A Winter Gathering

[The Herald]

A light snow fell on the open ground of the Clearing, gathering gently on the grass and on the tops of the trees that lined the hallowed circle. Only a ring of uncovered green at the middle lay untouched by the stuff, surrounding the wide, smooth stone that marked the center of the clearing - its surface as pleasantly warm as ever, even in the crisp cool of the early winter evening.

A ring of torches stood amidst the trees lining the outside of the clearing, unlit for now - that duty belonging to the Guardsmen and women who would soon be approaching through the woods under the cover of nightfall, carrying torches of their own to light the way from the city. The stout figure of Aldalonde's Herald sat cross-legged upon the center of the stone, waiting patiently for the arrivals which were sure to begin soon. Just moments before, he had summoned the winds to carry his strong dwarven voice far and wide to the ears of every member of the Guard, and the words still rang in his ear:

All you kindred of the Guard within reach of my voice, know that now is the time to gather within the Clearing. The season of change is upon the land, and so it is within the Guard. Tonight we welcome two new Pathfinders to the heart of the brotherhood, and three new Elders to the seats of its mind. Gather one and all to the Clearing, that we may welcome the new and celebrate the old. Stay and Nemesis, your presence is specifically requested, as is that of Romans, Laatho and Frosty.

[Petrus Aduro]

Hearing the call of the Herald, Petrus smiled to himself and marked his place in the book he had been reading. Pulling on his winter cloak, Petrus strode into the cool evening air.

A ball of fire in his hand, Petrus made his way to the clearing through the woods. The dancing shadows the trees cast as the light of the fire fell upon them made it seem like the ceremony had already begun and the trees themselves were dancing with joy.

As he finally reached the clearing Petrus saw he was the first one, but he could hear others not so far behind him. Directing the ball of fire to the torch closest to him, Petrus let it dissipate as the torch sputtered to life. Standing on the edge of the clearing, next to a torch, Petrus gave a nod to the Herald, and waited.

[Frosty Thundertrod]

Frosty approached the clearing a bit reluctantly he never has been he never like being the center of attention much rather to just hang back in the crowed some where, Frosty thought well I asked for this job and I got it can’t go complaining about it now.

Frosty was dressed in a blue wool sweater and buck skin pants. With a new pair of black leather boots. Accompanying frosty was his family and trusted friends. Hi adoptive mother Lawerna Crezen, His foster father Ringwe, His Brother Nafren Crezen, his Half brother Hertin Crezen, his teacher Tobis Sunderston. And of course his bear Crom. Frosty stood next to Petrus to decide to forgo one of his favored pass times, teasing Petrus for the time being.

[Laatho]

A flaming arrow strikes one of the torches, setting it ablaze. Laatho, clad in nothing but in green pants and a silver ring, walks into the clearing, bow in hand. Ancient feral marks cover his torso with black lines.

[Nevar Darkmoon]

Garbed for winter in sage green leathers, and a wool lined cloak of light grey, a ranger steps into the ring of torch light.

Seating with back against a tree, the ranger tosses the rune sticks he always carries onto a corner of his cloak pulled beneath him.... and waits.

[Romans DeMalum]

Romans arrives.

[Wolvyn]

Looking out across the snow covered fields, Wolfhart turns once to survey the farm that he has worked for the past almost six years. Nodding to himself he picks up the small hammer and a single nail from the table besides the door. Pulling a single piece of parchment from the satchel he carries he quickly fastens it to the door~frame and hangs a stout cast iron key upon the nail over the piece of parchment.

the note reads whosoever takes this key is welcome to the farm, you will find all tools that are needed to maintain it within the barn.
~Wolfhart~

The tall aelf raises his hood then changes into the form of a grey timberwolf and races down the path towards his brothers smithy hoping that they have not started to the clearing before he arrives.

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Deep in the heart of the glades another aelf, this one without sanity tattoo's, finishes putting a few small pouches into his satchel and turns to walk from the elders camp for Wolvyn must hurry to meet his packmates at the smithy, for knowing them.. the will be the last to arrive there.

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In the woods an old human ranger Zarward is running towards fair Aldalonde, his quiver full upon his back, scimitar against his left hip long bow in hand. A tree comes out of nowhere and trips him, he falls spilling his arrows across the forest floor; one of the arrows comes to rest against the brown buckskin boots of Samanthia who laughs as her twin brothers clumbsiness.

"Zar, you can sneak up on almost anyone yet you can even run through the woods tonight?"

The ranger laughs "if you hadn't moved that tree I would have been fine sister."

Smiling the ageless druidless twirls her staffs in her unlined hands as she waits for her brother to pick up the arrows he spills. Once he has done so she places her empty hand upon his shoulder. A soft green light plys over the two of them. They shimmer and transform into a pair of grey wolfs and take off running towards the smithy.

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In the Smithy a dwarf finishes racking his tools and looks around his forge one last time in what he thinks will be a few seasons, he folds his red-dragonhide apron and lays it upon the anvil.

Walking over to the far side of the smithy in an empty corner he twirls his right wrist a couple times and a tall wardrobe appears. Sighing for he had thought that he no longer had need of his battle armor, but knowing that where his pack goes he will follow and he may have need of it before too long. He don's his stout red-dragonhide boots, fastens on the mithril greaves, pulls the mithril chain over his shoulders, slides the Pauldron's over his arms. He then fastens the dragonscale coated in mithril Cuirass over his chest, leaving his shoulder blades free. His Gorget of silver he fastens around his neck, pulling the Cervelliere onto his head snuggly.

He then fastens his many weapons onto him, His claymore over his left shoulder, the dwarven battleaxe over his right shoulder, both hilts up. The Multi-hued warhammer he hangs on his left hip and slings over his shoulder the horn he took from the Kobolds many moons ago, upon another world. He then grabs red-dragonhide cloak and fastens it onto the Cuirass. He then grabs a silver dagger and attaches it to his right hip.

Next he grabs the great helm that he created from the red dragon that tried to attack halisford crossing unsuccessfully so many moons ago when his Travels took him to Midkemia.

Strapping the Mithril and copper coated dragonscale shield onto his left arm he leaves the wardrobe open and walks outside of the Smithy.

When he steps outside he sees five grey wolves sitting there waiting for him. One of which growles softly and jumps up to nip at his long golden beard.

"Luna, ya always were the playfull one. Lets go going ya silly pup's; Saranis and Maeglin said they would meet us near the clearing."

Klokk then turns and closes the door the smithy firmly, but does not lock it.

"This is a dark night, my poor eyes cant see so well. By ixen vur xarzith show us the path."

From his Pauldron's two long curved mithril bars appear to grow so they are almost touching above his helm, one bursts forth into a bright hot flame, the other shines forth with a bluish purple coldflame.

"Ahh much better he says."

The tall dwarf starts walking towards the clearing knowing the pack of wolves will probally follow him there.

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As the strange pack sets forth towards the clearing they are joined by a human knight in brown buckskins riding a mighty warhorse with a deadly looking longbow strapped to his back a dozen or so quiver strapped to every conceavable place upon of the warhorse. He nods and falls into place behind the tall dwarf. The small pack of wolves run in circles around the warhorse playing tag.

Just before they get to the clearing an elf in brightly burnish scale mail with a longbow in hand raises the bow in greeting and falls in-step beside Saranis's warhorse.

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Finally after what seems an hour the pack approaches the Clearing.

Of the wolves, Zarward, Samanthia and Wolfhart resume thier humanoid forms and take their places near unlit torches around the Clearing. Luna follows another grey wolf towards the center where the Herald is standing.

Saranis and Maeglin also step up to unlit torches, helping to fill in the borders of the clearing.

Klokk rises his empty right hand, spreading his fingers he says "Ixen" from the coldflame still burning above his head dark blue darts shoot forth to strike the unlit torches infront of the six of them.

The larger grey wolf, of the two beside the Herald shifts back into his halfelven form. Bowing his head onces towards the herald he reaches up and pulls of the six braided cord of eldership over his head and shoulder, placing it upon the outstreached hands of the old dwarf he smiles. Bowing once more he turns to walk towards the outskirts of the clearing beside an unlit torch. Pulling the torch from the ground walks over to Nevar's Torch and lights his driving it back into the ground he pulls out from his pack a green sages cloak and fastens it around his neck. Luna remains curled up near the herald.

[Stay]

With much noise and ado Stay pushes himself through the trees and into the clearing. Squinting at the torches while his vision adjusts he whispers " I'll be pulling sap outta me fur for days...".

Scratching his neck free of leaves he stands and waits.

[Nemesis]

((OOC: Sorry it's taken me this long to respond here. I was out of town for Christmas and didn't have access to a computer. ))

The winter night was like a Vampire. The wind was her voice, low and seductive, whispering through the trees. The snow and cold were her fangs, cutting through the solitary rangers heavy cloak as he stood in darkness, looking out upon the impressive gathering before him.

He had considered shifting to arrive here sooner, but decided against it. He wanted his thoughts clear as the decision that was now before him was one of the most important he would make.

For so long he had been alone. A solitary avenger relentlessly looking for those that had taken his wife from him these 5 long winters past. In that time, he had forgotten what it felt like to have friends. People that he could rely on and that relied on him in return.

But more importantly, the Ranger had forgotten what it was like to have hope. Life had become the hunt, everything else had become secondary. Comfort, warmth, companionship...all had been discarded. Nothing could be allowed to pull his focus. Or so he thought.

The people that now gathered before him had made him reconsider.

Did he honor his wife by what he had become? By what he had done? If she were with him now would she be proud of the man that he now was?

As he considered his next step, either towards the warmth of the clearing and friends or back into the cold, solitary shadows he caught the look of a woman standing just outside the glow of the fire. Her blue eyes burned into his and the smile that she graced him with broke his heart.

"Talis..." he whispered.

She gave him a slight, playful nod and beckoned to him, the blue-white light that seemed to surround her was almost as beautiful as she was.

She reached her hand out to him, but still he hesitated to step forward and grasp it. Everything in him wanted to hold her hand and let her lead him wherever she wanted, but he held back.

"It will be ok, my Love." she seemed to say in his head.

Still he held back.

"Baby, take my hand. It's time to live....live for both of us"

He looked past her into the clearing and saw the Guard there, together. The strength of their bond filling the clearing with its silent power of friendship and family.

He blinked tears away and looked back at the spot where his wife had stood, now empty. His heart. His love. His redemption.

And then stepped into the clearing.

[Voronwe Eldalom]

Perched in some branches just outside the open clearing, Voronwe had sat in contemplation as he watched his friends and family gather to the sacred spot. How many times had he witnessed this sight over the years? And how was it that each time, the same sense of pride and hope washed over him, unabated? If anything, such feelings had only grown deeper and more complex with the years.

It wasn't long before Voronwe caught himself pondering the evening away, lost in thought as elves tend to be. With a shake of his head, the ranger leapt down from his branch and slipped quietly into the clearing, taking his place alongside the others in the circle.

[The Herald]

Satisfied that the evening's guests of honor had all arrived, the Herald raised himself from his sitting lotus position, tapped his staff upon the stone, and looked about the gathered kindred. In a resonating voice, he spoke, "Now is the time of welcoming! Brothers Stay and Nemesis, please approach the stone when you are ready."

[Stay]

Looking around at all the faces Stay steps toward the Herald. No longer needing to be prepared for threats to his self Stay looked to grow even taller as he relaxed amongst friends. With tail swishing at his legs Stay bows slightly to the Herald, and for the first time in ages looks forward to the future.

[Stay]

Looking around again Stay gets to his feet "Sorry". He runs into the bushes and returns a few minutes later. "Couldn't hold it anymore." Blushing and doing up his fly he returns his attention to the herald....

[Romans DeMalum]

Sorry. Not sure what happened to the Herald. Let me finish it up for him. Over the teeth and through the gums, look out Proper, here they come. Welcome Stay and Nem to Proper.

[Stay]

Woot! lol