Northstar Vale acacia leaf

pack formation thread #1, tagging all future epochians :D tags for ref/joining!

lady @Ruenna had given birth and @Towhee was not far behind.

she and @Arsenio had talked long into many nights, starting to plan around the edges of what the vale would become. epoch, he said, and tamar took it up. 

epoch: a place where education and philosophy might prevail. 

it was a two days' journey to the vale, for they must go around the great sunspire mountain. tamar had sensed that @Aquene would stay, but she went to the den of the doctor and @Kallik to tell them all the same, her husband burning in brightstone beside her. @Khalys was next, for tamar wished to extend the woman an invitation to return to the place that had once been her home.

perhaps it would bring her healing.

no matter who came, arsenio and tamar set off then.

northstar vale was a jeweled place. tamar set down her bundle of furs and herbs and turned her eyes over the place glowing beautiful and green. it would be theirs. it would be epoch.

Discussing his leaving Aquene had done nothing to prepare him for the reality of actually leaving her back at the canyon. She needed his support now more than ever. And he carried a heavy knot of guilt in his stomach over how he was not there to take care of her. 

So needless to say, he was grumpy and quiet. This was important for their future here, and he would do what needed to be done, but that didn't mean he had to be sociable. The soldier had taken to patrolling around the group as they traveled; it gave him a distraction because he took their safety seriously, but it also gave him a way to avoid the others. 

When they finally reached the valley, its beauty was tainted by the knowledge that she wasn't here to see it with him. But he didn't want to mope. Sulking was more his style, anyway. 

They had only just arrived when Kallik turned to the group. I am going to get to work mapping out the territory and setting the borders, he told them; it was the most he had said at once the whole trip. 

He turned and trotted off.

Arsenio’s mind was full of thoughts as he journeyed with his wife. He still could not help but feel that he was taking her from the first home she’d had in a long time. It did not make him feel good about his decision or himself.

With Kallik remaining quiet as they journeyed, the redstone mercenary felt more and more bothered by their agreement to claim the vale. It had to be done. There were too many in Mereo. It was a great gift and a great honor. As they walked, he searched Tamar’s features when he could manage it. Then he would look to the pale soldier who went with them. This was right… their families would be strong together.

At the vale, Arsenio appeared to relax for the first time. He breathed in the scents of the woodland that was nestled in the terrain. Kallik mentioned that he would scout out the borders and mark the edges of their claim. The redstone wolf turned to him with an unreadable expression.

Thank you, Kallik. This journey will not be a long one. We will return to Aquene with news of our new home, shortly. Until then, he could scope out some of the best parts of the vale with Tamar.

she knew that kallik did not want to be away.

tamar inclined her head to him with a soft smile. "let us gather by the water, later."

she pointed with her muzzle to the wide ribbon of creek winding through the vale. and then she looked to arsenio. "where shall we walk first, husband?" her eyes were bright.

Tamar offered a meeting place for them later, and then Kallik was gone. Arsenio could not help but feel that he missed Aquene, that the pale soldier would have much rather ventured through the vale with his wife. They would have their time together, before long. Still, he wished that he could give a sense of comfort to the stoic man and all that he had earned.

Glancing toward Tamar filled Arsenio’s gaze with love and pleasure. He stepped to her side, brushing his shoulder against her own. A small nudge found the crook of her neck.

Let’s follow the water for a ways, hm? We can see where the rivers lead.

He waited to see what she would think of this plan.

tamar smiled brightly.

the red-gold girl followed at her husband's side, pleased. "i did not see so much water until i came to the teekons. and now, i see there is even more here."

the vale was truly a jewel. it reminded her of an oasis, albeit a different one. "i lived in the sands. sometimes you would walk all day to find a drink."

Arsenio sniffed at small animal prints that had been left behind near the water’s edge. He listened as Tamar spoke of her homeland and the harsh sands – days journey without water. The redstone wolf had only been to the desert lands once and he had not found them to be enjoyable. He’d been grateful when his duties had been fulfilled and he had left.

Imagine when the air is warm and we will have all of this to bathe and cool ourselves with, he exclaimed with a grin. The woodland that surrounded them was already showing signs of its lushness. The trees would only fill out further and would cast the vale in a cool shade. Arsenio was thrilled by the prospect of it.

We should look to see if there are valuable herbs here, as well, don’t you think? The blue of his eyes turned to Tamar.

tamar nodded eagerly.

"i want something for aquene when i visit." she paused. "she and kallik are going to have children." of course arsenio knew. but tamar's impatience was growing.

she pulled her husband into as many embraces as she could, and still she had not quickened. still she must wait.

but she refused to let the thought sour their first excursion. "it is already so lovely. we could each choose a lake of our own, that is how many are here!"

They will be good parents, Arsenio said warmly to his wife. He believed this, too. Kallik was a serious man and Aquene was a soft, caring woman. The redstone wolf believed that the pale soldier would be softened by his children in many ways, and that their mother would grow in strength. Beyond this, Arsenio was pleased at the idea that his own children would have pups to grow alongside. Whenever that time arrived – he was in no rush. Our children will learn with their children. They will be lifelong friends. The man smiled to Tamar.

The water was certainly a beautiful feature of the vale. As they trekked across the terrain, Arsenio followed the flow of the rivers that fed into lakes. The greenery of the trees that whispered over their heads. It was so very unlike Mereo’s canyonland. Arsenio loved it, all the same.

Lake Tamar will be the most lush, the most beautiful, he spoke with a toothy expression. The man bumped his snout into her throat. His frame moved to press at her side. We will have to teach our young ones to swim, you know.

"you will teach them to swim," she amended.

"i am not good at it." her admission came at no cost. tamar licked the bridge of his nose. "i am glad our children will have so many companions. i was lonely as a girl. our clans did not wander close to each other very often."

in these moments it was easy to speak with arsenio of what had come before. before them. before akashingo.

A laugh followed her comment. It was not done so in a mocking way, but warmly, accepting. Arsenio was not certain where he had gotten the idea that Tamar would be a skilled swimmer. He imagined it had been an idea that had formed on its own, perhaps after watching the litheness of her frame and the way that her paws moved against the earth.

Very well, yes, I shall teach them to swim and then they will teach you, hm?

Arsenio’s eyes belonged to her. She captivated him so.

And you will never be lonely again, my beautiful autumn leaf. She would never know the difficulties of being on her own, not while the redstone man had strength in his body. Arsenio would fill her life with love and care. He would chase prey into the stars and bring home the moon for her, if it was what she desired.

fade here?

his autumn leaf.

she would never tired of hearing it. tamar kissed his jawline.

for him she would call down the stars. for him she would make epoch a home.

"come and show me the forest," she breathed, eyes bright. kallik could wait a while longer.

<3

Life was good.

Arsenio nipped playfully at her shoulder before darting toward the trees. His pace was easy. They ventured through the woodland for some time before they made their way back to meet the pale soldier Kallik, and to update him on all that they had found in their new home.

In time, Epoch would be full. In time, their families would grow there and would become great in anything they set their minds to. Arsenio had found his peace in the company he had gained. Kallik, Aquene, and Tamar all had their place in his heart.