The Sunspire I got tired of the song and decided not to start a new one

@Amsu 

It had been few months, since Wraen had set her foot in her former home, but upon seeing that abandoned house again, it felt that years had passed. It looked exactly the same as it had in February, when she had first set her eyes on it. Despite all the trials and hardships they had had to endure, the place had lost nothing of it's charm. It was like seeing a beautiful middle-aged lady, looking over at you with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She winked and invited you to come. And Wraen did not resist.

She revisited the old denning place, where she and Maia had spent many happy evenings together. There was the rendevouz's site, once filled with laughter of children and sound of running paws, now quiet and peaceful. Rather than feeling abandoned it seemed as if it was taking a well-deserved rest. And it should be. The land needed time to recuperate. After a quick round, she eventually settled not too far from the waterfalls, where they had taken down a moose in the summer. And from her place she could oversee the forests and the distant valley below.

Funny, how places grow onto you. Even after so much time has passed.

Amsu had to admit that this mountain was magnificent. He could imagine a life here. It had everything a family needed to grow and flourish. Of course, everything was covered in snow now, but Amsu was not lacking in imagination. Still, though, as green and lovely as this place would surely be in spring and summer, it did not contain within it any red or orange or yellow. Where was the sand beneath one’s paws? The sun-baked earth? The kind of heat that made you want to sleep all day? He could not imagine such a thing here. It would be too cool here, probably. He needed to feel the sun on his back if he was going to settle down, and here was not the place.

He found the waterfalls by following the fresh scent of a female wolf. His curiosity had gotten the better of him. Soon, he found her lying down nearby, and he stopped to give her space. His tail wagged and he called out a friendly, “Hello there.”

Wraen had not expected to meet anyone here, since wolves preferred life in the flatlands below to the cliffs and rocks, and was not too happy to be disturbed at first. But she turned to see, who it was, and was met with a good-natured face and the eyes in color of molten gold and sunlight. "Ah... hey!" she blushed beneath her fur, feeling embarrassed for her moment of weakness. Staring was not considered polite, but her suddenly giddy-self implied that she could look and look, and look in those eyes forever and drown there even. Silly, really...

She got to her feet, reminded herself that she had once been queen of these mountains and therefore had a reputation to keep. And yet, when she looked at the agouti pelted fellow again, there was more in her smile than just friendly politeness. Unbeknownst to her she was beaming. "How can I help you?" she asked.

Amsu watched with curiosity, and then with a smile as the woman answered his call. She stared at him for a time after her initial greeting and he tilted his head, but otherwise did not react to her staring. He just continued smiling at her, his tail continuing a gentle wag. Being stared at was strange, but she did not seem hostile, so he didn’t really mind. Eventually she seemed to come back to herself and stood up, though now she was smiling openly at him. Honestly, Amsu was flattered that his mere presence seemed to have such a strongly positive affect on someone. He blinked rapidly a few times in humble embarrassment.

How can I help you?

The words jolted him out of his thoughts and he gave a bit of a start. “Oh, ah—

He chuckled. “Amsu was simply exploring the mountain. He did not mean to disturb this one.” He looked around, mostly behind her to the waterfalls, and said, “This place is beautiful, no?”

Amsu spoke in a peculiar way, but for all Wraen cared he could talk gibberish or Chinese, she would feel like a happy fool all the same and his voice would be like music. Where was her rational self now? Sitting back, eating popcorn and watching amusedly, how the part of her emotional brain took over the thinking hemispheres. 

It was good that he talked about Sunspire, thus unknowingly giving Wraen back some solid footing. Thinking coherently, while floating few feet above the ground, was not very easy. "Oh, it is. I lived here with my family for almost a year or so," she told him, casting a quick glance around and thanking gods that she was at a familiar place. "I can show you around, if you wish? This is, of course, a great view, but there are better sights," she offered. Agree, agree, agree.

Wow short reply sorry

Amsu perked his ears interestedly as the woman spoke of her family. She’d lived here for a year with them. No wonder she’d seemed so at home when he’d found her, laying beside the waterfalls. He made an Mm sound to show that he had heard her. Then she asked if he wanted to be shown some better views. He smiled and dipped his head. “Amsu would love to be shown around. But first, may he have this one’s name? We have not been properly introduced.” If they were going to be, for all intents and purposes, hiking partners, he wanted to know at least that much about her.

"Oh, sorry, silly me..." Wraen gave an embarrassed smile and then pulled herself back on track. What had he asked? Name? Hadn't she told it already? "I am Wraen Redleaf-DiSarinno. But most of the time just Wraen. Don't bother about the lengthy family name," she rambled and rolled eyes at herself. That's, how former queens talked? Yeah, right.

"Alright, let's go. There is a bit of climb ahead of us," she told him and beamed again, then looking quickly away and going ahead, happy that he did not see the stupid grin that she could not swipe away. "I have met many people in these lands, but the likes of you... never. Where do you come from?" she asked, intent on keeping the conversation going. Wanting to know more about the guy and hoping that there would be some nasty facts that would cool off her heated brain.

The woman apologized for not having given her name sooner and Amsu quickly shook his head to show her that he didn’t mind. His tail was still set to a permanent wag. Wraen Redleaf-DiSarinno… Quite a mouthful. Where Amsu came from, they didn’t have last names, unless you were an outsider coming in. He was rather glad that she insisted on forgetting about her last name, for he was sure he would forget it if forced to repeat it. “Wraen,” he said, and smiled. 

After that, she seemed to suddenly gain a one-track mind. She was determined to start climbing, and warned him of the climb ahead. “Do not mind Amsu. He grew up in the desert, where the sun could be deadly most days. Climbing does not frighten him.” These words were well-timed because she immediately asked him about where he was from, admitting that she’d never met someone like him. 

“Well,” he began, “As Amsu said, he hails from a desert far from here. The ground there is covered in red sands and hard-packed earth. Vegetation is few and far between, except in rare areas known as oases. There, life flourishes. All is green and there is plenty of water.” He sighed, thinking of home. “Amsu misses his home, but he is hoping to find somewhere like it here, though he has been unsuccessful so far.”

"Speak of the devil," Wraen remarked, when Amsu had finished telling of his origins. Deserts, sands, scorching sun... not really her cup of tea, herself being more of a autumn/winter maiden. But her reminded her of a very interesting place lying south from them and incidentally near Sunspire as well. Redsand Canyon - a place that seemed to be cut out of a different planet and then simply thrown in the middle of mountains. Otherwordly. 

She stopped and turned to face him, trying not to stare at his eyes and overall handsome face for too long. "I think that there is a place in the vicinity that you might like and that could remind you of home. Except it lies on the opposite side of, where we are heading to. You can still make a choice - I don't mind showing either place," she offered quite generously. I would not mind walking to the end of the world with you, if you so wished. Oh, shut up!

Speak of the devil, Wraen said, and Amsu stopped in his tracks, curious to know what she was about to say. Had she come from a desert as well? Wouldn’t that be a coincidence.

But no. What she told him was far more amazing. That there was a place like his home—here—in these mountains! Wraen admitted that it was on the opposite side of where they were heading, but she told him she wouldn’t mind showing it to him, of turning around.

Amsu stood conflicted. He heart ached for a place that would remind him of home, yet it would be rude to derail their original plans, and Amsu was nothing if not considerate of others. A pained look crossed his face, his golden eyes looking here and there as he attempted to make a decision. Eventually, he looked up at her with a childlike expression of plea and said, “Would Wraen mind, greatly, if she led him to this place? Amsu knows she wished to show him her home, but… his heart aches for a home of his own. A new home.” He left it at that and waited for her reply.

So, you are that kind of guy. Hitting out on your own. Wonder, if there are more of your kin around or you are alone and beginning from ground zero. Wraen mused, dying to find out his marital/relationship status, but refraining from asking. What good would that do to her anyway? She would prove herself being a nosy wench and she wanted to keep the good impression of her as long as possible. 

"No, problem - let's go then - this way," she turned and beckoned him to follow. "The only issue is that you will see that place from above, because I have not yet figured out, how to get down there. But there has to be passage. Some wolves have claimed to having been there before," she explained. "What made you leave your own home?" she asked then. Affair? Broken heart? Wanderlust? Crime? 

Wraen, much to Amsu’s relief and joy, was immediately willing to change course and take him to this place—a place he must have just missed, having gone around instead of down. What luck! Lucky he had found Wraen. Lucky she had been kind enough to start a conversation with him. He smiled at her gratefully, his tail wagging full-speed now, instead of its usual slow sweep. He looked more like a puppy in this moment than a three-year-old adult wolf. 

’The only issue,’ she said, ’is that you will see that place from above, because I have not yet figured out, how to get down there.’ She then told him that there had to be some sort of passage because others had claimed to have been there. 

“So it is a canyon, then,” Amsu mused. “No matter,” he said cheerfully. “Amsu is used to such treacherous places. He is sure we will find a way down!”

Then she asked a question which put a damper on his high spirits. Why had he left home? He sighed, the wag of his tail slowing down. “That is a sad story,” he admitted. “In short, a war spread through Amsu’s homeland, so he and his family had to leave. We live peaceful lives. We are not made for war. Had we stayed, we would have been killed like others.” Amsu was quiet for a few long moments after this small tale, then he said, “Amsu only wishes to make a new life here—one that will not end in tragedy. He wishes to lie in the sun and worship the Light. That is all.”

Wraen had wanted for a wrench in that fluff and butterflies image she had conjured about the nice man here and she had got it now. Because him speaking about worshipping gods made her a little more wary of the guy. Weren't there stories about outwardly harmless fellows, who turned out to be psychos? She measured him with a thoughful look - he did not seem like that. But, how could she know for sure?

Maybe asking more questions was a way to go - the more she knew - and he seemed very willing to provide answers - the better impression she could get of him. Therefore... "You are a man of belief then?" she asked, keeping her expression polite and interessed. "Tell me more about your gods, please!"

Wraen had picked up on his last bit, the one about worshiping the Light. Amsu had said that out of habit, and not as a tidbit to get her to latch onto, but he supposed he was happy that she had noticed it all the same. She was curious about his religion and he was more than happy to tell her about it. But first he would say this, “Amsu will tell you about what he believes, but one of his beliefs is that forcing his religion upon others is wrong. He will tell you because you seem curious, but he must also say that he has nothing against other religions, or no religion at all. As long as no harm is being committed to anyone.” This was common practice for him when others asked about the Way of Light. His religion was, perhaps, different from others in that one of the customs was not to actively proselytize. He converted others only on their own terms and he told then this up front so that they would not feel so defensive.

With that out of the way, he murmured, “Let Amsu see… where to begin. He supposes the most important aspect is that we believe that all life is sacred, from the smallest mouse to the biggest caribou. We hunt only to feed ourselves and never for sport. The second most important belief is that Light—the sun, moon, and stars—is sacred, for it represents life.” He paused, unsure of where to go next in his explanation and not wanting to overwhelm her. “Would you like to know anything else?”

The beginning sounded promissing - at least Amsu was not part of a crazy cult and believing in celestial bodies was quite harmless to some really nasty and violent stuff Wraen had heard about. She recalled her nightly encounter with a guy from Blackfeather woods, who had spoken at length about mother Darkness or something like that. And he had given her creeps, come to think of it now. 

"Do go on," she encouraged him to tell more, not only out of curiousity but also because he was one of the few decent guys she had met recently. And that it would be great to return to Maia and tell a nice story about an interesting fellow that was not totally crazy. "What about Earth itself? I have heard that there are people believing that it is a living and breathing being on it's own. That you can hear it's heartbeat in every plant and tree, that you can see it taking a breath and exhaling with comings and goings of the sea," she asked, sharing her views she had gathered over the years. "If I were a god of creation... I would think that light on it's own is not yet life. It needs a counterpart," she mused.

Wraen had questions and Amsu smiled at them. Because he was tolerant of others, and others’ beliefs, these questions did not bother him in the slightest. Indeed, he had experience with wolves who put every one of his convictions to the test and he had honed his ability to rebut them well. She wanted to know why his people did not worship the earth as well as the Light. 

“In a way, Amsu does worship the earth as well as the Light,” he said. “Remember that he told you that all life is sacred. Anytime my family hunts, we pay homage to the animal we have slain. When we have eaten the meat from its bones, we leave the bones in the sun so that its soul will be blessed.” He paused. “Now, about the green of earth, and the oceans… You must remember that we grew up in deserts and canyons. Amsu has never seen the ocean before, though he has heard that it is beautiful. And forests… these did not exist in his homeland either. What Amsu learned is that water and vegetation may not always be present, but Light is. If not sunlight, then moon and starlight. And if the light disappeared, life would too.”

"It is similar to the beliefs of my grandfather - he was of Roman origin," Wraen replied. "I can't put the right names to every participant of the creation story, but in the beginning there was darkness, who bore light, who in turn created heaven and earth and gave a soul to every living being," she retold the brief version of the Greek (Roman) creation myth. It was complicated, because every entity had had a name and therefore it was hard to keep track of, who had done what and how. 

"Forgive me asking, but light in excess can do harmful things too. We had a very hot and dry summer this year. The grasslands died and my friend's home burned down. I don't argue it's value, but I still think that one can't rely on it alone," she said.

wow have a wall of text, sorry.

Amsu listened with polite interest as Wraen explained the beliefs of her grandfather. This, too, was nothing new to Amsu, who had heard all sorts of religious beliefs throughout his life. Once others knew that he was open about such things, they often came to him wanting to talk about their own lives and their own religions. He nodded at the appropriate times as she spoke to show that he was listening.

Then she went in a new direction, one which made him a bit uneasy. Fire was a topic that and he and others did not often agree on. A pack had been forced to move due to a fire. It was a story he had heard before. It was a reason, one among many, that others did not wish to convert. The Light, they thought, had something against them. The Light hated them, or their family, and had destroyed their home and their lives. Fire could kill and destroy. Amsu knew this well. He had also known members of his own pack who had died in the summer due to heatstroke. Living in the desert could be fatal for those who did not take the proper precautions. Even knowing all this himself, he found it difficult to get the proper sentiments across to others.

With a sigh, he began, “Amsu is very sorry to hear that. Fire is dangerous and deadly. It destroys life. Amsu knows this well. And heat, even without fire, can kill as well. In the desert, one had to be careful not to overexert oneself lest they die of heatstroke.” He nodded sadly. “But…” He paused, still unsure of whether she would suddenly become angry and defensive. She had seemed willing to listen so far. “But… even fire has its place, yes? Fire often makes room for new life. Think of an overgrown forest. Life below the canopy has been choked out for many seasons now because there are too many trees. Most larger animals have gone because there is not enough room to grow. Then, a lightning storm comes and one bolt strikes a tree. This causes a fire—a devastating blaze that burns down the forest. Surely nothing good could come from that, right?” He paused for emphasis and dramatic effect. “But think about it differently. Many seasons after the fire, new life begins to grow in the forest. The ash is good for the soil. It helps new trees to grow. Over time, life begins to return to the area, which is now no longer so choked and dark from too many trees. So.” He took a breath. “Sometimes it is hard to see when one is up close. Amsu feels great sorrow for your friends who had to leave their home behind. But, generations from now, new grass will grow where there is now only ash, yes? So, in a way, even fire brings life.”

"A bigger picture - yes, but don't you contradict yourself here - with all life sacred and the Light being the top deity isn't it cruel for it to choose, who to destroy and who gets to live? Even in the face of greater good?" Wraen asked Amsu, while at the same time keeping track of their progress towards the canyon.

"On quite a personal level... I don't think that I would care much for the greater good, if that meant I had to die today," she added, wondering, what her companion would have to say about this. Not only he had turned out to be a handsome fellow, but also an intelligent one too. You did not often get these characteristics in the same package.

Amsu listened to Wraen’s continuing questions, and smiled wanly. He had heard all such arguments before, though Wraen seemed especially determined to make sure he had his thoughts together. Maybe wondering if he was a hypocrite—or crazy. Who knew what she was really thinking. Still, he did not mind her questions. Questions were proof that someone was intelligent—intelligent enough to understand when they did not know something, intelligent enough to hold a conversation without getting angry or defensive and walking away. Amsu encouraged questions, even of his own religion. He had absolutely no wish to lead the blind, the blindly faithful. Blind faith was terrifying, for it could lead to horrific deeds done in the name of one’s religion.

“Amsu will let you in on a secret—one that is not so secret.” His eyes twinkled. “Amsu’s religion… one does not have to take it literally. Most of its beliefs and customs are… metaphorical, yes? Light represents life, but he is well aware that other things are required for life to thrive. Like water. Why does he not worship water as he worships Light? Because in the desert, that is not the Way. Does he find water just as precious? Yes.” He shrugged. “Religion is relative and personal. Amsu simply keeps telling himself to live and let live. If one wishes to worship something else, he does not stop them. Or if one believes nothing, Amsu does not attempt to convert him. That is the Way. The Way is more about tolerance than it is about any of its own laws.”

Wraen did not think that Amsu was any more crazy or hypocritical than an average person. She enjoyed a good discussion, especially, when she was not only on the receiving end, but could give her opinions and insights as well and see, what happened. So far she liked the guy - finding him attractive not only on a purely physical level, but also his patience in answering her challenging questions was rather appealing. The only thing that unfortunately tainted any imagined or possible future happiness with this guy was that he was like a calm water, no matter, how stones you threw at it. And, while a great quality in itself... something told her that tomorrow she would wake up from her crush and remember a pleasant and intelligent man, but not understand, why had she had such hots for him the previous day.

"Tolerance works for me. I am not much of a worshipping kind, I rather enjoy hearing everyone's takes on the world and pick out the interesting bits and include them in my world-view afterwards," she told him. From there they travelled the rest of the way to Redsand Canyon in comfortable silence (unless Amsu had anything else to add and she to ask). And finally they came to a high cliff, from where one could see the wonder of nature that red sand rock and winds had created. The labyrinth looked spectacular from above. 

"Here we are," she told the guy.

Amsu nodded as he listened to her explanation. “Perhaps, over time, Amsu’s religious beliefs will change as he adapts to this new land. Or perhaps not. We will see. In the meantime, he intends to continue being just as tolerant as always. Those who might join him are welcome no matter what they believe—unless they are harmful in some way, of course. Amsu does not tolerate violence.”

Soon afterwards, they came upon the canyon as Wraen had promised, and Amsu found himself choking up upon looking down into it. If wolves could cry, he’d probably be weeping, too. As it was, he cleared his throat a bit awkwardly and gazed out at the red rock and the sand-swept landscape. There were darker dots of green here and there, indicating patches of trees. Probably spots where water was more frequent. But overall, it was a red-orangey paradise, one that did, indeed, remind him of home. “Thank you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Amsu never thought he would see such a place again.” He continued gazing at it for some time, and then seemed to rouse himself after a while and shook life back into his limbs. “We will have to find a way down, yes? Unless…”

He turned to her. “You have gotten Amsu this far,” he said. “You do not have to go down into the canyon with me. But you can if you wish.” He bowed his head to her in deference, allowing her to make the decision.

[If you want a new thread in the canyon, HMU on Discord!]

"I would love to, but I can't" Wraen said, feeling sorry that she could not join him. The light was quick to go in the short winter days and she wanted to return to Maia before it got completely dark. It had taken a while to get here and it would take just as much time to get back. If not more, taking in account the possibility of getting lost.

"I will leave you here and wish you all the best," she told him with a warm smile. "And I hope we meet again," this she meant earnestly, though in few days time the overwhelming emotional turmoil she felt towards this nice fellow would calm down and he would move from the drawer of "potential love interests" to the one named "interesting people I have met in my life".