It mattered not how far he flew from her; he felt her power, and desired to return to her and teach her all that he knew. She was a child, still; there would be others to contend with. Perhaps he might do this in secret. The sentinels were large and from his altitude, he could spot many secluded locations where he could begin his instruction.
But first he must feed, and think more on this! He was drunk off of his find, but could sense on the earth a rodent. He descended upon it and picked it from the ground, ending its life swiftly and mercifully before finding a safe perch from which to dine.
casmir had gone; lasher knew that when he departed to visit luke, at long last, he would also seek out saena, to see if his son had found his way to the maple woodland. so much had transpired! he and peregrine had begun lustful interludes, though he did not know if it would continue, and he could tell no one of them -- tachyon had gone missing, and he could not depart donnelaith while his relationship with deirdre was so strained.
he sighed, loping through the forest -- his eyes caught sight of a feathered stillness near unto him, and the wolf slowed his pace to glance upon it. but he did not speak, and nor did he move -- curiosity welled in his breast.
As he picked the morsel he had captured clean, he felt the eyes of another. The owl had finished his small meal, and returned the look with bright yellow eyes. He had survived for so long by keeping away from creatures such as these, except in the matter of finding an apprentice... but no doubt, this man would kill him if the other thought him prey, as that was the way of things. And yet he was proud and self-assured at present, and felt that his life would go on perhaps for some years more with the prize that he had found. The true lady of the forest, with nothing but the woods and its power in her eyes. He remained in his tree, but looked down upon the man with warmth. Who is it, that fathers the pale she-cub?
Came his deep voice; for he would reveal to no stranger that the babe was a witch, lest they revolt in fear and kill her, as he had seen done many times before.
"taltos, also called lasher." the words rose unbidden from his throat; the man paused only a moment with wonderment at himself, that he should talk to birds and beasts of the field. however, the very presence of the owl here intrigued the man. and yet a sense of danger rose in him -- the little witches were still small enough to be carried away by a beast such as this.
and yet the avian had called deirdre witch, as did lasher himself, though the druid did not know this -- he cupped his ears forward. "she spoke to you."
Ah! Taltos,
The name sounded ancient, sounded like a wretched curse, but the old himself creature could not think of its origins. His mind buzzed instead with the face of the white witch, and was filled with the vision of her. The question was answered with a hearty hoot, and the beast ruffled his feathers. We spoke with the witch. We know of her magic. We would wish to tutor her on The Old Ways. The language of flowers. Curses and Blessings. Our last witch was taken from us, when our forest was taken from us. But our forest and its spirit are within her! And she is the strongest witch we have ever known.
Her power must be instructed, they thought; if left without tutelage, only destruction would come.
the avian spoke of witches, which piqued lasher beyond measure. he listened, cupping his ears forth -- the owl wished to be a teacher to the witch. "and emaleth?" he inquired, but perhaps his shy little one had not yet been visited by this spirit. "from where do you hail, friend?" the druid asked, curious and somehow wary.
We have not seen her,
the old one responded, his sharp eyes upon the father of the one witch that they knew. Though if she had any power, we would share with her our knowledge. It is for all born witches to know, though only the strongest can work the witches magic they wield!
They would see it again, they would! For in the many witches they taught, so few could do though they knew the power to be within their selected apprentice. Perhaps it was dormant in those that they had discovered. It was certainly not the place. But he felt great magic at work here; and Taltos, this Taltos, had not even bat a lash! He knew he had a witch, believed that he might have two! A miracle, indeed! But there had been a shortage, and it was said for every death... and the timing was right, was it not? Far from here,
the owl spoke. We would have remained, were it not for The Great Destroyer. He had come, as foretold, and devoured all in His path. We knew, we sought to warn all we could, but the Gods were cruel that eve, and told us too late.
But that was the nature of the Gods, sometimes, and they understood it, having seen death permitted by them hundreds of times before. But to see the forest they so adored fall! To hear it scream! And that they still live... Well, now, they could understand their purpose. Their forest lived after all, and grew green and rich and vibrant within the pale witch.
the owl spoke and lasher listened with a raptness that he had not felt in some time; the soft hoots of the great feathered predator transported him to the place between the worlds where he had hovered, waiting for suzanne to call him to existence -- oh, his witches! his loved ones. he missed them fiercely, that they had not lived to be granted the power he knew to be existed in emaleth and in deirdre.
"teach them, wise one," taltos breathed, moving closer, his expression one of great reverence. "teach me also, i beg of you -- i have never been a witch, but a servant to witches, and it is my hope to be that always. with your wisdom i shall know how to guide my daughters."
The owl watched as the man regarded him as he was once regarded in the Fallen Forest. His ego stroked, he watched the other with apt interest. He never instructed those that were not witches, but he was old, and if he were to pass, he would need to teach another to share all he knew with and to instruct. We will teach you, Taltos, as you are willing to be in their servitude. Their servant, always, as are we. We would have a place upon your shoulder, and safety to hunt in your forest. You will hear the voices of Old through us, though if They would speak to you alone, that is of Their volition.
The owl had no opinion on this. The fair folk and those of the forest who could be heard but not seen were strange, but beings he adored and also worked in service to. It was because of them he sought the witches, their magic helped them live on!
they were both tools of the craft, it seemed, though he suspected that the old avian knew much more than he could ever hope to understand. and so he relaxed, sated and made safe by the notion that he woud be taught. "you have lived long years. my own life seems only a second compared to yours. and you have my safety, and the use of whatever hunting grounds you may create here."
permission was given freely; it was a token, a trifle, only a bit of payment in return for what the owl would grant him.