19.5 A Single Leaf

General Summary

Day 270 - 274

We begin heading towards the Grove with Alder’s shadow gate magic. Now that he has my energy to draw upon we move twice as fast as he could alone and it only takes us five days of travel.   The thicket itself is difficult to navigate through, especially if we try to veer East. There are thorns and it becomes quite impassable the further we go. Whenever we pass by a grove tree the leaves glow brighter for me, Andstella, and Lesili, but not for Alder. I guess they really do recognize me as a fae.   At one point Alder comments that the trees themselves feel sad (like quiet grief at a funeral), but no one else recognizes this. If I really focus on shutting out the fae memories and the feeling of dusk and my wings, I can start to sense it as well, but not without significant effort.   Under my guidance Alder reaches out to the most ancient-feeling tree and reassures it that the elves are back and are trying to help, after which a single glowing leaf spirals down from the canopy to land at his feet. Lesili gasps that a tree giving away a gift is a big deal in the grove, and that he ought to keep it safe.   If an ancient tree in the Northern Grove recognizes Alder as a friend, I see no reason not to honour this as well. With my now-unused fae cloak around his shoulders, bright newly green wings unfurl from him, shot through with pale white-green and thin strands of pink. Like Camellia he is Spring, but the growth of new plants and not the blooming flowers.   This, too, speeds our travel. While we are not as agile, we are faster and it becomes much easier to travel now that we can all fly.  

Day 275

When we finally emerge into a corner of the Northern Grove we are met by six of the Vanguard led by a winter fae named Berlalin. All six of them kneel for Andstella and I have to stifle a chuckle in watching her urge them not to stand on formality. Dawn and Miriam are waiting as well (Miriam seeming a little flustered by my new appearance and also by Lesili, who is a much more appropriate match for her).   We spend the rest of the day discussing the situation with Berlalin. Kadia and Hella and under house arrest in one of the local lord’s house. They are not being mistreated and Camellia has made it very clear that I am not someone that the fae would want to have as an enemy. The Court itself seems fractured into those who wish to release Hella despite Kadia (seemingly led by someone named Gordonia) and those who do not (seemingly led by Lady Shaylorin, who may have more allies come the solstice). It is clear to Berlalin that Kadia is only a guise for a larger political battle waging between these houses.   So we settle into devising a plan for Alder to visit and spirit her away through a shadowgate. Andstella, Miriam, and I work on some magical constructs to assist in disguising their disappearance and their flight from the Grove.   Amidst our work I also have a chance to attend to my letterbox, informing Bran of my safe escape from the thicket and receiving a response from Amytri  about my previous letter.   It’s remarkable how that family gets around. The information about the Witch Queen is invaluable. She sounds like she has a story I’d like to hear.   And as evening draws to a close we have good food and music that I recognize! For the first time I really participate in the song, singing along in what I realize must be very antiquated fae, much to Miriam and Dawn’s surprise.   As the music winds down I find myself with Dawn, who seems to be dressing more feminine in the time that I’ve been gone. They ask me about shape-changing magic and explain a little of how they’ve been feeling about gender and experiencing it in different ways. Transmuting a living person can be quite difficult to sustain but of course I’m happy to give it some thought. Some combination of transmutation, blood magic, fae magic, and help from Bran the maker of things will surely produce an interesting solution.   We close out the evening with quiet companionship in the moonlight - me, Andstella, and Dawn. Three night owls as the rest of the party prepares to rest.