Submission (#3413) Approved

He comes in place of both of her parents, arm outstretched to wave the little one goodbye. She smiles at him, waving back until she disappears into a swarm of Elnin going to and fro. The city was bustling with life, and for once in her life she was excited to explore it. It reminded her of her own home, with the ebb and flow of the waves heard in the distance. Climbing atop the large tree branches that poked here and there, through every nook and cranny that could be identified, Jelany gives a gentle pet below her as if offering comfort to Yggdrasil's many roots. She frequently stops to play with the water splashing upwards, laughing to herself when a brief memory of her home life flashes before her. Tugging the journeying pack closer to her body, she tiptoes over a narrow portion in order to retain her composure and not tip over.

It wasn't known how close she had come to the Eldertree itself, until she was face-to-face with a rather large Manaberry. The fabled fruit that came from Ealei only, but one that she had never tried... Which was a crime! Her family's business was centered all around jellies and jams prepared from the nicest of fruit. Figuring that this region had a lot more than they knew what to do with, both paws raise to grapple around the berry and tug. It's stuck on there, catching her by surprise... No other fruit had given her such a run for her money, and when she exhales after struggling does the branch give and snap. Toppling over with the fruit still in her grasp, the kittom cheers and tucks it inside her pouch. For good measure, the girl plucks off another one that left so swiftly and pops it into her mouth. Immediate saliva collects at the corner of her mouth, savoring the taste of this heavenly treat. To make a jelly from this would be such an honor back home. Treading forward, the roots shift in placement and redirect her to a treetop domain that she would have skipped entirely had she not followed the tree's guidance. The pink kittom is completely infatuated with the layout of these homes placed inside the trees themselves, with bridges here and there that allowed mobility. It was something she'd think of in a fairytail... There was just something mythical about it, incredible even.

Her awestricken moment was cut short by shouts of the locals around her. It spooks her, jumping in her own skin. Just as she begins to turn her head to look behind her and acknowledge the ruckus, two older men brush past her, hurridly talking about 'dusk fever'... Whatever that was. By the tone of their voices, this was a serious issue, and rather than mind her business she simply trails after them until they reach an open den. There's a young woman resting there, whose complexion seemed rather dull. Something about her appearance just didn't sit right to the girl, and despite not knowing the other she walks forward and lingers just a bit too long. It's rude to stare, Jelany. Her mother's voice chides in her head, earning a flush of embarrassment when dual-toned irises suddenly reveal themselves and stare at the intruder. The contortion of the unknown woman's face into something that could only be described as disgust results in a gasp from the kittom. Fortunately, it's revealed shortly after that her disgust came from whatever this dusk fever was, and not that she was upset with Jelany. The adults all look between themselves, muttering lowly that not even the kittom could pick up any phrases. Finally, they turn to her with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, do you know her? Are you a relative of some sort?"

Now with the spotlight on her, the youngling clams up and barely manages to shake her head no.

"Then what are you doing here, can't you see this is serious?"

Biting her inner cheek to refrain from expressing any shock at how they spoke to her, Jelany puffs up her chest in false confidence.

"Actually, I'm here to help. What's going on, and what does she need?"

That's the bravest face she's put on in a while, let alone in a foreign region without the company of an adult she knew. Her response commended respect almost immediately from the natives of this region, given how they spoke to her now.

So now she finds herself back at the great Eldertree, climbing any lowered branches to access an array of Manaberries of different ripeness. They had explained to her, that the smaller ones were actually the ripest, and perfect for baking into pastries. Unfortunately, she possessed no other ingredients to whip them into something helpful for the woman who laid upstairs, writhing around in pain. Scrambling up the large roots once more, her attention is halted when a sweet cream vendor calls out to her. She bites, coughing up the necessary coins and speeds to the iridescent woman's place. Utilizing the sink and knife, she splits the Manaberry into several slices and tosses them into the cup of frozen sweet cream. Holding the treat out to the woman, Jelany is surprised to see how quickly she perked up and devoured the desert. It's her first time experiencing dusk fever in her entire life, and from what she could glean of the situation... It was odd. She wasn't entirely healed, but she did feel better...

Ilia. Her name is Ilia.

The woman stands from her post and beckons Jelany forth, to take a walk with her. The two exchange information about themselves, chat about how they came to this remote location and what had been happening in their lives before their encounter. The Palu'an nods, surprised that this woman was speaking so calmly about what she does for a living -- which is owning a tavern in the less-friendly underground recesses of Zevija. It's such a surprise when they wind back up at the Eldertree, both sitting and staring upwards at the large bulbous blue orbs of delight. Ilia coughs into her palm, apologizing for scaring Jelany almost immediately. This woman gave off comforting atmosphere, and Jelany was almost reluctant to let her go so easily to continue with her travels.

So to her delight when Ilia offers to guide the kittom around and accompany her, insisting that it's far too dangerous to go alone, and that once this fever was taken care of... Not only would Ilia reward her handsomely, but that she would do whatever the kittom was interested in.

Jelany smiles to herself, guiding Ilia back up to rest. She sits at the corner of the bed, looking over at the now-snoozing adult. In an unfamiliar place like this, a friend is exactly what she needed.