Price of Living

Ronin had pulled a couple of his most trusted Leafmen aside with orders to begin searching around Moonhaven. They needed to deal with this Boggan issue sooner rather than later. They weren't strong yet and the Leafmen could handle them without a battle at this point. In a large show of trust and faith, Ronin assigned Nod a team to direct and search the North-East edge. The kid was of course almost tripping over himself to assure Ronin that he wouldn't let him down, but Ronin knew that when it came down to the wire he would do what was right. Nod could come off as a bit of an idiot at times, but he was smart.

Now, walking with Finn, he felt edgy to be getting out with his team. "Relax, Ronin, they can handle a handful of Boggans. We've only actually seen…what? Five? That's hardly too much for teams of four."

Ronin sighed faintly as he walked alongside his friend, pushing aside the odd desire to slouch his shoulders. "I know they can handle it, it just…"

"You have problems letting someone else take control," Finn answered for him, getting a sarcastic scowl back from the slightly older man. He only laughed, however, shaking his head and turning forward again. "On another note, I don't think you'll have to worry about Queen Nova sneaking away again. At least not so long as Éabha's in the vicinity."

The amusement in the younger man's voice caused Ronin to raise an inquisitive eyebrow at him.

"She got up extra early because she wanted to have breakfast with Éabha—her mother tried to hold her off as long as she could, but I'm pretty sure she went and woke the poor woman up," his right-hand explained easily. Secretly, he was relieved that he had been called away and didn't have to be there to try and hold Nova back—that girl's persistence knew no bounds.

At first, Ronin looked amused as well, knowing how the Queen was as well, before the look dulled slightly as he thought. Of course, that didn't go over Finn's head.

"What's wrong?"

Ronin didn't answer immediately, though he opened his mouth to do so, and instead wondered whether it was his right to tell Finn about Éabha's worries. She didn't seem to mind telling him, after a bit of persuasion, and Finn appeared to care for the newcomer. "I went to check on her last night after I spoke with you. She confessed that she was afraid to go to sleep—she feared that this was all going to have been a dream, and she would wake up with her sickness."

The two men stopped walking to face one another, wearing matching expressions of seriousness and concern. Ronin's was slightly less noticeable, but Finn knew the look well. "I can understand her fear—she didn't want to taste freedom and end up with it snatched away."

"Exactly," Ronin agreed, tiredly rubbing at his eyes with one hand—the other, as usual, was resting on his sword. "The only time I've ever seen a fear like that in someone's eyes was on the battlefield—she's not even a soldier and she knew the terror that we've faced."

"She's a strong woman," Finn remarked, studying his friend's expression. There was something…. "It's amazing how calm and kind she is. Many who are faced with death grow bitter."

"The forest wanted to save her. There must be something unique about her," he thought aloud, having been thinking on that since Nova's loud explanation for Éabha's arrival to their world.

"Other than snatching up the attention of all who meet her?" Finn jested, beginning to walk again. "I heard some of the younger Leafmen raving about the new 'maiden of the palace'. Some assume she's like MK, a stomper shrunken down, but others think she's some kind of sprite from the forest."

Ronin chuckled before he could stop the sound, shaking his head at the thought of Éabha as a sprite. She was definitely beautiful and had a mysterious air around her to draw forth those sorts of rumours, but he had learned about sprites when he was young. They were one with the forest, more so than the Queen, and appeared more like jinn than Leafmen.

"I'll have to keep her away from the trainees; they'll get distracted and fall off their birds."

Their conversation was interrupted by the unmistakable voice of their Queen—how was someone so small able to produce such volume? They were nearing the back gardens, where Nova loved to spend her time as she learned to develop her new abilities and magic over the forest. Entering the archway composed of weaving tree roots, both men halted in surprise.

Nova was sitting on a vine that she had magically curled around herself, lifting up so that she was slightly taller than Éabha, who was standing in the center of the garden. A bright white butterfly was perched on her arm, dusty wings flapping slowly as she stared at it in amazement. It was strange to see her in the clothing of the Leafmen, knowing she was not born of their world, but the attire suited her. Nova was happily placing white flowers in Éabha's hair, clustered up atop her head but still pouring down around her neck and shoulders, while the woman was distracted.

Okay, now he could understand the sprite comment.

"Good morning, Highness. Miss Éabha." Finn was the one to great the two women, but both he and Ronin bowed to one knee respectfully. Nova immediately complained about the bowing, tossing flowers at the two. Éabha couldn't help but to erupt into laughter, trying to smother them into giggles, as she watched the small white flora fall into the men's hair and cluster on their shoulders.

"You know they're just being respectful," Éabha said to Nova calmly, watching as the Queen lowered herself down from her vine until she was back on her feet. Ronin and Finn both stood up again, brushing the white flowers off their heads and shoulders. "Good morning Ronin, Finn." The butterfly took off from Éabha's arm, the sunlight catching the brilliant white of its wings.

"A good morning, Éabha?" Ronin asked discretely, watching her smile grow as she recognized the discrete check he was doing.

"Wonderful," she answered immediately, approaching him calmly. At first he wondered if she was going to hug him again, but she only reached up near his ear and plucked a fallen flower petal from his hair. Her eyes shown with amusement as she pulled away again, blowing the petal off of her palm to let it flutter on the breeze. "I hope you slept well."

Finn watched the interaction between the two with a growing curiosity. He'd never seen Ronin welcome someone's touch—with the exception of Tara. When she's stepped up to him, his General had leaned ever so slightly forward in some kind of anticipation; he doubted even Ronin was entirely aware of what he had done. Éabha was a gentle person, he could tell already, but she seemed to treat Ronin with a special type of tenderness.

"I think Éabha should go and see Nim," Nova stated abruptly, appearing behind Éabha after nearly bowling into the young woman. "There might be something he knows about why she's here!"

"We had a similar thought," Finn answered the child first. "He may have the answers to why the forest wanted so save you so desperately."

"Any answer he has I would be grateful for, though I understand if there is nothing he could give," Éabha accepted graciously, nodding her head in gratitude. Nova cheered in excitement, delighted at the thought of getting to go to Nim's Tree, and immediately latched onto Éabha's hand.

"Come on! Let's go now!"

"Nova," Astra warned softly, giving her daughter a look of reprimand at the way she was tugging on the newly-turned Leafwoman's arm. "We must send word to him first, to be sure he is able to see her. And you still have lessons today."

"Aww mom!"

Éabha couldn't help but to smile at the antics of the young Queen, squeezing the hand that was still grasping her own as the young Marigold pouted to her mother. "Please, Nova, you can't put everything aside just because I'm here," Éabha included, drawing that pout in her direction. "Go about your lessons, and then we'll see if we can go to Nim, alright?"

The young Jinn continued to pout, but she nodded her ascent to Éabha and her mother. Parting from the red haired woman, she let her mother guide her from the garden and into the palace for her daily lessons. Thankfully, the lessons themselves weren't too long or boring—at least not all of them—but she couldn't help but wonder what Éabha would be doing through the day.

"You are very good with her," Finn commented with a smile before he bowed to her, nodding to Ronin as well, and left to follow the Queen. Even though she was in the palace, he was her guard and was required to stay at her side.

"He's right," Ronin added calmly. "I don't think anyone can get the young Queen to listen except for her mother. She's much too..."

"Excitable?" Éabha offered, smiling at his pause before he nodded in agreement. "I've always loved children. They're so full of life and innocence, it's refreshing to be around them. My life before was always quite sad, even before I knew I was sick. In my field of study and work, it was very competitive and only the best were given jobs in high places, so I wasn't liked much by my peers."

Ronin's brows pinched down, disliking the mental image that came to mind of people shunning the beautiful redhead for her talent alone. "Simply because you were better?"

"Jealousy is an ugly thing," she answered quietly, her smile fading as her eyes seemed to shift, showing her mind was drifting into her memories. Thankfully, she pulled herself out before Ronin even tried to speak, shaking it off and offering a smile. "My family was always supportive, however, and I knew who to hold true to my heart when it came down to it."

"Nim has a…preference for music. I don't know if it's what you're used to, but it may be something to look into when we visit." The offer immediately brightened her mood, a smile blooming across her features that soothed the tenseness that had come to Ronin's frame. "However, until then, I figured you would wish to speak with your uncle. Are you up for another ride?"

"Well, at least this time I have trousers," Éabha teased, gesturing down to her new outfit before she clasped her hands somewhat bashfully behind her. "I have so many questions about this place, everything makes me curious. I have no idea what these clothes are made out of, but they are amazing."

Remembering Éabha's question the previous day about having trousers on hand brought a faint smile to Ronin's features, softening them, before he nodded to her. "I cannot guarantee that I will know everything, but I can answer what questions you have to the best of my ability."

The emerald of her eyes brightened with her smile. "Thank you, Ronin."

"Come, if we leave now we may escape Queen Nova's wrath of leaving without her again," he offered, extending an arm out to allow her to leave first. Éabha smothered her laughter but she nodded in agreement and quickly ascended the steps out of the garden, the soft tunic she was wearing ruffling behind her as she moved.

Ronin believed that the clothing suited her perfectly, but there was also something about seeing her in the garb of the Leafmen that was strange. Having seen her in the more feminine clothing the day before, he's been expecting something similar to have been provided to her when she woke. In this outfit her shoulders were exposed and the small size of her waist was accentuated, her hair bunched up exposed the pale elegance of her neck.

She paused when they reached a fork in the corridors, letting Ronin take the lead since he actually knew where they were going. Éabha did her best to focus on the directions wanting to know her way around as soon as possible, but at the same time everything was so fascinating to look at as they were walking. It made for a very distracting voyage through the halls, and barely any of the twists and turns stayed with her because of that.

He called for one of the guards to prepare his bird as they were passing, giving the man time to rush off as Éabha followed the General the remainder of the way at a leisurely pace.

The moment they stepped outside, Éabha sighed softly at the feeling of the sun touching her skin. Being so close and surrounded by nature, all she could smell was fresh, clean air; having lived in the city before, this was a dream for her. Putting aside the fact that she was given a second chance at life, she couldn't have thought of a better place to spend that life than among the Jinn and Leafmen.

"Ready?" Ronin asked as he turned to look back at her over his shoulder. Éabha looked away from the towering trees to meet Ronin's soft blue eyes and nodded in acquiescence as a smile brightened her features.

"When you are," she answered, beginning to walk again so she could close the distance between them. Ronin's bird was saddled and waiting with one of the junior Leafmen holding the reigns.

This time, Ronin mounted first but slid far enough forward that there was room for Éabha to slip in behind him. He held out a hand for her, the other grasping the saddle for stability, and pulled the thin woman up behind him as though she weighed no more than a feather. Éabha was thankful that she had pants this time, sitting with her thighs on either side of the General's, while she wrapped an arm around his torso to remain in the saddle.

Once Ronin had the reigns in his hands, they were quick to take flight and leave Moonhaven behind them. She gripped onto his torso tightly, the speed of the flight more than she had been expecting. There had been security of his body behind her the previous day, and Finn had flown much slower when the Queen was riding with them before that.

However, she was still able to enjoy the flight to the same tree as the day before. Taking in as much as she could of the scenery, the red haired beauty was left in awe once more. How would she ever become used to this life? She wasn't sure it was possible to ever become bored of the views surrounding her, even if she lived out the next century in the forest, among the Jinn and Leafmen.

"I want to thank you," she finally stated after a few minutes of peaceful flight, "for coming to speak with me last night. I don't know how long I would have forced myself to remain awake had we not spoken."

"You have nothing to fear here," he assured in response. Somehow, even though she barely knew the man, Éabha believed him. There was faith and trust in what he was saying to her.

Silently, Éabha tightened her grip around the man's waist.