Cassandra led Dinalindel to a single story inn by the bay. The sign read "Abram's Cove" and had a painting of the deceased sea dragon who once inhabited Blue Dragon Island. "This is the one," Cassandra commented.

The antlered centauress pushed open the door and ducked through. Suddenly, the conversations around the common room quieted. Cassandra tried to ignore the stares and approached the counter. By Marfa, these human buildings are constricting!

"Excuse me, two of my herd members are staying at this inn," Cassandra said. The innkeeper looked a little awed, by Cassandra especially, but he had seen centaurs before. There was a herd on Blue Dragon Island and occasionally, the sent their youths out to world, and of course, they passed through Raiden first. "We would like to have a pair of stalls, if that is possible."

"Uhh...yes, there is a centaur in our stables...but only one. He was with a half-elf. We have a few stalls for our centaur guests especially," the innkeeper replied. He turned around to look into the kitchen and his eyes rested on a boy. "Tihn, see our guests to the stable!" he ordered. The boy jumped and hurried out to Cassandra. He bowed low and extended his hand to the door.

"This way...umm...madam," he stammered and hurriedly led her to the door.

Awkwardly, Cassandra turned around, trying to avoid tables. As she started to follow the boy out, her antlers caught on a chandelier, which spilled hot wax on her head. She backed up and unhooked her antlers, then heard someone chuckle in the room. Cassandra turned her gaze on the man and glared harshly. He silenced and shrank down. Cassandra continued outside and let the boy lead her and Dinalindel to the stable.

Nipa had seen the two centaurs come in and he was very surprised. The very ones that Gettie was trying to get away from happened to come into the one Inn that they chose. However he was relieved when they left and he had caught enough of their conversation to know that they were only looking for someone.

Turning his attention back to Gettie he commented, "It is very interesting to see centaurs around, I had only thought that they were stories that people made up, but..." he grinned as he thought of how the same was said about him, "Though I guess the feeling might be mutual."

Gettie slouched down in her seat and sniffed. The sight of the centaurs still unnerved her but the distance and shelter of the inn provided her with what she could generally regard as courage in the absence of anything else. Regardless, her belly felt full and she was content. Listening to Nipa, she nodded with a small smirk and remarked, "Quite. It can be surprising when...," she paused to carefully find the words, "Things you thought were legend present themselves before your eyes." Between meeting and befriending the Grassrunner and the rumors surrounding her family she considered herself to be comfortably on both sides of the experience.

* * *

Dina tried his best to keep a straight face and also to resist the urge to stop the man that laughed at her. To him Cassandra could do no wrong, and to see how much trouble she was having made him angry. But not at her, but at the humans for forcing this on them... Even if they did come along willingly.

Once outside he sighed heavily, "I do not think that humans ever intended on having centaurs in a town like this." He followed the boy as Cassandra to the stables. "I had hoped that we would not have to stay in one of these again... But if Cara wants to stay here then it can't be that bad."

"Very few of us ever leave our forests," Cassandra said. "I'm certain many humans think we are a myth." As they entered the stable yard, Cassandra saw a stable with a curtain drawn across the door for privacy. That had to be where Rain and Caradithil were.

"Caradithil, Rain, we've returned," Cassandra spoke loudly to get their attention.

Cara's ears twitched and his whole body stiffened... "That can't be... Here... now... how??"

Rain tensed, eyes shifting to the straw covered floor, beneath with the curtains of the stalls did not cover to see eight-hoofed legs standing. "If you know how to change back I'd do it now, Cara." She moved off him, throwing her cloak over his body and laid in the hay seemingly in deep sleep, even sucking her thumb like a child for affect.

Cara sat up as fast as he could bad began to frantically move around trying to find where he dropped the scroll "Damn it where is it... Where is it..." he was so busy looking that he neglected to maintain his new balance and he fell again... but thankfully he caught himself... but the blanket was not beside him... and he was again leaning over Rain. "This is not good..." he said as he heard the curtain being pulled back.

Dina followed behind Cassandra mulling over the fact that humans thought that they were myths; he was not even paying attention when she pulled the sheet back.

Cassandra pulled back the curtain and looked into the darkened stall. Inside, there was a very tall elf leaning over a blanketed form, and as the light hit them, Cassandra recognized Rain's face and Caradithil's brown and white hair. With a gasp, she yanked it shut again. "They found it..." she whispered.

Hearing the sheet being pulled done way the other quickly he knew he was as good as dead... "Not... good.." he said as he fell to his side and immediately lost consciousness... which canceled the spell and he returned to his normal size. However this also mean that his hind legs were now being pressed against one wall and head and Rain were being pressed against the other wall.

Dina pulled up short then she pulled the curtain back into place. "Don't tell me he's sleeping again?" Dina said a bit loudly hoping to wake up the sleeping centaur in case he was. "Lets just go on in."

Cassandra managed to keep her composer. "Oh....let's let him sleep," she replied. "He's earned it, pulling that wagon all day. In fact, you should go take your stall too." Cassandra motioned for the boy, who looked rather confused. "Umm...this way, sir," he waved for Dinalindel to follow him.

"But he's used to that kind of hard work..." he wanted to protest more but he learned a long time ago it is not wise to argue with a woman... much less a seers like Cassandra. Grumbling he followed the boy to a stall just two down from Cara's. "This is so humiliating..." Dina said as he looked at it.

Rain's body was so tense in fear even in her mock sleep; she could have been successfully mistaken for a battering ram. The next second the half elf knew she could barely breathe and the rather large elf had become a much larger centaur self. Quickly the little creature wiggled free, barely enough time to take a breath before she'd throw herself back down in a freer space, not occupied by either armor or body in the stall to play-asleep as well. Biting her lip to calm her thundering heart that was beating like a war drum in her pointed ears.

Cassandra watched as Dinalindel went to his stall, and then she drew back the curtains just far enough to enter through. She opened the gate of the stall and stepped inside. Caradithil was passed out, thus ending the spell and turning him back into a centaur. Cassandra looked down to see his breastplate and a piece of parchment beside it. "So, you found the transformation spell?" she said, looking down at it.

Rain didn't budge an inch. And though she'd heard Cassandra's commanding voice behind her, and though Rain cared deeply for the elder herd member, Rain had sufficiently buried her face deep into floor and wasn't about to separate herself from it. She was saying every prayer to the gods she'd ever learned in her mind, hoping the seeress would simply trot away.

Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest. "Rain...." she said with a warning edge to her voice.

After inwardly shuddering at the tone warming of worse things to come Rain's mind feverishly look for a plan. She forced herself to relax, sleepily yawned, slowly stretched in the hay. "What? Time to go already? Did I oversleep," she asked innocently in daze confusion, the half elf usually awoke with, still not looking back at the antlered centaur.

Cassandra raised a disapproving eyebrow as she looked down at Rain. "Child, why are trying to deny finding the spell?" She asked, then her gaze shifted to Caradithil in an uncomfortable position, unconscious on the stable floor.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Cassandra," she yawned. "I never read any spell." Which was true. Rain stretched again, her hand going to the unconscious centaur's the midsection where flesh of the torso met the fur of the equestrian, and gave the sensitive flesh a sharp pinch.

Cassandra smirked slightly. "I never implied you read it," she replied. "Now, wake him up, a splash from Undine should do it."

At being suddenly pinched Cara's eyes popped open and he let out a startled yelp. He fumbled for a moment as he tried to get his hooves on the ground and he was happy that he had four hooves again. However upon seeing Rain... and Cassandra he knew he was in trouble. "I'm up I'm up he said as she moved to his hooves as fast as he could which placed him between Cassandra and Rain as though he were trying to protect her. It was then that his eyes saw the spell by Cassandra's leg. "The scroll..." he muttered then realized he had spoken that out loud. A few stalls down Dina laughed when he heard Cara's yelp.

Cassandra turned her gaze on Caradithil. She wasn't quite angry, more amused. "Don't be concerned, Caradithil," she said. "I have been waiting for you to find it."

Cara felt like fainting all over again, "You were.. you knew... how..I mean.. I just today... and we... I mean it wasn't... well it was...I mean but not like that...." It seemed that Cara's mind and his mouth were on two separate wavelengths and were not communicating very well.

Cassandra placed her hand on Caradithil's shoulder. "I am a seer after all. Yet, I could not tell you about it, you had to find out on your own," she explained.

Rain scrambled to the side, least she be crushed, by the juggernaut of a centaur stumbled and clambering crashed onto his feet. She did however winch when he unconsciously mumbled about the scroll before the seeress. As much as Rain loved the centaur at times he wasn't too brighter than a salamander. Then see looked dumbfounded, "You what," she asked the centauress in genuine confusion in her elfin expression and voice. "Cara," she called heartfelt concern in her voice, sensing he was more than emotionally uneasy, "Sit down before you fall!"

He visibly relaxed though he could not sit down just yet... however he did not move. He bowed his head and looked back at Rain then met Cassandra's gaze again. "You're not going to separate us... We... I-I've love her a long time... this is a dream come true for us." Cara could not believe he had just said that, he was terrified of being laughed at, at being told that he could not see her again. And he had just tome someone that could order them apart... just how he felt.

Cassandra just nodded though, with a knowing smirk. "I won't separate you, what you do with your lives is your choice. Did you ever wonder why that spell was placed in your sister's doll, Caradithil?"

A wave of visible shock struck Rain like a wave of water she was so fond of casting, her hand covering her mouth. She couldn't believe she'd heard her love admit allowed words Rain had hope to hear since they had met. She walked to his side and took his tenderly placed her petite hand his.

"You wont?" He asked excitedly then calmed himself quickly as he held Rain's hand smiling like a fool. "Um, well as a child I was told that some members of my herd had dealings with humans and elves before... so I guess they used it to hide their appearance... though I just noticed in Honto that the doll... resembled my Rain... I mean Rain..."

Cassandra smirked and her eyes had a sparkle of excitement. "Can you put the pieces together yet?"

Burying her face into the side of his leg, still feeling guilty about tearing the cherished heirloom, even if now that proved to be a blessing. She felt totally removed from this conversation between two giant creatures that were her herd mates. Rain gave an adorable smile up at larger centaur.

Cara's mind wanted to scream that they were destined to be together, but that seemed to far fetched as impossible so he stood there with his mouth hanging slightly open and Rain standing beside him.

Cassandra continued. "This was a gift, intended for you both, Caradithil and Rain."

"I-It.. was... but how'd..... My family never met her... she wasn't even born when I was given the doll... THE DOLL!! He whipped his head around trying to locate it with his eyes. "I've lost it I've lost it..."

Rain tugged on his arm. "No you didn't. I've put her away," she softly explained, "I wanted to mend her for you later." Rain walked over to a small forgotten corner of the stall where she'd place her satchel and retrieved the small doll, cradling to herself like a child, before placing the small torn item into his hands.

Cassandra chuckled. "Oh, Caradithil," she shook her head. "What am I? What ability is granted to our kind over the generations? Caradithil, the seer of your tribe foresaw your destiny, and took pity on what was to come. He had the doll made for your sister and the scroll placed within."

Thinking about Cassandra's words... and looking at the doll in his hand he thought of what Rain had said in Honto, she had told him that she would be his doll and he smiled anew. "They knew..." he looked up at Cassandra and his mind tried to wrap around the idea that was just explained to him as though it were the most complicated thing in the world. "They knew... that'd we'd meet?" Holding the doll in one hand he picked Rain up with his other arm and hugged her close. "I can't really understand it... but I'm happy!"

Rain overwhelmed with the seeress's message and the discovery of the spell minutes ago, the first happy news since they'd left home, overwhelmed the young half elf. She had began to softy cry into the centaur's arms, but even through the relieved tears, they could be sure Rain was just as happy and reassured than Cara- if not more so.

Cassandra smiled softly and petted Rain's hair to comfort her. "You know, not only is that spell helpful for you, but it could be helpful for Dinalindel and I, here in Raiden." Cassandra reached up to pick a glob of dried wax from her hair that was from the chandelier dumping on her.

Rain laughed through her slowing sobs, "Chandelier?"

Caradithil watched her pull something from her hair and he blinked, hard, "What's that? And what do you mean it could be helpful here?" The fact that it turned him into an elf was suddenly lost on him as he had not thought much further than how he and Rain could use it.

Cassandra glanced away uncomfortably and nodded. "These inns were not made for centaurs. Especially ones with antlers," she replied and picked at her hair some more. "I think it would be in all our best interests to share the spell when needed."

"But none of you know how to walk... on two legs that is. I could teach you, but we'd have to start soon. It would take some time to teach you all," she explained before her impish grin returned. "Kind of makes you have a whole new respect for what I do everyday, huh? Most of the time with no boots."

Cassandra smiled, this time a little uncertain. "Well, that would be appreciated..." she replied.

"Share it?" He looked confused then a lantern went on above his head, "Oh I get it! so we could all blend in with the humans and elves! There is one problem though..." He said kind of quietly as he lowered Rain to the ground as he chuckled. "Make that two problems then. We have no clothes that would fit up and no boots either."

Cassandra glanced back to the paint centaur. "Well, Caradithil found a spell in his sister's doll. It will transform a centaur to an elf as long as you are conscious."

Rain arched an eyebrow at Cara. "Honestly, I can handle the obtaining and fitting of clothing. And given the right material I could make boots that would stretch over your feet." She smiled, "But Cara, love, your mane stays the same white and brown color in any form, be it elf or centaur," and pointed out. "No elf has hair like that."

Cassandra chuckled. "I fear my problem will be looking like a dark elf," she added.

The half elf's lips pursed in thought. "Well I suppose you will. I mean, I'm a half elf and people don't generally seem to overly fond of me, but so long as we all stick together that should be that big of a problem." She cheerfully adds, "Besides you can go back to being a centaur and stomp them flat."

Dina looked skeptical, "You're kidding?"

Cara shook his head, "Not at all... I tried it earlier... and ended up... um... unconscious..." He then looked to Rain and though about hat she said, and the fact she called him love elated him, and terrified him. "Well... We can deal with my hair later?"

Dina looked oblivious to her calling him love as she has a habit of coming up with pet names for everyone and everything... she once even called a tree love before.

Cassandra chuckled. "I certainly hope the spell takes care of my antlers as well. Carrying such weight is not meant for two-legs."

"I'd pay to see that," Rain told Cassandra, almost dying laughing at the mental image produced.

"Hah, hah," Cassandra laughed sarcastically.

Cara laughed as he thought of it then he realized, "But how do you cancel the spell? I... I..." he was not sure how to say in front of his friend why he fainted so he said, "I kinda hit my head and woke up a centaur again."

"Just like you to hit your head, Cara!" Dina scolded.

"Could we use you as a chandelier in the woods if we needed to," she cheekily teased. Rain scurried up on top of Cara's back to check the centaur's head for any damage. "Thank the gods for your thick skull or you really could have been hurt."

"I have heard of these spells, I believe unconsciousness will break it," she replied. "Rain, will you hand me the scroll please?"

Rain hopped down and retrieved the scroll on the floor with easy, making a fluent swooping motion, displaying a finer movement of balance on two legs. She grinned handing it over to the antlered centauress before returning to a sit on the painted centaur's back.

"Is there any other way?" Cara asked, as he frowned up at Rain, "My head is not that thick..." He turned a slight shade of red at the implied innuendo, and then continued. "I mean what if we get into a fight... or we need to cancel it for any reason. Taking a nap just before a battle is not the best thing to do." Cara began shuffling around the stall and moving all of his armor to one corner with his pack and his doll.

Rain hugged him once lightly, cooing in a patronizing voice. The small half elf tending the large centaur's bumped head as her seat moved about cleaning the stall.

"Thank you," Cassandra replied. It was too much effort for a centaur to bend down. Cassandra looked over the spell, and then stepped back into the light to see it better. After a moment of careful reading, she spoke up. "I was right, falling asleep, or hitting your head hard enough to knock yourself unconscious," Cassandra said that last portion with a small smirk directed at Caradithil. "Will end the spell. To cancel it, you read this small portion at the bottom."

"Darn, and here I was hoping to be the one to hit him on the head," Dina said as he moved beside Cassandra to look at it.

"You are so helpful my friend," Cara told Dina who just smiled.

Rain giggled. If her big and overprotective brother knew, what they had been doing minutes before, he would probably do more than just hit Cara.

Cassandra was actually excited to try to the transformation, but she didn't show it. "Rain, we also need to consider the fitting of clothes. Caradithil was quite tall in elfin form. Perhaps we should all try the spell to get an idea of what clothes to buy?"

Cara blushed as he realized she was asking him to try it again... "Um... but... but..." he was not sure how to say that he would be naked... and in front of the seeress... but she had asked for them to try it...

Rain coughed, subtly shaking her head to Cassandra, not to mention again that Cara had been naked before in front of her big brother. "Alright, but perhaps you should all do it one by one? Separately. I need to actually get your measurements so I can go clothing shopping."

Cassandra chuckled. "Yes, that would be best. Perhaps we should leave the boys to do their own measurements to save them embarrassment? You can take mine, Rain."

Cara was not sure whether he was relieved or not. He was looking forward to being an elf again... and with Rain. Not to be a naked elf with Dina around.

Rain nodded in relief. "Yeah, that would be wise. But then they might want to sit down before they transform and collapse like wobbly-legged newborn fawns."

Dina smirked, "I have been around much longer than he has, I bet I won't have a problem."

Cara looked back at his friend and grinned. "Your on! I bet you fall down, flat on your backside!"

Cassandra chuckled at the thought. Her laugh might have had a touch of nervousness to it as well...

"Honestly, act your ages. Dina, you will fall. You will have no balance and you won't know how to work one pair of legs alone," she firmly stated.

"Sorry," both Cara and Dina said almost as one.

"Shall we try the spell, Rain?" Cassandra suggested. She maintained her calm demeanor, but one might have thought she was actually excited.

"It's alright. I should be used to it by now," she said with a small smile creeping across her lips. "First off, both of you sit down. Cara," she said looking at him with a loving gaze, "Say the spell, then pass it through the drawn curtain and I and Cassandra will take it and we'll over to the next stall and I'll take her measurements. Then I'll be back for both of yours."

Almost like a well-trained pet Cara did as she asked. He sat on the ground and looked rather sheepish. One might have thought it strange that someone of Rain's stature could command a 10 foot 2300 lbs centaur around. After a moment of laughing Dina too sat down and waited to be handed the scroll.

Cassandra passed the scroll to the colts and waited for them to read it.

Cara held on to the scroll and his eyes passed over the text, but he did not dare read it with the seeress still there. After being caught in the nude by her earlier he was lax in having that happen again.

Rain smiled, "Have fun. Come on, Cassandra, let's give them some modest privacy." Although Rain was reluctant to do so she forced herself to part with Cara for a few minutes. She drew the curtain close and stepped back, with a little smirk plastered across her childish face, with no explanation as to why it had appeared.

Cassandra looked down at Rain to see a mischievous look on the half-elf's fair face. "What is it, Rain?"

Rain grinned, blushing a little bit with the immodest memory, "I'm just thinking how I already know Cara's measurements."

Cassandra chuckled and patted Rain's head. "I know enough as it is, you don't have to tell me the details, child."

* * *

Once the girls had left Cara cast a glance at Dina then began to read the spell. Like before his body began to glow and he became an elf again. Dina looked at his friend with his mouth agape. "How is this possible??!!!"

Smiling at his friend he handed Dina the Scroll. "For once my friend you are much heavier than me."

"Why I ought to..." Dina started then calmed himself. "The bet still stands."

"About as steady as you will."

"The bet is on!"

Dina then read the words on the scroll and he found himself to be shrinking and his armor began to fall off his body. When he finished he looked at himself and was surprised then he shouted, "AHH!!! It's damn cold in here!"

"Are you two done yet?" Rain said giving a couple of swift knocking kicks to the side of the wooden stall. "And if either of you are standing up in there, I will not hesitate to toss your stark-naked behinds outside into the streets."

Cassandra chuckled, though she wanted to burst out laughing. She stood in the stable yard patiently, swishing her long silver tail.

Dina looked back to the entrance to the stall, he knew his sister might try it and while he sued to be able to thwart her threats, this time she might just be able to do it. "Yea we're done... so now what?" Dina replied.

Cara just chuckled at his friend's reaction, and he wondered how long it would be before Dina tried to stand up and prove he could do it.

Rain stuck her hand inside the curtain for the small scroll. "Come on, boys, I'd like to get clothing for everyone while the day is still warm," she chuckled knowingly. "Night are much colder here than they are at home," she informed, giving them all the more reason to hurry.

"Yea but... how do we know what sizes we are?" Dina asked a little impatiently. "It's not like we've ever tried on boots or anything." Dina looked down at his feet and he chuckled... "Feet are so strange looking... why do elves and humans have these little toes?"

For tickling I think," Cara said, "I remember how you used to tickle Rain's feet so much she nearly wet herself."

"Um," Rain said thinking quickly, "In my satchel their a spare shirt and pair of pants. You'll need to see how many arm or leg lengths, width and length, it needs to be expanded to fit you." She bent down and tossed her boots in, sufficiently smacking the complaining Dina in the forehead with the soles. "Toes are for balance, so when I kick you in your tails I don't tip over. Here, place them against your feet and do the same as I've instructed before. Okay?" Her hand returned to view, "Scroll if you'd please, boys."

Dina handed it to her reluctantly as he rubbed his head, "I think you're enjoying this too much, I wonder if we can reverse this and make you a centaur, then we'll see who's laughing!"

Cara looked at his friend and then tried to picture Rain as a Centaur, the possibilities nearly overcame his poor systems and he almost blacked out again. Instead he shook his head and crawled to her bag and decided to try what she asked.

"Me? Enjoying this too much?" she asked innocently taking the scroll. "Thoroughly. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Baby steps, boys, get used to that direction, you'll be hearing it often. Be good. I'll be back in a few minutes." Rain walked outside of the stable to anxious Cassandra. "Okay, I think they'll be okay. Let's get you a stall," she said leading the nervous looking centaur to a large side stall.

Cassandra walked along to her stall, passing an uncomfortable glance to the colts' stall. She entered the stall next door and drew the curtains shut. As Rain asked the other two, Cassandra awkwardly sat on her rump, and then extended her hand for the scroll.

Rain placed the scroll in Cassandra's hand. She offered a gentle smile and advises to the seeress, "I know you're anxious but breathe or you'll pass out, Cassandra."

Cassandra took the scroll and raised an admonishing brow at Rain. Though, she took a deep breath and exhaled before starting to read the spell. A tingling sensation filled her equine half as it shrank into two long, dark human legs. A massive weight was lifted from her head as her antlers ceased to exist. Now, the centauress had the appearance of a dark elf, dark skin and silver hair. She nearly toppled over on the weak legs she knelt on. Amazed, she looked over her new legs.

Rain shook her head at being rebuked. It had merely been stating what the half elfin had observed. "Are you alright," she asked curiously. It all seemed so new for them, Rain could only bear witness to the results; she could feel the shock but not the other feelings that must be so new to them. She handed her cloak to Cassandra. "You might want to sit on this. It's more comfortable."

Cassandra gladly took Rain's cloak. The hay was uncomfortably poking her new skin. She shifted on her legs and tucked the cloak beneath her. To exercise her legs a little more, she stretched them out in front of her and started moving them.

"Must be weird," Rain absently commented in her bubbly well-meaning fashion. "I mean, you'd four legs and now, you've got two with soft feet and little toes and absolutely no antlers. At least, this way, you won't have to remember to duck all the time.

Cassandra chuckled. "That will be nice," she replied. "I wonder how tall I am now?" Cassandra mused and looked behind her. The wall was close. Bracing herself against it, she eased herself to her feet and finally stood at six feet in height, quite lower than what she was used to.

* * *

Dina waited till he could hear Cassandra had tried the spell. Then he placed on hand on the wall and hefted himself up onto his feet. "See, I told you I could."

Cara looked unimpressed, "Ok, now walk."

Dina grit his teeth and took a step away from the wall. However he tried to do this step the way he had always started off before, with a slight hop. Unfortunately this called for both front legs being lifted at the same time. Unfortunately in this instance he had no hind legs to support his weight and he fell, backwards and landed on his back.

Cara had just finished measuring himself and he fell over himself. He had just been sitting on the hay, now he way laying down laughing himself silly.

* * *

"Close to six feet," Rain said standing besides Cassandra, preparing to catch her should the new elf's legs give way, "You're taller than me anyway." Rain put her hip to Cassandra's visually comparing how much higher Cassandra's was and the thickness of her legs in comparison, by these things the half elf calculated the pant size. "You can sit down now. I know what size pants you'll need." She placed her hands on either side of the elf's arms and helps to lower to back onto the soft weatherworn cape.

Awkwardly, Cassandra slipped down to the floor, nearly falling flat on her new bum. "Thank you Rain..." she said and settled back onto the cloak. "You know...I think I would like to go with someone more feminine that pants. Perhaps a long skirt? Like the priestess Sakura was wearing?"

Rain nodded. "I think I can manage that but here," Rain said pulling her shirt over her head and handing it to the seeress like it was nothing. "I need to get your shirt size. I need to see what size is gonna fit across your chest. Too tight and they'll think you're a tavern wench and too loose and you might not even be recognized from a sack of vegetables."

Cassandra unfastened her breastplate and laid that on the ground. The shin plates for her hind legs lay behind her. She pulled on Rain's shirt and found it was a little short on her, and a little tight.

Rain laughed. "Yeah, you're gonna need a bigger size than that sliver of cloth. Do you've any colors you're particularly fond of, Cassandra?" She put her hardened foot flat against the sole of the elf's baby soft ones. "Just a bit bigger footwear, I think, would do you good," she mumbled aloud.

"Hmm....greens are good," Cassandra replied. As Rain pressed her foot against hers, Cassandra drew back and couldn't help giggling. "That was a strange sensation!"

"Greens it is." The small face brightened cheerfully. "That was a tickle you've felt. You remember, when the boys want to embarrass me they do that torture to me until I feel like I'll burst. Alright. You are done," she announced.

Cassandra laughed, "So that's what it's like. Well...since your done, I'll cancel the spell...unless there's anything else?"

"No, I don't think I've forgotten anything. But can I have my shirt back," she smirked, knowing the transformation would shred it to ribbons.

Cassandra nodded and peeled off Rain's shirt and handed it back. She then looked at the scroll again and read the cancellation spell. Her body shifted back, which was a very disconcerting sight to see. Cassandra watched in wonder. When she was back to her normal self, she stood up and shook vigorously.

"That was spectacular," said in childish awestruck by the transformation. Rain pulled her shirt back on before standing and collecting her cloak from the floor, shaking it hard to knock the hay free from the fibers. "Do you think, one day, I would be possible for me to become a centaur," she asked the large antlered seeress, sheepishly kneading the cloak in her hand.

Cassandra considered. "It is very likely, if we can make a spell like this, some of our greater shamans may figure out how to change a half-elf into a centaur."

"Yay!" Rain celebrated with colt like anticipation, bubbly at the sheer possibility. "I think, I better focus on working on my shaman powers before I attempt to transform. I'm still weak caster... and fire spirits despise me. I'll never be any good," she said downhearted walking out of the stall over to the boy's stall. She kicked the side twice, "Okay here's the reverse spell," she said aloud before handing over the scroll to one of them through the curtain.

Dina took the spell and though he had calmed down a lot Cara was still chuckling slightly. Dina first, then Cara read the cancellation and were returned to their former Centaur selves. "Ok come on in," Dina told her though he seemed to be grumbling.

Rain stepped inside with a small smile, walking pass to retrieve her clothing, quietly kneeling besides her satchel, folding and placing them back inside before flopping onto her behind and stamping into her boots. She took their measurements quickly and was about to leave when she hovered at the doorway, "What are you're sizes and any favorite colors you prefer me to look for?"

With sincerity Cara looked at Rain and said, "I could not get into your pants." Right after the words rolled off his tongue he turned red and started to sputter, "I-I I mean that..."

Dina laughed and the dual meaning was lost on him, "You could not even get your foot down one leg and I could not do much better than that! Your boots are about several inches short on my feet, and your boots would never cover his big feet."

Rain turned bright shining red at the innocent comment and would have died of embarrassment if the location were only better. She was only too relieved that Dina was too distracted to recognize the dual meaning when he heard it. "Very well." She coughed trying to mask the discomfort she felt after having dodged the proverbial arrow on that one, "Any colors you prefer?"

Cara shook his head, as he was still unable to say anything, or rather he was too scared to say the wrong thing. Dina laughed still, "No, just pick something that will look good, I am not used to Elven, or human fashions."

A coy smile returned to Rain's face. "I think I can manage but if you don't like the color of what I choose for you that'll be your tough luck for not haven spoken up now," she warned giving them one last chance to choose.

Cara coughed and smiled, "I think I will trust you on picking out something that looks good." Cara gave her a knowing smile, as he tried to let her know non-verbally that what ever she got he would wear proudly. Though he knew that she would not pick something to outlandish as she would more than likely be with him when he wore those clothes.

Rain cast a tender smile back towards her love. She would do her best. Then with sigh and a shake of her head she looked at Dina, "And you, big brother?"

He thought a moment then just shrugged his shoulders, "No special requests, just remember that we are representatives of our herd, and any bad decisions makes our herd look bad." He gave her a slight grin, as he knew she would try her hardest if he said it that way. Otherwise he might have had to wear something with flowers on it.

Rain give a mischievous grin, "So no flowers or bunnies, eh? You're no fun," she teases putting her hands on his hips. "Cara trusts me. Well," she said turning in the door, "I'm off. I'll be back in an hour or so with everything you all will need for your newly discovered elfishness. Wish me luck."

Dina smiled at her, "Luck sis, be careful out there."

Cara wanted to say more than good luck he wanted to say I love you or I need you, but instead he settled on saying, "See you later..."

After Rain left the stable yard, Cassandra left her stall and went next door to see Caradithil and Dinalindel. In an almost foalish way, she wanted to share her experiences with someone else. She kept her composure though. She pulled back the curtain of their stall, then comfortably leaned her elven torso against the door frame and rested a rear hoof on it's tip. "We have to return to Dabagon Inn tonight Caradithil, everyone who wants to fight does. Also, the priests of Cha Za offered to enchant everyone's weapons. I left my spear with them. If you want, you can take your weapons."

Cara and Dina started putting their armor on and stopped. "Do you think we should arrive as centaurs or as elves?" Cara asked with a hopeful grin.

Dina chuckled though, "Sure we can... We can stagger in... Fall all over ourselves and draw even more attention to the fact that something is strange about us... Out side of the fact that we used to be much taller..."

"A simple no would have done," Cara mumbled.

* * *

As Nipa and Gettie finished their food things in the inn returned to their normal levels. The sailors singing and swearing. People talking and laughing. All people seemed to forget about the awkward moment when the Centaurs entered the Inn. This was just fine to the two of them. At least for a while.

It was then that things started getting louder than normal. The sailors were at first talking loud. The louder, then shouts were being slung back and forth just as fast as the sailors could toss them and mixed in with the normal insults were explicative of every possible sort. For a moment Nipa looked worried that something was about to happen.

"Um, do you think we should be concerned about them?" Nipa asked Gettie.

...and then a table was in the air. "Um, no. Us!" Gettie ducked under their own table with surprising speed, her lip curling in revolution from the stench of the filthy and stained floorboards.

Nipa ducked as well and from underneath the table he sighed, and then wished he had not just breathed in the scent. "Well, I think now is a good a time as any for us to go somewhere else for a while. Can you see the door from there?" he asked.

Unfortunately Gettie's back couldn't answer Nipa's question but her head was already pointed towards and traveling towards said door and not available for answers. Chaos, noise, danger... her instincts flashed through her mind urging her towards an escape. She'd since learned to not fight such things for, 1) it was futile and 2) it was usually a lot smarter than she was.

Seeing her heading off he shrugged his shoulders and took off after her. Being a grass runner meant he could run pretty fast, but unfortunately he was not running so he narrowly missed two humans as they fell over fighting.

Approaching the door, her mind had to shift gears and she remembered that she could stand up to reach the latch. A drinking horn, made from the shed antler of some exotic beast and adorned with silver and delicate etchings shattered next to her head, thrown from the other side of the room. Her hands clumsily fumbled and threw the door open and she quickly dove through the exit.

Nipa dodged humans and others as he followed her out the door, but unlike her he did not stand up he kept his head down, rushed out the door, and ran into someone.

Leaping dramatically threw the door into freedom; Gettie discovered a slight obstacle... She was further surprised by an impact from behind, although from a significantly lower area. Tumbling backwards from Nipa's collision, Gettie blinked and found herself on the ground entangled by limbs beyond those of her own possession.

After much griping and shifting of material, Rain had gotten everything her herd mates would require in the way of clothing. For Cara, she had fetched brown pants, even darker brown boots and a tunic of rich medium green that could bring out the honey Rain so admired in his eyes. For big brother, though tempted to buy a less than dignified tunic, the least of which had a small white rabbit gracing the front, Rain's better nature settled on a blue tunic, gray pants and black boots. All of which were easily obtained. Cassandra's, however, had taken the most footwork. A long green skirt was simple, in fact, she'd gotten it in one shop, but finding a top befitting on her mentor proved more difficult. A green high collared, long bell sleeved, open v-cut shirt with handkerchief cut hem had take most of the afternoon to find. By the time the green slippers were found the poor half elf was giving some weighty consideration to returning the blue tunic meant for her big brother and buying the rabbit shirt to liven her spirits when Dina would be told he'd be wearing it. The thought curled a smile around her lips. But seeing her love in the clothing she bought for him, not to mention the fun she'd have putting them on and taking them off, made the whole exercise in futility worthwhile.

"Ooft," Rain said at having two creatures suddenly collide into her, causing her to fall back into a sitting position. "Are you and your child all right, Miss?"

"Child..." came a muffled response from underneath Gettie's cloak. Nipa scooted himself backwards and pulled his head out from where decency says it should not have been and he sat back on what he thought was the ground. "I'm not a child..." he said though he was very red faced and his ears felt like they were burning.

Rain stood up, shifting her packages to one arm to get a better look at the loudly protesting creature. "But you're so small. You must be a child," she said naively and slightly dumbfounded, for what did a half-elf who'd spent her life isolated from the world in the Glassy Forest with her herd of centaur, know of grass runners and other races. "Is he yours," she asked Gettie, "He's rather feisty. Maybe he should go to bed. It's probably past his bedtime."

Smells... new smells... horses, elf, new clothes... the impact knocked her sense about but her senses were still acute. Something struck a chord: rabbit! The lovely, succulent, playful scent of rabbit was lingering, faint and covered but present. She bared her teeth for a moment in eager anticipation before coming back to some proper sense and sat up to see a half elf across from her, disheveled from the tumble and wearing new finery.

"Gaahhh!" With a push, Gettie shoved Nipa out from her lap, shaking at the unexpected... intimate contact. "Hm... what? Child? Where?" Gettie glanced around, fearful that they may have tumbled atop a wandering toddler or the like.

Nipa went from red with embarrassment to red with annoyance and he was about to reply when he found him self falling again. This time he went face first into the ground. "...ouch..."

"Oh!" Rain said leaning over Nipa in sincere worry. "Are you alright? Here." She carefully set him on his feet.

"Bedtime?" She looked up at the half-elf and panickedly glanced to check the sun. Still high and far from the horizon. She breathed a sigh of relief when Nipa was on his feet he rubbed his nose then turned towards Gettie, "Oh my lady," he said then offered her his hand to help her up, not that it might of done much good.

Finally Gettie was able to piece together the events. "Oh, goodness. I'm sorry," she exclaimed to the half-elf.

Rain rose to her feet again, picking the enormous bulk of her packages into one hand, and brushing the dust off her buckskin pants with the other; she smiled and dismissively waved their apologies away. "What in the green forest made you and your child come running out of the inn like that?"

Just right after Rain finished talking a loud crash could be heard inside the inn and one of the sailors was tossed out the door. He barely missed hitting all three of them. Nipa thumbed back towards the door, "That did."

Blinking, Gettie finally accepted Nipa's hand of help and stood. Looking at the half-elf, she was about to respond to her question but the answer came on its own

"Drunks. Eww." Rain said with a weird look crossing her face. Her eye twitching a little with the memory and smarting black eye ghosted her from the previous inn many towns back. "Eh, it's to be expected I think. What are you all doing in Raiden," she asked pleasantly enough.

Nipa blinked as then wondered what to say, "Well we're here... to..." he looked up and saw the chaos gate again and he knew his answer. "We're here to see about that." He said pointing up. "We were just... um... eating lunch when the fight broke out."

Just a few moments after he spoke another crash is heard along with a lot of swearing in at least four different languages as a second sailor is thrown out the doors and he too narrowly misses the three that are still talking by the entrance.

Grateful that Nipa cut in, Gettie simply nodded at whatever the grass runner wove as a story, not wanting to reveal her own questionable presence in the city. "Perhaps we should step away a bit..."

Rain looked up at the chaos gate with a somber look. Nodding in the direction, "A lot of people seem to have traveled great distances about that thing. Not a very good thing to be leaving on an adventure for." Rain steps to the side allowing the sailor to fall harmlessly by the wayside. "Yes, perhaps," and stepped further out of the way.

Nipa nodded, "That sounds good, um would you like some help with those? As a way to apologize?" he asked as he too moved away from the door and not a moment too soon as a third sailor was thrown out and right though the spaces they had just occupied.

"Nah," she dismissed the thought, "You don't have to. I handle heavier things than this in my sleep," she grinned at the cryptic remark. "Oh, my name is Rain, by the way. What do they call you, child?"

"I am not a child," Nipa said as kindly as he could, "I am Nipa, a grass runner from Alecrast. And this is..." he hesitated at mentioning Gettie's status, "this is my friend Gettie... We um, recently met... I mean met again and decided to have some lunch while getting acquainted... I mean re-acquainted."

"I am the L..." she stopped the formal script from running but it came out truncated and clipped. With a breath and curtsy, she continued, "I am Gettie and this is my traveling companion, Nipa of Alecrast, the son of a prominent merchant."

Rain put a hand on her hip and genuine confusion flashed across her face. "Grassrunner? What, by the goodness of Bramd, is a grass runner?"

"I am a grassrunner," Nipa answered proudly.

"I've never heard of them," Rain insisted earnestly.

"What need is there to have heard of one with one standing before you?" Gettie told her.

Nipa looked genuinely surprised, "You haven't" He then shook it off, "After having so many say that they thought we were only stories I guess I got used to it."

Rain flicked an eyebrow up; in the way she did before she decided whether the fish she'd caught was too small and toss it back. "I've not even heard stories of grass runners. But then I again, up until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn't known not everyone has pointed ears like mine," she smiled warmly.

"These times are a learning experience for many."

Nipa laughed, "Well not everyone has the pointed ears, but I sure do," as a way to show off he caused his ears to wiggle slightly. "Well, um, Rain, what brings you to Raiden? Sure you did not come here just to shop."

"Well I'm here with my herd," she answered simply. Not even occurring to her that many would not make the connection between the strange rarely seen race of centaurs and that half elf.

"Herd? You're a rancher?" Nipa asked.

"Rancher? Dear gods, no," she shook her head. "I live in the Glassy Forest, there's no ranching of any sorts to be found there."

Nipa scratched his head as he tried to understand.

Rain frowned, "What?"

"It just makes no sense, you're with a herd, but you are not a rancher...what sort of riddle is that?" Nipa explained.

"Oh. I'm sorry; I forget that I'm outside of the forest sometimes." The half elf's face brightened in understanding. "I'm here with the herd of centaurs."

At the mention of centaurs Nipa ears perked up, he was very curious about them but was not sure how Gettie would handle them.

Rain laughed at the little grass runner's reaction. The next thing she said would probably make his ears perk up more, as it had done for Leaf. "They're my family," she simply explained.

"Your family? That is interesting." Nipa said in wonderment.

Gettie found herself taking a half step back. Normally she would have been fascinated to be a part of this but she was still spooked from earlier in the day.

"Yup. They're my herd. I'm on my way back to them now." She paused to look at the sun for time. "They must be wondering were I've gone to. I should have been back over an hour ago. It's just that Raiden is so big and I've never been in a city like this. And well, it takes forever to find anything."



Nipa noticed her reaction, and he remembered it from earlier. Taking her had in his was a bold step for him, but he thought she might need some help. "Would you like to meet them...? I'll be right there." He hoped he was not sounding as corny as he thought he was, but he was genuinely concerned about her. But if this elf was so at ease around them then they could not be that bad.

Gettie eyed Nipa with a narrowed gaze, vaguely irritated at the corny comment offering chivalry. And then she tugged her hand out from his gentle grasp. "Besides," he added, "it will give us something to do while we wait," he offered hoping to ease her ire. He had seen that irritated look before...and for some reason he seemed to bring it on himself... a lot.

Rain looked between the strange pair for a few seconds. Quietly, judging them and her herd's reactions to meeting them. Might not be so bad, she reasoned, Dina would be delighted to see new people, though he might have some difficulty believing in grass runners, and Cara would just be plain happy to have her back. And she couldn't see how Cassandra would be offended. "If you'd like to meet them, I'm sure they'd be delighted to have company, they're all really quite nice despite their sizes."

"Indeed, you have traveled long and in dangerous times," spoke Gettie, standing up straight and calling on her birthright, "It would be an honor to have the privilege of meeting your companions."

Nipa smiled though he hoped inside he had not offended her. He had just made a new friend and he hoped he had not ruined it so fast.

Rain nodded and smiled. "It's strange the looks we get just going through towns on the way here. Most people are too afraid to talk to us, let alone do anything but point and whisper, so it'll be nice to have someone to converse with so far from home." After she shifted the bulk of the load in her arms and stepped over a drunk lying in the street, Rain lead the way back to the inn, through the stable yard and in to the large curtained stalls with a grin. "Cara, Dina, Cassandra, I'm back and we've company," she called pleasantly a small childish grin overtaking her face.

Cassandra heard Rain's voice and stepped back out of Caradithil's stall. Rain's company were a pair Cassandra caught a glimpse of when they first arrived, a human woman and an elf child. She considered that the child could be the woman's half-elf son, but the woman looked too young to be a mother of a child that age.

"Welcome," she said to both, arms spread.

"WOW!" Nipa let slip before he could catch himself. "I beg your pardon ma'am, but I have never met a centaur... Oh allow me to introduce myself, I am Nipa of Alecrast. And this is my friend Gettie." Again Nipa was not sure how much she wanted people to know of her status so introducing her as a friend seemed the safest option.

From inside the closed off stall a voice could be heard, "About time you got back Rain, I was starting to think you'd forgotten about us again."

A laugh could be heard from inside as well, "Oh don't worry Dina, she's not the type to forget about us." A noise could be heard from inside that could have been someone sitting down, but that someone would have had to be very big.

Good thing I didn't call him a child, Cassandra thought when Nipa introduced himself as a grassrunner. She recalled hearing about their kind from tales of ancient times. They used to inhabit Lodoss, but Kardis' curse had wiped them out. "Well, Nipa, Gettie, I am Cassandra, a seer of the Glassy Woods."

"A Seer," he said a bit confused then it hit him. "Oh ok! There was one in my home town that was one too." Keeping an eye on Gettie he stepped closer to the seeress and was amazed at just how tall she was. "Are all Centaurs as tall as you?"

Cassandra smiled warmly to the grassrunner. He reminded her so much of a little elf child, like Rain when she was just a little girl. "Or taller," Cassandra replied she stepped away from the doorway of Caradithil's stall. "Come out and meet Gettie and Nipa," she told the two stallions.

Rain smiled, all but skipping happily pass Cassandra into the stalls, gleeful to show her herd mates of the garments her efforts had purchased. "How could I ever forget about you all- or miss you-you're over eight feet tall," she smiled, tossing aside the curtain to find her big brother and lover seated in the midst of the hay
covered floor. Across the stall, she knelt between the two, displaying the measure of the wares to the centaurs, "I got a bunny shirt just your size," she jested winking towards Dinalindel, tossing a blue tunic over his head, and laying the rich green one in Cara's taking the opportunity to pet his arm with her concealed hand. She stood again, taking both centaurs' hand, tugging them in childish excitement to their hooves. "Come on! We've visitors." She walked back to Cassandra placing the sum of the clothing the small half-elven had tirelessly worked to find with a cheeky smile. "Caradithil, Dinalindel, this is Gettie and Nipa," she introduced the visitors to her herd mates.

Cara and Dina looked at the tunics and they looked like they would fit easy enough, but the pants they held up and then looked at each other, then the strange clothing. "You know," Cara said to his friend, "This may take a bit of getting used to."

Dina nodded his head and looked at them again, "I never noticed before but I think there is a supposed to be a front to these... Which side is the front."

The two boys were still seated in the hay as they looked at the clothes, and while they wanted to meet the newcomers they were also wanting to try out being elves again.

As the two looked at the pants Nipa looked around the corner of the door at them and he snickered at their conversation. "I think that side is the front," he told them pointing to the sides closest to himself.

Cassandra took the clothes Rain gave her and clutched them to her chest. "Thank you Rain," she said, but she didn't look at them. She would wait until their visitors were gone.

"Huh... Who are you?" Cara asked as Dina looked at the front side of the pants.

"I am Nipa of Alecrast, a Grass Runner."

"Grass Runner?" Both Cara and Dina asked then looked to Cassandra.

Cassandra nodded to the centaurs. "Grassrunners are another of the spirit folk. They once inhabited Lodoss, but when Kardis cursed the land, the grassrunners were wiped out. The centaurs and the elves had our forests to hide in, the dwarves had their caves, but the grassrunners were destroyed on the open plains. We were never certain, but it was believed they may exist elsewhere in the world, apparently they live in Alecrast," she explained to her herd mates.

"Nipa, it is a pleasure to meet you, as a representative of our distant spirit kin," Cassandra said, bowing her antlered head just slightly.

Nipa's face became filled with sorrow as she recounted the history of his people. So much pain, and agony back then, and still today. His gentle features were for a moment filled with something altogether unlike him. "We were not destroyed... We survived..."

Taking a deep breath, or as deep a one as he could manage he repressed the feelings of loss and betrayal he felt from the past. Though he was not there at the time, he almost felt like he was back there at times like these. "It... Is a... Pleasure..." he said still getting his emotions under control. "I am sorry," he told them. "Old wounds of my people still are carried by us all."

Gettie remained silent amid the giants, making a point to simply nod politely when appropriate and keep from doing anything inappropriate. The rigidity of a noble bearing is a strong shield against fear. Or at least acts strongly against letting the fear show. They were big. Really big. They seemed kind and gentle but
certain reactions are more ingrained than others. She was pulled out of her stoic armor but the plaintive tone in Nipa's voice. She piece together they were recounting the legend of the Grassrunners... a tale that she had heard about from her tutors and quickly passed over as the next subject came. She reached out a
hand and touched her palm down to his shoulder in a gesture of gently kindness towards her friend... thoughtfully musing under her breath, "These are indeed strange times..."

"Pardon my rudeness," she began with a small curtsy, "I am The La... I'm Gettie. You seem to be at odds with your garments."

Cara coughed nervously at her comment and Dina looked at his friend then at Cassandra. He was still holding the pair of pants rain had got for him and he realized that holding them up for anyone to see was possibly a foolish thing to do but he had not really thought much about it other than getting used to these was going to take some time.

Nipa though had not been paying attention to the centaurs as much as he was trying to suppress the sadness and pain he felt when he thought of the past. Placing his hand on Gettie's he thanked her quietly. "Yes these are strange times, but with Cha Za's blessing we will come through it richer, be it in the monetary sense or in the friendship sense."

Cassandra suddenly felt very uncomfortable as she realized what an impact her words had on Nipa. She hadn't been aware that such an ancient atrocity still was an open wound on his people.

"I assume Rain didn't tell you," Cassandra finally said, looking at Gettie and Nipa. "We have a way to transform into elves, which should make our presence in the city more acceptable to the two-legged folk." Cassandra turned her attention to her herd mates. {Do you wish to do it now, or wait until our guests leave?} she murmured in the centaur tongue.

Cara shrugged his shoulders and then looked to Dina. "Oh why not, I am sure that these two would be quite handy in helping us, since Rain was the only one of us that was used to walking on two legs." he hoped that his praise would not go to her head, he had to make sure she didn't get too hard to live with, besides he was her brother.

Laughing Cara agreed, "That sounds good, though if what happened earlier was any indication I think Nipa here may be in over his head."

Blinking his eyes in disbelief Nipa looked back and forth between them. "You mean this is true? You three can become elves?"

Cassandra smiled down at Nipa. It was relieving to see he was back in high spirits. "We can with a spell. We could use a little help, we aren't exactly good at walking on two legs yet," she told Gettie and Nipa, hoping they would help.

Nipa thought about it then shrugged his shoulders, "Sure it sounds like it will be interesting... So um... How do you do it?"

Dina and Cara looked back and forth at each other and then at him. "Well, we recite the spell and then it happens, I am not sure I understand what you mean." Dina said truthfully though Cara started to laugh. "I don't think it would be good for the ladies to be here when we change..We're not exactly decent afterwards."

Cassandra chuckled. "Nor am I decent by their standards. Who has the spell?" she asked and looked at the stallions. She couldn't recall who last ended up with it.

Caradithil pulled the spell out of his pack where he had placed it while Rain was gone looking for their clothes. "I have it, though should we do this like we did last time?"

Rain smiled sweetly, leaning the door frame of the stable stall. "I place the both of your clothing behind you. Near the satchels," the smaller half-elf pointed out.

"And Cassandra, I've yours here in hand," she said holding them out in display to the antlered seeress. Then grinned, tilting her head sideways, raven black tresses cascading forward over her shoulders, giving a curious arched eyebrow to her male herd mates. "Oh by all means," she encouraged with faintest trace of an impish smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "But first, you two best sit down, Cara, Dina. You two can't walk yet and I dread trying to catch any of you."

Then relaxing a bit against the frame, she rolled her neck to stretch, passing a secretive affectionate glance to the large paint centaur. Secretly Rain couldn't wait until everyone would depart, when she and her love could be alone once more. There was much she had to say to him but with present company lingering about saying it was proving to be difficult.

Cara watched Rain with keen interest and he began to worry that as an elf his attraction to her would become very apparent and he was glad he was sitting back down... Otherwise another problem that he was having might have been noticed. Casting her a glance at her again with her hair falling over her shoulders he blinked hard to banish that image otherwise he would not be able to move from this spot. However he was definitely looking forward to the promise of later on this evening.

Nipa, who had his eyes on Cassandra was oblivious to the exchange and he was keenly interested in what would happen once this spell was cast. "This is amazing, imagine being able to transform from one form to another!"

Dina chuckled at him, "Well, I have done it once, and I still have trouble imagining it... But I will say this, everything seems much bigger when I was an elf."

"Indeed, I should be pleased to step away to preserve everybody's dignity... for the sense of decency." Gettie made to step away to allow the centaurs' a moment of privacy but upon heading Nipa comment...

Cassandra nodded to Caradithil. "You two go first, I'll be next door waiting," the seeress said and walked into the next stall over.

Nipa turned to Gettie, "I guess you might be more, um, comfortable with them instead of being over here."

Cara chimed in as well, "He might be right, though since there are three of you now we might need some help over here later though."

"Ha! You mean you will need help, I will be up and walking before you will even be crawling!" Dina told his long time friend.

"You're on!" Cara responded quickly.

Nipa looked between the two of them and sighed, "What have I got myself in to."

"Cara, Dina, best behavior while guests are about. No horseplay. No bets, and if you've to ask yourselves the question 'What would Rain do' before you do anything incredibly foolish be sure to follow it up with the question 'What would Rain do to us if we do this'." She said with a smirk looking at both seated centaurs in the eyes, although giving Cara the longer glance, before turning to exit the stall. The half elf chuckled at the grassrunner's comment, patted Nipa on his shoulder, "The same thing, I've been stuck in the middle of since childhood. Good luck." Then she walked out of the stall, closing the curtain and going into the one containing Cassandra and Gettie with a smile on her face. "Now I'll get to see how those clothing I selected look," she smiled, feeling pleased with the color and material selection she chosen for her herd mates.

Cara looked to her and nodded his head but said noting though Dina sighed openly, "Always killing our fun, really sis... If you're going to be around like we are for a few hundred year you have to learn to relax a little. You are getting yourself too stressed out.

Though he did not say anything, Cara had a few ideas on how to help her relieve some stress and he had a slight blush under her gaze.

Nipa rubbed his hands together expectantly, "Um, now what?"

"Now," Cara said to him, "you get to see some centaur magic at work."

With that he picked up the scroll and began reading it, and before Nipa's eyes the huge centaur reduced in size to a six almost seven foot elf. "WOW!" He almost yelled.

"Ah that's nothing, watch this," Dina told him and taking the scroll from Cara he read it and he too reduced in size and looked like an elf. The main difference was Dana's hair was a solid color, while Cara's was still two separate colors.

"Incredible..." Oh um... He walked up to Dina and taking the spell from him he stepped outside the stall and handed it to Rain. They're elves... But kind of unsteady..." He looked back over his shoulder unknowing giving Rain a good look at an almost naked Cara.

"I swear, if you two give me first gray hair before my centennial birthday, I will shave you bald and flay you on spits." She said with a wary smile but something about it told them that she wasn't kidding. She watched Cara's blush and had a pretty good inclination what that was for. Rain smirked, her hands on her hips in mild amusement. "Mark my words, I'll have my fun later, and get you all back for this."

She now stood outside waiting, when Nipa appeared looking rather as unsteady as he reported the new elves to be. "Just don't let them stand too long or they'll fall over. If you could, would you show them how to put on their clothing. I'm afraid that is something I cannot do for them." She glanced over his head through the parted curtain, a little breathless to spy a nice glimpse at her lover. She felt her cheeks turn a rosy hue, Rain reluctantly forced herself to look way, "Thank you kindly, Nipa. You're a gentle lord." Then took a moment to collect her appear and walked back into the stall with Cassandra and Gettie, pulling close the curtain for the ladies, and handing the weather worn ancient spell scroll to the antlered centaur with a concealed smile.

* * *

"What have I got myself into?" Nipa asked himself again. The two centaurs were as much interesting as they were annoying. Both Cara and Dina were uncoordinated and way off balance. To make matters worse after he had shown them which side of the pants were the front he told them that he usually put one leg in then the other. However he failed to realize that to stand on one foot required some semblance of balance. And these two did not have any. In fact, when both of then tried to lift up their feet to put them in the pants both of them fell over. Cara hit the side of the stall with his shoulder and Dina just fell backwards into the hay.

"OUCH!" Cara yelped as he rubbed his side.

Dina just laughed at him and Nipa sighed. "Ok, lets try this again..." he told them but he knew that this could very well be a long process. "Sit on the ground... And put one leg in..."

If he could stop laughing Dina would have followed the directions, instead he just held his side as he laughed. "Would you shut up!" Cara roared at him which only prompted Dina to laugh that much harder. Unknown to Dina, Cara had a reason to learn how to walk, a very good reason that also walked on two legs... That had the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen and like his hair, her eyes were of two different colors... Shaking his head to come out of his daydream he worked on putting on the pants and after several minutes of trying he had finally got them on.

Once he had on the pants both he and Nipa felt like shouting for joy... It had taken him way too long. Dina though was just now calming down in his laughing to attempt putting them on again.

"Ok... Now for the boots." Nipa told Cara.

"But shouldn't I put on the tunic first?"

"Only if you want to take yours off first, but that should be easy, lets just get the boots on."

"Sounds fair..." he paused and looked at them. He remembered how he teased Rain once about her boots and how they looked the same. She told him, in some unkind ways that one was for her left foot and the other for her right. Though he probably goaded her on, but at the time she was only about 10 he guessed. However her impromptu lesson he never forgot. She was very determined and serious in her explanation, and he never forgot it.

With that lesson in mind he quickly put on his boots, and he got them on the right feet the first time. "Excellent!" Nipa told him, "You've worn boots before?"

Cara shook his head, "Nope, but Rain once showed me the difference in the boots."

Both he and Nipa looked back at Dina who was sitting himself up and trying to put the pants on again.

"Well... You tie them?" Nipa asked pointing to the laces, and he prayed to Cha Za that they knew how, he was not looking forward to teaching them that too.

"I think so," he chuckled as he recalled how he had worked with Rain on tying her laces... Apparently when her parents said that she needed to learn how to tie they were also saying that he and Dina had to learn as well since she took them off so much and they had to help her get them back on.

Cassandra sat on the floor of the stall, knowing how weak her legs would be once the spell worked. She took the spell from Rain and read it aloud. Immediately, her equine half was surrounded by a magical glow and faded out of existence to be replaced by a pair of long, dark-skinned legs. Her antlers disappeared as well. Now instead of centaur, a tall elven woman--appearing to look very much like a dark elf with her skin and silver hair--knelt in the hay with nothing but a small white top on to cover her breasts. Rain smiled, kneeling with clothing in hand, placed the shirt in the Cassandra's hands. "First let's get you dressed. Just slide into your head through the center hole and place one of your arms in each of the side arm hole then pull the shirt down."

Cassandra raised her eyebrow at Rain, then glanced down at the top she already had on. "Rain, I think I know how to put a shirt on," she said and easily pulled the shirt on over her head.

The half-elf offered a sheepish smile. "I'm just going through the motions. But if you want I could let you figure out how to put your long skirt and boots on?" She teased the formerly antlered centauress playfully. "Or shall I continue?"

Cassandra gave Rain another raised eyebrow look. "Well, now for the skirt," she said and now she looked at Rain for help.

Rain smiled and nodded. "Well I've never had the opportunity to wear one but I hear you slide both legs through the large gaping hole in the center of the skirt and pull it up so it rests comfortably on your hips," she pointed out with childlike glee. "I can't wait and see what it'll look like on you, Cassandra," she beamed, obviously proud of her discovery.

Cassandra looked over the skirt. It seemed easy enough to get on, if you had balance. So, awkwardly, Cassandra stood, using the wall as a brace and stepped into the skirt. Of course, it wasn't quite so simple. Cassandra bent over, butt braced against the wall and stepped into the skirt one leg at a time while she wobbled on the other. With both legs in, she pulled it up and nearly toppled over, but forced herself to fall back against the wall.

Rain rose to her feet, "Oh, careful," her voice laced with concern. She held onto one of Cassandra's arms to steady the wobbly-legged elf. She paused for a minute to admire the clothing. Her face light up with joy, her voice showed it. "Wow. Cassandra, you look so pretty," she said a little breathless. Green really looks good. We need to get your slippers on now so you might want to sit down."

Cassandra smiled, but caught herself and returned her face to it's normal composure. "Thank you Rain," she replied, and as suggest, she sat down.

"Welcome. Alright," she said moving on her knees to fetch the dark elf's matching green slippers from across the stall. "Here you are. You're lucky that there is no lace to tie on these. All you have to do is look at you feet, see which way the toes are pointing and select the right slipper then slide in onto your foot. If it feels wrong or uncomfortable you've picked the wrong slipper for the wrong foot." She said pointing to Cassandra's feet and matching the slippers one to them then handing them to the elder herd member to try from Rain's example.

Cassandra took the slippers and looked them over. She kept them apart so she knew which one Rain said went with each foot. Cassandra leaned forward toward her feet and awkwardly figured out how to move her leg back the best way to get her slipper on. Finally, she figured it out and slipped the shoe on. She stretched out her leg and wiggled her toes inside the slipper. It felt soft and comfortable inside. Now that she knew what to do, getting the other one on was easy.

In the midst of the spectical, Gettie took advantage and slipped away. "These were forces," she rationalized, "Of things that I shouldn't be involved in." She was a noblewoman, after all. Actual power wasn't something she was used to. Sure, peasants knelt before her and the well being of an entire populace was at the him and mercy of her father and her family but... they didn't know the secret. She knew the secret. Any noble with any sense knew the secret. They didn't have any real power. They only seemed to have power because everyone agreed that they had power. It was part of the contract: We'll pretend we control you if you pretend we can. The first time she'd seen real power was when she was ten. A civil uprising had occurred and the militia was sent out. One of the lietenets was waiting to to speak to her father. She saw it in his eyes. He knew exactly who and what he was. He was had been a professional soldier and had fought and killed and almost been killed several times. He knew duty and he knew reality. He had power. He knew himself and that made him more powerful than anyone else she had ever known. As a girl, such a glimpse of power frightened her and she ran away, later saying that she was frightened by his sword. It wasn't his sword. Now, she'd seen even stranger things. Bravery, tragedy, horrors and courage. This was no game for her right now. Slipping back into the inn, the fight had since been quelled, she unlocked the rented room and fetched her few belongings from under the bed. Leaving the simple key at the desk with word that it be held for her "young cousin", and a coin to insure it's delivery.

She gaged the sun. There would be a few hours yet until dusk. Perhaps enough time to leave the city and find refuge in some wood? She wasn't sure. 



* * *

Cassandra looked around the stable for Gettie, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. "I thought she came in with us..." Cassandra murmured. "Well, Rain, Help me to my feet!" Cassandra said, reaching her hand out to Rain to pull her up.

It took a hour or two, but the centaurs-turned-elves learned how to walk quite gracefully, though they still stumbled on occasion. They had to learn that their center of gravity was now in a brand new set of hips. Cassandra had tried her hardest to keep her dignity, but she felt as clumsy as a newborn filly. After two centuries of life and such a highly respected position in her herd, Cassandra never thought she'd learn something new like how to walk.

Cassandra now stood in the center of the stable yard, back straight and proud, face serene. Dinalindel and Caradithil had a much better grasp of two-legged walking now. It seemed they were ready to make their return for the gathering.

"Dinalindel, Caradithil," Cassandra spoke eloquently. "Do you think you are ready to go out in public?" she asked the two tall elven men.

The two centaurs looked at each other and shrugged, but it was Nipa that spoke up. "Begging you pardon My Lady, but these two jokers should have never been allowed in public to start with."

"Hay!" Dina protested loudly and made to grab the Grass Runner, but he was too fast. Nipa easily dodge and moved over closer to Cassandra.

"See what I mean?" He added with a wry smile.

Cara kept his peace, but he defiantly held a new respect for Rain now, and he planned to show her how sorry he was for teasing her like he had in the past.

Cassandra shook her head, though she had a small understanding smile. "Oh, don't mind them young Nipa, they are only colts," she assured the Grassrunner. "Now come on boys, let's try this inn first and see what everyone thinks."

"Colts?" Dina asked shocked, of the two he was the eldest, and far from being a colt.

Cara though saw the humor in it, "Well it seems that we must all return to being like colts when we learn something new." He took a step and put his foot down on a soft spot in the wood. Unfortunately it gave way under his foot and he stumbled forward but thankfully he caught his balance, unfortunately it was due to Rain's shoulder. Upon realizing he had grabbed her he quickly released her. "Oh, sorry." He told her and looked ashamed.

Nipa though was by the door already, "Come on there is a back door to the inn though this way."

Nipa noticed that Gettie has slipped away and he could only guess at the reasons. He was very downhearted to discover she had slipped away like that without saying goodbye, but he knew that they would get a chance to meet again, with Cha Za's blessing he knew they would. Returning his mind to the task at hand he stepped up beside the female Centaur, "Miss Cassandra," he said politely, "It would be an honor if you'd allow me to help you."

Cara and Dina both looked at each other and grinned, that was definitely something they had never heard the seeress called, but they had to admit that it at least sounded good. Dina moved over to the door and opened it, "Right this way... Miss Cassandra," he could not help but grin.

Cara tried to not chuckle, it was not wise to upset a seeress. Instead he turned to Rain, "Would you mind helping me... I am better but a little extra help would be nice." He hoped she said yes as he was really wanting a chance to be able to be near her again... Even if all she was doing right now was keeping him from falling over.

Cassandra gave Nipa a warm smile, she couldn't help but seem him as a child. "Why, thank you Nipa, I would be grateful," Cassandra said. She was doing quite well on her own though. The seeress made it up the few steps slowly and entered the back door of the inn. With all the grace she could manage, she glided into the
common room. The few people still there glanced over at her and her companions, murmurs in awe and contempt regarding elves drifted through the group. A few murmurs of Dark elf were heard as well.

Rain turned a little amused smirk at the 'miss' comment, finding it absolutely adorable that the grassrunner would call the now dark elf that. "Sure, Cara," she answered almost immediately but on second thought slowed her reply down threading her arm around his pulling him to his feet and then Dina so as to seem not to be playing favorites. "I'll keep my eyes very closely on you two so you'd be on your best behaviors. No mischief making," she warned with a smile following the odd pair leading the way to the inn, once Cassandra and Nipa were out of earshot added quietly adding to the elves on their arm, "Or at least not until after what needs to be said is said," she grinned.

Cara nodded to Rain and he walked beside her. The room had been very noise but when Cassandra and Nipa went into the room it quieted down some and murmuring about elves became the topic of several conversations. Shortly after Nipa and Cassandra entered Dina entered the room as well as there was not enough room for three people to walk side by side down the hall. Especially two that were of Cara's and Dina's stature. When Cara stepped into the room there were a few scoffs at his hair since it was two separate colors, but it did not seem to be a big issue with anyone, and that made Cara feel a lot better.

Nipa was the first to arrive at a table and he paused for a moment, "Should we sit down for a while, or would you like to go elsewhere? I need to go talk to the innkeeper though before we leave."

Cassandra looked down at Nipa. "We should continue so we're not late," she said. "Hurry and finish your business, we'll wait for you." Cassandra walked to the front door of the inn and waited patiently for Nipa. The inn felt much smaller to her, of course, she was feeling quite small herself. The building wasn't nearly as oppressive to her now either. She was coming to like this feeling, she felt so small and light, like she could go anywhere now.

Nipa nodded to her and then went to talk to the Inn Keeper if he had seen Gettie, or his Aunt. It turned out that he had, but she had left in a hurry. Nipa took the key from him and sadly turned back to the centaurs. He had hoped to be her friend for a bit longer, but he could understand. She was a lady and this type of life possibly did not appeal to her, or it scared her. Resolving in his mind to seek her out as soon as possible he returned to the seeress.

"Gettie left me the key, but she has left us. There is not much I can do for her unless she wants help," he sighed then looked to the Centaurs again. "Well are you ready? It is time to take a little stroll."

Cassandra frowned a little to hear Gettie was gone, but she didn't seem the warrior type and what Nipa said was probably right. "Yes, let's continue," she said and walked on into the city with her much shorter grassrunner escort.

Dina and Cara walked out into the city following Cassandra and Nipa though Cara continued to keep Rain close to him, though not too close to bring about suspicion. There were a few that stopped and murmured about a dark elf and the others and a few remarks were made about Cara's hair, though nothing or importance was said.