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+--- Thread: Stavanger Bay i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night (/showthread.php?tid=17516)
i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - August 27, 2016
@Doe.
It doesn’t take much effort to get Qilaq rounded up for bed. Her energy, while growing each day, is often depleted by the end of the day and promise of a comfortable night of sleep is enough to lure her to Amayo’s side, long limbs tucked inside herself, and curling in the tangle of legs. One paw crosses her muzzle and, in no time, she’s asleep until morning.
Most of the time she sleeps all the way through the night, but this night there is a struggle. Her back legs kick a few times, digging at the dirt, and a whine peeping through her lips. A whimper settles in the back of her throat, eyes closed as she remains lost in slumber, but her legs jerk a few more times and with one final, sudden movement, she startles herself awake.
Grey eyes widen in surprise, jerking into an upright position as she stares off into the darkness. The night is quiet around her except for her heaving and infrequent whines of terror. She tries to stand, still sleep-logged, so as soon as she’s up on all fours, she’s down just as fast as she tries to scramble and put herself into the safe embrace of her Amayo that she suddenly can’t find in her confused state.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - August 27, 2016
Atoll's eyes flashed open almost as soon as the girl began to fret. Briefly, her eyes met with those of Szymon, who had also been roused by their girl's fitful slumber. A moment of sleepy, wordless communication passed between them before Doe turned her attention to Quill, yellow eyes glowing softly in the faint moonlight that slipped past and flickered off her love's guarding form.
"Sweet lamb," she said lowly, smoothing a soothing lick up the child's back. She was bigger and stronger than when she'd first arrive, but her timid nature still weighted her down. Amayo hoped that the Drop would strengthen her and eliminate these worrisome night terrors. Perhaps then, Szymon would deign to sleep with them in the den instead of lying across the entrance.
For now, that couldn't be helped. For now, Amayo just worried about getting the cub to sleep through the night. "I am here for you, littling," she assured, reach to press her muzzle to Quill's smaller body. "So is Appeh - do you see him guarding?"
Her eyes cut again to meet Szymon's golden ones, but her focus was still on Quill. This was between the two of them alone - Szymon would have his own time to bond with their foundling child.
Sizzle pp with permizzle
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - August 27, 2016
Amayo speaks and Qilaq swings her head until she’s in view, blinking a few times and she materializes before her. She turns to the other in the background. Appeh. She hiccoughs, only once, before melting into Amayo’s warm fur. Her heart still pounds in her ears but it is then she can feel it slow every few beats. It’s still several minutes before she feels soothed enough that every muscle relaxes, half laying against her protective wall.
“Amayo, ayo, ayo, ayo…” she murmurs into the soft of her fur, closing her eyes again. Sleep is a far off idea as she settles her breathing into the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Qilaq mumbles the name a few more times before she falls silent, lifting her head and resting upward so that her nose points just over her spine. “Poison tree ‘gain, Appeh,” she mumbles, her body swaying side to side, soothing her frayed nerves.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - August 27, 2016
A secret smile lit her face as she found and easy answer to this fear. "No, not here, little lamb," she said easily, wrapping a loose paw around her precious charge and leaning down to whuff over the fur of her back. "There are no trees here on the shore - you don't ever have to go near them, if you don't want to."
There were trees around them, of course, but Quil could reasonably go the rest of her life without stepping foot near or under one, if such a desire gripped her. There was food in the ocean, and shelter in the grass. If it was the woods her baby feared, the bay was a splendid place for her to be.
Amayo took a moment to appreciate the sound of the little girl's voice, and took up a quiet hum to better soothe her in her fearful state. The ease with which she'd taken to herself and to Szymon pleased the woman greatly, and hearing the words of her old pack spoken from her daughter's tongue made her feel at home in a way she hadn't known she'd been missing.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - August 28, 2016
Qilaq heaves a final, defeated breath. Huff.
The dream she'd been having already begins to fade. The lingering feelings of fear remain a distant, bitter taste in the back of her mouth. She swallows but it doesn’t go away, even when she forgets what she’d been afraid of in the first place.
Something.
One ear twitches as if something had been bugging, with nothing there, and she picks her up head to readjust so that her legs kick out to the side instead of beneath her. Making herself comfortable again takes a little bit of effort as she disregards the woman. When she’s down on her side, head on the ground and facing the dark of the den, she stares at nothing in particular and smacks her lips together and tries to find a place for her parched tongue.
“Just us.”
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - August 29, 2016
Quill's words made little sense. It was always this way - Amayo had written it off as a child's bumbling, never wondering if it was something more serious than that. Though she'd grown accustomed to her girl's presence, she still rode the high of having finally obtained a child. Her heat had come and gone, after all, and she could not yet tell if there was new life within her - Quill was the only gaurantee.
"Just us," she echoed in agreement, licking the girl's cheek. "Do you want to go out and look? It's a fine night, little lamb - we can see all the stars with not a leaf to hide them."
With a wide yawn, she stood and nudged Szymon aside, inviting him to continue to rest while she and their girl went on a little walk - assuming, of course, that she had not fallen back asleep. Amayo took a few steadying breaths of the cool, salty air before looking behind her to see if Quill would be coming along.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Szymon - August 29, 2016
Cameo to prove he exists. ♥ Feel free to skip me!
Szymon lay with his attention largely focused on his Chosen One and their fragile ward, quietly watching their interaction that he might someday be able to emulate Doe’s ability to soothe and comfort. The other ear was turned outward, ever alert to the possibility of an ambush or intruder. Each sense was tuned to an impossibly fine pitch as he listened to Qilaq’s voice, so seldom heard, and watched as she sprawled onto her side, kicking out her long, gangly legs. “Appeh,” Doe had called him. Perhaps it was the male version of Amayo. His ears fanned backward against his skull as he considered the title, and drew forward with mute acceptance. If they chose to call him so, he would answer.
In a rare moment of playfulness, Szymon splayed on his side and reached out with both forepaws and a gaping muzzle to teasingly waylay Doe as she passed him by, seeking to snake one of her dainty paws. He remained this way, sprawled on his side, and twisted his head to watch her go, propping his chin on the earth to look at her even as his body remained in lateral recumbency.
In a rare moment of playfulness, Szymon splayed on his side and reached out with both forepaws and a gaping muzzle to teasingly waylay Doe as she passed him by, seeking to snake one of her dainty paws. He remained this way, sprawled on his side, and twisted his head to watch her go, propping his chin on the earth to look at her even as his body remained in lateral recumbency.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - September 05, 2016
There is a sudden emptiness around her, a rush of cool air, and she lazily turns her head in the dirt to watch Amayo. She nudges Appeh, who playfully responds, and she has to restrain the urge in her legs to join in. She scrambles to all fours as the other exits the den, looking back for Qilaq to catch up.
I'm coming, I'm coming!
It is brighter and she blinks a few times as if she needs to adjust but it takes only a second. The den her parents had had been covered with trees and while she could see an occasional star through the branches, it's nothing like this. She thinks to ask where they are going but it's fleeting and disappears, finding herself wrapped up in the sky.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - September 06, 2016
They are not going far - Amayo is tired, still, though her girl's restlessness had awaken her completely. She sought only to give Quill some fresh air, and to fufill the promise she'd spoken in the den. No trees here - and indeed, the sky was spread out above them in all its majesty, the view undiluted until the sentinels of Donnelaith rose high on those western cliffs. And as noble as those sentiels were, they could hardly reach the height of the stars.
It was a joy to behold the beauty that surrounded her. It was a joy to watch at Quill beheld it all. The wonder laid undiluted in her pack-daughter's eyes, the iron-bright grey lit up by the moon and something more. Innocence, maybe. Amayo didn't know, but found herself feeling coltish in the light of the daughter's youth.
Bowing low, she tossed her head at the inky girl. A yap - low but sharp - broke the sleepy silence around them as Amayo invited her girl to play.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - September 10, 2016
She’s distracted by the stars for a little while longer, watching them twinkle above her. There’s a wonder developing in her mind that she can’t quite put words to but the feeling of want and more become strong enough for her to pursue. With her head still pointed to the sky, Qilaq takes a few careful steps forward. She isn’t very steady on her paws with each step but they are slow and she doesn’t falter too much. Even when Amayo yaps in her direction, she doesn’t jump in surprise and lose her balance.
Qilaq lowers her head away from her wonder to see the woman half on the ground, bowing low, and for a brief moment the girl forgets about the endless expanse above their heads. She feels a burst of energy that makes her whole body squirm, a high pitched and excited whine escaping her lips, and she lowers to the ground while her rump waves back and forth. Her tail beats back and forth, swaying back and forth as she prepares for a launch, and throws herself forward at the woman.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - September 11, 2016
It seems silly to do anything else. Amayo allows herself to be pounced upon, rolling onto her back to absorb the mighty power of the coltish girl. The pack-daughter is desposited onto Amayo's chest and half-heartedly warded off by her gaping maw - teeth close teasingly over any limb that strays too near, but a steady stream of cackling growls encourage the pup to keep trying.
She loves this girl. Her adoration is full and complete, and sometimes she struggles to place these great loves of hers in their proper order. Skellige and Szymon were impossible to unseat, but what about Shadow? Lagertha? Quill was quickly rising through the ranks, settling into a new place in the little shewolf's heart. One that was quickly growing and easily filled by the exuberance of her long-legged girl.
Truly, Skellige and his Sea had blessed her beyond compare.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - September 17, 2016
There is not much impact when Qilaq lands upon Amayo, half rolling with her so that they are chest to chest and teeth are quick to grab on her limbs. Using her back legs to steady herself on the ground, she flails the front two in order to avoid snapping jaws around her. The growling eggs her own, instead of threatens her, and she tries to mimic the sound. Somewhere a half-giggle, half growl expels from her chest that doesn't sound right at all so she topples forward and somersaults to the other side in a tangle of limbs.
It is not long that she is down, twisting herself in ways that probably shouldn't be twisted, and she uses her mouth to try and catch one of the longer, lanky limbs of her caretaker in defense.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - September 17, 2016
The girl's spirit pleased her; she'd thus far abstained from tossing her into the Wickedness, worried that her fraility would lead to the Sea rescuing her in a way more... final than simply returning her to the shore. No matter how often she told herself that that would be okay, Amayo cannot swallow down the grief that such a fate raises up in her. She'd been raised to be a mother; Hind had known her fate from the day of her birth, and so she'd been brought up to bear the children of Riverbone, and to raise them up big and strong.
The Drop conflicted rather heavily with the teachings of her birth pack. It would be detrimental to any cub's health to be tossed into something so cold and unforgiving, and yet, her culture now called for it. The gods and kings that she answered to demanded that she toss her beloved child into the waves, and looking at her now, Amayo can see it.
"You will rise up from the darkness, Qilaq," she says, a promise thudding through her veins as the words leave her mouth - and for once, she uses the truest name she knows for her girl. She will need all the power she can get, and Amayo knows better than anyone that a name could mean... well, everything.
The boisterous growl is enough to wipe such thoughts from her mind, though, and she submits herself to being chewed upon by the girl, though she doesn't stop her half-hearted protests.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - September 18, 2016
Qilaq grumbles when a limb is taken away from her, but quickly replaced by another near her face. Her eyes widen in surprise and her front legs flail in order to try and grasp it, bringing it close, but she fails against her depth perception. She shifts her weight so that she can finally sit upright and collect her bearings, trying to find the nearest one she can take captive and chew on. And then it hits her. Literally.
Her nose wrinkles and she half-laughs, half-growls at her assault. It was a matter of time between her uncoordinated movements and Amayo appeasing her but she is able to put her teeth on her wrist and gently gnaw with her sharpened, premature teeth. Her grip never gets too tight so that her hold remains unsteady, but she focuses on the movements instead of the words, picking herself up so that she can drag herself over the woman's chest.
Distracted by the way the other moves, her back legs propel her forward and in another attack, beings to leave sloppy kisses against the underside of her chin.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - September 18, 2016
A soft ka-yi! escapes the woman as sharp, puppy teeth prick harmlessly against her skin. Amayo isn't worried about herself, but she wonders if there won't soon by smaller beings for sweet Qilaq to play with. When that day comes, she wants her pack-daughter to be as responsive as possible to cries of distress.
But that day still seems a long way off, and for the moment, Amayo is content to allow rougher forms of play as well. When she can manage it - and it's less often that it used to be - she snaps her teeth at the cute little face attatched to her. When she can't, she simply growls, playing the part of menacing foe for her little girl. Through it all, she lies on her back, head craned to watch her pack-daughter play.
The attack comes as little surprise, but still surprise enough to choke a happy laugh from her throat. Amayo endures her messy grooming for a moment before flipping onto her belly and attempting to pin down her assailant, intending to give the girl a proper bath.
"Come here," she murmurs, giving the girl's shoulder a playful nip. "A bath for you, and then bed - but we can sleep out here in the open, if you like."
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Szymon - September 19, 2016
From his post near the mouth of the den, Szymon lifts his head, golden eyes sharpening with sudden intensity at the soft ka-yi! uttered by his Chosen One. It is vaguely similar in pattern to the name-sound Doe uses to summon him, though the inflection is completely different, and he ensures his girls’ wellbeing with a low chuff that billows from his lungs and spills from his jaws. His keen hearing affords him much, but the roll of the Sea keeps him from catching every word shared between the coy woman and her strong-spirited girl. What he gleans is their contentment and affection, and his tattered ears swivel atop his head even after he returns his muzzle to his notched paws and closes his eyes once more.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Qilaq - October 01, 2016
There's an overdramatic yelp as suddenly as she's pinned. None of it hurts and Amayo does no damage when she's splayed out upon the ground mere seconds after she'd once been on top, but the disorientation is enough of a whirlwind. Wide eyes blink several times before she registers any of the words spoken to her, staring up blankly at the woman. Soon there's attention drawn to her shoulder and she whines once, quietly, and attempts to bury herself in her chest. She has grown since her first day, gangly and long limbed and spilling out on either side of the hold, but nonetheless comfortable in caretaker's embrace.
RE: i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night - Doe - October 01, 2016
When the girlchild was sufficiently clean - it didn't take long - Amayo stood and ambled back into the den, stepping carefully over her sleeping husband as she did. Inside the warm, sandy cucoon, she paused only to bathe the back of the man's neck before curling up and dropping back into sleep.
Whether or not Qilaq came back in, Amayo assumed she would be fine. The only thing that would hurt her was the sea, and if the worst should happen, she would at least rest easy knowing that it was the will of the Wickedness, and that the scared rites of the Drop had finally been acknowledged.