Darin looked in the direction they had come. This was the last night that they were spending in Orosi. Tomorrow they would enter Azurei. Darin was both looking forward to it and dreading it. She had heard stories of Ridahne’s homeland for close to 15 months, ever since time at the cliff where the Guardian had introduced herself as Veerkari'e, Ghost in the Sands. Well, tomorrow, or soon thereafter, Darin would finally see the sands. Soon she would meet the Sols and the Solta-Sol. She would finally get the chance to meet the women who had almost literally changed the course of history.

Right now, Darin was standing overlooking the sea. The small little group was currently camped in the southeasternmost part of Astra where Azurei, Orosi, and the Sea meet. It was not the first time she had seen the ocean. Darin’s lips twisted up in a smile as she remembered that. She had stood in shock as she watched the water crash against the Eluri shore. Ridahne had to literally drag her away. Even then she had snuck away later that night to stand in the waves. A strange sort of calm had come over her and she had to resist the urge to run headlong into the waves and past The Roots that made the Barrier. She had stood there all night, letting the serenity of a world older than even The Tree and The Gardener combined wash over her. It was a cycle. Sometimes the cycle was broken. Yet, the world was bigger than the cycle. If she failed the world would recover. For the first time she had felt peace with being The Seed-Bearer. Ridahne had found her the next morning adding her own salt water to the endless waves. When the Guardian came up in concern The Seed-Bearer had suddenly started laughing as she kicked at the water in a sort of manic dance. Darin had not regretted spending the night submerged to her hips even though she had a fever for three days. She now understood that as long as she did her best no mistake, no matter how big, was unforgivable. Being The Seed-Bearer wasn’t just some sort of title Darin was carrying. She [i]was[/i] The Seed-Bearer and just by being herself she was doing an incredible job.

That night had begun a process of growing for Darin. Slowly but surely, she went from being a nervous wreck to a strong confident woman that made decisions that she was proud to make, that she wouldn’t question. She threw herself into learning about people and customs and society. More often than not She would introduce herself to new people before Ridahne got a chance to. She spent many sleepless nights asking people about their lives, their hopes, their dreams, their fears. The days not spent restocking, or recovering, or traveling, were spent helping people with whatever they needed help with. She listened more than she talked. She tried foods she had never dreamed of. She tried to dance dances she had no hope of mastering. She played every instrument pressed into her hands without fear or apprehension. She played with children and animals alike. She gained better control of her temper and while she learned to listen, she also learned to make herself heard without snapping. She was still a person of passion, determination, and an unwillingness to compromise on doing the right things.

This meant that she had made new friends and even made a few new Seed-Friends. The total was currently six. Jack was the human that had insisted on her taking Talbot with her. That wasn’t official, but it was close enough hat it counted. Harris was the Eluri farmer who saw her stop the rains that first time. HE was also the first official Seed-Friend. Mrixie as the first to choose to swear to The Seed. He had given Ridahne the space she needed and help Darin find a book on controlling her emotions that she could actually understand. Jules, an Orosi, betrayed the Red Hand, the only family she had ever known for The Seed and the hope that brought the Children of Astra. She died mere moments after Darin had named her Seed-Chained. Even thinking about it broke the human’s heart. Umi, a shipbuilder and a Deepblood, a type of Siren that lived close to the Barrier, had saved chosen to save a child rather than Darin at the risk of his life at her order. He had been pulled aside for a private word after he had proven his worth. He had taken one look at Darin’s rough designs, swore himself to secrecy, and promised to figure it out. She had been unable to tell Ridahne that secret as it was connected to being The Seed-Bearer. Sarah was the human merchant that had taken one look at Darin, known she was a girl, and was the first to teach Darin about dressing feminine while still being practical in her attire. For the first time in her entire life Darin had felt pretty.

Of course, it wasn’t all friendship and happy memories. The Red Hand had increased their efforts to kill Darin. She had lost track of the number of times she had almost lost her life. She could count the number of lives she had taken, eight. She could still remember their eyes and when even if she knew none of their names. She knew Ridahne believed it was better that way, but she still hated herself for it. She also had Cursed one man in Orosi. He had preyed on boys, young boys, in the worse matter possible. Ridahne had been injured and he was getting away to escape to a new hunting ground. Darin had screamed to sky and Astra Listened. [i]I Curse you! The Seed Curses you! Let all of Astra know! You are cursed! Let no one know you! Be banished in a land you may never leave. May the Sky storm down upon you! May the Sea rise up against you! May the Stone quake under you! The plants and the animals hate you forever! Let no Child of Astra see you again! I am Darin Seed-Bearer! And I Curse you! Be Seed-Cursed till the day you die![/i] Darin couldn’t regret that. She wouldn’t regret that. The man was a monster, not a Child of Astra. She was unconscious for a week due to the amount of power she had used, but it her harsh justice had been worth it. She only hated that she hadn’t caught him sooner.

Her skills at wielding her sickle in battle only increased under Ridahne’s tutelage. The Elf had managed to train some of the clumsiness out of her as well. Darin would never be as graceful as the Eija-Alihn, but she couldn’t call herself just a farm girl anymore. She rode Talbot like she had been riding most of her life. She could climb just about anything and run without tripping. Her skill at setting up and taking down camp had improved. While Ridahne’s grace was almost lithe and most certainly deadly Darin had earned a grace that, for lack of better words, blunt and stocky.

Skills, knowledge, and self-assurance weren’t the only thing that had changed since she had left home. Darin’s physical appearance had changed as well. She still gave the name Martin Lively to strangers, but she couldn’t’ remember when she had stopped traveling as a boy. It had just kind of happened as she grew more confidant in herself. Under Sarah’s tutelage Darin had learned what it meant to like what she saw in her reflection. Her hair had grown and using her meager skill in braiding Darin plaited in in a braid that ran down the center of her skull and ended right at the nap of her neck. This showed off the sharp angles of her cheeks and nose hat Sarah said were her best features. She had also let the merchant update her wardrobe. Right now, she wore shirts without sleeves that left her shoulders bare, with high collars that wrapped around her neck. One shoulder and arm had her falconry gear. The other arm had a leather bracer with two loops around her index and middle fingers. Her pants were much the same as they always were, but her boots were knee high riding and hugged her legs over her pants. Around her waist was a wide belt to show off what little curves she had. Her cloak was still the same one her mother had made with care, but due the heat it was currently in her pack. The scars from Taja’s talons were visible. The knife mark from one encounter with the Red Hand on her back peaked out from behind her shirt. Her eyes, once boring brown, had slowly, so slowly Darin didn’t realize it had happened until it was done, turned apple green. (Now that she thought about it, The Gardener’s eyes had been red, the same color as The Apples on his Tree. Darin wondered what that said about her Tree.) She would never be beautiful, but she definitely didn’t blend into the back ground any more.

Right now, The Seed-Bearer watched the waves as she thought about how far she had come and how far she still had to go. Tomorrow they entered Azurei. To be honest Darin was glad it had taken so long to get her. She would not have been ready for this a year ago. She lost her temper too quickly then. Now, well now she still lost her temper, but she managed to not let it get the better of her. A year ago, she was lost, sacred and confused, a child playing at being a grown up. Now she was still young, but she knew who she was, she knew what she was, and she wasn’t afraid of it anymore. She was a force to be reckoned with. The Sols best look out for her.

Because she was The Seed-Bearer. When she spoke, Astra listened. After countless hours of practice at controlling the Sea, the Stone, the Sky, after hours of learning to control her emotions rather than letting them control her she could wield her strange power as The Seed-Bearer with almost ridiculous ease. She tried to be careful how she used it. She knew it was changing her into something … else when she did, but sometimes it was unavoidable. The Tree was slightly alarmed by how natural it came to her. At this point in his journey The Gardener was still struggling to speak to the Sea, of the three the easiest to speak to. From time to time Darin would be distracted as she had conversations with all of Astra. Of course, The Gardener had been a different person from Darin with a different personality type. That was another thing Darin had come to accept. She would never be able to do this the way any of past Gardeners had. She had to do it her way, and that was okay.

She carefully directed her thoughts away from both the past and the future to the here and the now. She had told Ridahne she had needed a few minutes to just think. Darin had done her best at doing as the Azurei had requested in Lihaelen and had gone to the warrior when she normally had run. It was a difficult habit to break at first, but Darin learned to at least say she needed to be alone. Tonight, she had asked for a few minutes to give Ridahne a few minutes as well. Tomorrow was the first time Ridahne would be home in over a year. Darin had no desire to crowd her close and dearest friend. They could both use some peace before the storm that would come tomorrow. Now, however, she had no desire to be alone tonight. She wanted the companionship of her strange, mostly animal, misfit family.