Log Date: 10/6/96 Log Cast: Jylien, Ynderra, Mirth, Talek, Rillwhisper Log Intro: Sent by Strongbow to Willowholt to tend to the problems there, Ynderra has taken on as her first task the healing of the confused Talek. But this proves to be a more complicated task than she expected.... ---------- Jylien appears, overhead, on a branch as he weaves his way through the willows. Below stands Ynderra, just at the entrance of the Whisperwillow, facing in slightly startled cordiality a dazed-eyed Talek, who is leaning bonelessly against the tree, staring back at her unsurely. "Hi, Talek," Ynderra pipes, gently. Mirth appears from the nearby clearing. Mirth has arrived. Ynderra's ears twitch slightly at the very faint sounds of Jylien's arrival; she knows that the chieftess is already up in the branches, but marks the black-haired half-Glider's presence, with a subtle nod of her own. Most of her attention remains, though, with Talek, as she holds out a hand to him. "Why don't you come out of that old tree?" she coaxes. Talek's pale brow furrows. ** Did I dream you before? ** Mirth walks in, glancing about him with a quite bewildered look... Talek's silver gaze lifts, ever so languidly, to take in the other elf coming through the trees. ** A strange dream, ** he adds, mostly to himself. Ynderra snaps her gaze around, finding Mirth, and blinking. Oh. She smiles tentatively at him. "Mirth is real, too, Talek, aren't you, Mirth?" Mirth says "Coo...is't eeee!" Mirth flops down, staring around him, giggling now and again. Ynderra blinks at the giggling one, and leans slightly towards him to get a whiff of his scent. Talek tilts his head slowly, apparently fascinated by this. ** A real dream, ** he agrees drowsily Mirth sends openly ** DEEM! ** Mirth giggles more, blinking at Ynderra. Talek's mouth spreads out into a smile. Ynderra eyes Talek for a moment, then squints at Mirth. "You've been having those berries of yours, haven't you?" Mirth says "NahUH!" Mirth says "Ha'oo?" Mirth says "Eee'ooooo..." Ynderra relaxes, just a bit. "Well, just you be good, okay, Mirth? I have to work on Talek here." Mirth says "Gaaaaaa...ota..." Jylien sits down on a branch, to let his feet dangle over it, after a glance up at Rillwhisper, to make certain it's all right. He then sends a general sense of presence, so that all the elves, below and above, know he watches. Ynderra may have spotted him, but the others might not be as sharp of sense. Talek shifts his liquid gaze back to Ynderra, and within it, there is the mildest flicker of confusion. ** Work? ** he echoes. ** I should do some work... I haven't helped... ** He starts to take a step away from the tree, totteringly... ... but the healer-maiden lays a gentle pair of hands on Talek's arm. "Sit, Talek," she cajoles. "Wouldn't you like to? Just sit and dream?" At Jylien's sending, Talek slowly scans the clearing till he spies the violet gaze aimed in his general direction. ** Everyone's in my dream, ** he murmurs. Up in the branches, Rillwhisper quietly sends her permission to Jylien, and nods briefly down to the healer maiden. The chieftess's mouth quirks slightly at the sight of Mirth, but she offers no comments, simply keeps a sharp green regard on the healer and her tribesmate. Mirth sways lightly back and forth, giggling softly. Jylien's brow furrows lightly, but only for a moment. It is replaced by a quirky grin, for Talek's sake. ** Can't be a bad dream, if your friends are in it, Talek. ** Mirth blinks and peers at Jylien, ** fri'end... ** Talek settles down, very slowly, at the base of the tree. ** Not a bad dream, ** he murmurs, agreeably. Mirth grins goofily, "Dreeammm." Ynderra, flashing a grateful look up to Jylien, smiles a little and crouches in front of Talek. "Jylien was telling me about your dreams," she says softly. "Would you like to tell me about them?" Jylien looks at you. Talek stares languidly at Ynderra, or perhaps a little past her. His mouth curves again in a drowsy smile, as he murmur-sends, ** So many dreams... can I tell about a dream, in a dream? Dreams asking _for_ dreams... ** He giggles, ripplingly. Ynderra's brow furrows. Up to Jylien and the chieftess, she sends, excluding Talek, ** He always rambles like this, then? ** From her position overhead in the branches, Rillwhisper sends grave assent. The crease in Jylien's brow returns, and he nods, before he answers. ** Sometimes, he _only_ talks like this. It's hard to get him to hear, at all. ** Talek eventually sends, in random, glittering fragments, visions of falling flower-petals, of golden pollen hanging heavy on a bare breath of a breeze, sparkling in sunlight that flows like honey. Strands of wrapstuff, silver, glittering. Air that tastes of berries, rich, sweet. Indeed, Talek's sending is not unlike the feel of the Willowholt, right now, and involuntarily Ynderra glances up to the bemagicked branches overhead, heavy with Newgreen's flowers and the Deathsleep's fruits all at once. Then, mustering a gentle smile, she turns back to the silver-haired one, and risks touching a dainty hand to his shoulder. ** Tell me more, ** she sends, as her fingers start to glimmer. Jylien leans forward a little, on his perch, expectantly. Or curious. Talek blinks once, extremely slowly, as his gaze tracks its way back to Ynderra; as her hand begins to glow, his mouth parts a fraction, as though expecting a swallow of wine, or a ripe berry. ** Dreamed... of sparkles, ** he confides, eyes softening. ** She gave me the sparkles, and the dreams, to keep me safe.... ** Ynderra's eyes go uncharacteristically intent for this bubbly maiden, and her sending is softness itself. Both her hands lift to Talek's thin cheeks, palms shining, green and gold. ** You're _very_ safe, ** she affirms, crooning. Talek's gaze fixes on Ynderra in limpid wonder. Sparkles. Transfixed, he stares at her, sending benignly, ** Are you going to shape me back into the rock? ** Up on her watchful perch, Rillwhisper winces, just a bit. Jylien tilts his head to one side, clearly curious now. His violet gaze flickers from pale elf to the Lostholt healer, and back again. Ynderra's own eyes flash startlement, for an instant. Then, she swallows, but manages to keep her hands where they are, cupping Talek's face with them, caressing his face with light. ** I'm... going to look at your dreams, will you let me? ** she answers. ** I like to share my dreams... ** His sending full of innocent languor, Tlek smiles absently at Ynderra, like a sleepy cub watching a cook-fire's crackling flames. Jylien straightens where he sits, and he sends, defensively, ** Be careful with him, healer. He thinks you're part of his dream, remember. He might let you places you shouldn't be. ** ** I'll be okay... ** This, to Jylien; distractedly, Ynderra nods a little, and leans closer to Talek, touching her forehead to his, keeping her fingertips and palms by his cheeks. The green-golden light wells up around them both, overlapping the tree behind Talek, rising up slowly over his silver head, Ynderra's dark one. Jylien's fingers curl into fists, even while he watches, unconsciously. He nods, faintly, and draws a deep breath. That tableau holds, and remains holding, as minutes begin to pass. Both Talek's and Ynderra's eyes drop shut, while the light engulfing them brightens.. Mirth peers bleery eyed at the glow... Jylien fidgets uncharacteristically, until he scowls at the right foot, which twitches, and stills it. Glancing upward at his chieftess again, he sends, ** Maybe I ought to go hunting... they'll be hungry.. ** Rillwhisper leans down from her own perch, higher over the clearing, and begins to reply... when, at all once, Talek sends raggedly, ** NO! ** As he does, Ynderra jerks, her dainty body arching back slightly from him, her fingers straightening -- and her eyes flying open, staring blankly at her appointed charge. Talek himself has opened his eyes, too, and his gaze has changed: no longer sleepy, it now holds active fright. And a strange eldritch glitter. In an instant, the scene below has Jylien's attention again, and he is scrambling down and around the tree, before he stops to think. Once on the ground, he stops himself, posture tense, but held in check, as he looks from healer to tribemate, concern clear in his expression. Talek shoves at Ynderra, making her topple back unresistingly along the mushroom-dotted grass, and shrieks at her, ** You lied! You don't want to keep me safe! You want to take my dreams away! ** Bizarrely, the healer doesn't twitch, or even answer. Rillwhisper utters an oath and skitters ground-ward a breath after Jylien. "High Ones, what has she done..." Jylien steps forward now, eyes dark in color. ** Talek? ** he sends gently. ** Talek.. you're all right. She only wanted to see your dreams.. ** He takes another step forward. Smiling again, but this time in an oddly desperate way, Talek begins to creep away from the fallen healer. His gaze snaps to Jylien with all the wariness of a cornered cat, and he sends in a tumbled rush, ** She tried to change my dream! I won't let her! It's mine, and I want to keep it, to keep it safe, I don't want to wake up, I don't want to remember... ** Jylien moves no closer, but sends, clearly, and calmly. ** You can remember your dream, and still live here, in the Now, with us. With your tribe, and your friends, Talek. You can keep your dream, but you have to wake up, some day.. ** Talek fixes his oddly glittering gaze on Jylien, and wails, ** You want to help her! ** His silver gaze appears to have acquired an inexplicable _weight_, as though he is throwing his very self into shoving his own stare at his tribesmate. Jylien blinks a few times, backing a half-step away. Shaking his head, in negation as well as to shake off the force, he sends, ** I want to help _you_, Talek. ** Ynderra lies there where Talek has shoved her, staring blankly and bluely up into the branches overhead. Rillwhisper drops lightly down from the branches overhead. Rillwhisper has arrived. Rillwhisper edges up behind Jylien, sending sharply, ** 'Ware his eyes.. ** Jylien almost looks away from Talek, but doesn't quite, nodding instead. Then his attention is all on Talek again. ** Then... then you'll leave me alone, won't you? You'll let me dream, and, and, you won't make me remember! You _won't_ make me remember! ** Talek stares intently at Jylien, rambling on, ** You could help me dream...! ** Jylien begins to answer, stops himself, then begins again. ** I'll help you dream, if t you help me live. We Jylien begins to answer, stops himself, then begins again. ** I'll help you dream, if t you help me live. We'll help each other.. that would be best. ** Talek begins to smile again, that strangely vacant smile, as he stares glitter-eyed at his black-haired tribesmate. ** Help me dream... yes... ** Mirth falls over finally. Jylien nods slowly. ** I'll help. If you help me, ** he repeats. Rillwhisper sends, to Jylien, ** Lad, do you know what you're doing? ** She edges closer, glancing down at Ynderra, who's still lying stunned at Talek's feet. Talek, though, jerks at the increasingly close presence of the chieftess. ** Don't take my dream away! ** he sends wildly to her. Jylien sends confidently, for Rillwhisper's ears only, ** I can help him, if he'll trust me. If he'll let me in. If I share his dream, I can make him dream of the Now, too. ** Rillwhisper ducks in, under Talek's scattered line of sight. Refusing to meet his gaze, the chieftess grabs at the fallen healer maiden, and starts dragging her out of the way, back towards Mirth. To Jylien, she sends sternly, ** If she's woken his magic we have to be careful. You're not a healer! If he keeps doing this before he can be healed, we'll have to wrapstuff him! ** Mirth sits up, shaking his head slightly, "Wha...?" Jylien shakes his head a little. ** I won't let him do it, ** he sends, earnestly. To Talek he directs, with a slow grin, ** Let me help, Talek? ** Talek barely notices Rillwhisper, or so it seems, as he gazes limpidly at Jylien. ** You'll help me? ** The sending is still strangely _weighted_, strangely compelling, but pleading all the same. Rillwhisper eyes Mirth, over Ynderra's slight form. ** Don't look at Talek, ** she sends, pointedly, firmly. ** Don't meet his eyes, cousin. ** With that, the chieftess lays Ynderra under a far tree, and inspects her critically, leaning over to send to her. Mirth blinks and nods slightly, ** What's wrong wit 'er? ** Ynderra's eyelids shiver a little, and a faint glow starts to play around her. Jylien nods again, and takes a step forward, that puts him a little closer to Talek. ** I promise, I'll help. And you'll help me. ** Talek stares at Jylien fascinatedly. ** Help me dream now, ** he sends, again with that heavy compulsion to his gaze, and threaded as well through his sending, thick and slow and sweet. ** You're going to help me dream now. ** Rillwhisper flicks a look at Mirth, judging his coherence, and sends tightly, so that Talek might not hear, ** Talek did it. His magic's waking up. Don't look at him! ** Seeing Ynderra stir, the chieftess nods approvingly, slapping the maiden's face lightly to help wake her. A moment of uncertainty, perhaps fear, escapes Jylien, and then, it fades, swallowed, as he nods again. ** Dream, Talek. We'll dream. ** He meets the pale elf's silver gaze, steadily. Mirth glances at Tylek's body, judging his distance and then gets up, not looking at Tylek. You locksend to Jylien, Talek's thoughts suddenly reach out to you, like a wave of honey flowing across your mind. ** Dream with... ** Rillwhisper crouches down to lift Ynderra up and carry her off to her mate, but as she goes, she sends one last time to Jylien, ** 'Ware. I'll be right back, with Kai and Moonlight! ** Rillwhisper examines Rillwhisper's necklace for a moment. Rillwhisper circles the Old Willow and heads into the clearing. Rillwhisper has left. Ynderra circles the Old Willow and heads into the clearing. Ynderra has left. Jylien nods once more, barely a hint of movement, as his expression relaxes into bemused curiosity, and he stands, looking at Talek, silently. [And with that, neither really knowing who leads whom, Jylien and Talek retire to Talek's den, while Rillwhisper goes off in search of Kai and Moonlight, to help her with Ynderra. End log.]