A Winter Night's Lesson [Solo Flashback]

[Asha]

Time Stamp: 47 Winter, 475

A hard rain beat the petal floor outside as Asha watched quietly from the window opening in her family’s home. She loved to watch the rain fall and sluice over the sides of the Spires’ petals and plummet to the forest floor below in huge sheets. The persistent sound of the rain had a strange calming effect, she always slept best in the winters. “Asha.” She turned around as the deep voice of her father called her name. Her father was sitting in their living area, back against the living wood that shaped their walls. He gently patted the spot next to him with a half smile. Asha left the window and padded quickly to his side. She sat roughly with a thud and leaned into her father’s side, breathing in the scent of his black fur. Rosemary, he always smelt slightly of rosemary. Their coal black fur blended together as they sat, the wives and other children of her father spread casually about the living area. They were a tight-knit family, existing in a mutual state of respect and peace.

“What is your question for tonight’s lecture, Asha?” her father softly intoned. This was the other reason Asha loved winter. When the heavy rains drove them all indoors, Asha’s father would lecture in the evenings to occupy the minds of his children. They had a rotation in place based on which child was oldest, every night a different child was able to ask a question that Asha’s father would lecture about. Tonight was her night, and she had spent all day thinking of a suitable question.“Father, I have heard it said that all intelligent creatures have a soul. But what is a soul made of?” She asked, turning her dark grey face up towards his, hoping she had chosen a lively topic for the lecture.

“Oh my Asha, I can always count on you to ask the complex questions.” He smiled down at his curious daughter, proud of her quest for knowledge. The other Jamoura children scooted closer, recognizing the signs of an exciting lecture about to follow. “Well, there are many different ideas about what makes up a soul, Asha. Some even propose that there are no souls at all. I shan’t be able to cover all of the ideas tonight, but I can explain one that may help you to develop your own idea of what a soul is. You should always search your own mind for the answer to any question my children.” The huge, kindly Jamoura looked up at his children who all bobbed their heads dutifully. He looked back at Asha who was nodding her head just as enthusiastically.

“Well, my children. The ideas I am about to impart to you tonight I heard first from a wise old Jamoura many years ago. He said that the soul is from where all thoughts and actions are inspired from. He reasoned that all Jamoura seek food when they are hungry, an inner will drives them to, so there must be an appetitive side to our souls. Do you understand children?” The wise brown eyes looked up from Asha’s beaming face to the enraptured faces of his other children. Asha’s mother and the other two wives had ceased their quiet conversation to listen to the male Jamoura speak.

[Asha]

Asha’s siblings scooted closer to their father. Her father, Joff, radiated in the pride he felt towards his children. They were good Jamoura youths, content to seek out knowledge and learn from their elders. He had raised them in the proper Jamoura way and adored their questions. His wives delighted in how active he was in their children’s upbringing. All Jamouras were of course concerned as to the intellectual development of their offspring but the wives liked to think that Joff took a special interest in his children. Or at least that’s what they liked to make offhand remarks about when meeting other Jamoura women. If Asha’s family had one weakness, it was pride. But they hardly thought it a weakness.

“So we have established that there is an appetitive side to the soul that drives us to eat. But when you grab a delicious apple and go to take a bite, if you should see a worm hole in it, you know to throw it away despite your hunger. Do you not children?” Joff said and looked at the brown eyes focused on him. All of his children had same chocolate brown eyes as himself, including the beloved Asha curled into his side. He looked at Asha, and she knew he expected an answer. “That’s right father. Even if I’m very hungry I put the wormy apples aside for the gardener’s composting.”

“Good girl, Asha. So if there is a force within us that can override our appetitive aspect, then there must be a part of the soul that is rational. Our rational side exerts force over our appetitive side to rein in our desires. The Jamoura are a very rational race my children.” The last part he added as an afterthought. He encouraged his children to take pride in their Jamoura heritage. Asha nodded and exchanged a delighted smile with one of her sisters. Turning back to her father she curled into his side, feeling safe and content in his presence.

[Asha]

”Now children, do appetite and rationality make up all of our motives and thoughts?” Joff thought to test their logic, though he loved to lecture them at length he also enjoyed when they could reason through something on their own. That was the purpose after all, teach the children a variety of theories and give them the ability to doubt and reason through each one. Hopefully he would be able to adequately prepare his children for when they were adults and he would not always be around to explain the pros and cons of each theory presented to them.

“Well…..when I’m angry or sad it’s not very rational. And it’s not about the appetitive survival instinct either. So there must be something else.” Asha spoke hesitantly, looking up at her father. She wanted to prove herself in front of him and her family, the fear of being wrong brought an uncertain quaver to her voice. Joff looked down on her with an amused smile stretching his lips. “Asha, do not answer a question unless you are sure, or unless you can appear that you are sure. You will only make yourself look the fool. When you are older and argue your theories in front of others, your opponents will pick up on your uncertainty and use it to your disadvantage. Remember that my daughter, always voice your opinion strongly, even if you are unsure about it.” Joff’s voice was firm, but his words were not out of anger, but out of love for his daughter and his desire for her to perform well in her future intellectual endeavors. Asha lowered her head in shame, embarrassed in front of her siblings. Joff put a large, black finger under her chin and lifted her face towards him again, forming a radiant smile on his face to comfort her.

“However, you are right Asha. It is emotions that make up the third part of the soul. Or at least that is what that Jamoura claimed. He referred to this aspect as the ‘spirited’ aspect, the part of us that forces us to rise in anger and indignation but also to cower in sadness in fear. The spirited side is often quite irrational, and it has little to do with what drives us to drink and eat.” Joff leaned his head back against the wall and gazed upon each of his children. “Well, what do you think?”

“Is that truly what makes up the soul, father?” The question was asked by Asha’s younger brother, who cocked his head to the side in some confusion. “Yes, is that what drives us to all of our actions?” asked another of the Jamoura children. “Well my children, I did not say that is the right answer. I only said that is the theory presented by one particular Jamoura. You should never accept what someone tells you as truth without first examining the idea for your selves. Perhaps tomorrow night I shall explain another Jamoura’s theory on what constitutes the soul. Maybe one day we will discuss those who believe there is no soul at all.” Joff looked at each child again, to gauge whether or not they seemed to understand. All of the children nodded, some more hesitantly then others. That was enough for him; some of the children present were too young to completely understand what he meant but at least the seeds were planted. Asha’s sister had been still a while before asking her question. “Father, why can’t we just ask the goddess Caiyha whether there is a soul and what it is made of?”

“Because it is the pride of the Jamoura to search for knowledge and find the answers based on the strength of our own intellectual pursuits. A Jamoura never takes the easy way to find an answer, we always scour the earth and our minds for what is correct. And besides, the gods do not give away answers easily. It is not for them to reveal all the secrets of the world.” Joff tried to be gentle in his explanation, but he felt some disappointment at his child’s request. He thought that all Jamoura should delight in the quest for knowledge, not rely on others for quick answers. Asha understood her father’s words, and looked at her sister with disdain. What a silly monkey. But that was Jossa for you, always a bit empty-headed. Asha’s mother, Subira, stood up and clapped her hands gently to get the children’s attention.

“Come children, it’s time to prepare for bed.” Subira’s words were greeted with groans of protest and disappointment from the children. Even the normally obedient Asha was loath to follow her mother’s instructions. Her mind was racing with ideas from her father’s lecture, and sleep was the last thing she wanted. The other wives laughed and stood to collect their children. Asha left her father’s side with a huge side and approached her mother as the other children gathered around their own mothers. While the other two mothers had two or three children surrounding them, Subira had only Asha.

[Asha]

Subira led Asha to a sleeping mat made of woven grass. Asha laid down with a sigh but her restless mind was not going to allow sleep anytime soon. Subira pulled a thin cotton blanket over Asha. Asha’s thick body would have been enough to keep her warm but in winter Subira liked to add an extra layer just to be sure. Subira was turning to leave when Asha spoke up. “Mother, I can’t fall asleep. My mind is too full from father’s words.” Subira turned back to her daughter with a smile, she knew that she shouldn’t indulge Asha’s willfulness but it was hard to leave her tossing and turning all night. Asha watched as her mother knelt down gracefully at her side. Her mother could move her bulky body about more elegantly than any other Jamoura Asha knew. She felt a certain sense of pride knowing this graceful female was her mother, and she hoped that one day she would inherit her ease of movement. Child that she was, she often felt ungainly and awkward as her body grew.

“Well Asha, you are beginning to be a big girl. Soon you will have to learn to soothe your own mind. All Jamoura find themselves in the quandary of calming a humming mind. You must develop your own technique for how to do so, but for tonight I shall show you how I calm mine when ideas seem to tumble ceaselessly through my head. Now, lay flat on your back.” Subira whispered to her daughter, not wanting to disturb the other children settling into their beds. Asha complied with her mother’s instructions, settling onto her back. Subira laid down on her side, a powerful hand cradling her black head. This instruction would take a few minutes, best make herself comfortable as well.

“Well to start with, close your eyes. Good. Now, focus on your toes. Feel each toe separately, feel the weight of your claws and notice how the joints fit together so smoothly. Put all your mind in your toes.” Subira spoke soothingly in her daughter’s ear. Asha wiggled her toes a few times and Subira tsked gently. “Don’t wiggle your toes, child. Only your mind should be moving along your body, keep your physical self still and calm. Now, bring your awareness up, into your legs. Feel how thick and strong your Jamoura muscles are beneath the thick layer of your skin. Feel the warmth of your legs insulated by your fur, appreciate the smoothness of movement your joints allow. Put your entire mind in your leg.” Subira bit back a chuckle as Asha opened her mouth in a large yawn.

“Bring your mind further up now, into your tummy. Feel the roundness of your tummy, feel again the warmth insulated by your fur. Focus on how thick the skin is, and how well it protects all your important organs. Imagine how well all your organs fit together in your stomach, how effortlessly they work and keep you living. Bring your mind up again, into your chest. Feel the thick skin, the warmth from your fur. Notice how everywhere in your body shares these characteristics, the importance of warm fur and the protection of thick skin. Feel your heart beat, imagine how each beat is pumping to supply blood to your body.” Subira felt herself begin to drift off a bit and struggled to stay awake. Focusing and meditating on the abstract feelings of one’s body was enough to calm the mind to a slumber. It offered enough to focus on but not enough to sustain wakefulness.

“Bring your mind out now, into your arms. The warm fur, the thick skin. Your body is one well designed structure. Feel the muscles beneath your skin, how strong they can be, but also how delicate they can be. These muscles can lift huge rocks but also cradle a little Jamoura babe. Bring your attention out one more time into your hands and fingers. Notice how the thick skin on your palm offers so much protection yet is sensitive to the slightest touch or texture. Feel how mobile each finger is, the range and deftness of each act. Bring your mind out, and become fully aware of your body. Feel how the each piece makes up the whole and works together so smoothly. Feel-“ Subira suddenly became aware of gentle, rhythmic breathing of her daughter. A small snore confirmed it, Asha was asleep. She was lost in the deep forest of her dreams, running with the winds of her imagination. Subira had almost forgotten the purpose of her instruction, she had become caught up in describing the body. As she rose to her feet she chuckled softly to herself, apparently Joff wasn’t the only one who could be longwinded when he wanted to convey an idea to someone. Subira wandered off to her own sleeping mat, leaving her daughter to sleep and rest her mind for the coming day.

[Creeper]

When Asha awoke, she would see a familiar, friendly face looking over at her from across the room. Everyone in the city would know him, he's the only one of their kind with pure silver fur. He's the eldest Jamoura, the leader of their race, their savior when Caiyha blessed them. It was Marn. Asha was still a bit groggy from her deep, meditative sleep, but Marn was always a welcome sight. He motioned for her to stay resting. "I'm glad that you are taking to your lessons so well, young Asha. Keep up the good work, your father is a very wise man. His, and your soul, are things of pureness and beauty. The soul is real, you are proof of that. You are making all of The Spires proud."   Skills Philosophy: 4 Interrogation: 1 Meditation: 2   Lores Philosophy: The Soul's Appetite All Opinions Should Be Strong Philosophical Question: What is a Soul? Meditation: How to Fall Asleep with Nagging Questions Marn: Pure Silver Fur   Other None Quite a lovely thread! I love how you embraced the Jamoura family life very accurately. Well done!