Damola sends Elaynne a groffel "Hey, Elaynne, how about opening The Whispering Sapphire for the first time?" smiling happily as she receives "IĀ“d love to for the first time" just a short time later.
The two nolthrir then meet before Harnquist gathering all the necessary furnishings and decorations for their first opening. They carry them all to the gazebo at the side of the Laanx temple.
Arrived there, they build The Whispering Emerald up in no time, knowing exactly where to put what. Damola places the table in the center and puts a Red Crystal Den goblet in its center. On top on it she places three whispering emeralds. Elaynne starts carefully fastening Yarrow flowers and candles between the trees just above where Damola placed the table, while Damola starts arranging carpets and pillows around the table. She first thinks that candles may not be needed yet, as the light of the crystal is still strong. But then she sees how nice the candles look with the yarrows and says "Hmm, I add a candle to the table as well. At least one." concluding after she did so "They illuminate the whispering sapphire so nice."
After a short while the two young women conclude that it is time to open The Whispering Emerald [in case you wonder about whether it is a Emerald or Sapphire, read on
]. "Okay, I shout out" Damola states excitedly, "I didnĀ“t do this since a long time."
Damola breathes deeply and then shouts with a bright, clear and loud voice "Dear citizens of Hydlaa, dear friends. It is this timeā¦" Damola pauses "Oh no." Damola pauses again, breathing deeply "It is a" she emphasizes "new time! For the first time we, Elaynne and me, open The Green Leavy Den, or will I call it the No Matter What Den, or" Damola pauses again "ā¦ I just call it The Whispering Sapphire. We donĀ“t have quite the same amount of choice in drinks and dishes, but we have beer and some tea and some juice and I can also get some stronger drinks, so come on find us near the Laanx temple. I close with a note to the Octarchy, I talked with the hospital staff and its okay and we will certainly clean up after opening the Den again, so no need to interfere."
Elaynne prepares to play a welcome song while also being ready to serve drinks if need be while Damola stores some of the drinks she brought with her in a crate near two barrels. Then the two ladies wait for the first guests to arrive. Luckily they didnĀ“t need to wait for long. Damola and Elaynne welcome them and they both serve the first drinks.
Although everyone except our cute cub Jemima didnĀ“t come close to the table, after some time some guests ordered some drinks while first talks between the guests emerged. Elaynne was playing one nice song after another already.
Damola giggles to Elaynne at some point "Next time we may place the carpets and pillows farer away from the table." Elaynne answered "I was just thinking that myself."
People starting enoying themselves more and more as also some members of the Hammers arrived ordering beer.
Later even our well respected musician, composer and scene writer Grindulf joined the outdoor gathering as Elaynne starts to play another tune. Elaynne and him harmonized well as they played further songs with Grindulf accompanying Elaynne with his drums. Grindulf even gave a first presentation of a song he wrote for his new epic, "The Gorgar Epic".
It got darker and later, darker and laterā¦ until Damola and Elaynne decided to announce the last songs. Reluctantly as guests where still hanging around they started packaging all the furnishings and decorations together again. Not without Elaynne giving some of the floating yarrows to one of the guests who asked for some. On their cleaning it all up work Damola found a Sapphire next to the emeralds the places on top of the goblet of the Red Crystal Den. Damola looks at the Sapphire "Oh, someone placed a Sapphire there.", not commenting on it any further, yet taking the Sapphire as well.
Later, as Elaynne and Damola were at their sleeping place for this night, they both where happy that their first opening of The Whispering Emerald has been a great success. Damola enjoyed the freedom to just open a Den anytime and almost anywhere she desires to. Damola and Elaynne drift into sleep.
The next morning as Damola and Elaynne are awake again she ponders "Did I really say The Whispering Sapphire all the time? ā Now I understand why someone placed a sapphire next to the emeralds. I bet I have been quite excited about all of this."
[Some more images + larger images are at image URL minus filename]
