Sawtooth Spire rhythm of devotion

"Home" wasn't really the right word for it. Kaertok wasn't sure if that would be the right word for any place. Just a few months after his birth, his parents had followed the herds. That alone made the young wolf feel as though nothing in life was permanent. The world was ever-changing, and he was just a pawn in the grand scheme of things.

And yet... he did feel there was a purpose waiting for him somewhere out here. There had to be, or he would not have come back. Kaertok, as he now knew himself, lingered about the den where he thought he had spent his first weeks. Truth be told, those memories were more or less lost, and this probably wasn't the right place at all. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he turned away from the mouth of the den.

Hi! :)

The sky was not dark but various shades of white and grey and pale silver-blue, home only to the white sun and the clouds around. There were no stars up there. But Noctura had seen one nonetheless — right here in this bright sky, somehow visible among the rest of it. That was how bright it shone. And so he decided to follow it, knowing that the atmosphere among the mountain range tended to change from peak to peak. The dark stargazer roamed north, knowing that he would be sure to bring some off-territory prey back to Ryūjin to give his journey practical merit. But during his search he saw someone — a bonny youth who in his motions looked almost as if he might live here, a lone wolf on neutral territory. Good day, he greeted the snowy one. I'm in search of a star. Have you seen it in the afternoon sky?

"Good day," came a voice, followed quickly by a question that was perplexing and a non-sequitur in Kaertok's books. Stars were not something that one searched for, as far as he knew. They were something that hung in the sky to be observed, but not searched. Perhaps this one was off his rocker. Kaertok was happy to assume as much, and looked at the black wolf as he would a child even younger than himself.

In reply, Kaertok shook his head. He did not attempt to explain to this wolf that stars were not to be searched for. Kaertok had no reason to be overly friendly to this stranger, and he had never been a particularly social wolf outside of his pack.

A look akin to sheer bemusement seemed to cross the white male's face, and naturally Noctura blamed himself for it. He had barely said hello before stating his reason for being here — not a reason that many could relate to. He was a quiet and generally reclusive wolf, but when it came to the sky he could speak up and search high. They say that a star brighter than the sky itself is likely to be Sirius. If it shines on a particular land during the day, that land will be blessed with an abundance of new prey, he explained, deciding to describe his quest to the boy rather than leave it a hanging mystery. He quite expected his words to be met with mute confusion or a cynical "okay then", but saw no reason not to provide an honest explanation even to a stranger.

Superstitions and fairy tales flew from the black wolf's mouth, and Kaertok listened with only mild curiosity. How could anyone believe this stuff? Furthermore, why was he yammering on about it to a complete stranger? Kaertok might have given him some credit if they'd had some kind of history, but he had literally just wandered up here and started talking about nonsense. It was no wonder his parents had left this place. Well, that and the herds had moved on.

The child of Tartok continued to stare blankly at the male.

Met with a blank gaze, Noctura did him respect of leaving him be, and continued on his way. The regal wolf moved slowly but purposefully over the rocks, muzzle cast skywards as his eyes sought the illusive daystar.

Either the white wolf had bored him to tears or the stranger had finally realized that Kaertok wasn't biting on what he was handing out. The young wolf made no move to follow as the dark beast slipped away. Kaertok planned on bumming around his old home for a few days before moving on. He was not sentimental in the least, though he was curious about his roots.