Larksong Grotto and the snakes start to sing

For @Nova Rose

He had spent the past few days close to the Grotto; tending to his hind leg, communing with Raas, finding and placing the shiniest stones — representing the many eyes of his lord — around the borders to ensure protection. The demons he had encountered on the ridge had left a mark on his psyche. He felt himself having doubts towards the Cardinal. What they said about him...

No, he would not be swayed by the lies of the wretched beasts. The man shook his head, redirecting his focus onto the patch of dirt before him, lit by the bright light of his God. His small paws moved swiftly, carving a crude symbol into the ground with sharp claws. It was one of protection, as well, for the paranoid priest would rather go overboard with precautions than deal with the consequences of negligence. The church had to be a safe haven for the followers.

Most of Nova's days were filled with exploring the Grotto and finding good places to nap. She had no real den, nowhere that she returned to every night, and often spent the night in whatever new place she'd found that day. She missed Grace with a burning fierceness that hurt her soul, but she had yet to find her scent anywhere close to Larksong. Clearly she hadn't been wandering. Was she mad at her mother for leaving? The golden elder wasn't upset with her decision to leave, to follow the light of Raas and finally give someone her full and undivided attention. It'd been a healing experience so far, His light filling the gaps in her heart and banishing the guilt from her shoulders.... Almost completely. She still had a lot to learn, she knew, but for that Hiram would have to come home or she would need to seek out her teacher and priest, Phares. 
As she walked, she caught sight of the small red man that she'd just been thinking of. Raas must want her to learn just as much as she wished to, placing before her the very means to do so. He wanted to take her into His arms, forgive her, help her, right? This was how she did just that. Trotting forward with a grin upon her face, Nova loosed a happy chuff in greeting to her friend.

He had only just finished scratching the symbol into the dirt as Nova came upon him. Her chuff caught his attention and Phares turned to look over a slim shoulder at the elder wolf. He was pleased she had integrated so well into the religion and seemed to have fully embraced His light. How she was finding the Grotto, he did not know and, selfishly, he wasn't all that concerned if she didn't find the place to her liking. She had converted and her soul saved from The Heartless, because of this he knew he could rest easy.

"Sister," he hummed softly in greeting, dipping his head. He then turned back to the sigil he had made, deeming it worthy and standing, gesturing with a gentle wave of his tail for Nova Rose to follow him as he continued along the borders.

He was drawing: what, she did not know, but that is why she was born with vocal chords. The red priest glanced over his shoulder at her, giving her a greeting before calling her with him. Without breaking stride, she shambled on after Phares. When passing the rune, she looked up and tipped her head at the man.  
            "What does it mean, Phares?"

He heard her soft footfalls as she made to follow him, and her question caused an ear to flick back. "A sigil of protection," he explained, slowing his pace slightly to allow the woman to walk beside him. "It is important to mark the borders with them to ward off those who seek to do us harm." The image of the two beasts from Drageda infiltrated his mind for a moment before he quickly shook it away.

He slowed for her-waiting for them to fall into step before moving on further- and a smiled spread across her maw. He was so kind to her, and also quick to answer her question. With the answer, however, brought another, one that quickened her heart and brought her ears down. 
                  "Harm, my Priest? Has someone given you reason to believe that the Grotto wolves are in danger?"
Of course, the threat of the Heartless and his heathens always lingered-but when she noticed the wound on his hind leg, she knew something must have happened. Sigil forgotten, spectral eyes widening, Nova questioned the leg directly. Healing was something she knew and did well, and never would she hold back an offer to help someone dear to her heart.
                                    "Phares, your leg-what has happened? Do you wish me to look at it, tend it?"

He shook his head slowly, touched by his Sister's concern and eagerness to help. However, "I have soaked it in the waters here," he said with a small smile. He gave a quick gesture with his muzzle to the lake that sat in the middle of the Grotto, reassuring her that the purifying water would have cleansed his wound enough — this was pure, sacred ground, after all.

However, her first question was the more pressing matter. The danger was not immediate, he didn't think, though one could never be too sure. Should he bring the matter up with Hiram? "They spoke of..." Phares began quietly before quickly cutting himself off, deciding not to share what the Drageda beasts had said of their Cardinal. Utter lies, surely. They tried to sway him from his path. "There is a pack east of here," he said, looking to Nova with a stern look. "They call themselves Drageda. Do you know of them?"

He claimed to have soaked it in the lake water, but the uneasy mask of worry didn't leave her face-as a trained healer, she knew that stagnant water would have done very little to clean the wound. She was careful in her protest, softspoken as she'd ever been in her life. Her full faith was in their God, but she knew the facts of what happened to injuries left alone-if he didn't keep this wound clean, it could infect. Did Raas protect his followers from such things?
                 "A-Are you sure you don't want a little marigold poltuce? Its no trouble to find a little flower.... It might scar, Phares."

Phares seemed much less happy about her next question, and began to say something-just to cut off. This brought Nova's blackened brow to a furrow, and she wasn't ready to let it go so easy. These words were more confident-laced with anger that they dared to speak against the Larksong Grotto.
                                      "What did they say?"
A pack east of here? The only pack she knew of close was Sleeping Dragon-both from Grace and their closeness to the Grotto-and Nova nodded. Surely, it was the same pack that Grace told her drove out Pheonix Maplewood, the one Reek-er, Hiram- had tried to make a deal with.
                                                         "The Sleeping Dragon wolves, yes-they're savages. It would be wise to keep away from them-What did they say of us?"