Meeting the Grand Witch

Laeyn rode with the Druidess to the island of the Witches, a creature of magical making shrouded bellow tattered mists seemed to guide them through fogs of magical creation. They stopped as they neared a pillar of earth, a Magetower sitting upon it, alight with the life inside.

Two human women emerged from the Tower, the Isle’s spell of immortality gave them an ageless look like the immortals. She could feel there power as they checked the boat, looking at both Laeyn and the other woman. The Queen spoke, command clear in her voice “Laeyn Blackleaf, I come as Queen of the Highelves as my title, but I long ago graduated here. I am of the Light, and I seek the speak with the Grand High Sorceress; The Goddess travels with me, be aware the end of times appear.”

The Queen spoke, standing in the boat as if it were summer day on the green. She raised her left hand and on her second finger was a ring of white gold, inlaid with the emblem of Ice; given to graduates of the Tower’s rough training.

One of the women spoke, but it seemed she spoke from beside them even from the distance; “Welcome home child of the Isle, your Sister’s welcome you and your new Guardian.”

“She is not my bound to me yet, as I said I come on behalf the Goddess” her eyes held a cold blue to them that hid wisdom and knowledge untapped. The Goddesses daughter of Spellcraft bathed in the light here, filling Laeyn with the ability to draw on more power; to flex her muscles in away. The women upon the Magetower turned to go inside as the boat continued forward,

Soon they came to a place where Laeyn raised her hands,parting the fog; giving way to a sunny island, and built into it was a beautiful castle, spire and bridges built into the rock. The small boat rocked as they ended their trip at a docking station. She stepped off as if the boat weren’t moving, Once on solid ground she felt more at ease, her dress of lightest blue seemed to catch the icy landscape that met them along the path to the entrance to the Southern Castle.

She looked at her friend who followed her so well; “You are very quiet; you knew I was a Sorceress, where else would I go to learn though? Sure Mother hired tutors, but the best teachers are here, and having the Weight of the Withes behind you, well…it’s far better than having them thinking maybe you aren’t on the right side of things. We’re going to speak with what is equivocal to their leader, a first among many; a Council of sorts. She will meet with us, in the mean time let us go clean ourselves.”

She lead there way through the castle and up stairs, then another spiral case that lead to a hidden hallway with different rooms on each side, doors widely spaced apart with decorations between. She entered her rooms her, ones she had not seen in many years.

The décor was rich; marbled flooring with statues and couched of white on rich blackwoood. Book cases of the same blackwood held books of ever nature; she had a variety of interests and here was where she had come to learn about them. She turned to the Druidess, and took a seat at her desk of dark redwood, polished till it shone like glass. Few things sat upon it, but oddly, a small box of gilded gold sat center of the table. “I’d not ever recommend opening that, you will find yourself in spells you did not know I could actually accomplish. You are my friend, so I warn you; it’s heavily spelled.”

She looked at her, letting her process and ask any questions she had.

Valnarias eyes swept the elegant castle as Laeyn spoke to her, wondering, while listening, if they would finally get a chance to talk alone together. She didn't speak much, yes. She chose silence so she could absorb everything, go with the flow that Laeyn took her. She saw no need to ask too many questions, she knew, somehow, that Laeyn will tell her in time what she, Valnaria, needed to know.

When they entered Laeyns room, she walked around the room, getting a sense of mature wisdom, but also a place where she can let her guard down. Her eyes fell on the beautiful box when Laeyn gave her warning. Her eyes though landed back on a statue of a beautiful women, curiousity bit at her tongue, but she would ask later. There were questions of greater importance to be asked, since the time was given.

She had stoped infront of Laeyns desk, she took the distance toward a bookcase that was of a short walk from where Laeyn sat. She ran her fingers along the varied spine of books, needing a little bit of time to process her thoughts. She picked a question from her mind like one would take a book from a shelf, ready to fill her mind with answers she so long sought, "My apoligizes for skipping any pleasantries that one would usually go through, but I am sure we will have more time in the future. I have many confusions, and when I am not wholly informed of a situation I have been thrust into, I deem answers are of higher importance than introductions and petty small talk. Though congeniality will always be foremost."

Valnaria paused, letting it sink in, "My first and formost question is, why have I been pulled to the side above everybody else?"

Laeyn folded her hands atop the table, sitting back in her chair in an upright position she faced the woman as she spoke, her face a mask of practiced calm. There was annoyance within her for a reason she could not place, but it was there none the less.

"You speak as if well educated; even if you lack the respect owed to one whom took you in at such a early state. Have a seat please." she motioned to the chair across from her as if asking her to take the seat. If she did or not, Laeyn would continue talking for now.

"You have been pulled aside because you were chosen. I couldn't see it then, but my Sight is cleared now. In preparation for my Sister's dark turning, the world spun out a creature whom would keep me safe,and sain." She paused, opening the box to reveal her magi stone necklace, which she clasped to lay upon her ample bosom.

'You are to be Bound to me, and lead my armies to war. This was your Destiny; and mine. Welcome to the Raven Guard, Lord General ," She paused.

"Would you care to at least tell me your name while I give you a title?"

Valnaria bowed her head, to show submission and respect, "My apologies, I meant no disrespect. My name is Lietenient Generial Valnaria Winterleaf."
She walked to the front of the desk, bowed down to one knee, "My allegiance has always been to you, since the day you came into my life. My vow has been, and will forever be, to repay my life debt to you, to always be there to protect you from any enemy, to be there when I am summoned, till the day I pass into the Great White Havens." She then unclasped her whip, held the silver loop delicately in her hand, and with the other, extended the whips black handle, showing her submission and dedication.
"It is a great honor to be your chosen one, and Lord General."

Laeyn's smile was secretive, the one she only gave to those she trusted and counted close to her. She could not have asked for a stronger oath, or a more willing Commander and right hand. "If you keep your bargain, I shall spend my days ensuring you live to see the morrow, I give you my word as a woman of honor, to do what I believe best for us, and will always pay heed should you care to give advice on something."

She released her hands from her own grasp which had become too firm without attention given to them, she sat back, forcing herself to relax. This was far different than how things had gone with Niekai, but she had changed much herself since then as well. What if she hadn't met her half Sister until after this moment in time? Would things have gone differently? No use waiting time on ifs.

Laeyn stood, her dress form fitting with a small trail behind. She looked like royalty, it was impossible for her to hide; like asking the sun to hide it's light. She glided to stand before the other woman, her net of magi pearls holding her up-do in place. Her matching necklace sported her neck and her white ashen staff topped with a magi stone of her own making in her right hand, she seemed somehow unearthly in beauty as the light trickled in over her.

She wove Spirit, connecting the two of them together; a small ball of emotions blooming to life sat in the back of her mind, as she would sit similarly in hers. Laeyn spoke as she wove the required spell; "From me you will be given greater stamina and physical prowess, a greater capacity to resist evil, and greater resistance to injury. I will receive a bodyguard, confidant, and ally-in-schemes who is intrinsically linked to me and whose behavior can be controlled to some extent through the bond. I am also able to draw on the your strength if needed. Both of us are able to sense the other's general location, physical well-being and, to some extent, emotional state."

She finished the spell, and smiled at the woman before her. "Stand Lord General Valnaria Winterleaf; your time has come, duty chooses it's players, and it seems you have been brought into this whirlwind of a mess this world is becoming. We knew returning it was to a world on the brink of war, but none of us could foresee how close that end would be."

There was a slight knock on the door before a young woman, a trainee of the Castle, poked her head in. She bowed, but spoke timidly. "Lady Laeyn, Queen of the High Elves, the Grand Sorceress has asked you attend her study."

Laeyn smiled at the young woman. "You delivered your message well, return to your work.Valnaria, shall we?" Laeyn motioned toward the door after the child had left, asking her guardian to go first without words. They'd have to work out a silent communication system sooner rather than later; times did not allow much in the way of privacy.

Valnaria gasped softly as she felt their two souls interlinking, she many new complicated emotions overwhelmed her own, she mind forming to accommodate a new one, it was fresh, new, and somewhat beautiful with an icy sadness and weight of millions of other lives resting on her own. These emotions filled her, but Valnaria was quick to organize them so she could focus on the moment, and not what was new within her own thoughts and emotions. It was like seeing through a new soul, no, it was exactly that, but control was taken.

When the trainee knocked on the door, she was finishing up organizing and grasping her new mindset. As Laeyn motioned of her, Valnaria went before her Queen, she stood before Laeyn proudly, but with respect towards her. She felt the direction from Laeyn in which the direction they needed to go without Laeyn telling Valnaria. What a wonderful benefit, with the new bond she could go before her Queen to places which Valnaria had never been before while protecting her. She looked straight ahead, paying no mind to the questioning looks from young Witches. She felt a new sense of relaxed familiarity from within the building, she no longer tense from being in this place which she ha never been inside before, but it wasn't her own senses, it was Laeyn. Valnaria took it as her own now, since they were now linked beyond just shared history.

They walked alone, passing women in groups, some stopping to whisper as they walked by. Laeyn was here now, the Goddess would not deal with such stupidity and waste of times their very existence had become. She was Ice and the name Goddess Queen haunted her. She was only a Conduit, not the one to be worshiped; she feared the blurring that her life was becoming.

She walked with Valnaria until they reached a grand set of doors, white inlaid with silver and gold scroll work. A lone Sister sat outside the doors at a Desk; she was second only to the woman in the office. "It has been many ages, Sister Laeyn Starcaller Blackleaf, Queen of the High Elves, Avatar of the Goddess they say; we shall see. You both have been summoned, you may enter."

The double door opened into a white parlor, and life within the room, plants seemed everywhere, and her bed seemed grown into the wall by rose petals which never dried up and fell, they hung there, glistening, scenting her rooms. Shalon looked at them as he stood from her bench in her courtyard. She bowed her head in greeting, and held out her hand which Laeyn leaned over to kiss, she could not kneel now; she was a Leader as much as the Grand Sorceress was.

"What do you seek of your home; Child of the Isle?" Shalon spoke softly, deep for a woman, but becoming of her. It spoke of age and patients, of years seen and changes; lifetimes of memories. She was a true Sorceress, bellow butterfly's flew around her, she wore a long dress of many greens. The top however was yellow, as if the sun was her beautiful face.

Laeyn liked her, and her beauty made her want to check a mirror but she remained standing, her tone equally serious. "Most of my Magi have been killed by the Goddess of Shadows. I require the Isles aid if any Sister's are willing to fight for me, for righteousness."

"You ask the Isle to risk the lives of it's children; are you aware the seriousness of what you ask?" Shalon looked unsure, though her emotions were hard to read.

"This is your General? She is pure; and welcomed, as I see you've taken her as yours. I will consult with the Hall of Law and present your case before them. What is your name Guardian?"