Darin wrinkled her nose as Ridahne smeared the ointment on her check, “Itchy.”

She spoke lightly; not in complaint but as if she was stating a fact. She also did not take the whiskey. She never cared much for alcohol. She knew it didn’t take much to get her drunk. Unless she planned to fall straight asleep, she tried to avoid it. She did lean backwards in her chair and squeeze her eyes shut. She also slipped the ball of her thumb or her other hand between her teeth. When the pain started, she exhaled sharply though her nose and bit down her hand. She didn’t think she would break skin since she was wearing the leather work gloves. She did have a matching set of scars on both hands from where she had done this before. Her mother hated it. Her mother could never stop it. It was Darin’s preferred way of dealing with pain. She only removed her hand when the stitching was over.

Darin smiled as she heard Ridahne’s dry joke, “Haha. Very funny.” She leaned forward to look at the neat stitches, “Though I might just lose this arm by the end of this trip. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

This was now the second injury to the limb in question; her shoulder and now her arm. Darin knew that losing a limb would not be the worst fate in question. Even losing two would not be a problem. Losing three or four might be difficult. Still, as long as long as she was alive, she had a fighting chance to fight till the end. She already knew that she was going to have to fight for a long time to come. Some of those fights might be physical. She could only imagine what going to Azurei would be like; a whole country of people like Ridahne. It was mind boggling.

Darin ran a finger along the edges of the salve, “I was thinking,” Her entire attention was on her arm, “Taja.” She quickly looked at Ridahne though her eyelashes before hastily looking back down, “I’m not sure I said that right.” She said it a couple more times each with a slightly different inflection, “Taja. Taja. I’m not sure. I like the way you sound when you speak Azurein. I would ask you to teach me, but I know I would butcher it. I can’t even speak my only tongue right; at least according to the elders. And I like the thought of Talbot and my new friend matching; Talbot and Taja. I won’t. I can think of something else. If you rather I pick something else.”

Darin’s attention was fully on her arm. It seemed stupid now that she said it out loud. It had seemed like such a good idea when it was just her, the hawk, and Talbot. Darin absently put her finger in her mouth. That wasn’t the same as the stuff Ridahne had used on her shoulder the first time. She absently wondered what the difference was. Darin gave her had a light shake that wasn’t important now. She really should have come up with a better name for the bird. She felt like such an idiot.

She suddenly stood, “I should go check on him and make sure he eats. “She grabbed the small packet of rabbit, “Thank you for this.” She seemed unsure again, “Would you like to come meet him? He should be calmer now that he’s had some rest. I’m not sure though. I’ve only done crows and sparrows before. Oh! And that blue jay once. I’m not sure if birds of prey are any different.”

Ridahne offered a little smirk. "You are a better patient than most. When I was younger I hunted for my family out in the Dust Sea. I got to know it very well, and I learned how to survive. So I made a living guiding people through it, for a while. Sometimes I would go out on a hunt and find some poor soul who tried to cross it themselves without knowing what they were doing. Or some who did, but fortune was not on their side. One man was cut up badly and I had to sew him up in a couple spots. Both my cat and I had to sit on him to keep him still because he kept squirming and screaming." She laughed. "He was fine in the end. I saw to that. But he was a big strong man, and he did worse than you."

Ridahne was cleaning her supplies and putting everything neatly into its place in her kit as she listened to Darin. She wasn't sure what she expected the girl to say the bird's name was, but 'Taja' was not on the list of likely possibilities. The elf's face went studiously blank as she stopped and looked at her companion. "Arm? You want to name him 'Arm'?" She blinked rapidly but quickly added, "I mean, you can. There's nothing against it and if that's really what you want to name him, then okay. But just as long as you know what it means." She smiled, actually showing teeth this time. "Ajoran might have a few things to say about that, but he doesn't get a say." Her tone was jesting, but as she thought of the man she loved, her smile faded. She tried not to think about him too much because it hurt when she did. It bothered her that Darin thought she'd abandoned him--it just wasn't like that.

It looked like she was going to clam up as usual, but surprisingly she opened her mouth to speak again. "Did I tell you he carved this himself?" She hooked a finger around the necklace she wore and pulled the pendant up from under her shirt. The carnelian spiral glinted in the sunlight, and in the solid circle in the center was a carved design highlighted in white paint that resembled the seahorse pin that fastened the rust-red sash around Ridahne's waist. "In Auzurei, we do not exchange rings. We exchange tokih." She tugged the large bone earring that dangled from her right ear and was embellished with fine scrimshaw. "See, the tokih represents your family and where you are from. It's how Tax knew I was a Torzinei without me telling him. Bone means I come from Atakhara. When a man wants to marry a woman in Azurei, he makes her a tokih to match his to show everyone that she is part of his family now. But he must carve it himself, and as he makes it he must think of her so that she will carry a symbol of his love for her. Carnelian is of Insmarr, in the mountains, but he wanted to keep my family name, so he put the Torzinei crest on it. If we marry someday, he will put one like it in his ear, and this one in mine, and he will be Ajoran Torzinei."

Her cheeks went red, and she put the pendant back under her shirt. "I don't know why I told you any of that. Anyway...you'll meet him someday soon when we go to Azurei." She wrapped up her kit and stood. "Let's go see your bird, yes? I'd like to properly meet him."

Darin led the way towards the small hut, “I know what it means. You told me once.” She tapped her injured arm, “I figured it was fitting.”

What Darin didn’t tell Ridahne was that she thought the bird should have an Elf name of some sort. Talbot was a land creature and as such had a human, or Child of the Stones, name. This creature of the air, or yet another Child of the Skies, needed a name that matched. The problem was that the only Elf words Darin knew were Azurei words, and she didn’t know many of those either. She knew maybe three. She supposed if she was going to do this trip around Astra she might want to learn as many languages as possible. It might now make the job easy, but it would at least showed anybody who cared that she was trying.

Aa they approached the hut the human asked her steed, “What do you think Talbot. Is our new friend behaving.” Talbot bobbed his head in an approximation of a yes as Darin smiled, “That’s good. Why don’t you go get something to eat? The Tree knows you’ve earned it.”

Talbot nodded again before heading off. Darin lead the way into the darken hut to see the hawk perched on the same perch she left him on. Darin was not surprised to see the bird open his eyes to glare at her with suspicious eyes. She would be suspicious too if something bigger than her took her to a place she didn’t understand. She carefully unwrapped the bundle of rabbit and place it in front of the hawk.

She spoke quietly, “There you go. You must be hungry.”

Now that the bird wasn’t freaking out Darin had a chance to look at him properly. He was most certainly a he, but that was alright. He was a mostly a light brown colored that reminded Darin of lightly toasted bread with darker brown spots that reminded her of brunt bread scattered throughout. He also had some white spots and a white chest. His eyes were a deep amber color. He was eyeing the small bites of food warily, and Darin was starting to worry that she was going to have to hold him down to feed him. Suddenly, his head darted out to snag some of it, and Darin let out the breath she hadn’t realized that she had been holding.

She turned back to her conversation with Ridahne, “I suppose I could name him Toast. He looks like he could be named Toast, but that just doesn’t feel right.” She gave her head a shake, “I’m not sure. I really like Taja. For lots of reasons.” She tapped at her own chest, “Anyways that’s a good story. I suppose the only way we know if that if becomes a when is if we head towards Azurei. Is that where we are headed? Are there spots in between here and there that we can stop at. I don’t really want to take a direct route to anywhere given the nature of this trip.”

Darin knew that they had to leave The Farm soon. They couldn’t stay here forever or nothing important would get done. She was thinking one more day in order to resupply and stock up. Hopefully, Ridahne would be good with starting her knife lessons tonight. Darin was tired of being the hopeless one of the two of them. Taja let our a shriek and the human turned to see that all of the rabbit was gone. She smiled as she slowly held out a few fingers. Taja pressed his head against the fingers for just a few seconds before tucking his had under his good wing.

Darin whispered, “Good night Pretty Bird.” She turned to Ridahne, “We should start getting ready to leave The Farm. I would like to leave bright and early not tomorrow morning, unless you want to leave then, but the next morning.” She was leading the way out of the hut, “What do you think?”

Ridahne followed Darin back to the little shaded room where the bird was being kept. She was normally a light footed person anyway, but without shoes (which she still hadn't bothered to put back on) she was nearly silent without much effort. That was due in part to her training but also elves had a natural inclination for it. The elderly jokingly said that was because elves were 'pulled skyward' at all times while humans were drawn to the stone. Once, Ridahne asked about Sirens and was told, "Have you ever seen them move, child? They are themselves like water; equally at home in either land or sky. They are both the oceans and the rain, child. They are the rivers and the mist."

"Arm..." she muttered, still sort of trying to grasp Darin's reasoning for the name. But she shrugged. If she liked it, then that was all that mattered really. She stepped softly inside and spoke to the hawk in Azurian.

"You've had a hard day, sharp-eyed one." Ridahne came near but still kept some distance between them and she knelt to be closer to his eye level. "Are you called Taja? Yes, I think you are. I am called Ridahne. Darin is your keeper. It is fortunate the winds brought you here, Taja. You will be well kept." Ridahne was taught that it was proper to speak to animals and to treat them with great respect, so she cooed softly to him.

Ridahne looked up and turned to Darin. "Isfa'ali? Fire-bread? That's what toast is, right?" She chuckled. "You could name him toast. Or in the Azurei fashion, fire-bread." Her tone was a bit flat, but she had a smirk on her face that showed her teasing sarcasm. "But I think Taja is better, you're right." Her smile broadened.

Ridahne rose slowly and shook her head. "Trust me," she said with a kind of bitter laugh, "I don't have any plans to go straight back home. To be honest with you I am both yearning for and dreading that day all at once. When it comes, it will be..." She inhaled a breath and let it out in a huff, "Well...it will be a lot. For both of us. All of my personal baggage aside, it's going to be different than going other places. The entire Court of Sols at the least will know my purpose and thus, who and what you are. And there's no telling what kind of word got around to the common folk about the traitorous murderer called to accompany the Seed-Bearer. One look at my ojih and I think a lot of people will put it together. You won't be able to hide so much out there. Neither of us will."

Ridahne sighed with a kind of exhausted air. "What's more, you can bet that we'll be brought to the Court. I at least will have to go in order to get a nimarih." Ridahne shaped her fingers like a circlet and mimed putting on her head. "Or else every eija and eija-alihn, every taja and every able-bodied do-gooder would pounce on me like hunting cats, and I'd be endlessly harassed, potentially assaulted, definitely arrested, and likely refused service anywhere and everywhere. I have to get a symbol to show I have leave to be there and to be alive." She made a grim expression. "Azurians do not take kindly to betrayal, and especially not regicide, and I can guarantee you most people won't even know half the story." She set her jaw and a kind of cold fierceness settled on her. "Every story needs a villain. And the best villains are the ones that are the most believable. What's more believable than a beloved leader assassinated by a depraved madwoman? Even with a nimarih it's going to be..."

Ridahne turned away. There was anger in her voice but it wasn't directed at Darin, nor was it directed at the people of Azurei. If they did not know the truth, how could she blame them for filling in the story? If she had served a Sol who was just and honorable and good, and she had been assassinated, Ridahne would be outraged too. She was angry at fate--no. No. She was angry at Khaltira-Sol. And for the first time, right there in the shadowed little room, Ridahne realized that. Not at herself. Not at fate. Her. She whom Ridahne had served and protected, defended and obeyed.

The elf's hand was coiled around her other arm like a rope, her knuckles white from the effort. And with her back to Darin she took forcibly controlled, deep breaths. One. Two. Three. Four. And then, straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin with the pride and fierceness of the ocean in storm, Ridahne released her grip on her own arm and turned back to face Darin. Her amber eyes were bright with the threat of tears that had not yet fallen. But everything else about her was the picture of control, poise, and dignity. She'd been taught over the decades to never let anyone see her waver or fall. Physically, emotionally, or otherwise. None but a select few like her family or Ajoran. And, she supposed, Darin ought to be added to that list at some point. But old habits live long and die hard. So she swallowed her rage, her fear, and the crushing weight of loss like she'd been taught. "No," she said, her voice even. "I don't intend to go back to Azurei in anything resembling a straight line. We'll end up there eventually I think, but we have all of Eluri to wander first. If fate is good to us then we won't have to go there at all, but I have a feeling we will someday. And..." She took a slow breath and, recalling that Darin mentioned a desire to learn Azurian she said, "J'tuli ali'han--If I show my heart, or as you say, to be honest...I...have a lot of healing to do before I am ready to go back. I think I understand that now." She released a breath she didn't know she was holding. That was harder to admit than she thought.

Ridahne shrugged, and with that shrug she attempted to release some of the tension she still felt within her. "Day after tomorrow is fine by me. You are the one with the mission, after all. My mission is simply to keep you safe wherever you are. And anyway, it will be good to be indoors among friendly company for a while. There's no telling how long it will be before we find that again. But we should use that time wisely."

Ridahne was upset about something, and Darin wasn’t sure what it was, or even if it was her place to pry. She didn’t think she was upset about Taja. (The name was settled. That’s all there was to it.) Darin also didn’t think the Elf was upset about staying just one more day. If anything, the warrior seemed upset about going towards Azurei. Darin clicked her teeth together as she thought. Hopefully they would spend enough time wandering other places that Ridahne would come to grips with the fact that they had to visit Azurei. Of course, Darin was going to have to do the same thing. She wasn’t sure she wanted to go to a place where they knew who she was without her telling them. The Farm was different. The Farm was safe. The human wasn’t sure Azurei was safe at all. Then again, no place was truly safe.

Darin gave her head a shake as she moved on to a sort of more pleasant topic, “Yes. We do need to use our time wisely while we’re here. I was hoping you would be willing to show me just a little bit of what it means to wield a knife, or maybe even my, sickle, in battle.” Darin pause a moment before continuing, “And maybe you could start teaching me Azurein. We have a long way to go, so I feel it would be best to know as many languages as possible.”

Darin actually knew two languages. She knew Astran, which was the common tongue that everyone in Astra seemed to know. Then she also knew a particular dialect that was only used in Lively and her little village. The Traders that came to Lively each year didn’t know it, but that was the way it was for most citizens of Astra. They all knew at least Astran and then their own regional dialect. Darin also knew enough to understand what was being said in the language the traders used, but she didn’t know enough to really speak it. She hadn’t used her home language since she started this trip. She knew that there were people that could identify where you came from just by your second tongue. Darin didn’t want that at all.

Darin considered Taja. It seemed the bird would be sleeping for a while. He looked a little better and didn’t seem to be in as much pain as he had been. It was most likely safe to leave him for the night. Darin could check up on him in the morning. Besides, Talbot had returned from wherever her had gone to get food. The human figured the horse would be a good watcher for the hawk. Darin picked up the cloth the rabbit had been in before slowly standing. She left the hut slowly; it wouldn’t do for a wrong sound or move to wake Taja back up. Soon she was out in the evening sun,

Darin turned to Talbot, “Come and get me if Taja needs something okay.” Talbot nodded as Darin smiled and ran her hand a long his nose, “Thanks Talbot.” She then turned to see that people were getting ready to head in for the night, “It looks like the workday is over. I wonder what’s for dinner. I’m hungry.”

That wasn’t exactly true. Darin had snuck out the window and as such missed breakfast. Then she had been looking for and taking care of Taja, so she had missed lunch. It felt like her stomach was trying to eat itself. She had managed to stay hydrated, but a person could not live on water alone. She hoped dinner was a simple affair. She wasn’t sure she could do another party like the one last night. She wasn’t sure what Ravi planned for the evening, but she wasn’t sure that she would like it one little bit unless it was just dinner. After dinner they needed to start the knife lessons, and Darin would have to start looking into restocking her supplies. She was almost out of food, so really it was a good thing Ridahne had some along when she had.

Darin started heading back to the farm Main Farmhouse, “Come on. We should see if there’s anything we can do to help with dinner. Though in a place with this many people they’ll probably just kick us out of the kitchen, but I bet we can find other things to do.”

That was probably true. It a place with this many people, meals were probably something that you could cook a lot of in a small amount of time. Soup and porridge were probably frequent meal choices. Darin was okay with that. Both were staples back home. She liked both though she also liked having other things. Then again, she didn’t tend to be picky about what she ate; when she did remember to eat. She tended to forget more than not. She figured as long as Ridahne didn’t pick up on that bad habit she would be fine.

Darin spoke as she continued walking, “Hopefully we can find some way to repay them for all the supplies we’ll be taking. I don’t think they’ll let us leave without restocking, but I hate the thought of just taking their supplies without giving anything back.”

The tumult of feelings Ridahne had inside her began to slowly erode away as her mind was occupied with other thoughts. Now wasn't the time for it. There would come a day when she got a chance to speak her mind over Khaltira-Sol's grave. No. Not Khaltira-Sol. Just Khaltira. She did not deserve the title of Sol in any of its meanings, and Ridahne would no longer give it to her. But that day would come, and she would be able to howl and scream in anguish over the position the woman had put Ridahne in. Over what it cost her. She would face the living Sols, including Khaltira's replacement. There would come a day when she would reunite with Hadian and Ajoran. She would face Ajoran's parents and explain why she had not yet married their son. What she'd done. And what she still had yet to do.

But that day had not come yet. So she put those thoughts away for now.

Ridahne gave a ghost of a smile. The ones that were genuine were radiant, even when they were small and subtle and maybe a little dry. They were radiant because they were real, and they were true and candid. And they were even more so because they were rare. Her other smiles lacked warmth, either because they were fake, forced, or, more commonly, simply tainted by some other thoughts that did not warrant a smile. This was one of the latter. She was trying to be real, to be genuine. But in that moment genuine was difficult, so she did her best.

"Ah, finally having me make good on that promise! Yes, I think we will start tonight. I will give you a full lesson tonight, and you will learn the way I learned. But I'll start you with this, and you can ponder it while we eat: The art of swordplay and its related specialties is truly nothing less than art. To wield a blade is not to wield a weapon, a thing of destruction and of pain and of death only. It is itself a skill and a beautiful art, like a dance. A dance with high stakes, yes, but it is no less graceful. It is no less a song. Think on that. And then tonight when the moon is high we will train. I'll warn you now, I won't go easy on you. You will have bruises. You will get cut. You will be sore. But that's how you learn." Another wan smile, though this one was maybe a little warmer, a little more real now that thoughts of home were just a little bit further behind her. "I will teach you what I can of Azurian, though you will learn it better when we are there and you are immersed in it. I will try and teach you words, and by our words you will learn something of our culture, I think. But if you want to know the words for something, just ask."

They made their way towards the farmhouse again, Ridahne padding along in almost perfect silence with her bare feet (Ridahne hated shoes and avoided them if she could help it). She also felt like doing some work or favor in return for the hospitality of the farm was in order, though as Darin spoke, Ridahne's inked face twisted into a thoughtful expression and softly she said, "But we are giving back. Yes, we are doing this quest and that is important. But we also give them hope. And without hope we are just animals toiling for survival. Trust me, I'd know." She laughed a little, very softly. "Do not feel like a burden to these people, even if we are shooed out of the kitchens and chased away from the woodpile. Your quest is what they've dedicated their lives to. To the Tree. To Astra. I think they are glad to give some food and supplies as payment to see Astra safe and whole."

Nevertheless, she did make her way out back towards the water pump and waved away the man operating it with a curt but not impolite or unfriendly, "Go. I will pump the water now." She had a way of speaking sometimes that was not quite an order, but it was not quite a question either. Very businesslike. She adopted the same manner when treating Darin's injuries, and while it was brisk, blunt, and spoken with a soft determination, something about it was comfortable, friendly, and casual in a very 'Ridahne' kind of way.

Darin found herself pausing in her walk as she heard what Ridahne said. The human wasn’t sure she wanted to ask to clarify things. Were they really going to train under the light of the moon? That didn’t sound like a smart way to train. What did people do on nights when there was no moon? Did they train in the dark? More importantly, if they really did train in the dark, did Ridahne really think that it was a good idea to have her, clumsy trips on everything possible Darin, to train in the dark? That just seemed like it was asking for trouble to Darin. Some would get seriously hurt.

That didn’t even take into account the fact that Darin planned on being asleep when the moon was high. It was harvest season, so even though the days were getting shorter, the sun was in the sky for a long time. Darin had stayed up late the night before. She had been up with the dawn. She didn’t plan on even starting the end of her day until the dusk. By the time the moon was high Darin would be exhausted. That would be a great combination; a tired, clumsy, Darin and a sharp, pointy, weapon. There were so many ways that could go wrong that Darin wasn’t even sure she could count them. Darin had been looking at the sun to gauge how much time the day had left before turning to look at Ridahne as the Elf moved to pump water. Had the Elf thought of those factors? If she had had she decided they didn’t matter. Darin didn’t want to bring them up. She was just so tired of fighting with Ridahne. They had fought everyday they knew each other. Grey Rock didn’t count.

Darin left Ridahne at the water pump, “I’m going to see if they need help in the kitchen.”

Enter the kitchen meant entering a busy hive of activity and chatter. Darin hadn’t even needed too ask before she was given a knife and set to cutting apples. They were green and Darin could tell that they didn’t come from The Tree. She noticed that they were being turned into pies. Darin didn’t hesitate before starting to cut and core the fruit. She soon lost herself in the methodical actions. She was not as quick as The Workers around her. She was trying to make sure she didn’t get any more injuries. When the apples were done, they moved to peaches. Then there were cherries. It seemed like today was pie day at The Farm.

When the fruit was cut up and poured into the pie crusts people began scrubbing their workstations. This was something Darin could do both quickly and with quality. She understood the importance of being clean. A person couldn’t use dirty tools after all. When her skill with cleaning was seen Darin was given the task to help clean dishes and utensils. She scrubbed while The Worker next to her rinsed. Further down the line someone dried and someone else put the dishes away. It was an efficient line. As the work was finished people were released one by one to go clean up for dinner. Darin found herself being one of the last ones released. She stayed until there was little to no work to be done.

The Siren male in charge of the kitchen told her, “You do good work Seed-Bearer.”

Darin pushed her sweaty bangs out of her face, “It needed doing. I’ll be back after dinner.”

The Siren with blonde curls and dark skin laughed lightly, “We’re on chore rotation. Some one else will come clean up after dinner. Since you worked kitchen duty, weeding, and recovery today you are permitted to rest after dinner. I sincerely doubt that you will though.” He held up a finger as if to scold her, “I don’t want to see you in the kitchen though. Go help in the stables or something.” He then shooed her out of his kitchen, “Go get cleaned up for dinner. Make sure those clothes make it to the laundry.”

Darin nodded with a smile on her face, “Yes sir!”

He called after her, “Good night Darin.”

Darin scurried up to her room to find another change of clothes and a bowl of lightly scented water. She used the water to clean up her face and arm as best she could without hurting the new stiches on her arm. She changed into the new outfit. This one fit a little better than the first one. She imagined whoever was dropping clothes off was still trying to get an idea of her size. Once Darin was dressed, she headed downstairs to the main hall. She could hear the type of chatter than came with group meals. She was starving. She hadn’t had much to eat today. She entered only to have every eye in the room turn to look at her. She waved nervously as she moved to sit in the chair next to Ravi. She imagined that there wouldn’t be much difference between last night and tonight.

Darin quietly asked, “Have you seen Ridahne? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

Ravi smiled, “I’m sure she will be down to dinner soon.”

There was a lot of water needed to prep the large communal meal, and also to clean it. She'd worked up a bit of a sweat, though it wasn't as hot here as it was at home. It felt good to be doing something with her hands (and back and shoulders and legs, really), so when workers came to offer a respite, she shooed them away with the same businesslike curtness that she'd chased away the first water pumper with. "No. I am doing this now. Go on." And the last one she shooed away came back with a cup for her to at least drink out of. She did, and heartily. But the Orosi woman stayed by her side for a moment and didn't immediately leave to go back inside. She made some small talk, but after a lull the woman said what was really on her mind.

"I've heard about you, you know."
Ridahne stiffened but did not speak. She knew when she was being baited and she didn't feel like getting into a shouting match with this woman.
"I have a twin back home. She is a merchant and goes to Azurei often, so she hears a lot of news, and she passes the important things on to me in letters."
Alright, Ridahne couldn't take it. She did try to brush it off, but she just couldn't. Baited, maybe, but she was easily baited into an argument. It was part of who she was, unfortunately. She continued to pump the water, filling a large bucket that would be used for rinsing up after the meal. But her voice was cold. "What do you want?"
"Not what you think, Guardian." The Orosi woman offered a smile, her bright teeth standing out against her dark skin. Ridahne had to admit, it was disarming. "I can only imagine how things are for you. But I have faith they will get better. And I know that's not much comfort to you now, but perhaps this is...my sister told me that she heard of you from a man at a tavern. She had heat sickness and he brought her inside, bought her a cool drink, and talked with her for a while about many things. But he told a story of how a fire had injured him badly a month before, and how his wife had tried desperately to make ends meet while he recovered."

Ridahne stopped pumping and stood stock still. She knew this story. The couple had a boy, she knew. "So she went to her Sol."
The worker smiled. "So you have heard this story?" she said knowingly. "Yes. She did. And that night, the bells rung to mark the assassination of that Sol. The woman was afraid, but she thought if her own Sol could no longer help her, she would petition another. And she learned of the assassin, of the Hand who turned on her own Sol. She asked questions, and the Sota-Sol herself took her aside and explained that the woman's life had been in danger, and that after an investigation, they found that the assassin had saved her. And she and her entire family are in her debt."

Before Ridahne knew it or could stop it, there were tears on her face. She put a hand over her mouth. "Wh...what?"
The worker nodded. "They sing your praises, Guardian. And when they hear folk speak of the Assassin, they are quick to correct any false rumors."
Ridahne could not speak. She never knew that the woman who's life she refused to take would ever hear about what really happened that day. She didn't think she'd understand. But she did. And somewhere out there, someone was glad for what she did. Not just grimly resolved that it was the right thing like herself, or like Ajoran and her brother Hadian. But someone actually was jubilantly thankful. It made a world of difference to her, more than she imagined. More than Ravi's words to her the day before. That was all that needed to be said between the two women; Ridahne couldn't speak anyway out of shock, so she abandoned her post at the water pump (there was plenty of water to use now anyway) and slipped off to her room to take a moment to process all that.

When Ridahne did come down to the main hall for the evening meal, she was still in her traditional garb instead of her traveling clothes, but she'd cleaned up again, combed her hair and braided it back, and washed her face and hands. And though there was still a measure of discomfort at being thrust into another extravagant feast, she radiated an almost regal pride. She sat beside Darin again with all the grace and dignity of a cat.

"No quiet, humble meals for us, I see," she said in that dry humor of hers. "I have the feeling we'll miss it on the road though." She seemed in good spirits tonight, better than the night before for sure.

Darin shook her head, “This is something else.” She pointed out, “Look, there aren’t quite as many varieties of food, and the odds of there being as much music as there was last night are slim.” She shrugged, “When you get a room full of people together to eat after a day of good, honest work the meal tends to be jubilant.”

She started putting food on her plate. Without really thinking about it she made up a plate for Ridahne as well. The warrior seemed … odd tonight. Darin supposed that couldn’t be helped. Actually, odd was not the right word. It was more like the Elf was in a better mood. Darin had to wonder why that was. She didn’t think that it was anything she had done. Maybe Ridahne was just glad to do something besides travel. Absently Darin wondered if it was her place to ask. She thought she might just be willing to ask it.

Then Ravi had to go and distract her, “Tell us of your home Seed-Bearer. What is it like? What is it call?”

Darin hastily swallowed the bite she had just taken as she sputtered for a moment, “Um, uh, it’s not called anything. And you can’t find it on the map. It’s a teeny tiny village. The closest place is a place called Lively, about a day and a half away. It’s a small collection of farmers and shepherds. There are a few hunters; some trapper too.” She shrugged, “It’s not that exciting. A bit like The Farm I guess, but smaller, way smaller.”

Ravi laughed lightly, “What would you call it?”

Darin was at a lost for words before she thought of an answer that was true that no one would like, “Um … Home. I would just call it home.”

The Overseer raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “If someone made it to Lively looking for your village what would they have to ask in order to find it.”

Darin shrugged, “I guess they would just ask, ‘I’m looking for the village near here. How do I find it?’ Everyone in Lively would know what you are talking about, but no one comes to our village unless they are headed to the forest of the mountains behind us.”

Ravi sighed, “There are those among us that wish to visit; to pay their respects to both The Gardener and to your mother.”

Darin was caught off guard by that. That made sense. If she knew that a loved one had died away from home, she might travel to go pay her final respects. The problem was that there were people looking to kill her and destroy The Seed. She couldn’t let them figure out where she had come from. She didn’t need to give them the chance to gain hostages. That would cause to many complications. If a whole slew of people dressed like Workers headed towards her home anyone would be able to figure it out. The secret would be out before she could blink.

She shook her head softly, “I understand Overseer, but it is not wise. I am not strong enough to say I would pick The Seed if an enemy had my mother. I think it best not to give them any clues as to where she is.”

Someone protested, “That’s not fair! That’s not fair at all!”

Darin didn’t take her eyes off of Ravi, “When is life fair. If a bunch of Workers started traveling is any significant numbers towards a village no one has heard of before it wouldn’t belong until the enemies we all know are out there figure it out.”

The protestor stood and began to advance towards the main table, “Our loved one is dead! And you expect us to refuse to visit him because you don’t have the strength to pick all of Astra over one person.”

The human male about Darin’s age did not look happy. Darin wasn’t surprised by that. Most human teenage boys tended to have tempers that they couldn’t control easily. Darin did not blame him for that. She didn’t blame him for wanting to visit the final resting place of The Gardener. She would want to visit the resting place of her loved ones without a doubt.

She dipped her head once, “Yes. I do.”

The boy scoffed, “Why must we be the one to sacrifice for your weakness?”

Darin let out a single laugh, “Because this quest means we all must sacrifice. I am so far away from home I don’t know my left from my right. My Guardian has given up hope of any of her people truly seeing past her face.” She stood slowly, “And Ravi is dying early to keep The Tree alive just a few more years.”

The human boy flinched at that last one. He turned to look at the Overseer with a look of horror on his face. Ravi sighed as he nodded. He then shot Darin a nasty glare that she ignored. If he was going to seek to make her uncomfortable by making her play and requesting permission to send people to her home, she was going to tell these people the truth so that way they had time to prepare for their loved one’s death. Perhaps it was petty. Perhaps it was childish. It was still the way it was. The boy fell away from the table. He hadn’t given up this fight. He just needed time to think.

Darin looked around the room before falling back into her chair. The happy atmosphere was gone, and she was sad to be the one to send it away. She was exhausted. She wanted to sleep, but that wouldn’t be possible. She still needed to help with the evening chores. She still needed to let Ridahne kick her butt. Who knew when she would get proper sleep? She didn’t think it would be anytime soon.

Ah, bless Darin for plating her up some food. In large groups, the distribution of food was something that gave her, at the least, a bit of pause and more often, a bit of anxiety. They didn't have much where she came from. Azurei did not gain its wealth from furs, crops, or timber. As a nation, it relied on silver mines, their skill in carving precious stones, fishing, and trade-escorts, which were bands of mercenaries hired to protect or guide merchants or caravans through harsh terrain or unfriendly places. And they got what they needed one way or another, but if you were poor in Azurei, you were poor. Ridahne had been one of those for most of her life. There were expectations at gatherings about how much food you could take for yourself so that all could have something. At home, she knew the rules of thumb. Here? She had absolutely no idea where to start. Instead of worrying about it, it was nice that Darin just did it for her. Ridahne didn't know if she did that because she knew the elf's background, or if she just did it because that was who she was. Either way, she was thankful.

Nobody paid much attention to Ridahne, not like they had before. She'd outed herself as THE traitor they'd heard about already, and she'd made enough of a display the night before, so she made it through without much more than a few glances or polite words here and there. She was alright with that. So as she ravenously ate what was on her plate and even indulged in a little wine, she listened to the conversation next to her. Someday she'd like to visit this little village outside of Lively. They would likely all stare at her like the mountainously tall, exotically foreign oddity she was, but that was to be expected of small town human folk this far from the border.

It wasn't until Darin's words got a bit of backlash that Ridahne really perked up and listened with intensity. When the young man protested it wasn't fair, Ridahne actually barked a laugh. She only partially tried to cover it up out of politeness. But not fully. Her eyes were on him in an instant, and those two amber darts never left him as she studied the shifts of his weight, his hands. Ridahne had been trained to read certain types of body language. So when he got up from his seat, she did too in the exact same moment.

Her training showed very clearly all of a sudden. She didn't leap up to her feet but rose slowly and with purpose; the chair didn't even squeak against the floor. She did not move, just stood up from her seat. She didn't feel threatened enough to need a particularly sharp display of fierceness, so she did not draw her knives, which she still wore in the blade harness which was as much a part of her as her own hair. Her hands were still at her sides. Perfectly still. And the only movement she made was to incline her chin just slightly in silent challenge.

Don't.

If she had flung out a knife and started shouting, not only would it have escalated the situation (she didn't want that), but it would not have been as effective a warning as her chillingly cold, hard, immovable demeanor. It was confidence, assuredness, and utter control all in one. It was a similar kind of dramatics that she'd displayed in the forest with the bandits, though put to a different purpose and in a different way. This was more subtle and somehow more polite. But no less intense. Presentation was everything, and more so if it could actually be backed up. She could. She would.

The man backed down, though Ridahne made a mental note to keep an eye on that one. She stood there still, in perfect dignity and grace until the young man finally made it back to his seat. And then, slowly and with all the grace of water poured from a pitcher, Ridahne sat back down. The expression on her face was was cool and somewhat impassive. For Ridahne, that was not a good look, though it hadn't dampened her mood, not really. The whole thing was merely a hitch, a little hiccup in the evening that she would remedy if need be. It didn't eat at her.

Ridahne resumed eating and drinking as if nothing had happened, but she leaned over and said softly so that only Darin would hear, "I think we should start your training earlier than moonrise. Forget about evening chores, or keep them very brief. I think they will understand." In part, Ridahne needed Darin in good condition to begin training, and if she was tired from chores, she'd have a little less energy to work with. And another part of her pictured a scenario in which this bold young fellow decided to find a way to continue this conversation in private. Ridahne did not doubt that Darin could handle herself in a scuffle with a farm boy if it came to that. But he didn't need to have the satisfaction of starting one.

Darin nodded back to Ridahne as she whispered as well, “Of course.”

So, at least the problem about wielding a knife while it was dark was solved. Darin had to wonder why Ridahne had changed her mind. For some reason Darin didn’t think it was her clumsiness that had encouraged the change. The human almost wanted to say that it was the upset boy. Darin couldn’t figure out why one boy would prompt the sudden change. It was clear he wasn’t happy with her, but she sincerely doubted that he, or anyone here, would attack the Seed-Bearer. She could be wrong. Perhaps she was placing more importance on her title than she was entitled too.

Ravi spoke quietly to her, “That was uncalled for Darin. It was not your place to tell them the truth of my actions.”

Darin’s head whipped around to stare at him so fast it almost hurt her neck, “And it was not your place to guilt me into playing. It was not your place to touch me without my consent.”

Ravi interrupted, “Those we necessary. They will help you become the Seed-Bearer.”

Darin scoffed, “And what is that supposed to mean.” She scoffed, “You keep acting like my actions surprise you or are uncalled for; like a I am a child that refuses to make the decisions their parents want them to make.” She shook her head, “I am not here to be the Seed-Bearer you think I ought to be. By The Tree, I’m not hear to be the Seed-Bearer at all.” She spoke over Ravi’s protests, “I am here to do the job, and whether or not it is the best way or not I am going to do the job my way. You may not like it. It may irk you, but that is how I have always done things. I do not do what is expected of me. I do not do what society of my elders require of me. I do what I think I must to get the job done! That is what I have done since I was 14. That is what I plan to do until the day I die. Maybe it is stupid. Maybe it is naïve. But not telling your loved ones that you plan to leave them is stupider by far!” She stood up and pushed away from the table, “Excuse me.” She mocked a bow towards the Overseer, “I would hate to cause a scene in public.”

That wasn’t entirely true. She just couldn’t stand to be between two Elves who thought it was okay not to include their loved ones in their plans simply because that didn’t align with their plans. Alright, she had issues. What her father had done had left some scars on her soul and mind. It made her world view a little skewed. Perhaps she was not taking the job as Seed-Bearer as seriously as she ought. Perhaps she was doing it all wrong. She was doing it the only way she could think to do it, and to be honest, she was tired of people telling her she was doing it wrong.

Darin stalked out of the Main Farmhouse and found herself heading towards the small hut where Taja was resting without really thinking about it. Talbot was standing guard outside. He was laying down and for a moment Darin paced back and forth in front of him. He caught her pant leg in his teeth. She took the hint and collapsed on the ground next to him. She wrapped her arms around her bent knees. It wasn’t long before a sheep dog came out of the twilight and curled up next to her. The dog ignored the fox that did the same on the other side. Several animals gathered around Darin. Crows and ravens landing on the ground to search for something near her feet. A butterfly landed on her hair. Another fox joined the first one. It wasn’t until the grey mouser cat forced its way on to her lap and butted her head under chin that the young human, for the first time in a long, long time, started to cry. She never wanted this. She never asked for this. Now she was who knew how far away from home on a journey she apparently couldn’t do right for anyone with people after her who wanted her dead and stuck with an Elf who was very, very good at making Darin feel guilty whether she knew it or not. Darin wanted to go home. More than anything she wanted her bed, her goats and chickens, her Mama. She wasn’t ever going to get that again, and she was supposed to be okay with that. She didn’t want to be the bigger person. She just wanted to go home.

Ridahne watched silently as Darin rebuked Ravi, and it took everything in her to stop from applauding her companion. When they'd first met, Ridahne had wrongly pegged Darin as a little mousy, but by now she knew she had just as much fire in her as Ridahne did, it just came out in a different way. Ridahne approved. She'd seen a trend among human women, where they were quiet and docile creatures. Some probably were in truth, but some Ridahne guessed were taught to behave that way. Some human males liked their women quiet. She never understood that, but she was all the more thankful that Darin was not one of those types. She did what she wanted, did what she felt she had to do, what was right.

Darin stormed off and Ridahne watched her go. She would follow eventually, but she would give the human some space, too. Because Ridahne was a pragmatic person, she put the contents of Darin's plate onto a cloth napkin and wrapped it up in a neat bundle for later. She'd want it when they were done training. Ridahne finished her own food quickly, and when she did, she stood, bowed to her hosts, and said to Ravi, "You were right. We are more alike than I guessed." And taking Darin's food with her, she left to go find her.

There was a whole flock of animals clustered around Darin. Animals that never would rightly be together like rabbits and foxes and yet they were there together for that moment. Ridahne approached and greeted Talbot with a few strokes of his silky neck, then sat near Darin with remarkable resemblance to the barn cat that lingered near by. She had two bundles in her arms, one was clearly a table napkin and the other was larger and the contents were elongated. She set both aside.

"For what it's worth, Darin, I thought you did well back there." Ridahne offered one of her rare, genuine smiles. "You had every right. And.." this was more personal territory but she thought she'd risk it. "If you ask me, I think you'll see your mother again. And she will be proud of you." She did not add that she knew what it was like to miss home--Darin knew that already.

Darin had stopped crying by the time Ridahne had come over. Her face was still red and blotchy, but the human didn’t care. She just let her attention be grabbed as the Elf came over. Darin returned to starting off into to space as the warrior praised her for her actions. The human wasn’t sure she was surprised by the fact that Ridahne was apparently impressed by her. That was rapidly becoming predicable as well. The Azurein seemed to lover it when Darin lost her temper; as long as it wasn’t directed at her. That was an entirely different story.

Darin sighed as she spoke slowly, “You know there’s something in my village called, “wandering blood.’ The elders would look at a person and say, “Oh. They have wandering blood in them.’ That person would almost always leave. They were never pushed away. The village was just too small of them and Lively was just to constraining. They wanted to see the world. They wanted to go on adventures. They never came back. The elders almost always got it right. They even pegged my father as having wandering blood when he was my age. Before my mother committed to my father, he had to promise that he would prove them wrong. In the end he didn’t.” She sighed before forcing herself back to the original thought, “I never did. They never said I did. In fact, it was the one good thing about me. ‘That Darin’s stubborn, but at least she doesn’t have wandering blood.’ I never wanted to leave home. Even going to Lively was only done when I absolutely had to. Yet, here I am; farther from home then I have ever been or ever wanted to be.” She uncurled from over her knees to sit up straight, “And I don’t get to go home. Oh, I may go back to that little village, but I will never get to stay. It will never be home again and that breaks my heart.” She slowly stood and brushed off the back of her pants, “Anyways, enough depressing thoughts. Let’s let you kick my butt.”

Talbot nodded as he stood and went off somewhere. He would back. Darin knew that. He probably just thought that Darin needed something for training. He had gone to collect it. Darin watched him go with a soft smile on her face. If she was being honest, which she did try to do, out of all the people she had met so far on this journey Talbot was her favorite. He didn’t ask for anything from her except her best. He didn’t tell her what she ought to do. He just made sure that once she made a decision, she did her best at it. The rest of the animals scattered. Scattered was the wrong word. Slowly dispersed was a better word.

Darin slowly bent down to touch her hands to the ground, “Is a here a good place or should we move?” She held the stretch for a moment before moving into a new pose, “I would like to do what is best.”

That was true, but it wasn’t the whole truth. The whole truth was that Darin wanted to keep this exercise as far away as possible from the Workers’ attention. The way things were going Ravi would be out here before to long. Who knew what the Overseer would think of this training? Darin didn’t really care. Ridahne wouldn’t always be nearby to save her. She could already think of scenarios where the Elf wouldn’t be with her. Darin needed to know how to defend herself. That was non-negotiable.

Ridahne nodded slowly, understanding. She was much the opposite, she had a lot of wandering blood growing up. She'd been groomed for fishing, as that was her family's occupation that was passed down for generations. Hadian fished, and he liked it. "Good honest work," he called it. But Ridahne always wanted more. She wanted to know what was beyond the sea, to know about the other parts of Astra and of forests and lush gardens. She wanted to be more. And oh, she got it alright. And then some... But still, she knew the feeling. Up until recent events, Ridahne was quite content with the way her life was. She traveled often, had some level of status and freedom and enough money to live comfortably, and she had Ajoran and her brother. Leaving that had been hard and honestly, it still was. And she knew with deep pain what it felt like to know that the home she loved would never be home again, not in the same way. It was different for Ridahne, but she understood all the same. "For whatever it's worth...I'm sorry." It was spoken not as a servant to a master, or anything else so formal. It was spoken casually, truthfully.

Ridahne smiled and stood. "No, Darin. I'm not here to kick your butt. I am here to teach you. You will get bruised in the process, but that is not my aim. At least...not yet..." she gave a wicked smile that was still light with jest as she opened up one of the bundles she brought. It contained two sticks, one more straight and the other obviously curved, almost like a sickle. It also contained a leather vambrace, which she picked up first.

"Here, give me your injured arm, this will protect it. I don't want to injure it further. We will not even touch blades today. The Azurei way is very slow, and you must master each phase before moving on to the next. However, you are not an elf and you do not have fifty years to study the blade, so I will make adjustments as I see fit, but I will keep the heart of the training methods. Now, stand like this..." Ridahne dropped into a wide, loose stance with her knees slightly bent and feet a little bit apart. "You must be comfortable and able to move, and not easily knocked out of balance. While we train, practice moving your feet. Now, the first thing you will learn is body language. In order to know what your opponent will do in time to block it or use it against them, you have to know how to read their body. The easiest way to start learning this is simply to block my hands." Ridahne held her right hand out flat. "A blade is simply an extension of your arm, so you will begin by using your arms. I will try and hit you with my hands, and you must use yours to block them. For today, I will not move faster than you can handle--again, my aim is not to beat you, it is to teach you. Later, I will push you harder. After we're finished, we will practice a little with sticks to get you used to having something in your hands to swing around. Ready?"

Ridahne closed in and with her "bladed" right hand, she made a simple swing at Darin's upper arm at a slower speed that gave Darin plenty of time to react. The elf did this a few times, striking from different directions at different points, and eventually she upped her speed just a little, though it was still manageable. If Darin ever faltered or missed, and Ridahne's aim struck true, she would hit with just enough force to make the point, though not enough to hurt. If struck in the same place multiple times, it would eventually bruise, but one or two strikes wouldn't quite be enough for that. She'd spoken true when she said she was not out to beat Darin bloody. Ridahne's control was evident. Along the way, she would give pointers or encourage Darin when she was on the right track. Despite the elf's usually prickly demeanor, she was not a harsh teacher, not yet. There would come a time for harshness, but not until Darin grew in her skills to the point where it would actually teach her something and push her skills further rather than just give her welts.

Ridahne's teacher had not been so merciful. She hadn't been cruel exactly, but she was relentless. Her teacher had worked her in the hot sun, or late on moonless nights to stumble in the darkness. Her teacher had thought directed pain would be the best punishment, incentive, and instructor. Ridahne frequently came back bruised all over, occasionally shallowly cut (when they did progress to swords), always exhausted, and often less hydrated than she should have been. Yet her teacher would be the first to give her cool water when they were finished, the first to treat her cuts, and would aggressively defend Ridahne's sleep time so her student could be rested for the next day. She hadn't been unkind, but those first few years were hard and Ridahne did not want to subject Darin to that kind of treatment.

Darin was used to moving. She moved practically all day since before she could walk. There was rarely a time for stillness where she grew up. She moved around the house. She moved around the field. She moved around town and around the market. Lately she had been walking or riding practically nonstop. Darin was used to moving. She was just not used to moving quickly. She could run and had before. She wasn’t the swiftness in her village, but she had never considered herself slow before; until today. Today was a lesson in a completely different type of moving that Darin wasn’t sure she was used to.

It had started out fine. Darin was more than capable of avoiding Ridahne’s hands as they came at her. The human was under no illusions. She knew full well that the Elf was holding back. Still she felt capable enough for the moment. Then without warning speed up. It was a slow process and at first Darin still managed to avoid most of the blows. It wasn’t long before the blows making contact greatly outnumbered the blows she avoided. Darin did the best she could, but she just couldn’t keep up. She was not surprised when, in an attempt to avoid a strike to her arm that had already been hit twice, she slipped over nothing and went tumbling to the ground.

Darin cried out, “Break please! Breaktime!”

The human felt sore and exhausted. She could also feel the bruises that were starting to form. She was glad for the leather armband that Ridahne had given her. It meant that the stitches on her forearm were spared top much damage though her whole arm was throbbing as she struggled to breath. Darin had never wanted to build up this type of stamina before. She had always been more interested in being able to work all day in whatever weather there was. The trick to that was eating enough and drinking enough water. Darin had a feeling that this was a completely different type of stamina. It would take practice. That was for certain.

Darin was still on her back from where she had fallen. She wasn’t in the mood to really get up right away. The stars were slowly starting to come out. Darin traced the constellations that she knew. There was the Snake peeking his head above the horizon. The three stars that made he’s head could be plainly seen and the seven that made his body would be visible as the stars traveling across the night sky. The Hunter would follow; chasing the Serpent in revenge for killing his child. Despite the fact that Darin had no sense of direction whatsoever she could always find the constellations. She knew all of the stories as well; at least the ones that the elders told. She wondered what stories Ridahne had about the stars. Were they any different?

Darin pointed at one star that everyone in Astra knew, “The Elders say that Ravi was a good person; they just got lost all the time. In fact; they were such a good person that when they died the gods granted them a boon. Ravi was so tired of being lost all the time that they asked for a way to make sure that no one was ever really lost ever again. So the gods placed them in the sky, so they could provide a frame of reference for everyone that looked up in wonder.” Darin twisted her head to look at Ridahne, “It that the story you were taught?”

Darin was vaguely aware of Ravi, the Overseer not the star, watching them. She knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away for long. Darin knew that inherently the Overseer was a good person. He was good in a way most people failed to be. He still liked to meddle more than was necessary wise. He had also hadn’t been questioned in far too long. He was used to people just doing as he told them to do. That wasn’t necessarily bad. It was just Darin couldn’t afford to just follow. She knew that. The Tree had told her that. She needed to learn how to be a leader and she needed to learn how to be a leader quickly. She never planned for that. She just hoped she was up for the task.

Unlike a real opponent, Ridahne did not exploit her student's fall by charging in while she was down. If she was much more advanced, she would have, but she had decided long ago that the way to teach Darin was not brutality. Her first move was to hold out a hand for Darin to take, but the girl didn't seem inclined to get up, so she dropped it and squatted down beside her.

"Not bad, human," Ridahne teased with a smile. "You've got to work on keeping your feet, but I'll make a defender out of you yet." Ridahne did not say fighter, for she knew Darin was not and never would be. It had nothing to do with skill but everything to do with personality. Ridahne was the type to jump headlong into a fight whereas Darin wasn't generally inclined to unless she felt like she had to. Ridahne got the impression the human girl would rather fight for someone who could not fight for themselves rather than fight for its own sake. That was admirable.

The elf smiled somewhat reflectively and said, "You remind me of Hadian. I think you will like him when you meet him someday. He is like me, but yet unlike me in many ways. I am fire and he is water. He is a man of the sea, which is as close to farm work as we get in Azurei. Anyway. I think you'll like him." She didn't say 'better than you like me' but she did think it, and without any bitterness either. She knew they were different people. She understood. But she really did think Darin and Hadian would get along.

Ridahne sat down and wordlessly took Darin's injured arm, undoing the leather brace to inspect the wound. Satisfied that it had done its job, she put it back on. "Keep that on for a while, it will keep it protected. Might be good to have for Taja, too, until you make yourself some real falconry leathers."

Darin talked about the legend of Ravi and Ridahne had to laugh. Not at the story itself, but at how different hers was. The heart of it was similar, but it reflected her culture for sure. "I heard a different story. Ravi was a good man who loved a woman, a good woman, but one day she died in some tragedy, and he could never bear losing her. And so one night he saw her ghost and thought she was real in his desperation to have her back. So he followed her into the Dust Sea and got lost. It is a very very bad place to get lost. He became dehydrated, he had blisters on his skin from the sun, and he was very hungry. And in his final moments he begged that no one would ever get lost in the Dust Sea or anywhere ever again. So he begged his ancestors to save others from this fate somehow. So as he died, his soul went to the night sky and he became a star, but his body stayed behind and became a pillar of rock. I have seen Ravi's Pillar myself, I have used it to navigate many times. It is known for being a shelter for those crossing the Dust Sea because there is a tiny, tiny spring beneath the rock that comes up and out so that if you know where to look, you can get water even in the desert. I wonder what the Siren's legend is concerning Ravi..."

Ridahne laid on her back, one knee propped up and studied the stars too. "We're being watched..." she said with a dry sigh. "Should I bark at him like a good dog until he goes away?" Ridahne actually snorted with laughter at her own joke.

Ridahne had a different story about Ravi’s Star. That wasn’t surprising. It was similar; a good person trying to keep others from being lost they way they were. That lead Darrin to believe that most of the stories across Astra regrading the guiding Star were similar. She knew she had next to know proof that was the case, but it made sense. It also made Darin wonder if there was actually not a Ravi, not the Overseer, but a Ravi from a long time ago that had formed the basis for the myths and legends. It didn’t seem likely that she would ever know the truth. Darin shifted her head until she was looking in the direction of The Tree. It was not one of the stories The Tree had chosen to share with her though she didn’t doubt that The Tree knew.

She looked back up at the sky, “You’re not a dog Ridahne.” She sighed, “Don’t even joke about something like that.” She waved vaguely at Ravi, “Ignore him. He thinks he’s being wise. Maybe he is being wise. He’s mostly just being annoying.”

Which probably meant he was being wise. Darin didn’t really care. All she knew was that she was enjoying herself. Even the bruises had been received. At least she was learning new things on this adventure. That meant even if she failed the trip itself wouldn’t be a waste. Darin supposed that was the best that could be hoped for. No, that wasn’t true. The best that could be hoped for was that she would figure out where The Seed was supposed to be planted. Lost in thought Darin started back to her feet. Her gaze had moved back towards The Tree. She started walking towards it. She wanted Ridahne to see truth. Maybe not the whole truth but part of it; in way that Ravi, the Overseer, could approve of.

She told Ridahne, “Come on. I have something to show you.” She led the way towards The Tree only to stop at one of the signs in front of a field, “I know it’s dark, but I noticed it earlier. All of these signs have at least three different crops on it. Some have more. There aren’t three different crops in the field. Rather it’s this fields rotation. One of each of this is planted each year. See what happens is a plant will use all of a certain nutrient in the soil. So, if you plant wheat in the same field year after year eventually your wheat yield goes down. The same things for carrots and beans; basically any crop.” She started moving back towards The Tree, “They all take different nutrients. So, what you do, well what farmers do, what I did, was rotate the crops. One year I would plant wheat and then I would plant beans the next year. All the farms in the village and in Lively did it. It looks like The Farm does it too. It gives the ground a chance to rest and recover.”

They were almost at the line that marked the boundary of The Tree. Well, the part of The Tree that could be seen. Darin bent down to place her hand on the ground. The Roots of The Tree traveled under all of Astra. The Barrier that kept people from getting too far from the coast of Astra were The Roots. Darin wondered how many people knew that. Her guess was not many.

She slowly stood back up, “The same thing is happening in Astra.” She let out a long sigh, “You just can’t rotate trees.” She smiled at Ridahne, “Come on!” She held out a hand, “Come meet The Tree. It’s so proud of you for stopping that evil. You have nothing.” Darin’s voice rang with earnestness and truth, “Nothing to be afraid of.” She laughed and it sounded joyful, “So let’s go!”

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.

Darin’s smile got wider as she took Ridahne’s hand and tugged the Elf across the simple line of stones. Darin didn’t let go as she walked backwards. She smiled as she led the warrior closer and closer to The Tree. Surprisingly the naturally clumsy girl didn’t trip once. Instead she practically glided. Whether Darin knew it or not this was where The Seed Bearer belonged; on sacred ground that meant more to just about everyone in Astra than any other piece of ground. As they walked a cacophony of voices filled the air.

Darin!Darin!Darin!Darin!

Ridaahnee! Ridahne! Riiidaahnee! Ridahne!

Darin!Darin!Darin!Darin! DARIN! Darin!Darin!

Ridahne! Ridaahnee! Ridahne!Ridahne! Riiidaahnee!

Darin!Ridahne! Ridahne!Darin!

The voices were not loud. They were not quiet. They were almost deafening. They were whispers so silent they could not be heard. They were not male or female. They were only male. They were only female. Each one could be heard as an induvial. They all overlapped so they couldn’t be distinguished. They were designed to be confusing. They made perfect sense. This was The Tree; speaking to and for all of Astra. This was overwhelming. It was far from enough. The only emotions that could be detected were unfiltered pride and boundless joy. The Tree was so glad to have The Seed Bearer and The first Seed-Chained here at last. The number of “Darins” decreased as the number of “Ridahnes” increased. Darin place the hand in hers on the trunk of The Tree.

As that happened a single echoing voice rang out, “Ridahne Torzinei Seed-Chained. You come to see me at last. I am so proud of you Daughter of the Night Sky. You have done very well; very well indeed.”

The voice came from Darin, but it wasn’t Darin speaking. Her mouth was moving, but it wasn’t her voice. It almost sound like how the human would sound if she was truly male but not quite. It was The Tree. The Tree could not speak to others the same why it spoke to The Gardener or The Seed Bearer. The Tree needed to speak though someone to speak to someone not part of its family. Luckily The Seed Bearer didn’t seem to mind. Of course, despite all of their differences, the young human liked the Elven warrior very much. That made it easier. The smile on Darin’s face was still there. There was something odd about it. It was very clear that this was not Darin.

The Tree gave the Elf a warning, “Do not take your hand from My Trunk. I would hate to end this conversation far too early. We have much to discuss my young warrior.” The smile became slightly mischievous, “Let us start with you thoughts on the first task I assigned to you. You accepted the assignment. What did you think of it.”

Darin was not aware of the conversation The Tree and Ridahne were having. The Tree had told Darin that It would need to borrow her body to talk to Ridahne and that the conversation would need to be a private one. Darin was alright with that. It made perfect sense to her. So, as The Tree had taken Darin’s body Darin had taken The Tree’s body. It was more than overwhelming. Darin felt the world as she had never felt it before. She felt all of Astra as wind, and soil, and water. The wind blew though The Leaves creating a music Darin had also loved to hear and was now finally playing. The Roots plunged though soil and water to map out Astra in a way that would never be possible to copy. Darin saw mines, rivers, roads, and lakes from below. She tasted the sea and the salt as she never would again. It was magnificent. Yet in her core, in the core of The Tree, she felt the sickness that had set in. She felt Ravi’s lifeforce as it fought to hold off the sickness. As she felt incalculable joy, she felt the deepest sorrow. In that brief moment Darin knew what life was and how it should be. She knew what it was that she was trying to protect and she would protect it as best she could.

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.