As Ridahne and Tax spoke to each other workers would come in and out of the room. They were excited as they chattered with each other and with Tax. The Seed-Bearer had finally made it to them! She was incredible! She looked like she could be one of them. She was everything they had hoped for and more. She was pretty and all the animals liked her! The reactions varied from person to person. Some of the younger Workers practically danced as they laughed and sang the news and joyfully relayed the wonderful gossip. Some were more sedate, but even their pure unrefined joy came shining though their eyes. Darin! The Seed-Bearer! She was here! They had to get ready! There would be a feast tonight! They had to celebrate.

Then a new conversation started to circulate, “I heard The Seed-Bearer tell Ravi that the Gardener died as soon as he gave her The Seed.”

“We knew he was dead. He sent no more messages. He didn’t come home. Pax did.”

“And then Pax died too.”

“His body? What did they do with his body?”

“I overheard her say that he was buried in the custom of her village. They burry their dead so when the bodies decompose, they can nourish the crops. There is a ceremony. The Gardener was buried under her farm.”

“You mean her family’s farm?”

“Ravi asked that too. She insisted that it was her farm.”

“If the body was somehow returned, we would have buried The Gardener at The Tree’s Roots. It seems fitting that he was buried to help her crops grow.”

“She did no wrong! At least not in this regard. Tonight, at the feast we will honor The Gardener as we honor The Seed-Bearer. It is only fitting.”

“Yes! It is.”

The excitement did not leave the air though the atmosphere grew more somber. It was a bittersweet day. The Seed-Bearer was here, and that was glorious! Yet, she brought news of The Gardener’s passing. The Workers missed him dearly. He had been like a father or grandfather to them all. He had lived a long life, longer than anyone else in Astra. His passing still brought tears of sorrow to many eyes. That did not halt the preparations for the meal. They still had to celebrate The Seed-Bearer’s arrival. They had to celebrate The Gardener’s life. There was much to do!

Meanwhile Ravi and Darin walked slowly to towards The Tree. Talbot flicked his reins at Darin until she finally just took hold of them in exasperation. Mitaja weaved in and out of the two people’s legs; causing both of them to laugh from time to time. Ravi felt so good that Darin found her baring her soul to him. In the short walk he learned everything she had told Ridahne and more. He learned of her father’s betrayal. He learned of her town’s treatment of her and of Thomas’s and Milla’s loyalty. He learned how she felt woefully unprepared for this job, how she felt like she was going to fail in one way or another, how she didn’t feel capable at all. Ravi learned how she didn’t believe in his kind words at about the same time as he learned about the incident with Mark and how Talbot came to be with her. He learned how she thought she was trying her best, but didn’t know that she was because she kept storming off from Ridahne in a huff, how she thought Ridahne had done the right thing doing what she had done to get exiled, (Darin had just enough sense not to spill Ridahne’s secrets. They weren’t hers to give.) but how she didn’t think the Azurei had done the right thing in leaving the man she loved behind to face the consequences alone. Darin relayed how she wasn’t sure she was right to think that, because she knew she didn’t have the whole story. She told him she hadn’t realized that she could Chain Ridahne to The Seed, how she wasn’t sure she should have, or even what being Seed-Chained meant. Ravi learned that The Gardener was dead and how and when he died. The Overseer learned that Darin missed her Mama, her farm, her home, and, just wanted to go home. He learned that even though the young Seed-Bearer knew it wasn’t right she was still going to try and break her father’s nose if she ever saw him again. 

Ravi listened intently as he ensured that the clumsily girl didn’t trip as she talked rapidly. His brow furrowed as he frowned in concentration, but the kind look never left his eyes. He hadn’t realized that The Seed-Bearer was so young, even for a human. It was clear that all of these worries and concerns had been bottled up for a long time; perhaps even longer than her current journey. She needed someone to trust who wouldn’t get mad at her and would provide advice only when it was needed. Ravi was far older than he looked; nearing his fifth century. He had been a Worker for all but the first 150 years of his life. He had been the Overseer for close to 100 years. He was honored that Darin had picked him; even if it was just because he was the first truly decent person she had meet when since she had left home. She would not be betrayed by him. The Overseer would hold her trust above all else. That was his job.

When they got to the line of stones marking the border of The Tree, they both paused. Darin seemed nervous so Ravi put both his hands on her shoulders as he looked her in the eye with a smile on his face, “Seed-Bearer. This will not be easy. It will not be communication like you are use to, but I have every faith that you can do this.”

Darin swallowed as she nodded, “Right. Right. I can do this. I can do this.”

Ravi nodded, “I know you can.” He looked quickly at the hunting cat, “Hello little one. Can you watch the barrier to make sure she is not interrupted?” He turned to Talbot, “You should go with her. Bring her to the Farmhouse when she’s done.”

Talbot nodded as Darin exclaimed, “Wait! You’re not staying.”

Ravi pushed her hair out of her eyes, “No young Darin. I have things I must do. You will be alright.”

Darin nodded and she slowly pulled away from the Overseer. She paused for a moment, but Talbot slowly encouraged her with his nose. Soon she was over the line and headed even closer to The Tree. Ravi watched for a moment before heading back to the Farmhouse. The young human would be busy for a while. That gave him plenty of time to do what he had to do. When he got to the Farmhouse he went straight to where he knew the guardian would be.

He ordered, and his voice left no tone for question, “Walk with me Seed-Chained!” Once they were far enough away from people that Ravi was sure they wouldn’t be heard he asked, “Tell me, Ridahne, how did you come to be Seed-Chained? Not how you came to be with The Seed-Bearer. Tell me what happened during the incident you angered her so much she chained you to The Seed.”
-
Darin walked towards The Tree slowly. She thought that if Talbot wasn’t here, she would just not move. As it was the horse slowly pushed her towards her destination. Darin didn’t feel anything but nervous. It was almost like being summoned to stand in front of the elders without really knowing why. She didn’t think she had done anything wrong. That didn’t mean she was right in that thought. Other than that, it was almost going to go pick apples. The Tree looked like an apple tree. The Apples were bright red. They looked incredible. Soon Darin was under the canopy and standing next to the trunk. The Tree was certainly bigger than any normal apple tree. Darin slowly reached out to place a palm on the rough bark. The moment she did so she was locked into place. She was not even able to blink.

Locked like this, the images rushed through her mind in uncontrolled waves. Each time a stream of pictures came she was terribly confused for the first moment and then they made perfect sense in the next one. Then the next wave would come. As the images came Darin learned. She learned the History of The Tree, and The Tree before that, and the one before that. She learned the Future of The Tree, of her Tree, and the one after that. She learned Futures and Histories of so many Trees that it became one unbroken cycle; the only change being The Gardeners attached to The Tree. She learned the true purpose of The Gardeners and The Seed-Bearers they were first. She learned the truth of this world that turned out to be so much bigger than she thought it was. She learned the truth of the task she had been assigned, why she had been given it so much early then The Gardener had been given his and, the reality of the end of her journey. Most importantly, at least on a personal level, she learned she might go home, but she would never get to stay. The Tree finally released her, and Darin fell to the ground. There she cried and cried until she could cry no more. Even then she sobbed. What she had told Ravi was true. She was so not prepared for this. She never could be. She felt for sure she would fail. She still had to try. If she gave up now the cycle would be broken, and the world, not just Astra would, fall into ruin. At least now she understood why The Seed-Bearer was a farmer instead of a warrior. Only a farmer could understand the dreadful truth behind the situation Astra found themselves in. She still didn’t know why she had been chosen. Their had to be hundreds of better farmers than her out there.

The young human let Talbot push her to a standing position. Then the horse took pity on her and knelt down so she could mount easier. As he rose, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face into his mane. He slowly walked towards the main Farmhouse. As they crossed the simple stone line Mitaja joined them. Darin just wanted to sleep. This was far too much information for her to deal with right now. She would deal with it, and if she would tell anyone the truth, tomorrow.