Only a hundred and three. Most humans never lived that long. Yet Darin was saying it with almost the same tone the elders used when they complained about her. “She’s only sixteen. She’ll settle down in a year or two.” “She’s only seventeen. She still has time to be young.” “She just turned eighteen. Let her make a few more youthful mistakes.” Of course, she was nineteen now. The elders had been starting to worry about her. Not for the first time she wondered how aging worked for Elves. Ridahne was almost five times her age yet seemed to be about the same maturity level. Were Elves children longer than humans being or did their aging slow down when they reached adulthood? Darin could see the positives of living for hundreds of years, but wasn’t sure she could stand being a child for any longer than she had been a child.

Though that did raise an interesting question. How had her aging been affected? The Gardener was the oldest person in Astra. He had been here before Astra was, well, Astra. Did he stop aging when he got his Seed or when he planted it? She didn’t know. It wasn’t something The Tree had decided to tell her. He may not have looked like a Child of Astra, but Darin would say that he looked middle-aged. Did he look middle-aged to Elves or Sirens? She couldn’t ask Ridahne. She hadn’t seen The Gardener. She had said Anojan had seen him. Maybe she could ask the Taja when they got to Azurei. That wouldn’t be bad. Well they weren’t going to get there by standing around.

Taja hopped off of Darin’s shoulder into his travel basket as she said, “Well it will take even longer if we just stand a round. We should get going.”

Talbot took that as the invitation that it was and turned to exit the village. They had to go by the fields and Darin waved at the people going about the harvest with a smile on her face. They paused for a moment to wave back at her before turning back to their work. The ones that had been there when she stopped the rain paused for a moment longer to watch as they actually left. It was a clearly a sign of respect. Right before they officially left Darin turned in her seat to wave at them one last time. She had made some friends here. As a result, she felt a little bit better about her mission. Maybe she could make friends. Maybe this quest wouldn’t be a disaster after all. She had survived the Red Hand at least once; twice if Mark was Red Hand. She had proven she could make friends. She didn’t think the journey would ever be easy, but for the first time she felt cautiously optimistic.

Talbot kept a good pace. He wasn’t pushing himself, but he certainly wasn’t taking things slowly. That was good. They wanted to cover a fair distance today without exhausting themselves. From time to time Taja would take flight and disappear into the trees. He was still too weak to fly as far as he was used to. Still Darin was glad the hawk was making these short little flights. They would safely strengthen the bird’s wings, so soon the Taja would be ready to go back home. There was a part of Darin that wasn’t looking forward to that. She had grown used to the bird’s company. Of course, she would have to return Talbot at some point as well and when all was said and done Ridahne would go home. In the end, if all went well, Darin would be left alone with just her Seed and The Tree it would become. Suddenly she wanted to age and die like a human. She also felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for The Gardener who had to watch time move without touching him. Darin’s optimism slowly leached out of her as she considered that. She was in for a long lonely life. She didn’t mind being alone, but she didn’t fancy being lonely. She slowly slumped on Talbot’s back. How had she gotten on to this depressing train of thought.

It was a little bumpy at first as the pair got back on the road after being off it for as long as they had. Though they were eager and ready to leave the little village and get on with their journey, that didn't negate some of the logistical challenges of being on the road, like suddenly sleeping just a little colder and with less padding, or being saddle-sore and dirty from riding all day. Ridahne struggled the first couple of days due to the remnants of her injuries, and though they kept their pace up, whenever they stopped for the night she wasn't as productive as usual and went to bed far sooner. But her body had been acclimated to road-life far longer than not, so she adjusted quickly enough. And as they settled more into a rhythm, they made their way further into the forest-rich land of Eluri.

After several weeks of travel, and stopping for a day or two at various small villages and hamlets along the way, the trees and undergrowth began to thicken, hindering their pace a little. It made for arduous riding, but Ridahne seemed to be in good spirits despite it. The capital city of Eluri, Lihaelen, happened to fall on one of their many zig-zags across the country, and Ridahne was excited to show it to Darin. The denser flora meant they were getting close, as did the healthy population of uloia--the large flying insects with bioluminescent thoraxes that were similar in appearance (if not size) to fireflies. The darkness of the thick canopy of trees was easily negated by their presence, and walking among them was like walking under bright moonlight.

"You probably haven't ever seen a city before, not really," Ridahne remarked. "I would say that they're merely larger villages, but that's not entirely true. I mean, it is, but...there's usually more to them. People trade for most of their foodstuffs instead of grow them, so they have more free time to pursue other things. As a result, they tend to have more art, and a stronger focus on learning and the study of history. This is especially true in Eluri. They value history like the Azurei value ritual and tradition. It is different than what you're used to, I think." Ridahne grew up in a port city not far from Azurei's capitol, so there was always a part of her that enjoyed the bustle of larger settlements, though she wasn't sure how Darin would like it. Probably be amazed or very irritated, Ridahne guessed.

Pretty soon the concentration of uloia grew even thicker, and the soft buzzing of their many wings was like a gentle hum of sweet music in the air. Odd lanterns started to appear: glass bubbles filled with a fragrant nectar that attracted uloia in bright clusters. These formed a path towards a massive cluster of hundreds of impossibly large redwood trees with trunks as wide as a small hut. There were winding steps built with care into each one, curling up into the heights of the tree's branches and splitting off to lead to little huts built on platforms along the way. There were pulley systems everywhere, many windows, and thousands of the little glass lanterns. On the ground level was its own little section of buildings and space for livestock, and a few fields for farming, but not many compared to the sheer number of people milling about in these tree structures or below them.

There was a man reclined in a net hammock between two trees; he was keeping watch over a flock of goats and saw the two travelers approaching. He got up and picked up the spear that leaned against a tree trunk beside him, though he used it more like a staff than a weapon as he approached them. He was not only a guard of the livestock, but a sentinel of Lihaelen. Despite the spear and his light leather armor, his demeanor was relaxed. "Greetings Azurei, greetings human. What's your business in Lihaelen?"
Ridahne nodded in greeting back at him, which was quite formal and had an air of ritual about it. "The Moon and the Tree bless the crossing of our paths, Eluri. We're mostly passing through, but I'd like to show my apprentice the city. Perhaps the Archives, if we're admitted. And in the meantime, a place for us and our animals."
The sentinel nodded, scratching his chin, though he gave a somewhat skeptical look towards Ridahne's sword, which was the only one of her blades visible. He gave a studying glance to Darin, then back to Ridahne. "Apprentice huh?" This seemed to explain some of his own thoughts and he added, "Understand, Azurei, that Lihaelen is a place of peace. We do not tolerate violence..."
Ridahne smiled. "Fear not. I might be armed, but I'm not looking for trouble, and neither is my apprentice. Yet we've come by a a hard road, and trouble finds us even when we don't seek it. I am honor bound to be ready to defend both myself and my apprentice at all times."
The sentinel nodded, satisfied. "Very well. The stable master is over that way, you can speak to her about the care of your animals." He bowed a little. "May the Tree and the sun bless your path." And then he returned to his post, leaning his spear once more against the tree trunk.

Ridahne smiled at Darin. "Well, what do you think?"

The senators of the land of Eluri were in council when on of Senator Goran’s aides hurried in. The aide quickly hurried in the senator’s ear. The look on the young woman’s face was one of desperation and shocked awe. Senator Goran was the only one receiving whispered news from an aide. Juliana, Maylin, Tavris, Solin, and Hosh were also listening to hurried whispers. All the aides seemed uneasy and pleased at the same time. Whatever news they were passing had to be big. As each senator received the news their eyes went wide as they stared at the air in shock. Something big was happening in Lihaelen and now the Council of the Seven Winds knew about it.

President Lilain was also receiving news from their aide. They smiled as the news was received, “She’s here, just as Maylin saw in vision. She is traveling as a male just as Solin saw in vision. She is with an Azurei Eija as I saw in vision. The Seed-Bearer had finally made her way to Lihaelen.”

Goran spoke, “We should prepare a ceremony of some sort; or at least a meeting with her. We need to show her our support.”

Tavris quickly overruled that, “Have you forgotten my vision? There is someone after her; an enemy of Astra. They are looking for her here. If they do not know who she is, we do not need to identify her.”

Goran’s face screwed up in displeasure, but he did nod, “That is fair. That is one vision I am hoping will not become a reality. I would still like to meet her and judge her character for myself.”

Hosh was deep in thought, “That could be arranged. If she is traveling with an Azurei as her apprentice, they might make their way to the Archives at some point. An ‘accidental’ meeting wouldn’t be that hard to set up. Even if they don’t go to the Archives there are other tourist spots. We could bump into her easily. We don’t have to let her know that we know. We can pretend to be interested in her opinion as an outsider. It could be believable.”

Maylin was not so sure, “She might be able to tell when someone lies to her. We don’t know what gifts The Seed or even The Tree has given her. We do not want to make an enemy of her. We do not want to be forgotten when she plants The Seed. We do not want Eluri to be forgotten because she’s upset at us.”

Juliana was shocked, “Surely she wouldn’t! She is to be The Gardener. The Gardener wouldn’t forget someone just because he’s angry.” Juliana was more hopeful than sure, “She’ll be the same.”

Tarvis pointed out, “She’s human. They live the shortest lives of all the Children and feel the strongest. Who knows what type of Gardener she’ll be? No one holds a grudge like a human.”

Solin finally spoke, “It doesn’t matter what type of Gardener she will be in the future. Right now, we should worry about the here and now. The people after her to kill her may be here now or may be on their way. They will be looking for trouble and I do not think that they will care who they involve. We need to do our best to ensure that they do not hurt our people. Arrange discreet meetings with The Seed-Bearer as you will. Tell her you know or not at your discretion. We need to remember that our people come first.”

Lilain stood and all attention turned to her, “One way or another I will seek a meeting with The Seed-Bearer. You may do so as well, but remember, we know nothing about her. We need to be careful. Solin is correct. Our people come first. Be careful.”

^_^

The uloia were gorgeous, but Darin had always had a fondness for fireflies and the uloia were basically the same thing. They were a little larger, but they still blinked as they talked with each other. They tended to land on Darin. She figured it was because they sensed what she was. When it got to be too annoying, they were easy to flick away. Darin wasn’t so sure about the increasing amount of foliage. The canopy of leaves above them was so dense. She had never felt so cramped outside of a person made structure before. She forced herself to take slow even breathes. Ridahne seemed excited and she didn’t want to ruin it.

Any thought of the deepening darkness was driven from her mind as she saw Lihaelen for the first time. She had never seen so many people in one spot before. Well maybe at The Farm, but it was so spread out there that there simply was the same sort of feeling. People seemed to be right on top of each other as they hurried this way and that way. There didn’t seem to be any pattern to the flow of movement. Darin was glad that she was on top of Talbot; that way she wouldn’t accidently bump into anyone. Talbot stayed close to Tsura as they made their way to the stable. Darin had been staring at the number of people and had missed most of Ridhane had said to the guard. She just figured staying close to Ridahne mean she wouldn’t get lost.

Speaking of staying close; Taja hopped from his traveling basket on to Darin’s shoulder. The number of people here was just as overwhelming to him as it was to her. Of course, Darin was surprised that the hawk had stayed after finally regaining his previous strength. He would fly off for hours and the first time it happened Darin figured that the hawk was gone and hadn’t worried. Then Taja had come back. He always came back. At this point Darin worried if the hawk didn’t return at least once every other day. The Seed-Bearer figured that Taja was now just a permanent member of the trip. That was comforting.

Darin finally spoke in a quiet whisper as they got to the stable, “There are so many people so close together. How do they survive? Do they all have jobs?”

Darin couldn’t comprehend how a group of people this large could survive such a limited space. She never felt more out of place than she did right now. While it was true that she hadn’t handle the open road as well as she might have hoped she at least could understand it. This she didn’t understand at all. This just seemed like a mess. She supposed there had to be some sort order. She just didn’t know what it was. She had a feeling they would be here for a while. She needed to understand life in all of its forms; even city life.

She looked at Ridahne with a desperate look on her face, “Has this city always been here? Where did it come from? Does the Eluri rulers live here? How many people live here? Are there places like this elsewhere? In Azurei. In the human lands? Do you know about the Siren lands? Why did people come together to make cities in the first place?” She finally stopped her questions as she realized that the speed of her words were increasing, “Sorry. This is just so new to me.”

Ridahne laughed softly. "Slow down! I can't answer them all at once. Lihaelen has been here....well...for a long time. Centuries. It's said that its settlers originally built the city on the ground, like usual cities. But the trees--this variety is called enuhin, or redheart in common speech--grew strong and tall, and the roots began to crack the foundations of their buildings. It is said that they, having a love for nature and not wanting to compete with it, began to build their homes around and into the trees. Over the long years they've formed somewhat of a symbiotic relationship. Yes, the Council of the Seven Winds is here, and somewhat like Azurei each of them oversees a district of the nation. But here they all have relatively equal power, they vote on decisions, and unlike Azurei, the rulers are chosen by the people rather than the previous ruler. A little chaotic if you ask me, but that's my Azurei sensibilities talking, they seem to get on just fine."

They found a long building with a trail of wholesome woodsmoke leaking out of a brick chimney on its far end, and rows of stalls and pens surrounding it. Ridahne had quick words with the stable master and soon they were shown where to keep their animals. Ridahne began removing Tsura's gear. "Yes, people all have jobs and work. But they work different jobs, or different versions of the jobs. Like that man we spoke to, he isn't just as shepherd, he's a guard. There are some farmers, yes, and builders and smiths and butchers and bakers, yes. But more traders and merchants. More sheriffs. There are historians, scribes, scientists--Lihaelen has the best healers and doctors in all of Astra. The Eluri value knowledge highly, and some people have devoted years to taking the dead and cutting them apart to understand anatomy better. Sort of a gruesome practice, but as the person is already dead, and the practice can help save lives later on, it's not really as awful as it sounds. There are people here who make a living on art--something you might not be used to from a small village. Musicians and performers and craftsmen. Yes, there are places like this in the other lands. I don't know a lot about the Siren people or their lands, but Azurei and Orosi both have large cities, and there are a few human ones too. Never been to them, but it's where your kings and queens and such are. I've seen paintings of those--big fortresses of stone with strategic parapets and portcullises. They're relics of a much older Astra, back when there was such a thing as war. And," she said with a lightheartedly dramatic intake of breath, "People made cities like this because wherever they are, there's some reason that lots of people want to come live there. It's why port cities are always large, there's lots of trade and exotic goods and work to be had, so people come there looking for those things. There's a kind of security in numbers, too. A band of marauders with a few torches could sadly level Lively in a night, but Lihaelen would be much harder to take. Plus, since there are more people working together for a common good, you have to toil a little less for your living. It's...sort of in the same way that you probably buy goods like cloth from someone else in your village, rather than try to run your farm and weave cloth and stitch it into clothes at the same time. People work well in a group."

Ridahne gave Mitaja instructions to stay with the horses for the most part (She was a nimble cat but was nonetheless built for desert sands, not treetops) except to go out and hunt as she pleased...provided it wasn't the livestock. With the horses untacked, brushed, watered, and fed, they left to go find lodging. Ridahne did not pick the first thing she found--she asked around a little and investigated the inns (which were large enough span across multiple trees) until she found one suitable. It was quieter than the other ones they looked at, and a little less crowded, though still lively and cheerful. Ridahne got them a private room at the end of the hall. It wasn't anything special--two beds, a washbasin, and a little iron wood stove that kept the room warm on cold nights.

"We should take the opportunity to clean ourselves up while we can, and then we can explore the city a bit. If we ever get separated, this will be our meeting place. If it's compromised for any reason, meet back at the stables. Sound like a plan?"

Darin listened to Ridahne’s answers with a sort of growing awe. It sounded like the Eluri ruled themselves differently than the Azurei and the humans. Not for the first time Darin cursed the lack of information regrading the Sirens. It would be nice to know more about them. Yet she supposed that sooner or later she would find out. There was no real reason why she should worry about it now. Now, she needed to be concerned with learning all she could about the Eluri. That was why she was traveling in Eluri after all. IT was why she was traveling all across Astra.

Darin slid off of Talbot as she thought about just going and demanding to see the Council of The Seven Winds. She supposed that she had a right to do so as The Seed-Bearer, but she was trying to remain discreet. If she wanted to meet the rulers of the Eluri people, and she did want to meet them, she would have to find a way to do so discreectly. For now, she would just focus on meeting regular people. She didn’t think that would be hard to do. They had no real time limit so there was no rush in leaving Eluri. She could take all the time she needed.

Right now, she took a little bit of time to free Talbot of his limited tack and give him a brief brushing before he nudged her to follow Ridahne. The Azurei seemed to be looking for something, but Darin didn’t know what it was. She was more distracted by watching all the people. They all seemed to be in a hurry, and they were all dressed just a little bit differently than the others. She assumed that it was because they had different jobs or maybe it was personal taste. Still there were more people than Darin had expected, and she kept bumping into people and having to apologize. She was apologizing in Eluri. Some responded kindly and some just brushed her off. One man commented that her accent needed work.

It appeared that Ridahne had found them an inn. What criteria she had used to pick this place was beyond Darin, but it looked nice to the human. So, she followed her travelling companion to the little room. Darin just about collapsed from relief at the sight of the little wash basin. It would be nice to get some of the traveling grime off of her. She waited her turn before scrubbing her arms all the way up to pass her elbows and rubbed her face until it was red and raw. She felt so much better. Darin found herself hoping that at some point she would be able to wash her whole body and maybe all of her clothes. She would have to ask later. For now, she wanted to do as Ridahne suggested and explore the city.

She eagerly exclaimed, “We should find a market of some kind. I know how to explore those! Kind of! I know haw to explore the ones that pop up in Lively when the traders get to town.”

Still Darin figured it would be a good way to start. She could start with something she knew and then work out to exploring the libraries and archives Ridhane had mentioned. She had very little money and as soon as the merchants realized she couldn’t but much they would have one of two reactions. They would either ignore her or try to convince her to spend what little money she had with them rather than elsewhere. Darin was okay with that. She didn’t plan to spend what little coin she had on frivolities. She needed it to pay for things like inns and food. Maybe she could find work her in the city for a little bit. It would be nice to have some extra money just to be on the safe side. Though she supposed it depended on how long they were staying. It wasn’t like Darin could put down roots here. The Seed burned against her thigh in agreement with that statement.

Ridahne practically beamed at the suggestion of finding a marketplace. She grew up around places like that, bustling, loud markets and bazaars, and she loved the chaos of it. The sights, the sounds, the smells... Of course this time she'd have to be 'on duty' a bit, as she would still need to keep her eyes open for any threats against Darin or herself. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun, too. "I could think of no better way to get to know these people. You want to know Astra and its people, and I think the best way to do that is through food and music. Food and music is born of culture, tradition, history, and the little circumstances that define how we became what we are. It is the heart and soul of any people, I think. The best way to get right to the heart of good local food is the marketplace. Street food is something of an elvish tradition, though the Eluri do it a bit less than Orosi or Azurei. Did you know, in Orosi, most people don't cook? They go from work to food stalls and eat together rather than go home and cook themselves. There's less of that here, but still some."

Ridahne unstrapped her sword from her back and carefully tucked it away, though she kept her knives close at hand. "There's a bath room downstairs, I asked for two baths and some soap. Hot baths," she said with relish. "We'll enjoy this city fresh and with a lot less dust." Ridahne gathered another set of clothes that were reasonably clean (she tended to keep her formal Azurei garb a little cleaner so she had something to wear on wash days) and headed down to a long room partitioned by wood and fabric dividers for a bit of privacy, and in each little section was a big wooden tub. There were two with steaming water at the ready, and bars of floral scented soap placed on little trays beside them. Ridahne disrobed and gladly sunk in, though the leather harness that held her two blades was always close at hand. She was trained to never be without them, but back then, it had been more about being comfortable with them than needing them. Now, things were a little different.

They enjoyed an indulgently hot bath with good soap to coax the grime out of their hair and fingernails. Ridahne (who was well used to life on the road) simply wrung out her dirty clothes in the bathwater to wash them, and would hang them to dry back in their room. After they were thoroughly clean, dry, and dressed, Ridahne said, "Alright, I think some good food is in order. The markets here are going to be larger and louder and generally a little crazier than what you're used to, I'm guessing. Though the Eluri tend to have a bit more order to these things than us. Azurei markets make no sense and are absolutely crazy." She said this with a kind of endearing love.

Ridahne went out wearing the sarong-like uri of her people, and the cropped, beaded top that made absolutely no effort to hide the two knives strapped flat against her back. Since it was warm, Ridahne opted for true Azurei style and did not wear shoes. She hated them mostly, but understood their necessity at times. The darker skinned Azurei woman stood out in the crowd, both because of her dark hair and suntanned skin, but also her clothing was a wash of indigo, a shade not commonly found in the fabrics of Eluri. They preferred earth tones and pale neutrals. Ridahne's height helped her stand out too. All elves were tall in comparison to most humans, but Ridahne was particularly tall. She'd be easy to pick out of a crowd if they ever got separated. Partly, Ridahne's clothing choice had been simply so that she could wash her regular road clothes, but there was some strategy there also. Anyone who felt like harassing Darin would see the Azurei warrior and think twice about their idea.

The path to the market was a series of wood and rope bridges spanning from massive tree trunk to trunk, or occasionally wide flat spaces where over the centuries, branches had been trained and woven together to form a tangled platform as steadfast as any stone foundation. As they neared the marketplace, more and more people seemed to be milling around, and somewhere was the distant sound of music. Gradually, carts or stalls began to appear, and all around were people browsing or haggling or shaking hands after a deal was made. There were lush fabrics and fine woodcrafts, jewelry, tools, staple-food items, exotic treats like chocolate (though it was sold at what Ridahne scoffed at as an exorbitant price, as it had to be shipped so far from Orosi to get there). There were food vendors too, touting what looked like savory tarts, still-steaming bread, buns, sweets, skewers of roasted meats and vegetables, and many more things. Ridahne indicated the whole scene with a sweep of one hand. "So, what do you think?"

Darin enjoyed the bath. She enjoyed it far more than she should. She liked being clean. She scrubbed herself until she was raw and red. Then she scrubbed at her hair. She desperately needed a haircut, but she wasn’t sure how to make that happen. She needed short hair to help stay hidden as a boy. She wasn’t sure would be able to pull of the disguise with long hair. She supposed that she could do it herself if she got a pair of scissors. She didn’t have a pair so that option was currently out. Maybe she could find a pair in the market. That would be a worthwhile thing to buy.

Darin changed into a simple green shirt and a pair of dark trousers along with a new pair of socks underneath her one pair of boots. She sighed as she examined them. The soles were wearing impossibly thin and soon her heels and toes would pop out soon. It was all the walking. True she did a lot of riding, but there were times when walking was unavoidable. Maybe she could find a cobbler to resole her boots. The list of things she needed from the market was increasing dramatically and food was the least of it. Darin sighed as she followed after Ridahne. Traveling was more expensive than anyone warned her. She needed to find a way to get more coin. That was not a pleasant thought.

Still it didn’t really matter. Darin was struggling to follow Ridahne and promptly got lost. She had no idea where she was and as she looked around for major landmarks, she felt The Seed Burning against her thigh. It didn’t feel like Mark or the Red Hand. It was more curiosity. The Seed wanted more information about something. It some trial and error but soon Darin was walking in the direction that The Seed wanted her to. She found herself walking across bridges that she couldn’t help stopping and examining. They were fantastic and Darin crossed them with no fear. Soon she traveled down a tree and traveling on the ground. She nodded at the locals as they watched the lone human traveling to who knew where. She wasn’t trying to be rude. She just wanted to find what The Seed was interested in. Of course, she was interested in the city and wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. It was no surprise that she bumped into someone.

She exclaimed in Eluri as she picked herself up, “I’m so sorry! I’ll pay better attention move forward. It’s just the way this city is built.”

A male voice cut her off, “It’s quiet alright young traveler. Lihaelen is indeed built differently then a human like you would be used to. So, your interest is well founded.” He bowed a sort of bow that Darin thought was an Eluri greeting, “I am Goran Malane.”

Darin did her best to copy the hand position and bow, “I am Martin Lively.”

Goran had a kind face that was weathered by age that broke into a smile, “I must say, Your Eluri is fairly impressive for a human thought your accent could use some work.”

Darin found herself smiling in return, “It’s a gift, but like all skill I need practice.”

The well-dressed Eluri laughed lightly before pointing out, “You look a little lost.”

Darin nodded, “Well yes I suppose so, I got separated from my traveling companion while on the way to the market. And now I’m not sure where I am.”

Darin couldn’t very well tell this man that she was wandering the city looking for something The Seed thought was interesting thought she had a feeling she found it. Ever since she bumped into this man The Seed had stopped burning. He felt good, but not in way Darin had ever felt before. Ravi’s goodness was almost divine and untouchable. Ridahne’s goodness had been tempered by having to do things that were necessary but not strictly speaking, good. This man felt like he was going to be good because someone had to be so it was going to be him, and he was going to do the best he could. Darin couldn’t tell how she knew that though. The longer she was The Seed-Bearer the more she seemed to be aware of. It was slightly concerning.

A voice called out, “Councilman Malane! We are late!”

Two younger Eluris rushed up as Goran turned to them, “Yes, so we are.” He pointed at Darin with his whole palm, “My young friend Mr. Lively has found himself lost. Mr. Armin, would you help him find his traveling companion?”

One of the aides bowed a slightly different bow to Darin, “I be honored.”

Darin protested, “That’s not necessary, but you have my thanks regardless.”

The other aide scoffed, “Lihaelen can be confusing and it is not our habit to leave outsiders to wander it alone.”

Darin nodded, “Fair enough.” She bowed to Mr. Malane but was sure she got it wrong, “It was nice to meet you.” Then she turned to aide call Mr. Armin, “I wouldn’t want to waste your time, “Perhaps we should get started yes.”

Mr. Armin nodded, “Yes of course.” He pointed out with his whole hand, “This way.” They started walking and he mentioned you didn’t use the correct bow for Councilman Malane. I can teach you while we walk if you like.”

Darin exclaimed, “Yes please! That would be amazing!”

Ridahne knew hearing Darin's response was going to be an effort in all the commotion, but she had actually expected to hear one at all. Ridahne turned, seeing a throng of Eluri milling about their business...and no Darin. If they were in some small town like Greyrock, she probably wouldn't have cared too much and would trust that nothing too horrible could happen. But Darin did not know how to do city life, not like Ridahne did. And she was generally more on edge since they'd been attacked near the borderlands weeks ago. Nothing had happened since then, though at one little town a woman asked a lot of questions. Nothing sinister, she was just the nosy sort, but they were the types of questions that didn't need to be in anyone else's heads. Darin probably hadn't noticed, but Ridahne had quietly threatened to liberate her of a finger if she didn't leave them alone, all the while playing up the 'grouchy standoffish Azurei' archetype to avoid any further curiosity. The lady beat feet after that.

Ridahne sighed. She wasn't about to leave Darin to drown in the sea of people if she could help it, though it wasn't like the farmer needed hand-holding or anything like that. Lihaelen was a relatively safe place, and the worst thing that would happen to someone there was usually pickpocketing. Or price gouging, she thought with a small huff. Still, it was wise to look for her. So the elf retraced the path she'd winded through, across wood bridges and over platforms. Ridahne was really more of a desert hunter, but more than once she'd been required to track a person through a dense crowd. She wasn't completely lost, here.

It took some doing, but eventually she did spot her companion. She was down several levels and walking with a humbly but well dressed man. Ridahne didn't get the feeling she immediately wanted to slice him open, and Darin didn't appear in any distress, so Ridahne kept her distance and watched from overhead, simply observing. If things went sour, she'd be there, suddenly appearing like a lioness in the dark. And if not? Then she'd join Darin after taking some time to figure out who this person was, though Ridahne had a good guess, as his clothing was a giveaway to a studied eye. Did the Council know they were coming? Did they know who they were? Either could be independently true, or perhaps both. Visions were strange that way, and who knew what news had come this way, if any.

Learning all the bows from Mr. Armin, who’s first name was Isaac, was great fun. There were bows for greeting an equal, greeting someone of a higher rank, or greeting someone of a lower rank. There were bows for a master to an apprentice and apprentice to a master. Children to parents, parents to children, deferring to an equal. Bows for enemies, formal bows, causal bows. It almost seemed like there was an Eluri bow for every occasion and every ranking. Darin couldn’t help but make a comprasion to a human handshake. Mr. Armin found all the bowing, even with its miniscule differences and complexities, to be underwhelming simple. The human had never thought of it before, but she realized that how you shook a person’s hand said just as much as how you spoke to them in greeting. The distance between the two people shaking hands could say just as much as words to a person who knew the language. There were all kinds of factors that were difficult to explain to someone who didn’t grow up learning it.

Suddenly Mr. Armin stopped the lesson, “It just occurred to me. I am supposed to be helping you find your companion, yet I do not know who we are looking for. That will make this quest difficult and while I find I do not mind your company Mr. Lively I cannot spend all day with you.”

Darin smiled at her own forgetfulness, “Yes! That makes perfect sense. RIdahne Torenzi is an Azurei Eija. I suspect she will be easy to spot.”

Darin saw no reason to lie about Ridahne’s identity the way she had lied about her own. Ridahne’s name and life story were on her face and honestly there was no way of telling who had the necessary skills to read that story. If Ridahne had a problem with that she would have to get over it. Darin didn’t think she would. The whole point of the Ojih was to compel honesty by all who wore it. Darin was glad she didn’t have to be honest to everyone she met. That would make her life very difficult though she could see how being honest all the time lead to its own form of simplicity. Tell too many lies and a person began to lose track of the lies they had told.

Mr. Armin looked around to get his bearings before pointing at a level above them, “You mean like the Eija staring at us from above?”

Darin looked to where he was pointing, “Yes!” Her smiled deepened as she started to wave, “Hello Master Torenzi! I apologize for getting lost.”

Darin didn’t dare call her Ridahne right now. The story was simple. Martin Lively was a boy RIdahne Torenzi took as an apprentice for reasons that were her own. Darin didn’t want to seem to familiar or friendly with someone that was technically her superior; especially in the Eluri culture she found herself in in this city. It seemed very focused on ranking and making sure that the rankings were observed at all times. It seemed unwise to draw too much attention to themselves or to give people a chance to poke holes in their story. It was as simple lie for now, but Darin didn’t want to make it complex if she could help it. That would be begging for trouble.

She pointed at Mr. Armin, “This is Mr. Isaac Armin. He was helping me look for you.” She turned her face and smile to the Eluri, “Thank you for your help.”

Ridahne strolled along without any particular haste; things seemed to be going well down below, and Darin was doing fine on her own. Ridahne wasn't about to interfere. She watched, and though she could not hear them over the clamor of the city, she brushed up on her shaky lip reading skills. From what she could see, Ridahne gathered that Darin was getting a lesson in Eluri bows. Good, that would serve her well, and it would also give her an insight into these people's lives and culture. Not to mention, if she got good at 'speaking the language' of bowing, she would understand the subterfuge that happened in many interactions. Sometimes bows were given genuinely, but sometimes the wrong bow would intentionally be used, and it was a quiet slight. An ambassador once came to visit Azurei and had words with Khaltira-Sol, whom they did not particularly like. Instead of giving a bow of deference or respect, the ambassador gave one as if he was speaking to someone lesser than him. He didn't know that Khaltira-Sol could speak the language too, and what he thought was his own private joke got him immediately thrown out and forcibly sent home with a sealed, signed letter from Khaltira-Sol demanding a different one next time. Reflecting on this, Ridahne now thought he was lucky he wasn't killed. She probably didn't just because he was an ambassador, and killing him could cause major trouble with their close neighbor Eluri.

A flash of anger rose in Ridahne at the thought of Khaltira-Sol. She shouldn't even be called Sol, she should be stripped of her title. Which made Ridahne wonder if they'd decided on her replacement yet. The Court of Sols had never had to choose a new Sol in the memorable history of Azurei. The original Sols had risen to power sort of organically, and they individually chose their successors after having years to observe them. But they'd never had to choose, as a group, someone they did not have their eyes on already. Ridahne wondered if one of the other Sols had given up her successor and lifted her to the rank of Sol to fill the position, or if they'd found someone else. Ridahne wondered who she would be.

Darin and her new companion looked directly up at her. Ah, she'd been discovered. Darin greeted her and apologized for getting herself lost. Ridahne found a nearby ladder and descended down to their level smoothly and with grace. She approached her apprentice with a formal, haughty air and said, "Ah, Martin, I was wondering when you'd notice me. You must pay attention to your surroundings, Eshai" The word meant 'apprentice' or 'student'. The rebuke was mostly formal, mostly part of the ruse they kept. If the city was more dangerous, her ire might have been sharper and more genuine, but there was little worry in a place like this. She looked at the man standing with her. "You must be with the Council," she guessed. Ridahne chose a bow indicating that she was a guest, and he was her host. "It's a pleasure to see your fair city again. Thank you for finding my apprentice. I hope he wasn't too much trouble to you?"

Isaac returned Ridahne’s bow with one indicating he was a host welcoming a most welcome guest, “I’m glad you decided to come back to fair Lihaelen.” He indicated Darin, “Your apprentice has been next to no trouble at all. He has been perfectly polite and perfectly willing to learn. It is always a treat to find outsiders willing to learn and young Mr. Lively has been almost overeager and a quick study.” He then continued, “However, you are correct. I am an aide to Councilman Malane and I must return to him as quickly as possible.” He turned his attention back to Darin, “It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lively. Perhaps we will meet again.”

He bowed to Darin and if Darin remembered correctly it was the type a bow a teacher used towards a student doing well, which was fitting since for a little bit she had been his student for at least a little bit. He then bowed to Ridahne; a bow of equals in two different fields. He said his farewells while he did so. Darin extended her thanks and goodbyes while bowing a bow that meant she was a grateful student. She must have done alright since Mr. Armin just took his leave. He scurried up a nearby ladder and was out of sight before too long. Ridahne and Darin were left alone, and The Seed-Bearer was left to ponder.

So, Goran Malane was a Councilman. When Ridahne had mentioned a Council that wasn’t what Darin had imagined. She had almost imagined a cross between the elders in her little village and the lord of Lively; convince they were right and certain to make sure everyone knew who they were. Councilman Malane had seemed kind to her. She had to wonder if that was because he had a received a vision knowing who she was or if he was kind to all outsiders. Still, if he knew who she was he made no attempt to reveal her or call her out for her lies. He had seemed kind and Mr. Armin had not acted like the request to return a stray outsider to where they belonged was out of the ordinary. The feelings she had gotten from The Seed hadn’t led her wrong once, so she assumed he was a good man. Well her first impression was that she liked both Councilman Malane and Mr. Armin.

She found herself speaking quietly, “I like Councilman Malane. I like Mr. Armin as well. I would like a chance to meet with other members of the Council of the Seven Winds.” She then gave her head a shake before smiling and turning her attention to Ridahne, “Well, where to now Master?” She spoke in Eluri but had used the Azurei word for master or teacher, “Back to the Market?” She laughed lightly, “I promise I’ll try not to get lost this time. I was just pulled away it seems.”

Darin hoped that Ridahne picked up on the fact that she had been wandering because of her duties as The Seed-Bearer. She didn’t want the warrior to think she was just wandering on a whim. Of course, Darin hadn’t even shown Ridahne The Seed, or rather then band that Darin was using to hide The Seed. It wouldn’t surprise the human if the Elf knew it was somewhere under her clothes, but every time Darin had gone to check the band, she had done so away from people with Talbot keeping guard. The Seed-Bearer was confidant RIdahne wouldn’t have gotten close without the horse letting his person know. She was equally confident that Ridahne would have known that Darin was checking on The Seed and wouldn’t have questioned it.

Ridahne watched the man go and relaxed a little, dropping her haughty demeanor. "The Council are generally decent people. A couple of them are particular, and hard to please, but they're dedicated to their roles and care deeply about their people. Most of them are a little...philosophical for my tastes, but," she shrugged, "what can I say? I'm a fisherman's daughter, not a scholar. The council of the Seven Winds is not all that different than the Court of Sols...I mean they're structured a little differently. I know you don't have the best impression of them, and I understand why," she said with a dry laugh. "But really, they aren't as awful as Khaltira was. Stern, and not so personable and friendly as the Council, but generally good. Just."

Darin explained she'd like to meet the rest of them, and Ridahne sincerely hoped she could. She should know the nobility of Astra, the leaders as well as the common folk. "If you make yourself known to them, you'll most certainly get the chance. If none of them have Seen you, you might go unnoticed otherwise in a place like this. I'll leave that up to you though. I wouldn't suggest shouting it from the tree tops, but if you wanted to drop in on them and tell them who you were, I'm sure they'd be keen to see you."

Ridahne tilted her head back up and towards the direction of the markets. "Sounds good to me. I'm hungry anyway. Just ah, next time you've got an itch to go wandering, tell me first eh?" Ridahne wasn't mad. Not only was there a lot to get distracted by in Lihaelen, Darin had the Seed that would pull her in different directions too. And it was relatively safe here, too. "We can go up this way and cut through most of the bridges and things to get to the market."

The pair made their way back up into the network of platforms and bridges and branches, up to where people clustered and crowded and there was shouting everywhere of people calling out their wares. Ridahne tried to point out various street foods and give Darin a brief description of them, and noted things that were especially popular or iconic. The elf indulged in something wrapped in a large flat leaf; the inside was a sticky mixture of rice and a few other grains, some ground meat, and shredded carrots and cabbage with plenty of spices. But she also purchased a few supplies for the road, and some things that were a little luxurious for travel food, but would still keep well, like some good cheeses and dried fruits.

At one point, Ridahne all but dragged Darin over to a tiny stall with a few tall stools in front of a bar counter. "Come!" She said, excited. "You must try coffee! It's very strong flavored, a little bitter. But it can be nicely sharp and acidic too." Ridahne ordered a small cup for each of them. The scent wafting from the stall was warm and inviting. It was hard to imagine, looking at the eager elf warrior setting a steaming little cup in front of Darin, that this was the same former-assassin who had fought with Darin so often in their first several days on the road. She was not quite so sulky and ashamed now, and she was generally more open and comfortable with Darin. Ridahne sipped the hot liquid with relish. "What do you think?"

This time Darin stayed close to Ridahne. She didn’t feel a need to go somewhere specific. She just got the sense that The Seed wanted to see all that It could. Well, see was the wrong word. It was more like know. The Seed wanted to know all that It could. As such The Seed-Bearer followed their traveling companion closely as they went up ladders and across bridges. Darin was shocked into stillness at her first sight of the market. It was busy. She had never seen anything so busy. A few people bumped into her and that got her moving again with a few bows of apology. She got a few odd looks, so she figured she didn’t do it quite right. Still no one look offended so she assumed she hadn’t messed up too badly.

Darin quickly hurried back to Ridhane to listen to the Azurei point out interesting types of food, but she kept getting distracted to stand and just look around. There were so many smells and so many sights and so many sounds. It was more than just a little bit overwhelming. Darin found herself, not for the first time, wishing she could go home. It was much more peaceful there. Then she would shake her head and rush to catch up with Ridahne. She would take her share of the load only for the market to overwhelm her again to lock her back into place. She knew she had to be drawing stares, but she simply didn’t care. Darin just didn’t know how to process everything

Finally, she got to sit down. The human took the small cup that Ridahne pushed into her hands with a small sense of wariness. The air around the whole stall smelled slightly bitter, and bitter had never been one of her favorite flavors. She had a fondness for sweet things though she didn’t get a chance to indulge her sweet tooth often. Still Darin did her best to refrain from wrinkling her nose at the smell of the beverage and even tried a decent sized swallow. That time her nose did wrinkle. This coffee, as Ridahne called it, was not her favorite at all.

She placed the cup back on the table and pushed it towards the Azurei, “You can have the rest of mine if you want it.”

Though the drink had been warm and that was nice. It was slightly chilly underneath the canopy of the trees. Even that small swallow had done something to fight the chill. Suddenly Darin found herself wanting spiced milk, but she had no idea where to get it, or even if she could only get the supplies to make it, where to make it. The human didn’t even know if it was something people in this part of Astra would know about or if she would have to describe it. It didn’t help that spiced milk had no real recipe. It usually depended on what spices were available. Still Darin found herself craving, what to her was, the simple mixture of warm milk, honey, and various spices. Of course, she mainly just wanted to be warm.

She found herself looking up at the canopy above the market and the entire city, “Tell me Ridahne, what would the Eluri of Lihaelen think if I started climbing these trees?”

To be honest Darin wasn’t sure she cared what people thought. She was just suddenly struck by a desire to see the top of the canopy. That desire didn’t come from The Seed. It was all her. That was the only reason why she didn’t just go for it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to cause an upset just yet. She just felt crowded and pressed upon. She hadn’t seen proper sun for a while as they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest. She couldn’t begrudge the journey. She would have had to come here sooner or later. She just wasn’t sure how much long she could take the lack of the sun AND the crowds AND all the newness without any familiar source of comfort. She had always been good at climbing tree. She wasn’t sure how easy it would be to get to the top, but she just desperately wanted to see the sun. She would get Ridahne’s opinion and then she might ignore it anyways. Everything up to this point may had been new, but it also had some sort of familiarity. This was completely new. Darin could feel the tension and panic crawling underneath her skin. She needed to do something quickly or she might wind up try to dig it out with her finger nails.

Ridahne couldn't help but laugh as Darin took her first sip of the coffee. She did try to hold it in, but it came out anyway, resulting in a snort and a sheepish grin. "Sorry, but your face was priceless! I forget that other peoples have different tastes than we do in Azurei and Orosi. A lot of our food is similar to each other, partly because Orosi supplies us with a large portion of our goods. But we like things strong down south. Spicy, bitter, sharp, salty..." she laughed a little. "I have to admit, boiled potatoes?" Ridahne shuddered. "Not my favorite meal. I grew up very poor and some of those instincts never left me, so I'll eat whatever's put in front of me. But you won't catch me boiling potatoes at home, not unless they go in a soup or something else."

She leaned forward a little, sipping her own cup of coffee and squinting at Darin as if to study her, a playful gleam in her amber eyes. "I wonder what you'd enjoy more than coffee...They do serve chocolate drinks here. Imagine...chocolate which is sweet and a little bitter but only if you have it straight and not at all as much as coffee, mixed in with hot milk of some variety and sometimes spices like cinnamon. It's creamy and sweet and it's got the faintest kick of spice. But to be honest with you, I'm not sure I know enough about what humans usually eat and what flavors they like to know what you'd like. I've had plenty of tavern food, which is usually bread and cheese and some fruits here and there, and some roasted meats. But I've never been invited into the home of a human and sat down for supper. Never been invited into the home of a human at all, really. They're usually kind of afraid of me." Ridahne laughed. "Is it the tattoos?" she joked, knowing full well it was some combination of her tattoos, her three blades, her height (she towered over most grown men), her abrasive personality, and the sharpness of her eyes. People seemed to be miffed by how much skin she was willing to show, too, as they tended to wear longer layers in the north, and her traditional half-shirt was a little scandalous by small-town standards. "I am going to hold you to that promise of apple pie one of these days though...it sounds delicious."

Ridahne could see that Darin was not having as good a time as she was. It wasn't that Darin wasn't enjoying herself completely, but the elf could see that the crowded walkways, the tight spaces, and the unfamiliarity of it all was wearing on her stamina. Ridahne didn't know how she'd handle Azurei, but the elf desperately wanted her friend to like it. And it was...a lot to take in for the first time. Eluri at least had a vaguely similar climate to Darin's hometown. Azurei, in comparison, was another world.

Ridahne smiled gently. "Don't damage the trees, and they would't think much of it. They spend a lot of time scaling them, but the trees are their home, and they cherish their health deeply. If they catch you breaking branches, you'll find trouble. I've never scaled the trees myself, but I hear the view of Astra is spectacular if you can make it up. There might even be a ladder or stairway and a platform somewhere, but I'm not actually sure. If you wanted to check it out, you could go, and I'll see our supplies get back to the inn, and sample the local beer while I'm at it. I can meet you back there. But if you aren't back before nightfall, I'll come looking for you." Ridahne didn't want to be her mother or anything, but considering their situation, a little caution was wise.

Darin considered what Ridahne had said about this mysterious chocolate. If they made it with milk and if they served it here, they might be able to make her spiced milk. She would have to consider coming back when she had coin of her own to spare. She had a little, but it had to be used for necessities like resoling her boots and possibly paying someone to cut her hair short. That was one of the cons of preferring short hair. It had to be trimmed regularly. She had been using her knife from home to hack it short since they left The Farm, but now it was uneven and choppy. That was almost as annoying as wearing it long. She needed to find someone who could even it out.

Darin did reply to Ridahne’s comment about trying apple pie and potatoes, “I’ll have to make you proper potatoes. Those, of course, are mostly butter and milk with some salt and chives, if you can find them. We can have it before apple pie for dessert. Maybe when we finally swing back up towards my home.”

That was a long time off and thinking about that made Darin homesick again. She was tired of feeling that way. She didn’t think the feelings would ever fade. She wasn’t sure she wanted them to fade. Though those thoughts did bring her back to climbing the trees of the city. If she took off her boots, she could probably do it. She was decent at climbing; not the best but decent. She was willing to give it a shot. As such she leaned down to unlace her boots and peal them off.

As she stood, she handed them out to her companion, “Could you get these to the inn as well. I’m going to go see if I can find a place to try my climb.” She smiled slightly as she started to walk away, “I’ll try to be back by night.”

With that Darin was off. It wasn’t that difficult to figure out were to go. She did get to practice her bows as she asked for directions and advice. Most of the Eluri seemed more than happy to help. One claimed they knew that humans shook hands the way that they bowed. Darin happily confirmed that fact and found herself laughing as she helped him practice. He was enthusiastic. Darin enjoyed it as he practically ripped her arm off as he shook it up and down. Eventually he pointed her on her way, and she introduced him to a new human custom, waving. He was enthusiastic about that until she was practically out of sight.

Soon Darin found a spot specifically for tourist to try their luck at climbing the trees. There were several set apart for that use and there were ladders about halfway up. Then the climbing had to do it free hand. There were nets strung about to catch those who fell. There was an undercurrent of challenge to the whole thing. A person had to pay to have a go and then pay double if they fell. If they made it down on their own with out making it to the top, they forfeited their original payment without having to pay more. If they made it to the top and back down, they got their first payment back. There was someone at the top to give people who made it a chit. There were just as many Eluri as there were tourist. Darin supposed that meant very few people actually made it to the top. She had practically no hope.

Still Darin wanted to try and knew she would be able to make it down on her own. So, she paid the small fee and then ignored the ladders. She got a few raised eyebrows for that, but the young human ignored those too. She lost herself in the journey upwards. She looked carefully for groves in the bark were her fingers could get a decent grip. Her trip wasn’t easy, and she almost slipped a couple of times. Darin found herself moving from tree to tree. She passed the sheer trunk and moved into branches. The branches got thinner and thinner. She refused to look down. Then without processing she broke thought the canopy of leaves. She took in a deep breath of surprise as she looked across the sky of Astra. Then she let out a shout of joy as she felt the heat of the setting sun. She braced herself and pushed herself out more fully. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the heat of the sun. It had been so long.

It was odd in a way. She was human, a Child of the Stone. Yet before this journey she had spent every day under the sky of Astra. She was willing to bet that there were Eluri that had never even seen the sky, yet they were Elves, Children of the Sky. Where had those names come from. There had to be a reason for it. Darin watched the sunset and the countless stars come out. She figured that she should get back to Ridahne. There was an Eluri tied to a tree near her. She carefully went over to him to collect her chit before heading back down. She was feeling so peaceful that she didn’t process the chit-givers shocked look. She felt much better and was now worried about Ridhane coming to look for her.

Back on the ground Yari spoke to his coworker Zeven, “Do you think he’s okay? Night has fallen and he’s still not back.”

Zeven responded, “They might be stuck somewhere. We’ll give it fifteen more minutes and then send someone after them. The crazy human started at the bottom. That takes longer.”

Yari made a noise that was a cross between a scoff and a laugh, “I’m surprised they even made it pass the ladders. I do hope they are okay. I doubt the council will be happy if a human dies while visiting.”

Zeven repeated, “Fifteen minutes. Then we go up.”

"Hmm, milk and butter and chives does seem like an improvement from just plain boiled potatoes. We eat potatoes too down in Azurei but generally it's in something, like curry. But by themselves? You'll have to convince me. Sweet potatoes are alright though, they have a bit more flavor and I've had them with cinnamon and sage. When we head north again, there's a lot you'll have to introduce me to." Ridahne smiled genuinely; she wanted to learn more about her friend's culture and home. She felt like the more she knew, the better she understood Darin, and she hoped that a trip through Azurei would do the same for Darin.

Ridahne took the boots with a smile and a nod, wishing she could take her own boots off too. Maybe she would when she got back to the inn. She never wore boots, usually just sandals back home or if she was going on an expedition to the Dust Sea, some kind of light wrap or stocking to keep the sand and sun from burning her feet. Being in soled boots all the time felt...suffocating sometimes. Ridahne watched Darin go, though she sat for a while longer to finish both her and Darin's cup of coffee before heading back to the inn. She came downstairs to the pub, and meant to go wander the city some more, but a burly elf stopped her.

"Fair winds, Azurei. What brings you to Lihaelen?" his tone was jovial and bright, and he was sitting alone at the bar. A man looking for some company, it seemed.
Ridahne leaned against the counter. "Fair winds. I'm taking my apprentice to Azurei for a while. We're on our way from up north, and taking our time." It was somewhat true. Azurei wasn't the end goal--they didn't have one--but it was a reasonable story nonetheless.
The man's eyebrows raised. "Oh! Apprentice! So you're a blade master then?" He looked subtly more nervous after that, as if he felt he'd offended her by bothering her and regretted it.
"Something like that," Ridahne offered. "More like...retired eija." Not many people outside Azurei knew much about the eija-alihn, so she usually just simplified.
The man looked puzzled. "Retired? You can't be much older than a hundred...you got a long time before you should retire!" He gave a hearty laugh.
Ridahne gave a tight, nervous laugh in reply. "Fate is a fickle mistress."

The man got the sense she didn't want to continue that subject, so he backed off. "Got any news from the road? I'll trade a drink for it. C'mon, have a seat." Ridahne relented, perching next to him as the bartender set a clay mug filled with a rich, dark ale in front of her. The man, she discovered, was a river dock worker and in his younger days had been a sailor. Ridahne knew much of sailors and nautical life, and he was surprised to find an upper-class Azurei that was so knowledgeable on the subject. She explained she was from Atakhara, and he seemed to be familiar with the city. They passed back and forth some pieces of news, but mostly old stories and fables often circulated among sailors, and a few of Azurei superstition.

As the time passed, his friends (all regulars at this tavern) trickled in and joined in the discussion. The energy in the room brightened as more and more people joined the little group, and soon there were outbursts of song and laughter. Ridahne was near the bottom of her second mug of ale when one of the men piped up, saying, "Oi, lads, who do you think would win in arm wrestling? Talven, or miss Ridahne?" He meant it as a joke, but soon there was a loud debate over who would win.
"Talven's got at least sixty pounds on her, maybe more! That's hardly even fair!" some said.
Others cried, "C'mon, just look at her! She's eija! She could probably throw Talven across the bar!"

This went on for a minute or two before Ridahne raised her voice sharply and belted, "ENOUGH!". There was instant silence, and each of them wondered if they'd offended their guest. But she simply polished off her mug, set it down gracefully, and brought her elbow up onto the table with a profound thunk, hand raised up in ready. A challenge. The men cheered and whooped and all but shoved Talven to sit across from her. He did, planting his elbow on the table and locking hands with her. It was quiet as they began, arms quivering with the effort. Every time their hands tilted one direction or another, there would be excited murmurs. Ridahne held him even, her eyes locked on his. She felt him falter, so she gave a tremendous effort and his fist began steadily sinking down towards the table. A riot of shouts and cheers erupted, reaching a peak when she finally whacked his fist against the table surface.

Ridahne shook out her tired arm as the bar went in total uproar, some good-naturedly riffing Talven and others patting her on the back, and everyone laughing. Ridahne bowed: Ruler to subject with a grin on her face. A few of the men chuckled and returned the bow with: Subject to ruler as if she had somehow, jokingly, just become their queen. Talven smiled. "Want another round? I think I owe you one now," he said, jovially abashed.
Ridahne returned the smile. "I'd love to, boys, but it's after sunset, and I have an apprentice to track down. You've all been excellent company. Fair winds, mates."

Ridahne made her exit, feeling buoyant. It had been a while since she'd been in a tavern where people weren't outright afraid to approach her, and when they did, nobody asked any terribly personal questions. A few basic ones about her hometown and some of her travels, but they never once asked her name, opting to simply call her Azurei instead, which was polite. She didn't realize how much, in a society that displayed everything on one's face, she craved anonymity sometimes. Anonymity without isolation. Not to mention, it had been a long time since she'd been to a bar where sailors and dock workers frequented. It was the closest to home she'd felt in a long time.

Ridahne kept an eye out for Darin as she walked barefoot now along the various pathways. She headed for the place where tree climbing was a challenge, figuring that was her best bet for finding her, though she thought also that the human might be wandering back also. She arrived to find two of the workers there talking about a human who had foregone the provided ladders and apparently had not come down yet. Ah, that would be her human then. "Young human lad, sandy hair, no shoes?"
The two nodded. "Been up there for a while. Did you...lose your apprentice?"
Ridahne smirked. "Not lost. Gave him the evening off." Ridahne looked up, whistling once. "Ai! Martin! You up there?"

Darin heard Ridhane from the ground as she slowly made her way down. It seemed the warrior really had come to find her. Darin almost want to role her eyes. She had been taking care of herself for years. Nothing bad was going to happen in a city people seemed super nice and willing to help others. Alright, she supposed that she could get lost and she was still way clumsier than she really had any right to be. It seemed all the blade training in the world couldn’t train that out of her. It was slightly frustrating, but she supposed that it was what is was.

Darin called down, “Give me a minute. It’s dark. It’s harder to see where to place my hands.”

Zeven called up, “Do you need help?”

Darin responded, “No!” She muttered under her breath, “I’m not that bad.”

It took a few more minutes before she reached sheer truck again. Given the fact that it was dark Darin opted to use the ladders this time. She didn’t want to make it this far only to fall flat on her face. Once her feet were firmly on the ground a smiled lit up her face as she walked over to the two Eluri waiting for her to come down. Her smile turned into a smirk as she held up the chit that meant she had reached the top. She couldn’t help but savor the shocked looks on her challengers faces as she handed the chit over. Not one of them reached out to take it even as Darin held them out to do so.

Yari finally got out, “Keep it. We let people who make it too the top keep it. As a sign of accomplishment.” He suddenly remembered something else and reached into his money pouch, “And here.” He held out a few copper coins towards her, “Your entrance fee.”

Darin took the coins with a polite smile. Then suddenly the two Eluri bowed a bow that Darin could only vaguely recall about being the person bowing honored the person they were bowing to. It threw the young human off and for a moment her smile faltered. They she recalled her manners and bowed the bow she had been taught that came from a grateful guest to an attentive host. She hoped she didn’t offend either one of them and she didn’t think she did if the repeat of the strange bow meant anything. She wished she knew what that one meant. She had a feeling it was important.

Instead of asking she simply waved in farewell, “Fare thee well. My master has come to collect me so I must be off.”

Zeven hesitantly waved back, “Fare the well.”

YAri then told Darin, “If you ever want to scale the trees again just come show us your chit. We’ll let you up without the fee.”

Darin laughed as she told them, “I might just do that.”

With that being said Darin turned to Ridahne and they headed back to the inn. Darin supposed it was glad that the Azurei came to get her. She couldn’t rember the way back to where the inn was. As Darin followed her companion, she found herself thinking about what she had been thinking when she had been above the canopy. Ridahne’s brother was a fisherman and mad a living off of the sea. Where did the names come from? Did The Gardener know? The Tree hadn’t told her. Then again, The Tree mostly just told her about the history of Thee Trees and The Gardeners. The specific history of Astra hadn’t really been touched on. Before this journey Darin hadn’t cared much about history. Now she didn’t even know why humans were called the Children of the Stone.

She did find herself asking, “Ridahne? Why are Elves called Children of the Sky? Do you know? Are there stories that the Azurei tell?”

Darin had a feeling that it was like the story of Ravi. Both she and Ridahne had two different versions of the same story and it was possible that there were more. The true history had been lost. The Tree had been planted thousands of years ago. It made sense that some of the truth had been lost. Yet even in those stories some truth could be found. After all, in both stories of Ravi had included Ravi’s desire to ensure that no one got lost like they had. Both stories had included deities. Darin had heard a few different Eluri versions of the story and those facts were present in those stories as well. That made her think that whoever Ravi was they really had asked some sort of deity for help to guide others. There had to be stories about why Elves were the Children of the Sky. There might even be some hidden gems of truth in them.

When Darin came down, she found a rather jovial looking Ridahne awaiting her below. The elf had abandoned her shoes too, and her eyes were bright, glinting in the dim light of the large insects that flitted slowly and clumsily through the air. Lihaelen never really grew full dark, despite the thick canopy. The uloia always provided some level of soft, gentle glow, ranging from the light of a full moon, to diffused lanterns depending on how many there were in an area. Presently, there were relatively few of them, so it was quite dark compared to the rest of the city.

Ridahne smirked. "How was it? I made the climb once when I was here last, I remember it being worth the effort. I have no regrets about how I spent my time though." Her smirk blossomed to a full smile. "Apparently our inn's tavern is a regular spot for the river workers. You know how you can walk into a rural village and you sort of just...gravitate to the farmers? And you feel like they get you, and you them, even though you're so different? I guess that's sailors for me. Those are my people. These were all Eluri, not Azurei, but a mariner is a mariner. I never felt the call of the sea, not like my brother or our ancestors. I always knew that, even though I loved the sea, my fate lay somewhere on land. I think I understand why now. Anyway, we had a few drinks and I bested one in an arm wrestling contest. I daresay I actually made some friends for once."

The elf grew thoughtful at Darin's question, and absently she wondered what the human had been thinking about and pondering up in the canopy all evening. There were some stories, though nothing Ridahne would consider to be indisputably true. "Mm, I've heard a lot of things, mostly as a child. I was told some ridiculous story by an ancient man when I was little, and he told me that when Astra first came to be, the creator wanted to fill their new land with people. So from the earth, they drew humans: steady, hardy folk. From the seas came forth the sirens, gentle, adaptable, and yet inexorable in their determination. From the sky, the elves were brought forth, and because of their lofty origins, they retained some of their high sight and got visions." Ridahne shrugged. "Seems like nonsense in a way, I mean, it's not like the elves came from thin air, and you aren't made of rock. But I know the Azurei at least have a strong connection to the stars. We believe they are the spirits of our ancestors, and it is said that in the beginning, there were no stars until the first Azurei died."

Ridahne smirked. "On a more practical level? Half the reason Azurei are Children of the Night Sky is because in high summer, we turn nearly nocturnal to avoid the heat of the sun. Midday in summer is brutal. We come out early morning to start the day, and in the afternoon we all hide indoors or somewhere cool if you can help it, then it's business as usual in the evening and well into the night. It's not that way year round, I mean, Azurei is a desert, it's always some level of hot during the day. but for summer, suddenly we all do things a little differently." She laughed. "It will probably be well into autumn by the time we get there, which is good." She paused, then asked, "Do your people have any stories about how you became Children of the Stone?"

Darin thought about how Ridahne had spent her time. That was good. It was good that Ridahne was making friends. She hadn’t been doing that as they traveled though her goal wasn’t really to make friends while Darin’s was. She supposed that was to be expected. It was like Ridahne had said. Darin had found herself drawn to the farmers as they traveled. It was easy to volunteer to help in the communal fields that seem popular among the Eluri. Thankfully she had had the good sense to not do a repeat of her first performance with the rain. Darin hadn’t even tried to influence water or anything else like that since then. It still slightly scared her. Still she couldn’t stop the animals. Even now a few of the uloia landed on her. She absently brushed them off, but they still hovered.

Darin thought about Ridahne’s question, “There is one I heard. But it wasn’t really a story. It was more like a chain of thoughts. The thoughts being that the first Sirens came as the first drops of The Tree’s Sap hit the ground as carried by rainwater. The Elves happened as the first of The Leaves flew into the wind, and the humans came as the first Apples fell to the ground.” She shook her head, “Except that’s not right. I know that’s not right. The Tree is older than all three species, but The Tree had nothing to do with their creation. The Tree is older than anyone living, but It did grow with Astra. Its planting was Astra’s first days.”

There were other stories that people back home and in Lively and that the traders told, but Darin had never really paid much attention to them before. Now she wished that she had. She hadn’t felt the need back then. She had just been a farmer worried about the next day and the day after that. She never thought that she would ever be in a situation where she would basically be carrying all of Astra on her shoulders. If her plan to make friends failed, she would have to shift into learn all she could about Astra and its culture and history. Luckily trying to make friends meant she was already asking a lot of questions. It would be an easy transition.

Then another thought struck her. Ridahne said autumn; that they would get to Azurei in autumn. It was harvest time now; or it had been when they had gotten to The Farm. It was probably closer to winter now. It was going to take almost an entire year to reach the next portion of their journey? Darin stopped as she tried to fathom that. She almost couldn’t. When she had started this trip, she thought it might take a year or two at most. Then she learned that she needed to make friends and her estimate had increased to three maybe five years. How long would it be? She had no real sense of Astra’s size, and it wasn’t like they were being deliberately quick in this journey. Darin wasn’t sure how long it would take, but she knew it couldn’t take too long. She had to move on to the final phase of the journey before The Tree entered the very last stages of Its death. Did she have that long? Could Darin afford to basically try and meet as many people as she could? Should she focus on leaders of people rather than persons? She wasn’t sure and a hand slowly creeped up to cover her mouth as she tried to avoid being sick.

Her voice was a quiet whisper; tight from the fear that suddenly struck her, “Just how big is Astra?”

The worse part of it all was Darin didn’t know when The Tree’s finally days would be. Ravi didn’t know. The Gardener hadn’t known. The Tree Itself didn’t even know. The only reason why The Gardener knew that that he was going to die when he gave The Seed to Darin was because he had deliberately chosen to give up his life to give The Tree more time. Who knew how much time that had really brought? Who knew how much time Ravi’s actions were buying? The worst part of not knowing how long this trip would take was the fact that she was racing against the clock and she didn’t even know how much time was on that clock. It was all so overwhelming and all the peace she had gotten from seeing the sky again had vanished.

She took a few staggering steps towards her traveling companion before stopping again, “How long is this going to take?” Her hand moved from her mouth to tug desperately at her hair, “Do you know? Do you have any guesses?” Her breath was coming in short and painful gasps, “Ridahne! How big is Astra? How long? I don’t have forever! I don’t …! Ridahne!”

Ridahne wrinkled her brow thoughtfully, the ink patterns on her face scrunching and warping with her skin. "Apples huh? Hmm, wouldn't have guessed that. You're children of the stone, I wouldn't translate that to apples necessarily. Though if you'd said peaches..." she chuckled at her own joke. "Those at least have a "stone" in them. I wonder what the sirens say about Astra and its beginnings. Honestly, I'm ashamed to say I haven't met many of them. I've seen a lot of siren sailors pass through of course, but never really sat down and chatted with them much. They were always busy and so was I."

Somewhere, distantly, an owl hooted softly, and another answered it. The sounds of people and voices and hurried feet were dwindling, and the sounds of the night prevailed. A soft, ever present rustling hummed from the leaves as the winds filtered through them, and a chorus of crickets accompanied it. There was even the faint sound of music coming from one place or another, always cheerful and soft. Ridahne had never really considered how big Astra was. Sure, she'd seen maps and had traveled much, but that didn't mean she had any idea how big it was. How could she really know if she could not see it all at once? Ridahne was about to answer when Darin stopped, her breathing suddenly spiking into short, choppy breaths.

Oh, Ridahne knew that look. She'd dealt with it before, though the issue had been something entirely different. She'd seen Takhun unravel like this before. Twice. Ridahne had done it a few times herself. It was a spiraling panic that, regardless of the source, would only get worse if left unmanaged. Ridahne turned, putting her hands on Darin's shoulders with a firm grip as she made deep and direct eye contact. Ridahne was a force, and usually the heat of her fire was bent towards anger, towards a fight. Not now. She was still a force, a strong, steady, inexorable force that all the winds of Astra could not move, yet something about her demeanor was softened, gentler. Her amber eyes sought Darin's and would not look away. "Hey." Her voice was so soft, yet she remained an anchor. "Take a deep breath. Take a few. I'll be honest with you, Darin, I don't know how long this will take. I'm only following you, after all. But I do know you won't do it alone, not if I have anything to say about it. I know the prospect is intimidating, and your life has significantly changed with all this. It will some more, I expect. But I'm here. I'm with you, and I could think of no one else that I'd rather trust the Seed with. No one."