Okay, sucky title. *shrugs and bats the ball off to pam* *~*~*~*~* Syndre waited until dusk before heading back to her grove. Something wicked walked the Isles, posing a danger to her friend Lashette. In the indigo twilight her green tunic faded to a black color, and the golden, silky braid that hung from one of her button holes, looked pale and insubstantial. It was lashette's hair, and the Black robe had had it in his possession for more time that she cared to contemplate. He was all over it, having imprinted on it when he used it as a touchstone. The thought caused a chill, sending gosebumps up and down her arms and legs. She stepped over a fallen log as she moved through the forest underbrush as silently as any wolf. Her honey gold hair was a pale blur in the indigo shadows as she made her way out of the forest proper and began following a deer trail. She was very careful these days to keep her grove's location from everyone, including Lashette. The only person that had ever seen it had Janessa, and it had been right after she'd found it. It's defenses right now relied on obliviousness. Set in the heart of the forest, no trail led directly to it, and she'd cast very carefully thought out spells to deter any but the most determined of seekers. If someone managed to get past the wards, then they had better hope they could out run a bear or a wolf pack. She smiled and stopped in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. She could clearly see the clearing, and the small little cottage that rested on the edge of the tree's. It blended well, she thought. It was the best she could do until she could get the thorn bushes to grow to the needed height to form a barrier. She also needed several willow trees next spring. Most of her natural defenses would have to wait till spring since autumn was dancing through the forest, leaving behind her spicy scent and painting leaves here and there in changing colors. She stepped into the grove and smiled. This place was very strong with the Mother, she could hear it in the bubble of the small pool near the cottage and the trickle of the cold stream that mixed with the hot water. She walked over to her cottage and stepped inside, having yet to get around to putting a door on. Moving with surefootedness, she pulled a tinder box from atop the fire place mantle and lit the kindling in the hearth. Nights were getting cooler quickly these days. Winter was fast on Autumn's heels and he didn't seem inclined to be friendly this season. Soon enough light danced over her sharp features as the wood caught and she pulled one of the candles down and lit it. Moving about the small place, she lit lamps, revealing a cozy one room place, herbs hanging from the rafters. Her bed stood along one wall, another, a shelf of books. A large table took up most of the space in front of the fire, and atop it sat various mixtures, pastes, salves, bits of herbs in various stages, tinctures and a brassier, cold at the moment. Setting the candle on the table she grabbed her kettle from under the table and filled it from the stream outside, then set it over the fire on the hook. She then began pulling herbs together. Before she forgot, grabbed a wooden bowl hastily off the table and scooped up still cool water from the kettle and carried it back to the table. When she had the right ingredients, she sprinkled them over the surface of the water in the bowl. Her voice was soft as she spoke words in a sing-song rhythm. As she watched the herbs float at first, she undid the little braid from her buttonhole and pulled a dagger she began chanting softly in a strange lyrical language as she shaved bits of the hair off over the water bowl. "Yssn va naeta, Lashette ..." She said softly. "Va na asyya, Dusune ..." and the herbs and hair in the bowl all sank at the same time and everything went quiet, only the hiss and pop of the fire could be heard, along with her own breathing. The water darkened as if someone had spilled ink into it, and then it became mirror like, reflecting, not Syndre's face, but Dusune's .. She looked down in the darkness, "Hello dark one." She murmured as she looked over the elven features. "Let's see if we can't go about eliminating you as any type of potential threat." And her sharp gray eyes begin looking past the man to his surroundings, trying to figure out where he might be. Jax -- #Blkdragon*inn channel operator, and typo demon extrodinaire We all think we're ordinary, it's others that think we're extraordinary. - Me (On going to war over religion) "You're basically killing each other to see who's got the better imaginary friend." -Yasir Arrafat (PLO leader) (On cost overuns) "One way to ensure that it is not a major achievement for mankind" was to pass the budget limit. Rep. (Dana Rohrabacher, a California Republican) <Kylus> What was that really bad vamp movie you saw over the summer? <Kaejo> Dracula: Lord of the Dance The only disability in life is a bad attitude. - Scott Hamilton http://jaxitty.tripod.com/index.html http://members.tripod.com/Jaxitty/ZI.html -- To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archives & Other DMI Lists: http://www.dragonmyst.f2s.com/lists.php3
