Special Notes: If I missed commenting on any of your postings, I apology. Rendo was having a temper tantrum and I couldn't get to them yesterday. I might have missed a few. *****AUDIO FILE***** "Chapter 39 - Silent Wings - Audio File" [The White Raven, Chapter 39, Silent Wings] [Hawk Temple, Hawk Province, Planet Darai] “One each field pack… two pair waistcloth… five pair socks…” Codae grabbed each item as Master Auryon tossed them from a wall of shelves containing a seemingly endless supply of clothing. The items were mysterious and exciting in their newness, promising a new life for Codae. He wanted to examine each strange new gift as if it were Festival Day, but Master Auryon gave him no time and continued tossing the basic Hawk Warrior issue of clothing at him. “One each leg binding… two pair trousers… two each tunic…” Aro, Codae’s new friend, sat on the counter laughing and thumping his feet against the old worn counter as Codae ran in circles trying to keep up with the flying clothing. A worn groove in the wood where Aro sat kicking his feet hinted that Aro had sat there many times as a new screech arrived. “One each belt… one each leather lappets… one each leather body armor…” Codae was losing the battle to keep up and clothing was scattered all over the floor. Other boys coming to the armory for weapons and supplies weren’t helping as they teased Codae and kicked clothing away. “One each helmet… one each cloak…” “Knock it off,” an older boy wearing Officer’s rank from the Dark Wings Barracks scolded the other boys teasing Codae. The younger boys grumbled at having their fun interrupted while the older boy picked up a few items and handed them to Codae. “Put them in your pack, Screech.” “What’s a Screech?” asks Codae. “That’s you, knuckle-head,” replies the boy officer. “One each manica arm wrap…” says Master Auryon continuing to toss Codae his uniforms, oblivious to the minor drama among the boys. “One each hooded cloak… one each scarf… two pair sandals… one pair boots… and… let’s see, that only leaves choosing a weapon and a Barracks,” says Master Auryon. “Can I get dressed now?” Codae’s old clothes had gone into a box and disappeared before the horrible bath at the hands of Master Auryon. Codae’s wings were raw from the scrubbing, but at least they didn’t feel gunky anymore. His natural black and white wings unmistakably set him apart from the other boys various wings of brown and spotted white, except for the Cassoway boys. The Hawk and Falcon boys wore wings, but the Cassoway boys refused, their House Bird was a flightless raptor and they didn’t believe in wearing wings. Aro had chatted away the whole time during Codae’s bath. Codae had tried to pay attention but Master Auryon’s relentless brush had made it hard to pay attention to anything - Codae didn’t remember much anything else Aro had said during the bath. Aro jumped down from the counter and helped Codae shove the clothing he wouldn’t immediately need into the field pack, and then showed him how to wrap and tie the waistcloth, belt, leg wrappings, and sandals. Master Auryon waited patiently for Codae to finish dressing, and then pointed at a collection of wooden practice weapons hanging on a wall. Codae recognized most of the weapons from the boys practicing when he first arrived. There were staves, short-swords, long-swords, broad-swords, talon-daggers, ungulas, and even the Kitsune curved sword of the elite samurai battalions. “You may select the weapon of your choice, usually boys select the weapon their father carried when they were here,” explains Master Auryon. “I have two fathers,” says Codae standing on his toes to see over the counter at the weapons wall. “Of course, Master Gaevin is your Tarlock father, but you want to honor both of your fathers. Such things happen, you’re allowed to carry two weapons,” says Master Auryon. “Eventually all the boys will have two weapons anyway - a hand weapon and a firearm.” Codae had spent time at the Eagle Cliffs and knew what a Tarlock was, but Master Gaevin wasn’t a Demonian and Codae didn’t understand that the word Tarlock also referred to a man raising a hatchling that wasn’t his own - it was a common practice among warriors to raise the hatchling of a comrade that had fallen in combat. “Which one was Master Gaevin’s?” asks Codae examining the wall of weapons. Master Auryon pulls a long wooden sword with a broad thick blade and a solid grip topped with a counter-weighted pommel. Codae took the sword from Master Auryon and clumsily hefted it around a few times. Aro had to jump back a step to avoid getting hit by Codae’s awkward swings. Codae pushes the sword up on the counter and shakes his head. “This one isn’t right,” says Codae. “I see, very good, you want to choose your own path,” says Master Auryon hanging the practice sword back with the other weapons. “Which one would you like?” “None of those are right,” says Codae. Master Auryon slides the wall aside to reveal another set of practice weapons. “These are older weapons, but some Hawks still choose them,” says Master Auryon. The new wall of weapons were a collection of maces, tiger claws, push daggers, fighting bracelets, and a few iron fans - none of which Codae new the purpose of. Codae shakes his head at the new selection and Master Auryon raises a brow. “Interesting, well, follow me,” instructs the armorer. Codae and Aro walks around the counter and follows Master Auryon through a door to the storage room in back. The storage room was really a small warehouse with bins of supplies, practice weapons, and what might have been hundreds of storage racks of real swords and firearms lined up in rows. Each storage rack had piles of more supplies and weapons stacked on top, the entire room was a treasure house of wondrous mystery begging to be explored. Master Auryon led the boys past the weapon racks and through another door into a dusty room filled with ancient storage chests and more mysterious objects. Master Auryon stops at the far wall, a dusty collection of ancient weapons hung in rows on the wall. “Any of these?” asks Master Auryon. Codae’s eyes immediately fall on an oddly shaped sword without a cross-guard as the more modern swords had. The blade jutted unguarded from the handle, curved slightly in the center, and ended with a hook at the end of the blade, giving the sword a very odd looking appearance. “That’s a Khopesh,” says Master Auryon. “It hasn’t been used in combat since the dawn of our civilization, and I certainly don’t recall any boy ever choosing one, we only use them for history classes.” Master Auryon lifts the wooden practice Khopesh down and hands it to Codae, and steps back - Aro takes several steps back. Codae swings the blade, much less awkwardly than he did the broad sword, spins it once in his hand and thrusts the blade towards a storage chest. Codae grabs the storage chest with the hook at the end of the sword, pulls at the chest, and then swings the blade down on the chest. “Amazing, you naturally knew what the unique design of the sword was intended. I think you’ve found your sword.” Master Auryon lifts the lid of a storage chest and retrieves a real version of the sword. “You will carry the wooden practice sword until you are ready to carry a real one, but you will be allowed to check it out of the armory whenever Master Solae schedules you for a practice session. Now lets choose your firearm, what weapon did your real father carry?” Codae glances behind Master Auryon for a moment before replying. “He was a Gunslinger, and he says I’m not supposed to change my name, I am who I am.” Master Auryon looks back at the spot Codae had looked, there was nothing but a pile of empty storage chests. A coldness passed over Master Auryon and he shivered. “Good Goddess, there’s an ancestor here. Aro, go get Master Solae, quickly boy, run.” Aro, his eyes wide, shoots off like an arrow while Master Auryon lifts the lid to another chest and points inside. “Choose one,” says Master Auryon carefully keeping an eye on the empty spot where Codae had indicated the ancestor was. Codae knelt next to the chest and looked inside. The chest was full of Gunslinger revolvers wrapped in their holsters. Codae looks up at the empty spot behind Master Auryon. “He wants to know where you got these,” says Codae. “The Ravens sell them to us,” replies Master Auryon. “I don’t know where they get them, though I might guess many of them came from the Shadow War.” Codae lifts the first holster and revolver out of the chest and holds it up, then sets it aside and lifts another one. Codae holds up revolver after revolver and finally stops at one and pulls it into his chest and holds it tight. “He says this one was his and he wants me to have it, and he says the rest of them are to be sent back to the Gunslingers.” Codae turns red and drops his eyes. “I can’t say the rest of what he said.” Master Auryon glances uncomfortably back and forth between Codae and the empty spot Codae is speaking to. Master Auryon sighs in relief as Master Solae comes through the door. “What’s going on… oh, I see,” says Master Solae stopping and looking at the empty spot behind Master Auryon. “Fathers are not permitted inside the Temple, you may join the other fathers on the walls and watch as your son grows, but I will not tolerate any further interference.” “You can see him?” asks Codae. “Yes, I can see him. Once you understand that there is no such thing as death, it becomes easy,” replies Master Solae. “Codae, your father lives in the Land of the Ancestors, but it is not a mystical place of magic. The Land of the Ancestors is a universe much like this one, it is only a different dimension, or as some might say, a different plane of existence.” Master Solae walks over and looks down at the revolvers in the chest. “Auryon, pack these up and send them back to the Gunslingers, they rightfully belong to the sons and daughters of fallen warriors, we will not keep trophies of war,” orders Master Solae. “I should have ended this practice long ago.” Master Solae looks at the empty spot for a moment before speaking again. “No, Sir, it is not open for discussion,” says Master Solae. “So long as he is in this Temple he will use his Daraian name, and you will remain on the walls with the other fathers.” Codae’s head whips back and forth listening to the argument. Master Auryon backs away and pulls Aro with him. Only Master Solae would have the courage to argue with an ancestor. Master Auryon was still too young a Priest to see, hear, or want to deal with angry ancestors. “I assure you, Sir, there are ways to ban you from the Temple,” says Master Solae. “Though I do not want to use those, I will if you force me. I ask that you set an example for your son and obey the rules of the Temple.” Master Solae pauses again and listens before replying. “Of course I understand what is at stake, do not question me again,” says Master Solae, anger tingeing the edge of his voice. “Do we have an understanding?” Master Solae listens for a moment, nods his head, and then turns to Master Auryon. “Codae receives no special treatment, and his revolver is to be stored with the rest of the boy’s weapons.” “Is the ancestor gone?” asks Aro. “You seem surprised Codae’s father visited,” says Master Solae. “We have fathers visit every day.” “Not a ghost father,” says Aro. “There is no such thing as ghosts,” says Master Solae walking past Aro and patting him on the shoulder before leaving the armory. Master Auryon, grateful for Master Solae’s ease at dealing with irritable fathers, even ethereal ones, ushers the two boys back into the main armory and stopping in front of an empty weapons rack hangs Codae’s real sword and revolver inside. “Your weapons are in weapons rack 278,” says Master Auryon. “Remember that number, you’ll need to know it to check your weapons out for training, but keep the practice sword with you at all times. Now we just need to choose a Barracks and we’re done.” Codae follows Master Auryon to another wall with six crests hanging on it and points at one of the crests. “Master Gaevin was in the Blood Hawks Barracks, is that where you would like to be?” Codae glances at Aro and grins. “I want to be in Silent Wings Barracks.” “Very good, very good,” says Master Auryon. “That was my Barracks, many fine honorable warriors have come from the Silent Wings.” Master Auryon retrieves a crest-badge from a drawer and pins it on Codae’s waistcloth. “There we go,” says Master Auryon. “All done, now run along with yourself, you’ve caused enough trouble for one day.” Codae and Aro ran outside and was greeted by six groups of boys waiting for them. An older boy, each with Captain’s rank on, stood in front of each group of boys. One group of the boys started cheering, and the others just shook their heads in disappointment that Codae hadn’t chosen their Barracks. The Officer standing in front of the cheering boys approached and looked down at Codae. “Well, so we get the new Screech, I’m Captain Shay, welcome to the Silent Wings.” “I’m going to talk to Master Solae about this,” says another older boy walking over. “Leave off, Bode, he made his choice,” says Captain Shay. “You think getting the Eagle is going to change anything?” says Bode. “You’re still a loser.” “You’re living on old glory,” replies Captain Shay turning to face Bode. “The only reason you got to be Captain of the Blood Hawks is because of your father.” “Maybe we should settle this right now,” says Captain Bode. “You’ve never beaten me in a fight yet,” replies Captain Shay. “Do you really want to get beaten again in front of your boys. Why don’t you go pull the wings off some more butterflies.” The two older boys stand toe-to-toe for a long moment before Captain Bode turns away sneering. “This isn’t over Shay.” “It was over before it started,” replies Shay. Shay turns back to Codae and Aro. “Why was he so mad?” asks Codae. “Because the Blood Hawks always get the best Screeches,” says Shay. “But now that you chose us, your eagles will probably follow you and choose the Silent Wings.” “Huh? What eagles?” asks Codae. “From House Eagle,” says Shay. “Surely now that you’re here more Eagle Screeches from your House will come.” Codae shakes his head. “I’ve been to House Eagle, I’ve got good friends there, but they don’t know I’m the Eagle, it’s a secret.” “Come on, I’ll show you our Barracks, and you can explain what this secret is all about,” says Shay. “But I seriously doubt that’s a secret that can be kept for long. No, I’ll bet more Eagles are coming.” “I hope so, I miss my friends,” says Codae. “Hey, I’m your friend too,” says Aro. “Can Codae be in my squad?” “Do you want to be in Aro’s squad, Codae?” asks Shay. “Yes, please,” replies Codae. ***** [Brant Province, Western Mountain Transit, Planet Darai] “Tickets.” Moeth holds up three tickets for the conductor. “They’re sleeping,” whispers Moeth. The conductor glances at the other two Ravens sitting next to the window and takes the tickets. Moeth watches the conductors eyes carefully and smiles. The man’s eyes flick towards the sleeping Ravens again and scans the tickets. Moeth casually turns her head towards the window… Damn… she couldn’t stop all the blood and some is pooling around one of the Raven’s feet… careless… damn… careless. Does he see the blood? His smile is too forced. The conductor hands Moeth back the three tickets, his hand is trembling slightly. Moeth grabs the man’s wrist and quickly pulls him down and presses her Talon Dagger to his throat. “Please, I have a mate and two hatchlings,” begs the conductor. “I didn’t see anything, I swear, I never see anything… please… Whatever is going on it’s not my business.” Moeth removes her dagger from the man’s throat and quickly makes a cut on his arm. “This blade is poisoned with Ravens Eye,” says Moeth. “It takes forty-five minutes for the poison to kill, and we are only thirty five minutes from Brant Station. You have just enough time to make it to a hospital, if you don’t get yourself and everyone else, along with me, detained for questioning about a murder aboard this train.” The man nods and Moeth lets him go. The conductor rushes off, probably to stand next to the door so he will be the first off the train and on a mad dash for the hospital. The doctors will be somewhat confused over his ramblings when he gets there, Ravens Eye kills nearly instantly - Moeth stopped using poison on her blade when Raen started his campaign to save every orphan on Darai. The hatchlings were far too curious to risk having poison laying around. Moeth looks at the two Raven corpses sitting propped up in the chairs next to the window. She didn’t recognize either one of them, but the fact that they ambushed her here in the train meant Lady Raven might know she was coming. The real concern was how Lady Raven had found out. Was there a spy at the Eagle Cliffs? That was certainly possible with all the newcomers arriving from all over Darai. Or, possibly these two were the Ravens assigned to Brant Province and recognized her on the train and called Lady Raven for instructions. Ravens assigned to a Province often rode the trains back and forth, fishing for information. Train stations were an excellent source of intelligence, it might have just been bad luck - the Ravens intelligence network was nearly infinite in it’s scope. Moeth doubted the two Ravens were part of an Alliance, those were saved for larger assignments. These two had likely never been accepted to an Alliance, if they had they wouldn’t have been assigned to such a remote mountain Province. Either way, it was time to get off the train. Moeth stood and took the two Ravens Talon daggers, then ripped the emergency gold and silver pieces every Raven carried out of the secret pockets in their jackets. It would look like a common mugging, the stab wounds were not expertly placed, and that would help with the ruse. They had surprised Moeth and the fight was on their side, she had been off-balance but they had been sloppy about their attack and a lucky thrust turned the tables. Moeth hoped the Ravens hadn’t reported to Lady Raven first, then it would be possible the Ravens might conclude that it was a simple robbery. If they decided it was a robbery the local criminal element for a hundred miles was in for a very bad time. The Ravens would deploy several Alliances to punish the local criminals. Brant Province would be crime free for months once the Ravens got done. So many possibilities, it was impossible to guess them all - better to leave the train now and assume the Ravens knew she was here. Moeth left the compartment and walked to the back of the train, opened the door, and stepped out on the small platform. She climbed the ladder to the top of the train, smiling as she did. The last time she had crawled on top of a train was when Raen had first gotten his bio-mechanical wings. They had been on their first mission, and that’s when they had met the Sarin Alliance. Moeth spread her wings, caught the wind and lifted into the sky. She wouldn’t be able to find a thermal air current this high in the mountains, which meant she wouldn’t be able to just fly over the mountains. She let the train get far enough ahead of her so that no passengers watching out the windows would see her, and then banked back down the mountain. She was going to have to find another way across the mountains.