"The Four That Were One"
There was a time when the land was fertile, when trees and plants thrived and animals and people co-existed and raised families,
when the rivers flowed freely and rain showered down life.
There was a time when people didn't thirst for water.
If only the rains were to come once more it would stop all the suffering.
She sits on a haystack angered at Mother Nature. She doesn't understand why she would betray the world. How dare she deprive them of water!
Fires erupted everywhere, spreading, and destroying the forest and houses. Winds swept away cattle, and the earth cracked, parched and dying. It was like Death had come upon the village.
She hugged her knees close, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was such an emptiness within her. She loved him, she truly loved him. She loved her family, her sweet children. She loved the feel of the dirt beneath her feet and the wind in her hair and yet, she grieved. She did not know why, until one day, while she was walking along the dried riverbed she had a vision.
"Sister, sister return to us. Take up your instrument and play. We are only three without you, three we will remain, we cannot bring order without your help. Remember who you are." The plea shakes the ground that she stands upon and she falls to her knees. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know why this is happening to her. Rayna picked herself up and ran through the dead forest. She could feel the wind whip around her, lashing out angrily.
"You must remember! I cannot stop myself without your help. Find him, go to your husband and ask him who you really are." She closed her eyes willing the wind away, but it swirled around her body lifting her up. She landed in front of her door. Smoke billowed from all openings of the house and flames engulfed the house. She ran in frantically searching for her two children.
"Why are you doing this to me? What have I done?"
"It isn't what you have done, sister, it is what he has taken away from you. I cannot save your children, I am only a messenger of Mother Earth, as are you. You must remember or all is lost." Smoke blinded and choked her. She struggled to one end of the small house to the next calling out for her children. But only silence answered back.
"Rayna, Rayna I'm coming!" His voice called forth. Her savior, her husband has come at last.
"Where are the children?"
"I have the children. I am coming my love, my love, I am coming." Erik called out, rushing back into the house for his wife.
She fell to the ground and spotted something over in the corner next to the cooking pot. She had never seen anything like it before. It was of a color she had never encountered, a glint of silver, with a mixture of blues. Shiny and beautiful, fit for a Goddess. She touched the edge of the piece of material and her head swam with images of water. She lay curled on the ground holding the material as her spirit was whisked away to another time.
She hugged her knees close, tears streaming down her cheeks. There was such an emptiness within her. She loved him, she truly loved him. She loved her family, her sweet children. She loved the feel of the dirt beneath her feet and the wind in her hair and yet, she grieved. She did not know why, until one day, while she was walking along the dried riverbed she had a vision.
"Sister, sister return to us. Take up your instrument and play. We are only three without you, three we will remain, we cannot bring order without your help. Remember who you are." The plea shakes the ground that she stands upon and she falls to her knees. She doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know why this is happening to her. Rayna picked herself up and ran through the dead forest. She could feel the wind whip around her, lashing out angrily.
"You must remember! I cannot stop myself without your help. Find him, go to your husband and ask him who you really are." She closed her eyes willing the wind away, but it swirled around her body lifting her up. She landed in front of her door. Smoke billowed from all openings of the house and flames engulfed the house. She ran in frantically searching for her two children.
"Why are you doing this to me? What have I done?"
"It isn't what you have done, sister, it is what he has taken away from you. I cannot save your children, I am only a messenger of Mother Earth, as are you. You must remember or all is lost." Smoke blinded and choked her. She struggled to one end of the small house to the next calling out for her children. But only silence answered back.
"Rayna, Rayna I'm coming!" His voice called forth. Her savior, her husband has come at last.
"Where are the children?"
"I have the children. I am coming my love, my love, I am coming." Erik called out, rushing back into the house for his wife.
She fell to the ground and spotted something over in the corner next to the cooking pot. She had never seen anything like it before. It was of a color she had never encountered, a glint of silver, with a mixture of blues. Shiny and beautiful, fit for a Goddess. She touched the edge of the piece of material and her head swam with images of water. She lay curled on the ground holding the material as her spirit was whisked away to another time.
It was the meeting of the Sisters long ago. Willow was the Mistress of Earth, Ariel was the Mistress of Air, Blaize was the Mistress of Fire, and Rayna the Mistress of Water. Four sisters, four elements, together they create and control the forces of nature.
Willow stepped away from the tree, stretching gracefully. She stepped to the edge of the water seeking out her sister Rayna. She could see Blaize already dancing around the bonfire and Ariel floating on the wind. "Come sisters let us play for our Mother, let us sing for our Father."
"Aye 'tis a grand night for dancing!" Blaize tapped her tambourine against her hip, swirling around, her fiery locks and golden gown shimmered and swirled around. "Wind, Ariel give us some wind." Ariel floated down to the ground, she folded her wings and stepped forward. Her gown was white as the clouds that she spins. Her blonde hair framed her pale face. She lifted up her arms and a small breeze began to play around Blaize.
Rayna swam up to the edge of the water watching her sisters at play. She loved dancing just as much as they did, but the feel of water against her fin, well nothing else was like it. Although she'd heard mortals say that love was like nothing else. She stepped out of the water, her gown an iridescent silvery blue. Her midnight tendrils glimmered blue in the moonlight, her eyes silver-dropped.
"I do wonder Sisters." She joined her sisters at the bonfire.
"Wonder what Rayna?"
"What love is like. Have you not ever wondered the same?" She sighed dreamily. She walked over to a bank of rocks and reached into a crevice removing her lyre and bringing it forth. She saw that Blaize was already playing the tambourine, dancing in her full glory, the energy her sister emitted often overwhelmed them all. Blaize had the energy and temper, while Willow was the grounded one. Ariel always had her head in the clouds, which of course she couldn't help, being the Mistress of Air. Rayna was the calm, mysterious one, she most often stood a bit apart from her sisters. Being on land was difficult for her to do. She saw Willow standing against her Weeping Willow tree.
"Shall we play?" Willow was on alert, she seemed pre-occupied with something. "Willow, is something a-miss?" Willow reached into the tree and pulled out her drum.
"Something is wrong, I can feel it in the earth. Someone is here."
Ariel began floating above them with her pan flute in hand. The others didn't respond to the warning. Each sister now had her instrument in hand and each went to stand beside each other. They linked hands and began singing. Very softly Willow began beating her drum as the world came alive with forest creatures. The trees began to sway and the flowers started to hum.
Blaize added the tambourine to the song, dancing around the fire with wild abandon. The flames leapt up and flickered and crackled. Lightning jumped across the sky. Thunder rumbled, as Ariel put the pan flute to her lips and started trilling her song. All eyes were on Rayna as she sat on her rock and strummed the Lyre with quick, nimble fingers. The river rushed forward and the fish and water creatures played. The thunder grew and drops of pure water began to rain down. It was a symphony of sound, a completion of music.
The Sisters concentrated on their instruments as an unearthly song began. Erik stood on the cliff hearing music. There was a stirring in his soul and he had abandoned his work and followed the magical sound. He knew it could be faery music but he did not care, did not heed the warnings. He needed to know who was playing, this time he must know. The sound entranced him, as music tended to always do since he was a child and his mother had sung to him. But this song, there was singing like that of a siren.
He called his horse to him and prepared to ride down the side of the hill. As he neared the source of the music he saw a bonfire and four women, dancing. In the middle of the night, under the full moonlight they danced. They were one. He had only seen them from afar, watched as they played their song and danced and watched nature perform for them. He stood behind the large Willow tree and peeked out. .
There was a feel of unease and each sister could feel it. They stopped playing, but Rayna continued singing. She was in a trance so deeply that she was unaware of what was taking place.
"I must have her for my own." Erik said to himself and anyone else that listened. The sisters stared at the man behind the tree, without the touch of the tree and the feel of the breeze Willow and Ariel were powerless without the connection of their element. Erik stumbled down the small hill and called to Rayna.
"Play sweet siren, play and I will forever be yours." Rayna's eyes opened and silver tears glistened. "You have called me with your song." Startled, she dropped her lyre and ran for the water. Erik picked up the strange instrument and dove into the water after the girl. She stood, turned around and faced him.
"You are my destiny and I am yours." She did not understand what was happening. The mortal held her lyre, her precious lyre, in his hands. She gasped and cried out, calling for her Sisters' aid. But none of them came to her.
She felt dizzy all of a sudden and there was an arm around her. She did not know where she was. She felt herself being carried. She saw Ariel and Willow weeping with their hands outstretched toward her. But she was too weak. She was too weak without the water and let the dizziness overtake her.
"You will never get away with this, Mortal. Fear me, fear the Blaize of fire, feel it. You have taken our Sister, you have taken the Mistress of Water and we shall take from you. One day, we will have our revenge. It will not take long for there to be a lack of water in your village. Prepare yourself!" Blaize threatened and threw up a wall of fire, but Erik just walked through it unscathed.
"She protects him, dear sister keep well until we return for you." Blaize stood on the rock and Ariel and Willow rushed toward her.
"He will not get away with this. We need Mother's help. She will know what to do. Dear Mother, what has he done?"
Images swam in Rayna's mind and she found herself once more holding the blue and silver pouch. She caressed the fabric and put it against her cheek. It felt cool to the touch and familiar. She stood up and walked out of the house. The fire had been put out and she and her family were unharmed. She walked past her husband and her Sisters. She knelt to her children and gave them one last hug each. Then she walked toward the dry riverbed. She lifted the lyre out of the pouch and strummed a few strings. The sound of water was refreshing and as the river began to fill she put her bare feet in. It felt like heaven. She was home at last. Her Sisters joined her and they began to play as well.
She sang of her time in the Mortal World and she sang of the past and of the future. She sang like she had never sung before. Silver tears streamed down her cheeks. However, Blaize's face told her all she needed to know. She ran forward just as a lightning bolt was coming from the sky and sent up an arc of water protecting her husband.
"You deserve the treatment of my fiery-tempered sister, but our children still need you, so you will be spared. I have loved you for only a short time in my world, but long enough in yours to have been blessed. Yet I have grieved all these years, grieved and felt the emptiness a void within me so deeply. Never ever compromise or interfere with the Laws of Nature. For if this is to ever happen again I fear Mother will take care of it herself." With that, Rayna stepped forward, embraced her Sisters.
"Once, you were my destiny. Once, when I was young, you were all that I dreamed. But that time is over and now I know who I am. Now I must take my place beside my sisters, we must bring order back to the land."
She waded out into the water and felt herself transform. Rain poured down on all the Earth and nature once more came alive with the life force. A moment later, a quicksilver fin splashed and disappeared beneath the surface
Willow stepped away from the tree, stretching gracefully. She stepped to the edge of the water seeking out her sister Rayna. She could see Blaize already dancing around the bonfire and Ariel floating on the wind. "Come sisters let us play for our Mother, let us sing for our Father."
"Aye 'tis a grand night for dancing!" Blaize tapped her tambourine against her hip, swirling around, her fiery locks and golden gown shimmered and swirled around. "Wind, Ariel give us some wind." Ariel floated down to the ground, she folded her wings and stepped forward. Her gown was white as the clouds that she spins. Her blonde hair framed her pale face. She lifted up her arms and a small breeze began to play around Blaize.
Rayna swam up to the edge of the water watching her sisters at play. She loved dancing just as much as they did, but the feel of water against her fin, well nothing else was like it. Although she'd heard mortals say that love was like nothing else. She stepped out of the water, her gown an iridescent silvery blue. Her midnight tendrils glimmered blue in the moonlight, her eyes silver-dropped.
"I do wonder Sisters." She joined her sisters at the bonfire.
"Wonder what Rayna?"
"What love is like. Have you not ever wondered the same?" She sighed dreamily. She walked over to a bank of rocks and reached into a crevice removing her lyre and bringing it forth. She saw that Blaize was already playing the tambourine, dancing in her full glory, the energy her sister emitted often overwhelmed them all. Blaize had the energy and temper, while Willow was the grounded one. Ariel always had her head in the clouds, which of course she couldn't help, being the Mistress of Air. Rayna was the calm, mysterious one, she most often stood a bit apart from her sisters. Being on land was difficult for her to do. She saw Willow standing against her Weeping Willow tree.
"Shall we play?" Willow was on alert, she seemed pre-occupied with something. "Willow, is something a-miss?" Willow reached into the tree and pulled out her drum.
"Something is wrong, I can feel it in the earth. Someone is here."
Ariel began floating above them with her pan flute in hand. The others didn't respond to the warning. Each sister now had her instrument in hand and each went to stand beside each other. They linked hands and began singing. Very softly Willow began beating her drum as the world came alive with forest creatures. The trees began to sway and the flowers started to hum.
Blaize added the tambourine to the song, dancing around the fire with wild abandon. The flames leapt up and flickered and crackled. Lightning jumped across the sky. Thunder rumbled, as Ariel put the pan flute to her lips and started trilling her song. All eyes were on Rayna as she sat on her rock and strummed the Lyre with quick, nimble fingers. The river rushed forward and the fish and water creatures played. The thunder grew and drops of pure water began to rain down. It was a symphony of sound, a completion of music.
The Sisters concentrated on their instruments as an unearthly song began. Erik stood on the cliff hearing music. There was a stirring in his soul and he had abandoned his work and followed the magical sound. He knew it could be faery music but he did not care, did not heed the warnings. He needed to know who was playing, this time he must know. The sound entranced him, as music tended to always do since he was a child and his mother had sung to him. But this song, there was singing like that of a siren.
He called his horse to him and prepared to ride down the side of the hill. As he neared the source of the music he saw a bonfire and four women, dancing. In the middle of the night, under the full moonlight they danced. They were one. He had only seen them from afar, watched as they played their song and danced and watched nature perform for them. He stood behind the large Willow tree and peeked out. .
There was a feel of unease and each sister could feel it. They stopped playing, but Rayna continued singing. She was in a trance so deeply that she was unaware of what was taking place.
"I must have her for my own." Erik said to himself and anyone else that listened. The sisters stared at the man behind the tree, without the touch of the tree and the feel of the breeze Willow and Ariel were powerless without the connection of their element. Erik stumbled down the small hill and called to Rayna.
"Play sweet siren, play and I will forever be yours." Rayna's eyes opened and silver tears glistened. "You have called me with your song." Startled, she dropped her lyre and ran for the water. Erik picked up the strange instrument and dove into the water after the girl. She stood, turned around and faced him.
"You are my destiny and I am yours." She did not understand what was happening. The mortal held her lyre, her precious lyre, in his hands. She gasped and cried out, calling for her Sisters' aid. But none of them came to her.
She felt dizzy all of a sudden and there was an arm around her. She did not know where she was. She felt herself being carried. She saw Ariel and Willow weeping with their hands outstretched toward her. But she was too weak. She was too weak without the water and let the dizziness overtake her.
"You will never get away with this, Mortal. Fear me, fear the Blaize of fire, feel it. You have taken our Sister, you have taken the Mistress of Water and we shall take from you. One day, we will have our revenge. It will not take long for there to be a lack of water in your village. Prepare yourself!" Blaize threatened and threw up a wall of fire, but Erik just walked through it unscathed.
"She protects him, dear sister keep well until we return for you." Blaize stood on the rock and Ariel and Willow rushed toward her.
"He will not get away with this. We need Mother's help. She will know what to do. Dear Mother, what has he done?"
Images swam in Rayna's mind and she found herself once more holding the blue and silver pouch. She caressed the fabric and put it against her cheek. It felt cool to the touch and familiar. She stood up and walked out of the house. The fire had been put out and she and her family were unharmed. She walked past her husband and her Sisters. She knelt to her children and gave them one last hug each. Then she walked toward the dry riverbed. She lifted the lyre out of the pouch and strummed a few strings. The sound of water was refreshing and as the river began to fill she put her bare feet in. It felt like heaven. She was home at last. Her Sisters joined her and they began to play as well.
She sang of her time in the Mortal World and she sang of the past and of the future. She sang like she had never sung before. Silver tears streamed down her cheeks. However, Blaize's face told her all she needed to know. She ran forward just as a lightning bolt was coming from the sky and sent up an arc of water protecting her husband.
"You deserve the treatment of my fiery-tempered sister, but our children still need you, so you will be spared. I have loved you for only a short time in my world, but long enough in yours to have been blessed. Yet I have grieved all these years, grieved and felt the emptiness a void within me so deeply. Never ever compromise or interfere with the Laws of Nature. For if this is to ever happen again I fear Mother will take care of it herself." With that, Rayna stepped forward, embraced her Sisters.
"Once, you were my destiny. Once, when I was young, you were all that I dreamed. But that time is over and now I know who I am. Now I must take my place beside my sisters, we must bring order back to the land."
She waded out into the water and felt herself transform. Rain poured down on all the Earth and nature once more came alive with the life force. A moment later, a quicksilver fin splashed and disappeared beneath the surface
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