Summerland (IC)

The day of Beltaine,

Dearest Fae Kin,

I know you all linger in the shadows and the brightness of our glorious home and I know that I envy my family. Because the air surrounding the roads and the village grows thick by every season. It does not touch our land of Tir Ashla, I am happily to announce. The land our great mother so graciously created for her first children. We who cause her cycle of magic to continue on and support the lives of our mortal counter parts who seem to be thriving on their own quite well. These feeble creations still fascinate me. Their use of magic is but a mimic of our own. Everyday I watch them from my cabin nestled up on a hill hidden by pine trees which give off a pleasant smell. I watch them grow plants and cultivate their vegetation.

Now I watch them on this early eve of celebrating Beltane, which makes me miss home in Tir Ashla for our midnight celebrations. It grows near by each hour, I cannot go back to you cause as you know one of our family must keep the magic flowing for the roads to remain as they are. For we the guardians of the roads use our elemental magic to keep our roads alive. Everyday it grows harder to support the road to our land because my element is dimming. The sun is becoming more full of strength in this normally year round cool region. I am beginning to feel like a prisoner.

My brothers...Sister, daughter I hope you are all well.

Lovingly,
Rhoswen Sebille the Ice Sister.

The Ice sister stared at her letter she had just completed by candle light. She had composed it so swiftly with her special quill. This was the night of celebration, but she felt great sorrow that she could not join her own family then in the time of great season. How she did miss them, having been trapped her for nearly two centuries. She gently folded the letter and placed it in a special envelope. Then placed it in a drawer hidden from anyone view. Next time a fellow fae came by she would ask of them a small burden to deliver the letter to her clan.

Rhoswen stood from her oak wood desk and wandered outside. "How I envy these beings...who seemed unburdened by life itself. What do they know of true fear?" She wondered a loud. It was a pointless question, but one she wanted to ask anyone.

With a shrug she stepped out, taking a seat a on the bottom step of her porch. She did not mind the gust of wind that greet her whitening hair and grazing her cheeks. It was the only cool thing she felt in a long time. Her attention was on the humans, so she watched them with great interest for their preparations for the festivities. They had done more during the day, but she had kept to herself this time. She found the inside of her home more appropriate for it was cooled by her magic. She watched them all intently.

Just another day. But not, Morgan was with his parents he had taken the day off to celebrate. But day off that simply meant that he only worked half a day as such. he was planning to go out hunting later on in the woods. But he had not decided yet. "How are you Mother and Father?" he greeted his parents warmly and gave them each a hug. His Mother instantly started offering him food and to make himself comfy like he had not been here less than 7 days ago. His Father was happy to see him but his working day was over so he was relaxing with a drink in his 'brooding' chair. It was the chair he always sat in after work with a drink, nicknamed by Morgan when he was a small child. His father looked at him and spoke, "I notice the crime rates are down recently. Looks good." Morgan nodded gently to him.
"They are normally around this time of year. I expect them to spike up again soon." he said with a sigh. It seemed that desperate people always found a way, and people always want more. "There seems no stopping it." Morgan muttered to himself.
"Don't get yourself down bout it son, you are the best thing that has happened to crime for a long time." his Father responded. Morgan smiled faintly,
"I'm not that good." but they left it there anyway. As his Mother called for Lunch time.

They sat at the small table on the small deck outside enjoying the sun and the fresh air instead of inside. Morgan glanced around enjoying seeing the trees he had climbed as a child, the areas cleared so he could construct huts of sticks in them and then reenact some fantasy battle as he pleased. His youth realy had been the time of his life while he enjoyed the work he did it wasn't so much 'fun' per say.

He sat quietly eating the selection of food in front of him making chatting with his parents. The cottage was at the edge of the forest, yet it was a hill over and just out of sight of the city limits. His parents liked it this way and so did he. It was a festival of such that they were going to celebrate tonight but before thing he would hunt a while and then spend a few hours in the city patrolling and watching. He relaxed in his parents company, enjoying the strange yet funny things that his Mother talked about. She still bothered him about getting a 'proper girl' and such things. The mandatory space of a Mothers concerns the world over he imagined.

((Sorry its short, kind of short of ideas.))

Bramble sat high up in a tree, his legs dangling fearlessly off the side of a branch as the wind rocked them back and forth. He was supposed to be helping with the festivities and the celebration, but he did not feel like celebrating. Well, not with the other fae's. Bramble would of much rather had his celebration exactly where he was now. In the high of a tree watching the birds. Before heaving a sigh out, Bramble fell backwards from the treebranch. His hands still gripping the branch as he came over, before letting go, he landed upon the next branch down on his feet. He did this several times as he descended, until he reached the forest floor.

Something caught his ears then as he landed and the pointy ears twitched towards the direction. Bramble took off in a run. The fae was very nimble upon his feet and very quick. One would of had to do a double glance if he passed them at a distance. He enjoyed this feeling more than anything else, just like sitting intop of the tree. His body shifted and dodged the tree's as they came at him. But a smile wasn't upon his face, but more one of concern. The sound that had caught his ears was that of a wounded animal.

Bramble skidded to a stop. His eyes darted around until they spoted the sound, this time heavier than before and walked quietly over to it. The animals knew who he was and thus they were never afraid. He had occasionally had run ins with the more grumpy butt's of the forest, but that was given it was one of the only dangers of his job. He kneeled down beside of the tiny chipmunk then, its back legs broken and barely able to move. Bramble looked up and then back down at the chipmunk. He communed with it shortly and realized that the chipmunk had fell from the tree. The fall had been a long one. The poor little thing.

"Its going to be alright, I'll help you little one," Bramble smiled then and raised the chipmunk up into an open palm and moved his other over it slowly. Deep concentration pierced Bramble's facial features then as a green glow began to seep from between the cracks in his hands. After a few minutes, the green light dimmed and Bramble slowly opened his hands, cupping them together so the chipmunk did not fall out. The chipmunk struggled to its feet and then sat upon its back legs and bounced back and forth a few times and start chattering away at Bramble before running up his arm to sit on his shoulder for a moment.

"You're welcome little one," he reached up the hand to rub against the chipmunks stomach before it bounded off and back up the tree. Bramble's day was going good. It always was good, especially when he got to do things like this. The things he loved. But he had to go. They were going to need him at the festivities and celebration, he never knew why, but they always said they did. Heaving another deep sigh, Bramble headed towards home.

Beltaine, the night where the summer king marries his queen, to welcome in the warmth of the summer, and to ask for a good harvest. A celebration, a day off for most... save those who who dealt with Death...

Ffion Death-Singer was trying to hurry her souls across, her bone flute echoing and singing in the mists of the between realms. Acting as a shepherdess, she herds the souls towards their destinations, hoping to get finished before too long. She wouldn't have even worried with actually doing her “job”, if it weren't for the fact her father threatened to bar her from the festivities. Threatening not to let her have fun always got results...

The Death-Singer sighed, making her flute whine, the bones braided in her hair clanking and chiming slightly. Ffion didn't really mind her duty... it was boring sometimes, interesting others, and infuriating most of the time... Specially on a day like this... though one of her souls were interesting in the fact they had a heart-attack when they were jumping a Beltaine fire... She wasn't supposed to laugh around a soul, because it confused them... but she did have to snort... she'd have fun telling her friends about that one... if she ever managed to get them to where they were supposed to go!

Ffion finally managed to herd the souls to their respective homes. Once the last one was safe and sound... she gave a loud whoop, startling a few souls, before shifting to the her home realm... And ran smack dab into her father...

Ffion... have you completed your task? Out of all of the Death-singers in Ffion's class... her father was one of the most eerie... and the only one Ffion actually listened to without too much complaint. She bowed her head to her father, his eyes almost owl-like, seeming pitch black with glowing gold pupils. Typically it was those only those eyes people could see... specially since the Death-Singer patriarch had a slight morbid sense of humor and typically wore a grim reaper-like robe.

“Yes, father, they were all taken to their rest.” She answered truthfully... not that she could ever lie to her father... he'd know.

Then it seems you are free to enjoy the festival, after all. Go and enjoy, my daughter.

“Thank you!” Ffion then kissed his cheek and all but ran to go get ready... it was time for fun!

The evening was coming to a close and Rhoswen still sat upon the stairs of her hut. There was not much she could celebrate. The humans that knew of her avoided her at all costs. The ones that did not know her went along with their lives as insignificant as always. She often wondered how humans could enjoy their lives in such simplicity. As a little girl her family always had traditions and exchanged gifts. Nothing was always the same. There was something she did enjoy in the human world and it was their wine. It always tasted much stronger then their own. Something Rhoswen never understood.

"I want to go home. I want to be with my family tonight. With my brothers and sister. My daughter....how mature and grown up she must be," she muttered to herself. 'I never thought I would miss my offspring so much. She was born of me...I need her...but she must stay with my aunt until she is old enough. That is our way, our law.'

Rhoswen frowned. Their way? Their law? The parents may leave their young-lings behind in the human world, but the children younger than fifteen must remain with the clan. On the next full moon she could return home for a short time. It was a once a month visit. But as an observer of the humans she noticed strange technology appearing. Alien mechanics...something humans called science. She was beginning to wonder if this was the cause for fae kind fading magic.

It was too long a thought for her to just sit around. Though Rhoswen guarded the borders of her beloved homes she could join the humans for the festivities. To mingle with the humans was a strange thought. Few Fae did this, but she would be one of many. First she would change her face. Rhoswen stood up and glamor took away her wild features, replacing them with dark skin, light brown hair and piercing brown eyes. This way no one would know her as the ice sister guardian. For a moment she could not get herself to move. She never thought she would enter the human village on this day. But she was feeling lonely. With a deep breath, Rhoswen left behind her hut and wandered past farm houses.

People stared at her, which got her heart beating speedily. Then a young boy waved and yelled,"Welcome visitor! Welcome to the Beltane festival! Come join our celebration!" He grinned at her. A wave of relief came over her. Rhoswen smiled softly. "Thank you little sir. I would be honored to join you."

"You are welcomed to eat with my family later after the may pole!" he said. He glanced over at an older woman and she nodded. Rhoswen relaxed more. She always wondered why this village in particular celebrated the ritual of the maypole at night, but she said nothing else as the lad ran off. Instead she took her interest upon watching as a group of village men set up the pole.

Lunch had passed remarkably quickly and the sun still gently warmed him. He looked over too his mother, "Do you need anything? I may excuse myself and make for some trapping." She looked thoughtful for a moment,
"Actually, can you please get me some things from the village? Oh and do remember to buy some gifts, oh, and I can you eat at the inn there? Order the meat dish, I simply must know what they put on it. I'm sure you can figure it out, I just can't think of it." she knew the answer. Of course he would. But what he didn't know was that she didn't really need it and this was yet another idea to get him to mingle with people more and perhaps find a suitable lady. As both his parents were worried at how distant he was from his own people. He spent more time in the wilderness and chasing criminals that he did socializing.

He grabbed his things and gently rearmed himself before hugging his parents and excusing himself. He slowly made his way down to the village with list in hand, it looked like he would be there for a while. And yet his mind still had not grasped that this was exactly the point. He slowly made his way to the center of the village, his mind scanning the area already figuring out the fastest way to get this all done. he decided it made sense to get the things his mother needed first then head over to the inn. The gifts could wait till after, and he may go to back to the city for more gifts.

He soon finished the first round of shopping, so his mother would be pleased then entered the inn. It was very clean and the signs of festivity was not lost here either, he took a seat at a table near the center and ordered the disk as asked. He barely had taken more than two mouthfuls before he knew the combination of local herbs. And his mother would defiantly know their distinctive taste and smell. He looked suspiciously at the meat, starting to grasp that there was something fishy about all his mothers requests. But he shrugged it off and enjoyed the meat. Only slightly less enjoyable because he had had lunch recently but it was done well. He ordered a mug of a light beer and sipped it considering what to get for the gifts.