The Lead Crown: Ch 2a, League of Leaves (Pt 1)
Tranquil Waters: The Lead Crown Ch 2-1, League of Leaves
The warriors of the tribe's Newport camp had taken Gift-of-the-Earth prisoner for the death of one of their people. He'd heard stories of the Stone Tribe and their laws, but had never had an issue with them until he was forced to defend what was his and, in so doing, they said that he had broken the covenants of their people... his freedom was forfeit. Their laws, he realized, were much like the northern people-- the dragons in that, like with the Stone Tribe's laws, the bear had never encountered a dragon before that day.
Unlike the laws, however, Gift-of-the-Earth had not left the dragon behind when he exited the Stone Tribe's large village. Kesst, was his name... and he smelled... different. It was not an offensive scent, nor was it the kind of wrongness one could smell on a soured wound. It had struck the bear at the time that the others didn't seem to notice how oddly a dragon smelled but, he had reasoned, the rest of his odd traveling companions may simply have been used to the odor in the ways he was not.
Then again, he realized, there was also the possibility that the Stone Tribe had widely forgotten many of their senses. Gift-of-the-Earth had learned very quickly during his first trips into the Newport camp that pressing one's nose to another's neck was not well received and that the licking of muzzles was reserved for only the most intimate of relationships... and, apparently, never between those of the same sex. The many rules of the Stone Tribe were enough to make him dizzy, and the senseless fervor with which they seemed to cling to the most inane of those laws bordered on painful.
But it was their village, he reminded himself, and he had been a guest, thus their rules were to be followed. There was, however one thing that he couldn't understand, "Friend Tobias." he called to the prong horn near the front of the group in the tongue of the free people; the Antelope was the only member of the party that spoke the bear's language and, despite the fact that the man's words had a strong accent of the Oak tribe, he did seem to speak it well.
"His name's Tobias Severna." the human beside Gift-of-the-Earth stated flatly using Stone Tribe words, "Not... Tobias 'Ham-ma'." the bear didn't miss the way that the man mispronounced the word.
"Hamah is the tribal word for 'friend', Nicholas." Tobias responded, taking time to sound it out properly, "It's a title, like 'Mister' or 'Doctor' or--"
The white-furred fox traveling behind Gift-of-the-Earth spoke up as well, "It's more like 'Esquire', if you say it after someone's name... isn't it?"
The conversation continued for a short span of time, their exchanges of words moving along so quickly that Gift-of-the-Earth had trouble keeping up. It astounded him how the Stone Tribe always spoke so quickly and, as the fox had displayed, always seemed eager to start talking before a previous speaker had finished. When there was a lull in the discussion Tobias finally addressed him, "Yes, Friend Gift-of-the-Earth?" the prong horn glanced back to him, responding in the tongue of the free people.
"I don't understand why you gave Favor to the men who you said attacked you." There was no word in the bear's people's language for the metal discs used by the Stone Tribe and their word for it felt odd on the tongue, so most of the tribes used the word 'Favor' instead. While it confused many of the Stone Tribe who bothered to learn the free people's words, Tobias was obviously familiar with it.
"Sometimes the other form of favor is worth more than the Favor that jingles." the antelope explained, "They left giving us thanks instead of considering future ways to make our lives difficult..." he drew out a small piece of cloth from one of his many pockets and patted at his face just below his horns, "...we already have enough sources for trouble."
"You okay over there, Toby?" the white fox spoke up from the rear of the group in a chiding tone, the Stone Tribe words obviously playful, "You look like you might keel over."
"Fine." Tobias responded in the same language, "My stamina isn't what it should be..." he accentuated the words with a firm cough, "...not after all that smoke."
"Be patient, Friend Tobias." Gift-of-the-Earth responded calmly in his native tongue, "The spirits of fire do not release their hold on a body easily."
"What's he sayin' now?" demanded the human, "Can't he talk in a normal language like everyone else?" and he accentuated his complaint with a *hock-ptui* of spittle off to the side, "It's rude."
"The tribal language IS normal for him." Tobias countered in the Stone Tribe tongue, then turned to the bear. Despite his reproach to the human, he did continue the conversation using the common words, "It'll just take a few days." he raised the cloth to his muzzle and coughed a few times then grimaced when he saw the dark brown phlegm held within, "Shame we didn't have a chance to visit a doctor before we left... my humors were obviously affected by the flames." he closed up the cloth with a distasteful expression before stowing it back in the pocket his clothing had next to his chest.
"We can speak with a shaman when we arrive at my village...if you wish." Gift-of-the-Earth offered courteously in their tongue. A shaman was a very cherished, guarded resource, but the bear wasn't about to withhold the invitation after having been saved by the prong horn and his companions, "I will speak on your behalf."
"What's a shaman?" the dragon spoke up for the first time since they had left the large rock walls of the Stone Tribe's village.
"A shaman is like a priest and a doctor in one." Tobias explained to him.
"The Church and the University combined?" questioned the human, followed by another glob of saliva hitting the ground, "Sounds like it'd go together as well as a fish on land or a bird under water."
"Or oil and water, eh, Tobias?" the white fox smirked.
"Not exactly, Sanmer." the prong horn stated, "To the tribesmen their mystic understanding of the world is as science is to you our I... it is interchangeable and mixes together surprisingly well for them. In fact, in a lot of cases their way of seeing things makes a lot of sense... and some of their prayers seem to have more power than those of priests."
"Don't let the Church hear you say that... they might brand you a heretic." the human added bluntly.
"Does a shaman do magic?" the dragon spoke up again, the question seemingly directed right at Gift-of-the-Earth... though he didn't have to answer, apparently since the white fox spoke up on his behalf.
"THAT is more the kind of thing that the Church would brand someone as a heretic over." Sanmer the fox announced, "I mean... if the Church REALLY had proof the Tribals were able to... do..." and his words slowly trailed off as he glanced to Gift-of-the-Earth, who had taken it upon himself to gaze quizzically at the rapid-talking fox; he had an idea of what Sanmer was going to say, but he was pleased when his eyes succeeded in silencing him.
"Can't your people turn into animals?" the dragon asked, "I saw some of them." The bear's gaze quickly migrated to Kesst, who likewise fell silent under Gift-of-the-Earth's scrutiny and, once more, the bear wasn't required to answer as Tobias did it for him yet again.
"I've heard many stories about that, actually." the antelope announced, apparently quite oblivious to the fact that the dragon's question was directed at the bear, "Some of the tribes are said to hold men and women with what they call 'two souls'." the prong horn used the free people's word for exactly what Gift-of-the-Earth thought the dragon had been asking about, "It means 'two souls'." he then translated it, "As much as I can understand, the legend suggests that some of the Tribals are able to take two different forms."
"So... they DO use magic." Nicholas attested. The discussion continued, but once Sanmer entered into it they began talking too quickly again for the bear to follow. The only one of the Stone Tribe group not taking part in the flurry of words was Kesst; the dragon was looking straight at him, attentive and curious.
"Do you truly wish to know, 'young one'?" the bear inquired quietly, speaking in their tongue, save the honorific at the end, which he spoke in his own.
"Many of your people saved me from men who wanted to hurt me." Kesst answered, "I SAW them become animals, Mister Earth."
The bear smiled patiently at the comment, "Your people fight endlessly to convince themselves that they are not animals... but, in truth, we are all of the same flesh."
"Then... they really can--?" the question was cut short.
"Woah..." Nicholas' warning call brought their discussion to an end. Gift-of-Earth looked down the path to where the humans' eyes were focused-- a small, wheeled cart was pushed off to the side of the trail. A short, white-furred ermine dressed in fine clothing similar to Tobias' was being pinned against a tree by a large, disheveled human. Other than the human grappling the well-dressed traveler, four other growling individuals were shouting angrily at the mustelid: another human, two dogs, and a boar.
"This is troubling." Tobias announced, "That's a University cart."
Gift-of-the-Earth knew the Stone Tribe tongue well enough, but at such a distance he wasn't able to comprehend what the aggressors were saying... what he DID understand was that the poor ermine was very outmatched. He looked to the prong horn and spoke in the language of the free people, "Friend Tobias... what is the meaning of--" but he was interrupted.
"Common, damn it." Nicholas stated.
"Why are they doing that?" the bear stated in their language.
Sanmer's ears quirked, focused on the men by the side of the path, "They blame the University for the explosion."
"Makes sense." the human snorted, "It WAS their contraption, after all." and his glare at Tobias was not very friendly.
"But they are taking it out on an innocent man." the prong horn stated, and he began strolling toward the conflict, "I know that scholar... he doesn't even study Fire or Earth science." and he motioned the rest of the party to follow. Gift-of-Earth did so right away, followed a moment later by Kesst. Nicholas groaned, and Sanmer sighed, but both likewise joined them as they approached the argument.
The bear wasn't able to understand the men abusing the ermine very well due to their growls and sneering tones, but he was able to comprehend the majority of it. The human gripping the helpless mustelid was very unhappy with the people of the University. The second human dumped two handfuls of mud over the abused man's head, saying something about the mess that was made.
One dog was puffing away on a paper-roll of tobacco, but pulled it out of his muzzle so he could extinguish it on the ermine's arm, apparently likening it to the fires that had been started in the city. By the time the other dog drew nearer the captive, carrying a large rock (with some trouble), Tobias had approached shouting distance, "Hey! You! All of you!" he shouted, "Leave him alone!"
"He's one a those stinkin'--" the boar began to object, but he fell silent when he caught sight of the antelope, "It's another one a' those uni-bastards." he announced to his fellows.
"Looks like all of em are coming outta the wood work today." growled one of the dogs. Gift-of-the-Earth realized it was some kind of Stone Tribe saying but he was able to guess at its meaning regardless.
"Theo... are you alright?" questioned the prong horn. The bear watched as Tobias shifted his weight, obviously anticipating an altercation.
"I..." the ermine called out, "I didn't have anything to do with the--"
"Shuddup." announced the human holding him firmly. To accentuate the order he slammed the restrained mustelid back against the trunk of the tree.
The other human aggressor approached the party, eying the antelope as he picked up a branch from the side of the path, "You Unis are like ants... pests crawling all over the place."
"The University is an institution of learning and enligh--!" the ermine objected, but he was silenced with a forearm pressed up under his chin against his throat.
"Enough!" roared Nicholas, "Whatever your problem is with the University, you can't just take it out on some random guy!"
"Hmm..." the second dog noted, regarding Nicholas, "he doesn't look like a Uni-lover, does he?" his comment was directed toward the man holding the ermine. Following the first, he approached the party, "You gonna side with them even after what they did to Newport?" he pointed accusingly at Tobias.
"Choosing between a bunch of nut-less thugs working over a helpless scholar and someone not okay with watching it happen?" Nicholas glanced between them and Tobias, "Yea... I think it's a pretty damn clear choice." and he spat on the ground to accentuate his remark.
The two dogs immediately charged Nicholas, shouting something with such fervor that Gift-of-the-Earth wasn't able to clearly understand it. What he DID understand, however, was the boar's war cry of "You're gonna hurt bad!" as he rushed Tobias. The human restraining the ermine remained in place while the second human ran at Tobias, branch held high, ready to bring it down on the antelope's head... but he never made it.
Like a streak of white wind, Sanmer had dashed past the man, lashing an arm out at the last minute. The human stumbled, a carefully tossed rope causing him to lose his step. The fox set his feet and tugged, pulling the rope taut and pulling the human's legs together. The man was forced to drop the branch in order to catch himself and keep his face from smacking into the stone road. By then, Sanmer was already atop him, wrapping the rope neatly around the man's throat and using it to pacify him while lashing his hands together.
The boar, barely two steps behind the human lowered his hard head with the obvious intent of ramming into the fox, but he likewise never made it. Tobias nimbly stepped in between the boar and Sanmer and stuck his walking stick out, catching the charging man's tusks. Stepping to the side and turning his cane, the antelope caused the pig to fall off balance and onto the hard stone. The prong horn then followed up with a quick rap on the back of the boar's head, rendering him cleanly unconscious.
Several rapid, fleshy impacts drew Gift-of-the-Earth's attention back to Nicholas. The big, burly human had been facing off against the two dogs, but the fight had not lasted long; he was cracking his knuckles as both canines lay dazed or disabled on the ground, groaning in pain. The human knew how to fight, that much was obvious-- he had little more than a welt on his forearm for all the trouble.
He also seemed to have no trouble convincing the last remaining attacker to end the confrontation, "I'm ready if you are." he suggested to the other man, who immediately dropped the ermine and ran off the path.
Tobias approached the dirty and bloodied mustelid, who remained where he was on the ground, "Are you alright, Theo?" the antelope asked, kneeling down to help him up.
The ermine began rambling immediately, speaking far faster than Gift-of-the-Earth could keep up, though he did occasionally hear words amidst the jumble, including "mud", "fur", "mess", "robe", and "hopeless"... followed by a fit of tears, followed by shivering as he shied away from the tied up human. "They were going to kill me." he finally finished his rant, "...and probably skin me alive." he added as an afterthought.
"Calm down." Nicholas stated, spitting off to the side, "Besides... if they killed you then you wouldn't be alive when they skinned you."
"He is safe." the bear spoke up, bringing the circular discussion to a close, "He is safe now, and can return to town. We must leave."
"No... no." the mustelid shook his head, "The University has me out of the halls for a month... with everything going on right now I'm sure more of those guys would find me." he glanced around at the group, "Where are you going?" he looked to Tobias, "Can't I come with you? You're heading off to the Wild Lands on your expedition again, right?"
Nicholas and Tobias spoke over one another, one saying a distinct 'no' while the other confirming with an 'of course'. The human and antelope glanced at one another, and each repeated their respective answers.
"It isn't up to just you two, you know." Sanmer noted, taking hold of the ermine's tail and gently wiping it off with the tunic from the tied up human; how the fox had managed to get the clothing off of him without untying him was decidedly lost to Gift-of-the-Earth.
"He should come with." Kesst spoke up suddenly, causing everyone to cease their argument and glance toward the dragon, who had not stated a preference on anything since their escape from the Stone Tribe's village. He cleared his throat, pulling his body covering tighter around himself, "Nobody should have to face things like that alone."
"Guess you're outnumbered, Nick." Sanmer smirked, then paused when Theo yanked his tail out from the fox's paws.
"We're not exactly safe, you know." Nicholas continued arguing, "I wouldn't say having him along is a smart thing to do."
Tobias smiled in the refined manner Gift-of-the-Earth had seen among the powerful men of the Stone Tribe, "I would say that is par for the course today, Mr. Poole." The discussion was apparently at an end.