Cedar Sweep runic

@Asherah

she had worked tirelessly today to conceive, but eshamum was dismayed to find that there was little food here in these lands, nary a sparrow nor rodent to be found. fish could be pulled from the stream, but neither she nor her sister were skilled in this, belonging to the hotlands as they were. as the moon rose into its chariot, to pass o'er the darkened blue of night, eshamum breathed a prayer to molech and moved out into the obsurity, auds lifted for any sound of prey's footfall, a whisper of air, anything.

she moved over the borders she had marked and into the adjoining forest. there were stale scents of wolves here, and eshamun was unashamed to feel fear upon her. yet she sought the blackness all the same, for herein might lie food to feed herself and arunik'ra.

This new land was seemingly devoid of humans, which gave Asherah great pleasure. Her entire life had been nothing but a steady retreat, fleeing in fear for her life. She was tired of running, tired of losing those she cared for, though none now remained with her. She was miserable, a lost soul torn apart by the world and left to rot. Within the trees of an unclaimed forest she stared darkly at a stream that ran near silent. She wondered if she should give up, follow the waters to deeper locales and slip beneath the inky blackness to surrender it all. A pale shape darted under the surface and her stomach growled. A sigh escaped her lips and she glanced to the stars.

"What is the purpose," she thought "in all my suffering." Though she toyed with the idea of surrender, she could not allow herself to give over to the dark and unknown. Her mother had died directly for her, her father indirectly. Much blood had stained her path here and to give it up would be insulting to their memory. She could only hope there was something more for her, perhaps she could find a permanent home here. The stink of man was far away, perhaps here she could be less fearful. She rose to her paws, that small ember of hope in her chest blinking weakly. The world had almost defeated this red flame, but it had not burned her out yet. 

She approached the river quietly and waited, watching the silver life flashing before her. With a snap she jerked a single fish up, a medium sized flopping thing. She tossed it down to stun it, then fit fiercely into it's head. She crunched her midnight snack, blissful in this small moment of respite from the pain of the world.

eshamun watched as the crimson stranger pondered the water, soon thereafter darting into it and surfacing with a fish. hunger clenched the ekar-aji's belly, and a sudden exhaustion swept her. she was in need of sustenance and sleep, but it seemed she would not gain the former tonight. or perhaps, eshamun thought as she slid from the shadows into the glow of moonlight, she would.

"what brings you here?" the tophet-dweller murmured, her eyes bright with kindness and also an open curiosity at the skill of the other, to slay fish from the waters. but despite her hunger, eshamun focused upon the finely-sculpted features of the other.

Posted from phone, please excuse any typos or autocorrects.

The soft song of night surround Asherah as she lay, peaceful. She was never fully relaxed though, her shoulders and body were always full of tension. She did not trust the peace to last. To her side she heard the forest grow quiet, the approach of another. Her ears flicked to catch the sound of gait but caught little. Her head turned, aware and wary, but unwilling to run just yet. She was simply too tired. If her death had come for her, then so be it. 

Another slipped from the darkness into the warmth of the moon and for a moment her heart stilled in her chest. The other, a female, was like her. A red wolf, lithe and with burning fur. For a moment she thought that perhaps this was her sister, that somehow they had found the same refuge. The female grew slightly closer though, and began to speak. Asherah's hopes were crushed but she did not miss the kindness in the other's voice. Asherah did not wish to stand, as she should when meeting a stranger, to protect herself. 

"Hello, sister wolf." She greet softly, pausing in her meal. "Here? To this creek, or to these lands? The first is a simple answer, the second is much longer." She was willing to share both, but opted for the shorter first to save the females time. "To the creek itself I came in search of water and rest, perhaps a meal." Her parents had taught all her siblings how to fish, sometimes it was all they could risk to eat. "To save your time, I came to these lands because my feet brought me here. The world tossed me around and I land here, for now. Before I am forced to run again." There was a strong melancholy in her orange eyes and she did not attempt to hide it from the stranger. 

"What has brought you here? Better circumstances, I hope." She glanced down to her fish, barely touched, then back to the femme with a knowing look. Without another word she bit the creature in half, keeping the bitten end for herself. She tossed the tail to the other, shrugging. "It is not much, but perhaps it can stay your hunger while you attempt your own fishing." Her parents had always been generous to other loves who met hem with kindness. The world was harsh enough, there was no need to add to it.

there was a lash of bitterness in the other's voice as she poured out her heart to eshamun, who listened with her eyes sympathetic and focused upon the wolfess. the offer of fish was appreciated with a small smile; eshamun pulled it toward her with a small gesture, but her eyes remained trained upon this stranger who wore a cloak of red as did she. for a long moment the queen said nothing, but molech whispered, and she felt herself drawn toward this she-wolf so seemingly saddled with pain.

"you do not have to run," eshamun murmured, drawing near on noiseless paws. "there is a home for you here, a rank. you need only reach out to grasp it." near enough now to behold the spectacular colour of the stranger's eyes, embers of a banked fire, eshamun nodded. "join me. i will soothe the longing of your heart by giving you a purpose."

The stranger kept her eyes on Asherah, even as the fish was tossed. There was no aggression in her body language, though, nothing that told Asherah she must run again. Not yet. She watched the female watching her, a small silence settling over them. Distantly, so distantly, Asherah thought she heard a whisper. Her ears flicked, confused, drawing breath in through her nose to scent for any others approaching. Something was in this other females eyes, some kind of knowing. Had it merely been the other who whispered? Or something more?

The female drew near, and Asherah met her gaze, head tilted slightly in confusion. There was such a peace in the other's eyes, a peace and a determination. Asherah would have liked to have that, some driving force to give her purpose once more. She had lost everything, but this female had something still. Could she share it the same as Asherah had shared her fish? She was surprised by the offer of rank, of opportunity. Her brow furrowed, ever more confused, but there was such pride in the other's eyes, such sureity in her tone. Then she spoke her invitation fully, she spoke of purpose. Asherah stared into the other's eyes for a moment, searching her for any fault or doubt. She saw none, from the intensity of her gaze to the position of her shoulders, the female believed fully that Asherah could help, could perhaps even be healed.

A purpose. Is that not what she wanted? Was it so easy to gain a purpose back after losing it so fully? Asherah's mouth opened silently, but her gaze did not leave that of the female. "A purpose." She whispered, feeling the hope fanning the flame in her heart ever so slightly. "A family?" She narrowed her eyes at the female for a moment, confusion and doubt tearing at the hope in her heart. "But how? How can you promise I will no longer need to run? How...how do you know that you want me?" Her voice was weak, nearly a whisper. She wanted so badly just to accept and follow the female who looked like a sister wherever she may go, but she had been burned badly. She was a void now, ready to be filled, yet she needed to accept the filling to truly take it to heart. She knew not what this female offered, but her interests were peaked, beyond peaked. There was a desperation in her eyes that almost begged the other to make her to believe, to give her reason.

eshamun watched the lines of the other's body, her face, her expression. they shifted as the waters did, as the clouds did beneath the lash of storm and of nightfall. without hesitation she held the eyes of the other, ears cupped forward to hear the answer of the one who seemed who besieged by agonies.

the other then grew pensive, appraising; eshamun stood firmly beneath the silent questioning. whatever the other sought, she would find it within the bosom of molech. the eight-armed one took much, but he also gave a great deal to those who were faithful unto him. her heart thrummed within her chest at the anticipation of the woman's response.

doubt. she expected such, the cracked sound of the voice that lilted to answer her own. without speaking, eshamun approached more closely, ears falling back gently against her skull as she sought to touch gently the crimson shoulder of the other. "i know with all of my heart that he who i serve will heal your soul. look upon -- are we not sisters in appearance? are we not already bonded upon this matter? he has dried my tears and given me love, blessing beyond imagining. the great one speaks to me as i look upon you; step into his embrace and join me in this forest."

The female's gaze was intense, burning, but Asherah did not feel uncomfortable under it. In fact, she found it was comforting. She felt the warmth was like that of an embrace, the intensity only seemed full of longing to change the sadness in Asherah's soul. The other female grew closer to Asherah at the quiet, desperate, question. Her ears fell back gently, their eyes remained locked. The other reached her muzzle out and gently touched Asherah's shoulder. Asherah's ears turned back, lay flat along her head, sadness creasing her face. The female's voice was soft and warm, full of confidence in Asherah's ear. It was like the whisper of a friend, of a mother. Asherah could feel the compassion in the other's voice to the very depths of her soul.

The female was true in that they appeared to be of the same breed, by whatever miracle that had happened. She nodded slowly, for this was true. They were the same and they were bonded over this, their color, their size. Asherah shivered slightly as the other spoke of her God looking down upon them, upon Asherah herself. 

Could it be true? Could she have come to this specific place for a reason? She knew not why her family had been taken from her...but could it be because she had not yet accepted this God into her life? Would he have protect her and her parents? Had he already done so in some way but been unable to fully change what had happened? What were the odds of coming to this stream from any of the others and that this specific female would find her here? A female so alike in breed and color to her self and her family? Asherah's mouth became dry and she swallowed thickly, for a moment her jaws opened and closed soundlessly. She still had never left the gaze of the other female, the one who offered to save her from the ocean of despair she was drowning in.

She was ripe for the picking as far as those looking to convert were concerned. Her soul was battered and bruised, she was without family or friend. She was, in all senses of the word, lost. And here was someone offering not only a light, but a sun. A family. The answers to all her pain and hurting. To cast away the offer was to seemingly cast away life. Asherah was not far from death should she be left alone, her could not stand much more. 

She knew in that moment she needed this female, her religion, her pack. She needed this God to lay his hand upon her and heal her, to make her complete. Words came from her dry throat in a whisper, faltering but true. "I...I will. Tell me more of your God, teach me his ways. I will come into your fold and worship him if he will only heal my pain and make me whole and unafraid once more. Will.. will he take me, broken as I am?" She rose to her paws, feeling the hope growing within her. This was her chance for a family and a purpose. She dipped her head to the other. "If it was he who lead you here...he must want me... want to fix me. I will be his, I will be yours." In this decision she felt a clarity, a sudden lack of fear. Something about this red woman was calming, she trust her. Perhaps this God had been with her all along, just without the means to speak to her.

"he is the giver of life," eshamun began simply. "my mother was led by him, as was her mother before her, and hers before her. without molech, i would not stand before you now had it not been for his intervention. when i was a young child, i grew very sick unto the point of death. i recall that my breath stopped and a white glow surrounded me, but then i looked upon the face of molech, and he allowed me to live."

tears filled eshamun's eyes as she spoke, her tones filled with a wild fervency, the adoration she felt for her god and for what he had granted her. so overcome was she that the canaanite was forced into silence, to fight for composure before she went on: "he brought myself and my sister here to this land. look around you! it is bare, but new life grows on the very ground." eshamun motioned to the greenery that crept in growing swathes around herself and the stranger, to the shafts of light that pierced the entwined branches above, and let down an eldritch green glow to surround the pair.

"we bring new life -- we bring the word of molech and his mercy and his blessings. and no, he is not an easy god to serve. he demands much of us, but so much does he give back, twofold, threefold, fourfold." she extended her foreleg to show the woman a small scar there upon her ankle, the last testament to where she had fought a lone stranger in the tophet, and had all but lost the battle with the festering of the flesh that followed.

"i would have died again, had not molech intervened. do you not see, my sister? he has brought us together for a reason, his will to be done." here she paused again, sighing with the joy that the eight-armed one engendered within her spirit. "what is your name?"

The other's intensity swung to a high pitch of fervor and Asherah's stared at her wide eyed and awed. The other's eyes filled with tears, with emotion, and Asherah found herself deeply moved by the love she felt for and from her God. Asherah found herself nodding to the other, believing. When she was bid to do so, Asherah glance around. True enough, the earth was slowly sprouting new life, becoming green where once was only death and dirt. She turned her head to the sky, watched the moonlight filter between the branches in a surreal and beautiful glow. Fireflies danced around the moonwashed river, and Asherah was overcome with this new vision of the world. So beautiful, so full of life. She brought her orange eyes back down to the other, ready to hear the rest of what she spoke.

She nodded to her, believing now. Certainly in the short time they had been talking Asherah had felt her own self grow lighter, her hope had started to blossom once again. It was because of this female and...Molech. As the other spoke, Asherah whispered a few words after her in agreement. "New Life."  The other spoke of sacrifice, of giving up to the God so that he may in turn serve you. It made sense to her, nothing in life could come free. She bent her head to look at the other's foreleg, to observe the scar. She was nodding again, her eyes bright. It couldn't simply be chance that she arrive at this stream moments before the other female. This Molech had guide her here, had placed them both where they needed to be. The other had been more knowing of the God's hand, but she had been aligned with His will as well. The word sister sent another tremor through Asherah's spine. "Sister. A family under Molech. Yes." 

Asherah repeated the final words of the female, her face aglow with the spirit of the other's speech. "His will be done." Had it been Molech too who had spared her life during her travels? Her family had been reduced from six to three, yet she had survived. Her father had died before her eyes, her brother unknown to her, and her mother in sacrifice. Had things gone differently, she could be buried in the cold ground far from here. She had never had a purpose, she realized, even when she was with her family. There had only been fleeing. What if this was meant to be her purpose all along? What if all aspects of her life had lead her here, to serve this God and her red-coated sister?

There was such peace in the other female, such happiness. The sigh that escaped the other was heavenly, a sense of relaxation and devotion that Asherah had never known. She wanted it, she wanted to feel Molech's hand in her life, be aware of his signs. "I am humbled to be considered to serve Him." She whispered, still in awe of the many things he had done. "My name is Asherah...I hope I may find half your peace and joy in the arms of Molech. I hope I am worthy."

i just realized i referred to molech this whole thread as 'he,' when in fact molech has no gender WHOOPS we're just gonna pretend she used the right (lack of) pronoun omg

asherah. 

eshamun's heart halted within her chest; her lips trembled with reverence, and she remembered keenly the voice of her mother speaking unto herself and unto arunik'ra of the goddess, the torch that burned above them and guided girls into womanhood, who blessed the union of male and female, who brought forth life: ishtar. ashtorath, her mother's own name, the skyflame known also as 

"asherah," she whispered, seeing the tremulous worship of the other's body. molech has indeed guided you here, came the confident thought, birthed from the whispers of the eight-armed one himself, and shook her head in wonder. "you were named for the very goddess who is molech's beloved," the canaanite whispered, observing the play of light across asherah's radiantly lit features, the virginal newness of her belief in the great god.

molech had brought herself and arunik'ra here, had given them a consort in the form of ar-khalba, had blessed them with a home and with followers, and now had granted them a goddess embodied in the very flesh and blood girl who stood before her now. the queen lowered herself in a bow for a moment, then rose to kiss asherah's cheeks and laugh with a stunned joy.

"you are more than worthy. come - come away with me now. come and meet my sister -- our sister, arunik'ra. she is our priestess, and we are the malkaria."

I saw that Molech has no gender but took it as it could be used interchangably he/she. What should Asherah use instead? Just God or the many-armed God? Also, details included may change pending our PM conversation!

As she spoke her name for the other, she watched a strange expression cross her face. She had been named for her father's background, her now deceased sibling had been named for the same. Her two other siblings had been named for her mother's background. Her parents had followed the word of a god, but had never given this god a name. They were simply "GOD". They had made offerings of their meat to their GOD, begging that they be looked upon with kindness. Her parents had spoken of sacrifice needing to be made, which is why they shared the food. She knew her parents both wanted to create a pack and share the word of GOD, but they had never gotten the chance. She'd never asked after her name, nor truly had she asked after GOD. Though she had prayed with her family, there had always been some kind of element missing in their faith. Some prayers were choppy and halting, some were stopped midway with no explanation save shared fearful glances between mother and father. She'd always felt there was something strange about her parent's GOD, but had never known what.

As such,  she was unaware of the importance of her name, nor the significance it would have to the female before her. The whisper of her name sent a chill through her, as she stared at the female, confused.

The other's words made her eyes grow wide, surprise etching itself across her face. "Named for the very goddess who is molech's beloved." Her throat was dry and her mouth gaped in wonder. How had she not known? She'd never thought to ask her parents where her name had come from. Was it possible they too had worshipped this Molech? Her heart thundered in her ears and truly now she felt chosen, she believed she had been lead here, lead home. Mere coincidence could not explain this. She was stunned further when the other bow before her and then rose laughing, kissing her cheeks. Tears came to Asherah's eyes, of joy and shock and gratitude. Molech had guide her steps her entire way here, he had watched her and helped and when she finally lay ready to surrender someone had come to help her find the Way, once and for all.

She joined the other in shocked laughter, shaking her head once before nodding. "Yes, yes, thank you." She said tearfully, the drops falling from her eyes and rolling down her red cheeks. "I am honored." She returned the other's kisses to her cheeks and stepped forward to follow her, to follow the Malkaria. To follow Molech.