Tassadar goes and checks the body if its still alive or dead.
"I'm so sorry, little one..." He tells the leopard. "Your mistress is gone."
'How do you make an animal understand that she won't be coming back?'
"Aeden - see if you can do anything about this," Tassadar sighs heavily, as he gestures at the body.
Poor girl, Flouncy mourns. At least the cat managed to kill some of the goblins, it seems. Maybe it wants to kill some more?
"I had an uncle that died a couple of years ago. I remember everything. Aeden will still have to do the ritual, but we can prepare the body. Goldus, please create some water. As much as you can. Flouncy, please find some clean linen."
Flouncy does as Jared says, looking for something suitable.
Goldus sniffed and whipped a tear away from his cheek quickly.
poor little soul
I’ll need as a big a container as I can find Goldus said looking round to see what was available.
Goldus goes to work conjuring up enough water to fill the pail, will this be sufficient? he asks taking a step back from the pail.
"Yes. We have to wash all the dirt and blood off the body. Then wrap her in linen. Then, we need to build a raised wooden platform, then pile wood beneath it."
Flouncy goes back to work, finding wood for the platform and fire.
"We usually set the pyre alight then ask for Odin to welcome her to his halls in Valhalla." Tassadar remarks."I hate being at funerals. You know that person isn't coming back."
Aeden says sadly, "All I can do now is send her soul on its way." She looks about the supplies at hand and says, "Traditionally, a funeral pyre would be appropriate. I will see to the preparation of the body."
The priestess removes her pack and carefully lifts the body, taken too soon, and looks for a sheltered place to set her down. Dabbing a cloth in water from her waterskin, the priestess carefully cleans the body, removing blood, dirt, and signs of the struggles of life, while the rest of the group helps to build the platform and pyre.
Once the child is cleaned, Aeden tears several pieces of clothing into strips and wraps the body in linens. She starts at the feet and works her way up until the small form is completely covered, almost mummified.
She pauses for a moment and bows her head, then lifts the child again and places her on the wooden pyre.
"A torch, please," she says. "If one of you would be so good as to send her spirit on its way."
Jared lights a torch and ignites the wood beneath.
Jared begins digging a pit for the bones that the fire didn't consume. After about an hour, the pit is done.
Aeden stays by the fireside, and intones mournfully, "Aurora Starshine, we return the soul of this child, whose name is known only to you, to be by your side in that far off place. As this child leaves, keep watch over all those that knew her."
A bit surprised by the ghost, she runs a hand over the cat's head and scratches its cheeks as the girl makes her wishes known. She nods softly and watches as the fire burns away the remains.
Finally, once the fire has run its course, she says, "That which has not burned away should now be returned to the earth." She gives Jared a thankful glance, as he was mindful enough to prepare a grave.
Jared, while still in the grave, receives the bones and reverently lays them flat. He climbs out and begins putting the dirt back, taking another hour. When finished, he drives a simple stake into the ground at the head of the grave. "We can place a stone marker here, later."
Tassadar dutifully intones, ”May she be in a better place.” He then helps Jared carry the body into the grave.
"We'll take care of Tasselfoot."Tassadar reassures the spirit.'Hopefully she can rest in peace.'
"Sorry little one, your mistress is gone now. We'll never be able to replace her, but we can offer you opportunities for revenge. You in?" He asks Tasselfoot.
"I really hate funerals. They remind you of your own mortality." Tassadar gives a huge sigh, as if preparing himself for something unpleasant. 'Might as well get over and done with it, won't you? You don't want to be stuck here as a lonely haunt forever, do you?'
"Look.." Tassadar begins, hesitantly. "I need to ask all of you a favor. If I should fall, please burn me on a funeral pyre, in my arms and armor, while chanting the following prayer."
"May he see his father,
May he see his mother,
May he see his brothers and the line of his people,
Back to the beginning
May he take his place among them,
In the halls of Vahalla,
Where the brave may live forever."
"Then leave my remains on the pyre so that Odin's ravens may carry my soul to Him."He instructs them.
Jared places his hand on Tassadar's shoulder. "Let's try to keep that from happening too soon, shall we?"
Goldus watched the service with watery eyes and then blinked the tears away and walked a little away perching himself on a stone and began manipulating the ash in the air through Mage hand. He didn’t speak for a while.
A charming prayer Tassadar, I sincerely hope I never have cause to speak it
"Well - they say you can't stand between a man and his wyrd." Tassadar shakes himself to get rid of the melancholy feelings, like a dog might shake off water. "Funerals just depress me. Lets go kick some goblin bu*t."
After the service, Flouncy wipes a tear from his eye.
Yes. We'll avenge the poor girl.
Flouncy looks at the corpses of the defeated goblins.
I think Tasselfoot has the right idea.
Flouncy points out the tracks. They must have people with them!
"Where? What? I see nothing" Tassadar glances around in confusion. "Oh" Tassadar exclaims as Flouncy points it out to him. "There. Right. Let's follow those."
Aeden scoops up Tasslefoot and awkwardly carries the cat along with her, until it gets squirmy, at which point she puts it down and tries to entice it to follow along with her.
"I um... don't know much about cats. Is Tasslefoot going to be able to keep up with us? Is it going to wander off at night? Do I need to fashion a sling for carrying it or something?" she asks, looking a bit concerned.
"Urm cats... Well just give them some fish and let them join you in the shelter at night and they should be fine."Tassadar sounds like he isn't too sure and is just making things up.
Goldus waddled along behind Aeden and couldn’t help but let a grin begin to curl at the corner of his lips watching Aeden carrying what was clearly too much cat in her arms. Part of him thought the occasion was perhaps to somber to be amused by something like that.
But then the rest of him thought that staying miserable wasn’t helping anyone. I think, Aeden, in the end the cat will do what the cat wants too, sling or no sling
"I think you're right, Goldus," says Aeden as she puts the cat down. "C'mon, Tasslefoot, at least with us you'll be getting food more regularly."
All the goblins you can eat!
"Now that's the spirit." Tassadar approves.
We'll avenge the girl, at least. Maybe rescue some captive people, too.
"That's a good goal. Let's see what we can find," says Aeden.
Tassadar sets out to track gobbies
We've got to keep moving, Flouncy says, his short legs scrambling to keep pace with his taller and faster humanoid and equine companions.