i am a leaf on the wind

Lyanna remembers her own introduction to Helovia. Alysanne had found her on the border, and had become mentor and friend. When Alysanne was promoted to Queen, Lyanna was promoted to take Aly’s place as Moon Doctor. She had followed so neatly in her savior’s footsteps, and had never even told Aly just how important that had been. How much Lyanna had needed a friendly face that day, a path to following. Go figure that they happened to be nearly the same color as well.

She cannot bring herself to treat those on the border looking for sanctuary any differently than she had been treated. She knows what might bring them here, knows that pain and ghosts and misery may lie behind them. She knows that sometimes you cannot look back. To look back for her means death. There was only one option for her – to move forward. Alysanne had given her a way to do that. The Edge had given her a way to do that.

Kiri answers quickly, offering some information of her past, and Lyanna keeps an ear flicked in her direction as she leads the mare to the cliff. “Two leggeds?” she asks, curious, hoping she’s not overstepping her bounds. But she truly doesn’t know what the mare is talking about, and though she believes anything in possible, she’s simply curious to know what that anything might be.

“We have crafters and warriors here. Either rank would be happy to have you. Our General is known as the Sparklight. Our Glaziers, or lead crafters, are Mesec and Grassovel. I can point you in any of their directions, if you want.” As she finishes, the trees part, and Lyanna goes silent as the mare trots off to the edge of the cliff. She follows behind more slowly, giving Kiri a moment to enjoy the view alone before she comes to stand beside her. “That’s beautiful,” she says. “With your basket and my basket,” she repeats quietly, tasting the phrase in her mouth.

Then the topic turns to her, and Lyanna smiles a bit more. “I’m a Moon Doctor here, so you come to me with any ailments or injuries. There are three of us total. Tilney and Sacre are the other two. And we have others in the ranks as well who learn of herbs and gardening with us.” She could talk of healing forever, truthfully. It had given her a purpose when she’d had none, and she’d thrown herself into it. But she stops there, realizing she’s given the poor girl a flood of information already.

watch how i soar.

lyanna