Each of the new recruits takes their scarring bravely, with the two Black Shield warriors Bamled Horse Killer and Yado the tall shouting out in response to Emesh-Ga and then performing a wild celebratory dance about the clearing. They stop by Greeshar dipping their hands in the fresh Impala blood and then drawing Earth Runes on their naked torsos.

Emesh-Ga seems to grow in stature with every shout, sucking in the power gifted by all present.

His shield held by Hoskar seems to grow in size too, though the Condor brave feels no added weight, it's burnished copper shining brightly.

Approaching Amara the handsome brave smiles "I am now one of you. This makes me so happy, especially as I may now ride with you every day"

The Red Thorn brave, brother of Sand Fox approaches Henal and Tarnessh, arms outstretched in a friendly greeting "Brothers!"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Mon 22 Sept 2014.

Kobal raises his voice over the celebrations.  "Brothers, you see that we Wandering Rangers each bears a square shield.  You should strive to make or obtain a square shield.  It need not look identical to ours, for we are of different clans.  The peoples of this land will come to know us by the rune on our right arm, and the rune of our shields.  And to know that we are of many clans, but united in purpose."

Haratt walks up to Tarnessh and Henal, presenting the two braves with the last of the ten Wyvern hide shields.

"This was killed not far from here, by Hoskar, Amara and Salen. Blood was spilt and a good man died, wear them with pride."

To the Red Thorns and Black shields he says "I will help pay for yours, though they will for the moment be of Bison hide. That said we know that there is another Wyvern out there taking herd beasts perhaps we should strive to kill that one too."

Tarrnesh felt suspicious of these Red Thorn braves, naturally. He had been brought up being told how they were cowardly and deceitful compared to his own clan, and there had been that shaman less then a season ago. Still, he had just sworn to treat those who had joined as his brothers, and he was a follower of Sun Hawk. "Brother." He answered, and gripped wrists with Nixa. Perhaps they were not all bad. After all, Tarrnesh's own 3rd-removed uncle was known to be a drunkard and cheat and perhaps a murderer, although none could yet prove it.

Amara greeted Sand Fox with a warmer smile and an even warmer hug. "You are welcome Sand Fox, our band is in need of strong warriors like yourself. We face many enemies, but our names will be written in legends and stories for all time to come." she handed Sand Fox a bag full of kumiss. "But leave the worries and fighting for tomorrow, this is a time for celebration."

Henal eyes Nixa warily while he approaches, then remembers that the Ranger's oath is greater than clan rivalry even with the Red Thorns. He grasps Nixa's hand. "Brother. To heal the land all the tribes must come together as one as none has enough strength alone".

"Welcome everybody to the Wandering Rangers, now lets party" he takes a big swig from a skin of kumiss and passes it to Ohanzee, "though it wont be as good as the last one" Melock mutters to him

Party? You're playing Condor's tune here he remarks; unshipping Fireborn's old pipe and tobakeh. If anyone fancies the strong stuff, I've got a pinch or two of the old weed of dreams somewhere. Just one of the many advantages of being a Condor...not that Long Grass would see it that way, he winks.

Tarrnesh took a swig of kumiss, and found it to his liking. It was the first time he'd tasted alcohol, although he wouldn't tell the others that!

Grinning broadly, having packed and lit the pipe, Hoskar turns to the group of new comrades. Anyone want to complement that Kumiss? Only tobakeh, but I always find the two improve one another.

"None for me, thanks. I...don't like the smell" Which WAS true, but the main reason was that the last time he'd tried, pinching a bit of his father's tobakeh secretly when he was 14, he'd gone into a massive coughing fit and only barely avoided being found out.

Henal glugs back kumiss from the skin, though he is already swaying from the preparation for the ceremony. "Now to be proper rangers" he shouts.

In reply to Hoskar Feather (msg # 184):

Ohanzee knocks back the skin taking a deep drink before passing it on sniggering at something Melock whispers to him.

"I'll take some of that action Salen a proper party to welcome the new guys!"

In reply to Tarnessh Listens-To-Silence (msg # 187):

Passing on the pipe away from Tarnessh, Hoskar nods in respect. Nice one. A lesser man would have taken the thing just to fit in. Life's too fleeting for that sort of small dishonesty. Don't know you well yet, but it's always a joy to get to know a true comrade such as yourself better. He takes a swallow from a skin of Kumiss, gladdened by new companions and quietly pleased that the delay in the ceremony didn't change the minds of Nixa and Sand Fox. Rejoice doubly, it is.

Bamled pulls a foreign looking skin from his belongings that he'd rested against one of the large boulders. He's still swaying from the various substances taken earlier

"Here...Date wine taken from an Oasis we held last year. Strong and tastes better than our Kumiss for sure."

He holds it out for his new companions to try.

"Strange folk the Oasis people."

Grinning at Hoskar’s turn of phrase Ohanzee adds Quite right, life is far too short to think small, think big!”

"Aye but we got good eggs from that lot. Way up North it was, a nice place to rest and just before our Storm Bulls headed down into the Bog "

Greeshar perks up at this and he joins the two Black Shield braves. He takes the proffered wine, arms red to the elbows in Impala blood.

"What did they find?"

"What they always found...Chaos in it's many forms. We lost several good men and gained a new Storm Khan. They fought a great battle beneath a painted cliff. It's surface was covered with scenes from the past and it was whilst looking at them a great creature climbed out of a dry serpent."

"I have heard of that place, our Grandfather The Lance spoke of it. Arvin Artash was said to have travelled back to the Green Age via the pictures. A good story but I am not sure of the truth of it."

Nixa, blond haired, handsome and happy, grabs the wine from Greeshar's hand. "Thank you Ranger I will have some of that now."

Ohanzee listens with interest to the description of travelling through the age using the pictures and waiting for Nixa to finish drinking holds a hand out to take the wineskin ”I for one would not doubt that tale.”

He swallows a good mouthful before offering it to Sand Fox and as he does so says ”That telling of the tale on the way here was both fun and impressive. You have a knack for playing the trickster, good enough to attract the hyenas and something that would make you a great candidate to join Raven’s society.”

He looks at the other three Red Thorns and Black Shields alike as he continues ”The cause of the Wandering Rangers is important to the Rivals, so important that they are working together through us. They came to each of the existing Rangers and the other new one in visions during initiation to show us the copper warriors, to hint as us coming together and working for the greater good as a group.”

“It is not of course necessary to have such visions to join our ranks, you four are the first to do so and so are the proof of that. I think perhaps though that if you each choose a Rival to honour also then it would strengthen us all.”

He chuckles ”Or if you drink and smoke enough now then they will come to you as best suited by your hearts.”

Henal goes to try the wine that the Black Shield braves have brought, listening intently to the talk of travelling through time using the pictures. While waiting for the skin of wine he replies to Ohanzee.

"I saw the copper warrior in my visions while being initiatied to the Thunder Bird. I saw many clans coming together and fighting chaos at the Tunnelled Hills and the copper men with us".

"The Thunder Bird will always seek to overcome the enemy by fighting not by trickery, maybe that sounds more like the way for you to take".

He then takes the wine from Sand fox and drinks back a slug of it.

The ceremony and after party continues for the rest of the day, with the Rangers spending the night under the Tamarisk trees. Thanks to the out pouring of Power the area is now sanctified as a place holy to the band of braves, with spirits of the Earth likely to congregate there in the future...

None of the new recruits are able to say which feathered rival they prefer, all indicating that they would give it some thought over the next few weeks or season. Sand Fox is certainly cheeky and prepositioned for devilry, though he is boastful and martial too. Bamled though a hardened warrior is also a skilled tracker and knows much about both flora and fauna. His friend Yado carries himself as an honourable man and like Bamled is a fierce fighter, whilst finally there's Nixa, an enigma to all with traits that would fit each rival but Sun Hawk.