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 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:20 pm
Warning, this page is very image-heavy. This is Mountain Air, the travelling home of: Caroline Rainiera[x] Rojiza[x] Sòlas[x]The Banyas are: taking over the wagon Taogmale sea loam (LL)[x] x Finneanmale creamy peach (snow head)(CL)[x] x Aureliafemale fortune (ff)[x] x Iaganmale fire (FC)[x] x Anjoumale sea loam (Lf)[x] x Dalieafemale sea loam (Lf)[x] xMountain Air is twenty-second in our caravan, nestled between Rhythmique and Weathered Melody, and in the weaker balance of power.
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:22 pm
 
Name: Rojiza Fidelia Rainiera.
Meaning: Rojiza, Spanish for 'tawny'. Fidelia, meaning 'faithful'.
Age: Around 17.
Gender: Female.
Origin: Acorn Top.
Theme: Easy Silence by the Dixie Chicks.
Family:
Caroline, guardian.
Sòlas, brother.
Hair/Fur Colour: Chest-length auburn hair and grey-brown fur.
Eye Colour: Chestnut brown.
Height: 5'4".
Weight: 150 lbs.
Appearance Through the Stages
Item: Brown acorn.
Animal: Very small and tranquil-looking. Light brown fur with white on her breast and lighter splotches elsewhere. Beady black eyes.
Darkling Infant: Bright-eyed and active. Cropped brown hair, big brown eyes, and light brown freckles. She still has her ears and tail, and her hands and feet are still the grey-brown paws she once knew.
Child of Light: Very earthen-looking. She has wavy brown hair almost the colour of her mother's. She still has her bushy squirrel-tail, fuzzy ears, and her hands and forearms are really paws. Her upper arms are entwined with leafy goodness, and she's still a bit pudgy. She's fond of layered clothing, especially her blue belt lined with coins.
Lightbringing Teen: If possible, Rojiza looks even more the gypsy in this stage. Her tail, ears, and paws have remained, but are less...bushy. She is all-around more sleek. Her hair has turned a bit more red, and has grown, and she keeps it in a ponytail. She wears gold bangle-bracelets and anklets. She still has the leaves twined around her upper arms and a green tattoo-like thing under her left eye. What a beauty!
Personality: Active, very friendly, kind of selfish, and fiercely posessive. Very quiet, mostly due to the fact that she can't talk. Very good with animals of all sorts, but birds especially, specifically Banya birds.
Posts In: Green.
Acorn Top [x]
Grey Squirrel [x]
Infant [x]
Child of Light [x]
Lightbringing Teen [x][x]
A beautiful jewelled box gifted to Ro from the Twiggle Fairies. In exchange for Kale.
3 armspans of mahogany cloth, purchased from a trader on Nereid.
Couplet Count: 90. (210 total, 120 is Caroline's)"I see a greedy hand. ...Much joy, much happiness... and envy. I see a child growing taller, and more beautiful, but behind her eyes are green- she longs for something. But one of her friends posesses it.""The meij sees three paths for Rojiza. One, a prophecy of guilt. Music punishes her, and keeps her voice from her. The second- she has no need for guilt, and she shall grow into her birthright at the hands of a travelling man. The third- her guilt is consumed by forgiveness when she is qiute older.... and she finds her voice when a boy's choice is made."
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2005 10:26 pm
  Name: Sòlas Failbhe Rainiera.
Meaning: Sòlas, Gaelic meaning 'solace'. Failbhe, 'lively; spritely'.
Age: about 3
Gender: Male.
Origin: Pink umbrella.
Theme:
Family:
Caroline, guardian.
Rojiza, sister.
Hair/Feather Color: Pink.
Eye Color: Pink.
Height: about 2 feet
Weight: 30 pounds
Appearance Through the Stages
Item: A pink umbrella with black Victorian lace at the apex and hanging from the edge. Its handle is the head of a flamingo.
Animal: A Caribbean flamingo with a long pink beak and black legs. He's got a bit of black lace tied around his neck with a jaunty pink ribbon.
Darkling Infant: An adorable, albeit thin, toddler with pale skin like his mother and sister. He has short, black hair that shines pink in the light. From his flamingo form, he's kept ruffly, downy feathers on his forearms and cheeks, and his feet are black and webbed. His lips are also darker than one would think, somewhere between a black and a dark pink.
Personality: Very vocal, likes shiny things and sister's birdies, rather unsteady on his feet, but cute enough to get people to carry him.
Posts In: Deep Pink.
Umbrella [x]
Flamingo [x]
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:46 am
  Name: Caroline Grace Rainiera.
Meaning: Caroline, meaning 'womanly'. Grace, meaning 'grace'.
Age: 26.
Birthday: May 8.
Gender: Female.
Ethnicity: A muddled mix of Western Europe.
Origin: Born in Scotland.
Theme: Through Heaven's Eyes by Brian Stokes Mitchell.
Family:
Brothers-- Matthew (33), Stephen (23).
Sisters-- Elaina (39), Cecilia (37).
Parents-- Richard and Catherine.
Pet-- Cornelius, mule.
Hair Colour: Mahogany.
Eye Colour: Cornflower blue.
Skin: Pale.
Height: 5'3".
Weight: 200 lbs.
Build: Though her Spanish side lends her grace and agility, Caroline is definitely built like a Highlander--stocky and solid. Like all good belly dancers, Caroline has lots of hips and lots of bust. She also has a bit of a tummy, but this only enhances her appeal.
History: Caroline lived in the mountains for most of her life, bundled up in a little village called Arabesque. Her parents were both gypsies, but had settled down to take care of the five children, of which Caroline is the second to last. Her other siblings are Elaina, Cecilia, Matthew, and Stephen. Her family was always rather poor, but they scraped by. Stephen and Caroline helped their parents by performing for people traveling through town. Caroline danced, and Stephen played the tambourine. When she came of age, Caroline decided to leave Arabesque and make her own place in the world, as most youthful people do at that age. Her father gave her Mountain Air, the gypsy's wagon he'd used before having children. She travelled down the mountain and into the world.
Later, she met a mysterious gypsy named Valelldia and joined her caravan. She gained a daughter--a magical creature called a Fortunette. She named her Rojiza. Rojiza began as a simple acorn, then transformed into a lively little squirrel. After nearly a year in that state, Rojiza finally grew into a child, but retained some of her animalistic features, such as paws and tail.
Trade: Belly dancer.
Posts In: Purple.
An old picture. [x]
Me in one of my costumes. [x]
My favourite costume.[x]
Me with Ro. [x]
More of me in costume. [x]
Things Purchased: Five candles (white, purple x2, green x2)
acorn top
Filor perfume
moonstone belly chain
bottled ardour
Things Given: A shell from Lorelei.
A bottle of singing wine from Val.Oqaia/Valelldia's Gift In the meantime, Oq had turned to the gypsy with the squirrel- like infant.
"Your gift is in the bottom..." she said, still staring at the infant as she dug. She'd never before seen something as wonderful and as magical as these strange, amazing children- and she was transfixed. To believe that she could belong in this world... she was struck with awe and happiness.
"Here it is," she said, finally drawing out a pair of white bridles decked with pinpoint bells. "They're... nymph bells," Oq explained, drawing the term out of her mind, from when Val had explained the contents of the sacks to her. "Val said that you had a certain way with bells... and these bridles, when hooked over an animal, will allow you to speak with them. The sound of the bells draws understanding to your ears and theirs. But after you've used them three times, you will be unable to understand humans for an entire day." Singing Bottle It's just a wine bottle. How nice of someone to leave you such a good gift. The only thing is there's no label so you don't know what it could be... and there's no wine with that wierd orangish colour.... wait! What was that? There seems to be something... someone... singing? No, it's more like a hum... it's a very simple tune... like a flute... or a pipe... or humming? It keeps changing... never more than one tune with one 'voice'... and it's coming from the bottle? Singing wine? how odd.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:40 pm
Caroline's thoughts/Rojiza's thoughts/Solas' thoughts Altaira - She's rather shy. From Mulden, which is interesting. I have my reservations, but I won't condemn someone for their birthplace.Sindri: I played with him a while back. I want to see him again. He's so soft. We'll talk to each other. One day.DeArca - I met this delightful lad in the mountains during our stop there.Ash: I haven't seen much of him. I heard he grew. I bet he's adorable.Emelyn - What a beautiful gypsy, and so friendly and patient.Pierre: He thinks he's so tough. I'll show him one day.Irina - I also met this gypsy in the mountains.Ki - This stocky woman reminds me of myself. She is graceful in her blockiness.Van D'ien: Van tried to hide under my skirt once. I remember him from way back, but I don't know that he remembers me.Leshya'e - One of my best friends.Anezka: I remember playing with Ani when we were still very small. She's my best friend. We'll be together forever, I just know it.Lorelei - Sweet and nice to talk to.Vanna: I wish I could talk to Vanna. She's so pretty and delicate. She'll be gorgeous when she grows up.Marissa - Another of my very good friends.Kale: Another of my best friends that I've had since I was very very small. I haven't seen him since he got un-candled again. I wonder if he's forgiven me.Silver - Silver is darkly beautiful, and definitely fun to be around.Aisrhan: Aisrhan is one of my best friends. She seems to have changed since she's grown, but I can't say how.Khevashi: Ais's adorable little brother.Voltaire - It is so wonderful to be loved.Annjette: Annjette is quickly becoming one of my very dearest friends, almost closer than Anezka or Aisrhan. / What a lovely young woman! / Black Pretties. Nice like Fuzzy Sister.Tamlin - A fellow performer! What a lovely young woman, and so talkative! / Why can't she bugger off? She has a man already.Baptiste - Met him briefly on the ferry to Nereid Isle. Seems like a decent, reasonable man.Oqaia - She needs to lighten up a bit. We won't bite.Valelldia - So very mysterious, and that sometimes irks me since I'm so open.Zak - A sweet young man, but excessively thick sometimes. / He intrigues me, and I don't know why. Sigh.Rana - Soft fuzzy!Berit - Burdy? Gave pretties.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:31 pm
History of Mountain Air
Maurice Adams, builder of Mountain Air.
Mary Adams-Rainiera, daughter.
Richard Rainiera, son.
Elaina Rainiera, daughter.
Caroline Rainiera, sister.
This is Cornelius, the mule that pulls Mountain Air. He's a stubborn little bugger, but he's a hard worker and a friendly chap. I may find him a friend, soon.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:52 pm
 
Our first Banya was Taog. He's a Sea Loam and a stoic creature, almost surly. He likes Ro better than me, but I don't mind so much.
Next we got Finnean. Finnean is a Creamy Peach, and he's Ro's first hack at trading. She bought him when we met the HoneyBlossom caravan, and she bought him for me because Taog doesn't like me so much. The odd thing is that Finnean gives fortunes for Ro and Taog still gives fortunes for me.
Ro insisted that I buy Aurelia, who's a Fortune Banya. The first person we came across in Tempranillo was a Banya trader. She's a very jealous girl, intent on making us pay more attention to her than anyone else.
Most recently we've acquired Iagan. He's a Fire Banya, I'm guessing. We came across a beautifully-colored egg while walking, and Ro took it home and it hatched. They seem to have developed quite the bond, which is good since he's got no cage or calming ring.Taog and Aurelia had twins! Their names are Anjou and Daliea. They seem to be the only living beings Aurelia cares for other than herself. And Taog loves them to bits as well.Taog, ever the stoic, barely sang a note... until many hours after Caroline had acquired him. Then, just as she was putting her wagon away to join the others in the village... he sang two lines of a cryptic message, before piping up once more.
"Sportze! Listen closely for the Sportze-
It will bring her closer to her Grand Happiness."Poor Caroline- so tuned in to her daughter's future, and so mindful of the signs. It was a trick of nature, really, that her Banya's breed was known for its cryptic messages of fate. Taog was no exception to his breed- and now that they crawled off the mountain, he felt a little happier. The sea was far away... but at least he could smell the river, and it incited him to prophecy.
Weigh the Choice
This wood attaches strings to one fiery marionette...
Little squirrel bairn given a great gift. Finnean was so incredibly pleased to have such a soft, inviting home. He wanted to jump onto Rojiza's shoulder and brush his soft feathers up against her face and croon a happy melody into her ear. What came from his beak, instead, was something that came- not from him- but from the wind of meij. The last meij wind... before they would reach the Twiggle Forest.
You think that all love your mother more than you-
But if you love the fae,
Or even if you don't-
Oh, child, they will be enamored of you. Finnean had known for some time that his owner was upset- and it troubled him extremely that no meij winds had come to give her better news. So on this day, when the vivid breeze came blowing through, he squawked happily and danced around the wagon practically singing,
You can be forgiven!
You can be forgiven!
The boy can be saved,
Oh you MUST be the one to save him
Take him to the Northern King. Taog barely blinked at the noise and commotion that the boisterous Snow Head made. In fact, he rarely acknowledged that the other bird existed. Even now, when a kernel of meij landed in his steady beak, the bird translated it for Caroline directly over Finnean's rejoicing- as if the light-colored Banya was not there...
What upcomes:
A lovely boy
A baby child
A chance at redemption
A betrayal
A love
And Sportze
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Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2005 8:09 am
There's been talk of quests for the spell to transform Fortunettes from animals into infants. Rumor has it that Leshay'e and her little Anezka are in the middle of theirs. I can't wait to hold Rojiza as a baby in my arms. True, in her present form she loves to cuddle with me, but I can't hold her close for fear of crushing her.
I wonder what she'll be like as a child. Doubtless she'll be even more talkative, with an audience that understands her. I'll need to teach her caution--and teach her well. Presently she's careless and uninhibited. Feeling free is a fine quality, but carelessness is no way for a gypsy child.
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Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:30 am
Little Anezka has transformed into a darkling infant. And what an adorable baby she is! I love to watch Leshay'e and Anezka together. They were made for each other. My heart delights that Rojiza and I get along so well.
Tomorrow we leave for Mulden. I regret to leave the forest, but my feet itch to move. Even Cornelius seems restless. I've heard that the townspeople aren't so friendly toward magic where we're going. Valelldia has assured us that they won't see us as anything except gypsies with children and pets. Just as well--I'd rather not trade with irate villagers.
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Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:07 am
Valelldia has agreed to perform a reading for Rojiza and I. This means that Rojiza will grow into a darkling infant! I'm so excited that I can barely contain myself. Rojiza seems to sense something exciting on the verge of happening as well. I'm so looking forward to being able to communicate with her. For now she just can gesture and chatter, but I don't understand it. I sort of get it, but I don't speak squirrel.
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 10:42 am
The ReadingValelldia Valelldia lead Caroline and Rojiza into whistle sticks. Everything that was normally out for decoration was now packed away in cabinets and wooden chests for safety. It was fairly sparten and odd looking when all of Val's knick knacks were put away.
Val pulled down her table from the wall. It retracted to give her room when she needed it and packing was definately a time when you need space. This is a stressful thing for many people but when you wander as much as Val has in your life, you thrive on that stress, or what little stress may come.
"Alright we shall get started, go ahead and sit down." Val told Caroline as she sat her cloths out on the table and pulled the cards out from her pouch yet again. Val sat down herself and began to shuffle. Caroline Caroline looks around in mild awe. This was only the second time she'd been in Valelldia's wagon, and it looked so....different than the last time she saw it.
Following Val's instructions, she takes a seat, tucking her feet underneath her. Her skirt clicks faintly.
Rojiza, for once in her life, is silent. She sits solemnly in Caroline's lap, sensing that something important is about to happen. Valelldia Val finished shuffling the cards and handed the deck over to Caroline to shuffle. "Think about Rojiza and shuffle." She instructed. Caroline "Alright," she answers, taking the deck. She taps it on the table a few times to straighten the deck, then expertly (solitaire's a passion of hers) cuts it and shuffles. The snapping of cards breaks the thick silence.
Caroline thinks about her precious Rojiza whilst she shuffles. She smiles as one particular memory comes to mind...something had spooked Rojiza during the night, and she'd promptly dove down Caroline's nightdress. Caroline had spent the rest of the night comforting the terrified squirrel and nursing the scratch-marks on her breastbone and stomach.
Caroline smiles again and hands the deck back to Valelldia. Valelldia Val set the cards out in a simple spread, 3 cards in one role, 3 underneath. With now surprise to her, most of the cards were pentacles. There was one dark card though, the devil, a card that had a picture of a goat and a man and a woman at his side, chained down. Stagnacy and trapped within the material.
"I suspected to see mostly pentacles, seeing as Rojiza is an earth element and all." She pointed to the page of pentacles. "That's her." She looked at the cards for a bit, her face serious. "And also just as suspected, she has to watch out for stagnacy and being trapped within the material. She can become possesive and vain, which would put her along the darkling path."
Her eyes lit up with an idea, "Alright, I know the perfect quest for her, it's quite simple really, Rojiza needs to give many of her precious items in her hidden hoard to members of the caravan or other animals in need. This will be the first part of her quest. Problem is, you are going to have to find where she keeps those things. I don't think she will be too happy to let them go." Caroline Caroline blinks in surprise. Evidently a 'secret horde' was news to her. She looks down at Rojiza, who blinks up at her innocently. Caroline scratches her head, unable to resist smiling at her. She looks back at Val and nods. "Thank you." She stands with Rojiza and leaves.
"Now, where are you keeping all your wee trinkets, mi'ja? Hmm?" asks Caroline, entering Mountain Air.
Rojiza blinks at her again, as if to say "Trinkets? What trinkets? I have no trinkets..."
"You know they're around here somewhere, Rojiza. Where are ye hiding them?" She almost absently turns over objects to look under them. She opens drawers and looks inside. The cluttered state of her wagon definitely doesn't facilitate this search. "You'll never get to be a bairn if ye don't show me where you're keeping your bittie horde." Continuing to poke around the wagon, she continues talking to the increasingly agitated squirrel. "Now ye have to give away some of your baubles. That willna be so hard, hm? Let's think...what could ye give to that nice Van Di'en?"
This strikes a chord within Rojiza. She might be a hoarding, selfish brat of a creature, but she's essentially kind at heart.
Caroline senses this change within her beloved daughter and smiles a little. "Giving things away gives you a nice warm feeling in here." She taps her breastbone to indicate her heart. "I think ye can give away a few of your treasures, hm?" Caroline Reluctantly, Rojiza digs through her bed, pulling out random shiny things. That should've been the fist place Caroline looked, in Rojiza's opinion, but she doesn't say anything. A small pile collects on Caroline's trundle. Things that Rojiza had picked up during their travels. Lots of bits from Caroline's clothing--when she notices a decoration fall off, she takes it and puts it away. Some other things are stolen from Caroline--most notably semi-precious stones that Caroline had aquired. Opals, agates, and little balls of hematite shine with the faint light in the wagon.
Still other things aren't valuable at all--simply taken for the sake of expanding her hoard. A shiny red ball, about the size of a human fist. A tiny ragdoll. And a multitude of clankety bracelets, not one matching another.
"Och, look at this, ye wee magpie!" exclaims Caroline, her hand going to a translucent white crystal.
Rojiza snatches it away before she can get to it.
"That stone holds light, you know," muses Caroline. "Perhaps if you charged it with light, Van Di'en could find some use for it."
Rojiza turns away, unwilling to part with any of her precious belongings. Caroline Caroline shakes her head and tsks at Rojiza. "You should be more generous, my dear," she says softly. "Wouldn't it make you happy to know that your trinkets are doing more than just sitting? That someone loves them dearly?"
Rojiza shakes her head, a surprisingly human gesture.
"Come now. Just give away one thing as a trial. Something you don't care for so much, hey? You'll soon see how good it feels."
Rojiza turns around and starts pawing through her pile, looking for something she is willing to part with. Evidently this is her way of acquiescing to Caroline's suggestion. Finally she holds up a little bug carved out of wood.
"That it, then?" Asks Caroline. "It's a bonny wee buggie, too. Let's find someone to give it to, then." Rojiza hops on her shoulder, clutching the wooden bug posessively. "Och, surely it isn't as bad as all that," says Caroline. She heads out to the campfire with Rojiza. "Do you see anyone you want to give your trinket to?"
Rojiza looks at her blandly.
"Of course you don't -want- to give it away, but look over there. There's wee Anezka. Mayhap she'll like your wee buggie."
Rojiza hops down from Caroline's shoulder and then bounces around until she gets to Anezka and Lesh. Reluctantly, Rojiza offers the bug to Anezka. Leshaye Anezka tilted her head and looked at the squirrel, "hhumm?" She reached slowly and took the bug with one hand and touched Rojiza with the other. Giggling softly, she continued to pet the fuzzy little creature.
Lesh looked up at Caroline and smiled, "Wow...look at that...Ani isn't scared of her" Caroline Caroline smiles at Lesh in return. "I've just discovered that my precious little girl has been hoarding things." She sighs, maybe nostaligically. "A gypsy at heart, yes?"
Rojiza doesn't really know how to react at first. But there's this...warm spot in her chest that blooms. She chatters happily and nuzzles against Ani. When Ani pets her, she nearly purrs with delight. Rojiza is a bona fide attention whore.
"I'm glad that went well," comments Caroline offhandedly, watching the two. "She was very reluctant to give up a piece of her horde. But I think she found the pleasure in generosity." Leshaye "She is a true gypsy then...we may horde much, but we give away even more" Lesh smiled and kneeled down next to Anezka, petting Rojiza gently and then picking up Anezka, "Oh wow...what a neat little trinket...ya know, I could make this into a necklace" Caroline At this, Rojiza dashes back to the wagon and returns with a bunch of the little wooden things. All different shapes and types of wood. She'd had them stuffed in her cheeks like normal squirrels do with acorns. She puts them all out on the ground and bounces up and down excitedly. She points emphatically at Lesh.
Bewildered by this sudden change of heart in Rojiza, Caroline blinks. "I think she wants you to make necklaces out of all the little figurines."
Still buzzing with energy, Rojiza points to all the wagons and back to the wooden things. "For all the Fortunettes?" Caroline guesses.
In reply, Rojiza scurries up Caroline's person and to her shoulder, nuzzling against her. "I guess that's a yes," she says with a smile. Leshaye "I can most definately do that...I would just need some ribbon or leather for the neck part...but I definately have the tools to make some lovely jewelry out of these" Lesh smiled and laughed at Rojiza's sudden burst of energy and good idea. Caroline "Well, I have plenty of ribbon that I use for tying the decorations onto my skirts. I'd be more than happy to give you a bunch to use." She pauses. "Perhaps these necklaces could be given to the Fortunettes upon their progression to Darkling infants?"
Rojiza nods emphatically, suggesting that she very much approves of this idea.
Arrangements are made, figurines collected, and Rojiza and Caroline go back to Mountain Air.
"So, do you feel better?" asks Caroline. Rojiza just settles in her lap contentedly. Caroline smiles. "That's my girl. Hoard all you like, but give more than you take, eh? Tomorrow we'll go see Valelldia again. Perhaps you can find something to give to her."
Sleepily Rojiza digs through the pile of baubles still sitting beside Caroline on the bed. She finds the perfect thing--a flawless drop of amber, already set with a pendant fitting. Caroline smiles and finds a length of black ribbon and strings the pendant with it. She ties a firm not at the top and tucks it into her pocket.
"Let's go to bed, querida," says Caroline, yawning. She scoops all of Rojiza's trinkets back into Rojiza's bed, not bothering to hide them all away again. She lethargically changes into her nightgown and crawls into her trundle bed, circling Rojiza with her arms and creating a warm, comforting place for her to sleep. Before Rojiza even settles down, Caroline is asleep, dreaming fanciful dreams of bouncing an infant Rojiza on her lap. Caroline Incidentally, Caroline and Rojiza didn't make it to Val's wagon first thing in the morning. They had to finish breaking camp, and then Val was busy, and other such stuff. Ah well, such is life. However, evening had fallen and Caroline decides that now is the time to pay a visit to Valelldia to finish the quest.
"Are you ready, Rojiza?" Her answer is an affirmative chatter.
Caroline pats the amber pendant in her pocket gently and takes Rojiza in her hands, venturing out of Mountain Air and toward Val's wagon.
Cornelius brays cheerily--always happy to see a familiar face.
"We'll be back to chat later, Cornelius," says Caroline with a tip of an imaginary hat. "We've got business to attend to." Valelldia Val catches Caroline as she is about ready to approach the wagon and invites her in. "Time to finish things up! Did you do the quest? How did Rojiza fair giving up her precious items?" Caroline Caroline joyously recalls the story. "At first she didn't want to. I knew she wouldn't. But I told her to give it a try--to give away something she could live without. She found this little wooden bug and gave it to Anezka. Leshay'e offered to make it into necklace, and evidently this suggestion inspired Rojiza to bring out several other wood carvings. She thought that the necklaces could be given to the other Fortunettes that are already Darklings, and then upon becoming Darklings for the others."
Rojiza paws at Caroline's pocket.
"Oh! I almost forgot--Rojiza has something to give to you, Valelldia." She pulls out the amber pendant. Valelldia Val's eyes lit up, "Oh little Rojiza! That is so sweet, I see you have learned quit a bit today. Looks like you are ready to grow." She put on her necklace. Come inside my wagon if you are ready. "She opened the door and went inside, preparing for the growing. Caroline Caroline and Rojiza follow Val inside her wagon--Rojiza chirruping bashfully at Val's compliment.
"It looks beautiful on you, Valelldia," comments Caroline, admiring the way the amber glows just the way its new owner's eyes do. Valelldia Val got out her supplies, the alter was still kind of set up from the last growing but there needed to be some things different. And this wasn't as magic intensive as the last since they didn't need that extra precaution against the darkness.
She smudged Rojiza and Caroline with some sage. The smell was beutiful and relaxing. She lit the two candles and started humming an ancient gypsy chant. Caroline Caroline finds herself lost in the rich smell of sage and the luxurious, full voice of Valelldia's chanting. She has a feeling Rojiza feels similarly, for she'd quit fidgeting in Caroline's lap. Valelldia Just then Valledia completed the spell. A surge of energy runs through you and into Rojiza. The air smells like fall leaves, the place lights up in brown and silver light. Everything is a blur and seems to happen all at once. When it is over, you come to realise Rojiza is much heavier and has grown into a Darkling infant!
"It is completed." Val said with a smile. "Promise to keep her from the darkness." Caroline Caroline gasps with delight as she beholds her daughter for the first time as an infant. She squeezes her gently, ecstatic. "Thank you so much, Valelldia!" She hurries out of the wagon and back to Mountain Air.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 11:00 pm
Something strange is going on in our caravan. Last night all of the Fortunettes were acting strangely. Rojiza herself was agitated--moreso than usual--and then went through bouts of lethargy, which is most unlike her. Others in the caravan experienced similar things, they said. This morning, though, Rojiza seems to be back to normal. Valelldia seems suspiciously quiet and calm. I think she knows something we don't. I'd rather like to know what it is.
While we were searching for Ani, another Fortunette was snatched! This time it was Aisrhan, leaving both mothers quite devastated. Kale, Missa's handsome little fox, led the way, smelling out the trail. We eventually found our way to an old cabin. We listened very closely at a door--and heard chanting! Imagine that! Val cast a spell on a willing Lesh, and she saw beyond the door for a while. She saw Ani and Aisr bound to an altar, and men all around, chanting. She found other entrances, and then she was blinded until morning.
The rest is a blur to me, but I'll describe it as best I can. Missa and Kale went up onto the roof and made noise--a distraction. Then I changed into my costume and, taking the guise of a poor, homeless woman, I danced for the men. Oh! And Valelldia gave me a belt of bells that enthralled the listener until they actually touched them. I led them outside--what a pied piper I am!--and the rest of the group successfully retrieved Ani and Ais. Rojiza, during all of this, was with Em and Lesh and a strange man who seemed to wish to protect all of us. The men, trying to grab at the bells, nearly tore me apart. I still have scratches on my arm. Val cast a spell to knock out the men, but Silver accidentally got caught in it. And then...we all picked ourselves up and headed back for the wagons.
Dios...what a night.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:11 am
Of course Caroline would realize who was behind the night's rampant charm-giving. Ro is notorious for hoarding little bits of things, and she'd acquired quite a collection of charms.
As a silent admittance, Rojiza leaves a gift in Caroline's diary: a charm necklace of her own, on a brown leather thong.
And, to forstall any fingers pointing at her squirrelly self, she'd made one for herself. Quite the clever little girl, she is. Her own necklace is on a brown string as well.
Silently she crawls into her bed, looking longingly for a moment at her oblivious sleeping mother. She sighs and pulls her covers over herself and falls asleep, quite tired now from running around all night. She hopes that Caroline won't tell on her--can't damage her reputation as being a selfish hoarder.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:27 am
Voltaire walked through the snow carrying Annjette in his arms. She was bundled in one of the man's cloaks the excess trailing out of Voltaire's arm and swaying in the light snowy breeze. He walked right for Mountain Air.
Annjette appeared to be greatly displeased at the coolish weather as her features were pulled into a sneer as she shivered now and then. Her arm feathering made it near impossible to fit anything longsleeved on the girl, and her duckfeet also posed an interesting problem for Voltaire as he got ready to wander outdoors with her.
Once at Caroline's wagon he politely reached up and knocked respectfully on the doorframe.
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Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:37 am
"Entre!" calls Caroline pleasantly from the inside. She's busy with something involving ribbons and bells.
Rojiza scampers eagerly to the door, awaiting the entrance of company. She loves company.
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