Awakening, Quickening

[Harmonious_Echos]

Harmony has been asleep for a long time...due to a spell perhaps, or the darkened air of room, or perhaps the mischief of her other-self gone awry. She isn't sure. What she is sure of, is what her senses now tell her. Something has changed.

But what?

She looks around her at the cobweb-cluttered walls, the crumbling stone, dark bits of moss growing along the damp floor, and lets out a little sigh. Her breath rustles through the air, and as her senses flitter in, she notices she's laying on her side, in a long, dark hole in the wall--a ledge, really, a few feet above the floor.

Glancing down, she sees she's covered in a soft blanket. It's made of russet velvet, a deep warm color, though nearly bare from moth-holes and nearly indistinguishable beneath the layer of dust.

She sniffs, and the scents of age and decay fill her nostrils. Ugh.

Carefully, (it occurs to her that her surroundings may warrant caution) she lifts a hand from the stone beneath her and raises it to push aside the soft covering. She slides first one, then both legs carefully from the hole, props herself up into a sitting position. Her head reels, but she knows from the cool air that whatever, or whoever, left her there left her clothing-less; she lifts the covering to bring it with her. Unfortunately, it crumbles when it is lifted. wiping her eyes, she thinks, Oh well, there's no one here anyway. Slowly, she slides out of the hole onto the floor, and stands, coated in dust, gazing around her.

I must have been here a long time, she notes; her previously shorn hair now falls once again to her feet, covering her like a shimmering cloak.

What is this strange place?

Long hallways stretch behind and before, and another to her left. All the same, they bear more long shelves, some with quietly resting figures, long since turned to bleached bone and ashen flesh. A soft absence of meaning hovers over them, as if they are somewhat unreal, or simply pieces of the décor.

A Bone-house? How curious.

The walls and floor, and the arched ceilings rising to a clear white round lamp at regular intervals, all seemed real enough though.

Might as well try one, she thinks. Nothing to be afraid of, yet.

Glancing back to the hole she came from, Harmony notices a tiny basket sitting on the floor before her shelf. Bending down, she lifts the lid.

A bright flash of golden light fills her face for a second, and when her eyes clear, she sees a light-wand & a long tunic of fine white linen. Naturally, she puts on the tunic, and hefts the (surprisingly heavy) light-wand...with fingers trembling in shock.

She has noticed one more thing, in the brief seconds it took to turn, bend, lift the lid, remove the tunic, and slide it on.

She's pregnant.

Very much so.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Harmonious_Echos

[Brighid of Byrness]

Love the title...and your vignette? If art imitates life, does life imitate art?

[The Portrait of Zool]

Indeed! I really REALLY hope this continues - I WANT to know what happens next!

[Harmonious_Echos]

"I'm sitting on the floor", Harmony thought. "Why am I sitting on the floor?"

Oh, right--she'd dropped the light-wand, tripped over a cobblestone, and narrowly missed cracking her head open on a low ledge on her way down.

Dizzily, she grasped the still-lit wand & heaved herself back up. Unaccustomed to her new weight, she swayed drunkenly & grasped the wall for support. Carefully, she leaned on it, and sat down on the ledge.

She thought a moment, then plucked a few strands of her hair & braided them deftly into a wreath. Stroking it, she whispered a three-strand spell--Sure-foot, light-weight, luck. She broke off the light-weight strand halfway & pulled out the other end to ensure she wouldn't be so light she would float over the ground. She carefully twisted it back on itself to deactivate it, & tucked it in a pocket for later. Never know when you might need to float, after all. The three-strand she wrapped around her neck and activated with a Minor Wyrding knot.

Steady on her feet now, she lifted the light-wand & continued down the corridor.

A cluster of fireflies floated at the next bend, making a light tinkling music as they flashed & flew.

"Muse!!" Harmony croaked, her voice rasping with disuse.

The firefly-cluster flashed brightly, twisted, and morphed into strand of tiny bells; they jingled in unison, and Harmony felt Muse's projected ether hug her. Then it drew back, and the fireflies reappeared, forming a flashing "?!"

"I know," Harmony said, "I'm pregnant. I'm still trying to figure out what happened...how I got here, where 'here' is, and how I wound up this way."

"I heard that before," buzzed Muse in Harmony's mind, laughter darkening her firefly-light to purple.

Harmony snorted and frowned in disagreement, but didn't argue. She'd learned arguing with Muse was exactly what Muse wanted, and it was never worth the effort. Muse would never be couth, or even sane--she was loyal and amusing, occasionally useful, and that was all. Being another side of Harmony's self didn't mean that Harmony didn't sometimes wish she could be free of Muse's more boorish tendencies.

Sensing the argument wasn't going to happen, Muse turned her fireflies black and began whining her annoyance.

Harmony shook her head, and waved down the hall. "come if you wish"

"Like I would miss this," Muse buzzed, "a pregnant lady wandering half-naked through a bone-house. The only thing that could top that, would be a dragon made of bacon!" The fireflies suddenly began making a hissing noise, and Harmony's nostrils twitched as the scent of bacon wafted by her face. Her mouth watered, and her stomach began to growl viciously.

Great, she thought, not just a pregnant lady wandering half-naked through a bone-house. A spell-supported pregnant lady, in an unknown location, with an ether-self that won't stop cracking crude jokes--and I'm hungry now, too. This is SO not funny.

Muse burst out laughing as she sensed Harmony's thought, but Harmony kept walking.

The floor in this part of the passage was still un-even, but in places it seemed almost to have a pattern to its shifting rise & fall of the cobbles; under the dust & black moss a few shone brightly-colored, too, a striking contrast to the walls & ceiling which were crumbling & grey.

Harmony shifted some of the grimy moss with her foot, and saw a gleaming red tile flash beneath, reflecting red sparks onto the wall.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Harmonious_Echos

[Harmonious_Echos]

Red sparks made Harmony think of Hell. They were beautiful, such a warm, tempting color, but so dangerous...red light, red magic, red, always the sign of danger.

'I wonder if this whole hall is red stone underneath the dust?' She wondered. Her hips still felt stiff and sore, even with the lightness enchantment, and each step was getting harder as she walked. Soon she'd have to find someplace to rest, find food, something. Muse, sniggering at her elbow at the mention of food (yes, she knew she looked fat) didn't help.

Still thinking, she shifted a foot onto one of the red tiles and pushed down. Just as she'd thought, a distant clicking noise began. Her sixth sense told her whatever made that noise, it wasn't good. But it sounded a long way off, and she was just too tired to keep moving. Too hungry. Too sore. Too confused.

she settled herself on the floor against the wall, put up a silence barrier between herself & Muse, and tried to think clearly.

A soon as she got in a sitting position, though, her belly became a problem. It jutted out in front of her like a linen-covered hill, forcing her to sit cross-legged and straight-backed, an extremely uncomfortable position. To top it off, the instant she sat down she felt the strangest sensation she'd ever felt before--the baby inside was moving around. Small but forceful kicks and thumps, making her whole body quiver. What do I DO, she wondered--I don't know anything about babies, or having babies! All I know is magic, and how to survive...

Suddenly she noticed Muse was making an awfully strong attempt to break the sound-barrier between them. Looking over When she say Harmony looking, she stopped and gestured down the dark tunnel they'd come down. Harmony dropped the sound-barrier and immediately noticed the clicking sound had grown significantly louder. A soft red glow rose from the red floor tiles beneath her feet. With a sigh, she heaved herself to her feet and set off again down the passage in the opposite direction, Muse bouncing along behind, harrying her with agitated squeaks.

Harmony's mind couldn't seem to grasp the situation; it kept wandering back to that mysterious rolling, kicking sensation. "Baby's awake" she thought, feeling it quiver again. What a strange, strange thing. She didn't even wonder how she got pregnant, really; it was enough to assume someone--or something--took advantage of her while she was presumed dead. Whoever it was, must be sick in the head, though. To sleep with a 'dead' elf girl, who looked like a human only 12 years old? That's like, gross. But she didn't feel angry, or even taken advantage of--just a sort of soft curiosity. She was still as much herself as she'd been before; only now, she had something more. Some ONE more, she guessed. A someone who wasn't Muse, who would have to accept her for her, for once. Not like all the other pure-blood elves or humans, who looked at her like a freak.

The rising noise level in the hall broke into her thoughts, finally, and she turned with her light-staff outstretched, to see a mechanical wonder roll around the corner behind. It was all metal, 'walked' forward by rolling on a wheel of small metal feet, each shifting forward by a turning ball of some sort that acted as a gravity-center. At the sides, it held a variety of blades, which sliced through the air with deceptive slowness, turning only a hair's breadth from the walls of the hall. There was no room to let it pass. Muse screeched and lept for the ceiling, and Harmony undid the constraint on her lightness-spell. Her body floated up toward the domed ceiling, and she snugged herself in alongside a crystal light, as close as she could get. The thing was tall, too, whatever it was. At least it didn't appear to be spelled, or intelligent at all. Only meant to shred whatever was unlucky enough to be in its path. It was slow, though, and she was getting a cramp from hanging sideways along the ceiling before it had moved on enough that she could let herself back down to the floor. She noticed something else, now, too--the mech, whatever it was, was also scraping the floors and walls clean of the decay and moss, leaving them shiny and bare. Maybe it was spelled, after all--she hadn't seen any bits of dirt or filth flying around, and it hadn't been pushing a mountain of decay in front of it. But the dirt must've been going somewhere. The newly cleaned floors weren't all red, either--there was a clearly marked path in green tile, straight down the middle. And up ahead, where a death-shelf lay, the green extended to the shelf before going back to the center of the hall. A sort of safety-path, perhaps? Or maybe the red tiles were a sort of dirt-cleaning trigger, that required something a little heavier than dust & black moss to trigger them.

Harmony lowered herself to the floor gently, and took a good look at the green tiles before setting her feet directly on them. Nope, no trap here.

A few feet further down the hall, another branch slid off to the right, as grimy as the her hall had been before. She noted the sheared-off look of the grime and dust, and saw that it was literally about 1/2 an inch thick in places, with another 1/2 inch to an inch of moss at the corners. She wondered if she should follow the cleaner path, or take this one & risk the cleaner coming past her again to scrape this path clean, too.

As she stood wondering, Muse did a backflip & landed as a white wolf, looking regal & majestic until you noticed it had wide purple eyes & a distinct lack of teeth.

It started forward into the muck of the dirty hall, then abruptly stopped & barked, twice. 'This way leads to a dead end', came the thought.

'A dead end, with what looks like a door, hidden under a decoration on that side'. Muse pointed with her long white nose.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Harmonious_Echos

[Sweetcherrie]

Don't stop posting now. I want to know what happened to the pregnant lady

 

This reminds me of some Tanith Lee books btw, the style of writing and the feel it creates.

[The Portrait of Zool]

SC! Welcome!

[Peredhil]

*hugs Harmony politely*

My! This is good. I'm glad I dropped by.

[Harmonious_Echos]

Harmony stood wondering what to do next; but the lure of a door was too much to resist. She stood for several minutes, listening to the sound of the retreating mech, before following Muse's nose down the dimly lit, grimy hallway. Carefully, she stayed to the center of the hall. The dust and muck once again obscured the tiles, but she assumed the green path would follow same as the previous hall. Reaching the dead end, Harmony saw that the decoration, as Muse had called it, was nothing more than a tattered tapestry of green leaves, obviously hand-sewn, obviously old. The edges crumbled when Muse bounded up and sniffed at it. Harmony waved her aside, impatient to see what lay behind it. At that moment, Harmony was struck by a singularly curious sensation; an almost falling, dizzying rolling sensation, followed by a shock of extraordinary pain. She gasped as her muscles tightened against her will, and her body lurched against the tapestry, sliding down to rest on the wall. Muse flashed into a small Fire-sprite, hovering next to her with a worried expression: she could feel the pain, too, but couldn't understand it. This was no magic, no wound. The moment passed, and the sensation eased.  Looking down at herself, at her body, Harmony realized that her stomach muscles were tight as steel bands, and beneath that, it felt like her body was curled in on itself. A few minutes more, and Harmony was able to hoist herself back to her feet. Heavily, she reached up to brush away the hanging tapestry. It fell to the floor in rags; behind it, a heavy metal door frame was filled with a hard, solid wooden door. One single hole at the top of the frame blazed with light, warm and golden; sunlight! Harmony's eyes filled with sudden tears. A door to the outside!! 

 

[TLDunn213]

Wow.

And I thought I took long breaks in my writing. 😁

Hope you are able to keep going on this for a while. I want to know how this turns out.

 

 

[Harmonious_Echos]

The light broke over Harmony's face like a warm caress...she had not realized how deeply she missed the sun. Maybe it was the length of her stay under ground? Maybe it was the circumstances of her burial, which were still a fog? Maybe it was Muse, who lept at the crack of light and swarmed through it, leaving her alone, for once...seconds later, a quick 'tapping' rang out as the edges of the door burst inward, some invisible seal breaking, and loosing gusts of dust which spurted at Harmony's face. Slowly she reached out and grasped the handle, a simple curve of metal set in the heavy wood. "PUSH, Muse!" she thought, and pulled, leaning back, using her newfound weight. Slowly the door swung inward, til it stood open, and Harmony tumbled forward through it, laughing and gasping. She shaded her eyes as they adjusted to the bright golden light. Muse was skipping around in miniature fawn form, head-butting tree trunks...tree trunks! And grass! A blue sky opened its soaring chasm above her, and the sunlight sparked and glittered off dew-drops on a long, sloping hillside which spread on two sides. Between the hills, almost directly in front of her, Harmony saw a dimple of a valley, with a tiny brown creek winding down the center. It found its beginnings at the side of the rock-wall face through which she herself had just passed. Harmony left Muse to her rejoicing and studied the wall. It wasn't that high--only a few feet of wall appeared above the door, before disappearing under a thick cover of ivy, and then more grassy hillside, which rose above that. Further up, Harmony saw craggy slopes and snow-capped cliffs. It appeared the entire burial maze was beneath a mountain. No wonder it had been dark...and oddly magical. Harmony started for a moment at the stream, rippling merrily out of a hole in the solid rock beside the door; where did the water come from? There had been no trace of water within, only a moldering dampness. Yet here it was. 
Muse stopped head-butting trees and chose to jump in the water instead, splashing drops everywhere, bending down to scoop handfuls and fling them; laughing squeakily, she came up with a fish and hurled it at Harmony. Harmony pinned it on the grass with her foot, and grabbling a few sticks, she clicked her fingers to start a fire. It would be nice to eat something real. 

[Harmonious_Echos]

Muse chuckled and flung sparks in the fire, digging through the hot campfire coals like a sooty, purple-eyed chipmunk. The sun was beginning to set before Harmony was able to clean and cook the fish; it made a mess, but she was so hungry she didn't mind the smell or the sticky feel it left on her fingers. What she minded was the fact that it was getting dark, and she was alone with Muse, on an open hillside, and the waves of pain were getting stronger. They came and went more slowly than before, but now they lasted longer, too. The last one had left Harmony shuddering, leaning against a tree trunk for support. She'd nearly fallen into the creek while trying to get herself a drink; she was so top-heavy that she couldn't balance, even when she lowered herself to her hands and knees. It felt so strange to her, that her body was like this. It almost didn't feel real. She watched Muse in a daze, hunger finally sated, and felt weariness threatening to overtake her. Muse, she thought, Make sure nothing bothers us while I sleep, ok? 
Muse sat up in the middle of the fire and gave a tiny salute. Harmony knew she'd watch over her...she really didn't even need to ask. It just felt polite to. After all, Muse was almost like a person... A very odd, small, constantly shapeshifting person....

Harmony's eyes fluttered closed, and she slept, lulled by the soft snapping of the campfire and the overbearing weariness of her long day. Slept, and dreamed.... 
....a pale blue light...a pale presence, colorless, and somehow, movement that was stillness in itself. A sharp gasp, but not her own... a sensation, and a wetness... of being pushed, bodily...pushed into, by another body, over and over... 
yet Harmony felt calm, detached...cold, and free from fear. Her skin felt sticky and loose, and she couldn't move. A part of her mind wondered, am I dead? 
And still the pushing continued...then, a suddenly as it started, the sensation withdrew; as did the light, fading palely away, leaving nothing but a deep greyness.
Suddenly there were bright lights, blasts of rainbow color, popping, soundless explosions in front of her face, in every shade and color...and a feeling of being shocked, unbearable. Burning, burning, hot hot HOT, ah, OUCH! 

Harmony woke with a gasp. The pain had returned, taking her breath, making her hiss with the force and depth of it. The curling sensation was replaced now with a rippling, rolling like a wave of boiling lava, pouring over her from head to toes, over, and over. 
She couldn't breathe. I'm dying! she thought. Muse's thought reached her like a breath of cool air, sucking away a bit of the pain. You're having a baby. Harmony suddenly felt nauseated, and in an extreme effort, rolled herself on her side. The scent of grass and earth wafted up at her and she realized, this must be what every mother goes through at some point... feeling helpless, knowing the pain has completely taken control. She shuddered and gasped, then forced herself to think only about taking another breath, releasing her mind from her body, giving up control. That's it, Muse's thought came softly, Just let it go. Your body knows what to do. 
I CAN'T! Harmony screamed in her mind, It's tearing me apart! The ripples of heat and pain became a sensation of pressure, a grinding, deep in her hips, making her spread her legs involuntarily. 
The pressure became an object, a smooth, roundness, and Harmony felt with her shaking fingertips the heat of her own blood, smelled the sourness of her body, and the overwhelming urge to be free of the object causing her so much pain, to force it out of herself. Gathering as deep a breath as she could muster, she wrapped her arms around herself and leaned into it, pushing outward and down, as hard as she could bear....
And the pressure released. The object slid forward with the force of her push, slid out between her legs, pale and bloody and wrinkled. For a split second Harmony thought it was her own guts, then realized it was a baby. Of course it was. The tiny thing startled at the cool grass on its skin and shuddered, gasping. Muse, now in the form of a white rabbit, crept forward and nudged it with a soft nose. welcome to the world, little one, Harmony heard. 
She forced herself to breathe out, her previous breath trapped in lungs accustomed to a heavier weight holding them down... Blowing out, she felt a relief as the pain ebbed and nearly vanished, and a different wave crashed over her; emotions, all at once, in a thundering herd of anger, joy, fear, relief, and a new sensation--care. She reached forward and lifted the slippery, sticky baby, who opened dark eyes, softly blinking at her. She wrapped it in the front of her tunic, the loose fabric allowing plenty of room for them both. She was glad that she'd fallen asleep without thinking; if she had known the tunic was bunched up around her waist during her sleep, she'd have pulled it down to cover herself, and it would have been soiled when she gave birth... She lifted herself awkwardly, shoving them both up and back, away from the debris and blood on the ground where she had laid. Then carefully, she sat up. A gurgling sound came from her and she quickly lifted the tunic away, as a rush of blood--and the placenta, with the baby's cord--came blobbing out, gleaming redly in the firelight. Harmony sighed. Giving birth was such a messy business. She knew she had to take care of it immediately, though, because the scent of birth would draw all sorts of things... So she rolled over to her knees, then carefully lifted herself and the baby. She reached out to Muse, who immediately lept into her hand as a gleaming bone knife. Harmony smiled and quickly, before she could think about it too much, she looped the baby's cord around her fingers and pulled the knife's edge through. Then, freed, she stood and kicked dirt over the mess, and cradled the baby in her arms for a better look. 
Look, Muse, she thought, It's a boy. 
   

[Snypiuer]

Somewhere in the Keep of the Pen is Mightier than the Sword, Snypiuer is sweeping a long unused hallway when a shaft of light shines through a window and across his path, as if a cloud that had been hiding the sun had been, suddenly, whisked away. Intrigued, he takes a closer look and realizes that the light appears brighter, clearer . . . crisper than any light has the right to be - so much so, even the dust motes seemed fascinated by it, dancing around it, scrutinizing it from every angle and when finally brave enough to venture into it, sparkled with a mystical inner light as they hectically . . . joyfully, spun within its domain.

It was at that moment, as Snypiuer marveled at the sight before him, the faintest, almost too distant sound caught his attention. He tilted his head a bit, "Curious" he thought. He could swear it was the sound of crystal chimes on the gentlest of breezes.

The air around Snypiuer crackled with a brilliant energy as he sent out a small blessing of good will to the cosmos when he realized the significance of what he was witnessing. He then continued on with his sweeping, softly humming as a smile began to play upon his lips and he giggled, wondering to himself where and what, exactly, the miracle was that just happened.

*********

HARMONY! MUSE! AAAHHHHH!

life is good again.

It's ALWAYS wonderful to see you stop by.

[Harmonious_Echos]

**(Harmony acknowledges Snypiuer with a cheeky, tired grin) It's been too long. Yes. I finally reached a point where I was able to put pen to page again (digitally) and find my voice. And I put my poems into print, too... but that's another story... Now, back to this one! 

 

[Harmonious_Echos]

Harmony's legs began to shudder almost immediately at the strain of standing up, and black dots danced before her eyes as her blood pressure dipped sharply. She sank back against the tree trunk for several moments, struggling to hold onto the baby. Trying to distract herself, she studied him in the dim light. He had a fuzz of pale hair, large, almond-shaped blue-black eyes....ten fingers, ten toes... so tiny and fragile. His fingers wrapped around her thumb and tugged it towards his mouth, and he blinked at her sleepily. Muse bumped her rabbit's head against her leg. "what should we call him?" she asked. Harmony stared at her, at the white fur scuffed with Harmony's blood, black against the fire-light which turned the white fur flame-colored. A name rose unbidden to her lips, as if it had been waiting all along. 
"Kyirtana....yes. I'll call him Kyirtana. Kyir for short."  
Muse rolled over, transforming into a milk-white snake, and shed her skin, leaving the blood and waste on it; the "skin" shimmered and then vanished. Muse stood, then, for once taking the form of another human being, a milk-white mirror image of Harmony herself. She reached out carefully for the baby, offering a tiny white blanket. Harmony smiled, exhausted, and handed Kyir to Muse. Carefully, then, she lifted off the tunic, lowered herself to the ground beside the stream, and washed herself, as best she could. The water was cold, but not icy. She watched as it turned red, and scrubbed off any blood that had dried onto her. There would be more, she knew, but this would help. Then she remembered the wand; was it still beside the fire? She glanced at Muse; Muse had turned 1 hand into a wash cloth & was carefuly bathing Kyir's face; Kyir was studying hers as if memorizing it. He still had not made a sound. Harmony knew that was odd, for an infant, but right now she was only grateful. Too many things responded to an infant's cry, on a dark night, and she was not prepared to fight after such an ordeal. 

The wand lay in the grass beside the fire, and Harmony found it after a few moments of careful searching. Lifting it, she reached into her reserves. She didn't have a lot to spend, just now... but the mountain and the forest were replenishing her, even now. A good night's sleep would have her magic at full strength again. She ran the wand across her skin, and tapped the tunic; it vanished, and another garment appeared, similar, but clean--and longer, narrower. This one Harmony slid on, and tied at the waist, forming a simple dress with an attached cloak. Muse's purple eyes looked reproachfully at her as she took Kyir back, but she said nothing except "keep him warm.."  Muse herself became a massive white bear, and laid down facing the forest, back to the fire. Harmony and Kyir snuggled in on the fire-side of Muse, and soon fell asleep. It had been a long night. 
 

[Harmonious_Echos]

It was a cold and restless night for Harmony, even with the exhaustion, Muse's warmth, and the forest's goodwill seeping into her bones. The crackling fire seemed to whisper into the darkness, and the small, hot form of Kyir on her chest made her painfully aware of how vulnerable they were... a few hours after her first sleep, she work with a moan, flinging off the weight of a horrible nightmare about ghouls coming out of the grave-cavern and tearing them apart. After that her eyes would not close so easily. The bleeding had stopped, thankfully, and she found herself in need of relieving herself. She wrapped Kyir tightly in her cloak and managed to squat awkwardly behind a bush while hanging onto the babe with one arm and a tree branch with the other... not the most comfortable of positions, but it worked, and she hadn't soiled herself. She heaved her still-heavy body back up to standing and kicked some forest trash over it, then wobbled back to the fire. Muse was already there, a white were-cat with purple eyes, staring at the fire. When Harmony approached, she glanced up and sniffed a sigh. "what do we do now?" 

Harmony shook her head. "I don't know...Kyir needs real clothes, and shelter. We need a place for him. A village, or something." 

Muse stood up cat-like, stretching out to nearly three times her seated length, then arching her back, and then finally standing. She turned her gaze eastward, where a glimmer of sun could be seen staining the sky pink and gold. "A village is there."

Harmony looked; a faint black outline of mountain, trees, and other shapes--man-made shapes--stood black against the far horizon. "That's a least a day's travel by horseback, Muse... We can't walk that!" 

Muse grinned a cat's grin "have you forgotten ME so soon?" She lept into the air, and came down a white war-horse with a beautiful, flowing mane and tail. Harmony smiled in admiration and appreciation. "I guess I did forget. That's a nice one, you should use it more often!" Then lifting her wand, Harmony flicked water from the creek onto the campfire until it was out, and even the ashes flowed away into the grass. Muse laid down to let her mount, and soon was cantering tirelessly across the ground, hooves missing rocks and branches in a way that would never be possible without magic... 
Trail-less terrain that would've taken a normal horse a day, or even two, took Harmony and Muse less than a day to cross. Soon the shapes that were seen by early morning's light became wooden buildings, rugged but sturdy, a group of about 10 in all, surrounded by a high stone wall and a guarded gate. On the far side of the wall, it thickened and stretched upwards into a small stone castle, simple and sturdy like the houses below. From the mountain-side, Harmony could see directly into the town itself. Dogs barked and chickens pecked on the ground; a few fruit trees grew beside houses, and small gardens dotted the spaces between. On the gate-side, the wall opened up to a wider space where a few market stands stood, and on a raised platform a bard in a wild costume waved his arms and some kind of instrument, telling news of other lands for a mixed group of children and adults. Beyond the market-space, a second lower wall separated the castle from the town & protected a large, low building where a furnace was obviously burning, from the large smoke-stack that was billowing smoke.  
Harmony smiled. The place reminded her of a great stone mother hen, hovering over her chicks. It felt warm and quiet and safe, and Harmony ached with the hope that she could find a place there. She knew it might be too much to ask. 

 

Edited November 8, 2023 by Harmonious_Echos

[Harmonious_Echos]

Muse was nearing the gates, now. They weren't gates really, more of an open arch guarded by four tired-looking, middle aged men with rusty polearms... no armor, not in this heat. Just dusty linen tunics and loose pants, stained brown from sweat & long wear. The length was too long on one; another's tunic pulled tight across his chest, slightly bunched at the armpits & hanging down at a comic angle. Hamony smiled. There was nothing threatening about this lot! Still, it was better to be cautious. One never knew what sort of traditions these villagers were accustomed to, or what their rules were about outsiders.
Muse shook her mane. "Harmony. I have a feeling it's better if I don't transform here. What should I 'be' while we are here?" Harmony thought for a moment. "A cat would probably be good, but if I needed you to do things for me, it could raise questions... Can you do a normal-looking person?" 

"what is normal to you?" 

"Ah. Well, something similar to these people... or to me? But not an exact copy. A human or an elf, maybe, with skin the same as mine, and hair close to the same color?" 
Muse seemed to consider. Slowing to a halt, she knelt to allow Harmony to get off, and then trotted behind some nearby boulders for a moment. When she emerged, she was a small girl-child, an elf. She stood shoulder-height to Harmony, with pale, luminescent skin, long white hair, and Muse's classic purple eyes. Harmony grinned. "Do you ever get tired of white and purple?" Muse returned the look. "Well, no, but I CAN do other colors..." she snapped her fingers and her hair darkened a few shades, to a soft dusty blonde. 
Harmony gaped at her. "Muse, you can TALK!" 
"well, yes, when I need to. I prefer the rift-speech, mind to mind... but I can pretend?" Muse blinked her deep purple eyes, which faded to a soft lavender hue.  "And I can't very well rift-speak to the villagers without raising questions about who we are..." 
Harmony nodded. "Yes, I'd rater not explain, since I don't even understand it all myself. If I can't, who could?" Muse snapped her fingers and clothed herself in a long linen tunic, like the guard's, but without ornamentation. "Needs something..." she looked around, then grasped some dry grass and twisted it. A rope belt & pair of simple sandals appeared, which she clumsily put on. Hamony giggled, hugging Kyir who had been quiet for the whole ride, asleep. Now he stirred with sleepy squeaks, and nuzzled at Harmony. 

"Muse, I think we might need to wait a bit before going in--Kyir needs to eat." Muse smiled a tiny bit too-toothily and glanced meaningfully at the guards at the gate. "If he's hungry, it's a good excuse to let us in, right?" 
"I suppose..." 
They approached the arch, sticking to the trail that emerged from the grass to wind up through the gate. Beside the trail, farm fields could be seen; some type of cluster shaped grain, and a small, deep red fruit, ones Harmony wasn't familiar with. A mouth-watering smell wafter from them, and Muse frowned. "Why does my body ache from the smell? It is pleasant, but it makes me hurt." 
"that's hunger, Muse. You aren't used to it, but in this form you must need to eat." 

Muse sighed. "And I suppose it would be bad form to eat those fruits...." 
Harmony smiled again. "Yes, at least until someone who works in the fields offers us some. They don't belong to us." 
As they approached the gate, the largest of the men snapped to attention and said "Halt!" Muse & Harmony stopped, waiting. The man sputtered a bit, as if he had expected them to pressure him, and had forgotten what to say if they complied. 
Harmony smiled at the man, and he blinked, then stared. "ER, excuse me, my lady. What brings you to Grebefal? There isn't much for a fine lady, to be found here..." 

One of his fellows approached him at this, a taller, younger man with a thin black beard & hair, studying them closely. "Vern, she's not a lady, look at her. What lady travels barefoot with nowt but a single servant and a mewling babe?" He frowned. "Where have you come from? You can't have come far, with those companions." He turned back to Vern. "we should take them to the castle, to see the --" He broke off as Kyir suddenly let out a hungry wail, flailing his tiny fists in the air. "Um. I mean, probably they need the inn..." Harmony nodded. "Yes, please. And is there a resident healer here? Or a mage?" The young man shook his head. "naw, Grebefal is too remote for such luxuries. We heal ourselves, mostly. There's Granny Jak, who does births and deaths. That's all." 
"May I see her, then?" He nodded, motioning them through the gate. "Yep. Second house on the north side. The one with the grey spiked roof 'n the raven on the chimney".

Muse and Harmony walked through, looking around. Muse looked back at the guards and grinned at the dark-haired man. "What's your name?" He looked unnerved, but smiled back. "Neil Jaksson. Granny Jak's my Grandma. We're all related here, one way or another." 
Vern nodded, leaning against the wall "Yeah. I'm married to his sister 'n he's-" -here he motioned to the other two guardsmen- "-my sister's man, and our other brother. Kade and Hasren. We're here most days. Lord's orders." 
Harmony lifted the now-wailing Kyir to her shoulder. "Harmony and Muse, and this is Kyir. My thanks for the directions. I should go now, Kyir needs his meal and I am in need of a rest." 
The guards nodded and Muse cheerfully waved as they crossed the market-space and down the path, towards the first house. 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Harmonious_Echos

[Harmonious_Echos]

Up close, the dusty paths and small gardens were much, much larger. The houses, too. Harmony gazed around at the structures, wondering; second, third, and even fourth stories loomed awkwardly above them, looking very, very old. The massive foundation timbers were cut and sunk into solid rock, with a precision that hinted at a high level of engineering expertise, and tools that these people definitely didn't have. The walls greyed with age, and with sun--but no decay. Vines climbed over them, and the fruit trees wrapped hug limbs around the sides. These were houses for not just a family. "you could house a whole village in one of these!" Muse murmured, and Harmony agreed. The "spiked roof" house was the only house that showed some wear and tear; black sooty streaks down one side and a newer-looking roof, of thatch, not slate like the rest. It, too, was grey with age, but seemed not to have any other form of decay. The straw thatch stood up in a spiky edge, along the ridge. At one corner a clay chimney-pot rose through the thatch, and at the top of it, a large black bird sat, eyeing them. It croaked loudly and dived, and Muse stared as it seemed to vanish, diving down the chimney into the house. "How odd.." 

 Harmony tapped on the heavy wooden door. A small window above it popped open with surprising quickness, and a tiny, withered face peered out. "What you want?" 
Harmony, taken aback, stared with mouth open; Muse grinned her wide grin and answered in her stead. "Are you Granny Jak? We've come with a new babe and a mother who needs a healer. We've come a long way, from over the mountain. Have you any heal spells or potions?" 
Granny Jak, for it was she, frowned. "Naw. I have herbs and poultices. And nawt for a babe. But for you-" (here she eye Harmony suspiciously) "For you I've briar tea, to help the milk come in, if you like. But you're in fine fettle; anyone can see that. Dunno why you'd call on an old lady and waste her time for nothing" 
The window slammed, and the door jerked open. The old woman stood staring up at them from Harmony's waist level, and Muse stifled a giggle; Harmony glared at her, because she heard full well the roars of laughter in her mind.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHa......she's so short! And she looks like a bog-troll! I can't HELP it!" 
Granny eyed Muse sharply, and grasped Harmony by the hand, pulling her through the door. "come on. You need to let that babe suckle so's he can stop his whining. There's a seat in the kitchen. I'll fetch the tea." 
Harmony gratefully followed Granny Jak into the kitchen, and almost fell to her knees at the smell of fresh bread and savory stewed meat. Granny snorted and pushed her into a high-backed chair. 
"sit. Feed the babe. I'll get you and your little maidling something to eat and drink. Then I want to hear more about how you came here. You can pay me with your tale."
 

[Harmonious_Echos]

This story has really taken on a sort of "life of its own" I think... With Harmony becoming more and more her own character, and Muse as well, and adding in new characters.... and I'm wondering if I should continue to write it here, or take it and try to produce it, in a more formal sense.

Opinions? 
It's definitely in need of a lot of polish and fleshing out, and it might take me another 10 years to complete, since (as we know) I take long breaks. Long, long breaks. But it's been really nice to write it here and see it grow into more than just a silly whim-post about myself (Yes, I actually WAS pregnant when I started this story). My army of small, semi-rabid monkeys has grown to 5 since the time I started this tale. Muse, however, abandoned me until very recently when I finally published that book. Now she's back, and much more solid than before, with helpful hints and a toothy grin.... but I digress. Either way I'll probably continue writing bits here from time to time, since I like it here. It's quiet and smells of old libraries and squirrels. 
 

[Snypiuer]

WOW!!! I've been reading this for 10 years, I didn't even realize it's been this long!

WAIT . . . Harmony has a kid EVERY OTHER YEAR!

Quick, when was the last one!?

Oh yeah, DEFINITELY do more with this, perhaps a novella or short story for an anthology if not a full-blown book. We're ALWAYS here to be a sounding board for you or anyone else who needs us.

[Harmonious_Echos]

🤣 Yes, it has been every other year, how weird is that?! I feel old now... 
*cough* ANYWAY 
It was pretty odd, coming back and seeing "five years later".... and "three years later"... etc, on my posts. Embarrassing. But Muse and Harmony are very much still alive & kicking, so I'll keep going!

 

[Harmonious_Echos]

Harmony glanced at Muse, who was busying herself with a hard roll from the basket Granny had passed to her. They were now seated at the table; Kyir was snoozing peacefully in a reed basket, covered in some odd white and brown downy material, which Granny had called "Waterwort fur". Harmony hadn't known where to start on thier story to Granny; so she had started with the simplest version she could. "We are from a country called Joei, and I don't know how we got here...I'm a mage, where we come from. I was asleep, and then awoke and found myself pregnant and alone in a cave in the mountains with Muse. We found our way out and I had the baby outside on the mountain. We just want a place to stay and we don't mean anyone any harm. Could I find work in Grebefal? Do you need a mage here?" 
Granny looked Harmony up and down, as if she was assessing a horse or a cow. "Well, we've no Mage here, but I dinna what we've need of one fer. Unless someone gits in some fearsome way. We coulda used ya a few years back when ma house caught afire. Ma sweet Bertie passed after that fire." Granny's eyes softened and she turned away for a moment. Then she coughed and cleared her throat. "Ye, well, I reckon it'd be right fine to have a mage in Grebefal for a time, if ye'r fixin to stay. But y'll have ta see the Lord and git ye an order and a room claim so's you can set up shop. I kin take ye there in the mornin'. For now I'll take ye ower to the inn." 

Harmony nodded. "Thank you, Granny Jak. That would be much appreciated." Harmony rummaged a moment in the folds of her cloak and pulled out the wand. "Might I offer you some payment for your help? Is there something I might help you with?" 

Granny eyed the wand. "Mayhaps. Kin ye fix that old shutter-strap on the high window there? I'm a mite too short to reach 't, an I like bein' able to close it after I look out." 
Harmony raised the wand and focused. The leather strap wriggled, stretched, looped itself over and tied to the window-handle, then around the large nail above; then grew down, down, down to coil on the floor, a leather rope now, instead of just a broken strap. Granny eyed it, as if expecting it to leap at her like a snake. "that's mighty strange, but ye did fit 't. That's a good work ye do. Ye'll be in high demand with a skill like that." 
Harmony sighed. It had been such a long day, and hse was still feeling the effects of blood loss, the long hard ride, and now magical drain as well. "If there's anything else, Granny, I'd be glad to help. But I will need some time to renew the power I used. It isn't unlimited." Granny nodded "Ye, makes sense, that does. Well, let's go git ye and yer bunch a bed." 

She hopped up from her place and shooed them outside with surprising quickness. "Ower there. The big yellow house. That's our inn. It's closest t' Market and has more floors that t' rest. Hope you've coin though, or Aga'te will have ye sweepin up and muckin out for yer bed." 

Harmony nodded. She was too tired to explain that she could easily magic up money, if needed, besides which it probably wasn't a good idea to let too many people know she had such powers. So far, the people of Grebefal had been pleasant enough, but unlimited funds could, and often would, ruin anyone. 

[Harmonious_Echos]

Aga'te--or Agatha, as she introduced herself, in a refined tone--was a tall, strong-looking woman with an air of genteel nobility, in spite of her plain linen shift and bare feet. She opened the half-door and stood aside to let them in, and Harmony nearly tumbled headfirst into the straw flooring. She was totally and completely exhausted. Agate took one look at the coin she offered and stretched out a steadying hand to Harmony. "Upstairs are our finest beds, my Lady, but the climb is steep and you appear to be weary. Would you allow me to offer you a bed by the fire for now?" Harmony nodded and pressed the coin in her hand, too tired to do more than cling to Kyir in his basket and sink onto a nearby bench. Her eyes swam and Muse held onto her arm, concerned. "Harm...ony? Are you all right? Let me take Kyir. I'll feed him if he wakes. You need sleep!" .....
Her voice separated into several voices, and her figure multiplied, sounding and looking like an odd bunch of mirror Muses...then faded as Harmony's hearing blurred and her vision faded to black.....safe and warm, fears eased, and baby attended to, she slumped forward into a fainting sleep. 
~~~~~
A huge, pale wave rose high before her eyes... higher and higher until it crashed down on her, covering her with a fine white powder which ran and dripped like a liquid.

The sky was dark, and full of blazing stars, unfamiliar stars... and beyond the wave, a thick blackness rose, soft as fur and black as the antithesis of all light. 

From within it, near the top, two of the stars in the sky now moved, gleamed, blinked, and became eyes, focused intensely on her...

She felt a deep distrust, but no animosity or anger, emanating from those eyes. She felt an odd longing, and a powerful curiosity to see what creature owned those eyes... that soft, luxurious blackness... the ruler somehow, of this scene of burning stars, hard, blue night, and this moonless, dusty, bone-white landscape.... 

Suddenly Muse stood beside her, in her elf-like form, carrying something that looked like a weapon in her hand. She seemed to recognize this creature and flung the weapon at it, which flew from her hand in a stream of silver light. 

Harmony felt a sharp pain in her own chest as the weapon struck the creature. 

Light from the weapon spread through the creature like flash-flame, burning upwards and outwards, leaving a hole, a nothing, a soundless and scentless erasure of existance, burning,

burning,

burning.... 

BURNING 

Harmony smelled fire, and something else. She opened her eyes and felt a sharp stinging pain; she slapped at it and the pain eased. She was on a cot beside the hearthfire, and an ember from the fire had landed on her throat and had been burning her. 
Looking around, she saw Muse staring at her oddly, rocking in a chair a few paces away, holding Kyir who was happily suckling on her thumb. Did you see that? Harmony thought at her, picturing the dream-scape she'd seen. Muse nodded. Yes, I was beside you, came the reply. I don't know what that was, but it didn't want you.

It wanted Kyir. It was pulling you closer, and you were pulling Kyir closer.... I felt its hunger and struck to drive it off, but I think I may have killed it.
Harmony sighed. Just what she needed... another mystery. 
She closed her eyes. I'm going back to sleep, she thought.

Mused grinned. You do that. 

[Harmonious_Echos]

A sharp, cold sunshine fell across the dusty hearth when Harmony awoke. The fire had been allowed to die down to a few glowing coals, hidden deep in white ash; the morning air smelled of wood smoke and sheep and herbs, and a rusty tang of iron, from the forges. A small, thin boy sat by the door, a wooden bowl in hand, staring at Harmony with dark, deep-set eyes. Muse and Kyir were nowhere to be seen. Harmony reached out a mental thread; there they were, outside, with Agatha in the garden. Harmony felt the breeze caress Muse's fine hair. She drew back and sat up, feeling hungry and confident; she felt they had a good chance of staying here, in Grebefal, until she could figure out how to rebuild the link which had transported them both here. World-bridges were complex, but also simple; a mere thought while sleeping or a dream could have brought them here, although Harmony couldn't guess what had caused her to stay--or be buried in the crypt, pregnant... so many questions; it was high time she found some answers. 
Agatha entered the room like a soft summer thunderstorm, carrying 5 baskets at once, as if the weighed nothing at all, and began busily putting away various herbs and foodstuffs into basket-drawers, crocks, and jars on the far wall of the room. While she did that, Muse handed Kyir to Harmony; he nuzzled at her, and she gave him his breakfast, grinning at the soft greedy grunts and wriggles he made. Such a soft, funny thing he is....and so sweet, in a baby way. Harmony felt a little pang of anger and hurt at the thought of waking up pregnant, not knowing why or how, but she snatched the thought and pushed it deep down. This little one didn't deserve such feelings. It's not his fault, and he's mine. I won't let anyone hurt you, she thought. Even if I was hurt by someone, to get you.  
Muse nodded in agreement from across the room, behind Agatha's back. He's innocent, there's not a single bad bone in that child's body. Some strange magic, to be sure--but no darkness. 

Agatha, finished with her chore, turned and smiled at Harmony. "Up now, are you? I would guess you will be wanting some breakfast before you go to the Lord's court. Help yourself to food; there's bread on the table in the dining room, and fruit. When ye come back there'll be stew and mash, if you're hungry then. You've paid me finely and I don't mind sharing our provisions, since ye seem to be needing it." 
Harmony smiled "My thanks, Agatha. I will, I'm a mite hungry right now. Do you know if there are rules I should remember about approaching the Lord? I have heard only that Grebefal is ruled by this Lord, I don't even know a name... Lord what?" 

Agatha nodded and grimaced slightly, her gentle face showing her consternation. "The Lord prefers his anonymity–it’s likely you won't even see him. His name is Lord Grebe, he has requested we all just call him “Lord”. Everything in Grebefal is handled by his two staff, the Lord's Hands, Master Jer, the butler, and the head housekeeper, Madam Fyn. There's only two castle maids and they handle everything else. The only one who sees the Lord besides those, is Neil Jaksson, the guard captain. He gets his orders and makes a report to the Lord once a week." 
Harmony remembered the tall, thin, dark-hared man from the gate, with his sharp features and suspicious gaze. He didn't seem the type to give out any information, to be sure. Harmony guessed she would have to speak with the butler. Muse fetched her a hunk of bread and a soft, round reddish-yellow fruit with a creamy taste; Kyir finished nursing, and Harmony changed the soiled the downy-fluff liner of the diaper he had been packed into. Silently, she blessed Granny Jak for giving her an ample supply of the stuff. Muse carried it outside to the compost, with a wrinkled nose.
Harmony recruited Agatha’s help to teach Harmony to pin a new diaper on; it took Harmony a few tries, and her diapering skills were nowhere near Granny’s level of expertise, but she got it to work, finally. Not without a few finger-pokes, which she healed surreptitiously. Then she wrapped Kyir in a section of her cloak again, and then Muse rolled up and put all of their new clothing and other various belongings into a wide fabric bag Agatha provided. 

Next, Agatha showed them the way to a room on the upper floor; this room was large and clean, with white-washed walls and a high ceiling, and had two large, many-paned glass windows which stood open to the sun. Each had a heavy curtain of tan fabric, pulled off to one side. Two heavy wooden beds with thick mattresses, pillows, and coverlets, stood against the walls; beside one, a large woven basket had been set up as a baby-bed. A small wooden desk sat between the beds along the far wall, with a candelabra, mirror, and stationary-box arranged on top. In the center of the room, a small table and two chairs sat, decorated with a vase of small flowers, looking festive and sweet. A large woven rug covered the cold floorboards, and behind a privacy-screen sat a large, low wooden tub, meant for bathing in, along with a stack of towels, and buckets for hot water. At the foot of each bed stood a small chest, made for clothes storage. Harmony took it all in with a sense of deep gratitude, and a little pang of chagrin; Agatha clearly didn’t know how simple and easy summoning those gold coins had been, for Harmony. She had worked hard to make the place lovely, and had made sure the room had everything they would need to support them, all in one place. 

Agatha gave them a nod and left them, and Muse helped Harmony unroll the clothing out on the beds. There were long fabric leggings and new shoes for each of them, made of some sort of brushed suede. For Harmony, there was a short, light outdoor work dress, a long, deep-brown formal dress with a corset and petticoats, and a night-dress. For Muse, there was a nightdress and a sturdy, un-ornamented everyday dress. A carryall and wide leather belt for Muse; a large, soft shawl and wide brimmed hat for Harmony. And for Kyir, a long, soft shirt with a drawstring to close it at the feet; a soft blanket, and a tall stack of diapers and fine silver pins. Harmony carefully dressed Kyir in the shirt and swaddled him in the blanket, then helped sort and fold the clothing, and laid their outfits out on the beds while Muse carried buckets of water up to the tub. First Harmony, and then Muse, had a quick, cold-water wash; then, cleaned, fed, and dressed in their fine new clothing, they started out for the castle. 
 

Edited January 26 by Harmonious_Echos

[Harmonious_Echos]

Small red and brown birds fluttered in the branches of the massive fruit tree which stood beside the inn. Granny Jak waited for them under the tree, thumping a short wooden cane on the trunk every now and then, to drive away the birds from the fruit. She immediately took charge of Kyir, her old wrinkled face beaming as she saw his new blanket and shirt. Holding Kyir securely, she trotted off down the path and motioned for Harmony and Muse to follow. The path was hard to manage here, harder than Harmony had expected; it was lumpy and uneven, and between the clumps of grassy earth, Harmony spotted ancient worn bricks, too large to have been placed by hand. More of these huge bricks circled the roots of the fruit tree, and around the edges of the garden; it appeared these places were intentionally meant to stay open for growing things. As Granny, Muse, and Harmony walked past the inn and towards the castle, the castle appeared at first to float, and then recede from them; Harmony realized it was much larger than she had first thought, and much farther away–and surrounded by warm air currents, which gave it the illusion of flying. 

Nothing in Grebefal is how it seems, she thought. The buildings and roads are too old for the people living in it...it’s an old fashioned village, yes, but strictly kept so, in spite of evidence of some kind of higher technology here. It’s guarded by a mere handful of men...and yet it has a high, thick wall and strong gate for protection. But against what? Harmony had not seen anything out in the forest that had warranted such protective measures; for that matter, she had not seen any animal life of any kind, besides the fish in the stream. On top of it all, there were no mages in the town, in spite of a powerful undercurrent of mana which she felt coursing through the place. It was like the town had been fabricated, built for some other purpose, by other people, and then abandoned for some reason, empty buildings and sculpted gardens, left to the elements until the people of Grebefal had appeared, and settled down there. And none of that explained the enigma of the Lord himself. Grebe, Harmony thought. That’s the name of a wild bird, from MY homeworld. Why does a resident Lord of this world have a name from mine? 

After a short walk, Harmony, Muse, and Kyir arrived at the protecting wall of the large, tired-looking castle; it wasn't a large town, in spite of the immense size of all of the structures. Only a few of the massive houses stood between the town wall gate and the castle itself, looking oddly like they had been arranged beforehand, and then placed there by a giant unseen hand. As they passed through the protecting wall, they heard the sounds of the iron forge; it was apparent it was inside the wall itself–or at least, the entrance to it was. They heard hammers ringing on anvils, and steam and hot metallic odors blew upward from an open staircase set deep into the thick wall. Somewhere within, a reddish light glowed fiercely. They passed this by, and came out the other side of the wall into the sun again.
Here Granny left them. “Ye won’t be needin’ me naw. Th’ castle’s door is straight ahead. Jist follow th’ path an ye can’ git lost.” She passed the baby to Harmony and waved farewell, after giving Kyir’s cheek a final gentle stroke of her browned finger. 

As they drew closer to the castle, the dust and dirt covering the path wore away, perhaps swept by the strong wind which seemed to circle the castle. Beneath the dust and grime of the path, a hard, shining, dark stone stood out, the same stone which appeared to have formed the castle; it was different from the hard, muddled grey color of the stone in the town. The structure of the castle itself was a simple one; a huge, single, circular tower, looking a bit like some sort of fat root vegetable set upside-down. Small slit-like windows pocked the squat lower half, which rose as smoothly from the ground, as if it had grown there. The walls narrowed, becoming an increasingly smaller circle, as it rose higher. At the top, it was smooth-walled with no more windows or other obstructions, finished by a tower top with a jagged wall. Above that wall sprung a single flagpole with a large green, tan, and dark brown banner, which flapped vigorously in the wind. The symbol on the banner stood out, easy to see; a trio of green leaves dancing on a curved, pale tan stripe, surrounded by brown. Harmony thought it looked like leaves in the wind. 

Wind–there certainly was a lot of it. The closer they came to the castle gate, the harder the wind blew, and the stones grew less and less dusty, more gleamingly polished. Neil Jaksson stood just inside the large iron gated-tunnel to the inside, his hair tostled. Apparently, he had been asked to bring them in. He looked as suspicious of them as ever, but smiled when Kyir let out a soft sneeze as the wind flapped a bit of fabric over his face. Neil cleared his throat awkwardly and then stated stiffly, "Th' Lord knows you're here. Come on in, I'm to bring you to speak to Master Jer. I think they want ter know what yer doin’ in Grebefal, seen’ as we don't get many Mages round here."
Muse grinned again at his awkwardness, her pointed ears lifting with her smile. "Have we done something wrong, my good sir?" 
Her eyes glittered as she stared him down. Neil flushed a little, and looked away. "Well, ah, naw...no. Anyway, come on. Master Jer's awaitin'." 

Harmony hitched Kyir up a little higher on her shoulder--he was getting sleepy and warm. They walked through the thick wrought-iron gate, down a short hallway, and stepped over a thick, raised doorway onto a straw floor. This was obviously some sort of stable; a covered lamp hanging nearby gave the only light, here, and the sounds of several animals stamping and chewing came from the darkness beyond it. A smell of fresh straw and grain feed rose from somewhere nearby. 

Beside the entry, a long wooden stairway led upwards to another floor, indicated by a strong-beamed wooden ceiling high above them. Neil led them up these stairs, between a curved wooden inner wall and the stone of the outer wall. Next they crossed a short landing, and then climbed a second flight of stairs. This floor of this part of the castle had stone for the flooring, both ceiling (or the first floor) and floor of the second; it was all made of the same thick stone blocks as the outer walls, laid in a manner Harmony had never seen before. The edges of the stones were laid so smoothly and skillfully, that it almost appeared to be one solid piece of stone; only the natural patterns showed that these were separate sections. No mortar was used, only paper-thin lines of some golden metal, surrounding all of the blocks. From the pattern of the blocks, it appeared that both the ceiling of the first floor, and the flooring of the second, were made of the same stone; Harmony marveled at how these huge blocks of stone stayed up so high, without any beams–or any apparent support, at all. 

The rooms and walls in the second floor were also stone, here, and the doors appeared to be some type of dark metal; none were solid, but made of a finely wrought iron pattern, covered from the inside with fabric for privacy. Torch sconces stood at intervals, making bright pools of light on the dark stone. The top two steps of the staircase were the same stone; and no other stairway was visible here, only a short hallway ending with a large double door. 
Neil waved them forward into this door, which opened into a largish triangular room. Whitewashed walls and a thick rug of pale green, gave it a homey feeling, and a light green curtain fluttered over the tiny window, which was set open to catch the breeze. Vases of flowers set on small tables along the walls, and soft upholstery decorated a set of twelve large, long benches set on either side, leaving an aisle between them. At the front of the room, on a slight platform, a wooden podium was pushed off to one side. This was obviously a chapel of some kind. Harmony and Muse sat down on one of the benches, and Neil left them, closing the door gently. They heard his footsteps echoing as he descended the stairs again. 
A soft cough drew their attention; Harmony started, and Muse snickered softly; Kyir murmured in his baby-voice. Harmony hugged him close. A thin, gray-looking man was sitting in a chair just beyond the podium, off to one side, slightly in shadow. His hair was gray, eyes were gray, clothes were gray; even his voice sounded gray, soft and round and withered, when he spoke. 
"I am Master Jer. I assist the Lord in all duties related to the village and visitors from afar. May I ask what you and your--(here he paused and glanced from Harmony to Muse) small companion are seeking, here in Grebefal?" 
Harmony glanced at Muse too, as if to check that she hadn't suddenly changed shape. She hadn't. "We are simply seeking shelter and directions, and a temporary livelihood, sir. I am a mage, and I have been working as a magic researcher. I believe that we came to be here through a magical malfunction of some kind. My servant and I were stranded in the nearby mountains yesterday, and have lost a good portion of our memories, and I was not able to discover our whereabouts through magical means. I was pregnant, I had my son, while we were in the forest. Grebefal was the nearest place to us, so we came here, hoping to find assistance." 
Master Jer nodded quietly, as if this was what he had expected to hear. "I see. And do you expect to move on from here? There are larger cities and other countries, where much greater knowledge than ours prevails. I had heard from Jaksson that you wished to stay?" 
Harmony smiled. "Yes, if we could. I have some money, and Muse and I would like to spend some time resting and learning about this place...you see, at the moment, neither of us can remember anything of this world, or its cities and countries. I would be willing to pay for a residence here, or perhaps pay through tasks which are suited to us, if that is preferable to coin? Muse is adept at writing and music, and I am a healer as well as a mage." 
Master Jer smiled back, showing rounded gray teeth in his round, gray face. "Grebefal is indeed in need of a mage, and the Lord offers his most sincere greetings to you both. It is good that you wish to stay; we can offer you one of four small residences in our town in which to live, or you are welcome to stay at the inn until you wish to leave, if you can pay. It is the custom for newcomers to Grebefal to spend coin for the first full year of residency here, to help our town's economy. We can allow you to perform small magical tasks for coin, or sell items at market; but for purchasing items, wether it be a home or food, coin is definitely preferable. Once your year is up, you may trade tasks for items directly, or make coinless trades." 

He lifted a gray satchel from behind the chair and opened it, lifting out four pale pages of parchment. Harmony could see writing on it, dark against the pages. "Here are the four options for your perusal. I will not make light of this; Grebefal has been wishing for a Mage and a healer to move here, for quite some time. Your presence here is most welcome. Please let us know through Master Jaksson which residence your party will be needing as soon as you are able. Until then, I wish you a most pleasant rest of your day." 
Master Jer rose like a smooth column of smoke, and wafted across the room to where Harmony and Muse sat. He handed the four pages to Harmony and bowed, then indicated the door. "Captain Jaksson will see you out." 

Edited January 26 by Harmonious_Echos