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Old 02-16-2004, 06:18 PM   #133
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 waited patiently while the others partook of the strengthening nourishment, then she called the group together from their foraging. “Now,” she said, “let’s get out of this cave!”

That was easier said than done, however – Chrysophylax’ ‘rescue’ had destroyed the tunnel by which they had entered, and their only possibility was to go forward. The Elven maiden led the way with Grrralph walking by her side and sniffing for some sign of fresh air. By-and-by the procession went filing down the steep descent of the main avenue, the flickering rank of lights dimly revealing the lofty walls of rock almost to their point of junction sixty feet overhead. This main avenue was not more than eight or ten feet wide. Every few steps other lofty and still narrower crevices branched from it on either hand -- for Canned Corn's cave was but a vast labyrinth of crooked aisles that ran into each other and out again and led nowhere. It was said that one might wander days and nights together through its intricate tangle of rifts and chasms, and never find the end of the cave; and that he might go down, and down, and still down, into the earth, and it was just the same -- labyrinth under labyrinth, and no end to any of them. No man "knew" the cave. That was an impossible thing. Grrralph stopped; he could not decide which way to take.

But no man am I, the Entish Bow reminded Merisu. I am an Ent, and I know the roots of the earth since ages past.

“Of course!” she exclaimed in answer, startling the other members of the His’n’Hers-Ship.

“What is it?” Pimpiowyn asked eagerly, always anxious to learn new tricks of successful shieldmaidening.

“How could I have forgotten?” the Elf wondered. “The Entish Bow was once at home here; he can lead the way out!”

She stepped forward confidently, holding the vibrating Bow in her hand. They passed more openings than anyone cared to remember afterwards, turning right or left as the Bow directed their leader. Fortunately the tunnels were wide enough to accommodate the dragon’s considerable girth, even after a meal, and they finally made their way safely to an open doorway. There they stood for a moment, blinking like owls in the blinding sunshine.

“We are out of the Forest!” Merisu exclaimed in astonishment. The dark woods lay behind them, and before them, high mountains lifted their snow-capped heads.

“It seems like only yesterday that we entered it,” Vogonwë said dreamily.

“It was only yesterday,” his more prosaic fiancée reminded him.

“But why were we here?” Kuruharan asked. “Nothing significant happened!”

“The Zerls and Slíd Huorns might not agree,” objected Earnur.

“And Skinflint!” Orogarn Two muttered under his breath, fingering the wallet in his pocket with grim satisfaction.

Merisuwyniel did not hear them. Her lovely violet eyes were wide open, yet her gaze was far away.

° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° ° °

Tall as the forest trees, majestic as the mountains, and radiant as the setting sun stood a woman, nay, a goddess. Her hair was of a glorious green, her skin likewise, and her garments seemed to be made of many-coloured leaves and flowers, held together with a bright green sash. The Elven maiden dropped to her knees in awe and whispered, “Are you the Lady of the Green Kirtle?”

“Nay,” she answered with a voice as sweet as the sweetest bird’s song. “I am Yawanna, the maker of fauna and flora – and Ents! I am come to tell you how you are to succeed in the Quest for which you were chosen. For you must know, I was exceedingly sad at the wanton destruction of one of my children and wish to see him restored to his former – well, form.”

“What must I do?” Merisuwyniel asked in hushed tones.

“Bring the Bow and all other parts of him to me; you must find each piece so that I can reunify him. You have almost accomplished that task with your companions, and the rest will be found on your journey,” replied the angelic Lady. She turned to leave, when Merisu realized that there was one important bit of information missing.

“But how shall we come to you?” she called.

The voice wafted back to her: “Remember the ancient Elven Lay Gôwést!”
Then the vision disappeared, leaving the Elf feeling bereft and full of longing to see her again. She pondered the words last heard, and slowly the lovely, long-forgotten lines of the song came to her mind:

Go west, life is peaceful there.
Go west, lots of open air.
Go west to begin life new.
Go west, this is what we'll do.
Go west, sun in winter time.
Go west, we will do just fine.
Go west where the skies are blue .
Go west, this and more we'll do.


“We shall stay here for the night,” Merisu proclaimed. “This is a holy place, and we shall be safe here. In the morning, we go westwards!”

Grrralph looked at the snow-capped peaks doubtfully. “Can we pass through those with all of the animals and baggage?”

“The way over the mountains is dangerous and difficult,” mused Merisu. "We shall go by way of the GAP of Soreham.”

“Oooooh, shopping!” Pimpi squealed. “I haven’t had new clothes since Topfloorien!”

That evening, as they sat around the campfire, Merisuwyniel taught them the words to the song of the Questship:

Together we will go our way, together we will leave some day.
Together your hand in my hand, together we will make the plans.
Together we will fly so high, together tell our friends goodbye.
Together we will start life new, together this is what we'll do.


All joined in the rousing chorus:

Go west…
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