[Novnarwen]

Nova's eyes lit up as she saw the beautiful fireworks. Firi was just as caught up in the whole event as herself, and they kept their eyes at the dark sky. Oro, who claimed to be afraid, asked them if she should get them some drinks. They waved her off, Nova suggesting non-alcohol, since she was underage. Oro laughed. "Seriously, no alcohol, no fun!" she said, giggling. Nova heard the irony and waved her off once more, before turning her attention to the fireworks again.

As her neck was starting to get stiff by the whole 'look-up-into-the-sky-thing', Nova turned to Firi.

"It's fantastic, isn't it?" Nova exclaimed. Firi nodded. "My neck is stiff, though," Nova added with a grimace. Firi laughed. "Mine too."

"Where is Oro?"

Nova suddenly remembered that Oro had gone for a drink, but she hadn't returned. Maybe she was too afraid to come back, Nova thought, soon realising how sick that really was. She shook her head, thinking.

"Maybe she ran into someone," Firi suggested, after a while.

"That's possible . . . " Nova muttered. "But who?"

"I dunno. Someone she knows?!" Firi said.

"Oh, right. Someone she knows."

They settled down on a bench, not far away. Nova tried to get a glimpse of Oro, but she couldn't see her anywhere. It was quite dark though, so Nova stopped putting her effort in trying to find her friend. Nova glanced over at the Party Tree. When she thought about it, it had been quite brutal to nail Birthday Greetings into the tree. What kind of Greeting was that:' Happy Birthday, here is a note, which I am going to nail to your trunk?' Poor tree, it wasn't his or hers birthday; it was the Barrow downs' Birthday, but still the Tree was the one getting nailed. Nova realised that this too was a sick thought. What was wrong with her?

"So, did you nail a Birthday Greeting at the Tree?" Nova asked, coughing when she said the word 'nail'.

Nova didn't hear Firi's answer, as something else grabbed her attention. There, just a few paces away, was Orofaniel with drinks and . . . . . HER MUSHROOMS! Nova gasped, taking her hand to her mouth. "NOOO!!" she shrieked, pulling herself up from the bench. In slow-motion she ran, with huge steps, towards her best friend. Orofaniel, who was taken by surprise to see her friend coming straight at her, stood with her mouth open; drinks in both hands and about to push the mushroom into her mouth, helping herself with one of her hands of which she also held a drink.

"Doooooooooooon't!" Nova shouted.

Nova cast herself in front of Orofaniel, grabbing the mushroom (of which she only got the half, since Orofaniel already had it halfway down her throat). Orofaniel lost her balance and fell to the ground and landed just beside Nova.

"What do you think you are doing?" Orofaniel exclaimed, examining her Elven Cloak. Luckily, she hadn't spilled the liquid on her Cloak. Nova breathed heavily.

"The MUSHROOM!" Nova said, being hushed at by Firi, who had arrived. Nova lowered her voice.

"Spit it out!" she ordered.

"No!" Oro said stubbornly, rising.

"I'm warning you! It's for your own good!"

"HA! You're just jealous I didn't get you a mushroom!"

Firi grew red.

"Just do as I say!" Nova ordered, not being able to control her temperament.

"I won't . . I'm not a child. I eat what I want to eat, and I shouldn’t ask you to approve of it first," Oro said, offensively.

"Okay, listen to me! It's MY MUSHROOM!"

"HA! Just what I thought. It's mine. I brought it, and I eat it," she said, still having the mushroom in her mouth, not certain whether to swallow or not.

"No, I mean it! It's MY mushroom! I made 'em," Nova said, giving Orofaniel an evil stare.

"Oh, is it?"

Nova nodded.

"Oh MY! Why didn't you say so?" Oro made a grimace, showing how displeased she was by the fact that Nova had ‘prepared’ mushrooms and brought it to the party. She looked innocently at Nova before turning away, spitting it out.

"That was close," Nova said, sighing.

"You should have put a warning up. And, you can't bring those things to parties. People aren't supposed to get HURT!"

Nova turned reddish, trying to avoid Orofaniel's piercing look.

"I had to bring something."

" . . . . .But MUSHROOMS Nova! Everyone eats them. You could have damaged these people for live, maybe even taken their lives!"


Firi giggled.

" . . . Mushrooms . . . " Orofaniel muttered, as they decided to get some new drinks.