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Post by Raiden and Zahi on Jan 4, 2007 17:06:37 GMT -5
Ow... that's heavy gal... really heavy...
**Picking himself up, Raiden turned round to face the woodlands over the ramparts.**
My tale begins many, many years ago... Before all of you were born... Before I was even born... It begins with a prophercy made when my ancestor Raiden "Swordwind" Tempestus Silversword I was born;
At the comming of the fell moon shadow, there will rise a hero, outcast, exile of the clan, of royal blood, he will rise to save his home from the tyrant, and the vermin, but he will see tragerdy, but it will make him strong, as it has been before, as it shall always be
That affected his life, as it did every Raiden who followed. I have to follow that prophercy till I too die... But... back to my time... It was in the castle of my family that the fell moon's shadow fell at the exact moment of my birth... From then on, I was fated to fight and die... Just like every Raiden before me, and every Raiden who comes after me... My father, King Swifteyes V, forced me upon the path of a warrior... This path I now tread would've been my least favourite choice for my life... A few years after this, Queen Rosefen Jenova Silversword the fair, my mother vanished... This left me, my little brother and sister deverstated. I was captured by vermin less than a year later, though I escaped, it wasn't the first time I had tried... It earned me my two striking scars across my face. You know the two; my right eye, and the one that looks like it cut my head in half... When I escaped, I made my way south east from my borderlands clan lands to Mossflower, and eventually Redwall abbey... Most of you know me from there... Crys, Song... you two knew me those years ago... Zidane and Sunfire too... That leads to the next part of my tale; five years ago... I left Redwall with my siblings... Five years of sorrow from that year... We confronted our tyranical father, he lost his life, while I lost my world; My brother and sister were dead... I buried them, and found my brith right; The armour and blade of the "Bahzhakhaine", my first ancestor; Raiden T. Silversword I... I became a deathseeker, and a merc... till two years ago... when I met Zahi... I was in a gladiatorial death fight, and she saved me... We traveled back to Redwall... There we were wed, and was happy... Then I went north with a band to free the nor'lands... I came back shortly afterwards, and settled back down... Then "IT" happened... A stoat came from the south... He was a thief, and only I knew... Till I caught him in the act, no beast belived me... 'cause he turned round and tried to whack me with a pan. So I draw my blade, and mortally wound him... For that, Abbess Willow had me exiled... So to keep Zahi safe, I came here... The rest you know... Except that I am twice exile... From my clan lands, and from the abbey...
That is my tale... The saga of my life... You now know why I fight, and it's cause...
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Post by Crystal M. V. Rosepaw on Jan 4, 2007 19:11:13 GMT -5
OCC: This may take a while, Crystal has a habit of putting detail into everything, and only telling half truths. She may give you the truth, but not all of it.
Also, just a note, but with every telling of Crystal's tale, it makes me feel worse about the pain I put her through. It looks in my mind as if I have trapped her in a glass box, forced to suffer with a silent scream, if you want my depressing way to look at it.
BIC:
Mortamus flet deeply for Raiden, but he was watching his sister with intrest. Surly she would break down in tears again. She didn't. she took the pain of the words in silence, almost as if she hadn't heard. Near the end of his tale, she began to wrap her paws in black cloth that she took from her pocket. She looped each strip once around each paw, letting the rest of the black material flow down from her sleeves that always seemed to swallow her paws.
She let a few seconds trickle by after Raiden finish, thinking about how much to tell everyone.
"My tale begins long ago with my father's trip to the north... He was a fine blacksmith, but he and his best friend needed extra money to set up a blade shop. So they signed up to be crew of the good ship Keyla, I do belive it's name was. Anyhow, my father was going to the northlands, since the Cap'n had an order for supplies there, and places along the coast. Well, there was a horrible storm, and the Keyla's port side was smashed against some rocks. The crew was at the mercy of the sea. Almost every single crew beast died, since most fell of the ship. The mast broke, crushing a few more. The rest of the crew was at the Sea's mercy. My father, Samkern, or Sam, had fall off. He was washed up on shore an hour later, barely concious with only a murmer of a heartbeat.
"That is when my mother, Dawnheart, found him. She was in her early 20's, as was he, and she had just got a home of her own. She was colecting shells on the beach after the storm quit, when huge shells wshed up on the beach. She took my hurt father to her home, where she nursed him back to health. His ship had landed near the place, but when he was asked to get on, he refused. He loved Dawnheart. He stayed in the north that summer, and from there on.
"Little one, do you hear the far off call of the sea? I can hear it, can you? Child, can you smell the warm fire? I can smell it, can you? Child of mine, do you see your family? I can see you, and that is my love to you."
"I can rember the words of the lullaby my mother sung to me when I was just a tiny newborn. I can rember all words, but the only thing I can rember from the words is mum and dad and Mort. Mum said she had heard of a wonderful place called Redwall Abbey, and wanted her children to know a place like that as home. Dad agreed. Before I was even a season, we went to Redwall.
"We made it just before winter. It had been a long trip, most of it I spent asleep or looking at the stars and clouds. At first the Abbey was wary of letting us in. But finally, their soft hearts gave in. I rembver the bustle of my first feast, but I could only suck on canied chestnuts.
"I made friends with Misty and Matty, two most loyal friends I've ever meet. I wouldn't think so about Misty later, but we did everything togther. Mum and Dad took Me, Mort, Misty, and Matty out berry picking when a hawk met up with us. He said that the northlands where in trouble, and asked if Dawnheart and Samkern could help them. At first, my parents refused. But after a season, when I turned 4, they left to help save their homeland.
"I felt so alone. 10 seasons passed yet nothing ever brought me a message from them, and they didn't return home. I as brokenhearted and anger fueled me to leave on my frist grand adventure. Misty, Matty, and Mortamus caught me trying to sneak out, saying that they could hear my depressed moans in my sleep, that where always filled with nightmares. So, without a goodbye, we left.
"We made it safely, but as we climed over a snowy hill, Matty tripped and landed on me. Misty and Mortamus fell as well, and the hill caved it. Next thing we knew, we where holding our weapons desperately, surrounded by thin warriors. We were shocked when two of them hugged up and sent up a mighty cheer. Our parents were here. I found them.
"We met the foe in cmbat the next day, my only weapon a staff. My father was shot in the shoulder with an arrow, makeing his swordpaw lock up. I took his battlesword, the one I now carry, and hacked my way trough the fighting to where I judged my father's attacker to be. I found the archer, and his arrow was pointed at our leader's head, a killing blow. The two side's leaders where locked in comabt, and if our leader was lost, all of us in the battle under the red flag would become slaves. But blind rage made me do what I did, not the fear for my leader. With the first swing I snapped his bow. On the second, I beheaded him.
"Our side won the war. Lucky for me, my Parents were fine, other than my father's arrow in the shoulder, but that healed. He let me keep the blade. Our leader had us get the former slaves out from their prision. All of his officers where lined up, weapins raised over the chains. I was suprised that he drug me up to help, but she had heard what I did. The chain makeing my belt is what was left of the chain."
Crystal said, smileing at the thought of giving the battlecry of her family and swinging her blade down on the thing that had held them captive.
"My party and my parents returned to Redwall. Misty, Matty, Mortamus, and I where all expecting the Redwallers grandly opening the gates and all of us marching in like heros. It was the complete flip side. They opend the gates, but we walked in under the hard gazes of our elders, whom all looked angry with us. Ma Mellus scolded us all like dibbiuns, telling us we should have stayed at the Abbey. To save my friends trouble, I confussed that I had the original plan to leave.
"I had no trust. After just a week, I longed for my freedom again. I fled into Mossflower. I could rember the tales of the Grand Ol' Sea Patrol near the River Moss. I went there. I was first under the command of Darter, whom all of you should know. He left, saying somthing about Gardians of Mossflower. I went on many a mission with Trillium Moonstripe as Cap'n and Marie Blue-Eyes as first mate. After a while I was made Thrid Mate. Later I got ill and couldn't go on a mission. I felt better before they returned, so I followed Darter.
"And I ended up here, in GoM. My brother was here two, apperently stopping here whole looking for me. Afew weeks into my stay, it was anncoued that we were all invited to compete in a tournie. I agreed, along with many others. I faired badly in all my fights. I one a few times, but not many, and I wasn't sure how, in each battle I was wounded. I also discovered there my low achocal tolerance. After a while I dropped out, and returned here."
Crystal finishes her story and looked down at her arm again. Suddenly her brother reached out and grabbed her wrist. She winced slightly, and Mortamus had an idea way she did when he was barely using any force. She hadn't been hurt on her arms in the Tournie... This was somthing diffrent...
OOC; Dude, Sorry for this being so long and with the crapy ending.
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Post by Raiden and Zahi on Jan 4, 2007 20:00:38 GMT -5
OOC: It's good... I like the ending too...
BIC: Tough break Crys... Real tough... I have a few more tales to tell, but they are not for anybeast's ears but my own... It is far worse than what you could ever dream... My blade used to be for hire... Several gold pieces for my skills, I was a desirealbe addition to anybeast's force... Be it militia or army, or even horde... I'm not proud of what these paws have wrought with a blade... It was tavern to tavern, to house, to inn, to woods... My blade found victims and patrons in each of them... and many other places... Deserts, mountains, over-seas... My names were synonimous with death, and victory... The former was always my target... Never the latter... But with a wife, I have had to settle down more. I am the last of my bloodline, even though I'm exiled... Although... Untill my life ends in the soul-clensing fire of battle, my paws,and my mind will never be free of the blood of innocents, or the screams of former comrades dieing upon blood-drenched soil in strange lands... no... I'm not proud of my life, but by the seers of the clan, and the spirits of my ancestors, I'll live it till I'm dead. I won't die a coward, or a murderer... No... I'll die free, and a hero... I'll die with honour... Until then... As I once wrote in my diary; "I am the White knight, and I shall know no fear!" Until then...
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Laylark
Ret. Commander
Head Rogue
That's what I call talent.
Posts: 1,244
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Post by Laylark on Jan 4, 2007 20:17:20 GMT -5
**Laylark stayed his usual quiet self as the other beasts recounted their tales. He listened in silence, his eyes fixed on the stone of the walls, a nervous finger running itself along his bottom lip. He offered a sympathetic smile to each of those brave enough to tell their stories, but no more. After all, when someone's history is brought up, one can't help but think of their own, and, as much as he wanted to participate, he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell anyone. His beginnings were sketchy enough, but so much more had happened to make him seem so untrustworthy, so cold. The paw that had been tracing his lip now ran along his muzzle and his mismatched eyes grew slightly wider. He wasn't sure even he wanted to remember. Instead he looked up at the group with that same timid, sympathetic smile, and blurted out something stupid as soon as Raiden finished his somewhat melodramatic speech.**
You guys have had it tough, eh?
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Post by Raiden and Zahi on Jan 4, 2007 20:32:13 GMT -5
Some more than others commander... Sir... What frightens me most isn't what I see while asleep, but that every Silversword from the royal family that bears my first name has and will suffer the almost exact same as what I am... I was enslaved at a young age for a while... My great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Raiden Silversword VII suffered the same fate... Though according to the records, it was in the eastlands... He died while defending the ship he called home in his later life... My first ancestor; Raiden T. Silversword I, he was exiled from his original clan and founded mine... it wasn't till Raiden E. Silversword IV, that the clan became great and prominant... That's why nowdays, there is a Silversword merchant in every town, village and otherwise... Even traveling merchants know of our traders... Heck, I know some of the merchants who drop in time to time to sell their wares... Silverswords... Most swords they sell were made by Augustine; One of the only female smiths in the clan... We were going from being a clan to a nation when my father came to power... His chancellar was Falkus Kibre Lupercal, father of my friend Horus Luc Lupercal. Falkus was the one behind my slavery, infact he was behind most of my early years problems...
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Post by Crystal M. V. Rosepaw on Jan 4, 2007 21:02:42 GMT -5
OOC: I mean the ending as in Mortamus grabbing her wrist. XD I bet you can all guess what's comming. And trust me, Mort's not gonna be pleased, being a healer and all.
BIC:
"Let go of me, Mortamus!" Crystal snarled, snatching her wrist away from his paw, winceing as the pressure built as he tried to keep hold. Biting the inside of her lip, Crystal stuck her paws in her pockets. She was sure they had opened up again, but it did save her the trouble later. Funny how it nver hurt as bad when she did it.
Umbraheart starred up at Laylark from her seat on the floor of the walltops. Just as Mortamus was being overly supicious of Crystal, she felt that way of the fox. Opening her mouth slightly, she breaths in, trying to detect any certen smell. Normally, wolves could smell fear, and that's what she was tring to detect. She used to be a hunter just like the rest of her pack, and they said fear was a sign of weakness, but she had given up the meat eating life. It had been hard, but she did it. She could detect none around the area, except Crystal and Mortamus, whom had their eyes locked togther, trying to read each other's expression.
The pain in the underside of her arms stopped, and crystal felt the pain stab her heart instead. Five horizontial lines for now, she thought to herself, yet not showing any emotion she felt. She didn't even understand her own, so how could she show them? She was glad she let out most her story, she felt fear about what she was hiding, she felt angery at Mortamus for being so untrusting, she felt depressed as she always did, and she felt dead. Part of her was always dead to her. She never looked to it, for when she did, she was greeted by a bunch of painful flashbacks. And the dead part where her memories. All of them she recalled instantly where the sad ones.
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Post by Raiden and Zahi on Jan 4, 2007 21:14:36 GMT -5
OOC: I knew that, it's just climatic... I do so in a fair few of my posts...
BIC: Mortamus, please... Let Crystal be... I don't wish to get in to a fight, but I will if I must. All it will do is add to my guilt, guilt that will be cleansed in the end... Not all my scars are from fighting, or are ritualistic- as is demanded by the order of the Deathseekers for each failed death... I have purposely cut my own body many times, never a fatal area, but only to mark intricate pattens; each tells the story of a comrade I lost, each story-scar eases my grief, but adds to my sorrow and guilt.
**As Raiden was speaking, he tore a sleave off his tunic. Under the sleave was a spiral pattern that adorned his right shoulder blade.**
That one was for Rose... My gentle, yet semi-angry friend.
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Post by Crystal M. V. Rosepaw on Jan 4, 2007 21:28:58 GMT -5
OCC: Just so you know, I DON'T. But I have thought about it, have bad dreams about it, and my friends won't let me have sharp things. >.> "Come on guys! I'm serious! I need that knife to eat!" But I'm pyro and they let me play with candles... <.< Weird.
BIC:
Crystal signed in relief that Raiden had gotten Raiden's attention. She tried to sneak behind Mortamus to where Umbraheart was sitting, but Mortamus snatching up the back of her dress, drugg her back. "Let me see, Crystal. Now." Mortamus said calmly to his sister.
The vixenput her paws in her dress pockets and shook her head. Mortamus grabbed her right dress sleeve and tore it from her pocket. Crystal whimpered in pain but still fought to have him let go. He pulled back the dark blue sleeve and couldn't hide his horror. Riaden had showed him worse cuts, but Crystal wrist was almost covered with fresh ones, scabs, and scars. Also dotting the underside of her arm where brusies where she had purposely hit her arm against somthing.
But the worst part to the gente healer fox was the burn marks. Parts of her fur were black, where the flames had got it. There was ony one place where the flames had touched skin, and that was right below her elbow. Mortamus pulled the sleeve back farther, reveling that the zigzagy burn almost touched her shoulder. She checked her other arm and saw nothing. He looked at her face, hurt written all over his eyes. Crystal turned her head shamefully. "Only on the right because it's harder to notice. Don't much use that paw of mine. I'm leftpawed."
Dragging his sister down in a sitting postion with him, he starred at the ground as Crystal pulled her sleeve back down and put her paw in her pocket as if nothing had happened.
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Post by Aster & Sapphire Fleetpaw on Jan 4, 2007 21:30:53 GMT -5
**Sapphire listened to her friends' stories. The mousemaiden was trying her best to stay calm, but even with her reserved nature, she ached deeply to voice her sympathy. In sharp contrast to her comrades' pasts, Sapphire had been an outcast of her time. She began to speak in a quiet voice, retelling the images and thoughts that flashed before her mind.**
I grew up at Redwall Abbey. My days there as a Dibbun were typical, as any other, but when I hit my eleventh season, I began traveling more. I saw suffering, cruelty inflicted upon goodbeasts by 'good' species turned bad, and the aftershocks of war. Aster was still living at Redwall at the time, learning her healing abilities. However, after I returned, it became very clear that many of the other abbey-beasts had no idea of the horrors that casually happened in Mossflower. The warriors were the ones that truly guarded the country. Although I longed to help, to join those warriors, I owed a debt to my family, something that I had to fulfill.
**Scenes began flashing before Sapphire's eyes, and she barely heard herself retelling her adolescence. She had been one of those whom she tended to describe as 'soul-seekers' for wanting to know the truths of the world. The other abbeybeasts had not understood her, and as she fell from the Redwallers' society, her parents had also given up on trying to understand her darker moods. Only Aster, her twin and close friend from Dibbun-hood, remained. Sapphire had become an outcast, a mere shadow of the once-happy mousechild.
She was a brooding adolescent who spent most of her days locked up in her own room, studying, drawing, and writing to escape the relentless force that the outside world had placed against her, her preferences, her unique eccentricities, and her very nature. Sapphire's familiar world had shrunk to the boundaries of her room; she had closed her eyes and her numb heart to the good intent of the other Redwallers. The paradoxes that she had seen had torn her heart, for Sapphire had been witness to mice, voles, and other supposedly good beasts who had turned traitor to their families in order to save lives, and supposed vermin who risked their lives to save entire families from gangs of their own species. She could not live among the biased Redwallers, knowing that she seen all of this, or completely detach herself from them. Sapphire was not the type who could truly close her heart to anybeast who intended good.
But Aster became quite concerned and excruciatingly puzzled as to Sapphire's behavior. One day in their fourteenth season, Aster had picked the lock on Sapphire's room and barged in, wanting to know why Sapphire was acting so strangely. There had ensued a fierce quarrel, complete with both verbal and physical attacks. At last, Sapphire had kicked Aster out, and the end to this last battle ended the long-standing friendship between the young mice. Sapphire no longer had a friend. All she could do was put on a prickly lie of toughness and stay locked up in her room. There, with half-drawn curtains, candles, incense, and her writing materials, she could be at peace with herself. Sapphire stayed this way until her eighteenth season, when something had clicked in her mind. She made up her mind to leave Redwall. She began coming out in a last-ditch attempt to pay off her debt to her family before leaving to become a Guardian of Mossflower. Sapphire had heard about the fort through one of her friends, who frequented the place. It was during this coming-out time that she made up the fight with Aster. With the realization in front of them, the twins set out from Redwall and headed to the fort.**
That's where I met you. Crystal, Umbraheart, Laylark, those of you who turned away from the closed-eye bounds of Mossflower society and became a force for good. I look up to all of you.
**Sapphire's eyes were a bit over-bright, against her usual nature. She leaned her head against the stone rampart and took a deep breath, finished with her tale. It had been the longest speech she had delivered in a very long time -- ever since she had made up with Aster. The separation had really brought the twins closer together, something that Sapphire did not regret.**
OOC: Yes, I have been listening to too much Evanescence.
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Post by Mary Narai on Jan 4, 2007 21:56:43 GMT -5
* Mary was, as she almost alwasy is, rather upset at being almost completely ignored. curious at the stories the others were telling, she hopped on to a battlement thing and sat on it, her tail hanging out over the edge.*
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Post by Songwind and Brawn Oakbrush. on Jan 4, 2007 21:57:22 GMT -5
**Song looked at her footpaws as memories flew through her mind. "Boys, come back!" "Remeber Song, part of the warrior's path is separation!" "I-I- I'll miss you, songbird. " "Where's Momma?" "Grandma, Grandma!" "No Songwind Goldbrush, Stay at the abbey!" "Pain, suffering, They will walk in your paw-steps..." " Medic, Here!" "Will you marry me?"
**Words, phrases, terror. All these hings were an out of order jumble of goodbyes, and greif. Song's heart was torn in two sometimes.
The pretty healer's breathing quickened, and she sat down hard on the hard cool stones, not yet kissed by the sun's gentle rays. Her head was whirling as she placed a paw against it, and pulled herself up carefully with the other.**
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Laylark
Ret. Commander
Head Rogue
That's what I call talent.
Posts: 1,244
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Post by Laylark on Jan 4, 2007 22:05:01 GMT -5
That's where I met you. Crystal, Umbraheart, Laylark, those of you who turned away from the closed-eye bounds of Mossflower society and became a force for good. I look up to all of you.
**Laylark clenched his teeth at these words, his arms pulled tight across his torso, his paws squeezing his arms. He'd been feeling a bit insecure about his position since the subject of pasts had been brought up, but a horrible feeling of guilt washed over him as the mousemaid spoke. This guilt wasn't the norm for something he'd done. No, this guilt was for something he was. So many times he'd told himself he was, truly, a goodbeast, and at one time he'd even been so convinced that it really was the truth, but his thoughts couldn't change the past, and the past remained.**
I'm not... I'm not really a goodbeast...
**He whispered the words, not looking at anybeast, his gaze still fixed at the ground. The fox bit his lip and decided he'd better elaborate, even if he wasn't to tell his whole story.**
I- I was raised by badgers... Well up until I was.. .Well I must have been six... There were three of them. Three badgers. Triplets. I don't know... I- I guess they're mother found me... I have no clue who my real parents were. I thought I was a- a badger...
**The ghost of a smile flickered upon his muzzle and he paused. He couldn't remember much from back then.**
I think... I think she told us about vermin and... and mentioned foxes. We all wanted to know what a fox was... She said... She said I was a fox. It might've been a mistake.. I- I don't know. But she said foxes could be good. The triplets believed her... I... I didn't. Well I thought.... I just wasn't sure. I was just so convinced it made me bad... I hurt... I hurt Spencer one day. It was a mistake, but I thought.... I thought it was because I was evil. So I ran off.... And... And that must have been when I met.. Well I met another fox. He brought me to- to this fort. And I... I became a vermin... I- I left when I was the right age to participate in raids.. I think I was kind of both... Both vermin and goodbeast for a while. But I... But then I... Well because......
**Laylark trailed off and shook his head. He was afraid of what they'd say, of what they'd think if he continued. He'd said enough.**
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Post by Songwind and Brawn Oakbrush. on Jan 5, 2007 23:37:50 GMT -5
**Song smiled calmly again. She was squirming inside, being a healer and a gentle creature. Why must creatures suffer so? The pretty maiden pulled out a handkercheif from her pocket and passed it to Crystal. She pulled out about five others, which she passed about. This was a good thing. She then turned expactantly to Laylark.** Well?
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Post by Aster & Sapphire Fleetpaw on Jan 6, 2007 10:23:31 GMT -5
**Sapphire cast a despondent glance toward Laylark. She felt that she could relate to what the fox had gone through, having been an outcast herself.** Laylark, I was lost for a while, too. Many of us were. We didn't know who we were, just like you. You were never truly a vermin -- you were just in the process of finding yourself. Some of us were... without ourselves; we'd lost our spirits to someplace beyond.
**The mousemaid almost murmured the last few words, then shook her head, coming out of her half-trance. She reached out and placed a friendly paw on Laylark's shoulder.** You are our comrade for who you are, not for your past. I believe that anybeast can redeem themselves through forging themselves in the fire of their will. I believe in second chances. This is your second chance, Laylark, and you have lived up to it well. **She smiled at the fox. Here, her inner self that she usually released when she was alone was coming out again, in the company of those who had also experienced the loneliness of banishment, whether self-imposed or automatic. Sapphire was at peace with her friends.**
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Post by Mary Narai on Jan 6, 2007 21:20:00 GMT -5
* Mary held the handkerchief that Song gave her, thinking about why she would need it. Yes, the stories were sad, but... she isn't relaly the type to cry too often, only when something important happens, like the death or leaving of someone close to her. Stuffing the handkerchief in her pocket, just in case she needed it later.*
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