The trust Gwen held for her mother was complete. There would be no hesitation when Durinka would call her to Eska’eldalie to ask her to go on a mission for her. Mother thought it wise not not reject it. Yet…

How did Devante call it? And did not Elion say a similar thing not long ago? The Silence before the storm… Things were about to happen. But what? And why… why did she feel slightly uncomfortable about it nonetheless?

Alraune’s reading should be comforting enough.


Alraune turned the next card. It was a reversed Five of Pentacles. “Oh My… this I think is timely.” The beautifull woman looked up at Gwen. “You say you are on a mission.”
“Mother said I will be soon…”
“But you do not truly understand its goal?”
Gwen shook her head slowly. “Nay yet.”
“I think it may be a matter of charitiy, of giving, but not in a way you are used to.” She looked at the card and Gwen followed her gaze. “Misery is the anchor of this card.”
Misery? Gwen didn’t like the sound of that. “What does that mean?”
“It may be that this mission will cause you anguish, but it is not your misery that this card foretells. I think you are to help relieve the pain of others, but sometimes… that is not so easy.” She tapped the card. “Look to the greater powers for strength and guidance. Whatever gods or spirits you may think to call upon, do so with thought, not with impulse.”
“Something good may come of this mission then…” Please, give me a positive answer to that? The elf begged inside while staring at Alraune with hopefull expectation.
“Aye.”
Inward she sighed with relief while Alraune turned the last card. It showed a chariot. “Interesting… This is a card of travel and work, but it is the final card in the spread, the more distant future, and it tells me…”
“That I’ll have a lot of work ahead of me?” Gwen asked curious.
“Well, I think that this mission of yours will take you to places you’ve not been before but also that conflict will be your companion. In such turmoil you will learn its nature and in the end you will learn how to bring the conflict to an end.” She looked up at Gwen again, catching her gaze with her own. “The destination is not the point. The journey is where you will find your answers. Learn from what happens and you will know how to keep bad things from repeating themselves.”


For now all Gwen could do, was to wait for Durinka to call her to Eska’eldalie and then she would learn more of what mother had spoken about.

Corruption or tainting of the spirit and the free will is also feared by Elves. Elven spirits must be pure and untouched to enter the forested realms of Valinor. And thus, any creature that feeds upon the life-force of another are greatly feared and avoided by elves. This type of creatures holds great danger for Elves because they hold the power of true oblivion. Even dark-hearted Elves, who follow evil ways, steer clear of beasts with the power to consume souls (the death of the soul is a death from whence none may return). The door to Valinor is forever barred to those who suffer the fate of un-death. The fear of un-death urges Elves to traditionally burn the bodies of those who have died the "final" death. Elves are also known to take up their arms and put the undead to eternal rest.

Quietly Gwen had listened to the lady Durinka explaining the nature of the mission she wished to send her on. She understood the importance of it, but felt uncomfortable that she was chosen for it. Father had spoken about Death and Valinor and his tales had put a concern in her heart that fed her hatred for anything undead, anything that meddled with life and death. What the Lady Durinka asked her to do, was to face her concerns, her fears, and descend into a place filled with death, which was most likely tainted with the evil that had come with the elves to Sosaria all those centuries ago, to pick up whatever remained of Durinka’s old friend who had naturally passed away some while ago.

Telling Devante what she was about to do and that she had to go to a place where he could not follow her, was even more difficult then doing what was asked of her. Fortunately the entire mission only required her to go there and travel back again and it would only take her a day or two to do that…

While listening to the fluttering of Venka’s wings nearby, Gwen stared amazed at the odd runestone that lay in the middle of a circle of mushrooms. She had actually no idea where in the world she could be, but she knew this was the place where she was supposed to be. Right here, right now. It felt strange. As if it was the will of the One himself that had guided her here.



Now the difficult part of this mission, the elf thought. Slowly she lifted her arm so she could slide off the bracelet that bound her and Devante. The orders had been clear. She held it up for a moment, studying the smooth shiney surface of the bracelet and the inscription on it. Then suddenly her pixie friend wrapped her arms around her leg and started to cry out loud. It startled her. “Gwennie, I don’t waahaaant you to gooohooo.” The little one’s voice sounded shrill and heartbreaking. Nobody wanted her to go, not even she herself felt much like going.


Gwen loved hearing stories, that is why she so recently had organized the story telling nights in the Tavern. Stories often give an insight. But when the background story for this mission was shared with her, it lacked information about the most important parts of it. Why am I here? What am I to do? Of course no answer came. How about just following the rune, it is marked after all and leading some place. Standing around looking at it won’t get me anywhere. Leaving her pixie friend behind with her personal belongings, Gwen spoke the words of Sacred Journey that would take her where she would find Sennah’Jo.

Gwen woke up violently, remembering suddenly what had happened. She had found what she was looking for, but realized too late what was going on when she instinctively held out her hand to the ghostly form. She sat up with a cry. “NO !”

“Calm, calm, young lady.” The voice of an old man said. “It is probably not a very wise idea to make too much noise right now. Some of them are grumpy and I do not think they will appreciate being woken up by shouting.”

“Sennah’Jo?” Gwen tried to see in the darkness of the room.

“Yes, young lady,” he answered.

“What happened? Where are we?” She struggled up and shook her hands, gazing at the iron shackles. “By the Valar… What is this?” Again she tried to see in the darkness. The light of the fireplace had grown dim, shedding only little light on the room, which seemed to be some sort of tavern. “Where are you, Sennah’Jo?”

Someone chuckled. An old man’s chuckle. But the odd thing was… it did not come from the room. It came from within her. Slowly Gwen sank down again in the corner where she had awoken, knowing the answer to her last question before it got answered.

“That sure is an awefull lot of questions of which some I can answer and some I can’t answer, young lady. As to where I am… I am wherever you are and I was kinda hoping that you would know where that was.”

... at the Sunday morning.

Elion returns from Eska'Eldalie in very bad mood. The questions he ask not explain him much about what going and also, why Gwen was chosen for that task. Gwen afraid undeads. She is current leader of elves, and lots of things depend from her. She don't know any about dark magic. Why Gwen then? She is the lest candidate Durinka have to choose for that. Elion force his charger to run more fast. Things around him jumps behind and the wind cold a bit his face which become red from the rage. Moongate come closer each moment.

He still not calmed arrives to Quarter and it with lot of mutters begin to search for Kirtian or Khila. Shadow warriors are for do such things. Why she choose Gwen?

Finally Kirtian was found and Elion tell him where Gwen go. He order him to find her and assist if need, but without been revealed. Then he go to city to make his mind a bit more clear and to ask peoples there if they see Gwen.

... a half day later.

Kirtian understand his mission and importance of remaining himself unseen, so go find Gwen alone without any of his pets. He start from caves near Eska and then enlarge the circle of his search. after a few hours he understand she was not here. Because Elion said him something about Umbra and their folks, Kirtian change the place of his search and explore all around the dark city, but again no result. Where she can be? maybe somewhere in dungeon? Kirtian see the sun which begin to lower itself already and count time before the night come. Few hours still. Suddenly a thought come to him to check a place which sometimes he check every days. Kirtian look to a tree in front of him and decide it will better he will not find Gwen there. He use his ability and transform himself to quick llama.


... a hour and a half later.

Llama stay at the end of forest and listen voices from few building at the glade. Her nose examines the smells. Gwen is here. In the the left building. Few other with her. 2 or maybe 3. Llama slowly became elf again. Then elf low his size and only a small cute black rabbit appear at the grass. the rabbit carefully move to left building. A big lady walk near him and nearby step on him, but she open the door. Rabbit quickly follow her and drop a small piece of wood to threshold so once door closed behind him there was still a small chink outside.

Three ladies sit near the fireplace. Small rabbit move close to see what going. Gwen told to other two ladies about Valinor, Mandos and other such things. Interesting... other ladies not looks very happy about it. Rabbit smiles and come close. Now he can see Gwen sitting at chair in few meters from him. She looks not harmed in any way, but chained to wall at fireplace. Rabbit examine chain quickly and mutters silently. Gwen is captured. He not know how many of these peoples are around, so find best to leave and report home. Elion will know what to do. Rabbit leave the room and disappear in grass.

... a hour later.

The day go to end and now Kirtian can trust in only his elven magic vision in darknes. Llama run fast throw th forest. Furry! other have to know – Gwen is captured. Llama make other big jump and... One leg get in trap which unknown hunter place in grass. His run stopped and llama fall to the ground. A pain in captured was so strong and elf lost his conditions. Darkness cover him and he completely defenseless spend undefined time on the ground in the middle of Britain forest.

... this morning

Kirtian awake and and find he not llama anymore, but an elf again. his feet got in to the trap and seems few bones there was damaged. with great care elf free his leg from the trap. The pain few time nearby put his mind out, but finally his leg was free. Elf examine it and find things bad. I must report to Quarter. Other have to come to free Gwen.... I must... He turn himself into the dog. Dogs restore itself quick. dog made try to move and Kirtian lost his conditions again

Venka sat bored on the stool in the Rose. She had looked everywhere for her Gwennie. Under each stone, each leaf. Behind every man and woman in the area. In corners of buildings. She had spoken with Kaldurs, Charlotter, Fancy man, Duke person and many others. But nobody knew if Gwennie had returned. That was not what Gwennie had said to her. Gwennie had promised she would be back before she had to work in the Tavern again. That was yesterday!

Now she was waiting some more. For Ruadnit. And others. It was rumoured that Kirtian’s pixie friend had brought a map to Ruadnit which would bring them to Kirtian. And Kirtian went to look for Gwennie, so maybe he would know where Gwennie was. The pixie just did not understand though how a map could be used to locate Kirtian. Did it work the same like her pixie gate magic? Maybe they would have to jump on it and then reappear wherever Kirtian was. Everybody was worried about Kirtian. Something about Pain and Darkness. Why didn’t they understand that Venka was worried too? About Gwennie of course !

It’s tough for a pixie to be patient, but Zefar soon joined her and made the waiting not so bad. He has Frogpower. And a battlesuit. Things would be more then fine. Miguen, Ruadnit, Stewan, Zefar and Venka shortly after made a very long walk. Venka’s wings got all tired from it ! First Miguen read the map wrongly, but then they read it right and found the bridge on the map. And they found the river on the map. Surprisingly it was under the brigde !!!


They searched and searched and searched. But they didn’t Gwennie. Oh. They did find Kirtian. He seemed to have taken a misstep, hurting his ankle badly. Wings are far more handy. After Ruadnit had stabilized him, Venka, with the help of the others, lifted Kirtian onto a horse and made a pixie gate to the Quarter.

Kirtian kept babbling about a book which he dropped on the floor in the infirmary. Gwennie can’t fit in books, but when Stewan read it everybody suddenly went very excited. Gwennie was with Briggers. There was more talking. Devanter came too talk with Ruadnit. Moordret and other Kaldurs came for heals and talking. Moordret is nice. He understands a pixie very well. Shame he is with Shelly, but she is nice too so it is not really a very big shame.

The night grew late and the pixie tired of all the waiting, the talking and the walking earlier. She pulled her wings around herself tightly, using them as a blanket, and curled up on the foot end of the bed.


“So I am stuck with you. Great. Now I see why I was asked to come alone. By the Valar, Sennah’Jo, how am I going to explain myself?”

Stewan looked upon the things he had assembled upon his narrow bed in the Bakery´s back room. Bandages, Potions, a shabby suit of armor, a few smoke-bombs he had cooked up the night before, his trusty boar-spear badly in need of repair. He slowly started shaking his head.

Miss Gwen was amiss for the second night now, first all her elven companions had thought she was just late, but the reports of a pixie uttering strange warnings had made this more unlikely by the hour. Apparently a elf named Kirtian had been sent to find her and was missing now too.

Yesterday the party had spread all over the lands to look for her, to no avail. A sting of guilt had driven Stewan to join them, after all he didn´t try stop Gwen, despite her bad feelings.
At least she told Devante about it, her saying "Honesty was the right thing." giving proof of that. For once his words had not fallen on deaf ears.

Yesterday, in Yew, there still had been humour to the situation. He looking for a damsel-in-distress, lurking at the corners of Yew and Stonekeep in his rain-coat, while the Rain washed the streets clean of rubbage; so cliché. Still, it felt right, somehow.

But now there was no humour left at all. Kirtian had been seriously hurt, be it by a trap, as Ruadnit had said, or by something else. And the news he had to share were even more serious: Miss Gwen, captured by the brigands, held for whatever their ratty minds came up with.

Stewan ducked below the trees near the Tavern. He was waiting for the noise to calm down, and by early morning it had. Drunken brigands had left for home, but probably more were still inside, sleeping off the ale. This lands teemed with dangerous creatures of all kinds too, to make it even worse.
A few hours later he felt more at home at the place, now knowing where the Taverns was, the Stronghold and the Western Fort. They would have to stay clear of that to avoid alarming the brigands that waited there, the ones at the Tavern would be hard enough. But still no sign of Miss Gwen, no traces, no clues, no cries for help from a barred window.

"Well, no time to linger, i have people to see!" Stewan thinks as he retreats into the woods.

Ruadnit had talked with Rana on Monday evening and discovered Gwen was missing 3 days now. And then the added news that Kirtian had went after her and not come back. A pixie had talked to her before entering the tavern telling her that elf needs help and elf was in pain and darkness. She didn't feel like it was Gwen like the others first thought her thoughts immediately went to Kirtian. She told Rana she would lead a rescue to find Kirtian and hopefully that would lead to Gwen.

The next day waiting in the tavern for the others to join a pixie appeared again this time with a map where Kirtian was. After consulting with Miguen they headed for where they thought the map read. They were wrong . Then they figured out the correct location. The area had looked familiar and then they found Kirtian. He was in bad shape his ankle had been in a trap and he was almost dead from exposure and the infection from the wound.

Venka kept buzzing around expecting him to get up and talk but he was too injured for that. She healed him as much as she could so it would be safe to move him. They got him back to infirmary and she finished healing him. He mumbled something about a book and dropped on on the floor. Tired and drained she listened as Stewan read the book out loud.

Gwen was in the hands of the Brigands. That is why the land looked familiar, she had been one of their prisoners not to long ago. Knowing the Brigands were more about making money than torture she felt they could afford one more night before rescuing Gwen.

She needed to find Devante and seek his help and get things planned for the rescue. She left for trinsic and on the way there she came across Mordred Shelly and Ranec of Kaldor. They had been injured in battle. Feeling the push of Dondinia to help them she brought them back to the infirmary. Venka had brought Devante there so she settled them into bed then talked to Dev. Seh set about a plan with Dev then went to heal the others. After healing again with out proper rest she was helped to one of her own beds and she passed out.


Elion finally stop his attempt to find Kirtian and return to a quarter. Without any clues it was too hard missing for him. He search hard at dangeons with undeads and in area around Umbra... but there was no any signs of Kirtian or Gwen. Ashamed and tired he returns home and go rest immediately.

Kirtian awake only shortly few times during night. At morning pain and fewer begin to returns and this made him very weak and sleepy again. Kirtian fall in to restless sleep.

The night before was still a blur in her thoughts. One moment she was demanding her release, the next she was terrified by the thought they were going to sell her to slavers kicking over chairs and benches in anger while trying to wriggle free her hands from the chains. Her rescue was swift, making her feel responsible for causing the brigands so much troubles.

Safely back in the Rose and looking around at the friends that had come to her rescue, Sennah’Jo commented how surprising it was to see so many humans amongst them. He sure was enjoying himself, even though he could not hide from her that he would much rather be elsewhere. His voice silenced though when he realized the hurt she felt, when Devante shied away from her just after he heard she was not entirely alone. Politely and respectfull he apperantly found himself a corner in her mind, soul… well wherever he was hanging out… and retreated to give her some time to herself. She was gratefull for that.

From Gwen's Diary - July 30, 361/ Mar 26, 2007

And so i did what was asked of me, showing loyalty and obedience to my Lady.. but i sure wish someone told me about this before they send me away. It is an awkward situation that I find myself in and if it were not for mother promising me something good will come of it I would sit in a corner until everything is back to normal again.

Some people have asked me about my awkward situation, but once I told them they either stare blankly at me or accuse me of being possessed by evil. Only the elves in Eska’eldalie and the wiser ones like Miguen and Ziani, seem to treat me with the respect elders of our race are usually given. Some even look up to me, as if I have been to Valinor and back.

Sennah’Jo in the mean time is making the best of the situation. We’ve agreed that at certain times he’ll stay in the back of my mind and that at other times I’ll let him have control so we can prevent the embarrassing sitation of him speaking while I am in charge. I’ve begun teaching him how to use my bow in case I get knocked out and he has to take over. He knows the basics now, but perhaps it was better to let him continue to think it was a one stringed harp.

He was pleased to speak with Lady Durinka, to see the elves, but I guess since we’re this intimate he cannot hide from me that he looks forward to going elsewhere.

Kirtian still has not returned to health. His condition worries me. If it weren’t for him, nobody would have known where I was. Everyday I visit him and sit besides his bed to bring him fresh flowers and to tell him what is going on. I hope he gets well soon…

Gwen Irima