The TwiceBorn

Silent Legacy

"Give up your face if you truly want wings. Give up your eyes. Do it, and you can fly."-Wildbow

"But...I don't understand. Tell me it again."

Her mother's hand floated over the flames and Alora watched as the dancing tendrils of red and orange changed to blue and red. A child's trick Alora normally loved. But she was old enough to know it was now more her mother's attempt to distract her then it was for entertainment.

"Alora...there is nothing to understand. That's what you don't understand."

Sylvan laughed and cajoled the flames into violet and black. In spite of herself, Alora felt her eyes drawn to the display of color. The shadows were long on the ground and there was a bite to the air the sun couldn't easily dismiss.

Everything was gold and red and deep russet, and the smoke of the cook fire on the wind was heavy with the smell of longing. It was a time of leaving and Alora was pondering what her mother had told her but she didn't understand.

"I don't understand why you keep saying one day we'll all leave. Where are we going? No one else has said anything about going anywhere." Alora stated. She refused to be put off again, something her Mother was a master at doing.

"Alora...do you know the teachings of the UnderRealms?"

Alora suddenly squirmed and regretted her diligent questioning. She briefly wondered if her mother knew she'd been skipping out on lessons to go with Elisa Tor to trap tiny bog goblins as they prepared for the winter. Spinning the fat little creatures around then setting them loose and watching them walk into trees was infinitely more interesting then studying the UnderRealms.

"Alora...you know of the Covenants, correct? You've been paying attention, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have. The Covenants are barters. Nothing is free, everything is an exchange." Alora quickly replied, secretly relieved her mother had asked something she knew a little bit about. A little. Not much. She'd found other things to do besides study.

"Yes. Covenants are barters. That's the simple definition." Her mother turned and looked at her, her deep dark eyes sad. The scent of earth and dying leaves was on the wind.

"The Tribe is honoring a covenant. It will be honored by our leaving."

"But...I don't understand! What are we getting if we leave here?"

Alora frowned. She didn't want to leave, she liked where they were. She knew every leaf, every tree of these woods. It was her home. And if she understood correctly, the Covenant was going to be honored soon. She didn't know how she knew this.

She only knew she'd been unable to sleep the past several nights. A restlessness had grown inside her and as she sat up, wide awake in the blackness and listening to the trees lose their leaves and thinking on how it sounded like dry rain, she knew that somehow...some way...it was time to move on.