Larksong Grotto Living like we're renegades

@Vuk, whenever you have time :)

Home. Here he was, finally, and yet not completely. Potema had claimed a big chunk of his childhood, the whole wood had. He would never forget, and his interest in much of what Potema had taught him would never die.His thoughts were drifting to her again, he realized with a start, and to the dark woods in their entirety.

He sat, shoulders hunched again the cool breeze that whipped through his fur suddenly,  lifting his muzzle and drawing in the scents of the grotto. Of home.

her son she must now seek. despite her love for terich, it was seff's words that would sway vuk one way or the next, and so she departed her den for the sole purpose of finding her son and speaking with him. excitement had mounted in her breast, but vuk suppressed it -- perhaps nothing would come of it, but she must know for certain. 

she found him sitting silently, and lowered herself to her haunches alongside her growing boy, reaching to nudge his shoulder quietly.

She sits beside him, nudging him gently, and he smiles, thoughts of the wood banished for now. "Hi mama" He greets her sweetly, if softly. He nudges her shoulder in turn, unknowing whether to speak or hold silent. She has sought him out, so perhaps she has something to ask of him; she has every reason to. The boy spoke little of his time in the wood, though it had been the most exciting of his rather short life, Xan's attack had scared him. Made him feel powerless. 

He gazed at her curiously, wondering if perhaps they would talk, or play, or swim or hunt or fish. Simply anything to do with Vuk made him happy, made him feel whole. Well, mostly.

likewise, it was only in seff's presence that vuk felt the scars of her earlier pain healing. she smiled gently at him, choosing her words with care. leaning forward once more, the girl preened the base of the boy's left ear before pulling away to gaze intently at him. "p-potema. t-tell m-me of h-her, please."

the woman loved him, that much vuk knew. larksong held nothing for her here, but she would not be bereft of seff alone. if he wished to return to the dark wood, she would go with him, and live there. perhaps she would find purpose among the shadows.

Potema. It was she that Vuk asked of, and she who was most prevalent in his mind. He paused, enjoying the gentle context a moment before speaking. "Potema found me. When I was littler and wandered away, she led me back to the woods. The Blackfeather Woods. It was exciting, and sometimes a little scary, but Potema made me feel better. She told me about herbs and plants and plants you can't eat cause they'll hurt you. She showed me the caves, the mushrooms that glow and told me about Mephala. " once the boy begun to speak, he did not stop, and the information poured out in a rush as memories resurfaced. The tunnels, the woods, the herbs den, Damien- random events surfaced only to be pushed aside by another, and when he grew silent it was simply because he paused to think about what to say next.

he was excited to speak of this woman potema, and all the things she had taught him while he had been away. his passion was bittersweet to hear, for vuk still carried the shard of blame lodged deep in her breast, but she cupped her ears toward him all the same. mephala, and the dark wood filled with odd and wondrous plants. vuk smiled. "d-do y-you w-want to g-go ba..ack?" came her next quiet inquiry. there was no sense in prolonging her question or drawing it out; she wished to know, for it would make her next step easier.

He did.
but such a question made him feel oddly guilty. he missed the wood, and he should not, for here he was with Vuk and Terich-Mir and home. yet, was it really? 

he paused, averting his yes.  yes. but he wanted to stay with Vuk, too. "I want to stay with you, mama. But...I don't know." He admitted guiltily,  shifting nervously. Would she be mad for him wanting to return to the wood? Even though thoughts of Xan made him queasy, the initial shock and fear and anger had faded somewhat, leaving him...missing. And yet...Xan. The cave. The darkness he had ignored, lived beside. Something about the wood echoed oddly within the boy, and now, faced with such a choice, he felt uneasy.

she listened, sensing seff's hesitation, and kissed gently her boy to encourage him. in many ways, his was the only decision that mattered. "i w-will g-go w-with you, seff," the patchwork girl murmured softly. she would not let him from her sight again, not when she had spent so many weeks searching almost hopelessly for him. but she wished for him to be happy, and if that meant that their family must depart the grotto, then it must be so. 

and in some recess of her heart, vuk too wished to be happy. she wished to have purpose, to drive herself beyond merely surviving.

at her words, his gaze lit up. he could have both? family, and the home he had grown to love? the thought made him giddy, and thoughts of Xan were forgotten. Potema, she could teach him more. he could learn, and help her, and grow in the wood. Mama, she could see all his favorite haunts, he could show her the caves, the temple-

"Yes mama. I want to go back. With you." he said firmly as he looked up at her, tail beginning a steady side-to-side tempo behind him as he glanced at his mother with the beginnings of a slow smile spreading on his muzzle. Little did he know, with Xan gone, his fears were to be abated.

Yay! Post #100!

yay!

vuk let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding and smiled upon her son. "t-then we w-will g-go," she decided, kissing the top of her son's head. a feeling of elation overcame the woman; perhaps this would be a good beginning for the three of them. gathering herself to her paws, the woman swayed her tail behind her hips. "s-show me s-some n-new p-plants," vuk invited, eyes dancing.

later she would tell terich.

and later still, hiram.

but for now the day belonged to her and to her seff.

his eyes glinted with joy when she spoke of leaving. he had dreamed of home for so long, but this wasn't truly it, was it? Blackfeather was, and this he knew now. his tailed lashed behind him in an excited rythm, a smile spreading across his maw. then his mother asked of what had become so dear to him, and he grinned, ushering her onward and for her to follow him. 

"Potema taught me all about herbs! They're really cool, they can help you heal, but others are poisonous, they can kill you. You have to be careful, but I can tell the diference." he rambled as he led his mother, eyes searching among the wilted vegitation for an example of an awesome herb, mind reeling and expression joyful.

i suck! let's fade this and have a new one soon ♡

her son's excitement was tangible, and vuk was happy to be in his presenceyes. ears cupped to hold his words, she followed his dancing steps with her own


seff showed her many plants that day, and while some names remained with vuk, it was the joy upon his face that etched itself indelibly upon her memory .