Caithe led them back to Serimon’s house, making sure to close the door firmly behind them. Something Sinne was thankful for, as her doing so also closed out the darkness that had enveloped Astorea. Despite the faint glow of plants and fireflies that danced about the village, Sinne had felt like an animal whose hackles had raised on the back of her neck when night fell. The dark had brought with it the stars and bright moon, something that looked shockingly similar to the meadow. However, it was also accompanied by shadows and the echo of the forest. Needless to say, she was thankful.

“I’ll make some tea,” Serimon stated as he headed toward the kitchen. “Did you want privacy, Caithe?”

The other Sylvari shook her head. “It’s best you stay,” she said. “Since you’ll be in charge of Sinne until she… adjusts.”

“Of course,” Serimon met Sinne’s eyes and smiled, “I hope that’s okay with you.”

Sinne nodded. Hovering closer to the door as the other two Sylvari settled into the home. Caithe seemed familiar with the space. How or why, Sinne didn’t know but either way she casually took one of the chairs at the table and gestured for Sinne to sit across from her. It would be a lie if she said she didn’t hesitate. The last time she’d seen Caithe the woman had surely been dead. She’d been swallowed beneath the poisonous nightmare. Yet here she stood. It left Sinne puzzled. With millions of questions that buzzed about her mind, one after the other. Questions that wouldn’t be answered unless she talked to Caithe. Setting her jaw, Sinne took the chair across from the other Sylvari.

“I’m sure you have questions,” Caithe said. “First, as I introduced myself in the dream. I am Caithe. At the time I was here, in Tyria and you were in the Dream of Dreams. Preparing to wake.”

Sinne’s brows furrowed. “What is the Dream of Dreams,” She asked then as more questions rolled through her mind she continued, “How did you come to be there? Were the other ghosts also like you? How does all of this work? How does the Dream affect Tyria? Y-you… I thought you died.”

There was a gentle, understanding look on Caithe’s face. Though she made no noise as Sinne drilled her with questions. When she’d finally softly uttered her concerns about Caithe’s health Sinne found she couldn’t look her in the eyes anymore and glanced down at her thumbs as they ran over the tough, white bark that covered the back of her hands. She could hear Serimon’s chuckle from beyond Caithe, a sound that was growing familiar in her short time since awakening. It made the twisting of her stomach feel odd. In the moments of silence she searched for the word to somehow encompass the feeling. Coming to the conclusion that she felt like a child talking to amused adults as he moved into view, setting down three mugs of steaming liquid.

“I’ll get to your questions in time,” Caithe said as she slid one of the cups across to Sinne, “You said that you thought I died. Indeed, I was forced out of the Dream. Meaning I don’t know what happened after that. Can you fill me in?”

Sinne made short work of recounting. Stating what she remembered of the last moments of her Dream. How she’d found a sword to replace the one she’d lost and about using it on the dragon. She paused when she told Caithe that she’d been thrown from the dragon’s back.

“I failed,” she stated meeting Caithe’s eyes, “I wasn’t able to stop the poison. And now people aren’t waking up from the Dream.”

Serimon’s face echoed how Sinne felt. A deep, serious worry that tightened around Sinne’s lungs like someone was squeezing them with all their might. Caithe, however, did not look as worried as she took a sip from her cup and placed it down in front of her. Taking in the information Sinne had shared for a moment before speaking.

“When I woke,” she said. “I went to the Pale Tree. The Mother has assured me that the threat of danger has passed for now.”

Sinne all but stood from her seat. “But,” her voice clipped awkwardly against her tongue, “You. I. The dragon was still alive when I blacked out.”

“Yes,” she said. “But you succeeded in injuring it enough that it will need to recover. Tell me, what did the sword you pulled from its roots look like?”

Sinne frowned, settling back in her chair as she tried to search back to what the sword had looked like. Her fingers wrapped around the cup, feeling the warmth of it seep into her fingers. Everything had been so chaotic. There’d been so much going on she couldn’t quite remember getting a really good look at it. Only in that moment when she’d first pulled it out did she pay any mind to it. Most of her thoughts were fixed on the dragon that was trying to kill her.

“It was green,” she said, then shook her head. “No, the handle was green. The rest was sort of brownish. Like a thorn.”

Serimon glanced toward Caithe with wide eyes, “Could it be?”

“I think so,” Caithe said. “I believe that the sword you pulled was actually a blade called Caladbolg.”

“Calad…”

“Caladbolg,” Serimon repeated when Sinne couldn’t.

Caithe leaned back in her chair. Arms folding over her chest as an unreadable mask fell over her features.“It’s a sword that was made from a thorn of the Pale Tree herself,” She said. “It’s said to be the blade of heroes.”

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“That you should wield it in the Dream,” Serimon’s tone seemed almost awed. Then he turned to Caithe. “But wasn’t the blade-”

“Lost,” Caithe nodded. “It wasn’t recovered after Riannoc’s death.”

The room fell silent. Sinne unable, no she was unwilling to break the silence that had fallen over the other two as they fell into their own thoughts. Serimon had begun to pace the length of the window that was on the far side of the kitchen. His hand rubbing at his jaw as he stared at the space in front of him while he shuffled about. Caithe was equally as silent, her arms folded over her chest as she leaned back in her chair. The delicate curve of her brow was pulled together and her eyes did not seem like they were seeing anything in the room but instead some far off thought.

Then Caithe signed, drawing the room from its spell. “We can figure out what that means later,” she stated. “The Pale Tree said that she’d call on you eventually, until then Serimon will help you adjust.”

Sinne glanced over at Serimon. “Is the Dream a prophecy?”

“Not quite,” Serimon offered her a smile, “The Dream is simply a collective of our memories. It draws conclusions on where the world is going and makes judgements based on that.”

“So,” Sinne turned the cup in her hands, “it may be that the threat was simply not there?”

Caithe shook her head. “The Poison was real,” she said. “We aren’t quite sure how, but it was attempting to collapse the Pale Tree’s protection.”

“The Pale Tree’s protection?” Sinne felt like for every question they answered three more sprung up in her mind. Like a dangerous game against a foe she’d never be able to wrestle down. Again flashes of her Dream surged through her mind and the feeling of being swept up in a river she couldn’t fight against washed over her. Her grip on her mug tightened.

Whether Serimon noticed this or not. He cut across Caithe before she could continue, “I think that’s enough for today.” He set his own cup on the table. “You’ve had a lot happen, right now you need to rest and adjust. The answers to these questions will make themselves apparent with time, we can handle them then.”

Caithe took this as a sign to rise from her chair. “Serimon is right,” she said. “I’m sorry for bringing up the memories so soon, I needed the rest of the information.”

“No,” Sinne shook her head, “It’s okay. I wish I had more information for you.”

She considered asking Caithe about the rest of her dream. The forest and the stag most of all, the terrors she’d seen as well. What she’d only described until then as a nightmare. Though the fight with the Dragon had been just as dreadful to experience. Her mouth opened slightly as she followed Caithe to the door, but she closed it again.

“I will come again,” Caithe said. “Until then, Serimon is well versed in helping Saplings adjust. He will find you a calling or something you can do within Astorea while you’re acclimating.”

Serimon’s shoulders straightened. “She will be well taken care of,” he said. “Until we have some answers about her Dream I will make sure to watch over her.”

This brought a gentle smile to Caithe’s face. Something about her told Sinne that perhaps she didn’t smile often, yet when she did it was kind. Not that she could say much about if those assumptions were correct. She wondered if they were even just assumptions or perhaps a memory of Caithe from another awakened Sylvari that’d been placed into her mind. The thought brought a lump to her throat.

“Sinne,” Caithe’s voice pulled her to present, meeting the expectant eyes of Caithe. “Come to me if you need anything,” she said in a voice that made Sinne assume she’d had to repeat herself, “Anything. Promise?”

Sinne nodded, which didn’t seem satisfying to Caithe at first as she studied Sinne’s face. Then, as if she’d drawn some conclusions about what she found there, she nodded and headed out the door into the darkness. Serimon followed, leaving Sinne alone in the kitchen for several minutes before he returned with a thoughtful look on his face. It disappeared when he realized Sinne was still in the room.

“That a firstborn would tell you to go to them personally,” Serimon said as he took up the cups from the table, “Is an honor.”

Sinne tried to clear the lump from her throat. When this didn’t work she said, “I suppose that’s a plus side of everything.”

Serimon’s eyes snapped to Sinne. The thoughtful look replaced almost instantly with one of understanding and an edge of something Sinne placed as perhaps pity. He stepped forward, his hand placing itself over Sinne’s as she ran her thumbs over the mug.

“It must feel like a lot,” he said. “You don’t need to worry about the Dream right now. Just worry about settling in. Tomorrow I can introduce you to some of the places around Astorea, we’ll find something for you to do until you feel more… sure.”

The soft pause before the last word made Sinne’s stomach twist. It made her feel odd, like she was somehow different from the other saplings. Though she couldn’t bring herself to ask Serimon if she really was different. Something told me that coming out of the Dream in the way she did was definitely not normal. Even without the poison. Serimon didn’t allow her to dwell on the thoughts though. At once he ushered her into the other room where a shallow tub was waiting to be filled.

“We don’t really need to bathe,” Serimon said as he began to fill the tub. “However, it’s calming and it keeps pests off. I figure it would put your mind at ease and relax you before bed. I’ll prepare dinner in the meantime.”

Sinne nodded as the Mendor left her some cloth clothing on the counter and left the room. She didn’t take a long bath. While the Mendor had been kind in his attempt to relax her, the feeling of water around her brought images of the river from her Dream rushing back into her head. So she soaked for a moment, enough for what she hoped would satisfy Serimon, before removing herself from the water and dressing. Her guardian had prepared food just as he’d said he would by the time she came out of the bathroom. Meat and some beans and a fresh cup of hot liquid he’d called tea.

They spoke softly over this meal, Serimon talking some about the places in Astorea that she’d be able to see the next day. When he found that she remembered something about using a bow in the Dream, he offered to take her by the range as well as some of the more nature-driven places. The nursery was also a place he thought she’d enjoy.

This was the first thing that they went to see the following day. Sinne had been risen early by her guardian and they’d set out with the sun. Heading to the outskirts of town to where a tall three domed building sat at the edge of Astorea. On its other side was a great meadow that was surrounded by looping fences to keep the roaming animals within their protection. Serimon led her up to the building where a few Sylvari worked, giving one a smile.

“Dagdar,” Serimon raised a hand toward one of the Syvlari as they approached, “greetings.”

The Sylvari’s eyes raised from the tools he’d been fiddling with while they approached. He was shorter than the others, leaves of red hair falling over his orangish brown forehead. His face lit when he sported Serimon approached, putting aside his work to come to the Mendors’ side.

“Serimon!” He said with a bright smile. “What brings you to us?”

Serimon gestured toward Sinne who trailed behind. “A Sapling,” he said. “She’s having some trouble with finding her calling after waking and the Nursery seemed like a safe place for her while she adjusts.”

Dagdar’s eyes roamed over Sinne, the delight in his eyes never faltering. “Indeed,” he said. “I’m glad to see saplings have started to wake again, it is only understandable that they will be a little lost after what happened in the Dream.”

A few of the other Syvlari around them had started to listen in on their conversation, offering a few nods and words of agreement. They exchanged some small talk then, a few asking about other saplings who might have awoken. Though the news was grim. Sinne, it seemed, was the only one who’d awakened since the Dream had been attacked. It had only been a day since then though and the Mendor as well as the firstborn were hopeful.

“The effects of the poison,” Serimon stated, “are what we are most worried about.”

Eyes found Sinne where she had tucked herself into the group a few spaces away from Serimon. At once she looked away, uneasy under the pressure from the eyes of others. It was Dagdar who eventually broke the silence.

“Whatever the future holds,” he said. “I trust the Pale Tree and the firstborn will not lead us astray.”