For the past hour, the wolf had knelt in meditation.<\/p>\n
It wouldn’t be entirely accurate to call it \u201cprayer,\u201d not in the usual sense. He was not making entreaties, not sealing bargains. He contemplated the deeds of seven entities who had merged to become a single deific amalgam; he considered the acts of heroes who had followed in their footsteps. For his service to their collective name, those Seven gave him power \u2013 but it was his<\/em> mind that dictated the form that power took.<\/p>\n Now his meditation was complete, his purpose clear, and \u2013 most tangibly \u2013 his spells ready. The day’s deeds awaited him.<\/p>\n He rose to his feet and turned to the array of equipment that had been laid out: gambeson, scale armour and leggings, boots, gauntlets, and a polished steel helm. Thus arrayed, he left the cell and strode along the corridors. His mixed blood gave him something of an innate stoop, but so much as he could, he kept his shoulders square and his back straight, standing tall and proud.<\/p>\n The robed priestess at the altar turned to face him and bowed her head. \u201cAh, Varyn, the resolve in your eyes is a sight to behold,\u201d the ageing fox said with a smile. \u201cIt almost makes me wish I’d sought the more active life myself.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou’ve taught me a great deal, Lynnara,\u201d the wolf replied, bowing. \u201cI can only hope I’ve learned enough of it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour heart will guide you the rest of the way,\u201d she said, shaking her head. \u201cI’ve always been glad to share my books with you, and my insights into them, but you’re too restless to sit in the library forever. You’ve the strength and vigour to do<\/em> great deeds, instead of just reading<\/em> about them. I’m glad to see you ready to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNow, Lynnara.\u201d Varyn smiled, kneeling down to bring his face more on a level with hers. \u201cI think the people of Delan’s Mill would say you did a great deed for them.\u201d<\/p>\n She waved it aside. \u201cFor our lot, no sickness of this world is a threat to our lives, however devastating it can be without divine aid. But my spellcraft won’t do much good against bandits like the ones that are in the guardhouse now.\u201d<\/p>\n The wolf smiled broader and dipped his head, acknowledging her example. \u201cWe each serve as we can. You<\/em> taught me that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as you’ve learned it well, I have something for you.\u201d She gestured for him to follow, and went to one side of the little chapel, lifting the lid on a great storage chest. \u201cIt was left here twelve years ago by a man who’d carried it to battle against a necromancer. He wanted it to pass to a new owner in time, and I think that time has come.\u201d With both hands she lifted something from the chest, long and swathed in wool.<\/p>\n Lifting it and turning the cloth back, he unveiled a fine flanged mace, well-tended and gleaming.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ll use it well,\u201d he promised, sliding the haft through a belt hoop. \u201cAnd when I’ve outgrown it, I’ll pass it on in turn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, good. And what now, Varyn?\u201d<\/p>\n The wolf tugged his cloak around his shoulders, fastening it with a heptacle brooch. \u201cI will find friends,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd then we will find someone who needs<\/em> friends.\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to the door, and the fox smiled after him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With his training complete and a few good deeds to his name, Varyn prepares to set out on his own for the first time, and receives a gift from one who came before him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dd-slash","tag-flash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}