Leaf: *comes in and glares at everyone whos reading but hasn't reviewed.
Smiles.* Thankage to Fireblade and Silverwing for reviewing this. Only for
you folk am I putting up the next chapter.
Fireblade - You're right, I think. Leaf?
Leaf: She's right. Of course.
Defeated by my own logic and then abandoned by my muse ... pity me.
Leaf: I didn't abandon you, I agreed with you.
Right.
***
The Clans stood in a large circle on the hilltop. It was clear from all brush or debris, and nothing could come from the forest without half of them noticing. They waited, watching as the moon rose over the treetops, then, as it settled there, they turned to face one another, and the Elders made the plea.
And their Lady answered it.
The Lady was beautiful in a deadly way, rather like the bondbirds. Her presence was so bright, however, that it hurt to try to look at Her for long. All that Starwhisper could discern was that Her hair was the black of the non-mages, and Her eyes were without pupil or iris, like windows to the night sky. Her voice filled Star's mind in a way that left room for nothing but awe, not even leaving her enough to notice that the hilltop they were settled on had vanished, to be replaced by a starry nothingness, above her, around her, below her, like the Lady's eyes.
(I have heard your prayers,) She said in a deep voice, a voice of wind and steel, (and know that you understand that there will be a cost for what you seek. But do you know how great the cost shall be? The cost is your lives, your lives and your freedom. Magic has warped the land, and it shall be your magic that heals it.
(So here is my offer: I give you safety here, long enough to make a Clan holding. I will teach you how to create a safe place in the midst of your holding where you may dwell in protection. And I will grant you the knowledge of Adepts, and magic that shall make all other Adepts envy you - how to create a center of power that would be the envy of the Great Mages that caused this destruction.
(But in return, you shall swear to this. You shall restore these forests to what they once were, seek out and destroy the creatures of evil, grant safety to those who are innocent, make shelter for those which are merely animals, not knowing of good or evil. You shall destroy any of the old weapons that you find, that they shall not be used again. Your Mage-Gifted children shall follow this path, as shall their children after them, and those who come still later.
(Healers and Protectors, you shall become, and your magics shall never be used for ill, nor shall you permit strangers amongst your ranks, unless they too be sworn to the Clans. This you shall, shall and must do, at all cost to yourselves.
(Finally, some of your cousins, the Shin'a'in, may decide that while they cannot renounce their Mage-Gift, they also cannot follow the path of the Shaman. They will come into your Clans, and you shall welcome them, for they too shall become of the Healers.)
They nodded, bowed their heads in assent, and unto the Mage-Gifted ones came the knowledge She had promised. But Star heard the voice once more, softer, as if it were only she who was being spoken to. (You will know when it is time, daughter.)
Then the Tayledras were left blinking as the stars disappeared and the moon's light flooded over them. And Star wondered, who was she to be spoken to be the Lady?
***
The Clans soon divided once more, each with it's own Adepts to assist in the creation of the holdings. Soon after they discovered that the power center was best held in a stone, and as the stone was the heart of the Clan, a child jokingly named it the Heartstone. The name stuck.
Star had nothing to do with the magical building of the Vale, she was busy enough setting up the tree houses that they would live in. So she did not notice when another woman started paying more attention than usual to Windshadow.
***
Icewing couldn't help but curl her lip every time she saw Windshadow's young daughter, Starwhisper, was it? Unlike his son, Hawksong, who had Mage- Gift, a bondbird and was a scout, Star was magicless, bondbirdless, and helped the others build stuff. Ok, she was training to be a scout, but that was about all.
No wonder Shai'dha had not wanted to keep her daughter, it was a miracle that anyone allowed her to remain within the Clan!
Yet somehow, Windshadow loved the girl. As did her brother, who had taken it upon himself to teach the god-damned child how to move silently. The bondbirds cared for her too, most of them 'spoke her without their bondmate's knowledge. And other members of the Clan, while they didn't particularly care one way or the other, accepted their bondbirds' decision.
And as for the girl, well, the feeling was mutual there. Neither of them much liked the other, and Icewing had plenty of reasons to leave her presence. When she had no excuse, either she would walk away or Starwhisper would have one.
*If only there was a way,* Icewing thought, *to get her to leave. Windshadow would never permit anything to hurt his daughter, but if she were to leave, matters would take care of themselves. After all, these lands are hardly Cleansed, and if the creatures didn't get her, the bandits from Ma'ar's army would. But there's no way to do that. Yet.*
She decided that somehow, she would find a way to eliminate Starwhisper. Without her, the path to Windshadow would be clear.
***
'I'm never,' Star muttered, 'going to be able to sneak up behind you, are I?'
'Probably not,' Hawk agreed. 'But then again, sister-mine, I don't see the future. Next time, look where you walk.' When Star opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. 'Look at it this way. I am an intruder. I sit here, unaware that you watch me. But when you step on that dry stick, or in the pile of leaves, I am immediately aware that something is there. Perhaps I will call out, or mayhap I will remain. If there are several of us, we may surround you. So watch where you step, fledgling.'
Star sat down with a groan. 'Can we do something else?' Hawk smiled. 'Weapon practice, walking practice or building? Your choice.'
She glared. 'Don't like to make things easy for me, do you?' He just laughed. 'We're working on rapiers today, kechara. Guard up!'
***
*I loath Icewing. And the feeling's mutual. So why on earth is she around so much? Unless... oh, Lady, tell me she isn't hunting after my father. Living in the same Vale as her is awkward enough, I could *never* share an ekele with her.*
Star spent the rest of the way back to the ekele deciding what she would do if she had to live with that woman.
'Ah, Starwhisper?' came a most umwelcome voice from behind her.
It was Icewing
*She shouldn't smile. She looks like a cat who just ate someones bondbird and knows they won't get in trouble for it.*
***
Leaf: *grinning evily* Because I can do so, and I didn't get three reviews, I'm going to leave you there. Hint hint: click the nice little purple button and tell us if you liked it.
Fireblade - You're right, I think. Leaf?
Leaf: She's right. Of course.
Defeated by my own logic and then abandoned by my muse ... pity me.
Leaf: I didn't abandon you, I agreed with you.
Right.
***
The Clans stood in a large circle on the hilltop. It was clear from all brush or debris, and nothing could come from the forest without half of them noticing. They waited, watching as the moon rose over the treetops, then, as it settled there, they turned to face one another, and the Elders made the plea.
And their Lady answered it.
The Lady was beautiful in a deadly way, rather like the bondbirds. Her presence was so bright, however, that it hurt to try to look at Her for long. All that Starwhisper could discern was that Her hair was the black of the non-mages, and Her eyes were without pupil or iris, like windows to the night sky. Her voice filled Star's mind in a way that left room for nothing but awe, not even leaving her enough to notice that the hilltop they were settled on had vanished, to be replaced by a starry nothingness, above her, around her, below her, like the Lady's eyes.
(I have heard your prayers,) She said in a deep voice, a voice of wind and steel, (and know that you understand that there will be a cost for what you seek. But do you know how great the cost shall be? The cost is your lives, your lives and your freedom. Magic has warped the land, and it shall be your magic that heals it.
(So here is my offer: I give you safety here, long enough to make a Clan holding. I will teach you how to create a safe place in the midst of your holding where you may dwell in protection. And I will grant you the knowledge of Adepts, and magic that shall make all other Adepts envy you - how to create a center of power that would be the envy of the Great Mages that caused this destruction.
(But in return, you shall swear to this. You shall restore these forests to what they once were, seek out and destroy the creatures of evil, grant safety to those who are innocent, make shelter for those which are merely animals, not knowing of good or evil. You shall destroy any of the old weapons that you find, that they shall not be used again. Your Mage-Gifted children shall follow this path, as shall their children after them, and those who come still later.
(Healers and Protectors, you shall become, and your magics shall never be used for ill, nor shall you permit strangers amongst your ranks, unless they too be sworn to the Clans. This you shall, shall and must do, at all cost to yourselves.
(Finally, some of your cousins, the Shin'a'in, may decide that while they cannot renounce their Mage-Gift, they also cannot follow the path of the Shaman. They will come into your Clans, and you shall welcome them, for they too shall become of the Healers.)
They nodded, bowed their heads in assent, and unto the Mage-Gifted ones came the knowledge She had promised. But Star heard the voice once more, softer, as if it were only she who was being spoken to. (You will know when it is time, daughter.)
Then the Tayledras were left blinking as the stars disappeared and the moon's light flooded over them. And Star wondered, who was she to be spoken to be the Lady?
***
The Clans soon divided once more, each with it's own Adepts to assist in the creation of the holdings. Soon after they discovered that the power center was best held in a stone, and as the stone was the heart of the Clan, a child jokingly named it the Heartstone. The name stuck.
Star had nothing to do with the magical building of the Vale, she was busy enough setting up the tree houses that they would live in. So she did not notice when another woman started paying more attention than usual to Windshadow.
***
Icewing couldn't help but curl her lip every time she saw Windshadow's young daughter, Starwhisper, was it? Unlike his son, Hawksong, who had Mage- Gift, a bondbird and was a scout, Star was magicless, bondbirdless, and helped the others build stuff. Ok, she was training to be a scout, but that was about all.
No wonder Shai'dha had not wanted to keep her daughter, it was a miracle that anyone allowed her to remain within the Clan!
Yet somehow, Windshadow loved the girl. As did her brother, who had taken it upon himself to teach the god-damned child how to move silently. The bondbirds cared for her too, most of them 'spoke her without their bondmate's knowledge. And other members of the Clan, while they didn't particularly care one way or the other, accepted their bondbirds' decision.
And as for the girl, well, the feeling was mutual there. Neither of them much liked the other, and Icewing had plenty of reasons to leave her presence. When she had no excuse, either she would walk away or Starwhisper would have one.
*If only there was a way,* Icewing thought, *to get her to leave. Windshadow would never permit anything to hurt his daughter, but if she were to leave, matters would take care of themselves. After all, these lands are hardly Cleansed, and if the creatures didn't get her, the bandits from Ma'ar's army would. But there's no way to do that. Yet.*
She decided that somehow, she would find a way to eliminate Starwhisper. Without her, the path to Windshadow would be clear.
***
'I'm never,' Star muttered, 'going to be able to sneak up behind you, are I?'
'Probably not,' Hawk agreed. 'But then again, sister-mine, I don't see the future. Next time, look where you walk.' When Star opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand. 'Look at it this way. I am an intruder. I sit here, unaware that you watch me. But when you step on that dry stick, or in the pile of leaves, I am immediately aware that something is there. Perhaps I will call out, or mayhap I will remain. If there are several of us, we may surround you. So watch where you step, fledgling.'
Star sat down with a groan. 'Can we do something else?' Hawk smiled. 'Weapon practice, walking practice or building? Your choice.'
She glared. 'Don't like to make things easy for me, do you?' He just laughed. 'We're working on rapiers today, kechara. Guard up!'
***
*I loath Icewing. And the feeling's mutual. So why on earth is she around so much? Unless... oh, Lady, tell me she isn't hunting after my father. Living in the same Vale as her is awkward enough, I could *never* share an ekele with her.*
Star spent the rest of the way back to the ekele deciding what she would do if she had to live with that woman.
'Ah, Starwhisper?' came a most umwelcome voice from behind her.
It was Icewing
*She shouldn't smile. She looks like a cat who just ate someones bondbird and knows they won't get in trouble for it.*
***
Leaf: *grinning evily* Because I can do so, and I didn't get three reviews, I'm going to leave you there. Hint hint: click the nice little purple button and tell us if you liked it.
