Who Were the Olknirri?

Tarka:
 
 Danger looked to the side toward his pal and grinned.  The rabbit looked a
 little unsure of himself.  "You ever been to one of these story circles?"
 asked Danger.
 
 Flopear shoke his head.  "Nope.  It is the first time for me."

 Danger nodded.  "Same here."
 
 They both sat for a little bit.  The stories would not start for another
 few minutes.  Flopear was looking at a rock near the back of the ruin.
 There were a few words there that were part of some story or another.  Most
 of the words could no longer be made out.  There was one that had been
 carved a little more deeply than the others though.  "Hey Danger,  who were
 the Olknirri?"
 






By Nimble


 
 Just as Flopear was asking that question, Tarka (aka Floppytail the
 Magnificent) walked into the room.  "Oh... That would be a good story to
 tell.  Have a seat everyone, so that we can begin.  I will tell you about
 this place...  also why the Olknirri built it.
 
 The story begins more than a thousand years ago...  back before this world
 knew such things as the atom, or the airplane.  It all started with an otter
 named Longtail.  He was a born leader and many of the Olknirri tribe looked
 up to him.  You must remember that this was a time even before Stormwind
 took to the sea with Waterskipper.
 
 ----
 
 Jister came running out of the brush over the mudback.  "Longtail! Longtail!
 I saw a ghost!"
 
 Longtail looked up from the water.  He was holding the right corner of the
 net, as his mate guided some fish to him.  "Don't you think that you can wait,
 son?"
 
 "Oh no father!  I couldn't do that!"
 
 Newtcatcher was floating in the middle of the stream.  "You go on, hon.
 There are not that many fish here."
 
 Longtail nodded and took off up the bank with his son.  They went through
 the undergrowth for what seemed like a long time, then they both came to a
 clearing.  Longtail could only blink.  At first he had thought that his
 son had only been joking.  The glowing thing in the middle of the clearing
 didn't seem like a joke though.
 
 When Longtail got there, it spoke for the first time:  "If you build it, they
 will come."    -   With that, it disappeared.
 
Lillieth:
 
 Longtail blinked in surprise and stopped in his tracks, "Why, whatever
 could that be?  'Build it and they will come?'  Jister.... did you hear
 it say anything more than that earlier?"
 
 Jister shook his head "No... it was just the light and it moved
 around the clearing... sort of like it was floating.  I thought you should
 see it."
 
 Longtail stroked his chin in thought as he looked around.  He
 noticed the large stones about the clearing and walked over to
 the nearest one to examine it.  There, at about eye level to an adult
 otter, were some engravings.  Longtail ran his fingers over them slowly.
 "Funny... I've never seen anything like this before.  Jister?  Run off
 and get ol' Samtoo.  I want him to see this."
 
 As Longtail began to look at some of the other stones, Jister spun around
 and called over his shoulder as he ran off. "I'll be back as soon as I can,
 Father!"
 
Twohart:
 
 Longtail ran the tips of his claws slowly over the surface...
 'Old spanish?  They called it castrellano... just like that old tree out back
 behind the house you used to play around as a little otter, Jister' ...he
 thought to himself, and sat down to wait.
 
 The stone, if it was sentient at all (and he half expected it to be),
 made no movement ...just ...sat there.  As to what had happened earlier, he
 had no clue.  "Build it..."
 
 "Build what?  It looks like you already had it built. "  A raspy voice
 struck up from behind.
 
 "Samtoo!  I-"
 
 "Shush, shush...and tell me everything."
 
 Jister giggled... Samtoo was the only one he had ever known to boss his
 father around.
 
 Longtail's ears became slightly rosy at the affront.
 
 Longtail cleared his throat--the sound of a small river.  "The lad here had
 found it--why not ask him?"
 
 Samtoo turned his gentle attention to Jister.  "It's really quite that
 simple..."
 
 Jister cleared his throat, in unconscious imitation of the Elder... "I came,
 and it was... there."  Jister blinked, "Though it sounds like a neat idea,"
 his youthful voice continued,  "If you build it... I've always wanted to
 start a... a club or something.  There's just nothing NEW around here!
 All it is" his voice picked up passion, "is fish, fish, FISH!"
 
 Jister growled, "Not that I don't like fish...."  The growling in his belly
 agreed with him.
 
 Samtoo's eyes sparkled, "Ah, youth.  What do we do with them, Longtail?"
 
 Longtail growled, "Speak for yourself!  I'm not that old yet!"  The otter
 gave it away with a nervous smile.
 
 Samtoo was just so... imposing.. after all these years.  He hoped Jister
 wasn't noticing.  Wouldn't do for the lad to see his father so.  He cleared
 his throat.  "So...what did you have in mind, Jister?"
 
 Jister's whiskers quivered... "Well, I don't know...  Mother has always been
 involved in one thing or the other."
 
Tarka: 
 
 Longtail cocked his head to the side and looked at Jister.  "Yes, I know all
 about mother."  He looked over at Samtoo.  "Remember that time with the
 jellyfish?"
 
 Samtoo nodded.  "Half the clan couldn't eat for a week after they bit into
 them."
 
 Jister blinked and rushed on before father.  Samtoo remembered all too well
 about what his mother had been up to also.  "Well, we might ask her what it is
 that we might build.  She might really help and all."
 
 Longtail nodded.  "Ok, ok... you go and get her.  Samtoo and I will try and
 understand what is on this rock.
 
 Samtoo rolled his eyes as the youngster ran off, then waddled over to take a
 look at the rock.  He had never been in this part of the forest so the
 small clearing was new to him.  He looked at the carved writing and shook
 his head.  "Makes not the bit of sense for me Longtail.
 
 Longtail flopped his long tail and nodded.  "If you build it...  do you have
 any idea what that means?"
 
 Samtoo laughed.  "Not the foggiest.
 
 Newtcatcher walked into the clearing.  "Oh... well what would you want to
 build, love?"
 
 Longtail blinked.  "How should I know!" He shook his head.  "This is almost
 like one of the stories I tell."
 
Lillieth: 
 
 Newtcatcher laughed softly, "Perhaps that is just what you should build,
 my dear.  You love to tell stories and Jister would like to have a club.
 Look at this place."  Newtcatcher opened her arms and spun around
 slowly, "This circular clearing might be just the place for something like
 that."  She smiled at Longtail, Jister and Samtoo.
 
 Longtail thought quietly and began to laugh after a moment, "By golly...
 I think that's it!  We shall build a story circle.  These stones will make
 good seats... we can invite all our friends and share our favorite stories...
 or even make new ones."  His eyes sparkled at the thought of that, and he
 hugged Newtcatcher.
 
 Samtoo chuckled as he considered the idea, "Well, perhaps it might
 work.  I doubt that the markings on these stones have much to do with
 that.  Although they could be old stories written many years ago."
 
Twohart:
 
 ---------------
 
 [Back to the present...]
 Danger *myrfed* with impatience, "But didn't they ever find out what was the
 cause of---"
 
 "Yes, yes, but let me tell it my own way... " Tarka's whiskers moved up in
 gentle humor, and Danger's companion nudged him.     And so...
 
 ---------------
 
 Newtcatcher nodded, "Long time ago," She echoed,  "I would go and-"
 
 "Consult the talekeeper, yes," Samtoo nodded happily.  He enjoyed stories,
 too.  The others nodded, agreeing in a general murmer, while Jister stood,
 mildly confused--but fascinated, too.  He remembered the talekeeper, from
 birthday parties and such... and meetings (that he was only this year allowed
 to attend).
 
 "Come on, Jister, you're to come with me.  Your father and mother wish to
 stay and look over this find of yours."
 
 Jister started, and realized he had been daydreaming again, and had lost half
 the conversation --again.  The glint in Samtoo's eye let him know the older
 otter had understood.  Suddenly, he felt a lot better, and he fell in behind
 the elder.
 
 Newtcatcher watched Samtoo take her son by the paw, and walk off to the
 talekeeper's den.  The boy had changed, or at least was finding his life's
 vocation: he had never really been into fishing--always lagging behind.  Of
 course, of all the otters, their family (the Cetenas) had always been
 famous, (or infamous?) for "working with their paws" too much...  That is,
 doing non-otter things, or what was "considered" non-otter things.
 
 "So you think she might be able to come up with something to do with this?
 To pull this off?  This story thing... it sounds good, but we don't even know
 if the messenger really meant for us to do this--"
 
 The older otter shook his head, "We don't even know what the messenger
 IS--er, was."
 
 "Oh, yes we do!" Jister spoke up--his voice broke, making it more of an
 embarrassing yap, "It's not doing anything, is it?  The area?  No one's
 using it?"
 
 Samtoo wished Jister would slow down--darn it, but the lad was skilled at
 rhetoric.  Already he could see where this would lead, and he had to shake
 his head, giving up.  "No, it's not used for anything."
 
 "Then we should do something!" Jister said, as he waved a paw around back
 toward the stone... "with this."
 
 Jister didn't think the talekeeper would know anything more than the four of
 them had found already ...but he might be able to help.
 
 He was beginning to feel excited, like he actually cared about something...
 and he nearly ran nose-first into the guard who sat in front of the
 talemaster's den.
 
WalksFar:
 
 The guard caught Jister and stood him on his feet.  "You oughta be more
 careful.  You almost got hurt.  Now, what's the rush all about?"
 
 "I want to tell the Talemaster about what we found," Jister said, anxiously.
 
 "Oh?" inquired the guard.
 
 Jister hastily related their discovery, and the message the ghost was
 supposed to have left behind.  The guard listened and nodded.
 
 "That is most interesting."  He smiled and ducked into the Talemaster's
 home.
 
 Jister watched the door with a tense aire of expectancy.  The door opened
 and the talemaster came out.
 
 "It would seem you have quite a tale to tell me," he said kindly.  "I am
 most curious.  Please tell me all that happened.... and don't leave anything
 out."
 
 Jister nodded slowly, gathered his thoughts and began the account in a slow
 but precise voice, leaving nothing out.
 
 The Talemaster nodded at appropriate moments and remained silent while
 Jister recounted all he could remember.
 
 "I think I would have you lead me to this place," said the Talemaster.  He
 motioned to his guard.  "We will go to where the others wait and try to
 understand the stone hieroglyphs.  It is possible we may know what they have
 found."
 
Tarka:
 
 ----
 
 Danger hummmmmed and sniffed at the air.  "You know, this story is well..
 almost 'care bear-ish!'"
 
 Flopears nodded... "Boring... we want swordfights and bombs!"
 
 Tarka looked at the two and frowned.  "You look just like the ones that
 would read the end of the book first? Aren't you?:
 
 Danger giggles.  "You are right! I do!"
 
 Tarka shruged.  "Ok, ok... to go on with the tale then... "So the hundred
 Badger warriors lifted their maces in salute, as Longtail pushed the last
 stone...."
 
 Danger leaped up... "Hey wait!  You skipped something!"
 
 Tarka blinked. "I thought that you wanted the end of the story."
 
 Danger grumbled.  "No, no...  Go on from where you originally left off.  I want
 to hear the rest."
 
 Tarka smiled...
 
 -----
 
 Many days had passed and all of the Olknirri Clan were gathered around the
 clearing.  They listened to the elders as the plans for the new gathering
 place were laid out.  Some lifted their paws in Questions.  "What about
 getting the stones moved about?"  "How long will it take?"
 
 Longtail and Samtoo tried to answer them all as they came.  Sometimes they
 were able to.  Sometimes not.
 
 At the same time that the otters meeting took place there was another one.
 Far to the east.
 
Lillieth:
 
 In a land far away from the otters, the badgers lived in their villages.
 They were mighty warriors and protected all that was theirs.
 This day they were meeting about a strange dream that one of them
 had had the night before.  The badgers sat upon logs that formed a
 circle and listened to Rawnblade speak.
 






By Twohart


 
 "It was an odd dream, I found myself on a long trek through thick forests.
 I felt as if someone or something was pulling me westwards.  I traveled
 for days on end and finally came to a river near a tribal village of otters.
 There I came upon a small family fishing in the river.  The parents fished
 with a net while a young otter sat on the shore.  As I came up to them the
 youngster jumped up quickly in fear.  I guess he had not seen one of our
 size before.  After I assured him that I would not do him any harm. He led
 me to a clearing.  In the clearing there was a circle of stones."
 
 Rawnblade scratched his ear and smiled sheepishly at his friends.
 "That's it, I'm afraid... I woke up at that point.  But, this morning I feel
 a strong pull to go to the west.  I have decided to make this trek.  Are
 there any among you who wish to join me?"
 
 The badgers sitting around him rumbled and began discussing this situation
 
Twohart:
 
 Several of the members spoke up, not quite believing it, but their leader
 stood up, old and bedecked with feathers, bringing the discussion to a 
 screeching halt. (and decision out of their paws.  Oh, well...)
 
 "We'll go--Rawnblade.  It pulls you?"
 
 Rawnblade nodded, stunned by the action of his elder.
 
 ---------------------
 
 "ALLRIGHT!!!!" Danger roared, "Now we're getting somewhere!"
 
 "I'm not sure what to expect... but we're not getting anywhere, I don't
 think.  Didn't you say Jister was a dreamer?" Flopears interjected.
 
 Tarka looked pleased, "You're right... and that's about-" he stopped and
 cleared his throat. 'To reveal itself as a central part to the story,' he'd
 almost said.  Maybe he had been around Danger and Flopears too much
 lately... and wasn't Flopears of werewolf ancestry?  They were known for
 fiery eccentricities, and--but that--ah, his mind was wondering, and he
 re-focused on the story.
 
 --------------------
 
 Jister wandered around, his legs steady, and then not quite.  He didn't know
 what he was doing... only he was dreaming of badgers, and that wasn't
 right.  There were badgers around all around, and they *were* all around.  It
 was very much a dream.   All around were the only words for it he could use.
 There were big ones, short ones, tall ones...
 
 Varied... they weren't there, but he could see them...especially one of them,
 who stared right back--he knew somehow they--needed to get HERE.
 
 Rawnblade shivered too, his senses dulling... otters were everywhere, but
 so were his friends...and the Leader stood there, staring at him.
 
 The Leader watched Rawnblade intently, as the badger's strong muzzle sniffed
 around the area in indecision.  Many things had happened tonight.
 
 Rawnblades dreams--even as the badger was Dreaming now, had revealed one of
 the greatest secrets of all.  Many years ago, their Grandfather (and
 founder) had died in battle, and a monument erected in his honour.  Now it
 was known where the monument stood.
 
 It was a monument rich with history, full of old accomplishments, of the
 ghosts of the wise.  A place for sharing tales of fame and adventure.
 
 Rawnblade stumbled off, pushing past imaginary figures as the astonished
 crowd of badgers looked on.
 
WalksFar:
 
 The Badger leader watched with concern.  This was not uncommon amongst his
 people when the message was clear and strong.  Rawnblade had heard the call.
 It pulled on him strongly.  He would go wherever it led, through the lands
 of friend or foe.  It made no difference whether a party went with him or
 not.  He would still be drawn away.  Already it had taken hold.  Rawnblade
 no longer heard or saw those around him.  The 'other' world had taken him.
 All that could be done would be done.   The vision must run its course.  The
 destiny of their tribe and that of the otters had been enjoined.  It had to
 be seen through to the end!  To that, he would organize a 'wandering.'
 Rawnblade would be followed and kept from harm, wherever the spirit might
 lead him--they would follow. . . .
 
 --------
 
 And, so it was that the badger clans pulled up their camps and followed
 Rawnblade as he followed the call across the land to where the spirit
 demanded he must go and lead theie people to where the path of destiny
 ended amongst their cousins . . .  the otters. . . .
 
Tarka:
 
 Jister wandered away from the working party that were at the new clearing.
 They were lifting stones and trying to stack them one on the other. They
 had been at it two months now and still hadn't really gotten the hang of 
 it.  Already Clawbiter had had one of the stones fall off and land on his 
 tail, so Jister headed for his home to see Father and Mother.  It was 
 their day to fish with the nets.
 






By Twohart


 
 Jister flopped down upon the stream on his back and watched his Mom.
 "Hey mom, are you sure about this idea?"
 
 Newtcatcher looked up from her work and laughed.  "We are all sure that the
 work should be done."
 
 Jister blinked. "Errr... Ok." He thought back to the work that they were
 trying to do.  'At this rate it will take a thousand years,' he thought.
 
 Rawnblade stepped out from behind a tree and looked out on a steam.  There
 they were.  The otters in his dream, and finally he woke from his near
 trance that he had been in for two months.  The time had come to do...  what?
 
 Jister looked up and leaped to his feet.  "Father!" He shouted.
 
WalksFar:
 
 Rawnblade's awareness returned in full.  He stared at the young otter with
 instant recognition.  "Be not afraid, Little One.  I will not cause you harm.
 I am on a quest."  He smiled.  "And, you are a part of that quest?"
 
 Jister blinked.  The fur on his spine hackled and stood stiff, forming a
 ridge from his neck to the tip of his tail.  "Me?"
 
 Rawnblade seated himself on the creek bank opposite Jister and nodded.  He
 smiled reassuringly.  "I have been called by the dream.  I saw you and many
 others . . .  "  He gazed toward the distant forest and felt the yearning
 again.  "There is a place . . .  a clearing . . .  stones . . .  and one, a
 tall stone whose face is carved in a message. . . ."
 
 Jister felt goosebumps rush up his back and make him shiver.  "I- I know . . .
 I had a dream, too. . . .'
 
 "You know of the place I speak?"  Rawnblade's excitement was hard for him to
 conceal.
 
 Jister got to his feet slowly.  He blinked  and gazed about.  Things not
 seen suddenly made themselves visible in a waking vision.  "There are more
 like you!  They are all around."  He reached slowly to touch one of the 
 phantoms.  "I am . . .  afraid. . . ."
 
 "Fear not."  Rawnblade lifted his nose and sniffed.  He nodded.  "My people
 follow my path.  It is the way when one of us is struck by the spirit such as
 I have been.  None of us carry weapons.  This is spirit business."  He turned
 his attention back to the forest and pointed.  "there . . .  there is where
 I must go. . . ."
 
 Jister nodded.  "I know. . . ."  He took a deep breath.  "I will take you.
 Will you follow?"
 
 "I will.  Lead on, Little One."
 
 ---------------------------------------------
 
 The Badger Leader stopped near the stream and touched the soft bank
 knowingly.  "Rawnblade rested here. . . ."  He looked across the creek.
 "Another one was there . . .  the one of his dreams perhaps?"
 
 Another Badger came forward and gazed at the opposite bank, then smiled.
 The old Badger nodded slowly. "Yes . . .  the one in his dream."  He pointed
 toward the distant forest.  "They have gone that way.  We are near the end
 of the dream.  There, we will find our destiny."
 
 ----------------------------------------------
 
 Jister's parents stopped near the creek bank and stared at all the
 footprints that trampled the soft bank flat and led away from the muddy
 ground toward the forest.  They stared at each other in alarm.  Other
 otters arrived around them.  In their midst, the Talemaster appeared and
 came to the bank.  He nodded and smiled.  "The vision unfolds!  We must
 hasten to the stone circle.  There, everything comes together and all will
 be fulfilled!"
 
 Without hesitation, the gaggle of otters hurried along the path toward the
 woods and the stone edifice being built by others of their tribe.  Strangers
 fortold in the dream had arrived and trekked toward the stone circle.  What
 would be revealed was only heartbeats away. . . .
 
 -----------------------------------------

Tarka:
 
 Logsitter looked up from his work.  His paws were dirty.  His tail was sore.
 His teeth were dry and his nose was dusty.  "This is no work for an otter
 I tell ya!"
 
 The otter next to him nodded as he sat on one stone and wonded how they
 would get it to sit on the other one.
 
 Jister came running out of the woods and waved to everyone.  "Hey all would
 you like to meet my new friends?:
 
 Logsitter nodded.  "Sure thing Jister."  No sooner then had he said this and
 a huge Badger stepped out of the woods.
 
 "Greetings" said Rawnblade.
 
 -----------------
 
 Rawnblade looked around the clearing and found the rock of his dreams with
 his eyes.  There were dozens of otters around the clearing.  They had all
 stopped their work to look at him though.  He chuckled to himself looking
 at the mess that the otters seemed to have made of the area.
 
 -----------------
 
 Longtail rushed into the clearing just as many Badgers arrived out of the
 woods to his right.  He panted and stepped out boldly.  To his left the
 stone that he had first seen started to glow, ...and the ghost was back.
 
WalksFar:
 
 The swirling light left the stone and formed a vague figure in the center
 of the clearing as everyone scrambled out of its way as fast as they could
 move.
 
 All eyes watched as it solidified and took definite shape.  The dream
 unfolded before them.  "Build it and they will come. . . .  And, it has come
 to pass . . .  Far ago, war sullied the land between furs.  This was the end
 of all battles.  Here we made peace and the stones raised as a place to meet.
 So it was then, and so it will be forever on . . .  In the name of
 brotherhood of all our Peoples, this is sacred ground.  Here we gather.  Here
 we come together in joy and fellowship.  'Build it and THEY will come!'"  The
 apparition lost shape and swirled into the air to be broken apart by air
 currents and lost.
 
 For a moment no one spoke.  Otters and Badgers gazed at each other as if
 they had never seen each other before.  No one moved.
 
 It was Rawnblade that broke the silence and moved amongst the otters.  he
 smiled kindly.  "Dark brothers, you have done well in the attempt to build.
 Let me help."  He picked up one of the stones and turned it just so, and
 placing it onto another, rotated it, and then settled them together so
 tight not even light could be seen between them.  "It is so with all of 
 these.  Match the markings on them, set and twist. . . ."  He picked up 
 another, set it upon another and rotated it until it slid into a tight 
 fitting.
 
 Otters moved silently amongst the Badgers who now moved in unison to find
 stones amongst the fallen rubble.  Together, they built...  on into the
 evening, stopping only to eat and talk amongst each other, swap stories, and
 speak reverently of the spirit that had brought them all together.
 
 ------------------------------------
 
 By morning, the mess had been organized.  The stone circles and peripheral
 monuments and Stela stood again as they once did.  Now, other hands had
 joined in the building.  The orange red of foxes and black furred paws lifted
 stones and placed the interlocking stones of the flooring.  Small rodent paws
 cleaned amongst the tiles, brushing with bushy tails and paws.  Gravel and
 small stones were lifted and removed, large stones raised.  Ursine paws,
 powerful and facile, moved them into place.  Dextrous paws of aboreal cousins
 restored the color and shine to the petroglyphs and sculptures.  What once
 was had returned . . .  Feathers flashed and danced, as food was delivered
 from above.  All were taken care of.  Wolves patroled and assisted wherever
 possible.  In the center, the heart of the circles, a fire blazed, tended
 by Saurians and their draconic kin.  Wherever one looked, many different
 Peoples worked on the edifice amid joyful song and laughter.
 
 "Build it and THEY will come. . . ."
 
 In time, the circles stood complete, never to be brought down again by time
 or strife.  Many peoples of fur, feather and fen gathered, led by
 Talespinners from each of the tribes.  They ensnared all those who
 listened with their fanciful tales and legends, and led many in song . . .
 Into the night it would go, each at the circle having his moment before 
 the great fire which never faltered, each adding his own to the tales spun 
 and shared.  Here it would be thus forever more. . . .
 
 "Build it and THEY will come. . . ."