Slumber Party

Silver eyes slowly opened as the sleeping elf's nightmares drove her to wakefulness. For a moment, she lay there, breathing heavily and fighting off the remnants of the dream she'd been having. It didn't help that the simple wooden roof over her head was completely unfamiliar, or that the place where she rested was somewhat harder than she was accustomed to, even though she normally preferred a firm mattress.

Malandrae sat up, her awareness of her surroundings rushing back as sleep finally faded. She was in Corrienda Windwhisper's home in Darnassus. The other elf had kindly given her a sleeping bag and a spot on the floor to camp out near the entrance to her simple dwelling; far more than Malandrae needed really. The Highborne had simply sought a safe place to go, and was grateful for everything Corrienda had done so far.

Even so, she still had bad dreams about Florinai. Dreams involving shadowy magic surrounding her friend and lover and reaching out to harm those around her. Malandrae shook her head, trying to quell the thoughts; they HAD to be false. Flo HAD to be alright.

The thoughts were driven from her mind by a sound deeper within the house. The Highborne tilted her head, her long tapered ears straining to hear what had made the noise, her eyes wide as she listened. After a moment, she pushed the blankets off herself, rising slowly and grabbing the nearest object to hand, creeping stealthily across the dwelling.

The moonlight coming in through the entrance to the house played in Malandrae's cyan hair and along the bare flesh of her legs, shimmering against the sheer nightgown she wore. She made her way further into the house, her bare feet making not even a whisper of a sound on the polished, smooth wood of the floor. Silver eyes locked on the object that had issued the noise, and silently Malandrae raised the object she'd picked up above her head, ready to strike. A moment later, she brought it down fast on her prey.

Corrienda Windwhisper had of course been completely unaware that she'd been snoring. The fact likely would have surprised her, although the collision of the soft pillow with her head likely surprised her far more. Taken unawares by the pillowy barrage, the druidess sputtered into wakefulness, sitting up abruptly. Her eyes wide, she attempted to ascertain what was going on, only to receive a second barrage from the pillow.

The druidess blinked in surprise and then hissed a whisper at the other elf, "Malandrae Moonwhisper! You stop that this instant! If you wake the baby.."

"Then I'll spend the rest of the night soothing him Miss Corrienda," Malandrae replied in a soft, amused voice. She followed the comment up with another rapid pillow strike and a giggle. "You snore so loud I doubt this will wake him anyway!"

Corrienda could not believe what was happening. She had somehow gone from sleeping peacefully to having a rather excited, bouncing Highborne on her bed assaulting her with a pillow. She opened her mouth to protest once more, "Malandrae, you have to st-"

Her sentence was interrupted as Malandrae threw a pillow at her. So well aimed was the shot that the corner of the pillow actually went in Corrienda's mouth and silenced her. The shot was so expert that Corrienda immediately suspected that she was likely only the latest victim of a long line of pillow-fights that stretched back for thousands of years for the playful Highborne. In fact, the aiming was almost good enough to allow Malandrae to classify 'pillows' as one of the weapons she was most skilled with; which would make her total number of weapon skills a grand whopping total of one.

Eyes wide, Corrienda grabbed the pillow as it fell from her face, snatching it up and raising it just in time to deflect the blow of a SECOND pillow that the Highborne had managed to grab from somewhere. The laughter in Malandrae's eyes was almost infectious as the druidess deflected the shot, and Corrienda felt a smile creeping across her face despite herself.

The second pillow struck again, and again was deflected, "Oh that is IT Malandrae! You are totally going to get it now!" Corrienda muttered, launching a barrage of her own. Within moments it was on, pillows crashing in mid air as the druidess fought back against her assailant. Malandrae found herself hard pressed to keep the pillow from messing up her hair as Corrienda's natural agility was far superior to her own. After a few good shots, Malandrae's high pigtails were a total wreck and she found herself giggling uncontrollably. The druidess joined in a moment later, the laughter contagious.

Seeing a part of Malandrae's hair that was yet un-messed, Corrienda brought her own weapon up high, bringing it down hard. It met Malandrae's pillow in mid-air, and the pillows, which had been conjured by the Highborne (who had no knowledge of tailoring whatsoever), exploded into thousands of feathers as their seams ripped. The white, fluffy feathers rained down around them like snow, making the two elves giggle all the harder.

"Ahem." Came a voice from the end of the bed. Malandrae and Corrienda both turned to look, finding Galedorin standing there, a slightly amused look on his face as he watched the feathers drifting down around his beloved and her friend. A few of the feathers had managed to find purchase in Corrienda's hair.

"Oh my heavens, Mister Galedorin, this is your side of the bed!" Malandrae squealed, sitting up in the bed. "I was just uh...she was snoring and you know...I was awake."

Galedorin held up a hand, forestalling further explanation, "There is no need to apologize. Sometimes a little laughter is welcome. Now though I think it is time for sleeping, hmmm?"

Malandrae giggled and nodded, slipping from the bed. Galedorin kept his eyes averted from her less than fully clothed form as she scurried past, patting him on the arm and smiling. A moment later she had moved past him, her footsteps bouncing and light-hearted as she made her way back to the sleeping bag she'd been given near the dwelling's opening.

Galedorin looked at his beloved, a smile still on his face as he slipped into bed beside her. He plucked a feather from her hair, speaking to her mentally. "I had stepped outside to retrieve water when I found you both. That is a most unusual example of a Highborne."

Corrienda smiled, looking over at the lump on the floor where Malandrae was snuggled in her bedroll. She spoke softly, picking a feather up from amongst the blankets on her bed. She playfully held it up before her and then ran it across Galedorin's chest, "She is. I think that maybe that is a good thing. If people can see her for who she is, rather than what she is, they will come to know that not all Highborne are these terrible things to be feared. Besides, we can all use more laughter in our lives, and Malandrae lives just to enjoy life. She's a fine example in some ways."

Corrienda trailed off as Galedorin's arms enfolded her, his voice speaking softly in her mind again, "Just as you are a fine example of what a friend and mother are beloved."  There was no more need for words after that, the closeness the two shared communicating far more effectively.

Over in her bedroll, Malandrae smiled to herself, her hand held out in front of her and her palm upright. Upon it sat a feather, white and pure and shimmering in the moonlight coming in from outside. She pursed her lips, blowing softly and watching the feather drift into the air. She mused on the object as it floated away.

Although its course could be turbulent at times, like life itself the softly drifting object always held beauty within it. That was how Malandrae saw the world, and no matter her fears, she would always see it that way. It simply was the way things were.

Sighing softly and feeling much better, the Highborne's eyes drifted closed and she returned to a more peaceful slumber.