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 Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:07 pm
"Oh, any time," the pink-headed gypsy said, "but really, I know I didn't do much help. There's just so much that I don't know about all this, yet. ...But I'm learning." She arced her arm over her head, indicating the shelf that had been filled with magic tomes leant to her by her half-sister.
"As for the fortunes... I can certainly try. It takes a little longer with me, I warn you."
So Oqaia proceeded to cast her runes, and sit among her multitude of fortune-telling books. There was the water rune, one for completion... fire, fear, and insatiability. After about ten minutes of page-flipping and apologetic looks up at Lorelei, she finally came up with an explanatin.
"Well... I'm afraid it's more difficult to read events that are further away- and indeed, the event your Banya must be warning you about is at the great Sea. I see... a man, and a woman- one of them is insatiable.. they're searching for something. And the other is very angelic. I don't know which is which- it's blurry. But there will be a friend of Vannas who betrays her... quite... resolutely, and for reasons that will baffle her- baffle you... everyone.
The meij warns only in this moment- to keep friends close, and understand what might make them change in an instant. And I pray that... you reconcile fire... with the creature of the water. That's all I can tell."
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Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:39 pm
Lorelei nodded, bowing her head and thinking. Angelic? Maybe that referred to Amkia... but who was the insatiable woman? She bit her lip, then looked up and smiled. "Thank you, again," she said, forcing a slight smile. "I'll think on that as best I can - try and find more meaning to it. And I will certainly keep friends close. I could never bear to isolate Vanna from those she loves."
Lorelei stood up and smiled again. "I'll see you later, I hope? Stop by one day for a less serious visit." She left the wagon with a wave and began to make her way home slowly, lost in thought. Betrayal on the water...
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 11:35 am
Altaira had been worried by all the talk of fortunes and the future lately. Concern for her wagon-mates because of Banya sayings had niggled at her all, as well as a greater more personal concern for her son....assuming he was the little prince her Lochan had mentioned.
Which was why she was now knocking softly on Oqaia's wagon door, hoping the pink haired gypsy could help. One fortune gave a shadow of forewarning, perhaps two could cast some real light on the subject.
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Posted: Tue May 22, 2007 8:52 am
After the ceremony, Irina managed to gather Eerie and Kalpana, who had not seemed to have gotten off to a good start, and headed toward Oqaia's wagon. She held each child by the hand, allowing them to waddle and trot along next to her as well as they could. Though they were small children, she figured the sooner they'd be able to walk, the better off they'd be. She'd have a hard time carrying them both, especially with her pregnancy.
Knocking on the wagon's door, she awaited her sister's answer.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:42 am
Oqaia heard the knock, and bundled a blue-wool VeediBeast shawl around her before opening the door to allow Irina- and the cold night air- into her wagon. Though the summer was fast approaching, nights on the plains could bring a chill. She looked forward to the time they were over those hills, where the night winds couldn't assail them.
The door creaked as she opened it.
"Irina. Please, come in. Thank you for coming." Angelique had gone off somewhere, and Oqaia meant to make the most of this time. Much needed to be explained.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 10:07 am
She breathed a sigh of relief as Oq opened the door and greeted her. She wanted nothing more than to hear what the gypsy-woman had to say. It seemed the meij had been smiling upon her for many months now. She'd gotten her wish from the first wagon ordering ceremony, and she could only wonder what the meij would bring her next...Hopefully some help!
"Hello Oqaia. Thank you for inviting me," she said, lifting Eerie, and then Kal, into the wagon. She walked up the stairs carefully, shutting the door behind her as she found a seat where she could rest her weary bones. "What did you want to see me about?"
The children made themselves at home, plopping down on the floor and poking at each other, much like siblings would do normally. These two had little realization of just how special they were. To Irina, they were her miracle babies.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:17 pm
Oqaia moved a stack of texts off a barrel seat and took their place on the cushion. "Of course, Irina. I'm glad you had the time to see me." She looked down at the floor, where her children- one so new to her- were playing.
"The meij has been... generous to you lately."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:33 pm
Irina couldn't help but laugh as she watched the two play on the floor. "Yes, I suppose you could say that!" she chuckled, resting her hands on her stomach. "The meij has been quite kind...though I almost fear its extreme kindness. I feel that the time will come when there will be problems," she said, shaking her head as if trying to get rid of the thought.
"All I want is the happiness of my children and myself."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:35 pm
"You accept Eerie, then, as one of your own?" Oqaia started, cautious. She wanted to ease Irina into what she had to say, and first, she had to be sure that this was the right place for the child.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:43 pm
Irina had never considered NOT taking care of the young goat-child. Sure, Ravenwood would be filled to the brim once the Savior was born, but Irina's heart was far too big to put him out. "Of course, dear sister! I wouldn't dream of putting him out if he was meant to be with me." She paused and looked down at Eerie, who was getting revenge on Kal by reaching out and attempting to pull on her fluffy tail.
"Why do you ask? You seem a bit...concerned." Irina wasn't sure what to think. Oqaia seemed so cautious for some reason, and she couldn't quite detect why. She wanted to read her aura, but knew it was not a wise idea in this setting. Surely her sister would tell her of her concerns.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:51 pm
"Well, I just want to make sure..." she rubbed the pads of her thumbs together as she spoke, "that you wanted the child, before we left him there, for the meij to recognize him as yours. Apparently," she referenced the books that she'd relocated, "the only way such disparate elements can live in one wagon is that the meij forgives all but the most extreme...clashes within families. So by placing Eerie with you, the meij will recognize him as yours, unless it otherwise shows us that it's not meant to be."
She shuffled in her seat a bit uncomfortably. She hadn't meant to dip into meij processes. It was just difficult to get to her point, as the meanderings of her mind were easier to discuss.
"But I wanted to let you know why Eerie is with you, rather than anyone else. Angelique- the girl who you saw at the wagon ordering ceremony... she used to be a White Sect priestess, and now she's come here to live with us until she finds her way. She told me that now that you are... well, blessed with the Savior, that the magic within your wagon is nullified until the baby is born. Then it will take on an element of its own, and all of your elements- the people in your wagon- will be restored to them. Until then, it's as if you're a... blindspot to the meij. Eerie, we think, should be there for a while. The meij has been doing some... well..." She floundered again. "How much do you know about Eerie's last mother, or the circumstances surrounding ...his orphanage? I can't remember if you were with us when Tierra left."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 1:09 pm
Irina listened carefully to what the gypsy was saying, noting that her wagon would be magic-less until the Savior was born. She also took special note of what she said about Eerie, and his past. She knew little about him, but only knew that he was a goat not so long ago.
"Interesting...So, once the Savior is born, will the elements in my wagon be okay together?" she asked, curious, and hoping there'd be no discord between the children.
She paused as Oq asked about Tierra, and Irina shook her head. "I know nothing about this woman, Tierra. I don't believe I was in the caravan while she was...At least, I remember nothing of her. And I've only seen Eerie as a goat...and very rarely have I seen him," she said, nodding her head.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 1:18 pm
Oqaia took a deep breath. "As far as the elements in your wagon, I honestly don't know. But even the most extreme wagons in our caravan have been... alright, thus far. So I think we'll... jump off that bridge when we come to it." She gave a soft smile to the wondering mother. As for what was to come next... she took another breath.
"I didn't know much about Tierra myself, unfortunately. She was only with us for such a short time. She left us with many troubles, not the least of which... she was a werewolf, and the meij pressed too greatly on her. To what I remember of her, though, she loved Eerie very much. As for Eerie's past... originally, the object was a pitchfork, so the animal had to swallow a lot of rage. Much like Emelyn and Pierre- he began as a dagger. Eerie started as a pitchfork, which, though a dangerous object, is a common one, and often used towards much good. So there is a lot of duplicity there. Now, the true trouble- and the one that is the reason that he is with you now... the first is that... there was no ceremony, no reading- and no warning, as to why Eerie changed from a goat to a baby. The other puzzlement..." she paused, "Eerie, in the animal form... was a female."
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 1:29 pm
"Well, I do hope that Ravenwood will be well-balanced in the end. It gives me hope that other extreme wagons have been okay until now. I'll just try to think positively, and wish the best."
Taking in what Oqaia told her about Eerie, and his...or her mysterious background, she looked down at her new son, wondering why he had decided to become a boy upon changing. The other aspect -- why he had transformed so quickly, so easily -- confounded her even more.
"I'm not even sure what to ask," she said, looking back up at Oq with slight worry in her eyes. "Has this gender change ever happened before? And his growth...Well, I guess what I don't understand is why it is meant for him to be with me, as you say. Is there something about me that makes him a good fit for me?"
Irina was confused. Quite confused as a matter of fact. She wasn't sure what to make of all this. Mostly, she couldn't help but wonder why it was she that had been chosen.
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 1:36 pm
Oqaia didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until it came out as a hurried near-whistle. Why didn't Valelldia handle these sorts of things? She wasn't nearly as good at explaining the meij... or even understanding it. There were so many things she still had to learn. And by the way things had been happening recently, and the prophecies- she wondered if she was running out of time.
"As far as I know, no, there's never been a gender switch like this before- and really, not even a growth without any provocation or prophecy. We don't know what the meij is doing to Eerie, or how Eerie is interpreting the meij to make ...him grow this way. That's why I want him in Ravenwood, Irina. Because for now, the meij can't touch him. He'll be as he is for a while longer, yet, and give us some time to see how to stabilize the child."
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