Chapter Three: Trials Toward the Desert

Ashwyn glared at Sigurd when he ruffled her hair... Bit it didn't last long. Soon it melted into a smirk as she slapped his hand away.

"Well, come on then. We have some ground to make up." she said and began walking.

Cirro and Zane were both fairly slow, both having a difficult time traversing the root and bramble covered floor.

"I know why I'm having trouble." Zane said. "But aren't you from here? Shouldn't you be used to it?"

Ciroo chuckled. "Things are a lot different when your only a few inches tall. Besides, for most traveling I usually fly. Fairy wings can't support a human sized body unfortunately." he said as he nearly tripped over another root.

Sigurd watched as Ashwyn took the lead and gave her behind a playful slap. He was trying to lighten his own mood more so than trying to be flirty.

When Cirro had complained about having troubles in his new form, he sighed "Then why not change back to being a bug then? You heard me talking to Lopiena, Travel in the way you feel most comfortable. the less complaining on this trip the better. Gnome, one more peep and I swear I will carry you again... and not on my back."

Although Lopiena is also lagging behind, it's more because she's intentionally keeping pace with Zane and Cirro than unusual struggles with the underbrush. Granted, she probably wouldn't be able to move much faster even if the other two weren't setting the pace...most of her jaunts into the forest back home kept to relatively well established routes, and out here in the deep forest even the deer trails are small and overgrown. Still though. The massive trees and their thick canopy block out so much sun only the shade-loving plants will grow on the forest floor, so it's not like they have to battle hedges of blackberry bramble or poison ivy. The current roots and brambles are nothing to complain about...even so, it's only to be expected that those more familiar with traversing the forested lands would pull ahead. Sigurd's offhanded comments make her smirk...a mental image of Zane dangling from a giant wolf's jaws while a tiny insect buzzed around his head is a rather entertaining thought.

Keeping half an eye on her feet and the other in the trees looking for branches that might be suitable for replacement shafts in her pack, Lo glances at her companions from time to time. Hopefully Cirro and Zane will get along well enough that she can sit back and listen to their conversations rather than have to participate all the time. Hopefully Ashwyn and Sigurd will be able to recover the lightheartedness that the day's events had destroyed. Hopefully her own actions and reactions hadn't hurt the growing bond between the companions too much. So much resting on hope...and there's still a long way to go.

Ashwyn smirked at Sigurd as he slapped her rear. "Someone's getting bold." she winked at him.

Cirro looked up when Sigurd spoke to him. "Oh well... I suppose I could. I assumed this form would be less... Offensive... To all of you." He admitted. "Besides, i wouldn't be able to keep up for long. You can traverse much greater distances than I could being so small. I also wouldn't be able to help you easily should we run into trouble. Sure my magic would be the same but my weapons wouldn't." He said, indicating the fork-like weapon on his back.

Zane nodded." Yes I can see where that wouldn't be easy as a small creature. "he nodded. "Speaking of which, your Queen said that your females are born sterile? That seems odd. What distinguishes them from a potential queen? And why are queens born so rarely? And what happens if a queen dies before another is born?" He asked, getting excited and rambling as the potential of new knowledge overwhelmed him.

Sigurd smiled to Ashwyn but then rolled his eyes to Cirro "did I say I was offended by you?" He asked with a sigh. "You're literally having a hard time walking through this brush, which is understandable. So shrink, I'll hold your fork and you can ride on Zane's pack."

Looking back to his mate he smiled again and put his arm around her shoulder again. "Bold? Nah..." He said with a grin

Still watching the forest for suitable branches, Lo walks quietly behind everyone else without saying anything. Not really much to say, other than possibly needing some assistance cutting a branch whenever a good one becomes available. Should have brought a saw, or an axe...but she hadn't actually considered needing to damage any trees while they were in Fey Forest. She'd always thought the trees were alive in this forest, and had honestly been surprised that they hadn't been met by dryads after the first day. Well Sigurd has two axes, so there's that at least. Watching him and Ashwyn though...might be good to leave well enough alone for a little while. On the other hand, Sigurd and Cirro seem to be having an interesting conversation about size and how useful weapons and spells might be...well. Might be worth interrupting their conversation if something comes up.

Listening to Zane question Cirro, Lo perks up. She'd had similar questions at the time, but hadn't wanted to ask for a variety of reasons...let Zane ask the awkward questions. Who knows, maybe some useful information can be gleaned. And...there's a nice straight sapling pine growing far too close to a much larger tree. The sapling won't survive in direct competition for sunlight, so it should be removed...and it's growing right next to the path...pausing for a moment, Lo checks the durability of the sapling. If it's too weak, no point in gathering it.

Cirro sighed. "I will do whatever the rest of you are more comfortable with. But it's not as though I can change at will. Well, not really anyway. It takes a great deal of my magic to change. As it stands I don't have much left until I get some time to rest. I'd rather not waste what I have left in the off chance that we'll need it before the day is up."

Ashwyn smiled and leaned in to Sigurd as he wrapped an arm around her. She touched the arm around her with her hand. "Just let it go." She whispered, indicating Cirro. "He can do what he wants." She said a bit louder so he could hear her, her voice held an edge to it.

Cirro did hear her and he frowned slightly. He couldn't blame her for not liking him, given what happened, but he'd hoped that he could be seen as seperate. Well, maybe in time.

At Zane's questions, he turned and smiled again. The gnome seemed very excited and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well alright. One at a time...

"Yes, our females are born sterile. Why? I'm not sure. I'm told that there was a time in our history that things were different, but it was very long ago. And there's very little written about it. The way we can tell the difference between a regular fairy female and a potential queen is the pheromones she gives off. It's like a sixth sense to us. We can instantly identify a queen. Why are they born so frequently? Well.... none of us really know.We just know that it's rare for a queen to be born. I assume it's to keep our number from growing too quickly but I'm not sure the details. And it has happened before that a queen dies before another is born." He shivered, not enjoying thinking about it.

"That can be devastating for a fairy population. The most common response is to simply.... leave. Seek out another village where there is a queen and join their ranks. But fairy villages are usually spaced very far apart. Most of a population will die before they even reach it. Some have tried to create a queen. Using magic or potions or simply praying to the heavens. I don't know if it's ever worked out but I know it's been attempted."

---

As they talked and walked, the greenery was growing thicker and darker. The leaves were a deeper green and the ground was getting less firm. As the sun lowered and the light grew dim their progress was slowed.

Sigurd sighed with a slight growl in the back of his throat "fine.." he said softly. He listened into the conversation between Cirro and Zane and thought to himself, why couldn't one of the regular females have tried to take advantage of him at least it wouldn't have been to repopulate their city... Still not a better option he shakes the though from his head and focuses himself on Ashwyn, her scent and her closeness. His arm draped over her shoulder like a muscly scarf, his peripherals caught the angle his hand was at and a playful smile crept across his face. With a slow deliberate movement he placed his palm onto her leathered breast and gave it firm, yet gentle squeeze. No one else would be able to see it, so why not.

Ashwyn was enjoying the closeness but also paying attention to her surroundings so she didn't notice his hand until it was firmly on her breast. She gasped a bit in shock and then turned to him with wide eyes and a smirk.

"Sigurd!" she hissed in a whisper.

She discreetly glanced back to the others before turning back to him. "Not getting bold, eh?" she chuckled before leaning further into him and smiled.

Looking up from the sapling, Lopiena realizes that the others are getting further away. Leaving the sapling...too small anyway...she catches up in time to hear most of Cirro's explanation. Curiosity piqued, she finally joins in the conversation. "Why are fairy villages are so far apart?  How would you even know how to get there if you had to? Seems like a serious problem to me."  Looking around the forest, Lo tries to remembr all the tales she'd heard about fairies. Most are about single fairies granting wishes or some such, usually with a moral at the end of the tale as if to reaffirm a child's suspicion that such stories are just an adult's way to get you to behave.  As a child, she'd had a list of questions to ask any fairy she ever met ("will frogs and toads really come out of my mouth if I backtalk my mother?  How would that even happen?") and after just spending a few hours with them had discarded the whole concept as idle childhood fancy.  They're a people like any other, with problems and triumphs and individual personalities that range from appalling to regal to...yet to be seen.  Just a whole lot of magic to work with...but only enough to change size once or twice a day. And wings, but only when small...gah, so many things to learn.  Hoping Zane will keep asking the awkward questions, Lo keeps behind the rest of the group close enough to listen.

As the trees continue to darken and the ground starts getting soft, visions of Octo Swamp start dancing through Lopiena's memory.  If the ground gets much softer, they might not find a safe place to stop for the night...on the other hand, she's the only one who can't see in the dark so maybe they should just keep going. Except...
"Cirro, how well can you see in the dark?  How much sleep do you require?"

When Lo piped up with her own quetions, Cirro smiled and turned to better include her in the conversation as they walked.

"Fairy magic tends to spread from the point of origin for quite some distance. It's  usually best to spread our villages out to better spread our magic to the surrounding area. If the situation came up that we'd have no choice but to find another village then our instincts take over. There's something inside every fairy that instinctually seeks out the Queen. If our queen were no longer with us and we had none to replace her then our bodies would seek out the next closest one." He explained.

Zane nodded, fascinated. "That's amazing. Base instinct." He was in awe at the new information. "I must say that you are a fascinating race. In all my travels I've yet to come across a fairy village. Truly amazing." He said.

Cirro chuckled at his rapture and turned back to Lo as she spoke again. "Hm? How well can I see in the dark? Oh, probably about as well as you. Some fairies have better night vision than others. It all depends on the subspecies. Most flight fairies don't have that gift unfortunately. With the exception of Beetle Fairies. Otherwise it's reserved for pixies and sprites. Which is why they usually take the night shifts." He smirked.

"As for sleep, we're not that different from humans. Actually I've always envied the elves who only need to sleep for 4 hours a day to be rested. It's no wonder their city grew so quickly. They're awake for so much longer than most races." He nodded.

"what, can I not enjoy my mate's company?" he whispered with a smile. Squeezing again with a slow pulsing motion he was pleased with himself. Even through studded armor he was amazed at Ashwyn's assets, they weren't as ridiculous as the princesses. "next time we stop you'll have to help me wash away today's... experience." he said softly. He wanted to feel his lover's body against his again.

Ashwyn chuckled at Sigurd's words in defense of his actions. "You absolutely can." she winked at him, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her. She knew it was still new for them, but even just having him near made her weak in the knees.

At his next comment she grew slightly more serious and she smiled. She reached up and touched hia face briefly. "Of course." she paused in her walking to kiss his lips softly and smiling again.

"Base instinct is right," Lopiena muttered under her breath, agreeing with Zane. Speaking a little louder, Lo turns to Cirro again. "So...if you have to follow the Queen, how far from her can you actually travel? Or does that instinct only become overwhelming if you lose your Queen? I hope that never happens." Shaking her head, Lo can't quite grasp the idea of such instinctual need. Sure, she feels obligated to return to her village, but only because of a strong sense of duty, not any sort of need. Or desire...if she could be certain that the village elders would actually help her grandmother make it through the winter, she'd never go back.

As Cirro continues talking about subspecies and different traits, her interest rises up again. So many things to learn, so many questions bouncing around in her head! How does one Queen birth all of the different types? What different traits do the males bring, or does it not matter? Are any males born infertile too? Aahh awkward questions. None of that. Keeping her silence, Lo simply nods at his words until he brings up the reduced sleep requirements of the elves. "Yeah, not needing so much sleep must be nice...imagine how much more reading I could do..." looking over at Ashwyn at the mention of not needing sleep, she catches a glimpse of their quiet kiss. Looking away quickly in the hopes of not drawing attention to them, Lo smiles to herself...but her eyes are full of worry. After everything that happened today, those two need time to be alone and unrestrained...but Sigurd, Ashwyn, and Zane are the only ones who can keep watch at night. Lopiena already feels terribly guilty about not pulling her weight on night watches, and now it seems there's another with her same limitations. It's already almost too dark to read, and soon they'll have to stop because of her weakness...she must figure out a solution to night blindness! And soon!

Cirro turned to Lopiena. "Oh it's nothing quite that restricting. It's not that I'm teathered to the Queen at all. It's just something.... deep inside. I supposed it's hard to explain."

Zane shook his head. "No it makes perfect sense. It's like salmon being driven back to their birthing place to lay their eggs. Or bears being driven to hybernate in the winter. It's just something that kicks in, right?"

Cirro nodded. "Exactly! Most fairies go their whole lives without feeling that... instinct. And most of us pray we never have to feel it." He shuttered at the very thought. "I can only imagine the panic happening back home. With the Princess doing... what she did... it means she'll never be Queen. No one will ever follow her. But the Queen is getting old." He frowned, worry clear on his face.

Before he could continue, something caught Ashwyn's eye. Off in the distance was a faint glow. She thought it was just the moonlight at first, it being so close to a full moon and all, but as she focused on it she realized it was a different color. Almost... blue-ish.

"Hey, does anyone else see that?" She asked, pointing in front of them to the very faint glow around the trees.

Zane and Cirro looked up at Ashwyn's words. Zane craned his neck around the two tall people in front of him. "What in the name of fae is that?" He asked in an awed whisper.

Cirro frowned a bit, thinking, then his eyes brightened. "Oh! That must be the Enchanted Pool!" He exclaimed.

Nodding quietly along with Cirro's words, Lo can only agree. Having such instinctual need to follow anything still strikes her as a bit odd, but there's a lot about fairies that seems a bit...odd.  At least whatever base instinct to follow the Queen doesn't usurp free will; it's one thing to have instincts, it's something else entirely to be forced into something against your will. Especially if it requires following...ugh. The entire situation struck a nerve. Several nerves...glancing at Sigurd again, Lo shudders inside. It's going to take a long time for all of them to move beyond what happened today.

Before Lopiena can form her opinions on the matter well enough to express them, Ashwyn's comment on the strange blue glow stops everyone. Squinting into the trees, Lo can just see the faint blue glow...

"The Enchanted Pool? What is that?"

Cirro turned to her. "It's a small pond full of enchanted waters. It has amazing healing properties. I've flown past it many times but I've never seen it at night. The water is said to glow like fireflies. I guess it's true." He said, sounding excited.

"Amazing..." Zane said, stepping closer to the glow.

"Is it dangerous?" Ashwyn asked, not sure if she trusted the glow.

Cirro shook his head. "It shouldn't be. It's protected by a family of dryads. We've used its waters to bless our weapons for centuries. I'm sure the dryads can explain more."

There was an audible slap as Sigurd's hand connected to his own face "Dryads... Really?" there was a distinct air of annoyance in his voice. The bestiaries that littered the library in his family home had many many many many tails of Dryads and their ability to charm lost travelers to their bushy grave, what happens before their death is only rumored at and Sigurd had experienced enough of that for one day. "Shouldn't be he says... And the fairy village was so safe. If one so much as looks at me funny I'll kill the lot.."

At Sigurd's words, Ashwyn's fist tightened again. "Not if I kill them first." she said, her eyes fierce.

Cirro looked at them, confused for a moment, but then his eyes widen and he gasped. "OH! No no no. You don't have to worry. As I said, they're a family. Devoted to one another. They're fairly unique, I suppose. They won't harm anyone. I assure you."

Zane frowned. He was torn between his curiosity and his distrust. "You'll forgive us, Cirro... But I'm not sure your word means... All that much right now."

Cirro frowned and nodded. "Yes... I understand. We can go around but to avoid it all together will take an extra day at least."

Ashwyn shook her head. "We don't have time for that. But I won't be as lenient as I was before." she said, her voice dark as her hand closed around the handle of her falcata.

Cirro swallowed, and nodded. "Of course. It won't come up I'm sure."

Lopiena perks up instantly at the mention of dryads...and a pool of healing as well!...only to become confused at Sigurd and Ashwyn's reaction.  The ensuing discussion illuminates their concern quite clearly, and as color drains from her face she looks over at the blue glow with trepidation; the stories she'd heard didn't tell those type of tales. As protectors of the trees dryads were near deities in her mind, and to think of them as...that kind of problem...completely inverted her entire world view.  Gripping her staff a little tighter, she looks from Ashwyn and Sigurd to Cirro and Zane.  Finally resting her eyes on Cirro, she tries once again to push her personal opinions to the side.  He's proven himself trustworthy at least a couple of times now, and though that doesn't mean much against everything else that happened...well.  At least he knows what to expect here.  Supposedly.

"Cirro...how many times have you stopped here?  You said you've flown over...but have you met them?"  Looking out at the glow in the forest, Lo takes a deep calming breath.  Always wanted to meet real dryads, and here's a perfect opportunity.  Being aware of the potential danger doesn't have to mean fear, it's just awareness coupled with caution.

"Well if we can't go around, I guess we have to go forward.  With caution.  Cirro..." she stops and smiles at him.  "Bee.  Perhaps you should lead? If...that's ok with everyone..." looking back down nervously, Lo fidgits between staying where she is and going over to join Sigurd and Ashwyn. "I just think they might at least recognize a fairy. Unless there's something we should know about between your people and theirs?"

Cirro turned towards Lopiena. "Yes, I've met them. Lovely people." He nodded. "As I said, we use the waters to bless our weapons. I've been here many times for ceremonies." He glanced at Sigurd and Ashwyn.

"I know today has been... well, bad. But you have nothing to fear from these people." When Lopiena called him by his nickname he felt a strange little flutter in his gut and he smiled. "I can do that." He glanced at Sigurd and Ashwyn. "If... that's agreeable to everyone."

Ashwyn glanced at Lopiena and decided it wasn't a horrible idea. She shrugged. "Lead on, FairyBoy." She said.

Cirro flinched ever so slightly at the name he was referred to but nodded before moving ahead of the rest.

They traveled slowly, the nerves among the group running higher than they had been previously. Cirro led the way and as they drew closer the glow became brighter. Finally they turned a corner and were introduced to a beautiful pond. The water glowed a soft blue which brightened the whole area. Around the edges of the water were various rare flowers and plants. Most of the pond seemed to be fairly deep, but the back third of it had various rocks of varying sizes that created a shallower area and blocked it off from the rest of the pond.

In the shallower area were two figures. It appeared to be a man and a woman sitting in the water conversing softly. The woman had long flowing hair that appeared to be leaves and her visible body had rough skin that looked like bark. The man had similar skin and his hair looked more like moss.

As they approached, the figures looked up at them. The woman's eyes widened and she smiled widly. "Cirro!!" She jumped up to reveal a flowing body that appeared to be made of wood. She had slender limbs attached to a rather curvy feminine body. She jumped from the water and instantly wrapped her arms around Cirro, squeezing him tightly.

Cirro gasped and his face instantly turned a dark red in embarrassment as the woman was clearly not clothed. "Uh... Hello, Serissa."

She pulled back and smiled warmly at him. "It's been a while since you've come to visit us. And so late! You usually don't do ceremonies this late."

He shook his head. "No ceremony this time. We're passing through on our way to the Wasteland."

The male stood up and joined them with a frown. "The Wasteland? Another away mission?"

Cirro nodded. "You could say that." He turned. "These are my companions. Sigurd, Ashwyn, Zane and Lopiena." He turned to his group. "This is Vilarr, the head of the family. And his wife Serissa."

Serissa smiled warmly. "It's lovely to meet any friends of Cirro." She took a step towards the closest with her hand extended in greeting, which happened to be Sigurd. But Ashwyn stepped between them with her hand still holding her falcata handle.

One glare gave Serissa pause and she faltered in her smile. "Oh... I see." She lowered her hand and backed away. "You're friends are... nice." She said to Cirro.

Cirro's face grew serious. "There have been.... trust issues on this mission. I hope you can understand."

Vilarr placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and pulled her back. "Of course. We make no assumptions." He turned to the group. "Welcome friends."

Walking along behind the rest of the group, Lo can only look around in wonder. The place is amazing with the beautiful lights and the rare plants...most of which she'd only read about in books! Kneeling down occasionally to get a better look at some of the plants, she still keeps close to the group. No lagging behind in this place, and the beauty could easily be a lure. As they approach the two dryads in the water, her curious eyes drink in as much as possible, even noting the type of leaves that make up the woman's hair. Her evident recognition of Cirro makes her smile; at least they don't have to worry about being taken as prey or enemies or something else...maybe. Approaching Sigurd first was probably not the best start, though there's no way Serissa could have known that...well. Caution first and always.

Bowing low with respect, Lopiena speaks up from the back. "Thank you for your warm welcome. We regret that we cannot stay longer. With your leave, may we pass through?"

Sigurd's eyes quickly scanned the area as they entered the Enchanted Pool, easy escape routes, nothing to be overly concerned about. When the Serissa approached him, his nose picked up the scent of... well, wood, and dirt. Very earthy, no pheromones or anything else. Ashwyn stepping between them having her hand poised to strike he sighed. Maybe they have been over reacting to the others, watching the smile fade from the Dryads face reassured him of that.

Placing a firm hand on her shoulder he gave her a gentle squeeze before stepping around his mate. He approached Sarissa and extended his hand "I'll spare you the details but we've had a bad day. That shouldn't sour our foreign relations especially when the fault wasn't yours. My sincere apologies... "

Vilarr smiled at Lopiena as she approached and bowed. "Of course. We do not control the area. We only protect this pool from those that might taint it."

When Sigurd approached, Ashwyn let him pass but didn't take her eyes off of the strangers. She was still glaring, despite Sigurd's comforting squeeze to her shoulder. She trusted him, so she wouldn't make a scene, but her trust had been severely damaged.

Vilarr smiled at Sigurd and took his extended hand. "Think nothing of it. It's difficult to trust strangers in these trying times."

Serissa glanced nervously at Ashwyn but then turned to Cirro. "Are you sure you have to leave so soon? It's getting late. You're welcome to stay here tonight if you'd like to rest in a safe place."

Vilarr nodded. "Indeed. You're welcome to stay. The magics of the spring keep standard predators away so you wouldn't have to worry about that."

Cirro glanced at the others. "Oh, well... I'm not sure...." He said, not sure what they'd want to do.

Watching Sigurd approach the Dryads is an interesting exercise in etiquette, and Lopiena takes several mental notes...including a note to self to ask Sigurd about how best to talk to people in strange situations like this one. The only thing Lo really knows how to do well in any situation is silence...which she does now, looking down and blushing slightly at being addressed by Vilarr. When she looks down, though...an extremely rare plant that she'd only seen once referenced in a book is growing just a short distance away. Forgetting herself, she kneels down close to it for a better look. It's appropriately called 'fairy lamps' with rounded flowers formed of five petals drooping down from delicate stems, and with the light of the enchanted pool it almost looks like the flowers really are tiny lamps illuminated from within...

Listening to the discussion around her without looking up from the plant, Lo softly whispers to herself. "I wouldn't mind staying."