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Post by LordStripetail on Mar 4, 2013 18:00:53 GMT -5
Ninnian"Ninnian called out his name. the large Badger looked around at the mass of crreatures, all, he presumed, with the same intent.. _ stripetail gazed asround at the crowd as scarlath wrote down each name ' Last time we had the trials nearly 100 creatures entered.' Scarlath said to him..' that was almost 40 years ago though, no telling if we'll have less, about the same or more..
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Post by LordStripetail on Mar 4, 2013 20:42:24 GMT -5
we'll have to see how i do' ninnian said to himself.
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Post by mkenjiro on Mar 6, 2013 22:49:51 GMT -5
The trio looked back amongst each other, before Tor raised his arms and shouted, "Tor Feld!"
After a few more seconds of contemplating, Fynn also joined in. "Fynn!" he called, waving his arms above him, though it would be a difficult for most to see him, due to his small size.
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Post by LordStripetail on Mar 7, 2013 1:32:34 GMT -5
Scarlath took down the names, and waited for others to join as well..'once everyone has put thier name forward i will assemble you at the royal palace.. to give you your first task..
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Post by kor on Mar 10, 2013 22:15:54 GMT -5
Maertin calmly listened to others, keeping a bit to himself. He did wonder what the tasks would be and if they would be all within a certain area or if they'd have to travel a lot and what sorts of folks would be involved in doing this. Also if some, or any, would work together or if they would all would be in a fierce competition.
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Post by mkenjiro on Mar 16, 2013 22:13:27 GMT -5
As more names are being called, the trio turned back to each other.
"Well, that's done," Tor said. "We should start getting ready to join at the palace."
"You sure you'd be fine out here, Ayla?" Fynn asked the collie.
"I'll be just fine, thanks for asking," Ayla replied. "With the Trials going on, I'll be practically invisible..."
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Jackson took some deep breaths of relief. Simon simply laugh and slapped his otter friend on the back...
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Post by LordStripetail on Mar 17, 2013 21:28:01 GMT -5
ninnian smiled and took his seat on a stump. _ stripetail leaned in his staff and gazed ast the group of young creatures gatheered before him ' One of these wuill be the one to give me the answers I seek..' He said to himself
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Post by kor on Mar 18, 2013 9:54:58 GMT -5
Maertin looked around, both at the others around him and the surroundings he could see. He wasn't surprised to see this many had wanted to go for the trials, considering what the ultimate prize was, though he did consider to himself how many may try underhanded tricks and the like, and which would have good luck and bad luck.
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Post by mkenjiro on Mar 29, 2013 22:58:33 GMT -5
As Tor & Finn left Ayla to join the group of volunteers, they looked among the other challengers...
At the same time, Jackson has finally joined the group as well. This many opponents here for the same goal made him even more nervous than he initially thought...
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Post by LordStripetail on Apr 18, 2013 20:25:18 GMT -5
ninniasn gazed carelessly around, with so many entered, there would be a lot of weeding out..
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Post by kor on Apr 18, 2013 23:08:13 GMT -5
Maertin decided to head to the inn to think and perhaps rest a bit. He would try to prepare himself for the first test as best as he could, he thought, including resting a bit. Maybe eat a bit or drink some water.
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Post by LordStripetail on May 10, 2013 19:36:51 GMT -5
scarlath raised his voice ' the first test will be given in the morning.. for now, rest and prepare for the morrow. the Five Trails have begun!' he commanded.
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Post by LordStripetail on Apr 16, 2015 17:09:25 GMT -5
Stripetail watched scarlath as the rats shoulders sunk ' now the trials have begun and they will go on as long as necessary, the one the selected Gibson took almost six months. you will most likely be here a while.' Scarlath said to him.
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Post by LordStripetail on Apr 2, 2019 14:19:11 GMT -5
Far above the city , Lady Olana was slowly working her way over the mountains. the hold that Gale's house lay in was near the border of Loais with the neighboring kingdom of Whitestone, which hugged the coast and which was primarily tied economically to the sea, its rulers tended to be otters. There was a small town near there called Treeknife, which was home to some farmers, merchants and common beasts. Gale's family was the closest thing to nobility in the area. Olana re-read the letter yet again, the first thing she would do when she saw Gale would be to throw her arms around her neck and lock their ruby red lips together in a warm long kiss . Olana would tell Gale.. that she loved her and wanted her to come with her, to have them be free of arranged marriages and to explore the wilds of Loais.. together.
Olana smiled ' Gale will think i will have lost my mind ' she said to herself. " to have her leave the town, reject the marriage, all so i can explore the mountains and forests without a care, like we did as children? Dear Gale.. its about not being tied down, to being able to live life as you like, without the political considerations any arranged marriage entails. if i'm going to marry anyone, I want it to be on my terms. I want.. to be loved honestly , and not loved out of obligation owed to my father. " she paused as she headed down a rather steep trail before continuing to talk to herself, practicing the speech that she was going to give to Gale to convince the black furred squirrell-lady to run off with her. "Thats why I'm doing this. we spent so much time together as kids. weaving flower crowns in our fur, playing tag, skipping stones, me giving you your first kiss on the lips..You and I scurrying around the royal table while the king laughed at our hijinks. HA Ha so many wonderful memories."
His advisors thought we were a right pair of rascals, but the king didn't care. Poor uncle Gibson.' she said sadly, the knowledge that the badger who had played such a large role in her life was gone was sobering. She was doing this partly to wiggle out of a life she didn't want, tied to a squirrel in Frederick that simply could not hold a candle to her in combat. Olana had beaten every suitor who had tested her in combat, the shame of losing to a "Maid' often drove them away, never to darken her door again. She was also doing it to get Gale away from a squirrel who simply wouldn't accept being told no, even though Gale had refused his marriage proposal on at least 10, and more likely 15, occasions, Yet Greenstone had kept trying, despite Gale clearly not wanting him.
"I'm doing this, not just for me, but for you as well . Greenstone is a lord of a tiny estate and castle. Sure you'd be Lady Gale.. of 200 acres of woods and a small stream, in the far left northwestern-most corner of the kingdom, about as far away from the capital as possible to still be part of the kingdom. You deserve better Gale dear, and you and I are going to do things as we like to! Travel the width and breadth of Loais,, going wherever adventure or fancy calls! You always talked about seeing what was out there, and I'm going to give you that chance.. but you have to come with me" Olana finished as she reached the bottom of the mountains. If the map she had on her was right, at the distance she was currently covering, and taking in account the distance she still had to go, it would be early morning the next day before she would stand at the door of Gale's house and make her plea. Olana was taught in speech-giving by Gibson, she knew how to talk in a way that would grab your attention and make you agree with her. Plus, Gale had usually gone along with her ideas when they were pups. Lana hoped that the long ties of friendship, and her speaking ability would win her friend over.
Still, it was one thing to talk to yourself and repeat something over and over to convince yourself, quite another to stand in front of someone, particularly when what you are proposing is clearly against her fathers wishes, and convince her to leave. Olana knew Gale's father, a squirrel of aristocratic airs named Pursom. Pursom had wanted to become of the nobility, someone to be respected and listened to in the halls of power in the city, and he was using Gale to creep towards his goals. Once Gale married Greenstone, Pursom would be named a Lord and be given a small estate near the Leanwood Forest for his own. Pursom had been fine with Gale and her becoming inseparable as youth, spending nearly every waking moment together. But Pursom would, to put it mildly, NOT be happy once he found out that Gale had gone with her,. Her father had moved her away from Gale once they reached their teens and began to become eligible ladies, Pursom had kept their contact limited to letters, despite their obvious affection for each other, and it now had been several seasons that they had been apart.' That was soon going to end. Once Gale agreed to Olanas proposal, they would have to head to the southwest into the mountainous terrain of the Gleaming Mountains, where there was a small ancient abbey known as Swordrock Abbey, in order to evade pursuit. Olana would have to come up with an excuse for Gales departure in order for them to buy time to flee and not arouse suspicion, such as having them travel to Gale's original homeland of Starbuckle, a small town in the west of the kingdom, where some of her older family still lived. 'Pursom would';t object to visiting family,' Olana thought to herself. "Hopefully Gale won;t mind either."
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Post by LordStripetail on Apr 4, 2019 13:05:50 GMT -5
Gale stared out the window of the cottage watching the wind blow through the trees that lined the borders of the family property. she was fully grown now and had a number of suitors, several of them quire persistent is asking for her hand. she had declined them all, feeling that she was not ready. But her father, trying to raise the Tensbaine family name in importance and clout, had told her that she would be accepting marriage to Greenstone Soutmarsh, a suitor that Gale had rejected more than any other. Sure, Greenstone was nice and often complimented her, but Gale was pretty sure this marriage was far more for her fathers benefit , and for Greenstone family's benefit, than anything else. She wasn't getting a say in the matter either, while they hadn't set the date for the wedding, it was very likely that in a years time she would be Lady Gale Soutmarsh, living in a small castle far away from any of her family. Friends? ha! her father had forbidden her to visit any of her old friends, especially Olana, all that was permitted her was letters, and the last letter she had sent Olana was at least 8 months ago. Olana had written to her about issues with a proposed union with Frederick Stout, a scion of a well respected family in court. Gale had advised her to have hope and to make the best of the situation. The irony of her words was not lost on her " Hope for my best friend, when there is little hope for myself ' Gale sighed, as she turned away from the window and looked around the small cottage. She missed her days spent in the capital city, with her friend Olana and a badger lass Named Gomma, who often played with her and Olana when they were young. Las she had heard from Gomma, she was heading into the capital for the trials. ' i'd bet a fortnight's worth of pennies that she'll enter.' gale chuckled softly to herself ' Good old Gomma. she was another King Gibson doted on. His heart was bigger than he was, and given his size that was saying something.
she sighed to her ' maybe, if i send a letter to Olana, that will make me feel better. she didn't respond to my last letter i sent, probably too busy courting Frederick" she took out a quill and began to write down a few lines
Olana, I hope this letter finds you well. my marriage date to Greenstone has not yet been set, but i will ask father to allow you to attend the ceremony. i will also ask that Gomma be allowed to attend as well. i will be sending her a letter similar to this one soon. it would please me very much on my special day that my two best childhood friends be present to wish me well. it would allow us to catch up what has been going in our lives.we will both soon be Ladies of noble standing, with servants and ladies in waiting at our call, although your holdings will be much greater than mine. I do hope, after the ceremony that Greenstone will allow me to visit you ,on a seasonal basis, so that at least 4 times a year, for a couple weeks each time, you and I could resume our friendship in person. Its been hard, confining our contact to letters like this. I got a reply from Gomma last week, she is well and preparing to become a badger lady in the Bloodwrath peaks, south of the capital. imagine, our Gomma, cleaving enemies to pieces! she was always strong though, and her taking on the role of leader, which is natural for badgers, isn't a huge surprise. She's going to the capital for the trials to pick out the new king, wouldn't surprise me if she tried to talk her way into the trails, so that the odds that the land might have a QUEEN would go up from zero, to, well slightly more than 0. With all the good beasts who will try their paw and claws at it, it wouldn't surprise me if there are 200 competitors and the whole thing takes a year or more to settle. I feel for the cleric, the longer it goes on, the longer he has to run things. Hope to hear from you soon. best wishes Game Tensbaine'
gale finished writing and set the quill down. looking the letter. ' she would have to find an owl to deliver it for her, and that would be rather costly. Letters by Owl was not cheap, but it was faster than having someone deliver it over land. the door opened and her father , a tall thin squirrel with a max of red and gray in his fur entered. his eyes held the steely look of someone who has just been given disagreeable news. " so lady Greenstone informs me that you have told her that you want a small ceremony of guests, and not the large ceremony she was expecting. My dear, we cannot afford to insult our in-laws to be! that is not proper.!" he said in a firm tone. before noticing the letter on the table. ' Ah, sending a letter? ' To whom, may I ask? ' Olana. I'm inviting her to the ceremony ' Gale said. ' Excuse me??" Pursom started. " i'm inviting her and Gomma. surely , Father you will grant me that, to have the two childhood friends I was closest to, be present for my marriage to Greenstone? Its just two creatures, hardly a big ask.' MY dear, we have nearly 200 guests that we are planning to invite and the hall, seats exactly 200. if we allow Lady Olana and lady Gomma to attend, then that means we will have to not invite 2 others. " Father you said you had 195 invites sent, that means there are 5 more spaces to others to be invited..' No. i said i have 195 accepted invites. and 15 others sent out. we will have to decline a few people anyway.
' Please father, let them come! It would mean so much for me. ' Gale pleaded. ' Can- can;t we squeeze in a few more chairs? that way we can have all the guests you send invites to come, and I can have my girlfriends come too. PLEASE!' Pursom ran his claws through his whiskers. ' i will have to talk to the vicar..if. IF you re serious about inviting your friends, then fine, invite them. under 4 conditions. First that respond with a ' yes; response within the next 2 weeks, or within 2 weeks of receiving the letters. .2. they bring a suitable gift , like jewelry or a new spinning wheel, or whatever. . 3, that they bring proper formal attire to the ceremony. Your Olana hasn't always.. dressed properly as a lady should. You haven't forget that time she showed up wearing a dress made out of brown leaves, have you? ' Gale started to laugh at the memory ' That is not funny Gale! You should have been embarrassed. A good chunk of them fell off halfway through that outing, and revealed quite a bit of her figure".Pursom snapped.
"at least the whole thing didn't disintegrate " Gale replied " Another half hour , and it would have, and then we would have all gotten a full view of her bareness that is only reserved for mate and family! " Pursom sighed. " Anyway, my fourth and final condition. That they behave in your presence and don't entice you into unladylike situations, like climbing trees in proper dress, or whatnot. There are several reasons why I brought you out here, and part of it ws that you would begin to learn to be responsible and not go dashing off on some wild errand, with those girls in tow, whenever some fool idea popped into your head or theirs. Dear , they.. were a bad influence on you ,." Pursom said and Gale;s eyes narrowed. " really dad? a bad influence? How can you say that? These are the two dearest friends I have in the whole wide world you are talking about , and you say they are a bad influence, like they are rabble? They are both titled ladies you know!' gale took a deep breath
"Maybe , if you allowed me to have other friends, then you might have some basis to compare them to my other friends, in regards to conduct. .But how can someone be a bad influence, if i'm not even allowed to hang out with them ? They cant influence me, if i cant visit them, or they cant visit me. You've kept me in this small cottage for at least 10 seasons, without anyone to really confide in or do things with. thats no life dad, and its not fair. " You will be leaving the cottage in a few months, my girl, to live with your husband. Our family needs this marriage to assert that the Tensbaines are squirrels of status and importance, if this falls apart, then we will look like country bumpkins, and we will lose credibility and face in the eyes of the other holds. the marriage must happen. Everything depends on it." and what if I don;t love him?' gale asked in a small voice. ' you are bound to him for life. any personal sadness or.. concerns, you must keep to yourself>" Pursom said. " then you are condemning me to a lifetime of unhappiness dad, and all for a measly title! What about your relationship with me? does that factor in at all. " Gale said. Pursom gazed at her ' I love you Gale, you must know that.. ' you have a funny way of showing it dad. ' Pursom eyes narrowed ' thats quite enough of that talk Gale! Now.. go. send off your letter to Olana and compose the letter to Gooma. once we have the date set for the ceremony then you can notify them of that as well. i will be going into town to buy some bread for supper tonight. i'll be back later. The Delivery owl is making his rounds near red creek, go and find him . here. ' purism gave her a large coin sack with coins in it. ' for the letters and his tip. spend what you need.' Pursom turned on his heel and left the room. Gale moved the letter to Olana aside on the desk and tossed the bag of coins aside, it landed on the floor near her with a jangle of coins. Gale put her head in her arms on the desk and began to cry.
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