Awaiting Aelena was a world many yearned to see, though never would, for this was a world found only through the most dire determination and the most gracious permission. Many believed that the realm of the spirits was one of unimaginable form, yet as Aelena stepped into this world, she would find it almost indistinguishable from her own. A vast expanse, seemingly endless, greeted the shaman, spectral trees rising high beyond her field of vision. Such trees would certainly block all light, though an eerie illumination emanated from the trees themselves, possibly so that their guest would not stumble in the dark and be lost.<br/><br/>After several moments distinct trees dimmed, forming a path through the forest. When Aelena did not immediately begin to move, they flared, brighter than the rest of the tress, then quickly dimmed again, as though indicating that they, or something else, grew impatient with her hesitance. As Aelena traversed the spectral path, the trees behind her would quickly adjust their luminescence, blending perfectly with the surrounding trees, forcing Aelena to continue forward, and only forward. One tree was utterly indistinguishable from the next, as though formed from perfect order or confounding madness. After many moments and many steps, the trees began to thin, simply vanishing from existence, and there, in a distant clearing, loomed a great white wolf, not waiting, but playing, playing with something small, round, and that Aelena already knew was precious to her.<br/><br/>Once the shaman had entered far enough into the clearing, the last of the trees adjusted behind her, leaving her at the mercy of the great white wolf, whom she could only assume was Goldrinn. The great creature seemed to disregard her presence, continuing to play with the green orb, batting it gently with his paws, nudging it with his nose, his forepaws down straight, butt thrust high and tail wagging, tilting his head and finally taking the orb in his enormous maw. Goldrinn strode slowly to Aelena, the orb gleaming with pulsing light, until the great wolf was only a few feet in front of her, though many feet above her. Lowering it's maw, she could see her reflection in the orb, then she would see the faint image of Iylldrraen behind her own.<br/><br/>The silence of the moment was broken by a chilling, primal voice emanating from the orb. “A mortal in my midst. You would take my bauble, though what do you offer in return?”<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>