Of Divergent Druids

[Wolf Druid Ouity 1461]

The tree of the Spring Circle loomed over its peers of the forests outside Haelunor, swaying gentle in an evening wind. Riding a bough as easily as he might solid ground, Wolf Druid Ouity surveyed his holdings, face bent into the shape of displeasure.

 

Protect. Serve. Blessed Aspects, hear my cry. Guard this land that may never die.

 

Millions. Billions. Trillions of voices. Chaos which is harmony. Hell that is heaven. An orchestra of a million billions of life-forms all crying out, and the only world the Druid had even known for hundreds of years.

 

He felt it. Every year, every battle. Every scar that he had ever received, now long gone, though the ancient could point to each part of his body and tell you who had wounded it. Kane the Bandit, Lucas Black, Wrothgar, the Starbreaker Clan founder, the Wilhun's first leader, a handful of Rexes and more than Ouity cared to remember.

But he did.

 

He felt it. Every second of ever minute of every year of every decade of every century. Though his body was firm and strong, stronger than it ever had been, why did he still feel weak? It had been decades since he had properly fought. Properly been one with who he really was. The Wolf is a hunter. I am strong.

 

Decades since perhaps he had even bothered to try.

 

 

It came on in a wave that almost saw him fling himself from the tree. A suffocating claustrophobia that tore at his chest and lungs, robbing him of air. He swayed, almost plummeting for the second time to the ground hundreds of feet below. I don't belong here.

 

He had to go. He had to go. He had to go. Nature roared in his ear. Hi eyes flickered with visions of a secluded grove known only to the dreams of a few. He saw her sitting on her dark throne, face obscured with shadows, and a sob almost escaped his throat as he slowly backed from the branch onto the firmness of his floor, where he promptly fell to his knees.

For him, this was a fact of life- but it was different than before. A path stretched before him in his mind, and at his back the chorus of nature grew into a cacophony of noise. It was all so clear, all so beautiful. Such was the Aspects' will.

 

 

And just like that, the pressure was gone. The voices which had cried out settled, and his eyes cleared. Ouity arose shakily, finding that the itch in the back of his mind still ever present, as it had been for some time.

 

The itch to move. To run. To go.

 

 

It was time to move on.

 

 

 

 

Packing was easy, for he would bring nothing. A cloak, a stave; these were the companions of any wise Druid. As he slowly strode towards the gate, however, another, smaller figure joined step with him. Silly, to think he would go anywhere without her. A warm, elvish hand slipped into his broad and coarse as the duo departed from the Grove for a final time, on to wherever the wind might take them.

 

 

 

 

The Wolf and the Bear have departed.

[~ Fiend ~ 611]

Isabella rests her head on Ouity's shoulder as they walk, her own bag packed with nothing more than a small journal and a few old trinkets, gifts from friends. She reconciles in her head with the need to leave quite easily, setting forth whispers to friends and family in the short time before the decision is made.

 

She would never say when, or even if she planned to return, only that she knew her place was by the wolf's side. In their vows she had said she would follow him to the ends of the earth, and she was, after all, a woman of her word.

 

What would become of what she had built? It was no longer for her to know, as she was happy to heed nature's call, as it had always been.

[Lima 774]

Lori seems to kick around in the spring grove, only a short while after their departure yet quite ignorant to it. He would start to wander about, looking at all the casual iconography the Priestess of Anbella had left about within her hold to show the silent dedication to the Dwarven truth.

 

After a reasonably relaxing foot paddling with his hair feat in the pond, and a long nap on the bench he had spent so many long conversations with her upon he would start to feel a little empty. Slowly but surely he would depart, wondering what could possibly be removing such a devout mother from her homestead. 

 

He would leave a small token on her table however, a nicely carved stone. Two circles bound as one link, but only freshly imprinted onto the age old thing.

[DrakeHaze. 2524]

Grogmar grunts.

[WuHanXianShi14 0]

Artimec sits idly by the seaside hazy-eyed, feeling a lot more alone in this world. Of course, no one could tell the difference from how he was before.

[Imam Faiz Kharadeen 3167]

Faiz Kharadeen would wonder where the great ouity had went with a sad face on his face

[ℤ∃ʁ∅ 823]

Ramza comes to the Spring Circle searching for his mother and father, after hearing news it finally hits him. His ears droop down as he looks around the rooms seeing nothing left. 

 

"It is true... you really are gone...I really hoped you'd see your lovely grand daughter grow..." he mutters.

 

As Ramza trials his fingers on the tree wood slowly making his way down. 

 

"If you really are gone for good...I really did want to tell you both how much you meant to me and how I really wanted to make you both proud of your son..." He sighs softly.

 

He approaches the teaching area. 

 

"Even though you both are gone, I do hope to make you both proud.. The Deathbane family will not die out.."

 

He travels up the treetop looking out at view. 

 

"Isabella and Ouity Deathbane..

 

Those are the names of my parents that raised me to become a better person I am now. 

 

Two names and people I can never forget in my life. 

 

Two people... not just people... not just leaders... they were the best parents a child can ask for.." he chuckles softly, closing his eyes. 

 

After a few minutes past, a tear falls from his eyes. 

 

"You didn't say goodbye.. that means...you will return someday..right.." he looks up to the sunset.

 

"I hope to see my loving mother and father once more..and see what they have done.." 

 

Soon, the tall elf makes his way back to his home in silence to aware the family. 

[Giga 357]

Archdruid Garun sighs as he finds the Spring Grove empty, running a spindly hand along the interior bark of the tree.

"The Wolf and the Bear have gone again it seems. They will return no doubt, and no less wiser I am sure."

[Space 2335]

Aeran hears of the news with a small frown. One of like, 10 emotions his face can show apparently.

 

"They'll soon be back, and in greater numbers." he muses to himself.

[Song Druid 1486]

As the Wolf and Bear journey off, an owl cry is heard in the night, and the bird Whotin lands atop the Wolf Druid's staff, ruffling its feathers.

 

 

 

 

As they travel it sings in its strange chatter the tale of the Wolf, of a child born within a mushroom hut, of fierce battles of spiders and bears, of a legacy that outstrips any other, the ferocity of a true acolyte of Cernunnos.

 

Still, as they journey farther, the owl shows no sign of leaving, indeed, it has made itself at home.  It carried with it an aura of excitement, awe, and support.  But Whotin's presence, and the message it represented, would surely not be lost upon the Druid of the Wolf.

 

 

When the time comes.

[Song Druid 1486]

Within the Grove of the Drui the Druid of Song sits cross-legged.  The water from the grotto provides a tranquil melody as he silently thinks.

 

As if rooted to the earth himself he feels the gossip of the trees and leaves throughout the earth, as it were there existed very few places his mind's eye could not witness nowadays.  Still, there were those who wished to be left alone.  In times like these the old Druid would sing, string together lyrics and it would seem as if the very trees and blades of grass would accompany him.  But today, he found himself lacking the energy.  Something, stronger, more final than death even seemed to emenate to him and it did not worry him, but caused him bittersweet reminisce.

 

He lets out a weary sigh and pushes himself to his feet slowly, tufts of moss and dust falling from his robes as he does so.  Spindly fingers drape around the length of the Wilting Staff, and he turns his vision now to the statues of the Aspects that silently watched over the small floor of the grotto.

 

"The Wolf Druid did enjoy a good grotto.  Fitting, I suppose," he mutters, chuckling to himself.  He's amused now, wishing in secret (perhaps even in secret to himself) that he could do the same once more.  "Wherever he goes, he will not be alone...and not want for the blessing of the Aspects.  He has earned it several times over.  Course I can't let him hear that," he adds with a senile grin to the slug traveling up the stone on the floor.  It seems very disinterested, determined to make the climb to the tasty moss atop the rock.

 

Absently, as if second nature, he motions with his finger, and the moss travels down to meet the slug, and the Druid mutters under his breath unintelligibly.  Of course, he'd already sent Whotin.  There was no question, if any animal ambassador would accompany on such a journey it would be that owl.  But, there must be something more he could do.

 

And at last, as if the Aspects were dangling a veil teasingly in front of his face and lifted it, he felt a familliar energy surging through him.  He began to sing, a song not unlike what he sang when Callax passed.  The grotto echoed back at him as he did, and the acoustics created an ambience that was to his satisfaction.

 

It was not a lament, but it was not an excited song, it was a song of happiness and remembrance, that brought bittersweet tears to those who would hear it.  And did those hear it!  Every plant in Athera felt the presence of the Song Druid that day, passing the song along, and any attuned soul (or those sitting in a fairy ring), and even some Shamans could hear:

 

"Aspects hear my song
Brother have I known.

Far as we have come
Further do, you ever roam.

Great and mighty is;
The land on which you're on.
And we will strive to carry on-
Till we meet again, at home."

 

http://soundcloud.com/jamie-schnitzel-elakrah/brother

 

He sinks to his knees after the blessing passes his lips, spent.  Before him the statues of Cerridwen and Cernunnos bow before him, but perhaps it was because he was blacking out...

[Delmodan 855]

Arinislia's eyes slowly open. Her silvery gaze cast towards her door to her office. With her ears flickering slightly, she moves to stand from her meditative position. Her hand extending outwards to grasp her carved, birch wood staff before moving to depart from her office. Her direction heading down towards the melody she hears down towards the grotto. Stopping at the edge of the cobblestone steps, she stares down towards the Song Druid, observing him in silence as she listens to his song. A faint smile appearing upon her lips before shifting her gaze towards the flora around her. "Van'alya Sister Bear and Brother Wolf. Ame nae evareh~" she would softly whisper.

[cmack1028 549]

Atop a hill nearby the tree of the Spring Circle a brown wolf sits in silence, its head lowered. With glowing emerald eyes it stares off in the distance.

[Space 2335]

Aeran yells out, feeling the general mood of the Grove as the Druids learn of the news.

 

"Oh, come on, you all **** talked Isabella like no other."

[Dohvi 622]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.