Stone Circle Beetle And The Bard

The grey wolf Chaska had gone around here and there, but he had been rather silent. For this week was the week of the fall of his pack. So close to the end of the year. It was a rather mournful time for him, but he did his best to keep his mood up, such as telling himself stories in his mind or taking in the view of the territory. It was a rather calm week in weather, a good week for strolls. He made some small hunts here and there, picking off small creatures like rabbits to snack on.

He hadn't met with anyone as of late, not wanting anyone to worry about him. He hated others worrying about him. But today, Chaska decided to fix that. Making some contact with someone was sure to brighten his mood. He had many new tales in his mind to share, and that he loved to do.

Valette was trotting through the territory, always going from one task to the next. She was a busy bee and often zoomed around the territory from one thing to the next. This had not changed ever since she had become the beta of Easthollow. But she also knew that being so busy all the time was also not good for her.

Perhaps that is why the young female stopped when she smelled Chaska scent on the grond. It took her little time to track him down being a hunter and all that. "Chaska! Hello!," she greeted with a kindness in her tone. "How are you doing?" She hadn't talked to him much recently which she felt a bit guilty for.

Chaska's ears flicked once and swiveeled to find the source of the sound. He turned his face to see Valette, greeting him kindly. He dipped his head in greeting, as well as respect to the beta. "Valette. I have been doing well enough, I suppose. Just one of those days you'd wish hadn't happened" he said with a sigh. "But I don't want to make another's day sad. How are you?" he added with a smile, his sad feelings rising to happiness.

Valette frowned a bit when her packmate seemed to be in trouble. He was sad and wished this day hadn't happened? That sounded really serious. The young female looked at him with a sad face. "What is wrong?," she asked, wondering if he wanted to talk about it or not. The young female sat down, indirectly telling him she would make time for him. "I'm doing okay, but I'd rather talk about you," she admitted.

Chaska knew he shouldn't have said anything, and mentally kicked himself. Another worrying about him, he hated that a lot. "Nothing at all" he quickly said, shaking his head. "Not much I can say about myself...But, I could tell stories? I like telling stories" he said, trying to divert the conversation away from himself. Besides, he might end up just telling his story in a fictinous tale. 

"Would you like to hear one at all? I tell very good stories, and to most of the pack." He only hoped she wasn't as determined as Krypton in getting answers.

Valette frowned when looking at the other. "Chaska," she spoke a bit scowlingly but looked at her with a light frown. "If that makes you feel better? Though if there is something I should know about you should tell me," she spoke to him. She disliked to be worried about him, or have him hide something from them what could be important. Maybe it was just too personal to share but she hoped that they were close enough that he would want to share things with her.

Valette swayed her tail behind her, hoping that the other wouldn't be mad at her for pushing on. "What if you tell your problem as a story, would that help talking about it?," she suggested to him.

Chaska saw that she would indeed be determined just as Krypton was when she helped him with his wounds. Except Valette sounded a bit more demanding to him. He understood soon after. With her being beta, anything that could worry her could be anything at all, and could possibly even threaten the pack. Dark secrets, and all that.

Although, her suggestion had interested him. His ear did a flick. "Well..I guess...Very well then."

He paused, clearing his throat so he could begin his terrible tale of death and pain. "Two packs lived some time ago in a valley. Both sharing the land. They lived peacefully, shared hunting grounds and made no harm against one another. But one wolf from one pack felt that times needed to change. And soon, that wolf became alpha." Chaska had a strong memory of that wolf. His enemy.

Valette was pleased to see that he would adapt his story into the one problem that was troubling him. Valette sat down and listened to him. She was curious, because when he started she instantly thought of Easthollow and Tortuga sharing this valley. Though they shared no hunting grounds yet. Slowly her face fell into a frown when he continued.

"Wait. Is this fantasy or not? Is this about Sriracha?," she asked. Maybe this didn't work for her after all, too much speculation. "Chaska will you please tell me what happened to you, I think this story telling isn't working for me."

At first Chaska believed she was understanding, but her response told him otherwise. He frowned himself, pausing for a moment. In a way, it kind of annoyed him. No one had ever been confused by one of his stories, and he never knew what he would do if one was confused. 

He sighed, seeing that not at all would his story work. "Fine. My pack, my family, was the first pack. The other one, the one with the new ruler, turned on us. They attacked...We didn't stand a chance." He looked away, trying to hide the tears and mourning. "I'm the only one left. And all I have are these scars."

Now it came to her that it might not be in the now, but something that happened to the other in the past. Valette felt a bit bad now for pushing. "Chaska, I am so sorry," she spoke to him and stepped closer to give him a friendly nudge. "Are you afraid that wolf from your past is coming back?," she asked curiously, because she had some of those fears with her fears.

"What happened that it returned to you now or did you always carry it with you?," she asked with some hit of curiosity. She was pretty sure that not many wolves of the pack would know about this.

Chaska accepted the nudge, but did not return it. He instead answered her question, his voice empty of emotion. "He won't be coming back. I made sure of that, when I left for several months." And almost died in doing so. As well as a heavy weight on him. 

"Always. I always have...And I guess I always will" he replied. "It's painful to see everyone you know and love die." He felt sad at saying this. Painful memories. "Well, now you know." And compared to other times he told his past, he wasn't too happy this time. But it did feel somewhat good to get it off his chest. Again.

Valette slowly nodded, instantly realizing his words. Chaska had killed him. You wouldn't say that about the male but then again. How well did she know him? He talked about something very familiar by which she could only nod in agreement. "I know how the past can catch up with you," she commented and offered him a sad smile.

"Thank you for telling me, I will keep it to myself," she spoke. She looked at the other and thought if she had to tell him about her past. But perhaps then she would drag the attention to her and perhaps that was not what he wanted.

Chaska could only agree, if not grudgingly. He knew all too well how the past could catch up on people. It was a terrible thing, the past, to someone. "And so terrible, it is, when that happens" Chaska said. He could guess she had something similar. But who didn't? Almost everyone he knew must have had something happen to them in the past. Everyone had something to hide.

"Thanks, but no need with some. Steady already knows." Although, most of the current pack did not. And for now, he wanted to keep it that way. "It happened this week, about two years ago."

Valette nodded slowly. "It is, but it also shapes us who we are," she returned to him, which was the truth. The young female knew that her past shaped her as she was now. "Alright. I will keep that in mind," she returned to him. "If you want you can still tell me your story," she offered. She interrupted him before but perhaps he wanted to work on his trade. She was all for helping her fellow pack mates.

Chaska could agree with that. It shaped him. If that never had happened, well he wasn't sure what he would be like. "Very wise words, they are."

She promised to keep it to herself, and offered to continue to listen. But what he wanted to get through the story had been said already. "It's fine. Perhaps another time, I can tell another story." It would be something he would like to do. And it would be on a happier day. "If you don't mind, I would like to be alone, to think on some things."

Valette agreed to his words. She had invited his past once and she was not going to demand anything else from the male. "Of course. A good day chaska," she wished him, and with that she left him be. She decided that it was good for him to think about the words that had been exchanged. Hopefully he wouldn't grow sad from them but would grow stronger.