548.

It hadn’t concerned her, at least not at first. The absence of Larkspur did not affect her directly, and Harlowe’s disappearance following him was expected. The handsome boy had looked up to his uncle, she knew that, and where the beast went the beauty would follow Nayru supposed. It would have been easier and less time consuming to have innocently asked Conor. There was nothing stopping her, who could blame the girl for wondering about the whereabouts of her pack mates? Yet she knew better. And the warrior also knew that for most any question she could arrive at her own answer. It was this sentiment that had begun the slow tracking of the pair. It was Harlowe’s scent that she caught first, by chance many miles outside of Dahlia and many days after the Inferni female had come searching for the boy and sparked the curiosity in the first place.

The scent was old and almost faded, but Nayru was happy to put her tracking skills to real use for once, and so even when the trail was lost it was quickly regained. Zigzagging through the lands she followed the steps the boy had taken, resting now and then. There was no rush, she wasn’t even she that she would encounter either of them at the end of the day. It was all just for information and fun, a personal journey, no one even had a clue she was outside of Dahlia de Mai. Something she did so rarely now. Leave. Yet it was all the same, for so rarely did anyone could visit her on the eastern end of the pack, she was a ghost whether at home or away.

Harlowe’s scent took her to the south east edge of the lands and it was there she stopped. The scent of many canines was concentrated here, and Nayru instinctively stopped. Why so many scents, so close together? A new pack? One had just sprung up next door to Dahlia de Mai. Had another clan risen up and banded together? Whether either Harlowe or Larkspur were within these new borders at the moment Nayru didn’t know, and she didn’t particularly car. Their scents were intermingled with the others and that was all she had come to figure out, the small bit of information had taken nearly a day and a half for her to discover.

Weary from her wanderings the two legged girl moved quite leisurely along the borders, mapping out mentally the new boundaries. Like a wraith she moved, eyes and ears alert. It was only when a stray, sad little sparrow started to sing the girl’s thoughts moved away from the new pack. The bird sat on a low branch of a rather weathered tree, and although it had noticed Nayru’s calm procession it hadn’t been startled by the timid and gentle girl. Snapping her arm out the patch-work girl caught up the fragile boned creature, cupping its feathered body in her hands. The tiny heart beat furiously in the chest of the bird, and the terror of the creature intrigued Nayru. Her fingers tightened then as words whispers escaped her “Poor thing, poor thing.” Nayru smiled bitter sweetly at the knowledge of just how easily she could crush the life out of the creature.

haha fun! Nanny and Naynay.

The sound of the snore caused her to relax her grip and the frightened bird rushed out of her hands, relief flooding every fiber of its being as the sound of ruffling, frantic feathers told Nayru that it was gone. The girl did not miss it, did not even think of it again as she tiptoed then, scanning the land for whoever or whatever might be napping nearby. The snow colored woman was out of eye sight initially, but moving several yards north Nayru came upon her, curled up and sound asleep. Standing over the stranger on two legs the girl peered down at the woman. The lady did not stir and Nayru continued to stand there, though older for certain Nayru towered above the woman, even despite the short nature of Nayru’s optime form.

When for a long moment the patch work girl had stood there and the woman did not wake Nayru seated herself easily next to her. For a long time she sat there, eyes upon the other, watching her breath. In and out. Up and down. Her lungs filling with air and emptying just as quickly. It was peaceful in a way to be so fully absorbed in another’s breath. And she was, for without even thinking of what she was doing or why Nayru did what so often she did when in the company of only herself. She began to sing. Really low, really soft, barely detectable. But she sang as she kept her crimson eyes transfixed on the sleeping woman.

310 .

Her soft, musical tones rose and fell and the crimson eyes of the young girl simply stared at the sleeping figure. The woman’s breathing changed and Nayru kept singing. She thought that she saw an ear flicker, but she kept singing. And then near silent sniffing but Nayru kept singing. And then the strange lady on the ground opened her eyes and looked into Nayru’s and Nayru stopped singing. The wide eyes of the other did not alarm Nayru, she simply stared, silent and holding completely still, as if her lack of motion might make the other forget she was there at all.

Singing? Still no movement or acknowledgement, as if as if as if Nayru could disappear right then, sink into the earth and be swallowed up. Swallowed up where no one would hear singing. But she didn’t, she simply went on staring at the other and then finally, as if suddenly aware of her own actions which were by anyone’s standard peculiar, her soft, whispery voice came to her. “Yes.” Why yes, she had been singing, thank you for asking. “I don’t know why.” Does anyone ever really know why they do the things that they do? “I’m sorry.” For not knowing or for singing? It doesn’t really matter, does it?

Remembering herself, brought out of her singing trance, Nayru bowed her head deeply, staying seated as she was before. This was too near to being on claimed land; or rather one soul was on claimed lands and the other, Nayru, was just on the otherside of the invisible boundary that Nayru’s instincts told her was more than just a line separating them from her. Her low voice was respectful and steady, her crimson eyes averted from staring too directly at the jade eyed lady. “I am Nayru, of Dahlia de Mai. I don’t mean to disturb you.”

757 .

The woman’s voice was sharp and stern, but her words were not unwelcoming or unkind. They were merely matter of fact and Nayru nodded when the woman told her not to apologize. Of course, in any similar situation Nayru would apologize to a stranger, but she made a mental note not to bother this woman with such formalities. There was no room for them it seemed and it was all the same to Nayru, who often just acted with such social graces because she found one really did catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar. And although the request for no further apologies was fulfilled, Nayru did not make any movements or motions that could be thought of as disrespectful. Patiently she sat there, watching the pure white woman come fully awake and comprehend the situation and black and white stranger she was presented with.

Naniko. The woman finally gave a name, but it was one that Nayru had no knowledge of. At least the first name was nothing to her, but D’Angelo sounded familiar. That was the name Harlowe had given her, and although Larkspur had only told her his first name, she associated the family name with him too. Nayru was without a family name, which was just as well, as she assumed that no one in these parts would know of her family. They must not have spanned very far back, for her mother and father had never talked of other relatives, but it was so long ago Nayru suppose she might have just forgotten them. “There was a Harlowe D’Angelo in Dahlia de Mai, perhaps you know of him?”

Nayru did not say that she had followed his trail here to discover the whereabouts of him or Larkspur. She also did not say that she knew Larkspur. Or that all the packs Naniko listed meant nothing to Nayru, who had never known any of them aside from Crimson Dreams. The girl only ever said what seemed relevant and right at the time, and it never seemed proper to reveal more information that was necessary. Still, she hid nothing, for she had nothing to hide. There had been nothing between her or Harlowe and Dahlia de Mai had nothing to do with them anymore. It was only Nayru’s own curiosity that had led her here, but it was her reservation that kept this motive from anyone who might have wondered.

The woman asked of Dahlia, and Nayru smiled, glad enough to answer a question. Her soft voice was steady, and her eyes tried to read what Naniko thought of the news Nayru delivered. “Dahlia is well. You speak of times before I belonged there, and I have lived there for seven months now. Whatever warring went on between Dahlia de Mai and the coyotes has been laid to rest.” Yet Nayru was always amazed at how vividly others remembered this, and nothing else, of her pack. It was true there had been two wars, Nayru had dug deeply into the history of the pack and learned much of the events that occurred before she came to live there. Still, the wars were over and it seemed as long as Conor regained there was little to no reason for such unpleasantness to surface again.

The weariness others held against Dahlia, or the suspicions or the poor reputation, clung to the pack. Never had Nayru engaged in such activities, but wherever she went and announced she was from Dahlia de Mai she felt the biases of memories that wouldn’t quite die. It was best to tell them that Dahlia de Mai only knew peace now, and to ignore the rest. Slowly they would see, they would see that Dahlia de Mai was just as any other pack now, and they could quit worrying over the flowered lands and its inhabitants. It was with this belief Nayru said no more, but rose as Naniko did, taking her cues from the female, eager to turn her attention away from talk of Dahlia and onto Anathema.

“I would love to see however much of Anathema you are willing to show me.” she smiled pleasantly, aware now that she was shifted and the other was now and wondering if perhaps for the run she should be one four legs as opposed to two, but saying nothing of it until Naniko made her next move. “I’m hardly tired from my journey, I did not rush here.” There had been no reason to rush, there rarely was any reason to rush.

SSWM: 684 .

Nayru was pleased when the mention of Harlowe brought more words from Naniko. Confirmation that not only had the boy come here but the man she had been tracking as well. Nayru really hadn’t needed the confirmation but it seemed the pair was settled into Anathema and the girl knew better than to ever expect their return to Dahlia de Mai. The white lady also revealed that she was the mother of Harlowe and this delighted Nayru, although why she wasn’t sure. It was just more knowledge, and probably some that she did not need to retain but would anyway. Just in case. “Well Harlowe was very polite when I met him, I’m sure your other son will grow up just as well as Harlowe has.” Nayru smiled, although she wasn’t really sure how much parenting Naniko had put into Harlowe. They boy had been young when she met him, as young as herself without parents, and he had been with Larkspur in Dahlia de Mai. Where had Naniko been then?

“Aye, I too have met Larkspur. That sounds like him. ” And she smiled inwardly at the memory of the old brute. He probably didn’t think much of her, but she often thought of him and silently thanked him. The rough male had been the only one able to steer her into hunting, help her overcome herself and her soft heart. He had unknowingly unleashed a demon in the girl, a bloodlust that seem unsatisfiable, and had molded her almost as much as Saluce or Conor had. It did not matter that he was apart from Dahlia de Mai now, or that the others perhaps held ill feelings for him, the girl couldn’t help but think of him kindly. That he was here, with Harlowe, and she knew that now was enough.

Ears perked at the words of Naniko then, her comments on the coyotes and the recent war did not sit well with Nayru but she said nothing, merely accepting the words for what they were and keeping her face respectful as the white woman spoke. The ebony and ivory fey was also grateful the conflict was laid to rest, but the girl knew that her reasons were not one and the same as the leader of Anathema. Blood shed between canines was something Nayru wished to avoid at all costs, for all packs, but peace for Dahlia de Mai was more important than peace for the other clans. Naniko had Anathema’s interests at heart and Nayru couldn’t penalize the woman for this. It was only right.

Nodding Nayru kept pace with Naniko, the jog was easy and the girl kept silent until Naniko spoke. A token of good will? Nayru hadn’t been expecting this and hadn’t even planned on definitely reporting to Conor. Whether he had known of her visit to their nearest neighbor Nayru didn’t know, but she supposed she should tell him of that too. Surely he would be pleased to know that neither of the two packs harbored any ill feelings towards Dahlia de Mai and that peace between them was well established. “Conor Soul is my alpha and I am sure he would appreciate whatever you see fit to send with me.”

They moved along and Naniko’s next question seemed one that Nayru might ask herself, of any other stranger that came to visit Dahlia de Mai. Rarely did others ask her to describe her own life, or at least not in so broad a question and for a long moment of silence she thought, trying to formulate the best response. “My life in Dahlia de Mai is very pleasant. I hunt and patrol the borders mostly, but it’s quite there and we haven’t had much excitement in the past few months. Conor has just been made a father though, so I suppose the pack is pleased with that.” Was that the kind of information Naniko wish for? Nayru’s ruby gaze sought approval in the face of the other, and then her timid voice mirrored the question for the Anathema leader. “Is life in Anathema much different?”

SSWM: 559 .

The two toned girl dutifully followed the woman about the borders, taking in the sights and scents but not committing them to memory as anymore more than a generalized knowledge. Nayru would remember what Anathema smelled like, where it was, and she would be able to identify members of the pack in the future but she would not remember every single sight she saw just then. It was important for the girl to be familiar with the surrounding packs. Not that she expected any problems to arise with them but if they did she would be better equipped to deal with them. It was not only problems between Dahlia de Mai and the other packs, but any kind of problem or help the other packs needed and sought Dahlia de Mai out for. And it was just a good idea all around to be knowledgeable about the world in which one inhabited. Nayru knew she was of better use to Dahlia de Mai if she was well learned.

The older woman spoke of her home, and Nayru was intrigued to learn that many of them were religious or spiritual. There were many different beliefs individuals could hold, Nayru had some that she never shared with others, but she had never heard of a group pooling together to share in those beliefs. Did they all believe something similar? Naniko explained that many of them took faith in certain objects. Amulets, tokens, charms, talismans, whatever. She watched as the pure white lady fiddled with her own token and Nayru smiled. The only objects Nayru revered were the gifts bestowed upon her by others, but they did not contain any magical or spiritual properties. Yet Naniko went on to explain that mostly they were like any other pack, and this was a truth Nayru was coming to understand. Many of the packs had niches, but above all they were just a pack. A home for the homeless.

They came upon the cave that Naniko called home and Nayru bowed her head gratefully to the woman. It was an honor for to have someone share and show their living space, for truly that was something personal. Aside from other Dahlians no one had entered Nayru's living quarters, and even the number of fellow pack mates that had seen it was sparse. The girl was particularly respectful as they entered the living quarters. Her eyes scanned the walls, it was not heavily adorned but why should it be? Nayru's low and sweet voice echoed in the cavern, the first true cave the girl had entered. “It is pleasant in here, even without decoration. I can sense that you are comfortable here.” And it did seem well lived in.

The ivory and ebony patch work girl did not follow Naniko into her sleeping quarters, and in no time at all the woman returned. Presented with the necklaces Nayru held them in her hand, inspecting the detailed work. The smaller one was simpler, but by no means less well crafted. Whoever had made such items, Naniko perhaps, had obviously done so with great care. "These are very beautiful. Did you make them?" She turned them over in her hand and felt the weight of the light bone charms in her velvety palm. "I am sure Conor will appreciate them greatly." Her words were simple but sincere.

Weee and DONE! SUPER DUPER SHORT!

The black and white lady simply nodded her head at the explanation of the bone charms. It seemed simple enough, but the idea had never occurred to Nayru before. She had carved bits of wood, after seeing the Aniwaya tree, but to carve bone? Well, why not? Again Naniko expressed her hope for Conor's appreciation, and Nayru was sure that it was to be found. Also in the woman's words were was the small social cue, one Nayru did not consciously realize but was so socially enlightened the girl took it without hesitation. Bowing her head deeply, her words were soft and flowing as she held tight to the presents meant for her leader. "Thank you for your time Naniko D'Angelo. Perhaps out paths will cross again. If you make it out to Dahlia, do not hesitate to call on me." That was what one said before they silently excused themselves with another bow of the head and slipped quickly out of packlands and back towards their own home.

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