Adventures of Caelereth

Primerose
Softhands, Gentlesmile - Redbark Brownies, healers
Appleblossom - cook
Quickfoot - courir, speaks a bit Tharian
Bluesky, Aikirana (Bluebark brownies), good for every work








Talia‘s sleep is not very deep, she dreams of Brownies doing something with her body, but she doesn‘t know, what it is. Then Terra cries „Mommy“ and she tries to get to her and can‘t . Fortunately she wakes up and as an reaction she embraces Terra lying next to her. When little hands are tugging at her, it is just past Shadowleave, she is still tired. Terra is already awake and sitting upright in her bedroll, eyes wide, and full of fear. Talia takes her into her arms again and whispers into her ear.

“Terra, dear, I‘m confident that the Brownies will be able to help us. It is life magic! Don‘t be afraid, you are very strong inside and you will drive your demons away with the help of the Brownies, I‘m very sure of that! And all our friends will think at us and pray to the gods for help. We must not despair.“

The Brownies, they haven‘t seen them before, are waiting patiently till both women are up and following them silently outside to not to disturb the sleep of the others.


It is fresh despite the summer morning. The sky begins to brighten up though First flame is yet far away. The group of Brownies are escorting Talia and Terra to a place away from all the hectic of the Council Tree. After a short walk through the forest along a narrow grassy path they reach a fairly big natural clearing. It is a peaceful place. Slender bushes between tall trees protect the clearing from curious views, a creek is running through the middle which joins the bigger river they came up on their rafts not too far away. But willows at the end of the clearing towards the river make it impossible to see it. A single mighty tree, a white oak, is standing in the clearing, its branches reaching far out. It is very dusky when they arrive, Talia is not able to see much details, but the clearing is full of moonlight, giving the whole scene a strange touch. Away from the tree, on the other side of the creek a fire is burning around which some Brownies are sitting. A round tent is nearby, which is decorated with different symbols Talia can‘t recognise in the darkness.

The group approaches the fire and is greeted by Primrose.

“Good morning Lady Talia, good morning lady Terra, please sit down!“

She waits till both have made themselves comfortably, they are offered a mug of water which they are enjoying, this water seems to have a different quality.

“Now let you tell, what awaits you. As I said yesterday, you two are out of balance with the life-forces. That is a serious threat to your lives, it can lead to death, dependent on how much you are out of balance.  We Brownies can heal simple injuries like that of Lady Terra quite easily with our forces, for there only the surface is out of balance. it is different with you two, We can only initiate the healing, the actual recovery has to be done by nature itself, by the four basic elements. a way to do this is to expose you to these elements. “

She pauses and looks at the big people to show, if they have some questions, but as neither Talia nor Terra say anything , she continues.

“The first will be the element of fire. That might be the most frightening for you, Lady Talia, for you will be confronted with your recent past. The element of fire is the most indirect as well and so the most difficult, for we cannot place you directly in a fire, so heat has to suffice. Over there in this tent we have a very hot burning fire, you will sit there and  you will have to endure the heat till Starrise. You will not get anything to eat, but a mug of water every three hours.
About your diet for the time during the healing. You are not allowed to eat any meat, you will get a selected variety of light fruits and pure water for that time.

Now let me introduce you to Softhands who will oversee your healing, and to Gentlesmile, who will assist her. “

Primrose points to the two redbark Brownies sitting next to her. They both are not saying a thing, but only smile to Talia and Terra.

“Thank you for helping us, we are glad we are allowed to be here.“ is all what Talia can say. she looks at Terra, but Terra stays silent and so Talia only grabs her hand and presses it slightly.

“We are both in the same tent? “ Talia asks.

“Yes, you are, but you should not talk to each other without need, only if it is extremely necessary.

But let you introduce to our other helpers here, who will prepare your food and help you in any other way not related to the actual healing.

Here is Appleblossom, she is very good in picking the best fruits and prepare them if necessary“ Primrose points at a little greenbark.
“and here we have Quickfoot, he will be the contact between this camp and the main area, he speaks some Tharian as well, so if your friends want to know something, they should address him. Bluesky and Aikirana will do whatever is needed.“

Talia nods to everybody, though her gaze remains a bit longer on the strangely looking bluebark Brownie.

“That‘s for now, have some water now, some fruit, relieve yourself over there and then it is time to go into the tent. I will look after you this night. Then we will see, how long the healing will take.“

Primrose gets up and after a last nod she vanishes in the still dark night, though it is considerable lighter now. Appleblossom hurries away as well and comes back with an assortment of fruits which she offers to Talia and Terra. Both try to eat, but it is not as easy despite the delicious meal - Talia`s stomach seems not to be able to take anything in. Appleblossom smiles friendly at her, saying  „Eat, you need.“, so Talia tries to swallow some and they are so juicy that once she has started she enjoys them all.

But finally it is time to go to the tent. Softhands and Friendlysmile, the two healers follow inside.
It is incredible hot inside after the cool morning air outside. Talia at once gets a sweating and as the Brownies want them to get rid of all clothes she follows quickly to undress. The seat is soft, a woollen blanket and they are asked to make them as comfortable as possible while sitting next to a fire so hot Talia doesn‘t know, how the Brownie achieved this. She can only see glowing stones in the fire.
When both, Terra and Talia are sitting comfortably, legs slightly crossed, arms resting on the knees, the two Brownies step behind them, lay their little hands on Talia‘s and Terra‘s back and start to sing. Talia has lost her feeling of time, she even doesn‘t check that at some time both leave the tent. It is long after Firstflame, the healing has begun.


 

It is incredible hot. The brownies are coming in regular intervals and bring cool water to drink. Sweat is running down Talia‘s skin and she is so wet as if she has walked through a heavy rainshower. She feels hot as if she has fever and probably her blood‘s temperature has risen. She knows that people in cold countries do this in regular intervals, Minoki has told her a lot about it and how agreeable it is, but aren‘t there cold showers in-between? Not so here. She doesn‘t know, how much time has passed. The fire burns with a bright yellow and red flames which form fantastic shapes. As if it wants to tell Talia something. There is no time anymore, just she and the fire. Somebody enters the tent and and water is poured over hot stones. Water vapour fills immediately the room in an intensity that Talia can‘t merely see Terra. Shortly after little hands start to dry her back.

Aikirana has brought a big cloth for each of them and gestures to put it on and to follow her. Their limbs don‘t want to obey the command at first, but then both are up and going to the creek nearby. Bluesky who waits at the creek smiles at them and points into the water. There it is quite low, a mere fore deep, flowing over a big flat bolder. Talia takes Terra‘s hand and steps in, leaving the cloth behind. She doesn‘t feel the coldness of the water for quite  while and the the Brownies ask them much to early to leave the creek again and to go back to the tent. Appleblossom waits next to the tent and gives them a mug full of juice, the most delicious one Talia has ever had in her life, at least she thins so in this moment.

And then they are sitting again on their woollen blanket and stare into the fire, it is as hot as before and soon they are both  again wet with sweat. The Brownies had sung a song again while their hands were resting on their backs. Talia is tired and would love to lay back and sleep, but she doesn‘t dare to do so, the Brownies are surely knowing what is right and they didn‘t say, that lying down was ok. So she fights with her drowsiness and falls in a state of mental absence.

The flames take shapes, but Talia can‘t say at what she is reminded, it slips away in the moment she thought she has grasped it.

The Brownies are coming back two more times to lead the women to the creek to cool down, each time they get a mug of juice to drink, each time they get as much water as they want. When they go back to their fire Talia is exhausted. she doesn‘t know which time of the day it is and she doesn‘t care. She just wants to sleep and rest. But  it is not yet time to do so. A brownie - she doesn‘t know which one, pats her back and says something in their tongue and so she takes a deep sigh and looks back into the fire.

Immediately she slips back in the  state of absence, non awareness, trance. The flames tell her now whole stories, but she is not able to tell them nor to remember them. But suddenly she is full awake and a cry so loud that it must have been heard till the council tree evades her throat. What she sees in the fire is the grinning face of the demon lord of fire she knows so well. But something happens to him. He is withering and coiling up, the colour of the flame gets darker, he seems to vanish and die -  and with one splash of water into the fire he is gone this time the fire is extinct. all is full of vapour again and Talia breaths hard for fresh air. And then the brownies are coming again and the creek is inviting them to a last cool bath - for the Injèrá is about to set and the day‘s work is done.

This time the Brownies bring woollen blankets and Talia and Terra are wrapped into these as soon as the leave the water. Now they are led to a fireplace in the open air. Appleblossom brings water and a bowl of fruits which she offers Terra and Talia. They are allowed to eat as much as they like, but somehow Talia isn‘t able to eat more than a few. She looks at Terra, but doesn‘t know, what to say. The whole day long they were not allowed to talk and now where it would be possible it seems she has lost her voice. What has Terra seen in the fire? The demon as well, or something else? Has Talia‘s cry interrupted something, has she been ready to stop? Talia hopes so and she trusts the brownies, that it was all right.

And then finally she is allowed to fall back on her blankets and to sleep.

During the treatment Terra only broke the silence a few times in the beginning to complain it was too hot, after that the heat stifled her voice. Even without talking, even when she could not see her mommy across from her, she tried to be brave for the little brownies. The heat seemed to make it to hard for her to think, and yet it took away any ability to run away from her thoughts, she would have the face the truth of her life and in so doing the demons she had created to give her a reason to hide it from herself.

If it were not for the heat Terra would have cried at the realization of past events in her mind, her daddies words that her mommy would not be coming home. Terra wanted her mommy to be alive and yet she seemed to know that her wants would not make it so. She looks sadly across at Talia, who also seems troubled in the heat, though no longer seeing a face asociated with her mommy, but that of a friend. Sorrow fills Terra's childlike heart as the delusion of her mommy crumbles away and is forced to relive the memmories of being told of her mothers death and the funeral rights performed shortly after.

Within her mind it's self, the Terra's were forced to face the demons they made to hide their true pains from themselves, the grown Terra the others knew desperately trying to protect the child Terra who she still could not recognize as her younger self.

Emerging from the treatment Terra is trembling, she eats little though drinking deeply more out of reflex to replace what she had lost then apatite. Even when they are allowed to sleep Terra still trembles in place of tears, she lies close to Talia, though no longer seeing her as her mommy she feels comfort at having the elder woman friend close.

Talia‘s sleep is deep, no bad dreams are disturbing her rest. Sometimes during the night she puts an arm around Terra murmuring something, but she doesn‘t awake till the Injèrá shines in her eyes.

She sits up abruptly, still rubbing her eyes. Is there no treatment today? Her gaze falls on this amazing bluebark brownie - yes, Bluesky was his name - but he doesn‘t know any Tharian (or so she assumes) and he only grins in her questioning looking face. But it doesn‘t take long until Appleblossom appears and offers her a plate of fruits and says.

“Good morning, today rest , eat and walk to new place. First eat!“

Talia smiles and takes a delicious looking fruit she doesn't know, small, round, red , juicy, with a stone in the middle, but then other bodily matters get more urgent and she gets up and vanishes out of sight behind some bushes. She goes quickly over to the river to clean her hands and wash her face in the cold water (mainly to awake entirely, not to remove any dirt) and returns to her sleeping place. Terra is up as well already and waits for her. She looks at Talia and gives her a little smile - but somehow her gaze is different then the day before. Talia returns her look, not knowing what to think.

“Good morning, Terra, how have you slept?“she answers while sitting next to her, taking the bowl of fruits and passing it to Terra.

“Quite well, Talia, thank you for asking!“
Terra smiles back at Talia, but it is a small smile, her eyes show distress.

Was her sleep not as good as hers, Talia ponders, for she doesn‘t seem to be in that nearly relaxed state Talia is this morning with the first day of their treatment behind them and a day of rest before them.
Suddenly she realises, what is different. Terra hasn‘t called her „Mum“! She looks back in Terra‘s eyes and finds there still the child, but a more aware one, more aware of herself. Has had the treatment already an effect? That would be great, though it seems to have had no relaxing effect on Terra like on Talia. Talia gives a deep sigh and takes one of Terra‘s hands, trying to get hold of her gaze.

“Terra, there will be better times and we will be sitting together relaxed in a nice place with our best friends and we will enjoy an excellent meal and an even better drink and joy will fill your heart. I‘m sure of this!“

Terra is trying to be brave and strong, not wanting to show how hurt she was inside, it feels like she is hold her heart soo tight it hurt so she would not cry in front of Talia and the brownies, all the while the thoughts and memories of her mommies death hang in her mind. Even with her best efforts to seem strong and hide her pain, Talia sees it in her eyes and takes her hand and talks about better times, places and being joyful, but her childlike mind could not grasp it as one thing would be missing, her mommy. Tears suddenly come to her eyes and her voice breaks into a shrill whine.

"But my mommy won't be there, Talia!"

Her head sinks as she curls up in pain and grief.

"My mommy's dead."

She mutters finally between whines and sobs.

Talia‘s heart hurts when she sees Terra so grieving. It is nearly unbearable to see this woman cry, she is still the child who just realised that she lost her mother.

Talia moves over to her and tries as best as she can to hold the woman in her arms as she would hold a child. Holding her tight with her one arm she strikes her hair with her other hand, allowing Terra to weep on her shoulder. After some time she urges Terra to sit down, next to her. She still has an arm around her shoulder, but offers her some of the delightful tasting fruits as well.

“Terra, eat some of these fruits, your body needs it. I‘m sure your mommy would like to see you eat some. And then when you have eaten some you tell me how your mommy was, ok? I would really like to hear something about her.
 But before I want to tell you about what we Shendar believe. We are of course very sad as well when somebody dies, for it means that we will have to miss him or her, that we can‘t enjoy his presence anymore. But, after we have mourned a lot and after we have celebrated the Journeyon we are a bit happy as well, for we believe, that the beloved person we have to miss now is just on her way to a better place to live and that one time we will make our voyage to the place as well - and that there we will meet all those persons we loved so much in our life. And that consoles us, at least a bit, it gives us hope and a silvery shimmer on a dark horizon. I do believe, that you will once see your mommy again, don‘t worry.

And now you tell me something about her, will you?

Terra takes easily to crying on Talia's shoulder and though comforted by the embrace of Talia's arm and the stroking of her hair, it does little to ease the pain of loss she feels as if the events she now recalls have only just occured. She cries herself into near voiceless sobs by the time Talia begins to urge her away from the shoulder she was crying on to sit beside her and eat a little. Sitting as she was gently encouraged Terra wipes her nose as small girl would and takes the offered fruit in trembling hands eating slowly without appetite. She listens to Talia though through her sadness and grief can't bring herself to believe it or take much comfort in the offering of hope. Finally it was her time to tell Talia about her mommy, she wipes her nose again and sniffle back the runniness there.

"My mommy..."

She starts then hesitates nearly reduced to crying once again as the memory smashes into her mind again.

"She was nice and would hold me in her lap..."

Again she stops, this time to smiffle and wipe her runny nose again.

"And she'd sing and tell me stories about women protecting people. She'd go and protect people like the woman she told me about, my daddy does that too I think. She'd point to knives hung too high for me to reach and tell her mommy gave them to her when she got big. She was always with me when she came home, and we'd spend lots of time with daddy to. He'd say bad things and she would yell at him and tell him I should not hear them, but she always smiled, even after yelling she smiled and tell me to forget what daddy said. She always smiled and held..."

Her voice is cut off as she starts another fit of crying, obviously all the things about her mommy she would miss flooding her mind.

Talia doesn‘t know anymore what to say to this Terra-child nor what to do. She knows that mourning is good, but for how long? She takes Terra again in her arms and strikes her hair, but is quite relieved when Appleblossom comes and asks them, if they had enough breakfast and would be ready to go on.  Her back is hurting meanwhile from the unusual way she had been sitting with Terra in her arms.

Talia eases Terra out of her arms, gives her a small cloth to wipe her nose and eyes and asks her, if she still wants some fruit. Terra shakes her head and so Talia answers for them both.

 „I don‘t think I will have any more now, maybe we could have some later? Terra is not very hungry in the moment. Is there anything we should do now?“

Appleblossom sighs. She has hoped that a lot of the food would be eaten for breakfast so that it would not be necessary to carry it up the mountain, but obviously her choice was not all right, at least these big people were not hungry.

“Well, pack your  things, beds and some food, please. We  walk up  mountain today and  little people cannot carry big stuff. “ She ponders a while about her words and then adds “We can, but easy other way.“

Gentlesmile is joining them as well now and points at the things  they should carry up the hill. Talia is surprised and asks:

 „I thought today is a rest day, I didn‘t think we would go up the mountains.“

Gentlesmile doesn‘t know enough Tharian to explain it to them and calls for Quickfoot, who is coming quickly. She speaks to him with hands and feet and he translates after a while:

“ No healing today, but move from one place to the next. next healing is up the mountain.“ Proud to be able to speak to the big people he smiles over the whole face.

Talia is glad that they move. That will give Terra something to do and if it is just walking uphill. Gently she touches Terra at her arm and says:

 „Let us pack our things and the stuff we are asked to carry uphill, Terra. It is a very nice area here and I think it will be good for us to move. Please come and help me!“

Having Talia hold and comfort her seemed to make her grief merely barable as she misses her mommy terribly, and so when Talia began to gently push her away Terra resisted. Terra is relieved when Talia answers the brownie's question for her as she did not feel like talking just then, but takes the small cloth knowing Talia wanted her to clean herself up. Sniffling and wiping her nose clean with the cloth Talia had given her Terra listen to the exchange between Talia and the brownies absently, her sadness clouding her mind so that she pays little attention to what is actually said. Finally when Talia asks her to pack Terra complains about having to relieve herself, then with Talia's permission takes a bundle from her pack and under Talia's watchful gaze finds a private place not far away to relieve herself and change.

When Terra returns she is wearing a elegant white dress, holding the hem up slightly so she would not trip, the armor she had been wearing now occupies the messily tied bundle she is carrying that had contained the dress. It's clear that tears are still flowing enough to blur her vision as she stumbles and clumsily packs the things she was told to, and when done looks to Talia to see if she is done so she can return to the woman's comforting arms.

Talia thinks she cannot trust her eyes when Terra comes back from behind the bushes dressed in an elegant white dress. She is about to ask Terra impatiently what she had thought at putting up that white dress while they are asked to walk through the wild, but Terra‘s facial expression closes her mouth and so she only admires her:

“ Terra, what a beautiful dress, I didn‘t know you had one!„

Talia wants to ask if Terra can walk with it or at least warn her, that she might trip, but finally she just stays quiet. Not long and all their belongings are packed, some of their meal as well and after some seemingly senselessly running around of the Brownies all are ready to go. Talia takes Terra‘s hand again while they are waiting for a sign to go. Meanwhile she tries to comfort Terra and lift her mood, though she has not much confidence that she will succeed.

“ Terra, I think it will be a good day! Look at the nice weather, the trees are looking so fresh and green. „

Finally Primerose arrives - on an owl.
While Talia and Terra have to walk, the Brownies are carried by birds. Three owls are landing nearby, accompanied by their owners and several falcons still circle above them. Primrose jumps of one of the owls and comes to see the two humans.

“ Lady Terra, Lady Talia, I wish you a good morning. Your next healing will take place up on the mountain over there in the water of a river who forms small pools. We cannot walk together as you can imagine, most of us get a ride on a bird. Just Quickfoot will be with you, it might be advisable to carry him on your shoulder. He will show you the path. And now better start, it is quite a bit from here!“

Talia looks a bit astonished, first at primerose, then at Quickfoot, then at Terra and her big bundle with her armour.

“ Quickfoot, I‘m honoured if you want to sit on my shoulder.„

Quickfoot only gives her a smirk and quickly climbs with the help of her extended hand on her shoulder.

“ Then let‘s start, ar you ready, Terra?„

And she holds her hand again out to Terra, ready to lead her through the forest as if she would be her little daughter. And she dearly hopes, that all what happens will distract Terra a bit.

Terra takes Talia's offered hand and nods with grief ever present in her movements, stumbling over things that would clearly be seen without blurred vision and some times sobbing silently. After a time is seems the tears slow and then stop as it seems Terra focuses on walking without tripping, she wipes her eyes and starts to see all the things she was missing. She takes in the landscape in sad wonder as they walk through the woods occasionally tugging Talia's hand in a silent attempt to draw her attention to a bird, some flowers, or something else she would have verbosely called out her wonder at, but not daring to test her voice against the sadness in her heart. It's clear that Terra's feelings are real and not an illusion that will fade away in a few hours even if she is distracted, this time she would have to morn her mothers death and heal her pain herself, the brownies magic could only free the pain from it's confines so that it could be healed.

Some time into the walk Terra begins to seem heavier again, though she does not seem to have started crying again, her lack of restful sleep catching up with her at last. With a tug on Talia's hand she once again tries to get her attention, then when she has Talia's attention rather than point at anything, there being little of apparent interest anyway, she speaks up.

"Talia, I'm tired. Can we stop now?"

 „Yes, my dear, we can take a rest. Let us sit over there where we will have a nice view over the valley. Quickfoot, how long will be the rest of the path, can you give us an estimation?“ Talia asks the Brownie on her shoulder.

Quickfoot has to think a bit and answers then with confidence.
 „Path is long as when sun goes from Sorceresses to Chieftain, half.“

Talia looks a bit puzzled and asks finally
 „Sorcerer, chieftan?“

Quickfoot points to two of the mountains they now can see from their point of view.
 „Path is long as when sun goes from Sorceresses to Chieftain, half.“


Talia figures out that he obviously means the time the sun needs to go from the top of the one mountain to the next, and that half.. She can‘t tell exactly, how much this could be.
 „An hour or two, what do you think?“

But Quickfoot doesn‘t answer but only points to the sun. Talia looks at Terra , but avoids to shrug her shoulders with quickfoot sitting on them. She leads Terra to a good place to sit down, takes out some of the fruit and offers it Terra who takes some, but doesn‘t eat much. After some time Quickfoot gets somehow nervous and so Talia persuades Terra to go on. It takes another two hours till they arrive at a small clearing, a place flat and big enough for a tent and some additional room for their bedrolls. The Brownies are already here preparing another meal, but it is still only late afternoon, not yet time to sleep. They hear a constant murmuring and so Talia asks, if a river is nearby. Quickfoot nods and says:

 „Healing river.“

 „Can we have a look at it today?“ Talia asks, and Quickfoot only nods after he has talked to the now present Softhands.

 „Terra, let us have a look at this river after we have rested a bit and had something to drink, ok?“

Terra nods only half heartedly, and seems to only agree wordlessly because an elder said to. None the less Terra finds herself a comfortable resting place and sits, taking some of the food stuffs from her pack eating with a little more apatite though her tummy growls quite loudly. After eating enough to quiet her tummy Terra looks to Talia, her eyes once more shows signs of tears.

"Talia, is it true? What you said about my mommy going to a nicer place?"

Obviously Terra had been to upset at first to really think about what Talia had said, but had been while they walked and now had questions.

"People go there even if they get killed? Not just if they get old right?"

She waits with sad patience hoping her fears will be put to rest.

Talia looks at Terra and sees the tears in her eyes. But she can only say the truth. Just agreeing and confirming, saying yes would not be enough. So she stays a little silent to choose the right words, but then she answers.

“Terra, many people in Santharia do not believe in a life after death, for those death is the end. But I don‘t know a lot about it, for it would be unbearable for me. I can tell you only what we Shendar believe. Come and let us sit over there at the river and I tell you more about it.“

She gets up and takes again Terra‘s hand dragging her through the high grass till they are on the bank of a river which cascades down the mountain. The find a suitable place to sit and then Talia goes on.

“We do believe that we live on after we have died, regardless of the circumstances we have died in, be it while sleeping at night, be it in a fight. Our dead body might be prepared for the Journeyon or we might have lost it in a faire, that doesn‘t matter.

We hope of course, that our belief is true, better, we are convinced that it is the way we think it is, there are not many doubts about it.

However, we don‘t know, how life is like after we went on the Journeyon. I have seen quite a bit of Santharia and met other people and think that they might not want to live in a way a Shendar would love. You see, we imagine our life after death as a live in plenitude without any troubles and hardships. I will sing you a song which  yo can hear during our Journeyon rituals.


Golden sands are moving forward
driven by the everlasting winds
singing softly songs of beauty
filling souls with joy eternally.

Jewels sparkle in Injèrá rays
cooling water soothes your senses
murmurs briskly telling stories
bringing back sweet memories

Fissling leaves are dancing gently
blue-green hues becalm your mind
loving eyes are smiling brightly
touching charily your lover's soul."


Well, that is not everybody‘s wish to live like this, I think other tribes would describe these lands differently, but I think the meaning is clear, we will live on, but without the hardness of our lives here. „

Talia is now silent for a while as is Terra, but at least she adds:

“Terra, I can‘t say, if our belief is true, but I want to think it is. For it makes me happy to have the hope to be in such a land once, with all the friends I ever had. I have nothing to loose if it would be different, for then I had the comfort of this belief my life long, even if it is not so.“

Terra watches Talia explain with sad moist eyes, the explaination seems to bring both sadness and home. When Talia starts singing her song about the "Journeyon" Terra cuddles up close and is finally still, the song and the explanation finally seeming to give her comfort and with it hope.

"I'm sure my mommy went some place like that Talia. Were she does not have to fight bad people anymore."

Terra finally looks to Talia, her moist eyes no long so sad, but hopeful.

"I'll see mommy again some day."

She manages a brave little smile.

"But I can't not be sad now."

Talia holds Terra close to her, her arms are wrapped around her.

„Of course not, Terra. You miss your Mommy and that hurts. But tomorrow it will hurt a tiny little less than today and there will come a time where you can think at your Mommy with joy in your heart, though a little sadness will always remain.“

She holds Terra tight for quite a while, but thinking what the next day might bring she decides that it will be better to go to bed. So she leads Terra back to their camp and after another small meal the Brownies urge them to have they slip in their bedrolls. The night is clear and warm and so they are able to sleep under the open sky.

But the night is short, for Bluesky and aikirana are waking them before sunrise. They are asked to relieve themselves, drink some water and then they are asked to go to the river. Softhands and Gentlesmile wait there for them and soon Primerose joins them to explain to them what will happen today:

 „ Today and the next two days you will be brought into contact with the element of water.  You will just lie there, held by a device specially constructed for this purpose. Your skin however is not suited to be in contact with the water so long, so we will have to cover you with an ointment which will protect you. Please take off all your clothes again and rum this salve into your skin as far as you hands can reach it. We will finally cover your back with it. Please don‘t speak anymore as soon as you are totally emerged in the water. Don‘t speak for the next three days as long as this part of the healing lasts, the silence is a part of the healing. Cover your skin every morning with the ointment again. You will need this time to be able to hear the voice of the water.“

Talia hesitates a bit, but follows Primrose instructions, what else can they do? They are here to get the help they have asked for. The ointment smells nice, but is very sticky and not easy to apply. Finally she is done. As she signals that she and Terra are ready, Gentlesmile comes to her and Softhands goes to Terra.  They start to sing and  run their hands over the back of the two women drawing a strange pattern while they are rubbing in the fat. This is very comfortable and Talia wishes it would last forever (or at least a bit longer). But the song comes to an end and Talia and Terra are finally asked to climb into the water.

While waiting for the sleep to come Talia has pondered over how they will manage to stay in the cold water the whole day long,  now she has got the answer. The water is warm, agreeable warm. The river cascades down the mountain in steps, forming pools in regular intervals, nearly running horizontal for a few peds before again cascading down its way. Talia and Terra are now ask to step in one of these warm pools and to lie on their back. Their head is put on a kind of floating cushion, but the rest of their body is totally emerged in the water.  A thin rope under their armpits permit any floating away. A soft last touch from a tiny hand and a what seems to be a short prayer from Gentlesmile and their next healing day starts as the Injèrá rises over the horizon.

As before, Terra has trouble with not talking at first, occassionaly complaining about being bored and wanting to get out, though eventually she succumbs to soft sobbing as it seems her mothers death is all she is lef to think about to pass the time. In her moments of calm between sobbing she finds herself thinking about Ta'las, wondering what he is doing, and if he found some one to play with while she is away. As the day goes on she finds that she feels funny when she thinks about him, but it is a good funny feeling and so she tries to hold on to her thoughts of him, and she sobs less. The day though is a struggle, she bounces between happy and sad thoughts, finding new happy memories and new sad ones.

Within Terra sits with the child in her mind by the bank of the river. She tries to calm the child as she cries, Terra feels heart broken to at hearing the childs mother had just died. Though aware that the actual even must have happened some time ago, she knows it seem real to the child, and feels all the more real to her somehow. The child had never told Terra her name, then as the child seems to calm from a fit of crying, her teary eyes look up at her, and Terra's back at the child. She could not shake the feeling that the girl was femilior to her, was she the daughter of some one she had failed to protect? They look into each others equally pained eyes for a long moment before either dared test their voice, it was the child that spoke innocently first, "Do you feel the pain to?". Terra nods at first still uncertain of her voice then brings herself to ask, "What is your name child?", to which the girl sniffs and replies "Terra." in a slightly drawn out answer. Terra's eyes go wide with realization of they the child was so femilior, it was not a girl she had met, but one she had seen in the mirror when she was the girls age, the girl was her. Terra is not sure how much her younger self knew nor did it seem the right time to ask questions that my not have answers, sadness gripped them both as the childs memories of her mothers death became her own.

The times passes, but Talia isn‘t aware of it. The water has a soothing quality, rushing past her limbs, as if it carries away all sorrow and pain. At first her thoughts are wandering, tackling with their current events, but then they are drifting backwards. When Talia thoughts are turning towards the Quallian, she gets more conscious. Though she likes to think at the elves, she tries to avoid thinking at the fire demon. She forces her thoughts just to skip the events and go farther back. First all of her voyage with Capher, Terra, Teri and all the other companions they had comes to her in vivid pictures. The day passes and the following night sees her recalling her time with her shendar family. Then suddenly there is a barrier, as if her thoughts are reflected she relives her live now again, this time forwards till she is back at the ent she desperately tried to avoid: Her encounter of Faerhorál. she again tries to avoid these memories, but in vain. But once her focus is on him, she can‘t stop recalling the scene again and again. But to her astonishment it is easier each time, as if the water carries away the fear, the tightness in her bosom. And when Injèrá rises again she awakes fully from her half conscious state of mind. And the Brownies are already waiting for them on the shore.

Talia climbs smiling out of the river. She feels so light weighted today, as if a great burden she had carried on her shoulders for quite a while is gone. And refreshed as if she has slept well for days, and she is hungry! But the Brownies seem to know it and welcome them and lead them to a magnificent breakfast. The birds are singing and Injèrá‘s rays search their way through the fir trees which are guarding the clearing.

Looking at Terra who seems still very sad Talia feels a bit guilty, that she has so happy feelings and tries to be quite moderate though she would like to sing loudly to tell the world that she feels better. Maybe her healing is already complete? She asks Primrose, who has joined them eating to see how their big guests are doing.

 Primrose, I feel well, is my healing already now complete?“

But to Talia‘s disappointment, it is not so. Primrose tells her.

“No, my dear, you might feel well now, your burden might have gone for a while, but this feeling needs to be strengthened, and that will do earth. We will go down in the valley again today, taking another longer path, for you should not use the one you came here with your burden. Tomorrow you will face the element earth, for three segments of time, two days and one night. You will receive a threefold treatment and after that you will be nearly yourself again. I hope so. But let‘s move on, you need to go down in the valley again to our old camp. There you will spend the night, but you have to get up early to be in time at the new location where the earth healing will take place.„

The little resolute Brownie doesn‘t wait for an answer, but gets up and beckons a bird to transport her back to the camp. Several other Brownies tidy up the place and Terra and Talia are asked again to carry their bedrolls down the mountain. Quickfoot takes place on Talia‘s shoulder to show them the path, a deer pass, for there are no ways human feet have made. They take another, longer one then when they climbed up to the waterfall. Quickfoot explains, that this has to be done for they should not use an old path where they still carried their old sorrows. Talia is content with walking, the day is nice and the air clear. She is on the way to find her old self back.

It is nearly dark when they arrive in their old camp. Another gorgeous meal is served and soon they settle down to sleep.

Terra no longer sits closely to Talia as she once had, no longer seems to seek her for shelter, even her movements seems older, but not yet those of an adult. Her movements bare there own awkwardness, not that of a child, but a young woman feeling out the changes in her body that occur in that stage of her life. Her sadness though still potent is more distant and brooding as if many years have passed, as quickly as it comes upon her it vanishes with a dreamy to herself taking the place of the sad frown, even her cheeks seem to warm and blush at the thoughts silently moving though her mind. She is silent for a time in her brooding joy but this to does not last, worry seems to find a way to etch itself onto her features, she look to Talia finally and speaks.

"Talia, can I ask you a question?"

After a short pause she continues.

"I am worried about my sister. She's training to be a guard but all she seems to thing about it fighting and making money. I try to explain that being a guard should not be about fighting or making money by fighting, and she seems to listen only to fall back into the same way of thinking. I am afraid that it is the money and power she is after, and not the duty of protecting people, and that she may end up corrupt or worse yet a criminal. I don't want that for her, it would break my heart to see her hunted, in jail or even dead. What can I do?"

Terra waits eagerly for Talia's answer though her eyes show that her thoughts would drift towards those that had brought a smile to her face if she were not so worried about this new trouble.

Talia is a bit set of by Terra‘s question. What should she say to that  for her more theoretical question, for she doesn‘t know Terra‘s sister. So she waits a bit till she answers, pondering what might be wrong to say and what not - in Terra‘s current state. Talia is not sure if she may ask where the sister is now, perhaps she is dead already and Terra doesn‘t realise it? For now she seems to be a slightly older Terra than before, she knows about her mother‘s death, what else?


„Terra, that is a difficult question. For one, I don‘t know your sister and so I can not say, if you perceive her right. Maybe it is not as bad as you think. People have to earn money to be able to sustain themselves. So your sister needs to earn money and she choose to combine that, earning money by protecting people, guarding them with her sword. That is a noble task,  nothing bad, but you could say she earns her money by fighting. You can‘t live from „duty“ alone. Of course she has power over the people she protects, at least to a certain amount, but that has not to be something bad either if you don‘t misuse it. That your sister loves fighting and earning her money, even that she likes the power to be able to do so makes her  good in her job.

But that depends of course all on your sisters personality, if she will  perform her job well or if she misuses it. All you can do is to talk to her about your problems and fear - or to pray to the gods to show her the right path.“

After a while, she adds:

“ Don‘t know, if that has helped you, Terra.“

Talia doubts very much, that she has been a help for Terra. That was quite a wishy-washy answer, though she thinks it is true, what she has said. Terra  has not yet arrived at the state of consolidation as she has obviously, but has to unravel more of her past and that will be probably very hard.

“ Let‘s go to bed, I heard we have to get up early tomorrow to arrive at our new destination before Firstflame, what do you agree?“

Terra broods on Talia's word for quite some time, before she finally responds.

"I guess you are right Talia. Thank you. This is really something I should talk to her about."

Terra get's up and goes to her bedroll where she seems to brood for a good time more before finally falling into a restful but not peaceful sleep.

Terra awakes in her mind to find the little girl not close to her as she was when she had fallen asleep. Instead she found a teen sitting against a tree, seemingly watching her and yet lost in her own thoughts. Terra sits up, yet the teen girl does not seem to react right away, instead dreamily looking up from her day dream, and uneasy smile gracing her lips. Terra studies the teen again finding something femilor, but it take she a few moments to realize her younger self is now much older and the teen before her. The teen though burdened by her thoughts does not seem to be as burdened as the small girl, perhaps it was only the passage of time that had eased the pain of loss.

Finally Terra decides to talk to her younger self, "Whats, troubling you?".

Her younger self take a moment to respond, "I am worried about my sister.".

Terra is rather surprised, "Your sister?".

Her younger self only nods in her brooding, so Terra decider to change the topic.

"What do you know about this area?", she asks hoping to gauge her younger selves awareness.

"Oh, it's nice here. Good for thinking.", the younger Terra replies as if not really paying attention to the question.

"Wher are we? I seem to be lost.", she tries to be more specific but not seem to direct.

"I guess you are very lost then Terra. This is your mind.", the teen replies with a small giggle to herself.

Terra's mind is reeling from the apparent awareness of you teen self, but gathers herself and asks about their sister, but leaves further questions about what was going on to herself. It is clear to her that her past is her way back to her present and so becomes and eager student, growing more intune with her younger selves. With her childhood self now gone she remembers the joys and great sorrows of that time, it is now time to learn of the burdens of her teen self.

Terra awakes from her sleep in the Brownie camp only a few hours after having fallen asleep. The thoughts of Ta'las being potent enough to bring her out of her sleep, and the desires of her crush on him embolden her to do what is forbidden, to leave the healing area to see him. Reason seemed of little value and whatever warning the brownies gave of them interacting with the others seemed of no harm to her. Like any teen she thinks herself indestructible, sitting up deliberately making a little noise as possible she lets her eyes adjust, before sneeking out of the camp , then finding her own way back towards the hut the others were staying in, often times she feels that she is being watch, as if she would be caught at any moment. A bow presses softly back on her arm as she takes one path, her heart leaps imagining a hand around her arm, she looks back expecting the stern look of her father, and yet it was only a figment of her imagination. Calming herself, she proceed along her forbidden path, determined to share the moonlight with Ta'las, all the while being watched over by Brownies that know in her present state of mind and with there stature they could not dissuade her from her path.

Above him, the night sky is a clear slate of black lit only by the pale glow of Silarná.  Ta'las scans the heavens for the constellations, but can see nothing of them.  Ahead of him, his mother-sister stands in a thicket of chest-high ar'pun, before the still water of one of Baveras' jewels.  He walks up beside her, and looks into the water, but this time he can see nothing - the water is still and black as the sky above him.

"Mother-sister, what is wrong?  Why is your water-mirror blank?"

His mother-sister looks at him and cocks and eyebrow.  "Nothing is wrong my child.  The water-mirror will show you nothing tonight."

Ta'las crosses his arms.  "Then why am I here?"

His mother-sister chuckles a little.  "Ta'las, this place is of your doing.  I have no true power here, other than what your mind can devise.  This is your dream - or your reality...whichever you wish."

"So then you have no words of advice for me?  No-"

"Ta'las!  This is your dreamscape.  You see and hear whatever is foremost in your mind.  I am not your mother-sister, this is not a water-mirror, and we are not standing together in the ar'pun."  His mother-sister shakes her head and begins to walk away.

The Shendar reaches for his mother-sister, but grabs only empty air.  Then he hears something nearly at the edge of his field of hearing, like the scuffing of shoes on the ground and he whirls around...

***

Ta'las suddenly comes awake and sits up.  He can vaguely make out the sleeping forms of the others, and hear them gently snoring.  The Shendar sighs and lays back down - in moments he is in a light, restless sleep.

Terra stands hidden in a stand of trees her eyes barely able to make out the hut in the moon light, she can feel the bark of a tree against her palm, and hear her heart pounding in her ears with both exhilaration of being so close and worry of being caught in the final moments before she could reach Ta'las. Finally she takes a deep breath, determined to finish the forbidden task before her, stepping out of the trees, holding the hem of her white dress high so as not to trip as she tries to quickly rush to the hut. Encountering the door Terra agonizes over every sound it makes even if it were so silent only she could hear it, none the less the door gives way without waking anyone. She scans the small single room hut, picking out Capher and Ta'las easily, at first fear of being caught grips her at the sight of Capher, but then as she tares her eyes from him to Ta'las her faltering resolve is strengthened all the more. She goes to Ta'las, kneeling at his side and whispers into his ear trying to rouse him from his sleep.

"Ta'las, please wake up. I came to see you."

She waits a few hopeful moments then brushes a hand across his cheek in case words did not reach him in his sleep, with every passing moment till he wakes, worry of being caught creeps back into her. Her goal is so close, but now it all hinges on him waking and them getting away without being caught.

Within her mind Terra sits with her teen self beneath a tree in the moonlight, her younger self having a dreamy look on her face, though one that does not betray anything but that the thoughts are pleasant. Terra can not remember the years this self reprisents, but like her early childhood, she is sure this too will pass as will the self next to her. Her teen self finally looks to her, a dreamy smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye, then speaks, "You like him don't you?". "Who?", She replies to her younger self who responds at first with a teen giggle as if Terra were mearly shy of admitting her desires. "Ta'las of course!", her younger self continues to giggle even as Terra looks slightly embarrassed and considers her words. "I do like him, but I am not sure he is right for me.", she finally admits not wanting to say more, her younger self taking her hands as one girl about to give another girl some serious advice then replies finally "Dare to dream Terra. Dream of all the happiness you can have. Only then can you catch me and be a little more whole.". Silence falls between them as her teen self allows the advice to sink in. Finally Terra musters a reply to herself, "You have worries to.", her younger self laughs and replies "But I don't let them stop me from dreaming.". For a long time they sit silently, both now seeming to brood on their thoughts, each dreaming their day dreams, or perhaps havign the same one.

Though it takes him a few seconds to wake, Ta'las knows immediately who has woken him from his sleep.  "Lady Terra?" he murmurs quietly, and then he sits up in alarm.  It is dark in here, but by what little light filters into the hut, Ta'las sees the look in her eyes and guesses that nothing is wrong.  Something about Terra is different now, but he isn't completely sure.

The Shendar looks around at the others, and not wanting to wake them, he grabs her hand and motions toward the door.  Once they are outside and far enough away from the hut that Ta'las hopes they will not be heard, he stops and turns to Terra.  It has been a few days now, that Terra has been in the care of the brownies, and she no longer sounds or acts like the little girl she was when they first entered the Vale.  "Lady Terra."  His voice is filled with wonder as he looks upon her.  The way she stands, and the way she carries herself, she looks more confident than when she had first left to be healed.  Her long, red hair cascades down over her shoulders, reflecting the moonlight; the white dress accentuates her figure, which stirs the Shendar's blood; but mostly he finds himself lost in her eyes. 

He starts to imagine how it might feel to take her in his arms, but he stops himself.   Terra is more than an object and worthy of more than such treatment, and despite the changes about her, she is not yet a woman.  Ta'las takes a step back, and smiles wistfully.  "How are you, Lady Terra?"  He reaches out and dares to touch her hand.  "I have missed you."

Terra does not protest Ta'las taking her hand and leading her from the hut, she had been about to do the same, she only follows eagerly, fear of being caught drowned away by the joy of being with Ta'las. She smiles at him as lost in his eyes as he in hers, when he touches her hand she ceases it and gently draws him closer bringing their hands over her fluttering heart. For a long moment she does not answer his question, only looking deep in his eyes as if wanting to think about anything else, not the healing, and certainly not the memories that were returning during her healing process. Finally she sighs a deep reluctant sigh letting their hands drop away from her heart.

"I have missed you to. We are not supposed to see each other, but I could not stay away any longer. It's hard Ta'las, the healing, they are making me remeber things..."

Tears well in her eyes as she reaches out for him to take her into his arms and sooth away the bad memories. She had hoped her time with him would be filled with joy, but instead she feels all her sorrows suddenly crushing in on her. She is not sure if she can bare the weight of them but hopes that with Ta'las she can.

Ta'las holds Terra in a gentle embrace for a few moments, his thoughts now turning to concern and compassion.  He is vividly aware of the light scent of  her hair mingling with the aroma of cedar and pine.  The air is still, with just a faint breeze.  "You are strong, Lady Terra," he says as he absently strokes her hair.  "Strong, brave and steadfast, but I think your past was hidden away from you - a past that, though dark and full of sorrow, you must face.  Capher says it is just this that the brownies are trying to help you face so that you can come to terms with what happened to you."

He carefully brushes a stray lock of hair from her cheek.  "I do not know your past, but I do know that the elven seer, Siroled, told us that whatever happened was enough to injure your soul.”  Ta’las pauses to gauge the effect of his words, wondering if he has spoken out of turn, but decides to continue on when he remembers two of the lines she said to Terra:


“I am with you, Terra.  For as long as you wish.”  Ta’las smiles and holds her close.

Terra sobs on Ta'las's shoulder for a long while before she can begin to compose herself, though she keeps her head against his shoulder. Slowly her sobbing comes under control and she cuddles lovingly against his body, though the joy she had imagined still evades her, she finds the presence of her crush soothing, and carries the hopes that their love will last and they will become more in time. For now though she feels bare, naked, vulnerable against the pains of the life she is now beginning to remember, and Ta'las feels like her protector against them. Above all, she begins to feel an uneasy contentment in his arms, it feels safe, and she does not want to leave those safe arms.

"Thank you, for being with me."

"You are most welcome, Lady Terra, but I also should thank you," he says quizically.  "For the past few days, I have been worrying over you and your healing, and though I wished to come see you, I was told that I should not interrupt the brownies' magic.  Had I known -"   Ta'las frowns a little when he looks at the expression on Terra's face, and realises that he has not been paying attention.

"You're not supposed to be here, are you?"  He waits a moment for a response, but Terra has already admitted as much when she said that they were not supposed to see one another.  Ta'las is about to berate Terra, but the look in her eyes, and his happiness at having her here hold him back.  "But I am still glad you are here, Lady Terra."  He holds her close again, for how long he is unsure.  What he is sure of, is that if the brownies felt their seeing one another could interrupt the healing process, the brownies would have stopped them by now.

Terra's body relaxes as she takes in the comfort of Ta'las's arms, her head laying against him, her mind dreaming little wishes of what he may do next, but over the moments her mind starts to slide toward sleep. Without lifting her head from it's place of comfort she replies softly.

"I'm glad you are here to. I feel safe."

She falls quite, savoring every moment till she settles into sleep in his arms, entering her sleep her body slacken, any tension that had been there while she was awake seems to vanish, a dreamy smile shining through her dreams to show on her face. Her sleap and dreams seem peaceful, happy, and content.

Ta'las is a little surprised when Terra falls asleep in his arms, but, he knows she has had an exhausting day, and it is quite late.  The Shendar adjusts her weight and picks her up in both of his arms, and begins walking down the path toward...where?

Where should I bring her? Ta'las wonders as he comes to a stop.  He smiles to himself and shakes his head - perhaps it is because it is late, or perhaps some other reason, but he is not thinking rationally.  After a couple of moments, he decides to go toward the Vale Tree, and hopes that he will find someone who can help.  Then he looks at Terra's peaceful face - she seems to be sleeping well, and perhaps will be better off if he does not try to move her too far.  So, instead of bringing her to the brownies' home, where he might run into a horde of brownies and disturb her sleep, he carries her through the wooded path to a quiet, moonlit glade.  The Shendar sets her down on his aka'pis blanket, and sits down beside her.

Terra only mumbles Ta'las's name in her sleep, and shifts slightly in his arms as she is lifted from her resing place, her content dreams still filling her sleep. For the most part her dreams are dominated by thoughts of Ta'las and her dreams for them both, some racy driven by the brash youthful mind, others wholesome condured by the grown Terra that is yet to reemerge. Reguardless of the souce, they were happy dreams, any disruption to them seems short lived. Terra again shifts in her sleep when she is lay back down, finding a comfortable position on her side facing away from Ta'las while remaining asleep. She sleeps peacefully while Ta'las watches over her.

Within her mind Terra is asleep as well believing the young teen sleeps a distance nearby, but this is not true. Her dreams have captured the essence of the teen, and so has she become a part of the Terra her friends knew, she is whole though fragile. As Terra sleeps and the teen fades from her mind scape, the bond that had held the teen to the real world and Terra to her mind now slowly reconnect to Terra, yet they are equally weak, fragile, easily broken, Terra can still be easily lost.

It is well past Shadowleave now, and though it is difficult to see the sun through the branches of the trees around him, the sky is now beginning to lighten.  Ta'las has watched Injera climb the horizon before, but today is one he will remember.  The Shendar looks down at Terra and gently brushes a stray lock of hair from her face.  He wonders what will happen when her healing is finished and whether she remember any of this.

The Shendar's attention is drawn away from Terra by a soft rustling of leaves on a nearby tree, and a pair of brownies come into view.  Their little faces are anxious and drawn, and one of them - the one who looks like a Redbark - is chattering away incoherently.  The other brownie - it is too dark for Ta'las to guess his colour - comes close and speaks in Tharian.

"Quickfoot, I.  For lady look us.  Wake now."

Ta'las is about to agree, but he looks down at Terra uncertainly.  "I'm sorry, but I don't know if we should wake Lady Terra."  He nods at her and adds, "see, she is sleeping peacefully."

The little brownie's face grows more upset.  "No, bring-"  But he is interrupted by the redbark brownie.  The brownies have a short conversation, before Quickfoot finally turns his attention back to Ta'las.  "With us then.  Carry, you."  This he states more resolutely.

The Shendar nods, and absently strokes Lady Terra's soft hair.  "That I can do," he says with a smile.  Gently, he lifts up Terra, and follows the brownies back to the clearing where Terra and Talia are continuing their healing.

Talia is fast asleep when little hands are shaking her shoulder. It takes time, for she manages to include these shakings in her dream, but finally she awakes. It is still very dark, Greyshades must have just started. Aikirana sits in front of her and though Talia can‘t see much, she hear the little voice which is quite upset.

“Wake up, we  go to earth place, but friend not here. Where is friend? Is late, too late, you come.“

Talia sits quickly upright and looks around. The place next to her where Terra should sleep is empty. Fear climbs up her spine and disquiet fills her heart. Why is Terra not here, has something happened to her? Is her fragile mind broken again? Why is she gone and where to? The last days were so promising, something moved in her mind, and to the better, at least Talia had hoped so.

She puts her face in her hands for a moment, then looks at Aikirana. “Do you know more, where is Primerose? What happens if the healing process is interrupted?“

Primrose enters the place the moment Talia has asked.

“Lady Terra has left the healing area when she should have stayed. She was seen at the hut where your comrades are sleeping and left with one of the other humans. I heard of it only now. We have to postpone the earth part. But I want you to come and look for her, my brethren have found the two. Please carry me.

Talia gets up and slips hastily in her trousers and her tunic. Cautiously she takes Primrose and puts her on her shoulder where she sits majestically like a queen. Talia nearly doesn‘t dare to ask, but finally the question which burns on her heart comes out.

“Will it have any negative effect on our healing, Primrose? If we have to postpone it?“

“I don‘t know, it will be harder, for now we have to start at night, followed by a day and another night. And nights are harder to cope with.“

Primrose directs Talia to where they should find Terra and Ta‘las. But they need not to go far. Ta‘las enters with Terra on his arms the clearing.

Talia quickly sets Primrose to the ground again and hurries towards Ta‘las, fear for Terra in her heart.

“Ta‘las, what happened!“  she shouts at him. But then, standing directly before him,  she looks at Terra who seems to sleep peacefully. Carefully she removes a strand from her face and asks again, but this time with a very low voice.

“Ta‘las, what happened to her?“

The Shendar finds it difficult to look into those flashing eyes, but he holds her gaze with his own.  "Shendar-sister, Lady Terra is well thanks to the healing she has gone through thus far.  We met earlier this night at the cabin, and walked some distance away so we could not be found."  He blushes a little, at the accusatory glares he receives, but he does not allow his gaze to drop.  "She spoke of how her healing had progressed, and that she was having some difficulty as she was being forced to remember parts of her past that she had hidden away.  I have not dishonoured her in any way, Shendar-sister, and I would never do anything to harm her."

Finally the Shendar looks off in the distance and takes a deep breath in preparation for his admission.  "I did not want her to leave, so we spent time together, just holding one another, until she finally fell asleep.  I started to carry her back, but not knowing where the healing was to occur, I brought her to a small clearing and let her sleep.  Until these brownies found us and led us here," he adds with a nod to Quickfoot and his companion.

Terra sleeps comfortably in Ta'las's arms, at some point in her sleep one of her own making its way around his neck. Exhaustion holds her to her sleep even as she is carried back to the healing place, her dreams peaceful and subdued dreams of a cozy house, perhaps in a city, perhaps a small hamlet maybe even a isolated cabin, with an adoring husband, kids and no fighting, her Moon Blade hung with honor on the wall at the ready yet unused. Her exhausted and blissful dream making what is happening around her slow to penetrate the fog of sleep, she begins to hear inaudible voices, at first discounted they now rouse her from her sleep. Terra stirs expecting to see the stone of caves when her slowly slide open, instead she begins to perceive the greens of forest and people over her, one of whom seems to be carrying her. Before her mind can work out an explanation Terra begins to panic, her chest begins to heave but take little breath with it, she looks around wildly trying to gain her bearings and her arm tightens around Ta'las's neck by reflex. In her panic her mind fails, looking around so wildly her eyes don't register who it is around her, nor allow her to gain her baerings, finally she is subdued by lack of breath and nearly faints.

"Where am I?", she pants looking up at Ta'las finally having caught a crucial breath and a bit of her compasure, her chest still heaving but taking more normal breaths, "What happened in the cave?".

"The cave?" Ta'las looks quizzically at Terra, and then up at Talia.

Talia puts a hand on Ta'las shoulder.  She sees that he has mistaken her concern for anger, and does her best to calm him.  "Do not worry over that, Shendar-brother.  Come, you're arns are shaking - bring Terra over here where she can rest," she adds, softly.

He does as Talia says, carrying Terra over to the sleeping roll and blanket, and gently sets her down.  However, he does not leave right away, despite the glances Primrose is aiming his way, but kneels on one knee next to Terra.  A range of emotions from relief and joy that Terra now seems much more herself, to regret and fear that Terra seems to have no recollection of their time in the Vale, wash through the Shendar.  Despite that fear, he smiles widely, for it appears that Terra's healing has not been compromised.

He speaks calmly, not wanting to overwhelm her with everything that has happened.  "Lady Terra, much has happened since we left the cave, but I will tell you now that we drove Garrek and his minions away.  You fought well, Lady Terra."  He adds with fierce pride.  "After that, we were brought here to the Vale by the brownies to begin your and Talia's healing.  Primrose here," he says, nodding to the brownie sitting on Talia's shoulder, "has been helping both of you heal."

Terra looks to Ta'las in shock unable to understand how that was possible. "Ta'las, I could not have fought, I was trapped in my minds eye.", Terra takes a deep breath trying to stay calm then continues. "Last I remember, I had just crossed the rock bridge. I was so scared I felt... my mind slipping. I tried to meditate, to center myself but something happened, I was disturbed at a crucial juncture.", she takes a deep breath then continues "I felt like I fell. When I managed to pull myself from the river in my mind I was too tired to move." Terra pauses for a long moment before finally speaking again her voice still sounding tired from lack of sleep, "I me tmyself, first as a small child, then as a young woman.".

"Yet somehow you did fight, Lady Terra."  He shakes his head slightly, but continues to gaze into her eyes.  "I do not know nor understand, but you were with us the entire time.  In the caves, and indeed before your healing began, you spoke and acted as a young girl.  And then, last night, you seemed a young lady - as if you were in your teens."

"I have spoken with Capher about this.  It might be that interrupting your meditation at the rock bridge was needed.  I think only by reaching back to your past, and reliving those memories from both your childhood and then your teenage years, were you able to reach the point you have today."

Ta'las sighs, realising that Terra has no recollection of her time in the Vale.  He looks to both Talia and Primrose, whose eyes are filled with uncertainty and concern, and then back at Terra.  "Lady Terra, I believe you have not yet finished your healing, and though I would prefer to remain with you here, the brownies must be allowed to continue uninterrupted."

"You have faced the memories of your past, and I think you have succeeded in finding peace with those memories.  Now," he adds quietly, "it is time for you to reconcile your past with your present."  He realises he has been rubbing her hand.  He looks down at their hands and smiles, though he starts to blush.

"You are tired, and you must finish your healing, Lady Terra."

Terra smiles with tired longing as Ta'las takes her hand in hi rubbing it gently, as he blushes she shares his blush. She is still uncertain how all that has been described to her is possible, but with Ta'las there, touching her hand it no long seems to matter. Her hear both flutters at his presence and sinks knowing the truth of his words, he will have to leave her soon so that her frail mind could be made strong again, but before he had to leave her there was one more thing she wanted. She places her other hand on his shoulder and uses it to raise herself up and land a kiss on his cheek. Settling back where she lay, Terra speaks softy to him, "I am sorry if that was inappropriate of me. Tell my father... Capher I am sorry if I worry him and I will be well soon. Do you think we could spend some time together after all of this?". Terra lays patiently waiting for an answer, visibly fighting away sleek to be awake for his answer.

Ta'las blinks as he attempts to sift through what Terra has said, but his mind is otherwise occupied after her kiss.  "Yes!  Blessed Seyella, we will spend more time together once this is settled."  The Shendar feels new strength rush through him, and he embraces her.  Realising he has lost his composure, Ta'las releases Terra and lays her back down on the blanket, which he pulls around her shoulders.  He gazes at her a last few moments and returns her kiss.  "Please sleep now, Lady Terra," he says quietly and rises, seeing that she is fighting exhaustion.

He looks down when he feels a tug on his boot.  "You leave," Primrose says imperiously and crosses her diminutive arms.  "Must heal now at night.  You come when we send - until then stay at hut."

He nods at the brownie.  "Yes, I shall.  And thank you for everything you have done for my friends." 

Ta'las turns to Talia and adds, "please take care of yourself.  I am sorry for worrying you last night, Shendar-sister."  Then he places his hands on each of her shoulders.  "Daughter of the Desert, it is time for you to finish your healing as well.  There is much left we have to do.  I will not be far."  He hugs Talia and then strides away from the clearing, still smiling even once he is back at the human's camp.

Talia sits quietly and watches Ta‘las interaction with Terra. Softly she tugs at Primrose's sleeve to signal to her not to interfere. Primrose might know a lot about healing and the problems minds can bring themselves in, but she knows Terra and Ta‘las better than she does and Talia‘s empathy tells her that the two, especially Terra, need this interaction right now.

When Ta‘las is about to leave and hugs her, she embraces him tightly. What a good friend the goddess has send to her. So kind and loving. She is moved, the whole situation, her own sensitivity and the recent interaction between Terra and Ta‘las is nearly too much and though she smiles at Ta‘las, a tear is rolling down her cheek which she tries to hide by pressing her eyes to his shoulder.

 „Thank you for being here, my friend!“ is all she is able to say.

And then Ta‘las is gone, sent away by Primrose, who steps into action immediately. She looks at Terra, then at Talia who suddenly looses her courage to say anything when looking in the Brownies face.

 „You two eat now, then rest a little and then we are going to the earth-healing place. It is only a short flight to this place.  I‘ll see you there again.“

And then Primrose is gone as well.

Suddenly Talia‘s knee start to tremble. She had thought that she is now nearly whole and strong again, but that must have been the case for just a short time after she had emerged out of the water. Would it be good to have now someone at her side to hold her as Ta‘las had done a short while before. She sighs and longs for a strong shoulder, though at the same time her Shendar pride scolds herself for feeling this way.
But there is another person who is in the same situation. Terra has found back to her old self, but is as weak and endangered as she is. So Talia crouches down and slips on the bedroll of Terra, embracing her cautiously, not knowing if the new-old Terra will like such a close contact.
 

It doesn?t seem long to Talia till the Brownies come back, offer some more of their healthy food and give the sign to pack their belongings to move on to the place where the earth-healing shall take place. They won?t need their bedrolls though is pointed out to them.

This time they go further up the valley along the smaller creek where their main camp is. After a few hours - Talia guesses that about three hours have passed - they arrive at another clearing. The creek they have followed its path back to its source is here joined by another little rivulet which falls into a little pond which expands to a swamp before it joins the bigger creek. To Talia?s astonishment it?s water is quite hot, even hotter as the water of the river where the water healing has taken place. Bluesky grins and points to  swampy area. Only a few grasses are growing there and the nearly black mud is showing between them. ?Earth-healing begin? he says to Talia who looks at him questioning. Are they meant to sit in that mud, she asks herself. But Primrose is not yet here and their other translator neither, so the questions have to wait. There are still a couple of hours till sunset and Talia doesn?t know what to do meanwhile. Are they allowed to leave the camp, just for a small walk? She is not sure and so sits down with the back on a tree trunk. Eying Terra she wonders if she could ask her about her experiences and what it was that has driven her to leave the camp. But her mind might be too fragile and so Talia just sits and waits. She has not expected that doing nothing is so hard work.

As Terra follows along with Talia, she has no idea what to expect, she is nervous but keeps this well hidden, she once again wears a masked expression only this one seem softer, less burdened, less enforced, less ridged. Terra catches a few of Talia's glances and offers a brave smile in return, though not remembering the healing that must have happened before, she does remember the promise she made to Talia about being with her through it, she had not at the time thought she was in as dire need as Talia. Terra had began to prepare herself to face her inner demons, began to open herself up on the way to the caves, but it seems something had gone horribly wrong there. She tussle a short while with the question of if whatever went wrong was inevitable or if she herself had done something wrong, reguardless she makes the conscious decision to forgo any meditation at least until the brownes healing was complete. If she had made a mistake with her techniques she did not want to do so again and undo whatever aid she had recieved, there would be no other persona's to fall back on should something go wrong.

It was several hours of walking till they reach where she could only assume the next phase of whatever their healing entailed would occure. Terra could see that Talia had questions about what will happen or what they much do, as does she, but as Talia does not ask her questions Terra follows her lead instead. Settling against a tree opposite Talia watching her for a few moments trying to formulate the questions she has for her elder friend before finally speaking.

"Talia, Ta'las was not supposed to be with us this morning was he?"

She felt she already knew the answer to the question, but she wanted to hear it. Though not remembering what had happened she had the feeling that they had been isolated for a reason, as the healing seems to revolve around their minds and feelings it is possible that their isolation was to prevent any outside interference that may effect their thought and feelings during the process. As she awaits the answer she is sure will come she ponders the repercussions of the events she has awaken to, but soon her thoughts drift to his lingering eyes in the caves and a smile draws upon her lips. She becomes certain her feelings for Ta'las are not a side effect of her exposure to him. They had been there already, she was just not open enough to recognize them, yet still she feels like a child with her first crush, uncertain of the exact nature of her feelings for him but certain that they are there and not false.

Terra has caught Talia red-handed - what should she say? That she should not have left the camp and that the Primrose has been angry? That their healing was delayed for half a day and might be more strenuous or frightening or whatever, now that they started at night? That really would have no advantages. Obviously Terra had needed that meeting with Ta‘las, she had slept well afterwards. Talia is inclined to see always the best in a situation, at least as long as possible, and so she hopes that this delay will prove as helpful for their cause.

So she smiles at  Terra and says:

“No, he was not supposed to be with us. But it was nice having him here, wasn‘t it?“

Terra both smiles and blushes at the same time at Talias reply, she wants to ask why he was there with them but can't bring her self to ask it directly, instead she asks in a more round way.

"Talia, what can you tell me about my healing so far? I know that I had to face the tragities of my life from a young age. My mothers death, my fathers withdrawl into endless morning, the trouble of my sister. They came to me, as aspects of my past self, the small girl and the teen that Ta'las descrided, but I know nothing of what happened out side of my minds eye. They all seemed to be be attached to Ta'las."

She waits for the answer, not sure what Talia will reveal and yet certain that Talia would not lie to her. She trusts Talia as a dear friend and looks up to the elder womans wisedom.

Talia is eyeing Terra carefully. Is the old Terra back, the adult? Not really, Terra seems to have reached a stadium again where she acts like being grownup, but it is a different Terra, one that seems to know more about her past than the one before they came to the Vale. But how tightened is her new personality? Is she still in danger to retreat again in her inner self? Will she be embarrassed if she tells her, that the Terra child had shown a big affection to Ta‘las and the teen as well? Denying it was no option and surely not helpful either. So Talia struggles again to find the right words, and the right tone.

After a short wordless time she smiles at Terra, it is a little smile, her face mostly earnestly looking, but her lips curl slightly, her eyes  twinkle a little and it is a slightly amused note in her voice when she finally answers.

“You had retreated into your mind after the fight in the gorge - do you remember the fight? You acted at first as if you were a little girl of six or eight years. You thought I would be your mother and Capher your father. And this little girl was very fond of Ta‘las and asked if she was allowed to play with him as soon as we would reach our resting place at the Brownies. But there was never time for play, so there never a situation occurred, where you could actually ask again. Then after the water-healing you have been a teen, and as all teens do, you sneaked away in the middle of the night. I haven‘t talked to Ta‘las yet, but I think you were so tired you just slept in his arms.   And Ta‘las “  and now Talia‘s smile broadens and she looks directly into Terra‘s eyes:
“ - I think he was very pleased to hold you in his arms, though he had a slightly bad conscience as well because of the healing I assume. He carried you very tenderly in his arms when the brownies told him to bring you to the camp.
Btw, the others are gone to look after Ken, for he has left us because he had some - quarrels - with the Brownies. Maybe they try to get to the dwarves as well to ask for the anvil while we are completing our healing. We will see. But Ta‘las stayed here to look after us. And he did well. He addressed you always as Lady Terra, even  when you were acting like a child. He likes you, Terra!“

Now waggishness sits in Talia‘s eyes and she waits for Terra to blush. But suddenly she is sure that those emotions only can help on the path of healing.

Terra blushes deeply as Talia had suspected at the recount of events, she becomes lightheaded both from the blood running to her cheeks and from the wild torrent of pleasing emotion and dreams for Ta'las. It takes her a long moment to regain some of her composure, gracefully placing a hand to still her fluttering heart, but finally she manages composure enough to speak though her cheeks still glow deeply.

"Talia, I like him to. I began to feel for him when a caught his lingering glances in the caves. I could not remember receiving such glances before, and still can only must memory of lusty leers. With Ta'las they are different though, softer, caring. I want to tell him I like him to, but I never seem to be able to put the words of my mind and... my heart to it, I seem to say something totally different."

Terra sighs deeply, slumping against the tree, her face a confused wash of disheartenment and dreamy joy for a possible future.

At the same time Terra and Talia are discussing the events of the last few days, Ta'las stands motionless in the small clearing just outside the cabin.  The evening sun warms his face, and its rays glint off the blades of his dou'kilij.  The Shendar has turned his thoughts inward, as he recounts his actions in the Gorge.  He sees Garrek emerge from the shadows, the mullog swoop down to entangle 'Teri, the red elves and the Kari'ii engage them in combat.  Ta'las remembers his actions - the dangerous gamble he plays to draw Garrek's attention away from Capher - and suddenly the memory recedes.  He resheaths his weapons, somehow feeling that they are not needed for this challenge.

The Shendar looks down at the ground in dismay.  Every time he feels himself take a step down the "Warrior's Path" and relives something from his past that he regrets, he loses focus.  "The path to inner truth is the path of the warrior," he recalls the words of the husband of his mother-sister, Kal'manth.

Ta'las notices the circular medallion hanging around his neck.  The one his mother gave to him before she died, and absently rubs its metal surface.  He remembers Kal'manth teaching him to be wary of regret.  "It unbalances you.  Pushes you from the warrior's path by causing you to reconsider past choices.  You must not regret your actions, Ta'las.  Think before you act, so you will not feel regret later.  Once you have acted, all that is left to do is to live by what you've done. "

The Shendar closes his eyes again and faces toward Injera.  Once again he recalls the events in the Gorge, and even sees himself challenge Garrek to combat.  This time, rather than worrying over his reasons for his actions, Ta'las focusses on the real challenge of accepting what he has done.  It provided the group time and a distraction to respond to Garrek and his minions.  He breathes deeply as a cool wind blows across his face. 

Regret slips away, to be replaced by content.  And thoughts of Lady Terra...

Ta'las spends the remainder of the day until Sundrown practising with his weapons and training his body to hone his timing and increase his endurance.  The Shendar remembers how tired he felt when they exited the Gorge, and he had carried Kenrill a fair distance.  He fears, however, that much greater trials will lie ahead of them, and that he must be ready physically for any challenge they face.

As Injera's light slowly recedes beneath the horizon, Ta'las finally stops and sheaths his dou'kilij.  He returns to the camp, aware of the few brownies flitting through the trees at the periphery of the small clearing, but feeling no sense of the earlier animosity toward their group.  Just a sense of curiousity.

The Shendar returns to camp, quickly washes himself, and eats a light meal.  Once he is finished, Ta'las settles in for the evening and listens to the sounds of the forest.  As he feels sleep begin to overtake him, he looks inward again.

***

"You've managed to find peace within yourself, Ta'las?"

Ta'las looks around at the ar'pun grass swaying in the breeze, and above the constellations shimmer in the night sky.  His mother-sister waits in front of the water mirror, which this time glows with a soft blue light.  The Shendar approaches the still water.

"Inner peace?"  Ta'las shakes his head.  "I have found a measure of acceptance for my actions, but you know as well as I that inner peace cannot be so easily attained."

His mother-sister looks at him and raises her eyebrows.  "I daresay you've also gained a measure of wisdom, my boy."  She pats his shoulder, and to Ta'las surprise it seems to him that her hand feels solid.  "You seem happy as well."

The Shendar smiles and nods his head.  "I am.  I must be.  The others need me to be strong."  He catches the little sigh that escapes his mother-sister's lips, and asks, "is that so wrong?"

"You overvalue physical prowess and your own importance.  You are but one part of this."  There is a brief pause as the glow in the water-mirror dims.  "You speak of need as if it matters above all else.  What about simply being happy for the sake of itself?"  She turns to him, and this time looks sad.  "You have taken your first steps on the 'Warrior's Path' and you have done well, Ta'las.  Be wary that you continue to move forward."

***

Talia smiles at Terra, she feels happy inside, just because Terra seems to feel better. What for a great remedy love could be!

 „Terra, that is totally normal and it will go away!“ She gets up and moves over to Terra, embraces her lightly out of joy and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Still kneeing in front of her, she looks into her eyes and assures her:
 „Don‘t worry, your love will grow and you will be happy, your past just a shadow which is chased away from the sun. “

Talia gets up and with a  „I‘m back in a few minutes!“ vanishes in the bushes to relief herself.

The day passes and nothing eventful happens. Finally the Brownies bring them a light meal and after that Primrose introduces them to the next part of the healing, the Earth-Healing.

“The next three intervals you will be exposed to the earth. Earth means strengthen your mind and body, consolidating what we have achieved already during the process.
The first step will be the easiest one, for earth will be mixed with water, no stress will be exerted on your body and the soul will hopefully follow. You will comfortably sit over there in the warm mud. It may well be, that you sleep during the first part, during the night. Dreams will come to you, either in your sleep, but as well if you are awake. But you might not remember any, not yet, not now. During sunrise you need to leave the mud, wash yourself and try you up. We will offer you a drink and then immediately the second part will start.

We will guide you in this cave over there, down a gallery and after a short while we will enter another cave. There you will spend the day, with only very little light. You will be surrounded of rock, hard rock, but this cave is special, you will see.

At sundrown we will fetch you again for the last part. Then you will half sit, half lie in a little hole filled with a mixture of earth and sand. At first this might be  - well uncomfortable. Having a lot of earth around you and not to be able to move is a hard thing in the beginning. But you have the stars above you to watch and I promise, the morning will see you strong and healthy.

The good mood which Talia was in the whole afternoon since her talk with Terra melts away and fear creeps in her heart. It sounds not very dangerous, sitting in a mud, then in a cave, but somehow all these actions must have some strong effects, otherwise they would not be practised  and that starts to frighten her suddenly. Not knowing about the power behind what awaits them. But she doesn‘t allow her fears to surface, she doesn‘t want to infect Terra... and then they are asked to go over to the mud area.

Terra begins to smile in new hope as Talia's works of guidance soothes her lost heart, and she thinks that perhaps it is that she tries to force the words from her mouth that is the problem. She now remembers clearly what had happened in her mind, her memory of what went wrong clouded in the panic of the moment, she had not fallen into the turbulent water but thought she  heard Ta'las call from the water and leaped without thinking realizing to late the strength of the currents that would catch her. Now with Talia's guidance she realizes the folly she had made, she is now confident she could once again meditate without repeating it, but she feels no need for it now the chaotic flood has ceased and now the river of emotion that had been held back flows smoothly. Terra thinks of these things as Talia goes to relieve herself, then then stands and meets Talia as she returns taking her hands in friendship.

"Thank you Talia, I am sure my mother would have said the same if she were here."

A tear of morning runs down her cheek in spite of her smile and being generally happy and content with the path her life is taking, the wounds of loss still fresh after all the years of being covered up. They sit and talk the rest of the day until the brownies arrive, then eat a light meal and listens to one brownie describe the next phase of their healing process. Terra notices tension seep into Talia as the healing is described, even as she tries to keep it within herself, in response Terra places her hand on Talia's shoulder and gives a reassuring smile.

"I will keep my promise to you Talia to be with you through this. We should not fear what is to come, though it may be difficult, I do not think the brownies would have us do anything that would cause harm."

As they are instructed to move to the mud Terra takes a few steps then pauses looking down at the white dress that she still wears.

"Could I have a minute to change into something not easily spoiled?"

Receiving an indication that it was except able she disappears to a private place in the woods with her pack returning in what would have been a modest outfit years ago, but now proves taught and revealing a little more of her chest then appropriate, the top buttons of the shirt obviously imposable to fasten properly. From then she seems more than eager to have her body hidden beneath the mud.

So that should help to strengthen their body, mind and soul?

Talia was half sitting, half lying comfortably into the warm mud, covered up till the neck. The hot water well somewhere nearby guaranteed, that their „bed“ would stay as warm as it was. Though the dark brown moor had not been a very inviting sight  when they stepped in, the feeling now was a great one. It was as if they lay in silk, so soft was the moor to the touch, just a bit warmer. As soon as the nose was accustomed to the not everyday experience there was nothing which went amiss. She wished she could talk to Terra. Was the ban to talk of the fire part still valid? She didn‘t know. The stars above in the cloudless sky were a grandiose sight. Her thoughts wandered randomly. This time she did remember a lot of things of her past in the desert and her voyage, but it was not such a frightening encounter like during the fire healing. She could think at the fire demon without falling in panic, though her heartbeat accelerated slightly.

Talia must have slept at times, she noticed the moving of the bright stars above her. Quite a part of the long night must have already passed, when a fine mist started to cover the whole area. It might have been only a fore high, but became quite dense with the time. There had been some water vapour in the air before, gases rising from the warm mud into the fresher air, but they never clouded the sight to the nearby trees and mountain slope.

It was getting slightly scaring. Once paying more attention Talia heard a lot of noises she had not noticed before. She wondered, if the Brownies were nearby and if they were strong enough to protect them should any wild beast decide to get an easy meal.
She tried hard to think at nicer things, forced her thoughts to remember hot days in the Ráhaz-Dáth, but to no avail. There had been rivermaids who pulled their raft up the river. Where rivermaids lived, could there not house swamphags  as well? Was not their natural habitat moors and little deep ponds? But no, they didn‘t exist, they were only myth. Nothing than lore to frighten little kids away from dangerous places. The mud seemed to become colder with the time, or at least Talia thought so. If she only could talk to Terra! Talia hoped that she woudl not have such frightening ideas..

It seemed to Talia that ages had passed till it began to dawn and with relief she saw the brownies arrive who gestured towards them to get out and to the river to wash the dark brown substance from their bodies.
What would come next? Had Primrose already mentioned what it was? Talia couldn‘t remember, but feared, that she would get to know it soon enough, there was no restday planned in-between.

Ta'las wakes the following morning just as the first rays of Injera stream through the window of the small hut.  He eats lightly and dresses quickly.  Today, the Shendar puts on his full 'suit' of armour, including his headscarf, which he wraps around his face, leaving only a thin slit to see through.  Finally, he buckles on his weapons belt sheaths his dou'kilij, shoulders his pack which contains a change of clothes, and exits the hut.  Ta'las strides purposefully to the small clearing where he had watched over Terra as she slept the previous night.

Why here? he wonders to himself, as he looks around at the large oak and ash trees that stand at the periphery of the clearing, except to the east and west, where the first and last light of the setting sun will blaze through two openings in the trees.  Ta'las looks down, and again notices the gold medallion of Foiros hanging around his neck.  He finds himself thinking of his time in the Rahaz-Dath with his tutor, Kal'manth.  He closes his eyes and remembers a sweltering hot day beneath the hammering rays of Injera, only a few days after bonding with Desert Rose.

Ta'las feels the heat on his brow as if he were there...

***

He opens his eyes - the clearing has disappeared - and in its place he sees the vast openness of the desert.  Rolling dunes of sand stretch around him for miles, a harsh wind throws sand at his skin, and his parched throat cries out for water.  Standing before him is Kal'manth, dressed in gold rahez-estar armour, with his arms crossed.

From behind his headscarf, his gravelly voice reaches Ta'las.  "You may find, Ta'las, that once you begin the Journey to Second Reality, that you will be drawn to certain places - areas of Santharia strong in energy.  Remember this, Ta'las, for the energy of these areas will help you gain...insights.  And that energy will help you in your physical training as well."  Kal'manth spreads his hands and adds, "this is one such place of energy."

"Here?" Ta'las asks incredulously, looking up at Kalmanth who seems as tall as the sky.  "How can you know this?  And even if you did, how would you ever find your way here?"

Kal'manth glares at him.  "Do you not listen, young one?  Places of power draw you to them - if you know how to perceive them.  This is something you must learn, Ta'las - how to perceive without using your sight."

Ta'las blinks in confusion.  "You want me to see without my eyes?"  Then, though his tutor's mouth is hidden beneath his headscarf, Ta'las imagines Kal'manth smiling at him in approval.

"That is exactly what you must do, Ta'las."

***

The Shendar opens his eyes, and realises with newfound knowledge why he chose this place to resume his training.  And perhaps, this is why he unknowingly brought Lady Terra here the previous night.

Ta'las draws his weapons and begins his weapons' practise in earnest.  The Shendar calms his mind and focusses on perfecting each move, and pushing his body to the limits of his endurance, speed and flexibility.  Hours pass by without him realising how much time he spends, until finally the evening light streams into the clearing.  When he is finished, his body feels fatigued yet somehow strengthened.  Though his pulse races, his mind is at ease, and he calmly returns to the hut.

He finds a nearby stream, quickly undresses and bathes, enjoying the feel of the cool water on his skin.  Ta'las spends a few minutes on the bank of the stream, just looking into the water - he wonders how Lady Terra and Talia's healing is going.  He finds himself smiling when he thinks of Lady Terra, and wishes he could be with her.

Ta'las clothes himself in his clean clothes and returns to the hut.  He falls asleep at once - once again, his dreams find him.

As Ta'las strides through the ar'pun grass, he is surprised that he can now smell the faint earthy scent of its leaves.  He reaches out his hand and feels the grass brush against his fingertips.  The Shendar looks up ahead and the scent of the brackish water reaches him as he approaches his mother-sister.  The night air is filled with the sound of a multitude of different insects, as well as the swaying of the ar'pun grass.

"Mother-sister," he says in awe, his voice fills with fear, thinking that perhaps he has passed into his Journeyon.  "What is happening?"

She looks at him and shrugs.  "You are becoming aware, Ta'las."

The Shendar smiles proudly.  "So I am walking the Warrior's Path."

His mother-sister shakes her head.  "Don't be so sure, young one.  You are taking steps, but there is more than awareness that is needed before you may call yourself a 'Warrior'."  She sighs and waves a hand over the water-mirror, which begins to shimmer.

"Ta'las, can you remember when you bonded with your Aj'nuvic?"

He looks into the water-mirror and smiles wistfully.  "I do - it was cold and raining.  Desert Rose was irate and tried to bite me when I first tried to feed him."

His mother-sister waves her hand.  "No.  You are remembering what you saw with your eyes.  Why did you persist?  Why did you and Desert Rose bond?"

Ta'las furrows his eyebrows a moment and considers her words.  In his mind, he reaches back to that day and tries to recall how he felt.  The 'Grounds' were windswept and a rare heavy rain pounded the earth.  He remembers seeing a small Aj'nuvic standing alone near a dead birch tree, shivering in the rain with its fur matted against its back.  However, when Ta'las came near, the little Aj did not run or hide - it simply stood and waited.  He and Desert Rose watched one another for hours, until the storm reached its peak, as the wind and rain slashed against the night.  He recalls walking toward Desert Rose then, and his Aj also walked toward him, until they stood inches away from one another.  Kindred spirits - stalwart in the face of adversity. 

Fierce pride fills the Shendar's heart, and he nods at his mother-sister.  "We both honour strength in those who carry on despite what they face.  I must prepare now."

He turns away from his mother-sister, who shakes her head.  "Still so far to go," she whispers.

***

Ta'las rises and has a short breakfast.  Then, as yesterday, he returns to the small clearing, and resumes his training.

Terra was more than eager to slip into the dark warm mud after it is finally explained that they were to be naked. She could not help but to blush in modesty at being naked before so many eyes and made haste to hide her nakedness beneath the mud. It was surprisingly warn and soothing where she had expected mud to be cold and uncomfortable, she never had an experience like this, for her mud has always came with oppressive rain.

As Terra settles into the soothing mud memories of her childhood arise, she remembers much to her parents horror how she would revel in going out to play during rain storms when she was little. It did not matter then that she was soaked to the bone, mud up to her knees and looked like a half drown rat. It was a time of innocence and joy. She remembers clearly being called in, pouting all the way to the wash tub that she could not stay out and play longer. But after all the pouting, bathing and a warm meal she would curl up in her mothers lap under a warm blanket and listen to stories till she fell asleep.

When she slept, her dreams were of Ta'las. Being in his arms, imagining what it must have been like to sleep in those arms, feeling his warmth, feeling protected, the peace of knowing he is there with her. Contentment and hope fills her heart, fear becomes a distant memory, she sleeps as if Ta'las's arms still encircle her protectively, a smile gracing her features as dreams dance through her mind.

Upon waking again her memories turn to the Kar'ii lands and her arrival as a young woman, not prepared for the brutality of what she would encounter, worn down by the brutality she had to try to bare to get there. She remembers the gasplly sight of dead orc and humans staining the snow red, and the woman who took so much pride in task of killing before her wounds claimed her as well. Her mind skip quickly through training with her Moon Blade, many of her piers were jealous at how quickly she picked up sword skills they had been taught since their childhood, and more so the latitude she was given to deviate from them.

Again her mind skips, now she is sleeping, her mind unsettled, clawing at the edge of sanity trying to return. Terra's heart sinks that she had once been like that, so consumed by the things she had experienced she could not handle the truth of them, remembering her mind manufacturing demons of the mind to cover the truth. She feels many hands on her, she tries to struggle way but they have her fast, she can't call out. Then she remembers bitter cold, every inch of her body seeming stabbed with needles, cold snow pressing against her naked body as she wakes and her only thought is to not die without her mothers Moon Blade, though she did not recall it's origin at the time.

She remembers standing, freezing snow against her feet feeling as if the soles of her feet had been cut away and she was being forced to walk over searing coals. Her skin feeling as if the very wind were flailing it from her flesh. Dispite all this she walks in her memories, intent on getting her sword back, her very will staying off death, yet her flesh becomes pale from cold. She remembers no other thought but the sword, no relief as the village appears before her, no time for modesty as the Kar'ii take in her pale naked form entering their village. She recalls the shock on the faces of the Kar'ii that had dragged her from her bed and left her for dead, having left the elements the actual task of killing her and her state of mind to cover their deed. She remembers holding forth a hand towards her sword, then her memory seems to skip, without apparent explanation her sword is in her hand, being raised to strike down the Kar'ii that had lead her death plot. The blade falls followed by his head, and then darkness.

She sleeps again only to wake to being beaconed from the mud, and to wash off. She can see Talia's fears rising and give her a reassuring smile, the rigors of this healing seeming not so bad when compared to recovering from the brink of death it's self.

"What troubles you, my friend?", she finally asks.

„I can't say. Maybe it is just because...“ Talia pauses, stares at her feet, but continues after a short while  „maybe because I thought by now I should be more confident, more my old self. It is a bit better, I remembered what happened when we met the demon and did not panic, but then as the night advanced unreal fears entered my mind and I could not push them away. I am ashamed that I have such unproductive fears and though I know that my Shendar family would never abandon me I  have the feeling I'm not longer worth to belong to them. I know this doesn't count with them,  but I tell myself, I'm only adopted and don't belong to them truly. And I'm longing so much for a place where I can be sure I belong to. Not to be there all the time, but to know that there is one.“

Meanwhile tears are falling down her cheeks, one by one, but she wipes them away with a determined move of her arm and says with half a crying  and half laughing voice to Terra. .

„See, I'm weeping like a lapdog where I should be strong, that's not the me I am, or at least not the one I want to be. But you are here, and that is a great help for me.“ Out of a sudden impulse she embraces Terra firmly. When releasing her again she smiles at her. It is only a little smile, but shows a tiny little bit of the confidingness she is lacking and aiming to recover.

„Isn't it strange, that another weak and broken human being can be such a great ..ah..  tower of strength for me? But that is for I know that you are so strong inside, even when you are lost and searching yourself .“ And after a few seconds of silence, Talia adds, and this time she shows a bit more of her genuine smile:
„I think I was very fortunate to meet you in the Thirsty Herald!“


.

Terra listens intently to Talia, the woman from which she takes wisdom and guidance, but now she must impart the wisdom and guidance the healing has granted her. When embraced she returns it, when Talia laughs crying she laughs with her and when Talia smiles Terra smiles with her.

"Talia, I miss my mother very much though my memories of her are only of when I was very young and barely able to grasp the concepts of the world around me. While we were in the mud, I dreamed pleasant dreams, remembered things pleasant and not, but I also wept silently for my mother missing her dearly."

Terra pauses a moment, smiling though her expression clearly shows how much her mother is missed.

"You are like a mother to me Talia, you offer the advice and guidance she would if she was here. Tears are not weakness no matter what anyone says, I only wish I had learned that long ago, if I had I would not need this healing now. Cry if you must Talia, I am sure your tears are for a reason even if you do not remember why, I will be here for you. You are not weak, don't let your pains become demons like I did."

Terra takes Talia's hand in hers and gives it a squeeze, her smile brightening a little more.

"Come I am sure the brownies are eager to see us though the next stage of becoming stronger whole people again... And I would really like to se Ta'las again soon."

Talia blushes a bit due to Terra's compliment that she is like a mother to her.
"Oh Terra, you are honouring me, but I'm surely not as old to be your mother, though I don't know my true age. And  I'm surely not as wise as I should be!
But you are right, see, over there Primrose is standing and looking quite impatiently if I can read that little face properly. Let’s follow them wherever they want to lead us, we have no other choice I fear."
Primrose orders them to eat a little, to dress lightly, but to take their sleeping role with them and to carry a bundle which they seem to need later on. Then she gives some advice what will await them.
“In the beginning you will have some light, but it will get dimmer with the time and in the end you will sit in the darkness. However, your other senses will be heightened by then and that is what we aim at. You will not eat there, but you are allowed to drink from the water you will find down there. You may sit, lie, go around, be awake or sleep, that is up to you. You may even talk this time, but you have to know yourself, what is good for you. I wish you all the best. Let us go now!”
They are walking, with Primrose  on Terra's shoulder for a little while towards the end of side canon when the path opens to a small clearing with the open mouth of a cave before them. Three other brownies, Gentlesmile, Bluesky and Quickfoot are waiting for them. The sky just starts to get lighter outside with the rays of the Injera greeting the tops of the tallest trees when they enter the dark abyss - at least that is what it looks like for Talia at first. 
The Brownies ask  to carry  them and so each of the two women have two Brownies sitting on their shoulders, little fists clinging to their hair, not bothering if the hairstrands they are holding to are twitching or not.  The path leads through a tunnel which is  high enough so that the humans can go upright. With outstretched arms they are able to touch the walls to the left and right side. After the first few peds a turning cuts of the light of the entrance and suddenly all is dark and black, their path unlit.
"Wait, a little voice commands and to Talia's surprise suddenly a tiny, soft glow is coming from the fist of the brownie on her shoulder.
“What’s that?”Talia exclaims and she feels like the little brownie on her shoulder straightens in pride as he says
“That is a special burning stone! No smoke, just warmth and light!”
“Oh!”  is all Talia is able to answer. She knows what burning stones are, but had never expected to find them in the valley of the brownies in a dark cavern and has not yet seen such a small, but bright one as well.
Now they  Terra and Talia are asked to unravel the bundle they had to carry and out come two special made torches. On a  stick a burning stone is fastened which gives some warmth and is glowing in a warm, soft light after a brownie has hit it lightly. But it is nevertheless dark, they barely see where they put their feet.
After a  walk of probably only a few minutes through the darkness with only the light of the burning stone the walls seem to vanish in nothingness. The  burning stone gives light only to a small area, but their other senses, a little draft and the echo of their steps  tell them, that a huger space has to lie in front of them. Talia stops walking and Bluesky urges her to set him down on the ground. After a bit of Brownie talking he takes another tiny torch out of his bag, lits it and runs into the darkness. Suddenly in the center of what turns out to be a miraculous little hall of maybe ten peds diameter and ten peds in height several bigger exemplars of  burning stones are starting to glow in a warm yellow light and what this soft, but intense light is now revealing takes Talia s breath. 
They are in a sacred place, at least that is what Talia thinks. White slender columns of stones are hanging from the ceiling side by side. Some are a bit taller than others, especially those to the side seem longer. In the middle of the cave where the burning stones are placed the ground is fairly even, but around the walls other slender white columns are seemingly  growing upwards and at places those from the ceiling have joined with those from the floor, forming one whole strut reaching from the ground to the ceiling.
The floor around the burning stone is dry and smooth and Tera and Talia are placing their sleeping mats on opposite sides of the “fire”. What now? Talia looks questioning at Primrose, not daring to speak a loud word and Primrose herself doesn't say anything, but only signs her with some movements of her little arms to take place on their blankets. Talia follows her orders.
The four Brownies move around the cave till they have obviously reached a certain place each. Nobody speaks. And then again they start to sing.
It is an eerie sound. The little voices have all high pitches, but nevertheless are quite distinctive each. The tune is at least unusual, of beautiful harmonics, never heard before. Cold shivers are running down Talia’s spine, but at the same time a peace is entering her heart not felt for a long time. She does not know how long they are singing, she doesn’t even realise when they stop and quietly leave the cavern. The music is still in her head some time after they have stopped. She sits quite still for another timespan, not knowing how long. And then she realises, that there is a noise in the silence surrounding them, a steady plop, plop, plop. Listening intensely she cannot figure out what it is and so she gets up and takes one of the burning stone torches the brownies have left. The one in the middle is still as bright as in the beginning, but its light does not reach to the walls of the cavern and so Talia is getting up .

Ta'las continues to test the threshold of his endurance, balance and agility through the day.  Practicing both his sword stances and movement, as well as conditioning his body with various exercises he has learned from his mother-sister's husband, Kal'manth.  The Shendar attempts to focus on the energy of this spot, as his tutor had instructed him to do in his youth, and though Ta'las feels strengthened through his training, he cannot 'perceive' anything other than the forest around him.

He stops shortly after Injera has reached its apex in the sky and looks down at the weapons in his hands.  His dou'kilij feel good in his hands - their weight is next to nothing - and he also feels his reflexes are faster, his sword strokes smoother.  However, Ta'las does not feel the energy of the small clearing.

"What am I missing?" he asks himself.

The Shendar sheaths his weapons and closes his eyes.  He feels a gentle breeze on his face; the forest smells of cedar and pine, and the sun's rays warm his body.  Ta'las relaxes himself and tries to imagine the place where he feels the most calm and at peace.  He expects to "see" himself standing with Kal'manth in the rolling dunes of the Rahaz-Dath.

Instead, he sees himself just standing with Lady Terra, here in the clearing.  It is late at night, and the stars are shining overhead.  Ta'las focuses on the image for a while longer, and when he is ready, opens his eyes again.  He continues his sword practice until the evening light begins to fail, and returns to the small hut.

Terra sits as she was instructed, awestruck by the cavern they had been led into, though as the brownies began singing their eerie tune she found her hand raised to her ear in discomfort at the high pitch of their voices. They could no know that her training with the Kar'ii had taught her to focus her senses, adapt to the fact her eyes were blinded from the light off the snow, her skin was numbed by the cold, and her ears constantly hounded by the howl of the winds. Yet she bore the discomfort with grace, allowing the singing to continue, even if it did not help her perhaps it would Talia. Even after the brownies ceased singing their voices linger in echo, gently subsiding, this is the only time she can truly take in melody of their song though she does not know the words of their language. Once the melody had trailed off Terra notices Talia had taken up a torch left by the brownies, and raises to follow, though by now the torch is a mere beacon light in the darkness beyond the center of the cavern. She follows confidently listening her her foot step carefully, feeling the movement of the air, and keeping sight of the beacon of the torch as she draws nearer.

Terra comes up beside Talia stopping a mere hand span or two from the edge of a pool and the source of the sound Terra had been aware of and that had drawn Talia to this spot. She looks to Talia trying to gauge her expression in the pale light of the torch, not sure herself of what will come.

Talia has no fear, she is just curious which might well be a sign that her old self is emerging again. She goes a few steps until she reaches the wall of the cavern and the light of the torch illuminates the hanging stone formations. She moves along the wall, admiring, and it is not really surprised to find an another exit to the cave, probably opposite to the one they came in, though in the darkness this is nothing she could confirm. An old sense of excitement an adventure lying ahead fills her  mind and she steps carefully in the tunnel which opens in the light of her torch. Terra has left her place as well and follows her, but there is no need to say anything, they are both so long together that words are not needed anymore.

The tunnel itself is  barely a ped broad, but widens at short intervals into others , smaller caves, from where other tunnels are leading elsewhere.   What they see now in the light of their small torch is even more  spectacular as the cave behind them . White, small pillars are hanging  from the ceiling, others are growing from the ground towards them, but there are unusual formations as well, some looking like a frozen waterfall, others like a filigree curtain denying them entrance to the secrets of the depth of the mountains.

Unlike in the center of their cave it is wet here, they have to set their feet carefully and waterdrops are hitting their faces. And in the distance they hear still this faint plop, plop. Meanwhile Talia is quite sure, that it must come from falling waterdrops, but the ones which are forming at the tip of the pillars hanging from the ceiling and which are falling down on the top of the columns growing from the ground is nearly noiseless, there is a different quality to what they hear. Slowly they walk on, towards the sound which increases slowly in magnitude. And then they are there.

Both women step abruptly out of the tunnel in a place which is huge. Their torch is still only a beacon in the darkness, but now a faint glow is filling a cave which size they can only guess. Talia has never seen before such a strange beauty. Before their feet a shallow pond is occupying the entire cavern and it is the water in it which emanates the soft glow which is not white or yellow, but has hint of green in its colour. The surface lies calm and quiet, only the drops falling in it from above are inducing small ripples. This was what they have heard. The light coming from the water surface illuminates the entire cavern, faint as it is. And it shows even more wonders then before, the pillars are huger, more impressing, the formations stranger.

It is a fascinating picture and Talia is just stands there and watches the drops falling into the water. She reaches back to Terra and takes her hand, but doesn't say anything. So they stand for a while, when something happens what they could have forseen. Their torch with the burning stone burns out and darkens quickly. Now only the dim eerie green light is left and suddenly Talia doesn't feel as comfortably as  before. An icy hand seems to grip her heart: How will they find back through the tunels without light? Now she realises, that it might have been difficult anyway for such a path looked always different, depending which direction you were choosing.

Her adventurous mood is vanishing and an irrational fear is nestling in her heart. She doesn't say anything, she does not dare to ask, if Terra has taken with her another, not initiated burning stone, just her grip on Terra's hand gets stronger. Finally she murmurers in a low voice: "Do you think we will find back? "

Terra squeezes Talia's hand reassuringly in return, a reassuring smile on her face.

"That will not be hard Talia, I listed, and felt my way though the dark. I could not see but the point of light from your torch."

She looks to Talia taking her eyes from the wonder of the cavern, her face seeming more content.

"Talia, do you remember the sewers of Strata?"

She waits a moment for Talia's reply before continuing.

"Then I fought the man in the sewers, he threw dust in my eyes hoping to blind me and make me unable to fight him. Even without being able to see clearly, even with my hair in my eyes I still fought with more skill that he. I did not trust my eyes in fighting him, I rarely do, I used my other senses to know where he was and what he intended. It is quite easy for me to loose my direction using my eyes to see where I am when I fight, so I don't."

Terra looks back to the wonder of the cavern before them.

"I was able to follow and not stumble and fall not because I could see your torch, but because I listened and felt what was around me. I will lead you back when we are ready."

She looks to Talia as if going to speak about something else, something she had remembered that bothered her, but seeing Talia upset and feeling lost, Terra decides against bringing it up and to do so when they get back to the first chamber.

Terra's voice in the darkness is reassuring, her words even more. So Talia just asks her to lead them back, which Terra does, taking her hand when needed. After what seems for Talia a long time they are back in their original cave. Talia is glad to see the faint light of the burning stones , though she wonders, if it is still so bright as it was when they entered the cave. She satisfies her thirst in one of the small water basins formed by the mountain itself which are near the wall, then returns to her place, sitting as comfortably on her blanket as possible.

"Thank you Terra, and forgive me my timidness, or should I say, my sheepishness? I'm still not myself , I wonder if there will be a time where I will be as confident and strong as I once was. I wonder, what the time in this cave with so much stone above and around us will bring. I don't see, how this will make us stronger..."

She falls silent. Is now time to sleep? Is it day outside or night? Talia is not tired, but she is somewhat worn out and does not know why.

I need to be more trusting, I need to believe in the Brownies, that their method of treating us will help...

Ta'las lays on a bedroll inside the crude hut the brownies have built for any 'human-sized' visitors to the Vale.  For some reason, the Shendar is unable to find the solace of sleep, so after tossing in his bed for the better part of Starrise, he rises.  He dresses quickly, and out of habit dons his armour and buckles on his dou’kilij.

As he steps out into the darkness, the light earthy scent of moss and damp blades of grass mingle with the sharp aroma of spruce and pine needles.  Unlike previous evenings, the stars are partially hidden behind a veil of wispy clouds and a brisk breeze rushes through their camp.  He looks up into the dark sky and wonders how Terra and Talia are faring, and where they are now.  Ta’las smiles briefly, and then continues to the clearing where he had just been practising earlier that day.

The ring of trees is much more imposing at night – their massive canopies blot out what little light the night sky offers – and the Shendar’s breath slightly quickens.  Standing alone in the dark, as the wind blows his cloak around him, he imagines the trees are silent sentinels.  Despite his unease, Ta’las closes his eyes and calms himself.  To fear is to give importance to the self, rather than the greater world around you, Ta’las.  A warrior acknowledges danger, but does not allow fear to distract him from his task.

When he opens his eyes again, he stands in a field of ar’pun.  The night sky is dark and all around him the wind bends the swards of grass low to the ground.  “Mother-sister?”

He calls out again, much louder, but he receives no answer.  In the distance, Ta’las sees a small rise, and in its centre stands a tree.  Something sits at the base of the tree, but from where he stands, the Shendar cannot tell what it is.  The wind begins to howl above him and the sky darkens even more as rain starts to fall.  He looks down in amazement at his hands – he can actually feel the rain!

Ta’las shivers and draws his cloak about him, but that offers him little protection from the slashing wind and rain.  He makes his way toward the tree, and as he closes, he recognises the greyish, peeling bark of a birch tree, whose branches are devoid of leaves.  At the base of the tree stands the still form of a young aj’nuvic.  The creature’s light brown fur is matted against its skin, as it sits there shivering in the cold. 

The aj’nuvic and the Shendar walk toward one another until they stand only inches away from one another.  “Desert Rose,” he whispers, and just as he had many years ago, Ta’las feels the strength of their bonding and his sense of purpose renewed.

“You have been sent here for a reason, Ta’las,” his mother-sister’s voice comes from behind him.  He turns and sees his mother-sister – and he now stands before her water mirror.  The rain, the tree, and even Desert Rose vanish from his dreamscape. His mother-sister approaches him and gently grabs his forearm.  “Accepting that purpose can give you strength, even as you offer strength to your companions.  Use what time you have in the Vale to gather even more, child.”

Ta’las nods to his mother-sister, and turns away.

When he opens his eyes, the dawning rays of Firstflame have just begun to light the clearing.

The time passes and with the passing Talia looses her sense of time completely. She doesn't know any longer how much time may have passed, be it just half an hour or half a day. The continuous dripping of water somewhere has a hypnotising effect, reality shifts and becomes unreal, thoughts drift away to get thinner and finally dissolve somewhere in the void. The void... Talia looks into what she might describe as a void if she would be able to formulate any thought at all. Her mind empties slowly and maybe one of the few teachers of the Second Reality some Shendar, like Ta'las, seek, might be content with his disciple. But Talia never thought that she would be strong enough to follow this hard path and so never attempted it. So she sits now, has lost her feeling for her body and for some time she finds peace.

At first she does not realise, that something has changed. The water still continues to trip and her mind is empty, her soul rests floating in the darkness. But slowly, very slowly, but steadily the  effortlessness of existing in this darkness ceases and is replaced by a slight pressure. Talia's thoughts are gathering again, but not to a degree where she would think clearly and consciously. But she is suddenly aware of the huge amount of rock and soil above her, suddenly it is as if the mountain would rest on her shoulders. It is not a bodily feeling though, it is her mind of better soul which has to carry the immense load of a whole mountainstock. What has started slowly and merely recognisable is after some time pressing down on her to a degree where she thinks she will melt into the ground below her. Sweat is streaming down her body, her face is wet from tears, she wants to scream, but no sound is coming out of her throat. She has forgotten by now, where she is or why, there is no Terra sitting opposite to her nor does she hear the dripping water anymore. All her will is now directed towards the goal not to get pressed into the ground by the weight which is pressing down onto her.

And then, when she is about to give up and allow the mountain to swallow her, it is gone, the pressure on soul and body. For a moment she has the feeling as if her body would float above her blankets, but then she feels the fabric under her legs and she knows,she is rooted firmly, her mind is clear and refreshed as after a long sleep and though her body is tired, it is an agreable tiredness, she feels strong inside and knows, once she has rested she will be different, she knows she has master a good deal of the way back to her old self. And then she smiles, she smiles genuinely as she didn't for a long time now. And very softly she calls out for her friend: "Terra...."

"You come with and wait where tell you I," says a small voice from somewhere down and to his right.

Ta'las looks down and sees the small brownie that had come to visit him the previous evening.  He smiles at the brownie and nods.  "Is the healing finished yet?" he excitedly asks.  "I would like to see my friends again."

The brownie shakes his head.  "Not finished.  Still need to feel air."  The brownie tugs on Ta'las pant leg.  "You come with."  Then he looks sheepishly at the Shendar and opens his mouth, as if he is uncertain how to proceed.  "To walk - is- is- far.  I far.  To you with."  He pauses again.  "Sorry.  Words difficult.  I like Tulpje walk with?"

The Shendar nods his head and lifts up the brownie on to his shoulder.  "We will walk together.  You have done much to help Talia and Lady Terra, and for that I would take you to the rim of Norong’Sorno if you so asked it of me.”  He starts away, following the brownie’s directions to the clearing outside the cave where his companions now wait.

Terra rest fitfully not asleep, but not apparently awake either, like Talia unaware of the passage of time while memories of her forgotten past plague her. Her memories not are of the latter half of her journey to the Kar'ii, moving carefully among the underworld of society, all those her mother would have fought to imprison or kill, they were her only guide and danger was often only an arms length away. Danger had come her way many times and she had been able to elude it, but not always, and even then she could get out of if without taking a life. Her luck did not hold and now her memories dwell on taking a mans life who attacked her. Her heart races remembering the attack, being pushed before she could draw but keeping her feet and drawing her blade only to have the man move past it to shove her off her feet. She looses her footing, tumbling to the ground, her Moon Blade slipping from her grasp as the man set upon her, pinning her. Struggling desperately to free herself she reaches for her Moon Blade not intending to kill the man at first but as simply struggling away becomes more futile she is only thinking about stopping the assault before she is violated. Some how she manages to regain her Moon Blade, how is unclear, it seemed to far, and strike the man down. She stares into the mans lifeless eyes for a long moment in horror and disbelief before fleeing as much from the scene in her mind as the fear of being caught.

She lays tormented for a time, she is not sure how long, facing that she could not at the time reconcile with the facade of her nature. Slowly she comes to realize that her true nature was very different, she had merely hidden it. She is now what she was then only afraid to admit is, the is a warrior as her mother was before her, that is why she sought to learn of the blade she wields now. She is a defender, schooled in the most hazardous environments to fight those that would unjustly harm other. Finally reconciling that which she had needed so desperately to reconcile within herself she comes out of her fitful rest sitting up feeling unburdened, hearing her name.

"Talia, I am here. Are you alright? How long has it been?"

"No idea, Terra, it seemed long and short to me at the same time, endless while I was waiting for the time to pass, but now, that I emerged somehow from...  I don‘t know how to call it, it is as if .... „  Talia struggles for words, „ this painful feeling of the time stretching endlessly is gone, but if somebody would tell me, that we have spend here a year I would not find it too strange..“ She nearly giggles a bit, her mood is rising and she sees more confidently in the future than before.

It takes not long and a faint light can be seen and finally a voice is rescuing them from their temporary underground home.

Primrose herself has come to lead them out of the cave. Again Talia is astonished how quickly the Brownies are able to move. She would have carried the Brownie leader, but obviously this was not her wish.

When they leave the cave the stars begin to rise, Injera has just set what might be good, for the eyes of the two cave dwellers are still fairly sensible. Not long and they are back in their „base camp“ as Talia calls it and a huge meal with delicious food waits for them, at least each Brownie would call it so. But meanwhile Talia has taken to stuffed mice as well which are prepared without bones which must be an enormous work for the small Brownie cooks. Most food though are fresh fruits and vegetables, easier to prepare in quantities needed by the big people.

But what gladdens Talia and Terra even more than the food is that Ta‘las is waiting for them and joins them at their meal. It is good to be able to speak to somebody about  the past healing period. As the night is clear and warm Talia feels nearly at home at the fire , with Ta‘las here and Terra at her side.

When nearly finished, Talia asks how long they have been in the cave and what would be the „earth-part“. Primrose hestitates a bit, but answers then firmly.

„You have been in the cave for a day, a night and another day. That is half a day more than I expected you to be there, but obviously you needed this timespan. However, ‚air-healing‘ should start two days after the beginning of the cave experience, so I decided, that we will skip the last earth-part. You will start with the ‚air-healing‘  tomorrow morning, just before the sun will rise and spend three  - or seven - whole days on a tree, living there, eating , sleeping and following the needs of your body. You will be on different trees and you should not communicate with anybody, just with the air, the trees, the animals in the tree. We will provide you unseen with water, you will need no food.

It will not be a hard time for you as it may have been in the cave, for you are much stronger now, even if you don‘t have experienced your new strength yet. If you are lucky you might learn something about yourself, more than in the previous healing. After this time in the tree you are done, then we can‘t help you further, but we hope you are as ‚whole‘ as possible  and your former self again... well, not entirely, you should be your former self in an ... advanced form.“

Talia has listened quietly to Primrose words, she does not know what to answer and so just thanks the small Brownie woman with a few words.

„Thank you Primrose, for the effort you and your people are taking upon you to help us. I hope we your kindness will be rewarded some day.“

When his companions finally emerge from the cave, Ta'las cannot hide his happiness.  And it is not just because he has missed his Shendar-sister and Lady Terra, but he can also see the difference in them.  They move with the confident assuredness that marks a warrior and their eyes are calm.

As they sit down for a meal, Ta'las finds his gaze continually falls upon Lady Terra, and for a time he allows Talia and Primrose to fill the silence with their conversation.  He wishes the two of them could spend some time alone, that this quest would solve itself. 

Instead, once Talia and Primrose conclude their conversation, Ta'las speaks up.  "The elves were correct to send us here, Primrose.  And I also thank you for what you have done for my friends."  Once again, he glances over at Lady Terra and forgets momentarily what he had been about to say.

"W- with this next stage of our quest nearly finished," the Shendar finally adds, "we will need to think about where we travel next.  Perhaps the others have learned something where they've headed, but Capher still is in need of healing.  And if what we've heard is true, that will take us next to the city of Ximax."

He looks between his two friends.  "Have either of you travelled there?"

From the moment her eyes spotted Ta'las she dare not test her voice, instead giving a bright happy smile at the sight of him. Her gaze as they ate rarely left the sight of him, she longs to me alone with him, to find the courage to say what she wanted, and yet reherses it over and over should the moment come the words never seeming to fit right. She sits eating contently with Talia and Ta'las, though she suddenly stops at the mention of being in a tree, her hands beginning to tremble a little, a fear she held as a child rising. Quietly she tries to regain her composure against the crushing fear that had first began to return crossing the rock bridge in the caves. She is not sure why she fears hights so, only that its there and she can not stop trembling at the thought of being in a tree above the ground.

„No, actually not. Ta'las. I have not been further north than New Santhala and have not seen much of the rest of the lands to the left or right either. I have been quite content with living in the Rahaz-Dath. And if we, my sisters and I,  needed some distraction there was always our flowering city we could visit. Oh yes, I even managed to get to Chylikis once, but I don't like to remember the day, the sea has been very rough and not very kind to my stomach... Visiting Ximax will be a great adventure I'm looking forward.“

Talia enjoys sitting with her friends under  the starry sky and is not afraid of anything which might come. But she notices, that Terra seems to tremble slightly, when Primrose mentions the tree. Could it be, that she is afraid of heights? How had it been in the cavern? But maybe it is just the nervousness sitting near to Ta'las. ..... He seems a bit restless as well. Talia's brain gear is not yet working as it would normally, but finally, when looking the hundred and second time from Ta'las to Terra,  a thought not unlike a lightning bolt enlightens her and she asks Primrose:

„Primrose, could you show me the trees already now we are going to call our home tomorrow? Maybe my sleep tonight is a bit more sound if I see, how it will work.“

And as Primrose agrees and Talia even gets the honour to carry her she lifts the little, but important person on her shoulder and leaves the fire. Hopefully the two are not too shy to talk to each other when alone! The inspection of the tree won't take hours!

At first, Ta'las is a little uncertain why Talia felt it necessary to inspect a tree, but perhaps she knows something about forests that most Shendar do not.  He shrugs his shoulders and looks at Terra, noticing the trembling of her hands.  He tilts his head a little to one side.  "Lady Terra, are you well?"

Sitting on the ground as they are, with his legs tucked underneath him, he has to right himself a little and moves closer to Terra.  He places his hands, palms upward, underneath hers and gently holds them.  "I am sure that Primrose would not have you do anything dangerous enough to harm the healing that has already begun and progressed so far now."  The Shendar furrows his brow as he recalls what she told him a few days before when he returned Terra to the camp before she entered the cave.  "I do remember you reacted such at the bridge.  You said that you felt like you were falling, but I think there is something more.  Something tied to you... to your... youth..."

His voice fades and he forgets all else he had intended to say, as he looks into her eyes again.  "You are beautiful," he blurts out.  "There is much to you, Lady Terra, and I wish I knew it all."  He rubs her cheek and smiles at her.  "Perhaps one day I can prove myself worthy of such a gift, but for now, all I will take is this."  Ta'las leans forward and kisses her lightly on the lips.

It is only a short walk until Primrose points to a tree which is standing slightly solitary. It is a normal oaktree at the first sight, about 30peds high, a kind of tree which is quite common throughout Southern Santharia. Its silhouette is  clearly be visible, the moon is nearly full and sheds a silvery light on the leaves. The lowest branches are not higher than maybe two peds above the ground and reaching far away from the trunk.

However, something is different, but Talia can't say what it is, the relative darkness of the night doesn't help reveal the secrets of the tree. 

As Talia steps nearer, Primrose directs her towards the trunk and around where she finds a help to actually be able to climb the tree. It is dark inside the leafage, but suddenly Primrose hops from Talias's shoulder and lights a burning stone which was fixed in a crotch.

“I thought you would be curious and asked my people to prepare this“  she laughs at Talia answering her surprised gaze. “come further up, this is not the level you should spend the next days.“ Suddenly more Brownies are around, smaller ones who Talia hasn't seen before. She is not sure if they are children, these Brownie faces are so minute, Talia just can't tell.

Agile as one of her younger tribemembers Primrose works her way up the trunk with the help of little branches growing out of the trunk and with ropes running along this trunk. The children however are much faster, Talia only hears their high giggling, like little bells. It is easy for Talia to follow as well. There are branches just in the right place to hold on or climb onto, ropes hanging from higher branches to allow a safe passage where no branches are.

“Have you been to the Sharadon and learned how to move in trees?“Talia asks Primrose. The Brownie leader only laughs and answers, that they are well capable to do this themselves and that no giants of elves are needed to make a tree habitable.

After having climbed up for about ten peds, Primrose waits for Talia. Another burning stone is lit.They have arrived on a level where the branches seem to grow all at the same height out of the trunk. The offshoots are bend to the same level and somehow the brownie have manage to form and interweave a kind of floor! On the side of the tree which faces south (as primrose tells Talia) there are about a few square  peds where it is even possible to walk on safely for a huge and heavy human. And there is, to Talia's surprise, a hammock out of ropes and leaves. 

“There you  sleep“one of the youngsters, who are sitting in the branches around, crows in Tharian and  - the surprises take no end, they start to jump into the hammock until Primrose shoos them away.

“There are two more hammocks farther up and the higher you chose to sleep the better for you. On this level you will find your daily water. As I said, you will have no food, but you won't need one, the hunger vanishes after the first day....“

No food is ok and if there is plenty of water Talia will do quite well. But there is another thing which people need to do who are drinking, if not eating. Talia is a bit embarrassed, she doesn't know how to ask, especially with the brownie children around (shouldn't they be in bed by now!), so she puts another question first:

“Will the children be around?“

Primrose looks at her, as if she knew this is not the question Talia wants to ask and firmly says:

“Of course not! And now it is time for them to go as well. “A short whistle, and the little ones are jumping down the tree, from branch to branch that Talia nearly gets dizzy just from watching them vanish into the darkness below the tree.

Finally Talia doesn't get around to ask Primrose the most important question, at least it seems to be the most important in the moment.

“Primrose, what if I need to loose this water again I have drunk ???“

Primrose seems in a very good mood today, for her eyes twinkle in the light of the stone.

“Oh, don't worry, that is no problem at all. Look, you are alone here in the tree and the leafage is pretty dense down here. Come around the trunk and you can see there some baskets and some leaves for cleaning. Just use them as you would use your Shendar toilet , close the basket and throw it down. I'm sure that will help to keep those curious kids away from your tree! “

Talia inspects the baskets – it really looks like it could work....

“Now, let us go back, you will have time enough to explore your tree, there is a nice place just near the top with a splendid view! “

Both are climbing down and Primrose says good night at the base of the tree, so Talia goes back to Terra and Ta'las, ready to go to her sleeping blankets. Hopefully they were allowed to take one or two of those, otherwise it might get a bit cold up in the tree.

Terra's trembling slowly ceases at his touch, his words soothing her, driving back her deep fears, though they are not so easily defeated and linger still. Her dread driven to the back of her mind she sits happily in his presence just listening his voice, her gaze in his. Her eyes widening in suddenly in surprise of his soft kiss, quickly settling into it happily, her heart seeming light as it flutters, only held down by the dread of what the brownies not ask of her.

"Ta'las I thank you for you compliment... There is much I have been wanting to tell you, to say but always seem to say something else."

Terra draws herself to him,

"I don't like heights Ta'las ever since..."

She pauses hesitently the trembling returning against him.

"I remember now why. When I was little helping wash my families cloths I always took the job of hanging it to dry though I was still to short to reach the line without standing on something. It was a still day, the most gentle breeze, my god mother had gone to tend to supper while I finish, but there was more to hang then most days and the line was getting harder for me reach. I was on my stool trying to hang a tunic to dry the last thing in my basket but it was to high. I was determined though, I kept trying and trying so hard, determined, desperate to do it without calling to Ma for help."

She pause taking a deep breath obviously bothered by the memory.

"I don't think anyone really believed me, not even Sis, but as I was trying, I wanted soo hard to do it myself, the wind picked up hard lifting me from the stool. It tossed me to the ground. Ma, Pa and Sis all though I had tried to jump up but lost my footing. I didn't the wind had come picked me up. I don't know why, no one else noticed, just my terrified screams. I have not likes heights since."

Terra rests trembling against Ta'las.

Ta'las is more than pleased to allow Terra to rest against him, and for a few moments he simply holds her.  He understands that some people fear heights - in his youth, one of his friends could not climb ladders.  The Shendar mulls over what Terra has said though - something about it makes him think it is more than just a fear of heights that troubles her mind.

He furrows his brow a little and sits back a little way from Terra, though he still holds her hands.  "You say a wind picked you up off a stool, and yet there was nothing more than a gentle breeze?"  He pauses a bit, confused.  "You must have been a very young child or very thin, because even a dust devil could not lift a child much older than three.  And normally we only get those on very windy days."  Ta'las absently rubs the back of Terra's hands as he thinks some more.

"You know, when I was growing up, my mother-sister was always able to find water in the desert.  Not by looking for certain plants or shapes of sand hills as I was trained to do, but just by thinking about it."  Ta'las' thoughts give him a far away look now.  "She is even able to make water move into different shapes.  She was chosen to train to be a priestess of Baveras - a water aid - at a very young age, when her mother noticed she could make water move when she was angry or scared."

Ta'las' vision returns back to Terra, and he notices again how beautiful she is. The Shendar smiles at her and starts to move close again, but this time he holds back, seeing the look in her eyes.  "Did anything like being thrown off the stool happen to you again?"

Terra shakes her head against Ta'las's shoulder in response to his question. Her head seeming heavier on his shoulder though her trembling eases, her body against him to seeming heavier. Her words of reply coming more softly and slowly.

"No, not like that. It always seemed windy or drafty around me when I was upset. No where else just around me. I don't know why. Everyone seemed to think that at times my mind was making things up because I was upset. They did not blame me to making things up, I missed my mother alot, they guessed it was sort of my way of expressing the grief I tried so hard not to show."

Her arms wrap drowsily around him, her breathing becoming more shallow, her eyes drooping as sleep tries to take her.

Ta'las smiles as Terra nearly falls asleep on him, and lies her down on his blanket, and covers her up with her own blanket.  He brushes the hair from her face and watches her sleep for a minute.  It is good to see such strength in her, he thinks.  We will have need of it before the end of this.

Then he looks up into the night sky, which is clear and star-filled.  The Shendar lays back next to Terra, and drifts into sleep.

***

The ar'pun grass is still tonight, and the water-mirror is just that - a flat disc, the colour of obsidian, which reflects the stars above.  Ta'las walks toward his mother-sister, who stands just before the water-mirror with her back to him. 

"What do you see tonight, mother-sister?" 

He is surprised by how 'real' everything seems.  It all looks - even sounds and smells - as if he is physically here with her.  Curious as to why she doesn't respond, he reaches out and touches his mother-sister's shoulder.  She turns, but where her face should have been is simply darkness, and he is overcome by a stench like brimstone.

***

A chill races up his back and Ta'las jolts awake.  A sheen of sweat covers his face and his heart hammers in his chest.  The Shendar looks around, but he is back in the Vale, with Terra lying beside him.  Talia and Primrose are not yet back with them, but he thinks he can hear their voices in the distance.

Ta'las shakes his head, and tries to convince himself that what he had experienced was nothing more than a bad dream.  He lies down falls into a light, fitful sleep.

Tiny hands pluck at Talia's sleeve and she awakes slowly from a dream where she is riding on her aj'nuvic  Swing over golden sanddunes....   She doesn't want to leave that place she calls home, but now a low voice is asking to get up and so the golden dunes fade and Talia looks in a small, blue face.

„Ah, Aikirana, it is you, I'm coming,“  Talia murmurers and wraps herself slowly out of her blankets. It is short before Injera peeks over the tops of the mountains, still dark, but getting lighter with every blink.

A look to Terra's blankets shows Talia, that Brownies are about to wake her as well. Talia wants to go over and say hello, wants to speak a last time to her before they climb their tree and have no one to talk to, but  Aikirana points to the river and makes signs which tell Talia that she should wash herself and she obeys. A few fruits and a mug of water is all what she gets for breakfast, then the Brownies lead her to her tree. Primrose is waiting at the trunk and she is the only one who actually the only one who speaks to Talia this morning:


„Talia,
The spirits are with you!

The spirits of fire have cleansed your soul
succeeded in making you whole.
The spirits of water were ointment to heal
your wounds -  so come now and feel:
The spirits of earth have strengthend your mind
now come and see the future unwind:
The spirits of air will make your soul  fly
and lift you readily up in the sky.

The spirits are with you!
“

Talia is quite surprised,  she has not expected to get such a greeting - or was it a prayer – from the Brownie leader. So she has not much words, but just says a „Thankyou“ before starting to climb on the tree.

And then she is suddenly alone, alone with the tree, the wind in the leaves – and possible the rain, if the weather doesn't get drastically better! Arrived at the platform with the hammock the first thing she does is to try out said hammock. Luckily she has been allowed to take her blankets with her and so she lies down, wrapped in her blankets and ... thinks.

Three full days or even seven? And all alone with herself and her thoughts ?  She cannot remember, that she was ever in such a situation, where she had nothing to do, just spend the time with herself! No work around, just a tree to climb up and down and maybe a lookout on top. She would start slowly, not climb up the tree to the top in the very first hour and then having discovered all what might be to discover in this tree. No, she would stay now in this hammock and try to get some more sleep!

And indeed, Talia falls in a light slumber. She awakes some time later from the music of tiny drums: Light rain falls and it sounds like music in Talia's ears. No water is penetrating through the dense canopy though and she rests comfortably in her hammock. She is a little bit astonished though, that she finds it  not boring to just stay in her „bed“ . Hasn't she spend a whole night sleeping in her soft blankets and not much done since she has climbed the tree? Was their stay in the cave so exhausting, that her body needs the rest?

 But it takes not a long time, till she gets restless and jumps out of the hammock, with the sudden decision to climb the tree now! And so she does. The rain has stopped by now and Talia is rewarded with a splendid view, once she has settled in the highest crotch which she is certain will carry her weight. The Diamond Falls catch her eyes first. It appears to Talia as if the mountain spills out milk to feed the inhabitants of the vale , but only till the Injera who was covered till now by a cloud hits the falling waters with her rays. Suddenly the milky white turns to a sparkling range of many shiny  colours. Talia is fascinated and just stares for a while in the direction of the Life Mountain and its waterfalls. Maybe the seven days will not be as long as she has feared till now.
From the waterfalls a faint noise like a steady murmuring is heard, but it is not the only noise in the vale. Plenty of birds are inhabiting the trees and are busy talking to each other. Talia wonders why she has never noticed before, that birds not only sing in the early morning or evening twilight. That will be a true concert then at those times! Carefully she turns around to have a better view of the „rest“ of the valley. To the right of the Life Mountain she sees the rocky Deathbringer. what has given this mountain its name, she wanders. Its rocky appearance or something which happened in the far past? The sorcerers peak and the Mountain of chieftan are on the other side, divided by the Snake river which has built this magnificent gorge they came through on their way into the vale. Talia wonders for a brief time, what the Brownies will or can do about their broken connection to the outside world, but she puts the thought away. She can't do anything about it right now and don't want herself burden with it.

Injera has past the highest point in her path for quite some time when Talia climbs down to her hammock. What now? Her limbs a re aching slightly from the unused positionthey had been in for some hours and so Talia stretches them a little, but is not in the mood to do more exercise. She fears, that she will not sleep well this night, if she uses the hammock already now again, and so she sits down on the branch and leaves floor, thinking about what she could do next. But nothing comes to her mind. She calls memories back from past times to entertain herself, but even this is nothing for her alert and fresh mind. And so she discovers – boredom.

Somehow the day passes nevertheless and Talia lies down in her hammock to sleep for the night. But sleep won't come easily, so she tries to live through her recent experiences again, the three healing stages. Now, with some days and other experience in between, she even can look at the night near the fire. Finally sleep comes to her. She awakes at Firstflame and is greeted by a true concert. Not only the birds are giving their best, but their are other animal noises as well. Another day follows with sitting in one or another crotch, with admiring the landscape and observing the colourchanges which come with the passing of the day, with remembering past events and with just daydreaming. Another day comes and goes and the only difference is, that she tries to remember events in her life which lie far more in the past. She recalls her time in the Rahaz-Dath, her fight with the Ráhaz-Éstar, in which she had been blessed with so much luck, the  nightly fires around which the whole dome inhabitants were sitting and listening to a tale. Sometimes she wishes she would be back there and had never left her new home. And thinking at her past, she drifts off
to daydream  much more often than the day before.

Later Talia can't say, when in these days she started to have strange visions. These were no dreams, more a kind of daydreaming, pictures and scenes coming before her eyes. With every passing day, these visions are more numerous and clearer and with every day she is more convinced, that they have to do with her past, with her youth, with her childhood – though some of these visions are so unbelievable that she still doubts, that they can be true.

   
A little girl hears a soft voice whispering in her ear and a warm hand is carressing her hair. It huddles in a lap, one thump in the mouth and falls asleep.

It is screaming with laughter, when strong hands throw it in the air and safely catch it again. It wraps it little arms around a brown neck and giggles when a dark beard is tickling her.

This feeling of being cared of and being safe is very strong in the little girl and so it is not too concerned in the beginning, when at a later time she misses the soft voice and the strong arms.

Hunger and thirst, loneliness and desperation are only coming later. And the pressure of heat which is not bearable.  Instinctively the child knows, that it cannot life any longer in this surrounding.

Strange noises, a even stranger smell are penetrating the fantasies, the girl has meanwhile. Then suddenly it is lifted from the ground, held and carried away. It has the impression that it flies, but the child is burying its head in soft feathers. Water and food and a strange caring touch restore her again.

An older girl is standing on a high tower. The sky in the South has strange colours, for the Void is not far away. It observes tall flying creatures, some are coming near and wave towards her. She is familiar with them, she even loves some of them.

The young woman feels desperate, she doesn't want to leave her family. She doesn't care, that all the members of her family do not belong to her own race. But finally her hands grip the hilt of the sword which is given to her. And then the pain sets in....

Night follows day as day follows night. Talia sits in the top of the tree, observing the landscape, or seeing pictures of a very much different landscape as it is here, time is nothing she bothers with. One evening, when the Injera is about to set and she has just settled in her hammock, she has a visitor. Primrose has come to tell her, that her seven days and nights are over. She say much to Talia and Talia is thankful for that, for she is not yet ready to join the world outside her tree again. she asks primrose, if she could stay the coming night in her tree, and Primrose agrees.

So Talia spends her last night in the tree, more thinking than sleeping, preparing herself to go back to her friends in the morning and to join life in the world again, to face dangers, but to laugh with friends as well. Only now she realises, what the visions she had in the tree might have been – some glimpse on her lost past. But these visions were so strange  - on the other side, she knows Artemis and knows therefore, that the strangers in her visions do exist.

When Injera pours her light over the mountaintops, Talia is nearly ready to leave her tree. On the lowest branch she stops, sits and observes like the world around her awakes. She wonders, where her friends are now, if they are still sleeping in their blankets, if Terra has joined them already last night. Watching, she enjoys the last quiets minutes she has till the bustle of normal life will take its toll from her now peaceful soul again.

Terra is woken shortly after Talia by little hands tugging at her, she awakes with a dreamy smile still on her face, her head rolling to look at Ta'las a small frown taking to her face some how she knows he has not slept as well as she or had as pleasant dreams. Raising she washes her self as they direct, taking her brown armor with her not sure why she chose her armor, perhaps with the sense of fear she carries at the task before her bringing with it a sense of danger though she tries to tell herself it's only imagined. Clad in her brown leather and mail armor she returns to the camp and the meal of fruits and water that would be her last for a while, she focus on eating and on Ta'las.

The rest of Ta'las sleep is uninterrupted, and he wakes some time after Terra returns.  Though disturbed by those dreams, he dismisses them.  Ta'las is happy to see her, and spending time with her here in the Vale brings him a great measure of peace.  He rises to a sitting position and rubs the back of his neck.  "Good morning, Lady Terra," he greets her with a smile. 

He looks around, noting that his Shendar-sister has already left.  "Talia has already started, I expect.  I see you are ready for the next stage of your healing."  He looks curiously at her armour.  To the Shendar, wearing armour has become second-nature, so normally he would not question it.  "I did not realise the healing process required you to confront an enemy in combat.  Or is there some other reason?"

Terra smiles as Ta'las awakens and raises.

"Fair morning Ta'las. Was you sleep troubled?"

Her attention distracted from her meal, a piece of fruit part way to her mouth.

"No Ta'las, I do not believe I will confront any enemy. It is just comforting for me right now, feels safer. I do not like what I will have to do Ta'las, but I know I must do it, I must confront my fear and at least try to free myself of it. It will not be easy Ta'las, I don't know if I can free myself from it, but I must try."

The fruit continues it's path to her mouth, her hand trembling slightly, after chewing and swallowing the piece of fruit she looks fearfully at Ta'las.

"I can't do it alone Ta'las. I will need help starting this, as much as the brownies have done for me I just don't have the strength to climb the tree without help. I need some one to help sooth my fear and keep my mind from the hight."

Her eyes grow pleading, showing the deep feeling she has for him, and her desperate need for his aid in beginning this phase of her healing.

"I will," he says and moves closer, and holds out one of his hands to take hers.  "I will stay with you until you ask me to leave."  For a moment, he just looks at her, amazed at how well Seyella has blessed him.  Then, he grins.  "If you like, I can begin reciting more Shendar myths as I did with Talia in the Quallian - I've been told my retellings are a good cure for fear.  And insomnia..."

When Terra is ready, he follows.  "Would you like me to climb up first?"

Terra take his hands, the trembling in hers easing, though scared of what she must do she feels easier knowing he will be at her side at least to start. She holds his hands for as long as she is aloud, but the brownies get impatient and wish her to make her way to her tree. Holding Ta'las's hands still she rises, then releases them to bend down to take her blanket as she speaks.

"Ta'las, you are more than worthy to know all about me I can tell. Perhaps when this is all over we will have time to spend together and I can tell you, maybe we can even sit with Capher and he can tell us about my people from long before I was born."

She returns to her feet the brownies anxiously wishing her to follow.

"But for now Ta'las, I must focus on the task before me and face that which I must face."

She sets out at the brownies impatient urging Ta'las close behind her, reaching the tree she looks around for the tree she must climb unconsciously discarding the largest of them till she spots Primrose at its base, her knees nearly buckling at the terrifying reality of the size of the tree. Ta'las's words words distract her a little from the fear allowing her to gather some of her composure.

"Ta'las, can we climb it together at the same time? I will need you to watch and guide me, I have not done such a thing before."

She turns to Primrose.

"Primrose, I thank you for all you have done for me so far. I have asked Ta'las to climb with me as I know I must undertake this task, but can not embark on it alone. If he must he can leave me there till you believe I am ready to return."

Though Ta'las wishes he could remain with Terra through the entire he process, he reluctantly agrees that he will leave when she is safe up in the tree.  For now, however, he will enjoy whatever time he has to spend with her, even if it means climbing this very large tree before them.  "I will climb with you, Lady Terra, and make sure that you make it up safely." 

He then looks at Primrose, who looks a little irritated, and says to the brownie, "it would not help the healing if Lady Terra is unable to reach her place up there.  Would it?" 

The little brownie scowls at Ta'las, but she considers it, and then acquiesces.  "Very well, Desert-man, climb with your friend.  When I say down, though, you leave and stay down.  Healing requires her full mind's attention."

"Agreed."

Then he winks at Terra.  "Ready?"

Terra watches, trying to keep her attention from the tree as Talas goes about getting consent from Primrose to climb the tree with her, deeply relieved that he is finally granted permission to aid her.

"Thanks you Primrose for your understanding in this, as I to understand it is needed to propperly complete the healing process you have started. I will not forget the wisdom and generosity you and your people."

She turns to Ta'las, a worried smile on her face, but none the less seems much easier about the terrifying task ahead of her, and nods quickly.

"I am ready as I can be Ta'las. Thank you for helping me face this."

With all spoken she can bring to her lips she slowly, nerviously, uncertainly approaches the tree with Ta'las at her side and with slow deliborate placement of her tembling hands begins to climb, fighting fear with every movement.

"You are doing well, Lady Terra," he says, and begins scaling the tree once she is a short way up.  "Just remember to choose branches that do not require you to fully extend your arms when you reach up, and continue pushing upward with your feet as you go."

The Shendar follows up, watching Terra as she goes, and smiles in admiration of her courage.  Free climbing solo is difficult for most, requires great concentration and agility.  "Oh yes, do not try to 'hug' the tree.  Let your legs push you up and your arms guide you."

Terra begins to feel her fear waver to pride as she climbs, unaware of the distance she has put between her and the ground. Without thinking she looks back to Ta'las at first smiling proudly at his praise, but the smile quickly vanishes, her head spins at the realization of her hight. She clings tightly to the tree, trembling fearfully, her muscles ceasing and holding on as if for her very life.

"Ta'las!", She cries.

It's all she could manage, fear binding her to that spot, and a deep hope that Ta'las would come to save her from the nightmarish hight.

Seeing Terra is in trouble, Ta'las begins to climb up as close to her as possible.  "It is all right, Lady Terra.  I will be up in a moment."  He actually climbs around her and roughly a fore below the crotch of a large branch, which crosses one another branch.

He smiles at Terra and briefly rubs her shoulder.  "You have done well, Lady Terra, and you are not far from a spot where we can take a rest.  For the moment, just concentrate on breathing and regaining your balance."  He pauses a moment to catch his breath, and then continues, "You are quite good at this you know."  Then, the Shendar pats the large branch just above them.  "Once you manage to push yourself up from that branch, I will guide your hand to these up here, and we will be able to stop for a few minutes."

"Just let me know when you are ready to continue," he adds.

Terra breathing shallow huffily, gradually they grow a little deeper, but remain shallow and filled with fear. As her mind begins to steady she is able to look up at Ta'las from where her face had been pressed against the bark, seeing his face, hearing the caring in his encouraging words helps her draw the strength to move on. Trembling her hand raises higher up the tree, followed by the other, she inches higher, slowly but determinedly, her body staying against the tree. It take her a long few minutes to reach where Ta'las guides her.

She rests only a short minute, with Ta'las to steady her, her eyes closed, focusing, trying to still her breathing and takes long deep breaths to clear the haze that had fallen over her mind. Inwardly she wonders why such a thing did not bother her earlier, why not when they scaled the ship? With renewed steadiness and determination she takes to the tree again, keeping her gaze up, focusing on what lies ahead of her and not behind. With is thoughts of her questions earlier in journey are left behind only to be filled with those that lay ahead and how she will tell Ta'las how she feels for him.

She climbs steadily suddenly jared by the realization she had reached what she though was the top, where Primrose also meets them and explains to Terra what she had explained to Talia earlier. As Primrose talks Terra gets and impression from her little feature that she had already taken a huge first step in her healing, yet will still need to face the rest alone, but is grateful for the short time she is allowed to have with Ta'las while she becomes more comfortable with what will be her tree home.

"Ta'las, when I am done. Would you please come for me. I am not certian my fear will be gone when this is over and may need your help returning to the ground."

When they finally reach the place where the last stage of the healing will occur, Ta'las stops to catch his breath as he listens to Primrose explain things to Terra.  He briefly wonders how his Shendar-sister is faring, and turns his attention back to Terra when she is finished speaking with Primrose.  He smiles at her and nods when she asks if he will return for her.  "I will Lady Terra," he starts.  He then looks down at Primrose who is scowling again.  "And I promise to wait until the healing is finished."

He looks back at Terra.  "You have faced much in a short time Lady Terra, and though you still carry some of those fears, you are stronger than before we entered the Vale.  For a person to do such a thing shows great courage, and for that I respect and admire you.  When you look inside yourself, as Primrose has instructed, I think you will find a warrior's soul."  Then he reaches out to hold her hands.  "And of course there is this between us, which for now grows and remains unspoken, but is still there."

"I will return when you are finished, Lady Terra.  May Seyella guide and bless you."  Ta'las kisses Terra quickly on the cheek, and then goes to the edge of the little platform-like area.  He looks at Terra one last time and smiles at her before scaling down the tree.

After Ta'las and Primrose leave the platform that is to be her home till she is healed Terra takes upon herself to explore what little she can bring herself to explore. She trembles slightly, it's breezy but no other leaves move around her, she hunkers down as if afraid the breeze may blow her off the tree, her feet moving her slowly but steadily toward the massive trunk, as she rounds it she finds the ancient trunk had at one time become split and grew in a large circle as if an taller than she had been there. A hammock is hung at a comfortable hight for her from two branches that twist around each other then curve out to form a canopy over her hammock bed.

Feeling physically and emotionally drained from the climb she crawls into the hammock and before she can draw her blanket over her is fast asleep. For several days the sleeps and explores a little more of her tree home, steadily getting closer to the edge though still remaining a distance from it. Each night she sleeps more soundly, more at ease with her surroundings till finally she dreams.

In her dreams she lays in her mother arms looking up at the soft barely memorable features of her face, her mother rocking her gently in her arms. as she dreams gentle gusts of wind form around her, pushing gently rocking the hammock in time to her dreams. Terra is at complete ease even feeling the energy around her, energy she had felt before but was so new and out of her control to so frighten her.

By her final day her stomach pains her for lack of food. Desperate for something to eat and seeing some fruits growing near on of the higher platforms, she climbs higher, though frightened she climbs at first staying to close to the tree then remembering Ta'las's words, "Push with your legs. Let your arms guide you.". She makes her way up to the next platform, then slowly moves to the edge lowering herself as she goes till she draws herself to the edge on her belly. Looking away she reaches out for the fruit but it's more than fore out of her reach, she inches a little more to the edge of her comfort and safety, yet its still out of reach, desperately she looks to see if she can reach more. Her heart sinks seeing that she can not possibly reach it, though the leaves around the fruit begin to flutter. The most amazing thing then happens, the fruit seems to get plucked form the tree and float to her hand.

With her stomach complaining loudly she gives it little thought at first, instead sliding herself back and sitting up, hungerly eating the juicy piece of fruit to quell her stomach. As her stomach quiets she begins to feel the strange power around her again that had been masked by her hunger. Still hungry she moves to push herself up to see if she could reach another piece of fruit, without thinking her hand extends in its direction, before she could rise herself to her feet the leave around this fruit to flutters as it is pluck from its place and comes to her hand. Again she eats the fruit happily, feeling her stomach grow more satisfied, though she wonders if she could not control such things. She does not know how, she knows nothing of these things, and yet it happens. She does not get up, yet reaches for another and wills to have it in her hand to eat, and it to is plucked and lands in her hand. Terra eats her fill this way before descending again to her hammock bed for a final long sleep, at peace with the hidden power in her that had frightened her for soo many years.

Ta'las is nearly out of breath when he reaches the bottom of the tree.  He leans forward, resting the palms of his hands on his knees to catch his breath, and is surprised when he feels a slight tug on his cloak.  The Shendar looks down and sees the Brownie he'd met the previous day in the clearing.

"Greetings little one," he says, and his face breaks into a smile.  The brownie looks a little anxious, prompting Ta'las to ask what is wrong.

"With me, go you.  Primrose ask you leave.  Come when lady finish," he says, pointing up the tree where Lady Terra has begun the final phase of her healing.

Ta'las nods at the brownie and starts away, but stops and looks back.  "You will get me when she is ready?  Lady Terra has asked me to help her climb back down."

The brownie nods emphatically.  "Yes.  Go you must."  Then, seeing Ta'las is not yet assuaged.  "I come when done Lady Trra.  Now go!

The Shendar holds up his hands.  "Very well.  I shall not disturb the healing any longer."  With that he starts walking back to the cabin, but somewhere along the way changes direction and finds himself back in the clearing where he'd spent so much time at practise.  Without hesitation, Ta'las closes his eyes and looks inward.

***

When he opens his eyes, he finds himself standing under Injera's hammering rays, and in the presence of his mentor.  Ta'las looks down at his hands and then unsheaths his dou'kilij.  Everything seems so real!

"Are you ready yet to take your first step, Ta'las?" 

His mentor's eyes look hard, almost disapproving, but Ta'las does not waver beneath that gaze.  "It is part of the nature of a Warrior to be ready, and the path before me is clear."  He holds up his weapons and awaits his mentor.

Kalmanth lifts his weapons, and the two Shendar begin.

***

To anyone watching the Shendar, it would almost appear that Ta'las fights some invisible adversary.  His sword practice lasts long into the day, and leaves him physically and mentally exhausted, yet also stretches the limit of his speed, endurance and strength.  When Ta'las is finished, he stands in the clearing, aware once again that he is in the Vale, and that though the sun hangs in the sky, much of the afternoon has passed.  The Shendar puts away his weapons and returns to the small cabin to rest and eat. 

He wonders how Terra is, and smiles when he recalls her face to mind.  A selfish part of him even wishes that he had not promised to stay away from her during her healing.  Ta'las banishes those thoughts as he starts to clean up after his meal.

There is a small noise, almost like a knocking, at the door of the cabin, later that evening.  Ta'las is finishing cleaning up the cabin when he hears the sound and goes out to investigate.  When he looks outside, he sees the same brownie who has come to retrieve him before.

"Is Terra's healing finished?" Ta'las asks excitedly, to which the brownie shakes his head.

"No, friend still healing.  But news of others - they return."

"Others?" the Shendar asks, his brow furrowing.  "You mean Capher and the others?"

"Yes - at east forest.  Soon arrive."

"East?"  This confuses Ta'las, who knows only of the southwestern entrance into the Vale.  "Surely you mean west.  In that direction?" he asks, pointing to entrance they had used when entering the Vale for the first time.

The little brownie shakes his head.  "No - other entrance.  Secret known only to dwarves...and brownies."  He tugs at Ta'las' sleeve.  "Come - they soon reach Vale Tree."

"But I must wait for Lady Terra.  She may call for me soon."

The brownie shakes his head again.  "Healing still.  Others come before she finished."  Noticing that the Shendar looks unsure, the brownie smiles.  "Come desert man.  You back to special lady friend before healing finished.  Can kiss later."

Ta'las is glad his complexion hides his blush, but he decides to go along with the brownie to the Vale Tree, knowing that it is not far from where Talia and Terra are finishing their healing.

The Shendar stops before reaching the Vale Tree, and looks with a frown through the woods in the direction where Terra and Talia are still resting.  The others have been gone for some time, and a few moments longer will not matter much.  He looks at the little brownie and shakes his head.  "I will go to Lady Terra first."  He ignores the frustrated pleas of the brownie that he continue on to the Vale Tree, and changes direction.  He quickly makes his way through the undergrowth to the large 'healing trees', as he has come to think of them, and once at the base of the tree, he looks at the brownie.

"You will stay here my friend," he says with a smile as he sets the brownie down on a small rock.  The brownie continues to shout at him even as Ta'las begins to climb, but stops after a short time.  The Shendar scales the tree, carefully choosing his footing as he goes, until he reaches the platform where Terra lies resting.

"Lady Terra?" he asks, as he gently rubs her shoulder.  "It is time to wake.  Our friends have returned." 

Terra sleep deep and peacefully as Ta'las climbs to get her, her face calm and happy in her slumber. She stirs in her sleep as Ta'las rubs her shoulder, a pleasant sleepy sound escaping from her lips as her body and mind resist waking. Finally her eyes slip open groggily, taking a long moment to focus on the face over her. She had clearly been exhausted by something and had slept a very long time afterword, but as she woke and her eyes forcused on Ta'las' face a radiant smile comes to her lips. Terra sits up as quickly as she can in her tree born hammock, what she would have to do next having not yet entered her mind as she is swept away in the moment throwign her arms around him without a thought, then kisses him. As soon as her thoughts catch up with her actions and she realizes what she had done she pulls away, her cheeks blushing a deep crimson, her face turning down shyly.

"I am sorry Ta'las. I did not think."

Her voice is soft, shy, and carries a thread of uncertainty, yet smooth and not a constrained of feeling.

"On occasions such as this, thinking is perhaps overrated," Ta'las replies.  He cups Lady Terra's chin in one of his hands and elevates her face a little so he can look into her eyes.   "I also do not question the gods' wisdom or will in bringing us together, if they in fact have had some hand in this.  All I can say is that I am thankful to have you in my life."  He moves a little closer to kiss her, softly and without urgency - for the moment, Ta'las sees no need to rush back to the Vale Tree.  The Shendar's kiss lasts for more than just a few seconds.

After their kiss, he smiles at Terra.  She looks more at ease with herself than he can remember.  "I am also thankful for the healing magic of the brownies."  He embraces her again, this time gathering her in a great bear hug, holding her for a few moments before releasing her.

"Are you ready to go back down again?"  He smiles with a little mischief in his eyes.  "If not, I'm perfectly happy to continue 'not thinking'."   He is so caught up with Terra that he does not hear the brownie, who now sits on the back of a brown owl, clear his throat from behind them and glare impatiently at Ta'las.

Terra is not sure if Ta'las hears the brownie watching them clear him throat or chooses to ignore him but her cheeks burn at the sound as she berries her head against Ta'las' chest as if trying to hide in embarrassment.

"Ta'las?" , her voice comes meekly from his chest, "Am I done healing here? I think I would like to go down if I am done."

She stays huddled against him waiting for him to answer fearing that he would say no and would have to leave her for a while longer, or that she would wake and have it all be a dream.

"Yes, you are finished here," Ta'las says at last, though he would prefer to remain here holding her.  "I believe there is no more the brownies are able to do for you.  The Shendar turns around after hearing the brownie clear his throat a second time and grins.

"Greetings, Master Brownie."  He winks at the brownie and then more seriously adds, "your kin have done much to aid our quest.  And thank you for helping Lady Terra."  He looks back down at Terra and gives her another hug.

"It is time to return to our friends, Lady Terra.  First, I think, we should see if Talia has finished her healing, though we must hurry for Capher and the others have arrived.  I expect he will be happy to see you."  The Shendar rises and makes his way to the edge of the tree where they will begin their descent back down.

"I will go first, Lady Terra."  He takes one step off of the platform on to the nearest branch and stops, looking back and waiting for Terra to follow.

Terra smiles in relief that she is finished and that she could soon leave the height and return to the ground. She relaxes into Ta'las' embrace as he hugs her again and even seems eager to return to the ground and her friends. Savoring the moment quietly it does not last long and her smile fades to a dull fearful one, torn between the feelings she holds for Ta'las and her eagerness to see her friends, and the fear of the height she would have to traverse. She finds it strange that she no longer fears the wind in her, but fears the height so that even for the briefest moment she considers leaving Ta'las and her friends behind to live the rest of her days in blissful ignorance of what lies below.

Terra could not leave Ta'las though and so reluctantly follows, only nodding as he states he will go first afraid to test her voice, then at his bidding begins to follow listening to his guidance as she makes her way slowly. She makes slow steady progress trying not to look down, trying not to be reminded of the height of the tree, but in the space between thought she looks, her head spins at the distance below her body clamping tight to the tree trembling in fear. She wants to cry out to Ta'las but can't though her clenched throat, her fear preventing her from moving.

Gratefully, she lets him help her up, and holds onto him as they walk, her head down, trying to decide where she has failed to make herself understood. They are close enough now that brownies can be seen sometimes, flitting through the trees and the underbrush, and slowly, she begins to speak again.

"You know how two drops of water, when near enough, will flow into each other? Well, I guess the smaller usually flows into the larger..."

She looks up to him briefly, then at the ground again. "I think if I could tell you my feelings... it's as if I wished I were one and the same with him... does that make sense? Though holding him seems to ease the yearning, I want to be closer, always."

Again she turns her eyes to him questioningly, as they near the place they had rested when they first arrived in the Vale.

Capher's mind was far from their current situation as he and Teri walked toward the Council Tree and to be soon united with their friends and then after a good nights rest be on their way.

Suddenly she spoke, looked at him and then turned her face back to the ground as if she were ashamed of something or more than likely saw the confused look upon his face, and then she spoke more.

She talked of water and attraction and then the strangest concept she wanted to become one with Morcaanan! Symbiosis? Can one really achieve such a feat in this time? He thought. The only time Capher ever saw such a feat was through very powerful magic, the kind the mages weilded during the War of the Chosen and he supposed the kind that Eckra has and is using now. Is she propsing to use magic upon Morcaanan to make him love her? To take over his body, mind and heart? Preposterous and very dangerous, even if she could accomplish such a feat, what purpose would it have? She would have a shell of a man that she controlled, not someone who by his own volition chose to love her.

Than another thought crept into his mind; surely she did not hope to ask him to do such a thing? Though it was in his power to do so, he would never do it...would he??

He abruptly stopped, turned to face her, his eyes aflame. "Teri, what you propose is not an impossibility but it requires the most powerful of magics. The kind that the mages had during the War of the Chosen! Why would you want to merge, take over Morcaanan's body? I think I understand your feelings for him and how you want to be with him all the time, but to propose Symbiosis is something that I never thought would come to your mind.  Yes, you would be one with Morcaanan, but he would be like a childs puppet, doing what you commanded him to do. He would not have the choice of choosing whether he loves you and wants to be with you all the rest of his days.  Would that not be better than to be one with him?" Capher asked, searching her face and eyes for an answer.

As he waited another thought crept into his mind as well...She may be talking about something entirely different: something he had no idea or concept of.

As Ta'las scales down the tree, he continues speaking to Terra, not realising that she has stopped a fair distance above him.  "...it will be nice to see the others again.  I wonder if they will have news of where we are to head next and whom we should-  Oh, Lady Terra," he calls out when he notices that he can no longer hear her moving in the branches above him.

"Lady Terra, I will come up to you."  Ta'las clambers back up to where Terra has fastened herself to the tree and raises his eyebrows.  He positions himself so he is seated on one of the larger branches close to Terra, so they are at eye level with one another.  "Just take a few moments, Lady Terra, and catch your breath.  The fear will pass Warrior of Sophronia, and we can continue downward when you are ready."  The Shendar waits patiently and smiles again, glad to be here in the Vale, and suddenly wishes they could just remain here.  That they could allow events to unfold as they would, and forget about what they must do.

That, however, was not the way of enlightenment that Ta'las had begun to walk, and not only were such thoughts counterproductive to his own personal journey, but also whatever devices their enemy could conceive of would find them.  Even here, he realises soberly. 

"When you are ready, Lady Terra."

First confusion begins to creep into her features, and then she stares at Capher in shock, and sits down slowly. For a time, she stares at him, then through him and her gaze turns away. Eventually, she stands, reaches out to take his hands and shakes her head. "Capher, I d-... I don't think you understand... I don't want to control him, I don't... I just want to be... I would hate myself if I were his master. I..."

She shakes her head and leans on him slightly. "I can understand now why you wanted to be human. I think you should. If... if this is what you wanted to feel..."

Again she sits, and looks out the door. "I wonder when the others will be back..."

The pain, shock and powerful emotion that emanated from Teri's few broken sentences, thoughts, shook Capher to the deepest part of his soul and made him realize that Teri was speaking of a human concept that he had no idea of. The concept that he desired the most to know and especially to feel...it was the concept that Capher defined the humanoid, the water race, and that seperated them from all other species on the planet.

They had walked silently and found themselves in the tree cabin that they had first been put into by the Brownies when they first came to the Vale. Teri, exhausted emotionally and physically, though Capher thought it was more emotionally had sat down on the floor, while he had remained standing looking out into the Vale watching the Brownies prepare for dusk and eventually nightfall. Finally Teri stood, took him by the hands and told him why she thought he wanted to be human...and even gave her thoughts that if it was decreed that he should become one, if only to understand what she was talking about.  She then sat down agian and asked where the rest were.

Capher was wondering that himself...At the very least Ta'las should be here. "I am not sure Teri. I would have thought that Ta'las would at least have been here to greet us. Ladies Terra and Talia may not have completely finished their healing processes yet, however the whereabouts of Master Ta'las puzzles me," he paused a moment, shook his head, "Ah, he probably is with some Brownies asking them questions about their culture. He is a most inquisitive man. Kind of reminds me of myself, when I was a bit younger," he chuckled. "I am sure he and perhaps the others will be along soon enough."

He turned and looked into the darkening cabin and rubbed his arms. "I think I am going to make a fire and put some tea on and perhaps eat something. Care to join me?" He asked Teri as he walked to the firepit, knelt down beside it, stirred the embers and found them cold.  He began to make a triangle of kindlewood and with a stike of the flint laying beside the pit he soon had a small fire going...he added more kindling until the fire was strong enough to handle larger and larger pieces of wood until he had a nice warm blaze going.  He placed two V shaped pieces of wood into the ground and another straight piece of wood into the V's so that the heavy stick crossed the fire, high enough so that the flames would not catch it on fire. He then went to his pack took out a tea pot, filled it with water and hung it on the stick and waited for the water to boil.  In the meantime he took out a stringed bag of tea, he took out some of their last hard bread and jerky. The bread had become moldy and he walked to the door and tossed it outside where immediately the birds had their supper.

He watched them for awhile, smiled. "Eat hearty my friends," he whispered.  He then turned back into the cabin and saw Teri pouring small amounts of water into their cups and prepared their tea.

That was the last of their food. He wished the Brownies would have provided them more when they first arrived, but they seemed to be gone and occupied.  He started to turne from the door when a small voice announced itself. "Excuse me Master Storyteller...i be not good..."

Capher looked confused as he stared down at the small wizened little face. "What do you mean?"

The little Brownie fidigeted and then stammered..."I forget food. I play with friends. Forgive please?" Tears the size of small rain drops slowly formed in the Brownies eyes and dripped down his face.

Capher smiled at him. "It is ok. You are here now. What is your name?" Capher asked.

Again the Brownie fideted.

"I will not tell Primrose. Children should be able to play," Capher leaned closer to the Brownie, "I will tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anyone else."

The small Brownie's eyes widened and he eagerly shook his head. "I not tell anyone," he promised and then he added, "My name is Wanderingstick."

Capher glanced over at Teri who was watching and listening, gave her a wink and then turned back to Wanderingstick. "Grownups even play."

Capher tried to hide his smile as he saw Wanderingstick's eyes widen in surprise. "Really?" He finally asked.

Capher nodded, "Really. Now if you are done playing my companion and I would like some fresh friut, cheese and some meat. And do not forget your promise."

Wanderingstick grinned. "i not forget. I bring back food quickly," he said as he turned and ran away with glee written all over his face.

Capher chuckled, turned to Teri, "What do you think? Do you think he will tell his friends or keep it a secret?"

Capher walked and sat down by the fire, taking the offered cup of tea from Teri who had a genuine smile on her face...the past events forgotten at least for a time.  As Capher sipped his tea he considered how children always seemed to delight grownups...even in their darkest despair...

Terra remains tightly fastened to the tree till Ta'las climbs up, sitting on a branch, his words soothing her, his smile even more, her white knuckled grip begins to ease. A thin smile makes it's way though her waning terror, she can finally breath better past the lump in her throat. Her limbs begin to loosen and relax, she feels a fluttering of her heart at Ta'las' presence yet still the pangs of fear at the task ahead.

As her whits return Terra ponders on a few of Ta'las' words "Warrior of Sophronia". She is a warrior and had always been afraid but never had let it grip her, she could always put it to the back of her mind where it could be a healthy aid and warning of the seriousness of combat. Was this fear so big, so different? Had the brownie magic taken that from her, why would they? She looks to Ta'las who waits with edgy patience obviously missing their friends as much as she, but who can not leave her to fulfill that desire.

Her eyes slide closed as she puts her mind toward pushing her fear into its place, quieting it, at first nothign happened, only a unsettling feeling, but then before she could give up it releases it's grip on her. It quiets, whispering warning, no longer screaming fearful thoughts in her ear, yet it is still there more powerful than any other fear, its whispers loud and keep her unsettled, uncertain, yet determined.

Determination wins out, her eyes open and she looks to Ta'las.

"I am ready, "

She smiles bravely preparing to continue though in the grip of fear having lost her place.

"What should I do next?"

Though the branch Talia is sitting on starts to get a bit uncomfortable, she is not yet ready to descend. Coming down is as if she had to jump into cold water, the cold water of a life which seems to ask to much of her and her companions lately. She knows, it is inevitable to dive again into the stream, not knowing how it will look downstreams, if it will be a calm water or a wild white water which could easily drown them all.

But she can postpone it for a few more sacred moments - so she decides to stay just a tiny little bit longer on her branch and enjoys to  be not  yet part of the world which awakes around her..

Ta'las looks down at the branches immediately beneath Terra's feet and climbs down a couple of feet.  "Here," he says, patting a branch below her right foot.  "Put your right foot there and then step down on this branch next to it.  If you keep on this same line the whole way down, you should find plenty of foot and handholds.  Do not worry about moving too quickly, just try to keep the same speed and match your breathing to your movements."

"I'll stay just over to your left and keep pace with you."  The Shendar winks up at her and gives her a smile, and then moves to a spot where she can see him more easily as he starts to descend again, if a little more slowly this time.

'Teri sips calmly at her tea, then closes her eyes and leans her head back for a moment before looking back to Capher, a playful smile on her face. "Oh, no. He'll only tell his closest friends, who in turn will tell only those they're closest to, and so on. Are you known as the Storyteller for your stories, or the stories of your stories?"

She smiled, closed her eyes and leaned back again.

"So that is how it works?" Capher chuckled as he took a sip of the tea.  The tea was warm and soothing as it trickled down his throat. He considered how much he desired human food and amenities than if he were eating like he would in his true form.  That vision of tearing raw meat from off some fresh kill with pieces of flesh, fur, and sinew hanging from his jaws made him involuntarily shudder.

Capher opened his eyes as Teri asked her next question. "Teri, what do your people call me? I am known by many names throughout Caelereth. Storyteller was the name given to me by the Brownies because I would come and tell them what was happening outside their Vale. As you have guessed by now there are not that many who venture outside of the Vale and if they do they are ostercised: like Tulpje. So every once in awhile I would come into the Vale and tell stories...because of that one Brownie a long time ago...called me Storyteller and it has passed down from generation to generation."

He paused, taking another sip of tea. "I hope that answered your question?" He asked.

Terra begins to continue her decent with Ta'las at her side, it soothed her to have him with her, as they descend the tree together. It helps keep her mind from her fears and oddly the distraction helps her focus. She even smiles a little sharing these moments apparently with Ta'las alone.

Steadily they make their way the distance to the ground, Terra's pace quickens a little with pride and confidence. Even the nagging fear seems to quiet as they descend drawing ever nearer the ground. She smiles to Ta'las, her eyes shining, her fear forgotten for the time, her thought caught in the moment, one that seems to be just for the two of them, even seeing their friends again seems and after thought. As they draw near the end of their climb she even seems to giggle, perhaps it was the moments together, or perhaps it was the joy of soon being on the ground, it is hard to tell.

Once they were both on the ground Terra throws her arms around Ta'las again and embraces him for a long while till her racing heart slowed to the soft flutter, then looks to him.

"Do you think Talia is alright?"

"That is exactly what I was saying. I'm not sure what you were called in the Zeiphyr, I've probably heard of you, but... hearing of someone in tales and seeing them in person often don't connect."

Happy, comfortable again, she relaxes, and her mind wanders off to those precious few moments with Morcaanan, dreaming of the time they will meet again.

"Ah, now I understand. It is like when you were a child and your parents told you a story that seemed so outrageous that it could not possibly be true and then one day you actually meet one of those characters and it causes confusion, possibly doubt and then perhaps the realization that the story your parents told you was not as outrageous as it seemed. Is that what you are trying to say?" Capher asked.

He looked out the cabin's door, the shadows lengthening as the sun slowly sank into the south west sky. He wondered where Ta'las could be?

Suddenly Wanderingstick came in with at least a dozen other Brownies all carrying leaves as large, or larger than they were covered with fresh fruit, all sorts of different kinds of meat and cheeses.  At the rear came an open rolling cart pulled by all things...owls, and in that cart was a cask of ale.

They all put the food and ale next to Capher and Teri and then Wanderingstick, after checking to make sure everything was ok, turned and spoke to Capher, "I hope it enough. If not please tell me and I get more," he said.

Capher looked over the bounty, smiled at Wanderingstick and nodded his head. "No Wanderingstick. I think this should be sufficient. You and your friends have prepared a very nice table for us, thank you."

Though Wanderingstick had some difficulty understanding what Storyteller said, he understood "thank you" and smiled back at Capher.  He turned to go when Capher asked him a question.

"Wanderingstick I was wondering, do you know where our friends are?"

Wanderingstick turned around with a huge smile on his face. "I know. They are in trees," he said.

"Trees?" Capher asked, a bit puzzled. "Why are they in trees?" He asked.

Wanderingstick looked at Capher as if he should know, he cocked his little brown head, then he laughed. "Storyteller making joke. Trees are for healing."

Capher thought a moment, and then smiled once again at Wanderingstick. "Yes, of course. I must have forgotten."

Wanderingstick's eyes widened and then he turned shaking his head as he walked out of cabin whispering to himself, "Storyteller tell many jokes."

Meanwhile Capher was looking at Teri with questioning looks. "Do you know what he meant?" He asked.

"I expect so," Ta'las replies, but his mind is here-and-now with Terra, and so he continues to remain in her embrace for as long as she will allow it.  The Shendar returns Terra's smile, suddenly realising that his heart is no longer his alone - that he has found the one person with whom he will share it.  Unfortunately, the words do not come to him, and instead he lightly brushes his hand against her cheek and sighs.  He holds her a little more tightly for a few moments, and then nods.

"Yes, Talia will be fine, but she is probably wondering what has become of us."  Reluctantly, he adds, "we should find her."  Ta'las starts to turn toward the tree where the last stage of Talia's healing took place, and offers his hand to Terra.  "At least we can still enjoy what time we have left in this place."

"I don't know about healing in trees, Capher; I've never even seen brownies before. But I think he thinks you should know everything, especially about brownies. I'm sure we'll find out soon."

Carefully, she reaches out and takes a fruit, nibbling softly, thinking.

Capher shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention to the food and drink...suddenly he felt hungry and thirsty as he piled his plate with the food and fruit until it was overflowing and then he poured himself a large tankard of ale.  He sat down opposite of Teri and began eating and drinking.

"I suppose you are right, Terri. However I do not know everything," he said with a wry voice.

"Nor can you, or anyone save Avá alone. I think it's a positive thing, not knowing something. It lets you understand that there are ways you can grow, things you can still learn at some point; a goal to live for."

"Yráná'foár'galnós styrát daí; yráná'foár'pherán styrát daí. Yráná ám yráná coorán." She turns her head to face Capher, fighting the old language through her mind, forgetting, remembering, trying to make something out of it all. "Yráná mésh yráná styrát ác lythán?"

Briefly, she pauses, then laughs nervously, grips her forehead and looks away. "Hard to believe it's so strenuous these days. Mother used to only speak it to me, Tharian never, but now... I can hardly remember the most simple things. The pieces must be put together. Puzzles are as this."

Terra is content to share an embrace with Ta'las, she only wished the words she wished to speak, the ones that truely speak of how she feels in his presence and in his parts, would come to her lips and tongue.

"You are likely right. I do miss our friends."

Her voice is smooth and content, though carries with it that she to is lost in the moments of the present. She slips her hand into his offered hand as they start toward Talias place of healing, a barely audible sigh escaping her.

"Ta'las, I do care a great deal for you, but I seem to lack words to express it."

She draws herself close to his side as they walk, content to for now be only in the present, though fearing she will soon have to think of there future, but deep inside not fearing that future with a man such as Ta'las at her side as she would be at his.

Capher listened intently as Teri spoke and his ears pricked up when she started to speak in the Elvish tongue.  It was a language that he too should know, but as Teri stated, it was hard to understand, much less speak, as his thought processess were so much Tharian now days that even his own language, Draconian, would not come easy...but he thought, To face Eckra and to use the magic within me I have to at least think in Draconian or else... Capher frowned at that thought.

"I agree Teri. Only Ava knows everything. I think it would be boring to know everything. When I learn something different, or see something I have not seen before, even if it is growth in humanity, or love as expressed by youself toward Morcaanan; I rejoice in my heart and mind, for it helps me to gtow, to understand, and someday perhaps to have.  Growing and evolving in knowledge, wisdom and truth about Caelereth, its many and varied plant and animal life as well as its races and cultures I believe bring us closer to Ava. I hope never to have complete understanding until it is time for me to meet my Goddess, Seyella and my other worldly destiny. I just hope that that destiny will be a good one."

Capher became silent as he comtenplated his own words.

Ta'las smiles and squeezes Terra's hand a little.  "When I was young, I remember my mother-sister always berating me for speaking so much, rather than doing what I was told.  She always said, 'words are just that - words'."  He looks at Terra.  "I did not understand what she meant, and tried to ask her, but she would just swat my head and tell me to fetch water for dinner."  When he thinks back to how he felt in his youth - free of worry, and simply happy to be himself, Ta'las realises he now feels just as he had when he was young.  "Right now, I feel the warmth of your touch, and I see happiness in your eyes.  Walking here together, next to you - says much more than words, Lady Terra." 

He nods to the large tree just ahead of them, where Talia has spent the last day healing, and stops.  "And of course, this is new for us, and often people are simply uncertain how to act or speak at the beginning of such things."  As they walk he puts his arm around her shoulder and holds her close.  "The words do not always have to be spoken."  Ta'las then looks up the tree, wondering how far Talia has had to climb.  "Would you like to call for Talia, or shall I?"

Before she can answer, he leans toward Terra and whispers in her ear, "I love you, Lady Terra."

Capher?" 'Teri began, looking at him, trying to look into his eyes and soul, "I hope that someday, you can find love. That you can feel the inexplicable pull that tears you in half when you're apart, and makes you as strong as the gods when you're together. Don't... misunderstand me. I don't wish you pain... I just hope that someday... you can feel what it's like. I want you to be that happy."

Capher had his mouth full when Teri spoke. He swallowed quickly and answered, "Thank you Terri, that means a lot to me to know that you care."

Capher washed down the rest of the food with a long swallow of ale and comtemplated Teri's words. They were quite profound when one considered that being happy also could mean being miserable at the same time. This "Love" is incomprehensible, yet why does he want it so much?

Finally he spoke after some time, "I wonder where Ta'las is? The sun is almost gone, certainly he should be arriving soon? What do you think?" He asked Teri, rhetorically; knowing she had no idea as well as he.

"I'm guessing sometime before dark... or maybe just a few hours thereafter."

She looks briefly at him, then away again. Couldn't be long. The brownies had claimed they would be returning from their "trees" soon. She rather found herself wishing they would hurry, wishing she could see Morcaanan again.

Thinking that he'd startled Terra with his confession, or perhaps worse, frightened her into silence, Ta'las pats her arm.  "It is okay - there is no need to say anything, but I do think we should see about getting Talia to come down."  He looks up the tree and then over at Terra with a grin.  "There is one sure way to call a Shendar, even so far from home."

He sets his middle and index fingers on his lips, and lets out a shrill whistle, much like that used by parents to call home their children while playing in the sands of the Rahaz-Dath.  "Talia!  It is time to stop playing in the trees, Shendar-sister!  There is much work to be done down here on the ground where your feet belong!"  Then he steps back from the tree to see if can catch a glimpse of Talia.

Terra is shocked to hear the words she holds in her heart but could not say. She watches as Ta'las whistles up the tree and calls to Talia, then slips back in at his side placing her head on his shoulder.

"I, love you to. I do not know what will become of us ahead, if either of us, any of us will survive. Until our fates are revealed to us, I will be at your side."

Her head rises from his shoulder looking the distance up the tree and begins to tremble anew.

"What if Talia did not hear you? What if she it to far up, or sleeping and some one has to get her? Ta'las, I can't do it again, not yet, I am not strong enough to do it again."

Her head falls back to his shoulder her face buried in his neck, her body trembling.

The Shendar feels a surge of joy, and holds Terra closer to him.  He has never felt this way about another, and to have that feeling returned back lightens his heart.  "Do not worry, Lady Terra, if she cannot climb down on her own, I can go up to her."  He rubs her hand as he looks up the tree.  "But I do not think that will be necessary - I think heights do not bother Talia."

Ta'las looks at Terra as she trembles.  He recalls something Kal'manth told him as a boy, just before he travelled to the Aj'nuvic Grounds to befriend Desert Rose.  Suddenly, he felt a pang of worry, wondering how his Aj'nuvic fares, but he steels himself, knowing that had anything foul happened to his bondmate, he would know.  He rubs Terra's shoulder and turns to her so they face one another.  "There is nothing wrong with fear, only do what you must to make that fear your ally.  Calm yourself, gather your will, and eventually fear will become resolve - and when that happens, your resolve will strengthen your spirit."

Terra's trembling eases against Ta'las, her head laying on his shoulder as she hopes Talia comes down on her own. She does not wish to be parted from him just yet, even for a short time or distance.

"I know Ta'las. I just feel as if a great injury has been healed, yet have not yet regained my full strength. But I feel as if somehow our feeling give me strength. I, love you Ta'las, and will stand at your side for as long as our feeling draw us to each others side."

The remainder of the tension in her body fades away as she keeps herself close to him.

"That will be a very long time, Lady Terra."  This is said not in jest, but seriously, for a Shendar's existence does not end at the time of her or his death, but also includes Journey-on.  And as far as Ta'las knows, that is eternal.  He smiles.  "I am glad you and I will be together through it, for I expect we will need all our strength during the trials ahead of us."     

He glances up and furrows his brow.  "But longer yet is how long it seems to be taking Talia to come down from her tree."  After a moment he looks back at Terra.  "You know, I think I may have led us to the wrong tree.  See what happens when you let a desert warrior guide you through a forest?" he asks with a smirk.

Terra giggles lightly against his shoulder.

"I would be no better Ta'las, unless you needed to be guided across a featureless snow plain."

She stays tight to Ta'las, savoring the moments as they come, her blood telling her the moment to come will be spent in thanks for their lives. Everything will change once they leave the vail, there will be no more peace for there feelings to thrive in. Inwardly she hopes the fires of their quest will temper those feelings till they can find peace again, but such trials can change people and fears those changes in them will fracture what they now have.

On silent feet, a fox padded into the hut occupied by two Big People. On it sat a small figure, though tall for Brownie standards. Roosje had been given the task of waking the visitors up, because their companions would soon be joining them. There was also some personal interest in the gaze that she directed towards the sleeping forms. She had been given to understand that she might be going with them, and she wanted to see for herself what these people were like. She had already looked at the two who had needed healing, as well as the warrior who had stayed here while the others had gone to the dwarves, together with Tulpje. Now her curiosity about the last companions was satisfied.

With a few simple commands, communicated through the reins, she let her fox put its paws on the edge of the low bed - the one that the Storyteller was lying in. Bringing its muzzle close to the old man's face, the animal yipped a few times. Then she jumped down and repeated the process near the woman's face. Roosje hoped that this would be enough to wake them. She wanted them to be up and ready when the other Big People came back to the hut.

She let Inuya jump down again, and sit down in the middle of the hut so that the woman would not wake up to a fox's snout pressed into her face. Sitting crosslegged on the animal, Roosje waited patiently for the two to wake up, so that she could communicate her news to them. She wondered what they would be like to talk to.

Tulpje yawned and stretched as she woke up. When she realised what day it was, she suppressed a little shudder. An important day, yes. Terrifying, definitely. Today she would hear just what she would have to do to atone for her deeds a year - almost two - ago, when she had struck down one of her superiors. Even though she had not killed him, as she had first thought, there were still consequences to be faced for her actions. The fact that she had fled the vale was possibly worse than her actual crime...

But now was not yet the time to worry about that. For now, she had been given the task to get the Big People from the tree and lead them back to the hut where the others, the Storyteller and 'Teri, were. She dressed quickly and went out - she saw in passing just how high up the Council Tree that she was at the moment, but it didn't faze her. She was used to great heights, even though owls didn't usually fly too high.

After her piercing whistle, Nash soon came out and flew towards her. The small grey Brownie limped over to her owl and climbed up, wincing for a moment from the pain in her leg. She rubbed the knee for a moment when she was seated, then gave Nash the signal to leave. The brown owl floated on soft wings towards the tree where Tulpje knew the desert woman sat. She had planned to go to Terra's tree afterwards, but she saw that it was no longer necessary, since Terra was already standing on the ground, locked in a tight embrace with Ta'las, who had treated her so nicely before she had gone with the Storyteller to the dwarves. For one wild, incomprehensible moment she felt the tug of jealousy, then she laughed at herself from atop her owl. Jealous of a Big Person for embracing a Big Person! What would she do, with her 14 nailsbreadths - 15 if she stood up on her toes - compete with the woman? Still giggling silently from her own silliness, she let Nash land on a branch close by the Talia person.

With a wave she tried to get her attention. "Hello!" she yelled. "Time is being for to go down! You need go from other Big Persons to out Vale!" She cursed her small stature, which prevented her talking in a normal tone of voice - something the woman was not likely to hear, unless her ear was very close to the Brownie. So she had to yell from the top of her longs to get the woman to understand her. She just hoped that her screaming did the trick, because if it didn't she would feel just a tad bit foolish - just as much as from the jealousy she'd felt for a moment, though luckily that feeling had been private... Unlike the yelling.

The sky was a clear azure blue as the sun beat upon his wings. He lowered his neck and below him was a land of white. But not a land on which one could land on, for the white were the tops of clouds that covered the mountains and land below. Up here the air was cold, but the sun kept it warm enough so that he would not freeze.  Here, he was in his element; the sky large enough to hold his enomourus frame and wing span, here he could dive, dip, spin, and even roar out billowing flames of fire that would stretch for ten peds or more without fear of reprisials. Here he was free...

Suddenly he felt movement and then a strange noise...He felt his wings give way; he began plummeting through the clouds. He flapped his wings as hard as he could but they were shrinking and could not hold up his weight. Falling, twisting, turning, he fell through the upper layer of clouds into the more dense, dark and menacing lower parts. He watched horrified as his wings turned into human arms and then he felt lighter he looked and saw that his powerful legs had changed into human legs, old and frail.

He came whistling through the lower half of the clouds into a maelstorm of snow and ice. He looked below him and could see nothing but white below him. He continued to fall...his heart beat faster, he perspired, he could now see tops of trees, one was taller and much larger around. The snow and ice gave way to warmer temperatures, and the leaves on the trees were of brightly colors of red, orange, and gold.

He still could not stop himself from falling, though as much as he tried, he continued to plummet toward the land with dizzying speed...there was a shape of a hut and he knew he was going to crash right through the roof...he screamed....

Capher suddenly rose out of his bed, his face wet with persperation, his eyes had a wild crazy look, hia blue one was aflame, and his golden one shone like brass in a fire.  He jerked his head around and there in the middle of the room sat one of the most unusual sights Capher had seen in quite awhile: A Birchbark Brownie sitting cross-legged on a small red fox.

Capher realized he had been dreaming and immediately took steps to calm his breathing and his heartbeat. He noticed that behind the fox sunlight was peeking through the open door. Capher now back to his normal self turned his attention first to Teri, to make sure she was ok, then back to the Brownie who seemed to be looking at him curiously, not afraid, but with a sense of waiting for something or someone.

The Brownie, whether it was a he or a she, was a bit hard to discern as the fox's fur covered most of the Brownies figure, was as white as snow, even whiter if that was possible, Its irisis were white as well but its eyes were like two small dark spots within them. It looked blind, but Capher knew that the Brownie could see. The Brownie wore a small red outfit made with a material only Capher could guess at. The outfit covered the Brownie from neck to feet; leaving its head and arms bare.  A grin came to his face as he thought how this Brownie would look like in the middle of the night riding on top of the fox through the forest...anyone, especially a human, would think they were seeing a disembodied ghost.

Capher swiveled on the bed and placed his stockinged feet upon the floor and rubbed his hands over his face and chin and felt the soft length of a full beard and mustache. He looked down and saw that the beard was as white as the tops of the clouds he had been flying above in his dream. He was startled, to say the least. The last time he ever grew hair upon his face was back... He forced his thoughts away from that thought and time.  He slowly put his boots on, keeping one eye upon the Brownie, as he stomped first one foot into a boot and then the other. The Brownie did not say a word: just sat there watching him.

Teri was stirring.

Finally Capher leaned toward the fox and Brownie.  "And who might you be?" He asked.

"What?"

Talia nearly falls of her branch where she has daydreamed, her thoughts far away, her mind seeing strange, foreign landscapes, not the trees and the meadows of the beautiful vale.

"Is there anybody?"

She looks around and indeed, there is a little Brownie sitting next to her, who looks a bit peevishly as if she has tried something which has not been to her pleasure.

"Did you say something?"

Of course, she must had said - or yelled  - something, for otherwise she, Talia,  would still sit on her branch daydreaming.

"Oh, sorry, I did not hear you, I was far away with my thoughts".  Not wanting to hint at the brownie's low voice she adds:  " - I would probably not heard a wolf howl under my tree. I assume, you are here to fetch me? Well, then I have to finally get earthburned again. Do you know, where to I should go, to the hut maybe, where will I meet the others?"

Ta'las looks up as Tulpje, riding on Nash, flits through the trees above them.  To the Shendar, the pair appear as only a flash of grey on brown, and are barely discernable except for the fact that they land on a tree not too far away.  And from where he stands with Terra, he now sees Talia, sitting on one of the lower branches of her healing tree.

He nods in their direction and smiles at Terra.  "It seems I was wrong about where to find Talia.  But at least I wasn't too far off."

Terra returns Ta'las' smile with a slight giggle.

"See, I would have done no better."

Her expreassion dims as she lays her head on his shoulder.

"How long do you think we will stay her? We will not have this peace when we leave. Part of me wants to stay here with you, the other part, the Sophronian part? Tells me I must go and protect others. I guess I just worry about what lays ahead for us."

She leave her head on his shoulder waiting for him to reply, or lead the way.

Aueniteri awakens very slowly, recognizing at first voices, then smells, and light. Finally, colors blur into view, and after staring blankly at those colors, they become the house, then more building, finally Capher forms out of the chaos, and he is looking at something - and then she realizes that it is more correctly someone. A brownie.

The nuances of the whos and whys of brownies evade her. Though she can tell there is a difference between this one and the other, Tulpje, that has been with them, she isn't immediately certain, and stares at the little person as though simply doing so will force an answer out of nothing.

"We will leave soon - perhaps tomorrow," Ta'las says quietly.  He looks at Terra and smiles wistfully.  "I wish it did not have to be so, but I think we have done everything here that we came to do, and Capher will now need to seek help in the city of Ximax."  The Shendar begins to lead them toward the tree where Talia is speaking to a brownie.  From this distance, he is uncertain, but he thinks it might be Tulpje's owl on the branch next to his Shendar-sister.

"We can only guess about what we will face next.  At some point, our enemy will be aware that we are a threat."  Ta'las pauses and looks ahead, as he recalls his dream from the previous night, wondering if there is something connected to it, and he is ever mindful of the last line of the Elven seer's stanza to be wary of 'cheap deception'.

Then he squeezes Terra a little and looks back at her, setting aside his dark thoughts.  His eyes trace her features, and he puts to memory everything about these moments he has been able to share with Terra in the Vale.  "We have each other - whether we are here in the Vale or not."

He looks up, as they arrive at Talia's tree, and speaks loud enough so Talia can hear.  "Shendar-sister, are you ready to put your feet on the ground, as a desert-warrior is meant to do, or will you remain on your perch all day?"

Roosje watched the Storyteller wake up with a start. When he noticed her, she could just see him wondering about her - she had grown quite adept at reading Big People's faces, despite the fact that they were so, well, big. Not really wanting to repeat herself, though, she waited for the other one to wake up as well. When the Storyteller asked her who she was, though, Teri was only just stirring. Still, she might as well answer, it would not be long before the woman woke up completely.

"My name is Roosje Greenfields, Storyteller. I am sent here to make sure everything is in order here, and that you do not need anything else." Seeing that Teri was awake - and staring at her rather intently - she continued. "Also, I was asked to tell you that your companions will soon be here, and to be ready for them. All your companions."

Having delivered her main message, she looked from the old man to the woman and back. "So, is there anything I can help you with?"

Tulpje was not entirely sure what the woman meant with some of the things she said, such as 'earthburned', though she brightened when she heard the last words - because she understood them. "Yes, yes" she nodded vigorously, "Go to hut, go other Big people. Continue road."

She was interrupted by Ta'las appearing underneath the tree and calling up to Talia. As she waited for the woman to climb down and go to the hut, she stroked Nash's feathers. The owl half closed his eyes in enjoyment and turned his head in the direction of the woman, so that she could better reach the spot he liked best. She was not sure if she should climb on the shoulder of one of the big people, or if she should remain perched on Nash and follow them like that. But she already felt as though she had ignored the owl too much the last couple of days, she had not been able to take him with her when they went to the dwarves. She decided to stay seated on him for now, so that he would not start to feel ignored and consequently peevish, as he tended to do.

Capher stared at the Brownie. Did he hear that correctly? Did Roosjie, that was his or is it a her, name speak almost fluent Tharain? Was he still dreaming?

He stomped his right foot into its boot and felt the pressure as the boot held back, then gave in, and his foot fell snugly into place. Well that confirmed that. He was not dreaming. But how in Seyella's name does a Brownie, a Birchbark one at that, come to know and speak Tharian as if he/she has done it all their life?

That made Capher curious as well as a bit suspicious, but the news that the rest of the whole group was finally going to be together again overode his suspicions for now. He turned his head and looked at Teri who was also now awake and staring at Roosjie as well.

Finally Roosjie asked if there was anything that they needed.  Capher stood up, scratched his belly and heard it rumble. "Food and drink, if you would not mind," He said and then added, "I apologize, but I am not sure as to what...um...sex you are? With you diminutive size and clothing it is hard to discern. Also I am more than curious about how well you speak our language. Perhaps as we eat together you can tell me a bit about yourself and if you have any questions of me I will try and gladly answer them, if I can," he added.

Capher tugged on his beard and looked around for his pack. He found it lying next to the far wall. He walked over to it, opened it, took out a sheathed knife and walked out of the cabin but not before turning to Teri, "I will be back shortly. Somehow I grew a beard and I need to shave before the others arrive.  He then turned and walked out into the sunshine.

The sun was warm upon his face as he made his way down to the river. His mind was whirling with fragments of thoughts that jumped into it and out of it as fast as lightning struck the ground during a rainstorm. Some of the thoughts bothered him, others he just dismissed, but there was one nagging thought that came back again and again...Why did he grow a beard, and one that was this long and pure white? What did it mean?

He reached the river, knelt down by the bank and watched a small school of fry scatter at his appearance and then slowly come swimming back. He took the knife out and swished it in the river and then taking the tip of his beard he put the knife to it and began to cut. But the beard would not be cut off. Capher looked at the blade of the knife and tested it against his thumb. It immediately and cleanly cut off a layer of skin. It was not the blade, that was for sure, Capher thought.

He tried again and again the same result: the beard refused to be cut.

Capher knelt at the rivers bank staring across the river and then he stared into the river, seeing a moving reflection of himself as the river flowed on by.  The beard reached down to the top of his navel and was almost a brilliant white, like the white of new fallen snow.  His skin on his hands and arms seemed to have aged tremendously; as they showed wrinkles and age spots that he did not have before; Even his face showed wrinkles. The only thing that seemed strong about him was the fierce determination in his eyes.  Suddenly, it struck him...He was growing old! He was actually becoming as old in human years as he was in draconian years!  If the age process continued at the pace it was going, he would be several thousand years old.

He stood up and felt a twinge of pain in his back. His hand automatically reaching behind and rubbing the sore spot. He turned and almost lost his balance.  He saw a stout oak sapling growing out of the ground near the bank and cut it down and used it as a cane. However as soon as he touched the sapling, the sapling turned as white as his beard and even seemed to glow; but just for a moment. Capher shrugged it off as a trick of the light, but in the deepest recess of his mind, he was not sure.  There were many strange and unusual things happening to him and he had no answer as to why.

He took the sapling in his hand, and began the trek back to the hut. He looked up into the sky and whispered two silent prayers: one was to Seyella for guidance and the other was to his Master, hoping and wishing that he could talk to him. Only Ethan could perhaps tell him what was happening to him and why?

Each step he took, the sapling changed even more; arcane symbols of magic long ago lost in time and myth seared itself on the sapling that was also hardening as well. Capher knew most of the symbols, however some he did not recognize.

Finally as he reached the top of the hill and saw the hut in which he was headed too, the cane was now complete, along with a dragons head as its top. The dragons head had stones in its eyes that matched the same color as his own; one gold jeweled and the other a Sapphire, both jewels the size of a large rock. The horns of the dragon protruded out of the sides giving Capher a perfect place to place his hand to walk with it with optimum efficiency, as he walked much slower now, feeling every ache and pain.

He thought about heading for Ximax by himself. For something told him that that accursed stone that he had to find and stand in front of, according to the seer's rhyme, would supposedly cure him. Could all of what is happening be the cause of him losing his powers?  That was a startling thought and one that made sense, all except the cane. The cane was something else...he just knew it.

But how will his companions react to his new appearance? Now that Talia and Terra were cured, Teri was commit ed to going on; hoping to run into Morgana, and also to help her new found friends. Ta'las, the boy shendar growing into a man, right before their eyes. How will they all see him? As a feeble old man, or as the Capher they once knew?

He sighed. Only one way to find out.

He straightened himself up as much as his arthritic back would allow, and slowly walked the few peds down the path to the hut, took a deep breath, let it out slowly and then stooping even lower, walked in.

She hadn't seen him leave, but she most definitely sees him enter, and for a moment isn't sure who this ancient man with some kind of magical staff has entered this building. It's more in his eyes and the halo of white hair around his head that strikes recognition, and slowly, a little painfully she stands and approaches him.

"Capher?" Hardly recognizing him, the name is placed as a question, though she holds a hand out to try and steady him - yet at the same time, hardly daring to touch him, as if he might fall apart at the slightest pressure.

Capher heard the uncertainity in Teri's voice and when she reached out to touch him, as if to steady him, he almost felt sorry himself. However there was work to be done and he had half expected to see the others as well, but they had not yet arrived. Capher was not sure if his voice was going to be as weak as his body felt but he cleared his throat.

He chuckled. "It is I, Teri," he answered, glad to hear that his voice came out strong, yet there was a slight waspiness in it.  He held up his hand. "Before you start asking questions I cannot answer I can tell you that though I look old and I feel it more than I have ever had in my life, I am well and healthy. I am not sure what has happened nor why, but Seyella has her reasons for everything. It may be that I need to get to Ximax faster than we thought we had, or it could be something else. The one thing I do is that this cane I now carry and use has a purpose, besides holding me up," he chuckled again before continuing, "Some of these archaic symbols I know and understand, some I do not, but the ones I do know carry magic that has not been seen since the War of the Chosen. If we are to defeat Eckra and his minions this magic will serve us all well."

He made his way to the bench. "I need to sit down, these bones are a bit weary," he said as he sat slowly sat down. He looked around and did not see the fox nor Roosjie and assumed they were going for food. He patted a place on the bench near him. "Why do you not sit down here. You can touch me and see that I am who I say I am and at the same time I need to ask you a question."

Capher watched and waited.

Roosje laughed a tinkling laugh at all the questions posed by the Storyteller. They shouldn't call him Storyteller, they should call him Questioner! It was funny though, he looked a lot different than how she had pictured him before she met him. It just went to show that stories were not always to be believed. At least, none of the stories said anything about a long, flowing white beard! With a florid bow from on top of her fox, she answered the first question. "I am of the female persuasion, good sir. The food should be on its way, but I will go and make sure that it actually gets here. As for the rest of your questions, I will answer those when I get back."

Turning the fox, Roosje left the hut to go see what was keeping the brownies who were supposed to bring the food. As it turned out, they had just finished loading the food and drink on a large tray - larger by far than any the brownies normally used, and designed specifically for human visitors - and that they were now rounding up some help to carry it to the hut. Roosje immediately jumped off Inuya and put her shoulder under the plate. When enough brownies were helping to carry the tray, the load was not too heavy, but they still were a lot slower to get back to the hut than they normally would be. To a human eye, it must seem quite a sight, the tray seemingly going on by itself, with all those small heads next  to it. They were followed by some animals, though not (as one might think) to snatch away an easy meal, but rather following their brownie masters, who would have need of them when the tray was delivered.

Back at the hut they brought the tray inside. Most of the brownies immediately streamed outside again and were gone within a flash, but Roosje stayed around, remembering the questions that the Storyteller had asked. Climbing back on Inuya, she sat down on the animal's back, and with a simple command she let the fox jump up on the bench where Capher and Teri were already sitting. There the fox lay down, with the Brownie still on her back. Roosje waited patiently for the conversation between the two humans to be over.

As Capher waited for Teri's reply Roosje's fox came back in followed by a tray full of food carried by many brownies, including Roosje herself.  They put the tray down and all of the brownies, except Roosjie left the hut.  Roosjie jumped back upon her fox, which then jumped on the bench where Capher and Teri sat.

Capher glanced over at Roosje and was still struck by her appearance. She had very striking eyes, not that they were black orbs against almost snow white skin, but that they were inquisitive and showed much intelligence; as if she should be one of the wise one's instead of just an ordinary Brownie.

She had told him that she was a female before he had left to go down to the river and the unusual transformation had begun. She looked at them, and at him, as if nothing had happened...which made Capher curious and suspicious once again.

His stomache growled and without even thinking reached over and made himself a sandwich of cheese and meats and ate it. He washed it all down with a large cup of ale.

He turned back to Teri hoping for some response from her, but she seemed to be lost in her thoughts, so he turned his attention back to roosje and was going to ask her a question but instead a large belch came out of his mouth.

"Excuse me!" He exclaimed, a bit embarrassed. "I guess I should not have eaten and drank so fast. I was a bit hungry."  He did not know if he was just speaking to Teri or Roosje or both of them. It just made sense to apologize no matter who had heard him.

"Thank you Roosje for the food. i look forward to seeing our companions once again." He settled himself a bit more. "So, where were we? Ah yes, I seem to recall I was curious as to how you know Tharian so well? You speak it better than some I know. I think I also recall that I had asked you to tell me something about yourself,"

He paused as he took a few more pieces of meat and cheese and poured himself another cup of ale. He then continued, "I also think I told you that if you had any questions for me that if I could answer them I would gladly do so. However you first," He added as he munched on the meat and cheese sandwich.

"Alright," she manages, sitting a little slower than one might normally do so, holding Capher's arm gently. Courtesy of a pretty little brownie on an equally pretty fox, food arrives, and the two big people help themselves, Capher freely, Aueniteri more reserved, every once in a while looking up to Capher. She hides a smile when he belches and attempts to recover with an immediate apology. Then, he begins asking questions of the brownie, Roosje, and 'Teri looks away again, lost somewhere in the past and the future.

As Capher waited for Roosje to answer his question Teri seemed to have come out of her thoughts and answered his previous question to her with one word, "Alright" She still seemed to be either a bit wary of him or cautious; as if she squeezed his arm too hard it would break.  That was what Capher was afraid of.  "Teri, I needed to know whether you saw me as a frail old man or the Capher you are used to seeing? However I can already tell by the way you are looking at me and trying to hold me. Do not let appearances deceive you. I may look old, and I have a bit more aches and pains than I am used to, but I am still the same Capher. You have to believe that! All of you have to beleive that or else we may well lose this war!"

Capher had not spoken with this much emotion in a long time. It was imperative that Teri and the rest see him as he was inside, not outside.

Capher began thinking about that paradox and wondered if there was some sort of significance to it? Was there a meaning behind this? A meaning more than just the obvious? Capher set a part of his mind on the problem as he waited for Roosje or Teri to speak, and wondering when their friends would arrive and what they would think as well.

She smiles a little, not trying to downplay the significance of what he said, but something about it seems a little desperate. "Capher, I'm certain you will are still able to do whatever has to be done. I trust your strength - I only tried to help you when I saw you falter. I don't know how to take what I see, only as I see it. I do know you need to go to Ximax, where they can help you, and the sooner the better. If... this is related to that, or something different entirely, it doesn't matter."

Her expression is a slightly inquisitive one, and the smile has faded to earnestness, not certain if that was what he needed to hear - of if it was even what she meant to say.

Capher listened, smiled back at Teri and then gave her a hug, whispering in her ear, "Thank you for being honest and for trying to help me when you thought I needed it. I will never let you down as long as there is life in my body."

He released her. Perhaps knowing that maybe he overstepped his bounds by touching her when she did not ask for nor need it.

"I suppose you are correct. It may be that Ximax and that stone will help me. Or I truly suspect that some of this is for a different reason; my beard for example. I have not grown a beard that I could not shave, nor grown so fast since the time of the..."

Suddenly he stopped speaking. He looked at Roosje and at Teri and wondered if he had spoken too much.  He quickly made another cheese and meat sandwich and ate a mouthful. "Sorry, suddenly I became very hungry again," He lied, but he was concerned he may have said too much. Who would believe him anyway? But Eckra had spies everywhere and this new Brownie may be such a one. Only time will tell...

Talia is listening to Tulpje, who answers her that it is time to go back to the hut and the others, when she hears a call from beneath:


"Shendar-sister, are you ready to put your feet on the ground, as a desert-warrior is meant to do, or will you remain on your perch all day?"

Oh, Ta'las was here to pick her up. So now the calm time had finally found its end, there was no way to slip back into her dreams. She looks down and sees Ta'las, accompanied by Terra. And looks twice at the pair. There has something happened between them. It is not obvious, though they are standing close to each other, but as an experienced woman, Talia  feels more than observes a difference in their relation. Instead of giving an answer which would match Ta'las teasing question, she smiles and says quite softly:

"Oh Shendar brother, what do you know? The desert aguia is a warrior as well and perches in trees - if he is not soaring the sky. There might be more connections between the sands and the skies than we know. But I will come down!"

She brushes away the memories of strong wings carrying a child high in the air and turns resolutely to the presence.

"Tulpje, thank you for waking me up me before this loud big man down there has arrived, I might have fallen of my branch otherwise," she says with a twinkle in her eyes. "Thank you and bye for now! You are fortunate, you have your owl, I wished I could ride on a bird as well!"

And then Talia climbs down to get "earthburned" again. Somehow she understands now the Shendar  neighbours in the Sharadon better, the elves who  try to never touch the ground in their lives.

She is happy to see Terra again, her companion in the healing process. Wrapping her arms around both, Terra and Ta'las, and pulling them in her embrace she asks:
"How are you both? Terra, how was the time on the tree? Was it good for you? And what did you do against boredom, Shendar-brother?"

She gives them not really time to answer. Releasing her grip which might have been a bit uncomfortable she beams at them, looks first to Ta'las, then to Terra.

"Terra, you are so much more beautiful than before the healing, I did not think that this would be possible, but you are looking so.... "

And with a little sigh and her smile still as broad as her mouth allows she throws her arms around Terra and hugs her tightly. "I'm so glad" she whispers into her red hair.

Roosje had to grin about the way the storyteller was juggling his attention between herself and the woman. She decided to be nice and let him talk to her first before she answered his questions. She occupied herself with scratching Inuya behind the ears, keeping the fox happy. She didn't pay attention to Capher's words, pretty sure that they were talking about things she had no knowledge about. It was only the way he suddenly stopped talking and started eating instead that made her glance up at him. But if he said he was hungry, he must be. What reason would there be for him to lie about that?

Shrugging it off as unimportant anyway, she said (hoping that the storyteller would hear her): "To answer your earlier questions, I know Tharian because I've pretty much been learning it since childhood. I liked the language, so I took the trouble of keeping in practice. And then later in life I joined the Ferretmaster clan and I got myself a nice little fox," she patted Inuya, "so I combined those two into my job, meaning that I'm a messenger. Inuya can bring me around a lot faster than a Babbler on a cart can go, so that's why. It means I'm usually a couple of months outside the Vale on missions, but I enjoy meeting Big People so that's not really a problem. That's about all there is to tell about me, I guess. If you want to know about my colour, I know it's rare but I seem to have had a great-grandmother who was white as well, so I guess I got it from her."

Capher listened to Roosje, trying to detect any semblance of half-truths, but found none. The Birchbark Brownie is exactly who she said she was: that relieved his mind. He smiled at her as he brushed his beard absent-mindedly and suddenly his face twisted in surprise as he noticed that not a single crumb had stuck, or entangled itself in it, as did most beards this long usually did in humans, but he had to remind himself, he was not human and his beard was not usual.

Finally he turned his attention back to Roosje. "May I ask the name of your fox? He is a cute little fellow," Capher said as he reached out to scratch the animal. The animal gave a small bark and Capher took back his hand.

He continued on as if nothing had happened. "So you're a messenger. Would not flying, like Tulpje, be faster than even a fox? Oh, I assume you know Tulpje Sweetshade. She was our helper but she did not speak Tharian as well as you do. I am assuming that your elders have decided to change our helpers just for that cause alone, besides your familiarity with the territory outside of the Vale."

He suddenly paused, his eyes half closed, as if he was in some sort of trance. He murmured something..."Lady Terra, afraid of heights...Lady Talia, relectant to come down...Ta'las and Lady Terra...relationship! No! Heart with Morcaanan! All is lost!"

Then as suddenly as he had gone into that trance he came out and continued speaking with Roosje. "How long do you think it will be before our companions join us and how long do you plan on staying with us? He asked, reaching out for his cup of ale.

Terra could not help but feel joy at having Talia with them again, she returns Talia's tight embrace and replies.

"I am glad to be whole again."

She draws away to look at Talia, smiling freely.

"You seem much better yourself my friend. Thank you for your support and guidance, I would be honored to consider you a sister."

Looking back Terra seems lost in the eyes of Ta'las, her lips curling up into a smile ment only for him as she draws herself close to him once again. She looks around and then to between Ta'las and Talia, her smile seems cast in the faintest shadow as a sigh escapes her.

"I am sure our friends are waiting, then we will have to leave this place and forge ahead in our quest. As much as I wish it were not so, I know I must."

Her gaze once again falls into that of Ta'las her words come softly and almost as it to herself.

"Until then I will charish every moment of the happiness I have found before we leave this place of great beauty."

Something unspoken passes between Talia and Terra, and for a brief moment, Ta'las feels...lost, but when Terra smiles at him, the Shendar understands.  It is always amazing, what women are able to say to one another without speaking a single word, he muses to himself.  He smiles back at Terra and gently squeezes her hand.

"You also appear healed, Shendar-sister - it is good that we have spent this time here .  For all of us.  As for what I have done during your healing, I have continued my journey, Talia, and progressed some distance down the 'Warrior's Path', though I still have much left to learn before I reach Second Reality."

His eyes shine a little less though, when both women speak of leaving the Vale.  "You are both right about leaving.  It is time that we turn our attention to Capher so that he can seek out the 'eternal spring' in Ximax."  His face is serious now.  "Our friend will need us, I think, and soon."  He looks back at Terra and the solemn look on his face fades as he returns her gaze and is silent for a few moments as he takes in her beauty.  "You are ready, Lady Terra."  And then to Talia.  "As are you my Shendar sister."

"Come - let's return to our friends."

"Any idea where the others are, Ta'las? Teri, Capher, Jeheraid?  Go ahead, please!"

She looks in the direction where the Council Tree and the hut for the big people is, but waits for Ta'las to tell her about their whereabout.

As Ta'las and the others begin making their way back to the hut, the Shendar nods to Talia.  "The others arrived today, but I have not seen them yet.  I wanted to meet up with you first."  The sounds of the forest fill the silence as he glances over at Terra and smiles.  For a brief moment, he has forgotten about their quest - their upcoming struggles.  Another moment to commit to memory, he thinks to himself, before continuing with his response.

"And then I thought we could join the others together.  They should have returned to the cabin by now."  The trio come to a small path that winds through the meadow where he had practiced with his weapons the previous day.  Ta'las looks up at the large sentinel-like trees that surround the area, and once again feels a sense of calm.  He points to the far side of the meadow.  "I see the hut now - we'll soon be rejoined with our friends."

Approaching the hut where she suggested their friends to be, Talia suddenly overtakes Terra and Ta'las, hurries on and nearly runs towards the entrance. But then, her hand stops at the handgrip and she hesitates: What will come?

But that moment of sudden fear vanishes as it has come and she pushes the door open. Inside are three persons, a to her unknown Brownie on a fox, Teri and an old whitebearded man who seems to be somehow familiar, but on the otherside a stranger as well. She gives the strange looking brownie a quick smile and hello, but  turns then immediately to Teri, rushing to her side and hugging her as if she has not seen her for ages, ignoring completely, that she seems to have her breakfast.

"How are you, dear! Was it a long time for you or did you enjoy the vale? Where are the others, Jeheraid and Ca... "

And while she thinks at Capher, she looks at the old man next to Terri and her eyes get wide. Bewildered she stares at him, finally raises and goes over to him. She sits on her heels in front of him, looking intensely into his face.

"Capher what happened to you?"

With a soft movement she touches his face and strokes down along the white beard.

"It seems we need to go to Ximax quickly, don't we?"

And then she throws her arms around  one of her oldest friends as well, though this time she is a bit more carefully not to hurt him in any way.

Terra shares Ta'las' glance her thoughts mirroring his as she knows soon she will not be able to let the world and its troubles fall away as she gazes at him, her love, so she commits to memory every pristine moment, every look, every smile and offers him all she can. They walk hand in hand through the clearing where Ta'las had spent his time waiting as Talia rushes ahead in gleeful haste. She speaks softly to Ta'las as she watches, a thought coming to her in the place where he made his steps along the warriors path.

"I know this may seem odd, but, do you think we would have time to spare before we leave here? Seems like I have wanted to for some time."

Waiting for his response she savors every moment with him, close to him knowing that soon the certainty of the moments will fade and they will not know when or if they shall come again.

A grin crosses the Shendar's face and he stops.  "Yes, I do believe there is time to spare, though I think this is an odd place to snuggle.  The brownies follow us everywhere, and will definitely wonder what we are up to," he says with a wink.

"However, the brownies must have thought it odd to see my 'sword-dancing', especially by myself."  The Shendar then looks up at the trees, and feels the same 'strength' in this place that he had previously.  "There is something different about this place in the Vale, Lady Terra - it feels familiar, like one of the hills outside of my mother-sister's dome."

Then he looks at Terra, puzzled.  "I don't know how to explain what I feel here, Lady Terra, but this meadow makes me feel 'different'."  Strong.  Fast.  Aware.  Once again, though, his attention is drawn to the trees.  He takes a few steps toward them and peers at them more closely, but sees nothing out of the ordinary.  "Those trees," he says, excitedly, pointing at them.  "They are at the focus of what I feel."

Before Roosje could answer him.

Suddenly the door of the hut was pushed open and in rushed a very energetic, youthful, and seemingly completely restored Talia.  Capher watched her wondering what she would say, and do when she saw him. She hesitated as she saw Roosje upon her fox, but she had the presence of mind to say "hi" to her.

She looked at him but did not know him, It saddened him but then she rushed over to Teri and gave her a hug and started asking many questions, such as "where was Jerhiad and Ca..."

Realization hit her and she came over to him, knelt down in front of him and looked at his eyes. Her hand softly caressed his cheek and continued down his beard. At first she did not believe it was him, but when she had looked into his eyes, she knew and as Capher had feared saw him as an old, feeble man, when she asked him what had happend and before he could answer she stated that going to Ximax was paramount.

Capher heard the concern in her voice and when she did hug him, felt how she tried to so without squeezing him to hard as if, if she did, she would hurt him in someway.

Capher grimmaced and hugged Talia back with a bit more strength than what she had done to him and then they pulled apart; she was still staring at him.

He smiled at her and spoke with a strong voice, though it sounded old, "Lady Talia, I am so happy to see you. I see that the healing process has done wonders for you. Praise Seyella! and as far as your question is concerned I am fine. Whether or not what is happening to me is the cause of Eckra and his magic or something else or whether Ximax and that stone will heal me; only time will tell. But, let us not concern ourselves of that right now. I wish to hear of your healing journey? And to know what has become of Lady Terra and our boy warrior, Ta'las? Are they with you? Are they coming as well?" He asked, looking toward the open door, expecting Terra and Ta'las to run in any moment, but it did not happen.

Capher looked back at Talia with concern written on his face and his brow wrinkled even more than usual as he asked an unspoken question. Was Lady Terra and Ta'las alright?

Capher tries to calm Talia's concerns about his health, but Talia is still worried. But at least she can answers his question about Terra and Ta'las in a positive way.

Don't worry, Capher, Terra and Ta'las are well. I haven't talked much to Terra yet, but I think the healing was as successful as mine, to judge after how she looks. And apart from that, there is now another source of healing, you will see. This "source" may be the reason why they need a bit more time for the few peds to the hut than I did.

She grins slightly, thinking at the looks Ta'las and Terra gave each other.

Well, and I might be a tiny bit closer to the puzzle of where I come from, she adds, now sitting in front of Capher. I had weird dreams and I don't know, how to interpret them, I think I have to go to Aeruillin some day.

Capher's brow wrinkled more in puzzlement as he pondered on this source of healing of Terra and Ta'las. He did not know that Ta'las needed any healing. Talia told him about the strange dreams and where she thought she came from. Capher was puzzled at that as well; he always though she was a Shendar. Was she not? He asked himself.

"If Aeruillin is where you must go some day then I will gladly be your traveling companion to find your home; that is if you will have me? And if we survive this adventure." Capher said.

Terra simply smiles as Ta'las her gaze falling into his adoringly.

"I am sorry Ta'las I was being selfish for the moment, but perhaps we should join Talia and our friends."

She takes his hand, drawing close for a quick blushing kiss. Somehow she feels like a young girl under the sway of a crush, a little embarrassed at the actions it drives her to, unsure of herself, a little afraid of doing something wrong. Yet she feels it is deeper and that in time she will grow more comfortable expressing how she feels for him. Taking a step back she draws him toward the hut, releasing one hand as she continues to hold the other as they come along side.

"Tell me about where you like Ta'las. Are there trees like this there? You and Talia seem to act and tease like brother and sister, are all Shender so close? Do you think Capher will tell us more about where I am from? I still don't really remember it, just vague impressions really, some events, bits and pieces."

Her smile is bright and radiant as she looks to Ta'las awaiting answers to her sudden flurry of questions as the hut draws near, the shock of her feelings, and the feeling of them being shared starting to wash away.

The Shendar silently berates himself for giving up an opportunity to show his affection for Terra, and vows that the next time she asks whether they have 'time to spare', his answer will be yes.  Still, he savours the walk with Terra, and returns her kiss; as he does so, his blood stirs, and a new sensation rushes through him that forces him to calm himself.

"Many questions, Lady Terra," he says as he absently rubs her hand.  "I do think Capher will tell us more of where you are from - I would like to know more about you."  He looks at her again, returning her adoring gaze, and then shakes his head when he remembers she has asked him a question.  "As for where I'm from - it depends.  In the wetter parts of the Rahaz-Dath, you can find trees that are similar to these here, but where I live it is quite different.  The Li’accuy, as many know it is found in hot, dry parts of my home.  When it is small, it is just a small circle of thin, stiff leaves that are sharp enough to be dangerous in little boys’ hands.”  He grins at Terra.  “We call them Speartrees too, and many times I came back to my mother-sister’s dome with cuts and scrapes on my arms and face because we played swords with them.”

"They do not get very tall though – maybe four or five peds – and they are mostly just a stalk covered with long thin branches at the top where it will flower after a few years.”  His voice and eyes become a little distant as he continues.  “The flowers look like white slippers and they smell very sweet – they are nice at night when the wind is calm and their scent fills the air."

Then he looks back at Terra.  “But the fibers of the leaves are also useful for making certain things, like this.”  He pulls his sling from a loop attached to his belt and holds it out to her.  “The pocket is made from li’accuy – very strong.”

When Capher suddenly burst out with some strange words in the middle of his conversation, Roosje looked at him with open mouth, though he didn't seem to notice. Just as he didn't seem to notice just what he had said. She stored his words in her memory, perhaps to ask about them some other time, perhaps to stay in her head without being used. In any case, there was no time to ask now, because just at that moment the door burst open and in flew a tanned human woman - quite the contrast with Roosje's own white skin. The Birchbark on her fox did not receive more than a nod of acknowledgement, though she hadn't really expected much more from someone she didn't know. She was content to just nod back and watch the proceedings.

Apparently, Capher had not always looked like this, which kind of stroked with the stories she had heard about him. Even Teri, who had seen him the day before, and now this new woman who had seen him before Roosje's fellow Brownies had taken her to be healed. They both acted as though he had been much less frail before.

Through the open door, Roosje glimpsed the other two companions, walking together in the direction of the hut. The tall man was showing the woman something, though she could not see what. They would soon be here, and Roosje waited to see how they would react to the appearance of the Storyteller.

The greybark Skydiver floated on silent wings behind the humans. She was suddenly, for no apparent reason, very sad. She wanted to run to the smallest hole she could find and curl up in it and cry herself to sleep. She was just behind Talas and Terra, but they did not notice her at all, absorbed into each other as they were. Again she felt that surge of jealousy, like before. She wanted to fly into the Terra's face, scream at her 'He's my human!' even though he wasn't, really. It was just... he'd been really nice to her.

With slumping shoulders, Tulpje gave her owl a small signal. Nash obediently drifted off to the right, away from the hut. It was time to go hear the verdict anyway. But she was already pretty sure that she would not be allowed to go with the humans. They wouldn't have sent another Brownie in to meet them if that was the case.

As she did not go into the hut, she did not see Capher's transformation, she always remembered him the way he had been on the trip to the dwarves. She would always cherish that memory, wherever her future life would lead her.

Terra listen to Ta'las' voice, becoming more comfortable being so close to him, she holds his and and presses tighter to him as they walk. It seems like they will have forever together before they reach the hut, but all to soon they are at doorway. She releases his hand, entering first as they would not both fit through the doorway together, her lips drawn in a happy smile of greeting as she sees her friends again, but not all of them. She takes a seat opposite Capher as Talia has, but leaving enough space to offer Ta'las craving his closeness.

"Capher, I hope you are well my friend, though it appears you may have forgotten to shave."

Continues to smile her happy greeting then turns to the new brownie.

"And who may you be? Will you be joining us on the journey ahead?"

She asks as she waits for Talas to join her.

As the Shendar enters the hut, he rushes in to greet his friends, but stops short at what he sees.  Teri and Talia are here, there is another brownie here - white skinned with a fox - and an old man.  He wonders where Morcaanan, Kenrill and Tulpje have gone, but his eyes widen when he notices the changes that have come over Capher.  "Capher?"

There is a stark contrast between the young, hale Shendar and the elderly, feeble-looking wizard, and Ta'las fears the worst until he stands close to Capher and peers into his friend's eyes.  A few silent moments pass, but a realisation dawns on the Shendar - his friend may appear old and weak, but there is a new strength in Capher's eyes.  "Where joy and sorrow meet - it is as the Elven Circle told us, my friend," he says quietly.  He puts a hand on his friend's shoulder.  "I can now see the beginnings of who you are."

Then Ta'las sits down next to Terra and smiles at her as he reaches out to to touch her hand.

So many questions to be answered, Capher thought, by himself and others and then Terra comes in and she is radiant!. She does not even seem to notice Teri or his new self, except to tell him that he forgot to shave. 

Capher chuckled, "Lady Terra, it is so nice..."

Capher was interrupted when Terra began speaking to Roosje.

Then Ta'las walked in. He was so tall. Was he that tall before, Capher thought. At first Ta'las did not recognize him and Capher almost sighed in regret when Ta'las kneeled down and looked into his eyes. Something passed between them, as if Ta'las could see beyond the crooked back and wrinkiled skin.  He spoke a line from the poem given to them by the Elven Seer and then says the strangest thing.

"I can now see the beginnings of who you are."

Capher thought a moment, then smiled at the Shendar. Of all of them, he was the only one who saw. That boy...that young man is wiser than his years. He has powers he only is now beginning to understand he has, Capher thought as Ta'las sat besides Terra and reached out to touch her hand.

Capher now understood why Lady Terra was so happy; it was not her healing, but love.  Capher wondered if this new found relationship would hinder or help their cause? If one or the other died in their journey would the other be able to continue on? To finish the task set before them?  It was something that Capher commited to a part of his brain to think upon. Right now he was happy to see all of his friends.

He would introduce Roosje to them all, however since Terra already asked her the question he would allow Roosje to answer for herself.

Roosje found herself smiling back at the woman who had just entered, infected by her happy countenance. She bowed slightly from her place on top of Inuya, and called out, though her voice would still sound rather soft for the humans: "I am Roosje, Roosje Greenfields. I am not entirely certain yet if I'll be going with you, but I was given to understand that it would be possible... likely, even. If you don't mind, of course. If you really don't want me to come, I won't." She said it with a wink, hoping that her comment would be taken in the light-hearted spirit that it was intended.

"In fact, that reminds me. I should go and hear what the actual decision about that was. I'm sure you will excuse me, I shouldn't keep the clan elders waiting. If I go with you, I will join you when you leave. I just need to grab some things from my home to prepare for the journey. If they picked someone else to join you on your journey, of course it will be the other Brownie coming here when you leave, obviously. In that case I'll come and say goodbye anyway. So in any case, see you soon!"

With that she lightly tugged on Inuya's reigns, making the fox jump down from the bench. She sat on the animal easily, crosslegged and without anything to hold her. She hadn't needed a hold in years. Inuya would not let her fall. With a wave of her hand, she left the hut to find the elders and hear if she would be going with the party.