Learning From the Source

I walked out of the room with Tarwyn and Inowyn. They led me in a direction I hadn't gone yet. 

"First things first," Tarwyn explained, "you're going to learn the ancient art of tree striding. It'll take some time to master, but having the physical capabilities of a demidragon should make it possible. A long time ago, before our persecution, it was the Trewa Álfari who taught the original rangers. Most of them were human, so the majority of what they could do was emulate. Using ropes to rappel, and closer trees to travel on."

"I'm learning from the source then?"

"Exactly. When you're done here, you'll probably be a better ranger than most of your squad."

"The better I get, the better I can protect her. I have no complaints."

We followed a bridge out of the edge of the city.

"You really care about her, huh?" Inowyn asked.

"Right now, little else matters to me."

She smiled, half hiding something else that could've been her expression. "Good. She'll need a caretaker for a while. Even though she's a demidragon as well, her strength will take time to recover. I have a feeling she'll need a protector."

"I do too."

Eventually, they led me to a thinner sequoia. It had a ladder leading to a small platform up high. There were multiple small platforms following a direction; a course. Eventually, the pathway of separated platforms stopped, being replaced by branches shaped so the path continued, just not with platforms. Below us hung a giant net, tied to many points, covering the area.

"Tree striding in essence isn't too complicated." He leaped like a light rabbit all the way up to the platform. "It's basically the act of jumping, swinging, and running from tree to tree. Oftentimes, it's quicker and safer than traveleing on the ground, especially when you get good at it. I'll demonstrate." He got in a starting stance, leaning low and forward. "Obviously, in nature, you'll have to find your own path; not a laid-out one like this."

I watched, planning to absorb as much as I could.

Like wind, he sprinted three steps, leaping off the last. He landed on one foot, on the next platform, before jumping again with the same momentum. Platform to platform, losing no energy. Eventually, he jumped from one that was too far from the next, he tossed out a rope from his right wrist up high, swinging from a branch before it let itself go and he landed on the last platform. He continued, rushing from branch to branch, grabbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping—even off of vertical surfaces. It was almost hard to follow between the speed and obscurity given by the surrounding nature. Eventually, he made his way back around, leaping, sending his rope up high to his left. He swung on an arch, as if going around a corner, until it let go to let him land on the starting platform.

He took a few breaths. "Obviously, it's harder than it seems. This is one place where young Álfari train to stride." He stepped off the platform, controllingly, calmly falling back down to us. "Your first goal is to make it to the last platform and come back. Don't worry about falling; the net will catch you."

"Okay."

Inowyn outstretched her arm, revealing a bundle of rope with a small mace-shaped formation on one end. "This is the grapple rope we use. It's enchanted so you don't need any magic to use its effects. It will wrap itself around things tightly—even the bulb can latch on. It can even loosen itself, to let go of what it's attached to. The rope is incredibly strong, though it can be cut. She pulled a line of it out just as Tarwyn cut it with a knife. The cut end grew the same bulb the other half had. "As you can see, if it's cut, one becomes two that can both be used." She put the bulbed end up against the cut end of the other half. The bulbed end opened up like small fingers of grass, grabbing the clean end. It attached, forming back into rope, looking as though it was never cut. "It can even reform. It's pretty cool, right?"

"I can see how it'd be useful."

"Yeah. Give me your wrist."

I did just so.

She began wrapping it with the rope. "It works pretty simply. It depends on your intent. If you want to throw it out, it will loosen for you to latch onto whatever surface it's sent to. Obviously the way you throw it will decide how useful it will be. It can't do much with a flat wall for example." She was almost done wrapping it. "It can also function as a good restraint if you need to do that to someone."

"I see." I took my cloak and quiver off with my left hand, then dropped them onto the wood.

She finished. "Alright. Good luck, Ladon. I'll be rooting for you." She smiled in earnest.

"Thanks." I started climbing the ladder. It didn't take long to get on the platform.

"Alright, Ladon," Tarwyn explained. "The key is this: don't fall, don't lose your momentum, and don't go too fast."

I nodded slightly, looking down the course. None of the platforms were perfectly in line, many were at off angles as well. The only one you could really stop on was the last one. I guess tree strinding is a continuous thing.

I took a couple deep breaths, before getting in a stance proper for a running start. I stared down the platform I was going to. Like Tarwyn, I took three steps, jumping on the third. I could see my arching path as I soared through the sky. I was gonna land on it, but I must've jumped too high because I hit my head on an unseen branch, causing me to flip backward until I hit another branch on my way down before I fell on the net, sliding to the center.

"Fuck."

I saw them both peek from above.

"That was a little high," Tarwyn said.

"Yeah, I figured that much." My forehead hurt.

I started climbing up a rope ladder that hung down from the main platform they were on. Before long, I made it up.

"Are you okay? Let me check your forehead." Inowyn was already close.

"I'm fine. I'll go again."

"Okay."

I climbed up, got back into the stance, then ran. On the third step, I jumped, trying to get the same distance, just with less height. Before I knew it I was already close to the platform. As soon as my left foot impacted it, I let my body sink in just a tad to jump again to the next platform. I soared through the air. The third platform was longer. As my right foot landed, I started running on its diagonal angle, jumped right on the edge heading to the next platform. I either jumped too high or too fast because I could tell halfway through I was going to overshoot it and hit the tree it was attached to. I improvised, rotating my body at an angle. My feet impacted the trunk of the tree just before I jumped off. I cartwheeled in the air on my way to the next platform. I ran as I landed, no thoughts in my head. I almost couldn't keep up, like my legs were just grass to wind. I jumped again. The final platform was in sight. I looked up and saw a horizontal vine up high, higher than my arch. I threw my arm up, sending the rope out. I missed, the rope soaring just under. My gut impacted a branch as I fell back into the net. I climbed back up once more.

"That was so close!" Inowyn held her fists close in excitement.

I just sighed.

"That was an impressive display of agility, what you did on that tree. Sometimes improvisation is better than any plan."

I climbed back up, determined. I jumped on the third step and just as my boot met the platform, it slipped sending the same foot up high and my back on to it as I tumbled off, into the net.

I climbed up faster.

"Maybe a break is needed?" Inowyn looked worried, her ears pointing backward.

"I can do it." I climbed up.

Same start, same jump. I didn't slip, then jumped to the second platform. I ran on it, on an arch, then leaped. I jumped off the trunk again, this time without a cartwheel. I caught my momentum with a sprint on the next platform before jumping off. I sent the grapple rope up. It wrapped around the vine, taught and strong. I swung, perhaps for the first time in my life. The last platform was long, and narrow, aimed left to right. The rope loosened just when I wanted it too. I landed on it, nearly losing my balance. I turned back around and noticed the platforms were at an incline from this perspective.

Shit. It's going to be harder going back.

"Come on, Ladon!" I heard Inowyn shout.

Tarwyn just stood there, arms crossed, one third impressed, dumbfounded, and seemingly irritated.

"You can do it!" She shouted.

I took one deep breath. I threw my arm up, sending the rope to the same vine. It missed, then retracted on its own. I threw it up again. It wrapped around, ready for me. I squatted down, then jumped straight up, as high as I could. I grabbed the rope further up its length from my peak, then swung. The rope released, and I landed on the platform, sprinting. I leaped again, as hard as I could. My right foot landed, before leaping. I landed higher up on the next platform, sprinting on its diagonal angle. Just as I jumped, my ankle rolled, and I tumbled into the air, falling. I fell into the net, resting for a moment through the pain.

I climbed back up.

"I thought you had it." She looked as excited as ever.

"Me too. I'm not used to this."

"Do you always learn this fast?"

"It tends to be the case, yes. Took me a while to learn how to read."

She chuckled.

I climbed back up to the starting platform.

As I reached my stance, Tarwyn spoke. "Don't rush it. Sometimes it's hard for your feet to keep up when you do."

I nodded, then ran, leaping on my third step. I made it to the final platform just as last time. It might as well be easy, minus the energy I'd depleted since I began. My stomach grumbled as I threw my rope back to the vine. I jumped up from the final platform and swung just as last time. I landed on the next platform, sprinting 'til I jumped. I jumped again, off of the next one, landing and running on the next. I jumped, putting extra force into it, sending me soaring to the starting platform. As I reached the peak of my jump, I realized I was only head level with it, then barely in time, leaned backward to not hit it. As my nose passed the edge of the platform, I lightly tossed the rope up. As I passed the platform, the rope latched onto the big branch the platform was on. It was rather large, so it took a moment. Just after it latched, it pulled taught, ending my momentum harshly, nearly pulling my shoulder. I swung backward, lowering myself further. Once there was enough length, I started swinging back and forth. Eventually, I got close to reaching another tree, then an idea came. I swung back, then forward, faster than before. I used the tree to run up, as hard as I could, leaping off it before I lost my momentum. I backflipped, back to a normal vertical position, just before landing on the starting platform. The rope unattached, then retracted back to my arm.

Inowyn was clapping exuberantly.

I hopped down, just as Tarwyn did. "Does it count?"

He was shocked, slightly irritated. "It-"

"Does it count?! Of course it does, that was amazing!" Inowyn shouted. "I had no idea you could do that!"

"As I was going to say, yes. It counts," he spoke, more annoyed at her than anything else.

"What's next?"

"Should be dinner time right about now."

"I am hungry." I reattached my quiver, then put my cloak back on.

"Then we eat, and move on to the next thing you'll need to do," Tarwyn said.

I nodded.

We both walked off calmly as Inowyn skipped ahead.

"What's next after dinner?"

"Well. It's a little complicated. I'm not really the one to explain it to you. One of our oldest priestesses will do that."

"Alright."

We made it back into the city, walking from bridge to bridge, spiral through spiral. Eventually, we made it to a building, not far from where I met Borowyn. It was large, tucked between many trees aimed in various angles. It had a similar roof design as the hall I met Borowyn in, but for each floor, the roof met the wall of the next, making an odd, terraced, funnel look.

"What building is this?"

"It's where me, Inowyn, and many priests and priestesses live. You'll be staying here rather than that other room."

"It was a nice room."

 "You'll have a nicer one here."

"Come on!" Inowyn shouted from ahead. She had already reached the double door of the building.

Feeling a sort of abnormal elation, I jogged a little faster than a walk to meet her. I heard Tarwyn's steps join me, probably because he didn't want to be left behind.

She pushed the doors open, letting the scent of various foods, sweet, spicy, savory, earthy, batter me.

"Hope you're hungry." She smiled.

My gut rumbled again.

She laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

We entered. There were many tables, most of which were already full of elves, dining and chatting. They all stopped in their tracks to look at me. I am different from them, so I expected a reaction, just maybe not such a unanimous one.

Inowyn led us to a table more empty than the rest, with warm food already on top. Meats, breads, nuts, fruits. Bowls and plates. A full meal, bigger than any I'd seen.

"You eat like this every day?"

"Yup." She already started digging in.

"Thanks to our proximity to Trelanwi, the food is never scarce," Tarwyn added.

"I can only imagine what it would be like to actually live near the Tré af-"

"Sister," Tarwyn interrupted, cold and abrupt.

She paused for a moment. "Sorry. Almost forgot."

"Almost?"

"What were you going to say?" I asked, though I assumed I wouldn't be told the answer.

"We can't tell you. You've already heard more than you should."

"You elves have a lot of secrets."

"You don't?" Tarwyn asked.

"…Fair enough."

We continued eating. I tried disregarding all the eyes on me; leaving me just to come back. I felt like a piece of art in a hall everybody stops to look at every time they pass. It was uncomfortable, but the conversation helped to distract.

"So, Ladon. What's your story?" Inowyn asked.

"A long one."

"That only makes me more interested." She skewered and ate a piece of watermelon.

"Well, when I was a baby, my parents left me at an orphanage that was known for having demidragons. When I was six, that orphanage was attacked. Everybody but me, and the girl you all took in were killed. Not a fond sight. I escaped with my burned arm and learned the hard way how to survive on my own. There were some kind folks along the way, but none of them hesitated to change the second they found out what I am. I learned, through many beatings, that oftentimes, nature was kinder. I learned, adapted, and survived, drifting for ten years. I guess that's why I have an affinity for nature. Though, many times, it was a miracle I ever made it. After those ten years, I met Abraxas, and he took me in, even named me. After that he sent me off to the rangers where I trained to fight—one skill I never worked on. They sent me on my first mission, which was when I met you two, though I saw you, Inowyn, before that. You both know the rest."

"You'd understand why we can't trust humans then," Tarwyn said.

"I do."

"Yet you don't seem to hate them."

"I was never taught to. There were some I hated, but there's too many to say I hate them all. Like any race in this world, every individual is different, though it's easy for the many to believe in the same falsities. Recently I've met over ten humans I'd call friends. Some of them I'd even trust with my life, the rest, I still trust nonetheless."

"How many of them are rangers?"

"Maybe half. Why?"

"I was going to say, the rangers are different."

"Most of them are human."

"Yes, but they're different."

"Because their traditions come from the teachings of elves, including their openness to the other races?"

"Exactly… Wait."

"You do realize that makes your people sound just as bad, right?"

"I… that's not… you…"

"I did nothing. Just spoke of the truth, at least as I saw it."

"Careful, brother. You might figure out that humans aren't all bad after all."

He started seething. "Inowyn… do you always have to shovel dirt on me?"

She giggled at his anger.

"I apologize if I upset you, Tarwyn."

It appeared as though too many thoughts were rushing through his head. In a way, he reminded me of myself.

He took one last quick bite, before standing up. "I'm heading out. You know what to do, Inowyn." He walked away.

"He'll be fine, Ladon. Don't worry. Trying so hard to become the next Trewari has him set in the old ways. I don't mind humans. I mean, you are half of that after all."

I nodded. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Are you ready for the next thing?"

I finished my last bite. "Sure. What is it."

"You're going to get your Fylgja… maybe. But first, I'm going to show you to your room, so you can drop off your stuff."

"Alright."

She led me through the room to some stairs, large enough for a horizontal line of five to walk on. We went up and around, eventually leading to the next floor. It was another big hall, with several rooms. We went up once again. It became clear that flowers and plant life were the favored decorations. There were maids, of a sort, gently watering the various plant life. The third floor had a narrower hallway, with several rooms.

"I sleep another floor up. So does Tarwyn. Your room is up on this floor however."

She led me to a door, with a sign that read my name, though it was almost unrecognizable as was any writing I've read here.

She opened the door. "Here you are."

I walked in. There was a window on the far wall, a bed beside it, desk across from the bed, even a closet to the left. Everything was colored in various shades of green and white. I put my quiver up against the desk, then walked to the window. I could see the city. Straight ahead was the building where I spoke with Borowyn. I could've sworn, that off in the distance, I saw a wall of tree trunk, though I wasn't sure if it was an illusion caused by the many trees in the background. I could see all the pathways we took, though I couldn't find where the demidragon girl was with how intracate the paths were. Regardless, this city was beautiful. Everything was a part of nature, but no less clean for it. Even though I was high up, it was calming. Every breath smelt lovely, every sight, especially the starry fylgja, was breathtaking.

"It's amazing here."

"Yeah. You haven't even seen half of it."

"Really?"

"Is that joy I'm sensing from you, Ladon?"

"Maybe a little."

She smiled, full of joy herself, seemingly just to be a part of this. "I'm glad. Are you ready? Only so much daylight left."

I nodded. "Yes."