Blackfeather Woods welcome to the war

Backdated to 27th Sept. Starting with @Maegi, feel free to reply whenever you want ^.^

Flicker had slept well in the couple nights she'd been with the pack. She'd yet to meet all of the members but knew that she will soon know them all. The breaking dawn was clear with a chill that caused her breath to puff in plumes. Her black-tipped tail curled about her mass to help stave off the bitterness from nipping her paws; they'd been feeling much better with a bit of rest and cleaning. 

The patchwork had been busing herself by catching small animals, stocking up for winter and adding to caches here and there whilst seeking out Maegi and checking on how she was feeling; not daring to explore further than she'd been led for fear of getting lost. But that doesn't seem like too much of a bad idea beneath the quiet lattices, once she'd familiarised herself with the forest she would explore every inch. This wondrous place had lots to offer, Flicker could smell it on the air, and she was glad she would not miss out. 

Flicker uncurled and stood from her resting place, looking about and stretching; her flickering red ears were the only show she was still alert in the woodland.

She was tired, the injured joint stiff and aching, and she walked with the gait of a wolf much older, grumbling all the way. Her attitude rose--if only slightly--when she caught sight of her recruit. Maegi hobbled toward the woman, giving her a gentle nod in greeting. At least the past few days seemed to have treated one of them well. She just would prefer the best of both worlds.

"Morning, Flicker," she remarked laconically. "Are you settling in okay? Have a chance to explore at all? I'm sorry I haven't given you the tour yet." Maybe today would be a good day for it. The weather wasn't bad, if a bit chilly. The Melonii knew it wouldn't get better from here, even if Blackfeather's boughs did shelter them from the bulk of the winter snow.

Flicker eyed the wraith approaching and tilted her head, watching her struggling gait. She promptly trotted to her to reduce the distance she had to walk and dipped her head to greet her, "Good morning," she replied, offering her a smile, "Everything is good, and I've explored a bit but not much. I wouldn't want to get lost here." Her golden gaze cast about the trees, still expecting something new to appear with an ear tilting backward. "You don't need to stress yourself about a tour, you don't look in the best condition anyway." The patchwork offered her a soft smile; perhaps she could explore the surrounding lands until she, or another, would show her.

"A tour, or even a task, would be welcome though." She continued after a short pause, "Otherwise I can familiarise myself with the outside lands," the woman voiced her thoughts, not wanting to be a burden to the pack.

The girl looked up at the canopy; Blue's silver gaze glinted back down at her, and she smiled, returning her eyes to meet Flicker's. "You'll get used to it," Maegi responded casually. "When I was a child, this was my entire world. It feels a lot smaller, now that I've been so many places."

Well, if it was up to her. . . She stretched, muscles rippling. She was fine staying right where she was, in the shelter of the Glen. "Why don't I teach you a little bit more about Blackfeather, right here, and then we can take the tour in a few days?" she asked, though it was more of a command. What was she going to do, say no? Maegi wanted to laugh at the thought.

Flicker smiled fondly at her own childhood memories of her mountain range; she supposed her land had the same feeling as this woods to the girl. Curiosity peaked her interest, she loved to learn of the lands and their historical significances, sometimes it helped with her hunting. 

Her mind flared with the memory of her worst hunt; when she had killed a so called sacred creature and angered the pack; she wouldn’t make that mistake again. 

 “I’d love to learn of this woodland’s history, I can tell it holds many secrets. I doubt you’d tell me all of them, if you knew or not.” The patchwork gave Maegi a coy grin, wondering what she knew and what she could learn.

She smiled, shaking her head. "Not yet," she responded cheekily, looking into the trees. "Someday, if you stick around." Maegi inhaled slowly, her gaze thoughtful. Where to begin? The gods, or the history? They were indelibly woven together, she knew, but perhaps it was best to start in the land of the living and work her way toward the daedra, slowly.

"My grandmother--my mother's mother--Meldresi Melonii found this forest and established this pack," Maegi started. "I never met her; she died before I was born. For us, she represents the Night Mother--the blood of Mephala that runs through our veins." She cast a glance to Flicker as if to say, I'll get to all that in a second.

"Meldresi had children, including my parents, Potema and Cicero. A few moons after I was born, we went to war. Or, actually, the war came to us. The enemy came and defeated us; we had to flee to a valley in the north. But we came back; we might have lost that battle, but the wolves of Blackfeather Woods live on."

A smart wolf would have picked up on her incestuous heritage from that anecdote; she had let it slip out without thought. Ah, well. If Flicker were to judge, she didn't care, anyway. She was long past the point of caring.

She listened with quiet intent, wondering what kind of wolf this Meldresi was to have been drawn to the darkness and shadows. She mused over this whilst picking up of a few details -- including Maegis incestuous heritage -- that explained the deformed foot, then. The history of a war came as a small surprise that was accompanied by a drop in her gut. She'd experienced war on her territory and had too lost. And had no land to call her own by the end. But that was the past and this pack was stronger than the last, she would ensure that she, and this pack, did not lose another war; if it ever came to that.

Her mother had had ties to religions and worshipped gods and goddesses that she didn't deign to tell Flicker or her littermates; perhaps that would've came at a certain time, before the wise-woman's death. Oh well. But here they too worshiped gods and goddesses, Mephala and the Night Mother -- perhaps this is why she wasn't told, sounded confusing. Despite herself, a grin spread her maw and found it interesting anyway and wondered, maybe she could get along and follow with this.

She was a great student, quiet and attentive. Maegi gave her an encouraging smile and then continued, not wasting another second.

Here, we worship many gods, but chief among them are Mephala and Sithis, she explained. Mephala--the Night Mother, as I said before--is the god of secrets and lies. We were born to serve her. The words felt wrong in her mouth. She no longer favored Mephala, nor Meldresi, as she once did. But Mephala was the chief god here; it would be misleading to leave her out of the lesson.

Sithis is the Dread Father, Lord of the Void. The Void is where we go when we die. Sithis isn't evil, he isn't good--he's nothing. He is simply nothing, one with the Void. The only thing that pleases Sithis is death. In life, we serve Mephala; by our death, we serve Sithis." Sithis was closer to her heart, both in his own right and as Mou's chosen name-god. But. . .

There are many other minor gods, but the most important to me is Peryite, Maegi said, lips curving in a smirk. God of pestilence and plague, disease, ugly things. Peryite takes in all those scorned by everyone else; Peryite destroys our enemies, not through battle, but through silent ways, like sickness. She let out a wistful sigh, like a teenaged girl talking about her latest crush. I make all my rituals now to Peryite. I can show you sometime, if you'd like.

Her head tilted in wonder and curiosity at the explanation of Mephala and the forces she controlled over. These wolves, she supposed, followed this religion without question as everything about their territory and pack members suggested so — the forest itself is a secret. Maegi then went to explain the Dread Father and his roles in their beliefs.  The scarlet embroidered wolfess shuffled her feet and tilted her ears at the strange concept, before asking, “How can someone worship nothing?” And she prayed she didn’t offend her acquaintance; not too much at least. 

The knowledgeable girl explained Peryite and the symbolism it had to the girl as she clearly loved the Goddesses and her dark sovereignty; this somehow interested Flicker and implored her to reply with, “I’d be honoured to.” Hopefully that would settle any offence she caused earlier by asking about Sithis.

Maegi shrugged, unsure what she was talking about. He's like the air we breathe, she responded slowly, taking a deep breath in through her nostrils. That's nothing, right? she asked, exhaling. Not good, not bad--formless, shapeless. Nothing. But we know it's there. Same with Sithis. He is nothing, but there.

He is strongest when pleased by death, I think, the girl pondered, brows knitting together in concentration. The more bad things I go through in life, the more I seem to be drawn to him. And Mephala slips away. . . Curious thing, that. She knew it was troublesome to stray from the Night Mother, especially as a granddaughter of Meldresi.

But what could she do? Mephala no longer spoke to her. It was what it was.

Come, let's go to the Temple, Maegi remarked, shaking herself out of the momentary reverie. She flicked her tail, gesturing toward the deeper forest. I think I'm well enough to at least make that trip, she added wryly, with a pained smile at Flicker. Blue fluttered above in the tree, still unsure of the proximity of this newcomer.

Flicker’s brows furrowed closer in contemplation to the words of the girl — she was wiser than many her age — before nodding slowly in agreement. Her analogy made sense, the air was indeed nothing, but yet it was life. However, the concept settled in the wolfess’ mind with ease. 

The woman wondered how Sithis was pleased by death, and promptly decided that she’d rather not be the servant for his pleasure; she’d had enough of death. Coming out of her thoughts, she responded to Maegi’s request to go to the Temple, “Of course, I can help you with anything you need.” Hopefully she could keep to that promise.