Day 477
Waking in my own, familiar bed is a heady feeling.
The rest of the day stretches out in front of me with complete freedom and I choose to use it checking in with everyone scheduled to return to the Empire. But first - Andstella. I thought maybe Dreamkeeper would be a good title for her but to my delight she has picked one for herself: Arborist.
She wants something that evokes the idea that she is responsible not only for defending and leading but for growing, shaping, and tending. It's a part of the job that the fae of seasons seem to have forgotten about. I think it's a title that warrants a tiara made of branches but she insists that it will be a crown. Perhaps to her, but to someone my size I remind her that it will always seem like a tiara.
It feels good to laugh with her and it does make me feel better not to be going home. Even though I feel confident staying here and sending people home with their own missions it still makes me sad that I won't be able to see my missing family.
The rest of the day is spent giving directives.
- Miriam: I intend for her to improve her alchemical work and entrust her to Tira and Alwen to find a suitable teacher.
- Rina: I expect Alwen to introduce her to all of her mother's colleagues (I have enclosed many letters of introductions) but I have a particular teacher in mind for her. I know of a Carthian wizard named Nokkin who eventually taught Carthian magic at an elvish academy - I think he would be both a good magical tutor and someone who can sympathize with how Rina will feel in the Capital. I don't know if he is still teaching but she is worth coming out of retirement for and my letter says as much.
- Hella: I am certain that Hella and Kadia will be well directed by the Empress herself but Hella is interested in how she might be able to help Alwen. I tell her that she should ask him questions and give him an opportunity to be a leader to someone who isn't a colleague he needs to impress but a family member he can care for. I also direct her to make contact with Rabiya's tribe and get whatever she can about his mother and whether they would welcome him.
- Kadia: Kadia, too, is interested in speaking with Alwen about magic at scale and how she might continue working on her island in the Unfreezing Sea. I entrust both her and Hella with making a full report to the Empress.
- Caravel: I want Caravel home with his grandchildren but I am also entrusting him with some introductions for Rina and for the training of our hundred elvish heroes.
- Tira: My poor senior apprentice is laden with the most responsibilities - I expect her and Haze both to help Caravel but she will also facilitate introductions where needed. In particular, I want her to help Hella with Rabiya's tribe.
- Haze: Haze will help train heroes, of course, but I also want him to be able to simply enjoy the Capital and the Frontier. I expect him and Alder to skulk about a bit.
- Alder: Back home I hope there will be some material that will continue Alder's magical growth. Primarily though, I want him to be with his family, see to his sister, and keep Miriam safe. I also hope he will show some people what fae wings are like so that I don't make quite as much of a splash when I return.
- Knotrael: I feel not entirely right about giving Knotrael direct instructions but I want him to help Doraal wherever he can.
- Onyx: Onyx is going to see his godmother but if he has some time, I think it would be good for all the Capital elves to get to know what a dwarf is.
- Alwen: I write Alwen his own letter but send along a list of instructions, namely facilitating introductions for Rina and Miriam.
When the sun sets Andstella brings us all together for a game of hiding and chasing through the trees, much to Camellia's chagrin. I cloak her in a little shadow to keep her radiance from giving away her hiding spots but none of them can hide from me anyway with their flickering lights showing up in my eyes wherever they hide. Sometimes though, I still need to channel the magic of a hunter to actually
catch them since they can see me coming too.
Day 478
The morning begins early with dawn fae waking from the trees - they are immediately surrounded by autumn Vanguard eagerly asking what it was like and how it feels. Many of them also swarm me with hugs for having saved them and I feel for a moment like I'm sitting in a tiny sun of my own with their glowing wings around me.
Liliales and I settle in with tea to watch the others wake and reach for each other when we see two new fae wake with memories of one another. Maybe this will be a common thing for our people for it to have happened twice in such a short time - I wonder how many other song relatives will wake.
A few hours later the daylight fae wake and I nearly hurt Liliales' little hand with my grip when I see my own little sister (his aunt) fluttering out towards me. She looks lost, a little disoriented, but she finds us and smiles with recognition. I have to laugh aloud - it's Jerun. What strange twist of fate sent him back to me and Magdalena as my kid sister from millennia past! And radiant, blindingly clear blue and nearly silvery gold wings.
She's so overwhelmed and so I whisk her back to the cottage to recuperate while the others continue waiting for the dusk and midnight fae. Usually it would take her 3-4 days to adjust to the new memories but...that would be if she was 5 years old like 'Jerun' was. Jaedien is unknowably old...but she tells me that her name this time around is Jaeril. I have to bite back my beaming laughter at this...Magdalena will be so pleased.
We settle in with tea in my cottage and she asks me what it was like when I slept, whether I heard a voice. I feel my wings prickle and I give her a practiced neutral face that I have cultivated for just the purpose of deceiving my family for their own good. It's the same face I used to make when mother asked if I'd snuck any orange peels out of the jar. Jaeril tells me that she heard a familiar, seemingly important voice asking her questions - if she needed help, if she had people who would help her grow. Something made her feel like she wasn't good or strong enough yet.
And then the memories - living in cities with elves, helping them make song. She remembers her big sister, me. She remembers being winter and being very good with a bow, releasing things from life and feeling emotionally distant. She remembers blending in with the bright sun on snow and hiding in the light. I shiver at the idea but I have to admit, it's a good place to hide.
I try to encourage her to connect more with her recent life to ground her as Andstella once advised me - perhaps thinking of her mother?
I miss mother. I don't know why she went away...I don't know which mother I'm missing.
I spark an illusion of Sienin growing trees with me while Jerun prepared food for us and she nods. She remembers growing things and making medicines...but can't remember the medicines anymore. This is normal I think. But what she does remember is being agile and nimble, which I feel in her magic. She feels bright and intense as daylight, stronger than she connected to summer as a wildling but not a wizard or mystic. The slumbering presence feels closer to the surface; I wonder if maybe the Samsara cycle has transitioned to being an adolescent now.
She seems so eager to share more memories that I just sit happily and listen. She remembers being a juggler, a circus performer who ran away to join the circus because of a boy. We laugh at this idea and I tell her to go have a talk with Dawn about startling memories like that.
As the dusk fae wake I take her off to meet the dawn fae who made my stringed instrument because of course, my sister plays the flute.
Comments