Post by Wilhelm Opens-the-Way on Feb 18, 2011 10:41:18 GMT -8
Wilhelm had wanted to land triumphantly in the center of the assembly area on the back of the great Roc that had taught him of his Ancestors.
He had wanted to shout with joy, to call his brothers and sisters to war.
But first there was something to be done. The time for grandstanding was not now.
As much as he might of a time distrust the shifty Lupus, it had been Marks-the-Prey that had given him the most insight into what it meant to be a Ragabash of late. Well, he and Johnny Chaos, though possibly not in the way that he had attempted, but that mattered little. He was quick on his feet, that one. Changing the game as soon as the rules had been glimpsed. Another telling lesson. Wilhelm wasn't sure if it was one he preferred to take or heart or not. But Marks had said: We Ragabash are all Auspices and none.
What a simple, powerful truth, Wilhelm thought. What hides behind the moon but all that she is capable of? Is there not a Judge within me? A Warrior? A Spirit-Speaker? A Tale-Teller? And yes, a trickster and asker of the hard questions. I am all these things and more.
I must be.
But first, honor where it is due.
Tulotl set down far afield at the edge of the bawn, his sunrise plumage gleaming golden and rainbow hues as his massive talons pierced the dark brown earth of the Reaching. It was too soft for the spirit, Wilhelm knew, having seen the realm of craggy spires capable of sharpening the claws of such majestic creatures as the Children of Karnak and survived it. The great bird rocked from side to side and tore the ground, uncomfortable with the soft sod beneath his talons. He dismounted with a clank of armor and knelt before the Roc, thanking the powerful brood of Falcon with Gnosis and words.
"Thank you holy warrior of Falcon, for your wise council and your assistance in the battles to come. When time comes to pay my debt, I shall be at your call, honored spirit."
It's noble beak, the span of a man or more in length rose high above it's body, looking skyward, blotting out the morning sun, and it let loose a great keening call that echoed throuhout the valley, then, with no further acknowledgement and one great beat of it's mighty wings, broke into the sky, it's wings aflame with the early sun as it rose. Wilhelm watched, sheilding his eyes from Helios as it first became a bright speck in the distance and then disappeared into the Umbral sky.
He sighed, alert, sore, but ready, slinging a gunny sack over his shoulder and bearing toward the center of the Caern. Lean, hungry and pious.
He stayed low, key as he returned to the Caern, nodding to those he saw, frowning at the news of challenges, death and the ensuing chaos, but asking few questions, and commenting less.
"Forgive me," he said. "I have business I must attend." It was polite, but forceful enough that he did not spare more words than that, and those he did were sufficient to turn aside more inquiry.
He entered the lodge of the Hall of Hallowed Heroes in the Caern with reverence and stepped sideways into the real. Here the scent of the stout pine and cedar planks that made up the simple lodge were fragrant and real. Comforting. Wilhelm knelt before the picture of Thalia Deed-Catcher and smiled.
"Hello again sister," he said, as if she had just left the room and returned minutes earlier.
He untangled the knot that had closed the gunny sack he unslung and began pulling items from the bag to place on the small podium there. The first was a sleek white stretch of rabbit's fur.
"I brought you a few things today," he grinned. "Recognise this? Millie the hare. One of the first batch. She finally died at the ripe old age of... oh who knows? I know she's one of the first because she was the one that was always getting into Abraxas's box of spare keyboards and chewing off all of the cables. Well she finally tried that on one of the ones that was plugged in, poor thing. But at least she'll keep you warm until the spring," he joked, draping the soft, white skin over the podium.
A pocket watch emerged from the sack next.
"This I found at a second hand store near Deception Pass this weekend. I admit it's not of the best quality, but you know sometimes on an income like mine you have to make do. I think it's pretty though, and I'll keep it wound. Or perhaps a Ragabash will sneak in and steal it and at least know when to come in for dinner on time or something," he chuckled. "Just a reminder of times we shared, and how finite they are. But we did better than most, what with the stolen ages we lived through in the Umbra and all." He set the watch down on the surface of the fur.
Wilhelm pulled out her Glabrys from the bag and rising to his feet, set it reverently down on top of the podium.
"I'm sure you remember this one, sister. Oh mighty Abomination-head-chopper-offer," he bowed a jester's bow. "I was... I am so proud of you, of your valor. And I loved the giddy bit you always do when I tell you that. Cheeks all rosy with pride and embarassment. Ah... I'll miss that sister."
He leaned on the podium irreverantly, elbow on chin, looking at the picture.
"You know you look rather austere in this one sister. Like an Old West photo. 'Here was Ma Deed-Catcher, aged twenty some. Long may she glare.'" He laughed to himself again, then turned a bit serious, standing there.
"I know what I must do now sister. I know why I'm here. What I am to be - or at least, try to be worthy of. Soon there will be a lot of challenges. That will be... interesting, but first, we've a war to win for you, and I'll not shirk that duty, you know it. I swore they'd pay for your blood, and they will. Deep Skies is going to kill so many Black Spiral Dancers in your name Thalia. We're going to soak the earth in their blood, and then dilute it to steam with the fires of Volcano. It is going to be a beautiful battle. I wish you could see it. We're going to be avenging angels."
He touched her picture gently.
"You will. I know you will. Watch over your brothers Thalia. We need it."
Wilhelm took out one other item from the sack, a clay talisman marked with the glyph of his Tribe on one side and his Auspice on another, a gift from Thalia. He tied it around his neck, held the talisman in his hands a moment, eyes closed and head bowed in a silent prayer for the dead, and then brought the cool clay disk to his lips, kissed it, and tucked it beneath the chestplate of his armor. The gunny sack empty, he wadded it up in his fist, looping the twine of the rope that sealed it around the burlap and left the hall.
There was steel in his eyes and conviction in his heart as he left the lodge-house, but he was not grim. Rather he was joyful, alert, ready.
There was work to be done.
He had wanted to shout with joy, to call his brothers and sisters to war.
But first there was something to be done. The time for grandstanding was not now.
As much as he might of a time distrust the shifty Lupus, it had been Marks-the-Prey that had given him the most insight into what it meant to be a Ragabash of late. Well, he and Johnny Chaos, though possibly not in the way that he had attempted, but that mattered little. He was quick on his feet, that one. Changing the game as soon as the rules had been glimpsed. Another telling lesson. Wilhelm wasn't sure if it was one he preferred to take or heart or not. But Marks had said: We Ragabash are all Auspices and none.
What a simple, powerful truth, Wilhelm thought. What hides behind the moon but all that she is capable of? Is there not a Judge within me? A Warrior? A Spirit-Speaker? A Tale-Teller? And yes, a trickster and asker of the hard questions. I am all these things and more.
I must be.
But first, honor where it is due.
Tulotl set down far afield at the edge of the bawn, his sunrise plumage gleaming golden and rainbow hues as his massive talons pierced the dark brown earth of the Reaching. It was too soft for the spirit, Wilhelm knew, having seen the realm of craggy spires capable of sharpening the claws of such majestic creatures as the Children of Karnak and survived it. The great bird rocked from side to side and tore the ground, uncomfortable with the soft sod beneath his talons. He dismounted with a clank of armor and knelt before the Roc, thanking the powerful brood of Falcon with Gnosis and words.
"Thank you holy warrior of Falcon, for your wise council and your assistance in the battles to come. When time comes to pay my debt, I shall be at your call, honored spirit."
It's noble beak, the span of a man or more in length rose high above it's body, looking skyward, blotting out the morning sun, and it let loose a great keening call that echoed throuhout the valley, then, with no further acknowledgement and one great beat of it's mighty wings, broke into the sky, it's wings aflame with the early sun as it rose. Wilhelm watched, sheilding his eyes from Helios as it first became a bright speck in the distance and then disappeared into the Umbral sky.
He sighed, alert, sore, but ready, slinging a gunny sack over his shoulder and bearing toward the center of the Caern. Lean, hungry and pious.
He stayed low, key as he returned to the Caern, nodding to those he saw, frowning at the news of challenges, death and the ensuing chaos, but asking few questions, and commenting less.
"Forgive me," he said. "I have business I must attend." It was polite, but forceful enough that he did not spare more words than that, and those he did were sufficient to turn aside more inquiry.
He entered the lodge of the Hall of Hallowed Heroes in the Caern with reverence and stepped sideways into the real. Here the scent of the stout pine and cedar planks that made up the simple lodge were fragrant and real. Comforting. Wilhelm knelt before the picture of Thalia Deed-Catcher and smiled.
"Hello again sister," he said, as if she had just left the room and returned minutes earlier.
He untangled the knot that had closed the gunny sack he unslung and began pulling items from the bag to place on the small podium there. The first was a sleek white stretch of rabbit's fur.
"I brought you a few things today," he grinned. "Recognise this? Millie the hare. One of the first batch. She finally died at the ripe old age of... oh who knows? I know she's one of the first because she was the one that was always getting into Abraxas's box of spare keyboards and chewing off all of the cables. Well she finally tried that on one of the ones that was plugged in, poor thing. But at least she'll keep you warm until the spring," he joked, draping the soft, white skin over the podium.
A pocket watch emerged from the sack next.
"This I found at a second hand store near Deception Pass this weekend. I admit it's not of the best quality, but you know sometimes on an income like mine you have to make do. I think it's pretty though, and I'll keep it wound. Or perhaps a Ragabash will sneak in and steal it and at least know when to come in for dinner on time or something," he chuckled. "Just a reminder of times we shared, and how finite they are. But we did better than most, what with the stolen ages we lived through in the Umbra and all." He set the watch down on the surface of the fur.
Wilhelm pulled out her Glabrys from the bag and rising to his feet, set it reverently down on top of the podium.
"I'm sure you remember this one, sister. Oh mighty Abomination-head-chopper-offer," he bowed a jester's bow. "I was... I am so proud of you, of your valor. And I loved the giddy bit you always do when I tell you that. Cheeks all rosy with pride and embarassment. Ah... I'll miss that sister."
He leaned on the podium irreverantly, elbow on chin, looking at the picture.
"You know you look rather austere in this one sister. Like an Old West photo. 'Here was Ma Deed-Catcher, aged twenty some. Long may she glare.'" He laughed to himself again, then turned a bit serious, standing there.
"I know what I must do now sister. I know why I'm here. What I am to be - or at least, try to be worthy of. Soon there will be a lot of challenges. That will be... interesting, but first, we've a war to win for you, and I'll not shirk that duty, you know it. I swore they'd pay for your blood, and they will. Deep Skies is going to kill so many Black Spiral Dancers in your name Thalia. We're going to soak the earth in their blood, and then dilute it to steam with the fires of Volcano. It is going to be a beautiful battle. I wish you could see it. We're going to be avenging angels."
He touched her picture gently.
"You will. I know you will. Watch over your brothers Thalia. We need it."
Wilhelm took out one other item from the sack, a clay talisman marked with the glyph of his Tribe on one side and his Auspice on another, a gift from Thalia. He tied it around his neck, held the talisman in his hands a moment, eyes closed and head bowed in a silent prayer for the dead, and then brought the cool clay disk to his lips, kissed it, and tucked it beneath the chestplate of his armor. The gunny sack empty, he wadded it up in his fist, looping the twine of the rope that sealed it around the burlap and left the hall.
There was steel in his eyes and conviction in his heart as he left the lodge-house, but he was not grim. Rather he was joyful, alert, ready.
There was work to be done.
