Post by Athena Fire-in-Snow on May 31, 2010 21:08:01 GMT -8
Maya and Niall walked, arms wrapped around each other's waist, white fur cloak tossed over both of them, out of the Caern and toward her Den. She could feel him lean against her, just as she leaned against him, both somehow supporting each other.
At her side she could feel the cold shape of the silver shard, nearly a blade, that Niall had cried forth...a gift from Luna, her silver Tear. In her pouch she could feel the weight of the gourd containing the shining liquid that was the Tear of Helios. Both so light, for the weight that they brought to her mind.
She had a job to do. Never mind that she didn't know precisely how to do it. It needed doing, and soon. She needed to get home, to her Den, and hope that Gaia have her hands guidance in the crafting of this Fetish. The expectations worried her - to do something that had never been done before, without long research and study, without extensive consultations with other Gurahl, those who bore the histories and the wisdom of her people in greater depth than herself? It went against the very core of the Gurahl. But it was also needful, and bears always did what was needful...now. They had failed once, sleeping too long while the ages passed, and none awake now would forget that bitter lesson, or fail to learn from it.
And behind, between, through it all were the things she was not thinking of, not yet. Her bear's will could not deny the occurrence or the cost of it, but it could lock her emotions down for a time, keep it from overwhelming her. Amalric. Oli. Whistler. All dead, so very fast... Hannibal missing, again. How would he take the death of hope yet again, the hope that Amalric had held out to him, so very briefly? Not well, not well, but...
Amalric. Gaia help her, Master Amalric. She could have used his help, his advice with this. She was half-tempted to summon his spirit, just to have him to talk with through what was coming. But she couldn't allow herself that luxury, either. Fenris and Unicorn. She had to be strong, strong enough to convince Fenris, and that meant she had to stand alone before him. Anything else would be showing weakness, uncertainty...and doom her to failure for sure.
And oh how her friends would be hurting right now! She pulled Niall a little closer to her as the navigated over an uneven and rocky portion of the path. She couldn't be there for them like they needed -- oh, Gaia, 'Venna and Brenna would be utter wrecks! But she couldn't be everywhere at once. Niall, he took his comfort wordlessly, from her presence and from her own need for support in return. So it was he who was coming with her, to face her own task, and she had to depend on the strength of her friends, to console each other in her absence.
Joy is in the ears that hear, not the mouth that speaks. She had to keep that first in her mind right now. She had to find the joy, find the heart, find the hope that would keep her going through all the darkness and pain and loss that threatened not just her, but all those she cared for....
Joy is in the ears that hear.
What do I hear? What do I hear?
The entrance to her Den finally before her, she and Niall stepped through.
At her side she could feel the cold shape of the silver shard, nearly a blade, that Niall had cried forth...a gift from Luna, her silver Tear. In her pouch she could feel the weight of the gourd containing the shining liquid that was the Tear of Helios. Both so light, for the weight that they brought to her mind.
She had a job to do. Never mind that she didn't know precisely how to do it. It needed doing, and soon. She needed to get home, to her Den, and hope that Gaia have her hands guidance in the crafting of this Fetish. The expectations worried her - to do something that had never been done before, without long research and study, without extensive consultations with other Gurahl, those who bore the histories and the wisdom of her people in greater depth than herself? It went against the very core of the Gurahl. But it was also needful, and bears always did what was needful...now. They had failed once, sleeping too long while the ages passed, and none awake now would forget that bitter lesson, or fail to learn from it.
And behind, between, through it all were the things she was not thinking of, not yet. Her bear's will could not deny the occurrence or the cost of it, but it could lock her emotions down for a time, keep it from overwhelming her. Amalric. Oli. Whistler. All dead, so very fast... Hannibal missing, again. How would he take the death of hope yet again, the hope that Amalric had held out to him, so very briefly? Not well, not well, but...
Amalric. Gaia help her, Master Amalric. She could have used his help, his advice with this. She was half-tempted to summon his spirit, just to have him to talk with through what was coming. But she couldn't allow herself that luxury, either. Fenris and Unicorn. She had to be strong, strong enough to convince Fenris, and that meant she had to stand alone before him. Anything else would be showing weakness, uncertainty...and doom her to failure for sure.
And oh how her friends would be hurting right now! She pulled Niall a little closer to her as the navigated over an uneven and rocky portion of the path. She couldn't be there for them like they needed -- oh, Gaia, 'Venna and Brenna would be utter wrecks! But she couldn't be everywhere at once. Niall, he took his comfort wordlessly, from her presence and from her own need for support in return. So it was he who was coming with her, to face her own task, and she had to depend on the strength of her friends, to console each other in her absence.
Joy is in the ears that hear, not the mouth that speaks. She had to keep that first in her mind right now. She had to find the joy, find the heart, find the hope that would keep her going through all the darkness and pain and loss that threatened not just her, but all those she cared for....
Joy is in the ears that hear.
What do I hear? What do I hear?
The entrance to her Den finally before her, she and Niall stepped through.