Rebirth

[Mimblethorp]

There is a part of death that is much like waiting...for a long time. However, time hardly has a meaning when all you see is swirling color, all you hear is deadly silence, all you smell is the cold and all you feel is a kindy of empty longing for the next life. And there is a sort of pleasure intrinsic to this nothingness of existance, like a rest after a hard days work, though a rest deeper than any known to mortal existance. And while the rest is timeless, it is not eternal, for the gods would never waste such useful labor as they see in their faithful. As for the faithless, well that's a story for another day. For the faithful though, there is always the awakening after the deep sleep. Some to their eternal rest and some...

* * *

He opened his eyes upon a bright new world, the sun shone high in the sky and the birds were singing their welcome to the world as the light faded from around the elf. He sat up and looked around confused by the light, the stone and the large yellow cross next to him.

"Where did she go Her... HORATIO!" He jumped to his feet and stuck his hands into his pants pockets...pants?...where did those come from. Then calling out in a voice of anguish, "HARATIO!!!" Once again he drops to the ground as though the strength to go on has left him. A pitiful whimper escapes his lips, "Heratio, where are you?" He continues to stare at his empty hands as though doing so would bring back his missing friend, staring at those finger, those long slender fing..."WHAT!?" He quickly turns his hands over and over again, unable to believe what he is seeing. "What happened to me? I've been....stretched!"He begins to sway and smacks his head on a low hanging tree branch. "Ouch what the?" His eyes suddenly widen and he staggers to the river where he falls to his knees and begins splashing water in his face. Then he pauses, gaining control of himself once again. He looks deep into the river and whispers, "What has happened to me?"

As if in response the river clears for moment, just long enough for him to see his reflection, to see the long angular facial features, the long pointy ears and the narrow pointy eyes, and then the reflection washes away with the rest of the river.

For a moment, he is stunned, unable to move, he slowly rocks back to sit on his feet as he stares into the afternoon brilliance. Then it dawns on him exactly what has happened to him and once again he throws his head back and screams, "NOOOOoooooo!!!!!!" and then once again, darkness envelopes him.

[Mimblethorp]

For the second time today, he opens his eyes and looked at the bright sky above. Blinded by the sun he rolls onto his side. "Father, I knew I was right. I shall never truely die, shall I. I'll ever be your servant on Illarion until the day it ceases to exist. Will I ever know eternal rest?" It was a question he did not expect an answer to and he was not dissappointed. The only answer was the singing of the birds, "Yes, of course."

Sitting up, with his hands resting on his folded knees he looked to the sky, past the bird and asked, "So, what am I to do now? The realms were destroyed, along with many mighty and great ones. She is surely dead, and the governments are surely in upheaval, all as you desired." He sits there, listening to all around him, seemingly weaving a message from the random sounds he hears, "Of course, well thank you for that at least. A season of rest, even in this world is something to be greatful for and don't worry, I won't get used to any sort of routine." He chuckles, "As you know, it isn't in my nature."

He stands up, still a little unsure on these new, longer legs, "Perhaps the first thing to do is explore the realms, and see what mighty things have changed...Yes, wandering would be good."

It was then that he noticed the human standing not far away. He seemed to feel Mimblethorpes eyes upon him. The man smiled and went into an obviously well rehearsed routine, asking him what he would like to become. Mimblethorpe smiled for that, was a very good question.