#my heart's full of brambles and gall

[thedizzydinosaur]

March 24 Dance: hands, lead/follow, pattens.

"Are you sure about this?" Ethari scanned the pattens that the young man had pushed into his hands, scanning over the simple, but elegant design of the horn cuffs, render in seay to follow but still exquisite details.

"Very." The young skywing elf wrung his hands in what had to be nervousness. "She's my world, and, well, I.. "

"You want the best for her." Ethari smiled softly at the boy, and oh, he was just a boy, no older than 18 perhaps?"

Ah, he was that young once, dancing around his feelings over a certain someone who was currently chasing some guard recruits around the forest.

"So, do you want to get started on this? My schedule is pretty clear this afternoon, and i doubt you want to keep your sweet heart waiting..."

-

The boy, as it turned out, was a pretty good student.

He was attentive, absorbing every bit of information Ethari sent his way as he led him step by step through the prosses of silver-smithing.

First was heating up the bar of metal slightly, then feeding it through a set of rollers to flatten it to a nice even thickness

"Now we need to trace the patten on with a scribe"

The two halves of the first cuff were traced out onto the metal, along with some careful markings to show where the raised, petal like patten was to be added, before ethari took over again to cut the sides out.

"It's not that I don't trust you, lad, but the shears are sharp, and even I've nearly lost fingers to them."

Ethari didn't miss the way the boy's hands almost instantly vanished into his coat pockets when he said that.

Funny thing was that the boys hands seemed to have a fuzzy edge to them. Like they were slightly behind frosted glass.

Ethari shook his head.

A trick of the light.

-

They worked right into the evening, resulting in the completion of rough shapes of two horn cuffs, ready for refinement and decorating, before Ethari had to down tools to start dinner

The boy, who's name seemed to consistently slip Ethari’s mind, was staying just outside the village, as the inn was full.

Ethari did extend the offer to stay over in the guest room but was met with a polite refusal.

He left for his camp just before Runaan returned, cussing out a particularly mouthy recruit who had the gall to call him old.

"You are only 42, love," Ethari hummed, pulling his beloved, grumpy husband into a slow dance in the kitchen as they waited for dinner to finish cooking. "Hardly old."

"40." Runaan corrected with a grumble.

"I refuse to let you miss out on two years, darling~" Ethari crooned, lifting Runaan up into a twirl.

"And you said that you had nothing scheduled this afternoon." Runaan was smiling now. "So who was your supprise walk in?"

"One half of a pair of lovers" Ethari replied. "Looking for the perfect gift for his heart"

"Oh?"

"Yes. A pair of custom horn cuffs."

The timer at the stove dinged, and the two of them broke from there dance.

-

The skwing lad was back bright and early the next day.

Callum, as he reminded Ethari with a wry smile, picked up the art of engraving quickly, and it did not take long for him to start gushing over the young lady who held his heart in her hands.

Bold, sweet, brave, tender and sassy. You'd think she'd been sent by the moon herself the way callum spoke of her.

He was so in love, and that love was translated into each and every line engraved as the day went on.

Ethari had to wonder if the protective brambles carefully coiled under the moon lilies and roses meant anything in particular.

-

There was muttering in the village that a ghost had been spotted slinking around the village boundaries.

No one would mention the name of exactly who it was, but the village guards were getting twitchy, which was never a good sign.

Callum assured Ethari that he'd be OK as he slipped away into the growing twilight, precious cargo stashed away safely in his bag.

Ethari still watched on from his workshops doors, eyes following the skywing picked his way through the market and out past the boundary stones, just to make sure.

-

Callum dipped though the underbrush, keeping one ear out for the smallest sounds of village guards, assassins (trainee or otherwise) or anyone else that might try to follow him as he left the village, and made for the meeting point.

The adoraburr meadow was dark as dusk settled in, aside for the lightning bugs that drifted on the breeze.

With a sigh, he finally let the illustration he'd been living under for the last couple of days.

He flexed all 5 fingers as his skin regained its pink hew and the horns melted away into moon dust.

"Say, stranger, have I seen you before"

Callum sighed before turning and smiling up at the beautiful moon nymph that was sitting on a nearby bolder, the cheesiest smile in existence on her face.

"I'm not sure if I've ever met a goddess before." Callum zinged back as Rayla hopped down from her perch to greet him with a hug.

"I got you something." Callum returned the hug in full force.

"And I got you something ~"

"Dare I ask?"

Rayla grinned, and scooted out of his grip.

"Not telling~" she sung "not yet, at least"

Callum rolled his eyes just a little. He grabbed his bag, and started to follow her out of the meadow.

"Your uncles are doing well, by the way." He told her as they disappeared into the treeline. "But I noticed a 'no unattended Jr assassins' sign next to the door?

"Oh... yeh.... that might be my fault...."

#the dragon prince #tdpprism2024

[roman-catholic-mass-readings]

9th June >> Mass Readings (USA)   for

Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

or

Saint Ephraem, Deacon, Doctor.

Friday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green) First Reading Tobit 11:5-17 God himself scourged me and behold, I now see my son Tobiah! Anna sat watching the road by which her son was to come. When she saw him coming, she exclaimed to his father, “Tobit, your son is coming, and the man who traveled with him!”    Raphael said to Tobiah before he reached his father: “I am certain that his eyes will be opened. Smear the fish gall on them. This medicine will make the cataracts shrink and peel off from his eyes; then your father will again be able to see the light of day.”    Then Anna ran up to her son, threw her arms around him, and said to him, “Now that I have seen you again, son, I am ready to die!” And she sobbed aloud.    Tobit got up and stumbled out through the courtyard gate. Tobiah went up to him with the fish gall in his hand, and holding him firmly, blew into his eyes. “Courage, father,” he said. Next he smeared the medicine on his eyes, and it made them smart. Then, beginning at the corners of Tobit’s eyes, Tobiah used both hands to peel off the cataracts.    When Tobit saw his son, he threw his arms around him and wept. He exclaimed, “I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!” Then he said: “Blessed be God,    and praised be his great name,    and blessed be all his holy angels. May his holy name be praised    throughout all the ages, Because it was he who scourged me,    and it is he who has had mercy on me. Behold, I now see my son Tobiah!” Then Tobit went back in, rejoicing and praising God with full voice for everything that had happened. Tobiah told his father that the Lord God had granted him a successful journey; that he had brought back the money; and that he had married Raguel’s daughter Sarah, who would arrive shortly, for she was approaching the gate of Nineveh.    Tobit and Anna rejoiced and went out to the gate of Nineveh to meet their daughter-in-law. When the people of Nineveh saw Tobit walking along briskly, with no one leading him by the hand, they were amazed. Before them all Tobit proclaimed how God had mercifully restored sight to his eyes. When Tobit reached Sarah, the wife of his son Tobiah, he greeted her: “Welcome, my daughter! Blessed be your God for bringing you to us, daughter! Blessed is your father, and blessed is my son Tobiah, and blessed are you, daughter! Welcome to your home with blessing and joy. Come in, daughter!” That day there was joy for all the Jews who lived in Nineveh. The Word of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 146:1b-2, 6c-7, 8-9a, 9bc-10 R/ Praise the Lord, my soul! or R/ Alleluia. Praise the LORD, O my soul;    I will praise the LORD all my life;    I will sing praise to my God while I live. R/ Praise the Lord, my soul! or R/ Alleluia. The LORD keeps faith forever,    secures justice for the oppressed,    gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. R/ Praise the Lord, my soul! or R/ Alleluia. The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;    the LORD loves the just. The LORD protects strangers. R/ Praise the Lord, my soul! or R/ Alleluia. The fatherless and the widow he sustains,    but the way of the wicked he thwarts The LORD shall reign forever,    your God, O Zion, through all generations! Alleluia. R/ Praise the Lord, my soul! or R/ Alleluia. Gospel Acclamation John 14:23 Alleluia, alleluia. Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mark 12:35-37 How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said, “How do the scribes claim that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said: The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand    until I place your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” The great crowd heard this with delight. The Gospel of the Lord. R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ. -------------------

Saint Ephraem, Deacon, Doctor

(Liturgical Colour: White) First Reading Colossians 3:12-17 And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one Body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. The Word of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God. Responsorial Psalm Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 30-31 R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. Trust in the LORD and do good,    that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD,    and he will grant you your heart’s requests. R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. Commit to the LORD your way;    trust in him, and he will act. He will make justice dawn for you like the light;    bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. The mouth of the just tells of wisdom    and his tongue utters what is right. The law of his God is in his heart,    and his steps do not falter. R/ The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom. Gospel Acclamation John 15:5 Alleluia, alleluia. I am the vine, you are the branches, says the Lord: whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 6:43-45 What a person says comes from what is in his heart. Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person, out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil, for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks." The Gospel of the Lord. R/ Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.