Would you like a flower? - Kaizen's letters to Wanda (& Xan)

[Aad]

[[After act 1 episode 7]]

 

Dearest Wanda,

 

I'm so sorry for not writing to you earlier! I suppose you would say I was finding my path, and it's certainly been a little rocky. Perhaps this path leads up a mountain? A steep mountain? Anyway, I hope you are well! I hope your patients and Mr. Kip are treating you fairly and keeping you amused. As soon as I left the Feywild I missed it, and I missed you. Initially it seemed this Plane was less; less colorful, less interesting, and less inspiring. But, once I found the Mortal Guardians, thank you Xan!, I realized it was not less, just not the same. And I hope you understand too why I left, why I had to leave. I love you both so much, but Home Cabin was too small for me. You always taught me to follow my heart, and in this case it was nearly torn in two. I tell myself you will always be with me, yes, you too grumpy Xan, and I hope I can continue to be with you as well.

My time here in this city has been tumultuous to say the least. I tell you now so you don’t worry, I am perfectly healthy! But, there has been a time or two where that was not the case; I don’t tell you this to worry you, but to tell you my fellow Guardians and I have and will endure, even when, as you say, the faerie dust is not stacked in my favor. I am certainly glad Xan taught me the ways of the monk; those skills protect me and guide me everyday. Sorry Xan, but when I learned enough to select an Order, I chose the Way of Mercy, not of Drunkeness as you insisted I would! Thank you, Wanda, for your teachings on healing. They have certainly kept me and my fellows safe. I’ve been trying to instruct the spellcasters in the Guardians how to use a staff properly, and one shows a small amount of promise, but mostly I serve to protect them as they attempt their craft. Still, they’ve saved my feywild butt more than once, so patience is deserved here, as you would say. I’ve also met a few melee buddies, and even a few monks! I’ve learned so much about loyalty and friendship from this bunch. 

I am truly enjoying my time here, and I’ve even been trusted with a few magic items! Oh! And the flowers! The flowers here are strange and shy, but I’ve come to know a few of them. I even give some to my fellows to brighten their day, though there was a Harengon who ate one, and a person of stone who nearly refused… But the larger portion of creatures I meet accept my tokens of niceness. 

The flowers are not the only strange plants here; there is cave kale too! I don’t have your skill in the natural sciences, but I can tell you there are many distinct varieties! Besides the ever-mysterious cave kale, I have grown a distinct dislike for the caves around here. Water too, for that matter. And giant toads. But, I did find another Wanda! Or rather, she found me. She doesn’t call herself a Wanda, but that’s what she is. I know you don’t travel, but I think you two would have a lot to discuss. 

That’s enough of me blathering. I will write to you again soon. I think about you and Xan every day! And Mr. Kip, of course. I hope his fuzzies aren’t covering absolutely everything anymore.

Best hopes and wishes,

Kai

 

Dearest Xan,

 

I write to you in thieves’ cant in the hopes you don’t share this with Wanda. I love her to dust, but there are some things I needn’t bother her with. But, firstly, how are you? I truly hope nothing…dire… has happened since my departure. I do so worry about you! Are you listening to Wanda? Do you take your roots and leaves and do your mediations under the sundew tree? Now you’d probably say something like, “You sound just like ol’ Wanda,” to which I’d reply, “Well of course!” Xan, you do need looking after, I do worry about you, and though I know I am still more blind than Wanda, I know that even Mr. Kip loves you so much.

“Enough of the sap,” you’d say, “A tapped tree grows little, instead it is time for growing the tree.” See? I was listening! Well, here goes. I’ve shifted focus a little from the quarterstaff. And by a little I mean I’ve taken up the shortsword-I know! I know you hate them, but, it suits me. Also, to get the shocks over with, I’ve become a bit of a rouge-now, let me explain before you storm off! I used the staff for many months and enjoyed its surety. The monk way will always have my heart, and I still abide by … most … of the tenants. If one does me, or my companions, no harm I strive to do no harm to them. I still shun armor, and I take nothing if not given it… usually. 

I know, with your past … life, you have strong feelings about rouges, but I also know that your roguish skills saved your neck more than once! I remember all those stories of Xan the Defender than Mr. Kip used to tell. Yes, I know you faced many perils and it “wasn’t all dusklight and daisies,” but still. Having a variety of skills can mean your survival and your salvation; that is what I learned from you. In addition, now I know thieves' cant and can send you secret messages! Isn't that so neat? To be fully honest, that was one reason I delayed writing this letter-I wanted to have a little security against Mr. Kip reading this.

I do hope you are in good health, and even without me there I hope you continuously improve! And know I’ve matured since I’ve left. Yes, I have encountered great dangers, some of which I was not at all prepared for, don’t tell Wanda that, but my companions protected me and we always endured. Know that I am forever grateful for your teachings, both in the ways of ki and how to love the woods and appreciate all life. Nature, even the dull reflection they have here, is a wonderful escape from my daily work. I love what I do with the Guardians, again thank you for telling me about them!, but it can be spiritually hard to live in the city. I was not meant to live away from the Feywild; regardless of where I came from, that is my home and always will be, there with you and dear Wanda, and Mr. Kip, of course.

Please take care, Xan! We love you very much, always and forever, with all your baggage and all your flaws, you are still amazing and worthy. I will see you again, if not soon in reality then in thought. 

I picked this flower for you, they call it a “jasmine,” which is my new favorite tea, and may it remind you of my unconditional and eternal love.

 

Until the next letter,

Kia

Kogata Yaketa

[Aad]

Dearest Wanda,

 

I haven't received any letters from you, so I hope all is well! I think about you two everyday. Yes, and you too, Mr. Kip! 

All is well in Wintervaeld; well, we are all well in Wintervaeld, strange magical things have been happening here, but nothing we cannot handle. We took a portal to a hellish place, hot and dry and devoid of life. It was a very sad place, and though I brought flowers with me, there was little for me to like about it. Our task was to help retrieve a gemstone, and I know you are having the same thoughts I am, but this gemstone held someone captive. The tiny gemstone you found me with all those years ago did not have this holding property, but I was instantly reminded of it nonetheless. Wanda, you always taught me that everyone has a seed of goodness inside them, and this adventure is another touch of proof. Turns out we were helping two demons, both of which had grievously wounded my guild in the recent past. But, after helping them, they gave us crucial information about a greater foe, and they promised peace with us for 100 years. The more I live apart from you, the more I see you and your teachings all around me.

Then there was a ball, a grand party of nobles and merchants of the city. We attended as, well, as guardians of peace. It was a lovely event set in a large garden, and by the end of the night we successfully protected the patrons from harm. Do you know about the coastal rose? It smells very nice for not being from the Feywild. Completely unrelated to that event, if you happen to come across a dark, swirling portal with a darkly robed figure standing beside it, please Wanda, avoid them. They certainly would have no use of your skills, and I mean that with the deepest respect, and moreover, they certainly would not improve the health of those around them. Just a thought I had and wanted to pass along. 

A few days ago my companions and I helped out a local on a fun treasure-finding adventure. He had run into some trouble with some pirates, and while we defended the boy I couldn’t help but admire the swashbuckling nature of the captain’s attacks. Perhaps there is something to be learned there. You always said to look at others as a squirrel looked at the forest floor: a banquet spread out for you to select only the best for yourself. Yes, there is work involved, but the rewards for being choosy are great. At the end of that adventure there were some shiny bugs that looked like coins, and dear Wanda, they were so adorable! If they hadn’t been dangerous I would have tried harder to adopt one as a companion. They reminded me of the dancing lights and the tricky golden pixies all bundled into one type of creature! Oh! And your healing lessons came in handy; I was able to quickly revive a fallen wizard, the silly spellcaster, in the middle of a fight! I certainly felt a little like a puffed up songbird after that.

Though things are well for the moment, there is a storm brewing. Do not worry about me, I am with my guildmates and we will protect each other, but it may be awhile until I write to you again. When I do, my letter will be filled with exciting adventures!

All the love and best wishes,

Kai

 

Dearest Xan,

I really am worried about you all; why don’t you write? Is the delivery method slow or ineffectual? I realize if either conjecture is correct, you will not receive this for some time, and I will not know your fate for even longer. Oh, please write! 

I send good thoughts your way whenever I have a moment to spare. Your teachings and life stories have inspired me and kept me safe each and every day. Nothing here compares to your warm, infrequent hugs, or to Mr. Kip’s gruff growl of contentment.

Once again I want to say I am alright, I am healthy and well, though the fights we end up in might be generally worse than I let on to dear Wanda. I do so worry about upsetting her, even now. I would be more truthful, but my words alone I fear cannot comfort her, so I say less so she worries less. Is that wrong, Xan? Should I say how I was knocked unconscious nearly twice in the span of ten minutes? Or how close I was to being blasted by a young dragon’s lighting? I am not certain those revelations would improve Wanda’s life or perception of my own. 

Onto less…traumatic topics, I got a tattoo! Not permanent, I assure you, I will not look like a bandit forever, but this tattoo is magical and gives my kicks and punches extra power and reach! The inky pattern looks like claws of a myriad of creatures; there is one particular one I would swear is based on Mr. Kip’s sharp grippers! I smile when I see it, thinking of Home Cabin.

I hope my warning about the dark caster in front of a dark portal was not too obvious, but regardless, Xan, please make sure she takes it to heart! We fought off a number of these creatures, and they are devilishly hard to subdue. 

My dearest hope is that you are well and continue to improve without me physically present with you. I think of you every day and wish you to find happiness in the woods as I did. Give Mr. Kip a quick hug for me!

 

Until the next letter,

Kia

Kogata Yaketa

[Aad]

My sweetest Kaizen,

 

I admit I was afraid we never would hear from you. You are dear to us all here, but there is a wildness in you still. Once your letter was received, I came to the unwelcome realization that I had no way to write a letter myself. Kind Xan, though willing to try, does not have my elegance for words or script and I wanted them just so. I write this now with a quill of peculiar origin, and through some attunement magic it apparently writes what I am thinking. If there are mistakes here I apologize, but I wanted these words to be for you alone, and not bother Xan or Mr. Kip with them. 

 

Your news is lovely to hear, though I am concerned for your safety. Before you I never had a child in my care before, and now with you gone there is an emptiness. You say your new Plane is not less, merely different, and I will adopt that phrase for my existence now. It is not less, I tell myself, but just not the same. Sweet Kaizen, I do not know how to lie, but thinking that I do not wish you to return immediately seems to come awfully close. My heart is stretched tight these days, and Xan I'm sure feels the same, if not more so. Before you he was adrift in the river of his salvation, but with you he had someone there with him, guiding him with your love and laughter. Write when you can; he was glued to your two letters for far longer than it took him to read it aloud. He might even have shed a tear at the end of the first. From joy or sadness I am unsure, though I would not be surprised if both were there together. 

 

Your path does sound rocky, but I am pleased with your acceptance of the Way of Mercy as I have instructed. The Planes need more healers, and though I know that is not your only activity, I appreciate that you try. From your words it sounds like you are greatly enjoying your work and your companions, and I am glad for that, even if I do not entirely understand what your daily tasks are. I trust you to follow your heart and do what is best. I’m a little uncertain what brought you to worry about this dark figure next to a dark portal, but know that I do and will always approach outsiders with kindness first and suspicion last, if ever. Still, as you know, there are ways the woods defend the Wandas. Do not worry for my safety here. 

 

I am infinitely glad to hear you have seen the good in even perhaps unsavory creatures. Everyone can be forgiven, and everyone is capable of forgiveness. Your mention of the bloodred gem worries me; did you take that with you? We do not have it here anymore, and I cannot remember its presence after you left. Please confirm you have it, unless you are unconcerned. Knowing what objects others care for has always been difficult for me to discern.  

 

These plants you write of intrigue me - cave kale, you say? There are some fungi here that grow in caves, and sweet Kaizen, they should not be picked! Caution, I would say, is merited with those unknown, especially in the strange Plane you find yourself in. I am glad you find solace in the flowers there, and I regret to say I do not know of this coastal rose you mentioned, and a smile touches my lips to imagine you giving them to others, so much like you did here, with my patients. All those sick you knew have moved on, either up and out of my care or down to nourish the roots of the woods. There are now new patients, though I will not bore you with the details. Mr. Kip does indeed keep me amused, and Xan does keep me busy. I am glad there is a Wanda on your Plane; there seem to be fewer and fewer as the decades pass. The creatures flock to the cities while ignoring the woods, and the Wandas are forgotten and fade away - forgive the contemplations of an old fae; I’m sure the Planes are far less dire than all that. 

 

Not to worry you, but I will include a few thoughts on kind Xan. He marched into the woods soon after reading your first letter, and sweet Kaizen, the hummingbirds told me he sat himself under the sundew tree for a whole day in meditation! I have never been able to force that bull-headed man to do anything, but now he voluntarily completed an exercise that improves his well-being - I was stunned. He came back to Home Cabin afterwards, with his yellow robes freshly washed in the Wayward River. He had been in a steady decline, but now he seems stronger, more assured in himself. I don’t want to believe the butterfly has completely forgotten about its caterpillar state too soon, but he has improved. However, and this is where I do not want to worry you, he also is becoming unsatisfied with the woods. He practices with his staff, nearly trampling new shoots or beetles, hardly paying attention to those around him. Maybe you could include more nature in your next letter? I can only tell him in so many subtle ways to be calm and thoughtful before he huffs like a dragon and storms off. No one knows him better than you, and Mr. Kip of course, but Mr. Kip is not from here; he does not know the woods like myself or the old Xan, and he notices nothing wrong with his companion’s new attitude. I am concerned for Xan, the single-braided fool of a monk. 

 

In closing I will remind you I understand why you left, and my heart sings to hear you doing well and enjoying your life. Do not worry about us here at Home Cabin; we are living as we always have. Stay careful out there and remember our love, always.

 

Wanda

Three Pines, Thither

 

Kia,

 

Happy to have your letters. We safe and well, all of us. Wanda finally found magic feather to write with, so I send this with hers. Less life here without you, little Daisy, but happy for your new life there. Grow a strong tree. I laugh about how well you know my words, and you right; being a rouge turned out best for me, perhaps for you too. Careful, the sword is two-edged while your fist is not. Many dangers lie with the Guardians, but more so within you, your heart. Brave to leave and brave to stay, but braver still to do what right. Do not wander so much that you are lost, like I was. Harder to find path than to stay on it. I never had Jasmine tea, though flower is nice. Mr. Kip dances a jig to you and tells me to say I do what Wanda says. He met a new friend and wants you to meet them, but he sad like me that you will not for now. Wanda is strong, and I will protect her from whatever darkness comes. Mr. Kip growled, but I gave him a pat for you.

 

Xan

[Aad]

Dearest Wanda,

 

I am terribly sorry for not writing sooner; work has been so busy and chaotic lately. As you likely know from Xan and Mr. Kip, I did visit Valdafearie briefly even before visiting Home Cabin to deal with those hags. I wish I had time to visit you more, but alas I can’t find the opportunities! I can hear you saying “Make the time, dear,” and I accept that rebuke. Perhaps soon, dearest Wanda. 

By now you probably know I haven’t exactly been totally honest about the level of danger I’ve been in, but Wanda, I only wanted to spare you needless worry. Anyway, myself and my companions are mostly doing really well and learning and growing a lot. Of my latest exploits I will say that Xan did get us out of a bind which was very timely, and there was a false Wanda named Old Fel whom I now despise. She tricked me and my friends in a most unkind manner. The “pixie dust over the dung,” as you say, of that situation was that I learned about this flower the phaisy. Very similar to the ordinary daisy, this magical flower teleports you if you touch it aggressively. At the end of that adventure I gained access to a greenhouse here at the Royal Palace Gardens, and I made some connections so that I can always have a phaisy or two on me to give to folks. This greenhouse Wanda is wonderful. It cannot compare to the Feywild, but it is my little realm of happiness here. I try to share this with others, though there is one in particular who is still very weary of any kind of flower. But, as you say, there is no dinner without some struggle. And, you’ll be happy to know dear Wanda, that this friend got me a special weapon that can get me out of trouble very quickly! There is a carving of the phaisy that I can touch and teleport out of danger. It really is a beautiful thing, and I think even Xan would like it even though it is a sword. 

In other news, a few of my companions have used some monk skills that I’m very proud of. A wizard had an excellent hit with his quarterstaff and my strong friend had a solid punch to a rather bad fellow. Xan, your teachings continue to spread here. I also met a medical man down in the sewers and seeing his work down there with the most unlucky patients tugged at my heart strings and I was reminded of your endless sacrifices for your guests at Home Cabin. Now, I know you don’t see your actions as sacrifices at all. To you these are folks who invoke the right of hospitality, and you are but the humble host. I will say now Wanda, I never quite understood that. Certainly I accept the host responsibility and was glad to see you fulfill your duties with gladness, but I don’t know, perhaps my soul just knew I wasn’t from the Feywild. Those were never my customs exactly. I still strive to uphold the rules of conduct, but I’ve always been a little lost. I’ve found a second home here, but my first was always with you, dearest Wanda, and Xan, and clever Mr. Kip. Recently though I’ve found this itch to figure out who my birth parents are..

We also went to the moon! Dearest Wanda and Xan, it is a glorious place. If possible perhaps you can try to visit? There is a glowing forest that is so wonderful and intriguing. There are some unsavory types there as well, but with a little persuasion they aren’t so bad. Moreover there is a flower called the moondrop bell that has healing properties, and I know Wanda, you would find use for it!

In the past week or so I’ve also taken on an apprentice. There are several new Guardians around, but this one, a young rogue who distrusts people with hats of all things, I think needs special guidance. Through their antics we did find a lovely bakery with some flower cookies that are simply scrumptious. Then there is this other young one, a wizard who, let’s just say, makes me want to either slap some sense into her or run away and finally figure out how to fill out paperwork. Really Wanda, I might return just so you can teach me some patience which I miraculously lack whenever I am around this girl. I’ve also found a little tiny crab spider which looks a lot like a yellow dandelion crawling around my greenhouse. 

I hope Mr. Kip’s research into Trolls is going well, and I hope Xan your recent adventures have kept you out of trouble. How I miss the sundew tree; Xan, could you sit under its golden branches and think of me for a time? When I returned and felt Mr. Kip’s mind once again it was like a warm summer’s breeze. There are times now though that I almost think I can feel it, even here. I love you all, and I am so grateful to have you. 

Best hopes and wishes,

Kai