Altar of Twilight Stars in the Sky

Kinusi usually didn't travel far from her father's side or the spear. But she was growing faster than she could keep up and every so often. She was filled to the brim with an insatiable need to roam. Thus far she had not given into it too much. But with her father's blessing and his watchful gaze, she had traveled down into the Altar and took a moment to look around. 

She tilted her head towards the way her father stood. He was shadowed there by the trees, but he kept an eye on her none the less. He was a pretty present dad all things considered. She gave him an impish smile and continued on into the area. Snuffling at the small creatures that made their home there.

Dwin knew that this would eventually happen - you could not keep loneliness at bay forever. Still she had tried - filling her days with activities that would distract her mind from the realization that none of her family lived here anymore. Now and then she would feel anxious, hoping that they had not gone too far, that she could still catch up with them, were she to try. But weeks had passed, it had rained often, snowed at times as well and any scent trails had been long since washed away. 

She wondered, how her father was holding up, and now and then she wondered, had she returned earlier, maybe her presence could have saved the dwindling ranks. On the other hand - the memory of feeling trapped inside Brecheliant was still strong - and she knew that she simply could not devote herself fully to Eljay's wishes without losing part of herself in the process. So - the only conclusion left was that everything had turned out the way it should have been. Even if it did not feel great at the moment. 

Rather than sticking around caldera, she decided to move north and - perhaps - visit her friend Val. Besides Towhee - she remembered - that he too was her friend. In almost three years of life Dwin had made exactly two friends outside her family. Thus lost in thought she walked through the little valley between the mountain ranges and crossed paths with the two other wanderers. One was in plain sight, the other - was hidden by the shadows. "Greetings to the fellow adventurer," she greeted the one she could see, while keeping an eye on the other that was lurking nearby. "Where's the path taking you today?"

There was a change in the air of the world as of late. Kinusi knew part of this was the way the world changed seasons. But also as she grew and learned. The world was a lot smaller than she had anticipated at least her section of the world. And nothing every stayed the same. Her brother was gone, her mother too. And here she was alone, but happy despite it all. A father who cared. The world to explore. Life was not great, but it was not terrible. 

A noise caught her attention. And she watched as her father ghosted a step forward, but he didn't move into the light yet. Allowing her to learn the whims of other's on her own. It was a pretty grey scale wolf that caught her attention and she blinked up into the apple of her eyes. A prettier green than her father's deep green, though his were pretty none the less. Sometimes she wanted green eyes like that. Anything better than her mother's blue. But it was what it was. And she had what she had.

Greetings.

An impish smile as she looked around. My dad Alaric and I are looking around. I'm Kinusi. I was checking out this altar.

"Is he by any chance a tall, dark and handsome stranger that has a knack for singing?" Dwin asked, vaguely remembering meeting an Alaric in these lands a long time ago. She had forgotten the details of their conversation, but she knew that it had begun with a song. And didn't Amalia - a former Brecheliant packmate - been a sister of his? She then looked over her shoulder, trying to make out the details of his complexion, but he was standing too far from them. Had he wished to reacquaint himself with Dwin, he would have done it by now. 

"Nice meeting you, Kinusi! My name is Ceridwen, but you can call me Dwin," she returned the greeting. "Are you looking for anything in particular? Material things, sustenance for your shell or something to feed your soul with?" she asked. 

Kinusi made a face. Eww. he's my dad. So i mean I wouldn't know if he was handsome. I g uess? But yes he is all those things.

KInusi looked back towards her dad and made a face at him. Which he returned in kind. He's trying to make me be all independent and stuff. So he's staying way way over there. But he'll probably come say hi eventually if he recognizes you. Which he prob does. Man has a penchant for such things. It's actually almost horrifying how he remembers everything and everyone.

Kinusi dipped her muzzle and grinned. So she was immediately given a nickname. Okay she could work with that. You can call me Kini or Sisi if you like. or just like my name. Whichever. But dat says tit for tat. So anyone offers a kindness we return it.

Kinusi laughed then. Eyes crinkling. I was just exploring. I don't get to leave the spear much. Or at least I didn't too young they say. How about you?

The kid was not the one you needed to pry for details about her life - she told Dwin everything. Whenever Alaric was mentioned in the conversation, she spied a glance at him, smiling and chuckling at his daughter's description of him. Oh-so-fun teenage stage, when you are not a child anymore, but not an adult either. Dwin had no illusions about herself at Kinusi's age - she had been a handful kid herself and she was pretty sure that a lot of grey hairs on her father's head was because of her achievements so to say. 

"Whichever you feel like suits you best," Dwin responded, when offered a choice between two names to call the girl by. "I am exploring too. I have spent a good portion of my life settled, but the travel bug was always there. And here I am," she replied. "But it is my first time here though and since you were here before me - what have you learned by now?" she asked. 

Kinusi had realized early on that if you wanted other's to know something about you. You had to tell them. She was a well voiced vixen on her best day. And she refused to be cowled. Because why should she hide herself. Why should she not tell someone for instance taht they made her angry or what she didn't like or liked, because you didn't want to get something you didn't like after all. And Honesty was the best policy. 

Hmm I like Kini best. It is what dad calls me.

Kinusi nodded her own thoughts veering towards that forest and the wolves therein. She should probably go join em soon enough. But she thought about it and she would really miss her dad. But she was tired of teh spear too. 

Oh! Well a lot of wolves spend a lot of time there by that altar thing laying around it. Dad says you can see the stars reallyw ell. So I am guessing that's what their looking at. But what their searching for, got me. Also there's not many ways to get out of here. So you'd always see other's coming, and such.

She tilted her head. What was your favorite thing you ever found?