And now, Chapter 6! I'm sorry about those of you who thought that the name guide was a chapter. I just felt like you needed that. I have more supplementary material in my head if you want it.
Chapter 6
I had asked the winds to keep the night of the full moon clear. They translated that as keeping the whole day clear. I do not need a whole day to get ready for the Moonlight Dance. But, now I could spend the whole day with my family and Sun.
Sun was staring off into space, probably talking to Dave with her mind. I wished that I could do that with someone other than Sun and Dave. But the elves lost the Old Language many, many generations ago, before the present Old Ones were born.
Back when we played with the humans, and the unicorns were alive, the Immortals could speak the Old Language. The Old Language is speaking mind-to-mind. From what Dave has told me, the shape shifters can speak a diluted form of the Old Language to the pack members who are in wolf form. The fairies can speak a diluted form of the Old Language, and they can teach others. But the elves; we can only speak the Old Language in its undiluted form to our fhreen. We all used to be able to speak the Old Language, all the elves, fairies, mermaids, dwarves, dryads; but then the humans killed the unicorns and we lost much of the Old Language. This was before the first vampire.
"Dave!" Sun squealed. "Will you come with me to meet him, Rain?" she asked.
"Sure," I replied. "Just let me get my swords." I ran upstairs, grabbed my swords from my bedroom wall, fastened their sheaths to my back, and ran back downstairs.
"Why do you need your swords?" Sun asked.
"Stratus's murderess knows I'm here," I said. "It's better to be overprotected than dead. Shall we go?" We walked outside together.
"I'll fly, if you don't mind," Sun said. "I need to stretch my wings." She unfolded her wings and started to fly. I relaxed and let the winds carry me, flying elf-style. The winds played gently with my hair, as winds will.
Sun saw Dave first with her eagle eyes. She gave her eagle cry and dove down, regardless of who was near. I was a little more careful, but I did not see anyone but us. Dave sneezed when I landed.
Rain, you stink, he thought to me.
"Grandfather and Uncle Luke are visiting me," I replied. "You probably smell them."
"Why is the Tharina so far from her family?" a voice asked, coming from the trees. "She's all alone and unprotected."
"I can take care of myself," I replied.
"I think not," the speaker said, emerging from the trees. She was a fire elf with blonde hair. "You wind mothers are so strange. You never go anywhere alone. You live in large families. And now the Tharina is unprotected." She smiled.
"I have my friends. I have my swords. The winds are always with me. Do I need more?"
Rain, we should go, Sun thought at me.
Light's right, you could be in danger here, and end up getting yourself hurt, Dave thought.
Okay, should I flash or will you run/fly with me? I asked.
We'll run with you.
"This meeting is pointless, and I have things to do," I said to the fire elf. "We really must be going."
"Blaze has a grudge against your family. Have fun trying to avoid her." The fire elf smiled. And then we were off, running back to my house. We got home without meeting anyone.
Rain, Light, I'm changing, Dave thought, disappearing into the trees.
"Is Dave changing?" Grandma asked, coming out of my house.
"Yes," I replied. "Why? Is his use of the Old Language bothering you?"
"Rain, you know that I can sense when someone uses the Old Language."
"Hello, Precipitation," Dave said to Grandma. "Rain said you were visiting. Or maybe it was Light…"
"Dave!" Sun exclaimed, smiling. "You know perfectly well who it was!"
"Is everyone here?" Dave asked me.
"Everyone except Aunt Hail," I replied. "She's coming with the herd later. Everyone who lives in Michigan is here."
"Rain, who is here besides the humans?" Dave asked. "I asked Light, but she said that I should ask you."
"There are a family of seven alligators and two packs of shape shifters," I replied. "The alligators have a child who was Imprinted on by one of the Alphas."
"Wow," Dave said. "I can't imagine being that close to vampires."
"You're a shape shifter," I said. "Of course you can't."
"Rain, did you know that you have a telephone?" Mom asked from inside the house.
"I did not know," I answered. "Why? Is it ringing?"
"Yes!" I went inside to hunt for the telephone. I looked and quickly found it, listening for its ringing.
"Raven Valeneski," I said, picking up the telephone.
"Raven, hi, it's Emmett."
"Oh, hi, Emmett," I said.
"I forgot to ask you about when you're coming to get me for the dance."
"Let's see…the Dance starts when the moon rises, so if you can be ready a little before sunset, I'll pick you up about then."
"Okay, I will."
"Oh, Emmett?"
"Yes?"
"I'll warn you now, Ellen's boyfriend is visiting. He's a shape shifter."
"I'm okay as long as he's okay."
"That's good, then."
"Is that it?"
"Yes, that's it. I'll see you later tonight," I said.
"I'll see you then. 'Bye."
"Goodbye." We hung up.
"So, who was that?" Sun asked, smiling.
"Would the world explode if you minded your own business?" I asked. "Forget I asked that. I don't want you to answer."
"It was Emmett, wasn't it," Sun said.
"Am I really that transparent?"
"Yes! You're smiling like, well, me after Dave and I talk and you told me to mind my own business. I think it was Emmett." Dave looked puzzled.
"Emmett Cullen is one of the alligators. He sits next to me in one of my classes and we talk," I explained.
"And?" Dave asked. "Judging by your actions, that isn't all."
"I invited him to the Moonlight Dance. He said yes."
"Rain, does he know that I'll be there?"
"Yes, and he's still coming and he won't try to pick a fight with you."
"I won't try to pick a fight with him. Another question: how much does he know?"
"Emmett knows that I'm not human and that Sun is a fairy. The elfish laws won't let me tell him anything else." No matter how much I wished I could tell him more.
"What names does he know you by?" Dave asked.
"I'm Raven and Sun is Ellen."
"Why Ellen?"
"I'm Ellen because one of the Alphas is Sam. So, to avoid confusion, I'm Ellen. But I answer to whatever anyone calls me."
"Trout?" I asked, teasing.
"Do I look like a fish? Okay, I guess I earned that. I'll rephrase that sentence: I'll answer to any of my names."
"That's better," I replied.
"Are you hungry?" Mom asked. "Dave, don't answer that. Shape shifters are always hungry."
"Yes, we would like something to eat," Sun answered for us. "We need our energy for the Moonlight Dance. Is Cumulus playing for us?"
"Should I play my flute or violin?" Cumulus asked. "I can't quite decide."
"You should play your flute," I answered. "It sounds better and produces air that helps with your magic."
"Okay," she replied. "I will. And who am I leaving with?"
"You're leaving with Sun and Dave because I have to pick up Emmett."
"So I was right, you did invite Emmett to the Moonlight Dance!"
"You had better eat, if you are eating," Mom said. "Your food is on the table." We rushed through eating. Sun and I finished long before Dave. We eat much less than shape shifters. However, then again, they eat a lot. Elves definitely do not eat much. All we need is a piece of fruit and a glass of water. Fairies need more, but they eat almost the same amount as humans, nowhere near as much as a shape shifter.
When we finished eating, we all prepared ourselves for the Dance. I ignored my circlet. The Moonlight Dance is not formal enough, and I would most likely be the only elf there, besides Cumulus. Sun, however, could not ignore her necklace.
The fairies are generally self-ruling; each family rules itself. However, they do have two titles: the Child of Day and the Child of Night. Sun is the current Daughter of Day. The sign of her title is a necklace with a sun pendant. I have not seen the sign of the current Son of Night's title, as I have not met him. The fairy titles, however, are mostly empty titles, unlike the elfin titles.
Sun wore her yellow skirt with small, orange embroidered suns and a plain white shirt. I wore my gray skirt with a raindrop print, a plain white shirt, and my raindrop earrings. My raindrop earrings make my ears appear rounded, not pointed like that of an elf. We were lucky that Dave did not wear jeans and a t-shirt. He wore black pants and a somewhat dressy shirt.
"Are you ready to go?" Sun asked Cumulus.
"I'm ready," she answered. "Okay, our names. Sun is Ellen, Rain is Raven, and I am…Rain? What name did you use to introduce me?"
"Cumulus, you are Cora."
"Okay." I walked outside and flashed almost the whole way to the Cullen's house. I did not flash all the way, because I didn't want them to see the ending of my flash. I knocked on the door. Alice opened it.
"Emmett is almost ready," she said. "Come in."
"Thank you," I replied, walking inside the house.
"I love your skirt!" Alice exclaimed.
"Thank you," I said. "My mother made it for my 18th birthday."
"We don't know much about you," Carlisle said, walking into the room. "Will you tell us more?"
"All I can tell you is what I have already told Emmett. I am not allowed to tell more. I am not human. I can control winds. I have a little, limited magic. I am not a fairy. I am old compared to most of you." I tried to say more, but I was unable to. "That is all I can say. I can tell no more."
Elves are limited in what we can say about ourselves. When the humans turned against the Immortals, the Thars met and wove a spell that prevents us from revealing too much. Only if a Thar gives us specific permission can we tell a specific person. The only exceptions are those we have grown up with (or grew up with us), our fhreens, and other elves. I could not tell Sun until her 16th birthday and Dave until he first phased.
"Are you ready?" Emmett asked, walking down the stairs. I could tell he was nervous.
"Of course," I replied. "Are you?" He nodded. I smiled. "How fast can you run?"
"Are you challenging me to a race?" I smiled wider.
"I can run faster in a skirt than you can run in pants!" We raced to the clearing. I ran just fast enough that Emmett was on my heels, but not slow enough that Emmett could pass me. We were the first in the clearing, which is how I had hoped it would be.
"No one else is here," Emmett said.
"I was hoping that no one else would be here so I could teach you some of the fairy dances." I turned and faced him. "The first dance I'll teach you is the Dance of the Puddles." I took his hands. "Mirror me. Step across your body with your left foot. Spin to that foot. Left step, now spin. Right step and now spin. Left step, now spin. Left step, now spin. Right step and now spin. This pattern repeats for the whole dance."
"The whole dance is stepping and spinning."
"Yes. The fun part is when the fairies decide to compete. They dance at an ever-increasing speed until they can go no longer. I do not participate in the competition, however."
"I can imagine the fairies falling from dizziness," Emmett said, laughing. I taught him as many dances as I could before others arrived. Sun, Dave, and Cumulus were the first to arrive.
"Dave, this is Emmett Cullen. Emmett, this is Dave Jones, Alpha of the Michigan Pack." They did not shake hands, but I did not expect them to. As I was introducing them, other fairies arrived.
"I recognize you, Ellen," a fairy said as he walked up to us. "But I do not recognize your friends."
"This is Dave, my boyfriend, my best friend, Raven, Raven's younger sister, Cora, and Raven's friend, Emmett. This is Josh of the Rainleaf family."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Josh,'' I said.
"It is nice to meet you, too," he replied. Lady elf, he projected into my mind, it really is nice to meet you.
"Shall we start?" I asked. Sun gave her eagle cry, effectively silencing the gathered fairies. The full moon bathed the clearing in silver light.
"Tonight is the full moon. A time when we remember what our kinds once had. It is a time of laughter, dancing, and safety. Shall we begin, my friends?" Sun asked.
"Yes, we shall!" the fairies exclaimed.
"Cora, if you will," Sun said. "Play us the Dance of the Owl." I sighed, relieved. I had taught Emmett this dance. Cumulus played the opening notes on her flute. Everyone was ready. Cumulus jumped into the dance. The Dance of the Owl is a fast, high-energy dance. The tempo is fast, but the dancers would like a slow tempo to complete some of the moves in the dance. It is an immensely fun dance. Some of the fairies were breathless at the end of the dance.
Sun smiled. "Now that we are all breathless, let's have the Dance of the Puddles."
"No magic!" someone called. "I vote we can't use magic to help us."
"No magic," Sun agreed. Cumulus started up the song on her flute. I could almost hear rain splashing in puddles. The dancers took to the "floor" again. We danced a little while at the slow tempo, and then someone called for the competition. Emmett and I stepped out of the dance.
"Do you mind if I sing?" I asked Emmett. He shook his head. I started singing.
Drip, drop, splish, splash
This is the puddle song
Drip, drop, splish, splash
Let's see how you last!
I repeated that, faster and faster, in time with Cumulus's playing. Dave and Sun were one of the last couples to survive. Josh and his partner, however, were the last couple dancing. Cumulus stopped playing.
"You're done," she said. "I can go no longer right now."
"Rest, sister," I said. "You need it."
"Will you tell us a legend, then, Raven?" someone asked.
"I will tell you the legend of the mermaids. The mermaids are shy and rarely come out of hiding. However, there was a time when they sang and played with us. However, I go back farther, to a time before the first mermaid. This time was before the first werewolf, before the first vampire. We start with a young fairy. Her animal form is that of a trout. Her name is River. River is a beautiful fairy, with brown hair and green eyes. She is the envy of everyone she meets, though she meets no humans."
"Even the – " pause "– your kind, Raven?" Sun asked.
"Yes. Even we were jealous of River. She had everything, except for friends. She had no true friends. River was very lonely." Cumulus took over.
"She spent most of her time in her animal form, swimming. She was young and alone, easy prey for a night hunter. The night hunters are the worst type of Immortal. They have no conscience. They will attack anytime and anywhere, and their magic is not restricted. They are proud of their attacks and boldly show that it was they who attacked."
"The night hunters are less in number now," I said, "thanks to the humans. However, they were many in River's time. An inexperienced night hunter, who tried to force River into her human form, found her. The night hunter only partially succeeded. River had a human torso and a fish tail. Her children are what we now call mermaids. They are mostly female, though there are a very few mermen. The mermaid specialty in magic is camouflage, and we rarely see any now, though we would know if the mermaids died out. That is the legend of the mermaid, as Cora and I learned it."
"Are you able to play again, Cora?"
"I am now," she replied. "What dance shall I play?"
"Why not the Dance of the saa-shI?" one of the fairies asked.
"Raven?" Emmett asked. "You didn't teach me this dance."
"It isn't a fairy dance, Emmett," I replied. "But you can learn it on the spot." The fairies gathered in the ring that starts the dance. Cumulus started the music. "Place your hands on mine," I whispered, holding my hands palm towards him.
Step left, back right
ianI, fahnina
helA, râm'dal
ianI, fahnina
neI sulei
luU shay
ianI, fahnina
hofuh'leE nada
lafii'daH nia'fay
ianI, fahnina
faheeR no nai'ah
ianI fahnina
neI axid nei nii'fa
ialI, fahnina
zhlôT, uwe fuht
"That was an easy dance," Emmett whispered to me when Cumulus stopped playing. "But what were you singing?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. I tried to sing in English, but it came out in the native tongue of my people."
"It changes every time it is sung," Josh said, walking up to us. "The Dance itself never changes, but the words do change."
"It reflects how the singer feels. Her greatest emotions get put into the song."
"Someone's coming, someone's coming," Cumulus sang. She lifted her flute and started playing. Sun looked at me. I nodded.
"You three stay here. The rest of us will hide," she said. The fairies and Dave climbed trees. I looked, but I could not see them.
"neI efay'kaa vian ree keenickola," Cumulus said. Our clearing was no longer hidden.
"Emmett, follow my lead. I do not know who is coming, but they are able to get to this clearing. Do not talk about the ones who are hiding. If I need to, I will assign you a role, which you must follow, for all of our sakes." Emmett nodded. He understood.
"Having fun?" a girl asked, stepping out of the trees. "The peace won't last long, layna no lee'id doo. Enjoy it while you can." The moonlight showed her fire red eyes.
"We are not afraid, layna no roo doo," Cumulus said.
"You should be afraid, little one." She smiled and threw a piece of paper to me. I caught it. "We will meet again, layna no lee'id doo. Be prepared." She turned around and left the clearing.
In regards to the circlet mentioned by Rain:
Each Clan has a different design: (I'll try to post URLs for close pictures on my page)
Wind Clan's design is the little curly-things that little kids draw to symbolize wind around the circlet
Water Clan's design is a blue teardrop shaped stone between the eyes
Grass Clan's design is a single flower in the center
Tree Clan's design is a leaf in the center
Fire Clan's design is a single fire red ruby
The Thar's circlet is of pure gold, the Tharina's circlet is of pure silver
Common Tongue used in this chapter:
Fhreen: chosen mate of an elf
Thar: queen, king, leader
Tharina: princess, prince (literally little queen)
saa-shI: elf
ianI, fahnina / helA, râm'dal / ianI, fahnina / neI sulei / luU shay / ianI, fahnina / hofuh'leE nada / lafii'daH nia'fay / ianI, fahnina / faheeR no nai'ah / ianI fahnina / neI axid nei nii'fa / ialI, fahnina / zhlôT, uwe fuht: Fast, little one / Now, right / Fast, little one / My heart / Is here / Fast, little one / Between us / Blood connects / Fast, little one / Child of my mother / Fast, little one / I loved my sister / Slow, little one / Enough, and stop
neI efay'kaa vian ree keenickola: I cannot hold the barrier
layna no lee'id doo: Wind elf (literally, she of the gray eyes)
layna no roo doo: Fire elf (literally, she of the red eyes)