The Voyage of the Dehoa'rhide'moha
Or
The Pilgrim Mother
The sea was the love of the Torin Elves, they could not resist the call of the water, whispering to them from every shore.
Terra'meinen, the great blue sea jewel that flowed endlessly in the
fairy world, that bound them together, it was the giver of life and
guardian of their world.
Kivanis was still in is mothers arms when the song of Terra'meinen told him of his future. He was thus driven to learn all possible of the ocean, the life it hid beneath its sapphire surface, the tides that came and went with the many cycles of the moons, the winds that caressed it's surface and the boats that faired to sail upon it.
He apprenticed with the most
knowledgeable of ship builders until they could teach him no more. He
lived on the golden shores of the Terra'meinen with the sky watchers to
learn the highs and lows of her moods for many seasons until they could
teach him no more. He sailed with the sea hunters until he could almost
sense the presence of the sea life below the surface and tell the
hunters what was beneath them. He spent season upon the slopes of the
Evranvishal to experience the winds that accompanied the seasons.
On the eve of three hundred twentieth life anniversary he was stuck
with a vision of a ship of white with billowing burgundy sails. He
awoke in a frenzy, taking parchment, quill and ink into hand and began
the design of his life studies, the Dehoa'rhide'moha.
In nine days time Kivanis held the master plans of the greatest ship the fairy land had yet to set eyes upon. He set upon building her at once, recruiting his three brothers to aid him in this task. Not questioning their eldest blood they set out at once to cut down only the straightest of the white trees.
His beloved wife, Arohnadi, purchased the finest burgundy thread to construct the sails for the Dehoa'rhide'moha.
Soon, eyes were drawn to the happenings on the shore, many came to witness what many priests called 'a blessed vision'. Multiple men came to join Kivanis and his kin to build the ship, many felt a calling or an urge to travel to the area, some saw it as a blessed sign.
Eight
season cycles passed before the mammoth white hauls felt the caress of
the Terra'meinen. The Dehoa'rhide'moha held thirty living cabins, a
master kitchen with a master dining area. The entire bottom of the ship
could hold enough dry rations to sustain over one hundred elves for one
year, if that was all they ate. The area above the storage would hold
live stock and food for the animals. She was a ship meant for a long
voyage, a voyage of no return.
It was decided that something was
calling this group of Torin elves and their families, the sweet song of
the Terra'meinen told of something beyond the fairy shores, it was
calling for them.
Thirty Torin families put their belongings onto the ship, ready to accept a new life and new land. All of these families were called to, they came from far or down the path but all heard a call, this was their duty.
The day of the maiden voyage came, when the sails were lowered for the first time, the wind caught them and the sun cast behind, the onlookers said that the sails blazed like sacred fire. It was a blessed sight.
The Dehoa'rhide'moha never saw the fairy shores again.
Twenty families embarked on an eleven year voyage, living off of the sea, docking at small uninhabited islands to restock but always heading where the wind would take them, never the same place twice.
Without ever knowing how or when the Terra'meinen opened a gate to the world of Avalon.
Coming to rest on a quiet shore the elves found comfort, a sort of peace. This was to be their final destination. On one horizon was flat lands, a place for fields, on the other horizon was vast forests, a place to find lumber to build their new homes.
This land they named Toro-Bolane. Homes were built for the newcomers of Avalon, farming began and their population grew.
When Kivanis reached the age of six hundred eighty eight he felt the call of the ocean once more, the final call. His beloved wife was long since gone, his great, great grandchildren were all but fully grown, this shore now populated with the ancestors of his crew in the large town of Toro-Bolane.
One fine winter morning the elves woke to find the Dehoa'rhide'moha gone along with her father Kavanis.
The following night 12 new stars appeared in the heavens in the shape of the white ship, due north, the stars that guide home.
It is believed that Kavanis did not wish to land but to simply be rocked by the gentle bed of water, over time the captain found his ways to the heavens the ship and her captain now look down upon their pilgrims.