Firestone Hot Springs Sight seeing my life

@Artax

FitzDutiful was out, once again, with the primarily goal of looking for plants nearby. At the same time, he was looking for other places that he could call a home. As the wandered through the Firestone Hot Springs he paused. Here was the place he had met Raissa. If she was willing to come with him then maybe that would be a nice homage to his new home.

But what about pack establishment? Fitz thought back to what had happened when Peregrine and Fox had led him and Finley away from Blacktail Deer Plateau. There had been four of them and that had been hard enough to survive. Realistically, two wasn't going to cut it - and that was if Raissa came too.

Thoughtfully he turned his mind back to the task at hand and looked over the hot springs, realising that they in themselves were worth knowing about for his naturalist trade. After all, one may need to soak in the hot springs to relieve ailments. Fitz was still suffering from his bruised rib cage that the lynx had caused three days past and so he eased himself into the healing pools of water with the hopes of them soothing his pain further.

A vision had led him astray. It pulled him away from the woman's home and toward a strange, steamy place. The heat that radiated from here was unavoidable, and Artax found himself drifting closer and closer to the hot pools of water. Tiny floating rivulets of water soon engulfed him as he stood at the edge of one of these steaming ponds. He felt heavy here, as if the world around him had stopped and he was the only one still moving.

But the soft splash of water made him realize that it was not the case. Slowly, almost lazily, Artax turned to see a white figure making its way into one of the other pools. "Atka," he whispered breathlessly. The vision had not been a farce. Artax moved toward the white figure and stopped on the edge of the water. It was not Atka herself, for that would have been a sight to behold, but it could only be one of her many forms. Artax stood at the edge with his ears pricked forward, anticipation causing him to vibrate slightly.

FitzDutiful had never had an encounter like it. As he wandered in the pool, relaxing a brown wolf wandered towards him and spoke the word Atka. Fitz spent a moment looking around - mainly in the direction the chocolate's gold eyes were aimed - before he accepted that there really wasn't anyone else here at the moment.

"Umm..." he said, unsure of what to do. It took another moment for him to realise that the male was looking at him, not behind him. "Who is Atka?" he said. His voice surely betraying that he was the not the wolf that this stranger was speaking of. Suddenly, he felt quite vulnerable submerged in the pool of water while another, disillusioned wolf towered over him seeing things that weren't there.

The Great Bears' pawns did not always know what they were meant for, and Artax smiled gently. Some were there to test his faith, and others still were there for him to spread Their word. He did not know what this pawn was for, but he assumed that he would find out when They were ready to let him know. "The Great Bear," Artax replied, sounding the words with care so that the white wolf might understand that They were of Great Importance. "One of two. The other is Sos." The boy did not wish to slight Sos in favor of Atka. They were both equally important.

The wolves who lived on this earth were merely pawns in Their never-ending game. Artax was no different, but the Great Bears had allowed him to see life for what it really was. Sometimes They encouraged him to spread the word to other pawns, and often they warned him against it. The juvenile spoke openly about his worship; he was not ashamed.

Artax is adorable!

"Oh."

FitzDutiful was at a loss. It didn't happen all that often but today had been a strange, strange day. First with Peregrine and Fox, then with Raissa and now with ... whoever this was. "Is there a way I can help Atka and Sos?" he queried. He didn't have much experience with religion. None would be a better description, but he had heard rumours on the wind of wolves who lived to a greater purpose or who preached the word of their betters. What experience did he have to judge?

For all he knew Atka and Sos had led him to these hot springs all those months ago and to the mountain beyond only a few weeks ago. He would not ridicule and mock those who may have a better insight than himself. Instead, he took a moment to study the youngster in front of him. With dark fur, black legs and ears he didn't look to be all that old. FitzDutiful placed him at less than a year. How had he been surviving on his own?

Hee, thanks! He's just trying to spread the good word. ;)

Artax licked some of the accumulating water from his lips. The Great Bears worked in mysterious ways, and if they had sent him this white wolf as a pupil, he would not have been surprised. "Many ways," Artax replied, "but they do not often make it easy to serve them." Artax had never been told exactly how to help his gods. He had always just known. Granted, both of his parents had been religious, along with the majority of the pack, so it was no surprise that he had come into it naturally.

He could have been self-serving and told this male that to serve Akta and Sos, he needed to give him shelter. But that was not their will, and so Artax did not suggest as much. Besides, he had not strayed too far from where the silver Osprey had taken him, and he could always return there if he needed to.

Once again, FitzDutiful was left speechless by the young one in front of him. He seemed to have such an old soul in a young body. FitzDutiful had been told that he had never acted his years - this boy was a grandfather compared to what he had been.

"I'm FitzDutiful," he said, "Soon to be alpha of Silvertip Moutain." He felt a need to impress the wolf in front of him. Him and his gods too. "May I ask who you are?" He got the awful impression that without prompting the dark chocolate figure would only introduce himself if the great bears gave him leeway too. Who knew if they'd do that?

Soon to be Alpha. What did that mean? It perplexed the youth, but he did not ask further. In time, They would make Their intentions known. Patience was key. "Artax Eyjolfur. Son of Jorma and Kaskae Eyjolfur." His father, for all intents and purposes, had two names. But Jorma was what he had gone by since before Artax had been born. His other first name, Suttree, was merely a formality. From what he recalled, he had disowned it once his family had abandoned him. He could not recall if they had reconciled or not.

Jorma's blood family had not know Atka and Sos. That came from his mother's side, although she had brought Artax's father into Their light and shadow. Their children had been brought up with the Great Bears from day one, and if there was a life without them, Artax did not have a concept of it.

Interesting - FitzDutiful had never met anyone who introduced themselves by mentioned who they were the son of. It was a curious stance but then nothing about Artax seemed to be what the casual wolf would classify as ordinary. Fitz wanted desperately to make him part of his new pack, but he wasn't entirely sure that a pack not-yet started would be a good fit for a boy who would, in FitzDutiful's mind, thrive in stability with wolves he could talk to about his religion.

Turning back to the matter that had partly brought him here he wondered if the gods would know. "I don't suppose Atka and... um... Sos! Would know anything about the plants around here and what uses they would have?" he queried.

My interwebs aren't working well, so I'm kinda being vague about this. <__<

Artax's ears tipped forward at the white wolf's words. He spoke as if the Great Bears would just come right out and give Their secrets away for free. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, wondering if this male understood how downright ignorant he sounded. It was a sweet innocence that reminded him of children younger than himself. “I am afraid they do not speak to me in that way,” Artax clarified, his tone soft and understanding, “though my parents gave me some rudimentary knowledge.” It wasn't much, of course, but perhaps it would do.

“I know of the plants that cure a sick stomach, and those that can quell a fever. But there are also plants that can poison and kill.” Like all things, the plants were connected with Atka and Sos. There were some that healed and some that hurt. “Do you seek to heal or to harm?” Artax asked, his tone and expression neutral. Whatever the case, he could at least point FitzDutiful in the right direction.

Artax explained that this was not how communication with the bears worked and suddenly it dawned on FitzDutiful how ignorant he was about the world around him. He had never expected to understand it all but it seemed like such a huge thing that he had no idea of. "I guess it was quite silly to think you had a direct communication line with them." he mumbled, after the boy said his parents had taught him some knowledge.

A question was put before him and FitzDutiful seriously considered the implications. "Both." he said eventually, begrudgingly. "I hope to never have to use this knowledge for anything, but if Silvertip Mountain gets enemies then I need to be able to protect my pack. I also need to be able to heal my members if they are injured. A simple understanding of both should cover a wide range of contingencies. Healers and Warriors are there for more specialist coverage." He rambled a little before coming to a stop and waiting for the boy, brought to him by his gods, to impart his knowledge.

After much discussion between the two of them, FitzDutiful headed back towards Silvertip Mountain feeling more secure in his knowledge of naturalist things.