~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When will you understand that you cannot outrun me?" she muttered to herself, as branches and leaves whipped at her face in her haste.
No further than 30 feet away she would see the flashes of blue and purple weave in and out of clumps of dulling greens. Every day her necklace pulsed more strongly, more rapidly, but she didn't need it now. The sun was just beginning to peek out of the horizon. Rest was near.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tell me, how did a man of Sandor become a man of the Empire?" Vaughn queried his younger traveling companion.
"Isn't that one in the same?" Keubroc half-smiled. "Is not loyalty to Sandor not dissimilar to loyalty to one's own arm, and by that same token, loyalty to Yibouh to loyalty to one's own body. We may not choose the time and place of our birth, but we can recognize who, or what made them possible."
Vaughn peered at the City Enforcer as he stuffed his bedroll into his linen rucksack. It was the most he had heard the man speak of himself. And while discretion was a desirable trait for a bei'thal, Vaughn wanted to know everything of a man who might become his next apprentice. "Ah," he smiled, "So you are a second son then?"
"Yes," Keubroc chuckled in reply, "Or rather, a fourth son. It is not a much better prospect for nobility. Before I renounced my ties to join the City Enforcers I was of House Mecmae."
(NOTE: I wrote this as part of Keubroc's conversation with Vaughn but the fact is he'd probably not go into this much detail without being very prodded. Will save this as character background for future interactions - add this to comments section: My eldest brother gave his dutiful 16 tides before he returned to be groomed for lordship, same for the my second brother when he was killed in a hunting accident. My sister stuck around for an extra four tides to hone her skills in mechanics and design before returning to Veradern to marry into House Kep'hla.)
"Paper manufacturing?"
"You understand a little Sandoran?"
"It sounds similar to the Eirdren word 'meihmai'. It was a guess." Vaughn admitted casually.
"Then stick to your instincts, for that is precisely the trade that brought nobility and wealth to my family over the years. Like the rest of my siblings, I was sent to the City of the Crags not long after I learned how to run.
"My siblings all eventually returned home, one way or another, but Pho-Boteth is a difficult place to draw oneself away from."
"Indeed it is." Vaughn nodded in agreement.
"It seemed a natural fit. I've also got few skills beyond that of a sword." He added with a self-depreciating smile, "I never did finish my 16th tide of study as I rushed off to join just after Cold-Tide celebrations naming me 25."
"Just a boy in the world." Vaughn bei'thal noted. "To be 25 tides again and see the world in front of you as one huge adventure."
Keubroc laughed defensively, "No, not me my lord. Young though I was, I took my duties seriously. Too seriously for some I suspect." All packed up, Vaughn pointed the way which the purple trail had manifested itself the previous night and the two began their trek anew.
"I have been told you are a stern man, but I'm glad to see you at least know how to laugh. You and I, each in our different positions, don't just defend the bodies and property of the Empire. We defend her smiles and her art. Empire is more than just tracts of land. It is culture and shared history. We are guardians of that.
"I think you can do more with us, the bei'thal, than under the Wuob at the Augur." Vaughn coughed, a slight chill finally passing as the exertion of the hike began to warm him up. "To be honest, your talents may be wasted under such a man."
"I have thought in great detail of your offer. Indeed I've thought of little else." Keubroc replied dutifully. "It is quite intriguing, and I am inclined to accept."
Vaughn looked back at the stout Sandoran man. "You have reservations?"
"None my lord."
"Then when we are finished here, you will report to the University on High. Take a few days there first to relax and enjoy all that made you love Pho-Boteth the first time. After that, seek out Roh'ath rduap. I will return to Eirdred with news of your transfer. Welcome to the world of the bei'thal. I look forward to your progress."
"Thank you."
The two continued until the sun had climbed high enough to overtake the sad pale face of the daytime Major Moon, though they did so in silence. Though they had started out with Vaughn pointing the way, whatever magic the art of the bei had helped him accomplish had faded before their breakfasts had been fully digested and Keubroc had to be relied upon for his more traditional tracing methods.
Although Vaughn bei'thal did not miss a step and followed the younger man easily, Keubroc could sense a weariness from him that he had not had in the days prior. His breathing was just slightly more labored. His stride just slightly more rigid. Keubroc did not know when the bei'thal would be back up to normal, but he was beginning to understand why the ritual he had performed could not have been performed every night.
So tired was the bei'thal that when Keubroc stopped in his tracks suddenly, he nearly crashed into the man.
Keubroc turned to Vaughn and covered his lips with his fingers, indicating a need for silence. With the melody of woodswalking footsteps removed from their ears, suddenly the two could hear a diverse harmony of woodpecker chirps, goshawk caws and the scurries of ground dwelling rodents. They also heard for the first time the slight hacks and coughs of an unknown in the distance.
Vaughn pointed to the nüdwuob's armor and motioned his thumb away and Keubroc easily understood the gesture. Carefully, they both removed their plates of armor and lowered their rucksacks to the ground. Padded leather and a solitary blade make for less noise than steel and straps.
"When will you understand that you cannot outrun me?" she muttered to herself, as branches and leaves whipped at her face in her haste.
No further than 30 feet away she would see the flashes of blue and purple weave in and out of clumps of dulling greens. Every day her necklace pulsed more strongly, more rapidly, but she didn't need it now. The sun was just beginning to peek out of the horizon. Rest was near.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Tell me, how did a man of Sandor become a man of the Empire?" Vaughn queried his younger traveling companion.
"Isn't that one in the same?" Keubroc half-smiled. "Is not loyalty to Sandor not dissimilar to loyalty to one's own arm, and by that same token, loyalty to Yibouh to loyalty to one's own body. We may not choose the time and place of our birth, but we can recognize who, or what made them possible."
Vaughn peered at the City Enforcer as he stuffed his bedroll into his linen rucksack. It was the most he had heard the man speak of himself. And while discretion was a desirable trait for a bei'thal, Vaughn wanted to know everything of a man who might become his next apprentice. "Ah," he smiled, "So you are a second son then?"
"Yes," Keubroc chuckled in reply, "Or rather, a fourth son. It is not a much better prospect for nobility. Before I renounced my ties to join the City Enforcers I was of House Mecmae."
(NOTE: I wrote this as part of Keubroc's conversation with Vaughn but the fact is he'd probably not go into this much detail without being very prodded. Will save this as character background for future interactions - add this to comments section: My eldest brother gave his dutiful 16 tides before he returned to be groomed for lordship, same for the my second brother when he was killed in a hunting accident. My sister stuck around for an extra four tides to hone her skills in mechanics and design before returning to Veradern to marry into House Kep'hla.)
"Paper manufacturing?"
"You understand a little Sandoran?"
"It sounds similar to the Eirdren word 'meihmai'. It was a guess." Vaughn admitted casually.
"Then stick to your instincts, for that is precisely the trade that brought nobility and wealth to my family over the years. Like the rest of my siblings, I was sent to the City of the Crags not long after I learned how to run.
"My siblings all eventually returned home, one way or another, but Pho-Boteth is a difficult place to draw oneself away from."
"Indeed it is." Vaughn nodded in agreement.
"It seemed a natural fit. I've also got few skills beyond that of a sword." He added with a self-depreciating smile, "I never did finish my 16th tide of study as I rushed off to join just after Cold-Tide celebrations naming me 25."
"Just a boy in the world." Vaughn bei'thal noted. "To be 25 tides again and see the world in front of you as one huge adventure."
Keubroc laughed defensively, "No, not me my lord. Young though I was, I took my duties seriously. Too seriously for some I suspect." All packed up, Vaughn pointed the way which the purple trail had manifested itself the previous night and the two began their trek anew.
"I have been told you are a stern man, but I'm glad to see you at least know how to laugh. You and I, each in our different positions, don't just defend the bodies and property of the Empire. We defend her smiles and her art. Empire is more than just tracts of land. It is culture and shared history. We are guardians of that.
"I think you can do more with us, the bei'thal, than under the Wuob at the Augur." Vaughn coughed, a slight chill finally passing as the exertion of the hike began to warm him up. "To be honest, your talents may be wasted under such a man."
"I have thought in great detail of your offer. Indeed I've thought of little else." Keubroc replied dutifully. "It is quite intriguing, and I am inclined to accept."
Vaughn looked back at the stout Sandoran man. "You have reservations?"
"None my lord."
"Then when we are finished here, you will report to the University on High. Take a few days there first to relax and enjoy all that made you love Pho-Boteth the first time. After that, seek out Roh'ath rduap. I will return to Eirdred with news of your transfer. Welcome to the world of the bei'thal. I look forward to your progress."
"Thank you."
The two continued until the sun had climbed high enough to overtake the sad pale face of the daytime Major Moon, though they did so in silence. Though they had started out with Vaughn pointing the way, whatever magic the art of the bei had helped him accomplish had faded before their breakfasts had been fully digested and Keubroc had to be relied upon for his more traditional tracing methods.
Although Vaughn bei'thal did not miss a step and followed the younger man easily, Keubroc could sense a weariness from him that he had not had in the days prior. His breathing was just slightly more labored. His stride just slightly more rigid. Keubroc did not know when the bei'thal would be back up to normal, but he was beginning to understand why the ritual he had performed could not have been performed every night.
So tired was the bei'thal that when Keubroc stopped in his tracks suddenly, he nearly crashed into the man.
Keubroc turned to Vaughn and covered his lips with his fingers, indicating a need for silence. With the melody of woodswalking footsteps removed from their ears, suddenly the two could hear a diverse harmony of woodpecker chirps, goshawk caws and the scurries of ground dwelling rodents. They also heard for the first time the slight hacks and coughs of an unknown in the distance.
Vaughn pointed to the nüdwuob's armor and motioned his thumb away and Keubroc easily understood the gesture. Carefully, they both removed their plates of armor and lowered their rucksacks to the ground. Padded leather and a solitary blade make for less noise than steel and straps.
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