Flashback The Death of An Uncle and Brother

[Merevaika]

23rd Winter 509
Continued from The Death of A Father
Merevaika had left the infirmary tent with a quick run, heading straight to the area where the pavilion's horses had congregated. The first horse she had come across was the Zavian mare she rode often, a steady gentle mount. The mare looked at her with a surprised expression, but did not protest when the girl grabbed a chunk of her mane and swung herself up, grabbing the whithers as she did so to help pull herself up.

The mare instantly started walking forward, a little unsettled about the rider. Merevaika shifted into position, the blanket underneath her a little strange. Maya, the mare, wasn't wearing any tack, no bridle or yvas, just a simple blanket for warmth. Merevaika kept a firm grip on her mane, not knowing what else to do. She didn't stop to think, however. She just urged her horse forward with sharp leg instructions, keeping balance.

Maya started to trot, and with the increase of speed, the girl adjusted some more, moving the hand that wasn't gripping the mane to the whithers, where she held herself for extra support. Her face was wet, and with the cool winter, cold. The tears had stopped now, and the urgency to get away from that place was stronger, and she asked Maya to pick up pace even more, breaking into a gallop. Her body moved forward, matching the horse's movements, and she found herself smiling, despite everything that happen.

Snow flew around them, kicked up from the ground and falling from the sky. It became thicker, and Merevaika could no longer see far in front of her. They suddenly bounced over a small hill, and Merevaika found herself shifting back, almost falling off. Her grip became tighter, holding her breath. The riding no longer seemed nice, but terrifying. She was riding bareback, alone, surrounded by snow and unable to see a few feet ahead. Merevaika couldn't do it.

Maya started to sense the fear, and her movements were rough and no longer smooth. She shook her head, trying to look around and discover the reason for the fear. Merevaika found her hand numbing, slipping. The mare suddenly span round, and Merevaika slipped, crashing to the floor.

She cried out, scaring Maya even more. The mare threw her legs up in fear, rearing, before disappearing in the snow, the startled neighs drawing more and more faint. Merevaika screamed out, shoulder aching after the impact. For those moments, she could not rise, and had to bear with the pain while lying almost submerged in snow. Was she to die like that? No,of course not. She was still well, and as far as she could tell, she hadn't even broken any bones. She would be fine.

[Merevaika]

The fall was what she needed to return to reality. Riding, all she had wanted was to lose herself to the moment and get away, but she couldn't do that anymore. Maya was lost, and she doubted the mare would return. However, it gave her a few moments of thought.

She remembered her father. She remembered his smile, deep and loving, remembered how he rode his strider and how he treated his hunting dog. She remembered his falcon, a magnificent bird that was always by his side, ready for the hunt. Her fingers found themselves in a small pouch on her belt, and wrapped tightly around the falcon's feather, a gift from her father a few days ago. He had given it to her so she would have something to remember him by. How had she not realized that he had given it to her because he knew he was going to die?

Merevaika pulled out the feather, admiring the dark and light stripes, brushing the snow of it. It was what she had left of him, and she would always treasure it.

Taking a loose thread in her shirt, she unraveled it, until she had a decent length, before snapping it off and separating a piece of her hair. She though back to only a few days ago, when her mother had added a wrap for her sister, remembering the movements, the tears.

She fought them back now, beginning to wrap the string around the hair, tying it in a tight knot. The dark green thread winded around the hair, forming a shield against the snow. Then, she placed the feather gently against the wrap, and wrapped the thread around that too, pulling tightly to secure it into place.

Each wind of the string brought another word, shouted to the swirling snow and wind. "Father, I love you. I will never forget you. Your words will remain in my mind forever. Let Serifal guide you through the heavens, and bring you back to me, one day. Until then, help me, help me survive this. Help me through this storm!"

A soft whinny came from behind her, answering her prayer. Merevaika spun round, the wrap finished, expecting to see the Zavian, but was shocked by a familiar dark Strider. Her Strider. Eryunt.

"You... you followed me!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her neck, feeling his warm body. It was so reassuring to have her horse by her side, however useless he was. Eryunt nestled his head on her shoulder, warm breath tickling her ear and she smiled, trying to forget everything and focus only on the moment. Then, he broke free, starting to neigh into the distance, calling for a horse that Merevaika could ride.

Once again. she was shocked that the horse that eventually emerged from the distance wasn't Maya, but instead, her half-brother's Strider.

"Tiki, where's To'res? Where is he?" It wasn't right for a Strider to be wandering alone without her rider, especially in a storm like this. Perhaps he had fallen off, and she was searching for him? But no, that didn't seem right. The agitated way the horse was moving, the pressed back ears, the cuts on the hind leg. He hadn't just fallen. Merevaika ran up to meet the horse, which reared in shock. Not right at all.

[Merevaika]

"It's okay Tiki, I won't hurt you," she whispered softly, words being snatched up by the wind. The mare looked towards her cautiously, ears twitching. "Relax. Nothing can hurt you. I want to help you. Just help, nothing more."

Slowly, she made her way forward, taking care not to have any quick movements. Eryunt watched from the side, the small horse scared of the large mare which was obviously very spooked. Merevaika held out her hands, stopped a little bit away. "Look, I don't have anything with me. I can't harm you, even if I wanted to," she reassured, and the horse stepped towards her, before stopping. Merevaika reached out one hand, moving closer to let the horse smell her. The familiar smell helped soothe the fears Tiki had about her, and Merevaika reached out to rub the strider's forehead, speaking softly as she did.

"It's all alright. Nothing can happen anymore. Can you take me to To'res?" At his name, the horse gave a small nicker, and lowered her head. Merevaika continued stroking her, the human contact soothing, as she went round to examine the cuts.

They were a few days old. Still clearly visible, but the blood dried, and most had flaked off. What had happened to her? To hurt a strider like that was a crime, so who had committed it? And why hadn't To'res stopped it? She only wished that she knew the answer, but for now, she could just speculate.

Tiki suddenly raised her head, and turned to face Merevaika. She nickered again, and began to walk slowly and steadily into the blurring snow, Merevaika's arm around her so they wouldn't get separated. Eryunt, almost forgotten, trotted up beside her, and she swung her other arm around him, until the three were walking pressed against each other.

The snow seemed to get lighter the further they walked, and the snow on Merevaika had started to melt, dampening her clothes and hair. But she was warm, the heat of both horses heating her. And she was confident that soon they would find their way back to the rest of her family, to change into something dry. For now, she would let Tiki lead the way to wherever they were headed.

[Merevaika]

The snow had definitely decided to end the storm, and subdued to very light flakes spiraling down. The beautiful kind of snowfall.

Unfortunately, what it revealed most certainly wasn't beautiful.

The ground was soaked with blood, and prints littered it, glassbeak, night lion, and more. Creatures that had come to feast on the easiest prey available: the dead. And there, a little further, lay three bodies. Two were man, the third was a horse. All were familiar.

The nearest two were a horse and rider. The horse was splayed across the ground, almost a skeleton, the pain and anguish, the struggle of fighting back still readable. The rider, like his strider, was also almost a skeleton, but tattered cloth hung to the bones. She recognized the material, the clothing, as did she recognize the yvas on the horse and the bow in his hand. Her uncle.

Merevaika dropped to her knees, eyes wide and hand over her mouth in shock, shaking in fear. "Uncle... Orion..." she said, looking first to the man, then the horse. A terrible, terrible fate had befallen them. Her eyes looked around, desperate to avenge them, despite the fact that their murderers had long gone. That was, their live ones, anyway.

Another skeleton, flesh picked off just like the others, lay not too far from them with an arrow amongst the ribs. Merevaika picked it up, the end dipped in dried blood. It had to be a glassbeak, the beak unmistakable, the translucent material so akin to glass. Heaving at it sharply, she broke it off, quickly pocketing it. If she couldn't kill it, she would at least take away what it would consider its pride and joy. With another angry movement, she stomped at it, snapping one bone in two and sending others flying. Why attack them? Why had fate decided to kill all the pavilion?

For it had. First the illness, now this. The death of her uncle had not meant one death, but had prevented the saving of others, as if he had lived, he might have reached Endrykas to fetch a healer to aid them, to buy needed herbs and to ask about the fever that had spread through the campsite. But now, fate had decided that the Stormchasers didn't deserve to exist anymore.

What had they done? How had they dishonored the gods, and how so extremely? Why had the gods decided to bring an end to every single life they could? The pavilion wasn't unfaithful - she knew that they all prayed together to Semele and Zulrav and Caiyha everyday, and paid reverence to gods of their choosing as well as thanking others whenever they could. The gods were cruel, and undeserving of worship, if this was what they did.

"Why should I have faith if all you do is kill?" she asked softly into the sky, not expecting a reply.

She didn't get one.

Merevaika looked back down at her uncle, at the terrible state he was in. This wasn't the way he should be left. No, he deserved to be treated better, even in death.

The girl knew little about death, but over the last few days, she had experienced it all. Death, loss, the funeral. Her mother had spoken softly to her, reassuring to her that the animals would come and eat the flesh and scatter the bones and the spirit would remain with the web while the body would return to the earth, in a cycle of life and death. It seemed that this had already happened, but she wouldn't feel right without doing this. She needed to leave the body in a state she would be happy with.

[Merevaika]

Merevaika was hesitant to touch the dead body, a little revolted about what she was doing, but did so anyway, first moving him to rest beside his horse. Then she laid her uncle on his back, crossing his arms on his chest and tilting his head up to watch Leth and Syna, the sun and the moon. The drykas girl then took the arrow from the glassbeak, and gathered a few scattered around. These she placed a regular intervals around the man and the horse. The glassbeak beak came out too, place in between two arrows. The bow was placed between another two, and in the final gap, Merevaika left something of her own.

It was a bracelet she wore, coming from his family and gifted from him to her. It was a simple chain, with two small charms - a carved bone in the shape of a dog, representing the hunting dogs she worked with, and another carved bone that was a cat . He had given it to her, and now it was time that she returned it.

Merevaika slipped off the cat charm, keeping it to remember him, before laying down the bracelet for him, the dog charm so he, wherever he was, could remember her. There, that was done.

It still didn't feel right though. Perhaps she had to say a few words, like they had done at her sister's funeral. But even then it had felt forced, and everyone had just wanted to stand in silence. But now, when there was no one to hear her speak, she felt it was right to offer her respects to the dead man.

"Uncle... You were always a great man in my eyes. A brave warrior, a good storyteller, someone to look up to. I never really understood why you were banned from your own pavilion and had to join out own. I still don't know. Yes, you were reckless, and yes, you almost killed someone, but it was also a brave noble thing to do, and if they looked back now and saw the things that could have been gained from that experience, they would have regretted your words. They should have known that you are - were - a kind, gentle, loving man who did things for his family, and only that.

"I remember when I was seven, and you took me out riding. I had no attention to where I was going, talking to you with that wide-eyed gaze all seven year olds have when they talk passionately about something, and you were there, you leapt from your horse, injuring yourself and your Strider in the process, just to catch me from my fall.

"You sacrificed things I never could of, things many wouldn't dare sacrifice, to save others, to look out for your pavilion. You were willing to give away your own life if it would have helped others. That was what you were doing when you died. First, you were willing to risk your life to go get help, and I am almost certain that in that situation, in the fight for life and death, it wasn't yours you were fighting for. I believe you were fighting for To'res, so he could live and bring life to others."

Merevaika wiped away her tears, "Thank you, Uncle, for being who you were. I loved you, Uncle, and will always remember you. Goodbye."

And that was it. No more. She thought all her emotion was gone. No more tears left to cry.

But she still had her brother to mourn, and that death would be one of the hardest.

[Merevaika]

She approached slowly, each step hard. She wanted to not have to see his body, to see her brother gone. But it was true, and a small voice forced her to, just to check, just in case. She hated the hope. It would bring more pain. She stopped a little of, not wanting to truly see the mangled mess of bones and the little flesh that remained. But she had to. To'res deserved a proper goodbye, especially if her uncle was allowed one. Tiki appeared at Merevaika's side, before stepping closer to her rider and nudging him with her head, trying to get him to wake despite knowing he was gone. It must have been hard to lose the one she was bonded to.

The mare knelt beside him, head down and tail still. Merevaika let them stay like that while she stroked her own Strider, who had joined her side. She pressed her face against his body, letting the tears run down his dark coat as she tried to cope with everything that had happened.

A wail from Tiki distracted her, and Merevaika left Eryunt behind, laying To'res in the same position as she had put her uncle. His spear was placed beside him, the same height as the teenage Drykas on the ground. Tiki laid the other side, and she approached gently, taking the knife from where it still hung on To'res' belt. With one swift motion, she grabbed the horses tail and cut it off, leaving only an inch or two. Tiki neighed, but didn't protest. She left the ,mane as it was, not wanting to make a mess of it. Cutting the hair off reminded her of her father's ways, and it was the right thing to do.

Slowly, she pulled the mare up, leaving the knife discarded amongst the cut off tail. To'res was lain to rest the best way she could, not wanting to spend too much time around him. Unlike with her uncle, she had nothing to say, but for one sentence.

"Goodbye, dear brother, To'res of the Stormchasers." It was all she could force out before she collapsed with sobs, her cries once again filling the surrounding area.

Tiki nudged her, giving Merevaika permission to ride the mare. Slowly, she mounted, the well used yvas fitting comfortably, as if it was made for her, not for her brother.

Eryunt by their side, leading the way, the horses and girl made there way to camp, bearing terrible news.

Merevaika couldn't stop crying.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Merevaika

Experience

• Riding, Horse: 1
• Running: 2
• Observation: 4
• Wilderness Survival: 1
• Logic: 2
• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Investigation: 1
• Endurance: 1
• Bodybuilding: 1
• Storytelling: 1

Lore

• Riding bareback
• Riding a horse without tack
• Riding in a snow storm
• Riding, Horse: Taking a fall
• Merevaika: Lost in the snow
• Eryunt: A reliable mount
• Merevaika: A father never forgotten
• Observation: The look of a distressed horse
• Medicine: Checking old wounds
• Investigating a kill-site
• Uncle Orion: Found Dead
• Culture: Souls of the dead return to the web
• Strider: The strength of a bond
• To'res: Found Dead
• Merevaika: A heartfelt goodbye

Penalties

- 1 x Bracelet with charms
Shoulder will heal within a week of the fall.

Loot

1 x Glassbeak Limb [beak only]

Notes

Great flashback, Merevaika; might want to edit the last bit about the tail (I assume you meant cut all the hair off the tail rather than the tail itself). Made me chuckle. Of all of your work I have had the pleasure of reading; I really enjoyed this piece the most. Be sure to edit your grading request and enjoy the rewards!