After spending the night beneath the stars, where better to greet dawn then in a grove of spoopy spoopy trees?
You're on your way back to the Hollowed Grounds but you just can't help the detour- the trees are so cool. And big and red and beautiful, and you want to visit each one individually and wrap your arms around them and take in their scent.
You content yourself, instead, with something akin to frolicking, your eyes upturned to the whispering boughs as dawn cuts long thin lines of shadow between the trunks. [say]"They look like ghosts!"[/say] you declare, pointing to one limb-like shadow that seems to be reaching for Ludo's shrine. [say]"Like dancin' ghost trees. D'ya think the trees here have souls? Or hold them, while they wait for Ludo?"[/say]
You don't frolic, though if you did your long legs would certainly carry you far. Instead you're making notes of the different trees as you walk, the slightly different characteristics of them as unique as any face might be.
Unlike many of the human animals, you don't give much thought to death. It is merely a series of unanswerable questions, though given your divine lineage you do at least have an idea about what some of it will be like. And so ghosts or not, the woods do not worry you.
[say]"Sure. I bet that is why they grow such beautiful leaves and twist themselves into such unique shapes. So that Ludo will look upon them favourably since they can't make it any presents."[/say]
Nearing a particularly interesting tree, you stop to lay your hand upon it, committing the fascinating lines and grooves to memory. It's bark is discolored from squirrel piss- another sign of nature persisting, no matter what gods or humans will.
You love it.
[Say]"Why d'ya think Ludo likes presents so much?"[/say] You like presents too, but they seem rather useless for a herald. Still, you stick your other hand into your pocket, pulling out a pretty stone. Walkig back to the Shrine, you lay it on front of the little altar. [say]"Delphy told me 'bout souls- an' about how the Voice captures 'em, which is really bad she says. But I don't think I really understand.. can you explain it, Ludo?"[/say]
Could? Of course.
Would? Well, that is another thing entirely. With only a stone to lure the god down, the twins would find that only the gnarled tree branches seem interested in their presence.
[say]"I don't know."[/say] And honestly, you don't. With the power that comes with being a herald surely anything the human-animals could make for it, it could make for itself. [say]"Surprise, maybe?"[/say] That's all that its worshippers could offer it. All that you can think of, anyways.
Watching as Kai lays the stone down, and then breathing through the nothingness that follows, you shrug your shoulders. [say]"Delphi likes to talk. She will probably be happy to elaborate for us."[/say] You reply once it becomes clear that nothing much is going to happen.
And so the pair of you eventually make it home, after winding through the woods for hours and hours and hours, inspecting leaves and rocks, roots and the various droppings of animals.
~FIN
