She raised an eyebrow at this strange request, but nodded regardless. She waited until Sanjah was blindfolded, then darted off with uncanny silence, one of the few remaining influences of the rogue on her. When out of Will's sight too, she glanced around looking for a place to hide. She paused a moment, wondering if she were to be invisible, but then decided that if Sanjah was blindfolded, being invisible would be pointless. Spotting a tall, but climable tree, she started up it, stopping half way up on a branch particularily lush in foliage.
There she lay along the branch, much like a leopard does, arms and legs hanging down, and her cheek resting on the branch. She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to the song of the tree and smiled for there was no other music like it. Eventually she was immersed in the song completly, oblivious to everything else...
A new light
Moderator: Candlelights
Sanjah shifted her eyes from the blindfold, to Willowen, to Jetamio and back to the blindfold. She was still trying to figure out just how, exactly, she was supposed to be able to find the other drakkin if she couldn't see anything.
What if she ran into a tree? Or a rock? Or fell into the pond?
She furrowed her brow and looked back at the Feir`dal with a dumbfounded expression. She opened her mouth to speak, though it took a few moments before any sound came out.
"I'm supposed to find Jetamio... wearing a blindfold...?" She repeated, just to make sure she hadn't missed something.
What if she ran into a tree? Or a rock? Or fell into the pond?
She furrowed her brow and looked back at the Feir`dal with a dumbfounded expression. She opened her mouth to speak, though it took a few moments before any sound came out.
"I'm supposed to find Jetamio... wearing a blindfold...?" She repeated, just to make sure she hadn't missed something.
"Yes," the druid answered with poorly restrained mirth. "Let all the earth be you eyes, the subtle web of creation for a moment replacing your finite senses." The Feir'dal grinned and handed the blindfold to Sanjah. "Have fun, and please... don't loose everything we went over today, knocking your head on a tree." Laughing at how much like his grandfather he seemed at times, Will whispered to the now still winds and glided over to a nearby hill to watch the proceedings from a better vantage point.
Sanjah took the blindfold from him and with hesitation covered her eyes with it, positioning it underneath the small blue horns of her brow. She bit her lower lip and taking advantage of the masking, she rolled her eyes at her teacher when he told her to have fun.
Sure... fun, she thought to herself, still trying to figure out how she would manage not running into any of the rocks or trees.
She took a deep breath and stood still for a moment, trying to concentrate on her surroundings. She could hear the waterfall, and somewhere off to her left she heard leaves rustling. Perhaps it was one of the hares that nested in the grove.
Okay, she told herself, you can do this... just concentrate on what is around you. Concentrate on your intuition. It's going to be fine... you're not going to fall into the pond.
She kept repeating those few sentences over and over again in her head as she began to move forward. She walked extremely slowly, still not trusting herself quite as much as she should have been.
The entire situation just seemed to defy logic; she knew of those who could track living creatures without the ability to see them... but she was still quite feeble in her skills as a nature-worker, and she knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
She stopped again for a moment, her bottom lip still resting between her teeth. She took a deep breath, trying to let go of her fears and inhibitions. It took her a few minutes to clear her mind and she began to walk again, trying desperately to force her intuition to take her where she was supposed to go.
After about 10 minutes of walking around mindlessly, she began to feel quite confident in herself. And it was that confidence that was her downfall. Not 30 seconds after she had stopped paying attention, she managed to fall straight into one of the large groups of bushes.
She picked herself up, and not knowing whether to laugh at herself or cry in embarrassment, she decided to sit and try to regain her composure.
Sure... fun, she thought to herself, still trying to figure out how she would manage not running into any of the rocks or trees.
She took a deep breath and stood still for a moment, trying to concentrate on her surroundings. She could hear the waterfall, and somewhere off to her left she heard leaves rustling. Perhaps it was one of the hares that nested in the grove.
Okay, she told herself, you can do this... just concentrate on what is around you. Concentrate on your intuition. It's going to be fine... you're not going to fall into the pond.
She kept repeating those few sentences over and over again in her head as she began to move forward. She walked extremely slowly, still not trusting herself quite as much as she should have been.
The entire situation just seemed to defy logic; she knew of those who could track living creatures without the ability to see them... but she was still quite feeble in her skills as a nature-worker, and she knew that this wasn't going to be easy.
She stopped again for a moment, her bottom lip still resting between her teeth. She took a deep breath, trying to let go of her fears and inhibitions. It took her a few minutes to clear her mind and she began to walk again, trying desperately to force her intuition to take her where she was supposed to go.
After about 10 minutes of walking around mindlessly, she began to feel quite confident in herself. And it was that confidence that was her downfall. Not 30 seconds after she had stopped paying attention, she managed to fall straight into one of the large groups of bushes.
She picked herself up, and not knowing whether to laugh at herself or cry in embarrassment, she decided to sit and try to regain her composure.
"Not the most speckled egg in the nest is she?" Will scowled at the small nightingale perched on his finger. "As if you would fair any better little brother."The bird chirped with lilting laughter as Sanjah blundered into the bushes. "Well at least i would do better then that! She cant do it guardian, the girl doesn't have any innate sense for the lifeweb, without its strands to guide her, she is as blind as a worm in the light of dawn." The druid sighed gently. "It is true, she does not have the natural advantages of my Feir'dal or half-blood students. Yet, she has a spirit of aspiration they do not posses, and a quick mind. Perhaps she will surprise you songweaver." With a brief song the nightingale conveyed his great doubt regarding that possibility. The elf and bird turned as one to watch things unfold.
After sitting in the darkness for what seemed to her to be an eternity, the young druid stood back up, took another deep breath and was determined to try again. She just had to change her mindset of the situation... instead of continuing to tell herself how absurd and impossible the situation was, she had to have a bit of faith in herself and in her mentor.
Surely, he would not have had her do something that would end up with her being mortally wounded or some such, and at least they were on the ground (it would have been much worse were they on the platform where the dragon's sleep, for instance).
Of course, this time she had the disadvantage of not really being sure where she was even starting at. At least at the beginning of the previous attempt, she knew that she was standing right next to the waterfall. She just had to trust her instincts, trust herself, and trust that nature would guide her. It shouldn't be that hard, right?
She repositioned the blindfold, pushing it up a bit where it had started to slide down her nose, and she stood extremely still for a fraction of a minute, just long enough to get some sense on where she was going. She began to walk once again, and came terribly close to running right into a large tree trunk. At the last minute however, she sensed something and moved. She wanted desperately to pull of her blindfold at that moment and look to see what exactly she had moved away from, or if there was in fact anything there at all, as it was a feeling she hadn't felt before - a bit of a tug at her stomach telling her to get out of the way.
She had sensed something. And she was ecstatic. Maybe she'd be able to figure this thing out after all.
Surely, he would not have had her do something that would end up with her being mortally wounded or some such, and at least they were on the ground (it would have been much worse were they on the platform where the dragon's sleep, for instance).
Of course, this time she had the disadvantage of not really being sure where she was even starting at. At least at the beginning of the previous attempt, she knew that she was standing right next to the waterfall. She just had to trust her instincts, trust herself, and trust that nature would guide her. It shouldn't be that hard, right?
She repositioned the blindfold, pushing it up a bit where it had started to slide down her nose, and she stood extremely still for a fraction of a minute, just long enough to get some sense on where she was going. She began to walk once again, and came terribly close to running right into a large tree trunk. At the last minute however, she sensed something and moved. She wanted desperately to pull of her blindfold at that moment and look to see what exactly she had moved away from, or if there was in fact anything there at all, as it was a feeling she hadn't felt before - a bit of a tug at her stomach telling her to get out of the way.
She had sensed something. And she was ecstatic. Maybe she'd be able to figure this thing out after all.
Up her tree, the emerald drakkin watched the other drakkin stumble around. Or at least thats how she appeared to be looking to anyone who bothered to look up the tree. But a closer look would find an enraptured expression on her face, and that her eyes seemed slightly out of focus, her hands keeping a firm hold of the bough she was on.
The worldsong reverberated round in her head, filling every fibre of her essence. She had never felt so alive, so energised. She opened her minds eye and spead before her in all directions were tiny little veins of light, like a spiders web but far more intricate than any spider could have done. The threads pulsed with varying levels of vibrancy, connecting everything together, every blade of grass, every bird in the sky. She could still see the 'real' area she was in, but it was all interlaced with these threads.
Her mind raced with her discovery. She'd always had an innate sense of what she saw now, she even used it and manupulated it on a daily basis, as all living things either unwittingly or knowingly did. But never had she had the frame of mind to actually see the Lifeweb as she did now, shining and pulsing. She hesitantly followed a brighter, stronger thread and found what she sensed to be Willowen. He shone brightly in the web, a concsious being that thought. Looking down at her own hands she found she was also glowing, a slightly different shade of colour, but so subtle most would not notice. She 'felt' a tremble on the web and reached out to the cause of it. A glowing Sanjah narrowly avoided a tree at the last minute, for a fraction of a second her conscious self starting to become aware of something more. Withdrawing slightly incase Sanjah sensed her presence, she traced the web back to Willowen watching him converse with the nightingale. To her amazement she could hear every word, reverberating around with the worldsong, even though she knew she was out of even her acute hearing range. Suddenly something clicked into place in her mind, a small piece of jigsaw.
"Of course!" she almost shouted from her perch, sitting up fast as the vision dropped and hitting her head on the branch above. With a muffled "Ooyah!" the drakkin fell sideways, sliding off her branch and landing with a resounding thud on the ground below.
The worldsong reverberated round in her head, filling every fibre of her essence. She had never felt so alive, so energised. She opened her minds eye and spead before her in all directions were tiny little veins of light, like a spiders web but far more intricate than any spider could have done. The threads pulsed with varying levels of vibrancy, connecting everything together, every blade of grass, every bird in the sky. She could still see the 'real' area she was in, but it was all interlaced with these threads.
Her mind raced with her discovery. She'd always had an innate sense of what she saw now, she even used it and manupulated it on a daily basis, as all living things either unwittingly or knowingly did. But never had she had the frame of mind to actually see the Lifeweb as she did now, shining and pulsing. She hesitantly followed a brighter, stronger thread and found what she sensed to be Willowen. He shone brightly in the web, a concsious being that thought. Looking down at her own hands she found she was also glowing, a slightly different shade of colour, but so subtle most would not notice. She 'felt' a tremble on the web and reached out to the cause of it. A glowing Sanjah narrowly avoided a tree at the last minute, for a fraction of a second her conscious self starting to become aware of something more. Withdrawing slightly incase Sanjah sensed her presence, she traced the web back to Willowen watching him converse with the nightingale. To her amazement she could hear every word, reverberating around with the worldsong, even though she knew she was out of even her acute hearing range. Suddenly something clicked into place in her mind, a small piece of jigsaw.
"Of course!" she almost shouted from her perch, sitting up fast as the vision dropped and hitting her head on the branch above. With a muffled "Ooyah!" the drakkin fell sideways, sliding off her branch and landing with a resounding thud on the ground below.
Sanjah squinted under her blindfold when she heard a loud thud coming from... coming from somewhere. Perhaps it was Jetamio... either that, or someone had fallen off of the Dragon's lift again. She frowned at that thought, for remembered how badly it hurt the few times that it had happened to her. They really should have put some thought into the safety precautions of that thing...
As she stood in the darkness, she tried to decipher which way the sound had come from. She thought about it for a few more moments before deciding to head to her left.
After taking about 30 steps, she stopped again, frowning. Maybe this wasn't where the sound had come from. She could hear a waterfall again, though she wasn't sure which one as there were two on opposite ends of the grove...
She cleared her mind again and tried to focus on what she was sensing. That was how this whole thing was supposed to work, right? She would just... know somehow. Though she still hadn't figured out how she was supposed to know.
On a whim, she made a turn to the right and began walking blindly again. She started up a small hill and sighed, she felt as if she had just been walking in circles for a zillion hours. Then she heard something again... there was someone up here... She was sure of it.
Of course, the someone could have been a scary ogre for all she knew, but it was someone.
She continued walking forward, in which direction would lead her right into the poor fier`dal who had been sitting so quietly.
((*grins*))
As she stood in the darkness, she tried to decipher which way the sound had come from. She thought about it for a few more moments before deciding to head to her left.
After taking about 30 steps, she stopped again, frowning. Maybe this wasn't where the sound had come from. She could hear a waterfall again, though she wasn't sure which one as there were two on opposite ends of the grove...
She cleared her mind again and tried to focus on what she was sensing. That was how this whole thing was supposed to work, right? She would just... know somehow. Though she still hadn't figured out how she was supposed to know.
On a whim, she made a turn to the right and began walking blindly again. She started up a small hill and sighed, she felt as if she had just been walking in circles for a zillion hours. Then she heard something again... there was someone up here... She was sure of it.
Of course, the someone could have been a scary ogre for all she knew, but it was someone.
She continued walking forward, in which direction would lead her right into the poor fier`dal who had been sitting so quietly.
((*grins*))
The druid breathed deeply, seeking to regulate his breath to every third beat of his heart. Having found a stone conveniently embedded in the hillside, the Feir'dal stood balanced on one foot, knowing he must look absolutely ridiculous to passersby. As long as Sanjah continued to seek the eternal song, he might as well attempt mastery of the resonance...ambitious though it admittedly was. One of the higher meditations, the resonance drew the subject into himself, seeking to bring the entire being in harmony with the world's pulse. His heart began to beat with adherence to the grand orchestra, sending his blood surging in time with its music. Faint whispers of the glorious symphony began to drift through the outermost corridors of his mind. Will knew not to pursue the ethereal dancers, for the ghosts would vanish like shy birds from attention of his untamed mind, they would come closer as he was drawn further into exaltation with the vibrant chords of creation. As the sounds of breath and heartbeat alone filled the darkness, the Feir'dal dipped into the clear pool of his thoughts. Filling his mind, with geometric shapes melded with perfection into the natural world, an intangible.
shudder passed though him. The images became clearer, increasing infinitely in complexity, turning in upon themselves, slowly revealing their secrets to one brought into understanding. Unlike the meditation of monks that obliterated thought so that muscle and sinew could react unimpeded, the higher deliberations of the druidic orders instead brought the mind to ascendancy by discipline of the physical being. The pure forms of the divine ideals of form, opened briefly, Will fought to urge to force himself further, in awe of the mystery that offered countless aspects he had never before considered. Logic and Reason made passionate love to Spirit and Beauty, it was the vision of perfection, clarity of truth rushed though him like a cold river of agonizing sweetness.
"A blundering elephant approaches!." chirped the nightingale perched on one of his outstretched arms.
Mani?, the Feir'dal opened his eyes, only to feel the impact of another body pushed him dangerously near the edge. His arms flailed, disrupting his tenous balance and sending him tumbling down the hill. The bird sang with exuberant mirth, "Ahh yes a promising student indeed guardian, it takes a true prodigy to accidentally kill their teacher! May I never be blessed with hatchlings of this extraordinary aptitude, I don't think i would survive it!" The nightingale swooped down the hill after the druid, shaking with avian laughter.
shudder passed though him. The images became clearer, increasing infinitely in complexity, turning in upon themselves, slowly revealing their secrets to one brought into understanding. Unlike the meditation of monks that obliterated thought so that muscle and sinew could react unimpeded, the higher deliberations of the druidic orders instead brought the mind to ascendancy by discipline of the physical being. The pure forms of the divine ideals of form, opened briefly, Will fought to urge to force himself further, in awe of the mystery that offered countless aspects he had never before considered. Logic and Reason made passionate love to Spirit and Beauty, it was the vision of perfection, clarity of truth rushed though him like a cold river of agonizing sweetness.
"A blundering elephant approaches!." chirped the nightingale perched on one of his outstretched arms.
Mani?, the Feir'dal opened his eyes, only to feel the impact of another body pushed him dangerously near the edge. His arms flailed, disrupting his tenous balance and sending him tumbling down the hill. The bird sang with exuberant mirth, "Ahh yes a promising student indeed guardian, it takes a true prodigy to accidentally kill their teacher! May I never be blessed with hatchlings of this extraordinary aptitude, I don't think i would survive it!" The nightingale swooped down the hill after the druid, shaking with avian laughter.
Last edited by Willowen on Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sanjah, upon feeling herself run into... someone... pulled down her blindfold to see what had happened. She gasped and her golden eyes widened as she watched the poor feir`dal tumble down the hill. She ran down to catch up with him, in which she tripped over a stone and went rolling down the hill herself.
She landed, quite embarrassingly, right on top of her teacher. She put her hands on the ground, one on either side of him, to lift herself up enough to give him an incredibly sheepish look, her cheeks turning a furious red.
"I'm sorry!" She said, quickly, still trying to catch her breath from the fall. Her hair hang messily around her face, a few random blades of grass and leaves tangled into it from the fall.
Their eyes met for just a moment, and Sanjah blinked, feeling her cheeks become even hotter. She rolled off of him and sat down, putting her head in her hands. She wanted to cry out in embarrassment, but wanted to laugh at the same time. Instead of picking one or the other, she merely sat, wishing there was some way she could reverse time and make the entire situation go away.
She sighed and looked back to the elf, a discouraged expression now painted over her features.
"I... I'm sorry... I... Maybe I shouldn't be doing this yet. I'm going to get us all killed. I just... I don't understand how I'm supposed to know where I'm going. I don't even know what I'm trying to concentrate on to find out. How do you find something when you don't know what you're looking for?"
She landed, quite embarrassingly, right on top of her teacher. She put her hands on the ground, one on either side of him, to lift herself up enough to give him an incredibly sheepish look, her cheeks turning a furious red.
"I'm sorry!" She said, quickly, still trying to catch her breath from the fall. Her hair hang messily around her face, a few random blades of grass and leaves tangled into it from the fall.
Their eyes met for just a moment, and Sanjah blinked, feeling her cheeks become even hotter. She rolled off of him and sat down, putting her head in her hands. She wanted to cry out in embarrassment, but wanted to laugh at the same time. Instead of picking one or the other, she merely sat, wishing there was some way she could reverse time and make the entire situation go away.
She sighed and looked back to the elf, a discouraged expression now painted over her features.
"I... I'm sorry... I... Maybe I shouldn't be doing this yet. I'm going to get us all killed. I just... I don't understand how I'm supposed to know where I'm going. I don't even know what I'm trying to concentrate on to find out. How do you find something when you don't know what you're looking for?"
She touched her lip and found blood on her finger tip, and almost of its own will her tongue licked the wound. Apart from a split lip, she was uninjured and quickly glanced around to see if Sanjah had heard her fall. Hearing a yelp as she looked, she focused her gaze in that direction. She made her way over to the rock and then looked down the hill as Sanjah prised herself off the top of Willowen.
She barely suppressed a giggle, and came a little way down the hill, but her mirth faded when she heard Sanjahs discouraged words. She went right down to them and stood a little back from them, still not really sure what her purpose in this lesson was, but understanding the girls frustration. Her gaze fell on Willowen for further direction.
She barely suppressed a giggle, and came a little way down the hill, but her mirth faded when she heard Sanjahs discouraged words. She went right down to them and stood a little back from them, still not really sure what her purpose in this lesson was, but understanding the girls frustration. Her gaze fell on Willowen for further direction.
Will counted silently to ten, calming his exasperation and quelling dizziness. "No Sanjah you are fine, I have examined your knowledge and it is sufficient for this task. Just know that it usually isn't attempted by beginners such as yourself, being a test for one who has already mastered the basics." The Feir'dal rose to his knees and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. With a whisper of mana he let his aura become briefly visible, and its faint tune able to be heard even to those not atuned to the lifeweb. Dispelling the phantasmal vision and music, the druid smiled. "All things stem from the same essence and hum in harmony like lodestones. All creation is connected, for was it not made as a coherent whole by the Sower? Find this connection, and the world will open to you." He rose and brushed unruly hair out of his eyes. "You can do this Sanjah", the Feir'dal eyed the nightingale with disapproval as it circled with a mocking song, "no matter what he thinks of the endevour."
Last edited by Willowen on Mon Apr 02, 2007 3:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The druid nodded to Jetamio and grinned." Yes, though be a bit more careful this time mellon. This lesson is for you as well as Sanjah, and though i can heal broken bones well enough, Thanatos would drag you far beyond my abilities." Will took the blindfold from the sapphire drakkin and began to gently rebind her eyes. "Now let us run through this once more, are you ready, Sanjah?"
Sanjah smiled wearily at the Feir'dal as he tried to reinstate her confidence. He had placed his hand upon her shoulder and Sanjah gasped softly, looking at him with wide eyes as she heard the quiet song that reverberated around him and saw the faded glow of his aura.
He smiled at her and the enchantment disappeared, allowing him to go into an explination of exactly what she was supposed to be attempting to do. She could do this, he told her, and she smiled back at him.
Jetamio had come up behind the pair and Sanjah turned to her when she heard her voice. Willowen instructed her to return to hiding and then he took the blindfold from Sanjah's hands.
She took a deep breath as the Feir'dal tied the cloth around her eyes again and she bit her lower lip. After a moment of adjusting to the darkness, she nodded, "I am ready."
He smiled at her and the enchantment disappeared, allowing him to go into an explination of exactly what she was supposed to be attempting to do. She could do this, he told her, and she smiled back at him.
Jetamio had come up behind the pair and Sanjah turned to her when she heard her voice. Willowen instructed her to return to hiding and then he took the blindfold from Sanjah's hands.
She took a deep breath as the Feir'dal tied the cloth around her eyes again and she bit her lower lip. After a moment of adjusting to the darkness, she nodded, "I am ready."