The Tree did laugh as It dropped Its hands from Ridahne’s face, “Your Ajoran is fine. Darin went looking for him but got distracted. I See him regularly, as I See all the Children of Astra. He is well. He waits to see you again. He yearns to see you again. He knows, perhaps better than you do, that the two of you will be reunited. It is inevitable that such a reunion will happen. Darin wants to meet him. She did find your brother while she was out wandering Astra. She thinks she likes him. She wants to meet him as well. She also wishes to meet the Solta-Sol though for very different reasons. I do not think that meeting will go the way the Solta-Sol expect it to.” The Tree grinned mischievously, “Though I bet you can guess how such a meeting will go. You should start preparing now which side you will take.” There was a voice of warning in The Tree’s voice, “I suggest you pick carefully; not for your sake, but for Darin’s.” The Tree then abruptly changed the subject, “Speaking of Darin what do you think of her? She certainly knows how to spit fire does she not. She truly upset her mother on more than one occasion. She speaks her mind and does not like social constructs get in the way of doing what’s right.”

The Tree, in Darin’s body moved a way from Ridahne to create some space. Slowly The Tree bent at the waist until both hands were on the ground. Slowly Darin’s feet came off the ground until The Tree was doing a perfect handstand. At the same pace The Tree lowered the legs in opposite direction that they came up in; causing the body They were in to do a slow flip. The Tree then turned to look back at Ridahne. The Tree was showing off on Darin’s behalf. That much was clearly obvious.e

The Tree continued, “She wants to impress you without showing off or bragging. That’s one of the reasons she agreed to the combat training even though she’s worried that it will go very, very badly. She is clumsier than you have had the chance to truly see yet and you found her dangling from a cliff. She’s convinced that she’s going to lose an arm or a leg or something.” A note of worry entered The Tree’s voice, “You’re not going to let that happen are you Ridahne? You will keep your promise to protect her, won’t you? Even from herself?”