Amber - 1 (An Order of Amber) (Patreon)

The air was chill as the snow crunched beneath my feet, the only sounds to be heard the creaking of the trees as their boughs bent under the weight of this winter's snows or the rustling of the few leaves on evergreen trees that dotted the forest here and there. It was the same silence that had encompassed my journey through the Blackwald with Celestine when I first made this trip, though this time there was no one along side me to keep me company.

Once again the air of the forest weighed down on me, its presence a great force in the web of life, dwarfing what I had assembled for myself in my riverside abode. It was not comforting nor oppressive, but made clear that I was a guest in this place. That I was no in charge here.

I followed the path laid out before me, the ebb and flow of magic leading me on a winding path through the woods.

And while I knew it would not be the most direct nor the swiftest path I was sure it wouldn't lead me astray. The murmuring of the forest, half asleep under the blanket of winter, had grown stronger over the last two days.

A bird cawed, the croak of a Raven. It fluttered its wings in the branches of a tree just ahead of me before taking off and flying off to my left, towards the south.

The ravens featured prominently of my memories of the trip here, and I had seen a number of them shadowing me and watching from the branches this time, but this was the first one to actively draw my attention.

It quickly settled on another tree, only a short distance away, before croaking at me again, beckoning me to follow.

"Very well." Understanding an animal wasn't like understanding speech, not even ones as bright as gryphons, but with the echo in their essence and connection to nature their meaning was easy to interpret.

The Matriarch had wanted me to take Donovan from her, to see him raised alongside a rider as Featherstorm had been. Maybe to take him to his father. I didn't know if the letter I had tried to send to Caedan ever reached him, telling him of the hatchling, and I'd been away during Keeland's visit so that avenue had been a missed opportunity.

Lorna was doing well with him. I was still envious of her ability to fly, wishing I had been able to, but the little hatchling had consumed a year of her life before he was independent. Day and night care, and another year of training. Worthwhile in the long term but I had other projects to focus on at the time. Winning Crowley's trust couldn't be done if my every waking moment was spent caring for a gryphon.

I followed the raven from tree to tree, a stifling feeling of being trapped and smothered coming from further ahead. South, south towards the Widow's Brood.

Strengthening the light coming from the crown of false stars I kept above my head I kept a careful eye, and ear, on my surroundings. Webs covered the trees and ground and I had to be careful to avoid walking into them. For all there was danger the raven wasn't leading me into a trap, it needed my help with something. Something that it wished to prevent.

Soon the slim light piercing through the interwoven canopy of branches dimmed and fell away, dusk turning to night, and only my stars gave me light to see by. The shadows brewed with uncertain danger until, in the distance, I spotted a flickering and shimmering light between the trees.

The raven stopped leading me onward, halting in a tree and croaking thrice before going silent.

"Three, then." I muttered. I was not glad that I was being asked to do this, I had hardly outgrown my distaste for spiders. Nor had I changed from my position that it was not Arachnophobia if the fear was an entirely rational one.

But I could handle three easily enough.

A star drifted from my crown into my hand, drawing on the faint wisps of starlight that filtered down. Not enough by which to see, but enough to connect to and draw upon their magic. I clamped down on its light as I held it at the ready and slowly moved along the trees, each root and branch murmuring softly as to keep me from inadvertently alerting my quarries.

The large and grotesque spiders clustered around a something tangled in a web, something they were having trouble finding. They seemed smaller than the one I had encountered with Celestine years ago, but that was not fact, it was perspective. I hadgrown since then. I was older, larger, and stronger now.

Trapped in the web was a fox, but not a normal fox. No, it was shimmering and ethereal, as if it was not wholly there. Wisps of magic streamed off of it into the spiders, befuddling their sense as misdirecting them away from it.

A Blink Fox. Something I hadn't thought was real.

My decision made and task clear I placed my free hand on the tree beside me and whispered the words to complete my spell. "Saren Saethu,"

The incandescent orb lanced from my hand, leaving a trail of starlight behind it as it cored through one spider's thorax, killing it before it was aware of any danger. At the same moment I pulledon the branches of the tree the webs hung from, lifting the fox higher off the ground and out of danger.

Both remaining spiders spun about, screeching and chittering as they darted around the corpse of their fallen fellow. Another one was set to die as, with a twist of will, a root burst from the soil and wrapped itself around the spider; drawing tighter with each moment. It had no way to escape and would soon be crushed.

Which left one. It's mandibles wobbling and oozing venom as its myriad of eyes sought out the attacker; and settled on me. For a moment.

A wisp of magic came from the fox once more, touching upon the spider, and as it raised its limbs and charged it crashed mandibles first into a tree. From where I did as Celestine had down, bringing down the branches of the Blackwald Oak to squash the vermin that stifled the woods.

There was no other presence around, no feeling of aggression, and there was a satisfaction in the trees I had used. Even though I had woken them from their winter dormancy.

"You don't like the spiders either, do you." I said, resting a hand on one of the trees.

The trees sent to me a sense of saplings smothered under webs, leaves covered in silk so they could not feel the sun, of a slow death by inches as the animals that supported the forest were driven to flee the spiders that did not cease their expansion. Of humans who recklessly protected the spiders from those that would normally curb them.

It was a problem that needed to be dealt with, the forest being thrown out of balance by greed, but it would have to be dealt with another day.

Walking forward, and carefully stepping around the puddles of gore left behind by the spiders, I had the trees lower the fox in the web back to the ground. It was an adorablelittle thing, its little ears sprouting fuzzy tufts, shimmering blue fur that distracted and made it hard to see exactly where it was, and a single flowing tail spreading out behind it. It's eyes peered up at me with both curiosity and nervousness.

"You're a cute little thing," I said soothingly, drawing my knife and cutting away at the webs. "I'll have you free soon, don't worry." It struggled as I worked, breaking itself free. Though it darted away, gaining a safe distance from me, it didn't flee. Stopping to pull away at the webbing still tangled in its ethereal fur.

It, no, shewas as much Spirit as Animal. I knew there were Spirit Beasts, the trolls worshipped a number of them as Loa, but the Blink Foxes had been... not part of the lore. Not really. A mere card in hearthstone.

On a whim I reached up above my head, plucking a star from the crown, and gently tossed it towards the fox. She dodged even though it would have missed, but as I left it there she slowly crept closer.

She had to be quite young, I would have to work to recall the exact appearance depicted but I remembered the Blink Fox having threetails. Only the kit, if it had even been a real depiction, had one.

I smiled as the fox moved on from sniffing and staring at my little star to batting at it and knocking it around, her own magic letting her interact with the incorporeal spell. It was like a little kitten playing with a ball of yarn!

"So cute." I muttered.

It was a shame I couldn't stay to play. I had a destination to reach and a promise to fulfil.

-oOoOo-

The little fox reappeared more than once as I resumed my trip towards the heart of the forest. The raven too remained a constant companion, roosting in trees above where I slept in the night and joining me for breakfast; eating the crumbs from my bread and a few choice berries I chose to share with him. I did not light fires, despite the cold, instead drawing the wind around me like a cocoon to hold in my own heat.

With the heavy blanket I had brought along and my clothing bespelled for warmth it was enough. Not terribly comfortable, but enough.

This was not a forest that saw fires as part of its cycle of life, it was an old forest where trees fell from rot and wind and did not burn away like they might elsewhere. Fire was alien here, even if elsewhere it might be a natural part of the cycle. As a guest, and in some ways an uninvitedguest, it seemed prudent to avoid them.

On the morning where I began to recognise the terrain, the blue-green grasses that had surrounded Tal'Doren peeking up through the snow and full of life despite the season, one of the stars I used for light was missing.

It had been stolen.

I laughed lightly, peering out through the forest and catching glimpse of the Blink Fox again, peering out from behind a tree. Almost invisible thanks to its illusions, and yet not truly hidden thanks to my own ability to see mana.

"The nerveof that girl." I said to the raven. He seemed amused, croaking loudly, before pestering me to hurry up and eat.

It was a simple matter to replace the star, but still. I had a spell of mine stolen by a fox!

Finally I reached the heart of the forest. The Blackwald Oaks giving way to a great clearing in which Tal'Doren stood tall and proud, the nexus point for all the power that flowed through these lands. It was nothingcompared to what had been beneath my feet in Dalaran, not even a tenth of the power, but it was still present. All of the forest was focused here. And though the majesty of the Great Tree overshadowed the presence of those gathered before it, drowning out their individuality, they remained enough of a presence to be felt.

As much by the way the forest bore down on them just as it bore down on me, of watching and observing, as their own strength being visible for me to see.

Much as it had been seven years ago there was a fire burning before Tal'Doren, though I would have to remember to call the tree Talloren again, and tents scattered around the clearing. The winter gathering was underway. It was hard to believe it had been seven years since I had been inducted here, received visions I pretended were the source of my future knowledge, and returned home to find my mother missing.

Seven years. Almost half of my time in this life.

I breathed deeply, tasting the pervasive energy of Life that infused the place. "It is good to be back." I said to my growing audience of ravens. There was some nervousness I felt, though I kept it well hidden, about being here. Not even Celestine knew about my plans for coming, though she might have guessed if she remembered my promise.

The one that had been following me all this time flew down and landing on my shoulder, giving me a loud and curiously reassuring croak.

At the very least the ravens approved of my presence.

As I grew closer I attracted attention, the Witches slowing noticing me and talking amongst themselves. Gossiping and staring. Right up until a with black hair and the beginnings of a hawkish nose burst out of a tent, sprinting towards me.

"Gwen!" Emma yelled, her footsteps light on the snow as she quickly closed the distance. Celestine trailed behind her at a more sedate pace. "You came! You came! I thought– but you're here!"

She barely slowed as she reached me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. The impact jostled  my passenger, who let out an irritable croak.

"Missed you." She said, squeezing me tightly as if I would run away.

I ruffled her hair, her head near enough to my shoulders. I hadn't been that tall at her age. "I promised I'd be here." I said. It might have just been in a letter, sent years ago and likely forgotten, but Ihadn't forgotten my promise to my cousin, to my little sister. I hadn't spent as much time with her as I should have, we weren't as close anymore, but I wouldn't miss this. Not when I treasured my time with her on the Tolbecker Farm. "So how could I not?"

Turning to Celestine I nodded. "Celestine, Teacher." I said.

She shook her head, a exasperated smile on her face. "I'm your teacher no more, Gwyneth. I haven't been for years. Welcome, sister."

"Welcome? We shouldn't be giving her welcome. I say we should be talking of what to do with her!" A rude woman marched up, I vaguely remembered her appearance from my last time here but her name escaped me. "Ain't right that she's here. You brought a new apprentice, Celestine, not a girl to become a master."

"Gonna have to wipe the path from her mind, whoever taught it to her." Another woman said, this one wearing a pair of spectacles. "Meredith, you know the forgetfulness brew?"

"I do, now–"

"I was not taught by anyone. I walked the path of the forest, my only guide my own senses." I said, cutting her off. "I have everyright to be here. Or do youspeak for the ravens now, Meredith?"

The raven on my shoulder laughed, its deep croaking a background to me words.

She flushed red. "No one can find the way here! I call thee a liar!"

"Gwyneth didn't lie." Heather said, having made her own way over and standing beside me. "I swear upon Talloren I've not told her the path." A raven flew down from the trees to land on her shoulder, near startling her. "Ah– and, and my mother would not have either. Iam Gwen's closest friend. No other witch save her teacher could have."

"Are you accusing me of breaking tradition, Meredith?" Celestine said, crossing her arms and glaring at the woman. "I have not. My former apprentice does not lie, she completed the journey alone."

A third raven flew down and settle down on her shoulder as well.

I was somewhat surprised by the support, Celestine had not been happy with my breaking of tradition to teach so openly. To allow scrutiny and bigotry easy access to my students by not taking them on as full apprentices and instead giving classes as if it were a school. And, in many ways, I understood, to create a Witch that was a Witch and not just a nature spellcaster the old way was necessary.

But things would have to change. For us to grow, to be relevant in Gilneas and the world, we couldn't gain a dozen new members in half a dozen years. We couldn't simply replacewho we had lost.

One of my students would be my first apprentice, and the rest likely little more than hedge mages with a nature bent, but they were all worth teaching. Half a dozen villages I didn't personally have to heal alone was a boon enough to make it worthwhile.

"I don't believe you. You've always spoken to highly of the girl, the runaway's get, and what? She ran away too. We all heard it!" Meredith said loudly, throwing her hand out to encompass the onlookers. "She sold herself in Dalaran, oursecrets! She sold herself to the Lords, teaching Frey knows what! Cavorting with Paladins! And now you give her the secret to come here– you've not the right. Not the seniority. Not to bring the Inquisition down on our heads."

"The Paladin, Magroth, praised our work." I said, frustration building. "He–"

"Oh, it's funny." Old Grims cackled, cutting me off as she broke into a hacking cough. "Hearing those with no right to Speak demanding to be heard." She wore a wide grin as she laughed again, more than one tooth missing and her face beginning to sag with age. "Ispeak for the Ravens, but they can speak for themselves too. So, Ravens, what say you."

As one all three Ravens croaked loudly, and the one on my shoulder began grooming my hair.

It was strangely cute. I needed to not get distracted by the cute.

"And the Ravens have spoken. She stays." Old Grims said, smacking Meredith with her cane. "And you can shut it. At least rumour says she can teach, where's your apprentice? Old enough to join, not taught enough to know. Or did you throw this one out too?"

Meredith purpled. "This is favouritism!" She protested.

"Yep." Old Grims grinned. "It is. I favour the good ones, 'cause I like them. Even if they don't like me. So shush, the adults are talking."

"I am the second most senior after you!"

She was ignored, Old Grims twisting something in the air to stifle her words into near silence. The weight of Tal'Doren bearing down on her more strongly than anyone else; a rude guest was an unwelcome one, and she was wearing out the patience granted to us.

"Thank you, Raven Speaker." I said.

"Bah, no need for me." She grumbled in turn, waving her hand dismissively. "I speak for the Ravens because they can't be bothered to speak for themselves most of the time. Idiots forget that sometimes. That one," She pointed to the bird on my shoulder, "is clear enough reason to say you are welcome. So, welcome, Sister, in full and truth. You are our kin as we are yours."

I bowed my head. There was a ceremony here and I didn't know it, Celestine... was smirking.

"And now that's done with, let's see off the apprentices so we can talk about things." She prodded at Emma, who was still clinging to me. Though she was staring up at the raven on my shoulder with wide eyes now.

"But!" Emma protested, "I haven't seen you in years!" A lie, it had only been seven months.

"The same was done to me when I was initiated, I'll talk to you later." I said, gently prying her off of me.

She whined a little more but soon sulked away to the apprentices tent, with one other hopeful, while the rest of us gathered around the fire to gossip.

Much as I had thought years ago, the topics discussed were not things of great import. A husband lost his cow to a neighbour's foolishness and wanted his wife to curse them for him, a boy got sick with the flu and the parents wouldn't listen to advice properly, a dozen little pieces of gossip from across the Kingdom. Though none of it from beyond the Wall.

Of course, to my distress, Iwas the most preferred topic. From questions about Crowley's patronage to disbelief over the idea I had spent time amicably with a paladin, or utter shock I willing worked alongside a Sister of the Church.

As much as I had expected it to happen it was still unpleasant.