The Lost Flower – Merla – 16.06.2021 (+Season 8)

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6 of Mirtul 1498, Fort Ettin

“Yes! I did encounter those flower warriors in little shop area.”

“Shop area? Where?”

“Uh, in Fort Ettin…”

That was where Merla was now. Time had fallen through her fingers as she had thrown herself into her role of Summer Court Revelry Envoy, or Tosgaire Saliysuli as was the official title. But she had promised her Mother she would look into the supposed sighting of a se’akhrua and she had a brief moment after returning from the Damphenite Spritelands.

Celina, the overly talkative tiefling, shop owner had said she fought one but there was an elf or a half-elf that had stopped them from killing it. Merla wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or something else but there were so many new faces in the grand building it was hard to know who might be the person she wished to speak with or possibly even follow.

But, as luck would have it, Merla finds the Sunflower Warrior as a high elf tries to quickly emerge from a private room on the first floor of the Fort. She didn’t approach right away, choosing to get a read on the woman’s thoughts.

“…they’re still acting so aggressively. I had hoped bringing him away would help but maybe I’ve only made things worse… Oh Sunny… I just want you to be happy…”

That was enough for Merla.

Stepping around the corner, the fae-bard reached out and tapped the green haired elf on her arm, head tilted to the side.

“Hello. I don’t believe we’ve met. My name is Merla, and I think I can help you with Sunny…”

---

Taffeta, a young shadar-kai named Whistler, and another halfling named Laurel who wore the cutest goat horns, were the ones to answer Alenea and Merla’s summons. Laurel had been with Alenea when she had stolen the seed from the Summer Court initially; Baine sent Whistler as the Master of Arms was too busy to help directly; and Taffeta had come over from New Hillborough a few days before after the day with the Spring Court Scouts got to have their day with the Flower Dragon Scouts.

Merla was ready to set things right, to get Sunny away from the Material Plane, a place he should have never been taken to, and to see the last vestiges of any ties to her home be put to rest. After the previous week’s escapades in the Feythorn, Merla was hyper aware of how Sunny being anywhere near New Hillborough could look – let alone the implications of what it would mean for Daring Heights. And especially after what happened to the Court of Glory and who had been involved, it was time to return things to where they were meant to be.

They were in Alenea’s small room, the roguish elf explaining what had happened and why Sunny was locked in a room next door as far away from other adventurer’s rooms as possible. Merla kept an eye on everyone’s reactions and was surprised to see how rattled Whistler – the young “Squeak”, as Baine would have called him – looked.

“I’ll help you with this,” he mumbles. “I dunno how.”

Merla has a kind smile as she and Alenea thank him.

“So your plan so far consists of travelling somewhere near the Summer Court and then what?” Laurel asks.

“There is the royal gardener, Azalea, who takes care of the Sunflower Warriors, helping them grow. My idea is to take Sunny to her and see if there might be a way for her to help make Sunny not as violent. Maybe even going so far as to make it so he can help her with her gardening, or something.” Merla gestures to the high elf, sitting on the bed. “I know Alenea really wants to see Sunny to stay with you. I’m not sure how possible that is. I know a rudimentary understanding of how the Sunflower Warriors work, how they grow and why Sunny is different, a lot more… uncivilized, if you will, compared to the others that are raised properly. But beyond that, if there’s something that can help Sunny be less violent… I’m not sure. That’s not my area of expertise.

Merla pulls out a mask from her handy satchel. “I have this that will help us get Sunny to Azalea. It will help them recognise us as a familiar face.” An idea occurs to her. “Laurel, you might be able to help with this as well, you seem like you might be good with animals. Anyway, I can get us to the Summer Court very easily. How does that sound?”

She stands there, looking from one face to the next waiting for a response. Whistler is deep in thought on the floor, Taffeta was also looking around at everyone in her motherly way from her chair, and Laurel had a middle distant stare as they thought things over.

Taffeta is the one that ends up breaking the silence. “Yeah, sure. I mean, you know more about how the Court works than I do. I’m just thinkin’,” her eyebrows bend with concern, “if we take Sunny back to the person who raises Sunflower soldiers to be soldiers, that might not be the best way to avoid Sunny ending up in the army again. But I haven’t got a better idea.”

“There isn’t any guarantee that Azalea would be able to make Sunny into a soldier. The most I am hoping for is that Sunny will no longer be violent towards anyone. That might include removing the desire the want or the desire to hold a sword – to fight.”

“Why would you do that?” Whistler asks her. To Merla, it almost sounded as if the young male was accusing her.

“For the safety of everyone else,” Merla explains. “But beyond that, Sunny is not happy. They are suffering in a way that is unintentionally cruel.”

At her honest words, Alenea hides her face in her hands.

“It isn’t any one person’s fault over another, it is just the way events have come about,” Merla tries to explain, seeing how upset Alenea was. Part of the fae-bard wondered if Alenea thought about the full ramifications of her actions. But now was not the time to point out what she already, clearly knew, so Merla kept such thoughts to herself.

“Alenea wants to help Sunny, I want to see them away from the Material Plane. If we can combine these two things to help Sunny become a happier sunflower, to match the name Alenea has given them… I think that would feel good. For all of us.”

“And how would you do that?” the young male asks, voice flat.

“This is why I want to have a conversation with Azalea,” she says, hands helping to express her points. “She is the expert on the Sunflower Seeds and how they grow. She might have an idea. Plus, being in the Summer Court may help them change, too. Going back to the source, the origins of who they were so Sunny can choose a new path.”

“What if they can’t?” Whistler presses.

Merla has to take a breath before she responds.

“Then we cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“I suppose,” Taffeta begins, “if being in the Feywild doesn’t help – if being in the Summer Court doesn’t help – could we take them to Arborea? That seems like a place that would be good for wild, flower-like things.”

Why does Arborea sound familiar? Merla recognises it as one of the realms of the Upper Planes but there was some other reason it was ringing a bell…

“So he was taken from where he was supposed to be?” Whistler asks Alenea.

“I managed to get a seed and grow him,” Alenea starts, sheepishly. “I hoped that growing them here would allow them to not want to fight. When we spoke to the other soldiers and they wanted to fight, they wanted to serve. But it didn’t work, it just made them more feral.”

Whistler tilts his head, face scrunching up in pain that has a shadow of memory to it. “So they didn’t come out right and now they’re scared and locked in a room, and they’re either going to be taken back to be changed or if that doesn’t work, get pruned.”

“Please don’t say that,” Alenea murmurs.

Merla was beginning to wonder if Baine sent the right person to help her and Alenea. Whistler did not seem like the type that carried much hope with him, and his attitude was certainly not helping Alenea.

“I wanna talk to him.” The young, pale elf stands and heads towards the door.

“Can they talk back?” Laurel asks, following quickly.

Alenea begins to explain. “They can talk to anyone who can talk to plants…”

Then it’s just Taffeta and Merla in the room. The two share a look and then they too, follow the others.

---

“What you have to understand is these Seeds are Queen Titania’s own. They were made to be soldiers. The fact that Alenea stole one and tried to change its basic being without proper magic to know how has resulted in this. I’m not saying we should try all of this, but we must understand that she tried to change a creature’s essential being improperly. So, before-”

“But that’s not Sunny’s fault,” Whistler objects.

Merla looks at Whistler before she continues.

“Before we go and take Sunny to another place – on the Material Plane, too, I might add, somewhere that is still close to Daring Heights and the Fort – when just the other week there was another attack in New Hillborough with a corrupted Sunflower Seed.” She locks eyes with Taffeta. “Just something to consider. It would be best to take Sunny away from the Material Plane instead of leaving him here.”

Merla takes a breath, looks over to where Whistler was standing, only to find him gone.

“Sure yeah,” the stout halfling replies, looking uncomfortable. “I was just thinking we take them to Rowan to ask what she thinks. I don’t think we should leave them in Rowan’s Glade.”

Merla’s smile is rueful but she nods. “Okay.”

“Everything alright?” Astra asks across their bond. Merla sees her crest over the curtain wall to land inside the Fort’s walls.

“It is fine. Just clarifying a few things.” She sees Sunny begin to move towards the storehouse but Alena holds out some rations for them. “This is becoming more tedious than it needs to be.”

“I was wondering what was taking so long,” Astra admits.

Merla sighs audibly. “A lot of moral and philosophical debating. Essentially, a lot of talking and not a lot of doing.”

Astra arrives at her side as Sunny starts eating some Goodberries Laurel conjures from their wild magic. There is the faint taste of Summer in the air when she does and Merla wonders if they perhaps have ties to the Summer Lands too.

“Be patient with them, and yourself.”

“It is hard when they make judgments about me and my home without listening or trying to understand things.”

“You must not give up. I believe in you Merla. As does Kruxeral. And May and Cay. And many, many more. We are with you.” Astra bumps her muzzle into Merla’s chest.

The affection elicits a small, genuine smile.

“I will keep trying.”

---

They have made their way out of the Fort and down one of the nearby rolling hills, getting farther and farther away from people, still talking, still deliberating on what to do.

Alenea strongly insists that we take Sunny to Arborea for it’s guarantee that Sunny would not be “drafted into some war.” Merla states yet again that she does not believe Sunny will have to fight, but Alenea is not convinced.

Taffeta does not give her opinion for one way or another which confuses Merla. What she does do is explain that though she knows the way through the Angelbark to Rowan’s Glade, it is a long journey and there’s no guarantee that the portal would be open when they get there. It is as she mentions Will that Merla finally remembers why Arborea is familiar. One of the layers is Arvandor, and is in fact where Corellon resides.

Except Merla and Taffeta both know they are not there.

Still, Merla mentions she thinks she could get them to Arborea. However she does point out that Sunny would be alone in a place that is not their native plane. They might be able to adapt, and the fact that it is Corellon’s realm is a step in a good direction considering the god’s ties to the Archfey. But Merla is still hesitant about introducing an invasive creature to a place it does not know. It also wouldn’t solve the problem of Sunny’s aggressive nature.

So it went back to the question of whether or not Sunny should be taken to the Summer Court or not.

“If we go there and they say no we run the risk of them knowing that Sunny was in the Dawnlands,” Alenea points out.

“Queen Titania already knows,” Merla says. “Someone else told her.”

The colour seems to drain from Alenea’s face.

Whistler has stopped hiding from Merla at this point and so asks, “What did she say?”

“‘None of my soldiers are meant to be on the Material Plane.’ I said I would look into it and that is why we are here,” she says, opening her arms to indicate them all.

The very young – for Merla had finally realised Whistler is barely an adult – shadar-kai gives her a long look. “You promise that if they say they’re going to kill them, you’ll take Sunny out of there.”

It is subtle, and only Taffeta is able to fully understand the shift that ripples across Merla’s face before she answers.

“I will do everything in my power to protect Sunny.”

The others give her a wary look, making the silence poignant after her words. But there is no doubting the honesty behind them.

The Daughter of Summer does not give promises anymore. She has been used by those she’s given her word to in the past. Not again. If they do not believe her then she will have to prove them wrong –– again.

---

The whole time they had been wandering around outside of Fort Ettin, Merla had been hearing Sunny say they wanted to be out, more out. When they finally arrived outside the gates of Perihelion in the Summer Court they at last seemed fully content.

“This is out, this is out.”

“Seems like you were right,” Astra teases, trying to brighten her mistress’ mood. The winged unicorn has been sensing the roiling frustration, bordering on exasperation at all the questions of her mistress’ character because of her association with the Queen and the Summer Court.

The teasing does not seem to work.

“Of course I was. Everyone keeps assuming the worst of us – the worst of me! Trying to get me to promise this, or answer ‘what would you do if’ questions when it is not helping the situation we all came together to solve.” Merla does the mental equivalent of a deep breath. “And I will be proven right again when we speak to the Royal Gardener.”

On a nearby hill there rises great, imposing, smooth walls, reflecting the sunlight. Beyond them rise huge, impressive trees and elegant, sweeping buildings. What catches Merla’s attention as they make their way up the well trodden path are the gates.

“That is unusual…”

“What is?” Alenea asks.

“The gates aren’t usually closed. Summer is known for its hospitality…”

Then Merla feels it in the air. It is subtle, and only someone who has been in the Summer Court so long would be able to sense it. Despite the Song she always hears, its melody strong and soothing to her heart, the feeling in the air it tries to fill her with unease.

But she won’t let it.

Merla will speak to the Azalea and she will find a way to help Sunny that will see them live. For Alenea. For Sunny themselves. Because it is the right thing to do, to give them both a second chance

---

They reach the Green House, which is built on one of the city’s highest points so no other building can cast a shadow over it. Entering inside, the humid air is an interesting kind of refreshing after the dryer heat outside. Alenea and Sunny are holding hands, the elf staying very close to the flower construct’s side. Sunny is very quiet, eyes wide, taking everything in, little mandibles twitching subtly every now and then as they give a chittering sound of curious delight.

Merla leads the way through, despite it being her first time in the Green House but suspecting the Royal Gardener would be somewhere farther in. They find the young dryad leaning over a very large planter, carefully distributing water with a delicate instrument that almost looks like a syringe as she sings a little song to herself about being precise and timely.

“Azelea?” Merla says softly.

“Oh! You startled me,” Azalea says, catching the droplet about to fall which probably would have been one too many.

“You were so into your work. I did not mean to scare you,” Merla apologises.

“Nonsense! Welcome, welcome! I have not seen you in such a long time. Wonderful to see you again. You come to visit me here in my house! And you bring so many people, so many interesting people! Oh!” She stops dancing around as she spots Sunny. “What is this? You brought a little flower warrior. My my! Where have you picked this one up? Shouldn’t they all be at the front?”

“This one’s special. It’s not like the others and it doesn’t want to be like the others. However, I believe it can grow into something better, something different. We’ve come to you, a master of flowers and growing things, to see if it’s possible you can help Sunny.”

She looks at Sunny and says, “That’s quite impossible really! The Sunflower Warriors are all grown for a purpose. Why would this one not be like the others?”

Merla glances at Alenea briefly before answering.

“This one’s different because, well… You might be able to tell as a Master Gardener yourself that it was not grown here.”

“Oh no!” Azalea exclaims.

Whistler shifts uncomfortably.

“Sunny is aware and can communicate. I’ve been using this to help,” Merla holds up the sunflower mask, “I know the Sunflower Warriors are normally calm, collected. But Sunny is a little untethered. You are new to this role, but I see great potential here. Look at this garden you tend. There’s so much I have never seen before! I am sure you can find a way to help Sunny, just as they could help you with this garden.”

“Hmmmm,” the dryad intones, scratching her smooth, green chin as she thinks. “If he hasn’t grown right, usually we would just compost them and grow a dozen more. There’s always more where they come from.”

“Uh–” Alenea starts but Merla steps in.

“I sense there is a ‘but’ there,” the Daughter of Summer grins. She leans in conspiratorially. “Think of the potential of what Sunny could be for when change comes.”

“When change comes?” Azalea asks. Merla nods. “My my. Are we expecting change? Are things about to change? What do you know?”

“You know that in a few weeks things will be decided in the Feywild.”

“What a curious thing for the Daughter of Summer to say.”

Azalea thinks about it though and it’s clear that Merla’s words have touched on something. The fae-bard gives the subtlest of winks to Alenea.

“Something new…”

“We have to keep growing,” Merla says.

“That is very true. I like to think so. I like to see how things change. The Sunflower Warriors were bred for a very specific purpose. But I think there is more potential there if we make changes.” She comes over to stand in front of Sunny, studying him. Alenea steps in a little closer to them. “Maybe this one could be the first of a new crop. Something else, something with new potential for change. Hm. I like it. I like it a lot. There’s a risk, there always is. We’re not supposed to be changing the things that the Queen bestows on us. The Corps of Gardeners are tasked with growing the Queen’s crops, the Queen’s soldiers and looking after them. To change something… that is bold.”

“I’m not saying change what my Queen Mother has already established. Not right now, definitely not now. She knows what she’s doing. But Sunny is different.” Merla lays a hand on their arm and smiles up at them. “A new potential, a new variable, that could mean something for all of us in the future. We cannot discard something just because it does not fit the mould. We become stagnant, we become stuck. We don’t grow. Growth allows us to change, to be better, to learn and-”

“Renew.”

Merla beams. “Renew.”

“You raise a very good point.”

Azalea looks around at the others before pausing as her eyes rest on Alenea.

“I sense there’s more to this story but I’m not one to pry. I see the potential here but I will be taking a risk. I’ll need something from you.” She steps closer to Alenea. “Are you willing to do me a favour? To bestow on me a boon if I take up this burden for you?”

“Please… Sunny is the closest thing I have to a child. I would do anything.”

Azalea smiles. “I know how you feel.” She raises her green, sapling like arms and twirls her hands. “I think of them just the same way. I will do this for you if you agree to return once this flower has bloomed and borne fruit, to help me harvest the fruit and see what new growth can stem from the unexpected seed.”

“Okay,” Alenea replies.

Azalea holds out her hand, waiting for Alenea to take it.

“Do not make this promise lightly,” Azalea cautions. “In the Feywild words bind and promises have power.”

Merla glances at Whistler and sees he is watching with wide, dark eyes.

Alenea looks at Sunny and then takes Azalea’s hand. Tendrils of vines twine around their clasped hands and Merla feels the pulse of the fey pact being sealed. The high elf looks back up to Sunny and smiles before turning back to Azalea. The dryad returns the smile and lets go of the elf’s hand.

“I will do what I can for this one. I think there’s great potential here.”

She places a hand very gently on Sunny’s shoulder. Sunny looks at her and makes a crooning whir sound in their throat.

“Yes, I think you will fit right in here.”

Azalea looks back to them.

“Well, I believe our deal is done. It has been wonderful to see you again Princess Merla,” she says.

“And you Azelea. I will come by again to see how you and Sunny are doing, so I can tell my friend Alenea.”

“That would be lovely. So few people come to visit me here in the Green House. We do such important work here yet most of the Court does not seem to notice. Ah, well. More time for me, more time for new developments, more time to look after the Queen’s crops.” She gives a slight bow. “I am sorry, there is so much more for me to do here, so many things for me to look after.” Turning to Sunny Azalea asks, “Would you like to come with me? I have a lot to show you and a lot you’ll want to see.” She puts a hand on their shoulder and starts to lead them away.

Sunny looks over the other shoulder to Alenea and gives that same crooning whir as they go.

“Be careful! Behave!” Alenea says, waving and smiling. “I’ll visit you.”

The mandibles click and Sunny follows Azalea further into the Green House.

Merla was glad everything worked out for Alenea and Sunny. Everyone else’s worries had been starting to make her doubt herself but after how things went, she feels pleased she was right. But more importantly she is happy that Alenea seems content.

---

Merla meets with the Green Knight to gather any information he may have found out during the time she had been away on the Material Plane. The seelie knight tells her that he has kept an eye on Roxane as she requested. Roxane has been in the Summer Court the entire week and as much as she would not admit it aloud, Merla was disappointed when he says he saw nothing suspicious at all.

“I appreciate your help in this, Green Knight.” Merla pauses. “I will still keep an eye on her over the next few days.”

Merla dons her best stealthy dress and follows Roxane. The big lady goes about her business, spending time in the training square, speaking to her mates of the Inglorious Company, and some of the Glorious Company as well. She jokes, bullies and back slaps some of the new recruits.

The Daughter of Summer doesn’t feel like her hidden observations cast Roxane in a better light, nor does it change Merla’s opinion of her, but she does not see anything that would be out of the ordinary for a soldier with a speciality in covert operations.

With the thought of the Contract Agreement looming in her mind, Merla reports her findings, or lack thereof, to her Queen Mother and the Green Knight, and then to Elias.

“It may be that nothing is happening at this time or it may be that Roxane saw me. I am not a master of stealth like you, Elias. But… I am still doubtful. Call it a gut feeling or intuition. I am not ready to rule her out entirely.”

There is a long pause and she wonders if Elias’ projected image has stopped working.

“I think I have to talk to Artemis.”

Merla blinks, confused and surprised. They explain that though they tailed the eladrin but did not see anything suspicious.

“He was in the Crimson Court as ambassador as he was supposed to be, and he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.” There is a visible worry in their eyes. “I followed him and I am certain I was not seen or heard but he is a fairly powerful mage and certainly as crafty as I am, perhaps more so. Maybe he has come up with a way to give me the slip. I haven’t found anything out by being subtle so perhaps a direct approach is needed…”

Despite everything – despite how she may feel towards Elias and what they did – Merla knows exactly what her once-heart friend is feeling.

“It won’t be an easy conversation, I know.” There is visible empathy in her eyes as she looks at their projected image. “Be careful, Elias. And be prepared.”