Kjors offered a one-shouldered shrug.  He’d always thought ‘Mother’ to be more of a title than a name, but he supposed the younger wolf wasn’t wrong in her observation.  If She had a different name, it’d been lost when his father was murdered.  “Yer naw,” he affirmed.  “Think plen’y notice.  Naw all of ‘em care, mind.” He grunted at the thought, brow furrowing.  Some didn’t understand what they were observing, like Nova here, but he got the notion she’d never acted destructive purposefully.  There were those wolves that did, simply out of greed or general disregard.  One didn’t need to know the All-Mother to understand that was wrong.

At her admiration, Kjors only shrugged again.  He huffed.  Praised was a foreign concept to the grizzled male.  “Naw.  Jes’ raised in a pack tha’ respected Her properly.  Ain’t seen much a’ tha’ in these parts, t’ be honest.  Lived south a’ here.  Mountains.”  Not too far from a shore, for he’d made it to cold, rocky cliffs before traveling northward and inland, eventually finding a home in the Ruins of the Wildwood.  “Ah’ve a priestess.  ‘Er.  Prophet.  Th’ Mother will talk t’ her in dreams bu’ – She talks t’ all a’ us, y’know.  Th’ little things.  Th’ weather, a hunt, somethin’ tha’ seems like fortune ain’t, naw really.  It’s Her.  Jes’ cos She don’t tell us clearly Her will doesn’ mean She ain’t communicatin’.” 

It was getting a little out of his comfort zone.  The wolf could only hope he was communicating properly.  He glanced towards the sky briefly.  “Ah – can teach y’more, y’know.  If y’like.  Ah was taught th’ Lore and th’ Way.”  He paused, clearly struggling with how to phrase what he was to say next.  “Bu’ – mos’ packs don’ follow th’ Way, so.  Might mean leavin’ where yer at, if yer gonna live proper.”  

The wolf waited patiently for Nova to digest his offer – thankfully, it did not take long to decide.  Her answer was the one that he’d been hoping for, and while it would have been ideal she follow him right away…her reasons were something he could understand.  Not every mother, he’d come to learn in his time with Hearthwood River, would abandon their child as easily as @Avari once had.

Kjors bobbed his head and took a step back, allowing her space to return from whence she came.  “A’course,” he answered easily – it was true she might never return at all, but he was not fool enough to think he could force a wolf into the Mother’s fold.  That was not how the world worked, and would not please Her in the least.  “Room fer yer daughter, too, if she’s so inclined.” That she was not at Nova’s side probably meant the girl was old enough to fend for herself, regardless of the decision.  And if they went their separate ways?  Well, certainly, he would do what he could for Nova, he supposed.

With any luck, Karina would return by then.  She was much better with emotional things like loss.  His mind turned to Davin briefly, and then thoughts of the disloyal wolf were dashed as he inclined his head.

“Go north, t’ the trees tha’ touch th’ sky, when yer ready.  Ah live ‘long th’ river, were th’ water meets forest an’ they’re no banks at all.”

With that, Kjors nodded again, and bid the woman farewell.  Now they part – it was up to her should they meet again.

Exit.