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 Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 11:05 am
Foenix grinned at the jar sitting on her desk before bending her head to look at the journal before her. Quote: 2.05.05 The artifacts have begun to glow! I'm going to assume that this means they've started to merge. It's really very exciting. The glow is a lovely lavender, and looks so beautiful against the snowy feather, ivory bone, and teal ribbon. The feather itself continues to flutter whistfully about the jar, especially at dawn and dusk. I've continued in my reading to them. I alternate between stories of horses and swans each night, and have covered several legends from Greek and Norse mythology as well as some of the well-known fairy tales. Not all of them are nice, such as the myth of Zeus changing himself into a swan in order to seduce Leda and produce Helen, the well-known beauty "whose face launched a thousand ships . . .". I have been very busy lately, and thus haven't continued my search to meet others of the village. I know that there are currently three adult Aerandir, but I have't met -or even seen, for that matter- any of them. Hopefully I'll be able to find some time in the coming week. Feonix closed her journal and stood. She spent a few minutes wandering around the cabin, straightening an afgan she had thrown carelessly over one of the gray suede chairs, putting away clean dishes, and finally watering the plants out front. She watched as Zimra and Rani galloped playfully about the enormourmous front yard. Zimra was enjoying the greens growing about the pond, and Rani never had any trouble hunting down the meat he needed. Occasionally, he would bring back extras, and leave them draped over the railing of the back porch. Foenix tried to think of his offerings as a very large version of the mice and birds a cat might bring his mistress, and managed to control her winces long enough to thank the proud young Sleipnir. Freya flew out and perched, as usual, on her shoulder. "Foenix," she whispered, "I'm hungry. Can we eat now?" Foenix looked up at the tiny golden girl. "Of course. What are you in the mood for?" Continuing their conversation, the two walked back into the cabin.
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Posted: Sat Feb 05, 2005 9:41 pm
Foenix sat, comfortably cuddled, on the sofa. A hand-knit afgan in scarlets, blues, and deep greens was wrapped about her knees, and Nehanda was carefully tucked at her side. Kylara was curled up on one of the chairs, and Freya sat enthroned upon a soft blue cushion that accented her own light blue accents.
Foenix was focussed entirely upon the book resting on her bent knees.
"There I found a warm corner among the well-seasoned straw, and the elderly donkey who had prior claim shifted grudgingly, making room for me against her broad back. Hungry, cold, confused, and exhausted, i found escape, for the time being, in sleep."
She softly closed the book. She had just finished reading the first chapter of Daughter of the Forest, by Juliet Marillier. It was a beautiful re-telling of the Irish folk tale of the six swan brothers, and their little sister who restored them to their human forms by weaving shirts of stinging nettles. It was one of Foenix's favorite tales, and she thought the novel was a particularly good one.
She looked about her at her little family, and thought wistfully of the rest back on the mainland. Of her husband, with whom she had spoken earlier that evening. Their two cats, he had said, missed her desperately, and so did he.
Well, he would be joining her soon, so there was no use fretting over it. with a yawn, Foenix gathered the book and the jar containing the glowing artifacts. "Good night," she whispered softly to Kylara and Freya, and padded quietly off t her own bed.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 6:47 am
Quote: 2.07.05 Monday, and it's Greg's birthday. I'm heading back over to the mainland tonight, to take him to dinner and maybe bring him to Cetalu. But right now, it's pouring buckets outside, and I'm starting to feel a bit stir-crazy in this cabin. I'm taking Nehanda over to the Community Center. It will be a nice change of venue, and maybe I'll be fortunate enough to actually see some of the others. The solitude here, as lovely and quiet as it can be, is slowly driving me crazy. Nehanda, meanwhile, continues to glow. The swan feather still flutters, sometimes slowly, and sometimes wildly, and the horse bone looks oddly fluid. I confess that I haven't spent much time doing any research. It's much more fun to read to Nehanda and the others. Foenix closed the journal and stood up. Reaching for her carry-sak, she cuddled Nehanda snugly within, and added their latest book and some snacks. She glanced outside and sighed heavily. "Kylara, do you remember where I left that big umbrella of Greg's?" she called. Kylara's head emerged from a pile of agfans on the sofa. "Dunno. Maybe in one of the empty rooms upstairs? 'm sleeping here." "Thanks a lot," Foenix muttered. She headed upstairs and spent several minutes digging through unopened boxes before she emerged victorious. "You sure you don't want to join us?" A sleepy grunt was Kylara's only response, and Freya was nowhere to be found. Foenix knew that the two Equus were more then content in their shelter out front, so she pushed the door open and stepped out into the rain. Perhaps the rain would send others to the Center.
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Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2005 7:05 am
C.Center post here. Alyosha Just as she was speaking of nroken things, the jar began to crack. It trembled on her lap, softly and steadily, pulsing. The items merged together, flowing out to the sides of the jar as they expanded. With barely a sound the glass jar fell apart, only a small tinkle as the shards fell to the floor. The small blue glowing ball of energy that had formed lazily swam up to Foenix's face, waving from side to side as if in greeting. Foenix had cried out in horror at the shattering glass, but she was now rendered speechless by the wisp of energy that floated before her. She opened her mouth, closed it, swallowed, and opened it again. "Hello there, little one," she whispered. The wisp danced merrily in front of her, and took off to whisk about the room before returning to float over her shoulder. It darted toward the book a few times. Foenix couldn't help but grin. "I take it you want me to continue?" The ball of energy bobbed up and down, so she slowly returned her attention to the words on the page. It was going to be very difficult to concentrate on the story now! Conversation with Alyosha hereAlyosha
Alyosha smiled, this only being the fourth time he'd seen an Aerandir born. He moved one of his hands up towards the little ball, thin white fingers nearly brushing the object.
"She'll form soon" he said quietly, his head tilting a little to one side. "If the past few are to be taken as standard"
Just as he spoke the little ball began to judder. It twisted and writhed, tumbling back into Foenix's lap, it's form slowly converging into a quadrapedal state, glowing white wings forming, unfurling. The little creature, long neck curving back, looked up at it's new guardian.
Quote: Foenix bit off her new exclamation of shock. "Oooh," she breathed softly. "Aren't you beautiful." She ran her hands over Nehanda's flanks, carefully unfurling the gryphon's wings and straightening feathers that had been mussed in the transformation. Nehanda looked up at her guardian and nestled her bill against Foenix's shoulder. She closed her eyes, content to simply be cuddled. Foenix looked over at Alyosha, and could't help the tears that filled her eyes. "She's just perfect," she murmured.
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:47 am
Quote: 2.08.05 After my conversation with Alyosha yesterday (and Kiiato!), I hurried over to the mainland. As I stated, the only cloven hoof I'd seen was in a museum. I needed a library, and internet access. Come to think of it, it might not be a bad idea to transport a hub and some computers back to Cetalu. I'll have to discuss it with Alyosha. In any case, I now have far more information on the prehistoric equine species. Aly mentioned eohippus and mesohippus, which I have since discovered were the two earliest predescessors of the modern horse. Pasted together from several sources, here's what I now know about them and their successors. Eohippus The "dawn horse" The first equid was a small forest animal of the early Eocene (54-34 mya). This "horse" (10-12" at the shoulder) looked nothing like a horse. It had a "dog" look with an arched back, short neck, short muzzle, short legs, and long tail. It browsed on fruit and fairly soft foliage. * Legs were flexible and rotatable with all major bones present and unfused. * 4 toes on each front foot, 3 on hind feet. Its feet were like a dog's padded feet, except with small hoofs on each toe instead of claws. * Low-crowned teeth with 3 incisors, 1 canine, 4 distinct premolars and 3 "grinding" molars in each side of each jawThe cusps of the molars were slightly connected in low crests. Typical teeth of an omnivorous browser. Mesohippus The "middle horse" The species appeared in the late Eocene, approx 40 mya. This animal was considerable larger than Eohippus, 24" at the shoulder. It didn't look as dog-like, either. The back was less arched, the legs a bit longer, the neck a bit longer, and the muzzle and face distinctively longer. It had a shallow facial fossa, a depression on the skull. Mesohippus had three toes on its hind feet and on its front feet -- the 4th front toe was reduced to a vestigial nubbin. Mesohippus was pad-footed. * Cerebral hemispheres notably larger * Last three premolars are like the three molars, such that Mesohippus had a battery of six similar grinding "cheek teeth", with one simple premolar in front. * Well-formed and sharp tooth crests, more suitable for grinding tougher vegetation. MiohippusSoon after Mesohippus celer and its very close relative Mesohippus westoni appeared, a similar animal called Miohippus assiniboiensis arose. A typical Miohippus was distinctly larger than a typical Mesohippus, with a slightly longer skull. The facial fossa was deeper and more expanded. In addition, the ankle joint had changed subtly. Miohippus also began to show a variable extra crest on its upper cheek teeth. In later horse species, this crest became a characteristic feature of the teeth. This is an example of how new traits originate as variations in the ancestral population. Mesohippus died out in the mid-Oligocene. Miohippus continued for a while as it was, and then, in early Miocene (24 mya) began to speciate. The horse family began to split into at least 2 main lines of evolution and one small side branch: * 3-toed browsers called "anchitheres". They were very successful, spread into the Old World, and thrived for tens of millions of years. They retained the small, simple teeth of Miohippus. * A line of small "pygmy horses. These horses did not survive long. * A line that underwent a transformation from browsing to grazing, taking advantage of the new grasses. Large grasslands were just beginning to appear, thus creating a new ecological "opportunity" for grazers. MerychippusArose around 17 mya ago. Merychippus was about 10 hands high. The muzzle became elongated, the jaw became deeper, and the eye moved farther back, to accommodate larger tooth roots. The brain was notably larger, with a fissured neocortex and a larger cerebellum, making Merychippus a smarter and more agile equine than the earlier horses. Merychippus was distinctly recognizable as a horse. Merychippus 3-toed, but fully spring-footed. This animal stood permanently on tiptoe, supported and propelled by strong, springy ligaments that ran under the fetlock. The side toes were still complete, but began to be of varying sizes; some Merychippus species had full-size side toes, while others developed small side toes that only touched the ground during running. The central toe developed a large, convex hoof, and the legs became longer. The radius and ulna of the forearm fused so that leg rotation was eliminated. All these changes made Merychippus' legs specialized for just one function: rapid running over hard ground. Merychippus' teeth were high-crowned, with a thick layer of enamel, and with the same distinctive grazing tooth crests as Parahippus. PliohippusArose in middle Miocene (15 mya) as a three-toed horse. Pliohippus was very similar to Equus and until recently was thought to be the direct ancestor of Equus, except for two significant differences. Pliohippus's skull has deep facial fossae, whereas Equus has no facial fossae at all. Secondly, Pliohippus's teeth are strongly curved, and Equus's teeth are very straight. Eqqus... The modern horse Equus (4 My) The first Equus were 13.2 hands tall with a classic horse body. Rigid spine, long neck, long legs, fused leg bones with no rotation, long nose, flexible muzzle, deep jaw. Equus was (and is) one-toed, with side ligaments that prevent twisting of the hoof, and has high-crowned, straight grazing teeth with strong crests lined with enamel. Members of Equus retain the genes for making side toes. Usually are usually expressed as "chestnuts" and "ergots" the horny growths on the legs and back of the fetlocks. The earliest known Equus species were a set of three "simple Equus" species collectively known as the Equus simplicidens group. They had zebra-like bodies and short, narrow, donkey-like skulls. They probably had stiff, upright manes, ropy tails, medium-sized ears and striped legs. All these Equus species coexisted with other one-toed horses. There are now hundreds of breeds available throughout the world, and the horses are also varying heights, ranging from fallabella up to shire. This is the basic pattern of evolution, that produced the modern horse of today. I also found a terrific chart that shows the evolution.  Now, there are obviously problems with this chart. It shows an unbroken evolutionary sequence, when there clearly must be gaps. Some scientists have also pointed out that actual evolutionary evidence of the relationship between the various prehistoric species has yet to be found. For all we know, these were all simply four-footed species that just happen to look similar. However, I think I tend to go with an evolutionary relationship Legal Information taken from several sources, primarily Encyclopedia Britannica and Information on Horses, an msn group site. The chart was originally published in George Simpson's 1951 book, "Horses." Foenix sat back and gently massaged her hand. She looked about at the various books that she had spent the night reading, and at the notebooks that she had used to notes. A soft fluttering noise drew her attention as Nehanda clumsily made her way through the air to Foenix's shoulder. "Very good!" Foenix urged her gryphon proudly. It was difficult for Nehanda to coordinate her body, composed as it was of two seperate types of creature. Her first set of attempts had been rather . . . disasterous. "Pegasus you're not, but you're doing so well!" Nehanda twisted her head and blinked, indicating confusion. Foenix laughed. "Right. You wouldn't know about Pegasus yet. Well, it's a pretty short story. Would you like to take a break from "Daughter of the Forest" tonight? I'll tell you the myth as a bedtime story." Nehanda 'merped' softly and bobbed her head. Foenix placed a hand upon the gryphon as she stood up. "Well, I'm ready for some fresh air. How about you? Shall we head over to the community Center?" At Nehanda's enthusiastic response, Foenix smiled and walked out into the main room. The umbrella was propped up next to the door. Even though the rain had stopped, Foenix didn't like the look of some of the clouds outside. She grabbed the umbrella and stepped outside, ready to head out.
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Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 10:08 am
Foenix sat at the edge of the pond. There was a thick blanket spread on the ground, to protect her slacks from the mud, and she had a shawl nearby, in case the afternoon grew chilly. Nehanda splashed happily in the shallow waters, stopping every now and then to nibble at some greens. Quote: 2.08.05 We met one of the Aerandir today! Nehanda and I were over at the Community Center, when we heard voices. i went to see who it was, and met Rahujo. She's a magnificently large woman. Her muscles are just amazing! Of course, she's the blacksmith, so that really makes sense. I wonder what her artifacts were. I would guess some sort of cattle, maybe buffalo, for the fluff, and her glossy black feathers indicate some bird like a raven or crow. A magpie, perhaps? that would sort of fit with her occupation . . . (Conversation with Rahujo here. In any case, we had time for a brief conversation, but then we had to run. We arrived back at the cabin and decided that we weren't ready to go inside, so I'm currently sitting by the pond, while Nehanda plays in the shallows. It's really too bad that none of my other pets and friends enjoy the water very much. I'm . . . a bit reluctant to go into the murky water, especially with the weather as chilly as it has been. I've been studying Nehanda's physique over the past day. Now that I have a better idea of her specific fluff, I can begin to compare bone structure, etc, against the information I've collected. Her body is simply too "horsy" to be an eohippus. Her legs are too slender, her torso too finely shaped. And to top it off, she has three toes on both front and back feet. That fourth toe of the eohippus is vestigial. She doesn't really seem interested in eating any sort of meat. Bready foods and vegetables, fruit, she'll gobble it all down. But when I offered her a bite of the curried chicken I fixed for lunch, she actually looked a bit sick. In that regard, she's staying true to both equine and swan. I've also spent quite a bit of time considering the jobs Alyosha believes she might grow to fulfill. Historian seems most likely, followed by Diplomat and then Herbalist. She hasn't been around long enough for me to have a really good sense of her personality yet. And of course that could all change as she continues to evolve. Who knows what could happen between now and her Wisp stage? We'll just have to wait and find out.
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Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2005 7:50 pm
Wind was whipping around the sides of the cabin, occasionally flapping a shutter or kicking up swirls of leaves. Inside, however, the mood was very safe and calm. foenix and Nehanda sat curled up in Foenix's bed. Nehanda reclined in her guardian's lap, lifting one wing, then the other, ever so slightly. Her eyes were drooping, and it was clear that she was fighting off sleep with all of her might. Their concentration was fully upon the words Foenix softly recited from the book before them.
"The next day there was a bit of sun, weakly filtering between the ever-present clouds, and I set to work in my garden, determined to make up to it for the way I had neglected it. I tied my hair up with a strip of cloth, put on an old sacking apron, and armed myself with knife and spade. Overgrown lavender and sprawling wormwood got a good trimming; weeds were rooted out and paths swept clear. As I worked steadily on, my mind slowly began to lose the confusion of fears and worries that plagued it, and the task in hand became all that mattered.
At length it was tolerably tidy, and I fetched the assortment of bulbs I'd lifted last season to dry out for replanting. Daffodils in the biggest basket; then crocuses, iris, lilies of five different kinds. Some, too, that would grow as well in the wild reaches of the forest as in my sheltered beds: pig's-ears, faery chimes, and the slender pake bulbs of mind's-ease. Throw a handful of its leaves on your campfire at night, and you would sleep so well you would never awaken."
Foenix stopped, and looked down at the little gryphon. Her swan's head had finally drooped to rest against Foenix's stomach, and her eyes were closed.
"I guess we'll just have to finish this chapter tomorrow, then," she whispered. She lifted her charge and placed her on the cushioned little bed where she slept, carefully arranging the delicate legs and wings. It had been a long day for the both of them, and sleep was needed.
Foenix pulled up the covers, and reached over to turn out the single light at her bedside. With a yawn, she rolled over and closed her eyes.
((Passages from "Daughter of the Forest," by Juliet Marillier))
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Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 5:36 pm
Foenix sat on the sofa, knees bent with a soft throw over her legs. Nehanda was perched awkwardly on the wide sofa back. Foenix had spent thirty minutes that evening oiling and grooming her feathers so that they were extra soft, and every one lay perfectly in place. The little gryphon had stretched her neck out so that she could peer over Foenix's shoulder at the journal propped up on the woman's knees. With one ear listening for the oven timer, Foenix read over her entry for that day. Quote: 2.10.05 We had a terrific day! Nehanda, Freya and I went out for a walk this afternoon. We brought a large lunch with us, intending to set a picnic somewhere. And it's lucky we did. Down by the shore, we bumped into Nyxa, along with her Aerandir gryphon, Lucius, and her oher child, Julian. It was really nice to interact with another gryphon. Lucius is an incredibly handsome boy. He is a combination of panther and cockeral, and the two have merged perfectly. He's very sleek, larger then Nyhanda, and has the most gorgeous array of plummage I've ever seen, after my own little girl, of course. I think he was a bit too rambunctious for Nehanda at this point, and he seems very disappointed that he is not yet able to fly. Soon after we all began eating, who should show up but Fae! She's an old friend from the Fenthry shop. I don't really know her younger Fenthry, Ombre, very well, but Sage and Freya were very close. It was quite a reunion! In addition, Fae's artifacts began to glow right in the middle of our conersation! Chibi Dragonfy also stopped by briefly, so I was able to meet her and her gryphon, Iniko. (The conversation, all 2.5 pages of it, can be found here.) The timer began to beep, and Foenix closed the journal. With a grin at Nehanda, she dashed into the kitchen and pulled a casserole dish from the oven. "Dinner's on!" she called, and began to set out plates. If there were left-overs, perhaps she'd take some over to Nyxa. The woman had certainly seemed eager for a cooked meal.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:20 am
The door to Foenix's bedroom slowly opened, and Nehanda poked her beak through the narrow slit to peer out into the main room. Sure enough, there was Foenix, curled up on the sofa where she had fallen asleep the night before.
With a sleepy, "merp," Nehanda pushed the door the rest of the way open, and proceeded to nudge her book across the floor until she finally reached her destination. Reaching up with her bill, she gently nibbled Foenix's fingers until the woman twitched into wakefulness.
"Hnn, wha-?" Foenix reached up and pushed a handful of hair out of her face, looking around groggily and stretching to relieve the muscles that had cramped due to her position. Her tired eyes moved to the little gryphon staring wistfully up at her, and at the book lying on the floor beside her.
"oh. Morning, Nehanda." the gryphon "merped" in return, the noise somewhat reproachful. "Yeah, I know, i know. I didn't read any of the story last night." With a last yawn, Foenix straightened and picked up both Nehanda and the book. "I suppose you expect me to read some now?'
Nehanda nodded eagerly, and Foenix sighed. "okay, but only a few pages. then I want breakfast. Make yourself comfy, then. Where were we?" Together they found their place, and she began to read.
"Next morning there was a heavy dew, and a clinging mist blanketed the lakeshore. We set out before dawn, and the hem of my gown was soon soaked. I clutched the small pack i had brought with me. I had not many treasures. We made our way down the forest paths in total silence, without light. Conor wore white, and I followed him like a small trusting shadow. Behind me Linn trod in my footsteps. Sensing the need for secrecy, she curbed the urge to chase after every rustle of grass, and kept her silence.
"We were the first to reach our destination. And yet, others had been here before us, for on the sward beside the young birch tree, where we had gathered so often before, objects had been laid out precisely, awaiting our arrival. The first hint of predawn light showed white and yellow daisies strewn on the grass to the east of the tree where the land rose up to the forest. Amid these lay a knife, unsheathed, with a hilt of bone. On the western side where the bank sloped down to the lake, a shallow earthenware bowl rested by the tree, and like the cup of Isha it was full to the brim with clear water. South and north, a slender wand of birch wood, a mossy stone from the forest's heart. Such were the makings for our ceremony."
(As usual, passages come from Marillier's "Daughter of the Forest.")
((This pleasant yet insistant wake-up was prompted by my own cat this morning, except that she used sharp little claws instead of a gentle beak, and wanted food rather then a story. biggrin ))
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:31 pm
Foenix sat on the porch, a planter held firmly between her legs and a sack of soil and various seedlings beside her. The original planter had been knocked over that morning by Rani, and she was trying to reproduce the combination of colors and shapes of the original.
Nehanda and the much larger Zimra swam about in the pond. Zimra, Foenix thought, was being very good about the younger and tinier gryphon. Perhaps it was simply a maternal reflex, but the Freyja was keepiong a close eye upon Nehanda. The little gryphon, on the other hand, was fluttering about without a care in the world. Occasionally, she would even climb up onto Zimra's back and leap off with a splash and a happy "merp!"
Foenix shook her head. "And after all the care I put into those feathers of hers last night. That pond water's awfully mucky. I just know I'm going to have to dunk her in a real bath when she's through," the red-head muttered.
"What? You're going to have to give a dirty youngling a bath? Will wonders and horrors never cease," came a sarcastic voice from the doorway. Kylara padded out and curled up next to her friend.
"Oh, shut up. I remember a certain mud puddle and a certain young jivvin," Foenix shot back. "It took me hours to clean that crap off of you."
Kylara shrugged. "So find her something more productive to do."
Foenix sighed. "I'm sort of running out of ideas. Those toes of hers aren't very versitile, so books and most games that I have with me won't really work."
"What about a garden?" the silver and purple jivvin suggested. "It really doesn't take a lot of skill to dig rows, and I'm sure we could devise some sort of sac to hold seeds. Actually, Nehanda's pretty good with that beak of hers. As long as we can convince her not to eat the seeds, she'd be all set."
The human woman mulled over that idea for a bit. "You might have something there. There's that nice even spot of earth next to the cabin. I could set up a little railing or netting or something to keep out wildlife once things start growing."
At that moment, Nehanda happened to look over at her guardian. A bright, innocent smile somehow made itself visible on her avian face, and she "merped" to her two-being audience.
"Besides, I don't think there's much of anything I can deny her right now," Foenix murmured happily.
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Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2005 6:43 pm
A gentle night breeze blew a few dead leaves against the window of Foenix's bedroom. The motion distracted her briefly from her work, and Nehanda nuzzled her hand to gain her attention again.
"Sorry," Foenix apologized, and returned to the task of oiling the gryphon's snowy white wings. Despite her earlier grumbling, Foenix had found the promised bath as soothing for her as it was for Nehanda. She took a genuine pleasure in running her fingers through the gryphon's feathers. Now she was applying the oil as a finishing touch; she wasn't sure that Nehanda's unigue body had all of the necessary nutrients, and so gave her various vitamins and nutrients to treat both equine and swan.
Finished, she wiped her hands clean of the oil and took them both off to bed. It only took her minutes to wash her face and change into night clothes, and she settled happily into bed with their book. Opening to the beginning of a new chapter, she started to read again.
" . . . Perhaps you have tried spinning or weaving, with flax maybe, or fine wool. It takes a toll on the hands, as the combing and twisting rubs and blisters the fingers, as the movement of the spindle starts to wear a deep aching into the joints. You can tell a spinner by her hands. As they give beauty to their work, the hands grow gnarled and twisted and old. The noble ladies of the ancient tales, Etain, and Sadb, who became a deer, and Niamh of the golden hair, whose name my mother had shared, they cannot have been spinners and weavers, for their hands are described as white and fair, decorated with silver rings, hands for a brave warrior to kiss when he returns victorious from battle. Hands suited to fine embroidery, or playing the harp. Slender fingers for masking a delicate yawn, or touching a lover's cheek. The ladies in the old tales had never heard of starwort."
At this point, Nehanda merped softly. Foenix looked up from the page at the sad little noise. "What's wrong, sweetie?" She followed the gryphon's gaze down to her nubby little toes.
"Oh, honey." Foenix hid a small smile and gathered her Aerandir into her arms. "Don't worry about that. Just wait until you evolve into your next stage; you'll be able to do everything I can with my own hands, and probably more."
Nehanda glanced away, and Foenix gently drew the gryphon's head back until they were looking at each other. "Most of the other little gryphons are in the same boat, right? I'll bet Luc has trouble with his paws. In fact, I'll bet he doesn't even worry about a silly little thing like that. Now come on, let's finish our chapter and go to bed."
Nehanda gave a final glare at her "toes," and shrugged her wings. Nuzzling her head against Foenix's stomach, she let her guardian return to the story.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:07 pm
Foenix steped up onto her porch and bent to pick up a note. It had obviously been delivered in her absence, but was from Alyosha. It was the answer to an earlier missive about the island's weather. Note Dear Foenix, I'm sorry I cannot give you a more detailed overview of the islands weather but here is what I know from my time here: The conditions are similar to those of the Philippines and south-east Asian. There are seasons where it is dry but also a wet or rainy season. On Cetalu these are not o defined with deluges coming every month or second month and then dry preiods of up to the same length of time. As such I'd reccomend plants which would grow in a climate of that ilk. I have included some articles with this in the hope that they may help you find what you need, I've been saving them in the event that we would gain a herbalist. There are articles relevant for different areas of herbolody from cookery based to health based, some may even have magical properties. Attatched: http://www.philippineherbs.com/philippineherbindex.htmhttp://www.culinarycafe.com/Spices_Herbs/ ((Shamelessly harvested from google, they seems quite fully articulated articles)) As an aside, because of the fact that these Islands are quite small the soil is still very sandy, which some plants dislike. I will send Acia over tommorow (please let me know when it's convenient) to create several different areas of various soil types for Nehanda to explore and cultivate in. I hope these will help in your endeavours, Alyosha. "Wonderful!" she exclaimed. She'd spend the evening looking over these articles, and perusing the books she had brought back with her from the mainland. With those, she should have a good idea of what they'd need for a beginner's garden. Running inside, she grabbed a pice of paper from her desk and quickly penned another short note. With Nehanda secure on her shoulder, she turned around and started back toward the village.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2005 6:03 pm
Foenix and Nehanda sat in one of the rooms upstairs. Foenix had spent a few hours that afternoon clearing away empty boxes and lugging a large desk and an armchair up the stairs. Now, the room was a comfy office, with plenty of sunshine and air. Just the sort of place Foenix preferred for her research. At present, there were several books and loose pieces of paper spread across the desk and floor. Foenix sat crosslegged in the middle of the room, a notepad in one hand and several pencils stuck through her hair. Nehanda ambled slowly from place to place, stopping every now and then to look at a picture in a book. Foenix looked up at the little gryphon, and smiled wearily. "This all sure would be easier if you could read and talk, sweetie." The Aerandir tilted her head and merped, and her guardian waved her empty hand reassuringly. "Oh, don't worry. You're perfect just as you are. But this is simply an awful lot of information to go through before we start your garden." Some of the books were of a touristy nature, offering information on climates, weather patterns, agriculture, and the like. Many were gardening books, with titles like "Planting for Dummies," "Trowel and Error; Tips, Remedies, and Shortcuts for the Beginning Gardener," and "Gardening in Small Spaces." Other books were very old, and were titled in Old and Middle English, as well as Medieval Latin and French. Foenix, being the scholar she was, couldn't help studying medieval herbalism and gardening as well as more modern information. With a tired sigh, Foenix put her notebook down and reached for her journal. Intent upon her research for the past several days, she had neglected her daily entries, and felt slightly guiltiy about it. Quote: 2.13.05 Nehanda and I have settled on many of the types of plants we're going to put in her garden. There is a large patch of ground out by the side of the house that i have marked of with sticks and string that will be perfect for a starter garden. The area gets plenty of sun, is easy to water, and the soil seems pretty rich in nutrients. What's more, Acia will be coming over tomorrow (I hope!) to create richer soil, and the other types of growing material we'll need. There will actually be two gardens; the basic one in the ground which will hold the major plants, and a secondary raised bed, which will hold various herbs. I expect that we'll also eld up with various potted plants that can be moved indoors in the case of bad weather. As to specific plants, I've purchased seedlings for many basic fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, avacados, all of which grow well in this temperate zone. We're also aiming for a bit of fun, with garlic, guave, cocoa, a mandarin orange tree, and even ginger. The herb garden will include rosemary, mint, thyme, mugwort, basil . . . it will be a lot of fun to plant all of this and wait for it to grow! And I really think that Nehanda will find she can take care of these gardens with only a little help for me. That, after all, is the most important part.
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 6:35 am
Foenix, Nehanda and Kylara were working busily out on the eastern side of the house. Foenix held a hammer and nails, and kept glancing over at the photocopied pages beside her, as she was trying to re-create a raised garden of the sort used in many medieval monasteries. She had dug down about half a foot, and now was hammering together several 1x12 planks together to create a sort of box. When Acia arrived, Foenix would ask the Aerandir to fill the box with rich top soil and peat, just perfect for seedlings.
"Nehanda, could you hand me one more nail, please?"
The gryphon merped in her usual soft manner and pulled a nail from the little pouch Foenix had placed across her chest. Even her stubby little toes could manage to grasp one of the metal pieces, and she happily handed it over to her guardian.
With a smile of thanks, Foenix drove the final nail into her creation, and stepped back. Picking up her pages, she compared the sight before her to the image of the imitation gardens from the Cloisters in NYC. Yup, this looked about right! "I think we're finished here, for now. How are you doing over there, Kylara?"
The jivvin looked up from the garden bed, where she was quickly turning the soil with her claws. "Lookin' good, although this would be soooo much easier if I could just achieve my anthro form. Do you and Nehanda want to put some of those plants in now?"
Foenix shook her head. "We need to wait for Acia to get here. Alyosha said he'd send her over to create soil for us sometime today. Why don't we focus on the potted plants instead?"
They headed over to the porch, where Foenix had iced tea and lemonade waiting for them all. Several small peat pots were waiting there, as well as packets of seeds.
"Okay. We'll plant these, and baby them for a bit. Once they've sprouted, we'll be able to transfer them to the gardens. Nehanda, you should be able to handle some of these on your own. Ready to try?"
The gryphon alighted on the porch steps and pulled a packet nearer to her. Using her bill and one toed foot, she managed to get the packet open without spilling any of the seeds.
"Terrific! I don't think this should be too hard. Just place a few seeds in each pot -but make sure you don't mix seeds up!- and water them. Then we'll label them and put all of these in that nice sunny room up stairs."
The three happily bent to their work.
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Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:30 pm
Quote: 2.14.05 Happy Valentine's Day, and what a day it was! After setting up the basics for Nehanda's garden, we walked over to the Community Center to spend some time at the V-Day Bash. I wanted to drop off some more goodies, and I was hoping to run into either Alyosha or Acia. Well, I got my wish! Nehanda crept off while I was intent upon my knitting, and she found the adult Aerandir. Acia is just exquisite, if incredibly nervous around me. I would guess that goes to cover most humans, but I've only seen her around me. Once she had an idea of what we needed in the gardens, she became a bit more animated, but then she relapsed into quiet again. Nehanda certainly likes her, though. In any case, we returned to the house, to find a little girl waiting on the porch! She handed a letter explaining that Chibi Dragonfly had adopted her as a gift for me. Well, that was certainly a . . . surprise. However, Nahda is such a sweet, affectionate child. I think she'll fit in very well with the rest of the family. (RP to be found here and here.) Anyway, Acia did what she came to do, and it was really quite impressive to watch. It was as if she simply pulled the various elements out of the ground to create the perfect soil mixture. After that, we got the rest of the plants into the soil (or pots, or whatever!). It was incredibly helpful of her, and I think I can speak for Nehanda when I say we're both eagerly looking forward to seeing her again. I have decided to include a little bit of herb lore in each journal entry. As an avid cook and on-again-off-again pagan, herbs have always held interest for me. Nehanda's new hobby is going to teach me quite a bit, I feel. For today, we'll start with BasilBasil [Ocimum basilicum] is a deep green, spicy annual that comes in two varieties: the standard, with big leaves, that grows straight up to 3' tall with few branches (this is the period stuff), or globe, which has small leaves and looks like a little topiary. Basil was known in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe late in period. It's an excellent container plant and can be grown from seed.
As well as being used in cooking, it was a strewing herb (Tusser) and used in sweet waters. A pot of basil on the windowsill was supposed to keep off flies (Garland). Basil is an excellent container plant -- worth putting one in a pot and bringing inside for the winter-- and can be grown from seed, but it is definitely an annual and will generally die off, even in a pot inside, after about a year. It likes sun and rich soil.
Medieval folk used it to treat scorpion bites and stomach troubles. It was also used to drive away flies. Badil was considered an aphrodisiac. In addition, it was believed that basil bred scorpions. According to one recipe " three crushed leaves are put under a clay pot. After a few days a tiny scorpion will be born ". With the help of basil one could also summon scorpions. Pliny claimed that a handful of basil pounded with 10 sea crabs would do the trick. I expect that this believe was linked to its use for curing scorpian bites.
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