Ash enjoyed a quiet dinner at the temple with Fi and Fel, both seemed distracted by the preparations so she didn't linger. She returned to her grove and spent a while enjoying the serenity of her starseeing pond.
Just about to stand and head inside, she heard noise coming from the forest around her. Ash focused on the sounds and heard hoof beats, more than a small number of them, heading towards her home. Curious, she waited by the pond until the source of the noise broke from the trees.
The first unicorn to break free from the trees changed their form to that of a Starlight Elf, collapsing into a seated position several long strides into her grove. They had, thankfully, picked the part of the grove that had a wide open area for gatherings rather than her garden beds so she didn't feel the need to fuss at them. She doubted they'd have collapsed on one of her beds anyway and was proved correct when one of the last of them broke through the trees right in front of one of her beds and changed as well.
Eyeing the garden bed with more than a little curiosity, he spoke first to the elves seated on the ground, "We're running late, I fear, so this may not be much of a rest. To top it off, we appear to have somehow entered the sanctuary of a settler rather than the grove we were aiming for."
His violet eyes wandered over the grove, likely missing Ash's presence considering she still sat by the pond. The moment his gaze hit the tree, though, with the home built into what she'd learned was a large hollow in it, he scowled. Striding around a garden bed, looking more than a little angry, he was startled when he came to the pond and found someone sitting by it.
His voice laced with displeasure, he pointed at the tree, "Did you do this? Did you harm this sacred tree in order to build this home?"
Ash glanced where he pointed despite knowing well what his displeasure was aimed at and eventually directed her gaze back to him, "Though this is my home and it is built somewhat into the tree, no harm was done to it in the process. Given what you are," she revealed that she'd been present and seen them change from their unicorn form, "I'm most certain you can ask the Star Ash yourself."
He bristled immediately, not seeming to remember that most people had no knowledge that Star Ash trees had any sentience to begin with. Ash tried not to roll her eyes too hard. She could tell by looking at him when he'd broken the tree line that he was far her elder, which meant she should be polite even if she was hesitant to offer him complete respect.
He was also so agitated by her home that he was paying no mind to the grove around him and the display it was putting on. Ash sighed and stood, "This is my home," she said a little sharply, "Either take my word for it that everything was done properly or ask the Star Ash yourself. I will not tolerate being treated as a criminal in my own space."
"Cutting into a Star Ash without permission is a criminal offense," he snarled, though his attention turned slightly away as one of the others approached and touched his elbow, "What?" he snapped.
"Ambrose," she said softly, "Perhaps you should look around the grove before you start fussing at its owner," she advised.
Ambrose turned his gaze to the grove and froze as an orb of light shifting in colors drifted by. Starseeing ponds, like the one in the grove they were in, did not give off such a welcome to the Starlight Unicorns. That was supposed to be reserved for Lord Sidus. His scowl faded slightly as he cast his gaze around the grove looking for the Lord of the Stars and not finding him.
The other unicorn leaned in, almost hissing the words, "Remember what we've always been told from Lord Sidus? He is not the only one the ponds react to like this."
A sharp breath came with his realization of Ash's identity, "Ashterra, daughter of Sidus," he identified her properly, his expression quickly turning apologetic, "I was not aware he had found a way for you to walk in this world."
"I'm told that this Star Ash, one of the eldest of its kind, helped to create the form I use here," she responded, "That is why I asked you to speak with it. What has you running late?"
He sighed, a bit wearily, and explained that they had been held up several times by new uncatalogued dungeons and dungeons that were dangerously near morphing and had to be taken care of. What was normally a swift journey, was starting to be plagued by great dangers.
"We cannot handle all of this on our own anymore," he confided quietly, "But we also do not know what to do about it."
"It's the perfect kind of problem for the Godsborn to handle, if you ask me," Ash responded, having to explain to him almost immediately that their numbers had increased by a large margin and would continue doing so for a while.
Where the last time they had visited a major city, there had probably been less than five-hundred Godsborn worldwide there were now likely that number in the city of Redwood Stars alone. There was plenty of outside help, they just had to reach for it using the temples and the guilds.
Ash let them rest a while then, stretching slightly herself, made an offer, "Are there dungeons you must check between here and Redwood Stars or could you make use of my grove being set up as a teleportation hub to get there quicker?"
They explained that there were a few dungeons they needed to check and began to excuse themselves, seeming surprised when Ash asked to join them.
"Even if you are the daughter of Sidus," the elder spoke, "I fear we do not take riders."
Ash smiled a bit, not surprised that they were unaware of her being a unicorn herself and changed, weaving magic to speak, "I can run on my own legs."