The sun's rays leaked through the cracks and gaps of the forest canopy, illuminating the village below. As soon as the first beam touched down, the day began for the residents of the village. Elves poured out of the huts and homes, greeting the day with a religious gesture to the treetops, and then proceeding with their day. Many went to their shops and stalls, preparing for the coming day, thankful that they had fresh business once more.

It had been a few days since Adymir and Callie had returned from freeing the forest guardian from the dark bondage that held it, and in that time, life was already returning to the surrounding green. The overall atmosphere had lightened immensely, and the elves once again felt safe in their village. As though the forest was once again protecting them, as opposed to the village shielding them from the forest.

That being said, they still felt leery towards Callie. She was a human. An outsider. She wasn't an elf. And their ingrained history of xenophobia towards, and dislike of, non-elf races caused them to treat her as an outsider. She could feel their leers, their stares, whenever she stepped out of Adym's home, where the Prefect had allowed her to stay for the time being. She was able to get supplies and such without much hassle, however. They even went so far as to give her what she needed for free. However, she could tell that it was born of not just gratitude towards what she and Adym had done, but also to get her out of their establishments as swiftly as possible.

On this day, Adym had finally awakened, and the medical elves that had been tending to him had immediately taken notice. When he carefully sat up, his entire torso wrapped in special bandages made from broadleaves and vines, a couple immediately made their way to him.

"Lord Farwyn." one of them, a female, addressed him. "It's good to see you up and about." she said. "But you need to be careful." she then warned him further. "You are very much still injured." she said.

"I'll be fine, Shalia." Adym responded, suppressing a wince. "It's clear I can already move, so I really shouldn't be taking up a bed here." he reasoned.

"You are still in NO condition to be freely moving about." the male there insisted.

"...how about this, Jarren?" Adym replied after a small sigh. "I'll go and recover in my own home." he said. "Would THAT be all right?" he asked. The two looked at each other for a moment, before the female nodded.

"That should be fine." she said, going and getting an elven satchel with his belongings, as well as a cloak for him. "Here." she said, handing them to him. "But we will be sending someone daily to check up on you." she insisted.

"..." Adym was silent, before sighing again. "Very well." he said. "I can agree to that." he told them.

A short discussion later, and Adym left the medical hut, wearing the cloak and carrying the satchel. He wandered through the village, with many greeting him or pointing and whispering. He returned the greeting to those that spoke to him, and just ignored the pointing and whispering. He hated being a celebrity. He didn't like the attention. He just sighed and made his way to his own domicile, stopping at the door.

'Wonder where Callie's been staying...?' he thought, before shaking his head and opening the door, stepping inside.

Adym looked over towards Callie, a bit of surprise in his expression, but mostly relief. He let out a small sigh, as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him, looking around and surveying the place.

"I... yeah..." he said. "Yeah, I'm fine." he told her. "I was allowed to recover here so I'm not taking up one of the medical beds, under the stipulation that someone will be by every day to check up on me." he then informed her.

"So... here I am." he said.

"But... but wow." he then muttered. "This place... it's... it's like I never left." he told her. "Heck, it smells better than it ever has before." he then admitted, taking it all on.

"Did you do all this?" he asked her.

Her statement may have elicited a chuckle out of herself, but it caused Adym to acquire a look of venom and vitriol.

"Of course." he growled. "Wood Elves are seen as the most open and welcoming of the elves, but all that means is that they'll welcome you, as long as you're an elf." he snarled further.

"Racism and xenophobia is what it is." he went on.

"So let's get out of here." he told her. "Get you away from their judgemental eyes and their prejudiced backwoods thinking." he said further.

"In fact, let's go today." he then suggested.

"They don't want you here? Fine. We'll remove you, and me as well." he continued, a certain vindictive tone to his voice.

Adym was stunned that she was agreeing with him so readily, but he wasn't about to argue.

"Oh, uh... it's all right." he said, reaching out to accept it.

"What you found should be-" he started to say further, but as soon as he grabbed it... and as soon as she let go... he found the weight of the pack causing him great pain in his torso.

"AH!" he exclaimed, as he instinctively let the pack fall to the floor... taking himself along with it, in a rather humiliating fall to his ass.

"...." he was then silent as he looked at the pack... and then at Callie.

"You're... probably not going to disregard that, are you?" he asked her.

"...." Adym was at a loss for words now. He had nothing to say to this. Not a thing. He didn't have a leg to stand on, metaphorically speaking. He just continued to look at her, before sighing heavily.

"All right, all right." he said.

"I get it." he told her.

"We're stuck here until I can carry the pack." he said further, slowly and painfully getting back to his feet.

"But I won't like it." he insisted. "I hate that elves are so harsh towards other races. I mean, you saved the damn forest and the village." he said further. "You'd think that would at least grant SOME kind of acceptance." he reasoned.

"...damn it, I hate my roots sometimes..." he said quietly.

Adym looked at her as she snickered, before he realised what it was he had said.

"Ah! N-not... not THOSE roots..." he told her. "Not... not my literal roots, more... I mean I was talking about..." he stumbled further, pointing out towards the village, before he slumped forward in linguistic surrender.

"I give up." he mumbled.

"You know what I mean." he said, as he walked his way towards his 'couch' and sat down on one end of it.

"May as well get comfortable." he commented.

"If you go outside, they'll just glare and leer at you. If I go outside, they'll give me unwanted attention." he reasoned.

Adym looked at her when she admitted that, and his expression softened noticeably.

"...sorry." he apologised.

"I didn't mean to put that sort of burden and stress on you." he told her.

"..." he was then silent again, before looking at his body, the bandages, and gingerly touching his chest.

"I guess I AM pretty beat up, still..." he admitted.

"Well... if I had died, then at least Vyran wouldn't have been able to get me." he then muttered offhandedly.

Again, he was silent, before shaking his head.

"You're right. And I knew that." he admitted.

"Just... this... ugh." he mumbled, looking absently out the closest window.

"I don't like the attitude that most elves have." he told her. "Guess that's a big reason as to why I don't feel I truly belong among them, despite being one of them." he admitted.

"The fact that I'm a crux aside." he added.

"Maybe part of me was thinking death would have been preferable to dealing with them." he sighed further.

"...a small part. And unconsciously." he stressed. "But I remember feeling a sense of... nihilism... in the face of my potential death."

Adym looked at her when she asked her last question, and thought for a moment.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Well, from what I was told, the less I strain myself, the quickly I'll recover." he told her.

"I guess... well... I could use a drink." he then said. "Water... or whatever's here." he added. "I seem to have a powerful thirst right now." he admitted, thinking again for a moment.

"Oh, and I was told that infusing my drinks with this would help." he then remembered, digging through his satchel and giving her a powdered substance.

"Has healing properties. It's a combo of crushed roots and petals."

Adym smiled as he accepted the sparkling water.

"Indeed." he said.

"I believe that's from the Hundew addition." he told her. "It promotes fast healing, but really? It's just there to smell and taste nice." he admitted. "Seriously, it's one of those things that, taste and smell-wise? Covers all sins." he chuckled.

He then took a drink of the water, nearly downing three-quarters of it in one gulp, before bringing the glass away and heaving a refreshed breath.

"Ahhh! That hits the spot!" he declared.

"Guess we really DID save the forest."