Topic: A Gypsy's Grounded Caravan

CherubicMagic

Date: 2009-06-26 21:52 EST
Wagon wheels creaked, loose dogs yapped excitedly as wild young children danced along between the slow roll of the caravans. A slue of parting harolds from the rowdy voices, all raised in overly loud, farewell jeers. Family, every single one of them; a myriad of dusky faces all a-glow with the zeal of the impending journey. So many hands, so many hearty cries that echoed back through the valley of the glen even as the Garridan disappeared over the cresting hills and roiling grasses.

The noise still haunted her ears well into the following weeks.

A cherished wagon had been left behind, a lovely caravan in bold, artful sweeps of greens and yellows. Little designs, a family emblem, various creatures of power and eldritch whorls of pagan origins; they were all lovingly carved along various plains of the sturdy wooden structure. A set of wooden stairs hovered from the decorative doorway that lead inwards, covered by a shroud of cream yellow curtains and lace. Inside was a whole other story though? Inside it was a soft, warm, and painted in a pallet of sunset hues. Rich tapestries, lush cushions, a multitude of neat little shelves that house the meager beginnings of food and other stock. Herbs dangled in the far corner near a small, fat-bellied stove, jars and bottles of the most curious contents and colors lined the walls along with various tools of the gypsy witch?s trade.

Imagine the boisterous trimmings that went along with this woman?s life all seemed to fit quite easily inside the seemingly small caravan. Perhaps there was a bit of clever work involved with the interior spaciousness that was quite unfit for the outside build? Being a practiced creature in her trade gave Lilliana many little perks and tricks.

Having retained no horse or other creature to burden her home, the gypsy instead created small ruts in the earth beneath each wheel; adding to the permanence of her presence in the glen. Far from the beaten path there was a stony foot trail that lead to her secluded bit of heaven. A river ran calm, pooling into a wide, freshwater lagoon in which one could see the bottom. Sun baked the river?s pebbly shore, drawing various little reptiles and butterflies to the mineral rich soil. Trees were a-plenty, and they sheltered the witch?s camp whole, as if nature itself held a protective, loving grasp around her life.

Settled now upon the banks of that river?s pool, down below the rise of grass from her caravan, was the fiery buxom herself. Though divested of her corset and boots, the thick layer of petal skirts and the many charms that hung about her neck; Lilliana was still a vibrant flare amongst the pale, gentle pallor of the world. It was that shock of flame-bright hair, that wild tumble of unruly kinks and curls, they formed a neat sprawl about the cream of her bare shoulders and white cotton summer?s gown.

Like fine rubies and tiger?s eye quartz, the witch?s hair shone in the dying sun?s light, a jewel in the green faucet of the sunset drenched landscape.
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http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs49/i/2009/177/b/1/A_Little_Slice_of_Rhydin_by_xEtherealDreamerx.jpg

CherubicMagic

Date: 2009-06-28 14:15 EST
Work was a practical distraction, a blessing in disguise. There was to be another wedding in the witch's future, and like the very first one she'd held a magical hand in, this one would be similar. Tag Sentry, that tall, quiet man with his rare smile and contented company; he was to be wed, and had asked her personally to oversee the warding and protecting of he and his brides' ceremony. It truly had brought a flush of pride to the witch, to be asked thus, but that pride of being an invited wasn't sated with her power being the only present the couple received. The wedding served as the perfect excuse to get her butt in gear... It'd been far too long since she'd been intimate with the greatest strength to her power.

"Why do ya' wait fer me? An' how do ya' wait fer me? I'm feelin' alone withou' ya' here in m'arms..."

A song rang out, thick with the honeyed husk of a woman who lived her life upon the road. Many influences spiced that accent, from gaelic tones to western, some ungodly mesh of old world europe meeting and mating with the endless slue of cultures from around the realms. It was an odd croon, gentle as it was boisterous, content in what sounded like the rigors of a good day's work; though no doubt inspired from the romance that seemed to surround her so much as of late.

"I'm los' an' alone withou' ya' here by m'side. Oh. Oooh... Here's a song fer ya' lovely."

Thick, plopping sounds of wet earth, skin glistening from physical rigors under the noon-day's sun. Lilliana had hunkered upstream along the river from her little encampment with a linen lined basket that served as a cache for large, finger dug lumps of fresh, wet clay. Skirts were tucked up around the supple thighs, muscle tightening beneath the pale flesh as the witch continued her mundane chore. Pasted up to her elbows in wet and dried levels, the fiery haired gypsy gave one last, heaving-ho, and out came another cool, red heft of plasticine earth. After spending a moment or two washing the gist of the muck from her hands and legs, she heaved the basket up with both hands, propping it's great, wet weight against her hip. Down the river's edge she walked, feet tapping merrily along the shore's muggy grasses until she reached the banks along her camp.

"Remember tha' i' is fer ya' only, fer ya' only. M'heart was caugh' in a landslide an' now i' feels fer ya' only, fer ya' only."

Not too far off, it seemed the witch had dug a great, measured pit, four feet deep and six feet wide. Down below the level of the ground lay a great, carefully placed set of flat bellied stones. They were shoved in perfectly, leaving not a space between them, each singing with a molten high heat from the voracious fire ringing their platform. Atop these stones glowed various shapes and vessels of earthenware in the process of firing to their final stages. Little pots that were functional, idols of pagan power arranged in some fashion or another that could be used as a vase or a pitcher. Beautiful faces and creatures, elegant curves and fluted necks; all these things had been born from steady hands, patient and loving.

"M'heart was caugh' in a landslide, an' now i' feels fer ya' only, fer ya' only..."

On could not create such things without fully understanding the earth and the extent of it's malleable measures. Lilliana, if any, could boast such a knowledge. The earth called to her power stronger than any, and where her own inner strength was susceptible to flaw, the very ground her feet rested upon would always be there to fill in the gaps. Energy sang through her fingers, eyes half closed as the witch began to weave more life anew from the cool lumps of river formed clay.

CherubicMagic

Date: 2009-10-11 15:10 EST
With the coming autumn came a song of the seasons that could never be replicated. A song of sweet, timely decay, of preparing for the world's coming sleep. While away and at play, the witch's caravan had suffered the minor abuse of dust and rain stained windows. Fueled by the sweet croon of the coming white blankets, it was once again time for the fiery buxom to tuck up her skirts and bare the burden of a good day's work.

Bootsteps were a crunching noise across the sunset litter from the trees above, filling the void of noiselessness from her too-long absence with her bustling energy. Despite the cool in the air lately, the witch's brow was glistening with good rigor as windows sang their shiny joys from being cleaned, shelves and artful woodwork crowed their glossy relief from the liberation of dust. Throw-away rags tarnished with wood healthy oils and primers, dust and grime eventually found their way into the hungry flames of a cheery bonfire. Out with the new and back in with the old; the witch was giving that last touch of shuffling off recent past troubles by reacquainting herself with the humble cleanings of her eccentric, four wheeled dwelling.

Muscles lingered, strong and deceptive beneath the pale softness of her botticelian appearance. But the witch was built thick, and thrived without problem under such work. So those not used to her can do attitude that came a-visting might be a bit taken aback by the way the buxom hefted freshly cut and thatched bales of roof insulation for her bowled caravan's roof. Up a short stair she climbed, laying the sweet, woven hay with the expertise of habit. All the while the witch worked, she hummed a bonny tune, haunting the hills with her merry musings as wind and roiling dale carried the pretty noise far and wide.

When all was done, the witch gave herself a refresher in the cool gurgle of the stream, hurried only by the bite of wind against her wet flesh. Though even as the shivers stole down her spine, Lilliana smiled, glad for the peace of her reclusive home. Arms rewrapped about her plush form, drawing a long, thick home knit around her blouse-bared shoulders. The bodice wouldn't be enough clothing after today, she decided.

Back to the fire she drew herself, pale fingers cast towards the tickling flames, molten eyes marveling at the feel and glow. Even with all the chaos of the city; the weddings, the roar from failed proposition supporters, the mysterious deaths, the secret bass notes that shook the darkest alleyways, the gypsy felt a soothing lick of tranquility at the back of her senses.

Autumn was here, time for the change.