*sigh* my hands have made so much progress but I have a new unidentified injury that’s making it difficult to do much. Supposedly it’s just a minor tweak but I still am frustrated to have it. Typing is hard and might continue to be so for a bit. Thanks for your patience mate!
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I am always proud of you.
Her hand lifted from the trunk of the Great Tree and she felt a part of her cut off, like the awareness she had gained with the Tree had always been hers, and she was now brought to something less, when in reality she was just back to herself. It wasn't unpleasant, not an empty, unwhole feeling, but sort of...numb. Like running for miles and then suddenly laying down perfectly still.
But her mind wasn't on that. Her mind was on those last words. Those words she'd always secretly wanted to hear from anyone, but especially from the Tree. As she knelt there, and as Darin came back to herself with a bit of surprise at being so close, Ridahne's lower lip trembled and some tears spilled from her eyes. Not anguished, bitter tears. Just relief. Like she'd been holding onto a thorn for so long and could finally let it go. Her body language was somewhat withdrawn and for a moment she just knelt there, taking a moment. But when Darin spoke Ridahne looked up. Her inked face was wet but herlips were twisted into an odd, quivering smile.
"Um..." her voice was shaky but not necessarily upset. She gained a little more control over herself and very slowly and clearly (so that Darin could follow) said, "Talei-da. Thank you." Her eyes were bright in the moonlight and something about her seemed a little less heavy than ever before. Ridahne stepped over and reached a hand down to help Darin up, but when the girl did get up, Ridahne suddenly wrapped her long arms around the human in a very heartfelt, rather intense hug. It wasn't a back-breaking kind of squeeze, though it was tight and strong, but her long fingers curled around the fabric of Darin's shirt. For someone who was generally standoffish like Ridahne, it was a rather strong gesture.
"Yes," she finally answered her question as she let go. "I am alright. For the first time in a long time." She wiped her face, then suddenly realized something. "Ai! I have something to ask you! You can say no and I won't be offended, promise, but well, I had this thought and it's kind of crazy but I'd be honored if you'd--well you see, I don't know if, you know, when I go home, if anyone there with any kind of authority would marry Ajoran and I, not with my current status. It's sort of a security risk," She laughed, then continued speaking at a wild, excited pace. "But I had this wild idea, and maybe it's stupid and maybe he won't agree to it but maybe Ajoran and I could marry sort of in secret and you, as Seed Bearer, you could, I mean, if you wanted to, you could be the one to do the honor and see us married? I can teach you the customs and give you the words so you can practice them and everything! What do you say? It's a long way from now but, you know, when we get there... would you do us the honor?"
Her hand lifted from the trunk of the Great Tree and she felt a part of her cut off, like the awareness she had gained with the Tree had always been hers, and she was now brought to something less, when in reality she was just back to herself. It wasn't unpleasant, not an empty, unwhole feeling, but sort of...numb. Like running for miles and then suddenly laying down perfectly still.
But her mind wasn't on that. Her mind was on those last words. Those words she'd always secretly wanted to hear from anyone, but especially from the Tree. As she knelt there, and as Darin came back to herself with a bit of surprise at being so close, Ridahne's lower lip trembled and some tears spilled from her eyes. Not anguished, bitter tears. Just relief. Like she'd been holding onto a thorn for so long and could finally let it go. Her body language was somewhat withdrawn and for a moment she just knelt there, taking a moment. But when Darin spoke Ridahne looked up. Her inked face was wet but herlips were twisted into an odd, quivering smile.
"Um..." her voice was shaky but not necessarily upset. She gained a little more control over herself and very slowly and clearly (so that Darin could follow) said, "Talei-da. Thank you." Her eyes were bright in the moonlight and something about her seemed a little less heavy than ever before. Ridahne stepped over and reached a hand down to help Darin up, but when the girl did get up, Ridahne suddenly wrapped her long arms around the human in a very heartfelt, rather intense hug. It wasn't a back-breaking kind of squeeze, though it was tight and strong, but her long fingers curled around the fabric of Darin's shirt. For someone who was generally standoffish like Ridahne, it was a rather strong gesture.
"Yes," she finally answered her question as she let go. "I am alright. For the first time in a long time." She wiped her face, then suddenly realized something. "Ai! I have something to ask you! You can say no and I won't be offended, promise, but well, I had this thought and it's kind of crazy but I'd be honored if you'd--well you see, I don't know if, you know, when I go home, if anyone there with any kind of authority would marry Ajoran and I, not with my current status. It's sort of a security risk," She laughed, then continued speaking at a wild, excited pace. "But I had this wild idea, and maybe it's stupid and maybe he won't agree to it but maybe Ajoran and I could marry sort of in secret and you, as Seed Bearer, you could, I mean, if you wanted to, you could be the one to do the honor and see us married? I can teach you the customs and give you the words so you can practice them and everything! What do you say? It's a long way from now but, you know, when we get there... would you do us the honor?"
It was a huge relief to know that Ajoran and Hadian were alright. She guessed she didn't have reason to believe they wouldn't be, but it still felt good to know beyond doubt that they were. She couldn't help a small smile. Something within her stirred, some drive that made her resolve that when she did see Ajoran again, she was going to become his, and make him hers, customs be damned. She wasn't sure who would marry them considering that she was still technically an outlaw and an exile and he was still Taja to one of the Sols. But then...an idea struck her. Darin could do it. She would have to teach her the words to say and the traditions of the ceremony, but as Seed Bearer, she could do it. And they could marry in secret with just their family in attendance. She'd have to ask Darin about it later and see if she was willing.
Ridahne gave a small laugh, though the mention of 'sides' unnerved her. What was that supposed to mean? "I don't know how the meeting with the Sols will go. For one thing, there's probably by now a new Sol I know nothing about to replace Khaltira, and maybe she's picked a successor, I don't know. But Sota-Sol Amaiera is just. A bit of a hard-ass, maybe, but she is just and has proven to be wise. She's run Azurei for something like four hundred years. And I know Darin has sort of a bad opinion of her and the others after all that happened with me. But they aren't like Khaltira. Don't let her be too angry at them, if you can help it," Ridahne chuckled, "They did what they had to do, like I did. I don't blame them for it and they were kinder to me than they could have been. No, my anger, and Darin's, should be directed at Khaltira instead." Some really, evil, wicked part of her thought for the briefest flash that Ridahne should have cut the woman's face before she killed her. According to Azurei belief, if an ojih is severely marred, falsified, or otherwise permanently obscured, the person could not pass into the next life and would remain as a lost spirit between two worlds. But even in Ridahne's intense anger, she shuddered and shied away from that thought. No, that was too cruel a fate for anyone, even her. Ridahne smiled. "I am looking forward to the expressions on their faces when they see me come walking in with the Seed Bearer at my side. I don't think anyone ever really thought I'd find her, even me."
Ridahne watched Darin's body perform acrobatics the human girl wouldn't attempt on her own, and some part of her wondered if the girl was clumsy and uncoordinated not because her body was lacking, but because she lacked confidence. Maybe she'd change that. Though Ridahne smiled, her tone was serious. "I would never hand her a blade in training prematurely. I recognize she will have to have one in case things go very wrong out there, but when it comes to training, we will not start with blades until I know she is ready. Besides, the art of swordplay begins with the body, not with the weapon--you must know what to do with the weapon when it is given to you, or you will hurt yourself. I would like to think, Great Tree, that I will be a better teacher than mine was. A kinder one. A more patient one."
Ridahne gave a small laugh, though the mention of 'sides' unnerved her. What was that supposed to mean? "I don't know how the meeting with the Sols will go. For one thing, there's probably by now a new Sol I know nothing about to replace Khaltira, and maybe she's picked a successor, I don't know. But Sota-Sol Amaiera is just. A bit of a hard-ass, maybe, but she is just and has proven to be wise. She's run Azurei for something like four hundred years. And I know Darin has sort of a bad opinion of her and the others after all that happened with me. But they aren't like Khaltira. Don't let her be too angry at them, if you can help it," Ridahne chuckled, "They did what they had to do, like I did. I don't blame them for it and they were kinder to me than they could have been. No, my anger, and Darin's, should be directed at Khaltira instead." Some really, evil, wicked part of her thought for the briefest flash that Ridahne should have cut the woman's face before she killed her. According to Azurei belief, if an ojih is severely marred, falsified, or otherwise permanently obscured, the person could not pass into the next life and would remain as a lost spirit between two worlds. But even in Ridahne's intense anger, she shuddered and shied away from that thought. No, that was too cruel a fate for anyone, even her. Ridahne smiled. "I am looking forward to the expressions on their faces when they see me come walking in with the Seed Bearer at my side. I don't think anyone ever really thought I'd find her, even me."
Ridahne watched Darin's body perform acrobatics the human girl wouldn't attempt on her own, and some part of her wondered if the girl was clumsy and uncoordinated not because her body was lacking, but because she lacked confidence. Maybe she'd change that. Though Ridahne smiled, her tone was serious. "I would never hand her a blade in training prematurely. I recognize she will have to have one in case things go very wrong out there, but when it comes to training, we will not start with blades until I know she is ready. Besides, the art of swordplay begins with the body, not with the weapon--you must know what to do with the weapon when it is given to you, or you will hurt yourself. I would like to think, Great Tree, that I will be a better teacher than mine was. A kinder one. A more patient one."
Hands sore and I’m off the grid this weekend might be a while
She did feel shame then. Her cheeks went red and she could not look at either the bark of the Tree or Darin's body, as both seemed to be The Tree. She would not have it said of her that she was faithless, and that anyone had even a half of a cause to call her that made her burn. That wasn't her. She would do better. Darin's body--The Tree--came over and took her face in her hands. It was an extremely intimate gesture in Azurei, but then again, this was an extremely intimate moment between her and the spirit of all Astra. It was difficult for her to hear all these wonderful adjectives pointed at her; most people didn't say those kinds of things about her. Even Ajoran, though she knew he thought those things, didn't verbalize them too much because he knew it made her feel uncomfortable. He showed it instead.
"I...think so. Don't worry, Sol. I will keep your Darin safe. To whatever end." She paused and took a few breaths before somewhat timidly asking, "Sol? Can I ask something of you? You have no obligation to your humble servant, Sol, but please, I ask a boon. I don't know if you can, but if possible...can you make sure Ajoran is okay? Can you tell him we will meet again someday? I miss him so much it hurts..."
That was true. She'd never admit it to anyone else but the Tree, but she ached to see him again. And if she couldn't, she wanted to know he was alright. If for some reason she never made it back home, if she died in the line of duty, perhaps, she hoped he would move on in time. Probably not. But she hoped all the same. She just wanted him to have a good life, a full life. Preferably with her, but baring that, she hoped he would be happy. Her vision while speaking with Ravi gave her some hope though. Hope that she hadn't seen in months.
"I...think so. Don't worry, Sol. I will keep your Darin safe. To whatever end." She paused and took a few breaths before somewhat timidly asking, "Sol? Can I ask something of you? You have no obligation to your humble servant, Sol, but please, I ask a boon. I don't know if you can, but if possible...can you make sure Ajoran is okay? Can you tell him we will meet again someday? I miss him so much it hurts..."
That was true. She'd never admit it to anyone else but the Tree, but she ached to see him again. And if she couldn't, she wanted to know he was alright. If for some reason she never made it back home, if she died in the line of duty, perhaps, she hoped he would move on in time. Probably not. But she hoped all the same. She just wanted him to have a good life, a full life. Preferably with her, but baring that, she hoped he would be happy. Her vision while speaking with Ravi gave her some hope though. Hope that she hadn't seen in months.
"Jacob..." she breathed. It had been ages ago, but she still remembered his name. "All this time it..." The thought was dizzying, and she even put her free hand to her forehead. She'd always known about the influence of the tree. But the whole idea of it was so abstract, so huge, that she never really came to terms with it in a real and tangible way. She never really had the chance to. She did now. It came at her like a wave, strong and powerful but not crushing, not bad. Just...immense. What else had been influenced by the tree?
She was trying hard just to breathe. There was so much to take in, and so many emotions to sort through... "I've always been wrong," she explained. "Too unwieldy. Too dirty, too rough, too outspoken, too quick to anger, too poor. And every time I'd get a leg up, every time something good would happen it would get...ruined by something else. I wanted to leave Atahkara, and so I became an eija. I was a law keeper and that was honorable. But I was too good at it. So I became Eija-Alihn. And I killed people. Not all of them were bad people. Not all of them were guilty. And so I found a way to fix that too. In return I got branded a traitor, my ojih is stained with the blood I have spilled and I have lost the home I love. I had to leave the man I love, I had to protect him. If they thought he was involved they might have killed him too, they would have ruined him! I couldn't let them do that. Not to him. I got this vision to come find Darin and they let me live for it, but I spent the last four months in exile, never knowing if I would find her or ever see home or--" She clamped her mouth shut. She knew who had damaged her. Her life had always been a struggle but those things did not damage her. Khaltira did.
An anger rose within her, a kind of fist-clenching, teeth-grinding rage that only comes with long rooted bitterness. "She took me in! She treated me well, fed me, housed me, she was part of the reason I met Ajoran. She earned my trust, my unwavering, unfailing trust and she betrayed all of it. She betrayed me. And when I begged her to see reason she struck me and sent me away like a dog. She ruined everything I ever worked for, everything I held dear. I want to see her grave. I want to spit on it. Khaltira damaged me in a way I can never forgive."
She took a few breaths to calm herself, though she wasn't exactly calm. She was emotional, though she was trying to let go of some of the anger and frustration she felt. It wasn't directed at the Tree anyway. "With all respect, Great Tree, my Sol, You've got it wrong. I didn't WANT to leave Darin. The only thing I ever wanted was for this to go well. But I had so much shame. I thought that no one who is good and pure could forgive and love a creature as wretched as me. I offered to leave because I Thought she would cast me out anyway, and I thought to at least go with dignity. But I never wanted to go. If I thought she might keep me I never would have even considered betraying the vow I made to protect her. I simply could not see any other option. My judgement was poor, I know that now. I regret that night. More than I regret the death of Khaltira, Innyise, and Takhun. More than anything in the world, Sol, I do not wish to disappoint you."
She was trying hard just to breathe. There was so much to take in, and so many emotions to sort through... "I've always been wrong," she explained. "Too unwieldy. Too dirty, too rough, too outspoken, too quick to anger, too poor. And every time I'd get a leg up, every time something good would happen it would get...ruined by something else. I wanted to leave Atahkara, and so I became an eija. I was a law keeper and that was honorable. But I was too good at it. So I became Eija-Alihn. And I killed people. Not all of them were bad people. Not all of them were guilty. And so I found a way to fix that too. In return I got branded a traitor, my ojih is stained with the blood I have spilled and I have lost the home I love. I had to leave the man I love, I had to protect him. If they thought he was involved they might have killed him too, they would have ruined him! I couldn't let them do that. Not to him. I got this vision to come find Darin and they let me live for it, but I spent the last four months in exile, never knowing if I would find her or ever see home or--" She clamped her mouth shut. She knew who had damaged her. Her life had always been a struggle but those things did not damage her. Khaltira did.
An anger rose within her, a kind of fist-clenching, teeth-grinding rage that only comes with long rooted bitterness. "She took me in! She treated me well, fed me, housed me, she was part of the reason I met Ajoran. She earned my trust, my unwavering, unfailing trust and she betrayed all of it. She betrayed me. And when I begged her to see reason she struck me and sent me away like a dog. She ruined everything I ever worked for, everything I held dear. I want to see her grave. I want to spit on it. Khaltira damaged me in a way I can never forgive."
She took a few breaths to calm herself, though she wasn't exactly calm. She was emotional, though she was trying to let go of some of the anger and frustration she felt. It wasn't directed at the Tree anyway. "With all respect, Great Tree, my Sol, You've got it wrong. I didn't WANT to leave Darin. The only thing I ever wanted was for this to go well. But I had so much shame. I thought that no one who is good and pure could forgive and love a creature as wretched as me. I offered to leave because I Thought she would cast me out anyway, and I thought to at least go with dignity. But I never wanted to go. If I thought she might keep me I never would have even considered betraying the vow I made to protect her. I simply could not see any other option. My judgement was poor, I know that now. I regret that night. More than I regret the death of Khaltira, Innyise, and Takhun. More than anything in the world, Sol, I do not wish to disappoint you."
"Damn right," was Rohaan's first reply to the woman's remark about him being a shifter. They should stay sharp. He was dangerous, after all, to anyone who was dangerous to him. His tone came from pride, not from challenge though. If he thought there would be much of a fight, he might have taken knife and cut his finger to show his blood--a long standing Vokurian battle ritual meant to remind their enemies of just what they were up against. But that gun kept getting lower. He didn't think it would escalate to a fight, not yet.
He became more aware of the two men standing with the woman, and his eyes were fixed on the shorter one with the shaded glasses. Rohaan would kill for glasses like those that would hide his eyes and allow him to move about port towns with ease. Instead of sneaking around he could actually sit comfortably in taverns, mill through squares, and buy clothes that actually fitted him instead of guessing and snatching ones that looked close. If things went sour, he would find that man first and steal his glasses. He wanted Hana to see them--she seemed like she would know where to find something like them or could maybe make some.
He gave his attention to the speaker, the captain of this...ship? A dragon ship. He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but he wasn't convinced he liked it. But he was heartened to know that they also disliked slavers. "Bar..i..zian, " he said with some difficulty, as the word was somewhat new to him, "slavers burned my home. They killed my family. They will be ash if they cross my path. I will leave nothing for the sharks that prowl the sea, nothing for the gulls to pick and steal." He stood up straight, proud. "I am Rheoaan Rohaan Rio Ja'aisen of the pirate ship Borealis. We serve none. You can call me Rio. My captain is Berlin. Come in peace and he will speak with you. I will tell him you're coming."
Rohaan took a few steps back and, being already at the rear of the dragon, stepped straight off its back and fearlessly plummeted down into open air before shifting to a cyradan again and zipping off with full speed (which was considerable) towards his ship. Rohaan returned, gliding gently towards the ship before pulling up to a halt and shifting back to his boy form, his feet hitting the deck with a hard thunk. Berlin was on him in an instant.
"Boy! What did you do?"
"Talked. They wanna talk too, so they're coming. I don't think they wanna fight, but get ready anyway."
"Tell me about them. And the dragon."
"I think..." The boy screwed up his face in thought. "I think it's...well, it kinda looks dead. It's a dragon ship, Swift Justice. The captain is Kaga-met ir Sabdul," he said very slowly. "There were people walking all over it like it was a ship, but it's a dragon? Biggest I ever seen. They could have shot me, but they didn't. They do not like slavers. And a lady had like...tentacles?" He shifted to a copy of her, though the form felt wrong and 'unclean' somehow, so he reverted quickly. He shivered. "I don't know if I like them or not. But they didn't shoot me and they want the slavers dead I think. The dragon had...arms on it..."
"It...what?" Berlin couldn't really process all of this at once. He looked back with his telescope at the now much closer dragon, and he could now see what Rohaan was talking about. It did look kind of...necrotic, in a way. And there were people riding it. But he noticed the human arms like whiskers on the thing and his heart skipped. "Wheel!" He shouted, his tone commanding. "Come tell me what I'm looking at. You know something of...this sort of thing, don't you? Damn it, someone wake Uban!" He looked back to Rohaan. "Anything else?"
"Berlin, one of them had..had.." he made circles with his fingers and put them over his eyes.
"Spectacles?"
"But like, dark ones. So you can't see his eyes." Rohaan didn't have to explain the implications of that for Berlin to catch on. The man nodded. He'd look into it if he got the opportunity.
"What's with the hat?"
Rohaan beamed. "I stole it!"
Berlin couldn't help a smile. "Good lad." But that smile faded as he looked towards the approaching dragon. He had absolutely no idea what to expect.
He became more aware of the two men standing with the woman, and his eyes were fixed on the shorter one with the shaded glasses. Rohaan would kill for glasses like those that would hide his eyes and allow him to move about port towns with ease. Instead of sneaking around he could actually sit comfortably in taverns, mill through squares, and buy clothes that actually fitted him instead of guessing and snatching ones that looked close. If things went sour, he would find that man first and steal his glasses. He wanted Hana to see them--she seemed like she would know where to find something like them or could maybe make some.
He gave his attention to the speaker, the captain of this...ship? A dragon ship. He wasn't sure exactly what that meant, but he wasn't convinced he liked it. But he was heartened to know that they also disliked slavers. "Bar..i..zian, " he said with some difficulty, as the word was somewhat new to him, "slavers burned my home. They killed my family. They will be ash if they cross my path. I will leave nothing for the sharks that prowl the sea, nothing for the gulls to pick and steal." He stood up straight, proud. "I am Rheoaan Rohaan Rio Ja'aisen of the pirate ship Borealis. We serve none. You can call me Rio. My captain is Berlin. Come in peace and he will speak with you. I will tell him you're coming."
Rohaan took a few steps back and, being already at the rear of the dragon, stepped straight off its back and fearlessly plummeted down into open air before shifting to a cyradan again and zipping off with full speed (which was considerable) towards his ship. Rohaan returned, gliding gently towards the ship before pulling up to a halt and shifting back to his boy form, his feet hitting the deck with a hard thunk. Berlin was on him in an instant.
"Boy! What did you do?"
"Talked. They wanna talk too, so they're coming. I don't think they wanna fight, but get ready anyway."
"Tell me about them. And the dragon."
"I think..." The boy screwed up his face in thought. "I think it's...well, it kinda looks dead. It's a dragon ship, Swift Justice. The captain is Kaga-met ir Sabdul," he said very slowly. "There were people walking all over it like it was a ship, but it's a dragon? Biggest I ever seen. They could have shot me, but they didn't. They do not like slavers. And a lady had like...tentacles?" He shifted to a copy of her, though the form felt wrong and 'unclean' somehow, so he reverted quickly. He shivered. "I don't know if I like them or not. But they didn't shoot me and they want the slavers dead I think. The dragon had...arms on it..."
"It...what?" Berlin couldn't really process all of this at once. He looked back with his telescope at the now much closer dragon, and he could now see what Rohaan was talking about. It did look kind of...necrotic, in a way. And there were people riding it. But he noticed the human arms like whiskers on the thing and his heart skipped. "Wheel!" He shouted, his tone commanding. "Come tell me what I'm looking at. You know something of...this sort of thing, don't you? Damn it, someone wake Uban!" He looked back to Rohaan. "Anything else?"
"Berlin, one of them had..had.." he made circles with his fingers and put them over his eyes.
"Spectacles?"
"But like, dark ones. So you can't see his eyes." Rohaan didn't have to explain the implications of that for Berlin to catch on. The man nodded. He'd look into it if he got the opportunity.
"What's with the hat?"
Rohaan beamed. "I stole it!"
Berlin couldn't help a smile. "Good lad." But that smile faded as he looked towards the approaching dragon. He had absolutely no idea what to expect.
Ridahne was usually quick to react in general, so she nearly interrupted the Tree when she said, "My first--what?" What was it talking about? She thought briefly that it had to have meant her murder of the Sol and the other two people she killed, though that hadn't really felt like an assignment, not like finding Darin had. But the Tree continued. And Ridahne wasn't really sure she heard it correctly.
That? That hadn't been an assignment. It just sort of...happened. She was a girl, and her mother was in the last stages of her illness and hadn't been able to work for some time. Hadian was old enough to work the boats, so he and their father would be busy earning a living at sea. Ridahne never had the aptitude for it like Hadian did, so during the hot hours of the afternoon she would stay near shore and dive for clams, oysters, and large, colorful shellfish called abalone, which the Azurei both ate and used the shells for ornamentation. They were hard to get since they lived down on the ocean floor and it took a skilled diver to harvest them, so they sold for a good price. In that way she provided money for her family, but they also needed meat (and it was nice not to eat fish all the time) and hides for leather. Even bones could be used, so in late evenings Ridahne would come back from diving, store her catch in a water filled bucket, and take her hunting cat and her neighbor's horse (who often loaned out the animal to the community) out into the Dust Sea to hunt.
Hunting was hard out there. There wasn't much life, not like the forests of the North, but the cats always knew where to look, and a skilled handler could learn from their instinct and expertise to hunt. It had been a zero-yield day and Ridahne knew to head back well before her water supply got low, but on the way she spotted a dark figure in the red sand. A man, a human merchant by the looks of him, and he'd been out there for a long time. Days. He had foolishly removed his shirt and his goods had been abandoned long ago. He was blistered, burned from the sun, weak from insufficient food, and severely dehydrated. Ridahne knew what to do. Every Azurei child knew how to treat heat-related illnesses and injuries on a basic level at least. She made a thick mud of the fine, dusty sand and covered his skin with it, gave the delirious man some water, and (after a lot of struggle) got him on her horse and brought him back to Atakhara. When the man recovered days later, he asked if she would help guide him back home since she knew how to handle and navigate the shifting landscapes of the Dust Sea. He paid her.
"That? I...I didn't. I didn't feel anything about it. It just...I happened to be there in the right place at the right time. And I got good at it, I made some money. That's all it was, it just sort of..." she shrugged, though she kept her hand on the tree's smooth bark. "Happened? I don't know. That was...your doing?"
--
Hadian was easy to identify. He was tall, even taller than the people standing around him. He had the narrow, slim face that Ridahne had and the same honey eyes. Though he was slim in build, he had the body of a worker and generally gave off a strong-back vibe. His hands were calloused from rough ropes, his skin was lightly crusted with dried salt in some places, and he bore a few scars, though not like Ridahne's, which were clearly from combat. Where Ridahne exuded loud intensity, Hadian carried himself more softly, quietly, though not less intensely. He was more relaxed than his sister, but his eyes were thoughtful, keen. Unlike his sister, his tattoos were more simple. They had some similar ones near the jawline, but his patterns deviated from hers in their simplicity. Ridahne's showed she had a long, complicated story to tell. Hadian's were much more straightforward. His hair was tied in a short ponytail and he wore a slightly different cut version of the uri, the knee length, sarong-like garment Ridahne wore. His was weathered, sunbleached, and obviously worked in, and instead of a silk sash around his waist like Ridahne had, he had a strip of faded green linen. It had a regular steel pin, not a silver one with a sigil like Ridahne's.
The elf was hunched over a fire with an iron pot over it. Darin spoke, and though Hadian could not clearly perceive the words, he felt some tickle of sensation, some twitch of another sense that made him look up from his cookpot. He looked north and sighed. A woman came up behind him and gently traced her fingernails across his bare shoulders. She sat beside him. "What is it?" she asked. She spoke Azurian, but the Tree, and thus Darin, knew all languages while she was one with it.
"Did you ever meet my sister?" He asked in return.
"I did, remember? She scared me half to death with that sword of hers!" She laughed. A silence fell between them as they silently acknowledged what that sword accomplished. "Do you think she's alright out there? Wherever she is? What did you say she was doing again?"
"I didn't, love. She made me swear to secrecy. But you'll find out someday." He kissed the woman on the forehead. "She's alright. The world beyond the mountains would have to be horrifying indeed to get the best of her. I just hope I see her again. I always felt responsible for her after Da died. But that's silly, no one can really keep her in check, no one but Ajoran." He laughed. "I don't know how he does it, but I bless him for it. He is good for her." And silently, just to himself, Hadian wondered if Ridahne had found the Seed-Bearer she'd gone off to find, and how that was going. He hoped it was going well; she deserved a bit of good fortune for once.
That? That hadn't been an assignment. It just sort of...happened. She was a girl, and her mother was in the last stages of her illness and hadn't been able to work for some time. Hadian was old enough to work the boats, so he and their father would be busy earning a living at sea. Ridahne never had the aptitude for it like Hadian did, so during the hot hours of the afternoon she would stay near shore and dive for clams, oysters, and large, colorful shellfish called abalone, which the Azurei both ate and used the shells for ornamentation. They were hard to get since they lived down on the ocean floor and it took a skilled diver to harvest them, so they sold for a good price. In that way she provided money for her family, but they also needed meat (and it was nice not to eat fish all the time) and hides for leather. Even bones could be used, so in late evenings Ridahne would come back from diving, store her catch in a water filled bucket, and take her hunting cat and her neighbor's horse (who often loaned out the animal to the community) out into the Dust Sea to hunt.
Hunting was hard out there. There wasn't much life, not like the forests of the North, but the cats always knew where to look, and a skilled handler could learn from their instinct and expertise to hunt. It had been a zero-yield day and Ridahne knew to head back well before her water supply got low, but on the way she spotted a dark figure in the red sand. A man, a human merchant by the looks of him, and he'd been out there for a long time. Days. He had foolishly removed his shirt and his goods had been abandoned long ago. He was blistered, burned from the sun, weak from insufficient food, and severely dehydrated. Ridahne knew what to do. Every Azurei child knew how to treat heat-related illnesses and injuries on a basic level at least. She made a thick mud of the fine, dusty sand and covered his skin with it, gave the delirious man some water, and (after a lot of struggle) got him on her horse and brought him back to Atakhara. When the man recovered days later, he asked if she would help guide him back home since she knew how to handle and navigate the shifting landscapes of the Dust Sea. He paid her.
"That? I...I didn't. I didn't feel anything about it. It just...I happened to be there in the right place at the right time. And I got good at it, I made some money. That's all it was, it just sort of..." she shrugged, though she kept her hand on the tree's smooth bark. "Happened? I don't know. That was...your doing?"
--
Hadian was easy to identify. He was tall, even taller than the people standing around him. He had the narrow, slim face that Ridahne had and the same honey eyes. Though he was slim in build, he had the body of a worker and generally gave off a strong-back vibe. His hands were calloused from rough ropes, his skin was lightly crusted with dried salt in some places, and he bore a few scars, though not like Ridahne's, which were clearly from combat. Where Ridahne exuded loud intensity, Hadian carried himself more softly, quietly, though not less intensely. He was more relaxed than his sister, but his eyes were thoughtful, keen. Unlike his sister, his tattoos were more simple. They had some similar ones near the jawline, but his patterns deviated from hers in their simplicity. Ridahne's showed she had a long, complicated story to tell. Hadian's were much more straightforward. His hair was tied in a short ponytail and he wore a slightly different cut version of the uri, the knee length, sarong-like garment Ridahne wore. His was weathered, sunbleached, and obviously worked in, and instead of a silk sash around his waist like Ridahne had, he had a strip of faded green linen. It had a regular steel pin, not a silver one with a sigil like Ridahne's.
The elf was hunched over a fire with an iron pot over it. Darin spoke, and though Hadian could not clearly perceive the words, he felt some tickle of sensation, some twitch of another sense that made him look up from his cookpot. He looked north and sighed. A woman came up behind him and gently traced her fingernails across his bare shoulders. She sat beside him. "What is it?" she asked. She spoke Azurian, but the Tree, and thus Darin, knew all languages while she was one with it.
"Did you ever meet my sister?" He asked in return.
"I did, remember? She scared me half to death with that sword of hers!" She laughed. A silence fell between them as they silently acknowledged what that sword accomplished. "Do you think she's alright out there? Wherever she is? What did you say she was doing again?"
"I didn't, love. She made me swear to secrecy. But you'll find out someday." He kissed the woman on the forehead. "She's alright. The world beyond the mountains would have to be horrifying indeed to get the best of her. I just hope I see her again. I always felt responsible for her after Da died. But that's silly, no one can really keep her in check, no one but Ajoran." He laughed. "I don't know how he does it, but I bless him for it. He is good for her." And silently, just to himself, Hadian wondered if Ridahne had found the Seed-Bearer she'd gone off to find, and how that was going. He hoped it was going well; she deserved a bit of good fortune for once.
The whispering voices came as softly as a gentle breeze, building in volume until she could feel it. Not with her ears but it rang in her skull anyway like a trumpet and like the gentle sigh of wind in the trees. They called her name, heralding her arrival and welcoming her in like she'd been away from home and had now returned. And as her hand was placed on the tree, she no longer felt Darin's presence, it was just her and the eternal vastness of The Tree. It enveloped her. Cool like the rush of the ocean on a hot day and warm like the comfortable embrace of a lover. And it consumed her. Consumed her and yet made her a part of it, made it her. And together she could feel Astra, far beyond the scope of anything she could ever imagine possible on her own. She couldn't help a small gasp of surprise.
She knew that voice. It was the voice that spoke to her in her vision, distinct and yet so vague as to not be gendered or accented. It was neither young nor old, yet she could sense the enduring presence it had, like it came to be when time did. This voice was responsible for sending her on the wild goose chase that led her to Darin. It was responsible for saving her life.
"I'm here!" She found herself blurting. She spoke her native Azurian for the entire exchange but language meant nothing to The Tree. It knew her words all the same. "You are...proud of me? Of...me?" Her voice was steady, but there was a constant stream of tears on her tattooed face. Some part of her reflexively wanted to apologize for what she'd done, to say she was ashamed and sorry. Truth was, she wasn't. Not really. She had said before she would do it again and she really would. It would pain her, but she would.
It asked her how she felt about her assignment. She gave a little nervous laugh as she tried to think, and suddenly a flood of emotions hit her all at once. The urgency with which Ajoran sought her eyes as she was led away by two of his colleagues. The grave expression on Amaiera-Sol's face when she sentenced Ridahne to death. The cool touch of the red stones of her jail cell. The hitch of her breath as she tattooed the treason mark on her face. The hot, undaunted fire of conviction as she boldly explained why she had killed her own Sol. The determined, cold certainty as she explained her vision and why she needed to not only live, but be allowed to leave. The joy she felt at seeing Hadian again, one last time and the relief on his face at seeing his sister alive. The press of Ajoran's lips on hers before she rode away...
"Honestly...? Urgency at first, like if I didn't go right then I would fail. And I was excited, relieved that I had another chance. Confused. Angry that I was given so little to go by. Defeated. Lost. I thought it was some cruel joke meant to rid Azurei of my shame. And now I...I am honored, my Sol, spirit of highest honor." She did not know how else to address the Tree. It was not a 'majesty' or a 'lord', nor was it even a 'sir' or 'madam'. Sol was the only word she knew that could even come close. I am glad to be here and I would be nowhere else, I assure you. I have wondered why you chose me but I think I am finally beginning to understand. I will not fail." She said this with all of the fire and passion she had, with every fiber of her being. She would die first before she let Darin fail in her task.
She knew that voice. It was the voice that spoke to her in her vision, distinct and yet so vague as to not be gendered or accented. It was neither young nor old, yet she could sense the enduring presence it had, like it came to be when time did. This voice was responsible for sending her on the wild goose chase that led her to Darin. It was responsible for saving her life.
"I'm here!" She found herself blurting. She spoke her native Azurian for the entire exchange but language meant nothing to The Tree. It knew her words all the same. "You are...proud of me? Of...me?" Her voice was steady, but there was a constant stream of tears on her tattooed face. Some part of her reflexively wanted to apologize for what she'd done, to say she was ashamed and sorry. Truth was, she wasn't. Not really. She had said before she would do it again and she really would. It would pain her, but she would.
It asked her how she felt about her assignment. She gave a little nervous laugh as she tried to think, and suddenly a flood of emotions hit her all at once. The urgency with which Ajoran sought her eyes as she was led away by two of his colleagues. The grave expression on Amaiera-Sol's face when she sentenced Ridahne to death. The cool touch of the red stones of her jail cell. The hitch of her breath as she tattooed the treason mark on her face. The hot, undaunted fire of conviction as she boldly explained why she had killed her own Sol. The determined, cold certainty as she explained her vision and why she needed to not only live, but be allowed to leave. The joy she felt at seeing Hadian again, one last time and the relief on his face at seeing his sister alive. The press of Ajoran's lips on hers before she rode away...
"Honestly...? Urgency at first, like if I didn't go right then I would fail. And I was excited, relieved that I had another chance. Confused. Angry that I was given so little to go by. Defeated. Lost. I thought it was some cruel joke meant to rid Azurei of my shame. And now I...I am honored, my Sol, spirit of highest honor." She did not know how else to address the Tree. It was not a 'majesty' or a 'lord', nor was it even a 'sir' or 'madam'. Sol was the only word she knew that could even come close. I am glad to be here and I would be nowhere else, I assure you. I have wondered why you chose me but I think I am finally beginning to understand. I will not fail." She said this with all of the fire and passion she had, with every fiber of her being. She would die first before she let Darin fail in her task.
Ridahne laughed again. "What? Dogs are good animals. They're smart, fierce, keen eyed..." She shrugged, though she did shoot a glance in the direction she'd heard Ravi as if to say 'I know you're here' and absently plucked a piece of grass that lingered under her hand. She was surprised when Darin sprang up and told her to follow and that there was something she should see. Her stomach twisted a little. She wasn't sure exactly why, it wasn't like she suspected anything bad, but part of her had a suspicion that it was going to be something...important. Maybe she was just nervous, or excited, or something.
Ridahne got up and followed Darin, surefooted in the darkness even without shoes. She never once stumbled or yelped about stepping on a stone, as her feet had thick callouses from a hundred years of running around barefoot. As they walked Darin described crop rotation. Ridahne had kind of heard something about it but she never knew why they did it and guessed it was only a ritual or a lack of space to plant different things at once. She did wonder what she meant by rotating trees. Was her seed different than the tree?
The Tree.
Ridahne pulled up short suddenly. It was the first glimpse she had of it in real life and it was just...so much to take in. It did not look quite like it did in her vision and for that she was grateful, but it wasn't what she expected. And she could feel it. She didn't know how, but she could. Darin urged her forward with encouraging words and held out a hand.
"It...what?" Were her hands shaking? Oh, Great Tree, they were. There was a look on her face that might have been confused for horror at first glance, but it was just shock. "Tunairuk...?" She didn't mean to slip into her own language but it happened on occasion when she was caught off guard. Tears reflected the moonlight then as they came down her face. She had a look like she'd had the air punched out of her, then explained in a voice as timid as the breeze, "No one has ever said...not..in words, that they are..." she swallowed. "Proud of me. Not, you know, not that I can remember. Darin...I found out today that the woman who's life I saved found out the real story of what happened and the reason she still lives. She knows. And they tell everyone the real story about...me. About what I did. They defend me. I don't know if you know what that means to me but...it's a lot. And this too?" She gave a very genuine tear-choked laugh. "It's like...I'm whole again for the first time since..."
She said nothing more, just wiped her face and took Darin's hand. She was ready.
Ridahne got up and followed Darin, surefooted in the darkness even without shoes. She never once stumbled or yelped about stepping on a stone, as her feet had thick callouses from a hundred years of running around barefoot. As they walked Darin described crop rotation. Ridahne had kind of heard something about it but she never knew why they did it and guessed it was only a ritual or a lack of space to plant different things at once. She did wonder what she meant by rotating trees. Was her seed different than the tree?
The Tree.
Ridahne pulled up short suddenly. It was the first glimpse she had of it in real life and it was just...so much to take in. It did not look quite like it did in her vision and for that she was grateful, but it wasn't what she expected. And she could feel it. She didn't know how, but she could. Darin urged her forward with encouraging words and held out a hand.
"It...what?" Were her hands shaking? Oh, Great Tree, they were. There was a look on her face that might have been confused for horror at first glance, but it was just shock. "Tunairuk...?" She didn't mean to slip into her own language but it happened on occasion when she was caught off guard. Tears reflected the moonlight then as they came down her face. She had a look like she'd had the air punched out of her, then explained in a voice as timid as the breeze, "No one has ever said...not..in words, that they are..." she swallowed. "Proud of me. Not, you know, not that I can remember. Darin...I found out today that the woman who's life I saved found out the real story of what happened and the reason she still lives. She knows. And they tell everyone the real story about...me. About what I did. They defend me. I don't know if you know what that means to me but...it's a lot. And this too?" She gave a very genuine tear-choked laugh. "It's like...I'm whole again for the first time since..."
She said nothing more, just wiped her face and took Darin's hand. She was ready.
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