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 Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:13 am
Heather just cried at the feys words. Her children were safe? What world was she in? Kala and Amkia hated each other, how could they be safe together?
She sighed and watched as Kale dissappeared. "Why are they so mean..." She sobbed quietly watching as Lor ran with Vanna over to two who she didn't really know.
She wanted her children back, was it really too much to ask to have her two children back in her arms. She was even missing Kala.
Heathers hopes were being shattered as the jaguar made her first lunge at Amkia. He moved quick enough, but only just. He started to make his wings work more adn found he could move faster with his wings even though he wasn't really flying very high and was more gliding it was good enough. Amkia attempted to go upstream, it always made sense to go up right?
Kala wasn't in the mood for her brothers games and was stalking behind him, hissing and leaping to grab him every now and then. Her green eyes never left that angelic body of his.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:05 am
Mirela’s question had hung in the air unanswered; Heather’s reappearance leaving no reason for an answer and the sudden appearance of a fairy further pushed her question aside. No sooner had the bothersome creature appeared that another Fortunette child disappeared, much to the fairy’s delight. Streams of perplexing conversation soon followed, during which Mirela wrapped her arms securely around Tafari’s neck. She didn’t want him taken from here, although within the darker recesses of her mind she held doubts that she would be able to stop the fairies if they wanted to take him.
As the fairy assembly descended on the camp, Mirela regarded them with an expression of mixed awe and anger. She has never seen something quite so beautiful before, and had yet to meet creatures that had posed her family so much danger. Moments after the spectacle had begun the fairies vanished, taking Kale along with them. Stunned questions and comments followed in their wake, tears and anger welling within the caravan.
“Maybe…maybe the trees can help” the young gypsy offered meekly in reply to Marissa’s open-ended question. Her words alone sounded rather ridiculous, so she added – “The fairy said they were old and powerful, and that we should respect them. Maybe if we respect them they might help?”
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:10 am
Oqaia stood back, her hand pinned to the front of her mouth, utterly afraid. Her own son was away with the wagon- these days, she wondered if he'd ever feel comfortable enough to become a full-fledged Fortunette... but he was solid, safe. Secure. Full of shame, Oqaia realized she was afraid- for herself. There were frightening things going on in these woods- and she felt like a coward, standing behind the group and shuddering from tip to end. She was almost glad for their confusion- they could not see her cowering there, fearful and unsure what to do. It was the first real crisis she had ever experienced. Was this how it had been, in the days of Mulden? How had they ever recovered, to be as whole as they were when Valelldia had brought her to join them? Oqaia avoided all eyes- but especially those of her sister's. She was not meant to lead with her- she was not meant to ever try and take her sister's place.... with all the months of learning and coming into her magical heritage, Oqaia had thought she was approachig her sister as an equal. But now, as she saw the dark-skinned gypsy at the front of the group, raising her hands for silence, a confident, determined look across that majestic face... Oqaia knew that she would never reach that level. And it killed her inside, a little.
"Sisters, brothers! Do not panic- never have we ever benefited from letting our wits free of us. Remeber in the days of Mulden- we triumphed then, and shall triumph now. Mirela has a plan- and I think we should try it." She looked about the circle. "The fae said that the circle of trees is deeper still- and I don't want to worry on coming upon the fae again. But there might be some magical trees nearby. Circle the camp- try to see if you can get a tree to respond to you."
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:23 am
Marissa heard Mirela's plan and Valleldia's concurrence, and though her heart was beating wickedly, she complied. Choking back tears and putting all her faith in her gypsy sisters and brothers, she wandered to the trees closest to PhoenixSong. She grazed their bark with her fingers, trying to watch or listen for anything unusual. "Um...hello?" she asked, wondering if she sounded foolish.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:04 am
Caroline, upon hearing Valelldia's strong, confident voice, had poked her head out of the wagon. Nodding, she sits on the bed next to Rojiza. "Ro, I'm goin' out t'help. You can stay here if ye like, or come out and help wi' me." She leans over and kisses Ro on top of her head. "Remember I love you." She pauses briefly to rub Ro's back, then slips out of the wagon, quietly bidding Taog and Finnean to keep an eye on her.
Ro stays where she is for a long time. I'll never come out, she asserts herself. How can I? After another round of crying, her wits come back to her. She had always been a smart little girl--the inability to speak had lent her the ability to learn, and learn quickly. Sitting up, she realizes that since it had been her actions to send Kale away, perhaps only her actions would bring him back. She darts out of the wagon and scans the area for a tree. A tree that looks abnormal or special in any way. She picks the biggest tree she can see and walks over to it. She touches its bark hesitantly, as if expecting it to bite her.
Caroline, who hadn't seen Rojiza leave the wagon, picks her own tree. It's a thin, wispy thing, with an abnormal curve to its trunk. She strokes its bark contemplatively, wishing that some idea would come to her.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:48 am
"Mheru... can... you open the window?" Aisrhan said quietly. She wanted out of the wagon. She didn't know what was going on and her mother had behaved very strangely. She guessed that the lights, whatever they were, had made someone disappear. Mherudyn looked at the girl reprovingly. She squawked and began to preen herself, an obvious "No".
"Aww, c'mon Ru. I wanna see what's happening!" Mherudyn fluffed up her feathers in protest, but when Aisrhan said "Fine!" and began trying to unhook the latch herself, Mherudyn practically shoved her aside as though no mere child should be able to upstage her, and opened it expertly with beak and talon.
Ais smiled. "Thanks Mheru." The girl propped herself up on the bench beneath the window and looked outside to find everyone dispersing from the campfire. Oddly enough, they were all, Silver included, looking at the trees, knocking on the bark or talking to them. "Have they all gone batty?" She looked back at Mherudyn questioningly, only to find Mherudyn's steely glare telling her to stay in the wagon. "I'm sorry, Mheru, but I have to go."
She grabbed her heavy, stone-filled doll and opened the door of the wagon carefully so as not to make a sound. She slipped out the door and hid under the wagon, hiding from everyone, trying to figure out what was happening. Where's Ro? Ais thought. And Pierre? Ane? She didn't see anyone she really knew, but she did see other children helping their parents search. There's Annjette... Then she whispered to herself, "Why did she think I should stay here? I could be helping!" She practically hissed, now angry at the idea that her mother might not have thought she was old enough to help out. Her gleaming snake eyes watched them all from the shadows beneath the wagon.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:08 pm
At all the petitioning of the trees, the one that sat, nestled behind Silver's wagon, extended a long branch and waved to the gypsies, as if to get their attention. It was one of the only magical trees this far out into the forest- most all the others were deep within the ring. ...Its seed had been spread by accident long ago- but now, it did not want to worry the fae to move it- so long had it existed here, in this shady glade.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:29 pm
Altaira had been terrified by the fae that had descended upon the wagon and snatched their family members away. Despite travelling for a few years now, she was Mulden born and such things struck a cord in her. She was ashamed by how long it took for her to become unrooted from the stop, to join the hunt, how scared she was for herself as well as Sindri.
"Maybe the trees will help if they know we mean no harm...if we promise to stay far from the powerful, ancient groves...mayeb then they'll give them back??" She spotted the waving tree, a clear sign in all this chaos, and went over to it as if in a dream.
The bobcat stayed close to her, looking up at the fae like he'd like to pounce on one but did not dare - the way a house cat stares at a poisonous snake it knows it cannot hunt.
Or could he?
Maybe once his mother talked to the tree...maybe he'd try "playing" with the fae then.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:46 pm
Lorelei had stood, silent, aghast, when Kale was taken from them. After a few minutes, she somehow managed to shake herself back to life, but only just. Her eyes were dull. She was very, very worried.
"Annjette, keep Vanna close. Keep her safe. Voltaire... I'm going to stay with Marissa. She needs somebody close."
With that said, Lorelei rushed over to where Marissa stood, harp hanging, forgotten, from one hand. "Marissa," she murmured, when she was close enough to be heard. "Marissa, I.... I'm here. If you need me." It was all the woman could think of to say, and she knew it wasn't nearly enough to begin to comfort her friend. She bit her lip, looking away. "I'll stay close. I-" Then... something caught her eye.
"... Marissa, we're trying to find trees who will speak, yes...?" Lorelei turned full to the tree by Silver's wagon, eyes widening. Was it.... beckoning?
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 7:03 pm
Marissa gripped Lor's sleeve tightly, in a silent thanks for her support. She nodded at her enquiry, "Yes, trees that talk..." she suddenly noticed the tree near Silver's wagon. "Or wave..."
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:05 pm
"Oh, good. So I'm not hallucinating, then?" Lorelei breathed, watching the tree curiously.
"I suppose... we should go ask it for help," she said, and cautiously, a bit amazed, began leading her friend towards Silver's wagon and the tree beyond.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:59 pm
Silver saw Lorelei and Marissa out of the corner of her eye. They had both caught sight of something and were walking toward it. Silver looked up and saw the tree behind her wagon moving - no, waving. She knew it could not be the wind. There was none. "Val..." She whispered to the woman behind her. "Look."
Aisrhan gasped as Lorelei and Marissa headed toward her. They couldn't have seen -- ? She crouched even lower behind the wagon wheel and hoped they weren't coming to drag her out of hiding. Her mother would be furious. Then again, did she care? She wasn't good enough to help. Why should she care what her mother thought right now? She held her stone-laden doll to her chest and watched the women approach the wagon... and walk past it. Huh? Aisrhan peeked out from under the other side of the wagon. What she saw made her want to crawl out and investigate. She was used to odd things moving when they shouldn't because her mom could make that happen, but she knew Silver hadn't done this. That tree was alive. With much difficulty, Aisrhan supressed her curiosity and crouched back behind the wagon wheel, straining to hear anything that might be said.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:49 am
Irina heard Mirela's suggestion, and followed the other gypsies, picking out a tree to talk to, hoping it'd have the power to bring Kalpana back from wherever the fae had hidden her. Hopefully the little badger wasn't hurt. With a face strained with stress, she walked up to a large tree with smooth bark, rubbing the side of it just a little. "Can you help us?" she asked it softly, hoping it'd respond.
When she didn't get a reply, she turned to see if anyone else was having any luck. It was then that she noticed the tree that was 'waving' at the group. Aaah, interesting, she thought, giving her tree one more pet before following the others over to the waving tree creature. What would they ask it?
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:51 am
Heather had seen the tree as well but she hadn't said anything, after all what was the point of going over when everyone else was?
She dismounted her horse and tied him up by her caravan before sitting on the steps. She wanted her children back, there was no doubt about that but the fact that they were gone was dawning on her. She didn't know what to do. Talking to trees just seemed silly, how could a tree here know where her two children were. She had to find them, she had to.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:22 pm
The grey-eyed woman reached the tree swiftly and lay a hand on it's trunk. Altaira couldn't imagine a tree producing audable words. Mentally she tried to focus on thoughts of well wishing and of loss. Even if she felt stupid for trying.
We don't mean harm, but we've lost our wagonmates, help, please.
"Can tree's actually talk?"
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