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The Wulf Quest... Part Four |
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With more than a little concern, Gianna considered her guest as she cleaned up the breakfast dishes. It wasn't just the girl's strange paw-like hands, either. She acted as if she had only a tiny knowledge of how humans behaved!
Right now, Boritha was exploring the small cottage, taking down one or the other of the herb-plant pots scattered on shelves near the window; herbs Gianna used to make potions and as medicine, as well as to flavor foods; delving into the woodbox as if she expected to find something besides wood in it, and just generally acting as if she had never been inside of a house before!
But she must have had some idea, because she wore clothes, knew how to wash and dress herself and, after a quick glance, how to eat, though she had licked the bowl clean.
Finishing the dishes, Gianna poured herself another cup of tea and sat at the table. Nodding decisively, she called Boritha over.
"I think it's time we talked, Boritha." Gianna began gently. "I don't know where you came from or even who or what this, this Wobu clan of yours is, but you obviously need my help, or you wouldn't have wound up on my doorstep last night. Can you tell me?" Gianna's look was soft, warm and gentle, not wanting to scare the girl who was now sitting on the floor, paws wrapped over her knees, rocking slightly.
"Wh-wh-what do you want to know?" Boritha asked, her eyes wide in fear.
"Whatever you think you can tell me."
Boritha continued to sit and rock for a few more moments, then, she vaulted from the floor and moved over to the window, one paw on the sill as she looked out at the bright morning, her eyes becoming unfocused as she began to speak...
"I come from the Gnarest Hills, beyond the woods that border Aekea. The woods are the Borderlands to we..." Boritha hesitated, then, taking a deep breath, she went on. "...we, as you normals call us, 'werewolves'." Turning, her dark gaze now bored into Gianna's.
Werewolves!!!! There had been rumors, for many years, of such beings, but Gianna had always been told, and believed, that such stories were only that, stories, to chill youngsters on long, cold winter nights spent telling tales 'round the fire and sending them to bed shivering with more than the cold. Werewolves!
"I am not like the others. I am a 'razza mezza', a halfbreed. My father is a full werewolf, but my mother was human, like you. You see, she had been driven from her own homeland, and her small skiff capsized on the reefs below the Hills. My father found and rescued her, and they mated. I was the pitiful result." Great drops began to fall down Boritha's cheeks, but she continued.
"One night, when I was only a small girl, maybe three or four, the protezioni, the Elder's guardsmen, came to our den, and took my mother away. Father was off, hunting I think, so they came when he couldn't stop them. The others, they hated my mother, because they blamed all normals, what we call you humans, for us living in the hills we the way we did."
"But, Father told me, later, that it wasn't the normals fault. Some amongst the werepeople can't seem to control themselves when the moon rides full and high and the cambiare, 'the changing', comes upon us. They have a deep bloodlust, and they kill without thought anything they happen upon. These are the Lupi Neri, the Black Wolves, and most of the others shun them for the killers that they are."
"Father said it was because of the Lupi Neri that all of us had to live away from normals, and in our hidden dens deep in the Gnarest Hills, far from anything that could tempt the Lupi Neri when their changing was upon them."
Boritha stopped, then, suddenly, as she dropped to the floor, again enveloping her knees and laying her head on them, her face, streaked with tears, turned to Gianna.
"A-a-a-and th-th-th-aat's wh-why I had-had t-t-to luh-luh-luh-leave!" she barely managed to stammer out before she dissolved into huge racking sobs that made her thin shoulders shake with agony.
Gianna jumped and moved to kneel beside the sobbing girl, wrapping her arms around the shaking form and trying to comfort her. What else could she do? But, what a story!!
 Changeling_Gypsy · Mon Oct 16, 2006 @ 05:00am · 0 Comments |
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The Wulf Quest... Part Three |
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With a sigh, Gianna lifted her head from where she had pillowed it on her arms as she had slept at the table. Her gaze lifted blearily to peer across only to startle as she saw her 'guest' seated across from her.
"Ummm.... good morning...?"
"And morning greetings to thee as well, Madam" came the soft reply, the voice gently melodious. She sat, somewhat uncomfortably it seemed, her... "paw-hands" crossed before her as she leaned on the table.
As she looked upon her guest, Gianna's mind finally began to process. She recalled the advent of the young female from the night before, the driving rain that had brought her to her doorstep, and the decision she had made to help her.
"I hope you rested well?" she asked, gently, lifting herself from the tabletop and stretching to ease sore muscles.
"Yes, thanking you. Please, where am I?" Gianna could see the shimmering of unshed tears in the guarded eyes of the girl. Why, the girl was scared half to death!
"You are in Bellegra, a small town in the far north of Barton Sector." Gianna tilted her head to gaze thoughtfully upon her visitor. "May I ask who you are?"
Gianna kept silent, now, knowing that the next few moments would decide her course. The girl hadn't known who she was last night... would she remember this morning?
"I am... Boritha, of the Wobu Clan." came the almost toneless whisper of a reply, as if Boritha were resigned to a fate she could not escape, and dreaded.
Deciding to leave things be for now, Gianna smiled softly; somewhat amazed at the manner of Boritha's reply and not understanding what "Wobu Clan" was - or meant- but glad to have a name for her visitor at last. She rose gingerly stretching protesting muscles from the cramped position she had slept in and moved to stir up the coals in the fireplace before swinging the cooking cauldron over the flames. She added water and rice along with a dollop of honey and some cinnamon, letting it heat in the flames. Another pot, one that had hung over the banked coals overnight, held hot water; she dipped some of this out into a bowl, added cool water from the barrel to the side of the fireplace, grabbed a towel, soap and other toiletry items from a shelf and placed these on a small table off to one side.
"Here is hot water, and a towel, so you may refresh yourself before breakfast, Boritha."
Smiling as Boritha rose to wash, Gianna moved off to the sleeping-alcove and pulled out some clothing for her guest, seeing Boritha's was in poor condition - a tunic, and hose, and some soft buskins she no longer wore; and had been planning on giving to the village Council storehouse, for those in need. Well, this was certainly a case of someone "being in need", she thought to herself as she crossed the room and set the stack of clothing off to the side where Boritha could reach them.
Noting that Boritha had finished washing, she indicated that she could dress behind the curtain that separated the living area from the sleeping one, then turned to stir the rice porridge as it began to froth up in the cauldron. As she stirred the thickening gruel, she wondered why she had done as she had. It wasn't like her, not at all. Usually, Gianna was a shy, quiet and retiring sort. Her early experiences with being shunned and feared for her majickal abilities and training had taught her extreme discretion. Some folk feared majickal beings so much they hunted them down, and did...horrible things to them. Gianna shuddered as she recalled the night in Dunglo Sector... a night of screams and blazing torches... and seeing her mother's battered and bruised form, lying still and cold upon the ground, the next day. Gianna had fled with her father, and they had left the sector, wandering until Gordru had found employment on a fishing boat, here in Barton. Always counseling his young daughter to be quiet and discreet, not to show her abilities, not to stir up "trouble"... No small wonder, then, that she had become a shy and very quiet young woman, not normally given to things like...this.
"Come, the porridge is ready!" she called out, and spooned out two bowlsful of the hot, creamy cereal, topping each with another dollop of honey then filling two mugs with tea, which she also sweetened with honey.
"I am thanking you for your kindness, Madam... ?" Boritha stopped, as Gianna hadn't yet introduced herself.
"Oh! I'm so sorry... how rude of me! I am Gianna, Boritha. Welcome to my home.' Gianna took a mouthful of the porridge, gasping as the heat burned her tongue slightly, but enjoying the sweet, creamy taste of it.
Boritha sat gingerly across from Gianna and looked at her bowl, almost as if she had never seen the like of it before. She looked over at Gianna, then, haltingly, took up the spoon in paw awkwardly, and copying Gianna's motions as best she could, dug it into the bowl and brought a spoonful up to her mouth. Then, she pulled her lips back from her teeth and sniffed it!
Amazed, Gianna halted, spoon halfway to her own mouth, and watched as Boritha again sniffed the food before... wolfing... it down. Then, even more amazed as a beatific smile washed over the girl's features and she began to stuff the cereal into her mouth, gulp after gulp, barely having time to swallow before another mouthful was shoved within! In moments, the bowl was empty, and to Gianna's astonishment, Boritha lifted the bowl with her paws and licked it perfectly clean. Finished, Boritha grinned at her, rice-porridge smeared across her face.
Where had this strange young girl come from? What was she?
Changeling_Gypsy · Mon Sep 04, 2006 @ 04:36pm · 0 Comments |
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The Wulf Quest... Part Two |
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Barely able to keep her gem-like green eyes from closing, Gianna made her way from the chair at the girl's bedside, over to the small table in the corner. Drawing out the bench, and lighting the black gothic-style candle in it's brass holder in the center of the table, she wearily sat herself down and pulled over the tumbler of now-cool herb tea she had made for herself... hours ago?
Who was this strange girl? And those... paws! Gianna had even noticed the bulge of what appeared to be a tail tucked inside of the girls shoddy black-leather breeches as she'd been tucked into the warm bed. Certainly not anything like a "normal" girl, that was for sure. But, where had she come from? What had brought her to Gianna's door on this blustery night?
So many questions, and no answers. At least, none until the girl woke up, but she seemed to be in no danger of that any time soon; her slender form barely making a lump in the bed under the coverlet, only a few strands of her ebony hair giving away her presence as she peacefully slept.
Gianna knew that if anyone found out she was harboring such a... strange... person in her home, it would bring an outcry against her from the neighborhood. Despite the tolerance shown to her; both as a sorceress of some repute and for her somewhat odd ways; she realized that tolerance would only go just so far. After all, Gianna was human, and this girl was... what?
As she gazed at the small sleeping form across the room, a word whispered hesitantly through Gianna's whirling mind.... "changeling".
TO BE CONTINUED...
Changeling_Gypsy · Sat Aug 12, 2006 @ 06:30pm · 0 Comments |
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"Her feet leaving bloody imprints and having been ribboned by walking on the sharp stones of the path, she came to my door that dark, moonless night, her doe-brown eyes welling with tears as she gazed up at me in the glow of my lantern. A child, almost, she seemed, so tiny and frail and helpless.
"Who are you?" I asked, softly
"I'm... I... I-I don't knoo - OOOOOOWWW!" she wailed, dropping her mud-streaked face into her grimy... paws?
"Quickly, I drew her into my house before anyone else could see and settled her before the fire with a soft, warm blanket wrapped around her thin shoulders. I kept a steady stream of inane talk going; about the wet weather, the price of turnips in the marketplace, and the like; as I busied myself making her a bowl of hot soup.
"Kneeling beside her, I helped her take a few mouthfuls of the savory broth, running my hand over her hair, to soothe her; the tangled black locks falling over her back like tree roots.
"After awhile, her eyes began to droop, and I helped her to the bed, tucking her in with soft bolsters and a warm coverlet.
"I noted her paws were the only part of her that seemed... odd. Yet, I wondered, who was she?
What was she????
(To Be Continued...)
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Questing for these items for Character Avatars:
For Gianna's Character:
*Ruby Forehead Jewel - 2,000g
*Witch Cape - 10,000g
*Morgana's Dress - 2,500g
*Sporran - 4,075g
*Natural Amethyst Pendant - 1,343g
*Gothic Candle - 1,250g donated by sassie
For Boritha's Character:
*Black Wulf Boots - 1,090g DONATED BY KADAY
*Black Wulf Gloves - 899g
*Black Wulf Headpiece - 2,100gPurchased for 1745 9-4-06
*Black Wulf Tail - 760g 500 gold donated by ticktickBOOM!
*Black Wulf Muzzle - 1,240g
(Prices are as of August 6, 2006 at the Barton Boutique, Barton Jewelers, The Faktori)
Current gold: 1779/27257 needed
Changeling_Gypsy · Sun Aug 06, 2006 @ 07:14pm · 0 Comments |
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As I wandered around Gaia, and looked at everything, figuring things out, I noticed a lot of folks had "Questing for..." on their siggy's in the Forum, etc. I wondered, "what's that all about?"
So... I checked it out...
Now, for a writer like me, you give me an idea, a "seed-thought", for a story, and, lo and behold, it begins to rise up from the murky depths of one's mind and begins to take shape.
I had already picked out some Wulf apparel items for my avatar, since I happen to love wolves, so that added more "fuel" to my creative fire, and a stroy began to take shape. My Gaian name... Changeling... a wolf-child...a sorceress... a dark night... et al.
So, both here and on the appropriate forum, the story will develop. The items I am questing for will eventually be used to build the avatars of the two main characters, Gianna and Boritha. The avatars will become part of the story, as will the items themselves. Perhaps they will be "found" during the course of the tale... who knows?
Stay Tuned...
Changeling_Gypsy · Sun Aug 06, 2006 @ 07:11pm · 0 Comments |
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My First Post- Dazed and Confused |
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Were I to describe my mood, currently, "dazed and confused" would about sum it up. GaiaOnline appears to be a wonderful place, but I'm having all kinds of trouble accessing areas, including the Towns (the bar goes halfway, then stops, and I DO have the newest version of Flash installed, did all of that.. no luck), putting items into my Home, etc.
But, as with anything, when one is new, one is bound to make many mistakes, etc. I am confident that I will, eventually, figure this all out and be able to enjoy this site, in time. For now, I am just setting things up as I come across them, and look forward to making new friends.
As for what you might find in my Journal:
I occasionally write poetry, I also write short stories of the sci-fi/fantasy genre', (sorry, not anime-style, though I enjoy it, I don't have the creative bent for stories of that type)
I will write of my thoughts, "musings", if you will, on various subjects at random times, for random reasons. (I accept, and encourage, comment on these topics, since I know my opinions are my own, and not that of anyone else)
I am not a youngster. I am 40 years old, three of my children are already grown, my eldest son made me a grandma a year and a half ago, and my youngest just turned 11 in July (2006). I don't tend to tolerate crappola very well, and I have a nose for it and can smell it a mile away! However, I'm generally outgoing, easy-going, helpful and try to do my best to on good terms with everyone I meet. Just please don't take that as meaning I won't get riled over stupidity or outright crappola when it comes my way. As long as we understand that about each other, we're good to go.
Also, on a very personal note, I am engaged to be married on 07-07-07, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A. at the Excaliber Hotel & Casino, a medieval-themed resort. This will be my third marriage, his first, and we are happily looking forward to the nuptials there next year. 4laugh
Well, that's all for now. Happy you dropped by... add your own thoughts if you wish. See you later!
Changeling_Gypsy · Sat Aug 05, 2006 @ 09:32pm · 0 Comments |
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