A Fateful Tale: Tamar/LaGrande

As it shall be known, let the archives of the great Clan~Wild Eyes Tamar note well, the beginning of a long and true friendship. Through tremulous trials, and along many traveled trails we have stood together defending knowledge and truth, but no adventure so unexpected as our initial encounter…

Lost deep in the basement archives of an ancient library, my nose thrust deep in the musty pages of forgotten lore, my mind far away from my body, my soul soaring high above the dust, I pondered and searched for the reason of my being. A quest for things past, a connection, a name, a fate that brought me to reality as the books had long been destroyed and so little information readily prevalent. Unfortunately, the information I sought caused my thought processes to wander and soon I found myself studying the flight patterns of Madagascarian fruit bats (completely erratic, of which I can relate). After which I had learned of the history of the linen tablecloth. Nevertheless, fascinated and absorbed, I hardy noticed the lurking body lingering to my left, looking laboriously into her own lore and lading.

Suddenly a great tremor shook the shelves, a jarring of the earth, along with the floor, the walls and the gaslight fixtures. Books began flying from their places and in the pitchy blackness there was no way to avoid the great falling of volumes. Bombarded by books, just before my own blackness, I thought, "What an appropriate way to die… buried in my best friends..."

...Blackness...

I remember a slow consciousness rising to my brain. It seemed I had been awakened by a bird’s cooing. No, it was not a coo? "What is that sound, and what is this huge pressure enveloping my body? Are my eyes open?" The sound was heard again, a human sound, a groan, not necessarily that of distress but that of an acknowledgement of life. "The woman lurking in the aisle to my left?"

I began to feel great discomfort as the pressure from the sharp binding poked and pressed. It seemed also, a lack of oxygen was beginning to befuddle me. Then her call again, “Sir? Sir? Are you alive, are you with me?”

I called to her silently, “Yes, I am here,” as once again I felt the darkness smothering my awareness. A calmness overcame me. I recall my body feeling suddenly weightless, all pain and pressure gone. A tunnel, a light in the distance, “Yes, I am here. I am here.”

“Help me, please, good Sir!! I heard from what seemed to be a great distance, “I am trapped, I cannot move. Please, help me!”

“Please help me!” The mantra played between the lines of my own, “Yes, I am here.” I felt my spirit struggling to return to my motionless buried body. My mind still wanted the light. An exquisite voice, a voice I fell in love with immediately, resounded, “You must go back. You have many noble deeds to accomplish yet. You must go back.”

Suddenly snapped back to my senses, I found myself paralyzed and pounding, but the calling awakened and alerted me to take swift action, not only to help the fair lady, but to admonish my very own undoing. I suddenly found great strength and was able to surge upwards though the drowning books.

Still total blackness, a wall of “Where am I?” surrounded me. “Good woman, where are you? I am here!"

She called again as I scrambled over the unseen debris to her voice. Tossing volumes of voracious invisible books aside I quickly came upon the fallen figure. As I uncovered her and found her void of any major injury, I swiftly brought her to her feet. Bidding her lean upon me as I sought to lead us to civilization, I faultered, not knowing the way. In the inky black, I had lost my bearings and unfamiliar with this particular library, I felt helpless as to where to move next. I thought of the gasflights that had previously been lighting, though dimly the damp hall. I noted how fortunate the brittle backed books and dried parchment did not ignite causing still greater damage to lost knowledge.

The woman, having caught her breath and awareness, understood what was happening and quickly took charge. Without sight she guided us over the rubble to the stairway and up to the light.

Ah, the light! The beautiful, bright sun suddenly a welcome relief. The divine light that beckoned me from beneath the blameless books will wait for a more appropriate time. Gasping for fresh air and squinting heavily, I turned to the woman, whom I suddenly noticed most beautiful, that saved my life.

To one knee I fell, “I am eternally grateful, my lady! If not for your lovely voice calling for assistance, my exisistance would be no more. I would be basking in a different light!”

“Oh no! No, my Lord!” She cried as she too fell to her knees, “No, it was you saved my being,” tears of gratitude magnifying her wonderful, wild eyes, “for without you I would never have been free of that burdensome barrage!”

“But, my Lady,” I demanded, tears welling in my own to match hers, “without you I would never have forded the fallen dungeon!”

Suddenly, as if the true plot had been reveled and we were both left to stand naked in the spotlight of a tremendous joke, we burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter. The irony so apparent, without each other, neither be.

Stunned and harried people scuttled past, staring at our indifference to what turned out to be a only a minor tremor. A major disaster only to the ancient library basement, soon scheduled for, oops, too late, reinforcement.

Upon regaining my composure, I rose to my feet and with a deep and noble bow, exclaimed, “Quizmo LaGrande, Knight of Passion, eternally and gratefully at your service!”

My fair lady elegantly rose to her stature and with an equally gracious bow and a glorious nod announced, “And the Lady Wild Eyes Tamar eternally and gratefully at your service, kind Sir.”

Thus began our great, gallant friendship and camaraderie.

Though I often find myself on frequent journeys and quests, I will always return to stand by my Lady Tamar as a proud and loyal member of her great clan. Naturally, when she called me to request my assistance in the Gauntlet Challenge, I could not even dream of refusing!

Therefore, Lady Wild Eyes Tamar, “Quizmo LaGrande,
Knight of Passion, delighted to be eternally at you loyal service!"

To all other Clans, I simply say...

Beware.