Legends of Belariath
Dimitria
Dance of the Grove
She cast a glance over her shoulder standing within the small grove. Apple and pear trees were crowned with leaves with the early signs of spring. Blossoms burst forth as the full moom beamed down. The leaves of the oaks, birch, ash and yew were bathed in the moon beams in ribbons of glowing silver white.
Dimitria stood still while the moon glow gleamed against her nude body. Water drops gleamed against her still damp skin from the bath in the nearby spring. A deep breath filled her lungs taking in the perfumed air surrounding her. An owls call woke the nearby birds sleepily nestled in the branches of the trees. A breeze stirred in a whisper filling the air. Cattails from the spring began a gentle rhythmic thump against an old log beside the stream. Dimitria listened to nature's music beginning to hum an ancient melody. Soon, her voice lent the words filling the grove with the ancient tune of elves. The melody filled the grove with its sweet song and the creatures within lent their voices in the chorus.
Dimitria's arms stretched out from her sides poised as she sang for the trees. One leg lifted taking the first step as she began her dance for them. Softly turning, her hands came toward her with elbows raised. Long ebony locks flowed outward while her feet stepped into the pirouette. She turned and danced her way to each of the trees extending her hands to the leaves. She brushed her fingertips against them singing the ancient ballad of garden days.
A quick movement sent her whirling across the grove, her arms extending turning over her hands. Dipping one then the other to raise them again as if arms had now become wings. Her footsteps kept time with the tune slowing to whirl in the center of the grove. She quickly spun in the center sending her raven locks fanning around her flying in the breeze. Her footsteps slowed the speed of her spin to slowly extend one foot, one arm raised high stretching behind her while the other swept low and she bowed before the trees. Grace and simplicity were her movements as she straightened turning her face upwards to the moon. Its bathing light caressed her skin and she closed her eyes briefly as the song still rang from her lips.
Hips began to sway side to side. Small steps of her feet marked the time in place. Hands extended from her sides in soft waving ripples of movement. One extended fully while the right hand stroked the fingers across her cheek before rising above her head. The palm extended upwards toward the sky then came back down to extend fully out beside her. Slowly she turned swaying to the music in a circle bringing her left hand toward her chest raising it high above her head while her right dropped low in a slow syncapated half stepping turn. The song filled the air of the calls for the blessings of the goddesses, Aliria, Elania and Firia.
She bent her head slowly bending her knees pushing slowly upwards with the beat of the tune. Her hands swept low sweeping the palms upward with each repeating bend of her knees. Slowly her arms raised with upward palms pushing slowly higher with each bend shallowing. Her hands seemed to beseech the trees to grow toward the sky ever pushing her hands upwards till the palms of her hands pushed toward the sky. Her face looked toward the sky with closed eyes as she turned slowly swaying side to side. Her voice rang clear with its simple melody through the night air around her.
Pushing her left hand toward the sky, she swept her right hand low to the grasses at her feet. Softly her knees dipped in a bending slow straightening rhythm. Her body bend to the side while her knees lowered her closer to the grasses. Fingertips from an extended palm brushed over the tips of the blades slowly sweeping back to front around her. Slow lightly bouncing up and downward on knees and ankles, her left lowered and she bent sideways in its direction raising her right to the sky. Her left palm stroked the grasses at her feet as her song called to the trees and the woodlands.
Her voice sang softly calling to the mother of nature, of fertility for the blessings of the trees and forestlands. She called for the blessing of the animals who dwelled within and around them in her clear melodic voice singing with the breeze. She slowed her movements till she lowered her body to sit amid the grasses. One leg bent under her sitting on her ankle while the other bent to tuck against her chest. Her arms wrapped around her knee while ebon tresses flowed over her back to softly fall downward across her cheeks. She bent her head lying her cheek against her knee as her song slowly finished.
Clouds rolled across the sky in tumultous pattern of darkening white and silver grey heralding a storms approach. Their path crossed slowly over the moon bringing darkness to the grove below. The breeze began to still and the cattails slowed the beat till it was no more. Darkness held the grove till the clouds drifted by to gather some distance away returning the moonbeams to the trees below. In the passing, as quietly as she came, the sylvan elf had left. Behind she left but an echo of her voice fading softly to a whisper.