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Brood of a New Age

61.

Bushido did not forbid feeling old but this code of honor, the laws of conduct and philosophy of life that went with it made it quite difficult to hang on to such sentiments. And even though Katana's school of life (having grown up in 17th century Japan in the first half of her life and being a fellow sufferer and sister in arms of her mate in the second half) had uniquely given her the opportunity to practice spiritual asceticism, she found it difficult to maintain this self-control to the point of self-sacrifice from time to time.

She wanted so much to intervene in the problems of her clan, as harshly and impetuously as a gajin! And yet, night after night, she forced herself to hold back.

She loved her adopted Gajin clan, her mate and her son. But they were all so at the mercy of her impulses - an oddity Katana had learned to accept. Even Dante-kun, who had grown up as a human and yet had become a lost one (now in more ways than one, as he roamed alone through their protectorate) despite, or perhaps because of, his "upbringing through suffering," had made her realize that again.

Bushido likewise did not forbid pointing out their faults to others. But such a heavy-handed approach usually didn't help at all. All the sources of Bushido guided the individual towards the understanding of himself and the art of living.

This was the shortest and at the same time the most complex summary.

And this teaching contradicted Katana's own impulses, laboriously kept in check by practice and discipline. As a gargoyle. As a clansfemale. As a ... mother.

It did NOT help a child on the path to finding himself and developing as an individual if a mother hen kept throwing herself in front of him - which she would have liked to do during her mate's outburst a few weeks ago, as well as during Dante's second fight against Coldstone and the "fight" between Grace and Angela.

As for her beloved - Brooklyn was smarter, more loving, more forgiving than that. Otherwise, she would not have tied the knot with him. Since his outburst towards the fledgling, his tendency of inner discord was even more pronounced. Weighed down by self-reproach and renewed self-doubt would have compelled others to intervene. But what was true for a hatchling was equally true for adults. Bushido made no difference and the path of Bushido was a lifelong one and never finished. Therefore, it was not her place to prod her mate and the Second of her clan with crude means of gajin on his dishonorable behavior especially when her beloved showed so clearly that he knew he was behaving wrongly - even if for good reasons.

Brooklyn was currently struggling with Gi - righteousness - his morally impeccable actions towards his own son were, are and would be clouded by his fears for a long time to come. Also in regard to fears Bushido commanded that the affected person came to self-knowledge and independent improvement of his actions. She could be an advisor, throw a spotlight on this and that ... but no more. As much as it pained her.

Her son lacked makoto and chugi. Chugi - loyalty - the virtue that puts the welfare of the group or community above the individual. This lack was solely an expression of his youth and immaturity and would inevitably build up over the years (through good but unfortunately also bad life experiences). And here, too, it hurt her not to be allowed/able to pull him close and let him cry and kick and complain as a human mother, a gajin, a bushido ignorant, perhaps a rookery keeper would have done. He had to recognize his own transgressions.

With Dante, it had been easier for her. He was ... although he was older than Nashville somehow an easy case. Because he just had issues EVERYWHERE.

Dante-kun pretty much lacked all virtues in some way.

As strange as it sounded, her adoptive clan had chronic problems with Gi - the righteous attitude and sincerity, i.e. the ability to make the right, especially ethically correct, decision in any situation. She did not reproach anyone for this (Katana generally tried to avoid reproaches.) It was made impossible for her too to live according to it if one prevented crimes night after night, without legal basis and without acceptance of the humankind.

Dante had courage, but Yu included the correct assessment of a situation to then act accordingly.

The Japanese warrior did not doubt that everyone was capable of Yin. And Dante could also feel kindness and love, but it would be easier for him if he could see the beauty of the world around him. Engaging in other forms of art could help him break through the walls he had built around himself. Just as Goliath's soul came to rest when reading, Broadway's when cooking, her own in her tea ceremonies or her meditation exercises. Something ... that could make Dante's own soul resonate again would help him with Rei as well - humility, courtesy, decency, respect.

Makoto - truth and truthfulness were lacking in all three Italians.

Maiyo - honor - the privileges, rights, but also duties of a warrior were so far away from Dante-kun that one would not even be able to explain the concept to him.

And with Chugi, again all three Italians had problems as if Dante, Grace AND Luca were no older than Nash.

Of course, Katana was aware of her own faults or what others perceived as faults. Her maternal heart that was so at odds with the traditional gargoyle and bushido values of her birth clan. Her maternal heart that was about to urge her to do something that was a little closer to dishonorable than she liked.

But alas, she would have to bend her Bushido principles tonight, now that Dante was gone and she would not be able to overlook Nashville's behavior much longer. She had let it go as long as she could because she knew a young gargoyle had to stretch his wings. Nashville, too, although young, was already a warrior. Moreover, someone who knew that sometimes it was better to flee or hide than to seek a fight doomed to failure - a rare gift for a member of their species. Still - she needed to clarify her future course of action with someone. Her mate was not ideal for this - he was too quickly triggered by his fear for the boy. Thus, Katana sought out the two gargoyles, who she knew were themselves unsure of their behavior regarding Nashville and Brooklyn.


"Ohayou Leader. Mentor."

Hudson and Goliath wandered the ramparts of the castle's outermost courtyard, discussing the next nights' routes for patrols (which were, in truth, simultaneous searches for Dante and searches for signs of his possible infamies, respectively).

Both gargoyles turned as Katana approached, with deliberate steps that matched their slow, thoughtfully leveled pace.

"Hello, las."

"Ohayou, Katana-san," Goliath replied, and Katana smiled at how droll his well-intentioned attempt was to accommodate her with his Japanese.

"Goliath," the ice-blue warrior said, now dropping the formal form of address. This clan was family.

"Goliath. Hudson. I have some thoughts I would like to discuss with you."

The two Gargoyles - one older, one younger than her - looked at each other briefly. Wordless discussions as was more common among closest clan members or mates. Then they both looked at her with smiles.

"We're glad you're approaching us."

Katana smiled as well.

"I knew we had similar concerns going on."

"It's probably less about Dante."

"Right. He'll come back when he sees fit. His current challenges, whatever they may be, are necessary to his path to inner peace."

"Brooklyn, then. He still couldn't bring himself to apologize to Nashville?"

"He ... I guess so."

Katana puffed out what almost sounded like a sigh. She had guessed that Goliath and Hudson had just been waiting for her or Brooklyn to seek advice from them. They were unfamiliar with the way Nashville had been raised during time travel. They had heard all the stories. But that wasn't the same as understanding it. Human family ties. More than human, in fact. Not together with dozens of other Gargoyle hatchlings like Angela on Avalon. Too often just the three of them. A mother-father-child ensemble though that had been a burden on all of them.

Not that Katana and Brooklyn didn't love Nashville. But gargoyle hatchlings belonged in a clan. In a rookery, where they could learn from rookery keepers and other hatchlings, which made bodies and psyches strong. It was unnatural and forced to maintain such an obsessively close relationship, and it had only worked halfway because Brooklyn (all three of them) had always had one goal in mind. Finish the current mission, stay together, start a new mission. To eventually get to Brooklyn's time (or back in Katanas, to Japan. Brooklyn would have been content with that, too, during the more unstable phases of his long-term adventure). Forty Years.

And now that that goal had been achieved, they had a home, it wasn't just the time travelers who were confused about how to align their relationships in a stable clan and with each other. No! The other Gargoyles, including the mighty Goliath, including the wise Hudson were also completely insecure as to how, how much and if at all they were allowed, should, could interfere in Brooklyn's and Katana's parenting. Such a unique twisted situation could throw even seasoned gargoyles completely out of their normal behavior patterns. That was the only explanation why neither Goliath nor Hudson had dared to point out Brooklyn's harsh behavior - which would have been their right as leader and mentor. Katana had an outwardly often cool and passive seeming ability to quietly absorb situations and process them there. And now she knew that Goliath and Hudson had not only been waiting for Katana to talk to them (since Brooklyn would have been even more unlikely to approach them), but that they were waiting for authorization to intervene. A go-ahead from the mate AND from the mother of the clan members involved.

"Should we talk to Brooklyn?" asked Hudson almost urgently, confirming Katana's assessment. She shook her head as she strolled along beside them as if they were taking a walk in the park. The subject wasn't necessarily vain moonshine - but getting some exercise in the fresh air did her body and mind good.

"Reprimand from the outside will certainly be met with understanding but will be another humiliation that could keep Brooklyn from doing what he needs to do. He needs to jump over his shadow himself and find his own words to reconcile with Nashville. My need for conversation is focused more on Nashville. Have you noticed that he's showered every other night when we get off patrol?"

Again, the two male gargoyles looked at each other. No gargoyle showered as much as a human - even Katana only when she got dirty at the beginning of a long night and felt like taking a shower. It just wasn't necessary. With the blasting of their skin the next night, any dirt, sweat, and body odor were blown away.

"He's uhhhm a young gargoyle man...maybe he just feels like it," Goliath speculated with slightly reddened ears and Katana suppressed a smirk because she too was aware of what his particular conversation with Nashville had been about. But because she just knew what she knew, she didn't think the fledgling was engaging in exploration of his body. Even before they had found Grace and Dante, she had noticed the scent of soap on the boy. Always after their patrols. What would have pleased a human mother beyond words was only the more suspicious in a Gargoyle child.

But it wasn't just that. She had noticed in the storeroom that the tubes of environmentally, and skin friendly, gray body paint she used to paint over the uncovered areas on her body were getting less. She wouldn't have noticed for weeks if Burnett hadn't asked her to take an inventory of the clan's non-food stockpiles (for some reason she had a feeling he'd done it on purpose but she could never be too sure about that with the stiff human with a tricky fey slumbering inside). She didn't want to believe that Nashville had been sneaking out of the castle for weeks already - but besides her, only he used paint to slip into his camouflage mode.

She didn't want to believe it. As his clan elder, as his mother. Lying to her - lying to the whole clan - that was so dishonorable and alone that she would soon have to approach him to discuss his behavior and correct it - sternly yet calmly (something her lover was hardly capable of when it came to Nashville) - would cause the child as much pain as it did her. She had hoped one of the other gargoyles in charge would have noticed something about Nashville's behavior and she would not face this burden alone - but both Hudsons and Goliath paused in their steps as she stated this simple fact.

"Nashville has been leaving the castle regularly for weeks," she said as hastily as one would rip off a Band-Aid.

"What?," said Goliath, the boyish mild expression gone. Then right after that his mighty wings unfurling and louder:

"He's doing what?!"

Before the leader of her clan could fully display his sometimes quick-tempered nature - and, in the worst case, storm off to do whatever - Katana laid a flat hand on his chest and looked at him seriously. She felt his massive chest vibrate under his growl and saw that his eyes showed a hint of glow. But she did NOT need another Brooklyn in this regard.

"I'm not looking for anyone to go to battle on this issue, Goliath-sama. I'm not looking for a referee, and if I'm honest, not even a clan leader," she clarified. "Right now, he's probably gone. I've searched the entire castle, even Alexander's nursery."

"We'll find him, my child."

"Thank you, Hudson. But he knows our patrol routes. And even if we deviate from them, he'll be vigilant enough to keep an eye out for one of us in flight. Our fledgling is not yet the best fighter in the clan. But his skills in camouflage and deception (at the word deception, the corner of Katana's mouth twitched in a way that belied her feelings) are unsurpassed."

"Then what can we help you with, Las?" asked Hudson intelligently, where Goliath turned away from them and rested his hands on one of the battlements. You would have thought he was looking out over the expanse of the city, but Katana heard his claws digging deep furrows in the granite as he puffed and tried to swallow his anger and perhaps his failure as clan leader at this breach of trust by such a vulnerable clan member.

Katana spoke to Hudson, hoping her clan leader would be receptive at the same time. "The future children of the clan, including Egwardo in the rookery, will hopefully be able to grow up to be assured of the love and wisdom of all the elders, in all their various qualities. But Nashville is fixated on me as a mother and Brooklyn as a father. He has respect and affection for each of you and no doubt considers you, Goliath, his clan leader and you, Hudson, a respected elder. But some matters a child must settle in private with his parents, and I am aware how alienating these human terms may sound. But I can't count on Brooklyn's calm, rational side in this case, even if I am dishonored to admit it. I'll work things out with Nashville when he gets back."

"What could be the reason for the laddie to violate his duty to clan, clutch and castle, and to ignore the orders of the leader and second? Could it be because of Grace? Is he withdrawing because ... he needs that distance physically? To relieve himself of his urges?" asked Hudson, and the hundred-and-twenty-year-old gargoyle, who had already experienced many breeding seasons and had seen just as many fledglings mature into young adults, showed not a trace of discomfort at the subject.

"I considered and dismissed that possibility. He doesn't smell like that change in his pheromones. His body is not ready for it."

"Or ... maybe he's looking for Dante?"

When Katana tried to deny that too, Goliath let out a snort like a 700 pound bull. He didn't look at her as he spoke but even from the side Katana saw how stiff his posture was - claws still buried in the stone - and how hardened his already angular chin appeared as he struggled with so much intertwining emotions.

"We neglected our duties to him. We all knew how unhappy he was with the situation but we made him feel like he couldn't talk to us about it, which is why he sought the danger of the city instead of relying on his clan," he rumbled - probably most annoyed and disappointed in himself. Katana practiced becoming more approachable and relaxed, doing what would have been an absolute impertinence in her birth clan. She stroked her clan leader's forearm motherly.

"Only rotten wood cannot be carved, Goliath."

He looked up, alert and curious at the quote. "Confucius?"

"That's right. Now, instead of reproaching ourselves, it is important to nurture the young sapling without further restricting the growth of its wood and without attracting lightning strikes."

Keeping up this comparison elicited chuckling sounds from Hudson and Goliath before Katana continued.

"All of us - even me and Brooklyn - are in a state of limbo. Full of uncertainties about our relationship with each other and especially our duties towards a fledging who has one foot in the world of traditional clan education and the other in the world of humans and how they treat their brood. It is not a failure to observe things in order to adequately assess them. It is only a failure not to correct the conditions before they put unwary clan members in harm's way. I will seek conversation with Nashville - but first I need Hudson's calm assessment as a mentor and your assessment."

Goliath looked at her, calm again, the hint of a tired smile at the corner of his mouth, he placed his hand on hers, which still rested on his arm.

"In what can my contribution consist, if you do not need the guidance of a leader in this matter, Katana-san."

"In your assessment of the situation as a father."

Goliath seemed momentarily perplexed by her demand. A questioning wrinkle of worry parted his brow arch.

"Angela came to my knowledge when she was already pretty much full grown."

"Yes, that is correct. But she grew up around humans and demanded a human father role from you. That does come a little close to the situation with Nashville. You have experience with that balancing act, which I would appreciate if you would share it with me. I think ... it's time we - as the Gajins say - put our heads together to give Nashville the best of both worlds."

She was smiling now, as were Hudson and Goliath.


61 chapters until Katana takes action - although I explained exactly why she was so reticent. Many thanks at this point to Allegratree, who made me aware of this lack of involvement and motherliness towards Nashville. Without them, this chapter would not exist - and yes, I know it has the ring of Bushido Basics 101 to it.

You are welcome.

P.S. Katana often speaks of Gajins, which is a rather derogatory term for non-Japanese and can be equated with barbarians - but she means it absolutely affectionately. - Just like I call my nephews and nieces little monsters ^^.

Thanks for reading, Q.T.