Noctisardor Bypass i praise the earth and the sky and the moon

witch reveled in the freedom that the rendezvous site offered, determined to explore every inch of rivenwood at her own pace. druid often joined her, and the pale child never minded her company. without words, they knew what the other needed; whether silence, a conversation, or something else. her litter mate felt like an extension of her own self.

but there were times when she preferred to be alone with her imagination, and she found tonight to be one of those nights. leaving the comfort of her slumbering family, witch sleepily relieved herself in some nearby brush, but something compelled her to trek to a small clearing to gaze at the open sky.

a tapestry of winking stars surrounded the luminous, waning gibbous moon. against the deep, purple-blue night sky, a swirling masterpiece of clouds told an epic tale. there, a noble wolf defending his pack from a challenging elk-- and there, a hare leaping through a field of wildflowers.

she breathed deeply, ears tuned to the symphony of cicadas and crickets, to the nocturnal creatures in the brush. she wondered at their lives, entire dramas played out in the night while she was sleeping. there was so much to discover about the world, it was overwhelming-- beautiful, but bittersweet that she would likely only ever know a small sliver of it.

thank you, she murmured breathlessly to all of it.

Druid couldn’t stop thinking about her last encounter with Worripa, shortly before he disappeared from Rivenwood. Between that and the adults’ frantic concern, she hadn’t slept much since his disappearance. She wished she could help, though there was nothing Druid could really do but stay out of the way and hope they managed to locate the boy safely.

Although her eyes itched with exhaustion, Druid wandered restlessly this evening. She paid no attention to her surroundings, all her focus turned inward. Somehow, her paws led her straight to where her sister stood staring breathlessly at the lovely night sky.

Druid drifted toward Witch, pressing her nose against the curve of her neck. She then blinked and followed her sister’s gaze, taking in the sky’s splendor. She drew in a breath, then released it, and felt a reassuring squeeze where Bracelet knotted around her ankle.

it didn't take long for druid's own nighttime exploration to lead her directly to witch's side; and though the pale child had originally sought solitude, she was suddenly comforted by her sister's presence. long ago (it felt), witch had done her best to connect with worripa— she had a hard time thinking of him as brother, though she considered skaigona her own flesh and blood. he was always so distant! frustratingly, so. they had all done what they could to embrace him after praimfaya's disappearance, but he was determined to reject and resist it.

and so witch, impatient, had decided not to waste any more time on him. she felt guilty about that, now. was she the reason he had disappeared from the wood?

perhaps that was why she felt so restless in this cool, late-summer night.

he'll be okay, witch said firmly, though she felt her transitioning eyes burn. it was to convince herself of this, as much as it was to convince dru— but they both knew that neither sequoia or mahler would worry without good reason.

Witch whispered to her and Druid let herself be reassured, some of the tension loosening from her weary muscles. She slid into a seated position, glancing down at the snake for a moment before her eyes found the side of her sister’s face.

Where do you think he is? she asked quietly. The only thing they knew was Worripa wasn’t in Rivenwood. What do you think it’s like out there? Outside of Rivenwood? Druid had never thought about it much until their brother had gone. Now, she found herself almost obsessed with the thought.

But perhaps unlike most wolves her age, the thought of the unexplored wilderness neither excited nor intrigued her. It made Druid’s insides tighten with uneasiness. She loved Rivenwood. It was home. It was magic. It was where everyone she knew and loved lived together… until now.

for all her imagination, witch had never considered what might be outside the boundaries of the wood. there were so many small mysteries to discover here that her curiosity did not look hungrily toward the world beyond. rivenwood, mahler, mother— each of her needs were met within these borders. druid's question thumped hard in her chest, and the usually talkative child found herself at a loss for words.

she did not want to imagine that there might be something better, somewhere else. nor did she want to imagine that it was worse, a terrifying land filled with monsters, for what would that mean for their brother? i don't know, she finally admitted, quietly. but witch then turned and licked her sister's face, attempting to lighten the mood, that's something worripa will need to tell us, when he returns.

like his mother had? witch deflated slightly at the thought.

he will see the same moon, she finally said, slowly, comforting herself again as much as she was trying to lift druid's spirits, and the same stars. we are still connected, that way. as long as we share the same sky, we're together. she willed her belief in this so strongly that she felt it, imagining she could see through their brother's eyes, smelling what he did, feeling the same earth beneath their paws.

Witch’s first answer did not bode well, though the warm press of her tongue and the next few words that flowed off it eased even more tension out out of Druid’s striped shoulders. But it was what she said about the shared sky that really lifted her spirits. She was still weary and worried, though as her scratchy eyes raised skyward again and she thought that Worripa might be looking at it too, she felt comforted.

Perhaps the wilds stretched much further than Druid could possibly comprehend. But those neighborly lights in the sky, impossibly out of reach, somehow grounded her. No matter how far Worripa wandered, the moon would never change beyond its familiar phases. It would follow him, but stay here too, keeping them both company.

Without warning, Druid draped herself across the grass, letting out a sigh. She stretched out her left foreleg, letting Bracelet loosen and slither away into the grass. Her mismatched eyes followed the serpent before they wandered back over to Witch.

I never want to leave Rivenwood, she asserted, eyes quietly beseeching her sister to make the same declaration.

the tension broke as druid sighed, collapsing into the tall grasses— sending fireflies and moths and gnats a-flight in the cool summer air. witch grinned despite the solemnness of their conversation thus far, breathing in the heady air, letting the sounds of cicada wash through her and ring in her ears. though druid hadn't said it aloud, witch's thoughts mirrored her sister's: rivenwood was magickal. how could anyone ever leave?

my bones shall rest in this loam forever, the pale witch announced romantically, unceremoniously falling to the earth beside her sister, a cackling giggle spilling from her lips.

Druid quietly rolled belly-up, the better to see the sky. It wasn’t long before Witch also sprawled in the cool, tickling grasses. Her quiet cackle drifted into the darkness and Druid smiled fondly upward before letting her head fall sideways to peer at her beloved sibling.

Good, she said simply to the other pup’s poetic proclamation, two-toned eyes riveted on Witch’s lovely, palely lit features. Her litter mate was not only clever and sweet, but also very pretty, like their mother and Skaigona. She felt envious, though it was not an ugly thing but one borne out of utter affection.

Druid eventually tore her eyes away, looking up at the sky peppered with stars. She did feel a tickle of disquiet about her own, much plainer features. She supposed she bore the white mark around her shoulders, plus she’d inherited Sequoia’s eye color in one eye. But her markings were so boring compared to the other women’s in her life.

Something cool bumped against her and Druid let her head fall to the other side. She smiled at the sight of Bracelet coiled there, seeking her warmth. C’mere, she murmured, rolling into a sphinx-like position. But instead of offering her left foreleg, she bumped her snout gently against the tiny snake.

if witch noticed her sister's gaze upon her, she didn't let on. she was to enraptured by the world turned upside down. the sky a sparkling, glittering body of water— the earth a cavern's ceiling, with ants and beetles descending green stalactites before diving into the starry, oceanic dark. witch nosed playfully at the grasses, tossing her snout from side to side against the soil, doing her best to drive the tiny creatures away into the expanse.

all fun and games, of course, until an ant found its way into one of her nostrils. she flipped back to her belly in the same instant she sneezed, prompting a new flight of fireflies as bracelet tasted druid's nose with its flickering tongue.

do you know where snakes came from, dru? she queried, a yawn teasing the edges of her words but not quite breaking through. witch did her best to keep her eyes wide and bright, fighting against the sleepiness that threatened to overtake her. they hardly ever got to talk like this without someone else around, and she didn't want to waste it!

Bracelet slithered along the bridge of her muzzle, forcing Druid to go cross-eyed. She saw a flash of white and remembered how she and the snake shared that particular marking. It was magical and mysterious. Although she didn’t look like her mother or sisters, it quietly pleased her that she did look a bit like her familiar. It was as if they were made for one another.

By the time Witch posed her question, Druid had sat up with the snake now perched on the crest of her skull. She moved slowly, unsure whether the legless creature could get a proper grip. She did feel a tug on her fur, so possibly Bracelet had made herself at home up there. The views were probably way better there than on her ankle bone.

Eggs, she answered, going cross-eyed once more as she tried to look at the snake (she couldn’t). Druid laughed, then shifted her gaze to her sister. I saw Bracelet hatch. There were others too. But only she stayed.

and now i take the pretty little night time scene off the rails, lmaoooo

witch cackle-giggled again as her sister's mismatched eyes went cross-eyed, and it was in that where the pale sister found her own jealousy— everything about druid was unique, and that was so much more interesting than looking like everyone else in the family. but they kept their jealousies to themselves, and though they weren't meaning to, in that they were keeping some of their love from each other.

bracelet— and cleetus— were sources of jealousy, too, but witch did her best to keep that to herself. perhaps if she was not such an optimist, believing her own familiar would come when the time was right, it would have led to tantrums and arguments. instead, she looked wistfully at the snake that sat upon druid's head like a living crown.

oh, she responded to her sister's very practical answer, unable to hide some disappointment. witch had wanted a story, but druid was much too interested in facts for that. they balanced each other well. she yawned, still fighting against the sleep that threatened to take her the longer they spent the night awake, but—

what if, she posited, they used to be wriggling worms made of dirt, and to get big and beautiful like bracelet, they had to FIGHT and EAT each other and other bugs? witch took a breath, then launched into another idea, or what if snakes are really wolves— or the babies of babies of BABIES of wolves, because that far back seemed like eons to the youngling, that made the earth so angry that it took their legs and their ears and their fur so that they had to wiggle around everywhere instead? that would be so COOL.

There was disappointment in Witch’s soft, “Oh.” Druid gazed at her sister, a politely questioning look on her face, but she didn’t elaborate right away. She yawned, perhaps growing bored of the topic, and that left the darker of the pair to reach up a paw to her own head. She grinned when her toes touched against those familiar scales, Bracelet quickly winding around her usual perch on her wrist.

They both froze when Witch piped up again, her voice soft at first as she mused aloud, then swelling in an excited rush. Druid’s ears quivered as she slowly lowered her leg, which dangled near her chest as Witch hypothesized about the real origins of snakes.

When she finished, Druid wordlessly put her paw on the ground. Bracelet loosened again, slinking into the grass toward Witch, slithering around her heel not unlike a cat rubbing affectionately against its owner before undulating back toward Druid again.

I think that means ‘yes, you’re right,’ she opined as the tiny ringneck snake bumped over her toes. Her two-toned eyes watched Bracelet for a moment before rising to meet Witch’s gaze. Did you know she does eat bugs? Mostly slugs. Druid paused, lips parting on a silent gasp. I should take you to Slugstone!

she liked the thought that snakes were related to wolves in some way; that she and they and other creatures were somehow connected to each other and the earth. but before she could contemplate this further, druid and bracelet appeared to confirm her hypothesis. i wish we could talk to her, witch commented absently. that would be so COOL, too.

can you imagine eating a slug?? the pale child questioned incredulously, romantic ideas about the connection of living things and speaking to snakes cast aside for now. how absolutely atrocious, she emphasized, scrunching her nose, crossing her eyes, and sticking out her tongue. another cackle-giggle, at herself this time, before she looked abruptly to her sister with dark ears perked. slugstone? what's that?

the name gave it away, really, but witch had to imagine that it was more magical and exciting than just a slug on a stone, or druid wouldn't have given it special recognition with a name. she moved to her feet with a downward-dog stretch, i'm dying to see, let's go!

Her lips twitched at Witch’s remarks. I brought her one, once, Druid replied, and I couldn’t get its goo off my paw for days! It had been rather disgusting and she’d made a note to leave the slugs to Bracelet. She hoped to never touch one ever again and warned, There’s a lot of slugs at Slugstone but don’t touch them unless you want gooey feet! Despite her dire warning, she chortled.

Gathering Bracelet and motioning for her sister to come along, Druid picked her way through Rivenwood. Once she reached their destination, she suddenly remembered the königinmutter. With a sharp intake of breath, she flailed her free foreleg at Witch and hastened toward the sapling’s roots. But the giant slug wasn’t there!

Mouth forming a moue, Druid peered around for any sign of it but did not turn up the königinmutter. She gave up and nudged Witch’s shoulder, guiding her toward the nearby stack of stones, sheathed in moss and peppered here, there and everywhere with slugs. Their slimy trails glistened in the pale glow of the gibbous moon.

Druid felt a flicker against her left wrist and looked down in time to see Bracelet unravel from her perch there and slither, whip-quick, across the topmost stone. She immediately struck the nearest slug, her tiny jaw unhinging as she began to slowly devour it beneath the pup’s fascinated gaze.

how disgusting, she said with her (now signature) cackle-giggle. witch knew slugs were slimy, having followed one's trail some weeks ago as she endeavored to sate her endless curiosity, but she had never dared to touch one. the pale child wasn't particularly afraid to get dirty— she often ventured into muddy places in pursuit of some interesting story or another— but something about that kind of goo was not something she wanted part of, put off by the smell. that druid had gotten it on her paws and struggled to clean it was confirmation that witch was right to dislike it!

but slugstone sounded like a lot of fun to look at, regardless, and so she followed her sister. the jaunt shook the sleepiness from witch's eyes and muscles, and she kept to druid's heels as her appeared to be looking for something. what, witch had no idea, but finally her darker sibling led her to a stack of moss-covered stones they had passed a few times already.

witch sat some distance away— safe from the slimy trails— to watch as a cornucopia of slugs moved in mystic patterns over earth and stone, the goo left behind glistening in the moonlight. her tail curled over her front paws and she hunched down, catlike, as bracelet moved suddenly to strike the nearest creature. witch watched the process with wide eyes, never having seen the snake eat before.

snakes must be a kind of wolf, she asserted, looking towards druid, they have fangs like we do! to make her point, witch peeled her lips back in a doggy-grin to show off her pearlescent canines.

She had only witnessed this process a time or two before. The way the snake struck wasn’t so different from how wolves attacked their prey, though the rest of it was engrossing to behold. Mostly, Druid marveled at Bracelet’s ability to swallow whole a creature larger than herself, which always left a slight lump in her middle.

Her two-toned eyes flicked upward at Witch’s commentary, lips curving. I guess she’s my little, legless cub, she quipped, returning her gaze fondly to the snake. Truly, she was a familiar and a friend, though she imagined Bracelet didn’t give one whit about titles. Druid couldn’t even be entirely sure she understood the wolves’ speech—did she even possess ears?— though oftentimes she was absolutely convinced she did.

She’ll be sleepy after she finishes, Druid murmured for her sister’s sake. I’m tired too, she added. It was nice stealing away with Witch, leaving behind their worries about Worripa for a while, though her eyes were grainy and she yearned suddenly for the comfort of her log.

witch watched with fascination as a slug-sized lump began to move down bracelet's body— imagine if she got fat like that every time she ate! it was strange, too, seeing the creature open her jaws impossibly large to even eat the slug in the first place. the pale child opened her mouth as wide as she could, experimentally, before shutting it with a tiny click of her teeth. she looked at bracelet with a new appreciation for snakes and their uniqueness.

sleepiness crept into her body once more at druid's murmur, and witch nodded her agreement. she enjoyed this nighttime adventure immensely, but she was a growing child and needed her rest as much as she needed play. let's go home, she acknowledged, waiting for druid to recover bracelet before beginning their trek back to their sleeping places.