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@Vienna ,join in whenever you feel like. Others may too [/size]
This time Nishu took some effort in seeking out members of Sunspire. The location he decided to search had dens or caves around. The scent of wolves was around but was it an area they hang around? Nishu spent most of his time around the borders but never at the heart of Sunspire. He thought about seeing the top of the mountain but going there during winter felt like a bad idea. If it was dangerous then he doubts that there are wolves up there.
He walked slowly through the rocks. He was cautious and didn't know what to expect. He had heard of cats that claimed another part of the mountain. Cougars they were called. From what he understood they are worthy opponents that shouldn't be underestimated. He continue to move carefully, so ever watchful of his surrounding. He didn't really have a clue of what he was walking into but he remain cautious and continued forward.
Thanks for starting!
After her excursion under the stars, Vienna had taken up residence back in her old den, for she felt herself sound enough to manage without the convenience the temporary one had offered. While she still was not getting around well enough to do much proactive good, she could at least travel to water and the nearby cache should she need to. She knew that her brother would worry to find her gone, so her first order of business was to find him and let him know. She assumed he would figure it out, but perhaps he would be soothed should she find him first. She imagined he wouldn't be happy to be worried so and she didn't wish to make him wait any longer than necessary to know where she was.
Poking her nose out of her burrow, she slowly emerged, carefully stretching before setting off at a sedate walk towards the stream. Her den wasn't far from it, and really wasn't too far from where she had previously been set up. She liked to be near where others were, for if she wanted solitude, she could leave for that. More often than not it was company she craved. Despite her tired demeanor after her night out, there was a slight bounce in her step, a lilt to her tail and a smile on her face. How could there not be, after what had happened?
Seeing someone ahead, she immediately noted that it was not who she was searching for, but neither was it someone she knew. Curious, she called out a greeting. "Hey! Hello!" She hoped they would pause, as she couldn't really catch up. If not then she'd just have to meet them later. They could be busy, after all.
He had a strange feeling as he kept walking on. As if an attack was approaching. He slowed down and listened as carefully. Each time the wind would whisper into his ear or around him making his ear twitch. He breathed in steadily, thinking about cougars he didn't want to let his guard down for one moment. He searched around for any movement or scent. There was nothing unusual yet, perhaps they know better than to attack him. He was a Knight after all.
Suddenly a voice from behind alerted him. He instantly pulled off a perfect rotating side step basically turning around without loss of balance. The wind felt like it was rotating around him for a moment. He wasn't sure how fast he turned but he did it gracefully and flawlessly. But the effort turn out to be completely useless see how it was only a wolf. He closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. Then he relaxed a bit as he stood. It was too bad it wasn't an ambush, he could have won with that perfect rotation.
Opening his eyes again to see the wolf before him, he locked his sight onto her emerald. Eye contact was always been the first thing to do, even if some hated it. Through the eyes he could see their intention, or that's what he was suppose to see. As a Knight it was important to know where the danger was. In this case, he didn't detect any danger.
"Greetings m'lady, I would assume you are wolf of Sunspire. Am I correct?" He said, confident in his guess. It wouldn't make sense other wise. Atleast he met a new face which he should be bound to remember.
When he whirled on her, obviously alarmed, she immediately dropped her posture, stopping tentatively back. She was in no condition to fight him, nor did she want to. She had been sticking to the heart of the territory just to avoid such an encounter. Luckily he seemed to recognize her and too backed down.
She had no issues submitting in such a situation. Vienna was not one to dwell much on ranks. She knew that in her weeks tucked away she had likely fallen a ways in the pack's order, but that did not bother her. What did bother her was her inability to contribute, and this was why her next few weeks would consist of pushing unused muscles and her weak frame in an attempt to get back what she had lost.
She bit back a giggle at his formal greeting. Unlike Sumayl, his 'milady' came without a trace of teasing. He was certainly polite. "Hello. It's nice to meet you! I am a sunspire wolf, name's Vienna." She looked at him curiously. "You aren't from around here, are you? When did you join up? Sorry we haven't met yet, I've been pretty out of sorts lately." Hopefully that would change with the holiday season done and with her wounds healing.
Nishu took a better look at the wolf before him. Her injuries may be the first thing he noticed. Then was the fact that she appeared to be at a young age, much younger than him. He was more concerned with what caused those injuries. A young wolf who had sustained such damage must have been lucky to survive, perhaps like most wolves of Sunspire she'll continue to grow in strength. It would be interesting if she ended up like Rain after a few years.
"My name is Nishu Inte. I've joined Sunspire as Rain's Knight, Tasked with finding her sister." He said as he nodded in greetings. "While the task remains unfinished I will be assisting Rain with pack activities and missions. I'm currently scouting on my own which would explain why I am here right now."
Then wanting to know where she got her injuries he said. "Excuse me for asking but I can't help but feel concern about those injuries you have. Where did you get them?" He had to be sure that there wasn't any danger around. If she got those injuries from some attack then it was best to know where they attacked her at. Afterwards later he would go see if he could deal with the dangers there and removed them for the safety of others.
Vienna's ears perked up with interest. "A knight, huh? What exactly does that entail? I've never met one of those!" She may have heard tell of them, but to hear from the source... That had to be interesting!
She was surprised to hear Rain had a sister she sought, and wished her luck in that. Hopefully this knight would be able to help.
When asked about her injuries, Vienna looked at her side, then looked back at him somewhat sheepishly. "Cougar. Last time I was out on an exploration mission, one ambushed me from above. It... Got the better of me. This time." She wasn't sure if she would encounter it again, but she didn't intend to cower behind their borders. "It seems to be smarter than most. Be careful in your looking." With any luck the creature would have moved on come spring.
"A Knight is a wolf capable of doing pretty much anything. With that ability they do what they can to help those in need and to shape the world to be a better place." He said with his own pride. He was proud to be an Knight. It was just too bad that the world seemed to have forgotten them. Perhaps it was the fact that many wolves couldn't meet the requirements. Not just anyone could be a Knight, you had to be born strong and grow even stronger while remaining true and uncorrruptable. Nishu was glad to have made it this far, but that was normal.
So it was a cougar attack that gave her those injuries. If he recalled correctly Vienna was the sister of Jace. And truely this cat has been causing problems and had talent in it. Nishu did good to be on his guard here. Perhaps the creature waits for the right time to strike. So the only real advantage he needed was finding it first.
"I've been told about the cougar. I count on finding it and then taking it out. If it ever makes an appearence, I'll be sure to return the pain it caused." He said as he looked around. "I can't allow it to wonder freely, It remains a danger to Rain.. and other wolves." Then returning to look a Vienna. "Anyway aren't you a bit young to be on missions? Have you atleast been through the basics of combat and survival?" He asked. Nishu trained with teachers until at age two, afterwards task were given to test and improve skills. Why would someone young be doing task at this age? It was risky business.
"Sounds like a noble goal." Vienna had always loved such stories, gallant heroes and thrilling deeds. His words were big, but stories were stories. And while he might label himself a knight, she wasn't so removed from reality as to believe stories were fact. More often than not reality was a bit less... Impressive than the stories detailing it. That wasn't always a bad thing. After all, that was what made stories great. He seemed extremely proud of his title, so Vienna assumed it was an impressive one. She had no reason not to, not knowing him after all.
Her friendly demeanor took a bit of a hit, though, as he continued. Much as she hated to admit it, her pride had been hurt as a result of her ambush. He seemed to think little of the threat, and went on to question her ability based on her age. She tried not to take it personally, but it was a raw spot that he prodded with his question. "I'll be two this spring," she responded, a bit confused. "My father and mother taught what they could." Which was a considerable amount. When did he think was old enough? She had been termed an adult for quite a while, and where she came from, with adulthood came such responsibilities.
"How does one become a knight," she asked, both out of curiosity and a desire to steer conversation away from her apparent ineptitude.
Nishu nodded. Age two was still a young age for Nishu, sure you are at the top of the growth but what has grown can still be improved in training and practice. That training can only start once considered an adult. So even if Vienna was thought some arts at a young age there are still some improvement that can be done afterwards.
She asked how one becomes a Knight. Perhaps she was interested in becoming one, If she had early training then surely it was possible if she continued to train even more. Explaining may take a while so he sat down, preparing to explain.
"Well, First as a pup you had to be trained on how to hold on your own and to remain true at heart. Once you reach a year old, you are thought different useful arts based on the teacher's abilities. These are include knowledge on herbs, or how to read stars, or advanced training in combat or survival. Afterwards you may hold a title of a Knight as long as you follow a few codes.." He said then paused for a moment.
Any irritation she might have felt before disappeared in her fascination as soon as he began telling of the process behind becoming a knight. It sounded... a lot like her growing up, at least on the surface, but she was willing to bet the methods were much different. Family learning and teachings were great but much more informal. One could argue the merits of each.
One part stuck out as being rather different. "How does one learn to be true of heart?" she asked, genuinely curious. She'd have thought such a thing would be learned by experience, by interacting with others. Lessons on such a thing were hard to imagine.
Nishu thought about it for a moment. He himself didn't exactly know how it was thought but he managed to get the general idea. From what he understood back then he believed that it was a belief that one will never let go that keeps the wolf true to itself. Without losing that dream or purpose from the start, it should be possible to avoid all other paths that could lead to something dark. If the idea kept changing then the path changed to could lead to corruption. Sticking to one true idea can keep anyone away from the darkness as long as they continue to hold on to it since the beginning.
He stratched the back of his neck with one of his hind legs then settled again. "Simply having an idea or purpose that you will always stick to is the key of remaining true of heart. In my case, I will become the greatest Knight ever known. I must keep my devotion to wolves in need and protect those who have proven themselves honorable. As long as I continue on my dream and goal I'll remain true to myself and to those around me. Your inner fire must found at an early age and has to continue to burn brightly as you live. Do you understand Vienna?" He said he as wondered if he confused her or not.
As he looking at her with a questioning look he thought about how it would be better to have more knights around. Even Nishu understood that he couldn't be everywhere and could only do what he could with only a few wolves. If there were more like him in these lands then maybe there would be less danger and less hostile packs. But how to even find more Knights remained a mystery to him.
She nodded, understanding the concept. It sounded... ideal, but she couldn't imagine devoting your whole life to one idea, let alone deciding on the idea that young. Didn't wolves change as they grew? "What happens if a knight decides they want a different purpose?" she asked.
Helping others and protecting them was an honorable pursuit, but selfishly she doubted she would want to devote her entire existence to catering to the wants of others. Didn't he want a home? A family? If he forever wandered and traveled, could he ever have that? Or did knights just not care about such things? She did not ask, feeling the question personal, but his ability to commit to a cause was obviously much higher than her own.
If a Knight wanted to change purpose? It was a confusing question. A knight who decides to change his purpose isn't a real knight or quits being a Knight. Nishu didn't think it was possible to quit, It takes so much to get this far. Why would anyone even think about changing purpose?
He tilted his head as he looked at her. "Changing purpose? Then a Knight wouldn't be a knight anymore. I wouldn't understand why a Knight would ever change his purpose. Knights are suppose to be known as valueable wolves for any situation. Why not be a Knight if you can, right?" He said, believing Knights to actually have the best purpose in life.
She didn't want to offend him, but the conversation was so interesting that she didn't want it to die out just yet. Still, she did choose her words carefully. "Don't get me wrong. It seems a rather useful way to be. But always dedicating yourself to others... It just seems hard to satisfy yourself that way." She smiled to let him know she meant nothkng by it.
"I suppose it is good that we have all kinds in the world, though. If everyone was a knight, then who would Knights serve?" In fact, Vienna wasn't quite sure how they decided who to serve in the first place. Was there a criteria, a specific type, or did they just happen upon situations by chance? "How does a knight choose an assignment?"
Nishu didn't really think about what he would get out of being a Knight. Being a Knight alone brought nothing. Without someone else to witness him he would be nothing and he would be meaningless. Why does he dedicate himself to others? Simply because that is the only way for him to exist. A Knight can not survive a perfect peaceful world, there would be no point of existing if there was no one that needed help. Funny, did that mean as he continue to help others he would slowly disappear? Well as long as Nishu was alive he believed that he was needed so nothing can discourage him from being a Knight. It's his own purpose.
"Satisfying yourself would be based on your own greed. The world would be better off if everyone tried satisfying everyone else instead. Atleast that's what I was told." He said calmly. The world in reality had both types, but would it really be better if everyone stopped trying to satisfy themselves? That was a question without a real answer. He wasn't sure if anyone had a real answer to that.
Then he answered the next question, which wasn't that hard to answer. "You choose the first assignment that would appear to be a real job for a Knight, It's important to see which is honorable or not." He said as he turned to look up at the sky. It would seem like it spent enough time out here and it was soon time to return to Rain.
After he had finished speaking, a glance to the sky was given. Practiced as she was in the art of encounters and conversations, it was a clear indication that this meeting was coming to a close. Vienna could not agree that to serve one's own interests was greedy. To do so at the expense of others, maybe, but to work towards your own happiness was living in her mind. If you had nothing to look forward to, what was your life like?
She was glad he had such strong belief, though, and commended him for it. She wasn't about to discount it. "That could definitely be the case," she said. "It must be difficult, to sort the honorable from the not. And to prioritize."
With a small nod, she acknowledged his silent cue. "I wish you luck on your mission, you and Rain. If I hear or see anything that may help I will be sure to let you know. Thank you for all the information." She had enjoyed their talk.
"Actually it's not that hard to prioritize once you've decided your way." Then he looked at her with a grin. "Have you found your way yet? I found mine with I was just a pup." Afterwards he got up and turned "Anyway it's time for me to go back to Rain and see if she is resting well so I hope you continue to recover. It's calm so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Suppose we'll meet again later, goodbye for now." Then he started walking away.
Nishu got what he wanted, It was just to meet other members of Sunspire and get to know them. It did encourage him to find the location of the cougar but what was more interesting was finding someone who was interested in Knights. She had asked many question and Nishu answered them correctly without hesitation. He was sure of himself. He was curious to know if Vienna learned anything. Maybe he'll come see her again later. She wasn't going to go far with those injuries so just leaving her here for too long didn't settle too well with him. Rain is top priority but she loves her pack so Nishu felt like it was ok to atleast visit the others when he can, just to make sure they were safe.
Vienna smiled back. It was good to know what drove him, made him more understandable as well as more trustworthy. "Nah, I was never much into following the path," she responded to his question. The more interesting and fun things were often those beyond where normal travelers went, after all. She couldn't imagine having that sort of focus in anything; that included her life goals.
"Thanks, talk to ya later!" She watched him go, then lowered her head once more. A nap sounded lovely, and he'd given her some nice things to think and daydream about while doing so.