A Rare Find (Ti'niva)

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

3 Vhalar, 716

The peace of the forest surrounded her. It welcomed her into its depths, and she lost herself in it gratefully. She was at home here in ways that she wasn't anywhere else. And she was safe.

"Moseke, thank you for giving me this sanctuary. I don't know what I would do without it." she murmured as she looked around.

The quiet beauty of the forest filled her. There was a surreal, dream like quality about it. In the distance, she could hear water running; a stream that she was quite familiar with. She often went when she wanted to gather certain herbs, like willow bark. Today, though, she just wanted to wander freely, and see what she found. Mostly, she just wanted to be free.

Time passed in that surreal way that somehow seemed as if it were standing still, and racing forwards all at once. The forest around her was unchanging, but an eternity could be passing beyond it, leaving Tei'serin behind. She found that she didn't mind in the slightest if that were the case. After a while, she found a plant unlike any she had ever seen before. It resembled a variety of mint that grew near her farm. But no kind of mint ever had leaves like this plant did. These leaves were heart shaped, and came in every color imaginable.

As she watched in amazement, the leaves shifted color, each color slowly fading into the next. Without knowing how she knew, Tei'serin knew that each different colored leaf could be used for a different purpose. Some would heal, while others would kill. The trick lay in figuring out what colored leaf would do what.

A sweet scent rose from the plant. The scent was somehow light, yet powerful at the same time. And although she couldn't quite place it, it smelled...comforting. Like a mother's embrace might smell if it had a scent.

Tei'serin wanted this herb. No...she needed it. She could quite happily spend the rest of her life studying the plant, and still never discover all of its uses. But she would have great fun doing it. So she knelt down beside the plant, and carefully began digging it up so that she could transplant it into her own garden. Her attention was so engrossed on her task that everything else seemed to fade away.

[Ti'niva]

Ti sat leaning against the tree as he awoke from sleeping, he looked around the forest and smiled. Ti could hear a stream in the distance as he pushed himself to his feet and began to wander. Exploring the forest was one of his favorite past times and even if this forest wasn't familiar to him, he still felt close to the nature around him. He straightened his tunic as he wandered through the trees examining some as he went, running his fingers over the bark and stroking the leaves. "Dẹọdọ av bu-eaz sarkin." Ti said as he admired the fresh air and the amazing forest.

Ti walked through the forest watching the activity around him, small animals made their way through the underbrush squeaking and causing the plants to shake. He smiled admiring how the forest worked itself, how each and every living thing seemed to have its purpose. He always loved how the forest seemed to keep itself alive and working in all kinds of different ways. He continued to walk through the forest, he could no longer hear the river and he hadn't the vaguest of ideas where he was now.

He rounded a tree and stopped dead in his tracks amazed, in front of him was a girl. She was kneeling down and digging at a plant, he watched silently from where he stood. He admired her hair as it flowed past her shoulders like like a waterfall. It shimmered and the light gave it a lighter appearance in places. Ti was not normally one to stare but he had not seen a girl for a long while, he felt savage as he watched her and feeling uncomfortable with himself he stepped forward.

"Onitẹsiwaju." Ti said not too loudly trying not to spook her too badly as he alerted her to his presence. He waited for her response as he continued to examine her.

She seemed on the slimmer side, most of the women he had seen in the past had been well fed and healthy. She, however, seemed rather thin, so much so that at first he thought she was a boy but from closer inspection it became clear she was in fact a woman. He didn't really have any idea how old she was though, to him she could have been anything between 12 and 20 arcs, due to her small petite build. Ti felt tall from where he was stood in comparison to her and that he was really only top end of the average, standing at 5'8".

The girl looked like she could be Sev'ryn, however, he did not like to make assumptions so he also added the common greeting, "Hello." He remained where he was not wanting to make an approach out of fear of spooking or causing the other being any discomfort.

► Show Spoiler

"Dẹọdọ av bu-eaz sarkin."- What a beautiful day.
"Onitẹsiwaju."- Hello.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tei'serin was so engrossed in what she was doing that she did not notice the approach of another until he spoke. That bothered her greatly. Knowing when her guardian was near, and anticipating what he wanted of her sometimes meant the difference between facing his full wrath, and lessening the punishment she would be given, or even negating it entirely. Over the arcs, she had gotten quite good at doing just that. If she was slipping now, she would pay for it later.

Tei'serin looked up to see who had spoken. He was dark skinned, and looked as though he might be around her age. His clothes, and appearance suggested that he might be a Sev'ryn, and when she saw a tree tattooed on his neck, over his jugular vein, that confirmed it for her. He had only spoken a single word. Onitẹsiwaju. Tei'serin knew little of her mother's native language, but she recognized this word as a Xanthean one. More over, it was a word she had heard before. Tei'serin frowned as she tried to remember what it meant. She was pretty sure that it was a greeting...but that left several to choose from. Since it was day time, it was unlikely that it meant "good night." But that left "good morning," "good day," and "hello" as possible choices. She was pretty sure that "good morning" was ibiti sarkin, with ibiti meaning good. So that left hello for a likely meaning. Tei'serin was about to respond when the man spoke again, this time in Common. He still only spoke a single word, but it confirmed her guess that onitẹsiwaju meant hello. Tei'serin repeated the word to herself several times as she tried to commit it to her memory.

"Hello." she replied shyly, in Common.

"Do you live in Treth? I don't normally see many people out here."

Her posture shifted into a stance that was both curious, and cautious at the same time. This stranger had done nothing so far to suggest that he was a threat, but painful experience had taught her just how unpredictable people could be. Especially men.

[Ti'niva]

"In truth, I have no idea where I am." Ti said with a smile as he remembered he had never been in this forest before. "I come from Desnind, I am Ti'niva or TI. Are you Sev'ryn?" He asked still wanting to make sure she was he did not like making assumptions.

Ti liked to learn about the people around him when he met them as he had very little connection with many people, he was kind of a recluse. Yet when he met knew people he could be extremely friendly. He closer examined her now. She seemed nervous in many ways and almost as if she were afraid he might attack. He kept smiling and bowed his head slightly to show his good will.

As he looked her over he noticed her large brown eyes. They were much nicer than his own and they reminded him some what of a deer. He took a step forward now trusting she had recognised his good will and would not run. "What is that?" he asked as he gestured towards the flower she had been digging at moments before.

He admired the plant it was like none he had seen before and he was clueless to what it could be for. He had very little knowledge of plants to say he lived in the wilderness. He then realised that he should probably start learning about the plants around him at home before he poisoned himself accidentally. He knew that was the kind of thing that he might find himself doing.

The girl stood in front of him was very short and her skin was flawless she appeared only a child, yet her eyes told Ti a different story. They seemed like they had seen even more than Ti and his eyes told stories of their own too, so to him he was amazed to see someone who's eyes rivaled his. Even though he still looked young in his features he was aged well beyond his young body from his lifestyle and experiences. He wondered what she had experienced that made her eyes tell a story which seemed quite sad to Ti.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

"Descind? That's where my mother was from. And yes, I'm a Sev'ryn. My name is Tei'serin. If you're from Descind, you must be one, too?"

It was, of course, possible for someone who wasn't a Sev'ryn to be born in Descind. Just as she, a Sev'ryn had never been to the city her mother had been born in. But it seemed like a reasonable question to ask.

"If you're from Descind, then you're a long way from home. This forest is near my home, and I live about an hour away from a small farming town called Treth. The closest city is Ne'haer, and that's a two day ride from Treth."

Normally, Tei'serin would never tell a stranger so much about herself, but this was clearly a dream, after all. The herb she had found was evidence of that. She wasn't even sure that such a plant existed in real life. When Ti'niva asked her about the herb, Tei'serin turned her attention back to it for a trill. As she watched, the color of the leaves shifted from a pale blue to a bright, vibrant gold.

"I don't know what it is. I've never seen anything like it before." she admitted as she looked back up at the man.

"But I'm pretty sure that it's an herb. It looks a lot like mint does. And I think that each different color the leaves turn into can be used for something different. I don't know why I think that, though. I think...I think it may be a gift from Moseke." she added quietly.

She hoped that Ti'niva wouldn't get mad that she said that. It could be awfully arrogant of her to suggest that Moseke thought she was worth being given a gift. But to her...Moseke was a friend. Someone she talked to all the time, if only in the safety of her own mind. This forest belonged to Moseke, as did all others. And while she was in it, sometimes, it felt as though the Immortal was guiding her.

"What is it like in Descind? I've never been there." she asked after a while, hoping to deflect any anger Ti'niva might be feeling about her earlier words.

[Ti'niva]

Ti listened as the girl told him how far from home he was, he was quite surprised, yet it was to be expected he was often placed into strange places during his dreams. He then followed her gaze over to the strange colour changing plant and observed it. He was curious as he made his way over and knelt before it. As he examined it a smile came across his face as she spoke of Moseke, he loved the earth mother and was glad to hear someone else believed in her care for everyone. "It is possible, she can gift us things if we wish it, she truly cares for her people." Ti said as he turned and stood again to face the young woman.

"Desnind is beautiful. It is a place you must see to truly appreciate, my words can do it no justice." Ti said imagining his home city. Although it was true he hadn't lived there since he was a child, he still visited though. "I live alone in the forest actually. In the wilderness of the Makubwa Lori, but I lived in Desnind aswell and do still visit." Ti said smiling he didn't tell people about him often so it felt good to speak to someone new. "You should visit the place sometime."

Ti walked back away from the plant to his original position and leaned against the tree. "So, Tei'serin, have you meat many other Sev'ryn, I know not many leave Desnind but I know some do maybe you met some?" Ti asked curious about the world outside of the Makubwa Lori. He smiled as he waited for her to answer. He took the time now to examine the area, it seemed mostly like any forest, the only significant part was the strange colour changing plant. He had never seen anything like it, it was truly incredible. A plant that can change colour how interesting, he thought to himself as he returned his attention to the girl.

"The plant sure is strange what do you plan to do with it?" Ti asked as he ran his fingers over the bark feeling the grooves and tracing them down the trunk. He followed them with his fingers like veins, it reminded him of his tattoo the idea of the connection to nature and life. He truly did love the forest, it was the one place he felt truly himself, like he could do anything.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

"It must be nice...to live alone in the forest, I mean."

There was a hint of wistfulness in Tei'serin's voice as she spoke. Her eyes darkened briefly as she thought of her guardian. She owed him so much. And she didn't begrudge the obedience that he demanded of her...she really didn't. She knew of no other way to live, and she did owe him her very existence, after all; had he not taken her in when her parents died, she would have followed them into death soon after she lost them. And yet...to live surrounded by the peace of the forest all the time. Not owing anyone anything. Not being a burden on anyone, or having to endure the punishments of a man who was truly terrifying when he was angry. It was ungrateful of her to want such things, she supposed...and yet it sounded like paradise to her. In order to distract herself from her dark thoughts, Tei'serin focused on something Ti'niva had mentioned.

"The Makubwa Lori...I think my mother told me about that when I was very young. It's an ancient forest, isn't it? Moseke's forest?"

The conversation shifted as Ti'niva asked if she had met other Sev'ryn before. She shook her head.

"No...only my mother, and a few of the students I teach. I know a few people who are half Sev'ryn too, though." she added, thinking of her guardian, and his son.

Ti'niva asked her about the herb she'd found, and Tei'serin glanced at it. Its leaves had changed color again, this time into a deep blue that was almost black, but had had flecks of gold that looked similar to stars in a night sky.

"I want to..."

Tei'serin hesitated. She wanted to transplant the herb into her own garden so she could study it. Use it to help people. And yet...that felt wrong somehow. The plant belonged here, in its home. If she transplanted it into her own garden, she would be laying claim to it, wouldn't she? That felt wrong on a number of levels. Besides, who was to say that it would flourish anywhere other than right here where it belonged?

"I wanted to take it back home so I could learn about it. But I can learn more about it here where it belongs than I ever could if I transplanted it into my garden on the farm, couldn't I?" she mused softly.

Teiserin glanced at the plant once more. She had dug fairly deep into the ground near the plant, but she had yet to reach the end of its roots. The roots themselves had not been disturbed by her efforts. Thankful that she had not yet done anything that might damage the plant, she began filling the hole she had dug.

She had just finished her task when a menacing growl filled the air. Startled, Tei'serin looked to see what had made the threatening sound. A pair of blood red eyes glowed like hot embers from the darkness deeper within the forest. That darkness had not been there mere trills before, and it seemed as if the owner of those eyes had summoned it somehow. The darkness felt cold, and deadly. Tei'serin couldn't help but shiver as she peered within its depths.

As she watched, a gigantic wolf emerged from the darkness. It was larger than any wolf she had ever seen, easily the size of a large bear. Its fur was as pitch black as the darkness it had emerged from, and fangs protruded from its upper jaw. Blood dripped from those fangs, as did a sickly green substance that wilted anything it touched as it dripped slowly off of the creature's fangs. It growled again, and Tei'serin couldn't help but take a step back in horror. This was no ordinary creature. Intelligence burned deep with its eyes. Worse, the sounds it was making were filled with rage, and an all consuming hatred that suggested that this creature would destroy all in its path...and revel in the pain it caused while doing so.

[Ti'niva]

Ti turned to see the giant black wolf, its red eyes staring at the girl across from him. Ti had very little idea what it was doing here, or how it had gotten so big. It was almost big enough to be mistaken for a bear, a small bear in comparison to the bears in his home forest, yet still a bear. The sounds the creature made sounded insane to Ti's trained ear, he had heard many creatures and during meditation he had almost learnt to understand their strange language. However, this creature spoke a language of rage, a language Ti was not well acquainted with. He stood and watched the creature wary as it began to step forward. Ti reached for his bow and an arrow suddenly realising he didn't have one. He panicked and before he knew what he was doing he had jumped out in front of the huge terrifying wolf.

Ti stood face to face with the monster his eyes locked with it's, his arms out at his side making himself big and blocking the girl behind him. Ti had never tried wrestling a bear sized wolf before. Yet he decided if it was going to happen today was as good a day as ever to try it. He stood with his legs apart preparing himself to fight wishing he had some form of weapon with him. He was not about to be ripped apart or watch this girl he just met be either. He stared into the creatures eyes, they sent chills down his spine like they had one aim, one sinister aim.

Ti waited for what he deemed the inevitable onslaught of the creature placing a foot back and his hands out ready to catch anything coming towards him. His yes watching the wolf closely studying and trying not to get caught of guard. He had no idea where the girl was now her being behind him she could have run away and he would be none the wiser but he did not want to risk turning around to check. So he stood with his back to Tei'serin and hoped he was doing some good stranding there.

[Tei'serin Nji'ryn]

Tei'serin was convinced that the wolf was going to kill her. She had no weapons, no skill to help her fight such a creature. Nor did she have the will to try. Without knowing how she knew, she realized that this monster was her guardian. He had taken this form somehow in order to punish her for some fault, some perceived crime. She didn't know what she might have done wrong, but He believed that she deserved to be punished, so she must deserve it.

She closed her eyes, and braced herself for the pain...but it never came. Startled, she opened her eyes, and saw that Ti'niva had jumped in front of her. He was trying to protect her. Why? He didn't know her; not really. They had just met. He didn't owe her anything. Why would he risk himself...for her? She didn't deserve it.

The evil wolf creature snarled viciously at Ti'niva, but its eyes were fixed on the girl behind him. She was clearly it's main target...but from it's warning growls, and the menacing way it stalked towards Ti'niva, it had no problem going through him to get Tei'serin if it had to. When it got close enough, it raised its paw, and took a swipe at the man. The paw ended in long, vicious talons that extended its reach, and might prove an unpleasant surprise if Ti'niva didn't notice them.

"Watch out!" Tei'serin called out in alarm.

She looked around, desperately searching for a way to help. She found a good sized rock that might work as a weapon, but when she tried to lift it, it grew until it reached the size of a large horse. It was far too heavy for her to even attempt to lift it now. But a bow, and a quiver filled with arrows appeared on top of the rock. Tei'serin scrambled up to the top to grab both bow, and quiver. She had no idea how to use them herself, but it was possible that Ti'niva might. So she ran over to him. The wolf creature snarled at her, but she managed to just barely dodge its paw as it took a swipe at her, too.

"Will this help?" she asked hopefully, offering Ti'niva the bow, and arrows.

[Ti'niva]

Ti only just managed to dodge the creature's first swipe jumping back the talons barely missing his stomach. As he stood at odds with the creature he heard some strange events occurring behind him. The girl was seemingly searching for something and she eventually seemed to run up behind him. Ti heard her stop and watched as the creature moved to the side of him slightly swiping at something. Ti turned to see the girl narrowly avoid the talons on the beast.

She ended up next to him handing him a long bow and a small quiver of arrows. Ti took them thankfully and slid in front of her knocking the arrow into place and drawing the string back to full pull. Ti stood his legs spread in a wide strong stance as he lined up his shot with the creatures head. As he traced the movements keeping inline Ti released the arrow, it flew out towards the beast as it dodged the arrow ducking to the left. Ti watched the arrow fly past the beast as he drew another arrow and lined it up.

Ti loosed another arrow, it flew spinning through the air until it stuck into the creatures front shoulder. It staggered as it ran towards the two of them bounding and growling. Ti pushed his arm to the girl attempting to push her clear of the beast as he dived out of the way rolling and quickly lining up another shot. The arrow flew from the bow and stuck into the rear of the creature burying itself in the upper thigh.

Ti quickly knocked another arrow and aimed it at the creatures head as it turned back around to face them. The arrow flew from the bow towards the creature the air whistling as it split through the air. It hurtled towards the creatures head as Ti exhaled watching the arrow fly towards its target. Ti found himself holding his breathe as the arrow seemed to move in slow motion towards the beast. He watched and waited a small prayer for the arrow to hit left his lips as he couldn't wish for anything else but this arrow to land.