Morneanna

A cloaked figure moves along the stands. The fabric not able to hide the soft curves of a woman’s body, and as she moves the cloak accentuates her feminine forms. Her face is hidden under the deep hood, and as she passes Shady Steve’s booth she pulls the hood lower over her face under his glare. From under the hood Morneanna glances over the pennites. She sees smiles everywhere, but the atmosphere underneath feels tense, and she might have arrived only just in time. Aware that she will draw attention to herself if she just keeps standing there, she concentrates on guiding the light away and around her so only the most observant spectator can possibly see her, and only if they would be looking for her. Under the hood her features grow sterner, she has come here with a task, and will try her best to fulfill the expectations she has placed upon herself. In the distance the sounds of the pillow fight can be heard, and as she hurries past the item auction she watches the dwarf present his item with a smile; he seems to understand what it’s all about in life, and she can feel the positive glow that radiates from him. Somehow the Pen Grounds feel different than when she was here first, but she also senses the desperate attempts to keep things going. The struggle for survival feels tense underneath the open pleasure. Some of the newer people clearly enjoy themselves, but it feels as if they hold back, in need of that little bit of extra faith and motivation. Hidden under the cloak she makes for where she knows will be the best place to set up what she has in mind. The clearing she reaches is shaded and green, and her mother, the sun, is filtered out by the roof of leaves. Still her joyful power makes Morneanna smile, and she feels that this will work; it has to. She glances around and when she’s sure nobody’s near she lowers the hood, and raises her face against a beam of sunlight. “Make them hear my prayers,” she whispers to the light. The leaves rustle in the warm summer breeze in reply, and Morneanna knows she has always been part of these grounds. She has been born from the creativity and warmth of the pennites, and knows that she would wither away without its tender caring, and without the powerful emotions these people have always been willing to give. It is time she gives back to them, and she closes her eyes, repeating the words over and over again. Around the Pen the sun breaks free, and flecks off light dart over the pennites. Touching their faces, and attempting to enter their hearts. Sun spots dance over their hands, and materialize as people held out their hands to catch them. Each sun speck a part of Morneanna, and she spreads herself out over the Pen Grounds, covering the carnival celebrators with her warm message. Wyvern, the almost dragonic elder, feels the warmth land on his shoulders, whispering tender words to him, a sun fleck plays over Patrick’s face, rustling its words in the guildleader’s ears, Ayshela feels how the sun spot presses against her cheek and sighs its message to her, and throughout the Pen Grounds Morneanna’s messages are delivered. With all those warm messages unfolding it is as if the entire pen bathes in light for one short moment, and Morneanna’s words are whispering through the air. “This solstice, in the clearing at the edge of your Pen Grounds, I invite you to join in a Healing Ritual. We will celebrate that we are together, and speak out our wishes for the coming year. We will bind ourselves once more with these holy grounds, and bless each other with our presence. Yours truly, Morneanna.” Her face calm as she is sending out the invitations, Morneanna stands in the sunbeam. She feels how energy from her mother courses through her veins, and gives her the strength to reach all those people around the Pen. When she’s sure all pen children have received her invite. Morneanna steps out of the sunlight, and pulls the hood back over her face. She hopes that most will attend the Healing Ritual, and that her message has been clear enough. She sits down on the forest ground, the moss soft under her bare legs, and takes out the ritual pipe she would smoke with those who would come to share their wishes for the next year. She carefully places it on the ground next to her, and starts weaving light into small strands. Those pennites wishing to recommit to the Pen would each receive their warmth and motivation. Morneanna works and waits patiently, hoping that it is not too late.

Behind the waterfall, hidden from sight, a shaft of light crept in through a hole in the rock ceiling above. The shaft whirled and as she materialized, Morneanna could see the scene unfold on the other side of the water curtain. This much violence had never been her idea of solving things, but then again, maybe it would be the only language the lizard and his helpers would understand. Still, she wanted to try talking to him, convince him that he would have to build this mall elsewhere, convince him of the dire need to preserve what was kept a secret behind that waterfall through the ages. She sized him up, and attempted to estimate his reactions if she would simply show him what he was about to destroy, and if that would be a way to prevent it when Lividya appeared next to her. “Is that him?” the angel asked, and took a step towards the falling water, observing Wyvern’s movements. Morneanna nodded thoughtfully in reply. “Doesn’t look like much of a threat.” Lividya said, and raised an eyebrow. The reflection of the water showed Wyvern as a small figure, almost disappearing in the background of nature around him. The trees, the rocks, even the other animals seemed so much larger in the greater scheme of things. Still, the lizard formed an immediate threat, not the least because he had an above average intelligence, and Morneanna also sensed something else; something far more dangerous than intelligence, something that could mean the end of all things beautiful and magical, greed. “He can ruin it for all, and I don’t think we can afford to underestimate him.” Morneanna reached out to Cernain, who was still standing in the pool below, and her tender voice entered his mind, I will take the lizard inside the library, can you keep his crew outside? Cernain outwardly smiled at feeling Morneanna's mental touch. Glad you could come. The crew without their leader act pretty chaotically. Cernain thought back to Scaleeroy's reaction to losing the strand of hair. I'll manage. But are you sure you want to take him there? Cernain sent feelings of worry along with his words. A whisker of doubt, but then a mental nod, It’s the only way to show him, I think. I will take Lividya with me, together we’ll be safe. Cernain sent thoughts of agreement to Morneanna, then turned back to face his current problem; a helmet flying at his face. Morneanna left Cernain’s mind, and looked at Lividya. The angel was following what was happening at the other side of the waterfall, and chuckled softly when the helmet nearly hit Cernain full on as he had been distracted by Morneanna’s voice. “Will you be there for me?” the sunchild asked her friend. Lividya placed a hand on Morneanna’s shoulder, and a smile warmed her pretty face, “I always have, and always will.” “Then let’s do what has to be done.” The light in the air seemed to diminish as Morneanna started calling it together for her task. Between her hands a small spear of concentrated light commenced to form, and as she concentrated the lance became harder, and stronger. The shaft was pulsating in her hands, and she weighed it carefully before shifting it to her right hand, and closing a fist around it. Mumbling ancient words of love, power, and strength she slid her other hand into Lividya’s and carefully aimed the lance at Wyvern. Then with force she had drawn from the sun herself she thrust the spear forward. The lance quivered through the air, and hit the almost dragon straight through the heart. The next moment rain started pouring down from the sky, and the sky turned pitch black, and for two seconds the only light that could be seen was the spear stuck inside the lizard. In a flash both women behind the waterfall and Wyvern were gone, and outside the clouds let through the sunshine once more, showing only an empty spot where the almost dragon had been. “I’m sorry for having to do it this way,” Morneanna mumbled softly as she and Lividya followed the shaft of light that had captured Wyvern into the library, “I hope you’ll forgive me once all is over.”

Morneanna felt more than saw the flash, and though it was none of her own children of light, she knew instantly what had been the cause of this divine light, and whispered a thank you to Lividya. “Someone is trying to enter the falls.” All that their world stood for was in danger with the plans of this silly lizard, and she would give her life to protect this secret of secrets, she only hoped that it was not too late. “I have one more friend to call upon; will you come with me?” Lividya frowned, but nodded. She knew that whatever Morneanna was going to do, it would be needed, and it would be fast. In the blink of an eye they were standing at the side of a brook, and as Morneanna held out her hand little flecks of light started gathering above it. Soon a small orb of light circled above her hand. She placed her other hand over it, and shaped the orb into the form of a small fish. The fish was still surrounded by a golden glow and swam quietly in the air above her hands. With care she lowered the fish to the water, and it swam a little circle and then disappeared into the distance with the speed of its mother. “Be swift little fish, and bring Shuitan, custodian of the waters, to the waterfall.” For a few seconds she followed the fish with her inner eye, pushing it forward to move faster, but then she decided that it was time to go to the falls herself. She turned back to Lividya, and embraced her friend, letting go of some of the tension she had felt since this whole thing had begun. “Meet me at the entrance.” She whispered, and the next moment she was gone.

Golden rays carefully watched every move and caught the booming sound waves that were sent up through the green roof of leaves. They quivered lightly and the slightest of whispers seemed to run through them. And, although nobody noticed, the light that had shone clearly on the Lizard’s head became a hue darker as one of the brighter rays travelled with the speed of light to report back their communal conclusion to the mistress. With her head tilted Morneanna listened to the whisper, and rubbed her slender neck as the meaning of their information sank in. She kissed the flecks off light that were dancing over her copper curls, and praised them for a job well done. The golden butterflies rose, and dissolved back into their place in the universe. This lizard-like creature came out of the womb of mother earth, as she had once come from there as well, but instead of honouring her he seemed to do his very best to demolish her. Did he not realize how his very existence depended on this mother of all mothers? Did he not feel how she nurtured him, and cared for him the way she did for all her children? A soft sigh escaped her lips, and the flower that caught her breath turned its head towards the warmth. The situation was more serious than she had thought at first; calling Cernain to aid her would not be enough. Morneanna closed her eyes, and took the lotus position. She let the sun warm her face, and placed her hands, palms upwards, on her knees. She asked the light to help her, and make her words travel fast so that her call for help would be delivered securely. “Dear Lividya, I need your help know more than ever. Your protection and knowledge are indispensable to help this lost child find back the path he has lost as he succumbed to Sin.” Her whispered words were carried away into the sky and started their journey to find Lividya, guardian angel of knowledge.

The last daylight was filtered through the leaves, and the birds were singing their goodnight and good hunting songs to the creatures of the night that were just awakening. The cry of the owl gave the solemn whistle of a shrike a harmonious background. The forest was dappled in soft golden spots, and Morneanna held out her hand to catch one of them in the palm of her hand. Like a butterfly it sat there, and as she closed her fingers around it the sun gave up this little spot for her daughter. Morneanna moved her hand close to her mouth and whispered a small message to the sun fleck that was caught inside her slender fist. “Bring the man that will be renamed Cernain this message of inspiration. Tell him that he will have to report back to me when he has finished his assignment.” While opening her hand she blew life into the speck of sunlight and it darted of towards the direction she had given him. Now it would only be a matter of time until the child that would be commanding the creatures in the forest would come to her. Morneanna knew that he would answer her call, never before had he been able to resists the call of a challenge, the call of inspiration, and the call to work together with others. Slowly the night fell, and one by one the golden butterflies followed the call of the world turning on, and Morneanna too followed that eternal call of nature, biding her to travel after her mother the sun. Fleeing before the night the last that could be seen of her were the veils that sheltered her body from the silvery moonlight. But amidst the darkness a star brighter than all the others, its essence exploding with sun and not just the weaker reflection, was following its path towards he who would be Cernain.