Larksong Grotto Pure On The Outside

Aimed towards @Phares but anyone can jump in whenever, since Nova knows almost nobody. :)

Nova Rose noted the presence of Hiram was no longer within the Grotto. Already had he departed for the three puppies she'd told him about? It was still an amazing thing to her that the man hadn't known of his children. Why had Saena not wanted the father of her children around? What had the dark pelted man done? Had she done wrong by telling him?
Nonetheless, she padded on with a clear mind. Raas had willed it, the Cardinal had said so himself. The golden elder was doing the bidding of He who held her true and unwavering loyalty. There was much, much more for her to learn, and in truth she knew very little of the religion itself yet. It was why she wandered this day, with the searing light of her lord beating down unpon her back at its highest point, to find her teacher in the coyote-looking male she'd come here with. Her silky, thick pelt glowed with warmth and the similar color of the sun. She was meant to be a follower of Raas, surely. Her golden pelt held the same gold tones of His radience, her eyes a pure, light color of blue. Her heart had been darkened, tainted by the Heartless, but the Daystar and His light would one day free her of those burdens.

hiram had gone looking for his children, and vuk silently wished him well. her outburst at their last meet had not shamed her, however -- perhaps the presence of those he had sired here at the grotto would clear his mind of the illogical teachings he followed. quietly she padded through the land, her mind awash with racing thoughts.

it had occurred to her to take terich and seff and depart, but hiram held her here. seff loved the man, and he had barely lived as it was. no -- vuk would not tear him from the only home he had ever known. she would stay and serve the grotto, but never raas.

a lovely woman came into view and vuk slowed, hoping she would not be noticed -- she had very little to say, and less to a wolf she did not know.

Nova Rose was content to look for Phares forever, loping along with an easy gait on her old bones, but another females scent brought her spectral eyes to sweep around her. Catching sight of a pretty black and white female, the woman smiled, but neither said anything. Sometimes, words were simply not nessicary, as she'd learned with a few feral wolves. Did that mean this girl was? No. But the same rules applied here too. 
The golden queen didn't know of Vuk's relation to Seff, the little boy she'd treated just a few days ago, nor did she know of her refusal of Raas. The latter didn't worry her at all, didn't even come to mind really, for it was her belief that mattered. Others could put their trust in what they did, and there would be no judgement from her.

the other was silent but warm, and vuk found herself smiling at her packmate. "hello," she murmured, pleased that she was able to say a handful of words now without the familiar stammer. moving forward, she fell into step alongside the woman, hoping her company would not be turned away. with the exception of jhala, vuk had no friends at the grotto -- perhaps in time it would change, but she knew she must first put forth the effort.

Nova, as usual, was correct: the woman opened up a little, giving a shy hello the elders way before falling into step with her. A smile spread across Nova's blackened and scarred face, and she dipped her head in greeting to the pale female.  
                "Hello. Im Nova Rose."
Her spectral eyes scanned over the womans lithe form: she was pretty, no doubt, but she also seemed like she was sad, hurt. In a few ways, she reminded Nova or Grace.

the other was receptive to her steps, and vuk gave a low sigh of relief. "i a-am vuk," she rejoined. nova rose. it was an interesting and lovely name. for a time, the patchwork girl only walked alongside her companion in silence, searching for something to say. "h-have y-you m-met my s-son, s-seff?" she finally piped, brightening somewhat. the little boy was the true light of her heart, and speaking of him soothed a deep hurt in vuk's chest.

Vuk was the womans name, and she seemed happy that so far this meeting was quiet and relaxed. For a while, Nova kept it that way, and they walked happily in silence, content with company above speaking. 
Vuk was the one to break it, and that was okay with her too. It surprised Nova to hae Seff brought up, even more so that this was his mother, but a great grin spread across her blackened maw. 
                  "I do! I treated his shoulder for a beesting just the other day. Such a lovely, well mannered little boy you've raised." 

vuk smiled, a deep warmth spreading through her chest at the older woman's praise of her son. she herself believed seff to be a wonderful child, though she knew her opinion of him was quite colored with bias. "y-yes," she answered, smiling wanly at the woman. "h-how l-long h-have y-you been at l-larkson ...g?" she asked at length, in her usual laborious fashion.

Clearly, Nova hit a spot that made the mother happy- the elder knew this feeling very well, pride in your children- but they talked no more about the little brown boy. Instead, the white woman asked Nova how long she'd been here. It took the golden elder a second, tipping her head up to sweep her spectral gaze along the horizon. How long had she been here?
                "Almost a month, I believe. I've been enjoying every moment so far."
Turning those icy, sweet eyes on the grey patched mother, Nova smiled.  
                            "And you?"

vuk smiled gently. "it h-has been a ... l-long t-time." indeed it has; she could not recall the day that she and terich had come to the grotto, for the weeks and months since then had blurred together along a timeline that was quickly growing dismal. and there was a reason for it -- the reddish priestess who had damned them all. "d-do y-you follow r-raas?" vuk blurted in spite of herself, though was immediately ashamed of her outburst.

Vuk couldn't remember how long she'd been here - perhaps she'd been here to found the Grotto before it'd been a church. They walked a little further before the white woman asked a question - either Nova missed the gracelessness in it or she ignored it. She smiled and nodded, even if her friends tone didn't suggest she was happy about it. 

             "Yes - I've felt the warmth of his light in my heart."

Her spectral eyes flicked over in an attempt to catch Vuk's own slightly greener ones, but they were not judgemental, only warm and welcoming. The smile was still firmly stitched into her blackened maw - Nova never had been one to force others into things, for what was the point of disloyal followers. She suspected that not all the other Raas worshippers would feel the same. Her next words were not a question, but a soft comment - it was left open to be answered or ignored. 
 
                                 "You don't seem to feel the same."

nova confirmed that she had felt this light, and vuk blinked at the woman's quick assessment. she nodded. "i d-do n-not feel r-raas' light, no," she mumbled, ears folding against her skull. surely this was a failing of herself; surely she was a broken person, but resentment for hiram and his priestess rose in her breast. she hated them both. but she could say none of this to nova, only smile sadly with a small sigh.

Vuk's surprise was shared by the elder when she admitted her lack of faith - not even because she didn't believe. Why Hiram let them stay was a surprise in itself - perhaps he didn't want to send a pup away, even if Seff could easily survive with his parents with him. It was the reaction that surprised her moreso - Vuk seemed almost ashamed. Her smile softened, and the golden woman reached out slowly to nudge the mothers shoulder. 

                           "I will not breathe a word, worry not - but can I ask why?"

the woman was gentle. vuk felt her heart break somewhat at the soft touch of the other woman, but held fast beneath it. she did not know how to respond; the quietude that followed was peaceful. "h-he has n-not shown h-himself t-to me," was what vuk settled upon saying, for she did not wish to delve into how the god had taken hiram from her, had dashed her love for the former reek upon the shores of rigid beliefs.

The pale woman didn't seem to know how to respond, and this confused the elder, but no comment was made. Nova was happy to wait for the answer that came - and it was an acceptable one to her. 

                    "I understand.... If you wanna talk about it, I'm here. If not.... "

Words trailing off, she padded on - the silence was okay with her, and her spectral eyes glanced over to Vuk to make sure she was okay. She would not prod, and as she'd said, she wouldn't tell anyone.

last from me! we need an updated one :)

the woman was kind, but vuk found weariness overtaking her. raas had robbed her of all that was good; a brief anger swept across her veins, that anyone should follow him so closely and hang upon the priestess' word. she shook her muzzle quietly -- a saddened smile curved her lips. "i m-must g-go,"  vuk murmured, perhaps abruptly. with a nod to nova rose, the patchwork wolfess turned and carried herself away, and only when she was alone did she allow tears to sting her eyes.