#Grandson killed grandmother

[mohntilyet]

illario as the grandchild that is most like caterina is something i'm loving to chew on. the grandson that took her lessons to heart the most. kill anyone who sees your face and knows your name, "we are not revolutionaries", the first out of the two to prioritise the contract. power at any cost, and the only one to lean into the unnecessary abuse that their grandmother told them was tradition. why is anyone surprised he allied with the venatori? and then there's illario's considerable skill in infiltration and manipulating any mark, he has always had the charisma that lucanis lacked. illario isn't attached, he has/can/will use someone and immediately drop them; "that does free me from promises i don't intend to keep". he can lie about how much he cares so well that he fools a magister into believing he loves her. he kills zara without hesitation to cover his own tracks, meanwhile lucanis blindly promises a young girl in the middle of a siege that he will help her find her father. even the lessons about family stick with him, and in this entire messy power struggle, he never actually orders anyone to directly kill caterina or lucanis, not until he's backed into a corner.

and even after all that. despite even lucanis believing illario should be first talon, lucanis is still the better killer. illario is not strong enough to be the brutal assassin caterina needs him to be. so when lucanis seems to fill the role his mother left, grief and love for her dead heir apparent remains, and any of the other qualities caterina needs in her next talon doesn't matter. whatever his mother was, lucanis has to be. what illario does doesn't matter, because he will always be second best to caterina's memory of her favored daughter.

[thelibrarian1895]

For your consideration

Lucanis proposes to a Mourn Watch Rook, Caterina even gave him the opal ring for the proposal since someone who killed one of the elven gods could be arguably acceptable for her grandson.

Probably

Then it's time to plan the wedding and I would like to offer the idea that Caterina and Teia who, upon learning that Rook has no living parents and was, in fact, found in a crypt in the Necropolis by the undead, might come to the conclusion that since there are no other parental figures involved, they will have full control over the wedding planning as they are grandmother of the groom and groom's basically sister with some input from Rook and Lucanis of course.

Except no

Vorgoth appears in the room that Caterina has dedicated to wedding planning. Vorgoth is there to make sure that the Nevarran and Mourn Watch traditions are also respected. Plus this is their little crypt baby who's all grown up and getting married! Myrna comes in shortly afterwards, it takes her a little longer to travel than it does Vorgoth and now Teia has the bride's basically sister to debate with.

Debates over whether or not skeletons should be ushers or not, picking over every name on the guest list, debates about the size of the guest list, arguing over the location of the wedding (Vorgoth: THE MEMORIAL GARDENS ARE VERY POPULAR FOR SUCH OCCASIONS Myrna: It would be particularly romantic as Emmerich reported Rook would like their remains to be used in the garden after their death Caterina: No, the Dellamortes have been married in the Treviso chantry gardens for generations Teia: will the Chantry be finished cleaning up all the leftover Ventaori things in time? Caterina: I was unaware that we were dealing with any time constraints (Teia changes the subject while they debate whether or not to confess that she suspects Rook might be pregnant and thus they might want to have the wedding quickly since while having a baby first isn't a bad thing, it would make the fitting of wedding outfits difficult (Rook is not pregnant, Rook is throwing up and sickly at the moment because they're trying to develop immunity to common poisons)) catering, discovering that Nevarrans also arrange for the couples' funeral while they're putting together the wedding, determining if one of the couple will be wearing a dress, figuring out who is going to make the outfits for the wedding party (Manfred, who made their own Watcher uniform, is unaware of the careful negotiations and has already measured both Rook and Lucanis and has started to sew a very traditional Watcher wedding outfit that was in style about 2,000 years ago that Manfred thinks it cool/pretty, Manfred started this as soon as Spite told them that Spite, Rook, and Lucanis were officially a thing because I 100% believe that Spite and Manfred gossip with one another and Lucanis figures better Manfred than Spite walking around while Lucanis is asleep and spilling everything to everyone in the Lighthouse, Rook and Lucanis will wear the outfits Manfred makes for the reception), figuring out who is going to be in the wedding party (lots of debating about whether Illario is going to be part of things or not), determining who is going to be walked down the aisle (Rook), determining who is going to walk the person down the aisle (Vorgoth, this is why I say Rook is walked down the aisle), flowers, decorations in general, location for the reception, music, living arrangements in the aftermath of the wedding, conferring about wedding presents so none of them get the couple a duplicate of something, determining who is going to officiate, figuring out who will paint the wedding portraits, whether or not it would be appropriate for any contract to be fulfilled during the wedding (Teia: Unless you refuse to allow guests to bring plus ones, at least one Crow is going to bring a target to the wedding and finish the contract after the vows, it happens every time) what would happen to anyone who might die of "natural causes" during the wedding, wedding favors, Mourn Watch avoiding/ignoring the Crows probing about King Marcus, designing the wedding invitations, scheduling health check ups, seating arrangements, if Antiva or Nevarra have any tradition of dowries or bride prices then Vorgoth and Caterina discuss how that works out, determining where the couple will go for their honeymoon, and of course, determining which side of the family will pay for what and setting a budget, neither side is going to let the other get away with "I pay for it so I decide" though neither side would honestly because while they all have specific visions for their loved one's wedding, they really do want the couple to be happy with how things end up

It's quite possibly the most fun Caterina has had in decades and she and Vorgoth will either best friends or they'll be mortal enemies in the aftermath

When everything is done, Teia and Myrna will absolutely be exchanging letters in the aftermath and meet up once a month for brunch/gossip that they can't tell anyone in their own organizations.

In the meantime, Lucanis and Rook are debating if they'd survive eloping and Rook is getting Viago to coach them through building up an immunity to common poisons as well as poisons commonly used by the Crows which is not the same thing (resulting in Teia's misunderstanding) and how to best put the fear of Rook into the Crow houses most likely to cause problems/target them as spouse of the First Talon

Edit: No matter what the wedding planning group decides, all the wisps from the Lighthouse are going to be there at the wedding if only because I adore the mental image of the wisps floating around the ceremony. I think it would be pretty.

Edit: One of the wedding colors is absolutely purple

Edit: Manfred measured Lucanis for his Watcher wedding gear while Lucanis was asleep and Spite was in control and further fittings happen in the same fashion so Lucanis is actually unaware of the Watcher wedding gear until much later, Spite gets him to change into it for the reception. Rook didn't know why Manfred wanted to measure them but was willing to indulge Manfred because Rook finds Manfred adorable and is later delighted by the Watcher wedding gear and was quite pleased during the fittings

[jewish-vents]

When my mom was 8 she broke a 15 year old boy's arm when he would not stop bullying her siblings for being Jewish, including trying to drown my uncle. Not as a joke, he was actively trying to kill him. Being 19 and on my second year of jiujitsu and breaking my antisemitic instructor's shoulder because his dumb ass thought he could thrash me with illegal moves repeatedly without consequences feels like a defining moment in my life. I really am my mother's son. My 5"3 ass can and will beat your 6"4 one despite the 100 lb weight differential. And I don't even need to make illegal moves to do it.

This is what it's like to be Jewish. You deal with people twice your size who don't play by the rules and you fight fairly and yet even when you're defending yourself, eyewitnesses get antisemitic and say your response was disproportionate. He had me in a lethal chokehold. I'm the one who had to talk to police for assault. He doesn't even get a reprimand from the university even though he's employed by them and murder on the campus is, even now, a bad look.

The police were, fortunately, swayed by the video footage. They said my lack of guilt was disturbing. I stared at them in disbelief. "I'm not going to feel guilty for not wanting to die," I told them incredulously, "I have elderly parents to support, a girlfriend to propose to and a dog to take care of. I'm 20, I have shit left to live for!"

I'm being forced into therapy by the university. I look forward to it. Sure would be a shame if I'd, I don't know, hypothetically, scoured the internet to find other accounts of people he'd used illegal moves on. It'd sure suck if I brought those up and had those entered into the school record. Sure would be awful if those accounts found their way into his RateMyProfessor listing in addition to, say, theoretically, being sent to local dojos and other dojos throughout the state, thus ruining his ability to find work or fight competitively.

All sarcasm aside I am not afraid to nuke his career. I am my mother's son but I am also my grandmother's grandson. When a KKK member tried to kill her dad, my great-granddad, she wrestled the man's gun off of him and shot him in the knee. He never walked again.

Nobody in my family starts fights. But I don't mind finishing them.

This is what it's like to be Jewish. Someone tries to kill you. You do exactly what's required to get out alive. They get angry at you. They want you to feel guilty for wanting to live. You get up and go to class hours later with bruises on your neck and refuse to feel guilty. I have as much of a right to be alive as anyone else. I will not be gaslit into thinking I don't deserve to live.

The school said I wouldn't have to do therapy if I apologized. I will not apologize for surviving or defending myself.

I have as much of a right to be alive as anyone else.

.

[cybershock24601]

Haven't read the wingmaker job yet but keep seeing snippets from it and the best justification I have for why Illario is so different is because he's McFreakin' Losing It during the game. His house of cards is collapsing and to say he is not handling it well would be an understatement.

First, he has the cousin he's been mourning for a year and probably dealing with a very complicated mix of grief, guilt, and regret because he ordered Lucanis' death and still hasn't gotten what he wanted out of it- being made First Talon - and only lost his brother. Only to find out actually his cousin is alive, his grandmother has known the whole time and didn't say anything to him, and now his cousin is going to be coming back and Illario knows he's never going to be First Talon unless he does something. Then Lucanis is back and he's an abomination, a fate a lot of people in Thedas would say is worse than death and I'm sure Illario knows that Caterina would still pick Lucanis anyways even after she finds out what her poor boy has become.

Second, he needs to get rid of Caterina because it's clear she's not going to let him be First Talon ever. But he can't kill her. That's his grandmother who he has an incredibly complex relationship with and still craves her approval even though he knows he isn't going to get it, and after everything with Lucanis, I don't think Illario could go through with killing someone else close him considering how messed up he was after getting rid of Lucanis. Which also presents problems because is he just going to keep Caterina locked up for the rest of her days? What was the end goal in kidnapping her? I don't think Illario really thought it all through because he was panicking and had to think fast when he found out Lucanis was alive and coming back.

Third, Illario also has to deal with Zara. No matter what Illario's actual feelings towards her are, Illario still has to keep her thinking he's still interested and into her even after she betrayed him by capturing and torturing Lucanis for a year. Illario probably started making his deal with the Venetori long before you find out about it in the game seeing as he's already cozied up to Zara, so he's also having to play an entire organization for their support which probably gets a lot more complicated after he kills his main point of contact even if he likely frames it as Rook and Lucanis offing her.

Lastly, Illarrio has to think of the Crows and present himself as a properly grieving grandson and relieved that his cousin is back and manage House Dellamorte with his grandmother gone and Lucanis on contract. He's gotta gather support amongst the other Talons and allay suspicion and with so many different plates to balance and sheer emotional turmoil the guy is going through, it makes sense that he's dropping the ball on a lot of things during the game. Illario is stuck in a nightmare scenario and its one he set in motion himself with no way out and only the title of First Talon as consolation that everything he has done was worth it.

[we-are-not-a-number]

Tdlr; Rates of violence and homocides against older women (notable grandmothers) rising, a dual issue of children of and partners being domestically abusive, most notably sons. Mothers are less likely to call authorities on their own children for domestic violence or threats, which impacts this grizzly development. Warned "matricide of older women" and lack of awareness. Article from Australia but this issue is stated to be global.

Fourteen women over the age of 55 were allegedly killed in domestic violence-related homicides last year, according to a tally kept by the online feminist group Destroy the Joint. When the Australian Bureau of Statistics releases its data for the year, this number could well increase.

In 2023, according to ABS data, there were 28 women over the age of 55 allegedly killed in domestic violence related homicides, roughly a third of all such alleged homicides. Experts have called it a “silent crisis”: older women who are killed by family violence but whose deaths rarely get as much attention as those of younger women, and whose experiences do not figure sufficiently in government responses to violence against women. “There’s a matricide of older women [and] people aren’t even noticing, there’s no outcry. There’s silence,” says Catherine Barrett, director of Celebrate Ageing. “It’s just being missed.”

A Guardian analysis of government data has found that in the 10 years to 2023, nearly 200 women over the age of 55 were allegedly killed in family violence related homicides, suggesting older women could be at dual risk – from partners and from their children, especially their sons.

The rate of alleged domestic homicides in Australia has more than halved in the past 30 years, from 0.71 deaths per 100,000 in 1992-93, to 0.3 deaths per 100,000 in 2022-23. However, the rate at which older women are allegedly killed in domestic homicides has not fallen consistently. In the past 10 years, the rate of women aged over 55 killed in family violence homicides has reached 0.7 deaths per 100,000 (the same rate for all women 30 years ago) three times – in 2017, 2018 and 2023.

The problem is a global one. In England and Wales, the number of women killed by sons has risen since 2016, after remaining stable for decades. There was also a rise in the number of grandmothers killed by their grandsons, according to the Femicide Census, co-founded by Clarrie O’Callaghan and Karen Ingala Smith.

Lee says that while every family violence homicide is a tragedy, some deaths are given more attention than others, with the media and general public often focusing on the deaths of younger, attractive white women, while the deaths of “women who are marginalised … don’t get highlighted”. “The invisibility and the marginalisation of First Nations women [and] older women means that they remain invisible even when they’re killed.”

One of the main factors, Lee says, is that domestic violence is often considered primarily a problem for younger women so services are often geared towards them. That means older women may not see a family violence service as one that can help them.

“When we talk about violence against women, it’s always a younger woman fleeing with two little kids hanging around her knees. You rarely see any commentary about all the women who grow old with violence, who live with, maybe, sons who are violent. They are really invisible.”

Barrett says sometimes, after a violent relationship breaks down between a man and his partner, the man will move back in with his parents – particularly if he has mental health or addiction problems – and continue to perpetrate violence there. The problem has only increased, she says, in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

“The mothers are not reporting their sons … because this is their son, and it’s shame on the family, and they’re worried about his mental health. “We’ve got this perfect storm, which is: a cost-of-living crisis, a mental health crisis, sons moving in with their mothers, and no one’s talking to mum, or she doesn’t see a service that could actually help.” What’s needed, say both Lee and Barrett, is a life stages approach that addresses the different ways family violence can affect older women.

[kiame-sama]

MALLEUS’S GREAT GRANDMOTHER IS ALIVE???? Poor reader is NOT getting a break the moment she steps foot on Brior valley soil LMAO

Also the way you wrote “rook’s ENTIRE family” scared me ngl because god damn I bet he has a large ass family 💀

I can see Cater’s sister’s dressing up reader like a doll like 25 times in one day

The moment Kalim’s family meets the human, reader comes out with new golden jewelry due to the al-asim family gifting her so many like I can just see it now

Malefica and Maleficent are two different dragons. Malefica is his grandmother. Maleficent is his Great Grandmother. Maleanor (his mother) was killed. Malleus is thinking of names that start with 'Malle' or 'Male' for his and the Human's young to keep up the naming tradition (Mallechite for example). That is three Dragons who want to keep the Human, pray the Human never visits Briar Valley because that is three Dragons who see the Human as their Hoard (Given Malleus is part of Malefica's hoard as her grandson, and both are part of Maleficent's Hoard as her descendants) since Hoards among dragon families often overlap. Those Dragons are not letting go of the Human EVER. Practically attached at the hip, especially Maleficent and Malleus. Malleus because that is HIS Human and Maleficent because she misses her Humans.

Rook comes from a large family as he is a Drider and can have several dozen hatchlings if the eggs all survive. Rook is the 8th of 10 siblings. Not to mention his uncles and aunts who have their own families. His siblings are constantly bugging him for details despite the fact he didn't talk with them very much before the Human due to how much his family likes to spread out and live in different places. It is not uncommon for a Hunt to randomly leave home in search of their fixation, but Rook bringing the Human back home to his parents may be the first time the ENTIRE family comes together. They are all almost vibrating with how excited they are. There will be squabbles between siblings over the Human, who is actively hiding under Rook.

Cater has two older sisters, and he is the only Nymph of his family that chose to be male (as Nymphs have no set gender and simply choose what resonates most with them). They will happily use the Human as a dress up doll since cay-cay doesn't like being the doll. They are all Lake Water Nymphs but his sisters have more lake green hair. Cater's two Mothers will adore the Human and will praise their son for finding such a cute little thing. The sisters will ensure they get their fair share of time with the Human, they kay even kick Cater out of dress-up time and this will upset him deeply.

The Al-Asim are attempting to seal a marriage contract between Kalim and the Human, especially after Kalim's father learns Kalim granted a wish for the Human and somehow they didn't die from it. He believes this granted wish is an answer to his prayers and will give any wealth to secure the two in matrimony. Want gemstones? You get gemstones. Want a fancy new car? You get a fancy new car. Want a Diamond lamp (that totally isn't being planned as your and Kalim's child's lamp?) Please, take it! They would rather you have it on hand for reasons. Doesn't matter the Human's gender, Genies can successfully have young with ANYONE regardless of gender or fertility. They want another Al-Asim.

[miriani-lavellan]

Obsessed with the idea that Caterina Dellamorte is spending the twilight years of her life coming to terms with her abject failure in leading the Crows.

Under her, the havoc wreaked by one (1) vengeful Arainai is still being felt years down the line, all the Crows are circling each other for leadership, all her children and all but two of her grandchildren are dead in a brutal war for succession, the summit she brings together to tackle the Qunari invasion fails spectacularly and almost all the Talons are killed on her watch AND her own grandson sells out her golden boy last hope who comes home damaged and possessed by a demon.

House Dellamorte is a failure. She's a failure.

But she makes Lucanis First Talon because she knows that despite his condition - he is not.

You can read her decision as calculated, but the fact that she makes that decision after Lucanis a) asks for advice and b) shows MERCY - I'd say she's pretty ready to recognise that the survival of the Crows depends on them uniting and abandoning the vicious infighting of the past. That actually, Teia's idealism (which she has certainly spent time around) might be RIGHT. That the family could be all that Teia thinks it is. That it might need to be, if it's going to have a chance at defending Antiva and making it through.

Lucanis might be floored by her decision. He might not really want it, he might not really have strong feelings about it - he doesn't seem to have done before. But I do think he would be good at it. He'll be measured, merciful, and save his knives for those that truly deserve it.

But maybe he'll leave redecorating the villa to Teia and his grandmother.

[thedinanshiral]

In preparation for The Veilguard i'll be exploring some of the companions we already have information on from other Dragon Age media. I'l start with Lucanis Dellamorte, who already had an impressive introduction in the story The Wigmaker's job from Tevinter Nights, and an implicit silent role in the short story The Wake.

Lucanis Dellamorte, Master Assassin of the Antivan Crows. Grandson of Caterina Dellamorte, First Talon of the Antivan Crows, and chosen by her to succeed her.

His cousin Illario Dellamorte whom he often works with might resent him a little for being the favourite but Illario is Lucanis' favourite to succeed as First Talon, as he's got the "silver tongue" required for the politics of it Lucanis does not.

Both of them are described as lean with dark hair and umber eyes; Lucanis is described as "the kind of man you couldn't look away from- until he looked at you".

Despite the abuse from his grandmother during training that caused him to hate her, now in his adult years he understands her motivation was preparing him for this life, and while on the job still recites to himself the same nursery rhyme she did when they were children. It goes:

One for silence Two for surprise Three for good measure Four's excercise Five for a slaughter Six for the thrill Seven means more sovereigns Eight marks the final kill

Seems it's a rhyme reminding how many extra kills are necessary/acceptable in a mission that didn't call for them? But while Illario also remembers it they don't make any other comments on it.

Focused, centered on duty, Lucanis never misses the mark. He carries multiple knives, daggers and blades he takes care of personally and carefully. Mostly seems to take contracts on Venatori and Tevinter mages to the point he's grown acostumed to their magic and can sense them pulling at/tunning into the Fade. Yes, he can sense where the Veil is thin. The way in which he senses a mage using magic is as an itch behind his eyes, or as an annoying headache. The worse the headache the more magic is being used. He can track Venatori mages by headache alone.

He's not just a killing machine, he also knows his enemy's ways, in this case knowing such a corrupt mage would have to have an artifact in use to keep demons at bay. When he found and destroyed said artifact demons crossed the Veil and destroyed the wigmaker's party. This event is what earns him the nickname "the Demon".

As good as he normally is in this contract he let his personal feelings and morals interfere and rather than fulfilling the contract he prioritized the slaves escaping and the victims getting justice in the form of vengeance, considering what the wigmaker Ambrose had done didn't make him deserving of an easy death. A Magister named Zara Renata ends the story deciding, since the Crow is now a Demon, that since demons can't be killed but controled, and Lucanis showed his weakness -having a heart - , she'll find a way to manipulate him to her benefit.

In the short story The Wake Crows Viago and Teia drag a drunken Illario back to his room after someone's funeral and by Illario's comments seems the deceased was Lucanis. Illario says they were brothers more than cousins, and now in his absence he has no one to follow. He mentions as a child one time Lucanis read a book about wyverns and became obssessed with wyverns, took him hunting and both returned to their grandmother made an absolute muddy mess. It's curious how as affected as Illario is the other two Crows seem very much not, so an alternative intepretation could be the one who passed is Caterina, their grandmother, and now Lucanis is First Talon so Illario is lamenting their relationship won't be the same, at the same time he's lamenting he wasn't the chosen one, when he bitterly says "It should have been me".

Some colorful notes sprinkled here and there: when asked by Illario what he'd do if someone sees his face and talks, Lucanis says he'd just grow a beard. Seems he did:

In The Wigmaker's job when Illario complains about not having being told the specifics of the contract it's revealed Lucanis did inform him via a dossier he wrote himself. This coupled with his childhood wyvern obssession and the rest of his personality presented in Tevinter Nights tells me he's very possibly ND on some level.

During The Veilguard reveals we learn from devs that Lucanis likes coffee and is a good cook. His writer Mary Kirby confirmed on Twitter his VA is good and Lucanis will have an accent like previous Antivan characters did (Zevran, Josephine), said he is "the sole dumpster fire of the crew" and that she wrote him "specifically to be a bisexual disaster of a human" (source). In Tevinter Nights Lucanis recalls he once found himself walking into an orgy during a contract at a party and i quote, italics included "Getting out of that had been interesting", implying he may have joined in some capacity in order to get out of it.

In his companion tarot card we see his colors are black and purple, the backdrop is a stylized design of crows and behind and around Lucanis there's a purple design that looks like a wing made of eyes.

The pauldrons on his outfit also have a design of many eyes.

The back of his outfit has a bird -crow?- design as well, with a bigger single red eye

And it's not known yet how but during combat that part of his outfit projects a pair of purple wings.

This is likely how that ability looks in combat menu

Because of the purple and the eyes motif plus learning he's known as "the Demon" has made some very excited at the possibility he turns out to be possessed by a Pride demon. But as it turns out, knowing how this Demon nickname came to be, and that he's a Crow, spies and assassins who have "eyes everywhere", plus this wings combat ability i think it's safe enough to say no, he's not possessed, he's not another Anders, if there's a Pride demon walking around looking like a man that's more likely to be Solas than this Antivan handsome man.

Another detail is the other crow motif on his clothes, i think these are rather cute

Because of The Wake some propose Lucanis died and a demon rose him back from the dead or that he's possessed by a Pride demon because purple and eyes and all that, but as i proposed back in 2020 chances are Lucanis faked his death to escape his fate as successor to a position he had zero interest in, a role that was being pushed and forced on him with absolutely no consideration to his feelings or thoughts on the matter, or he is now First Talon, reluctanctly. Considering he thinks simply growing a beard is disguise enough and now in The Veilguard we see him with a beard tells me he is in fact hiding his identity to some, either because people think he's dead or because he doesn't want to be identified as the current First Talon.

[lucky13cat]

Honestly the one thing I wish HOTD hadn't done above all else (and I wish they hadn't done a lot) are the multiple times jumps in season 1.

I wish we had kept the younger actors and the story going after Rhaenyra's wedding until at least episode 8 or 9 of the first season. Rather then jumping 10 years and then 6 years the show could have built up what was to come and shown characters and stories that were missed. They could have done many, many things to fill in the time to build up the later plotlines. Have the writers show us how inevitable the Dance would be without skipping ahead.

Show us Rhaenyra's reaction to Criston becoming Alicent's sworn shield. Show us Aemond and Daeron's births (or at least Alicent's wedding to the king well before rhat). Show us how Daemon and Laena were wed and him killing her original betrothed.

Show us Rhaenyra facing the whispers of the court as she and Laenor remain childless. Show us Rhaenyra deciding to go to Dragonstone with her husband, her retinue, and Harwin Strong (who in the book is her sworn shield). Show us how Rhaenyra sees traces of Daemon all over Dragonstone as well as her learning to rule and manage a castle. Show us Rhaenyra and Laenor discussing how they will have kids and scenes with her and Harwin. Show us her first pregnancy as she thinks about Aemma's many pregnancies, especially the last one.

Show us Jace's birth and the court coming to celebrate on Dragonstone. Show us Daemon's reaction to such an event even as Laena announces she is pregnant. Show us the first seeds of the bastard rumors as Rhaenyra and Laenor claim Jace has inherited the Baratheon looks from his grandmother Rhaenys, a defense that is quickly destroyed later on with two more sons bearing the traits of Harwin Strong rather than Laenor Velaryon. Show us the king acknowledging his grandson in a way he never does his own sons.

Show us Aegon bonding with Sunfyre. The deep bond between them and Alicent's worry about dragons and her continued rejection of the "queer customs" of the Targaryens until Otto forces her to realize that these are weapons to help Aegon when he becomes king. Show us Helaena bonding with Dreamfyre and more of her dragon dreams. Show how Aemond remains dragonless as all his other siblings bond with dragons. Then turn and show how indifferent, potentially even hostile, Rhaenyra is towards her younger half siblings, particularly the boys who have a claim to the throne as the whole court whispers.

Show us Rhaenyra's return to court with her gaining a seat on the Small Council and how much Laenor hates it in Kings Landing. Show Viserys announcing that his grandsons will all take lessons with his sons and Alicent's reaction to that and then Daeron being sent away to Oldtown. Show how Aegon grows up under the pressure of being the unnamed heir and unloved son. Show us the wedding between Aegon and Helaena. Show the plotting of Otto behind the scenes rather than just telling us the Small Council has been plotting for years.

Just show the audience something.

The season can end on a time jump to show the older actors and can even continue as it did from Joffrey's birth. The parallels from Jace's own would be quite interesting as it would show how Rhaenyra has faced what her mother called their battlefield before. Then let the season end with Rhaenyra going back to Dragonstone as more than the girl she was the first time. Let season 2 start with the funeral at Driftmark and show the actual aftermath of that event. Then show us Daemon and Rhaenyra's wedding and the aftermath of that with Viserys enraged and telling both of them not to come to court until he sends for them. Corlys can be shown once more going to war in the Stepstones instead of facing his grief as Rhaenys waits on Driftmark where she decides to foster Baela but ignores Rhaenyra's children. Show the twins and Maelor as a parallel to Rhaenyra's young children and how the Greens are a family just as much as the Blacks. Give us Helaena and Aegon interacting and how Aemond tries to be everything an heir should be even when he's a second son. Viserys' failing health can be shown as well as Otto's own time presiding over the court and tasting the power of the king, the thing he has spent years desperate for. Then jump to the succession of Driftmark crisis and Rhaenyra's return to court. Show more of Jace and Luke's struggles with their heritage as their younger half brothers inherit the Valyrian traits that highlight their own different features.

Give us more scenes of Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena among the court and interacting with the Blacks. There could even be a few scenes of Daeron mixed throughout the season though they'd less important, but still season 2 could build a base for who every Green child is as they build up to war. Give equal time to both sides of the war to come.

Let season 2 be built on these added scenes and plots from season 1 to truly show how the Dance was inevitable. This will then in turn fuel season 3 where the Dance truly hits as characters and dragons begin to die in this conflict. The deaths will hit harder and actually haunt the narrative the way they should because they've been given depth and built up in the previous seasons.

The show could have done so much to add depth to each of the characters and each of the different plots, but it didn't. The time jumps of season 1, in my opinion, weakened the story and left us with fairly shallow characters. There were so many things that could have added to the show and sowed the seeds of the Dance, but we saw none of it.

[vaguely-concerned]

you know it is hard to not feel for caterina a little in my worldstate. she loses sight of lucanis for a couple of months while her other grandson has her in jail for grandmother time-out, and by the time she sees him again he is in full undying devotion mode for the guy she sent to get him back. her grandson finally brought someone home, and it's a fairly low-level elven mortalitasi whose family background is 'idk we found this baby in a crypt and liked their vibes' who will not be giving her any biological grandchildren. not even one of the politically well-connected scheming mortalitasi, which could at least have been useful (nevarra is a bustling market for the crows! twenty contracts on the king alone and still going strong! still a payday baby let the good times roll!), but one of the dutybound earnest little freaks they keep down in the necropolis to wrangle skeletons and write esoteric papers and who frankly don't care that much about murder b/c death comes to us all in its own time anyway trust us on this one. lucanis looks at him like he hung the moon, the sun, every celestial object and glittering star in the sky, like he's the only real thing in the world. and in caterina vision she sees this weird little slip of a goth mage guy wearing too much kohl who cracks jokes at strange times and is so hard to read but also gives her the unmistakable flinty 'I'll try to keep this civil if you do the same. If.' eye contact over lucanis' shoulder sometimes, with the utter grave calm that only someone who's a speaker to the dead (and the dead are savage) and who has killed several gods and wouldn't back down from second deicide if necessary could bring to bear. she sucks and deserves this and more but she also does have a whole Situation on her hands here

(I love that rye's relationship to lucanis' family is basically 'I met some of the most insufferable people. but, they also met me'. he tangoed with the god of lies and betrayal so he could waltz his way through a dellamorte family dinner relatively unscathed)

[thelibrarian1895]

My Mourn Watch Rook: Don't Mess With The Mourn Watch

So romanced Lucanis and also listened to some Emmerich and Lucanis banter and thought...now there's an idea

Mourn Watch Rook adores Lucanis and will do anything and everything she can to protect him and Lucanis will do the same for her.

One crow, an idiot, thinks that trying to kill the First Talon is a good idea since the Dellamorte family doesn't have anyone else to take the role once Lucanis is gone and might let their own house rise in status.

They fail of course, even if Lucanis somehow misses the effort, Spite is keeping an eye out and Rook's work brings wisps around to watch over things. But let's say that Lucanis goes into a convenient coma. Spite is piloting the body, at least until Rook convinces them to retreat to the Lighthouse, so no one thinks the First Talon is vulnerable. They're clearly up and able to move under their own power, they just have a contract that they must immediately deal with and their girlfriend gives them, and only them out of all the Crows, access to the Crossroads. Definitely not the demon taking over while they're unconscious and possibly near death.

Rook's reaction in the aftermath however is to decide that not a single Crow is going to succeed in a contract until Lucanis tells her otherwise.

Every. Single. Contract. Will. Fail.

Specifically because the contract targets are just going to fail to die.

She'll have to recruit some other watchers to help but there's probably enough that are getting real tired of all the contracts on King Marcus and this might give them the leverage they need to have at least the crows stop accepting that particular contract. Plus in the aftermath of saving Thedas, potentially banishing the Blight, and being their sweet crypt baby, Rook is a watcher favorite.

(My Rook was 100% semi raised by Vorgoth. Myrna is essentially their cool big sister)

Teia and Viago have no sway over Mourn Watcher Rook. Yes she likes them, yes she thinks they're cool, but they're not the whole reason she even relocated to this weird country with admittedly great food but also a habit of cremation that is very unsettling. Caterina actually approves and when Lucanis wakes up she gives her opal ring to her grandson, her grandson who should be making her a great grandmother.

The Crows may rule Antiva, but death is the Watcher's domain

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Am I the asshole for not wanting to go out for dinner with Granddaddy?

CW: long post

My (43, FtM) husband's (39,M) family experienced several very grievous losses, including my husband's stepdad and his maternal grandmother, in 2022. MIL is not taking things well, which is to be expected, but she has a tendency to use hubby's deceased dad against him if he can't or does not wish to do something (e.g. bursting into tears and going "I wish your dad was still here, he would have known how to fix the chainsaw and trimmed the trees!" "I wish your dad was still here, HE wouldn't have told me to call a plumber for the toilet!" Also going on utterly unrelated rants that upset everyone in our home and blaming it on her grief.) Worth noting she hasn't ever pulled these tricks with hubby's younger brother (27M) despite him living with her. Also worth noting that she has said some really nasty things about me, my gender and sexuality over the last few years simply because I encourage him to stand up for himself, and has apologised to him but never to me. Nonetheless, we are family and we abide. (This is relevant backstory, I do not need to be told she sucks, we been knew.)

PRESENT! Since Grandmother (hubby's grandmother, who hated me even more openly than MIL does for being trans and turning her grandson gay, and always played her kids, grandkids and great grandkids against each other) died, Granddaddy (84M, hubby's grandfather) has been a bit at sea. "NTA!" i can hear you shouting, but Granddaddy is actually a solid dude-- has never misgendered me, is unfailingly kind to me and has always made me feel like part of the family in a way *no one else* in hubby's family does. He's lovely, funny, intelligent-- used to work in aeronautics and loves that i love his sci fi books, and adores exchanging silly cheesy jokes with me when we hang out. He's *great!* 10/10 Granddaddy.

MIL is of the opinion that Graddaddy needs to be taken out to dinner *every night*. He can never have a night alone; he can never call an uber to go out by himself; and we certainly cannot make a meal and take it to his home to eat in. He MUST be taken out to dinner EVERY night because it's the only social interaction he gets.

It's killing our wallet, y'all-- we aren't poor, but we have three kids. We've whittled it down to us taking him out twice a week, but he doesn't want to go to McDonald's, he wants to go to the local Italian or fish place, and it's *not* cheap, especially when paying for six! MIL "takes him out" five times a week (which usually means dropping him off and going to the gym while he makes waitresses uncomfortable because he's from a different generation), but she has decided two days a week are on us (we aren't just going to drop him for play dates because that doesn't make him OR the waitstaff happy!). Mind, we never agreed to this-- she just decided it, and if we argue against it we get hysterics about hubby's dad.

I am autistic and truly do not like going out more than a couple times a month at most. I have urgently suggested that I could make dinner at Granddaddy's a couple times a month, but this is NOT acceptable according to MIL. We HAVE to go out, he's GRIEVING and LONELY, isn't he?

No, no one has actually asked Granddaddy how he would feel about this, and I am a monster for even asking them to.

AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[creme-meme]

it’s very funny to me that Dylan Hollis is exactly the type of man who a grandmother would LOVE. like traditionally speaking she would kill to have her granddaughter bring him back as her boyfriend

but alas. it’ll be her grandson.

[goddammitjosef]

Give me the name of every movie/documentary/things like that that has Alexander on it. Please😄

Warning: most are in Russian, good luck if you don't speak Russian

ok I'm not a big movie guy, so bare with me.

NORTHERN SPHINX

(Северный сфинкс) (2003)

Based on the novel of the same name by P. Gnedich.

About dramatic events in the fate of the Russian Emperor Alexander I. It was a time of mystical movements, Masonic lodges, the Holy Alliance, the Patriotic War of 1812, the Decembrists, Pushkin and the heyday of Russian poetry.

EMPIRE: ALEXANDER I

(Империя: Александр I) (2024)

The two-part film "Alexander I" is the fifth part of the documentary-fiction cycle "Empire", telling about the key historical events that shaped the path of the Russian Empire.

Having come to power as a result of a palace coup, Alexander I dreamed of a political reorganization of Russian society, and perhaps, if not for the opposition of the conservative nobility, Alexander's reforms could have significantly influenced the state structure. However, as we know, history does not require the subjunctive mood, and Alexander Pavlovich was destined for a completely different, much more important role.

He forever inscribed himself in history as the conqueror of Napoleon Bonaparte, a far-sighted strategist and diplomat, a loyal and loving son of his Fatherland.

ALEXANDER I

(Александр I) (2024)

Raised by his grandmother, Empress Catherine II, who saw in her eldest grandson the direct heir to the throne, and the European teacher Lagarp, Alexander adheres to liberal views and admires the first years of Napoleon's rule: he dreams that Russia will one day have a republic.

After Catherine's death, during the reign of Paul I, Alexander continued to hope for reform. However, he soon becomes disillusioned with Pavel both as a father and as a statesman. As a result of the conspiracy, Emperor Paul I is killed, and Alexander, haunted by guilt over his father's death, is forced to ascend the throne in order to resist the new intrigues of the aristocrats and his domineering mother. At the same time, Alexander understands that Russia is under threat: war with the invincible Napoleon is inevitable, it's only a matter of time.

DANCING ON GRAVES

(Tanssi yli hautojen) (1950)

In the early 1800s, Finnish governor's daughter first detests but soon falls in love with Russian Czar Alexander I who has just taken Finland over from Sweden's rule.

THE INVISIBLE TRAVELER

(Незримый путешественник) (1998)

The film tells about the everyday life, the most ordinary days of Emperor Alexander I and his wife Elizabeth , which they spent in Taganrog. As is known from history, in 1825 Taganrog became the place of the sovereign's last refuge. However, the film traces an unofficial historical version, according to which Alexander staged his death and funeral, leaving the throne in favor of a solitary life.

These are just the ones where Alexander is the main focus though, for more, you can check this Wikipedia page.

[captainjacklyn]

Hi! :D Can you do a follow up with the Great Seven descendants but with Leona, Idia, and Malleus? Thank you!

Sure comrade ! However, I'm going to exclude Idia because he technically is the descendant of Hades (based off of what I know, I may be wrong)- BESIDES THAT, your wish is my command. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it !

Pairings : Leona Kingscholar x reader, Malleus Draconia x reader

Warnings : gn!reader, other than that I have no idea what could be triggering, if anything makes you uncomfortable alert me and I will see what I can do to fix it.

Malleus and Leona reacting to their s/o being the descendant of one of the great Sevens :

Leona Kingscholar

To be Scar's descendant means being a beast man or beast woman. Wether you keep your royal heritage depends on you but I'm going to assume you didn't considering the fact that he's- a traitor...quite literally disowned-

You're rather cunning and sometimes almost cruel. There have been several moments where you bashed Savannaclaw for lazing about or picking on others for no reason.

Technically that dorm's second parent, leona being the first. Don't be surprised if they start calling you 'dad' or 'mom'.

Whenever the both of you get into an argument they just start screaming : "PLEASE DON'T GET A DIVORCE"

meanwhile we got Ruggie acting as the poor ass aunt. Cause rich auntie isn't happening anytime soon.

The one thing he notices about you is the fact that whenever he talks about the king of beasts, you groan out of pure irritation.

"Mmh..? What are you frowning about ?"

"..Why are you talking about him ?"

"What's wrong with that ? He's one of the Great Sevens-"

"I don't understand why you constantly have to bring him up all the time. That idiot practically destroyed his descendants' chances of remaining royalty. All cause he wanted the damn throne..killing his brother doing so- It's disgusting."

"..."

"You're related to that guy ?"

"Do not-"

"Yes Ma'am/Sir."

He's glad that you have no idea about the incident for the magift incident cause he feels like he would lose his tail if you did find out.

Pussy. Captain ? Miss Orchidia is back. She got beef with you.

Malleus Draconia

You have horns, you are a fae.

....

"are you my sibling- ?"

"what."

Very similar personalities, both of you are elegant and poised until you don't receive an invitation. He's glad that you understand his feelings however he feels bad that you also do since it means others are afraid of you.

His s/o is ruthless, dark, devious, and will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. As the partner of the prince of Briar valley you are highly respected by Sebek and the entirety of Diasomnia.

Hell everyone respects you and will kiss your feet when you order them to do so.

slay

His grandmother loves you too and often invites you to come discuss or eat with her. Much to her grandson's embarrassment.

"To think that you'd be the great-great-great-great daughter of the witch of thorns herself ! My mother was good friends with her in the past~" *insert malleus choking on his tea then crying because he burned his tongue in the process*

"My lady I didn't tell him yet." "Oh. my bad."

"Sigh. I'm sorry for not revealing that fact to you sooner malleus-" "marry me." "oh what the hell-"

Thank you, have a good day/evening.

I hope you choke on your salad Orchidia get the fuck out of here.

[whencyclopedia]

The Dun Horse

The Dun Horse is a Pawnee tale about a poor boy and his grandmother, who find an old horse and take it in. The horse turns out to be magical, however, and improves their fortunes considerably. Like many Pawnee legends – and Native American tales generally – the story highlights the importance of kindness and of following instructions.

In Pawnee spiritual belief, the Great Spirit was the Creator God Ti-ra'wa ("Father Above"), who, despite any evidence to the contrary, was always in control of the created world. Aspects of the world that one judged to be "good" or "bad" were only so in one's opinion as no "bad" thing could come from Ti-ra'wa. The wisdom of the elders, and of the natural world, was understood to come from this same source, and so there are many stories of talking animals, or of elder characters, providing instruction which one ignored at one's peril.

In many stories, including the Wihio tales of the Cheyenne and the Iktomi tales of the Sioux, failing to follow instructions leads to failure – or even death – while, in The Dun Horse, the central character is given a second chance by Ti-ra'wa after his failure, learns from his mistake, and is rewarded for his kindness, faithfulness, and courage.

Text

The following is taken from Pawnee Hero Stories and Folk-Tales (1889) by George Bird Grinnell. As in many Native American tales, the number four is repeated as it is understood as sacred, representing the cardinal points of the compass and the spirits who preside over the directions.

I.

Many years ago, there lived in the Pawnee tribe an old woman and her grandson, a boy about sixteen years old. These people had no relations and were very poor. They were so poor that they were despised by the rest of the tribe. They had nothing of their own; and always, after the village started to move the camp from one place to another, these two would stay behind the rest, to look over the old camp, and pick up anything that the other Indians had thrown away, as worn out or useless. In this way they would sometimes get pieces of robes, worn out moccasins with holes in them, and bits of meat.

Now, it happened one day, after the tribe had moved away from the camp, that this old woman and her boy were following along the trail behind the rest, when they came to a miserable old worn-out dun horse, which they supposed had been abandoned by some Indians. He was thin and exhausted, was blind of one eye, had a bad sore back, and one of his forelegs was very much swollen. In fact, he was so worthless that none of the Pawnees had been willing to take the trouble to try to drive him along with them. But when the old woman and her boy came along, the boy said, "Come now, we will take this old horse, for we can make him carry our pack." So, the old woman put her pack on the horse, and drove him along, but he limped and could only go very slowly.

II.

The tribe moved up on the North Platte, until they came to Court House Rock. The two poor Indians followed them and camped with the others. One day while they were here, the young men who had been sent out to look for buffalo, came hurrying into camp and told the chiefs that a large herd of buffalo were near, and that among them was a spotted calf.

The Head Chief of the Pawnees had a very beautiful daughter, and when he heard about the spotted calf, he ordered his old crier to go about through the village and call out that the man who killed the spotted calf should have his daughter for his wife. For a spotted robe is ti-war´-uks-ti—big medicine .

The buffalo were feeding about four miles from the village, and the chiefs decided that the charge should be made from there. In this way, the man who had the fastest horse would be the most likely to kill the calf. Then all the warriors and the young men picked out their best and fastest horses and made ready to start. Among those who prepared for the charge was the poor boy on the old dun horse. But when they saw him, all the rich young braves on their fast horses pointed at him, and said, "Oh, see; there is the horse that is going to catch the spotted calf;" and they laughed at him, so that the poor boy was ashamed, and rode off to one side of the crowd, where he could not hear their jokes and laughter.

When he had ridden off some little way, the horse stopped, and turned his head round, and spoke to the boy. He said, "Take me down to the creek, and plaster me all over with mud. Cover my head and neck and body and legs." When the boy heard the horse speak, he was afraid; but he did as he was told. Then the horse said, "Now mount, but do not ride back to the warriors, who laugh at you because you have such a poor horse. Stay right here, until the word is given to charge." So, the boy stayed there.

And presently all the fine horses were drawn up in line and pranced about and were so eager to go that their riders could hardly hold them in; and at last, the old crier gave the word, "Loo-ah"—Go! Then the Pawnees all leaned forward on their horses and yelled, and away they went. Suddenly, away off to the right, was seen the old dun horse. He did not seem to run. He seemed to sail along like a bird. He passed all the fastest horses, and in a moment, he was among the buffalo. First, he picked out the spotted calf, and charging up alongside of it, U-ra-rish! straight flew the arrow. The calf fell. The boy drew another arrow and killed a fat cow that was running by. Then he dismounted and began to skin the calf before any of the other warriors had come up. But when the rider got off the old dun horse, how changed he was! He pranced about and would hardly stand still near the dead buffalo. His back was all right again; his legs were well and fine; and both his eyes were clear and bright.

The boy skinned the calf and the cow that he had killed, and then he packed all the meat on the horse and put the spotted robe on top of the load, and started back to the camp on foot, leading the dun horse. But even with this heavy load the horse pranced all the time and was no longer scared at everything he saw. On the way to camp, one of the rich young chiefs of the tribe rode up by the boy and offered him twelve good horses for the spotted robe, so that he could marry the Head Chief's beautiful daughter; but the boy laughed at him and would not sell the robe.

Now, while the boy walked to the camp leading the dun horse, most of the warriors rode back, and one of those that came first to the village, went to the old woman, and said to her, "Your grandson has killed the spotted calf." And the old woman said, "Why do you come to tell me this? You ought to be ashamed to make fun of my boy because he is poor." The warrior said, "What I have told you is true," and then he rode away. After a little while another brave rode up to the old woman, and said to her, "Your grandson has killed the spotted calf." Then the old woman began to cry, she felt so badly because everyone made fun of her boy, because he was poor.

Pretty soon the boy came along, leading the horse up to the lodge where he and his grandmother lived. It was a little lodge, just big enough for two, and was made of old pieces of skin that the old woman had picked up and was tied together with strings of rawhide and sinew. It was the meanest and worst lodge in the village. When the old woman saw her boy leading the dun horse with the load of meat and the robes on it, she was very much surprised. The boy said to her, "Here, I have brought you plenty of meat to eat, and here is a robe, that you may have for yourself. Take the meat off the horse." Then the old woman laughed, for her heart was glad. But when she went to take the meat from the horse's back, he snorted and jumped about, and acted like a wild horse. The old woman looked at him in wonder and could hardly believe that it was the same horse. So, the boy had to take off the meat, for the horse would not let the old woman come near him.

III.

That night the horse spoke again to the boy and said, "Wa-ti-hes Chah´-ra-rat wa-ta. To-morrow the Sioux are coming—a large war party. They will attack the village, and you will have a great battle. Now, when the Sioux are drawn up in line of battle, and are all ready to fight, you jump on to me, and ride as hard as you can, right into the middle of the Sioux, and up to their Head Chief, their greatest warrior, and count coup on him, and kill him, and then ride back. Do this four times, and count coup on four of the bravest Sioux, and kill them, but don't go again. If you go the fifth time, maybe you will be killed, or else you will lose me. La-ku´-ta-chix—remember." So, the boy promised.

The next day it happened as the horse had said, and the Sioux came down and formed a line of battle. Then the boy took his bow and arrows, and jumped on the dun horse, and charged into the midst of them. And when the Sioux saw that he was going to strike their Head Chief, they all shot their arrows at him, and the arrows flew so thickly across each other that the sky became dark, but none of them hit the boy. And he counted coup on the Chief, and killed him, and then rode back. After that he charged again among the Sioux, where they were gathered thickest, and counted coup on their bravest warrior, and killed him. And then twice more, until he had gone four times as the horse had told him.

But the Sioux and the Pawnees kept on fighting, and the boy stood around and watched the battle. And at last, he said to himself, "I have been four times and have killed four Sioux, and I am all right, I am not hurt anywhere; why may I not go again?" So, he jumped on the dun horse, and charged again. But when he got among the Sioux, one Sioux warrior drew an arrow and shot. The arrow struck the dun horse behind the forelegs and pierced him through. And the horse fell down dead. But the boy jumped off, and fought his way through the Sioux, and ran away as fast as he could to the Pawnees. Now, as soon as the horse was killed, the Sioux said to each other, "This horse was like a man. He was brave. He was not like a horse." And they took their knives and hatchets, and hacked the dun horse and gashed his flesh, and cut him into small pieces.

The Pawnees and Sioux fought all day long, but toward night the Sioux broke and fled.

IV.

The boy felt very badly that he had lost his horse; and, after the fight was over, he went out from the village to where it had taken place, to mourn for his horse. He went to the spot where the horse lay, and gathered up all the pieces of flesh, which the Sioux had cut off, and the legs and the hoofs, and put them all together in a pile. Then he went off to the top of a hill nearby and sat down and drew his robe over his head and began to mourn for his horse.

As he sat there, he heard a great windstorm coming up, and it passed over him with a loud rushing sound, and after the wind came a rain. The boy looked down from where he sat to the pile of flesh and bones, which was all that was left of his horse, and he could just see it through the rain. And the rain passed by, and his heart was very heavy, and he kept on mourning.

And pretty soon, came another rushing wind, and after it a rain; and as he looked through the driving rain toward the spot where the pieces lay, he thought that they seemed to come together and take shape, and that the pile looked like a horse lying down, but he could not see well for the thick rain.

After this, came a third storm like the others; and now when he looked toward the horse, he thought he saw its tail move from side to side two or three times, and that it lifted its head from the ground. The boy was afraid, and wanted to run away, but he stayed.

And as he waited, there came another storm. And while the rain fell, looking through the rain, the boy saw the horse raise himself up on his forelegs and look about. Then the dun horse stood up.

V.

The boy left the place where he had been sitting on the hilltop and went down to him. When the boy had come near to him, the horse spoke and said, "You have seen how it has been this day; and from this you may know how it will be after this. But Ti-ra´-wa has been good and has let me come back to you. After this, do what I tell you; not any more, not any less." Then the horse said, "Now lead me off, far away from the camp, behind that big hill, and leave me there to-night, and in the morning come for me;" and the boy did as he was told.

And when he went for the horse in the morning, he found with him a beautiful white gelding, much more handsome than any horse in the tribe. That night the dun horse told the boy to take him again to the place behind the big hill, and to come for him the next morning; and when the boy went for him again, he found with him a beautiful black gelding. And so for ten nights, he left the horse among the hills, and each morning he found a different colored horse, a bay, a roan, a gray, a blue, a spotted horse, and all of them finer than any horses that the Pawnees had ever had in their tribe before.

Now the boy was rich, and he married the beautiful daughter of the Head Chief, and when he became older, he was made Head Chief himself. He had many children by his beautiful wife, and one day when his oldest boy died, he wrapped him in the spotted calf robe and buried him in it. He always took good care of his old grandmother and kept her in his own lodge until she died. The dun horse was never ridden except at feasts, and when they were going to have a doctors' dance, but he was always led about with the Chief, wherever he went. The horse lived in the village for many years, until he became very old. And at last, he died.

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