The realms that night were quivering in anticipation, you could smell it in the air. Ethelred sat in the tree line, the shrubs and undergrowth was more than enough to hide his form, as he had so many times before. He had never managed to sneak this close to the hunt circle, so near, enough to feel the heat from the moot flames. The other figures dancing around the ascending golden embers, with their meaningless vocalizations... something he had not done, nor could he ever hope to, the Get hunt party that we watching, and had seen so many times before. It was to the point to where he could envision every step that each of the pups would make in their ascension right of hunt. Something he had not ever had and part of him hated them for that reason.
"Dreaming Thomas?" the feminine voice shook ethelred out of his dazed complexion. He turned, there she was. A dazzling display of strength and female softness with a voice that could haunt a soul.
"You know it is dangerous for you to meet me here!" his rasping voice straining to be heard over the moot participants.
"Aw my toothless wonder, still having his delusions."
"Delusions you say, nay but minor dreams never to be realized. A path that I could have followed but denied. You my lady know what stopped that chain of events rather well. "
"Yea, yea, snaggle puss, I know, and you also know that you made that choice." her voice was more than just a little condescending.
"YES, and if I had the choice again I would do the same thing over, maybe more subtly but the effect would be the same,"
By this time the young hunters had left their moot flames, and gone on their hunt. Ethelred also knew that the feast would be plentiful tonight, and if the cubs had all passed their rite of passage the matters of meat for the cairn would not be an issue for this winter. The thing is more and more he has noticed that hunger has been licking at the pack heels more oft than not the past seasons. For him to go hungry was one thing, but so see the pack mates going hungry and him not being able to alleviate that pain was another. So he had always chosen to help from the shadows, with only a select few that knew him knowing the truth of the matter. He had few guidelines and others that had crossed those taboo’s had often paid the price.
How many times it had hurt him to think that a friend or a pack mate had provided for the ones he cared for and thus ended up in a world of pain of their own..
"Come on you fuzball," I have a good meal for you, and the coals of their moot fire are of a level that are manageable when they return so no fires will accidentally start in their absence. " Crystals voice had eased his concerns as she had all these years. A feeling he prayed he would never lose, but in his mind he knew that he would never have Bast smile anything more than Cheshire..
He stood, glanced at the fire pit and to make certain that the coals wouldn't pain the cairn.. Brought his thule up to the corner of his eye, scratched just deeply enough to draw a minute amount of blood, flecked the Thule to where the vital would splatter the flame, then turned to follow Crystall Feroughs to his meal and her warm embrace that would soon follow. With that thought crossing his mind, he made a small but granting smile. His thoughts were interrupted when Crystals voice mentioned.
"Isn't it a bit early for the morning dew to be forming?"
All he could reply was;
"Luna's tear will be protecting the cairn."
“Luna’s tear will be protecting the cairn and us.”
The clash of the claves resounded throughout the battle circle. the sparks scattered with each clash of the glaives, the sweat poured from the two combatants. one roughly six foot tall, his dirty blond hair revealed his Arian blood, the mark of the Get prominent on the his right upper arm and two marks of Japanese congi. "PROTECTER" was the significance his forelock braided in the fashion as to remind him of an oath given, all in all the very picture of the elders vision of the proper hero / warrior although more than usual he had the tendency of waxing rag abash.
His opponent was a form whose stature was large match snag in height, but not necessarily enough in breadth. That was equalized by his speed, enough body piercing to rival a porcupine, resembling to a small extent breha kindred of stronger blood.
*)of what is the mark that so many feel, how empty the soul but how full the heart, loves promise seems that so oft stung and the support that hurts like the roses thorny stem, choices and lessons taught and those that are learned, each course of action of the promise given and yanked and thus leaving a shell of the human condition that was once cherished. To speak of the beauty of the souls emergence, and the vigor of rebirth so oft crushed....
