Cassael's Lament - An Eberron Story (Updated 5/1)
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
Aldren swallowed the lump in his throat. "Meksoor had someone watching Professor Saeral's office. You were followed after you took the bid for this job, and information about you was collected. She should not have shared your real name with me. I'm not cut out for this sort of subtlety."
Niv's sneer was audible in her otherwise flat response. "That much is obvious. What else did she find out, aside from my name?"
"Not much. The names of some of your recent associates, and some of the work you've done. There was also an incident with House Lyrandar that she referenced, but didn't say much about."
Niv tried to stifle a curse under her breath. "And what about Autumn?"
"She wasn't able to find out anything about him - he's a blank slate, as far as she knows. Or as far as she told me, anyways. She hired me a few days before your meeting with her. I'm just as expendable as you are."
"Lovely. As if I didn't have enough to worry about her before... Alright, soldier boy, I suppose your answer is good enough." Niv sheathed her dagger somewhere within her dress. "I'll be keeping both eyes on you for the remainder of this journey. And see to it that you don't mention any of this to Autumn. Let's go, Kiva."
Aldren let himself sink back into his chair as Niv and Kiva left the dining cart. He wiped the sweat from his brow and ordered another mug of ale which he'd hopefully get the chance to drink. This was going to be a very long trip...
***
Lharvion 13, 998 YK
Aundair
Passage
The lightning rail pulled into the station in Passage just past the second bell. Most of the passengers lay asleep in their bunks, bound for destinations beyond, such as Fairhaven and Thaliost. The departing passengers staggered bleary-eyed from the lightning rail station, seeking the comfort of a warm bed in a nearby inn. Autumn, Niv, Kiva and Aldren found themselves outside of just such an inn; the Dragonhawk Arms. Autumn's voice reflected his concern. "Niv, are you sure about this? There are many other inns we could stay at that would cost us far less."
"We'll be fine, Autumn, it's just for one night. The bunks on the lightning rail weren't exactly the most comfortable sleeping arrangements I've been in before. You should try sleeping in one next time and see how you like it."
"I tried sleeping once - I wasn't very successful. I don't see why you bother with it, there are so many other things to do with all that time."
"Well, my dear warforged, I'm sure you'll be able to entertain yourself somehow. As for me, I'm going to collapse into one of their lovely thick feather beds. Wake me up in about a week."
"I'd be glad to, but the caravan we're traveling with leaves at noon. I don't think the innkeeper will take kindly to us taking his bed along with us. Also, think of the poor horses who would have to drag the bed behind them the whole way." He ignored the rude hand gesture Niv responded with.
If expense is such a concern," Aldren interjected, "we can just get one room for Niv. I've had enough rest for the night. I can wait until we've joined the caravan to sleep."
"Excellent. It will be nice to have someone to talk to. Listening to Niv snore can become rather boring after a while."
"Very well, Autumn. If you keep my mug filled, I'll do my best to hold up my end of the conversation."
As they made their way towards the door, the quiet tranquility of Passage was interrupted by a loud outburst.
"I do not snore!!!"
***
Aldren raised his mug of Nightwood Ale to toast Autumn. "Thank you kindly, good sir, for this fine beverage. After a long drink, he added, "It seems that you and Niv are getting along better than you were the other day."
Autumn shrugged. "We had a disagreement. Niv can be somewhat impatient at times, and quick to anger, but she usually gets over it pretty quickly. This is the first time she's really been out of Sharn, so it's understandable that she's a bit more on edge than usual. This job is also very important to her. I would expect a few more outbursts from her as time goes by, but don't be too put off by them." Autumn arched an iron eyebrow and leaned in closer. "It's when she gets quiet that you should be nervous."
"I'll keep that in mind," Aldren smiled. "It's obvious that you aren't from Sharn originally. What brought you there, and what brings you on this little expedition, if you don't mind my asking?"
"That's a fair question. I'm still not exactly sure why I went to Sharn, to be honest. My mentor had seen signs that told me I should go there. I'm not one to dispute her wisdom, but I can't say that I found much there that makes any sense. Yet. Perhaps all the signs are there, but I haven't had the time or the grace to recognize them yet. As for why I'm here now, I'm mostly following Niv until any other signs reveal themselves to me."
Aldren waved a hand dismissively. "I've never been one for signs myself. I've always trusted in my heart and my head to guide me. Then again, I happen to have both of them. If I were lacking in one of them, perhaps I'd rely on signs to lead me around as well."
A long, low sigh rumbled out from deep within Autumn. "Ah, there it is again; the stink of prejudice. It's been a few hours since I caught a whiff of it from anyone, I was almost beginning to miss it."
Aldren backpedaled. "Oh, I meant no offense, Autumn..."
"Naturally. You should take care with your assumptions and expectations, Aldren. Many who would assume the worst of me because of who I am would think the same of you because of that pendant on your chest."
"Autumn please, allow me to explain, if I can. You're obviously a thinking and deeply caring being. But given my upbringing, the faith I was raised in, it can be difficult at time for me to think of you as truly alive, as more than an unnatural automaton, despite what I'm able to see."
"Because I lack flesh and blood? I am made of many things, Aldren. Stone and steel. Iron and obsidian. Wood and leather. Each of these things a part of Eberron herself, or of her children. Allegedly, dragonshards from the depths of Khyber powered the Creation Forges. Magic, granted to us by Siberys, pulsed through the Forge and ignited the spark of life that lay dormant within my form." Autumn counted off each of the Great Dragons on the thumb and fingers of his hand as he named them. "So you see, Aldren, I am a child of all three of the Progenitor Wyrms. One could argue that in a sense, I am more a child of this world than a child of Eberron such as yourself is. That is, if you care to measure such things against each other and weigh their worth, which I do not."
"It's not the lack of flesh that troubles me, Autumn. My flesh is just that; flesh, and nothing more. My blood, however... it is my blood which gives me life! The blood that courses through my veins is a gift from my parents. Their blood and their faith in its powers was a gift from their parents, and so on and so on, into antiquity. My family have long been believers in the Blood of Vol." Aldren's eyes grew distant, repeating stories memorized long before. "The traditions that their faith grew from began shortly after the elves reached Aerenal. After the magic of the giants was lost when Xen'Drik was shattered, House Vol were the first to unlock the secrets of blood. They saw the power within it, and kept a meticulous record of which families grew more powerful as strong blood mixed with strong blood, and which grew weaker as their blood was diluted. In my family, as well as in the families of many others of the Blood, marriages were arranged to cull out thinner-blooded lines, and strengthen others."
"This fascination with blood is strange to me as well." Autumn shook his head, as if to shrug something off of himself. "Blood is certainly a part of life, but it isn't the beginning and the end of it. Plants do not have blood, and yet they are just as alive as you and I are. There are many trees that I have spoken with that would claim that their lives are just fine without any blood at all."
Nightwood Ale sprayed from Aldren's mouth. "Plants? You can't be serious! Are you honestly comparing sap to blood?", he spat out incredulously. "Life and death and struggle and the power to exert my will all boil and churn within my blood. Life and death, Autumn! A shifter owes his feral nature to the bestial blood inherited from his ancestors. Niv's sorcerous talents are a result of the power of her blood. It is the key to life and death and everything in between." Aldren took another long drink of ale, trying to read the warforged's expression. "Do you know why mortals die, Autumn? The so-called Sovereign Lords that so many see fit to revere played the cruelest trick of all; they bestowed mortality upon us. They kept the secrets of eternal life for themselves! But those of the Blood, Autumn, those of the Blood have learned those secrets. Those whose blood is truly strong can unlock the power, the divinity within their blood, beat the wretched Sovereigns at their own game, and transcend death itself!"
It was now Autumn's turn to appear incredulous. "Why should death be transcended, Aldren? Do you fear it so much? It is part of the natural order of things. Certainly, one shouldn't seek to hasten their own death, but finding your resting place after a long, fulfilling life should be welcomed warmly. The priests of the Sovereigns will tell you that the soul passes on to rest with their Lords after the vast gray of Dolurrh. The Church of the Silver Flame holds that its devout followers become one with their Flame after death. I can't say whether either of those beliefs are right or wrong. I myself have seen souls reborn after dying. Undeath is abhorrent to me; you're removing yourself from the cycle of nature. There can be no rebirth without death."
"That may suffice for others," Aldren scoffed, "but I would take the certainty of immortality over the chance of rebirth any day. Or night, as the case may be."
"One thing seems odd to me, Aldren; you speak of your faith in a very detached manner. Why is that?"
Aldren sighed. "It is deliberate, Autumn. I mentioned the faith I was raised in. The Blood of Vol was much more than an empty recitation of words to me, even from a very early age. I could feel my blood singing within me. At times, it sang so loudly that I could hear it. Through my faith, I was given strength and power, and was able to accomplish things most men could only dream of. Sadly, that was some time ago. You see before you now a man without faith. I remember my teachings, but they're just empty words and ritual to me now. And how that came to be? Well, we have yet to raise our swords together in battle. I can't see myself telling that story to anyone I hadn't done so with beforehand." Aldren forced a weak smile. "We'll also need a few more flagons of ale than we have now."
"Fair enough," Autumn nodded. If you'll excuse me, Aldren, I'd like to stretch my legs a bit and take in the night air for a while. I'll see you in the morning."
Aldren finished his ale as Autumn made his way for the door. As soon as the warforged was out of sight, he pulled out a quill, some ink and a parchment, and began to write...
Niv's sneer was audible in her otherwise flat response. "That much is obvious. What else did she find out, aside from my name?"
"Not much. The names of some of your recent associates, and some of the work you've done. There was also an incident with House Lyrandar that she referenced, but didn't say much about."
Niv tried to stifle a curse under her breath. "And what about Autumn?"
"She wasn't able to find out anything about him - he's a blank slate, as far as she knows. Or as far as she told me, anyways. She hired me a few days before your meeting with her. I'm just as expendable as you are."
"Lovely. As if I didn't have enough to worry about her before... Alright, soldier boy, I suppose your answer is good enough." Niv sheathed her dagger somewhere within her dress. "I'll be keeping both eyes on you for the remainder of this journey. And see to it that you don't mention any of this to Autumn. Let's go, Kiva."
Aldren let himself sink back into his chair as Niv and Kiva left the dining cart. He wiped the sweat from his brow and ordered another mug of ale which he'd hopefully get the chance to drink. This was going to be a very long trip...
***
Lharvion 13, 998 YK
Aundair
Passage
The lightning rail pulled into the station in Passage just past the second bell. Most of the passengers lay asleep in their bunks, bound for destinations beyond, such as Fairhaven and Thaliost. The departing passengers staggered bleary-eyed from the lightning rail station, seeking the comfort of a warm bed in a nearby inn. Autumn, Niv, Kiva and Aldren found themselves outside of just such an inn; the Dragonhawk Arms. Autumn's voice reflected his concern. "Niv, are you sure about this? There are many other inns we could stay at that would cost us far less."
"We'll be fine, Autumn, it's just for one night. The bunks on the lightning rail weren't exactly the most comfortable sleeping arrangements I've been in before. You should try sleeping in one next time and see how you like it."
"I tried sleeping once - I wasn't very successful. I don't see why you bother with it, there are so many other things to do with all that time."
"Well, my dear warforged, I'm sure you'll be able to entertain yourself somehow. As for me, I'm going to collapse into one of their lovely thick feather beds. Wake me up in about a week."
"I'd be glad to, but the caravan we're traveling with leaves at noon. I don't think the innkeeper will take kindly to us taking his bed along with us. Also, think of the poor horses who would have to drag the bed behind them the whole way." He ignored the rude hand gesture Niv responded with.
If expense is such a concern," Aldren interjected, "we can just get one room for Niv. I've had enough rest for the night. I can wait until we've joined the caravan to sleep."
"Excellent. It will be nice to have someone to talk to. Listening to Niv snore can become rather boring after a while."
"Very well, Autumn. If you keep my mug filled, I'll do my best to hold up my end of the conversation."
As they made their way towards the door, the quiet tranquility of Passage was interrupted by a loud outburst.
"I do not snore!!!"
***
Aldren raised his mug of Nightwood Ale to toast Autumn. "Thank you kindly, good sir, for this fine beverage. After a long drink, he added, "It seems that you and Niv are getting along better than you were the other day."
Autumn shrugged. "We had a disagreement. Niv can be somewhat impatient at times, and quick to anger, but she usually gets over it pretty quickly. This is the first time she's really been out of Sharn, so it's understandable that she's a bit more on edge than usual. This job is also very important to her. I would expect a few more outbursts from her as time goes by, but don't be too put off by them." Autumn arched an iron eyebrow and leaned in closer. "It's when she gets quiet that you should be nervous."
"I'll keep that in mind," Aldren smiled. "It's obvious that you aren't from Sharn originally. What brought you there, and what brings you on this little expedition, if you don't mind my asking?"
"That's a fair question. I'm still not exactly sure why I went to Sharn, to be honest. My mentor had seen signs that told me I should go there. I'm not one to dispute her wisdom, but I can't say that I found much there that makes any sense. Yet. Perhaps all the signs are there, but I haven't had the time or the grace to recognize them yet. As for why I'm here now, I'm mostly following Niv until any other signs reveal themselves to me."
Aldren waved a hand dismissively. "I've never been one for signs myself. I've always trusted in my heart and my head to guide me. Then again, I happen to have both of them. If I were lacking in one of them, perhaps I'd rely on signs to lead me around as well."
A long, low sigh rumbled out from deep within Autumn. "Ah, there it is again; the stink of prejudice. It's been a few hours since I caught a whiff of it from anyone, I was almost beginning to miss it."
Aldren backpedaled. "Oh, I meant no offense, Autumn..."
"Naturally. You should take care with your assumptions and expectations, Aldren. Many who would assume the worst of me because of who I am would think the same of you because of that pendant on your chest."
"Autumn please, allow me to explain, if I can. You're obviously a thinking and deeply caring being. But given my upbringing, the faith I was raised in, it can be difficult at time for me to think of you as truly alive, as more than an unnatural automaton, despite what I'm able to see."
"Because I lack flesh and blood? I am made of many things, Aldren. Stone and steel. Iron and obsidian. Wood and leather. Each of these things a part of Eberron herself, or of her children. Allegedly, dragonshards from the depths of Khyber powered the Creation Forges. Magic, granted to us by Siberys, pulsed through the Forge and ignited the spark of life that lay dormant within my form." Autumn counted off each of the Great Dragons on the thumb and fingers of his hand as he named them. "So you see, Aldren, I am a child of all three of the Progenitor Wyrms. One could argue that in a sense, I am more a child of this world than a child of Eberron such as yourself is. That is, if you care to measure such things against each other and weigh their worth, which I do not."
"It's not the lack of flesh that troubles me, Autumn. My flesh is just that; flesh, and nothing more. My blood, however... it is my blood which gives me life! The blood that courses through my veins is a gift from my parents. Their blood and their faith in its powers was a gift from their parents, and so on and so on, into antiquity. My family have long been believers in the Blood of Vol." Aldren's eyes grew distant, repeating stories memorized long before. "The traditions that their faith grew from began shortly after the elves reached Aerenal. After the magic of the giants was lost when Xen'Drik was shattered, House Vol were the first to unlock the secrets of blood. They saw the power within it, and kept a meticulous record of which families grew more powerful as strong blood mixed with strong blood, and which grew weaker as their blood was diluted. In my family, as well as in the families of many others of the Blood, marriages were arranged to cull out thinner-blooded lines, and strengthen others."
"This fascination with blood is strange to me as well." Autumn shook his head, as if to shrug something off of himself. "Blood is certainly a part of life, but it isn't the beginning and the end of it. Plants do not have blood, and yet they are just as alive as you and I are. There are many trees that I have spoken with that would claim that their lives are just fine without any blood at all."
Nightwood Ale sprayed from Aldren's mouth. "Plants? You can't be serious! Are you honestly comparing sap to blood?", he spat out incredulously. "Life and death and struggle and the power to exert my will all boil and churn within my blood. Life and death, Autumn! A shifter owes his feral nature to the bestial blood inherited from his ancestors. Niv's sorcerous talents are a result of the power of her blood. It is the key to life and death and everything in between." Aldren took another long drink of ale, trying to read the warforged's expression. "Do you know why mortals die, Autumn? The so-called Sovereign Lords that so many see fit to revere played the cruelest trick of all; they bestowed mortality upon us. They kept the secrets of eternal life for themselves! But those of the Blood, Autumn, those of the Blood have learned those secrets. Those whose blood is truly strong can unlock the power, the divinity within their blood, beat the wretched Sovereigns at their own game, and transcend death itself!"
It was now Autumn's turn to appear incredulous. "Why should death be transcended, Aldren? Do you fear it so much? It is part of the natural order of things. Certainly, one shouldn't seek to hasten their own death, but finding your resting place after a long, fulfilling life should be welcomed warmly. The priests of the Sovereigns will tell you that the soul passes on to rest with their Lords after the vast gray of Dolurrh. The Church of the Silver Flame holds that its devout followers become one with their Flame after death. I can't say whether either of those beliefs are right or wrong. I myself have seen souls reborn after dying. Undeath is abhorrent to me; you're removing yourself from the cycle of nature. There can be no rebirth without death."
"That may suffice for others," Aldren scoffed, "but I would take the certainty of immortality over the chance of rebirth any day. Or night, as the case may be."
"One thing seems odd to me, Aldren; you speak of your faith in a very detached manner. Why is that?"
Aldren sighed. "It is deliberate, Autumn. I mentioned the faith I was raised in. The Blood of Vol was much more than an empty recitation of words to me, even from a very early age. I could feel my blood singing within me. At times, it sang so loudly that I could hear it. Through my faith, I was given strength and power, and was able to accomplish things most men could only dream of. Sadly, that was some time ago. You see before you now a man without faith. I remember my teachings, but they're just empty words and ritual to me now. And how that came to be? Well, we have yet to raise our swords together in battle. I can't see myself telling that story to anyone I hadn't done so with beforehand." Aldren forced a weak smile. "We'll also need a few more flagons of ale than we have now."
"Fair enough," Autumn nodded. If you'll excuse me, Aldren, I'd like to stretch my legs a bit and take in the night air for a while. I'll see you in the morning."
Aldren finished his ale as Autumn made his way for the door. As soon as the warforged was out of sight, he pulled out a quill, some ink and a parchment, and began to write...
Lharvion 24, 998 YK
Aundair
near Rhenshia
The wide road from Passage to Lathleer had felt the tread of thousands upon thousands of feet in its time. House Orien caravans had made the trek back and forth along its path since before the founding of the kingdom of Galifar. It was a hot, muggy afternoon that saw one of these caravans slowly plodding towards Lathleer, carrying with in an assortment of passengers: thrifty merchants and tinkers anxious to sell their wares, reliable couriers delivering news and communications, and stoic adventurers searching for an ancient treasure.
"By the Flame, can this blasted caravan move any slower? It feels like it's been over four months since we left Passage!" Niv slumped forward in her saddle, cursing like a sailor fresh into port, in stark contrast to the face and dress of a noblewoman she wore.
Aldren glowered at her from atop his horse, frustration mounting after a long, slow day of riding. "If you ask me, your complaints are doing more to slow the passage of time than any foul weather or poor road conditions could hope to."
Niv spun about on her companion. "No, I most certainly did not ask you, Morathus, that was a rhetorical question. Perhaps you'd know what that meant if you didn't spend so much time gazing at the reflection in your armor."
"Aren't ladies of high society supposed to behave in a quiet, demure fashion, Lady ir'Tain? This trip would be much more pleasant to endure if you could perform your role properly." Aldren gritted his teeth and stared forward, determined to avoid Niv's white-hot glare.
"Oh, and I suppose you think you can put this lady in her place, Captain Obviously Covering For His Inadequacies?" She gestured in the direction of the greatsword strapped across his back. "I doubt it, since I've seen you reach for a mug of ale far more often than I've seen you reach for that oversized surrogate --"
"That's enough out of both of you!" Her snide comment was cut short by Autumn's booming voice as he stepped between their horses. "Yes, the caravan moves slowly; that's what caravans do. This was the safest and easiest way for us to travel for this leg of our journey. We're only a week and a half into this trip - we have a week or two more ahead of us before we break off from the caravan." He absentmindedly patted the flank & stroked the neck of Niv's horse as he chided his two companions. "I thought that you two were adults? If you can't conduct yourselves properly in each other's presence, perhaps we should just part company now? I'm sure it will take longer for Meksoor to send assassins after the three of us if we abandon this mission and go our separate ways than if we stayed together. Honestly, I expecte-"
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Autumn stopped in mid-lecture, his head cocked sideways. "Do you hear that?"
Aldren shrugged noncomittally, while Niv concentrated. "Sounds like someone singing," she offered. "Either that, or a cat being tortured." She listened a few moments longer. "Or someone torturing a cat by singing."
Autumn listened intently, his emerald eyes flaring with recognition and fury. "Not that song! Not again! No!" He turned on his heel and marched briskly towards the head of the caravan in the direction of the song.
Aldren's puzzled expression spoke volumes, but he asked the question anyway. "What is he on about now?"
***
Erben Tullier half walked, half skipped alongside the wagon he was supposed to be watching. He daydreamed idly, thumping the side of the wagon with a stick he had found, barely keeping time with the song his awkward young voice attempted to sing.
Dragonhawk majestic circ'ling through the skies above
Aundair! Aundair! I will defend this land I love
Dragonhawk triumphant wheeling through the skies so free
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Lost in his reverie, he was completely taken aback when an enraged warforged grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. The face of steel was mere inches away from his own, green jewel-like eyes threatening to burn right through him.
"You! Boy! Exactly what do you think you are doing, singing that song?"
Erben stuttered and stammered, trying to stop his heart from beating too quickly. "S-s-s-sir? That's the Q-Q-Queen's Anthem, that's Aundair's battle march."
"Yes, I'm all too familiar with that song." Autumn pointed towards the livery on a nearby wagon. "However, this is a House Orien caravan, not an Aundairian caravan."
Erben straightened up, seeming to take affront. "A caravan that's traveling through Aundair, being guided by Aundairians like myself."
"And is this caravan marching towards battle? I seem to recall that the war is over. What use is a war song here and now?"
The boy's face reddened. "I like the way it sounds. It reminds me of why we fought the war, and makes me proud of my country. Aundair's enemies are jealous of her glory, they could march on us any day! We need to be ready to defend ourselves!"
"So if a column of Thrane Knights were to attack this caravan, you'd do what, fight them off with that stick in your hand?" Autumn scoffed. "As for the 'glory' of Aundair, I seem to recall that losing the Eldeen Reaches cut that glory to a third of its size."
It was Erben's turn to scoff. "As if those filthy Reachers-"
One of Autumn's thick metal fingers wagged in front of Erben's face. "Mind your tongue, boy, you're speaking to a 'filthy Reacher' right now."
The boy stopped speaking, his eyes narrowing as he pondered this new information.
Autumn let the silence hang for a moment. "How many summers have you seen, boy?"
"Fourteen, sir, and I'm no boy. My Uncle Durys is the wagonmaster of this caravan, he's told me I'm the man of my family ever since I was eight, when my father died in the war."
"Ah, a soldier for Aundair, no doubt?"
"Aye sir." The boy puffed himself up with pride. "He died trying to retake Thaliost from those cursed Thrane devils. My father is a hero."
"Retaking Thaliost? Do you have any idea how many times that city changed hands during the war?" Autumn sighed. "If you hope to see very many more summers, you'll give up any romantic notions you have about war. There is no glory in it, and no honor. There is nothing but pain and death and destruction. People will tell you stories about courage and bravery and heroism; what they won't tell you about are the sight and smell of a battlefield littered with fresh corpses; of men and women screaming for death as they writhe in agony; of how it feels to watch the light leave someone's eyes when you slip a sword in between their ribs." The warforged punctuated this last comment with a rough stabbing motion towards Erben's side, his voice rising steadily as he continue, ignoring the stares of the surrounding caravan passengers.
"Some would say that those who lie dead at the end of a battle are better off than those who live; at least their mind is not filled with scenes of the carnage that they took part in forever afterwards. They aren't cosumed with wondering why their life was spared, and what the people that they killed would be doing right now if their lives hadn't been taken from them. There are no heroes in war, boy; your father did not die a hero's death. He was a pawn and a fool who threw his life away as part of the petty squabblings of a handful of petty princes, and his death meant nothing at all."
Erben attempted to keep his composure, but his chin quivered as tears began to stream down his face. What was left of his dignity was spared by a figure calling out to the warforged from several paces behind.
"Autumn! A word with you, if you please!" Aldren's voice was sharp and filled with urgency under a forced tone of politeness. Autumn turned away from the boy and walked slowly towards his comrade.
Aldren leaned in closely as the warforged neared him, keeping his voice low. "By the Blood, Autumn, what in Khyber are you on about? The boy meant no harm, he was simply singing a song!"
"I won't listen to that song again, Aldren. The number of times I heard it during the war, the countless times I've heard it in my own head since then, I simply won't hear it sung around me!" Autumn apparently felt no need for quiet or confidentiality.
"Autumn, you're not making any sense. I've heard you singing several war songs yourself before."
"Not that one! I can assure you that you've never heard me sing that song."
Aldren sighed. "Very well, but my point is that you don't need to treat the boy so poorly over it. How was he to know? I don't recall you handing out a list of approved traveling songs before we left Passage. Your behavior is inexcusable."
The warforged pointed back towards the boy. "He needs to understand what he's singing about, Aldren! Surely you would agree!"
Aldren raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I know he does... I know. Sadly, it's very probable that he will find out someday. I admire the fact that you want to help him to avoid learning about it firsthand, but the way you're going about it, Autumn..."
"What?" Autumn raised a steel eyebrow.
"Well, I don't quite know how to say it without being abrupt, but you had no right to attack his father like that."
"What did I tell the boy other than the truth?" The warforged raised his hands to the heavens in confusion. "His father was most likely some peasant conscripted for no other purpose than to serve as fodder for war."
"Yes, Autumn, you and I both know that, but you're not listening to me." Aldren rain a hand through his hair, frustrated at his companion's lack of understanding. "I don't expect you to understand this easily, given who and what you are."
Autumn's voice returned to its usual volume, but went utterly cold. "And what do you mean by that, Morathus?"
Aldren sighed heavily. "You've been a warrior, Autumn, but you've never been a son. You've never had a father. That boy lost his father at a young age. Whether his father was a conscript or a general, he was everything in that boys eyes. He barely knew his father, and in the years since he lost him, he's been holding on to this noble image of his father bravely giving his life in the defense of his people and his homeland." The Karrn's eyes grew soft. "No matter who he is or what he does, every father is a hero to his son, Autumn, at least for a while. You have no right to take that away from him. No right at all."
The warforged's eyes grew bright once more with fury. "And you have no right to tell me what I know about people and what I do not, Morathus! Nor the right to tell me what rights I may or may not have. Not you, nor any other human!" He stalked off past the caravan, calling over his shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be joining Kiva scouting ahead of the caravan!"
***
A few hours later, just as the sky was beginning to darken with the promise of twilight, Niv and Aldren's attempts to avoid conversation with one another were interrupted by the sight of Autumn bursting through the woods along the path ahead of the caravan, running at full speed.
"Ambush! Ambush ahead! To arms! To arms! Niv, Aldren, I need you up here now!"
Aundair
near Rhenshia
The wide road from Passage to Lathleer had felt the tread of thousands upon thousands of feet in its time. House Orien caravans had made the trek back and forth along its path since before the founding of the kingdom of Galifar. It was a hot, muggy afternoon that saw one of these caravans slowly plodding towards Lathleer, carrying with in an assortment of passengers: thrifty merchants and tinkers anxious to sell their wares, reliable couriers delivering news and communications, and stoic adventurers searching for an ancient treasure.
"By the Flame, can this blasted caravan move any slower? It feels like it's been over four months since we left Passage!" Niv slumped forward in her saddle, cursing like a sailor fresh into port, in stark contrast to the face and dress of a noblewoman she wore.
Aldren glowered at her from atop his horse, frustration mounting after a long, slow day of riding. "If you ask me, your complaints are doing more to slow the passage of time than any foul weather or poor road conditions could hope to."
Niv spun about on her companion. "No, I most certainly did not ask you, Morathus, that was a rhetorical question. Perhaps you'd know what that meant if you didn't spend so much time gazing at the reflection in your armor."
"Aren't ladies of high society supposed to behave in a quiet, demure fashion, Lady ir'Tain? This trip would be much more pleasant to endure if you could perform your role properly." Aldren gritted his teeth and stared forward, determined to avoid Niv's white-hot glare.
"Oh, and I suppose you think you can put this lady in her place, Captain Obviously Covering For His Inadequacies?" She gestured in the direction of the greatsword strapped across his back. "I doubt it, since I've seen you reach for a mug of ale far more often than I've seen you reach for that oversized surrogate --"
"That's enough out of both of you!" Her snide comment was cut short by Autumn's booming voice as he stepped between their horses. "Yes, the caravan moves slowly; that's what caravans do. This was the safest and easiest way for us to travel for this leg of our journey. We're only a week and a half into this trip - we have a week or two more ahead of us before we break off from the caravan." He absentmindedly patted the flank & stroked the neck of Niv's horse as he chided his two companions. "I thought that you two were adults? If you can't conduct yourselves properly in each other's presence, perhaps we should just part company now? I'm sure it will take longer for Meksoor to send assassins after the three of us if we abandon this mission and go our separate ways than if we stayed together. Honestly, I expecte-"
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Autumn stopped in mid-lecture, his head cocked sideways. "Do you hear that?"
Aldren shrugged noncomittally, while Niv concentrated. "Sounds like someone singing," she offered. "Either that, or a cat being tortured." She listened a few moments longer. "Or someone torturing a cat by singing."
Autumn listened intently, his emerald eyes flaring with recognition and fury. "Not that song! Not again! No!" He turned on his heel and marched briskly towards the head of the caravan in the direction of the song.
Aldren's puzzled expression spoke volumes, but he asked the question anyway. "What is he on about now?"
***
Erben Tullier half walked, half skipped alongside the wagon he was supposed to be watching. He daydreamed idly, thumping the side of the wagon with a stick he had found, barely keeping time with the song his awkward young voice attempted to sing.
Dragonhawk majestic circ'ling through the skies above
Aundair! Aundair! I will defend this land I love
Dragonhawk triumphant wheeling through the skies so free
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Aundair! Aundair! I pledge my sword to thee
Lost in his reverie, he was completely taken aback when an enraged warforged grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around. The face of steel was mere inches away from his own, green jewel-like eyes threatening to burn right through him.
"You! Boy! Exactly what do you think you are doing, singing that song?"
Erben stuttered and stammered, trying to stop his heart from beating too quickly. "S-s-s-sir? That's the Q-Q-Queen's Anthem, that's Aundair's battle march."
"Yes, I'm all too familiar with that song." Autumn pointed towards the livery on a nearby wagon. "However, this is a House Orien caravan, not an Aundairian caravan."
Erben straightened up, seeming to take affront. "A caravan that's traveling through Aundair, being guided by Aundairians like myself."
"And is this caravan marching towards battle? I seem to recall that the war is over. What use is a war song here and now?"
The boy's face reddened. "I like the way it sounds. It reminds me of why we fought the war, and makes me proud of my country. Aundair's enemies are jealous of her glory, they could march on us any day! We need to be ready to defend ourselves!"
"So if a column of Thrane Knights were to attack this caravan, you'd do what, fight them off with that stick in your hand?" Autumn scoffed. "As for the 'glory' of Aundair, I seem to recall that losing the Eldeen Reaches cut that glory to a third of its size."
It was Erben's turn to scoff. "As if those filthy Reachers-"
One of Autumn's thick metal fingers wagged in front of Erben's face. "Mind your tongue, boy, you're speaking to a 'filthy Reacher' right now."
The boy stopped speaking, his eyes narrowing as he pondered this new information.
Autumn let the silence hang for a moment. "How many summers have you seen, boy?"
"Fourteen, sir, and I'm no boy. My Uncle Durys is the wagonmaster of this caravan, he's told me I'm the man of my family ever since I was eight, when my father died in the war."
"Ah, a soldier for Aundair, no doubt?"
"Aye sir." The boy puffed himself up with pride. "He died trying to retake Thaliost from those cursed Thrane devils. My father is a hero."
"Retaking Thaliost? Do you have any idea how many times that city changed hands during the war?" Autumn sighed. "If you hope to see very many more summers, you'll give up any romantic notions you have about war. There is no glory in it, and no honor. There is nothing but pain and death and destruction. People will tell you stories about courage and bravery and heroism; what they won't tell you about are the sight and smell of a battlefield littered with fresh corpses; of men and women screaming for death as they writhe in agony; of how it feels to watch the light leave someone's eyes when you slip a sword in between their ribs." The warforged punctuated this last comment with a rough stabbing motion towards Erben's side, his voice rising steadily as he continue, ignoring the stares of the surrounding caravan passengers.
"Some would say that those who lie dead at the end of a battle are better off than those who live; at least their mind is not filled with scenes of the carnage that they took part in forever afterwards. They aren't cosumed with wondering why their life was spared, and what the people that they killed would be doing right now if their lives hadn't been taken from them. There are no heroes in war, boy; your father did not die a hero's death. He was a pawn and a fool who threw his life away as part of the petty squabblings of a handful of petty princes, and his death meant nothing at all."
Erben attempted to keep his composure, but his chin quivered as tears began to stream down his face. What was left of his dignity was spared by a figure calling out to the warforged from several paces behind.
"Autumn! A word with you, if you please!" Aldren's voice was sharp and filled with urgency under a forced tone of politeness. Autumn turned away from the boy and walked slowly towards his comrade.
Aldren leaned in closely as the warforged neared him, keeping his voice low. "By the Blood, Autumn, what in Khyber are you on about? The boy meant no harm, he was simply singing a song!"
"I won't listen to that song again, Aldren. The number of times I heard it during the war, the countless times I've heard it in my own head since then, I simply won't hear it sung around me!" Autumn apparently felt no need for quiet or confidentiality.
"Autumn, you're not making any sense. I've heard you singing several war songs yourself before."
"Not that one! I can assure you that you've never heard me sing that song."
Aldren sighed. "Very well, but my point is that you don't need to treat the boy so poorly over it. How was he to know? I don't recall you handing out a list of approved traveling songs before we left Passage. Your behavior is inexcusable."
The warforged pointed back towards the boy. "He needs to understand what he's singing about, Aldren! Surely you would agree!"
Aldren raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "I know he does... I know. Sadly, it's very probable that he will find out someday. I admire the fact that you want to help him to avoid learning about it firsthand, but the way you're going about it, Autumn..."
"What?" Autumn raised a steel eyebrow.
"Well, I don't quite know how to say it without being abrupt, but you had no right to attack his father like that."
"What did I tell the boy other than the truth?" The warforged raised his hands to the heavens in confusion. "His father was most likely some peasant conscripted for no other purpose than to serve as fodder for war."
"Yes, Autumn, you and I both know that, but you're not listening to me." Aldren rain a hand through his hair, frustrated at his companion's lack of understanding. "I don't expect you to understand this easily, given who and what you are."
Autumn's voice returned to its usual volume, but went utterly cold. "And what do you mean by that, Morathus?"
Aldren sighed heavily. "You've been a warrior, Autumn, but you've never been a son. You've never had a father. That boy lost his father at a young age. Whether his father was a conscript or a general, he was everything in that boys eyes. He barely knew his father, and in the years since he lost him, he's been holding on to this noble image of his father bravely giving his life in the defense of his people and his homeland." The Karrn's eyes grew soft. "No matter who he is or what he does, every father is a hero to his son, Autumn, at least for a while. You have no right to take that away from him. No right at all."
The warforged's eyes grew bright once more with fury. "And you have no right to tell me what I know about people and what I do not, Morathus! Nor the right to tell me what rights I may or may not have. Not you, nor any other human!" He stalked off past the caravan, calling over his shoulder. "If you need me, I'll be joining Kiva scouting ahead of the caravan!"
***
A few hours later, just as the sky was beginning to darken with the promise of twilight, Niv and Aldren's attempts to avoid conversation with one another were interrupted by the sight of Autumn bursting through the woods along the path ahead of the caravan, running at full speed.
"Ambush! Ambush ahead! To arms! To arms! Niv, Aldren, I need you up here now!"
well, one benefit of going four months or so without updating this story hour is that I didn't lose much of it during this weeks crash. 
I hadn't backed up the entire thread recently, so we're missing a few user comments. One interesting note is the thread view count; it was at 1,301 right before the crash, and at 775 after the 12/29/05 restoration. That means that the thread had almost as many reads while I wasn't updating it as it had while I was actively posting!
I've got half of a rough draft of the next post written, but I have a D&D game to run this weekend, so I probably won't have any more of the story posted here until next week.
As always, thanks for reading!
I hadn't backed up the entire thread recently, so we're missing a few user comments. One interesting note is the thread view count; it was at 1,301 right before the crash, and at 775 after the 12/29/05 restoration. That means that the thread had almost as many reads while I wasn't updating it as it had while I was actively posting! I've got half of a rough draft of the next post written, but I have a D&D game to run this weekend, so I probably won't have any more of the story posted here until next week.
As always, thanks for reading!
Shieldhaven
Explorer
I've read through this Story Hour over the course of the day. Great stuff! I look forward to more. Autumn does seem to be getting easier to set off as the story goes along. I'm still looking forward to the story "catching up to" the first entry.
Haven
Haven
hmm... I feel an odd sense of... detachment... after being brought back through Sidekick's fell magicks. A bit lighter, too. Hey, I can see my ribs again!
I'm sorry to say that,at best, this story is on indefinite hiatus. My workload has increased dramatically since this fall, and I've been taking classes at night as well. I also try to see my wife occasionally when work and school allow it. My already taxed mind is currently being pummeled into submission by the Latin language; we'll be adding the subjunctive mood to our courseload either tonight or next week, and I fear that I will finally buckle completely under its burden.
If it's any consolation, I haven't had time for my D&D session in several months either, so I'm in the habit of letting everyone down these days - anyone who was reading this story wasn't singled out, I can assure you.
I've got the entire story arc plotted out in my head, less a few specific details here and there. (note to Shieldhaven; if it pans out the way I think it will/would, the first chapter is roughly 1/2 to 2/3rds of the way through the story). I hope that some day I'll be able to make the time to hammer it all out in a format that others can read, but right now, I regret to say that I don't know when that will be. Sorry.
I'm sorry to say that,at best, this story is on indefinite hiatus. My workload has increased dramatically since this fall, and I've been taking classes at night as well. I also try to see my wife occasionally when work and school allow it.
My already taxed mind is currently being pummeled into submission by the Latin language; we'll be adding the subjunctive mood to our courseload either tonight or next week, and I fear that I will finally buckle completely under its burden.If it's any consolation, I haven't had time for my D&D session in several months either, so I'm in the habit of letting everyone down these days - anyone who was reading this story wasn't singled out, I can assure you.
I've got the entire story arc plotted out in my head, less a few specific details here and there. (note to Shieldhaven; if it pans out the way I think it will/would, the first chapter is roughly 1/2 to 2/3rds of the way through the story). I hope that some day I'll be able to make the time to hammer it all out in a format that others can read, but right now, I regret to say that I don't know when that will be. Sorry.
Need_A_Life
First Post
I miss this thing updating...
also:
BUMP!
