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My dear Knight or Lady !
This is the beginning of my stories about what happends in my Forest, in here you will meet most of the inhabitants - as the story continues ........... Enjoy !! ;-)
The beginning .....................
I am very honored to recieve thee here at my Castle today and am looking foreward to show thee around in my Forest and tell thee the story of why and how I came to live here. Let us ride out - first to the big old enchanted Oak, one of the biggest trees in the Forest where most of the Faries live - they sleep during the daytime - and right now you can see all the hundreds of forget-me-not flowers are standing like a big light blue carpet all the way from the tree down to the Meadow where the big barn is housing the new sweetsmelling hay.
In my Forest lives many different magic cretures, who helps each other protecting this place and me from harm. Here are Unicorns helping Elves patrol the vast Forest and along with the Dragon Emeraldo who lives in the mountains and all the Centaures they know all what goes on here. Stranger who visit seldom see any of the inhabitants of my Forest, because they want to know thee before they will trust thee enough.
Let us ride down to the Lake and eat the food prepared for us my sweet friend, and when we have eaten I will tell thee my story.
Lay thee down under the tree by the Lake shore my dear and listen.
All of this - the Castle and my Kingdom the vast Forest, I enherited from my Grandmother. She was a remarkable, fantastic woman and even if I did not know her very well she made a deep unforgetable impression on me. She told me - when she became ill - that she would leave all of this to me.
"It has to be you my sweetest girl" she said "because you will understand - you have the right heart for it and it will live on in your care, you and this place are ment for each other because you and I are alike"
I did not know then what she ment, because you have to earn the trust of this place for it to reveale itself, and for it to be able to heal broken and weary souls.
You see - the Forest looks like a beautiful "ordinary" forest but there is more to it than that if you open your mind to it - if you sense with your soul and your heart and not with your brain, Ohh ... then it is SO much more.
I think you heard it all before you fell asleep my friend and I think it is a good sign that you are relaxed enough to do that - the Forest never fail to work well on tired and weary souls, and now in my mind I can call out for a friend. After a while you wake up because you hear singing - a fantastic voice - beautiful, mesmerising, telling a story about 3 sisters, swans and betrayal and I can see you are listening with your eyes closed my friend - enchanted (thinking it is me ) and I smile of joy over the song and not least happiness over a friends visit."You have a beautiful voice" you say when the song is over and you open your eyes. "It was not my voice you heard" I say with a smile "It was Sereena who sang for us" !
"Sereena" ? you say looking around.
"Yes Sereena has decided to visit and greet you my sweet friend" I say and point at the Lake behind you.
You turn around and see a young girl sitting on a stone a bit from the shore - a girl with a fishtail !
She smiles at you and say " Hello dear visitor! I am Sereena and yes I am a Mermaid" !! and she laugh out loud and her laughter makes us laugh and the akward moment for you is gone.
"I understand from Lady Anne that you might visit again so if you want some compagny just come here and say my name in your mind and I will come" Then - with a soft splash she is gone.
You look astonised and I say "Sereena is great compagny - very funny and she ment it ! Otherwise she would not have come - Please my dear, give this place a chance - disconnect your brain for a while and try using your heart and the intuision you had as a child.
Let us watch the sun setting over the Lake before we go back to the Castle and you begin your journey back to your Realm.
(Listen to Sereenas song on the video on the left side - the first with a redheaded woman - Loreena McKennit ! )
If you liked the beginning my dear friend - I have more stories from my Realm.
Emeraldo - the green Dragon from Sky mountain.
Good you came early my friend !
King Valandil Oronrá told me that if we wanted to take the very rare opportunity to meet the only Dragon who lives here in my forest it had to be one of these days - and now I found out that it is just tonight he comes and it is such a long time since I saw him last and for you who have never met him it is a great chance.
So lets ride my dear friend to the deep green part of the forest where the Elves live and meet "Emeraldo" when he flyes in from the big mountain where his cave is.
He has not yet arrived - thank God, and we have some time to talk with Valandil - the King of the Elves and the dragonrider who is going with Emeraldo on the trip with an important message to elves far far away. Valandil - you met last time, but you did not meet Galathil - she is the one Emeraldo choose as his rider and they have a special bond that allows them to communicate without speaking.
She is a very bright and beautiful woman and totally committet to her important duty - and to Emeraldo..s charm ;-))
Ahh .. my friend do you hear that ?? the loud "whistling" sound !! like when you hear swans fly over your head just a 100 times stronger ?!!and see !! there in the sky ! It is Emeraldo - ohh God -he is big ! I always hold my breath when he comes, SO impressive !!
Good he landed at some distance or we would have fallen over at the shake when he sat foot on the ground. Isn..t he awsom ??
I love the way he looks - to me he has always been beautiful even if he doesn..t agree ;-) His scales are green - bright green shimering in the sunset and he has beautiful green eyes - his spikes down the spine are ivory white and his wings are pale green. Isn..t he a magnificent creature my sweet ? and bright too. We communicate through Galathil and after having presented you and hear that he is OK he is of again with Galathil on his back.
It was great to meet him again - and after a while we are on our way back, but it is a long ride back and it is late now, what do you say my friend - shall we stop at one of the small barns and sleep until daylight comes again in the wonderful new hay ? You agree - and soon all that is heard it the sound of the wind making the trees move and your light breathing - and I smile in the dark sweetsmelling hay - happy to share this experience too with a dear friend or a friend to be ....
My dear friend - This is the 3. story from my enchanted Forest. Meet Zoraida - the Forest witch..
It is indeed a fine day to visit the forest, so let us start at once !
We will take the path to the old Oak and once again look at the beautiful light blue carpet of Forget-me-not flowers - are they not fine ?
Let us take the path to the lake now my friend and maybe find Sereena there ! You agree and after a while you stop me and say "Look ! a wolf - right there like it follows us !"
I look and smile, "that is Rana my dear, either she wants us to follow her or Zoraida is close by" We dismount and as the wolf comes to me, a voice say "Merry meeet Lady Anne !"
A woman dressed like a Hunter stands before us with a smile on her face, the wolf stand beside her and she put her hand on its head.
"I am on my way home" she says "would you .......she freezes and put her finger to her lips to keep us quiet and then slowly takes something from her belt - a leather sling and some small round stones, very quickly - almost faster than the eye can see - she let the sling spin and the stones fly one after the other, and we see 2 rabbits lie dead when the others dissappear. !
"You always impresse me with that sling" I say. She smiles "I have had a long time to practise ! As I began to say - would you like to join me for dinner ?"
Ohh yes ! we would love to" I say "but let me introduce you properly - This is Zoraida the forest Witch and her wolf Rana."
"And you are ...................... Lady Anne..s dear friend am I right ?"
You just nod my Dear - speachless !!
Zoraida whistles and after a minut her horse comes trotting and we begin the ride to the deep dark forest where her Cottage stand.
After a while we hear the sound of hoves, and suddenly at a turn of the narrow path comes two of the Forests Centauers - one black and the other light brown - males - their skin is beautiful and shiny and their long hair is gathered in a ponytail.
They bow their heads to greet us and with a smile I say "Hello Thereus - Lucus ! I know you always want to meet my new friends and this my Dear is Thereus (nodding at the black Centauer) and this is Lycus - yet another "wolf" !
"Wolf?" you say and I smile at your puzzeled look. "Yes, Lycus means Wolf and Thereus means Hunter.
" Are you hunting ?" I ask looking at the bow and arrows they carry on their backs. "No, just patrolling as usual - but everything is calm" Thereus says with a smile.
Before they move on I ask them to be sure to say Hello to their King and leader Tristan from me.
We continue and after a long ride where Zoraida dissappears once in a while to collect herbs and berries, we arrive at the dark forrest where the big trees stand close together blocking most of the daylight.
Riding amon the trees in the dimmed light, we are suddenly surrounded by a flock of tiny Feries. Very quickly they all hover around me, ignoring you and Zoraida completely - they don..t do any harm, just fly close to me smiling with a kind of happy humming sound.
"What are they ?" you ask "do they know you well ?"
"No my sweet, we have never met before" I say
"But they only notice you ! Do you understand them ?"
Zoraida and I look at each other and smile.
"No" I say "I only know they are happy, they are the kind of Faries that are called SALVANI Faries - they protect all animals AND they love the color RED ! They are attracted to all that is red and look ! Almost all of them are dressed in red too ! They immediately spotted my red dress - nothing else !!"
Shortly after we reach a glade among the dark trees and a small Cottage appears. Around the little house flowers in lots of flaming colours - as many as in a rainbow grows like by magic, covering almost every spot in the big glade. A small creek runs past the Cottage and over it stand an old bridge of stone from the mountain not so far away.
We ride over the bridge and while Zoraida goes in to start preparing the food, we free the horses from the saddle and all the rest and feed them.
You look thoughtful and ask "My Lady - what did Zoraida mean when she said that she had practised with the sling for a long time ? She is young and yet the most skilful with a sling I have ever seen !"
"Well, she is a Witch my sweet, she looks young, but Witches live much longer than us - actually she is more than 200 years old !!"
"253 to be exact !" she laughs behind us - amused by your astonised face.
"Before we eat, I want to show you something" she says "I have a little patient that I have been treating for a small injury, I think you will enjoy meeting him and his mother"
She leads us to the far side of the glade, where the creek widens out into a little pond and there we see two magnificent creatures, white as chalk, almost shimmering - with big dark eyes deep and warm as velvet and long silkylike manes and tails.
A deep sigh escapes you. "Unicorns !" you whisper " Ohh.. they are so beautiful !! I look at you and - Yes, like me you are almost moved to tears by the sight of those perfectly wonderous animals and I wonder why they always makes us feel like this. Is it because they somehow radiates innocence and purity so strongly ?
We go and greet them, feeling their silky like skin and Zoraida look to see if the leg of the fole is healed. "They can leave in a few days she say satisfied.
We go back to eat and after a long days ride, the delicious meal dissappears like dew before the suns rays.
On the way home to the Castle we are - even if it is Spring and a bright evening - surpriced by the darkness and , as we have done before, we seek the comfort of a soft "bed" in one of the small barns spread around the Forest - I love sleeping outdoors and the barns are a perfect place with their sweetsmelling hay ......
A Night in the Forest I love to walk in the Forest at night, to visit those who are awake then.
Come my sweet friend - take my hand and walk with me,it is almost midnight and the Faries are summond to the meadow by the ringing tone of the little bluebell flower that only they can hear, lets go and watch them my sweet.
On our way to the meadow we pass by the old enchanted Oak and look !! all the Candelas Faries with their many colours are just beginning to leave for the dance - it is a fabulous sight when they move in a flock, all their colours mingle and they light up the path to the meadow for us.
It is a beautiful night tonight - no wind and enough light from the moon to see by.
Suddenly a big flock of Salvani Faries comes our way - and this time it is you they are whirring around, remember why ?
Yes ;-)) your red cloak - they LOVE that colour and when they whirr around you in a bigger flock, you get a warm buzzy feeling and you can hear the humming sound they send to you out of shear happiness, they too are on their way to the dance.
Now we are here and we sit down on your cloak, you leaned against a small tree and I leaned against your chest with your arms around me - can it be more perfect my dear ?
Many Faries have gathered now, I see some Aziza Faries - they have come all the way from the deep green part of the forest where the Elves live and look my friend !!!! Butterfly Faries ohh ! we are so lucky to see them, they are also called Moss People because of their moss green colours and they are very shy !!
The only ones missing tonight my dear, is the Greek Faries - the Dryads (tree ladies ) guardians of trees, but they only come when it is full moon !!
If we sit completely still, we can just hear very faint the music they dance to - it is so beautiful and this feeling of complete and utter joy and contentness surrounds us and brings peace and inner happiness to mind and soul.
As we sit there - close together looking at the beauty of it all, I whisper to you "Look dear - over there by the big old Oak !! It is Titania ! the Queen of the Faries - Oh I have not seen her for a long time"
"Good evening Lady Anne ! blessings to you and to you too my friend - are you enjoying the dance !??"
She laughs at your confused face and says " I am Titania and don..t be surprised that I know that you are a dear friend of our dear Lady - you have met King Volandil so now we all know the name and looks of Lady Anne..s newest friend and most of us have seen you in the Forest - and we all bid thee most wellcome here - know that my friend !
May I sit with you ?
We watch the dance for a while and then Titania looks to the trees nearby and when we look close we see a pair of eyes glow in the dark. "It is Rana" I say "Zoraida must be here too !" As I say it she steps out into the meadow with a "Merry meet Lady Anne ! and to you our friend and Titania !" She bows her head to the Farie Queen.
She looks at me with a smile and say "I have exiting news Mi..Lady - I spoke with the Elves last night and King Volandil told me that Emeraldo has returned after a long visit with his kind that lives far in the North - Forest dragons I think ! and with him he brought a Dragon egg !!"
An egg !?? We looked at each other in surprice.
"Yes - apparently the dragons there seem to know that the dragon inside the egg is ment to belong here. Emeraldo has told Galathil all about the egg - it is not like other eggs hatched within a timeframe, but lies dorment until the right "rider" comes along. The Forest dragons ment that one of the Sindar Elves here might be the one !!"
"Ohh - that is SO exiting !!" I say "dearest! we must go to the deep green forest and see it very soon !!!"
You nod exited with a big smile ! (with amusement over me I think, who is all worked up and suddenly wide awake !)
"Have you seen it ?" I ask Zoraida, she nods "Yes, it is very beautiful ! big of course and the colour is like policed copper with a deep glow"
"Ohh I MUST see that !!" I say
"King Volandil will gather all the Elves in the deep green forest so they can be presented to the egg - because no one knows who - if any - of the Elves might be the chosen one. The Elves will let you know when My Lady"
Zoraida bids us good night and leaves with Rana who - on Zoraida..s order - had remained among the trees to not scare the Faries.
We say good night to Titania and walk home to the Castle , talking about the news and it took a while for me to calm down, so I..m afraid I keept you awake while we sat on the pillows on the floor in front of the fire place and the soothing flames in it but I must have fallen asleep suddently, because I felt - half asleep - that you drew the blanket from my bed over us there on the floor as so many times before and we curled up tired and sleepy after a beautiful experience and the exciting news ....
No 5 Augustine A young man came to my Castle to see me today my sweet - when Andrew came to announce him, he looked unpleased and he was unwilling to let him be alone with me,the dear man is so protective of me when I am here without my Wolfgeist. "He looks strange" he said to me "I dont like it"
I went to the Hall and saw there a young man very slim, dressed all in black, he had very long black hair and his clothes was very unfamiliar to me - unlike anything I have ever seen - but so was he, as Andrew said, he was different, very handsome but in a slightly dangerous way.
He saw me and came towards me with long resiliant steps he kneled down on one knee and took my hand, I felt his lips brush my fingers.
"My name is Augustine" he said and took a step to the side as if he was aware of his a bit treatening look "I have come to ask a favor of you !"
"I wellcome you Augustine" I said "Let us go outside and talk, it is such a beautiful day !"
We went out and I automaticly walked in the direction of the big Oak as I always do when enter the Forest on foot.
"You walk in the Wood ?" he said and sounded surprised.
"Of cource" I laughed !I love walking in my Forest day and night" !! "But .... he started "Yes I know" I said
"Ladies usually dont dream of doing that, but I am no ordinary Lady Augustine !"
"The Elves told me that, but you look ...." he said.
"I am much tougher than I look my friend" I asured him.
We walked for a bit in silence - he ajusting his long steps to mine and when we came to the Meadow we sat down on a tree trunk.
He sat staring at two squirrels chasing each other in the big Oak and I had a chance to get a closer look at his face. Like in my first impression, I found him handsome, but very serious looking - his face was narrow and pale a mouth with full lips and his eyes were brownish green.
He "woke up" and looked at me shortly before he began explaining. "My Lady - you know the Elvsman called Luthien ??" and when I nodded he said "I met Luthien in Brabant last year when he was visiting his kinsmen there.
We became friends, and when he was leaving for home I asked if I could join him. He had told us so much about his home forest that I had to come and see it for myself. He didn..t exadurate - this is indeed a wonderous place ! King Valandil and his people have been very kind to me and I would love to stay here - but feel, after all I have heard about you, that I need your permission first"
I looked at him and smiled "Oh I do not deside who may stay in the Forest or not Augustine - it is a wast Forest and people can live there for years and not be seen if they deside to ! but I appriciate the thought and if King Valandil wellcomes you, then I warmly do so too ! Tell me where will you live ? In the deep green Forest with the Elvenpeople ?
Before he could answer, a little bird came flying by and came back - Augustine held out his hand and the bird sat on his finger, he stroke it on its back while a quiet calming sound - half whistling half purring came from his lips. He send the bird of again, and it circled around his head once before flying away.
He looked at me with a smile that made my heard jump - his whole face was lit up from within and his eyes sparkled green. "She was sweet" he said "I have a way with birds - they like me, I have a good friend with me always - a Raven, I call him "Munin"
"Where is he now ?" I asked.
He whistled a high tone and minutes after a big black Raven came soaring in, it landed on Augustines arm and looked at me, curious I thought !
Augustine "presented" us to each other and said "Will you let Munin greet you my Lady ?" "Of cource" I said
He streached his arm towards me and the Raven stroked my cheek with its beak looking me in the eyes.
"Now he will remember you - always" Augustine said seriously "Ravens are very clever birds"
He was again the serious young man as he said "No, I would like to build a place of my own - a little Cottage by the small waterfall not far from "Sky mountain"
"Oh yes" I said "Beautiful place, it will be .... Suddenly Rana came rushing into the Meadow and straight to me, clearly wanting me to follow her. I got up and started to, but she seemed very excited and in a big hurry. Augustine said " Something must have happend - let me follow her, I can run faster and then you can get your horse and I will send Munin to lead you to us" !!
"OK " I said and they were off - the wolf and the man dissappering with long resiliant jumps into the Forest.
As soon as Chamsiin was ready I rushed to the Meadow looking for Munin, and as soon as he saw me he came gliding - circled around me and took off in direction of the Lake.
I followed, and with me I had two of my guards - just in case !
We had almost reached the far side of the Lake when we met Zoraida who was on foot - obvoiusly searching for something.
"Zoraida ! what is wrong - has something happend ??" I asked
"Ahh Lady Anne - yes !! It is Sereena ! she is hurt!!"
I jumped down from Chamsiin "How ? Let me help you find what you need while you tell me"
"You know Sereena uses her mind to contact us all and she pick up when we think of her and call her name in our mind !
She and I can do that over long distances and suddenly at home in the middle of last night I could feel something was wrong - something strong called me out and down to the Lake, and when I got there it was further away, not on this side but in the far end where the Lake reaches out of the Forest near the Village. It took me hours to get there, I had to call upon the Unicorns for help - they too could sense something was wrong, but even on horseback it took a long time.
and the call from Sereena was at the same time stronger and weaker but at last I found her a short distance from the shore clinging to a small rock in the water half drowned - caught in someting.
I called her name and she responded weakly, but she was aware of me beeing there - I got out to her and found out that she was trapped in some sort of net and her tail was hurt. I was not strong enough to get her free by myself so I send Rana to you for help."
"Good !" I smiled "and she brought Augustine to you, he runs almost as fast as her !"
She smiled back "Yes he does ! I have met him when visiting the Elvenpeople - he IS fast - but of course his father is a Grey Elveman so he will always be faster in his reactions than humans !"
"Oh ! I didn..t know that" I said "and his mother is human ?"
"Yes - a royal Lady from a foreign country is all he tells of her"
We had gathered a lot of moss and different herbs and put the load on Chamsiin, then we went to the shore of the Lake and I saw Sereena at once a bit from the shore and with her was Augustine - working to free her and at the same time holding her up above the water.
I called out her name in my mind, but could not see her respond, so I called out to the tall man beside her : "Augustine ! is she OK ? Do you need help ?" I pointed at the two guards.
"Yes !" he answered "I need someone to hold her, she is very weak"
My guards went out to help him and together they got her free and Augustine carried her to the shore.
He put her down on a pile of moss Zoraida had placed in the shadow and we covered her tail with wet moss.
She looked very pale, but suddenly her eyes opened and she gave us a faint smile "Thank you" she said.
"Rest now" Zoraida said "tonight when the sun has set we will bring you to my house, your tail needs time to heal Sereena and you can stay in the pond beside the house"
For the rest of the day Sereena was looked after by Zoraida and the rest of us organised food for everyone and transport for the injured mermaid and when the sun went down all was ready.
Augustine had told us how Sereena had been trapped by some sort of net - cleverly diguised among the rocks, but from Sereena - who now was gaining strength from Zoraida..s remedies, we heard why ! : " I was curious ! I went some nights to look in on the Village from the rocks and some of the children swimming in the Lake saw me and we talked and played - it was fun !" She smiled by the thought. "When I got there yesterday I was suddenly tangled up in all the ropes !!"
"Were the children there ?" I asked
"No - actually no one was there !" she said.
It took most of the night to transport Sereena to the pond by Zoraida..s house (Where we met the Unicorns remember ?)
and on the way there, a flock of Candelas faries came along dancing and shimmering over Sereena to cheer her up a bit, they are indeed very affectionate !!
At last we were there and Sereena was settled in to rest and after a short break in Zoraida..s house Augustine wished to follow me home.
We rode in silence for a while watching the Forest around us wake up to a new day with beautiful sunshine ! Augustine with Munin on his shoulder, suddenly he said " Are you tired My Lady ?" I looked at him "A little - yes, but it helped to eat before we left - why Augustine ?"
"I was thinking - the waterfall where I wish to build my house is only a short deture from here and I would like to show it to you !"
"OK Augustine - I would like to see the waterfall again and the place for your house !"
I was rewarded with one of his rare smiles and the green twinkle in his eyes that made my heart jump every time.
When we reached the waterfall and I saw it again I fully understood why Augustine wanted to live there, it is a beautiful place. Lying at the edge of the Forest with a magnificent view to "Sky mountain" the little Meadow always had a cooling fresh breeze and in one end a small waterfall ended in a deep pond and the water that came from the mountain was crystal clear and allowed you to see right to the bottom of the pond. In the other end of the Meadow who was covered with wild flowers of all kinds and where big shimmering blue dragonflies swirled among them a small Birch wood made her remember that she last saw it in the Fall - the white stems and the bright yellow leaves was so beautiful and together with the tall Marple behind the birchs with its leaves in all shades of red made it unforgettable !!
"You will love it here Augustine - the place suits you" !
"Yes" he said "I like it very much, my Elven friends will help me build the house soon !"
We mounted the horses again and reached the Castle an hour later, before leaving me, Augustine said with a dark face - "We will find out who did this to Sereena !!"
"Yes Augustine, they must be found and turn over to the Village authority. And - thank you for all your help in this !"
He took my hand and kissed it, said Goodbye and dissappeared into the Forest with Munin soaring over his head........
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