Arienne had arrived at the temple about an hour and a half earlier, not knowing how to phrase the request she would make of the High Priestess of Meilikki. Siannodell knew the elf quite well, and had even helped tend Zirk, Arienne's human love, as he recovered from a mishap caused by a resurrection. For Arienne to even ask that Siannodell peform the same act took great nerve. The elven mage had silently entered the Temple, finding Siannodell in the back, in her private chapel. After knocking softly on the outer chamber door, and hearing Siannodell's soft, gentle voice bid her enter, Arienne had stepped in to stand near the priestess. The elder human woman had long, graying platinum hair, braided into a single plait that fell to the waist of the white robes she wore. Her light brown eyes were kind as she sat at her desk, scribing an entry into a journal. She looked up and smiled warmly as the elven mage entered, laying the quill aside and slowly rising from her chair. "Arienne, my dear," the priestess smiled, embracing her in a gentle, delighted hug. "What a pleasant surprise! It has been too long since you have visited, and I'm sure you're here to tell me all about how that handsome young man of yours is doing." The priestess's eyes sparkled with joy and she took Arienne's arm, leading her to one of the two, plush seats in the room. "If I would have known you were coming, I would have made tea," the elderly woman said as they both sat down. 

 

Arienne's blue eyes were troubled and she looked down at her hands, which fidgeted now, the elf trying to think of how to ask her favor. Siannodell noticed Arienne's demeanor, and her gaze softened in concern. She leaned towards the mage. "Is something the matter, my dear? Have you come to pray...or...is there something I may help you with?" The high priestess's tone was so understanding and sincere that it was all Arienne could do not to cry. She bit her bottom lip and then looked up. "I need to ask a favor of you, Siannodell," she started. The priestess nodded for her to continue. "My friend, the ranger Drannon...has been...killed." Arienne swallowed the fresh lump in her throat and forced the rest out. "He has been...dead for a few days, it would seem, and I recently discovered that his mount, a Scalamagdrion by the name of Pheral, had suvived and made it back to Elmshade, barely alive." The elf took a shaky breath. "And I wanted to know, since he was a ranger, and served your Goddess faithfully, if...if..." She turned her gaze to study her hands again, not knowing how to finish.

 

Siannodell frowned slightly, her eyes saddened at the news, and sighed. She put a gentle hand on Arienne's arm. "My dear, you know what it is that you ask of me." The elven woman nodded silently, unable to meet Siannodell's eyes. The white robed woman spoke again. "It would take a great deal of strength and there is no guarantee that it would even work," she used a soft hand to bring Arienne's opinted chin up so that Siannodell could look into her eyes. "You already know the consequences if it fails, Arienne." It was said in a soft voice, but firm with knowledge. The elf nodded reluctantly. "I do, Siannodell, but I would not ask if it were not so important. Drannon is not only my friend, but he could be a great asset to the guardians of the forest here. He is one of the best rangers I have ever met, and Mystra knows that Hi'el cannot be everywhere at once. Drannon could help him...he was a faithful follower of Meilikki, I tell you. Please," she begged. "Please at least consider it?"

 

The high priestess sighed again and was silent for a long moment studying the silver haired elf maiden seriously. Arienne nearly wept, thinking that the woman was simply not strong enough to be willing. But then Siannodell spoke again. "Alright," she agreed quietly. "I will consider it. I must pray to Meilikki this evening about it. In the meantime, have the body brought here to the Temple, and you must find out, if at all possible, what killed him. If it was simply an accident, or even a clean wound, then the spell should restore him. But if it was poison, and it is still in his system, then bringing him back would be for naught, unless it were neutralized." She shook her head, thinking, and set her lips into a grim line. Arienne's eyes sparkled with gratitude and she said, "Thank you, Siannodell! Thank you so much! I will do whatever you ask of me, simply name it...you won't regret this! I will do as you say immediately! Thank you so.." The older human woman stopped her short with an upraised hand and another serious look. "Remember, Arienne. There are no guarantees. And if the Goddess wishes that he remain as he is now, then I must abide by Her wishes. Now, if you will please excuse me, I must prepare for evening vespers, and then I will commune with Meilikki on your behalf." Siannodell rose again and smiled softly at Arienne, opening the door to her chamber for the mage. Arienne quickly hugged her friend again, and left with a determined look of gratitude etched on her fine, elven features.

Due to the constant chatter of the temple accolytes, it wasnt long before word of the slain Ranger made it to the streets of Elmshade. Many people talked of what kind of horror would do that to a goodly Ranger such as Drannon. Others thought it good riddance to be rid of the Ranger, now they could continue their hunts, unfettered.

As word spread, the rumor grew into terrible stories of the Ranger felled by hordes of monsters on their way here. Another rumor said that the Rangers god slain him himself for competing in a combat tournament. For those that actually knew Drannon, they held wakes in his honor, and mourned the death of another good soul.

 

The next day dawned cloudy, and Siannodell had felt the chill of autumn in her bones when she arose, an hour before the sun. She had been up late preparing and purifying the ranger's body and readying herself as well, for the coming prayer. The high priestess knew it would take a lot out of her, and so she wanted to be as prepared as possible. She dressed carefully in her long, white pressed robes, gently donning the green satin collar that she wore when performing ceremonies involving life and death. She left her long, silvery-blonde hair loose this morning, knowing the Goddess preferred her children to be as close to natural as possible. She would have done the ritual sky-clad, but there were acolytes at the temple that would not have understood, since not all that worshipped here were of the same faith. Once dressed, Siannodell went to the main sanctum and approached the altar where she had had Drannon's body laid.

 

She and some of the others had done their best to clean his flesh, but the rigormortis had made it impossible to straighten his neck, and it hung over the edge of the marble slab at an awkward angle. As Siannodell moved towards the corpse, Arienne entered with the stealth and grace inherent of her kind. The elven mage looked as if she had slept poorly, and her normally bright blue eyes were dull this morning. Perhaps it is the greyness of the day that makes her look so, Siannodell thought to herself, but she also knew that Arienne's heart was heavy with anxiety. "Hello, Arienne," she smiled at the elf. "All is made ready. Are you?"

 

Arienne smiled back, faintly, and nodded in silence, coming to the altar and looking as if all her hopes rested with the priestess. There was a divine scent of rosehips and lavendar in the air, soft incense that perfumed the temple and soothed the senses. Siannodell felt the sun break the horizon, not needing to see it to know it. Her heart lifted in thanks at another day, and she began to quietly pray with her head bowed.

 

 

Siannodell moved closer to the body and picked up the bowl of holy water that rested nearby. She annointed Drannon's head and briefly touched her holy symbol to it afterwards, still chanting softly.

 

 

The high priestess then moved to his neck, annointing it and touching it all the way around with her holy symbol, a small, silver unicorn that began to glow faintly with a soft, white light.

 

 

Siannodell continued to pray, the words falling from her human lips with reverance that even Arienne could not fathom. The elven mage could only watch and wonder...and hope. Her cerulean gaze strayed from the priestess to Drannon's face, watching with bated breath to see him stir. Siannodell used the holy water and unicorn pendant again upon the body, this time on his heart.

 

 

Again, the high priestess moved her pendant and water from the bowl to the wicked wound in the ranger's chest. The pendant glowed brighter, as she touched it to the rent flesh, and Arienne's eyes widened as she saw the ragged edges of the flesh begin to draw together...it was working!

 

 

Then Siannodell raised the bowl above her head and her silver pendant began to radiate brightly, enough that Arienne has to squint and glance away lest she burn her eyes. Siannodell's voice had risen and now chanted with a raw, thrumming...alive with the power of her Goddess.

 

 

The elderly woman poured the remaining contents the length of Drannon's body and held her holy symbol above him, shining with the radiance of a grounded star. Drannon's body seemed to quiver, his neck popped back into place, and his skin began to tinge with the color of blood flowing through his veins again. Arienne brought her small hands to her face unconsciously, her eyes wide and staring at the miracle occuring before her. Siannodell did not even get the chance to see if her powerful prayer worked or not. As soon as she had completed the ritual, she had collapsed near the altar, one of the many acolyte witnesses rushing to catch the frail woman before she hit the stone floor. They rushed her quietly to her chambers, knowing she would need at least a week of rest before doing anything.....

 

 

Drannons body convulses, limbs spasm.... skin turns from a deathly white, back to its golden brown. His chest rises, and his eyes pop open as he gasps in his first breath from death. He then breaths steadily, and his body calms as he starts to looks around. His head tilts to the side so his eyes can see Arienne. A smile comes to his face... "Hello Arienne. Why do you look so sad?"

 

 

Tears shone in the sapphire depths of the elven maiden's eyes and she smiled warmly at him, bringing him to a sitting position slowly and wrapping him in a gentle hug. "Welcome back, Drannon," was all she could say at the moment, so overcome with gratitude that Siannodell and Mielikki had chosen to restore her friend. "Welcome back to us, my dearest friend. When you feel able, we must go to the tower at once. Pheral is not well at all." She leaned back and wiped a rogue tear that had made its way in a winding track down her cheek. "But first I must go thank someone."

Arienne broke the soft embrace and padded quietly to the rear of the temple, leaving the ranger to get his bearings. She saw that one of the lesser priests, a young woman, had been stationed outside the door to Siannodell's personal chambers. "How is she?" Arienne asked the girl, who looked to be no more than sixteen summers. "She's weak, but she'll recover in time. It was a most amazing feat she performed this day," the girl said quietly, awe shining in her dark brown eyes. The elven mage nodded. "I just wanted to thank her, but as I see she needs her rest, I'll take my leave. But before I go, would you see that she gets these?" she asked, pulling two glass vials from the inner folds of her charcoal grey cloak. The potions were a deep swirling green and a neon spring green in color. She handed them carefully to the acolyte. "The dark green one is a potion of Plant Growth. Siannodell will know how to use it best. The other is a potion of Plant Control," she explained. "With both of them in conjunction, she can create a beautiful topiary or something similar in the garden. It is not much, but I will bring more later in thanks." The girl nodded with an amazed smile and put the vials in a pocket. Arienne smiled at her and walked back to the main sanctuary, where Drannon was standing and looking even better than he had a few minutes earlier. She approached, offering him her arm. "Are you ready?" she asked him. "We'll take the fast way...teleport, so that we can get there soon." She frowned slightly. "I'm really worried about Pheral, Drannon. There's something very, very wrong with her." So saying, she lightly grasped his arm and they teleported back to her tower, where Arienne was surprised to see Spyke playing with two oversized food and water bowls.

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