sugar berry

[imeanforever]

Near a stream that pours off a high cliff and then snakes away is a garden, carefully tended, and a house, built of wood and stone and transmuted pearl. Fairies weed the plants. One is fixing the roof. A berrybush, hair atangle with spidery branches, is painting gold stripes onto her purple arms.

Comments

[infinitely_stranger]

"I'm sure that can be accomplished. Where is your tree?"

[imeanforever]

"In the autumn forest that way. About three miles north of the bend in the river with the little island."

[infinitely_stranger]

"I can take you there in less than an hour," he says.

[imeanforever]

"Okay."

[infinitely_stranger]

"All right then. It will be simplest to carry you if you give me your hand." He holds out his.

[imeanforever]

She quivers, but takes it.

[infinitely_stranger]

And they ascend rapidly above tree level, and zoom off in the direction of Promise's tree. A bubble of calm air zooms with them, to prevent what would otherwise be an uncomfortable amount of wind.

It's a quick trip. Arcane doesn't talk. When he spots the hawthorn tree in the described location, he slows their approach, and finally lets go of Promise's hand when they are drifting above it.

"I don't detect anyone nearby," he says. "If there were someone, I would be very likely to detect them."

[imeanforever]

Promise... nods, and flutters down to her tree, and peels a branch-tip off of it.

[infinitely_stranger]

"Where would you like to go next?" he asks. "I have plenty of time to bring you anywhere you might want."

[imeanforever]

"I - was thinking up in the white grass valleys. Someplace where there's a patch of trees to blend in with."

[infinitely_stranger]

"Certainly doable. I could also take you much farther than that. Do you know the Sapphire and Emerald Seas?"

[imeanforever]

"Yes."

[infinitely_stranger]

"On the other side of those is a desert that is habitually night, and past that there is quite a large stretch of forest that was mostly uninhabited when I passed over it eighty days ago. The breeder colony that used to live there moved out because they could no longer produce children in it. There would almost certainly still be plenty of room for you if I took you there now. The trip would be about fifteen days, less if you brought plenty of food so we did not have to stop to find more."

[imeanforever]

"I. I still remember where to find food around here."

[infinitely_stranger]

Arcane shrugs. "Then would you like to pack up and travel to that forest?"

[imeanforever]

Nod. Nod.

[infinitely_stranger]

"We can do that, then."

[imeanforever]

Nod nod. "I'll - I'll be a few hours finding - I need a bag -" She ducks into her tree. She comes out with a bag, somewhat dusty. "I'll take a while to find enough for two for fifteen days but I will."

[infinitely_stranger]

"For one for fifteen days," Arcane corrects. "Sky-veils can subsist indefinitely on natural light and rainwater. I only need to eat if I spend a lot of time indoors."

[imeanforever]

"Okay. It will still - I'll be back soon." She smiles weakly and then flies off into the woods.

[infinitely_stranger]

Arcane hovers just above her tree and pays attention to his surroundings. The current harmonics of the area are very aesthetically pleasing. There is still no one around but Promise.

[imeanforever]

Promise is back in two hours with her bag full of fruit and nuts and chewy leaves. She appears very relieved to find Arcane still there.

[infinitely_stranger]

"Hello."

[imeanforever]

"Hello." She seems to have perked up, probably from having eaten some of her food.

[infinitely_stranger]

"All set?" He holds out his hand.