Elemental Witch: Child of the Earth (Part I)

Pathways

Verana moved through the woods, following Sencha and the others, feeling awkward with her one arm in the thing the healers had called a sling. The contraption braced her arm, preventing it from hanging heavily on the shoulder that was still injured and keeping it immobile against her chest. Though the restraint left her with only one hand to balance and move. 

They had been trekking for days, leaving the human world far behind them, returning to the centre of the island, when slightly before noon, as the summer humidity built to its peak, Shaktay and his fighters stopped, separating from Sencha's group.

She slowed and turned towards her friend, offering him a smile as he paused beside her. "Your knee is just about good as new."

"It'll be healed by the end of winter." Shaktay shrugged easily, stepping close to her, offering her a gentle squeeze of her good shoulder. "Our passes are always open to you, if you need a different place to spend the winter. It is warmer down south and there's more room."

"Room?" she gave him a quizzical look, contemplating his words.

Shaktay shrugged, his expression unreadable. "To think. You can finally see the ocean. Maybe you'll see the Wild that is supposed to be in it."

Verana nodded. "Alright, I will think about it. It sounds nice."

And with that, Shaktay was gone, headed south through the Wild and she turned to catch up with the rest of Sencha's group, doing her best to leave behind the growing nervousness and  disquiet as she neared where the Council would be waiting for her.  

Part of her doubted she wanted another Sight,  which would show her what her life's Path was. She felt as if she had dealt with enough, that she could be happy having passed her first test, without finding out what else waited for her for a little while longer.  

She meditated on her exhaustion with the world and lack of certainty of wanting more  through the next couple days and to the large collection of trees so big that they had built an entire city within their branches.

Verana glowered when she had to be lifted from the ground in a basket, unable to climb with one arm, finding herself on a separate floor from her travelling companions by the time she climbed out, whisked away by Feysha who served with the Council.

She was washed, her wound was re-bandaged, her arm re-slung. Then she was dressed in the soft flowing robes reserved for non warriors. With no more time for contemplation, Verana was quickly brought to a small room overlooking a darkening forest and gently tumbling waterfall. 

Verana frowned, unprepared at the sudden urgency that the Council seemed to be showing in seeing her so soon, having hoped for a day, or even a couple hours, before having to face the formidable elders that decided the path of every Feysha on the island.

Still, she had travelled far and despite her nerves, she was able to force herself to eat the food that had been left out for her, so lost in thought that when the man came to fetch her, his silent appearance made her jump.  He didn't speak and she followed dumbly, the walk to the council room shorter than she would have liked.

"Earth's blessing to you, sister" He murmured, leaving her at the door to the chambers before she could respond to him in kind, disappearing down another hallway.

Verana let out a slow breath and raised her good hand, knocking gently on the wooden doors, which had been carved into an image of a giant tree, the Life tree. In the carving, humans stood below, on the ground, Feysha climbed amongst the branches and above the tree, flew winged people she wasn't entirely sure actually existed. 

Still, she reached up, standing on her tip toes, her finger tips tracing  over the form of one, before she lowered herself down, letting out a slow bracing breath. For a moment, the feeling she had found building in her on the cliff top as she watched the eagle came back, leaving her struggling to find peace.