Fairspell Meadow Autumn Moon

Petite dainty paws traversed through the broken brittle plants of a meadow. She imagined it was beautiful in Spring. Though now a hush was upon it with autumns breeze.

She bent calico head to sniff and peruse. Blue eyes catching on the brambles and thicket where plump berries lived in Spring and summer.

A gentle smile on her face as she walked.

her heart quickened its beat. she slowed it. it picked up again. the anxiety couldn't be quelled.

hunting grounds of вукови. every scent, every trail and every bleached bone told her the same.

so why risk it? 

the question hung in the murmuring of her mind, as the dog stalked trough the autumnal grasses.

a вук in the distance.

she began to make a wide circle around them.

Ash Paw heard a noise around her. She swiftly tightened her shoulders and lifted her head. Irritation playing with her insides. Perhaps a small bit of fear.

A strange leggy creature with fur put in strange positions. She darted her tongue out to lick along the seam of her muzzle.

She watched with warm blue eyes as the creature moved and darted about freely. Curious.

she stalked.

if each paw was placed with care, the вук would let her leave. offended, likely, by her intrusion, but not aggravated enough to give chase.

and if it did, medalina had to admit she'd welcome a closer inspection. scent said вук, without any doubt, yet the patterned coat confounded her carefully constructed bestiary.

her advancement seemed so, so painfully slow.

Ash Paw eyed the other creature who seemed not to move as quickly as she felt. Though truthfully, Ash Paw didn't have any claim to these woods. She frequented them often, but this was not her territory 100%. 

She tilted an ear forward and moved slowly, closer. To inspect this creature that was strange and leggy. Not wolfish, but definitely canine.

Was she a type of fox?

the predator made a move.

it was not much of a predator, the huntress had to admit. more akin to a dog in size, and that coat too-

but the thoughts were taking hold of her mind, when it could be used to carefully calibrate each movement taken.

the вук stood in-between her and the mountains, the open plain. medalina was tense, weighing her options.

a distraction might work.

straighting to her full height, the afghan hound stood.

"gud dei." in a voice deep, even and just loud enough.

If she was privy to the other's thoughts. A deep sense of offense taken would have colored her thoughts and she would have shown the beast how predatory she could be, but she wasn't so she didn't.


Ash Paw was momentary surprised when the creature spoke. A voice she was not expecting erupting from the she dogs vocal chords.

Hello. She said quietly, unsure what to make of it all. She briefly thought of Ingram, not being thrilled with her being friendly. But she had found in recent times, that you caught more with honey than vinegar.

in effort to conceal own efforts, she stared at the other. never let her gaze betray where she was aiming.

"ai'm... sori?" that wasn't meant to be a question. she briefly shook her head, as if her poor grasp of the language was the greatest concern. "deez... yur hant." a paw patted the ground. "yur... hant... hir."

muzzle dipped in apology.

"ai sorri."

Ash Paw had to figure out what the she beast was saying and then seh realized and shook her head. 

Oh no. I'm not hunting. Looking for herbs. I'm a healer. I hunt in pack lands.

She  motioned back the way she had come towards Basilica. She wasn't hunting here. Hadn't hunted from the pack lands in some times. Speaking of she frowned. She needed to do some hunting, she hadn't sacrificed to Atka and Sos in some time. And it was he Blood Moon Month. She shivered for a moment.

her mind's dictionary was flipped trough.

healer... heal... to heal... er... suffix... profession...

medalina slowly nodded. another detail caught her eye.

why the shudder?

"arr... yu... skherd?" they had pointed away from the mesa. what was within it?

Ash Paw shook her head. Not scared so much as remembering. I need to hunt. Give part of my kill to gods.

Are you hunting?::

She asked genuinely curious about the dog in front of her.

gods... god... suffix... богови...

now her brows gathered, for different reasons.

so much space between them, established for security, now seemed too far for questions, for reading features.

she kept standing.

"yu..." voice carried over the grass. "yu hev gad...z?"

Ash Shifted and settled to her haunches. Clearly ready to answer questions. Though she was unsure if it was the smart thing to do, but she did it.

Yes Gods Atka and Sos. Atka god of all living things, life, spring, plants etc. So god of death, chaos, greed envy.

She raised her paws up. Atka a beautiful white black bear. Sos slavering black grizzly.

the huntress blinked. staggered, as far as she could express.

it was without thinking

(!!)

"bat vai"

that she approached

(!!!!)

"yu need"

and came near enough the вук that a long-legged hop could end their distance.

"...gadz? neychr - feed, wather, meyk, meyk... sleep. meyk to sleep." her sleek features had earned ridges, as furrows of frustration - at lack of language, at concept introduced - gathered at her muzzle and bridge. "vai, vai gadz, vhen gadz noht need?"

Ash Paw frowned in concentration as the she beast spoke. She closed her blue eyes and made a soft hum. Listening, syphoning through the words to what lay beneath them. What she was asking her. Why and she could understand if other's did not believe, but Ash Did. It, they did need it if she wanted blessed. Do they simply like the smell? Can they use it in spirit form she doesn't know, and these questions feel much like too close to blasphemy and heresy.

Because if I do not I fear my good fortune will fail. That they will curse me as they see fit, for not sharing in the fruits of my labor with them. It is blasphemy and heresy to ask them such questions. So I don't. I simply offer up what I can and pray for good fortune, for lives.

Ash Paw shifted and nodded. I will leave you now, but I will pray for you.