Silvertip Mountain Beanstalks And Broomsticks

For him to get back into routine more, Chaska decided to do more stories for anyone willing to listen. He sent out a howl for anyone who wished to hear a tale. Of what, this time he was not sure. He had not decided on any subject as of yet. Perhaps heroism. Or mystery. Something he could think up on the spot.

@Adeline

With her new found freedom, Adeline was always looking for an adult to tag along with. She had gotten into the habit of sort of attaching herself to the first one that came along, not exactly trying to give them a choice on the matter. She just couldn't help it. It was like her brain was always on the move and her body needed to keep up or else she got bored and cranky. 

She was happy to hear a howl go up, calling any wolves that might be near. She was near! Well, near enough, she supposed, as they were both in Silvertip Mountain territory. She scrambled up and didn't waste time trying to find the caller. She came to a halt when he came into view. She couldn't remember meeting this male, though he reminded her of Grayday. Her tail wagged, and she gave a puppy grin, hoping this male would be as fun as the others.

Chaska waited. And waited. And soon, someone arrived to answer his call. A pup. The only pup, that he knew. What was her name? He smiled at her, lowering himself to be laying against the ground while he tried to remember. Then it clicked. Adeline. The only pup left in Silvertip.

"Hello, Adeline. Say, wanna hear a story?" he asked, his own tail wagging above him from behind while a wide grin stuck to his muzzle. He couldn't help but be reminded of the time he told Mason and June a tall tale.

Her ears perked as the male spoke. A story? What kind of story? she asked, hoping it wouldn't be one of those long, drawn-out, boring ones that so many adults seemed to want to tell. Adeline was four months old. Her brain moved on from subjects faster than even she could realize, but she usually just went with it.

She wasn't really sure if she was in the mood for one, but decided she would humor the male. If it turned out to be another boring one, she would just deal with it then. She padded over to him, sitting down on her haunches, her eyes begging him to make it something interesting.

Chaska answered without hesitation. He had one in mind. "A story of wonder. One I told to your older brother and sister." He assumed he would guess who those two were. "When they were very young. Would you like to hear it?" A perfect story for a sibling of those two, something he could pass to the children. It was a great tale for pups, so he thought.

Adeline seemed to take a moment to consider his offer of a story, then sat back on her haunches as he mentioned her older siblings. Mason and June had not been in her life for some time, though she had fleeting memories of them, and they were all positive. If Chaska had told them a story, she wanted to know it, too.

She nodded, finally. Yeah! she said excitedly. As her energy was up, only the next few minutes would determine if she would actually sit still for the tale. But, right this second, her attention was on Chaska.

This was good. He was glad she wished to hear the very same tale he had told June and Mason. It was a good feeling to have someone hear it, especially since it felt like passing the story down. For Adeline was the second generation of pups, and the last of them in the pack.

He cleared his throat with a rumble, then he began, "Once upon a time, deep deep in the forest lived two wolves. They were best friends and did everything together. One day, one of the wolves went into a dark cave and found a small white stone. The stone spoke to him, 'Thank you for finding me. I thought I was going to be stuck in the dark forever.' the stone said. The wolf was shocked to see a stone talk, 'You're welcome. I didn't know stones could talk.' he said. The stone laughed, 'Ha ha ha, I'm not just any stone. I'm a magic moon stone.' the stone said. The wolf looked at him in wonder, 'A magic moon stone! What do you do?' he asked the stone. 'I grant wishes. But you can't tell anyone.' the stone said. 'Not even my best friend?' the wolf asked. 'Not even your best friend.' the stone said. The wolf was sad he couldn't tell his friend but maybe he could use the wishes for his friend. The wolf promised not to tell anyone and carried the rock out of the cave." 

She sat quietly as she regarded him, listening to his story. She was hooked from the moment he said "moon stone", knowing that she had one of her own that Niita had gotten her. It had never talked, let alone granted her wishes, though! Maybe it didn't trust her yet. She would have to prove herself to it. 

While her mind strayed for a second, it was back on track quickly. Her ears perked as Chaska seemed to pause in the story. What happened next? Where did he take it? she asked. If he answered, maybe she could take her own stone there to prove she was trustworthy of his gifts. 

Chaska vaguely remembered how frightened Mason and June had been at this point in the story. Yet he still put emotion in it. Seeing reactions from the audience such as excitement and fear was what kept a story teller going. 

"When the wolf went back to his friend, the other wolf was worried sick, 'Where were you? You don't usually go places without me.' he said. The wolf smiled and said, 'Oh, nowhere too interesting. I just went to look at rocks.' His friend was confused, 'Rocks?' he asked. The wolf nodded, 'Yep. Rocks.' His friend shrugged and they went to go on an adventure together. Little did he know about the magic moon stone his friend had. On their adventure they went into a maze and got terribly lost. 'This isn't fun anymore!' said the wolf's friend, 'I wanna go home!' The wolf saw how upset his best friend was and whispered to the moon stone, 'I wish we were back home.' And in an instant they were home. 'Wow!' said the wolf's friend, 'How'd we get home?' The wolf smiled and showed his friend the magic moon stone. 'I wished us back with this magic moon stone.' Suddenly the sun disappeared and the moon came out, 'I told you not to tell anyone!' the stone yelled, furious the wolf broke his promise, 'Now I will send you to the moon forever!' And just like that, the wolf was taken to the moon with the magic moon stone."

Adeline was clearly enthralled with the story, her need to know making her a little fidgety. Her eyes were glued to Chaska, as if her life depending on it, and the top half of her body angled towards the storyteller. He had clearly gotten her attention, though he wouldn't know the true reason for it, which was her own moonstone. 

Her heart began racing as Chaska told of the wolf telling his friend about the stone. She gasped, remembering he wasn't supposed to tell. What would happen to him now? The story went on, and Adeline found out. Her eyes were bordering on popping out of her head. Oh, shit! she exclaimed, knowing the adults had used that term when something bad happened. What happened then?! she asked, needing to know. Would her stone send her to the moon?

Chaska paused in thought as he let that part sink in. Her reaction, he at first thought he had found his favorite audience. Until he heard her swear. He would have gone on, but hearing a puppy swear, it took him by surprise. He couldn't help but wonder where she had gotten that from. But he let it drop. Myabe he would bring it up the next time he saw Steady.

He shook his head to clear it, and then get on with the tale, 
"His friend was very sad and started to cry. But then he heard a voice, 'Don't cry. I'm okay.' said the wolf. His friend looked up and saw the wolf in the moon, smiling at him. 'But you're in the moon! How can we be friends if you're so far away?' he asked. The wolf smiled and the moon shone brightly, 'Whenever you see the moon and start to miss me, just howl, and I'll hear how much you miss me and we can stay friends forever.' the wolf said. His friend looked up at him and let out a loud howl to let him know how sad he was, and when he was done, all the sadness disappear and all he felt was happiness. And every night, he howled up at the moon to tell his friend that he missed him."

The story continued on, and Adeline remained a dedicated listener. Her head tilted as Chaska spoke of the wolf going to the moon, but ensuring that he was alright, and that his friend would see him every night, and to just howl. This was supposed to be a happy ending, but by the time Chaska had told the last word of the story, Adeline was frowning. 

He never came back? she asked. She knew the wolf had broken his promise by telling his friend, but banishment for his entire life? Her heart hurt just thinking about it. What if her moonstone took her away from her family? 

Chaska had expected a reply on the morale, like June and Mason had given him. Instead, he was asked a question. Did not surprise him too much, though, and he answered her question without a fuss and a shake of his head. "No. But his friend could still speak to him, every night." He realised the story may have been too sad for her.

"So, did you like the story?" he asked curiously. He loved to have a response, bad or good. It helped him in what to create for the next tale he tells. "If you ever want to hear another one, just come find me. And maybe, just maybe I can teach you a few tricks about storytelling. Would you like that?"

Adeline's mind kept going back to her moonstone. She was sad that the wolf was never allowed to return home, even if he got to talk to his friend every night. It just wasn't the same. She didn't want the same thing to happen to her. Lost in her thoughts as she was, she only caught the tail end of Chaska's words.

She stood. Sure, but I have to go do something, she said hastily before turning and running back towards the den. She would have to make sure that the moonstone never took her away from her family. 

Last from me, but would like another soon! <3

Chaska smiled. "All right. Go do what you need to do. I have some things to do myself" he replied in a kind tone, giving her a curt nod before trotting off in another direction, humming a tune to himself as his tail swayed behind him in time with his little beat. They grey wolf was glad to have told Adeline a story, and would do so again within a moment's notice.