Quiet Courage

7

Kain smirked as he led Cienn through the undergrowth in the fading light of the seaside twilight.

"I swear Kain, if they find me tomorrow morning hanging from a tree I will haunt you until the day you die. And then I will see to it that the Goddess has you buried in the side of a very, very deep mountain to be nibbled on by angry moles for the rest of your afterlife." Cienn said warily as he was pulled along, though he knew the likelihood of that was slim, it was becoming easier and more fun to toy with Kain's strings. Egging him on had become something of a sport.

"Quite the vivid imagination our young medium has. Did you ever think that maybe I just wanted to show you something for once pretty boy?" Cienn bristled at the pet name and yanked his hand back from Kain's grasp with a scowl.

"What did I say about that name?" he warned bitterly, and was only further frustrated by Kain's knowing smirk. The mage didn't reply but rather pulled aside the reeds they were currently ensconced behind. "Where are we?" he asked, the laughter and lights that heralded the small port town now revealed.

"Welcome back to Port Cullis Cienn, the only port in Sundast that is still owned by the rebel forces." Kain said with a gesture and a bow. Cienn only frowned.

"Why are we here then?" he asked, more confused by this revelation than comforted.

"We'll be coming here again tomorrow morning to board a ship for Rodari, but some little skink told me you had only ever been to one festival." He smiled. "Its time for you to see what a true celebration of Beltane is. Come on!" Cienn yelped as Kain pulled him up onto the street and they were suddenly in a new world. Cienn had almost forgotten the festival he'd been to in the City, but while there were a few similar things to both festivals, this one was far more fantastical. Cienn forgot all about his frustrations with Kain as the mage led the way down the street showing Cienn this and that about the festival. The people of this town seemed so much more content with life, even though they were clearly under more threat, and as such there was so much more happiness at this festival. There were no sounds of bar fights and angry arguments. No long chants in dead languages and endless processions of priests.

Cienn asked Kain about the complete lack of structure to this ceremony. Kain chuckled. "The Gods don't like that kind of thing when you're thanking them. There are other times for seriousness with Them, just like in real life. This entire festival is in their honor. Every story, every act tonight is telling some story about the Gods and their exploits. Every movement of the festival and its people is an offering, a way of thanking the Gods for what we've been given; life, love, happiness, death, pain, joy, prosperity, the world itself. Just by living today we show the Gods' our thanks. That's what worship is about Cienn, not about ancient chants and endless rituals." Cienn had never thought about it like that.

They bought sweet fried dough from a vendor whom Cienn swore had a tail and watched Wild and Water Elementals cavort with dolphins in the bay. It was spectacular to see the water of the Elementals as they jumped in and out of the water. The way it shimmered in the late suns rays and seemed to hang suspended longer than the rest of the spray, before they fell back into their bodies. Cienn couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so much.

Kain pulled Cienn up to a tent that held a game of chance. The idea was to throw bladders full of water at a target on the other end of the tent. The closer you got to the bull's eye the better the prize. Kain smirked and pushed up his sleeves. He took a bladder from the vendor and gauged up the distance. With a small grunt he let the bladder fly, shattering on the inner ring of the target in a blast of water and pig flesh.

"Nice," Cienn said, and pushed Kain aside. He grabbed his own bladder from the vendor and lined up to shoot. Taking a deep breath, he centered fully on the target and let fly. The bladder exploded on the bull's eye. Cienn crossed his arms and looked smugly over at Kain, who's mouth was hung slightly agape in surprise. He closed it when the vendor handed him a giant stuffed dragon.