The Beginning As It Was

The next day, Elvira had Bard help her with removing the black from the men who had frostbitten. Bard found the process hard to watch, and the women who had come to check on their family members were weeping. For once, Bard was grateful Sen quietly stayed in her room with the kids. She could be surprisingly mature in times of crisis.

“Can I go help the kids?” a woman offered, and Bard was on alert.

“That’s sweet dear.”

“Let me,” Bard said quickly and Elvira looked a bit relieved, but it quickly vanished. “I’m sorry Elvira. It’s a bit much,” Bard played the face of a tortured soul.

“The healer path is not for everyone. I appreciate what you’ve done,” Elvira said, and Bard excused himself to play with the kids. The days passed until the last patient was sent home. It had been a delicate balance trying to sneak Sen around as well as make sure she was fed and left undiscovered. When the last was gone the night was young, the kids were let in to their own rooms with a few sounds of complaints.

“Play here tomorrow,” Bard suggested, and that was the last thing the kids needed to return to their rooms.

Bard went inside and slunk to the floor. He had no idea how hard it was to watch over more than a couple people, especially those who were vulnerable. It was amazing to see Elvira take on so many tasks like that. She was a born leader.

“How are you?” Sen asked, becoming more familiar with how humans would say things. If they were to stay here for the winter, and if she got found out, then she would need to be more fluent than she was.

“Tired,” Bard crouched as he sighed the singular word. “And you?”

“Bored, but what else is new.” Sen said as she patted the space by her. Bard sat next to her and slid off his shoes. His feet felt alive again, and he moaned as he laid down for a bit. The bed was more comfy than the floor, but still. He didn’t have much time to think as Sen rested across him.

“Sen!” he hissed, and she flinched.

“What?” She scampered off and looked hurt and confused. Bard sat up, a bit angry but retracted that quickly.

“No. Wait. Let’s go back. What did you think you were doing?” he asked as calmly as he could.

“The kids lay on top of me after my workouts, and it felt so good. So, I thought you would enjoy the pressure too,” she said innocently. Bard facepalmed as he covered his eyes. His hand trailed back down as he looked out. She sometimes had the simplest logic, but it was so troublesome. He was also disappointed how he had reacted.

“Let’s just say that between grown people, that is especially not a good thing to do.”

“Why?”

“It’s too similar to… what people do together after marriage,” Bard faltered, and Sen’s face turned bright red. Bard continued to remove the leather gear and cloak, to keep from dwelling on it. Sen however hid under the blanket. He let out a chuckle.

“I know you didn’t mean any harm by it, Sen. Your innocence when it comes to these things is… cute, if not problematic sometimes. I do wish you would be a bit more careful and not do everything that comes to your head, but then I’d probably be dead if you hadn’t.”

Sen’s head peeked out, still a bit flush, but far less embarrassed.

“You think so?” she asked sweetly, and Bard smiled as he set his things down.

“I know so. Your father was this close to running me through and that would be the end,” he said, holding up his fingers close together to emphasize the point.

“But I do stupid things like this,” she said apologetically.

“Not stupid, just not thought out,” Bard clarified as he smoothed his blankets out across the floor.

“What’s the difference?” she asked with a scowl.

Bard paused and looked at her seriously.

“You are not stupid, Sen. You just don’t know yet. But you are quite smart and can be very brilliant in the heat of the moment. It takes intelligence to do what you have done. So, no. You are not stupid.” He finished as he returned his movements to making his bed.

“Because you are in a foreign environment, and our relationship isn’t typical nor easy for humans to understand. We just need to be a bit more cautious.”

“Why?” she asked, and Bard felt a slight irk of irritation. It was good that she was asking questions. At least that’s what he reminded himself.

“Sen, you are quite the attractive girl. Even Ruegar knew it, and that is why we are where we are.”

“To avoid this… brother of his?” she asked and Bard nodded. “Wait. You think I’m-”

“Yes…” he said as if it was obvious.

“Oh. But… you don’t act like it,” she pointed out, and Bard cocked his head in query. “Well, you don’t get flustered like the others I’ve seen who got attention from pretty women.”

“It’s not that I don’t get flustered, Sen,” Bard said as he laid down. “I just choose not to re-act to it, because that is not the attention I want in my life… you’ll understand more when we meet Elder Pathfinder.”

“Anyway, Sen. We can go over some boundaries you will need to learn to respect,” he said, recalling how she climbed on him when she stopped the trees back in the silver wood.

Her silence caused him to turn over and look at her. She had her hands against her cheeks as she looked at him from the edge of her bed. She must have laid down on her stomach to achieve such a pose.

“Bard… story?” she asked and Bard smiled. She really seemed to like these now.

“Sure. How about you go first tonight,” he prompted, and she took no time to answer.

Her tale was about one of her favorite tactics she used on her grandfather and father to escape when she wanted to visit him in the silver woods. She detailed how she had it all thought out, and was able to avoid detection. However, she didn’t enjoy seeing her father waiting for her in her room afterwards.

Bard nodded along and then realized that this was one of the contributing factors to why she was reluctant to return home when she visited him.

Bard pointed it out, and she said that she used different tricks to leave home often enough that her father learned it was faster to wait for her return than hunt her down. It was likely what led to them seeing each other for so long before Bard was eventually caught. Her father had a false sense of security.

“We undoubtedly destroyed that sense of security, didn’t we,” Bard laughed and Sen chuckled.

“We most certainly did.”

The silence stretched and Bard realized she was done with her story so he laid out his.

“Did I share about my little house in Father’s woods?”

“No,” Sen grinned.

Bard smiled as he began to share about a lean-to he had built as a child. Father Tree had taken him in, and thankfully he had all spring, summer and fall to build a house for himself. He was only six at the time, so it was rudimentary at best. Father Tree doesn’t move much other than sway, however, he did have the animals come and help. There was a creature with a strange tail that brought mud and caked it onto the wooden structure. Bard talked about how he liked to get muddy since his mother never let him do that before. So he engaged in many mud fights with the creatures. He also talked about the predators that brought meat and with Father’s guidance, they did dry some.

Sen mostly was fascinated that the animals listened to the Elder Tree.

“The birds were the most obedient,” Bard said.

“The birds?”

Bard grinned as he propped himself up a bit.

“Sen, how much do you know about how this world came to be?” Bard asked. Sen thought about it.

“The trees created the dryads and the humans, and then the others came along afterwards. At least, that is what grandfather said.”

Bard sighed in amusement. It was the same answer as most places, although it was a different species that came first, depending on who you asked.

“Father Tree is the oldest tree. He originally came from the moon when it shattered. It wasn’t always as it is now. It was a lush forest at one point, so it would have been green.”

Sen’s eyes grew wide, and she slid off the bed and sat on the floor opposite him.

“But a war broke out and the trees fled. Sen… do you know why our sun has one bright spot and then twelve smaller lights that surround it?”

Sen shook her head.

“Those are the warriors who fought in that war. They light the land and keep watch for our enemies.”

Sen was fascinated at his every word.

“When Father Tree came down, there was also another Tree. I don’t know much about her, other than she exists.

Father said that the god of the catfolk created them, at the end of the war to win the war against the dark. Their priests have wings if they are chosen and are able to ascend to the sun in the sky.

Father made more trees, and those trees created the dryads. Father created the birds, so the trees could communicate.

The god of the sun created the humans as an intermediary between dryads and catfolk, much like the birds are for the trees.”

“So he is really old. Is that why he is called Father?”

“Yes. He is the oldest tree on the world. You’ll meet him after Pathfinder. Or maybe we’ll see him next. Who knows.”

“But, is it true?” Sen asked, a bit of skepticism on her face.

“I don’t know. It seems true, based on everything I’ve encountered and the way the other Elders treat me when they see his token. I’ve yet to meet an older tree than he, so I believe his story. It does sound grandiose sometimes, I’ll admit,” Bard laughed and Sen seemed to relax at his carefree nature.

“Now off to bed. We’ve a long day tomorrow. Elvira is going to teach us about her herbs she keeps around the house,” Bard commented and Sen grew excited. He shooed her to her own bed and flopped over before forcing himself to sleep. He was, after all, a bit excited himself.