Trellithy
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Maddyanne
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Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:32 pm

Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trell followed her father quietly as they slipped into the shadows of the Wealdath trees. They walked carefully, following different paths, doubling back, wading up one of the small creeks now and then, getting slowly ever closer to home. It was important not to be traced, not to be followed. There were folk living in the depth of the wood who hated being disturbed. Papa said that was their right and due, that there were far too many humans who were afraid of the fey and the creatures of the wood. Mama's nest needed to stay safe. It was a dangerous world for the faerie dragons. Too many of them found themselves bonded to some mage, resented for their mischief, or stalked for their small hoards. Mama was ancient, very large for one of the fey dragons, and very magical, but even a big faerie dragon is only about halfling sized, and far too likely to be seen as a cute acquisition or an interesting challenge. Mama could look like a halfling if she wanted to, of course, and spent a fair amount of time that way. But she was still a pretty teal and still had her lovely wings. She'd not be safe from anyone hunting fey and she hated fighting so.

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trell sat on the edge of the main platform of the nest, looking out over the forest. She could hear her parents talking quietly, but even without understanding the words, the sounds were full of sorrow.
Both of her sisters gone.
Trilla was just a baby. She could hardly flutter from one platform in the nest to the next. Tralla had been so determined to look after her, so much more patient then Trell could be.
Trilla had been playing along the edge of the highest platform, tripped, and fell. Tralla leapt to catch her and they both vanished. Mama had searched and searched, but they were gone altogether.
Had some mage managed to summon them away? The air had smelled of magic, Mama said.

Trell thought of Mama waiting, desolate, for Papa to come home. After a while, she started to cry.

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

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More than a year gone by with no sign of her sisters.
No music lessons from Papa.
No studying and flying with Mama.

Just about all they thought about was finding Trilla and Tralla. Scry spell after scry spell and even Dorendanna Scathwit, the old gnome Trilla had teased so, helping.
Mama wouldn't leave the forest and Papa wouldn't leave Mama. Papa had started following the dragon path. He'd always said no before, though Mama wanted him to. Trella guessed Papa'd have wings soon too.

Well, Trellithy wasn't going to wait around for some gnome magic to work. She would go out in the world and if her sisters could be found, she would find them.

Mama and Papa would be so glad to see them all home again.

She folded her note and put it on her clothes chest with her little box of gems to hold it in place. Best to let them know she hadn't just vanished too.

She had her bow, sling, short sword, and shield all ready if needed.

Trell picked up her little pack and went over the contents again. Extra socks and underclothes, more ammunition, her heavier hooded cloak, warmer gloves, tambourine with the jingles carefully muffled, pen, ink, notebook, bandages, water flask, knife, tinderbox....

"Enough of that," she told herself, "or you'll never go."

She flew down softly and put on her light cloak, pulling up the hood. Best to go on foot at first. Easier to hide.

They would be so proud of her if she came back with her sisters. And all bards should journey and learn new songs and new lore. She'd been lots of places with Papa. Easy enough to sing for your supper, wasn't it? She was already 10 years old. Time to travel.

Perhaps, after a while, they would notice she was gone.

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trella wandered quietly through Lapis Port, searching for the butterfly dragon person she'd overheard that drunk talking about. Teal wings? Like Mama or like Trella's youngest sister Trilla. But who was Dee Dee?

None of her friends had seen such a person. And she had to find Cele so that she could let Lolo know someone was looking for her.

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trella sat on the stream bank in Dandelion Dale and tried to encourage herself.

It kind of sounded from what Dee Dee said that her parents hadn't found her note. But her little jewel box was heavy. It couldn't have blown away, surely.

Maybe the magic wouldn't work. Maybe she just wasn't a good enough musician.

Trella sighed. In that case, she had a long trip ahead of her, boat and wing, back to the Wealdath. And what if they told her she had to stay there?

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trella stroked the beautiful lute Nick had made her, that the blessing of Lurue had strengthened. She sang the home song again, but only as a song now, though she could feel the magic in it waiting to be called up in every note.

"In deep woods
Great trees stand
Branches swaying in the soft air.

In deep woods
Deer wander
Calmly browsing on the low bushes.

Carry me, my heart.
Carry me on that gentle wind
Back to where white flowers gleam among the sedges.

In deep woods
A stream runs
Tumbling over rocks to quiet pools.

In deep water
Bright fish swim
Beneath rippling reflections
Of trees and stars and the wild moon
Of dancing sunlight and forest flowers"


Nick had been right. A good performance really could take you places.
She didn't know which seemed stranger, that or suddenly having another sister and three brothers.

Trella played and thought about what had happened.

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Maddyanne
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Re: Trellithy

Post by Maddyanne »

Trellithy wrote in her songbook, pausing every now and then to stare out over the lake.

"Thoughts and questions about teleportation by music:

Focus and concentration are absolutely vital. Nick, Lolo, and Dee Dee were knowingly helping and they are all magical people. Does that matter? If my audience had been folks with no magic, would it have worked? Would my performance have to be even better? What if I was my only audience?

The first time we tried it, I was improvising and we were in the bar. There were other folks there who weren't involved. The second successful time, we were in the woods in Bob and Cypria's camp, I had the beautiful lute Nick made, and I had had time to work on the song. But Bob and Cypria weren't especially paying attention. So the presence of folks who are just thinking of it as (hopefully pleasant) background music doesn't necessarily weaken the attempt. But they weren't carried to the Wealdath along with us so, at least at my level of skill, the other travelers need to be focused on the performance and actively listening.

Trying to reach my sisters showed that the target doesn't have to be a place, it can be a person or persons. I'm not sure that Nick and I were altogether in Sierra Na. We may have been spirit or astral traveling. But whether that has to do with the type of target or the fierce defenses that place has, I don't know.

I guess the next thing to try is asking someone to describe a place to me I've never been, write music for it, and see if their memory and my performance can get us there. Likely best to ask another magic user first.

Or I could try the home song and see if I can get back to the Wealdath all by myself.

It's so much to think about."

Trellithy put her songbook away and took out her copy of Twilight Tales for Young Folk and the fruit tart she'd gotten from Constanza. She read and ate, listening to the afternoon birds.

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