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| Thunder On A Bright Day; Uriah Thunderpaw Comes To Black Arch | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 9 2008, 01:59 PM (191 Views) | |
| Uriah Thunderpaw | Sep 13 2008, 06:57 PM Post #11 |
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Level One Poster
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Uriah sat unmoving, his face impassive. His back was straight, his shoulders flat, as much at attention as a beast could manage whilst seated. Internally, however, the badger was fuming. The entire length of the trip from Salamandastron, Uriah had marched in solemn silence. There had been the occasional string of conversation with his companions, but, for the most part, Uriah had brooded over the trip, and the future that he had been ordered to pursue. He was not happy with the task laid before him, but Lord Thickstripe was his Lord, and that title alone commanded more than enough respect, and gleaned just as much obedience from those beneath him. For all his life, Uriah had followed orders without question. Lord Thickstripe and he had often had disagreements about certain decisions, certain orders that had been given, but it was not his place to question the word of his liege lord: in Salamandastron, Lord Thickstripe was the highest authority, and no others were to be considered. Having said all of that, however, Uriah was still nonplussed – not to mention furious – to be sent far from his home, with no word on how long the stay should last, or whether Uriah was ever to return or not. Beyond the fact that his duty as a personal guard to Lord Thickstripe laid within close proximity to the Badger-Lord himself, his family was still living within the strong walls of the mountain fortress that was Salamandastron. In truth, Uriah may not have been the best father or husband there ever had been, but he still cared for his family deeply, and it hurt to be away from them for any length of time. Especially so when said length of time was not specified. Because of all of this, when Duran voiced his displeasure at the orders Lord Thickstripe had given Uriah, the badger found himself grateful for the vole’s understanding. He was not surprised when the High Commander made it clear he would not refuse the additions to his garrison, – he would have done the same, in the vole’s situation – but he was caught off-guard when Duran began to speak on the matter of duty. At Salamandastron, under the rule of Lord Thickstripe, the motivations behind a beast’s loyalty were a nonissue, so long as the beast stayed loyal and obeyed the orders he was given. It was not a question of why they were loyal, so long as they bowed, head and knee, to the Badger-Lord. It was the way that Uriah had been raised, as well as all other badgers, and the vast majority of the hares that were stationed there as well. It was how Uriah had lived his life: ask not why you sacrifice your life, only how best to do so. Salamandastron was ruled by an iron paw, and it was always wielded by a Badger-Lord; respect that, for all your days. That was all that needed to be known, and it had been beaten into the head of every cub at a very young age. But what Duran was speaking about now was something much deeper than that. Duty, not for the sake of it, but because you believed it was the right thing to do. It was almost a foreign concept to the badger. Admittedly, there were some things he knew about himself as true: he desired peace above war, order above chaos. He wielded his weapons not to kill, but to save lives. On the battlefield, all his actions were because he desired an end to the conflict, not because he relished the experience. He wanted to see peace before the end of his days; true peace, not would-be alliances and treaties. He wanted the world to be safe for the cubs that were only now coming into being. Perhaps more selfishly, Uriah now found himself craving the leadership of a beast who understood such things. Lord Thickstripe was as tough a beast as Uriah had ever known, and knew how to protect the realm that he ruled over, but there was a very obvious detachment that accompanied such behaviour, one that Uriah never agreed with. The very reason he had stayed behind at Salamandastron, when all of his other badger kindred left to find their own places in the world, was because he wanted to protect the innocent, wanted to serve them as best he could. Even after the vole had finished speaking, Uriah was still deep in thought. He sat silent for many moments, his gaze inward, though his eyes still remained fixed upon the vole seated across from him. The badger was not used to such introspective musings, and a frown soon crossed his face. “Sir,” the badger began, as his golden eyes once again focussed on the present. “It is not often that I have had the nature of my duty called into question.” There was a certain hardness to his tone that showed the badger’s confusion, though, as he spoke, his expression softened. And, for the first time in a long while, Uriah Thunderpaw actually looked the forty-odd years that he truly was. Clearing his throat, the badger shook his head. “My duty lies to the realm. It lies to Salamandastron, or to Black Arch Fort, or to wherever I would serve. Their duty, in turn, lies to the world at large, and to all those innocents who inhabit. So, by association, my duty lies with all those that we would serve to protect.” Glancing about the room, Uriah found his gaze fixed on the paws in his lap, and the badger clenched them into fists. “I do not find fault in what you say, sir, but… Much of what you have said questions some things that I had been taught as a cub.” Raising his head, he squared his shoulders and straightened his back once more, his expression once more as stoic and solid as before. “Though I cannot speak for the motivations behind all of the duty that I bear, I know that I serve to protect the innocent from harm; that is something that would not change, no matter where I would be. Perhaps it is past time that I widen my horizons to more than just my homestead. “That may not be the answer you were hoping to hear from me, sir, but it is all that I can give you at present. Perhaps, in time, I can prove to you that my motives are my own. But I assure you, I serve those I will not because I have no question in the matter: I serve those I will because I decide to do so.” Standing to his footpaws, the badger brought himself to attention, his gaze still locked on the vole before him. “If you would have me, sir, I would ask to serve here, with you. A change of scenery may do me some good, and I vow to do my best to serve those that Black Arch Fort was raised to protect. This I swear, on my honor as a Thunderpaw. Sir.” |
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| Duran Swiftpike | Sep 15 2008, 12:04 AM Post #12 |
High Commander
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“If you would have me, sir, I would ask to serve here, with you. A change of scenery may do me some good, and I vow to do my best to serve those that Black Arch Fort was raised to protect. This I swear, on my honor as a Thunderpaw. Sir.” Duran listened carefully as the badger before him spoke, nodding at times and being still at others. Thoughts hammered in his head and he either fought to press them aside or sort them accordingly and line them up for what he was preparing to say next. He knew he wanted to be very careful with how he went with this conversation the farther into it he traveled. Talking of honor and duty with a badger was always a rather risky move, but he was not going to back down from it now. It was an important topic for him. He refused to have a guard wear the sign of Black Arch and do it merely for a sense of duty to some commander or father or even a badger lord. As Uriah finished speaking Duran held his gaze for a moment before leaning back and letting out a weary sigh. He rested his paws on his knees and looked up at the great badger with a resigned look on his face. However when he spoke his tone betrayed that he wasn’t giving all up just yet. “Well then, I suppose I can hardly press you for more than that. I can also not afford to turn away willing paws, particularly those with such experience as yours. However… I will be asking your hares this same question. If their hearts and spirits rest with the mountain and all they’ve known there, then I will send them back to Lord Thickstripe and he would do well not to be offended by it.” He paused here and glared for a split second at the ceiling. That Thickstripe would send beasts to join the fort on his orders put a bad taste in the vole’s mouth. He could tell this was more than the badger lord described it. It was more than “a sign of good faith” between the alliance the two strongholds were part of. Duran wanted none of the hidden motives behind Thickstripe’s actions, and if that meant sending back the hares then… so be it. But he knew Uriah intended to stay, orders or not, the badger was now his to work with. Even if the vole wasn’t excited at the prospect of such a skilled warrior and badger in their midst he knew how much harder he would be to send back to the mountain than two hares that had been under Juno’s paw during her time at the fire mountain. Shaking his head to clear his mind of these thoughts he turned to the more immediate situation of what exactly Uriah would do during his service at the fort. There were several details of this that needed to be ironed out in this meeting. “If you plan to serve with us I have a place for you. Many of our recruits are untrained in the logistics and tactics of war. While my tower commanders teach battle best they have the time and means to we do have our limits when it comes to proper training. You would be very helpful to us if you took on the training of our newer, younger recruits. This would allow my commanders to stick to drilling them once they’ve got a grasp on the basics. But the basics… that would become your job. We get some pretty raw warriors sometimes. Some hardly know which end of a sword to hold. It would be very different than dealing with hares who grew up learning the arts of war and battle. “Now, another thing. If you come to serve us here you will be living here. And that means your family as well. None of this traveling to Salamandastron to visit them every now and again. This is partially because I don’t plan on giving you that kind of time and partially because… I know how important it is to be with your family. To have them close, even here where the danger is so high. We are a community, and by joining us you become a part of that. Family too.” The way Duran looked at Uriah made it very clear how strongly he felt about this particular point. It left little room for question, particularly as he continued to work out the finer details of it for the badger as he went on. “We have a number of dormitory space available here, but I imagine you might enjoy a place with a little more privacy. There is a skeleton of a building started beside our orchard, on the same stretch of wall as the training grounds. We meant it to be a storehouse before we arranged to use our space underground for such things. It’s been a bit of a neglected project until then, but I will alert our carpenters and workbeasts to finish it, first priority. It will be ready for your use by the middle of next week. Until then take any room you like, here or in the inn. I know Burku has a room with a bed and an armchair that would offer you more comfort than most of the rooms you may find here at the moment. “When the cottage is finished it won’t be anything fancy, but we’ll make sure it’ll be up to badger specifications. It’ll be comfortable for you if nothing else, and I hope it suits your family’s needs. I do count it among your duties to inform me if there is anything we can do to make your family feel more at home.” Now a smile finally graced Duran’s face and he got to his feet. Spreading his arms slightly his voice turned noticeably warmer as he dismissed the badger. “I’m glad you’ve come here, Uriah Tunderpaw. You are a good and faithful warrior, and it is an honor to offer you a place to call home. Even if you choose to leave us before the season is out, I hope you know you will always be welcome here.” |
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| Uriah Thunderpaw | Sep 16 2008, 01:50 PM Post #13 |
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Level One Poster
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(Slight-auto on Duran. Just let me know if it's not suitable, and I can change it.) Uriah was near speechless: he had been expecting the grudging acceptance, but little else. In fact, this entire situation was far from Uriah’s comfort zone, though he was doing his best to hide it. Matters of battle he could handle with no problem, and matters of duty and honour were second-nature to the badger at this point in his life, but… This welcome was sending him reeling. He found himself rising to his footpaws; it was more reflex than choice: whenever a commanding officer stood, you were obligated to follow suit. Quickly enough, Uriah found his voice, however, and responded in turn: “I thank you for your hospitality, sir. This is far beyond the welcome that I expected to receive. For that, you have my gratitude. “I…” Uriah’s voice trailed off as he tried to sort his thoughts, his frown still planted on his lips. He was still a little off-balance about this whole situation, as he had been since he had departed from Salamandastron. Usually Uriah was very sure in his actions and his words (what little of them there were), but, since that first step on the road to Black Arch Fort, Uriah had not been sure how to act. That confusion was carrying over here, in full force. “Sir,” the badger finally managed. “Permission to speak freely?” At the nod from Duran, Uriah crossed his arms behind his back and stood comfortably, gazing down at the vole. “Sir, to be frank, I believe there is more to my new appointment to this fortress. I have known Lord Thickstripe all his life, from before he was Badger-Lord of Salamandastron. We grew up together, and swore oaths together as if we were brothers.” His frown deepened slightly, his eyes growing dark and narrow as he searched his mind for the right words. “Despite all this, it is not often that we see eye-to-eye. When all our brethren departed from Salamandastron, I stayed to serve under my Lord, as I am sure you already know. I stayed for my own reasons, and Lord Thickstripe allowed me leave to do so, saying that he was happy to have me at his side. Though, secretly, I am unsure whether he truly wished me there.” Raising his gaze from the vole, the large badger stared straight forward, his eyes boring into the wall behind the High Commander. But Uriah did not see the wall: instead, he was looking inward, remembering his past, and all he had done. Squaring his jaw, he continued. “We have oft had arguments in the past regarding many orders that Lord Thickstripe has given, to both myself and the others who serve at Salamandastron. There are times when I have dissuaded my Lord from pursuing these paths, but more often than not, I respectfully bend to his wishes; it is not my place to question the orders of my commanding officer, no matter the history we may have. “I tell you all this, sir, because I believe that Lord Thickstripe may have tired of my objections. Not long ago, I questioned an order he had given. I always did so in private – out of the public eye, so to speak – but our conversation was overheard by one of the Lord’s stewards. I do not mean to speak ill of my Lord, sir, but I believe this – my presence here…” Lowering his gaze back to Duran, Uriah’s eyes narrowed further, his brow creasing. “I believe it was meant to be a punishment for my perceived insolence.” Again, Uriah found his mind reeling. He had thought this all through before, but he had tried to push it from his mind. It was not his place to question the motives of his Lord, though Uriah could not help but feel slightly offended by this seeming exile from service. Admittedly, the large badger could imagine worse places to be sent than another military fortress, but it was the principle of the thing: when all others had left, Uriah had opted to stay and defend his home, beside his Lord and friend. And now he had been sent away? It was insult to injury, and, to Uriah, a wound to his pride. Despite this, however, Uriah had steeled himself, and chosen to do his best at his new post. He would not – could not – bring further shame upon his family. To do so would be too much for him to take. Sighing heavily, Uriah closed his eyes and shook his head. He still could not believe he had said such things about his Lord. And, yet, it was good to have them spoken: for many a year, now, Uriah had found himself struggling with Lord Thickstripe’s rule at Salamandastron, and things had only gotten worse as time had gone on. It was like a weight had been lifted off of the badger’s shoulders. Only now it felt as if the weight was being held over his head, and Uriah was waiting for it to fall. “Sir, I do not mean to speak ill of a commanding officer.” Opening his eyes, Uriah placed his heavy gaze upon the vole’s face once more, his own features seemingly etched in stone, for as serious his tone was. “At first, I did not agree to be sent away, but I have thought much on the matter, and I have come to terms with it. “I cannot tell you that I can give up Salamandastron in my heart: it has been my home for all my years, and I pray that one day I might be able to return there. Neither can I tell you that this transition will be easy, on either my family or me; having said that, you have already shown me the utmost courtesy, and have been much more accommodating than I could have hoped. For that, I thank you.” Bowing his head in appreciation, Uriah’s gaze seemed to soften slightly, and his frown seemed to fade away (which is about as close to a true smile as the badger got). “I realize how awkward a situation this is: I have been struggling with it ever since I left Salamandastron. But I appreciate your advice, and how you have handled it thus far; I will accept the position you have given me eagerly. It has been too long since I have trained raw recruits.” Bowing his head once more, the large badger brought himself to attention, standing as straight as a statue before the vole. “Thank you once again, sir. I believe I shall come to like it here, in time.” |
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| Duran Swiftpike | Sep 16 2008, 08:59 PM Post #14 |
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High Commander
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The High Commander of Black Arch Fort listened with almost a fatherly look on his face as Uriah stood before him and expressed himself freely. Duran was a commander that often appreciated when those that followed him spoke to him of their thoughts and views of a situation. It allowed him to know where they stood on an issue, and even more, it let him look at things through their eyes for a time. He appreciated this a great deal as the badger confided in him, and his first thought was to assure Uriah that his words were understood and appreciated, and to affirm him that it was alright, at least here at Black Arch, to be so candid with one’s superior officers. “I believe I can understand a lot of what you say about Lord Thickstripe. I’m sorry to observe what has become of the close friendship I’m certain you shared in your younger years.” The vole bowed his head in sadness before continuing, his voice somber again. “The best of friends may grow together and not apart, but status and power can drive a wedge between the closest of companions, no matter if that status was seized or inherited. Our friend Lord Thickstripe works hard to keep his hold on Salamandastron unquestioned, unthreatened, and his means for doing so are not those I favor. But perhaps… he is right in how he makes these hard decisions. We shall find out someday. “Until that day, however, he and I shall disagree on that point.” A warm smile graced Duran’s face again and he went on. “As for your time here as a punishment, I hope you will not see us for that by the time you leave.” Another nod, another smile, and an invitation to dinner with his family later their meeting came to a close. Duran remained in his office and shut the door behind Uriah. His thoughts were still buzzing with things from their conversation. Many worries and points of disagreement had arisen again between the way Duran chose to command and the way the Lord of Salamandastron chose to command. The vole stroked the fur on his chin as he pondered the fate of Uriah Thunderpaw. Deep within him he knew Uriah’s time at Black Arch Fort was numbered. He knew one day Uriah would return to the mountain. Something within him made him sure of this. |
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2:50 PM Nov 28
