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@Wraen <3

Slavik hadn’t wandered from the Moonspear borders since the cat incident, it’d turned him off from exploring for a little. The fear had been more real than any he’d felt before, it’s stung with that scar on his back. But the scar was closing, and his will to see the world returning. This was to be another short trip, and not far from the borders. Just to a neighboring territory, the glen below the mountain. He’d only been here a few times, and never during the twilight hours. He hoped to be safely back within the borders by dawn, but for now he wandered the moonlit forest with wonderstruck eyes. The stars and fireflies were kin here, he couldn’t tell which entity was flesh and which was fire.

Having spent a nice day with Vela, Wraen was on her way to meet Maia at a designed spot a day's worth journey away. She had to admit that Charon's daughter was a very captivating person, that she would wish to keep her as a friend and meet again. Despite the dangers and all the rational reasons, why it would not be such a good idea. There was just this something about her...

...or Wraen's inner clock was so desperate that it made her see every person regardless of the gender as potential life-friend. This thought was so amusing that she chuckled to herself. Were she a more superstitious person, she would have thought that she was under a spell. Love-curse, huh? Sounded good. 

Then she spotted a vaguely familiar golden-blonde form in the distance and upon coming closer, Wraen learned that she really knew the guy. They had met somewhere, even though the exact details had escaped her memory. "Hey," she called out to the fellow. "I have a feeling that we have met each other before."

Slavik's eyes had set on one firefly, one he'd seen flash multiple times so he was sure it was no star. His pupils dilated much like a cats, he followed its every move, squinting further when it blinked out so as to see it's dulled body. Finally it got close enough to his face, and he hopped towards it with a clack of his teeth. He missed of course, but it blinked out again as soon as he closed his mouth and for a moment he thought he had it. Tongue lolling out of his mouth, Slavik glanced down just to check. Damn.

He hadn't noticed the woman nearby, he'd been too caught up in his hunt for that. A friendly voice brought his gaze up from his empty maw, and he shifted to a defensive posture for a moment, just to be careful. When Wraen was sighted though, and recognized in all her silver and grey beauty, he relaxed and a wide grin lit his face. Wraen! he called out in response, taking up a friendly and lax pace towards her. It's been some time, huh? greeted the large male.

"Time flies, indeed," Wraen said with a playful smile. "It was only yesterday, when it was warm and hot, and sunlight was filling every nook and cranny, look, what's left of it now," she added, looking over Slavik's shoulder at, what was supposedly a firefly and feeling quite surprised to see one of the insects in the middle of winter. The temperatures had not been exactly freezing, but still - didn't arthropods prefer spring and summer? But there were many peculiar things in the world that made no sense and Wraen accepted that this was simply one of them.

"How has life treated you?" she asked him, because he did not look too bad for the season and she had made out at least one piece of information without him saying it aloud. He was a Moonspearan now.

LLOl forgot fireflies don't happen in winter oops we'll just say it was a miracle :")

Slavik hummed at her response, glancing around at the wintery scape. Honestly I hate it, the winter and everything. Back where I'm from it rarely gets this cold even in this season. And we still have a couple months of it left to go, he said with a sigh, his golden gaze sweeping back over her. He gave a nod and a smile as he responded to her next question, Great! I joined a pack with a friend of mine, things have been going pretty well there.

He remembered then that Wraen knew Speedy, so he tacked on quickly, My friend Speedy? I think you've met her before actually, she said you two shared stories once. He fondly remembered his first meeting with Wraen, when he'd told his parent's story about the wolf and the mouse, and Wraen had told hers about the bird king. What had he named the brothers again? He couldn't quite grasp that, as good as his memory was.

Semi-realism! But you are not the first one here - if my count is correct, then probably the third who is seeing fireflies here. :D

"The world is small after all - for the lack of a better term," Wraen chuckled, when Slavik announced that he was familiar with Speedy and that they had joined a pack together. She also recalled her intentions of offering the latter a place in Sunspire and Rannoch trying to convince the former to join. But none of it mattered now anyway.

"How are the Moonspear folk?" she asked, deciding for once not to speak ill of her former pack, despite the mutual grudges and history between them. She had come to a conclusion that saying bad things about others, even if they deserved it and were true, said nothing good of yourself. In regards of that aspect - she had done some growing up. 

"I knew Charon once and Hydra too and am vaguely familiar with some of their children," she added.

<3

Wraen asked about the Moonspear wolves, Slavik’s first thought was that he hadn’t shared the name of the pack yet. She likely could smell it on him, but he wondered how she had become acquainted with them in the first place. He eyed her as she answered his own mental propositions, as though reading his mind. She knew Charon and Hydra, and some of the others apparently as well. It was as she said, a small world.

They’re good, though recently one of the sons left, he wasn’t particularly pained by it but he was sure the Ostregas were. Other than that things haven’t been too hard yet this winter. But what about you? How’re the Sunspire folks? he asked, remembering Rannoch, the first friend he’d made in the wilds.

"Well, Sunspire folks converted to Lost Creek Hollow folks and now live across the mountain range in a lovely forest," Wraen explained. "I decided not to follow them and hit on my own for a while, my sister joined me and we have been travelling the wilds ever since," not the easiest ride in her life, but despite the hardships she still did not regret her decision to leave. She was a happier individual and she hoped that Terance felt likewise.

"I have met a lot of people along the way - some nice, some weird and some downright scary," like that dark pelted guy on the coast. He had "trouble" written across his features and, how she had got out of the situation unharmed was still a miracle. "And I have learned a few things as well. All in all - life has been treating me well," she concluded.

So Wraen no longer ran with the Sunspire gang, or no the Lost Creek Hollow gang. Slavik vaguely remembered Rannoch saying something about them moving, it was good to know they'd truly done it. He hoped wherever they were now, they had plenty of food for everyone. Wraen continued her own tale, and explained that she'd struck out with her sister. Sometimes that's the way to go, you never know where you might end up, he said, with a hum. He had ended up great, despite Simsey leaving him and everything. And even when she had, he'd found being alone wasn't as terrible as expected.

Wraen wrapped up, Slavik's eyebrows raised as he smiled and nodded, That's so good to know, I would offer you to come join me and the others and Moonspear but looks like you're pretty happy. His sunny eyes followed hers for a moment, then a new question popped into his mind, Any idea where you're headed next?

"I am the living proof of that," Wraen managed to interject right before Slavik mentioned inviting her to the Moonspear gang. A somewhat humoured smile appeared in her expressions, as if there had been a joke that only she had understood.

"Ummm... I am not sure. I spent the last weeks with my sister on the coast, but due to conflict between two other packs we left to come here. Perhaps, we will go over to the lands beyond these mountains," she beckoned in the direction of the range, where Moonspear had claimed their home. 

"A year ago I got lost there, but the land is pretty nice there," she said. "Shall we walk?" she suggested, realizing that standing for too long made the tips of her paws cold.

Slavik understood that Wraen wanted to continue. Hell, the first time they’d met the roles had been flipped, and he’d said something similar to what she said now. He followed her gesture towards the mountains, and he realized he had never been beyond the Moonspear stretch. That sparked a lot of curiosity inside the golden boy, but he would refrain from traveling all the way there just yet. He had plenty of time, and surely one (less cold) day he could venture forth.

For now they decided on a simple walk, he nodded at her suggestion and picked up his feet. He hadn’t realized how deep he’d sunk into the snow, but his thick blonde fur was damp up to his wrist bones. He allowed Wraen to lead the way, and glanced up as they walked, do you know anything about the stars? I always thought they were pretty but I’m no astronomer. he asked, looking back down at his grey furred friend.

When they had got closer to the mountain range and found a comfortable rock path that snaked upwards, the resident wind spirits in their games with the snow, had unknowingly cleared the path for the two travellers. Therefore their climb was rather easy on the feet, if not for the occasional strong gusts of wind at some turns. 

"Stars? I recognize two or three constellations, I know some tales of famous heroes or good people becoming constellations and one tale, where a proud wolf was dragged to the moon," Wraen said. "But astronomy is not my forte - my brother, Terance, inheritted all the skill. Want to become one? A specialist in stars? An oracle, perhaps?"

Slavik and Wraen moved to a rockier path now, while the ground was still cold it at least wasn’t as wet. This was better, though he was still dragging his heavy paws. If not for his friend beside him he might’ve gone back home and called it a day, but he was having a great time with Wraen and he didn’t want it to end just yet. Not while there was still some warmth left under his molten pelt.

His eyes drifted back to the sparkling sky fires as Wraen talked. He should’ve known that she’d have stories for the stars, she was a collector after all. But she had a brother named Terance who apparently knew more about the stars themselves. She asked if he wanted to be an astronomer, and Slavik let out a light chuckle, No, not exactly. I just like to learn about stuff, everything I don’t know is a new experience, might as well explore it, he said, looking back to her with a content smile on his maw.

"From what I remember Charon is an expert on stars, so was his daughter Korei Julia, while she resided in Moonspear and I guess some other of his children are in the trade as well," even with their rocky history (or that one particular rock), Wraen thought it was a bit of a pity that, while the king of the mountain had had a chance to listen to her stories, she hadn't had any opportunity to learn about stars from him. Though she had not been particularly interested either.

"Did you know that Charon is named after the wolf, who guides the souls of the dead and assures a safe passage into the Underworld?" she asked. "And Hydra's name is tied with a legend of a fearsome monster?"

Slavik hadn’t known that, that Charon was an expert of stars. Something to ask the older male about next time they met then. The Kendry was curious about almost everything, but the stats were an easier beauty to become preoccupied with. They’d started to really interest him since he joined Moonspear. Atop the mountain, you could nearly speak to them, and the sky whispered with unimaginable colors and lights. Slavik would definitely be asking some of the Ostregas for some tales about the stars.

For now he was fixed with another tale, another fact that Slavik didn’t know that he found very interesting. His eyebrows raised with intrigue, Nu-uh, that’s pretty awesome though. What’s the legend?

Disclaimer: I do not own Greek and Roman Myths and Legends, though I wish I did. Wolf-adaption/interpretation, however, is entirely mine.

"In Greek legends Charon is the faithful servant of the Underworld and the first person one meets after dying," Wraen bega to retell one of the tales her mom had shared during her childhood. It was said that her grandfather had come from a long line of wolves, who had believed the old gods and order of the world. And, while his granddaughter was not as ardent follower, she still enjoyed (and so did her author, who is currently hooked on Greek and Roman Myths) the way Greeks had had a divine explanation and name for everything. "Kind of like we do now - except - if I was Charon and you the soul, who has to be guided through the two rivers Styx and Acheron, you would have to pay me something. And - naturally - you have to be buried properly, according to the rituals. No, passing out with your face in the meal or where no one can find you," she added a humorous note to an otherwise serious tale. "So my ancestors always put something valuable in the grave of their deceased. Or, if they were unable to burry him, then they left a piece of meat or bone next to the body," she did not know, if they really did, but that had been the ritual explained to her. And she imagined that they must have. 

"So - if all was right and you paid Charon, he took you to the next deity of the Underworld, where one's good deed were weighed against the bad," she continued. "However, if you had nothing to pay for the ride or were not buried accordint to the proper rites, then your soul was doomed to wander the banks of the rivers for eternity and never be able to move on," and just as she said this a very strong gust of wind passed between them and disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. "Any questions on this?" she asked, contemplating now the details of the story about hydra and the guy, who had slayed it.

It was odd hearing Charon’s name used in a tale of mystic realms and spirits. And the beliefs themselves seemed odd to him as well, he’d never heard of such an idea, but it was very interesting. Where he came from on the plains, it was tradition for the bodies of the dead to be covered in flowers, or in the case of a winter departure juniper berries, and then buried. Their bodies went back to the earth, and their spirits were reborn as something new. The flowers and berries were to aid in the process of the spirit leaving the body, and finding a new vessel.

Come to think of it though, his family’s legends were sort of outlandish as well, but they had always seemed so natural to him. That was the way of tradition, everyone is used to their own, and can only see the strangeness of it once they’ve lived another.

He chuckled at her little joke, and his eyebrows raised when she mentioned going to the next deity. Seemed like a long process these Greeks had mapped out, and very complicated. Then she paused in her word weaving, to ask for questions. He smiled and shook his head, I got it so far I think, Charon’s two timing as an underworld tour guide, he joked, chuckling at his own witty remark.

"Well, if I was named after a mythical being, I would be very proud of myself," Wraen replied, wondering, if Charon knew the true origins of his name and whether he would like them at all. What was more interesting, why had his parents chosen such an altogether grim character to name their son after. From what she remembered from her former alpha's personality, one of the Olympian gods would have been more suitable flaw-wise. 

"The story about Hydra has more action in it," she went on to tell the story that had been a rare favourite of her sister Sarah. "The legend says it that this creature was as huge as the mountain, had a body of a lizard and numerous heads. If you bit off one of them, many more would sprout in it's stead. Also the monster's blood was pure venom, it's breath was poisonous and where it touched the earth, there nothing grew," she told, thinking that this was by far the most balanced monster Typhon and Echidna - it's parents - had given life to. 

"There was this hero called Heracle, who was of godly origin and for some reason had also godly enemies. He looked pretty much like you, by the way," Wraen gave Slavik a playful smile. "His task was to slay this beast. Being very, very strong and with teeth sharp and hard as flint, and having a bit of more durability than a regular mortal would have in combat with Hydra, he set out to fulfill the quest. However, he soon ran into a problem - the more heads he slaid, the more grew in it's stead. Imagine - he probably started out with having five heads and was soon fighting a hundred!"

Here Wraen paused, having forgotten the exact means of, how Heracle had finally killed the beast, and decided to improvise for the sake of finishing the story. "Then he had an idea. He saw spills of Hydra's venom on the ground, dipped his paws in it - and they did not fall off, because he had some godly juice running inside him - and after he ripped off one head, he placed his venom infused paws on the stump and burnt the place. After a lot of struggle and close calls to death, he finally managed to slay the last and the most important head. And with it the monster was dead and the land was freed from it's deadly grasp," she finished.

"Oh, but someone in the end felt that it would be a waste of a good monster to have it disappear in the oblivion, therefore they put it in the sky and there it resides as a constellation," if Slavik wanted to know, where and which one was it, he would have to ask Charon. After all it was more likely that he had named his daughter after stars that were so dear to him and not after some deadly, evil beast.

Next came the tale of Hydra, and it didn’t start out that great. Ouch actually. If Slavik were named after a lizard with poison breath he wouldn’t know quite how to feel about it. It could be pretty cool, the name itself wasn’t that bad. But imagine the teasing! ‘Hey yo stank breath get yo three heads over here u big lizard!’ He wouldn’t dare repeat any of that to the daughter of the alphas, and he had no reason to be rude to her anyway unless it was a joke, for he liked Hydra. But he did smile a little to himself upon thinking it.

Slavik grinned at her flattery, giving her a shoulder nudge, You’re not too bad yourself, he said with a playful wink. He listened intently as she continued the story, which got more and more exciting the more she spoke. A hundred heads! What?! he exclaimed with a laugh, less of a question and more an expression of his astonishment! There was no way Heracle was gonna win at this point. But somehow he did, defeated the odds as heroes do. He nodded approvingly, Heracle was a pretty awesome guy. He glanced up at the sky above then when she mentioned that Hydra was up there now.

You mean there’s a big lizard constellation and I haven’t noticed it? he said, looking from her to the pitch night above, as if this time he looked Hydra would be clear as day.

"Don't you worry - I have never seen it either," Wraen reassured Slavik, because, while she had had a great memory for tales, she had lacked the faculties to master the secrets of stars. Had Terance been here, he would have directed, where to look and each dot, which counted. "I can confidently find four constellations and that's about it," she said. 

"But you can ask Charon - he, if I recall correctly, is an excellent astronomer," Wraen suggested. He would have no problem finding that lizard or any other beast that was hiding in among the collection of shiny dots there. "By the way... of those four constellations I know. There is an actual hunter up there too hunting a bull that I have never seen, but my brother said that it is there as well. Ever heard about the Orion the Hunter?" come to think of it, she was not that miserable in the art of stars after all.

Slavik smiled as she said that she could only find four constellations. Glad to know they were in the same boat! He looked down at his feet for a moment, he’d forgotten about the cold snow he’d walked through for a moment, distracted by her twisting tales, but it came back to him with the one glance. The Moonspear called out to him, a voice on the wind telling him to return but he ignored it. No, as long as his friend had another story in mind he was here to listen. Not even the promise of his warm den could bring him away now.

I’ll ask Charon about it then, I have to find him and tell him my name isn’t Satin anyway so that might be a good time. Wraen then shared with him one of the four constellations she knew, Orion the hunter. Now hunting was Slavik’s thing, so this was certainly a story he’d like to hear, Hu uh, sounds like a cool guy though, he said as an invitation for her to continue.

"Orion was son of a sea god and a mortal wolf and therefore was able to walk on water. He also was a brilliant hunter, his skills being equal to Artemis - the godess of hunting - herself. And so conceited and arrogant he became that he claimed to kill every beast that walked on Earth," Wraen told Slavik the shorter version of the story, the one, which painted the guy in somewhat good light, 'cause not all his deeds had been heroic or noble. 

"The old godess of Earth also called Gaia objected and set a huge monster to kill the hunter, which he succeeded in doing," she said. "However, since he was a favourite of Artemis and she had great sorrow over hid death, she asked her father Zeus to put the fellow in the sky as a constellation in his memory. Which he did and therefore Orion is continuing his hunt up there," she finished.

During all of the storytelling their path had led them to a really nice ledge that overlooked the Firefly glen below and offered a view of Moonspear as well. She turned to her companion and asked: "Aren't you cold? I can, of course, talk your ears full of more tales, but I don't think that Charon will have much use of you, if you return to him as an ice-block."

Slavik listened to Wraen’s tale, his eyes following her lips as she spoke. It was honestly kind of amazing that she could recall all of these tales at a moments notice. He imagined a small wolf inside her mind, bringing the thoughts to her lips like leaves in the wind. She was truly a wonder to behold, in all of her eloquent glory.

The story of Orion ended much like Hydra’s, with the hunter falling, then ascending to the stars above. Slavik thought it a nice thought, to go to the stars when he died, where he could hunt forever. That’s a good one too, you’ve got so many stories Wraen. I love it, he voiced his thoughts with a smile on his maw. He wanted to show his appreciation, for all that she’d shared.

And then she seemed to notice too how long he’d been out, and that he should return. He hummed amusedly at her comment, picturing himself frozen like a glacier. Yeah, I guess I should be getting back soon, he said with a nod, stopping to say his goodbyes. It was great meeting up with you Wraen, I’m glad you’re doing well! Next time we meet I’ll have something to share with you, he said, beginning to think up what he could possibly give her that was as precious as her stories. A rhythm maybe, or a snack?

Thank you for the thread! I love Wraen <3

"See you around, Slavik!" Wraen called after him, while she remained on the ledge and admired the beautiful view just a bit longer. While she had enjoyed the story-telling session and her brain was pulling out more precious tales out of the storage box, she felt tired too and happy to be in the company of her own thoughts for a while.