Drooping Willows darling starlet

This is quite some distance from WR borders, but still located in the Willows. RE: Windy weather and moist snow have caused snow rollers to form all over.

Had the whole world wrapped around my ring

The place had not been as interested as others she had been to, but it had also been more interesting. It’d been quite some time since she’d caught the smell of a pack on the wind, and she was careful to mind their borders and not approach too close, lest she’d like to keep her ears. No, Sienna was not interested in stirring up too much trouble… not with the blasted wind burrowing into her pelt,  making it hard to keep walking when she felt like she couldn’t feel her paws. It reminded her of the story of the wolf who had dared to cross the great ice plains…

The story went that the brave wolf had crossed the tundra to return the sun to the plains in the south after a day in which the moon cast the sun behind it's shadow. It was perilous, but the sun god had blessed him, and his pelt became made of something warmer than any snow or wind... it could not touch him, and thus he was able to survive the biting cold. His descendants inherited thicker coats and were able to not only cross but also live in the tundra. She began to hum the gentle tune as she walked, no doubt that it carried over the wind where others might hear it. The more who heard it, the merrier!

“There once was a wolf named Carlos,
Who had a pelt like Ahau!
By crossing the tundra,
and finding the sun,
he did become a God.”

(This post was last modified: Feb 04, 2018, 04:55 PM by Sienna.)

Leotie was trying to accomplish a few tasks while she was out in the territory beyond the ridge. Searching for signs of Revon since as far as she knew the pup still needed to be found. Despite her idea they needed to know where to look for the wolf or wolves in order to find her. She was also looking for food to bring back to the pack. Since winter was still going strong she felt it important that something was brought back to the caches each day. So with those to things in her mind she set out on a path that would take her away from the borders.

She'd gone some distance when she first came across the scent, a stranger and they were female. Leotie automatically became curious so followed the scent. When she had gotten a little closer she heard the sound of a voice and they seemed to be humming a song. She picked her.pace up to see who was doing the humming. Finally an ebony wolf came into view, Leotie tried to make herself as intimidating as she could after all they were quite some distance from the border. “Hello, what song is that?” She asked speaking from being the woman.

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Had the whole world wrapped around my ring

By the time Leotie had found her, Sienna had truly gotten into the song, creeping forward like a snake with her tail lashing, her head flowing from side to side as she continued to tell his tale through the short little melody she had concocted. It was only after the pack wolf made her presence known that Sienna’s head popped back up, tilting curiously to the side. “I’m afraid it wasn’t a song, Lassie.” She began with a shake of her head. “You mean to tell me you don’t know of the tales of Carlos the Savior?”

The thought that someone might not know the legend appalled the woman, who had turned to face the other woman completely, not even phased by the snow that had rooted itself between her fur, too thick to melt instantly from the heat that the girl radiated. “Would you like to hear the story? I promise it’ll be a good one. I don’t tell any bad stories… no ma'am... to tell a bad story would be a disgrace! Perhaps you’d instead like to hear the tale of Ixchel and the Sun?” Was Sienna hoping to find shelter soon due to the fact that she was not as blessed as Carlos the Wanderer? Yes, but to spread her tales was a more worthy effort than to warm her fur in the silence of her own mind.

It was a strange sight for the Agouti woman to see the female moving through the forest like she was. All at the same time she was singing a song that Leotie hadn't ever heard before either. By her definition this wolf was a strange one, like done that she'd ever encountered before. She didn't find that to be a bad thing even becoming more intrigued as the woman spoke. Leotie shook her head at the question, “No, I'm afraid I haven't heard the tale,” she admitted, “Is it something all wolves grow up hearing?” Since she hadn't grown up in the lore or around other wolves she didn't know if she was supposed to have heard it.

That of course didn't mean that Leotie wasn't interested especially if it was something she should have heard. Leotie nodded, “Yes, I wouldn't mind hearing both stories if you've got the time.” Maybe she would be able to share them with Sven once she'd returned to the den. Maybe even when they were spending some time alone out by the willow that she enjoyed sitting under. “I trust you will tell them well,” she added taking a seat in the snow ready to listen to whichever story the woman wanted to tell.

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The wolf in front of her seemed so… what was the word for it..? Strange? Yes, she was indeed a strange one and Sienna could not fathom an existence in which a wolf had never heard these stories… they were the life force of culture! How else did she expect her pelt to keep her warm through the winter if not for the stories of those who came before her? Aye, such tales explain how we’ve turned into the creatures we are today. She responded upon the woman’s question to her. She’d be honored to enlighten the woman in front of her of what she had to be thankful for.

I wouldn’t mind hearing both stories if you’ve got the time. At these words, sitting down just in front of the other woman, a couple of body lengths away to give her space. Sienna was still mindful of the fact that the other was a pack wolf. Aye they’re tales I’ve known since my days as a wee pup. She began. Decades ago Carlos the Savior was born to a clan in the south, far south of here… in days past most wolves were, not many if any could handle the colder climates like we can now… She left a soft pause in order for that information to sink in. Carlos was brave, one of the fiercest warriors and most dedicated hunters. He was a beta to his alpha, and one of the most loyal souls one could ever meet. It was every ideal characteristic of a wolf, she was aware… and there was a reason they called him a savior.

One day, the Gods found themselves displeased with the way the clans of the time were fighting each other, tooth and claw with battlefields flooded with the blood of brother against brother, and in order to stop such conflict, they covered the sun, leaving an eternal darkness to hang over the lands… they challenged the clans to work together to select a young wolf to visit the land of the Gods in the north, past where any wolf dared venture previously to perform the ceremonial rights of Ahau and restore the sun. The clans, in return, selected Carlos. She always loved this story, and it was one of the first ones she’d learned.

It took moons, but Carlos ventured to the north, crossing mountains and plains as he reached colder and colder climates. There was one night where his fur froze to his skin and hypothermia threatened to take him… he prayed to Ixchel and because he had been the chosen messenger, she blessed him with a thicker pelt, one like yours and mine, so he could survive the journey to the Cave of Ahau… he pushed on, encountering no foes, even fighting bobcats and grizzlies… he reached the cave, and he prayed. The sun was restored, and Carlos returned a hero. With his thick pelt, however, he could not remain in the south. He’d quickly overheat… he chose a mate, and together with her, they ventured north… and now, we can all trace our roots back to the wolf who saved the world from the eternal darkness…

There had been many times that Leotie had wondered what her life would have been like had she grown up in the wild. She wondered if she would have become the wolf she was sooner or would she be completely different. There were also times she wondered what kind of wolf she would be in the future. She already understood how experiences could change someone, hers had certainly changed her.

The woman confirmed that the stories she had offered to tell were ones that wolves grew up hearing. In the Agouti woman's eyes that only made it more important for her to hear them. Especially if they explained about how wolves had changed over time. “Then I must hear them,” she stated sincerely. As if to confirm what she said Leotie sat down and waited for the stories to begin.

As the stranger spoke telling her story about Carlos the warrior and savior who was brave and fierce. Most importantly he was second in his pack like Leotie was and he was loyal to his pack. She could already already admire him for those traits alone. “He certainly sounds like a good wolf to have in your pack,” she commented before the woman could continue.

She she went in Leotie listened intently not wanting to miss any detail. The story sounded like a fantastical one with a hero who would solve the problem and so that everyone could be happy at the end. She soon learned it was a story of how wolves got their thicker coats so they could survive the cold winter's. Her tail wagged as the story came to an end with a happy ending. “That was a very good story and you told it wonderfully. We should all hope to be like Carlos. We should be thankful that he was able to bring the sun back and help us to have thicker coats.”

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She had to admit, Leotie was a captive audience who seemed to enjoy the tales of old that Sienna had to share. She, indeed, could be a believer yet. Sienna grinned, her tail wagging softly as she inserted her comments every once in a while. We have Carlos to thank for the very structure of most packs as well… the clans in the south were very different from what we would recognize… it lacked any real structure… there were the leaders, the second in commands, and everyone else was equal. When Carlos and his wife Isen moved towards the north, they collected a band of loyal followers and everyone found their place in the hierarchy as well as their own specialization such as hunters, guardians, scouts… She did love to talk about this story in particular. It was one that stuck with her.

Sienna was pleased with the warm reception of the story and how the woman agreed that all wolves should be thankful for Carlos; for he is the reason they can all survive such perilous weather. I wish all wolves shared that train of thought… been approached aggressively by more than one for the way I tell it, saying I don’t know what I’m talking about… but I’ve seen the world, and I have yet to see proof that it hasn’t happened. She had yet to see the moon attempted to swallow the sun and steal it’s fire. You also said you’ve never heard of Ixchel and the Sun? How wolves survived this long without these vital pieces of history was beyond Sienna.

A day that had started out as one full of hunting and exploring had now turned into one of listening to stories. She couldn't help but find the stories of the ancestors fascinating. She had never realized the history of wolves was so rich with these kinds of tales. She had no way of knowing the truth of them would preferred to think that they were true. She thought more on the story and the words that flowed from the woman's mouth as she spoke of how Carlos influenced the packs now. “I had thought the packs had always been the way they were. I'd never questioned it,” she mused, “I’m so used to the way packs are now that I can't imagine how they were before. I think Carlos did a good thing in creating a pack with more structure. Everything runs much smoother.” At least she imagined they did.

The Agouti woman had also not been disappointed in the telling if the story and as off as she thought the woman was she felt she was good at telling stories. However, a frown did appear on her features as the storyteller spoke of being approached aggressively for her stories. “I'm sorry to hear that. It's wrong of them to say such things. Whether they believe your stories or not I think they should be a little more open minded.” There wasn't anything wrong with listening to the story even if the belief of it being true wasn't there. “No, I haven't I didn't have the normal upbringing I'm afraid but if your willing to tell it I would like to hear it.”

(This post was last modified: Feb 07, 2018, 03:43 AM by Leotie.)

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Hook. Line. Sinker. She seemed to understand the point of the story, an education at its finest by the hands of a loner who happened to wander between the Willows edge and the mark of the borders the wolf was from. Indeed, he did. Alas, a pack, she’d found in the past, was no place for her. She personally did not enjoy the restraints of a pack’s life, the way it clipped one’s wings from moving around constantly, never staying in one place for so long – so many rules as well. It just wasn’t the life Sienna wanted.

What is your name, stranger? She asked, curious and hungry for the information she hoped the woman would provide to them. She would tell the story after she learned a name. Just like the trials that these wolves have been through, a story also requires a price… a name, to remember who I’ve told on this blessed day. More like information she could slowly draw out from the wolf. Ixchel and the Sun… how a woman fell in love with the sun, and how the sun loved her back… how the sun cracked a moon from the sky, bestowing the gift of night in the sky to give Ixchel the ability to rest… it was also a great story.

Leotie had never considered that there had been one wolf with his pack to have started the packs in the north. She'd never even known that there were packs in the south. During her time in the lore she had learned about it but she knew she didn't know everything there was to know about it. Whatever laid outside of it apart from the home she'd left so long ago she had no idea. It was a real treat for the Agouti woman to hear these stories that she might have heard had she been born in the wild instead of in the ownership of humans. She suddenly felt like she had missed a very important part of being a wolf.

The stranger wanted to know her name which was something that Leotie didn't mind giving. Especially if it meant she would be able to hear the second story that had been mentioned. To her it was a small but fair price to pay to hear this stranger tell her another story that she wanted to hear. “I'm Leotie. May I learn the name of such a great storyteller?" She returned. “After all I would like to remember who it was that told me such great stories.” This was a much better way to spend the day then trudging through the snow looking for food that she wasn't even sure she would find.

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