Browsing the Isle: Aden

[Shaeliana]

Further away from the grove, the ground didn't tremble as much and soon it was behind them entirely. Buster snorted at the young man's reply, which for the typically smart-mouthed horse was an improvement. The blade felt warm under the lad's hand and while it no longer glowed, there was still a buzz of energy from it that ran through his fingers.

"My name is Carowyn," replied the woman quietly, her soft voice a stark contrast to her face and legs. "I was taken from my people by the creature you saw in the grove. Uadh-bheist wanted me with him for all time, to make me like he was," she whispered, then turned towards Aden, her thin mouth turned up into a smile.

"But you have saved me from that fate. I fear I must find my way home soon however, or perish," she lowered her face. "Once home, they will know what to do.... how to.. fix me," she explained ashamedly.

"Can you take us back to Sorcha?" she asked, her voice thick with desperation.

[Guest]

"Sorcha? I don't know how to get there, only that I am of there." He was aware of how little sense that actually made-- but then, supposed that it wouldn't be particularly surprising, considering how illogical everything else around this place was. "I can try, though." He assumed the sword was of sorcha, and remembered how it had responded to command, even if the orders it followed were particularly battle-oriented.

Feeling rather stupid, he gripped the sword in his hand and thought of Sorcha, as he remembered it, and thought of home and everything good and positive- the antithesis of this place of darkness. Maybe it would show him the way, and maybe it would not- but it was certainly comforting, in either case.

"Your people? What sort of people do you belong to? And why did the Uadhbheist want you in particular?" He wondered if there was something she wasn't telling him- but then, he didn't distrust her. Carowyn was just alien and new, like everything here, and things in this strange place were often wont to be something more than they at first appeared.

[Shaeliana]

"My people?" the woodfaced woman echoed. "My people are... like me. Well.. not entirely like me but like I once was. I am the third born of a third born and thus magic flows in me. The Uadh-bheist thought that through me, it could become what it was not, tried to make us both something we were not," she explained. "He might have succeeded had you not saved me..." her voice trailed off and she turned her brown face towards him.

Around them, the fog thinned and the darkness grew less oppressive. By now all trembling of the ground had either stopped or they were far enough away not to feel it. While the sword still felt warm and tingly, it gave no indication as to which way was out or sorcha or any other signal concerning which way they should preceed.

"I know not how to repay you for your bravery and kindness," she admitted, blinking as she looked at his face. "I've heard tales of heroes but have never actually seen one before."

Ahead of them, in the thinning fog, two tiny lights twinkled and flitted here and there like bees tasting the flowers.

[Guest]

"Third born of a third born?" He wasn't sure about the significance, but forced himself to calmly accept it as was required. "So, you're magical, then?" The slightest glimmerings of hope started to voice within him- and he was about to ask her to use her magic in an attempt to locate Sorcha, when she mentioned his heroism. Aden had not really thought of it, but certainly didn't consider him a hero- heroes weren't afraid, and the young man certainly had been terrified of what he'd seen. Heroes were also the sort to never get hurt-- and Aden could tell from the blood and pain he felt that he certainly was not invulnerable.

He was about to point all of this out to Carowyn, when the points of light suddenly became visible again, and the farmlad's eyes widened with delight. He felt like weeping for joy, as he found his way here. The liagg- the first things he'd seen in this place, those faeries that had led him to Sorcha for the first time.

"Aillse! Siochar! Miosach!" Aden called, delighted to see their lights again. "I'm back!" He peered at Carowyn and smiled. "We're back here, to Sorcha. Where're your people at? We'll have to hurry to allow them to heal you." The last time he had been here, there had only been one house, and the only inhabitant had been that woman who had first sent the farmlad on this strange adventure, by making him choose a door.

[Shaeliana]

"Yes," the woman nodded and smiled. "Among my people, the third child born of a third child has magic. My presence in a field will cause the crops to grow abundantly and healing flows out from m...." she faded off as Aden's eyes lit up at the sight of the faeries' tiny lights. When the farmboy called out the names, the two distant lights paused, swirled around each other and headed in Aden's direction.

"Aden!" Aillse sang, her tiny voice clear like a bell tone. "You have returned. We were told the uadh-bheist had taken you," her tiny brows furrowed into a wee frown as she buzzed around the young man.

"What have you found?" Miosach buzzed around the woman.

"Sorcha?" Aillse landed on Buster's head and sat down. "This isn't Sorcha though you are close."

"In Sorcha there is no darkness if you remember," Miosach chimed in. "This one is sick and needs healing?" the faery added before streaking away down to a path just now visible in the thinning fog.

"Come," added Aillse who took to the air and followed. "This way!"

[Guest]

"Fascinating," he told the woman, distractedly, his eyes obsessed with the sight of the faeries. He really didn't know much about the world, but considered safety more important than idle conversation.

He smiled at Aillse, the young man's eyes no doubt weary but excited to see something familiar at last. "Yeah, that... thing took me. But I killed it." He shrugged, as if not sure of the significance. "He won't be bothering anyone anymore." The farmlad's tone was quiet- almost embarassed- as if he really didn't want to be the focus of any attention, at the moment. All that Aden wanted, truly, was to sleep, or at least take a break from adventure to reflect over all that had happened.

"Sugan?" he asked, staring at the liagg, not sure of what Sorcha was, any longer, but glad to be someplace familiar. "This is Carowyn. She's the third born of the third born, and she needs healing." He agreed, following along the path that the liagg led with.

[Shaeliana]

As they followed the tiny flittering lights, the fog thinned, the skies growing lighter and brighter. Buster whinnied happily and kept up a good pace and within a quarter of a candlemark, they left the fog behind entirely and the odd house was before them. In the sunlight, Carowyn's hair began to sprout into dark green leaves.

"Oh my," she said softly, her voice still soft and feminine despite the transformation she was undergoing.

"I never thanked you," she turned her leathery brown face towards the farmlad. "No matter what happens now, thank you! You saved me from being forced to take root in the Dorcha, forever to live there with those that are dark. You are a brave young lad," the corners of what passed for lips curled up into a smile and she leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on Aden's cheek.

With my fanfare, the door of the house flew open and the greyelf, Kelsie rushed out to meet them.

"Oh dear, this is not good," she murmured as she looked on the tree woman. "Nearly too late we were but you did well. You did very well indeed," she purred, smiling up at Aden broadly as she took Buster's reins. "Let's get her down and into the garden quickly," she added waiting for the young man to dismount.

"Where did you find her? What happened to the uadh-bheist?" two of the faeries asked in unison, their tiny voices like soft bells.

[Guest]

He was distracted by the fading fog and the sudden sunlight when the woman began thanking him- drawing a reclusive blush to his cheeks, the young man's eyes lowering embarassedly. Aden honestly felt pride in what he'd accomplished- but didn't think it really worthy of all this commotion. The kiss, if anything, only deepened his blush and made him start mumbling incoherently. "I uh.. well.. uhm.. no problem." The youth smiled, looking decidedly at the sky- as if he had found something most interesting that held his gaze, though the smile remained upon his countenance and his cheeks still glowed red.

"It was no problem, Kelsie. I'm only sorry that I was late," he lowered his eyes and smiled even more broadly. So much thanks for such a small action, in the grand scheme of things. He'd dismount, helping the woman down from the mount, smiling at her and looking away reflexively, lest he start blushing anew.

At the faeries' questions, Aden grinned viciously. "Okay, there was this ring of trees, right? And the uadh-bheist was inside, and he had taken Carowyn prison. I didn't want to let him do that, so then he tried to take my sword away, but I pulled it out and swung at him like this...." he pulled the sword and continued his narration, adding action wherever possible- acting out his dodges, parries and strikes with what little ability he had. Aden had always possessed a penchant for the dramatic, and he used it here- telling the story with as much ability as could be managed.

[Shaeliana]

They managed to carry Carowyn to the garden where the gray elf, Kelsie situated her and began to push dirt up around her feet. The tree-woman smiled broadly and lifted her arms skyward, arms that began to look more like her legs and face, dark and covered in bark. There was a faint shimmer or sparkle as the faeries flew in joyous circles about Carowyn while tears of happiness flowed from her eyes.

The transformation was quite impressive and when it had finished, a lovely tree, lithe of limb stood before the lad, covered in large soft pink blossoms. Knots adorned the trunk where her eyes had been and there was even the hint of her smile. From one of the knots, a large translucent golden drop hung, the residue of the tree-woman's tears. The elf gestured to it the large walnut sized droplet.

"Take it," she said softly. "Healing powers it contains, to combat sicknesses that come with fever. It is Carowyn's gift to you for your bravery in freeing her," she explained as she reached up and plucked five pink blossoms from the branches and handed them to Aden.

"These will calm a troubled heart or mind," she added as she dropped them into a small silk bag. "Keep them hidden within this pouch until needed. To use one, simply wear it against your skin." Aillse buzzed up and sat on Aden's head giggling.

"What about the sword Mairigolden?" the tiny voice asked to which the elfess smiled and nodded.

"The sword is yours as well, Aden apprentice of Hamsey. It will serve you well and has a magic of its own as you've no doubt already noticed. It will vibrate when in the presence of some forms of evil, often long before you can see it with your eyes. Keep it well honed and oiled and it will bring you many rewards." The tiny faerie flittered off the farmlad's head and hovered before him.

"There is more to you than you thought, is that not so Aden," the tinkling voice asked. "What will you do now?"

[Guest]

Aden watched breathlessly as the tree took root- for even though he was aware that this transformation was a natural one, he was not yet willing to accept that simple fact. This woman he had saved was in reality a tree, of course, but the very fact that she was no longer alive was somehow saddening to the farm boy. Even so, the transmogrification was beautiful to behold, and the young hero smiled as it concluded- even though it was slightly disturbing and unsettling, nobody could deny that it felt... proper, in its own quiet way.

He took the drop- which had presumably hardened by this point, like sap. He'd hold it within his hand, staring at its gilt with something akin to wonder. "It's so beautiful." To the tree, then, in a hushed and awed whispere, he'd add, "Thank you Carowyn. Thank you so much. For everything." Not really sure why he was thanking her, Aden only knew that it felt proper to do so.

He took the silken pouch of flowerse gingerly- as if he were afraid to break them or ruin their curative properties by rough handling. Head inclined in thanks toward the tree- and he smiled at the feeling of Aillse upon his head. The sword, of course, was of the utmost importance- it was the only thing that had kept Aden alive this whole time, and he felt a strange attachment to the weapon. "Mairigolden... tis a fair name for this sword." He smiled broadly- almost childlike- at Kelsie and tried his best not to nod -too- fervently, lest he knock the poor creature from his head off. "Magical or not, it has served me well, and I am glad that it is mine to take."

At the question of what he would do, though, Aden's eyebrows furrowed and his forehead creased with lines. It as an interesting question, and there were doubtless many places to go. Of course, Aden had never exactly been a stellar geography student- indeed, could scarcely name any but the largest locales. "Dort is my home, and it might be nice to return there," he mused, "but this whole journey began because I was intent on leaving my homeland, as my father has yet to return..." Still, the farmer's son was holding out hope that his father was alive. Not likely, of course, but possible. "But there's also Pan's Isle, where I wanted to gain a reputation. Or I guess I could go to a big city someplace. Maybe somewhere in the WK," a frown marred his features at the sheer enormity of the decision.

"I don't know what one does after finding a magical sword and saving a tree from the clutches of, well. Another tree." He tried to laugh, but found it inappropriate, somehow. "What do you think, Kelsie? Aillse? What is it that lies next on my road? I'm far too simple to make such a big decision." Despite his recent bout of heroism, Aden was still not confident enough in his own will to make a choice of this magnitude without some input from people whom he trusted.

[Shaeliana]

"Our only life is here," the gray elf smiled. "And a much brighter life it shall be now. But of the world outside, on the other side of the bubble, we know little."

"Aden will know what must be if he follows his heart," the tiny bell like voice of Aislle spoke from over him.

"We have not the privilege to counsel others as to their future, only to help them see within themselves, that which has been hidden from them," Kelsie explained, interrupted by Siochar who flew in and perched on Aden's shoulder.

"But we can return you to your world at any spot for our bubble touches everywhere and nowhere, all at the same time," the soprano voice broke into titters of laughter, sounding for all the world like crystal prisms gently bumping against one another.

"Or we can return you to the same place where you entered our realm," the gray elf added softly.

[Guest]

He smiled, softly, in that naive sort of way that only the truly naive can claim to master and he nodded along with the words which the fae were speaking. He knew that this was wisdom, of course... but at the same time he had hoped that an answer would be far easier if it were simply handed to him. Uncertain as ever, Aden sighed and waffled on the question within his own mind even as the liagg continued speaking.

The idea of this bubble touching everywhere and nowhere flew right past the mind of the farm lad, simple as his mind was, but the core concept seemed to stick in him, at least. He could go anywhere he wanted, from here-- and that, it seemed was the problem.

He thought deeply, a feat which was never an easy task for Aden, looking at the adhiel and biting his lower lip for a few moments. He genuinely wasn't sure, anymore, what he wanted to do with his life... he could, in theory, go back to his old life on Pan's Isle, try to make his way as a street performer... he could return to the farm on Dort and try to reclaim his family legacy... he could try to find his father, again, wherever the man had vanished to... the possibilities were endless, or at the very least vast.

In the end, though, his need to prove himself as something, a need rekindled by recent adventures, forced his final decision.

"Can you return me to my home? That is where I need to go, most of all... at least to make my peace with my past."