Wolf RPG

Before winter left and it was time to think of kids, Maia wanted to give @Hymnal and @Sylvie and @Roswell the opportunity to take a trip with her a little further from the claim. Roswell had turned her down to 'watch things while she was gone'. It seemed like he had far less of a wanderer's bug than Hymnal, but she'd wanted to be sure he knew he was welcome.

@Eljay had told her about @Reyes' kids and Maia planned to keep her eye out for any sign of the Redhawks while she went. It made sense that they'd have gone near Moonglow, and that was also an area that Maia knew best - she took a route that led them to a space alongside the mountain, one that had always been beautiful. She cut a wide path around the Moonspear, but while they went, she told stories of Charon and the wolves in the stars. Aunt Wraen is up there too. She wasn't sure why she was so sure of that. Maybe they'd even made friends now. (It was a very funny thought.)

She paused for a rest when she entered the shadow of the Moonspear and looked up at it. Maybe she should go pay a visit and see what they knew? She had caught traces of other wolves, but not anyone familiar - she doubted, if they'd come this way, they were here now. Was it worth asking?

Hymnal was ecstatic to be able to go on a trip with Maia. She had been itching to explore, and now she was given the opportunity to do that. it was even better than mama would be taking them. 

It was hard to stay in one place as they made their way through the mountains. Hymnal darted from one exciting thing to another as her mother spoke of Moonspear and the stars and someone named Charon. It was so much to take in, and it had her practically buzzing with energy. 

When they stopped, she bounced over to her mom and sat beside her, her silver gaze following Maia's up to the large mountain. Mama? she asked. Do you know a lot about the stars? She had seen them sparkling in the sky, but she wondered what else there was to know about them.

Hymnal's voice shook her from her recollections. She lowered her gaze and nodded. I do. Mostly stories, though. There's other things to learn, but there's enough stories to last ages. Those were always my favorite part. She shifted, then began to walk again, more slowly. There's a place up in these mountains I want to show you.

There was a path that led to a ledge, one where she knew the view opened up and the stars seemed even closer. If Hymnal wanted to know about the stars then it was the perfect place to learn. She left space for her to ask, though, as they walked.

Hymnal loved stories, especially ones told by her mother. So her face lit up with excitement when Maia told her that she knew many stories about the stars. 

Mama also said she wanted to show her a special place and the blackthorn girl trotted excitedly at her mom's side. Can you tell me a star story while we walk there? she asked. It would help pass the time and maybe Hymnal would learn something new.

Of course! Maia paused just long enough to plant a playful kiss on Hymnal's cheek, suddenly unable to resist it. She loved so much that her daughter was here with her, sharing her love of exploration, asking for stories and honestly enjoying their time spent together. It was something she'd never be able to take for granted. As much as she loved her own mother, Osprey had been sick for much of the time and there'd been days when she hadn't even been able to muster a story. Her dad had always simply said she was tired, but Maia had known it went deeper than that. She hadn't known depression had a name until after she left.

My dad didn't tell many stories, but he did talk about the stars. Your granddad believed that spirits of heroes lived up there, wolves from stories of great things who passed a long time ago. But Charon, King of the mountain, was a good friend of mine. He said the Moonspear stretched so high that it touched the land of the stars, and one time he showed me a piece of it. It was stone, just like the mountain itself. So we had a different story.

The sun hides it during the day, but at night, we can see into the realm of the star wolves. Some are spirits of wolves gone before but others are born there, and all of them can look down and see into our world too. They watch us, listen to our stories, and know us by them. Maia had told stories of certain star wolves before, and considered repeating it, but then an idea struck her. She loved it so much that it immediately became a part of the world they had built.

The two worlds don't mingle often, but sometimes, star wolves are given the opportunity to walk this world too, just like wolves here are given the choice when they die. Whenever you see a star fall, that's a star wolf whose spirit is being sent to see what this world is like. Nothing against her dad's old stories, but her version was better. She looked at the mountain again, thinking of Charon and remembering, and then looked at Hymnal.

That's why the stars are such good listeners. And why it's good luck, wishing on a shooting star. You never know if that wolf will hear the wish and help to answer it.

Hymnal leaned into her mother's kiss, giggling as pure happiness bubbled in her chest. Unknowingly, her thoughts aligned with Maia as she spent a few moments just being grateful that she had a mother like hers and that they could explore. She loved her mom's stories, and she was grateful for those too; they helped her see the world in a different way.

Mama spoke of her father, so Hymnal's grandfather. Apparently he had told her a story about how the stars were heroes of the past. But another man named Charon, who was apparently king of the mountain had created a different story with Maia. He had shown her a place where the mountain touched the stars. Hymnal's face lit up at this part; she wanted to see this magical place. 

In their story some of the stars were wolves that had been born in the star world; they could see down here too, and could sometimes visit to see what their world was like. 

She grew excited when her mother mentioned that star wolves could visit here. But her excitement faltered a little when she learned that they were only given the same chance when they died. She wanted to visit the star realm while alive and be able to return home when she was done. But it was likely not something that was possible.

Maia told her the importance of wishing upon a shooting star, that a star wolf might hear it and make it come true. Her eyes widened at this. Woow, she said. She would keep her eyes peeled for the next shooting start—but what would she wish?

Mama? Can we visit the star wolves without dying? she asked, her expression hopeful.

I've never known anyone to do it. But I don't think anything is ever impossible. Maia wasn't about to tell her no, of course! The very idea of a story was that no matter what happened, you had to never believe that anything was out of reach. Even if she only visited star wolves in stories, Hymnal could do anything that she set her mind to.

You would just need to find a way to get there. I'm sure we could come up with a few ways. Maia had a few in mind. But she kept them to herself for the moment, playfully, and waited to see if Hymnal would come in with anything right from the start. When Maia herself was little, she'd always thought that if she could make it to the clouds, she could leap from one to the other until she reached the sun. It was silly to think of but a part of her missed that kind of imagination. She hadn't lost all of it... but growing up would always take something.

Hymnal considered her mother's words carefully and her mind started to spin with ideas. What if, when it rains again, we run and jump into the wind! she said with a grin. It could carry us up the sky and then we could jump into the stars. She could imagine every second of it. 

Or maybe a fairy wolf that grants wishes would give us wings and then we could fly all the way up there. That would be so much fun. Hymnal would fly everywhere if she had wings.

Maia listened with delight as Hymnal explained her schemes with all of the imagination and enthusiasm in the world. She immediately couldn't help but compare what she said to the stories of Valkyries she'd loved so much as a child. Her fire for the stories had cooled a bit after she'd realized, and accepted, that she would never be that sort of fierce warrior. But she still couldn't help but adore them, even if she no longer aspired to them.

I could see us doing both! We could ride the storm with our wings, just like the Valkyries do. They are the storm god's warriors, and they have big beautiful wings too. I bet they'd love to meet you, and maybe they would even know the way to the stars. That made perfect sense to Maia. If anyone would know, surely the chosen ones of a god would be it.

We'll have to keep our eye out for any fairies. And we'll have to make sure we help any wolf who might need it. You never know when one will be a fairy in disguise, waiting to see if we deserve a wish or not. Maia laughed, but she clearly meant what she said entirely. A part of her actually believed a little bit of every story she told, whether she made it up or not. Some themes stretched beyond the stories themselves in patterns that held a truth outside of it. And one of those truths was that those who helped strangers got wishes... and those who turned a blind eye? They got curses instead.

Hymnal was instantly fascinated by these Valkyries her mother spoke of. I would love to meet one, she said excitedly. I would definitely ask them to show me how to get to to the stars. Hopefully they would. Hymnal would be sure to be good and brave just in case. 

That's a good idea, mama, she said, though she would likely help another wolf regardless. If someone needs help, I will help them. It will just be a bonus if they turn out to be a fairy that will grant me wishes. She grinned.

I bet you will! Maia had zero doubts about her daughter helping where she could. You are so much like your dad. He loves teaching you, I know. It was probably some of Eljay's favorite time and always had been, even with Weejay before. Maia suddenly missed his older daughter terribly. She and Hymnal would have gotten along so well.

Plus, there's stories everywhere of wolves who didn't help and who were turned into frogs. And who would I travel with then? Unless you rode on my back. It was such a funny mental image she had to laugh. Imagine, a wolf and a frog accompaniment!