544
The answer that the man gave the boy was not quite satisfactory, yet Pripyat Soul did not push further. Only the ocean eyes narrowed and the perpetual frown set its self deeper into his face. Why had Noah felt it time to take his leave? Why was "old fashion" a good thing? At one time Pripyat might have understood the desire to roam far from home, he had even spoke of it to this very man once. And now… now simply an excursion to the neighboring pack seemed almost too far to wander. Though he was glad to see the face of the man, to know he was alive and well and happy in his new home, Pripyat Soul felt that his visit would not be a lingering one. Simply in and out and home again. He missed the Abbey already and it had not even been the better part of a day.
"What do you mean "old fashion"?" The words were sounded hard, as if they were accusatory, but in reality the lad was only curious. What he knew of New Dawn was little, only that the leaders had come and spoken to his own and that they were very near to Ichika on the west borders. Now the mountain pack was sandwiched between New Dawn and Anathema and Pripyat knew enough of the darker clan to not bother with them. If they left the Anathema members alone, then they too would be left alone. And hardly he felt that any of the Dawn members would bother them, surely have past Ichikans could only help relations, but it wouldn't hurt to learn some about their ways, granted Noah was willing to share.
The man again called Pripyat by the old name and he sighed. Certainly Noah still viewed Pripyat as many of the older Valley members did. He was ever the child of their leaders, silly and head strong and stubborn like his father. Yet a whole year and a half had come and gone since his birth and he was as adult as they and it perplexed him that they failed to see or acknowledge this. He was a member of the Herald class! Called into such servitude by a greater power, spoken to by spirits through the flames and spoke he created out from under his hands. He had loved and lost just as they and didn’t they know he could care for himself? They need not worry or wonder about his eye, and he almost wished to reveal that it was him and no other that had put the ugly scar upon his own face.
"I am no Prince, Noah. If ever I that title belonged to me surely it went with my father. I am only Eika now, of Ichika. That is all I wish to be." And yet dutifully, or perhaps out of the friendship that had long been between the older, tattered man and the leaner but lanky youth, he followed the man as Noah set out, leading him to wherever. On two legs Pripyat went after the four legged canine, towering over him in height but feeling uncomfortably like the little boy on the sea side, trying to explain he ways of the universe to the broken man.
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