[Druidic Grove] A first beautiful sight of the future

[Auer]

6th Brigtening, Cryxatum, Summer of Era XIV

Auer went to bed with a decision to make. Upon waking she decided that Druid training was the appropriate thing to do. She was creating a new life, a new person and training to be a druid could very well be the answer and way to achieve those goals. Auer needed to fill the gap inside, she wanted to rest her demons, she most of all wanted to feel inner peace, rediscover herself and perhaps...perhaps she could feel whole again.

After travelling for some time through Naturan wilderness, Auer arrived at the Glen. Auer halted and looked about wide eyed and even close to tears as she took a few hesitant steps further. She had seen many places on her travels, some of the sights were impressive, yet nothing compared to what she saw before her. Auer's skin began to prickle as she turned about in a full circle. Auer suddenly felt that she should not be there, she did not deserve to know any wonderous secrets, to behold such beauty. Auer tried to banish those feelings as she made her way tentatively to where patches of flowers grew. She leaned over and tenderly touched a flower with the tips of her fingers. A small smile graced her rose tinted lips, Auer knew she would be truly blessed if a place such as this could be a part of her future.

Auer did not know what to do; should she sit and wait? Should she remain standing? She shuffled her feet and looked about, trying to absorb everything, she did not seem to be able to get enough of the sight. After a few long moments Auer gracefully sat down by the flowers in one fluid motion. Auer closed her eyes and tried to clear her thoughts. Auer listened to the sound of flowing water. Auer let the sun bask her in its warmth; Auer enjoyed the quietness and tranquility of the place; Auer sat silent and waited.

[Aydyn Blair]

The Druid Grove was quiet for a place where Druids must gather and speak, hold discussions and welcome new members. This was rumored to be the place where they came together, the place that they did a majority of practicing their craft. And yet the only presences currently visible in the clearing were the birds flitting about on tree branches or on the ground and the occasional squirrel darting from its cover into the grass. Quiet, if only ignored the bird twitters and the random shake of branches overhead as the squirrels executed their acrobatics with ease.

Nonetheless the would-be Druid was being watched very discreetly from a nearby tree, the individual unseen regardless of how scrutinizing Auer's eyes might be; no one could see this spy, no matter how hard they peeked.

Quiet continued to prevail throughout the Grove, undisturbed by voice or feet, until finally--finally--there came a giggle. It was quiet, low and almost resembled the sound of the wind whispering through the trees, but it was too distinct, too sharp to be entirely natural. But it was hard to pinpoint its location until, if Auer looked around her, a tree branch wiggle. Not the wiggle that resulted from a squirrel or a bird, but a strange sort of wiggle that seemed incredibly unnatural. As if a tree should never be moving in such a manner. It stopped. Again there was silence, the branches shivering as the wind whispered through them.

And then...from directly behind Auer, someone cleared their throat. "I don't suppose there's any chance that you plan on leaving any time soon," a sweet, light-toned voice chimed and if Auer turned to see, she'd find herself face-to-face with a rather strange figure: Slight, narrow-waisted, with long, golden-brown hair crowned with woven white roots and flowers, the young woman was not normal in any sense of the word. There were no whites to her eyes, just dark, forest green against the pale green of new spring leaves. These widened as a smile curved over a delicately shaped mouth, the sparkle across her face amused more than anything. She wore no clothes, although she did wear a draping of vines that wrapped around her golden-tan body, concealing all the right things. Her feet were bare. But she was pretty, even in her oddity.

[Auer]

Auer had believed she was left alone with her thoughts. When Auer heard the distinct giggle, she swiftly got to her feet, her teal eyes scanned the surrounding area carefully until her gaze fell upon the wiggle from the tree. A slight blush appeared on Auer's pale cheeks at the thought of being watched. She had the feeling she had been watched from the moment she had arrived.

When the odd lookig female revealed herself, Auer shyly stepped forward to introduce herself. One thought in particular held dominance; 'if I can blend into nature like she, i will never have to worry about being hunted and found...'

A small smile displayed itself upon Auer's rose tinted lips as Auer admired the females distinct beauty, Auer did not think she had ever seen anyone like the druid before. Upon realising the female sought some kind of reply to her statement, Auer dropped her gaze as she spoke in her soft honey toned voice that portrayed her shyness.

"I am sorry if I am intruding...I wish to speak to somone, if I may, about possible training?" Auer paused before adding as an afterthought, "...if I am deeemed worthy." Auer shuffled her feet, not certain if she should meet the females alien eyes -- after all she did not want to cause any disrespect.

[Aydyn Blair]

The woman paced around Auer, hands swinging idly at her side, her feet almost containing a bounce to them as she moved. Everything about her was delicate and graceful, wispy, her unruly hair almost twig-like as it shifted around her. She wore that wide grin across her mouth, greatly amused by whatever it was that she found so entertaining about this girl.

"Training?" she repeated back to her, giggled, paused when she was directly in front of Auer again, leaning forward slightly, those strange green eyes searching. "What sort of training? You want to be a druid? Why? Why do you want to be a druid? What makes you think you'd be a good one? What sort of things do you think we'd teach you? What do you think it means to be a druid?" She flung the questions out without thinking, the words dropping quickly from her mouth with swiftness.

She clasped her arms behind her back, stood straight. "Why should I train you? I could be doing maaany other things, you know. Why you?"

[Auer]

Auer shuffled her feet, her teal eyes stayed focused on the gound. As the female paced around her, then stopped to file off a series of questions for Auer to answer; Auer felt she was being interriogated. 'Aren't druids supposed to be serene and calm like nature on a warm Summer's day?' Auer mildly thought to herself as she kept her gaze diverted.

When a reply was needed, Auer shuffled her smal dainty feet again as she dared to raise her head in eye level to the woman druid. Auer's honey toned voice spoke from her heart for she dared not answer any other way in case the druid could see her words and judge the truth of them.

"I -I do not know why you would train me, I guess that is a question you will need to direct at yourself." Auer tried to remember all the question that were quickly thrown upon her to answer. "Yes I do want to be a druid. Why? because...the truth is I need something to fill this gap inside. I need to be shown there are still wonders and beauty out there. I need to have something to believe in, to give myself over to completely in the hope that by druidism doing this for me, I can wholly give back to druidism." Auer took a breath in and again out before softly adding. "And that is why I want to train to be a druid."

Auer moved her fingers through locks of har silken dark hair as she began to answer another of the questions. "What makes a good druid..." Auer paused to briefly consider, she gazed around at their surroundings taking inspiration from the beauty she saw and felt. "I believe someone who loves nature and feels like part of nature. Someone who knows nature is not there to be used or controlled but someone who repects it. I know there may be so much more to this question but that is my answer for now."

"I think I will make a good druid because I do love and repect nature. I was conceived and was born in nature. Growing up my friends were the trees in our backyard. Nature calms me, it where I feel most wanted and at peace. Because of this and despite the wrong turned paths my feet have travelled on, I do possess a good and unselfish heart I think this is needed in order to be a good druid."

Auers gaze had retreated to the ground once again. Auer peeked a glance up at the druid to see if she could read her facial expression and to make sure she was listening still. Satisfied, Auer continued to speak in her soft honey toned voice. "I do not know exactly what I will be taught if you deem me worthy enough to be a druid. Perhaps I will learn some of what you can do there with the tree..." Auer indicated to the spot where the druid had been hiding and watching her. I hope to learn many wonders, secrets of nature and life, in which I will cherish."

Auer quickly scanned her mind to see if there were any other questions she had missed. When certain she had answered them all Auer fell to silence to wait for the druids judgement of her words.

[Aydyn Blair]

The girl seemed honest, even sincere...if a little timid and uncertain. This puzzled the dryad, who stood with her head tilted, her lips pressed together as she considered this new candidate for the druids. She did not like to take just anybody on as a student because one could never be certain what those pupils might yield when arcana was put into their hands. Some wielded it for good, others for evil. But it was H'annaeryth's thought that those who did not care one way or another and simply used it as they pleased without thought to those around them or the consequences--those were the ones to be wary of.

"Are you afraid?" she asked after a moment, brows lifting slightly. She seemed concerned with this, as if it was important for her that the girl not be afraid of H'annaeryth...of being rejected. An uncertain mage was nearly as bad as an overconfident mage. "You really, really seem like you want this, but you seem like you're worried about something. You're not hiding something are you?"

Still, H'annaeryth could not fault the answers that she'd been given. The girl seemed pleasant enough and, as she'd already reflected, sincere and truly interested in druidism. So why the reticence? "I'm glad you say you'll cherish nature. We only nurture here. Some people...they come here because they think we'll teach them how to hurt people. That we'll teach them ways to manipulate nature for their benefit. There are some spells like that. That help you and not so much the trees, the flowers...the animals. But we don't teach people how to do harm. Do you understand?"

[Auer]

Auer's teal eyes turned downcast as she nodded her head.
"I am not afraid as such." Auer declared. "Change is upon me that is all. Some love the thrill of change but for me..well it takes some getting used to and please forgive me for saying, I have never seen the likes of you before. You have an intimidating aura about you..." Auer bit down upon her lower lip, wondering if it was wise to express those words.

After a moment Auer spoke up again in her honey toned voice. "I would not want to know how to do harm to others I believe that would take its toll on yourself. As I see it you have the choice and sometimes the choice may not be easy, but the choice should always be made with good in mind. Not the good for yourself but for the rest of life. By doing good, as a result you will feel good." Auer realised she had been rambling. She pressed her lips together, shuffled her feet and waited for the dryads response.

[Aydyn Blair]

The dryad seemed to brighten a little at Auer's response...as if she had, one way or another, responded in a way that the creature approved. She clasped her golden-brown fingers together in front of her and stretched her arms out a little--as if she were cracking the bones in her hands. "Well..I suppose you'll do. I might be able to teach you something. We wouldn't want them to get to you first," she added, leaning forward in something of a whisper.

"I'm H'annaeryth," she declared...with an almost imperialistic air to her voice and stance, standing tall, nose lifting slightly. "This...is my tree," she preened and bounced over to where a tall, sturdy red-barked tree loomed up and over the grove. It stood at the very edge of the grove like a sentinel and she curled her arms about the tree as much as possible, check nuzzling against the bark. She seemed to merge with the tree for a moment--almost sinking into it.

She sighed and pulled free. "Who are you? And what can you tell me about the process you have to go through to be like me?" She grinned impishly. "Do you know what I have to do so that you can learn?"

[Auer]

Auer's teal eyes momentarily wideneed as disturbing thoughts skittered through her mind. Auer's eyes, crowned by a layer of long thick lashes, blinked a few times as Auer tried to think of an appropriate response. "...The process...I am afraid I have no idea what the process entails. I sincerely hope it will not be painful or unpleasant..."
After all Auer's constant companion for era's had been pain, it had attached itself to her like her shadow.

Auer liked what H'annaeryth had demonstrated to her with the tree. Auer wanted her own tree; Auer imagined it to be her new companion and that brought a delightful smile to Auer's rose tinted lips.

The disturbing thoughts returned however; fuelled by her imagination and fears. The smile fleeted from Auer's lips as Auer softly replied in her honey toned voice. "What do you have to do to me? Please I beg you, speak truly, do not play any tricks on me."

[Aydyn Blair]

H'annaeryth frowned a little as Auer pleaded with her. It was somewhat disconcerting to see this girl so on-edge...as if she expected the worst from the dryad. H'anna was no angel, but she had never before been considered mean. Well...not really. If she was protective of Dhwae it was because she loved the druidess and knew many came for the wrong reasons...

"I don't play tricks," she responded seriously, face stern and a little frustrated. "Not with Druidism. That's not how Druidism should be used--for mean, hateful tricks. We don't teach that here. If you want to learn that, you won't learn it here."

The dryad sucked in a deep breath, bare chest heaving as she released it. She seemed to regain herself as she stood there. "What I'm going to do is release what's keeping you from arcana. You've got something of a block that prevents you from seeing the world as it really is. It's called Unbinding. It can hurt or make you feel a little sick. Almost everyone passes out from it. Usually they have some sort of dream. They're usually harmless, the dreams. They can be as mundane as a person collecting eggs from chickens or they can be scary. I've seen students so afraid afterwards you'd think they'd eaten their own mothers!" She giggled a little. "But I mean...if you don't want to go through with it, that's fine. I understand. You just can't be a Druid if you don't let me Unbind you..."

[Auer]

Relief showwed on Auer's face when H'annaeryth said that she would never play tricks; Auer hoped that would be the case and thought tricks would be below a druid in the case of training.

At the mention of unbinding and what it entails Auer considered it for a moment before nodding her head. She knew nothing good came easily, she could even vouch for that herself. And so Auer nodded her head at the druid, her teal eyes looked up into the druids own with determination.

"I'm ready for whatever the unbinding may bring. I am ready to unblock my acarna and take the first steps in becoming a druid." Auers usually soft honey toned voice became stronger in volume, it portrayed Auer's readiness and determination in what was to become.

[Aydyn Blair]

H'annaeryth gestured for the girl to sit down. The seat was a more a felled log than anything that looked as if it had been laying there for quite some time. It was covered in various lichen and moss so thick that it made for a comfortable enough cushion. Surprisingly it hadn't rotted or crumbled with age and was still firm enough that it didn't cave under them as they both sat down.

"Just get comfortable and I'll do all the rest," she instructed the girl. She could close her eyes, do whatever she needed to get comfortable--it wouldn't matter. The following process would be the same regardless of what the girl did.

The Unbinding was relatively simple on the part of the girl, her simply sitting there, waiting. But it would seem to her that all of a sudden a barrier was removed, as if there was something more within her that had not been there previously. And there was--more. A swirl of energy shifted around her and within her that had not been there previously. Everyone saw it differently--different colors, different forms, sometimes wispy, sometimes solid. But it was there. The arcanic energies that the mages used to create their spells--she could see them. She could sense them.

But she had only a moment to revel in this new knowledge when unconsciousness took her, tugging her downward. She felt warm arms surround her, cradling her, and then she dreamed...

When she woke, she'd find herself on the ground, her head in H'annaeryth's lap, the dryad braiding the young elf's hair and twining it idly with wildflowers. She did not seem concerned at all by what had occurred. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She grinned at Auer as she realized the young elf was awake. "You know what I realized? I don't think you ever told me your name."

ooc: feel free to describe your dream as you please

[Auer]

Auer sat down gently where H’annaeryth had gestured. As Auer sat she began to feel nervous. As the dryad told her to get comfortable Auer felt like laughing how could one get comfortable no knowing what was to happen in the next instant? However Auer breathed in and out deeply before she closed her eyes. Auer thought it was best if she did not see what was to happen to her.

Before Auer could relish in the new sensations of the unbinding Auer felt warm arms circling around and in the next moment Auer’s dreams enveloped her. Auer walked through the woods, her soft steps disturbed the tranquil quietness that surrounded the area like a snug blanket. Auer realised she was home. Before her there was a group of people. As Auer moved closer she recognised the familiar faces of her neighbours, her friends, her village people. A smile reached Auer’s rose tinted lips at the sight of her dear friend, once dead but now alive and well and only an arm-length away from Auer. Auer reached out to embrace her. At that moment the sky darkened, the very air seemed to thicken. The village people and her friend, looked at her with judgement and despise. They spat at her and began calling out names “Murderer,” “evil wrench” their hands reached out to her throat with intentions of strangling her. Auer cried out and began to run back into the woods where she had spent her childhood playing.

As she ran Auer saw her sweetheart’s face appear all around her -- in the sky, in the trees. The strange look in his eyes was revealed, the look she had come to fear, the possessed look of a monster. Auer cried out again and tried to run faster yet she could not escape it. Auer felt a warm sensation on her hands; she looked down to see blood dripping between her fingers. Auer continued to run as she pleaded with the mob, the trees that held evil faces, “I had to do it” Auer sobbed “He was a monster.” Her sweetheart’s voice seemed to echo throughout the woods “You are the monster now...”

Auer awoke to her heart pounding and the bright sunlight of the serene day glaring down upon her. Auer squinted and sat up as she tried to calm herself. “It was only a dream” she muttered. “Only a stupid meaningless dream...” But in Auer’s mind she doubted her own spoken words. As Auer began to calm down she realised H’annaeryth had spoken. Auer rubbed at her eyes and sighed before she looked at H’annaeryth, she vaguely recalled the dryad’s question.
In her soft honey toned voice Auer answered. “My name is Auer.”

[Aydyn Blair]

H'annaeryth's head cocked slightly at the quiet murmurs that slipped out of her student. A smile of amusement decorated the dryad's mouth and for a moment she said nothing, simply nodding as the girl provided her name. "Just a dream. Stupid and meaningless. Do you think so? Some people don't. Some people think they are truthful dreams and that they will come to pass. Some people say they are dreams that see the past and reveal to you part of your heart you wish to keep hidden. But for some they are stupid and meaningless. If it makes you feel better, then yes...stupid and meaningless." She grinned, shrugged, picked at the wildflowers nestled in her lap.

"Do you think you can continue this brightening or do you wish to return again tomorrow? Sometimes it's good to have a rest, to sleep after the Unbinding. It can be stressful on the mind, especially those stupid, meaningless dreams! If you're okay with staying, I shall Impart the spells to you and we can get started, but that is up to you...Auer."

[Auer]

Auer licked at her parched lips. Auer allowed herself not to even consider the dream to mean anything more otherwise Auer would spend her waking moments trapped in fear and turmoil she had travelled so far to try and avoid. For Auer stupid and meaningless was the best answer for the dream.

At the option to stay or to call it a day Auer quickly insisted on continuing. She wanted to occupy her minds and give it better things to think about in the hopes the dream would fade from her thoughts and from existance. Auer nodded her head followed by a prompt answer, "We can continue today, please let us continue..."