AutumnLeaves

AutumnLeaves is one of the older Fae of the clan, and it shows in his somewhat odd voice-while he is mostly monotonous, when talking to non-Fae dragons he actually manages to include some emotion in his tone. It sounds extremely fake to his own ears and to most of The Hive, but to the non-Faes of the lair it means a lot that he tries.

His face is often hidden behind his veil and his fox skull. He's often viewed as the harbinger of Autumn-whenever AutumnLeaves becomes more active and present in the clan, autumn soon follows. He's quiet, wise, and patient, and can be found perched in sunny spots around the entire cave no matter the time of day.

The Fae in The Hive and several dragons throughout the clan often speak of AutumnLeaves in hushed tones, often wondering why such a wise and kind Fae had no mate, with several of them even asking for tips as to how they should approach him. While he is not unaware of these whispers and potential suitors, AutumnLeaves pays them no heed; he alone knows that their pursuit of him would end in their hearts being broken, so instead he smiles kindly and acts as if he has never had any romantic love for any dragon in the clan.

It was years ago, however, when he first felt love, and it was only through years of careful barriers and precautions taken that helped his heart stay whole. He met MurkyWaters shortly after she joined the clan, running into her on a lovely summer afternoon and becoming instantly enamored with her. They had a hatchling together, their precious TeaLeaf, but it wasn't to be. She was too weak, the winter too strong, and AutumnLeaves could only watch as a rift slowly grew between himself and Murky.

And then Dharithri and Zumurrud had left for the war, leaving Gypsum somewhat shattered and completely alone in charge of the clan, and the clan's peace began to crack. He approached Murky then, with a love confession and a request to be her mate, and she hadn't turned him down. She had said that she felt something for him too, but it simply wasn't the right time. All he could think of was their little daughter, taken far too soon, and that the right time felt like a nonexistent ideal. He let it rest.

AutumnLeaves would return from time to time, when the clan was settled, as it grew, when Zumurrud and Dharithri returned, but it was never the right time. Murky was kind and sweet, allowing him to still take comfort in her presence, but no matter what he asked or how he approached it, it simply wasn't the right time. And slowly he began to wonder if it would ever be the right time. As he began to consider that thought, he consciously stepped back from where he had positioned himself in Murky's life. They were still friends, he was still her confidant and she was his, but that was...it. It wasn't the right time.

Years later, AutumnLeaves still remembers everything in painful detail, and has resigned himself to the fact that it will never be the right time. There will always be a war, nature will always be cruel and unforgiving, and the blessings that life brings should be accepted without need for future promises. It was Murky who approached him, curious about nesting, and this nest, he promised himself and his lost daughter, would flourish. Mazu and Alethea were born healthy and strong, and while his older daughter soon left for the Zephyr Steppes, he feels some sense of peace from his new daughters.

This was the right time for nesting. Just nesting. He understood it, he accepted it. Something was far better than nothing, and the gift Murky had given him meant the world to him. Everything was fine. Really, it was. Just...fine.