Above the Keep, Volume 26

Above the Keep - By Lorelai Silvermoon Volume 26

When they break into groups, MJ leaves Cornaith Galaos, Firroth, Elbeth Vesah and Thethra to run through their own practice session while she and Tryphena once again take Connor Black, Ryriszu, Jack Thompson and Maroven aside. This time they start drilling the partners on bow work in the air.

Today, they focus on placing the arrows while rushing about. How to not shoot into the forward motion, and to gauge how the arrow will land in the rush of battle. Tryphena helps the dragons learn how to place the riders for good strikes.

As they gather at the end and Cole turns the 'floor' over to MJ, she dismounts from Tryphena and approaches the space Cole occupies, as he retreats. She turns solemn hazel eyes on the group and looks them over quietly for a long moment.

Eventually she takes a breath and begins, "There was once a time in my life I had a great decision to make. I had to decide whether to live my life seeking revenge or not. Someone I held very dear to me was murdered."

MJ pauses to let that thought hang in the air, "I though long and hard about the idea, that I could continue to live my life seeking out the murderer. I could track. I could hunt. I could be consumed by the act - the desire- for revenge for vengeance."

MJ takes another breath and closes her eyes reliving the moment, "I knew I could decide to be filled with hate maybe for the rest of my life."

"Indeed," MJ's eyes open un-characteristically hard, meeting everyone's gaze each in turn with an uncanny, for MJ, focus, "... it was a ~choice~ ... a decision."

She lets that thought be absorbed before she takes another breath and lets it out and then crosses her arms and shakes her head, "I could not choose that. I could not choose to be consumed by hate, by the desire for revenge, for the desire for vengeance. Seeking these things would only mean I was letting them come into this world in even greater volume then before. My heart told me that this was not good. Not good for me, not good for the world."

MJ closes her eyes again and continues in a sorrowful tone, "I would be sowing hate and vengeance and reaping the same."

"Now," MJ opens her eyes again still sad, "I am certain by now, you are wondering what has this got to do with the Dragonwatch and it is this - what are we fighting for?"

MJ looks sadly from one to the next. "I hope in my heart of hearts, we are not fighting for revenge, vengeance or hate. We have indeed lost much to Truth and Raven and their allies and constructs. But I think what we really need to be fighting for is for the people caught between our warriors. Those that cannot defend themselves. The creatures that walk the fields and forests around us. I think if we forget them, if we lose sight of them - of the people we are really standing up for, then I think we will have lost deeply and greatly against Truth whether or not we defeat her in battle.

"I hope we continue to fight for the greater good, because O'Ma teaches us to fight for good to maintain the balance. Evil is easy, sit back and it will take over. Let our souls reflect hate and vengeance and evil wins. Let us instead stand for a united front against the darkness, to hold back the cold, to stay the tide of evil so that it will not tip the scales in its favor. Let us be the mirror of goodness, kindness, mercy even when we raise our swords against our sworn enemies ... yes even then and yes ...."

MJ once again looks from pair of eyes to pair of eyes, she takes her time, missing only those who will not meet her own eyes, shinning with either tears of sadness or joy, it is difficult to tell ... "Yes, my friends, it is a choice. Thank-you for listening."

MJ cedes the 'floor' with a nod of gratitude to Cole.