Chapter 4
On the ground the shrubbery was soft enough to sit on. It was now only lit by flickering firelight, and the earth was turning chilly. Early summer, and the forest could still turn the night cold. That was why the Nein, after enjoying an evening around the campfire, were now huddled around it. After several drinks and grilled dinner, conversations had started winding down. Soon they were all tucked into bedrolls or next to eachother with blankets pulled over, drifting off. Fjord and Jester, Beau, Caduceus, Veth, Kingsley. All except for two. They had both enjoyed the group’s company, adding things to the conversation here and there, but mostly being quiet. The tall aasimar woman sat upright, with Beau sleeping on her side. Her eyes were on the fire, the flames reflecting in them. Her expression was calm, settled. Opposite of her, with the bonfire between them, sat the wizard. In his element. He had endured many rough nights in the woods with a fire, alone. This evening had been very unlike that, joyful and in the comfort of friends.
The two met eyes over the bright flames. Both the proximity to fire and the forest was grounding like nothing else, with the scent of smoke and greenery. It reminded mortals that they were alive and dependent on these sources of nature. Yasha and Caleb had spent years feeling like a hunted animal. On the run, horrified, with no faith in themselves or the future. The Nein, befriending them and waking up next to them, protecting them, it had saved them. Now that safety encircled them like an invisible sphere of protective magic. More than safety it was trust, being known, loved. Two friends met eyes in the dark over the fire.
“I will put up the dome, so nothing can get to us in the night. We won’t need to keep watch.” Caleb uttered in his rough, quiet voice.
“Yeah. I just like to stay up sometimes.” Yasha answered. She enjoyed the darkness, the stars that would sometimes show, the storms that came. The calm instead of nightmares.
The wizard nodded. He got up, still close to the ground while drawing a circle around the hearth. His whispered incantation joined the sound of crackling fire and the last birds still singing. When he finished, a half-globe shimmered around them all in amber briefly before going unseen. After casting the dome he curled up on his coat and in blankets, soon asleep. Yasha took in the night a while longer. Small dots of brilliant light peaked out from the drifting clouds. Still awake in the summer evening, the birds sang rejuvenating notes. Light against the darkening dusk, turning from blue to black.
Yasha had chosen the area they’d settled in. She often hiked. The land of the empire was varied and she spent many hours exploring the vast landscapes. As a result she now knew several impressive spots, like huge stone cliffs in the woods, a waterfall, a cave, a hill where white foxes lived, to name a few. They’d climbed gradually rising hills covered in wild growth and trees to get to this place. She had yet to show them the thing they came here for. Kept it secret until the moment she’d reveal it.
The light returned early, and the world was alive once more as the Nein were still wincing against it. Many of them tucked in under dark fabrics, denying waking up at 5am. Yasha blinked into a lucid state slowly. She was currently her girlfriend’s big pillow, with Beau holding on to her, head on her shoulder. Caleb sat up, drifting into consciousness, the bright morning having woken him too. The aasimar figured out a way to try to slowly shift out of her girlfriend’s grasp while tucking her in. An idea, or call to wander had come to her. Yasha whispered ‘sorry’ to the monk, and Caleb smiled as it reminded him of trying to get out from under a cat without bothering it. She kissed Beau’s head. Got up.
Soon she had walked over and around the sleeping figures, ending up next to the one awake. With tousled hair he was still getting accustomed to the brisk morning.
“Hey.” she whispered to him. He looked to her, crouched but still looming over him. In a grey dress, with a black long-sleeved shirt, slitted and connected to the dress at different points. Two necklaces hung from her, one with a crystal, the other one metallic.
“Can I show you something? It’s not far” she said. Curiosity came to his features, and he let the woman pull him up by his arm, which she easily did. Carefully avoiding stepping on their companions, they went quietly as they could away from the camp. Thick, older trees soon gave way to a patch of younger ones. Their thin trunks left space for shrubbery to cover the ground, sprouting in vibrant red, pink, yellow and green. The two traversed living forest. The slim trees did not hide the expanse of light, and the visage of a clearing up ahead. They got closer to it. Small pines joined the landscape, and with them a strong green was added to the numerous colours. Dawn was already illuminating the place. The air was fresh. Yasha and Caleb emerged to the open clearing, where the vegetation kept low, the tallest being young trees barely reaching their height. In the midst of that open space was a lake, surrounded by rock shelf. Calm water reflected the blue sky and glistened in the sunlight.
Where greenery gave way to relatively flat rock they stopped, a few steps out. Caleb took it in. Stood there breathing. Nature was undeniably alive here. Birds flew over the clearing, from one tree to another in seconds. Part of his mind took in every significant flower and plant for whether it could be used as a spell component. It was a quieter urge now, though collecting for utility was still something he did. But Yasha brought him here to enjoy this, he figured. She led him up a slightly higher cliff, where they could sit down, having a view of the place.
“I thought you could get out more.” Yasha told him.
“Ja, you’re right… I forget sometimes, how striking it can be.”
“It is easy to forget.” she answered him. “It helps to go out. At least for me. There’s so many parts of this land I had never seen before. And I still feel much like myself when I’m in the wild. There’s no one here to judge you.”
Caleb took in the view and listened, nodded. It was close to being too much, the beauty of the place. Moments would meet him where the grace he had gained was too much, jarring in its difference from the dark world he’d spent so much of his mind in. Slowly, he thought, he was being transformed. His friends’ long restoration project had yielded results; the rot mostly cleaned out, and candles lit, decorations brought. It was now his task to make his mind livable. Avoid the dark corners.
“I’m still getting situated to just..being part of the world. Like this.” he said. Then opened his mouth to add something, and closed it again. “Spend so much time working, I forget to look up.”
Yasha held a sideways gaze to him, gentle, trying to parse something. He looked somewhat tired, but took in the view with admiration. Red hair-strands hung on the sides of his face, most of his hair tied back in a casual knot. Ever carrying a weight, though he carried it much easier now than when she’d met him.
“Do you ever feel like, the suffering is comforting? …When the struggle is what you know, you grow so used to it, and as long as you’re caught up in it you don’t have to try to live.” the aasimar woman spoke.
“Ja.” he said earnestly, in an exhale, a confession. “But you still have to live.”
“Yeah.” she answered. With sympathy she met Caleb’s gaze.
The place, just entering summer, brought them solace. They circled the lake, holding small conversations. Yasha had the understanding, protective look she often held around him. Being around all of the Nein was a bolstering, joyous mix of interactions and chaos. Still, she liked to pull the wizard aside sometimes. It was the silent solidarity that held.
Grief retreated in place of relief, this morning cresting into day. The two walked back to camp, where the Nein were closer to waking up. Veth and Beau were sitting up, the rest still dozing. The halfling noticed them first and quickly stepped up to meet them.
"Hey! Where were you guys?" her shrill voice called out, tone friendly.
Beau had turned to them, greeting Yasha with a soft 'Hey.' and reaching her arms up to meet her in an embrace, as the aasimar sat down next to her. Veth very quickly dashed to her pack and back to them, dunking sandwiches in their hands. They thanked her.
The answer came from Yasha "Oh, we were just on a walk. This place is really beautiful, I will show you later." The monk began asking her about what kind of wild animals she'd seen out and what impressive places they could go. Around them, the Nein were waking. Veth darted to them, granting them each breakfast, all except for Fjord. He didn't notice before everyone was enjoying theirs, and he sat there, sheepishly starting to dig into his pack for something edible.
"Oh, did you not get one, Fjord?" Jester asked, a slight pity and curiosity on her face.
"No. I don't know if Veth just might have forgotten about me, or- it's fine. You know-I probably have something with me that I could-" he began, before being hit in the head by a packed sandwich, projected by Veth.
"Oh, did you want that?" She asked, tone unassuming, though a smile was reaching her face. The more polite half of the Nein stifled their laughter, while the other half didn't.
"Yes. Thank you, Veth." he answered heavily. He started on eating with the others, though a part of him wanted to chase the halfling down through the woods.
Breakfast-time passed, and when everyone was ready to get up and face the day, Yasha led them. Into the treeline, with greenery sprouting around them. Caduceus was one of the most delighted to be in this place. He fit right in. Jester was skipping next to Yasha, saying ‘Hello bees!’ when she came upon them. It was not a long walk before they emerged to the lake. Jester gasped, and was soon at the edge of rock cliff before it. Kingsley came up next to her with a grin. They began taking their clothes off, and were soon in the water. Beau was next, jumping in. She joined the tieflings in their water fight. Veth was slower, but soon submerged in the lake as well, keeping to the edge.
“Well, this certainly is a grand place you’ve found’’ Fjord told Yasha.
“Our own lake!” Jester exclaimed.
“We should name it MightyNein lake!” Veth added.
“Or Yashas lake!” Jester suggested.
The aasimar took measured steps towards the edge. She began shedding her garments, throwing them off into a pile as the others had. Caleb and Fjord did the same. One by one they submerged into the cool loch. Surrounding them, the cold liquid woke their bodies. It was fairly deep, reaching up to Yasha and Fjord’s shoulders in the places they could reach the bottom. Caleb began swimming out, circling next to the cliff edge. He found it sobering and refreshing as he floated through. Tried to stay away from Jester, Veth and Kingsley who had chosen to threaten Fjord with their next water attack. The half orc challenged them, prepared with Control Water, but so was Jester. Beau and Yasha were linked and floating around in a kind of dance. Caduceus was exploring the woods next to them. Caleb leaned back on the rock edge, keeping himself afloat and watching it play out. Hair hung across his face in wet strands. There was a delight in getting soaked. As well as being submerged and floating in something cool and expansive as this.
The Mighty Nein moved on to water wrestling, Jester and Fjord vs Beau and Yasha, with Veth and Kingsley trying to sabotage. After a few rounds they settled their antagonism and swam over to join Caleb. In their calmer conversation, two feet dropped down next to the group. Caduceus was back with a mix of mushrooms and plants in his hands, showing them his findings. They lingered in that place. Stayed outside in the wild until sunset returned, the sun casting the woods in golden orange light.