Irvin

Welcome, welcome, one and all. How about I tell you a story about one of my favorite lands tonight?

This is an old, old tale, a mysterious tale, handed down from a distant land far across the seas.

Away across the ocean in that distant land, there was a boy, and my, was he a strong-willed young thing. His mother's wishes, his father's demands - all of them fell on deaf ears. That boy, he was out of hand, he was.

His father was at a loss, his mother overcome with sorrow. And there came a day when one of the monks in town took pity on them, and he sternly scolded the boy. But that boy, he got angry and upset, and he ran out of town, eyes clouded with tears.

And goodness, how long did he walk...! With the town far behind him, and the twilight drawing so close as to nearly be underfoot, at last the boy found himself at a small cave.

So exhausted was he from the long walk, that he slowly entered the cave, thinking to pass the night there. But the cave was full of naught but stones and darkness, and far, far less comfortable than he'd imagined it might be.

That single night felt longer than a week to the poor boy, as he endured the cold and the hunger, and quite suddenly he wanted to see his mother. "When I see the morning sun, I'll go home," he reassured himself, and waited out the night.

At long last the morning sun showed its face. But as the boy made his way towards the cave entrance, two beautiful elves appeared suddenly right before his eyes.

They greeted the young boy kindly, and one of them said this:

"Let us guide you to a land...
       ...overflowing with pleasures and games,
              filled with sweet music and delicious treats."

As soon as he heard the melodious voice of the guide, his hunger, his pain, and even his desire to return home to his mother all vanished in an instant. And with a bold nod of his head, the boy decided to go away to that land with his two elven guides.

The guide with the melodious voice was named Kaelin. And the guide who took the boy's hand and walked just ahead of him was called Irvin, or so I'm told.

Ahhh... so you've heard of Irvin, hmm? Yes, those eyes of his pierced right through the boy's heart, that's for certain.

The land that the boy visited, goodness but it was a wonderful land! But I think I'll have to end it here for today. Some other night I'll let you listen to my dream night stories to your heart's content. But until then, how about a little rest?

The tale of a young boy, spun by two beautiful elves.

Just how exactly did that boy's feelings reflect on his elven guides, I wonder?
Be sure not to miss the continuation of this tale of a visit to fairyland...!