The Wedding

     Linwe managed to convince Swith that a walk to the forest would not be such a bad thing.      'Swith..do ye be willing to witness Jacen and I bonding to each other?'
     Swith looked around the forest, scratching at a flea, and then at the strange altar. "Do it involve magics?"

     Linwe chuckled. "The magic of love, mayhaps?"
 Swith  blinked, then twitched a little. Aye... well, aye, alright then..."
Linwe turned towards the altar and quickly cast a ward, just in case, and turned back to her friend. 'I will ask ye to tie the bind' Swith shrugged at this and replied "Aye, fair enough, miss"

     Hearing unelflike movement through the forest, Linwe's ears twitched as they are wont to do, and she turned to see Jacen climb over the last slope to the shrine. Linwe smiled, watching him pull a leaf from his hair and gazing intently at the underbrush, knowing his unease in the forest.
     "Linnon am meleth vîn!" the elven eldar whispered.

   Swith twitched at the sound of movement in the trees, but seeing Jacen, greeted him.  "Greetin's sir..." Responding to the greeting, Jacen nodded his head. "Hello Swith...Linwe..."
Linwe looked down and smiled, blushing. :Vedui, Jacen." Looking back up, Linwe stared intently at her betrothed. "Ye be sure of this, then? Ye can..allas back out now.." Swith looked back and forth between the two. Jacen folded his arms across his chest. "I don't back out of things."  Linwe smiled and whispered "I knows..." Jacen grinned.

 

     "In the elven tradition," Linwe explained, "folks bind themselves to each other with a witness. Do ye mind Swith bein' that?" Linwe turned to look at her friend, standing scratching at lice.
     "Not at all."

      Anticipating his reply, Linwe reached into a fold of her skirt and pulled out a long, red ribbon. She handed this to Swith with the injunction "This be the tie that binds...I will ask ye...to bind our hands as a part of the ritual." Swith nodded and took the ribbon form the elf's hands. "Aye. Right ye are, miss." Swith took the ribbon and inspected it closely.  Linwe beckoned Jacen to come within the circle of the ward. Once there, Linwe glanced about at the surroundings and raised her arms in supplication.  'I come before ye, Selune...as a servant...and ask a boon...that ye bless this binding between myself and this man. I have been yer servant for many years...and have asked much of ye..and I come again..asking more'

     Swith looked up, blinking as if some magic might blast her by accident. Jacen scanned the skies and thought to himself, hoping he would not have to speak to any elven goddess. Linwe continued, oblivious to the unease her companions felt in the forest, a place where she was most at ease.
Zifanwe) says 'Jacen..will ye stand beside me in Selune's watchful gaze?' Jacen nodded. "Always." Linwe beckoned "Then come, take my hands."
     Jacen walked gravely towards Linwe, and took both her hands in his. 'Swith..will ye bind our hands, please?'

 

     Swith jumped as Linwe addressed her, glanced at the strange altar, and then scampered over to the couple with the red ribbon. Ducking below their joined hands, She tied the red ribbon in a neat knot around their hands, and then realized she was stuck between them. Blinking, the minstrel ducked back under their hands and clumsily made her way back to the other side of the altar.
Linwe chuckled at her friend while Jacen smiled at Swith's apparent unease. Linwe turned back to Jacen, their hands bound now by the ribbon and spoke. "Jacen, I bind myself to ye. heart and soul..whatever I have be yours..physical or non...ye be my light, my guardian, my solace. To this , I pledge myself to ye'. Linwe fixed her gaze on Jacen's eyes, waiting expectantly. Jacen blinked, and then  met her gaze and pledged his vow in return. "Linwe, without you I have nothing, what little I have, I give to you, and I pledge myself to you, for eternity." Smiling a loving smile at Jacen, Linwe whispered "Then, tis as it is..and we be one. And forever more, these ties that bind us shall endure'
Swith grinned, showing a few blackened teeth.

     Linwe watched as the red ribbon binding them fast fell to the altar below, still tied. She reached down and picked it up, placing it in a fold of her skirt. Jacen grinned, looking at his new wife. "And Selune didn't even turn me into a frog or anything." Swith glanced over to Linwe and replied " 'Aye... thank the goddess fer that...' Linwe laughed at her friend. Turning back to her husband she said "Nay..more like a...wolf." Laughing she continued, "Now ye be stuck with me for eternity." Jacen tilted his head.  "I wouldn't have it any other way. But don't forget, you're stuck with me too."
     'Aye..I think I got the better bargain though'
Swith chuckled.  "What 'appens now then... we 'ave a drink? "
     "Sounds good" Linwe replied "And to think..we made it without a demon appearing!" Swith smirked "Aye... there's an achievement, any day..."
     "They knew better than to interrupt." Jacen countered.
Linwe, smiling happily, turned away from the thoughts of demons and evilness for that day.
'Shall we go to the Hall then?'