All right, by request, I shall now post the first part (there are three) of my book The Child Born of Women. Part One is entitlled, "The Babe Born of Women." [img]smile.gif[/img] The previous novel about these characters is The Burned Drow

Well, if you want to tead Episode I, you'll just have to e-mail me. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 10-26-2002, 03:13 PM: Message edited by: Galadria ]

*shudder* now I see what you meant by the title... great begining.. seems slightly "odd" tho... still... post more?

incest... uuugh... :| lol, still post more ;)

[ 10-23-2002, 03:55 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Thanks, CD, don't worry, that's as odd as it gets. Some more.

This was made manifest two months later when Noemi again stole into Galadria's study. "Gal, we gotta talk," she whispered. Galadria, who was in a good mood that day, looked up at her pleasantly. Noemi, she noticed to her surprise, looked horribly worried.
She put down her quill. "Certainly, Em," she said cautiously. "What is it this time?"
Noemi, unlike her usual chipper self, was very serious. She sat down next to her sibling. "Gal, I just got back from the physician. I'm pregnant." She made a rueful face.
Galadria was concerned but puzzled. "Well, you don't seem too happy about it, so I'm sorry. But, don't worry, you can raise it right here. Strange, you always said that you would never have children, and here you are pregnant before any of us. Who's the father?"
"Well," Noemi replied with a curious expression on her face, "I don't know quite how to put this, but you are." Seeing the disbelief on her sister's face, she added. "No, really. I went to the diviner and had her cast its horoscope. She said that the father was tall, dark, and slender, and loved me very much." She got the ghost of her old impish expression on her face. "Besides, I haven't had sex with a man in well over a year. Do you know, the diviner advised me to tell 'him,' because 'he' loved me enough to marry me. I told her that you were already married, and she said what a pity that was, but that was what I got for fooling around with a married man.
"So, you cad, what are we going to do about this? Do you want me to visit the abortionist? Because, I tell you frankly, I'm scared, but, somehow, I don't want to. Anyway, I'll do what you say, 'cause you are the wisest of us all."
Galadria got a troubled look on her face and arose to get a book from the shelf. She opened it to a marked passage and read aloud:
"For, make no mistake, when divine essence calls to its like, it will not be denied, be the walls ever so high and the guards fierce and vigilant. The product of this union shall prosper, never mind all the world and heaven arrayed against it. The lord's two daughters shall witness a marvel the like the land has never seen. Woe be unto its foes, be they never so strong or well-meaning at first, they shall inevitably turn to evil at the last, and end the end, for naught."
She turned to her sister. "That," she whispered, "was the passage that I was reading the night that we...got you pregnant. This is no small matter for the abortionist. We must consult the goddess. Tonight, if the skies are clear, we must perform the Cremony of Tres. But first, let's go and talk to Chorania."
Chorania was the drow elf that served as their chaplain, maintaining the small altars to Tres, the Goddess of Female Wisdom, and Helm, the Vigilant God of Good. She was also a close friend and confidante of them both. As usual, they found her in the chapel, chanting a service to Helm. She was most faithful in these, as Helm had directly intervened once on her behalf, protecting her from the wrath of Lolth, the Spider Goddess of the Drow, whom she had once served and then renounced. They waited respectfully for the chant to end.
When she had completed the service, Chorania turned to them with a smile on her beautiful face. She was, like all drow, ebon-skinned with pure white hair, though her eyes were unusual, being dark purple instead of black. This had been noted with disapproval by her family, who had, often enough, accused her of not being "pure drow," and, indeed, she did not have the stereotypical drow viciousness, being kindly and humorous, which had gotten her exiled from the Underdark at a fairly early age. Galadria had befriended her long before and now was delighted that she chose to live with her, fairly safe from the surface world that generally hated her race.
"Good day to you, abbil," she addressed her Mistress, "and you, m'zint to." her nickname for Noemi. "What brings you to the chapel on this sunny day? Do you have sins to confess, so early on?"
Galadria answered her seriously. "Sin enough, perhaps, Cho. Sit down. I have a tale for you and I need your advice." She then told her of the night that she had ill-advisedly attempted to comfort Noemi, and what situation they now faced. Chorania listened intently, with none of her usual interjections. At last, when Galadria stopped, she considered a bit, then replied.
"Abbil, I do not think that sin can be described as an attempt, however misguided, to comfort your sister. As you know, Noemi has done me the honor of confiding that she wanted you in a physical sense, and I have often wondered at it, but never before have I thought that she might be under some compulsion. I should have thought that I would have sensed some force beyond her, but all I ever thought was that she was wholly devoted to you. Now, I wonder.

hmm, it gets interesting, its still a slightly disturbing concept, lol, anyway... [img]tongue.gif[/img] keep posting please ;)

Hmmmmm - far be it for me to try and curb the creative impulse, but looking at part one of this story, it may well be just the wrong side of PG13 for this Forum.

Personally, I've no problem with it, and I wish you well with your literary endeavours, but in future, you might consider posting the full text on another forum such as OUAP or on your own webpage and putting a link here with a content warning.

Please don't take my suggestion as a reflection on the merits of your pieces, but I would ask you to give it consideration.

Point well-taken, Mousey. I have done so. Some more (no naughty bits, I promise) [img]tongue.gif[/img]

"What was it that....the man that we do not name did to her? She has often enough described the torments that she endured at his hands, but I have thought that some of the things were not simple sadism, but direct manipulation of her divine essence." Here she shot a sly look at Noemi. "Small enough as that soul might be."
Noemi almost smiled again. "Oh, Cho," she sighed, "be serious for once. My soul is apparantly big enough to have caused us a lot of trouble. How is it possible, do you think, that Gal impregnated me? All she did was touch me...down there. But we both had an intense orgasm, all at once."
Chorania took Galadria's hands and looked deeply at them. They were not pampered hands. The nails were short and untinted, the skin rather rough and stained in one place by some chemical. Two rings she had, one crudely worked mithril, carved with runes, the other more subtle, gold with an elaborate setting, but the stone seemed to be a common pebble. To the drow woman, they seemed to shine with a faint light that could only be seen when you looked slightly away.
She chuckled. "Just the touch of her hands, m'zint to? Little did you think what you were asking for. Did you never think that you sister, my Mistress' hands are not mere appendages for sticking food into her mouth? They are mighty wielders of magic. Small wonder that the mere touch of them to your generative area let loose the long yearning that you have held for her. What happened in that instant? Do you think that your love and need were able to reach inside of her to take a piece of her very soul? That is how it seems to me. For, you have your own magic, little enough that you apply yourself to it." She put her Mistress' hands back onto her lap, and patted them. "So, are we to ask the Goddess what to do? It seems fitting to me. But, I will hazard that the brat will be more than others her age." At their inquiring looks, she answered. "Of course it will be a girl. How else? Trust Chorania for this."

lol; erm, it looks good, just had a distribing though. [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehe, a) what are they gonna tell At, b) what are they gonna tell the child...

;) You'll see. Read on.

The night, in the event, showed the stars handsomely. The three women , having cleared the men out of the house for the evening, gathered on the roof with Galadria's apprentice, Sefa, a curly-headed former street waif whose magical prowness was beginning to flower. Indeed, Sefa thought that she was ready to take a place in the Ceremony, but Galadria had judged the time unripe. She still stumbled on some of the more intricate chants, and the last thing that the dark mage wanted to do was to offend the Goddess at this critical juncture.
As usual, they all stripped naked and cleansed themselves. Chorania watched covertly as Noemi washed her sister's back. Was there just a suspicion of a bulge in her usually flat stomach? Maybe not. It was early days, yet. She allowed her gaze to wander over the nighttime panorama of Baldur's Gate, knowing that their nakedness was perfectly unapparant to any watching eyes. For, from the outside, the house appeared to be surmounted by an enormous dome of the same stone as the house, which was in reality a force field, impenetrable to any but the strongest magics and to no physical force whatsoever.
When they had finished, they seated themselves on the three curiously carved wooden stools arranged around to the altar of Tres, covered with a lovingly embroidered altar cloth with Her holy symbol surrounded by birds, flowers, and mystical symbols. They began the chants, weaving in and out with hymns of praise, thanks, and entreaty.
The goddess Tres, patron of female magics, was at once aware of them. The chants and the smell of incense conveyed to Her the supplicants' hopes, guesses, and fears, and she chose to answer them with a Manifestation.
To Her worshippers, there seemed to come a glow at the center of the altar, which became the head of an inhumanly beautiful woman. Though they surrounded the altar from different vantages, it seemed to each that the Goddess was regarding them, only.
"So, Galadria," the supernatural voice began, "the event that the Gods themselves have awaited has occured, but not as any of us anticipated. The grandchild of Gaetan, which was to have been yours, will be borne by Noemi. And, yet, it is yours, also. Ah, the irony is deep, and the laughter of those Gods and Goddesses friendly to you has rung down the halls of heaven.
"Know, child of Gaetan, that the moment has come, as was prophesied, for yours and Noemi's parentage to be revealed to you. Know also, that certain of the gods who are less than kindly disposed to you have been working for long to assure that it would never happen. Gaetan's grandchild, Galadria's child will now enter the stage of mortal life. Her name, it should be told to you, is Uriel. Her soul is as old as your own. Guard her well, for many hopes are residing in her.
"Noemi, I am particularly pleased with you. The love that you bear your sister is so great that it has managed to leap beyond the bounds of possibility to cause this miracle to be. I know that you are not ashamed of loving her, and so it should be. It is too great a thing to hide under a bushel. Continue to love her, for therein lies your salvation. No one loves you or will love you as much as she does. She has a husband, but I tell you now that you two are far more closely attuned, and so this has happened.
"Chorania, I leave you to third, but not because of unimporance. Your fate, too, is closely bound with this child. I must tell you that you are as central to Uriel attaining her destiny as any here. Your race has a longer life than these others, and you are relatively young for an elf. Remember that, and meditate upon it.
"And, finally, Sefa, do not think that I have not seen you here. I have a task for you, also. There will come a time when all seems lost, the dark will surround you, and only you can guide Uriel to safety. Remember this, and all may yet be well."
The Goddess ceased speaking, and seemed likely to disappear, but Galadria blurted out, "Mistress, tell me one thing. Gaetan is known to me only as a shadowy figure in the early stories of the Realms. What can You tell me about my father, and why He had mortal progeny?"
The beautiful lips seemed to smile. "Galadria, Gaetan is part and parcel of all magic. He supplies the beauty of it, the mystical and the eternal. He is my father, too, so I may bid you, for the first time, Hail!, mortal sibling! He hates the ugly part of magic, the crabbed sorcerer, the insane necromancer, the sacrifice, the torture. Blood on the grass at midnight is anathema to Him. Where did you think yours and Noemi's lovely magic comes from? But, about him no more is permitted to be said. The rest, I leave to your own researches. So, again, I bid you hail and farewell, sisters." The figure vanished
The erstwhile celebrants exchanged amazed glances. Noemi broke the silence as she patted her abdomen. "Well," she stated whimsically, "my own child, and my only one by the look of it, and I don't even get to name her. Uriel! Pretty enough, though I'm sure that I would have chosen differently." She looked down at her belly fondly. "Hello, little Uriel. I am sure that I love you already. What color hair will you have, red or black? Or, maybe, something not like Gal or I?" She then focussed on her sister. "Gal, what in the world are we going to tell Attalus? Or, rather, you? Because I sure am not going to. He can always tell when I'm lying, but maybe you will have better luck."
Galadria smiled in reply. "Em, I have no intention of lying to Attalus. I shall simply tell him the truth, that you are pregnant, and are unable to marry the father. All you shall need to do is refuse to answer any questions. He will never guess the whole truth. Indeed, I can hardly credit it, myself."
Chorania shook her head in frustration. "Once again, we are involved in the affairs of the gods. Truth to tell, I should have rather that they settle their problems among themselves without involving us poor mortals. But, that seems to be what gods are for, because what use are sheep herders without sheep? Uriel! A name of omen, methinks. But, this means no adventuring for a while. Did you hear what Tres said about gods that do not love us? One or two names suggest themselves. We need to have a care for the next few months, and I shall redouble my prayers and wards. The Vigilant One shall have no peace from His humble servant, in my implorings for His aid."
"Indeed, Cho," Galadria responded, "we shall all pray for the aid of whatever gods that are inclined to help us. Tres mentioned that, also. Well, goodnight, all. I am going to send for Cyth and Odo. They will want, and need, to know as quickly as possible."

Just to support what Mouse said - not to discourage your creativity, Galadria, but please be aware of your audience here and err on the side of CAUTION when deciding if something should be published here. Just because something doesn't contain offensive language does not mean that it is suitable for the age brackets that visit here.

We're pretty openminded and relaxed here, but there are limits - and we expect our members to be tactful enough to know what those are.

Cheers. [img]smile.gif[/img]

keep posting, ;) interesting read.

Okay, OKAY Memsy. Geez, I did what Mouse said did't I? And, as far as I can tell, my "audience" consists of my dear Calaethis, who is the only reason I am posting this. Some more, all suitable for all ages.

So, they all retired to their own rooms, but not necessarily for sleep. Galadria, for her part, went directly to her study and drew forth from the drawers and shelves many curious articles, books, and scrolls. She, not Chorania, she grimly thought, was responsible for the safety of this house and its inhabitants, all dear to her, including the newest one. Not only by prayers to various fickle godlets did they sleep in safety, night after night. She began renewing wards and protection spells, including one curious one that was whispered to her by a dying gnomish wizard, that kept the whole house free of spiders.
Noemi tossed and turned for a bit, then put her clothes back on and went out into the hall. Galadria and Attalus' bedroom door was ajar, and a quick peek showed the bedclothes to be undisturbed. She went on downstairs and, as she suspected she would, saw lights in her sister's study, and heard her voice chanting some spell. She went soundlessly in, so as not to disturb her.
She was rewarded with the sight of Galadria standing before her great table, a spellbook open in front of her, making cabalistic passes and uttering phrases in some harsh language unfamiliar to her. When that spell was concluded, she felt a curious tingling, and concluded rightly that she was being protected from something. The dark mage closed that grimorie and picked up another. Noemi slipped into her favorite chair, and her sister, alerted by the movement, turned to her.
"Well, Em," she said rather shortly, "I see that you can't sleep, either. Why don't you run to the kitchen and get us something to drink. I am going to be here for a while, yet, and my throat is rather dry, already."
"Okay, Gal," she chirped as she stood back up. "Why don't you let me send for Sefa, so that we can both concentrate on spells?"
Galadria actually smiled at that. As usual, her sister's mere presence had lightened her mood. When she wanted to, Noemi could be a joy to have around, distracting her from the often dark areas that her magic took her to. She could also be annoyingly clingy, but right now she was doing her best to be pleasant. "All right, Em," she responded. " I think that there are a couple that I can trust you with."
"Just a couple?" Noemi's face fell. She pretended to pout. "I know that I could have done that one that you just finished."
One corner of Galadria's wide, mobile mouth went up. "Oh. So? Tell me what it was for before I allow myself to believe you."
Noemi writhed a little. "Well, it was ...directed at me...and was for ...protection from...disease?"
Her sister's grin widened. "Close," she answered. "It was a protection over everyone in the house from fire. Now, run along, Em, and bring Sefa if you want. I still have to ward the place from lightning, poison, and cold. Also, I want a new golem for the front hall. The way things are now, anybody could just charge right in."
Noemi grinned back at her and skipped on out. She was rather repining having to build another golem in the middle of the night, but she was looking forward to spending the time with Galadria. Sefa's room was just a flight of steps away, and she pounded on the door. The girl was slow to answer, and when she finaly did, her puffy eyes and disheveled hair told her that she had not been so troubled by the events of the evening as to interfere with her sleeping. Her grin widened. "Wakey, wakey, Sefa," she said mockingly. "Your Mistress is awake, so her apprentices can't be slugabeds. Run down to the kitchen and get us some lemonade." Her stomach gave a grumble. "Oh, and what's left of that cake that Lania made for dessert." Lania was the cook.
Sefa made a face at her. "Em, now that you are preggers, you're going to have to watch your diet. You'll get as wide as the dome, if you're not careful."
"Hey, let's have a little respect for the bearer of the divine child," Noemi responded lightly. "Now, scat. I need to get my spellbook, so that I can at least pretend to keep up with your Mistress."
Sefa went over to a hook on the wall and took down her recently discarded clothes. As she was pulling them over her head, her muffled voice came out. "Lady Galadria says that if you studied as much as she did, you'd be a great sorceress. You just need to apply yourself."
Noemi answered loftily, "I am not lazy. I merely spend my time reflecting on philosophy, rather than grinding away at books. I leave all of that to your Mistress, who is much better at it than I."
Sefa's curly head and rosy cheeks emerged from the collar of the garment, a black robe apparantly purchased in imitation of her adored Mistress. She gave the redheaded philosopher a reproving look. "You should help her more than you do. She has all of this, all of us on her shoulders. If you lent more of a hand, she maybe could get to sleep at a decent hour and eat more."
"She eats enough," Noemi answered mildly, "but Tres knows I wish that she'd sleep more. Anyway, I am helping her tonight, so get your little butt down to the kitchen. And, you should know that Gal has sent for Cyth and Odo, so you had better find something to wear besides that old robe. Black doesn't suit you, anyway. Get something in blue or maroon."

Audience only Calaethis? *sulks*
8sulks some more*
*still sulking*
Okay, that got boring. Very good, if I do say so meself :D
I'd be shocked if the stories in the magasines passed around in my French class weren't worse [img]graemlins/uhoh1.gif[/img]

LOL, don't feel bad, Kaltia, I'm here, too. I admit that I'm prety unshockable.

But, didn't she kind of have to explain HOW Noemi got pregnant?

Indeed she did. *nods wisely*. Atty-boy, WHERE is YOUR story or am I stupid enough to miss it? Yes, that's YOU at the BACK of the CLASS-ROOM, trying to hide behind GALADRIA. I can still SEE you! OWN up! Where's that STORY?

what the hell?! I posted a reply on here... wheres it gone?! :@ grrrrrr. I KNOW I posted a reply. BAH! BANE, BHAAL AND SHEVARASH! erm excuse me, just SLIGHTLY irrated that my post dissapeared. It went something like this:

aww, I'm sure Im not the only one who reads this, (lol, which has proven to be true,) then I said something about Kat reading it too, erm... mentioned something sentimental about being called "my dear Calaethis" and something else in jest about being family. tsk, its annoying when this happens. If I seem just a little annoyed its coz I just got up. [img]tongue.gif[/img] I went to bed for three hours in the afternoon - was feeling V tired. lol, erm, anyway, please keep posting. ;)

[ 10-25-2002, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Kaltia, my story, is here: Veldren's Hunt. CD, I have had that happen, before. Very annoying. I'll get her to post when she gets back from the store. ;)

[ 10-25-2002, 02:23 PM: Message edited by: Attalus ]

lol, its more annoying coz, I erm, cant really remember what I said... lol. if I did I could just retype it... [img]tongue.gif[/img] well, it was SOMETHING sentimental about being called "my dear Calaethis" [img]tongue.gif[/img] and something about being part of the family... tsk, annoying no. ;) lol. Altho, I wasnt toooo cheeky *grin* I didn't call her "mommy" or anything... now theres a thought.. lol. hehe, tell her (please, must remember to be poliet ;) ), if she doesnt see this Att, that erm. hmm, er. "Dear 'Mother's' story just keeps on getting better" *grin* no, its not flattery, honest (A).

Thank you Calaethis. *Pats cheek* Kaltia, I didn't forget you, but you hadn't posted yet, dear. Some more:

"Lady Cythera bought me my black cloak with the scarlet trim, thank you very much," Sefa answered haughtily, "and she knows a lot more about clothes than you do." She stuck her tongue out at her fellow apprentice and scooted away.
Still chuckling, Noemi went to her room and retrieved her spellbook. She noted with guilt that it was very dusty and covered with sheets filled with her attempts at poetry.
Maybe Sefa was right, she thought. I do need to study more. But then she remembered that she was pregnant and had to take care of herself.
When she got back to the study, Sefa was already there with the refreshments. Galadria was drinking a glass of lemonade, so she poured herself one and also helped herself to cake. Sefa was rubbing her eye and beginning to eye the cake herself. "Go ahead, Sefa," the dark mage told her, indicating the plate. "We are going to be here for awhile, and you'll need the energy. Besides, it will keep Em from hogging it."
Noemi made a protesting sound. "Hey, you two are ganging up on me. Little Uriel is hungry, and its time for her 2 A.M. feeding is all. A pregnant woman has to eat for two, you know." She hurriedly got herself another slice. "That first one was hers, and now this is for me." She sighed. "We mommies have to think of our babies first."
Her sister rolled her eyes. "Sefa, I think that we are going to be hearing a lot of this, so we had better get used to it." They all laughed and buckled to. The sun was rising before Galadria was satisfied, and Noemi was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

Since that last one was short (end of a file) I thought that I would post some more.

The next day, Galadria's husband Attalus came home. He was changing in the bedroom for his daily drill with his great sword Corhydras when his wife came in and sat down on the bed. "Sweetie," she said gravely, "there's big news. Em's pregnant."
Attalus, a blonde giant of a man, stopped in the act of pulling on the quilted shirt that he wore under armor. He stared at her with mouth slightly agape. "Pregnant? Em? How...I mean who? Who is the father? I wasn't even aware that she had a boyfriend. Is...is there to be a wedding? I'll need to meet him. I'm the closest thing she has to a brother." He was frowning terrifically.
Galadria didn't dare smile, but she thought that it would take a very special man for Attalus to approve of as a husband for Noemi. Aloud, she said, "It was just a spur of the moment, one time thing. I don't think that she thinks that he would be a suitable husband. In any case, she is quite determined not to get married, anyhow. She wants to have the child here, and continue to live with us. Is that all right with you?"
Her husband 's expression changed to a look of outrage. "Of course, it's all right. Do you think that I would want to shove Noemi out, my friend and comrade, just because she made a mistake? No! Indeed, I insist that she stay. You and I will make a good aunt and uncle, and I promise that the child shall want for nothing." His face cleared as he realised that nothing was to change, and that the happy life that they were on the whole were leading in the House of the Dome would go on as it had been, with only a small addition. He nodded at her in finality, finished dressing and went down to the gymnasium, whistling softly.
As soon as he disappeared in the stairwell, Noemi came rushing in from where she had been tensely listening in her room. She warmly embraced her sister and said, "You did it, Gal! And without a single lie. No wonder you and he get along so well. You always know just what to say."

Brilliant! [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Keep posting...I'll love you forever!

Lady G, "mother", please dont pat my cheek, *finches* its slightly disturbing, *looks around nervously* lol, besides, *grin* ever since you smacked me at that wedding thing, I've kinda been nervous of you *grin* so for the sake of my nerves, I'd appreciate it if you didn't pat me. *grin* well, maybe on the top of my head but... erm, I'm only jesting btw. *grin, smile* great work, please post some more? thanks.

Galadria smiled happily in reply. "Well, to start out, you literally can't lie to Attalus. He can always tell. So, I worked out that speech in advance. I was afraid that he would insist on fighting your lover, but I should have known that he wouldn't want to harm the father of your child. Now if Odo will just get here and distract him before he gets to thinking about it and asking questions..."
Luckily, Odo and Cythera arrived the next day. They were longtime friends who had shared many of their adventures, but they preferred to live at their estate in the country, Rosetree. Odo was a short, dark-haired man with a pleasant smile that belied his hugely developed muscles. He had a grip that would crack rocks, Attalus used to say after one of his handshakes. Cythera was petite and blonde, lovely in a dark yellow silk dress that enhanced her peaches-and-cream complexion. Their arrival, as usual, was boisterously welcomed with much embracing and kissing among the women. Odo and Attalus, after suitable greetings were exchanged, slipped off to the basement to have a glass of wine and a private word.
"So," the stocky man offered as Attalus poured the wine, "little Em is pregnant, eh? And won't say who the father is? Oh, well, it's probably for the best. If he's not man enough to stick around and care for his child, he can't be worth much."
Attalus handed his friend a brimming beaker of a golden wine from Calimsha. "My feelings exactly," he responded. "If Noemi wants to raise her child alone, well, there is no better place than here. But I told Gal that I don't want her to get too involved or attached. After all, Noemi might just decide to take off with this fellow if he changes his mind. Gal is in a rare taking, though. It seems like becoming an aunt is the biggest thing in the world."
Odo looked at the blonde giant quizzically. "Of course, Gal is excited. It's her only sister, and Helm knows that they're close enough. Cythera was just wild when she got that lettter. Nothing would do but we had to pack up and leave right away. Women look at these things differently, old boy." He took a deep drink of his wine. "Ah, that definitely helps the situation. I've been dry for the last ten miles, but Cyth wouldn't hear of stopping at an inn, with us so close. She just had to get here. You and I had better make ourselves scarce for the next little while. They'll be talkiung all sorts of momma-and-baby things. Cyth has already brought some things for the nursery."
Attalus grunted. "They won't even know that we have gone. Come on, I've got a new horse that I want you to see."

Galadria led the women to the roof, where they relaxed on couches and shared the news excitedly. Cythera immediately cornered Noemi. "So, love, tell me everything. Who was this man that got you pregnant? You must have told me a dozen times that you weren't interested in having children. He must have been something special to sweep you off your feet like that. And, where is he? Is he such a coward that he can't face your family and friends? Odo wanted to find him and give him a beating, but I told him not to be ridiculous."
Noemi was blushing and squirming under this questioning. "Well, Cyth, it was kind of a one night stand. I was feeling needy, and he was right there." She shot a look at Galadria, who was closely listening. "He was awfully cute," she went on, with a sigh, "So tall, dark, and handsome. I'm sure that he would have swept anyone off her feet, as you say."
Galadria looked at her sister crossly. "Oh, hush up, Em. Cyth has to know." she turned to her blonde friend. "Cyth, through some means that we can't understand, this baby is both mine and Noemi's. We held a ceremony, and Tres confirmed it. Oh, and also, we finally found out who our father is...."
Cythera broke in with a puzzled look on her lovely face.. "What do you mean, both of yours? How can that be? You are both women. You say that Tres confirmed it? What happened, anyway?"
Galadria started to answer, but her sister cut in. "Let me answer that, Gal. It was all my doing. Cyth, about two months ago, I woke up from a nightmare, you know the ones, I've told you about them. I was a prisoner again, and Smaractus was gloating over me. He told me that Gal was dead, and that I would never be free, because nobody else cared enough to rescue me. I woke up crying and trembling, so I went and got Gal to lie down with me. She was nice, as usual, and did. And, as you know, I turned up pregnant.
"And all she did was touch you?" Cythera cried in disbelief, "How is that? Cho, what do you think?" she asked the drow priestess, who had been listening with sardonic amusement.
"M'zint to, " she answered in her throaty voice, "I only can think that it was Noemi's magic and great love that reached out through the physical contact and took something from my Mistress that quickened her. What, I cannot guess. But, as was said, the Goddess confirmed it. And, She said that the child would be a girl, as might have been suspected, and was a long-awaited child of prophecy. It had been said that the child would be Galadria's, but Tres hinted that some malign influence had been preventing the child's being borne in her womb. Prophecies indeed have strange ways around efforts to keep them off."

[ 10-25-2002, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Galadria ]

COOL! *hugs* Thanks Galadria, sweetie [img]smile.gif[/img]
Now I'm off to maim Aerie with a monkey wrench.

LOL kat, you're absulotly right tho, it IS good. ;) lol, erm after this, I'm gonna go maim erm.. Sarevok with a longsword. [img]tongue.gif[/img] (installed BG1 again... missed wittle Immy, didnt miss her voice... is there no way to change that?), heh, please keep posting Lady G. ;)

Thank you both very much. Kaltia, what is this about Aerie? Another installment.

"Malign influences?" Cythera looked horrified. "Whatever could those be? Gods of some kind? Sorcery? And what is this prophecy, anyhow? I've never heard of it."
Galadria answered somberly, "The only trace of it that I have found is in an old book that I was reading the very night that this thing happened." She got out the book and read the passage again:

For, make no mistake, when divine essence calls to its like, it will not be denied, be the walls ever so high and the guards fierce and vigilant. The product of this union shall prosper, never mind all the world and heaven arrayed against it. The lord's two daughters shall witness a marvel the like the land has never seen. Woe be unto its foes, be they never so strong or well-meaning at first, they shall inevitably turn to evil at the last, and end the end, for naught.

When she had finished, Cythera took the book and read the passage for herself, wrinkling her smooth forehead in concentration. She looked meaningfully at Galadria when she had finished. "Well," she offered cautiously, "at least that sounds encouraging. I certainly never heard of this before. Where did you get this book, anyway?"
Galadria shrugged. "In the attic of a deserted mansion that we were exploring. You remember, that time that we were looking for the Overlord of Gennara's kidnapped dancing girl. At the time, I was just attracted by the obvious age of it, and the sense of power that I felt. Don't you feel it, too?"
Cythera, who was also a mage, examined the volume again. "It's harder to tell in your study, with all this magic around, but yes, now that you mention it, it does have an aura. So, that was what I saw you packing away. I thought to ask you of it at the time, but we got so busy that I forgot. Do you think that your reading that passage triggered Em's nightmare? And her seeking you out, and...whatever happened after that? Well, anyway, there doesn't seem to be much that we can do except wait and be vigilant. I did notice that a huge amount of wards and protections were in place. And that new golem in the front hall. You have been busy." She looked with concern at her friend, who seemed thinner than usual, with circles under her eyes. Noemi, in contrast, was fairly glowing with health, her green eyes sparkling; she kept breaking into a smile for no apparent reason.
"You need to rest a little, Gal" she added, kindly. "Now that I'm here, I can take a little of the load off of you. It won't help the baby if you collapse. Now, Em, I want to show you what I've brought. This may be a miraculous baby, but it will be a baby nonetheless. I've brought a baby bed and some clothes..." They all went outside to examine the trove.

A few days later when things had settled down a little and Odo and Cythera firmly installed, Chorania was enjoying a little evening stroll in the garden when she became aware of a lute playing. She peeked into a summer-house whence it seemed to come, and saw Noemi sitting on a bench, watching the sunset and playing on a fine golden-wood instrument. She started to sing:

Oh, black is my true love's hair, so fine,
It ripples when the wind doth blow.
It seems to wave like the water of Lethe
Wherever that river might flow.

I took from that hair a jeweled pin
And placed it within my breast.
It prickles and sparkles like my love
And never will let me rest.

Chorania was rather surprised, as Noemi's singing voice, as she remembered it, had not been the best, but it seemed to have acquired a plaintive note, and a deeper shade that caused it to throb with emotion. Well, she knew that pregnancy worked on one's emotions, so maybe this was a by-product. She plopped down next to the singer, to her evident surprise, and, perhaps, a shade of annoyance.
"So, Noemi," she said jovially, "I didn't know that you sang and played the lute. Still waters, eh? As much as you talk, I would have expected to hear of this. But, why so sad a tune? You have all of your wish: a child with your beloved. You should be full of joyous music, like a dance."
Noemi's eyes sparked and her lower lip went out. "Oh, Cho, just leave me alone. I don't have everything that I desire, and you know it." A tear trembled at the rim of her left eyelid.
The drow woman put her arm around her friend and squeezed her fiercely. "And who of us does, m'zint to? What would you have? You could be dead, or a prisoner, or a slave. You could be ill of some disease. And what are you? You are young, strong and beautiful, pregnant with a child of destiny. You live in a fine house with your beloved sister, let alone my humble self, who by the way is very glad to live here with you. So, be happy."
The little redhead bowed her blazing poll. "I know, Cho, all that is true. But, sometimes, some places, like here and now, I just get to feeling a little sorry for myself. The music helps, so let me alone. I just want to be melancholy for a while. I promise, at dinner, I shall be better."
Chorania released her and looked at her squarely. "Noemi," she said carefully, "I know that you have had a terrible time, in your past, but this should be a great blessing to you. What do you really want out of your sister? She cannot live with you openly as your lover. In the first place, she doesn't want to. You should respect her wishes. What else? You want to sleep with her every night? I know that she cuddles with you whenever you are having a bad time of it, so that should make you happy. To judge what you and she have told me about the making of this baby, she finally did make love to you, though I do not think with passion, at least on her part. So, stop pressuring her and giving her sad looks. She has enough to think about without worrying about whether you are happy all of the time."
"Oh, Cho," the little redhead responded, "I am very happy about being pregnant, and living here. But you will have to admit that there is something sad in a love that will never be acknowleged. The music lets me express it, and, in a way, come to terms with it. How did you like the song? I wrote it, you know."
"I guessed it, m'zint to," Chorania responded with a fond smile, "And, yes I liked the song very much. Do not assume that your love will never be acknowleged. Life can do strange things, as who more than me should know, exile from my native land. If you were to have come up to me one year before I met you and your sister and said, 'Priestess, a few years from now, you shall be living on the Surface with a human family who treats you better than your family or your people ever did, so do not feel so bad,' I would have laughed, bitterly, for I hated my life in those days. Every day was a trial, a task to go through, a part to play that was not me. And now, I awake in the morning with a song in my heart, if not on my lips, like you. So many friends to greet, so many agreeable things to do. I am happy, and I want you to be. So, I shall leave you, and see you at dinner. Remember, you are to be sparkling and gay, to lift the heart of my Mistrss and friend, as is only right. Farewell!"
Noemi waved at her departing back. Despite herself, she was smiling again, and this time she did play a little happy tune. Cho! , she thought with a little chuckle. At dinner that night she had the whole table aroar with sillliness and witty sallies, and slept very well that night, with no dreams.

WOoo, keep on going!
Galadria, the Aerie thing: Since i resurrected the Anti-Anomen society some poeple have been making societies of their own; the "Pro-Aerie" society (I HATE her, I prefer NPCs with MORE character than a soggy pancake) and the "Pro-Mazzy" society.

lol, so, you dont like the pethetic, annoying, sad, erm... little elf known as Aeire? [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehe. I think shes funny, but then my sense of humor can be serverly warped at times. [img]tongue.gif[/img] anyway, thats besides the point *grin* could you post more please Lady G?

LOL, <font color=lavender>Galadria</font> accidentally killed Aerie last time we played. She accidentally hit the dialog option "Die, monster," Aerie "went red" and she killed her before she could do anything about it. Actually, I rather like Aerie, though I never include her in my party.

heheheheh. funny, are you quite sure it was accidental? [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehe. lol, still I wish they'd made her less whiny, or there was an option to let Jaheria take her in hand..or Viccy or someone... lol. I personally think she deserves a good slapping at times.. but thats just me. *grins*

:grimace: Yes, that is true, I was guilty of Aerie-cide. One hit with Gram, the Sword of Grief, and I did like 56 HP of damage. Scratch one Aerie. Then, they wouldn't let me re-load. Seriously, I'm staying away from the BGII forum. You just say the same thing, over and over again. Some more:

Meanwhile, a meeting in the city of Halruua was taking place. High in a tower, a circle of robed mages was conferring. One had risen, and was addressing the group. His name was Bandicut, and he was a relatively young, though hideously ugly man Almost the whole of his face was covered with a port-wine stain birthmark, and to add to that , three warts adorned his left cheek.
"So, my lords, you see that my researches have shown that the next disturbance in the balance of forces has been located. It resides in Baldur's Gate, and is very powerful. Some signs seem to show that it is a living entiety, though the omens are strangely ambiguous about this. It is my recommendation that we should send an emissary to that city at once to locate it and if at all possible, acquire it for our use. The Red Wizards of Thay have been very active of late, and if they should procure this powerful thing before us, it could have dire consequences."
The chairman of the council, a sallow man named Roberti the Tamed compressed his mouth at the mention of the city of Baldur's Gate. "Perhaps, Bandicut," he rasped, "you are unaware of the difficulties that we have experienced in that city in the past. There dwells in that town one Galadria, a mage of immense power. Once before, we attemped to acquire magical artefacts from there, and we were thwarted by her. She bears the Red Scourge no love, either, though, and probably would not side with either of us."
"Indeed," a mousy little man who seemed to be lost in his robe added, "any envoy would do well to call on this Galadria, and ascertain her attitude in the matter. It seems to me that if a new nexus has indeed arisen, that she would know of it, and perhaps it is in her possession. If we are unaffected, we should not intervene. It seems to me that our last ambassador did not return from that mission, after opposing her."
"Bah," snarled Bandicut. "You elders are grown soft and too cautious. If we indeed have such an opponent, she should have been eliminated, long ago. Who is she to oppose the Mages of Halruaa? She should die, and if she indeed possesses the nexus, it may be taken from her, then. How can you so fear a mere woman?"
The last figure, who had not yet spoken and who went by the name of Corvus the Black, interjected in a suave voice, "Soft, Bandicut? Mere woman? If you were not so young and ignorant, you might have heard tales of this Galadria. It is said that she retains two invincible champions, that she has with her two sorceresses of power scarce inferior to hers. She also is said to live in an enchanted house which is more a living, sentient being than a mere dwelling, and that to set foot in the door meaning ill to her is to die. Her magic is strange, powerful, and difficult to counter, by all accounts. I, for one, shall not oppose her on her own ground, where she would be immensely strong. If she could be lured here... But, why should she? At any rate, since you think that it would be so easy, I recommend to this Council that you be sent. The travel should do you good, and the experience stand you in good stead. If you live." Here, he interjected a sinister chuckle.
It was difficult to tell, but beneath his hideous birthmark, Bandicut might have flushed. "So be it," he cried, "but if I succeed, you may listen better next time."
Without changing his tone in the slightest, Corvus the Black answered, "If there is a next time."

heh, pity Kat went off to play SOA just before you posted Lady G ;) *snigger* scratch one Aeire? [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehehe. poor girl. ah well [img]tongue.gif[/img] I got to eat supper. Be back later ;) keep posting ;) nice work btw.

Have a good dinner, CD. [img]graemlins/wavey.gif[/img] Some more:

So it was that several weeks later, Bandicut found himself riding, heavily cowled, through the main entrance of the city of Baldur's Gate. He was impressed by the sheer size of the place, as well as the numerous crowd of citizens of various races and economic conditions. Here, beggars jostled fat merchants, gaudily-clad courtesans flaunted in front of sober housewives, and nobles with their retinues fought to get to meetings, shops, or parties. Bandicut saw mostly humans, but elves, dwarves, and gnomes all were in evidence. After a quick search, he found lodging at a middling inn called the Bear's Arms, and settled in.
He immediately began casting his location spells, at which he was so adept and were largely responsible for his reaching relatively high at such an early age. The object that he sought immediately became known to him as located to the northwest. Slowly, over the days, he narrowed his search and finally was convinced that the object that he sought was located in a moderately-sized stone house with a dome in the Ramparts section of the city. Cautious inquiry revealed that it was the dwelling of one Sir Attalus and his mage-wife, Galadria. Bandicut swore under his breath.

That night, Galadria, reading in her study late, as usual, was startled to see her drow chaplain at the door. "Mistress, I mean abbil," Chorania hissed urgently. Galadria had told her long ago to continue addressing her with that honorific, which in Drow meant "trusted friend," but, when stressed, she sometimes forgot. Galadria's answering look of amusement was wiped away by the next sentences. "I have had a dream of Helm. He warns us, there will be an attempt on Noemi. Be prepared," she said urgently.
The dark mage waved her hand to the couch opposite. "Cho, calm down," she replied reasonably. "What did Helm say, exactly? Try hard, you must recall and tell me."
Chorania sat rigidly on the indicated seat. She thought hard, and after a while, she said slowly, "In my dream, I was walking around in the dark. I was lost, like when I first came to the surface. Suddenly, I became afraid, and it started to storm. There was a flash of lightning, and Lord Helm appeared before me, just like He did downstairs." It had been in the basement laboratory that the Avatar of Helm had appeared, and saved her from an assault of the Drow Spider Goddess, Lolth.
"He turned his face on me, abbil," Chorania continued, "and spoke. He said, 'Hear me, O Chorania, my priestess. Thy prayers are now answered, and I tell you now that the woman that you have prayed so earnestly for is in danger. One from the west seeks her and her child. He is dangerous. Watch and ward ceaselessly.' Then, He disappeared. That is all, my deliverer. What are we to do?"
Galadria answered grimly, "Watch and ward, Helm said. That, we shall do. In his attempts to scale the wall of spells that we have woven, our enemy shall make himself known. Then, our stroke must be hard. Do not worry, Cho, but do be vigilant. We must leave no gap in our walls for this rat to creep through."

heh, thanks, dinner was nice-ish [img]tongue.gif[/img] lol. post some more? ;)

Woo, go galadria! Hope (the character) galadria leaves enough of this upstart laddy to make a message :D

LOL; no, it'd be more fun to let Sefa spank him.... ;)

Sefa will have reason to, as you will soon see. ;) . Don't throw things, she will post in a minute.

Now, Attalus, don't you be giving away my plot.

The drow muttered, "Yet, rats have ways of getting through walls, abbil, that is why they are always around."
"Yes," Galadria replied, "and that is why people still have cats."

After a few months had passed, Noemi began to show, and finally was forced to abandon her usual clothing for something less closely-fitted. Galadria and Cythera took her on a tour of the city's shops, looking for the most flattering garments, and Sefa, always eager to see new things, tagged along. A street urchin, bribed for the purpose, saw the party sally forth, and rushed to the Beaars Arms, the inn where Bandicut was staying.
Thunderous knocking on his door startled the Halruuan mage as he was intently peering into his crystal. He had repeatedly tried to glimpse the interior of the House of the Dome, but had always been foiled by the wards that Galadria and Cythera had placed around the house and his occupants. He had been forced to admit that whoever had placed those protections had been no mean magician. He rose irritably to answer the door. Seeing the lad, he snapped, "I have no need of amusement right now. Tell your master to try again tomorrow, and with a comlier boy."
The waif showed his teeth in a mirthless smile. "I be none of your fancy-boys, wizard," he replied, "but I bear ye tidings that you have said that ye would pay for. The Lady Galadria is abroad, with some of her women. Pay me now, and I'll be gone." The wizard having paid a small gold coin, the urchin bit it, found it good, and pocketed his grudging wage. He strolled off, but, just as Bandicut was about to close his door, he shouted, "Much good may it do ye! She'll have yer guts for garters, if such as ye come to blows with her." He sprinted around the corner before Bandicut could hurl a spell.
Bandicut, swearing, went back to his crystal and at last located the little party in a shop, bargaining for cloth. He noted the blonde mage who was critically fingering some brocade, and the curly-headed girl in black leather, but the others were curiously indistinct. With effort, he saw the tall, slim woman in black with a quiet rumble of power about her, and correctly identified her as Galadria, but the last was a total blank, seen only as a void in the area of seeing. Curious, he muttered a spell of clarity, and at once the scene in the crystal changed to an enraged drow woman.

Throw things? ME?! lol. Dont be mean Ratty Boy [img]tongue.gif[/img] hehehe. okok, dont look at me like that, I'll behave. Honest (A). lol. I dont want to give "mother" any more reasons/excuses to smack me... *hides* please post some more...?

All right, but this is all for today. ;)

Chorania, for it was she, shouted, "Who are you, mageling, and why are you spying on us?" Bandicut felt himself held rigidly facing the crystal. Chorania smiled a knowing smile. "So, a mage of Halruua, is it? Why do you little pests meddle with my Mistress? Lucky you are that she is not at home, or she would fry you with a thought. That is how you were able to get as far as you did. Too bad that I cannot hold you until she gets back, or you would be dead, even so. Go, and hope that I don't find you." The contact broke, and Bandicut slumped back in the chair, sweating. Who were these people? For the first time in years, the wizard felt a prickling of fear. A drow priestess! Galadria must be mighty, indeed, to tame one of those. As he hurriedly packed for a quick change in residence, he realised that a change in tactics might be in order.

Chorania turned aside from the scrying bowl that she had been using to overlook her friends. Galadria would have to be told that the opposition was already mobilising. Why it was that the Mages of Halruaa were interested in Noemi, she did not know, but she had at once been aware of him when his spell triggered her Mistress' anti-magic ward that she had constantly maintained over her sister since the tidings had been announced. She began searching for the wizard on her own account. A face that ugly should be easy, she thought. Pity she had no more clue than that.
When Galadria got home, she was jolted by the drow's report that one of the Mages of Halruaa was spying on them and had tried to pierce the magical veil that she had placed over Noemi. "But, the spell worked?" she asked Chorania anxiously, "You saw him?"
"Indeed, abbil," Chorania answered readily, "and it was a face that one is unlikely to forget. Hideously birthmarked, with a trio of warts on the left cheek, just to be sure he could be as ugly as he could manage, I suppose. Among the drow, such a one would have been sacrificed to Lolth at birth."
"Well," the dark mage replied with fierce determination., "if I catch him, he will have cause to wish that he had been. I shall roast him over a slow fire."
"Easy, abbil," Chorania soothed her. "Do not waste your energies. We do not know why he is spying on us, though I feel as you, that it is for some ill purpose and that it involves Noemi. Let us do a little spying on our own account. Sefa!"
The girl, who had been an entranced eavesdropper, started guiltily. "What, Lady Chorania?" she said, and blushed.
"Sefa," Chorania complained, "I have told you to call me Cho, as everyone does. You still retain some contacts among the street children, do you not?"
"Yes, Cho."
"Then," the drow instructed her, "go out among them. See if this extraordinary individual has been seen around here. Find out what you can; his name, if possible."

Sefa, excited to have such an imporant mission, started getting ready immediately, with all the energy of youth. Noemi, seeing her scramble about to change her clothes after such a long and, to her, tiring shopping trip grumbled about how old she was getting and how Sefa would be better put to use rubbing her, Noemi's, swollen feet. Chorania and Cythera laid her onto a couch in Galadria's study, and Chorania insisted on massaging the put upon feet with an ointment that she said was drow in origin. As she had expected, this artful addition had the little redhead chattering happily about the Underdark and their adventures there, her feet and Sefa forgotten for the moment. Chorania, though she seemed to be bantering with Noemi, was really remembering the time, not long hence, when Noemi had sat upon this very couch and cleansed her blistered and battered feet when she had first returned to the House of the Dome. She smiled to herself as she rubbed the soothing ointment into the fair skin, slipping her anointed fingers in and out of the pink toes.
As soon as it was nightfall, Sefa slipped out of the side entrance and slid through the shadowy streets. She ended up in the slums, teeming with life and danger. Watching the predatory figures all around, Sefa put her hand for an instant on the protective amulet that, if grasped a certain way, would bring her help. She headed for her old home, and in a short time, was within the dank house whose basement housed many slum children. At once, she began inquiries with her former acquaintances until, on the fourth or fifth try, she struck gold.

Thanks you for posting Lady G. Good morning all. [img]tongue.gif[/img] A new day... at least over here kinda. Stupid time thingys, putting the clocks an hour back... it actually means I got up an hour early *gasp* *grin* *sigh* I got up "early" today anyway... for what should have been 9, in actual fact is 8! *gasp* its just.... unnatural *grin* lol. Sorry, I should moan so much *grin* Ah but I speak in jest. Post some more please Lady G?