Only weeks before she and the water guardian had fought side by side in an effort to save as many lives as possible in Talistari. Their efforts were vastly in vain and since then she had been plagued with random nightmares, mostly of the blood and violence she witnessed on the floating city. For while, she had known of Gabriel’s children’s whereabouts for a while and she had been trying to think of an excuse to make a trip to the Shrine of Water in hopes that Rei would be compassionate, or sympathetic, enough to agree to hold onto a letter to give to Rowan when she would be old enough to understand it.

They had made a connection in Talistari, Leirah offering what magic she retained to Calyna through Rei, giving her at least some expectation of what the guardian was like. They fought on the same side, they had some common ground. Would it be enough of a connection for Rei to do her such a favor?

Leirah ran those questions through her head as she made the journey to the Shrine of Water, trying to figure out what she was going to say once she entered the shrine. It was rare that Leirah traveled anywhere without Thanatos. Not only was he her protector, but he allowed her to fly with him, making journeys much faster. Towards the seas they flew and, after navigating around some of the rumored locations for the shrine to be, they finally spotted the island. Their landing was swift and she dismounted from Thanatos, landing ankle deep in the soft, pure white sand of the shores. Rei had a beautiful, rather inviting place she called home.

Thanatos remained on the shores, his foreboding stature probably not welcome near her home. She ventured inward, hoping to find Rei at a time when she wouldn’t be intruding on anything. After all, she had sent no warning of her visit and, in truth, she hadn’t made up her mind to actually go until the day before. After a while, she spotted the shrine and inhaled, slightly nervous. Rei had seemed kind enough, but how would she feel when Leirah asked for a favor that included the children of Gabriel she was raising? She only hoped for the best.

She pushed open the silver doors and walked inside, gripping her cloak tightly to her form, her nerves causing her to shiver slightly, despite the comfortable temperature on the island. Inside her cloak in the breast pocket was a letter, wax seal stiff on the red envelope it was in. Rowan had to know a few things, some day.

“Lady Water,” she breathed, fearing that if she made too much noise she would be met with one of the children, rather than their guardian. Her heart thudded in her chest and she was sure it reverberated through the room, even if that was typically impossible. Her pulse sounded like thunder in her ears. She stepped onto the bridge and walked near the center, her eyes gazing into the deep pool and at the brightly colored fish swimming in it.

The encounter with Gabriel had not gone well. The priest had left far more upset than Rei had intended. Now the times he came to see his children were immensely awkward and couldn’t pass fast enough. While before, he used to tell her goodbye and they were prone to enter into long conversations, now they passed each other in the halls without speaking, unless it regarded the children. The Avatar didn’t even like to meet his gaze, for when she did, all she saw was the magnitude of depression and sorrow that was weighing on him. It hadn’t been long since he had last visited. It was close to the encounter in Talistari that she suspected Dimitre had sent him to make sure she had not bled out on the street.

A healer from Althea D’Jal had come to her Shrine to assist her with her bandages. Rei would have preferred to it herself, but seeing as it was on her back it made it nearly impossible to do. The young girl they had sent was meek and kind, her red hair and demeanor reminding her of Josianne. It made her briefly wonder where the sweet girl had gone. The healer’s touch was gentle on her back. Thanks to magic, herbs, and her own blood, the wound had sealed and was no longer open. The scar, though, would always remain. Dimitre’s magic would not allow that to be wiped clean.

Rei could smell the familiar scent of healing herbs wafting from the jar on the bedside table. It was nearly identical to the salve she had made for and given to Kiba to mend his wyrm burns. She could feel its gooey and cold texture running across her back before being laid over with the soft cloth of the bandages. Though the Avatar didn’t like it, it had to be wrapped around her entire torso to be secured and to cover the extent of the damage. When all was done, she thanked the healer and sent her on her way.

There was a familiar presence in the Shrine- one that she had met not too long ago. Now that the salve was sealed in the jar and the scent fading, she could smell the wood elf very clearly. Furthermore, she could sense the nervousness brimming from the former Guardian. With the Tree re-growing and their powers restored, Rei didn’t feel so foolish using her magic for transportation as opposed to walking.

The waterfall at the opposite end of the bridge Leirah was standing on seemed to quicken, the tails bouncing outward in a very controlled fashion and then leaping upwards into a womanly shape. The water melted away to reveal the moon-like skin, silvery white hair, and crystalline blue eyes that Leirah would recognize as Rei. She wore only mage robes of deep blue and light grey, as any dresses would give away her extensive bandages. Smiling warmly at the elf, she stepped up to the railing and looked down at the pool and the marvelous creatures that resided there. “Senseless formalities, Leirah. I am not as vain as Dimitre. Tell me, is there any particular reason for your uncanny visit?”

Her heart thudded in her chest and she couldn’t entirely understand why she would be so completely nervous in the Shrine of Water. She felt far closer to the elements than anything else and yet the fresh air and sound of fresh, flowing water did nothing to ease her nerves. When Rei appeared from a swirl of water, Leirah actually jumped ever so slightly, but probably enough for it to be noticeable. She wasn’t used to much magic, save for the few things she occasionally used. It wasn’t a gift of hers, save for anything earthly, thus she tried to avoid using it whenever possible.

“Nonsense. There are no formalities, just simple respect.” Despite her lack of general belief in the Gods as Gods, she did hold the guardians in high regard, especially considering her race and upbringing. She forced a smile back. Perhaps she was so uneasy knowing that somewhere inside the confines of the shrine Gabriel’s children resided. It had been months since she had seen the children and she knew that seeing them again would bring down any walls she’s built up in and effort to restore her heart. She could move on from Gabriel, but she really did love those children as unconditionally as a step-mother could.

Swallowing, she gripped onto the railing and again looked at the sea creatures, trying to figure out how to word her request. She had rehearsed it over and over in her mind on the way there and now that she was standing before Rei she had no idea what to say. So she decided to just get to the point rather than stall with idle chit chat. They weren’t friendly enough to have anything other than business to discuss.

“I know you are the guardian of Gabriel’s children,” she began, grimacing as she regretted her wording. She was struggling with formalities, again. “I still care about them. It’s silly, I know, but as I was not blessed with the ability to have my own, I grow easily attached to any that cross my path and I’ve never been very good at letting go of things.” As she spoke, the words came out much easier than expected and she had to control her speed and tone, worrying that if she let her emotions take over she’d be a sobbing mess before she even reached her request.

She inhaled, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I spent a lot of time with them and now that I’m unable to have them around,” she strictly avoided talking about their marriage and ‘divorce’, “I fear that some day they will resent me. I can’t expect them to ever hold me in their hearts, but I want them to understand that I never would have left them, given any opportunity to remain in their lives.” It was impossible now, she knew, but that didn’t stop her from wishing differently.

“I brought a letter, for Rowan. Loren was already.. free spirited when I came into his life and my lack of disciple probably contributed to that, and the fact that we were never entirely close. However, Rowan was as close to a real daughter as I’ll ever have the chance to have. I want her to know that.” She reached inside her cloak to the breast pocket, pulling out an envelop, sealed with wax. “You’ll know when she’s ready to read it. Please, please give it to her then.” There was a distinct hint of desperation in her voice. She reached out towards Rei, sealed envelope in hand.

“Or at least lie to me and tell me you will.”