Ravi smiled at the young Elf, “Visons are remarkable things. They are always possible.” He, “They may even come to past, but not in the way you expect.” He let the girl, “Go and think. Be sure and remember to join us for the celebration.”

As he watched the Elf walk off her felt the human come and join him on horseback. The Seed-Bearer asked, “Will she be alright?”

Ravi sighed, “Perhaps. That is for her to decide.” Then he grew serious as he turned to look at the young human, “And so, Darin, you know the truth. What do you make of it?”

Darin sighed as she looked back towards The Tree, “Yes. I do know the truth. It is not a truth I wish to know.”

Ravi felt obligated to point out, “Truth is not something we often want to know. Lies bring comfort. Truth only brings reality. Yet you have never shied from truth.”

Darin turned her attention back to The Overseer, “No I haven’t. It doesn’t always bring despair. Sometimes it brings joy beyond measure.”

Ravi laughed lightly at that, “That is truth as well.”

Darin sighed, “I don’t know if I should tell Ridahne or not.”

Ravi shook his head, “I would not advise it.” He held up a hand to silent the human’s protest, “She is not your friend. You may wish to be her friend, you maybe her friend at some point, but you two are not friends yet.”

Darin was insistent, “I want to be her friend. She’s just so … prickly.” Darin quickly pointed out, “Not that I’m any better. I’ve never really wanted friends before, so I don’t have a lot of practice in making them.”

Ravi nodded in agreement, “True. But there’s no time like the present to start getting that practice.”

The girl couldn’t help but ask, “How do I start? Or rather what do I now? I already started. I did so badly.”

Ravi laughed again, “Just be yourself Darin. That’s all you can do.”

Darin grew exasperated, “I am a farmer! Not even a very good one. I have no idea how to be myself on the road. It’s not like my skills are useful on the road.” She pointed in the same direction Ridahne had left in, “At least she can fight! That’s useful!” She was just about ready to start shouting, “I spent the first three months of this journey lost! That’s not even a metaphor. I literally had no idea where I was.”

Ravi raise a carefully arched eyebrow, “You can’t tell me you are completely useless. Your farming knowledge is how you understand the truth so well. You might not have useful skills for the journey, but your skills will be in high demand at the end of it.” Ravi was blunt, “Besides; your ability to speak your mind will serve you well. You will have to convince others of the truth at some point.”

The human scoffed, “This whole journey is a quest to make as many friends as possible. I have no practice doing that. I think I said that already.”

Ravi nodded, “You did. Which is why you need to practice. Think of it. If you can make friends with Ridahne you could probably make friends with everyone.”

Darin laughed lightly, “Not everyone. Not everyone wants to be friends.”

The Overseer agreed, “True. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.”

The Seed-Bearer let out a nasty laugh, “That’s all I can do right; try. Never mind the fact that if I fail all of Astra’s people will fall into to delicious ruin. Failing isn’t an option. It never was an option, and with reality being the way it is it is even less of an option than it was then. There will be no do overs or second chances. I have one chance, one hope, one option. I can’t afford to merely try. I have to succeeded and I have to succeed magnificently, and I can’t even make one friend!”

Darin’s voice had been increasing in volume and agitation. It was clear that she was not happy with the current state of events. The job had seemed so much easier when all she had to do was plant The Seed. It was so much bigger than that now. It had always been bigger than that, but The Gardener had refrained from telling the young girl that. Darin wasn’t sure that she liked him for that. The Gardener was supposed to be wise and all-knowing. That was probably why he hadn’t told Darin the full truth. She might have stayed home to let Astra fall into ruin. She had never wanted to leave home in the first place. Now she had to go farther than she every even thought possible.

Ravi felt compelled to point out, “You are not alone Darin. You have allies.”

Darin laughed again at that, “And the only one of them that sees me for what I am and nothing more is the horse that I borrowed that may or may not be a creature of myth and legend.”

Ravi’s voice left no room for question, “Or maybe, Darin, you are the one that does not see yourself for what you are. True, you ae a farm girl way out of your depth. That is true.” His sharp voice softened just a touch, “But you are still The Seed-Bearer. That is not an office or a performance. It could only be you. It is who you are; the same way you are a farmer.”

Darin had been shocked into silence. Her mouth opened a few times only to close. It was clear that she had no idea what to say or how to say it. She was at a complete and total lost. She didn’t know what that could even possibly mean. She wasn’t sure that she wanted to know what that could mean. Could being The Seed-Bearer be more than just some assignment. She wasn’t sure. Darin let out a shuddering breathe. Could Ravi be telling the truth? Could it really only be her?

Ravi smiled again, “Think about it, young Darin. I have to go finish final preparations for the feast. You think. I’ll send some one to get you when it’s time.”

With that Darin was left alone as Ravi walked off. She stared after him, and then flipped her gaze back to The Tree. Whether Ravi was right or not about her being the only one, she was The Seed-Bearer now. Maybe she should stop acting like it was a glorious burden and start actin like it was the magnificent honor everybody else seemed to think it was. It was probably somewhere in the middle, and Darin wasn’t even sure what to make of that. How was she supposed to be The Seed-Bearer the same way she was a farmer when she didn’t feel like The Seed-Bearer at all? Then again, she hadn’t felt like a farmer at first either. Maybe Ravi was slightly wrong, maybe. Maybe she wasn’t a person that could be The Seed-Bearer yet. But maybe, just maybe, she could grow into it. Darin thought about that. Maybe she should do that instead of scoffing at the notion that she was nothing special. Maybe she should actively work on become what everybody else thought her to be.