"If you stick around long enough, I might be able to show you how the trees regrow. I don't expect you to stay too long after we get back, but the offer still stands," he said,tossing a second piece of wood, "Take a piece for yourself. You never know when it might be useful."

Goldenscale caught the piece of wood and began to examine it.  It certainly was interesting, how such a small piece of wood could do so much.  But then again she was young and it would be a long time before she began to know much about what goes on in the world.

Stepping back over to the fire, the elder curled up and let his head rest on his paws."Come, sit back by the fire. There's nothing much we can do other than rest and make amends for your past mistakes," he said, nodding over to Ahnah and Aipaloovik who were discussing what all had happened during her time away, "I'm sure they wont mind you joining them."

Goldenscale frowned and turned away, though she did walk back to the fire.  "I'd rather not interrupt them.  They seem to be doing fine." she said.  She then curled up by the fire and closed her eyes.  Though she had not experienced the feeling lately since becoming part of a family back home, she felt out of place.  Everyone in the world except the elemental gods and her had a family, birth parents and cousins and aunts and uncles.  But she didn't know what it was like having blood relatives.  Of course she had a family, but she wasn't connected to anyone other than being a mate or an adopted child or the like.  But after a while she began to think more curious thoughts and despelling the bad thoughts from her mind.  She began to wonder if it was possible to actually stand on a cloud, or what different flavors snowcones had, like the ones Frost had made before he had died.  She let her mind wander like that for a bit, satring at a wall, though she wasn't really seeing it.

Walking over to Goldenscale, the elder sat down at her side. "Something bothering you child? You mind is more active that it has been so far," he said, "If you need someone to talk to, I'm open for conversation. I may not be the vilage shaman anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't help take some weight off a heavy mind."

Goldenscale stopped thinking and looked over at the elder.  "Something's sorta bothering me.  But I haven't felt it in a while." she said, looking down at her paws.  "I feel out of place again.  E eryone around me has a family, blood relatives as the like, but I have no relations to anyone.  I know that the Moon told me I was a nature spirut, but if I was meant to be a spirit, I wouldn't have a body.  I'm happy that everyone has someone to call true family, and I'm happy to have adoptive parents to call mother and father and a loving mate and everything, but I just can't help but think that I am out of place here." she said quiet enough for only him to hear.  He didn't want Ahnah worrying about her, and she was strong enough to deal with it anyways.

"Don't say you weren't meant to be a spirit. All nature spirits started with a mortal body. When their bodies faded away, their spirits remain and became their physical and etheral forms. Other than yourself, the only other know spirit that still has their body is Kyne. He body was sealed away along with her," he whispered, resting a wing on Goldenscale's back, "You blood family is not like other people. As a spirit made by the Moon, your blood ralations are the spirits of earth, sky, light, and shadow. If you ever feel out of place, remember that you always have family to call on."

Goldenscale lookeda t the elder with a look of confusion.  "I know I have my adoptive family and my mate to call family, but what did you mean when you said my blood relations are the earth, sky, light, and shadow?" she asked.  Hearing that made her go back to the the prophecy and the elementals.  Could that have been what he was talking about?  She already knew that spirits had mortal bodies before the body died, because she knew she had a past life, but she didn't know it was the same for nature spirits.

"What I mean is your equivelant of blood relatives are the spirits of earth, sky, light, and shadow. The two direct brothers and sisters to the spirit of the moon, share the same blood as you," he said, drawing out the relations of each nature spirit in the dirt floor, "There are more spirits like yourself out there, whether they were created by a spirit directly or not. Each one is a spirit of the darkest origins given a second chance. This meas you have brothers, sisters, and cousins scattered all over this world."

Tgoldenscale looked at the diagram and at the elder in surprise.  "Really?  I knew I wasn't the only spirit, but I could have mever guesses that I had cousins and sisters and brothers all over the world.  But the world is such a big place, and I haven't traveled far from my forest before." she said, sitting up on her behind ad looking up, putting a claw to her mouth.  She then smiled.  "The world has secrets even spirits don't know, and I'm okay with that." she said.

"Oh, almost forgot, there was a third member to your group who arrived late last night, long after you and Ahnah fell asleep. She called herself Midnight, and she had a black tulip embeded in her chest," he said, nodding to the door at the back of the house, "Judging from her aura, she was givena second chance by the spirit of shadow. With thaat plant buried deep in her chest, she has been made a spirit like you. If you want to check on her, she's probably still sleeping in the back room."

Goldenscale looked at the elder in confusion at hearing that they had a third member of their party.  Last she knew, it was only she and Ahnah.  Goldenscale then jumped up in suprise when she heard who it was that had followed them.  "I know her.  I freed her soul from a terrible keeper a couple days back.  I'll be back momentarily." she said with a hast bow of her head.  She then hurried on towards the back room.  She remembered her aura enough that she only needed to follow it.  She soon came upon the room and opened the door silently.

Laying on a straw pad, Midnight slowly looked up to Goldenscale, rubbing her eyes. "Oh good morning Goldenscale. You almost forgot me back there," she said with a smile as she began to stand up, "It took me all day yesterday to catch up. By the time I got here, there was a storm going, and I almost froze."

Goldenscale walked in the room, smiling in return.  "I'm glad you didn't freeze.  But I thought that you had gone to the cave in the forest.  If I had known that you were coming, we would have waited for you." she said.

"It's fine, the elder that lives here let me in, and let me sleep in here. There was a fire going when I went to sleep, but it seems to have gone out," she said, "Anyways, I want to go with you on your jouney. I want to become stronger and explore the world. At least this way I can repay you for saving me by protecting you when I can."