"Alright, up, come on." I tell that lazy thief, shoving her about her bed in the process while I held her son. It was moments like this that made it hard to believe that she was the mother of this sapling. He was up at a moments notice when I stirred, but she's stayed in this root-sutible bed.
"H-Huh?" she let out in confusion as she started to push herself up. Her son found it amusing to watch her move about so sluggishly. And while I would not deny him of that, I found her behaviour insufferable right now.
"Get up!" I nearly shout as I use my tube-covered point shoves her off the bed. Yet, that might've been a bit too extreme as her son whimpered in concern. So I made sure to hold him close and nurture him as well as I could to alleviate that concern.
"Ow..." was all she let out as she got up and rubbed the area I had forced myself upon.
"Let's get moving, I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." I tell her as I displayed how I was already dressed. Her son was too, but how I was, was simply more important. He was but a little sapling right now, I was a matured petal.
"My son needs to eat..." she warns as her son wipes his mouth with his arm. Then, with a gentle thud, his little head slopes down near my breast.
"Grab him something before we leave, then." I tell her with a roll of my eyes. We did not need to stay here for the sapling to be fed.
"O-Oh, you're leaving?" the old human mother asked in shock after I slammed the door on my way out.
"Yes." I snorted before I left this disgusting establishment for good. Thankfully, those who were up appreciated what I wore, unlike that thief. And she had yet to come out yet... I also did not want to go back in.
So I guess I just had to wait, I could make my peace with it when she came outside. For now, I just turned my attention to the sapling as he shivered in the morning cold. So I pulled him closer and let him share in my own heat. Then, I watched in curiosity as he stared at the morning dew throughout the area.
"What that?" he asked as he lazily raised an arm before he yawned.
"That is the gate we will be leaving through. Then, we can take you to your father!" I explained to him with a smile while hiding my own sadness. Even if I did not love him or long for him anymore. It was still a bitter memory. To be denied what should've been mine by some lesser petal...
This little sapling should've had traces of my rose-coloured hair...
"But I suppose it is a good thing you don't, right?" I asked him with a quick laugh as I started to think of my Love. If I had a child with the Gilded-Bark and then met my Love when he was simply The Champion to me... I'd have scared my precious son and confused him so much.
"Rose'lhia... Give me back my son so I can make sure he has breakfast." that lazy thief demanded from me as she stepped outside partially. She did not even have the decency to come out dressed. She was still in her sleepwear.
"Mama." her son longingly said as he reached out for her. And I just couldn't bring myself to hold onto him when his wish was to be with her. So I passed him over and then walked away from the building to be on my lonesome. I was not hungry so I had no reason to come back in.
So I waited and waited by a fountain while tapping one of my points. Occasionally, I put my hand into the water and let my magic flow out into it. It was but one of many things I learned to do while I was still an Ivy-Mother. To some extent, what I had learned was for nonsensical purposes.
But, the people listened when they saw water shape and morph. It was just for show, really. Yet, it held importance for me when I was an Ivy-Mother. We did not have magical screens like the wind-people did. So we manipulated water for an image for all to see.
Often, I just used it to make my dreams a seeable thing. But right now, I couldn't help but make a family portrait for a family that did not exist. A lovely little sapling in my arms while my powerful Love held us both. With the kind of care only a father and a lover knew...
Hearing the laughter and noise from that building even made me a little bitter. I was always surrounded by families, but I was denied the chance to make my own so often. That thief stole the Gilded-Bark from me and that incomparable beauty stole my Love from me...
"I suppose an Ivy-Mother must learn patience." I mutter as I start to remember the days I was being tutored by my elders and predecessors. To handle some of our roles, we needed to be able to tolerate it outwardly until it was resolved. But I could not for the life of me muster that strength when it came to who I loved...
I wanted them to be mine and only mine, even if he could have all he wanted. I just wanted myself to be the only petal they ever laid their eyes on. The only woman they would ever think about. So long as it was me that was sovereign over their heart.
But each time I tried to achieve that I fell down and never came back up. The Gilded-Bark only cared for Dandel'lhia and all the other forgettable yellow-haired petals. My Love was so entangled with a wounded woman that he became a vengeance-thirsty beast! The heart was my area of expertise.
Blessings of the First Mother and the All-Loved Pleasure were upon me! Their teachings were ingrained into me as clearly as the wind was in the people who filled the mountains. So why could I not understand why they never loved me back? I could see why people loved them, but never why they did not love me...
I was always there for the Gilded-Bark and I was even the one who chose him. A long time ago when we were both nervous about our positions. And it was like that with Nin too, I propped him up and was there for him. Yet, they both found someone else...
I just did not get it.
"Woah..." the sapling said as he suddenly appeared by the water.
"You are ready to leave?" I asked Dandel'lhia softly as her son stared at the fading image of my desires. I then briefly played with him as I rose to my feet, blowing my hand dry with my magic as I did so.
"Yes, we have a long journey ahead of us." she said with a smile and a nod as she started to likely think of the Gilded-Bark. To her, though, it was probably Oak'endoor. She was the only one I ever really heard call him by his actual name. Even as the Ivy-Mother, I could not be so informal with him unless I...
"Then let's get moving." I said all of a sudden as I picked up the sapling and started to walk. I did not want to foul my mood by thinking of something I could do nothing about. Unlike now, where I could make sure this sapling made it home. Even if they weren't there, he would still be safe at our Garden-Mount.
And, I had to admit, I would not have minded staying there for a short while. It has been so long since even I had been there last. The place I grew up and learned my craft. My true home.
To feel the fertile soil around my naked points as the smell of sweet fruit and blooming flowers filled my nose. To take part in the congregation of our most beautiful which I could proudly say I was a part of. There was so much wonderful nostalgia I had for such a place. I just wished this journey was happening under different circumstances.
That it was my son I was planting within the soil of that sacred place. With my Love by my side as I did so before we turned away to make more. The thought alone made me red-faced and aroused. But now was not the time as I needed to have my wits about me.
Especially as we were now walking through the gate of this town. And while one could feel safe under the watchful eye of the wind-people's thorns. Out in these wild lands was such a different story. It was enough to make me grimace as I rubbed where I once had broken bones.
Sadroobell would make easy pickings of us if they saw our bags. Wild ryphurgok or juperse could trample us while osibindah stalked under us. And I had yet to even consider the truly magically-blessed threats we could face. All these problems grew with each step we took.
I had confidence in my abilities, but I was still an Ivy-Mother. I was no thorn or wild-seer. Combat was never something I learned even if I was beautiful. For the sake of this sapling, however, I had to try.
To make matters worse as well, the route we were taking seemed to split off heavily from the thorns. Their intentions were laid elsewhere so their presence would drive away no predators. That mass of magical auras would be missed... Especially when it was foolhardy to let mine out as if to challenge to world around me.
There was a mild appeasement to our worries, though. Even if the main body would not be along our way. There were thorns breaking off in small groups to observe the narrow countryside. So I made sure to guide us along their path while minimising the periods where we lacked supervision.
"Is there nowhere safer we can travel?" she annoyingly complained.
"We'll be in danger regardless when it is just us three!" I snap back at her before looking up at the mountains above. There were clearly paths up there, so maybe I could find a way up to one? It would certainly be better up there with a perilous drop than all the way down here...
"Rose'lhia, please, for the safety of my son. Can you not find us somewhere where we can look after ourselves better?" she pleaded before I looked down at her sapling. Holding him before me by the head while he moved his limbs about with a smile.
"Give me a moment..." I answer quietly as I held him close before I moved up a slope slightly. Gazing out across the valley once I found a sizeable rock to perch upon. The unmistakable peak of our Garden-Mount was so close yet so far... For now, however, I looked down towards some old ruins.
At the very least, it was somewhere for us to hold up in. To just observe the world around us while we rested. If there was anyone suspicious, we would hide, if there was anyone who looked strong, we could follow. A simple enough way to go about it until we could count on our fellow aelenvari.
"There are some old ruins we can hold up ahead. Either you can pick up the pace and arrive there with us or you can fall behind." I comment before I practically surged forward just so I could ensure the sapling's safety. If there was anyone behind us, we'd beat them there. The safest rooms would be ours and I could at the very least scare them off.
If they seemed suspicious at the very least... If not, it would be best to keep them close. Make it appear we were collectively a larger group. If the worst did come, I could abandon them all with the sapling. Let them deal with the issue while I made sure others took the fall.
"I hope you like worn-away stone." I jokingly whisper to the sapling as they started to become interested by the ruins. I had to admit as well, they were in very good shape all things considered. By no means a palace, but it would do for now I suppose... Naturally as well, there were even signs of aelenvari use.
The lingering smell of incense and the markings of furniture made it clear petals briefly called this place home. Outside of these familiar signs, however, there was not much else to it. The place was empty and of little value. But, upon moving deeper into the ruins, I did find what appeared to be a bedroom.
Yet, it confused me slightly as the entrance was almost hidden. I only found out about it because I was using my magic to sort of map the place out. Whatever the reason, though, there was an intact bedframe here. Even an old dusty carpet.
"I guess we can sleep here for the night if we need to..." I mutter as I come across an empty window frame cut into the mountain. It did not offer a particularly good view, but we could tell if day had gone or come with it. The entrance being rather hidden as well meant we could probably block it off as well.
"Rose'lhia! Where are you!?" an exhausted voice called out from outside.
"Mama." the sapling called back quietly as they turned to face the echoing noice.
"Right, of course." I let out with a groan before I traced my steps back outside. Coming to a stop by a balcony so we could look down upon her.
"Mama so small!" her son laughed out as he giggled in my arms.
"Oh, you're so high up!" she jokingly said back before she slowly made her way indoors. So, I then moved us towards the flight of stairs she had to go up before she then collapsed before us.
"A little help...?" she knowingly asked futily.
"You can rest when we are somewhere better." I tell her before I start to head towards the place I had found for us to rest at.
"Can you hold on please? I think I hurt my leg getting up here..." she groaned as she started to unload all our stuff.
"Gods', please forgive me." I muttered under my breath before I settled the sapling down. I then went over to her and roughly brought her back to her points.
"H-Hey! Ow!" she complained before I threw her towards our stuff.
"You're fine, quit crying already." I tell her as I picked up her concerned son. Placing his head over my shoulder while she slowly got back up to take our stuff with her.
"Ah..." she let out as we walked ahead.