morning was an unwelcome guest in blondine's life. it served as a reminder that another day had passed, another missed opportunity to find her indra.
we'll try again
, she reminded herself,
she's got to be around here somewhere.
there was a pack that sat just beyond the valley. she vaguely remembered talking about it once, but couldn't quite remember if she'd ever made a visit.
probably for the best, blondine thought, as a forgotten bad first impression wouldn't do her good when trying to join.
once at the border, she howled for an audience and sat back to await their response.
Greyback had heeded the call with his own, something that had become routine in his life here at Easthollow. Every morning he would rise, kiss his mate, admire her with a forlonged gaze, and then slip away to tend to his duties only to come back at sundown. Every week or so with a new member in tow.
He would watch over the others, silently, steadily. Each member of Easthollow getting his undivided attention before he once more, slipped away and off to the borders to fortify them. This time he was close when the call sounded, and with a steady gate he came upon the female with his trademarked stoic face.
The girl was small, her pelt adorned with shades of brown that swirled over her fur like murky water. And her face— scarred over on the left, leaving little behind an eyesocket of nothing. It did little to surprise the man, but he felt a pang of empathy for what she had to carry. He would know better than anyone what it felt like to carry around an ugly reminder on their face.
"What brings you to the border of Easthollow, child?" He questioned.
the presence of the brute, the energy that he exuded, it beckoned blondine to submission, laying flush to the ground. it was a feeling that she hadn't experienced in a while, not since her childhood on abernathy hill. this man quite reminded her of her father, a both comforting and disconcerting realization.
he spoke, so she responded. i'm looking for a place to set a-while.
she looked up at him but quickly bounced her gaze away from his own. i'm a hunter and a healer. i reckon i could be of good use to you and yours.
blondine sat in silence, awaiting his reply.
"Stand," he commanded "You need not grovel no more." His voice was stern, sharp, and direct to the girl—the only hint of emotions on his face was the subtle quirk of his brow and a twitch of a muscle near the line of his jaws. He didn't need this dove to continue giving submission to him at the very moment, she had already shown she knew her place.
"What is your name?" he questioned once more, and when she replied he would follow it up with a another once more "Where do you hail from?"
so stand she did. blondine listened to the elder speak while she shook the snow from her fur. no need for frostbite, she thought to herself, i like my nipples right where they are.
she gave a quick laugh, then saying, thank you for that. kneeling ain't good for the joints.
a smile found its way to her maw, an outward expression of her inner gratitude.
blondine. blondine abernathy of abernathy hill, a little place way south of these woods.
blondine regretted having left before spring. had she done as planned, she wouldn't have made it back until summer, meaning she wouldn't have had to deal with the cold.
then again, a lot can happen in one season. it wasn't worth the risk. can i ask your name?
blondine glanced behind him. and, well the name of your place might be nice, too.
The laugh didn't phase him, it nearly passed through the cold air around him. Though he offered a slight smile back in return to be courteous. Blondine was a nice character, and it put the man at ease that she was rather friendly. He had not heard of this Abernathy hill, thus he concluded it was outside Teekon and not urgent in the conversation.
"You may," he quipped back. "I am Greyback, Patriarch of the Hollow. This," he pointed behind him with his nose and moved away to give sight the standing stones to the girl, "Is Easthollow, our home. The pillars, Standing Stones as we like to call them, are the beacon of the lands, and the pride of our pack." His voice was smooth as he talked, but still shook deep within his throat.
"Come, let us walk. There is no need to stand still in this frigid cold." And with that he turned his back to her and stolled with a slowed gait, waiting for her to catch up and test her speed.
the role of patriarch required a tough outer shell. blondine knew this, so she didn't think much of greyback's disregard for her joke. once she wasn't an outsider, but a real member of this hollow, she was sure that he'd loosen up. is this all yours?
she asked, somewhat awestricken by the landscape.
and d'y'all have a claim elsewhere?
blondine asked then, curious if it were these wolves who aimed to claim the eastern valley. it would have made sense, with the territories being so close, but she needed to hear it from greyback himself before assuming anything.
He walked a tad in front of her, taking her questions in stride. They were simple ones, ones with few words. But good questions nonetheless. He would flick his ear, swiveling it behind him at moments to listen closely to her without turning back to face.
"Is all this yours?"
The man raised his head with pride at the question, the breeze ruffling his fur as he smiled and looked out at the land with her. "Quite impressive feat, no? Yes, this is ours—from the meadow, to the trees, all the way up to the side of the mountains, right where you see that highest ridge. In time you will learn our borders as it is your duty to refresh them."
He fell silent once more after answering, walking her up towards the stone circle. "No, just here. There are other wolves in the valley, good ones at that; My daughter has a claim up to the west, while our neighbors have one north. We take only what we need and in the end we all share peace. Now come, I have something to show you."
Greyback trekked up the side of the grassy meadow, following the smooth stones they had set in place as a path that lead up towards the circle of stones that stood tall. As always, the air was thick and dense, swirling with something the man couldn't describe. Ether good or bad, he did not know. And frankly, he did not care.
He stepped aside to let Blondine in, motioning her to step into the center while he stood at the edges. The tall rocks acted as a barrier, letting gusts in wind through the spaces that would ruffle the fur of anyone who stood inside. "This is Stone Circle, a sacred place to us. We bury our deceased here, putting them at rest while praying that those we lost will find their way home."
blondine followed dutifully behind greyback, listening intently as he spoke. the stone path led to a larger arrangement of.. stones, explained to be the resting place of their fallen members. she hesitated, but did as beckoned and walked in submission toward the heart of the gravesite.
it didn't feel right, her being there. by greyback's own admission, this was a place of prayer, of lamentation. the wolves laid to rest here on these grounds didn't know her, nor did she know them. it was a violation of privacy, blondine thought.
still, she'd been invited and welcomed into this space. it was an offering worth more than she could ever give. i don't have words
, she said. there really wasn't much to say, was there? how many have y'had to lay here?
blondine sat down then, finding herself overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude and grief.
He watched as the lady walked into the circle, her posture quite timid. It reminded him of the first time he had stepped paw into it. Valette had assured him it was alright, and with her guidance he found solace in the place. Perhaps it was his time to offer the same to Blondine.
He now made his way in, sitting next to her and looking at the stones, his gaze lingering on the freshly disturbed dirt that marked Indra's grave. "Too many," he replied. "But such is life. Easthollow wolves are fortunate enough not to die alone and left to rot. Many do not have such a choice, but here we do."
He glanced to her out of the corner of his eye to see how she was coping. She looked a bit frazzled to him and Greyback smiled at her. "Sometimes it's best to not have words. Im sure the dead would appreciate the silence over the constant chattering above above. Heavens know I would." He laughed.
"The tallest stone is the Father, it is where our founder, Steady, is buried. And I suppose in time it will be my final resting place as well. We then have the Mother, the Sister..." he tipped his nose to the stone that laid before the freshly upturned dirt. "The Warrior, The Maiden, The Lost Souls, and finally the Broken Stone." He went around each one as he spoke, hoping it wouldn't be too much information for her.
it was better that blondine didn't know, and so she chose not to ask. there was always a chance, but to have it confirmed as truth... she preferred that stone remain unturned. so this is your family's pack, i'd assume.
the way that greyback spoke about the deceased, it was hard to believe that they didn't belong to him.
i reckon it'd be mighty hard to find my place in a tree with roots this deep.
the only other pack she'd come across with a cemetary such as this was her own, back down south. abernathy hill had a clearing set out for entire generations of the dead. they were deeply religious, though, so it made sense. otherwise, she didn't really get the point.
but greyback would know better than she would. blondine cursed herself for making assumptions. and you're a believing folk? what's that look like for y'all?
Greyback shook his head at her question. "Im afraid not—was born far the north, past these lands. I came here alone and married into the family quite some time ago. Since then I have sired my own whelps. Though we may not all be connected by blood, many of us are considered close family here." The man flicked his ear once more as a current of wind ruffled past them, sending tendrils of his fur into the air around them. He re-positioned himself to be against it, not wanting to deal with his cheek fur whipping him in the face.
"Many of us come from all walks of life. Who you were before—where you came, does not determine your placement here. In fact, many of the wolves buried here are not of our own blood, but those who have made themselves a part of us through their time spent here." He chose to fall silent then, wondering how to continue his next words. "If you choose to stay, the day you meet your last breath will be the day you are buried with us here. But that's for the future, yes?" he joked again, attempting to listen to mood.
"Yes, I suppose I am a spiritual man. But I am not sure how others here feel of that nature, wether they do is none of my concern. What about you? Are you a believer?"
you've got children?
a wide smile enveloped blondine's maw, though greyback wouldn't have seen it. she'd turned away from him, finding herself deeply interested in the spirits roaming this hall. she wondered what'd ever happened to laurel and her children, or the raven who she'd so despised.
blondine was happy to play the role of aunt, free from the responsibilities of motherhood. what's your mate's name?
she asked. later, after they seperated, she would seek out the lucky woman.
thoughts of the inevitable were welcomed. she turned back to greyback then, the seriousness of her words clear in her expression. that's an honor i'll have to earn.
this wasn't a place she would want to rest without knowing she'd earned it. the huntress didn't want greyback's laugh to go unacknowledged, so she added, i reckon i won't mind much either way. do with these bones as you wish.
i am, yes.
faith was one of the most important facets of her being. i believe in a place a whole lot bigger than this. i'd imagine they don't have to deal with famines.
blondine smiled again, this time adding a laugh. i appreciate you showing me this. a-suppose its in my best interest to show y'all i'm serious about staying a while.
Greyback smiled at her question. "Why of course. You don't live as long as me without having a few whelps here and there— three daughters, three boys. Theyre a rowdy bunch, unique in their own way. Youll meet them in time, i'm sure my second eldest son would love to meet you. He's always been sweet on strangers.
Valette is her name, she's quite hard to miss." He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, thinking about his beloved. "She has a strong presence, one that demands a man such as I bow to her. And eyes so bright and shining they're almost like emeralds. I can't think of how many times i've gotten lost in them--" he cleared his throat after that, opening his eyes and looking back to Blondine with a sheepish gaze. "My apologies, it seem's i've lost myself in reminiscing." He awkwardly laughed after that and tipped his head back down. "Damn near happens all the time i'm afraid. But now is not the time for such a talk. You will do well here, Blondine. In time you will be one of us, there is no doubt in my mind... For now, let's move onto the next part of your introduction."
and with that he turned and made his way outside the circle, stopping once more to allow her to catch up.
end here?
it was sweet, the way that greyback got lost in thought. blondine could tell that he loved his woman, possibly more than the children they'd created. she couldn't blame him for that. kids.. they could be a lot.
the shock at his slipped curse was clear on her face. she didn't acknowledge it, but ignored it for favor of keeping the conversation flowing. i'd like that
, blondine said, then moving to walk beside him.