Lavender Ethos

This thread takes place directly after Kisla gives birth. Naia removed the stillborns in order to bury them :'( and has brought them.. here. To Lavender Ethos!
Also, this is a subterritory discovery! Post here River wolves to get that LP!!  I'm still working on the description but basically it's a clearing ringed in sequoias where dappled light falls on the ground, allowing for a large lavender patch to flourish. For a picture >click here< . I'm thinking it will be a good place for quiet gatherings, meetings and whatnot.. and loved ones can be buried beneath the surrounding trees to "watch over" the pack as they make decisions and such..

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The tiny Timber woman halted, at a complete loss for where she was going.  Since settling down in Kingsfall the loyal Second had remained inseparable from her pregnant Queen, wanting to be ready to assist her when her delivery time came. As a result, woods that the scout should have already known like the back of her paw were strange to her. Naia bent down and released from her jaws two tiny, lifeless bodies, stillborn no doubt as a result of the pack’s difficult trek to Kingsfall. Raising the live cubs in safety was of course worth the sacrifice, a fact Kisla no doubt had decided upon before ever leaving the Cedarwoods. Even so, the slight woman felt tears welling behind her honey eyes as she looked upon the tiny pair, lying so still and so cold on a bed of wild lavender.

Naia couldn’t help but see more than dead pups before her. Cut off from life before even given a chance to live, within each cold body Naia recognized a tragedy from her own experience. One male pup, with dark fur not unlike that of the deceased Pitch Pine Trail King, represented Shade, whose death marked the end of a pack that was only just beginning to form. The other pup, clearly a female, was more developed and had died either very soon before or during the birth. She was most certainly a symbol of her mateship with Inali—Gods keep her safe—  their love cut abruptly short by distance and pack politics.

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I got in touch with @Kisla and have permission to play Kjors as accepted in the pack. So I thought I'd toss him at you sooner rather than later. :P

The birthing den was not his place. Kisla may have accepted him into the pack, and Karina may have a role as a budding healer, but a subordinate with no family ties was not appropriate. Since joining the pack in the midst of upheaval, he was careful to keep his distance from the others, save his Princess. The tension was thick enough to cut with a claw – there was war nipping at their heels, and the alpha was so pregnant, she looked like she might actually pop. A member of the pack, he was careful to smell like them. Still, he tracked the pack's motion, careful to always move in the same direction, and remain within a call's distance. He'd made a promise to Kisla, and he intended to uphold his word.

Of course, it was promises to Karina that clung to him more tightly.

This was what drove him to track Naia once she departed from the birthing den, following her to a previously unexplored patch of forest. Adhering to the shadows, the swarthy man watched the scout in silence. It was only once she halted, mourning in her bright eyes, that he slithered free, tail held in a neutral position as he approached. "Ought t' bury them," he murmured, briefly casting eye over the stillborn pups. His moonlight gaze flickered up to study the scout – it would be inappropriate to rubberneck the sacrifice of the lifeless bodies. "'er cover 'em up, at least. They ought t' have some measure a' peace."

The dragon remained a few paces away, ears swept back in an appropriate position of respect for the lost. Even he wasn't heartless enough to brush off the lost of pups. Naia might have seen a lost leader and her forfeited flame. Kjors saw the father that had been slaughtered mercilessly by a rival pack, the man he mourned in his youth. In the female, he saw Urotho – a failed courtship, never meant to draw life. He shifted stiffly, uncomfortable with the notion of his own losses, and instead focused back upon the scout. "Ah assume tha's why ya took 'em."

Congrats!! @Jynx should be joining us shortly as well. I'm playing this as if they have seen each other before and know each other's names and such, since I'm assuming Kjors will be/would have been present at the claiming thread, whenever that happens..

 

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Naia blinked her tears away as another entered the clearing. Honey eyes tracked the man as he approached—small for a male but a good deal larger than the petite scout herself. His scent had preceded his appearance and so the scout was relaxed, knowing from his smell that he was the new recruit that Kisla had accepted while the pack was on the road. The man’s golden eye winked in the sunlight as he appraised her and the stillborns lying in the lavender patch, and Naia understood then why this man had been selected to tutor their visually-impaired princess. He must have been taking his charge very seriously, because Naia really never saw Kjors or Karina at all, apart from pack-wide functions. “Yes.. yes, I suppose so,” she answered the swarthy man, a wry half-grin forming across her features. She imagined she looked like a crazy woman, sitting here ogling Kisla’s dead offspring.

“Why I took them?” the scout repeated, catching only the end of what her companion said. His accent was something to get used to, wasn’t it? “I just.. I couldn’t stand for the children to see them. They’re so young.. they shouldn’t have to know.” Naia knew she was being a little ridiculous, shielding the yearlings—who were closer to adulthood than she cared to admit-- from the facts of life. As Orren’s mentor, she delighted in his successes but also wished to see him grow up as slowly as possible. And imagine how that poor, softhearted princess would have reacted! “You know Karina,” she said softly, ..she can hardly stand to see her own meal dead.” The agouti tore herself away from the stillborns, taking a few steps toward Kjors. For the first time she noticed the scenery all around—she had stumbled upon quite a beautiful little clearing.

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"Mhm," Kjors replied impassively, moonlit gaze unwavering.  He had his suspicions about the gem he'd taken under his wing, though he'd never confronted her outright.  It was a queer disposition for a wolf, to be sure, but their relationship was a budding one and not one he wished to endanger just yet.  Perhaps, if it continued to put her at risk, he'd consider exposing the topic, but for now the dragon preferred to leave the topic well enough alone.  The living Baranksi children were not the current cause of their concern – it was paying respect to those Baranski past beyond this life.

It was a spiritual thing, and one he believed in heartily.  A regret still carried on his shoulders was the inability to see his deceased father to peace.  The man deserved that much, at least.  After he was killed, the body had been shoved into a river by the responsible party.  If that pack still existed, Kjors would have been happy to free them from their throats.  Unfortunately for the sake of revenge, he imagined most of those wolves were gone as well.  Idly, he wondered if their corpses were dishonored the same way they'd shamed his father.

But he should not dwell.  Eyes drifted towards the stillborn pups once more.  "They'll learn t' face death eventually.  Can't shield 'em ferever, 'er they ain' gonna be useful citizens a' th' world."  Ultimately, that was their parents' responsibility – but if Naia felt inclined to defend them, perhaps she shouldered some of that knowledge herself.  "C'mon.  We ought t' fin' a spot," he rumbled, turning as he began to observe the clearing in full.  Somewhere to bury the lost, somewhere quiet, where they could find their peace.  He nodded to a small space underneath one of the large trees.  "Like tha', mebbe."

(This post was last modified: May 20, 2015, 01:44 AM by Kjors.)

Jynx had gotten preoccupied after departing from the birthing den, where Kisla and Makism were now spending time with their newly born children. She had insisted that she would follow Naia, to assist in the burial of the stillborns, and she would keep her word. However she was not sure where the scout was going, or if she even had a destination in mind. So instead of trying to search for a suitable burial site herself, the russet girl simply followed the trail of her second, confident that she would catch up in due time. The smell of her fellow pack mate was comforting, putting her at ease that she was most certainly not alone here in her new home. It would take some getting used to, to memorize the new surroundings, getting to know every nook and cranny like she had did Cut Rock River. But that was in the past now, and there was no turning back. As she closed in on the location of the smaller, higher ranking female, she noticed something. She wasn't alone. The masculine scent of a male, who was still apart of pack, yet also brand new, made the hairs along her spine rise ever so slightly. Stopping between two great Redwood trees, yellow eyes swept over the scenery briefly, noting the blossoms of lavender. It certainly was a peaceful place, and one fitting for the resting place of the two cubs that had never had a chance at life. Forcing herself to relax, to lower her guard, she overlooked the larger male standing by Naia for the first time. He appeared to be in his prime, but slightly weathered, hinting at a possible life of experience, or hardship. She caught a few of the words he exchanged with Naia, and soon it became evident that he was here to help. Clearing her throat softly, the fiery hued girl stepped forth from her post, ears pricked alertly, but her tail hanging relaxed at her heels. "I don't believe we've met. But, a new addition to the pack is always a welcomed one, in my eyes." While her approach wasn't overly friendly, part of it had to do with the fact that two stillborn cubs lay at their feet. "The name is Jynx..." She offered, then glancing to Naia with a little more warmth in her eyes. "I figured I would come along to help you out with the....burial." Her eyes fell to the two motionless bodies, and after a moment of silence, she shook her head. "Such a shame really....maybe if it wasn't for the move they would have survived." It was wishful thinking of course, and the tone in her voice said that she was resigned to the fact that death was an unavoidable thing. Even in birth, sometimes. Following Kjors gaze to the base of one great tree, she padded forward and nodded. Two large gnarly roots curved inwards, framing her paws like the crescents of a heart. Here, the cubs could be cradled by the earth as their bodies returned to the soil from which all life came. Since Naia was the one in charge, self appointed with the burial, Jynx would wait to see if she agreed with this potential site.

Ophelia-Stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: May 27, 2015, 01:30 AM by Jynx.)

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He was exactly right. “Yes, you’re right,” Naia agreed with a sigh, nothing good ever came of over-sheltering a child.. and certainly not one who wished to be a healer at that. No matter how skilled and talented a healer the little princess became, there would no doubt come a day when she faced a challenge she could not overcome. Even the best medical treatment could stay death’s bite only so long. Naia’s gaze returned to the stillborns, and her resolve hardened. Kjors was correct in theory; the pups would have to learn to handle the death of a loved one eventually, but not today—today would be remembered solely as a day of happiness for the Baranskis, and Naia would never regret her part in making that happen.

Jynx appeared then—Naia thought she had heard someone back at the birthing den say they were going to help her—and the scout realized that she had been subconsciously awaiting the arrival of this helper in order to select the burial site. Jynx introduced herself to Kjors, claiming to welcome any new recruit, but for some reason the warmth wasn’t discernable in her tone or expression. Likely the heaviness of their task was weighing on the young lady. It surprised Naia that the two of them didn’t yet know each other’s names, considering that Kjors had been traveling with the River wolves since they passed through the palisade. Naia had to remind herself that it was her job to know everything that went on in and around the pack, and other packmates had other responsibilities that kept them busy. Both Kjors and Jynx in particular had been scarce during the traveling, so it made sense that they hadn’t met formally.  

One wordless nod was all the reply she gave to Jynx, who Naia had noticed was always quick to speak her mind aloud. It was the reality that they all understood and therefore Naia didn’t desire to dwell upon; the lives of these two had been sacrificed in order to assure the safety of the rest of the family. Naia approached the burial site that her packmates selected, and seeing the peculiar shape of the roots she let a small smile form on her muzzle. “It’s beautiful,” she agreed, knowing that the site would be easy to find again when she brought the Baranskis here to show them the grave.  The whole clearing was beautiful, truth be told, and Naia let her honey gaze sweep once more over the quiet glade, blanketed in lavender and ringed by ancient redwoods. Eyes falling once more on the two bodies still lying exposed in the grass, Naia focused back on her task. She began scratching at the soil, finding it loose and loamy between her toes.

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(This post was last modified: May 30, 2015, 07:12 PM by Naia.)

As he trailed off, another wolf cleared her throat, making her presence known as she joined the small burial party. More polite than Naia had been, he noted idly, the one-eyed male offered the young River wolf a small nod. "'lo," he replied shortly, not much one for overusing his words. "M'name's Kjors." That he was a newer member of the pack went without saying, so he instead allowed himself to lapse back into silence. His piece had been said – the scout ranked the most highly among them, and her decision would be the final one.

Gaze following the pair of females as they inspected the tree he suggested, a small smile formed across his grizzled maw. How unusual, he thought, for someone to take his proposal at face value, and consider it properly. The man remained silent, tail swishing behind him as the other two discussed the possibility. Only once Naia had finalized the notion did he set forward, paws silent across the soft earth. He brushed up against her side, about to start a second hole when a thought crossed his mind. "Should siblings be buried t'gether?" he asked, glancing over the scout's shoulder towards Jynx. A burial was not something they should extemporize.

A proper funeral was never something the male had attended, much less the grieving of two family members at once. He did not begin his task just yet, not until they had properly decided how to arrange this. Would the Mother want each individual to be recognized as their own – or would she, as the all-knowing, all-seeing Mother of All, want her children to be together as they were when they passed, that they might never suffer loneliness.

He was more keen on the second notion, but kept his mouth shut, waiting for one of the females to have their piece.

With all three wolves now in agreement of the burial site, the work could begin. Vivid yellow eyes took one last look at the pair of stillborns, before her paws began to move automatically. Sharp nails at the end of each toe easily churning up the cool soil as she began to dig. But not long into the process, the dark male she now knew as Kjors posed a question. Her ears swiveled back slightly, an indicator that his question hadn't gone unnoticed. After a moment, she paused, eyes shifting between his face and that of Naia's. She thought of what she would want, if it were to be her body buried there in the ground, or that of her own children, if she had any. She spoke carefully, knowing of the potential delicateness of the matter. "...I think they should be buried together. They entered this world together, and so they should return to it as one as well." She stated, but that was it. This was just merely her opinion on the subject, and if Naia or Kjors felt differently, then she wouldn't stop them. Once more, she allowed the smaller female to take the lead in the decision making. Until she finalized the plans, Jynx busied herself by resuming work on the single hole she had begun. Tearing away at the soil, she made sure the space was wide enough to accommodate at least one small pup sized body. It wasn't too terribly deep yet, but it was getting there as more and more loose dirt piled behind her. With the three of them, the task shouldn't take long to complete. In the back of her mind, she wondered how Naia would have felt if forced to accomplish the burial alone. Would the weight of the situation get to her? In Jynx's case, being an only child, it certainly would have.

Ophelia-Stock @DA & Dawnthieves.de - Table by PuppyThief

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The other two seemed to be looking to her to lead the group’s efforts—where and how the stillborns ought to be laid to rest—and the weight of the situation was beginning to fluster the normally calm and collected Second. How was she to know these things? She had never buried anyone, old, young, or otherwise, what good was her word over the next wolf’s? Thankfully Jynx, who could always be counted on to throw in her two cents, piped up about settling the bodies together, which Naia only had to think about for a split second before realizing that it was by far the better of the two options. “Yes, they would have known nothing else,” Naia agreed, shaking her pelt to rid herself of that panicky feeling, so uncharacteristic for the laid-back agouti.

Naia left her packmates to finish digging, knowing such a small hole would take mere seconds to complete. She approached the little bodies and grasped their two limp forms in her jaws, awed once more by how small they were to be able to fit so easily in her maw. She arranged them delicately in the grave, pushing their bodies with her nose so they were cuddled up against one another snugly. She and her packmates set to refilling the grave, and with the stillborns at last out of sight Naia could finally spare a thought for the living pups. “Did you hear about the others?” The scout questioned Jynx, realizing she had left Kisla’s den so quickly that she hadn’t even heard the birth announcement. How many living pups were there? Were they boys or girls? Naia felt along with her curiosity a twinge of some lighter, happier feeling. As they finished refilling the grave, Naia pressed her paws into the loamy dirt, packing it down and leaving her scent to ward off any curious scavengers. The dirty work finished, Naia knew it was time to give the children their verbal sendoff.

“Children of Kisla Tainn and Maksim Baranski..” Naia began, sad to realize she had no other way to identify the deceased children, “They did not live long enough to be named, but they were loved and will be missed.” Naia swallowed, unsure of what else there was to say. The traditional funeral words from the religion of her birthpack sprung quickly to mind, and Naia drew a breath to continue. “May the Fates guide and protect their Chosen..” Feeling it needed a just little more she added, ”.. and bless their immense sacrifice." Finished, she looked to her companions in case they had anything from their own religions that they wished to include.

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