Leaf woke to the sound of movement.
It was a subtle noise - barely a shift to those of average hearing - but with his recently heightened senses he could hear… feel the suddenness of it. He faced the wall, but again his newfound sensitivities could only detect one other person in the room with him.
He turned to see Helbram shifting so that he was sitting on his bed. His head rested in his hands, and the heave of his back revealed the singular long breath that he took. He released it, letting it grow into a prolonged sigh before dropping his hands and looking up.
“Morning,” Helbram said, the smile on his lips barely touching his eyes.
Leaf sat up and peered at his companion, “Is everything alright?”
Helbram stood up and walked to the bureau between their beds, his gaze directed out past the window as he picked up the elongated bundle that sat on top of the drawers. He weighed the package in his hands, his face distant while he was no doubt searching for the right words to speak.
“I do not know,” he finally said, “but for the time being I have nothing to do but to press on,” he tapped the bundle against his knuckle, “Besides, I would not want to spoil the present.”
He smiled again, his expression brighter as the topic shifted. His pace was quick as he walked towards the door, but Leaf spoke just before he made it full out of the room.
“We can talk about it, Helbram.”
His friend placed a hand on the doorway as he stopped.
“You’ve bled your heart to us already and we to you. If something is wrong, tell us.”
“It was just a simple nightmare,” Helbram said, “I shall be fine.”
The tremble in his fingers told Leaf that wasn’t true.
Before he could say anymore, Helbram left the room. The Awoken stood up to follow, but stopped as he recalled his own tight lipped position. With a sigh he stepped back and walked towards the window, rubbing his face as he let a slow groan slip through his teeth.
“Practice what you say, you bloody fool…” Leaf muttered to himself. Resting his hands against the bureau, he gazed out of the room’s window. Snow drifted gently towards the ground, blanketing the trees of the forest in whites soft enough to be mistaken for cotton. He was thankful for the sight, for the brief respite that it granted his thoughts as he embraced the wonder of fresh snowfall.
Until he saw his eyes.
He leaned forward, bringing his reflection in the window closer as his pupils constricted, bringing the color of his irises further into focus. Where once was a solid dark green color were now specks of red. Alarm flared in his mind at the possibility of disease, but as he peered at the newly formed color he realized that it was the same bright red as his Ether. For a while he remained still, monitoring his eyes to see if the red started to spread any further. When he saw that it didn’t, he stepped back.
Leaf closed his eyes and sat back down on his bed.
If he continued to use Ether, would his eyes fully shift?
My sweet boy, your eyes are perfect just the way they are. They remind me of evergreens - stubborn things, resolute… strong.
Should he continue to walk down the path of an Awoken… to embrace his blood, what else about him would change?
How much further away from them would he be?
He grit his teeth and laid back, covering his eyes with his arm.
“Godsdammit all…”
----------------------------------------
Helbram’s mind was a blur as he made his way out of The Tree’s Root. He tried not to focus on the nightmare, on the screams that he could still hear at the back of his mind, but he was failing. Any thoughts he could have had were smothered as the roar of that formless beast scratched through all else.
“Morning Helbram.”
He did not return Pius’s greeting amidst his distractions, and from the corner of his eye could see both confusion and concern flash over the tavernkeep’s face while he made his way outside. His feet continued to carry him until he found himself standing near the stables. Taking in a deep breath, he left himself sag against the building’s wall.
“Just a nightmare…”
A weak comfort, one that failed to quell the beat of his heart against his chest. It was not the first time that he’d had such a dream, and the pit of his stomach started to sink the more that he knew it would not be the last, either. Its presence was scarce for a while, only leaving the faintest touch against the dream that used to torment him, one that he’d somehow managed to turn into a boon of prolonged self reflection. This… this was different. There would be no productivity to gain from this, only a reminder. An echo of a memory that refused to be forgotten.
Refused to be forgiven.
“Helbram?”
He righted himself at the sound of Aria’s voice and turned around, seeing the girl standing in the street, staring at him with a mix of concern and confusion. Though she was normally unaffected by the cold, she was dressed in a thick overcoat that was two sizes too big for her, making her already small face feel lost amongst the fur and cloth bundled around her tiny frame. It was a sight that always brought a smile to his face, and this time it was no different.
“Are you ok?” she asked.
“Just resting the leg a bit,” he said as he tapped the wall with the side of his foot, “it appears to have delayed its awakening a bit this morning,” he crossed his arms, “Now what are you doing up so early?”
Aria shrank further into her coat and her eyes drifted towards the stables. Upon realizing what was most likely within them, Helbram snorted.
“Excited to see the cubs, are we?”
She nodded.
“Understandable, but you should not step out on your own like this. You are bound to give Jahora a heart attack if she were to wake up with you gone.”
“She was sleeping so peacefully… I didn’t want to disturb her.”
Helbram walked up and ruffled her hair, “An hour or two of slumber is well worth the exchange of knowing that you are safe,” he put a hand on her back and guided her towards the stables, “and happy, let us go say good morning, shall we?”
Aria’s steps quickened at Helbram’s suggestion, walking at a pace that teetered on the edge of running as she made her way to the stables. She spun around as she got to the stable’s entrance, bouncing in anticipation as he placed his hands on the door and pushed them open.
Helbram could only chuckle at the sight that awaited him.
Bessie slept in a sitting position towards the back of the stables, a pile of wolves gathered around her. Geroth and Romina matched the Auroc in size, but curled into more compact shapes against Bessie’s bulky frame. The cubs slept atop the bovine, finding their resting spots atop her thick-furred head as the pack and their unusual bedfellow appeared to breathe in unison. If Bessie had any fear of the wolves, it was either overpowered by the need for sleep or something that she did not feel at all. Given her uncaring expression as her beady eyes blinked open, Helbram suspected it was the latter.
Aria peered in after him, a smile spreading across her face as she saw the bundle of mixed furs in the corner. She glanced at Helbram, who tilted his head forward in approval. The girl ran up to Bessie and rubbed the Auroc behind her horn, eliciting a satisfied grunt from the beast of burden while she looked at the two cubs in curiosity. She eventually poked the white cub, who responded by yawning and rolling over on her back, an action that Aria took as an invitation to rub her belly. The cub’s eyes fluttered open at the act, but she quickly drifted back to sleep under the girl’s pets, of which she appeared to have an infinite supply of.
Helbram smiled and left Aria to her bliss while he fetched two apples from the wagon. While he inspected them for any signs of spoiling, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and found Merida walking down the alleyway, a surprised look on her face.
“And here I thought myself to be an early riser,” the Druid said.
“Normally you would be correct,” Helbram responded, “But… circumstance led to an preemptive start to this morning,” he tilted his head towards the stables, “It was probably for the best, as a certain someone would have been even earlier than both of us, otherwise.”
Merida smirked as she looked into the stables, “Indeed, and it looks like Geroth and Romina are treating Bessie well.”
“Quite, though from what I can tell she is the one granting them comfort.”
The Druid tapped her chin, “You’re right, though that is not surprising. Even for an Auroc she has quite the comforting nature.”
“Is that so? I am not surprised, but may I ask how you know? Intuition or is it part of your Druid nature?”
“A mix of both. While most animals are not as easily understood as Enlightened Beasts it is possible to establish some form of communication with the correct application of Aether. We are all linked to the Cycle, after all, and it is through that primal connection that speaking with them is possible,” she pressed her lips thin, “I may have taken the initiative last night to question her about her owners.”
“Companions,” Helbram corrected, “Given our travels I would say Bessie has done as much as any of us.”
Merida smiled, “She appears to be of a similar mind, but it is good to hear that you feel the same.”
The cubs woke from their slumber and, upon seeing Aria, hopped off of Bessie and ran around her legs.
Helbram crossed his arms and leaned against the stable’s door frame, “I assume you mostly pressed her for some insight about Leaf?”
The Druid scratched her head, “That obvious, am I?”
“Tis what I would do,” Helbram said with a shrug, “And I infer she told you that he was a soft sort, with the cover of curmudgeon twice his age?”
Merida shook her head as she giggled, “Perhaps spellcraft is too relied upon if you were able to figure such things out so easily.”
“Leaf is not a hard man to understand, it is part of his charm.”
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“He does strike me as a straightforward one… yet I cannot understand why he is so adverse to my presence.”
“Because you know what he may be,” Helbram explained, “And what he is… is something that I suspect that he may never wish to know.”
“Why though? If there was some part of me that I didn’t fully understand… it would drive me mad.”
“He has his reasons, and when he is good and ready, he will reveal them to us.”
“Do you not wish to know more about him?”
“The curious part of me does, yes, but only when he is comfortable with facing it himself, and even then it would not truly make a difference,” Helbram pushed himself from the doorframe, “Leaf is Leaf, and that is all I need to know.”
He walked over to Aria and handed her the apples before kneeling down to pet both of the cubs. Merida followed after him, tapping both Geroth and Romina with her staff to stir them from their comfortable slumber.
“Come on you two,” she said, “we’ve work to do.”
Romina gave a disgruntled huff, but stood up and yawned as Geroth sprung awake, alert and ready.
“Is this work related to what Felix asked of you?” Helbram asked while he rubbed the white cub’s chin.
Merida nodded, “I thought it prudent to get a lay of the land first before I set off to complete that task,” she sighed, “admittedly, it would be much more efficient were Leaf to provide his assistance.”
“Because he is a Warden?”
She raised her eyebrows, “...Yes,” the Druid said, “Wardens normally don’t leave the Glasswood, and the last place you would find them would be the Freemarks, but the air about him, the very aura he emits… it’s unmistakable.”
“But, as you could tell, he does not know what a Warden even is,” Helbram said, “Nor do I, for that matter. The man is extremely capable, do not get me wrong, but perhaps you are expecting something that, at the moment, he cannot provide.”
“As he is now, perhaps,” Merida walked towards the stable doors, “But I know enough to provide guidance, to help him hone his abilities even more than they are now.”
“I am sure you could,” Helbram said, “But in the end that is his decision to make,” he rubbed his chin, “However… Felix did request that we assist you, and given the hospitality that he has shown us none of us will be likely to decline. After I discuss the details with him I shall speak with Leaf again, get a feel for where his head is at.”
Merida smiled, “That would be greatly appreciated. I could also tell you the details, if you would like.”
Helbram shook his head, “I shall have Felix elaborate. I do not want to keep you anymore than I have now.”
“Understood,” her eyes drifted to the side.
Helbram followed after her gaze, seeing the cubs were now looking at Aria with curiosity in their tilted heads as she fed Bessie an apple.
He snorted, “And you can count on us to keep an eye on the children for you. One of us would certainly be devastated if you had to take them with you.”
The Druid giggled and made way for the door, “I know they’re in good hands.”
Before they followed after Merida, both Geroth and Romina tapped the cubs with their snouts and gave them stern looks. The children straightened up upon seeing their parents’ serious expressions, but their tails wagged as the two larger wolves gave them an affectionate lick before leaving the stable.
Bessie, satisfied with her meal, seemed keen upon going back to sleep. Aria was only reinforcing this as she ran her hand through the Auroc’s mane, humming a small tune to herself. As Merida had left, he found himself without a distraction to chase, and the chill within his mind started to creep back to the forefront. Helbram leaned back against the stable wall and lost himself within Aria’s melody, closing his eyes as he tried to use her whimsy to chase away the last remnants of the nightmare that still lingered in his thoughts.
It was only mildly successful.
“What’s that?”
He shook his head and opened his eyes. He did not know how much time had passed, but Bessie was clear asleep and somehow Aria managed to approach him unnoticed. The girl’s eyes were fixed upon the bundle in his hands, the curious expression on her face only growing the more that they lingered upon it.
In the midst of everything, he had forgotten that he was holding it. It was meant for Aria, but he knew that he had only grabbed it this morning to shift away from Leaf’s questioning.
“This,” he sighed, “is something I should wait to give you when everyone is present,” he admitted.
Aria’s expression shifted from elation to disappointment in a near instant.
He laughed, “But, now that you have gone and discovered it, it would not do me much good to keep it from you, would it?”
As he held it out to her, Aria’s impulse was to reach for it. Before her hand fully grasped it, she stopped and stepped back.
“I can wait…” she said in a meek tone. The way in which she twisted in place told Helbram that it was taking everything in her to mean what she said.
He wished it was pity that made him kneel down and grasp the wrappings of the bundle, wished that it was the simple desire to reward the girl for her display of control and patience that drove him to unwrap the package. But he knew that, deep down, what he wanted in this moment was a light to keep the darkness of his heart at bay.
As the gift was revealed, the wonder in Aria’s eyes did just that.
A rapier sat in his hands as the wrappings of the bundle fell to the ground. It was smaller, made to be comfortably wielded by someone of Aria’s size, with a belt and scabbard to match. When he unsheathed the sword, he was relieved to find that the narrow blade it possessed was blunted up to its tip. Beyond that, every other facet of the rapier’s design was made with the utmost care. The basket hilt of the sword was perhaps the most noticeably flourish of its design; a swirl of thinned metal that was twisted around to cover the hand of any that would grasp its brown leather handle, which was only long enough to be held comfortably in one hand. Two spokes of metal jut out from the sides like a traditional hilt, granting the guard further versatility and a utilitarian elegance to its design. No special metals had been used in creating the weapon, but there was a charm to the simple sheen of the rapier’s steel. Kiki had gone far beyond what he imagined, and - judging from the growing excitement on Aria’s face - it was paying off in spades.
Helbram held the handle out to her, “Go on, take hold.”
She reached out and wrapped her hand around the handle, pulling the rapier towards her gingerly. The cubs gave her space as she stepped back and childish instinct took control. She swung the blade a few times, letting out her best attempt at a battle cry as she shifted around with the barest attempt at footwork. Helbram barely contained a chuckle as she continued to stumble about and gave the girl her space as she let her impulses continue to carry her.
He remembered doing the same, in much simpler times.
The cubs wandered over to him as Aria continued to experiment with the rapier, leaning against his ankles on both sides as they watched the girl go through her paces. He knelt down and rubbed the both of them behind their ears, but as he observed Aria’s movements he noticed that what she was doing was an imitation of one of the many forms that he’d often practiced on his own. The footwork was all wrong and the weapon of choice for such movements was entirely incorrect, but he did admire the spirit behind her movements.
Eventually, Aria’s movements slowed. Though she was as energetic as any child, swinging a sword non stop with reckless excitement would tire anyone out. When she finally stopped swinging, her breathing was heavy, but her pupils were still wide with the desire to keep moving. It was a far cry from her usual calm behavior, enough so that Helbram could not help but wonder if it was more than childish desire that was driving her in the moment.
“I assume you like the gift?” He asked as he walked up to the girl.
Aria nodded and held the rapier close like she was hugging it.
He smiled and ruffled her hair, “I am glad, but now that you have had your fun what say you to a proper lesson?”
This seemed to make her even more excited, and she jumped back in a mimicry of one of his guards.
Helbram allowed himself a chuckle and followed after her, “I admire the spirit but let us start with the most important rule,” he held out the belt and motioned for her to raise her arms. She obeyed and he buckled the accessory to her waist, making sure that the scabbard was secured to her side and positioned in such a way that it would not drag against the ground. After he was comfortable with that, he guided Aria’s hands through the motions of properly sheathing the blade, nodding when it was fully concealed.
“When you do not have a reason to use the sword, you must keep it sheathed,” he explained as he motioned for her to draw it. As Aria did, he positioned her hands so that the rapier’s tip pointed towards the ground, “And when it is drawn, always be aware of where it is facing,” he tilted his head towards the cubs and Bessie, “you do not want to harm others by accident. Excited as you are, any weapon is extremely dangerous when wielded without the right responsibility, understood?”
He realized that these exact words were said to him by his father many years ago and, thankfully, Aria appeared to show a greater understanding of them than he had demonstrated back when he was a child. She looked at the rapier as she spun around, keeping her eyes on the blade as she observed where it sat at any angle.
“Very good, now if you would allow me…” he held his hand out to Aria.
With a curious look, she handed him the sword. He stood up and shifted his legs, keeping one hand on his waist as he held the rapier out in front of him in a neutral guard that kept the blade pointed upwards. As he held the position, he searched his memories for a moment. Nodding to himself, he twirled the sword out of habit and straightened his guard.
“A rapier is quite a bit different than the swords you see me with,’ he explained, “and as such it holds its own set of movements that you must learn,” he tapped his waist with his free hand, “The first of which is a guard. There are more than this but let us start with a basic one for the time being.”
Aria immediately started to try and mimic his stance, glancing over at him and she kept shuffling her feet to correct her position.
“You will get used to it, in time,” Helbram said, “but let us add one more movement to the mix before we begin to practice.”
She stood back upright and continued to observe.
He thrust the rapier forward, starting the movement with his hand before following with his foot, freezing as the strike completed to let Aria see how he ended the attack.
“Do you understand?”
She gave a slow nod.
He smiled and held the rapier out to her, “Well then, let us begin with some practice, shall we?”
Aria took the sword with an excited, but measured energy, keeping his words in mind as she slowly shifted into the stance he showed her. He corrected the position of her free hand and her feet and let her hold the guard.
“It can be a bit awkward at first,” Helbram explained, “but in time you will find it as easy as breathing,” he tapped the sword, “Now, strike.”
Aria thrust the rapier forward, again doing her best to mimic the movements that Helbram showed her. However, it was clear that she was in need of more practice.
A lot more practice.
“A good effort, but let us see if we cannot refine it a bit…”
He guided her back into the guard position and grabbed her hand.
“You want to lead with the hand first to properly guide the strike,” he explained, “then follow through with your foot to add power behind it. Do not care about speed for the time being, that will come naturally the more you master the technique.”
Aria nodded and practiced another stab as he stepped back, going through each step of the movement as she muttered his instructions to herself. Through her focus he could sense the excitement that was building within her. It would have been easy to see it as simple childish delight, but there was something else there, a determination that was burning behind her eyes as she moved that he latched onto. He let Aria continue to practice for a few minutes, keeping silent except for the occasional correction on any movement that she did not appear to fully grasp. The further it went along, the more she showed a slow, but steady improvement in her execution of both the guard and thrust. It was not perfect, and would not be perfect for quite some time, but if anything that only appeared to galvanize Aria further.
Eventually, Helbram clapped his hands, “Alright, I think you have the idea. Practice that everyday until you are comfortable with the movements and we will start to add more,” he noted her disappointed expression as she stopped, “It is understandable to want to keep going, but sometimes we have to let things rest so we may have a clearer picture in our heads going forward.”
Nodding, she carefully sheathed the rapier and looked at the ground with a contemplative expression.
Helbram snorted, “And that means resting the mind as well,” he said as he tapped her forehead, “Your drive is admirable, but the road to true mastery is one of slow, but steady progression. Trying to force it will only result in more mistakes in the end.”
Aria rubbed her forehead with a pout, “I know… but I can’t stop thinking about it now,” she said.
He could understand her, but it was clear that the girl still had more to say.
She held her hands out in front of her, “Everything I’ve been doing up until now feels like something that I’ve already done before. Talking, walking, even Magic all feels familiar somehow - like I’m following the motions of someone else, but this…” she tapped the rapier, “this was new. There is no feeling at the back of my head when I hold onto its handle, nothing besides you that tells me how I should be doing it instead. I want more of that.”
Helbram knelt down and placed a hand on her shoulder, “And more of that you shall have. The more that you explore this world, the more that you open your heart to new experiences, the more that you will discover about yourself, about who you are now.”
As he spoke, he could see the clear hunger in Aria’s eyes, an almost uncontrollable desire as her hand rested on the rapier. It brought the conversation he and Jahora had last night to the forefront of his mind. He nodded to himself, seeing where the Mage’s worries stemmed from.
“But, at the same time you do not need to shy away from what you are familiar with either,” he said, “There is wonder to be found in both the known and the unknown, and by embracing both will we find the ability to grow into the best versions of ourselves. The past, no matter how distant, will always be a tool to grow and learn from.”
The chill of the nightmare flared at the back of his mind and he shook his head. Aria looked at him with concern, but he shifted his expression back to its usual smile.
“Understand?” he asked.
As she searched his eyes, he could see her own start to calm, “I do.”
“Good, now let us show the others what you have learned today, shall we?”
Aria beamed at him and ran ahead, the cubs following after her. He lingered back, taking a moment to rub his eyes as he sighed.
If only he could take his own advice.