Willow

Originally born under the Earthshaker, Willow always had a great interest in herbs and flora. It was no surprise that when she was old enough she chose to travel to the Viridian Labyrinth in order to further her studies. After been welcomed by Terra, Willow chose to call the Moonglade Tribe home. She became an apprentice of Rosa the Clan's herbalist and spent her free time studying the witchdoctor Tetra's alternative use of herbs to create poisons and strange salves. Pretty quickly, the studious young fae had soaked up all that she could be taught. So, Rosa suggested that Willow go out into Sorneith and journey to Clan's from all the regions; to learn their ways with herbs. To satisfy her dream to one day become a master herbalist, Willow accepted, keen to start her journey.

After following the directions she'd been given - and nearly getting lost in the bogs twice - Willow finally arrived at her destination. Admittedly, she was a little nervous. She carried a small nap sack of food over her shoulder and a Blackwing Croaker she'd befriended in the bogs hovered by her side.

The little hut deep inside the bogs in the borderland between Water and Plague territory might have been a bit difficult to find, but it turned out to be surprisingly cozy - and much drier than Willow would have excepted from a Water clan.

Lots of books and scrolls took up the greater part of the walls, and many different dried plants hung from the ceilings. So much to learn!

~~~~

And learn she did. Her teacher Wrex, born an Earth dragon just like herself, turned to be not really grumpy at all once she had proven that she was here to learn and not to disturb his studies. In the following days, he taught her about the helpful plants that grow on the shores of the Sea of a Thousand Currents, and how to preserve and process them.

His mate Sekhmet - an eerily quiet Imperial - accompanied them on a day of field studies. When she didn't stand guard to watch out for wild critters, she pointed out some invasive plants from Plague territory to Willow and cautioned her to be very careful if she ever intended to study them.

~~~~

The days flew past in a rush, and before she knew it, it was time for Willow to say goodbye to her teachers and continue her studies elsewhere. Wrex accompanied her back to the main lair of the clan, where she'd have a better chance to find a save passage to another region, and then he hastily and grumpily bid his goodbye, shoving a small present towards Willow. Not a fan of long goodbyes, evidently.

Equipped with a new, well-filled herb pouch (and still followed by that persistent Blackwing Croaker), she set out for the next part of her journey.

~~~~

Arrived with: Blackwing Croaker Familiar These creatures spend their early lives swimming in shallow riverbeds. When they mature their fins will have elongated enough to facilitate flight. 2800 Bluetipped Shellbug Insect The kings of shellbug-kind. 42 4

Met:

Leaves with: Blackwing Croaker Familiar These creatures spend their early lives swimming in shallow riverbeds. When they mature their fins will have elongated enough to facilitate flight. 2800 Conjurer's Herb Pouch Apparel Every great conjurer needs components to aid their spellwork. A pouch of herbs, seeds, and flowers make for effective reagents. 500

After a long journey, Willow finally made her way to her destination. She approached the small collection of tents outside the clear ice wall. The fae carried with her a small pack of herbs gifted by her last placement and a modest napsack of food. The Blackwing Croaker she'd met in the bogs still followed loyally behind.



Before she could even really comprehend the sight in front of her she was greeted, rather loudly and a bit too cheerfully, by a bouncing mirror. The mirror soon enough, after a brief ramble about 'how worried he'd been' and 'the horrors of anxious waiting for her', the dragon introduced himself as Loke.

Willow quickly came to understand that Loke as a bit of an oddball. But he was certainly friendly, speaking to her like an old friend from the very beginning. And he quickly snagged her some warmer clothes, even going as far as scolding her a bit for not being better prepared for the weather. As far south as they were it was essential to be well-dressed lest one wanted to lose a limb or two to the cold winds.

It was quite a lot to take in at once. Loke seemed perfectly familiar with who she was and why she was there already, but Willow knew near to nothing of them. And as she was rather tired from such a long journey, it was a tad difficult to keep up.

So she was very relieved when the mirror led her to a fairly large structure a bit away from their 'general market' and told her to unpack, get comfortable and relax for the rest of the day. A schedule was already prepared for her, which she was handed promptly, and someone would be out to fetch her in the morning. Until then she was free to rest at the Inn - a room was already prepared, meals were ready for her and she was free to wander wherever she wanted to.

It was baffling, in a way, that everything was so planned out. But Willow tried not to linger at it and figured it was certainly an interesting experience. Instead she approached the Inn and, after a brief chat with the keeper of the Inn, Eostre, Willow made sure to relax. She had a decently sized room all to herself, after all, and didn't hesitate to unpack her very few belongings. Her herbs, her food. And the Blackwing Croaker she'd met, of course.

She settled for spending the rest of her day merely exploring. After enjoying a hot meal at the Inn she set off, keen to explore the place she'd be staying in for a couple of days. She fluttered around the many stands and huts, talked to a few different dragons and wondered if she'd perhaps be able to purchase a few of the items that were being sold. Though, she realized, she had no money. Which was somewhat of a problem when one was looking to make a purchase.

Money or no, it was a rather exciting first day. And when Willow sunk into the furs of her room she was quite excited to see what the next day would bring.



The next day would prove to be as interesting as the first. When she got up, Willow was quickly brought down for breakfast. It was far too early for her taste, total darkness still lingering outside, but she didn't question any of it.

Barely an hour later a dragon came to fetch her, as she'd been told. It was another fae, glowing softly from strange markings that littered his body. He was pleasant enough, however, and introduced himself as Honir. He was a rather new addition to the clan, he said, and would be spending the day with her alongside his mate, Ragnarok.

As they made their way through the lair, the sheer number of dragons already heading out quite a sight, Honir explained a few things to her. He told her of all the dragons that where there to train and then go to serve the deities, told her of the different branches within Valhall and what they would be doing.

They soon enough made it to the greenhouses. There waited their current 'teacher', Gerd. The brightly colored snapper didn't hesitate into telling them that she would be teaching them all over the next few days. Originally, Gerd was supposed to be Valhall's new permanent herbologist. However, she found that the clan was not quite to her liking and had agreed to help their new herbologists - Honir and Ragnarok - get comfortable and settled first. And Willow, of course, would get to tag along and learn as it all went down, as they had all arranged.

And so they started. Gerd was quick to set Willow to work, instructing her on how to re-pot a few specific herbs that only grew in the Icefields and what they did. Willow was also given a few books to help her along, all handwritten notes made by Valhall's previous herbologist on the different plants she was working with, their properties and how they functioned. Detailed notes, too, even getting down to the nitty-gritty details of how they looked on the inside and what specific parts of them enabled them to survive the ridiculously hostile environment of the Icefields.

For most of the day, it was all about re-potting herbs native to the Icefields and their properties. Honir popped by once in a while, helping her or quizzing her on the basics. It was certainly tiresome and hard work, giving some insight into what running an entire greenhouse was actually like, but at the end of the day Willow was presented with a handmade little journal - just for her. Her name was written in brilliant gold letters over the owl carved into the leather, a soft khol pen attached to it. Ready for her to make notes as she learned.

To make sure she didn't forget anything she was taught, Gerd has said with a massive smile. And then had promptly shooed her off for the day, not about to run the little fae completely into the ground.

The next few days were rather similar. Willow got up early, observed the dragons that left to train in the early hours and met up with the other three in the greenhouse. She re-potted a lot of plants, was the unfortunate victim of a whole lot of random quizzes and got to help with the other various tasks. Watering, weeding, general cleaning and adjusting the scarce equipment in there.

It was hard work. But when it was nearing on time for her to leave, Willow certainly felt like she'd learned quite a lot about some of the herbs and plants from the Icefields. She'd copied down a lot of information into her journal, made drawings and diagrams and generally ensured she had as much as possible written down.

Willow knew it was just a start, however. Even when the day came and her journal was filled, she'd have plenty left to learn. To be a supreme herbalist she would need to know a plethora of things - how plants worked, what specific nutrients to give and how it affected the plant, how to create hybrid plants and how to make the absolute most out of what she had. And it would certainly be a long journey yet, after her days at Valhall, she felt more prepared.

With a decent grasp on how plants were built, what basic rules applied in the plant world and how to categorize unknown plants properly she had a whole new side of things to look further into. She already knew plenty - from her last destination and her home - but there was clearly a whole world left to explore. And it only made her more determined to learn it all.



The time to leave came. When Willow stood by the gates, her bag packed and the coat still on her despite her best efforts to return it, she had to admit that leaving was sad. She'd made friends, she felt, but her journey wasn't over yet and she couldn't just stay. There was already a home for her out there and she intended to return with a plethora of knowledge and new items.

Willow said goodbye with cheer and was met with the same, all of her newfound friends wishing her the best of luck and telling her that she'd be welcome back at any time - and if she had any further questions, of course she was more than welcome to send them a letter or two! And if she just felt like it, too.

With plenty of good wishes and proper clothing for the Icefields, Willow set off towards the next leg of her journey. And the little Blackwing Croaker still followed her, though, looked like it was hoping for a warmer next destination.

And as she left Valhall's territory, a little light shone over her head. As she gazed up, she caught sight of the symbol of the Earth flight hovering over her head, glowing like a little beacon in the dark. And she couldn't help but grin, letting the light lead her into the dark forests and deciding not to question it. If nothing else, it was a sweet little gesture and surely some light would keep her going no matter where she went.

By the time she reached her destination, Willow had thanked the rune over her head for its light more than once. It was a long and cold flight from the Southern Icefield to the Windswept Plateau, and without her light she feared she may have gotten lost over the canal separating the two. Or worse, she may have been swept up in the Twisting Crescendo! Luck was on her side, and it seemed that her element was with her, however.

She wasn’t sure how she knew when she had reached her destination. It was as if it just came to her, that the Reedcleft Ascent was where she needed to stop. She spent a few days hopping from cliff to cliff, from clan to clan, trying to find what it was about this place that spoke to her. She was almost tempted to give up, but her resilience paid off.

“Hello,” a deep voice said from behind her, causing her to jump and spin around, “are you lost?” The voice came from a large (compared to Willow) Tundra, with his head cocked to the side and spectacles nearly sliding off his face. “I don’t recognise you. I can help you find home, if you’d like. Or you’re welcome to stay with my clan, although we don’t have much room right now.” He laughed, a genuine but almost menacing sound (or maybe that was just the crown of bones that he wore?). Willow gulped and slowly began to explain who she was, and what she was doing. As it was, she didn’t say her name until the end of her explanation, and when she did, his eyes lit up. “Oh, yes! You should stay a while! I didn’t introduce myself, my apologies. I’m Vagabond, the leader and founder of Willow Clan. It would be too great of an opportunity if you didn’t stay for a while in Willow, Willow! Come with me, I’ll introduce you to my clan.”

Willow still wasn’t sure how she felt about this Tundra, but she had to agree with him. She had a sense of humor, and it would be pretty funny for her to be able to tell all her friends at home about the clan that shared her name. So, she followed him back to his home, a crowded cliff side near the border of the Reedcleft Ascent and the Twisting Crescendo. Vagabond explained to her that they were preparing to move the clan to the great storm, so she had arrived just in time. There were dragons of every Flight there, and many caves dug into the cliff face with banners and strings of feathers and beads hanging in front of their entrances. Music seemed to be coming from somewhere, but Willow couldn’t pinpoint where.

Vagabond led her to one of the smallest caves, and pushed his way inside, motioning for Willow to follow. Inside was a cozy home, and another fae like herself. Vagabond introduced Willow to this fae, telling her that her name was Eppi. Eppi asked that he please stop bringing home strays, and Vagabond grinned, nudging Willow forward and having her tell her story to the other fae. When Willow finished, Eppi sighed and lead Willow deeper into the cave. “I guess you can stay for a while… But you should change your clothes. You’ll get too hot wearing that, come with me.” Willow was given a large brown cloak, matching socks, and a bag to hold all of her things in. Eppi was much nicer than she seemed, her disapproval was only an act. She gave Willow a beautiful blue pendant, and told her that everyone who visited Willow Clan was given a gift.

After Willow was dressed, and Eppi had looked her up and down, Eppi asked if Willow knew how to fight. Willow was slightly confused, fighting wasn’t part of being an herbalist, was it? Eppi explained to her that yes, actually, it was. If one happens to get into a fight with an enemy Beastclan during their travels, they should know how to defend themselves and how to use the plants around them to heal themselves and any companions they have with them. Willow saw the logic in this, it would be useful to learn about battle herbs! Eppi said that she would teach her how to defend herself and how to heal herself and others using plants commonly found in Sornieth, but only in the morning. The two had been talking a lot longer than Willow had noticed, and she realised that she was suddenly very exhausted. Eppi invited her to stay in her cave during her stay, which Willow gladly accepted. Vagabond had strung up a hammock for her while she and Eppi were talking, and she had barely managed out a “thank you” before she fell into a deep sleep.

----

The next day, Willow was awoken rather abruptly. Eppi was by her hammock, and the sight of the bird skull near her face startled Willow into falling out of her temporary bed. Eppi laughed, not out of malice, but amusement. She told Willow to gather her things, they were going out with a dragon named Edgar to train. Willow was excited, but also a little nervous. She’d never fought anything before, she hoped she would be good at it! She quickly gathered her things and followed Eppi out to a large field, where she was introduced to a formidable looking Wildclaw. The scars covering Edgar’s body scared Willow a little, would that happen to her?

Edgar snapped Willow out of her thoughts, surprisingly gentle. “Don’t worry, you’re safe here. This is the Training Fields, enemies here are weak, and none will be able to hurt you with me around.” Willow was put at ease, if any dragon knew what they were talking about, it seemed to be Edgar. They quickly fell into a routine, Edgar fighting weak monsters, and occasionally letting themselves get a scratch or a wound so Eppi could teach Willow how to heal using herbs from her pouch. Willow could feel herself getting stronger after every fight, it was a strange feeling. She enjoyed it though, she felt like she could take on the world (or at least a Glowing Pocket Mouse).

After a while of training, Edgar showed Willow how to use her own offensive abilities. Willow had much to learn that Edgar could not teach her about her own elemental capabilities, but she showed Willow a weak neutral attack that would weaken enemies. Willow tried it out on a few of the enemies in the field, and she was very pleased with the results! She felt stronger than she ever had, and smarter too! She was proud of herself, and it seemed Eppi and Edgar were too. By the time the day was nearing its end, Willow was exhausted, but pleased with herself.

Back in the clan, Eppi gathered all the dragons that called it home to a meeting, introducing Willow to them one by one. There were so many, Willow felt overwhelmed! But they all congratulated her on her training, and a few of them gathered around her and asked her to tell stories about her life in the Viridian Labyrinth, and her trips to the Sea of a Thousand Currents and the Southern Icefields. Willow obliged them, talking excitedly about her mentor Rosa, who had encouraged her to make this journey, a grumpy Earth dragon living in a Water clan, and her friends from the Fortress of Ends, Loke and Honir and Ragnarok.

She ended her story with a smile, and said she hoped that she would make many friends in this clan too. It all seemed to go over well, as the dragons of Willow Clan kept her up late into the night talking, until Edgar came and sent them all to bed, much like a parent would to a hatchling up past their bedtime. Willow was thankful for the interruption, and made her way back to Eppi’s den, her eyes heavy with sleep, but her mind buzzing with excitement. She hoped that the upcoming days would be as exciting as this one was!

----

The next few days were much like Willow hoped they would be, and very similar to the first full day she had spent with Willow Clan. She trained with Edgar in the mornings, learned about healing herbs from Eppi in the afternoons, and in the evenings she spent time with different members of the clan, listening to their stories and telling her own.

She stayed longer than she meant to with the friendly Wind clan, making many new friends and learning a lot of new things. But she knew that there was only so much she could learn there, and as an Earth dragon she didn’t want to stick around when they made their move to the Twisting Crescendo. With a sad smile, and a long goodbye, Willow left Willow Clan behind, moving on to further her knowledge. She knew now how to defend herself, and how to help others in need if something should happen during a battle. And with the blessing of the Earthshaker, her elemental rune, she was sure that she would learn many more things before her journey reached its end.

During her stay in the icy lair of Dragonair5128 Willow learned many ways of using the frozen herbs to heal many common and deadly diseases. One of which was common in the frozen lairs of the Icewarden, frostbite. Her mentor, Autumn, helped her learn what herbs were important to heal frostbite by showing Willow how she treats some of her patients on of which was a newborn hatchling with a deadly case of it. With the help of Willow, Autumn was able to help the hatchling live a healthy life.

During her stay, Willow also courted the handsome fae Raikhel and had three tiny hatchlings.

Finally, Willow found herself hitting the road again. This time, her search led her to the Starfall Isles. As usual, her Mage attire was draped from her shoulders; a small knapsack of food around her waist. Her loyal Blackwing Croaker followed behind eagerly.

Approaching the crumbling tower atop the spire Willow wondered how in the name of the gods it was still standing. Holes in the walls visible even at ground level showed dragons with in going about their business as if nothing was wrong. The Wildclaw at the gate was all to happy to greet her, he was holding a note that Willow could see mentioned her and a short description.

She was hurried off to be show to the leaders (proof she arrived safely Remy told her), they seemed busy but that didn't matter Willow was here to meet two other dragons. She was not expecting to be walked to a floating garden, through a hole in the wall and even more shocked to find dragons just enjoying the peace and quiet here.

Willow was delighted to find the clans Herbalist and resident druid were thrilled to teach her. She also spent a few days with the clan shaman, admittedly that was when the pair got caught poking around in the hoard looking for ingredients.

As the time drew near for Willow to leave she found herself being wished well by many of the clan. Most where sad to see her leave despite her not remembering speaking to some of the dragons that came forth. She was sad to leave but it was time to head back home and put what she learned into practice.

Gift:

Teardrop Pastel Spinel Leg Band

Apparel

A delicate leg band of splendid pastel spinel.

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