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Strange and Familiar

Started by Wildfire, October 27, 2006, 08:49:26 AM

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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus's heart was thumping loudly in his chest and he couldn't ease the shaking in his hands. His mind was lethargic and his stomach churned a bit; he felt cold on the outside and warm on the inside, but oddly content. The thought that he must need some food suggested itself to him.

He sat up, his surroundings somewhat surreal to him, and surveyed the Ring. Vallenwood's lullaby changed slightly to accommodate his awakening; the great tree projected a soft energy into its song, lifting the dale gnome from his post-slumber toward full awakening.

He searched his memory, but the last thing that he could recall was talking with Ashe and Kym at the Ash Ring earlier that day. Perhaps it was the previous day? At least Wolf had the decency to lay me upon my woolen blanket. He thought gratefully, seeing for the first time exactly where in the Ring he had lain.

Near the head of his blanket, upon the low, flat stone that he had taken to using as a table of sorts, there was spread a deep green cloth, and upon that cloth was a fair helping of meat - venison very likely - some dark yellow cheese, and a thick crust of brown bread. Next to his tablestone there was a small skin as well.

The sight brought an odd smile to his face and an odder thought to his little mind. "You've become a fair cook whilst I slept, eh brother?" He said to Wolf. Wolf only poked him with a big, wet nose.

Ashe and Zarion stood close together and continued to murmur to one another while Maccabeus took up the dark cheese and nibbled upon it, laying back down to allow Vallenwood's song to clear his mind. The cheese was sweet, and tasted of honey.

Somewhere hidden from view the yapping of rollicking wolf pups recollected to Maccabeus that he now had a family with which to share his spacious home. He had a pack to lead, much as the Great Hunter himself had.

His eyes snapped open again.
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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Thanks to you." Maccabeus appreciated Wolf. He tore a small peice of the venison and stuffed it into his mouth. He felt more at peace just then than he had since he had been with Shankaria. She had a noble tranquility that he had never before or since encountered, until Vallenwood.

Kym caught his eye as he swallowed and he smiled at her. She smiled back and said, "Welcome back. How do you feel?" She swatted at her pups idly.

"Rested." He answered simply. "Is this still Arkus?" He asked as he picked up a cube of the honey cheese.

"It is." She answered, smiling. Maccabeus noted that the chromatic rain made Kym's face and hair seem to glow.

Maccabeus breathed deeply of the sweet aromatic air. 'What are they doing?" He asked, thrusting his jaw towards Ashe and Zarion as he took up the venison again.
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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

You just love doing this to me, don't you?  ~:(

You know as well as I do that as of now, I have absolutely no idea how they met....

Now I've got to "create". !ill

Gimme time and stay tuned.
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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Still wondering on this...I haven't forgotten. I'm just at a bit of a loss. Vague ideas...
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Johan

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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

As Maccabeus listened to Kym's dark tale his mind waged war with his heart. Her pain touched him, and he could only imagine such a youngling bearing witness to this sort of murder and the feeling of powerlessness of which she spoke. Ogres could be very cruel when they wanted to be.

At the same time, Maccabeus knew that such experiences were endured with reason, and the Divinities must have needed Kym and Alpha to have the temper born of this experience. It would doubtless serve them well in the future, and had they not been thus toughened, they might not be able to weather what lay further down their path. No doubt Severen would agree. Maccabeus thought. "I'm sorry, Kym." He said quietly. "Rest assured that good comes from this villainy. For every stone on the scale, there is a counterbalance."

It was indeed time to begin her training in the ways of Mahiya. Alpha himself was far more at peace with his past than Kym was, and he had actually born witness to the assault. Kym needed to balance herself a bit, and waiting for her mother to return would be a mistake, he thought. Dark clouds were gathering and bringing her into Mahiya's fold would bolster her, Zebulon, and Mahiya.

"Excuse me, whilst I talk with your sire. Place your hand upon Vallenwood; his song I find very comforting, and his wisdom is ancient. You won't likely yet understand in your awake mind what he's saying, but you will draw comfort nonetheless."

He slung his water skin across his back and took up a handful of meat and a chunk of that wonderful honey cheese. Rising somewhat weakly, he strode over towards Ashe and Zarion, making a fair noise as he went so as to alert the two elders to his presence and shake them from their conversations.

"Gentlemen," He said. "I'm sorry to have been unable to welcome you to my home in proper fashion, as you have me to yours. And thanks to whomever supplied this faire."

The two men broke off their conference and turned to Maccabeus. "How find you this temple, Master Zarion?" He asked, holding forth his handful of meat for any who wanted to partake.
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Wildfire

Kym leaned against the Vallenwood and bolstered her mind. She listened to the soothings of the great tree and did indeed find some peace from her memory. Before Maccbeus left, she reached out and placed har hand softly one his arm and though she didn't say anything her infinite eyes and slight smile spoke of great thanks.for his empathy.

As Maccabeus drew near to them both Ashe and Zarion turned to look at him. In full light Zarion was even larger than Maccabeus had thought. He stood at over two gnomes high and his chest was as wide as three standing side by side. If he was any indication to the tales his Grandsire had spoken of The Great Hunter then there was no exaggeration in telling. What made his frame even more extraordinary was that half of his blood was elven.

At the offer of the food Zarion said, "Actually, I don't mind if I do. I must say, my wife does make a good honey cheese". Both reached down, but Zarion was the quicker leaving enough for Maccabeus should he prove to get hungry. Ashe's mouth gapped open slightly at Zarion's intendedly rude aquisition. Casting a sly look at Zarion Ashe said, "Umm...no thanks!" emphasizing and directing the remark to Zarion. With a mouth full of cheese and meat Zarion chewed with smile.

Ashe looked down at Maccabeus, pointed his thumb to big grinning man and asked, "You see that? And I dare call him friend."

Zarion took a long draw from his water skin, which was, no doubt, now filled with the cleansing waters from the clear fount, and washed down the snack. "Wolf Brother Maccabeus, your home and shrine is indeed wonderous..." Zarion finished his statement there but left it trailing as though there were more thoughts that he wanted to express but chose not to.

Furrowing his brow and looking about,  Zarion asked, "Where is Ky..." but at that moment he looked beyond and saw Kym stroking Alpha and giving him great hugs around his thick neck. He nodded and took another bite of cheese.

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

Maccabeus's handful amounted to little more than a mouth for the giant Zarion. He hoped that his face didn't betray the confusion that he felt at the antics the two tall folk, and he moved along in his conversation.

"Mahiya has indeed created a paradise here in the shadow of Threshold." He said. "Or mayhap man created Threshold in the shadow of an oasis paradise, eh?" His head cocked to one side in the fashion of his canine brethren. "I hadn't put thought to it worth a whit, but this place must have been here long before Threshold, no? Near the time of the Valley's creation, one would think."

His head and shoulders bobbed left-to-right as he tried the notion on. "Whatever the difference," he said at last. "At least she has allowed me to partake of this wondrous time and place." He smiled at his visitors.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you..." He hesitated a moment a dark bushy eyebrow rising above his sapphire eyes. "Well, yes I did, actually, didn't I? And why would I do that?" He glanced around for a moment espying Kym through Vallenwood's scintillating rain. "Oh, yes!" He perked up again. "My Lord Wolfjaw," he wondered if he wasn't being too overly formal. "I'd like to discuss with you the possibility of helping your fair daughter to learn the ways of Mahiya. This is a perfect time and place for such training, and under Ashe's watchful eye and guidance (not to mention Vallenwood's as well as Mahiya's) I think that the learning would be rapid and prolific. I realize that such training had been reserved for her matron, but it seems to me that timing has been placed afore us, and we perhaps should seize that opportunity."

He looked down at his unshod and hairy feet then, and noted the disparity in size between his own and Zarion's immense ones. It looked to him like Zarion's was wider than his own would be long. Beneath his consciousness he wondered if that were true, or perhaps it might be an illusion born on the varied and shimmering lights of the Ring of Mists. He turned his right foot side-ways, and it was still difficult to tell until he actually placed his own above Zarion's. One atop the other, it was easy to see that his was a bit longer than Zarion's was wide, although not by too much. "Huh." He said nodding sagely.

Looking up suddenly, recognizing what he had just done, Maccabeus's mind shuddered. "Bbpbblleeehhh...Sorry." He apologized befuddedly. "I uh...I can certainly understand that you might not want us to undertake such an...uh...effort, but I...umm...well, I think that is, that it's an um...good idea?"

He wasn't sure whether he had just asked a question or not, and his shaggy brow furrowed, trying to determine what it was he was trying to say. He stuffed some more cheese in his mouth to give his tongue something else to chew up. He hung his head once more and shook it in disbelief that he could be such a ninny.
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Wildfire

Wildfire

One should never underestimate the stimulation of eccentricity

Johan

"Thank  you, Master Wolfjaw." Maccabeus said formally, grasping for the etiquette to pull him from his momentary mental lapse. "You are too kind. I will teach, of course, with Ashe's whisper in my ear, Shankaria's wisdom in my heart, and with Vallenwood's rhythm in my soul. Her talents and gifts will serve her well. Again I thank your permissions."

He took a moment to consider his next question, nearly thinking better of asking at all. "Tell me sire, if you can...what dire need takes Kym's mother so far from here at this time? I do hope that she is amenable to our starting Kym's training in her absence. Is all well? Is there ought I can do to ease her absence?"

He looked up at the towering icon, eager to help in any way that he could.
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