[Mkguild] The Harvest Festival (10/20)

[Hallan Mirayas]

-------

 =


   Word spread fast
about the party. Meat & vegetables (a half ton!), several hundred bottles
of the finest wines and three full kegs of ale! All to be delivered to Long
House at least a full day before the start of the harvest festival. The
invitations started to arrive later.

 =


   Misha's parties
were legendary. The fox's parties always had huge amounts of food and drink.
Although the party was to start at seven pm people started to arrive at fiv=
e.
They stood patiently in line to pass through the one entrance into Long Hal=
l.
It was well worth the wait.

 =


   Long Hall glittered
and glistened. Fine carpets covered the floors and tapestries lined the wal=
ls.
Massive wooden tables lined on both sides with chairs filled most of the ha=
ll.
At one end of Long Hall was a small raised platform. The area in front of it
was free of all obstructions.

 =


   The hall filled
quickly and soon it was filled with the sounds ands voices over several hun=
dred
people chatting excitedly. But while the crowd waited for the party to star=
t a
more important ceremony took place behind a locked door located off to one =
side
of the hall.

 =


   Behind that locked
door was a room a lot smaller then the great hall. Inside stood a group
gathered for a private ceremony. The ceremony was meant for just the Long
Scouts and their closest family and friends. The only newcomers in the group
were a dozen people who were Padraic's close family, his mother, father and
three brothers and sisters and Kristinai who was standing next to Oberon.
Standing off to one side was George, the old jackal looked splendid in a si=
lk
doublet and pants. Both were dark blue and edged with silver. Standing next=
 to
him was Terry. The woman looked a little odd dressed in men's clothing, the
only provision to her new gender was that the neckline was cut low highligh=
ting
her cleavage.

 =


   Misha stood at one
end of the room with the rest gathered in front of him. He was dressed in b=
rown
pants and a white linen shirt, over which was a vest brocaded with gold that
shone in the light. "We are here tonight to celebrate the initiation into
the Long Scouts of two fine people." The fox paused for a moment and
continued in a softer voice. "Padraic joined us in our darkest hour when
the Keep itself was under attack. He fought bravely and with great skill,
showing he is truly a Long Scout in word and deed." Misha waved a hand and
Padraic stepped forward.

 =


   The rabbit was
dressed in a tan colored tunic, decorated with a rampant dragon stitched wi=
th
silver. His pants were the same color as the tunic, and just as liberally
decorated with gold and silver. Around his neck was a torc made of gold and
silver wire braided together. At each end was a rabbit's head of gold. On e=
ach
finger, he had a ring of silver or gold. Misha couldn't help but smile at t=
he
sight of the bells that dangled from each ear.

 =


   Misha extended his
hand to towards the rabbit. In it was a small hand axe whose head was of the
finest steel, blackened to the dark of midnight. The long handle was wrappe=
d in
leather as black as the blade and just as tough. The razor sharp cutting ed=
ge
was covered with a strip of leather. This was no ceremonial thing, to be
brought out at parades and ceremonies. It was tough and rugged and was mean=
t to
be used long and hard. "Take this as a sign of your passing the trials and
troubles, and that you are now and forever a Long Scout.  I proudly call yo=
u my brother."

 =


   Padraic took the
axe slowly. "I'm =85 I'm deeply honored." He said softly as he ran
hands along the length of the weapon.

 =


   Misha hugged
Padraic tightly. "Welcome to the Long Scouts."

 =


-------

 =


   Kendrick waited
until two hours after dark before slipping out of bed. It was never hard to
stay awake when he needed to. If not for the fact that his body was more
comfortable being active at night, he always had Barrick's snoring to fall =
back
on. The bear could rouse the dead. It was a wonder he or Brigitt got any sl=
eep
at all.

 =


   He'd left his
clothes next to his bed. He took them in his arms and walked as carefully as
possible out the door. Once outside their bedroom, he pulled the tunic over=
 his
head and shoulders, wriggling it over his plated back. He lay on his belly
while pulling his trousers on. Though he had never woken his parents before,
even when his claws had tracked across the woodwork, he wouldn't take chanc=
es.

 =


   The main hall of
the Urseil home was lit only by the light coming through the windows. That =
was
more than enough for Kendrick's sensitive eyes. He climbed down the stairs,
making sure to keep his toes claws lifted as high as they would go. When he
reached the landing, he saw that the moonlight came through the window just
right to illuminate the family quilt.

 =


   Kendrick took a
deep breath and stared at the fabric fashioned by their mother back before =
any
of them were born. Each of the Urseil children had a column, started at the
bottom with an image of their face as babies. Kendrick smiled as he traced =
his
claws across his own, the third in the line. He always thought all babies
looked alike.

 =


   Each panel of the
quilt followed every four years of their lives. Some moment that made the m=
ost
impression on his parents was immortalized in fabric. Kendrick put his claws
upon the first column, and read the name at the bottom. Rodrick had been the
oldest, and as Kendrick traced his claws up, he remembered all the wonderful
times they'd had together as children. First while living in Ellcaran, and =
then
when they'd come to Metamor. The fourth panel showed Rodrick as the grey wo=
lf
he'd become, and the fifth him standing with sword in paw.

 =


   The sixth panel
contained a yew tree, and a wolf rising up with a hand reaching out of a cl=
oud
to greet him. Kendrick wished he could run his paw over it, but he couldn't
reach that high. Rodrick, his beloved older brother who should have inherit=
ed
the family business, had been killed in the Winter Assault. His squad had b=
een
on patrol when the Lutins attacked, and they'd been slaughtered to the last
man. When Father Hough had offered the Requiem at his burial, they'd buried
only the parts they could find. Although his father hadn't meant for Kendri=
ck
or his siblings to know, he'd heard the guard tell him that they'd found
Rodrick's head on a pole in the midst of the Keeper's bodies.

 =


   Kendrick offered a
quick prayer to Eli for his brother's soul, and one to the angel of death t=
hat
he would visit every last Lutin who'd attacked the Keep.

 =


   He reminded himself
that the Urseil family had been lucky to only lose one of their own to the
attack. His old playmate Herold, who'd become a girl but still liked to play
rough and tumble, had lost her entire family. She'd left Metamor after the
Lutins had been defeated to live with relatives who worked the fields in
Lorland, and Kendrick hadn't heard from her since.

 =


  The next column in
the quilt had only two pictures. Kendrick had never known his older sister
Heidi, who'd died while still an infant. He'd seen her grave in Ellcaran
several times. His parents would only ever say that she'd had the deepest b=
lue
eyes they'd ever seen. And the blue in her baby face was rich, almost indig=
o.
The picture above showed angels carrying a child into Heaven.

 =


   Kendrick was the
third child in the Urseil family. He'd seen his panels so many times, but he
stopped at the fourth and grinned at the first showing him as a pangolin. T=
here
he was, rolled into a ball and rolling down the hillside towards Euper. He
smiled as he remembered that day, a dare from the other children which had =
left
him dizzy for hours afterwards.

 =


   Barrick and Brigitt
were next. He took a moment to admire Brigitt's pigtails. He'd helped her b=
raid
her hair when their mother was taking care of the other children. Now of
course, the thought of Brigitt having pigtails was hilarious. They only had
four panels in their column. In another year, a fifth would be added.

 =


   The next column
only featured a single picture. Hedrick had been five years younger than
Kendrick, and like Heidi, had died before he'd reached his first birthday. =
He
too was buried in Ellcaran, a grave that Kendrick had visited many times wi=
th
his parents.

 =


  The last two columns
were for Sofie and Emma. The pangolin smiled as he traced his claws over th=
eir
panels. Unlike the rest of their family, Emma had lived all her life in
Metamor, and Sofie nearly all of it. For them, it was nothing unusual having
older brothers who looked like beasts and parents who in any other land wou=
ld
be treated like children or apprentices at best.

 =


   It took several
minutes, but Kendrick finally tore himself away from the family quilt. As m=
uch
as he loved his family and loved reminiscing on their past, he had his
responsibilities. He stepped carefully over to the wall beneath the stairca=
se.
He squeezed himself beneath the couch which stood just high enough that he
could crawl underneath without rubbing his back plates on the upholstery. W=
ith
one hand, he pressed down on a wood plank, and with the other, he pulled up=
 the
opposite side.

 =


   The plank came
free, and he set it to one side while he reached in and pulled out his tool=
kit.
He brushed the dirt free and wiped his paws over the hole. He didn't want a=
ny
of the dirt on the floor, and wiped whatever had spilled back into the hole
too. He then replaced the board, making sure that it was level and firm, and
then crawled back out from under the couch.

 =


   He looped his
toolkit over his belt, taking a moment to make sure that none of them had
fallen out since the last time he'd used it. Satisfied that everything was
there, he snuck out the back entrance to their home and proceeded to dart b=
ack
and forth through the alleys between the many homes and shops in the mercha=
nt
quarter. He'd check the festival grounds first before attempting the Shoesh=
ine
Inn.

 =


-------

 =


    "Ad=F2n Nahar=E9l
Sahnat'Haud=F6rn has only recently come to the Keep," Misha announced and
pointed to where the feline was standing. "But he has shown himself to be
daring, skilled, and possessing the endurance needed to be a Long Scout.
Already he has an impressive record of lutin kills."

 =


   Oberon stepped
toward Misha, but kept a distance of about five feet between him and the fo=
x.
The snow tiger morph was wearing a vest of dark blue and a black kilt both
edged with silver and gold. Behind him trailed a crimson-lined black cloak.=
 His
belt was of rich, light colored leather, elaborately etched and inlaid with
gold, silver and pearl. From it hung a dagger, a short sword, and his power=
ful weapon
The Claw. Even at a ceremony and party, it seemed, the tiger went heavily
armed.

 =


  Misha extended his
hand. In it was a duplicate to the one Padraic had just received. "Take
this as a sign of your passing the trials and troubles, and that you are now
and forever a Long Scout. I proudly call you my brother."

 =


   The tiger looked at
the axe, one that that he had only given to Misha two weeks before and nodd=
ed
his head. "I am deeply honored that you consider me worthy to join this
small group," he said.

 =


   Misha gave the
tiger a large hug. "Welcome to the Long Scouts."

 =


   The fox morph held
up an axe in his left hand. It was a mirror to the ones he had given to Pad=
raic
and Oberon. "We Long Scouts are proficient with many weapons from the bow
to the spear, and yet we are most widely known for an axe! I wonder why?"

 =


   That drew a round
of laughter from the crowd.

 =


   "Could be that
oversized bread slicer of yours," Finbar joked.

 =


   Misha hefted the
axe over his head. "Here, catch this," he joked, but didn't throw it.
"Each of us Long Scouts will have an axe like this as a sign of who we are
and all that we have gone through together."

 =


-------

 =


   Edmund arrived at
8:30 pm exactly. The cheetah morph was dressed simply in a tunic and pants
of gray and white. A Follower cross was embroidered in gold on his chest.
Hanging onto his arm was a female canine morph. She had the sharp angular f=
ace
and pointed ears of a fox but her thick, red fur was several shades darker =
that
on a red fox. Her long spindly legs seemed far too long for her body. She w=
as
wearing a long, flowing dress of burgundy. Her head was twisting about
constantly taking in all the sights and sounds around her. Her eyes and ears
missed nothing that went on around her.

 =


    "Good
evening!" Caroline said to the pair. The otter was standing next to Misha
with their arms intertwined. She was wearing a dress of dark blue velvet wi=
th a
complex pattern of loops and swirls embroidered on it in green and silver
threads.

 =


   "It's good to
see you two here," Misha added.

 =


   Edmund bowed to the
two. "Thank you for inviting us."

 =


   The female bowed
but not as deeply. "W e l c o m e=85" she said slowly as if pondering
each word carefully.  "Nice... to=85
meet=85 you."

 =


    "This is
Bridgette?" Misha asked. "You look beautiful tonight."

 =


   "It's a
pleasure to meet you Bridgette," Caroline said and curtsied. "You've
come a long way in such a short time."

 =


  "Thank=85
you=85  I... wish=85 I=85 could=85 remember=85
more," Bridgette said.

 =


   "Some things
just take time," Misha commented.

 =


-------

 =


   Misha and Caroline
were both surprised by what Teria was wearing. For once, she actually had t=
he
majority of her body covered. Her dress was of the finest (and most expensi=
ve)
silk, colored a deep yellow color. The dress came only up to her armpits,
though, leaving her shoulders bare and covering just enough of her breasts =
for
propriety.

 =


   Ferwig was dressed
just as elegantly in a doublet of dark burgundy and a plaid kilt. He was al=
so,
Misha noted, the only one wearing more gold and silver than Teria. Still, t=
he
hyena morph looked suave, confident, and well aware of all the women starin=
g at
him.

 =


   Teria pointed to
where Edmund and Bridgette were slowly walking among the guests. "Is that
the woman Edmund found in Caralore?" Teria asked.

 =


   "It is,"
the fox explained, nodding his head. "She's doing very well."

 =


   "Did she ever
recover any of her memories?"

 =


   Caroline shook her
head. "None. She couldn't read, write, or even speak," the otter
answered. "Edmund has been teaching her since she came here."

 =


   "She has no
relatives here?" Ferwig asked.

 =


   "None,"
Misha answered. "We think she's probably from one of the cities or towns
in the Giantdowns."

 =


   "What species
is she?" Teria hadn't taken her eyes off Bridgette and Edmund, watching
the couple with open curiosity.

 =


   "Maned wolf,"
Caroline said.

 =


   "They're
native to the southern Giantdowns," the fox scout added.

 =


   "So her
species would be found naturally in territory Nasoj already controls?" It
was more of a statement then a question. The mage was still looking at
Bridgette and Edmund.

 =


   "What are you
thinking about?" Ferwig asked.

 =


   Teria shook her
head and looked up at the hyena warrior. "Nothing important. Tonight is
for partying, not pondering!" She gave Ferwig a playful lick on the
muzzle. "And some real fun afterward." Arm in arm, the two canines
wandered into the crowd, more interested in each other then anything else.

 =


   "They make a
nice couple," Misha announced.

 =


   "Who? Ferwig
and Teria, or Edmund and Bridgette" Caroline asked, looking at the love of
her life.

 =


   "Both!"

 =


-------

 =


   Misha spotted them
first. His sharp vulpine eyesight spotted the two figures making their way
slowly across the hall. One had a distinct limp, and that the other looked =
to
be overweight. Very overweight. Excusing himself from a conversation with
Oberon, he quickly made his way through the crowd to them. "ANDRE! JENN!"
the fox shouted and hugged each one. "I'm glad you came."

 =


   "Wouldn't miss
one of your parties," Andre said cheerfully. The wolverine morph was
wearing a robe of dark green edged with light blue. Misha noted that the ro=
be
went all the way to the floor, completely covering his leg. He was leaning =
on a
cane of mahogany that was both topped and tipped with silver.

 =


   "How are you
both doing?" Misha asked.

 =


   "I feel like I've
been pregnant forever," Jenn replied, patting her stomach. The long,
voluminous, white dress she was wearing did not hide the fact that she was =
very
pregnant.  A happy smile put the lie to
her weary complaint

 =


   "You must be
close," Caroline asked as she carefully hugged around Jenn's bulging
middle.

 =


   The wolverine woman
nodded. "The healer says within a week or two. She also gave even better
news!"

 =


   "And?"
Caroline asked.

 =


   "Triplets!"
Andre blurted, too excited to contain himself.

 =


   "THREE?"
Misha asked, slightly dazed. "Congratulations!" he said, and shook
Andre's hand vigorously.

 =


   Caroline hugged
Jenn tightly. "That's fantastic."

 =


   "Have you
decided on any names?" Misha asked.

 =


   Andre shook his
head. "It was hard enough choosing just one now we have to choose 6 names."

 =


   "Well not six
names," Misha countered." Just 3 names. Three girls, or 3 boys, or 2
boys and 1 girl and-"

 =


   Caroline wrapped
her hands around Misha's muzzle, shutting him up. "Happy now, silly later,"
was all she said.






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