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 Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 2:41 pm
Kumiko stood silently in the meadow where the Order of the Tree was staying the night. The years of late had been quiet. More Stars had Fallen, more herds had formed, the various wars and alliances of all the herds continued. For the Order of the Tree, life continued on in a kind of lonely serenity. For many moons now, no foal had been born, but that mattered little to the herd. After all, they were a herd on the move, always keeping minds and hearts ready for whatever they might come across in this world.
However, now, in this snowy meadow, under the brilliance of the moon, the grey Arcturus and her herd had not been able to sleep. It was not the beauty of this place, for many places in the world were beautiful. No. What caught everyone's attention was a strange feeling that had filled them.
Kumiko glanced up at the skies, searching out the celestial zodiac, wondering what was to come to pass tonight. Her eyes picked out each shape, formed of frosty stars, but shining brightest was...no. Couldn't be. That Sign wasn't supposed to be that high in the sky for many months yet. What did that mean?
Aoibheann also watched the skies, though perhaps not so academically as her Rain, the herd leader with the greater academic knowledge in the Order of the Tree. Aoibheann had been with the herd now for years, and borne children and one of her children had had a granddaughter. There was much joy to be had, though Aoibheann herself was not yet lifemated.
She shivered slightly in the frosty air, her silver-turquoise-and-malachite jewelry jangling gently as they reflected the light of the moon upon the snow. Aoibheann let her gaze follow Kumiko's, settling on a familiar constellation, one of the Thirteen Signs. The one that ruled this month of the year. But she also noticed the older mare tensing up. "What, what is it, Kumiko?"
Aoibheann could hardly miss the preternatural brilliance of that Sign in the sky, and it wasn't one of the five brightest constellations in the sky. "Is there anything wrong with how Aquarius looks tonight?"
Myrddin, possibly the only Redwood in the entire herd, stood back for the moment with some of the other herd members. Unlike his mother, he had been checking for good shelter for the night that could accommodate the entirety of their relatively small herd. Fortunately, back in the trees, there was a good hollow with overarching branches that looked promising. He'd paused long enough to convey this message to the younger members of the herd before proceeding to share this message with the three older members: his mother, her partner Tobiano, and Tobiano's mother-in-law, Aoibheann. Tobiano wasn't back yet, which was fine, since Kumiko and Aoibheann were in conversation.
However, this could not be good. He also glanced up at the Water Carrier. It was abnormally bright...and from what his mother had told him about astronomy...it was in the wrong place. He stepped forward, hurrying to hear what was happening, just in time for his mother to reply.
"Aquarius is abnormally bright and in the wrong part of the sky. It's not supposed to grace that part of heaven for some months yet. It's not a mistake, I can recognize the constellations, and yet...I don't know what this means."
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Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:11 pm
Aderyn was easily the youngest member of the herd, as well as being the only child of the Sun Tobiano and grandchild of Aoibheann. Well, only grandchild in the herd period. Even so, she'd taken childhood and growing up relatively seriously. Hard not to, in such a sober herd where she was the youngest and hadn't had any siblings or playmates. The slight breeze fluttered her gauzy scarf and a shiver caused her gold jewelry to clink. It was cold tonight, quite wintry. She personally hoped the herd returned to warmer climes soon. Aderyn had never been fond of the winter, especially far enough north for the snow to stick in winter.
It wasn't too long before the Rain Kumiko's Redwood son, Myrddin, returned. He looked to be in a good mood, which meant that there were good odds for shelter. However, her father, Tobiano, hadn't returned yet, which meant that he hadn't finished checking for threats or predators for the herd. She sighed. Pretty as it was, and as promising as Myrddin's news might be, if Tobiano brought back bad news, they'd have to move on, like it or not. Aderyn had developed a greater interest in the natural world, in plants and herbs, so the strange astronomical anomaly was lost on her.
Ceridwen stood with her daughter and the other younger herd members with one misty wing spread over the young mare. Her eyes skimmed the surroundings, watching for the return of her lifemate. Myrddin had returned just now, so Tobiano couldn't be far behind, unless Myrddin had gotten lucky. Which was possible, but not terribly likely. Myrddin's mistakes usually resulted in him having to do things over again. From scratch.
Ceridwen's earthy eyes also skimmed the woods surrounding the meadows for signs of life. Like her daughter, she was interested in the natural world; unlike her, however, she had interest in living things, hence why she'd named her daughter for a bird. While Ceridwen didn't notice the strangeness of Aquarius, she did catch the fact that there seemed to be no animals in these parts. Well, none actively stirring right now. She frowned slightly. That seemed wrong. Even at this time of night, at this time of year, there should be predatory animals and small rodents running about, or maybe an odd cold-tolerant dragon. But she noticed nothing stirring. What was wrong?
Unable to keep these thoughts to herself much longer, she removed her wing from her daughter and approached Myrddin, Kumiko, and her mother. "Excuse me, but...there are no animals moving out in those woods there. There should be, but there isn't."
Tobiano was returning. He had seen Myrddin return before him, quite a ways ahead. It was too far to accurately tell if the boy had good news or not. Well, regardless, Tobiano's news was just damn downright strange. While there were smells of predators that frequented these parts, and he'd seen a couple owls huddling on high branches, nothing had been out hunting tonight. So many fresh scents and other markers suggested that there were quite a few local animals to hunt, but those he'd seen had seemed content to spend the night hidden and out of sight. Damned unnatural way for animals in any environment to behave.
In addition, it didn't seem like any Stars at all had been through here at any point recently, unless they were shapeshifters. In which case, they either didn't know about the presence of the Order of the Tree passing through, or they chose not to act on it at this time. Whichever it was, it seemed clear that no one was going to disrupt them tonight, making it a fairly safe place to stay the night. Better than on the other side of the pass, where he'd run across a pair of wolves who were unwilling to negotiate.
He did notice the small congregation of Stars around his friend and partner, Kumiko, including Myrddin, his lifemate, and his mother-in-law. Interesting. He also caught what his lifemate was saying about the wildlife in these parts.
"She's right," he added, crunching up to join them. "Anything that lives in these parts is staying inside, even those things that would hunt at this time."
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Posted: Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:28 pm
A faint shimmering glow rippled through the meadow. Silver glinted off hooves and a thick, silken waterfall of mane and tail. The light cast by the moon and the stars of Aquarius seemed to interact with her raiment and hair, as though they were made of water vapor, to reflect rainbows. Pearls seemed to drip from the delicate rainbow silks that adorned her opalescent white coat. Despite the wintry weather, she seemed to carry with her enough warmth for various flying creatures to appear to attend her, though it might have been a trick of the dreamlike light that seemed to suffuse her.
Breaths bounced backwards, though they would for anyone of her noble stature among the Stars. For before them was the one who had given her name to the constellation of the Water Carrier. Aquarius, Lady of the Rainbows, Herald of the Dawn. One of the Thirteen Signs. And upon her divine countenance was a smile that bore the hope of a dream and the promise of a new day.
"Hello, my dear Stars. I have come with a mission for your herd. Will you listen to me?"
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 12:25 pm
Aoibheann was silent. What she'd always listened for before now was tales of the old days. Before her stood a person she'd always heard was a myth, a divine figure unaffected by time. The stories varied widely about any mythical figure. But this was...the Lady of the Rainbows, the Herald of the Dawn? But she glowed like a Sign...was it possible the Butterfly of the Rainbow was a Sign? But...which one? Pondering this, she bent her head deeply in reverence to such a great personage appearing in this world.
Kumiko wasn't so schooled in the lore and mythology of the Stars, but she was quite old and heard many stories in her time. She could figure out that this mare was a Sign, and worth the respect Aoibheann was already displaying. Kumiko dipped her head deeply, and then lifted her head, her crystalline blue eyes to meet the stormy eyes of the Sign. "Our herd greets you, Noble Sign. I am Kumiko, one of the leaders of this herd."
Tobiano didn't study mythology, not that he did much research at all. Practicality was his strong suit by a long shot, but the stories he'd heard growing up of the Signs still counseled him to mirror Kumiko's gesture and sentiments. His sapphire eyes also met the rainy eyes of the Sign. "Our herd greets you, Great Sign. I am Tobiano, the other leader of this herd."
Myrddin caught the gesture of his elders and lowered his head, thoughts racing. He'd heard the occasional story off Aoibheann. His own mother wasn't the sort to tell tales, and his father was virtually as silent as the grave. That said, he didn't know a great deal, but could expect certain things. Such as, apparently, life had taken a turn for the mythical, and the ever-practical existence of the herd was probably over. What did this mean? What was the mission the Sign had brought them?
Ceridwen matched the bows of the others. She had heard more of the Signs and other mythical figures than some in the herd, and despite her practicality, she had long wondered what the nature of the Signs really was. Were they real deities? If so, what magic did they have that others did not? Ceridwen might have great knowledge of the animal world, but she also had interest in magic, and as the tales went, there was nothing more magical than one of the Thirteen Signs. Flicking her wood-toned eyes toward the beautiful Sign, she noticed the creatures frolicking in her vicinity, animals that had been absent before, or could not stand the winter weather. That did sort of imply that whatever powers the Signs might have, it really was well beyond the power of any other Star.
Aderyn hadn't heard as many stories as her mother had, but she still bowed her head. She just kept her curious blue eyes on the fascinating being before them. Mission? What kind of mission? And if she was a Sign, which one was she? These thoughts raced and swirled in her young mind, causing her to lift her head sooner than she should have and ask what was on her mind. "Um, excuse me for being rude, but...which Sign are you? And what's the mission you have for us?" She felt her mother's wing cover her head and gently push downward, reminding Aderyn of her impertinence to one believed to be a goddess, causing her to drop her head in a soft flush.
Aquarius nodded respectfully to the leaders and sighed inwardly at the shows of formality. Honestly, she'd prefer to not stand on such stiff formality, but since it generally required argument to get them to stop it, an argument she didn't feel like at the moment...she let it go.
Until the young Arcturus-Lyra mare spoke up, followed quickly by a mare who seemed probably to be her mother pressed her head downward again with a wing. Aquarius couldn't help but grin and she stepped forward, extending one iridescent Lyra wing to lift the youngling's head again. "Well met, young one. I am Aquarius, Lady of the Rainbows, Herald of the Dawn, Butterfly of the Rainbows, Bird of Love and Peace, and other such floral titles."
She paused, listening to everyone's responses for a moment before continuing. "I have come with a special mission for your entire herd," she said, turning her head as she spoke to all members of the herd. "You have heard of the Elders, have you not? There are those in this world who have achieved the blessings of the Signs so that they become Elders. However, this world is far from Dreamspace, and contains none of the shrines of any of the Signs that are used by the Elders. The shrines are needed, but they cannot be built by themselves.
"And so, I have come to you with a mission of the utmost importance. I have watched the herds of this world, and selected this one, a herd with no wars or political games, that values both practicality and knowledge, to carry out this special responsibility. I call upon the Order of the Tree to go forth across this world and make the shrines to the Thirteen Signs. I shall guide you in their construction, so that they are built properly and may be visited by any Star, until you have built one shrine for each of the Thirteen Signs. If you choose to build more than one shrine to each Sign, that is most acceptable and even welcome. But I place this task to a herd worthy of it. Will you take on this mission?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 08, 2014 3:13 pm
Aoibheann's breath caught in her throat. Aquarius...? Aquarius had chosen them...? Aquarius had personally chosen them to build the shrines to the Signs? This was not an opportunity to be passed up. And if Kumiko and Tobiano passed it up, Aoibh resolved to ask to go with Aquarius to watch the building of the shrines. Yes, she'd be leaving her daughter and granddaughter behind, as well as her friends, for who knew how long, but this was something Aoibh absolutely did not want to miss. She just hoped her two dear friends said yes.
Kumiko was surprised, almost out of her skin. The Sign of Peace, Hope, and Dreams was asking the Order of the Tree, first of all other herds she could ask, to build the shrines? Definitely something to talk about with Tobiano. After all, he wasn't into the scholarly end of life, and, as her fellow leader, he should have the right to refuse her offer. "Would you all pardon Tobiano and myself for a moment?" With that, she and Tobiano went off to discuss their options. The more Kumiko thought about this, as pragmatic and realistic as she could be, the opportunity to work for a Sign and indulge in the making of history and also get some free research off one of the Signs was a major thing for the scholars of the Order of the Tree.
Myrddin was silent as he watched his mother and the Sun go apart from the herd for a time, discussing options in a hush. This sounded like an honor to be taken very seriously, and a chance to be in a story like the ones Aoibh told. Glancing at her, he watched various expressions flicker across her face, but the primary ones were a mix of hope and determination and excitement. Yup, the great scholar of the mystical was all for this. He also hoped for a favorable outcome to the offer.
Ceridwen was, like the rest of the scholars, interested in this. But she was also aware that Tobiano, her lifemate, and Kumiko, the Rain, were realists and pragmatists. Up until the appearance of Aquarius, they hadn't really believed in the Signs, and had been doubtful of their historicity. But with this kind of reality upsetting their world, the two of them would understandably be faced with issues to consider carefully. Ceridwen would understand if Tobiano and/or Kumiko didn't want to do this. Especially Tobiano. Personally, if the two leaders disagreed and decided to split the herd, Ceridwen preferred to stick by her lifemate. It might very well result in a schism in the family, as she had no doubt where her mother, Aoibheann, would go. With Aquarius. But where Aderyn would go if things split up was a serious concern. Aderyn was, like her mother, very invested in natural study, but also liked listening to her grandmother's stories. Deep down inside, Ceridwen hoped no schism would happen at all.
Tobiano was less enthused by the prospect than those around him, including his family. Sure, he gathered it was really cool and not to be sneezed at, but personally? He didn't feel strongly one way or the other about the project, and was still trying to figure out how to respond to the sudden presence of a Sign, a being whose existence had been just stories to him until now, not fact. However, he humored his old friend and listened to her arguments and weighed in with his opinions. What was a more serious matter for Tobiano was the issue of parting ways with family and friends. A schism was an option, but Tobi personally liked his friends and family too much to separate from them.
Aderyn's mind was fluttering off into space as she thought about the mission, dreaming as a lonely child was best at doing. This event...if the Sun and Rain said yes, their quiet little herd would become legendary. If one or both said no...oooh. There was a thought she wasn't certain she wanted to consider. She instead watched the mystical being that shimmered in front of them. The two pairs of wings shifted together, bright and beautiful. The small creatures attending her played with her hair, apparently oblivious to the cold. And that got Aderyn to wondering if all the Signs were like that. If the Order of the Tree consented, would they get that chance?
Aquarius waited patiently while the two leaders discussed their options quietly. She was aware that she could always use the air or her animals to eavesdrop, but that wouldn't be nice. Or fair, considering that they might be working with her for a long time yet to come. In the meantime, she had to consider what order in which to build the shrines? Theoretically, it being her month, she could start with herself, vain as it was. Or, since it would be Pisces' month next week, they could start with Pisces. Maybe Aries, since his month started the cycle? Or just start with the one with the most adherents? Or whose month it was when they started? Actually, the last two appealed to her. She'd have to consult with the other Signs, figure out who was the most popular in this world. But starting with the one whose month it was when the found a good site for that Sign's first shrine...that sounded good and simple.
She was almost too deep in thoughts when an answer came her way. She blinked for a moment, and then smiled widely. "Thank you, good Stars of the Order of the Tree. We'll set off in the morning to find a location to start the first shrine. Sleep well, and I shall watch over you. The coming time will be a long and weary one."
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