Shaman of the Zaharren

by Beware The Carpenter

Treason and Destiny

I took Whinweick to where my old friends once gathered
Those true shaman who’d denied Raggarock’s blather.
I was greatly inspired to find in my vacancy
The fellowship hadn’t faltered or wandered by aimlessly
But had in just six months had expanded threefold,
Becoming ever more organized, cunning and bold.

Finding this victory was a vast encouragement
To my soul and my mind furnishing great nourishment.
And so once again; I lived a duel life;
The shamanic rebel and the sultan’s meek wife.

We prayed and we practiced, as the great shaman of old
And sought out those seekers, who preferred wisdom to gold.
Our assembly grew daily, but with it also the risk
That revenge would be taken by Raggarock’s fist.

Such was the perilous state of such things,
That even though mares were part of our gatherings
I did not reveal myself, save for those most trusted and dear.
Even this was out of necessity, as at the dawn of the new year
My role in dissent became increasingly mild
Not for lack of ambition; but as I grew heavy with child.

My daughter, named Zidra, was born, nine months and six days
From the nineteenth anniversary, of my own birthday.
I loved her so dearly and yet held her so loose
So not to imperil her should I come to the noose.

I nursed her as often as my times would allow
But it was Ayanu on whom my daughter endowed
All that typical mothers gave to their daughters
Raising Zidra beside her fourth child Lawker.

Then came the day when Ragarrock vile,
Began teaching new ways for our arts to defile.
To sell people ‘contact with their ancestors past’
That for simple illusions we’d gain fortunes amass.

I felt that my epoch for action had finally arrived
To renounce Raggarock openly, in the sight of all eyes.
I challenged him fiercely his lies and his greed,
His fraud to the simple, and his infamous deeds.
That under his guidance truth was defiled
And things were called holy which should be reviled.

My words rang out clearly with fiery passion
As all hope now for peace was burnt up to ashes.
Yet now I could not back down or retreat
Or my words would but fall as frivolous bleats.
I was but a youth, one fourth of his age,
I needed to prove I had the rights of a sage.
And thus did I challenge him without pretense or caution
To duel me one time round the shamanic cauldron.

My rival thought little about his response
For this was a forte of his mind's spacious sconce.
Two infamous goals drawn from a great cauldron of chance
And with a thousand ingredients we did battle askance.

I knew from the start that I was in over my head
And were I to fail I was soon to be dead.
But it was not my battle I fought on that day
But of the Logos, who was the lord of my way.
My purpose was simply to pursue what was right
And surrender the consequences to the master of light.

The fight moved in earnest to forge rival brews;
And by the grace of the Logos I knew just what to do,
To craft an elixir that would counter his draught.
That I could but stand there left my rival distraught.
Yet he moved with great speed for one so full of years,
Brewing with vigor as he stood firm without fear.

Time passed us by, and we neared to the end
I drew to fulfilling my victorious blend.
And he too was not so far away from his goal
But still three times as distant, as one little foal.

The sweat that came from him it was pleasing to see
His hope washing away by little young me.
In was then at this crucial of times
In a moment of madness, he committed a crime.
So foolish was he, and so desperate his act,
Shame far worse than losing he took on his back,
He cheated, indeed, he conjured a spell,
And heated the cauldron to sputter and swell.

He noticed his folly as soon as it left him
But yet could not undo what he’d done on a whim.
The chief shaman had in front of quite a large throng
Cheated a youth who he’d mocked not so long.

I stood triumphant and with a small hint of glee
Though I knew that much greater struggles were ahead of me.
For after that day the shamans were split
and trouble was brewing, just waiting to hit.

I knew Raggarocks spys would be searching to know
Of this mysterious colt who could strike such a blow.
If I pulled back and forsook my false name
My safety was certain but also my shame.
I would not back down from this battle I fought,
And so I continued and prayed not to be caught.

So busy with study and so fervent in war
I saw Zidra so seldom, my heart was oft torn.
And how often I wondered, if she even knew
That I was her mother, and not Ayanu.

I told myself, that one day I would make it up
And be a true mother to my daughter Zidra.
But each day I had with her, that goal was deferred
I was torn from her life, ere she spoke her first word.

As my third year in marriage did draw to an end
My name, through my alias, at last came to scend
Attacked in my sleep, I was arrested at night
Bound and subjected, er I became aware of my plight.

Taken to Caleth, for trial and sentence
But yet still I refused to utter repentance.
I spoke long and hard in hopes to convince
Using all that I knew of persuasion and wit.

I reminded Caleth of his duties as steward
To guard Ferric’s laws, not let them be skewered!
But mostly I spoke of Shamanic history
Showing my words were not some new theory
But treasures of truth from centuries passed
Whose understanding would this world outlast.

I appealed to Caleth, as my husband and lord
To do what was right, and to no longer ignore
The pleas of his conscience, and the poor of his land
And not abandon his wife to Raggarock’s demands.

Caleth listened closely, to all of my words
As if something inside of him, had come to be stirred.
He thought such a while, and I thought I’d persuaded
The one stallion whose influence could have blockaded
The sentence that Raggarock imposed on my life
And with hope make an end to this scandalous strife.

But Raggarock’s presence did recall to him awfully
The dangers that came with releasing me softly.
I’d admitted to leading a dissentious sect;
intent on destroying the lawful elect,
Theft of restricted tomes, and trespass of the sacred
Planned sabotage of rituals, and felonys flagrant

Caleth said with great sadness, that it was not his to bend
The laws of the land to negate any offense.
He said he was sorry, and in the same breath
He laid down his sentence, and condemned me to death.

But death was not what the Logos sentenced for me
It declared by its mercy, that I should be freed.
It said that my quest, was not yet over and done
Instead to the contrary; it had only begun.

............................................................................................................................................................

The pegasus filly in Zecora’s hut
Harked with eager attention to what
Zecora had told her and then gave a small flail
When Zecora took this place to postpone her tale.
Yet however she pled, Zecora would not be swayed
Saying that was enough to learn for one day.

There was much more to tell, in this tale of gallantry
Of her salvation from prison and flight from her family.
Traversing the landscape, many times back and forth,
Then staying a while in the tundra far north;
With mighty wolf-kings and the guileful windigos.
And reclusive wolverines in their wastelands of snow.
Before turning once more and coming to Everfree
Trading vast plains of sleet, for labyrinths of trees

But too much learning at once would make it hard to assort
All the clandestine meanings Zecora wished to purport.
For knowledge was meaningless to give without cost
If the lessons it taught, would just swiftly be lost.

Yet as the filly grew silent and began sipping her tea
Zecora knew it would not be long before she
Was ready to hear, the next phase of her narrative
Of her travels abroad and of Timbucktoo’s heritage.

Author's Note:

This story was originally planned as the prologue to Limits of the Horizon; until I decided that beginning with a 6,000 word poem would narrow my target audience considerably; and this story made perfect sense on it's own. Read for more information about what Zecora's actions truly helped set in motion.

Comments

[Loganberry]

Sorry it's taken me a while, too, but it was worth the wait!

[Beware The Carpenter]

5324461

You should read it; it's a fantastic read and you'd probably finish it it like, 2 hours 'envy'