Find Your Place

Ralla · 08-29-2010, 09:31 PM

When Chief Dawali had led her deep into the AniWaya territory for the first time, Ralla was amazed at the similarities between the AniWayan land and the Moon Tribe land. Although the forests of the Moon Tribe were far more dense and littered with vines and leafs, the Nova Scotian forests were the same with pine needles and larger leafs. The color of the bark also differed a little, but the loamy soil beneath her paws--turning harder as the season got later--felt instinctivly like home. Against all the red and green foliage alike, she stood out like a pale white beacon.

The first sign of the AniWayan village was the flaring fire that Ralla smelled and saw from a far distance. It's sheer intensity astounded the white shewolf, and her excitement grew tenfold when she was told of its purpose. 'The Great Fire'. That she had found a tribe that practiced the belief in the ways of the earth and heavens only made Ralla feel more at home.

All that was left was to find her way and place.

The dawn had now given way to morning, and the huts and older structures were more visable when she finally entered the village. Totems were erected all over, and colored beads and feathers hung from the awnings and doors. She smelled other wolves around, but all the scents were so intermingled that she could not tell whether they were fresh or stale.

Deciding to shift to optime form for her first impression on the tribe, Ralla felt her back arch as her bones began to shift smoothly, the transformation so practiced that it was more like first nature and not second. When she was finished, she was left with a medium-sized body, ever-long limbs, and a lengthened palid mane. Her muzzle had become more refined, and her forest green eyes searched eagerly for her new packmates, long tail swishing back and forth in anticipation as her tooth and claw necklaces clinked together as her head veered back and forth.

Would they like her? What would she do? Where would she live? What were they like?

'All in good time,' she tried to counsel herself. 'Patience, patience...' But isn't patience hard for everyone when they're excited?

Susquehanna · 08-30-2010, 05:30 AM

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Welcome to a world where the air I breathe is mine \\:OOC

Word Count: 301. Worth 2 points. Hiya!! Welcome to AniWaya!

IC:// Nothing to overwhelm me and nothing to cloud my mind

Hanna could remember the first time she had walked into AniWaya village proper. It was not difficult to recall her hope that she would be liked and accepted, that she would find a place to stay, and that she would fit in. Fitting in was still something the dark wolfess thought she might have some trouble with, but she had a place to stay and a job to fill, and a daughter to be there for, and that, in her mind, took precedence over truly fitting in.

For the past several days, the woman had been waking with the dawn, even if she had been up late the night before. This particular morning, Hanna had risen even earlier and had sat, just out of sight for most, on the porch of her cabin. It had been a beautiful morning, a beautiful dawn. Desi had slept relatively late and then gone off to do her own thing, which, while it worried Hanna, also suited her fine. The femme had gotten to her feet and gone for a walk, making her way eventually to the Great Fire. At one point, Hanna's job had been to collect food for its insatiable jaws, and she respected it and its offspring more than she had prior to holding the path of Gata Hineyu.

For herself as well as for others, the fire served as a beacon, and there never seemed to be no one around. She found that this morning was no exception; a pure white wolfess was standing nearby, her tail swishing eagerly and her adorning necklace making soft sounds with every glance around the village she took. Hanna approached the girl, smiling widely. Good morning! she beamed, following the green eyes' gaze about. Was the girl new to the tribe? Sure is beautiful, aye?

Ralla · 08-30-2010, 10:23 PM

Hearing a voice, Ralla turned to see a tall black wolfess greeting her. The native wolfess was around six foot three; a full five inches taller than Ralla. Scars marred an otherwise lovely face, but Ralla was not intimidated; rather, the wolfess's smile and words were kind and welcoming.

"It is indeed!" Ralla agreed whole-heartedly. So far, every sign she had seen had pointed to good beginings and family, and her visions and signs being right always assured Ralla more than anything else. She willed her tail to a slower wag--slightly embarassed at her boistrous and unconceiled enthusiasm--and turned to greet the native wolfess formally.

"My name is Ralla, and I am a new 'Itse'," she said with a slight curling of her tongue. The word taught to her by Chief Dawali was foreign to even her very gutteral home dialect, but she was grateful for the title nonetheless. "What's your name? And um...where do I go...?" She felt a little awkward with how her first introductions were going, but the question had to be asked. She needed to find the natural groove of the tribe's workings and then find where she fit in that groove. Joining would be pointless unless she did just that.

Ralla walked up to the tall wolfess with her own hands clasped behind her back and a smile plastered on her face. She felt silly, but since she was neither fortune-telling nor in the presence of her Chief, she felt no need to mask her inner emotions.

Susquehanna · 09-15-2010, 04:02 AM

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Welcome to a world where the air I breathe is mine \\:OOC

Word Count: 336. Worth 2 points. It isn't the highest quality, but I wanted to get something up. I'm sorry I fail! And yeah, I know she's at least borrowing a horse in a later thread with Liliana. :3

IC:// Nothing to overwhelm me and nothing to cloud my mind

My name's Susquehanna, but most people know me as Hanna, the woman's voice replied to Ralla's query. She identified herself as an Itse, the general membership title, and Hanna nodded. She herself had not spent much time as an Itse by name, but she had plenty of experience in sitting at the lower end of the ranks. Luckily, AniWaya's tribal nature ensured that even the lower ranks did not seem so horrible to have.

Continuing to answer Ralla's question, Hanna drew breath and spoke further, Where you need to go depends a lot on what you want to do first. As far as professions go, much is dictated on your prior skills, but there is something for everyone. But I'm sure Dawali will have spoken with you about those. She gave another small smile, a momentary vigorous wag of her tail. She did not want to seem redundant when it would be almost certain that Ember or Dawali would have mentioned the way the jobs worked and perhaps even which were most likely to suit Ralla

As far as a house, well, there are plenty to choose from, and if you want to build your own, you are certainly welcome to bunk with me and my daughter Desi for as long as you need to. She's not quite a year old, and I'm sure she would love the company. A mental light-bulb went off then, and she only barely kept herself from yelling something similar to Eureka! out loud. Her own tail beating rapidly now that she was on a trail, so to speak, and feet nearly dancing, Hanna presented a thought she might work (though if it did not, she would not be heartbroken).

Say, would you like me to help you choose a horse of your own? Maybe not immediately, but soon? I'm one of the animal caretakers; I own Galilahi, one of the paint mares. She tried to make the statement as matter-of-fact as she could. After all, she wasn't trying to brag.

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Ralla · 09-15-2010, 07:47 PM

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Meh, it's fine :3 I understand ^-^ Thanks for taking the time anyway! Big Grin Also, a mention about Ralla's reaction to horses can be found in 'Preparation for the Unknown'. Ya know; just so I don't get warned for post recycling >.>

The new wolf, Susquehanna, introduced herself, and Ralla's smile broaded before she nodded to answer Hanna's next statement. "Yes, Chief Dawali explained briefly to me the titles. I just need to get used to them, that's all. But my path? Mm... I'm sure I can find it." Even with that said, Ralla really wasn't. If I was so sure of finding my path in the first place, I wouldn't have run away here! When Hanna then suddenly offered for her to bunk in their house, Ralla was surprised to say the very least. There for a day, and already her new packmate was offering for Ralla to pose such an imposition.

"I don't think I could trouble you, but thank you! I'm sure I could build a hut like the ones back--" the word 'home' had almost come out of her mouth before she stifled the urge to finish it. "...back from where I came from... But yes, I'll be fine in a tree until I get the tools to make it." The practice of sleeping in trees was common back in the Moon Tribe where the summers were so stifling hot that it was cooler to sleep on the chilling ground or bark of a tree. Even if during the winter the tribe retired to caves or huts, many of the huts were sometimes built in the trees themselves using rope and something called 'nails'--a tool of the Long Gones. I have to make my own way. I must learn to be independent... That thought made Ralla shiver a little. She had always been watched--even if from afar--to protect her from mistakes. How well would her life go now that a silent guardian wasn't always over her shoulder?

But then Ralla heard the mention of a puppy.

"You have a daughter!?" She asked with unmasked excitement. Ralla was a stickler for puppies--the cuteness being the number one culprit--and even though Desi--as Hanna had named her--was almost as old as Ralla herself, that didn't lessen the cuteness factor. I mean, who could ever deny pups!?

The day was getting on fast, and the light of the sun was now in full-swing as they spoke. "Horses you say?" Hanna's new excitement at the mention of the beasts put a smile on Ralla's face as the opposite female began to wag her own tail. "I'm sure I would love to pick a horse out. But... It's my first day; I'd feel much too presuming to just take a horse for my own. But I would love to meet Gali... Galila... Gali-lahi...?" Once more the pronunciation tongue-twisted Ralla, and she felt slightly embarassed at her fumble. Home's language was never so...twisty, she thought with an inner amused face.

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

Susquehanna · 09-30-2010, 02:56 AM

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Ok, so after ~~3871293649~~ 3871293650 times of trying to write this... Word Count: 375. Worth 2 points.

Hanna merely nodded when Ralla turned down the offer of the cabin. In a way, she had expected no less; very few "young'uns" as Ralla's (and Desi's!) generation was to Hanna, would want to seem so dependent on another person. This one, this Ralla, was polite about it at the very least, and that pleased Hanna to bits. She seemed a strong young lady, and perhaps Hanna sensed this in a way.

Mind you, it was a far different strength than the last time Hanna had sensed willpower. That poor child had been through things no child should have to endure. It shaped her into a sullen, foul tempered little brat, although Hanna could not help but think fondly of Svara Thames, the girl she had won over -- partially -- through her thirst for learning. Hanna sometimes wondered what had become of her pupil. Perhaps she would have to do some inquiring.

Hanna could not help but give into a chuckle when Ralla's voice betrayed her excitement at the prospect of a child, and then shortly after that, at meeting Galilahi. The two were the prides of her life, and as such it made her feel like shining when another took interest. Désirée was the product of a one night stand, and while that did not bother her mother, others did not agree with the sentiment. Opposite the meaning of her name, to her father, Desi had been unwanted, and as he had not quite said, he had not been present since the girl's birth; Hanna had not even known of his presence then.

Turning slightly away toward the stables, Hanna beckoned once with a sideways nod of her head. She waited momentarily for Ralla to see (or not see) and then spoke. “The stables are this way, in case no one has shown you.” Not that it was not obvious by the scent of manure, grain, and horseflesh as well. Hanna headed off in that direction, trusting that Ralla would follow behind. “And don't worry, you'll catch onto the language before you know it. Till you do, though, you can call Galilahi, Gali.” The nickname was pronounced like a somewhat flattened Golly, far more linguistically simple than the mare's full name.

Ralla · 10-03-2010, 09:09 PM

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Yay! Big Grin 45th post! Second charrie time >:3 Note: Naka is Noss's childhood friend.

Ralla followed Hanna with Gali's nickname archived for future use. Indeed, as they walked, Ralla was more and more amazed with the AniWaya scene. It was almost like being home, and yet not. The scents of horses grew stronger, and Ralla was thankful enough for the tour that Hanna was generous enough to offer her. Ralla was careful, now, to at least be respectful and keep one pace behind the female. Elation or no, Ralla could not risk social embarassment by rank-conduct her first day. "Could you, perhaps, tell me a little about the language and village?" Eager to know all about her new home, absorbing all details was Ralla's primary mission...even though her current state was more than a little overexcited. It all smells so new! The sights, smells, and even the taste that Ralla could pluck from the air vied for her attention, and she strained her ears to hear what Hanna would tell her even as her eyes and nose were directed elsewhere.

I could imagine Noss here... It's so large, he would be lost within a day... Without Naka there for him, it would be a wonder if he would return from any hunts. And Father would be there beside him, teaching him everything about being the Chief, and...and... Thoughts of home were hard to leave behind, and more often than not they followed a wolf wherever he or she may go. Little, insignificant details once thought pointless rang louder than any other, because it was those tiny details that Ralla had enjoyed the most.

And so she was lying to herself when she refused to be homesick.

Moon walks. "Moon talks." Moon thinks.

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