Darin wasn’t sure what she was playing or even when she should stop. She recognized Ridahne’s voice even if the human didn’t understand the Azurien words. The song they created together was hauntingly beautiful and majestically simple. Darin began to sway about the same time Ridahne began to dance. They were telling a story. They were telling Astra’s story, but Darin thought Ravi was the only other person that knew that. The human ended on a hopeful note. Astra was more than the land. Darin had to believe that or else she might lose all hope. That was just the way it was.

Darin opened her eyes as she finished her song. The first thing she saw was Ridahne; looking like she wanted to melt into the wall and disappear. The human placed her fiddle gently in it case before walking over to her companion and holding out her hand. Darin was painfully aware of the fact that every set of eyes were on her and Ridahne. She shouldn’t be surprised by that fact. They held the hope of all of Astra in their hands. Darin was obvious. The Seed was pleasantly burning against her thigh. She didn’t know if Ridahne realized how much pressure was on her. Darin may have been The Seed-Bearer, but she was the guardian. Keeping Darin from falling off of cliffs and down gorges was a feat in and of itself.

Darin spoke, “Stand Ridahne. Please. Please stand with me.”

Of all the truths that Darin had learned today the truth about what The Tree actually had the power to do had been the easiest to understand. Darin finally had an answer for whether or not her Tree would do the same thing as The Tree, but she wasn’t sure she should tell Ridahne that or not. It would open a lot of questions that Darin wasn’t sure she could answer or not. Right now, she just knew that she needed Ridahne on her side. What’s more she wanted Ridahne on her side. 

Darin continued, “Get up Ridahne Torzinei. Do not hide what you are; at least not here. And please, never from me.”

Darin hoped that last request wouldn’t backfired. The last time Ridahne had decided to “reveal” herself to Darin they wound up yelling at each other. Yet, the human knew there was so much more than what Ridahne was showing her. The Tree was adamant that Ridahne needed to be on this journey. Darin wasn’t sure that Chaining her to The Seed had been the way to ensure that would happen, but happened it had. Now the young Seed-Bearer had to do her best to ensure that Ridahne wanted to be here. Darin had a vague idea of how the journey was going to go, but she had a fairly good idea of how Ridahne would react to what would most likely happen in Azurei. The Human couldn’t wait to see the look on the Elf’s face, but that would only happen if Ridahne learned to take pride in the direction of her life. Which meant, Darin supposed, she should learn to do the same as well.

Darin was pretty sure that she was babbling now, and the bow of her instrument was tapping against her leg nervously, “We have no need to hide from people we trust. I am The Seed-Bearer, and you are my Guardian. So,” Darin licked her suddenly dry lips, “Let’s be that; together.”

Behind Darin everyone in the room was watching. Ravi was idlily tracing patterns in the water drops on the table. One long leg was crossed over the other. He alone had a fairly good idea of what was happening. He learned a little bit about Azurei from Tax and the other Azurein workers. They tended to let things go and move on once the yelling was done. Humans let things fester until there was communication to deal with the feelings that had caused the yelling in first place. Darin had been worrying about the fact that the two of them had yelled at each other twice now since it had happened. Ridahne was trying to move on from it. That would not happen until Darin received her closure. Hopefully, what was happening her would help. Darin needed to know that there would be no more talk of abandoning her. Whether or not the Elf realized it or not, whether or not The Seed-Chained agreed with it or not, Darin had seen a repeat of her father when Ridahne had spoken of finding the human another guide. Darin hadn’t realized it yet. She was so desperate to move past her father that she buried the trauma until it reared its head in ugly ways. Ravi slowly looked up to look Ridahne in the eye. Slowly he tapped his own face and then his heart. The only choice in the room right now was Ridahne’s. This would be the only time the Guadian got to take such a burden from The Seed-Bearer. The girl with so much passion needed to think just once or any chance for her might just be lost.