[Heartlands] A Drifter's Solitude (Adder Please)

[Avrie Eventide Drega]

TS: Late Imperos, Autumn, XIV (pf)
Wandering The Heartlands

Luca never told her how the Ambranti Ritual would change her forever. He never explained the compulsion to be within the Lines and roam from place to place along them. Perhaps it was simply her Air'riela blood feeding her passion for wandering, or the current somewhat odd feelings she was having. She expected this... learning she was carrying Venn's child. Avrie remembered the twin boys from his Soulblade forging and expected that this was their time to come join her in this life, leaving Evan Eventide behind. Avrie hadn't talked to Venn about the coming birth. He had so much going on in his life, with Ythri's return and their plans to travel north. She wanted nothing of pirates, instead feeling the call of the wildlands all around her. She felt safer out of the city, even one as small as Natura. Her encounter with Dimitri had taught her a great deal... changed her even just as Acumin had. In both instances, there were memories attached that she hadn't shared with her husband. She wasn't sure why, but indeed Avrie had gone into something of a isolation phase, preferring to roam and often seeking out the Ambarando for comfort.

This was one such case. The Wilderness called, and with a backpack on her shoulder she'd left the pet store in good hands, the house all but completed... and had set off for a cycle of roaming... alone. She hadn't told Venn she was leaving, but she had left a note telling him not to worry, that she would be back in a half cycle or so. Avrie wanted the music of the wilds to herself, and as she walked she sang, keeping up the walking only until she was fully out of the city. Then she let the big Ambarando catch her and lift her up effortlessly. Drifting was good for an expectant mother, especially one not showing... it calmed nausea, soothed aching feet, and gave her a chance to think... to evaluate once more what was wrong with her and why she was retreating from her friends and family.

The life of a recluse wasn't really her style, though lately she hardly recognized any style at all.

[Adder]

The line enclosed her, cosseting and welcoming her into it's gently embrace. This close to the city the forest still dominated and the lines which formed perhaps the central nexus in what was the Empire twined their way in and out of the city. Since the bardess chose to drift the lines took her through the trees and surely a most curious sight were there anyone there to see it.

A few squirrels were startled by her passage, their bushy tails waving and jerking as they ran around the trunks of the trees in a scrabble of claws. Her presence then was not unnoticed and it wasn't long before she drew the attention of a small group of birds past whose roost she was travelling. A human on the ground was a threat that could be ignored, but they seemed unhappy about this flying version and launched themselves in her direction in a cacophony of squawks, diving around her and attempting to drive her away from their little territory, the black feathered bodies coming ever closer as they mobbed her.

[Avrie Eventide Drega]

That was what she loved about the Ambarando. It surrounded and held Natura in its grip and leaving the city within its embrace was fairly simple. It never left her alone, it never refused her presence... it was never distracted, never away, never needing anything but always accepting. It was a warm hug no matter what her mood, and the energies wrapped around her manifesting itself as part of her more than not being part of her. She glanced down at the open-eyed tattoo on the inside of her wrist and smiled. She'd age slowly now, drift through life, but she'd not abuse it. Luca had been right when he told her that Drifters needed a purpose... needed a reason for Drifting. Most used the skill to aid their Kumpanias... moving folks from place to place easily. But Avrie needed it for something different. She wanted to be an advocate for the Barbari... helping them where she could, smoothing out their issues and acting as a liaison between The Empire and the people the Empire served. It was an important role, and for that very reason alone, she needed to keep her focus and practice.

Thats what this was.... going forth, being one with and within the Ambarando, and focusing her concentration. It was hard for her still, learning to cast messages.... even now she sent a thread of thought into the Ambarando to contact Luca if he was within range. Odds are he wasn't, but her greeting was there, flowing down the blue-green waters to anyone that was listening. The birds, however, were unexpected. They mobbed her with a passion, wanting her gone.. and she'd obligue them. It was hard, shutting out the feathers, the diving maddening forms of avian wrath as she concentrated. She'd phase... phase out of their territory, but it took concentration at her stage of development, so she sent her awareness out into the line, following her message, and looked forward down the direction she was moving.... a clearing in the woods through which the massive line flowed... within her reach, less than ten miles away, more than five... she reached, feeling how similar she was to the energy around her rather than how differently, and tried to rematerialized eight miles further along the line, floating above the river of life.

If she was successful, she'd attempt to maintain a restful float, looking back down the line to where the birds were.. practicing... wanting to see their reaction at her abrupt disappearance.

She didn't much pay attention to where she'd materialized. She was too comfortable within the Ambarando... it was to protective and made her feel too powerful to really worry much, even though the danger from other predators, bandits, or even natural elements like fire or storm... was very real.

[Adder]

As she reached for the clearing, the Ambarando gave a gentle throb, a light touch that carried with it a mote of reassurance and of laughter, a touch that was familiar to her and it seemed for a moment that Luca's laughter echoed softly in her ear. Did he know of the birds, was he even responsible? It was hard to know the limits of his wily abilities but in any case his touch carried any reassurance that she might have needed as to her abilities.

A breath, a moments disorientation and then she was there, the birds long left behind to their confusion and momentary consternation. The clearing welcomed her, a stretch of her abilities, the suns light a halo of congratulation. Behind her the birds swooped for a moment before and then swung up into a small cloud that twined and twisted as it flowed back to the trees which were their territory, victorious over their invader, caring little for the mystery of her disappearance and only glad that she was gone.

Now the choice was once again hers. Natura was remote in the distance behind her and if she did not choose to return then who was to say what awaited her?