Offscreen Conversations
Apr 4, 2010 12:17:36 GMT -5
Post by Northen Light36 on Apr 4, 2010 12:17:36 GMT -5
As big a clan as Fira was, it wasn't large enough that you could avoid a person forever. So neither Ann or Tres were all that surprised when they found themselves both standing at the water hole, although they'd managed to avoid each other for nearly a full month. An awkward, uncomfortable silence fell, not only over the young Leader and former Elder, but everyone else around them. Given Tres' particularly public betrayal of Ann at their last meeting, it was no wonder that those around the pair were both worried and curious about what the results of this meeting.
Ann finally broke the silence with a sigh, lifting Alyssa out of the water. “Good morning, Tres,” she remarked, her voice cool and calm.
If Tres hadn't known the young woman from the time she was a month old, she might have thought that Ann had completely moved past what she had done and decided that Tres wasn't worth her time. But the flicker of pain buried deep in Ann's eyes told Tres that she was still hurt – and therefore there was a slight chance that their relationship might be repairable. There was enough of both Kara and Damien in Ann that if she hadn't cared enough to still be hurt, Tres knew she'd have no chance of ever wining forgiveness for her actions. “Good morning, Honoured Leader,” Tres replied, bowing deeply and respectfully. “I was wondering if you might be able to spare me a moment, when you have one to spare.”
“I have such a moment now, Tres,” Ann replied, choosing her words with formal, almost ritual like care. “Would you prefer a private moment or public?”
Shade's taught her well, Tres thought ruefully, biting off the word private before it could reach her tongue. She'd nearly missed the tiny flicker in tone that warned she was being tested. Her answer could have cost her the tiny chance she had at regaining all she'd lost. “I think what I have to say is best said openly, Honoured Leader, should you permit it.”
“I do,” Ann replied, her voice still cool and emotion-free.
Without hesitation, Tres dropped to her knees and bowed her head. She heard, and ignored, the buzz of surprised murmuring that arose at her action, and spoke softly, “Honoured Leader, I have acted without thought, in anger and foolishness and without honour. In doing so, I have brought shame upon myself, as is deserved, and upon my clan, which is not. My disgrace is my own doing and I alone should bare that, not the clan that serves you truly and honourably. Though I have forsaken the right to ask anything of you, my Leader, I beg of you, do not force Clan Fira to share in my shame, but come home to the people that love and honour you and punish I alone.”
As Tres' words died away, Tres remained kneeling on the ground, the back of her neck exposed to Ann in submission. It seemed like an eternity before Ann said, “Rise and look at me, Tres Redway.” Her voice gave away nothing of her thoughts and when Tres stood, neither did the Leader's face. “As the Clans serve the Honoured Leader, the Honoured Leader must serve the Clans,” Ann said quietly, but her words carried easily. “You, who was brought into Fira, who was trusted to lead her people with love and wisdom, stand before me, having betrayed all trust, asking for my judgement?”
“I do, Honoured Leader,” Tres replied. “Judge me as you will, and not the Clan who knew nothing of my betrayal until it was done.”
“You will accept my judgement?” Ann asked quietly. “Even if I should decide that you should be once more the outsider you were born as?”
Tres swallowed hard, the thought of exile bringing a fist sized lump to her throat, but she nodded. “I bow to your judgement, Honoured Leader. If my exile cleanses Fira of the shame I brought upon the clan, I will accept it willingly.”
Ann looked at Tres, half wishing the other woman hadn't done this. True, it was one of the few things that could earn Tres a second chance, and it was her right by Naurorod law, but it was a terrible gamble, for if it went wrong, there would be no second chance. “Is there any who will speak for this woman's right to still claim Fira as her clan?”
The silence was deafening, but Ann waited. And waited. Eventually though, she looked at Tres and, with a heavy heart, opened her mouth to pronounce the sentence.
“I speak for Tres! Not only as my clanmate, but my Elder as well.” Kasi stepped forward, her head raised proudly. Ann could have hugged the girl. There was, perhaps, a chance after all. The twelve year old turned to face the others gathered by the waterhole, and spoke clearly and firmly, “Elder Tres has made a terrible mistake, it's true, but she has been ill and acted poorly in a moment of weakness. Should one, admittedly awful but still just one, action really out weigh a lifetime of duty and service to Fira? I am young, and not yet wise or strong, but it seems to me that the shame would be on us if we should allow our own pride to keep us from forgiving one of our own.”
Ann nodded, acknowledging the girl's words, but said nothing as she waited. A fair amount of time had passed since Tres' challenge, but she had also been away for much of that time. Had the anger cooled enough that another would speak for Tres, or had Tres lost the gamble? Ann wasn't entirely sure if she herself forgave Tres, but she knew she didn't want to exile the woman, so that meant something, surely? She waited, hoping someone would speak.
“I also speak for Elder Tres,” announced Hastin, stepping forward. “She has been a fool, but I believe she truly regrets her actions and therefore does not deserve exile.”
That was two. Both Tres and Ann very nearly sighed in relief, but the ritual wasn't over yet. “Clan Fira has spoken then,” Ann announced. “You are, once more, Tres, child – and Elder – of Fira.”
“Child of Fira, I accept with joy,” Tres replied solemnly. “But I cannot take up the role of Elder until I have proven myself in your eyes once more, Honoured Leader. For you must be able to trust your Elders without hesitation, and that trust should be earned.”
Some of Ann's unease faded at Tres' refusal to simply grab at the power being offered back to her. Other members of the clan were exchanging approving smiles and nods as well, the young Leader noticed. Perhaps, just perhaps, the woman everyone had known Tres to be was still there after all. “Well spoken, Tres,” Ann said. “Then as Spring is a time of new starts, let this be one. I forgive you, Tres, you have earned that much. But it will take more to earn my forgetfulness.”
“I understand,” Tres replied. “And I will do my best to earn that forgetfulness, for I cannot serve my Clan until I can serve my Leader as well.”
“Very well,” Ann decided. “Then this shall not be spoken of again until Summer comes upon us.” With a somewhat lighter heart, and a slight smile, she nodded to Tres before walking away.
Ann finally broke the silence with a sigh, lifting Alyssa out of the water. “Good morning, Tres,” she remarked, her voice cool and calm.
If Tres hadn't known the young woman from the time she was a month old, she might have thought that Ann had completely moved past what she had done and decided that Tres wasn't worth her time. But the flicker of pain buried deep in Ann's eyes told Tres that she was still hurt – and therefore there was a slight chance that their relationship might be repairable. There was enough of both Kara and Damien in Ann that if she hadn't cared enough to still be hurt, Tres knew she'd have no chance of ever wining forgiveness for her actions. “Good morning, Honoured Leader,” Tres replied, bowing deeply and respectfully. “I was wondering if you might be able to spare me a moment, when you have one to spare.”
“I have such a moment now, Tres,” Ann replied, choosing her words with formal, almost ritual like care. “Would you prefer a private moment or public?”
Shade's taught her well, Tres thought ruefully, biting off the word private before it could reach her tongue. She'd nearly missed the tiny flicker in tone that warned she was being tested. Her answer could have cost her the tiny chance she had at regaining all she'd lost. “I think what I have to say is best said openly, Honoured Leader, should you permit it.”
“I do,” Ann replied, her voice still cool and emotion-free.
Without hesitation, Tres dropped to her knees and bowed her head. She heard, and ignored, the buzz of surprised murmuring that arose at her action, and spoke softly, “Honoured Leader, I have acted without thought, in anger and foolishness and without honour. In doing so, I have brought shame upon myself, as is deserved, and upon my clan, which is not. My disgrace is my own doing and I alone should bare that, not the clan that serves you truly and honourably. Though I have forsaken the right to ask anything of you, my Leader, I beg of you, do not force Clan Fira to share in my shame, but come home to the people that love and honour you and punish I alone.”
As Tres' words died away, Tres remained kneeling on the ground, the back of her neck exposed to Ann in submission. It seemed like an eternity before Ann said, “Rise and look at me, Tres Redway.” Her voice gave away nothing of her thoughts and when Tres stood, neither did the Leader's face. “As the Clans serve the Honoured Leader, the Honoured Leader must serve the Clans,” Ann said quietly, but her words carried easily. “You, who was brought into Fira, who was trusted to lead her people with love and wisdom, stand before me, having betrayed all trust, asking for my judgement?”
“I do, Honoured Leader,” Tres replied. “Judge me as you will, and not the Clan who knew nothing of my betrayal until it was done.”
“You will accept my judgement?” Ann asked quietly. “Even if I should decide that you should be once more the outsider you were born as?”
Tres swallowed hard, the thought of exile bringing a fist sized lump to her throat, but she nodded. “I bow to your judgement, Honoured Leader. If my exile cleanses Fira of the shame I brought upon the clan, I will accept it willingly.”
Ann looked at Tres, half wishing the other woman hadn't done this. True, it was one of the few things that could earn Tres a second chance, and it was her right by Naurorod law, but it was a terrible gamble, for if it went wrong, there would be no second chance. “Is there any who will speak for this woman's right to still claim Fira as her clan?”
The silence was deafening, but Ann waited. And waited. Eventually though, she looked at Tres and, with a heavy heart, opened her mouth to pronounce the sentence.
“I speak for Tres! Not only as my clanmate, but my Elder as well.” Kasi stepped forward, her head raised proudly. Ann could have hugged the girl. There was, perhaps, a chance after all. The twelve year old turned to face the others gathered by the waterhole, and spoke clearly and firmly, “Elder Tres has made a terrible mistake, it's true, but she has been ill and acted poorly in a moment of weakness. Should one, admittedly awful but still just one, action really out weigh a lifetime of duty and service to Fira? I am young, and not yet wise or strong, but it seems to me that the shame would be on us if we should allow our own pride to keep us from forgiving one of our own.”
Ann nodded, acknowledging the girl's words, but said nothing as she waited. A fair amount of time had passed since Tres' challenge, but she had also been away for much of that time. Had the anger cooled enough that another would speak for Tres, or had Tres lost the gamble? Ann wasn't entirely sure if she herself forgave Tres, but she knew she didn't want to exile the woman, so that meant something, surely? She waited, hoping someone would speak.
“I also speak for Elder Tres,” announced Hastin, stepping forward. “She has been a fool, but I believe she truly regrets her actions and therefore does not deserve exile.”
That was two. Both Tres and Ann very nearly sighed in relief, but the ritual wasn't over yet. “Clan Fira has spoken then,” Ann announced. “You are, once more, Tres, child – and Elder – of Fira.”
“Child of Fira, I accept with joy,” Tres replied solemnly. “But I cannot take up the role of Elder until I have proven myself in your eyes once more, Honoured Leader. For you must be able to trust your Elders without hesitation, and that trust should be earned.”
Some of Ann's unease faded at Tres' refusal to simply grab at the power being offered back to her. Other members of the clan were exchanging approving smiles and nods as well, the young Leader noticed. Perhaps, just perhaps, the woman everyone had known Tres to be was still there after all. “Well spoken, Tres,” Ann said. “Then as Spring is a time of new starts, let this be one. I forgive you, Tres, you have earned that much. But it will take more to earn my forgetfulness.”
“I understand,” Tres replied. “And I will do my best to earn that forgetfulness, for I cannot serve my Clan until I can serve my Leader as well.”
“Very well,” Ann decided. “Then this shall not be spoken of again until Summer comes upon us.” With a somewhat lighter heart, and a slight smile, she nodded to Tres before walking away.