Wildfire Riders

(( I was having trouble thinking about what to write, then I listened to Enya's Aniron and that was the inspiration for this. ))

Life and Death

It was the height of night, the time when those of Kal'Dorei society were most active. Tens of thousands of stars shone in the sky above, and brightest of all the celestial bodies were the two moons, illuminating the world in their gentle glow. The night lilies and irises that grew in the forests and around its edges reflected this light the best. Each would glow like it was producing its very own light. They were the Goddess's flowers.

Aleros and his brother, Xionn were playing on the edge of their family farm. The Earthbreezes, as they were called back then, were a fairly normal farmer family living on the southern edge of the Well of Eternity.

That particular night, they both heard singing. It was a beautiful song, almost unearthly, and both were sure it was being sung by the priestesses of the local temple. Whenever the priestesses of the moon sung, it sounded as if the Goddess herself was singing through them. However it was a kind of singing that neither of the boys had heard before. They made their way towards the song, towards the edge of the woods. They caught their first glimpse of the procession and moved in as close as they could without being seen. What they saw before them was a procession of the prietesses, and in the middle of them, they held up what looked to be a Kal'Dorei shape covered in a white silk cloth. The prietesses themselves were clothed only in their silken white ritual robes. Their fronts caught the blue glow of the smaller moon above them. Behind the prietesses were some men clad in furs and leathers, all with heads bowed and bows at their side.

The song, while very beautiful, had a tinge of sorrow to it. Neither boy knew precisely what was going on. As they watched and listened, Aleros felt tears form around his eyes. He blotted a fingertip at the base of his eyes to make sure, then tried to sniffle and rub his eyes. The song had made his heart light.

"What are you crying for?" Xionn almost taunted him.

Before he could answer, the boys found a hand on both of their shoulders. "It's disrespectful to watch a procession for the dead you know."

Both of them nearly jumped out of their skin. They both turned around to face the Kal'Dorei, who had leathers very similar to the hunters in the procession. He was smiling, and although it wasn't fake, it wasn't a strong smile either. "It's okay, you're both young."

Xionn spoke up first. "Wh... what is it?"

"A funeral." The man had a rough voice, and it was obvious he was one of the hunters as well. "One of our own, Sheinris Farwind. He was mortally wounded on a hunting excursion." His smile tightened.

"M-Mortally wounded?" Aleros wasn't quite sure of the concept.

"Yes, he died. We now carry him to the Well." He took a deep breath and his hands tightened on the boys' shoulders. "He will return to Elune." He paused, letting go of their shoulders. "Hopefully, you boys will not have to deal with much death in your lifetimes. Elune protects us from such things." He nodded and bowed at the boys, before quietly making his way back to the procession.

"Death..." The word remained in Aleros's thoughts the rest of the night.

(part the third)

(also - Thread Necromancy - GO!)

The afternoon light streamed through stained glass windows, illuminating the floor and congregants in the Alonsus Chapel with bright flecks. Incense hung thick in the air, and even from the corner in the back where she and Brother Olfric had squeezed into a pew, she could see the Clerics of Northshire on the left of the center aisle and the Knights of the Silver Hand on the right. Someone was leading a choir in a soft chant, and the entire building fairly glowed with the occasion.

For only having heard tale of him, Uther Lightbringer was easy to spot among the Order. He was not the tallest, nor the broadest of the Knights, but his presence was unmistakable. His dark hair was greying at the temples, and there were streaks in his beard, but his eyes were warm, deep with thought and prayer. Aely gawked, openly.

When the singing stopped, a young man walked in through the doors of the chapel, standing with what could only be his family on either side. He was dressed simply - white linen pants and a tunic - his blonde hair combed back away from his face, and nervousness crinkling his brow. She watched as he walked up to the altar and knelt, and the Archbishop spoke words of blessing to him and to all who had gathered. As he began his vows, the young woman's mind wandered slightly, wondering about the man who was joining the order that day as a Knight; where was he from, and how had he known that that was to be his path? She tried to catch a glimpse of his family to see if she recognized them, to no avail.

Brother Olfric elbowed her in the ribs and whispered fiercely in her ear, "Lass, pay attention now - this's th' part wha' makes th' whole bit worth it. Watch."

As Aely peered, straining her eyes to take in as much of the ceremony as was left, the Archbishop looked down at the young man, kneeling before him, now wearing a blue stole and elaborate armor, with a Paladin's hammer in his grip. "Do you vow to vanquish evil wherever it be found, to protect the innocent with your very life, and to serve always what is right, honorable, and good?"

His voice cracked. "By my blood and honor, I do."

And then, almost imperceptibly, the Knights of the Silver Hand and the Clerics of Northshire raised each of their right hands in unison, many closing their eyes - and to her utter astonishment, their hands began to glow. Softly at first - and then the light streaming from their hands and down from the rose window behind the altar began to grow stronger, and the young man's kneeling form was blurred by the beams of intensifying Light.

Aely blinked, trying to shield her eyes from the blinding glow. Next to her, Brother Olfric inhaled sharply, and she turned to him. "Ye a'righ', brother? Do ye need air?"

He shook his head, a look of awe on his face that surprised her, given that she was sure he'd seen Paladins join the order before. "Nothing's wrong, Lass. Look." and he pointed at her hands. She held them up before her, wondering at the golden glow clinging to her own fingers.

After a few moments, the Light in the room dissipated, and the young man stood amid shouts of congratulations. Aelflaed sat dumbfounded, blinking at her hands. Brother Olfric, on the other hand, grinned like a schoolboy. "Come, Lass. I think ye may have found your future. Got folks ye need to talk at."