Stavanger Bay shiver down my backbone

sobeille, as it turned out, was perfectly safe. after discovering her in the sound, val had been suitably chastised in a series of words he didn't even know a child was capable of uttering.

reflecting on the girl's bid for independence, val had to smile to himself. he did not know where such a stubborn streak of independence came from -- oh wait, of course he knew.

he planned to walk off the sting of no longer being needed by anyone. as it turned out, such walks took a long time -- before he knew he was more south than he had been in some time. taking stock of his surroundings, val surmised he was somewhere close to the sentinels.

a full moon reflected in the dark waters of the bay. val watched how the light refracted and skipped through an impossibly dark surf. he had no intention of coming close to the water - just seeing it from this distance was enough to send a shiver down his spine.

@Ceridwin<3

Dwin had planned and dreamt of her next big adventure away from home for almost a year. But now many days in she began to feel the pull to return. The journey was just the refreshing change she had needed and Sylvie was a good company, but the "WOW" factor that had been there the first time was lacking. Rather than enjoying the scenery, she was taking a very pragmatic view of everything she saw. In terms of, what use could it be to her pack. Instead of seeing potential friends and great acquaintances in people they met along the way, she assessed their value and use to her and Brecheliant. In the beginning she had engaged in this with zeal, now it had become something like a pesky cold you just cannot get rid off. This evening she had awoken with the horrible realization that she - Amazing Dwin with her philosphy of inner-Dwinness and so on - had become the boring adult. The transition had been so smooth that she had not even noticed it. 

The thought continued to haunt her, until she finally gave up on falling asleep again. After telling her sleepy sister that she would go out for a walk to the nearby shores, Dwin got up and left. She did not know, what to do and where to move on from this point on. All things considered her life had turned out better than probably for the most wolves. There were childhood dreams she had not yet fulfilled and never would, because they had lost their appeal and importance. There was a whole lot about adult life she did not yet know, but would have to learn. She had a home and family to return to. She had even considered asking mom to join the Raven ranks. In the summer she had wanted nothing to do with managing the pack. Now, however, she felt that, if she really want to change something in Brecheliant, she had to contribute more. Learn the job. Time from time even becoming an Auspex one day did not seem such a bad career path. 

With all of this she still felt sad. Because for all that the life had given her, she had lost some things along the way too. Often she wished to be that bouncy, over-enthusiastic teenager again. To see the world through eyes of a naive and inexperienced person. To have that excitement of a puppy, to whom every stick, pine cone and puddle was a huge discovery. That curiousity and wonder about, what secrets the world still had, was all but gone. Leaving only the serious and pragmatic Dwin, who saved her cheerful and loving side only to people she knew very well.

And... when she caught a familiar scent in the air... as it turned out, some long-time-no-see friends as well. Val! Her heart skipped a beat and her earlier moody and contemplative self was changed to a more daring and colourful attire. Pragmatism and pride scowled at the girlish giddiness that drove Dwin towards the shores full speed, nearly toppling the dark fellow over. "You!" she called, stopping few feet away from the guy and leaning into a playful bow. "Praying for the gods whisk you away another day?" she teased him.

if dwin was sad and reflective and wishing for reprieve, she came to the right place. val hardly registered her behind him before she nearly bowled him over. at first, his fur stood on end -- but as he realized his assailant was a friend, his concerned features broke out into a grin.

holy sh-- you scared me. his rifled fur slowly settled as he took stock of dwin's condition. she was older now -- puppysoft curves given way to angles almost gamine. her eyes still had a magic brightness to them, though val noted some of the spark had softened. experience maybe.

no -- not praying. just admiring. he set back from the cliff edge, turning to dwin with a smile. so - how has your great adventure been going? i have to say, i visited a parsley patch not so long ago -- and there were no puppies in it.

"Did I? I am so sorry, I hope your heart is still strong, old man," Dwin's voice sounded too innocent and the devillish glint in her eyes gave her away. She was sorry for nothing, rather eager to see, how far she could push and challenge her very first crush. She still liked him a lot and the age gap between them now did not feel so great as it had in the summer or even a year ago, when they had first met each other. It was likely that had they lived closer to each other and met more often that crush and liking may have developed into something more. At least for her. Now, however, it was like seeing him for the first time again and remembering - oh, I like you!

"Come on, don't tell me that you - a father of-how-many-kids - do not know the simple truth that two need to meet the parsely patch in order to find those kids," she joked back, though for a moment the idea that Val just trusted his wife and believed that she could procure his kids without his direct involvement was highly amusing. "I've been warned to brace for that parsley patch danger this year as well. Can't say I am looking forward to, because those lovesick fools all around the valley - ugh... they are pathetic!" she scrunched her nose and shook her head as if to flick away something very annoying. 

"That great adventure is a bit different than, what I imagined it to be initially. But I am on one now too. My sister Sylvie has taken Historian as her trade of choice and we are here to visit all of the moon-packs and collect their stories," she told. "If you did not live that far away - we would include you in the plan as well," she said. "And... what about you? How has life treated you lately?"

was she sorry? val grinned, dubious. dwin had a history of keeping him on his toes -- the innocence in her voice did not quite match the impishness of her gaze.

it was true that now that dwin was nearing full adulthood, val did not feel so much older. he mused how time worked: it was not a linear thing - youth and geriatrics had this in common, where a few months made a big difference. but when you were in the middle, years meant very little.

parsley patch or not, val's dark face bloomed again in a wide grin. i skipped the parsley patch and went straight to seventeen billion kids.

as for whether the lovelorn searching the garden rows were pathetic, val mused aloud: maybe you have not found the right parsley patch yet. he winked - for he was confident anyone would be lucky to call dwin their parsley-bedding compatriot.

he was sorry to hear the great adventure did not match expectations. val recalled encountering a similar truth in his youth and young manhood, and it was as if an idol had been toppled. he simply nodded, wondering if sylvie had dwin's same unquenchable thirst for romps and escapades.

life has been fine. truthfully, too. val's life was boring; it was up to wolves like ceridwin to cast appealing light to it. i have not drowned yet. what stories have you and sylvie learned of? and what do you think of the moonpacks?

"That's, what they have been telling me all my life," Dwin replied. "About meeting the One and then my life will change forever and yada, yada... But I like my life as it is now already," she said. "And I have yet to meet a person I would want to be together with. I have fancied many - you included - but that is not serious. It's a game of "what if"s to entertain yourself with, when I am bored," she told, sitting down next to Val and looking in the distance, where the sky met the ocean in the darkness. 

"And boredom - in my books - is a sin," she broke the brief silence, side-glanced at Val and gave him a toothy grin. "I am glad for those, who have found happiness in that kind of life, but I have seen the other side of it too. And it is not pretty. I do not want that," she told, thinking about Teya, the kindest and most generous person she knew, but who somehow got trodden upon time and time again. "My aunt Teya - she lost her mate this summer - she told me afterwards that every bit of pain and devastation she had felt int he aftermath had been worth the love and affection she had experienced," she shared. 

"And for her it may be true, but I do not believe in it," she stated simply, not expecting her companion to agree with her. "Well, we are yet to learn. We are just in the beginning of our journey and you happened to be in our path first," she smiled at him. "But maybe you can spin some yarns about the magic and sea-dragons and all the cool stuff of your home, so that I can tempt my sister to extend our travels?"

val stifled a quiet gasp. he was on the cusp of teasing her for her crush, when she continued. he would have to land his shot later.

his gaze followed hers, out into the ocean. as she sat down next to him, val marveled at how quickly the earth spins. it seemed only yesterday she was a puppy. now, as an adult, she had a different kind of vantage.

he hoped this world was safe for her - as he did for all of sapphique's daughters.

as she spoke of teya, val understood teya's frame of reference. he'd heard it before. grief is the price we pay for love. who had said that once -- was it maman? the memories blurred the older he got. he wondered how heavy that price was, loving. he missed his mamans every day.

it did not get any easier.

why not tell your sister that your first and most handsome crush is here? surely, she would want to meet him for herself. val winked, peering back out into the ocean. he understood those harmless crushes. sometimes they grew to something more - but often, they were small little stepping stones of experience on the great path called life. well. i hope there are no sea dragons. but i told you before, about the loa in the cave. is your sister adventurous?

"So - what you are implying is, that the less we attach ourselves to people, the less likely we are going to get hurt?" Dwin asked in response. It was clear that Val had meant something entirely different, but she on her side was unknowingly listening for any arguments on, why the whole "fall in love" and "marriage" business was not worth it at all. Who can blame her, because as of now she had not had any good examples in life that she would have wanted for herself. She admired her mother's capacity and patience, when dealing with their aging father, but she knew that in her place she would not have the empathy. 

"And spoil my image of the strong and independent woman, who needs no man in her life and has not fancied any in her life? Nah, let her think that Dwin is the unstoppable force of the nature," she laughed. "Also - I am a jealous creature. You may be my ex-crush, but I would not have another person I know crush on you," she yanked his chain, laughing girlishly. "Still luring kids to the caves, huh?" she asked. "Sylvie - no, she is not. She is quite the opposite of me in every single aspect, but that's, what I appreciate in her. I have come to realize that the people, who challenge us the most are the ones that help us to improve," she told side-glanced at him briefly and then turned to look at the horizon. 

"I think that without her keeping me in check, I would turn out to be a far crappier person. She does not know that, but she is the daily reminder of, why I need her," she said. "Ever had such people in your life?"

val's mouth parted -- that was not how he meant it, but he supposed everyone had their own perspective. he clapped his jaws shut with a rueful smile. everyone walked a different journey.

val thought of dwin as a very independent woman - she was right, she needed no man -- but that did not mean she was not deserving of meaningful connections, either. the thing about being independent, val found, was that sometimes it became too hard to ask for help.

as far as being jealous, val understood. he tried to push away his own thoughts on jealousy, for they made him feel incredibly small. luring children into caves? no. but i will have you know, that cave lured one of sapphique's children not too long ago. not so safe for puppies, i've learned. or adults, for that matter. he grew silent for a moment, recalling the strange dream he'd had some months back about the grotto. he rubbed his head.

it didn't surprise him that dwin and her sister were very different people. he remembered feeling that way about his own sibling, who was now dispersed to the thousand trade winds. he hoped where-ever she was, if she was even alive, that she was happy. siblings have a way of doing that. he confirmed, placing his paw back onto the ground. i think that is how you grow as a person. if you are not being challenged, are you really growing at all?

Sometimes it takes very little for your whole life to change course. Unknowingly Val's question had opened floodgates of all the doubts and thoughts Dwin had had before, but always stashed away to deal with, when the time was right.

The same way it had for Dee Brecheliant had not felt like a home for a very long time now. Or rather it had stayed exactly, what it had always been, but Dwin had changed. She was good at putting duty and responsibility before her family, no matter, how often she had hated to be in this situation and feeling envious of every bastard, who had no conscience to haunt them, and therefore able to live as they pleased. 

She had thought in the beginning that it was travel and novelty she was missing. Her first attempt at a life-changing journey had been cut short due to her own young age and lack of experience. Now with days of travelling together with Sylvie, Dwin realized that the places they visited did not inspire her that much. They were great, amazing, everything, but not enough. 

Looking back at the times she had felt truly energized, it had been after meeting other people. While on her home turf she had been suspicious and unfriendly to nearly all strangers that came howling on their doorsteps, now free from the guardian duties, she actually loved to be around people. To talk to them, to challenge them and to learn. And as Val had put it so perfectly - to grow herself too. 

"I do not think I am growing at my home," she admitted to him with more honesty than she would have ever expressed to her mother for the fear of upsetting her. "I feel that they would want me to step up eventually, to lead, to have a family and bring forth children, but... I know I could do it, but... I think... I would lose myself somewhere," she mused. "You know... when I spoke about the spark being gone way back in summer? I am not that grumpy person here, out and away," she told.

val happened to be the perfect earpiece for dwin, because he understood in more way than one the conflicting crossroads she found herself in. it just so happened dwin arrived at her epiphany much earlier than val — that it wasn’t that sedentary was death, it was that stagnancy in meeting new experiences and challenges was.

he was sure she would make a great leader, if that’s what she wanted — but if it wasn’t, then it wasn’t worth pursuing. it was her life to love and live; anything that didn’t bring her joy seemed hardly worth doing.

that’s because you’re meeting exciting people like me. val joked, settling with a wink before he became more serious. it’s hard to find new people and new experiences at home, staying in one place. going out into the world — for people like you and me — it’s our birthright. we’re not just travelers of the world. we’re the dreamweavers. we bring our experiences and our places with us, in our heart, wherever we go.

our heart is our home, not a singular place.

"Absolutely," Dwin laughed at his joke and then listened carefully to the rest of the things he had to say. At the end of it her expression from sad and troubled had become a little more cheerful. "You are a good friend," she told him sincerely. "It boils down to me simply finding, what suits me best," she concluded, feeling glad that ther was Val to encourage her and tell her that this very thought that had haunted her for so long was the right one for her. 

"Dreamweaver - I like the name," she told him after a moment of quiet contemplation. "I once liked the name Starchaser too, but I think that implies you chase the impossible, whereas a dreamweaver works with, what it has got," she smiled. 

val hoped that the experiences he shared might have one silver lining -- they might help dwin understand that she was not alone. not in the spiritual sense. as her expression shifted from troubled to something moderately more cheerful, val felt hope thrum its gentle strings in his heart.

dwin had a way of seeing the world in ways val would never learn to. in talking to dwin, it opened sundry doors into other realms for val -- and he had seen in her fantasies, stories, and myths he never wanted to lose sight of. he recognized her as a friend, but he also recognized her as something truly special. i like that! he turned the epithet over in his mind. starchaser. repeating it once, val smiled. but i agree; dreamweaver is a little more practical. you are a good friend too, dwin. i always learn something from you. and was that not what friends were for? to prop each other up while they were down, and to bring small bricks in which both could step upon and grow?

Dwin would have loved to spend hours on end in Val's company, but she knew that if she stayed too long, Sylvie would worry. While she loved her older sister dearly, taking out a panic attack was not on top of the list of things she wanted to do before going to sleep. She sat with him a while longer watching the horizon in a comfortable mutual silence, then got to her feet and stretched. 

"I think that I have to leave you now, fellow dreamweaver," she smiled at him. "But I think that come spring I will heed your advice and head out in the world again. I might even stop by at your cave," she told, paused, remembering something funny and then finished with a, "I might even be brave enough to see those ghosts that you keep there too."

Last one from me, but maybe we can start a new one? If you have time? Dwin will be heading out soon.

yes! I would love one <3

val enjoyed dwin's company, so he was always a little sad when their meetings had their inevitable closure. he understood; there were many miles between here and home, and things were often safer traveled during the day.

his gaze lit up as she mentioned the cave, and then teased him about ghosts. val had some trepidation about that cave ever since sobeille had gone missing -- but something in him told him whatever malevolent spirit had been there must have gone to rest.

oh, a done deal. but i have to warn you, one of the ghosts is not visitor friendly. he joked, sending dwin off with a wave of his paw.

travel safe, i am sure i will see you soon.

they parted their separate ways, val heading to the cliffs at a slow pace.