09-11-2010, 09:04 PM
Aithne tilted her small, angular skull, on top of which her ears were swiveling like small satellite dishes. She was listening. Listening to the sounds of the pack - her pack. Wolves conversing, scolding their young, laughing, gorging themselves with food, telling stories. These sounds, which fabricated a crescendo of love and contentment, brought bitter memories back to the young she-wolf. Memories that felt like claws puncturing her heart.
Broken, fragmented images flickered through her brain in orderless sequences. Images of her mother, a copse of huge, ivy covered trees, a she-wolf's slain child, a weeping elder. Aithne shook her head to banish the grief and sorrow from her brain. Suddenly, Aithne heard the effeminate voice of another she-wolf. She jumped. She had failed to hear this stranger approaching her, being lost in her own memories.
"Hello. My name is Ralla. Welcome to AniWaya." The strange she-wolf greeted her kindly.
Aithne dipped her head, bringing her belly close to the earth, and tucking her tail neatly between her slender hind legs in a show of respect.
"Greetings. My name is Aithne."
Ralla, the she-wolf, gently nosed Aithne toward an ancient, gnarled tree. Aithne sat down on a large root that was arching out of the ground, craning her neck to watch as Ralla clawed her way into the tree, bringing down between her teeth a woven basket full of berries. Aithne's belly growled loudly. She had forgotten how long it had been since she had eaten. Ralla set the basket on the ground and pushed it toward Aithne with her nose.
"Thank you." Said Aithne, her tail whipping about her hindquarters furiously in delight.
"I'm sorry about your wounds...I don't know what to put on them, so if you can wait, we can go see our Kunikoti. Oh, but wait...she's gone right now...um...what was it for burns?" Said Ralla, as Aithne stuffed her growling belly with the delicious berries.
"My paws are fine for tonight. I think that if I can wash them tomorrow in some clean water, and just stay off of them for a few days, they'll be fine." Said Aithne, around a mouthful of berry.
Broken, fragmented images flickered through her brain in orderless sequences. Images of her mother, a copse of huge, ivy covered trees, a she-wolf's slain child, a weeping elder. Aithne shook her head to banish the grief and sorrow from her brain. Suddenly, Aithne heard the effeminate voice of another she-wolf. She jumped. She had failed to hear this stranger approaching her, being lost in her own memories.
"Hello. My name is Ralla. Welcome to AniWaya." The strange she-wolf greeted her kindly.
Aithne dipped her head, bringing her belly close to the earth, and tucking her tail neatly between her slender hind legs in a show of respect.
"Greetings. My name is Aithne."
Ralla, the she-wolf, gently nosed Aithne toward an ancient, gnarled tree. Aithne sat down on a large root that was arching out of the ground, craning her neck to watch as Ralla clawed her way into the tree, bringing down between her teeth a woven basket full of berries. Aithne's belly growled loudly. She had forgotten how long it had been since she had eaten. Ralla set the basket on the ground and pushed it toward Aithne with her nose.
"Thank you." Said Aithne, her tail whipping about her hindquarters furiously in delight.
"I'm sorry about your wounds...I don't know what to put on them, so if you can wait, we can go see our Kunikoti. Oh, but wait...she's gone right now...um...what was it for burns?" Said Ralla, as Aithne stuffed her growling belly with the delicious berries.
"My paws are fine for tonight. I think that if I can wash them tomorrow in some clean water, and just stay off of them for a few days, they'll be fine." Said Aithne, around a mouthful of berry.