Post by Capt. Morgan on Jun 27, 2010 10:25:29 GMT -5
Nyneve heard the approach of the two immortals long before either cleared the forest. It was not that they were unduly noisy, not by any means...but Nyneve was a Forest Fae and she knew well every sound the forest made and every scent it held and well, immortals smelled differently than mortals. Not in a bad way to be sure...just...different. It was only a matter of minutes before the two now stood next to her as she made room for them on the large table like rock where she had taken up her early morning vigilance for the past few weeks now. Something was changing...time was shifting and soon it would appear.
Without word she brought the long leather cord from around her neck and passed the bota to the closest immortal, Morgan by name. Morgan gave Nyneve a polite and respectful bow before uncapping the mystical Fae mead taking a long appreciative pull from it before handing it over to Cerridwyn who did the same passing it back to Nyneve who partook once more.
“Have you come often?” Morgan finally asked as she narrowed her eyes just as the sun began to make his presence known.
“For the past two weeks now...” the Fae said. “By the time the first rays hit, the Front Gates are visible....it shan’t be long.”
“Have you been inside?” Dwyn asked, curious as to what changes had happened over the course of a year since the Shire of Avaloch had disappeared into the mists of shifting time.
“Aye...a few times...to see where they have gone now.”
“Merlin?” Morgan asked hopefully.
“Nay...something called the Third Crusades is the thing that occupies their thoughts.” Nyneve said, her tone somewhat...upset. “I understand that there were two crusades before...all about freeing the "Holy Land" but to me, all land is holy so it seems a bit strange and I do not wish to think on it. The wars and conflicts of mortals tends to give me a heaviness right behind my eyes...here.” she said rubbing her temples.
Morgan and Dwyn shared a sad smile at Nyneve's comment. The Forest Fae in her simplistic complexity had hit the mark...all land was holy and something to bring people together not cause them to go to war over...as if one could own that which was not his to begin with.
“Well..do you think Merlin will be there...in some form or guise?” Morgan asked. She had missed her friend greatly and his long absence had left a void in her life but she also knew that he could appear in the most unexpected places...so she never lost hope.
“He may be...he may not.” Nyneve counseled sagely answering not Morgan's question but acknowledging the unpredictablity of the mysterious Mage.
“What is that darkness over there?” Dwyn asked pointing to the far off distance beyond where Avaloch lay in her sleep of Time.
“Oh...those.” Nyneve said, disdain evident in her voice. “They were there when the Shire went to sleep and now they have returned. They seem to be nothing more than an annoying presence but now and again they flash a bolt of light and try to rumble in a threatening tone sounding more like the growling stomach of a hungry dog.”
“Ahhh yes, I seem to recall them last year...” Morgan said shaking her head from side to side.
“Look! The sun has passed the horizon and...yes Nyneve...you can see the Front Gates...” Dwyn said as she shifted herself upon the rock.
“...and...a bit more this morning.” Nyneve smiled. “The time is coming closer and one by one, more and more people of the Shire will be aware of the outside world as if it had only been the passing of one night instead of a whole year.”
The three took in and exhaled a collective sigh as the sun began to climb higher and higher into the sky. From inside the shire, faint sounds...mortals...began to drift out to them on the morning air mingled with the smells of fresh baked goods and an occasional strain of music.
Standing up Nyneve took one more sip of mead before passing it to the other two who stood as well. A parting drink had, the forest fae swung the bota around her neck before gesturing to the two immortals to follow her back into the forest.
“Now that you are here you can watch with me every morning...but for now...let us adjourned back to my home. I have just picked some fresh mushrooms and have secured a most wonderous wheel of cheese...we can combine it with a roasted joint of meat and....well of course there is the mead!”
The three figures made their way across the field before the trees seemingly opened their arms to them, engulfing them in the cool protective shade of the forest.
Without word she brought the long leather cord from around her neck and passed the bota to the closest immortal, Morgan by name. Morgan gave Nyneve a polite and respectful bow before uncapping the mystical Fae mead taking a long appreciative pull from it before handing it over to Cerridwyn who did the same passing it back to Nyneve who partook once more.
“Have you come often?” Morgan finally asked as she narrowed her eyes just as the sun began to make his presence known.
“For the past two weeks now...” the Fae said. “By the time the first rays hit, the Front Gates are visible....it shan’t be long.”
“Have you been inside?” Dwyn asked, curious as to what changes had happened over the course of a year since the Shire of Avaloch had disappeared into the mists of shifting time.
“Aye...a few times...to see where they have gone now.”
“Merlin?” Morgan asked hopefully.
“Nay...something called the Third Crusades is the thing that occupies their thoughts.” Nyneve said, her tone somewhat...upset. “I understand that there were two crusades before...all about freeing the "Holy Land" but to me, all land is holy so it seems a bit strange and I do not wish to think on it. The wars and conflicts of mortals tends to give me a heaviness right behind my eyes...here.” she said rubbing her temples.
Morgan and Dwyn shared a sad smile at Nyneve's comment. The Forest Fae in her simplistic complexity had hit the mark...all land was holy and something to bring people together not cause them to go to war over...as if one could own that which was not his to begin with.
“Well..do you think Merlin will be there...in some form or guise?” Morgan asked. She had missed her friend greatly and his long absence had left a void in her life but she also knew that he could appear in the most unexpected places...so she never lost hope.
“He may be...he may not.” Nyneve counseled sagely answering not Morgan's question but acknowledging the unpredictablity of the mysterious Mage.
“What is that darkness over there?” Dwyn asked pointing to the far off distance beyond where Avaloch lay in her sleep of Time.
“Oh...those.” Nyneve said, disdain evident in her voice. “They were there when the Shire went to sleep and now they have returned. They seem to be nothing more than an annoying presence but now and again they flash a bolt of light and try to rumble in a threatening tone sounding more like the growling stomach of a hungry dog.”
“Ahhh yes, I seem to recall them last year...” Morgan said shaking her head from side to side.
“Look! The sun has passed the horizon and...yes Nyneve...you can see the Front Gates...” Dwyn said as she shifted herself upon the rock.
“...and...a bit more this morning.” Nyneve smiled. “The time is coming closer and one by one, more and more people of the Shire will be aware of the outside world as if it had only been the passing of one night instead of a whole year.”
The three took in and exhaled a collective sigh as the sun began to climb higher and higher into the sky. From inside the shire, faint sounds...mortals...began to drift out to them on the morning air mingled with the smells of fresh baked goods and an occasional strain of music.
Standing up Nyneve took one more sip of mead before passing it to the other two who stood as well. A parting drink had, the forest fae swung the bota around her neck before gesturing to the two immortals to follow her back into the forest.
“Now that you are here you can watch with me every morning...but for now...let us adjourned back to my home. I have just picked some fresh mushrooms and have secured a most wonderous wheel of cheese...we can combine it with a roasted joint of meat and....well of course there is the mead!”
The three figures made their way across the field before the trees seemingly opened their arms to them, engulfing them in the cool protective shade of the forest.
...
