It wasn't far now, our true home was just a few heart-breaking moments away. The excitement within me must've been enough to set me back for days as all my wounds were flaring up. Yet, it did not slow me down in the slightest and I kept on going. I kept each sudden flare to myself but I ended up coming to a stop for a different reason.
Despite lacking the severity of my injuries, she was lagging behind. And it wasn't because she had grown tired from carrying her son or our recovered stuff. She was just moving slow... I could see the doubt on her face but I was having trouble grasping it.
"Dandel'lhia, we are so close, why are you hesitating?" I ask her as I slowly slope down until I was resting on the grass. Looking down at her from the incline I was formerly going up.
"I... I can't help but feel that I am doing all of this for nothing..."
"What?" was all I could say as bewilderment took hold of me.
"We've gone all this way, been away for so long... What if he is dead? What if we miss him and he'll never come back? I'm just coming here to sit around an-"
"If you don't want to miss him, get moving." I order her as I ignore my wounds to swing my arm harshly up the rising earth.
"Bu-"
"Now!" I snap as I start to get up again. Staring at her intensely until she made her way ahead of me. And when she stopped again at the top of the hill, I smiled. Because seeing her react the way she did just made me smile for some reason.
I had really done it...
"We should get going." I say to her once I get up there to join her. Briefly smiling at the sight of our birthplace as the great concentration of magic became more visible. Despite it all as well, we could still clearly make out how the place was swarming with our kind. Not just aelenvari from elsewhere, they were the same ones I might've known in our flower.
However, there was a tremendous cluster of them steadily heading out of the garden-mount. And, seeing this, Dandel'lhia rushed on ahead. Although, her son did not understand why and was just happy to be bouncing around so much. For some other reason that only existed in her head, though, she came to a stop and turned to me.
"Move!" I tell her.
"I can't go home without you, Ivy-Mother." she said to me with a warm smile even if the tease was not appreciated.
"We'll go through the flower, then. If you are this worrisome, we'll try and put it to rest." I tell her as I start to head slightly away from the garden-mount. If we hurried, we might be able to slip in through the stem's part of the flower. But was there anything I could do to slow the flower's movement? A magic signal of some kind might get through to them.
I was doubtful of that, however, if only because of what was behind that departing flower. The sheer concentration of the people within made it both a beacon and a blinding light. Yet, for the sake of this sapling, I should at least, try. So, I slowly raised a throbbing, pain-filled arm and I started to focus some of my magic.
Thankfully, this act went some way to just dull the pain outright. But, my mind needed to stay focused on the spell. So, I looked at the sapling one more time as he stared at my magic. A pure, innocent curiosity watched me as I tried to be of further use.
"Watch carefully now." I tease him with, even if he did not get it. And, with a flash of light, my magic shot out of my palm and spread out across the valley. From our point of view, our vision was becoming clouded by this breeze of magic. But to them, to the people I was trying to stop, they felt me reaching out for them.
"I... I think they're stopping!" Dandel'lhia said excitedly as she started to tighten her grip on her son.
"Then I will try harder!" I declare as I start to draw as much magic as I could to make my spell more powerful. However, the consequences of this reckless action saw me struggle to stand. And I collapsed shortly after.
"Rose'lhia!" she let out in shock before she slowly kneeled beside me to check up on me.
"Go..." I told her as I panted in exhaustion. The sudden loss of magic being very stressful on my already recovering body.
"No... We will get there together." she refutes as she seemingly takes ahold of me with a harsh grip. It did not get to me, though, for I understood well the state my body was in. And, when I thought about it, there was something oddly humorous about this. I left our flower with bruises and broken bones, and I return the same way.
"Do not think of me, think of him." I try to tell her, speaking of both her son and the Gilded-Bark. She just did not listen, though, and I was forced along with her. However, this left me smiling as I still wanted to get home. And it was getting closer with each step we struggled to make.
Eventually, as well, aelenvari began to appear relatively close to us. And, oddly enough, it was roots that we first came into contact with. I could only guess what they must've been thinking as we moved through the crowds and their dropped supplies. For once as well, I was glad that it was not me they stared at.
"Is that...?" one said before another would say something similar.
"IT'S A BABY BOY!" soon erupted shortly after before a once scattered crowd grew into a dense cloud. Yet, no matter how many suddenly ran over to us to catch a glimpse of such a rare, treasured sight. They always made way for us as we headed further up the flower's spine. And with that, came a gradual change of scenery.
From leather-clad roots, we started to see modestly dressed stems who dropped what they were doing to see us. And within moments, an army of thorns came running out to surround us. Yet, despite the professionalism that they arrived with. Many fell to their knees and I could hear gawks of surprise.
The further along we went as well, many of the near-petals and stronger thorns tried to reach out for him. It frightened the sapling, but with his mother there for him, he felt safe despite it all. And like before, the reactions of everyone were the same. Joy and cheers filled the air. To Dandel'lhia's likely relief as well, help came to remove that bag off of her back.
"Just a little further and we will see if Jaadagoren has given us false hope..." I whisper to her as our soft thuds became loud clicks. From bare, partially covered earth we moved onto the hovering, marble flooring of the petal's district. The reaction here, though, was far tamer than the rest of the flower and many just looked our way.
The gossip, though, I was thankful for that as that spread news of our arrival far more. If the gilded-bark of this flower was available... And pray tell that he was, if it was our one, he would find out soon. To hear of a pair of petals walk into a flower covered in wounds while clutching a baby boy?
It was unheard of.
And it would surely grab their attention and muster them to move. Yet, as a familiar layout appeared before us, someone moved out to stop us. It was a familiar sound that we both recognised quickly. An actual ivy-mother...
"And who are you?" they asked with their true-voice and for some reason, I recognised it.
"I could ask the same of you when you are wearing my dress." I answer back as I stood tall. Smirking slightly as the confidence they tried to show suddenly disappeared.
"I-Ivy-Mother R-Rose'lhia!?" they let out with a voice full of shock both with words and their true-voice. The breakdown in how to speak even amused the sapling. Which in turn made me smile as he laughed.
"Rose'lhia?" a far more masculine voice asked from a distance. And, the moment it reached our ears, Dandel'lhia froze up once again. This time, though, she hastily handed her son over to me as tears started to build up. And she rushed on ahead once her hectic actions deprived her of a son to hold.
"So Motrtha is with us today." I remark as I slowly move on ahead to catch sight of an old love. And now, when I stared off into the distance. As two parted lovers embraced each other once more. I found myself...
Not resenting the sight before me. And feeling that made me happy, because it meant I could truly say I had moved on. That Nin was the one I loved. However, I refused to let my mind wander and it was not long before Dandel'lhia broke the kiss.
"Oh! Oh!" she started to hoot as excitement filled her, "Come here, Little One! Here! Come to Mama!" she let out with happiness-filled tears.
"Mama sad..." her son let out as he suddenly tried to break from my grip. And from there, I just watched as he waddled as fast as he could before his mother met him halfway. With one sudden grab, she then hoisted him up and held him before a speechless Oak'endoor. Slowly, however, he started to reach out.
"I... Is... Is this my...?" he asked tearfully as Dandel'lhia began to nod her head fanatically. A smile on her face as the sapling was suddenly snatched from him.
"MAMA!" her son cried in fear as the Gilded-Bark spun him around and announced to the whole world what he had.
"I HAVE A SON! I HAVE A BEAUTIFUL SON!" he roared with all the excitement he has had to otherwise keep bottled up for now. And I kept on smiling like everyone else as an impromptu celebration burst to life.
If one listened carefully, one line stuck out the most, "The Gilded-Bark's Son has returned!"
Yet, that line, despite with how much cheer it was said with. It filled me with regret and I turned to leave as quietly as I could. But my earlier comments had damned me to stay here. For while Dandel'lhia celebrated with her lover, hundreds of newly made mothers came to me.
"Ivy-Mother!" many of them cheered before I shook my head and stepped away.
"I'm not..." I tried to say as I pointed at the petal who replaced me. But even she, dressed in that outfit, they all still kneeled to me and saw me as... It was enough to make my eyes water, but I kept myself composed for the moment.
"You've come back..." a voice I once desired to be only mine let out with some traces of excitement still in his voice.
"N-No... I'm only here to..." I started to say before that excitement clouded his judgement.
"BRING US BACK TO THE GARDEN-MOUNT! OUR IVY-MOTHER AND MY SON HAVE RETURNED!" he roared triumphantly, with that declaration setting off the rest of our flower. And to such a point did it get, that the world seemed to tremble with true-voice and words. Yet, I was the only one to be left trembling fearfully at this.
No one seemed to notice, however, and they just shoved it all upon me.
"P-Please, Ivy-Mother, take this back! I am sorry for staining it with my-" the Ivy-Mother started to cry as she begged me to take it from her.
"NO!" I snapped back at her, much to the shock of those around me.
"Sorry, Rose'lhia, we got so excited that we did not see. Go on, rest in your bulb while we head back in. We'll send someone in to look at your injuries." the Gilded-Bark started to say before everyone started to grab at me and take me into my old home. And while the lack of change to it was oddly appreciated. What was happening right now was not.
"N-No! I am not staying!" I tried to tell them, but it fell upon the blind and deaf and I was left on my own as the outside world grew louder and louder. My injuries, however, kept me here despite what I wished and I just let my body rest. It was nice to be back in such nostalgic territory, but I had other things to do!
I wasn't the ivy-mother anymore... I should not have been here and I needed to be ready to depart soon. With our flower at the garden-mount, there was no reason for me to stay here. I had to go before the worst came to pass!
I didn't belong here...
"Hello, Ivy-Mother, I am here to look at your injuries and take care of you for the time being." a decently powerful petal said as they gracefully entered my bulb.
"Do not call me that... Your ivy-mother is out there!" I remind her to which she just shook her head.
"No one could ever replace you." she tells me with a voice full of adoration before she restrains me so she could start applying magic. However, as my body started to somewhat heal. I took advantage of it and I forced her off of me.
"I don't belong here..." I let out with panicked breaths before I rushed out of the bulb.
"Ivy-Mother!" I heard her let out before I tried to escape the flower. Thorns, however, quickly barred my escape and they tried to stop me as gently as they could.
"Enough!" Dandel'lhia told them before she approached me on her own after sending the others away.
"I need to go..." I tell her with a fear-filled gaze.
"You need to rest, Rose'lhia." she thankfully said. None of this Ivy-Mother Rose'lhia stuff had gotten to her...
"I... I know, but, I can't stay here... I can't let them make me..." I tried to explain before she held me in an effort to comfort me.
"You won't make it back to him if you head out like that." she told me, clearly speaking of my Love.
"I don't belong here... I have done what I intended to do..." I whimper quietly to her as I feel her start to move me back into the bulb.
"Head on out, please." she tells the petal before she puts me back on the bed.
"Don't do this to me..." I ask of her, but, it was probably pointless of me. After everything I had done to her, she had all the freedom in the world now to make this moment the worst it could ever possibly be...
"Do what...? Rose'lhia, I'm trying to help you." she clearly lied as my magic started to flare in response. If I was to be cornered, then I would fight my way out of here.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" I scream as the bulb is suddenly blown away in its entirety by what little magic I had left. However, she was still near me, seemingly baffled by my actions. But I knew it was an act... I know she wanted to exact vengeance upon me...
"Rose'lhia, it is alright, you are amongst your own now." the Gilded-Bark suddenly said as he marched upon me with a stern gaze.
"No... No..." I let out again and again as I saw those eyes. Within them was no compassion, only severity. It only meant that he had been told about what I had done.
"Stay away!" I let out before he suddenly closed the gap and enclosed me in his grip.
"Rose'lhia, please. You are safe now." he said to me softly as he held me tightly against his bare, muscle-bound chest. A soft grip even went through my hair as exhaustion rapidly filled me like some kind of poison.
"Ge..." I started to say before my eyes closed. Yet they quickly opened again and I was left panicked before they closed once again.