A cold slab welcomes our approach, pieces of fragile granite chip beneath us. Aged from decades of worshipers mounting the same path. I turn a gentle eye to my daughter, attempting to catch her soft ivory face and lock upon a gaze that mirrored that of my mate. "Thee grandsire, my Da, brought me to holy places when I was young." Tis tradition; a passage I'd continuously attempt to carry on.

Our aim upon this sadly wasted stone wasn't only ceremonial, nay, I'd come to seek aid for a job that was too difficult to be completed alone.

Earth charged me with the safety of his land, sons and daughters. A task that was weighing heavily upon my mind. The herd was growing tired of the games our Northern neighbors are continuously playing from the shadows. Over and over their spies crept into our mist, stealing and robbing us of security, privacy. Unprovoked they came. Ghost cautioned that there would be consequences if we remained silent.

Anger would cause our family to begin to act out without the blessing of their leaders. Basin's wounded pride and poor reaction to the word nay, was going too far. They would place the lives of their kin upon the line, all for the sake of tending to an invisible wound. I'd shown tolerance. patience. Attempted to set an example of peace by offering terms of mutual tranquility. Each owner to his or her own land -- neither bothering the realm of the other.

______

Yon alter stands a vacant skeleton; the main tome was fractured and broken. Tis a faint shadow of former glories. Luminous flowers still bloom upon his threshold, a hopeful sign of astral presence and mercy. Heavily my crown slips low, the force of a breath brushes the gathered dust from one fragile leaf, "So much has changed since then." Hototo. I saw him in every plant, tree -- Ranjiri, and Cera...Lids momentarily seal across my vision as the memory of what we lost darkens previously soft features. A sigh that sounded more like a groan, resonates as my throbbing heart pinches painfully somewhere deep inside its cavern.

Carefully, I bow to the slat and move my foot firmly upon it. Pure gold swamps before me like water; I summon the pliable element to action. Thin threads weave together, they twist and bend. Eventually those strands form a resemblance to a flower; mimicking the tiny flora that littered this holy place. Did he know? I wondered quietly. Would my dead son see how carefully this mind did place the untarnished tribute to lay among his flowers. Would his ears hear the sad song that played in this heart as it yet sang for him and Seele.

Africa. My gaze slips to her. Grief and sadness fade to one of compassion. This dark muzzle stretches across the span between us, wordlessly encouraging them to stand beside me.

Word count: 488
OOC: Using my Veins pass for a herd quest.
@[Africa]