It has been too long since I returned to Caledon to check on the state of the market. Ever since the birth of the sylvari, I've monitored the area as closely as I could without interfering with nature. But...I've had an urge to check in on their well-being. After Mordremoth, I needed to see how they were faring. It feels cruel that I hadn't checked in sooner.
I didn't wear my face, as I promised to Isgarren (should he find this account), but these are some of the few non-Astral Ward that know my real name. Who know who I am—despite presenting as an especially kind-faced charr. And Ofilia's scream when I rounded the path made the venture out of Amnytas worth it.
We only sat for a short while, watching travelers pass. Myrtle prepared us some fresh basil tea with just a pinch of buttermilk—I never tire of Tyrian cuisine. They were well, it seemed. Things in the Grove have been uneasy since Mordremoth's rise and death, but they were moving in a direction of peace. Some sylvari have left the shadow of the Pale Tree in search of what's next; others have lost faith, but even the Nightmare Court has calmed in the following years. Fewer attacks, at least.
We recounted our first meeting—that dreary day. Many of the sylvari still lingered within the warm embrace of the Grove, but Malbi[sic] was curious about the world. Barely a few months old, and one of the few brave enough to not only venture into the wild but live beyond the walls of their garden sanctuary. The market hadn't been established, but she called that little red bulb home.
I was headed back from the jungle when I heard her scream. The krait had found her little sanctuary. I expelled the enemy, and... Poor Malbi;[sic] surely she didn't know what to do with me either. Had never seen a charr before as the cease-fire was still recent, and even if I sculpted that identity to be as warm as possible, having a large feline stand before her was frightening nonetheless. When I convinced her that I was no foe, her face lit up with joy—the same curiosity I attribute to all their kind. Lovely, beautiful creatures.
My visit was cut short when I felt Isgarren's pull at the back of my mind, beckoning me back to the Wizard's Tower. I held my friends for a long moment. And then I left.
I won't take as long to visit them next time.
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