Wren+and+Inali...+Patron+of+Power,+a+decision+is+made

Wren hugged her mother excitedly and dashed out the door. Inali looked up at Raven and then out the door after Wren. She stood up and stretched and then trotted out the door behind her. Raven shook her head and laughed to herself.  Wren dashed down the hall and down a flight of stairs dimly lit with candles. She went into the meditation room with Inali and closed the door behind them. She slid the wood beam in to lock the room so they wouldn’t be disturbed. It was a large, quiet room with a pool of water in the center. She walked around the room and lit the candles with a whispered spark spell. Inali looked around the room. Water trickled down one of the stone walls to form the pool. Light steam hung in the room.  “Why are we here, Wren?” Inali asked as she tilted her head, and looked at the young elf. Wren scooped her up and did a little twirl before setting her back down.  “We have the night off. No traveling, no responsibilities, no studying… just you and me and the most relaxing room in the coven,” Wren answered dreamily. She hung her traveling cloak on one of the hooks, and then shed the rest of her clothes to the floor. She removed the pins from her hair and shook it out to fall to the middle of her back. She stepped into the pool carefully. She sat down and stretched out, resting her head on the stone edge with the water coming up to her neck. The water was warm and soothing and moved with a slow natural current. She sighed softly. Inali found a comfortable spot along the edge and settled in near Wren. Wren stroked her fur, and the two enjoyed some quiet bonding time.  “Inali…? How do I know what path of power is right for us? Do you feel pulled in different directions?” Wren asked as she opened her eyes and turned to look at the little fox, who lifted her head at the question.  “Are you feeling lost on your path?” Inali asked, lifting her ears to point them to listen to Wren.  “Yes… I suppose I am,” Wren answered and nodded toward Inali, “Who better to help me understand than the keeper of my spells, my best friend, and the voice of my magic power? I’d be lost without you.”

Inali licked her cheek and laid her head on Wren’s shoulder, speaking quietly, “Alright, Wren, lets help you feel out your place… tell me, what directions do you feel the most pull?”  “Well there’s wisdom, of course. A strong web of protection,” she said thoughtfully. Inali stood up and walked around to look at Wren’s face. She leapt on to Wren’s chest, her paws now underwater, and leaned in to look into Wren’s eyes. Wren looked at her like she was crazy. Inali shook her head and sat back on Wren’s chest.  “I know that you’re close… and it’s easy to follow in your mother’s footsteps. There is only one Raven Dreamspinner. You need to be Wren, and that’s not your path. Block out the pull you feel to be like someone else, and tell me how YOU feel, Wren,” Inali spoke with seriousness, “what do you like to do… what do you WISH you could do with magic?” Inali sat there, head tilted, waiting expectantly. Wren blinked at her and thought for a moment.  “Well… I do love the water,” she said thoughtfully as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the swirling warm water around them.

 “The water…” Inali sighed with disappointment, “Alright... lets think about it…” Inali leapt up out of the water and came back down pushing Wren deep under the water. Wren’s eyes shot open in surprise and she struggled for a moment, trying to yell at Inali under the water. Then it hit her… she was breathing. She looked around. They were deep in the water and she moved freely, seemingly controlling the water around her. Inali trotted beside her as though they were on land.  “Well…?” Inali asked her, almost impatiently. Wren looked down at her excitedly.  “Inali! This is amazing!” Wren exclaimed as she played with the water, swimming as though she were a part of it. She put her hands out and forced water from her very body and it rushed like a giant geyser, spewing up and out of the water like a fountain. Wren laughed. She transformed into an air elemental and floated above the water. The power seemed to rush away from her and she splashed into the water below. She came up coughing, unable to breathe in the water.  Wren opened her eyes and coughed a couple of times… She was still in the same position she was in a few minutes ago before Inali had pushed her below the surface, and Inali was still sitting on her chest looking at her. Inali yawned.  “So?” Inali questioned her. Wren blinked a couple of times, not entirely sure what had just happened. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Was that a dream?” Wren asked confused. Inali looked at her with disdain. Wren frowned. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Well it was amazing…” Wren continued quietly. Inali nodded. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Plan on spending a lot of time in your bath tub?” Inali looked around the room and back toward Wren expectantly. Wren frowned and thought about the experience again. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “You know you’re extra cranky today…” Wren spoke accusingly toward Inali. Inali smiled at her, with her sly fox grin. She got up and shook the water out of fur and leapt back on to the edge.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Let’s take a walk,” Inali said simply and looked back toward Wren. Wren got out of the water and they passed through the door without opening it… everyone around seemed to be frozen in time as they walked out of the coven into the woods. A little wren bird was perched on a low branch and seemed to be looking at her. As they walked, the world around her faded in and out between the woods that she called home and a strange ethereal world. She looked around and took in as much as she could, intrigued by this strange world. Before she knew it, they were in the city streets. She looked around. Suddenly she realized that she was still naked from the pool and stray strands of her long, wet hair clung to her face. She started to panic until Inali calmed her with a paw. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Relax, Wren, no one can see you here. Be sure to be quiet though. You can go where you want and watch and not worry about anyone seeing you,” Inali assured her. Wren looked around again. It was true, no one seemed to notice her presence… and surely there would be at least some reaction to her without any clothes on. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “You’re walking the path of illusion and deception… how do you feel now?” Inali asked her as they walked. Wren looked at herself in a store window as they passed by. A little wren bird perched on the sign of the store. Wren nodded to Inali. <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “This is home. This will be my path,” she answered. She turned to look at the bird and to read the sign… but was interrupted by a voice.

<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “Wren!” a familiar voice seemed far away and the world started to fade… “Wren!” Wren felt hands on her shoulders shaking her. She opened her eyes. Loch was staring at her face with concern. She blinked and looked around. She was in the meditation pool. Light steam still hung in the room. Inali was sitting on the edge watching the two of them. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> “You’re late! It’s morning. You were supposed to come meet me for survival training… What are you doing down here?” Loch said as she pulled her out of the pool. Wren looked at Inali, who looked up at her happily before going to fetch her clothes from the floor… Wren rubbed her head and quickly got dressed.