Hoshor Plains Gentle Girl, Gentle Step

Pre-hunt

There were so many bodies and voices. Clamoring, clawing to be heard. Oh there was laughter and rejoicing,  new friends, old friends, family. And she felt displaced. 

Truly she wanted to turn tail and run. This many wolves in one place it was absolutely frightening. And yet she sought out connection, words. Wondering if she could meet others or find solace in her friends.

Delicate pawsteps as she meandered throughout the lands. Green gaze observing, ears titled to catch snapshots of sound.

the milling of adults before the hunt brought sobeille from the fringes, eyes wide as she drank in the novelty. there were wolves of every stripe and disposition; every age and gender. some wore strange slings of fur along their back. others were knotched in fearsome scars that inspired sobeille's interest.

she noted the men moved more freely here than at home. she found their voices ribald, their gruff posturing noxious -- she avoided the gaze of boys her age and instead, focused on the girls who twirled and played and chattered as they ran odd errands.

one girl was pulled from the sea of bodies, round eyes watchful and brilliant green. sobeille prowled towards her with a sniff, possessing none of the shyness that currently reined ajei in. dere be a lot of boys here. sobeille remarked, passing an open glance approvingly up and down ajei's soft frame. i be sobeille - who are you?

So many wolves. Each larger or louder than the last. Ajei searched for a face she knew, but they had all began to blend together in colors and patterns.

She had found a quiet spot to stand and observe. Taking a moment for a breath. She was waylaid by a she wolf in brilliant colors. Smelled of salt and sea. Open air.

A small smile. Yes, but I'm used to boys. I'm the only girl my age in my pack.

Ajei dipped her nose. This wolf greets you. I'm Ajei.

the tiniest smile. sobeille sat to the pretty girl’s left, hiding her own small grin by trying to sternly study the wolves below.

dere not be any other girls? sobeille tried to envision a world where she was the only girl; her expression soured. i’m sobeille. what dey do with all de girls den, ajei?

It was a welcome comfort having a body near. Ajei felt herself relaxing a little. But she continued to watch all those around her.

No their all older. 

There had been Galana, but she had disappeared while they were so young. She knew in her heart the brothers missed her.

They all went to leave with husbands and wives or like Sialuk start their own packs.

sobeille sensed the girl’s shoulders soften, the soft sigh of tension fleeing her body.

something in the mainlander’s manner of speech tickled sobeille; the phrasing of her sentence structure was delightfully different than the lilting staccato of the cliffs.

husbands and wives? sobeille’s golden gaze lifted in intrigue. what dat be like? an’ what do you mainlanders be eatin’ all de time, is it always bison? ‘ave you seen de sea? and why are your men so loud an’ shameless? sobeille could not help the deluge of questions that poured from her mouth — ajei’s world was so different than hers, she drank from its novelty in deep and insatiable interest.

It was nice to be calmer. Ajei knew she was highstrung, but she wasn't quite sure how to fix that.

Ajei lifted thin shoulders. Wishing she had brought her fur gifted from Ariadne along.

i've never had one yet. But Moonwoman the alpha of our village is married to sun man. But Sialuk shares her hearth with the healer Elentari and the warrior Argent.

Ajei smiled. In our home we eat deer and fish. I love fishing. she gave a little happy sigh at the thought.

But i know there are also goats and otters and weasels. Little voles. Rabbits. They are all eaten

Ajei wrinkled her nose in distaste. Not all the men are shameless and loud. Those are the ones whose mother's didn't teach them manners. All the men on the spear and in moonglow. They are quiet and polite and kind. So is brother Rodyn from moontide.

She was ashamed at how some of the men around them chose to comport themselves. It was demeaning and cruel.

sobeille’s dark capped ear turned to ajei as the girl spoke of her world; of deer and rabbits, which were familiar — but of other things too.

hearths, voles, sunmen, and goats. what be a goats? sobeille piped up, imagining some sort of fish with four legs.

the conversation turned to men. sobeille’s experience of them was limited to the men of sapphique — who remained in the background. this was how sobeille preferred them - this cavorting out in public seemed gaudy and wrong. noting the blame placed on the men’s mothers, sobeille pursed her lips, realizing none of sapphique’s men were here. we left our men at home, where dey belong.

Ajei knew she had sprung a lot on the swa wolf beside her. The lilt of her words sweet. 

Hmm. she pursed her lips in thought. A gwntle lolling of her tongue as she tried to think of how to describe them.

They are bout as big as medium wolf. Bigger than me, but smaller than him. She pointed out a giant of a wolf.

They have this curly, thick fur and horns on their heads like this. she tried to show the horns but it wouldn't work with her paw range. Hmm ah like deer, but not so many little ones. Just two straight out and big.

Ajei blinked surprised. Oh don't your men do most of the hunting? That is what many of ours do. And brother Rodyn is leader of village, trader. He has allies all over. And Sun Man is equal to moonwoman. He stands beside her, not behind her and they are good.

She sighed. Some men don't deserve our recogniton, and some are shameless and rude and cruel. But some are sweet and kind. Helpful and they deserve to be here just as much as anyone else. Some women can be just a shameless and cruel.

She smiled and spoke softly. I guess what i mean to say is that is it unfair to judge another by the majority. Each wolf is unique and different. You and I are different, but we get along just fine.

sobeille’s mouth formed a rounded shape in surprise. first — the depiction of a goat — in her mind it was some shuffling monstrosity with a wolf’s body and two spikes erupting from its head.

more pressing than that was ajei’s description of the men in her village. learning they were equals and stood alongside women earned the quietest scoff of disbelief. surely they did not expect men to stand on the same moral high ground as women? this challenged sobeille’s perception of the world. she rummaged carefully around the debris of her culture shock.

no! dat not be how it is in saffique. she stood a little taller, narrow chest rising in pride. my maman is de leader alongside my auntie — de men babysit and raise de children while de women hunt and patrol and go out into de world. it is how it be. your village be very strange. perhaps a man made it. she leveled ajei with a solemn eye.

’ave you met a cruel woman?

Ajei wasn't sure if her description had done the creature any justice. They were strange looking for sure, but not frightening. But perhaps she had gone too far, when she saw the she wolf's small o of surprise.

Ajei shifted and stared. A few words in her mother's language and then she shook her head.

There was a shifting a changing and Ajei startled at the vehement way the other girl said no. She moved away from her quickly. 

Her voice quiet, calm a little shaky. She didn't like being shouted at, even if it were in the heat of a moment.

No, Moonwoman made our village. A soft look. You are blinded by what you were taught and what you believe. Why can't villages exist in different ways. Why can't there be different ways of doing things. Your way works for you, and our way works for us.

She tilted an ear gracefully. The next question she eyed the girl. Perhaps she had met a cruel woman just now. But she kept her words to herself. IT didn't speak well of someone willing to tear someone down for something they didn't believe in.

I have not, yet. But I have heard stories and seen how cruel women hurt other's. She thought of Aiolos and the terrors he had lived, she thought of her own father and wondered what had damaged him and if it were a woman.

a nerve had been struck; the undercurrent of it pulsed around them in a malcontent snarl. ajei moved away in discomfiture. sobeille watched with a puzzled frown.

two wolves here along the ridge and yet, despite all their similarity in fur the chasm between them could not be wider.

sobeille was left to wonder what it was she had said, when truthfully, she had always had trouble relating to her peers, and her peers had always had trouble understanding her. best to drop it and back away.

she ran her tongue along her teeth and sucked in her breath. what kind of stories dey be?

Ajei knew she had reacted a little badly. But frankly she didn't like loudness.

But perhaps the other just didn't understand why she was uncomfortable.

This woman is sorry, but I don't like be shouted at. And i don't understand why just because our pscks are different we should be upset about. It takes all kinds to make a world.

Stories of how they play with the affections of men. How they hurt their sisters and other women because they are jealous.

it was true it took all kinds to make a world. sobeile examined this kernel of truth like an unsavory grain of rice.

she relented at last, if only because the girl's posture softened and she offered a quiet apology. sobeille was too childish to do the same.

wen de women play wit de affections of men, what do dey do? sobeille was categorizing each bit of this new-world information ajei offered, and leaned forward with ears cupped to drink from the fount of ajei's experience.

Ajei was troubled that Sobeille didn't have decent manners. But that spoke more of her mother than her. 

At least to Ajei and perhaps that was a cruel thought so she tempered it with grace. Reminding herself of her own words just moments ago. It took all kinds and maybe the family itself just didn't know any better.

Ajei furrowed her brow in though. A small paw making delicate circles in the dirt. 

Well. They treat them cruelly. Disregard their feelings, making their own feelings first an only. Or they use men who may want more to their devices. Or they do not ask after them. Men can be treated cruelly just as women. And they have feelings too.

She thought of Arrluk, of Massaraq, of Kassuq and sun man. All he felt deeply.

ajei was unsettled. her small paws drew patterns into the sand, her brow creased in what sobeille could only assume was heavy thought.

an intrusive side of the girl wished to dash her paw across the drawings — but she did not do it.

de men in saffique be treated very well. not that there were many. sobeille could only think of two: val and svalinn. she did not count her siblings or cousins.

but sobeille grew tired of this topic. she hardly cared for men - why let them dominate her conversations? ajei, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Ajei had only been heavy in thought as she hadn't wanted to get it wrong. She had never met the people of these stories only heard them.

She blinked. Why did Sobeille keep getting so defensive. She hadn't meant Sapphique. Though now she wondered if perhaps thecgirl was wrong and men were treated poorly there. Why else would she always feel the need to defend her home.

Ajei smiled. A mediator I think. I want to help when other's have a fight. I want to be able to give them a safe spacecto air out their grievances and hopefully help them to fix them. I also love to fish. So hunter who focuses on fishing. I am also learning healing.

a keeper of the peace. sobeille mused over this. it tracked, considering. sobeille thought of a forest, and her a giant towering over the dark green pines, knocking down a score of trees with each huge fist. trotting hastily after was the image of ajei, setting everything right that the chaos-seekers of the world upended.

she smiled.

though ajei had not asked in return what sobeille wanted to be when she grew up, sobeille already knew.

in her minds eye was a shape silhouetted by glowing embers.

dat sounds nice. there was a disconnect there sobeille was aware of - with each attempt to repair the broken line of communication, sobeille only sabotaged it further. dem be two different vocations, ya? like treating’ people by killing other t’ings. you kill a fish to fill your stomach. you kill a flower to ‘arvest its potential.

a long pause as she weighed whether to give voice to her thoughts. do you t’ink killing t’ings is what brings out dier potential?

Ajei realized her mistake immediately and a small look of horror went across her face. Oh! Sobeille, this wolf is so sorry. I forgot to ask what you wanted to do? That was so rude. So ehat do you want to do when you grow up?

She looked at her with eager expression. Green eyes ernest in their questioning.

Ajei made a soft hmm. I like to think they are connected. After all, they all take care of those we care about, yea? Food for their bellies, nourishment for their souls and care for their bodies?

Ajei frowned. Hmm. No I don't think so. After all you can harvest a flower without killing it. As for animals. Well if we didn't eat some of them, they would overpopulate and then the world would be unable to support their numbers.

sobeille’s edges were sharp, and ajei’s soft: it made for an interesting pairing. while sobeille struggled to remain relatable to her peer, she enjoyed the thought exercise and thought of it as a game.

if only she did not keep such a tight lid on her thoughts! even her last thought had slid out unbidden — but she breathed a sigh of relief when she realized ajei was not horrified.

dat be okay, ajei — i was askin’ you. ionno what i want to be yet. another half truth. so if dey are connected, do you t’ink dey know? she leaned in, a deep inhale. mebbe it is like de moon and de sun. two different t’ings. does de moon chase de sun or does de sun chase de moon? what appens if de moon catches de sun? what happens if wolves eat all de fishes in de world?

Ajei had known nothing but sweetness and kindness in the world. Even Massaraq's silence at coming home was okay. Because Kukutux was fixing it.

Ajei wrinkled her nose in thought. Well i don't know. I jmagine some of the older ones may know about the circle of life. Wouldn't they. I would think they would be taught. Unless well they may not think like we do.

I heard a story that they are lovers and whencthey catch each other Eclipse happens. When the sun goes dark for the day.

I don't think they can. Brother Rodyn has been in far away places and he says there are other oceans and other rivers. Than just these ones.

the idea of the sun and moon as lovers intrigued sobeille. the stories she had been told only ever painted them in conflict. the addition of love to their tangled story was a delicious new development.

sobeille analyzed the concept with a purse of her lips.

mebbe dat be true dat dey lovers. ‘ave you ever seen an eclipse? her gaze lit up with interest.

oh! my maman says the ocean be big — bigger dan dis, even. she spread her arms wide as she could, wiggling each toe. she also says dere are fish in there bigger dan any land animal. dat de sea has lots of secrets. do you know any’t’ing about secrets, ajei?

Ajei had only heard of the story briefly. Ahe didn't know all of its inticacies. Or even 100% what an Eclipse was. Just that it made the daytime, black black as night.

Ajei shook her head. no my mama says it only happens sometimes. And sometimes it can be scary, but to be brave.

Ajei smiled softly. Remembering that ine day with Frolic and Seal. Yes i know a little bit about secrets.

A secret language. Good friends. And yet she hadn't seen either Seal or Frolic in sometime.

sometimes it can be scary, but to be brave.

sobeille lapsed into contemplative silence, brought back to the harrowing memory of her stay in the grotto.

seconds turned into minutes before she spoke again. i know a secret. sobeille shared in a transpiring whisper, leaning close so that ajei could hear her lowered voice. would you like to hear it?

Ajei sat quietly with what she hoped to be a new friend. But she wasn't sure if the barriers they could get past. But it was worth it to try.

only if you want to tell me. Secrets were for the keepers. She hoped it wasn't like a bad one. That wouldn't be good.