Submission (#6180) Approved

Greywind was laying on smooth rocks on the outskirts of Ealei, and plumes of white smoke swiftly dissolved into nothing in the gentle evening breeze.
As the sun approached the low horizon, it cast a warm and golden glow across the tranquil ocean. The setting sun was mesmerizing and it painted the sky with hues of orange, pink, and lavender; and the surface of the water glistened like a liquid mirror, reflecting the brilliant colors of the sky above.

On the horizon, a line of massive, fluffy clouds stretched out like a celestial pillow fort. These clouds, illuminated by the slowly fading sunlight, took on a dream-like, pastel palette. The edges of the clouds seemed to be tinged with a delicate shade of pink, gradually fading into a soft and ethereal blue and Greywind never grew tired of watching the wide sky above Ealei. The world seemed to pause for a moment and the white Elnin felt like he could breathe again for the first time in weeks.

He and Cinder spent so much time researching, planning and training and in the past few days Greywind hit a roadblock.
No matter what he tried, he couldn’t progress any further.

It was beyond frustrating, especially because he could feel how close he must be to mastering the cloud breath. Sadly all he felt was stress, tension and growing anxiety, and this morning everything came to an abrupt halt when he had a needless fight with Cinder over nothing.

Cinder argued that Greywind should take a break - that his emotional and physical resources were finite and trying to break through this blockage by sheer force was not going to work.
Greywind, in all his glorified stubbornness, obviously disagreed with Cinder, calling Cinders’ approach weak and that he wouldn’t give up this close to the finish line. He now knew that this was not at all what Cinder tried to tell him… but a few hours ago, he was too hot headed to make rational decisions.
He ran off in a huff and tried to train on his own, but everything he started ended in a disaster and he almost hurt himself. Cinders’ words had echoed through his head and he felt even worse. Angry at himself and the world, Greywind made his way to a secluded area and decided to finally follow Cinders advice and to just do nothing.

All afternoon Greywind spent in solitude, with the only company being his own thoughts and the sounds of nature around him.

The wind whispered softly through the leaves of the giant eldertree, Yggrasil - the rustling of the leaves produced a gentle, soothing melody, as if the tree itself wanted to share its secrets with the exhausted Elnin.
Reminding him of what was important.
Each leaf, caught in the embrace of the breeze, contributed its own note to the ethereal composition, creating a delicate and calming chorus and Greywind just closed his eyes in the warm sunlight, soaking it all in.
In the distance, the waves rolled in, crashing against the smooth rocks along the outskirts of Ealei. The waves rhythm was like a steady, powerful heartbeat, a reminder of the endless waters that were surrounding the region.

Greywind layed there, listening intently to all of these sounds. His face displayed a serene expression, a tranquil smile, and his eyes remained closed, allowing the sensations to wash over him, like the waves of the sea. It was a moment of perfect harmony, a connection between the elnin and the elements.
As the wind, leaves, and waves continued their gentle performance, he finally felt a deep sense of peace and unity with nature. In that moment, he wasn’t just an observer, but a part of something greater and timeless.
And then - it finally clicked.
It finally happened.

[...]

“Here you are, love…”

The soft voice of Cinder was almost drowned out by the waves and the rustling of the leaves, but of course, Greywind noticed anyway and his ears perked up. He lifted his head and turned around, to see Cinder was carefully making his way down to Greywind and smiled, when he noticed that Greywind had spotted him.
“I was looking all over for you when you didn’t come home for dinner~”, Cinder quietly explained. The setting sun turned his dark coat into a mix of orange and red and he gently nudged Greywind when he sat down next to his partner.
“Are you alright? You’ve been gone all day…”

Greywind could feel guilt creep up on him; Cinder wasn’t even a little bit mad at him.
Just worried.
The white elnin sighed heavily, and then nodded a little.

“Yeah, I’m alright now. I’m sorry for being such an idiot earlier. You were right.”

Cinder grinned and let himself fall against Greywind, who let out a soft “-uff!”, before glaring gently at his partner. The darker one was definitely the more playful of them both and Cinder never grew tired of proving that to Greywind.
“Of course I was right. I was just waiting for you to notice as well. You’re so stubborn, you know that?”

“Yes.”

“Well, don’t. And listen to me next time!” Cinder grabbed Greywinds ear with his teeth and teased the bigger one a little. Greywind rolled his eyes, while giving in with Cinders shenanigans.

“Will you stop that. You’re not a kittom anymore, let go of me, silly.”

“No, I don’t think I will. This is your punishment.” To give his words some weight to it, Cinder pulled on Greywinds ear again, teasing the older one a bit more - which ended with a face full of fluff for Cinder when Greywind whipped his grove tail into his face.
“Hey-! You’re cheating!” Cinder shook his head, trying to get rid of Greywinds fur in his mouth. “Such a kill joy…”

“Am I though? I’m just trying to get rid of a very pesky fly…”

“You wish.”

Greywind chuckled softly, and Cinder smiled, feeling content. The sun descended further, now almost hidden by the giant clouds on the horizon. The whole world around them was tinted in orange and pink.
“You found a nice spot here.” Cinders voice was quiet, and he nestled himself closer to Greywind. “Are you really feeling better now? I know the last few weeks have been stressful.”

“I do. I’m sorry I lashed out on you and made you worry. I’m really better now. Look~...”

And with that, Greywind concentrated and recalled the feeling from earlier today; when everything felt at peace and he was one with his surroundings. He could sense calmness growing in him, and it spread through his whole body. His heartbeat slowed down a bit, while the white elnin was very aware of his own breathing.

A deep breath in.

A deep breath out.

With each exhale, Greywind could feel his breath materialized in front of him a bit better, a delicate, intricate cloud of vapor taking form in the warm air. And then, it finally happened. He exhaled a slow, deliberate breath. His exhalation materialized in front of him, a delicate cloud of vapor, colored a glowing white - just like his eyes and horns. It lingered in the fresh air, an ethereal wisp that seemed to defy gravity. It danced before him, a fleeting and delicate creation.

Ironically, Greywind could hear Cinder gasp for air, just before the younger one let out a soft shriek and pounced on Greywind in excitement.
“Ahhh! You did it! Oh my god, you did it, Greywind! I can’t believe it!” Cinder stared at the plumes of white smoke surrounding Greywind and he saw the older one grinning.

“Yup.”