[Mkguild] Remembering a friend part 1

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

To understand the actions in this one I suggest you first Burying a Friend which you can find here:
http://metamorkeep.com/story/Burying_a_Friend.php


The story takes place right after Matt's story Bidding Farewell which you can find here:
http://metamorkeep.com/story/Bidding_Farewell.php



Chris
The Lurking Fox



 
Rememberinga Friend
byChristian OKane
 
  Misha had tried to keep the meeting small but it had quickly grown. Notall the Long Scouts were present. Aside from Misha and Caroline there wasFinbar and Danielle, Georgette, Kershaw, Jotham, Laura, Ralls., Meredith andAllart. Also present was Arla even though she had retired from the Longs. Itmade for a tight fit in Misha's office.
 
  Misha closed the door and turned to the group. "Thank you all forcoming," Misha said solemnly. "Charles has just given me someimportant information," he paused for a moment. "About Baldwin."
 
  A loud roar filled the room as everyone talked all at once.
 
  Misha held up both hands. "QUIET!"
 
  The noise subsided to a low buzz before finally stopping and silencefilled the room.
 
  "Charles told me this story and I'll repeat it as he told me."Talking in a clear, soft voice Misha described exactly the story Charles hadtold him.
 
  When he was finished there was a profound silence in the room. It wasfinally broken by Finbar muttering a curse in Lutin.
 
  "I thought we'd heard the last of him," Meredith muttered.
 
  "Some things refuse to stay buried," Arla commented.
 
  "I thought that by erasing him it would make it easier to deal withhis betrayal," Misha commented out loud. "We could just forgethim."
 
  "That didn't work," Georgette snapped.
 
  "No," Misha said. "No it didn't."
 
  "Good or bad he was one of us," Finbar said earnestly."We can't keep denying that. He existed. He laughed with us, sweated withus and he fought at our side. We trusted him with our lives."
 
  "And how did he repay that trust?"  Laura asked. "Betrayal." 
 
  "How do we treat him?" Meredith asked. "Baldwin didn'tdie honorably like Craig and Llyn. He died trying to kill everyone. He betrayedMetamor."
 
  "He did repent," Danielle said in a soft voice. "At theend."
 
  "I'm grateful for that," Laura added.
 
  "We all are," Caroline said, speaking for the first time.
 
  Misha sighed loudly. "He was no hero but he was one of us. Healways will be." The fox closed his eyes for a moment. "What I wantto know is why did he do it? Was I so bad a leader?"
 
  "No," Finbar responded forcefully. "You're a good leader.He was just a bad follower."
 
  "We all have our weaknesses," Kershaw commented. "Nasoj found Baldwin's and played on it."
 
  "He was a good soldier and a good Long scout," Misha said insoft tones. "But he just wasn't ready for command. Was I wrong?"
 
  Lisa shook her head. "Leading isn't easy. He wasn't ready to lead.A year or two more perhaps he would have been."
 
  Misha slowly nodded his head. "And there are only a dozen of us.How many leaders can we have?" He was quiet a moment. "He failed us. Ifailed him."
 
  "You didn't know what he was doing," Finbar commented.
 
  "I should have," Misha countered.  "It's part of being a leader. I shouldhave seen the warning signs."
 
  "So what do we do?" Danielle asked.
 
  "We do not honor him but we do remember him," Kershaw answeredsolemnly.
 
  "What?" Meredith asked.
 
  "How do we remember him and not honor him?" Finbar asked.
 
  "What do we tell people?" Caroline asked.
 
  "Tell the truth. Good and bad," Kershaw said slowly. "Andlet people decide for themselves."
 
  "What will his legacy to the Longs and history be?"
 
 
***************
 
 
  "Edmund!"
 
  The feline paladin stopped at the sound of his name. Turning in thedirection of the voice he saw Misha walking up to him.
 
  The fox stepped up to Edmund striding boldly. He suddenly stopped andseemed to hesitate. Misha turned his head away for a moment and stared at thewall. He took a deep breath and looked Edmund square in the face. "Rightafter Winter Assault you attended a funeral of one of the Longs."
 
  It took Edmund a few moments to remember it. Shortly after the WinterAssault he had stumbled upon a strange, silent procession making its waythrough empty corridors of the Keep. In it the Longs were all dressed in blackand bearing an unadorned coffin. They had placed the coffin in a fine, stonetomb but one bearing no name or inscription. The occupant of the coffin wasBaldwin who had once been a Long scout.
 
  Misha had not explained what had happened. The scout had simply calledBaldwin a traitor. The fox hadn't given him details and Edmund had not pressedfor any. He also remembered how Misha had ordered the bird 'forgotten'. Allrecords of him removed. All that remained of the dead traitor were whisperedrumors. "I do remember it."
 
  "We have decided," the fox said in a voice filled withemotion.  Edmund was unsure if thatemotion was pain, grief or anger. Perhaps a little bit of them all. "To rememberhim. You were there when we laid his body to rest. I thought it appropriate foryou to be there when we properly mark his tomb."
 
  Edmund nodded his head slowly.
 
  Misha relaxed noticeably. "Twelve noon in Long Hall," he saidin a whisper. "Thank you." And with that Misha turned and walked off.




End part 1

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