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 Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2023 12:58 pm
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This child was trying to teach her about trees. In her thousands of years of unlife, Grainne had never before been instructed in such a way by a mortal. How funny. "Not all trees are rooted," she said simply. Well, if selected, this child would learn. Though this young one was clearly comfortable with nature, the elder had not yet made her decision.
The mood of the mortal before her seemed quite affected by the forest. She appeared calm and even happy, wriggling her toes in the earth. As though she had not a care in the world. Perhaps she did not. If Grainned embraced this child, she would no longer be alive, in the sense that she was now, so living forever in the great forest was not possible. If still alive, she would have to return with no memory of the place. If embraced, she would be entering unlife, a state that was truly distinct from life.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2023 7:01 pm
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A protector of all the forests… for a moment, Galanaia’s face went slack as she considered what would be a truly massive undertaking. Faetasia was huge. And this Great Mother, who wasn’t a god, protected all of the forests. Amazing.
And pretty damn intimidating, but she didn’t want to focus on that.
She watched the stranger move and mentally promised that she would try very hard to learn to move like that. It would make it so much easier to hide from intruders in her own little patch of the woods… She was brought solidly back to the present by the other’s words. And for once, she didn’t feel like some outcast weirdo for wanting to be surrounded by trees. Not when it meant she could hear this call and feel it stir her blood.
“I don’t suppose she’d be open to recruiting junior guardians, would she?” Galanaia said a little wistfully. “I’d happily work for free if I got to hear her call once in a while. It’s a rather stimulating feeling. I feel like I should thank her for letting me even hear it at all. And thank her for keeping the forests protected. I’d be miserable without trees and plants around me.”
Ah. Well, at least she wouldn't be in trouble for wanting to venture deeper in. Though the last words brought out another raspy laugh.
“If there’s danger, then it’s worth doing. And if a guide would be wise, then I would humbly like to ask if you would be willing to guide me.”
Holding one hand over her heart, the baddie bowed her head respectfully. Whatever the stranger was, she was starting to feel quite certain that they were not quite… well. Mortal. At least, not in the sense that Galanaia understood the word.
—---------------------------------
Going still, Fibula considered the words carefully and then nodded carefully. Whatever this person was, she truly did exude a sense of belonging to the forest in a way that Fibula knew she couldn’t. And that sparked a tiny twinge of jealousy. How lovely would it be to belong like that? To always feel such steadiness and connection?
Sighing a little, the fox listened intensely and then broke into a grin.
“I don’t know who this great mother is, but it’s very kind of her to allow me such an honor,” she began, speaking slowly and carefully. “I’m going to hazard a guess that there aren’t very many who can even hear her, are there?”
That made her sad. Imagine being unable to hear such a wondrous thing, to be allowed the chance to see something beautiful and unknown. And, if she was hearing the other female correctly, there was a chance that she might not be entirely welcome either. She was being given an opportunity, though to do what, she wasn’t entirely sure.
“If the heart isn’t here,” she began, “can you show you me where it is? I would like to see it if I may. And if the great mother is allowing me this chance, I would like to give her a token of appreciation for it and any lessons I might learn.”
Fibula kept a little bag of pretty crystals and stones on a belt. Reaching inside, she drew out a tiny handful of crystals that were clearly much loved. Studying them carefully, she held back a robin’s egg sized citrine and put the others back.
“This one, I think,” she said. “It’s my oldest crystal and I would like to think that I’ve put a lot of good energy and calm into it. Seems like a good thank you gift to me.”
—------------------------------
Ears perking with interest, Tobay felt a little zing of excitement. This was not something that any of his omens and portents had warned him of! How interesting. And, if he was not mistaken, this would be a one time opportunity. If he messed this up, he suspected there would never be another chance.
Better not mess up then.
“I’m quite honored, ma’am,” he said, brain frantically whirling as he tried to ensure that he would pick the perfect words for whatever happened next. “So much so that I’m a little afraid of saying the wrong thing.”
He’d decided to be perfectly honest. He knew that he respected truthfulness. Hopefully the mother and her emissary would as well. He did wonder what the wrong reasons for seeking might be. Anything that worked against the good of the forest, probably.
“My father reads omens that come from the heavens, the stars. As far as I can tell he’s quite good at it. He tried to teach me his way and I was a miserable failure at it. But the earth and the woods? That is where I found teachers and my own unique way of doing things. I love the scent of the earth and the way the trees smell after a rainfall. If she would be willing to teach me, I only ask to learn to be better. I have no need to surpass any teacher, only myself.”
Turning a droll smile on the female, Tobay shrugged.
“I am willing to work and make myself useful to her. I don’t think I am being arrogant when I say that I am reasonably good at reading the portents. I am not perfect, but I would like to learn new ways to complement what I already know. I wish for the knowledge of the deep wood, my lady. As long as I can still heave the woods and forests, I think I could be content even without seeing my omens.”
—-----------------------------
Tilting her head, Melon wondered why the other looked so taken aback for a moment. The song was lovely, why was it so odd to wish to learn it, if she could? Granted, she had a voice like a drunken goat gargling cheese, but even she could tell that this music went beyond mere throats. Maybe that was it. Maybe it needed something more to learn.
Reaching out, intending to give the other female a gentle pat on the shoulder, Melon smiled.
“I’m sorry if I said something wrong. I didn’t mean any offense, you know. If I could learn, I would like to, but if something in me is missing that would prevent it, then that’s very sad, but I am very content to have been able to hear her song at all. Are you able to sing like her too? Or just hear?”
It was, to the maenad’s mind, an important question. And truly, the idea that not everyone could learn the song was oddly comforting. If it wasn’t only her lacking, that made it better.
“Would it be rude of me to tell her that I enjoy her song very much? May I thank her?”
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Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 9:52 pm
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Watching and listening to Galanaia, Grainne found herself contemplating something almost unthinkable. The great mother had not embraced another in perhaps a hundred centuries, but the possibility of it hung heavily in the air. Grainne herself could do it, of course. Yet she considered whether that was the right path. What she was pondering was a true opportunity unto itself. She weighed the child for a long moment, listening to her words, examining her face. The forest spirit within her called out to the child, reaching through her, working through her to put this young one through its own test.
"She might be," Grainne said soft, her voice resonate. "Come. It's time that you met her." Decision made, she led the baddie toward the heart of the forest. This child did not yet know the honor that awaited her. Could not know, perhaps. But it was incumbent upon Grainne to know when she must relinquish her own power and surrender to another's. "Few can traverse the heart of the forest... and fewer still can dwell within it." Narcise would make her own decision when they reached her.
*-*-*-*
As the fox spoke, Grainne found that the sliver of wisdom within her was somewhat larger than a mere spark. Only just that, though. The wealth of what this little one did not know could fill a multitude of libraries. But nevertheless, her instincts were better than they might have been. The Lhiannon elder regarded her with a steady gaze. "There are very few who can hear her. Fewer still that follow her voice."
Indeed, only a handful had answered the Crone's call in the past few nights. But that would not stop Grainne from carefully taking the measure of each one in turn. This one, though... this one had heard but also sought to thank the great mother. "Come then," the Lhiannon said, gesturing for Fibula to follow her. She would not perform the embrace in this open space. That and she found herself desiring to let this child bring her gift to Narcise. The vampire began to walk deeper into the forest, expecting the fox to follow her.
*-*-*-*
Grainne raised a brow at the kat's words. "You will not lose your ability to see omens. Perhaps you will gain a deeper knowledge of them, and of the wood itself. There is much here to learn... and more, still, that the great mother can teach you, if she so desires." Though it was not often the Crone took up a male student, it was not out of the question. Yet this child's humility and deep love of the forest made Grainne wonder.
It was her decision, in the end. She had nearly made up her mind. It would only be a bit longer before she was certain of Tobay. "What the great mother can teach only few can learn. You may be one of them." Not everyone had the temperament to become a Lhiannon, and more, much more than that, a follower of the Crone. Gifted with magic and nature, they stood apart. He seemed to have the mettle for it. Time would tell.
*-*-*-*
For a long moment, she contemplated the maenad. And then, at last, she made a choice. "I will convey your thanks to her, child. But from this moment on your will not remember me or the things we have said to one another. You will not remember the great forest or find your way here." As much as you are of the forest, this path is not for you. Go in peace. Your path lies thither." So saying, she pointed back the way Melon came, and the maenad would find herself facing in the other direction. There was no great forest, no Grainne. No memory of either. Strangely, the memory of the song had not fled, but it would merely seem a daydream.
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2023 11:56 am
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She might be. The words echoed and rang through Galanaia’s skull, nearly blinding her with possibility. She would be permitted to meet the great mother! Her! Moving quickly, she followed the other female closely, keeping a watchful eye on the path. “I’m looking forward to meeting her,” she said softly, reverently. Every few moments, she pinched her arms hard, wondering if she was within a very realistic dream, thinking that there was more she should say. Except… too many words and they would become cheap. Right now, it was best to stay quiet and respectful. Though she kept the other’s dark form carefully in view, the baddie couldn’t help allowing some of her attention to wander as she saw trees and plants unknown to her.
The deeper they went, the older everything felt and it was exhilarating. The air smelled of old leaves and moss and mushrooms and it was wonderful. It was alive and spoke to part of the baddie’s soul that her own little dwelling never had. She listened to the other speak and nodded agreement.
“But what a lucky few they must be,” she murmured quietly, clearly wallowing in delight of the silent, growing green around them.
—--------------------------
Nodding in response to the female’s words, Fibula considered them carefully, wanting to give this conversation her full focus.
“If you’ll forgive my being forward,” she began, “and possibly very selfish, it’s probably just as well that not many can hear. It wouldn’t be as special if they could.”
Gripping the citrine she’d selected tightly, Fibula tried to find appropriate words to express her thoughts. There were folk who didn’t deserve to hear this call, who would have used being able to hear it as an excuse to trample and cause ruin and harm. And the thought of anyone bringing ill intent to this place and the great mother… No, it was far better to limit who could hear and seek.
“Not everyone deserves access,” she murmured.
She was brought back to the moment by the other’s ‘Come then’. Blinking owlishly, she paused for a moment and then smiled. Quickening her step so that she could walk beside the other female, Fibula allowed herself to drink the forest in. Whether she was worthy or not, she was being given the chance and that meant so much to the fox. Turning her head slightly, she studied the other.
“I believe that I owe you thanks as well, ma’am. For the explanations as well as guiding me. I just want you to know I truly appreciate it,” she said simply. Then, her attention went back to the path and the forest. There was so very much to appreciate here.
—------------------------------
Expression still and serious, Tobay listened with clear respect and nodded once in understanding. His father would be horrified by all of this, he thought with some amusement. Though more with the idea of being outside and really getting into nature. Heavens forbid he might get a leaf stuck in his fur.
Bowing low, he seemed content with whatever way fate would fall.
“If she chooses to teach me, then I am most grateful. If not, well, then that’s another sort of lesson for which I am also grateful. I understand that not everyone has the ability to learn, my lady.”
As they spoke, he found himself wondering what, exactly, her great mother looked for in a student. Was he good enough to even be given a chance? Granted, he’d failed to learn from his father, but that had been a case of square peg, round hole. Given a different sort of teacher, Tobay believed he could truly grow and thrive. And everything the lady said only served to convince him that the great mother might just be that teacher.
“I can only ask for the chance to prove myself, my lady. How else could we know whether or not I can learn the great mother’s lessons?”
—-----------------------------
Melon listened sadly and then with confusion as the other female spoke. How could she not remember any of this? That was just silly. As she opened her mouth to protest, the other pointed behind Melon to the path she’d followed and Melon turned to look. For a moment, her mind felt odd, like something had oh so gently scrubbed it clean. Then, the sensation was gone.
Blinking, the maenad looked around in confusion.
“How did I get here?” she muttered. Had she been sleepwalking? Granted, she didn’t know if sleepwalking was a thing she did or not, but she genuinely had no idea how she’d gotten to this patch of forest. Or she could have been lost in a daydream again. That had happened once or twice.
After a few more moments, she gave up on trying to recall and headed back the path. As she walked, she hummed softly to herself in time with the ghost of a daydreamed song.
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 8:03 pm
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The little baddie followed Grainne closely, and the Lhiannon made an effort not to disappear into the woods. It was an extra effort, for she was an innate part of the forest and moved with a swiftness that mortals certainly could not follow... when she wasn't trying to move at their speed. She did not answer the girl immediately, needing to reserve some of her energy to focus on the trail. Though she was quiet it did not follow that all was silent. Within the depths of the forest the sounds of night dwellers could be heard, the nocturnal animals as well as creatures best left alone.
In the darkness a luminescent butterfly appeared, pale and quivering with the newness of its wings. It flew before them and then up, high into the canopy. Live thrived here, and the great forest's heart was teeming with it. The place of the Lhiannon was to guard the forests and their inhabitants, taking their blood from the herd and replenishing the forest in their turn.
Abruptly, Grainne stopped. "We're here," she said, gesturing to a glade in the center of the forest, in which a gigantic tree reached its branches up into the canopy, blackening out what would have otherwise been an open space. But the tree was bright with bespoke glass windows and a few doors, some of which seemed to open onto nothing at all. "Great mother, I bring a child with me to your side."
*-*-*-*
"Perhaps that is so," Grainne said, regarding the child. She considered whether it would be better to bring her to Narcise herself, or first perform the embrace and then present her childe to the great mother. At length, she decided that she wanted to personally teach this one. There was a certain pride to her and a willfulness that suited Grainne perfectly well. In the great mother's company, that self-assurance might diminish somewhat, if only because the Crone was wise beyond measure, and carried with her the aura of supreme authority, at least among her own Clan.
Special or not, Fibula had heard the Crone's call, and so was worthy of the gift Grainne was about to give her. Suddenly the vampire's eyes seemed to glow... and as she focused on the young fox, the other would find that she could not look away. "Hold tightly to your gift, child. It is time to prepare you to meet with the great mother."
Taking a few swift steps, Grainne closed the gap between them. Fibula's movements would be curtailed, seemingly frozen in place. It was no trick of time, but rather the presence that the vampire emitted. She bit down on the child's neck, working quickly to drain the blood from her body. It was necessary, if she was to give her own in kind. Then, lips red with the fox's blood, she opened her own wrist and offered it to Fibula. "Accept the great mother's gift, child."
*-*-*-*
That decided the vampire. "Very well. You will have your chance." She maintained eye contact with Tobay, but somehow her gaze became hypnotic, lulling him into a kind of waking slumber. So it was that Tobay would find himself quite at Grainne's mercy... but the mercy of a Lhiannon who had chosen her own student was substantial indeed.
In a smooth movement, she bit him and began to drain him of his blood. It was necessary for the exchange that she must accomplish. This child would soon be her childe... the first male childe in many a moon. It had been some time since Grainne the elder had embraced a new Lhiannon of his like into the fold. Let him be among the first, then. She had only lately embraced one other, and that had been a female, much more like the typical choice.
When he was sufficiently drained, she slashed her teeth across her wrist. "Drink," she said, holding it to his mouth. "Drink, and gain the great mother's blessing." Blood oaths were as old as time itself, and though this was a little different, there was a magic to this rite. Perhaps he would recognize that.
((This was written with Daisy's permission.))
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:37 am
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Following along, Galanaia felt the desire to stop and stare so many times. Only, if she did, she would have lost her guide entirely. Life clearly thrived in the deep, dark wood and she reveled in the glimpses she could catch, even gasping aloud in delight as a luminescent butterfly floated past. This was a part of the forest she’d never known existed and she found herself increasingly grateful to have heard the call that had begun this.
As she followed, she tried to mentally rehearse what she might say to the great mother. How could she make her case without sounding like a creep? Hi, this lady, whose name I don’t know, told me all about you and I want to help you guard the forests! Giving herself a small shake, the baddie had to smile. THere was no point in trying to rehearse when she didn’t know the initial reception might be. But based on what she’d been told, the call she’d heard was fairly rare. Knowing that, it would make sense that the great mother might be expecting random callers. She’d know why Galanaia was there. There was no point in making up a formal speech.
She was brought firmly back to herself by the need to not run into the other female when she stopped abruptly. Sidestepping, she stared at the massive tree with wide eyes, thoroughly awestruck. How had she never known a tree like this existed?!? To reach it reaching out into the dark and yet filled with lit up windows and odd, fascinating little doors…
It was fair to say that of all the things the baddie had expected, this tree home was not even in the top five. And then her guide called out and Galanaia moved to stand beside her. Strange to be called a child though if she was meeting someone who was called the great mother, it made a sort of sense.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on the quiet, letting it soothe her nervousness. She knew that she could be of use in helping to protect the wooded places. All she had to do was prove herself to the great mother.
—----------------------------
Feeling a moment’s surprise when her guide’s eyes began to glow, Fibula wondered how that was possible without a light source to reflect. Then, the thought trickled away into a kind of heavy, hazy dreaminess and she felt her limbs go still and heavy as her thoughts slowed. As she was told to hold tightly to the gift she brought, the fox found that she could focus very well on that and she had just enough strength to clutch the citrine intended for the great mother. And she was being prepared to meet her. Fibula wasn’t sure what exactly that meant, but she trusted her guide.
And speaking of… suddenly they were very close and Fibula felt a sort of… hard pinch on her throat and as if everything she was was being drained away. Fighting against the creeping darkness in her mind, she remembered that she must hold on to the citrine and managed to tighten her fingers a little. As she drifted, her guide’s face came into focus, her mouth went and glistening red. Fibula listened to her words as a wrist was placed near her mouth. Yes, she wanted the great mother’s gift. More than anything. Reaching for the offered wrist, some instinct took over and she clamped onto it, taking the offered blood and drinking.
And all the while, she gripped the citrine tight. She mustn’t lose the gift she brought to the great mother. Especially not when she was being given a gift herself.
—--------------------------------
“You will have your chance.”
The words were sweet music to Tobay’s ears and he had just time enough to give the lady a slow smile. Her eyes had locked on his and he began to feel the edges of the world slipping away. But he wasn’t afraid. The feeling was similar enough to some of the effects his potions could have, a sort of sleeping while awake. He was aware of her standing beside him and biting him. Felt his blood being pulled from his veins and yet, felt no fear. Whatever the lady had done, it had cushioned his mind and he was grateful. He suspected that if she hadn’t, he’d be screaming in abject terror. As it was, he just felt a sort of dreamy curiosity.
How odd.
He saw her pull back and slash her own wrist with already bloodied teeth and felt a tiny spark of recognition. It flared as she offered him her wrist and ordered him to drink. This was a ritual, though not one he knew offhand.
Doing as he was told, he drank and felt… something happening. The great mother’s blessing? Certainly, though he wasn’t sure what exactly that entailed. Yet. But he knew this was deep, old magic. Like swearing a blood-brotherhood, only about one hundred times more potent. He would have to ask about it at some point.
In the meantime, he would drink until told otherwise. And think thoughts of gratitude. Whatever rite this was, he had been found worthy. It, along with whatever the lady’s blood was doing within him, was a heady, exhilarating feeling.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:35 pm
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At the sound of their approach, a door opened in the tree, and a figure descended the stair. At first it was obscured by the bright light that beamed out from the door, but as it drew near, the figure of an immensely beautiful and wise woman took shape. There was a serenity and subtle sadness to her face, her eyes those of one who had seen eons beyond counting. She was garbed in moss and leaves, which together formed an elegant dress of an ancient style. Upon her head rest a lunar coronet, gleaming in a hue that resembled, but was not, copper.
She walked softly, seeming not to stir a blade of grass. "Come, child," she said, gesturing to Galanaia, for there was a wordless exchange between the ancient baddie and her follower. "You may approach me." So saying, she stopped, observing the young baddie with a faint curiosity. She had heard this child's intentions before she had arrived, though she would not give it away.
"Great mother," Grainne said, bowing deeply. A wash of reverence came over her, as it always did in the presence of the Crone. "This one would become a protector of the forest, if it is your will." She needn't have said it, but it seemed good manners to explain why she had not embraced Galanaia herself. After all, that was the duty she had been given. She hoped that Narcise saw in the girl what she had seen, and would not mind the temerity of such a request.
*-*-*-*
When it was over, Grainne supported her new childe. The first childe she had chosen in many a year. Her heart was touched, seeing that Fibula had clutched the citrine with all her might, seemingly determined to keep safe the gift that she had prepared for the great mother. "There. Now you are ready to meet the Crone. As my childe, you are of her lineage." It was a great lineage, unbroken by time or by the ravages of those who would hunt them. Though many had been lost over the years, she took courage in knowing that their numbers could now be rebuilt.
She looked Fibula over, checking to see if she had made it well through the gauntlet that was the embrace. With the Lhiannon it was different still than other vampires, for they were not vampire alone, but a sort of hybrid. Part vampire, part forest spirit, they stood in the balance of the two. Their hunger they slaked mostly by drinking the blood of animals, though not always, as this example proved. "You have done well." High praise from Grainne indeed.
*-*-*-*
It was a rite, an ancient rite, that had had its inception as a curse. The Lhiannon did many blood rites, though this one was the most impactful. Ogham could draw power from a place, but the embrace would make a vampire. What she had witnessed and participated in just now was a kind of rebirth. Born into unlife, her new childe stood before her. Or, well, rather he somewhat dangled. Grainne helped him to his feet.
"You should feel much better soon," she said. For her blood contained power, as well as the connection to the forest that he had sought. Learning how to harness that power to its best effect would take much time. But now he would have the chance to learn from her as well as from the Crone. Which, ultimately, was what he wished for. She had given him a blessing and a curse, and would need to explain much before ere long.
DaisyMilk Welcome to Lhiannon, Fibula and Tobay!
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 8:49 pm
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Ah, poor child. Willow clearly did not know, and could not know, what manner of 'leaving' Grainne referred to. But even in a moment like this, the masquerade needed to be kept. "Very well." There would be no going back now. Willow would be tied to the forest forever. The vampire's eyes glowed as she hypnotized the young kat, seeking to prevent her from panicking or hurting herself. "Then I shall begin." She reached out and pulled Willow close to her, and in a swift movement, sank her fangs into her neck. It was not painless, but not anywhere near as painful as it might have been had she not been seeking to prevent Willow from feeling the brunt of it.
She drank until Willow was nearly dry, and then slashed her wrist open, offering it to her. "Drink, and become part of the forest." For if Willow became a Lhiannon, she would also be part forest spirit, as well. Then there would be other way to learn what she wished to know. And, too, she could meet the remainder of the clan, including its founder. Carefully, she supported the girl, who would undoubtedly be shaky with shock. Even if she could hardly feel it, the weakness would be considerable. That is, until she drank from Grainne too.
((Done with permission by StarshineAngel01))
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Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 9:40 pm
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