2nd of Elient
Chapter 1: Early Morning
As Atalaya shook off the last vestiges of her trance the events of the last evening came flooding into her consciousness. She took a deep breath to settle herself and then turned to the edge of the bed. As she moved an arm tightened around her waist keeping her from moving. She gasped in surprise and then realized that it was Vaz, returned to human form holding her. Turning towards him, she saw that he was resting peacefully, his face calm and stress free. She stifled the need to pull him close. Then she realized that he was completely undressed. She slowly extricated herself from his grasp, thankful that she has had enough practice at this to be able to do so without waking him. She carefully pulled the blankets up, making sure that he was completely covered.
Rummaging through her pack as quietly as possible she pulled out a clean tunic and pants and quickly dressed. She added her belt and longsword, but left off her armor for the moment. Gathering up her boots she headed to the kitchen to put them on. Then she swiftly made her way to the trap door that led into the House of Rest. Moving quietly she made her way outside and looked around for a place where she could meditate.
Atalaya quickly realized that there is almost no green space in the Court of Airs. She looked longingly towards the gates to the main entrance, but not being sure about whether or not she could get back into the Candlekeep if she went out, she looked around the courtyard again. She remembered that there were some areas of lawn around the Pillars of Pedagogy but they were small and she would have to go through the entrance building to get there. She walked towards The Hearth and saw a patch of green appearing by the side of the building. That’s right. There is a bit of lawn between The Hearth and the Book Binders.
Atalaya quickened her step as she headed towards the open space along the walls of Candlekeep. It is sheltered here, with The Hearth throwing shade over the area, but she can smell the sea and hear the sounds of the surf crashing against the cliffs beyond the wall. Atalaya is startled to realize that the surf sounds are comforting to her, much like the wind through the leaves of her beloved Hidden Forest. Spreading out her cloak, she sat, her back to the wall and her sheathed sword placed in front of her. The surf fills her ears with the sounds of crashing waves. Several gulls circled above the courtyard, looking for handouts, their calls blending into the sound of the surf. As she cleared her mind she reached into her belt pouch and pulled out her meditation token.
Chapter 2: Atalaya Prepares to Meditate
Atalaya consciously searches for any points of tightness or stress in her muscles and releases them. Fingering the unicorn face on her token she lets herself search for her centerpoint deep beneath her. As she triggers each point of centering she moves deeper into a meditative state. Secure in the strength of her ash tree, Atalaya lets her spirit free to follow the call only it hears.
Time loses meaning as Atalaya finds herself transported along the coast heading ever closer to Riverport. Then in another flash of unending time she soars over the town and heads inland. She sees the towns of Underwillow and then Parabor. Her passage continues and she soars reaching the beauty and safety of the Hidden Forest. And then she lands, her feet lightly resting on the path before as she lopes ever onward. In the timelessness of this moment her pace slows and each place she passes fills her consciousness, full and priceless. A glade with a waterfall tumbling into a pool of still water forms around her. Atalaya recognizes it as the place she drew for Nevil when she first met her. She makes her way through the glade and settles under the willow, the branches flowing like another waterfall over her head and shoulders as she makes her way within their cover. She sits with her back against the tree trunk, receiving more strength and peace with that contact.
Chapter 3: The Mother’s Glade
As she leans against the tree she senses the life forces of the glade. In a burrow deep within the ground several baby bunnies slumber. Their mother searches around a pile of stones gathering seeds from the plants that push their roots deeply into the rocky soil. A fawn slumbers in a hidden spot her mother placed her in as she went off to graze during the night. The calls of tanagers are heard in the trees surrounding the glade. A fox hunts around the edges, searching for food for her young. Overhead the cry of a goshawk pierces the quiet.
Suddenly the hawk dives, twisting its way through the branches of the tree and lands in front of Atalaya. As she watches it transforms into her Aunt. Kalusa stands before her and stretches out her hand to rest it on Atalaya’s shoulder. A young she wolf makes her way into the glade and through the willows branches. Sitting on her haunches it makes a happy little woof and then transforms into Talina. Atalaya feels her aunt’s hand grasp her own as she lowers herself to sit beside her. Kalusa nods at Talina.
Talina concentrates and then her form shifts into that of a doe. She steps up to Atalaya and gently lips her shoulder before stepping back and turning her attention back to her mother. At Kalusa’s nod, her form shimmers back to that of a young elf and then transforms into a mastiff. The dog leaps in joy and races around the clearing. Then crawls on its stomach until she is in front of Atalaya again. After a quick lick to Atalaya’s hand she turns again to face Kalusa.
Kalusa nods again and the form of the mastiff shifts into that of her cousin before continuing to change. As this change is completed a large crocodile is standing in front of Kalusa and Atalaya. It hisses at the two of them, coughs and then shifts back into Talina.
Talina smiles at Atalaya and then sits beside her. Kalusa stands and moves a few steps back from the two of them. Maintaining eye contact with Atalaya she swiftly shifted into a golden eagle, launched herself into the sky and circled the glade. Atalaya listened to whistling calls the eagle made as it circled the glade, joy evident in each call. The golden eagle glided back to the willow tree, landing outside the circle of willow branches. Kalusa again appeared before her as she switched forms into that of a meadowlark. Its sweet voice cheeped as it made its way through the flowing branches and landed on Atalaya’s shoulder. She completed her song, lightly rubbed her head against Atalaya’s cheek and glided down to the ground. Transforming again into Kalusa and then into a Raven, she again pushed her way through the weeping willows branches to launch herself into the sky. The raven’s loud loud woo-woo and assorted toots could be heard as it flew in a dizzying spiral above the glade.
Kalusa landed again and changed back to her true form and entered through the branches to sit with Atalaya and her daughter. After three sat quietly for an endless time Kalusa stood and took Talina’s hand and walked out of the reach of the branches and faded away as they strode through the glade.
Chapter 4: Returning to Candlekeep
Atalaya, her breathing deep and slow, continued to sit under the tree, feeling the peace of the Forest Mother as she contemplated what she had just experienced. And then she felt the pull of her body returning her to the bit of grass between the buildings of Candlekeep.
Moving deliberately, she picked up her longsword and stood, saluted the Forest Mother and began the first of the longsword katas. Still grounded deeply in the roots of her ash tree she moved through the forms flowing from one to the next effortlessly. Her movements were dancelike and controlled; her breath came easily. She danced through the forms from first to last and back to the beginning and then transferred dominance to her off hand as she repeated the sequences. Finally she came to the end, saluted the Mother again and dropped to the ground, offering her sword.
Slowly she returned to the present. The seabreeze whirling in the corner she had appropriated for herself cooled her skin. Finally seeing the world again through her eyes she made her way over to the forgotten cloak, still spread out on the grass and sat. A hushed prayer sprang from her. “Oh Mielikki, Forest Mother, what just happened?”
Atalaya sat trying to process the past hour. Finally standing and sheathing the longsword, she strapped it back on her belt and rose ready to find Vaz and the others, suddenly really hungry. As she started back towards the House of Rest, she saw her family walking towards The Hearth. Light of heart she hurried to join them.
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