Re: Wolves of the Skies

by **WolfTrek** Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:49 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( Yeah, I would think at least mid-afternoon, probably closer to early evening/sunset. The problem with that is that there's quite a bit going down on this day that has to happen before then, so we might either have to get really creative with their journey or otherwise have to wait a bit to get them back home until we can finish up those things. x_x'

Oh, I was thinking that perhaps they could come upon a small rockslide blocking their path at some point, and Akamai would have to blast it away with his "laser vision"... xD ))

Akamai's POV

Akamai, too, had given a small yelp of alarm as his mate had slipped, stiffening and preparing to make an effort to somehow keep her from falling (and probably wind up falling in the process himself), but thankfully, she managed to catch herself quickly, causing him to let out a sigh of relief, proceeding with even more caution than he had before.

It was nearing sunhigh when Ari started to chirp, and soon after, Aska and Kahili both started up, as well. Chirin didn't seem as eager to eat - perhaps because of his sun-powered ability - but he quickly joined in because his siblings were.

"Well... it seems it's time for a break," Akamai noted with amusement, his whiskers twitching. He glanced around, taking in their current surroundings. Most of the hillside here was a combination of scree and patches of snow, with a few grassy patches here and there on the shallower areas, but a few wingspans ahead, there were two large boulders on a relatively flat patch of ground, one propped up on the other to create a small cave, just big enough for them to slip into and get out of the sun. "That looks like a good spot," he said, pointing with his nose. "What do you think?"

Aina and Kuren's POV

Aina's whiskers twitched yet again as Mikira realized they were waiting and hurried over, and Kuren smiled. "You're fine," the brown she-wolf reassured her, a note of humor lacing her voice. "Are you ready to go?" She stood up, flicking her tail to beckon the others, and trotted toward the edge of the clearing, heading in an easterly direction - most of the larger prey had by now started moving more toward the eastern side of the valley, preparing for the coming winter.

Kuren fell into step with Mikira as they traveled, Laya dropping back to take up the rear. The taupe-colored male gave the pale she-wolf a curious but friendly glance. "Forgive me for prying, but is everything alright, miss?" he asked after a short time. "You seem a bit... nervous."

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:06 pm

(oh? do I have some more reading to do? and that sounds like a good idea, akamai actually never got the chance to show off his skills to her besides reheating the goat pretty recently)

"any cave in a storm," she commented with a twitch of her snout. "all right, all right, little ones, just a moment." she padded toward the cave and cautiously stuck her nose in, sniffing around and making sure it was empty, then waited for Akamai to come over and take the pups off her back so she could lay down and let them nurse. all this time the pups continued to chirp and squirm more energetically until kalake started to get concerned they would fall off.

-Mikira-

"what?" the white she-wolf mumbled, turning toward the friendly male. "oh, it's okay...it's just..." she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to someone she didn't know, but then, everyone here was a stranger, so what was the difference, really?

"well, I came from another pack, and we were all really close. everyone knew everyone from the day they were born. then, in less than a moon everyone was gone. they all got sick. only a few of us were able to make it out, and we just scattered." she looked down for a moment. "I always knew everyone, but now I don't know anyone."

by **WolfTrek** Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:06 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( Not as such, no - we haven't actually done much of it yet in-roleplay, just started setting it up. Basically, today is the day that Allegro and Nevinost are going to escape from the Dark-Hearts - Chayton is finally starting to break Odeya's sway over him, and he's going to meet Ryyn (in his noncorporeal spirit-form) in the forest as Ryyn is investigating like Keinan's asked him to. Chay's going to tell Ryyn about what is going on, and they're going to make a plan to break Nevi and Allegro out. Then Chay will tell Allegro about Nevi's recapture (in my next post for her the DHs are going to come after her and take her further into the territory - Chay will also come across her as he's lurking out by himself and trying to sort out his thoughts about what's happened to him over the past moons) and the plan he and Ryyn made to break them out, and then Chay will sneak Nevi out with his cloaking power and he and Allegro (and Nerys and Pohl, two of Gem's old charries that were going to leave the DHs as well) will meet up and then join up with some waiting Crystal Falls wolves. Then the DHs will realize what's happening and there'll be a dramatic chase and stuffs. xD That's the plan, at least.

Yeah. There was that one time during the pupnapping incident where he got freaked and blasted at a deer sheltering in the trees, narrowly missing Kalake in the process, but that wasn't a very good example of his abilities from his perspective, and is probably something he'd rather forget... xD ))

Akamai's POV

Akamai followed her toward the little cave, nose twitching as he scented the air for any trace of nearby predators, ears pricked and alert. There didn't seem to be anything about, or at least not recently - there was a very stale scent of cougar that lingered in the little den, but it was at least four or five days old, and Akamai was confident the cat was no longer in the area.

Deciding it was safe, he squeezed in after his mate, quickly removing Ari and Kahili from her back before they could tumble off and placing them on the hard-packed earth. They grew quiet for a moment, their little eyes widening at the sensation of the cold dirt, before beginning to wriggle and squeak once more. Very carefully, Akamai shifted down onto his belly, cautious not to jostle the remaining two pups on his back. He curled himself around Ari and Kahili to try to help keep them warm, meanwhile shifting a little to to allow Kalake to remove Chirin and Aska from him more easily.

Kuren's POV

Kuren frowned as Mikira told her tale, his soft, sky-blue eyes darkening a little in sadness. "I can understand how that would be very difficult for you," he murmured sympathetically. "I am truly sorry for your loss."

He frowned a little, hesitating. She had shared her private feelings with him, so perhaps it was only fair that he do the same; maybe he could even assuage some of her discomfort in the process.

After a moment, Kuren made up his mind. "I, too, could be considered something of an outcast," he told her, glancing to the side at her briefly before turning his face forward once more. "I was born into this pack, true, but several cycles ago, I was gravely injured during a solo mission, and my power caused me to sink into the earth and remain there, enveloped, until my wounds had healed. I lingered in the earth for over three cycles - it was only about four moons ago that I finally awoke."

He paused, blinking thoughtfully, a look of regret shining in his eyes. "Many of the wolves that I had grown up with had perished in a great battle less than a moon before my awakening," he added softly after another few heartbeats. "I was not even there to help them." Though he knew he hadn't exactly had a choice in the matter, the guilt of being absent while his family had been fighting for their lives still gnawed at Kuren like a hungry tick, and it wasn't something he could easily shake. Perhaps he would always feel the burn of shame, and the regret of not being able to spend more time with his lost friends before their deaths. Keala's absence caused his heart to ache worst of all, and he closed his eyes briefly, letting out a soft sigh.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Sat Jul 14, 2018 9:15 am

-Kalake-

as soon as akamai stepped out of the sun, it was suddenly Chirin that was the loudest of the pups. kalake quickly removed them from her mate's back, laying them all together in a bundle, then wriggling around and finding a good position to settle down so they could crawl over and nurse. she nuzzled aska and gave her a gentle lick, making her squeak in indignation, since she'd decided shortly after being born that she hated baths.

she watched chirin move more sluggishly than the rest, and commented "I think you're right about the sun...he doesn't seem as hungry as the others."

-Mikira-

she looked dismayed at his story. "that must have been awful to discover, when you came back," she commented softly. she looked down for a few moments as they walked, then looked back at him. "...what do you mean about a power?" she'd never heard of such a thing.

by **WolfTrek** Mon Jul 16, 2018 8:16 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( ... ))

Akamai's POV

"No, he doesn't," Akamai agreed with a slight frown, reaching to gently nose the cream-furred pup closer to Kalake's belly; after a few more moments of squeaking, he latched on, his cries subsiding to a soft grunting. Privately, Akamai was slightly concerned that something was wrong with the pup - it wasn't usual for him to not want to eat as eagerly as his siblings - but then, Chirin hadn't been out of the den since the day Akamai had found him. Besides, if his power wasn't somehow related to gaining energy from the sun, how would he have survived in the snow long enough to be found?

His thought progression having relieved a bt of his own anxiety, Akamai relaxed his tense wings - he hadn't even realized how stiff he had been holding them.

Kuren's POV

"It was, indeed," Kuren agreed softly, his gaze locked on the path ahead as they continued to walk.

At her question, however, he turned to her in surprise, her query taking him off-guard. "Oh, ah... how to explain in simple terms?" he asked himself, thinking for a moment before speaking once more. "Every wolf - or nearly every wolf - of Crystal Valley has an ability belonging to one of the four elements - Fire, Water, Earth, or Air. Each individual's ability manifests in a different way - for instance, one wolf of the Water element may be able to freeze water solid, while another can change the course of a flowing stream, another has the power to condense moisture in the air into mist, etcetera, etcetera. My element is Earth, and my individual ability allows me to heal any of my injuries by covering the wound with dirt." He paused, thinking once again, a slight frown coming to his face. "Based on what occurred three cycles ago, it would also appear that in the event that I am mortally wounded, the ground will, in effect, swallow me up, and I will remain in the earth for however long it takes to heal those wounds."

He was silent for several more heartbeats, continuing to think, before turning back to Mikira with a curious look. "Did the wolves of your pack not have such abilities?"

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Mon Jul 16, 2018 8:32 am

-Kalake-

she continued to lick her pups once or twice each as they fed, nuzzling them gently. "that's it, little ones. eat your fill, and then we can keep going." she gazed over them with a happy sigh, then looked up at her mate, seeing some of the tension come out of him. she suddenly gave a yawn. the sun was high overhead and this cave was pleasantly cool. while it was no nest, it would do for a quick nap, surely. the thought was so tempting...

-Mikira-

the she-wolf shook her head hard enough to make her ears flap slightly. "no, we didn't. I've never heard of such a thing," she admitted, glancing curiously at him as they walked. "we had one or two younger wolves who were good fliers, but that's all that could really be said to be special about us. "where does this power come from? do you know? are you just born with it, or?"

by **WolfTrek** Mon Jul 16, 2018 11:07 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( ...I just realized that it's kind of odd that Chirin has a power, considering both his parents came from a pack whose members had no powers... HMMM. We may have a minor plothole here... xD ))

Akamai's POV

A few moments later, Akamai gave a wide yawn to match his mate's, then glanced out of the little cave-thing. The world outside was bright, made even more glaring by the snow on the ground. While it was still cool, this particular day was quite a bit warmer than it had been, and the sun was a bit oppressive when one was directly under its beams, even more so now that it was so high in the sky. On top of that, its warmth was melting the snow, and trekking through slush certainly wasn't the funnest activity... but that couldn't really be helped.

He blinked, then turned to look down at the pups, his eyes flickering upward to Kalake after a few moments. "I wonder if we could get away with a quick nap," he mused thoughtfully. "It would be nice to wait until the sun goes down a bit, so the pups aren't directly under it, but then, I'm not sure if we should risk it - we might wind up oversleeping, and then we could be traveling in the dark, and I don't think that would be a good idea... for multiple reasons..." He frowned, considering that. Not only would it be much colder at night, but it would be easier to find themselves in a bind with a predator, especially a cougar - the cats were usually more active once the sun went down, Akamai knew. Maybe a nap wasn't worth the risk, after all...

Kuren's POV

"That is fascinating," Kuren murmured, blinking at her with intrigue before returning his gaze forward. "We're not quite certain where our abilities come from - some are able to activate their power from birth, while others may take moons to discover it. It is thought that the Spirits grant us our powers, but it is unknown why. Perhaps that is a question we will never know the answer to."

He paused for a moment to leap over a small log, then continued. "There are four stone circles within our valley - one circle for each element - that each channels a different sacred energy... or at least, that's the theory. The Sun Circle, within Sun Canyon, channels Fire energy; the Whispering Circle, at the top of Snow Peak, channels Air energy; the Forest Circle, in the Evergreens, channels Earth energy; and the River Circle, in a pool branching off from the river, which we are coming up on, channels Water energy. Those wolves who are having trouble discovering their ability often find that being in the presence of these circles helps to bring out their gift."

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Mon Jul 16, 2018 11:25 am

(not really...the backstory for mikira says that nobody in her pack had powers because they stopped believing in the Great Link, and it was a punishment from them. I imagine the same thing happened in reverse for Chirin, and they took mercy on a pup that was definitely going to die if they didn't do something~)

(hmm...do you think water or air would suit Mikira better? if I did give her a thing?)

-Kalake-

by the time he'd finished speaking, his young mate was asleep, her upper wing relaxing to mantle over the pups a bit. she snoozed softly, looking completely worn out all of a sudden.

-Mikira-

"the spirits?" Mikira questioned, looking very curious. "I've never heard of that." she listened about the circles in fascination. "that's amazing. so you can heal yourself...what about aina? what can she do? and you said almost everyone has something?"

by **WolfTrek** Mon Jul 16, 2018 3:10 pm

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( ...Y'know, I'm not sure why I didn't think of that, but it's a really good idea. Alright, plothole officially sealed~ xD

Hmm... I think Water might suit her a bit better, but really it depends on what you want her actual power to be. I think both would suit her just fine~ ))

Akamai's POV

Akamai, whose gaze had drifted back outside as he spoke, frowned further as there was no response to what he had said, and looked back down to see that Kalake had already dozed off. Peering under her wing, he saw that the pups seemed to have fallen asleep, as well, nestled between their mother's belly fur and his. He gave a soft snort of amusement. Well, he supposed, that would seem to have made the decision for them, in spite of his hesitations.

With a light sigh, he raised his own wing and draped it over Kalake's, then rested his chin on his paws, staring out of the little cave. He had intended to stay awake and keep watch, wake Kalake once the sun had started to descend in the sky, but after a little while, his eyelids started to droop, and soon, he, too, was fast asleep.

Kuren's POV

"Mm," Kuren hummed, nodding his head. "The Spirits are our Ancestors - the wolves that have passed on and traveled up to reside in the Great Link. That is the great swath of stars you can see in the night sky." He paused for a moment, listening to her queries, then nodded affirmatively. "There is only one wolf in our pack - aside from you, of course - who does not have a power - Sukai. Bit of an odd duck, that one, but her heart is in the right place." He glanced ahead to Aina briefly before opening his mouth to answer Mikira's remaining question. "Aina can--"

"Aina can read memories that have been imprinted on objects or in certain places," the brown she-wolf interrupted with a note of amusement in her voice, tilting her head slightly to glance back at them, a playful glint in her orange eyes. "Don't think I didn't hear you two chatting away back there like a couple of starlings," she added with a grin as Kuren looked to her with slight surprise.

Laya, who had been silent for the whole trip up until that point, black ears pricked and gray-green eyes scanning the trees for any sign of danger, finally spoke then, as well. "I have the ability to absorb and then surround myself with light energy," she said in her soft, light voice. "It grants me a temporary boost in strength and stamina, and gives me a certain amount of protection from injury."

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Tue Jul 17, 2018 5:53 am

-Mikira-

"wow...that's amazing, all of you," the white wolf said in soft awe. "I've never heard of the ancestors, or the Great Link...it was always just sort of there, we didn't think anything of it." her tail swayed slightly and she looked up, sniffing curiously, her ears pricked. "what's that up ahead of us?"

(didn't you say they were near the water stones? and I don't know, what are some water-based abilities? something simple and small but nonetheless profound for her would do well)

by **WolfTrek** Tue Jul 17, 2018 10:26 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( Yup, they'd probably just about be coming up on it now. As for possible abilities... hmm... I dunno. I'll post some ideas and such over on Stuff, though~ ))

Kuren and Aina's POV

"Well, mine certainly makes tracking easier, that's for sure," Aina replied, her whiskers twitching.

Kuren, meanwhile, was busy pondering what it must be like to come from a pack that didn't believe in the Spirits. He'd grown up surrounded by what must seem to her to be fantastical things, and it had all just seemed... normal. It was difficult to imagine it being any other way. This Mikira certainly was an interesting wolf.

At the white she-wolf's question, Aina flicked one black-rimmed ear. "We're very close to the River Circle now - it's just through the trees here," she informed Mikira as they stepped past a few thin aspens. They rounded a thick patch of brush, and there, before them, stretched a few winglengths of thin grass, with the River Circle resting in a slight dip in the ground just beyond that.

Aina smiled, halting and turning to look at Mikira over her shoulder. "Do you wanna go take a look?"

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:03 pm

(it wasn't on the perso list, but I think she'd really suit something similar but much weaker to kuren's ability. like fresh flowing water will seal any wound but it doesn't heal the internal parts, and in a pinch snow and thin mud both also work but take longer)

-Mikira-

she looked awed at the circle. earlier today she'd had no idea the spirits existed, or the bright swath of the night sky was full of her ancestors, watching over her. that meant her Koloha was probably up there too...or she hoped so. it felt good to her, knowing those she had lost a few months ago were not as lost as she had thought, and perhaps someday she could see them again.

the circle before her seemed to beckon, some mysterious tingly intrigue pulling her ever-so-slightly forward to take a closer look. she started to pad toward it, looking slightly entranced.

by **WolfTrek** Tue Jul 17, 2018 2:50 pm

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( Mm, that would probably work pretty well~ ))

Kuren and Aina's POV

Kuren watched as Mikira started to pad forward, looking a bit as if she were rapt with a sort of deep fascination. He exchanged looks with Aina and Laya, who both shrugged. Young wolves were often entranced by the power radiating from the stone circles, especially the circle that represented their element, but would the same apply to a wolf who had never exhibited any sign of having a power?

After a moment, Aina took a step forward, flicking her tail to beckon her two remaining companions. "Come on, we'd better follow her," she said, trailing after the white she-wolf but allowing her a respectful winglength or so of distance. No reason to crowd her, she thought.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:56 am

-Mikira-

the white she-wolf padded onward, seeming to become more intent on the circle with each successive step toward it. she was completely unaware of her companions any longer, only wanting to see what was within the circle that was drawing her in...it was tingly and mysterious and powerful, she could tell.

as she had nearly reached her goal, there was a flash of fur within the circle only she could see, though she didn't know that. it looked so much like "Koloha!" she yelped, bounding forward, but he wasn't there. she came back to herself once she stood in the center, staring about in awe. how could she ever have doubted the ancestors' existence, with such awesome power? how could any wolf?

by **WolfTrek** Fri Jul 20, 2018 11:19 am

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( ... ))

Kuren's POV

Kuren exchanged a look with Aina as Mikira called out a name and rushed into the middle of the pool. The brown she-wolf shrugged, and Kuren took a few steps forward to stand at the edge of the water. "Did you witness something?" he asked curiously, though he wasn't sure she would answer - she looked quite awestruck. "Wolves of the Water element say they often see the reflections of wolves who have passed on when they visit this particular Circle."

While Kuren had never seen the reflections himself - he wasn't a Water-user, after all - he had experienced powerful sensations at the Forest Circle. Every time he was near the ring of moss-covered stones, it was almost as if he could feel nature itself - the slow, creeping growth of plants, the movement of any nearby animals... even the subtle shifting of the ground beneath his feet. Some wolves called it the Heartbeat of the World, and Kuren thought this a rather apt name for the experience.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Fri Jul 20, 2018 1:05 pm

-Mikira-

the white she-wolf remained rooted to the spot in the center of the circle, completely awestruck, turning her head slowly to stare around her. she could feel the power of this place, it was...indescribable. koloha was gone, and that saddened her, as she'd been sure he was here. "oh, ancestors," she breathed, looking up at the sky, though of course no stars were visible, "how could I have ever doubted your existence? how could I not have known such power surrounded me?" her wings spread out from her flanks a little as if she were mantling, and her hackles rose as the feelings of power seemed to concentrate and come toward her. "wh-what do you want with me?" she asked, starting to get scared.

(I dunno how to have her discover her particular power tbh)

by **WolfTrek** Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:35 pm

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( I would suggest perhaps she gets a scrape or something at some point, or maybe a cut on her pad? And then maybe she goes to Crystal Pool or the canyon stream later on for a bath or something and realizes the cut's disappeared, and everyone's all like, "...Huh. Welp." xD ))

Kuren and Aina's POV

Kuren looked back at Aina and Laya as Mikira seemed to start to become afraid of something. None of them could sense the energy, as none of them were Water-wolves, but it was clear to them that Mikira was feeling or seeing something. Laya's black ears flattened backward in concern, and Aina raised a brow.

After a moment, the brown she-wolf stepped forward to stand next to Kuren. "It's alright, Mikira," she called out in an attempt to reassure the pale wolf. "There's no reason to be afraid."

Kuren nodded in agreement, though he knew Mikira couldn't see him, as he was standing behind her. "I would imagine the Spirits are probably curious about you, but they would never do anything to harm you," he added. "Our Ancestors are powerful, yes, but they are benevolent. I'm sure they appreciate the opportunity to welcome you properly."

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

by **GallifreyHanyou** Sat Jul 21, 2018 2:17 pm

(well, they are out hunting--maybe whatever they're chasing gets her when she gets too close?)

-Mikira-

the white wolf shivered, baring her teeth unhappily, very frightened by the raw power that surrounded her. she was grateful for her friends' reassurances, but clearly they could not feel what she was feeling. after several long moments, the feelings seemed to ebb somewhat, and she felt as if she were being dismissed by whatever force lived in the circle. a bit hunched in on herself, Mikira left the stone circle and returned to her comerades, shaking her pelt and looking very shaken up about what she had just experienced. she didn't look like she'd be able to talk for a while.

by **WolfTrek** Sat Jul 21, 2018 3:39 pm

Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise, my fingers reaching out. 'Cause we are believers, the guards of the skyline. The curse can't tie us down. We've waited so long... We've waited long enough...

(( Maybe - I wasn't sure if you wanted it to happen that quickly or not. Up to you. ))

Kuren and Aina's POV

Kuren watched in silence as Mikira picked her way, dripping, out of the water, a slight frown of concern on his face. He would've offered her a gesture of comfort, but really didn't know her well enough, so he held back. Laya kept her distance, standing a couple of tail-lengths away. She looked a bit unnerved by the other wolf's experience, and, Kuren assumed from his knowledge of her, probably too shy to offer much reassurance, anyway.

Aina regarded the white she-wolf with an expression of sympathy. "Are you okay to continue with the hunt?" she asked, her voice soft. "You can always go back to the sleep-site if you need some time to yourself." She wasn't sure Mikira could answer, as she looked quite thoroughly stunned, but a nod or shake of the head would suffice, in any case.

This is our right, this is our song, this is our moment in history. Ten million roads turn into one. This is our fight, where we belong. No one can take away destiny. So let the night cover us all - stars will never fall...

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