Drooping Willows long grey mare

@Namid vaguely dated it could be anytime

Sunny 41F/5C

The light snow that had fallen in the days prior had melted the second they had touched the earth and had accumulated into nothing but slick grass and in some places puddles. Tano was both relieved and frustrated, he had been aching to be able to test his seeing skills with the winter moisture but had to remind himself that he would soon be sick of the cold. As it was his one attempt had done nothing but attract another spirit, a talent he supposed could come very handy should he ever need to summon someone during the cold months. Laying beneath the whispers of the willows, leaves swaying above him and tickling along his tawny form the teen wondered how the other's quests were going.

Tano understood of course why it was so important that they all went their separate ways during their year apart, they could not grow without truly testing themselves and pushing their guides but he missed them dearly. All the yearlings had had their talents and their weaknesses but together they were able to tackle almost anything that was thrown at them. Tano for example excelled at star reading, the universe spoke to him in a way that it didn't the others but he was lacking when it came to being able to interpret bone reads. To him they looked like nothing more than scrapes from teeth against the surface but one of the girls, Miki had been able to spin these into the most wonderful predictions, beautiful and poetic.

Sighing the yearling stared harder at the rabbit bones at his paws, if he couldn't read his own he would never be able to read someone else's.

Namid had been known to wander, sure, but it had been a while since she’d wandered this far from the Cove. And, this close to another pack’s land. It made her especially nervous with it being the pack that they’d previously had a bad interaction with, but she figured that as long as she stayed a respectable distance away from the borders she might be fine. However, not long after she thought this she began to grow increasingly nervous. The last thing she wanted was another interaction gone wrong, and so she promptly turned around and began heading back.

Lost in her own thoughts she almost missed the form of the other wolf laying beneath the willows. But, the wind changed and suddenly his position was all too clear. She froze, turning and blinking wide eyed at the boy. Another deep sniff revealed that he did not carry the scent of the borders from the other pack, and none of any other she knew of. Because of this, she was able to ascertain that he had no allegiance. Being careful not to startle the boy she made her way over, ducking beneath the branches and tilting her head quizzically. “You look as though you are waiting for them to speak,” she mused, not knowing how right she was.

The approach of another was noted but not paid much mind to as the golden eyes stared intently down at the chewed bones on his paws. A slight growl of irritation rumbled within his vocal chords but he couldn't bring himself to give up, not yet. It would seem though that instead of bringing him visions his guides had once more brought him the form of another wolf. Glancing up the teen smiled lopsidedly in a silent greeting as the form of a she wolf ducked beneath the branches.

The questions were clear on her face and brought out only a sigh and a soft shaking of his head, "Ah if only they would speak to me, they're infuriatingly silent for me today." Of course they were silent for him almost every day but he didn't need to tell her that did he? Beaming suddenly he gestured with his muzzle towards some bones scattered at his side that he hadn't chewed yet, "Maybe your will be more vocal with me, please take a try you only need to chew them a little." Tawny tail thumped behind him at the idea, the other woman he had met has been so in tuned with her guides, perhaps everyone in this area was.

Oh how lucky would that be for Tano if everyone here was open minded and in touch with the other realms? It certainly would make his quest a lot easier and his knowledge stronger, even if he was supposed to be struggling right now.

Growing up how she did, Namid knew of the spiritual side of the world. She believed that you could speak to ancestors and that they were looking down over them and that you had a fate that only you could change, as well as that nature was something that should never be taken for granted. She was not nearly as devout as her brother or mother had been, but there were still things that she could believe. The shaman wolves had done bone readings, but they had been quite old and this boy clearly was not. Still...should she not humor him and herself?

“Alright,” she said with a small nod and smile. The Star Dancer bent her head and looked at the bones, sniffing and squinting before deciding on one. She made sure to get it good and scratched to hopefully made it as clear as possible before nudging it back to the him. “I assume you are trying to read bones, yes? Where I come from we had an elder shaman who would do much the same. She was certainly...different, but her predictions frequently came true.” she said, tail thumping calmly on the ground. “My name is Namid Macieo Vuesain, might I ask yours if it will not disrupt your process?”

@Namid

The eager smile on the teen's face grew ten-fold and his tawny tail beat against the dirt behind him on its own accord. Golden eyes watched carefully as she selected a bone and went to work chewing it, it was almost methodical the way her teeth scraped along the surface. Gitano stared without blinking, urging the rest of the world to fall away and that sense of tunnel vision to take over. Clearing his mind of everything except for the way that the woman chewed her bone he blinked in surprise when she stopped.

Oh right, he had to do the reading now.

Well, the first part had gone well so there was no reason that the second part wouldn't right? If there was one thing he had learned it was to never show another wolf you weren't confident before doing a reading for them and he expertly hid his insecurity behind a warm smile. Nudging her bone closer to him he did a general sweep of the patterns she had scratched along the bleached surface. Looking upwards he smiled once more, "Many people find our kind a little... different. It's harder to see into the realms that aren't physically in front of us, it's a sense that needs practice."

Once more he stared down at the cracks of the bone, humming as he did what he could to make sense of them. Almost under his breath he responded, "Namid, Tano." There was no real distinction between their names but his answer had been given. Staring harder a sense of panic began creeping up his spine, still hidden behind his tawny mask. There was her present so clear to see but where was her past and future?

There was only one thing he could do; make it up. Looking up with as much confidence as he could muster he gave her reading, "The bone tells me of your past, your present and your future; things that have been, things that are and things that will be." It was a direct quote from one of his lessons in the past but she would never know that. He figured if it was going to be wrong it might as well be a good reading, no sense getting her all worked up for nothing. "Your past tells me of happiness, and your current is so overwhelmingly full of anger it almost fills the whole bone," at least that part of the reading wasn't a lie. The anger had been screaming at him since first glance, "However, I can also see that if you can let go of your current anger that your future holds more love than you can even comprehend right now." Always end with a positive.

I'm sorry for how long this is omg I don't know where this came from

When the boy talked about how others found the studies she chuckled. Indeed, it was a strange thought to think there was an existence beyond the natural world. When she had been younger she had thought it completely impossible and childish herself. She’d gotten many cuffs across the ear by her mother for her thoughts on the matter. Namid herself had never been big on the religious, spiritual side of her upbringing. It wa why she gravitated more toward her father than her mother, and the opposite could be said for @”Veho” who leaned more toward their mother. She could remember Veho and Lona taking strange mushrooms and going into a very drunken sort of state, and when they recovered they would rave about how they could speak to their ancestors and what it was that they had supposedly said and what might or might not happen in the following year. She lost her faith further after the raid on the tribe, convinced that if there truly were ancestors they would have or should have warned them about what was to come so they could have been more prepared. But, nowadays she was in a gray area. She had to believe that there was somewhere better for Anthem, for her poor child that had never lived a life, and for...possibly Aleister. Any of them after death so that she may be able to see her loved ones again.

Her ears perks as the boy, who was called Tano, began to speak. She cocked her head at he stared so intent on the bone, so enraptured it was as he were hypnotised. Her past, present, and future he said? How curious. She paid close attention as he spoke, and when he mentioned the happiness of her past she was both sure and unsure on its authenticity. Losing Neha had been a hard hit at such a young age, but the time before that had been good and even some time after had been pleasant. But the times between and the raid had left her confused, angry, and hurt. Whether her past was truly happy she couldn’t be sure, but his next words made her cock a brow. Angry? Surely not, she felt no anger at the moment. Perhaps...perhaps guilt and anger could be interchangeable? She wasn’t so sure on it. And an incomparably happy future? Well, surely it was a nice thought but she wasn’t so sure.

She contemplated what she should do in the situation. She wasn’t sure if any of what he’d predicted had been right, but should she be honest about what she felt and perhaps crush him? Of course, he’d also said that he was still learning. If he went about his life thinking that his predictions were authentic, were correct, then would he really be authentic himself? In the end, she thought that not telling him was the worst option. She shifted and looked up to the sky. “In my tribe when I was younger, I had three siblings and two parents very much in love. Neha was sick from a young age and could not really play with us like the other pups could. Still, she was very intelligent and we had great conversations. But, in the end when we were scarcely yearlings her sickness took her. That was not a happy time. But a few months after we had recovered as best we could and we would play and romp and I spent countless nights with my father below the stars talking about them, interpreting, making up stories. That was happy. But, inevitably my home was ripped from me and I was forced to abandon with no idea what had happened to the rest of them.” she paused, blinked, then looked at him. “That was not happy. But, with equal parts of my past being happy and equally unhappy I am unsure whether or not it can be considered truly “happy”.”

”Now, as for my present I feel no anger about anything. Perhaps guilt for a certain situation that is going on at the moment, but I wish no one any ill will for any circumstance that has fallen. And for my future...incomparable happiness is something that is a nice wish. It is something that any logical wolf will hope for. I have felt true bliss. When my mate confessed to me, when my children were born, when our pack was prospering. But everything has their ups and downs. That may or may not be true. Please realize that when I say these things I am not telling you that you are wrong, that you are in any way incapable. But...you seem to be still learning, yes? I assume this because you are still young and as I am sure you know this art takes years to master. You are confident in your prediction and convincing in your convictions, which is truly a talent in itself. You have great potential, and if I did not tell you my concerns I fear I may take part in stunting that potential.” Her brows creased in concern and she tried to portray her earnesty as much as she could. She hoped he would not be angry with her for what she had said. “Practice makes perfect, yes? I live up on the mountain. If you ever venture up there I am from a pack of very open minded wolves. If you wish to try you could certainly predict them if you wished to. Food and shelter would be provided for your service,” she said with a smile and a wink, happily swishing her tail.

 

@Namid

Tano watched the expressions that wrote over the woman's face during his reading, some kind of conflict evident. It was curious to be sure and the yearling stared at her intently, waiting for her to speak. The silence stretched on between them before she finally broke it with a long monologue. The tawny teen waited for her to finish, patiently staring as polite as could be while she explained why she thought he was wrong. The happiness and the love he knew he could be wrong about since he had made it up, but the anger was not. The anger has been practically glowing from the bone and he was surprised even she could not see it.

He watched the swishing tail and the wink and in response a small smile spread across his features. Staring into the brown eyes his head tilted and softly he responded, "Perhaps Namid, perhaps the anger the bone spoke of isn't with others, perhaps the anger it tells me of is with yourself." His tone was soft but kind, a gentle probing that the alpha should spend some time considering what he had said. Anger with others was exhausting, but anger with yourself could consume you whole and leave you with nothing. It was this type of anger that masqueraded as different things, flitting through your life destroying everything it touched. He only hoped she would listen to what he had to say.

I have loved the stars too fondly

As she had spoken he hadn’t said a word, only listened quietly and intently and she would be lying if she said it didn’t impress her. She’d basically just said he was almost completely wrong, while phrased in the nicest way she could of course, and he didn’t seem to bat an eye to it. It was...refreshing to see a wolf be able to take criticism so well instead of blowing up in the face of it. He opened his mouth to speak and her auds swiveled forward to catch the words that escaped, determined to give him the same respect that he had given her. And, his words left her nearly speechless.

Was she...angry with herself?

She thought for a moment, reflecting on her feelings. She supposed that she did hate it, hated the fact that it was like her own thoughts were attacking her from the inside. Like she was fighting a war in her mind and she was losing...badly. She hated that she wasn’t strong enough to fight back at these demons with their claws and drooling snarls. A slow nod bobbed her head, “I...did not think of that. Please forgive me. I suppose you are right,” she replied, lowering her head in apology.

To be fearful of the night

@Namid one last post from you and we can archive and stop Gitano from dying of lp loss

The woman at least seemed interested enough in what he had to say and for that he was grateful. The type of anger that he bone had spoken about could easily eat any wolf alive and Gitano did not want to see that happen to Namid. Her ears swivelled to face him, and after his gentle words the shock was written clearly across her muzzle and for a moment the yearling yearned to reach forward and comfort her. But that was not allowed, you could only comfort those who reached forward first and trying to force physical contact could make others uncomfortable.

He had grown up in a place where physical contact was freely given to any and everyone. In fact he did not believe in blood ties, every adult female had acted as a mother figure, and every male had been a father like part of his life. Multiple litters were not uncommon, and mate relationships were loose enough to incorporated 2 or 3 or the whole pack really. However, Gitano was not naive enough to think that this was the upbringing of everyone and he would never force this type of relationship on a wolf with a more rigid view on life.

Nodding towards the woman sadly he smiled, "There is no reason to apologize Namid, not to me at least. It is yourself that you should forgive." He could only hope that she would take his advice and begin the journey to letting go of the anger that she held so closely right now.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health