¶I.
¶I. And so Charity bid Serenity wait there for her, arose and strode adown the bole of the pine, and once on the ground began to search the forest for whatever ingredients she might make use of. Serenity meanwhile lay on the side of the tree, awaiting Charity’s return.
¶II.
¶II. Not yet an hour passed before Charity had come back whither by the tree whereupon her sister rested, holding in her right hand a tall staff whilst from her left shoulder hung a purse woven from hemp stalks, bracken fronds, and vines of ivy. Charity thence hailed Serenity adown from the tree, and they together that instant departed for the hot kells that beyond the Emerald Forest’s outest boundaries spumed.
¶III.
¶III. Together the Dryads walked for many an hour through that homewood splendorous of the Elder and Younger Tribes of Faith, through wylderness wrought in all manner of sylvan luster, that in emerald riches fraught the viridian-chaste lands of Faerya. And nigh the Witching Hour’s stirring did Serenity and Charity find themselves at the borderland of the Emerald Forest.
¶IV.
¶IV. Upon having raught the vapory shroud circling the kells, the Dryads both beheld there a wall of brume so great it was as a pillar that upbore the sky, of a depth wherethrough it seemed no wight could possibly have seen. Yet natheless pressed the twain on into the murk, in search of a riving in the eventide fog whereat Charity might under the pallor glow of Moon and stars have worked her midnight seid. Thus whenas the Nymphs through the mists of the Hallowkells had passed they found for themselves a deep small pool, one that neither was too hotly bubbling nor cold as the chilled night air that lingered ever without the warmth of the kells, and in that very spot stood Charity and Serenity amid the burbling springs whose steam on all sides enclaved them.
¶V.
¶V. Charity raught into her satchel as she and Serenity stood there just off the pool’s east, and from within it she pulled a handful of lion’s tooth pappi. Charity opened her palm then as she lidded her eyes, and softly she whispered:
i. “A Vallilæ ith llæ Æthin, sythandyæ llin Ilia’th nythin.
ii. “Ny lle vall’nœnil ith Zeus-llu-Thoryn’Llænutin’,
iii. “atuti Ilia nythandeni llin ith Ninæ A Nilæ-ith-llæ-Æthin,
iv. “mbyrutyæ llil ssurin’th ætseth tyrnin.”
b. And once having spake these words the Shamaness blew upon the downy knitch that in her palm she bore, and opened her eyes and watched each pappus waft away into the mists of the Hallowkells.
¶VI.
¶VI. Charity then walked a few steps deosil, produced from her satchel a handful of mayweed leaves, and holding them to her breasts with her eyes closed she quietly said:
i. “A Vallilæ ith llæ Ramin, sythandyæ llin Ilia’th nythin.
ii. “Ny lle vall’nœnil ith Aries-llu-Mboth’Sherin’,
iii. “atuti Ilia nythandeni llin ith Ninæ A Nilæ-ith-llæ-Ramin,
iv. “mbyrutyæ llil ssurin’th randeth tyrnin.”
¶VII.
¶VII. Having said this Charity opened her eyes and cast over the pool her mayweed, and deosil went round to the pool’s western side. There she raught into her satchel and outward bore heaped upon her hand many pedals of pink day’s eye. And holding the day’s eye pedals she closed her eyes and softly spake:
i. “A Vallilæ ith llæ Quethin, sythandyæ llin Ilia’th nythin.
ii. “Ny lle vall’nœnil ith Aphrodite-lla-Mboth’Llollutin’,
iii. “atuti Ilia nythandeni llin ith Ninæ A Nilæ-ith-llæ-Quethin,
iv. “mbyrutyæ llil ssurin’th quetseth tyrnin.”
b. And Charity opened up her eyes, and over the pool cast her flower pedals, ere she went round unto the pool’s northern side.
¶VIII.
¶VIII. There in the sable stills of midnight’s darkly blued depths stood Charity at the north of the pool, and there she took up from inside her satchel many a frond of bracken that loosely within her hand were clenched, and as she closed her eyes she cast forth the green fronds over the pool, and gently she thus said:
i. “A Vallilæ ith llæ Therdin, sythandyæ llin Ilia’th nythin.
ii. “Ny lle vall’nœnil ith Hermies-llu-Vall’Narutin’,
iii. “atuti Ilia nythandeni llin ith Ninæ A Nilæ-ith-llæ-Therdin,
iv. “mbyrutyæ llil ssurin’th therteth tyrnin.”
¶IX.
¶IX. And Charity held her staff in both hands before her, and she put its end into the water that she then stirred, ever canting in the ancient Old Naryn tongue:
i. “Tsi llæ nœnilæ ith lle Vallilæ ith llæ Æthin,
ii. “ea ny lle vall’nœnil ith llu Thoryn’Llænutinu;
iii. “tsi llæ nœnilæ ith lle Vallilæ ith llæ Ramin,
iv. “ea ny lle vall’nœnil ith llu Mboth’Sherinu;
v. “tsi llæ nœnilæ ith lle Vallilæ ith llæ Quethin,
vi. “ea ny lle vall’nœnil ith lla Mboth’Llolutina;
vii. “tsi llæ nœnilæ ith lle Vallilæ ith llæ Therdin,
viii. “ea ny lle vall’nœnil ith llu Vall’Narutinu;
ix. “Ila endeth sythuten thil ssurin værum harutonlyæ!”
¶X.
¶X. These verses she sang as only a shaman could, canting words it seemed were meant by their very construction to be sung as her soul outstretched upon words onloft her lips softly blown. The Shamaness then laid down her staff and satchel and clomb into the pool, and offered unto Serenity her hand. And Serenity took her sister’s hand, and joined Charity in the frothing waters, and there together they began to bathe.
¶XI.
¶XI. Charity raught then into her satchel that beside the pool lay, and from it she took a small cluster of mistletoe berries, and she fed the berries to Serenity one after another, and while doing so she sang:
i. “Tsi llæl dindilæ ith vin’tindil Ila Nina vallut;
ii. “ornil-ith-sslynil thy Nina ly taland ea Ina ly entalut,
iii. “llet tsi Apollo llænutunlyæ Nina lle mbænil Nila llornandy,
iv. “ly rythut llil phythil llet Nila’th alluthin mbe phythutly.”
¶XII.
¶XII. Serenity winced as she swallowed the bitter fruits, and Charity took Serenity’s hands in her own, and cupping them guided her sister’s hands filled with the waters in which they bathed up to Serenity’s mouth. And Serenity drank down the broth as Charity then took up some of the water in her own hands and poured it over her sister’s head.
¶XIII.
¶XIII. Charity took then from her satchel a handful of rowanberries, and began feeding them unto Serenity one before another, and did so whilst singing:
i. “Tsi llæl dindilæ ith rœwanil Ila Nina vallut,
ii. “rœwan’dindilae thy Nina ly taland ea Ina ly entalut,
iii. “llet tsi Helios llænutunlyæ Nina lle mbænil Nila llornandy,
iv. “ly rythut llil phythil llet Nila’th alluthin mbe phythutly.”
¶XIV.
¶XIV. Eft Serenity was fed the last of the rowanberries Charity again took her sister’s hands into her own, and again unto her sister’s mouth guided them cupped to take up the treacle in which they bathed and imbibe it, and again she took up the water within her hands and upon Serenity poured it.
¶XV.
¶XV. And Charity removed from her satchel a small lot of red grapes, and fed them also unto Serenity one by one, and as she did this sang:
i. “Tsi llæl dindilæ ith vinil Ila Nina vallut,
ii. “vin’dindilae thy Nina ly taland ea Ina ly entalut,
iii. “llet tsi Selene llænutunlya Nina lle mbænil Nila llornandy,
iv. “ly rythut llil phythil llet Nila’th alluthin mbe phythutly.”
b. Kindly, appeased and warmly Serenity smiled with each grape fed to her, and beneath the waters Charity showered upon her she contently there in the warm kell weltered.
¶XVI.
¶XVI. A last time raught Charity into her satchel, and from it took a handful of raspberries, and severally began feeding them to Serenity, singing:
i. “Tsi llæl dindilæ ith thryn’vinil Ila Nina vallut,
ii. “thryn’dindilae thy Nina ly taland ea Ina ly entalut,
iii. “llet tsi Aphrodite llænutunlya Nina lle mbænil Nila llornandy,
iv. “ly rythut llil phythil llet Nila’th alluthin mbe phythutly.”
¶XVII.
¶XVII. And Serenity swallowed down each of the raspberries ere Charity took up once more her sister’s hands, cupping in them the waters of the pool in which they stood; and Serenity sipped the water. Charity continued to lave her sister in the treacle, as ever she thusly rowned: “A Vallilæ ith llæ Æthin, ith llæ Ramin, ith llæ Quethin, ith llæ Therdin, ea ith llæ Alluvin -- Ila nythand ith Ninæ A Vallinæ, adandyæ Nilæ adin endeth, adandyæ ut Inia ea sythandyæ Ilia’th nythin. Llænutyæ llil llornin A Vallinæ, llil llornin ith Serenity’th, ea ut Thina llænutyæ Nilæ’th mbænin, lle mbænil Thila mbe llœndum llornandly, ill ssil atly Nilæ’th vœrin A Vallilæ. Llil Ila llynum nythanden ith Ninæ ny lle nœnil ith Phosporus-llu-Vall’Erilu, ny lle nœnil ith Artemis-lla-Vall’Erila, ny lle vall’nœnil ith Heradea-lla-Vall’Nyrila, ea tsi llæ mbænin ith Gaya: mbe quytum ssil atly!”
¶XVIII.
¶XVIII. Upon finishing her rune Charity ceased bathing her sister, and unto her she enquired: “How now, my Serenity?”
¶XIX.
¶XIX. With a smile Serenity let out a deep sigh, and unto Charity replied: “I feel wonderful! I thank thee so very much!” And Serenity threw her arms around her sister, embracing her as tightly as she could.
¶XX.
¶XX. Charity held Serenity there snugly, and then pushed her back, saying: “And I’m so very glad I could help thee, Serenity. I love thee!”
¶XXI.
¶XXI. “And I thee!” laughed Serenity, as she began splashing at her sister. And Charity splashed back at Serenity, and gaily the two cried out laughing, sporting there playfully together in the frothing waters of the pool. And all was for Serenity in that moment again well, for there once again indwelt her a joy in the way of Nymphs.
¶XXII.
¶XXII. And thus the work of Charity was wrought.
¶XXIII.
¶XXIII. Enveloped by the steam of spuming springs they sat, as Charity dropped herbs that Serenity didn’t recognize into the small pool between them. And with her staff Charity stirred the water, ever singing:
“A vallilae tu llae aethin,
“Sythad’ya lles ilia’n ngythin!
“A vallilae tu llae ramin,
“Sythad’ya lles ilia’n ngythin!
“A vallilae tu llae quethin,
“Sythad’ya lles ilia’n ngythin!
“A vallilae tu llae theardin,
“Sythad’ya lles ilia’n ngythin!
“A vallilae tu llae alluvin,
“Sythad’ya lles ilia’n ngythin!”
Charity sang the invocation as only a shaman could, singing words that it seemed were meant by their very construction to be sung as her soul outstretched, and trilled softly the song aloft her lips. Charity then laid down her staff and climbed down into the pool, and outstretched her hand unto Serenity, who joined her in the brewing potion. There together they bathed, and Charity washed her sister, ever rowning unto the elemental spirits in the ancient Faenarin tongue: “A vallilae tu aethin, tu ramin, tu quethin, tu theardin, ea tu alluvin -- ila ngythad tu ninae A vallinae, athad’ya nilae athil enthen, athad’ya lai inia, ea sythad’ya ilia’n ngythin. Llaenad’ya lles llornil A vallinae, lles llornil tu Serenity’n, ea lai thina llaenad’ya nilae’n mbaenin, lle mbaenil thila mbe lloanden llornad’ty, ynd llet an’ty nilae’n vorin. Ila ngythad tu ninae.”
Charity continued to rown as she and Serenity bathed for nearly an hour together, and in this time Serenity had taken up some of the potion within her cupped hands and imbibed it. And when having finished her rune Charity began to splash at Serenity, and the two laughed, playing happily in the frothing pool. For once again Serenity felt a joy within her. And thus the work of Charity was done.