"The Gratitude of a Lion" Log Date: 10/23/00 Log Cast: Faanshi, Asha, Jihaad, Kedar Log Intro: The young shudra Faanshi has lost the man she loves -- and although she has been staying for the time being under the care of her teacher, the Sylvan FallingStar, Faanshi has nevertheless been daily seeking what solace she can by extensive prayer in Atesh-Gah. The ways of the Varati say that there is no loss in death, that the soul of Lyre Talespinner should be on its way to his next life... and hopefully to a better one. But with as much death and loss as Faanshi has suffered, this is not exactly a comfort. And so the healer maiden has striven to immerse herself in prayer and meditation, desperately seeking the strength and discipline to pull herself through her grief. Her teacher has tried to an extent to help her and succor her, but although Faanshi is grateful beyond words for the affectionate care of FallingStar, it is ultimately to her faith that she turns for strength and discipline. Her faith is a harder burden to bear than usual as of late, not only for the loss she has suffered, but also due to the wrath that Khalid Atar has called down upon the Empyrean Cassius Augustin... a wrath that, for all that none dare utter it openly in Atesh-Gah, has also consumed the Lioness of Khalida, Shahar al-Jehan Khalida, and which has blazed over the Hawk of Heaven's own chosen warriors as well. When Faanshi must pull herself out of her grief to heal the Lions of Fire, she cannot help but find at least a measure of the strength she seeks -- and when a Lion she has healed even acknowledges her working, it helps just a bit to lighten her sorrowing heart.... *===========================< In Character Time >===========================* Time of day: Night (Dawnside) Date on Aether: Sunday, April 14, 3907. Year on Earth: 1507 A.D. Phase of the Moon: Waning Crescent Season: Spring Weather: Rain Temperature: Cool *==========================================================================* Inner Sanctum - Temple of Khalid Atar - Atesh-Gah - Haven Sweeping, majestic arches dance courtly waltzes amongst the high ceiling, grand domes spacially created with simplistic, artistic values. Towering to their full heights and supporting such enormously extravegant architecture are golden columns, their girths tickled with feathered etchings. Central to the entirety of the temple is a shrine of offering, risen upon a marbled dias and laden with treasures and incense. Sleek, hand-crafted tiles spread their glimmering rainbows of fantastic imagery as a uniform compilation to create each wall within this lavish temple. A veritable history unfolds from one brilliant grouping to the next, figurines created with an assortment of florid hues to ultimately depict Khalid Atar, from babe to God-King full grown, and the tales of His triumphs thereafter. In a deep enclave just to the right of the entrance, nested beneath an miniature archway boasting of vibrant flame etchings, are two typical items for daily worship. Lined in perfection and upon a hip-high table of mahogany is an array of prayer bells, their shiny, silver surfaces untarnished and well-defined with tiny lettered blessings. Filling the remaining space are mounds of woven, patterned pillows devised so as to aide in healthier joints. A veritable heaven is not complete without the lush cultivation of thriving plants, those which clamber and sprout forth, wrapping with caressing leaf for a resoundingly peaceful conclusion. (OOC: +view is enabled here.) Contents: Asha Small wreath of flowers Urn Offerings Obvious exits: Antechamber Ornate Staircase Courtyard Ordinarily at this time of the very early morning, Faanshi might be creeping out into the hidden grove where the shrine of Ushas provides a haven for all the women who dwell within Atesh-Gah. But it is raining at this hour -- and besides, the halfbreed shudra girl as of late has been feeling more drawn to the temple of Ushas' holy son. She has found no comfort before the image of the Lady of the Dawn, and so now Faanshi tells herself that she needs strength and discipline. With eyes hollow and haggard above her veil, the maiden steps as silently as she can manage into the hallowed place of worship, peeking restlessly about the place to try to ascertain whether there is anyone here she might disturb with her presence. Asha flits in softly and silently, like a ghost or a moth as she proceeds on her daily round of prayed she gazes curiously at the other woman present but looks downward modestly when their eyes threaten to meet. By her dress she is a servant of the Messala Clan, of the Shudra caste. The younger woman wears the scarlet, blue, and gold of the God-King's own Clan -- but from her own demeanor, it's clear that she too is a shudra. And in fact she starts somewhat at the tread of other feet in the sacred space of the temple. One might perhaps expect eyes of liquid brown or black for a Varati maiden, but Faanshi's, green as summer leaves, flit their gaze for a moment to the one who serves Clan Messala. She recognizes the colors, indeed, though this particular woman is unfamiliar to her. "Forgive me, I did not see you," she whispers as she turns, her voice a bare breath of sound, as if she does not have much strength to spare for the utterance of words. And she steps backwards, clearly intending to defer to the older woman and let her go by to make her own obeisances first. Asha bobs her head and smiles shyly. "Peace be on you child." She murmurs. She glides smoothly into the temple and kneels to pray. Peace. Faanshi's not entirely convinced that she's entitled to such a thing, not anymore, but she does bob her head in acknowledgement of the other woman's benediction. It is not for peace that the halfbreed girl prays, though. As she sinks to her knees, some distance behind Asha, her gaze wanders almost involuntarily to one of the many biers lit to cast small sparks of light all over the temple. Fire is, after all, holy. And as one of those many small fires seizes her attention, Faanshi stares at it long and -- if such a thing can be said of her normally gentle regard -- hard. Asha makes her prayers silently, and perhaps quickly by the standards of these things. In what seems a short time she rises and after making a bow of respect, begins to leave the quiet temple. Asha's moments are just enough to tug Faanshi's attention off the small flame that had compelled it; with a small, subtle start, the girl peeks unsurely at the older woman as she rises, once again registering the colors she wears. Under most circumstances she would not be brave enough to speak, but the last time she set foot in this temple she was met by Messala's own Warlord, and the memory of it still rings through Faanshi's heart. "You--" Her soft little voice turns that one syllable into a croak, and the maiden has to clear her throat before she can speak more plainly. "You serve Clan Messala, imphada...?" Asha nods, peeping curiously at the girl before looking down, then glancing left and right to be sure the temple is still otherwise deserted. "Yes." She whispers, unwilling to speak even in her normal soft voice in this holy place. She'd thought so. Faanshi draws in a breath, thinking sternly to herself, _Strength... discipline...!_ With an effort she keeps the quaver that has been plaguing her voice for days out out of her words as she breathes anxiously, "Do you know the young Imphada Delilah? Is she well...?" Still kneeling, the halfbreed girl does not let herself look up to meet the older servant's eyes, though her veiled countenance does lift, just a bit. Asha says "She is my mistress." She older servant whispers. "But I am yet to meet her." She keeps her own eyes downcast by force of long habit, but relaxing slightly in the presence of an equal she allows herself to look up and smile shyly. What curious eyes the girl has, from the little she can see of them. "But we should not converse here, Imphada."" Curious eyes, indeed -- and she is small, too, this maiden, at least by the standards of the Children of Fire. Difficult, perhaps, to determine her age. It can also be seen perhaps that she is somewhat pale as well, her hands and what little is visible of her face a hue of warm gold rather than dusky cinnamon or mahogany. But whatever the strange details of her appearance may be, the shudra in Clan Khalida's colors humbly accepts the gentle adminition, pulling herself to her feet and bobbing her head in quiet acknowledgement. Asha bobs her own head in reply and silently glides to the ornate portico outside. Asha passes through a set of ebony doors, departing the inner sanctum for the courtyard. Asha has left. You pass through a set of ebony doors, leaving the inner sanctum. Courtyard - Atesh-Gah - Haven(#430RJM$) If indeed the Hebrew folk of lost Earth are correct in their legends, then this must be the legendary garden from which mankind was expelled. The flat expanse of the great courtyard of Atesh-Gah is covered in the most luxurious grass of bright emerald green, broken only by a cobblestone path for riding and walking to prevent wear upon the lawn. Rich copses of carefully tended wood grow by the walls, lovingly groomed flower gardens acting as a barrier of colour before the rising trees. Perhaps even more relaxing than the sight of the yard are the sensations of it. The lovely scents of flower and tree; honey-suckle, apple blossom, peach, and jasmine; combine with the soft cushion of green grass to provide a sense of peace and harmony that defies the looming sand-hued walls of unbreakable stone. Not even the shadowed maw of the main gate, nor the blocky, unimpressive presence of the impenetrable main keep can overshadow the beauty of this place. Indeed, the stark contrast serves only to enhance it. Contents: Asha Jihaad Destroyed Courtyard Obvious exits: Temple Fountain Out Entrance Foyer Stables Two shudra women, one in the colors of Clan Khalida and the other in those of Clan Messala, slip quietly out of the Amir-al's temple and out into the courtyard. As is fitting, Faanshi hangs back a step behind the older woman, giving her the right of preceding her and choosing where they might stop to converse in the morning quiet of the courtyard. Asha is short by the standards of her people as well, but she does frown slightly as the implications of Faanshi's apperance sink in. How does one rightly treat a maiden of mixed races? How indeed does one cope with the presence of other races at all. These are questions which have been preying on her mind since she arrived yesterday. Troubled, deep in thought, Asha steps quietly the entire bredth of the couryard through the light morning rain before coming to rest in the shelter of the ornate arches on the opposite side from the temple. "You serve the God-King and the Clan Khalida, Child?" Keeping vigil at the great gates of the Atesh-Gah are a pair of the Amir-al's chosen - Lions of Fire. They stand opposite one another - as unmovinging as marble statues. The larger of the two - Jihaad - glances at the two without a word as they move across the vast courtyard. It is inevitable that Faanshi must peek towards the implacable Lions of Fire, after they'd called upon her to heal their own. For a fraction of an instant nervousness strikes her, for she has no idea whether the Agni-Haidar are actually pleased with what she'd done. Wide-eyed, she glances towards Jihaad and his compatriot, and only belatedly seems to register the query of the woman who has accompanied her out of the temple. Then she starts, draws in a breath, and bobs her head earnestly. "Yes, Imphada," she murmurs. "I serve the Amir-al's Clan." The Amir-al _himself_ is another matter, and Faanshi is not about to claim such an honor, even if one can argue that _all_ Varati ultimately serve the Neverending Fire. Asha looks down and inclines her head in acknowlegment, falling into the easy silence of the servant class, speaking only when she has something to say. She doesn't so much as glance at the night clad warriors, taking them for granted, as much part of the scenery as the plants, the fountain... or two serving women standing quietly in the shadows. Asha might not have anything to say, but Faanshi does. Having established that the older woman is in fact connected to Clan Messala and does in fact know the young seeress who has -- against all understanding the halfbreed girl has of how exactly the world is supposed to work -- staunchly offered her her friendship, Faanshi cannot help but try to ask after her. "I have not seen her in many days, not since she came to look for me, Imphada," she says in soft and plaintive tones. "I just wanted to ask... to make certain... the Imphadi Warlord is not displeased with her?" There is a ripple of fear somewhere in the maiden's tone, though she strives valiantly to repress it. Kind and gracious though Sumai might have been to her, still he is a Warlord. And Faanshi's imagination, based on her first-hand experience, can provide her any number of ways in which a Warlord can express his displeasure. Kedar has arrived. Asha nods to Faanshi and speaks to her softly in the shade by one of the arches at the front of the temple. "I have not seen her, child, as I am newly arrived here, but it is my duty to serve her in all things. It is not to my knowlege that she has found disfavor with the Imphadi Warlord - Grace and Blessings be upon his name." There in the early morning shadows near the temple's entrance Faanshi draws in the softest of breaths. It is not quite a noise of relief, for the young halfbreed is not entirely assured by what she has been told, but nevertheless she inclines her head in respectful acknowledgement of Asha's benediction for her Warlord. "The young Imphada," she explains in a voice that if it were not quite so soft and gentle might almost be described as stoic, "was kind to me in my... hour of need... she came to look for me, in the shop of my acarya. I was worried... thank you, Imphada...!" The double metal doors of the main building of Atesh-Gah open with an audible *clunk*, giving view to the frame of another young Agni-Haidar. Kedar steps out in a self-confident stride, then makes sure that the door closes behind him again. Only now, his gaze takes in those present in the courtyard. The two female shudra receive barely a glance of attention -- just enough to make sure he's aware of their presence -- but his fellow warriors on guard are greeted with a silent, curt inclination of his head. While nothing in his motions betrays the thoughts of the adolescant, his expression seems dark and troubled, a frown of disturbance showing upon his face. Asha smiles shyly and nods. glancing up for an instant so that their eyes meet before looking down again. "Surely the Imphada's kindness and grace will be rewarded." she murmurs softly. "I will tell her of your concern." She does not look directly at the Agni-Haidar, or make any intrusive or presumptuous gesture or sign of acknowlegment of his presence, she simply stands silent as he passes, looking down respectfully. Jihaad nods to the younger Agni-Haidar from his post by the gates. Agni-Haidar are trained to be exquisitely aware of their surroundings at all times -- but then again, even though they might not necessarily be trained in such things per se, it is a survival instinct that servants and slaves must learn as well. Faanshi's green gaze flashes momentarily towards the doors of the entrance foyer as the Janizar emerges, and she might be noted to start visibly at the sight of him. Then her gaze rivets itself to the ground in echo of Asha's own, while she whispers to the older woman, "I-I cannot hope to repay her generosity..." She catches herself. Faanshi is too gentle a soul to swear, but her eyes do squeeze such at the shake in her voice. She sucks in another breath, unconsciously clenching a slender sungolden hand into a fist and pressing it to her breast as if struggling to steady herself. She cannot hope to match the strength of the Amir-al's chosen warriors... but perhaps she can at least try, if she wishes the advice of the Warlord Sumai to be fulfilled. "Again I thank you, Imphada," she goes on, a bit steadier now. "If you would tell her... that Faanshi asked about her, I would be in your debt...!" Asha reaches out one gentle hand and lays it on Faansi's shoulder, glancing up and smiling serenely before she looks down again. "Peace." she whispers. "Peace be upon you, Child. My name is Asha." She adds thoughtfully after a moment. "Surely the Imphadi's gracousness to ones so lowly as we will find it's reward in the favor of the Neverending Fire and in the lives that are to come. It is not our place to question, or to repay, but simply and humbly to serve." she murmurs. Whatever the Lions of Fire are trained in, Kedar at least seems oblivious to the inner struggle and gathering of strength the halfbreed goes through. Moving away from the entrance gate, he marches towards Jihaad, a sinister gaze raised to the sky, before it settles back on the bigger Janizar. "Has the night been quiet?" he asks Jihaad directly, calm despite a certain expection for a negative answer. Jihaad shifts his position just enough to watch the courtyard as the streets beyond the gate are silent. His emotionless jade eyes shift from one shudra to the other then move to Kedar to scrutinize the young Agni-Haidar briefly before replying, "Yes it has been. Too quiet for my liking." His deep voice rumbles like distant thunder. There are a number of things about her and her life that Faanshi cannot hope to have anyone in Atesh-Gah understand -- but the place of a shudra to serve is not one of them. Unable to find comfort at the shrine of Ushas for her recent grief, the halfbreed girl paradoxically takes a grain of consolation from the gently murmured assurance that the older woman gives her now, and from the startlement of even being touched. "Honor in service," she whispers, as though the words are a mantra and a prayer. Then she risks a peek over her veil, compelled by this very notion to shyly inquire, "If you are to serve the young Imphada... were you told, that she is the Warlord's ward... new to the station of a kshatri?" Asha shakes her head gently. "No." she says softly. "It is my duty to serve my Imphada and the Clan." she reiterates, smiling calmly at Faansi and raising her deep, dark eyes for another short glance at her. The voices of the Lions are not particularly loud, but still, there is a kind of command to them that makes them carry well across the courtyard to the ears of the halfbreed healer. Again Faanshi's gaze slides momentarily sideways, noting Kedar in particular and bringing her a second grain of consolation in the observation that the young warrior seems, so far as she can tell, unhindered in his motions. She might have wept before him, but at least she did not shame herself in his healing. But Faanshi does not let herself peek at the Janizar for very long, not when the matter of advising Asha about her new young mistress is still at hand. Anxious green eyes return furtively to the older shudra now. "If you will accept my meager knowledge, Imphada," she murmurs, "perhaps it will let you serve your mistress better... misfortune cast her upon the streets of Haven, but the Warlord gave her a place with his Clan now... she will need advice, about what is proper for a kshatri maiden... and she has magic as well. Visions...!" "The danger is still out there," notes Kedar somberly. "Before we destroy it, it will remain." One hand spreads out, pointing vaguely in the direction where the two shudra are conversing, without looking at them. "These faithful shudra could even be in danger. Out on the street, where the kafir bear us no respect." Jihaad nods somberly, "Let it come then and we shall put an end to it once and for all." Asha blinks slowly and nods. "It is hardly my place," she says softly, "to advise the ward of the Imphadi Warlord. But of course I will do all I can to serve my Mistress and to... assist her to find favor in the eyes of the Warlord and her Clan." Noticing Kedar's gesture Asha half turns and makes a low obesiance to him, not quite going to her knees. The younger of those faithful shudra starts again, albeit subtly. A Lion expressing even marginal concern for the safety of Asha she can understand -- but herself, a halfbreed? Such things are generally beyond her ken, and the maiden cannot help but peer in consternation towards the Imphadi Kedar. Even as she follows Asha's example, making a gesture of obeisance to the black-clad warrior, the maiden murmurs fretfully, "Danger.." Not so far gone in grief that she hasn't heard the rumors of the bodies that fell from the sky into this very courtyard, she then casts an uneasy glance skyward... and another out to the gates. She has to venture back out into those streets, with no protection but her loyal hound, and although it's never been entirely safe for her, such a prospect sends an unusually sharp chill of dread down her spine. Asha is, of course, blissfully unaware of any skyfalling bodies, although the state of the courtyard has caused her some puzzlement. Nobody explains anything to a Shudra. She smiles gently and nods her head to Faansi. "May grace and honor find you." she says softly. "I must go now and attend to my duties." And with that she turns in a graceful flowing of veil and sari and glides silently towards the Messala suite. Asha ascends the stairs to Atesh-Gah's sturdy double doors, allowed past by the ever-present Agni-Haidar. Asha has left. Kedar mutters in reply to Jihaad, "Should they come, they will come as thieves, not as honorable warriors. But that will not save them from their just punishment and the wrath of the Amir-Al." Despite the quieteness of his voice, the strength and conviction in those words are still obvious enough. Half-turning to the two women -- of course he has noted their gestures of respect, but pays them little heed -- he studies Faanshi coolly. Considering. Finally, he raises one hand to beckons her wordlessly closer. The departure of Asha leaves Faanshi alone, and the halfbreed girl thinks to slip back out to those aforementioned dangerous streets; surely there isn't too much in the way of danger that could intercept her between here and her acarya's shop? Kosha is waiting for her by the gates, and she craves the comfort of the big dog's presence at her side. But before she can retreat to find her dog, the maiden notes the gesture of Kedar in her direction. She swallows hard, though this goes unseen behind her veil. On near-silent feet she treads closer, summer-leaf gaze humbly lowered; the rest of her lowers as well, down into a kneeling position, as soon as she comes close enough to the young Janizar. Honor, she tells herself. Honor in service. "How may I serve, Imphadi?" she whispers. Kedar is not entirely unused to having people cower at him in fear, a lot much stronger and more powerful than the halfbreed girl in front of him. So Faanshi's nervous, but eager reaction hardly surprises him. He waits patiently until she has approached him. "Are you staying at Atesh-Gah, shudra?" he asks in a deep, rumbling voice. Strength and discipline. Cease to be a child, Faanshi, and be a woman. Again the advice of the Warlord of Messala rolls through the back of her mind, and somehow the maiden manages not to stammer as she answers in a small, soft voice, "Not at this time, Imphadi." She could elaborate, but she does not, limiting herself to answering only the question that has been asked. Meanwhile, the one who should embody strength, discipline and loyalty more than anyone else, seems to be caught up in something the Lion's are not made for: Independant thought. While each motion of the man underlies still the trained control of a warrior, every gesture or raise of muscle kept minimal, his eyes drift off to the gates. After letting Faanshi kneel there in silent expectation for a minute, he finally poses another question. "Are you aware of the danger that lies outside?" Not that he would be. The only time he has ever set foot into Haven outside Atesh-Gah was a slaughter-and-kill mission of some unfaithful Varati. As tough as he may seem, he surely knows far less of the world than the halfbreed he know expects an answer from. But that does not keep him from demanding a proper answer from her now. There is a slight pause -- but only a slight one. Faanshi has been questioned, and she is not about to fail to provide an answer. Still, her voice does go a little hoarse as she recollects the rumors of which she has caught whispers in her creepings in and out of the temple and in and out of the grove of Ushas. Not to mention in the marketplace, those times she has ventured out of FallingStar's shop to find sustenance for her hound. "Yes, Imphadi," she rasps. "It is said... that the candala are angry about the Amir-al's holy justice." A city full of vice and dishonor. This is where Kedar has been stationed, this is where his god choses to stay, among candala that are too ignorant, too stupid to accept his ways. Perhaps only to let them learn. "He will make them understand. They will understand. Or die." Again, not a flicker of doubt in the young man's words or expression. "But until the day of his justice comes, be wary. Be alert of the candala, so they will do you no harm." He takes a few breaths, to let his grave words sink in, then asks, "Who do you serve, shudra?" The import of Kedar's stern adminitions is not lost upon Faanshi -- though the simple fact that an Agni-Haidar is actually bothering to give them to her in the first place makes her forget to breathe for a few seconds. The tiniest of gasps escapes her once her need for air finally asserts itself... and then she is able to blurt, "I serve... served she who was the Amir-al's wife, Imphadi, but now serve Clan Khalida. I have no specific master or mistress." She had not been brave enough to claim direct service to Khalid Atar before the shudra Asha, and she is assuredly not going to do it now to the young warrior. Which was probably about the last thing Kedar had expected of the shudra. Somewhere in the same category as expecting Faanshi to spread wings and fly away. He is Agni-Haidar, he /belongs/ to Khalid, so he can't keep any servants or slaves on his own. But as the healer is a part of His clan, the Janizar's protection covers her as well. "The Amir-Al's will may be bestowed upon you. Keep the faith in him, remember your duty, distrust the kafir, and you will be safe. Remember, as long as you keep close to the sun, its warm mantle of protection will cover you." Once again the maiden forgets to breathe as those words rumble over her. Sprouting wings and flying away, in the world as she understands it, is a lot more likely an action for one of the Lions of Fire than proffering her such words. She cannot exactly call them comfort -- but still, they are strangely compelling, like the flames of the biers upon which she had meditated in the temple, and strangely comforting as well. Her eyes flash wide above her veil, for all that their gaze is angled downward. A Warlord has told her that part of her is of the People of Fire, and that she will pull through her grief. Now an Agni-Haidar warrior is taking the time to assure her. Perhaps her prayers for strength and discipline are being answered? Faanshi's impulses are shy ones indeed, but still every so often she has them, and she cannot stop the one she has now -- though she can temper it with proper deference and gratitude. "The Imphadi Janizar honors me with his advice," she says then, a breath more loud than a whisper. "This humble one thanks him... and will remember!" Of course, the important part about Kedar's words is that which is not said: Once you move away from the sun, you will feel the cold. You are alone, in danger, haunted by the vultures seeking to strike the Hawk of Heaven, but dare not face him. "You fulfilled your duty well," says the young soldier in a satisfied tone, leaving little doubt to what incident he refered. "You have shown to me that you serve with faith. You are a good shudra, and the candala dogs should not hunt you. Will not haunt you. Keep your faith, remember your position and who you belong to, and you will be safe." Another reassurance to Faanshi, or more a repetition of his own trust, before he considers his speech done. "Now go back to your tasks." _Sweet Merciful Ushas...!_ Faanshi's mind and heart go blank for a moment, allowing no thought but that one as the warrior's words fall like renewing rain upon desperately thirsty ground -- or perhaps more appropriately, flare through her like fire for a shattered vessel that needs re-forging. She had not dared to hope that the Agni-Haidar would even acknowledge what she had done for some of their number, and to hear this now makes her wonder if she is not in fact dreaming. Given leave to do so, she rises -- but not before making a deep bow to the whip-lean young soldier. "Yes, Imphadi," she breathes, stunned. She cannot manage a smile behind her veil, but at least as Faanshi turns to take her leave, a glimmer of faith has been rekindled in her summer-green eyes. [End log.]