The List Friendship Ring Story

An amused, musical tenor voice spoke from behind Raven. "Why, I'd know that biting sarcasm anywhere. It must be our darling Darkblade. Raven, dear, won't you kiss me hello?" Before Raven could even look over her shoulder, she was spun around and dipped dramatically into a long, mock-passionate stage kiss--much to the amusement of all those nearby.
She had to pound on the golden-haired elf's shoulder with a fist before he'd let her up. "Mara'liweion take you, Lucian," Raven said, glaring at the lean, sapphire-eyed elflord who wore black and silver as elegantly as only a blond could. "I hope Kat knows which of us to gut--I /like/ my liver."
"She does," said a flame-haired warrior-woman in white and silver. "And will take it out on her soulbonded later tonight. How goes it, Lieutenant?"
Raven was no long the Scoutmaster and head Assassin of Kat's Company, the Stormseekers--indeed, the Stormseekers were no more, having merged with the King's Own Guard of Teren when Kharvasi the Dragon (a dragon no more, though he would bear the name for centuries to come) ascended to the throne--but Kat still called her Lieutenant, either because she missed the days of her Captaincy or was simply trying to keep from confusing Raven with her Gypsy Assassin-Adept mentor, Mikahl--'the other Raven.' Either way, it didn't matter. Raven bowed to the pair, respectfully. She wasn't entirely sure they were completely mortal any more.
Lucian looked with some interest at the hi-fi set. "Karaoke?" he asked, his voice and the sheer power behind it playing appreggios up and down Raven's spine. Sensitive to power as she was with the Darkblade at her hip, she always reacted that way...
"Yes," she said, grinning. "And no, you most certainly may /not/. Your power does strange enough things in Arandea and Karilanth, with all these different Gifts running around the Hall I don't want to /think/ about what would happen if you sang. Your being here listening is bad enough. Go dance with your kiriyel."
He cast her a pitiful look. "She'll step on my toes," he said, glancing sidewise at Kat as though she could actually raise a hand--or foot, for that matter--against him.
"Only if you let her," Raven answered heartlessly. "Go on, get out there and put everyone else to shame. Atalaya and I are going to sing some filk." So saying, she turned to join Atalaya at a microphone as 'American Pie' started up. Taking up the soprano part to 'Laya's alto, she sang.

             "A long, long, time ago
              I can still remember when
              A weaponsmaster broke his arm
              And then the kid was sent away
              To Haven, with his aunt to stay
              Never dreaming he would find both love and harm

              And Savil's trainee made him quiver
              But Leshara would deliver
              Horror, pain and sadness
              He drove Van's love to madness
              I can't remember if I cried
              When wyrsa ripped at Gala's hide
              But I know I was horrified
              The night that 'Lendel died

              Van was singing,
              Bye-bye, you have left me to cry
              I saw your fall clearly 'gainst a stormy sky
              Alone and afraid, all I can do is ask why
              Love why is it that you had to die?

              Did he steal the magic books
              Without a single backward look
              Because his lover told him so?
              But he did not deserve this pain
              Nor the heartache and the shame
              And he does not deserve to die real slow

              Yfandes, Starwind, and Moondance
              They gave him a second chance
              While running from Foresight
              He fin'ly saw the light

              Van was a lonely teenaged Herald-Mage
              With a white Companion and a heart of rage
              But he knew he had to act his age
              The day that Krebain died

              And he was singing,
              So long, your mind's twisted and wrong
              The moment I desired you truly wasn't that long
              Though the pow'r I channel could be fatally strong
              I don't care, just so you are gone

              Thirteen years later, drained and sore
              From fighting Karsite Border War
              Vanyel went home for a while
              Dad often mistrusted him and
              Treesa was a wee bit dim, but
              His folks were the least of his trials

              For Yfandes woke him in the night
              To call him to a scene of fright
              He rode to help a boy
              And stop the king's envoy

              Lores yelled of guilt and blame
              His Companion's pleas were disdained
              Van told him he was insane
              The night Deveran died

              They were singing,
              Bye-bye, we must deoccupy
              The mob approaching don't just wanna say 'Hi'
              Though he's short of power, still Van's got to try
              To make a Gate, or we're gonna die

              Helter-skelter in a royal swelter
              Since Tashir had gotten shelter
              Fights and problems piled up fast
              Into a tangled, twisted mass
              It just got worse as the time went past
              No one knew just how much longer peace would last.

              Van, with some friends, rode in disguise
              To find the proof of murder and lies
              Found Vedric's evil spell
              Knew it was how Lineas fell
              As Vedric rushed to the attack
              Van sent Savil and the others back
              But Jervis stayed to slash and hack
              The day that Vedric died.

              Vanyel was singing:
              Good-bye, Shadow-Lover, I
              Should carry on with my life
              Or at least I should try.
              Now back to the living world I must fly
              But we will meet again, you and I
              We will meet again, you and I

              Oh, then Van met a bard at Randale's place
              A lad of beauty and of grace
              And so he learned to love again
              But an insane mage with a dagger was quick
              So Vanyel became deathly sick
              And Savil got some more help from her friends.

              The return to Haven set the stage
              First one, then one more Herald-Mage
              Was slaughtered by a spell
              The Heralds heard the Bell
              And after death one winter's night
              Van rode off to find, and fight
              The mage who laughed with cruel delight
              The night that Savil died.

              The creep was singing
              Farewell, I will send you to hell
              The way that I have sounded many other death knells
              With power that I get from forces wicked and fell
              And in your land my army will dwell
              In your land my army will dwell

              Van met some men who captured him
              He nearly tore them limb from limb
              But kyree helped make his mind whole
              Then out to the border he went
              Where Leareth's army had been sent
              And with 'Fandes he accomplished his goal.
              In the deep of night, Bard Stefen screamed
              His lifebond shattered, and his dreams.

              But not a word was spoken
              When he found Van's amber broken
              And of those three admired most
              Savil, Jays, and Vanyel's ghost
              All of them were gone--almost
              The day that Vanyel died

              And we were singing:

                  Bye-bye
              To the Herald-Mage guy
              We will see you in the _Mage Winds_
              But until then we cry.
              Closing the book, we heave a sorrowful sigh
              Another ending has just gone by
              Another ending has just gone by."

Sorchafyr Thursday, 19 February, 1998 5:29 p.m.

She hurried down the hall into the banquet hall, looking for the table of food. As she ladled out some substantial-looking stew and turned to the dance floor, her breath was taken away by seeing a real pegasus dancing. She had always been enchanted by pegasi and seeing the graceful way this one was moving had her in thrall.

She ate her stew without taking her eyes off the lovely creature, who looked as if she knew how stunning she was. Sorcha was inclined to let her be as vain as she wanted as long as she stayed in the same room with her.

When the music paused, she needed a drink so she was finally able to look around. She saw a young man looking slightly wild, trying to talk to people in corners and around the bookcases. Smiling, as she knew just how he felt, she softly approached him.
"Greetings, my name is Sorchafyr, and who art thou?" He jumped, then smiled at her.
"Bright the day, my name is Aldric and would you like to dance? Or talk? Or eat, or something?" Sorcha put her hand gently on his arm. "I would love to spend time with thee, but right now wouldst thee give me information? I have been ill recently and had to depart before the banquet started. What is this music, and whence came those wonderful bubbles I tasted earlier?"
As she listened, Aldric told her of the passing of the ring to the Warrior, and identified Blade as the originator of the bubbles. Then came a different kind of music from an adjoining room, and she pulled him toward the musicians. "This is music I knowest of! Come, I will teach thee to dance."

Cennydd Thursday, 19 February 1998 7:41 p.m

"I just love this song! Now, who wants to learn what dirty dancing is really about?"
*grin*

Shantaya Thursday, 19 February 1998 10:59p.m.

Dax Friday, 20 February 1998 4:31 a.m.

"There," she thought to herself, "This should be perfect to attend the Ring Ceremony in." She patted a last wayward lock into place, smoothed the velvet over her hips and called back over her shoulder to Carrach,"are you coming? Put the books down for a moment and lets go...there's sure to be a party afterwards."

Getting ready had been nearly impossible...the pixies had hidden her new shoes and there had been an infestation of trollings rampaging through the Realm that had taken hours to organize a resistance to oust. She had almost had to call on Raven and Blade, but didn't like to interrupt her priestess's lives too often. She shifted to unicorn, to make sure that her form was perfect there, too. "Yes, mane and tail braided, hooves and horn polished... Carrach? Are you coming? I'm going now."

"I can't wait any longer," she thought to herself, and then aloud called out, "I'm going ahead, I'll see you when you get there, I don't want to miss the ceremony."

"Sure, sure," she finally heard in reply, "go on, I still have three more cases to mediate, I'll catch up."

Stepping over a small toy shield that one of the pixies had apparently dropped, she stepped over the portal, only after realizing that next to the shield was a small, steel, sword...

"No!" the cry was torn from her lips as the chaos of the gate took her. Dax spun in twisting spirals, time whipping her hair like the wind of wildfire. Finally with a thumph, she landed, quite unceremoniously upon her royal rear. "Well, base your portal out of Oklahoma and what do you expect....A yellow brick road?" She brushed the hair back out of her eyes and looked around. "Hmm, not friendly, not the Hall of Mist, not a portal in sight...oh frag."

A dark, forbidding landscape met her gaze, "If I catch the critter that left a steel sword by a portal, I'll......", words failed her. "Well, maybe there's still time to get to the ceremony."

Changing into Unicorn form, Dax drew a door in the air with her horn, spun out the requisite energy, "that's why I like permanant portals," she thought, changed back and stepped through.....

Into the gardens outside the Hall. There were a few couples walking arm and arm through the flowers, some of whom turned in startlement and then bowed and curtsied as she was recognized. What a way to show up.

"Excuse me, but what day is it? Has the Ceremony happened yet?" Music drifting out into the garden answered her second question.
"Yes, your Ladyship," a young courtier nodded, "nearly two weeks ago, the ring was given to Lady Niki and last Friday it was given to the Warrior, next Friday, the Warrior will give it to someone new." The Courtier was polite in answer, but couldn't hide a hint of smile at the disarray of the Goddess of Unicorns and Elves. "Perhaps, you might like to freshen up?"
"Oh, bother, " Dax said, "I've missed everything! Where's a bucket of sea water when you need one? My hair's a mess and my dress is muddy....and..." she trails off, elf sense kicking in and overwhelming her snit. "Why I do believe that some of my estranged children are in attendance. Well, quit laughing and tell me where to change...."

Rainbow Friday, 20 February 1998 5:47 p.m.

Typo Friday, 20 February 1998 7:35 p.m.

She curls up contentedly in front of the glowing blue screen, twines her long tail back around her body and sweeps the last bit just under her forearms to comfortably type (no sense in courting carpal tunnel syndrome in wrists that big!). With short-clawed front talons clicking away, she relaxes in the congenial warmth of the room and the people within, occasionally stopping to catch a wayward bubble (cinnamon mocha with whipped cream!) that passes by.
Once, she looks up and catches sight of a scholarly-looking gentleman entering the gathering-room from some other part of the Halls. With a warm and sleepy, hazel-eyed smile, she nods a greeting and returns to her work.

...Or, at least, that was the idea. From nowhere, a sticky shower of red goo drenches her from nose-tip to tail-tip. Yes, the typodragon appears to have been...JAMMED. Blinking in astonishment, she snakes out a forked tongue to test the new coating.
Hmm...raspberry. Only one man would dare to give me the raspberry...
Silly humans. With a chuckle and a deep bow of gratitude for the sincere, albeit sticky, honor, she conjures a small shield to protect her computer and backpack from the drips (magic does have a few practical uses, after all ;) and stands to find some of that ever-present salt water to wash of with...