Post by Jaden Rain on Nov 10, 2023 8:51:14 GMT -5
The leaves were all falling and the brisk colder weather was lingering in the air. Waking to the sun peeping its glory through the window lighting up the room. The Kingdom had been in turmoil, the results of Mondain had spilt the world into many small worlds and someplace in one those worlds was my destiny. I had buried my head in the sand and been so dead set against the politics of this world , I awoke into a world were Blackthorn was a tyrant who had no regard for what the world really needed, just his selfish self. I had raised my children and two of which had escaped the politics of this land and the oldest had stayed behind to watch over me with his friend, a Hobbit. My oldest son was packing and had plans to also leave these lands little did I know his exact plans but this morning I would find out. “ Mother, how would you like to have a harvest gathering with all of us kids, after all you are a Grand-Mother now , would you like to travel to see them? We could have a nice day, let’s call it a Thanksgiving. “ the words he spoke was somewhat shocking but very interesting, he knew how much it meant to me for us to all be together again, I longed to see my Daughter and Grandchildren and my youngest Son. In the meantime The Hobbit was quite vigilant in his chores of preparing for what seemed to be this journey the two of them was about to set out on and my thoughts instantly went to the fact that if I did not go, I could possibly never see any of my children again. Tear rolling down my cheek I shuddered the words “ I have fought so long to stay out of the main stream of the lands and I had thought I would never again make any more journeys into new worlds “ but something inside me knew to be truely happy I had to. I agreed to go and as I looked into my Sons face it was beaming, “ Good, Hobbit has packed what you need. So are you ready?”. I looked at my son, “ How did you know I would say yes?” Smiling at me saying “ I know you Mother, I know you been wanting to go back” . Conveniently at that moment the Hobbit peered from behind the bags packed and piled on the floor. We are ready Sir he mumbled to my Son. Corey, my Son looking at me smiles holding out his hand with three tokens in it, “ one is for me of coarse and one for Hobbit and I have one for you Mother, are you ready” , nodding I watched as he he placed the token in my hand and said “ Hokd that to your heart and at the count of three click it and close your eyes”. My heart skipped a beat. In my youth I hadn’t batted an eye on a new adventure and yet over the years here in this world I knew I did not truely belong, I had even been told by Blackthorn that maybe I should go. It was time and after all a Harvest was not complete till it had grown to maturity and I was well ripened here in this land, this world. Something was pulling at my very soul to follow my heart and I was ready to go. Listening I heard the Hobbit grumbling about clean socks and dirty underwear but the words I heard over that were “ ONE, TWO…. “ my heart beat fast as I listened and heard the next word, “ …..THREE”. Closing my eyes, my stomach filled with butterfly’s and my heart raced. It was like falling, but yet not. I could feel the grip of my Sons hand as he took my hand, and heard him say it will be over soon and we will see my Girls and Ashley ( my daughter) and the boys and Dylan ( my youngest son) just stay calm Mom and trust me you will be so happy.
Opening my eyes and looking around everything was so familiar yet so different. I stood outside the Inn that was so familiar, it set across the pebbled street from the Salty Dog, a tavern I knew all to well from my younger days. And it was different. The air seemed cleaner the people nodded as they walked past us. Friendly and Kind. As I noticed a very handsome gentleman staring at me I smiled and blushed. The man rushed over “ Need some help with those bags” as he smiled at me. My Son looking at me with a smirk, see you haven’t lost it Mother. The Hobbit pushing us inside the Inn so get us away from the public eye, but I was smitten and couldn’t take my eyes off that cute man. At this point the Hobbit shoved me into the building away from those big brown eyes. And had pinched my arm, “OUCH” I exclaimed and my focus was back to listening to my Son as he spoke of the plan to travel to where the rest of the family had settled here. “ Doesn’t your Sister still have magic, can’t she come and get us and gate us there?”
My Son is one those kinda men who think everything’s gotta be done old school and hoofin it on heal to toe cross country.. The distinction wasn’t to far, a small community north east of Britain across the swamp. Looking at my sandles I was having second thoughts on my shoe choice for the day. Finding a nearby bench I plopped my big bottom onto it and asked the Hobbit for the lumpy bag with shoes, tossing it towards me it lands on the floor in front of me, tumbling out of the bag rolled my cute little short boot, grabbing the bag I dug around for the matching boot and kicked off the sandles, tossing it into the bag with my other shoes. I had not gone straight armor in years, I had made famous the dress I preffered but to keep from swamp water dirtying my skirts I pulled that thing up over my head and off, stuffing it into the chest of my clothing, smiling I realize I am standing in the lobby of the Inn and the cute brown haired gentleman was helping the Hobbit bring our bags inside, and my Son was making arrangements for a room for our belongings and trying to negotiate the cost of the room with a grumpy lil Goblin behind the counter. Looking back to me my Son holds up his forefinger like saying hang on. The excitement of getting to see the rest of the family was building and I was ready to get to them.
At least we stopped in the stable and audited ponies but the Hobbit was none too happy to ride, grumbling as we set out on our journey to the rest of the family. The countryside was lovely, the leaves on the trees were changing colors this time of year and falling from the trees, covering the ground making the landscape quite colorful. However the swamp was always swampy. Reaching the small community there there were, among the buildings they had prepared a formal dinning table with benches all around and food seemed to be plentiful. Yet none of that mattered I had many necks to hug …. I was home, even though it was a new world I was with my family.
Side Note: After many years from being away from UO my return was Thanksgiving and My Oldest Son actually did encourage me to start playing again , so to me my best Harvest experience was coming back to play the game with my Kids