Post by earthwizard on Nov 7, 2009 16:49:46 GMT -8
Of my family, I only know my father, Aelar, and his mother, Chaedi. They told me many things, though. They told me of my grandfather, Carric, and some of my grandmother's siblings, who live with my her tribe. My father rarely spoke of my mother, so my grandmother told me of her. She was called Hena, and she was a human.
Chaedi told me she came to these Cainwyn forests years ago, traveling as an adolescent with her father, Markarian. He was a great warrior, Chaedi said. And that is also the way Hena remembered him, so it must be true. He was hired to protect some travelers along the roads and through the wilderness - and so he did. He fought off many predators and stayed awake at nights, watching over the others. He was a large man who kept a large dark beard.
Then the bandits came. Markarian fought bravely, but he was only one and there were many attackers. The travelers cowered and did not help him. Markarian was severely wounded. As it seemed, the bandits would kill him. But before they could strike a killing blow they were struck with fear from the resounding roar of a great bear. It strode forward without hesitation and roared again. The creature was the largest bear any there had seen, and it was ferocious. It had a large scar over its left eye, and the eye itself was fogged white and dead. The bandits fled in terror as the beast came forward.
Once they were gone, the travelers emerged from hiding in their wagons. They cautiously stepped out to attend to Markarian. The great bear simply stood at the side of the road, watching. Emboldened, the travelers began to debate among themselves. Their decision was made as they looked at the bruised and broken body of Markarian, barely holding on to life. They stripped him of his valuables, returned to their wagons and kicked Hena to the ditch. She protested in fury and tears, but they simply rode on, leaving her and her gravely wounded father on the road, having no use for them nor any ways to assist them. The bear remained.
Hena later told Chaedi of how the bear waited, expectantly, how she lifted her father's broken body, and how she carried him into the forest. "I will call you Nero," she said to the bear. "It means 'strong and vigorous'."
My father doesn't speak of her, but I learned from Chaedi that he met my mother that day, in the forest. He, Peren, and Thia had gone hunting when they came across a great ferocious bear. They noticed its odd behaviour and stalked the beast. Then they realized the bear was patrolling around a large tree, and they saw the two humans there. My father and the others rushed forward and rescued the humans. When they looked, the bear had gone. They brought Markarian and Henna back to the tribe, where they were cared for. Lucan, the elder, dissented and argued they should be left for the forest, he being distrustful of outsiders in general. I think this betrays his inherent bias against me.
Markarian and Hena were welcome to stay with the tribe. After Markarian had healed they decided to stay some time longer, he seeing that Hena and Aelar were falling in love. Months passed and it was decided that they marry. This pleased everyone, save Lucan. Years passed and Markarian grew old. Chaedi told me he would go for long walks in the forest. Sometimes he would be gone days. Sometimes he would return with great bruises, claiming he had wrestled with Nero. One day, a hunting party returned and told Markarian they had found his great bear, dead. They burned the body, and days later Markarian himself passed to the spirit realm. His body was burned as well.
. . . .
Chaedi told me my mother, Hena, died in labor. I never met her. My father, Aelar, doesn't speak of her.
When he sent me to the Witchlight Tree, he told me that on the day I was born he saw a vision. He held me in his arms, and in all his grief and joy, he stared long into the fire at night. He told me that in the flames he saw the face of a bear with a scar on its left eye staring back at him. The fire flared in various colors and blue lights descended upon me. That is why he chose the Witchlight Tree for my rite of passage.
I spent 4 days in the hollow of that great tree. I fed the fire and breathed its smoke. On the fourth day I saw great motes of light descend through the hollow trunk of the tree. As they gathered about I looked into the fire. The flames turned blue and a great spectral bear stepped out. His left eye was scarred and fogged. "Hello, Nero," I said.
I cannot tell you what he said to me, for a spirit quest is a private matter, but that is how I came to be in tune with the spirit world.
. . . .
Lucan was unhappy with my presence always, me being an embodiment of all he abhorred, and he was more unhappy to learn that I was chosen as a shaman among our tribe. In short, I served for several years, but now I travel, exiled from my tribe, from my father, from my grandmother and all my tribe brothers and sisters. That is why I now travel the world. Though, someday I will return to them. The story of my expulsion is another tale, for another evening, and another bottle of Eladrin wine.
Chaedi told me she came to these Cainwyn forests years ago, traveling as an adolescent with her father, Markarian. He was a great warrior, Chaedi said. And that is also the way Hena remembered him, so it must be true. He was hired to protect some travelers along the roads and through the wilderness - and so he did. He fought off many predators and stayed awake at nights, watching over the others. He was a large man who kept a large dark beard.
Then the bandits came. Markarian fought bravely, but he was only one and there were many attackers. The travelers cowered and did not help him. Markarian was severely wounded. As it seemed, the bandits would kill him. But before they could strike a killing blow they were struck with fear from the resounding roar of a great bear. It strode forward without hesitation and roared again. The creature was the largest bear any there had seen, and it was ferocious. It had a large scar over its left eye, and the eye itself was fogged white and dead. The bandits fled in terror as the beast came forward.
Once they were gone, the travelers emerged from hiding in their wagons. They cautiously stepped out to attend to Markarian. The great bear simply stood at the side of the road, watching. Emboldened, the travelers began to debate among themselves. Their decision was made as they looked at the bruised and broken body of Markarian, barely holding on to life. They stripped him of his valuables, returned to their wagons and kicked Hena to the ditch. She protested in fury and tears, but they simply rode on, leaving her and her gravely wounded father on the road, having no use for them nor any ways to assist them. The bear remained.
Hena later told Chaedi of how the bear waited, expectantly, how she lifted her father's broken body, and how she carried him into the forest. "I will call you Nero," she said to the bear. "It means 'strong and vigorous'."
My father doesn't speak of her, but I learned from Chaedi that he met my mother that day, in the forest. He, Peren, and Thia had gone hunting when they came across a great ferocious bear. They noticed its odd behaviour and stalked the beast. Then they realized the bear was patrolling around a large tree, and they saw the two humans there. My father and the others rushed forward and rescued the humans. When they looked, the bear had gone. They brought Markarian and Henna back to the tribe, where they were cared for. Lucan, the elder, dissented and argued they should be left for the forest, he being distrustful of outsiders in general. I think this betrays his inherent bias against me.
Markarian and Hena were welcome to stay with the tribe. After Markarian had healed they decided to stay some time longer, he seeing that Hena and Aelar were falling in love. Months passed and it was decided that they marry. This pleased everyone, save Lucan. Years passed and Markarian grew old. Chaedi told me he would go for long walks in the forest. Sometimes he would be gone days. Sometimes he would return with great bruises, claiming he had wrestled with Nero. One day, a hunting party returned and told Markarian they had found his great bear, dead. They burned the body, and days later Markarian himself passed to the spirit realm. His body was burned as well.
. . . .
Chaedi told me my mother, Hena, died in labor. I never met her. My father, Aelar, doesn't speak of her.
When he sent me to the Witchlight Tree, he told me that on the day I was born he saw a vision. He held me in his arms, and in all his grief and joy, he stared long into the fire at night. He told me that in the flames he saw the face of a bear with a scar on its left eye staring back at him. The fire flared in various colors and blue lights descended upon me. That is why he chose the Witchlight Tree for my rite of passage.
I spent 4 days in the hollow of that great tree. I fed the fire and breathed its smoke. On the fourth day I saw great motes of light descend through the hollow trunk of the tree. As they gathered about I looked into the fire. The flames turned blue and a great spectral bear stepped out. His left eye was scarred and fogged. "Hello, Nero," I said.
I cannot tell you what he said to me, for a spirit quest is a private matter, but that is how I came to be in tune with the spirit world.
. . . .
Lucan was unhappy with my presence always, me being an embodiment of all he abhorred, and he was more unhappy to learn that I was chosen as a shaman among our tribe. In short, I served for several years, but now I travel, exiled from my tribe, from my father, from my grandmother and all my tribe brothers and sisters. That is why I now travel the world. Though, someday I will return to them. The story of my expulsion is another tale, for another evening, and another bottle of Eladrin wine.
