Sleeping fitfully on her bed of soft grass, Elwing is gently awakened by the feathery light touch of something passing her cheek. As she rises from her dream state, she opens her eyes to see the immediate area bathed in a soft silvery glow. Remembering back to the histories, she recalls tales which parallel her own, in which deeds of the valiant become enmeshed with the legends of the Valar and the maia and the natural order of things in the world. Here in this magical place, Vana, everything seems so much larger than life. Tilion has seemingly steered Isil, the silver flower, much closer than she recalls seeing in other lands - possibly to balance the effects of the brightly shining Anor, the golden fire, brought very close to Vana each day by Arien. However, the magic effected by Princess Fur in her singing seems to further magnify the light of both - once found in the two ancient trees Telperion and Laurelin.
Shaking her head to bring herself out of her musings and back to the present moment, Elwing rises and looks around the safe skylet.
Juniper giggles softly at the stirring Elwing and glances over to her sister, Rhianne, with a smirk upon her face. "I guess no grass in her hair this eve, eh, sissy?"
Rhianne shrugs and relases her handful of grass behind her back. " It would appear not!"
Elwing stretches a little, locates Juni close by, and notices a new arrival to the skylet. Juniper looks to the waking Elwing. "Goooood eve, Elwing the white of the red-head. How went your slumber?"
Elwing blinks and says, "Good eve Juni. I slept surprisingly well, considering the cookies I ate earlier!"
Juniper looks over to the tray of cookies that is ever warm and snags one to munch on as she grins. "Cookies are good for you....they help with your wake as well as you rest."
Elwing chuckles, wondering how these lovely creatures can eat so many of the sweet morsels. "I think I will leave those to you for now," she replies.
Looking to the newcomer she adds, "Please excuse me, my name is Elwing. I have not met your friend, Juni."
Juniper looks over to Rhianne. "Sissy...this be Elwing the White, though she has red hair. Elwing, this fae be my Sissy, Rhi."
Elwing looks smilingly at the fae. "It is lovely to meet you, Rhi!"
Rhianne perches on the mossy limb to enjoy the firelight, the forest mist begins to settle over the fae's fair skin....her face seems to have calmness, but her eyes are alive with fluid energy. "Merry Meet to you, Elwing. It is always grand to meet and greet a new sister."
Princess Fur arrives with greetings to all. "Oh, Greetings, Commander Juniper! And my sweet Elwing!"
"Greetings Princess Fur! It has been a while my dear!" replies Elwing. Fur runs up and hugs her unselfconsciously.
Juniper squeals,"FUR FUR!" She clears her throat and tries to behave a bit more serious as she bows. "Greetings my princess!" Elwing chuckles at Juni's enthusiasm. Juniper dips a bit too low and loses her balance, toppling into the soft grass with a giggle. Rhianne smiles at the arrival of Fur and stands.
Fur then runs to kiss Juniper and then Rhi. Elwing looks on in amusement.
Rhianne hugs Fur and kisses her cheek and Fur giggles. Juniper hugs Fur and accepts her kiss with a giggle.
"Oohhhh I am SOOO glad you have all met. umma...Elwing is very special indeed. umms..i mean Elwing is a most distinguished Elf," says Fur.
Elwing shakes her head. Rhianne shields her face from the drying heat of the fire. Juniper's brows furrow "Special?" she asks. "How she be special?"
Fur replies, "Well, her husband is none other than Earendil, who guides the ship with the Morning Star ITSELF!"
Rhianne Daffyd turns with interest to Juni and Elwing. "Indeed we trust your word: if you say she is special then we can only believe it is true."
Juniper stands from her sprawled position in the grass and half heartedly wipes the dirt from her skin. "I do not know this Eardril...."
Elwing stifles a giggle.
Fur replies, "…oh...um..which has sadly vanished...of late."
Fur pouts and looks at Elwing ruefully. "Oh, I did say too muchy."
Elwing nods. "Yes, Juni, he has disappeared along with the star we talked about."
Rhianne feels her brows crease in compassion. "Oh, how terrible for you, Elwing."
Fur adds, "Tis that star that gives all Hope."
Juniper blinks in thought for a moment. "Oh....Elwing done told me about the star." She grins, thinking she is smart at being able to remember that much. Elwing nods. Fur giggles at Juni.
Elwing smiles. "But just being here with you has given me some hope."
Juniper adds, "I told her that the Moon still be in the sky...the mariners can use that, can't they?" Juniper looks up into the starry sky to gaze upon her beloved moon.
" I was thinking, sissy Fae...we might render her succour. Mother Luna cried to me in a Dream....she misses her sister star."
Juniper brows furrow in thought. "Sucker? Sucker of what?"
Fur giggles. " Succour...oh hehe...help..aid. But also many big hugs, Junibug."
Juniper blinks. "Oh...I thought you meant to give her a lolli...."
Elwing shakes head and chuckles.
Fur adds, "Cookies might also help toos."
Rhianne smiles. "Help will be only a request away, me thinks."
Juniper looks and grins to Rhi "What say you sissy....shall we suck Elwing?"
"I was thinking...we could help look for Earendil," says Fur. Elwing listens to the words of her new found friends and wonders how they can help. Fur continues. "There are many dark abiding places in Vana."
Elwing taps her chin thoughtfully. "Aye, Princess. That I can vouch for."
"Also..there is the Empress Lexie..maybe she have been up to stuffs. Bad things," adds Fur.
Elwing looks at Fur with great interest. "What bad things?"
Fur continues. "But i fear, tis perhaps beyond the petty doings of our neighbour realms."
Elwing looks in shock at the fae sissies.
Juniper looks to Fur. "I have been told this very eve that there is a zone of war on the land of Tari. We must take care and stay to the air if we fly to Sylvhara."
Rhianne nods. "I have been warned of such a thing myself. Even the skies are not safe."
Elwing nods. "Twas from the sky I have fallen, twice now, on my flights."
Fur looks to the sissies. "War in Tari? Between who .... umma whom?"
Juniper nods "Aye my princess....I believe between Sylvhara and Torgan."
Rhianne sighs and feels her heart sink. " T 'is a sad thing to occur, but not surprising in the least."
Elwing says, "Tis sad to think that such a lovey place as Vana, with such freindly people can be amidst all this war and dark happenngs." Elwing looks at Fur, "You talk of singing the forest. Can you not sing away the evil, Princess?"
Fur replies, "I might...umm..venture in..to observe," she fingers her staff, with a mischievous look.
Juniper adds. "Aye, they do indeed, my princess. I will be with you, at your side, Fur-Fur."
Elwing looks interestedly at her freinds. Fur replies, "Oh good, we will..observe..." she giggles.
Elwing chuckles, and Fur bounces up and down a bit. Fur flexes her arm muscles. Juniper looks back up to the sky and views the full moon and sighs as she lets herself be bathed in the light. Grinning at Fur's words she responds "I am a GOOD observer!"
Fur replies, "Me too!" and starts to giggle.
Elwing giggles at the princess' antics.
Rhianne adds, "I suppose I must stay behind since I have no weapons more powerful than my tongue."
"Awwww, sissy Rhianne," says Fur, "I can learn you...umms..teach you the Arts of Combat."
Juniper looks to Rhi. "You are on a path of healing, are you not sissy? We could always use your help! And Words can find their mark and sting as much as any sword of arrow!"
Rhianne nods. "Indeed they do."
Fur retorts, "Most noble! Yus indeeey."
Elwing nods in agreement with Juni. Rhianne stands and... just stands and summons her wand and her blessings. Juniper looks to the elf, Elwing, noticing her quiet. "I am sorry, dear White and Red. We bore you with our talk. You need not know the woes of our lands, as you have woes unto yourself."
Elwing looks back at Rhi. "I am here within your land, Rhi. I, too, am interested in the goings-on here."
Fur replies, "Yes," and nods at Rhi's graciousness, then continues. "How have been you? Have you seen much of Vana?"
Juniper flits closer to Elwing. Elwing looks from Fur, to Rhi to Juni. "I have explored some interesting places here, met Daza and now met Rhi and Juni."
Juniper grins at Fur. "I be Juni!"
Elwing continues."I have listened to your words, Princess Fur. I did not go to the mountain top. But I did find some dark scary places."
"Which places?" asks Fur.
Rhi casts her magic and Elwing looks with interest at the magic around the group of fae beside her.
"Well, I found a very dark dark scary room," continues Elwing. "And an egg cradled by huge tree roots. I feared for my sanity and fled. The egg called out to me." Rhianne rubs her eyes, feeling just a touch worn out.
"I do not know why," continued Elwing.
Juniper looks to Rhi, and realizing that she is close to passing out from exhuastion, she calls down some vigor to help her.
"Blessings Juni!" calls out Rhianne.
Juniper replies, "You are welcome my sissy."
Rhianne sings softly for wildheart. Elwing feels the magic surge around the fae and smells the aromas of the forest.
"Aahhhh...it sounds like the Drow dwellings," says Fur.
Juniper looks to Elwing. "You found an egg? Was it a kitty egg? I so want a kitty!" Juniper looks to Fur. "Can we keep it?"
Fur giggles at Juni. Elwing looks at Juni. "Ummm, no, Juni, twas no kitty egg, I'm afraid," she replies, chuckling.
Fur adds, "umms...kitten are birthed live, Juni!"
Juniper again casts the Vigor of Artemis to help restore Rhianne.
Rhianne breathes in deeply to allow the vapour to collect around her mouth and nose, and shives as it feels so refreshing. Elwing looks up at the sky seeing how brightly the stars shine and how the moon bathes the skylet in moonlight.
Fur adds, "Perhaps the old Throne Room of the Matron. Was it black and long, with a red throne?" asks Fur.
Elwing turns to Fur. "The room was black cracked marble, and the throne was as if covered in blood."
Rhianne harumphs "Throne room indeed. She is the first self proclaimed royal.....pain in the arse that is!" Juniper sniggers at Rhi's comment.
"Yes," adds Fur, "then you found yourself in the Throne Room of Lloth."
Rhianne adds, "The likes of her deserve gutter pipes to sit in, not thrones."
Juniper Roxley ponders a moment on the discription of where the egg lay "You say it were surrounded by roots?"
Elwing ponders the question from Juni. "Yes, this egg was huge, shiny and was cradled by tree roots."
Juniper Roxley looks to Elwing, still pondering on the egg, "Did it glow like it was lit by the light of the moon?"
Fur adds, "Oh yes..that will be the work of more Drow. Fortunately, they have abandoned it. They thought us all silly Fae, but we were more than a match for them!" smiles Fur. Fur looks proud for a moment.
Rhianne turns to snatch another cookie and notices Dralan. Rhianne stops short, "Oh! Greetings, Dralan." Dralan Ember waves.
Elwing relaxes and looks to Fur."Thank goodness! It was only by the blessings of Iluvatar I could stretch my wings and leave that place!"
"Greetings everyone," calls out Dralan.
"Dralan...greetings!" says Fur.
Dralan adds, "Hello, princess."
Rhianne smiles encouragingly at the son of David.
Juniper looks to Elwing. "You have wings?" She flits closer and looks at her back. Elwing looks curiously around to see another traveller join the group. Fur turns back to Elwing, " I am glad you found no Drow there!"
Fur retorts, "So this egg...it must be the work of the Eilistraee Drow."
Juniper grins to Dralan as she lifts up Elwing's hair to examine her back and whispers, "I do not see wings...."
Elwing looks back to Juni. "Juni, I am able to fly at certain times, it involves a change in form."
Dralan says, "A shapeshifter?"
"Please pardon my lack of manners, Dralan, I am Elwing the White. My tale involves a blessing from the Valar, Lord Ulmo - Lord of the Seas, who granted me the ability to change to the form of seabird to fly to my husband Earendi, carrying a silmaril we now know as the morning star."
Dralan nods. "This land is so wonderful, all that cold stuff can stay elsewhere," he continues.
Rhianne nods in agreement wirth Dralan, "I like snow, but I am awaiting the spring eagerly. Sylvhara has become icy lately, not in a pretty way."
Dralan nods. "Snow is bad for me makes me nervous. I like it here. Nice, warm, and sunny."
"Vana is nice and hot!" says Fur. Dralan nods happily.
"The colder there, the hotter here," adds Fur.
Juniper looks up to the night sky. "I only see the moon right now, Dralan."
Rhianne adds. "But the night air keeps it so fresh and cooling too, with that delicious breeze."
"The moon not always out," says Dralan," still hot, warm."
"There would be no moonlight without the sun to shine upon it though," adds Rhianne. "No world or life at all in fact."
"Yes, oh sissys..this tale my Mamma told me, when I was but a babe. I thought it was but a faery tale!" says Fur, "Of the Shimaril, which Beren himself wrest from the crown of Morgoth."
Juniper looks to Fur. "A story you have to tell?" She looks back to Elwing.
Dralan adds, "Oh, I love a good tale."
Shaking her head to bring herself out of her musings and back to the present moment, Elwing rises and looks around the safe skylet.
Juniper giggles softly at the stirring Elwing and glances over to her sister, Rhianne, with a smirk upon her face. "I guess no grass in her hair this eve, eh, sissy?"
Rhianne shrugs and relases her handful of grass behind her back. " It would appear not!"
Elwing stretches a little, locates Juni close by, and notices a new arrival to the skylet. Juniper looks to the waking Elwing. "Goooood eve, Elwing the white of the red-head. How went your slumber?"
Elwing blinks and says, "Good eve Juni. I slept surprisingly well, considering the cookies I ate earlier!"
Juniper looks over to the tray of cookies that is ever warm and snags one to munch on as she grins. "Cookies are good for you....they help with your wake as well as you rest."
Elwing chuckles, wondering how these lovely creatures can eat so many of the sweet morsels. "I think I will leave those to you for now," she replies.
Looking to the newcomer she adds, "Please excuse me, my name is Elwing. I have not met your friend, Juni."
Juniper looks over to Rhianne. "Sissy...this be Elwing the White, though she has red hair. Elwing, this fae be my Sissy, Rhi."
Elwing looks smilingly at the fae. "It is lovely to meet you, Rhi!"
Rhianne perches on the mossy limb to enjoy the firelight, the forest mist begins to settle over the fae's fair skin....her face seems to have calmness, but her eyes are alive with fluid energy. "Merry Meet to you, Elwing. It is always grand to meet and greet a new sister."
Princess Fur arrives with greetings to all. "Oh, Greetings, Commander Juniper! And my sweet Elwing!"
"Greetings Princess Fur! It has been a while my dear!" replies Elwing. Fur runs up and hugs her unselfconsciously.
Juniper squeals,"FUR FUR!" She clears her throat and tries to behave a bit more serious as she bows. "Greetings my princess!" Elwing chuckles at Juni's enthusiasm. Juniper dips a bit too low and loses her balance, toppling into the soft grass with a giggle. Rhianne smiles at the arrival of Fur and stands.
Fur then runs to kiss Juniper and then Rhi. Elwing looks on in amusement.
Rhianne hugs Fur and kisses her cheek and Fur giggles. Juniper hugs Fur and accepts her kiss with a giggle.
"Oohhhh I am SOOO glad you have all met. umma...Elwing is very special indeed. umms..i mean Elwing is a most distinguished Elf," says Fur.
Elwing shakes her head. Rhianne shields her face from the drying heat of the fire. Juniper's brows furrow "Special?" she asks. "How she be special?"
Fur replies, "Well, her husband is none other than Earendil, who guides the ship with the Morning Star ITSELF!"
Rhianne Daffyd turns with interest to Juni and Elwing. "Indeed we trust your word: if you say she is special then we can only believe it is true."
Juniper stands from her sprawled position in the grass and half heartedly wipes the dirt from her skin. "I do not know this Eardril...."
Elwing stifles a giggle.
Fur replies, "…oh...um..which has sadly vanished...of late."
Fur pouts and looks at Elwing ruefully. "Oh, I did say too muchy."
Elwing nods. "Yes, Juni, he has disappeared along with the star we talked about."
Rhianne feels her brows crease in compassion. "Oh, how terrible for you, Elwing."
Fur adds, "Tis that star that gives all Hope."
Juniper blinks in thought for a moment. "Oh....Elwing done told me about the star." She grins, thinking she is smart at being able to remember that much. Elwing nods. Fur giggles at Juni.
Elwing smiles. "But just being here with you has given me some hope."
Juniper adds, "I told her that the Moon still be in the sky...the mariners can use that, can't they?" Juniper looks up into the starry sky to gaze upon her beloved moon.
" I was thinking, sissy Fae...we might render her succour. Mother Luna cried to me in a Dream....she misses her sister star."
Juniper brows furrow in thought. "Sucker? Sucker of what?"
Fur giggles. " Succour...oh hehe...help..aid. But also many big hugs, Junibug."
Juniper blinks. "Oh...I thought you meant to give her a lolli...."
Elwing shakes head and chuckles.
Fur adds, "Cookies might also help toos."
Rhianne smiles. "Help will be only a request away, me thinks."
Juniper looks and grins to Rhi "What say you sissy....shall we suck Elwing?"
"I was thinking...we could help look for Earendil," says Fur. Elwing listens to the words of her new found friends and wonders how they can help. Fur continues. "There are many dark abiding places in Vana."
Elwing taps her chin thoughtfully. "Aye, Princess. That I can vouch for."
"Also..there is the Empress Lexie..maybe she have been up to stuffs. Bad things," adds Fur.
Elwing looks at Fur with great interest. "What bad things?"
Fur continues. "But i fear, tis perhaps beyond the petty doings of our neighbour realms."
Elwing looks in shock at the fae sissies.
Juniper looks to Fur. "I have been told this very eve that there is a zone of war on the land of Tari. We must take care and stay to the air if we fly to Sylvhara."
Rhianne nods. "I have been warned of such a thing myself. Even the skies are not safe."
Elwing nods. "Twas from the sky I have fallen, twice now, on my flights."
Fur looks to the sissies. "War in Tari? Between who .... umma whom?"
Juniper nods "Aye my princess....I believe between Sylvhara and Torgan."
Rhianne sighs and feels her heart sink. " T 'is a sad thing to occur, but not surprising in the least."
Elwing says, "Tis sad to think that such a lovey place as Vana, with such freindly people can be amidst all this war and dark happenngs." Elwing looks at Fur, "You talk of singing the forest. Can you not sing away the evil, Princess?"
Fur replies, "I might...umm..venture in..to observe," she fingers her staff, with a mischievous look.
Juniper adds. "Aye, they do indeed, my princess. I will be with you, at your side, Fur-Fur."
Elwing looks interestedly at her freinds. Fur replies, "Oh good, we will..observe..." she giggles.
Elwing chuckles, and Fur bounces up and down a bit. Fur flexes her arm muscles. Juniper looks back up to the sky and views the full moon and sighs as she lets herself be bathed in the light. Grinning at Fur's words she responds "I am a GOOD observer!"
Fur replies, "Me too!" and starts to giggle.
Elwing giggles at the princess' antics.
Rhianne adds, "I suppose I must stay behind since I have no weapons more powerful than my tongue."
"Awwww, sissy Rhianne," says Fur, "I can learn you...umms..teach you the Arts of Combat."
Juniper looks to Rhi. "You are on a path of healing, are you not sissy? We could always use your help! And Words can find their mark and sting as much as any sword of arrow!"
Rhianne nods. "Indeed they do."
Fur retorts, "Most noble! Yus indeeey."
Elwing nods in agreement with Juni. Rhianne stands and... just stands and summons her wand and her blessings. Juniper looks to the elf, Elwing, noticing her quiet. "I am sorry, dear White and Red. We bore you with our talk. You need not know the woes of our lands, as you have woes unto yourself."
Elwing looks back at Rhi. "I am here within your land, Rhi. I, too, am interested in the goings-on here."
Fur replies, "Yes," and nods at Rhi's graciousness, then continues. "How have been you? Have you seen much of Vana?"
Juniper flits closer to Elwing. Elwing looks from Fur, to Rhi to Juni. "I have explored some interesting places here, met Daza and now met Rhi and Juni."
Juniper grins at Fur. "I be Juni!"
Elwing continues."I have listened to your words, Princess Fur. I did not go to the mountain top. But I did find some dark scary places."
"Which places?" asks Fur.
Rhi casts her magic and Elwing looks with interest at the magic around the group of fae beside her.
"Well, I found a very dark dark scary room," continues Elwing. "And an egg cradled by huge tree roots. I feared for my sanity and fled. The egg called out to me." Rhianne rubs her eyes, feeling just a touch worn out.
"I do not know why," continued Elwing.
Juniper looks to Rhi, and realizing that she is close to passing out from exhuastion, she calls down some vigor to help her.
"Blessings Juni!" calls out Rhianne.
Juniper replies, "You are welcome my sissy."
Rhianne sings softly for wildheart. Elwing feels the magic surge around the fae and smells the aromas of the forest.
"Aahhhh...it sounds like the Drow dwellings," says Fur.
Juniper looks to Elwing. "You found an egg? Was it a kitty egg? I so want a kitty!" Juniper looks to Fur. "Can we keep it?"
Fur giggles at Juni. Elwing looks at Juni. "Ummm, no, Juni, twas no kitty egg, I'm afraid," she replies, chuckling.
Fur adds, "umms...kitten are birthed live, Juni!"
Juniper again casts the Vigor of Artemis to help restore Rhianne.
Rhianne breathes in deeply to allow the vapour to collect around her mouth and nose, and shives as it feels so refreshing. Elwing looks up at the sky seeing how brightly the stars shine and how the moon bathes the skylet in moonlight.
Fur adds, "Perhaps the old Throne Room of the Matron. Was it black and long, with a red throne?" asks Fur.
Elwing turns to Fur. "The room was black cracked marble, and the throne was as if covered in blood."
Rhianne harumphs "Throne room indeed. She is the first self proclaimed royal.....pain in the arse that is!" Juniper sniggers at Rhi's comment.
"Yes," adds Fur, "then you found yourself in the Throne Room of Lloth."
Rhianne adds, "The likes of her deserve gutter pipes to sit in, not thrones."
Juniper Roxley ponders a moment on the discription of where the egg lay "You say it were surrounded by roots?"
Elwing ponders the question from Juni. "Yes, this egg was huge, shiny and was cradled by tree roots."
Juniper Roxley looks to Elwing, still pondering on the egg, "Did it glow like it was lit by the light of the moon?"
Fur adds, "Oh yes..that will be the work of more Drow. Fortunately, they have abandoned it. They thought us all silly Fae, but we were more than a match for them!" smiles Fur. Fur looks proud for a moment.
Rhianne turns to snatch another cookie and notices Dralan. Rhianne stops short, "Oh! Greetings, Dralan." Dralan Ember waves.
Elwing relaxes and looks to Fur."Thank goodness! It was only by the blessings of Iluvatar I could stretch my wings and leave that place!"
"Greetings everyone," calls out Dralan.
"Dralan...greetings!" says Fur.
Dralan adds, "Hello, princess."
Rhianne smiles encouragingly at the son of David.
Juniper looks to Elwing. "You have wings?" She flits closer and looks at her back. Elwing looks curiously around to see another traveller join the group. Fur turns back to Elwing, " I am glad you found no Drow there!"
Fur retorts, "So this egg...it must be the work of the Eilistraee Drow."
Juniper grins to Dralan as she lifts up Elwing's hair to examine her back and whispers, "I do not see wings...."
Elwing looks back to Juni. "Juni, I am able to fly at certain times, it involves a change in form."
Dralan says, "A shapeshifter?"
"Please pardon my lack of manners, Dralan, I am Elwing the White. My tale involves a blessing from the Valar, Lord Ulmo - Lord of the Seas, who granted me the ability to change to the form of seabird to fly to my husband Earendi, carrying a silmaril we now know as the morning star."
Dralan nods. "This land is so wonderful, all that cold stuff can stay elsewhere," he continues.
Rhianne nods in agreement wirth Dralan, "I like snow, but I am awaiting the spring eagerly. Sylvhara has become icy lately, not in a pretty way."
Dralan nods. "Snow is bad for me makes me nervous. I like it here. Nice, warm, and sunny."
"Vana is nice and hot!" says Fur. Dralan nods happily.
"The colder there, the hotter here," adds Fur.
Juniper looks up to the night sky. "I only see the moon right now, Dralan."
Rhianne adds. "But the night air keeps it so fresh and cooling too, with that delicious breeze."
"The moon not always out," says Dralan," still hot, warm."
"There would be no moonlight without the sun to shine upon it though," adds Rhianne. "No world or life at all in fact."
"Yes, oh sissys..this tale my Mamma told me, when I was but a babe. I thought it was but a faery tale!" says Fur, "Of the Shimaril, which Beren himself wrest from the crown of Morgoth."
Juniper looks to Fur. "A story you have to tell?" She looks back to Elwing.
Dralan adds, "Oh, I love a good tale."
((to be continued))