A Strange Mix

[chevonne]

chevonne watches her cousin for a few minutes before she realizes her parents are up and sitting at the table eating the breakfast that mae has cooked.

chevonne looks at her mother and decides that mae is going to get some sleep one way or another.

ok this does it mae. mother will you please make that tea again and make it so that mae doesnt burn her mouth on it.

and you my dear cousin are going to drink it all, not sip on it like you did last night, you are getting some sleep whether you like it or not.

chevonne's mother looks at mae with concern and heads to the kitchen to make the tea. her father looks at the two girls.

chevonne, you think that wise?

father, look at her, she doesnt look like she has slept in days.

so mae, if i have to hold you down and pour the tea down your throat you are drinking it.

chevonne stands beside mae with a very determined look on her face.

so the choice is yours, either you drink the tea on your own, or i force you.

chevonnes mother comes back from the kitchen with a mug in her hand and she sets it down in front of mae.

there is more in the kitchen if you "accidently " spill this one

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

She laughed slightly, though she winched when she did so, the sound making her head hurt worse. She lifted the mug to her mouth and began to drink, though not too fast.

[chevonne]

chevonne watches mae drink the tea. she feels bad for having to be so forcefull but it will do mae some good to get some sleep.

once you finish the tea you head back up to your room and go to sleep.

we will go tomorrow and i will tell my parents what the elders said to us.

chevonne sits down at the table and proceeds to tell her parents everything the elders told the two of them.

her parents sit quietly listening to her and when she was done her father looked at the two of them and begins to speak

well, i guess it is more travels for the two of you.

some of which i can give you some information on.

in my travels i have heard rumours of such an ogre that the elders spoke of, i wasnt told much because ogres dont trust barbarians and those that did speak to me didnt make much sense

maybe if you can find an ogre that will talk to you they can tell you of the ogre.

i would suggest you make your way to freeport. someone there should be able to help you, maybe a young warrior.

he looks at chev with a look that she recognized, he may not like wilkens very much but she is happy that he is finally decided to give her a chance.

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

Ahamae downed the rest of her tea while nodding her head to her uncle's words. She was tired, and sleep would do her good. Soon, she felt her body relaxing. She leaned back in the chair, waiting for the tea to take full effect.

Minutes later, she was sleeping right were she had been sitting, almost puring in her sleep.

[chevonne]

chevonnes father gets up and effortlessly picks up mae and with chev's mother following takes her up to her room.

after a few minutes he comes back down alone and sits beside chevonne.

chevonne looks at her father expectantly but quietly, she knows if she is patient enough he will start talking

you will be going to places that a young lady shouldnt have to go but at least you are not going alone.

i was hoping that you would be happier staying here and finding a husband but i now see that isnt going to happen any time soon.

i want you to take care of your cousin, she seems fragile to me.

i want you to have this ring, its a family ring, there are only two left for our family.

i will give mae hers before you two leave tomorrow.

this ring will get you into places that most can not.

he hands her a most beautiful gold ring and embossed on the ring is the symbol of a hammer. after he gives her the ring he walks out of the house without another word.

chevonne gets up and goes to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

while she is eating she thinks about all that her father has told her as well as the information from the elders.

she doesnt even notice that her mother hasnt come down from upstairs

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

Ahamae slept through the rest of the day. Her dream still plagued her, but once it had left she had slept peacefully. She woke at dawn and went to the kitchen, fixing herself some of the many left overs from her work the day before.

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

Ahamae woke at dawn. She had rested peacefully once her usual dream had left her. Opening her eyes she looked around her room for a moment. She sees her aunt sitting in a chair doing some needle work and smiled slightly.

Her aunt looked up from her work and sees that mae is awake. "Good morning my dear, how do you feel"

"Better, thank you." She said quietly as she sat up. "Did something happen?"

"Oh no, i just wanted to be here in case you needed me"

She nodded her head. "Because of my nightmares?"

"Yes but mostly because of the fact that you are my neice. I didnt want you to wake up and think you were all alone"

She smiled slightly, giving her aunt a light hug. "Thank you for your concern." She pulled back for a moment, a sad, thoughtful look crossing her face as she sat back down on the bed.

"What is wrong my dear, you can tell me anything. I am here for you as much as i am for chevonne"

She hesitated, then looked up at her, a bit nervous at what she was about to ask. "Would...it be okay if...I called you and Uncle...mother and father?"

"Oh of course you can child. I would be honored if you would call me mother. As for your uncle, may i suggest you ask him yourself? But truth be told he wont object either. He seems to think that having only one child wasnt enough for us, we needed more children"

She smiled at her a little shyly and nodded her head. "Do you think..the Elders would make it official?"

"Oh I dont see why not. Your uncle will be able to answer that better than I can. They dont talk about things like that around me. That is one thing you will learn around here. Us females are good in the homes but as for the important stuff they dont need to worry their heads about it at all. Thankfully, your uncle doesnt believe that, so he tells me alot of what is going on in halas"

She laughed a little and nodded. "I'll need to try and remember that. I should go speak with him...I'd like to get it done before Chev and I leave." She sighed slightly. "It will be nice..having her as a sister."

"Chevonne worries about you. I can see it in her face. It will do her some good to have a sister as well. She is quite spoiled but it hasnt ruined her like it would most children. And your uncle will be seeing you before you two leave anyways, he has something to give you"

She blinked a moment, then nodded her head. "Shall we get some breakfast then?"

" Ah yes, I was more concerned for you that i forgot to make breakfast" She got up and smiled at mae, handing her the piece of needle work that she was working on.

"This is for you" what she is handed her was a square piece of linen. Around the edges is vines and leaves with small flowers and in one corner is the initials AYN.

"It is a custom that every babe be named when they were six months old but because you are older and you were already named, i took the liberty of giving you a middle name, Yvonne after your mother."

She smiled slightly, looking at the cloth then hugging her again. "Thank you." She said quietly.

" You are very welcome my dear, now lets go and feed our two hungry bears."

She smiled and nodded her head, folding the cloth neatly before tucking it into the sash of her robe.

[chevonne]

as the two of them reached the main floor they see chevonne and her father sitting at the table.

chevonne and her father look up at them and growl, then chevonne starts giggling.

we are not bears

we are wolves. ahamae please come have a seat i would like to speak to you.

i have spoken to the elders about you. and i have asked them for permission for my wife and me to be your legal parents. is this something you would like?

and i have something to give to you before you go with chevonne.

this is a family ring, chevonne has the twin to it. it was your mothers, it is now yours.


he hands her the ring which is an exact duplicate to chevonnes.

i hope breakfast is ready soon, i am starving to death out here

just as chevonne says this two things happen at once.

one her mother comes out of the kitchen with breakfast

second, a kitten comes thru a small opening in a window and heads straight to mae, jumps in her lap and falls asleep.

chevonne starts giggling and her parents just stare at the kitten

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

Ahamae laughed at the kitten, though she looked at it a bit strangely, not knowing where it had come from or why it had gone to her instead of somewhere else.

She thanked her uncle for the ring, and agreed upon becoming his legal daughter. She did not eat much breakfast that morning, not being all that hungry for some reason. She probably should have eaten more, but she didn't. Instead, she excused herself from the table and, with the kitten following behind her, began to pack her things for the long journey the would ly ahead of her.

[chevonne]

giggling, chevonne makes it through her breakfast without choking on it.

of course her father kept scowling at her but she knew he wasnt serious because it looked like he was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

the two of them stared at the kitten following mae when she went upstairs to her room, then they looked at each other and then her father spoke to her.

a kitten, where did you find a kitten?

i didnt do it father, honest, i have no clue

well, you had better ask mae what she plans on doing with the kitten, i dont think it would be very wise to take with you two. you can let her know that she can leave it here.

i will father. i know that you and mother would rather i stay here and raise a family but i think we all knew that i would have to do this at some time, i never liked my lessons nor having to stay behind when you went on your hunting trips.

but i can say that once i find wilkens we will be safe. she has a few friends that spoke of a few times. and they will take care of us.

chevonne keeps the fact that some of wilkens friends are teir d'al. she doesnt want to worry him or have him come up with a reason for her not to go.

once she finished her breakfast she takes her dishes to the kitchen to speak to her mother.

mother, could you please pack some of the tea in my pack please. just in case i am in need of it on our travels.

her mother nods her head and keeps packing the food bags for the girls. chevonne wisely leaves things alone. she knows her mother isnt liking the fact that she will be gone and not sure when she will be back.

after that chevonne heads up to her room and on her way there she stops at mae's room.

father has said that if you didnt want to bring the kitten with us that you can keep it here and it will be taken care of.

and mother is almost finished our food packs, i have also asked her to pack some of that tea that we took to help us sleep. just in case it one of us needs it.


i was thinking that fathers suggestion to find wilkens would be a good idea, or maybe if we cant find her then the group of people that she hangs around with.

we can leave once we are all packed, if thats ok with you.

chevonne watches mae pack her stuff and wonders how much longer mae will stay healthy with the stress she is under.

[Lainelru Mistwielder]

Mae nodded her head slightly, still packing with the kitten occasionally swatting at a loose string. "I think that would be best." She said quietly. "The more allies we have in this, the better our chances of coming back alive."

She placed her skins in her pack and closed it, done already with what she thought she would need to take along with her. She turned and followed Chevonne to her room, standing in the doorway as her new sister began her own packing.

"I know I've been a bother lately." She said after a few minutes. "And I am sorry for that. But with the delf and the dream..." She sighed. "...both have weighed heavily on me, and I cannot seem to shake that delf out of my mind no matter how hard I try. I will make an effort not to be so...reckless...in my own care. Going for days without sleep would not be wise on this venture."

[chevonne]

chevonne smiles as she realizes that her subtle thoughts werent so subtle. but that is ok she thinks to herself. she finishes her packing and stands up and stares at mae for a second

you havent been a bother, i was just getting worried about you. and its no wonder you have been having the problems you have had.

i would be terrified if i had some blak elf talkin to me like that.

now lets us go downstairs and say our good byes.

the two girls head downstairs just as their mother comes out of the kitchen with their food packs.

ok we are packed and ready to go. we are going to head to freeport just like you suggested father, to find wilkens.

their father stands up and looks at the girls, he walks to them and hugs them.

now you two take care of each other, not like i really need to say this to either of you. i want you to keep to the roads, dont take short cuts through the woods.

do you two have enough money for your trip?

chevonne looks in her pouch and shows her father the tunar there and he turns and grabs two pouches that was sitting on the table and hands one to each of the girls.

here is some more, just in case, i dont want my girls to have to sleep on the ground if it can be helped

he hugs them again and walks out the door without another word.

chevonne then turns to her mother and notices that she had been crying but she knew that they wouldnt see any tears.

their mother goes to each of the girls and hands them both a food pack and hugs each of them.

there should be enough food to get you to freeport, but if its not enough you can always stop in highpass and get some more.

i want you to send a messanger as soon as you get to freeport, to let me know that you are ok. and that you made it there in once piece.

mae, i will take care of your new kitten. and i hope that you will find the solution to your dreams.

now you two had better get going before you have to travel after dark.

she hugs the two girls again and picks up mae's kitten to keep it from following mae.

i will make sure i send a message as soon as we get into freeport. and i will make sure that mae and i are safe.

are you ready to go now mae?

[chevonne]

::Mae nodded her head slightly, thanking her new mother and giving her a hug before turning to wait for Chevonne to lead the way. She let her thoughts be pushed aside for a while. As far from the front of her mind as possible any way. The delf, though...She had yet to be able to push him from her mind.::

:: Chevonne gives her mother a quick hug and a smile. Not knowing when she will see her again but she is happy to be on the road again. ::

Ok let’s head to the coachman and grab a couple of horses

:: Mae nodded her head and began walking that way. The journey would take a while anyway, and she was in no big hurry to go back into Darvor Manor, should the delf still be waiting for her.::

:: after the girls leave the house and they have gotten their horses from the coachman, Chevonne rides up beside mae::

I was thinking, maybe we should head to Freeport through Fay spires

:: She almost sighed with relief. "Yes. That would be a good idea. At least this way I know he won’t be there."

::Chevonne smiles:: I was thinking it would be great fun to go thru that tunnel ive heard about, you may know of it, the one with the orcs in it

:: She nearly doubled over in her laughter.:: "I suppose now would be as good a time as any to get used to sticking our necks out."

“we are mighty barbarians, everything will run in fear of us" ::giggles Chevonne::

:: Mae laughed again.:: "Good point."

:: the two girls rode thru the wilderness avoiding the freeze bloods and other nasty looking animals heading for the fabled tunnel. Chevonne chatters away to Mae as they travel, as if the silence would set Mae to thinking again. Chevonne made sure to avoid moradhim because she wasn’t sure how Mae would react to see the dwarves. They finally can see the Orc tunnel ahead of them:::

oy, that is big

:: Mae pulled her horse slowly to a stop just outside the sight of the orcs near the tunnel. She got down from her seat upon the horse and took off her packs to sling them on her shoulders. She then turned the horse in the opposite direction and gave it a hard slap, causing it to bolt off to the nearest town.:: "This tunnel is no place for a horse. Even ones as brave as ours." She said quietly, turning to Chevonne.

hmmm...good point. :: Chevonne gets off her horse and grabs her bags and whacks him on his backend ::

So how shall we do this?

Mae nodded her head slightly, taking a deep breath.

:: Chevonne looks at mae with a mischievous smile on her face::

Shall we use the spirits of our friends and run straight thru the tunnel, these orcs are big and clumsy looking, or shall we play it safe and cloak our presence

She smiled. "How about we cloak ourselves, and then run straight through."

::Chevonne giggles:: ok, but you stick close to me just in case our cloaking doesn’t work

::Chevonne’s hands start to glow as she mutters under her breath, then a few seconds later she starts muttering again and she disappears from sight:: ::giggles:: ok I’m ready, you going to do your spells

::mae nods her head, muttering to herself quietly before vanishing::. "I'm ready."

Ok let’s go :: and Chevonne heads into the tunnel almost giggling out loud :: Ugh it stinks in here
She heads down the tunnel looking everywhere at once, she then realizes that she has no clue where Mae is so she stops right where she is

Mae had somehow managed to avoid a prophet and ran into her as she rounded the corner.

Giggle, oops, there you are, ready to run, it looks pretty clear from here

Mae nodded her head slightly. "Let's go."

Okie race ya to the other end. :: when Chevonne says that she starts running down the tunnel noticing that she is going down hill::
WHACK THUMP is all that mae hears after a minute or two, then she hears Chevonne laughing MAE RUN....:: Chevonne had ran right into a prophet, she started her heal spell for herself then she did it again for mae::

Mae didn't hesitate. She ran. As fast as she could, she bolted to the other side of the tunnel, exiting, though she just kept running.

::Chevonne didn’t see Mae run by her but she felt something brush against her so she turned and ran she didn’t stop running until she got to a bridge crossing a creek
MAE

I'm here" Her voice came shakily from behind a pillar.

::Chevonne laughs:: I am so very sorry for that, I honestly didn’t see that caster standing there. Are you ok?

"Yeah." She breathed, her cloak leaving her to reveal her slumped against the stone.

That’s good, I know it’s not funny but the look on that casters face when I ran into it was so funny. Ok I think we have had enough excitement for today, shall we go to tethelin and find some new horses

Mae nodded her head slightly, not bothering with her cloaking spell.

Ok, its north on this road and its not far from here, maybe we should stay the night with the elves
It would be kinda interesting to sleep in a tree

Mae nodded her head, laughing a little. "Yes...if we don't fall out of it."
:
:Chevonne stops dead in her tracks when Mae says that and starts giggling:: you know I never even thought of that, I hope they don’t really sleep in the trees

Mae laughed again and nodded. "I think they have houses built in them."

A house in a tree
Strange thing to do if you ask me

Mae nodded her head slightly and began walking again.

:: The girls come around a hill and see the Elven town of tethelin, they go to the guard and ask where the inn is and he shows them by drawing a map on the ground. Chevonne looks at the map and thanks the guard, she reaches into her pouch and goes to hand him a couple of tunar but the guard smiles at her and says no need for that. She smiles at the guard and the two girls head to the inn. ::

Wow, they don’t live on the ground at all

Mae sighed. She had fallen silent once they had begun their walk again and had not spoken since then. "Chevonne..." She said quietly.
Aye?

::Chevonne stops and turns to Mae, just on the edge of the walkway in between the buildings:::

Mae sighed again. "I...need to clear my head. I'll write to..mother..and tell her I'm fine once I reach wherever it is that I end up."
oh ok, are you ok? did I really scare you that badly?

mae shook her head. "No, its not you. It’s...everything else. I'll contact you when I can." She gave her sister a tight hug. "I'm sorry. I just..need some time alone."

::Chevonne hugs mae back:: ok no problem, just send fizgig to find me when you need my help or anything else

mae nodded her head and turned, getting a horse and leaving Tethelin.

:: Chevonne watches mae leave and starts to worry about her. Well, you will need to be on your own, you know how to find me. I just hope you know what you are doing. ::

[chevonne]

the next morning chevonne gets up and heads out of the inn, it is a beautiful morning and she was up just in time for the sunrise.

she stopped and watched the sun rise as if its home was deep in the lake.

once the beautiful colours turn to the sky blue and the clouds turn back to white she turns towards the stables.

she needs to find wilkens and find someone who can tell her about the ogre that escaped the curse.

that is part of information that really confuses her. ogres have a curse, but what curse is it. and is it safe for the ogres to be out amongst the others.

hopefully she will find wilkens soon, maybe wilkens will know some ogres.

once she reaches the stables she smiles at the coach man and asks for a horse and tells him that she is heading to the city of Freeport.

the coach man motions to someone inside the stables and out comes the prettiest horse she has ever seen.

smiling she goes up to the horse and starts petting it.

would you sell this horse, she is too pretty to live the life of a stable horse.

well, all my horses are for sale, but i wont sell them unless the customer is happy. how bout you ride to klick a non and if you are happy with her you can send someone back with the tunar.

why thank you kind sir, i will do that.

she gets on the horse and heads off to klick a non. on her way there she wonders how mae is doing and hopes she is well.