This was a really great story Rimme! Like I said before, I think the ending was pretty neat and also a bit surprising!
-Indy On Mon, Jan 23, 2023 at 4:01 PM <[email protected]> wrote: > Send MKGuild mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of MKGuild digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Blossom (6/6) (Rimme the Weasel) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:00:00 -0600 > From: Rimme the Weasel <[email protected]> > To: Metamor Keep <[email protected]> > Subject: [Mkguild] Blossom (6/6) > Message-ID: > <CAJ-QGkX0UMXm= > [email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Part 6 of Blossom. > > ---- > > > March 16, 717 CR > > > Volden did not mourn as long as he wished he could have. His heart still > felt like lead, but the sheep had been confined to Twone for long enough. > Inside, he could feel their yearning to see the Midlands once again. Life > must go on; the sheep must go to pasture. > > That morning, before the sun was up, Volden stirred and rose from his bed, > his wife Jera still asleep. She was always a deep sleeper, to her unending > shame. Volden had already kissed her farewell last night, and so did not > wake her. He crept out to the rainbarrel outside and splashed some water on > his face. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, and straightening his hair, he > turned back inside. A long journey was ahead of him, and he needed to start > it out right. > > His clothes, freshly mended and brushed clean, sat ready for him. His pack > stocked with rations and tools, his belt with his knife and flute and > waterskin and coin purse, and his crock all sat to one side, where he had > inspected and resorted them all over the last two days. One by one, he > donned each of his clothes, focusing as best he could on the names and > habits of his sheep. > > The days had been slow at first. That evening after returning to Twone, he > told Jera what he had seen, and showed him their daughter's shoe. Jera, his > rock and his root in this world, simply held him, her tears silently > wetting his shoulder. They decided not to show their three younger children > unless they asked. Thankfully, they never did. > > Jera put on a brave face, and kept the farm running as it should. She > didn't pressure Volden to take his sheep out. There was still weeding and > plowing and seeding to be done. They were menial enough tasks for Volden to > keep himself busy, without thinking about the sheep. The guilt crept up on > him, day by day, until Volden had to admit that he was letting the child > within him take over, and that he had to put his own words to practice. > There was business to get to. > > After adjusting his smock one last time, settling the pack on his > shoulders, and taking his trusty crock in hand, he stepped out into the > early morning. The full moon had already set behind the mountains, and the > skies were purple with twilight glow. From the distant town, a few people > were already starting their daily chores, their voices a distant murmur in > the light breeze. Volden walked the edge of town southward to the barn. > > Bola, their oldest child, was already at the gate, slingshot in hand. He > smiled and waved innocently as Volden came near. "Up early, aren't you?" > Volden said. > > Bola looked aback. "I wanted to see you off," he said. > > Volden smiled, and tousled Bola's hair, to which he squirmed. "Thanks," > Volden said. > > Bola pulled back and straightened his hair. "How old until I can come with > you into the field?" > > "Not for a few more years. There's still so much work for you and Ma to do > on the farm." Volden paused, and answered the question Bola was about to > ask. "Not even Lori ever went out of the valley with me." > > Bola was only eight years old; there was too much he had to learn before he > could go out into the world. The flock wasn't big enough to need two > shepherds watching them. And besides, Volden wasn't ready to lose another > child. > > "I've been practicing my shot," Bola said proudly. "See that stick over > there?" He pointed to a stick lying on a patch of dirt thirty feet away. "I > can get it knocked over in only three tries!" > > "Well, when you can knock down two sticks, side by side, each in only one > try, then you can come with me to the pasture." Volden had a twinge of > regret in making that promise, as he had no intention of keeping. But > perhaps it would give Bola something to do. And perhaps it would give Bola > a way to defend himself -- something Lori had never gotten. > > Bola grinned and nodded. Volden turned his attention to the barn. He opened > the barn gate, and one by one undid the latches of the pens. He didn't > unlatch all of them -- just the ones for the sheep who were old enough to > go to pasture. If he was lucky, he might even sell a few of the > nine-month-old lambs to the butchers of Midtown or Laselle for Equinox. > Bola closed the barn gate and opened each unlatched pen behind him. One or > two ewes filtered out, eager for the open space, but most stayed in their > warm pens and looked back curiously at them. > > Volden and Bola together opened the barn door, and Volden whistled to the > sheep. Those still sitting behind leapt to their feet and came running. In > total, there were about seventy sheep ready to follow him, and about a > dozen left in the barn. Volden expected eight to still be there by the time > he returned in August. > > "Bola," Volden said once all the sheep were out. "Watch the sheep here > while I'm gone. Your mother will help if you need anything. Take especially > good care of the youngest lambs. Ginger's lambs." > > "I will. Ginger's a special ewe, isn't she?" > > Volden smiled. "She's what makes this flock so strong. And her lambs... > they'll make this flock even stronger." > > In at least one small way, he and Bola could keep Lori alive. > > > > ---- > > > > March 19, 717 CR > > > > Nancy spent most of her time in fear, shame, regret, and self-hatred. It > was her words that had killed Lori. This was Eli's punishment for her > stupid, selfish, pagan ritual, her twisting of Lori's doctrine for her own > ends. Blood magic. Lori's words burned in her mind. Only the Moranasi > committed death magic. She had committed the greatest of sins against her > best friend. What reason did she have to live? How could there be any > redemption, or forgiveness, for what she had done? > > Everyone was watching her all the time, never leaving her within range of a > weapon, probably fearing she might take her own life, perhaps justifiably. > Nancy knew she was too much of a coward to try it, to endure the pain. And > yet? an animal morph like her, lives and dies for the pain. She had killed > that badger in cold blood. Killing was what she wanted. She had tasted > blood. Even if she did become a badger morph, wouldn't Metamor be better > off with a deranged killer like her? > > Maybe she had just been deluded and ignorant. Yes, it was wrong of her to > have trusted magic, to have tried to use it to countermand Eli's will. > Perhaps all she needed to redeem herself was to swear off all magic. Maybe? > maybe if she took up the old traditional cause, and led the Church's > crusade against magic, she could redeem herself. She could save other > people from making the same mistakes she did. All she had to do was flee to > the Midlands? > > But no. If she became a badger morph, they would just kill her. And it > would be just the same as if she had taken up the knife herself and cut her > own guts out. She would just be inviting others to do the killing for her, > to make killers out of them. Coward. > > Perhaps she should become a monk within Metamor's walls. She would shave > her head, renounce all identity, and live only for the benefit of the > faithful. Perhaps their faith could give her faith too, and strength to > rise above her sins. Perhaps Lori's death didn't have to be in vain. It > could be the start of a long career, of carrying the cross like Yahshua. > > This last thought was the only one that comforted her, for as long as it > lasted, until the next thought came to her: "Is it faith that I want? Or is > it just selfishness, believing that good can come from my horrible sin?" > And she would be unconsolable again. > > At first, her parents refused anyone to see her, believing that she would > recover in time, once the trauma of her manipulation by that wicked > Benjamin had passed. Nancy never corrected the misconceptions of her > parents, or of the rest of Twone, that it was her idea, that Benjamin would > never have set it up if she wouldn't have asked Ophelia to help her. > > The days passed, and Nancy's mood still didn't lift. And her parents began > fighting each other, as they often did when it came to their children. Her > mother insisted that getting back to work would help her. Her father, her > loathsome father, suggested that she see her friends again. Her mother > insisted that her "friends" were the ones who had manipulated her into this > situation to begin with. After the old familiar arguments about how > ungrateful she was, and how much of an insensitive fool he was, she finally > relented and allowed for chaperoned visitations from her friends. > > Tom was the first visitor, but there wasn't much he was willing to say > under the watchful eyes and ears of her parents. All he could offer was > feeble apologies for not being there, and talk a bit about how Benjamin was > doing, and give some vague hope that Lori was alive. They never found her > body, after all. Nancy barely listened. For all she knew, the pagan gods > dragged Lori's whole body into one of their many hells. > > Maggie stopped by after that. She didn't bother talking about Lori's death; > she tried instead to talk about local gossip, and she brought a game of > checkers to improve her mood. Nancy couldn't focus at all on the game. > Somehow she won, but she figured Maggie must have let her win. > > Marcus came by to talk about Ophelia, how she was feeling very sorry for > the mess that had occurred. It was little comfort to Nancy, and only made > her feel more guilty for hurting her. Bola came by, seeing he missed seeing > her big sister around, and wanted to keep seeing Nancy around. That meeting > was even worse. All these meetings did was confirm that her presence in > Twone was a detriment to their happiness. > > It wasn't until plans for the Spring Equinox had gotten underway before her > parents finally let her out of the cottage. They seemed indifferent now to > whether she helped out around the house, or simply stayed lazy for the rest > of her life. Nancy felt like she had betrayed them. Or maybe this was their > way of saying that they wouldn't stop her if she tried to run away. It > didn't seem like a bad idea. > > Still, she feared it was all an act, and if she ever did any conspicuous > packing, that their mood would flip and they would forbid her again from > leaving. Everytime she was outside, their eyes were always upon her, > watching her as she went to bathe or fetch water, or even just pass the > time watching young Bola lead the flock that had been left behind. > > Finally, the Friday before the Equinox began, Nancy could take it no more. > It wasn't a deliberate decision, but after she dropped off the family > scythe at the blacksmith's for repairs, she started walking north of town, > just to clear her head. Then she found herself still walking, off towards > the woods, down the familiar path through the tall grass. She found the > familiar deer path, followed it past the mossy rockpile and to the stream, > then past the thickets and past the lone oak, and finally arrived at the > mud clearing. > > To any outsider, there was nothing remarkable about the mud clearing. > Anything left behind had been long removed by rains and winds -- all except > one thing. Nancy's eyes snapped to the one reminder of what had transpire > that night, still sitting there from where she had left it that night -- > the rock. > > How long had it been sitting here, absorbing her memories and her pain, > chaining her mind to the ritual, sapping whatever will she had to be free? > Slowly, she stepped forward, fearing that some demon would strike her down > as she approached, as if the lines of magic were still there, hidden > beneath the mud. There was not even a gust of wind as she stood over it, > and finally picked it up. If it was all in her head, why did she still feel > a burning sensation in her hand as she held it? Through the stone, she > could almost imagine the scene as Lori must have seen it. Such savagery. > Such bloodlust. > > This was the first time she had been here since that night. Often she > thought about the hours beforehand, as she stood watching Benjamin > carefully draw out the symbols in the dimming light; or she thought about > those minutes afterwards, and her strange wolf dream running through the > woods. But she never thought about the ceremony. She'd been too afraid to > look at it again, through her own eyes or through Lori's. Too afraid that > she might find something she'd done wrong to make everything else collapse. > > She heard footsteps behind her ? she almost swore her ears swiveled in that > direction. For some reason, that thought filled her with shame, rather than > joy. Why should she be happy if it was really the animal curse? She > wondered whether it was her parents come to drag her back, or maybe Errol > sent on their behalf to fetch her. Maybe it was for the best if they caught > her. Maybe they could whip this feeling out of her. > > But no, it was just Marcus. He pushed aside the ferns and stared at her in > a mix of puzzlement and pity. "You came back." > > Nancy shrugged. "I thought I should visit." She didn't know how true that > was, or if this was as far as she'd intended to travel. > > Marcus smiled weakly and nodded. "That's good." He looked at the field. > "This might help you to heal." > > "There's nothing to heal." > > Marcus sighed. "You know the toughest part about being a man? It's everyone > telling you not to feel pain anymore. Telling you not to grieve, when > sometimes you have to." > > "Why should I grieve?" > > "... You didn't intend for this to happen." > > "I absolutely intended something to happen. I messed with the will of Eli." > > "No, I mean you didn't intend this specific outcome. You wanted to be an > animal morph. That's all you wanted." > > "I was a fool," she said. "I wanted something without paying a sacrifice." > > "You didn't think you needed a sacrifice. You still don't, Nancy. The curse > doesn't require a sacrifice." > > Nancy looked away. She didn't want to discuss this anymore. > > After a long silence, Marcus spoke. "Tom had a lot he wanted to talk with > you about." > > "I don't care. I don't want to see him anymore. Is he still infatuated with > me? Is he still convinced that we are going to be badger morphs together?" > > "There are some loose ends he needs to clear up with you, concerning that > night. Please. You're not the only one who was hurt by what happened." > > Nancy rounded on him. "He left me and Lori to die. In the middle of the > night, he could have stood by us, but he cared more about his reputation > with the grown-ups than with us. Because of him, Lori is gone." > > "Do you want the whole story, or just your side of it?" Marcus sighed. > "You're letting your anger and fear take over. Open your eyes. Keep them > open." > > "Don't tell me to open my eyes," she hissed. "I've been keeping them open > ever since that night. I can't sleep at night because of what happened. How > do you sleep when every night you see and hear your own --" > > "Only yourself," Tom interrupted behind Nancy. He was standing in the > middle of the mud pit, holding a familiar-shaped bag, with something > stirring inside of it. "It hurts to listen sometimes. You just need to be > patient." > > "What do you want?" Nancy hissed. > > Tom set down the bag, its neck already untied and open. "To start over." > > Nancy nearly lurched back as a badger nose sniffed its way out of the bag. > "You... seriously expect me to repeat that ceremony? To chew out another > beast's heart, to lose another friend to the same madness? Or are you that > hungry for your own change, to go through it yourself? Well, fine then! > I'll be the one to stare at you as you indulge yourself in blood! Then > maybe the wolves of darkness can consume me too, for our heathen ceremony." > > "I didn't mean the ceremony," Tom said. And he gave the badger a light kick > on its rear. Unlike the first badger, this badger seemed afraid to run > away. It looked back and forth between the three of them with an almost > domestic look in its eyes. It seemed to tense up under Tom's boot. Then it > closed its eyes and... > > It seemed to almost melt closer to the ground, the way its body spread > outwards, only without losing any height. In fact, it grew taller in > height, the arms and legs spreading out like vines along the ground. The > badger looked up at her with quivering blue eyes, its two human-like > breasts naked but covered in white fur. > > "I'm so sorry, Nancy," it said in Lori's voice. > > Nancy fell to the ground. > > > > ---- > > > > The two girls finally broke their long embrace. It was Lori who first found > her words. > > "I ran without thinking. When I heard the people coming, I just kept > running. I didn't stop until I had reached the mountains. It was still > dark, so I just hid in a hole until morning." She paused. "I woke up and? I > was still a badger. I thought it was still a dream, that it had to be a > dream. I was afraid of having you see me like this. That maybe? I stole the > curse that was intended for you?" > > Nancy shook her head. "I don't care if you did or not. You're alive! You > have to come home." > > Lori shook her head. "I don't want to head back. I'm finally free of Twone. > No one's been back to look for me. Everyone thinks I'm dead." > > "Your father was really hurt when he thought you were dead," Marcus said. > > Lori nodded sadly. "He would never have let me leave if I asked. He always > had a way of making me feel guilty for wanting my own life." > > "You can't just live in the woods, though." > > "She's right," Tom said. "She's terrible at hunting. I've been leaving her > dead rats and rabbits, just to keep her alive." > > "I've been thinking," Lori said, "that maybe I could move to Metamor. There > are always new people coming in, and nobody asks questions of animal > morphs. Or I could move into the northern villages. People are very > accepting up there, and they won't know anyone from Twone up there." > > "But you'd be leaving us. You'd be leaving me, Lori. Our promise?" > > Lori smiled. "We really thought we could live our lives together, didn't > we? You'll always have my friendship, wherever I end up." > > Nancy looked away at the mud that surrounded them. "So, that ceremony > targeted you with the curse, instead of me." > > "I'm not so sure," Lori said. "Maybe I had the badger curse on me all > along, and you picked up on it, somehow. You wanted to be with me, and > somehow you knew that meant becoming a badger." > > "But you hated animal morphs." > > "I didn't hate them, they just made me uncomfortable." She looked down at > her fur-covered arms. "Maybe I just needed to accept myself." > > Nancy nodded. "I still don't want you to leave." > > "You'll always have a part of me with you." Lori put her paw on the rock > Nancy held. "Keep it. And remember me." > > Nancy pulled her into another long embrace. Marcus and Tom, and the quiet > forest and all the heavens above, silently watched them. > > > FIN > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://lists.integral.org/archives/mkguild/attachments/20230123/2c0195b1/attachment.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > MKGuild mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.integral.org/listinfo/mkguild > > > End of MKGuild Digest, Vol 179, Issue 14 > **************************************** >
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