The Heartwood Similar vows

Heph hesitated, whirlwind romances were odd territory for her. She had had fleeting crushes and even a dalliance or two, but nothing lasting - nothing that she would call a romance properly. A half-hearted shrug. "Maybe? I've never felt love at first sight but I've also never gone into season so perhaps that will turn my head." A bit of conspiratorial laughter at that as she tilted her head down briefly into the motion. But she did consider the chance involved - not that chaos could be eliminated. After all asking Kukutux was not like eliminating the chance of the encounter only adding another layer of chance to it. "I don't know it doesn't seem like meeting someone by chance versus meeting someone through another person is all that different." After all whether it was that she happened to meet this wolf or Kukutux happened to meet the wolf first impressions were fleeting and that was not what Heph sought.

She forced herself to consider the question of Phox, leaning back a bit and shifting side to side. "I...think I could mesh well with Phox. He's certainly handsome enough." A barked out nervous laughter, an easier truth to say about the wolf with silver threaded through the ebony of his pelt and bright autumn eyes. He had scars on his face and a rather large one in the form of a missing limb but it had not sapped all the strength from his other three. "But he's also kind and responsible, reliable, has a good sense of humor, and seems to enjoy chasing after life." Heph focused on the traits that stood out to her, that she had, consciously or not, selected as important in a partner yet they flowed easily from her tongue.

Heph appeared to be very pragmatic about her potential mateship with Phox. All the character traits she listed were good qualities to have in any person. Even Dwin could not find any point to disagree with, but still something was missing. As if she was looking at a fine painting, but it lacked the "wow" factor in it. That magic, which would make it stand out among others. Ironically, with all her contempt for the opposite sex, she knew she could not settle for a man just because he was good in all the ways it counted. If there was no spark, what was the point?

"What are the traits in him that annoy you?" Dwin asked, because - surely - you could not judge the person by its hat only. You had to undress them, open their mouth to check their teeth and interrogate throughly. Plus, do some behaviour testing and carefuly observation and analysis in the wilds. That's, what she would do, if she had the opportunity. 

The question startled her, for all of her propensity to share news and enjoy gossip Heph was not accustomed to simply saying what she found less than pleasing in acquaintances much less friends and those she might consider slightly more. But most of her annoyance with others came from prolonged contact rather than any particular behavior. "hmmm well we haven't lived together so I'm not quite sure." He did not speak in heavy words that were difficult to parse, he laughed if he thought her jokes were funny and was not meanspirited when he did not think such, the way he moved might seem odd but it was because he was missing a leg.

"He digs his caches at a different depth than I do so whenever I find them I'm always either still digging when I reach them or have to keep digging until I'm not sure if I have the right place." But she was sure she would figure it out in time if he returned and came to stay. "What kind of things do you think I should be looking for?" She asked, slightly flummoxed but also curious.

"Uhhm... I doubt I should be the one to give you any advice. You are older, you are more experienced and all in all it is far too comfortable to be in a role of shameless inquisitor and question everything you believe in than to actually put any effort in answering those questions myself," Dwin laughed in good-humor. After all she knew too well that it was only the steadiness and maturity of Heph that allowed her overstep borders of privacy. 

"If I was to guess... no, let's put it like this, if I ever were to choose a mate for myself, he would have to be interesting. Not boring. Or stupid," she said. "Independent too. I like my personal space, though that may change, if I were to fall desperately in love and throw every piece of common sense out of the window," she laughed. "That's, what happens in stories, anyways. But - truth to be told - stories are not very good at telling, what a good spouse in real life should be. Very vague, all things considered," she said. 

"Oh, maybe... I could see my mate as a good friend. Someone you can trust and talk to. Something like that," she finished. "Could Phox become your friend?"

Heph chuckled, tacking on her own bit of humor as well. "Well having too much experience in the beginnings and endings of relationships might indicate a need for advice as well." Her eyes crinkled around the words and laughter before they faded out and the conversation took another turn. What Dwin said made sense and she hummed and nodded in agreement. Stories often held kernels of truth or even good broad ideas but they were not always the same as knowing what to do in any given particular situation.

She considered carefully...did she trust Phox...was he a friend? Heph was not a wolf prone to distrust and she was easy and friendly with most that she met, she would consider a great deal of wolves her friends upon only meeting them once or twice as long as their company had been good and especially if help had been offered or asked. "We've hunted together, chatted, and passed each other quite a few times now. I think I'd call him a friend already, hmmm a confidant though. Maybe as I get to know him?" After all it was difficult to say for sure what a wolf would be like upon getting to know them more but she had a good feeling about Phox.

"I hope for your sake... no, that's not right!" Dwin corrected herself, understanding that this whole conversation about Heph's marriage prospects and ideas about, what constituted a good mateship, was not really about her. It was the young Blackthorn trying to understand, what she would/should/could do about her life through the lense of someone else's experience. Who she was to judge or question other people's choices? They were different from her. Had grown up in other circumstances. Had therefore other views. Future aspirations. Dreams. Even if they did not align with, what she herself wanted and believed, she was in no way entitled to judge other people.

"I wish that everything works out for you in the best way possible," she said sincerely. "And... that your dreams come true as well. Just the way you had imagined them," she added for a good measure. "That moon-pack of yours... is it located anywhere near the others? I am planning to visit my sister in... Moon-something," she chuckled at her own inability to remember her sister's address correctly. No wonder, because up until now she had always conveniently come to caldera to visit Dwin. Not the other way now. "And I could stop by and meet you again as well. You do not mind my intrusive questions and I think I could learn a lot from you," she suggested. 

Maybe you can fade this out in your next post and we can have a new one soon? Dwin and her sister Sylvie will be doing the Moon-pack tour in the next week or so.

Despite the conversation, or perhaps because of it Heph felt the well wishes genuine and they warmed her. Though she was not one to doubt her path there was much to be unsure about so she was able to reply genuinely. "Thank you." At the mention of a visit to the moon packs she nodded a swish of her tail.

"It's a bit a hike, we're all the way up on the coast on a plateau. Moonglow's in the spine and Moonspear west of there in the mountains, Moonsong is up on the northern reaches of the eastern mountain range on a glacier." She offered by way of explanation, though Moontide and Moonsong were close enough journying from the mother pack of Moonglow Moontide was the farthest. They had enough scouts and wolves willing to make the journey that it was no trouble but she knew it was part of the challenge for Panuk and Rolayne having to move so far away.

She grinned. "Anytime, I hope to see you soon then." And she did look forward to it, more than just meeting a new face or hearing new news. She enjoyed the questions and the conversation though she was not prone to overanalyzing herself she found the moments of reflection intriguing, a change of pace from what most wolves might have come to expect of her.

yes! I'm a bit slow to reply since this semester is kicking my butt but tag me and I'm there :D