Whitestone Monadnock in silence we yearn

Set sometime after the meeting || For @Anaia

Piety Santoro

She had grown good at working with the others, even sleeping with them, while still managing to hold some distance. Not particularly chatty unless approached. But there was one wolf she had been focused on. A small pale female whose name she couldn't quite pin. Annie? No no, that didn't sound right. The Santoro woman was sure it started with an A though. She would figure it out sooner or later.

Then the idea struck her. Why didn't she check up on the woman? Piety wasn't going to bring any food or gifts for the woman but it would allow her to see someone else. Surely being cooped up in a coyote den all day wasn't entertaining. The pale woman had already completed the most important task she needed to do.

Being careful on her way there gave her time to wonder if perhaps she should bring a little something. Not sure exactly how important Craw and Morganna deemed this semi-stranger to be, Piety decided to hold off until she got there. Maybe if the smaller female was hungry the Santoro could offer something small. "Nothing bigger than half a hare, though." She told herself. Be polite but not too polite.

Coming upon the den she let out a bark. A friendly smile and her tail wagging softly. "Anyone there? Just thought I'd stop by to make sure everything's alright." It wasn't her job to be checking the injured omega but it also wasn't like she was lollygagging either.

Some things can't survive the cold

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Word Count:  284

Anaia was just waking from a light nap after another visit with Sara, in which they’d walked down to the lake to get a drink, when she heard footsteps coming own the goat track.  She was still half asleep and considered simply allowing herself to drift back off – whoever it was, they were unlikely to be coming for her – when she heard a sort bark of greeting.  After debating for a short moment more, the small pale wolf sighed and stretched before crawling out of her warm shelter.  It had been a voice she didn’t recognize, after all, and she might as well meet someone new.

To her surprise, it was the other white wolf from the meeting. Anaia had seen her in the back of the group, sitting quietly.  She was missing an ear, much like her sister was.  What is it with wolves around here and ears? She thought.

“Hi.” Anaia said before yawning and stretching again, careful not to strain her already wounded leg.  “I saw you at the meeting, but I don’t think we’ve really met.  My name’s Anaia. What’s yours?”  She sat down and ran her tongue down the front of her leg a few times before looking back up at her visitor.  “I’m doing well, but I always appreciate visitors.” At least, she hadn’t had any that were unpleasant so far.  She could tell this wolf wasn’t the most comfortable around other wolves, though this assumption came from where she’d chosen to sit at the pack gathering.  If she’s still uncomfortable, she’s really good at hiding it. She thought.  Even so, she smiled at her packmate in a friendly manner.  She always had liked making friends, after all.

"Speech"  Thought

Piety Santoro

@Anaia. Ah, that was the name. Much prettier than Annie like she thought it was. "Pleasure to properly meet you, Anaia. I'm Piety, a newer member among the Monadnock." Her words genuinely happy. Her one ear perked up as the small woman claimed she was doing well. "Wonderful to hear you're doing good. I figured you might need a visitor, being cooped up in an old coyote den ninety percent of the time can't be much fun." Piety's signature songbird laughter bubbled up. She felt more relaxed around Anaia. Perhaps because she realized she held more power here. Not that she thought she'd ever need to prove such.

Taking a seat about two feet away from the younger female, Piety politely checked her over. "It's your leg that injured, right?" Pi didn't want to pry but was also a little too curious today. "How long do you think till you can walk better on it?" A hopeful look in her muddy eyes as Piety looked at Anaia's face. The pale Santoro was really itching to hear the story but decided to hold off. No need to bombard the young woman with questions. They had just formally met. It was more polite to take things slow and not cross any lines.

Some things can't survive the cold

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Word Count: 337  

Anaia relaxed further as the other wolf did as well.  Piety? That’s an interesting name. She chuckled as Piety explained her reason for coming. “Yeah, it does get pretty boring.  Lorcan and Odin sometimes stop by to check on my leg, and Sara brings me food.  Sometimes I got down to the lake to get a drink but most of the time I’m stuck here.” She glanced back at the den.  “But at least it’s warm and dry and I don’t have to sleep with one eye open.”

Her newest companion sat down and glanced over her.  Anaia was used to it; everyone was always checking to see how fast she was healing. Too slowly, if you asked her. Her ears flicked at Piety’s questions.  “Yeah, and I’m lucky that’s all that’s hurt. I was stupid and got myself caught in an avalanche further north, then walked on it all the way here.  Lorcan says I will be up in a couple of weeks, but it feels like forever.”  She glanced down.  “I feel so useless.”  She sighed, thinking about how much extra trouble her sister was going to so Anaia could eat. She was determined to help her new pack in whatever way she could and make up for the drag she was putting on her new… family, she guessed was the word for it, but she was hesitant to use it.  It almost felt like she was replacing her parents and siblings.

She perked back up.  Now was not the time to be dwelling on that.  Only a couple more weeks, after all.  “But it’s already starting to feel loads better. I can’t wait until I can be up and about and really start to get to know everybody.  I almost feel like a prisoner sometimes, but I suppose I can’t blame Craw for wanting to keep me as little a burden as possible.”  She glanced over the other white wolf.  “If you don’t mind me asking, did you come from the north as well?”

"Speech"  Thought

Piety Santoro

There was a list of names and Piety recognized two specifically. Lorcan, the medic and Odin, Morganna's child. The Sara woman Anaia had mentioned was a bit foreign to the pale Santoro but she was willing to bet she had seen her in passing before. With everyone being so close she wondered just how many she had met that she barely knew. "The pack's wolves are a rather tough group, don't think anyone but enemies have to sleep with one eye open." It was a true statement and Piety wondered just how much longer did she have to stay here till she fit that 'tough wolf' category.

The mention of an avalanche awoke a memory of Hodr and how no matter how hard she had tried, she couldn't save him. Piety liked to believe he was in a better place now. "You're extremely lucky. Better off not testing the northern colds again, dear." She offered a polite smile and warm eyes. "Couple of weeks will fly by. Count the stars at night, watch the clouds during the day. Try and shake off the useless feeling. It's nature's fault that you're in this situation, not your own. Nothing you can do but wait to be completely healed." Piety had no idea if the words would comfort the female but she hoped they would. Feeling useless was never a joyful feeling.

She was more talkative by the moment! Piety was ecstatic that her company was opening up. "I guess, Craw is just doing what he deems best right now. He's a good man." She cooed the words softly. He seemed to be a good man and Morganna was a good woman so surely being kept 'prisoner' wasn't as bad as one might think. At least in the Monadnock. "Ah, I've been a bit all over. Have some wandering paws, like a missionary. But I think being here in such a vast area has cured it." She turned her head side to side to look at the land around them.

Some things can't survive the cold

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Word Count: 213  

Though Piety’s description of the pack as a ‘tough group’ fit her impression of them so far, the idea of living in a pack that was so much different from her birth pack was still daunting.  She only hoped things would change as she got to know the members better.

Piety’s next words were clearly meant to help ease her mind, and they mostly worked. She’s not wrong. Anaia thought sullenly. The thought of coming out to watch the stars appealed to her, but she hadn’t done it yet because doing so alone wasn’t nearly as nice as doing so with company.  Maybe she would see if Sara would like to watch the stars sometime… Or Odin, if his mother would let him out that late - and if he was interested in that sort of thing.  

“He does have a whole pack to look out for, after all.” Anaia agreed.  “I haven’t done much traveling myself – at least, not until I got separated from my family.  After the avalanche I decided to come south to avoid the worst of the winter, and now it seems I’m stuck here.  It’s not so bad, though.”  She thought once again of the discovery of her sister and smiled.  “I think I’ll like it here after all.”

"Speech"  Thought

@Anaia was easy to talk to. The words flowed between them rather smoothly. Neither of them had run into issues or disagreements. While this was their first encounter, that tended to be where personalities began to collide.

The pale Santoro woman nodded her head in gentle agreement. "What do you intend to do once you're healed and winter has passed?" It was a genuine inquiry. Did the small female wish to stay past the winter or was she only focused on survival? Piety would hear her out regardless of her choice. She was not one to pass judgment upon other wolves. That was someone higher up's job. "I do hope you enjoy it here. I'll do my best I can to help you feel settled in." A soft smile was planted upon her dark lips.

Piety wondered if the more she did for others the more she'd feel better. Everything lately had been so strange. Taking up a home with the woman who had ripped her ear off, disregarding the wolves from her past, and associating with types of wolves she never thought she would. My my, the world seemed to hold a peculiar plan for Miss Piety Santoro and she couldn't help but wonder what would come next.

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Word Count: 258  

Anaia liked Piety; she was polite and not too nosy.  She also wasn’t talking down to the newest wolf, despite her current status.  Because of this, she answered truthfully when asked of her plans.  “My original plan was to stay here until spring, and then return north to find my parents, but I promised Craw I would stay and repay him for helping me. I always keep my promises.” It was de rigueur in her birth pack, and it was also something she herself considered valuable. It was one of the few things she strictly adhered to.  “I was hoping to become a scout someday.”

At Piety’s offer to help her feel comfortable, Anaia perked up.  Having Sara around was nice, but it would be good to have more friends in the pack.  She was a social wolf, after all.  “Thank you.” She thumped her tail against the ground a few times.  “Maybe when my leg is better we could do a hunt? I could use the practice.”

She hadn’t hunted big game since the summer, after all. First the herds had moved, and then she’d been on her own.  With a second wolf to hunt with, her options became much more numerous.  Just the idea of helping take down a deer or some such made her mouth water and her heart beat faster.  She deeply regretted that she couldn’t take place in the pack hunt with everyone else, but she knew she would only have slowed them down. “How about you? She asked.

"Speech"  Thought

There is a rabbit's nest nearby. +1 Health

As the young woman revealed her plans, Piety nodded. She didn't wish to interrupt just yet. Her one good ear perked forward to catch that last sentence. A scout? Quite the interesting choice for someone who injured their leg. "Maybe once your healed you can work out a deal with Craw and Morganna for your scout position. Especially if you still wish to leave by spring. Call it a test of capabilities." A motherly smile on her face as she offered her little idea.

"My pleasure." The pale woman decided it was the least she could do, and the mention of a hunt was sounding promising. "I'd enjoy that very much, Anaia. I will make sure to check in with Lorcan and yourself to know when it'd be safe to go hunting." Her words carried an unspoke kind of promise. One that she'd come check on the injured lowest and two, that she'd hold her word on hunting. The Santoro woman had never been one for hunting but she had learned to enjoy it more. It was becoming partially theraputic for her.

There was still a lot that Piety needed to do within the Monadnock. It was a little silly she had come checked on the lowest and was barely familiar with her equals. Perhaps after this, she would go and mingle a bit more. Nothing wrong with getting more familiar with those she needed to call family.

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