D
Dor of Sonoma
Guest
A few months back, we of the Siege Perilous Road Crew had occasion to travel to Beldin Brightaxe's tavern (The Bloody Battleaxe) on Origin. Ever eager to promote the Siege Perilous community and storytelling in general, Aeric accompanied us with several of his guild members, and presented a tale that he had writ for the occasion - following an introduction by the esteemed Hoffs:
<blockquote><hr>
Hoffs: "To start things off, I would like to introduce our first speaker. He is a well-known personality on Siege, and a former Knight of the Silver Serpent. He now leads a growing community on Siege who have a wonderful town in the lands to the east of Luna. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please salute...the Mythic Aeric Horn!"
Aeric Horn of [MYTH] stepped up. "You are most kind. Tonight I wish to tell a tale called 'The Suspicious Grasshopper'.
"Long ago... in old Stonehaven, when I was just a boy...a valuable lesson was taught to me by an unlikely teacher. In those days Stonehaven was very different than it is now; hills, water where the void is now, much laughter. Now it is a dry and broken land... inhabited by evil ones...but that is a story for another night.
Stonehaven is the village of my birth. When I was a very young boy... my mother, Hilda, would wake me early in the morning to begin my chores and studies. In my sixth year, as the seasons began to change from Fall to Winter, I remember awaking one morning and looking out the window. My bed was closest to the fireplace, and the window by my bed looked out past the stone chimney to the sea. I could sit for hours and gaze out at the water...something so intriquing about an endless horizon.
I was sitting mesmerized... watching the fog lift away when a small bit of motion on the chimney drew my attention. Hidden against the old gray stone of the chimney was the largest grasshopper I had seen in all my six years! As any young boy... I was fascinated by insects...I rushed outside to get a closer look, getting very close... interested in every shiny, spikey, armored detail. The grasshopper waved his antennae at me, and then... to my surprise.... he spoke!
"Fine weather we're havin... wouldn't ya say!?"
I was more than a little surprised...but only as a young child is...who doesn't know that magic is out of the ordinary. "Yes mister Hopper! But momma says Winter is coming soon."
"Winter? Hmmph! What be this Winter?"
"It gets very cold, and all the leaves fall from the trees."
"It was cooler than normal last night...but I have found this warm place. I am the oldest grasshopper in the meadow...I have never seen this thing called Winter."
"It is coming... it will get very cold. You should come inside with me so you will be safe." I said.
"Nonsense! You are trying to trap me with an old wive's tale! One step closer and I will hop away!"
So I left the grasshopper alone. But each morning I went out to talk to him... to try to convince him to come inside, to no avail. Every night... it grew a bit colder... until finally one morning I was awoken by my very excited mother, "Aeric! Wake up! It's snowing!"
I jumped up and wiped the condensation from the window by my bed. The familiar view was completely changed...the long horizon across the sea was gone, replaced by large feathery snowflakes. Mister Hopper!
I ran out to the chimney... still in my barefeet, and nightshirt...my mother running screaming behind me. I looked to the spot where Mister Hopper had clung for weeks... he was gone. I knelt and brushed some snow away...and there he was, still and lifeless. My mother quieted when she saw the small creature...and that I had tears in my eyes. "He wouldn't come inside momma!"
"What do you mean Aeric?"
"He didn't believe in Winter...and thought he'd be safe on the chimney."
Hilda looked at her son quietly for a moment...worrying that he was touched in the head... but decided that he just had a very vivid imagination. "Son... some creatures never prepare for the cold. But the cold always comes eventually."
We buried Mister Hopper... and I have remembered his lesson to this day. The cold wind eventually blows on us all."
[/ QUOTE ]
<blockquote><hr>
Hoffs: "To start things off, I would like to introduce our first speaker. He is a well-known personality on Siege, and a former Knight of the Silver Serpent. He now leads a growing community on Siege who have a wonderful town in the lands to the east of Luna. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please salute...the Mythic Aeric Horn!"
Aeric Horn of [MYTH] stepped up. "You are most kind. Tonight I wish to tell a tale called 'The Suspicious Grasshopper'.
"Long ago... in old Stonehaven, when I was just a boy...a valuable lesson was taught to me by an unlikely teacher. In those days Stonehaven was very different than it is now; hills, water where the void is now, much laughter. Now it is a dry and broken land... inhabited by evil ones...but that is a story for another night.
Stonehaven is the village of my birth. When I was a very young boy... my mother, Hilda, would wake me early in the morning to begin my chores and studies. In my sixth year, as the seasons began to change from Fall to Winter, I remember awaking one morning and looking out the window. My bed was closest to the fireplace, and the window by my bed looked out past the stone chimney to the sea. I could sit for hours and gaze out at the water...something so intriquing about an endless horizon.
I was sitting mesmerized... watching the fog lift away when a small bit of motion on the chimney drew my attention. Hidden against the old gray stone of the chimney was the largest grasshopper I had seen in all my six years! As any young boy... I was fascinated by insects...I rushed outside to get a closer look, getting very close... interested in every shiny, spikey, armored detail. The grasshopper waved his antennae at me, and then... to my surprise.... he spoke!
"Fine weather we're havin... wouldn't ya say!?"
I was more than a little surprised...but only as a young child is...who doesn't know that magic is out of the ordinary. "Yes mister Hopper! But momma says Winter is coming soon."
"Winter? Hmmph! What be this Winter?"
"It gets very cold, and all the leaves fall from the trees."
"It was cooler than normal last night...but I have found this warm place. I am the oldest grasshopper in the meadow...I have never seen this thing called Winter."
"It is coming... it will get very cold. You should come inside with me so you will be safe." I said.
"Nonsense! You are trying to trap me with an old wive's tale! One step closer and I will hop away!"
So I left the grasshopper alone. But each morning I went out to talk to him... to try to convince him to come inside, to no avail. Every night... it grew a bit colder... until finally one morning I was awoken by my very excited mother, "Aeric! Wake up! It's snowing!"
I jumped up and wiped the condensation from the window by my bed. The familiar view was completely changed...the long horizon across the sea was gone, replaced by large feathery snowflakes. Mister Hopper!
I ran out to the chimney... still in my barefeet, and nightshirt...my mother running screaming behind me. I looked to the spot where Mister Hopper had clung for weeks... he was gone. I knelt and brushed some snow away...and there he was, still and lifeless. My mother quieted when she saw the small creature...and that I had tears in my eyes. "He wouldn't come inside momma!"
"What do you mean Aeric?"
"He didn't believe in Winter...and thought he'd be safe on the chimney."
Hilda looked at her son quietly for a moment...worrying that he was touched in the head... but decided that he just had a very vivid imagination. "Son... some creatures never prepare for the cold. But the cold always comes eventually."
We buried Mister Hopper... and I have remembered his lesson to this day. The cold wind eventually blows on us all."
[/ QUOTE ]