The young man with whom I had fought approached. Lost in thought I almost did not notice him. As always a wide smile creased his face. Had I been more aware I might have wondered how he could be so cheerful all the time. That was not my way, however. The emotions of others were irrelevant to we the nobles of Lahanah. We guided the people in what to feel, when to feel it, and why.
He pointed at me and then gestured in a way that clearly indicated I should follow him. We approached a longhouse that had been set back a good distance from the remainder of the village. I actually had not noticed it before. Several people got there before us. I observed each one performing a small ceremony before entering. They would gesture towards the sky and then towards the ground. Then they would bow to each of the four cardinal directions.
My guide of course performed the ceremony. I hesitated briefly. This was not my way and yet...yet somehow it felt right to do so. Perhaps it was residue of my encounter with the eagle but suddenly I did not wish to offend my hosts by insisting on only following my own traditions.
He pointed at me and then gestured in a way that clearly indicated I should follow him. We approached a longhouse that had been set back a good distance from the remainder of the village. I actually had not noticed it before. Several people got there before us. I observed each one performing a small ceremony before entering. They would gesture towards the sky and then towards the ground. Then they would bow to each of the four cardinal directions.
My guide of course performed the ceremony. I hesitated briefly. This was not my way and yet...yet somehow it felt right to do so. Perhaps it was residue of my encounter with the eagle but suddenly I did not wish to offend my hosts by insisting on only following my own traditions.
It is hard to describe how significant this action was for me. The nobles of Lahanah are all proud, even haughty. We know our ways are not merely the best ways but indeed the only ways. We have a wisdom beyond that of other men and races. It is they who should bow to our traditions. Thus it had always been and thus we knew it would always be. Yet here I was willingly prepared to copy the actions of a race I was unfamiliar with.
I emulated as best I could the gestures towards sky and ground, then bowed in each of the four cardinal directions. As I completed the ceremony and entered the longhouse I heard a murmur of approval. It was obvious this small step, awkward as it had been, had been appreciated.
Soon a great number of men were gathered within. For quite some time there was simply a relaxed silence. At last one elderly man rose from his place and approached the fire burning in a circle in about the center of the longhouse. He used a stick to pull forth an ember from the center of the fire and this ember he used to light a long pipe.
He returned to his place and performed the same ceremony with the pipe as each person had made on entering the chamber, although he also spoke. To my surprise I understood what he was saying.
"We thank the sky which brings forth the sun and rain to nurture our crops. We thank the earth which produces for us the bounty from which we live. We thank the wind which refreshes us. We thank the land which gives us space to grow. We thank the game which feeds us. We thank the strength that gives us peace." He then puffed on the pipe and handed it to the man sitting to his left.
This went on for quite some time, each person presenting the pipe to sky, earth, and the four cardinal directions before taking a smoke and passing it to his neighbor. Presently I knew I was the next in line. I wondered what I should do.
Would they be offended if I participated? Would they be offended if I did not? What was meant by this entire ceremony? It was brought home to me how dire a situation I was in. Here I was in a strange land where I knew not the language or customs. I had no idea where I was in relation to home and had no allies to help me return there. I was completely, utterly alone here.
Then there was no more time to think. My hands were guided to grasp the pipe and then it was left in my hands. It seemed natural to follow the ritual.
Soon a great number of men were gathered within. For quite some time there was simply a relaxed silence. At last one elderly man rose from his place and approached the fire burning in a circle in about the center of the longhouse. He used a stick to pull forth an ember from the center of the fire and this ember he used to light a long pipe.
He returned to his place and performed the same ceremony with the pipe as each person had made on entering the chamber, although he also spoke. To my surprise I understood what he was saying.
"We thank the sky which brings forth the sun and rain to nurture our crops. We thank the earth which produces for us the bounty from which we live. We thank the wind which refreshes us. We thank the land which gives us space to grow. We thank the game which feeds us. We thank the strength that gives us peace." He then puffed on the pipe and handed it to the man sitting to his left.
This went on for quite some time, each person presenting the pipe to sky, earth, and the four cardinal directions before taking a smoke and passing it to his neighbor. Presently I knew I was the next in line. I wondered what I should do.
Would they be offended if I participated? Would they be offended if I did not? What was meant by this entire ceremony? It was brought home to me how dire a situation I was in. Here I was in a strange land where I knew not the language or customs. I had no idea where I was in relation to home and had no allies to help me return there. I was completely, utterly alone here.
Then there was no more time to think. My hands were guided to grasp the pipe and then it was left in my hands. It seemed natural to follow the ritual.
Taking the pipe I grasped it as close to the fashion they had demonstrated as possible. Slowly, carefully, I repeated the ceremony, offering the pipe as I had seen them do. Nervously I took a puff from the pipe.
Colors exploded before my eyes. The people within the chamber receded and in their place I saw many elements of nature...the old man seemed to me to be an owl, the young man with whom I had fought appeared as a bear in full run, and so forth. In amazement and wonder I passed the pipe on and sat back.
As the ceremony continued it suddenly occurred to me I was more relaxed than I had been in my entire life, even since birth. I was in a strange world among a people I knew nothing of speaking a language I had never heard and yet somehow, some way, I was at peace with their world and my place in it.
At last the pipe made its way back to the old man who had begun it whom I now knew to be Wise Owl and for several minutes silence reigned. Finally he rose to his feet and then he began to speak, slowly but with great power.
"It is a day of tremendous portents. Many things have occurred today as they always do. The salmon came to spawn. The take was good. We will winter well, my friends."
He paused for several minutes. I looked around uncomfortably. Lahanish politics did not tolerate silence well. One proverb went, "When silence comes, harm follows." Yet these people seemed quite relaxed.
After what seemed an interminable time he again spoke. "Other great events occurred. Today also we had a stranger enter our midst."
He nodded in my direction.
"Man Full of Anger is new to our ways. He does not yet comprehend our ways. We must be patient with him as he learns them. Yet his coming is a sign in and of itself."
For several minutes silence reigned again. My back was beginning to ache. I wished to stand, to pace, to speak but I somehow knew that was a transgression for which even my ignorance might not allow forgiveness.
Wise Owl continued. "Already he has fought with Running Bear. While Running Bear defeated him, he showed much heart in the fight."
Colors exploded before my eyes. The people within the chamber receded and in their place I saw many elements of nature...the old man seemed to me to be an owl, the young man with whom I had fought appeared as a bear in full run, and so forth. In amazement and wonder I passed the pipe on and sat back.
As the ceremony continued it suddenly occurred to me I was more relaxed than I had been in my entire life, even since birth. I was in a strange world among a people I knew nothing of speaking a language I had never heard and yet somehow, some way, I was at peace with their world and my place in it.
At last the pipe made its way back to the old man who had begun it whom I now knew to be Wise Owl and for several minutes silence reigned. Finally he rose to his feet and then he began to speak, slowly but with great power.
"It is a day of tremendous portents. Many things have occurred today as they always do. The salmon came to spawn. The take was good. We will winter well, my friends."
He paused for several minutes. I looked around uncomfortably. Lahanish politics did not tolerate silence well. One proverb went, "When silence comes, harm follows." Yet these people seemed quite relaxed.
After what seemed an interminable time he again spoke. "Other great events occurred. Today also we had a stranger enter our midst."
He nodded in my direction.
"Man Full of Anger is new to our ways. He does not yet comprehend our ways. We must be patient with him as he learns them. Yet his coming is a sign in and of itself."
For several minutes silence reigned again. My back was beginning to ache. I wished to stand, to pace, to speak but I somehow knew that was a transgression for which even my ignorance might not allow forgiveness.
Wise Owl continued. "Already he has fought with Running Bear. While Running Bear defeated him, he showed much heart in the fight."
I waited for him to continue. It was by now obvious to me Wise Owl never rushed his words but took time between each sentence to compose his thoughts and convey them exactly as intended. Time meant little, accuracy everything.
"I heard of the eagle taking the rabbit from his very footsteps. Such a sign has seldom occurred. Not in all my years as medicine man has such a portent come to us. Desperate times are upon us."
Once more he paused. I thought back to those exhilarating moments when the eagle swooped out of the sky, claws extended, aim unerring, to pull the rabbit off into the sky with it. I could not say why I felt no fear or why it felt right but somehow I knew it had a deeper meaning than I had previously assigned to it.
"My people, we must be careful. New things are coming. All know the eagle is the sign of war. The speed of the rabbit will not allow us to escape it. We must prepare lest we too be swept off in the talons of our enemies."
Puzzlement swept over his face. "Yet Man Full of Anger is a portent I cannot read. Is he meant to save us? Or is he the sign of our destruction?"
At those words every face turned to me and Wise Owl fell silent. This time he would not break the silence. It was my turn.
I elected to follow his example. I stood slowly and took in each of the men in the chamber. Speaking held no fears for me as I had been trained in the art of making speeches from before I had even learned to walk.
Once more he paused. I thought back to those exhilarating moments when the eagle swooped out of the sky, claws extended, aim unerring, to pull the rabbit off into the sky with it. I could not say why I felt no fear or why it felt right but somehow I knew it had a deeper meaning than I had previously assigned to it.
"My people, we must be careful. New things are coming. All know the eagle is the sign of war. The speed of the rabbit will not allow us to escape it. We must prepare lest we too be swept off in the talons of our enemies."
Puzzlement swept over his face. "Yet Man Full of Anger is a portent I cannot read. Is he meant to save us? Or is he the sign of our destruction?"
At those words every face turned to me and Wise Owl fell silent. This time he would not break the silence. It was my turn.
I elected to follow his example. I stood slowly and took in each of the men in the chamber. Speaking held no fears for me as I had been trained in the art of making speeches from before I had even learned to walk.
"My name is Markton de Leisral. I am a noble of Lahanish responsible for guiding my people. I was on a mission to negotiate treaties of trade and peace with the Ogres, Orcs and Kobolds when a tremendous storm destroyed the vessel I was on. I am not sure how this information can clarify what portent I hold for you. I do not know what became of my companions." I hesitated at the conclusion of this little speech, then sat down.
I am not sure what I expected but it certainly was not what occurred. The pipe ceremony was repeated and then, without explanation or even another word, the council ended.
I am not sure what I expected but it certainly was not what occurred. The pipe ceremony was repeated and then, without explanation or even another word, the council ended.
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