Obsidian Monarchy

The Wolf

They chattered about happily, one swimming to the water and talked to it in a language that she couldn’t quite understand while the other wrangled the assistance of a wind spirit. Curious about what they were doing but pressed for time, she undressed and got into the stream.

She was pleasantly pleased to find it warm and was able to quickly bath. She dragged her clothes in with her and washed them as best she could. After wringing as much water as she could out of them, she threw them on the shore. They were quickly whisked away by the wind spirit, floating through the air in a dancing manner.

Before she was finished washing, her clothes were dry to the touch and waiting for her on the shore. She stood up, stark naked, and the wind spirit swirled around her, quickly drying her then flying away with a flickering chuckle.

Smiling she got dressed, she trotted over to the bags and brought them to the water. She rummaged through them and found some dried fruit and set it on the nearest rock, making sure to not say a word to the sprites. They happily grabbed the chewy fruit and flew off.

The young woman then lightly wiped water over the bags with a rag in the bag, when that was finished, she pulled her long silky hair back and braided it. Before she could tell Aster that she was done, she heard a large splash further up the stream and looked up to see the shifter rolling in the water.

She chuckled and trotted over to him just as he jumped out and shook out all of the water from his fir. Now a puff ball, she walked up intending to help dry him off just to be met with dry fir.

Amused she walked around to his face and met his eye. “How long have you been able to become human?”

Aster blinked slowly at her, eventually he decided to reach up one massive paw and touch it gently to her chest. Confused she looked down at the paw then met his gaze again. Pondering for a moment she asked, “In my lifetime?”

He nodded slowly then rotated his body, his intent was clear. It was time to go.

He laid down again, asking her to get back on. “So, you are still adjusting to being a human.” A statement that he confirmed with a nod. Seraphina then mounted him this time with ease, however when she settled in, she pulled out the scroll that had the location of the first scroll. It had a single sentence on it in Jordan’s neat handwriting. “In the mountain pass of Tellimader, find the largest tree on the hill.”

Nodding, she put the scroll back in the bag. They now had a very long trip ahead of them. “Well Aster, it appears we need to head north to Tellimader.” Again, he nodded, Seraphina quickly understood that most of their conversations were going to be yes or no answers. Not that she had room to complain, she spent most of her adult life locked up away from people. This was the longest she had been around a person in years.

Without comment, Aster bounded through the woods. He ran at a pace that was impossible for Seraphina, and continued that pace for the next few weeks. The first night, after traveling for the entire day, they found a small cave to settle down and rest.

Aster stayed in his wolf form, he waited for her to unroll her bed roll before curling up between her and the cave opening. They could not have a fire, for fear of being seen, so his body heat was welcome. It was quite colder in the cave than outside in the open air.