There are other questions have been burning in the back of my mind… I never got to ask Dr. H why it is that I can see traces of mana, and what he found out after doing that ritual at the Stonehenge. I noticed that Dania can not see the light wisps that I see. I started to wonder if these are traces of mana in the world too, but she had no explanations.
I finished setting up camp. Dania came back and started cooking over the fire we started.
"Good thing we got here on time, I was starting to run low on food." Dania said.
"Yeah, that would have sucked." I said as I rummaged through my satchel for some herbs and mushrooms I gathered during our walk today.
I discovered that some of the edible plants (which were identified for medicinal use) also have pretty good flavor. The ones I handed Dania for our soup are called Tansy leaves. They were identified as edible and noted to have anti inflammatory properties. I started using them when my tail was growing in, hoping it would help with the pain. I started by chewing the, which was gross. Then I used them like tea leaves; also very gross. They have a robust flavor which really adds to soups though. In the future I want to try drying the leaves and using them on meat.
Out of respect for Dania's preferences, I have been on a vegetarian diet. Just the thought of roast meat made my mouth water. The Feline's should serve meat as well, I'm looking forward to it.
After we had our soup we headed off to sleep.
* * * * * * * *
The next morning we woke early and tore down camp. As we walked towards Lashwood I started feeling anxious. I was feeling like I was forgetting something. I made sure to pack up everything, I doused the fire pit… I don't know what I would be forgetting.
Dania was walking ahead of me, lost in thought and just staring at her sunflower seeds. This was the first morning that she hasn't been talking non-stop. Maybe this is the source of my mood, I've grown accustomed to her constant chatter so the silence is unsettling.
"Everything okay, Dania?" I asked, as I caught up to her and walked side by side.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just lost in my head there. You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. No growing pains for a while now. I think they are over. what were you thinking about?" I wondered if she was worried about meeting other chipmunks.
"Nothing serious…" She said, still staring at the handful of sunflower seeds in her hands
Clearly something is up. "It might help if you talk about it." I prodded, and playfully nudged her with my elbow.
"I was just.. wondering.." She looked longingly at her sunflower seeds then met my eyes before finishing her sentence. "Do you think they sell sunflower seeds in Lashwood? This is the last of my stash."
I looked down at her big, brown, beady eyes and suppressed the urge to laugh. She was genuinely worried about her snacks. In the end I couldn't resist a chuckle as I rested my hand on her shoulder and replied, "Even if they don't, I bet they have tons of tasty snacks that you haven't tried before."
Her face lit up at the thought of new foods. I had to admit that she had grown on me. She is my first friend and I genuinely enjoy spending time with her. I have to resist the urge to squish her some times; she looks adorable but she is still my senior.
We were walking though a Forrest with giant trees for a while when a small group of huts came into view in the distance.
"We're finally here!" She exclaimed and started walking a little faster.
"I thought their city was in the trees?" I asked
"It is. What you see there is relatively new. they built these to accommodate travelers and merchants. They can be extremely particular about who they let in." Dania replied.
"Makes sense." I said as we continued walking towards the huts.
As we got closer I caught whiff of a familiar scent. I smelled this scent before, husky with a hint of vegetation. I felt my body relax as soon as i smelled it. It felt like coming home after a long day at work.
"What's that smell?" I asked Dania.
She sniffed the air and replied, "I'm not sure which smell you are referring to, but I mostly smell the Junipest here. The felines like to grow it as it can help reduce stress."
I definitely feel less stressed. That must be what I'm smelling. There must be some wild Junipest growing in Hilraine.
We walked up to a tree a way a away from the huts and Dania knocked on the tree trunk and called up, "Hello! We seek entry to the city!"
There was a flash of brown and suddenly a woman was standing in front of us. She was wearing leopard print clothes, had a slender but powerful body, long golden brown hair that was braided, and seductive cat eyes. I didn't have to guess to know that she is a Feline.
"State your business." She said, as she looked down her nose at us.
"We are here to see your alchemist. My friend has a unique… affliction. We need her expertise." Dania stated, looking over at me before glancing back at the leopard girl in front of us.
Her long leopard tail was swishing as she leisurely circled us. She stopped next to me and took a closer look. She touched my hair and tail, then came in for a sniff before making her decision.
"What is your friend here?" She said, looking at Dania.
"We don't know. That's part of why we need her help." Dania Replied.
Finally the female looked over at me and addressed me, "You don't know who your people are?"
"I'm afraid not…" I said awkwardly.
"I've never smelled someone like you. She will definitely be interested. Follow me." She glanced at us one more time before turning around and leaping some 20 feet high before turning into a leopard and climbing another 30 feet up into the dense leaves.
I looked at Dania, quizzically. I am still working on my climbing skills.
"No time like the present." She said as she scampered up the tree with ease.
I took a deep breath, crouched low, and put all my power into my legs. I was going to give this jump 100% so I wouldn't have to climb much.
"75%!" Dania yelled from up in the tree, as if she could read my thoughts. We have gotten better at estimating my power with jumps, though trial and error of course. I have gotten stronger every day, so I use less power for jumps now.
We are still talking about me leaping approximately 50 feet into the air, to only use 75% of my strength was definitely not enough. I was going to ignore her and go with my initial plan, but I thought better of it and decided to try it her way.
I estimated about 75% of my strength and leaped up into the tree. I flew high and fast! In the blink of an eye, I was through the leaves and had grabbed on to a branch. I heard Dania laughing from below me and saw her standing on a wooden rope bridge, looking up at me.
"Your strength is increasing rapidly! I guess we only needed 65%?" She chuckled. The Female next to her just watched in irritation or amusement, it was hard to tell which.
I swung back and forth then leaped onto the bridge before picking the leaves out of my hair.
"Follow." Said the leopard female, as she led us across the top bridge and through the city.
Each house was built in and around the trees. All the houses and supports were intricately carved, looking more like a mystical elven village. Some of the houses were multiple stories high and I had to crane my neck to see them. I saw mostly females in the city and some children.
The females all looked very formidable. It was odd how elegant and slender they looked, but also how imposing and powerful they were. The Leopard female led us up some stairs that wrapped around a tree. We must have went up another 2 or 3 floors before arriving at a tree house. She knocked on the woven bamboo door.
"Isola! Answer the damn door!" She yelled when no one opened the door.
Finally the door opened and a woman who looked eerily similar to the warrior who led us here, looked out.
"Ishi?" she asked, looking at the Leopard female who knocked on the door, then over at us. "Who are they?"
"They are here for you, dummie." Ishi, the leopard female who led us here, said.
"Oh?" Isola said she stood up straight and eyed us curiously.
"Hello, Isola. My name is Dania, this is my friend Mika. We came to see you because she has a curious condition that could use your expertise." Dania addressed the woman in the house.
"Come in, come in. Please forgive my sister's terrible manners." Isola said, as she shuffled inside and waved us in.
the inside of her house was dark and it took my eyes a minute to adjust. Just as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ishi had walked over and forcefully pulled the shutters open, blinding us all with bright sunlight.
"ISHI!!!!" Isola hissed, covering her eyes
"You can relax, they are gone hunting until next week. Let some fresh air and sunlight in here while you can, hermit." Ishi chastised her sister, then walked over and sat on the couch.
Dania and I were standing just inside the doorway. As soon as she adjusted to the brightness, Isola guided us over to a table and sat down.
"So, tell me. What affliction do you have?" Isola directed her question at me while grabbing a stick of charcoal and paper to write on, which was piled on the floor by her table.
Dania looked at me, prompting me to speak. "Where do I start? Hah. Umm. Well, I don't know what race I am, since I lost my memories. I just grew a tail and ears over the last 2 weeks, and I can't transform yet." I ticked them off on my fingers as I listed the issues at hand.
Isola was still poised with charcoal and paper, but had not moved since writing "race?" On the paper.
"Pardon.. but I want to clarify. Did you say you grew a tail and ears?" She asked calmly.
I noticed her sister on the couch, who was completely disinterested a few minutes ago, now had her ears pricked up.
"Yeah. I had no tail or ears, I was very weak and sickly you see. Then over the last couple weeks as my strength got better, I grew these ears and this tail." I said as I indicted my ears and tail.
"And you didn't transform?" She asked me
"No. I don't seem to be able to." I answered honestly.
She started taking notes rapidly and muttering. Finally she stopped and looked back at me again. "This might take some time, you are unlike anything I've ever seen before. Come back tomorrow and I will have come up with a plan for us to address these concerns."
As soon as she finished, Ishi stood up from the couch and ushered us towards the door. Once we were outside she said, "You won't get anything more out of her today. Let's find you lodging for now and I can fetch you again tomorrow."
She took off walking without sparing me a single glance. Dania and I exchanged looks then proceeded to follow her. She seems to dislike me since the minute she saw me. I don't know what I did to offend her, but I hope we can find the chance to get to know each other. I felt uncomfortable being around her, since she seemed to dislike me so much.
She led us to a little hut on a different tree. Inside were large futons on the floor and a hammock up by the window. All the essentials were here; beds, storage, dining set, and even a stone stove for cooking.
She stood just inside the doorway as we put our bags down. "you can stay here as long as you are under my sister's care."
Dania was unpacking her bag in the far corner of the hut already, so I have the pleasure of thanking our host.
"We appreciate the hospitality." I said as I looked up and met her deep blue eyes, which seemed to be staring at me intently. She was taller than me so I had to look up to meet her gaze. For the first time I didn't see disdain in her expression.
Our gazes locked for what seemed like a long time before I broke the awkward silence. "Please let us know if you need anything-" Before I could finish, she resumed her normal expression and stormed off out the door.
Baffled, I looked back at Dania who was watching from the far corner of the room. She simply shrugged and went about her business.
After we finished unpacking it was close to lunch time. We decided to go down the trees to the merchant huts and see what we could buy.