Moonspear for my father to come and find me like he said

arcturus did not find anything about moriko stupid — including her smile. if anything that smile compelled a grin of his own, and he was quick to try to stow it away.


they were well into uncharted territory for the ostrega — he had always been a wolf with some emotional intelligence, but never a wolf with a vehicle in which to articulate them. to be so vulnerable in front of another was entirely new, and Arcturus found himself worried he might overextend or say something irrevocable in the process. in that way he was charon’s son, and the moment of heartfelt vulnerability soon came to pass.

affording a slight smile that did little to hide arcturus’ bashfulness, the male spoke. likewise. it’s nice — plus I get to learn new tricks on hunting. have any other brilliant tactics up your tail?

She gave a sweet smile, waggling her tail.

"The unexpected is your friend." She added, pacing around him as she spoke, it helped her think. "What your enemy or prey least expects, is what will end up letting you win the fight."

She flickered her tail, sitting as percipitation began to slowly drizzle from the sky, a chilly wind whistling.

"Wolves are not strictly stuck with the abilities we are born with and learn from our families. We can adapt and we can also learn things from observation, and exploration. We are able to make our own tactics."  She gave a little smirk, proud of herself for having developed things most wolves would see as uneeded or odd. His remarks were making her feel proud and less like an oddity about it,

wise words parted from moriko’s lips. arcturus drank with a disciple’s thirst — if he was to be warrior-guardian, to be sentinel to his home, he would do well to absorb all moriko taught here.

what was your family like? arcturus suddenly blurted, having been prompted to do so by her mention of wolves surpassing the abilities of their family. he hoped in a small way someday he’d surpass charon — and make him proud to be the bearer of his legacy.

wise words parted from moriko’s lips. arcturus drank with a disciple’s thirst — if he was to be warrior-guardian, to be sentinel to his home, he would do well to absorb all moriko taught here.

what was your family like? arcturus suddenly blurted, having been prompted to do so by her mention of wolves surpassing the abilities of their family. he hoped in a small way someday he’d surpass charon — and make him proud to be the bearer of his legacy.

He tongue slithered through her mouth slowly, a moment of sadness as she remembered the before she began to speak fondly of them.

"My mother was very wise, and took care of me and my siblings well..she protected us with her life. She was also the one who told me about the world, and how things are not as clear and direct as they seem."

She tilted her head with a small smile. "She was quite in love, not only with my father,but with us, and would whisper things and tell stories to us even before we could open our eyes. My fondest memory, vision or no vision was the feeling of her warmth. It was not only safety, it was home, and when I was there against her, I could feel the love and support radiating from her. I could feel the essence of my family.."

She blushed a bit, since it sounded rather mushy, but smiled bigger at her remark. "I miss them greatly"

arcturus listened as the silvery she-wolf spoke of her family. privately, he hoped her ties with her family were positive and she thought of them fondly -- for arcturus would have secretly judged a person poorly otherwise if they did not hold their family in high regard. in that manner, arcturus was rather narrow-minded and uncompromising in his views.

moriko's story, however mushy, collaborated she too saw the importance in family. arcturus could breathe a hidden sigh of relief. moriko's upbringing sounded nice, and the way she smiled as she spoke of it, with the corners of her lips touched just so by fondness, made arcturus believe her story was genuine. "no, that's good." he murmured, deciding to be honest. "i was afraid you might hate your family, so something. it's so important here in the spear.. so it's nice there is someone... like-minded. is your family still around?" maybe, and this was just the naivete in arcturus talking -- but maybe they could someday meet.

arcturus listened as the silvery she-wolf spoke of her family. privately, he hoped her ties with her family were positive and she thought of them fondly -- for arcturus would have secretly judged a person poorly otherwise if they did not hold their family in high regard. in that manner, arcturus was rather narrow-minded and uncompromising in his views.

moriko's story, however mushy, collaborated she too saw the importance in family. arcturus could breathe a hidden sigh of relief. moriko's upbringing sounded nice, and the way she smiled as she spoke of it, with the corners of her lips touched just so by fondness, made arcturus believe her story was genuine. "no, that's good." he murmured, deciding to be honest. "i was afraid you might hate your family, so something. it's so important here in the spear.. so it's nice there is someone... like-minded. is your family still around?" maybe, and this was just the naivete in arcturus talking -- but maybe they could someday meet.

She let out a soft sigh "I believe my mother and father are no longer with me, and have returned to the Earth.." She tilted her head up in thought. "I am unware of my siblings whereabouts, as well as if they are even alive- I do hope they are and that we can reunite one day."

She flickered her tail softly, turning towards the male wolf. "Moonspear is my family as well now to,and I am extremely greatful and proud of them."

She gave a small smile. "And what are your roots like?" She asked in a friendly manner, wanting to learn more about him. "After all, honey suckle doesn't grow alone."

arcturus' hope was quickly dashed among the stones as moriko spoke of her family, returned to the earth that had sprung them. he could not help but feel disappointment tingled with a semblance of simpatico, of shared pain -- for his parents too now rested among the faceless stones.

"i'm sorry." he murmured, eyes averted. his gaze lifted only as moriko spoke of moonspear of her family now; in seeing her expression arcturus knew she believed it too, which made his heart skip in a strange way he was not used to.

and of his roots? he glanced around them, to the stony fortress above with its shoulders dappled by snow. "well.. i was born here." he started obviously enough, though soon found his fumbling words eased out into an easily spoken narrative. "my parents died just before you came, i think.. but they were a big part of my life - are still a big part of my life." he smiled, remembering both fondly. "my mother's name is amekaze. my father's, charon. someday, if i ever have kids, i would like to honor my parents by naming my children after them.. but that is a long way off, i think. they were the best parents i could have asked for, and i miss them terribly. what about you? have you always lived near mountains, or have you known other things as well?"

arcturus' hope was quickly dashed among the stones as moriko spoke of her family, returned to the earth that had sprung them. he could not help but feel disappointment tingled with a semblance of simpatico, of shared pain -- for his parents too now rested among the faceless stones.

"i'm sorry." he murmured, eyes averted. his gaze lifted only as moriko spoke of moonspear of her family now; in seeing her expression arcturus knew she believed it too, which made his heart skip in a strange way he was not used to.

and of his roots? he glanced around them, to the stony fortress above with its shoulders dappled by snow. "well.. i was born here." he started obviously enough, though soon found his fumbling words eased out into an easily spoken narrative. "my parents died just before you came, i think.. but they were a big part of my life - are still a big part of my life." he smiled, remembering both fondly. "my mother's name is amekaze. my father's, charon. someday, if i ever have kids, i would like to honor my parents by naming my children after them.. but that is a long way off, i think. they were the best parents i could have asked for, and i miss them terribly. what about you? have you always lived near mountains, or have you known other things as well?"

"Thats quite beautiful-" She added softly. "Using the beautiful names of such wonderful people to honor them, I'm saddend I never got to meet them before their time came."

She looked up momentarily in thought before her gaze went back to him. "I have been as far as the coast, but my travels have led me to many places, though I feel most at home in this area, which is how I found the pack. I like the smells and the weather as well. Though storms near the coast were fairly beautiful." She gave a small wag of her tail.

She thought of the names he mentioned before of his parents. "Amekaze..a name like a spring breeze, beautiful. Charon is strong but gives off warmth.. I see where you get it from." She gave a sweet smile. "You yourself honor their names- and Im sure if you have offspring, they will as well." She related in this way to him, missing her parents as well. She felt the strongness in him, they respect and love he had and has for them, and she admired it, as she felt the same way of her parents.

it did arcturus some good to hear moriko's approval. like any young male, arcturus sometimes played his emotions close to his chest -- for fear of rebuke, or otherwise.

yet, exposing his thoughts as he had, and laying plain the sample of his clay, arcturus had grown under moriko's approval. it would be a while yet before he became confident enough to speak of his feelings freely -- but for now, there was some comfort in knowing moriko did not scorn him for what little he had divulged.

he missed his parents terribly. he had little else to say, despite how gracefully moriko had responded to the bomb he had dropped about his parents being dead. his gaze fell, as moriko then detailed her own expedition. he had been to the coast only once -- with his father -- the reminder stung, and he tried not to show it.

"i'd like to see the storms on the coast someday." arcturus responded, finding his own tail had wagged slightly of its own accord. to him, going to the coast sounded like an extraordinary adventure -- but the recent state of the wilds made such things dangerous. "maybe in the spring..?"

it did arcturus some good to hear moriko's approval. like any young male, arcturus sometimes played his emotions close to his chest -- for fear of rebuke, or otherwise.

yet, exposing his thoughts as he had, and laying plain the sample of his clay, arcturus had grown under moriko's approval. it would be a while yet before he became confident enough to speak of his feelings freely -- but for now, there was some comfort in knowing moriko did not scorn him for what little he had divulged.

he missed his parents terribly. he had little else to say, despite how gracefully moriko had responded to the bomb he had dropped about his parents being dead. his gaze fell, as moriko then detailed her own expedition. he had been to the coast only once -- with his father -- the reminder stung, and he tried not to show it.

"i'd like to see the storms on the coast someday." arcturus responded, finding his own tail had wagged slightly of its own accord. to him, going to the coast sounded like an extraordinary adventure -- but the recent state of the wilds made such things dangerous. "maybe in the spring..?"

She gave a smile "Well if you find yourself planning to go in the spring, I'd be more than happy to accompany you." There was a small flash in her eyes, not an intimidating one though, one of confidence and comfort.  "I tend to like getting rained on sometimes, it can be cleansing and calming, but if that's not your thing I know of an area that gives a wonderful view while also protecting from the cause of the view itself." She gave a small little laugh. "The sea air also smells wonderful, though sometimes sand in your coat can be quite a bother-"  She's reminiscing a bit now of her home and memories that she used to have there and nearby there.

She was quite happy Arcturus showed interest in it as well.

arcturus had noted the coast was cold, and unforgiving, when he had gone with charon to look for his brother. one thing he remembered keenly, was the way the air had smelled -- cut with salt, and cold winds. his ears perked as moriko spoke of that, reminding him of his time there in just one word.

"it's a date." arcturus said, trying to sound both confident and bold at once. it wasn't quite the way he wanted it to sound, but he was happy he had at least managed to not sound unsure. he was nervous, but not so nervous his fumbling got the better of him. "should we go back? i bet the cubs would like the fox tail as a plaything."

She was flattered, batting her lashes slightly as she picked up the tail in her mouth, jokingly wrapping it around his neck, like a fancy scarf.

"I suppose we should-"  She flicked an ear. "And good on you- the cubs will definately love it. It's something they can tug on with eachother."  Clever thinking, also cute thinking. Those adorable cubs playing with it? Double adorable.

moriko took the stole of vibrant red fur, and wrapped it delicately around her neck. arcturus took in the vision with a stifled smile — it was a grim sight to some, but an amusing one to him — and he had to admit, the blaze of red complimented moriko’s fur well.

sharing small talk and jokes as they made for home, arcturus planned to give the tail to @Osiris later as a toy — something that would remind him of moriko for a long time yet.