The Harvest Moon Consortium

[Winterhawk99]

Family Honor

I stand here now, looking down upon the pillar of light in the woods below. I can barely make out some sort of structure next to it through the trees. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of the abyss looking at a world I’m not ready to be a part of. I know that what I’m about to do is my task. It’s my purpose in life. Standing here I can’t help but remember the events that started me down this path. It feels like it happened a lifetime ago to someone that wasn’t me…

It all began with a summons to my mother’s study. I was a mere child then and I knew that if my mother wanted to meet me in her study she must want talk about something important. When I reached the door I knocked softly. For a moment there was no response. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe she didn’t want to see me. As I turned away I heard a faint voice from the other side. “Come in.”

With a deep breath I opened the door and stepped in. I was greeted with the sight of my mother sitting in a chair looking as regal as ever. Directly in front of her was another chair with a table in between. There were two glasses of wine and a pitcher on the table. My mother’s glass was half empty. My mother broke into my thoughts, “Come and sit down.” Her voice was commanding but there was something else in it that I didn’t recognize. Obediently I sat in the chair opposite her. She motioned to the wine so I picked it up and began sipping it.

She watched me drink for a time then closed her eyes as she spoke. “Tell me, child, why are we here?”

My response came from instinct. I heard this question everyday. I quickly stood up straight before my mother. I never thought about the answer, but simply spoke it. “To serve and bring honor to my family and our people!”

With her eyes still closed, she spoke. “You know that to do this sometimes requires great sacrifices by the members of that family.” She opened her eyes and stared at me in the oddest way. There was worry in her eyes. She looked me up and down as if she dreaded my response to her statement.

“Of course, Mother.” I spoke what I knew to be true but something was wrong. I had never known my mother to doubt my belief in those words. As I spoke them I saw her face relax and heard her sigh of relief.

“Are you ready to do your duty for your family?” She spoke the words slowly and I felt her pride and dignified manner return to her.

I stood straighter as I spoke. “I was born ready, Mother.”

“Good.” As she spoke the word I felt a tremor sweep through my body. I felt my hand start shaking and my knees buckled. I looked at my mother in confusion but she was staring at the ground. I felt my throat tighten as I managed to squeak out, “Mother!?”

I don’t remember dropping the glass I held but I remember the sound of it shattering on the stone floor. I felt myself begin to fall. Three words floated down to me soft as rain. “I’m so sorry.” And darkness was all I knew…

I awoke slowly. Feeling came back to my body over time. I opened my eyes to utter darkness. I felt the stone slab that I was lying on. I tried to sit up but realized I had no strength in my arms or legs. So I laid there staring up at nothing. After a time I heard a male voice, soft and smooth. “Well well. It’s awake. Welcome back my dear.”

“Am I dead?” It was the first thing that popped into my mind.

I heard a soft laugh then the voice again, “I guess that depends on who you ask.”

“Where am I?”

“That’s a complicated question. We’ll save it for later. Ask another.” The voice seemed amused.

“Why can’t I use my arms and legs?”

“Ah. Now that’s a good question with a simple answer. Because you haven’t used them in nearly a year and because the poison takes a long time to wear off.” There was a hint of pride in his voice now. That seemed strange to me.

“Poison? I…”

“Don’t you remember?” The voice seemed genuinely curious now.

“I….mother!”

“Yes. This was all her idea.” I could feel the voice’s smile.

“Who are you?”

“Yet another complicated question. Let us just say I’m an old…acquaintance of your mother’s. For a long time to come you will call me…Master. When I feel you are ready, I will let you call me what others call me…Barxandil.” He went silent for a time, allowing me to absorb what he said. It didn’t make any sense to me.

“So I’m to be your slave. Why?” Anger flashed through me. So my mother sold me off. What a way to serve my family!

He laughed lightly again. “No my dear. Use your brain for once. Do you think I’d need one of your kind as a slave? How would that look to outsiders?” He sighed then. “You have a lot to learn child. A lot to learn indeed.”

“You mean I’m to be your student?” Well that was certainly better than a slave. “Why?”

“I owe your mother a favor. Now she decided to call it in. She has plans for you. Secret plans. Under my tutelage you shall learn the skills that will make you useful to your family and you can do as your mother wishes.”

“Why the secrecy? Why me?”

“Come now, surely you aren’t that naïve?” There was a hint of surprise and annoyance in his voice now. “You understand the society of your people. Strength is all they want to see but you don’t fit that. And so I shall teach you that the strong warrior is not necessarily the better warrior. I will teach you how to use speed and precision to slay your enemies. I will teach you how to use your words and your body to make people believe what you want them to believe. I will teach you how to use the shadows as your ally so that you can move undetected. With these skills you will be able to complete the task your mother has set before you.” He paused for a time, allowing his words to settle. “So child, are you ready to learn?”

“I guess.”

I could almost feel him shake his head. “That is not good enough. For success in this life you must have no reservations or hesitations. If I sense weakness or cowardice in you, I swear I will do what your mother could not bring herself to do. So I ask again, are you ready to learn?” There was stone in his voice. I knew he was serious, but then so was I.

I took a deep breath. “For the honor of my family…yes.”

Again I could feel his smile. “Good. In that case let us start by getting you some food. You’ll need your strength.” With a faint chuckle his presence faded away…

Those years seemed to go by quickly. I learned so much, so fast, that I sometimes doubted my abilities. Barxandil appearently didn’t. Just a month ago he asked me to help him track down some of his kinsmen that didn’t come back from a scouting mission. The significance of his request was not lost on me. If he wanted me to be a member of his team then he clearly believed I could serve some great purpose.

So Barxandil, his team, and I packed up our gear and set off on the path of the first scouting party that left several months ago. The journey was long and for the most part boring. We would search different paths for signs of their trail. This often forced us onto our hands and knees to navigate the caves.

After a few weeks we finally got lucky. There was a call from our point man, Delfin. “Light ahead!”

Spurred by the call we all began to move faster. After a few minutes we reached the tiny opening to the cave through which the light was pouring. Once we were all near, Delfin moved to exit.
“Wait!” There was command in Barxandil’s tone. “We wait until nightfall. Then we move out slowly and quietly. We don’t know what’s up there.”

So we waited. When we were sure it was as dark as it was likely going to be we started to move out. One by one we crawled through the opening and into the open air. It was an unnerving experience. The tiny cave opening was on the side of a huge mountain. Movement would be difficult and slow with such a steep slope. We didn’t have long to stare since Barxandil was quickly ordering us to search for signs of the scouting party. It didn’t take long for us to locate the trail and we were soon moving.

For several days we traveled during the night and rested during the day. We saw little that posed a threat. It seemed we didn’t have to be so paranoid after all. We were wrong.

“DRAGON!” The call rang out from the lookout. Most of us were resting in a shallow cave. We sat up quickly and grabbed our weapons. Outside the cave we could hear the low beat of huge wings in the air and the shouts of the other lookouts as they defended themselves from the attack.

“DRAG…” The call was silenced almost as fast as it began. At that same instant Barxandil began issuing orders.

“Delfin! You and three others start making your way to the ridge above us. We’ll need the high ground.” He turned to me and the other two men sitting next to me. “You three sneak out of the cave and circle around it. I don’t think it knows we’re here.”

He then looked at the two men next to him. “We’ll distract it so that the others can get into position. Surrounding it is our only hope of bringing it down.” As he spoke the words I watched him pour something onto a long dagger he was holding. He caught me watching. “I said GO!”

With that I tore my gaze from him and focused on what my group had to do. I knew that our only hope of success would come from a surprise attack. That meant exiting the cave and moving around the dragon undetected. I had never heard of a more challenging task.

As I moved out of the cave I caught a glimpse of the dragon. The sunlight reflected off of its bronze scales nearly blinding me. It was huge. Its wings were spread wide, its tail was thrashing around like a whip the size of a battering ram, its head moved faster than I would have thought possible. This is what attacked us? We didn’t stand a chance, but we had to try.

Once we were behind the dragon I had little time to marvel at our success. I saw my opening. It didn’t know I was here. If I could strike the soft spot where its hind leg met its body it wouldn’t be as mobile. Without even a hint of hesitation I moved in fast and silent just as I was taught. I sprang. An instant before I felt the blow I knew my mistake, the tail.

My memory blurs as I think back on this. I remember a blunt pain in my side. Then I remember seeing the sky and thinking that the sun was so bright. I remember hearing the yells of my comrades below. I remember feeling weightless, like I was flying. Then I saw it. The gray and green slope of the mountain rushed up to hit me. I don’t remember how far down the slope of the mountain I landed. I just remember lying there staring at the sky.

I was unable to move. It was as if every bone in my body was broken. I knew for sure that my arm was. The sharp pain in it told me so.

I don’t know how long I laid there but I remember someone approaching. I felt a hand wrap around my shoulders and pull me up and heard a breath of relief be released. I managed to turn my head just enough to see Barxandil. “Did we get it?” All I could do was croak.

“Yes my dear, we got it.” There was relief and satisfaction in his voice but also a hint of sadness. It was then I noticed that his hand held the hilt of a weapon but the blade was gone. He followed my gaze and grinned slightly. “A weapon lost is better than us dead.”

He produced a vial from his pocket. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” He proceeded to pour the foul tasting liquid down my throat. He was right though. My pains seemed to melt away. All except for my arm. “I’ll bandage your arm.” He seemed to read my thoughts.

As he began wrap my arm he spoke softly. His voice sounded sad. I don’t know that I had ever heard that from him. “It is time, child. This is our…your chance. If you head south I think you will find what your mother wanted you to find. It is a journey that you alone must take. A path you alone must walk. I have taught you everything I can. It is time to let go.”

It took a few moments for his words to hit home. I knew what he was saying was true but that didn’t make it any easier. I was nearly killed back there. Was I really ready? I asked him as much.

“You are, my dear. Just don’t let arrogance blind you. Be smart. Be patient. Use your training. You have much to learn but the rest can only be learned through experience. This is your path. This is your purpose. Serve your family well.” With that he stood and helped me off the ground to stand with him. We stood looking at the mountains to the south as the sun began to set. It was beautiful. When next he spoke, his voice was cold and calm once again. “Travel by night and find a safe place to rest during the day. Go slowly and silently. You’ll find your way.”

For a moment our eyes locked. With a sigh, he stroked his hand through my hair, turned, and began his climb back up the mountain. I spoke softly, wondering if he would be able to hear me. “Thank you Barxandil…for everything.”

He paused and slowly looked back over his shoulder. “You are most welcome dear one.” I had the feeling that he was going to say more but he didn’t. Instead he turned his head back toward the mountain and began his slow climb upward.

As I watched him climb out of view I felt my heart clench in my chest. Mother was right. She told me that sacrifices sometimes had to be made. She didn’t tell me how much they hurt.

With a deep breath I steeled myself for my journey and took my first step down the lonely path…

That was five days ago. Now I am less than a mile from the start of my new life. How prepared I feel is irrelevant. My path is set. To my mother and brothers, I do this for you.

Story by Child of Stark
Family Honor

I stand here now, looking down upon the pillar of light in the woods below. I can barely make out some sort of structure next to it through the trees. I feel like I’m standing on the edge of the abyss looking at a world I’m not ready to be a part of. I know that what I’m about to do is my task. It’s my purpose in life. Standing here I can’t help but remember the events that started me down this path. It feels like it happened a lifetime ago to someone that wasn’t me…

It all began with a summons to my mother’s study. I was a mere child then and I knew that if my mother wanted to meet me in her study she must want talk about something important. When I reached the door I knocked softly. For a moment there was no response. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe she didn’t want to see me. As I turned away I heard a faint voice from the other side. “Come in.”

With a deep breath I opened the door and stepped in. I was greeted with the sight of my mother sitting in a chair looking as regal as ever. Directly in front of her was another chair with a table in between. There were two glasses of wine and a pitcher on the table. My mother’s glass was half empty. My mother broke into my thoughts, “Come and sit down.” Her voice was commanding but there was something else in it that I didn’t recognize. Obediently I sat in the chair opposite her. She motioned to the wine so I picked it up and began sipping it.

She watched me drink for a time then closed her eyes as she spoke. “Tell me, child, why are we here?”

My response came from instinct. I heard this question everyday. I quickly stood up straight before my mother. I never thought about the answer, but simply spoke it. “To serve and bring honor to my family and our people!”

With her eyes still closed, she spoke. “You know that to do this sometimes requires great sacrifices by the members of that family.” She opened her eyes and stared at me in the oddest way. There was worry in her eyes. She looked me up and down as if she dreaded my response to her statement.

“Of course, Mother.” I spoke what I knew to be true but something was wrong. I had never known my mother to doubt my belief in those words. As I spoke them I saw her face relax and heard her sigh of relief.

“Are you ready to do your duty for your family?” She spoke the words slowly and I felt her pride and dignified manner return to her.

I stood straighter as I spoke. “I was born ready, Mother.”

“Good.” As she spoke the word I felt a tremor sweep through my body. I felt my hand start shaking and my knees buckled. I looked at my mother in confusion but she was staring at the ground. I felt my throat tighten as I managed to squeak out, “Mother!?”

I don’t remember dropping the glass I held but I remember the sound of it shattering on the stone floor. I felt myself begin to fall. Three words floated down to me soft as rain. “I’m so sorry.” And darkness was all I knew…

I awoke slowly. Feeling came back to my body over time. I opened my eyes to utter darkness. I felt the stone slab that I was lying on. I tried to sit up but realized I had no strength in my arms or legs. So I laid there staring up at nothing. After a time I heard a male voice, soft and smooth. “Well well. It’s awake. Welcome back my dear.”

“Am I dead?” It was the first thing that popped into my mind.

I heard a soft laugh then the voice again, “I guess that depends on who you ask.”

“Where am I?”

“That’s a complicated question. We’ll save it for later. Ask another.” The voice seemed amused.

“Why can’t I use my arms and legs?”

“Ah. Now that’s a good question with a simple answer. Because you haven’t used them in nearly a year and because the poison takes a long time to wear off.” There was a hint of pride in his voice now. That seemed strange to me.

“Poison? I…”

“Don’t you remember?” The voice seemed genuinely curious now.

“I….mother!”

“Yes. This was all her idea.” I could feel the voice’s smile.

“Who are you?”

“Yet another complicated question. Let us just say I’m an old…acquaintance of your mother’s. For a long time to come you will call me…Master. When I feel you are ready, I will let you call me what others call me…Barxandil.” He went silent for a time, allowing me to absorb what he said. It didn’t make any sense to me.

“So I’m to be your slave. Why?” Anger flashed through me. So my mother sold me off. What a way to serve my family!

He laughed lightly again. “No my dear. Use your brain for once. Do you think I’d need one of your kind as a slave? How would that look to outsiders?” He sighed then. “You have a lot to learn child. A lot to learn indeed.”

“You mean I’m to be your student?” Well that was certainly better than a slave. “Why?”

“I owe your mother a favor. Now she decided to call it in. She has plans for you. Secret plans. Under my tutelage you shall learn the skills that will make you useful to your family and you can do as your mother wishes.”

“Why the secrecy? Why me?”

“Come now, surely you aren’t that naïve?” There was a hint of surprise and annoyance in his voice now. “You understand the society of your people. Strength is all they want to see but you don’t fit that. And so I shall teach you that the strong warrior is not necessarily the better warrior. I will teach you how to use speed and precision to slay your enemies. I will teach you how to use your words and your body to make people believe what you want them to believe. I will teach you how to use the shadows as your ally so that you can move undetected. With these skills you will be able to complete the task your mother has set before you.” He paused for a time, allowing his words to settle. “So child, are you ready to learn?”

“I guess.”

I could almost feel him shake his head. “That is not good enough. For success in this life you must have no reservations or hesitations. If I sense weakness or cowardice in you, I swear I will do what your mother could not bring herself to do. So I ask again, are you ready to learn?” There was stone in his voice. I knew he was serious, but then so was I.

I took a deep breath. “For the honor of my family…yes.”

Again I could feel his smile. “Good. In that case let us start by getting you some food. You’ll need your strength.” With a faint chuckle his presence faded away…

Those years seemed to go by quickly. I learned so much, so fast, that I sometimes doubted my abilities. Barxandil appearently didn’t. Just a month ago he asked me to help him track down some of his kinsmen that didn’t come back from a scouting mission. The significance of his request was not lost on me. If he wanted me to be a member of his team then he clearly believed I could serve some great purpose.

So Barxandil, his team, and I packed up our gear and set off on the path of the first scouting party that left several months ago. The journey was long and for the most part boring. We would search different paths for signs of their trail. This often forced us onto our hands and knees to navigate the caves.

After a few weeks we finally got lucky. There was a call from our point man, Delfin. “Light ahead!”

Spurred by the call we all began to move faster. After a few minutes we reached the tiny opening to the cave through which the light was pouring. Once we were all near, Delfin moved to exit.
“Wait!” There was command in Barxandil’s tone. “We wait until nightfall. Then we move out slowly and quietly. We don’t know what’s up there.”

So we waited. When we were sure it was as dark as it was likely going to be we started to move out. One by one we crawled through the opening and into the open air. It was an unnerving experience. The tiny cave opening was on the side of a huge mountain. Movement would be difficult and slow with such a steep slope. We didn’t have long to stare since Barxandil was quickly ordering us to search for signs of the scouting party. It didn’t take long for us to locate the trail and we were soon moving.

For several days we traveled during the night and rested during the day. We saw little that posed a threat. It seemed we didn’t have to be so paranoid after all. We were wrong.

“DRAGON!” The call rang out from the lookout. Most of us were resting in a shallow cave. We sat up quickly and grabbed our weapons. Outside the cave we could hear the low beat of huge wings in the air and the shouts of the other lookouts as they defended themselves from the attack.

“DRAG…” The call was silenced almost as fast as it began. At that same instant Barxandil began issuing orders.

“Delfin! You and three others start making your way to the ridge above us. We’ll need the high ground.” He turned to me and the other two men sitting next to me. “You three sneak out of the cave and circle around it. I don’t think it knows we’re here.”

He then looked at the two men next to him. “We’ll distract it so that the others can get into position. Surrounding it is our only hope of bringing it down.” As he spoke the words I watched him pour something onto a long dagger he was holding. He caught me watching. “I said GO!”

With that I tore my gaze from him and focused on what my group had to do. I knew that our only hope of success would come from a surprise attack. That meant exiting the cave and moving around the dragon undetected. I had never heard of a more challenging task.

As I moved out of the cave I caught a glimpse of the dragon. The sunlight reflected off of its bronze scales nearly blinding me. It was huge. Its wings were spread wide, its tail was thrashing around like a whip the size of a battering ram, its head moved faster than I would have thought possible. This is what attacked us? We didn’t stand a chance, but we had to try.

Once we were behind the dragon I had little time to marvel at our success. I saw my opening. It didn’t know I was here. If I could strike the soft spot where its hind leg met its body it wouldn’t be as mobile. Without even a hint of hesitation I moved in fast and silent just as I was taught. I sprang. An instant before I felt the blow I knew my mistake, the tail.

My memory blurs as I think back on this. I remember a blunt pain in my side. Then I remember seeing the sky and thinking that the sun was so bright. I remember hearing the yells of my comrades below. I remember feeling weightless, like I was flying. Then I saw it. The gray and green slope of the mountain rushed up to hit me. I don’t remember how far down the slope of the mountain I landed. I just remember lying there staring at the sky.

I was unable to move. It was as if every bone in my body was broken. I knew for sure that my arm was. The sharp pain in it told me so.

I don’t know how long I laid there but I remember someone approaching. I felt a hand wrap around my shoulders and pull me up and heard a breath of relief be released. I managed to turn my head just enough to see Barxandil. “Did we get it?” All I could do was croak.

“Yes my dear, we got it.” There was relief and satisfaction in his voice but also a hint of sadness. It was then I noticed that his hand held the hilt of a weapon but the blade was gone. He followed my gaze and grinned slightly. “A weapon lost is better than us dead.”

He produced a vial from his pocket. “Drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” He proceeded to pour the foul tasting liquid down my throat. He was right though. My pains seemed to melt away. All except for my arm. “I’ll bandage your arm.” He seemed to read my thoughts.

As he began wrap my arm he spoke softly. His voice sounded sad. I don’t know that I had ever heard that from him. “It is time, child. This is our…your chance. If you head south I think you will find what your mother wanted you to find. It is a journey that you alone must take. A path you alone must walk. I have taught you everything I can. It is time to let go.”

It took a few moments for his words to hit home. I knew what he was saying was true but that didn’t make it any easier. I was nearly killed back there. Was I really ready? I asked him as much.

“You are, my dear. Just don’t let arrogance blind you. Be smart. Be patient. Use your training. You have much to learn but the rest can only be learned through experience. This is your path. This is your purpose. Serve your family well.” With that he stood and helped me off the ground to stand with him. We stood looking at the mountains to the south as the sun began to set. It was beautiful. When next he spoke, his voice was cold and calm once again. “Travel by night and find a safe place to rest during the day. Go slowly and silently. You’ll find your way.”

For a moment our eyes locked. With a sigh, he stroked his hand through my hair, turned, and began his climb back up the mountain. I spoke softly, wondering if he would be able to hear me. “Thank you Barxandil…for everything.”

He paused and slowly looked back over his shoulder. “You are most welcome dear one.” I had the feeling that he was going to say more but he didn’t. Instead he turned his head back toward the mountain and began his slow climb upward.

As I watched him climb out of view I felt my heart clench in my chest. Mother was right. She told me that sacrifices sometimes had to be made. She didn’t tell me how much they hurt.

With a deep breath I steeled myself for my journey and took my first step down the lonely path…

That was five days ago. Now I am less than a mile from the start of my new life. How prepared I feel is irrelevant. My path is set. To my mother and brothers, I do this for you.

Story by Child of Stark