At some point Talbot bent his knees to sink to the ground. Darin was on the laying on the ground as close she could get to the horse. The human looked up at the stars as she counted them, lost track, and began to count them again. She couldn’t seem to fall asleep. Slowly she watched the moon creep across the sky. She was going to be exhausted when the morning came. For a moment she pondered whether she should just keep moving. She wanted to see The Tree. It wasn’t like she was going to get rest, so she might as well do something productive. The only thing about that was that wouldn’t be fair to Ridahne, and Darin was desperately trying to be a good person. She wasn’t sure that it was working one little bit.

The human turned on their side and pressed and pressed their back to Talbot’s flank. She pondered what Ridahne had said about understanding her and the person she was to marry. Out of all the things the Elf had talked about that was the one Darin would admit she didn’t understand. She wasn’t sure how she could understand it. Once upon a time her mother had told her that love was complicated. Darin didn’t think it needed to be complicated though. If two or more people loved each other shouldn’t the goal be to be together. That seemed fairly simple to Darin. People then went and made it complicated. Mama had told her that she just hoped that her father was happy. Darin supposed that was because Talia had never stopped loving Martin. She supposed that could be the same thing here. It may not have made sense to Darin, but if it made sense to Ridahne than who was she to judge? Darin still thought that Ajoran, was that his name, was more hurt than even Ridahne knew. Darin didn’t even have the strength to let people close. How much strength did it take to let them go? Had Ridahne even thought that as she planned her killing spree? The Elf may not have left on a cold dark night, but she still had left without thinking of how her loved one would suffer. If they truly loved each other the way the warrior had claimed, the two of them would have discussed it first. Then they would have made the choices together. Ridahne’s firm insistence that they were not like her parents led Darin to think that the warriors were more similar to the farmers than the Elf wanted to consider.

Darin shook her head. She was trying to not make assumptions about Ridahne. That was harder than it sounded, but it was one of the things her mother tried to teach her. She wasn’t good at it. She judged people all the time. Even before The Seed came to her Darin had been good at making assumptions about people. That seemed like something the Seed-Bearer should avoid. She shifted on to her back. Maybe there was something wrong with her. Well, that was dumb. There was plenty wrong with her. In fact, she had a whole list. Her cons far outweighed her pros. It was still baffling that The Gardener had picked her. She gave her head another shake. She was not starting down that road again. There were other, more important, things to think about. She needed to figure out how she was going to stop making assumptions about Ridahne. Darin couldn’t come up with any good ideas. Ridahne probably hated her. Darin actually beat her palm against her forehead for that. She wasn’t supposed to assume she knew what the Elf was thinking. She had no idea what the Elf was thinking. Darin scowled. Being a good person was hard. She wanted to go back to just being a sort of an okay farmer. Why did she have to be picked for this? Why did The Gardener pick her?

Frustrated with her lack of sleeping Darin pushed off the ground to start waking again. She didn’t get very far before Talbot caught her pant leg in his teeth. The human scowled at the horse. Talbot looked unimpressed. Darin flopped back down. The horse had a point. Darin wasn’t far from the camp. She could still see the fire’s glow. If she went much farther a repeat of this morning would happen. That wasn’t something that would be good. Not for the first time Darin wondered how someone who could get lost going twenty feet would be able to travel all of Astra. She curled back into Talbot. She was starting to get chilly.

She whispered to the night air, “I miss Mama Talbot. I just want to see her again.”

Ajoran lingered in the shadows, hesitating. “I can’t , Ridahne. Can’t you just go?”
“I’m sorry Ajoran. You have to do this. It’s the best hope you have at staying out of this. Please. If you won’t do it for yourself then do it for me.”
He didn't want to, but he knew she was right. If they even suspected that he was in any way involved, he might end up dead too. He sighed, steeling himself, then cried, “Here! I have the traitor! I have her!” Two Taja and an Eija swarmed In immediately and Ridahne allowed herself to be bound and carried away into the cold stone of the palace, where she was thrown roughly at the feet of the Sota-Sol and the four remaining Sols. They all were seated in thrones, one higher than the rest where the Sota-Sol sat. The one directly to her left was empty. Amaiera, the queen of Azurei, rose slowly, her elegant white and blue robes rippling like falling water. She recognized the woman kneeling before her, though she did not know all the names of all the Eija. “The Atakharan girl? She belonged to Khaltira, did she not?”
The other Sols nodded, and Ailinde added, “She is called Torzinei. Ridahne. She and my Taja Ajoran have courted for years.” They were all irate, though they did not expect to see the likes of Ridahne there before them. She was one of their number, a trusted servant. Ailinde looked to Ajoran, one of her Taja, her personal guards. She liked him, he was good at his job and had an easy temperament. But if he was involved... "Did you have a hand in this, Taja Ajoran?"
"No, Sol," he answered quickly.
"Did you know of her plans?"
"No, Sol. Not until after they were--" he was about to say executed, but then realized the double meaning that had and the word choked in his throat. The thought of it all was horrible. But deep down Ajoran knew. Ridahne had confided to him in tears her realization that Khaltira-Sol had been lying to her to destroy people that offended her yet did not deserve death. He had even tried to come up with a way to deal with the problem, though in the end he knew that his word against a Sol's meant very little.

Amaiera looked between the young Taja, who stood tall at attention before his matriarchs, and the prisoner. “And you believe she is a murderer?”
Ajoran swallowed and tried to look at Ridahne, at the woman he loved, but she would not meet his eye. She only stared at the floor. He knew that expression. Dire focus, like all of Astra depended on her composure, which was like iron. Beautiful iron. “She told me so, Sota-Sol. She came to me tonight and confessed to the murder of Khaltira-Sol. My honor demanded I bring her to justice.”
Amaiera nodded. “Thank you, loyal servant Taja Ajoran. Your actions tonight are honorable. I know what she once meant to you.” Ajoran did not miss the ‘once’, and it stung. He loved her still, but they could no longer be. It didn't matter anyway. He knew the punishment for regicide. “Ridahne Torzinei, you were one of Khaltira’s Eija?”
Ridahne did not look up from the floor. “Eija-Alihn, Sol.”
“And you murdered her and her successor. Do you deny these accusations?”
“You’ll also find the body of my partner, Takhun Venari in the gardens, Sol. I have no apologies to offer you. What I did was wrong, yes. But I’d do it a hundred times over. I did only as I was trained to do. To seek out those who have done great evil and bring them a final justice. I have, Sol. The three of them were responsible for the deaths of innocent people. Death given by Takhun’s and my hand from orders given on false pretenses. Your Sol lied, and your people are dead because of it. I have brought her justice. I will make no apology.”

She had gotten a stir at the mention of Takhun--they did not know about him yet, it seemed. But none so great as the uproar her final statement brought about. There was a great deal of shouting from many sides, save from Ajoran, Ridahne, and Amaiera. At last the Sota-Sol raised her hand and the room fell echoing and silent. Ridahne did not look up from the floor.

"That is a bold accusation, Torzinei. Explain." Amaiera was seething, barely keeping her rage in check.
Ridahne spoke in a calm, almost flat voice as she continued to look only at the floor. "I sought out Azurei's worst. I brought them to swift justice. That was my duty. Until I learned Khaltira-Sol was fabricating crimes to pin against people who wronged her somehow. Trade agreements, tribute and tax disputes..."
"You have no proof, Torzinei."
"Takhun knew it too. We both did."
"And you murdered him too. Not a point in your favor."
"Two nights ago, a woman came to Khaltira-Sol," Ridahne began. "She had a baby boy in his first year. She came asking for aid, as her family's shop burned down with her husband inside. He lived, but was grievously injured. They discussed terms and had some kind of disagreement and in the end the woman spoke too boldly, insulting her Sol. She was sent away. Takhun and I were both there and as soon as the woman was gone, she ordered her death. The boy was to be brought to her until the father could come claim him. She claimed the woman murdered her husband. When I questioned her, she struck me and told me to follow orders. I spoke to Takhun and he was determined to see the woman dead.
'But the charge was a lie,' I said.
'Not my problem,' says he.
'You will kill an innocent woman, then?' And he shrugged. He was willing to let Khaltira-Sol continue. I was not, Sol. So I did what I was trained to do and I executed a criminal, Sol."

The chamber was silent. The silence bounced off the stone walls until it became solid, until it slammed into each one of them with the force of a great wind. Then Amaiera lifted her chin and said coldly, "Bring the ink." Ridahne's stomach churned. She had known this would come, yet seeing the bowl of black ink and the bone needle brought to her on a silver tray made even her iron resolve quail. Silent tears streaked her cheeks. She was about to die, yes, but this final shame would follow her even after death. "Condemned," Amaiera said in a tone that spoke of ritual. "You have the right to either a master artist, or to mark your ojih yourself. Which do you choose?"
Ridahne took a breath, tasting salt as the tears fell over her lips. Her cheeks burned. "It will be done by my own hand, Sol."
"Very well."

Ridahne was brought a mirror, and despite her shame and disgrace, a young serving boy knelt and held it for her as if he were assisting the Sota-Sol herself, for the marking of the ojih was a sacred ritual. She prepared the materials and took a good look at her face as it was, for it would never be that way again, and tearfully said, "Ai jane'ta jane'ta. What's done is done."

Slowly, Ridahne began.


Something woke her. She didn't recall falling asleep but she had and the fire now burned low in dark embers. She was cold and wrapped her cloak tighter around her, pulling up the hood. She had an uneasy feeling, but whether it was from her dream or something else she couldn't--

A distant voice, male, made her sit bolt upright. She listened for a moment, realizing there were multiple, and kicked out what was left of the fire. She had no way to confirm it but she guessed those were highwaymen. Darin. Where was Darin? A sudden panic filled her, made her move in the direction the girl had gone. She was an excellent tracker in the sands but in the forest? She knew some things. Focus. Ridahne moved swiftly but with absolute stealth, something she was extremely good at. Elves were naturally disposed to stealth, but she had been trained specifically for it.

Ridahne searched, all the while keeping an ear out for the nearby highwaymen. It did not appear that they had noticed anything yet. She eventually came upon Mitaja first, who sat in the shadows not far from Talbot.

"Darin..." Ridahne whispered. There was no way to mistake who it was--her accent was distinct enough. Ridahne couldn't express the relief she felt at seeing her alone with the animals and not under scrutiny of highwaymen. Ridahne herself looked otherworldly and ethereal as she stood crouched with her black cloak about her. She would have melted into the darkness completely if it were not for an errant moonbeam that caught her from behind and have her a faint silvery silhouette. There was no questioning how she had gained her reputation as a 'Ghost of the Sands', for she appeared almost incorporeal in the darkness.

The elf shadow moved closer, her feet barely making a sound on the soft forest floor. "Bandits," she whispered, barely above a breath. "Stay quiet, we might avoid them."

Darin had almost been asleep when Ridahne hissed at her. With a scowl Darin looked at the Elf. Did the warrior really have to wake her up for bandits? The human didn’t think she snored, so she could have been quiet while asleep. Then again, if it was bandits they might need to move soon. That was fair. Darin supposed she needed to wake up then. She slowly rubbed at her eyes to remove the grit from her eyes. She then sat up to stretch her arms out above her head. Alright. That was about as awake as she was going to get. She slowly sat up as well. At least now she wouldn’t be facing the bandits while staring at the stars.

Though it was odd. Could bandits operate this close to The Tree? It could be that The Tree was losing strength as it died. Darin wasn’t sure being a bandit was flat out evil anyways. The few that the village had gotten always turned out to be starving almost adults her age or people with kids to take care of. They usually felt like they had no other options. The ones that took her pack mule were looking for money. So, Darin supposed that the type of bandits these were depended on the type of person they were before they started trying to rob others.

Darin looked to Ridahne to try and gather more clues. The Elf looked mystical as she crouched in the moonlight. Darin almost wanted to raise an eyebrow at that except for the fact that she couldn’t do that. Thomas could and so could Milla. They used to tease her about it all the time. Darin had to wonder if the Elf realized just how dramatic they looked. It was certainly a sight. Darin almost hoped that Ridahne was doing it on purpose. That would be awesome on so many levels. However, the human was willing to bet that wasn’t the case at all. The dramatics were most likely accidental. That was a shame.

A shout filled the air, “Over here! A fire that’s just been put out.”

Darin’s head snapped around at the sound. She slowly got to her feet. Talbot remained in place. He would not be as quiet, and he knew that. Slowly Darin backed up until she was behind Ridahne. She wasn’t a complete idiot. She had no hope of fighting off anyone. Her best bet was to not get in the way of the warrior. That didn’t mean that the human wanted to be too far from the Elf. That would just be stupid. The last time that had happened Talbot had to save her. Darin didn’t know if that was an option or not this time. She didn’t know much about fighting or even defending herself. That was how she managed to get caught the last time she had faced bandits.

A snapping sound filled the air and felt unnaturally loud to Darin’s ears. She stopped moving immediately as she looked down. She had stepped on a branch of some sort. She was not used to sneaking. That much was painfully obvious. She cast Ridahne a look that was half question and half apology. Hopefully the bandits, if that was what they were, would think it was just an animal of some sort. She didn’t know what the odds were, but she wasn’t moving anymore. She couldn’t risk making anymore noise. Darin did spare a thought for The Seed. It wasn’t reacting, so Darin didn’t think these people were like Mark and his crew. Then again, they could just be too far away for The Seed to pick up on. It looked like all they could do now was wait. Darin hated waiting. It always took forever.

They moved as silently as they could through the underbrush but Ridahne, both elvish and trained in stealth, felt like each of Darin's footfalls was a crashing sound and she couldn't help but cringe. That couldn't be helped though...except maybe Ridahne might have to give sneaking lessons in the future. It would have all kinds of uses and appli--

SNAP.

Ridahne whirled, her amber eyes catching a glimmer of light as they peered out from under her dark hood. Her glare was sharper than broken glass but it was short-lived; their quarry had noticed and there was no use berating the human for her misstep.

"Ey, James!" Came a hoarse whisper, though Ridahne's sharp ears could still hear him. "Didja hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Whoever put out this fire's still here I think..."
Both men halted, listening, but Ridahne and Darin had halted for a moment. The elf was waiting for the right moment to 'strike' and she might learn something from their talk. The second man stirred first. "Forget that, Dax. Look at this horse! And that saddle...bet they're worth a penny!"
Dax stared out into the gloom but he saw nothing. "James I think we should go..."
"It looks elvish...blimey James, this might be one of them desert horses. Pull yourself together and get your axe out while I grab 'em." James reached for Tsura's reins and the horse neighed and snorted and pulled away. He cooed softly to the animal in hopes of calming it, but Tsura was better trained than that.

Ridahne gave the tiniest breath of a sigh and shook her head like she had expected better of them. One of them at least had the sense to be concerned and the other one knew nothing of Azurei horses. Well, it seemed her moment had come. The elf held up a finger and told Darin to wait a moment while she crept forward and around a bit. Behind her, Mitaja circled the other direction and together they flanked the two bandits. This seemed like they'd done it a thousand times, though usually the target was a deer or the spry goats that lived near sheer walls and cliffs. They moved as one, not in sync but in harmony.

James figured if he couldn't get the horse to come willingly, he'd at least get that saddle. It was well made and the bags were packed full of who knew what. He bent down and hefted it up, though as he straightened and looked up to what was just moments before empty forest, he saw a dark shape rimmed in moonlight.
"Take that saddle and I'll take a hand." As if to punctuate this sentiment, she tilted her knife so it caught the dim light and flashed white against the blackness.
James stumbled back, wondering where on earth she had come from. He might have thought her some kind of forest sprite or something if it weren't for the very corporeal horse and saddle and the remains of the fire, which all seemed too...mundane for a sprite.

Dax whirled and charged at her with the butt of his axe; he didn't really want to kill anyone if he could help it, but he wasn't above knocking someone about. His brave charge backfired however, as Ridahne kicked backward at just the right moment to send her foot into the man's stomach. He dropped, gasping. Ridahne looked back to James. "I said drop that saddle or you'll taste steel. I won't ask again." He did, immediately. "On the ground next to your friend. Any sudden move and I'll liberate one of your fingers. And you won't like which one I take. Clear?" He nodded fearfully and hunched beside a groaning Dax.

One of the first things Ridahne had learned was that sometimes a fight could be altogether avoided if the right manipulation was used. Make the opponent feel outclassed and they usually surrendered either more quickly or right away. Fear and a little dose of mysticism went a long way in deescalating conflict. At home she was taught to use the warping of light from heat waves, dust storms, and the glare of the sun to make a dramatic appearance or exit, or to confuse the target. Here, she had darkness. Her performance finished, she signaled Darin to join them. Mitaja stepped into the light, her greenish gold eyes glittering dangerously. The men gasped, and were even more astounded to see that this creature answered to the shadowy woman.

Darin watched Ridahne’s performance with an almost reverence. It was beautiful, and it answered the question on whether or not the Elf knew if they were being dramatic or not. There was no way this was accidental. On the other hand, Darin’s entrance was much less impressive. She just walked into the glade. She glanced at then men and was suddenly struck to do something. The Seed didn’t seem to care about that. That only made Darin more eager to do the stupid thing she did next.

She stood closer to Ridahne than to the two men, but she still asked, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?”

Darin wanted to know why the men were looking to steal from other people. She was hoping that if she knew the motives behind their actions it might lead her to a better understanding of what evil was. That was an understanding the young woman thought she desperately needed. She couldn’t plant The Seed without having at least some idea. It was possible that Darin was over thinking the problem, but she didn’t think so. These men were not evil, yet they were doing something many people considered bad. They were also doing it extremely close to The Tree. It was a puzzle that the young human desperately wanted to solve.

Then again there was a chance that they wouldn’t answer her. She wasn’t that impressive looking by herself and compared to Ridahne she was frankly pathetic. She was just hopping they mistook her for a boy like everyone, but the Elf had done so far. Darin knew that she looked like a boy from a far off even if she did look mostly like a farm boy. She was okay with looking like a farm boy. Talbot came up behind her to push her shoulder with his nose. With out removing her gaze from the two men she reached behind to catch the horse’s nose. She absently stroked Talbot as she waited for her answer.

Then again, they might answer. Darin was pretty positive that Ridahne had scared them pretty well. Ridahne’s mere presence seemed to be enough to make them comply at this point. Why they hadn’t just run the first chance they got after being scared was beyond the human’s comprehension. Maybe they were waiting to see if the odds would swing back into their favor. Darin didn’t think they would simply because Ridahne, Ridahne’s animals, and Talbot were now in the same glade together. Darin was well aware of the fact that she was the weak link, but she was positive that she could at least stay out of the way if a fight happened. She could spot at least three trees she could scale in mere moments. These men had to be too big to follow her. She hoped it didn’t turn to a fight. She just wanted answers to her questions. They didn’t seem important, but they were.

The men just sort of stared, unsure if they should keep their eyes on the green-eyed cat with the very large teeth, the young speaker, or the phantom behind her, which loomed tall and slim over all of them. James kept muttering softly and shaking his head; Ridahne couldn't make out his mutterings directly but she knew too well the look and sound of heart wrenching regret. He was softly cursing himself, thinking that for sure he and Dax had just gotten themselves killed. Dax remained perfectly still, though his breathing was a little uneven as he recovered from the kick in the gut. Neither felt composed enough to speak as fear settled in their hearts.

After a span when neither answered, Ridahne gave her knife a swing so artful it could have been part of a dance. The sharp blade whistled through the night air as its edges reflected the moonlight once more. Her eyes glinted hard and cold from beneath her hood. "The lad asked you a question." Her voice was low and soft in volume, but it was made all the colder for it. In her was not a blind and wild rage but a calculated wrath that would not be challenged. "We aren't the sort to ask twice, James."
The use of his name startled him horribly and gave him the uncomfortable sensation that he had been watched for longer than he had thought, so the first thing out of his mouth was, "Sorry! Uh, sorry. Um, we're uh, uh, well we're horse uh..."
"Horse thieves," Dax added softly. Neither seemed proud of admitting this, though whether it was because they felt remorse about the whole business or if they were only sorry because they were caught, Ridahne didn't know.
"You're horrible horse thieves if you think you can just approach an Azurei Ismari and think he'll let himself be led away by two fools. He was not bred for his obedience."

James let go the breath he was holding. The Ismari breed of horses were prized for their agility and speed and on this side of the mountains they were worth a fortune to the right buyer. Too lofty a target for him, he realized. He should have known better.

Well that explained what they were doing and honestly Darin could have figured that part out for herself. That still didn’t tell her why they were out stealing horse, and the young girl could remember asking why too. In fact, she didn’t think she asked what they were doing at all. She asked who they were and why they were doing this. At least Ridahne was supporting her in her quest for answers. The Elf and the human might not get along, but at least they could remain unified. That might be the best that Darin could hope for.

Darin gave her head a shake, “That’s not what I asked. I want to know who you are; not what you are. And I want to know why you are stealing from people. There must be a reason. Only children still for kicks, and you two do not seem like children to me. So, there must be a reason.”

Darin did not move closer to the two men. Right now, they seemed afraid of the Elf warrior. Who knew what would happen if they thought the situation could be turned to their advantage? She didn’t want to consider what might happen if she gave them an opportunity to take her hostage. She may not be the smartest person in Astra, or even the most capable, but she wasn’t a complete idiot. She knew better than to walk closer to them. Besides, she didn’t need Ridahne yelling at her. That would just make things difficult and things were already tense between the two of them. Darin really needed to try and avoid any more confrontation with the Elf.

Talbot pressed her nose into Darin’s shoulder. In response She tossed him a quick smile as she resumed stroking the bridge of his nose. It was clear that the horse was not interested in the proceedings. He just wanted attention. That was fair. She had been pouting and needed attention. It was only right to return the favorite. She turned her attention back to the two men. They looked human to her, but it was dark. She supposed they could have been Sirens or Elves. She almost thought that it would be cool if they were either. She had meet plenty of humans, but she had only met one Elf and she hadn’t met any Sirens. It would be nice to learn more about the people of Astra. Theoretically she was looking to plant The Seed for the people of Astra. It was probably a good idea to learn all she could about them. She wasn’t sure that was the best course of action or even the right one, but she was already basically just walking in the dark. IT wouldn’t hurt to continue that trend in regard to this. She could only do the best that she could do. Darin didn’t want to think about what would happen if the best she could do wasn’t enough. That wouldn’t end well. She did know that much.

The two men finally broke their gazes away from their captors and looked at each other as if deciding who should be the one to speak. By some silent agreement, Dax spoke. "I'd have thought that was obvious..." he said softly, but immediately regretted his cheek when the cloaked shadow took one purposeful, elegant step towards him. She had entered a beam of light and he could dimly see her face now, inked and lit by her two glittering eyes that seemed to him to be too light for her skin tone, giving her an otherworldly look. She was corporeal, of that he no longer had doubts. But learning that she was indeed Azurei did not comfort him. They were a hard, mysterious folk from a distant land just as hard and mysterious as the people who tended it, or so he'd heard. And she obviously knew how to handle herself. And a blade.

"Careful," came Ridahne's low voice. It was no longer hard and furious but cold and almost sweet. He visibly shivered; somehow that was worse. "I'm not the patient sort. And fingers make crunchy snacks for hunting cats."
Dax blanched, balling his hands into fists and tucking them protectively at his sides. He had the good sense not to dither and espouse apologies and instead made his amends by giving the pair what they wanted. "Men gotta make a living somehow. James and I came on hard times about a year ago...and well..."
"You decided to casually take up horse thieving? There's more you haven't said." Ridahne wasn't sure of that exactly, but she was going to put pressure on them and see what came of it anyway.

The men fell silent. So her hunch had been right. She let that silence build as she studied them, looking for a hesitation or weakness to exploit. She found it in James, who was the one fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. Ridahne wheeled on him like a shark on a struggling fish. Her cold blade reached out quickly to the soft underside of his chin and, with the utmost control, she held the point to his skin with enough pressure to make it uncomfortable, but not yet enough to draw blood.

"Gambling debts!" He squealed. "We were both in deep and we needed something fast, so we stole a horse to pay the debts!"
"Ah, there it is. And you've continued both gambling and thieving ever since." The men nodded, ashamed. Ridahne lowered her large knife and stepped back, though as she did this, Mitaja slipped through the darkness to pad behind the men and make their spines tingle with the unnerving sensation of being loomed over. The bond between the cat and her handler was evident in that moment, as neither made any kind of sign to the other and yet they operated in tandem somehow. If the men had not been so thoroughly distracted by fear, they might have seen how truly beautiful their partnership was, and the unflagging trust that lay between both elf and cat. Ridahne might have been many things, but she was without a doubt a person who loved and respected animals and there in that moment it showed to any who had eyes for it.

"Well now, my young apprentice," Ridahne said easily, "What do you think? What should we do with them?"

That was … sad. Darin didn’t feel any pity for the two men. It was just sad that they choose a lifestyle that hurt others and would eventually hurt themselves. They didn’t seem to be inclined to make any real changes either. This current incident was probably they had been caught with any indication that they would actually face consequences for their actions. If they had been caught before they had mostly likely been able to weasel out of those messes. Darin didn’t think Ridahne would let them leave without some sort of punishment. The young human didn’t think that she wanted to let them leave either. She just didn’t want to do something that would permanently affect their lives. That would leave a bad taste in her mouth.

Though she did need a new shirt. While the shirts the two men were wearing looking to be a bit big for her it was a start. She had to wonder if stealing from them was the best course of action though. Her Mama was fond of saying two wrongs did not make a right. Darin agreed with that for the most part, but then turned around and stole a dog from an abusive owner. So, she wasn’t sure she could say she lived by that principle. It wasn’t like stealing their shirts would put them in any worse shape than they were already in. The human had a feeling that the Elf wanted to take fingers; or maybe even whole hands. Darin wasn’t sure she could handle crippling them for life. She also knew they could leave them unpunished. The Seed was not reacting. One of these day Darin felt like she was going to stumble off a metaphorical cliff.

Darin spoke simply, “I do need a new shirt, and I’m sure they have other useful things on them. We can do to them like they would do to us.”

Now here came the tricky part. The two of them, Darin and Ridahne, were traveling under the guise that the human was the Elf’s apprentice. As such, to others, it needed to appear as if the warrior had the last word. Darin wasn’t sure that was actually the case. She was fairly positive that she had the last word. She couldn’t say that out loud though, and even the thought of that made her queasy. She had never been in charge of anything before. Well, she was now. She might as well act like she knew what she was doing. Maybe if she acted longer enough, she would finally figure it out. Somehow, she didn’t think that was the case, but Darin could and would hope that was the case.

Darin suddenly had a thought, “Wait! Make sure they don’t have any bugs or anything before taking clothing. I don’t need to wake up with flea bites every morning.”

Ridahne listened and nodded once very slowly, her eyes cold as she still stared at the men. The ruse they were playing at was only half false--Ridahne did want to give Darin the last word. Partly, she wanted to see what kind of person she was, what she would do in that moment under pressure. It would be good for the girl to make some tough choices but also to take responsibility for her new position. The human never wanted it, that much was clear. But Ridahne knew without a doubt that it was her duty to make sure she was one day ready to take it in full. Ridahne was not her mother and would not decide things for her, but she would advise as best she could.

"Good. A just choice. Come! Let me look at you fools." Ridahne threw back her hood; her dark hair streamed out and caught faintly in the dim light from above. Her tattooed marks lined her narrow face gave her a wild, fierce look. And both Dax and James knew in that moment that they beheld death herself. This was no Azurei elf, this was a spirit of death in the flesh. They both shuddered as she drew her second knife from behind her back, and though Darin knew about the blade harness she wore, to the men it seemed like the weapon appeared out of nowhere. She used them to lift their shirts a bit, or to tilt their heads from side to side. They followed her every unspoken command like slaves enthralled.

Ridahne laughed, and the sound of it was cold. "Seems they've done well for themselves as horse thieves. You've got yourself a fine set of clothes here, Martin. Go on boys, take them off." They hesitated only slightly, but slowly peeled off their shirts. When Ridahne did not step away or look appeased, they took their pants off too and were left shivering in their skivvies. A cold smile spread on the elf's lips. "Well. Go on." The men blanched. She couldn't have been serious...but then one look into those eyes and they knew she meant it. Slowly they stripped down until they wore nothing but their skin and made pathetic attempts to cover themselves.

Ridahne finally lowered her blades, but she did not put them away. "Good. Now understand something, Dax and James. My apprentice here is kindhearted. But where I'm from, the price for horse theft is a hand. The dominant hand. And you can be thankful that you aren't in my land. But you still have to reckon with me. And I am not so kind. My apprentice does not wish to see you crippled and I did put your fate in his hands." She leaned in and whispered to them, "But there are other ways..." She leaned back and with mirrored strokes of her blades she cut expertly across their bare chests. The wounds were not deep and would not require stitches to heal, but they were long and would scar, and little rivulets of blood trickled gently down their fronts.

The elf cleaned her blades in the grass with routine efficiency. The men had not the time to scream, but now they were gasping for air in their shock and fear. They had brushed with death and come away breathing.
"We'll go... please..." Dax pleaded.
Ridahne turned on him, her gaze heavy. "Yes. You will. And that cut will serve to remind you of this night. But I have one more question of you. Have you no remorse? Do you not feel the will of the tree pressing down against your wickedness?"
Dax blinked. "Uh..."
"Answer me truthfully."
"Erm...well a little. But not...not much?"

Ridahne was trained well and did not show any of her thoughts on her face, but she was deeply troubled by this news. The tree was already failing in its influence on Astra. And it would only get worse with time. She lifted her blades again. "Turn around. Walk. And if you trouble anyone on the road again, and I hear of it, it won't be just your hands I'll be having. GO." And with that the two naked men went sprinting off into the darkness feeling more fearful and shaken than they ever had in their lives. Ridahne breathed a sigh and tucked a bit of hair behind her ear, the mysterious air around her disappearing. She was Ridahne Torzinei again, Azurei exile and disgraced slayer of Sols. "Well now. That went well, eh? You performed spectacularly." And she meant it.

Darin watched the Elf work. It was almost enthralling to see her move and act with the express purpose of scaring the two men. She wondered if it was a skill Ridahne had learned or if it was natural. The human was almost willing to say that it was both. Ridahne had honed a natural talent. It led to a performance that Darin thought she might fall for if she hadn’t had the Elf scream at her in pure simple rage before. Ridahne was a person just like everybody else in the glade. Darin tried not to draw attention to herself, but did let a small noise that sounded like, “eep!” when Ridahne had the two men strip everything off. Darin quickly looked away, suddenly interesting in the stars above the canopy of leaves. She was not used to casual nudity. Even when the kids her age went swimming they all kept on enough clothes to remain modest unless they were Jason, Jax, and Emily, but they did it when it was just the tree of them, and they were looking to start a life together so it was expected.

Darin finally dropped her gaze back to the Elf to respond to her comment, “It’s not a performance when fates are on the line. At least I don’t think so.” Darin walked over to the two men’s clothes to look at them, “And what am I going to do with their underwear Ridhane? I have no need for it/ I don’t think.” She did pick up one of the shirts, “I do like this shirt though. I’ll have to tailor it before I can wear it though. I don’t need it slipping of one shoulder while I ride.”

Darin looked thought the collection the men had left behind. It was a nice collection and include a better knife than she had but not better than Ridahne’s. It also included a small pouch of coins the farm girl didn’t recognize, but there were gold, silver, and copper ones, so Darin was willing to bet it was more money then she had ever seen in her life. She liked the smaller waterskin but taking a swing out of it caused her to sputter. It was not water. Darin thought the warrior was right. They had done well for themselves. She was willing to bet they wouldn’t stop despite the fact that Ridahne had injured them. They hadn’t regretted it after all. They regretted being caught.

That was just sad. They enjoyed making a living via a way that hurt others and, in the end, themselves. The Tree was failing, and Darin didn’t know why. She didn’t even have a guess. She needed to see The Tree and quickly. Maybe, at least she was hoping, that seeing The Tree would give her some clues. She didn’t know enough about trees, regular trees, to say that she would know for certain. She was crouched over the clothes as she stared off into the air. She needed to find a solution, and quickly. Well that wasn’t exactly true. She had a solution; plant The Seed. She just needed to figure out how and where to do that. Maybe The Tree would have a clue to that as well. Darin was distracted from her thought as Talbot let out a noise. Her head snapped around to look at the horse and then moved to look in the direction the he was looking. Darin picked up the collection of items as she slowly stood.

She started back towards Talbot, “You’re right. If the sun is starting to rise, we might as well keep moving. Let me pack this away and will get started.” She turned to look at Ridahne, “If that’s alright with you?”

While Darin waited for an answer, she started to pack her new clothes into her pack. She needed a new one. This one was going to be too small if she kept collecting things to put in it. She absently thought of the pack mule and supplies she had lost when she ran into the bandits when she first started out. Maybe it was good that she was collecting things. She did have supplies to replenish after all. She held out the wineskin to Ridahne. The human wasn’t going to drink it so she figured she would offer it to her companion. That only seemed polite.

Ridahne shook her head. "I did not mean performance that way. I meant you performed your task well. And yes, that includes a little theatrics, but more than that. I think you handled it well. Still..." she sighed, a smile playing at her lips, "I would have liked to leave more than just a scar...but I'm not sure how you do such things in your lands. Either way, they will now have to find themselves clothes and food somehow, and two naked men with cuts across their chests do not get to casually pass through a town without explanation. They will not have so easy a time gambling when they have clearly lost everything they have."

Ridahne laughed about the underwear and shrugged, sheathing her knives behind her back with a practiced skill and grace equal to a highborn lady pouring a cup of tea. "I don't know, burn it, leave it. It wasn't for you but for their shame. But that knife will be good for you. I know you've got one, and you have a sickle, but whoever made that knife at least had some idea of what they were doing. Take it and leave behind your other knife, unless it holds some meaning to you. I suggest you find a way to conceal that one. It is good to have one weapon visible and another secret. The visible one has advantages of intimidation, but if it's ever taken from you, not many will suspect you are still armed. Secrets like those will keep you alive. We can get some leather and sinew and I can teach you how to make a blade harness like mine."

Ridahne lifted her shirt a bit to reveal the worn leather straps that fitted her like her own skin. The leather was smoothed with wear and dark with sweat, but for the most part it moved with her and under loose clothing made her concealed blades (which were not small) quite hidden. She had scars on her torso, too. Two looked like blade marks, and one on her back was wide and blotchy and could not have been made by a blade. "There are other ways too, like hiding them in your boot. But that's an old trick and the harness is an Azurei secret."

Ridahne looked up at the sky and nodded. She hadn't really gotten much in the way of sleep, but she wasn't feeling worse for wear so she didn't mind pressing on. Besides, she was anxious to see the tree, too. It felt like something she had to do and it was best to get it over with. So they packed up camp, mounted up, and rode on at an easy pace. The Tree was not far, and they would reach it in just a couple hours.

Ridahne didn’t take the wineskin so Darin shoved it into her pack. It seemed like a good place as any. The second knife went in there as well. She supposed that was as hidden as it was going to get at the moment. She didn’t know how to use either of her knives to fight so keeping them out of the way seemed like the best think she could do with them for the moment. The human was starting to think that she would never learn to use her knife. Ridahne and her couldn’t seem to stay in one place together for very long.

Darin found that getting back on Talbot was getting easier each time she did it. She supposed she should start learning to get off gracefully. She tended to either fall off of or get bucked off. It didn’t help that Talbot was so big. As soon as she was settled Talbot took off at an easy pace. Darin hoped they arrived at The Tree soon. She couldn’t wait to see it. She had this picture in her mind of The Tree standing proudly in the middle of an empty field. It was a fruit tree that’s fruit resembled apples. She wondered if The Apples were green or red. Perhaps they were yellow. Regular apples came in so many different colors. Darin thought they might be red. She imagined The Apples as red.

Which is why, as the two traveling companions crested a ridge the human was caught completely off guard. It wasn’t an empty field at all. It was a farm! Granted it was about twice the size of the entirety of Darin’s village, but she still knew a farm when she saw one. There were wheat fields and rye fields and what looked to be like a barely field. There was a garden field that included peas, tomatoes, and beans. Darin identify what had to be a potato field and what looked like they could be carrots. There was a patch of grape vines and what looked like an orchard of all types of fruit trees. She spotted countless hives of bees scattered about to pollinate the plants, a sheep pen, a chicken coop, and a lake that looked like it could house all type of waterfowl. There were barns all over and Darin knew that they were countless horses, pigs, cows, and other animals. She was even willing to bet there were mouser cats and sheepdogs. She could even spot farm workers moving about even thought they looked like specks from where she had stopped Talbot to just stare. She had never imagined anything like this.

And there! In the middle of the massive farm; was The Tree. It was far bigger than the biggest apple tree that Darin had ever seen. It didn’t look like it was dying from up here. In, fact to Darin’s eye it looked perfectly healthy. The human stared in awe as she watched the branches of The Tree contrary to the wind. People were tending The Tree. She was willing to bet that they were picking The Apples. It was apple season so that made perfect sense. She wondered if all The Apples had Seeds like hers, and if not, how did hers become The Seed. Suddenly Darin was overcome with a sudden desire to be down in the farm that looked like home even though it was so much bigger. The problem with that was that the path curled away from the over loos. The human imagined that they had to follow the path to go down to the level the farm was on. That would take far too long! She needed to be there now!

Without really thinking Darin fell off Talbot and started heading down the gentle incline. She ignored Talbot’s shiny of protest as she suddenly tripping and went head over heels towards the bottom. She didn’t pause for even a minute. She was up running towards The Tree the moment she had regained her footing. Years of practice had her ducking and weaving though the crops without hurting a single one. She was taking the most direct path to her destination. She ignored the shout of the workers trying to stop her as she ran and ran and ran. Then, just as suddenly as she started, she was stopped by a massive being wrapping his arms around her form behind. She immediately began to struggle. Another being came up in front of her and pressed a knife to her neck. Darin stopped protesting immediately.

The female holding the blade hissed, “Who are you? How dare you think you can just enter The Farm without permission! Speak boy!”

Darin looked the person straight in the eye. She noticed a collection of workers gathering around her. They were all dressed in simple brown pants and tan shirts. Their boots looked impossibly sturdy. It was the uniform of the workers. Darin could figure that part out. She wanted one of their wide brim hats. She noticed that there were Elves, Sirens, and humans. She had never seen such a diverse collection of people. Darin was in pure awe. She had snapped out of her desperate daze. Okay, rushing towards The Tree was not her brightest idea. She was now in a huge mess and didn’t know how to get out of it. Ridahne and Talbot were too far away to help. Maybe she should just answer the questions. That seemed like the best course of action.

It didn’t even occur to her to lie, “I’m Darin. I just wanted to see The Tree.”

The man behind her let go of her like she had burned him. The woman with the knife jerked it back so quickly it did nick Darin’s skin. All of the workers were looking at her with wide eyes; like they had seen a ghost or couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Darin didn’t understand why. She wasn’t telling anyone that she was The Seed-Bearer. She wasn’t even going to tell them.

The woman with the knife whispered, “Get Ravi.” When no one moved she all but shouted, “Get Ravi!”

A handful of people turned and ran at that. Darin knew that Ravi was the guiding star in Astra. Following it would take you south. Having it at you back took you north. She imagined that whoever this Ravi was they had been named for the guiding star. She looked around at the people gathered to see if she could learn more about the people who worked this farm. They were all covered in dirt. Some were more covered than others. They all seemed tense. Darin wasn’t sure she could blame them. If a stranger had raced across her farm without heading instructions to stop, she would be tense as well. She supposed all she could do was wait for this Ravi to show up. Maybe Ridahne or Talbot would get here first.

Once again a growing fear and dread weighted upon Ridahne with every step. Partly it was because it would be difficult to see the state it was in, knowing what the Tree's demise would mean for all of Astra. But mostly she felt it was because the Tree pressed guilt onto the guilty, shame upon those who had done wicked deeds. And she had. She felt it all now, twisting and rising in a horrible torrent of anxiety, guilt, and fear. Ridahne was silent most of the ride, in part because she had little on her mind she thought needed sharing, and partly because she feared a level of emotional vulnerability if she dared open up the door to expression. She wasn't ready for that at the moment.

Nor was she ready for the sight they found when they crested a small hill and saw the Tree standing tall and regal amidst a sea of cultivated land. The landscape was green and dotted with bits of color according to the kind of crop or plant that grew there. Stalks swayed in the wind, leaves tilted towards the sun, and bees hummed. It wasn't anything like what she'd seen in her vision. The same space of land, perhaps, but it had been different. Ravaged by decay and withered by drought. She had not seen it as it was currently, but what it would be in time. She felt a kind of deep, primal shudder as she beheld the tree even from such a distance. What she saw there was worthy of awe and wonder, and she could feel a kind of power resonate through her very bones as though she and the earth were one.

The sensation left her the moment she registered that Darin had gone sprinting headlong into the field. "Ai! Darin, wait! Darin!" But she was gone, either out of earshot or in such a fey mood that she didn't heed her calling. Ridahne muttered a curse and started to go after her, when she heard with her sharp elven ears the swick of a blade being drawn and saw the steel flash in the sunlight just behind Darin. Few things could jumpstart Ridahne into action quite like that sound. She kicked Tsura with her heels and he charged, leaping forward with a neigh as he plunged down into the valley like an avalanche.

Only a brief moment before the cry went out for Ravi, the workers could see and hear Ridahne charging at them with her bright scimitar held high in the morning sun. She and Tsura were thunder and lightning, and Mitaja by their side was a breath of swift wind. One farmhand tried to block her path, thinking that if he set himself in front of the horse, its rider might check him. She did not. Her will was iron and Tsura was glad to follow; the pair moved in a straight, unbroken line and were not deterred by this one man. He blanched and leapt aside almost at the last moment. Ridahne only checked Tsura when she reached Darin, who was no longer held at knifepoint but was delicately bleeding and still surrounded by an array of people. The elf spoke in her native tongue to Mitaja and at her word, the cat slid silkily to Darin's side, and if anyone tried to approach her, she would move to stand between them. Ridahne, meanwhile, worked a larger perimeter and would squeeze Tsura between Darin and anyone else nearby. She had her blade in hand and ready, though she did not use it wantonly. They had released Darin and that earned them some points in Ridahne's favor, but the blade remained in hand as a warning and a simple reminder: We are not your prey.

"Anyone else touches him without permission and you'll have me to answer to. Keep your distance and we'll have no quarrel," She barked, still circling Tsura around. At this point, she began to hear whispers from some of the workers about someone named Ravi. Ridahne desperately wanted to demand answers about who this was and why these people were hostile, but something in her moved her to stay quiet. This was not her battle but Darin's, and Ridahne was merely there to back her up. The elf would see to her safety, but Darin would need to handle the rest of this situation on her own.

Darin stumbled as Mitaja came to press close to her. The young human looked back at the trail she had been creating. It looked like the Elf and her horse had bent, broken, and trampled across several crops in her haste to get to the human. Talbot was joining them, but he was going slower. Like Darin he was trying not to damage the crops. That made sense. They were both farmers while Ridahne, Tsura, and Mitaja were warriors. As such they had different priorities. Darin thought that maybe why they were having problems seeing eye to eye. Then again there could be lots of reasons why that was the case, and she didn’t really care to think about it. Her gaze swung to back to The Tree as she contemplated the best way to sneak away and continue her journey. She might have to wait for this Ravi to show up.

Suddenly, a joyful exclamation filled the air, “Look at you! Just look at you!”

It was an Elf. Darin turned to see a male Elf come though the group of people. He was taller than Ridahne with skin so pale it was almost white. Darin wasn’t sure how that was possible given the fact that he was wearing the same uniform as the rest of the workers and a quick glance at his arms and hands showed that he was no stranger to working in the dirt. He had hair so dark The Seed-Bearer almost thought it was black until the sunlight caught it just right to reflect the brown tones. His eyes were an incredibly pale lilac color that fooled people into thinking they had no color at all. He completely ignored Ridahne and Tsura and Mitaja to come and take Darin’s face in his hands. His fingers felt rough and impossibly long. She didn’t think he was Azurei like Ridahne.

He stared straight into her eyes as he exclaimed again, “Look at you!” He was wearing the biggest smile on his face, “You’re gorgeous! You’re perfect! I never imagined you would look so beautiful! “He dropped his hands to her shoulders, and he bent so Darin would have to look up to see his face properly, “Darin, Darin, Darin, Darin. Darin, daughter of Martin, by Talia. You are incredible! You made it! We were starting to think you got lost. But now you’re here! And you’re beautiful! And perfect! And just right! And better than any of us could ever had hopped for!”

Well this was an interesting experience for Darin. Even if she temporarily ignored the fact that this strange Elf some how knew the name which The Gardener referred and the fact that he knew she was The Seed-Bearer it was still odd. No one, not even her mother, had called her beautiful before. The best she got was “passably pretty when you try.” She had never been called gorgeous or perfect before either. The strangest part was she thought that this Elf might sincerely mean every word he said. No, that wasn’t right. She knew that he meant every word he said. The same part of her that knew that Mark was pure evil confirmed that fact. He barely knew her, and he already loved her. Absently she noticed that the workers were chattering excitedly among themselves. They were all looking at her in awe and excitement. She was baffled for a minute.

Then it came to her and she spoke softly; interrupting the Elf’s praises, “You were expecting me. How?”

The Elf continued to smile as he reached up to push her hair out of her eyes, “It’s always been you Darin. It’s always been perfect, beautiful, amazing you.” His hand came back to her shoulder, “When The Gardener knew that The Tree was dying he enlisted us to do everything we could to save The Tree. When it became clear that it was impossible, he told us to stay at the far reaches of The Farm as he and The Tree talked. A week later he came out. He showed us The Seed. He said that what he had to do was a secret. We could tell no one outside of The Farm. He then told us that he had to find someone named Darin, daughter of Martin, by Talia, that she would be responsible for Planting The Seed; for saving Astra. And then he went out looking for you. He told no one who he was looking for. Then, about three months ago, he sent us a weekly update, as was his custom. It said, ‘This is my last message. I found her in a little nameless village west of a town called Lively. She is a farmer. She will come to see The Tree soon enough.’ We looked for Lively on the map. We figured it would take you two months to get here, what with getting ready and all. You hadn’t shown up yet. We were starting to get worried.”

She spoke again, “I can’t be the only Darin. And I’m fairly positive I don’t look like anyone’s daughter.”

The Elf laughed just a little bit, “True. But my people have visions from time to time. I saw you, but not like this. You were dressed in a floor length skirt. Your hair was pined up and you were standing near a man wearing a crown. You were punching a guard in the face. Your features are still the same. The vision came before The Gardner’s message. We thought you were a princess of some sort. To hear you were a farmer was such a relief. And here you are. In work pants with sensible hair. It’s better than we could have hoped! You are the most beautiful thing that I, that we, have ever seen. You are our hope! Yet you are just a simple thing! You’re armed with a sickle and not a knife or sword. A farmer’s tool!” He let out a breath that remind Darin of the noise Thomas mad every time he saw Milla, “You’re gorgeous.” He suddenly became serious, “Now! You need to eat something. You need a bath, and you need sleep in a proper bed.” He pointed at The Tree, “But first The Tree. It is waiting to meet you. Your guard must stay here though your companion may come.” He turned to one of the other workers, “Alix! Run and tell the Workers in The Tree to get down. The Seed-Bearer must speak to The Tree.”

Darin felt it was important to clear something up, “Are you Ravi? And why can’t Ridahne come?”

The Elf, Ravi, nodded, “Yes! That’s me! I’m the Overseer; the most recent in a long, long line of Overseers. These are the Workers. The Azurei can’t come to this first meeting. The Tree is sacred, and she is Eija. I am not saying her reasons are wrong, but she had killed before. It would not do for your first meeting to be tainted by that. Though she is Chained, I assume Seed-Chained, she can’t be evil if she’s Seed-Chained. The Tree, and by extension, The Seed refused to be Chained to evil. Though that doesn’t mean being Chained is a good thing. Tax will take her to the main Farmhouse where she can get some rest.”

Darin like this man. The same instincts that had warned her about Mark told her that Ravi meant every word he said. He had to be good if The Gardener made him the Overseer. The Seed tingled against her thigh, and the young Seed-Bearer was reminded of sitting next to a fire after a long day in the snow. Talbot finally joined them, and he pressed his nose to the back of Darin’s head in silent support. Darin didn’t think he fully knew what was going on, but she did know that he was on her side. She wasn’t sure she believed Ravi as he said all those good things about her, but she believed that he believed them. And she did want to see The Tree.

She turned to Ridahne, “I have to go. It will be alright. This is like the exact opposite of Mark. I’ll meet you at the main Farmhouse later. Is that alright?”

They had been ignoring Ridahne, and Darin felt slightly rude because of that. That didn’t change the fact this needed to be done and the sooner the better. Talbot was coming with her. She just didn’t want Ridahne starting a fight while she was gone. That would not be good.

Tsura, excited by all the commotion, reared slightly and stamped, tossing his head in the sweet breeze. Ridahne was equally as uneasy, that is, until Ravi actually came. For one thing, when the elf came towards Darin, Mitaja did not impede him. Instead, she circled around him, rubbing her face into the back of his knees as if she had rejoined an old friend. That alone was enough to sway Ridahne; in the first years of her hunting training as a girl, the first lesson she was ever taught was to trust her cat. They were better hunters, and their ancestors had the land before any elf ever did. They knew it and its seasons, its winds, its shiftings and groanings and blossomings. And they were good judges of character, too, and were said to have untold senses that none of the three races possessed. But more than that, Ridahne felt, like with Mark, that she knew what this man was about. Unlike Mark, he did not espouse sickly sweet but empty words in the hope of gaining something he wanted. No, this elf's words came from an outpouring of joy and he did not care who heard them. The warrior sheathed her blade and stilled Tsura with a few whispered words, then dismounted and walked to Darin's side.

The elf was no longer bristling with wrath and fury but seemed more at ease. After all, she had guessed that these were good people, though putting a knife to her charge's throat was a serious misstep. She chalked it up to no more than that, though, and no longer held them to blame. And she had no doubts about Ravi. She guessed that he was Eluri--He had to be. He was very obviously not Azurei and the Orosi did not receive visions unless they had mixed parentage. And as he spoke of his vision Ridahne's lips twitched in an only mostly concealed smile when he mentioned Darin had punched a guard in the face. Her little Darin? Punching a man in the face? Ridahne couldn't have been more proud. At some point, she wanted to speak to Ravi of her own vision, as she had longed for the wisdom of an Eluri in the matter but had never had the time to pursue it. For now, she merely bowed slightly. She had no will to argue with being left behind. It was only right, and she knew it.

"Go, Ri'atal. There's nothing to fear from him, if you want my opinion on such matters. I will wait for you." Ridahne spoke a few words in Azurei to Mitaja, instructing her to follow Darin wherever she went, then went and took Tsura's reins.

Ridahne felt like a black stain on this sacred land, and if she was honest, she was eager to get to the farmhouse and be away from so many eyes. Somewhere to hide her own shame. And then, as if fate had one last cruel trick to play on her, Tax stepped up, and she saw he had the dark skin, golden eyes, and inked face of an Azurei. The two looked on each other in silence for a moment, as was the custom. She noted his Ojih was short with only a few basic marks, and she guessed that he had decided to become one of these acolytes of the Tree at a young age. If his resembled a delicately twisting garden vine, then Ridahne's was a patch of briars, tangled, thick, and overlapping. She took a deep breath. It was the first time she had seen one of her own people since she'd left Azurei four months ago. Since she'd...

"Come. This way." He began to lead her towards the farmhouse, and during the trip, they were silent. People came to take Tsura and tend to him, and Ridahne was set in a chair and offered a mug of a pale yellow variety of mead with a delicate flavor. It was not a strong mead and was low in alcohol content, the sort of drink one has daily after a long toil in the fields to refresh the body and ease the heart. She sipped it slowly; it was very very good.

Finally, after an excruciating silence, Ridahne broke it. "Stop staring at me and let's just get right to the point," she growled. "You've heard news of recent events from home, I see."
Her gruffness didn't bother him; they were cut from the same cloth, though they had lived different lives. Tax released a breath and sat back in his own chair. "It was you, then?"
Ridahne closed her eyes and took a long slow breath. "Yes."
"And now you're the guardian of the Seed Bearer," he said with no small measure of amazement--something Ridahne mirrored in her own thoughts too.
"Fate likes irony, it seems."
Tax was clearly struggling to find words or to sort through his feelings on the matter. There was so much to it, he knew. More than could simply be guessed. "I'm going to assume by your association with the Seed Bearer that you aren't the crazed madwoman the rumors make you out to be."

Ridahne laughed. It was a pained laugh, a derisive laugh, a bitter laugh. She wasn't surprised there were stories about her, but somehow knowing it felt like a knife to the heart. She couldn't hold back the single tear that welled up in her eyes and dripped down her inked cheek. "The truth is never so simple, Tax Anaiadi. The truth is no less ugly, no less gruesome, no less painful, but it is never so simple. Those stories will never tell you why. Nor will they tell you all that I sacrificed in the name of justice. There is nothing left for me. Anyone who believes that I brought that on myself out of foolish madness is an even greater fool than I."
"Justice?" He asked. This intrigued him greatly. Being somewhat removed from Azurei for many years, he could look at the situation with a cooler head, and for this Ridahne was grateful. "What happened to you, Eija'alihn, that brought you on this path?"
Ridahne looked hard at him, searching his comparatively unmarked face. "Many ask for truth but do not want it when it's given to them. It's a bitter medicine they no longer want to taste. Do you want it, Anaiadi?"
He nodded gravely. "Yes. I do."
Ridahne sighed, taking a sip of the cool mead before proceeding. "Khaltira-Sol, beloved and honored and wise, was a corrupt, heartless bitch who cared nothing for the lives of her people. She used me as her tool. She trained me to seek justice and to carry it out to its bitter end but somehow thought that didn't apply to her. I am a tool. And I served my purpose." Her voice was low and hard, like a cold mount of unmovable stone.

Tax's dark cheeks flushed red and he looked anywhere but at those fiery eyes. Each breath was measured and controlled in an effort to steady himself. "Torzinei!" he breathed, as though she had just said the most scandalous curse in all of Astra. In Azurei culture, she very nearly had.
Ridahne's palm slammed down the table, rattling her mug, and she rose from her seat. "You asked for the truth! Do not scorn me for giving it! I am tired of being pressed for truth and bound to some shred of honor and yet kicked for doing only what I am asked! Have I not suffered enough!? I will take it no more!" More tears glittered in her eyes but they were like drops of burning sun, aflame with anger and passion.

Tax held up his hand. "Peace, Fireheart," he said softly. "I did ask. You delivered. It is simply a lot to consider. I think..." he said slowly, mastering himself. "I think I understand, at least a little. And if I understand rightly, I pity you and the road fate has put you on."
"I didn't ask for your pity," she snarled, though the volume of her voice did drop and she settled stiffly back into her chair.
At this, Tax smiled bittersweetly. "No, Torzinei. One such as you wouldn't. But still I give it to you. I...assume you will find your way eventually back home? In your travels?" When Ridahne nodded he sighed. "That won't be easy. I doubt the people of home will be so understanding as I. They lack some perspective on the situation as a whole. You are committed to this task?"
"With all that I am."
Tax nodded, satisfied. "Good. Perhaps...perhaps you were chosen for this task because you are broken, Ridahne Torzinei. You who have lost everything. You who have paid the highest price for the least glamorous side of justice and truth. There is nothing now that can be held against you, nothing that can sway you from your duty. You have been disgraced, and this gives you all the more motivation to not fail in your task. Do Azurei proud, Child of the Night Sky. Ni talihn un'derras."

Go forth with blessing.

The words hit Ridahne to her core, and tears unbidden came again to her eyes. But she mastered herself, and a less hostile silence fell upon them. In true Azurei fashion, once the yelling was out of the way, amicable silence came easier. When Darin eventually met up with her, Ridahne had some faint evidence of tears but was now speaking with Tax in their native language, chatting casually of home and of the spaces beyond.

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.

Ridahne followed, giving a polite farewell nod to Tax. It was good to talk to someone who she could really relate to, who understood her language and manner of speech. Someone who didn't completely hate her. The list of those types of people in this world was growing very thin, and she counted Hadian and Ajoran the only two that would stay on that list for certain. Darin perhaps didn't hate her, but there was not yet any kind of love. There might never be, Ridahne told herself. She could not hold her breath waiting for that. Or for anyone. Even if Hadian and Ajoran abandoned her, she wouldn't be surprised. Heartbroken, yes, but not surprised. Not after all she'd done.

They walked in silence for a bit until they were really alone, and then Ravi asked how she'd gotten Seed-Chained. Ridahne didn't know how much he knew already but she didn't doubt that if he wanted to find out all the gritty details of her life, he could. There was no sense in hiding it and besides, now that she had told her story to one stranger, doing it again would be less difficult. "They are one in the same, in a way," she said. And she began by explaining a brief history of her life and how she came to be an Eija, a law keeper, and how she was elevated to Eija'alihn. She told of the corruption of Khaltira-Sol and the moment she knew without a doubt what she had guessed in her heart for some time. And she told him how she decided to fix the problem, of her ordered execution and her vision, and her sudden journey into the wild and brief travels and struggles with Darin.

"We misunderstood each other gravely. I believed beyond any doubt that she would be angry and would cast me out. And who would blame her? I am of little worth to anyone, and my deeds are beyond forgiveness. I deserve nothing more. If she cast me out, if she sent me away, I would be honor bound to return home, seek out the Sota-Sol, and tell her of my failure. My execution would be carried out, and Astra would be rid of me at last. I knew that. And I truly believed that Darin would want to send me away, but I feel in part like she took me on as a guardian in the first place because she knew what my fate would be if she didn't, and she did it out of pity. I thought perhaps she would struggle with condemning me to death, even though she wanted to. So out of a sense of duty, I offered. I offered to see her to safe hands and then leave her alone and go home to meet my fate, and thus allow her to find someone more worthy of the task. She misunderstood me, thinking that I wanted to leave her, that I was running from responsibility. And I had misunderstood her. She did not intend to send me away. Needless to say, she was furious and in that fury named me Seed-Chained--I can only guess at the full meaning of that--and commanded me to stay. She accused me of many things, and not all of them I deserved. Of always running from responsibility, and of abandoning the man I was supposed to one day marry. But if she believes those things then she does not know me. She does not know Us."

By this point, Ridahne was getting riled up again, and something about this Ravi fellow made her feel like she could (and should) pour out her soul to him. Secrets would not avail her now. Hot tears streaked her face. "Once again, I make life difficult for myself. If I had known her intentions, I never would have suggested it. And if she knew anything of mine..." her lip quivered. "If she knew how deeply I only wanted someone to find me worth their effort and time...if she had only said that after all I've done and all that I am, she still wanted me, I would have fallen to my knees and kissed her damn boots but NO! NO! Somehow I am forever cursed to always toil bitterly to do what is right and forever cursed to ALWAYS DO IT WRONG. Somehow, no matter what I do, I am always the one to set my own house on fire!"

She wanted to throw something, or break something, or go for a run, or do something with all this pent up energy but she couldn't. Instead, she fell to her knees and broke down in severely uncharacteristic sobs, clawing at the tilled soil with her slim, calloused hands. She did not wail and was silent except for the occasional sharp intake of breath or sniffle. "You'll not...speak of this t-t-o anyone. N-not if you have any mercy," she snarled between sobs. "It was for y-your ears only, Ravi. Speak of it to n-n-no one. No one but Darin," she pleaded.

Ravi did not judge. He could not judge. The two girls, who were both young in his mind’s eyes, had suffered from a lack of communication. One of them had to take the first step. He did not know which one it would be. He did not think it would be Darin. She was so terrified of doing something wrong and upsetting Ridahne again that she might be inclined to just suffer in silence. Ridahne was so sure of her own suffering that it seemed that she was incapable of seeing the suffering of others. One concerned with doing right for their own sake, the other concerned with doing right for the sake of the others, both failing at it in a manner so spectacular fantastic they had to be youths with rampart emotions. He could not tell either one of them what to do, He had a feeling they might not listen to him anyways. He could only offer advice and hoped that it did some small measure of good.

He spoke with out malice. There was only a deep understanding in his voice, “Imagine for a moment, Ridahne, that you were not here as an exile. That you still received the vision that sent you here, to Darin’s side, but you had committed no crime. As such you were sent on assignment from the Solta-Sol herself; commanded to bring honor to all of Azurei and The Seed-Bearer and you were given full honors as you left. How do you think your actions would change? Would you treat Darin any differently than you do now? Would you currently be on the ground weeping in despair because of your own sorrow?”

Ravi was hoping to make a point. It was not a point he thought would be easy to make. It had to do with that fact, that whether she meant to or not, Darin had made Ridahne Seed-Chained. Being Chained to The Tree was a bittersweet honor. He imagined being Chained to The Seed was similar. It was definitely punishment, but it was punishment with the hope of redemption. Unlike the mark on the Azurei’s face being released from being Chained was not only possible, it was the end goal. It was supposed to be a mark of shame during the duration; a lack of freedom, an almost silent condemnation, that turned into a badge of pride upon being released; a sense of accomplishment, a knowledge that you were better now than you were then. Ravi did not think that either girl would understand this simple fact at this point of their lives. He could hope to put them on the right path.
-
Talbot returned to the Main Farmhouse slowly. In fact, Darin was convinced that he was taking a less than direct route. That was alright. She needed to collect herself before she returned to Ridahne. She couldn’t let her sorrow and despair get in the way of mending the gap in their relationship. She wasn’t sure it was possible, but she had to try. The Tree had managed to give her a better understanding of what being Seed-Chained meant. Darin wasn’t sure she understood it fully, but she understood that if Ridahne failed at being Seed-Chained, she would never make it home to die. Darin was the one to say the words with out knowing what they meant. As such it was her job to see that Ridahne had the easiest possible time to do that job. It would not do to always being running off from her.

Darin slowly sat up on Talbot’s back. There were no people, but there were animals aplenty. Darin ahd a better understanding of what they saw in her. A bee came over to land on her finger. A butterfly landed on her nose. A mouser cat came and walked besides Mitaja. Darin was not surprised at that the hunter cat let the smaller cat near. They were both similar, and they both knew that neither would hurt The Seed-Bearer. A sheep dog came up the other side of Talbot. A wild hawk flew overhead. As they passed a small stream the fish got as close as they could. A frog jumped on to Talbot’s leg and onto his backside. It was a strange procession. All the animals were silent; quiet they knew The Seed-Bearer wanted, companionship they knew she needed.

Ridahne gave Ravi an anguished laugh as she looked up at the bright sky from where she still knelt. But she turned to look up at him, and her honey eyes were on fire. She was a creature of passion, and whatever she felt she felt it deeply. Joy, hate, fear, anger, sorrow. "If I had no sorrow, would I feel sorrow now?" She snorted. "No, I dare say I wouldn't. But it's more than my black deeds that mar my history. My murder of Khaltira-Sol and her successor, and my partner, that is merely the worst thing I have done, second perhaps only to the people who are now dead by my hand for reasons that may or may not have been true. No, my failure goes back farther than that, Ravi. I was supposed to be a fisherman--my entire family has been fishermen for ages. But I got into too much trouble. Fought too much. Drifted off too much. Argued too much. I wanted to be a tattooer, but I wasn't skilled enough. I watched my mother succumb to illness and die. My father drowned at sea. I was sixteen and orphaned, and it showed. I was uncouth, unladylike, uneducated, unwashed, and poor. I was told I would never find a husband because I was too tall, or too loud, or too fiery, or too dirty and ugly, or too unruly. I became an Eija and it was the one thing I ever did right. I was good at it. So I dedicated myself to my training, and you know where that got me? I became an Eija-alihn, a hand of death, and every time I thought I was doing what was right and good, I was really just doing it all wrong. Always wrong. And now I am here with this chance to redeem myself and to help in the saving of Astra, to do the most good and decent thing I will ever do in my entire life, and still somehow I manage to screw that up too, in some small way."

Ridahne hung her head, her fire spent. "And now, instead of being compelled by love and loyalty and purpose, I am bound by sharp command. A slave with some fragment of honor. A willing slave. But a slave all the same, and all because I am a study in bitter inadequacy. No, Ravi. To erase my sorrow would be to erase everything that I am. If I did not have the burdens and cares I do now, I would not be Ridahne Torzinei. I would not be here." There was an odd mix of defeat and defiance in her tone, like she was both lamenting her hand in life and yet she knew with some measure of defiant pride that she was born of strife. And despite her bitter ramblings, she was still determined to come out the other side. Tax had a point. No potential guardian in all of Astra was more motivated to see this through than she.

"As for Darin..." She breathed a long sigh. "We do not understand each other. Every attempt to do so has ended in disaster. I want to. I don't want to be bound to a person who loathes me, and I don't want to resent her. I'd venture to say she wants the same. But neither of us know how to get there, I think. I don't know what she wants from me. Nor do I understand fully why I was chosen to do this task." And then, in a very small voice as though it was hard for her to admit it, she said, "I don't know where to go from here." And she did not mean geographically.