Posts by ulla jorda

ulla jorda

Ulla knew better than anyone that her children all faced an uphill battle. If they weren't literal spirits that she had plucked from whatever death they had suffered, then they were children she had found without lost and without a home. This had resulted in most of them having rather quiet mannerisms, which wasn't something that bothered Ulla necessarily, but she did worry that they wouldn't meet their friends or other Veilers. It was good that they had one another, but they had to have more than that. Her family had been rather small when she was growing up in Orneborg and, up until she met the spirits of the woods, she didn't really have any true friends outside of her family. She had absolutely hated that and she believed it was even at least a small part of why she now resented her brother so much. They had been close when they were young - inseparable even after he began to make other friends. Then he had betrayed her in the worst possible way. He was one of the only living creatures she had any solid relationship with and by the time she arrived in Shadow Veil she was terrified the same thing would happen. Over time, though, she learned that she could trust the rest of the Veilers and that she could have a proper home here, even if she didn't always get along with everyone. In fact, she was starting to think not getting along with everyone was a good indication that she truly learned. She had 'gotten along' with most of Orneborg, but they knew nothing about her and most of what they did know was a complete lie. At least here she was honest with everyone and (she hoped) everyone was honest with her.

She was just returning from a walk when she took notice of Anton, a smile easily coming to her lips as she approached only to watch a bird fly away. A bit of concern touched her. While she knew that most of her children would eventually have to eat meat and therefore learn how to hunt, Jingwei was a bird and she didn't want to encourage her children to hunt one another. "If you want to learn anything about birds, Anton, I'm sure Jingwei wouldn't mind if you asked a few questions." She desperately hoped Anton had only been trying to observe the bird rather than eat it. That would've been quite awkward. Ulla then seemed to notice Calina, giving a light nod of her head towards the Shadowkeeper.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla didn't know Kinzoku well, but he had always seemed to her like a rather kind individual. Perhaps not entirely level headed, but she was sure that label could be applied to at least half of Shadow Veil. However, she did know a thing or two about complicated feelings and what tended to happen when they showed up unannounced. While Ulla had adored her family while they were alive (at least, most of them) she wasn't sure how she'd react if they suddenly returned. She had gotten along with both her mother and father when she was young but... things had changed. Her father had never even known about her magic because she had always been too worried to tell him. He worked in close proximity to the Lord and had her secret ever slipped, it would've meant the immediate death of them all and she had already lost her mother. Besides, after the way her mother reacted, she didn't see a reason to pull her father into the situation. While her mother hadn't been upset by Ulla's natural gifts, she had been terrified of them. Terrified of the way Ulla might hurt others or get herself hurt if she were to be revealed by the local Lord. For that reason, they all taught her to suppress her abilities, to pretend like they didn't even exist, like she wasn't called to the forest every single night.

The smell of smoke isn't an unusual one on the Veil's territory but there's too much of it. For a moment, her mind flashes to Kiyoshi. He couldn't returned, his pwoers running rampant. He could be home. That hope is what spurs her to run, only to be immediately crushed when she sees Kinzoku and senses the spiritual presence that's been... well, it didn't leave by choice. That was just here. But is now gone in a way that spirits often don't feel gone unless someone's somehow forced them away. That's not what's important present, though. She needs to focus her attention on Kinzoku, not on whatever spirit was here before she arrived or on the crushing feeling in her chest after realizing this wasn't Kiyoshi's grand re-entrance. Would there be a day that she stopped looking for him at the border? Or would it be like The Witch Doctor all over again?

"Kinzoku! I need you to calm down! Take some breaths! We're here to help you!" And to prevent the forest from burning. Immediately, small shrubs begin to sprout and the trees near the fire begin to sway away from it. She was trying her best to contain it. The shrubs grow impossibly large and they appear to almost be coated in a sort of wax. Fire proof plants. Well, not fire proof, but nearly. The manzanita was often used to keep fires at bay and she found that if she grew them large enough, she could use their protected leaves to smother flames. Until someone who was actually able to put it out showed up, this was the best option. The shrubs only continued to grow as they bent over the flames, multiplying rapidly as she hoped desperately that it would be enough to smother the fire without setting more of the forest aflame.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla had done quite a few weekly tasks now and this reminded her that she still hadn't done the task Cade assigned her. Pottery sounded nice and relaxing, but the past few weeks had just been so chaotic. Perhaps with the new neutrality with the Coven and no attacks stirring on any side, she would finally have time to get to it. It seemed like the Veil would finally be fortunate enough to have a period of peace and it was one she felt like she'd been waiting for since the moment she joined. The doe made her way forward, sitting beside Anton, not wanting the child to feel alone in a crowd so full of strangers. Even if they weren't speaking, she was glad to see them out and about and actively trying to participate in clan life, even if that meant sitting in complete silence, simply waiting for a weekly task. "If it wouldn't be any trouble, I'd appreciate one as well, Haiiro." With that she would wait to see what she was assigned for the week.

/i'd like a companion task as well, please!

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla listens quietly to the announcements, nodding a bit as each one passes. There wasn't much of a surprise this week, which was a welcome change from the last few weeks when they were being terrorized by strange spirits and having all of their members get possessed. This was a wonderful change of pace, as far as Ulla was concerned, However, the aftermath of what hte spirits had done wasn't over and Ulla knew htat because Calina had asked her to speak about some new traditions that she and some other Veilers had created. Ways to (hopefully) keep the spirits appeased and prevent something like the Shade Hour from happening a second time. Well, the last Shade Hour. Ulla had a feeling that regular Shade Hours would never really stop, but that wasn't a big problem in her eyes. Prior to this, the Shade Hour was a good time for living folks to meet up with old relatives and freinds that they wouldn't otherwise be able to see or to confront a spirit that could be used for great personal growth. While spirits could be dangerous, in Ulla's experience, the majority of them were friendly, though at this point she was sure most Veilers would disagree with her.

Still, she took a breath, and would begin to speak, "So, we will be implementing two new traditions in order to keep everyone safer and, hopefully, to keep more of the spirits that gave us trobule away from Shadow Veil. I'd like to start this by saying these traditions won't get rid of the Shade Hour itself and that it'll continue to happen, however, it should be just that - an hour. No more two weeks Shade Hours, if this all works as it should," she paused, allowing everyone to take that information first. She might understand why the Veilers were hoping to be rid of spirits entirely, but that wasn't possible. Not in Shadow Veil and, to Ulla's knowledge, not anywhere else. They all had to live with ghosts - both literally and figuratively. The difference was that the Veil knew they were there. "That being said, the first tradition is a simple one for joiners. Simply put, joiners will be asked to give some kind of verbal offering to the spirits. They can choose exactly what this is and it could be directed at a single spirit, if they're able to see them, or to the pines as a whole. For now, if anyone is unsure of what to say, simply have them speak the following words aloud: 'Thank you, spirits of the pines, for offering me shelter, food, and water.' It's important that whatever is said comes from a genuine heart because otherwise this could cause the spirits to become angrier. That's why I thought simply thanking the pines for necessities makes the most sense for most individuals." The first of the two traditions out of the way, she would once again wait to make sure there weren't any questions before it was time to move on to the final phase of what she had to say.

"The second tradition is much simpler. Once a month, there will be a day that the Veil goes the graveyard as a group and cleans up the graves and maybe even provides some offerings to the spirits there. The Shade Hour we had over the past few weeks was, I think, partially triggered by the graveyard being dismantled. If we try our best to take good care of it, that'll help avoid any of those spirits coming out to find us." She had to admit it wasn't the most soothing reason to be offering respects to the dead, but it was also going to become an important part of the Veil's continued existence. If they didn't want anymore intense Shade Hours, they had to realize there were a few things that needed to change. "And that's what I have for you all. Unless anyone has any questions, this meeting is dismissed." With that, she would only stick around to see if anyone had anything to add or had any questions about the two new traditions. She was just glad they were moving past the past few weeks and that none of their members were possessed. Things certainly seemed to be growing brighter.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

/aww knot!! she's grown up and i love her

The first month Ulla had joined the Veil had been confusing to say the least. She had even less of her memories then than she did now and she was surrounded by new faces, though those faces quickly transformed into her true famliy. Not the mother who had forced her to hide her magic, nor the father who had been too busy at work to see her, or even her traitorous brother, who had ultimately led to both their deaths. No, Shadow Veil was not like Orneborg, but in those days she had been worried it was. She could also remember the many children that had run around, many of them belonging to Riptide, though she didn't see most of them anymore. However, she generally assumed they were off with Riptide, wherever he was. She knew he had only stepped down as leader - that nothing terrible had happened to him - and she assumed he was off living with his family somewhere. She hadn't known him well and had never really thought to seek him out, if she was being honest. While she worried frequently about where Kira, The Witch Doctor, and Kiyoshi were, she didn't spare many thoughts for Riptide and his family. Perhaps that was unfair of her, to only prioritize those she had been close to. But it wasn't possible for one person to care about everyone all at once. Ulla knew because she had tried to do it, once, and it had nearly destroyed her. Maybe it had.

Regardless of her own complicated family dynamics, Ulla wasn't very worried about them for the time being. Instead, she had been gathering some ingredients to make dinner for herself and her children. Perhaps she would also invite Mystletainn and Fiore over, if there was enough left (and there almost always was). She also picked up a few things to make some pastries, perhaps the strawberry kind. The summer had brought quite a few delightful fruits and Ulla wasn't keen on wasting what nature had to offer. She was only pulled from her walk home when she noticed a strange little girl in camp, one that looked so scrawny and underfed. That wouldn't do. No child of the Veil should be that small when Ulla's home was open to them all. As she approached the girl pulling the sack of belongings behind her, her eyes widened when she realized she knew who she was. "Knot! I had no idea you were visiting, welcome back. If you're looking for your father, I'm not sure where he is. I haven't seen him for some time," she admitted, though it hadn't seemed like the apprentice was looking for anyone. It seemed like she was just trying to leave. On an empty stomach, too.

"I'm sorry, you might not remember me. You were so young when we met and I was new to the Veil myself. I'm Ulla. I was there when you made that lovely obstacle course. That was actually my first week in the Veil, I think." She wasn't sure if the introduction was necessary, but had hated being approached by strangers who knew her but that she had no recollection of when she was young. "If you'd like, you're more than welcome to stay awhile. I actually was just getting ready to make some dinner. Nothing fancy, just some bread and soup and I was thinking perhaps some pastries afterwards for dessert. I found some fresh strawberries that I thought would be perfect for them. You're welcome to stay for as long as you like or leave as early as you want to. I have enough bedding if you'd like to sleep here tonight, though. If you have no interest in staying, I have some bread you can take with you as a snack for your journey." With that, she would maintain her kind smile and simply wait to see how the girl responded. Ulla was aware that many people refused to accept her help, so she tried to make it as accessible as possible. Perhaps she could not convince Knot to stay, but maybe she would at least take a little bit of bread for the road.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla had been all the way back at camp, preparing lunch when a Veiler came in to tell her someone was at the border looking for her and Calina. She was rather annoyed by it, if she was being honest, but then she heard the name of the group. The Arcane. As in the Arcane Mountains? The NPC who came to her wouldn't be able to answer her questions, so she quickly finished up setting out lunch for her children and then ran off towards the border, moving quickly through the trees until she heard Calina's voice, along with a few other Veilers and that of a stranger. The doe soon came to stand beside Calina and looked towards the man before them in interest. So she had been right in her assumption. While she knew her own interests would likely cloud her judgement, she did her best to shake it away. She knew better than anyone the Mountains weren't what they'd been when she was growing up - she doubted the Arcane even knew of the collection of little settlements she had grown up in. How could they? When she'd finally returned to Orneborg, she had found it completely destroyed and dilapidated. It had rebuilt for a time, but it hadn't been in use for decades, perhaps even over a hundred years.

She tried to shake away her own memories and perceptions, but that didn't mean she couldn't use her knowledge in this discussion. "The mountains are incredibly fertile," It was a neutral statement, but one made in tentative support. While Ulla wanted to return to her homeland, to have some connection with the mountains, it wasn't as though things had ended positively. So why did she care so much about a tiny group from the mountains - one she had no real connection to - so much? "The defenses might be of use. The mountains also have the advantage of being relatively difficult to get to. I bet it's easier for keep folks out than it is here in the forest. But it also keeps everyone in."

The final phrase had a lingering tone of distrust, but not necessarily towards the Arcane, but of the mountain itself. She had been trapped there for much of her life - she had only been freed when she died and inhabited another body. She would hope nothing like that would happen again, but one could never be sure. She had so many questions, though, regardless of what whether or not an alliance was forged. But now wasn't the time for those. Instead, she looked towards Calina and spoke, "Perhaps we could consider a trial alliance of some sort, perhaps for a period of weeks? They're small, but I know the mountains have much to offer." But she also knew that Andreas himself had come from the mountains, that his family lingered there even after Ulla had killed him. She just had to be sure of who these people were. Maybe a temporary time with them would help the Veil reach a decision.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Due to the extended Shade Hour, Ulla knew there were plenty of Veilers who didn't have a hut to themselves. No one had been able to come back to camp while the pines had been covered in such an intense darkness, so some of them probably hadn't even seen camp, let alone picked out a hut for themselves. When she returned, she personally had to expand her home. While she had always had quite a few children, now there were enough of her adopted children and spirit children around her to feel justified in expanding her vines to the dilapidated building beside her, making sure it was structurally sound by weaving her vines and branches together to make up for what had already fallen apart. Once her own home was done, though, she realized there were others that might need help, both getting settled into their home and fixing them up after being left for a couple weeks without any work being done. While the majority of them were quite stable, especially after a few needed to be repaired after the snowstorm just a few months ago, they were still ruins and there was still a possibility some of them could've been damaged during the events of the Shade Hour. She didn't recall any particularly bad storms while they were away, but one could never be too safe. Not only that, but there was a chance that bugs had gotten into bedding or food or, well, anything. Even if the Whispering Pines were unusually dark, they still had all the insects a regular forest was and it wasn't like there was any activity to keep them away when they'd all been stuck inside the church.

With all of this on her mind, Ulla had gathered up a variety of materials. Most of it was just simple bedding - both natural ingredients that could be used, as well as spare blankets and pillows Ulla had found some time ago. For a moment, she thought maybe it would be good to ask Grey if he could knit some extra bedding, but then she remembered he may not even recall how to do that now and, even if he did, she wasn't sure he'd be able to do it safely. Still, maybe it would be good to ask him to give it a try. He didn't seem to be completely feral, and she was still holding out hope that he might recover (although she knew the more... supernatural side effects of his injury would likely never change). Along with the bedding, she brought out some of the spare ingredients she had stocked up on. She made sure to use her plant manipulation to create containers that no bug would burrow in to, but others might be missing essential vegetables, fruits, and meat. She didn't keep meat in the house (obviously), but otherwise she had a nice variety of culinary herbs, spices, and plant life in general. She wasn't too worried about stocking up again, given her own ability to create the vegetables and because summer had been rather kind to the forest so far and she hadn't found herself short of anything. She mostly stockpiled out of habit, being used to the harsh and sudden weather in the mountains. Along with the bedding and food, there were a few random furniture items and little decorations, some of which she had found and some that she had made herself (these mostly included plants that could be hung in one's room or bouquets of flowers).

With all the items gathered up, the doe stood beside her pile and called out, "I know that there are quite a few people who haven't yet gotten to select a hut due to the Shade Hour and us all being in stuck in the church. I also know that with camp being left alone for two weeks, those of you who did have a home, may have significantly less supplies than you once did due to bugs or whatever else may have gotten into the huts while we were gone. If you need help moving your belongings into a new hut, come on over here and I'll be more than happy to help you. Take whatever you need or want, just try to really only take the bedding that you truly need, as we don't have an unlimited supply of it. Thankfully, it's the summer so it shouldn't be getting horribly cold. Even if nothing you have is damaged or if you already have a home, I also have a few decorations if anyone would like them!" After she spoke, she went quiet and simply waited to see who would be the first to approach. She wasn't actually sure how many people would need assistance, but she reasoned it was enough of them that this would be a good idea.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla hadn't known Saros well, but she had found him interesting, and yet she was still suspicious of him. She supposed that was a statement that could apply to any number of people, though, even those she knew relatively well. She wasn't a very trusting person by nature. At one time she thought that perhaps she was, that it was only a handful of people she didn't trust. That royalty wasn't to be trusted, those with power were to be watched closely. She thought that was where the list ended, but it turned out her 'list' of expectations was far more non-exhaustive than she originally believed. Those with old souls made her suspicious, ones that had lived in more body than one. She knew that she technically fell into that group and perhaps it was hypocritical for her to be so wary of them, but so many had poor intentions or were so removed from the social aspects of the world that they stopped caring about life itself and caused reckless harm where they went. Others were pious fouls who through of themselves as gods or angels or demons and she had no patience for that nonsense, especially when they didn't have the power, skill, or knowledge to back up such a claim. Claiming to be an angel was to escape from one's poor actions, claiming they were all for the good of the world in some way, and claiming to be a demon shifted the responsibility of one's poor actions from the individual to that individual's nature, which Ulla felt was more than a little dishonest.

Despite her own uncertainty about Saros (and many others), her distrust was not something she would openly admit to or even acknowledge. It would only really result in her quietly keeping an eye on those she was suspicious of, to be sure they had no intention of bringing her or anyone she cared about harm. Saros was at least safe enough for her to smile when she saw him standing near the border. She settled down near Mystletainn and nodded a bit when he spoke about the new tradition. "Welcome back, Saros. It's good to see you," she would then pause for a moment before adding on to what Mystletainn had said, "While you were gone we had some trouble with the spirits that lived here. We're hoping a more active effort to treat them with respect will keep them from getting violent again. You can technically thank them for whatever you want, we just figured that shelter and food were fairly basic needs everyone could use as an example," she explained, hoping he would understand. She hadn't really thought of what would happen if someone refused to do it. Given the Shade Hour had only just happened, they'd probably have to turn them away. They couldn't take an attack like that a second time so close together.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla had never gotten weekly tasks in the Flights. At least, if she did, she didn't recall it. Or perhaps she had asked for one and then never actually followed through with it? That was certainly a possibility, given how scattered her mind felt with all the events in the Veil. Everything felt so... chaotic there, though she was thankful that at least the Shade Hour was over with. Now maybe she could focus more on simply relaxing and taking care of the smaller problems in Shadow Veil, like getting to know new members and... well, she wasn't sure, actually. She wasn't entirely certain what her role was anymore when there wasn't a time of crisis. When she was Midnightbringer, everything had been easily laid out for her. She knew that she had to host events and make sure everyone was getting along and that was her job. But now she felt like she was responsible for helping oversee everything and, honestly, she had no idea where to even start with most of her duties. However, the Flights was a nice break from all that. She would come here and spend some time with Arya and that was that. She still wanted to help them, but there wasn't so much pressure to constantly be doing something all the time. It was probably good that she was letting herself take small breaks now and then. In any case, she figured regardless of whether or not her weekly task here would be relaxing or not, it would be given to her by Arya, so she was sure it'd be perfect. "I'd like one, Arya." With those words, the doe would settle down and wait to hear what Arya would give her.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla knew much about herbs, though there were very few Veilers that knew that. She had been in charge of taking care of her sickly parents for quite some time when she was growing up and after they both passed, she was the only one around to the minor scrapes and bruises her little brother would often acquire. She had used the herbs she knew how to grow to treat them, but she had begged Andreas to send for more supplies - to open their border back up to trade. At the time, he had been at war with a neighboring territory and, for that reason, it'd been impossible for her to get any fresh herbs apart from those that naturally grew in their forest. To this day, she wondered if something had been wrong with the herbs she grew herself. If maybe, had they been more fresh, if her parents would've recovered and lived longer lives. There was a part of her that was angry at herself - angry that she hadn't found some way to save them - and another part that was furious at Andreas for denying her the supplies she knew would have a chance at saving them. Then there was the point that she had learned about poisons for most of her life. She didn't specialize in healing, like many with her sort of magic, she had specialized in how to harm others. She had been born into a war and there were plenty of healers already. They needed someone who could strike, so that was what she had done. And how Andreas and his family had tumbled when she did.

Despite her negative connotations related to herbs, she still found herself regularly stopping in to the medical hut. Most of this was out of habit. She had stopped by nearly everyday when Kiyoshi was still here, training to be a spiritcaller apprentice. She had brought him lunnch and snakes as she worked, always commenting on how much good he was doing. She had been proud of him for being brave enough to learn what she banished from her own life. Now, she found herself wandering in about the same time, sometimes even with sandwiches or cookies, only to realize she didn't really have anyone to give them to, so she would simply leave it all with Órfhlaith. She was sure Mystletainn and Ambrose would appreciate them, even if they only came out of her forgetting her schedule from just a few weeks ago no longer worked. Today such a thing happened, where the moment her hoof touched the floor, she promptly realized that Kiyoshi wouldn't be found here, nor anywhere on the Veil's territory.

So, she would simply set the snacks down on the table she always did and then turned her head to notice Grey sorting through the herbs himself. "It's very kind of you to help out, Grey. Would it be alright if I stayed and went through them as well?" She wanted to be sure he was comfortable having her around. She knew that his situation wasn't... ideal and she wasn't sure how he felt about her part in what had happened. She thought it was better that he stayed among them, that he still had some sort of help, but that help also meant he wasn't free to walk around without anything in his mouth. It was a terrible situation, but there was little anyone could really do other than hopefully help him gain more control over it as time progressed.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

/i love him so much asdfghj

Ulla tried to teach all of her children to cook and bake, if they had an interest in it. It had always been a bit of an escape for her, though she understood that now they had many more options related to hobbies than she did when she was young. She was stuck always doing something that was at least relatively 'helpful' for her family. That had been especially true after her parents had passed away. She always hated tending to the farm because she knew that, if she wasn't stuck in a place that hated her magic, she could simply grow it all in a single night and just make as much profit. Now that she wasn't forced to tend to plants manually, she actually did find she enjoyed traditionally growing some plants and flowers. That was because she wanted to, though, not because she felt like she couldn't just grow things the way she wanted to. Baking, though, had always been a source of comfort for her. There was little she could do with her powers to speed up the process and she was technically making food, which meant no one could ever claim she wasn't working (even when she spent far too long decorating a single pastry).

When she caught the smell of some sort of sweet cookie, the doe made her way over with a light smile, glad to see Nissr had taken a liking to her own hobby, but a little concerned the boy had gone about cooking all on his own. "These smell lovely, Nissr! What kind are they?" she asked, selecting a cookie and looking at it, but waiting a moment to take a bite of it. She wasn't allergic to anything, but she wanted to make sure she fully appreciated what her son had made. "I have a feeling that pretty soon I'll have to show you how to make proper pastries, not just cookies! These are wonderful, obviously, but I think you'd enjoy making the filling for the ones I make for dinner," she suggested. It was then that she actually raised the cookie to her mouth, taking a bite. At first, all she tasted was the outside layer of lavender and... a strange saltiness. Perhaps it was a mistake and he had accidentally used the wrong ingredients? Her smile seemed to twist a bit, but she did her best to just chew through the pain, even as she hit the mustard. "Wow... This is, uh, really something, Nissr!" Had he been an adult, she wouldn't have been so kind about it, but he was a child and he could still be learning. Was she going to have to eat an entire batch of these to convince him they weren't absolutely awful? Her stomach turned at the thought.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla had much enjoyed Arya's company to say the least. At first, she wasn't even sure if the woman liked her, to be quite honest. They had met at a strange time, when Ulla had been yelling and throwing plates and glass at a tree just so she could watch them shatter. It wasn't a first impression Ulla would want most people to have of her, but she was glad that Arya had seen her that way, even if she'd been embarrassed at the time. It allowed her something she didn't get in many places - honesty. Ulla hid most of her feelings a majority of the time. In Orneborg, it had been absolutely essential that her anger and grief over her captured hometown was never shown. If she ever let it slip that she didn't entirely support the Lord and his family, that would've been grounds for her to be tried as a traitor and to either be exiled or killed, not only because of her anger towards them, but because of the magic that inspired her resentment in the first place. When she arrived in Shadow Veil, all of that changed, but an entire life full of tiny lies and emotional deception wasn't so easily forgotten.

While she was becoming more and more comfortable with showing negative emotions, especially in instances where she felt she had to stand up for herself or others, she knew she still had a long way to go. Anyone that carried a title even remotely related to her aristocratic past was given a long gaze and she found herself distrustful of those with old spirits or supposed great power, despite the fact she probably fell into at least one of those categories herself. The truth was Ulla was still terrified. Orneborg had been taken a day, who was to say that wouldn't happen again? Not only that, but now she had things she truly cared about. Not just her family, who's relationship with her had always been distant and complicated, but her own family and friends, who she felt an intense duty to protect. What if one day she failed them and there was nothing she could do about it? What if she came all this way only to lose it all again?

And yet with Arya that fear... it was still there, but in a different way. For some reason, Ulla felt certain Arya wouldn't be ripped away from her. She was strong and confident and she wasn't like Kira, who had just left as soon as the wind blew out of his favor. She had stayed in the Ruins, despite the fact she disagreed with what was happened and tired to make it a better place. Even while being exiled and leaving, she had only left out of necessity, after doing as much as she could for it. No, Ulla was certain Arya would not be a friend easily washed away by the complicated and harsh rains of life. Things would be different this time and if there was a fight, Arya would be the last person to simply lay down and let it happen. They would fight together for the place they deserved, for the home they desired. She wasn't so sure Arya was certain of her own strength, but Ulla had never questioned it for a moment.

Ulla's knew she felt something more for the woman than simple friendship, even if she did her best to ignore it. In Orneborrg, there had been no time to think about love or the future. Each day she simply hoped she would survive and she determined that would be enough. But now she wasn't just surviving and yet there was a part of her still terrified to move forward, to say anything. Witch had disappeared without a word. But Arya wouldn't do that. She wasn't sure why she was so certain this time, but she felt that she wouldn't. The Witch Doctor was someone Ulla loved because he reminded her of her history - the small pieces of it that she enjoyed reflecting on. The spirits had been guardians and he had resembled them so much. She thought he would keep her safe. But Ulla loved Arya because she was the picture of Ulla's future. She had been through so many difficult things, and yet she preserved. She was not always happy, but she was honest and false joy was only worth as much as fool's gold. Arya was a way forward - she perfectly resembled the living society Ulla hand joined, not the dead that haunted her dreams. It was time for Ulla to move on. She knew that. And yet she still found it difficult to confess her own feelings.

Regardless of her complicated view point, though, she only felt joy when she saw Arya approaching her. A wide smile spread across the doe's face and she was only a bit confused by the woman's hesitance. She knew Arya wasn't the most social individual, but Ulla never thought she was the cause of anxiety. At the savannah's request, though, Ulla's answer came without a moment of hesitation, "It's good to see you, Arya. Of course I'll follow you." And with that they moved in silence briefly until they arrived at Swan's Lagoon. Ulla hadn't explored the Flights' territory as much as she'd like to, but her eyes still widened as she arrived at the site and saw the great waterfalls rushing down. "This is beautiful, Arya." Even as she says the words, her eyes move from the scenery to Arya herself, a soft smile on the doe's lips. It's then that she notices the package and she approaches hesitantly, settling down as she peels back the wrapping paper to reveal Arya's dagger, woven with flowers. Immediately, her smile only seems to grow and she speaks, "Arya, I don't know what to say. This is wonderful. You are wonderful. Thank you so much." The joy in her tone is undeniable and she nears the other woman, hesitating for a moment. There's so much more she wants to say, but she isn't certain of how to go about any of it. "I adore you, Arya." What was there to say other than that? It encompassed all she felt without being overwhelmingly forward.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla had yet to see every part of the Flights' territory. She had never anticipated that hte first week she joined the Flights' would be followed by so much chaos in the Veil, so she had been pulled into her home clan more often than she had wanted to over the last several days. It wasn't that she didn't want to be there, of course, but there were many members of the Flights she had yet to meet and she knew that if she wanted this place to feel like a second home, she needed to be making a greater effort to interact with her new clanmates. While she knew a few o them from their previous interactions with the Veil, the only one she knew truly very well was Arya and that wasn't enough for her. She knew that Arya had family members here too, like Cherrywine, and Ulla thought it might be good to get to know her as well. She would not admit this was because she felt that getting to know Arya's family was a good way to get to know the woman herself a bit more, but that was truly the reason. The rest of them, though, she wanted to know because she felt it was probably a good thing to be acquainted with those one lived with.

Feral animals were something Ulla was far too familiar with. In Orneborg, there had been plenty of feral bears and wolves and she often had the duty of warding them away from their tiny farming community. Her mother and father never asked how she was able to ward off such large creatures, though she knew they had to be aware of the truth when she came back each night without a single scratch on her. Magic wasn't supposed to be permitted but apparently it was excusable when it was convenient for them. However, she was also aware of the feral prey animals that most of the others ate. While most of her friends were kind enough not to eat deer in front of her, she understood that some of them likely ate her own species on a regular basis. She supposed it might be strange to others, but it made sense to her. They were predators and they had to eat meat and many of them couldn't just survive off of mice. Despite her understanding, she did wonder how she was intelligent and able to preform magic and defend herself and yet so many creatures like her simply... couldn't. They would form basic herds, of course, but those were instinctual units, not a little town like Orneborg, nor a clan like Shadow Veil or Volary Flights. Then there were feral animals that could gain sentience and that didn't make any sense to her at all. What was the difference between them all if everyone was capable of eventually coming to some level of intelligence?

For now, though, she wasn't thinking about the moral ambiguities of hunting. Instead, she was wandering around the territory and trying to get a feel for it when she heard a couple of voices, both of which she vaguely recognized. The doe made her way over to the aviary, unable to stop herself from looking around at all the birds that flew around it. She saw some of the destruction and couldn't help but let out a light sigh. She had heard of the destruction caused by a rather terrible storm that'd swept through, but she hadn't thought it was this bad. "I'm more than happy to help clean up, if you need it," she offered, small vines beginning to sprout, forming shapes able to sweep up some of the smaller items. "How do you all keep track of your birds? How are you so certain they might not just choose to fly away?" Did they train them? Have some sort of bond to them? Ulla had small pets when she was a child, but most were just animals she helped patch up and then sent back into the woods. There were never any that truly stuck around. A phrase that could be applied to quite a few relationships in her life, unfortunately.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Where Nissr was, Ulla was rarely far behind. While she had always been rather protective of her children, every since Kiyoshi's eye was ripped out and he ran away, she had been especially careful to keep an eye on as many of her children as possible. It wasn't easy to do, given how many spirits had been sent astray after the Shade Hour and how many children she kept finding in the woods. She was actually starting to get a little worried someone might think she was kidnapping them or something, but the truth was she found most of them stumbling around at night in the woods. Ulla had always had trouble sleeping, but she'd been especially careful during the Shade Hour to make sure she regularly patrolled the borders at night. She knew the conesquences could be dire that late if someone didn't come across a joiner or visitor soon enough. The consequences of that, though, was that she continued to find a large amount of abandoned children. She wasn't sure who kept leaving them here or why, but she always swore to take them in until (or if) their parents ever showed up. So far, none of them had. While at first she had been startled by the amount of them, she then recalled her own childhood and the war she had been born into. She was sure that back then there had been plenty of stray animals that showed up in their woods, seeking shelter after something terrible happened to their original homes. A chilling through occurred to her then, that perhaps she had caused some such displacements when she destroyed the town, but she was quick to sweep it away.

They had a visitor. It wasn't a good time to think about such things. She offered a kind smile to solarian, suppressing a chuckle as she heard her son's voice. "I wish I could help regarding whether or not to eat them, but I honestly don't know. I've been meaning to try to use some of the Veil's more... unique flora to try and cook, but I've been a bit nervous some of it might be poisonous. I've meant to ask the spiritcallers or see if there are any reference books in the catacombs, but I suppose I've just never gotten around to it," she admitted before letting out a sigh and facing the woman more fully. "I expect that you're here for more than just the mushrooms, though. Is there anything I could help you with?" she asked with a soft laugh. At least this time Sangria hadn't come to visit. She knew they probably all had some sort of aristocratic title, but Ulla found herself interacting far more often with a queen than she had ever wanted to. What made it even more difficult was that Sangria seemed kind and she did seem to care, but didn't all rulers try to convey such a facade? Ulla just wasn't so sure about her still. A more logical, open person may have reached out to Sangria to make amends or at least learn more about her, but Ulla didn't think she had time for such forced pleasantries.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

It was nice to see that things around camp were returning to normal. At least, as normal as they could be. The Shade Hour had been difficult for them all, but it was important that everyone moved on, in one way or another. On one hand, things going back to normal so quickly could imply that no one was working through the emotional grief they'd all been put through for about two weeks, but that was a problem for another time and it wasn't really one that Ulla had to personally deal with. The emotional falling out of everything now fell on the spiritcallers and maybe Cade, if he wanted to try another therapy session (though, given the one she had held some months ago, she wasn't sure how successful such an attempt would be). Regardless of the implications, though, she was willing to be ignorant of those for some time if it meant they could all take a break. So, when she noticed Lucina starting a game, the doe was quick to make her way over and sit down with a light smile on her lips. She listened to all the questions, her smile growing a bit when she heard Nissr's comment. She wasn't even sure that her son had met the woman before, but it would be rather ironic if the bright green cub was the one she had in mind. At least any canines were excluded, which was a good portion of camp. She sat silently for a moment before a question came to her, "Does this person eat meat? Or, I suppose a better way to phrase it, would you assume that they eat meat?" She knew that some predators chose to be vegetarians, though Ulla herself wasn't entirely sure of how that was possible. Really, this question would only knock out a handful of clanmates, including herself and Órfhlaith, but if the answer was 'yes' then that would shrink the guessing pool down considerably.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla was still trying to get to know everyone in the Flights. She needed to know them more than just on a base level if she wanted to truly feel as though it were a second home, she knew, but perhaps her intent upon joining had been more... focused than she originally led herself to believe (although her reasoning was likely quite clear to nearly everyone else). She knew that a few Veilers would be visiting sometime soon and she had thought faintly of offering herself as a joke, but recognized that such an action wouldn't be very professional and so she withheld from her (rather ingenious) plan. Instead, she opted to just try and spend more time in the jungle. She had to admit that the warmer climate was quite nice. While the pines weren't startlingly cold, they never got incredibly warm due to the fact the pine trees blocked out most of the natural sunlight. Even her light couldn't replicate the warmth of sunlight itself, so the forest floor remained quite chilly year round. Ulla was used to cooler climates, as she had lived in the mountains for most of her life, but that didn't mean she didn't appreciate occasional trips to warmer places. The last time she had been anywhere warm was when she visited the Exiles and that had been quite far from a vacation. The jungle, however, had much plant life and there was always a faint smell of water in the air that Ulla found calming.

She was only pulled from her thoughts when she heard a hiss coming from nearby. A small frown of concern pressed itself onto her lips and the doe was quick to move in the direction of the sound, arriving to see Freya and someone she didn't recognize. Had they met before? She didn't think so, though she assumed they must be a Volarian if Freya wasn't asking why they were so far past the border. "Are you hurt? I could send for a... um, a medic," she offered, promptly realizing she had no idea what medics were properly called here. She knew that the man she met some time ago... his name was Autopilot, wasn't it? She knew he was a healer, at least, so she'd be able to send a message his way if needed. She then looked at the debris that had been thrown around and spoke again, "I'm not sure what all this is, but if you were trying to move it, I'd be more than happy to help. I can control plants, so that may be of some use." While most assumed that plant manipulation was best suited for growing simple herbs, food, or poisons, Ulla had learned quite a few uses for it in combat. There was a part of her that didn't like it, but that did mean she knew how to grow large plants with quite a bit of success, making it easy to carry smaller objects around. There was a part of her that wondered if she'd be able to move the palms, despite them no longer being attached to anything. Still, her interest in the limits of her own powers would have to wait as she tried to see if the other Volarian was doing alright. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've met. I'm Ulla." It wasn't the best time for an introduction, but she supposed being helped by a complete stranger wasn't entirely comforting.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽

ulla jorda

Ulla's relationship and overall experience with medicine was... complicated. Most with her sort of magic became healers because it was easy to get whatever herb you needed at any time, but Ulla hadn't been born into a place that would benefit from using her gifts for medicinal purposes. She had been born into a home that was overtaken by invaders and, while there were days of peace, she was largely born into a war, so she had focused on combat when she learned how to use her abilities. Besides, the spirits weren't concerned with healing anyone. At least, not usually. They were spirits and therefore most of them didn't have physical bodies. While that didn't necessarily mean they couldn't be harmed at all (spiritual attacks were still present, after all), it did mean that they didn't have physical bodies that could be harmed. They didn't get sick or twist their ankles. Her mother had taught her some basics about medicine so that she could always take care of her little brother if needed, but it was nothing complicated. Mostly home remedies for a small cold or fever, maybe something for a particularly bad scratch, but she would have no idea what to do if someone were to break their leg in front of her. Then her parents had gotten sick, though, and things had changed.

Their tiny village didn't have a proper doctor and Andreas refused to open up the borders or given Ulla permission to even seek a doctor in a neighboring territory. She had been furious and had tries using her own herbs to heal them, but nothing had worked. What made it worse was it had happened twice. First, when she had been rather young, and her mother had gotten oddly ill and passed, but when she was older the same thing happened to her father. It had all been awful and left her without any desire to pursue medicine, terrified that she would make a mistake and somehow have to watch a loved one fade from her again, despite her best efforts. Her terror of healing was why she appreciated so much that all clans seemed to have a designated role for those that knew how to heal - and knew how to do it well. If someone fell ill, it was no longer up to the village to create a hodge podge of knowledge and hope for the best. They were all trained and knowledgeable about what could be done to help those in need, which took quite a bit of pressure off Ulla. She was just glad no one had ever asked her to grow herbs, as she was terrified that she hadn't done it correct when she was taking care of her parents, ultimately leading to their deaths. There was a part of her that knew that couldn't be right. She had always been naturally talented and she had always been able to grow poisons without any trouble, but maybe herbs just weren't what she excelled at.

When she heard Legrandite's call, the doe was quick to make her way over, despite the fact she didn't have any injuries she could think of. There were little things, of course, due to the Shade Hour. They had all been stumbling around and there'd been quite a few instances where she was attacked by spirits, which gave her a few minor bruises, but it was nothing she felt she needed to worry anyone else about. If anything ever got truly bad, she would seek help, but for now she was sure they'd heal perfectly fine on their own. Looking around at the display, she speaks warmly to the boy, "It's incredibly thoughtful of you to put this together. I don't think I have any injuries worth getting checked, but I suppose I'll take one of the packets. I don't believe we've met, by the way. I'm Ulla." She knows a few of the others present, but she supposes it's good to introduce herself individually. With those words spoken, she then picks up a package of the cold and flu remedy, beginning to read the package before she glances up to notice the absurd amount of spit in Malachite's mouth and she barely suppresses a laugh, her small smile growing a bit despite her best intentions. "Perhaps this is a remedy best to be used when one is alone." There is a string of humor in her tone as she turns her gaze back to the package, reading the listed side effects.

☾ WAS IT YOU 'MID THE FIRE AND THE EMBER? ☽