wishes of happiness and prosperity

He was confident, now, that the might of Neverwinter Forest would grow. Their number was strengthening despite the cold season (or perhaps because of), and Khotan was determined to ensure that they would become timeless legend. There were rituals that he had stored away in his memory, passed down through generations of his family's bloodline. Rituals of protection, of healing, of prosperity, and of hope. He was no spiritual leader, not like his grandfather or brothers—but with no other to perform the rituals, it was something he knew he must carry out on his own.

A swath of feathers lay before him; hawk, osprey, owl, dove. Intermingled were the rounded stones he had managed to find beneath the snow, pulling them loose from the frozen soil. Having arrived in the dead of winter, there were no herbs to augment the small ceremony—Khotan did not yet have stores of them, but he had faith that the great spirits would know his intent and protect this land.

He arranged them carefully into a pattern, with the stones at the center. The feathers expanded outward in a circle around them, each carrying their own meaning and prayer. For a moment, his warrior pride almost stopped him—but despite the singing in his blood, this place would never feel like home without the proper rituals. Khotan took a deep breath of the cold air and began to circle the pattern of feathers and stone with slow, purposeful steps. A low, rumbling chant escaped him, following the rhythm set by the steps of his paws.

So uh…maybe we should create a "Creeper" co-rank, lmfao. <__< I won't be using this thread for my own co-rank purposes, but I thought this would be a fun opportunity for Chakra to see an interesting side of Khotan and to learn something cool. :D

If there was one thing she appreciated about her packmates, it was the seriousness with which they took the fact that their lands were to be protected at all costs. Intruders were to be driven away, dangers were to be thwarted, and borders were to be kept well-marked to ensure that everyone knew who ran here. So far, she had seen great efforts on her members' parts to hold up their part of that deal, and she felt a great sense of pride and affection toward them. They were family, working together to keep one another safe, well-fed, and prosperous.

One thing she'd never seen, though, was what she was witnessing right now. She hadn't intended to spy on him; rather, she had been on patrol, looking out for both strange wolves and new signs of game, when she caught his scent on the gentle breeze. She was upwind of him, so he could not smell her, and the snowy treescape kept her camouflaged enough that she did not stand out easily to the eye, especially one as distracted as Khotan's presently was. What was he doing? It looked like an odd ritual of some sort, but she knew nothing about these things. She watched him move around his circle of feathers, his husky voice rumbling in a low, rhythmic chant. It was fascinating to her, and it was a side of her packmate she hadn't yet seen. She wanted to ask him what she was doing, but somehow she knew that now was not the time to interrupt. Remaining where she was, partly concealed and quiet, she continued to watch with interest.

Khotan continued to circle in his pattern around the arranged baubles, deep voice thrumming to the rhythm of his paw-steps, for several minutes. When he was apparently finished, the large male began to dig into the earth nearby—burying the feathers and stones with a mixture of snow and dirt. So long as they remained undisturbed, the land they laid buried beneath would be protected from famine and those that wished them ill. At least, that's what the medicine wolves he had known in the North had claimed. He would need to come back to this place often, and perform the ritual once again if it appeared the talismans had been uncovered.

It wasn't a task he was used to, for it would not be something he performed had he still been amongst the wolves of Soulflame Reach. When he came back to the world and began to move through the pines, Khotan's eyes fell across the white figure of his Alpha. He immediately lowered them to his toes, body lowering slightly closer to the snow, and tail curling down towards his legs. "Chakra," he rumbled in greeting. "I apologize; I did not see you."

Watching him was fascinating. Her family had never been the religious or spiritual type. She had never known her father, but her mother had been a very practical, down-to-earth wolf who hadn't had time for fantasies and make-believe. So Chakra had never had the opportunity to witness a ritual (though she didn't realize that this was what she was seeing, and what it was for). She remained where she sat, transfixed, eyes following Khotan's motions with avid interest.

When he seemed to finish, he turned and made his way toward her. Before she could move to leave or to greet him, he caught sight of her. Greeting her by name, he apologized and explained that he hadn't seen her. To this, she shook her head and offered up an apology of her own: "No, I apologize. I did not mean to, er…well…creep. I was just passing through and I saw you..." Her eyes flicked back to where he had been, almost dancing through the motions again. Her voice was softer, almost distracted, as she asked, "What were you doing?"

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