Business Information System and Brand Strategies

Question: Talk about the Business Information System and Brand Strategies. Answer: Presentation: The August Online innovation is an organization creating the electronic contraptions and at present the organization is delivering the camera and the entryway ringer with wifi camera and the shrewd locks. The organization can utilize the different online stages, for example, the internet based life and the web distributing and the conversation with the objective market on the web in order to expand the deals of the item and thus the gainfulness. The organization is meaning to utilize the online stage where the clients would be helped with the mechanical guidance, which would give the clients an inclination to purchase the item (Tsimonis Dimitriadis, 2014). The objective market of the organization and its introduction can be expanded. The use of the online stage should construct the devoted supporters base and sell the items by picking up the trust and the unwaveringness. The organization planned to utilize the web-based social networking as an instrument to build the deals must realize that the objective market are slanted towards utilizing the stage. The market drove approach is followed utilizing the web showcasing (Stelzner, 2012). The organization can computerize verbal advertising by utilizing the social surveys. This would empower the client to get the knowledge and addition the trust and subsequently expanding the item deals. The online network should be kept well and alive and this should be possible by running the twitter questions and replies, which would expand the commitment. The few inquiries can be traded about the item and the related highlights. The most fitting response to the inquiry would then be able to be presented on the blog on upgrade the client base (Castronovo Huang, 2012). The items offered by the August Online organization can be advanced through the starting of the site of the organization and this is one of the pieces of the promoting endeavors. The organization needs to screen its objective market web utilization design and the exercises done online should be recognized. The social pattern of the different classifications of clients in the objective market would be distinguished by leading the examination on the web. The viable site consolidate the client relationship the board and would give the stage to encounter the brand (Kumar Mirchandani, 2012). The wellbeing and the protection of the item data can be presented to the security dangers and consequently making the organization defenseless against the security dangers. This may occur because of the disappointment with respect to the organization to cover the digital security rudiments. On the off chance that the organization doesn't encode the information of the clients and the other significant data then it would danger the protection of the item and accordingly affecting the deals. The organization coming up short on the adequate and compelling digital security strategy is presented to the danger of system assaults and the security dangers (McCrie, 2015). The organization needs to satisfy the essential necessity of the protections and requirements to ensure about the classification, honesty and the accessibility of the information. The security devices that would ensure the item and its related data are as per the following: The organization can utilize the devices to shield its site from getting hacked and this would be conceivable with the assistance of different security devices, for example, Qualys and Okta which would give the best approach to break down any danger data alongside the direction of fixing the issues if there exists any such dangers. These devices would likewise help in dealing with the logins over all the applications, for example, SAP, deals power, Google application, prophet, Box and a lot more if existing in the framework (Kitchin, 2016). The product utilized by the organization must be refreshed routinely and the IP address and the site of the organization can be kept made sure about utilizing the intermediary server. The organization can depend on the virtual private system to get to the different areas around the globe. This would not permit the hoodlums to sniff the data about the item (Vacca, 2013). Reference and Bibliography: Banerjee, B., 2015.Fundamentals of Financial administration. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.. Brigham, E. F. what's more, Ehrhardt, M. C., 2013.Financial administration: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Brigham, E. F. what's more, Houston, J. F., 2012.Fundamentals of money related administration. Cengage Learning. Castronovo, C. also, Huang, L., 2012. Internet based life in an elective showcasing correspondence model.Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness,6(1), 117. Ciampa, M., 2012.Security+ manual for organize security essentials. Cengage Learning. Gupta, R. what's more, Brooks, H., 2013.Using Social Media for Global Security. John Wiley Sons. Frame, J., 2012.Risk Management and Financial Institutions,+ Web Site(Vol. 733). John Wiley Sons. Jain, P. K., Singh, S. what's more, Yadav, S. S., 2014.Financial administration rehearses. Springer,. Kitchin, R., 2016. Getting more astute about shrewd urban communities: Improving information protection and information security. Kramer, M. M., 2012. Money related counsel and individual financial specialist portfolio performance.Financial Management,41(2), 395-428. Kumar, V. what's more, Mirchandani, R., 2012. Expanding the ROI of web based life marketing.MIT Sloan Management Review,54(1), 55. Lasher, W. R., 2013.Practical money related administration. Nelson Education.

Main Steps in the Writing Process

Principle Steps in the Writing Process Those troublesome expositions and papers they come constantly! What's more, as occupied as you may be, it is so enticing just to fire them off just to get something in on schedule. This is certifiably not a smart thought, on the grounds that those horrible scores collect and out of nowhere you are toward the finish of the semester and seeing course grade that you won't have any desire to impart to your folks, without a doubt. On the off chance that you don't generally recollect the creative cycle steps, heres a brisk once-over with a simple and straightforward clarification of how to traverse them. The 5 Steps of the Writing Process There are really 6 stages in the event that you check the choice on a point and a theory. In any case, we will accept that you have in any event that much dealt with. If not, there are a few hints for that toward the finish of this post. Conceptualize or direct exploration: If you are composing a fundamental article that won't include outside examination, you have to list the entirety of the potential things that may be remembered for the paper. At that point you join those that are connected until you have 3-4 fundamental thoughts that will make up your body sections. On the off chance that you are composing an exposition or paper that includes research, you know the drill. Locate some great assets, read them and take notes. Sort out your thoughts or notes. Contingent upon the reason for your article or paper, there are an assortment of coordinators you can utilize. You may favor only an essential blueprint or rundown of the request where you are going to cover your sub-themes. On the off chance that you are composing a correlation/differentiate, then again, you might need to utilize a Venn chart; on the off chance that you are composing a story, you will need to make a course of events. Compose your work in progress: Write the body passages first, at that point include your presentation and end. Follow your coordinator as you do this with the goal that you don't forget about anything that is imperative to your theory explanation. Change, update, and amend: This can't be focused on enough it is one of the most significant creative cycle steps, on the off chance that you need a not too bad evaluation. There are a few techniques for this. On the off chance that you are checking sentence structure and language, read the thing so anyone can hear to yourself you will get the vast majority of those kinds of blunders. On the off chance that you are not a talented essayist, at that point get somebody who is to audit and alter it. Type up your last draft and be sure that your organization is as per the teachers prerequisites, remembering both for text and end-of text references. Things Have Not Changed Over the Years Indeed, even in grade school, the creative cycle for kids is a lot of like what it is really going after school and understudies. It is attempted and tried and truly accomplishes work, in the event that you will follow each progression cautiously. Once more, on the off chance that you forget about a stage, you end up with a bit of composing that can need intelligent stream as well as have numerous auxiliary and linguistic mistakes. A Word on Topic Selection Regardless of whether you have total opportunity to pick any point you wish or whether you can choose from among choices, on the off chance that you have any decision whatsoever, pick a theme that intrigue you. In the event that you don't, the entire procedure will simply be drudgery. When you have your subject, you do need to think of a proposal proclamation. In a convincing or contentious piece, your theory is your assessment. For different sorts, you should pose yourself a few inquiries. For what reason is this subject significant? What do I need others to detract from this? Noting these will assist you with getting to your postulation.

Accounting Standards in China and Australia

As of not long ago, China has utilized a lot of bookkeeping gauges that were very remarkable in their records.â These norms were the heritage of a communist period in Chinese history and as opposed to tracking misfortune and benefit for an enterprise working in China, they for the most part fretted about monitoring the entirety of the advantages accessible to the corporation.By not keeping close tabs on the obligations that an organization owes, the bookkeeping measures in China have for some time been viewed as remiss by the outside world and have blocked worldwide organizations who wish to have base camp in China.For occasion, a partnership in China with possessions universally, for example, in the United States, must make year's end bookkeeping reports utilizing the Chinese Accounting Standards, another set utilizing the International Accounting Standards, and a third utilizing the North American Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, making an over-burden of work and an extr aordinary expense to the corporation.Recently the Finance Department of Chinese Government has started a procedure which will decipher the present Chinese bookkeeping techniques from their antiquated status to where they will all the more intently reflect the International Accounting Standards which join the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.Previous to this choice to change the way that Chinese partnerships report their records, the Chinese framework included essentially arrangement of proprietorship, industry, and government, giving organizations an outrageous measure of breathing space in the manners by which they led business.â Now the Chinese government has initiated that every partnership must monitor all charges and acknowledges, report producing costs just as capital support, and give yearly monetary statements.The first obvious bookkeeping principles in China were actualized in 1997 and changes keep on being made to bring the country’s money related practice s up to date.â Currently this change is still in progress, so any remote organization with an auxiliary in China should at present agree to their country’s bookkeeping rehearses as well as with the Chinese straight line bookkeeping rehearses which consider a much more slow devaluation of promoted assets.For those wishing to not utilize the straight line strategy, the best way to utilize a quickened bookkeeping technique concerning Chinese property is to get express consent from the Ministry of Finance.â Another distinction in Chinese bookkeeping strategies is the distinction in charge deductibility.For occurrence, China charges noteworthy assessment charges on intercompany exchanges and treats move estimating of the highest significance so as to get an enormous cut of global taxes.â Incorrect translation of Chinese duty laws can prompt serious fines for corporations.In Australia, the corporate bookkeeping rehearses recently utilized have additionally experienced harsh c riticism in earlier years for being broadly not quite the same as universally acknowledged bookkeeping standards.â accordingly, Australia started to work the globally acknowledged bookkeeping standards into their present framework, successful January 1, 2000, and have likewise built up the Financial Reporting Council which is liable for supervising the bookkeeping practices of bothâ open and private companies working in Australia.The already careless Australian announcing guidelines which didn't expect partnerships to fit in with one explicit sort of bookkeeping rehearses nor give severe rules to the extent that what reports were required by the legislature are being eliminated by the International bookkeeping principles which permit Australia to create alongside the worldwide economy.Australia has additionally founded an Australian Accounting Standards Boards to intermittently rethink corporate bookkeeping rehearses in Australia just as implement the new principles being staged in.â Australia is attempting to orchestrate their measures with those of the International Accounting Standards Committee and is likewise a piece of the G4+1 worldwide gathering which screens the setting of worldwide bookkeeping standards.Works CitedAustralian Government. (2009, May 5). Australian Accounting Standards Board. Recovered May 5, 2009, from Australian Accounting Standards Board: http://www.aasb.com.au/Home.aspxChina Accounting Standards. (2007, February 15). Recovered May 5, 2009, from China Orbit: http://www.chinaorbit.com/china-economy/chinese-bookkeeping standards.htmlLehman Brown. (2009, February 12). Chinese Accounting FAQ. Recovered 5 May, 2009, from Lehman Brown: http://www.lehmanbrown.com/FAQ-Acc.htmQueensland University of Technology. (2008, June 15). Bookkeeping Standards. Recovered May 5, 2009, from Queensland University of Technology Library: http://www.library.qut.edu.au/learn/type/accountingstandards.jsp Â

Scaffolding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Framework - Essay Example Framework guidelines portray specific preparing techniques designed for supporting realizing when the learners are first acquainted with another viewpoint. Framework gives learners a circumstance, inspiration and establishment from which to value the new exercises acquainted with them (Coackley, 1994). Errands that are too troublesome will be outside the trainees’ level of formative degree and might have impeding impacts. Overcoming any barrier between their real turn of events and the potential, wanted outcomes probably won't be conceivable in light of the fact that disappointment sets in. A center undertaking of the central strides in platform involves shielding the learners from getting baffled. Empowering them to connect the space between the genuine and the conceivably potential aptitudes relies upon the assets or bolster the mentor gives (Wood, Bruner, and Ross, 1976). Then again, setting the norms too low may drive them into weariness and loss of inspiration. On account of training teenagers’ soccer, the coach’s initial step was to assemble their advantage and connect with their dynamic investment. The students consider the to be as learned about the substance of soccer just as a facilitator with the abilities, systems and procedures required for training. The mentor not just persuades learners by offering essential help to empower them to accomplish the goal, yet in addition offers support through displaying and featuring the basic highlights of soccer, and giving indications and questions that may assist them with reflecting (Wood, Bruner, and Ross, 1976). Towards this end, the mentor requires some close to home characteristics like agreeableness, a comical inclination, even temper, civility, compassion and eagerness (Coackley, 1994). When the mentor accomplishes investment, he separates the preparation program into littler and more straightforward units. There are particular drills for strikers, safeguards, midfielders and goalkee pers. It starts with each gathering recognizing what and how they should accomplish. Genuine player development happens when each player’s routine preparing and playing environmental factors are of the best norm (Ewing and Seefeldt, 1990). Having a predictable situation and an away from of what is in store for them augmented the trainees’ advancement. The mentor utilized video cuts and exceptionally masterminded soccer fields as instructing helps. The mentor reliably utilizes video examination of both gathering and individual execution. He builds up the examination in the district of critical thinking musings. An exchange of inquiries, proposals and replies between the mentor and players and afterward again between the players themselves is consistently gainful. The mentor focused on the noteworthiness of video investigation quickly following the movement. That is the point at which the learner had a vibe for the activity. Video input had its most prominent effect in i nstructional courses where assessment followed by prompt repeat of the activity occurred in a mentor controlled circumstance (Ewing and Seefeldt, 1990). In territories where the students are succeeding, the coach’s and educating aid’s help are decreased. Similarly, he gave more help where he watched battling (Coackley, 1994). Brief review periods in addition to the coach’s examination were trailed by endeavors to right just as enhance execution. Remedy must be certain, not negative. The mentor quit talking and tuned in. The thought was to abstain from filling the trainees’ minds with subtleties, yet permit them to think and break down for themselves. He was distinctly to

Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare Essays -

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Time and Fate in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, said to be one of the most renowned romantic tales everything being equal, is a play tied down on schedule and destiny. A few activities are accepted to happen by some coincidence or by predetermination. The planning of each activity impacts the result of the play. While a few occasions are of less essentialness, some are urgent to the advancement of this disaster. The significant occasions that rouse the finish of Romeo and Juliet are; the Capulet ball, the fight experienced by Tybalt and Romeo, and Friar John's plague. A worker to Capulet, who is unequipped for perusing the rundown of visitors, requests Romeo's help. Romeo sees that Rosaline, his sweetheart, is among these names. Benvolio provokes Romeo to look at her with other delights. Benvolio predicts, Contrast her face and a few that I will show,/And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. (I, ii, l 86-87) To show his gratefulness, the hireling requests Romeo's quality at the ball. Romeo ought to have thought about the worker's notice; if Romeo possesses the name of Montague, he will not be allowed. Once at the ball, Romeo is scanning for a lady to substitute the solitary love of Rosaline. Romeo happens to look at Juliet, who charms Romeo. Romeo declares, Did my heart love till now? Renounce it, sight!/For ne'er observed genuine excellence till this night. (I, v, l 52-53) Since Romeo proclaims his affection for Juliet, she feels the fascination too. They accept that they are infatuated and should wed. Be that as it may, it is a real occurrence that Romeo and Juliet were at a similar spot, at the equivalent time. Occasionally after the ball, Benvolio and Mercutio are chatting, as to the pugnacious climate. Benvolio proclaims, The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,/And in the event that we meet we will not ?scape a fight,/ Until further notice these got days is the frantic blood blending. (III, I, l 2-4) At this point, Tybalt, who has tested Romeo on account of his appearance at the disguise, enters, looking for Romeo. For Romeo's sake, Mercutio battles with Tybalt, while Romeo, who is loaded up with affection for his new cousin, attempts to end their strength. Before getting away, Tybalt plunges his blade into Mercutio, making demise fall upon him. Mercutio faults Romeo and the fight for his destiny. Romeo murders Tybalt, who insults Romeo, upon his arrival. Romeo fears he will be sentenced to death in the event that he does not escape before the appearance of the Prince. Benvolio reviews the occasions that have occurred, with some frivolity. The Prince announces: What's more, for that offense/Immediately we do oust him thus./I hav an in your detest's procedure,/My blood for your impolite fights doth lie a-dying;/But I'll amerce you with so solid a fine/That you will atone the loss of mine./I will be hard of hearing to arguing and reasons;/Nor detaches nor supplications will buy mishandles;/Therefore utilize none. Let Romeo subsequently in flurry,/Else, when he's discovered, that hour is his last./ Bear subsequently this body and go to our will./Mercy yet kills, exculpating those that slaughter. (III, I, l 185-195) Because of the unsettling influence of Verona's road and the misfortunes of Tybalt and Mercutio, the Prince must punish Romeo. In any case, the Prince concurs that Romeo was acting in self preservation. Juliet, who wants not to marry Paris, requests Friar Laurence's help. The day preceding the wedding, Juliet is to drink the toxic substance, which will cause her to give off an impression of being dead. In forty two hours she will conscious, with Romeo close by. Romeo will at that point carry her to Mantua with him. Meanwhile Friar Laurence will pass on a message to Romeo in Mantua, revealing to him the plot. At the point when she picks up awareness, Romeo and Minister Laurence will be there. Monk Laurence says, Will Romeo by my letters know our float,/And here will he come; and he and I/Will watch thy waking (IV, I, l 114-116) Following Juliet's admission of the poison, Romeo is envisioning news from Verona. Balthasar, a hireling to Romeo, discloses to Romeo that Juliet has passed on. Romeo, who is told there are no letters from the minister, looks for an approach to achieve his self destruction. In the interim, Friar Laurence, goes up against Friar John, who was to convey the letter to Romeo. Minister John illuminates Friar Laurence that he was looking for another Franciscan, who was visiting the wiped out, to go with him to Mantua. He says, Suspecting that we both were in a house/Where the irresistible epidemic did reingn,/Seal'd up the Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare Essays - Romeo And Juliet By William Shakespeare Time and Fate in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, said to be one of the most well known romantic tales all things considered, is a play secured on schedule and destiny. A few activities are accepted to happen by some coincidence or by fate. The planning of each activity impacts the result of the play. While a few occasions are of less centrality, some are vital to the improvement of this disaster. The considerable occasions that motivate the finish of Romeo and Juliet are; the Capulet ball, the squabble experienced by Tybalt and Romeo, and Friar John's plague. A hireling to Capulet, who is unequipped for perusing the rundown of visitors, requests Romeo's help. Romeo sees that Rosaline, his sweetheart, is among these names. Benvolio provokes Romeo to think about her with different marvels. Benvolio predicts, Compare her face with a few that I will show,/And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. (I, ii, l 86-87) To show his thankfulness, the worker requests Romeo's quality at the ball. Romeo ought to have thought about the worker's notice; if Romeo involves the name of Montague, he will not be allowed. Once at the ball, Romeo is scanning for a lady to substitute the solitary love of Rosaline. Romeo happens to look at Juliet, who charms Romeo. Romeo declares, Did my heart love till now? Renounce it, sight!/For ne'er observed genuine excellence till this night. (I, v, l 52-53) Since Romeo proclaims his affection for Juliet, she feels the fascination too. They accept that they are infatuated and should wed. In any case, it is a certifiable incident that Romeo and Juliet were at a similar spot, at the equivalent time. Occasionally after the ball, Benvolio and Mercutio are speaking, as to the unruly climate. Benvolio announces, The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,/And in the event that we meet we will not ?scape a fight,/ Until further notice these got days is the distraught blood mixing. (III, I, l 2-4) At this point, Tybalt, who has tested Romeo on account of his appearance at the disguise, enters, looking for Romeo. For Romeo's sake, Mercutio battles with Tybalt, while Romeo, who is loaded up with affection for his new cousin, attempts to end their intensity. Before getting away, Tybalt plunges his blade into Mercutio, making demise fall upon him. Mercutio faults Romeo and the quarrel for his destiny. Romeo executes Tybalt, who insults Romeo, upon his arrival. Romeo fears he will be sentenced to death on the off chance that he does not escape before the appearance of the Prince. Benvolio reviews the occasions that have occurred, with some adornment. The Prince announces: Furthermore, for that offense/Immediately we do banish him thus./I hav an in your detest's procedure,/My blood for your discourteous fights doth lie a-dying;/But I'll amerce you with so solid a fine/That you will atone the loss of mine./I will be hard of hearing to arguing and reasons;/Nor detaches nor supplications will buy mishandles;/Therefore utilize none. Let Romeo henceforth in scramble,/Else, when he's discovered, that hour is his last./ Bear henceforth this body and go to our will./Mercy yet kills, acquitting those that murder. (III, I, l 185-195) Because of the unsettling influence of Verona's road and the misfortunes of Tybalt and Mercutio, the Prince must punish Romeo. In any case, the Prince concurs that Romeo was acting in self protection. Juliet, who wants not to marry Paris, requests Friar Laurence's help. The day preceding the wedding, Juliet is to drink the toxic substance, which will cause her to give off an impression of being dead. In forty two hours she will wakeful, with Romeo close by. Romeo will at that point carry her to Mantua with him. Meanwhile Friar Laurence will pass on a message to Romeo in Mantua, disclosing to him the plot. At the point when she picks up awareness, Romeo and Minister Laurence will be there. Monk Laurence says, Shall Romeo by my letters know our float,/And here will he come; and he and I/Will watch thy waking (IV, I, l 114-116) Following Juliet's admission of the poison, Romeo is envisioning news from Verona. Balthasar, a hireling to Romeo, discloses to Romeo that Juliet has passed on. Romeo, who is told there are no

Is Global Warming A Threat To Security If So, Why If Not, Why Not Essay

Is Global Warming A Threat To Security If So, Why If Not, Why Not Essay Is Global Warming A Threat To Security If So, Why If Not, Why Not â€" Essay Example > 22/02/ 2011Global warmingIntroductionI agree that global warming is a treat to national security. This can be seen through three different aspects. These three major aspects give a clear demonstration of how global warming is a treat to national security. Among these aspects are variability of natural resources and increase in scarcity, intensification of natural disaster and sea level rise. Increase in scarcity of resources give more emphasis on globalization is becoming a treat to national security. The dynamics of scarcity of resources â€" in particular negative changes in per capita resource access â€" imposes more challenges on a static society (Terriff, et al 1999). Global worming after mat are unexpected or sudden climate induce events such as tropical storms, droughts and flash floods which constituted a larger threat to human security than gradual reductions in resource availability (Sheehan, 2007). Despite the mechanism that have been put in place in attempt to combat th ese calamities such as establishing costly shock-resilient buffers or robust infrastructure, financial pools the challenges of global warming is persistent (Terriff, et al 1999). Overall, the expect unpredicted events is more hazardous to the prospects of sustained peace than less rapid changes in resource availability, which in turn are likely to be more harmful than a stable but scarce resource base (Terriff, et al 1999). What has become more crucial over the recent past is the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of affected societies and determining whether armed conflict is a potential end result of worsening climatic conditions (Sheehan, 2007). A summarize on prevailing evidence on how climate change is expected to affect the national security can be broadly illustrated in the three environmental phenomena as below. Resource scarcityChanges in climate have adverse security implication on availability of resources necessary to sustained livelihood through its effects (Sheehan, 2007). In line with common practice, scarcity is defined as low per-capita access to a resource (Dannreuther, 2007). The scarcity of resources is referred to low availability of renewable resources per capita such as freshwater (Terriff, et al 1999). The dwindling resource is increasing the scarcity of resources and the consequence of either one (or both) of the two processes is the increased demand for the resource through increased population (Sheehan, 2007). What constitutes greatest challenge to human livelihood is the high level of unpredictability rather than increasing scarcity which is generally regarded as more harmful than scarcity per se (Terriff, et al 1999). According to AR4 report and other recent studies that bear the same similarities on the environment impacts on national security, climate changes vary enormously between regions (Sheehan, 2007). According to AR4 report some regions are likely to benefit from an increase in average temperature (Dannreuther, 2007). A good example is Northern Europe which expected increased crop yields when climate changes; global warming (Sheehan, 2007). This is in contrast to the rest of the world global warming. Northern Europe have experience an increased in forest growth, decreased energy demand for heating, and reduced mortality from cold exposure (Terriff, et al 1999). What is happening in the rest of the world is contrary, most parts of the world including the most densely populated regions, face a grimmer future (Houghton, 2004). As result of temperature increase precipitation patterns changes causing an overall reduction in annual rainfall (Terriff, et al 1999). More implications to subsistence resources are crucial since it become more and more scarce (Sheehan, 2007). The recent report given by AR4 predicts a rise in the regions mid-latitudes by 2050 and reduction of 10â€"30% in average water availability and river runoff in dry tropics and (Dannreuther, 2007). The consumption of ground water is li kely to exacerbate in many areas which may negatively impact on aquifers. The aquifers are likely to be contaminated or depleted which will result in further reduction freshwater supply (Sheehan, 2007). The implication of warmer climate in region like Himalayas, the Andes is the melting of glaciers and several other major sources of water in the dry season for large sections of the developing world (Terriff, et al 1999). The extreme precipitation increases top soil leading to infertility of the land hence reduction in food production (Maslin 2007). Evaporation is also perceived as major contributing factor to desertification (Terriff, et al 1999). The impact of climate changes on agricultural output varies according to form of agriculture (Sheehan, 2007). The warmer climate is likely to tape off the yield of rain fed harvest especially in dry land (Terriff, et al 1999). On the other hand the returns from irrigated crops might increase with moderate warming. The substantially more robust against further temperature rise with is likely consequences such as less reliable precipitation patterns (Sheehan, 2007). According to Dannreuther, (2007) a tropical climate is already a great impediment to agricultural productivity through the unsuitability of tropical soil to large-scale mechanized farming and the high disease burden (Sheehan, 2007).

Business Accounting in Japan - 2750 Words

Business Accounting in Japan (Research Paper Sample) Content: An Overview of Japan and Its Business Accounting Practices Name: Course: Lecturer: Date: Table of Contents  TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u  HYPERLINK \l "_Toc371188572"
A Brief Overview of Japan  PAGEREF _Toc371188572 \h
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Facts about the Japanese Yen  PAGEREF _Toc371188573 \h
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Recent activity of the Japanese yen  PAGEREF _Toc371188574 \h
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Cultural Influences on Accounting Practices in Japan  PAGEREF _Toc371188575 \h
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Variations in Accounting Standards and Measurements from U.S. GAAP  PAGEREF _Toc371188576 \h
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Infrastructure Development and the Economy  PAGEREF _Toc371188577 \h
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The Political Climate of Japan and Its Relation to Accounting Practice and the Economy  PAGEREF _Toc371188578 \h
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Status of Auditing in Japan  PAGEREF _Toc371188579 \h
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Recent Accounting Frauds in Japan  PAGEREF _Toc371188580 \h
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ChuoAoyama  PAGEREF _Toc371188581 \h
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Nikko Cordial  PAGEREF _Toc371188582 \h
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Role of Cost/Management Accounting in Japan  PAGEREF _Toc371188583 \h
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References  PAGEREF _Toc371188584 \h
15  A Brief Overview of Japan Japan is an Island country and it encompasses over 6000 islands. It is located in the Asian continent. The majority of the Japan’s land lies within the four largest islands. The country was unified into a strong state in the 8th century under the leadership of an emperor (Lambert, 2012). The capital of Japan was moved in 794 to what today is referred to as Kyoto. It is at this time that Japan’s Heian period began, a time when much of the culture distinct to Japan today emerged including poetry, art, music and literature. During the 10th and 11th centuries, Japan was in a feudal era, during which a ruling class of warriors known as Samurai came into power. The Shogun was the leader of the most powerful of the clans. The year 1467 was not a good year for Japan as a civil war known as Onin war broke out and was between the feudal warlords and the Shogun known as daimyo (Lambert, 2012). The war lasted for close to a 100 years after which the country got unified again in the year 1590 under the leadership of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Portuguese arrived in Japan in the 1500s and this made Japan begin trade and learn about the west and the European society. In 1639, the country was closed to outside contact and trade by the Shogun through a policy then known as sakoku. This policy left Japan closed to foreigners for a period not less than 200 years (Lambert, 2012). However, United States’ Commodore Mathew Per ry compelled Japan to reopen its relations with the rest of the world. The country later became an empire under the rule of an emperor. During World War II, Japan was an ally of the Axis Powers which included Italy and Germany. On December 7 1941, the United States was attacked by Japan through the bombing of Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor. The United States then entered the war on the Allies side. The United States in 1945 dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima forcing Japan to surrender. Japan later in 1947 adopted a constitution and a democratic government style (Lambert, 2012). Japan has since then grown immensely to become one of the most powerful nations in the world especially in terms of the economy. Currently, Japan whose capital is Tokyo has a population of about 127,368, 088 and is 377,835 square kilometers big (Lambert, 2012). With a constitutional monarchy based on a parliamentary government, Japan’s economy is largely influenced by a var iety of world’s largest industries involved in manufacturing of motor vehicles, machine tools, ships, chemicals, electronic equipment, textiles, steel and non-ferrous metals and processed foods (Fukao, 2003). It also produces agricultural commodities like rice, dairy products sugar beets among others. Japan has a negligible amount of mineral resources, its major exports are motor vehicles, chemicals, transport equipment, electric and electronic machines and semiconductors. In relation to imports, the country majorly imports textiles, raw materials, fuels, food stuffs, chemicals, equipment and machinery. The currency in use is the Japanese yen (JPY) and the country has a national GDP of about $4,444,000,000,000. Facts about the Japanese Yen The official currency of Japan is known as the Yen. It is usually known as the Japanese yen with the symbol  ¥ being used as the official symbol and JPY as the official ISO code (Onlineforex.net, 2013). The currency comes third after the United States Dollar and Euro in terms of being the most traded currency across the world. Yen accounts for close to 17% of the total foreign exchange trading. In the currency market, Japanese yen constitutes a part of the most traded currency pair: USD/JPY, just after EUR/USD. This pair accounts for about 13% of the total online forex trading (Shyam sustaining price stability; and maintaining financial stability (Shyam & Yamaji, 1999). Recent activity of the Japanese yen Despite the yen having been relatively weak for several years, the currency in 2009-10 particularly showed great performance reaching a relatively high record against the USD and Euro. Today the yen has gained strongly against the USD and Euro and has become very expensive, a level rarely witnessed in yen’s history (Fukao, 2003). This is evident in the case of goods such as cameras and cars made in Japan which currently cost an amount high, seldom witnessed for Americans and Europeans. The Japanese asset price bubble saw the yen decline in value against the dollar. Year 2008’s global economic crisis saw the decline trend reverse with almost every other currency other than the Swiss franc declining against the yen. In a very recent occurrence (2013), the Bank of Japan declined to modify her domestic monetary policy as had been moderately expected (Fukao, 2003). This decision according to the governor of the central bank was influenced by the fact that government bond markets witnessed less volatility than before. As such, this saw the yen gain in value against the dollar, with the dollar decreasing by 1.78% as compared to JPY during the American trading session. Cultural Influences on Accounting Practices in Japan According to Hofstede (cited in Chan, Lin & Lai Lan Mo, 2003)) culture refers to the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes members of one group or society from those of another. Culture is often passed along through written rules, generations or n ationality from generation to generation. Culture has a great impact on values, interactions and norms across and within social systems. Culture forms one’s worldview, the approach in which one considers all things in life as being true or false, right or wrong and ugly or beautiful. Culture is a product of personal actions and internal thought, it is usually crystallized in the tangible products of the society and institutions alike. Accounting practices in Japan such as preparation of financial statement disclosures, detection of misstatements and other accounting practices employ similar or identical standards. Further, the influence of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is evident (Chan, Lin & Lai Lan Mo, 2003). However, the cultural dimensions of the location or country where accounting practices are done results into multiple differences between accounting practices. Japan’s accounting standards are based on its accounting practices which are the implied accounting rules as conducted in the context of Japanese culture. In Japan the implied accounting rules are developed uniquely since the manner in which business relationships evolve across the different cultures in Japan is unique as well. Business relationships in Japan are different from those in other parts of the world since the culture within which they are formed is unique. Given that accounting standards are based on accounting practices and that the accounting practices ar...

Meaning and Origins of Italian Last Names

The origins of Italian surnames vary. Many are derived from the names of people, places, professions, or nicknames, and most originated in the Middle Ages when the practice largely started. Frequently, the geographical origin of a person can be deduced from his last name, since certain endings are characteristic of certain regions. For example, the Italian last name Ferrero is associated with the Piemonte region, while Bissacco is associated with Friuli-Venezia Giulia. A large number of Italian surnames end in the letter i, due to the medieval Italian habit of identifying families by the name of the ancestors in the plural. Some Italian family names were formed using a modifying suffix, for example:  »Ã‚  ello/illo/etto/ino, e.g., Bernardino, Bernardello »Ã‚  one, e.g., Mangione »Ã‚  accio/azzo/asso , e.g., Boccaccio The Italian preposition di is often used to indicate parenthood; many Italian surnames arise from this use: Di Pietro, Di Stefano. Family names with the prefix Di are spread throughout Italy, with the highest frequency in Abruzzo-Molise, Sicily, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and the Veneto. Family names with the prefix De are typical in Southern Italy and Sardinia; they are also somewhat common with surnames native to Northern Italy. Origins ENDING EXAMPLE ORIGIN asco Binasco, Bagnasco, Comasco, Cevasco, Pegliasco, Pinasco Liguri and Piemontesi (Lower Piemontesi) ago/aghi/ate/ati Airaghi, Arconato, Brambati, Casiraghi, Gessati Lombardi atti/atto/etti/otti/elli/olli Orsatti, Poratti, Giorgetti, Pedrotti, Luciotti, Lucianetti, Rossetti, Belotti, Arrighetti, Bonicatto, Beghelli, Cavatiolli Lombardi azzi/azzo Bottazzi, Bertolazzi, Bottazzi, Fontanazzi, Galeazzi, Zanazzi, Palazzo Emiliani or Lombardi (lower) aro/ari Campari, Ferrari, Campanaro, Campanari, Priari, Monaro, Corgaro Emiliani or Lombardi (Lower) or Veneti di/oldi Boldi, Garibaldi, Gastoldi, Savoldi, Soldi, Uboldi Lombardi (Germanici) ingo/inghi/enghi/engo Ardenghi, Borlenghi, Girardengo, Interlenghi, Polenghi, Martinengo Lombardi or Toscani (Germanici) otti Bartolotti, Belotti, Chelotti, Matteotti, Melotti, Papotti, Turotti, Lotti, Totti Lombardi oni Alessandroni, Borioni, Belloni, Cerioni, Cesaroni, Lucioni, Vecchioni Lombardi or Marchigiani e Bove, Calvanese, Matrone Campani ero/ario Accornero, Barbero, Ferrero, Maspero, Molinero, Sobrero Piemontesi esio Francesio, Genesio, Gorresio, Carchesio Piemontesi or Abruzzesi audi/aldi Gribaudi, Einaudi, Rambaudi Piemontesi ante Adorante, Ferrante, Parlante, Pomante, Violante Abruzzesi ieri Olivieri, Piantieri, Ranieri Abruzzesi, Campani illi (ille) Piccirilli, Spitilli, Verzilli Abruzzesi o Basso, Panariello, Scongliamiglio, Guarracino Campani occhi (cchie) Ciarrocchi, Fabiocchi, Pirocchi Lombardi oli Cavacchioli, Frattaroli, Frondaroli, Vallaroli Abruzzesi ella Pezzella, Montella, Colella Napoletani iello Borriello, Panariello, Ricciardiello, Romaniello, Vitiello Campani edda Deledda, Ledda, Zedda, Faedda Sardi au Biddau, Madau, Rau Sardi as/us Cannas, Piras, Marras, Solinas, Rosas, Campus, Angus, Pintus Sardi is Virdis, Lampis, Bolis, Cortinovis, Pelis, Pellis, Fabris, Carlevaris Sardi, Lombardi (Bergamasca) or Friulani u Cafeddu, Alu, Soru, Porcu, Nieddu, Schirru Sardi or Siciliani aloro (aloru) Andaloro, Favaloro, Orglialoro Siciliani ano Giordano, Catalano, Veneziano, Provenzano, Cusmano, Romano, Formisano Siciliani, Campani ez/es Gonzales, Zingales, Martinez, Martines, Alvarez, Alvares, Perez Siciliani aro (aru) Amaru, Todaro, Caffaro, Cannizzaro, Cavallaro, Finocchiaro, Ferraro Siciliani eri Oliveri, Palmeri, Scuderi, Tuveri, Cambareri Siciliani isi Campisi, Cassisi, Pennisi, Puglisi, Troisi, Ronnisi, Parisi Siciliani oti Sidoti, Foti, Scilipoti Siciliani or Calabresi osi (usi) Alosi, Albertosi, Cangelosi, Nicolosi Sicilian ulla Strazzulla, Zappulla Siciliani audo Grimaudo, Ribaudo, Baudo Siciliani ai/ini Astai, Bottai, Bollai, Casini, Cascini, Lucini, Fornariini, Paolini, Pontini Toscani or Lombardi ucci Bellucci, Bertolucci, Bonucci, Lambertucci, Narducci Toscani or Abruzzesi uoli/aiuoli Acciaiuoli, Casciaiuoli Toscani acco Acco, Bacco, Bazzacco, Bissacco, Cacco, Feltracco, Polacco, Bracco Friulani er Taufer, Pacher, Pichler, Pineider Trentini, Sudtirolesi otto Zanzotto, Bizzotto, Bellotto, Serraiotto Veneti ato Marconato, Donolato, Bellinato, Lucato, Francescato, Porrato, Variato Veneti igo Barbarigo, Brigo, Pasqualigo, Sandrigo Veneti l/n/r/z/ Canal, Lucin, Manin, Furlan, Schiavon, Carrer, Venier, Paniz Venetianan, Trentini or Friulani ussi Bortolussi, Benussi Friulani utti/ut Bonutti, Gregorut, Martinut, Varutti Friulani az Bethaz, Bionaz, Cuneaz, Lucianaz, Marguerettaz, Pasquettaz, Praz, Rosaz Valdostani (pronounced in the French) or Friulani oz Boz, Chabloz, Diemooz, Marcoz, Goz, Savioz, Vuillermoz Valdostani (pronounced in the French) or Friulani ou Fiou Valdostani (pronounced in the French) y Borney Valdostani t Perret Valdostani (pronounced in the French) ra Fichera, Guarnera, Ferrera Siciliani PREFIX EXAMPLE ORIGIN De De Bortoli, De Carli, De Cesare, De Felice, De Lorenzi, De Pasqual, De Maria, Demuru, De Stefani Suditaliani, Sardi, Norditaliani Del Del Ben, Del Grosso, Del Vecchio, Del Porto, Del Pozzo, Del Negro, Del Pasqua, Del Piero Centro Italia and Norditaliani Della Della Bartola, Della Bella, Della Corte, Della Mea, Della Pasqua, Della Torre, Della Valle Norditaliani, Suditaliani, Centro Italia Di Di Battista, Di Giovanni, Di Fluri, Di Stefano, Di Luch, Di Centa, Di Bert, Di Lazzaro, Di Pietro, Di Lorenzo Abruzzesi-Molisani, Friulani, Siciliani, Veneti La La Barbera, La Ferrera, La Fata, La Russa, La Malfa, La Rosa, La Pira, La Loggia, La Torre Siciliani Lo (Lu) Lo Certo, Lo Cicero, Lo Forte, Lo Giudice, Lo Iacono, Lo Nigro, Lu Piccolo, Lo Presti, Lu Vito Siciliani Li Li Calzi, Li Castri, Li Causi, Li Greci, Li Pira, Li Puma, Li Vigni, Li Voi, Li Volsi, Li Volti Siciliani

Everyone Strives For Happiness - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1061 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/22 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Happiness Essay Did you like this example? As teenagers, we make decisions everyday that affect our current and future happiness. We balance difficult classes and a plethora of extracurriculars in hopes to secure our future while simultaneously trying to enjoy our day-to-day lives. But, how are we supposed to search for something when we dont truly know what it is were looking for? Lately, Ive wondered that myself and have taken to searching for answers, finding that much of what I was taught and believed about happiness is strikingly incorrect. What we believe to be a basic emotion has been shown in recent studies to be very misunderstood. Happiness is much more complicated and much more reliant on the physcology and circumstances of the individual than many expect it to be. Happiness, scientifically, exists in two different forms, hedonic happiness and eudaimonic happiness. Hedonic happiness is defined as increased pleasure and decreased pain. It is centered around the instantaneous human emotions such as joy, pleasure, pride and excitement, whereas eudaimonic happiness is centered around a persons satisfaction with their life, purpose, and meaning. Veronika Huta, clinical psychology professor at the University of Ottawa explains that the distinction between these types of happiness is important due to the fact that they are commonly at odds with each other. Basically, temporary happiness often does not lead to retrospective happiness, as temporary happiness often roots from impulsive decisions. For instance, not studying for your physics test to go out with your friends or skipping a proofread of your essay so you can watch an episode of The Office before bed may seem like a good idea at the time and yes, it will bring you happiness, but the unfortunate consequence in this hedonic happiness is likely the loss of eudaimonic happiness. So how do we determine which form of happiness is more important? While one person may perceive happiness as instantaneous joy, others may perceive happines s as long term reflection on life. Hence meaning, happiness is not a one-size fits all concept. So the next time you decide to google how to be happy or ask for advice from a friend, recognize that the core concept of happiness varies from person to person and not all the advice you receive will apply to you. Not only can happiness be defined in different ways but it also affects the human psyche in ways we not expect. Weve all had moments, whether its having a good time with friends or family, accomplishing something after hard work, or going on a vacation, where we felt true joy. But, after these moments fade and the period of excitement passes, humans tend to experience a lurking sadness overcome them. These are commonly referred to as Happiness Hangovers. According to psychologist Gary Stollak, professor emeritus of clinical psychology at Michigan State University, this is due to our happiness set point. Our happiness set point is basically a meter where our happiness will al ways balance out. Therefore, after periods of happiness or excitement, we often experience periods of melancholy. Happiness Hangovers are in fact quite similar to the hangovers you are probably more prone to hearing. After someone intakes too much alcohol, they often experience sickness and sadness the next day. This is due to, according to behavior physiologist George Koob, a basic physiological phenomenon that the body reacts to any challenge associated with it, and often in a way to counteract the effects of that challenge. Your brain and emotions do the same thing when you experience too much happiness, they reject it and counteract it, causing you to experience a sudden change in emotion that resembles sadness, guilt, or dullness. Another shocking misconception of happiness involves the brains capability of making choices. Restaurant meals, ice cream flavors, what clothes you wear, and what cereal you buy at the grocery store are decisions you make everyday. Have you ever f ound yourself at a place like the Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden with menus equivalent in length to a novel, debating between two dinners, fearing that the one you choose will be suboptimal in comparison to the other? This is what is commonly known as the Paradox of Choice. The Paradox of Choice, introduced by Barry Schwartz, implies that choice grants freedom, which then grants happiness. Yet when humans are faced with choice, they often struggle with determining whether they made the correct decisions. This worry then results with a dwindling of happiness. Many may argue the opposite, that you must gain happiness with more choice because more choice often leads to more opportunity to choose something you are satisfied with. But, this would be incorrect because with a wider variety of choice, the human brain becomes confused, resulting in stress. Paradox of choice can be applied to things as simple as choosing your meal at the Cheesecake Factory to something as difficult as choosing life-altering medical treatments. Professor at Columbia University, Sheena Iyengar, conducted a study to test the theory of Paradox of Choice. The first was conducted in a gourmet supermarket in California. Iyengar set up a stand for sampling and purchasing jams and every few hours she would rotate between two groups of sample jams. The first group of jams was a set of 24 and the second, a set of 6 jams. Throughout the time the stand was up for sampling and purchasing, 60% of customers approached the stand with 24 jams and 40% approached the stand with 6 jams but while only 3% of those that approached the stand with 24 jams actually purchased jam, 30% of those that approached the stand with 6 jams bought jam. The people in the grocery store were overwhelmed by the immense amount of different jams, therefore making them less entreating. This is due to when a person is confronted by a large selection or a wide variety of options, the human brain struggles with self-doubt and therefore relinquishes some happiness during decision making, causing the jams to be less appealing. But, when confronted with less options, the human brain was able to better process what information is in front of it, which made the decision making easier and resulted in an escalation in happiness. Happiness has many misconceptions and is something the world is studying and pondering everyday. Theories may sharpen our focus on what happiness means to each person but it will always remain illusive. As we continue on our journey, in search of happiness Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Everyone Strives For Happiness" essay for you Create order

Compare and contrast two counterinsurgency campaigns Free Essay Example, 1250 words

The Vietnam War, or the Second Indochina War (1954 – 1975), was the offshoot of an earlier conflict against French colonialism. Vietnam overthrew France’s colonial rule in July 1954, with the decisive victory at Dien Bien Phu. Under the subsequent Geneva Peace Accords, Vietnam was pressurized by China and the Soviet Union to accept the temporary partition of the country at the seventeenth parallel, with the understanding that reunification would follow the general election scheduled for 1956. However, the U. S., under President Eisenhower, with military, economic and political aid, propped up the new Republic of Vietnam in the South, as a bulwark against the Communist North. In 1957, Ngo Dinh Diem, who became the President with U. S. aid, initiated hostilities against North Vietnam and against the dissidents, including communists, in the South. The National Liberation Front brought together the communists and all Vietnamese aspiring for reunification and engaged in act ive warfare against the forces of Diem. After Diem’s overthrow and death by a military coup in 1963, tacitly supported by the U. S., and President Kennedy’s assassination, President Lyndon Johnson sanctioned the active entry of U. S.We will write a custom essay sample on Compare and contrast two counterinsurgency campaigns or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now troops on the Vietnamese battlefield. The NLF, supported by North Vietnam, resorted to guerilla warfare. The ‘Tet Offensive’ of 1968 was a turning point: although the U. S. forces broke the combined offensive of the NLF and North Vietnam, the scale of the offensive was a tactical failure for the Americans. President Nixon used his ‘Vietnamization’ plan to reduce the presence of U. S. troops, with the Vietnamese bearing the brunt of fighting. Finally, the Saigon government, led by President Nguyen van Thieu, was pressurized into signing the Paris Peace Agreement of January 1973 and America withdrew from the war. The conflict between North Vietnam and the now isolated South continued until April 1975, when communist forces overran Saigon (Brigham, n.d. ). When we compare the Philippines Insurrection and the Vietnam War, several striking similarities emerge. The roots of both conflicts did not directly involve America. The former was a Spanish – Philippine struggle and the latter a Vietnamese – French conflict. In both cases, the U. S. entered the fray deliberately in order to widen its’ sphere of influence and further its’ military and economic interests: obstructing Germany in the Philippines and China in Vietnam. In both cases, the U. S. had initially supported its’ future adversaries.

Barclays as a Global Financial Services Provider Case Study

Essays on Barclays as a Global Financial Services Provider Case Study The paper â€Å"Barclays as a Global Financial Services Provider" is an outstanding example of a case study on finance accounting. Barclays, a global financial services provider, is engaged in retail and commercial banking, investment services, credit cards, and wealth management services. It has two major divisions – retail banking and corporate and investment banking and wealth management. Each of the two divisions has several business units and jointly they invest in CSR.Barclay’s wealth is meant to create sustainable and responsible banking. Their first responsibility is towards their customers and hence they develop financial exclusions in both developed and developing countries. They work ethically and with integrity in all they do. Their responsibility towards the employees is manifest in encouraging the employees and promoting diversity in the workforce. Sound business practices and principles ensure integrity in all they do. Good corporate citizenship is assu red if the business is profitable and if it creates jobs and contributes towards economic success.Barclay's CSR model is based on three pillars – banking on brighter futures, looking after local communities and charity begins at work. Banking on Brighter Futures is their flagship program through which they make financial contributions to tackle social issues. They work with local communities to create sustainable change. The colleagues at Barclays are encouraged to volunteer and devote a certain number of hours towards education, entrepreneurship, and helping people into employment. Barclays has also entered into a US$ 10 million global partnership with UNICEF out of which $1.68mn will be invested in India in a three-year project. The focus in India is to help disadvantaged women in developing sustainable livelihood, a part of financial literacy and leadership skills. This program will be implemented by Barclay’s employees where they would also provide technical and fi nancial expertise.Barclays believes in supporting the communities they work in, giving back to them and helping them to achieve their goals. In 2010, Barclays invested in communities an amount of  £55.3m and through this effort, they could reach more than 1.5 million people all over the world. Their community development goals comprise of encouraging youth entrepreneurship, promoting job readiness, income generation, and financial education, healthcare, and environment. Their grants to charities are aimed at making disadvantaged people financially independent thereby providing them security in life. They also encourage their employees in charitable giving and fundraising efforts. They have several employees’ schemes towards this effect including volunteering in work time.As a global financial services organization, they feel their responsibility towards the environment. Towards this responsibility, they implement a global environmental management system. They not only estab lish targets for environmental protection but also monitor the impact of their work. Through the installation of efficient building and IT systems that attempt to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Besides, they work with the internal and external stakeholders to promote environmental sustainability and share the best prices.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Diversity and inclusion is another area on which Barclays focuses. They recognize that diversity is a business imperative and diversity can help achieve continued growth and success. The workforce reflects the communities they work in. They ensure that individual talents are duly recognized; they also do not discriminate against caste, creed, gender, age sexual orientation, disability or nationality. They treat their clients, employees and even the job applicants equally. They make every employee feel valued and the work environment encourages dignity and respect for one another. They recognize the importanc e of attracting, retaining and developing a talented workforce.Annually Barclays celebrates Make a Difference Day where they teach their youth how to manage their resources and money. On this day people are off their normal jobs and reach out to the community giving them practical assistance as part of their Corporate Social Investment. Their concern for employees is evident from the fact that they have been named among UK’s top 10 employers by working families. This was based on an assessment of nearly 90 private and public sector employers in the UK representing one million employees. Their policies and practices ensure that employees at Barclays experience work-life balance including flexible working, childcare and maternity and paternity leave. They have thus been considered to be employers of choice – one which includes and values diversity.Barclays also has a long-standing commitment to managing the environmental and social risks associated with commercial lendin g and investment products. Based on the Equator Principles Barclays provides a voluntary framework that banks can use when they address the environmental and social risks when lending for projects.Thus, Barclays ensures all-round development of individuals, societies, and communities including their own employees and clients through their CSR initiatives. Being in the financial services sector, they ensure that the risks too are addressed efficiently.

Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies Free Essays

string(167) " Dried blood crusted Bruenor’s hair and he had lost his helm, but his dwarven toughness had carried him through another encounter that should have finished him\." Black-haired barbarians, screaming in the frenzy of battle, burst into the copse. Drizzt realized at once that these burly warriors were the forms he had seen moving behind the orcan ranks on the field, but he wasn’t yet certain of their allegiance. Whatever their ties, their arrival struck terror into the remaining orcs. We will write a custom essay sample on Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies or any similar topic only for you Order Now The two fighting Drizzt lost all heart for the battle, a sudden shift in their posture revealing their desire to break off the confrontation and flee. Drizzt obliged, assured that they wouldn’t get far anyway, and sensing that he, too, would be wise to slip from sight. The orcs fled, but their pursuers soon caught them in another battle just beyond the trees. Less obvious in his flight, Drizzt slipped unnoticed back up the tree where he had left his bow. Wulfgar could not so easily sublimate his battle lust. With two of his friends down, his thirst for orcan blood was insatiable, and the new group of men that had joined the fight cried out to Tempus, his own god of battle, with a fervor that the young warrior could not ignore. Distracted by the sudden developments, the ring of orcs around Wulfgar let up for just a moment, and he struck hard. One orc looked away, and Aegis-fang tore its face off before its eyes returned to the fight at hand. Wulfgar bore through the gap in the ring, jostling a second orc as he passed. As it stumbled in its attempt to turn and realign its defense, the mighty barbarian chopped it down. The two remaining turned and fled, but Wulfgar was right behind. He launched his hammer, blasting one from life, and sprang upon the other, bearing it to the ground beneath him and then crushing the life from it with his bare hands. When he was finished, when he had heard the final crack of neckbone, Wulfgar remembered his predicament and his friends. He sprang up and backed away, his back against the trees. The black-haired barbarians kept their distance, respectful of his prowess, and Wulfgar could not be sure of their intentions. He scanned around for his friends. Regis and Bruenor lay side by side near where the horses had been tethered; he could not tell if they were alive or dead. There was no sign of Drizzt, but a fight continued beyond the other edge of the trees. The warriors fanned out in a wide semi-circle around him, cutting off any routes of escape. But they stopped their positioning suddenly, for Aegis-fang had magically returned to Wulfgar’s grasp. He could not win against so many, but the thought did not dismay him. He would die fighting, as a true warrior, and his death would be remembered. If the black-haired barbarians came at him, many, he knew, would not return to their families. He dug his heels in and clasped the warhammer tightly. â€Å"Let us be done with it,† he growled into the night. â€Å"Hold!† came a soft, but imperative whisper from above. Wulfgar recognized Drizzt’s voice at once and relaxed his grip. â€Å"Keep to your honor, but know that more lives are at stake than your own!† Wulfgar understood then that Regis and Bruenor were probably still alive. He dropped Aegis-fang to the ground and called out to the warriors, â€Å"Well met.† They did not reply, but one of them, nearly as tall and heavily muscled as Wulfgar, broke rank and closed in to stand before him. The stranger wore a single braid in his long hair, running down the side of his face and over his shoulder. His cheeks were painted white in the image of wings. The hardness of his frame and disciplined set of his face reflected a life in the harsh wilderness, and were it not for the raven color of his hair, Wulfgar would have thought him to be of one of the tribes of Icewind Dale. The dark-haired man similarly recognized Wulfgar, but better versed in the overall structures of the societies in the northland, was not so perplexed by their similarities. â€Å"You are of the dale,† he said in a broken form of the common tongue. â€Å"Beyond the mountains, where the cold wind blows.† Wulfgar nodded. â€Å"I am Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, of the Tribe of the Elk. We share gods, for I, too, call to Tempus for strength and courage.† The dark-haired man looked around at the fallen orcs. â€Å"The god answers your call, warrior of the dale.† Wulfgar’s jaw lifted in pride. â€Å"We share hatred for the orcs, as well,† he continued, â€Å"but I know nothing of you or your people.† â€Å"You shall learn,† the dark-haired man replied. He held out his hand and indicated the warhammer. Wulfgar straightened firmly, having no intentions of surrendering, no matter the odds. The dark-haired man looked to the side, drawing Wulfgar’s eyes with his own. Two warriors had picked up Bruenor and Regis and slung them over their backs, while others had recaptured the horses and were leading them in. â€Å"The weapon,† the dark-haired man demanded. â€Å"You are in our land without our say, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar. The price of that crime is death. Shall you watch our judgement over your small friends?† The younger Wulfgar would have struck then, damning them all in a blaze of glorious fury. But Wulfgar had learned much from his new friends, Drizzt in particular. He knew that Aegis-fang would return to his call, and he knew, too, that Drizzt would not abandon them. This was not the time to fight. He even let them bind his hands, an act of dishonor that no warrior of the Tribe of the Elk would ever allow. But Wulfgar had faith in Drizzt. His hands would be freed again. Then he would have the last word. By the time they reached the barbarian camp, both Regis and Bruenor had regained consciousness and were bound and walking beside their barbarian friend. Dried blood crusted Bruenor’s hair and he had lost his helm, but his dwarven toughness had carried him through another encounter that should have finished him. You read "Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies" in category "Essay examples" They crested a rise and came upon the perimeter of a ring of tents and blazing campfires. Whooping their war cries to Tempus, the returning war party roused the camp, tossing severed orc heads into the ring to announce their glorious arrival. The fervor inside the camp soon matched the level of the entering war party, and the three prisoners were pushed in first, to be greeted by a score of howling barbarians. â€Å"What do they eat?† Bruenor asked, more in sarcasm than concern. â€Å"Whatever it is, feed them quickly,† Regis replied, drawing a clap on the back of his head and a warning to be silent from the guard behind him. The prisoners and horses were herded into the center of the camp and the tribe encircled them in a victory dance, kicking orc heads around in the dust and singing out, in a language unknown to the companions, their praise to Tempus and to Uthgar, their ancestral hero, for the success this night. It went on for nearly an hour, and then, all at once, it ended and every face in the ring turned to the closed flap of a large and decorated tent. The silence held for a long moment before the flap swung open. Out jumped an ancient man, as slender as a tent pole, but showing more energy than his obvious years would indicate. His face painted in the same markings as the warriors, though more elaborately, he wore a patch with a huge green gemstone sewn upon it over one eye. His robe was the purest white, its sleeves showing as feathered wings whenever he flapped his arms out to the side. He danced and twirled through the ranks of the warriors, and each held his breath, recoiling until he had passed. â€Å"Chief?† Bruenor whispered. â€Å"Shaman,† corrected Wulfgar, more knowledgeable in the ways of tribal life. The respect the warriors showed this man came from a fear beyond what a mortal enemy, even a chieftain, could impart. The shaman spun and leaped, landing right before the three prisoners. He looked at Bruenor and Regis for just a moment, then turned his full attention upon Wulfgar. â€Å"I am Valric High Eye,† he screeched suddenly. â€Å"Priest of the followers of the Sky Ponies! The children of Uthgar!† â€Å"Uthgar!† echoed the warriors, clapping their hatchets against their wooden shields. Wulfgar waited for the commotion to die away, then presented himself. â€Å"I am Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, of the Tribe of the Elk.† â€Å"And I’m Bruenor – † began the dwarf. â€Å"Silence!† Valric shouted at him, trembling with rage. â€Å"I care nothing for you!† Bruenor closed his mouth and entertained dreams concerning his axe and Valric’s head. â€Å"We meant no harm, nor trespass,† Wulfgar began, but Valric put his hand up, cutting him short. â€Å"Your purpose does not interest me,† he explained calmly, but his excitement resurged at once. â€Å"Tempus has delivered you unto us, that is all! A worthy warrior?† He looked around at his own men and their response showed eagerness for the coming challenge. â€Å"How many did you claim?† he asked Wulfgar. â€Å"Seven fell before me,† the young barbarian replied proudly. Valric nodded in approval. â€Å"Tall and strong,† he commented. â€Å"Let us discover if Tempus is with you. Let us judge if you are worthy to run with the Sky Ponies!† Shouts started at once and two warriors rushed over to unbind Wulfgar. A third, the leader of the war party who had spoken to Wulfgar at the copse of trees, tossed down his hatchet and shield and stormed into the ring. Drizzt waited in his tree until the last of the war party had given up the search for the rider of the fourth horse and departed. Then the drow moved quickly, gathering together some of the dropped items: the dwarf’s axe and Regis’s mace. He had to pause and steady himself when he found Bruenor’s helm, though, blood-stained and newly dented, and with one of its horns broken away. Had his friend survived? He shoved the broken helm into his sack and slipped out after the troupe, keeping a cautious distance. Relief flooded through him when he came upon the camp and spotted his three friends, Bruenor standing calmly between Wulfgar and Regis. Satisfied, Drizzt put aside his emotions and all thoughts of the previous encounter, narrowing his vision to the situation before him, formulating a plan of attack that would free his friends. * * * The dark-haired man held his open hands out to Wulfgar, inviting his blond counterpart to clasp them. Wulfgar had never seen this particular challenge before, but it was not so different from the tests of strength that his own people practised. â€Å"Your feet do not move!† instructed Valric. â€Å"This is the challenge of strength! Let Tempus show us your worth!† Wulfgar’s firm visage didn’t reveal a hint of his confidence that he could defeat any man at such a test. He brought his hands up level with those of his opponent. The man grabbed at them angrily, snarling at the large foreigner. Almost immediately, before Wulfgar had even straightened his grip or set his feet, the shaman screamed out to begin, and the dark-haired man drove his hands forward, bending Wulfgar’s back over his wrists. Shouting erupted from every corner of the encampment; the dark-haired man roared and pushed with all his strength, but as soon as the moment of surprise had passed, Wulfgar fought back. The iron-corded muscles in Wulfgar’s neck and shoulders snapped taut and his huge arms reddened with the forced surge of blood into their veins. Tempus had blessed him truly; even his mighty opponent could only gape in amazement at the spectacle of his power. Wulfgar looked him straight in the eye and matched the snarl with a determined glare that foretold the inevitable victory. Then the son of Beornegar drove forward, stopping the dark-haired man’s initial momentum and forcing his own hands back into a more normal angle with his wrists. Once he had regained parity, Wulfgar realized that one sudden push would put his opponent into the same disadvantage that he had just escaped. From there, the dark-haired man would have little chance of holding on. But Wulfgar wasn’t anxious to end this contest. He didn’t want to humiliate his opponent – that would breed only an enemy – and even more importantly, he knew that Drizzt was about. The longer he could keep the contest going, and the eyes of every member of the tribe fixed upon him, the longer Drizzt would have to put some plan into motion. The two men held there for many seconds, and Wulfgar couldn’t help but smile when he noticed a dark shape slip in among the horses, behind the enthralled guards at the other end of the camp. Whether it was his imagination, he could not tell, but he thought that he saw two points of lavender flame staring out at him from the darkness. A few seconds more, he decided, though he knew that he was taking a chance by not finishing the challenge. The shaman could declare a draw if they held for too long. But then it was over. The veins and sinews in Wulfgar’s arms bulged and his shoulders lifted even higher. â€Å"Tempus!† he growled, praising the god for yet another victory, and then with a sudden, ferocious explosion of power, he drove the dark-haired man to his knees. All around, the camp went silent, even the shaman being stricken speechless by the display. Two guards moved tentatively to Wulfgar’s side. The beaten warrior pulled himself to his feet and stood facing Wulfgar. No hints of anger marred his face, just honest admiration, for the Sky Ponies were an honorable people. â€Å"We would welcome you,† Valric said. â€Å"You have defeated Torlin, son of Jerek Wolf-slayer, Chieftain of the Sky Ponies. Never before has Torlin been bested!† â€Å"What of my friends?† Wulfgar asked. â€Å"I care nothing for them!† Valric snapped back. â€Å"The dwarf will be set free on a trail leading from our land. We have no quarrel with him or his kind, nor do we desire any dealings with them!† The shaman eyed Wulfgar slyly. â€Å"The other is a weakling,† he stated. â€Å"He shall serve as your passage to the tribe, your sacrifice to the winged horse.† Wulfgar did not immediately respond. They had tested his strength, and now were testing his loyalties. The Sky Ponies had paid him their highest honor in offering him a place in their tribe, but only on condition that he show his allegiance beyond any doubt. Wulfgar thought of his own people, and the way they had lived for so many centuries on the tundra. Even in this day, many of the barbarians of Icewind Dale would have accepted the terms and killed Regis, considering the life of a halfling a small price for such an honor. This was the disillusionment of Wulfgar’s existence with his people, the facet of their moral code that had proved unacceptable to his personal standards. â€Å"No,† he replied to Valric without blinking. â€Å"He is a weakling!† Valric reasoned. â€Å"Only the strong deserve life!† â€Å"His fate is not mine to decide,† Wulfgar replied. â€Å"Nor yours.† Valric motioned to the two guards and they immediately rebound Wulfgar’s hands. â€Å"A loss for our people,† Torlin said to Wulfgar. â€Å"You would have received a place of honor among us.† Wulfgar didn’t answer, holding Torlin’s stare for a long moment, sharing respect and also the mutual understanding that their codes were too different for such a joining. In a shared fantasy that could not be, both imagined fighting beside the other, felling orcs by the score and inspiring the bards to a new legend. * * * It was time for Drizzt to strike. The drow had paused by the horses to view the outcome of the contest and also to better measure his enemies. He planned his attack for effect more than for damage, wanting to put on a grand show to cow a tribe of fearless warriors long enough for his friends to break free of the ring. No doubt, the barbarians had heard of the dark elves. And no doubt, the tales they had heard were terrifying. Silently, Drizzt tied the two ponies behind the horses, then mounted the horses, a foot in one stirrup on each. Rising between them, he stood tall and threw back the cowl of his cloak. The dangerous glow in his lavender eyes sparkling wildly, he bolted the mounts into the ring, scattering the stunned barbarians closest to him. Howls of rage rose up from the surprised tribesmen, the tone of the shouts shifting to one of terror when they viewed the black skin. Torlin and Valric turned to face the oncoming menace, though even they did not know how to deal with a legend personified. And Drizzt had a trick ready for them. With a wave of his black hand, purple flames spouted from Torlin and Valric’s skin, not burning, but casting both the superstitious tribesmen into a horrified frenzy. Torlin dropped to his knees, clasping his arms in disbelief, while the highstrung shaman dove to the ground and began rolling in the dirt. Wulfgar took his cue. Another surge of power through his arms snapped the leather bonds at his wrists. He continued the momentum of his hands, swinging them upward, catching both of the guards beside him squarely in the face and dropping them to their backs. Bruenor also understood his part. He stomped heavily onto the instep of the lone barbarian standing between him and Regis, and when the man crouched to grasp his pained foot, Bruenor butted him in the head. The man tumbled as easily as Whisper had back in Rat Alley in Luskan. â€Å"Huh, works as well without the helmet!† Bruenor marveled. â€Å"Only for a dwarf’s head!† Regis remarked as Wulfgar grabbed both of them by the back of their collars and hoisted them easily onto the ponies. He was up then, too, beside Drizzt, and they charged through the other side of the camp. It had all happened too quickly for any of the barbarians to ready a weapon or form any kind of defense. Drizzt wheeled his horse behind the ponies to protect the rear. â€Å"Ride!† he yelled to his friends, slapping their mounts on the rump with the flat of his scimitars. The other three shouted in victory as though their escape was complete, but Drizzt knew that this had been the easy part. The dawn was fast approaching, and in this up-and-down, unfamiliar terrain, the native barbarians could easily catch them. The companions charged into the silence of pre-dawn, picking the straightest and easiest path to gain as much ground as possible. Drizzt still kept an eye behind them, expecting the tribesmen to be fast on their trail. But the commotion in the camp had died away almost immediately after the escape, and the drow saw no signs of pursuit. Now only a single call could be heard, the rhythmic singing of Valric in a tongue that none of the travelers understood. The look of dread on Wulfgar’s face made all of them pause. â€Å"The powers of a shaman,† the barbarian explained. Back in the camp, Valric stood alone with Torlin inside the ring of his people, chanting and dancing through the ultimate ritual of his station, summoning the power of his tribe’s Spiritual Beast. The appearance of the drow elf had completely unnerved the shaman. He stopped any pursuit before it had even begun and ran to his tent for the sacred leather satchel needed for the ritual, deciding that the spirit of the winged horse, the Pegasus, should deal with these intruders. Valric targeted Torlin as the recipient of the spirit’s form, and the son of Jerek awaited the possession with stoic dignity, hating the act, for it stripped him of his identity, but resigned to absolute obedience to his shaman. From the moment it began, however, Valric knew that in his excitement, he had overstepped the urgency of the summoning. Torlin shrieked and dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. A gray cloud surrounded him, its swirling vapors molding with his form, reshaping his features. His face puffed and twisted, and suddenly spurted outward into the semblance of a horse’s head. His torso, as well, transmuted into something not human. Valric had meant only to impart some of the strengths of the spirit of the Pegasus in Torlin, but the entity itself had come, possessing the man wholly and bending his body into its own likeness. Torlin was consumed. In his place loomed the ghostly form of the winged horse. All in the tribe fell to their knees before it, even Valric, who could not face the image of the Spiritual Beast. But the Pegasus knew the shaman’s thoughts and understood its children’s needs. Smoke fumed from the spirit’s nostrils and it rose into the air in pursuit of the escaping intruders. The friends had settled their mounts into a more comfortable, though still swift, pace. Free of their bonds, with the dawn breaking before them and no apparent pursuit behind them, they had eased up a bit. Bruenor fiddled with his helmet, trying to push the latest dent out far enough for him to get the thing back on his head. Even Wulfgar, so shaken a short time before when he had heard the chanting of the shaman, began to relax. Only Drizzt, ever wary, was not so easily convinced of their escape. And it was the drow who first sensed the approach of danger. In the dark cities, the black elves often dealt with otherworldly beings, and over the many centuries they had bred into their race a sensitivity for the magical emanations of such creatures. Drizzt stopped his horse suddenly and wheeled about. â€Å"What do ye hear?† Bruenor asked him. â€Å"I hear nothing,† Drizzt answered, his eyes darting about for some sign. â€Å"But something is there.† Before they could respond, the gray cloud rushed down from the sky and was upon them. Their horses bucked and reared in uncontrollable terror and in the confusion none of the friends could sort out what was happening. The Pegasus then formed right in front of Regis and the halfling felt a deathly chill penetrate his bones. He screamed and dropped from his mount. Bruenor, riding beside Regis, charged the ghostly form fearlessly. But his descending axe found only a cloud of smoke where the apparition had been. Then, just as suddenly, the ghost was back, and Bruenor, too, felt the icy cold of its touch. Tougher than the halfling, he managed to hold to his pony. â€Å"What?† he cried out vainly to Drizzt and Wulfgar. Aegis-fang whistled past him and continued on at the target. But the Pegasus was only smoke again and the magical warhammer passed unhindered through the swirling cloud. In an instant, the spirit was back, swooping down upon Bruenor. The dwarf’s pony spun down to the ground in a frantic effort to scramble away from the thing. â€Å"You cannot hit it!† Drizzt called after Wulfgar, who went rushing to the dwarf’s aid. â€Å"It does not exist fully on this plane!† Wulfgar’s mighty legs locked his terrified horse straight and he struck as soon as Aegis-fang returned to his hands. But again he found only smoke, before his blow. â€Å"Then how?† he yelled to Drizzt, his eyes darting around to spot the first signs of the reforming spirit. Drizzt searched his mind for answers. Regis was still down, lying pale and unmoving on the field, and Bruenor, though he had not been too badly injured in his pony’s fall, appeared dazed and shivering from the chill of unearthly cold. Drizzt grasped at a desperate plan. He pulled the onyx statue of the panther from his pouch and called for Guenhwyvar. The ghost returned, attacking with renewed fury. It descended upon Bruenor first, mantling the dwarf with its cold wings. â€Å"Damn ye back to the Abyss!† Bruenor roared in brave defiance. Rushing in, Wulfgar lost all sight of the dwarf, except for the head of his axe bursting harmlessly through the smoke. Then the barbarian’s mount halted in its tracks, refusing, against all efforts, to move any closer to the unnatural beast. Wulfgar leaped from his saddle and charged in, crashing right through the cloud before the ghost could reform, his momentum carrying both him and Bruenor out the other side of the smoky mantle. They rolled away and looked back, only to find that the ghost had disappeared altogether again. Bruenor’s eyelids drooped heavily and his skin held a ghastly hue of blue, and for the first time in his life, his indomitable spirit had no gumption for the fight. Wulfgar, too, had suffered the icy touch in his pass through the ghost, but he was still more than ready for another round with the thing. â€Å"We can’t fight it!† Bruenor gasped through his chattering teeth. â€Å"Here for a strike, it is, but gone when we hit back!† Wulfgar shook his head defiantly. â€Å"There is a way!† he demanded, though he had to concede the dwarf’s point. â€Å"But my hammer cannot destroy clouds!† Guenhwyvar appeared beside its master and crouched low, seeking the nemesis that threatened the drow. Drizzt understood the cat’s intentions. â€Å"No!† he commanded. â€Å"Not here.† The drow had recalled something that Guenhwyvar had done several months earlier. To save Regis from the falling stone of a crumbling tower, Guenhwyvar had taken the halfling on a journey through the planes of existence. Drizzt grabbed onto the panther’s thick coat. â€Å"Take me to the land of the ghost,† he instructed. â€Å"To its own plane, where my weapons will bite deeply into its substantial being.† The ghost appeared again as Drizzt and the cat faded into their own cloud. â€Å"Keep swinging!† Bruenor told his companion. â€Å"Keep it as smoke so’s it can’t get at ye!† â€Å"Drizzt and the cat have gone!† Wulfgar cried. â€Å"To the land of the ghost,† Bruenor explained. * * * It took Drizzt a long moment to set his bearings. He had come into a place of different realities, a dimension where everything, even his own skin, assumed the same hue of gray, objects being distinguishable only by a thin waver of black that outlined them. His depth perception was useless, for there were no shadings, and no discernible light sources to use as a guide. And he found no footing, nothing tangible beneath him, nor could he even know which way was up or down. Such concepts didn’t seem to fit here. He did make out the shifting outlines of the Pegasus as it jumped between planes, never fully in one place or the other. He tried to approach it and found propulsion to be an act of the mind, his body automatically following the instructions of his will. He stopped before the shifting lines, his magical scimitar poised to strike when the target fully appeared. Then the outline of the Pegasus was complete and Drizzt plunged his blade into the black waver that marked its form. The line shifted and bent, and the outline of the scimitar shivered as well, for here even the properties of the steel blade took on a different composition. But the steel proved the stronger and the scimitar resumed its curved edge and punctured the line of the ghost. There came a sudden tingling in the grayness, as though Drizzt’s cut had disturbed the equilibrium of the plane, and the ghost’s line trembled in a shiver of agony. Wulfgar saw the smoke cloud puff suddenly, almost reforming into the ghost shape. â€Å"Drizzt!† he called out to Bruenor. â€Å"He has met the ghost on even terms!† â€Å"Get ye ready, then!† Bruenor replied anxiously, though he knew that his own part in the fight had ended. â€Å"The drow might bring it back to ye long enough for a hit!† Bruenor clutched at his sides, trying to hug the deathly cold out of his bones, and stumbled over to the halfling’s unmoving form. The ghost turned on Drizzt, but the scimitar struck again. And Guenhwyvar jumped into the fray, the cat’s great claws tearing into the black outline of its enemy. The Pegasus reeled away from them, understanding that it held no advantage against foes on its own plane. Its only recourse was a retreat back to the material plane. Where Wulfgar waited. As soon as the cloud resumed its shape, Aegis-fang hammered into it. Wulfgar felt a solid strike for just a moment, and knew that he had hit his mark. Then the smoke blew away before him. The ghost was back with Drizzt and Guenhwyvar, again facing their relentless stabs and rakes. It shifted back again, and Wulfgar struck quickly. Trapped with no retreat, the ghost took hits from both planes. Every time it materialized before Drizzt, the drow noted that its outline came thinner and less resistant to his thrusts. And every time the cloud reformed before Wulfgar, its density had diminished. The friends had won, and Drizzt watched in satisfaction as the essence of the Pegasus slipped free of the material form and floated away through the grayness. â€Å"Take me home,† the weary drow instructed Guenhwyvar. A moment later, he was back on the field beside Bruenor and Regis. â€Å"He’ll live,† Bruenor stated flatly at Drizzt’s inquiring look. â€Å"More to faintin’ than to dying’d be me guess.† A short distance away, Wulfgar, too, was hunched over a form, broken and twisted and caught in a transformation somewhere between man and beast. â€Å"Torlin, son of Jerek,† Wulfgar explained. He lifted his gaze back toward the barbarian camp. â€Å"Valric is has done this. The blood of Torlin soils his hands!† â€Å"Torlin’s own choice, perhaps?† Drizzt offered. â€Å"Never!† Wulfgar insisted. â€Å"When we met in challenge, my eyes looked upon honor. He was a warrior. He would never have allowed this!† He stepped away from the corpse, letting its mutilated remains emphasize the horror of the possession. In the frozen pose of death, Torlin’s face had retained half the features of a man, and half of the equine ghost. â€Å"He was the son of their chieftain,† Wulfgar explained. â€Å"He could not refuse the demands of the shaman.† â€Å"He was brave to accept such a fate,† Drizzt remarked. â€Å"Son of their chieftain?† snorted Bruenor. â€Å"Seems we’ve put even more enemies on the road behind us! They’ll be looking to settle this score.† â€Å"As will I!† Wulfgar proclaimed. â€Å"His blood is yours to carry, Valric High Eye!† he shouted into the distance, his calls echoing around the mounds of the crags. Wulfgar looked back to his friends, rage seething in his features, as he declared grimly, â€Å"I shall avenge Torlin’s dishonor.† Bruenor nodded his approval at the barbarian’s dedication to his principles. â€Å"An honorable task,† Drizzt agreed, holding his blade out to the east, toward Longsaddle, the next stop along their journey. â€Å"But one for another day.† How to cite Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies, Essay examples

Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies Free Essays

string(167) " Dried blood crusted Bruenor’s hair and he had lost his helm, but his dwarven toughness had carried him through another encounter that should have finished him\." Black-haired barbarians, screaming in the frenzy of battle, burst into the copse. Drizzt realized at once that these burly warriors were the forms he had seen moving behind the orcan ranks on the field, but he wasn’t yet certain of their allegiance. Whatever their ties, their arrival struck terror into the remaining orcs. We will write a custom essay sample on Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies or any similar topic only for you Order Now The two fighting Drizzt lost all heart for the battle, a sudden shift in their posture revealing their desire to break off the confrontation and flee. Drizzt obliged, assured that they wouldn’t get far anyway, and sensing that he, too, would be wise to slip from sight. The orcs fled, but their pursuers soon caught them in another battle just beyond the trees. Less obvious in his flight, Drizzt slipped unnoticed back up the tree where he had left his bow. Wulfgar could not so easily sublimate his battle lust. With two of his friends down, his thirst for orcan blood was insatiable, and the new group of men that had joined the fight cried out to Tempus, his own god of battle, with a fervor that the young warrior could not ignore. Distracted by the sudden developments, the ring of orcs around Wulfgar let up for just a moment, and he struck hard. One orc looked away, and Aegis-fang tore its face off before its eyes returned to the fight at hand. Wulfgar bore through the gap in the ring, jostling a second orc as he passed. As it stumbled in its attempt to turn and realign its defense, the mighty barbarian chopped it down. The two remaining turned and fled, but Wulfgar was right behind. He launched his hammer, blasting one from life, and sprang upon the other, bearing it to the ground beneath him and then crushing the life from it with his bare hands. When he was finished, when he had heard the final crack of neckbone, Wulfgar remembered his predicament and his friends. He sprang up and backed away, his back against the trees. The black-haired barbarians kept their distance, respectful of his prowess, and Wulfgar could not be sure of their intentions. He scanned around for his friends. Regis and Bruenor lay side by side near where the horses had been tethered; he could not tell if they were alive or dead. There was no sign of Drizzt, but a fight continued beyond the other edge of the trees. The warriors fanned out in a wide semi-circle around him, cutting off any routes of escape. But they stopped their positioning suddenly, for Aegis-fang had magically returned to Wulfgar’s grasp. He could not win against so many, but the thought did not dismay him. He would die fighting, as a true warrior, and his death would be remembered. If the black-haired barbarians came at him, many, he knew, would not return to their families. He dug his heels in and clasped the warhammer tightly. â€Å"Let us be done with it,† he growled into the night. â€Å"Hold!† came a soft, but imperative whisper from above. Wulfgar recognized Drizzt’s voice at once and relaxed his grip. â€Å"Keep to your honor, but know that more lives are at stake than your own!† Wulfgar understood then that Regis and Bruenor were probably still alive. He dropped Aegis-fang to the ground and called out to the warriors, â€Å"Well met.† They did not reply, but one of them, nearly as tall and heavily muscled as Wulfgar, broke rank and closed in to stand before him. The stranger wore a single braid in his long hair, running down the side of his face and over his shoulder. His cheeks were painted white in the image of wings. The hardness of his frame and disciplined set of his face reflected a life in the harsh wilderness, and were it not for the raven color of his hair, Wulfgar would have thought him to be of one of the tribes of Icewind Dale. The dark-haired man similarly recognized Wulfgar, but better versed in the overall structures of the societies in the northland, was not so perplexed by their similarities. â€Å"You are of the dale,† he said in a broken form of the common tongue. â€Å"Beyond the mountains, where the cold wind blows.† Wulfgar nodded. â€Å"I am Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, of the Tribe of the Elk. We share gods, for I, too, call to Tempus for strength and courage.† The dark-haired man looked around at the fallen orcs. â€Å"The god answers your call, warrior of the dale.† Wulfgar’s jaw lifted in pride. â€Å"We share hatred for the orcs, as well,† he continued, â€Å"but I know nothing of you or your people.† â€Å"You shall learn,† the dark-haired man replied. He held out his hand and indicated the warhammer. Wulfgar straightened firmly, having no intentions of surrendering, no matter the odds. The dark-haired man looked to the side, drawing Wulfgar’s eyes with his own. Two warriors had picked up Bruenor and Regis and slung them over their backs, while others had recaptured the horses and were leading them in. â€Å"The weapon,† the dark-haired man demanded. â€Å"You are in our land without our say, Wulfgar, son of Beornegar. The price of that crime is death. Shall you watch our judgement over your small friends?† The younger Wulfgar would have struck then, damning them all in a blaze of glorious fury. But Wulfgar had learned much from his new friends, Drizzt in particular. He knew that Aegis-fang would return to his call, and he knew, too, that Drizzt would not abandon them. This was not the time to fight. He even let them bind his hands, an act of dishonor that no warrior of the Tribe of the Elk would ever allow. But Wulfgar had faith in Drizzt. His hands would be freed again. Then he would have the last word. By the time they reached the barbarian camp, both Regis and Bruenor had regained consciousness and were bound and walking beside their barbarian friend. Dried blood crusted Bruenor’s hair and he had lost his helm, but his dwarven toughness had carried him through another encounter that should have finished him. You read "Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies" in category "Essay examples" They crested a rise and came upon the perimeter of a ring of tents and blazing campfires. Whooping their war cries to Tempus, the returning war party roused the camp, tossing severed orc heads into the ring to announce their glorious arrival. The fervor inside the camp soon matched the level of the entering war party, and the three prisoners were pushed in first, to be greeted by a score of howling barbarians. â€Å"What do they eat?† Bruenor asked, more in sarcasm than concern. â€Å"Whatever it is, feed them quickly,† Regis replied, drawing a clap on the back of his head and a warning to be silent from the guard behind him. The prisoners and horses were herded into the center of the camp and the tribe encircled them in a victory dance, kicking orc heads around in the dust and singing out, in a language unknown to the companions, their praise to Tempus and to Uthgar, their ancestral hero, for the success this night. It went on for nearly an hour, and then, all at once, it ended and every face in the ring turned to the closed flap of a large and decorated tent. The silence held for a long moment before the flap swung open. Out jumped an ancient man, as slender as a tent pole, but showing more energy than his obvious years would indicate. His face painted in the same markings as the warriors, though more elaborately, he wore a patch with a huge green gemstone sewn upon it over one eye. His robe was the purest white, its sleeves showing as feathered wings whenever he flapped his arms out to the side. He danced and twirled through the ranks of the warriors, and each held his breath, recoiling until he had passed. â€Å"Chief?† Bruenor whispered. â€Å"Shaman,† corrected Wulfgar, more knowledgeable in the ways of tribal life. The respect the warriors showed this man came from a fear beyond what a mortal enemy, even a chieftain, could impart. The shaman spun and leaped, landing right before the three prisoners. He looked at Bruenor and Regis for just a moment, then turned his full attention upon Wulfgar. â€Å"I am Valric High Eye,† he screeched suddenly. â€Å"Priest of the followers of the Sky Ponies! The children of Uthgar!† â€Å"Uthgar!† echoed the warriors, clapping their hatchets against their wooden shields. Wulfgar waited for the commotion to die away, then presented himself. â€Å"I am Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, of the Tribe of the Elk.† â€Å"And I’m Bruenor – † began the dwarf. â€Å"Silence!† Valric shouted at him, trembling with rage. â€Å"I care nothing for you!† Bruenor closed his mouth and entertained dreams concerning his axe and Valric’s head. â€Å"We meant no harm, nor trespass,† Wulfgar began, but Valric put his hand up, cutting him short. â€Å"Your purpose does not interest me,† he explained calmly, but his excitement resurged at once. â€Å"Tempus has delivered you unto us, that is all! A worthy warrior?† He looked around at his own men and their response showed eagerness for the coming challenge. â€Å"How many did you claim?† he asked Wulfgar. â€Å"Seven fell before me,† the young barbarian replied proudly. Valric nodded in approval. â€Å"Tall and strong,† he commented. â€Å"Let us discover if Tempus is with you. Let us judge if you are worthy to run with the Sky Ponies!† Shouts started at once and two warriors rushed over to unbind Wulfgar. A third, the leader of the war party who had spoken to Wulfgar at the copse of trees, tossed down his hatchet and shield and stormed into the ring. Drizzt waited in his tree until the last of the war party had given up the search for the rider of the fourth horse and departed. Then the drow moved quickly, gathering together some of the dropped items: the dwarf’s axe and Regis’s mace. He had to pause and steady himself when he found Bruenor’s helm, though, blood-stained and newly dented, and with one of its horns broken away. Had his friend survived? He shoved the broken helm into his sack and slipped out after the troupe, keeping a cautious distance. Relief flooded through him when he came upon the camp and spotted his three friends, Bruenor standing calmly between Wulfgar and Regis. Satisfied, Drizzt put aside his emotions and all thoughts of the previous encounter, narrowing his vision to the situation before him, formulating a plan of attack that would free his friends. * * * The dark-haired man held his open hands out to Wulfgar, inviting his blond counterpart to clasp them. Wulfgar had never seen this particular challenge before, but it was not so different from the tests of strength that his own people practised. â€Å"Your feet do not move!† instructed Valric. â€Å"This is the challenge of strength! Let Tempus show us your worth!† Wulfgar’s firm visage didn’t reveal a hint of his confidence that he could defeat any man at such a test. He brought his hands up level with those of his opponent. The man grabbed at them angrily, snarling at the large foreigner. Almost immediately, before Wulfgar had even straightened his grip or set his feet, the shaman screamed out to begin, and the dark-haired man drove his hands forward, bending Wulfgar’s back over his wrists. Shouting erupted from every corner of the encampment; the dark-haired man roared and pushed with all his strength, but as soon as the moment of surprise had passed, Wulfgar fought back. The iron-corded muscles in Wulfgar’s neck and shoulders snapped taut and his huge arms reddened with the forced surge of blood into their veins. Tempus had blessed him truly; even his mighty opponent could only gape in amazement at the spectacle of his power. Wulfgar looked him straight in the eye and matched the snarl with a determined glare that foretold the inevitable victory. Then the son of Beornegar drove forward, stopping the dark-haired man’s initial momentum and forcing his own hands back into a more normal angle with his wrists. Once he had regained parity, Wulfgar realized that one sudden push would put his opponent into the same disadvantage that he had just escaped. From there, the dark-haired man would have little chance of holding on. But Wulfgar wasn’t anxious to end this contest. He didn’t want to humiliate his opponent – that would breed only an enemy – and even more importantly, he knew that Drizzt was about. The longer he could keep the contest going, and the eyes of every member of the tribe fixed upon him, the longer Drizzt would have to put some plan into motion. The two men held there for many seconds, and Wulfgar couldn’t help but smile when he noticed a dark shape slip in among the horses, behind the enthralled guards at the other end of the camp. Whether it was his imagination, he could not tell, but he thought that he saw two points of lavender flame staring out at him from the darkness. A few seconds more, he decided, though he knew that he was taking a chance by not finishing the challenge. The shaman could declare a draw if they held for too long. But then it was over. The veins and sinews in Wulfgar’s arms bulged and his shoulders lifted even higher. â€Å"Tempus!† he growled, praising the god for yet another victory, and then with a sudden, ferocious explosion of power, he drove the dark-haired man to his knees. All around, the camp went silent, even the shaman being stricken speechless by the display. Two guards moved tentatively to Wulfgar’s side. The beaten warrior pulled himself to his feet and stood facing Wulfgar. No hints of anger marred his face, just honest admiration, for the Sky Ponies were an honorable people. â€Å"We would welcome you,† Valric said. â€Å"You have defeated Torlin, son of Jerek Wolf-slayer, Chieftain of the Sky Ponies. Never before has Torlin been bested!† â€Å"What of my friends?† Wulfgar asked. â€Å"I care nothing for them!† Valric snapped back. â€Å"The dwarf will be set free on a trail leading from our land. We have no quarrel with him or his kind, nor do we desire any dealings with them!† The shaman eyed Wulfgar slyly. â€Å"The other is a weakling,† he stated. â€Å"He shall serve as your passage to the tribe, your sacrifice to the winged horse.† Wulfgar did not immediately respond. They had tested his strength, and now were testing his loyalties. The Sky Ponies had paid him their highest honor in offering him a place in their tribe, but only on condition that he show his allegiance beyond any doubt. Wulfgar thought of his own people, and the way they had lived for so many centuries on the tundra. Even in this day, many of the barbarians of Icewind Dale would have accepted the terms and killed Regis, considering the life of a halfling a small price for such an honor. This was the disillusionment of Wulfgar’s existence with his people, the facet of their moral code that had proved unacceptable to his personal standards. â€Å"No,† he replied to Valric without blinking. â€Å"He is a weakling!† Valric reasoned. â€Å"Only the strong deserve life!† â€Å"His fate is not mine to decide,† Wulfgar replied. â€Å"Nor yours.† Valric motioned to the two guards and they immediately rebound Wulfgar’s hands. â€Å"A loss for our people,† Torlin said to Wulfgar. â€Å"You would have received a place of honor among us.† Wulfgar didn’t answer, holding Torlin’s stare for a long moment, sharing respect and also the mutual understanding that their codes were too different for such a joining. In a shared fantasy that could not be, both imagined fighting beside the other, felling orcs by the score and inspiring the bards to a new legend. * * * It was time for Drizzt to strike. The drow had paused by the horses to view the outcome of the contest and also to better measure his enemies. He planned his attack for effect more than for damage, wanting to put on a grand show to cow a tribe of fearless warriors long enough for his friends to break free of the ring. No doubt, the barbarians had heard of the dark elves. And no doubt, the tales they had heard were terrifying. Silently, Drizzt tied the two ponies behind the horses, then mounted the horses, a foot in one stirrup on each. Rising between them, he stood tall and threw back the cowl of his cloak. The dangerous glow in his lavender eyes sparkling wildly, he bolted the mounts into the ring, scattering the stunned barbarians closest to him. Howls of rage rose up from the surprised tribesmen, the tone of the shouts shifting to one of terror when they viewed the black skin. Torlin and Valric turned to face the oncoming menace, though even they did not know how to deal with a legend personified. And Drizzt had a trick ready for them. With a wave of his black hand, purple flames spouted from Torlin and Valric’s skin, not burning, but casting both the superstitious tribesmen into a horrified frenzy. Torlin dropped to his knees, clasping his arms in disbelief, while the highstrung shaman dove to the ground and began rolling in the dirt. Wulfgar took his cue. Another surge of power through his arms snapped the leather bonds at his wrists. He continued the momentum of his hands, swinging them upward, catching both of the guards beside him squarely in the face and dropping them to their backs. Bruenor also understood his part. He stomped heavily onto the instep of the lone barbarian standing between him and Regis, and when the man crouched to grasp his pained foot, Bruenor butted him in the head. The man tumbled as easily as Whisper had back in Rat Alley in Luskan. â€Å"Huh, works as well without the helmet!† Bruenor marveled. â€Å"Only for a dwarf’s head!† Regis remarked as Wulfgar grabbed both of them by the back of their collars and hoisted them easily onto the ponies. He was up then, too, beside Drizzt, and they charged through the other side of the camp. It had all happened too quickly for any of the barbarians to ready a weapon or form any kind of defense. Drizzt wheeled his horse behind the ponies to protect the rear. â€Å"Ride!† he yelled to his friends, slapping their mounts on the rump with the flat of his scimitars. The other three shouted in victory as though their escape was complete, but Drizzt knew that this had been the easy part. The dawn was fast approaching, and in this up-and-down, unfamiliar terrain, the native barbarians could easily catch them. The companions charged into the silence of pre-dawn, picking the straightest and easiest path to gain as much ground as possible. Drizzt still kept an eye behind them, expecting the tribesmen to be fast on their trail. But the commotion in the camp had died away almost immediately after the escape, and the drow saw no signs of pursuit. Now only a single call could be heard, the rhythmic singing of Valric in a tongue that none of the travelers understood. The look of dread on Wulfgar’s face made all of them pause. â€Å"The powers of a shaman,† the barbarian explained. Back in the camp, Valric stood alone with Torlin inside the ring of his people, chanting and dancing through the ultimate ritual of his station, summoning the power of his tribe’s Spiritual Beast. The appearance of the drow elf had completely unnerved the shaman. He stopped any pursuit before it had even begun and ran to his tent for the sacred leather satchel needed for the ritual, deciding that the spirit of the winged horse, the Pegasus, should deal with these intruders. Valric targeted Torlin as the recipient of the spirit’s form, and the son of Jerek awaited the possession with stoic dignity, hating the act, for it stripped him of his identity, but resigned to absolute obedience to his shaman. From the moment it began, however, Valric knew that in his excitement, he had overstepped the urgency of the summoning. Torlin shrieked and dropped to the ground, writhing in agony. A gray cloud surrounded him, its swirling vapors molding with his form, reshaping his features. His face puffed and twisted, and suddenly spurted outward into the semblance of a horse’s head. His torso, as well, transmuted into something not human. Valric had meant only to impart some of the strengths of the spirit of the Pegasus in Torlin, but the entity itself had come, possessing the man wholly and bending his body into its own likeness. Torlin was consumed. In his place loomed the ghostly form of the winged horse. All in the tribe fell to their knees before it, even Valric, who could not face the image of the Spiritual Beast. But the Pegasus knew the shaman’s thoughts and understood its children’s needs. Smoke fumed from the spirit’s nostrils and it rose into the air in pursuit of the escaping intruders. The friends had settled their mounts into a more comfortable, though still swift, pace. Free of their bonds, with the dawn breaking before them and no apparent pursuit behind them, they had eased up a bit. Bruenor fiddled with his helmet, trying to push the latest dent out far enough for him to get the thing back on his head. Even Wulfgar, so shaken a short time before when he had heard the chanting of the shaman, began to relax. Only Drizzt, ever wary, was not so easily convinced of their escape. And it was the drow who first sensed the approach of danger. In the dark cities, the black elves often dealt with otherworldly beings, and over the many centuries they had bred into their race a sensitivity for the magical emanations of such creatures. Drizzt stopped his horse suddenly and wheeled about. â€Å"What do ye hear?† Bruenor asked him. â€Å"I hear nothing,† Drizzt answered, his eyes darting about for some sign. â€Å"But something is there.† Before they could respond, the gray cloud rushed down from the sky and was upon them. Their horses bucked and reared in uncontrollable terror and in the confusion none of the friends could sort out what was happening. The Pegasus then formed right in front of Regis and the halfling felt a deathly chill penetrate his bones. He screamed and dropped from his mount. Bruenor, riding beside Regis, charged the ghostly form fearlessly. But his descending axe found only a cloud of smoke where the apparition had been. Then, just as suddenly, the ghost was back, and Bruenor, too, felt the icy cold of its touch. Tougher than the halfling, he managed to hold to his pony. â€Å"What?† he cried out vainly to Drizzt and Wulfgar. Aegis-fang whistled past him and continued on at the target. But the Pegasus was only smoke again and the magical warhammer passed unhindered through the swirling cloud. In an instant, the spirit was back, swooping down upon Bruenor. The dwarf’s pony spun down to the ground in a frantic effort to scramble away from the thing. â€Å"You cannot hit it!† Drizzt called after Wulfgar, who went rushing to the dwarf’s aid. â€Å"It does not exist fully on this plane!† Wulfgar’s mighty legs locked his terrified horse straight and he struck as soon as Aegis-fang returned to his hands. But again he found only smoke, before his blow. â€Å"Then how?† he yelled to Drizzt, his eyes darting around to spot the first signs of the reforming spirit. Drizzt searched his mind for answers. Regis was still down, lying pale and unmoving on the field, and Bruenor, though he had not been too badly injured in his pony’s fall, appeared dazed and shivering from the chill of unearthly cold. Drizzt grasped at a desperate plan. He pulled the onyx statue of the panther from his pouch and called for Guenhwyvar. The ghost returned, attacking with renewed fury. It descended upon Bruenor first, mantling the dwarf with its cold wings. â€Å"Damn ye back to the Abyss!† Bruenor roared in brave defiance. Rushing in, Wulfgar lost all sight of the dwarf, except for the head of his axe bursting harmlessly through the smoke. Then the barbarian’s mount halted in its tracks, refusing, against all efforts, to move any closer to the unnatural beast. Wulfgar leaped from his saddle and charged in, crashing right through the cloud before the ghost could reform, his momentum carrying both him and Bruenor out the other side of the smoky mantle. They rolled away and looked back, only to find that the ghost had disappeared altogether again. Bruenor’s eyelids drooped heavily and his skin held a ghastly hue of blue, and for the first time in his life, his indomitable spirit had no gumption for the fight. Wulfgar, too, had suffered the icy touch in his pass through the ghost, but he was still more than ready for another round with the thing. â€Å"We can’t fight it!† Bruenor gasped through his chattering teeth. â€Å"Here for a strike, it is, but gone when we hit back!† Wulfgar shook his head defiantly. â€Å"There is a way!† he demanded, though he had to concede the dwarf’s point. â€Å"But my hammer cannot destroy clouds!† Guenhwyvar appeared beside its master and crouched low, seeking the nemesis that threatened the drow. Drizzt understood the cat’s intentions. â€Å"No!† he commanded. â€Å"Not here.† The drow had recalled something that Guenhwyvar had done several months earlier. To save Regis from the falling stone of a crumbling tower, Guenhwyvar had taken the halfling on a journey through the planes of existence. Drizzt grabbed onto the panther’s thick coat. â€Å"Take me to the land of the ghost,† he instructed. â€Å"To its own plane, where my weapons will bite deeply into its substantial being.† The ghost appeared again as Drizzt and the cat faded into their own cloud. â€Å"Keep swinging!† Bruenor told his companion. â€Å"Keep it as smoke so’s it can’t get at ye!† â€Å"Drizzt and the cat have gone!† Wulfgar cried. â€Å"To the land of the ghost,† Bruenor explained. * * * It took Drizzt a long moment to set his bearings. He had come into a place of different realities, a dimension where everything, even his own skin, assumed the same hue of gray, objects being distinguishable only by a thin waver of black that outlined them. His depth perception was useless, for there were no shadings, and no discernible light sources to use as a guide. And he found no footing, nothing tangible beneath him, nor could he even know which way was up or down. Such concepts didn’t seem to fit here. He did make out the shifting outlines of the Pegasus as it jumped between planes, never fully in one place or the other. He tried to approach it and found propulsion to be an act of the mind, his body automatically following the instructions of his will. He stopped before the shifting lines, his magical scimitar poised to strike when the target fully appeared. Then the outline of the Pegasus was complete and Drizzt plunged his blade into the black waver that marked its form. The line shifted and bent, and the outline of the scimitar shivered as well, for here even the properties of the steel blade took on a different composition. But the steel proved the stronger and the scimitar resumed its curved edge and punctured the line of the ghost. There came a sudden tingling in the grayness, as though Drizzt’s cut had disturbed the equilibrium of the plane, and the ghost’s line trembled in a shiver of agony. Wulfgar saw the smoke cloud puff suddenly, almost reforming into the ghost shape. â€Å"Drizzt!† he called out to Bruenor. â€Å"He has met the ghost on even terms!† â€Å"Get ye ready, then!† Bruenor replied anxiously, though he knew that his own part in the fight had ended. â€Å"The drow might bring it back to ye long enough for a hit!† Bruenor clutched at his sides, trying to hug the deathly cold out of his bones, and stumbled over to the halfling’s unmoving form. The ghost turned on Drizzt, but the scimitar struck again. And Guenhwyvar jumped into the fray, the cat’s great claws tearing into the black outline of its enemy. The Pegasus reeled away from them, understanding that it held no advantage against foes on its own plane. Its only recourse was a retreat back to the material plane. Where Wulfgar waited. As soon as the cloud resumed its shape, Aegis-fang hammered into it. Wulfgar felt a solid strike for just a moment, and knew that he had hit his mark. Then the smoke blew away before him. The ghost was back with Drizzt and Guenhwyvar, again facing their relentless stabs and rakes. It shifted back again, and Wulfgar struck quickly. Trapped with no retreat, the ghost took hits from both planes. Every time it materialized before Drizzt, the drow noted that its outline came thinner and less resistant to his thrusts. And every time the cloud reformed before Wulfgar, its density had diminished. The friends had won, and Drizzt watched in satisfaction as the essence of the Pegasus slipped free of the material form and floated away through the grayness. â€Å"Take me home,† the weary drow instructed Guenhwyvar. A moment later, he was back on the field beside Bruenor and Regis. â€Å"He’ll live,† Bruenor stated flatly at Drizzt’s inquiring look. â€Å"More to faintin’ than to dying’d be me guess.† A short distance away, Wulfgar, too, was hunched over a form, broken and twisted and caught in a transformation somewhere between man and beast. â€Å"Torlin, son of Jerek,† Wulfgar explained. He lifted his gaze back toward the barbarian camp. â€Å"Valric is has done this. The blood of Torlin soils his hands!† â€Å"Torlin’s own choice, perhaps?† Drizzt offered. â€Å"Never!† Wulfgar insisted. â€Å"When we met in challenge, my eyes looked upon honor. He was a warrior. He would never have allowed this!† He stepped away from the corpse, letting its mutilated remains emphasize the horror of the possession. In the frozen pose of death, Torlin’s face had retained half the features of a man, and half of the equine ghost. â€Å"He was the son of their chieftain,† Wulfgar explained. â€Å"He could not refuse the demands of the shaman.† â€Å"He was brave to accept such a fate,† Drizzt remarked. â€Å"Son of their chieftain?† snorted Bruenor. â€Å"Seems we’ve put even more enemies on the road behind us! They’ll be looking to settle this score.† â€Å"As will I!† Wulfgar proclaimed. â€Å"His blood is yours to carry, Valric High Eye!† he shouted into the distance, his calls echoing around the mounds of the crags. Wulfgar looked back to his friends, rage seething in his features, as he declared grimly, â€Å"I shall avenge Torlin’s dishonor.† Bruenor nodded his approval at the barbarian’s dedication to his principles. â€Å"An honorable task,† Drizzt agreed, holding his blade out to the east, toward Longsaddle, the next stop along their journey. â€Å"But one for another day.† How to cite Streams of Silver 6. Sky Ponies, Essay examples