<div style="text-align: left;"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body"> There's a lot going on, mechanically, in this post.  Sorry if it's a little confusing.  But because I didn't want to risk confusing the thread with too many pictures, I put them in spoiler tags.  Feel free to open and close them as you wish.  Also this post has TWO musical ambience tracks.  Open the first one till the break, then close it and open the second for the second half please.<br/><br/>Musical ambiance #1  <br/>http://forest.ambient-mixer.com/witching-hour  </div></div></div><div class="floatright"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Nilari &amp; Anju</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/giP9wMT.jpg) (http://i.imgur.com/qdG9qFS.jpg)</div></div></div><br/><hr/><br/>Rejoining the two ahead, Lunari again took the lead, moving the group a little faster now as the light began to slowly fade.  Just as theforest grew full dark, the group passed came to a break in the trees.  Lunari, her eyes glowing silver looked around then motioned for the group to stay back from the clearing and proceeded ahead forwards.  She was but a few feet in the clearing, the light of the moon now shining down upon her purple skin and lighting her white hair when she called out loudly, “I know you’re watching, I can feel your eyes upon me.  Show yourself if you mean ill or flee, but track us no longer!”<br/><br/>Nirael’s ears picked up the faintest of sounds, barely more than the rustle of wind through the trees.  But suddenly there was movement above their heads.  As quick as he and the two human women could look up, a shape dashed along the trees above them and lept.  It was almost too quick to follow, white and purple blur, spinning in motion with a gleaming stream of silver at the side.  Then the shape landed between Lunari and the group and stood to full height.<br/><br/>An elven woman stood with her back to the group, facing Lunari from only a few feet away.  Her hair as snowy white as Lunari’s though braided into a series of braids, and dressed in a revealing garment of purple and a deep red cape that looked almost black in the night, she held a massive curved katana.  The silvery blade was held loosely in her right hand, but looked to be almost as long as the height of the woman from ground to shoulder.  A part of Nirael’s mind told him that it would be a blade that would require great skill to use, and must be used with both hands.<br/><br/>“Nilari, have you come to challenge us?  Am I not allowed to return home with my companions?  I would not wish to face you in a duel, but I promise you I am a much more adept swordswoman than when last we sparred.”  Lunari said, straightening her back and squaring her shoulders.  Her hands yet remaining neutral, but within easy reach of her inky black loin cloth and the magical gem that summoned her scimitar.<br/><br/>A long tense moment passed in silence before the other woman moved.  Her left hand reaching down over her shoulder and gripping a scabbard that was tucked into the folds of her cloak.  Drawing it forth she slid the massive blade home into the scabbard and turned to peer into the darkness of the forest where the two human women and changeling man watched quietly.  She shook her head and called out, “Follow, but give us distance, I shall take you to the Nameer directly.  Speak not to any villiagers you meet once we enter, for you are outsiders and your fate is yet to be decided.”<br/><br/>Then she turned and gestured for Lunari to follow.  A black and silver medallion about her neck glinting in the moonlight as she did.<br/><br/>“I guess we follow them?”  Mara asked in a quiet whisper as Lunari began to walk side by side with the other woman.  While they were speaking quietly everything about their body language was of tension and readiness, as if at any moment the other might attack.<br/><br/>“Yes,” a voice said from behind the trio, causing them to leap.  But it was the druid Anju who stood behind them, holding her staff of wood and amber.  Her movements to place her so close behind the trio must have been perfectly silent for none of the three had heard her.  Her eyes, glowing lightly in the dark of the wood nodded towards the pair of elves that crossed the clearing and she added, “Though you should give Nilari and Lunari some space, they have much to discuss and only a short distance before the village.  Even with the strain they went through, a mother should have time to catch up with her daughter after a long absence.”<br/><br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/><div align="center"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Change the musical ambiance</div><div class="spoiler_body">Close the other musical tab and open this one<br/>http://environment-other.ambient-mixer.com/elven-village<br/></div></div></div><br/><div class="floatright"><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Raihna Nameer</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i.imgur.com/JwfaYFn.png)<br/><div align="center">(matriarch) Raihna Nameer</div></div></div></div><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/Dlzdi9h.jpg)</div>The trip to the elven village after Lunari and her mother Nilari faced off was brief, and it was only as Anju pointed them out, did the humans realize that there were archers, scouts, and sentries hidden nearly invisibly in the trees.  While most were women, there were some men as well, and one thing seemed common among this tribe, and that was a disdain for over dressing.  Nirael realized too, as he watched the mother and daughter walking and whispering, how alike they looked.  Muscular frames that were lithe but full of compact raw power ready to be released, the gait of a dancer athletic and light,  The way their hair shone like pure snow whenever light bounced off the pure white locks.  Lunari had a little more softness and curve to her body, a little wider in the hips and fuller in the chest, her muscles a little less apparent than her mothers, and their faces were different of course, though even there the similarities were obvious, especially when compared to Anju’s.<br/><br/>Then they were upon the village, which if it had a name was never given to the humans and changeling.  It was hard not to stare at the elven village, the likes of which Nirael had never seen.  Instead of buildings being constructed and planned out the homes and buildings were melded with the environment.  It almost seemed as if the trees themselves had grown the homes and buildings that clustered around and even in the bows of the forest.  Glowing lights hung and shone from a hundred different places, sometimes even floating in mid air, bobbing gently on some air current, dimming and brightening at random like ethereal fireflies.  Through it all the same stream they’d been following flowed, and along that path Anju led the trio of outsiders, still maintaining a respectful distance from the mother and daughter ahead of them.<br/><br/>All around elven men and women turned and watched the procession, hands raising to mouths to cover whispered comments that could only barely be heard, though not made out.  From somewhere in the trees above the sound of a stringed instrument played as birds flitted about and sang along.  Off in the distance sounds of joyous laughter and singing could be heard lightly as the elves of this village went about their nightly routines.  Nirael couldn’t help but notice that the village seemed to be largely women, and only saw a handful of men, and wondered if the ratio of one men to four women that Lunari had suggested earlier was accurate.  It seemed far fewer than that, and every man he did see was always in the company of at least one woman, often more.<br/><br/>But then the stream entered a stone canal, and it’s waters became more focused as it led up to the only stone building that Nirael had seen since leaving the human lands.  Built of a light colored stone, it had soft round curves that echoed nature despite being an obvious construction.  Into this great round building, that could only be described as likening to a temple, the group went.  Lunari stopping and waiting for the others while her mother Nilari entered ahead.  Lunari motioned to Mara’s bow and Nirael’s staff and said, “It would be improper of you to bring weapons into the temple of Elilistraee, but I promise you on my very life that you will be in no danger.<br/><br/>Entering the building was a surreal dream like state.  There was no roof to the open air building and the moon light shone down upon a floor made of dirt and soft grass.  In the center of the area was a large walled off pool, from the middle of which burbled a vigorous spout, obviously the fountain head of the stream they’d been following.  Around the pool was a wall that extended to about waist height.  The structure was lit from a haze of light pink mist that floated near the top of the structure, but allowed moon light to flow through as well.  In addition constant motes of light fell slowly and softly, like light snow falling, and shedding light until they reached the soft grass or water when they winked out.<br/><br/>Elsewhere in the building groups of elven women danced, clad in nothing but their skin, completely unconcerned by the arrival of the strangers.  But they could not draw attention away from the woman in the pure white gown that stood at the wall to the pool.  Clad in sheer white with silver filigree, stood the most stunningly beautiful woman that Nirael had ever seen.  With hair the color of the sea, light and turquoise tinted and decorated with red flower blossoms, she stood appraising the group with softly glowing silver eyes.<br/><br/>Lunari took Nirael by the hand and began to walk towards the woman, whispering quietly, “This is the matriarch, address her as such or as Raihna Nameer, and explain why we had to come into elven lands.  Speak honestly and openly and I’m sure she will see the wisdom in our intrusion.”<br/><br/>Beside her, Nilari stood from a kneeling position and gestured to Lunari and Nirael as they approached, with the other two human women in tow, “Raihna, these are the outsiders I spoke of.  My daughter Lunari has brought them before you so that you may hear their tale and decide if they trespass or should be welcomed.”