Back among kin

[Toyoll]

Faolan had been running hard for two days and the wolf was beyond hiding his fatigue, his pink toungue lolled out and he was panting hard.

It was still early when Faolan walked into the confines of his village, farmers only just begenning to tend to their fields. As he stumbled through the dust, a small child with an unclear feline affinity spotted him. A little frightenned at his state, she dashed into a large hut farther off. Shortly after, she emerged with Beorg, a badger affinity and Faolan's right-hand woman.

Faolan managed a meek smile for the child, then sent her off to her parents. Beorg was a heafty woman and held an amazing authority despite her being much shorter than most Seerelings. She bobbled up to Faolan and threw a whool blanket over his shoulders, "Come, come, tell me what happened to you, you poor dear and I'll put on some tea..."

"Thank you, Beorg..." was all Faolan could manage to say, his thoughts still tied up on the disturbing threats to his countrymen... He yanked his head out of the clouds and followed Beorg towards her hut...

[Kender Bard]

A small beast type, a moose-type child whose horns hadn't even started to come in yet, ran up and announced, "Faolanfaolan! There's an outsider hovering around near the clan on a horse."

[Toyoll]

Faolan's golden gaze went wide as they turned to the young moose, a growl snagged in his throat and he could feel his lips twitch. Thinking quickly, Faolan spoke softly, but urgently to the child, "Go now, wake the Guard Captain and tell him to come here imediately and what ever you do, do not go anywhere near that man!"

Beorg's brow furrowed, more than a little bothered by the wolf's words.

"Kind Badger," said Faolan, "I'm afraid that there is no time for tea...Come, we must gather the elders and bring them to council."
Beorg nodded, suddenly aware of how grave the situation must be.

[Kender Bard]

The child gulped, frightened by the leader's discontentment. Running as fast as his strong legs would take him, he darted to the Guard Captain, banging on the door to wake him.

[Toyoll]

A muffled voice came from behind the door. There was some clammer as something fell to the ground. Finally, the door swung open to reveal a two-signed red dear affinity, still only wearing his trunks. "Wuzzit..?", his head was groggy and he yawned impressively, a hint of a bugle in his voice.


Elsewhere, small birds began whizzing through the air as they went to summon all the elders in their huts. None sang out, preforming their task in eerie quiet. Soon, certain individuals emerged from their respective homes and hurriedly made their way to Beorg's house.

[Kender Bard]

"Leader Faolan wants to see you I think," the moose explained, starting to tremble just a little. "There's a scary man outside the edges of the clan on a horse." Actually, the child didn't think he was scary on first glance, merely exotic. But by now his rampant imagination has built him up to be Taed himself.

[Toyoll]

The Captain swore softly as he grabbed his simple tunic and dashed out the door, thanking the moose on his way.

He finally came upon Beorg's hut, most of the elders have already shown up by now. Minding his antlers, who were still in velvet, he entered the large, circular house.


Faolan sat at the back, the elders sat in a circle. The wolf nodded his head as the Captain presented a sharp salute. "Clan Leader! Please excuse my manner of dress..."
"Do not worry yourself, Captain Thain, we have a bigger problem on our hands."

Thain took his place in the ring, there was something odd about his Leader. His voice didn't seem to show signs of age anymore and the row of white hairs that were slowly creeping over his silver fur seemed to have dissipated...

Faolan stood now and unrolled the letter he held in his massive paws. With a calm and strangely detached voice, he read it aloud. The Beasts didn't need for him to show it, but all could sense Faolan's rage like a charged atmosphere, a storm on the horizon. Already, a silent conversation was taking place, elders reading the faces and descrete gestures of the Clan Leader.

When he finished, the wolf sat down again. A long paused followed before Faolan would pierce it with a low voice, "Well?" was all he said.


((Kender, feel free to play some elders if you wish.))

[Kender Bard]

After a long pause, a grizzled bloodhound-affinity spoke up, his voice, once silky and deep in youth, now rough on the ears, "I don't think we should stand for this at all. Let us go hunt down the one who sent this letter and nail his hide to a tree as a warning."

"And where would we start looking?" a mocking bird affinity demanded to know, her feather-hair ruffling slightly. "We've only the entire world to search."

"Who gave you the letter?" the bloodhound, Growlin, asked Faolan.

[Toyoll]

Faolan's lips began to curl, "The coward remained anonymous. He challenges us from the shadows..." the wolf's paw clenched, crushing the parchement, "This makes him even more dangerous. We know nothing of him."

He tossed the letter over his shoulder, "But first, there are more pressing matters, namely the safety of the Clans. Thain?"

-Yes, sir?
-There is a stranger waiting outside our village. Bring him here immediately.
-Yes, Clan Leader!

As Thain left to rally the Guards, Faolan heaved a heavy sigh. Beorg felt terribly sad for him, the Beasts have never been threatened so directly, it must have scared the wits out of him. The badger mumbled a prayer under her breath.

Faolan turned to the elders once more, "Now, we musn't communicate with the other Clans directly, we will have to rely on our companions..."

[Kender Bard]

"That's easily done, except in the case of Beleg," a chipmunk affinity mused. "What's to stop them from eating our animals if they don't communicate fast enough? For the carnivores that is."

---

The rider was still astray his horse, wandering about and looking rather lost, as well as extremely tired. The horse was pretty fatigued as well.

[Toyoll]

Faolan's face remained unreadable, "We will send swift birds and larger canivores to Beleg. I admit that there is still a risk, but hopefully, they will be disuaded to eat a panther or a lynx."

"Another thing", he continued, "The children and the elderly will have to remain within the confines of the village untill I find it fit to do otherwise. Hunting parties will have to be formed, I will no longer allow individual hunts. We have to be cautious from here on out."

____________________________________________________

Thain signaled to his party to surround the stranger, they were using a similar strategy used by the Poldoran Warriors. Once satisfied that his men were all in position, he sent the order.

All arround the horsemen, Guards rose silently, arrows nocked and bows drawn. The Captain steped forward, "Stranger! You are to come with us silently, by order of the Seere Guard."

[Kender Bard]

(@_@ Why do I keep missing this topic?!)

The agreement from the other Elders on that point was complete. They all nodded their head, murmured their assent on the situation.

"Should we move the clans closer together?" one spoke up curiously. "Or, barring that, can we bring the Poldorans to act as our guards?"

---

"I come in peace!" the rider called out nervously, his horse dancing in the presence of so many Beasts. "I bear a message from Sir Jhaal of Reave! He bid me to deliver it to Faolan with all due haste."

[Toyoll]

Faolan sneered, "No, the Poldorans are creatures of pride, they will not act as protection for Seere. Lest we forget, Poldora has it's own pups to protect." he pinched the bridge of his muzzle between his index and his thumb, "We can not consider bringing the aggressive clans closer. It's fall, that means Poldora will be moving south, bringing them closer to Beleg's hunting territory. They will already be at eachother's necks, no use including Seere in the conflict. No, the best we can hope to do is to have Beleg and Poldora defend their respective territories. I'll be sending word to Aluvar as wel--"

"Excuse me, sir!" came Thain's voice, "You have...a Visitor." the Captain was wary of the stranger and he kept a close eye on him. Two Guards roughly pushed the rider into the ring of Elders with the shafts of their spears. Faolan stood with a small growl, but otherwise remained unreadable. Thain bowed, then turned to the stranger, "State your business."

[Kender Bard]

The rider trembled, sweating profusely. He was only able to keep the tight hold on his Aura under check while so stressed by sheer willpower alone. "S-s-sir Jhaal of Reav-v-ve sends you.. word.." He held out the letter with a hand that trembled.

[Toyoll]

Faolan's gaze softened and he nodded to the Guards, who dashed off.

He stepped forward and took the letter from the trembling man, "Forgive us. These are dangerous times for Narutians...." Shortly after the Clan Leader spoke these words, a women, a snow crane affinity, came in with her head bowed respectfully. She carried a tray of food and drink and offered it to the rider. Faolan shook his head, Seere felt guilty for it's behavior toward it's visitor, truely, they weren't a warring clan...

"Pity you couldn't have come under more joyful circumstances...." Faolan grumbled as he opened the message, the Elders looked on eagerly...