Mountain of Dire Searching

"Oh, aye, I'd say it comes in handy a fair bit. I've been traveling on my own for a bit – I can usually remedy any minor pain or illness, depending on the local flora. I suppose I came upon it a bit by happenstance," Veho explained, sighing softly as he paused. His family was not something he often discussed with strangers. Tail swishing once, he glanced over his shoulder at the darkly colored wolf before continuing. "I became interested after my sister died while we were still puppies – she was very sick, as long as I can remember. There was nothing anyone could do for her. We lived with men, when I was small, on a reservation. It was a peaceful, if not a dull life. We were never hungry, and we were never cold. My other sister, Namid, was a favorite of the men's alpha – she was a bit spoilt, and taken from my watch. Neha, though, she was sick, so very sick. They had an old medicine woman amongst themselves that tried to treat her. All the same, our ancestors called her back to their sides, and she passed before we were grown. Once I was older, and able to devote energy to learning a craft, I thought I wished to help others, as I could not help my sibling. I do not wish to engage in war or harm against others, only to defend those who cannot defend themselves. A medicine man aids who he can, and asks nothing in return, and that is what I wished to be. I learned what my folks could teach me, and spend my travels researching other plants, when I'm not looking after a youngster." The silver wolf rolled his shoulder in a single shrug, finally ending his long-winded explanation. He hadn't meant to give Kajika the entire backstory, but there was no taking the words back now that he'd set them to the wind. The other loner could evaluate the story and take from it what he would – the grey wolf was at peace with the entire situation. It was one of the sole reasons he did not seek out a pack to join. He felt he could help more souls if he remained free, like a leaf on a breeze. Veho was no quidnunc, on the road to gather rumors and lies before passing them on in a web of hurt. He was a healer – he wished for harmony and peace. The ancestors would guide him to whomever needed his assistance the most, and he would do his best to give them whatever piece of him they could. It was then he noticed a small game trail out of the corner of his eye. So focused on his thoughts, he'd almost missed it! Drawing to a halt, he nodded towards the path before glancing back at his traveling companion once more. "It seems stable enough. Do you wish to attempt this path, or would you like to continue and look for a wider route?" he asked, ear twisting as he waited for Kajika's input. It did not seem terribly treacherous to him, but he did not oppose seeking a more stable pathway either. The traveler was in no great hurry, especially if there were no plains near Relic Lore. It was a shot in the dark, he knew, but there was never any harm in asking. He did so miss the freedom of tall grasses and long, rolling slopes – there were acres and acres to roam, to sprint as fast as his heart desired. Admittedly, the plant life was less diverse in such regions, but home would always be home, and every once in a while his heart grew sick for the grassy lands he was raised upon. The wolf sighed heavily, glancing back ahead towards the trail the mountain goats had likely carved out among the stone and gravel. He could not see more than a dozen yards downwards – it could become quite steep further ahead, and they would not know until they traveled further down the slope. "Are you in any great hurry, friend?" he asked, not privy to whatever waited for Kajika once he reached the lake he so eagerly sought. "If you do not need to be anywhere very soon, I might consider scouting further ahead. We just can't see further down this path, but if you wish to try this trek, I'll join you down the hill."

“I would say that knowledge would come in handy especially being out here on your own you never know what dangers you might encounter.  I expect learning such skills do come about in ways that aren’t necessarily in our control.” Kajika felt that circumstances pushed one in directions they might not take otherwise, him being here in Relic Lore.  If his pack hadn’t gone the way they did then he may never have left and would have become alpha but he was here and had met Des.  When Veho continued with is story Kajika listened carefully to it.  It was a sad story to be sure, he felt bad for the older male to have gone through something so tragic at such a young age.  He couldn’t imagine the loss of his own sister and whether he was with her then or not he at least knewn her and was able to see her grow.  Veho mentioned another sister, Namid.  This was a bit of a shock to Kajika since Des had spoke of her alpha who also had the same name and he wondered if perhaps they were the same wolf. “I’m sorry to hear about your sister, I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose a sister.  Though I think that taking something tragic and turning it into something that can help others and asking nothing in return is very noble,” he told the male having a much higher respect for him now that he knew more about him.  He felt that Veho was truly a special wolf.  He didn’t think there were many others out there that would devote their life to helping others in need.  “You spoke of your other sister Namid, did you ever see here again before you left the reservation?” He asked curiously, “I only ask because I have heard of a female by that name,” he added.  Suddenly the forest felt very small after the realization that he was traveling with the possible brother of Des’s alpha. He wondered if they were the same wolf if she was anything like the wolf he now found as his companion.  The things that Des had told him about her she did seem to have some of the same qualities as Veho but he still couldn’t be sure and he didn’t want to say too much in case he was wrong. Something else that Kajika wondered about was the reservation that His companion had mentioned.  Kajika had seen men in the forest where he was born.  They would pass through on occasion and he would stay out of sight while watching them do the strange things they did but he hadn’t heard of a reservation.  They way that Veho had spoken about it made it sound like despite always having food and warmth that in some ways it was better to be in the forest, to live a free life.  Despite his curiosity about the subject he didn’t have the chance to ask about it because Veho had brought him from those thoughts by asking about a trail he’d just found.   Before answering the older male he evaluated the trail and though it wasn’t very wide it did seem as Veho stated more stable.  He glanced down the path they were currently on torn about which to take.  He wanted to get to the north quickly but without knowing more about either trail there wasn’t any way of knowing which would get them there faster.  The trail that they had found seemed the safer route and in that realization his decision was made.  “Let’s take this path it might prove to be the better choice in the end, for now it does seem to be a safer path,” he told Veho.  What was life without a little risk after all.  A wider trail might prove to be easier to traverse due to its width but that didn’t meant that it would be more stable. With his mind set he looked down game trail once more but finding that he couldn’t see much more than he had on first glance.  “Not too much of one so if this doesn’t work out we can come back and take the wider trail of see if we find something along this one.  I would very much like the company if you’re not in much of a hurry either.”  He didn’t want to hold Veho up if he was but it was nice to have someone to travel with.  After meeting Des there were times he had wished he had asked her to come with him but she had found a place she could belong and he wouldn’t take that from her.  Kajika moved to start down the game trail, “Perhaps it will lead us to the exact place we want to go?” He said with a glance back at the lighter male and a small chuckle.

~Table by Ace

(This post was last modified: May 26, 2015, 11:45 PM by Kajika.)

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"Is that so?" Happy to leave thoughts of Neha behind them, the male glanced over his shoulder as his companion recognized the second name. "Another Namid in Relic Lore? Seems a unique enough name that it might well be my sister. Tell me, have you met her? My younger sister had a silvery coat, lighter than mine. More unique, I suppose, were her eyes. One is brown, the other blue – she was the only one in our litter to inherit the trait. It was one of the reasons the human alpha coveted her, I suspect. She'd gainsay the matter, but it was what separated her from the rest of us." When he was younger, it was a point of contention. He was vainer, before he reached his majority, and had always thought his pale, moonlit eyes to be something rather special. It pained him once, to think that he was always overshadowed by the smaller female. These days, he knew it was only pride that would ever contest a sibling's joy – that was a monster he kept at bay. Fortunately, Kajika was the more decisive wolf in the pair, and opted to take the path they found. Giving a nod, the older male set forward at a steady walk again, mindful that his companion did have somewhere to be. It was not a leisurely stroll across a scenic mountainside, but a purposeful march to safely descend from a dangerous peak. His tail was held out behind him like a rudder, acting to add balance as he picked his way around large boulders and over the stray fallen tree. When the pathway cleared for a stretch, he allowed himself to resume the conversation, less fearful he would distract himself or the other loner. "I am happy to accompany you down. I am in no hurry at all, simply allowed the ancestors guide me to where I need to be. I'm not sure where I will end up, but I hope that our descent will at least allow you to continue your journey with more ease," he replied, a light smile gracing his lips. It was the truth, he supposed, that he truly had no idea where he wanted to be, or how he would get there. It took a great amount of faith, he supposed, but he did not doubt that he would end up where he needed to be. When he got there, Veho would do his best to aid whomever he could. In the meantime, there was still one question on his mind. "Namid – do you know where she resides, in the forest?"

“It is,” he stated when Veho affirmed what he had said about Namid. His companion went on to ask about the female that Des had spoken to him about but unfortunately Kajika could not offer any detailed information about her, only what Des had told him.  “It does,” he agreed about the name being unique, “But unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to meet her though what I have heard of her she seems a kind and fair wolf,” he added hoping that might help his new friend in some small way since it wasn’t much information.  Kajika wondered if Veho was in the same situation as Des searching for siblings that had been lost to them long ago.  He did seem interested in information about the female, Kajika just wished he knew more, had met her.  If this male did want his help he would help him to find his sister just as he would for Des if she ever asked. Having come to a game trail the decision had been made that they would take it.  Though Kajika wanted to get to Turtleback Lake, mostly so that he could return to Des with news of any decisions that he would eventually make, he wasn’t in so much of a hurry that he couldn’t see where this particular trail could take them.  Returning the nod that Veho had given him he went along with the older male steadily along the path taking his steps carefully so that he would not misstep.  As they made their way a few obstacles entered their path, a few large boulders and a fallen tree which Kajika avoided easily.  Then finally they were on even ground again. “Well I do appreciate the company and am glad that the ancestors led you in my direction.  Though I am not injured I suppose that I was in need of help.  I hope that our descent will allow for that as well and perhaps lead me to a place I either know or can navigate easier than the mountain.  I think you will end up where you’re meant to be.”  It seemed to Kajika that was the way of things sometimes but he felt that was more so for his companion than others.  That was how he had ended up in Relic Lore, just letting his paws carry him as far from his birth pack as he could, it was how he had found Des.  He was brought from that line of thinking when Veho asked about Namid once more, “I can’t tell you of an exact location but my friend who spoke of her resides around Lost Lake somewhere that is where I go to meet her anyway.”

~Table by Ace

(This post was last modified: May 27, 2015, 06:21 PM by Kajika.)

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"Thank you, friend." Veho did not ask for reward, nor recognition, but the affirmation that he'd helped ease someone's day warmed his chest. The corner of his mouth turned upwards in a small smile, truly pleased to have been of some sort assistance for the younger wolf. His tail drifted behind him in a lazy arc, listening carefully as the other male explained his association with Namid. While it was a shame he'd never met the female in person, it was something the medic felt inclined to examine. The name was truly a unique one – he'd never come across another with it. A kind and fair wolf – if that was truly his sister, how proud their parents would be, to know she'd grown up into such an upstanding citizen that strangers carried her name with such high praise. While he began his trek up the mountain with no ambition or hopes, it seemed he descended with plenty to be thankful for. "I will look for this Lost Lake, and seek out Namid. If it is my sister, it would be good to reunite with her. If it is not, a medic is never put off by meeting a kind and fair wolf. Perhaps I will find somewhere I am needed in my travels. I thank you for your company and your information, Kajika. I think this is where we must part." After all, the other loner had a lake he wished to return to, and Veho would continue on his way, allowing the spirits to direct him where he was needed. Bowing his head, he turned, leaving his new acquaintance a few words before he departed. "May the ancestors watch over you and your travels." Exit.

"You're quite welcome though I think it should be me thanking you." After the fortunate surprise of running into Veho was quite welcome.  Kajika didn't really feel he had done a whole lot to help the older male but perhaps Des's alpha was his new friends sister.  If that was the case he might be able to do something that Kajika knew he would never have the opportunity to do, reunite with his sister.  It was a sad and happy thought for the darker male, sad because he would not see his sister but happy because Veho at least might have that chance. He was curious to see how things would turnout for Namid and Veho but it was something that only time would determine and he supposed that when he returned he could ask Des about it or perhaps run into Veho again during one of his visits if Namid was in fact his sister. The trail they had been on had led them further down the mountain.  As they had traveled Kajika had gotten lost in his thoughts once more and was slightly stared when Veho spoke once more.  The dark male nodded, "I hope that your future endeavors work out for you friend and that we will meet again someday.  It was a pleasure traveling with you and I hope that the information will lead you to find what you have lost and that you gave the opportunity to help others." It had been a nice change to have a traveling companion even if it was for a short time.  As much as he would have liked to have Veho continue with him on his journey he also knew that would be selfish on his part.  "You as well be safe," he told his new friend as he departed.  Kajika then turned and headed north where he hoped he might find what he was looking for. Exit

~Table by Ace

(This post was last modified: Jun 02, 2015, 07:57 AM by Kajika.)

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