The Way the Wind Blows

[Xphy]

The Draconi Forest was as peaceful a place as Avali remembered it to be. It had been many years since she had last visited it, decades in fact, but it was as though nothing had changed since the previous time. Well, almost nothing anyway. She had come across a few paths that she did not recognize, and a clearing or two in places that they hadn't been before. But for the most part these differences were few and far between.

It was only her third day since returning to the forest and she had started out her day in a fairly typical fashion for her, foraging for fruits and nuts. It was a task she'd actually grown quite accustom to over the years. She found it to be quite relaxing, and a lot more satisfying than preparing food ahead of time. Not to mention it was a lot more convenient for her since it allowed her to travel as lightly as possible.

As she went about her task a chirping sound had caught her attention. Now birds were no stranger to this particular forest, but the tone of this one's chirping stood out to her. While she didn't understand what it was saying the noise it made sounded almost labored and desperate. It also didn't seem to be coming from above like most. Instead it seemed to be coming from of the bushes in front of her.

How strange.

Carefully she began to part the brush, wincing slightly as a few thorns pierced her skin in the process. She tried her best to ignore them as she dug deeper until she eventually came across the bird in question. Needless to say it didn't appear to be in the best of shape. Her experience told her that birds were usually good at hiding weaknesses, but there were certain things they just couldn't hide and blood was one of them. Its left wing was covered in it, and if she had to guess the appendage was broken by the way it drooped.

The poor thing. She didn't know how it had ended up in the condition it was in, but she couldn't leave it like that. Not when she could actually do something about it.

Cautiously she reached out the bird, trying her best not to frighten it. Animals usually were very trusting with her, but it always better to be safe than sorry. The bird didn't react negatively to her so as carefully as she was able to scooped it up in her hand and lifted it from the brush. Once she had it safely in her hand she placed her other hand over it and closed her eyes, focusing solely on healing it.

She remained like that for about a minute, completely oblivious to what was taking place around her. For now there was only her and the bird, and until she was finished her senses would block out everything else.

[Anonymous]

[ Sorry about the wait, Xphy! I've been crap with time management lately... ]

It wasn't that Ash didn't like returning to the Draconi Forest, but sometimes it felt like she was admitting defeat whenever she did. It had been three months since she had left Baile with Mykhen to start the Crann na Déithe, and she had started with optimism and fervor, not willing to let in the thought that she might just fail. She was being pretentious, she knew, to think that, where centuries of other people had failed, that she could succeed – but if that pretentiousness could save her life, then she'd cling to it with everything she had.

But even Ash knew when she needed some guidance, so, hesitantly, she suggested that they return to Baile, just to stock up on supplies (and some morale). Whenever the duo returned, everyone was always more than happy to see them, to offer them warm home cooked meals and cheer them on with all their hearts. And Ashara was homesick, although she wouldn't admit it, but maybe you could see it in her face. Just this one little trip home, was what she wanted. Then she would get serious – then she'd buckle down. Secretly, she also wondered if she'd see Bríathar lurking about in the forest, but she knew that he had left this place long ago. Some memories were palpable – if you kept them too close, they'd choke out all of your reason.

They took to the trees. It was a little trick Ashara had come up with on the road – how jumping from limb from limb could mix up the boring tedium of walking on the ground. At first she had been horrendous at it, but she was getting better – a blur of red, zooming across the treetops. Granted, as usual, when it came to physical activities like this, Mykhen was better at it then Ash would ever be, and Ash couldn't help but envy her talents a little. She laughed, and was about to pick up her pace, when she noticed that someone was on the ground floor above them – someone with a strange, nearly familiar aura.

"Mykhen, wait!" Ashara whispered, her voice carrying through the rustling of the leaves. She stopped, watching the figure down below, as she pulled what looked to be a bird from the bushes. From what Ash could see from afar, the bird had been bloodied – perhaps injured greatly. But the figure noticed it as well, and closed her hands over the bird, and seemed to be healing it, with some inner aura. Ah, that's what had looked familiar – she had the aura of someone who was connected to nature. A druid? A Talún druid? "You think maybe she's from Baile?" Ash wondered, looking over at Mykhen. "C'mon, let's go bother her! Maybe we can travel to the city together!"

Honestly, the only way to find out was to ask, right? Ash waited until it seemed like she was almost done with her healing, then jumped down from the tree, landing dangerously close to the elven woman, taking a moment to orient herself. She grinned, looking up at her. "You're pretty talented with healing, miss!" she noted, placing one hand on her hip, looking at the bird she clasped in her hand. "Are you travelling to Baile too?"

[Anonymous]

Mykhen had no issues with taking to the trees. Being an elf, it was easy for her to jump from limb to limb effortlessly. Though she was sure to stop and look back at Ash to make sure the dear martyr was still close behind. She had to admit that Ash was getting faster and stronger. It was calming.

Though, that didn't mean Ash's ADD wouldn't kick in. It was almost like being clothes-lined by a tree branch when Ash yelled to her, and she almost fell out of the tree but caught a branch and flipped herself back onto it. "Ash. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She said with a pout.

Though she looked to the figure and watched the bird get healed. Mykhen would rather not bother people, though Ash was already off so she followed suit in case something went wrong. She dropped out of the tree next to Ash and watched this new person. For once, wanting to let Ash do the speaking.

[Xphy]

((That's alright. I don't mind waiting for posts 8D))

Needless to say Avali was quite surprised to find that she had company when she opened her eyes. With her focus having solely been on the bird in her hands she hadn't noticed the approach of either girl so naturally her first reaction was defensive one. As soon as she had regained her senses she immediately took several steps backwards away from the girl nearest to her, her eyes moving back and forth between her and her companion. She also notably held the creature in her hands close to her body protectively, not wanting it to get hurt just in case they attacked her.

One could never be too careful in these forests with all of the bandits and thieves running around these days.

Once she had had a good look at the two girls her body began to loosen up a bit. She didn't recognize either of them, but they seemed harmless enough. The human looking girl in particular, who apparently was called Ash, seemed to be grinning about something and not in a malicious way either. She also had complimented her, and asked a rather odd question.

"I'm sorry. I can't say that I have heard of this Baile you speak of." The elven woman tilted her head as she spoke, confusion written on her face. Avali had seen many summers, but not once had she heard of a town or village by that name in Adela. Maybe it was a new settlement that had been built in the last couple of years. Or perhaps it was a small remote village that saw very few travelers. Or maybe it wasn't even a place at all, but some form of thing.

Either way the question had piqued her curiosity.

She looked down at the bird in her hands once more, stroking its feathers gently before turning her attention back to human teen. "If you don't mind me asking, what is it?" she inquire. It was rather odd that the girl had assumed that it was her destination. Maybe it was the path she was on, though to her knowledge the closest village that this path led to wasn't called Baile.

[Anonymous]

Ashara turned her head back toward Mykhen, grinning. "Hehe~ Maybe I was! But, I doubt a heart attack could even faze someone like you." She shook her head, cocking it back. "You'd probably walk it off and say, 'Huh, that was annoying' and be done with it." Ash was kidding, of course! She never passed up a chance to poke fun at Mykhen – but doing so almost made her forget why she had jumped down here in the first place. The rustling of the woman taking a few steps back made the Martyr snap back to reality, remembering, right, right, the druid!

When she turned her head back to face the elven woman, she noted that she had taken a defensive position, and tilted her head, curious. Normally, Talún druids would get closer to them, not farther away. The red she wore, and the red phoenix feather in her hair – it was a peaceful mark, the sign of the Martyr. A Talún druid would know when they came across the Martyr and her partner – a Talún druid would know that they weren't in any danger in their presence. Ash bit her lip at the sight, wondering if she had pinned this woman for one of them incorrectly.

As soon as she asked about Baile, Ash knew she had really made the wrong assumption. "Ah... sorry, I thought... nevermind..." Ashara apologized, rubbing the back of her neck. Talk about awkward. She was wondering how in the hell she was going to make this conversation let awkward, but then the woman asked what Baile was, and Ash grinned.

"Baile! It's... ah, wait..." She wasn't supposed to just tell anyone about the hidden city, damnit. There was a reason why it was hidden, after all... She looked towards Mykhen, then back at the woman, before finally deciding that it should be alright to tell her. She wasn't from na Talún, but it was obvious that she had some druidic powers.

"It's the hidden city of druids – the druids of na Talún," Ash introduced, beaming. "Baile is the main hub of our guild – most of our druids live there. It's a place to practice, to learn, to be amongst people like you... Like a sanctuary, of sorts." That description didn't seem even scratch the surface, but Ash was no recruiter. She turned to her partner. "Hmm... Am I missing anything, Mykhen?" she asked, scratching her head, trying to think. Honestly, she was representing her guild here and she couldn't think of any better way to describe it...!

"Anyway, Mykhen and I were just on our way there~ Maybe you're curious to see what it's like there? You are a druid after all, aren't you?" Ash teased, tilting her head. "If you want, you can join us~! We could use the company, right?" She looked towards Mykhen again – it was easy to tell how excited she was. It wasn't every day that Ash got to recruit a potential new member! Hell, at least she was doing something, even if it wasn't related to her quest.

[Anonymous]

She sighed and shook her head. "A heart attack can, and will slow me down. At least a little. But someone has to keep their eye on you."  She turned almost anything she could into a joke aimed at Ash, it was her way of dealing with the martyr's bad choices at times.

Though, upon landing on her feet, she was too slow to stop Ash from blurting out the word 'Baile' and she literally pressed her palm to her forehead and let out a long sigh. Only when Ash addressed her did she snap out of her self loathing for letting Ash talk to this person and she gave her a blank stare before looking to the new comer.

Then her jaw dropped. "Bring her to Baile? Ash, did you even think about your statement. Really now. Maybe you should tell her about your mission before you so readily invite people there. Baile is not some gift we can show just anyone." She sighed and bowed Avali.

"I humbly apologize for Ashara's openness and readiness to take you to Baile. Granted you have great power, and do seem to be a druid, she gets very excited. Though, the offer was already set out. If you'd like, we can still take you to Baile. But, if that's your choice... would you like to hear Ashara's mission?" Mykhen would do all in her power to make sure Ash got all the people she needed to plant these trees.

[Xphy]

Avali listened intently as the girl explained what Baile was. Apparently it was a hidden city for druids belonging to their guild, na Talún was it? She'd never heard of a guild by that name before. It was also strange that she had never stumbled across this Baile City in all of the years she had visited the Draconi Forest. Surely it had to be well hidden if it didn't appear on any maps of the area she had seen. Either that or they had only established it recently.

Still she made no effort to hide her interest while Ashara spoke. If the people of Baile were indeed druids then perhaps they could help her learn how to strengthen her bond with the year. If there was one thing she had learned it was that there was only so much she could learn on her own, and while she had managed to make some progress over the years it was small at best. She needed guidance. That she was sure of.

When the girl invited her to join them Avali was about to accept but stopped when the elf traveling with her interjected. It seemed Ashara had told her more than she should have. It did make sense she supposed since she hadn't heard of the city before. "You flatter me but perhaps I should be the one to apologize. I did not realize that this Baile was a secret." She returned Mykhen's bow with one of her own. It was her fault for asking. She hadn't known.

"Although I cannot say that it hasn't piqued my interests," she admitted, thinking over what the night elf had said about Ashara's mission. "Also I wouldn't want to impose upon you anymore than I have already." If the city was a secret then perhaps the girl's mission was as well. It was probably best that she didn't ask about it lest she got them in trouble with their people.

[Anonymous]

Baile was a precious secret, yes, the biggest secret any Talún druid could ever guard. It was one that they were to hold dear to their hearts, one that a mother would hold more sacred than the bond between her and her child – one that a Talún druid would die for if it meant keeping their brethren safe from those who would destroy them, like long ago. Ashara knew this, and yet, she also knew something greater: what good was such a secret – one so powerful, yet so serene – if she could not share it with others just like her?

She looked back to Mykhen, biting her lip. "I know, Mykhen," she began, pressing a hand to her chest. "But I can tell – she is not 'just anyone.' She is a druid, isn't she? Just like us." And Ash knew – not all druids were cut out to be Talún druids. The sacrifices they made as a people in order to sustain a deep connection with the earth, the risk they all took by joining, that one day they might become the next Martyr – as Ash was today – in the hopes of finding a way to restore the power of the Great Oaks. It was not a guild for all druids, she knew – but there was something that made Ash believe that this woman standing before her might just have the resolve of a Talún druid.

But Mykhen was right – if anything, she should at least explain her mission. Ash always hated this part – before recruiting anyone, as Martyr, it only made sense to see if the prospective druid wanted to help her finish her mission. After they were inducted, it would be too late – they were no longer eligible to become host to a Talún sapling. She took a deep breath, thankful that Mykhen had reminded her. "You're right," Ash noted to Mykhen, with a smile. "This may be our last chance, after all." To recruit her to help, that was – although Ash was sure she wouldn't want to. People liked living – and they would cling to ever second of life that they had. She couldn't call them greedy for it either. There was a doom clock ticking about her head, after all.

As the elf woman bowed, apologizing for imposing on them, Ash shook her head vehemently, shaking her hands dismissively. "No, no! You haven't imposed on us at all! I'm the one who practically jumped on you, after all," Ash clarified, laughing a little. Her smile did not last for long though, and she clasped her hands together, as she normally did when she had to speak of herself – and her challenge.

"I am on a mission, given to me by the Hierophant of na Talún," she began, her voice serious, grave – a complete change from her normal tone. The Marytr's voice. "I have been given the task to find five saviors to help me plant a tree – a Talún sapling – and nurture it into becoming a Great Oak. This is something that cannot be done by my hands, or any other Talún druid – but by the hands of someone outside the branches of Baile. The Great Oak will act as a pillar of strength and power to my people – but if you help plant it, the Great Oak will steal away half of your lifespan. You will die years before your time."

She let her hands drop to her sides, her mahogany brown eyes dusted with turmoil. "I will not think less of you if you would not wish to help. I am merely inclined to tell you – to give you that option – before it is too late."

Everyone wants to live forever... don't they?

[Anonymous]

When the other woman bowed she noticed her ears. Mykhen couldn't help but let her eyes widen. Seeing another elf outside of Baile. She hadn't run across anyone else like her-- though she was still on the strange side because of the color of her skin. Regardless-- this woman was an elf, and she couldn't help but step a little closer and look at those ears. "...You're an elf." She finally muttered out of sheer shock.

Though she stepped back and looked to Ash, she needed to speak about the mission, and doing what she could to give her the courage to tell others about her mission. To Ash, it seemed so helpless at times-- who would give up half their lifespan? They would find better luck with immortal beings.

Though, finding these beings was almost impossible. Possibly luck with an Elf would come-- if Avali was anything like her, her lifespan would be longer than a human's. Still, it was a lot to give up. Mykhen's mind wandered as Ash spoke, and she snapped back to what was going on and she looked to Ash again. Noticing the demeanor of defeat. Ash just put herself down before she even began. She reached out and placed her hand on Ash's shoulder to console her. Waiting to hear what Avali would say.

[Xphy]

Avali nodded when the elven looking girl noted that she was an elf herself. Apparently that fact had surprised her, though come to think of it the girl's skin tone was a little odd, wasn't it? It sort of resembled that of a dark elf, but the shade wasn't quite the same. This girl must have belonged to a race of elves that she had never seen or heard of before. That intrigued her. She would have to ask Mykhen about her people's culture if she ever got the chance.

As Ashara explained her mission she listened intently and quietly. It shocked her that such a young girl had been entrusted with such an impossible task. There couldn't have been many people willing to give up half of their lifespan in order to empower a group of druids they had never met, or even heard of. That was asking much even for the most generous of people.

She didn't answer right away. She couldn't. There was far too much to consider. As an elf her lifespan was much longer than that of a human, but to cut it in half was to forgo so many years. She was no spring chicken either. As youthful as she appeared she had already lived for a sizeable amount of her lifespan.

And yet she couldn't help but want to help the girl after hearing about her burden. Even if the human girl lived to be her age Avali doubted that she would be able to complete such a task. After all it was hard enough to find people willing to make much smaller sacrifices, like sharing their food or water. Also the girl and her companion didn't strike her as bad people, and the fact that they were druids only made her want to help them more.

"I-I don't know what to say," she replied finally, a tinge of hesitation in her voice. "You don't seem like bad people and I'm sure your intentions are pure. But what you ask is no small sacrifice, and I know so little about your people."  Even if their intentions were pure she had no clue what their guild planned to do with the power they gained from the great oaks, and she knew from experience that some of the heinous acts imaginable were committed by those with good intentions.

With what she knew now she couldn't give them a definite answer.

"This... is something I would need to think about."

[Anonymous]

Just the simplest touch – Mykhen's hand on her shoulder – was enough to make Ash smile, even if it was a small, unsure smile. Sometimes, this mission made her want to scream – it wasn't fair, she knew, to ask strangers to sacrifice half of their lives, but it wasn't fair that she should die if no one ever agreed, either. For four centuries, the Talún druids had been unable to find five people in ten years who would offer themselves up for the Great Oak – for the earth. But Ash knew she could do – she, of all people, could do this, she knew. And if this one would turn them down, then she'd just ask another, and another, until she'd asked everyone on Le'ranna! Because she wasn't going to die. And she wasn't going to let the Hierophant down, either.

Of course, Ash hadn't expected her to agree, but she hadn't expected to not be turned down, either. Granted, she remembered, when she was very small, her parents would always say 'we'll think about it' when she wanted something, only to end up refusing her in the end. And she was still very much a child, wasn't she? Always holding onto that hope that a 'maybe' would evolve into a 'yes.' She unclasped her hands, letting out a deep breath – being so serious all the time was a serious drag! She was glad that she didn't have to be so grave twenty-four seven.

"Of course," Ash responded, her voice lighthearted once more. "It is a lot to think about, I'll admit. And it's a huge responsibility, too! But, maybe when you've seen Baile, you'll be able to make a better decision?" Normally, Ash would never take someone to Baile whom she had told about the Tree of the Gods challenge, but with the elf seeming to hold what appeared to be druidic powers, then how could she refuse? Even if she ended up saying no and becoming a member of na Talún... well, at least someone would be happy, right? Maybe it wasn't her fate, to plant a Talún sapling.

"Right – to Baile, then! We're wasting daylight, just standing around here~!" Ash put her hands on her hips, grinning, but then her grin slowly faded out. Crap... when she had jumped down from the tree, she had totally lost all sense of direction. She bit her lip, looking up, trying to figure out what direction she had been travelling in, but to no avail. Um... "Mykhen!" she said suddenly, pointing at her partner. "I vote that you should lead the way!" She wasn't lost – of course not! That was just absurd!

[Anonymous]

She let her hand slide from Ash's shoulder and watched the other elven woman closely. Fascinated that they were out of Baile. And the skin tone? She even took a moment to look down at her pale purpleish-blue hand, then back to Avali. This was so strange.

She pushed her white hair off her shoulder, letting it trickle down and just touch the ground at her heels, even with it pulled up into a pony-tail it was still so very long and she was going to have to take her blade to it and cut it back just to keep it from dragging too much. Though, how she kept from snagging it was anyone's guess.

The prospect of this woman even thinking about Ash's mission made her image change in Mykhen's mind and she half smiled-- though it faded when she was suddenly voted to lead and she placed her hands on her hips and bent at the waist to come face to face with Ash. Raising a brow. "Lost again?" Oh, she knew Ash far too well.

With one quick glance, she motioned for them to follow her and she set off in the direction of their hidden hometown.

[Xphy]

Avali was relieved by the girl's response. She just couldn't make such a huge commitment without thinking it all the way through. There were simply too many variables, and what she stood to lose was far too great to agree without considering each and every one of them. However she remained optimistic. She only sensed good vibes from these two girls so surely their guild was an honorable one, right?

Right?

When the two girls decided on who would lead the way to Baile she smiled and nodded before replying. "Thank you for understanding and I hope that it will." As she spoke her eyes wandered down to the bird still cupped in her palms. Poor thing, with all that had happened she'd been holding it much longer than had needed to. Its wounds were already healed, and it probably wanted to get back to its flock. So she lifted her hands up and opened them to allow it to fly away.

As it flew away she returned her gaze to the two druids, suddenly coming to the realization that she had not introduced herself properly. She knew their names, or what she assumed to be their names, but they did not know hers. That wasn't right. "Also forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Avali Kalesia," she continued, giving them both a polite smile before following behind them. Part of her couldn't help but wonder how far they were from Baile, and how they had managed to keep it a secret for so long. it simply amazed her that she had never heard of it before today.

[Anonymous]

Oh, when Mykhen said it like that, it made it sound as if Ash was an airhead or something! But then she leaned down, so that they were face to face, and the Martyr couldn't help but turn a shade redder than her hair. For that brief moment in time, when their faces were close, Ash hitched a breath and couldn't help but stare for, her gaze lingering longer than it should've.

But Ash shook her head, her face still red, turning away quickly in the hopes that Mykhen couldn't see her furious blush. "As if," Ash assured, shaking her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's just – you make a better guide, is all!" Granted, it wasn't like Ashara didn't know every nook and cranny of this forest – because she did – but after being so flustered by Mykhen, it was going to be hard to keep her head clear...

So she trailed close to Mykhen, standing at her side – because that's where she felt safest. As the woman spoke, Ash realized that she no longer held the bird that she had healed, and the Martyr turned her mahogany brown eyes up towards the sky, watching the white bird sail off peacefully into the distance. As she introduced herself, Ash tossed her an easygoing grin. "Avali, huh? 'Tis a pleasure to meet you!" Oh! She had better introduce herself to – it was best to get the formalities out of the way. "I'm Ashara Rann, but you can call me Ash if you want. Most people do."

That was a lie, albeit a small one. Most people that she knew simply called her the Martyr. It was only out here on the road could she pretend to be normal, even if it was only for a small amount of time.

"It might be kind of a long walk to Baile, but I'm sure you'll love it, Ava~" Ash assured, testing out a new nickname. "I can call you Ava, right?" Just to be sure! Some people didn't like nicknames...

She looked towards Mykhen once again, elbowing her. "Hey hey, Mykhen, how long do you think it'll take?" The Martyr asked, trying to be casual once again. Ash had to be careful about these things – she couldn't just go staring at Mykhen like a creeper! Gods, what if she weirded her out? What would Ash do without her?

[Anonymous]

Mykhen turned to look at Avali when introductions were made. "Oh, how silly of us." She let Ash introduce herself first, then she bowed her head and spoke. "I'm Mykhenleigh Fallon. Though, Mykhen is much easier to remember a say. And Fallon is accepted as well. You can take your pick." She said with a sweet smile. "It's a pleasure to have you venturing with us, Avali."

And she turned to continue walking in the direction of Baile, soon turning to take a overrun and seemingly abandoned path that was hard to notice. Glancing over her shoulder at Ash, then ahead and chuckled. "We have about another half hour before we get to the gates. So be patient little one." She always used 'little one' when she was teasing Ash-- who had a rather small bust compared to her own. And only Ash and Mykhen knew the joke and tease behind that phrase-- most would think it was because Ash was rather skinny.

"We'll be there in no time~ But, you should enjoy the view~ The forest here is beautiful."

[Xphy]

Avali smiled politely as the two girls confirmed her assumptions about their names by introducing themselves, or at least partly so anyway. It turned out that they had actually been using shortened versions of them which she supposed made sense. The shorter of two even asked if it was alright if she used an abbreviated version of her own name to which the elf nodded before replying.

"I don't mind if you call me Ava, and it is a pleasure to meet you both." She really didn't see the harm in being called Ava. In her people's language it meant 'life', the final part of her name meaning 'seed.' Plus it was what her mother used to call her when she was younger, though she knew neither of them would be aware of that.

She followed closely behind the two girls as they walked toward the hidden city taking in her surrounding as she did. The path looked old and run down, as though no one had traveled it for a while. Perhaps the people of Baile didn't travel very often. Her own people were like that. Very few of them ever traveled far from their homes, and when they did they usually didn't stay away for very long.

She wondered if Ash and Meiken were exceptions among their people, or if they intentionally keep the path like this to discourage people from exploring it. Either way when the odd looking elf commented about the forest she couldn't help but agree. "Yes, this forest is quite beautiful. I have traveled through it on many occasions over the years and it never ceases to amaze me.

"Even today I have learned something about it that I didn't know before."