Status: Finally finished. :)
The Nagual
The Family Tree
"I'm sorry to have frightened you." the woman said, offering her hand to Felia and pulling her up. "I was only concerned as to why you were on the ground."
"Oh, I . . . I was just-"
"Curiosity can attract even the most protected of minds. It's not so much to worry about but you should remain guarding yourself." Wren spoke in a flowing voice as she started to walk away.
Felia followed her to the end of the white stone path where she entered a small courtyard in front of a cottage-like house. In the center of the courtyard was a pool of water covered with water lilies. Fireflies danced around them and Felia continued to have the impression that she was walking through a dream.
"What is your name?" the woman asked her as they moved.
"Felia." the dark-haired girl replied, cocking her head to the side while trying to get a better look at the other woman.
"So." Wren spoke aloud. "What is it that you want from me?"
"I ask for information, advisor." Felia asked cautiously.
"You may call me Wren." the other woman said, waving her hand slowly in front of her. "What sort of information do you seek?"
"I want to know about . . ." she paused, knowing who was nearby. She took a step closer and said quietly, "I want to know about my ancestors."
Wren had raised her eyebrows. "Not a lot of people have come to me asking about their family like that before."
"Can it be done?"
With a smile, Wren replied, "Of course. I was only admiring your question. It's relieving people still care about things like that." The woman seemed to glide on air. Though, with the long cloak she wore, it was easy to see why. Felia didn't even see the woman's feet as she moved closer to the pool.
Wren sat by the edge and closed her eyes. She moved her hands just above the surface in circular patterns. There seemed to be a golden light glowing in the water.
"Come closer." Wren whispered. Felia followed her instruction and sat by her at the edge. Wren opened her eyes and looked straight at Felia. "Look into the pool, Felia."
Without question, Felia leaned forward to look into the pool of water by her feet. Wren reached out a single finger and touched the surface of the water very gently, creating a very large ripple effect across the water. Suddenly, an image of a tree appeared in the water.
"There you are." Wren said quietly. "Your family tree."
At the bottom of the tree was the image of Felia's face; smiling, polished, and very unlike her newly dirty and tired state of being. Above her were a picture of her mother and a picture of her father. The picture of her father was in black and white.
"The ones that are in color are the ones who are alive." Wren explained. "The ones that are in black and white-"
"Are dead." she finished for her. Felia's heart seemed to tighten just for a second when she saw the picture of her father. It was the first time she had ever seen him. She had been told a lot of stories about him but none of them ever made a whole lot of sense. He was smiling, though, like a lot of the other pictures. She looked at the others and the feeling started to pass as she saw the flowering branches growing out of the tree. Hundreds of branches and people started to form and the sounds of horses, fireworks, laughter, gunshots, cheering, singing, and music started to steadily increase in volume.
"Did you ever know him?" Wren asked.
"My father?"
Wren nodded.
"No. I didn't. But that doesn't exactly make it better." Felia said, brushing back her hair with her fingers. The two of them didn't speak for a little while.
"Oh." Wren said suddenly.
Felia leaned in closer to the water. "What is it?" she asked.
"Your father." she said. "I think . . . I think I know him. Or, knew of him." Wren gasped as the names of each of Felia's ancestors filled themselves in under each picture.
"What?" Felia asked. When Felia looked closer, she realized what had startled the woman. "Argos." she said. "He was my father."
"Which would make you-"
"The one, true leader. Isn't that right, Sohrab?" an all too familiar voice spoke out from behind the trees. Fraus entered the courtyard while dragging Sohrab, beaten and bloody, behind him.
"Oh, I . . . I was just-"
"Curiosity can attract even the most protected of minds. It's not so much to worry about but you should remain guarding yourself." Wren spoke in a flowing voice as she started to walk away.
Felia followed her to the end of the white stone path where she entered a small courtyard in front of a cottage-like house. In the center of the courtyard was a pool of water covered with water lilies. Fireflies danced around them and Felia continued to have the impression that she was walking through a dream.
"What is your name?" the woman asked her as they moved.
"Felia." the dark-haired girl replied, cocking her head to the side while trying to get a better look at the other woman.
"So." Wren spoke aloud. "What is it that you want from me?"
"I ask for information, advisor." Felia asked cautiously.
"You may call me Wren." the other woman said, waving her hand slowly in front of her. "What sort of information do you seek?"
"I want to know about . . ." she paused, knowing who was nearby. She took a step closer and said quietly, "I want to know about my ancestors."
Wren had raised her eyebrows. "Not a lot of people have come to me asking about their family like that before."
"Can it be done?"
With a smile, Wren replied, "Of course. I was only admiring your question. It's relieving people still care about things like that." The woman seemed to glide on air. Though, with the long cloak she wore, it was easy to see why. Felia didn't even see the woman's feet as she moved closer to the pool.
Wren sat by the edge and closed her eyes. She moved her hands just above the surface in circular patterns. There seemed to be a golden light glowing in the water.
"Come closer." Wren whispered. Felia followed her instruction and sat by her at the edge. Wren opened her eyes and looked straight at Felia. "Look into the pool, Felia."
Without question, Felia leaned forward to look into the pool of water by her feet. Wren reached out a single finger and touched the surface of the water very gently, creating a very large ripple effect across the water. Suddenly, an image of a tree appeared in the water.
"There you are." Wren said quietly. "Your family tree."
At the bottom of the tree was the image of Felia's face; smiling, polished, and very unlike her newly dirty and tired state of being. Above her were a picture of her mother and a picture of her father. The picture of her father was in black and white.
"The ones that are in color are the ones who are alive." Wren explained. "The ones that are in black and white-"
"Are dead." she finished for her. Felia's heart seemed to tighten just for a second when she saw the picture of her father. It was the first time she had ever seen him. She had been told a lot of stories about him but none of them ever made a whole lot of sense. He was smiling, though, like a lot of the other pictures. She looked at the others and the feeling started to pass as she saw the flowering branches growing out of the tree. Hundreds of branches and people started to form and the sounds of horses, fireworks, laughter, gunshots, cheering, singing, and music started to steadily increase in volume.
"Did you ever know him?" Wren asked.
"My father?"
Wren nodded.
"No. I didn't. But that doesn't exactly make it better." Felia said, brushing back her hair with her fingers. The two of them didn't speak for a little while.
"Oh." Wren said suddenly.
Felia leaned in closer to the water. "What is it?" she asked.
"Your father." she said. "I think . . . I think I know him. Or, knew of him." Wren gasped as the names of each of Felia's ancestors filled themselves in under each picture.
"What?" Felia asked. When Felia looked closer, she realized what had startled the woman. "Argos." she said. "He was my father."
"Which would make you-"
"The one, true leader. Isn't that right, Sohrab?" an all too familiar voice spoke out from behind the trees. Fraus entered the courtyard while dragging Sohrab, beaten and bloody, behind him.