Dark Crow Rising

"Where have you two been?" Vadei calls out to us from the comfort of a tree branch. Vapooliar drops me as I asked her to do and I fall to the ground, the wind rushing past me. I fail to keep myself upright and slam into the ground without a care. Blinking at the absurdity of what I just asked my dropper to do, I glance up and over at the tailed woman.

"That general direction." I answer as I try to find the right way as I get up out of the me-shaped dent in the ground. I could maybe say something along the lines of 'Oh, you know, we were up in the mountains.' But what good is a response like that? There're mountains everywhere in this damn country.

Vapooliar lands quite gracefully in contrast and she steps up towards Vadei, "Please, I need you to pay attention. There's something important I need to tell you."

"I don't care if you two are getting married." Vadei sarcastically groans as she goes back to resting on the branch. Unlike me, however, Vapooliar does not respond to the sarcasm well and she looks towards me with aimless sight. I smile at her, as I find it rather adorable in a way. But, my hand also finds its way onto her shoulder as it looks like her glare could tear a new hole into Vadei.

"Vadei, she is right, this is very important. Just listen, ok? We've decided that we are leaving the flower for some place called..." I start to say before my eyes beg Vapooliar for help.

"Thrurstradtur." Vapooliar says.

"Thank you. But, yeah, we're going to leave soon and go there." I finish as Vadei's head comes up, her ears rising higher. She quietly gets down from the tree and a stern gaze meets my eyes directly. Her ears twitch slightly and I think I even spot her tail waggle, just a little.

"And you want to know if I will come with?" she asks, huffing a brief smile as she does.

I nod in response as that is all I need but her expression starts to sour.

"I don't think I have much of a choice..." she remarks as she glares viciously towards the bulk of the aelenvari flower. I sigh at her words as they make it seem more like an ultimatum than a request. With what will happen if she stays, though, hm.

"But you will come?" Vapooliar asks as she steps closer and Vadei starts to nod.

"Yes... I will come..." Vadei answers as she clenches her fists as her glare focuses on me, "But you and me will be having a word in private. Alone."

Vapooliar starts to frown as gods know what bounces around her head. I raise my left hand at her in an effort to calm her and move it near. Directing them towards the cliff, she focuses on it. I try to find the soldiers myself initially, but she'll probably find them anyway.

"Go find those other three, see if they want to come. This will probably matter a lot to them. I'll see you at the tent with the purple-haired root, ok?" I quietly tell her as I smile and wave them off.

Those three will listen to her, their hope in the hive depended on her appearance after all. Might as well ask that purple-haired root as well if she wants to come along. She's not safe here in this place, but, neither are any of the roots. I should at least take responsibility seeing as I did what I did when I found her...

I huff in bemusement as I look at Vadei and think of Vapooliar again. I know these two, somewhat, I know their troubles and their worries just enough. This root, however, I know nothing about, I've not spoken to her since taking her to Vapooliar. Yet, here I am, concerned about the safety of that one little root.

I guess I can thank Vadei a little for her prior words, barby little thing she is.

"So, come on, tell me. Why the sudden wish to leave? Vapooliar promised since before you even got here that we'll leave." she says as I back up towards a tree as her face gets up in mine.

"To go to... That city, we just told you." I say as I lean on the bark.

"Why, not where, deaf-eared Ho." she growls as I move my bug arm up to keep her away.

"I... I want to go home and Vapooliar believes that, that city is my best bet." I explain as those silver eyes start to soften, only to fortify to her strongest glare yet.

"So the real reason you came to tell me this is so you can drag me back to the fields of your home city!?" she accuses as one of her nails comes dangerously close to my eye. I frown at her paranoia and my head starts to shake.

"N-No... I am not trying to put you to work back in those fields, Vadei. I want to go home. We asked you to come along so that we can take you to your home on the way! You know, that one I can't possibly know about in the southwest of this continent somewhere!" I tell her as her eyes remind me of the bad thing with hard objects. They're always so brittle and crack easily once that first dink is made.

"What point is there in going home when my family is all stuck in that damn..." she tearfully whimpers as her ears and eyes fall down to the ground. I sigh and shake my head as I pull them in and I keep my turned, right arm away from her. My left fingers go through her soft, reddish-orange hair and I hope they at least do something to calm her. I start going through all the ideas I can think of as she continues to act as if I am not here.

She trembles in my grip as the subtle smell of shampoo and perfume end up in my nose.

"Then... Uh... How about this? We work on finding a way to get your family, your whole village out of there. We'll use this power I have, Vapooliar will use her amazing strength and we'll get them all out of there. We get them out of there and we'll never have to see each other again once you are back home." I offer as her eyes come up to meet mine. She starts to brighten up slightly as she sets my words forever into the stone of her mind. No weather shall erode this promise, no trauma shall obscure it. She'll never let me forget it.

Though, with how strong I am now, with Vapooliar being her, I am worried as to how this will turn out. Violence and bloodshed will be a popular demand by Vadei and all of those she is related to. I'd rather not use my newfound strength to tear down the Outer Walls so that the fields and pastures can be emptied. Hopefully, we can keep it to just stealing some vehicles for them to take, as many haulers as they need.

"I have your word on this? You promise? I want to hear it! Do you promise!?" she pleads as red-veined eyes widen directly before me. Our breath mixes in the short gap between us and I start to nod.

"I promise. Vadei, I promise you that I will help. I will help you get you and your family home, do you hear me?" I promise her even as the doubt and worry fills my head. How badly will this affect my home when we go through with it? I don't want to cripple my home just to...

"I guess time will tell if you can stick to your word, Ho." Vadei tells me with her usual attitude as she starts to move away. Her tail softly brushes against me as she turns away and I stand there quietly, watching her leave. For some reason, though, I don't feel comfortable letting her have the final word.

"We'll find you when the time comes." I tell her and she keeps walking away without the slightest registration. Not even her ears move slightly.

I sigh and turn away for the cliff and head towards it so I can check in on the root. When she is ready as well, I can discuss some of the finer details with Vapooliar so we can get ready. I was hoping she'd be here already, but, it seems like I am the first to arrive. The root turns to me as I enter the tent and our eyes meet as I ponder if she can talk now.

I pull up a makeshift chair and drop onto it as I frown at the fact she's hidden her face again, "I suppose this is our first time speaking to each other, isn't it?"

I laugh quietly at my question but when she shakes her head, I become confused. My hands drop down to my legs and I try and think of anything that might explain it. But, nothing comes to mind, I can't remember doing anything with her before. Her eyes are quite focused on my wrapped-up, right arm, though.

"I'm sorry, I'm not following. Are you on about when I brought you here?" I ask and she shakes her head once again. Pain-filled croaks leave her as she tries to say something and I stop her.

Covering my mouth as I think about it some more, I look over at the entrance of the tent. Her throat and head things are completely wrecked, she can't say a thing to me. I hold one of her hands as it squeezes the dull-coloured bedsheet. Her hands are still fine for the most part.

I can't read her tongue, so she can draw!

I shoot to my feet and briefly look around to no avail as there is nothing useful here. Popping my head out into the open, I try to spot something through the ongoing traffic of soldiers and equipment. Some of them look at me as they pass by but they largely keep to their duties. I grab one that comes just close enough and her bulbs flash excitedly at me.

"Excuse me, would you mind finding me some paper or a chalkboard to draw on please? With something to draw with, as well." I ask her, silently hoping she can understand me as her bulbs continue to glow. She nods and I smile, waving her off as she departs with haste to find what I want. I huff bemusedly at how strange it feels.

Being this easy to get someone to just do something for you, nothing like Tobaballe in the slightest.

"Thank you." I tell the aelenvari soldier as she comes back with some chalk and a board. She smiles at me with rosy cheeks and I disappear back into the tent. Going back to my seat, I pass the items to the purple-haired root and she looks at them. I prop them up for her slightly, seeing her discomfort and she tries to find a comfortable grip for the chalk.

She quickly starts to draw something familiar... That seed thing I was given back in the hive. She looks at the picture longingly and she even draws a love heart around it. Does she want me to get her pregnant or something?

"Can you tell me your name? I'm Nin, if you didn't already know." I tell her as she starts to draw a flower with an open top. It's somewhat like the shape of her hair, in a way.

My mind revs vocally in thought as a hand strokes my chin. I know this shape, I know I have seen it before. I look at the root and take off this leather headpiece despite her croaky protests and toss it away. Staring at her purple hair and its shape, going back and forth between the picture and her.

The flower she drew is long stemmed and bushy at the top, almost fluffy in a way only a flower can be. A flower keeps coming to mind, but it's not purple, it's yellow. I roll my jaw about as I move my eyes closer to the purple-haired root. Carefully, I test and see if there's anything special about the way it feels.

I spot a slight bit of yellow on her head... The flower I keep thinking of, it's a dandelion.

"Your name is Dandelion'lhia?" I ask as she smiles in nearly tearful relief.