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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:12 pm
The night was cold. On the outskirts of the metropolis, the rush and roar of the highway padded the lamp-lit streets with sound. A few urban foxes darted from shadow to shadow, doing their best to remain hidden from view. Too many of them had suffered hails of stones, been pelted with bottles or cans, even had shotguns trained on them. Scavengers are never welcome, it seems, at a human's feast.
But there was one fox who was different from the rest. She walked through the lamplight unafraid, her mind apparently elsewhere, paying no heed to the humans who stared at her as she passed. Someone tossed an empty beer bottle in her vague direction, splashing broken glass across the pavement nearby. She simply paused, turned her head, gave the startled human a disapproving look and walked on. Elders did not demand respect. They commanded it. Even humans had to step aside sometimes.
Tonight, the Boss of the Sanguine Syndicate was grateful for her solitude. Her dreams had been vivid, almost painfully so, and they made no sense. What was the world trying to tell her? She needed space and time to think. Perhaps, if she walked for long enough, something would come along to inspire her.
And so she went on, a blood-stained ghost in the night, searching for answers.
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2007 5:45 pm
Subotai walked through this urban wastland, munching on a piece of venison he had nicked from, what the Others called, a 'butcher shop', whatever the hell that was. All he knew is his prime cut of meat was delicious. I love the night! he thought. Ah, thought that was all he had, for he was mute. All of his short life had been lived in his silence. He believed that his being mute was a gift, for he was a thief and, not being able to produce a scrap of sound, he could enter places, get what he wanted and leave before anyone noticed anything missing. Also, he had learned the skill of bing able to detect reverberbatory sounds by holding his ear to the ground.
He paid no attention to the Others for they paid him none. All his life was lived in silent solitude and he could not imagine living differently. To him companions were an unnescessary risk to have.
As Subotai kept walking he bumped into a beautiful fox, he longed to say something but was unable. He waved a little embarrassed wave at the fox.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 6:52 am
...She had stopped. She wasn't moving forward any more. Something had bumped into - oh. Sonia blinked down at the little black and white kit that had just walked into her leg. Big blue eyes gazed up at her. Aww. Wasn't he sweet?
"Hello," she ventured, trying for a friendly expression. "Are you lost?"
It wasn't as if she was doing anything particularly important. She might as well lead him home, if he could explain where home was, or attempt to find whoever was responsible for his care. He was young enough not to be a scout for another tribe - and no, no markings. Fairly safe, then. Certainly no direct threat.
"If you're lost I can take you wherever you want to go," she offered, realising she had better show some good will right off the bat. Elders could be intimidating creatures. If the kit was shy, even a simple question might cow him into silence.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:54 pm
Oh, no, I can't answer! Subotai thought as he inspected the large fox. She must be what the Others call an 'Elder' or something. He listened to her questions and realized he had no home or family. All his life moving from place to place with no one. He thought about this and realized it was time for a change in pace; but there still was the communication barrier...
He raised his paw to his mouth and tried as best as he could to communicate that he was mute. Then he put his paw to his chest, then held out one toe to try to tell her that he was alone.
Maybe, if I'm lucky, she might bring me to a tribe.
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:04 pm
Sonia blinked at the kit, somewhat taken aback by this new development. "You...can't speak?" she tried cautiously. "Oh dear - that could make things difficult. And - hold on, what does that mean? You...one? You are one? You are...you're all alone?"
She couldn't remember much of her early life, but being alone was not something she relished. To be so when one was so young...she didn't like to think of it. At least he didn't look starved: he was probably an accomplished thief if he'd managed to survive, given someone of his age and size was unlikely to be able to catch any great amount of living prey. She could smell meat on him, too - venison? A highly accomplished thief indeed, she decided, if he could get hold of something like that at his age.
"Listen, little one," she said gently. "You have done well, and very well, to manage for this long on your own. I congratulate you for that. But you would be far safer in a tribe. Tribes have things that are hard to get when one is small, and they can teach you things that will help you as you grow up. Tribes are good to be in. At the same time, though, they are not good things if you are not in them."
And now came the tough part. She didn't like to portray herself or the Syndicate as villainous, but to outsiders they must appear so.
"This territory, this area, belongs to my tribe, the Sanguine Syndicate. We are a tribe of artists, of thinkers and dreamers and creators. We love beauty, but we can be cruel. If my Sanguinites find you any closer to the heart of our lands, with the smell of stolen meat on you and no one to vouch for you...they will not be kind to you. Do you understand?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:16 pm
Subotai was very delighted to hear the first part of this foxes speech. He held his paw to his chest then pointed at her to say that he would be very interested in becoming a part of this tribe.
Hearing the second part of her speech, Subotai was somewhat disturbed. He looked around and saw a pair of eyes gazing at him, he bared his teeth some then nodded his head in reply to the fox. This is going exactly as I hoped it would! Subotai thought that becoming a part of this particular tribe would be perfect, for, being mute, thought and dreams were all he had.
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:04 pm
This little fox was turning out to be mildly troublesome. "You want to join? I - well, I - do you have any art to bring to us? I cannot accept you without that, even though you are young. Clearly you are a free agent and responsible for yourself, so I must treat you as I would treat an adult supplicant. My colleagues may be even less understanding."
Hylden, she knew, would be first to call for the position of Devil's Advocate. The green vixen was not of the tolerant persuasion at the best of times, and was known for her dislike of kits - she would leap at the chance to drive off the newcomer.
A Devil's Advocate was always called to speak when a supplicant arrived at the Syndicate. It had been one of Atticus' better ideas, and he had some good ones. The DA was sworn, no matter what their personal opinion, to find every fault possible with the prospective tribe member and voice them all in the most damning fashion possible. Surely, the shaman had reasoned, anyone who managed to win the Syndicate's approval in the face of such an ordeal was truly worthy of the name "Sanguinite".
Part of Sonia wanted the little fox to give up his ambitions at once, in the hope that he might never have to be torn apart by Hylden's inevitable storm of denouncements.
"You would have to face someone appointed to find fault with you, child," she warned, "and win the Syndicate's favour in spite of them. Are you ready to face that trial? It would not be easy, not by any measure."
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:41 pm
Subotai thought long and hard about this first part. Suddenly, he remembered living near a stone with a group of markings on it, he was there because one of the Others had captured him and called him 'pet' or some such disgusting trio of syllables but, the Other had tried to teach Subotai the markings on the stone, he had called them 'letters' and tought Subotai how to scratch them out in the sand. They were easy to scratch for they were only straight lines, with no curves. He vaugely remembered that he called these letters 'Old Norse'. The skill had become useless to him, because living in the throngs of a bustling city with no sand or gravel, he could not scratch them out. But, alas!, the street pavement was crumbled to coarse gravel and dust. He quickly scratched out his name in the letters and showed it to her, he didn't think most foxes could scratch.
As he heard this second part, he began to realize that petty words would not bother him and, being mute was not a curse, but a truly wonderful gift, being mute, he could not express useless, negative feelings.
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:37 pm
Her tail swishing gently, Sonia watched with interest as the little kit scratched something in the dirt. She couldn't read. Atticus could, but these letters were nothing like the ones she saw in his books - letters they were, though, of that she felt sure.
"...My apologies, but...I cannot read. Surely this is writing, is it not? We have no one as yet who can write, but our shaman Atticus can read. Perhaps you could communicate better with him."
But that would mean going back to the Syndicate, and possibly giving the poor soul false hopes of being admitted. Not that she was certain he was unsuitable, but she would hate to see him disappointed. It still seemed like the best option, though, so she turned and beckoned to him with her tail.
"Come. I shall take you to our camp, and you may talk in your way with Atticus. Perhaps he will agree to be your translator if you choose to take the trial - language has always been one of his greatest loves."
There ought to be no harm, she reasoned, in letting the kit try.
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Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 4:50 pm
Subotai was ecsatic about being brought to the tribe camp. He followed the Elder eagerly, thinking hard about what Atticus might be like. Would he be like Sonia large and gentle, or small and quick, or maybe old and wise. I hope he understands these letters! He walked along behind the large fox, hoping to meet these foxes. [sorry for the small post, writer's blockXD]
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:29 am
Sonia led her small charge through the streets and back-alleys until she reached a temporary camp. Atticus was there, of course, poring over a book he had spread out on a piece of sack cloth. He looked up when he heard her approaching.

"Hail, Mother," he said, giving her a respectful nod. "Who's this bright-eyed little scrap?"
The elder chuckled. "Straight to the point as always, Atticus - but I fear I cannot say, or rather he cannot say. My young companion is mute. I was hoping you might decipher his writings."
That last word seemed to strike a chord within the shaman's mind. Frowning, he rose and padded over to the kit. He stopped mere inches from him and peered down at him with searching eyes.
"He can write?" he echoed softly, examining the black and white fox closely. "None of our Sanguinites have yet learned such skills, despite our collective success with paints and mine with reading."
"Yes, I thought as much. His letters are nothing like yours, though - could you read them, do you think?"
Atticus blinked. "I'll try," he offered, "but I don't promise to have any success. I've seen some runic alphabets before, but translating meaningful words? Not a chance. All I could do is translate the letters directly to the alphabet I know, and even then only if there's an equivalent sound."
With a gentle nudge of her tail, Sonia encouraged her new acquaintance to display his skill. "Go on, show him," she said gently. "Atticus will not harm you - he is a scholar."
Indeed, despite his stern air, the dark shaman had kind eyes. He stepped back, allowing the kit access to a patch of soft, fresh mud.
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Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2007 6:31 pm
Subotai inspected the fox, he looked a little on-edge to him But he looks so cool! he thought. He looked around and spotted an open area with some dirt. He trotted over to it and, once again, scratched out his name in the letters. I hope he understands it! he thought excitedly.
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Posted: Fri May 04, 2007 4:55 pm
The strange letters were scratched in the dirt, and Sonia watched as the shaman's dark brow furrowed. He peered longsightedly at the writing, blinking a few times, paced around it until he could see it from the kit's point of view and finally spoke.
"...Suu...boh...taai. Su-bo-tai. That's what it says, as far as I can tell, but I'm damned if I know what it means. Care to enlighten us, little'un? I may not speak this tongue - or even know its name, come to it - but I'll try to decipher any signing you can manage."
Sonia smiled, relieved. It appeared that Atticus was already taking something of a shine to the silent kit. She had been afraid that he might find him irritating, or simply not understand him. Nowadays she found herself taking an almost motherly interest in most of the world: perhaps her ceremonial title of "Mother" was more appropriate than she had thought.
Still keeping one eye on Atticus and the little writer, she glanced around for the other Sanguinites. Hylden was still out on patrol, then. A good thing she hadn't been the one to run across the unknown kit - he might not have survived the night.
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Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 12:03 pm
Hearing his name for the first time in years was music to the kit's ears. He pointed to the letters then pointed to himself, but wait! if Atticus could understand his name written, then maybe he could understand sentences! Subotai quickly scratched out 'It's I name' in the dirt, he hoped they would understand. He looked up to Atticus waiting for reply.
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