Paradise Falls judas kiss still on my lips

For @Riven

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

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Her heart thumped uncomfortably against her chest, sitting out in an open stretch of the territory as she gazed towards the sky. Her gaze was filled with mysticism and wonder, a wide smile on her features as she became lost in her surroundings. It reminded her of home. The home she had come from, not the home she had found. It reminded her of the Father and his words, of the tales of the stars, and how they could bring destruction to them all if they were to stray from his words. He’d had a special connection with them, and she’d consumed every word.

Even after she had come to question it and broken away from the Calling as they were called, she had found a mysticism in the stars. She’d continued to focus on it, hoping the Ancestors might speak to her like they had the Father as well… the words had never come, but she never quite gave up hope.

And that was what brought her to go star-gazing this often, whispering prophetic words to herself in the hope that it would summon it.

It was a beautiful night, and as the weather warmed, Riven found that his joints felt much better than before. The fact he’d been able to rest more often was helping significantly as well, and some days it felt like he’d never been injured at all. Like tonight - his back and hips felt so good that he couldn’t help but take advantage of it. He’d tried to sleep, but his body was too restless, reminding him that while he was older than he once was, he still wasn’t old, though the soreness in his joints might lead him to believe so from time to time.

He was aimlessly wandering when he stumbled across someone else who was enjoying the bright, clear night. A tiny thing - tinier than Riven, even - barely more than a girl, it seemed. Riven didn’t hesitate to make his way over to the woman, tipping his head to the side with a smile.

“Stargazing?” he asked, following her gaze up to the sky. “It’s a beautiful night for it.”

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

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Miriam had been so distracted with the stars that she did not notice the man’s approach until he was talking to her, her head snapping immediately to the side to find him, but relaxing upon noticing the scent. It should not have caught her off guard given the fact that she was on pack lands… it was reasonable to assume that she was a part of the pack… but that had not quelled her reaction.

Instead, she offered him a smile, her tail wagging from side to side in the moment as she blinked at him a few times. “I keep hoping they will whisper to me like they used to whisper to the Mothers.” She explained, the words making entirely too much sense to her. It didn’t occur to her that the man might not know a thing about her religion.

“But it is… a beautiful night, that is.” She mused, her voice slightly distant as she looked back up to the stars. “I’m Miriam. I don’t think we’ve met…”

His presence didn’t seem unwanted, so Riven continued to scan the sky. He only briefly glanced back at the woman when she mentioned the Mothers, and though he had no clue what she worshipped, he could guess that it was some type of deity of sorts. Maybe multiple deities. It reminded him of his old pack, in a way, worshipping the earth itself rather than anything with a name.

He still did, in a way. If not a god or goddess, Riv had always felt a strong connection to nature.

A soft smile played on his maw and he looked over at her again. “I don’t think we have,” he agreed, settling down into a seated position. “I’m Riven.”

“Have the stars spoken to you before?” he asked, tilting his head to the side. Anything could happen, he supposed, and he wasn’t one to judge other’s religions.

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

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Miriam always welcomed the company of her fellow packmates, not that she knew many of them well. She had not been as social as she perhaps should. She should have gotten to know her packmates more so she could better integrate… but it appeared to be going well for her. She was growing into her role as a scout, and she had not managed to cause any waves. She knew she could be a little eclectic so it was reassuring they hadn’t driven her out for being weird yet.

“Nice to meet you, Riven.” She returned with a bright expression on her features. “They have not yet… but I keep hoping one day they will, that they will give me the guidance they used to give my birth pack.” She explained again, her tail thumping against the ground. “The Mother of the pack would commune with the Ancestors and they would deliver messages about the pack’s fortunes.”

Riven liked this girl, he decided fairly quickly. She gave off such positive energy that it was contagious, and he found himself mirroring her smile. It was refreshing to meet someone so… pleasant. Though he’d found most of the Falls wolves to be incredibly welcoming thus far, so he wasn’t necessarily surprised.

“You as well,” he echoed the sentiment, tail swishing back and forth. He studied her as she told her story, tilting his head to the side. “I see,” he responded. “Was the Mother of your pack like a leader?” Communicating with the stars was a bit of an odd concept to him, as well as having someone tell fortunes, but it wasn’t his place to judge. He’d always liked learning about other peoples’ belief systems, after all.

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

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It was not often that others asked her these kinds of questions, inquiring about her birth pack as Riven was. It was… refreshing. She often felt as though others failed to understand or looked at her like she was weird, which had caused her to question her own sanity. As he asked, she knew where he was going with the question and she was quick to shake her head.

“No. She was not a traditional leader. She was not responsible for accepting members of the pack, or handling diplomatic affairs. She was much like an advisor to the leaders, and they often heeded her word as law… so in some ways, I suppose she was, but in other ways she certainly was not.” She explained, a frown on her features as she said it. “She predicted famine, and fortune for the pack… the Ancestors gave her messages so we might prepare and protect our own.”

Having someone who could predict things like famine would be more than just useful. Riven wondered if perhaps the Mother paid close attention to the land around them - dying foliage, lower water in the rivers, - that would suggest a famine might be on the way, rather than the stars speaking to her. Of course, he wouldn’t say it out loud, for fear of offending the girl, but it did make his mind wander a bit.

“She seems like she would be a very important member of the pack,” he said instead, tail swishing behind him. An advisor made more sense than a leader in this case. His head tipped to the side. “And you? Do you want to be an advisor, in the future?” Perhaps that was why she wanted the stars to speak with her so badly.

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

---

She hummed, offering a nod when he spoke of the Mother being important. She was, perhaps, one of the most important members of Miriam’s birth pack, if not the most important. Many revered the mother more than they did the actual leader of the pack. It was mystifying, to be in the presence of one who walked the stars. His question was a fair one, though she didn’t know how to answer right away.

“I do not think that is for me. I think I ought to be more of a scout… explore lands for things we can use.” She wished the stars spoke to her so she would not need to rely on a figure like the Mother in such travels… so she’d know when paths were flooded, or when prey would be scarce, or where she could find water.

A scout, then. Riven couldn't imagine wanting to go out of pack lands too often - he was far too much of a homebody, even before his injury, - but a bit of travel here and there was always necessary when looking for medicines. They didn't all grow in one place, after all, and Riven wasn't excessively confident in his ability to go out and get his own herbs anymore.

"If you ever do, I'll have to teach you some herbs to pick up for me on your travels. If you'd be willing to bring some back, of course," he said, offering her a smile. "A scout sounds like a fun role to be in, if you enjoy adventure."