Nardanien en'Rinar

"I don't know," she began, trying to stifle a giggle, "Elric and Ashara Throatpuncher has a nice ring to it." She lost the battle, and doubled over in laughter, clutching her middle. After a couple of moments of trying desperately to maintain breathing, she managed to pull herself together and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

It was a joy to see him this happy and excited for their future, and her fluttering heart mirrored his sentiments. Ashara decided that the next time she had a chance to visit Elric's mind, she would find this memory and live it again from his perspective!

"Dawn or morning certainly can relate to both of us. Hmm... Everdawn, Dawnseeker... You are much better at these things than I am, and I don't know anything about elven naming traditions!" Eyebrows pressed together, she tried piecing some words together. "Corm en'anoron, Amrunosta, Voronweanoron..." Ashara laughed as she stumbled over that last pronunciation. "I find it a bit ironic that I have such trouble with the elvish word for 'dawn'. It might be awkward if I couldn't pronounce my own name... I may know much of the language, but I'm finding that my tongue won't always cooperate!"

Ashara smiled brightly as she handed the finished portrait over to Elric. "We have a few more days to think about names I suppose, though not many I'm pleased to say!"

"Elric and Ashara Voronweanoron?" Elric raised an eyebrow and grinned. "That... That would be mouthful to be sure!"

"We have lots of options that would make fine family names. I kind of like Everdawn... There's nosse en'mea, Dawnstar, Morninglight, Dawnlight. Amrunosta rolls off the tongue. We've got lots of choices, and we have a couple days to..." He trailed off as he she handed him the portrait.

She was beautiful. He'd only caught a glimpse during the spell, but this was the woman that he'd seen. Every detail perfect, she looked like she could step off the page. The tears on her cheeks actually looked wet! As he stared into the eyes of a woman giving up her child, his heart went out to her. He'd waited so long to see this person. Now thanks to Ashara he had. He could feel his eyes start to water.

He was fairly certain he had never met her before. All those years in Evereska. Constant disappointment when he'd be rebuked as he searched for clues of anyone who may have been near Impresk. He never really admitted it aloud, but he'd given up hope long, long ago on ever finding her. He had prepared himself for the simple truth that he would never know her name nor see her face.

Now he had done both. Even if he never met the woman, this was more than he had ever expected.

Wiping away the unshed tears he simply whispered "Thank you, Ashara..."

"Ta nae seasamin <It was my pleasure>." Ashara's own eyes began welling with tears as she watched him study the face of his long lost mother. She had accomplished a few things in her life that she could feel proud of, but in truth none of it compared to helping Elric find his past. She whispered a prayer of thanks to Lathander for granting her the power to give him that gift.

"Perhaps one day we will meet her in person, but until that day comes, you need only ask and I'll show you that memory again. You can hear her voice whenever you wish." She thought back to the peaceful storytelling times they had as children. "Your father had a beautiful voice as well," she said with a soft smile. "I will draw him for you too, if you like! I hardly need a second look," grinning she brushed her fingers along his jawline. "If you let a beard grow out, you'd look almost identical to him!"

"If you'd permit me, I'd like to go back through your memories sometime and record all of those stories he used to tell us! Perhaps we can write them down to read to our own children someday, so they could get to know their grandparents." A flash of pain crossed her face as she thought of Sulime, but her smile quickly returned. "You could even put some of them to song, I'm sure!"

Elric was completly enraptured by the picture he held. Suddenly he heard Ashara speaking to him. It sounded very far away. He snapped his mind back to the present. It was a wonderful idea. Elric slowly nodded and looked up from the picture to the one who'd drawn it. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

"All of it. Father's picture, the memories, the stories... He should be remembered." Shaking his head she could hear a note of saddness. "I can't believe all I've forgotten... I miss him. I haven't even thought of him in years, but now I really wish he was here. Her too! Does that make sense, Missing someone you never knew..."

"Even if I can never gain new memories of them, I would love to pass the memories I do have down to our children..."

"Does that make sense, Missing someone you never knew..."

"She is part of you, Elric, it makes perfect sense! Though you never knew her, she represents a hole in your life that's never been filled.'' Ashara sighed softly, hoping it would be possible to have that need met. "Don't think you'll never make new memories with her though! Have hope, we may find her yet," she beamed at him. "Your father's stories provide us with clues!"

The way he was pouring over every detail of that elven face, made the priestess feel as if she might be intruding. "If you like, Melamin, I will give you some time," she said, reaching out to squeeze Elric's arm. "You have a lot of new information to process, and I understand if you need to be alone with her!" Ashara smiled at him as she motioned to the portrait.

"No!" Elric turned his attention back to her. "Thank you, but no. I've spent enough time alone with thoughts of her. Today is about us." His gaze still dropped to the picture. "I can't help but wonder though. Where was she going, what was it that was so dangerous? Did she survive?"

There were so many possibilities. They knew so much now, but what they knew didn't amount to much. Two decades ago she was an adventurer. Probably not much different than they themselves were. Something she did was dangerous. Must have been VERY dangerous, but it could literally been anything.

A thought crept into his mind. What about other family? Did Marinelle have any? Possible she didn't. If she did she obviously felt it was still better to leave him with his father. Why had they seperated? Retiring is well and good, but he couldn't imagine Ashara or himself retiring at home, with the other stayed out on the road in constant danger. There was so much more that was still a mystery.

He looked back up and smiled a wistful smile. "Do you know what this reminds me of? It's like looking at one of those books before we could read! I see the picture and I just want to make up a story..."

"A story..." Ashara smiled and tapped her bottom lip with an index finger as she thought. "Okay, let's see!" She stood abruptly and began pacing about the room as she spun a tale.

"Your mother, Marinelle, is a beautiful princess from a great woodland kingdom far to the south. She and her family lived in peace and happiness among the ancient trees for millenia until one day, a trajedy! A betrayal! A treacherous elf had befriended her father the king, and after centuries of friendship, he broke that trust, murdering the king and stealing the fabled Crown of...of Ithildin!" The priestess gasped in shock at the imaginary news. "Marinelle discovered the broken body of her father at dawn and alerted the guards, who rode out in all directions to try to apprehend this traitor. Broken hearted and hungry for vengeance, the princess swore an oath on the blood of her father that she would avenge him and bring the crown back to her family," she said with a shake of her fist, "thereby restoring their honor. Being of no small skill with the bow, she herself rode out to begin the search."

"Decades later, still with no clue as to the whereabouts of her father's murderer, she met a very handsome and robust young human named Arturo." Ashara danced over to the chair where Elric sat and curtsied to him with a shy smile. "The man was instantly smitten by the elven princess, he agreed to help her on her noble quest! The pair eventually became a trio when their adventures took them across the path of a stoic warrior named Tomar. The tales of these companions have already been told to us by your father," she said with a grin, "but how does their story end? Hmmm..." She paced about thoughtfully again for a few moments before continuing.

"The years passed with no solid leads on either the crown or the betrayer, and though to Marinelle they were no more than a blink of an eye, Arturo was growing older and becoming weary of the constant peril, and of the quest for revenge that so consumed the elf he loved. He went to her one night," Ashara took Elric's hand and got down on her knees with a pleading expression on her face, "begging her to go away with him, leave her quest for a time, and find a peaceful corner of the world to live out the rest of his life together. Though she loved him desperately," she said, holding his hand against her cheek, "the magic of the oath she swore so many years before still bound her more strongly than mithril shackles!" Ashara stood and leaned in closely, but with a pained expression pushed him to arms length just before kissing him. "When the dawn came, the trio split. Arturo the warrior left for parts unknown and settled down becoming Arturo the shepherd."

She spun around behind his chair to finish the story. "Months later, Marinelle gave birth to their child, and she knew that she could not safely keep her son with her while she travelled that dangerous path, so she sent Tomar out to find your father. When she packed her beloved son snug into the basket and gave him to the black knight to deliver, part of her heart went with the boy. The princess wanders still in search of elf who murdered her father and stole a piece of her family's honor," Ashara said, bending down to whisper in his ear, "but she thinks often of her son, wondering if Arturo has told him of her. Wondering if she will ever see her child again."

From behind his chair, Ashara laid a hand on his shoulder and smiled as he gazed down at the drawing of his mother. "She loves you, Elric. When we find her, she will be proud to see the man you've become!"

Elric couldn't help but laugh with delight as she told her tale. He'd heard their tales before, but now his childhood heroes had faces attached to them. Voices. They had taken on a whole new life and dimension he'd never imagined possible.

Ashara's enthuiastic telling only added to the joy of the story. As she finished he couldn't help but clap heartily. He looked away from the picture and leaned back so he could see her behind him. "And to think, people say I should become a bard! Until I hear differently, THAT will be the official story of Arturo and Marinelle!"

He started laughing again. "It probably holds more truths to it than most bards tales anyway!"

"It probably holds more truths to it than most bards tales anyway!"

"And that is precisely why I could never be a bard!" Ashara smiled brightly and moved back to her chair. "Really though, with stories like ours, we will never need to alter the truth! Unless of course there are children about... We wouldn't want to give anyone nightmares!"

While she was putting away all of her sketching tools, her stomach growled with neglect. "It must be nearly noon already," she said with some surprise as she glanced out the window, "maybe we should go find the others and try to get at least one meal in today?"

"I should go ask my parents to join us for lunch, then we can deliver the news all at once. Besides, I need to see if my mother can bake an apple pie for dinner," she laughed, "my mouth is watering just thinking of that memory!"

Elric hadn't noticed the passage of time till the priestess mentioned it. In surprise he looked out the window and realized that she was right. And the talk of Arryn's Rosemorn's famous pie made him realize just how hungry he was. "Hmm.... Now mine is too! How long does it take her to make those?"

It was probably good that they go out to meet the world. It was still Midwinter festival after all. If the other Champions weren't trying to get in the door by now... They must be out enjoying whatever festivities Impresk had to offer.

Suddenly he got an image of Gwilly having spent the last few hours trying to figure out WHY she couldn't get into the meeting room. All the laughing that had been going on in there would have only frustrated her more. The mental image caused him to burst into a fresh set of laughter. Seeing the confused look on Ashara's face, he quickly explained the image.

"We'd better open the door slowly!" Elric laughed as he carefully picked up his new portrait. "If we squish her, It'll take more than a wedding to protect us from pixie vengence!"

"Right! No squishing the pixie!" Ashara grinned as she slung the scroll case of sketches over her shoulder.

"The pie will take a couple of hours, but we'll have to wait for that until later tonight. We have a wedding to attend first!" She let Elric panic for a moment while she dismissed the Inner Sanctum ward.

"What didn't you read THAT memory?" She grinned mischievously. "My mother informed me last night that Dunner Fenkeep is getting married later this afternoon, and since we're in town, we're expected to attend! Being that we're childhood friends and all..." Ashara laughed out loud, and knocked on the door to alert Gwilly (if she was there) that they were coming out. "I'm sure he'll be just thrilled to see us there!"

They stepped out into the apparently vacant hallway, and back into the present. The priestess looked up at Elric and smiled, "If you'll give me a moment, I need to put these things away and then I'll join you downstairs."

After parting with him, she entered her room and hung the scroll case in its place next to the never-worn white robes on the wall. She shuffled through a few more scroll cases before finding the one she sought, and gently pulled out the portrait she had done of Sulime those years ago. With sigh, Ashara kissed the parchment before tacking it up on the wall. "I'm sorry, mother," she whispered, choking back the tears, "I wish I could have known the truth at the time... I wish you could have stayed to know me."

She was heading back out the door when she accidentally kicked the old chest at the foot of her bed. With a grin she began rifling through it, until she felt the soft leather bag at the bottom. All those childhood memories came flooding back as she ran her finger along the name scratched into the surface. Scratches that Arturo himself had made before giving the knucklebones set to his son as a gift.

Ashara couldn't remember ever beating him at the game...Elric had always been the faster of the two, but it had been many years now, and just maybe there would be time for a few games before they left Impresk.

***

i'tela