Breathe

It was a simple act: pull air in through the lips, allow it to enrich the body, and exhale the remains back into the atmosphere. Breathing was a duty that the body enacted since its emergence into the world, so it was only suiting that it be a mostly involuntary action. Breathe in, breath out, repeat. So simple… right?

“Breathe, Lyr. Just take it easy and breathe.”

Somewhere in the past several moments she had stopped doing just that, and so with the abrupt reminder she found herself expelling a great ball of air that turned white in the cold. Beside her, Moria looked on in concern and anger, brow creased to a dangerous level. As Lyr reclaimed her body’s ability to respire, she watched her friend march off across the road to where a group of their peers had rallied with shouts and catcalls. In the midst of the group was the commotion that had knocked the breath from her in the first place: Kiritane and Elenea.

Elenea was sprawled in the dirt, her lip bloody and eyes rapidly tearing. She was three years younger than Kiritane, new to the village, and rumored to be the daughter of a sorceress. As the son of the village holyman, Kiritane did not take kindly to the latter.

“You spoiled little brat!” Moria’s voice rang across the village square, followed by the loud *slap* of skin striking skin. All at once, Kiritane was the one of the ground nursing a fat lip, scowling darkly up at the girl who had dare to hit him. Nevertheless, he made no move to rise from where he fell even at Moria turned to help the younger girl to her feet; no one picked a fight with Moria if they wanted to keep their heads.

From her statuesque position across the square, Lyr watched as the two girls spoke quietly and began walking back to where she stood. Moria was no longer frowning, but instead taking animatedly to the tearful Elenea. Lyr could only shake her head in amazement at her friend. 

“How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Stand up to people so easily.”

Moria grinned mischieviously, a friendly hand slinging across Lyr’s shoulder as the three girls walked together.

 ”I just breathe.”

~ by eeratka on January 14, 2008.