The Hungry Clans Gather|Naurorod

[Kender Bard]

Arcan gazed at the sunset with a somewhat dazed expression. His mind was far away in memory. What had it meant that Ann hadn't slashed his throat? He had fallen into the false impression that this desert land was not unlike his former home but this...

And she hadn't killed any of the other losing opponents either, though she had gone to talk with that man, Charanth.

Perhaps... she expected favors from them? Yes, that made sense. Arcan nodded to himself. Servitude. I am in her debt, and owe her my life. I am now her slave and must repay her in some manner.

That made him smile a little. His goals, his plans, would coincide nicely with that. So he got up and begin to pace for the arrival of his brother and those he sought out. He'd moved far away from the celebrations of the other clans for now, though the scent of roasting meat made him salivate fiercely. Later, he reminded himself. This is talk that requires the quiet and purity of the sand and stars with nothing else to interrupt.

He waited.

[tuo]

Eventually Tevran finished with what Arcan asked him to do before flying around in search of him. Upon finding him he lands wearily. "Hey brother..I talked to those I could but some of them wanted to know what this was about. I hope you know what you're doing."

[Darastrix]

As Tevran spoke with his brother, people began to approach them. The first bunch, a group of eight, stopped some distance away. They were all similar in build and appearance--dark skin, long limbs, thick, coarse hair kept in masses of small braids, dark eyes, and leaner than was probably healthy. One of the small clan, a woman with threads of grey and silver woven through her braids, continued forward until she had reached the two men.

"I am Mandra, Elder of Clan Wildfire," she stated. "What is your business with us?"

[Kender Bard]

Arcan looked at Mandra and then out at the other Fires that had gathered and were still gathering. He flared his wings briefly to catch their attention (gritting his teeth momentarily at the ache it caused) then drew himself up to stand tall and proud. He'd gathered a little bit of the fuel used for the clan fires this night and the pile nearby flared up into a small flame, small enough to see by but still casting ominous shadows.

"Welcome," Arcan greeted them. "I am Arcan son of Kendrick. And I have a question to pose of you all; how many times have you found yourselves struggling to feed yourselves or your loved ones? How often do you get chased away from prime territory simply because a larger and better fed, equipped, prepared clan was there first? This desert is so very large, yet it cannot fit all of us for though the sand is great, the food and water are not so plentiful."

Encouraged by a couple nods he spotted, Arcan forged on without missing a beat. "The key to the success of the other clans is simple; they are larger. In great numbers, though it means more mouths to feed and water, there are also more hands to hold weapons and keep a watchful eye on their borders. Those of us who, by choice or fate, have not aligned with a greater clan can too easily be eclipsed in the shadow of the stronger and better. This is the law of the world and I would not dispute its purpose. But I do think it is more than unnecessary to suffer when there are better ways."

[Northen Light36]

"I am Veris, Elder of clan Flamefist," a young, proud seeming man introduces himself. "I agree our smaller clans can be eclipsed by the larger, however, I am skeptical that an outsider might have found a better way." He looks distainfully at Arcan and adds, "But do go on. It should be amusing, to say the least."

[Kender Bard]

Arcan made a low growl as he grappled with himself to remain calm. His feathers fluffed out as he did so and his fingers flexed a little. After a moment, he relaxed again and gave Veris a cool but warning look. "Elder Veris, I did not see you upon the sands of challenge, fighting the Honored Leader to the last few moments. I was born an outsider but my native ways are not unlike yours and I have pledged myself to this land."

Remembering his original speech he switched back to it. "There is a way in which we might care for ourselves and reap honor for all of Naurorod in the process. Cast your eyes southward! What lies there, but rich and verdant land? Water, more than anyone could ever drink. Cool air, abundance of food of all kinds. It is a distance from the clean and hot honest desert but it is not so far as to not be considered possible grounds. If the desert cannot hold us all, why not expand our borders and take the ripe lands there for ourselves?"

His voice filled with pride and eagerness as he continued. "The Fires for whom there is no place in the desert should band together and set out to claim new territories. We will be fierce. We will be triumphant. All will tremble at the mere thought of the approach of Fires of Naurorod for they know that in our wake is nothing but death for our enemies!"

[tuo]

Tevran watched silently, considering what Arcan was saying and while some of it didn't seem quite....right somehow, the majority of it did hold a certain appeal to be honest.

[Kender Bard]

Arcan was pleased at the reaction he saw from several of those gathered; they seemed more interested than before. Others, not so much.

"What if we don't want to 'band' with anyone?" Another asked with a scoff. "I like being by myself."

"Your choice is simply between your freedom and your belly," Arcan answered. There was no scorn or sarcasm in his voice. "It is a hard choice but I have made mine."

[Darastrix]

"How do you plan to take these ripe southern lands?" Mandra asked. "You are right; we do struggle for food, for water. But the Beasts to the south are fierce and well-fed. That ground will not be easily won."

[Kender Bard]

"We must be cautious at first," Arcan agreed. "Therefore we will not go forth as a war party but as individuals towards the very boundaries of Naurorod, making forrays into the land until we have grown strong on the bounty of the Beasts. THEN will the time be to push forward and make a more permanent grab."

[Darastrix]

Mandra crossed her arms for a moment in thought, then looked back at her small clan. They were a family clan, and they had lost too many in the past year. One death from anything but old age or a good, hard fight was too many. She didn't know if they could manage another year at this rate.

She nodded to herself and looked at Arcan. "Clan Wildfire will join you."

[Kender Bard]

After Clan Wildfire agreed, more and more stepped forward and soon all but the most stubborn or dissident of the clans had agreed to Arcan's plan. Arcan felt more triumphant than he had in a long while. "Then tonight we will glut ourselves gleefully on this bounty the other clans are throwing for our Honored Leader. Tomorrow, we go as the wind blows. Gather all you can and prepare for the migration to the south. Those who wish to be led will find my brother and I here. Those who wish to forge their own way will do so. Eventually we will all meet up along the border and our plans will begin."

[tuo]

Once things settled down a little bit, Tevran approached Arcan with a smile on his face. "That went very well brother. I'm..I'm proud of you for taking this kind of initiative."

[Kender Bard]

Arcan smiled at Tevran and moved closer to him. People were dissipating back towards the celebration. He lingered with his brother. "You are?" he asked softly. "I'm a little surprised at myself. Do you think I can do it?"

[tuo]

"If it were me..." Tevran mused a moment, thinking if he could have handled this, or if he could handle what Arcan said they were going to do if he was in charge. "..You always were more cunning then I was brother. At least on a larger scale like this. I'm better suited to looking after small groups."