The Great Sorrow of Liar's Night

Once Aoife could be sure that Open Lord Silverhand was alright after the harrowing fight with Zin'Polo, her tunnel-vision widened and she looked around, fully realizing the sheer horror of her surroundings. People lay dead in the streets, gryphons were falling from the sky, and everywhere she looked lay waste and destruction. She ran out of the palace and into the streets, healing as many gryphons and people as she could until she expended all the healing that she could muster, and then just kept running. She ran and ran and ran until she couldn't run any more, and fell crying to her knees in exhaustion. She wiped the tears out of her eyes for a moment and realized that she had collapsed in front of the shrine to Mielikki inside the Shrines of Nature. The park itself was walled and gated, but the walls must have been blown apart in the attack if she was able to enter unimpeded.
 
"Anzu! Gwaeron! I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" Aoife wailed, pounding the ground with her fists, tears cascading down her face. "I couldn't save them all. I tried with all my might and it wasn't enough! Those cursed dragons were too powerful!" She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. "I promise, I vow, that I will dedicate my life to rid the world of the evil that is wrought by dragonkind. I promise, that any dragon should cross my path, in your name, I shall hunt them down, and slay them where they stand!!!"
 
Zephyr mantled her wings over Aoife and rested her head on her back as Aoife cried herself to sleep. In her dream, she was running scared and lost through the forest. She was alone, Zephyr was nowhere to be found, and a powerful and horrifying evil presence was chasing her. She saw a light in the distance, and ran toward it, but she couldn't run fast enough to outpace the evil presence. Just as it was about to overtake her, something big, too big to be Zephyr, landed in front of her. The evil presence roared with a frightening, unearthly noise, and retreated back into the darkness of the forest. Aoife opened her eyes to see Anzu standing before her. She bowed before him in respect. Anzu turned around to head off down the trail, looking back as to ask for Aoife to follow him. Aoife followed Anzu until the trail entered into a clearing, a clearing that Aoife knew all to well from dreams past. Upon entering the clearing, Anzu took flight, circling around the clearing and landing next to Mielikki, goddess of rangers, the hunt, and nature, herself. Standing to her right was Gwaeron Windstrom. Anzu sat to her left. Mielikki beckoned Aoife to come closer. She approached the gods, bowing low with her hand placed over her Order of Anzu signet brooch, which was pinned to her leather jerkin directly over her heart. Zephyr landed next to her, laid down in the grass and bowed her head.
"Supreme Hunter of all the Wilds," Aoife began. "It has felt like eons since your last visit." Mielikki smiled.
"Anzu and Gwaeron have told me that you fought valiantly against your quarry, and that in the face of insurmountable odds, you thought only of helping others," she stated, speaking in a tone as if she were pleased and proud.
"But..." Aoife began. Mielikki held up her hand to interrupt and Aoife halted her protest.
"Evil Dragons do much to upset the balance of nature where 'ere they go. It takes great strength and courage to fight them." Mielikki placed her hand on Aoife's shoulder. "If your words are true, then by my will, you shall have the cunning that you need to take them on as your adversary." Aoife bowed again, tears filling her eyes. But this time, they were tears of joy.
"Thank you, Goddess Mielikki, Supreme Hunter of all the Wilds. Your presence brings me comfort."
"Now go. Hunt your quarry, track your prey, and restore the balance of nature. To do so is to honor me." Mielikki turned and strode out of the clearing, with Gwaeron following her. Anzu cried out, and took flight after the others.
Aoife woke up the next morning in her bed at the barracks. While parts of the Aerie had been damaged during Nas'Turik's attack, the building where her bed was located was not. She had no idea how she got there, as the last thing she remembered was being in the Shrines of Nature. She woke up to find many of her compatriots working away to repair and rebuild. She worked for a shift on building repairs, then Tell, a fellow recruit and friend of her suggested to have a meal at a tavern. As they walked to the tavern, they passed a street corner where Watchman Rivaan Daardendrian giving instructions to Naktun.
"I wish I could understand what they are talking about," said a curious Tell. Aoife was confused. She could understand every word they were saying.
"You don't understand what they're saying?" Aoife asked.
"Why would I?" Tell replied. "I don't speak Draconic."
"They're speaking Draconic?" Aoife asked.
"Yes," Tell confirmed. "They're speaking Draconic." Aoife was confused. As far as I could remember, she didn't understand the Draconic language...at least, before today. Then, Mielikki's words from her dream last night rang out in her head - "...by my will, you shall have the cunning that you need to take them on as your adversary." Was this newfound knowledge of the language of dragonkind part of what she meant? Aoife closed her eyes and placed her hand over her Order of Anzu insignia pin, holding Mielikki in her mind.
"Thank you, Supreme Hunter of all the Wilds," she whispered. "I will do all I can to honor you and your gifts."