Wa'Owachi, Awak'Ish!



Hanging heavy and hazy with lazy pipe-smoke, the air amidst the packed lodge lay thick with a thousand scents. Lylle couldn't help but long for clean air, to be out again amongst the Stonetalons and away from this oppressive melange of odours and overbearing mass of Tauren, under the Light once more. Yet it had been hard enough courtesy to ensure, allowing Sin'dorei to witness the Chieftains deliberations. Only his companion's influence and own deliberate displays of helpless humility had allowed these natives to warm to him over time, made them see less frightening fey and more curious comedian, wide-eyed with wonder. Their superstition and suspicion eventually overcome by their need to nurture, they had permitted his presence. As his companion has said, they were a predictable people.

Pondering the possibilities, a lull in the low, repetitive rumblings of their dour debates signalled yet another was about to stun him into somnolence with their strange speech. The constant bass vibrations had been hurting his ears for the past hour and he wondered if any of them knew just how damn loud they were? But this stillness lingered for longer than others, the assembleds dull gazes holding sick-seeming sheens in the sombre emberlight as all looked upon the next to speak. With a grunt that echoed in the sucking silence, his companion shifted from his seat at his side, the oldest Mawat'washte rising at the fireside circle to address the other Chieftains. The towering Tauren seemed to circle closer, tribes behind their respective Elders leaning in to listen, frowns creasing the brows of a few as the grizzled and grey one spoke.

"Towa te alo ni alo haloyakee, Shu'Halo ich ahmen kichalo ich alo nechi wa alo Washte."

"E alo hetawa wa An'she, washte wa alo ahmen ich echeyakee wa alo nechi ki nechi Shu'Halo ahmen."

"E isha ichnee'awa hale i awak sechalo."

A few nods, a quiet snort, whatever was said seemed to meet with neither approval nor outrage, the packed mass of fur and flesh seeming mostly unmoved. Lyle wondered how accurate his reading of these creatures could really be, after all they shared few commonalities and their culture was pathetically primitive. His own brow creased as he considered, how much could he really be missing here?

"Ishte sho'wa E awak no awak eche E towa pikialo no washte tu E awak."

"Ich lakota E lo rah tawa ich E towa alo hale wa alo Nokee."

"Ish wa alo Kee Pawni no poalo po owa paw ich ishte kichalo isha wa alo a'iah Washte."

Now the rumbles rose again toward the back of the crowd. Those closest to the fire and Elders knew better than to make the faux pass of interruption, the Elf ruminated. It did seem certain as he looked on that the older Tauren seemed to nod in approval, whilst the younger seemed to tense, growing more on edge as Garm of the Winterwind continued. Lylle smiled, he was beginning to get a feel for these things after all.

"Po uku echeyakee towa alo Nokee, alo E washte poalo isha po uku tihikea ne alo Washte ti'ha rah towa kichalo po."

"Tanka wa kee Washte shtealo a'ke po po kee, po uku kee rah ishnialo."

"An'she, Mu'sha, alo ahmen uku kee haloyakee no owa ahmen."

The lodge grew louder still, many of the seated Chieftains looking across or around to those who had begun to give voice. Others seemed to hang their heads low, letting out long sighs. "They seem ashamed...", thought the near-smothered Elf amidst the gitated onlookers, "...''I had no idea it was such a serious social error!".

"E sho'wa ahmen towa shtumanialo E sho'wa towa neahok anohe E alo alo a'ke Shu'Halo ishte."

"Nahe po uku abalo towa owa ishte po lomani ich ich."

"Uku towa towa te ki anohe te wa balo tanka uku wa Shu'Halo?"

Growled through clenched teeth, the last words the old one spoke seemed to reach out and knock the breath from every other Tauren present, rocking them as though physically struck. The stunned silence shattered as shock gave way to open objections, a few cheers and a multitide of raised fists filling the air. Most of the Elders shook their heads in seeming sadness as Lylle looked on, muttering those simple charms they used to ward off evil spirits. Amidst an uproar that grew louder still at his actions, instead of resuming his place and hearing others, Garm turned and walked deliberately out of the lodge. The crowd parted and while some threw harsh words and the air filled with the cacophony of dissent none were willing to bar his path. Lylle hurried in his wake before the sea of muscle around him closed in and sought another target for their confused ire, finally breathing deep of that fresh mountain air as they emerged out under the early evening sky.

The ruckus at their rear rose as they made their way back down the narrow path toward Sunrock and their small camp. The Elf knew the routine, that they would have no time to rest before packing up and leaving, before they were told that they were no longer welcome. It mattered not, a walk under the sunburnt sky was sorely needed after all that claustrophobic confusion. He turned to Garm, still uncertain and cautious in his assessments. "What was it this time, in this place. What did you say to these ones?" he carefully queried, deliberate as ever in point and pitch. The old Tauren stopped short in his stomping strides, looking to the dying sun and the emerging moons for a few brief breaths before responding. "No thanks, goodbye!" he growled, before nodding to the path and setting off yet again.

Lylle paused a moment more, soon simply shaking his head in surrender. "Simple, straightforward and as subtle as stones!" he thought as he moved to catch up. "But maybe very, very useful...".

OOC Notes/Spoilers
Winterwind's words were all quotations from Geronimo, tweaked to suit WoW and the then-current RP situation/debate. While gleaning the gist of the above is doable, the language system on WoW make straight translations nearly impossible. One follows below, though bear in mind Taura-he does follow enough Lakota Sioux and similar practices to make the imparted meaning lose much of it's impact in doing so. The fewest words to impart the most potential meaning and all that.

Thus it was in the beginning: Tauren and world created for the other by the Mother. I was warmed by the sun, rocked by the winds and sheltered by the trees as other Tauren babes. I went everywhere with a good feeling.

While living, I want to live well, I will protect my people if I live. For myself I do not fear for I have the love of the Earth. Who is the Orc Devil to think he can pit his power against that of the great Spirit?

We are vanishing from the earth, yet I cannot think that we are useless or the Mother would not have created us. There is one Mother looking down on us all, we are all her children. The sun, the moon, the winds are all listening to our words.

''I should never have surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last of the People alive.'' When we are taken from our homes, we sicken and die. How long will it be until it is said, there are no Tauren?''