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 Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:04 pm
Kara Winters "See?" Kara 'looked' at Wish, or rather in the direction of Wish's voice, "She's happy." Wish sighed, "I don't think it can be kept, but at least you're not going to go off and adopt someone again. Not that it matters for someone like you now does it?"Elnara Aldrich She poked at Kara's chin with her nose, then rubbed her head against it. Kara Winters Nuzzling the kitten close, Kara nodded at Wish at the thought. "Well it would be very different here, so I don't think you need to worry, though it's been quite a while since we've travelled like this isn't it? Not since the arrival of the twins, speaking of which... I do hope they're behaving..." "You should be worried if Feng is behaving, she'll drive a sane person mad one day," Wish stated, "For someone with such a name... she needs to be taught to calm down."Elnara Aldrich The kitten closed her eyes and listened to the conversation, still purring. So this woman had a family ... Kara Winters Kara smiled at the thought, "She'll settle down, besides it's only a name, even if their ways seem to be too close for comfort to the creatures they represent. Besides who to say what is feminine anyhow? Though I think a few dance lessons would be good for her, she has too much energy...." Elnara Aldrich Energy ... but she felt so relaxed here, like this. Kara Winters "If the teachers don't beg you to take her back," Wish sighed at the thought, "But it's worth a try, but I take it Ryu would go too?" "They don't normally separate, so it'll be interesting to see what happens," Kara replied petting the kitten. Elnara Aldrich She had to fight the urge to start licking Kara's hand. Stupid instincts. She was willing to become almost any animal ... but there were some things she refused to do, and it was difficult to fight the instincts of whichever animal she was.
Instead she started washing her paws. Kara Winters The two continued on for a while, talking about random things like how each child was doing, and what they needed, which opened to a very long conversation since there were a lot of kids to cover. "With the holidays coming up things should be fun," Kara commented. Elnara Aldrich Holidays? The holidays were weeks ago ...
She was confused, and she meowed as if asking Kara to explain a bit. Kara Winters Kara looked down at the kitten and smiled, "You'd probably like it wouldn't you? All the baking and sweet smells and the fun. Oh and decorating, it's a good thing it doesn't snow where the inn is," she mused on this, "But there is a lot to do...." Elnara Aldrich She meowed again, eager to hear more. Kara Winters "Perhaps we'll have a small family party," Kara mused on this thought, "It would be fun," she hopped along on her feet, "And play games a bit before exchanging gifts hopefully. I wonder how everyone would take it." Elnara Aldrich She wondered how many there were in the family ... a lot, by the sounds of it.
She wished she could see her family again. But that was impossible ... and Elnara had vanished completely, so she couldn't even just see her from time to time when their paths crossed in the forest ... Kara Winters "I suppose you'll be requesting Tracy, Were and Elnara too?" Wish supposed, "Though I'm sure Tracy and Were have their own traditions to tend to.""And Christmas isn't a holiday that Elnara celebrates, besides she'll be here and back home with her folks, so I don't think that'll be possible," Kara murmured.
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Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:17 pm
Elnara Aldrich Wait, wait, what was that? What did she say? Something about Elnara --- back here? With her family?
She meowed and started fidgeting. Kara Winters "Stop that kitty," Kara gently scolded, "You'll fall." Wish ignored the kitten to think about what Kara said, "Do you really believe she'll go back? Not to say she doesn't love her family, but even in a short time she had fallen into Gaian standards pretty quickly.""And she'll fall out of it too," Kara replied trying to keep herself from dropping the cat, "There are things that cannot be found in Gaia that can be here." Elnara Aldrich She landed on her feet but continued meowing. There had to be a better way to find out what she wanted to know ...
... she could think of only one way ... and though she was very loth to do it, to hear news of Elnara it was almost worth it ... Kara Winters The two stopped seeing as something was wrong with their travelling compaion again. Kara bent over so she could talk to it, "What's the matter kitty?" Elnara Aldrich She stepped back so that Kara was no longer directly above her and changed into her true form - an elf.
She was short, for an elf - about six feet flat - though she still towered over Kara. Her hair went about halfway down her back and was pitch black with some reddish streaks. Her eyes were a bright green. She was thin - so thin she almost looked as if she were starving, though it was just her body type. She was wearing forest-colour tunic and pants, and a worn pair of leather boots.
"Elnara," she said, almost in a pleading voice. "This Elnara you speak of - is it Elnara Aldrich?" Kara Winters Kara rose reaching out, letting fingers brush against a cheek that was up higher than her, without hidden form the aura washed over her like water with the familiar tugging of another. She tilted her head at this. "You're like her," Kara commented, "Yes, you're like the Elnara Aldrich that wandered into the life of my son over a month ago." Wish jumped and skittered sideways before studying the elf woman growling a bit. Even though it seemed Kara was okay with it.Elnara Aldrich "Then that was her," she murmured, tears pricking at her eyes. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she was hugging herself. "She's alive ..."
She looked at Kara with curiosity. "What do you mean, I'm like her?" she questioned. Kara Winters "It's just the way you feel," Kara replied, "It's the same, well and the same ways of acting, though I've never seen her as a kitten before." She giggled softly at the thought. Elnara Aldrich She was astonished. "She can shapeshift?!?!" Kara Winters Kara blinked, "Is that unusual?" She asked this quite innocently because being who she was, she had considered it normal. Elnara Aldrich She sank to the ground in disbelief. "She's ... she's one too," she breathed. "Impossible ..."
She blinked at Kara. "If she is indeed a shapeshifter, then she and I are the only ones there are," she told her. "My name is Serenity ... Elnara is my daughter." Kara Winters Kara bliniked, letting the information sink in before she smiled widely, if Wish was any judge her face would have split open. "So you're the one Elnara's been looking for," she smiled, "Wonderful!" she bent over now that Serenity was on the ground, "She's a very good girl." Elnara Aldrich "Then you've seen her?" she asked eagerly. "Is she all right?" Kara Winters "She's fine," Kara smiled, "You'll probably be the first parent of a student I've ever talked to, most don't care enough to ask." Elnara Aldrich Serenity was puzzled. "Student?" she repeated. "What do you mean?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:01 pm
Kara Winters "Oh!" Kara looked a bit sheepish, "I guess I should explain, I'm Kara Winters, a headmistress from a school for fighting and magic, that's how I met your daughter. She showed up at the school one day out of the blue to learn how to control her magic." Elnara Aldrich Serenity crossed her legs comfortably, a trait that her daughter had inherited. "Will you tell me about her?" she asked hopefully. "What's she like?" Kara Winters "Walk with me," Kara smiled, "And I'll tell you as much as I know, I know she's travelling back home with my son, but one of my pets have disappeared and I think she snunk into his bag. So I've been going to find them." Elnara Aldrich She smiled and stood. "Of course. You're going to the Borderlands, right? Paradise Valley? I know that's where they were headed. And at this rate we'll arrive first." Kara Winters "I guess so...." Kara looked a bit thoughtful, "It would be a place to find them right? I'm not really sure which way is home to her, so I'm kind of walking..." she laughed a bit and blushed, "Blind." Elnara Aldrich Serenity put a comforting hand on the other woman's shoulder. "I was blind for ten years," she told her gently. "I know what it's like. I'll be your guide for you. I've been wandering the lands for a long time ..." Kara Winters "Thank you," Kara bowed a bit, "Ten years is a long time..." She wondered what would happen to her if she had ever went too far into her spells. There was a thought. Elnara Aldrich Serenity smiled. "Let's go then." And she set them off.
"So what's Elnara like?" she asked. "I haven't seen her since she was only maybe eighteen or nineteen ... she vanished years ago." Kara Winters "Years ago?" Kara murmured. But Elnara was still nineteen from what she could tell. "Oh dear.... the twins might have not gotten the portal right...." Kara murmured worriedly, "She's very curious, but I can't blame her for being so, but she's so willing to learn, which helps a lot since she had arrived." Elnara Aldrich Serenity lifted some leaves that were hanging just at her head's height. "What do you mean, portal? Where are you from anyways? Was that where Elnara disappeared to?"
She paused. "And there's something else you seem uncertain about, too." Kara Winters "Well...." Kara said slowly, "I'm from a land... or rather if you'd be so inclined to believe a world called Gaia. I was under the impression that Elnara was nineteen, but I could be wrong, it's just... that's what Triton told me..." She fiddled with her staff a bit. Elnara Aldrich Serenity blinked. "But ... she should be at least twenty six by now ... how long was she there?" Kara Winters "About a month... maybe more," Kara replied trying to recall when exactly she had arrived, but she didn't know. Triton might know, but even he didn't know the exact date she arrived, "It's not really that long though." Elnara Aldrich Serenity was completely mystified. "But she disappeared six years ago, I'm sure," she insisted. "I was there, following her - though she didn't know it. I saw her vanish. It was years ago." Kara Winters Kara sighed running her hand through her hair, "My sons created the portal back here, we knew that travelling through worlds meant travelling through time as well as space, there's a good chance they accidently placed it six years late, it's hard to close distances to places you've never been to."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:06 pm
Elnara Aldrich "So she's back here," she said, trying to make sense of it, "but for her, she's only been gone a month? So she's still only about nineteen, but to us she's supposed to be twenty six?"
Her head was starting to hurt. Not a good sign.
"At any rate, age isn't the most important thing," she said finally. "What's she like?" Kara Winters "She's not afraid to ask questions," Kara smiled thoughtfully, "She's a good listener and willing to learn. An open mind I think, seeing as she was thrown into a world very much different from this one. Quick study... a bit... quiet sometimes, but I thought that to be normal...." Elnara Aldrich Serenity blinked. "Elnara? Quiet?"
She thought for a moment. "Of all the words I've ever heard used to describe her, quiet has never made the list. Never come close. She was always described as vocal, if anything."
That made her worry ... what could have happened to her? Kara Winters Kara nodded, "There are times she can be very quiet," she paused wondering how much she should tell Serenity, but as a teacher to a parent, was it not her responbility to tell the parent whatever it was that could be of concern, "I don't know what happened," Kara said quietly, "Whatever it is, only my two sons know, and one is under healer's obligation not to tell me unless she says so, and the other will not say anything out of respect." Elnara Aldrich Serenity paled, and she felt herself tensing. Something had happened to her ...
She had suspected something, because for a while, when she had checked up on her, Elnara had seemed strangely ... small. As if she were trying to hide herself. But she hadn't known her daughter, even then. She hadn't known if that was normal for her or not.
"And is she with one of those two sons right now?" she asked anxiously. Kara Winters "Yes, Triton went with her, because he wanted to see her home," Kara replied. She could not see the paling, but he could hear the tone. "Don't worry, they'll be fine, and Triton's a good boy." Elnara Aldrich "Well I'm sure he is," she responded, forcing a smile. "If he wasn't, Elnara wouldn't likely have gone with him ... One thing that I do remember about her, she was choosey about her company." Kara Winters Kara nodded slowly, "I'm sure she's fine, if not... well... there's a reason why Yukito is a healer... though I don't think the headmaster likes the way he doesn't mind his own business...." Elnara Aldrich Serenity blinked. "What do you mean? That he found out something Elnara didn't want him to know?" Kara Winters "If he knows anything, she told him, but he tends to prod until the person tells him," Kara explained, "He spends time healing people's hearts as well as their bodies. It's just the way he is." Elnara Aldrich Serenity fell silent. To be honest, as glad as she was that there was someone out there who would help Elnara, she couldn't help but be upset that she couldn't do it herself. She had never been allowed to be a mother to her children. Never been allowed to help them as she longed to do.
And would never be able to do. Kara Winters "This will be nice," Kara commented out of the blue, "She's been looking for you, so this would make her happy." Elnara Aldrich Serenity shook her head sadly. "I can't." Kara Winters Kara tilted her head in confusion, "Why not? She's been looking a long time." Elnara Aldrich She shook her head again. "I know. Just trust me. It's best if she never finds me."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:12 pm
Kara Winters "Why not?" Kara asked, not understanding, "Does it have to do with you two being different?" Elnara Aldrich She considered the question. "Somewhat. Yes. Though if even I didn't know about her, then I'm sure she's safe on that score ..." Kara Winters Kara sighed at the thought, so it was true, "So different from home...." Elnara Aldrich Serenity glanced down at her. "What is your home like?" Triton Winters "Elnara?" Triton's ears twitched as if to hear the thing she had heard, but of course he couldn't hear anything, but still, he couldn't help but wonder, "Who are you talking to?" Elnara Aldrich "To be honest," she admitted, "I don't know. Do you remember that one time when I was meditating in the dojo and I asked if you could help me figure something out? That I saw someone who spoke to me, but I didn't know who it was?" Triton Winters Triton nodded slowly, "Yes.... it's the one part of mediation I don't know about...."
He had a thought.
"You heard something?" Triton Winters "Maybe that's something... you have to figure out on your own," Triton replied knowing that a lot of magic was about figuring things out as much as it was about using it... same with memories too... Elnara Aldrich "But what else is there to remember?" she asked. "I mean, I think I remember everything now ... everything I had forgotten." She started looking through her bag once more. "I'll check my journal, maybe I wrote something in there that might help..." Triton Winters "It might be something as simple as a lesson, it might not be something you've written down," Trowa pointed out, it couldn't be that simple... could it? Elnara Aldrich She gave up looking for her journal and sighed. "I have no idea. At any rate, I vote we stop for something to eat. I'm really hungry ..." Daeron had eaten her share of the soup that morning. She didn't begrudge it to him, he needed it ... but she needed something to eat. Triton Winters Triton nodded, "I don't see why not, Daeron is asleep and Nina is unusually quiet..."
Now that he thought about it what was she doing? He peered into his bag only to see her stare up at time like a statue.
Quiter than a stone eh? Elnara Aldrich Elnara giggled. "Well, I'm sure Daeron can use all the sleep he can get. It's the best healer out there, after all." She opened her bag and looked inside again. Triton Winters "Did they pack food in there as well?" Triton asked looking over wondering exactly what else they packed in there.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:18 pm
Elnara Aldrich She raised one eyebrow. "I have no idea," she admitted. "Though I'm hoping so. I'm just wondering ... did they pack it before or after I did?" She laughed. "Because I have no clue how some of this stuff got in here." She found some of the art supplies, the dragon box, the flute ... She took out the flute and held it up to the sun, admiring it. "This is absolutely amazing," she breathed. "And the sound from it is better than the flute I used to have ..." Triton Winters Triton smiled a bit, "Who knows? And knowing them no one is really going to tell you the answer to that riddle."
It was the usual in which was packed, the dried foods that had been baked, of fruits and veggies, and there was jerky as well. For some reason there were instant soups too, if anyone had water to boiled or if they wished to boil perhaps the bottles of water. Elnara Aldrich She put the flute away. It wasn't going to feed them. Instead she poked around until she found a package of jerky. She pulled it out and held it up. "Want some?" Triton Winters "Sure..." Triton replied leaning over to open the package and taking a slice, "Hmm... a bit spicy I think.."
Then again these days back home jerky was sold for snacks not just for travelling. Elnara Aldrich She looked worried. "I hope it's not too bad," she murmured. "It'll make us thirstier, and there's no water source until tomorrow, at the earliest ..." She tried a bite and was delighted to find that it wasn't as spicy as she had feared. Triton Winters "We'll be fine, at least I hope so, if we're going to travelling through a desert I'd rather not use the bottle water just yet," Triton replied chewing on his piece. Elnara Aldrich She laughed. "It's not that close," she told him, still giggling. "Tomorrow evening, if all goes well, we hit a spring and follow a river into the Borderlands. From there, we follow the river south for probably at least a week, or more, before we head east and into the desert. And really, it's better to drink it sooner than later so that it doesn't get stale. We can refill it whenever we like." Triton Winters "True," Triton nodded, "Though it won't get that stale, the bottles are air tight until they're opened," he explained. Elnara Aldrich Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Not canteens then?" She pulled out her own canteen, a skin flask with a twisty lid. It held roughly five litres when it was full. Triton Winters Triton pulled out one of the bottles he had, "Nope.... not these ones anyhow, but then again we don't normally carry around canteens, though I'm sure Mom has one." Elnara Aldrich She smiled and returned the flask to the bag - which surprisingly did not gain weight from it. "I only use them when I travel," she replied. "Which I suppose is most of the time, now. But animals can get water from different sources, and sometimes go without for longer than elves ... so sometimes it's easier just to shapeshift. As much as I don't want to." Triton Winters "I can see the reasoning in that," Triton thought, remembering the animals he was told about, "Do you shapeshift often here?" Elnara Aldrich She shook her head. "As little as possible. Only when I need to in order to survive. My mother was run out of the country because of it ... I don't want that to happen to me. I need to know that people aren't scared of me, especially the people I used to be closest to. My family, my old friends ..." Triton Winters "But your old friends and family have known you for most of you life, it wouldn't be stupid to be afraid of you just because you can shapeshift," Triton replied, "It's genetics, you can't help it anymore than you can help your hair and eye colour." Elnara Aldrich "Genetics?" she repeated, wondering what the odd word meant. "Like, how I inherited it from my mother, you mean?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:22 pm
Kara Winters "Yes... genetics is.. the study of how we inherit certain qualities from our parents," Triton explained, "It's believed by those of science that in our blood is the.... outline for who we are, and we inherit certain qualities from our parents that determine how we turn out." Elnara Aldrich She raised one eyebrow, but didn't comment on it. "Okay. Well. Yes ... as to my old friends and my family ... for them I've been gone longer than I was with them, so no, they don't know me at all anymore. Especially since I've changed so much. And I don't mean physically, I mean ... emotionally, mentally. I'm not who I was when I left. But ... to find out that I'm a shapeshifter on top of that ... they would think I was a demon." Triton Winters "I still don't understand, but that's our worlds I guess," Triton murmured, "You've changed, that might be true, but you're still Elnara, you're still a good person so why think that I cannot understand." Elnara Aldrich She shrugged. "After seeing your world, I'm not sure I understand it anymore either. But I know it." She sighed. "As anxious as I am to go back ... I'm scared." Triton Winters "Well...." Triton said finally after thinking about it, "At least you won't be alone, I don't know how much of that is a comfort, but you won't be." Elnara Aldrich She looked over at him and smiled warmly. "It's a huge comfort," she replied sincerely. "You're the only reason I'm not turning around and running." She giggled. "Besides, you have to see some of the places I talk about." Triton Winters "Well I'm looking forward to seeing them, seeing as it'll be something to write home about," a thought just struck him, "Could you also help me idenitify which plants would be safe to take back home? Knowing Cindy and Mom...." Elnara Aldrich She nodded. "Of course. But keep in mind I don't know all the proper names for them ... like the peppermint sleeper, I kind of made that up on my own. But I do know what most of the plants do at least." Triton Winters "That would be at most I need to know," Triton chuckled, "Or I should just get her a book to add to her collection of books.
There was a thought, he had remembering see that min library growing up. Elnara Aldrich She considered that for a moment. "I'm sure there would be some, somewhere," she said finally. "But we don't have libraries like in Gaia. We can look in my nako's library, it's huge." Triton Winters "There are no merchants in the city you live in that would sell books to those that could afford it?" Triton asked.
It was strange coming from a world where bookstore were plently. Elnara Aldrich She shrugged. "Unless things have changed since I left ... no. They're a rare and valuable commodity. So." Triton Winters "So getting a hold of one will of course be difficult, are the books copied by hand?" he asked curious.
He recalled only the bare minmum for his own history class, though he doubt it could be applied to such. Elnara Aldrich "Yes," she replied. "But I think I like it better that way ... for some reason it makes the books more personable. Like ... like someone's written this as a letter just for you. Instead of the typed words in your books, it's like they don't care who reads it or if it means anything to them." She finished off her jerky and took a drink from her canteen. Triton Winters "Not necessarily," Triton replied, "Some people write back home to a wide audience.... the written word can change the world, if you let it, which is why governments in history have been known to ban certain books."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:27 pm
Elnara Aldrich She pulled her cloak closer around herself. "Ban books? Why would they do that?" Triton Winters "Books can do many things," Triton replied, "They can transfer ideas, making people feel a certain things, argue a point, or dispel lies. If you give people the ability to read, they can read and learn things for themselves, develop their own opinion. On one sense for anyone in power it could be a good thing, less rumours and lies going around, but if you don't want your people to think a certain way it could also be something you don't want." Elnara Aldrich "Oh ... yeah, I can see that, I guess," she agreed. "But I don't think there's ever been a need for it here. We've only ever had problems with three people, all of whom are dead and none of whom ever had any followers. Our rulers have always been loved by the people, because they love their people first." Triton Winters Triton nodded, "Which is good, then it wouldn't be a problem," Triton nodded again, "No... I think the problem is with rulers who pull the proverbial wool over the eyes of others and religion... religion tends to be very possessive their followers.... especially those run by those that are not the deities." Elnara Aldrich "Ah," she nodded. "Something else we have no troubles with. The Valar are still very much an integral part of our lives, even though they've left the Four Lands. They do still come back from time to time to check up on us, make sure we're ok, help heal the land from any disasters ..." She shrugged. "There really is nothing uncertain about it." Triton Winters "No..." Triton's mouth twitched into a smile, "I suppose not, there are only a few I know who can say that for certain... oddly enough the only people in my family who have deities and they're all female."
Which was true, the five Seconds were created by goddesses, Wish should anyone be inclined to believe the feline had a deity, was also a goddess. How strange. Elnara Aldrich Elnara was surprised. "Females only? Strange. There are seven Valar, seven Valier ... the males and their females. The Valar - the males - were mostly involved with creating the land, the Valier - females - with nature, life. But Iluvatar - the One - was who created the elves and humans." Triton Winters Triton nodded, "There are the twin goddesses of the Seconds' belief, so that would include both twins and Trisha, believe it for not even Wish has her own deity who is a goddess as well." Elnara Aldrich She smiled. "That's pretty neat. Personal deities ... I think I like that." Triton Winters "Well.... I guess in a way it makes sense for all the races," Triton replied, "At least that's as much as I know, it's the reason why I can kind of relate to what you mean, even though I've never been in that kind of situtation myself." Elnara Aldrich "Well I've never met any of them personally," she admitted. "But some members of my family have. Older members. So I sort of know a little bit." She giggled. "Not nearly as much as I pretend, though." Triton Winters "But even to know you have family members you have is something that is new to a lot of people," Triton pointed out, "Like I"ve never met a deity, but the others have, so that amounts to about the same thing." Elnara Aldrich "I guess, yeah," she nodded in agreement. Elrohir Aldrich The bundle sitting in front of Triton started moving and a sleepy little voice mumbled "Nghghgh" as if he was just waking up. Triton Winters Triton chuckled watcing the scenery past him by wondering how everyone was doing.
Little did he know his mother was ahead of them... currently engaging tales about Elnara.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:31 pm
Elrohir Aldrich The cloak dropped off Daeron's shoulders, and he rubbed his eyes and looked up at Triton. "Where's we?" he mumbled. Kara Winters "Well... there are many different species back home, it's so diverse in it's languages, races... ideals..." she replied, "I've seen so many people in my life, it's kind of hard to put it all into words." Elnara Aldrich "And how did Elnara fit in?" Serenity questioned eagerly. If she wasn't able to interact with her daughter, she was at least going to learn as much as she was able. Kara Winters "That's the nice thing about having so many races interact, she fit in well, I think to a point she was taken back," Kara smiled, "Though it was kind of hard for her to deal with all the thing objects and ideas, but I would find that confusing too, some of it I don't really get and I live there." Elnara Aldrich Serenity smiled. "She has friends there, then?" Kara Winters "Yes... she gets along well with the other students, and can relate to some of them, Blakavar and her have done well together," Kara nodded in agreement, "Were of course makes friends with everyone, and she gets along with many others. Probably others I don't know of too." Elnara Aldrich Serenity had a question, but she didn't know how to ask it. "Her ... friends, do they ... know?" Kara Winters "That she's a shapeshifter?" Kara asked, "Well it's not a secret in the school, well we don't adversite, but there's no point in hiding it in a school for magic," Kara mused on this, "It's not a problem, if that's what you're wondering." Elnara Aldrich Serenity was amazed. "It's accepted where you are? She's not ... condemned for it?"
She thought carefully for a moment. "If your world is like that, then maybe it would even be better for her to live there instead of here. As much as I know everyone would miss her ... as they already do ... it might be safest for her." Kara Winters "There are stranger things than shapeshifting elves, if that is even believable," Kara replied. She was silent for a moment, thinking about what Serenity had said, "Do you really think so? She would be separated from her family, and family is important..." Elnara Aldrich Serenity nodded. "I know what you mean. Family comes first. But ..."
She sighed. "If anyone here finds out she's a shapeshifter, she won't be safe anymore. My family is the most important thing to me ... which is why I can't see them. When I was run out, the people who did it swore that if I ever saw any of my family again, they would die. I was skeptical at first, and I couldn't stand being apart from my husband. So I snuck back ... often. And when these people found out ... they killed him."
She took a deep breath. "As much as I love my family, I'm doing them a favour by staying away from them." Kara Winters Kara's head bent towards the ground thinking about that, what would she do if put into that kind of situtation? She couldn't imagine it, perhaps because unlike when it occured to Serenity, her children were mainly grown by now, and they... had some very vocal ideas about what was to be done to people who tried to separate them. "But do they know that?" Kara asked quietly, "I've never heard this mentioned.... she's young Serenity, even though to probably both of our societies, she is techically a young adult, to be without family." She trailed off, remembering an old saying. "A tree wtihout roots, falls over in the wind." Elnara Aldrich Serenity shook her head. "No. None of them know this. Elnara's the only one who even knows what I am, and why I was forced to leave. The others were so young, they had no idea. And now there's really no pont to telling them, it wouldn't do any good. And, to be honest, I don't want to risk their lives by trying to see them." Then she added, "As nice as it would be." Kara Winters Could you fight against a whole society Kara wondered, it was hard to imagine because there was never a need to, because there was a place to go to. "It would let them know... that they are loved, it's hard to have someone leave and not know why." Elnara Aldrich She shrugged. "I can't tell them."
And then she looked at Kara thoughtfully. "You're looking for Elnara ... can you tell her for me?"
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:33 pm
Kara Winters "Of course," Kara nodded, "The family has grown close to her, even though not everyone has had the pleasure of meeting her, and won't since she's going to back home." Elnara Aldrich Serenity smiled. "Thank you."
She wanted to hug the small woman, but she wasn't sure how that would be taken. Instead, she just smiled wider. Then she sighed. "I just wish I could see her again ..." Kara Winters "Maybe one day you can," Kara replied, "Your people live for a long time, and ideals change with the flow of time. Who knows, there might be a time where you can see your family again." Elnara Aldrich "Maybe," she nodded. "It would be nice."
She looked around for the winged cat. "Wish has been awfully quiet," she commented. Kara Winters "You two seemed to get along so nicely it would be pointless to add my two cents," Wish murmured ambling along.Kara giggled a bit. Elnara Aldrich "I'm still curious to know what you think of all this," she said with a smile. "You are also something unheard of here. Do you feel safe?" Kara Winters "I've been threatened by demon lords and stupid people," Wish replied a matter of factly, "I'm a big kitty, I'm not worried, as long as I don't show my intellgence I'm sure people will happily think I'm Kara's pet guard cat."Kara coughed a bit at that thought, "You're already called a guard cat back home." Elnara Aldrich Serenity laughed, and it surprised her. She hadn't laughed in years. It felt good ...
"Just don't make yourself seem stupid, either," she replied. "I know sometimes it's the thing to do, but with certain people ..." She shrugged. "At least, the people at the Borderlands aren't the type of people to judge. They've been around here for a few thousand years, seen almost anything. There's nothing they're prejudiced against. Once in a while I go there for someone to talk to, it's the only place I feel it's safe." Kara Winters "I'm sure people would make that assumption themselves," Wish muttered, "That or I'm very well trained," she smirked trotting along.Kara smiled, "It's good to know though." Elnara Aldrich "I don't think that talking animals need to be trained," Serenity said musingly. "You're so intelligent it's like teaching rather than training. Almost like teaching a child."
She grinned. "Sorry about sitting on your head, I wanted to make sure you weren't going to try eat me." Kara Winters "Eat you?" Wish laughed, "No... you were too small to be eaten, and besides Kara wanted to keep you."Kara blushed a bit, "I can't help it, you know how I am..." Elnara Aldrich Serenity raised one eyebrow. "Makes friends with everything?" Kara Winters "Well that too..." Kara replied bashfully.
Wish explained, "She likes to raise things, or rather people.. or creatures, or both if you so wish. It's just the way she is."Elnara Aldrich Serenity looked at her through half-lidded eyes. "Exactly how many people or animals have you taken in?" Kara Winters "Uhm...." Kara's head tilted to look up as if to think, "Let's see... there are.... fourteen children and.... six pets, no... there's more than that..."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:36 pm
Elnara Aldrich Serenity's jaw dropped in amazement. "And I thought I had a big family! How many children of your own do you have?" Kara Winters "But they are my children," Kara looked a bit confused by that statement until Wish head butted her gently. "She meant gave birth to you nut," Wish muttered shaking her head."Oh," Kara giggled, "Uhm... none actually." Elnara Aldrich Serenity laughed again. "I guess that once they are yours, it's the same as if you did give them life," she shrugged. "I'm sure you love them as if you did. Are you married? Or do you care for them on your own?" Kara Winters Kara shook her head, "No.... not married, never really... well I don't plan to, I have help looking after them, but no one I'm linked to." Elnara Aldrich Serenity nodded slowly. "Sometimes it's better to be that way," she said softly. "Safer. And with all of the family you have, you'll never be lonely." She smiled. Kara Winters "Somehow that sounds strange coming from you," Kara murmured, "What little I understand, you have nothing to fear from a union, and no reason to be cynical about it." Elnara Aldrich Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean? Yes, marriage is wonderful. What would there be to fear? Or to be cynical about? I only meant that being without family means that you don't have to fear for others' safety when you can't be with them."
And how would Kara know what would sound strange coming from Serenity? Did Elnara talk about her a lot or something? Kara Winters "But there's no different than taking people in to be your family than having family by blood, isn't the same worry there?" Kara asked, "Having someone to love enough to marry isn't any different than to have someone to love enough to adopt, a different kind of love sure, but no different." Elnara Aldrich "Yes," she agreed slowly. "Family is family, by blood or by love. Yet I find it strange that it's my family who is threated no matter who I talk to. If I'm found out."
She hesitated a moment, then asked, "Does ... did Elnara talk about me? Or the rest of the family?" Kara Winters "Well she was looking for you," Kara replied, "So yes, she did have some mentions, but not a whole lot. At least not to me, Triton and Yukito probably know more than I do." Elnara Aldrich She nodded. "Perhaps I'll wait around to see her before I leave again. Hidden. Just to see her."
Or not. She could dream, though. Kara Winters "That would be nice now wouldn't it?" Kara replied, "After all, you won't get many chances right?" Elnara Aldrich She sighed. "It would be really nice," she agreed. "And we are sort of out in the middle of nowhere ... but still, I don't know if it's worth the risk." She shook her head sadly. "I don't want to put her in danger." Kara Winters "You can't live your life in fear, especially with them not knowing," Kara replied softly, "Sometimes, you have to trust the people around you to help you too." Elnara Aldrich "I know." She shrugged. "It's just ... after what happened to Garrick ... I'm too scared, I guess. It scares me just talking with the elves in the Borderland, but to talk to my children ..."
She sighed. "And to have Amara or Fletcher tell the children would let the others know that I've been in contact with people, and they'll be in danger. There's just no way to win."
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:40 pm
Kara Winters "No way to win without a slight of danger yes," Kara agreed, "But.... I believe that together a family is stronger, even in the face of that, if you don't mind me being cliche." Wish give a predtoray grin, she knew what Kara meant, there was little few people within the family would take just one of them being threatened sitting down. Then again the Winters' family was paradoxically scary at times.Elnara Aldrich "You do realize that if you're trying to talk me into seeing her, you're not going to have to work hard to convince me," Serenity smiled. "I've been seriously considering it for a long time. And especially if she's a shapeshifter - as I am - then ..."
She shrugged. "I'm sure she can take care of herself. I know she's wary enough not to be taken by surprise." Kara Winters "And if she is, there are some people she knows who would have some few choice words with her," Kara smiled knowingly that Elnara wasn't alone, and that a certain pair of twins.. heck both twins would have issues. In which to say, she hoped everything was alright back home. Elnara Aldrich Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" Kara Winters "Your daughter asked to be taught how to control her magic, she also asked, from my understanding to learn hand to hand combat," Kara replied a matter of factly, "Her teachers would whack her upside the head if she let herself get caught of guard." Sadly, in her family getting whacked upside the head was a normal way to show displeasure. Triton Winters "We're on our way to the settlement," Triton replied grabbing the cloak before it could fall, "Did you have a good sleep?" Elnara Aldrich Serenity lowered her head and smiled. "She always did love to learn." When she looked up again, there were tears in her eyes. Kara Winters "It does strike me like that," Kara agreed. Wish looked up at Serenity, "Hmm... now the question be, are those tears of joy or saddess? I do hope the former."Elrohir Aldrich Daeron nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Seeped good." He grinned. "Gots nummies? I's hungee." Elnara Aldrich Serenity wiped the tears away and tried to laugh. "I haven't cried since Garrick was killed," she admitted. "Strange time to start again."Elnara smiled. "You slept for a long time," she said. "Feel better?" Triton Winters Triton laughed a bit at that, "That's good," he handed the kid a bit of jerky, "Here, it's a bit chewy but it'll take away the hunger at least."
He ruffled the kid's hair a bit before making sure Tao was behaving herself, which she was... except she swiped some poor woodland creature along the way. Elrohir Aldrich He giggled and took a bite of the jerky. "Is nummy!" he laughed, poking Triton's nose. Then he looked over at Elnara. "Feels good," he nodded. He took another bite of the jerky and giggled again. Kara Winters "Maybe not so," Wish replied, "There is never a strange time to start again, sometimes it's something we need. Now... since we're so well on our way, we should have some place safe to rest once night falls yes?" Triton Winters Triton twitched his nose and snorted a bit, he wasn't use to having his nose poked at all, "That's good, he smiled a bit." Elnara Aldrich "There's ... a cave, a few miles further," Serenity nodded. "We'll reach it before dark. Then we're at the base of the mountains. Tomorrow we'll pass through the mountains, be at Amara and Fletcher's house by noon.""How late do you think we should travel before we stop for the night?" Elnara asked Triton, glancing at the sky.
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 8:44 pm
Elrohir Aldrich Daeron looked around. "Where's'a coron'elf?" he asked, blinking up at Triton innocently. Triton Winters Triton pointed into the bag where Nina was still trying to be a statue (or stone) staring blankly up, "I'd say at least until after sundown, use up as much of the day light as we can, but I'd rather not travel at night if it can be helped." Kara Winters "That's good time," Kara smiled, "Though this proves the portal is not at all stable, I'm sure the two are behind us..... Then again I cast it, not the twins...."
"Yes, that would have a lot to do with it."Elnara Aldrich Serenity shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, "but if it's what got Elnara back here, I'm glad for it." Elnara nodded agreement. "Then we should be able to reach ... about halfway to Gynia cave," she murmured. "We can reach the cave by tomorrow night, the settlement by the night after." Elrohir Aldrich Daeron's eyes lit up. "Coron'elf!" he giggled. He poked at her nose. "You's inna bag agin. Wha's you doin' innere?" Kara Winters "Think of it as a magical door between two worlds," Kara explained, "Even I don't understand the whole workings, which is probably why this is on the list of things I really shouldn't do that often." "Or ever..."Elnara Aldrich "Is that why you were blinded?" she asked cautiously. "Wish said something about it being from casting a spell ... and you said something about it's temporary?" Triton Winters Triton laughed, "She told Elnara she would be quieter than a stone, but I think she's trying to be stone.... she's been unusually quiet." Kara Winters Kara nodded, "My displince looks for energies within me, but the ending result is larger magicks require a bit of a sacrefice on my part, but it doesn't last long." Elrohir Aldrich "Oh ..." He cuddled against Triton's stomach. "I be kite too. Dist like'n coron'elf." Elnara Aldrich Elnara grinned. Nina had only promised to be quiet until Daeron woke up, but if she chose to be quiet still ... well. Fine by her. "Nina's a good coronhelf," she laughed. Serenity blinked. "How long?"Kara Winters "About three to four days," Kara replied, "Hmm... now that is problematic, because I don't think I'll be around for that long..." she brightened up, "I know how to solve that, I'll just stay longer!" Wish rolled her eyes.Triton Winters Triton laughed, "That's either going to be very good, or very creepy."
Though he would say it would be creepy to have both of them that quiet. Elnara Aldrich "Or both," Elnara suggested with a laugh. Serenity laughed. "Well, you're obviously a problem-solver," she laughed. "On the other hand, I'd like it if you did. It may be the only chance I have to learn anything about my daughter."Elrohir Aldrich Daeron put his finger to Triton's lips. "Sst!" he hissed. "Kite." And he ducked down and pulled the blanket over his head once more.
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