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+--- Thread: Bearclaw Valley devotion (/showthread.php?tid=43411)
devotion - Averna - August 20, 2020
Dark thoughts were more frequent here even though their surroundings were nothing like the dark forest. But at the same time, it seemed that those who were dark were darker here, almost as if they felt the need to compensate for the light, feel-good surroundings that the bearclaw valley offered. Blood was spilled here and Thief ruled supreme, which was just as well for the priest. She could live here, sustain here, be a part of a community and yet she could go her own way whenever she pleased.
Her spiritual side was pleased frequently by the displays of violence, of blood, of death -- but her mortal side often felt lonely. She thought at times of Powergirl; it was a strange and peculiar thing to think of someone who was not right here, right now, for the priest. She had not experienced such before very often.
No matter -- she cast aside her thoughts and carried a bundle of herbs towards a small altar she had made somewhere along the northern wall of the bearclaw valley. Various bones were scattered and a bird's innards were scattered across the altar -- a large, round rock -- with blood staining it now. As she approached the priest brought the herbs to the altar, placing it next to the bird's innards.
RE: devotion - Aventus - August 20, 2020
A smaller shadow followed in Averna's wake.
Aventus thought he was becoming a pretty accomplished little sneak. Maybe the grown-ups noticed him and pretended not to, or maybe they didn't. Either way, his confidence in his ability to go unseen grew and grew, and he skulked along after the adults with increasing frequency.
His aunt wasn't unfamiliar to him, even if Aventus had spent no appreciable time in her company. The words he usually reserved for family, therefore, found no place on his tongue for her. No greeting as he peered from a shadow at the altar she approached. No sound as he suddenly scurried forward and grabbed at the inticing length of avian intestine splayed on the rock, body half twisted away as if to preemptively avoid an imminent strike from Averna.
RE: devotion - Averna - August 27, 2020
Perhaps it was not very hard to sneak up on the priest when she was in her hazed state, captivated by the spirits, or perhaps Aventus was truly getting good at sneaking; whatever the case, the ghost did not notice his approach and before she knew it, the herbs were knocked off the altar. Not by the force of a wolf; by the force of the intestines as they went flying. At first the priest wondered if the spirits did not like her offerings, but soon she realised what was happening as she laid eyes on the sneaky culprit -- one of her counterpart's spiderlings.
Although she was lithe and fast and would likely be able to catch up with him or perhaps even snatch him as he first ran off, she did not. There was something funny about the way he twisted, expecting her to do what any other wolf would've done. Not strange, perhaps, but she liked it. She liked that she could make others dance without asking them to. The priest did not try to grab him, the prize he took or give chase; she merely said as he started to run off, her voice calm and collected with an edge of playful amusement to it:
I am not sure taking that is worth the price Sithis will ask for it.
RE: devotion - Aventus - August 30, 2020
He found it strange how Averna remained rooted, not coming after him like others would’ve done if he snatched something he wasn’t meant to have. His steps faltered, body still curved away from his aunt, as she spoke instead, conjuring strange sounds with her tongue and still not reaching for the length of intestine he’d taken. This behaviour was quite unexpected. He was certain she would chase after him.
He was so puzzled, not by her words but by her lack of reaction, that he dropped the intestine.
Sssssss,he repeated, knowing nothing of Sithis or the greater punishment he might face for displeasing Averna’s god. He assumed it was the name of another wolf, maybe a frightening wolf like Merrick, who was as close to God as Aventus could imagine. Even the great bears were something of an unknown to him, still.
Seeing as Averna wasn’t scolding him or reacting beyond offering that strange name forth, Aventus bent to grab the intestine again and gave his head a wild shake, flinging them around so they became a macabre streamer.
RE: devotion - Averna - September 17, 2020
Sssssss. It sent a shiver through her bones. It made her want to repeat the name a hundred times so that he may emulate it, but she knew that it did not work quite that simply. He grabbed the intestine again and flung it back and forth.
Not afraid, I see,said the priest, a wicked smile on her pale face.
In a reflective tone she pondered:
I wonder what Sithis will do to you when he finds out you have taken his gifts.She did not expect it to faze the child at all, considering his bold response earlier. He was a lot like Thief in that way; unfortunately, that name was already taken.
Do you disregard all spirits, then, or do you follow only your bear spirit?She wasn't sure if she expected any answers.
Some leftover fluids prayed from the intestine, marring her white fur, and she chuckled in amusement, feeling the urge to give in to some sort of madness grow bigger as the intestine flew through the air, taunting her instincts.
RE: devotion - Aventus - September 17, 2020
Not afraid of anything, said his eyes, but it was a lie. Merrick frightened him greatly. Would Averna see through him? There was a sort of ethereal quality to her colourless gaze that went over his head, else he might’ve taken her warnings more seriously. He felt like she could look right through him to his very soul, but he didn’t realize how closely tied to the spirit his aunt really was.
Just another adult with another cryptic lesson. Sounded like he’d taken someone else’s present, which only made Aventus all the more covetous of the length of intestine he’d snatched. It was meant for someone else? Nope. His now. He chomped on the thick, waxy rope and marveled at the offal that leaked from the ends as if squeezed from a tube.
She asked about his spirits. Aventus dropped the intestine at last, corralling its grotesque coil between his forepaws with a rough pounce. There was no telling what compelled him to question specific words and not others, but this time, it was,
spirits?
RE: devotion - Averna - September 18, 2020
His eyes stared at her with burning quality. She did not really care whether he was playing pretend or actually brave (most wolves played pretend though, in her experience) and she just stared back at him -- through him -- calmly.
When she mentioned spirits he dropped the prize he had taken from the altar. It seemed he was not aware of the spirits at all, which surprised her greatly, what with such a spiritual father.
What do you know of the bear?the priest asked.
The stone at the valley's begin might whisper you some answers.Cryptic, as she usually was.
RE: devotion - Aventus - September 29, 2020
Father was quite the busy man, and Aventus quite the busy boy. Who could say whose fault it was that he didn’t know much about the bears his sire worshipped? It was certainly possible that Merrick had whispered words of the great beasts to his cubs and Aventus failed to listen attentively.
Averna offered a temptation in the form of the valley’s signature boulder. Aventus pulled his ears upward and blinked at her, doing his best to hide his interest behind a stoic mask, but failing. His tail stirred.
How?he asked. In his experience, stones couldn't talk, but maybe it was cryptic Averna who held the key to their secret voices.
RE: devotion - Averna - October 06, 2020
When he offered her another question in return -- how -- the priest merely chuckled and turned back to her altar, nosing around some of its other contents so they were better aligned now that the star ingredient was missing. She'd find proper replacement later. It was such a mortal thing to ask for all answers to be presented on a silver platter, while none of those would give him satisfaction. There was no spiritual salvation to be found simply by following a step-by-step guidebook on how to get closer to the spirits. What a silly thought! Yet these mortals, they seemed to think that was the case, always asking her to explain her words rather than try anything out themselves.
With a playful spark to her eye the priest glanced over her shoulder and said to the child,
Shh. I've already said too much.
RE: devotion - Aventus - October 06, 2020
To the boy's annoyance, Averna offered no further explanation. Aventus perked his ears and leaned forward a little on his toes, eager for the priestess' lesson, but all she did was playfully chide him. He visibly deflated. Rocks couldn't talk, and if Averna wouldn't help him understand how to hear them, it was unlikely he would ever figure out what she'd meant.
Without a word, he stooped to pick up the intestines and stalked haughtily away with it trailing between his legs, acting very much like he was bored with his aunt's antics. But on the inside, he buzzed with curiosity, and the moment he could get away without anyone seeing, he would peruse the rock his aunt spoke of and try to hear the secret hidden voice within.
Fade here?
RE: devotion - Averna - October 07, 2020
yess! thank you for the thread :)
It wasn't exactly her task to instruct others. The spirits spoke to who they wanted, and it had become clear to her throughout her life that that included only so many wolves; many mortals would never experience the joy of their ways. And if it were, then in her experience they learned much better through mystery than literal explanations.
The priest continued to tend her altar and though she did not look at him, she could hear the child take the intestines and skulk away.
Ah, but what will that choice bring onto your path next,she murmured to herself after he had gone, a smirk on her face as she thought of what Sithis might claim instead of the prize that had been stolen from his altar. The boy's soul, perhaps?