The Thirteenth Elder

They rode out the next day, and headed towards the Elder that Bard had the least favorite memories, next to Steadfast. She wasn’t bad, or wanted to figuratively skin him, but she was one that was hard to stay around.

For three days they traveled, with no shades in sight. The absence began to gnaw at Bard’s nerves. First they were rare, then they became more frequent. Then they were overwhelming. And now it was like they were just a bad dream. It made no sense to not encounter them despite being days away from an Elder’s song. Even when he was with Sen in the silver woods, he occasionally saw them at the border.

The trees began to go from pine sort of trees to ones with fun shapes for their leaves, and their flowers were nearly gone with the passing of spring, blanketing the landscape.

Eventually they reached a brook with a simple, thin waterfall that came from the mountains to the south. Beside it, an old tree with dead branches on top and thick lower branches appeared. It had pink flowers littering the ground and a few still clung to its trunk, but were nearly done for the season. Most branches were covered with heart shaped leaves, fitting for what this tree was. Elder Emotion. Kai stopped and allowed Bard and Sen to climb down. They walked towards the Tree and Bard paused and bowed respectfully with Sen.

“Greetings, Elder Emotion.” Bard said.

“Hmmm. You’re back. Had your time to cry?” She asked with an old laugh. Bard groaned as he sighed.

“Yes, I’m better now. What has it been? Eighteen years now?” Bard asked, and he felt his expression relax. He was such a stubborn child back then.

“About that long. I see you’ve gone and found a Dryad. She a keeper?” Emotion asked, and Bard felt his smile knit as he became annoyed, ever so slightly. “Ah, can’t help you if love be in the air. That’s something you’ll have to talk with Father about,” Emotion said.

“But, aren’t you the elder about emotion?” Sen asked and Bard hurried to shush her.

Emotion laughed hard, shaking the last of the flowers off her branches.

“More like, I specialize in the negative emotions. Too many go through life learning the wrong lessons. This chap included. He’s very experienced with my strikes,” she said, and Bard instinctually ducked as a branch came for his head. With hands above his head, he was nearly on the ground in a moment. Sen seemed surprised, and Bard growled.

“You’ll be the death of me, old lady!” Bard said. “And after I tried to be respectful too.” He let out an ‘eep’ as he rolled to avoid another strike.

“That’s for calling me old. Your pops is much older. I’m still spry, see?” she shouted as she chased Bard. Kai also ran and hid behind the rocks, while Sen watched in confusion with a bit of horror.

“I see you still know how to be afraid!” She cackled. “Fear’s not there to stop you—it’s there to get you moving. So move.”

“You can be so infuriating,” Bard shouted as he jumped over the water.

“Ah, that’s frustration at play. Frustration is the world telling you there’s a better way. Stop fighting and start looking for it.” She chanted. Bard growled as she followed him.

“Argh. Don’t tell me it’s because I didn’t come and visit you earlier!” Bard shouted.

“Feeling a bit guilty, are we? Guilt’s just your conscience giving you a nudge. Do better next time.”

Bard dodged another strike without even looking.

“I’m sorry! Really! Now can you stop making a fool out of me? Please?” he pled. He stopped as she quit chasing. She was just as fast as ever.

“Well. Now that we’ve had some exercise, it’s best to get started on why you came here,” she said, moving back to her favorite spot. Bard groaned as he placed his hands on his knees, breathing hard and swallowing thick saliva. She was just as insufferable as he remembered. His gaze raised with a glower and Sen looked at the tree.

“Is he going to be okay?” She asked as she fell in step with the Elder.

“Ah, it’s just a bit of anger. Anger’s fine. It means you care. Just don’t let it make a fool out of you.” She laughed. Bard instantly swallowed that. He could vividly remember when he charged at her back then and how sore he had been after. This time he wouldn’t be the fool. “Coincidentally, you wouldn’t be here for a pledge?” Emotion asked and Sen nodded. Bard started to walk after them.

“Haha, child. You have a lot to learn. Guess I should pull out the old kitchen then,” Emotion said.

“Kitchen?” Sen asked, and Bard bit his lip as he stopped. Anything but her kitchen. Kai also seemed to disappear at the mention of the kitchen.

“Yes. Shall we cook some… oh, looks like he vanished. Guess we will have to work with some roast Bard.” she said as she turned around. Bard started to retreat before she could finish her sentence.

“Not this time, you witch!” he shouted.

“I’m not a witch! Though I can be if you need some more fear!” she instantly tore after Bard.

Sen watched as if she couldn’t figure out if this was real or some sort of entertainment.

“Kai you traitor!” Bard shouted as he dodged another strike.

“Oh, some disappointment? Disappointment’s a door closing. Stop banging on it and look for the open window.”

“Your teaching can be too much!” Bard yelled.

“Overwhelmed then.”

“Overwhelm’s what happens when you try to swallow the ocean. Take a sip instead. Right?” Bard quoted, and she laughed as she took a swing at him.

“See, you can remember it. So it works.”

Bard yelled in frustration this time, and she started repeating her lines following each emotion he exuded.

It wasn’t till he couldn’t run anymore that she returned with him in her upper branches, just trying to catch his breath.

“I said it was enough exercise,” she chided and Bard groaned. She set him down next to Sen, who rushed over to support him

“Why chase him around like that?” she asked, getting a bit angry. Bard quickly straightened up.

“I’m fine. Really,” he said, and Sen looked surprised. He quickly quelled his growing fear, knowing that was the best way to prevent another run.

“You catch on quick this time,” Emotion laughed, shuffling forward.

“Hmmm. Do I smell a lingering hurt?” Bard stiffened. There was no point in trying to hide it. She whacked him lightly, and he stumbled forward, grabbing his head.

“Ha. You’re hurt because you cared. That’s a good thing. But don’t let it turn into a wound that won’t heal,” she said as she passed. Bard looked at her in surprise.

“Look. Hurt is a different deal. Especially the one you’ve got. Don’t be so surprised that I would treat it different. After all, all that running helped calm you down and accept what was coming. Was it really as bad as you expected?”

Bard rubbed his temple as he sighed. He would never fully understand her or her ways. And right now, he was mostly thirsty.

“Now, off to the kitchen!” She said as her branches raised in jubilation. “Been far too long.”

Bard lagged behind as they moved to a crevice behind the boulder which had the waterfall trailing across it. He hesitated outside while Sen went in.

“Don’t make me drag you in here,” Emotion’s voice was heard above the sound of the water. Bard bit his lip as he stepped in. Cracks along the ceiling offered light, and some lichen glowed among the darker patches. It still made his skin crawl. The path opened up to a small valley and Sen gasped in awe. Bard only sighed. This was her kitchen, a place he had forgotten about, and was none too keen to remember.

They walked in and Bard noticed all the things she had him retrieve from the cities. Pots, pans, knives, and more. He idly wondered if she would let him take a knife when they left.

“Why does she have a kitchen?” Sen asked and Bard sighed again.

“She insisted on teaching me how to cook when I was little. Said it would help me in my travels. Though, back then she hadn’t kept the tools safe or clean, so they had rusted over. I had to go get a new set for her in the abandoned cities. It was a lot of work,” Bard answered.

“Say, Bard? Why do you dislike her so much? I get why you were scared of Steadfast, but Emotion doesn’t seem all that bad if you would stop insulting her,” Sen said offhandedly. Bard put his hands behind his neck as he pondered on her question.

“We’re just incompatible. And she came after me, even when I was being respectful, so I don’t think that’s the issue here,” he said softly.

They made it to the heart of the kitchen and Emotion turned around a few times.

“Everything seems to be here. Now to gather ingredients,” she said. She had them hunt some of the animals and then gather roots and vegetables. Bard showed Sen what was poisonous and what needed to be processed before they ate it. As they washed the vegetables, Emotion handed them both knifes.

“Fear’s like this knife—it can cut you if you’re careless, or it can make dinner. Your choice. Prepare, and then get cooking,” she said as she moved to a different part of the kitchen. She pulled out a white powder from some jars and then moved the jars, with her roots, to them.

“Bread? Really?” Bard grumbled. Sen looked at him and then the powder.

“Bread? With this stuff?” she asked. She pinched a bit and tasted it. “But it’s so dry and weird.”

“I like to collect some of the old roots and dry them out, grind them up and make this stuff,” Emotion said.

“Your roots?” Sen asked, horrified.

“Suns above child. There is a grass on the far side over there. See?” she pointed out. Sen breathed a sigh of relief. “Now, this is how you make bread with this stuff,” she began. Bard semi tuned it out. He knew it all too well. The bread was made for the birds that frequented the kitchen. He had tried some and liked it, until Emotion had chased him over it. As he and Sen did as instructed, Sen began to grumble at the work.

“Bard and I can’t eat this much.”

“First, it’s not for you two. It’s for my friends. Second, you’re going too slow.”

As Bard heard the word slow, his mind panicked.

“Here, let me,” he said as she told them to gather water. He worked hard on kneading and let Sen help with smaller portions. She complained about the strain on her wrists. As she worked on the dough, her hand slipped, and she knocked the jar of powder. Bard shifted to stop if from spilling, and the powder flew in their faces. He could hear Sen cough as she moved away. He gently set the jar down and wiped away some of the flour.

“You kids,” Emotion growled. “You know how long it took me to make that!”

“Anger’s fine. It means you care. Just don’t let it make a fool out of you.” Bard quoted, and she stilled before laughing.

“Sure Bard. Life’s messy. Clean it up. But don’t forget to laugh about the mess later. Or we can laugh about it now.” Bard grabbed the end of his cloak and dipped it in some of the water he had collected and moved to wipe off Sen’s face. Sen took one look at him and laughed. He was a bit surprised, but he probably did look a bit strange with the powder in his hair and on his face.

“Hold still,” he told her, as he worked to clean her up. He took care of himself afterwards.

They continued to cook until the bread was baked. Then Bard and Sen broke it up and spread it across the grounds. Birds started to come in, and Bard had Sen join him by the entrance. Emotion joined them and they watched the birds eat.

“The two of you will do well, but there will be some conflicts in your future.”

“Is that worry I hear from you?” Bard teased.

“No. It’s just reality. Just remember that conflict’s not a battle; it’s a recipe. Follow the right steps, and you’ll end up with something worth sharing.”

“What steps.”

“Well, you can fight like catfolk and shades all you want, but it won’t change a thing until you learn to listen. Ears open, mouths shut-that’s where peace starts, though it isn’t where it ends.”

“You seem to have a lot of simple insights.”

“Ah, been around a while. And Communication likes to keep in touch. Most things I learned were from her birds.”

“Communication?” Sen asked.

“Yes. She’s like an older sister to me. She’s been around a while, but she focuses on talking with others and I focus on what you say to yourself. She does pay attention to that too, but not in the same way. Oh, and Bard?” she said, and he shifted in case he needed to run. She laughed. “Just a piece of advice. Hurt’s just a sign something’s out of place. Fix it, or let it go—but don’t just sit there staring at the hole. I know you’ll figure it out.” She said before heading through the entrance. Bard blinked, surprised she hadn’t come after him. He and Sen watched her leave before he sat down in relief. Sen moved to finish cooking their dinner.