Tyian, golen hill

[Green Child]

IC: Ross and Ewan
they took her by the same way that they had come, feeling rather than knowing, that when she put on the armour no horse would be hers, even being near her they could feel the eminations of that horses powerful spirit, Ross espically he used to be a druid after all, they left her to walk in alone and wait to welcome a new member, because this especially was a private thing.

[Gemsykins]

That was ridiculously short, dude. I was expecting you to add some insight, or something...

Pausing at the cave entrance, she looked around, taking in the scenery before her. She didn't like being this far away from Sensi. She knew that she was still in the elven palace. Stepping backward, she looked around for a sign of the druid, whose name she now knew to be Ross.
"I'm not doing anything without my horse." He stared at her. "She has been a guide for me in the past. She is, by rights, and extension of me. There is no way that I am doing something that you claim to be so important with my horse here. Also, I am not doing it without an explaination. You will explain to me what is happeneing, and why, before I make any descision, even though you claim that I have already made it." He smiled at her strong will.; he could tell that she would be a vital part of the seven, as long as she chose to accept the armour.

[Green Child]

IC:Ross

"To explain would be to inhibit. If it is any help, if you choose as I think you will then their is a place for your horse, only six horses were in the stable and their should be seven of us eventually. If it helps I will say this, the choice with which you will be faced has to be made by you alone, without interferance by anyone or anything and if you do choose as we have understanding comes with the choice" He held up his hand before she could speak "Think on ths, if I were to tell you what to do, or influence your decision in such a way that you chose different to that which you would have, where is the point or purpose? Either you will leave her with armour and understanding or you will leave here unchanged. Their is no judgement even as, at this time, their can be no answers, because any judgement will come from you and if you chose as we have the choice will be explained to you, not by me, but by yourself" seeing her puzzled frown he added "you've trusted me this far, trust on this, their is nothing in their that will harm you, in some ways it is quite the opposite, we live and we learn everyday by own own wills and perceptions and we judge ourselves in the same way, why should this be any different. No harm will come to you or Sansi either way. I promise you that, as much as anyone can, I promise."

[Gemsykins]

"Armour? You never said there was armour involved." She gritted her teeth. "And it's Sensi."
"Apologies." The druid lowered his eyes and back away a little bit.
"I shall go in, but I make no promises. Expect nothing, and you shall not be disappointed."
"But expecting nothing gives you no boundaries to over-step, not goals to achieve, nothing to aim for, strive for. Nothing to better yourself for..."
Holding her hand up, mirroring his action, she turned back to face the cave. Taking a deep breathe, she braced herself before walking in. She marvelled at the first thing she saw; an ornately carved table, with seven chairs surrounding it. Moving forwards quickly, she saw that there were tapastries all around the walls. Moving to them, she touched each one in turn, looking at the beauty that was woven in their threads. Turning she looked back at the table. There was armour piled on it, in from of the chairs, and each chair appeared to have a different animal carved upon it. The first chair that she saw had an otter. The next was a dragon, and she walked round the others, the animals on the indistinctive. She reached the 6th chair, and on it was carved a horse. Reaching up and running her hand over the image, she traced the outline with her fingertips, music beginning to be heard in her mind. She looked at the armour, and the music increased in volume. She felt drawn to it, but was afraid, afraid of what the curse would bring upon her. She reached towards it, the retracted her hand. The music became unbearably loud, and she clasped her hands over her ears, trying to block it out. She wanted to run, but her legs were rooted to the spot. The music was still increasing in volume, she fekt like her ear drums were going to burst.
"ENOUGH!" She screamed. The music stopped. She collapsed in her chair, exhausted although she had done nothing. Closing her eyes, the music started up again, but this time almost inaudiably. Sighing, she reached forward and touched the armour, willing it away almost immediately.

She had been chosen, but she had not chosen herself.

[Green Child]

IC: Both

"Should we be worried?" asked the inquisitive Ewan
"No. If she chooses the armour she will be given a vision, like we had but distinctly different, she will understand what it is that she has become"
"But not exactly?"
"You are too sharp for me my friend"
"Do I know exactly?"
"No"
"But you do" he stated
Ross sighed "Yes, I do....some secrets should only be told once though"
"What of the other" Ross raised an eyebrow and Ewan winked, of course! dragon senses, he could tell that there were two secrets. "I know who the first Knight will be, our lord or lady, the head of our order"
"Is it not you?"
"No I am second"
"When will it be known?"
"I will tell when the weapon is near."

IC: neither

The Mealor mor moved with deadly accuracy, they felt the serguing of the choice and would soon be on the cave. The idea of consuming the Knights blood made them shiver. They were the Renders, the best of the mealor mor, dark knights, the antithesis of the seven and they numbered in their thousands. Only four were needed though, the enemy was still weak.
One of their companions fell, breaking his ankle, while helpless the others moved in. Though the sevens blood would be sweet the existed to hurt and rend and kill. The moved in on thier companion. Three would do and anyway they were hungry. Blood was blood.

[aleana15]

IC: Nienna

Dark shadows, surrounded by death and longing for the taste of fresh, warm blood encirled three small flowers. Closer and closer the shadows creep, devouring all in its path. The flowers danced gently in the breeze, they're colours bright against the darkness that was moving ever closer. Soon, soon the flowers would fall into the shadows and disappear....

The Queen woke with a start. There was that dream again. It had haunted her sleep for many nights now. She didn't know excatly what it meant, but she had a terrible feeling it was something to do with the events of the past few days. But she never saw the end of the dream, she never saw what happened to the flowers...

She looked at her husband's face. He was still unconcious, still in a place she could not reach. Gailia had left the palace with the Druid and his strange fiend. The girl had not realised what she had done with the ring, but Nienna knew. She had quelled the King's pain. Nienna could tell that Eol was sleeping peacefully. Gailia had given him his best chance of recovery, and Nienna could only hope that it would work.

A timid knock on the door disturbed her thoughts. "Your Magestey", a bleached-face official poked his head around the door cautiously, "the Governor would like your permission to bury the dead."

The Queen nodded and said she would be down presently. Inside she chided herself. Under elfish law all elves killed while fighting under the king's banner had the right to be buried within the palace walls, but in order for that to happen the King had to oversee the burial. If the King was killed or injured the task went to his next of kin. Tired and scared that she was she had to remember her duties. He may be ill but he was at least still alive, which was more then could be said for those who had bravely fought beside him.

She stood up slowly and leaned over to kiss her pale husband on his forhead. "I won't be long" she wispered, hoping that on some level he would hear her.

[Green Child]

Waiting for gwmz 2 post:)

[Gemsykins]

Then you'll be waiting for a while. I have shite loads of stuff to do, dammit.

[Green Child]

somebody post plse

[aleana15]

okay...

IC:Nienna

And so the dead elves were burined within the white walls of the castle with dignity and respect. The Queen oversaw the rituals, played her part then returned to her quarters. She wanted to stay longer; she felt the need to talk to all the parents individually, to somehow help ease their pain, but she just didn't have the strength. What she needed was a decent night's sleep.

For some reason she walked to the nursery. It was a wonderfully bright room, with light cream walls that captured the sunlight as it flooded through four large windows. But despite the light the room always felt cold to her - for this was the room where her child would have spent his first years, had he not been killed before he was born. Though her heart always filled with aching grielf whenever she entered the room, she still came on a regular basis. She felt close to her child here, and beside, few people disturbed her when she came to the room, not even her husband. She found a comfortable spot by one of the windows and drifted of to sleep...

Dark clouds blocked out the sky and thunder rocked the stones beneath her feet. But she kept on walking. She had to, there was no other choice. She had to keep walking, even as the ground was tearing apart beneath her...

Niennna woke with a start. Angrily she got up and straightend her robes. Not even here could she sleep without terrible dreams attacking her subconcious. She said a silent prayer for her dead child, bowed in respect of his lost life and walked out of the room. No sooner was she down the first of many flights of stairs but an extremely flustered young palace offical almost crashed into her.

"Oh me Lady, you're up here! Oh I must go tell the General, Oh I must go quickly!" He was about to make his way back down the stairs when the Queen grabed onto his robes to stop him.

"What is the rush?," she said, with slightly more force then she had intended. "If the General needs to see me then I will go to him now, shan't I?" The young elf looked as if he might faint then and there. "What is it?" demanded the Queen.

The offical looked like he was trying to come up with an escuse not to answer the Queen, but on seeing the look in her eyes he obviously decided that honesty was the only way he would leave the stairs unscathed. "It's the King," he squeaked.

All the fire imediatly left the Queen's eyes and she loosened her grip. "Is he dead?" she asked quietly.

To her suprise the young elf shook his head. "No Mam, least we don't know that for certain. He's gone missing."

[Green Child]

IC: both
"What was that?" asked ewan
"no time 2 wait for a vision2 said ross as they both began to see the dark shapes of the renders. Acting on instinct that saved Ross more often than not he moved to the entrance and made a paticular gesture with his hand. the stone at the sides grew over the entrence quickly, in a curcular way forming new stone.
2how will we get that open again?2
"She will or we will2 answered ross with a shrug, knowing that if she had not chosen the armour and they died ross had just entombed her alive. They split up.

IC: Ross

he moved in perfect harmony with the powers that he had been blessed with, not even bothering to draw his sword he mumbled a few well chosen words and dissapeared from sight. his form now resembled a very faint heat haze as the light bent around his form. blind now he used his elvish ears to pinpoint his enemies. he drew his sword and simply by his will it turned to a silver bow. he waited for the renders.

IC: ewan

his attack was far less subtle, he slowly took out his sword and he also used his will to duplicate the sword held in his left hand. he now had two. the renders, all four came towards him, seeing only one enemy but knowing that as soon as this one was down the other would appear. they lunged forward

IC:both

the last Render could feel the hunger that drove him, could feel the very meaning of his existance mere moments before him, his surprise was complete when a magically made silver arrow found his throat. ewan smiled grimly at his fast becoming friends contribution even as the render fell into death. ewan in perfect balance was forced to use his ambidextrous body to it full simply keeping two renders at bay at once. he settled into the dance, the fighting rythem of the master swordsman because even as Ross's fortay was magical and ewan would not stand a chance in that arena, this was his. he waited for them to make a mistake.
Ross was frantic. where was the third? he hestiated and it cost him, the third render, who to ross seemed to dissapear had circled behind Ross and even now his darkly blessed weapon found it's way through his armour. ross twisted and instead of his heat, the dirk scored hhis shoulder, ross felt his right shoulder go numb even as he felt his spell fade as the lost the will, in the midst of pain, to hold his spell. he fell down and looked first at his capture, teeth ready to come and devour a living victim and then at ewan, battling for his life. he sighed, if he died it didn't matter, he was sucure in his faith, what would matter was that ewan would not be able to battle three...........

[Gemsykins]

A sword flew out of nowhere, it's point embeding deep into the rock, the Render looking shocked at he was unable to move. There was a gurgle, and he slumped, still held up by the sword. The was the sound of fabric, and then a thump as the Render fell to the floor. The sword had obviously been removed.
"What the...?" A male voice was heard to enquire, before the sound of a fourth sword joined in the ringing that was filling the cave. This carried on for a while, and then there was silence. Al ight filled the cave, a light that shone on the hard-set face of a young female warrior.
"Why you can't play sword fights in the light I don't know." It was then that her eyes fell on the elf.

[Green Child]

IC: both

"because it's more fun in the dark"Ewan said smiling even as he neatly pinned his left sword in one of there chests, he let it go in a millisecond and spun on the ball of his right foot neatly slicing the other ones throat.
Ross came out of the newly made shadows then and handed her back her sword having already put his back into its scabbard. "I have called Sensi, what a wonderful horse, as well as our own, I think it is time that we made a report to the Queen."
"I hope nothing too drastics has happend while we have been gone" said ewan
"Be nice"
soon the horses we seen like whispering ghosts, arriving for there masters. Ross and Ewan vaulted into the saddle
"Come sister" said Ross "there is work to be done. if your ready to tell I would like to hear about your vision."

[Gemsykins]

"It wasn't really a vision. Just noise." The druid looked puzzled.
"Explain." Gail sighed. Either this guy was exceptionally slow in the head, or he was wanting her to prob her soul and reveal it to him. Either way, it was beginning to irritate her the number of questions that he was asking. Why could he not just leave her to her own devices?
"It was noise. Music. It's difficult to describe. There were flutes, violins, harps. Like I was standing next to an orchestra. And it was loud, so loud. But it stopped when I asked it to. And then it started up again, but it was quieter, softer, less insistant, like it knew that I would accept whatever it is that this destiny brings. I don't know if I do though. I mean, I have accepted the armour, and all this fighting, but I don't know if I accept the fate that I shall recieve in the end. And if you ask me what do I mean..." she cut him off, sensing his questioning, "... I shall be forced to stick one of these rather nice swords down your throat in order to silence you."
"I never knew that accepting this would cause you to become so aggressive."
"That is where you are wrong. My aggression towards you stems from the fact that you keep asking me so many questions about myself and the things I've seen, experienced, asking me about my reasonings and suchforth. If I want to disclose that information, I will, and if you don't trust my judgement then why did you bring me here? Answer me that!" There was a silence, and Gail snorted.
"Thats exactly what I thought." Urging Sensi forwards she began to overtake the other two, becoming lead file in their little band. Suddenly she urged Sensi to a gallop, and the others were left with little chouce but to follow in her wake.

[Green Child]

IC: both

"you couldn't tell her?" said Ewan bringing his horse next to Ross's
"you see too much my friend" was the cryptic reply
"but I still see" he said
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"i'm Dragon born remember...we see very well." he paused "i know both secrets" he said mildly, as if they did not matter at all, which of course was far from the truth and that they were not important which was of couse again, far from the truth.
"Do they bother you?" Ross asked mildly even while his heart hammered in his chest
"The First secret, no not really, that is for you to discuss with the female man-thing. The Second? I don't know. I have, at present no concept of time therefore it does not, if I get a conceot of it then it might but not now."
Ross let out a small sigh " it feels so good to share this with someone, I am still a priest at heart you know. it is painful for me to aviod the question or to lie.It is against my very nature" he hawked and spat, a childhood habit of unhappiness that he lost a long time ago. "No I will not tell her...not yet. It is not the time, she is so defensive of us that she cannot see the pain that all this causes me"
Ewan looked at him, he was still not very used to humans or their emotions but pain and sorrow he could read from a mile off "will you be the one to explain to the next member that you have been shielding her from the song and her vision in hopes that you are wrong?" Ross's face turned to stone, yet Ewan still continued "will you be the one to tell her she must give up her throne?" Ross galloped away, in the direction of the Elvish capital.
Ewan shouted "what's a friend?"

they were both unaware that Gail had heard every word.

Her expression was unreadable.