Under Alune

Wolfhelm Commons

Keysean stood before a deep semicircle of younglings. They were all a little over thirty years of age, but still appeared to be gangly boys and girls. Their parents stood nearby- faces calm, eyes attentive. They would bear witness to Leysean's tale.

Krixtyle and the elders sat on a log behind Keysean. Around them all was the first belt of trees, near the outer walls. Simple meetings, such as these, were held in a trodden-dirt clearing on the north face of the high-hill, occasionally around a blazing fire. Since it was mid-day, the fire had been forsaken, though its pit was forever stained an ashy black.

"The tale I tell is of truth, all of it. Though it is short, it will do you well to remember it and its lessons. I and you by relation are all beings under Alune. Her form changes- one day Lerai'une, the next Nizanue- and her strength at times can be over-powering. Our will, as ever-changing beings, must remain of constant vigilance, lest such as I have done be repeated by you in ignorance.

"As for my report; I was just a kid, younger than any I can see here. It was my family's honor to live among the humans in the Norths of Theyeark, to watch them and bring first the word of un-rightful intrusion. Since we were among the humans, we had to appear as them and follow their ways. So, I attended school among them.

"But such was my ignorance that I caused many unnecessary problems among the human children. I was much different than most of them; Wild and carefree as a cub, yet wise in a small way from my length of years.

"Among the children were a band who, through strength of parentage or simply of build, brought themselves to lording over the other students. I charged myself their sole rival and fought with them on many occasions in defense of myself and my classmates.

"Had I been more intelligent, I would not have interfered so readily. The affairs of humans are their own, especially one so trite as bullying. Our strengths are meant to defend our holt and our families.

"Though I was young, I had no excuse for using my strength against the unwitting children. So it was that I earned the anger and vengeance of the bullies. They chased me down, one day in secret, and together tried to cause me great harm. It was at that time that I gained war-form."

The children gasped in stuttering unison. Not one of them could hope to shift into anything more frightening than a ordinary sized dog. Their parents, knowing this part of the tale to be more a transgression than a blessing, frowned and growled at their children. The younglings calmed and gave again to Keysean their attentions.

"Heed your parents, " said Keysean shaking his head sadly. "It is not well for one so young as you to hold such power.

"Listen and learn. For I slew those children, all six of them there on the North's plateau. Slew them with paws and fangs and claws. Six humans all of which could have grown into change as the humans often do. Had I exercised restraint, they would still have their lives to change.

"My father, Krixtyle, herald of the elders, was forced to prison in my stead, to placate the rich and powerful parents. My father was punished in my stead. Had I more restraint, he would not have had to endure the human captivity." Keysean gritted his teeth then, touching mental wounds with little care.

"Never will you find greater punishment than when someone you love is in travail for your stupid decisions. Hear this tale of my anger and gain wisdom, younglings. Remember what you have no doubt been taught; Anger builds and collects. It is hard to reconcile those who weep from your doings. Vengeance is a cycle, endless unless all perish. Know these things, and rule your temperance. May wisdom serve you well."

"For I have killed the mortal, and he will not heal or return." As he spoke this line, the elders hissed and launched at him clods of dirt. The parents joined in, heaving buckets of loose earth and sand until he was completely coated in dirt.

Warriors from the shifter-hamlet circled Keysean. The jostled against him; They bared their fangs and hissed and barked and cawed into his ears. Keysean, true to his position, did not complain though sand stung his eyes. He did not flinch at the attentions of the warriors, nor return their expressions of contempt. Finally, Detrazu stood from the cluster of elders and spread wide his arms.

"Heed my words children," said Keysean. "May wisdom and peace serve you well."

The children all nodded emphatically and, in broken unison, responded in a manner taught to them by their sires, "May humility serve you, Keysean!"

A shifter parent, taking the form of an elephant, drank water into its snout. It sprayed Keysean, then all of the assembly joined in with buckets and pails, tossing water onto him in waves. The children, in their innocence, began playing among themselves and their parents until there wasn't a dry shifter among them.

Keysean beamed proudly to his father who came to standing beside him. Krixtyle gave a look to the elders, and they nodded together to him. "Alune be upon you, Keysean, as are our blessings. May your rage be banished."

"Thank you father," Keysean bowed his head slightly, "Krixtyle voice of the elders."

The assembly cheered and went on splashing and entreating the children's whims for a while, then broke apart, each to their own duties and plans.

Keysean was dry by the time he found Aeisha, higher on the north-western face of the High-hill, where Wolfhelm's common grounds lay. She and several other shifters he knew had organized a picnic where the ground bore only the slightest angle. Hunter, Latyurik, and several other shifter men were off to one side playing Rook. The women were talking and laughing at the table.

An olive-skinned man with very short but wavy hair looked up from the sidelines and grinned so wide it appeared as though his face was all small white teeth. "Keysean! what took you so long? You had to add some logs to the wood or somethin'?"

Keysean felt his grin surely matched that of his friend. "Vosque! Damn it's good to see you man!"

They met in a handshake and a brotherly hug. "Likewise. Damn. It's been what, fifteen years?"

"Plus a few," laughed Keysean. "and the five days I've been back."

Vosque looked as if his face were going to fall to sadness, but it never even reached serious. "Had stuff to do, I'm sorry dude."

Keysean smirked. "Man whatev-"

"Keysean! where you been?" shouted Latyurik swaggering up from the Rook field. He was smiling victoriously, bolstered by the admiring words from a few of his local fans. "You get hung up again by a thrush?"

Hunter laughed aloud, and Vosque chuckled. Keysean just shook his head, smirking. "Sup Hunt, sup Rik?" he waved to a few others and greeted them by name;

"Yo Vorn, how's Tish doing? Hey Doiltes."

But they seemed to be more excited about food than about Keysean's arrival. Shrugging he turned back to Vosque.

"When'd you get back, V?"

"Just last night. Right after you had already brought in your big news." Vosque squinted. "You got a knack for more than just tigers man. Your war-form should be pure trouble."

"He's trouble enough as a man!" shouted Aeisha, illiciting laughter from all involved.

Efeala, Vosque's wife, fell under a sudden wave of dread. Dramatically she placed her hand on her forehead. "Oh no."

"What is is, babe?" asked Vosque, worriedly.

"The four of you are back together; Here comes the apocalypse." She pretended to weep and lament, and the other women joined in.

"Eh," grunted the men together, which brought them all to laughing again.

Keysean went to his wife and was about to kiss her when Kyresh latched onto his ankle. Sputtering in mock indignance, he swept his son upward in one hand and allowed the momentum to carry the cub airborne. Kyresh whined and scampered in mid air, startled. When Keysean caught him again, he hid his face with his tail.

"Aww, look. You scared him," said Huntress, Hunter's wife.

Keysean brought Kyresh up to his face and nuzzled his son's head. Kyresh peeked over a paw, then sniffed at his father's nose.

"See?" said Keysean. "He's alright. Little biter."

He set Kyresh back onto the grass, then reached for Aeryka, who only sniffed his hand then sat just out of his reach. Aeisha and the women chuckled.

"There's the smart one, " joked Efeala.

"Yo... hey... I call to order this meeting of the minds," said Latyurik smirking and banging his hand on the picnic table.

"Damn, left mine at home," said Vosque.

"Well go get it, we'll wait," said Keysean.

"Do you know how long that'll take?" laughed Aeisha.

Hamburgers and cuts of steak were passed around with lunch meat and bread. Salads joined sandwiches and refreshing drinks on the cluttered table. Though there was little space to sit or move, but no one minded rubbing elbows and sharing space. They laughed around bites for a while, until most appetites were satisfied. Then the women took a break while the men cleared the table.

"So, V, Keysean, Hunt," said Latyurik, "Y'all want to get in a game before the kitty here has to go?"

The men in question all grunted noncommittally, a bit sleepy from the mass amounts of food they'd only recently consumed. Vosque was still trying to figure out how he could finish his fourth sandwich without causing himself physical harm.

"Come on. Doiltes? Vorn? anyone?"

"Yea, sure." answered Doiltes.

"Let's do it then, Key. I want to show you how good I've gotten."

Sighing, Keysean stood up from the table. "What's teams then?"

"Me, Doiltes, and Vorn verses You, Vosque, and Hunt."

"We lose." said Hunter with a smirk.

"I'll be right there," said Keysean as the others were walking off to the playing field.

"What? Oh, right; Gotta untie the tether." Latyurik snickered joined by some of the others.

"Hey Eesh, I'm going to get some Rook in before I have to go. You ok with the kids?"

"Yea, we'll be over here watching," Her eyes slipped downward to the tiny sleeping heap that was her children. "I'll be cheering for you."

"Just like old times."

"Only you made the team, while I..."

"You were the best looking woman there, field or bleachers."

"Oh, shut up Key." Aeisha giggled and kissed her husband.

"No lies, babe. Warrior's gotta have a princess to fight for, right?"

"Now you're going too far," chuckled Efeala. Aeisha frowned mockingly and launched a crumpled napkin at her.

The guys were already set up on the field. Hunter staked out places for the four Rooks, then placed a circle of pikes in the center of the field to represent the Pavilion.

Keysean donned a sports helmet and tough plastic chest armor, then chose a pair of padded gloves from the pile of weapons. Hunter had on armors, a Sergent's round-buckler, and long-sword, while Vosque had a Defender's tower-shield and short-sword. Latyurik was the opposing Sergent, Doiltes the Defender, and Vorn with only armor and a spear.

The teams stood diagonally opposite of each other a few yards on either side of the Pavilion. Efeala yelled out for them to start. They rushed forward toward the Pavilion, and met in a clash.

Keysean put himself in front of Hunter and parried a spear thrust from Vorn. He moved quick to cover the remainder of the distance and scored a hit on Vorn's helmet.

"Down!" yelled someone from the sidelines. Vorn cursed softly and stepped aside.

Vosque shoved his tower shield toward Doiltes, while Latyurik hung back. Seeing his teammate downed, Latyurik yelled unintelligibly and scored a hit on Vosque, but was paying so little attention to Keysean that he was taken down.

"Advantage!" cheered Aeisha.

Latyurik pulled himself slowly to his feet, glaring oddly at Keysean. He smiled sleightly behind the metal braces protecting his face. "Alright, then. You guys got attack."

The game continued for a good portion of an hour. The sun sank behind the horizon, and the sky turned gold, then copper, then faded darker. Below the ever-present heavens, the two teams struggled diagonally back and forth over the playing field, neither dominating the score.

Keysean avoided Latyurik as much as possible, for reasons he himself did not quite understand. He had no fear, only an odd feeling that the younger shifter was doing his best, and it would not do to upstage him. Still, as Keysean watched Latyurik's movements out of the corner of his eye, he saw the same youthful flaw he had once exhibited on the field; An overbearing sense of self importance. Keysean frowned to see his own faults displayed in such a manner, and at once decided the old saying was true;

'The best measure of one's skill is in teaching.'

They continued until Krixtyle came tramping down the slope from the marsh-belt to the common grounds. Keysean, panting softly, stepped in front of Hunter to protect him from Latyurik's advance. Their brawl was furious, both tired and steadfast so far into the match.

"Keysean," said Krixtyle aloud from the sidelines. Keysean instinctively gave his father his attention. Latyurik took advantage of the distraction.

"Haha! got you K-" he began triumphantly, but stopped, noticing pressure on his stomach. He hissed a curse between his teeth. "Damnit."

"Double-down, we win," said Keysean.

"Game's not over."

"Gotta go," Keysean shrugged, looking to his father. "It's time."

Hunter and Huntress met. Hunter nodded to Keysean. "God and Alune be with you, Keysean; Ayxt v'Alune feeruit-to kito."

"You too, Hunt."

"Yo Key, bring me back a flower," called Vosque with a smirk.

"Only if you're good, V"

Doiltes nodded to Keysean and Vorn came up to shake his hand. "Best damn Maverick in town. Just between you and me, I've seen all your matches with the C-dores."

"Thanks, Vorn. That means a lot to me." Keysean gifted him a smile. "You want an autograph?"

Vorn laughed. "Maybe later."

Latyurik, who hadn't moved except to lower his arms, now gave a shrug. His eyes surveyed the others. He turned away and stalked off, calling out- "Later dudes-" as he went.

"Aww.." said Aeisha softly, coming beside Keysean. "Look at him."

"You know Rik, he's always like that. Plus, we just got everyone back together and now I have to leave again."

"Only for a few hours. We still have tomorrow." Aeisha gave Kyresh to his father, "He's gotten a lot better, hasn't he?"

Keysean placed his free hand on her back. "Well he was always damn good. Made starter way before his time."

Keysean smiled to her as they made their way across the field. South of them were the western residences of Wolfhelm, now simple dark shapes with a few beacons of light as signs of life. To the north-east were the shadows of the apartments where young-adults and visitors to Wolfhelm were housed. Their way took them directly east toward the marsh-belt.

Krixtyle went ahead of them, his hands jammed into his pockets, his eyes flitting from the trees ahead to Alune hanging swollen above. He wasn't exactly sure of it, but he felt as if his son's eyes fell there too and he could see him like a reflection in darkened glass.

"I got watch duty tomorrow," said Aeisha, catching Keysean's gaze on the moon.

"For the Gathering?" Keysean breathed a gust through his teeth. "Takes all the fun out of the moon-festival."

"We'll have to find another time to be alone then," said Aeisha. "Dunno when that will be though."

They were soon through the marsh and into the stockyard of Hollow-tree hall. Keysean's thoughts of the upcoming Gathering were banished when he saw his mother, Lisa, waiting for him on the low porch. The contours of her face were strict and angled, and her completion was of polished ebony. She stood still on the porch and could not conceal a smile as her son approached.

"Sean.." she said, her smile widening to a grin as she wrapped Keysean in her embrace.

"Hey Ma," he said, a bit short of breath.

"You were supposed to come see me last night."

"My fault, ma," said Aeisha. Lisa released her son in order to hug her daughter-by-rite.

"Mmhmm," said Lisa, "tryin' to steal my boy away."

"This man is mine," grinned Aeisha.

"Alright, alright. You ladies talk nice out here." Krixtyle laid a hand on Keysean's shoulder and ushered him into Hollow-tree hall. As they went he muttered audibly, "two beauties arguing over you, boy you got it made."

Keysean laughed and ducked through the low entryway. Large incandescent bulbs lined the ceiling, spaced to give the hallway a sombre light. On the wood-paneled walls grew ivy and multicolored creepers wreathed around paintings and photographs of shifters now past.

At the end, there was a mirror. Krixtyle nodded to his reflection before he entered the room beyond. Keysean followed his father's ritual before entering the chamber of the elders. He squinted at his own reflection, which wafted and bent as if made of slow smoke.

Before he could think more of it, Detrazu's voice cut across the chamber and pulled him through the door. "Keysean...Farhae'una, Alune, firishiq-to kito?"

"Of course Alune 'moon's-light' is with me. Of that there is no question," he replied confidently.

"Are you set for your task, then?" asked Retesrae seated beside Detrazu. The chamber of the elders was a simple, circle shaped room with angled shafts were the roof met the walls as windows. The elders were all seated on cushions, but Keysean remained standing as was customary.

"That I am, though I had hoped to hear your wisdoms before I ventured off."

"Were it not that the dryu-maiden gave to you her word and the truolua-flower, we would have you stay here and send warriors in your stead," said Nyeleried. He reached to his mustache, which grew long just above the corners of his mouth. "This Druidyer comes not in peace."

"What m-" began Keysean. A quick glare from Krixtyle silenced him.

"One who comes in peace announces himself; One who comes in open enmity does so boldly. This druid has done neither." replied Vedyrijj.

"He sends instead his daughter," Chedrex interjected.

"However," continued Vedyrijj, "it is unnecessary for us to discuss things of war at this time."

"You, Keysean, will bear our word and be our voice. We the shifters will allow the druidyer to claim only half of the Splitway," said Detrazu. "The rest will remain to us to serve as restitution. You, Keysean, will keep your cabin and others their scattered holdings. The druid will have his land."

"He must, however, endeavor to rid himself of the gobold-kin. Such things can not persist in Theyeark," added Vedyrijj.

"And if he should refuse, or she by his word?"

"We have no wish for conflict, you must be adamant on this point," said Retesrae.

"Tell him, in such case, that he should take his claims to the Mage councils," Fillailu spat. "Perhaps they have seen more to give the druidyer claim."

"You should also express our will to meet this druid, this Bartair Riud, and discuss things further," said Detrazu. "Then perhaps we can come to terms with him."

Nyelereid nodded slowly adding, "for only then can we truly be reconciled."

"That is all the advice we have to give, the rest is up to your wisdom, Keysean." Retesrae smiled, "Ala'une nears and comes soon. Shine alike she, Keysean."

"Thank you; soraitho-Tsay, Elders," said Keysean bowing.

"Sorait'ay, Keysean," said Detrazu. "I am sure your home-coming will be portent of better days."

Vedyrijj chuckled, "yes everyone into the woods."

"Don't forget gramma..." added Retesrae, joining in on the brief levity, pretending to search for something. "Now where'd I put m' specs."

"Come on, son, let us leave these jokers." Krixtyle grinned at the elders. "Be well, elders."

"And you, Krixtyle," Nyelereid called after him.