Phoenix Maplewood Prayer

Ooc: join in if you'd like 

Lunar ran through the woods until she came to a private looking place. A small creek bubbled through here and she lay down by it. With a war appearing imminent on the horizon she felt the need to ask for guidance. In her homeland they prayed to the ancestors but she knew none she could pray to. She was a stain on her family's lineage,she had been told her ancestors wouldn't hear her. She knew no other Gods and wouldn't follow them if she did. So she turned to the one constant she had in her life. Even dead her mother brought her solace. "Hey Mom,its me. I don't really know what to say, I guess I'm asking for guidance. It seems we'll be going to war soon. I just want to do good, I want to be good Mom,"she looked up at the blue wintery sky as if her mother would appear to help her. "I don't want to disappoint my pack. I want to prove that I'm not weak like Remus always thought,"she whispered. She was afraid that she would be a hindrance to her new family. She rested her head on her paws,smiling as thoughts of her mother filled her head.

Spring happened to be going on a walk the same time Luna did her prayer.  Spring was about ten feet away from Luna.  When her ears perked hearing a sound.  A sound that sounded like it was coming from Luna.  She heard the smaller white female say her prayer and although guilt flashed through her, as Spring felt as though she were intruding on Luna’s personal space.  A question flashed through her mind.  Who was Remus?

Spring began to pad up to Luna, letting her paws crunch on the snowy ground as to not surprise or startle the other female.  “Saying a prayer before the battle starts?”  Spring asked rhetorically.  “That’s a good idea.”  Spring admitted kindly, padding closer to Luna’s side.

Lunar's ears tilted back when Spring spoke,listening to her words. She sat up and turned to the other female who had soon become her acquaintance of not her friend. "Hey Spring. Yeah felt the need to ask someone to watch over us,"she said with a smile,shaking the last remnants of sadness from her mind. She hadn't expected anyone to find her here,but she didn't mind anyone showing up. Spring might pray to some God or goddess but she didn't know. Most wolves had no religion. Her's was more of a cultural thing than not. "Do you pray to anyone?", she asked Spring.

Spring tilted her head to the side in deep thought for a moment.  “No, I have no one to pray too.”  Spring admitted.  “Where I come we never prayed anyways... so I just never have.”  Spring decided.  “Did your first pack pray Luna?”  Spring asked curiously.

As Spring awaited Luna’s response to her question the same words flashed through her mind once more.  Who was Remus?  Spring felt obligated to ask, but didn’t want to be rude so she stayed quiet for now.  Maybe she would ask some other time.  Maybe...

Lunar nodded,watching Spring curiously. She hoped the female wouldn't laugh,her pack's ways had been odd in relation to those she had met. "We prayed to the ancestors. For guidance,for luck,anything. Every pup learns of it's ancestors at least three generations back,"she told Spring. She wasn't sure how much else to mention. The information about her lineage had been withheld from her,she was the weak link. The runt,the omega. Nothing important enough to waste prayer on. Even her name was a symbol of her disgrace. Like a moon casting a shadow upon the earth, she had cast a shadow upon her family. Or in her own father's words, a stain; a dark spot;etc.

Spring nodded.  "Sounds nice.  Who were your ancestors that you learned about?"  Spring asked, obviously interested in this matter.

Spring perked her ears, wondering if Luna would mention this Remus she had mentioned earlier.  She was especially interested in that name.

"I learned of none. The wolves where I come from are more barbaric than they are like a pack. I was a runt and I looked different than them. I was not allowed to learn,"she told Spring emotionlessly. She had long ago accepted her past as it was. Difference was dangerous where she came from. The wolves followed the strong in her home land. She had been born small,weak,with white fur. To those around her she was a threat because she challenged what they knew. Somehow her mother convinced her father to let her live though, and for that she was grateful. "I pray to my mother,"she added.

Spring wrinkled her nose in disgust.  "That horrible!  They should have treated you with respect Luna."  Spring exclaimed angry at the methods Lunar told her about her original pack.

"Was your Mother not as barbaric as everyone else then?"  Spring asked curiously, her head tilted to the side a bit.  Wondering if this was the reason why Luna prayed to her Mother; because she was not barbaric.

"No, she was different. It was hard enough for the others to accept her. She challenged them time and time again. She was lighter than the others as well,more of a silver than a grey. She didn't believe in their ways but when I came along they had a way to make her submit. I don't think she ever truly loved any of her pups the same as me,except maybe my brother Demecus. They loved me,"she explained further. Her brother was still alive somewhere as far as she knew or she would have prayed to him as well. Her mother was the only she knew of to pass so far. Except the other two runts of her mother's other litters who hadn't lived long enough to be named. She sometimes wondered if they would have been like her. If they had been treated the same maybe it was a blessing they had passed painlessly.

Spring expressions saddened.  “Sounds like a hard life from the beginning.”  She expressed.  “Are Demecus... and your Mother still alive?”  Spring almost found herself asking if Remus was still around too, but made sure to shut her maw about him for now.

The female sat down wondering what else she would learn about the extremely tragic beginnings of Lunar Eclipses life.  She found herself thinking of her own parents and littermates.  She knew her parents were dead... but Kalik could still be alive, so could Illea.  She found herself curious as to what happened to them, but quickly turned her focus back to Luna.

"My mother is not. She got sick,no one knew what to do. It was like nothing they had ever seen. It spread amongst the elders quickly but skipped over the young ones somehow,"she told Spring. "Demecus is alive somewhere,he had to leave as I did. It wasn't safe with our father around. He considered him a threat to his leadership so he cast him out." She found herself wondering if it was true,if he was dead. Last she heard he had formed a pack somewhere. She hadn't known where and had never found it.

Spring found a sad pang flip flop in her gut, when Luna talked about her Mother dying.  It brought back memories of her own Mother’s gruesome death, along with her Father’s and her pack’s death.  It made her feel that old grief again, in a strong fresh wave.

“I’m sorry your Mother died, mine did too.”  Spring told Lunar, a sad emotion in her voice as she recalled how happy her own Mother had been just days before that deadly rabies virus/disease came to there pack.  The whole Pack had been doing well actually... until the rabies came.  Then everyone died... except herself.

Lunar glanced over at Spring,seeing the sorrow upon her face. "I am sorry,"she said sincerely. It wasn't just a courtesy with her,She meant it. She may not have known Spring's pack but she was sorry the she wolf had gone through that. She moved over resting her side against Spring in a comforting gesture as she stated down at the river. She had a feeling they would be closer friends after this but she was unsure. She could never tell with Spring. "If you don't mind my asking..what happened?"

“A big rabies virus, killed everyone off everyone in that Pack.”  Spring explained to Luna a little sadly, answering the white pelted female’s question, a sad twinge to her voice as she remembered those horrible days.

She decided to change the subject ever so slightly.  “Have you seen Demecus since leaving?  Spring asked, wondering if Luna had proof the male was still alive, not just what she thought.  It made her think of her brother Kalik, wondering if he was still alive.  She pushed his memory aside for now... she didn’t like to think of how he had been taken away.

Lunar thought of telling Spring she was sorry once more,but figured she didn't need a million apologies. When she asked about Demecus she smiled sadly. "No. I heard he had started a pack somewhere but never found it." She had hoped when she left she might find it,but there was only so much time before she had to run or be found by her father's men.

Spring nodded listening, though she wondered if Kalik had started a Pack... probably not.  He was a little too lazy to take on that much responsibility.  Spring smiled inwardly at the thought.  She missed her littermates... her family in general.  But she had Phoenix Maplewood now, that was good enough.

“At least we have Phoenix Maplewood now.”  Spring remarked, warmly.  She appreciated this Pack and it’s amazing members.  She didn’t know what she would do without it.  She wondered what her life would have been like if she had never found the Maplewood.  She could have died when she was in Silvertip Mountain anyway... she was pretty sure that that pack did not like her that much.  Although it was her fault in a way.  Spring stopped thinking about Silvertip Mountain, at least she had the Maplewood now.  That was really all that counted, she couldn’t ask for a better Pack and pack mates.

"That's very true. I'm glad to have this pack,"she replied happily. Life had looked up upon entering its ranks. She had come out of her shell, made new friends, and now had a new family to call her own.

Spring nodded.  “I don’t know where I would be without the Maplewood.”  Spring paused for a moment.  “Just curious Luna, but did you come across any other Packs in the Teekon Wilderness, before Phoenix Maplewood?”  Spring was simply curious to fin out if Lunar Eclipse had had any close encounters with other Packs like she had.

"Two actually. Porcupine Ridge and Lost Creek Hollow. I didn't exactly get a warm welcoming. One attacked me and the other threatened me,"she chuffed out a laugh. "What about you?" How funny her past trials had been. Both had denied her,she had broken some customs there it seemed. She had learned though and found herself in Phoenix Maplewood. She was curious to see if Spring had any run ins with packs.

Spring was hesitant for a moment, then began to tell of.  “I only encountered one Pack before Phoenix Maplewood.  It was called Silvertip Mountain.”  She paused for a moment, looking slightly embarrass.  “I walked right into there borders... on accident.”  She chuffed a laugh at her past cluelessness.  “That’s how I got that scar on my muzzle, a reminder from their Alpha Female.”  Spring added.  Although now she felt a little more in the game now than she had been back then.  She was not so clueless as she had once been.  Now she fully understood the real world... almost.

Spring came to her focus as she remembered Luna had mentioned Lost Creek Hollow.  That was where Ishi live!  She pushed aside that thought for now though.  “What happened to get you chased out of this Porcupine Ridge and Lost Creek Hollow?”  Spring asked a little curiously.

Lunar laughed,not at Spring but the irony,"I did the same at Porcupine Ridge. Got away with a few bites but other than that no harm no foul. At Lost Creek I looked their Alpha in the eye." She groaned in annoyance at her past innocence,"I was so naive,kinda ignorant actually." She had seemed like a stupid pup,lost without her mother. It seemed she and Spring had more in common than one might think.

Spring chuffed a playful laugh when Illea told her of the mistakes she had once made.  Spring sighedwith a playful smile.  “But we are better now?  Aren’t we?”  She remarked in a rhetorical question.  She enjoyed having this conversation with Lunar Eclipse, it was nice to just... talk to someone.

Lunar nodded though it didn't seem to be a question needing an answer. She had gotten more mature after living here,come out of her shell some. 

Ooc:I think it's going to end soon ?

Spring gave Lunar Eclipse a goodbye headbutt that she had gotten from Luna last time the two had seen each other when they were depressing with Esaro.  When she had been teaching them of herbs.  She was catching on to Luna’s ways of life in a way...

Spring smiled.  “I guess I’ll see you later then Luna.”  Then the multicolor female started to pad away from Luna, disappearing from sight.  She would have to continue her lesson with Luna and Esaro soon Spring remembered, but that could wait for a while.  Maybe after the battle with Aaron’s Pack.

Fading Here... I’ll be making another herb teaching thread after the battle with Rosing.  :)

She rubbed her head against Spring's shoulder,before she nodded,woofing out a soft goodbye. She chuckled at Spring's headbutt. Her's had been more like a ran to the shoulder than an affectionate rub. But that was okay,Spring hadn't grown up using the same body language. She padded off into the woods to sleep before the big battle.