Under any other circumstances, Cyran would have taken the time to savor the natural beauty of Lantern Light Wood. Being back in his home country, especially so close to Eclipse City, was accompanied by bittersweet feelings and memories. But right now, he was on a mission, and he had to push these thoughts aside in favor of focusing on his job.

He was currently traversing through the tall, thick foliage of the forest in search of whatever had been destroying the lantern light bulbs, one of the most rare and essential plants for the forest ecosystem. According to the locals, the plants were being consumed by a dangerous species of insect that had invaded the woods in the past few months. While they were believed to be harmless at first, as long as the locals kept their distance from the nests that had been constructed amongst the tall trees, they soon started observing new… changes in the woods.

The lantern light bulbs were disappearing, affecting the local flora and fauna. A few travelers who had been passing through the area spotted some of the wasps eating the plants, and figured out that the new species of creatures were behind the recent deforestation. The merchant had sounded so concerned when he was talking with Cyran that Cyran couldn’t help but promise that he would search for some of the wasp’s nests and dispose of the creatures. Supposedly, they were popping up all over the place, but Cyran had seen neither hide nor hair of the buzzing creatures, or their nests.

He currently held Cold Steel in his hand, though he wasn’t on guard as he watched the treeline for any of the insects. As he walked, a small, fuzzy vampire bat fluttered around him, keeping an eye out for any of the instinct, though Yeux the bat had yet to spot anything of importance. Cyran was not especially adept at insect hunting, but the forests of Moonglade were lovely, and he wanted to at least try to do his part and make sure that they were protected from invasive species.

He continued on his trek through the woods, light from the nearby bioluminescent plants guiding him.

Sarris had been to one of her sessions with Mistress Kamille. Sarris still had a lot to learn about her magical abilities and even more about keeping her emotions in check when using those abilities. Move mounds of dirt and stone, no problem. Stack small stones on top of each other and she could barely do that. Getting frustrated mad the matter even worse. Sarris could throw a large wall with now effort when she was afraid. Kamille had sent her here to investigate the secrets of the Lantern Light plant.
Sarris believed it was more that her teacher wanted her calm down and being in nature gave her time to think and focus on her lesson. For the last few months it had been on concentration.

In the dark of the woods in a small grassy glade that made a landing spot for Fireclaw earlier in the day. Sarris sat trying to stack rocks with her magic by a small fire when she heard someone approaching.

“If you are a friend, you are welcome to share the fire. If you have other intents, my dragon will eat you,” she called.

Fireclaw looked up and the small stacks of pebbles fell over. Sarris had not thought that her Drake may have some intrinsic magic and be trying to teach her to go bigger. stacking pebbles had very little practical use as far as Fireclaw could see.

Much to his surprise, Cyran spotted a small light in the distance, something that looked like it didn’t belong with the rest of its natural surroundings. A fire? The amber glow stood out in the night like a firefly. Figuring that it was probably a fellow traveler, he started making his way in that direction. He stayed on guard, worried that he was walking towards some unsavory characters, but when he stepped out into the clearing, he was surprised to see a young woman sitting next to a fire, a drake sitting next to her. He was just about to leave them to their business when the young lady called out to him.

Cyran hesitated to speak at first. He didn’t want to intrude on any of her business, but now that he had been spoken to, it would be rude not to respond.

The assassin stepped out from the shadows, making himself visible to the elven woman. She truly looked like she was minding her own business out here, and he would assure her that he meant no ill will. “I am a friend.” He said, keeping his hands away from his weapons. There was a single visible dagger on his belt. A good assassin, of course, kept more concealed weapons on his person that could be accessed at a moment’s notice, but he did not reach for any of them right now.

“Good evening. I didn’t mean to interrupt your peaceful night.” He said slowly, wearing a somewhat sheepish smile on his face. “I’m simply passing through on business. If you would enjoy the company, I would be more than happy to rest at your campfire for a second. My name is Cyran, by the way.”

As always, he gave his real name. Cyran had no need for an alias, as he had a special way of making sure he would be forgotten in the event that an encounter went south. Nor did he have any family name to speak of that could possibly be used against him. He had a feeling that this encounter, though, would be a friendly one.

“Well met,” Sarris said not moving from her spot leaning against Fireclaw.
The Drake lifted its head and snorted at Cryan. It was not an offensive snort.

Sarris tossed another log into the fire.
“Interesting..” she said as he approached the light of the camp fire.

Her brain was playing detective.

She switched over to speaking in Elvish.
“You are traveling alone in the dark woods at night,” Sarris said thinking things through.
“That should make me worry,” she said plainly.
“You are not winded, so you are not being chased. So you must be looking for something or someone,” she said holding up a finger to pause his response.
“You do not have a bow, crossbow, or axe,” she added.
“So you are not a hunter or a woodsman,” she said thinking this through.
“Still you are traveling alone and lightly armed,” she said now tapping it against her chin as she thought.
“So you might be,” she said turning her head looking at him closer.
“Looking for,” she said then straightened her head.
“A witch? A Nymph? Or a lost love?” She fished with a semi serious look.

She motioned for him as she said, “Sit down over here.”
Patting the ground.
“Would you like some warm bread and cheese as you tell me your story?” She asked.

“I love a lost lover story! So even if there is not one add one in,” Sarris said.

“

As he approached, the drake lifted its head and seemed to assess him, eventually giving him an almost amused snort, which he decided to take as approval, as it allowed him to get closer. He had never been especially good with animals besides birds, but this one seemed to like him, which he would take as a compliment. As he got closer to the fire, the girl switched over to his native tongue, delivering her assessment of him like a master detective before confidently asking,

”A witch? A nymph? Or a lost love?”

Cyran sheepishly rubbed at the back of his neck, surprised she’d managed to gather so much from looks alone. She seemed rather peaceful and friendly, if not a bit playful, but harmless enough.

“I’m looking for a nest, actually.” He replied with a laugh. Though a lost love was a rather sweet answer, and would have been far nicer than the mission he currently found himself on. “There’s not much of a story to tell but I’d be happy to share it. And I shall include a lost lover, as per your request.” He added with the ghost of a smile.

She gestured for him to come take a seat, and it would be rude to deny a young lady’s invitation, so Cyran found himself sitting next to her in front of the fire. “Some bread would be lovely, thank you.”

Embers popped and cackled from the warm fire while Cyran shared the story of how he’d ended up out here. “There’s a new colony of wasps that has made its home here in the woods. Ordinarily they would be fine, but it seems their main sustenance is a rare plant in this area… and they’ll destroy the ecosystem at this rate. I’ve been tasked with destroying some of their nests to preserve these beautiful forests.” He paused.

“Also, I’m in search of a lost lover.” He added as a joke.

“But what about you? What brings you out through these woods?” He asked, curious. It wasn’t rare to run into lone travelers around here, but an adventurer with a dragon was a little more rare. “Just passing through?”

“Wasps give a kiss and a lovers sting I would not want,” she said having been bitten and stung before.m
“But a man with no smoker or padding alone to deal with wasps. You do not look prepared to fight the queens daughters,” Sarris said in a questioning tone.

“I was sent here by Mistress Kamille to contemplate the the Lantern Light Flowers. This glade should be filled with them, but it is not..” Sarris stated.
“I have been learning magic from her and when I get frustrated or seem to be missing the lesson, she sends me on a task like this,” she said like a child who is in trouble with their tutor.

She pulled a bowl from her pack and with a wave of her hand and a few words spoken, a hot stew and bread appeared. She handed them to Cyran.
“This should tide you over,” she said casually passing him a spoon as well.

“I must say, I am less equipped to fight wasps than you are,” she said with a sigh. More of the girl was exposed than was covered.
“But I am willing to help you and Fireclaw could possible be a help too. ” she added.

“Smoker? Padding?” Cyran tilted his head to the side as the young lady asked in a rather indirect way whether he was equipped to deal with the infestation. In reality, he had just been planning on taking care of them with his daggers, and cutting up the nests once he was finished. Despite the small, fuzzy bat currently nestled on top of his head in his hair, Cyran was not very adept at handling animals very well. “I’m not sure what you mean by that. Is there any particular way I ought to be handling wasps?”

He nodded along as she explained that she was here for a Mistress Kamille… the name sounded familiar. He’d never met the witch of Moonglade personally, but hearing that she had an apprentice of sorts out here practicing made sense. “Perhaps the wasps have eaten the flowers, as well.” He mused to himself. “Do not lose heart. Magic is a fickle mistress. I’m sure this fresh air will do you good, and clear your head to try again.”

She handed him a bowl, and Cyran blinked in confusion until she waved her hand, and a warm meal suddenly appeared out of thin air. He blinked, picking up the bread experimentally, surprised to find it completely solid rather than an illusion as he’d expected. “Thank you kindly for the meal.” Sitting cross-legged like he was, it was difficult to manage a bow, but he still dipped his head in appreciation, nearly sending the little bat spiraling into the bowl.

He sipped at the soup, grateful for the food to keep him going, while she lamented that she wasn’t exactly equipped to handle wasps, either. Cyran set the bowl down in his lap, regarding the drake with a curious expression. “I wouldn’t ask you to help unless you were willing, especially if you are here on a mission yourself. But if you wish to accompany me, I would be happy for the assistance.” And he had a feeling that their goals might have more of an overlap than he initially thought.

“Most people smoke them before they attack the nest. Like most bees they do not like fire and try to hide in the nest. They get lazy and less aggressive,” she said.

“That is normally what happens when my Mistress sends me someplace. I help someone,” she said coyly.
“Fireclaw can make fire. I can make it cold and snow or create a wall. That should help confuse them.,” she added.
“I have other tricks up my sleeve, I am sure you do too,” she said with the knowledge that there maybe more to him then what her eyes were showing her.

When he bowed his head, Sarris beamed. She liked manors.

“What is your bat’s name? “ Sarris asked.
The Druid part of her liked animals, though her ability speak with bats was a bit squeaky.

She relaxed and leaned back.
“I was thinking do you think these ‘pests’ are active at night? They are hunting a flower that glows in the dark,” she asked.
“That would give them a tactical advantage over thing that might want to hunt them,” she added.

Along the edge of the firelight eyes glowed.
“A small pack of young wolves,” she said.
“They are hunting some small animals that are hiding in the glade,” she added like this was not a big deal.

“That’s a smart idea.” He hadn’t been aware that smoke would be an ideal way to lure the creatures out from their nest, or he would have brought some kind of poultice to help. But the young lady seemed to have an idea of how to induce such an effect already. That plan could work- heat accompanied by rapid cold would induce steam, which could hopefully work the same way. “And I have other tricks up my sleeve, as well. Should they become aggressive, I could take care of them.”

Of course, he was still hesitant to accept her help even though she seemed keen on it. She and her companion, Fireclaw, both looked eager to lend their assistance.

“My bat’s name?” He blinked, somewhat surprised that the young lady had asked about him. She seemed to like animals, though, so he gently lifted the small creature from where it had nestled on top of his head. “His name is Yeux.” The little animal perked up at the sound of his name being called, blinking his sleepy eyes. Even though it was dusk, rapidly approaching nighttime, Yeux was still sleepy. He would probably rouse fully under the light of the moon.

Speaking of night time…

“That was my suspicion, yes.” He confirmed. The Lantern Light Bulbs would be the most visible in the night, making them ideal for the insects to hunt for an easy meal. The sun had nearly completely set, though, and he’d yet to find any of the bulbs, or these insects. “I will probably set off once the sun has fully set and see if I’ll have better luck under the light of darkness.”

He often seemed to find more success in the night, anyways.

The luminous eyes just at the edge of the campfire caught his attention- Cyran nearly went for his dagger when the young lady turned to him and explained what they were doing here with a completely nonchalant expression on her face, as if she could sense exactly what these wolves were thinking.

Cyran hesitated, brow furrowing. “Can you… understand what they’re saying?”

Sarris shoved some food in her mouth as she listened to Cyran.
She nodded her agreement.
“Good!” Sarris said agreeing that he had other tricks up his sleeves too.

“Leaving on foot in the dark is not a good plan. Wolves see better and have better smell than we do. The pack would hunt you or me if we walk. I suggest we fly, we would see the light of the bulbs better. Unless you want to width a pack of wolves before you find the nest,” Sarris said.

“To understanding them, Yes. I understand them, They mostly speak with bodily language. They decided Fireclaw is to big of a prey to take down and they think we are part of his pack,” she said.
Looking at him Sarris explained, “When night comes they will test this as they see better and they run faster than we do.”
“So pulling a dagger will not get you far,” she added.

She took a bite of her bread.
When she finished chewing she asked, “Would you like me to ask them if they know what direction the the big insects are?”
She looked at him with her green eyes like this was a normal conversation and she was not crazy.

He wasn’t sure how he felt about flying as the young lady suggested. This Fireclaw seemed dependable, but despite his few centuries of life, Cyran had never found himself on the back of a drake. Still, she was right- even though Cyran was stealthy and adept at hiding where most people would never find him, he didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention while wolves were on their hunt like the young lady insisted, which… still bewildered him.

She explained that they communicated with body language, and although the semantics of how it worked were lost on Cyran, he nodded along anyways. It was true that the eyes were warily watching Fireclaw, who didn’t seem especially bothered by their attention. He still kept his hand close to his dagger just in case, wary of any that still might attempt to jump through the threshold that the light from the campfire created and attack them. His dagger was far from the strongest weapon he possessed, but in a situation like this, only the dagger was necessary to spook them off. He was willing to defend himself, but he did not fancy killing animals just looking for a meal.

The young lady inquired if she should ask them where to locate the insects, pulling Cyran from his thoughts. “Hm? Oh, yes. That would be… helpful, if they do know. It would certainly cut down our search time.” He replied, unsure of what else to say. But communicating with animals was far from the most absurd thing he’d seen, even though this was definitely a first.

“Once you get an answer, we shouldn’t dally. Especially if Fireclaw will only deter them from attacking for so long.” The sooner they took care of these insects, the better. He had already finished his meal, the bowl resting delicately in his lap.

Sarris brushed her hand off, stood up and smoother her skirts.
Fireclaw lifted his head and watched her.
His body language conveyed a very strong “Mine.”
Sarris turned and said, “Be nice!”

Moving to the edge of the firelight and holding her broom, she started to make yip, yap, and barking sounds. Till a female wolf approached and sat.
To a non Druid it would appear that Sarris had lost her mind. The wolf licked a few times showing that she was attentive and her body language showed that she anxious. Others would be moving to protect if there was an attack.

Sarris sat quietly as the wolf sniffed the air and finally approached Sarris.
When she did Sarris started her conversation. it included barks, yips, growls, buzzing sound like bees, and other sounds. it went for a while and ended with Sarris giggling while getting licked by pups out on their first hunt.
Showing them off, she returned to translate.

“They have been affecting by the infestation, their hunting is poor and they are looking for a new area.. Their pack has a den in that direction,” she said pointing.
“It insects are about a little ways beyond it. One of their packs was killed,” she added.
“They are hungry,” Sarris added.

The young lady stood, approaching the edge of the fire while Fireclaw watched the interaction as if this were completely normal, but Cyran had no idea what to make of the interaction. At least they seemed to be understanding one another, so Cyran sat back and watched, ready to intervene if things went south.

It turned out, he didn’t need to- when the wolf approached, their conversation ended with a couple of young wolf pups excitedly coming up to the young lady and pouncing on her. Cyran slowly forced himself to relax as this show of camaraderie progressed and it was apparent they had no intention of attacking her, until she picked herself back up and returned to the campfire with a story that was considerably more grim than Cyran had expected.

He could not stop from frowning thoughtfully as she described that the wolves had been just as devastated by the wasp infestation as the local plant life. All the more reason to get rid of them as quickly as they could. He only wished he had some kind of game to feed them, but he was no hunter of animals. But during his trip here, he had noticed something that might help… “I believe I saw a fox den in that direction, if they are in need of a new hunting spot.” He gestured in the direction he’d spotted one in. “Erm, if you could tell them that, that is.” Did wolves understand human speech? He could only assume they did not.

At least they had a direction to start searching now. Cyran stood, Yeux roused from his slumber as the little bat was forced to slide from his head to his shoulder, flapping his wings in irritation before settling back down.

“Then we should head off in that direction.” He didn’t often find himself taking care of matters like this, but somehow, he felt awfully protective of these woods. Perhaps it was the fading embers of nostalgia for a home that hadn’t been his for so long, and a city he hadn’t visited in a decade by now. He wasn't sure if he would ever return, but he could still recall days spent in the Lantern Light Woods, holding his daughter's hand and picking luminescent flowers to tuck in her hair. If nothing else, he would attempt to protect these woods for the memories they held.

He paused, though, when he realized that they were supposed to be riding on that large drake to their destination. “I am ready with you are, lady…”

What was her name again? He realized she’d never given it. He paused, hoping that she would supply it so he could stop mentally referring to her as the young lady.

“I’d think the pack will find food soon enough,” saris said.
“They are young and there are rabbits hiding,” she added.
“Foxes eat rodents like mice and rats,” she added.

When Cyran referenced her as “lady” she thought her was referencing her as a Lady. She stoped for a moment and gave him a funny look.
It was like an instant switch that she switched to High Elvish and said, “I was Lady Saris Orlaric daughter of Lady Ellarian Presrona, Grand daughter of the Duke and Dutches Sequoia of the Vanguard of the Gray Citadel.”
“Do you know my family?” She asked in puzzled tone.

As Cyran looked a bit worried at Fireclaw,
“We could take my broom if you prefer?” She asked in a tone that indicated this was normal too.
“Less trees get destroyed that way,” she added.

Sarris was so use to her broom she had a hard time thinking people would be scared of setting their bottom on a stick flying above the tree tops.

She walked and patted the Drake getting him to sit up.
“Either way the trip would nay be a few moments,” she added as if that was going to make this better.

Cyran nodded along as she described that the wolves would be able to find food just fine on their own. His knowledge on animals was lacking, but thankfully she seemed to have a better grasp on what was helpful for them or not. He was a little startled as she suddenly switched to proper high elvish once more, though he was still able to follow along as she introduced herself with her full former title.

“... I’m afraid to say I’ve not heard of your family.” He apologized. Manners from his own noble upbringing had dictated that he refer to Saris as such, but he hadn’t expected that to evoke such a reaction from her. Not that any of those fancy titles mattered to Cyran. He had never cared for such things even back before he left that life. His exit had not been of his own volition, but it was a choice he would have eventually made anyways. “Though it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Saris.”

If he were being honest, Cyran wasn’t especially keen on both options. He’d never ridden on such a large animal before, and he wasn’t sure that flying on a broom would fare much better. “You can ride on whichever you’d prefer- I’ll follow behind you, if it’s all the same.” He replied while she roused her drake from his resting position.

He then closed his eyes and called forth a pair of dark, spectral wings. Yeux perked up in response, fluttering around him before settling down on his shoulder once more. He gave Saris a small smile, waiting for her to finish getting ready so that they could take off.