Post by cathrea on Feb 7, 2007 1:23:43 GMT -5
Sigh, I did promise this so I'll start with the beginning my first trip to Seelie Court.
Sorry about the long passages but I don't know how to make it shorter and have the results come close to what I experienced.
Namarie,
Cathrea
A Fair Trip...
It was a sunny summers day. And with my pale skin far to hot for me to be out walking in. I would burn for sure, even in long sleeves I would burn. So I was up in my room wearing shorts and a skimpy top... I had the windows open and had looked outside but something was wrong. Something unsettling about the day. The kids on the street below didn’t notice it and I couldn’t get away from it whatever it was. I had pulled out my favorite records but listening to them didn’t help. So I had turned on the radio rather loud and was sitting on my bed with a book in my lap... and there he was. Dark haired and eyed with skin the color of fresh milk. I could not turn away, not to save me could I turn from him. “Come Lassie” he said, and I went with him. One kiss and the world melted away...
The next thing I remember is walking down a garden path. He had hold of my hand and as we went he named all the types of flowers so I would know them later. He took me to the house by a set of side doors... French doors save for the gothic arches at their tops and into a room full of plants. The floor of that room appeared to be tiles of black and white, marble I learned later and not tiles but cubes twenty four inches on a side. We were not there long but continued down a corridor where the walls were gray, pearly and the floor seemed white, streaked with lavender and with sparkles moving across the floor; crystal and mica mixed into the veins of amethyst along with shards of Herkimer diamonds caused that effect. The walls were tall at least twenty feet if not thirty and the further we went the darker it became. This even while the upper walls were pierced with windows to let light in. So many turns and doors to pass through... I was lost a dozen times over before we reached the council chamber. I had seen Elves as we were walking, tall thin ones who looked as though they were carved from crystal, and others just as tall looking as though the were carved from obsidian except for their hair which fell around their heads as light as feathers and as pure as newly fallen snow with eyes shining lavender in the shadows of their faces. We had not time to stop; not even when some Elves, who looked as though they sprang from the woods with skin the color of ripe acorns and hair as green as new grass, crossed our path. I wanted to stop but Anghais said there was no time. Why he was in a rush to get to council I had no idea only that we must go there.
A final turn and the ceiling expanded to a full sixty feet in height. Tall thin columns of white stone carved to look like trees with leaves and fruit each of their kind. Three tiers of seats arranged in a circle, like the seats in an opera house save that here all was white and pearl and the darkest shadows were lavender. The center a circle with a grand motif in celtic interlace so detailed and intricate that it alone made my head swim. Those who sat in the seats wore many colors and forms as though all the creatures of myth and fantasy were on display... they spoke and chattered and shrugged and stared and pointed and commented all in a multiplicity of languages. I was put in the center of the circle in the center of all this wonder and Anghais said I was to stay there and be polite and to answer all the questions as best I could. He made me promise I would and so I did...
The first twenty minutes we went over my name and was it really my name... Was I really Catherine Ann Mooers? Yes I was. And what was my true name? Catherine! I was sure of that. And that I had been adopted at three months eight days old. I had no idea why I was in the middle of the council chamber being grilled about my name... In sheer frustration I demanded:” WHO ARE YOU! And Why am I here?” From an Elf tall and thin who looked to be not only carved of Crystal but dressed in it as well: “We Are The Sidhe the People of Peace and This is The Council of the People of Peace”. Then the question: ”Now do you understand why you are here?”... dead silence and then I answered “No I don’t”. I asked Why am I here? Why Me?. A question in return: “Do you not know your own Kin?”, No I answered “I do not know my blood kin, I have never met any of them ever”. At that point there is a silence more cold then I have ever known before or since, and I am embarrassed and I think maybe they are going to kill me... A voice from behind me fresh as the spring pipes up but softly and I turn to look at the speaker... a red haired Elf with green eyes and freckles across his nose... a whisper that carries far “We Are Your Kin”. I faint.
Darkness and light and swirls of energy and whispers... “it was too much for her”, “Is she dead?”, “Nah lad she’ll come around in a bit...”, “She needs to eat!” it was that green eyed Elf with the freckles, the one who looked about my age, well he was fifteen and I was thirteen but it was close. I was carried out of council to a room by way of halls of maple and oak the room had tapestries covering the walls all of willows and birches and the bed had maple leaves growing from the four posts... They fed me tea and crumpets with jam Anghais and Tam who is the Elven lad with the red hair... it seems that starving a guest at council is a capitol offense punishable by death... something about a severe breach of hospitality. They stuffed me with food. It did take me another half an hour to convince them that I could not eat another bite... really I could not. After that a red haired lassie dressed in a gold and red gown came in and we looked at gowns... finally we agreed on a green gown with silver leaves around the neckline and hem. Meg was her name and she laced me up into the green gown while she shot mean looks at Anghais for staying there as I dressed. He had wanted to leave but I had told him to “stay or else...” he did not ask what “or else” meant, one bout of fainting on my part was enough for him I think. Then I was dressed but had to pick out shoes. None of them fit, not one pair in the whole closet fit, blame my high arches and long toes on that, so I went out bare footed... “Like the bare foot Countessa” I quipped, that remark brought out a smile from Anghais who was being a bit sheepish even as he escorted me to the library.
That library, oh it was almost as large at the council chamber. With what looked to me to be at least a million books on the open shelves. And two tiers of hanging ladders to get to the high shelves where the big books were. The desks were broad and long four feet by ten feet and made of oak with carvings that seemed to move with the shadows. Anghais led me to the largest of the desks it was covered with books and papers and a few pens and quills. He bowed to the Elf at the desk and as I stood there absolutely terrified, Anghais vanished from sight. I could not move to save me. Behind the desk sat that tall icy white haired Elf the one who had answered my demands in council. He said “sit” and I moved to sit at a chair slightly away from him... “No not that chair, this one” he said as he pointed to a chair near his. Then he gave me a book to hold open, it was filled with writings but I could not read a bit of it. Tears ran down my face, I couldn’t help it they just flowed. He asked “Why do You weep?” in a soft voice. In a cracked voice I answered “because I can’t read it”. “You will learn” he replied. I just sat there and shivered. Then he asked “Did they not tell you?” “Do you not know who I am?”. “No they didn’t... who are you?” I asked softly getting the words out as best as I could. “I am your Grandfather Terciene Nievansche and I am High King of the Sidhe” his words more of a shock then any before or since and why I did not faint then only God knows. “Grandfather? You are My Grandfather?” “Are You Sure You Are My Grandfather?” that he was High King of the Sidhe I could accept that seemed almost obvious, but His being My Grandfather now that I thought Pure Fantasy on His part. The only fantasy on that day ended up being my firm belief that I was Human...
More later when I have time to type it... and please don't copy it as it is under copy-wright.
Sorry about the long passages but I don't know how to make it shorter and have the results come close to what I experienced.
Namarie,
Cathrea
A Fair Trip...
It was a sunny summers day. And with my pale skin far to hot for me to be out walking in. I would burn for sure, even in long sleeves I would burn. So I was up in my room wearing shorts and a skimpy top... I had the windows open and had looked outside but something was wrong. Something unsettling about the day. The kids on the street below didn’t notice it and I couldn’t get away from it whatever it was. I had pulled out my favorite records but listening to them didn’t help. So I had turned on the radio rather loud and was sitting on my bed with a book in my lap... and there he was. Dark haired and eyed with skin the color of fresh milk. I could not turn away, not to save me could I turn from him. “Come Lassie” he said, and I went with him. One kiss and the world melted away...
The next thing I remember is walking down a garden path. He had hold of my hand and as we went he named all the types of flowers so I would know them later. He took me to the house by a set of side doors... French doors save for the gothic arches at their tops and into a room full of plants. The floor of that room appeared to be tiles of black and white, marble I learned later and not tiles but cubes twenty four inches on a side. We were not there long but continued down a corridor where the walls were gray, pearly and the floor seemed white, streaked with lavender and with sparkles moving across the floor; crystal and mica mixed into the veins of amethyst along with shards of Herkimer diamonds caused that effect. The walls were tall at least twenty feet if not thirty and the further we went the darker it became. This even while the upper walls were pierced with windows to let light in. So many turns and doors to pass through... I was lost a dozen times over before we reached the council chamber. I had seen Elves as we were walking, tall thin ones who looked as though they were carved from crystal, and others just as tall looking as though the were carved from obsidian except for their hair which fell around their heads as light as feathers and as pure as newly fallen snow with eyes shining lavender in the shadows of their faces. We had not time to stop; not even when some Elves, who looked as though they sprang from the woods with skin the color of ripe acorns and hair as green as new grass, crossed our path. I wanted to stop but Anghais said there was no time. Why he was in a rush to get to council I had no idea only that we must go there.
A final turn and the ceiling expanded to a full sixty feet in height. Tall thin columns of white stone carved to look like trees with leaves and fruit each of their kind. Three tiers of seats arranged in a circle, like the seats in an opera house save that here all was white and pearl and the darkest shadows were lavender. The center a circle with a grand motif in celtic interlace so detailed and intricate that it alone made my head swim. Those who sat in the seats wore many colors and forms as though all the creatures of myth and fantasy were on display... they spoke and chattered and shrugged and stared and pointed and commented all in a multiplicity of languages. I was put in the center of the circle in the center of all this wonder and Anghais said I was to stay there and be polite and to answer all the questions as best I could. He made me promise I would and so I did...
The first twenty minutes we went over my name and was it really my name... Was I really Catherine Ann Mooers? Yes I was. And what was my true name? Catherine! I was sure of that. And that I had been adopted at three months eight days old. I had no idea why I was in the middle of the council chamber being grilled about my name... In sheer frustration I demanded:” WHO ARE YOU! And Why am I here?” From an Elf tall and thin who looked to be not only carved of Crystal but dressed in it as well: “We Are The Sidhe the People of Peace and This is The Council of the People of Peace”. Then the question: ”Now do you understand why you are here?”... dead silence and then I answered “No I don’t”. I asked Why am I here? Why Me?. A question in return: “Do you not know your own Kin?”, No I answered “I do not know my blood kin, I have never met any of them ever”. At that point there is a silence more cold then I have ever known before or since, and I am embarrassed and I think maybe they are going to kill me... A voice from behind me fresh as the spring pipes up but softly and I turn to look at the speaker... a red haired Elf with green eyes and freckles across his nose... a whisper that carries far “We Are Your Kin”. I faint.
Darkness and light and swirls of energy and whispers... “it was too much for her”, “Is she dead?”, “Nah lad she’ll come around in a bit...”, “She needs to eat!” it was that green eyed Elf with the freckles, the one who looked about my age, well he was fifteen and I was thirteen but it was close. I was carried out of council to a room by way of halls of maple and oak the room had tapestries covering the walls all of willows and birches and the bed had maple leaves growing from the four posts... They fed me tea and crumpets with jam Anghais and Tam who is the Elven lad with the red hair... it seems that starving a guest at council is a capitol offense punishable by death... something about a severe breach of hospitality. They stuffed me with food. It did take me another half an hour to convince them that I could not eat another bite... really I could not. After that a red haired lassie dressed in a gold and red gown came in and we looked at gowns... finally we agreed on a green gown with silver leaves around the neckline and hem. Meg was her name and she laced me up into the green gown while she shot mean looks at Anghais for staying there as I dressed. He had wanted to leave but I had told him to “stay or else...” he did not ask what “or else” meant, one bout of fainting on my part was enough for him I think. Then I was dressed but had to pick out shoes. None of them fit, not one pair in the whole closet fit, blame my high arches and long toes on that, so I went out bare footed... “Like the bare foot Countessa” I quipped, that remark brought out a smile from Anghais who was being a bit sheepish even as he escorted me to the library.
That library, oh it was almost as large at the council chamber. With what looked to me to be at least a million books on the open shelves. And two tiers of hanging ladders to get to the high shelves where the big books were. The desks were broad and long four feet by ten feet and made of oak with carvings that seemed to move with the shadows. Anghais led me to the largest of the desks it was covered with books and papers and a few pens and quills. He bowed to the Elf at the desk and as I stood there absolutely terrified, Anghais vanished from sight. I could not move to save me. Behind the desk sat that tall icy white haired Elf the one who had answered my demands in council. He said “sit” and I moved to sit at a chair slightly away from him... “No not that chair, this one” he said as he pointed to a chair near his. Then he gave me a book to hold open, it was filled with writings but I could not read a bit of it. Tears ran down my face, I couldn’t help it they just flowed. He asked “Why do You weep?” in a soft voice. In a cracked voice I answered “because I can’t read it”. “You will learn” he replied. I just sat there and shivered. Then he asked “Did they not tell you?” “Do you not know who I am?”. “No they didn’t... who are you?” I asked softly getting the words out as best as I could. “I am your Grandfather Terciene Nievansche and I am High King of the Sidhe” his words more of a shock then any before or since and why I did not faint then only God knows. “Grandfather? You are My Grandfather?” “Are You Sure You Are My Grandfather?” that he was High King of the Sidhe I could accept that seemed almost obvious, but His being My Grandfather now that I thought Pure Fantasy on His part. The only fantasy on that day ended up being my firm belief that I was Human...
More later when I have time to type it... and please don't copy it as it is under copy-wright.