Rayla wanted to scream, break things, maybe even cry a little bit. Mostly though she wanted Callum here, not that he would solve everything or anything at all. Hardly, in fact having him here would undoubtedly make things horribly more complicated but there were things that concerned him here that she was simply unable to deal with.
She knew being with Callum came with no small amount of responsibility, an expected level of secrecy for their life to continue. Still he was a fae from the forest and she was an elf serving in the forest guard. With each of their jobs so inherently relating to one another those responsibilities had been shared, her lending a hand to Callum's life while his existence in her own made her own patrolling far easier. Rayla took to her part in that dynamic life wholeheartedly. Now similarly she was suffering as she realized her own very elvish inability to stop any of what was happening. No matter what she did, even up to revealing everything which might make matters far worse, those wagons were going to be unloaded.
Tending to animals she could do, it was a favorite past-time of hers. Tending to Callum she could do as well, it was something she had taken to out of worry for him before love had ever crossed her mind. It was hard to watch as he half-starved himself working away instead of eating properly. Even his thieving of snacks slowed as he was no longer truly stealing her food out of hunger, the two of them sharing full meals together instead.
Stopping another elf she thought she could do as well, even with her own rare slip-ups. She only patrolled by herself first off so she never had to worry about bringing another elf and with their combined skills, Callum's own powers aside, stalking them would have been impossible. Now though the bitter reality of what her position as a forest guard afforded her was dawning on her. She would soon be marching right beside her fellow elves, fully intent on destroying whatever was needed to learn whatever was possible. A scientific study in the limits of elvish stupidity as they seemed dedicated to dissecting the very nature of the forest itself and all she could do was look on with her hands tied.
"You alright?" A familiar voice called, not wanted and far from interrupting her dark clouds. More the owner of that voice was only serving to darken her mood.
"Not now Kasef." One person who was in the handful of 'last person she wanted to talk to' at the moment. Not the reason the wagons had arrived, not even the sole reason she would be marching along side them but someone who certainly had helped things along from what she had heard.
"1st Class Patrol Scout Rayla. Stand at attention I may be the same rank but I am your platoons Scout Liaison to Command." She really was going to scream, here Kasef was deciding to actually pull rank on her and it wasn't even a legit one. Simply a secretarial position granted as he worked his way up the ladder to such a easy position over the years.
"Sir!" Rayla did as she was told, turning to face Kasef keeping her displeasure written plainly on her face. She didn't work just as hard if not harder just to have Kasef talk down to her, one foot already halfway into his own easy desk job pushing quills.
"As your Scout Liaison it is my duty to ensure every scout is capable to perform their duties." Kasef quickly held up both hands in surrender before Rayla could begin the screaming match she so obviously wanted to have. "We have certainly had issues in other aspects but I do take that rank seriously and equally for everyone if I think something is wrong." slowly lowering his hands as Rayla seeming willing to allow him to talk he continued.
"Previous instances aside. Are you currently alright Scout Rayla? Mentally, physically, family, or otherwise if there is an unforeseen issue its part of my job to help that Scout get to talk to who they need to." Kasef giving a slight nod to her new braid pausing momentarily as he mentioned her family. Having an obvious reason to want to learn moonshadow culture there were many issues he could only imagine at between the new braid and the arrival of a moonshadow who was rumored to be her family.
"Even if its with the joint excursion, if there is truly something wrong I will personally go now and ensure you get to talk to Commander Kercia as soon as possible." Kasef even offering her a chance to argue her own points against him to Command personally, even if it was only begrudgingly out of duty after seeing her stricken so.
"Sir respectfully, I wouldn't want to talk to you about any issues I might have. Now later or ever, that's for certain. We've enough talks outside of duty already." Rayla kept her words as civil as she could trying to ignore just how hypocritical Kasef's words were if the rumors were true. Sure he took his job seriously enough to ensure that if Rayla wouldn't patrol with him then she would march in with everyone again!
"I understand that. As a fellow Scout I apologize for having offended you in such a way." Offering an honest bow even if his words were obviously compartmentalizing his own issues Kasef continued. "On that note though. Speaking as your Liaison Officer, one who has absolutely pissed you off, I'm watching you glare out that window and I don't know that look. Is there a need for me to inform Commander Kercia that 1st Class Patrol Scout Rayla requests a meeting? I'll do nothing more nothing less and ask no further." Kasef offered the most he could to ensure the obviously bothered moonshadow of his words.
"No Sir and with respect. Thank you for asking but I'm fine be it patrol or family. I've people to lean on if I need." Rayla still uneasy with Kasef's obvious conflict of interest choosing to end her own part in the conversation with a tilted nod. One which proudly showed of her new braid, let Kasef wonder just what it meant. Runaan would see it soon enough and she had already made her choice, difficult as things might become she was proud of Callum. She had wanted something incredible and she had it, the pride of holding onto that thing was trouncing her panic firmly. For now at least. She decided to use that strength while she had it and gave Kasef a final nod before heading down the hall.
There were a few things she could still do at the very least ease her families soon to be personal invasion of Callum's life. Taking a moment as soon as she was out of Kasef's view she closed her eyes and leaned her back against the wall. It was like a stuck bandage right? You just rip it off cleanly all in one go.
Runaan was no novice, he knew when he was being watched. Though it wasn't like his adopted daughter was even trying to hide her looks from the window. Runaan tried not to feel at least a bit vindicated as another forest guard came along and seemed to be having words with her over her idle time. He couldn't tell from here who it might have been, or what kind of discussion even but he could feel the stern gaze of his now adult daughter being lifted from his back.
Though surely not for long, either after the wagons were unloaded and proper introductions with the command structure made or maybe even before Rayla would be heading down to see exactly why he had arrived. Being a part of the caravan wouldn't be enough for Rayla, sure Lain and Tiadren served but he was basically free to do as he wished. Escorting two fully capable arch-mages from the Spire all the way here and staying wasn't going to be good enough excuse for her. Really he could understand that in a way, checking up on her unannounced and all, but still while she had been looking she had just seemed to feel so terribly upset with him.
He had only directed a few more guards about which crates to be careful to unload before he felt that gaze fall on him once again. Though greatly diminished in its intensity this time he again looked over his shoulder, this time finding a slightly less sour looking Rayla waiting patiently for a moment to draw him away from his duty.
Runaan knew unloading the wagons wasn't a terribly pressing task but he was hardly one to shirk away from his duty. Instead he took a few moments more to continue unloading, trying to consider how pressing whatever Rayla wanted to talk about must be for her to intent to draw him away before even unloading the wagons.
"Tend to your family Runaan, we're suffering no shortage of hands for this." Avaros stepped out from the protective wooden cover over the wagon having taken note of the other moonshadow standing waiting. Easily assuming who it might be based on the gender and the information he had managed to gather on the way here. Rather simple small things, but information enough to know she was the only moonshadow residing within the Guardhouse currently.
"I'll return soon enough to help." Runaan replied as he found his time cut short, turning now to find Rayla narrowing her eyes at the arch-mage from Dragon Guard instead. A bit of Runaan's own ire flaming at that as Rayla was now just being angry at everything because of one little thing in typical Rayla fashion now acting so very adult indeed. Dusting his hands off Runaan paused a moment before trying to assume a more fatherly mentality, glares at others he would be best to let another handle that.
His focus now was trying to discern just what he had done personally to earn such a look. Beyond just showing up unannounced at her workplace, even if she did live there, though a quick once over of her appearance quickly answered part of that.
"I'm guessin ye'd received Eretien's letter then." Runaan gave a nod toward Rayla's new braid, immediately regretting pointing out her new attachment in such a fashion. Even in his own ears it sounded as if he was casting favor toward the past, something Rayla was not keen on hearing judging by her slight huff at his words.
"Aye he wrote saying ye'd said to just write instead of asking permission." Rayla gave little thought to the mention of her ex as she knew Runaan was more worried over his own being implicated in anything Eretien's letter. More wanting to judge her adoptive fathers reaction to seeing her new braid. "I told him he didn't have permission by not writing him back."
"I can see you must have certainly felt some way. Cut ties completely and its seems you've been busy outside patrolling as well. Not that I'm trying to interfere or sway your opinions," Runaan placed a line firmly on where he sat in his attempt to discuss Rayla's life without appearing judgmental. "I just care about you and like to know how your life is. If you're happy then that's what matters."
"I have I guess in a way. I'm obviously still scouting too, real busy with patrolling actually." Rayla wasn't really sure if she was blurring the lines as really most of their time in the forest was actually spent doing work relating to both their jobs. Rather it was actually specifically focused on her patrolling or not was an entirely different debate. "Was snowed out in the forest a few day ago, officially took only bit longer than the actual patrol limit but still."
"That was a handful of rough nights, like a squall crept south over the mountains from the bay and took all the snow with it." Runaan nodded as he considered how even the wagon crews had slowed to a crawl eventually halting in the growing snow. Even Avaros found his magics tested as he tried to ease their passage through the whiteout.
"Been busy with other things too, had words with a guard here like I'd written before an a bit busy with life too seeing as ye've noticed." Rayla fingered her braid as she felt a bit more comfortable in bringing the focus onto a topic so important to her. Wanting to first clarify that whatever her parents hadn't been informed of they certainly would have. Given time and convenience of course, "I was gonna write another letter explaining a bit more but winter was coming and I got busy. We both were to be fair on that part, plenty busy getting ourselves sorted out."
"We being? Not this guard you had words with I assume." Runaan decided to risk pressing a bit further for information on this new elf in Rayla's life as she started to open up. Carefully as he didn't want Rayla to stubbornly choose silence over exposing the details of this new elf that had stolen her attention.
"Callum, an no hes not a guard. I did have a bit of a scuffle with him though after I threw a few stones at him." Rayla knew her father was just being inquisitive. Trying to make small talk about her life but it still felt like an interrogation, pleasant conversation lost as the lines of parent and teacher blurred. "No worries though as we'd ended pretty evenly matched." She tried to smile when it felt appropriate, though judging by Runaan's reaction mentioning their first little fight might not have been the best idea of an introduction to who Callum was.
"Callum then no clan name? Its childish to throw stones though and he- I do-" Runaan exhaled as he considered the many ways one could meet someone they were interested in these days. "Well there are worse ways to meet than a misunderstanding I suppose. Nothing more with the other guard?"
"I was being stupid, he'd had some little ones with him and I'd almost hit them and no, I'm hardly here besides." Rayla shrugged as she continued in her defense of Callum, and in setting Runaan up for potentially accepting his daughter having possibly eloped. "Even on accident I'm sure I'd seen red too. So Callum was right ta be upset."
"Little? I-Rayla how old is this elf?" Runaan felt his protective nature finally flare as he considered how Rayla might be taken advantage of. Some deadbeat elf living off his daughters hard work and loving nature instead of tending to his own family, or worse just playing with Rayla's heart as he lead some double life? The coming of the boundary and harder times had led to no small number of lowlifes running around.
"Not his wee ones so uncross yer horns. Like I said he's not a guard he is a mage of sorts though and does a few other things instead. Teaching little ones is the largest part of it an he's also getting a bit known around the town here for his carvings." Rayla tried to school her smile, deliver the bad sounding news to precondition a certain level of response before dropping the actual news was a somewhat sound tactic. She tried to convince herself she was just waiting to hear the magic words, "He's a year or so younger than me actually and decent enough to make his way around the forest to find his muse fer carving as well."
"He's a bit timid an no- I ju-" Instead Rayla found herself pausing, it felt wrong selling how she felt about Callum short sticking to only points that made Runaan at ease. As much as her parents possessed the inexhaustible ability to be so judgmental of her life she did love them.
"He'd probably seem a bit soft to you but he's really not." Smiling now she opened up wanting to share in her own treasured part of her life, "I'd say he's not the type to focus his strengths on himself. Magic aside he's always doing or working on something to help others and just as willing to stand beside me armor or not. I just got wrapped up in wanting to share in that part of him I guess and there's no fighting that."
"He sounds like a pretty decent elf." Runaan's brows raised a bit as he considered how closely that sounded to another elf he knew and was in fact married to. He couldn't help but feel a little pride, sure Rayla and himself may have butted horns more often than most others in their tightly knit family. Maybe though that was because she took after him the most, even down to what she found attractive in another. "Hopefully things are going well."
"They are though we've had help." Rayla condensing how things had been going before the storm in just a few seconds. Between Willow and everyone one in the forest to Janai and even some of the nosier townsfolk that were simply happy to see the local moonshadow smile. That and certainly sell a few more donuts. "From his friends and mine."
"I'd invited him to the festival," Rayla began a new explanation fully intent on informing Runaan of Callum's potential absence, one even she wasn't actually sure of. Only hopeful that Callum would realize something was amiss an avoid the festival altogether. More than willing to stall instead of coming clean about just how attached she was to this Callum her father had yet to meet.
"And we've arrived. I won't apologize for being here, the wagons were strictly from the Spire." Runaan attempted to wash his hands of Rayla's current change in posting as it was now no longer voluntary. She would be busy during the festival but the wagons were going to be sent regardless. "I'm happy to see you however and I'm sure Callum will be around during the festival regardless."
"I'm also honestly trying to not get yer hopes up fer an introduction." Rayla truly hoped Callum would take notice in someway as the Festival was looming just around the corner. There would be little chance to return to the forest to inform him their plans had been canceled. Unless she intended to sneak of to the forest against orders while her own father was also in the guardhouse. "Was just going to be us staying out of the crowds and trying to enjoying the music."
Runaan actually blushed a bit at this and fell short on what to say, at first uncomfortable with the private intimacy she implied with her date and intending to say so. Right until he saw the slight crack in Rayla's facade. A quick sideways glance as she mentally shelved the issue. One that obviously, at least to someone who had known her before she had been knee high, troubled her greatly.
"I'm sure Callum understands duty Rayla, if he's any elf worth any bit of their horns. We all know the price of duty when it calls in someway or another." Runaan instead tried to ease his daughters apparent worry, unknowing of the double edged guilt those words imparted on the both of them.
Duty was something well known to those who served in the forest. Once staffed with gargoyles, cursed elves happy to be given another chance, dragonlings and even the rare actual elf. Now that duty was shared much more heavily across a great many less shoulder. The most talkative heads resting on those shoulders now using the kitchens as an stand-in for a war room.
"I've flown for three days with nothing to show," Kazul groaned as her massive frame found itself settling from her flight. The thick walls supported by the ancient vines made for the perfect landing spot though it was a bit of a steep drop to land so carefully on the walls.
"Prince Callums not in a easily traversable area of the forest." Telemann surmised, brush his robes free of the snow Kazul's wings had stirred before relaying the same information to his wife Morwen.
"He's placed his new home in Mendanbar's little Puzzle Trap then? Would he even feel the Echos yet?" The witch tried to confirm her knowledge on the more experimental magics that the forest had employed in years past.
"He might have missed them entirely actually, that area of the forest exists as the forced realization of liminal spaces. He probably thought he was safe from being a part of observed reality there and any paradoxes would just remain stuck as a part of that potential liminal energy in-between. Really it makes sense Callum can rearrange any part of the forest with those or any other portion of the forest we know at will without fall out or massive calamity. Those we don't as well I assume as really any portion of a Klein space could be rotated along its according dimensions of potential liminal energy. In which case the possibilities are literally endless it may as well be an actual box of puzzle pieces for him."
"For springs sake you do know breath is required for continued mental functions right?" Morwen balked slightly as she tried to follow along. Such technical theoretical magic being a study rarely touched on even for the classically trained. It just meant knowing a great more of the somewhat less complex but equally rare magics in the world. Dragon spells, the magic of children, or other more natural non-fae sources of magic. "Perhaps again in common and with less words?"
"Don't bother wasting more time. Where is the rest of the family?" Kazul quickly passed at the chance of hearing Telemann take another shot at explaining exactly how Callum had failed in his sneaking a part of the forest away. Instead wanting to focus on the as yet to be seen retaliation from the Courts. The fallout from the echo's were one thing, the fallout from the Courts learning the Forest had once again turned its back on fae in favor of elves war would be inevitable.
"King Harrow is on the far side of the Boundary, news will be slower to reach them but if he were to return immediately without reason?" Morwen explained King Harrow's obligations on the far side of the continent. "I've sent familiars to check on Sarai as well, and I'd welcome their little hedge witches to attempt the same. Still as long as he can keep the topics on Callum being a fit Prince and Guardian we should be able to demand his return finding a fitting reason, the focus of his trips was Callums ability not so much his lineage."
"The King's a fae with a clever mind, it would be hard to corner the conversation and him not spin it so they were welcoming open hostilities on their part. We've decided to keep Opeli writing the letters to avoid most general suspicion and I'll personally be checking them for anything out of the ordinary as well." Telemann finished his wife's thoughts on the King as she sat content in her threat any witches that might attempt the same. "How is our hostage by the way."
"Still acting shocked at the turn of events and blindly working away. Requesting resources from the study every so often determined to resolve this somehow." Morwen explained Opeli's current placement, the witches smile betraying a small excitement to finally employ the castles dungeons. "Though sadly that word will be used in a singular term for a while longer. Our other more wayward Steward remains missing."
"So we've been left stumbling, confused, and uncomfortably close too but not quite completely off guard. Nothing can really be sent north but even if we did I suspect we will find the weather in that sea of ice oddly inhospitable." Kazul tried to summarize the position Callum had placed the forest in as well as considering her Queen's situation and what she knew of the fae there, "Lady Bendith and her daughter can influence the whole area so we would need quite a force to overcome that alone."
"Thankfully we've also not been left without guidance." Telemann gave a nod at the arch-dragon's guidance, this not being the first war she had fought through for the forest.
"The kitchens were getting a bit stuffy anyway. Though I'll be little help beyond a few good bites and a bit of dragon's fire." Kazul passed off Telemann's thanks as she focused on the facts of the situation. The forest was sorely lacking in its sheer number of fighting personnel compared to her first tour of duty in the woods. "If the forest is going to properly defend itself it will need its Guardian for that." Kazul finished before growling finally once again, more to herself this time. "Key and blade broken long past, and we've also lost our child?"
"We've guards still and our own magics as well as other things. Even beyond your fire the forest has its own weapons. If Callum was pressed beyond his own measure he could reach for those." Telemann was more than a bit hesitant to consider what might press the magics of the prince to such a degree. Not understanding Kazul's worry as the items used to secure the forest had been discarded and the individual who had replaced them was now missing.
"That's what worries me. A fae could have a dragon by their side and still summon their own demons." Kazul only shook her head as her memories were turned to the many reasons it was the fae had hidden from the world. "If the forest is brought to the point we're lifting the wards to the old wood or opening the caves we've already lost. Even dragons fire is little use against a raging Slaugh."
"One eye on one hand its chain still swinging. Killed all the forest children jealous of their singing." Morwen quietly quoting a fae rhyme for a monster a bit more well known in times long past. Back when having streams full of stones that could turn anything to stone made a sensible defensive measure, or ending your life as a tree made a better alternative. "Nothing we've locked away would serve us beyond bringing our ends quicker. Nightmares have no masters."
"Where are you going?" Telemann asked as their guidance for the coming war meetings turned to climb the castle wall once more looking to the sky. She had declared the search over and they had Callum resided somewhere in an unreachable portion of the forest and was now going to look once again?
"There are some older places, and some newer to look for the Prince. Both outside the forest." Kazul stretched the tired ache from her wings as she considered Telemann's question. "I'm going to check Cimorene's cabin and a few other buildings maybe try and sniff around for a certain elf."
"Wait what?!" Telemann and Morwen both standing at once only to turn away with their voices carried away by the strong beating of Kazul's wings as she spring-boarded off the castles wall into the sky. All those in the courtyard missing a small blue blur dart off while the yard clouded with a dusting of snow once more.
"Everyone is capable of making mistakes, its growing from them that matters." A oft used phrase and sentiment he tried to share with his daughter before they had been separated by the Courts. Thinking the grand fae courts would offer them any protection in this new world without exacting a grand fae price as well had been a mistake. So had pushing the tiny Saphi so far, but even then Viren knew he had only managed the first part of those words and the lesson he had intended to impart on his young daughter.
Everyone is capable of making mistakes, like driving another family apart in an effort to secure their home for others if you got even the smallest portion of it. Even if they had managed to secure the Seelie and Unseelie a tangible foothold within the forest, either through entrapping Harrow or Sarai through some crooked court proceeding or even through Opeli's more tender efforts of finding the young prince a peaceful if not happy future. What then? The Courts would have controlled everything and the bargain would have begun all over again.
Looking back the royal family of the forest must have known its back was to the wall as well. Now isolated from the world outside and having been caught growing its interior in seclusion it was viewed as the perfect escape route for the fae to take en masse. An as of yet untouched land for the fae the Courts to divide. So sure they had begun haggling for further advantages before they had even gathered to take the first steps into this new home. Halted from their escape into the vast folds of the forest as only Callum could access them. A courtless, wild fae bound to no none but the land he called home. They had thought to simply control the forest they needed to control the prince.
Creating an environment in which they could undermine the ruling families own authority, supported by fae eager to escape a world the deemed beyond salvation. Fabricating issues and digging at history for problems with Callum's upbringing, claiming the family as unfit while in the same breath welcoming them to leave their home and argue their cases abroad until a solution could be found. That solution was simple, letting time and distance sow discord leaving the prince well and truly under the courts control.
Then Viren had lost the prince, not exactly part of the plan but it was something that seemed to be happening more and more over the years. Really he had seemed to be intentionally misplaced by the castle staff in the forest for months on end, and once the Prince was in the forest he seemed to everywhere and nowhere all at once. The spring fae that had been sent to assist in managing the prince was completely useless. She seemed stricken by many of the same flaws most with Seelie nature were. Not so quick to take to the subtle subterfuge and betrayal of a proper Unseelie, leaving most of the actual dirty work to Viren. She made for a convenient distraction from the watchful eyes of the castles servants however as her honest efforts were just as driving in leaving the prince with no control over his own life. So of course to the forest, the one area of his world that remained uncorruptable by the influence of outside fae and his power was borderline absolute is where he had run. It's exactly where Viren would have gone as well, and where the Steward had chosen to hide himself as well in his own search for the prince.
Sure Viren could wish walk as well, and similarly shape-shift to fly about but that was entirely different than simply being able to poof yourself around at will. It had been an easy lesson: that it was far easier to keep the prince locked into the endless spinning wheel of fae court life and duties. Trapped in a cloud of meaningless lessons and meets than believing you could find him if he wished to not be found in his own forest. At this point if he even was in the forest.
Even after after Viren had forced the princes own friends to suffer in the search for him and later when the castle had panicked at the beginnings of the echos spreading from Callum's own choices. It seemed the prince had beaten him once again, not only remaining uncontrollable but also driving the situation out of Viren's own grasp and raging against the courts till the bitter end. The prince would bring to light the stewards failures in his position as well as take the first steps toward facing the end of his families struggles against the courts influence.
In his desperation to once again secure the prince or at the very convince him to return to the castle and face the consequences of his decisions before the whole Court came down upon them all, Viren included, he had done something rather rash. Really Viren had yet to grow any what-so-ever during his years in the forest, failed to grow and learn from everything that he had been doing at the behest of a court that could hardly wait to discard him.
It was a sad truth to say he had learned a bit in hindsight, but he had always known that if you never learned from your mistakes you eventually paid for that education in one lump sum. It had been an educated move, educated by greed, desperation, fear, and most of all a drive to feel some kind of power in a moment when Viren had none. He only knew that the Prince would return to the Castle if a bigger issue arose, one apparently bigger than potential war. One such thing had already happened before when both the Prince and Harrow had a fight over the caverns collapsing. Really then the fight had seemed entirely overblown as Callum had thrown a terrible fit over not being able to immediately and easily replace the entrance. Now though in hindsight of course it was easy to see why the Prince had been so upset over the state of the cavern, Viren had of course learned a little of what lay locked within them after breaking their seals. Slamming the magicked locks with the first breaths of a violent winter to shatter open old troubles for the prince.
Viren was OK with learning in hindsight, that seemed fair considering everything he had done over the last decade or so. Hell he was even somewhat OK with the price he was paying now as the dark red continued to soak into his robes. Not seeing Claudia at least once more though was a thought that was not settling as well with the now far wiser Unseelie fae as stifled racked sob echoed about the darkness. Lit only by single beam of light that spilled from the ceiling into the vast once sealed caverns of The Uncharted Forest.