Narra was starting to think coming to Below was the wrong decision. Well, no, that was a little unfair of him. Below itself hadn't proven to be a terribly inhospitable place to the dryad personally. Some of his fellow daydreams seemed to be dealing fine with the cold. He and his fellow seedlings just had the misfortune of agreeing to travel here during Solstice, when the cold, dark, twilit lands was in a state of even darker and colder existence.That he ended up picking a major that was in a university that was underground hadn't helped the dryad. He was only fortunate that the administrative nightmares in Leviathan were kind enough to give him and some of his fellow dryads lodgings in the dorms that were constructed above ground. It was dark enough as it was, he didn't need to risk banging his head on low ceilings to boot.
He'd done his best to brighten up his room, painting the walls cheery colors, and displaying some of the hardier plants from Above. The flora was brought not because he was worried he'd be homesick, mind. He was a seedling, he wasn't supposed to miss home, but the sight of familiar things in an unfamiliar land was a comfort. Besides, he had no one to blame.
He'd volunteered to be here, to go on ahead and forge the path for his family should he spend enough time and determine whether or not going down Below was a smart move for trade. It was too soon to decide that, there were still one or two (or ten) nightmares who gave him odd looks, and maybe a third of that who gave him hostile looks when they thought he couldn't tell. That had been a little tense and nerve-wracking for Narra, not because he was afraid of what they might do to him. He was a dryad, one from a tribe of hardwoods at that, and despite his soft-spoken nature and the lethargy he was constantly feeling from the weather, he was not afraid to defend himself.
He was afraid of what these nightmares might do to his family once they arrived here, though. Perhaps he should send them another letter, suggesting that they hold off on any plans for traveling to Below. He could tell them to stay in Above until the Solstice ended or maybe when the weather got warmer.
But when he got back to his dorm room that day with a fresh supply of hot cocoa, he found a letter waiting for him. It looked like it had been thoroughly handled by all sorts of daydreams and nightmares that it was almost grubby. It was only a small mercy that it didn't look like anyone actually opened and read its contents. Narra may not be an aggressive individual but he would not tolerate his privacy being invaded. Only family got to do that.
He went to put away his shopping and retrieved both his fungal cream and something to open the envelope with. He took out the contents of the envelope, set it on his knee to read, and began slathering his elbows with the cream when the words written gave him pause.
-and anyway you shouldn't have picked such a complicated major like medicine because we won't be able to share a room. I'll be moving into Asterion by the month's end. You'll be there to help me with the heavy, of course. See you soon, big brother.
Narra reread the letter while he finished applying his cream. He put the tube away, wiped his hands clean, then sighed deeply. "I'm going to need a lot more cocoa."
