for a few who asked, the story continues!! The next mythical chapter has arrived as……..
The Tears of the Forest
Niamh found herself walking through the evening trees and avoiding the more traveled paths of men. She allowed the west wind to guide her into a clearing. In the center of the grove a man stood transfixed, his arms outspread. She recognized him as the one with the staff and flowing cloak who had stood waiting on the hillside. Somehow she felt comforted by his presence. His shadow was etched on the folding hollow of a moonbeam while leaves from the trees fell like shimmering tears all around him. She knew at once she was inside a sacred circle.
Sensing her presence he turned toward her. His eyes were unseeing but a great luminosity shone from behind their milky glaze. Niamh found herself drawn into the light that she knew pierced the veil of his blindness.
“Can you hear them, child of the mound?” he said, “The spirits of the forest are lamenting.” The knower of trees bowed his head in sorrowful surrender as he continued. “Great changes have begun. If we forget the language of the ancient ones, the earth will spin out of balance and the sky will be rent in two,” he paused and opened his hand, “but you at least, will not forget.”
Niamh looked up as a mighty gust hit the tops of the tallest of the trees. They bent and swayed in roaring whispers of affirmation. When she looked back to the grove the old magus was gone and her eighth dream lay on the ground where he had dropped it. At the edge of the thicket the magnificent red stag appeared briefly before leaping off into the firefly shadows.
Niamh picked up the glowing orb that contained all the magic of this woodland vision and remembered Bran’s words on the shore of the dark isle. She too had surrendered to a strange destiny and she no longer knew if this journey had come to life through her own dreams or if she had come to life through the dream of another.
A Gaelic Lament
the runes of the gatekeeper's daughter- dedicated to Nick 
“Great changes have begun. If we forget the language of the ancient ones, the earth will spin out of balance and the sky will be rent in two.”
Classic! Loved, relished.
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So encouraging as always!! Thank you!! Hope we will be reading another of your stories soon!!
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I will have something next week. Thanks for inquiring. Have a great weekend!
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I love this chapter dear Cybele… The knower of trees is such a marvelous character …. I nodded in agreement with his wise words above.
Great post… Best wishes to you, always, Aquileana 😛
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I am a tree hugger!!! I love the old ones of the woods!! Thank you for reading!!
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me, too… 🙂 wonderful… ‘tears of the forest’ = “les larmes de la forêt”… ❤
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The first two sentence really had me engaged and I went on reading it till the end. Well done!
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Thanks so much Norma and for stopping by!!
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Brilliant! Ye speak the language of the ancient ones & paint its image…. Indeed! Dona Donna Georgina
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Muchas Gracias querida Dona Donna Georgina!!!
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The story continues with magnificent writing! I hope the red deer comes by again… along with more words to read in another installment 🙂
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Thank you for visiting and for leaving me with such a wonderful compliment!!
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Beautiful instalment Cybele. I love the title and the imagery of your words.
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So glad you like it Andrea!!! Thank you! I will eventually have to try to pull it all together which I think is going to require work!! 😀 Right now I’m just letting Niamh lead me on the journey!!
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Once again you weave your magic spell. Beautiful, dear friend.
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I’m honoured and happy that you enjoy the tale!! Thank you Linda!!
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Another wonderful tale, Scheherazade
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Thank you my dearest fan!!!! Salaam alaikum from the Sultan’s garden!!
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I agree with Laura, you You are the Glow Queen! Very cool image!
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thank you Amy! It always changes as to what comes first, the image or the story!!
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Amazing story. More please… and great image.
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Thank you so much for your lovely enthusiasm!!!! I’ll try to write more!!
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Beautiful!
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Thank you so much for coming by and commenting Svetlana!!!
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The image, the words, the music…perfection. I need to find a little bit of time to read all the chapters at once.
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Oh I know it’s hard to keep up sometimes in all our busy-ness. If I ever finish these (hope hope) I will have to go back and do some revising I’m sure to make it more cohesive. Right now they each have a life of their own. I never quite know how they will go but know that they seem to lead me on the journey- but I’m so glad you like them!! Thank you for coming by!!
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I like both the story and image!
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thanks so much Maria!!!
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You are the Glow Queen! Beautiful. 🙂
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thank you Laura!!! Galadriel of PS filters!! 😀
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Do you use the Glow in Nik? I like that sometimes. I used that in my willow image.
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Yes!!
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😀
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I love that last sentence. But think how terrible it would be to learn that you no more than part of a dream. Perhaps it would be better not to know.
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oh I know !! Remember that philosophy that we are all figments of each other’s imagination!! 😀 But I often think that “life is but a dream!!”
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Wow – stunning stuff – what a spell you weave. Leaves falling like shimmering tears – luminous eyes – dreams dropped on the ground – strange destinies and journeys – just wonderful. More please 🙂
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So appreciated coming from you Suzanne! Sometimes I think the hardest thing to write is a “fairytale!” I often don’t know where I’m going with it but an image comes into my head and I try to translate it to “the page” (so to speak!) and I hope I can tie all the tales together eventually!! This new way of writing and displaying photography is amazing. Every once in awhile I try to pick up a pen and write on real paper!! lol. Thank you so much for your wonderful support!
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Yes I agree about the combination of writing and photography – it opens up a whole new area. I’m even beginning to think how it could work in a novel published as an e-book. The possibilities are so expansive.
I really like your writing style – as you say – fairytales are incredibly hard to write. Then again I see your work as taking the fantasy novel into a new arena – the photo/words combination but also the deeper underlying spiritual quest/ soul journey nature of your stories. Keep following the muse – who knows where it will lead. 🙂
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that is such a wonderful encouragement!! Thank you for your insight!!
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Thank you! Im so excited to read this next chapter.
As always, beautifully told 🙂
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thank you Robyn. I’m often insecure when I write a chapter. I usually don’t know where I’m going with it!! It’s usually a vision that I write around. But if it creates an atmosphere or an image then hopefully that is some measure of merit!!!
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I completely understand this! Its how I feel when I’m starting and creating an artwork. No crystal clear vision… Just an idea of where Im headed.. and it evolves as I go.
Your beautiful writing and imagery shines!!!
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