Submission (#1935) Approved

Quest: Resonance - Act 1
Act Type: Support
Word Count: 1,983
Adult Elnin Present: Nolatari [MYO-ELN247]
Other Elnin: Malis [MYO-ELN180]
Regional Affinity: Enmir
Claiming Regional Affinity for: Amirynth [MYO-ELN229]
[Noble] Rank Unlock Mini-Requirement: Include an adult elnin in at least two of your acts, Depict your Elnin in the company of two or more other Elnins.

     The message had come in the morning by boat. Malis' face grew grim for a moment before she rolled up the paper and stashed it away. She brightened her expression with a few deep breaths before turning to grin at the faenin she had been sharing the room with. "Well, ready t' go on a trip? Are ya feelin' up t' travel?" Without waiting for an answer, the large blue kittom started packing her bags, folding up clothes and stashing away items collected while they had spent their time in Ealei.

     "Is everything ok-k?" Rynn looked over from where she was studying. She watched for a breath or two at the larger kittom packing up before realizing she wasn't going to get much more information for the moment. With a nod to herself she closed her book and started gathering her items, carefully stowing them into her travel bag while keeping an eye on Malis. After completing her task she sat on the edge of the bed and let her feet dangle, catching her breath as she waited for the information to come.

     Malis moved back and forth a few times checking that they had not left anything important before shouldering both her pack and Rynn's. "I just got called back, but not t' go back to Faerindell but t' Enmir. Seems like somehow there be another one like you who be comin' down wit' Dusk sickness." She suppressed another frown and turned her gaze back to the room in a last, wide sweep. "Dunno why they called for me though, unless it be you they really want?" Turning once more, the gold eyes searched Rynn's face for answers, not all of them towards the healers who wrote the letter. "Ya sure your up t' it if ya wanna come along?"

     Listening to the news Rynn felt her heart quicken. She almost sank back into the memory of the attack. Did they get hurt like she did? What was she going to see when she got there? She wasn't even sure if she would be any help. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Amirynth scrunched up her nose in thought before speaking. "I d-d-don't know what I c-c-can do but I am willing to h-help out any way I c-c-can." After everything Malis had done for her, this was the least she could do and she wanted to show the other kittom that she appreciated the time spent together. She followed after Malis as they made their way through the village they had been staying in and down to the docks. A dark green sailor greeted them in a sailboat big enough for the three of them. Giving the sailor a friendly nod she settled into the travel over the vast expanse of water towards the gloomy swamps of Enmir. Amirynth had heard stories of the place but never visited herself. She wasn't sure if she was ready to go even further away from home than before but at least she was with someone familiar to her.

     The sun was on its descent when they saw the distant shore appear on the horizon. Rynn couldn't help but move forward to catch a glimpse of their destination. At first it seemed to be a darker version of Ealei, the root-bare trees growing from the murky waters but she could see the differences in the other plants and what bird-life she spotted in the branches. As they slowly made their way up the river mouth she could see vines hanging from the trees, some reaching the waters, and long draping branches of the willows hiding the view further into the woods that now surrounded them. The sun started to dip below the water level, bringing them into twilight. Almost immediately Rynn gasped as she spotted twinkling soft glows of the fireflies that brought the marshland to life. It seemed magical to her, slightly alien and different, but magical and she felt a tingle run up her spine.

     "Well here we are!" Malis had been chattering to the sailor the whole time but Rynn, being entranced by the area, hadn't even noticed. "Looks like they already have a room for us set up an' we just need t' make ourselves comfortable. They wern't expecting us until t' morning so we can get some rest first." The large kittom chuckled as she noticed Rynn's expression, "Unless ya want t' see t' area before we get some shut-eye?" She adjusted their bags over her shoulders before hopping off the boat with a grin at the sailor and a toss of coinage for a tip. "Though I wanna get these bags somewhere safe first before we go exploring."

     Rynn shook her head, eyes still wide, "No I don't mind waiting until t-t-tomorrow to see everything. G-g-getting some rest is probably a g-g-good thing." Even though she had been doing nothing more than sitting in a boat she felt exhausted and drained. Waving good bye to the sailor Rynn followed Malis to the designated rooms and all but crashed as soon as she got there. She barely noticed the larger kittom cover her up with a blanket before she drifted off to sleep.

     In the morning Malis was already up and moving about by the time Amirynth opened her eyes, blinking at the soft light shining into their room. They shared breakfast together before the blue kittom worked out the way to the local healer's home. Wooden pathways lead through the village keeping them just above the water, patches of small hills built up from deposits both natural and elnin-made giving support to woven huts and homes built from the local green wood. Even the door of the healer's home was painted green though this one was a richer, brighter green than the natural moss-green around them. With a wide grin, Malis introduced the healer to the faenin and then explained what had happened. At the healer's nod they made their way into the back room where a pale elnin sat up, already munching on some fairy floss and a few honey cakes. "Rynn, this be Nolatari, Nol, this be Amirynth. I gotta catch up with Sarynae here but maybe ya can keep each other company while I help her out wit' some things." With that she vanished leaving the pair alone.

     "So you are the one they told me about I'm guessing?" The soft-spoken elnin gestured to the small pile of honey cakes, "Be my guest, if you'd like. They gave me more than I could eat so I'm happy to share." They smiled kindly at the shy faenin and then patted the side of the bed, "I don't bite but if you'd prefer to sit further away it would be better than just hovering by the door. I hope its ok but I had a few questions to ask you." A shimmer came over their eyes for a moment as they spoke again, hair floating around in an invisible breeze. "Or maybe some thoughts to share on what might await?" At Rynn's hesitant nod their smile brightened and they sat up a little straighter. "See, my sibling and I, well we were traveling through the marshlands because we had heard about some large crystals that were unusual for the area. When we decided to go investigate something a little odd happened and my sibling fell into a crevice. The cave we found was huge and full of the largest crystals I have ever seen." The pale elnin seemed to glow as they told the story, "It had to have been under the swamp because there was a waterfall splashing down into an underground river and the roots could be seen growing through the rocky ceiling. I had realized we had left the Cindermarsh but the place was so beautiful I foolish thought we would be safe! However my sibling got hurt and when I tried to help them back out we ended up passing close to the unusual crystals which gave off an odd green aura." They sighed deeply, a look of worry passing over their face. "Everything seemed to be ok, just a few bruises and bumps when we got to the healer but while I was sleeping I had some very odd dreams and my sibling... well, they had a fever and wouldn't wake up, and then the healers spirited them away. I guess that is when they sent the message to you."

     Amirynth was silent the whole time she listened to the story. She imagined the marsh that had captivated her vision last night, imagined walking through the raised wooden paths that wound around the lakes and rivers, eventually being guided by the glowing insects to the darker swamps of the Shaedmoor and then finding the glowing crystals and eventually the large cavern. It was much different than her experience, she was partially glad of it, but she could tell the elnin was worried abut their sibling. She tried to collect her thoughts. "I'm sure they will b-b-be ok." She unconsciously raised a paw to her shoulder where she could feel the crystalline shards peek through her fur. "There are g-g-good healers that are experienced with this. I mean... I am... will b-b-be..." Rynn paused to take a deep breath and chose her words carefully, "I am g-g-getting better. I have had a lot of help. I am sure they will too."

     With a thoughtful munch of honey-cakes, Nolatari nodded. "I guess I should keep strong in my faith that the healers are masters of their arts." They brushed down the blanket and adjusted their hair so it flowed around them prettily. "It is nice to have company though, Amirynth it was? I appreciate the time you are spending with me." Nol smiled again, their eyes glowing. "I've been told I should be as right as rain in a day or so, which would be nice. While I do enjoy a cupcake or fairy floss once in a while, I do hope this sweet tooth will ebb away soon." They regarded the plate of honey-cakes with a conflicted expression. "Though its the dreams which have been the most unexpected. Do you still have odd dreams?"

     Rynn relaxed enough to take a honey-cake from the pile and then sat down on the closest chair. "Yes, sometimes, b-b-but not as bad as at the b-b-beginning." She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she should tell the details of her story before realizing it wouldn't matter that much. "At first they were c-c-confusing and mixed up, some were memories of the moment, some were memories from elsewhere. They were not as b-b-bad as the waking dreams though."

     "I haven't had any waking dreams... I guess I should be grateful for that." The pale elnin gazed towards the window, watching the early fireflies as they danced between the vines hanging from the trees silhouetted in the afternoon sky. "From what I hear I'm pretty lucky that I only have a bit of a sweet-tooth and the tiredness. Not unlike Aryn..." She fell quiet for a while, joined by Amirynth who was happy to provide a supportive silence. The low hum of the insects surrounded them, time passing like a soft blanket of acceptance.

     Amirynth let her thoughts drift as she sat with Nolatari. Even just being there seemed to help and yet she realized that being there some someone else was just as helpful to herself. She enjoyed the quiet serenity of the moment and watched over her fellow elnin as they sank into a healing rest of their own. She could understand why Malis picked this path, helping others brought a warmth to her soul. Rynn smiled slightly, taking a deep breath that was centered and calm, for the first time in a long while she felt like she was on the right path to recovery.