Post by Ursarius on Sept 21, 2013 1:25:20 GMT -6
"The Fateful Decision of Ursarius"
By Sylver Snowlynx
Sylver slowly walked through the trees of his favorite forest, his head hung low. She had made her choice, and he would abide by her decision no matter how much it pained him. Ursa was now lost to Clan Akinishto, and Zume and Sylver would have to go on without her.
Ursarius Burdenkeeper, a true warrior in hiding. Hiding behind a cloak of her own making, having condemned herself to a lesser existence by one fateful decision. Sylver had been watching Ursa for a long time from afar, his lynx sense keen to an unbridled power barely contained beneath the surface. It was on that fateful day when Ursa attacked the Watchers that Sylver recognized her true potential. It wasn't the way that she fought, although she had demonstrated much skill in the martial arts. No, it was the ferocity of her attack, the single-mindedness with which she undertook the mission, the ability to see it through to the end. When she followed a line of thinking, nothing could distract her. She was full of rage, but she was able to channel that rage to accomplish an end. She had the makings of control, that most essential ingredient required to turn rage and anger into something of great use.
Ursa's home had been threatened and she fought back. Those close to her were put in danger, and she took up arms without even flinching. She believed in fighting on principle, and she was fierce and determined when she put herself to it. Sylver saw in her the potential to accomplish great things, and he had foreseen that she would be able to do this in the name of Wildgard and of Nature herself. Ursa could understand the mandate of Clan Akinishto, for the same threat of uncontrolled civilization and population growth that threatened Wildgard was also threatening her ancestral home in the Dauntamontis Range. She knew the destruction that would follow. She would have the same rage and fear that Zume and Sylver shared, and she could understand the need to channel that anger into productive action. She was the ideal candidate for initiation into Clan Akinishto, the force that would one day change the course of the future in the Wild Lands.
But this was not to be - Sylver's dream was shattered. Billy had won this one, and Sylver didn't even put up a fight. His head sunk even lower into his paws. Sylver still didn't really know what was motivating Billy and what he hoped to accomplish in the Wild Lands, but it didn't matter. He was convinced that Ursa was just a stone's throw from greatness; all she needed was to focus and be free of the distractions of the world for a period of training and meditation on their cause. But the whole Urstrid scenario had made it impossible for Ursa to dedicate herself to this cause, and there was no way Clan Akinishto could welcome an initiate with split loyalties, particularly when one of those loyalties was to a questionable character whose true motives remained unknown to Sylver and Zume. The entire mission of Clan Akinishto would be at risk if Billy could exert influence over its prime fighter.
Of course, Ursarius didn't understand. She had said to Sylver, "Many warriors can balance both family and cause", and she was right. But Sylver was no fool - this was clearly not any ordinary family. He saw the eyes that Ursa had for Billy, how she held on his every word, how torn she was in loyalty to him, and especially how Billy was the one thing that seemed to be able to distract Ursa from a greater cause. Was Urstrid their child? He really suspected not, but in the end it made no difference. As long as Urstrid was in the picture, Ursa's tie to Billy would always be there; it would always cause Sylver and Zume to question who was really pulling the strings. There was definitely no way they would give Billy access to this kind of power; turning Ursa into a focused fighting machine, only to have Billy calling the shots. That wasn't going to happen.
Zume's response to this had been even more shocking. She said that maybe Ursa wasn't meant to be, and that it would be for the better in the big picture if Ursa didn't join the Clan Akinishto movement. It was cold and harsh, but maybe she was right; maybe fate was behind this turn of events. Maybe it was the universe's way of telling Sylver that Ursa wasn't meant to fight for her homeland and for the greater cause of Nature. Maybe she was just a fleeting hope, a glimpse of what might have been.
And maybe this fated encounter with Ursa was the wings of the butterfly that set things into motion that were meant to be. After all, it had to be more than fate on the wind, such that Sylver and Zume met this other person while walking back from that disturbing confrontation with Billy and Ursa where she had made her choice. Maybe Ursa had already played her role in Clan Akinishto and it was time to move on to the next chapter of the story...
By Sylver Snowlynx
Sylver slowly walked through the trees of his favorite forest, his head hung low. She had made her choice, and he would abide by her decision no matter how much it pained him. Ursa was now lost to Clan Akinishto, and Zume and Sylver would have to go on without her.
Ursarius Burdenkeeper, a true warrior in hiding. Hiding behind a cloak of her own making, having condemned herself to a lesser existence by one fateful decision. Sylver had been watching Ursa for a long time from afar, his lynx sense keen to an unbridled power barely contained beneath the surface. It was on that fateful day when Ursa attacked the Watchers that Sylver recognized her true potential. It wasn't the way that she fought, although she had demonstrated much skill in the martial arts. No, it was the ferocity of her attack, the single-mindedness with which she undertook the mission, the ability to see it through to the end. When she followed a line of thinking, nothing could distract her. She was full of rage, but she was able to channel that rage to accomplish an end. She had the makings of control, that most essential ingredient required to turn rage and anger into something of great use.
Ursa's home had been threatened and she fought back. Those close to her were put in danger, and she took up arms without even flinching. She believed in fighting on principle, and she was fierce and determined when she put herself to it. Sylver saw in her the potential to accomplish great things, and he had foreseen that she would be able to do this in the name of Wildgard and of Nature herself. Ursa could understand the mandate of Clan Akinishto, for the same threat of uncontrolled civilization and population growth that threatened Wildgard was also threatening her ancestral home in the Dauntamontis Range. She knew the destruction that would follow. She would have the same rage and fear that Zume and Sylver shared, and she could understand the need to channel that anger into productive action. She was the ideal candidate for initiation into Clan Akinishto, the force that would one day change the course of the future in the Wild Lands.
But this was not to be - Sylver's dream was shattered. Billy had won this one, and Sylver didn't even put up a fight. His head sunk even lower into his paws. Sylver still didn't really know what was motivating Billy and what he hoped to accomplish in the Wild Lands, but it didn't matter. He was convinced that Ursa was just a stone's throw from greatness; all she needed was to focus and be free of the distractions of the world for a period of training and meditation on their cause. But the whole Urstrid scenario had made it impossible for Ursa to dedicate herself to this cause, and there was no way Clan Akinishto could welcome an initiate with split loyalties, particularly when one of those loyalties was to a questionable character whose true motives remained unknown to Sylver and Zume. The entire mission of Clan Akinishto would be at risk if Billy could exert influence over its prime fighter.
Of course, Ursarius didn't understand. She had said to Sylver, "Many warriors can balance both family and cause", and she was right. But Sylver was no fool - this was clearly not any ordinary family. He saw the eyes that Ursa had for Billy, how she held on his every word, how torn she was in loyalty to him, and especially how Billy was the one thing that seemed to be able to distract Ursa from a greater cause. Was Urstrid their child? He really suspected not, but in the end it made no difference. As long as Urstrid was in the picture, Ursa's tie to Billy would always be there; it would always cause Sylver and Zume to question who was really pulling the strings. There was definitely no way they would give Billy access to this kind of power; turning Ursa into a focused fighting machine, only to have Billy calling the shots. That wasn't going to happen.
Zume's response to this had been even more shocking. She said that maybe Ursa wasn't meant to be, and that it would be for the better in the big picture if Ursa didn't join the Clan Akinishto movement. It was cold and harsh, but maybe she was right; maybe fate was behind this turn of events. Maybe it was the universe's way of telling Sylver that Ursa wasn't meant to fight for her homeland and for the greater cause of Nature. Maybe she was just a fleeting hope, a glimpse of what might have been.
And maybe this fated encounter with Ursa was the wings of the butterfly that set things into motion that were meant to be. After all, it had to be more than fate on the wind, such that Sylver and Zume met this other person while walking back from that disturbing confrontation with Billy and Ursa where she had made her choice. Maybe Ursa had already played her role in Clan Akinishto and it was time to move on to the next chapter of the story...