A Wedding Dance
The soft calling of a wood thrush permeated the trees, leaves rustling in the bouts of wind. A gentle cold settled itself over the forest as a pair of silhouetted figures stepped silently through the underbrush, a large feline form pouncing from bush to bush behind the duo. The sounds of the forest babbled around them, the shaking and creaking of trees, the soft flowing of a river, bushes shifting as a stray raccoon or cat happened to slip through, following the two like a parade. A daunting mountain stood before them, a staircase vaulting upwards, on and on, adornments of flowers and arches of vine-wrapped stone following the stairway. The two ascended, step by step, with a soft patter of bare feet on smooth stone. Overhead rushed a flock of birds, chirping and whistling, a fanfare to herald the arrival of Estel's children. Step by step, until at last they reached the top. A flat mountaintop, stones standing upright encircling the smooth pool in the center of the platform. A soft trickle of water, the two stepped foot onto the surface of the pool, ripples flooding outwards, the pink flowers bobbing up and down as the couple walked forwards, their feet gliding over the surface of the water as they came to stand before the gently falling waterfall, staring out at the horizon just as the sun began to offer its light to the world once more.
The first ray of light broke through the fog in the valley below, illuminating the first of the two. A woman, white hair cascading down her back as if liquid itself, large pointed antlers reaching skyward from her head.. Brightly shone her dress of blues and silvers, long flowing fabrics adorning her figure, falling down off her wrists and down to the ankles. A crown of flowers rested atop her head, feathers arcing back from behind her ears and with beads, bells, and flowers hanging from her dress.
Beside her stood a man, similarly with large antlers, birds perched atop his pointed rack. His long brown hair fell in gentle curls around his head and his blue eyes locked on the horizon even as he reached for his lover's hand. His own form obscured slightly by the long billowing fabrics hanging from him, blues and purples falling from his arms and waist, with his chest bare. Flowers adorned his head and rested peppered amongst the fabrics of his clothing, vibrant violets and pinks, reds and whites shone brightly in the sunlight.
The couple stood upon the surface of the water as the sun continued to rise, before slowly their hands parted and they turned to face one another, each bowing their head to the other. With a silent glance once more the taller Nelfin spoke up;
"Inara." He paused momentarily to draw in a long breath, "Since the day we met we have grown close. We bought a house in Regalia, cared for some of the young ones who had no home to call their own; Wynnin, Kimi'chi… And yet we continued to care for one another, to be there when we needed it most. I never want to give that up." Once more the man paused, filling his lungs with breath before speaking his vow, "I promise to continue to care for you, to value and love you until my final days among Estel's creation. I will be there when you call, whenever you should need me. I will comfort you when sorrow drags you down, carry the burden and the blessing of life alongside you every step of the way." He once more quieted, bowing his head to signify the end of his speech.
Inara lifted her voice then, "Faeranduil. With these hands I will lift you when sorrow grips your heart. Your cup will never be empty, nor the table lacking a feast. I will light your way into darkness as does the light of our Mother. I will love and cherish our time together until my days are up." And once more a dip of the head signaled the end of her speech.
With a soft flick of his hand, Faeranduil lifted a singular floating orb of water from the pool, letting it hover silently before the two. As the two held out a small ladle of silver the orb split into smaller spheres, both effortlessly trailing their way through the air, flowing into the ladle as Fae lifted it to Inara's lips. She took a small sip of the water, before offering the same to her partner. A moment of silence as the two readied themselves and once more spoke, in unison this time.
"Highest praise be unto you, dearest Estel, the All-Mother, whose guidance teaches us lessons of the world,
May you grant us courage to stand by each other through all chapters of life,
May you grant us wisdom to value that which we already have beside ourselves,
May you grant us power to overcome any obstacle that presents itself,
And may you continue in us your lessons of calm and tranquility,
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to great things, and seeking to make the world a place for all races to live in peace"
May you grant us courage to stand by each other through all chapters of life,
May you grant us wisdom to value that which we already have beside ourselves,
May you grant us power to overcome any obstacle that presents itself,
And may you continue in us your lessons of calm and tranquility,
Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to great things, and seeking to make the world a place for all races to live in peace"
As their voices came to a pause a young Cielothar woman stepped her way onto the mountaintop, holding upon a small patch of embroidered fabric, two beaded leather bracelets resting upon it. She tread quietly on bare feet, coming to a stop before the couple as they turned to face her, the sun lighting her from behind, as the couple spoke once more before the priestess.
"We stand today not as two individuals, but as one who is made of more. Let our voices be heard and our hearts judged for their merit.
We, faithful of Estel, do swear our faith, strength, and devotion to her teachings,
To the belief that she, who is greater than all, shaped this world and all who live within it,
We take an oath to the All-Mother, from whom lessons and wisdom flow,
That these lessons shall be passed on to our children, and our children's children, until the day that we pass from this world,
We take an oath that we will uphold the tenets of creation, for the good of creation, and by the will of Estel,
For this, we share our lives, and for this, we stand today as one; bonded together, one heart, one soul, and one body."
We, faithful of Estel, do swear our faith, strength, and devotion to her teachings,
To the belief that she, who is greater than all, shaped this world and all who live within it,
We take an oath to the All-Mother, from whom lessons and wisdom flow,
That these lessons shall be passed on to our children, and our children's children, until the day that we pass from this world,
We take an oath that we will uphold the tenets of creation, for the good of creation, and by the will of Estel,
For this, we share our lives, and for this, we stand today as one; bonded together, one heart, one soul, and one body."
The priestess spoke, "Your words speak the truth, for in them true enlightenment resides. Take pains to keep to your vows, for nothing is as lasting as our Mother."
Each raised their right arm to the sky, just as a gentle rain began to trickle from the sky. The priestess gently slipped the An'ollen onto each Cielothar's arm. With one last pause the duo leaned forwards, pressing their lips together under the falling rain, and the gaze of their All-Mother.
Turning to face the small crowd the duo began the final part of their ceremony, a dance. Faeranduil offered out a hand to his bride, resting his other gently on her hip just as she set her own on his shoulder. A gentle tune began to play, willing the nelfin into motion. Droplets of glittering crystal fell to Earth, sending ripples over the surface of the water. The Cielothars' feet glided softly over the surface of the pool, stepping in a circle, gently turning to the sound of the music. With each note they continued their dance, twirling around just as the wind began to pick up, swirling around the two in a beautiful shower of raindrops and pink petals. The flowers surrounding the pool opening their buds to show their vibrant colors, just as the grass seemed to grow greener, life and vibrancy flooding into the land. Silver lights twinkled in and out of existence around the grove as small critters, birds and mice, ferrets and rabbits poked their heads from their places of rest to observe. With a flick of the wrist Inara spun to the side, gliding over the water, the silver bells upon her dress catching the light just as the soft ringing filled the air. Smiles remained plastered to their faces as the woman twirled back to her love, ending the dance in a low dip as he once more pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, uttering a soft, "Just like when we first met."
"Just like when we met." She reached a hand up to gently touch his cheek, rising to stand upon her own two feet, the wind dying down leaving only the two lovers to embrace, finally one.
