From: Heltevir_at_aol.com
Date: Mon Sep 15 2003 - 15:19:51 BST
"On to my story, anyhow.." Lenora sits cross-legged on the floor, tries to
imagine a comfortable little campfire before her and smiles. "As adepts we have
learned a great many talents. As to where we learned them from, there's great
speculation as no one from that long ago sees fit to really let us in on that
wondrous secret. But some time ago, I learned a story about where the Woodskin
Talent came from. And that is the story I will share with you today."
"It is known, as any elementalist can tell you, that we live in the realm of
wood. We know that trees are living things. The grow, they bleed, they stretch
out lovingly to embrace the sky as any creature would that started small but
had large ambitions. They live for hundreds of hundreds of years, longer then
the elves or dragons. And within them they hold many tales, whispering through
their leaves, carried by the winds.."
"Long ago, when man and horror first locked blades. When Passions struggled
for their peoples that they might once again claim Barsaive as there own, there
was a loving couple named Artus and Calee. They were young, and being so had
great dreams of the future they would have together. There were children to
have and mountains to climb and acres of stars to harvest for each others
jewels. They were very much in love, drew each breath for one another. They lived
for the day they could make these wishes come true."
"Artus was a brave warrior: an instrument of protection for his caer and one
of the first to venture out into the new world and claim it inhabitable. He
made safe the paths and passages that they would take to find their future
homes. He guarded and fought, struggled and carved out every foot hold, every inch
that was gained in their flight for freedom. For every step was closer to the
dreams he had than the day before."
"Calee was a warrior of a different kind. She fought for the heart of her
people, being a questor of Astendar. She inspired them, invoking in them the
dreams and wants and passions that kept them trying, kept them wanting, kept them
dreaming of a better tomorrow under blue skies."
"Together they were an unbeatable team, for heart and sword are a good
combination if wielded properly. They crafted a home out of hard work and solid
dreams. They built the foundation of their town on that love, and made it a home
for all the people they cared for."
"It had wide sprawling fields for generations of children to run in, plenty
of room for expanding and growing, and those acres of stars above them, just
waiting to be named and picked. Just waiting.."
"As comes with all things, the bad came with the good though. For even though
they had won this territory, the forces of the dark weren't satisfied with
simply letting them take this rich land and let them have it for free. The
creatures were hungry for the blood of those living there, the misery and sorrow
that could be cranked from their persons. So they waited, then they hunted, then
they struck the heart of the village."
"And the mighty warrior Artus and his followers came crashing down upon the
beasts, a mighty melee ensued. And though the legion of smaller vermin were
destroyed, leaving a great many wounded and dying on the battleground, the great
beast, father to all the spawn, was laughing in the distance."
"Artus searched for his love, finding her among the fallen. Her life blood
flowing freely and her moments sparse. Yet through her pain she reached for him.
And helpless, he began to pray. 'Oh Astendar,' he called out, 'Our beloved
lay dying. Or heart, our dream, please help us, help us.'"
"Astendar looked down upon the fields strewn with bodies and indeed saw a
great many hearts breaking, a great many loves dying and the dreams of the better
life fading from the future. She could not sway the hand of death, as that
lay in control of another. But she could fashion a gift from this pain, that it
might never strike another, that it might empower hope with love."
"There, where so many loved ones were dying, young trees sprang up in their
places. The blood on the hands of their loved ones turned to amber. And that
amber became a shield, a wooden hardening that spread over their persons. The
blood of their loved ones was armor against that beast."
"So no more would be preyed upon the warriors flew into battle against the
great darkness, beating him down and snuffing it's spirit that it may never
return and plague the village again. And though saddened by the loss of their
loved ones, they rebuilt as man is destined to due and carried on, carried on,
carried on."
"And children ran in those fields, just as they should have. And stars were
named and promised. And the trees watched, as their gift of love, their
sacrifice was passed on again and again to child after child. Loved one after loved
one. Dreamer after dreamer. To defends those dreams, that love, for all of
time."
Lenora gave a short curt bow, signalling the end of her story.
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