Neverwinter Forest penny jar

For Inkalorë & Wilwarin

Having learned of Lote's plan to form her own sister pack from both Kukutux and the naturalist herself, Keyni was intrigued. She couldn't get her mind off it. The idea appealed to her. She wanted nothing more than to help those closest to her. The Moonwoman already had her own village. Sialuk would have her own, one day soon. And now it was Lote's turn. It was the perfect recipe for the tightly bonded women to stay close, while only being a stones throw away.

The chosen site for such a place was Nevewinter Forest. Keyni was somewhat familiar with the shady, evergreen woodland. She had come to it several times in her earlier days, to visit Mal, when he and his own pack still held sway. Now Lote's group could make a home of it again. Revive it, breathe in new life to a place that had been forgotten. Curious to see how much progress her friend had made in making it her own, she slipped through the dim light beneath the canopy quietly. Her nose was to the ground while she breathed in multiple scents. Lote's children and one other were laying claim here too.

She smiled. The more of them the better. More wolves to make a new, tight little family unit. Hoof tracks mixed with the scent of infant life also had the Tundrian intently pursuing a new trail. She already knew there was a resident herd of deer in this forest. And, this was the season when the does had their fawns. Not necessarily in hunting mode just yet, Keyni was tracking, hoping for a look. If the fawn was vulnerable, she would try for a meal. Population control was important, even if it meant taking a life.

It had been days since Wilwarin had visited the village that had been her birth home; she thought of it often with love, with pride, and with the ache in her heart of any teenager freshly removed from a space they were most familiar with. The forest was beautiful too - it was familiar because that was what Lote and the others were turning it in to. It would be home, some day. Wilwarin was dedicated to be of help to her family. Yes, she pined for the old days — but Neverwinter was not so far from the village, and those that colonized it now were the means to bridging a connection.

With this hope in her heart, Wilwarin could banish the nervous feelings away. She followed the tutelage of her mother — the paths laid by her paws — and took to monitoring the borders with a vigilance that before, would have been ill-fitting to the dove. It was during one of these patrols that Wilwarin spotted a familiar face.

Keyni! The girl mouthed from the shadows of an oak tree, arriving upon the scene a touch out of breath; this did nothing to ease the energy coursing her body. There was no mistaking Keyni for anyone else. Wilwarin did not realize the other was hunting, only that she stalked along with her posture lower than usual - and being excited, Wilwarin overlooked the obvious.

As Wilwarin approached she likely made enough noise to spook Keyni's target and yet, was oblivious to the fact.

Have you come to visit? Asking in the wordless way of her's.

A young voice, laced in warm tones, rang out. Calling to her. The Tundrian popped her head up, while at the same time the fawn which had been hidden, shrunk back further into cover. The rustle of the undergrowth and it's refusal to flee told the hunter it was very young. It's instinct to freeze was stronger than the instinct to run, at this age.

Appearing un-bothered by the young girls sudden appearance, Keyni gestured her close. Her tail waved amicably. "Wilwarin..." She breathed warmly, appraising her. She had grown so much and so nicely at that. "More than that." Jade eyes twinkled with her smile. "I have decided to stay and be by your mother's side while she builds her village." When the girl stepped close, she motioned gently for her to still. Wordlessly, she pointed with her nose towards the verdant green brush, broken up only by sandy fur and a peppering of white dots of infancy.

Sorry for the lag. I also forgot Wilwarin is nonverbal! So I changed my previous post to reflect that. My b.

Keyni understood the question and even invited Wilwarin to come nearer, which the little dove accepted happily. She trotted quietly alongside Keyni. Feeling the woman's full attention, which was nice but also a bit embarrassing, Wilwarin did not know if she should curtsy, pirouette, or simply be, so she settled for sitting down.

Her eartips twitched when Keyni's response filled them. Wilwarin became owlish; wide-eyed and curious. A second later the woman gave her full response and Wilwarin's face split in to a grin.

That is wonderful! She mouthed, though it was likely a pointless effort, given that Wilwarin's exuberant posture more than answered in the affirmative. She was glad to have another woman to learn from — and happy also, that her mother would have the support of someone so fine.

No problem! <3

She was far from perfect at it, but she was better than most at reading Wilwarin's silent language. To signal her happiness, her tail waved excitedly. "It is. I will help her build it so we keep connected to Moonglow and remain strong, together. Your mother and I are very close. She means a lot to me."

She had not forgotten about the fawn she was tracking. Now that the initial excitement of meeting up with Lote's daughter had settled, she nudged her shoulder gently. "Come ahead with me. Would you like to practice a hunt? I was on the path of an infant deer, but I doubt it has gone far." She thought aloud, keeping her voice deliberately quiet. Her eyes settled on the girl, curious to see her degree of interest.

It was good that they were so close to Moonglow, both geographically and emotionally. It was Wilwarin's first real home and she was resistant about leaving it; but being in the forest was close enough that she could see those she knew in both places, and that was enough for now.

Keyni was quick to welcome the girl in to a hunt. It occurred to Wilwarin at that point, albeit late in the conversation, that she had interrupted the hunt Keyni had hoped to do alone; her ears splayed sideways with an unspoken apology but then her expression became light again, and happy, to be included.

She gave a little nod and moved from alongside Keyni to investigate the scents in the underbrush. Wilwarin was not a skilled hunter by any regard, nor a tactician, but she was glad to be helpful in some way — she only needed some direction.

Seeing Wil's apologetic look, Keyni shook her head softly. Followed by an easy smile. There was no need to apologize. The girl was young, yet. Kids often ruined hunts simply because they didn't know any better. It was just a part of life that you dealt with, when kids were involved. Keyni was patient. More than happy to teach the next generation how to become proficient hunters.

When she spoke, it was in a very quiet voice. "Step softly. Mind any twigs or loose stones." The placement of her paws was deliberate. She felt the earth as she went and adjusted. "Look ahead there beyond those tall bushes. See if you can spot the ruddy brown fur." 

Wilwarin, elated to be included, would do her best to follow the guidance of Keyni. Keeping quiet was her specialty - it was a natural talent. She made sure to step lightly in case of stray twigs and things; but so intent was she, Wil missed any deeper clues of deer or rabbit.

Keyni mentioned ruddy brown fur and so Wil searched for it; she mistook a pile of leaves at first, then a patch of dry grass, but in the end spotted the target and grew excited to the point of happily stomping; this shattered the quiet.

The fawn, who had done a fantastic job of staying dead still, perked it's ears up. And bolted, surprisingly quick for it's age. Wilwarin's excited stomping and rustling of the grass and leaves had given her away.

Keyni was not bothered by her error of overexcitement. Instead, she seized it as an opportunity to end this lesson with another. "We must learn patience on the path to becoming a hunter." She smiled. "It does not always come easy. With time. With practice and trial and error. And even then, there are some elements beyond our control." The hunt was over, but the lesson, hardly a failure. She moved on with Lotes's daughter, happy to enjoy the simple silence of her presence.