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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Chapter 7: Hearth and Home

(This story begins approximately 5 millennia before the disappearance of the Island of Atlantis.)

Winter had come the northern part of earth again. Atlantis loved earth’s winter but could not enjoy it as she once had by walking out amongst the humans and feeling the cold nipping at her nose and toes.

Her v’ma’ter’i had forbidden her to leave the comfort of their secured home. The only one who could unweave the magical barrier was Oberon, or that’s what she let him believe, however, she obeyed him as he was terrified that the They Which Can Not Be Spoken Of would find her and destroy her.

He had taken her and Tajor, “in hand” as he termed it and taught them how to use his magical disks that could destroy They Which Can Not Be Spoken Of the moment it entered their bodies.

Atlantis glanced around her and decided that if she could not walk on the land during the earth’s winter she would bring it to her. Sitting on the cloud she felt Oberon’s magical orb he had placed as a barrier around them protecting them from intruders. Letting go a small stream of energy, Atlantis put grey clouds above her and dropped the temperature on the ground and made rain begin to fall from the sky. Before the rain hit the ground it morphed into snow.

Sighing in happiness, Atlantis left the cloud she was sitting on and appeared on the ground and danced in circles, her long blue hair streaming out behind her, arms outstretched, and tongue out trying to catch the snowflakes. Giggling she made a funnel of snow and wrapping the particles together, she made them in to balls and laid them behind a tree, hiding them from her Mates in case they came outside to investigate the drop in temperature.

With a wave of her hand, she installed fireplaces in all the rooms in her home, and lit them with fire. Grinning she raced over the land to the pond, it was not yet frozen over, using her magic, she froze the water to solid ice.

She felt Twa rather then saw him and using her magic, picked up a snow missile and launched it at him hitting him on the back. Snow outlined him as he was trying to be invisible.

Grinning at him Atlantis said, “Good afternoon to you Twa.”

“You can see me?”

Giggling Atlantis said, “Yep, I sure can see you and you look sooo cute with all that snow covering you from head to foot!”

“Well for someone in your condition you are having way too much fun!”

Lifting an eyebrow at Twa Atlantis inquired, “Someone in my condition?”

Twa let out an exaggerated sigh and said, “When are you going to admit that you are going to have a Little One?”

Placing her hands on her hips, Atlantis glared at Twa, “I’ve all ready admitted that to myself, Twa. I just haven’t told you yet.”

“Or your v’ma’ter’i, who pretend they don’t know your going to have their Little One.”

“Who asked you anyway?” grouched Atlantis and using her magic bundled up in a fur coat and thigh high, fur-lined boots and stopped away from her friend.

Dogging Atlantis’s steps, Twa continued, “It’s nothing to be ashamed of you know.”

“Who said anything about being ashamed?” snapped Atlantis.

Hurrying after the seven foot elf in front of him, Twa yelled, “You are too!”

Atlantis felt her cheeks warm up at his accusation. She sent all her snowballs flying at his head, enjoying the satisfying thumps as they hit their target.

“Your being childish Atlantis,” grumbled Twa.

Growling a warning at Twa, Atlantis stopped abruptly and whirled around and faced him, “What do you want Twa?”

“I want you to tell Oberon and Tajor you are expecting their Little One. Tonight!”

Glaring at Twa, Atlantis took a deep breath, gritting her teeth she muttered, “How dare you order me about!”

“I dare because you have cut yourself off emotionally from your v’ma’ter’i and they are afraid you will die or not carry the Little One to term, or both!”

The shock of Twa’s words settled into her bones and Atlantis was no longer angry, and whispered, “I haven’t cut them off.”

“Yes you have. Have you felt them in your mind for the last several moon cycles?”

Atlantis shook her head no and looked at Twa. Taking another deep breath, Atlantis rocked back on her heels and relaxed her body and allowed her magic to roam within her body.

She explored each fiber of her body to be sure she was well, and then she began exploring the connection that she was developing with her Mates. A huge block was on both of the links she had with them. She contemplated it with her metaphysical eyes; touching it to see who it belonged to shocked she felt her own magic radiate back at her.

She followed the block back to the origin and discovered that Twa was right she had blocked them entrance to her mind because she was mortified being with child, but not so much embarrassed that she was going to have a Little One, but how she got that way in the first place.

Feeling her cheeks warm up, Atlantis admitted that she was embarrassed over the loss of choice to be with her Mates and she felt the barriers dissolve. Immediately she felt her Mates relief and joy over being allowed back in her mind. She brushed them both with her magic and whispered that she was expecting their first Little One.

Duel sets of emotions rushed at her, joy and happiness from Tajor and euphoria and worry from Oberon. Smiling she gave them a metaphysical hug and came back to her own body and said to Twa, “Thank you my friend it took courage to come after me like you did.”

Blushing Twa said, “Aww, it’s nothing Atlantis. It’s what friends are for and all though those snowballs did pack a punch.”

Grinning at Twa, Atlantis said, “Ha, you didn’t feel them one bit, you allowed me to hit you with them. Twa I might be bit giddy from time to time, but I really am not dumb.”

Twa fell on the ground laughing until tears streamed out of his eyes, and looking up at Atlantis glaring down at him she said, “You should see yourself, all covered in snow.”

Reaching up to her fur hat, Atlantis felt cold under her fingers and then brushed her hand down her coat and piles of snow fell off, the more she brushed off the more she saw on the coat.

Her eyes began to narrow as she contemplated the Elemental on the ground incredibly happy with his mischief. Using her hand she dumped a pile of snow on top of Twa and then flashed herself to the porch and came to an abrupt halt as she met her Mates coming out the door in their summer clothing, both were standing their shivering and in union demanded, “What’s this?”

“Snow.”

“Yea we know its snow, doll, but where did it come from?”

“Mother Earth.”

“How?”

“I brought it here. It is my favorite time on the earth right now. The snow crunches as you walk over it, the quiet of the forests, and the cool nipping at your fingers and your noses. I put fireplaces in our home so we can enjoy mulled wine around the fireplace at night.”

Sighing Oberon looked at Tajor and he said, “Well, I guess we have snow.”

Tajor grinned and said, “Indeed.”

Taking a step towards her Mates she was suddenly engulfed by them, sandwiched between them, and she whispered, “I am so sorry that I cut you both off from me, I didn’t mean to do that, but I was so embarrassed over how I became to be the way I am.”

Chuckles rumbled out of their chests and vibrated down in her belly, “Aww, Sweetness, it was our fault that you lost control of your magic as you did when you joined with us for the first time. We should have claimed you right away.”

Atlantis looked up at Oberon who was standing in front of her and she whispered, “Do your really mean that?”

Gazing down at Oberon, he was rocked to the core of his being that his woman had to ask that of him. Cupping her chin with is finger, he leaned down and kissed the snowflake off her nose and said, “Atlantis, I mean that with all my heart. I will be forever to blame for your insecurities at our joining; it is I who do not deserve you. Your love for us, has kept Tajor and I from becoming That Which Cannot Be Spoken Of. We are forever in your debt.”

Oberon caressed her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head he continued, “Atty, you have returned laughter to our lives and are carrying our Little One. You have made us so happy.”

Glancing at Tajor, silently communicating with his Mate, he looked back down at Atlantis and said, “It is passed time that Tajor and I tell you that we adore you, we love you, you are our life. We also thank you.”

“For what do you thank me?” whispered Atlantis, amazed at Oberon calling her by her childhood nickname.

“We thank you for not unraveling the protection and being willing to be confined within. We both know you could unravel them in a moment as your magic is awesome to behold, however, you have pretended that you have not the ability to do so. The pretending for our sakes must stop. We are not so egotistical that we cannot love and admire you just the way you are—you are a powerful Elven female in your own right. Nothing can take that away from you.”

Tajor leaned over and whispered in Atlantis’s ear, “And you’re a very beautiful Elven female that we call ours.”

Tears brimmed Atlantis’s eyes and she blinked them back and buried her nose in Oberon’s chest and hugged him tightly. Joy bubbled up in Atlantis’ heart. She had come home at last to love, peace, and happiness.

With her mind link to her Mates, she whispered, “I hope you don’t mind, but we will be having two little girls joining our family.”

“Girls?” Tajor exclaimed, “Are you sure? Rarely are girls born into my family!”

“Of course I am sure, Tajor. Only girls are ever born into the de El’a family.”

Atlantis stilled as she felt the caress of Oberon’s magic deep in her womb caressing her babies and introducing himself as their Father.

Withdrawing his magic from the Little Ones tucked in Atlantis’s body, Oberon spoke aloud, “Atlantis is correct we have two very tiny, girls who think their Father’s are a wee bit silly.”

Atlantis laughed aloud, her laughter ringing in the stillness of the winter day. “They are smart Little Ones all ready.”

Tajor grunted in disbelief that he had fathered a Little Girl. He sent his magic into Atlantis’s body and caressed his Little Ones introducing himself to his Little Ones and told them he loved them.

He felt a little puff of a metaphysical grins and joy pulse out to him as they went to sleep. He withdrew his magic from his babes and gazes over Atlantis’s head at Oberon who had tears in the corners of his eyes.

Leaning over Tajor said, “Oh, Atlantis they are so beautiful and so tiny. You must take it easy and let us take care of you.”

Atlantis groaned as she envisioned her next year full of thou shalt and thou shalt not’s coming from both of her Mates and groaned again. Oberon chuckled and said, “Now Atty we are that bad.”

Atlantis groaned and muttered, “No your worse.”

Tajor chuckled. Using his magic he transported is family into their home and he settled them on the couch in front of the fire, snuggling Atlantis between them and removing her coat and putting a blanket over her, smiled happily, and whispered in his Mate's minds,
"There my loves, all warm and cozy."

© All Rights Reserved. Copyrighted October 2007, Version I, by Georgia Lee Jones.