chap2

" Be careful Lady Midori." The Light haired man said as he opened the door for the Meliae as she stepped outside into the less then plesant Nova Scotia weather. She was dressed for it even if it was high fashion. Black high heeled boots heading up to her knee with dark stockings. And a Bright yellow Rain jacket that covered up the cute summer dress she had been wearing.
"Thank you Shyam, there is no need to worry, i have no intention of endangering myself" the pretty brunette said as she opened her umbrella with a smile. Out of all those who were said to be her guardians Shyam was her favourite and had been with her the longest. He never said a negative thing to her, or thought that she was a waste of time like several others had over the years. She agreed that she did not need the guard, but her master said otherwise. But Shyam had always been there almost a friend who watched out for her. Apparently she was very important to their future plans and they worried about her getting hurt. Even with her talents, not that she could even remember the last time she used them, it was more that they worried they would lose her.

She made her way down to the board walk and smiled when she saw the Sea Nymph. " Paiva" she called and the platnium blond bounded twords her.
"Ori, I thought you would never get here. " she said teasingly.

" Sorry did i Keep you waiting long? I was on a confrence call to London that never seemed end." the Dryad said with a grin.

"Oh about what?" She asked curiously doing a little twirl to show off her own dress. Was dark grey that one would think would almost wash out her colouring, but in truth the accents in the bright blue made the simple dress very flattering.

" Oh there is a confrence coming up, not that I will get to go but I have been asked to help the other prepare" Midori said not really not wanting to get into it. There was an up coming land deal that the council wanted to get their hands on.
" Are they still not letting you travel?" her friend asked inquisitively. There were so many rumours surrounding Midori, she didnt know what was real and what was fake half the time.
" I don't think so, but they are going to have to soon, Blakley has no idea what it is going on half the time and Ana is far to busy. We're preparing a new sactuary for seedlings that will be born this year. They have to make sure that its properly guarded, since it will be the first one she will have made official as an Elder, and they want to make sure that all the proper precautions are in place. " She almost had to yell the last bit of the sentence as a fog horn echoed down the mouth of the harbour from out at sea.

" Oh i know how that can be...it will be lucky for you if they do, I know how awful things have been for you" the Sea nymph said tilting her head slightly to try and gage her friends emotions.
Midori nodded and motioned for them to move off as they both got under her unbrella, it was more for show then anything the weather truly did not bother either of them." Its not as bad as I make it seem."

" You forget Midori, i met you when you were still raw and hurt. And it doesnt look like munch has changed over the last 200 years. Every time I see you, you're just a little bit wiser, and so much stronger, but there is always that sadness about you. You are not happy. " The child of the sea made them stop a mintue so she could look into the Melaei's eyes. As beautiful and enchanting as they were there was a sullen saddness hidden within them. A sadness that only a true friend could see.
" My life is very rewarding Paiva..." She asid with a smile, taking in the breeze that blew at them. The smell of the salt on the air. Any passer by would think the two of them crazy, everyone around them was running for cover from the rain , but the two just walked leisurely, however should anyone be truly watching them, they would see the casually dressed men watching them, sometimes moving from the south towards them and passing them with a nodd. Other times walking parralell to them, they would not really be able to hear much of their conversations but still keeping a close eye on the Ash.

" Your life Midori is not your own and you know it. " she knew how important Midori was, her boss spoke of it in hushed tones with others. Even if she didnt realise it herself.

" This is my punishment, i must make ammends for the mistakes I have made." she said with a sign, repeating the same line she had for over a hundred years.

" Everyone makes mistakes Midori. Everyone. Even your precious Ana. They all do. " Paiva said getting a bit frustrated. The tree's heart was nothing but kindness, and they didnt treat her right, and some how Midori herself didnt believe she was worth anything more.
" You should never speak about an Elder that way, someone might hear." she said lightly, she knew Paiva meant nothing by it truly but she didnt need to get in anymore trouble
" Really? You do know that you are in fact stronger then most of them, look at what you have been born with, they keep you under lock and key not for your protection, but to protect themselves, they fear waht you will become what you can do. " She said in a more frustrated tone.

" Paiva, I cannot do anything. My powers are not that of a Black Ash, I cannot just create offenensive spells...I cannot lay waste to the land and let it wreak havoc. Everything I am is for creation itself..." Midori argued, even though she could never picture herself doing anything else. Part of what she was doing had always felt right.

" They have chosen a mate for you havent they." The sea nymph said stopping abuptly.
"How did you knwo..." she asked looking at her friend in a curious nature.
" The look you got around Blakely...the fact you try to hide it. You hate his touch, you hate how he makes you feel, and yet you let them do this to you. You are a slave." She hissed at her friend in a voice so no one but them could hear.
" We cannot all be free Paiva, I have to pay my dues." Midori said calmly
" You have given the Elder trees 200 years of your life for a mistake that happened. NO wait For something that almost happened. Why are you still letting them get away with it?" she was truly annoyed now, she could not believe the nymph before her was letting them walk all over her.
"Because Paiva, I have nothing else. " She said with such sadness then. " All i have are those seedlings, do you think for one mintue that if i did not listen and allow them to parade me around and do what they ask I would be allowed any where near our children? " There was a truth in the words she spoke. That she truly belived they would take that away from her if she didnt lisetn.
" How were you before it all. How were you before they brought you into the fold" She asked taking Midori's hands in her own.
Midori laughed " I spent alot of time learning, and observing, and alot of time practcing my magic...you know now that you mention its probably been a few months since i've practiced anything. Ive just been run off my feet from one function to the next. I spent all of last week in Vancouver moving some of the hibernated Elders, luckily a few of them woke up but we actually had to use the Guard to dig some of them out to move them. A new housing development was going in, and no one thought to move the Elders till the last minute. I only caught it by accident because something got forwarded to me..."

" You need to ask for your freedom back Midori, this is ridiculous, we are nymphs, you are supposed to be having fun. You are supposed to be wreckless, you are wild you are free...we are not meant to be caged... You are acting like an Elder and you are not even one. You are over worked and they dont appreciate you. And you are more then capable of finding a nymph of your own to mate with, but not Blakely By the Gods Midori what were they thinking."

" Because of Who Ana is he is pretty much a prince amoung the Trees. " Midori said with a grin, happy to finally have someone to talk to who just would agree with her or ignore her banderter.
"Is that waht you want Midori, A Prince? I dont think so, ive never met someone so full of themselves. Treats you like his posession. I dont like it." She said linking arms with her friend and continuing their walk down the Halifax waterfront.

" I dont like it much either but there is really not antyhing that can be done about it. He is who they want me to be with, " She said trying to not to think on it. She had spent more then enough awkward dinner functions with Blake, she could never truly get comfortable with him. And the Elders had been pushing them together more latley since the Second moon was coming.

" Dont worry Ori, I will figure it out. I will do all in my power to make sure that you will not have to deal with Blakely Livington forever" the Sea Nymph laughed " Seriously who came up with his name, surley he didnt name himself. Livington..gods could he sound more pompus?"

" Its allright Paiva, honestly just having someone to talk to has been a blessing, I havent had a real conversation with anyone besides Shyam in years. " she smiled brightly.
" Dont worry Ive come up with a plan, just give me a few days to get it rolling, I have a few old friends that will help me out. "

*******

The elevator doors swung open and Paiva stepped through them gracefully into the apartment. It was elegantly decorated in a more modern theme, but everyone so often you would come across something nautical. They couldnt help it really they did it more as a playful joke then anything else.
"Troy" She called as she set her hand bag on the sofa and undid her jacket, tossing it on top of her bag. Slipping off her shoes she made her way down the hall twords the sound of the running water.
She didnt even think twice as she opened the door of the bathroom and a sandy haired man grinned from behind the shower curtain. " Care to join me?" he said with a more impish smile.
Paiva laughed " You knew I was coming right over Troy, you always try this on. "
"And one of these days you will say yes and will remember what your missing." He said reaching for the tower and shutting off the water. He stepped out easily and stood in front of her, not much taller. Only perhaps a few inches at most. He was easily handsome as most of their magical kind seemed to be, blessed with looks to melt a humans heart and play games. Though the laws no longer really allowed for such things.
"Keep trying, maybe in a hundred years Ill break." She said with a smile and headed back to the lounge area of the apartment.
" How was she, you went to see your friend right?" He asked taking a seat, not really caring he was dripping water everywhere. it would be easily enough for him to clean up if he wanted to, not that he would bother.
"Worse then I thought." Paiva said with a grimmace. " Shes stronger then ever, and more dedicated to her work their seedlings, and saplings. But, she has lost herself, almost a shell of the person she once was. She needs to be free, its like shes a victim even though I mean shes not and if she really didn't want to do something perhaps she could say no. But ...if shes the one...we have so much work to do. " (part of water nymph prophecy? If so need to work it in)

Troy interrupted pavia's babbling before it really got going, he was aware how upset for her friend she was, "That's what I thought, I knew Veridiana was keeping a close eye on her. She has for years and they completely went overboard with that punishment back in London. Gods those Trees, so stuck on ceremony and on the old ways, it's no surprise they are struggling to adapt to the new world. " (yes a sailing pun)
"Oh its worse then that. " Paiva said getting up and moving to the kitchen to grab herself a glass of water from the tap. " Thats right, Ana's son is to breed with her. I dont know when. But apparently it's going to happen."
"Oh hell no. We have got to get that sorted. " (part of prophecy is why he against?)

" I think you may need to call in a favour with some of the old ones. "
Troy sighed " I think you are right."

" She needs to get away, can you some how get her tagged along on one of our missions over seas? I think that its important. Shes still my friend Troy and Blakley is such a fool, you didn't have to talk to him at that party the other night luckily for you. " She sat back down and smiled at her boss.
"Yeah no worries Paiva. I promise we will get it sorted, I know exactly what to do, so ething big is brewing. I'm not sure exactly what but I will see what I can do, I'm owed a few favours by a certain old tree."
Pavia smiled " Thanks Troy. " she stood up and started to put her shoes on. He moved quickly to stop her.
" You dont have to go, you know that right."
"Yeah....yeah i do. We both know how this ends Troy. Me coming home and finding the house empty because we became to unmoving..." (I don't understand unmoving here)

His eyes dipped and there was remorse " Ive said I was sorry for that...."
" I know give me thirty years to think on it" She said with a laugh as she grabbed her coat and purse " Sides this way none of the other Sea Sisters can accuse me of sleeping with my boss..."
"They still know you have..."
"Yes, but that was a long time ago...and there are plenty of other fish in the sea now to hold my interest."

"Paiva you vixen, you break my heart every time." He said with a smile kissing her on the cheek as he led her to the door.
" It shan't stay broken for long, Im sure Tahlulah is on the way over now and will be less then pleased to see me leaving. " She turned to leave, but stopped herself to face him again. "Thanks Troy, in all seriousness, thanks. Give me a call as soon as you know anythign." With that she stepped out the door and headed home.