Northstar Vale constellations

naturalist thread! AW but maybe mama @Tamar or dad @Arsenio? :D

she should be asleep, but instead she found herself at the front of the den. splayed out like a fur rug as blue eyes attempted to peer up beyond her brow. the clear skies and cool air made for the perfect time to examine the lights in the sky.

although truthfully, the moon held plenty of her attention tonight. still big and bright as it settled high in the sky. higher than anything she had ever seen before!

Hello my little stargazer, the father spoke lovingly as he approached their den. The night was heavy upon them. Darkness had swallowed the vale whole. Overhead, the stars glittered with the most brilliant of light.

Arsenio approached slowly, following her eyes toward the heavens. He wondered if he could remember any of the stories of the stars he had heard in his youth. There had been many, from many different beliefs. He would have liked to tell his daughter a story, if he could conjure one from the days long gone.

Find any bright ones tonight?

she shifted so that she may greet her father with plenty kisses. some to his chin, some to his cheeks. although quickly she settled so that she may return to her star gazing with him. content to watch as a pair.

whattabout... she trailed off. pointing at none other than the north star. that! her gaze now shifted to her father.

The man was unopposed to his daughter’s love. He returned her kisses with prods of his nose – to her cheek and her forehead, then to her shoulder with a gentle shove. Zosime settled in with him to look at the sky. Within moments, she had pointed to the brightest star in the heavens.

Arsenio smiled and nodded his snout. The star had many names.

Kunosoura; in days long ago, that is what my people called it. It has many different names. Polaris, Pole star, north star. The red figure swept the sky with his snout. Look at how all the other stars circle around it, hm? It is something special. Arsenio grinned, pleased that he could share this moment with her.

her father said the start had a lot of different names. but she really only cared about the one that he gave.

kunosoura.

it very important! i call it kunosoura too. she assured her father with a happy thumping of her tail against the ground. why they circle kunosoura?

Arsenio couldn’t help the smile that found his lips. She said that she would use the first name he had given, the name they had used long ago. As swiftly as she had committed it to her memory, she asked her first question about it – why did all the other stars circle it?

It is important. It is the guiding light. No matter where you are, Zosime… if you can find kunosoura, you will be able to find your way. Even if things are hard. Look to kunosoura for strength. It is constant, a light that points north. You can learn to be just as reliable, he spoke to his daughter warmly. The man nudged at her cheek, planting a kiss there.

i will be kunosoura! she declared with a thumping wave of her tail against the earth. gently she leaned into her father's affections. thankful for his stories and his warmth.

what other stars are important? she hummed before a little yawn escaped her. not yet fully equipped for the excitement of the world beyond, it seemed.

The man smiled approvingly at his daughter.

Yes, you will. He did not doubt his Zosime. She would do anything she set her mind to. The world would bow before her, as it should.

The girl went on to ask about other stars. Arsenio thought that he could spend the night telling her and would still have stories by the time the sun rose, and the stars faded into the light. Let’s see… there is ursa major – the great bear! The father’s ears perked sharply at this. Bears were fearsome beasts, but he did not know if his daughter knew of their might.

ursa major! a great bear! oh yes! oh, but —

what is a great bear? she blinked softly as she turned her gaze back to her father from the skies.

it sounded...well, great!

Bears are large creatures with big claws. They can be dangerous, Arsenio warned his daughter. He didn’t want to spoil the mood with stories of monsters.

In the sky there is a bear larger than any other, he motioned with his snout. It is the great bear. When the stars are bright, I will show you the shape of it. A tangle of clouds passed over their heads and obscured the glittering heavens from full view. Around the edges of the cloud, Arsenio could still see the light that made it glow.

What would you call that one? he asked his daughter, gesturing to a small star in the far reaches of the black sky.