Whitebark Stream somnus

densites were not for the working man. they belonged to mothers, children, and the infirm, so far as germanicus was concerned. therefore prejudiced, he picked his way to the far bank of the stream and cast around for any soft-mossed place he might lay his head.

washing his mouth free of the muddy taste that had collected after his fishing expedition, germanicus grunted with relief to see the sunglow of light upon moss. he followed the wide rivulet up, and among the rocks that surely housed little beings, the newest whitebark recruit lapsed into a thankful slumber.

the blackbird wandered soundlessly from his family's resting place toward the creek adjacent. his large, blue eyes searched carefully for something worth watching, but could not choose one out of the many. he stopped beside a small patch of wild blossoms to watch the "buzzums" bounce around until the sound and scent of another wolf caught his attention. 

would he hide, or would he seek? alsek thought about this for a moment, then picked a flower from the group and made his way. he hid within the foliage to examine the stranger, as one does, and approached after recognizing him as the border wolf. 

germanicus was asleep, and alsek knew better than to wake a sleeping wolf. alsek walked as quietly as a pup might manage, then dropped the flower at the new man's paws. quickly, the blackbird retreated, hoping to find some other hiding place before germanicus awoke.

exhausted as he was, germanicus could not allow himself to sleep too deeply in a place so new. the boy's approach was not heard, but the brush of petals against his still feet brought the whitebark guard awake. alertness cutting through the fog that muddled his senses, he surveyed quickly the foliage around him, movement bringing his attention.

it rested upon a child, black-caped and retreating. one of the eight artyom had mentioned. germanicus folded his paws around the blossom, glancing at it before his gaze traveled back to the child. "what is your name?" old enough to gather plants even for play, the eaglebound saw the potential of a medical tactician, and waited quietly for the answer.

the blackbird remained silent for a moment before finally replying, al-thek. the slight lisp caused visible embarrassment, and he slouched down with some instinctual shame. his eyes shifted to the water, carefully watching the slow run.

eventually, he turned his attention back to germanicus. water, alsek explained, 'n flowers. he looked to where the blossom was hidden between the stranger's paws and smiled, remembering his gift.

the child's tongue impediment reminded germanicus of the brother that had not long lived into his first year. a stutter had plagued tiberius, but it had not dampened his way of things.

opting not to mention it, germanicus gave a solemn nod. "good. do you know that water makes the flowers grow?" a pause. "i am germanicus," he told alsek, though he suspected it would be a more difficult collection of syllables. "you may call me germa."

germanicus, known as germa, brought up an interesting point. the blackbird hadn't considered that things grew, nor did he necessarily know what the word meant, but he was nonetheless intrigued.

well — inhale, the slightest of shrugs — water makes flowers grow? he looked up at germanicus, hoping that he might have more interesting knowledge to share.

a solemn nod. "yes. flowers. trees. the grass. they all drink water and grow large. like a wolf," germanicus added. despite his reticent nature, he was warming to the role of teacher.

"do you know what 'rain' is?" the soldier grunted, finally straightening to come down off his mossy plinth and stand alongside the boy.

grow large? — he gasped, thinking of his father — like a wolf? did that mean alsek would be large, too? imagining himself any bigger than he was in that moment felt impossible. 

alsek's gaze had drifted over to the water and his reflection on the surface. he hardly noticed germa's descent, being so engulfed in his own imagined future. rain? he asked, shaking his head.

"rain is water that comes from the sky. and yes, large like a wolf." young as he was, this member of the eight intrigued germanicus. he was small but quick, the brave makings of one who knew the natural world. "you like all flowers, or just these?" he asked, reaching back to tuck the bloom into the edge of his jawline.

the blackbird had lived through several spring rains, though he hadn't known the word for it until this conversation. he was grateful to germanicus for having taken the time to teach him something new, a gift for which the once-stranger would be remembered. 

the elder brought a question which prompted a moment's thought. alsek hadn't considered that there were different sorts of flowers; to him, flower was an all-encompassing term which included anything with a stalk and bloom.

but he figured that there must have been a different explanation, or else germa's inquiry wouldn't have made any sense. alsek opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then asked: germa likes flowers?

"i do." this time the words were accompanied by a vague tug of his mouth into something like a smile. "i like all colors of flower. all kinds." he indicated a small patch of wildflowers growing in the wet lee of a rock, near to the water. "red ones." and then to the clover underpaw. "and white ones."

germanicus paused; a lighter feeling surged in him, and for a moment he felt free of all soldierly things. "what other things in the world do you like?"

what other things in the world do you like? alsek considered this question for a moment. there were many things in the world which he found interesting but could not name, and several more which he disliked and didn't think worthy of mentioning. surprisingly, he'd developed quite strong opinions in the short time already lived.

finally, he opened his mouth to answer: blackbird. artyom had done a decent job with explaining the strange creatures, and though their first meeting hadn't gone very well, alsek couldn't help but be fascinated by them. did germa know of any blackbirds?

a nod. "blackbirds are very special. some say they are not birds at all, but gods." he considered the spread black wings of the ravens that descended upon battlefields. many a good soldier had been returned to earth by their beaks. but that was far too bleak a subject for the boy.

blackbird. he found the child intriguing, despite their lack of commonalities. "do you like the sound that they make?"

...not birds at all, but gods.

gods? he'd never heard the word before, and especially not in this context. grezig and kavik weren't religious.. or religious enough to ever mention it, anyway. nonetheless, alsek looked forward to germa's explanation of this new sound, hoping that it might lead to another interesting lesson. 

he gave a fervent head nod in response to the soldier's question, visibly proud of the impression that followed: caw-caw! right? that was the right sound.. yeah? alsek awaited confirmation, still reciting birdsong under his breath.

a smile now, something swift but identifiable this. "yes, alsek. gods. they are the voices you hear but cannot see. and sometimes, they look like a fox. or a wolf. or a blackbird." he said all of this warmly, somberly. it was how he had been informed when he was a similar age, and the truth of it had never failed germanicus.

the soldier nodded. "that is very good." a close approximation for a child. "i will tell you about eagles. they are much bigger than blackbirds, and they scream while they fly. it is a powerful thing to hear." he stepped some paces forward, invited alsek along. "where will you go now?"

germanicus must've been pretty smart to know something like that. it felt like secret knowledge, this acknowledgement of the 'gods'. alsek didn't want to tell anyone else what he'd learned about today, but planned to return for more lessons with time. eagles, though, they sounded pretty scary. screaming birds? it was a no-go for alsek.

home, the blackbird replied. his parents must have been missing him, were they not already used to his wandering..

wrap with your post?

<3!

"home," germanicus repeated. as self-appointed guard of whitebark, he would accompany alsek where the boy led, departing only when he saw that the little blackbird was safe. upon the way, the soldier spoke here and there of various things, but his focus was returning this tiny inquisitive first of the eight.