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"Tell me more about Elaina and Selleya. I'm still no closer to understanding how you are able to speak to Stellua than I was before. "
Legolas headed back into his storyteller mode. "After Elaina cracked, it was as if she had opened. Before this, she had been so closed and distant, as if she were a body that was completely uninhabited. No matter how many times she was held, no matter how many lullabies were sung to her, she was just...closed. Like I said, it was the day she cried to my father that everything changed. She opened herself up to love, and the idea of starting a new life but never forgetting the old."
Daine, who was lying in the grass on her stomach, wiped away a stray tear. Legolas continued, "My father vowed to take care of her always, and to raise her as a daughter. He kept his word, and after two years had passed, an amazing change had occurred in both Selleya and Elaina.
One morning, my father had gone to Elaina's rooms to bring her to breakfast in the great hall. When he did not find her in bed, he ran out to Selleya's stables where she could often be found. When he threw open the stall door, Elaina and Selleya were lying there asleep. You may think of that as nothing spectacular, however both girl and horse had gone through a strange and beautiful metamorphosis. Elaina's stringy brown hair was now blonde, wavy, and much longer. My father said that when she opened her eyes, they would dance from color to color, before finally setting on crystal blue. Selleya's plain tan mane had grown a few feet, and had turned into a radiant gold. Her hide had changed to stark white that reflected all the colors of the rainbow, much like a prism."
Daine sat in awe and wonderment. "Wow," she managed to say.
Legolas grinned, and held up his pointer finger. "But," he went on, "the most magnificent change of all was the 12 inch horn protruding from the center of Selleya's head."
Daine gasped, and sat there with her mouth agape. "A Unicorn? I've seen many things in my short life; griffins, flying horses, stormwings...but unicorns? I thought them to be myth."
Legolas smiled at her, amused at her childlike excitement in his story. "Most people believe that Unicorns are only symbols of peace, or stories made up to help children fall asleep. The truth about unicorns pre-dates the existence of all civilized creatures of Middle-Earth. They had been living peacefully for years before men, dwarf and elf. In the early history of our world, a village of forest witches and wizards had stopped the burning and senseless cutting down of trees in the forests near their home by a band of orcs. Witches, you see, are very in tune with nature, the same as elves are. That night, a herd of Unicorns entered their village and healed all of the sick children and the cripples as thanks for saving their home. Ever since that day in history, Witches and Unicorns have been joined in a bond that will last for all eternity. When a witch- child is conceived, a baby unicorn also is in gestation so that when the baby is born, so is the foal. This ritual bonds the two for as long as both live. This is why Elaina was found with Selleya in the forest."
Daine thought about all of this, and asked, "But you said that Elaina was about 6, but Selleya looked freshly born. If they are the same age, how would that work?"
"Unicorns mature at about the same level as witch-children do up until the age of about 7. At the age of 8, the unicorn is fully grown and receives his horn, and his magic. Through the bond they share with their witch- child, the change is shared. Both receive the magic they were born to inherit."
Stellua crawled over to Daine and butted her shoulder. She looked down at her, and asked, "You are a unicorn too, then?" Stellua straightened up, full of pride. Naturally. "Then...I don't mean to be ignorant but, where is your horn?" Stellua gave what sounded like a laugh.
Horn? She said.
It is there, you just can't see it. I can make it invisible and intangible when I feel it necessary. You feel different to me. You are not a witch- child, are you?
Daine shook her head. "No, I'm not a witch-child."
Legolas watched this exchange very closely. Daine looked up when she could feel his eyes on her. "Then, what are you?" He asked her. "What?" She asked, not processing what he was referring to. "If you aren't a witch- child, then why can you speak to a unicorn?" His tone was not of fear or revulsion, just sheer curiosity.
"I have Wild Magic. I can speak to all animals, mortal or immortal. A year or two ago, I learned how to shape-shift as well." Stellua butted her head on Daine's shoulder and interrupted with,
And she can heal, too.
Daine looked at her, surprised. "How did you know that I can heal?" She asked.
That was what I sensed was different about you. You have the healing fibers, don't you? The colored strands. My kind has that too.
Daine smiled and stroked Stellua's face. "Well, yes. When I heal I send my magic into the animal with fibers of power. Different colors for different things...mending, burning out infection and things like that." Daine grinned back at Legolas.
"Oh, and I can also heal animals." She said, smiling. "So I overheard." He replied, smiling back at her. "So, tell me my lady. How is it that I came to find you, naked and panicked in the middle of my woods?"
Daine blushed a deep shade of pink. "I had shape-shifted to escape these...err, well, I don't know what they were. They were horrible, Legolas. Ugly things. They referred to me as a witch, and kept yelling to each other about how their master sent them after me."
"Orcs," Legolas interrupted. "That is the only sort of creature I can think of that would conduct themselves in such a manner.
"Can you tell me more about them later? Now that I've thought about them again, I feel foolish for lying here so long."
Legolas nodded, and started packing everything away. "You are right, if there are orcs in the woods, then we need to get home. Do not worry; Stellua will get us safely into the protected walls of Mirkwood quickly. But please continue; you shape-shifted, and..."
Legolas mounted Stellua and motioned for Daine to swing up in front of him. She did so with little effort and said, "Well, I tripped on a tree root, and started panicking. I sensed all the animals, but the closest one to me is a wolf. I was sort of...raised...by a pack of them after my home was raided. But anyhow, I shape-shifted into a wolf and ran as fast as I could. They kept screaming 'Witch!' Mayhap it was unwise to have shape-shifted in front of them. Now they just have more knowledge to take back to this 'master' of theirs. But anyhow... when you found me I had just shape-shifted back into human form, and obviously my clothes stayed behind in the process."
Daine was glad that Legolas couldn't see her blushing face. He had seen her naked!
Hope you liked it! Please review.
Love bri
dirrrtybeautifulhotmail.com
AIM: xCaliLuvin916x
"Tell me more about Elaina and Selleya. I'm still no closer to understanding how you are able to speak to Stellua than I was before. "
Legolas headed back into his storyteller mode. "After Elaina cracked, it was as if she had opened. Before this, she had been so closed and distant, as if she were a body that was completely uninhabited. No matter how many times she was held, no matter how many lullabies were sung to her, she was just...closed. Like I said, it was the day she cried to my father that everything changed. She opened herself up to love, and the idea of starting a new life but never forgetting the old."
Daine, who was lying in the grass on her stomach, wiped away a stray tear. Legolas continued, "My father vowed to take care of her always, and to raise her as a daughter. He kept his word, and after two years had passed, an amazing change had occurred in both Selleya and Elaina.
One morning, my father had gone to Elaina's rooms to bring her to breakfast in the great hall. When he did not find her in bed, he ran out to Selleya's stables where she could often be found. When he threw open the stall door, Elaina and Selleya were lying there asleep. You may think of that as nothing spectacular, however both girl and horse had gone through a strange and beautiful metamorphosis. Elaina's stringy brown hair was now blonde, wavy, and much longer. My father said that when she opened her eyes, they would dance from color to color, before finally setting on crystal blue. Selleya's plain tan mane had grown a few feet, and had turned into a radiant gold. Her hide had changed to stark white that reflected all the colors of the rainbow, much like a prism."
Daine sat in awe and wonderment. "Wow," she managed to say.
Legolas grinned, and held up his pointer finger. "But," he went on, "the most magnificent change of all was the 12 inch horn protruding from the center of Selleya's head."
Daine gasped, and sat there with her mouth agape. "A Unicorn? I've seen many things in my short life; griffins, flying horses, stormwings...but unicorns? I thought them to be myth."
Legolas smiled at her, amused at her childlike excitement in his story. "Most people believe that Unicorns are only symbols of peace, or stories made up to help children fall asleep. The truth about unicorns pre-dates the existence of all civilized creatures of Middle-Earth. They had been living peacefully for years before men, dwarf and elf. In the early history of our world, a village of forest witches and wizards had stopped the burning and senseless cutting down of trees in the forests near their home by a band of orcs. Witches, you see, are very in tune with nature, the same as elves are. That night, a herd of Unicorns entered their village and healed all of the sick children and the cripples as thanks for saving their home. Ever since that day in history, Witches and Unicorns have been joined in a bond that will last for all eternity. When a witch- child is conceived, a baby unicorn also is in gestation so that when the baby is born, so is the foal. This ritual bonds the two for as long as both live. This is why Elaina was found with Selleya in the forest."
Daine thought about all of this, and asked, "But you said that Elaina was about 6, but Selleya looked freshly born. If they are the same age, how would that work?"
"Unicorns mature at about the same level as witch-children do up until the age of about 7. At the age of 8, the unicorn is fully grown and receives his horn, and his magic. Through the bond they share with their witch- child, the change is shared. Both receive the magic they were born to inherit."
Stellua crawled over to Daine and butted her shoulder. She looked down at her, and asked, "You are a unicorn too, then?" Stellua straightened up, full of pride. Naturally. "Then...I don't mean to be ignorant but, where is your horn?" Stellua gave what sounded like a laugh.
Horn? She said.
It is there, you just can't see it. I can make it invisible and intangible when I feel it necessary. You feel different to me. You are not a witch- child, are you?
Daine shook her head. "No, I'm not a witch-child."
Legolas watched this exchange very closely. Daine looked up when she could feel his eyes on her. "Then, what are you?" He asked her. "What?" She asked, not processing what he was referring to. "If you aren't a witch- child, then why can you speak to a unicorn?" His tone was not of fear or revulsion, just sheer curiosity.
"I have Wild Magic. I can speak to all animals, mortal or immortal. A year or two ago, I learned how to shape-shift as well." Stellua butted her head on Daine's shoulder and interrupted with,
And she can heal, too.
Daine looked at her, surprised. "How did you know that I can heal?" She asked.
That was what I sensed was different about you. You have the healing fibers, don't you? The colored strands. My kind has that too.
Daine smiled and stroked Stellua's face. "Well, yes. When I heal I send my magic into the animal with fibers of power. Different colors for different things...mending, burning out infection and things like that." Daine grinned back at Legolas.
"Oh, and I can also heal animals." She said, smiling. "So I overheard." He replied, smiling back at her. "So, tell me my lady. How is it that I came to find you, naked and panicked in the middle of my woods?"
Daine blushed a deep shade of pink. "I had shape-shifted to escape these...err, well, I don't know what they were. They were horrible, Legolas. Ugly things. They referred to me as a witch, and kept yelling to each other about how their master sent them after me."
"Orcs," Legolas interrupted. "That is the only sort of creature I can think of that would conduct themselves in such a manner.
"Can you tell me more about them later? Now that I've thought about them again, I feel foolish for lying here so long."
Legolas nodded, and started packing everything away. "You are right, if there are orcs in the woods, then we need to get home. Do not worry; Stellua will get us safely into the protected walls of Mirkwood quickly. But please continue; you shape-shifted, and..."
Legolas mounted Stellua and motioned for Daine to swing up in front of him. She did so with little effort and said, "Well, I tripped on a tree root, and started panicking. I sensed all the animals, but the closest one to me is a wolf. I was sort of...raised...by a pack of them after my home was raided. But anyhow, I shape-shifted into a wolf and ran as fast as I could. They kept screaming 'Witch!' Mayhap it was unwise to have shape-shifted in front of them. Now they just have more knowledge to take back to this 'master' of theirs. But anyhow... when you found me I had just shape-shifted back into human form, and obviously my clothes stayed behind in the process."
Daine was glad that Legolas couldn't see her blushing face. He had seen her naked!
Hope you liked it! Please review.
Love bri
dirrrtybeautifulhotmail.com
AIM: xCaliLuvin916x