"You work against us for your own benefit, Melock. Our ritual would have protected the Earth Witch, made it much harder for the sun followers to hurt her. You follow your own path. Even now you hide a monster in your pack and to what end? Does it provide any benefit to the rest of us to have it around? No, it is merely and only to suit your own purpose. Show me that you have our best interests at heart instead of your own and then maybe I'll consider you a friend again." Amara said taking a long swallow from the bag. "Until then I will only reluctantly share a fire with you."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 00:40, Sun 14 Sept 2014.

In reply to Amara Brightsky (msg # 203):

"I gained no benefit from that prank and I am truly sorry you got hurt. Raven's influence was too strong for me to resist that night and just to be clear, I had no hand in that horn going missing."
He feeds the bag another lump of jack rabbit, "This monster, once bound will be another set of eyes and ears at night, for it has very good night vision. To prove I have at least you best interests at heart, its not another spider, though I'm not going to show it to anyone until its bound as it has a nasty bite." He holds up his left hand. I suppose now isn't the right time to point out how she managed to mess a few things up

"Melock, it is small and even at such a size, you cannot control or hope to control it. Once it has a spirit in it, do you think that it will be more malleable? It will not, the only spirit wishing to live in such a thing is one of its own kind. It as an act without thought. There are so many creatures out here that you could pick. Raven is in many animals, why pick it? What about it is so special? Is it the large teeth? No, it is only because it piqued your fancy." Amara shook her head taking a longer swig from the kumiss "You do not bind an animal to you. You bind a spirit to it. It will not change one bit of it's nature, and look at yourself, was it so worth it to lose a finger? what if it takes a hand when it grows as surely it will after eating all of the food you are giving it. What if it is not bent to your needs?"

Henal looks over at Melock feeding the bag. "What creature is so fierce that you have to put it into a bag to restrain it before you can try binding a spirit to it? A manual cat is good enough for me and it can still hunt vermin with the cats' instincts and keep company without taking my fingers".

In reply to Amara Brightsky (msg # 205):

"Of course it pique my fancy, what other reason is there for choosing a host for a spirit? As for your worry of it still being hostil once it is bound, well I dont have any problems with killing it if I need to." he glances at Henal, "why would I want such an ordinary animal for a host?" turning back to Amara, "I bet your glad I didn't get that wyvern egg then, at least it would have been trainable" he smiles "and if it turned on us, we would of had more heavy armour"

The ostrich looks skywards and glares at the darkness.




The Ostrich just looks at Melock and then Amara.

Now that the Ostrich is gone Tokar seems to be mollified and the Bison Rider turns to Hoskar, giving him an appraising stare

"I can do that Rhino brave, though I have no idea what you're called. We can come to some arrangement and you can join with some of the others over the next few weeks. Micklebran isn't here and he usually trained Amara and Greeshar, but I shall be able to cover your weapons okay. You might want to speak to your Khan though, Barrak would make a better teacher in some respects and I've seen him watching us whilst we trained. Reckon he'd like the chance to get involved to tell the truth."

The warrior grins, his previous good humour returning.

Whispers continues to flutter about the

"No" Amara said to the ostrich "despite his many flaws he is still a brother of sorts."

"Melock, there are many creatures that could be just as compelling or unusual to have bound to you. Whatever that is...it's bound by mindless hunger. I told you before your path is one which you walk alone. Nothing has changed. I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to give their daughter to you. Live your own life Melock. You're good at it."

In reply to Amara Brightsky (msg # 211):

"I'm impressed Amara, you don't even know whats in the bag, and yet you disapprove. I thought I walked with my brothers and sister, while taking the odd trail or two by myself. Who's life do you expect me to live?" he pauses to think, "well as much fun as this chat is dear sister, I have things to do. I'll see you in the morning", with that he heads off in to the night, the darkness quickly swallowing him.

Thank you - it will be welcome to have some of my weaknesses sorted out by an expert. I'll do as you say and have a word with Khan Barrack too. Again, my thanks - I didn't know he'd been taking such an interest and a Khan has so many calls on his time. I'm known as Hoskar, by the way. Not surprised you don't know me: I was an insignificant little feather of a trader boy last time I was on the plaines with he gulps my parents. And that was back before the fight in Prax and the Sable treachery.

Think I'd best get a good rest in. Hard work coming up.

With a respectful incline of his head, he makes to settle in, drinking nothing but clear water tonight. And you, cat - since you can't be trusted to stay awake, stay with me. I trust Melock's "thingy in a saddlebag" not one whit.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:23, Mon 15 Sept 2014.

Slightly bemused by the whole interaction between Melock and Amara, Ohanzee considers telling her what the creature in the bag is but decides that if Melock has his reasons to keep it secret for the moment then he should decide when to let the cat out of the bag as it were so he remains quiet.

He looks out into the darkness beyond the light of the fire and feels a yearning, a desire to leave the fire behind and wander out where he can easily vanish into the darkness where even now Whispers flies free.  But he has no desire to raise Tokar’s anger again and so stays put by the fire.

Staring into the flames, the warmth on his face he drifts off into thought If you were here Oglod then you would choose the heat and light over the welcome cool and the darkness. Still, there are some of your herd, some reptiles that are out and about by night rather than day, granted, not as many but some.

He quirks his brows as in thought as his musings move off at a tangent I wonder, is there such a thing as fire that gives no light, but rather darkness? Or for that matter such a thing as fire that burns cold rather than hot? That would be welcome in the heat of fireseason!

"Do I really need to know? Obviously it's vicious and aggressive and dangerous enough you are keeping it hidden. Which means you know we're likely to kill it if we see it." Amara nodded back to the camp "I expect you to live your own life raven, but I also expect you not to put us in jeopardy for your own ends. Your glory is sought at the expanse of all around you." Amara sat down near the ostrich, her nostril flaring white with anger. "Do as you wish, Melock.... like you always do."

The majority of bachelors drift off to sleep, either under one of the many open tents or under the stars.

It's only then that the Rangers and their new companions notice that Long Grass the Condor shaman is sat amongst them, having arrived silently as is Condor's way.

He nods at those still awake, one eye brow raised quizzically.

Kobal bows to the shaman "Wise One, I seek your wisdom.  The khan Sky Bone Blue is our guest, but it is hard to give him the honour he deserves when he is housed in the body of an ostrich.  I-I have thought perhaps the body of a morokanth's herdman might be better (though I have not raised this with the khan myself).  Is there anything else we can do to restore him to the body of a human?"

"Mmmm" says the shaman

"He seems to have voluntarily chosen an animal to reside in. He could have quite easily chosen one of you. Would you want to be trapped in a hairy Gern's body? I know I would not and to be honest I did not particularly enjoy my four legged prison back in the Giant Finger Holes."

He looks out in to the darkness in the direction where the ostrich had been taken and Amara now sat.

"Sky Bone Blue resides in the body of an Ostrich. I can think of no better honour to one of his clan. I would ask him yourself, our Amara as he seems to have chosen her to aid him."

The shaman's reply raises questions, but Kobal merely nods his head.  I'll ask the khan as Long Grass says.

Later, with the ostrich and Amara, he addresses Sky Bone Blue.  "Khan, I have not yet heard the full story of what happened to your clan or what happened to you.  So I wonder whether you would prefer to be housed in the body of a herdman.  Both ostriches and herdmen are beasts, and while you are now housed in your clan beast,  I wonder whether perhaps a more human form would be more... comfortable... and familiar, and allow you to use skills better as a khan...?"

The large bird cocks it's head, the better to see Kobal, his voice firm but tinged with a madness not there whilst he still lived.

"I am happy with my new home. I am now Ostrich, filled with vengeance. I have no wish to sully myself by living in the body of a Gern, when I have the magnificence that is Ostrich. Sleek....Fast....without equal. "

But without arms, Kobal thinks, though he keeps this thought to himself.  A herdman would be no great host, but at least Sky Blue Bone would have arms he could use.  "As you wish, khan," is he all he says as he bows again.

This message was deleted by the player at 09:55, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

Early evening, Freezeday, Dark season.

There's a fire, and in a deep hole in the ground sits a wobbling pile of skins filled with kumiss, the first of which is being pulled out by Dust Flies High, the elderly Ostrich rider slave. Dragging it over to where the gnarly old brave Tokar Eight Sable sits tending a barbecuing side of Impala, the old pygmy jokes with his equally elderly wife Yasha as she throws several handfuls of dried dung on to the coals.

Behind then is a large open sided Bison wool tent, filled with hungry bachelors, the noise of their feasting and boasting nearly drowning out the sounds of a thousand head of Bison that surrounds the camp of two whole Bison Clans.

Voices lower at the entrance of the Wandering Rangers, come to eat before their audience with their elders....

As the voices drop, he looks round the tent and smiles, "Its good to be home." As he turns, Melock catches sight of Amara and his smile waivers, "Amara, I've apologised and said I'll do my best to put things right, so cheer up, we're home safe."

"There is no true way to apologise enough for what you have done. You've torn a bond asunder by a mere moments desire. I wonder if it always be like this for you. You have no self control Melock. There is no pause between your desire for something and the reaching out of your hands to grasp it. It speaks only of your selfishness." Amara responded, scowling at Melock as she entered the tent. She paused, looking around daring anyone to comment at her presence before finally relaxing "Though, as you say, it is good to be home among family."

In reply to Amara Brightsky (msg # 225):

"I'll happily agree with you that I have little self-control and I have a nasty habit of not thinking things through, but I'm not selfish, I have done more things for the good of the Rangers than against." He thinks briefly and nods to himself, "you just remember the worst."

Amara turned sharply towards Melock "I have not denied that you are a Ranger, but that you have... perverted the course of our goals to your own.... that your actions might very well prevent us from doing what we have set out to do as Rangers?" Amara's voice trailed off as she didn't especially wish to show how angry she was in front of all of the other braves "You've done some good as a ranger Melock, but I think your harm has outweighed all your good. How are we to unite the tribes now?"