Laura fights her way through the bushes. She sees the remains of the building and the poor animals. Being exhausted from the long walk and sure she has lost all of her friends, tears start to flow from her eyes. As she enters, the tears of sadness change into tears of happiness. 'You are all here, all safe' she rejoyces unable to believe her eyes.
The Swamp
Jadeviper grins and hugs Laura, then hands her a mop and gets back to cleaning.
'Straight to work is it?' Laura is still sobbing but a smile is starting to spread on her face. 'Is Orophin ok too?'
"i think you mised a spot" Orophing says smiling at the sight of his angels helping out. "I'm ok thanks, but we gota helluva job to do".
He walks over to Laura as he sees the tears on her face. He wipes off the tears and smiles to her "Thanks for caring"
Laura trembles as Orophin touches her cheek. 'Must be the exhaustion...' she thinks to herself, hoping that the elf doesn't notice anything. With an unsteady voice she asks for instructions to help out. 'Actually, I'm pretty good with animals, so I could go out and see if there's something I could do'. This she says, although she would much prefer to stay right where she is.
Orophin notices a tremble in her voice 'maybe its the shock. i have to say she's damn cute like this' he thinks to himself.
"Yeah, sure you can help....nothing like a friendly face to cheer up my patients" turning round to gesture at a sad looking swamp deer.
"I have to warn you, not all of them are cuddly....afterall it is a swamp" grining as he points to the 15feet aligator basking in the sun.
Holding back the sigh that almost escaped, Laura nods and goes out to check the animals. The alligator looks healthy enough but the deer indeed is shaken. 'Jadeviper might still have that brush of hers, I'd better go and ask.. the deer might enjoy a rub down'. Heading in her direction Laura comes across a cute meerkat family. They seemed upset, probably a family member had got lost in the disaster. 'We could all try and locate the missing creature' she calls the others. With these two errands on her mind Laura hurries on her way.
Orophin smiles seeing the determination in her eyes as she walks off.
He flips out his phone and calls an old friend who owns a construction company and just happens to owe him a favour.
He walks into the house to help JV with the clearing out, in his own special way.
The next morning Laura wakes up muscles aching from the hard work. Her spirits are high though and the emotional ordeals of yesterday long forgotten. She misses the pond of the old camping site, but to get a morning shower she gets a great idea. 'Something I've imagined doing ever since I saw those old safari movies' she giggles to herself. 'C'mon Tembo, you can do it' she says to a huge elefant who's been an inhabitant of the sanctuary because of its torn ear. She fills a bucket with water and the elefant (possible seen the same movies) instantly gets the idea. It sucks the water into its trunk and then blows it on Laura. 'Hiiii... this is great.... hihiii' she squirms under the shower.
Jadeviper wakes to the sound of rushing water and delighted squeals and stumbles outside rubbing her eyes. Smiling as she sees Laura and the elephant, she strips off her dusty clothes and refills the bucket so she can have a shower too.
Tembo seems like it's enjoying its new role at the animal rescue house. This new activity helps it get it's mind off the terrible events of yesterday (elefants can't forget they say, but perhaps they can be directed to other matters).
Hearing voices, Peter wakes from his long slumber. *Strange* he thinks to himself, *I dreamnt I was in Cornwall* He smoothes out his clothes and fumbles with his hair--he has been sleeping for more than one week. He wants to make sure he looks good for JadeViper and Laura if they are still in the Swamp.
Peter walks slowly through the mess in the Swamp, looking for JadeViper. *She must be at Wimbledon* he thinks to himself. *What with all that rain, wouldn't she be better off here in the Swamp?* He sits down and waits.
Jadeviper returns, laden with provisions to replace those destroyed in the explosion. Seeing Peter finally awake she smiles happily and kisses him on the forehead. Rummaging in one of the baskets, she makes a quick meal for Peter while waiting for the others to return.
Peter was very uhungry so he ate silently. When he finished, he smiled at JadeViper and took her hand in his. *I have missed you so much* he said. *Would you like to see some of the card tricks I have learned?*
Orophin worked all night cleaning out the charred remains of the sanctuary. He hears what sounds like excited squeels comming from the swamp "hmm, sounds like Laura has discovered Tembo's special trick" he smiles remebering when he used to take such showers as a kid.
He check his radio to find out the latest tennis scores, "Tim Henman is out again? this is worse than last year" dissapointed cos' he bet �50 he would get to the final.
He went out side to stretch his aching bones, then he remembered there was a hot-spring pool near the campsite, which had magical healing elements. "doh!! how could i forget, its one of the few places that can heal elves and its very relaxing". He sends a mental image to the others as an invite to join in.
A few minutes later he arrives at the pool, snaps his finger for his clothes to turn into a pair of speedo trunks. He settles his dark muscular body into pool and stares into space wondering what the girls would wear. 😉
While watching enraptured as Peter shows her his new card magic (Ewan is a card magician too, and his manual dexterity has always left her smiling) an image of a warm pool forms in Jadeviper's mind. Taking the cards from Peter, she leads him through the swamp to where Orophin lies soaking in the pool. Not being Elvish, she can't magically transform her clothes into suitable bathing attire, so she shrugs and strips off instead. Leaving Peter standing speachless on the bank, she steps into the pool, taking care not to step on anything that might make Orophin squeal. As she settles herself down, Laura's virtual image crackles into focus in the centre of the pool and she looks around with interest, tinged with sadness. "I'm afraid I can't join you all in the pool just now, I'm not close enough reach there." Turning to look at Peter, she says, "And what are you doing just standing there? Get into the water man!" And with that, the image fades.
Hours later Laura arrives. She is happily surprised to find her friends still soaking in the pool. Zip she disappears behind a bush, zap she is back wearing a stunning swimsuit with tiger stripes, earth colours, golden shimmer and the thinnest straps.
Jadeviper and Orophin look so relaxed... in fact they seem to be asleep, which would explain how come they are still there... And peter too. He stands petrified by the pool side, eyes open but with not moving a muscle. In order to stir things back to life, Laura gives him a gentle push and he falls into the water. *Splash* 'Don't worry about the clothes, we can find you dry ones later' Laura says smiling. 'I'm not so sure about a new deck of cards though' she adds to herself as she sees the magic pack falling to the bottom of the pool. 'We just have to get you something else to think about, right JV?' she winks.
Laura slides to the pool herself and lets the warm water caress her body.
Jadeviper opens her eyes with a start as Peter comes splashing into the pool. Helping him upright, she smiles up at Laura as she slides into the pool. Sitting Peter next to her, she helps him unbutton his shirt quickly before the fabric swells too much. Wringing the water out of the shirt, she stands up at the edge of the pool to hang the shirt over a bush to dry. Turning round, Peter's gaze fixed to one side, Jadeviper remembers that she's naked. Smiling, she asks Peter if he'd like his trousers hung up to dry too.
Orophin opens his eyes wonken by the comotion, and laughs to himself silently as he sees the wet and startled Peter stare at Jadeviper's bithday suit.
"Glad you could join us Laura. You look simply ravishing" he says with an amusing aristocratc voice. He notices the blushed look on her face and thinks to himself if he should tell Laura how he really feels about her, but he doesnt want to spoil their friendship...'oh well, i guess i'll just wait abit longer' he decides.
He looks into the water and sees some cards floating around...'these must be Peter's cards. Rather primitive majic compared to mine, but amusing nonetheless' he says smugly. With a thought, get gathers the whole deck, dries them off and hands them to Peter...."You should take care of these better mate".
Looking up at the still naked Jadeviper hanging up Peter's trouser, Orophin points at the magic suitcase....."umm, Jade it gets pretty cold out here, especially when you come out of a hot pool....you can get a swim suit from the case".
Jadeviper looks at Orophin. "I'm quite comfortable as I am, but I'll be glad of something warm when I go get out of the pool, thankyou". Smiling, she sits back down next to Peter, now almost as naked as she is. He's covered in goosebumps and she wonders if he's cold.
Orophin nods in reply, then he looks at Peter...'poor guy! i know how he feels' 😃 noticing how he enbarassed he was.
'hmm, Laura is quiet today....i hope shes okay. i wish i could be as close to her as those two' he lets out a frustrated sigh and leans back on the rocks.
Jadeviper thinks Peter is as distant as Laura! Feeling suddenly very tired, she leans back too and lets the warm water wash over her.
Laura is staring at the moon. The African sky is so different from the Scandinavian one she is acccustomed to... the stars seem to be in a different location, and the darkness... dense but so soft, quite unlike the darkness of the Finnish winter...
What, was someone speaking to her? 'No JV, I was not asleep, and if I was, I will not tell you what I was dreaming about' she says a bit embarrassed. Her eyes meet with Orophin's and she swallows. The tension is almost tangible, but suddendly an extremely loud snore fills the air.
'Tembo, shut up' Laura yells as the elephant blows its horn. The huge animal has apparently felt neglected and wants to join everybody in the pool. An extremely loud splash is heard next as Tembo steps down. 'Hey, I had other things in mind, I don't want to play with you right now' says Laura, but with no avail. The elephant wants company and its size makes 'no' the wrong answer.
Orophin laughs as Tembo almost emties the pool by jumping in. 'hmm, i wonder if he remembers' he thinks to himself looking at Tembo.
Orophin goes underwater then pops up right next to Laura, startling her but with an excited look aswell. "Sorry, I just want to talk to Tembo" he says slyly as hes moves up to the elephant and starts to whisper in his ear.
Tembo suddenly gives an excited trumpet. "Go on dude!!" Orophin slaps the elphant's side. Tembo then picks up Laura with its trunk, places her on his back and then starts to run along the campsite.
The now startled Laura was dumfounded and was about to protest when suddenly the elephant starts to rise from the ground, and then in seconds it was in full flight circling around the campsite.
Orophin smiling, takes flight aswell and hovers as Tembo flies around him, trumpeting excitedly. "Its a trick my dad taught him. nice isn it"
'Who-hoo-ooo, nice indeed' Laura answers, trying hard to hold on to the animal. The views are breathtaking and she is eager to see the whole area. Orophin knows the swamps like back of his pockets and is willing to show her around. Jadeviper and peter grow smaller and smaller as they distance themselves. 'They can have some privacy now' Laura says with a wink, and Orophin laughs knowingly.
Orophin, Laura and Tembo, flying from one end of the swamp to another, through the more wierder places...like the Mosquito den, the unusual but pictureque ice-mountain and the only swamp Burger King branch run by chimps.
Orophin, notices the beautiful sunset in the horizon then asks Tembo to stop. "Isnt it just beautiful" Laura says admiring the vivid colours......."Yes it sure is" Orophin says looking at her all the time. He smiles as their eyes meet. 'here we are, no where run now Orophin' he thinks to himself very nervously as he stares into her eyes.
Laura is looking deep at Orophin�s eyes. �I wish�� she begins, but does not dare to finish the sentence because she knows that she is wishing the impossible. The Book of Everything Important specifically states that unions between elven folk and mortal humans are forbidden, and that Book must be obeyed by everyone living at the swamp. No matter what her heart might desire, all she can do is sit there silent, unable to move.
"Damn the laws!!" he says out loud with. shocked at what he just said, he moves back "i'm sorry, i shouldnt have, i didnt mean to"....he had lost his nerve, he had done what he vowed he would not.
Elven folk of a certain age can read minds, but morally should do so only on permission or as a last resort. He also openly defiled the sacred book, which could count as treason if known by the authorities.
Orophin sees the startled look on her face, then lowers his head in sadness. Even Tembo felt the mood and gave soft trumpet raising its trunk as if to console his master.
They all float down to the ground in the same positions, as if time had stopped and the silence became deafening.
When they return to the animal sanctuary, Laura immediately calls for the Deer. It runs to her at her command and she hops on the animal. 'I'm sorry', she says to the others 'I just need some time on my own'. Laura hopes that she could think of a good excuse for leaving, but her mind is blank and she can think of nothing clever. Orophin looks sad too, but she can't help him now. 'How fortunate I am to have a friend like Jadeviper, I am sure she will think of something to cheer him up while I'm gone' she thinks to herself. 'I'll be back in an hour or two' she says without even daring to look in Orophin's direction, and gallops away.