"What on earth are you doing", asked Osis of Jafar, as he wandered into the throne room.
"Oh, just playing with various hunting scenarios," replied Jafar, as he moved an archer from one place to another. "I'm thinking there must be a safe way to do a bow and stable hunt. The problem is, the hounds are so keen that they may break away from the fewterers and become inadvertent targets for the archers." Osis bent over the board and peered at the small figures. "What if one put a fence between the archers and the fewterers�..Hark! Is that the Horn that sounds?" he asked, as the notes of the "Retraite" sounded, and yet sounded again. "Aye, it is," Jafar replied with pain in his voice. "It has been many months since we have heard its call. I was hoping�against hope, I know�that we had heard its last peal." Master Johannes strode into the throne room. "Good Sires," said he, "You knowest that, as long as Your Hounds abide on Earth and in the Dream, that the Horn will continue to sound. For It is the sad truth, that hounds' lives be measured in months, whilst those of their keepers be measured in years. Thus was it ever thus: A good fewterer may know many fine hounds during his lifetime, although one or two may stand out in his memory as beyond the best. Still, even those best will not outlive him. This is the price one pays for taking such noble beasts into one's heart." Jafar closed His eyes in pain. "Well doth I know this," he replied, "for have not I lost everything I have loved in life, yet be condemned to feel My subjects' losses as Mine own?" "No less than Mine," retorted Osis, "although, My Kingdom being newer than Yours, My losses are not so great." "Nor mine," answered Johannes. "Although I was never a King, more Meridian hounds have passed than from any other Kingdom. I say this truly�each of us feels each loss as if it were our own, no matter from which Kingdom it comes. The hounds that come this day, however, are none of mine." "Nor Mine," Answered Jafar and Osis, in unison. "They must come from one of the newer Realms." "Wherever they come from, they are Ours for the Keeping," Osis said. "Let Us go and greet them, as befits true Kings." Nodding, Jafar and Johannes fell in at Osis' heels. As they made their way to the Rainbow Bride, the rest of the Celestial Pack fell in behind them. However, instead of Duncan, the pack leader, being in the vanguard, the forward position was taken by Sunni, Cutie and Swift, followed closely by Lucy and Aiden. As they made their way to the meeting place, a thousand hushed voices seemed to echo, "NAM MYOHO RENGE KYO", over and over. Suddenly, as if by magic, Sunni and Cutie appeared at Osis' and Jafar's sides, each bearing a rabbit, untouched to all appearances. "Ah," said Jafar, having been through this before, "an offering to the Gods. Take heed, Osis�yon rabbit will not be long by thee." Osis cradled the dead rabbit in His hands, as did Jafar, as they approached the Rainbow Bridge. On the far side was a black greyhound, grizzled about the muzzle, and hunched over, as if in pain in the belly. Behind her crouched a large brindle male greyhound, in obvious pain from a hind leg. "Whose are these hounds?"asked Johannes. "Not Mine." "Nor yet Mine," answered the two Kings. "Then it is to me that greeting them falls," answered the Master Huntsman, striding across the Bridge. As Johannes reached the other side, the black gyp did not bow in obeisance, but stood, as one equal to another. Smiling, Johannes placed his left hand on her forehead, "Kievey," he said, "one of the first Hounds of An Tir. Be ye welcome here. There are already some of your comrades to welcome thee. And your friend is�?" Kievey turned and nuzzled the brindle's shoulder. "Riley!" exclaimed Johannes. "Long have we wondered where you were. I do understand that the previous An Tiran hounds were not known to thee. I commend thee for waiting for Kievey to join you." Johannes extended his hand to both the waiting hounds. Slowly and painfully, they came and stood by his side. Supporting both of them, he recrossed the Bridge to where Osis and Jafar stood. "My Lieges," said he, "I bring you two of Your Hounds. Kievey, who coursed for many years on earth for the glory of An Tir. And Riley, who was the First Hound of An Tir. Unfortunately, his people lost sight of the Dream. He, however, has found his way to Us, and wishes to be part of the Celestial Pack." Osis and Jafar traded a quick glance, then Osis stepped forward. "We welcome you," he said, "for all the hounds that have coursed for the Dream are welcome here." Suddenly, the rabbits that Osis and Jafar held leapt back to life and ran off, with no hound pursuing them. "The exchange has been made," said Johannes. "A life for a life...these hounds have been ransomed by their comrades," "Hounds of the Celestial Pack," asked Jafar, "will thee come forth and welcome your new Packmates?" One by one, the hounds of the Celestial Pack came forth as their names were called: "Aces High, of Midrealm" "Aiden, of Calontir" "A-Me-Go, of Midrealm" "Ariel, of Meridies" "Belle, of Ansteorra" "Belle, of Midrealm" "Bernie, of Meridies" "Blackout, of Atlantia" "Bo, of Midrealm" "Brodie, of Atlantia" "Browning, of Meridies" "By Choice, of Meridies" "Carl-Ten, of Meridies" "Chris, of Meridies" "Colt, of Meridies" "Cutie, of An Tir" "Damon Fox, of Meridies" "Digger, of Trimaris" "Dixie, of Meridies" "Duncan, of Midrealm" "Emily, of Atlantia" "Erromani, of AEthelmearc" "Et Cetera, of Meridies" "Frankie, of Midrealm" "General, of Midrealm" "Gryphon, of Midrealm" "Harmony, of Meridies" "John Moore, of Meridies" "Lookin, of Trimaris" "Lucy, of Calontir" "Madeline, of Artemesia" "Magic, of Meridies" "Missy, of Meridies" "Muskrat, of Meridies" "Myra, of Ansteorra" "Pat-C, of Midrealm" "Pattycake, of Atlantia" "Pest, of Artemesia" "Ross, of Meridies" "Scooter, of Meridies" "Seeger Rock, of Meridies" "Sha-Kar, of Ansteorra" "Sheba, of AEthelmearc" "Sissy-B, of Midrealm" "Splash, of Meridies" "Storm, of Meridies" "Streaker, of Ansteorra" "Stumah, of AEthelmearc" "Sugar Sweety, of Meridies" "Sunni, of An Tir" "Swift, of Midrealm" "Tasha, of Midrealm" "Tucker, of Meridies" "Velvet, of Midrealm" "Zima, of Ansteorra". As Zima, the last hound, touched noses with the two newcomers, they grew in stature: Riley's cancerous leg became whole and strong, and Kievey lost all signs of the cancer that had ravaged her intestinal tract. As Riley stood and stretched the leg that had failed him in the end, Jafar laughed in gladness. "A happy day it is, to see Our hounds made well and strong again," he said. "I know your people on earth grieve for thee, but if they could only see you run here, they would cry in joy. For here, Thee art made young and strong again, and so wilt thee be until you meet again with the ones who loved you best." And HOWL, O Hounds!! Howl unto the Heavens, for the passing of an era. The two First Hounds of An Tir have come to join their comrades in the Celestial Pack. Here they will sit at the Gods' Great Table, and prepare for us a place for the time when we join them. THL Samira Umm' al Harith October 25, AS XXXIX ------------------------ Yahoo! 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