|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:39 am
"You know, if you scare it enough, it stays away," Trixie says, motioning to the guardian.
The bloody thing is annoying HER now. . . . She is itching to swat at it like a bug. . . .
"What's it doing, anyway?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:52 am
"Scare Veron?" Casala asks with wide eyes, her voice plainly giving away how terrible she considers that idea, "But Veron watches over me, like Mrs. Joesphine. Why would I do that?"
She turns in order to better answer Bellatrix's question, then quickly unwinds her legs faster than she thought possible to get to her feet and run over to where Veron's light illuminates part of what's inside her precious bag. "What are you doing, Veron? she asks calmly, peeking into the well loved satchel as if expecting to see something new and unexpected. All she gets in reply is a soft, pleased buzz, remarkably similar to a purr. When she starts to straighten, the sound returns to its gratingly high pitched 'You aren't doing it right!' buzzing. Apparently used to this treatment, and noise, Casala lowers herself to her knees and starts going through the bag's contents. With Veron's differing tones to guide her hands, she finally picks up what the Guardian wanted her to in the first place. "My sash?" she asks as she holds up one end of the tightly woven silk, the other thunking its weighted end into the ground and leaving a slight indent. An affirmative thrumming purr. Not about to question Veron's logic, or why this had to be brought up now of all times, Casala wraps the sash around her like a second shawl and goes to rejoin Trixie, the ends of her new garment swinging to and fro like the pendelums to twin clocks set to opposite time zones.
"Sorry about that. Sometimes Veron gets insistant about silly stuff." She sits back down, grasping the ends of her sash with both hands and settling them in her lap. "So you think I should insist I get to train anyway? Maybe I could learn this technique you mentioned?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:03 am
"Well, I guess if you want that thing buzzing around you all the time, you don't need to scare it," Trixie shrugs.
She then watches the weird little interaction between Veron and Casala, with a quirked eyebrow. Shaking her head, and thinking that some things are left unasked, she twirls a chunk of her long poney tail around her fingers.
The sash interests her. "What do you use that for?" she asks, indicating Casala's sash with a hand gesture.
And, smiling with the same easy wickedness as ever, Trixie nods. "I didn't take no for an answer, and I am learning. Nyoka is going to give me a bow, as well, and teach me range when I learn how to string it on my own," she says. "So, I say, push it. If you want something bad, then you fight for it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:17 am
"I don't mind it so much," Casala replies with a slight shrug of her shoulders, Veron choosing to land atop her head and stay there. It stands to reason that the Guardian finds this spot to be a fine vantage point. "Veron means well, and often catches things that I wouldn't normally."
"Oh, this was a gift to me when I was a baby," she says as she partially unwraps the sash from around her to better show Trixie the pattern of elven runes embroidered down one side in shimmering black thread. "I keep it with me always, though I don't know why it's so heavy. Eirnae says that it's threaded with some sort of metal, and that she'll explain its uses when I'm older." Casala makes a face at that, drawing the sash back before tugging it forward to send it flying to the side of Trixie. The end barely has time to thump into the earth a few inches from the dark green Pae's knee before Casala whips it back. Her aim isn't as practiced as she'd like, resulting in her having to shift her head to the side to avoid getting beaned. Of course, Veron had no warning of the incoming sash and gets pelted, spinning off rather comically for a few feet. Casala straightens and smiles sheepishly, catching the end of the white silk before it collides with her lower back and rearranging it around her as before. "Sorry, Veron!" she calls over her shoulder, to which the Guardian buzzes louder than ever while steadying itself in the air. Veron seems to decide that its had enough bashing around for one day, and flies over to land on the boulder and flit its wings as if testing them for bruising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:24 am
Trixie holds in an evil cackle when the sash hits Veron, turning it into a snort. "I think that you need to get on Eirnae to start teaching you how to use that, before you knock some poor Pae out. . . ." she says.
Although, she is picturing, quite vividly, that sash hitting multiple heads, and Pae falling to the ground. . . .
"Where do you stay around here?" she asks, thinking a change of subject might be in order.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:32 am
Casala tries to ignore the blush Trixie's comment about her lack of skill with her sash causes, though the darker grey of her cheeks testifies to how she is shamed by the thought of harming another unintentionally.
She points off into the woods when Trixie asks her about where she lives. "It's that way. I found a really pretty place, with lots of white stone pillars and statues. A holy place. The people there are very nice to me, and let me stay. It was kind of overgrown when I first found it, but I'm showing them how to fix that."
She pauses, thinking about something. "Maybe you would like to visit? I haven't invited anyone over before, but I'm sure Mrs. Joesphine and Mirim wouldn't mind."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:38 am
Ooooooooh! She blushes! Trixie thinks, the twinkling in her eyes.
She keeps her face politely interested, however, when she listens to Casala describe where she lives.
And then, she extends the invitation.
Excelent. This is just what she needed. She needs more Pae to befriend, so she can try and spread her ideas on things. She wants to influence as many Pae as she can. . . .
"That is very kind of you, Casala," Bellatrix says, adopting a warm smile that just seems oddly suited for her features. "As long as your roommates do not mind me dropping by. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble."
Yeah, right, she thinks. The more trouble, the better. . . . she keeps those thoughts cleverly concealed, though. She has become good at that sort of thing. . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:47 am
Casala isn't quite sure what the word 'roommates' means, and looks slightly puzzled as a result. "I don't stay in a room..." she starts, but then brightens as Bellatrix accepts her invitation. Her first house guest, and so soon!
"It's my pleasure," she responds as her ghostly tutor had designated with a slight bow of her head. She then swiftly gets to her feet and skips to her satchel. She bends and scoops it up, slinging it over her head and twirling about to scoop up a now buzzing Veron with both hands. Her sash and bag bump into her torso and thighs, but she doesn't seem to care. "Come on, Veron! We have to guide our guest to the temple!"
She spins around again, an overjoyed youngster about to share the most wonderful place in the world with a new friend. Life is good! "This way, Miss Bellatrix!" she declares before resuming her skipping in the direction she pointed in before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:55 am
Trixie watches, inwardly horrified at how Casala is acting.
None of her horror shows on the outside, and she has to congratulate herself on this because . . . Casala is . . . well . . . fricking cute!
It makes her want to shudder.
So, with a small laugh, Trixie scoops up Snakey and drapes him over her shoulders. As usual, he wraps his long body around her torso, resting his head on one of her shoulders.
She then starts to stride after Casala. When she catches up to the skipping - who does that anyway?! - youngster, she offers her a friendly smile. "How far away is your temple?" she asks, trying for light conversation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:04 am
"A bit of a ways, I'm afraid." Casala sounds apologetic, as if she could possibly have had a hand in the distance assigned from one point to another. "We'll get there in about an hour if we keep walking the whole time. If I could fly, it wouldn't be so bad." She flutters her tiny wings for emphasis.
"There are lots of nice things to see on the way, though!" she says, brightening at the prospect. "You seem to like snakes very much. We could make a small detour and go see the tunnels? There are lots of snakes there, and their Yaaraea are very nice!" She half turns to look up at Bellatrix hopefully, side stepping around a tree a moment before she would normally have smacked into it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:09 am
"Walking is fine, Casala. Distance matters very little to me," Bellatrix assures her.
Ah, hell, being polite is so tiresome!
However, she actually stops walking at the mention of the tunnels. Hissing at Snakey, she chastaizes him for not doing a very good job of scouting. She should have known about these tunnels long ago!
Snakey's head lowers in his version of shame, and he butts at Trixie's neck with his nose. With an angry sigh, she pets his head.
Although, there is confusion over one of the words that Casala spoke. . . . "I am sorry, I am not familiar with the word 'Yaaraea,'" she says, frowning a little. "But, I would like to go and see the tunnels. Or, at least, be directed to them. I do not wish to put my host out. . . ."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:21 am
Casala is already in the middle of altering their course when she hears Bellatrix's response. She smiles, pleased that her intuition had proved right. "The Yaaraea aren't well known these days," she explains as she hops over the protruding root of a large tree, releasing Veron in that moment only to have the Guardian guage the distance to his ward's head and then promptly land on it, nesting in her hair. "They watch over all of us, in their own way."
She turns around, stopping to let Bellatrix catch up as well as to further explain what she means. "Each of us has a spirit. It's what helps define us, the truth of our existance that lives on when our flesh is destroyed. Others can argue all they like, but I know it's true. The Yaaraea are the elder spirits that either were created by the Guardians to guide us, or those who chose to remain and guide the living on their own after their first life ended. The Elements also made their own Yaaraea, but that's a different story." She takes in a breath and lets it back out slowly, finding these lectures to be easier each time that she attempts them. "Sorry, it's hard to explain."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:31 am
Bellatrix keeps up with Casala pretty easily, the politely interested espression still on her face.
She understood what she said, and nods. "And, you can see them?" she asks.
If she could. . . . Oh, that might be useful. . . . She would just have to think of a way it could be put to use. . . . She might be able to scare some of the dumber Pae into thinking that she has a 'friend' who can summon ghosts to her to haunt them if they pissed her off. . . .
Oooooooh, the possibilities are endless, if you really think about it. . . .
"And, don't worry, I think I got what you were trying to tell me," she says. Hey, if she can feel snakes from miles away, and if people can be invisible, along with some other things that would be considered strang to narrow-minded fools, then she would believe any ability. . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:46 am
Whew... another person who understood, or is at least willing to listen. Yahoo! Casala puts all of her gratitude and happiness at Bellatrix's casual reponse in a smile that is bright enough to possibly fool moths to think the moon has become more compact and gained a lot shiny white teeth. It doesn't last for long, mostly because she has to turn around and set the course for their foray to the place she calls 'the tunnels', which is really just a well hidden clearing with a slew of burrows hidden under various large rocks and in patches of tall grass.
When they reach the outer ring of grass, Casala lifts a finger to her lips to signal for Bellatrix to be quiet, obviously not understanding that Bellatrix doesn't have need of such things, at least not here. The serpents in the small clearing beyond twist and wriggle like a living blanket in the shadows the overhanging trees' branches provide. They are reverant and joyous, as if attending a great event of some sort. "We've arrived at a special time," Casala says in a hushed whisper, staring off in the direction of the clearing as if the grass doesn't obscure her vision. "Many Yaaraea are here.... Oooh... They are initiating one of the newly dead into their ranks." Her eyes are wide blue pools as she relates this in a pleased, yet distant, voice.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eirnae Slytherin-Natenhar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 4:56 am
She actually squints at the brightness in Casala's smile, but only a little, and, hopefully, not near enough to offend Casala.
She wants to see the serpents, after all! She can't offend her guide midway to the place!
Bellatrix had been tuning out the 'fractured peices of her conciousness' while they walked toward the spot.
But, as soon as they get there, hissing explodes in her mind. The feelings and thoughts, and conversations of well over forty snakes hits her like a fist in the stomach.
She actually becomes unsteady on her feet, and Snakey tightens around her. She gasps at the pressure that Snakey is putting on her ribs, and nods. Closing her eyes, she pictures the flame. . . .
When her eyes are open again, they are dull, hollow. A peaceful, if bland, look is on her face as she looks around.
She has never been confronted with this many snakes before! And in such close proximity! It is all a bit much. . . .
She can still feel a little of the emotions, and hear some of the conversations, but the overwhelmed feeling that she had before is not there anymore.
She nods to Casala, indicating that she did, indeed, hear her, and that she will remain quite.
Snakes are her gods, and this is church to her. She will not utter a peep unless asked by one of them to speak. . . .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
