NOTE: This is more about an OC than Ranger's Apprentice. However, I don't own any of the characters or places from the book series.
"I Lived" by One Republic.
More memories! Another look into the relationships among the deities of this world. Hope you all enjoy it.
Review and Enjoy!
The lights were bright. People laughed loudly as the music shook the air. Night held sway here. Fireflies ruled the forests around the clearing. A massive fire crackled in the center of a ring of people. Children laughed as they played around the tables. Men teased and joked with one another. Women gossiped and shared news. This was a night of joy. This was a time to celebrate.
But it was hard to ignore the dark figures hiding in the trees.
A little girl in a light blue dress watched the other children from a table across the clearing. Every time she approached, they cry out and scatter. She didn't understand. They used to be friends. They had all suffered under the same family for years. Why were they acting this way? Why wouldn't they play with her? There was nothing to be afraid of. Her hazel eyes wandered over to the trees. Only by looking closely could one see the figures leaning against the tree trunks. One shifted, his armor barely catching the firelight. A worm of doubt began to grow in her stomach.
Was it because of them?
That's when a hand tapped her right shoulder. Turning around, she faced a young boy. His brown eyes shined brightly. A shy smile slowly spread across his face. His carefully polished black boots scuffed the dirt at his feet. Brown hair with streaks of blond appeared to be hurriedly combed to the left. A smile touched the little girl's lips. He seemed friendly enough. She estimated he was about seven years old. That would be one year older than herself. He was certainly handsome in the tan suit and off-white pants. A dark purple carnation was pinned to the left shoulder above his heart. The boy finally cleared his throat and indicated to the dancing group.
His voice was high-pitched with nervousness, "Would you…" He quickly paused to clear his throat. Then he continued, voice more normal, "Would you care to dance?"
The little girl felt herself blush. This was the first boy that had ever asked her that question. Looking into his honest, gentle face, the girl felt hope rise in her chest. Maybe he was willing to look past the change. Quietly she nodded, stepping closer. That shy smile on the boy's face grew as he hastily backed off. Then he turned and held out his arm. Giggling, the girl looped her arm around his. They headed for the open space where the other dancers. Soon they were laughing gleefully as they spun in circles. They didn't care if they were dancing correctly. Neither noticed the hostile looks they were getting from the adults. It was fun. Their partner was making the boring evening enjoyable.
One of the musicians strummed an upbeat chord. Both kids paused in their own dance to listen, smiles still on their faces. The other musicians took up the cue. Both kids exchanged a glance. Like everyone, they knew this dance by heart. It was almost customary for kids to learn this dance. When they became older, children would perform this dance with those they hoped to marry. The two raced to join the other children as they flooded the open space. Those closest to them pulled away slightly to either side. No one wanted to risk brushing one of them. The song picked up tempo and the children started their dances. The girls lined up on one side with the boys opposite them. The boys stopped facing the girls, left foot stretched and pointed forward while the right foot was planted directly underneath and pointed right. Both hands rested on their hips. The girls started a complicated series of foot maneuvers, spinning in a dizzying circle. Their hands held up their long dresses of various colors. Each girl would later develop a unique, specialized display as they prepared for their marriage dance. For now, they simply held the dresses off the ground. In a dazzling display of flexibility and beauty, they twirled towards the boy line. Then a drum beat rang out. The girls stopped in the mirror position of the boys. Now it was the men who started performing the trained moves with precision. Their section of the dance was more drum related and faster paced than the girls' portion. That was simply how it was done in this culture. Hands clapped as they kept up with the tempo. With a strum of guitar, the two lines merged into pairs. Hands clasped together and feet moved in perfect harmony. Laughter rang out as the children enjoyed the dance. Halfway through the dance is when the older children stepped into the open space to try their luck at dancing with their chosen partner. The younger children pulled away to the outskirts to continue their practice.
Near the end of the dance, the boy's foot got caught on a root. He barely managed to push the girl out of his path before his fell. Dirt flew as he landed on his face. The little girl covered her mouth, both out of concern and trying to hide her amused smile. Shaking his head, the boy picked himself up. Embarrassment made his features red. The girl realized that he was embarrassed because of the mistake he had made. With shy giggle, she stepped closer and gently brushed some of the dirt from his shoulders. Being slightly taller than her didn't really help but it made her point. He smiled at her. She smiled back. Then she noticed his carnation had been knocked out of the suit pocket. Quickly she picked it up and put it back in its spot. Both laughed as it mournfully drooped downward.
The boy looked her in the eye and said softly, "I didn't think tonight was going to be any fun but my parents dragged me here anyway. Now…now I'm glad I came."
"I'm glad my father let me come. What's your name?" the girl replied shyly, struggling not to blush.
Those thin shoulders straightened a little before he bowed at the waist, "Thomas Wessel. And you, fine miss?"
"Delilah, my good sir," she replied with curtesy.
Both laughed at the other's level of formality. That's when they realized there were others close to them. Several of the armored guards approached from behind Delilah. A man and a woman came to their son's side. Delilah looked up at them with wide eyes. Thomas was watching her guards with sheer terror. His father laid a calming hand on his son's shoulder. Dark brown eyes darted over the goddess's guards. Then he looked down at the goddess. Delilah stared up into his hard features. The long, shaggy brown hair and beard made him look even more terrifying. That's when a smile broke on his features, lighting up his visage completely. Delilah's eyes darted over to the woman. Her light brown hair was mimicked by her son's perfectly. Green eyes were studying her son and the young goddess with a motherly love unlike any other. She, too, gave the goddess a warm smile. That made Delilah relax and smile back. These people were friendly. These people saw her for who she was: a little girl that wanted friends.
A younger Danforth laid his hand on Delilah's left shoulder as he spoke, "My lady, it's time to go home. Say goodbye."
"Bye, Thomas," Delilah said softly as she was pulled away.
Thomas held up an open hand and called after her, "Bye."
Delilah groaned as sunlight suddenly streamed onto her closed eyes. Slowly she opened them to look around. Her father's gloved fingers touched her left cheek. She shifted her shoulders as she tried to stretch. Everything below the bite mark remained frozen in place. Maluk shifted his grip on her, allowing her to sit up. Both of her hands seized ahold of the saddle pommel. Her head titled as the birds sang their songs. A warm breeze rushed past them. The black horse snorted beneath them and pointed its nose right. Both father and daughter looked in that direction. The first thing they spotted were the two massive black panthers. Then Verdon and Tawhy came riding through the trees. Both men held up their right arms in salute. Tawhy gave them a beautiful smile. Delilah dipped her head to them. She was a goddess but they were still above her in rank. Better to show respect at first then become informal later.
"Maluk, Delilah, it's so good to see you both again!" Tawhy laughed as the two groups drew closer.
Maluk smiled at them, "Verdon. Tawhy. Ready for ceremony?"
"Of course! Been waiting for this week since it ended last year," Verdon replied. Then he looked at Delilah, "How are you feeling, Delilah?"
"Better, thanks to you, Verdon," she replied, lowering her gaze in respect to the god of healing.
"Oh drop the formality, Delilah! This is the one week we all come together to enjoy life and celebrate as one big family. Formality has no place here," Tawhy said, her warm hand raising Delilah's face.
Maluk smiled at his daughter and friends, "Well, let's not keep the others waiting. You know how much Sadver wants to get this celebration underway."
He spurred his horse into a brisk trot. Verdon and Tawhy did the same. Both panthers instantly broke into a run so they could stay ahead of the group. Neither wanted anything to happen to their mistress. Neither would let any harm come to the other rulers. Delilah leaned back into her father's chest. He gently wrapped an arm her waist. His breath blew several strands of hair into her face. His lips pressed into her head. A smile didn't touch her face. The pain in her heart refused to allow a smile. She wasn't going to hide her misery anymore.
Both hazel eyes closed as she sighed.
A celebration of life and love…
And her father killed the only man she ever loved besides him.
Delilah smiled with joy as she spotted Thomas walking in the forest. Her eyes glanced behind her. Maluk was deep in his conversation with Garret, the current captain of the guard. Neither one was paying her any heed. Her smile grew bigger. Maybe this was her chance to make a true friend since the adoption. Quickly she bounded towards the young boy. She had to catch him before he disappeared. Who knew when she would see him again?
"Thomas!" she cried joyfully as she neared him.
The young boy stopped and turned to face her. A worried frown was on his face. His feet were planted firm, ready to spring him into a run if needed. Then he saw her incoming. A smile lit up his face. The young goddess leaped through the bushes. Then a root caught her foot. With a small yelp, she stumbled forward.
Stumbled straight into him.
Both went down in a heap. Their eyes met for the briefest moment. Then they broke out laughing their heads off. This reminded them of the festival night when Thomas had tripped. It was the perfect way to greet each other. Trip over own two feet. Thomas rose to his feet and helped the goddess up. Delilah gave him a slight push in the shoulder before skipping a few feet away. Thomas tilted his head at her. He was confused. Delilah gave a small chuckle then hopped closer and pushed him again. Instantly she pulled away. Then she began to frown. Why wasn't he playing? Was something wrong? Was he not allowed to play with her anymore?
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
He raised a bushy eyebrow at her, "Wrong? Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out what you're doing."
"Playing tag. I tagged you by pushing your shoulder. Now it's your turn to try and tag me. When you tag me then I have to get you back. Didn't you play this with the other kids before?" Delilah explained, stepping closer, a confused smile on her face.
Thomas looked away from her gaze, "The town kids don't like me very much. My family's too weird for them."
"Your family seems normal to me. What makes you different?" she asked gently.
The young boy gave an uncomfortable shrug, "Father doesn't like living around too many people. We live not far from here in a cabin. I only see the other kids when Father takes me into town for supplies. I've tried to be friendly but they say mean things. Call me a "hermit brat" or "forest creep". I don't know what's wrong with living in the forest rather than in town."
"People can be idiots sometimes," the goddess laughed. She gave him a playful punch in the arm before growling teasingly, "But I bet you can't catch me."
Thomas raised an eyebrow again, this time a smile touching his lips, "Is that a challenge?"
"Yes," Delilah replied.
She yelped as Thomas suddenly lunged at her. Easily she skipped to the left. Soon they were racing around the trees as Thomas tried to catch her. Soon he darted around a trunk but immediately darted back. His hand reached out and tapped her arm as Delilah tried to escape. The little girl laughed. She was it. Her turn to catch him. And so their game went. Neither realized how far from the clearing they were getting. They were just having fun with a friend.
Thomas soon realized that Delilah was going to catch him. Quickly he climbed up a tree. Delilah growled playfully before climbing after him. The tree was leaning over a shallow creek. The young goddess reached out a grabbed his foot. Both laughed. That's when a robin flew close to them and hovered for a second. Then it flew higher into the tree to its nest. Silently both kids climbed higher and peered into the small nest. Three hatchlings squeaked for their mother, mouths open for food. Their mother attentively cared for each one of them, ensuring each got enough food to last until she came back again with more. Delilah pulled away from the nest so she wouldn't disturb the chicks. Thomas followed right behind her. The little girl crouched on a thick branch overhanging the creek and looked up at her new friend. Thomas easily stretched out on the branch above her, right cheek resting on his hands, legs gripping the branch for support. Both were still breathing hard from their game. Still, they were happy. They finally found someone who saw them as a person, not an extension of someone else.
"So you live near here?" Delilah asked, sitting on her branch and letting her feet dangle freely.
The seven year old boy nodded, "Yeah. If you take the main road out of town for two miles then turn left on a small road, we are roughly a mile down."
"I bet it's peaceful."
"It's quiet. After going into town and dealing with a bustling people, it's perfect. I understand why Father doesn't want to live in town. Too noisy. Too busy. It's just boring at home sometimes because the only ones that will play with me are my family's dogs."
"What kind of dogs are they?"
"Shepherds. Their siblings from the same litter so their all black and white. Rickie, the oldest, has two brown spots above his eyes. Lilac, the only girl and the youngest, has four white paws. Samuel has pure white belly though you wouldn't know it because he loves to sleep in mud puddles."
(Laughter) "What's your parents' names?"
"Father is William and Mother is Claire. Maluk is your father, isn't he?"
"Yeah. He's not my real dad. I used to be an orphan from town. They gave me to a farm family where I was supposed to help." Delilah looked down at her feet, "They weren't the nicest people but at least it was a home. I had a guaranteed supply of food and there was a roof over my head when the rains came. Some kids aren't so lucky."
"Father told me about the farm. Told me to never go there because the man was cruel and mean. I got too curious for my own good one day and went down there to watch. The man and his workers treated kids worse than dirt. How did you stand it?"
"Had nowhere else to go. Also, the town made it clear that they would simply return any runaways if they were caught in town again. It was the farm or try to survive in the forest. I chose the farm."
Maluk's voice suddenly called out, "Delilah! Where are you?"
Both kids turned to the woods. The god was stepping through the thick bushes with three guard dogs. The massive brown animals strained against their leashes as they smelled the ground. They could smell their mistress. They could smell the second person. Animal minds, trained to protect, were declaring threat. Now they could smell that both were nearby. Razor sharp teeth bared as they drew closer to the tree. Delilah noticed the fear in Thomas's eyes as those dogs drew closer. She gave him a comforting smile before climbing towards her father.
"Right here, dad," she called out as she poked her head over a clump of leaves.
Her father let out a long sigh of relief. "Delilah," he said after a pause, "don't ever run off like that again. You could've gotten hurt or lost."
"I would've been fine. Thomas wouldn't let me get lost," the little girl replied with a smile. She turned to look behind her as she talked about her new friend.
Maluk's eyes narrowed in confusion. That's when Thomas slid down part of the trunk. His feet caught a branch several feet above the ground. His brown eyes were warily watching the god and the massive hounds. The dogs, seeing the owner of the new scent, starting growling ferociously. That only made Thomas all the more reluctant to climb down from the tree. Delilah, meanwhile, had dropped to the ground and approached her father. Maluk gently laid his free hand on her head. He could see that his daughter was unharmed and safe. With a sigh, he flicked his wrist, ordering the dogs to be silent. They obeyed, sitting down to show they weren't going to attack. That's when Maluk signaled for Thomas to approach. The young boy did so warily.
Maluk spoke gently, though his tone expressed his concern, "And how do you two know each other?"
"I met Thomas at the Spring Festival," Delilah piped up instantly. "Remember the friendly boy I was telling you about. Turns out he lives not far from here. Isn't that cool, dad?"
Her father's eyes darted between them. He did remember Delilah describing the festival to him. Anger about her treatment had clouded his memory so he'd forgotten about the boy she hung out with. So this was him. He could see that these two had been having fun. He could see the friendship that had taken root.
Finally he sighed, "Indeed. Though next time, stay closer to me just in case something happens."
As he led the two back to the clearing, he could hear them talking and laughing. He sighed. His daughter's happiness was important to him. Thomas was a friend. The boy was respectful and polite. The god of fire and war shook his head.
What could come from a simple friendship?
Laughter filled the massive room. Golden glasses clinked together as the gods and goddesses toasted to another good year. Gallus had brought the best tasting wine from her finest grape vines. Ringus and Wasdo had decorated their magnificent castle for the special occasion. Hyorn forged life-sized replica statues of each of the gods and goddesses. Ghyrmear kept the sky a slight overcast to keep the weather absolutely perfect. Meri and Savder came together to weave the finest clothing for everyone to wear. This was a time of joy.
This was the anniversary of the Founding.
Delilah watched with narrowed eyes as Maluk twirled his sister around in a circle. Gallus laughed joyously. Her hazel eyes darted over Meri as the goddess told a joke to Rezug, who simply smiled. Collin was talking with the brothers, Bvalt and Hyorn. Tawhy was leaning into Verdon with a dreamy look in her eye. Her husband finally got the point and wrapped an arm around her waist. He leaned in and whispered something into her ear. Tawhy smiled, eyes closing with pleasure. Delilah shifted slightly. She knew what they were going to be doing tonight. Ghyrmear walked past her as he headed towards Savder. The god of storms had been interested in the goddess of beauty and family for many years now. Delilah wished him luck. For the patroness of family, Savder hated the concept of marriage. She hated kids even more.
A cool, gruff voice entered her ears, "Enjoying yourself, Delilah?"
"Not as much as usual, sir," she replied, turning left to face the king of the gods.
Ringus set down a chair next to her and lowered himself into it. He smiled at her, "Drop the formality, young one. I know you respect me and my position. You are one of us, no longer human that needs to kneel at our feet." He pointed a finger at her, "Remember that."
"Of course," Delilah murmured. Her eyes darted back to her father and aunt as Gallus laughed. "Figured it's polite and proper."
The king of the gods took a sip of his wine, "Your father raised you well but the two of you stand on ceremony far too much sometimes." His left hand took the glass before the right hand reached over and rested against Delilah's back. "I do hope you enjoy this celebration despite recent events. Soon it'll all be over. One day things will right again."
"Will it?" Delilah asked, looking at him. "Will things be right again after everything that has happened? I'm afraid that this war is changing everything, whether we want it to or not. Can things ever return to normal after something as dark as war?"
Ringus drew her chair closer to him so he could wrap his right arm around her, "Everything changes with time. There is no normal in life. As long as we stay together then life will move on after this war. We'll survive and continue to remember the blessing that is our big family." He gave her a comforting squeeze for a brief second, "Life will move on and so will we. Don't fret about the future, young one. Nothing you do will change it. Remember that."
"I'll remember, Ringus," the young goddess replied, feeling the words scratch at her throat. Her eyes went to her father and aunt, who had now been joined by Verdon, Tawhy, Ghyrmear, and Savder. "They're certainly having fun."
The god of earth chuckled. He put down his glass of wine and said, "Why don't we join them?"
Delilah frowned at him, not understanding. With ease, the god picked her up and carried her towards the open floor. Maluk looked at them as they approached. A brief flicker of worry could be seen in his eyes. Then he understood what Ringus was doing, causing a smile to touch his lips. Gingerly the man let Delilah's legs drop towards the floor. His right arm maintained a steady grip on her waist. A little frightened of what was going to happen, Delilah gripped his shirt tightly. The god's left arm wrapped around her shoulders as his feet slipped under her's. Calmly, gently, he began to move with a slow rhythm. Maluk and Gallus easily matched the pace. Tawhy and Verdon pulled aside to watch with smiles on their faces. Ghyrmear and Savder ignored the others. Soon a smile appeared on Delilah's lips. This was certainly more enjoyable than sitting in her chair.
Ringus lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Your father did what he thought was best. Don't judge him too hard. Remember that everything we do has a purpose…
And I have a much bigger plan for you."
Dun, Dun, Dunnn!
I don't know if I should show more the Founding Celebration. I have notes about it but I'm not sure. Let me know what you guys think!
And Ringus's plan will have far reaching consequences.
List of gods/goddesses:
Ringus (Ring-us): god of earth; elected king of the gods and Wasdo's husband
Wasdo (Wash-dew): goddess of air and wind; queen of gods by marriage and Ringus' wife.
Collin (Coal-lin like tin): god of justice and retribution
Ghyrmear (Hi-rye-mere): god of storms, thunder, and lightning.
Maluk (Mal-luke): god of fire and war; brother of Gallus.
Gallus (Fall-us): goddess of plants and harvests; sister of Maluk.
Verdon (Fir-don): god of healing, husband of Tawhy.
Tawhy (Thao-hi): goddess of animals; wife of Verdon.
Rezug (Rees-ga): goddess of all liquids but primary water.
Bvalt (Ba-vault): god of day and night; brother of Hyorn.
Hyorn (Hi-urn): god of craftsmanship/building; brother of Bvalt.
Meri (Meer-ee): goddess of love, kindness, and mercy.
Sadver (Saw-fir): goddess of beauty and family.