The hulking figure found himself roused from his sleep by the early morning light. He blinked sleepily before pushing himself upward and out of the den that he had crafted for himself. The light of dawn had always been the most fruitful time when he had worked on the tundra. Lærke had been told that it was the light provided for men to do what needed to be done most prudently. Were it not for his peculiar captivation with the night sky and the stars that stretched overhead, he would have found himself rising at first light far more often. The bear would take the days that came to him in strides.
Stepping out of his home and into the richly scented wood, the soturi set himself on a path that drew him toward the edges of the pack. His inky nostrils flared to capture the markings that had been left on the borders, and he made work of learning the pack’s perimeters. The forest was still a new landscape for the hulking brute. He had always been more keen on a frozen stretch of land that rose and dipped for miles upon miles, but Lærke knew that he could not allow himself to become stuck in the ways of his homeland. The tundra had provided for him for many years, and it was his turn to provide for others.
Large paws thudded against the soft earth as the bear set to a canter. His argent gaze followed the stretch of the trees and the limbs that seemed to reach toward the heavens. He wanted to memorize every chunk in the bark. He longed to know the whispers of the mystic wood.
hope you don't mind me!
It was habit that woke Starbuck with the sun. She would spend her nights stargazing and fall asleep where she lay. It had been many months since she had lived in a den proper, and had found that sleeping beneath the stars in the warm summer months was not unpleasant. Soon, she knew, the season would turn and she would have to take shelter. Soon, but not yet.
This morning she woke as the sun first breached the horizon, it's light brilliant after the darkness of night. Starbuck stood where she was and stretched, letting out a great yawn before striding forward. Some mornings she woke before the sun and sang it into the sky, but it was too late for that. Instead she set out to explore her new home, as she had been for several days now.
She was not far along when she heard the footsteps of another, their thud quick but dull. Interested in meeting a packmate, Starbuck sped up, sprinting towards where she heard another speeding along.
Soon she saw him, a great bear of a wolf. He was larger and faster than she, but she was not put off, even after her meeting with the wretch of a man several days prior.
Hail!
she called between puffs of breath. Her legs ate up the earth beneath her in long strides, but unless he slowed down she would not be able to catch up.
Not at all!
It was the sound of paws that drew his attention toward the lithe form of the coywolf. Craning his head around and locking onto her with his ghostly gaze, Lærke was then met with her word of greeting. A quick smile lit up his features and he flagged his tail upward to suggest all was well. “Rakeet!” his booming voice returned to her. The smile that danced along his dark lips then stretched to crinkle the edges of his eyes and he slowed his pace so that she could close the distance on them with quick steps. She had done well to hold her pace in spite of being smaller than he, and as she neared his halted figure, Lærke found his gaze roaming over her form.
The girl was slender in build and her sharp angular features were unlike any he had seen before. That was not to say she wasn’t lovely to look upon. The sharp blue of her eyes had captivated him for a brief moment before he found his manners and offered a bow of courtesy. Once the bear had risen back up to face her with twinkling argent eyes, he flagged his tail.
“Good morning, lovely thing,” he spoke in a natural bass that echoed from inside his chest. “What brings you to the… edge of the wood this early?” His voice radiated warmth, and the hulking warrior looked on her with a genuine curiosity.
On tenterhooks, she approached. This man already seemed friendlier than the last she had met, and was a far sight fairer to look upon. Still, she was shaken by the beast she had encountered, and was not at ease until he spoke. He returned her greeting with one that was foreign to her with a voice like thunder, but warmer.
He slowed obligingly, and she covered the rest of the distance between them on dancer's feet. Closer she saw that he truly was large. Starbuck found herself looking up, but was not put off by such a thing.
A soft, embarrassed giggle bubbled from her chest when he bowed to her. She returned the gesture, for it seemed only fair. You need not bow to me, dear friend! I am only a newcomer,
she piped. Still, she was flattered, and felt his warmth like a balm upon her frayed nerves.
Nerves that sparked unpleasantly at his more direct compliment. She settled herself quickly, reminding herself that she was in no danger from a fellow packmate. Besides, she had been paid compliments all of her life. I could ask you the same,
she teased. I have spent my days seeking out the many wonders this forest offers. I am so fortunate to call it home. It is so beautiful, and filled with wolves of great beauty as well. Including yourself! You have lovely eyes.
Her giggle was sharp and pleasant to his ears. The girl then told him that she needn’t bow to the likes of her – she was new to the wood. Lærke lifted his brows upward and chuckled softly. “I bow to all, ihana tyttö,” he responded. The bear was a creature of great honor, and he had been raised to show his respects dutifully – to everyone, without fail. The slender beauty before him was no exception. Where he may have held a rank above her own, Lærke did not feel the need to assert this upon first sight. They were of the same land, and they belonged to the same roots and foliage. With a gently flagging tail, he listened as she told him of her intentions for the morning. It had appeared that she too was mesmerized by the beauty of the thick and wild wood. The grin stretched along his leathery lips and the speed of his swinging tassel was increased at the sound of her words. Someone of a like mind!
When she complimented his eyes, the bear felt fire rise to his cheeks and he bashfully pointed his muzzle toward the earth. Lærke was a warrior, but it was rare that he would be offered such kind words in regards to his appearance, and certainly not from strangers. She was a light in the dark. “Ah, ohhoh,” his native tongue spilled forth from his lips so carelessly that he forgot many of the wolves there did not know it. “You are too kind, but you speak great truth! The forest is alight with beauty of all kinds. But you, sweet one, what are you called?” the hulking man requested.
Then you are a genial man,
she said. She quite like him in spite of- or because of- his idiosyncrasies. Again he spoke that foreign tongue, a marvelous language that was well complemented by the warm timbre of his voice. It fascinated her, and she wondered if his voice, so deep and preposessing, would sound as lovely in song. She imagined it did, but dare not ask, feeling to shy bring it up. Instead she asked, what is that language?
Again she laughed, without cruelty, at his reaction to her compliment. I speak truths when I see them,
she countered. Come, walk with me. Together we can discover the small magic of Donnelaith.
She began to walk ahead of him, craning her head over her shoulder to watch him. Come!
she urged again, stopping a few feet ahead to wait for him to follow. I am Starbuck, kind stranger. Ah, but a stranger no more, if only you would tell me your name.
The great bear found himself mesmerized by the lithe companion that he had found. She was pleasant and lively with a spirit that he could feel in waves. The cold argent of his gaze traversed her frame and he nearly missed the words that fell from her mouth. She was inquiring the language that he had used. Furrowed brows met her for a moment and he attempted to compose himself and his thoughts. The translation was not always a success. The common tongue was difficult for the warrior, but he could struggle through it with only a few hiccups and a humorous twinkle in his gaze. "It is the language of my people. The language of the moonlit wolves of the north," he answered her, and there was a fleeting and humble breath. For a man who carried himself with such pride and honor, it was rare to see such reverence.
The soturi followed the wispy woman as they traversed deeper into the wood. The stretch of trees and limbs that reached out toward them were an incredible sight to witness. As the female became known to him, the bear beamed. Starbuck, she was called; it was a suitable name. Within the same breath, she requested to know his own moniker and the hulking creature flagged his tail. "A lovely name for such a fine creature. I am called Lærke Ansbjørn," the rotund beast returned to her with a great and impressive bow of his massive body.
It was clear to Starbuck that he thought her fair, which was not displeasing at all. The ragged beast she had met on the shore had admired her with open desire, a ravenous hunger that made her feel as though her skin was crawling. Her skin itched to think of his clouded eye upon her, and she quickly dispelled the thought in favor of her far more pleasant company. A northman, then,
she said, smiling. She thought back to the way he had greeted her and piped, rakeet! Was that a greeting?
Starbuck slowed to walked beside him, though found she had to walk quickly to keep up. She paid as much attention to the northman as she did to the surrounding beauty, the stately trees rising up around them. He had a kind and gentle look about him, though she had no question that he would do well in a fight. When he bowed, she mirrored it, though she still found it amusing. Starbuck basked in the compliments for a moment, then replied, a good name for you, o northman. Will you tell me about your homeland?
She thought of the far north as a romantic place of frozen beauty, the northern lights dancing perpetually in the sky.
"Aye, it was," he confirmed her inquiry with a swift grin. The warriors of the frigid hills were quick to offer the word in a booming show of greeting - one fierce beast of battle to another. Lærke had been one once. While it was rare for the soturi to find himself in a state of melancholy when he reminisced about his homeland, the moments still swept him away. Though he was massive in stature and savage with his bite, the bear was far more fond of beautiful tales than he was of recounting stories of gore and violence. As the fair Starbuck pressed to hear more of his home, Lærke thought of it with a pang in his chest.
"It is truly beautiful. Rolling hills of ice and snow - mountains that stretch into heaven. The old ones spoke of great warriors who had climbed those mountains and found themselves in a sea of stars. They were so mesmerized by the sight that they ached at the thought of returning to their home. So they became part of the galaxy," he rumbled reverently to the girl. He too had dreamed of scaling the tower to the sky, but had never found the courage to leave his family behind. So he fought instead; he carried the soturi title proudly amongst the moonlit wolves. But the stories were always dear to him... in a way he could not articulate. Some things could only be felt .
Rakeet!
she repeated. And so I shall greet you, my dear Lærke. My voice is not so great as the warriors of old, but I hope to do it justice!
In his company, she felt very fierce. To her, the men of the north had always been a romantic ideal, rough-hewn but loving wolves. Creatures of starlight who wore moon-gilded armor into battle and sang the sun to sleep. Much of this came from the stories of her better traveled mother, who was always prone to romanticism.
She listened, rapt, to Lærke's description of his homeland. He spoke of it with reverence, and it was clear to her he loved the lands of his youth. It sounds beautiful,
she sighed whistfully. Truly you are fortunate to have loved so well. I would love to hear more.
Then a new thought, one borne of an earlier musing, came to her. Tell me, do you sing?
They spent some time together and she found him to be good company, and felt truly sad when it came time to part, though glad to have found a friend. (GAAAY)