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"Witches all have two names," it occurs to Ranata to say. "We mostly use the first, unless we're being formal or distinguishing between two with the same first name, and then it's both. Ranata Ekamma; Isabella Amariah. Like that. What's your full name?"
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kindestgarden
"The mint and rosemary are over here. You can probably get extra credit if you do the watercress too, if you like."
headunbowed
"Sure. I'll see if I can do 'em all. I'll just get started right now, I'm all excited and happy. That helps when dealing with plants, though maybe I just work better when I've got energy to burn and I'm in a good mood."
kindestgarden
Ranata laughs. "All right. Will you be okay if I go get us some lunch? Fifteen minutes, maybe twenty if I get distracted."
headunbowed
"That'll be fine. I need some time to look at 'em all, anyway. Get a feel of what I'm working with."
kindestgarden
"Okay. If anybody bothers you, tell them you're my guest, don't overdo the other details," recommends Ranata. "Actually - I'll go ahead and leave Cas just to be safe."
The hummingbird stays while the witch goes; he sits near Lecasryn.
The hummingbird stays while the witch goes; he sits near Lecasryn.
headunbowed
"Sure," agrees Zeviana. She finds a nice spot to sit, and does so.
Technically what she's doing is scrying, but she's so used to this particular kind that she doesn't think of it as such. It's just - feeling the plants around her, how they're doing. The clan's protections don't stop her - she's already inside, behind the shield. It doesn't even occur to her that she could be stopped.
It's sort of like feeling the heartbeat of the life around her. It's always been soothing, and the quiet thrum of life around her calms and focuses her. She locates the weeds that were mentioned - along with a diagnostic of the plants that are being tended. They're pretty well cared for, but she can do better. Weeds first, though, she will do some nurturing later, maybe. So she follows the 'heartbeat' of the weeds, and dissects them magically for how they work. How they can be soothed to not grow where they're not wanted. It's not difficult to find the answers, but it's always smart to find out the specifics before she starts tweaking them. Besides, she likes doing this.
She's there for a while, sitting in silence, a faint smile on her face.
Lecasryn is perfectly fine sitting by Castarilan, watching her mage work.
Technically what she's doing is scrying, but she's so used to this particular kind that she doesn't think of it as such. It's just - feeling the plants around her, how they're doing. The clan's protections don't stop her - she's already inside, behind the shield. It doesn't even occur to her that she could be stopped.
It's sort of like feeling the heartbeat of the life around her. It's always been soothing, and the quiet thrum of life around her calms and focuses her. She locates the weeds that were mentioned - along with a diagnostic of the plants that are being tended. They're pretty well cared for, but she can do better. Weeds first, though, she will do some nurturing later, maybe. So she follows the 'heartbeat' of the weeds, and dissects them magically for how they work. How they can be soothed to not grow where they're not wanted. It's not difficult to find the answers, but it's always smart to find out the specifics before she starts tweaking them. Besides, she likes doing this.
She's there for a while, sitting in silence, a faint smile on her face.
Lecasryn is perfectly fine sitting by Castarilan, watching her mage work.
kindestgarden
Castarilan flies around. Zoom, zoom, zoom. Hummingbirds always look like they're going wheeeee! when they fly, and while Cas isn't literally going wheeeeee!, his general demeanor suggests it.
headunbowed
Lecasryn laughs, softly. She decides to fly, as well. She can hardly go on the distance flights she longs for, yet, but she can lazily circle around her mage. She is getting some feedback from her witch on the state of things, so she swoops down to check on certain areas out of curiosity.
Zeviana isn't likely to notice, anyway. She's in her own world.
Zeviana isn't likely to notice, anyway. She's in her own world.
kindestgarden
Cas is maneuverable enough to be reasonably comfortable getting close to people besides Ranata. He goes where Lecasryn can follow and chases her around, giggling.
headunbowed
Lecasryn is amused by this! She does some lovely aerial maneuvers to entertain herself and Castarilan - not to mention, learning how to fly. All things considered, she's adjusting well. She will chase Castarilan right back, in a playful and friendly sort of way, if he seems to want to.
kindestgarden
Wheeeeeeee!
He's not quite as fast as Lecasryn - in theory. In practice, she's got no ability to get properly up to speed in the constrained space and doesn't corner very well. He can literally fly circles around her if it amuses him to do so; it does.
He's not quite as fast as Lecasryn - in theory. In practice, she's got no ability to get properly up to speed in the constrained space and doesn't corner very well. He can literally fly circles around her if it amuses him to do so; it does.
headunbowed
Ugh. Cursed constrained space. She can't wait to be separated so she can fly properly. It's somewhat annoying to be out-flown by a hummingbird. Not that she'll hold it against him, it's just bothersome.
She'll keep flying despite it - she likes flight, even trapped like this.
She'll keep flying despite it - she likes flight, even trapped like this.
headunbowed
"Can't blame you. Now that I'm flying, being - chained like this is bothersome. I think we might have to fix it as soon as possible," she replies.
headunbowed
"Thanks. We'll ask Adarin for advice first, then we'll do it. Maybe the wasteland won't be necessary."
kindestgarden
"Mortals who separate - because their daemon is a fish or the person is a spy or something - don't use it," agrees Castarilan.
kindestgarden
"Don't watch. Ranata's grandmother took us and her daemon wrapped me up in his wings and I didn't look and I think it helped. Path watched, though, and they did it on the first try, so I guess it's different for different people."
headunbowed
"Huh. Okay. Thank you - I think if I think about how much I want to fly free, that'll help."
kindestgarden
"It might. But usually the daemons are the ones who change their minds. That's why the wasteland helps, because it doesn't let you change your mind."
kindestgarden
"It feels like - being abandoned. Like it'll be forever. And witches do it right after we settle, so for me it was like - I had only just lost a huge ability I had to navigate the world without needing Ranata for everything all the time, I couldn't be a monkey if I wanted hands or a crane if I wanted to be tall or a bat if I wanted to see in the dark without her holding a flashlight. So I kept thinking about how hard it would be if she left me forever and I was just a hummingbird."
headunbowed
"I'm sorry it feels like that," says Lecasryn. "I'm glad they come back."
That clears things up pretty neatly, she decides. If Zeviana left forever, if Lecasryn were abandoned for the rest of her life to be on her own, the daemon would mourn. She'd be upset, perhaps inconsolable that the rest of her decided that she was inconvenient.
But she'd be free.
The thought of being trapped for the rest of several hundred years in a pathetically small several yard bubble is - a thousand times worse. So bad that she wants to fly off, right now - leave this pathetically small space and just go. If she's just a harrier, fine, she'd at least be able to do something, and it's not like she's some useless creature that would die if left alone. Sure, she might die eventually, but if she's stuck in a cage for the rest of her life - that's not living.
So it isn't really much of a choice. She could potentially lose half of herself, forever, or never get the chance to be herself.
That clears things up pretty neatly, she decides. If Zeviana left forever, if Lecasryn were abandoned for the rest of her life to be on her own, the daemon would mourn. She'd be upset, perhaps inconsolable that the rest of her decided that she was inconvenient.
But she'd be free.
The thought of being trapped for the rest of several hundred years in a pathetically small several yard bubble is - a thousand times worse. So bad that she wants to fly off, right now - leave this pathetically small space and just go. If she's just a harrier, fine, she'd at least be able to do something, and it's not like she's some useless creature that would die if left alone. Sure, she might die eventually, but if she's stuck in a cage for the rest of her life - that's not living.
So it isn't really much of a choice. She could potentially lose half of herself, forever, or never get the chance to be herself.
kindestgarden
"They always do eventually. Some daemons resent their witches for a while after, and avoid them, but they always go back too. It's just hard to remember when it's hurting."