Blog Post

Blog Post 48: The Adventure Shop: Part 15

7/13/2023

Aster ran until he found her lying in a pile of bones next to the box structure of ice and light.

He looked at the box curiously and then to Dahlia. 

“No. No. No. No!” he shouted, kneeling next to her. He could not tell if she was breathing and leaned in, hoping to hear her heart. Faintly he heard a soft beat; he held his compass under her nose and noted the shallow breaths on the glass. 

“You stupid girl! How could you risk your life?” He inspected her for any other wounds, noting a few from the way the creatures had stolen her off. He cursed himself that he let Hazel go with the others. 

“You found her?” Borg asked, kneeling beside him. Xaxol stood a few paces away, not sure what to do. He cleared bones away from Dahlia. Aster thought maybe to distance her from death. Aster hoped it worked. 

Aster nodded trying to think of what supplies or tools could supply her moonstone. 

“The creatures threatened her and said horrible things about her. They thought she still had the moonstone. They were awful!” Aislin wailed, her form tightly tucked up by a tree and rock.

She looked horrified, barely moving as she stared into nothing. 

Pertanix ran to his friend, stopping just short as he crouched down slowly. He looked at Caridad, who knelt beside him in front of their friend. Sharing uncertain glances, Pertanix took the lead. 

He sat within arms reach and held out his hand, as if offering it to a scared animal. 

Aislin took his hand and crumbled into his arms crying. 

Aster could not imagine what they would have done to her. Most likely the creatures knew she would be able to assess their weakness. Aislin may seem flighty, but she had a knack for figuring out anything by observing. Aster knew that she knew more than she ever divulged to any outside of those closest to her. He wondered how she was still awake when the others had fallen to them in nearly half the time Aislin had been with them.

Aster turned his attention back to Dahlia as he tried to figure out what to do.

“The mother tree says she will help restore her,” Marianna offered. Nova, Amal, and Sol stood just behind waiting. 

“What can a mother tree do?” Aster queried. “How can she restore this?”

“Dahlia is more connected with nature than you think. She is not as simple as one makes her to be. The mother tree knows. She will help, but not here. Not where they killed so many her forest tried to protect.”

Before Aster could say anything, Xaxol picked up Dahlia and followed Marianna. Sol and Amal gathered around Aislin, guiding her as they followed Xaxol. It looked like a procession. An idea Aster was not fond of. 

The place they brought Dahlia was next to a stream where the roots of the largest tree Aster had ever seen sat partially exposed. Grass grew around the roots, and he saw small bugs, and animals within the boughs of the tree. 

Mariana placed a finger to her lips motioning everyone to be quiet as she removed her shoes and motioned for the others to do the same. In the roots rested deer and boar. Small feral cats and foxes minding their own business as they napped. Aster felt his eyes go wide at seeing the hindquarters of a bear sticking out a cave like area one root provided. 

What in the world is this place? he thought, looking around as Marianna led them to a small alcove where smaller roots seemed to move, as if they had a mind of their own. One held a small raven. It looked as if it had a broken wing; he could not tell if lay awake or dead in the root’s grasp.

Another held a fawn as its mother paced nearby. A few other creatures sat about being carefully tended to by the roots around them. Killian sat on the other side, and Aster stifled a laugh as the roots held him like a small baby in a mother’s arms. Except Killian had a scowl across his features and his arms crossed. 

Clearing his throat, Aster looked away to keep from laughing and back to the matter at hand. Xaxol lay Dahlia at the foot of the mother tree. Amal and Sol brought Aislin to kneel beside her. Without their support, Aislin crumbled to the ground sobbing. 

Four roots came upon the two women. Two wrapped tightly around Aislin as she fought them briefly before succumbing to their grip. Aislin settled into their grasp as the branches took her high above where no one could see her. Into the tops of the trees, into the sky, Aislin was now with the tree as Aster’s curiosity grew on what it could be doing with her.

He grew more apprehensive watching the tree take Dahlia, but it did not take her high within the skyline. Parts of the trunk opened as Nymphs came out, as if on cue to escort her. Mariana joined them as they held onto Dahlia, as the roots lifted her away. They walked into the trunk where the openings formed. The trunk began to close as the last Nymph walked through. 

Aster walked up and pressed his ear against the trunk. Trying to hear anything when his ear suddenly stung with pain. He looked around and saw the root that had smacked him, waving as if in disapproval. It grabbed his wrist like a mother holding a squirming small child, as it walked him away. His scowl probably looked a lot like Killian’s now. 

The tree let him go at the river’s edge. Aster began to dust himself off in a huff as he felt the sting on his rear, as his momentum was pushed forward. He braced himself for the water, as the impact shocked his muscles from the ice cold of the mountain’s snow run-off that still melted down the streams. Gasping for air, he surfaced and looked around seeing the root that had smacked him, waiting patiently above him to help him out. Aster sloshed out of the water in a huff, as the others stared at him curiously. 

The root went around his wrist, gently holding it this time, as it brought him over to the others.

“Well you look different,” Pertanix commented. 

“Aster is known to do that. No one knows what his true face really is. He becomes what he needs to for the journey,” Borg explained.

“What do you mean? I have stayed looking like this for a while.” He looked at his arms and tried to think if he had changed recently.

“You have seemed to try to be taller recently. And when Dahlia was hurt, you turned into that old wizard you portray with young adventurers. I think the mother tree was trying to get you out of your head. You haven’t said anything since you first saw her.” Borg patted him on the back, effectively splashing water that clung to his clothes from the impact.

Aster looked at the others who nodded in agreement. He sighed. “I am scared for her. And I have not been able to help her since this started. I was not able to protect her then. Her life is hanging in the balance, and she just continues to learn. Continues to act as if she has all the time in the world, but I know that she is scared. And I can do nothing to help her. And I am scared to lose her,” he confessed. 

Silence fell over the group, and a root patted Aster on the shoulder. 

“We didn’t realize how much we cared about her. How much we needed her. Until now. There are so many of us who regret we were not there to stop this. Regret that she was not protected. That we did not know her more than this. We all have regrets of what we wish we would have done. Aislin even said while we traveled that she felt uncertain about Dahlia’s protection and that we should look into that the next time we were there. We all wish we would have done something. All we can do now is protect her in these moments.” Caridad had tears coming to her eyes. 

“What’s wrong? Do you need a hug?” Everyone turned to Aislin, who smiled as Caridad and Pertanix nearly tackled her.

They inspected her, looking over every part of her as she giggled. 

“The mother tree spoke with me. She helped me. She said she would continue to help me when the memories were bad again. I don’t feel great, but I do feel a little better,” she admitted. “Has anyone heard anything from Mariana about Dahlia?” 

“No, we haven’t heard anything,” Caridad said with arms still draped around Aislin.

“Uh, I actually do have some news. Marianna told me to tell all of you.” Killian came up suddenly, seeming a little more calm, but still slightly grumpy.

 “The mother tree told her that Dahlia needs to stay here. She is not sure how long, but to keep her alive she needs to stay. The mother tree wants specific people to stay. Those who she believes will be able to assist in moving the shadow creature things to an area where they will not hurt any other living being. She will have guardians posted once they are moved to ensure they never enter her forest again. The others from our part, she wants to continue to the journey. Borg, Aster, Sol, Amal, Aislin, Pertanix will continue the journey. She knows that you may protest, but she believes that you will ensure that the way is paved when the time comes for Dahlia to reawaken. Xaxol, Marianna, Caridad, and Evelynn, who is getting treatment as well, will be here to escort her further. We will be join up with Hazel and the others who were injured from the creatures. Hazel has already been sent word to bring the others back here. Hazel and a few others may catch up once they decide what they want to do,” Killian explained, holding up his hands. “Don’t shoot the messenger. Literally! I have been shot too many times. I would like to stop that trend.”

Aster tried to keep from smiling but failed at Killian’s exaggerated request. His mind began to worry. Leaving Dahlia. How could he?

The root rested on his shoulder, as Killian held up his hand as if remembering something. 

“The mother tree also said when Dahlia leaves, that the trees will be watching her. They will report back to her and protect Dahlia. They will look after Dahlia,” Killian said specifically to Aster.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aster looked behind him at the mother tree. He could not see Dahlia before he left. The weight in his chest pulled him back.  

“Keep your feet moving. It helps when your heart is left behind.” Borg slapped him on the back.

“My heart?” Aster asked, not sure what he meant.

“You can only deny so long before it looks as if you are oblivious.”

“Oblivious?” He was not sure what Borg meant.

“Oh, maybe you are. Well that explains a lot. Keep moving forward. Until your heart knows why it is so heavy, you must keep moving forward.”

“Why won’t you tell me?” 

“This is a lesson that you must learn and feelings you must sort through. When you do, I will be here to talk with you.” Aster nodded wondering what he needed to sort through, but he was smart. He could figure it out. 

Each step took him further away from Dahlia. Each step his heart ached, calling him to turn around and run back to her. To make sure she would live. To see her breathe and know she would be okay. 

He looked to the trees. “Please don’t let anything happen to her.”

The trees moved, whether in response to his plea or by the wind he did not know. 

He looked forward as his desire to find the woman who started all this created a protective anger that surrounded his heart.