(2023-04-24) Reach for the Moon

Details

Author:	Saaron
Summary:	Iphindra loses a pendant in a Stormwind's pond. Caspis comes to help her get it back, and offers some wisdom as to what that event might have meant.
Rating:	T for Teen

Iphindra is sitting near the waters of the Valley of heroes, staring into the water, frowning sadly.
Caspis: Good fortune to you, sister.
Iphindra raises her ears curiously, turning around to see where the voice came from. "Sist— Oh." Her ears drop a little again. "Hello."
Caspis: Fishing?
Caspis peers at you searchingly.
Iphindra: Fishing? *She frowns.* Absolutely not. Why would I want to take fishes out of water? You know they'd die, right?
Caspis: …Are you with D.E.H.T.A.?
Iphindra: Well, I know a Detta, but I'm not currently with her, no. *She goes back to staring into the water.*
Caspis tilts his head in confusion, but furtively puts away his fishing pole nonetheless.
Caspis: You seemed to be studying the water intently.
Iphindra: I'm not studying. I'm looking for something…
Caspis: Oh? *he searches the surface of the murky water curiously himself*
Iphindra waves at a fish, but it doesn't sem to notice her.
Caspis: The water is not very clear. What is it that you seek?
Iphindra: I lost a pendant. *One of the flowers on her head wilts slightly as she talks about this.* It's very precious to me, but I can't get any of these fish's attention to help me.
Caspis studies her for a moment.
Caspis: I am a strong swimmer. I could look for it at the bottom.
Iphindra: Plus, a few humans made fun of me when I said I lost my pendant in the water. They said something about asking for advice from some children in a nearby region… *The flower completely wilts this time.*
Iphindra: You would do that? *It doesn't sound like a hopeful 'you would do that', but a genuinely surprised one.*
Caspis: Of course. It is no trouble at all.
Caspis: Was it dropped near here?
Iphindra: Not really, no… It fell from my neck over there, when I was looking at the water. *She points at the bridge.*
Iphindra: I can't swim, though…
Caspis: Do not worry. I will look for it and return shortly.
Caspis turns into a majestic sea creature. Not nightmare fuel at all.
Iphindra: … Thank you.
Caspis surfaces with the pendant in his jaws.
Iphindra: You're… one of those. *She takes the pendant from his jaws.* Thank you, that's the one.
Caspis slips back into his elven form. "If you mean a druid, then yes, I am one of those."
Caspis climbs carefully out of the water, and wrings out his hair.
Iphindra: That's what I meant, yes. *She speaks, looking at her pendant's chain and deciding it was safer to put it in her satchel, for now.*
Caspis: Does the pendant have special meaning for you?
Iphindra nods, suddenly looking slightly more lively. "Yes! A gift from home. From my sisters."
Caspis nods solemnly. "I am pleased, then, that I was able to spot it, and that it had not sunk into the mud at the bottom of the pond."
Iphindra: Again, thank you. I'm certain I would have caught one of these fish's attention eventually, but I'm glad I could get my pendant back without bothering them!
Caspis: Are you studying druidic magic as well?
Caspis: I do not believe, by the way, that a fish would have been able to carry this well and still swim.
Iphindra: I guess you could say I'm doing something of the sort.
Iphindra: … I know. *She grabs her own elbow.* I was… hoping for a really big fish to swim in these waters.
Caspis: A large fish could not survive well in such a small pond. Surely you realize that, hm?
Caspis: How these fish manage to live in water that humans throw trash into, I cannot fathom.
Caspis: I saw empty bottles in the mud.
Iphindra: Of course I know there could not be big fishes in there! Hope was all I had to get my pendant back, however. If your intent is to be mean to me, you can leave me alone, now.
Caspis 's ears droop slightly. "I am sorry. I did not mean to sound harsh. But have you considered that perhaps Elune had a hand in your losing your pendant in this particular place at this particular time?"
Iphindra: Why? Why would Elune want me to lose something precious to me?
Caspis shakes his head gently. "It is not lost, is it? And the manner in which you found it led to the discovery of the pollution in this pond. You seem to care a great deal for the fish, yes?"
Iphindra: … I don't really see your point. I do care for the fish, yes, but I also think you're underestimating them.
Caspis: I know that the refuse the humans have thrown into their habitat must be a source of sorrow for them, and your pendant fell directly toward the evidence. Perhaps Elune wishes you to help them.
Iphindra: I'm sure… they'd like cleaner water, yes, and I'd love to help. But out of everyone in this city, why would Elune give me this mission? As I said, I can't swim…
Caspis: Ah, but you say you study the druidic arts, or at least begin to. You could learn to change, as I do, and swim as I swam.
Iphindra: The people who taught me don't possess such powers, or at least do not consider them significant enough to use.
Caspis: But now all druids are sharing knowledge. In olden days I could only take the form of a stormcrow, but now the druids of the Claw have shared their knowledge with me as well.
Caspis demonstrates.
Caspis: That last, I learned from the healer-druids ((whatever they are druids of))
Iphindra 's ears droop. "Well, maybe I don't want to learn from these dru— you can turn into a treant?"
Caspis nods.
Caspis shows her again.
Caspis turns back into himself.
Iphindra: What a wonderful transformation! *Her eyes shine with excitment.*
Caspis: It is, in fact, the form I currently find most comfortable, aside from my own. I have sadly recently lost the ability to take flight. And so I focus on the Tree, and its healing powers.
Caspis: But it is more difficult than the form of the sea lion. Perhaps this is where Elune wishes for you to begin, in hopes that you will one day be a great healer.
Iphindra shakes her head. "I still don't wish to learn with the kaldorei. Just being near them feels… strange."
Caspis: Them? Are you not yourself a child of the stars?
Iphindra: I… supposedly am. I just don't feel any connection to the Kaldorei. Not spiritual, physical, nor emotional.
Caspis: I am sorry to hear that. I myself spent a great deal of time alone when I was young, cut off from my people.
Caspis: And I suppose there are some of us I still… prefer to avoid.
Iphindra: Who said I was alone? I spend the last hundred years with a wonderful family, in the woods of Ashenvale!
Iphindra: They're the ones who taught me the languages of all that lives, and to feel connected to everything around me.
Caspis: But they were not kaldorei?
Iphindra: No. They're dryads!
Iphindra: And to be fair, from what I know of Kaldorei, I think your idea that I should be the one cleaning this pond alone is a very Kaldorei thing to say.
Caspis: Ah, how very fortunate for you. The dryads are a beautiful people. But the very reason I cannot stay to help you is that after I pick up something in Elwynn for my daughter, I must return to Northrend to deliver some aid to a grove there.
Caspis: The dryads in Northrend are suffering greatly just now.
Iphindra: I can only imagine… With how my sisters and I feel the earth, such a place must be terrible…
Iphindra | A flower on Iphindra's head wilts again.
Caspis: So I must not delay my return too long.
Caspis: But I believe our paths may have crossed to point you toward the way.
Iphindra: I don't think I can agree. What you want me to do to help the fish in this pond, this isn't the way!
Caspis: The fastest path toward joy, ironically lies in facing those things which cause you sorrow and fear, and lend them aid until all can have joy again.
Iphindra: What if I follow the path you say Elune made for me? I learn to turn into a water creature, I go and pick up the trash plaguing this pond. Then what? People bring more trash, and I spend the rest of my life cleaning it over and over again.
Caspis: Not at all. The humans can be taught not to do such things.
Iphindra: Exactly! All life is connected. There is no path laid for me by Elune. Only one life who might influence another one to do what's right. And then another, and another, and another.
Caspis: Furthermore, in helping the fish here, you have learned something that will stay with you your entire life. All the seas of Azeroth will now be your playground.
Caspis: I apologize for my use of the word "the," which seems to have caused offense. I am not an orator by profession.
Caspis: But it is up to you whether you allow this meeting to influence you, or not.
Iphindra: Me learning how to swim will never change anything for this pond, now. Only a healthier understanding of Life will!
Caspis: I have shared with you the meaning of this encounter as I see it. It is up to you to decide what it means to you.
Iphindra: It is not the way you talked about "the way" that has caused offense. It is the way the people of this world have forgotten that nothing is centered around them and them alone! And that's part of the beauty of this world.
Iphindra: And if I'm wrong, and divinities do favor some of us, or only guide some of us, and not the whole, well they’re divinities I do not wish to follow!
Caspis: They guide all of us. It is only that most of us do not heed the signs.
Iphindra: Perhaps you're right. But I can affirm that I don't need to learn magic from the Kaldorei to save anything or anyone. Everyone, and everything, can teach me.
Iphindra: Although making all the seas my playground sounds fun! *She giggles.*
Caspis: The deeps can be a beautiful place. There is nothing quite like them.
Caspis: I myself do not dare stay in the sea lion form for long, but I have had many enjoyable tours of coral reefs and underwater canyons.
Iphindra: Well, the deeps do sound like the forest of the sea, when you put this like that!
Caspis: Precisely.
Iphindra pauses for a second, searching for something to say. "… again, thank you for the pendant."
Caspis bows down graciously.
Caspis: I was happy to help. But now must be on my way. May you find new joys in unexpected places.
Iphindra nods. "Don't worry about me, if my sisters have taught me anything is how to always find joy!"
Caspis gives her one last bow before … wandering off…
Iphindra shivers a little as he leaves. "Kaldorei really are weird…"