The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The Lonely Star -- Chapter 4

mark12_30 · 12-22-2002, 04:22 PM

As the hobbrim prepared to come back on board, Phura sought out the dolphin swimming beside The Lonely Star with Levanto, that had frolicked and gamboled with them and gotten them more tired than they otherwise would have.

He met her gaze. "Please, Bird, come speak with me on board for a moment."

The dolphin glicked and chirped, and dove, gaining speed. Phura shinnied up the rope Gamba dangled for them. But Bird, rising rapidly from the depths, leaped into the air, soared up over the rail, morphed on the way down, and landed gracefully on the deck. She tossed her hair in satisfaction.

"You've really perfected that, " Phura said with admiration.

"Thanks, " she said, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Bird, " he began.

"I hate goodbyes, " she snapped.

"I know. This isn't a goodbye. It's a thank-you."

"For what?" she said, puzzled.

He took her hands, and kissed them. "For my dream."

"Ummm... but Phura, don't you remember? It was all wrong."

"No, " he replied. "It wasn't all wrong. You did change me."

"What? How?"

"By opening Lindo's heart. If you hadn't planted the love of storms and wild open spaces into him, he couldn't have planted it into generation after generation of hobbits. It was as if you planted the first seed, and every generation after that harvested the fruit and saved the seeds, and planted them again. Without that first little seed, where would the dream have been?"

Bird pushed a stray lock behind one ear. "Oh." She laughed a little. "Oh. Well, thanks."

"No, " Phura replied. "Thank you." And he reached up, as he and Lindo had both been so tempted to do, and touched her hair. He could barely reach.

She knelt down. He carefully took one lock of her black hair into his hands, and carefully added the white streak to it, and gently held them both across his open palm, and whispered,

"Raven hair in windblown tangles,
One tress opalescent dangles;
Darkling eyes that downward call me,
Oceanward, abyssward draw me..."

His whisper faded into silence; he lifted the two locks of hair to his lips, and kissed them, and then stepping back, released them into the wind again, gazing with affection and gratitude into her deep, wild eyes.

[ December 23, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

12-22-2002, 04:22 PM	#492
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,367	As the hobbrim prepared to come back on board, Phura sought out the dolphin swimming beside The Lonely Star with Levanto, that had frolicked and gamboled with them and gotten them more tired than they otherwise would have. He met her gaze. "Please, Bird, come speak with me on board for a moment." The dolphin glicked and chirped, and dove, gaining speed. Phura shinnied up the rope Gamba dangled for them. But Bird, rising rapidly from the depths, leaped into the air, soared up over the rail, morphed on the way down, and landed gracefully on the deck. She tossed her hair in satisfaction. "You've really perfected that, " Phura said with admiration. "Thanks, " she said, her dark eyes sparkling. "Bird, " he began. "I hate goodbyes, " she snapped. "I know. This isn't a goodbye. It's a thank-you." "For what?" she said, puzzled. He took her hands, and kissed them. "For my dream." "Ummm... but Phura, don't you remember? It was all wrong." "No, " he replied. "It wasn't all wrong. You did change me." "What? How?" "By opening Lindo's heart. If you hadn't planted the love of storms and wild open spaces into him, he couldn't have planted it into generation after generation of hobbits. It was as if you planted the first seed, and every generation after that harvested the fruit and saved the seeds, and planted them again. Without that first little seed, where would the dream have been?" Bird pushed a stray lock behind one ear. "Oh." She laughed a little. "Oh. Well, thanks." "No, " Phura replied. "Thank you." And he reached up, as he and Lindo had both been so tempted to do, and touched her hair. He could barely reach. She knelt down. He carefully took one lock of her black hair into his hands, and carefully added the white streak to it, and gently held them both across his open palm, and whispered, "Raven hair in windblown tangles, One tress opalescent dangles; Darkling eyes that downward call me, Oceanward, abyssward draw me..." His whisper faded into silence; he lifted the two locks of hair to his lips, and kissed them, and then stepping back, released them into the wind again, gazing with affection and gratitude into her deep, wild eyes. [ December 23, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.