================== Eldarin Calendar <in Sindarin> ===================
IC time is: Late Morning < About 10:03 AM >
IC day is: Ormenel <Heavens-day>
IC date is: 9 Firith <Fading>
Moon phase: New <HIDDEN>
Earendil: Gil-Estel is not visible.
IC year is: Loa 16 o Yen 22, Nelandran o Endor <TA 3040>
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RL time: Mon Apr 16 12:21:08 2007
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Alqualonde
You are standing by a small lake whose water is blue and clear as crystal. The surface sparkles like sapphire where the sun shines on it near the center. White swans sail gracefully over the surface of the ailin, as it is called in elvish. It is for them that Galadriel christened this place Alqualonde, Swan-Haven, a memento of her days in Valinor when the world was young and untainted. The lake is surrounded by leafless trees with a snowy white bark. There is a feeling of utter peace and tranquility here, almost as if time were standing completely still.

The fragrant scent of exotic flowers fills you with cheer as you rest here. Lilies line the lake's edge, though many have become ensnared by a group of thick reeds.

Participants:
Galharth
Ostiel
Mia
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A cool breeze blows through Alqualonde, gently caressing the tranquil waters of the nearby lake. Pure white swans sway their tail feathers as they gently glide across the glimmering water. Anor's late morning light reflects upon the water, bringing forth images of a field of stars or diamonds upon a blue surface.

Nearby the lake, a lovely blue robe lays abandoned upon the shoreline, and further away from the water an elven rope sits upon the ground, tied to a log. A soft muttering can be heard above the ground, just inside the foliage of a low hanging branch. Occasionally, the branch jerks violently, sending a few leaves tumbling to the ground. Something, or perhaps someone is there....but hidden.

Another 'something' approaches silently from the southeast, footsteps the minutest whisper upon the wind, scent vaguely resembling honey and roses. Ostiel glides into view, hair loose and a bit wild. Moving up to the water, she raises her skirts to mid-thigh, making to step into the water. Then she notices the branch, rope, and robe....and pauses with big toe extended, looking about.

Silence may be an inherant elven trait, but it would seem that someone forgot to tell this to Mia. So intent is she upon a task, her eyes once again tracing the forest floor while a basket perches upon her hip, that she pays scant attention to the fact that she is walking upon dried twigs, skimming through old discarded leaves, and just generally announcing her presence without uttering a single word. But that isn't where it ends! No, so thoroughly is she looking down at her feet that she is unaware of anyone else! That is, until she comes to the discarded cloak. Perplexion crosses her face, her head is tilted slightly, and then something seems to occur to her because she suddenly looks up. And up again, as rustling is heard, but nothing can be seen (whatever it is must be elsewhere), until a strange senhsation makes her turn her head to the side, thus revealing Ostiel. She looks to the maiden, and to the toe, and back again, perplexion once more writ upon her face.

Through the foliage, Galharth spies the arrival of Ostiel and he freezes in place. "Stupid rope," he hisses softly as he peers up along the path of the rope. It's an odd position, peering towards his feet while looking up, but with the rope tangled around his right leg there was little else he could do. Crossing his arms over his chest, he peers back at the lake as the breeze sways his golden hair along with the foliage of the tree.

Hanging upside down, he catches the arrival of another and his eyes close as fustration takes over and his face colors. "Galadriel said to test the rope and net in the Wood," the clothier calls out with a tight voice that hints of distress. "I suppose she envisioned something happening in which I would need the help of others....... so if you wouldn't mind," he calls out, pausing to gulp down his pride, "I could use a little help...."

If Mia is perplexed, then perhaps Ostiel is simply mystified, for she stares across at Galharth with the look of one who has been exposed to some strange puzzle, and cannot quite lock all it's pieces into place. She herself must be a rather humorous sight, for her foot is still hovering somewhere above the water, and a little white fish is swimming in circles below, wary and curious.

"I assume you wish to have that rope unwound, yes?" A smile, however subtle, is stealing across her face with great determination. She fights fiercely, attempting to stay solemn.

Mia shakes her head, her eyes moving slowly back towards the dangling ellon, "I would not assume anything right now, Ostiel. But I do think we need to proceed with caution... he is, after all, alone, and yet he has managed to do.... well, I'm not entirely sure what he hyas done, but it looks unpleasant and fairly painful." She doesn't try to hide the smile that spreads across her face, "I only wish that I had thought of it."

"I have been trying...." Galharth calls out, as he bends upwards to grasp at the rope surrounding his leg. Gunting and groaning ineffectually, as the rope is not only firmly twined around his leg, it seems to be knotted as well. Giving up, he relaxes and dangles once more, swinging slightly from his movement, causing the branch to shiver.

"If you could throw me a knife or my sissors, I can cut myself out." He pleads as he arches his back to get a better look at the elleth's on the ground. "Honestly Ostiel, it'll not interrupt your swim but for the few moments needed to toss up the blade....."

Now Ostiel is no longer mystified and amused, but concerned, and at Galharth's words looks about for said scissors with keen eyes. However, this search is in vain, for the instrument is nowhere to be found. Looking at Mia in bewilderment, Ostiel nevertheless moves away from water, and toward Galharth. The fish darts away from the shallows.

"So... you cut the rope," Mia asks, now chuckling, "And then what? You fall head-first to the ground? Hardly the thing to do if you wish to see another sunset." She looks to Ostiel and shrugs, "I suppose we may have to go and get someone else to help.... alot of someones, I'm thinking. I mean, we COULD climb up there, ourselves, and try to free him." She sighs wearily, "But it looks terribly exhausting, don't you think? Why, I feel worn out just looking at him! One of us would have to hold him while the other worked on the rope, and Eru only knows what he has done to make the knot so solid..."

Frustration, or perhaps the blood pooling in his brain, has finally taken it's toll upon the ellon. "I have sissors in my robe," he calls out as he lifts himself into a hanging sitting position. "I'll get out of this myself if it's so exhausting.....it was exhausting." he grunts as he begins to pull, hand over hand upon the rope, twisting himself into a strange shape as he tries to move himself up the rope into an upright position.

A nut drops from high above as it seems even the squirrels are laughing at his perdiciment. As the nut hits him in his eye, he reaches to cover his face, sending himself downwards again in a bone jarring series of jerks. "Argh!!!!! Just throw a knife! I'll take my chances!" Is that panic in his voice?

"Nonsense." It is unclear whether Ostiel is speaking to Galharth or Mia, nor apparent exactly what it is she is unfavorably towards. Firmly knotting her gown at mid-thigh, the Cuigrithweg grabs a low branch. "If you will hold him, mellon nin, I will cut. You do not have to over-exert yourself."

Mia mutters as she easily follows Ostiel, leaping up first to grab a low limb, then swinging herself up in an arc that ends with her feet firmly planted on the branch. "That wasn't exactly the point," she says as she leaps again, this time using the trunk of the tree to bounce her feet off of as she flips to a higher elevation. "How often does an opportunity like this present itself?" she asks to nobody in particular. She moves with a casual elegance and long-familiar grace, her dress moving as easily as she does, so that soon she is standing at eye level with the ellon, though he is upside down and she rightside up. She pauses, places her hands on her hips and looks down, eyebrows rising before returning to Galharth. "I could have alot of fun with this, you know," she says pointedly. "A few moments is all it would take to have half the wood rushing here. You owe me."

To the other healer, she querries, "Where should I hold him? He would probably have me keep him upright, but it might work easier for you if I were to lift the foot higher. Slack on the rope, or whatever," she says dismissively.

"I more than realize what this is going to cost me," Galharth says as he bends his head back to peer at his friends. "But do realize, this very situation is all your fault Mia. Yours and Rhibi's." Struggling once more and managing to get at least one loop away from his leg, he snorts with satisfaction. "Galadriel said to test this thing in the wood, certainly, the confines of a tree or a talan is certainly the best place..... much better than a sheer drop that has no branches to catch upon."

If I could just get upright, I could climb back to the branch above and untangle myself."

"Well, if that is fact, then perhaps we will hoist you up, mellon nin?" Ostiel murmurs, looking over at Mia with raised eyebrows. Deftly her fingers wander over the ellon's pockets, searching. After uncovering a few minor items, she unearths the scissor and holds them aloft proudly. "Now, lets get you out of this.."

"It could be worse," Mia ponders. "So close to the lake, it is quite lucky that you didn't fall in. Though anything is possible, if one sets their mind to it." She grins mischeviously and moves to the next highest branch, grabbing his ankles in a firm grip. Her arms barely straining, she lifts Galharth up by the feet until the rope begins to hang loosely. "Anytime you are ready, Ostiel, and be careful! He weighs next to nothing, so do not hurry yourself on my account!" She lowers her voice slightly, aiming the comment at the incapacitated Galharth, "At least, I hope my hands don't slip...."

"Mia!" Galharth yells as he moves upward by his ankle. "Don't drop me! Hurry Ostiel!" Closing his eyes tightly and reaching out, stretching for anything to grab ahold of.

"Shhh," Ostiel whispers in her most 'healerly' voice, tone smooth and gentle, "You are quite fine." Giving the tangled rope a quick examination, she brandishes the scissors, wiggling them into the knot. Biceps flexing, she begins to cut tediously, for the rope is indeed thick.

"Oh, calm down!" Mia says, somewhat testily, "Do you really think I would do such a thing? No, wait... don't answer that." She tightens her grip and sighs, lifting him slightly higher, "Not only am I not that mean-spirited, but the day I can't hold you aloft for a few minutes is the day I grow a pig's tail. Really," She bristles slightly, "Some people just can't see the humor in a situation."

"See?" Mia asks with an I-told-you-so tone, "Ostiel knew I was joking."

The clothier's eyes flash open, and the crystal blue sparkles with outrage, "I-am-not-alright!" Galharth hisses, "I'm a Tailor, my most wretched experience should be misaligned plaids! Not all this physical labor!"

Rubbing the back of his hand across fading scratches, his eyes close again. "It's been a very trying week. Never, never never, would I have expected myself to do anything.......notable, and yet here I dangle." Signing, he shakes his head. "I can't do this alone...and I do trust you both," he half whispers.

"That is good, for if you did not trust us, untangling you would be a challenge indeed," Ostiel states wryly, purposefully ignoring the Clothier's frazzled condition. The knot is giving way..a few more well-placed cuts should undo it's strands completely.

"I'm not sure I would consider dangling a notable trade," Mia begins, then ammends, "But then I'm not a tailor. Though I do agree that you cannot do this by yourself, whatever it may be, as that rope has bested you, no doubt!" She looks at him a bit more carefully (or as best she can whilest holding his feet in the air), "But I disagree with you on this one thing: You ARE alright. I little scuffed, a tad bruised, but basically alright. I do not envy you the pain you will feel upon reaching the ground, however, and reccomend that you come directly to the healer's talan to tend to your injuries, perhaps find a tonic to ease your discomfort." She glances up at Ostiel, "I almost wish you had done as he asked before and thrown the knife at him. THAT would have been a challenge... cutting the rope from a distance by throwing daggers at it." She pauses, thoughtful and chewing on her lower lip. "Sounds like a good way to train, actually. Not with a real person, of course... though that could be fun, too."

As he feels the rope give way, and freedom nearing the clothier relaxes. "Training, yes, perhaps I need a bit more of that," Glancing to Mia and then to Ostiel, he shakes his head. "That was a dumb idea, I can't believe I was dumb enough to suggest that you throw knives at me." As he speaks, a smile forms upon his lips and he relaxes more. "A few more cuts and I'll be free, swing me towards the lower branch and I'll catch it."

"Aye." Even as Ostiel speaks in affirmation, the rope gives way. Immediately she grasps Galharth's shoulders. "There. Push, Mia." Together she and the Companion lift him upward, dangling above the forest floor. "Can you reach it, mellon?"

With the rope cut, and Mia swinging him free, Galharth stretches out his arms and as his fingers brush against the lower branch, he grasps ahold. "Got it." He calls out triumpantly. As his words ring out, his friend releases him, allowing him to loop around the branch. "Whoooooooa!" he calls out as he releases the branch and drops down to the ground below. "Wonderful!" He calls up, "Thank you both!"

"Of course," Ostiel replies kindly, following him down, though at a considerably slower pace. Once on the ground, she extends the scissors, but with no small amount of hesitation. "If I may ask...whatever were you doing? You could have been seriously injured."

Waiting as Mia joined them upon the ground, the clothier smiles. "Are our warriors not injured, and do they not die? Being tangled in a rope during a failed test is hardly comparable." Bending down, Galharth gathers up the bits of rope. "First the rope needs tested," Shaking his head and peering at what was left, "testing it again with better planning I think...." he says with a chuckle, "And then to build the net, or possibly nets, and again, test."

Ostiel is not convinced. "Mellon nin, the rope might have given way. You could have fallen directly on your head, and though I have seen you do so before with minor injury, I would not wish for you to test fate a second time. Why did you not at least have a companion with you?"

"It's elven rope my dear. We build our bridges of this rope. Trust it." Galharth says, "But I am weary." Taking a step towards the path. "I promise you this, next time I will have a companion with me, and the next time, I'll not make the same mistakes I made less." Smiling, he winks. "Now can I escort you ladies back to the city, or would you like to spend a moment to enjoy the cool waters of Alqualonde?"

"We will accompany you back," Ostiel replies with sigh, giving in...for now. "You should indeed come to the healing talan, if only to have a glass of wine. We have caranyulda," she offers with the barest hint of a grin.

Clearly stiff and sore, the Tailor smiles his acceptance and hobbles along, doing his very best to not show his discomfort. "I suppose I should have joined in with my cousins a bit more when I was younger, play among the trees might have come in handy."

With that he moves away from Alqualonde.