Have an Ehno?

Since returning from his visit out east to Anathema, Ehno found the days passing by in a bit of a blur. His mind had been occupied with the project of setting up the stables, and he was beginning to feel at peace for the first time in ages. The arrival of the warmer season seemed to bring with it a reprieve for he and his, a much welcome change from the veritable tsunami of misfortune they had faced for the past few months. Physical and emotional scars still stung when dwelled upon, but the Marino was finding it much easier now to keep himself focused on the more pleasant aspects of life. Life was too short to repeatedly wallow in grief.

Today was another one of those days that flowed along with blurry edges. The Marino awoke from his brief nap to discover that afternoon was already well in progress. He sat up from where he had dozed near the shores of the lake now fully claimed by the Dreamers. Amber eyes searched idly across the lake’s surface as one hand brushed away the stray stalks of grass clinking to his chocolate pelt. He considered the idea of taking off on a solo hunt for a moment, but dismissed it in favor of simply returning to the Manor to see if there was anything needed of him. He stood, stretched his awakening limbs and took not five paces away from the lake before an unfamiliar call rang through the air indicating many things.

The Marino paused, turning his head in the direction of the song’s origin. Well, investigating this would without a doubt be more interesting than wandering about in search of a goal for the afternoon. He turned then, making his way through the familiar territory to discover what their visitor had on their mind. His two feet brought him forward at a slightly more than leisurely pace, so when he finally arrived at the borders, he was surprised to find that none of the other Dreamers had arrived there before him. Standing on the edges of the territory was a belted man with snowy fur, accompanied by two birds, one upon his shoulder and one within a cage, held to his side. A shock of colored fur stood up on his head, decorated by a spattering of feathers. The style of it reminded him of the Cercatori woman he had met not long ago.

He was certainly an interesting sight. The Marino came to a halt a short distance from the other, offering a nod in greeting. He pushed too-long chocolatey bangs from his eyes and watched the bird-toting wolf for a moment. He smelled of the Miracles pack, a scent the Marino associated with the pumpkin-hued knight. “Ciao, stranger. Quite the entourage you have there,” he commented, words ringing through the air with their characteristic Italian lilt. The Dreamer’s curiosity was piqued. He couldn’t fathom what reason another pack wolf would have to approach their borders with his feathered companions. It was possible he had an acquaintance within their ranks, but Ehno could not recall any specificity to the stranger’s howl.

Ehno’s greeting was returned with a smile, an unspoken declaration of good intentions. Not that the Dreamer had suspected foul intentions from the beginning; running about with a cage in one’s hands didn’t exactly lend well to starting fights. And what little he knew about those who hailed from Cour des Miracles leaned more toward assumptions of good nature. He couldn’t imagine troublemakers lasting long in the same pack as the righteous knight. The visitor—Niro, he introduced himself as—wasted no time in getting down to business, speaking of one of apparently many reasons for his appearance here. The Dreamer listened to the other’s words, silent and attentive.

There was no mention of his feathered friends, but Ehno could only imagine that that was because this first order of business was more important to the Takekuro man. A missing sister, run away from her home within the Ceratori pack. The Marino’s thoughts went immediately to the only Cercatori canine that he knew of, but as Niro went on to describe his sister, he realized that it could not have been the Latin woman. Ehno searched his thoughts, trying to dredge up any recollections of a white-furred woman with pink dreadlocks but came up empty. “Ah, I’m afraid that I’ve never seen anyone matching her description before. I can at the very least assure you that she is not within our borders.” He frowned, amber eyes focusing on the other’s green gaze. “I do a fair bit of travelling, and I can keep an eye out for her, if you wish?” The territory was vast, and if this sister of his did not wish to be found, they would be hard-pressed to find any sign of her. However, Ehno would not let that discourage him, and he was certain that her sibling would not let that fact deter him either.

He nodded at his thanks, adding the possibility of pups to the mental note of the sister’s description. “I will keep my eyes open for her, then.” The Marino would be true to his word. He knew what it was like to have a sibling up and disappear without a word. Ghita had a soul made for wandering just as much as her brother, if not even more so. She had disappeared from the Dreamer’s lands once before, and Ehno had tirelessly searched high and low for her. She had since returned and seemed keen on staying permanently nowadays, but every so often Ehno couldn’t prevent the fear that she may vanish once again.

With that, the Takekuro man swiftly moved their conversation into a new direction. Amber eyes observed him taking up the heavy satchel from the ground, curiosity soon satisfied with the Miracles wolf’s explanation. He spoke of the potential for trading, offering up leather goods, clothing, and wool. He made a request for metal items, and Ehno tilted his head slightly as he thought on it. The only metal objects he could recall were his tools. “Were there any specific metal items you had in mind? I’m sure someone in the pack could have something you’re looking for.” It was possible some of the other Dreamers would be eager for a trade. All it would take was a little asking about.

“Personally, I have some wooden trinkets I could offer, a surplus of prepared wood, and a few extra woodworking tools. Or,” he continued, one hand pushing his bangs from his eyes, “I would even be willing to offer my services as a carpenter to your pack, should you ever need anything repaired or constructed.” It was an easy enough offer for the Marino; he loved his hobby, and any opportunity to put it to use was much welcomed. Even better should he be able to benefit both packs in the process.

meep

Niro explained that he was a jack of all trades, and learning that he had even had a hand in working with wood pleased the Marino carpenter. "Ah, I see. Falconing is certainly an interesting specialization, I must say." He glanced to the bird perched upon the man's shoulder as he spoke. It seemed like such a rare specialty around these parts, as the Marino could not really recall meeting any others who tended to birds. Naniko had once befriended a little finch, who she had used to communicate over long distances, but hers was less of a specialization and more of a product of her fluency in low-speech.

"If you do have a like for wood-working, even if only slightly, you may find some of my things interesting," he continued. "If you have the time, I could even take you to my workshop to see. The Manor isn't terribly far from here." He motioned over his shoulder with one hand toward the direction of the Dreamer's communal home. The Marino felt certain now that this Miracles wolf had no ill-intents, so there would be no harm in accompanying him further into the pack lands. He didn't know whether the bird-friendly Niro was in any particular hurry, but if he wasn't, heading into the territory to further discuss trading possibilities seemed smarter than standing around the borders.