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Post by Naavah on Dec 17, 2004 11:10:54 GMT -5
Naavah watched the display of power with interest. It was obvious that Kahlan was the alpha female in this big tribe of hers and that is what she meant by queen. She wondered who the alpha male was but decided not to ask. Adam was the singular exception in a rule that men were generally more dangerous and less usefull than women. She had her mother to thank for such militant femenist views on life. It was not until the last servant left that Naavah seemed to let out her breath. The entire time her hands had been straight down at her side, hovering between her pouch of totems and her dagger. Were she pushed too far and into too close of quarters it was more than likely that Naavah would resort of fighting instead of talking her way out of the mob.
Her posture relaxed visually once the people dispersed. Being around Shra and Khalan was about as much as she wanted to handle at once. She only had two eyes and anymore than two creatures to watch with them began to become overwhelming, especially if the crowds were loud and moving about. In the strangeness of the moment, Naavah had chosen closeness and even body contact to Kahlan as her best bet, now she fet odd sccoting too far away to maintain her rather large comfort space. Instead she merely asked one of the many questions that burned within her brain "Are you queen because--" she hesitated finding the question more difficult to form than she meant "because everyone listens, or--" her eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought "do they listen because you are queen?" It was a chicken or egg sort of question but the two were very different, whether she yielded power out of her own innate abilities to do so, or because she had been awarded a title. Never would Naavah dream that inheritance could play a part in monarcies as well.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 17, 2004 23:04:04 GMT -5
When the crowds part and the sea of human bodies disperse Kahlan, not unlike Shra or Naavah, becomes relaxed again. No longer tense with the burden of giving answers and ruling a country, but instead enjoying the pleasantries that Naavah and Shra may impart upon her. She had taken up noticing the girl's emotions which were splayed open like a large text for all but the worst face readers to interpret.
The question that Naavah asks causes Kahlan to ponder quietly for a time as they weave their way towards the Kitchens. The aroma coming from the kitchens delights the senses well before the three make out the doors or the boisterous sounds coming from the other side of large dark oak doors. When they come into range of these doors, Kahlan smiles down to Naavah. "They listen to me because I am their leader. I inherited my title from my mother and father, so I suppose you could say that I am Queen because my people listen." A rueful smile plays upon the woman's lips at the thought, more often than not they were enamoured by the elusive and young looking woman that was their High Queen.
Planting a hand firmly on a door to the Kitchens, Kahlan shoves it open and it swings with very little effort on well oiled hinges. Behind the doors are smells so succulent that even the most noble of men and women have caught themselves drooling. The scene behind the door, and the reason for all the ruckus, unfolds before their very eyes as the head cook chases one of the younger kitchen hands around the kitchen with what looks like a rolling pin. Perking a slender brow Kahlan tries her hardest not to laugh as they both realize whom has just walked into the Kitchen.
"Cook, Naavah," Kahlan gestures to the young girl next to her, "And myself would like something to eat. Meat for Naavah please. Bring her a little of everything so that she might sample and find what she likes best. Shra will have left over bones from a suckling pig." At the sound of such a treat Shra's ears perk up and she eagerly anticipates the arrival of said bones. "We will all be waiting in the small side garden Cook."
As quickly as the woman had entered so she leaves through a side door, leading the way to the garden in question. Moments later they emerge into a garden of comfortable size with a single bench, two chairs and one table. Everything else is either taken over by ivy or some form of vined plant. Kahlan survey's her garden with a hawk's eye for detail and she smiles. "I hope you do not mind the choice I have made. It is one of the more quiet gardens in this region."
Settling down into one of the chairs before the table, Kahlan levels her gaze on Naavah. Her eyes are extraordinary in that they rarely ever stay the same color for an extended amount of time. Naavah would be able to recognize this as Kahlan watches her with some interest. Kahlan's eyes are a mysterious shade of green, dampened only just so by a sheen of grey. Her eyes and face are both unreadable and much to her amusement this often gives rise to the fear that some have of her.
"Where do you come from Naavah?" It was a direct question without being demanding, ruling, or pushy. It's just a simple question which begs an answer.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 17, 2004 23:42:41 GMT -5
Naavah nodded her head, she did not know exactly what inheritance was but could guess that it was a gift, and that was close enough. As they arrived at the kitchen, Naavah stopped five feet from the door, refusing to get closer. She had gotten locked in a large building once before and was now twice shy of the walled structures. No amount of meats or treats could tempt her to break what was, to her, a cardinal rule of survival. Through the open door she could see the mass of people, the indescribable bounty of unidentifiable foods, for a child who thought that bread must grow from the earth in loaves, much of what she could peek in at was beyond her vocabulary. Still, she could see the effect that Kahlan had not the cooks and it pleased her to watch. She wondered if there was some magic reason that made so many people so instantly obediant. Perhaps she had been blessed by the spirits and Naavah had simply yet to decipher who had blessed her. In her experience leaders led but Kahlan seemed to be revered. Maybe it was in those strange eyes of hers, Naavah internally searched her library of oral stories, wondering which animal was know for such eyes.
Having refused to enter the building, Naavah did not have an easy route to the little garden. There were seperated by about a seven foot stone wall, covered with ivy. Without a moment's hesitation, Naavah clambered up and over the wall as though it was no more of an obstacle than opening and closing a door. In the wild, there were rarely flat paths, cleared of all obstacles and so Naavah had an easy approach with dealing with anything in her way: up and over if not around. Dropping softly into the garden she looked about all the ivy. She nodded her head at Kahlans choice, murmering a soft "nice". She did not understand the idea of gardens, of taking things that grow and rearranging them. In some ways she liked them, they were indeed pretty but in other ways she just wanted to knock things over, tear things up, make it look like Muna had laid both her glory and beautiful wrath upon the land, in both death and life. This, like much of the castle grounds, simply seemed sterile for her tastes. She could eat here quite happily but living here would drive her crazy.
At Kahlan's question she seemed to be slightly perplexed. She moved to one of the seats and crouched on it as though it were a perch more than a place to relax and sit back. She knew exactly where she came from, every step of the way, but what was the answer that Kahlan wanted. "I came first from the Lupa, the wolf tribe, then from the Crandios, the Heron tribe, all in the Waking Land. Then in the Dream Land, I come from the forest all over, from the Western Woods. Then today I come from the tree with good places to drop things." If Kahlan's memory served her well enough, she might have plucked the words Lupa and Crandios from when Naavah recited her name. No longer is was so long if the girl was listing out her entire lineage! Still it was odd how she spoke of a waking and dreaming world. As she did she used her hands, one she in a fist and the other she wrapped around the back of the fist to represent the Waking Land. For the Dream Land she placed her fingers within the fist as though representing the middle of something. It was an odd thing to way though. It seems as if Naavah was postulating that this was not the real world, or at least not the only one.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 19, 2004 16:43:39 GMT -5
If Kahlan was curious about Naavah's distrust of closed in spaces she doesnt voice it. What catches her attention as Naavah mentions the clans she has been a part of is Western Wood. Indeed she had caught the reference of the clans to the child's long name and a smile finds its way to her lips as she leans back against her chair. The child did know Adam Masou.
"That is fascinating Naavah. To regress for a moment--" she pauses as she speaks, as if trying to gather her thoughts, and then she proceeds. "What I mean is, lets revisit something you spoke about. You come from the Western Wood also? This must mean you know Adam Masou." A smile finds its way to her lips and she glances to the child, watching for her reaction. "Adam has visited this very castle several times and is an acquaintance of mine." Is it any wonder why the people of this castle have thus learned to accept the presence of Naavah without any harsh repercussions for her stone dropping?
With a gesture Kahlan smoothly transitions between topics back to the Dream and Waking speech Naavah was making. "That too is intriguing Naavah. I must say, someone has never spoken so frankly about such a topic before. I would like to know more of what you speak about." If anyone knew that there was more to life than what was around us, it was Kahlan. A small smile finds its way back onto her features as she watches Naavah. She is so like Adam that instinctually she felt at ease with the child and that she was not a threat.
Moments later trays of food come through the doors, one being set in front of Kahlan with a few odds and ends on it and a few being set before Naavah with a myriad of different meats. "Eat up, and if you find there is one that you like most of all do let me know so that you may have more." Smiling openly Kahlan begins her meal, eagerly awaiting any verbal thoughts the child might have while eating.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 19, 2004 22:45:49 GMT -5
She nodded when Kahlan mentioned Adam, seeming at first surprised that they knew each other. She didn't think of Adam knowing anyone beyond her and the animals, no matter how self centered that might seem. Still, if this woman was really as powerful of a ruler as Naavah was beginning to see, it would make sence that she and Adam would have crossed paths. Certainly if Adam found Kahlan's presence to be tolerable, it was another point in her favor in the child's eyes. She began to say something, but shut her mouth tightly as the cooks brought out the platters of food. she watched them carefully with hawk like eyes as they lay down the meals before her and hurried back to the kitchens. It was not until they were alone once more that Naavah relaxed. It was obvious that relaxing around one Other, Kahlan, did nothing to lower her guard around any of the others.
As soon as they were gone Naavah started in on the meat with both hands. Her table manners were far from admirable, as she tore away at this and that. Unlike Adam, her appetite was not limited to raw meat. Instead, she ate a mix of raw and cooked meats, varying by available time and resources. Marinades, basteing, sautaeing and all the other techniques used by the chefs were all far beyond her range of skills and tastes. She had no idea that meats could have quite so many flavors. It was several moments before she could speak as she stuffed her mouth with food. Finally swallowing an over sized bite of turkey down she takes on Kahlan's question. "The is one world that is Muna but it is three lands that are Waking, Dream, and the Great Forest." She took a bite of rib and looked down at her greasy fingers, seeming to contemplate what to do with them. Expertly, she wiped her hands off on the white table cloth that had be laid out for their meal and reached into her pouch to pull out her Muna figurine once more. She held it out for Kahlan to see and pointed to the back of the doll with it's rotund buttox and smooth back "This is the Waking Land, where the people who live are. When they dream and when they die they go inside Muna. That's where the spirits fight for the..." she paused for the word and to wipe some grease from her mouth with her forearm "souls? Yes, fight for the souls of people." She then tapped the front of Muna, her broad belly and large breasts "This is the Great Forest, where the dead all walk to. It is where the spirits bring the good to be with them and the bad are eaten by the spirits." She nodded to Kahlan, seeming content that she had explained it right and put the idol back in her bag.
It was a strange theology. Naavah seemed to be saying that they were living their lives in some sort of purgatory between life and death and that everyone here was either supernatural, dead or asleep. Put into context, it did not seem to be far from the truth, but it was not the sort of thing that children usually said. Did Naavah believe herself to be already dead? She gave no answers to this and having explained the truth of the universe, the girl went back to her meal. She seemed to favor the red meats especially, as they were the foods that she could not easily hunt herself. The venison, steak, and were the first to be cleaned from her plate. It was also becoming increasingly obvious that the little girl was able and willing to eat half her body weight in meat. There seemed to be no slowing in her ravenous appetite.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 20, 2004 20:09:42 GMT -5
Nibbling here and there at the food that is before her, Kahlan looks genuinely interested in what Naavah has to say. Her words are a vague whisper as she contemplates what the girl has said. "Fascinating, absolutely fascinating." A smile dapples her features as she turns her gaze back to Naavah, watching her eat with some interest as well.
The girl had a hearty appetite and that was entirely fine in Kahlan's book. A child without an appetite was one that was probably ill. Taking mental note of the meat that is first cleared from the girl's plate Kahlan begins to say something. "I believe that you have a wonderful point Naavah. The people bound to the earth do wander the towering halls of the majestic forest." Her thoughts seem contemplative for a while, how on earth could this woman know such a thing? There were many things about Kahlan that hardly any knew and one man knew many of her secrets. A smile is expertly hidden behind a hand while her eyes remain far away in thought.
"Naavah, you are a child of the earth are you not?" She waits the appropriate pause before forging onward. "Where do you think the people and animals of the sky go?" To what could she be referring? Returning to her meal she waits in silence for the girl to speak, eating what she finds enjoyable at the moment.
Kahlan is by all means a handsome woman, in some aspects breathtakingly so. Many a man has thought to share a life (and a kingdom) with her. Sitting now, with her face cast downwards, she looks so innocent and striking as her loosely curled locks frame a delicate face. The heavy cloak around her shoulders seems to magnify some other aspect of her, something buried deep within the rose kissed cheeks. Some would pass out to sit before her now as Naavah does and yet Kahlan finds the girl so easy to get along with that she dares to let her hair down (so to speak). That in itself is what makes Kahlan's beauty so breathtaking. When no one is watching or she dares to believe that no one cares about whom or what she is, she becomes herself. The one person that a single man has come to know in countless years.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 21, 2004 14:43:35 GMT -5
Naavah's appetite seemed to slow eventually. It was not that she did not enjoy eating, it was simply that she was not used to having the opportunity to glut herself quite so completely. Tearing away at a drum stick of roasted chicken she seemed to contemplate Kahlan's question. The words that Kahlan used were not quite right but slowly she fit them to what she knew Kahlan must be speaking of. All her life she had done this, taken that which she could not explain and carefully crafted it into the mythology that she was certain was true. She explained a bit more slowly, hoping to be able to solve Kahlan's question even if she did not understand it sompletely. "I am from the Waking Land and so when it is right I will go up to the Great Forest. Everyone must go forward and up, not back. I cannot go to Waking Land. Only spirits like Luminarrii and those that Muna gives gifts in the Great Forest can go in all the lands when they want. The animals are different, they only go to the great forest for a little while, then they are born again. People stay forever." She seemed to rethink over her words and then nod her head, certain that she had spoken correctly.
After a moment of silent chewing she seemed to remember something else she should add "The lands are all Muna. The Waking Land is on her back so she can only feel you. Dream Land is inside her so you are with her thoughts. The Great Forest is on her front so she can see you always. That's where she can always help, alway..." for a moment she struggled with words "act on you?" It didn't seem right but she knew she was close. Naavah was speaking of levels of holiness. With every land a person reached they grew closer to Muna. "I must stay here though for a while and be brave and strong and a hunter. Then I will go to the Great Forest. There, you are... like a baby being watched." She said this as though there could be nothing better than to be cradled in the arms of Muna. For a moment a smile glinted across her young face before she went back to gnawing on a rib bone, doing all too good of an impression of Shra at the moment. The thoughts, though, were elsewhere. To be stuck on this world was to be left behind. Her mother and baby brother were dead. Her father, the wolf spirit played a minimal role in her life, spurning her for his more successful offspring. There was no tribe here to rely on. All that she had constructed to survive and be happy, she had done herself. But such a life was wearing on a young child. Constant vigilance and worry was no way to grow up.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 21, 2004 19:21:50 GMT -5
After a short time Kahlan raises a hand and four servants spill out from behind the door where they had been waiting. The four quickly take away unused dishes and refill drinks. This day the two had water though Kahlan was known to partake in some richer drinks at noonday meal.
"I see. You have more knowledge than some of the courtly princes I have met, Naavah." A grin dances across Kahlan's features as she rests her elbows on the table after scooping up the water glass. Moments later half the glass has been drained and she takes Naavah in with her curious eyes, now a strange but inviting shade of spring green. "You speak of Muna with high regard. As you should child! Muna is the giver of life." When she stumbles over what to exactly say about the Great Forest on the front of Muna, Kahlan pauses for a moment and then continues. "You mean, Muna watches over those that have the right to be in the Great Forest?"
Moving to sit back in her chair, Kahlan eyes Shra and smiles. The wolf was entirely enjoying her meal of bones, most of which stiill had meat on them. The sound of the powerful jaws cracking into the bones and the nibbling of the marrow gives Kahlan pause to offer thanks that the wolf is on her side.
"Naavah. Do you know of the Tuatha De Dannan? They are a race born of the Goddess Danu and they live off of the land. Long ago, before your time they were driven from this realm into another one, a great forest. They worship the natural world not unlike the followers of Muna." Kahlan waits for all of this to sink in and for any questions to follow before carrying on. Her eyes curious as they roam over the features of the child. There was one place she could bring this girl, one place that the majesty would not be lost upon this single girl. However, she would wait to see if the child could truely handle such a magnificent sight as the Sacred Garden as she had so long ago come to call it.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 22, 2004 0:14:14 GMT -5
When the servants filed out once more, Naavah seemed to take a defensive pose, carefully guarding the bone she had been gnawing at as they took away her dirty plate. She nodded to Kahlan as she spoke of Muna. She was shocked to find how in tune Kahlan was with the "truth" of life. It was really amazing that anywhere in this seemingly sacreligious castle could know Muna as she is. "Yes, Muna watches over as mother in the Great Forest." She seemed pleased that Kahlan had helped her fill in the blanks of the explanation. Perhaps Kahlan would be patient enough to sit through Naavah's stories. She was a magnificent teller, though it was hard to gain as good of a rythem in English as she could in her more native tongue.
As Kahlan brought up the Tuatha De Dannan Naavah furrowed her brow in thought. Kahlan had been very good at agreeing with her and she wanted to repay the favor some how but these were words that she had not heard before. It was obvious that she was struggling to think of if she had heard of them, but after a moment she shook her head with a small sigh. "I do not think so. It is possible that I know different words for them and I just do not know it." Having tired of her bone, she tossed it to Shra and it rolled up at her paws. The large woolf sniffed the new bone curiously before going back to her far more substantial meal. "The Tuhatha D'Dannan" she struggled with the name so different from any she was used to. "You know where they went? How they went to the Great Forest?" She seemed almost unwilling to ask such a question. There was so much pulling her upward to the next land but she was not supposed to go. It would be hard, seeing the enterance, to somehow manage to refuse the passage. Still, to enter the Great Forest was to take all your merits in hand. Naavah still had much to do, much to learn if she wanted to thrive in the beyond. She would not be a struggling child, an embarassment to her father for eternity, not if she could help it.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 22, 2004 20:25:34 GMT -5
Kahlan breaks into a smile as she sees the girl's mental race for the answer to her question. "The Tuatha are a people I was born from." A half truth, but a truth nonetheless. "They are in the equivalent of your Great Forest, but it is..." Now she struggles for words, terms that the child might understand. "It is a Great Forest that they live in like you or I might. They are not in the afterlife."
Gesticulating without the help of words to express, Kahlan finally places her hands on the table and rises. "I would like to show you what I mean. Do you promise that you will not be afraid and that you will not tell anyone? This is a secret that only two people know of, you will be the third." Holding out her hand, Kahlan waits for Naavah to accept the veritable challenge that was nestled deep inside her words but no doubt the child would find.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 24, 2004 20:21:46 GMT -5
She did not completely understand how someone could be in the Great Forest but not in the Great Forest, but she was willing not to argue over it. Instead she nodded her head. She would very much like to see this Great Forest of Kahlan's. At the idea of being frightened the girl shook her head solemnly. "I am not afraid of anything." This was not true. She was terrified of more things than she would ever dare to name. She did not like close spaces, large crowds, or the uncertainties that came with being around so many Others. She was frightened of the dark workings of the spirits and of what the after life might hold for her. Still, believing that she was fearless, doing her best to never show her misgivings helped her build courage within herself. The second part of the promise intrigued her even more. She had never been asked to keep such a secret before. She was certain that she could do so, but her curiosity was peaked. "Who is the other person?" She wondered, perhaps, if Adam had been where she was being taken. Sice she considered him to be kin, it made sence that Kahlan would show them both the same secrets.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 26, 2004 21:45:04 GMT -5
Long moments of silence commence as Kahlan stares off into space, and yet only a minute passes. A smile then finds its way to her lips as she glances over to Naavah. "His identity is safe with me. I will not say who this man is." Well, Kahlan could be as cryptic as she dared to be and still she emphasized that the person was male and still alive.
Motioning for Naavah to follow her, Kahlan takes a less characteristic approach to leaving the garden. Grabbing a fist full of ivy and planting her boot in a deep crevase of the old stonework, Kahlan begins to climb up and over the wall. Once she reaches the top and straddles the wall she lets out a laugh that sounds almost relieved. "I have not done this since I was a young girl!" The exhultation in her voice is not to be lost on a single ear that might be nearby. It had been long since the Queen was truely happy, especially since her daughter was away with Aerillia. Now, seated atop the wall, Kahlan appears to be the epiphany of roguish grace and ever the ethereal being.
Muted light plays over her form, clad in the black breeches and offwhite shirt which are issued to the soldiers of Ulster. Tall black boots climb up and over her calves and double as shields for her shins as they are reinforced with steel plating on the inside. An added bonus of her own and one that she planned on passing to her Commandant in the near future when he returned from afar. The heavy dark grey cloak that has been used for keeping the cold air at bay lays open to reveal her attire, and yet Kahlan does not seem phased too badly by the stiff breeze which circulates over the top of the Garden wall. In a moments time she swings her foot over the wall and drops down, the fall only about 9 or 10 feet. A substantial fall and yet she lands in a graceful crouch.
Not waiting for Naavah to climb over the wall or offering her any aid, knowing that the child would rebuke the offer anyhow, Kahlan begins to walk towards an alcove nearby. This particular alcove is sheltered by long vines with rustling green leaves which are close to dead in the ever increasing intensity of cold. Winter would be upon the hills of Ulster soon. Parting the ivy vines, Kahlan steps through and waits for Naavah to notice where she has gone. Long tendrils of reddish gold hair sparkle in the only light that seems to filter through the heavy and formidable clouds above.
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Post by Naavah on Dec 29, 2004 20:36:20 GMT -5
She shrugged her shoulders at Kahlans secrecy. She could not wrap her mind around why Kahlan would not be willing to tell her who this man was. She did have enough sence, though, not to press the matter. Most likely, it was some sort of Other reason that she would not even consider or understand. Either way, she dropped the issue with out any argument. She watched with a bit of a smile as Kahlan began to climb the wall. She let Kahlan get half way up before grabbing hold of the ivy as well. Unlike Kahlan, she was not out of practice with such feats and her little hands and feet fit neatly into the smallest of crevises as she pulled herself up like a nibble little monkey. She perched herself as the top, and looked down the other side. She had taken such jumps before but her knee still occasionally ached from the old injury and she did not want to strain herself too greatly. Instead, she hauled herself over the other side of the wall and climbed half way down before taking a more reasonanble leap.
Already she saw that Kahlan had began to continue on. She caught up quickly and slipped through the vines. A small shiver ran down her spine as it seemed as though the air was becoming increasingly cooler. This was not the warm safety of the castle where the wind was blocked by the high walls. It made her feel strangely vulnerable and her hand reached up to pet the fur of her wolf pelt. It was a nervous habit, one that spoke clearly to her uncertainty about this place, while she walked by Kahlan's side. No matter what misgivings she might have, she showed no interest in turning back. She wanted to see this Great Forest and understand it through her own eyes.
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Post by Kahlan Lothair on Dec 31, 2004 16:11:42 GMT -5
Once Naavah is in the enclosed alcove, open at the top so that air sweeps down into the old stonework, Kahlan presses a finger to her lips to indicate silence. The wind often carried unwanted information far and wide when the right ears were ready to accept it. Aerillia, when she had stayed at the Castle, often spent hours at a time in this particular alcove because of the intensity of the wind and air that circulated through it. Now it is cold and just as intense as Kahlan reaches toward a stone that seems to have more lichen on it than the rest.
Pressing the flat of her hand on the stone she pushes the stone inward and after a groaning protest the stone gives way as others fold back in on themselves. Only a master of two certain arts, or a master thief might be able to open such a door with all of its safety measures and failsafes. The sound of of stone grinding against stone is lost in the wind, an obvious failsafe for her own benefit. Indeed the wind almost seems to increase its intensity as the doors open, intent on swallowing the evidence and discarding it. Words might be heard on the wind if one wasnt careful, but the opening of this door was one magical thing that wouldnt carry.
Once the door is open, Kahlan presses a finger against her lips again and stoops as she steps inside. Darkness quickly swallows but her hand reappears to reassure Naavah that she wont fall.
Once the child complies Kahlan leads the way down a set of very steep stone stairs that feel as if they might have been carved into the rock of the earth. As they move further and further away from the surface the air begins to grow warmer and there is a gentle hum that is more felt than heard.
It seems like an eternity before they reach the solid earthen bottom of the staircase. Before them a large room opens into a dome that is so tall that it is lost in darkness at its pinnacle. Around them in sconces made of vines there are balls that emit a green glow, and as Kahlan passes the nearest one it flares a bright shade of emerald in greeting. The light becomes concentrated toward the center of the far wall and Kahlan motions with a hand in that direction.
"The Gateway to the Sacred Garden or Grove if you would like to call it thus." The lights flare again for a brief moment, illuminating the room in exquisite detail, right down to the ornate carvings on the walls and vine and whorl designs under their feet. The most breath taking image however is etched into something rather astounding. The trunk of a massive tree stands on the far side of the room, the majority of the tree is hidden by the earth, but it is a strange sight nonetheless. Etched into this tree appears to be a doorway with a plethora of details that seem so vivid that they almost move.
By this time Kahlan is next to the door and she glances toward Naavah a smile permeating her features as she reaches out for the door latch, which has suddenly appeared for the lack of a better term. Long fingers wrap around the handle which looks to be made of the night sky with the twinkling of stars near and far buried deep within.
A simple tug pulls the door open without a hitch. A warm and inviting green glow spills forth and Kahlan takes a step inside first, to allow the garden to realize whom was entering its sanctified ground. Once inside Kahlan motions to Naavah whom would now be able to see the first of many majestic trees bounce into clear view as a mist seems to clear from behind the High Queen.
[glow=green,2,300]"You are Welcome here Naavah for you are a child of the earth and you know to respect nature. The Garden and Forest welcome you, do you accept?" [/glow] Her voice sounds almost like it is intoning the rite of passage for someone, but in reality it is a simple proceedure that the forest bade Kahlan do.
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Post by Naavah on Jan 8, 2005 21:05:23 GMT -5
She needed no hand motion to tell her to be silent. The very atmosphere of the alcove seemed to demand it. It was amazing how the chattering little girl could nearly disapear in her silence, her mocasinned feet padding softly against the stone as she hugged her cloak tightly against the cold. In the frigid gust, she wondered if they were actually passing over into the great forest. It would be easy to tell when arrived. There would be her mother, her features now blurred by time in her minds-eye, fresh, vivid smiling and welcoming her. Her baby brother would be there too, strong and healthy, not the blue, tight faced infant that her mother had died in labor with. Her father would be there, the great wolf Luminarii and he would welcome her on his hunt. Only her step father, the bitter drunkard on a man, would be missing, his soul having been corrupted during life, and eaten in the after life.
That would be life as perfection, but even as they began to climb the stone steps, these great visions began to cloud with worry. What if it was not her time? What if they were disapointed in her.? What if her father did not welcome her? What if her mother had forgotten her? It was the not easy to impress and please those who were never present to voice their encouragement. Thus, Naavah lived with these doubts constantly and they made her feet heavier, causing her to lag behind on the stairs. Perhaps it was not too late to turn back. It was only when Kahlan stopped and motioned for her to continue that Naavah dared to go forward. She knew that Kahlan would not lead her into trouble. If she had come too soon, then she would simply return to the Dreaming World and all would be well. The greatest obstacle they had passed through was a wall. If necessary, she would climb over it, as she did so many others.
All her fears faded as she was caught up in the wonder of the "Gateway". She craned her head upward to see where all the trees went and touched the green balls of light with wonder. So often she appeared too involved in the serious world of survival. To be given a chance to view and enjoy such pure magic seemed enough to make her features glow. With one hand, she lowered her wolf hood so that her vision was not obscured allowing herself to fall behind Kahlan and quickly catch up at the last moment. Thus, she did not see the door to the garden being opened, only the garden within. Her mouth agape she barely heard the announcement of their arrival. She gave no answer in English, such a tongue was lost on her in that moment. Instead, her words came in her natural tongue "Tu kana a or'Muna" By the eyes of Muna, the Mother of All. She searched out for a moment, those who she had once known: her own mother, but she was not here. They had come to a great garden, but the Great Forest must still be farther beyond. Part of her was disapointed, for it was a reminder of her lonliness in this journey, but she was relieved as well. Judgement was not something to look forward to. After a moment she looked to Kahlan, realizing that she had indeed been asked a question and nodded her head solemnly. This was indeed a holy place.
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