Aeowyn stood leaning against the entrance to her house observing the early morning comings and goings of her fellow Sylvari. Several waved or nodded in greeting as they passed by but received only a distracted nod in return. The calm, still morning Grove air carried idle dust motes lazily through streamers of sunlight, making them flash as they dipped through.
"The deep breath before the leap," she muttered.
Ahern looked up from the flower bed he was tending for Aeowyn. "Beg pardon, Miss Aeowyn?"
Aeowyn just shook her head. "Nothing, my old friend, just an idle thought." She resumed staring moodily into space as Ahern returned to his flowers.
Further south in the Grove Trahearne, Caithe and the Avatar of the Pale Tree were sitting down to breakfast on the veranda of the Oomphalos Chamber. The early morning sun was just creeping up over the Tarnished Coast and Ailidh thought idly of how the Maguuma Jungle would soon be sweltering as she set the sugar in the center of the table.
Trahearne sipped his tea and carefully set it back upon the sauce, placing it carefully as though he were avoiding something. Caithe sighed deeply and he winced.
"We need to deal with it at some point, Trahearne. Zhaitan may have been defeated, but it appears the dragons are not prepared to loose their grasp on Tyria. Evil is still pervasive." Caithe ignored her tea, instead leaning back in her wrought-iron chair, drumming her fingers on the matching table top as she considered Trahearne closely.
"After all we went through to destroy Zhaitan and end his evil. The lives lost…the fates undone…" he muttered, shaking his head slightly in denial.
"You're tired, Trahearne. We all are. But we need to move quickly, and soon. We must discover which dragon has usurped Zhaitan's power and begin mustering the races of Tyria to attack before it can gather full strength!" she exclaimed, pounding her fist on the table, causing the teacups to jump.
"I don't disagree, Caithe, but I feel we need to make certain before we move. If this dragon has weapons we know nothing about, like those Watchwork monstrosities recently -"
"You speak like a coward, Marshal Trahearne! Now is not the time for talk or caution! Now is the time for action! We must -"
The Avatar, having watched in silence as her children squabbled, stood abruptly. "Enough! I cannot afford to have the two of you at each other's throats! No matter what we face, unity is the key. Always. And you are both right. Ventari taught us: "Act with wisdom, but act." We must do both. But I fear it is not dragons this time."
Caithe stared in uncomprehending silence for a moment. "How do you know this? It must be! The growing evil -"
"-is no longer our concern," interrupted Trahearne. "We exist to fight the dragons. The affairs of the other races are not ours. If the Pale Tree does not feel dragons are involved, we need not be either. After all, getting mixed up in the other races' affairs only leads us to debacles like that Scarlet issue…"
Caithe turned a cold glare on Trahearne, squelching the rest of his statement. "You're looking for an excuse, aren't you?" Turning to the Avatar, she entreated, "It must be the dragons! Maybe…"
The Avatar smiled slightly as Caithe trailed off. "Maybe I'm wrong? Perhaps. All things are possible. But the Nightmare court has a new prophet extolling the virtues of abandoning the Dream and drawing within our own borders, and to our east Rata Sum mutters of Inquest machinations increasing. No, this evil has a different feel…empty…soulless…perhaps even godless…"
Silence filled the Oomphalos Chamber as the three contemplated this news. Mosquitoes buzzed loudly in the forest below as the sun continued its slow ascent and filled the jungle with a shimmering haze.
Finally, Caithe stirred herself to take a sip of her tea. Carefully she placed it back on its saucer before turning to Trahearne. "You are right, Trahearne. We need more information."
He nodded, fiddling with his now empty cup. "And you are right as well, Caithe. We cannot wait."
The Avatar's pale lips compressed into a firm line but her eyes sparkled with amusement as she noted "Then Ventari is right. Now, what shall we do? Firstborn Trahearne? Firstborn Caithe?"
Trahearne paused for a moment before musing, "What about Commander Aeowyn? As a member of the Order of Whispers, she knows how to find information. And as we have seen from recent events, she has the courage of Ronan."
The Avatar nodded and replied, "A sound choice, Firstborn." Turning, she beckoned to Ailidh, who was obviously listening but appeared to be busying herself with straightening a nearby corner of the Chamber. "Ailidh, will you please ask Aeowyn to come to the Oomphalos Chamber as quickly as she can?"
Ailidh curtsied, murmured a quick "Yes, Avatar," and strode quickly from the room. Silence remained in the chamber behind her as the three drank their tea and considered the brightening coastline pensively.
Aeowyn was still at the door of her home, but instead of staring into space she was frowning as she watched a young Sylvari run up the path toward her.
"Miss Aeowyn? Miss Aeowyn!" she cried as she halted at the door, gasping for air with her hands on her knees.
"What is it Ailidh? What's wrong?" Aeowyn placed her hand on the Sylvari's back.
"The Avatar…sent me to get you…you must come quickly!"
Aeowyn led Ailidh into her house and settled her at a table. "You stay here and catch your breath, Ailidh. I shall run there now." She threw on her favorite coat and dashed out the door almost before she was finished speaking.
In the Oomphalos Chamber Trahearne had moved to stand at the balcony, staring broodingly at the sea while Caithe paced the length of the room and the Avatar paged through a book. All three looked up as the elevator's petals unfurled and Aeowyn stepped out. She saluted all three and said "I've come as quickly as I could. What's wrong?"
The Avatar gestured to the table as Trahearne pulled out a chair for Aeowyn. "Please Commander, sit." Once they were all seated, the Avatar continued. "We've asked you to come here because we have discovered a new threat to Tyria. A new evil is emerging, but we do not believe it is related to the dragons. The truth is," she added with an embarrassed grimace, " we are unsure of what it is related to at all.
Aeowyn nodded. "You want me to find out. And stop it, I assume?" As the three nodded, she continued, "Where shall I start, if you have no inkling of what the cause is?"
"While we were waiting for you," the Avatar fiddled with her water glass, "I looked through some of the tomes we've gathered since the fall of Zhaitan. Few were helpful. There have been reports of increased Flame Legion activity in Ascalon and strange happenings randomly across Tyria, as well as a new prophet rising through the ranks of the Nightmare Court. I'm sure you've heard of him?" At Aeowyn's nod, she continued, "The truth is, we know almost nothing."
Aeowyn frowned slightly at this admission but said, "I will do as you ask, but I doubt I can do this alone. Will you accompany me, Caithe? Or you, Trahearne?"
Caithe grimaced and opened her mouth to answer, but the the Avatar intervened, saying "I cannot spare the Firstborn just now, Commander. Caithe and I must continue to discuss the Scarlet Briar issue - "
"Stop saying her name," hissed Caithe.
" - and Trahearne must remain to monitor the Nightmare Court and Inquest situations until you have learned more. We would not be caught unaware again."
"I see. I am to travel alone again. Very well, I shall set out at once."
"It's a shame that Tybalt is gone," Trahearne observed solemnly. "He would have enjoyed the adventure, I'm sure."
Aeowyn deftly hid the wince evoked at Tybalt's name and instead rose, saluting the three before turning and leaving the Chamber. At home she readied her backpack and donned her traveling armor, strapping the Greatsword she claimed as prize for daring to enter the Citadel of Flame to her back, before grabbing the longbow she had fashioned herself. She turned to look briefly around, wondering as always if she would ever return, before turning and making her way out of The Grove. At the portal to Lion's Arch she stopped at the stables to gather her pet, Sir Charles Birdington. The crimson moa nuzzled her neck with his beak and, together, they stepped through the portal to begin their quest.
