A small white she-wolf slowly, lazily padded through the freshly fallen snow that coated the vast territory of Dahlia. Where Siku was, exactly, She was never sure. Since having her travel worn paws bandaged by Conor, the former wanderer did what she was best at: exploring. Siku liked to see places she thought no one else had really been before, little spots on this world she fancied had never been worn by a wolves' trail before. Though she was keen to start helping out her new pack somehow, she also enjoyed the feeling of knowing every inch of land around her, and intended to see to it that she become as familiar as at least most of the others.
Siku's small black nose twitched as she caught a strange scent, one she had never come across before. She knew she was still within the borders, and so she decided it must be another pack member. Curiosity sparking interest, Siku lifted her snow white muzzle to the air in an investigative manner. Glancing down after this, she saw old marks in the snow. A trail. Suddenly feeling a burst speed in her muscles, Siku chased the scent as if it would fade if she didn't pursue it, and pursue it quickly! She sometimes played this game with herself in her travels, and it was why she was in such good shape. She saw to it that she got to Dahlia as quickly as possible after discovering her desire for a pack. Now she was racing herself to a place she would learn was inhabited by another wolf.
Her quick pace slowed to a trot as she saw a stone wall not too far away. This only fueled her curiosity, and she barked, one cautious yap, so as to warn any other of her presence. Though, she was going to get in there anyway. It was in her nature. Siku's nose led her to an almost invisible opening, a tiny, snow covered hole into.. Into a strange place she's never been! The white wolf sat for a moment, watching the hole. Her thick, fluffy white tail swished back and forth as she listened for a response, as if someone would invite her on in. After a second, she decided no one was there. With that, the healthy wolf attempted to squish through the hole, rather than clearing away the snow drift in the way first.
A yip of annoyance escaped her mouth as her rump got stuck in the hole, her tail and back legs humorously trapped on the other side of the wall. With a mighty kick (or four), she shot out from under the hole, and trotted at a quick pace into the strange place. Siku shook off the awkwardness of her predicament easily, excited. Her eyes rested on a door to a structure not too far off, and the wolf's white head tilted to the side as she stared. A house, perhaps? And the door was open! Surely it was meant to be.. intruded upon. Siku paid no attention to practicalities, deciding to just bounce on into what was possibly another's home.
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Nayru had been pulling dead leaves from some of her potted plants when she heard the bark outside the stone wall of the garden. Ears swiveled at the interruption and the woman paused, hand mid air and she waited, but no more sounds came from outside. Deciding it had nothing to do with her she went back to her task, humming softly to herself as she went. Her plants, which had started as a small collection, had grown in both size and variety and more and more time was required to keep them all alive and healthy. Unwilling to spend less time hunting, patrolling or training Nayru often forewent social interactions. So rarely was she among the other Dahlians her increased solitude was barely noticed, except perhaps by Gideon, and she was growing less concerned with the doings of the others. If someone barked outside the garden that was their business.
Picking up the bucket from near her door she exited the greenhouse, leaving the door slightly ajar. The walk to the well was not a long once and the cold air that entered her house wouldn't harm the plants much, it was easier than trying to push open the heavy door with a bucket of water in her hands. Moving across the garden she moved out of sight of her home, the well was well concealed behind thick hedges that grew and stayed green even in winter. As she attached the bucket to the rope of the well her ears perked again at the strange yips that seemed much louder now than they had before. The voice was unfamiliar and Nayru left the bucket were it was, slowly creeping around the hedges and surveying the garden from her hiding spot.
Crimson gaze was met with an unfamiliar figure moving across the garden at the other end. For a moment Nayru's heart froze, the figure was all white like the lady of her dreams. Yet the fear quickly left her for the grace this woman moved with was all different and as Nayru watched she noted that this living woman had golden eyes as opposed to the navy eyes of Nayru's ghost. The stranger moved about and the fur along Nayru's nape rose a bit but several scent samples taken from the winter's wind told the woman that this was indeed a Dahlian and the apprehension Nayru had felt at the unfamiliar voice quickly left her. The garden was open to all Dahlians, at least those who could find a way in and on silent feet she moved back to her well, drawing up the bucket and detaching it from its rope. Full of water she carried the bucket, slow and steady steps as she rounded the hedge to find that the figure had made quite a bit of progress in moving across the garden and was heading straight towards her greenhouse.
On quick but nearly soundless feet Nayru closed in on the four legged figure. The woman was almost inside her home when Nayru was only but a yard or two away from her and the soft and sweet voice of the ruby eyed angel called out, loud enough for the stranger to hear but not a decimal louder. "Greetings." And she stilled her gait, still holding the bucket, and waited for the other woman to turn and face her.
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White fur stood on end as Siku spun around to meet the wolf the lovely voice belonged to. Rounded ears flattened as Siku realized that there was indeed another Dahlian inhabiting the strange structure. Golden eyes met crimson as Siku's tail slowly made a sweeping motion, a friendly gesture as she stared at the other she-wolf's strange yet dazzling coat of fur. Siku had never seen such a wolf in her life. Suddenly a grin appeared on the older wolf's face, her golden eyes glittering as she spoke without hesitation.
"Hi! I'm Siku. New to the pack. I'm sorry if I trespassed, your scent made me curious. It's how I found my way in here."
Siku's black nose twitched as she traced the smell of plants, and a lot of them. In winter? The white wolf paused to smell again, her senses had not betrayed her. She could smell many different kinds of plants, residing in the house beside them. One ear flicked up as Siku tilted her head curiously, her glowing eyes peering into the small crack in the door.
"Are you an herbalist? I come from the Northwest. Definitely different plants around there. Mind if I see your greenhouse?
The snow wolf's mouth ran, words tumbling out as she continued to grin at the two toned wolf. If this stranger wasn't careful, Siku might end up talking her ears off. The arctic wolf enjoyed studying plants, especially the kind she could make tea with, and decided independently that she would become good friends with this strangely colored young wolf.
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The woman turned to face Nayru, and a placid but amused smiled spread slowly across the thin ebony lips of the standing female. Without speaking she surveyed the woman, the not quite an intruder and new addition to Dahlia. The alabaster coat of the other was saturated with the smell of Dahlia de Mai, the stranger had been here for more than a few days it seemed, but a faint and foreign scent still clung to the older wolf. It was evidence that indeed she came from some place far off, unlike Nayru's aroma, which was composed only of her individual smell and the collective scent of her pack lands, made up of the inhabitants that lived there and perhaps the very air they breathed. It had been a long while since Nayru had called any other place home, and it was rare she cared to venture out of Dahlia de Mai for much more than a day trip, she couldn't even recall what her fur and skin must of smelt like, who it might have smelt of, that first day Conor met her upon the borders.
Siku. The woman introduced herself, followed quickly by an apology for trespassing. Still watching her with bright ruby eyes the woman clutched the bucket with one hand and gestured with the other. "Here," Her hand swept the garden, ""you are not trespassing. There," she pointed to her greenhouse, "you are." Despite the words, her tone was friendly, amused and ever soft and unassuming. There was no hostility and after another brief moment of awkward silence as the girl readjusted the heavy bucket with both hands, Nayru bowed her head deeply to Siku. The black splotched woman averting her gaze and flattening her ears in all the most primal shows of submission the girl often greeted others with. " to meet you Siku. I am Nayru, and this is indeed my home."
Lifting her gaze again to meet the golden stare of the other Nayru shook her head at the words the other woman spoke. A herbalist? Nayru had never considered herself one. She was a servant of Dahlia and provided the pack with any skills she did have, but the cultivation of plants had never been among her acknowledge accomplishments. Truthfully the girl knew very little of what to do with the plants she tended. To kill, either in battle or hunt, was her specialty, and to track those that needed killing was her greatest skill. To heal or harm others with plants was beyond her, for although she knew how to keep the plants alive now she had never had time to studying their purpose as thoroughly as she had once thought to.
" No, I am not a herbalist." Nayru's shake of the head was not sad, but only matter of fact. The girl was happy with what she was, even if she knew the potential for more was yet untapped. " am only the head hunter of Dahlia de Mai at this time, and I also tend to the eastern borders, since so few of us live out this way." Gideon was a good wahrer and the spahers under him did their job well but Nayru had been unable to let go of her post as watch dog to the eastern end. She did not mention her also self assigned duty as peacekeeper and warrior, for although she went nowhere without the dagger that signified such a rank strapped to her ankle she did not acknowledge it to anyone but Saluce. At least not out loud.
Shifting the bucket from one hand to the other she remembered her plants, and the open door and the cold air slowly leaking into her heated home. Looking kindly at Siku the younger girl smiled, not taking a step towards the opening of her home until the other woman gave her consent. " Do you like plants? You may come in to see them." The plants needed their water and the bucket was growing heavy in her arms, she waited for the woman to go ahead of her.
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ooc; Sorry for the short post >< I'll make up for it next time!
Siku grinned widely the whole time Nayru spoke, enjoying the sound of another soft voice. She then turned her head to the side again, puzzled as Nayru introduced herself in such a submissive manner. Siku was the subordinate, the one who should be practically groveling at the entrance of Nayru's home! With that thought, Siku made sure quickly to press her ears back as Nayru did, her golden eyes on the younger wolf as she dipped her muzzle slightly lower than the ruby eyed she-wolf. There. In Siku's logic, she acknowledged Nayru's higher power as a higher ranked member of the pack quite well. As Nayru rose again, Siku did the same, and at this moment noticed the burden in the two toned wolf's hands. Water for the good smelling plants, she supposed.
"Need help with that water? Here."
Siku was going to take the water, then froze mid air with her paw outstretched. Staring down at her paw, she realized she had changed back into her lupus form. Her little paws were virtually useless in this situation. Bad memory caused Siku to grin again, feeling like an idiot. The broken toothed alabaster wolf (Her left canine is broken in half!) lowered her paw again after gesturing for the other wolf to hurry inside before her, in order to relief her strain quickly.
"Wow. Forgot I was small again! Changing forms is still a little strange for me."
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Siku showed the same submission that Nayru had just moments but the girl just accepted it, rather than try to appease the woman any further. The cow patterned lady accepted any show of dominance or submission the Dahlians gave her, for although she placed herself below them all there were those who noted her rank and felt it their places to submit to her. Arguing with them was beyond her, the words of all others went above her own needs or wants. To explain to them that her being was meant to be a servant to them all, it was much too confusing and complicated. Better to just allow them to do as they pleased. Besides, after the formal greetings they could speak casually, forgetting rank completely, and it was that Nayru intended to do as Siku raised her gaze once more.
The older girl faltered then, offering help that she couldn’t provide and Nayru let the moment pass with well-intentioned amusement. At the girl’s words Nayru’s light laugh was filled with warth and well-meaning as she moved past Siku and into the green house, closing the door only after the four legged woman had made her way inside. " Don’t worry about it, it’s not as heavy as it seems. Although, if you’d like to shift it would be easier for you to look at the plants I think." Some of the plants sat potted on higher tables and shelves, and if Siku wished to handle the plants which Nayru wouldn’t have minded, well, she certainly lacked hands in her current state.
Slowly Nayru moved from one pot to another, dumping a bit of water in one and splashing a bit in another. From time to time she tested the dirt with one finger and skipped a plant, having slowly come to learn what plants like a lot of water and which ones preferred drier soils. It had been a long trial and error type of learning, but it was rare any more that she lost a plant to poor care. Turning her head back to Siku her voice floated from her lips just as softly as it had before, but in the greenhouse it was amplified and echoed off the glass walls. " Aside from how to keep the plants from dying, I know very little about them. Do you know anything about herbs and medicine? I hope to find someone who can actually use some of these plants, although not all of them are useful." At least not in a healing or harming sense, Nayru thought. Everything had a place, even the most seemingly useless plants.
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Siku smiled to herself as Nayru laughed; the sound somewhat alien to the former wanderer's ears. After months of lonesome quiet, the little white wolf welcomed any break in the silence. The younger wolf's soft voice was particularly pleasant to her. Golden eyes averted awkwardly as the black and white she-wolf suggested changing form. The arctic wolf wasn't born a luperci, and so, as was expected, she found that it was slightly difficult to simply go back and forth between her shapes. She was getting the hang of it, though, and nodded dumbly as the ruby eyed she-wolf watered the plants.
While Nayru busied herself around the plants, Siku sat near the door as she concentrated on changing form. Last time she had been in her Optime form, it had taken nearly twenty minutes to complete the phase. She hoped it would not be the case, this time. Usually Siku struggled, and tried to speed up the process after giving up on stopping it. An impatient young character, the wolf was at fault for such time consumption. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath, and relaxed her muscles. Didn't think about the pain that was to come, didn't worry about her limbs as they stretched and gained muscle, didn't pay attention to the slightly curled fur that grew into hair on her head. Siku just took deep breaths, enjoying the smell of the plants around her, and waited.
One golden eye snapped open ten minutes later, and then two as Siku glanced down in surprise. That hadn't taken long at all! Siku stood up proudly, stretching her stiff muscles as she yawned. It hadn't even hurt this time. She shook her hair out of her face, and turned to the two toned Dahlian as she grinned widely.
"Yeah, that was weird wasn't it? I've never changed in front of someone before. It's never even been that fast before. To answer your question, I do know a bit about plants. However, most of my knowledge is only useful up in the north. For example, I can make some wicked tea.. But not with these."
Siku gestured to an unfamiliar plant beside her, her white paw delicately holding a leaf up. It didn't even smell right. The white she-wolf found herself missing the smell and taste of the tea she used to make up north, where even in the winter all she had to do was nose around in the deep snow for some surviving roots to boil. Siku assumed the plant beside her was not grown for the fate of boiled water. Despite not knowing what the plant was, she studied it for a moment in interest. Plants were strange little things! Constantly growing up and out of the dirt, alive but not moving. Siku used to fancy that flowers actually had feelings. A vague memory of crying over a ruined garden in her childhood made the white wolf smile, a lopsided grin that made her look as if her mind was quite blank. Sometimes when Siku got tired, her mind would begin to wander, and it was moments like this that she cursed her small attention span.
Head snapping up, the subordinate shook off her thoughts and moved on to the next unfamiliar plant to study. No need for her newest friend to realize what an oddity she was. Even more, anyway.
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Nayru kept her eyes to the plant as Siku shifted, to provide her with some privacy although Nayru knew of no specific custom that specified one should turn away as another shifted. Yet the empathetic girl knew some where uncomfortable with eyes upon them as they made the change and she busied herself with the plants, unconsciously humming to herself now and then until Siku’s voice made her turn and face the now optime woman. Siku, like herself, was small for their species and Nayru wondered at the woman’s small size, which very nearly rivaled her own. Like a dwarf Nayru stood short and slender and she hadn’t found anyone smaller than her in Dahlia de Mai or elsewhere, although many came close or were very nearly the same height as her.
Nodding Nayru did not comment on Siku’s transformation but merely sighed slightly as Siku told the girl that she didn’t know what to do with the plants either. " I almost don’t know why I keep them." Her voice was almost sad, but in the end broke into her girlish and light laugh and she moved back to the plants to water the ones that still had not been tended to. Easily plucking a dead leaf from a climbing vine she turned back to Siku, wondering what plants grew further north than here and guessing that the same plants probably grew here too but Nayru had yet to find them and grow them.
" Can you read Siku? I found a book full of plants, and I can read, but I hardly have time to study it. I know some of my plants have poison or healing properties, but the book doesn’t tell you how to use them." Nayru frowned, but quickly let the unpleasantness fall from her face. There was no point in being upset with having plants that weren’t put to use, but as with anything Nayru did she liked to think her actions served Dahlia de Mai or its inhabitants in some manner. Just then her plants did little but to amuse her, and she was amused enough with hunting and carving art into wood and singing to herself. To write off the plants as just another hobby, which it had been up to that point, Nayru was unhappy.
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Siku found herself smiling again as Nayru spoke. 'Don't know why I keep them'. Siku thought it was plainly obvious why Nayru kept them! Growing life made the ruby eyed beauty happy. The white she wolf could tell the moment she saw Nayru lugging the big bucket of water through the door. Golden eyes rested on the younger wolf as Siku watched her thoughtfully, imagining her as a mother. Siku had never let the thought of bearing puppies reach her mind, for she never had the desire to find a mate before. However, she could so easily see the two toned wolf in front of her being a great mother; at the right age of course. This was the impression Siku got, seeing the maternal side of Nayru through the caring of her plants.
White ears flicked up in interest as Siku caught the word 'book'. She had let her mind wander again, but Nayru had quickly reclaimed her attention as she mentioned a book of plants. Golden eyes scanned over the plants as the red eyed luperci mentioned poison, and Siku decided not to go about feeling up the plants again until she'd gotten a look at this book. She did not desire itchy skin or swollen red eyes. Fangs flashed in the light, one long and sharp, the other broken as Siku grinned at Nayru. She was intrigued with the idea of studying a book, especially if it would help out another Dahlian. Her new friend.
"Yes, I can read. I'd be more than happy to give your book a peek, and since I have time on my hands, perhaps I can help you classify these too."
Siku swept her hands in a motion towards Nayru's precious plants, and then placed her hands on her hips. If only Siku was better at writing.. She could even write a book for the two toned she wolf in front of her. Draw pictures of the plants. Siku assumed that if Nayru knew what the plants were for, she would take advantage and put them to use. With a soft sigh, Siku wished she knew how to write neatly and draw. It would be easy enough to search for plants she already knew, and skim through the book Nayru had to find useful plants. The harder part would be keeping all the information she found in someplace besides her head.
"I just need to figure out how to document everything I learn if I do so.."
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Siku confirmed that she knew how to read books, and Nayru quickly went to where she had set down The Encyclopedia of Flora. Picking up the heavy book she moved through the rows of plants and came up beside Siku, who was wondering now if she were to do any research how she would document it. Flipping open the book she held out the book to Siku, smiling at the useful but little read book. A few pages were bookmarked with scraps of paper Nayru had found and a few were bent at the corners, when Nayru had run out of paper to stick in between the pages. " I already marked the plants that I have and I found in the book." She knew their names. Hemlock. Narcissus. Morning Glory. So many more. Some had flowers and in the book they did not, and some that in the book were full of vibrant colors were only green in her glass house, but Nayru was sure she had identified many of the plants correctly.
" You can borrow that if you want." Nayru paused, and smiled, deciding that the book wouldn’t be much help without the plants to also look at. " and come back to look at my plants, if you'd like." And yet, Siku had only expressed slight interest in the plants and the book and Nayru suddenly felt as if she were pushing it upon the woman. " Of course, don't feel obligated. Really. The plants will be here regardless and maybe one day Dahlia will have a true herbalist and they can come and use my plants." Her soft, unimposing voice rang out as she looked around the plants again, knowing she would never put them to use but still wishing for something more to be done with them.
And then the woman realized just how much they had only been speaking of her, and her plants. Nayru had no idea who the woman was before here except for her name and that she liked plants. Siku liked plants. She could make tea with special roots she found where she had come from. There was more to her, there was always more than a name. Normally Nayru was the one to ask the questions but Siku had played that role so far, appearing from outside full of curiosity of what lay within. Naturally Nayru wanted to know more of Siku, who was a Dahlian now and Nayru collected the lives of the Dahlians as one might collect trading cards, though few of them realized this. " Siku, do you live in Wolfville with the others? What have you been doing with your time since coming to Dahlia?"
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Siku's small hands cradled the book carefully as golden eyes scanned the cover, interest growing as the arctic wolf eagerly ate up every word she could see. The Encyclopedia of Flora. Siku read in her head, repeating it several times before deciding to open the book. She treated the book as if it were extremely delicate, eyes just skimming a random page that was bookmarked. She quickly realized that Nayru had marked off some of the plants she grew, and smiled. It would be easier than she thought! One plant was right on the page she opened to. She recognized the picture with certainty. Siku took a moment to read a bit about the plant she had found was named Hemlock; Conium maculatum. She was quiet for a moment as she read about the plant in front of her. Perhaps it was useful? 'All parts of which are poisonous'. Backing up a bit, Siku scratched her neck as she coughed nervously. She'd read enough to know not to get too close to the Hemlock plant.
"Not sure what that shady sounding Hemlock would be good for. Thank you for this, It's been so long since I've read a book."
The arctic wolf made a mental note not to go near the plant again, smiling at Nayru as she held up the book. It would be the first book she would read without the help of her long gone mother. However Siku kept this off her mind and let the excitement of having a new book to read flood her thoughts. She knew she would probably have her nose in every page from cover to cover, absorbing all the information the words would offer. Like Nayru, Siku wanted to be useful. One ear twitched as Siku listened intently to the younger wolf, thoughts forming in her head. Spring was nearing, maybe Siku could help Dahlia by studying the book and harvesting the seeds of important plants they might need. Herbs for healing, cleaning infection and even plants to make tea. If Nayru would grow the plants Siku would find as she explored, they really could help their pack through the younger wolf's hobby. Siku wondered if this idea would appeal to the crimson eyed girl.
"Maybe I can find valuable plants for you to grow. Like, special herbs that could benefit the wolves of this pack."
Siku paused as Nayru spoke, curiosity clear in her voice. Siku hadn't even made much of an effort to introduce herself, and smiled sheepishly as she came to realize this. The she wolf was just a strange new Dahlian that had stumbled into Nayru's home. Siku rested her eyes on the floor in front of her, wondering where to start. Where was she staying? Well, Siku had to be honest with her new friend. That didn't make it easier answering. Siku did not want to sound like she was a helpless pup who needed shelter.
"I do stay.. Around Wolfville. I don't stay in buildings like the rest of them though. I don't know anyone.. Except Saul. He is very kind to me. He offered to let me stay with him."
Siku's ears flattened as she spoke, her tone slowly becoming shy as she spoke of the handsome wolf she had met at the borders. Saul was the one who had first welcomed her to the pack. It was true, the slightly younger wolf even told her she could live with him if she had no home. Siku found it to be a very generous offer, but decided not to become a burden to any Dahlian. She was supposed to be proving herself as an asset! Yet the white she wolf had not yet done anything but explore. Nothing notable was done for her pack so far. The golden eyed she wolf began to feel troubled over this fact, one arm around herself as she sighed.
"I said no though, I don't want to be a burden to anyone. I need to find ways to help the pack and belong.."
Deep inside, Siku was afraid that if she did not quickly find a way to fit in, she would lose the home she'd been accepted into not too long ago. The arctic wolf had gone far and traveled hard to find Dahlia. She was determined to become a true part of the pack. To her, this meant becoming useful and valuable in any way she possibly could. Meeting another Dahlian besides Saul was a step, and Siku found herself very glad to have stumbled into the ruby eyed beauty's greenhouse.
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Nayru watched as the woman took her book, clearly glad to have it in her hands. The girl noted the reaction as she found the page for Hemlock and then eyed the corresponding plants. To be honest Nayru would have to admit that the hemlock plant was one of her favorites; she forced it to live even when in the early stages of her gardening it was determined to dry out and die. Yet Liliana had a very similar reaction to Siku, weary of even going near the plant. At Siku’s words Nayru smiled her slight smile, the one devoid of any real warmth but full of a personal humor and shrugged. "There are uses for it." To kill. Assisted suicide perhaps. Or for a more morbid purpose: murder. Yet even if the need arose, Nayru didn’t know how to administer the plant and it would sit useless like the others until she learned how to properly extract the poisons, if she ever did need them.
The pure white wolf with the crooked grin, or seemingly crooked grin due to her broken fang, continued flipping through the books and Nayru smiled more warmly when Siku spoke again. "Yes, that would be great. I can grow anything you bring to me, and if you know which plants are the most helpful than we can collect those." The Jager Fuhrer was glad to see that Siku’s mind worked in a manner to her own. What could benefit Dahlia de Mai? And it was even more evident as the woman continued to speak of herself, staying around Wolfville but not wishing to be a burden. Surely wherever Siku stayed she wouldn’t be a burden, packs were meant to den together even if Nayru defied this instinct and stayed out on her own. Yet rather than saying this she choose to think about Saul, the polite brother of Gideon, and she noted with her sharp and spying eyes that Siku’s mannerism changed when the man’s name came out of her mouth.
" I know Saul, he is very kind and reliable. You would do well to stay with him, if you needed a home. I’m sure he would not offer one if he didn’t truly wish for you to accept." Although she had last seen the boy during Hibernal she heard news of him from Gideon and Saluce, and he had come far from the scrawny, starving creature she had stumbled upon not too long ago. He was helping Saluce with the forge, learning the trade, and even experimenting with the cross bow. He had been kind to Siku and Nayru had never heard a bad word about him. That he was Gideon’s brother and did so well for himself and Dahlia de Mai pleased the patch work girl greatly and even gave her a sense of pride, although she knew his accomplishments were apart from her own or Gideon’s.
" Saul’s siblings all live in this pack. Ascher, Shiloh and Gideon. Perhaps you will meet them soon. Gideon is my closest friend." Why she felt the need to add the last part she wasn’t sure, and although nothing in her voice or face changed it felt good to speak of the man out loud. Yet even if bringing up Gideon had been for her own happiness, it was good to familiarize Siku with the names of some of the other Dahlians, so that if she did come across them she wouldn’t be a complete loss as to their identities. And Siku seemed as if she really wished to stay in Dahlia, so undoubtedly she would eventually meet them all anyway.
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The white wolf was clearly pleased that Nayru has agreed, thoughts and plans forming in her head. They could work together and accomplish what neither had thought of on their own, pitching thoughts and ideas to each other. Siku liked the idea of finding more plants around Dahlia for the two toned wolf to grow and utilize. She would just need to focus on getting through the book she had just been given, and wait for spring so that she may explore Dahlia for it's useful plants Nayru might not know about. Siku knew it would involve leaving the little town of Wolfville for periods of time, reaching the farthest corners of the territory in order to be sure she knew about every species of plant that grew there. Of course, first she would have to be sure it was okay with Conor. Realizing she once again let her thoughts stray, the golden eyed she wolf blinked away the plans she could worry about later and glanced at Nayru just as she went to speak again.
Nayru was right, of course. The white wolf was ignorant to be thinking she was a burden in a place she had been told was her home now. Yet she refused to see it that way, and kept firm on the thought that she needed to earn her way into being a part of Dahlia. Siku scratched her neck sheepishly as Nayru pointed out other obvious points. 'He would not offer if he didn’t truly wish for you to accept'. Siku had cast off his offer with the assumption that he only done it out of obligation, but Nayru was right. He was a kind man, and Siku suddenly hoped that she hadn't seemed rude in her decline. However, the white wolf continued to act as if Saul hadn't truly meant it. Because what if he did? Siku wasn't sure what to think.
"He was just being nice.. I'm perfectly fine outside."
Siku muttered meekly, the soft sound of her voice barely making it to the other she wolf's ears. She knew full well she would not enjoy sleeping in the slush and mud come spring, but that bridge would be crossed when she got there. That was how Siku was; refusing to acknowledge anything until it was pressed right up against her nose. The white wolf snapped back to attention as Nayru mentioned names, automatically committing them to memory. Ascher, Shiloh, Gideon; her closest friend. Siku found herself anxious to meet them, her fear of not being accepted making her eager to meet and establish friendships with the rest of her pack. A thought lingered on what Nayru had said, perceptive golden eyes on the two toned wolf's face as she became quiet.. But Siku could find no change in the ruby eyed girls facial expression whatsoever. Not even in her eyes. The arctic wolf was beginning to notice Nayru's strange, apathetic, almost aloof personality though she had a feeling Nayru was one of those characters you could never quite fathom. It was something she liked about the she wolf in front of her. Curiosity was a strong trait of Siku's, and Nayru seemed to promise mystery.
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Siku was quite in response to Nayru's words on Saul and the others. The girl grew even more modest at the younger woman's insistence that Saul Stormbringer wouldn't say words he didn't mean, even if they were an offer of shelter to a woman so new to the pack. Yet she could understand Siku's desire to be out of her own, to find her own place before trying to mesh into place with another. For Nayru it had happened the other way around, but it had been natural then. The cow patterned girl had only been a child when she arrived in Dahlia de Mai, and Conor had been the one to find her. He had taken her into his home and she had stayed for a good long time, coming to think of those who also inhabited the largely populated Victorian home as family. That had been her place. For a short time Saul had even shared a roof with her, though his stay had been so brief that Nayru and the other Stormbringers siblings barely remembered boarding together, except for Gideon who had never left. Yet eventually Nayru had felt the need to break free, to find her own niche and in the greenhouse, far from the others, she had found it.
"Well, you know if you ever need anything, a warm place to sleep for the night, or anything, you could come here." Her offer of shelter wasn't permanent, and Nayru didn't even know if Saul's had been either though from Siku's words Saul's sounded more stable and solid, but her offer was sincere. To help a fellow pack mate in any way possible was her purpose and if that meant opening her door to them she would do so, though for her own purposes she couldn't offer a long term home. To have another's energy always intermingling with her own energy would be distracting, it would throw her off her strict schedule. Eventually it would wear on her and make her less useful, Nayru knew this and she was prepared to guard against this, although she had made a mental exception for Gideon. Yet if Siku needed a night or two somewhere warm and dry, she knew where Nayru was now, even though the girl didn't expect the woman to take up the offer.
Nayru almost wished that she had reacted to Gideon's name. Yet as the stoic female had give no emotions or indications that Gideon deserved any sort of reaction there would be no logical reason for Siku to have tried to pry any further. Nayru was suddenly embarrassed of her desire to talk about Gideon and she chased the solid black male from her thoughts. Her ability to focus was both a blessing and a curse, and once she banished Gideon from her mind he would return for the rest of the day, until she had deemed his exile from her consciousness complete and allowed her mind to wander once more. Without the bulky male to take up any of her thoughts she once more turned her mind completely to Siku.
The meek white she wolf had grown more silent and Nayru rather liked to have the other woman speaking, to get to know her as she knew the others. The girl was beginning to understand her personality, for although the patch work girl rarely gave any indications of herself she was very receptive and knew the individual characters of the pack intimately. She knew how to speak with them, how formal or informal she could or should be, their strengths and weaknesses. All this could be learned by observation, but there were other aspects of them that was easier learned just by asking. "Do you have any other interests Siku, other than plants?"
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