Submission (#3871) Approved

Saoirse feels the call and takes a journey from Gil'dirna, the city she is currently staying in with her family, and travels all the way to Il'durahn where the Elder Tree grows and protects the city. There she feels an unusual connection to the world around her and has an interesting experiance.

Word count: 968
Elnin resonance is for: Saoirse
Mini requirement: Standalone advanced act 🔷

     Slightly out of breath, Saoirse stepped up to a small lush grove within the large city of Il'durahn. She had ran the last few leagues, feeling the call ever stronger. The pull of the dreaming giving her cause to travel for the last few days. After living in the dark, comfortable shadows of Silveil for so long, the bright golden glows of Bellmoril had been hard to get used to at first. Now she reveled in the warm colours and bright gilded foliage of the forests and fields that surrounded her. A dream had called her to the heart of the region, right up to the Elder tree itself, which is why she had asked her mother to travel to the mage city of Il'durahn. She needed to heed the call and find out why her dreams were sending her here.

     It had been two months since the family had come to Bellmoril. They had stayed at one of the larger towns on the outskirts of Il'durahn where there was a thriving market. Most of the smaller villages they had passed on the way through had been more insular but Gil'dirna was friendly and welcoming. She had made many friends there and possibly even a potential apprenticeship when she was ready. Still, the town was tiny when compared to this city. Il'durahn had grown, sprawled around the great golden-leaved Elder Tree like a blanket covering the roots. Rivers sprung from sources deep within the earth were fresh and purified by the tree roots which drank from cavernous reservoirs. And right at the base of the tree the Elnin kept a garden, blessed by the tree's presence as well as those visitors who had connections to the spirits and the world around them.

     It was to these gardens Saoirse had been called. The dreams had started off small, just hints and flashes of the environment, of the area, of the caretakers and gardeners. Then they became more defined; specific shrines and sunshine filled groves. It was this grove that had called to her the strongest. She had not realized until she got here but she started to recognize certain features. She passed through and archway that had been created by weaving living birch trees together and placed a hand on the smooth bark as she passed through. There was a calmness to the area, the glade was almost silent with exception to the gentle wind through the leaves and the distance sound of a brook flowing through a different part of the gardens.

     Saoirse moved forward, stepping into the center of the clearing where a patch of sunlight illuminated the golden grasses, the great Eder Tree looming above the tree line, pale white bark almost glowing against the perpetual autumn foliage. Sitting down, the navy blue kittom let her eyes close as she breathed in the sweet, fresh air. She listened to the low hum of the bees as they worked their way from flower to flower. She focused on the almost silent noises of the world around her; felt her own heartbeat get louder in her mind and yet slower as she cooled down from the frantic running just a few moments before. She felt the warmth of the sun on her hair and shoulders, and surrendered to the peaceful moment, letting her mind drift.

     The world seemed to pause for a moment, a butterfly drifting by halted mid-flight, the bird song hanging in the air unfinished. Saoirse rose to her feet as she felt the change in atmosphere. The stillness enveloped her and she reached up to touch the petals suspended in the air as if hanging from unseen spiderwebs. When she looked towards the Elder Tree all she could see was a golden shimmer, as if seeing the ethereal soul of the great maple which protected the region. For that eternal moment she could feel the heartbeat of the world resonate with her own and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, feeling the world breath with her. The stillness grew within her, cresting like a wave rolling through the deep ocean, playing with the ebb and flow of the land beneath her paws.

     They say when time stops it feels like an eternity, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up. Saoirse felt a rush of pressure as the cresting wave found sand and toppled over, crashing into a splintering array of colour, sunshine and bird song. Her senses came back to her, disrupting the stillness and letting the sounds that were surrounding her push back into notice. The welcome colophony prompted Saoirse to open her eyes and she blinked in the bright sunshine once more. This time however, she felt as if the world had shifted slightly, she still felt as if she was in the correct place but now it felt just a little different.

     Saoirse stood up, the warm sun still draped over her shoulders like a comforting blanket. She felt the wind pick up around her, tousling her hair and causing the golden leaves to shift and rustle, yellow pollen from the branches above her dancing in the sunlight. The call was no longer pulling so intently and she felt at peace in the moment. Whatever had been the drive to come to this place was satiated and Saoirse felt the urge to go home and tell her mother what had happened. Maybe she would know what it was and provide her with an explanation. She turned to look at the gigantic pale tree with golden leaves that sustained the region and give it a respectful bow. Then she quietly said her goodbyes to the garden grove and returned to her family and the adventures ahead.