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 Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:00 pm
Pani breathed in the warm air and lazed easily around the wagon. He moved only a slight amount as the wind brought with it a Meij message.
You gave your chance up,
and now you fill a grave,
not with your own hand,
but by your actions.
Look to the north, and carry your wits,
Speak not a word, and the nothing will hear your plea.
Hadassah, did not seem to be enjoying th warmth brought by the water's tides, and welcomed the fortune brought to her by the Meij wind.
The north was made to balance the south,
much like the wind and air were made to balance the earth.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:21 pm
You gave your chance up,
and now you fill a grave,
not with your own hand,
but by your actions.
Look to the north, and carry your wits,
Speak not a word, and the nothing will hear your plea.
Veshengo listened to the birds words, then turned and stared at it, giving it the most evil, angry look he possible could muster. "No! No...just stop it! How could I have given up my chance? What chance? How can you expect me to follow your directions if there is nothing to follow but codes and rhymes?" He slammed the door of Balormengro and sat himself down on a trunk, grabbing at his hair. "For once, just once, can't these damn birds speak more clearly?!"
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:36 pm
Twinket gasped in air noisily as she surfaced in the river. She ducked back under to take a breath of water, and then repeated the same action, taking yet another breath of air. Lately she was transitioning worse and worse between the water and the land... in fact just the thought of going up into the gypsy camp before her made her a little sick to her stomach, but she had come here for a reason.
Hovering in the water, trying to get up the nerve to go up on the land, Twinket thought back on the rabbit girl that had bought her last Tri-rune piece. Twinket had only come across two in the last year, and this second one was much like the first. She pulled the rune from her vest pocket and looked it over. Like it had been last time she'd looked at it, the split side was glowing slightly, much less so than it had in the last town. She sighed. That meant that she was going in the wrong direction, but it was something that could definitely be told to the rabbit girl.
She sighed.
Perhaps there was no need to go ashore.... "Hello?" Her voice was as light and airy as it had been the last time she and Anezka had met, and it didn't carry far... but that wasn't stopping her. Just the thought of being dry on the land was enough. "Hello!?"
"Just bring back enough water for Alexander, we'll worry about ourselves later on." Leshya'e handed her daughter a wooden bucket. "What are we making for evening meal?" Anezka asked as she kneeled down to lace up her boots. "I think we might worry about that later as well...no rush." Ani laughed and stood back up, grabbing the bucket.
Stepping over and on branches and roots, Ani thought she heard something. She glanced around and then shrugged it off. Continuing on she heard something again, this time listening more carefully. "That doesn't sound good." Thinking that the person behind the voice might be in trouble, she dropped her bucket and ran towards the voice. "Hello! Are you alright? I'm coming!"
Twinket stretched up and peered over through the brush at the approaching voice. As Anezka rounded the weeds, Twinket gave a wispy laugh and bounced around slightly with her excitement. "You! Spirits praised, I know this is right now." She peered at the rabbit girl and smiled, "Do you remember me? Icarus Protectorate?"
"It's you! Of course!" Anezka pushed through some branches and made her way to the waters edge. "How could I possibly forget you? Oh, Twinket!" She wanted to reach out and embrace her, but thought better of it, not wanting to injure the poor Filor with her enthusiasm. "What are you doing here? Are you all right? Is there news of the protectorate?"
"Perhaps..." Twinket shook her head with unusual enthusiasm, and held out the tri rune piece that she had. "I've another piece of a tri rune." Before the rabbit girl could interrupt, Twinket went on, "It's not one you can use though, it's the same piece that you have from another rune." The filor held out the rune so that Anezka might see that it was another piece very similar to the one she already had, with slight differences.
"I've only ever had a few of these to sell, and to be honest they're usually the corner pieces like this one and yours... but this one..." She held it out again. "This one glows at the edge where it was broken. It's hard to see, but it's there all the same. I thought that maybe all the pieces of all the runes were glowing, but I can't find another one to see." She frowned at it. "And it glowed three times as bright four towns back north, now it's just barely there." She glanced up at the rabbit teen. "I came to see if your peice was glowing."
Anezka didn't know whether to feel excited or disappointed by the news. Taking off her belt and opening up the secret pocket in waistband of her leather trousers, she took out her Tri-Rune and held it out for Twinket. Staring with big eyes at her hand, she saw that her piece was also glowing. Why didn't she notice this before? "What does this glowing mean? Is this a miracle sign or a bad omen?" Anezka bit her lip and hoped for the first.
Twinket smiled and ducked back under the water for a good wet breath and came back up with a grin, shaking her head. "It's a good thing, don't worry." She held her own piece over near Anezka's and frowned at it. "Yours is even brighter than this one ever was. Maybe... " She shook her head as she thought.
"I've heard that all the runes were once one piece, instead of three, which of course makes sense, but I've also heard that each rune will only reunite with it's original pieces." She frowned even deeper. "Which means that each of these two pieces has two exact matches out there... and that makes it even harder to complete one. Impossible even."
Twinket let the silence lapse for a moment, then picked up her train of thought quietly. "But I think the runes want to be found. I think they're telling us to find the other pieces."
"So...they are calling to us? Beckoning us on like a lighthouse?" Anezka furrowed her brow, "If that's the case, the urge is mutual." She turned it over and over again in her palm, rubbing her thumb against it, "How do I know where to go?Do I just have to set out and hope for the best?" She frowned slightly, then flashed a smile at Twinket, so as not to seem disheartened.
"I don't think lighthouse is quiet right... no." She turned hers over, looking at the back and then examined the slightly glowing edge. "It think it's more of a push than a pull. This one was glowing almost as bright as yours when I was up north... yours is glowing here but wasn't when you bought it."
She grinned at Anezka suddenly. "I think it glows like that the closer you are to the other pieces."
Anezka felt a rush of heat come over her and her face blushed, "That...that's...amazing!" She squeezed it tight in her hand, "So close...after all the hoping and searching I'm so close to another piece!" Giving in just this once, she leaned down and hugged Twinket, "I'm so glad you found me again."
"I am too." Twinket endured the hug just fine. The filor was much more sturdy than she looked, but that wasn't saying much. "You'll have to watch it now, to see where it glows the most, and surely that will lead to the next piece." She grinned and held out the peice in her hand. "I
m going to head north and see if I can't find the other match to this one."
"I will, I'll be watching like a hawk! You can beat I won't let this chance pass me by." She squeezed it in her hand and shook it, "This won't ever leave my person. If I'm not looking at it, it'll be right here in this pocket." She gestured and then tucked the piece away. Tying her belt back on, she reached out and placed a hand on Twinket's shoulder, "You be careful while you're traveling, you hear? I plan on seeing you again, so don't disappoint me." She smiled a bright, toothy grin at her friend, then stood up and dusted off her pants. "I best be heading back to Mum, she'll be wondering what's taken so long...but I'm sure the news will have been worth the wait."
Twinket smiled and backed into the water. "You can count on it. And you'd better have at least one more piece to that rune, or even brighter wings when I see you next."
With a last wave, she called out once before ducking under the water, "Think about flying to visit me." and then she was gone.
Anezka waved and then brought her hands to her heart, taking a deep breath and smiling. What wonderful news! She walked back to where she had dropped her bucket. Picking it up, she filled it with water as Leshya'e had sent her to do. She returned to camp only to be met by a "And where have you been?" from her mother. Anezka just chuckled and poured the water for Alexander, "You just wouldn't believe me."
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 12:54 pm
The north was made to balance the south,
much like the wind and air were made to balance the earth.
Leshya'e put down the plate she was washing, listening carefully to what Hadassah said. Nodding her head, she stood up and went to grab her journal. Flipping it open she wrote down the most recent fortune. Placing it down, she went back to washing up some dishes, letting the words float around in her head as she pondered them.
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:10 pm
Leshya'e stood up and headed inside Varekai, giving it a once-over, making sure that everything was ready. She checked the cupboards and trunks, assuring that they wouldn't fling open as they journeyed on. Grabbing some twine, she pulled the windows closed and spun the twine around the latches, tying them closed. "All right...everything looks good in here...You ready to move along, Ani?" She tied her hair back and moved out to the driving seat, waiting for her daughter to join her.
Anezka nodded to her mother, "Just having a double check of everything." She finished checking the reins and harness, then patted Alexander neck, "Ready, mate?". With a stomp on the ground and an exaggerated nod, Alexander whinnied and made his readiness known. "Great!...All ready, Mum." Ani climbed up next to her mother, clicked her tongue and snapped the reins, guiding Varekai into it's position in the caravan.
The wagon train moves almost as swiftly as the river they're following. While Leshy'ae is driving, Ani happens to see something glinting in the river; more than just the sun reflecting off of the water. It'd be a simple matter of hopping off of the wagon and getting it.
Anezka leaned out, looking ahead at the lead wagons, feeling the breeze on her face. She smiled and closed her eyes for just a moment. When she opened them again, a light caught her eye. Thinking it was just the sun through the trees, she leaned back into her seat. But there it was again. She leaned out and looked again. Glancing back at her mother, she gestured with her hand, "Be right back...keep going." She hopped off the wagon and knelt down on the shore, reaching out for the strange shimmering object.
Just as she's about to grasp the shining object, a rock tumbling down the river dislodges it and sends it floating away. Luckily the river isn't terribly swift.
"No...oh no, no, no...get back here!" Ani let out a frustrated grunt, then scrambled after the shining piece of...whatever it was...she didn't know, but she knew she wanted it.
The river up ahead is about to turn a corner, and there's a nice eddy Ani could trap the shiny in if she were clever.
Ani grumbled, thinking whether or not to give up. She didn't even know what it was, but it called to her, she needed it...but at what cost? She reached down and grabbed a stick, twirling her hair with the other, then stuck the stick through to hold it in place. Once her hair was out of her face, she sprinted ahead and hopped from the shore to a large rock. Checking her balance, she hopped to the next one, getting closer to the whirling water. "Now what?...if only I had a net...or maybe I could...but they're really hers...she'd forgive me..."
"Ani!...Anezka!...What on earth is going on?" Leshya'e called from the wagon. "Come back...I'm not in the mood to go losing you."
"Just keep going, I'll catch up...It'll only take a minute...I hope..." The last two words mumbled to only herself. Balancing herself, she tugged her boot off and rolled up her pants. "Sorry mum..." Ani then began to rip her tights off, a pair a knitted fishnet tights she had borrowed from Leshya'e. She then spread it out like a barrier between two stones, hoping to catch the shiny object in it as it passed.
Anezka's resourcefulness is rewarded, and the shiny thing is trapped in her makeshift net, hers to keep and enjoy. The fishnet stockings, on the other hand, would have to be replaced somehow.
Anezka held the rune tightly as she grabbed her boot and waded back to the shore. "Mum!...Val!...You won't believe it!" She hopped awkwardly, trying to put her boot back on. "I found one!...I found another piece!" Holding the rune in her hand, so tightly that her knuckles went white, she jogged to catch up with Varekai.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:42 am
Sometime during the night, the light in your jack-o-lantern goes out, and inside the pumpkin is left 20 couplets and a delicious caramel apple.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:37 pm
Hadassah squawks once as a warning before she recites the Meij-verse given her: The last of what you seek
Will soon be sought no longer.
But it comes at a price.
What you willing to pay?
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:13 pm
While on her walk along the riverbank, Anezka had picked up a few berries and nuts, and was bringing them back to Varekai as a treat for Hadassah. She'll really like these, I bet, She smiled to herself as she climbed the wagons steps. Suddenly she heard the banya squawk. What!? Don't tell me she can read minds now. She turned and looked at the bird, but was soon relieved that the squawk was not snack related. Anezka's golden eyes grew wide as she heard the fortune being relayed. Her heart fluttered with joy and she nearly dropped the treats she had found. Remembering, she opened Hadassah's cage and reached in, hand open for the banya to eat from. "Oh, thank you...you clever thing...thank you!"
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:10 pm
Valelldia's trance is interrupted by a pulling sensation. The caravan mother smiles; this feeling is not strange to her. The Meij often shows her where to find something important. She stands, gathers her skirts, and follows the pull. It leads her....to Leshyae and Anezka's wagon.
"Hm," she says. She knocks politely on the door. Hopefully someone would still be awake at this late hour.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:32 pm
Ever the nocturnal creature, Anezka was still awake when she heard a knock at the door. She rose from the floor where she had been working on a jigsaw puzzle. Opening the door, she greeted Valelldia with a smile, "Oh, hello...did you want Mum? I can wake her if you want..."
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:38 pm
[Mene is too lazy to keep logging in and out of Val.]
Valelldia watches the young woman. The pulling had stopped at her. "No, I believe it's you I came looking for," she says enigmatically. Then, all at once, the Meij directs her somewhere else.
"Would you care to take a walk with me?" she asks. "It's dangerous to explore the caves alone; perhaps we'll keep one another safe." She gestures to the little mountain paths that split off from the wagon circle.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 5:47 pm
[lol, me too!]
"Oh..." Anezka squeaked, pleasantly surprised to be the reason for the visit. "Oh, yes, I'd love too...let me just grab something." Ani grabbed a shawl and a small, already lit, lantern. Checking the pouch on her belt, as she always did before leaving Varekai, she headed off into the night air with Val.
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:13 pm
"Thank you, dear," says Val, nodding gently. They start out down one of the paths, seemingly randomly, but all the while guided by Val's sense of the Meij.
"You've been with the caravan a long time," she says to Anezka to fill the silence. She knows the girl wonders why she'd been brought out here. "Tell me of yourself, things you've done and learned since we've traveled together."
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Anezka nodded. It was hard to say, some days it felt like no time at all had passed, and other times it felt like decades. "About me?...Oh...Well..." She paused and chewed her lip, "It's hard to put it all in words. I don't think I'd be half the person I am now, were it not for being part of this caravan. Every day I learn more about myself and about life. Mum has taught me how to be strong and self-sufficient. Aisrhan has taught me how to be brave. And Rojiza, surprisingly, has been the one who taught me how to be outgoing and expressive." As if from nowhere, a lump developed in Ani's throat, causing her to cough and tear up. She had never put into words just how important everyone was to her. "And you, Val...You're the most important. I wouldn't be anything without you."
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 7:23 pm
Val smiles at Anezka's acknowledgment that the caravan as a whole had essentially raised her. "That is certainly good to know," she says, nodding. They duck into a cave. "I wonder what we'll find in here. Keep close with the lantern, dear," she says, peering around.
They go toward the back of the little cave. As the lantern light hits the back wall, strange writings and maps can be seen scrawled into the walls with chalk. The weather hadn't reached this far back, so the powdery substance hadn't been washed or blown away. "How interesting," says Valelldia. She shuffles a bit closer to the wall to get a better look and nearly trips on a lump of fabric on the cave floor....with a skull?
"Oh dear."
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