Wolf RPG

@Elixir - backdated.

The best remedy to escape all the problems that were piling up on the young beta's shoulders was to go out and away from Sunspire and do something. Preferably and activity that would take a lot of time, energy and focus, thus keeping her mind from mulling over and over again of all the responsibilities that came with being a pack's leader.

Therefore she had left quite early in the morning and descended from the passageway that connected her pack's territory with the Rising sun valley by the time the sun was high up and the heat was rising as well. Wraen stood still for a while, deciding, which way to head today, when she caught scent of a familiar person, a black wolf-dog she had met few weeks earlier in the forest. 

Wraen rarely met the random strangers that had happened to cross her path for the second time, which was a great loss, if the person had happened to be very interesting and entertaining. And, since she needed someone and something to keep her mind off things for time being, she forgot her intentions to hunt and got up to search for the lady.

Elixir had woken up a little earlier than normal for some reason she was feeling anxious about traveling again. They had been on the mountain for a little while now and since they seemed close to settling down she was hoping they would have left by now. Whatever was holding them back she was sure it would work out and they could leave soon. For now Elixir needed something to do to calm her down so that Liri and Kavik didn’t notice her nerves. 

The wolfdog was over the mountain a bit exploring the woods that were left. It seemed that there might have been some type of horror story that went along with this place but it wasn’t one that she was too keen on finding out. It was as if what was left behind was trying to grow back making an effort that was too hard. 

Elixir moved toward some of the baby plants and dipped her head down to smell them and look at them. It seemed as though whatever happened had let the new growth begin even though it looked like they might be struggling a bit.

Wraen had not been mistaken in her assupmtions - after 15 minutes or so not only the scent grew stronger, but also a familiar dark figure emerged in the distance. Excited she quickened her pace and ran towards the wolf-dog, only to slow down and approach with the appropriate grace and courtesy, when she was within the distance to be seen and acknowledged. 

"Elixir!" she called out to the aspiring botanist she had had such a good company the last time they have me. "Glad to see you around - have you and your group settled yet?"

Elixir was looking at a plant when she heard some ruffling behind her but she brushed it off and kept her gaze at the small plant. The wolfdog couldn’t ignore it anymore when it called her name and was closer. When she turned around her eyes grew wide in joy as she seen Wraen the one who had helped her with plant information. “Wraen! How are you?” She could hardly keep her voice from going high as her tail wagged.

With the question of if they had settled yet out there she shook her head almost frustratingly. “Not yet, but I think we may be close? I’m not sure I just follow and don’t ask too many questions.” She said admitting to not knowing exactly where they were going. The wolfdog looked down at the small plant again and then back at Wraen.

"Well, in any case - I am glad to see that you are doing well," Wraen replied, though had she been in Elixir's place, she would have bugged the leaders for direct answers for eternity. 

"Fine and busy - just as always," she shrugged, having really very little else to add. Nothing much happened in her life that was not related to work. And hours spent sleeping did not count.

"How is your botanist training going - have you learned more about new plants?" she recalled that the last time the wolf-dog had been pretty keen on learning and wondered, whether her interests were still the same or had changed by now.

Elixir was glad to see Wraen for her it was nice to have the company right now. The wolfdog nodded, “its nice to see that you are doing well also.”. She took a seat and listened to Wraen talk. “Busy is good sometimes, can take your mind off things. I like to be busy sometimes.” She replied after she said she was busy like always. Elixir loved to be doing something but on certain days she liked to lay around and sleep. 

At the sound of her question about the botantist training a little smile appeared but then faded. “Since our last encounter I have studied their growth here. It seems something happened here before like a fire or something and the plants seem to be growing back healthier even. “ she admitted that during their travels her training lacked but since they have been on the mountain she had been studying the plants. Elixir looked down at the plants and then back at Wraen.

"Wow - can you really tell that?" Wraen's interest was piqued immediately and she first glanced down at the plants that looked all the same for her - green mass - and then at the mountain, which had always been just a huge rock that had never caught her interest. 

"Will you show me, how do you know that?" she asked in the moment of excitement, though she knew that it would be very difficult for her to read the plants just as it was difficult for her to look at the starry skies and listen to their stories.

Elixir nodded, if she was wrong then there was something wrong because none of the plants seemed to have any disease or anything so far. “I think so.” She said softly as she could tell that she had gotten Wraen’s attention. From what she could tell it was as if the disaster had taken out all the disease ridden plants and now they are growing back healthier, and that’s what she would tell Wraen. Hopefully it would make sense when she let it out.

”It seems like the disease ridden plants that might have been here before, the ones that weren’t too healthy, were taken out and then these...” Elixir began and then took her paw and cupped one of the plants. “These grew back a little healthier, maybe a little stronger. As if starting fresh?” She furrowed her brow at the end like a question she didn’t know if it could be answered. Her eyes lingered to Wraen to make sure she was following or maybe even if she was confused.

Wraen really wished now that she could get inside Elixir's head and see the things she saw and understand them as well. Because despite the explanation the hunter still did not see any difference between the greens there and there, except... she narrowed her eyes and observed, that, if you looked very carefully, there actually was a minor difference in the growth. She scrutinized the landscape, her eyes traveled up and down the scenery, taking in more details and, when the analysis was finally done, she turned back to would-be-botanist friend.

"Now that you mention this, there is something," Wraen knew that her conclusion was rather lame and it had been a feeble attempt on her side to appear more smart than she actually was. "This makes me think that you could get along with my brother. He can read stars just the same way you can read... plants," she said. "Ever looked up at those shiny dots and thought that they were there at random?"

Elixir seen that she was looking at the plants so she did the same, they were so interesting. It was funny to her how life could grow from the ground even after whatever scary past this place had, it still grew happy and bright. This brought a smile to her face as she thought about it and she nudged a plant just to give it a little pat on its back. Realizing she left her friend just hanging she returned her gaze and listened.

”Oh the stars!” She bursted with excitement at the sound that he loves the night time sky the same as her. “Sorry, but yes I do look at them every chance I have which is almost every night. Who is your brother?” She apologized for being so excited but couldn’t contain it. Elixir wondered about her brother and if she would ever meet him.

"Just the most awesome guy you will ever meet," Wraen picked up a little of Maia's style of describing people and things. "He is a co-leader at my pack - Sunspire. A guardian by trade, but stars are his passion. He probably took this from our grandfather Atticus - my mom used to tell that he had been an excellent star-prophet in his days," she shared.

"He is kind of busy with having a young wife and two little toddlers running around, but in a month or two, if you happen to be in this area or in the direct vicinity of Sunspire - give me a call. I will introduce you to him. I have a feeling that two of you could get along well," Wraen added, though there was a little doubt proclaiming this, while she had not asked Terance herself. 

"In respect of stargazing I take more after my mom - she knew some basics, but thought it was always more fun to invent your own," she said with a chuckle. "But truly - I admire both you and him - you can get so much detail from such small things," and she was not lying. To her it was almost like magic. "Did you get more teaching about healing plants?"

Elixir listened closely again, not wanting to miss a second of what he was. She hadn’t met anyone yet that shared the same passion as her, so it would be amazing for her to meet another like herself. “He sounds amazing. And sounds like we’ll get along well! I hope him ,his wife and kids are all doing well.” She smiled and then sent her good wishes.  “That sounds like a deal, I would love to talk stats with him.” She said assuring that she would come by sometime. 

“It can be fun to invent your own things once in a while. I like to point stuff out in the stars that don’t really have a background, something I made up.” She smiled, she knew looking at stars could be amazing to some and with others they have to make it that way. “I thought about asking Liri, one of our leaders, when we settled if she could help. But I haven’t yet studied those just the growth of these.” She admitted that she slacked a bit but hoped when they settled that she could get some healing plant information from Liri who was their caretaker.

"You do?" Wraen thought that this occupation, considered by others to be silly and useless, was practiced by her and maybe her mom on her free time, which - while having paws full of three yearlings and three teenagers to take care of - she definitely did not have. "Do tell, what have you invented for the nightsky?" she asked, sorry that it was not evening already and therefore the story would not be accompanied by a practical manifestation.

The wolfdog softly said “yes” and watched as Wraen seemed to be excited. Elixir had made up many stories about the sky but only one really stood out to herself and one she still kept with her. “I made up a butterfly, used to help keep wolves who are in danger safe. So when they look up at the sky and see it they would know they aren’t alone in what they are going through. It’s funny but I actually used to talk to it when I was all alone in the woods. It helped keep me going.” She said chuckling a bit at the end but she was serious. Hopefully she wouldn’t think it was childish, her story, because to Elixir it was her saving grace after she was rescued.

"That is adorable," Wraen replied - she had never invented anything more complex than obscure triangles and squares. And more often - since there were so many stars in the sky and it was not always easy to show another person, where and what to look at - she would invent a story and pretend that she saw the subject in the sky. But that was a well-hidden secret and no one had to know about it. 

"From what time I have spent with Terance, when he is stargazing - he can see a great deal of animals there. One would believe that there against the dark blue is a whole world of it's own located," she added. "I have also been told that by watching the sky and the nature of the plants one can actually predict the weather - ever tried that?" this had been a skill that her grandfather had been very good at and yet his knowledge had gone with him to the grave.

“Thank you” Elixir said and felt her cheeks heat up a bit, it was a little embarrassing telling her about it. The wolfdog hadn’t shared with anyone about the butterfly so Wraen was the first to know. Elixir was excited that she could call this wolf her friend. 

“I know a few animals and others things. I haven’t yet tried the weather but I can tell direction with the Northern Star. The one that shines the brightest can tell you your direction and lead you in the right place.” She said softly looking up at the bright blue sky that was above them. Every day she couldn’t wait for the night to come so she could look at them.

"Oh, I know that one. That - in fact - is the only one I know for sure," Wraen knew Polaris, though if asked to find it in the nightsky, she would have some difficulties locating it. The same way it always take some thinking, which hand is which. 

"It's also called Sirius - dad told me that this means "glowing" or "scorching"," Dante had been of Roman/Greek origin and he had had some knowledge of the some words in the ancient language. "Some also call it "Loki's torch" - Loki comes from Norse mythology, and for others it is a "deer hunter". The last is my personal favorite - being a hunter and all, it is nice to have a divine patron," she said, "you know a celestial wolf that looks after you and ensures that you have luck in hunting."

Elixir was surprised that Wraen knew all these names for the Northern Star because she only knew it as the Northern Star. Her facial expression was in surprise as she was talking. Elixir began to think Wraen under estimated how much she really knew about the stars. “It’s good to have someone watching over you and giving you luck especially coming down to the hunting aspect of life.” She said softly agreeing with her.

The wolfdog was happy with their interaction so far, it was something that she loved to talk about stars and plants. This was her passion and letting others know about them is greatest accomplishment. “Thank you for letting me know all these names. If you wouldn’t and someone would have said something about one of the names I didn’t know then I would be confused.” She was genuine about this statement. She had been so thankful for Wraen lately.

The fact that you knew plenty of silly details about one start did not make you an astronomer. Wraen knew that very well - she simply liked to collect facts from various subjects, in order to keep the conversation going smoothly. And often you had to say just one thing or ask that one particular question and people jumped at opportunity to tell more. 

"I almost forgot - the other day I met a she-wolf and discovered new berries!" Wraen had had given a thought about Elixir, while consuming the tasty and sweet blackberries on the other side of the mountains. And that was, where the problem lied - she realized that, while being here, she had no way of showing these to the aspiring wolf-dog. "Blackberries - the best snack I had ever had. Have you heard anything about them?"

Elixir's ears pricked up at the mention of berries. The wolfdog had never really eaten berries in her lifetime.. so far anyway. This was of interest to her, maybe she could try one some time. "I have never heard of those or eaten any. What do they taste like? They must be good if it's the best snack you've ever had." she said and smiled. If these berries were as good as she said they were, maybe she could find them and bring them back to the pack to let them try too. 

The only berry that Elixir had ever come in contact with was a wildberry and she didn't eat them for fear that they might be poisonous. If Wraen had eaten these berries though than they must be safe to eat. Maybe Wraen could show her these berries and then they could enjoy them together.

"Well, it is really a shame that we are so far away from my home," Wraen sighed in slight disappointment. "I don't know, if we can find any of them here, but that mountain range is between us and the place, where I know they definitely grow," she added, looking at the tall mountains and wishing that there was any other way she could take Elixir there, aside from going through the claimed teritories of her pack. 

"But - you know what - let's try to find them here," Wraen's face lit up, when she realized that just ma-a-a-ybe she had seen the same bushes in the Wapun meadow and by the edge of the forest. "If you have time to spare, we can go to the place we last met and see it for ourselves. What do you say?"

Elixir couldn’t help but feel disappointed when she realized that they might not grow here. The place Wraen knew they grew was farther away than she expected and crossed her home where Elixir didn’t want to go. Her face lightened though when she mentioned they could look for them here. 

“Sure we can look for them I have a little time” She said ready for the taste of the berries. The berries sounded good from what Elixir heard and if she could find some to taste it would satisfy her thoughts and taste buds. Her mouth was watering just a little as she was ready to follow Wraen. 

"Excellent," Wraen was up to her feet (if she had been sitting before) and eagerly led the way. "Will you tell me more about the pack you are together with? How did you find them and what kind of people have gathered there?" she asked, unaware that in a few weeks she would meet the said group eye to eye and unfortunately fail to notice her friend among the people present in the Northstar Valley. "Me and my friends built a pack from a scratch - so to say - and it is interesting to hear, how others reached the decision to form a group of their own," she explained her curiousity.

Elixir followed Wraen beside her. “They are a pair, wanting to have a safe place for themselves and others. They want a fair pack for all of their members. They are pretty nice.” She said explaining the pack to her. Liri and Kavik were some of the most respectable wolves she had met so far and that’s why she had joined them. 

“It’s nice to hear others have done what we are trying to do... it kind of gives hope for me.” She said softly and then gave a small smile. She wondered about her pack and why they created it but she wouldn’t ask any questions unless she felt like she should.

"Sounds like my folk," Wraen remarked, thinking that the vague description sounded like any reasonable folk around. Had it only been few months, since she had left Moonspear to start an entirely new chapter in her life? Now at the end of the summer, winter months seemed to be such an eternity ago. Like it had happened to a different person alltogether. 

"The beginning is far from easy, but - looking back - I do not regret a single thing," she said. "We have to be careful now - we are passing by claimed lands," she instructed Elixir, when they were nearing Swiftcurrent creek. Somehow in her excitement of showing stuff to her acquaintance, she had forgotten that there was an obstacle in their way that would make them to take a detour. 

"Never met any folks from there, let alone spoken to them. So I have no idea, what they are like," she explained, leading now Eastwards towards Emberwood.