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[ 11] Llorana: Focus
Fri Jan 14 23:47:38 2011
To: Shalonesti Shalonesti_kingdom ( Kwars )
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The parchment was deceptively simple in what it proclaimed but she knew
that beneath it all, it wasn't so. Not at all.
She'd been approached by a royal page, asked a question, to which she had
hesitated even though she knew the answer. It was yes. Of course it was
yes. It was the timing, perhaps, that caught her a little off guard.
Some people were made for war, some people were bred to it. For some, that
held them, was their purpose. This would be hers. It had chosen her, in
many ways. She liked to think she had not been intended for such things but
the deeper she trudged back through her life, the clearer it became. Always
striving for adventure, never satisfied until she'd met her match and
overcome it. Finding trouble or being found by it. Thinking these thoughts
no more than a few hours ago, it was as if someone had known.
Thus her fingers had hestiated with quill poised over the page, already
stamped with two official looking seals; one of Sha'falas and one of Kyorl.
She didn't understand why, even now thinking back on it. If she knew her
path with such certainty, then why?
Why hesitate?
The question ate at her until she could no longer sit still and was drawn
from her meditations to meet old Jarri with sword to hand.
The older elf, perhaps respecting the emotional boundries she had thrown up,
met her with quiet understanding and before long, the ringing sound of sword
play filled the Grove of Song.
She burned it out of her, slowly but surely. Muscles aching, lean body
coated with sweat, a dozen bruises decorating various parts of her where
Jarri hadn't spared her an inch. Her hair had come free of its braids just
enough to lend a look of greater dishevelment.
"You are young yet" Jarriantias intoned softly when they were done, when the
haunt had calmed, "As so many others are. Remember this when you are alone,
when you work alongside your fellow Kyorl and when you take to the field of
battle. Your personal feelings are not as important as the task. Remain
focused."
It was good advice. She did know better. It was hard - the hardest thing
she had ever had to do yet perhaps - but she knew it was necessary. The
question then was; How did one become that hard without sacrificing who they
were?
She knew that was what old Jarri wanted her to figure out. There were no
upfront answers. Each Kyorl made their own path or fell upon it.
A shake of her head set the difficult question to the background for the
moment and after sheathing her sword, she grabbed up a towel and headed out
of the groves, not quite able to muster her usual cheer but all the better
for the exercise.
She would be back with her elven squad in no time, but she had a distinct
feeling that the field of battle would be a great deal changed from what she
had experienced before the Mountain.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Llorana: Familial Obligations: Endurance
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[ 10] Llorana: Familial Obligations: Endurance
Thu Jan 13 03:23:26 2011
To: Shalonesti Shalonesti_kingdom ( Nianica Jinquil Azaros Aelthran )
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The soft, not ungentle, laughter of her mother followed and lightly did
she place her hand upon Llorana's head. Striving, perhaps, to comfort her
daughter who had never sought it before.
"No, dear child. " Came the response eventually and Llorana found that she
was watching the slant of the sunlight. "If you three have taught me
anything, it would be that no matter what prediction or demand I've set upon
any of you, you're bound and determined to go your own road - above and
beyond. You three have proven that I am wrong. "
Silence then, inundated with the gentle salt-scented brush of the breeze
upon the edge of dusk's fading light.
"I say a lot of things, Llorana. " The quiet tone of her mother had
changed. So much had changed in so little time it seemed. "But all three
of you have challenged me in your own ways. What I've said to you in the
past has been said to your siblings in different ways."
"You've all disappointed me and... " -when her mother trailed off, Llorana
took the moment to lift her head, to look at her mother through similar
green eyes- "made me more proud than any mother has ever been for her
children."
It was then that her mother, quick as ever, looked down to note the absense
of a ring upon Llorana's finger and a sort of pain passed through the older
elf's eyes. Llorana was unprepared for the touch of her mother's hand upon
her cheek - the same cheek she had slapped perhaps months earlier.
"I raised strong daughters. " She murmured. "But nothing prepares you for
this path but setting foot upon it." -she used her other hand to pat the
stone bench beside her- "Sit with me then and we'll see if I still have a
mothers touch."
* * * *
Much later, Llorana sat alone in the star-lit night, gazing up at a sky that
seemed too full of stars and entirely too far away. She hadn't been
prepared for gentleness, for understanding or comfort, but no tears kissed
her cheeks. She had seen and done too many difficult things to shed tears
for herself. She didn't deserve such a thing yet.
Instead, she drew a sword from its sheath with a sound as of a single harp's
string plucked, and set its tip to the soft ground. The haunt that came
forth, as her fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt, was changed. It held
sorrow and joy in equal measures at first, and when it finally swept her
away, it contained only the enduring strength she had assured herself she
had.
[ 10] Llorana: Familial Obligations: Endurance
Thu Jan 13 03:23:26 2011
To: Shalonesti Shalonesti_kingdom ( Nianica Jinquil Azaros Aelthran )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soft, not ungentle, laughter of her mother followed and lightly did
she place her hand upon Llorana's head. Striving, perhaps, to comfort her
daughter who had never sought it before.
"No, dear child. " Came the response eventually and Llorana found that she
was watching the slant of the sunlight. "If you three have taught me
anything, it would be that no matter what prediction or demand I've set upon
any of you, you're bound and determined to go your own road - above and
beyond. You three have proven that I am wrong. "
Silence then, inundated with the gentle salt-scented brush of the breeze
upon the edge of dusk's fading light.
"I say a lot of things, Llorana. " The quiet tone of her mother had
changed. So much had changed in so little time it seemed. "But all three
of you have challenged me in your own ways. What I've said to you in the
past has been said to your siblings in different ways."
"You've all disappointed me and... " -when her mother trailed off, Llorana
took the moment to lift her head, to look at her mother through similar
green eyes- "made me more proud than any mother has ever been for her
children."
It was then that her mother, quick as ever, looked down to note the absense
of a ring upon Llorana's finger and a sort of pain passed through the older
elf's eyes. Llorana was unprepared for the touch of her mother's hand upon
her cheek - the same cheek she had slapped perhaps months earlier.
"I raised strong daughters. " She murmured. "But nothing prepares you for
this path but setting foot upon it." -she used her other hand to pat the
stone bench beside her- "Sit with me then and we'll see if I still have a
mothers touch."
* * * *
Much later, Llorana sat alone in the star-lit night, gazing up at a sky that
seemed too full of stars and entirely too far away. She hadn't been
prepared for gentleness, for understanding or comfort, but no tears kissed
her cheeks. She had seen and done too many difficult things to shed tears
for herself. She didn't deserve such a thing yet.
Instead, she drew a sword from its sheath with a sound as of a single harp's
string plucked, and set its tip to the soft ground. The haunt that came
forth, as her fingers slowly wrapped around the hilt, was changed. It held
sorrow and joy in equal measures at first, and when it finally swept her
away, it contained only the enduring strength she had assured herself she
had.
Llorana - Familial Obligations: Change
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[ 9] Llorana: Familial Obligations: Change
Thu Jan 13 03:03:40 2011
To: Shalonesti Shalonesti_kingdom ( Nianica Jinquil Azaros Aelthran )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took longer to reach her parent's summer home on the coast than usual,
as she couldn't seem to muster much more than a dismal canter out of her
steed. The creature seemed almost as exausted as she and, patting its
luxurious mane, she had silently commiserated with the elegant elven beast.
The idea was alone time. It felt as if a long span had passed between the
unveiling of their Kyorl paths, their fiances...
A deep sigh left her lips and as she rode up the earthen path, bracketed by
tall trees weeping emerald leaves, she let the memories pass through her
like dreams through a dream catcher. Only, the threaded patterns didn't
filter the bad dreams, didn't catch the good ones. It let them all go.
The gentle resonating melody of a wind chime caught at her ears as she
dismounted slowly, grimacing at the strain of muscles that had been abused
for months. She strove past the discomfort though and went about removing
her pack from the saddle before she lead the beatiful steed to the nearly
empty stables nearby. There were two horses amongst the stalls, brushed and
at ease. It made her frown, then sigh again. It was probably the staff but
who knew?
Shaking her head, she grabbed up a brush and after setting the saddle of her
horse aside, she went through the strangely meditative process of brushing
the pale coat until it gleamed. It didn't lift her mood, which she had come
out here to visit by herself, but it did settle her and it was in a quiet,
contemplative state that she found her way later into the gardens.
All the vibrant flowers were in full bloom. Her mother had made something
of a hobby of it when they were children and traveling from city to city,
village to village. The marigolds, the roses of many color and scent, the
violets, the lilies - the herbs that gave off calming scents..
Stepping into the center of the garden, wherein stood the ancient stone
gazebo crawling with white and red roses, she spied the only person who
could have made her feel simultaniously worse and better. And striding
slowly toward the woman dressed in a strangely subdued style, she knelt to
set her head upon her mother's lap.
"Have you come to bring me more weighty news, daughter? " The tone was cool
but tired. So tired.
"No, mother. " She whispered softly, hearing a new sort of weight in her
own voice that made her grimace. "I came to be alone but, now that you're
here, I've come to tell you that you're right. You've always been right
about me."
[ 9] Llorana: Familial Obligations: Change
Thu Jan 13 03:03:40 2011
To: Shalonesti Shalonesti_kingdom ( Nianica Jinquil Azaros Aelthran )
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took longer to reach her parent's summer home on the coast than usual,
as she couldn't seem to muster much more than a dismal canter out of her
steed. The creature seemed almost as exausted as she and, patting its
luxurious mane, she had silently commiserated with the elegant elven beast.
The idea was alone time. It felt as if a long span had passed between the
unveiling of their Kyorl paths, their fiances...
A deep sigh left her lips and as she rode up the earthen path, bracketed by
tall trees weeping emerald leaves, she let the memories pass through her
like dreams through a dream catcher. Only, the threaded patterns didn't
filter the bad dreams, didn't catch the good ones. It let them all go.
The gentle resonating melody of a wind chime caught at her ears as she
dismounted slowly, grimacing at the strain of muscles that had been abused
for months. She strove past the discomfort though and went about removing
her pack from the saddle before she lead the beatiful steed to the nearly
empty stables nearby. There were two horses amongst the stalls, brushed and
at ease. It made her frown, then sigh again. It was probably the staff but
who knew?
Shaking her head, she grabbed up a brush and after setting the saddle of her
horse aside, she went through the strangely meditative process of brushing
the pale coat until it gleamed. It didn't lift her mood, which she had come
out here to visit by herself, but it did settle her and it was in a quiet,
contemplative state that she found her way later into the gardens.
All the vibrant flowers were in full bloom. Her mother had made something
of a hobby of it when they were children and traveling from city to city,
village to village. The marigolds, the roses of many color and scent, the
violets, the lilies - the herbs that gave off calming scents..
Stepping into the center of the garden, wherein stood the ancient stone
gazebo crawling with white and red roses, she spied the only person who
could have made her feel simultaniously worse and better. And striding
slowly toward the woman dressed in a strangely subdued style, she knelt to
set her head upon her mother's lap.
"Have you come to bring me more weighty news, daughter? " The tone was cool
but tired. So tired.
"No, mother. " She whispered softly, hearing a new sort of weight in her
own voice that made her grimace. "I came to be alone but, now that you're
here, I've come to tell you that you're right. You've always been right
about me."
The Dalars
Evandim and Ellinda Dalar
Daughter - Nianica Sha'falas Dalar m. Aelthran Shalonost
son - Aelsian Shalonost
daughter - Niena Shalonost
Daughter - Llorana Sha'falas Dalar
Daughter - Jinquil Sha'qelas Dalar m. Elyrial Shalonost
Daughter - Jinquil Sha'qelas Dalar m. Elyrial Shalonost
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