|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:42 am
 The crane wouldn’t allow him to get any closer. It had fled into the shallow pond, where it stood with its head hanging low, one wing tucked close and the other hanging awkwardly at its side. The white feathers were stained red and Nose-in-the-air was certain he could see bone and flesh whenever the crane shifted position. It wouldn’t survive. That much was obvious. Even if Nose had been able to win its trust, there was nothing to be done. But Nose couldn’t leave. He watched it, a terrible sadness weighing on his heart. It was his fault this had happened. He had stood there, unable to act as No Mercy had fallen upon his victim. Scared of his own son and incapable of stopping the carnage, Nose had merely watched from the shadows as the crane had broken free and made its escape. An enraged No Mercy had taken after it but had eventually given up. Nose hadn’t. He had found the crane, and now he waited, watching each one of its agonised movements and wishing he had been strong enough to stop this from ever happening.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:42 am
The smell of blood hung in the air. Last Night considered blood a necessary tragedy, something to be thankful for, to accept and to hold, to consider, but never to mourn. And so she followed the scent of blood, movements quiet and serene until she came upon a buck staring with agonized eyes at a crane standing in a pool. It was obviously injured beyond repair, flew, bone, and feathers all one image.
Eve let out a soft sigh and watched the pair, saw the buck's guilt and felt sorry, not for the crane, but for the buck.
She stood still for several long moments, weighing the buck and his sorrow before coming forward, slow, as to not surprise the buck in anyway. She looked up at him, her gaze soft, before gently nudging his cheek with her nose, turning his eyes away. "Do not despair for this is the way of life, from swamp to swamp, blood to blood, we will all return to the MotherFather one day."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:28 pm
Nose flinched visibly when the doe touched him. But her approach had been calm and non-threatening enough that he fought off his instinctive urge to step away from it. He turned his head to her, pale eyes solemn. How was he supposed to explain how unfair this death would be? That he was indirectly responsible for the crane’s fortune. If he had been a better father… "That’s all well and good," he murmured, gaze going back to the crane, "but it isn't natural to attack and kill merely for the fun of it. This bird should not be suffering now and so I will despair."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:25 pm
She pulled away at his flinch for she was not in the nature of creating pain, but she persisted and pale eyes met pale eyes as she caught his gaze. She did not speak as she took in his solemn gaze, the weight of responsibility heavy and sad. It was not the guilt of a failed hunt, that much was clear.
When he looked back to the crane, Eve did not try and turn his head again because clearly her touch was not welcome. Instead she followed his gaze and though she regretted the bird's crane, she could not muster any sorrow. Then he spoke, and she listened, carefully considering his words before answering, voice quiet but strong, "Perhaps not, or perhaps it is the MotherFather's reminder to those of us that don't kill for sport that the Swamp, in all its rich goodness, is still a strange, harsh world that we cannot always understand, one that may not always welcome us."Ruriska I am abusing commas so badly right now...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 5:00 am
"That’s hardly something the MotherFather needs to remind me about." Nose replied bitterly, but he lifted one hoof off the ground anyway, as if contemplating leaving his vigil. The crane was watching them, in too much pain to be truly worried by their presence. Nose met its gaze and his body tensed. There was something in its eyes. Pain, yes. But also acceptance and Nose realised, that if he were in the same position, he would prefer to spend his final moments alone. The buck tore he gaze away, looking back at the doe beside him; blinking slowly, as if seeing her for the first time. "My own son did this." He admitted. Amorpheous You're not the only one. xD
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2013 9:15 pm
This buck had been reminded too often, and there it burned, the reminder a bitterness so deep not even a caiman could suck it out of his marrow. She was silent though, eyes calm, stance relaxed. She did not need the reminder, but it did not bother her, not in the way it bothered the buck. To her, it seemed the way of the swamp to give and take, sometimes with cruelty and sometimes with mercy. She tended towards mercy, not because she was incapable of cruelty, all creatures were, and not because of any desire for goodness, but simply because in the end, she believed that mercy was inherent in all things.
The last night of suffering before death.
Standing on the eve of upheaval, able to cling to the vestiges of stability for one last night
Finally closing your eyes and greeting peace with an open heart.
The trampled plant returning to the swamp, the bones fading away to create new ground, a foal too weak for this world having its breath gently sucked away.
She blinked and for a moment, when he had turned away and truly looked at her, she considered giving the crane its final mercy, but determined that it would be little mercy to the buck standing next to her. What might seem an act of kindness to her might be an act of cold-hearted killing to him, especially for a bird that understood and accepted its fate calmly in the water. So instead, she started walking away to lead him from his sorrow, and when he revealed his great guilt, she merely said, gently imploring him to follow, "Walk with me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:03 am
He hesitated, but there was nothing left for him to do here. The crane should be left to finish its life without his pitying gaze and this doe seemed kind enough. She didn’t invoke in him the usual fearful reaction and it had been such a long time since he had been comfortable in anyone’s presence. Nose followed. He didn’t say a word; just let her lead him away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:18 am
They walked on, not quite touching, but close enough for Last Night's keen ears to pick up the sound of the buck's breathing. It was a quiet sound and those were the sounds that she always heard, like snow falling on a wintermuted swamp. She led a winding path between the mangrove trees, going over roots and under low hanging branches letting the warm, damp scent of the swamp smooth away the heavy, cold tang of blood that had infused the air by the crane.
She didn't speak, it was unnecessary in this type of silence. The buck with his guilt and fear, his discomfit, didn't need her voice pulling against his consciousness. That much she knew and so she simply walked on, leaving him to his thoughts, willing to give him that as they traveled. Away and away from the crane that stood dying, away from a spot that she would not return to, at least not until the swamp had already long pulled the crane back to its origins.
Perhaps she would speak first, to break the silence when she finds a suitable place to stop, far away from the buck's guilty reminder, or maybe he will speak first this time, while they are walking or when she settles onto a root for rest, and she will listen, for that is what quiet nights do. They listen.Ruriska Oh Nose. I just want to hug him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:51 pm
As they travelled, Nose plodded along in a brooding silence. He was grateful the doe had not yet tried to initiate a conversation. He was hardly a good conversationalist at the best of times and in his current mood he was bound to be snappy. He wondered, and not for the first time, what he had done to deserve a life that seemed bound up in so much pain and disappointment. The crane was just another weight, another burden, another thorn in his heart. The further they walked, the blacker Nose’s mood got, until finally, he simply stopped moving. He glowered at the ground (since it couldn’t glower back and the doe had been too nice to him to deserve such a look) and prepared himself for a serious case of melancholy. Amorpheous Quick, shake him out of his melancholy before he gets on a roll.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:23 pm
She had been listening to the buck breathe and picked up on his souring mood, but had continued walking, pulling the buck away and away, until he would walk no longer. She took a few more steps, perhaps hoping to draw him back into movement, but more so that when she turned, gentle and graceful in place, she did not brush to close to him. She remembered his flinch and respected his desire to not be touched.
Instead she watched him, quiet for a long moment, taking in his tense stance, as if he were collapsing into himself with guilt, shame, sadness, pain, anger, fear. And she waited, she did not push for it was not her way.
"Talk to me. The shame, the guilt, the sadness it festers and it sits in your marrow."
She is gentle, it is not a demand, but insistent in her empathy for him. She pauses for a long moment but then continues, "You carry it so close, too close perhaps. The MotherFather does not make sons and daughters pay for the sins of their fathers and mothers, not does the MotherFather expect you to carry to guilt that your son should feel. So share it with me. The night is long enough."Ruriska I was thinking about them the last few days and I just keep seeing them walking around, comfortable, without talking in the future and her continuing to be his friend a long way in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 6:53 pm
Nose stared downwards and, despite himself, listened. She was so soft and kind. A large part of him wanted to push her away. He wanted to be left alone to wallow in his own dark thoughts. He didn't deserve her gentle sympathy. Who was she anyway, but some lone doe he didn't even know the name of. Surely she must have better things to do than hear about his endless issues? He answered her request with a whine, "I don’t want to." It sounded petulant even to his own ears. Amorpheous That'll be nice. He needs that. ;o; Just as soon as he gets over his current uh... grumps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 12:24 am
If Last Night were a crueler kin, or one that saw humor in others, she might have laughed. But she was neither of those things. She nodded solemnly at his answer but did not say anything in response. The night is quiet and she looked up at the sky, contemplating the stars and matching her breathing to the buck's breathing, keeping time with each inhale and exhale. She watched him even though he is staring down at the ground. It is not a weighted gaze and she does not will him to look up, she merely observed.
It was long time before she spoke, and when she did, her voice was barely a whisper, so soft that it could be mistaken for the wind, "Let me tell you a story:
Long ago when the swamp was young, a lone kimeti walked quietly through the night. He looked up into the sky and was greeted by the sight of more stars than you can imagine for many have since left their place in their sky to fall to the earth. It was one such star that streaked across the sky, falling, falling, falling until it was rushing towards him.
In shock, the buck could only watch as the star threatened to engulf him whole, but instead of burning him, the white flames resolved themselves into the form of a bright white crane. It's eyes shined like stars with an unmistakable intelligence. The buck bowed down low for he knew immediately that this crane was the MotherFather, come to bless him with herhis presence.
'Come child, let us walk. The night is long and I have a story to tell you.'
You see, this buck had been walking through the night, unable to sleep, because he had been plagued by nightmares in which he could no longer trust his own words. In those dreams, he manipulated himself and others with his quick words. That was his name in fact, Quick Words, and his particular skill with words had always served him well until now.
Because of these nightmares, he had resolved never to speak again because he was afraid of what disaster he would wreck on the lives of those around him.
He could not deny the MotherFather though, so he walked with the crane.
'Once there was a learned kin who traveled the land filling her mind with knowledge. One day she came upon a kiokote stallion who was in dire need of help. The physical strength of the stallion, and even his herd, could not solve his problem. When the doe learned of his plight, she turned to her wits to formulate a solution for him. When she presented her solution to him, so desperate was the stallion that he immediately followed her instructions. As if by some miracle, the solution did work and so impressed by the doe was the stallion that when the doe was to go on her way, he presented her with many gifts that any kin would be honored to have.
It was with these gifts that she set off, no more proud than she had ever been, only glad to have been able to help a fellow kin. However, the gifts that she had been given attracted attention and as she was traveling, she was attacked and killed. The gifts were stolen from her dead body and the thief ran away. The stallion who had gifted her these precious treasures heard of her murder and immediately launched a search for her killer.
The jealous buck was easy to find, even though he was crafty and sly. Gifts of that magnitude were difficult to hide. The stallion exacted revenge, or more precisely his justice, upon the thief and killed the buck in a single blow. Despite this, the stallion was extremely distraught over the doe's death and considered that it was his fault she was killed for he had given her the gifts that had attracted her killer's attention. He felt guilty and cursed himself all day. He could not eat or sleep and he would not talk, the guilt consumed him so.
One day, the stallion's most trusted mate brought a healer to the stallion. The healer possessed the blessing and power bestowed upon him by the MotherFather. He claimed that he could bring the doe back to life and immediately the stallion was overjoyed, but then, he asked, 'Can you also bring the thief back to life?'
The healer said that he could not and the stallion told the healer not to bring the doe back to life if he could not also bring the thief back to life.'
Quick Words interrupted then, 'Why would he do such a thing? The thief deserved to die.'
'Why indeed? The healer asked the stallion that very question, to which the stallion replied, 'The thief should not be punished for the murder of the doe if the doe is not dead.'
The stallion's most trusted mate then said, 'So you have not changed anything at all.'
'Nothing? Why, he is speaking again is he not?' the healer said, and walked away.
And now, so are you.'
The crane looked at the Quick Words for a long moment, letting the fact of his speak sink into Quick Words's memory, before rising into the air with a few elegant flaps. As the MotherFather flew away, shehe said, calling back, 'We are as we are, good and bad, but we should not feel guilty for things we have not done, though perhaps, your guilt is a good indication that you would never do what you feel guilty for, but even I do not know what lies in your future.'"
At that, Eve fell silent once more, her voice tapering off into silence before picking up again. "Guilty one, you feel sorrow and shame for things beyond your control. Children are not their parents, they are their own being, defined by their actions just like you are defined by yours, never theirs."I forgot that Silver Tongue actually exists and chose a new name, no rush Ahhh! Sorry for taking so long! I take forever to get back here and then I just write a story that doesn't really go anywhere because I wasn't sure how to have Last Night push without really pushing, since she's the type to respect his wishes. He doesn't want to talk, she won't try to make him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:27 am
Once the story was done, Nose was quiet for a very long time. At one point he glanced up, looked surprised that she was still there and then went back to staring at the ground again. Eventually he made as exasperated sound and lifted his head. "I'm thirsty..." was the only thing he said and continued to walk on, passing by the doe. When he was a Kimeti-length away he glanced back, nose wrinkling in contrived annoyance, "are you coming?" Amorpheous That was a really lovely story. ;o; <3 Sorry this reply took so long! And that it's so short, OTL. Nose is a loser.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:44 am
Last Night waited quietly for the buck; she felt no urgent desire to speak, having said what she wanted to say already. She watched him without judgement, offering open ears and patience instead. It was not in her nature to push when time was just as efficient. Some might think her needlessly persistent for a buck that seemed so much a lost cause, especially when he was a stranger and of little consequence to her own happiness, but she did not leave what she started unfinished. That kernel of steadfastness stilled her limbs from walking away from the buck as she had done the crane, to stay or walk away, one choice true, the other practical, and, in her eyes, both equally good. And so it did not bother her that she chose to stay. She had been speaking the truth when she had said that the nigh was long enough.
And when he spoke, if only to pronounce simply that he was thirsty, she smiled, secret and cool, with the fleeting warmth of a summer night. She did not move immediately; it was his turn to lead, and she quite nearly laughed when he pulled a face and asked if she was coming. It would have been a low thing, her laugh, equal parts warming stars and shivering wind, like the sound of rustling leaves as fall set in. She obliged him by following in his steps, her expression benign and soft.
She did not speak though. For as it was his time to lead, it was also his time to speak.Ruriska I really can't take credit, and just realized that I never gave it, but the story within the story about the healer is based on a fable where the stallion is a king and the other parts are their human counterparts. And don't worry about it! <3 He's rather lovely in his own, grumpy way!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 1:00 am
He did not speak the next day, or the next, at least not in the way that was needed. Of course he said other things. He remarked upon the things they saw as they walked, sometimes he hummed before catching himself and scowling, but mostly he grumbled. He complained in such a consistent manner that anyone else probably would have knocked him over the head and left him in a ditch already. A few times he berated her, over silly things. About how she ate or the things she said or how it was her fault he’d walked into a blackberry bush that morning. It was on the third day as they both settled down at the end of the day that Nose, after some fussing about ants and bats and how cold it was getting at night, finally broached the subject of his own guilt. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, glancing sideways at her with a frown, as if expecting her to laugh at him, “and I think you’re right. At least about some of it. I didn’t make Mercy what he is today. I did the best that I could.” The buck sighed. He still felt miserable about it. His son was a psychopath. He would always carry part of that guilt, no matter what. “If I was different, if I was stronger… I might even think of killing him myself. But I can’t. So I will endure it. Life is terrible, you see? I have to accept that.” Amorpheous I feel like he's missed the point of the story...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
