Stavanger Bay when you're rife with devastation

Osprey listened to Onyx's story carefully and the interest and excitement for it grew with every passing second. Her smile grew wider and at some point she closed her eyes shut to imagine, what it would be like to be in Gota's den, to be the messenger, who brought her news of the outside world or, what would it be like to be her. Never to be able to leave the den for the greater good of others. It was true - she had food, water and friends - yet there was no freedom. While there would be many, who would want to trade a lot to be in place of Gota for a bit, this kind of life was a miserable one. It was sad that Gota's sacrifice had still broken the balance.

"Wow - that's one of the best stories I have heard in a very long time," she praised the dark she-wolf and meant every word. "I have many stories to choose from - what would you like it to be about?" she asked, eager to fulfill her part of the deal.

Perhaps Onyx had a hidden love for storytelling. Because when Osprey compilmented her, Onyx's eyes lit up, her tail wagged happily, and she couldn't help but let a sweet smile fill her face for a moment. Then Osprey asked what her story should be about. Hmm. Onyx spent a few moments thinking before she replied. Something with a moral.. About kindness. Or friendship. She said quietly, a delicate little smile still decorating her features. She was just as excited to hear the story.

ooc: I apologize for the very long wait - I was caught up in important RL stuff, that has resolved for now. :) Would you like to finish this thread in the next posts?

You knew a kindred spirit, when you met one and the moment Onyx's eys lit up, Osprey knew that she had met one. The so called "storytellers' guild" wasn't that big. There were more people, who liked to listen and pass on the one's they had heard before, rather than coming up with their own. She smiled at the dark girl and, while she was thinking about, what the story was going to be about, Osprey tilted her head to the side, watched her and waited patiently.

"Moral, kindness and friendship..." Osprey repeated her companion's words, lifted her muzzle up and had a brief glance at the sky above. She was thoughtful, her ears quivered, catching sounds now and then, but her gaze had a far-off expression - her mind was traveling, while the physical body had been left behind. She was sifting through various compartments of her "mind-palace", searching for ideas, characters and the right words. Each of them in form of a symbol.

Then - when she found, what she had been looking for, a smile appeared slowly in her lips. There was a story that fit the occasion. Not entirely her own creation - there were several folk tales that she had drawn inspiration from and bits and pieces that she had added from her own experience. Osprey looked at the girl and began her story:

"There was once a tiny little wolf cub that had been the only one to survive from his litter, therefore he was a very much loved and cherished kid. He had plenty of everything, but one thing he did not have - a playmate his age.

One day, when he was playing by the river, he noticed an odd, long-legged creature observing him from the other bank. It was a calf of a deer. It had brown coat and white spots all along his back like - mimicking patches of snow and dandelion heads in the late bloom.

The wolf cub didn't know, what the creature was, nor did the calf know, what the cub was and that - in fact - two mortal enemies had met. Without that knowledge they approached each other having no fear and soon were playing together. They became fast and inseparable friends.

One day, when the cub had once again headed to the river bank to meet his friend, his mom followed him, feeling curiousity about, what her son was doing every day, while he was away from the pack. When she saw that he was playing with a deer, she rushed from her hiding place and attempted to catch and kill it.

The kid - of course - escaped, but the cub didn't understand, why his mom, who was kind and sweet, had been so vicious to his friends. She explained: "Son, deer is, what we live on, what we hunt. They are no friends to the wolf kind." "But - we can spare him then," the cub countered. "What kind of friend would you be, if you killed and ate the rest of his family?" his mom asked. To this the cub had no answer.

However, the cub went to the river bank during the following days, hoping to see the calf again, but he never came. Weeks and months passed, the cub grew up to be a strong and agile young wolf. He was a good hunter and one day he and his pack were chasing a herd of deer. He noticed a young deer and, eager to prove to his packmates that he was excellent at his job, he went after it.

Yet the deer was fast two and the chase lasted an hour or two, before the wolf had the deer trapped in a dead end on a steep mountain ledge. The two creatures faced each other - one with fear, the other with calm demeanor, their eyes locked for a moment and they recognized each other. The deer said nothing, but the young wolf felt conflicted - torn between the instinct to attack and kill and the friendship that had once existed between them.

Then - with great reluctance he said: "To honor our friendship I let you go this time. But you and I know well that we can never be friends. If I don't kill you know, someone else from my kind will. So go - go far and never come back so that you can never meet your end at my jaws." The deer nodded and then dashed past the wolf, who was left standing there alone. They never saw each other again and the young wolf, who late became an alpha and had a family of his own, always taught his children to choose friends well. "

Osprey finished her story and thought that it had turned out to be a pretty good one. What would Onyx say?

reminded me of that movie, the fox and the hound :)

Onyx's dark ears perked forward as Osprey told her story, intently listening. Her blue eyes curious and interested. She wondered what it would be like to be friends with your natural enemy- how sad it would be, having to break the friendship due to laws of nature. Best never make those friendships in the first place to avoid sorrow. When Osprey finished, Onyx smiled broadly.I loved that! It was sad, but its a really good story. And interesting! She said, her tail wagging rapidly as she looked at Osprey.

"I am glad you liked it," Osprey replied to her praise and turned her head away in a bit shy manner. The story had turned out to be a useful one - it had touched the audience's heart at some level, because Onyx seemed to be genuinely happy. "Yours was great too," there could never be too much of good words. It was then that she realized, how very hungry she was - her stomach rumbled, impatiently reminding that his state and well-being had been pretty much ignored.

"I think I will go on a small hunt - all this talking and story-telling makes me hungry," she told the girl and prepared to leave her. There was only one last thing to say: "Maybe we can meet another time and swap stories again?" And after hearing Onyx's answer she left the coast and disappeared in the surrounding forest.

thanks for the thread! :) I'll archive it.

Her tail wagged as the storyteller complimented her tale once more. Onyx realized she should probably hunt soon too, but alone. She smiled at Osprey. Definitely! See you again sometime, g'bye! She called out to Osprey. Meanwhile the Plateau wolf's story echoed back and forth within her mind, keeping her deep in thought as her spider-like legs carried her back to her own den, where she would probably take a long and restful nap.