A cool breeze passed through the clearing, and Morgan exhaled slowly as it brushed over him. The stone beneath him was smooth and cool and the small river that formed one edge of the small space streamed steadily by. A hint of smoke and sandalwood tinted the air as incense and candle burned nearby. About an hour of fast walking into the wooded areas near the Academy, the Warlock had created a passable sanctuary out of the sheltered clearing. Tall trees surrounded the space, leaving only the center bare to sunlight. The rocky banks of the river created a space mostly free of plant life and dotted with large, smooth stones like the one he was seated upon. Another served to hold a small white candle and burner with a stick of incense. A simple silver pentacle on the stone as well, a gift from his parents that he had carried for quite some time. Normally he wore it on a leather cord around his neck.
Finally opening his eyes, Morgan looked at the river as it coursed in front of him. Every Solstice was a time of celebration back home, and he was somewhat surprised to learn that he missed it. Surely there were others gathering somewhere to enjoy themselves, but he expected it to be very different from his family's festival and that put him off. Stretching as he got to his feet, he wondered how Kiara was spending her break. Letting his eyes follow the natural flow of the river, he considered the lake and the night of the disaster in the ballroom. It hadn't turned out too bad, all told.
The water was cooler than the stones on his feet as he stepped into it. Rolling up the loose legs of his dark jeans, he waded a short way into the water before following the current down toward the lake. He hadn't visited it since that night, as he had been exploring the more immediate areas around campus in greater depth to try and learn his way around. Morgan had never followed the river to the lake before, but he had known it to lead there the first time he had come upon it. The other activity that had consumed most of his time was practicing his craft. The little river always seemed to flow with cool water, eager to bend to his will. As he wandered slowly toward the lake, not knowing exactly how far away he might be, he began his practice anew. The routine of it was relaxing.
Lyla wasn't even close to being ready to get up when the sun graced her eyelids. Groaning at the burning sensation, she rolled her face into her pillows and dragged her blankets over her head. She could hear the wind, and it told the story of how the sun came to be intruding upon her sleep. The Splice had been out late, wandering and dancing in the silence of the night. The sky had still been dark when she had climbed the small tree outside her window. Apparently she had forgotten to close the window and curtain.
She certainly hadn't been asleep for very long, so Lyla snuggled deep into her blankets, shutting out all possibility of the sun's light reaching her. Barring outside intervention, she would likely sleep most of the day away. It wouldn't be the first time, nor the last. It didn't seem like such a bad thing to her. At least they were currently on break, so she wasn't missing any classes.
