Chalice said as she noted the rows carved into the snow next to her. The fields stretched on into the darkness, but in the patches closest to her she could make out plants growing through the harsh chill. 

“Fair enough, but the reason this place makes it into the geographical books is because of the purple lights.” Vega sighed. 

Chalice and Fearghas walked further into the village looking at all the fields and the scattered homes in between them. Even with the blue light of the moons, it was still something Chalice had never experienced before. She noted that the blues, at some angles, appeared almost cyan. The colours glittered across the snow, like there was an aurora above them, but when Chalice looked up there were only stars staring back at her. Fearghas had taken to jumping into fresh snow piles, but Chalice paid him no mind as she continued her exploration. 

“Ah this is it!” Vega called. 

Chalice turned around in time to witness the blues shift to purple. The snow around them looked like waves of cyan, violet and blue passed over them. Like the last environment, this one was just as magical. Chalice, Vega and Fearghas all watched the colours twist around each other until the purple light overpowered the others. The group was bathed in a violet light that made Vega and Chalice smile for some unknown reason. 

“That’s incredible,” Chalice whispered, afraid she would disrupt the magic. 

“It is,” Vega replied. 

“Will this one vanish as quickly as the last?” Chalice asked, but could see the purple light was already fading in the shadows. 

“Not as quickly, but eventually, the usual night colours will return.” Vega sighed, with a shrug. 

The three vayrons wandered around the village taking in all the sights. Vega pointed out interesting things she knew and answered as many questions as she could. Eventually, Fearghas started to waver on his feet. Vega was quick to steady him, but she took as their queue to turn in for the night. The three found an open barn to rest in while they waited until morning. 

[1310]