|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:39 pm
The great, light-barked tree stood tall, proud for all the attention. It was more than willing to help the gypsies- but, first, it had to satisfy the custom. It was willing to give the gift of aid to these people and their children- but first, needed a gift of sorts itself. It put two arm-like branches to its bark, indicating itself, then pressed them outwards in a giving motion, and then again, the opposite way- pointing to the gypsies, then making the signs as if to give something to himself. He could not speak their language, but hopefully- one among them would understand his.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:52 pm
Rojiza had glumly meandered over from her non-responsive tree. She had just heaved a heavy sigh when the magic tree responded to the gypsies' queries. Her heart sparks with hope. She knows not how, perhaps because she is of earth herself, but she comprehends the tree's gestures. She opens her mouth to say "I understand!" but no sound emerges. So. She's the only one so far who can understand the tree, but she is as helpless as the tree itself to communicate it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:00 pm
"I... we ... don't understand," Emelyn said- softly, almost to herself- a defeatist's whisper. She was distraught over what the fae's had done to her son- and, almost as much as the fact that he had disappeared was a fear of the fae's words: that her son was too dangerous. Had her preparations for his future been in vain? Would Pierre be destined to be Unfortunette? For now, she pushed the demonic thoughts to the rear of her mind, letting them chew anxiously at her while she attended to the matter at hand. Her son was missing- and she wanted him back.
"Caroline? Do you think Rojiza understands?" She hadn't seen the spark of recognition on the squirrel girl's face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:11 pm
"Rojiza?" she asks, looking around. "Well, bless me. I hadn't realize ye'd left the wagon, love." She pats Ro's head. "Comprendes el arbol?" she asks her daughter. She's rather surprised at Rojiza's sullen nod. "Ye do? What's he sayin', then?"
Ro shoots her mother a perfect Are-You-Crazy? look. She nods though, and thinks about drawing in the needles on the forest floor. However, after thinking about it, she decides to bypass this whole communication thing, and runs back to the wagon. She has so many things in her horde that the tree was bound to want at least one of them. She peeks behind that one wall panel, looking for something sufficiently tree-ish, but not something special to her personally. She comes across the acorn top that Caroline had bought for her a while ago. She never really plays with it anymore. Besides, she'd spent a long while -as- an acorn top. She takes it, tosses it up and catches it, and runs back to the assembled throng of gypsies, gathered 'round the talking tree. She gives the acorn to Emelyn and points to the tree, figuring that she'd know what to do with it. Some way to give it to the tree. Her mother's nice and all that, but doesn't really understand her all the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:21 pm
Em, at first, felt as dense as a pile of bark, and stood looking at the squirrel girl's offer of the acorn top. But with the insistant, expressive look that Ro managed to eke out from every pore- (who said that verbal communication was all that was worthy to have) she exhaled a comprehending "Ohh..." and took the top from the girl.
"Giving. The tree wants to ... well.. either give us a gift, or for us to give it one first." She looked up at the tree- which had not given them the means to find the children yet. It just... well.. sat there. So she turned back to the others. "I'm guessing it's the latter. We have to give it a gift. ...Damn fae customs." The last was said very under her breath- only those directly next to her would have heard the bitter words. But she returned the top to Rojiza.
"Here. I don't know if you meant for me to try and give this to it, or if it was just the example you used. I don't want to give away something of yours without your permission."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:31 pm
Rojiza shakes her head and refuses to take back the top. She points again emphatically to the tree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 7:55 am
As the gypsies decided what the great tree meant, it leaned forward to look at the little top. But it shook back and forth at the sight of it, and crossed two branches before itself, waiting to be given a different offering. Acorns it could reach itself- but there were other things that had been beyond its grasp that it wanted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:32 am
Lorelei watched as the tree shook its.... body? Then she took a step towards Ro (not letting go of Marissa), and bent down a little. "Dear, I don't think it wants the acorn top.... after all, look down. There are many scattered throughout the clearing."
Lorelei hummed thoughtfully. "I... have a small angel doll that Vanna might be able to part with. The fey seem rather attached to children... maybe the trees are, too, in their own way. Would you like to try that?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 8:57 am
As Irina watched Ro offer her acorn top to the tree, she suddenly remembered the words of Rydell, who had caught a wisp of meji that had flown through her wagon. She had taken the whistle for a reason--to bargain with the fae. Could this be the proper time to give it up?
"I think I may have something it'd want as well," she piped up, speaking to the other gypsies. "I had a strange Banya fortune the other day, and I had to find a magical item so that I could bargain with the fae for Kal's release. Now that I think back, I should have warned everyone of the dangers we might have been facing..." Next time, she'd be sure to tell the rest of her family about any meji fortune that might involve the rest of the caravan.
She turned to Emelyn with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm so sorry, but I had to do it," she said, pulling the familiar whistle from a pocket in her skirts and showing it to Emelyn. "I needed something magical, and this is all I could find. Please forgive me. I'll repay you however I must..."
Holding it out in her hand, she walked up to the tree and showed it to the ancient creature, hoping it'd do. "Please, help us find our children."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:16 am
The tree leaned down to take a good look at the little red whistle. At first, it reached out to take it- but then it saw that it was a familiar whistle, and it straightened once more. It had all the animals about it that it needed- Banyas, owls, stouts... the tree shook itself once more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:27 am
|Still Mene. Too lazy to change back to teh main.|
So, the tree wanted things it couldn't get elsewhere. Wellthen. Ro dashes back to her wagon, looking in her stores for shinies. Something man-made. Something unnatural. She comes across a light metallic ball, multifaceted. She pokes a small hole in it with one tiny claw, and quickly ties one of her mother's ribbons into it to make a loop. It catches the light just so, casting little dots of light all over. She runs back out and offers this to the tree.
It might even keep nasty birds away, she reasons to herself, like woodpeckers. Not that this magical tree would have any trouble with woodpeckers, of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:35 am
The tree didn't even bend down this time, just heaved up and then fell again back to its original spot- as if its very bark had sighed. It had never minded being this far out into the woods- but in the years past, it had wished, perhaps, to be within the circle. That way, if it had admired something away from where it stood... it could call upon its brothertrees to pick them up and send them over. But here, where all the trees around it were ordinary, regular-life trees... it was on its own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:36 am
Vanna squirmed out of Annjette's arms, padding forward to get a better look. Giving the tree things? It seemed sad. It was moving away! Well. She should try, too! But... what to give?
She saw Ro emerging from Mountain Air, the shiny ball clutched in her hand.
Something... shiny?
The little girl pursed her lips, then her eyes caught sight of something... shiny. Something white and glimmering. Heedless to Annjette, Voltaire, or her mother, she hurried over to Weathered Melody and grabbed up a few stones.
Holding them close to her heart, she ran over to the tree, and held them out. "Shiiine!" she said, proudly. A new word!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:44 am
Almost immediately, the tree bent itself over and snatched the stones from the little girl. Who, incidentally, reminded him of one of the fae- she had the same look about her... but still. It had been admiring those shining white stones for so long- but whenever they were moved by passing animals or travellers, they only became further away from it.
The tree took the stones and placed them in a nice hollow branch. Its leaves seemed to shiver with pleasure, and then, it put both its arms out in an open, welcoming gesture, as if to ask the gypsies what they would like in return.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:47 am
Vanna squealed and nearly fell down from surprise, but Lorelei darted forward and grabbed her up into her arms.
"Vanna, I told you-" she began... then saw the tree, and it's offer.
"Thank you, dear," Lorelei finished, smiling in astonishment, and hugging the girl close. Vanna laughed and clung back.
"Mama! Shiny! Tree~"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
