The Twelfth Elder

Bard woke to see Sen talking with Honor. As he roused and began to pack his bedding, she reached out, and a token was placed in her hands. Bard sighed. They would be leaving today. A shiver ran up his spine. They would have to face the shades once more. It wasn’t a pleasant thought.

Sen bounded over and showed off her prize. Bard rubbed her head and looked at Honor. He had thought about inviting the tree to join Sal Shefa. His song was certainly strong, but he could hear the answer. He was bound to this land, honoring those that came before and protecting those that came after. He still had much to give to this place.

Bard half smiled at the thought.

“Want me to pack up today?” Sen asked. He focused on her face and noticed her worry.

“No. It’s fine. How about we do it together,” he suggested, and she smiled one of her genuine smiles.

“I’d like that. I’d like it very much,” she said before rushing off and starting to pack. Seeing her flutter around as she packed reminded him of last night. The way she had danced with the song as she approached the drop-off to the river, and her little peck on his cheek when she had been stopped. He placed his hand there again before shaking himself. It was the first time he had received affection like that, and he wasn’t sure what to think about it. Well. He knew it was something he liked, but he was mostly surprised she had done that. Then to ask to go to bed at camp… it was so typical of her. She looked at him, and he began to help with packing, still trying to comprehend what had happened.

The packing didn’t take long, with the two of them working together. Kai had swum that morning and was not pleased to see them packing. He took extra long in his shake to remove water, and Bard was in no rush. This place was almost like home to him, despite the trees being very different. It was just a feeling he got, and so he was reluctant to continue the journey, even if it was necessary.

Once Kai came to them, they loaded him up and climbed on top. Sen yawned a bit, but didn’t want to be strapped in, saying she was just fine. They said their goodbyes to Honor and took off with a burst of speed. Bard realized what was ahead, and he could see why Kai would become eager, despite his reluctance before. The next Elder was a unique one.

Their travels would take them about three days south. Bard was aware of an Elder at the ocean where the river emptied into the sea, but he hadn’t visited them. It did bother him that he was nearby and couldn’t pay them a visit, but their schedule was already tight.

Bard watched the landscape change around them, and then Sen shifted and put her hands around his waist. He looked back at her as she leaned against him. With the wind rushing around them, he couldn’t hear her very well, and so he chose to look forward. She had gotten more touchy lately, though he couldn’t blame her. Just recalling her comfort when he was heavily struggling well, it was appreciated. She took charge and handled everything, something that was wonderful. But it was a bit different now that he was feeling better.

As the night fell, there was no sign of shades, but Bard knew they were out of Honor’s woods. Not even the rocks sang his song here. Sen tried hard to pick up the tune, so he pulled out his violin to play it and realized the string was still strung; the very one he had noticed would break. He chided himself for forgetting it and removed it while he searched his case for a spare. Grateful he had one, he restrung it and tightened it to tune. Sen became more curious in his instrument, and he let her hold it and try playing it. He internally squelched when she pulled the bow across the instrument, as it screeched and hesitated due to her unsteady hands. She apologized when she saw his reaction and he shook his head.

“You’re just not used to it. That’s all. It takes practice,” he said as she handed it back. She looked quite disappointed, and he decided to pull out the flute. The weather was more steady and the winds died down here. He pulled out his old one and the newer one, and handed the new one to her. She looked it over and sat next to him as he showed her how to blow into it. She tried, but the sound struggled until she finally changed her position. As the clear sound pealed in the air, Bard enjoyed watching her expression of delight. She tried again and failed however and looked confused.

With careful instruction, she could hold notes, but a tune was another matter.

“Why are you interested in playing an instrument?” Bard asked. Sen paused and looked at him.

“I wanted to understand you better,” Sen said softly. “You play with the trees and hear the rocks. Your voice I’ve not heard, but when you play your instruments, it's… like you’re a bit freer. It’s like you aren’t burdened by the world and what is going on around you,” she said, looking skyward. “I kind of got jealous.” Bard smiled at that, a little chuckle escaping his lips.

“Your best instrument is your voice,” he commented. Sen frowned.

“Yes, but… I realized that I didn’t understand you. At least not the way I had thought. So this is part of how I’m learning about you,” she said with a strange smile. “Humor me for a bit.”

Bard looked at her for a while before bringing the flute to his lips.

A gentle melody. That’s what he heard, one that seemed to sleep yet was ready to break awake. He blew into the flute and the notes came naturally. He kept it up while she watched with fascination. Eventually she began to hum along. With time, her voice joined seamlessly. She looked out at the woods as she sang, and it was as if they responded to her. Bard paused, and her song faltered, but then she continued. At times, she seemed to be missing the notes, but then rejoined the song. Was it really hard for her to hear it? Eventually, she stopped and smiled as she looked at him.

“How did I do?” she asked.

“Well, you missed some parts. Were you struggling to hear the song?” he asked. Sen bit her lip and nodded, embarrassed. “You weren’t too far off, which is a lot better than I can say about my voice.”

“You keep saying that, but I’ve not heard it. There’s no way you can be that bad. You just need practice,” Sen said, winking as she referred to his own words. Bard sighed and laughed.

“Fine. I’ll sing. But you’ve been warned,” he said. Sen clapped her hands together excitedly, and Kai whimpered and began to cover his ears. He listened to the forest and then closed his eyes. With as much confidence as he could muster, he began to sing along. He sounded awful in his own ears and noticed that Sen’s face took on a horrified expression. He stopped and smirked.

“I did warn you,” he said, and she rubbed her eyes.

“How. Just how can it be that bad? You weren’t doing that on purpose? Were you?” she argued and Bard laughed.

“Hardly. My voice isn’t an instrument I can play. So I envy you. Yours is very lovely. Probably the most beautiful sound I’ve heard in all my travels.” He complimented and she was speechless.

She sat down next to him and became fidgety. Bard recognized this. She had something she wanted to say, but was nervous about saying it. Cute, but also frustrating. He knew the Elder they were going to next. Elder communication. Her drills about talking and being approachable had been hammered into him. So he struggled to see why Sen was struggling with this. He leaned forward and then somewhat looked back at her. She noticed, and she smiled as he saw her worried expression.

“What’s stopped your voice?” he asked in Asternum.

“My voice? Oh. It’s nothing.” Sen said and Bard inwardly sighed. Perhaps it was a good thing they were heading to Elder Communication.

The next few days, he noticed a disturbing silence from Sen, someone he knew loved to chat and share stories at night. He figured it was more than just that he had complimented her voice, but until she spoke, he wasn’t sure what to say.

As they approached Elder Communication’s place, Bard noted the taller pine like trees with their upward curling branches. He recalled hearing how the forest had migrated here to avoid the winds from the sea. Their roots being too shallow to hold their impressive height had fueled Communication’s decision centuries ago. At least, that’s what she said. Only a local Dryad would be able to confirm her story, since some trees could be biased.

The memories brought a smile to his face. Yes, it was good to be back here. He felt himself relax a bit at the familiar smells and sights. It only minorly bothered him that he hadn’t seen a shade along the route here. Still, now that they were in these woods, he would enjoy the days ahead.

Kai maneuvered over crag and boulder as they came from the north. Finally, reached the den where communication resided and Kai climbed down to the opening.

“Come in,” a pleasant voice said at the entrance of the cavern. “I’ve been expecting you, Bardon Jaystrum. You weren’t exactly quiet about your approach.”

Bard laughed as he shook his head.

“Good old Communication,” he muttered as Kai entered. Sen grabbed his cloak and drew in closer to him as it became dark.

“It’s fine. Look,” Bard said as their eyes adjusted. The whole cavern was filled with glowing lichen, not a shred of pure darkness in this space. Sen gasped when her eyes grasped what he already knew. It was one of the few reasons this place, despite the apparent darkness, wouldn’t have shades hiding in it.

As they rounded the cavern, they reached a spot where the light began to grow. Continuing on, Bard could hear Communication’s song as it richly played. The light expanded till he and Sen squinted against it as Kai moved around the last corner. Bard could hear Sen’s surprised sounds as Kai padded in. The place had no ceiling. A few tall trees grew surrounding an extra large tree, all pointing to the sky. Several branching caves were seen inside, and a river flowed through it.

“I see you’ve brought another voice to my forest. How fitting. Tell me, do you still carry your words carefully, or have you learned to let them flow?” she asked as she shifted closer. Bard climbed down and helped Sen after him. He took her hand as he led, and she smiled and leaned against him, matching his pace. Before Elder Communication, he grabbed her token and placed it to his forehead as he bowed.

“I have not forgotten the teachings, and as you promised, they enriched my life,” Bard said as he greeted her.

“Hmmm, but your heart is still burdened,” She said, and Bard froze.

“How perceptive,” Bard said softly. Communication shifted as if dissatisfied.

“Bard, after all this time, and that’s all you have to say?”

Bard laughed as he stood up straight. Of all the things she could say, that’s what she went with. A complaint? He wiped a bit of mirth from his face. Sen looked confused at him and the tree.

“I’m sorry. It has been a long time.” He apologized.

Birds flew in from above, and Bard paused as they landed in her branches. Their chirping was quite rapid. Sen started to speak, but Bard stopped her, motioning for her to stay silent. She looked confused, and he directed her gaze to the birds, but she remained as confused as before.

As the chirping died down, Communication moved. “Thank you for waiting. There is a lot more going on in the world and my children like to inform me often,” she said. “And Bard, I am sorry for your loss. It seems you are still recovering from it, true?”

“Yes,” he sighed. So she did know about the other Elders.

“We were rushed from the place, so I didn’t get to perform their rites,” he said as he pulled the tokens out.

“And Honor felt it was better to let you heal a bit longer before bringing it up,” Communication said as a branch extended. Bard held out his hands with the tokens and she touched it.

“It is a foul thing that occurred to them. That it could influence your tokens as well, makes it all the more serious. But…” she withdrew her branch. “There is something else we most focus on. A Dryad in your company. Am I correct to assume this has to do with a pledge?” she asked, her tone rising to excitement.

“It does,” Sen spoke up.

“And you two must be hard-pressed for time with so many tokens that he has collected. I wish we could chat and catch up, but I see other things must come first,” Communication communicated.

“So are we going to be here a month or two or-,” Bard said, and Communication wrapped him in roots.

“I’ll have you know I do know how to have a quick conversation, Bard. But you were so helplessly unsocial that it took a long time. Why else do you think Father had you come here so early on?”

“How… how old was he when he was here last?” Sen asked as Bard gave up and was let down from his bindings.

“A child, really. This was over ten years ago. Fourteen, if I remember correctly.”

“Yes. I am well aware I was young. That was half my lifetime ago,” Bard said as he dusted himself off.

“And as such, there is much I am going to need to instruct the both of you on.”

“Both?” Bard looked surprised and confused.

“Oh Bard. I taught you how to communicate to others, but I didn’t teach you about communication in a marriage. It’s a bit different.”

He was about to protest and then looked at Sen. “I suppose I wouldn’t have listened back then,” he said embarrassedly.

Elder Communication led them up her hill into her inner forest sanctum, a place where the river had carved around a mini island, and was nearly central to the opening in the ceiling. She rooted herself in and hummed.

“What a lovely day,” she said as another bird came down. It chirped to her for a while, and Sen grew bored. Bard had her sit next to him on a large flat rock. He kept her quiet while Communication worked.

“Have a bit of patience,” he pointed at her nose, focusing her for a bit. She smiled as she looked into his eyes and shrugged.

“Do I have much choice?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“You do, but communication doesn’t come from rushed sources, it comes with intentional dialogue,” Bard said, and she listened with him to the sounds of the environment. The cavern walls seemed to echo a bit of the sounds of the water and the birds. Eventually the bird flew away.

“Thank you again for your patience. Now, Sen, are you willing to proceed?” Communication asked. Sen jumped up, eager, as she confirmed her decision. “Then come to the water’s edge and choose a stone.”

Sen followed her instructions and looked around until her hand reached in and pulled out a deep purple rock. Its smooth edges were visible in her hand.

“You too, Bard,” she said, and he came over and saw a white rock and picked it up.

“Very well, Bard, place your rock on the slab you sat on.” He did as she instructed. “Now come back. Sen, throw your rock and hit his as hard as you can,” she said. Bard was grateful it was her that was doing target practice. She focused on the rock and then threw hers. It missed, but a piece chipped off.

“Again,” Elder communication instructed. Sen somewhat balked but did as instructed. She kept throwing it over and over, sometimes hitting the rock, and several times hitting the slab. More chipped pieces littered the slab until she hit his stone fairly hard, and it snapped hers in two fairly sized pieces. His own stone did not come out unscathed. Sen wiped her forehead in relief.

“Again,” Elder communication said, and Sen balked.

“It’s broken. They both are!” she said.

“Throw it again, Sen,” She said. Sen grumbled but did as instructed. The rocks shattered as they landed. Bard’s rock also broke on impact. Communication’s branches reached over and shifted the stones around. Sen watched with Bard, moving beside him.

“Words, can be very damaging. If thrown around in haste and anger, they break those around us, and harm ourselves,” she said at length. Sen’s eyes widened, and she paid more attention as Communication moved the rocks and shards into the water.

“However, like this river which flows, over time, the sharpness can fade and over time be made smooth. When we speak with intention, we act like the river, influencing the rocks, the land, the forest and far beyond.” The last of the shards were swept away, and she invited them to sit on the slab again. “There will be times, in your future, that your patience will wear thin. Remember to not hurl your words carelessly, or with the intention to cause harm. It will break trust.”

Sen listened as Communication outlined many ways one could hurt another with their words, and Sen squirmed. Bard also felt a prick in his conscious a few times as she described actions that created more problems and destroyed foundations.

“There are times when you will want to withhold your words. But a relationship thrives in openness and honesty. But there are rules in listening that make it so it is not like throwing stones. Assume the other person is wanting to share light, and not burn you. In other words, assume they want the best and they mean the best. Frustrations and breaks will still occur, but withholding your words for fear of harming the other, will lead to buildup that will break through over time.”

Sen listened intently until her eyes began to close. Bard moved, and they stopped the lecture for the moment as he realized they needed to eat.

After moving about, and eating their fill, Communication settled near the edge of their camp.

“Do you want to learn more, or should we wait till tomorrow?” she asked. Bard looked to Sen. He was used to communication’s long discussions, but Sen looked even more tired when she thought on the question.

“I think we should wait till tomorrow,” Bard said. Communication respected that.

As they headed to bed, Bard noticed Sen sighing.

“Something on your mind?” he asked, and she looked at him before sighing again.

“Yes. I’m wanting story time, but I’m not sure my mind can follow it,” she said with a yawn.

“Maybe a short one then,” Bard said. Sen perked up a bit, but moved to Kai, where she climbed onto him to sleep. Bard sat against his side and looked up at the stars.

“Communication already started this one, but I didn’t have many interactions with others growing up, so I was a bit of a strange child,” Bard said.

“As if your little house and playing with the animals wasn’t evidence of that,” Sen chuckled.

“Ya. I didn’t talk much because sounds and only a few words were needed to get everything done. If not for Father, I wouldn’t have had any words. He sent me to pathfinder, then emotion. But because of my poor communication skills, I was sent here to learn how to behave and talk with others. It was several years, and I finished about the time I was fourteen. When I went back, I ended up visiting the other elders one more time and earning their tokens. It was a lot easier when we could talk back and forth.”

“I imagine,” Sen said.

“So, anything from you?”

“Hmmm. This whole thing has reminded me of time I spent with my grandfather. He used to drill me with long lectures about being a leader. He taught me some human words, but I wasn’t interested too much. It all worked out, and I’m grateful he spent the time teaching me. It’s just hard when it’s mostly just words.”

“I see. So the throwing rocks, was more to your taste?” Communication asked.

“That makes it sound like I like to attack or something,” Sen whined. Bard chuckled. She huffed before drifting.

“Sorry, Bard, but I’m really tired.”

“Get some sleep then. We’re safe here.”

Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep. He checked on her a few times before moving over to Communication.

“I see you still want to talk.”

“It’s been a long time,” Bard reiterated.

“Indeed,” she said.

They passed the time discussing about his travels. Bard was keenly aware that she knew about them, but she liked to hear it from his mouth. Get his opinion and from the source, which he appreciated.

“You and Sen will do well, though it doesn’t sound like you’ve talked much about the future. It’s important to discuss the past, particularly since you two come from different backgrounds and cultures. But if you ignore the future you will share, then it leads to hurt and loss. A happy balance is needed for these things,” she reminded.

“But what would we discuss?” Bard asked, feeling like they already had plans with Sal Shefa and others.

“You already are aware enough to divide the work when you take care of camp. But what of running a home? This would require a bit of background from Sen, as you mostly have your time with Father and then traveling with others. Staying in one place to raise a family takes a different sort of partnership, something she would have a stronger opinion of,” Communication said. Bard hummed as he listened. She outlined several discussions, but didn’t give details about it. Bard felt a bit lost on figuring out how to start those conversations. A yawn escaped his mouth and he picked himself up and headed towards Kai.

“Thanks, Communication,” he said. “Sorry, but I think I’m going to retire for the night.”

“Good night, Bardon,” she said softly as he settled in.