Rory
Together
in a group they walked somberly back to the lake. Tym and Quay climbed into a boat with O’Beth
between them they began traveling down the river. Rory had tried to get into the same boat as
O'Beth. She simply shook her head at her
and then pointed out that Aryeh was waiting for her by another. Feeling a little nervous, she packed her
things into the front of the canoe. Why was she feeling so shy now with Aryeh,
they had been friends for most of her entire life? It was the kiss they had shared earlier, it
left her wanting more. Feel his hands on
her hands, feel his breath on her neck again, nuzzling her. She was starting to breath faster and glanced
up to see if he noticed. He had, he
looked at her with such a bright look in his eyes, she felt her heart race even
faster, and it spoke of a barely kept control he was now exercising. He reached out and took her hand and helped
to place her in the craft in front of him.
But he moved things more up into the front with her in the middle and
him right behind her. She could feel
heat and warmth radiating from him. He
smelled nice too, like grass and pines.
The
water was quiet and yet it carried them, slowly down, Aryeh pulled her back
against him, and said, “I know this is going to seem, well, unusual because in
essence, you have been sleeping for 17 years now, but I really think that a lot
has happened now and you should rest.”
She turned back to look at him, he was very close, so close. She swallowed, “I admit I am weary, but, I am
not really afraid but more hesitant to do so.”
He reached out his hand, and cupping her face, he pulled her closer and
said, “Trust me, I have been watching over your evenings now, for 17 years, I
think I can do it for a few hours.” Then
he bent and kissed her, with a bit more longing, less pleading than he had done
before. This was not a kiss of trying
to awaken her, she was more than awake... it was of a promise. Rory leaned back and feeling the rhythm of
the rise and fall of his chest against her fell asleep. It was here, she really came awake, here she
relived, that day, when everything changed.
Tym
was hatching some new scheme to torment or play a trick on Quay, he said it was
his mission in life, to get her to laugh.
Quay actually was not much older than them. She was 15 years older than Lumi, but only
five than Aryeh and 6 years older than Tym.
Aryeh had insisted on coming along, because Lumi was. Last night Tym had
Lumi turn the little green frogs they had found in the creek, white, and then
had placed them in her tent. They liked to sing and he made sure there were
plenty of flies for them to eat in her tent, Aryeh and Lumi had caught
fireflies using honey and flowers as bait. They had placed these all in Quay’s
tent, which was now full of fireflies and frogs, and honey and flowers.
Needless to say, Quay was not pleased, about turning the frogs white. They glowed in the dark now. Tym was trying to come up with a new
plan. Their parents were farther along
towards the head of the procession. Some had carts or wagons while other’s
carried their packs. Some cargo was
piled and tied down to a fabric that was strung on poles that they also used to
make their tents.
She
caught her Mother looking back at her, as Tym stopped her from falling when she
tripped over a root. Celeste frowned at
her, why did she always seem to be so clumsy.
She felt she would never be as graceful as Tym or Aryeh, she was so
awkward. Elves were not to be awkward.
Here she had all this power and she could not control it. In fact everything
around her was out of control. She had
recently become aware of Aryeh, on a different level and all he could see is
the little girl. She was growing, she was older now. Her body was maturing now faster than her
mind is what Antaquay said. That is why
elves do not marry until in their thirties, because they do not bind themselves
to each other until their minds are fully matured also. Also it is for life, unless a mate dies. They
do not cheat or take lovers, they enter into commitments. They believed that
they were bound by laws of nature and love.
Like the wolves, the swans and other animals.
That
was when she felt it, Quay did too, she had been walking behind them a few
paces back and they both started running. Aryeh and Tym tried to catch up to
them. Lumi began to panic, realizing
they were too far, they could not, they would not make it in time. Suddenly from
out of the sky appeared dark shapes like diving birds, that seemed to
straighten and turn into shafts, like spears, pierced her Father and then her
Mother's flesh. Striking them down,
without knowing how, she used the wind, to fling Quay into the river they were
walking alongside and then she flung up her arms and stood in front of Tym and
Aryeh. It rippled, the air, it turned blue
and green surrounding them as three more shafts arced from the sky towards
them. She felt first one, then another,
then the last one strike the barrier she had placed over them like hitting a
wall. She felt it buckle then, and fall inward, into her, and she cried out. Then
it was if she was blind she could only sense an overwhelming blackness. She could not speak or respond. She could hear though like from a distance,
could hear the weeping. The great weeping, but she could not respond to it. Her
Uncle Mandel, to him, she was his precious Lumi, he doted on her and held her
for the longest time rocking her, begging her to awaken.
Quay,
Mandel and the other Elven leaders spoke amongst themselves. They decided to
split the group. Some would go on to Kestral,
to ask for their help and tell them what occurred. Mandel would lead the procession back to
their home, where her parents would be entombed. He would take over leading the people for
now. Quay, Tym and Aryeh would try and see if they could awaken Lumi because
now she was their Queen. Her people
then worked quickly the sound of packing and people moving all around her. They moved both day and night, until they
reached a mountain valley, small, with a forest that held great magic. Lumi could sense this through the darkness
from smells and the touch of the cool mountain air. This is where she would be safe. She could feel the cool ground they placed
her on, beneath her clothes, smell the grass.
She heard sounds like when people built things, she lost track of the
hours until suddenly she felt kisses and hugs and people whispered
farewells. Lumi wished she could respond
and in the darkness she began to cry as she sensed few around her. Then she could feel a presence of light,
illuminating the darkness.
She
could see the Stag. He spoke to her, “Dawn
child, you are very brave. You must be
braver now, trust only those I tell you.
These three you can, I see no malice in their hearts. They will protect
you until you awaken. Now, rise, and in
the dream, walk with me.” She then felt movement in her limbs, and she could
see again and as she looked at Aryeh he shifted... into a Lion he was growling
softly. “Growlers.” Lumi mumbled a soft
giggle escaping her lips. Then she
turned and fleet as the Stag she followed him into the forest.
With
her hand on the Stag's shoulder, they walked together into the village as the
sun slowly rose. Until they came to the
last house, a small cottage structure, with a sun porch with tables and benches
with bowls filled with plants full of color and magic. The Stag then turned and looked at her,
gesturing with his hoof towards an elderly woman with sharp eyes. “This is
O'Beth, my chosen protector, who serves me.
Trust her, listen to her and obey her. She will guide you through this
until the time you awaken. Also you can trust the muskrat. You will see Rikos in his human form and that
of the muskrat. Recall this, I gift you this, this dream state, to be aware, to
speak, to act only during the day though, at night, I cannot hold back the
darkness from your mind. It is too strong right now.”
The
Stag then turned and speaking to the old woman said “O'Beth, you must protect
the Elves. This is their Queen, she is young and she is under a great hurt. She
will need your help in healing this great wound on her mind. Help her find the
path back to us, this world needs her. She is the Dawn. Use your gifts and protect her.” She then
saw, with a vision of his making, the Stag go into the forest and leave
her. O'Beth, looked at her, and said
“What should we call you?” She thought for a moment and said “Rory, my name is
now Rory.”
***
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