[Artemisia] Fw: [SCA_Coursing] The Celestial Pack XII

[Sondra Gibson]

That's a beautiful story, but a real tear jerker.  

Gefjon
(who lost her almost 14 yr old malamute a week ago - so is probably overly
sensitive to the topic)  

> 
> This is so touching and so worth reading, I just had to 
> share. Each time
> THL Samira hears of the passing of a great SCA hound, she 
> makes another
> announcement, each with its own story.
> Yasmeena
> 
> Mu'allemah Yasmeena, OL, OP, Cd'O, etc. 
> "The Equestrian Mistress"
> Minister of the Royal Stables of Artemisia 
> Mounted Companion of the Lance of St. Anne 
> http://lanceofstanne.homestead.com/yasmeena.html
> 
> --------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: "Edie" <e.bain at att.net>
> To: SCA_Coursing at yahoogroups.com
> Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 02:31:01 -0000
> Subject: [SCA_Coursing] The Celestial Pack XII
> 
> 
> "What on earth are you doing", asked Osis of Jafar, as he wandered 
> into the throne room.
> 
> "Oh, just playing with various hunting scenarios," replied Jafar, as 
> he moved an archer from one place to another. "I'm thinking there 
> must be a safe way to do a bow and stable hunt. The problem is, the 
> hounds are so keen that they may break away from the fewterers and 
> become inadvertent targets for the archers." 
> 
> Osis bent over the board and peered at the small figures. "What if 
> one put a fence between the archers and the fewterers.....Hark! Is that 
> the Horn that sounds?" he asked, as the notes of the "Retraite" 
> sounded, and yet sounded again.
> 
> "Aye, it is," Jafar replied with pain in his voice. "It has been many 
> months since we have heard its call. I was hoping-against hope, I 
> know-that we had heard its last peal."
> 
> Master Johannes strode into the throne room. "Good Sires," said 
> he, "You knowest that, as long as Your Hounds abide on Earth and in 
> the Dream, that the Horn will continue to sound. For It is the sad 
> truth, that hounds' lives be measured in months, whilst those of 
> their keepers be measured in years. Thus was it ever thus: A good 
> fewterer may know many fine hounds during his lifetime, although one 
> or two may stand out in his memory as beyond the best. Still, even 
> those best will not outlive him. This is the price one pays for 
> taking such noble beasts into one's heart."
> 
> Jafar closed His eyes in pain. "Well doth I know this," he 
> replied, "for have not I lost everything I have loved in life, yet be 
> condemned to feel My subjects' losses as Mine own?"
> 
> "No less than Mine," retorted Osis, "although, My Kingdom being newer 
> than Yours, My losses are not so great."
> 
> "Nor mine," answered Johannes. "Although I was never a King, more 
> Meridian hounds have passed than from any other Kingdom. I say this 
> truly...each of us feels each loss as if it were our own, no matter 
> from which Kingdom it comes. The hounds that come this day, however, 
> are none of mine."
> 
> "Nor Mine," Answered Jafar and Osis, in unison. "They must come from 
> one of the newer Realms."
> 
> "Wherever they come from, they are Ours for the Keeping," Osis 
> said. "Let Us go and greet them, as befits true Kings."
> 
> Nodding, Jafar and Johannes fell in at Osis' heels. As they made 
> their way to the Rainbow Bride, the rest of the Celestial Pack fell 
> in behind them. However, instead of Duncan, the pack leader, being in 
> the vanguard, the forward position was taken by Sunni, Cutie and 
> Swift, followed closely by Lucy and Aiden. As they made their way to 
> the meeting place, a thousand hushed voices seemed to echo, "NAM 
> MYOHO RENGE KYO", over and over.
> 
> Suddenly, as if by magic, Sunni and Cutie appeared at Osis' and 
> Jafar's sides, each bearing a rabbit, untouched to all appearances.
> 
> "Ah," said Jafar, having been through this before, "an offering to 
> the Gods. Take heed, Osis...yon rabbit will not be long by thee."
> 
> Osis cradled the dead rabbit in His hands, as did Jafar, as they 
> approached the Rainbow Bridge. On the far side was a black greyhound, 
> grizzled about the muzzle, and hunched over, as if in pain in the 
> belly. Behind her crouched a large brindle male greyhound, in obvious 
> pain from a hind leg.
> 
> "Whose are these hounds?"asked Johannes. 
> 
> "Not Mine." "Nor yet Mine," answered the two Kings.
> 
> "Then it is to me that greeting them falls," answered the Master 
> Huntsman, striding across the Bridge.
> 
> As Johannes reached the other side, the black gyp did not bow in 
> obeisance, but stood, as one equal to another. Smiling, Johannes 
> placed his left hand on her forehead,
> 
> "Kievey," he said, "one of the first Hounds of An Tir. Be ye welcome 
> here. There are already some of your comrades to welcome thee. And 
> your friend is...?"
> 
> Kievey turned and nuzzled the brindle's shoulder.
> 
> "Riley!" exclaimed Johannes. "Long have we wondered where you were. I 
> do understand that the previous An Tiran hounds were not known to 
> thee. I commend thee for waiting for Kievey to join you."
> 
> Johannes extended his hand to both the waiting hounds. Slowly and 
> painfully, they came and stood by his side. Supporting both of them, 
> he recrossed the Bridge to where Osis and Jafar stood.
> 
> "My Lieges," said he, "I bring you two of Your Hounds. Kievey, who 
> coursed for many years on earth for the glory of An Tir. And Riley, 
> who was the First Hound of An Tir. Unfortunately, his people lost 
> sight of the Dream. He, however, has found his way to Us, and wishes 
> to be part of the Celestial Pack."
> 
> Osis and Jafar traded a quick glance, then Osis stepped forward.
> 
> "We welcome you," he said, "for all the hounds that have coursed for 
> the Dream are welcome here."
> 
> Suddenly, the rabbits that Osis and Jafar held leapt back to life and 
> ran off, with no hound pursuing them.
> 
> "The exchange has been made," said Johannes. "A life for a 
> life...these hounds have been ransomed by their comrades,"
> 
> "Hounds of the Celestial Pack," asked Jafar, "will thee come forth 
> and welcome your new Packmates?"
> 
> One by one, the hounds of the Celestial Pack came forth as their 
> names were called:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "Aces High, of Midrealm"
> "Aiden, of Calontir"
> 
> 
> "A-Me-Go, of Midrealm"
> "Ariel, of Meridies"
> "Belle, of Ansteorra"
> "Belle, of Midrealm"
> "Bernie, of Meridies"
> "Blackout, of Atlantia"
> "Bo, of Midrealm"
> "Brodie, of Atlantia"
> "Browning, of Meridies"
> "By Choice, of Meridies"
> "Carl-Ten, of Meridies"
> "Chris, of Meridies"
> "Colt, of Meridies"
> "Cutie, of An Tir"
> "Damon Fox, of Meridies"
> "Digger, of Trimaris"
> "Dixie, of Meridies"
> "Duncan, of Midrealm"
> "Emily, of Atlantia"
> "Erromani, of AEthelmearc"
> "Et Cetera, of Meridies"
> "Frankie, of Midrealm"
> "General, of Midrealm" 
> "Gryphon, of Midrealm"
> "Harmony, of Meridies"
> "John Moore, of Meridies"
> "Lookin, of Trimaris"
> "Lucy, of Calontir"
> "Madeline, of Artemesia"
> "Magic, of Meridies"
> "Missy, of Meridies" 
> "Muskrat, of Meridies"
> "Myra, of Ansteorra"
> "Pat-C, of Midrealm"
> "Pattycake, of Atlantia"
> "Pest, of Artemesia"
> "Ross, of Meridies"
> "Scooter, of Meridies"
> "Seeger Rock, of Meridies"
> "Sha-Kar, of Ansteorra"
> "Sheba, of AEthelmearc"
> "Sissy-B, of Midrealm"
> "Splash, of Meridies"
> "Storm, of Meridies"
> "Streaker, of Ansteorra"
> "Stumah, of AEthelmearc"
> "Sugar Sweety, of Meridies"
> "Sunni, of An Tir"
> "Swift, of Midrealm"
> "Tasha, of Midrealm"
> "Tucker, of Meridies" 
> "Velvet, of Midrealm"
> "Zima, of Ansteorra".
> 
> As Zima, the last hound, touched noses with the two newcomers, they 
> grew in stature: Riley's cancerous leg became whole and strong, and 
> Kievey lost all signs of the cancer that had ravaged her intestinal 
> tract. 
> 
> As Riley stood and stretched the leg that had failed him in the end, 
> Jafar laughed in gladness.
> 
> "A happy day it is, to see Our hounds made well and strong again," he 
> said. "I know your people on earth grieve for thee, but if they could 
> only see you run here, they would cry in joy. For here, Thee art made 
> young and strong again, and so wilt thee be until you meet again with 
> the ones who loved you best."
> 
> And HOWL, O Hounds!! Howl unto the Heavens, for the passing of an 
> era. The two First Hounds of An Tir have come to join their comrades 
> in the Celestial Pack. Here they will sit at the Gods' Great Table, 
> and prepare for us a place for the time when we join them.
> 
> THL Samira Umm' al Harith
> October 25, AS XXXIX
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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