Thanks for the feedback, Sugarplum! Also a big thanks to both Tigger and Sugarplum, who have been helping me sketch out this scene for the past few weeks. 
I was busying writing papers (and I still have one more to do!), but I took a break to write this. I needed to write this. However, I warn you that this is a little reflective of the recent paper I wrote about The Iliad by Homer; let's just say, I played a little with the idea of the Ancient Greek warrior. 
Ephane could be Hektor, Animus could be Achilles, and Mave could be our common soldier. *giggle*
***
On the other side of the city, Mave and his group of men prepared the burial wagon for the return of the High Priestess' body from the forest.
The captain of the Animarian Army silently supervised his small group of men as they quickly lined the bottom of the wooden wagon with the softest and lightest hay. Back and forth they went, from the inside of the stables out into the courtyard, where the wagon had been pulled.
Standing next to the wagon, Mave tugged his dark blue cape around himself, covering his newly-changed uniform of white. As soon as he had announced the passing of the High Priestess, one of the first things he did was changed his clothing. The dark, honorable blue was no longer appropriate; the stark and unemotional white reflected the sorrow that had come with Opaline's death.
Beautifully pure, white blankets of wool were brought next by the soldiers and laid over the hay in the cart.
Mave still hadn't totally grasped Opaline's death. Everything was just much too surreal for him. His best friend died and he couldn't save him, now his wife had died and he wasn't able to save her either. He was no best friend; he'd failed Ephane so completely.
Ephane and Mave had been the best of friends. They certainly hadn't grown up together EEphane had ten more years than Mave Ebut they understood each other on a level that surpassed age. They had the strongest devotion to their lives as soldiers, to their kingdom, and to the Wildzords. Not to say that the other men didn't have any devotion, but theirs was on another level. There was never any questioning of what was to be expected of them; they always knew what needed to be done and did it with the greatest of pleasure. Their loyalty to one another, as well as to others, was absolute.
Ten years ago, when Ephane originally ascended to General of the Animarian army, everyone had believed that Mave would take his rightful place as the captain of the army as Ephane's side. However, Animus was chosen instead to become captain and shock colored the entire population of the castle. No one believed Animus had been fit to be captain and thought that Ephane had made an ill decision; eventually, the latter belief was forgotten as Ephane was Ephane, loved by all, but the stigma of having stolen Mave's rightful place in the army haunted Animus and still continued.
Mave never thought ill of the younger man or felt that anything had been stolen from him. Animus was the better soldier at the time, with his unparalleled strategic ability. Mave had never been concerned about receiving glory or feeling honored; being a soldier was his life, not something he did to achieve something greater. It was the only thing he did because he loved it and that was that.
He failed Ephane though; his loyalty had weakened. He couldn't save the woman who had been his best friend's life. The woman for whom he had given his own life. He had been loyal to her to the end. What could Mave say of his own fidelity?
Two older soldiers led two horses out of the stables and began attaching them to the wagon. Another soldier approached the Animarian captain, a folded green cloth in his hands. "Captain?"
"Yes." Mave shifted his gaze from where he was watching the horses to the man before him.
"We're ready to depart for the Wolf Forest to retrieve...the High Priestess," the soldier reported, hesitating for a moment. He held out the folded, dark green material to Mave. "Did you want to hold onto this?"
"I did," Mave replied, taking off the soldier's hands. "Round up the men who went with us last night; a few may be trying to get some sleep. I will go get the Prince, and we'll be off."
***
I was busying writing papers (and I still have one more to do!), but I took a break to write this.
I needed to write this. However, I warn you that this is a little reflective of the recent paper I wrote about The Iliad by Homer; let's just say, I played a little with the idea of the Ancient Greek warrior. Ephane could be Hektor, Animus could be Achilles, and Mave could be our common soldier. *giggle*
***
On the other side of the city, Mave and his group of men prepared the burial wagon for the return of the High Priestess' body from the forest.
The captain of the Animarian Army silently supervised his small group of men as they quickly lined the bottom of the wooden wagon with the softest and lightest hay. Back and forth they went, from the inside of the stables out into the courtyard, where the wagon had been pulled.
Standing next to the wagon, Mave tugged his dark blue cape around himself, covering his newly-changed uniform of white. As soon as he had announced the passing of the High Priestess, one of the first things he did was changed his clothing. The dark, honorable blue was no longer appropriate; the stark and unemotional white reflected the sorrow that had come with Opaline's death.
Beautifully pure, white blankets of wool were brought next by the soldiers and laid over the hay in the cart.
Mave still hadn't totally grasped Opaline's death. Everything was just much too surreal for him. His best friend died and he couldn't save him, now his wife had died and he wasn't able to save her either. He was no best friend; he'd failed Ephane so completely.
Ephane and Mave had been the best of friends. They certainly hadn't grown up together EEphane had ten more years than Mave Ebut they understood each other on a level that surpassed age. They had the strongest devotion to their lives as soldiers, to their kingdom, and to the Wildzords. Not to say that the other men didn't have any devotion, but theirs was on another level. There was never any questioning of what was to be expected of them; they always knew what needed to be done and did it with the greatest of pleasure. Their loyalty to one another, as well as to others, was absolute.
Ten years ago, when Ephane originally ascended to General of the Animarian army, everyone had believed that Mave would take his rightful place as the captain of the army as Ephane's side. However, Animus was chosen instead to become captain and shock colored the entire population of the castle. No one believed Animus had been fit to be captain and thought that Ephane had made an ill decision; eventually, the latter belief was forgotten as Ephane was Ephane, loved by all, but the stigma of having stolen Mave's rightful place in the army haunted Animus and still continued.
Mave never thought ill of the younger man or felt that anything had been stolen from him. Animus was the better soldier at the time, with his unparalleled strategic ability. Mave had never been concerned about receiving glory or feeling honored; being a soldier was his life, not something he did to achieve something greater. It was the only thing he did because he loved it and that was that.
He failed Ephane though; his loyalty had weakened. He couldn't save the woman who had been his best friend's life. The woman for whom he had given his own life. He had been loyal to her to the end. What could Mave say of his own fidelity?
Two older soldiers led two horses out of the stables and began attaching them to the wagon. Another soldier approached the Animarian captain, a folded green cloth in his hands. "Captain?"
"Yes." Mave shifted his gaze from where he was watching the horses to the man before him.
"We're ready to depart for the Wolf Forest to retrieve...the High Priestess," the soldier reported, hesitating for a moment. He held out the folded, dark green material to Mave. "Did you want to hold onto this?"
"I did," Mave replied, taking off the soldier's hands. "Round up the men who went with us last night; a few may be trying to get some sleep. I will go get the Prince, and we'll be off."
***
WhiteZeo
An Oliverette To The End
---
"per se? When did we get into "per se" territory? Are words like "ergo" and "concurrently" looming up ahead?" - Sugarplum in AIM :)
An Oliverette To The End
---
"per se? When did we get into "per se" territory? Are words like "ergo" and "concurrently" looming up ahead?" - Sugarplum in AIM :)
I loved it WhiteZeo! I really did. That was a great working of Mave-y-ness. I dont think you had anything to worry about. You worked your magic, like you always do, and made what you wrote fantastic. ::nods:: Youre awesome! 
)
