Lucien and Osprey Attend The Gathering

1202, Summer

It was only a few days into the new season when Osprey called Lucien to him. "Prepare yourself," he said. "We leave tomorrow for Crintera."

Crintera! The Domus Magnus of House Bjornaer was located deep in the Black Forest and Osprey had told Lucien long ago that he would need to journey there, "For our line is ancient and our founder not of Rome. Every twelve years we meet and reaffirm our bonds with each other and the house. It is there, if you manifest your heartbeast, that you will be accepted as a magus by our house regardless of your acceptance by the order."

What Osprey hadn't told Lucien was when the Gathering of Twelve Years would take place.

Lucien's heart began to palpitate. Finally his time had come, and while it wasn't entirely unexpected still the announcement came so suddenly. There was much to prepare for the journey and he became a bit frantic, then stopped for he had no idea just what preparations would need to be made.

"Master Osprey, what will I need to go to Crintera?" he asked, his nose twitching.

"Little to nothing," said his master. "We shall travel lightly loaded and quickly. In fact, I shall travel mostly in my true shape. Your heart-beast is not designed for travel, but ... I could perhaps use magic to increase your size if you wish, so that you could travel farther and faster.

"But we need little. Bjornaer are in tune with the land, moreso than many of the overly 'civilized' houses, we travel alone on foot and will hunt for our food, although," he added, "I will try to avoid rabbit on this trip.

"Take only what you need, I shall take nothing but my pendant."

Lucien felt relief creep over him at Osprey's concession. Travelling light appealed to Lucien and it would not take long to gather what little he felt were a necessity. The prospect of Osprey increasing his size while in his heart-beast form intrigued him and made him smile.

"I shall be ready, and enhancing my travel would be most welcomed."

Next morning, after they had breakfasted, they climbed the stairs to the top of the spire, each wearing only a light shift, though Osprey had his pendant around his neck.

Standing on the stairs, Osprey said as he cast aside his shift, "Now take on your heart-beast aspect, and then, little rabbit, I shall carry you to shore. Carefully." He added, flexing his fingers which lengthened to become wings as his naked form shifted so that only the large hunting bird remained, with the pendent dangling around his breast.

Lucien followed suit by dropping his clothing. The morning air gave him a gentle shiver that seemed to awaken him even moreso. He took in a deep breath and let himself drift off into his heart-beast. As Osprey watched on, Lucien's ears began to lengthen as his body hunched over and legs grew in size compared to his body. Soon he was covered in a soft brown fur and hopping about.

Osprey shifted back to human shape, cast a short spell and floated a few inches into the air, then gathered around him the forces of magic which flowed in the area. "Remove your Parma Magica, Lucien," he commanded. When Lucien had complied, Osprey released the magic in a storm of Muto Animal, Lucien felt his body shrink and dwindle; now he was the size of a mouse. "You will be easier to carry this way," said Osprey as he shifted form himself, and then scooped up his apprentice in a talon before hurling himself into the wind.

Lucien fought the urge to flee, trying to remain as still as possible. He shifted slightly, casting a brown eye through the talons to look beneath them across the lake. The height was exhiliarating and exciting to the small hare who relished the rush of wind across his little brown body.

Osprey flew north and east for nearly an hour before landing near an isolated stream and resuming human form. "We will rest here for a while," he said.

After a rest and a drink, Osprey bid Lucien take on his rabbit shape again. Again he cast a spell and this time Lucien grew until he was a rabbit the size of a large dog. "We follow this line here," Osprey pointed. He took on his heartbeast and leapt into the sky.

As they travelled, Lucien could Osprey far overhead, riding the winds and flying in large looping circles above him. As afternoon began to wane, Osprey dropped lower and in a croaking voice, half man - half bird, told Lucien to find a campsite and gather some wood for a fire, and that he was off to hunt.

Lucien resumed his human form and started off around the perimeter of the campsite to garner firewood. Kindling was plentiful as he gathered what he could and located a beneficial spot. The ground was level and Lucien cleared out some of the leaves and brush through the use of a Rego Herbam cantation. Once what could be cleared was, he arranged the kindling and various branches into a pile and concentrated fiercly on the Creo Ignum spell to summon a flame.

Osprey arrived at camp, naked and on foot, carrying a pair of fat birds with broken backs and talon marks in their flesh. He spitted them up and stuck them over Lucien's fire to cook.

Osprey also found a bush nearby with some edible berries and after dinner the pair ate some. After sunset, Osprey used his Garbing Adam spell to produce some cloaks and they wrapped themselves well and went to sleep.

Subsequent days followed the same pattern - travel, dinner and sleep - with most of the day spent in heartbeast form. Lucien had not before spent so much time as a rabbit, and he found himself thinking more rabbity thoughts and developing a greater appreciation of the wild and of the forces of nature through which they travelled.

The days blended into each other - what is time to a rabbit and an osprey? - and some time later, a few days, a week, a few weeks, who knew? Osprey halted their travel early in the afternoon and resumed human form. "There," he pointed at hill rising out of the depths of the Schwartzwald, "Crintera." With no further words, he leapt in the air taking on his heartbeat aspect in mid-air and striking out.

They arrived at Crintera shortly before sunset. The covenant was a castle, once grand, now somewhat decayed perched on a small hill deep in the woods. The buildings within the outer walls were few, but the courtyard was large and at the moment filled with tents. A confusion of magi and animals, who were probably magi as well, milled about in the courtyard. Many were naked as they shifted in and out of animal form with great rapidity. Osprey landed in the courtyard resumed human form and joined the the throng. Lucien was a little behind and by the time he had joined his master, Osprey had called greetings to several magi he knew and was walking toward a line of tents.

Osprey stopped before a tent decorated with an embroidered osprey and a dangle of feathers. "Here Lucien, we stay. This year you lodge with me, at the next Gathering, you must provide for yourself. If you bring a tent, they will store it and pitch it for you. That's what most of us do." He ducked into the tent, within was nothing save a "T" or sturdy wood stuck in the ground. "My bed," noted Osprey. "We are here two days in advance. The night after tomorrow is the recitation of the lineage and the welcoming of the new. You will be called forward and you must demonstrate your heart beast to these magi, who will henceforth be your sodales."

Lucien did not feel tired in the least as excitement overwhelmed him. He listened attentively to Osprey and then asked, "Is it proper for me to go out there and meet others?"

Osprey chuckled, "It most certainly is. I'll introduce you to a few now." As they stepped out, Osprey pointed to a roofed structure along the back wall. "Food is there most times of the day, although many of us will hunt or forage as our heartbeasts indicate. There," he pointed to an emblem on a tower of cone viewed obliquely from above, "the emblem of our order. The cone casts a shadow of a circle or a shadow of triangle, depending on how it is held. So do you cast the shadow of a man or the shadow of a rabbit."

"A new one, eh?" said a voice behind them.

Osprey turned, "Cuchlain! Yes, this is my apprentice Lucien, who will become Leporidaes, one of us, two days hence. Lucien, this is Cuchlain macAndrew."

macAndrew was a broadchested man, redhaired and wildbearded, with a certain mad spark in his eye. "Welcome then, lad. Osprey, we should fly together."

"Tomorrow, my friend let me get settled."

"Och, as you will," the man's form flowed and a tusked boar took his place and trotted off.

"macAndrew is a rare man," said Osprey. "He has three other true forms; the boar you saw, an albatross and a salmon." Osprey sounded envious. "But come, over there is where the ceremony shall be." A great pile of wood had been stacked for a bonfire in a clearing. "Now come meet the others."

Osprey left Lucien much to his own devices for the next two days, a rare holiday for the apprentice, while he transacted business with other magi and renewed old acquaintances.

Nearly the entire membership of House Bjornaer, around forty-five, was present. From a distance he saw Urgen, the Primus of the House, whose appearance reflected his ursine heart-beast. He also met Rowan, a young woman accepted by the Order of Hermes as a maga, but who was not yet accepted by the Bjornaer. "My heart-shape came late in my apprenticeship, after the last Gathering, and my Hermetic training ended only a year after that." Her heart-shape was that of a Rowan-tree.

He also met again the trio of Bjornaer who dwelt at Rochehaut in his own tribunal: Octavian; Octavia the younger his former apprentice; and Laurel, his second apprentice who would also be acknowledged at this Gathering.

Lucien felt at ease. Maybe it was the connection he felt amongst his fellow Bjornaer, or the assumption that many here had never seemed to fit in anywhere else. Whether it was one, or the other, or a combination of both Lucien was really happy. While some caused him some apprehension because of the nature of their heart-beast, he spoke easily around them and even shared some stories about heroes of the past.

On the appointed day, as night fell, the Bjornaer gathered at the fire circle, most were in animal form and it was a strange menagerie who crowded around the pile of wood. During the day, all the companions and escorts who had accompanied some of the magi had departed for a camp a few miles away. Only Bjornaer remained.

As sun set, a procession set out from the castle. Urgen led the other magi of Crintera, each bearing a torch. They came to the firepit, circled it and thrust their torches in at a signal from Urgen. As the fire began to burn, Urgen began to recite, in a loud voice, the lineage of the house, beginning with Bjornaer herself.

From time to time, when he spoke a name, one of the attending magi would make a noise or otherwise draw attention to themselves. The first was an old grey wolf who howled on hearing his name called. Eventually, the recitation ceased and Urgen called out to the crowd, "But our line goes forth! Are there those who stand ready to put aside childish things and be greeted as a brother or sister in the tradition of Bjornaer?"

A huge dog bounded into the cirle of fire and resolved into a woman, "There is! My apprentice has found her heart-shape! Rowan, come forth."

Rowan walked into the circle and Urgen addressed her, "Your mistress says you are ready to join us. Prove it so!"

Rowan nodded and her shape shifted to that of a Rowan tree. Urgen looked at her for a long moment, then shouted, "It is a true form!"

A great cacophony rose from the assembled magi as Rowan became again a young woman. "Welcome sister," said Urgen. "Thank you, brother," she replied.

The ceremony was repeated for Laurel, who manifested her owl to the magi. Then Osprey flew to the fire and announced, "My apprentice too has found his true form. Lucien, come forth!"

Lucien, taken up in the moment, trotted out into the gathering took a hop and turned a cartwheel finishing with a backflip and a bow. Upon rising, he shifted to his form of a hare and hopped about in a tight circle to survey the assembly.

Urgen had a comical look on his face, he had clearly not expected such a display. He recovered and shouted, "It is a true form!"

Again the cacophony rose, and Urgen completed the formula, "Welcome brother." With that, in the eyes of House Bjornaer, Lucien was a magus.

Lucien wrinkled his nose in accomplishment and resumed his human form. A proper bow, which felt so good after all the years away from the troupe, led to him walking off to find Osprey.

He was the last and after rejoining Osprey, he settled in to see what was next. Urgen began to speak. His theme was the mundane encroachment into wild places and he urged all the House to work within the Order to develop plans and means to hold them back, as well as the sanction from the Order to do so. This was clearly a well worn theme and some of the magi began to wander off, or talk amongst themselves. Osprey whispered to him that the main business of the night was done, when Urgen finished there would be a great celebration, the food was already being laid out.

There would be four more nights of ritual and and bonding but the first night was given over to festivity and celebration of the lineage of Bjornaer.

Lucien reveled in the tone of the moment. A part of him missed the fun, frolicsome life of the entertainer and the crowds here caused those old feelings to well up inside him. The revelry with other Bjornaer did him good, and he had certainly made a name for himself due to his acrobatics. The time away from Osprey did him well too as he met with others of the House and Osprey certainly didn't mind as he was busy spreading his wings, literally.

Lucien was a little worse for wear the next morning, since it seemed like every one of his new siblings wanted to raise a glass with each of the newcomers. Many had also begun to sound him out on his position on various issues - maintaining the wild places, relations with the mundanes, and the like being the most prominent.

It was beginning to sink in that soon he would be a magus with powers beyond those of lesser men and that as such his opinions actually mattered to those who were now or would soon be his sodales in the order.

This newfound confidence percolated within Lucien. Yes, his opinions carried weight and he was gifted with powers and responsibilities. What a feeling of liberation! The young man went from conversation to conversation with a spring in his step, actually more of a hop. On more than one occasion he got the better of a brother in a series of pranks that lasted through the night. The dark eyed, ruddy complected Vulpes was just as good at running and hiding in his fox heartbeast as Lucien was in his hare form. Throughout the evening one would indicate that the other was the pursuer and start off at top speed setting off a grand chase. Once, Lucien took a dangerous turn and nearly got trampled by a horse Bjornaer that was galloping around to demonstrate (he later learned) the superiority of equine balance.

The next four days, or nights, rather, were filled with rituals of form and rituals of power, rituals of great antiquity which Lucien rather suspected the Order of Hermes would disapprove of did they know of them. But since the only people present were membes of his House, HIS House, and they had all sworn mighty oaths, the Quaesitores were not likely to find out about anything which would trouble them.

The days were filled with meeting his new brothers and sisters and learning from them more about the Order, the House and the world than he could learn from Osprey alone at Lakehome.

The diversity of heartbeasts was as vivid as the walks of life and opinions of his new siblings. While all supported the House and its belief structure, the vehemence ran the gamut. A viper was especially agressive while an older bear just shook his head at the wasted ire having seen many seasons and seemingly being imbued with the wisdom of every one. Lucien remained mostly silent, choosing to formulate his opinion based on the arguments he heard expressed by others wiser than himself.

Finally, it was over. The Gathering of Twelve Years drew to a close, with the members of the House renewed in their bonds with their ancestors and their fellows. Although Crintera would keep their doors open for another month, some of the more reclusive Bjornaer began to drift away. Some of them were already far gone into their bestial side - at least one, a badger, had not taken human form the entire time as far as Lucien could tell.

Osprey seemed in no hurry to leave, and mentioned that he thought they might stay another week before beginning their return to Lakehome.

They passed the week, Osprey spending much time chatting with his friends about happenings in the world. He spent most of his time with Octavian and Cuchlain. The week passed quickly, and although magi drifted away as the fancy struck them, for a a few days the population increased as the grogs and amici returned from their distant camp to Crintera.

Finally, they, too left. They retraced their route and pattern as they returned, although the conversations at their nightly halts was much deeper now and concerned things that Osprey had never before discussed with Lucien; issues concerning their house and order, plans for the future. One night Osprey said, "Next spring, your training should be complete. As is the custom of the order, you shall be born anew as a full magus. What name would you take? It is my right as your parens to christen you, but as you are now my brother in our House, it seems a bit silly for me to saddle you with an unwanted name."

"Will you stay at Lakehome?"

Lucian thought about the question. He had never really known anyplace else as his home, and it caught him off guard. After a moment to think about things, he answered. "Yes, I believe I will. Much has happened to me over the last fortnight, I feel different."