Lyra Fereth

[*Pashan01]

All was quiet through the house, though Danielle's cloak was hanging by her door. Even the little furball did not stir as Lyra entered, seemingly serene, purring to herself, curled up in an empty bowl on the table. Danielle's bedroom door was left slightly ajar, offering a slight peek into the room for any curious voyeurs. The Fey'ri was snoozing peacefully, half tangled in that massive mesh of comfy fluffy comforters and sheets, hair a chaotic mess, wearing little for clothing. From this position, Lyra had clear sight of that broad tattoo in all of its glory, as the fey'ri lay on her tummy.

Lyra stepped forward quietly, readmiring her artistic work of the tattoo, amused at Dani's typical mess, though the comforters and fluff tempted her, as she was still rather unused to the opulence and comforts, but the sight of the girl's partial nakedness didn't phase the elf. Lyra moved to sit to the edge of the bed. A slight shuffling from the sheets, as the body beneath ajusted within the tangle, sprawling out to the side, only to have a foot lightly nudge Lyra's rump in the process, causing the fey'ri to jump herself a little in surprise and she lifted her head a bit to smile at the pale elf.

In retaliation for the nudge, lyra moved her hand to tickle playfully at that protruding foot.

"Ey! " Danielle wriggled, ticklishly, still a bit clumsy from just coming out of slumber. "Nn... you.. " she grinned and reached out to grasp the elf to try to swallow her alive in the ocean of fluffy bliss.

But Lyra dodged and buried herself under the sheets, hiding, scrabbling under and away to dodge and avoid any tickling back, girlishly playing as if she was that young child again leaving her Sovana to thrash about and find nothing.

"Cmere, you! " Danielle herself giggling, halfpounced and rolled amongst the sheets, only to bury herself further in that process. And there followed further thrashing, the elf appearing every so often to resurface, her own locks tangled and messed now as much as Danielle's.

It was the fey'ri who took up arms first, reaching for pillow to thwack the other source of thrashing mounded sheets

"You'll never take me alive!"

Lyra's girlish grin, almost childish, peered out from under a sheet, her blue eyes sparkling with merriment, thoroughly enjoying this game, she grabbed for another pillow, held it out at the ready to parry against the other one at first move. She moved her lips..

Lyra is trained assassin....death attack by feather...be warned Sovana!

"Nuu! " the fey'ri managed before getting thwumped in the face. To Lyra's delight at the mime and the win, her sovana feigned death with a soft groan and fall to the bed, playing dead, splayed out and tangled within the sheets upon her back, overdramatising it with rolled eyes and hanging tongue.

The slender moon elf lifted one arm in gesture of conqueror, silently cheering her win in great and mighty battle and placed a foot now upon the sheeted mound that is Danielle, obtaining a squeak in return.

"And that was how the empress magistrate Alan'danyth was defeated... death by pillow....how she underestimated such a thing" a voice under the sheets spoke with a muffled chuckle.

Lyra twisted and purposefully collapsed to the bed aside the fey'ri, her weapon of brutal murder falling softly to the side, unbloodied, most of its feathers still intact. Lyra shifted and laid to her side, elbow to head, watching with great affection this special creature that was her adopted sister and was swiftly pulled into embrace. Lyra snuggled in.

"Mmn.. Darremar is going to think we've done it again" the fey'ri's eyebrows danced playfully and she snickered ruffling the elf's messed white locks.

Lyra wrinkled her nose but could not help giggling, though no sound did she make with her girlish laughter. She moved her lips for the other to read.

Aria said Sovana's blood gets up at times....Lyra would not tempt it...she loves him too much...but she thinks he only pretends to think thus....to enjoy the Sovana's wit and tease after

"Aye.. nor would I ever jeopardize something so beautiful.. such a thing many would fight, kill, or die for."

A gentle brush of cheek and Danielle shifted to straddle the elf over her knees, turning her head to press her pointed ear to Lyra's belly as if hearing that life within, nuzzling to it softly, a sweet gesture of old, one that Lyra accepted for what it was, one perhaps through her unusual witchcraft had helped in the formation of the creation within.

Lyra values her Sovana....for herself....more than any physical...such is to be treasured...such was taught by Aria to Lyra ...a special bond first...and foremost

Lyra's hand lowered to smooth her lower belly, giving her Sovana a smile.

Safe it is...despite fall in Abyss...tell not this to Aria...Lyra was helped by warrior who stank of wolf...she enjoyed the hunt

They shared of the warrior's name, something of the teachings that her sovana made with him and her methods and abilities for learning and growth. Again, the fey'ri's lips were closed, yet the voice Lyra heard as if spoken during this 'conversation'.

Lyra is hunter...but different method...warrior seemed wild...Lyra is...urban..of the streets....wilderness was lost to lyra many moons ago....one day...she may return. Lyra laid kiss to Danielle's cheek, snuggling in again to the embrace like kitten to its mother. Danielle then reached to a small wicker basket by the bedside and drew out a small piece of ribbone, curling back Lyra's fingers to take hold of it, covering her hand with her own, the voice whispered to the elf.

"Nothing is lost if it can be found, mi'dear.....close your eyes"

Lyra peeked the once, then complied and kept her eyes shut.

A gentle droning hum rang out lowly from Danielle's chest, a sort of channeling trance but then that sound faded.. and a myriad of new sounds were heard... echoes of playing children across a brilliantly green field, the sound of tame wilderness and natural bliss..."Now... Awaken"

The images drew a wistful breathy sigh from the pale elf. She saw image of Danielle splayed in tall grass, smiling serenely. The scene changed yet the image made Lyra feel it was real, warmth of sun, vivid blue of clear spring day, young elvenkin chasing one another with sticks and simple contraptions all in good sport. The bone in Lyra's hand seemed to point her to an older matron figure, smiling just as kindly over the young, in pure satisfaction... like that of a loving mother, the magic of the image pulling upon the elf's soul simply by the feyr'is own simple motherly presence.

Lyra's fingers curved more tightly about that bone. And with that change in grip, the mother's face seemed to age more rapidly.. not grotesque, but rather fastforwarding her life. Her eyes were just as content as the younger variant..though she seemed to be confiding with her now taller, matured children... one slung with a bow at her back, and the other a magely looking sort, a diplomat or noble kind... both taken different paths that the mother approved of no less, for the sheer fact they were kin. Her lover would stand behind her, an equally caring, if slightly firm expression on the father's features, offering an idle, supporting knead to the mother's words departing to her children. Such was a 'perfect family' thus far, together to the end.

Lyra's brow arched again, though her eyes remained closed, her lids shifting as her eyes sought and moved with the images forming. Her lips formed the name Aria her brow showing now her puzzlement at the image, expecting and linking it to one, now moving to another, perhaps no longer the past...but the future.

And finally, another shift in image brought vision of the woman older yet, brittle perhaps in a twilight setting, laying beside an old burial stone. Such was vague, but just following her age, one would guess she laid beside the grave of her lover... as touching or tragic the moment may be that she was alone... her eyes expressed no grief.. but that same satisfaction anyone wishing a full life could possibly want.. Her eyes closed and she'd simply rest peacefully.

The bone turned warmer to the elf's hands and, as the conjuration passed, Lyra opened her eyes and heard again that voice..

"All things that once were.. can be found again"

"All things that once were... can be made again"

The words brought moisture to corner of Lyra's eye and she received feathersoft kiss to eyelid.

"Weep only tears of joy, dear Sovani. This may not be your own fate... but I see similar things upon your path."

Upon asking what she could give back to her Sovana, she was told

"Just be happy, mi'dear..Live.... That is what you can do for me."

Lyra was fading. She slowly fumbled to shrug out of her greenleaf leaving her in her faded undergarments and she flaked back again atop her Sovana cuddling and cuddled, head resting again to bosom, no intention of moving from that embrace or Danielle's bed. Reverie was going to be taken there and Darremar would figure it out.

"You can do this for me, can't you?"

"If not well... I'll just have to swat you with a pillow again...right on the nose" the Fey'ri grinned playfully, laying kiss to her Lyra's forehead before resuming her own catnap with sister dear so close.

Lyra barely caught that last as she fell to her Reverie, but anyone seeing her resting form would see that her lips were curled to contented grin.

[*Pashan01]

Lyra edits, scratches out and adds to her list at the back of her private journal

Hunting/essence craft for jink - first target reached
Magic into arrow - better situation with Sovani now, ask again
Project for ritual - in progress
Parlour repairs and partnership - Lervak approached
Promote tattoo business
Preparations for symbolic bond
Research into magical tattoo - one day
New companion? - practise first with kitten - in progress
Toril? - one day
Lessons in hand sign and tongue of enemy - handsign in progress
Tattoo - joint for Tovari/Sovani
Question of faith and cloak
Tattoo & piercing - Lyra, symbol of faith?
Mind speak spell - find shell
"Live!" *a doodle of a pillow with a tail was marked next to this entry*

Rethink/remove? -
Target one - initial study made
Target two - make initial study
Oath making and act of non-faith - Oath done, act?

[*Pashan01]

They had a chicken egg, easily found in her Sovana's kitchen. The other one they needed should not be avarian. Dragon shell was hard to come by, she had hunted and asked about in the bazaar. What about reptillian? Lyra grinned, picked up bow, slipped out the house and headed back into the city main towards the portal to brux...a hunt there then and if unsuccessful, there was always the ice caves of the salamander and she wondered also of the reproductive outcome of Khaasta.

After initially being stumped, she now had direction and purpose again to complete this hunt. It wasn't a big thing, quite a small matter actually...but with huge potential for their means to communicate more easily without always needing to face each other. Such, she was told, could work provided they were in the same plane. Snake, salamander or Khaasta egg shell she would find to aid his working of the mind spell.

[*Pashan01]

They ventured into the outlands, she guarding as he searched for sign of nest. Amidst the Khaasta camp, atop a small burrow, he eventually found and extracted some eggshell fragments in ample quantity and they made swift retreat and return to the quieter surrounds of the house.

After some preparations, both eggshells were consumed by magic energies and Lyra felt a subtle connection within. He then cast a more complex spell, taking longer than the first to complete and it seemed to take its toll upon him. He looked drained from the spellcasting. She tingled from the effects, presuming the second one had something to do with the permanancy required to keep it active.

She tested the telepathic bond once the spell casting was completed, the silence in the room was maintained throughout. She looked at him holding gaze and formed image to her mind of a little bird flying into cupped hands. An image was returned to her briefly, that of the same bird taking flight again.

She slipped behind him, resting her head to his shoulder blade, her hands wrapping about his waist supporting his weary frame and she pushed another image forth of a green hillock, two pale haired elves, a long blue dress and a peach. The silent words in her mind were passed to him Lyra loves Aria. A few moments later and he showed to her a much closer image briefly of those very two entwined Aria Loves Lyra was the answer in turn.

[*Pashan01]

In the meantime, as she waited upon thoughts of enchanting of her new robes, Darremar lent her a set of his magical robes that she could alter to her frame. Upon wearing them, she decided that, yes, now his old cloak would work better with the robes than the greenleaf and getting the festhall tailors to make a rather radical change to the colours, yet retaining the symbol, she now wore it.

And so it was, looking like a smaller, more petite blue female clone of a certain priest of Nycti, that Lyra met with Darremar and asked him to join her on a trip to Karasuthra and the cave of their family. She carried bundle of equipment and tracings in her arms with intention to start upon the tattoos requested. The pair encounted the other pair of elves playing with a couple of construct steam dragons, or more so, Isonade teasing Ymerion with said construct guards. They seemed to be more under her control than his.

The four walked the path to the cave, the silent words made Lyra is blue and the wardings gave way, sensing her and her colour and the small elf slipped down the passageway and sought space upon the sumptuous wolf pelts to sit. Her Sovana made the enchantments that drew the luminous light magic into the inks that Lyra had brought and a dice roll sorted the pairing as she bid Darremar to help her with making the tattoo outlines. It was he who would make the piercings to Isonade's body and scarred back as Lyra prodded the tall elf to position upon the rugs and did the same to his, noting long scar to his spine. The two accepted drink of the sannish as the work began.

The image forming in outline upon the two elves lying to the rug were a mirror of each other. Both started from hip, wending and wrapping their way about belly, forming greater shape about the back, with wings spreading wider across side and shoulder blade to end with head resting to side of their necks. The wings styles had the most difference. The wings upon Isonade's pattern were more ragged and torn, those on Ymerion featured webbing between scales of the wing. The other main difference was in the colours but this would would only be seen upon the next sitting.

Several hours passed with the two robed elves working the pattern diligently into the near naked skin of their brother and sister by which time the effects of the sannish had worn off. The pair were warned to wear only light weight tunics and cloth as to bandage the whole of the torso was impractical.

The evening ended with a meal and a sleepover. Her Tovari's apparent first attempt at cooking, producing a big dish of fried potatoes pleased Lyra whose stomach had been rumbling for hours while the salad her Sovani brought out seemed to suit Darremar more. Lyra was too weary after the meal to make the journey home.

[*Pashan01]

And there it was. A plea for help and a turning point. The timing and situation must have been just right for Lyra to ask for it at that level. Perhaps she was as ripe as the peach they had once consumed upon that spot to make the first steps to a change in focus. A subtle shift from blind observance on one set of teachings to tentative question and persuit of another, in her need and hope to find resolution, peace and a final laying to rest of a fury within.

She asked him how to honour the memory of her family lost and what his goddess said on this. Her body was tense as she leant against him, sipping the tea she had brewed upon the small fire, sharing single cup as they sat overlooking the city from their perch atop higher and green. As he taught her of Her ways in this matter by a mix of calm voice and return of thought, Lyra responded on the difficulties so facing her.

For years, Lyra intended to deliver death for death of each of her family tortured and slain, yet upon her own escape and survival, her fury was channelled and later turned whilst young becoming then a focused hatred against a whole race. To meet out this judgement to those responsible had been impossible at the time and now, when she was more able, too late.

'True it is that injustice was wrought upon you and upon your family. But would it not be better focused upon those whom truly committed the acts than upon any whom bear flesh and kinship to them?'

When focus is lost through time and distance how can justice then be done? Priest of Shevarash made focus to those of their ilk remaining, Lyra followed. What else did she have? She had nothing else. She does have now. Help 'me' Aria It was the first time she had spoken of herself in the first person to anyone for as long as she could remember, such was her frustration and plea.

The challenge in her mind was that many moons had now passed and she had no memory of exactly where the remains of her parents lay. He spoke of reclamation of the essence of life and eternal rest in style that left her still puzzled.

Lyra has nothing left of their life essence but Lyra herself. Spill her blood in their memory must she? Simply Aria, what should Lyra do?

'Do? If found could 'we' the location that lay at rest your family does. So too could ensure we that at proper rest they were left.'

Toril... she made breathy sigh upon that thought.

'Verily would it do you much good methinks to at some time walk with me upon this Toril'

While she now opened her mind more to the possibility of making return journey to her plane of birth, her lover, father of the small speck of life growing within her, the Moon-Father and priest of Nycti known as Darremar Lle'Desnaibar, continued his gentle preachings to her.

'When one simply kills for sake of annihlating another race or a rival nation... what true meaning does it hold in the end? A life taken because one group whom came from that other people committed such act? Such generalizations lack any feeling of resolve in truth. When enough would it be? In truth the answer to such is never.'

'Never easy it is .. Verily never easy it is.'

[*Pashan01]

She made a little jink out of custom for piercings at the carnival and promoted a little her trade best she could as well as getting to see the unusual gambling auction. She made one bid, but lost easily to others on poor die roll and decided not to partake any more. One piercing she made five hundred pieces of gold for a fine silver chain looping between upper cartiledge and lobe of the male with the glowing hands. While she enjoyed the thrill of the dice roll and choices made there on, she was more cautious to care for the few things she had that could make money. Steady profit could be made from her art and craft, from a hunt, if not so easy her darker skills these days.


Of more excitement for her was the two hunts she made recently. One with some mage knight of reasonable skill, skill enough that they just about managed to defeat the winged one and his elite squad atop the mountain, the second hunt was with the huge bulk of the orc chief, Vorgazar, significantly stronger by far. She chanced upon him beaten up in the warded Abyss cave, decided to tend him and ensure his life force was intact. And there followed much excitement, the likes she had not known in a while. She could see why his clan would follow such a strong leader, though rather dull in care at times, brutish in his kills, eager to rush at a charge, he did have good tactics at approaching the cornugon chief. She fell once too, caught out when he was blinded and the cornugon with one scrape of great clawed hand brought her down in one hit. It was her turn to be rescued, carried to cave and coin thrust roughly at her. But she lived and they returned to claim solid vengeance finally upon the creature.

Had she been too hasty to make mockery of this orc giant leader in her art? The painting had been delivered annonymously to the Ciphers for the carnival event. It was probably lost by now as the competition had been cancelled. Perhaps was just as well.

(( http://z13.invisionfree.com/nwn2planesc ... topic=3226 ))

[*Pashan01]

The note was short, to the point, giving little away. She did not know if even it would reach him, knew not of address where to find him or how oft he returned to the city, the hall of books, the planes of ice and beasts, the few places she had known him to frequent. The letter had been sent many moons prior.

Alot had changed since their last dealings.....she had changed. But he was the only one she knew to contact for what she wanted.

If anyone knew...he would....he was a ranger wasn't he? Didn't she wear the green leaf at times still thinking of him, of them...no..no....it was in memory of her father....sometimes those memories became mixed.

[*Pashan01]

Time passed slowly. Lyra focused on what was important to her, quietly, entrenched more in close family activity and losing sight of much of the happenings within the city itself as her body changed and filled out, no longer the skinny runt as slender belly turned to rounding bump. She took on only small tattoo work, occasionally linked to the parlour, keeping in touch with Lervak and went out on only the occasional hunts, carefully done. The meeting with Black-Scars never transpired, her wishes there, as with many, suppressed again.

A few happenings however stood out.

One being the completion of the dragon tattoos for brother Ymerion and dark skinned sister, Isonade, catching them during their own 'happenings' by turning up unexpectedly to the cave in Karasuthra to complete the work. It was a kind of familial 'pay-back' to them for once interrupting her in a personal moment with her lover when they arrived unexpected at the house as she had been engaged in the artform of body-painting the long haired Moon-Father. She lingered on the tattoos, ensuring firstly that they were done well but also as she saw Ymerion becoming more miffed at her delay tactic and she enjoyed to tease him.

The other 'happenings' were of more recent days when a stroll to the market brought both confusing and joyous news.

Something had occurred to her Sovana Danielle for her to lose appetite for a while, something that had passed Lyra by and yet explanation given barely aided her understanding at all. Time, rifts and alternates..or something like that. She picked up on one possibility, wondering if whatever she had been through could be used to change time for Lyra with an old memory. She rejected it after words from Darremar made her think more carefully about the ramifications of attempting to time travel based on but unclear and hazey memory.

The joyous news came from Isonade, when Lyra learned that her Sovani was also now with child. She was excited to now have close female companion to share this journey, one she was fearing more and more as the inches grew about her waistline and she felt her natural grace changing. Lyra, struggled as usual with changes. The knowledge gave her moral support for life-after-the bump-was-gone also, when talk of sharing care and keep brought smile to her face.

[*Pashan01]

Lyra had not seen Snow-skin in a long, long time. The girl had also changed in that time and seemed more withdrawn than she remembered, clothes dirty and bloody, eyes deep and dark in her pale face. She took umbrage at small protective movement that Lyra made when the Chaos-Hin started a brawl in the bar again with some loudmouth, thinking her move was to avoid the other elf. Lyra was just uncomfortable standing in the outside bar. She had never liked to be central in a crowd, preferring the edges. The bar always attracted the loud, the crowd and was a focal point for trouble. A slight tug on his cloak and a thought passing telepathically between and the pair of robed elves moved, the Moon-father choosing to stand nearer to Snow-skin by the stalls so that quiet conversation could continue. Lyra set out her signs and sat to a crate, studying this 'friend' of her mate more closely. She really had changed but so too had Lyra and it seemed that Snow-skin did not recognise her.

Lyra smirked inwardly and then focused on a potential sale to one human girl who then approached who was after boots, rings or bastard swords. Typically, Lyra had little of good fair to offer even after making another tug to engage Darremar to see if he had such sword to his pack for her to make a trade. A male elf then approached eager for purchase of one particular powerful longbow. Lyra owned one such, a gift from her mate, a treasured possession indeed but she was curious as to its value and so toyed a little with the elf to find how much he was willing to pay for such. Sly perhaps, but she did ascertain better idea of its market value then with shake of her head and mime of holding and using such a bow lovingly, indicating she too was archer and needed it, she turned him down. Her lover by thought queried if she really had the intention to sell that bow, to which her return was a definate no not when it was treasured gift from her love.

Their 'talk', such as it was between them, a mixture of lip movement and reading with the occasional, telepathic thought of word or image turned then to the rumours and rising of the Athar movement and the latest anti-priest and preachings activity. Both elves decided there was minimal personal random risk as they moved about their business despite the holy symbols of Nycti adorned on both their cloaks and another about his neck. For one, few in the city knew much of that belief. Secondly, her mate rarely went about preaching his beliefs. His was a quiet, unassuming faith, one she was slowly coming to appreciate the more time she listened to him. Slowly, but slowly the dark bindings of Shevarash upon her were loosening, helped too by the frequent companionship and growing friendship she found with her darkskinned Sovani, the drowess Isonade.

Though not healer or cleric, Lyra did have knowledge of herbs, primarily for darker purposes in poison making, but had rudimentary skills in their use for treatments. She resolved after discussion with Darremar to seek wider sources and resupply her stock, so that they could work in tandem to diagnose and try herbal remedy to aid Isonade with her current curious ailment.