Neverwinter Forest fairydust

for @Nuala but family is encouraged to reference this & welcome for cameos; @Mal @Sullivan @Finínn

Panic dissolves first into relief, then into anger as Mal takes his leave, fresh from finding their daughter past the borders. It takes a few moments of controlled breathing to contain the feeling, remind herself that Nuala is only a child and cannot know better. Yet the tears are still fresh in her eyes when she turns to her only daughter, and she knows her distress must be obvious even as she tries to keep her voice level. Nuala, I want to speak with you about why your trip past the borders has caused so much distress. Come with me, She beckons toward her den, a place of loneliness sometimes compared to the constant presence of her children in their younger days — but for them it is likely familiar and comforting, so she leads her daughter there.

Nuala rolled her eyes at her mom's words; she didn't understand why everyone was being so serious about this. It wasn't like she had gone far. She really thought this was all just a big overreaction; she was fine and would have been fine even if dad hadn't showed up. She could tell mom had been crying, and it wasn't like she felt good about that, but it irritated her that she would be so upset over something so little. 

She followed anyway, though, having no reason not to oblige her mother, especially since she seemed so upset. If anything, she wanted a chance to explain that she was fine and they had no reason to worry. Obviously, the pup was completely oblivious to what had been going on lately. 

Aibreann led them towards then den, and Nuala followed quietly, waiting for her mom to continue telling her what she needed to say.

I understand why you did it; I can't say I was like you as a child — I was never so adventurous — but I knew what it was to have desires. Mine was to help others, Her gaze turns to Nuala, speech halting for a moment to let it sink in. I wanted to be a medic — someone who heals ills and wounds with herbs. I had a mentor, but I was not allowed to aid my friends and family alone when I saw them hurt or sick. It seemed unfair, to have to wait for an adult when I knew perfectly well that I could do the job myself — so that is exactly what I did. She resists the urge to smile as she calls the memory to mind, knowing the outcome could have been far worse than it was — but it was a harmless mistake in the end, something she might laugh about with friends. For Nuala, however, it is meant as a lesson.
My friend complained of a stomach ache — a simple thing with a simple cure, a certain type of berry found in abundance near where we lived. I found the remedy and gave them to her with confidence, knowing I could cure her — but the berries had the opposite effect. My friend threw up all day and all night, and we were both so terribly full of guilt that we didn't seek an adult until the next morning. She seemed deathly ill by then, and I was distraught. Truly, she'd thought her friend might die; in truth, the dehydration had simply made her look corpselike to Aibreann's childish mind. My mentor spent the day treating her, and took me aside later. He explained to me that my friend had simply eaten a meal slightly too old, that he'd intended to let the symptoms run their course. My interference had caused her decline; the berries had slowed her body's process of expelling the toxins, and had made her far more sick than she might have been originally. I might have known this, had my mentor been there to guide me — and now, after time gaining experience and learning, I do know such things. I have the freedom I craved — but first I had to work for it, to learn how to achieve it from those who had already done the work. The world is full of things much more dangerous than berries, and I will not have my children roaming it with no knowledge of how to fend for themselves. I will teach you, if that is what you want; I can show you how to find your way home, how to find food, how to avoid those who might do harm to you — and your father can as well, or Simmik, a loyal friend of ours. If you would learn how to defend yourself, I can find you a teacher. But please, do not try to do these things alone; you have much to learn, and many teachers who would like nothing more than to see you achieve that freedom.

Wow, mom's childhood sounded kind of boring. Nuala had absolutely no interest in plants, or helping others for that matter. Not right now when the prospect of exploring the world seemed so much more interesting. Fighting wasn't something she was very interested in either; it seemed messy and difficult, two things she tried to avoid for the most part. 

Her mom's story was mildly interesting, though, and she listened quietly while the images played out in her head. Of course, mom would find some way to make her bad experience align with what had happened when she left the borders by herself. She still wasn't quite sure she agreed that the world was as dangerous as Aibreann believed. She also didn't necessarily believe that she should have to wait for someone older to be with her before leaving the forest, but both mom and dad had seemed pretty upset about it, which did make her feel bad even if she would never admit it. So, she would at least try to do what they wanted most of the time. 

She heaved a long sigh and looked away. I don't really see why I need someone to go with me; I was fine before dad found me, and I could have found my way back home. I'm not an idiot. She couldn't help but push back a little even if she had already resolved to the idea of doing as her mother wished. Still, she wanted mom to know how she felt about all of it and that she had actually been fine.

Not all of her speech seems lost on Nuala, and Aibreann is grateful for that small victory. Still, it seems the point has not been made entirely; she forgets sometimes that children cannot listen or speak in metaphors as well as adults. I know you aren't an idiot; my concern doesn't exist because I believe you incapable of handling a normal outing. Many times, it will be fine, and nothing will happen — but sometimes, things don't go the way we plan them. Those times aren't as infrequent as you might think; your father would be able to tell you more of the incidents that have plagued our packmates. Perhaps you could even ask them yourself about their experiences — I'm certain each one would have a story to share. I recommend asking your dad first, though; many things have happened, and as the pack's leader, he knows much of it. Even many adult wolves are not entirely safe beyond the borders. Getting Mal to scare the girl might not be the most ethical solution, but perhaps it would be effective.

It was nice to hear that mom at least thought she was capable. But as Aibreann continued to speak, Nuala eyed her suspiciously. Was she just telling her these things to scare her into being more careful, or was she actually serious. Her mom had never lied to her before that she knew of, so she had no reason to think she was lying now. 

What kinds of things? she asked first, ignoring the fact that she had told her to ask her dad about it; she definitely would be finding dad to ask about these things that had been happening, but she might as well see what she could get out of mom and compare the stories just to be absolutely sure. What packmates have had bad things happen to them? She had been blissfully unaware of anything bad going on. She was young and still fairly selfish, so she hadn't really paid much attention to anything that didn't directly affect her in some way.

You'll have to ask your father, She answers with a gentle smile, brushing her nose against the top of Nuala's head. Tell him I told you to ask. She trusts that Mal will know which pieces of information to give and which to withhold. He is a decent father, from what she has seen; she can't ask for more. She does her best to soothe any complaints Nuala may have, and sends her out to play with the other children, hoping their talk will stick with her. At the very least, her apparent curiosity should make her remember for a little while.