The Eagle and her Owl [PK]

[Phersades 1165]

The Eagle and Her Owl
The PK of Renate Mariya Barclay

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Spoiler

 

 

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The whistle was strained and broken as it came from the seven year old. Rather than a call, she spit out in front of her: A disappointing display.

“She will nicht know to come back to du if du do nicht get it right. Take your time, and really think about it.” Conrad kneeled next to the child, shaking his head softly as he tsk’d out a pseudo showing of disapproval. This wasn’t a page lesson, but it was a nice gesture for Conrad to show the girl how to send off her grey owl, Osha, and how to bring her back with a whistle..

The call of the bird came from the canopy of trees that lurked on the edge of Reinmar. The air was still besides that, waiting for Renate to make her last attempt at a whistle to bring her beloved bird back. With a show of confidence, the ashen haired Barclay adjusted her stance as she raised her fingers to her mouth.. The mighty sound rang out into the empty air, and within seconds, the owl came diving towards the child and her mentor.. A small field mouse in her talons as a showing of her prize. The bloody creature was dropped at Renate’s feet with a little splat, and though the knight at her side grimaced at the gross sight, the child’s eyes widened with excitement and pride.

“AGAIN, ICH WANT TAE DO ET AGAIN!” The page bounced slightly with excitement as she raised her arm to allow the owl to now perch on a padded glove. The knight nodded once to offer her a chance to do it herself, and with that permission, Renate pushed her arm out to allow for the Owl to head out into the forest once more. She disappeared into the forest and now it was just a game of waiting, listening for that call as a signal the bird had caught its game. The child looked up at Conrad with bright eyes filled with adoration. She wished to be just like him, strong and talented, a dame of her own. Renate ‘The Owl’ Barclay; Her mother had mused the idea to her, a watchful and careful woman, an informant to her fellow knights. She would earn Reinhardt’s Claymore, and teach other pages just like Conrad.. He was not her father, but some days she wished he had been, he raised her like one of his own anyways, and she loved him all the same: At least she would have grown to.

The call of the bird returned once more, and in her excitement, Renate raised her fingers to try for that loud whistle, and after a moment of mental preparation- she blew.
 

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But Nothing Came.
 

Renate had reached up to adjust her spectacles after the first whistle seemed to fail. It was unlike Osha to not come back upon her first call. They had been doing this for some ten years now, the reliable gray owl would have never taken more than a couple seconds to return. The now sixteen year old looked around the forests of Krusev, her eyes shifting around the ruined buildings and the overgrowth of the area.. She may have gone a little too far while hunting, but all Osha needed to do now was return back and they could both make their way back to Reinmar, it was not far anyways. Still though no trace of the bird, and no sound..

“Osha!” Renate resorted now to yelling the Owls name in hopes it would work better, but what returned wasn’t her bird.
 

“Osha” - “Osha!” - “OOOSHA!” - “Oshhhhaaaa!” - “Osha! Osha!” - “oShA!”

 

The plethora of voices came rushing back towards Renate, none of them having been her own. Instantly, it was a sprint back towards Reinmar down the roads.

“CONRAD” The girl screamed, hoping her mentor would hear her from wherever he stood in the world. “CONRAD PLEASE!”
 

 

 “Osha!” - “OOOSHA!” - “Osha! Osha!” - “oShA!”“Osha” - “Osha!” - “OOOSHA!” - “Oshhhhaaaa!” - “Osha! Osha!” - “oShA!”

 

The voices continued to torment the frightened page as she continued to run, the trees coming alive as they opened their eyes to burrow down on her.. Their watchful gazes blackened with an oozing sap that bubbled with the growing tension of the forest.

Renate tried to cover her ears, a heavy and warm breath now breathing down her back and neck to alert her to the proximity of the creature as she was followed. In the attempt to move faster, the Barclay tripped over her boot and waited for her end..

But Nothing Came…

Instead, she heard her mother's name.
 

 

Theodosya. . .

 

It's been so long… you've gotten… smaller.
 

Nikolai visited not so long ago. Feels like the good old days… no?

 

Did this creature believe Renate was her mother? “Theo.. Theodosya is.. My.. Mama..” She whispered back through a shaky voice

 

 A daughter? Such a frail thing… nothing like her. No. Nothing like her at all.

 

The little page nodded softly “Where es mein Osha? What did du do vith her?”

And there came the splat, her answer was a gruesome show. Thrown at her feet from the air was the carcass of her bloodied Osha, gone to the world. There was only so much Renate could do against the creature.. But she prayed with all her heart, and spoke through her anger at the nameless and invisible entity. 

 

She reached down with shaky hands to pick up the dead owl  who was alive mere moment ago “Yam niet fragile- But ich hope mein mamej hurts du..” She pulled the dead owl close to her stomach, her jaw tightening as she attempted not to cry any more.

 

“I do hope she tries..” it answered back in it’s whisper

 

“She vill succeed.. So will conrad..- En so will ea..” 

 

“Is that so? You can hardly stand, welp.”

 

“Aye.. Da.. Et es.. Et es.. Et es..” She muttered through her tears, the wannabe knight moved to set the bird aside carefully before attempting to stand. As soon as she was upright however, gray hands moved from the nearby river to pull her under by her ankles.. In her panicked attempt to stay above water, she grabbed on to a nearby pole, though it was not enough. More hands sprouted from the water to assist each other, and just like that, Renate Mariya Barclay had been dragged into what felt like a never ending pit. There she felt small again; The water dark and cold as she held on to the last breath she would ever comfortably take. As she was pulled deeper and deeper, it spoke to her one last time; Something about her mother, but the poor teenager had already started to choke as her lungs filled, and just like that she had slipped into her forever unconscious state.

 

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Her body wouldn't be discovered though, not if they had gone out looking for the missing Barclay. Now, in her state of peace as she entered the seven skies, she prayed for her mother and Ser Conrad. Perhaps her prayers would be enough this time around. 

 

Spoiler

I did not get the opportunity to play the character for a very long time, but I do appreciate Worldmarsii and Gandhi2k for offering me the character to play and @ColdestPepsi for giving me a majority of the rp on this char. I also appreciate the Barclay players for being so welcoming to me and offering a place for me to play the character. 

 

[marslol 672]

Theodosya couldn't sleep for those days without notice, without word from either Ser Conrad, her father in law, or most importantly of all - her baby, her Rena, her daughter. Sleepless nights turned into weeks, as the bags under the woman's eyes only seemed to worsen then. She ignored the bed, the comfort of her husband, to brood on her own with a trusty bottle. As she sat on the rooftop as she so often did, the Barclay wondered.

 

There was no way ... right? She was smart, she wouldn't do anything reckless. I trusted Conrad and Reinhardt to keep her safe - they wouldn't let me down. She's just as smart and as wise as that owl I got her all those years ago.

 

Osha. 

 

Unbeknownst to her to the events that unfolded in the thicket of Krusev, her daughter and her owl would be no more. Perhaps in her heart, she knew what had happened - as she had tussled with that damned beast with her brother and lover before. The possibility rung and hum quietly in the back of her head, as she pleaded it not to be reality - yet the constant drone of it continued. She'd usually drop in a fit of rage, throwing object after object at something, anything, to feel some sort of ounce of control.

 

Instead, there on the roof top, Theodosya Cecilya Barclay wept.

[Capt_Chief26 1205]

Ser Reinhardt Barclay mounts his war horse and rides out in search of his granddaughter, clenching his Lorraine and reigns of his horse.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Capt_Chief26

[ColdestPepsi 1034]

Conrad knew that his page had met her end on the trip which she'd set out on after she didn't return for a lesson like she said she would; it didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Drinks flew across the keep as one feeling, and only one feeling overtook the man, something he typically only felt at the mention of someone, anger. After he had finished throwing anything he could, glass littered the floor and he remembered a promise he'd made to his wife before they had married, one which he now knew he would have to break to try and be at peace with what had happened.

[Gandhi 2708]

August Barclay mulled over his daughter's disappearance with another glass of wine.

[beetle 2760]

Something was off, something the page couldn't pinpoint. 

 

Ada Natalya Colborn grew worried for her pet eagle, Eagly - even though it was completely normal for Eagly to be on his own, the young page was still concerned. She assumed it was her anxiety from being sleep deprived.

 

Later that day, Ada sat on the rooftop of the chapel near the knight's keep, awaiting for Eagly's return. He eventually arrived - frantic, disturbed, shocked opposed to his snarky attitude.

 

He knew something but she didn't know what.

 

Maybe this was the “something was off” feeling she was experiencing.

[CopOwl 1668]

The Phantom of a Doctor watched over her brother and his descendants. She knew the truth of what had happened to her Great Niece, although death had locked her in silence and sobbing, seeking solace in the starry seven skies above. 

 

Even if she had been able to tell her niece's tale, lonely madness drove her away and her voice merely echoes on the wind now.

 

"Oh dear young Barclay page, 

How long du have slept,

And into the depths

Of darkness, dein Mütter wept,

Dein Vater drinks, dein Freund sinks,

Oh DEAR young Barclay page!!"

 

Any unfortunate listeners hear these whisperings of tragic misfortune, followed by the cackling laughter of a mad woman, as it drifts across the Reinmaren plains on the wind.

[ThatDutchFellow 1054]

There he stood. Lord Friedrich Barclay. The Elder Eagle his palms heavily clutching his cane's head the Eagle shining proudly in the sun's shimmer, Alas the Elder didn't feel any pride in the moment, More disgust then anything else "Why o' Godani, Why does du tear und rip in ze flesh of mein kin, But nicht dare lay dein Heiliger hands upon mein fragile soul.... Why o' Godani take whom i love und leave me suffering?" The questions the Elder Eagle portrayed upon God went unawnsered as many of his questions did, All he knew was another of his family had passed before his judgement came. And all he could ask himself was "Warum can ich nicht die...?"

Edited August 22, 2022 by ThatDutchFellow

[garentoft 8353]

Georg laid in one of his sofas, staring intently into the fire, hugging tightly onto a trophy that Renate had gifted him. His quiet murmurs to himself were muffled by his sobs and tears.