[Mkguild] MK: Sharing the Light

[Hallan Mirayas]

Thanks, both of you. :)  Honestly, I had almost forgotten about this story,=
 already finished and waiting, and only remembered it when I was putting Ha=
rvest Festival away on my hard drive.  Thanks, Matt.  Couldn't have done it=
 without you.

Hallan

Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:32:45 -0500
From: nighthawkmal2 at gmail.com
To: chrisokane at verizon.net
Subject: Re: [Mkguild] MK: Sharing the Light
CC: hallanmirayas at hotmail.com; mkguild at lists.integral.org


Cool story!

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On 9/25/08, Chris <chrisokane at verizon.net> wrote:



Good story! Nicely written J  Thanks for sharing it with us!

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Chris

The Lurking Fox

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 =

-----Original Message-----
From: mkguild-bounces at lists.integral.org [mailto:mkguild-bounces at lists.inte=
gral.org] On Behalf Of Hallan Mirayas

Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 10:44 PM
To: Furry-Lit Mailing List; Metamor Keep; tsa-talk at lists.integral.org

Subject: [Mkguild] MK: Sharing the Light
 =

Sharing the Light
by Hallan Mirayas and Charles Matthais
 =

            "Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pac=
e:"
 =

            Father Hough was kneeling at the altar, hands folded, quietly c=
hanting the evening prayers when Drift Snow slipped through the entrance do=
ors behind him.  The chapel was otherwise empty of people, and the boy-prie=
st's voice carried well in the fine acoustics of the room.

 =

            "Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum"
 =

            Drift carefully shut the doors, taking care to make as little n=
oise as possible.  He frowned, wishing he'd thought to shutter the lantern =
he carried before entering, as it threw new shadows around the room and he'=
d wanted as unnoticed an entry as possible.  Well, too late for that now...

 =

            "Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum"
 =

            The samoyed Keeper recognized pieces of what was being said, en=
ough to take a guess at what prayer was being spoken, but his grasp of the =
Old Suiel used by the Ecclesia was sparse at best.  He cast his mind back t=
o his uncle's translation, hidden in his room, trying to figure out what th=
e next line would be, but Father Hough finished before he could remember.

 =

            "Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Yehudim.=
  Amen."
            =

            Drift waited until Father Hough had made the sign of the yew an=
d started to rise before announcing his presence.  "Hello, priest."

 =

            Father Hough turned, surprised (albeit pleasantly so) to hear t=
hat particular voice in his church.  "Master Snow.  I did not expect to see=
 you here.  Welcome."

 =

            Drift walked in silence around the room, pausing to admire each=
 of the stained glass windows in turn.  He lifted his lantern when the moon=
's light and the light of the candles around the church were not enough.  T=
he seven-sided lantern gleamed brightly in Drift's hand, each surface polis=
hed, the glass lightly etched.  "Misha was right," he said finally, without=
 any preamble, reaching out to stroke a finger over a particularly rich blu=
e pane.  "These are beautiful.  I love stained glass."

 =

            "Thank you," Father Hough replied, stepping up alongside, looki=
ng up at the window in front of which the samoyed had stopped, his tail gen=
tly swishing.  Yahshua sat at the side of a well, and a woman in Steppeland=
er clothes stood nearby, a pitcher by her side.  Yahshua's hand extended to=
ward her in invitation.  Drift's choice of windows did not surprise the boy=
 priest.  "The Steppelander woman at the well.  This is one of my favorites=
, too."  He let the silence stretch for a few moments before turning to loo=
k up at the white-furred Keeper next to him with the slightest hint of a sa=
d smile at the tension his proximity seemed to reflexively cause in the man=
.  Rather than unkindly draw that tension out, he cut to the point.  "But s=
omething tells me, Master Snow, that you didn't come all the way here to ta=
lk about windows."

 =

            "No," Drift replied, finally turning to look at the boy priest.=
  "I've been doing some thinking over the past month, about what you and Ma=
dog said.  After that, I started asking around and what I've heard about yo=
u has been, without fail, positive."  He stooped to one knee so he could lo=
ok Hough in the eye.  "I don't think you and I are ever likely to resolve t=
he issues I have with the Ecclesia hierarchy and their tactics, but you you=
rself I think I can trust."  Lowering the lantern, he held it out to Hough.=
  "I made this for you.  Please, consider it a peace offering," he said wit=
h just a hint of ingrained reluctance, "and an apology for pre-judging you.=
  I hope that it can be a reminder for all that our differences are less im=
portant than the things that we share."  The lantern looked undersized in h=
is hand, clearly meant for someone smaller than he.  His mouth twitched sli=
ghtly.  "However heretical an idea that might be."

 =

            Hough's smile fit his face perfectly.  The lantern light danced=
 across his youthful brown curls and sparkled in his eyes. "Thank you, Mast=
er Snow.  This is a lovely gift.  I gladly accept it in the spirit in which=
 it is given.  We do have more in common than we often recognize." His eyes=
 strayed past the lantern to note the way Drift knelt, and then rose to mee=
t the Samoyed's gaze. "But you shouldn't give up so soon on resolving issue=
s.  Nothing grieves Yahshua more than to see his children squabble."

 =

            Drift shrugged.  "This seems pretty amicable to me.  I'm here, =
aren't I?"  He got to his feet and brushed off his knee, his white fur almo=
st seeming to glow in the broad sweep of light cast by the slightly lensed =
glass of the lantern.  "Well, I won't keep you from your duties or your sle=
ep any longer," he said as he turned to go.  "Goodnight, priest."

 =

            Hough lowered the lamp, casting his face into the shadows that =
he might see better. "Master Snow?" His voice was curious, soft, and welcom=
ing as to a friend. "Why will you not join us?  Your friend Misha has been =
with us many times."

 =

            Drift paused, looking around, and his ears flicked with suppres=
sed irritation as his eye traveled through the Stations of the Yew, the pro=
cession of statues depicting Yahshua's path from the courts where he was co=
ndemned to death, to fulfilling that death on the yew.  His ears flicked mo=
st noticeably at the last station, and he quickly turned his attention to t=
he windows instead, which seemed to please him more, although his lips stil=
l tightened slightly at a few of them depicting the Virgin Mother.  "I'll t=
hink on it," he said finally.  "I have my own place for worship, but perhap=
s for special occasions."

 =

            Father Hough nodded and smiled in a way that must have set many=
 hearts at ease. "You are always welcome here, Master Snow.  I or one of my=
 acolytes will be happy to help in any way we can.  If you prefer, I will t=
ell my acolytes to fetch me when you come."

 =

            Drift half-turned, one ear flicking off to the side in mildly b=
affled curiosity, Hough's smile notwithstanding.  "I was thinking more alon=
g the lines of Yule or Easter than for  help."  He pondered for a moment, r=
unning his hand absently along the polished wood of the backmost pew.  "Sti=
ll, I appreciate the offer, and I'll consider it."

 =

            Hough nodded.  "Of course.  You must do as you feel the Spirit =
Most Holy directs.  We will be happy to have you join us during those most =
wonderful liturgies." He turned to the side and paused, his face lost in br=
ief thought when he saw by Drift's expression that his slightly grandiose c=
hoice of wording had not been as well received as he might have hoped.  Aft=
er a moment of grasping for a way to repair his small gaffe, he turned back=
 to the samoyed, believing he now had the right answer in mind. "Madog tell=
s me that you are very gifted in working with the lighter metals, and from =
this I see he is correct.  Perhaps you can aid us here.  One of our stanchi=
ons was damaged during the attack last Yule, and I have never had it repair=
ed.  Mayhap sometime you could inspect it?"

 =

            The apparent shrewdness of the remark was not lost on Drift aft=
er months of experience with his clever fiance, and his tail swished in amu=
sement.  Trying to bring me back with a little flattery, are you, since I'v=
e already declined your 'help'? he thought to himself.  Let's see what happ=
ens if I move up the time a little.  "Madog was being generous, as he usual=
ly is," he said modestly, leaning forward against the pew and supporting hi=
mself with his hands, and he couldn't quite keep a small smile from his fac=
e.  "I've got a few minutes to take a look now, if you'd like."

 =

            Hough smiled and lifted the lantern higher. "Follow me.  It's j=
ust this way." The priest turned toward the altar, where one of the candle =
stands beside it stood slightly askew, its top and bottom both bent.

 =

            Drift stood there for a moment, his mouth slightly open, feelin=
g like he had when Wolfram had grabbed his arm mid-punch during hand-to-han=
d combat practice the month before and thrown him into a wall.  Now, as he =
had then, he thought, wait that wasn't supposed to happen.  Only when Hough=
 turned to look for him did the samoyed jar back into motion.  "Coming" =


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