The First Lesson

[Dray]

From mid-Verindock (October) to the beginning of Infigar (November) Kit traveled a great distance and had more adventure than most true to the actual profession had. In Uth’Ranek she stayed at an Inn with a tin merchant from Aldebaron. After she was nearly discovered by Leech who sought her in the town, she fled by becoming a stowaway on a barge on the harbor for a short time.

After being forced to incapacitate the dredge of a man who piloted that ship she walked many days and miles along its shore until she was discovered by a woman Kit affectionately referred to as “My Captain.”

From what Ashe could discern the lass was lucky to fall in with a headstrong but kind woman who led a brave band of sailors on a fairly large merchant galleon called the Windright.

She met a host of characters who made Kit smile in memory as she recalled numerous happy times with as they sailed the open sea to Hawk Haven Point and then on to Aldebaron. The vessels home port.

While there, Ashe was happy to hear that Kit almost returned to a normal life, one that included a brief winter romance with a sailor from the ship named Jake. Ashe shuffled a bit uncomfortably as the diary dictating Kit told all details of them sneaking away into the back alley of a place called Pappy’s Barn where she worked in the kitchen.

[Wildfire]

“Must you tell me of each and every kissing episode?” Ashe asked with a teasing chuckle.

[Dray]

'Really?! You are such the tavern-girl!' pathed Jordan.

“I like how your brow wrinkles in disappointment.” Kit teased him back.

[Wildfire]

“Hrung.” Ashe grunted mimicking his friend Jarmok.

[Dray]

Kit giggled. “You do that pretty good!”

The change in her attitude was sudden and unexpected. “We then got attacked by his minions in early...” she began as she continued her story.

Kit got up after what was two hands of time sitting between Ashe’s knees and walked over to a ledge, looking out over the view.

[Wildfire]

Listening to his young apprentice’s story and her fears about protecting those she is close to,  Ashe inquired, “Someone got hurt during the skirmish on the docks, yes?” Ashe asked, still sitting on the ground and looking up to her.

[Dray]

Kit broke a twig in between her fingers.

“My Captain, shot in the back while trying to save me.”

A long moment of silence followed, Ashe almost expected the clouds to come back.

“She can’t use her legs anymore, the plague that killed or scattered all the clerics here was as far reaching to the north. I came here, I came towards the valley looking for a healer, so as to return her……” her voice broke “…to return her to her ship.”

[Wildfire]

Ashe considered her words carefully. Kit had now made a home here and wondered if the seafaring life was what she really wanted to return to. Much had happened to this fragile soul but through it all she had remained empathic and loyal to those she loved. Perhaps it was all she felt she had left that was her own.

“So now what have you found Kit?” he inquired. He respected her enough to know that if she stayed or returned she would do what she felt was right. That’s the best anyone can do he thought.

[Dray]

(OOC: Note, Kit said, "...to return her to her ship", as in returning her Captain to her own ship after Kit finds a healer for her.)

"There are no healers here, not ones powerful enough to restore the life into my Captain's legs...." she paused a moment, "unless you think you may be powerful enough." She looked down at her hands, Ashe perceived she had a hard time asking him for such a favor on the heels of what he had already done for her.

[Wildfire]

(OOC: I need some time to answer this...stay tuned)

[Wildfire]

OOC: Dray, I took a liberty with Kit and Jordan...feel free to edit as you see necessary

Ashe already knew he was powerful enough. Only recently had he helped Kit in a more critical manner and upon hearing her question the exhaustion of that episode and many long years had come back upon him. He had kept himself in hiding, had even gone by an alias, to avoid his everlasting struggle between the natural order and his empathy. With the death of so many priests and arcanists in the past year his inner battle was now tenfold.

He looked up to Kit’s hopeful eyes and for a second resented her for asking this of him. It was not his place to play with the fate of others. But neither could he bear to see the innocent suffer, he had seen too much of that through his years.

Ashe stood up. Kit could see crinkles of thought on his face as he weighed the question. He turned to look at the Goldleaf trees half expecting them to answer Kit’s question for him.

He ran his fingers through his long silvery grey hair and thought out in his natural tongue, 'How long will it be that I might receive peace? What must I do…can you tell me that?'

A woman’s soft voice came to his mind, 'You must do what your heart tells you…what comes to your instinct.'

“I no longer know what my instinct tells me.” Ashe’s reply was filled with despair.

“Yes you do…you just need to listen to it. Like you did when you saved her.” came the mystical voice.

Kit looked on at the elder’s back unaware of the conversation. Fear that she asked too much of her new grandfather gripped her and she silently wished she could take back her request. 'Too late for that now…he probably hates you.' pathed Jordan. 'Shush you…he wouldn’t hate me.' Kit quipped in response.

“Every decision I make seems to be the wrong one!” came Ashe’s angered reply.

The silky voice observed, “I’m sure she would completely disagree. Follow your heart Son of Clearwater and your decision will be the right one.”

Ashe visibly sighed. His mind stretched out across the land and his vision narrowed. He could hear the birds in their chatter and the crashing of waves. The feeling in his legs disappeared as he took a deep breath. Closing his eyes he could hear the sound of the world…the sound of Mahiya calling to him.

He realized what his deepest inner self was screaming at him to do and spun to face Kit, “I will help your Captain friend. By Mahiyas own hand she will walk again.”

[Dray]

From where she sat, Kit looked up at him with pools of tears around her eyes.

She got up and ran over to Ashe and embraced him, her face sinking into the shirt on his chest.

"Thank you so much grandfather," came the muffled cry.

[Wildfire]

Ashe tenderly put his arms around the young apprentice. He was able to give her some hope for her future and that settled his mind for it was able to settle hers. He hadn’t realized until now that she too could very well teach him a few things. Kit had no idea of the gift, the peace of mind, she had given to him.

“Kit” Ashe softly spoke, “It is I who should thank you.”

Ashe pulled Kit from his chest and rested his hands on her shoulders, “My dear Kit, all of us, everyone, has a past. What we choose to take, to learn from our past makes us who we are for the future. We can choose to rise above and be the masters of it or we can sink and become a slave to it. Your first lesson is deciding what your choice is…for it yours alone to make.”

[Dray]

Kit nodded and again wiped the tears away.

"I understand sir," she said solemnly as she looked at the ground and then thought for a few moments. Ashe was as patient as he had been all morning, knowing the girl was still getting past the emotional and physical stress of the event that happened only a few short days ago.

She came to a decision and spoke again. "And I think I can do that. I think I can move on now. Now that I have her."

Kit hesitated another moment, then drew the aquamarine colored, sand-dollar shaped crystal from her oversized pocket. She held it in the palm of her hand before him and looked up into his eyes with a thousand questions in her own.

It was the first time Ashe had seen the crystal since he had taken it out of her body.

"Who is she?" Kit asked her eyes not wavering from his.

"What[/i] is she?"

[Wildfire]

Ashe eyed the azure crystal…he could sense the presence in it. He had been in her mind and seen the conflict within her during the birth of the crystal. He knew of the separation Kit had taken between her fear and her self. “She is you. She is piece of your self. She is the vessel that holds the fear from your past and your future.” Ashe proclaimed. He looked at the curious Kit and smiled. “And what she is…well, dearest Kit, she is very special as you will come to learn.”

Ashe looked out over the town which, by now, was bustling with its daily activity. Kossuth was eagerly making the day and the town was peacefully being itself. Looking out over the ledge, Ashe spied on the partial reconstruction to his house and instinctively rubbed his head where he was hit by the beam. He motioned Kit to come look. “Devastation like that requires the vigilance of discipline. My house should be finished in the next few days.” Ashe paused a moment and built the final resolve to train Kit as a Seer. “I have a spare room that you can stay in. It was used by my grandson, Liam, but will be yours if you choose to stay with me. It will be your home.”

Ashe took a deep breath and though his mind drifted through a volume of memories, he was certain that this was the right course of action.