Monday, February 17, 2014
Snowy Mountain Side
Goddard snuggles with Aara and chuckles. "It's not like I need to keep a huge armored bear from eating us every so often. But it's fine for now. Arha will let me know when I have to sweet talk Pooh again and sadly, I'll have to move then." He yawns. "But until that time, I'll relax right here by the fire with you..."
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She's quiet for a while, laying her head on his chest and listening to his breathing. Curling his cloak around them, she speaks, changing her voice for each person in the story. "There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he were not the son of Mustapha the tailor.
ReplyDelete"He said yes, and the man, who was a famous magician, fell on his neck and kissed him, telling him: "I am your uncle, and knew you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I am coming."
"Aladdin ran home, and told his mother of his newly found uncle. "Yes, son, your father had a brother, but I always thought he was dead."
"She prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit, bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him before, as he had been forty years out of the country. He then turned to Aladdin, and asked him his trade, but the boy hung his head, while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle and would learn no skills, he offered to take a shop for him and stock it with merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes, and took him all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought him home at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son so fine.
"Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a long way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain, and the magician pulled a cake from his packand shared it with Aladdin. They traveled on till they almost reached the mountains. Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back, but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories, and led him on.
"At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow valley. "We will go no farther," said the uncle. "I will show you something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a fire."
"When it was lit the magician threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a little and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him down.
"What have I done, uncle?" he said piteously, and the magician said gently: "Do not be afraid, but obey me. Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch it, so you must do exactly as I tell you."
Goddard listens and chuckles, tossing in the occasional smart ass comment. "This kid sounds like a bum."
ReplyDelete"Never trust a magician," he flashes a big toothy grin and laughs.
Aara rolls her eyes and continues with her story. "At the word treasure, Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring as he was told, saying the names of his father and grandfather. The stone came up quite easily and some steps appeared.
ReplyDelete"Go down," said the magician; "at the foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me." He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him to be quick.
"Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some fruit off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the cave. "Hurry and give me the lamp," the magician shouted. But Aladdin refused until he was out of the cave. The magician grew angry, and threw some more powder on the fire, and the stone rolled back into its place.
"The magician left Araby forever, proving he was no uncle but instead a cunning magician who had read in his magic books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most powerful man in the world. Though only he knew where to find it, his magic would not allow him to take it from the place on his own. He had picked out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the lamp and kill him afterwards."
"Aladdin stayed trapped in the cave, despairing and wishing he had learned a trade as his father and mother had wanted, until the end of his life some few days later."
She pauses, brow wrinkled. "That may not have been the story I thought it was..."
"That's it?" Goddard asks disappointed. "This kid dies in the cave?"
ReplyDeleteShe shrugs. "I guess so. Not all of our stories have happy endings, Goddard. Ustadh always said it was useless to believe in fairy stories."
ReplyDelete"Oh I know that...but with your optimistic outlook on our own quest, I'd think you'd tell me something to boost my pessimism," he laughs then sighs. "Most of the fairy tales they tell children in Altdorf are dark and scary. You tell them witches will eat them or druchii will kidnap them and they stop misbehaving." Goddard chuckles at the thought of scaring the terrible children that ran around the city of Altdorf, kicking the bottom of his scythe because one child dared another to tempt death.
ReplyDelete"I have to be optimistic. If not, why bother even trying? I'm not sure I know many happy stories," she laughs.
ReplyDelete"I have one," Goddard says.
ReplyDelete"A long time ago, in a land far away, there was a young prince. A curse was placed upon him by a vengeful deity upon his birth but he grew and tried to overcome it through the years. He was skilled at everything he did. He always tried his best to impress his parents, but they paid no mind to him. The other children of the town spoke ill of him and no one in the town showed him any kindness. He was a very sad and lonely prince."
"One day, he happened upon his parents talking about him. The young prince was excited at first but his joy soon turned to fear as he realized they were discussing his death. In that instant, he decided to run away. His own parents were against him and no one in the town liked him anyway. He sneaked aboard a trading ship, hoping to find a new place to live."
"While out at sea, a terrible storm hit and tossed the ship through the waves, destroying it. The sweet young prince sank into the sea, wondering what it was he had done to deserve such an ending to his short life. No matter what he had tried, he couldn't escape heartache and death."
"The next thing the young prince knows, he's awake and alive, carried across the beach in the arms of a shepherd. He tells the prince that he's safe and alive. 'But I am cursed. You may end up cursed as well. No one wanted me around because of it.' The shepherd smiles. 'Aren't we all cursed? Everyone has their own hardships. Instead of being cruel to one another, we should be kind.' The young prince was filled with so much joy. This was the first time someone showed him any kindness. His curse and the curse upon the shepherd were lifted and they both were happy and dedicated their lives to helping lift curses from others. Happy ending!"
Goddard scratches the back of his head and laughs. "Not a very good story but it has a happy ending, right?"
She grins and runs a finger along his jaw, remembering when it was bone instead of flesh. "It's a very good story. Then the prince joins up with a thief and a witch and all manner of strange creatures to fight evil, and they all live happily ever after, right?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard's face turns bright pink. "No such thing happens!" he huffs. "They take care of sheep and help people...witches...bah! Magic tends to ruin a nice happy story...and thieves? That isn't very...princely company to keep!"
ReplyDeleteAara bites her lip. He's right, a thief isn't proper company for a prince. And yet, here we are. "But what if the thief steals his heart with a single glance and refuses to give it back?" she asks, grinning.
ReplyDeleteGoddard watches her face carefully and smiles before kissing her suddenly on the nose. "Lecai...I am no prince," he laughs then looks down at his chest, patting it some. "I don't have a hole in my chest yet...so I can only assume it's still in there."
ReplyDeleteShe rolls her eyes at him. "Oh no, you aren't a prince, you're just a lord," she laughs, running her fingers over a patch of yellow embroidery on his sleeve. "You know, we haven't done this in a long time," she murmurs, reading over the letters with a smile.
ReplyDeleteHe frowns. "I'm not a lord. I'm a dusty old wizard who can do nothing but parlor tricks." He tries to hold his frown but can't and he soon smiles. "Done what? Tell stories?"
ReplyDelete"No," she says, pointing to the letters. It's a bright spot amid lots of browns and white. "Danced. Do you remember when we danced in the snow with Eglanor, when we were at the Autarii Tower?" She laughs. "That was the day you showed me your tail, too!"
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "Yes I remember." He moves very close to her ear. "Remember when I said there was a ghost on the ship...I was using my tail...and the ice witch believed me?"
ReplyDeleteShe smirks. "Yes, and I remember you using that tail on me when we mucked out the horses' stalls."
ReplyDeleteHe leans back, smiling. "I couldn't help myself...but her reaction was funny." He stretches and yawns before closing his eyes. "I was such a terrible asur. Have I become better or worse?"
ReplyDeleteAara yawns and nuzzles his neck. "Better," she murmurs. She sighs and unfolds herself from his lap and stands. "We should get out of the snow and get some rest."
ReplyDelete"I have to stay by the bear," he mumbles and motions with his head toward Pooh, who is standing very close by. "What I wear on the outside is from Naggaroth. I'll be fine. You go rest somewhere more comfortable."
ReplyDelete"Stay warm, nuur'eni," she yawns, kissing him. "I'll be in my tent if you get bored."
ReplyDeleteHe nods and smiles then pulls his hood over his head. "You know when to wake me up Arha," Goddard mumbles before he begins to drift to sleep.
ReplyDeleteYes Master.
Arha wakes Goddard up at the appropriate times during the night and he sleepily walks over to the huge bear and scratches it's chin, feeding it some sugar and whispering familiar words to it.
It's nit quite dawn when Aara wakes, the cold an unwanted but familiar ache in her muscles. She stretches and tries to drive her typical nightmares from memory. After pinning her veil in place, she leaves her tent and builds up the fire before starting on her morning routine with her daggers.
ReplyDeleteKatarina awakes with a start in her tent. A little confused as to how she got there, but hazy memories return. Zor-grat gently picking her up, seeing Aara and Goddard curled up by the fire, a sweet peace centered around the camp that evening.
ReplyDeletePulling the hair from her face, she shakes her head trying to clear it. She sees the sun's light rising, meaning she awoke from the nightmare again at dawn. Quickly bundling up, she steps out from the tent into the chill air and the new fallen snow.
Seeing Aara practicing, she gives a wave of greeting. Settling down on a log, she closes her eyes and begins to channel along the ley lines to feel Kislev's touch.
Goddard is leaning against a log, sitting by the still crackling fire and the bear that are a bit away from the main camp site. He appears to be still sleeping, a thin layer of fresh, undisturbed snow covers him. He is actually awake and watching Aara and Katarina by the other fire.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few minutes of meditation, Katarina bends foward and uses her mittened hands to gather up some snow. Compacting it into a ball, she holds it for a minute with her eyes still closed. Carefully, she turns and places it on the log next to her. She repeats the process twice more.
ReplyDeleteMuscles warm and loose, Aara sheaths one of her knives and walks over to Goddard. Straddling him, she laughs softly and uses the blade to lift the edge of his hood.
ReplyDelete"Wakey wakey nuur'eni," she says in a sing song voice.
He looks up at Aara with his mismatched eyes. He doesn't look sleepy at all and has obviously been awake for a while. "Guten Morgen Sonnenschein," he says softly with a smile. "What is the witch planning?" he asks, looking past Aara, remaining still.
ReplyDeleteShe grins and greets him in Arabyan. "Nothing so fun as what I am," she snickers, sheathing the dagger. "But I imagine it's ice witch something or other." She dusts the snow off him gently as she talks.
ReplyDeleteGoddard raises a brow. "It's much too early for planning...you're both crazy...but...what are you planning?" he grins.
ReplyDeleteKatarina begins to move again slowly making two more snowballs and places them next to the others. The new ones are different though, one is half the size of the first three. The other is twice the size of the first three.
ReplyDeleteThe ice witch picks up one of the first snowballs and scrapes off some of the snow into one hand. She then adds that snow to another snowball. After a minute, she organizes the snowballs into size order starting with the half sized ones.
She leans in closer until her veil brushes against his ear. "I'm always planning new and wonderful ways to use my daggers on you," she murmurs playfully.
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ReplyDeleteStanding, Katarina's eyes open. A faint blue glow comes from them.
ReplyDeleteShe walks over to the fire nearest Goddard and Aara. She bends down, using a stick to push ash to the side. Removing her mittens, she carefully scoops up a handful and walks back to her spot.
Using her little finger, she adds two little grayish black lines to the second smallest snowball. Then using the rest of the ash in her hand, she covers half of the second largest snowball. Placing both back in their correct size order. She dusts her hands off, pulls on her mittens, and then sits down with eyes closed again.
Slowly, she begins to move her hand over each of the snowballs in turn muttering something in Kislevarian. Goddard can feel a slight movement of the Winds as she channels. She returns her hand to above the smallest and says "Theo".
Aara raises an eyebrow when Katarina scoops up some of the hot ashes. What's she doing? Turning, she settles into Goddard's lap and watches the witch.
ReplyDelete"Some days I'm very glad I'm just a thief," she whispers to him. "Because you two do some crazy things."
Katarina frowns for a second after saying Theo's name, then she smiles and giggles. Moving her hand to the snowball with the two small black lines almost like eyes, she says "Aara."
ReplyDelete"I do not do crazy things?" Goddard says feigning offense. "The things I do are perfectly reasonable. But her..." he points toward Katarina. "She does crazy things..."
ReplyDeleteShe looks over her shoulder at him with an eyebrow raised. "You don't do crazy things?" she echoes. "You're cute, hyati."
ReplyDeleteShaking her head, Katarina sighs loudly and moves her hand from the Aara snowball. A few seconds over the middle one, she picks it up and crushes it until it is powder snow. Tossing the snow into the air over the snowballs, she moves back to the one half covered in ash. "Goddard." she says, then promptly frowns.
ReplyDelete"No..." he says a bit defensively and looks up at the sky. "Name one instance I did something crazy...and it has to be something as crazy as the ice witch."
ReplyDeleteGoddard pokes Aara in her side and snickers. "If anything, you are the most crazy."
Aara wiggles in his lap. "I am not crazy. I have a bad temper."
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ReplyDeleteKatarina picks up the Goddard snowball and walks over to the fire. She begins speaking in Kislevarian loud enough for Aara and Goddard to hear, but her voice sounds odd. It seems harsher and almost as if two voices are speaking together. She, who is trapped in the the crystal prison, will be awakened by the kiss of the one touched by Chaos. His sacrifice allows her to fulfill her destiny, to save this world from destruction by Chaos.
ReplyDeleteAt that she holds out the snowball, with looks to have ash hair and cloak then drops the snowball into the fire. She stands there, eyes unseeing and glowing faintly blue for a minute. The glow fades and Katarina stumbles a little as if waking up.
Looking around she sees Aara and Goddard sitting there. She bites her lip and gives them a sheepish look. "I'm not sure of what just happened, there were flashes of things. What did I just do?"
Aara shifts a little uncomfortably, accidentally putting her elbow in Goddard's stomach. "Well...um...Kasha...You made snowballs with our names and then you threw Goddard's in the fire with some really strange chanting. Something about kissing Chaos and his sacrifice. It didn't sound too pleasant."
ReplyDeleteGoddard stares at Katarinina, wide eyed and asks flatly, "Did...did you just kill snow us?"
ReplyDeleteAara looks over his shoulder. "Really, nuur'eni...she just killed snow you."
ReplyDelete"Lecai...I thought we were a team..." he huffs.
ReplyDeleteAara snickers and toys with his hand, testing the sharp tip of his claws. "We are, nuur'eni."
ReplyDelete"Killed snow you?" She looks around and spies the snowballs on the log.
ReplyDelete"That's interesting... there's a half size one, a really big one, and one with... are those eyes? Did I make one with pointy ears?"
"Sort of?" Aara offers. "It had hair like his."
ReplyDelete"It's starts with me," Goddard whispers into Aara's ear. "And then...she'll kill the rest of you...snow you...something like that..."
ReplyDelete"So I made a little snowball with his hair and then dumped him into the fire after saying something about kissing Chaos."
ReplyDelete"As long as it's not us us, she can kill all the snowballs she wants," she whispers back. Looking back to Katarina, she nods. "That's right."
ReplyDeleteKatarina sits down and scrunches her face in concentration. "Anything else? Just the Goddard kissing an evil god?"
ReplyDelete"It starts with snowballs," Goddard whispers. "Then when snow murder isn't enough, she'll move onto us..."
ReplyDeleteAara thinks a moment. "It wasn't Goddard kissing an evil god...I think it was you. Something about a crystal prison and kissing someone marked by Chaos and fulfilling her destiny." Looking over her shoulder, she bats her lashes at him. "I'll protect you from the big bad girl," she says sweetly.
ReplyDelete"Wait what? That can't be right. Sounds like this silly little legend they tell in Praag as gimmick. Supposedly there's a girl trapped in a crystal prison who is asleep, she is destined to defeat Chaos so the four trap her. A warrior touched by Chaos is supposed to free her with a kiss so she can save the world.
ReplyDelete"Or something like that, its an old tale after all. But people believe that she is hidden in Praag. So people will pay a girl to lay in a glass box and men line up to pay to kiss her."
She rolls her eyes. "Me kissing Goddard, to save the world... hardly likely. Though it sounds like something he would claim."
"Wait..." Goddard's ears perk up. "You're telling me...there was a girl in Praag I could have kissed without some husband or some significant other getting moody and trying to kill me? Why didn't this come up sooner!"
ReplyDeleteAara shifts and jabs a well-placed elbow in his stomach. "Don't even think about about it," she tells him, narrowing her eyes.
ReplyDeleteKatrina looks at Goddard , then looks at Aara, then back to him as if waiting for him to be hit.
ReplyDelete"If you want to stand in line with half the men of Praag to kiss a passed out drunk girl... then yes?"
"Ow," Goddard whines. "Shall I find you a hairy man in a glass box lecai?" he asks with a laugh. He then looks at Katarina and frowns. "I guess I could do that for free in Altdorf and take the chance with a jealous man..."
ReplyDeleteAara crosses her arms and scowls at him. "I think we've already determined that men in Altdorf already like me," she huffs. "I don't have to wait till they pass out."
ReplyDelete"It was just a suggestion to stick with the theme..." he shrugs, grinning.
ReplyDeleteKatarina rolls her eyes at Goddard again. "I recall that happening else where."
ReplyDelete" I wouldn't worry about much of anything that happened. I was trying to read the flow of ice magic around us, but its difficult with all this distortion." she adds waving her hand around as if shooing away insects.
Aara shrugs and stands, shooting Goddard a not quite dirty look to hide her amusement. "All the same, it was strange." She starts breaking down her tent, folding and rolling her blankets, fur, and tent to fit into her backpack.
ReplyDeleteKatarina shrugs "Magic is weird at times. I bet Goddard has done crazy thing too."
ReplyDeleteMoving back to the log, she picks up the Aara and Theo snowballs and places them smallest to largest on top of the Zor-grat. "At least there's a little snowman out of it." she says turning back to her tent with a smile.