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  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    Spar was the only one that raised her hand.  Patoo was not quite ready and harley was a little too scared yet.  So spar whispered to gryffin, we will get them to go yet, we just have to be patient.  Spar said, "I am very excited for you to make a trip and let me know all that happens."  Just remember all you have to do is strip off your clothes and you will come back.  Promise me if there is danger you will do that immediately.  I am waiting right here by the machine and knit while you go on your trip through time. Merlin and Willow sat right beside my chair while gryffin was getting the clothes on. 

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin was glad she'd thought to wear her leotard under her jeans and sweater this morning. At least she wouldn't be traveling back in the all-together. She dropped the dark red gown over her head and stepped into the machine.

    Whoosh! Before she knew it she was outside a stony castle, riding a large black horse. She looked around her and found that she was in a small group of knights. There were two other women, one with a bow across her shoulders and one in a gown much like Gryffin's. Everyone seemed to have quite serious looks on their faces, and looked around warily. Gryffin made a slight gesture with her wrist and thigh, turning her horse so she could look around. There was a large clearing around the castle with woods further out. Patches of grass were charred and torn up, as if from battle. One of the knights urged her not to linger and she heard the note of fear in his voice. "Come, m'lady, do not dally. The bandits could find us at any time and we must make the castle by sundown." Sure enough, the sky was starting to color towards sunset and now that she looked more closely she could see that there were specks of blood on the knight's weapons. Clearly they'd already encountered trouble.

    She nudged her horse into a canter and headed toward the castle. It was lit up and there was much activity. A groom took her horse's reins and held them while she dismounted. She patted the horse on his neck and told him what a good boy he was. Stepping back she could see that he was quite large and muscular.  Perhaps something like a Fresian, or some other war horse.

    She was urged to enter the left-most tower where the women and children were staying. She hung back, though, wondering if she could help with the fight. After all, she'd always been a fair hand at archery as a kid, and had been thinking of joining a medieval re-creation group. It couldn't hurt to try. She sought out an archer and was given a longbow and arrows. She tried drawing it, and although it was difficult for her, she thought  she could get off a few accurate shots, which is probably all that could be expected while enemies were storming a fortress.

    She climbed the stairs to the battlements and kneeled in a spot with little coverage but a good view of the gate. She checked her arrows for straightness and good fletching. And she waited. This was far more than a bandit attack. There was an army approaching and they looked strong and ready. The castle inhabitants looked tired from long fighting, and Gryffin's heart sank to look at them. "I can't believe I'm here, and I wonder what I'm fighting for?"

    When the army got close, Gryffin took aim and shot at an enemy's legs. She found that she couldn't take a killing shot, but if she could slow them down it might help.

    A long time later, after endless screaming and fighting, the enemy breached the gate. Gryffin sunk in despair, realizing that she had two wounds on her. A graze on her upper arm and another on her waist. They didn't look bad, but the castle was overrun so it was time to go.

    She yanked off her dress and stumbled out of the machine. Blood ran down her arm and her side and she was dirty with sweat and soot. "Well, Spar, that was interesting ..." and she stumbled into her friend's arms, her dogs licking at her face.

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    Spar caught Gryffin and led her to the bedroom and ran a bath for her, I didn't realize we could get hurt.  We had to get her bathed and see how bad the injuries were.  Gryffin was laying in the tub with her eyes closed while spar check out her arm and waist.  Spar went to get the ointment and bandages and decided we needed a few days of rest and relaxation after Gryffin's experience. Patoo and Harley helped get her bandaged up and down stairs.  We got a bottle of good red wine and each had a glass although generally we don't drink alcohol but this was an emergency.  We had been so scared.  In a few days Spar wants to ask Gryffin if she will hold hands with her and take a trip together in the time machine.  There are several dresses from the same time period also some togan type garmets.  We will talk later after everyone calms down.

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited December 2009

    Harley also hadn't thought about the possibility that they might get hurt.  I guess since they were traveling into the past, it didn't seem real.  She is going to have to think this over.  So she does what she usually does when she needs to think; she takes a walk on the beach.  There is a full moon, and the moonlight reflects off the ocean.  It's beautiful!!

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin feels safe with the ministrations of her friends, and relaxes in the tub and over her glass of wine. The wounds are not deep, and Gryffin tends to forget them until she moves. She smiles at the other's thoughts of unreality, and says that's probably why she stayed to fight. It just didn't feel real at all, as if she were in a dream or acting in a movie. She suddenly puts her wine glass down and stands. "I want to draw the people and the battle while its fresh in my mind. Maybe it'll help make sense of all this if you can all see it!"

    The others urged her to sit and they got her drawing things. Gryffin sat in deep concentration, her pencils flying. She did quick portraits of the knights, the ladies who rode with her, and of a few others she saw along the way. Then she sketched the castle and general scenes of the battle. The drawings are quick and dramatic, but features are recognizable. At least one of the faces seems familiar. Perhaps one of the paintings in the mansion? Could it be the same?

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited December 2009

    wow!  Harley thinks this is getting kinda scary!!  The girls sit around the table talking, and Gryffin keeps sketching...   

    Spar gets up and walks over to examine the portraits that are hanging on the wall.   She gets shivers running up and down her spine!   The people in the pictures look eerily almost identical! 

    So we will be going into the past and meeting the people who own this place!!  WOW!

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    When we checked the portraits there were a lot of those people in Gryffin's drawing, that puts quite a prospecitive on things.  We are "living through history".  all I can say right now is WOW.  We got some talking and thinking to do.  Spar is just to thankful that Gryffins wounds were not deep and she is so excited to sketch everything.  There was one face of a very handsome man in the sketch that no one ever knew about but me, I have dreamed of him since I was a child.  I am in shock to see his face so clearly.  What does it all mean.  The dogs are staying right by our side.  The little girl in the cream dressing gown is sitting between the dogs petting them and smiling up at us.....

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin finally sat back, satisfied that she'd captured at least the essence of all that she could remember. She already knew that she'd be painting that gorgeous warhorse, and at least one of the knights. Perhaps tomorrow, if the weather cooperated, she could set up on the beach to paint.

    She looked around at her friends and at the little girl with her dogs. She smiled at the girl and quietly wondered to her friends if she'd been in any of the time travel journeys. "I can't wait to go back in and see what else we can learn! Now that we know it can be dangerous, we can be more careful." She paused and blurted out, "Is there any ice cream? I don't know why, but whenever I work I get a hankering for something cold and chocolatey!"

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited December 2009

    Spar, I think it is just TOO EERY, that you have dreamt of this guy, before our adventure even began!!!  Harley said. 

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin looked from Harley to Spar. "That IS eerie. I wonder who he is?"

    Looking thoughtful, Gryffin went to the kitchen and raided the freezer. She exclaimed in joy at finding some chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. She dished up a large portion and returned to the others. She sat, took her first spoonful, and closed her eyes in luxury.

    "Maybe he's trying to tell you something? I wonder if you ask him to come to your dreams tonight if you'll get anymore information?"

    Gryffin realized she was really tired from her ordeal, and when she finished her ice cream she begged the others good night. The little ghost girl followed her and her dogs outside for their walk, and back up to her room. Gryffin thought the child was becoming very comfortable, so she asked her her name. The girl's mouth opened, Willow jumped up and licked her face, and then the girl disappeared.

    Oh well. Tomorrow is another day. With that thought, she got under the hand-made quilt and settled down for sleep. Willow and Merlin leaped up onto the bed, snuggled under the covers, and made themselves comfortable. Before she knew it, Gryffin was back on the battlements at the castle. It was a warm, sunny day, and there were no signs of battle. Today her gown was a soft peach, instead of the red in which she had traveled. There were ladies outside the battlements collecting flowers, there were farmers entering the outer gates for a marketday, and there were smells of baking pastries in the air. Gryffin took a deep breath, and wondered what was going on. She gathered her skirts in her hands and walked down the stairs to the ground level. It was quite noisy as the merchants set up their wares, and she wandered around trying to see as much as she could. She recognized one of the knights from her journey and spoke briefly to him. She looked at some beautiful pottery, and then realized she was being watched. It was the little ghost girl. With a smile, she asked the girl, "Hello, how are you today? What do you think of this green ribbon? Should I get it, or the off white?" The little girl shyly pointed to the soft, minty green. Gryffin smiled back and picked it up, prepared to haggle with the merchant for it.

    The next thing she knew, Willow was rolling over and shoving her paw into her belly. Gryffin looked around in confusion until she realized she was back at the mansion in her beautiful room and both her dogs were restless. The little girl was sitting in the corner, accompanied by an older woman with white hair. They both smiled and disappeared.

    Gryffin leapt out of bed and grabbed her sketchbook. She quickly sketched the old woman, whose face looked so warm and friendly. She set the paper down when she was through and sat deep in thought for awhile. Despite her fatigue, she took out one of her canvases and paints, lay down a drop cloth, and started laying down some color. There was something about the old woman that seemed familiar and important. She wondered if the others had seen her. Finally she could keep her eyes open no longer and set down her brushes. She'd captured the old woman's essence, so cleaned up and went back to sleep.

    Next she woke, the sun was streaming in her window and her stomach was growling. She got up, took the dogs out, and went down to the kitchen. No one was up yet, so she decided to make a big batch of pancakes for everyone. She was just setting the table and putting out the butter and syrup when she heard the others stirring. She heated up the pan to start cooking the pancakes.

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    Spar, Harley, and Patoo came into the kitchen and started hollaring and dancing around, yelling pancakes, coffee, we are in heaven!  We all sat down round the table and dug in.  Gryffin told us about her dream and sketching.  We all went to her room after we cleaned up from our wonderful breakfast.  Spar said, look really close Gryffin, there is a resemblence to you in that old woman, like you have aged 70 years.  Harley pointed to Gryffins bed and said uh on,  there was a minty green ribbon. Patoo was saying no way no way, how is that possible.  Gryffin has a power we don't, probably due to these being her relatives, she can travel in dreams.  How wonderful and how scary. Spar asked Gryffin were the dogs able to travel with you in the dream?.......

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    Spar went to the beach to walk and think.  I want to travel to the time I can meet that handsome man in person, but how to get to that specific time.  I wonder if Gryffin can help me choose what to wear to get me to him and if she might go too. 

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin was startled to see that yes, the green ribbon was on her bed. She was deep in thought when Spar asked if her dogs were there. She hadn't really noticed at the time, but she was so used to their presence. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that they were playing with the little girl, and trotting beside her at the market. How strange that she might be a descendant of these ghosts!

    She picked up the ribbon, and reached to braid it into her hair. She stopped, confused for a moment, having forgotten that her post-chemo hair was extremely short. Instead, she wrapped the ribbon around Willow's collar, and admired how pretty it was against her soft, seal-colored fur.

    Gryffin checked that her canvas was dry, put her brushes and paints into a bag, and followed Spar out to the beach. Leaving Spar to her thoughts, she set up a small easel and stool on the dunes and continued to paint. "Who are you?" she thought, as she fleshed out the woman's gown and the background. She finally saw what the others had said about a resemblance, and suddenly all that had happened began to take on a stronger reality. She couldn't wait to travel again.

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited December 2009

    Halrey finished cleaning up and follower her friends out the door, and down to the beach.  They do their best thinking while they are walking along the beach.

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    Gryffin reached a stopping point in her painting and put away her things. She gestured to Willow and Merlin to follow and walked along the beach in the direction her friends had taken. It didn't take long to find them puttering around a tide pool, looking at shells.

    "I was thinking. If we want to wait a day or two to travel again, maybe we could kayak out to see the whales? I think if I went in a double I could do some paddling. My cuts aren't that bad. I've never seen orcas in person before."

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited December 2009

    Spar was thrilled at Gryffins suggestiong.  We have two 2man kayaks in the boat house.  Patoo, Harley, Gryffin, and Spar loaded up and took off, the swells were gentle, the rowing easy, the breeze cool and everyonce in a while the sun would hide behind a cloud.  It is a beautiful day.  The exercise felt so good.  We stayed side by side enjoying the day.  there were blue looking fish jumping out of the water 4 and 5 at a time, looking like they were playing a game.  In the distance we could see something big in the water.  Spar was saying oh no I forgot my binoculars does anyone have some.  Look, Look, over there to the east.

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited December 2009

    "I've got mine, let me look a sec..." Gryffin peered through her binoculars a moment and started screaming "it's a whale!!!!"

    She passed her binoculars around so that everyone could see, and they sat there for quite awhile. The orca came closer and closer, and soon they could see that there were actually two of them, a mother with its calf. The whales circled closer, so that the friends could see them clearly without their binoculars. Gryffin was smiling so widely that her face was hurting, but she was just so excited.

    Eventually the whales swam off and the women realized the sun was getting low. They started paddling happily back to shore, while the sun set in a spectacular fashion behind them. They were happy to get back to the mansion just in time for a casual dinner of spaghetti with fresh baked bread. The talked all evening, and Gryffin agreed that on the morrow she'd accompany Spar on a journey. She yawned widely. "And now, I'm off to a bath and bed. After breakfast we'll look through the clothes and see if we can find some that'll get you to the man in your dreams."

    She took a long soaking bath, put new bandages on her cuts and snuggled under the covers with her dogs. "Ah, what a wonderful day. Wonder what dreams are in store for me tonight?"

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited January 2010

    Gryffin dreamed only of whales. Joyful, leaping, dancing whales. She woke with a smile on her face and looked out the window at the ocean. It was pouring rain! A perfect day to travel. She chose a plain grey leotard to wear under her clothes, covering them with a big, bulky white sweater and jeans. She walked the dogs for awhile, ate breakfast with the others, and then smiled over at Spar. "Ready?"

    They went upstairs and searched through the clothing chests. Gryffin pulled out all the gowns that she thought would be appropriate for the period. Gryffin chose a medium blue linen, and Spar chose a soft green. Gryffin tied the misty green ribbon into Spar's hair for luck. They held hands and stepped into the machine. They were peering out of the castle doorway at a rainy fall day. They shivered at the chill in the air and turned to enter the castle. They approached a roaring fire to warm up, and there was a young man at the fire watching them as they approached.

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited January 2010

    "Aunt Gryffin, what are you doing here?" The young man looked puzzled and Gryffin looked totally confused. "Who are you?" The young man looked startled and then looked a bit chagrined. He smiled and took her arm, steering her to a quiet corner. "I'm sorry, you don't know me yet. I should have seen how different your hair looks. Um. Gosh, this is awkward. Judging by how you look, I'm guessing I'm not born yet, but I'm your brother's son Tristan, and the time machine is still functioning. Well, actually we've made some improvements to it, but I shouldn't tell you much. Don't want to risk the future changing. Here, I'd better rush back and make sure you don't follow me here. We're still uncertain whether its safe for multiple versions of someone to be in the same time."

    He gave Gryffin a quick hug, saying, "love you, aunty!", then he appeared to twist a brooch on his jacket and he disappeared.

    Gryffin and Spar whispered about her unborn nephew awhile, walked around, and deciding that nothing much was happening on this day, they found a quiet corner, slipped off their gowns, and went home to the mansion.

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited January 2010

    The girls were glad to be back at the mansion.  They just sat and chatted for hours.  It was so exciting to go back in time!! 

    There will be more things to talk about, so Harley put on a pot of coffee, and made herself some of her Tazo green tea that she loves so much.

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    Spar was looking through more trunks in the time machine room and opening the bamboo trunk she started laughing and ran got the rest of the girls.  It was leis, grass skirts, and coconut bra's.  Spar ask are you guys ready to go somewhere tropical, there are enough for all of us.  Everyone started stipping off their clothes and putting on the hawaiian clothes and decided to step into the time machine 2 at a time................

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited January 2010

    Harley said "I'm in!"  It's been kind of cool here...

    So they changed into the tropical outfits and stepped into the machine.

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited January 2010

    "Woo hoo, I want the purple lei!" and Gryffin stepped into the machine. She came out to warm breezes and the sound of a yukelele.

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    Wow, what beautiful undeveloped white beaches, sea shells everywhere.  This is some kind of village, everyone lives in a hut.  The cheif came up and wanted to know who we were and where we came from.  We just said we were visitors from another region.  He offered us the use of a hut for the night.  There was a whole pig roasting over a pit.  Corn, potatoes, and some vegetables I didn't recognize were wrapped in leaves and buried in the sand with hot rocks to cook.  Everyone was smiling and friendly.  The women brought us half coconut shells full of some kind of drink that had a kick to it.  I wonder if I could take some of these shells back with me.  Patoo, Harley, Gryffin and me were giggling like little school girls and having a blast trying to learn the dances they were doing.  spar is not so graceful.  Gryffin was saying she wanted to paint the Cheif soon as we got home.  Harley was asking what all the different foods were but even when they told us we still didn't know  but we ate some of everything.  It was all good....................

  • Harley44
    Harley44 Member Posts: 5,446
    edited January 2010

    The girls had such a fun time at the luau...   and Harley is so full, she can't eat another bite!  Oh, and did I mention that they had such heavenly drinks there?  Harley loves Melon Balls, but all the drinks tasted so delicious, that the girls drank way too much!!

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    We had so much fun and so much to drink that we all giggled our way to our hut and laid down on the rugs spread on the floor, we had no covers but we did have pillows made out of grass and covered with huge leaves and they were pretty comfortable.  We all fell asleep and the last thing Gryffin said was "gotta paint that"....................

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    When we woke in the morning, the villagers served us something kind of like malt o meal but even more grains and some small red berries in it.  We drank something like coffee but a little more bitter.  We couldn't really understand the language but communicated well with gestures and smiles.  They kept making the eat sign and handing up poles with strings and a hook on the end.  I guess they want us to fish for our dinner.  Spar ask ok girls do you want to walk into the ocean and fish or do we strip off our clothes and go home????

  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited January 2010

    Let's stay a bit. It's so beautiful here! And I'd love to try to figure out when in time we are, and if it relates to the people at the mansion. Perhaps we could stay the day and then pop home tonight after dinner?

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    We all took our poles and walked out into the water and began throwing them in, surprisingly we all started catching fish, we would take them back to the natives and they would wrap them in leaves after cleaning them.  They were cheering us on and we were having a ball.  We were having a fish bake with their special spices tonight to we had a lot of fish to catch.  The water was so clean and clear that you could see all the fish swimming around, some beautiful shells.  This was a beautiful place.  All of a sudden it got really quite and a white man with a headdress walked out of the forest onto the beach.  He looked just like the first picture on the wall when you walk in the house.  The people seemed scared of him.  Spar thought un oh what is going on.  Gryffin said just act normal like nothing is wrong.  Harley said what if he wants just us.  We were getting kind of scared

  • spar2
    spar2 Member Posts: 6,827
    edited January 2010

    The white man spoke english and he wanted to know who we were and what we were doing there and where in the world did we come from.  He said all this in a very angry voice.  Gryffin said girls I think it is time we got undressed so we all stripped right there and zoom we were back home.  Gryffin said I have to have some ice cream, come on.  We sat around the table eating chunky monkey until Gryffin said she had to paint the cheif now while his anger was fresh in her memory.  The rest of us went down to the beach to explore.

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