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Old 02-12-2006, 05:04 PM   #297
Estelyn Telcontar
Princess of Skwerlz
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,645
Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!Estelyn Telcontar has reached the Cracks of Doom and destroyed the Ring!
Merisuwyniel, Yawanna, and Falafel had reached the top of Mount Tan-Quickly-Hill with the cart full of Entish pieces. They were alone, for the others of their company had lingered at the base of the mountain with the Velour, held up not only by Kuruharan’s bartering but by the fact that they had found a place of great interest – ‘Sethamir’s Stable, Sun Studio, and Surf Stuff’. There could be found sunglasses of high fashion, colourful apparel suited for water sports, and the boards which were so essential to the Velour for their ritual ceremonies. The LandLubberShip gazed at the various objects in wonder and would feign have been tempted to buy them but for their lack of local currency.

“Hey, doesn’t Merisu have Orogarn’s wallet?” Pimpi asked. “Perhaps we could use his credit card.” That was all the motivation they needed. They proceeded to follow their leader up the steep path with newly revived enthusiasm. In fact, they, unhampered by the cart, arrived at the summit in time to hear Yawanna’s clear voice ringing out with words of great import:

“Ent-That-Was-Broken, why have you come?”

And a voice, nay, several voices were heard, sounding strangely wooden and saying: “To be reunited and have no more pieces!”

Then Yawanna said: “The hour is come at last. You have besought my aid upon Tan-Quickly-Hill in the land of Valleyum, and I am the Maker of this, one of my children. I alone can remake him, that he can again fulfil the purpose for which he was created. Bring forth the Entish pieces!”


And she began to sing a song of great beauty and power:


Dat Wood, Dat Wood, Dat Dry Wood,
Dat Wood, Dat Wood, Dat Dry Wood,
Dat Wood, Dat Wood, Dat Dry Wood,
Now hear the word of Yawanna!

Oh, the leaf wood’s connected to the twig wood,
And the twig wood’s connected to the branch wood,
And the branch wood’s connected to the limb wood,
And the limb wood’s connected to the trunk wood,
And the trunk wood’s connected to the root wood,
Dat Wood is gonna live.

Yawanna connected Dat Dry Wood,
Yawanna connected Dat Dry Wood,
Yawanna connected Dat Dry Wood,
Dat Wood is gonna live!



And lo! as she sang the members of the Fellow/Galship of the Entish Bow came forward, bearing the pieces of Ent that they had brought with them from the long labours of their Quest.

Merisuwyniel laid the Entish Bow down at Yawanna’s feet, then furtively slipped the wooden foot that she had still kept in her pocket to Gravlox, so that he could proffer it as his own.

Kuruharan was so elated over the possibilities of future business in Valleyum that he silently brought forward the Great Foozle (“a shortish, longish, roundish, squareish, thinish, fattish, shapely, shapeless piece of wood”, it had been described) which he had found, not even considering asking for remuneration.

Leninia blinked back tears as she stroked the strings of the Entish Guitar one last time, yet she had learned to think of others instead of herself on this long journey, and gave up her erstwhile musical companion for the greater cause.

Vogonwë, Halfemption, Gateskeeper, and Sueim (the wraith formerly known as Grrralph) valiantly hoisted the Thighs of Soreham, laying (or rather dropping) them on top of the other pieces. There were cries of “Ouch!”, “Watch it, stupid!”, and “Aren’t there enough pieces already?!” from the Rent-Ent, but all was soon forgotten as they were lifted into place by Yawanna’s might.

Pimpiowyn donated the breadbox, since that was the piece nearest and dearest to her heart. And at the very last, Reeperneep came forward, having shouldered the Entish broom like a sword. Bowing down reverently, he gave it to Yawanna, and she smiled upon this small but proud creature, touching his shoulders lightly with the broom in knighthood as it were, before adding it the the assembled pieces.

Then she spoke in great majesty, asking: “Can this wood live?”

And Merisuwyniel answered for them all: “O Yawanna, thou knowest.”

Then the Green Goddess spoke to the wooden pieces, “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay vines upon you, and will cause leaves to grow upon your branches, and cover you with bark, and put breath in you, and you shall live.”

And lo! the pieces of wood arose, and were joined to each other like unto a huge tree-shaped Man, and a trembling passed through the branches. And all who were assembled there held their breath in expectancy. Yet nothing happened.

“Can someone fetch water?” the goddess asked.

Soregum, who had kept to the background, still feeling out of sorts and out of place, hurried to the brook which was conveniently located nearby. He doffed his hat and filled it with the clear water (well, it was clear until it was carried in that hat of his). At Yawanna’s command he then poured it on the earth round the Rent-Ent. She then again raised her hands in invocation, but still nothing happened.

Yawanna was troubled in spirit, for she could not imagine what had gone wrong. She ran her lovely green hands over the Ent-That-Was-Still-Broken, gently probing for a crack or some other sign that something was amiss.

“But – a piece is missing!” she cried out in anguish. “The Ent cannot be reunited if even a tiny bit is lacking!”

Merisuwyniel and her companions looked at each other and whispered desperately. ”Have we forgotten a piece somewhere? Can it have gotten lost in one of the continuity gaps? Did the long time of our journey cause us to forget a part? Is our whole Quest in vain?”

Suddenly, in the hour of their greatest need, Merisuwyniel remembered the last words of their valiant companion, Orogarn Two:

“Take this, and check out my lucky nickel! It will help you in your hour of need!”

Hurriedly, she rummaged through the pockets of her divided skirt (which were filled with a good many handy and necessary things, though they were never lumpy nor made her look fat). Finally she found Orogarn’s wallet, bequeathed to her as his last gift. She tossed out various IDs, receipts, and calling cards, including the Gold Tooth Card of Grundor (which Kuruharan helpfully picked up, “forgetting” to give it to her, upon which it mysteriously found its way into his pocket), before discovering some loose change. Puzzled, she searched for a nickel.

“There’s one!” she exclaimed. But it felt much too light for the usual metal coin. And the carving was not right somehow.

“Why, it’s wooden!” she cried out, astonished. She held it to her ear, motioning to her companions for silence, and heard a soft humming sound. “It must be Entish!”

Quickly she gave it to Yawanna, who inserted it into a tiny space, like unto a slot. And it came to pass that the Ent began to stir its branches and limber its limbs. The FinishedAtLastShip watched in amazement as eyes appeared among the leaves, and a mouth that opened to speak.
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