22nd september
ooc; Me and Temo will be posting back and forth, feel free to jump in whenever
3+
FYI; Jace also smells pregnant and looks it harrdy har babies
She understood the whole idea behind Mabon meal celebration, a chance for everyone to eat and be happy together but for herself and Temo it would pretty much be like every other night they spent together unless someone else decided to stop by. Temo was sorting out the fire and the record player whilst she hunted for something to cook. Her stomach jutted out in front of her now, incredibly noticeable and it both shamed and caused her great amounts of guilt whenever she caught glimpse it, which was constantly. #Her first pregnancy had been spent hoping the offspring were not of Lucifer's genes and now this one would be spent hoping that any didn't belong to her friend. She had brought down a half grown stag, although she had pushed her limits knowing that she would have to drag it back with her, this deep was just light enough for her not to tax herself too much.
She stared down at the dead animal and instead of beginning to drag it back to her house the female began to cry quietly. She sat herself down next to its broken body and stroked the bloody streaked forehead, unable to bring herself to look into his lifeless brown eyes. She stayed that way for several minutes, silent tears coursing down her face, lamating everything that had happened. Eventually she managed to pull herself together and dry her eyes and fur of her face. She grabbed the stag by his antlers and began to haul him off, leaving a trail of blood on the grass. It took her a little while and by the time she was in view of her house the sky was darkening and the stars beginning to shine. By now she was beginning to reach the end of her strength and called out ahead of her,
Mabon, he understood the concept, but did not see the logic in doing something that he does almost every day and calling it a celebration. With that thought in mind, he set out to help Jace make it special. There was a stash of apple wood he had saved as this would add flavor to the food cooked over it's flames. The first thing he did was to move the wood to the fire pit they had built with scavenged bricks not long after moving into the house.
Temo got the fire started in the pit and burning good to create a nice and hot bed of glowing coals before Jace returned with the carcass. After making sure the fire was going and would not go out, he brought out of a neighboring house they use for storage and drug out a metal grate that he had found and had sanded off the rust for putting over the fire pit for cooking.
Adding more wood to the fire, Temo made sure that the fire would not go out and the bed of coals was well underway in forming. He stared into the flames for a few moments when he heard Jace's call drift by. "Yes," he called out in the direction his ears told him she was. "Coming," he continued to call out as he put a few more pieces of wood on the fire to make sure it would not go out and jogged off to Jace and the carcass. With his added strength, Jace and Temo made short work of dragging the small stag the rest of the way to the yard and near the fire pit.
The scent of apple wood was infused into the air as she closed in on home. The stag was too heavy for her now and her arms trembled with spent effort, she once again wondered just how she had managed to drag Ookami's massive weight before quickly wiping thoughts of the man from her mind totally. Temo's voice floated towards her and she smiled in relief. He was quick to appear from whatever it was he had been doing. With his help they were able to haul the yearling the rest of the way to the house. When that was done she sat down heavily on one of the chairs they had brought out for the occasion with a great sigh.
She stroked the white colored bulge of her stomach with ash colored paws, grinning crookedly in the bitter sweet feeling. Normally such exercise would not leave her so drained but toting around the little ones took a surprising amount of energy. She yawned openly, her jaw clicking at the hinges and then turned a warm gaze on Temo who was fiddling with the fire some more, the heat from the blaze was welcomed and some energy seeped back into her as though she drew nourishment from it like some endothermic creature
"I think soon I will need someone to drag me about in a cart if I get any bigger." She laughed freely before pulling herself to her feet with a small grunt of effort. She pulled a knife from its sheath and awkwardly kneeled down next to the carcass, hindered by the swollen mound of flesh and fur at her front. She began to cut the meat from bone, the knife sliding through tendons and sinew with only a slight effort on her part, her stomach rumbled greedily in anticipation of tasting some of this food.
Looney lady over for supper? I think yes! Hope you don't mind me jumping in. ^^
We'll kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun
The sun, the giver of light, had nearly fallen by the time the old woman shuffled out of the Abbey. Since being shown the area, the squat silver woman hardly left the place. Its peaceful walls illuminated by candles that made the shadows come alive even by day. But tonight was a special occasion to leave behind the warm, wooden walls of the whispering temple to join in the pack's celebrations. Bran had taken flight by the time she began descending, and flew at her command, cawing loudly into the early evening. As Neha's feet found the cool earth after silently walking down the long steps, she stood and waited, breathing deeply through her nostrils. The wind made the trees around her wave, soft and assuring. Milk eyes closed to feel it blow around and through her, beads clacking in response.
It was then that her dual-colored ears heard Bran's call, and she began to shuffle towards it. One foot after another, the butt of the staff thumped softly into the ground with each few steps the mystic took. She was in no rush to get to anyplace, for she would get there eventually. And should the earth shift like the waves at sea, then she would have no choice but to follow. Her single braid of silver swayed with her motions, hearing the raven's call overhead. It was near, at first, and then far away, but always ahead of the woman. Eventually, the earth's arms opened up, revealing Her naked land, and Nehalennia paused to take in the scene before her.
The raven had led her to a comfortable home, as a pair set up their celebrations in the yard. A fire crackled, and the smell of blood and the others' mingled scents permeated the woman's senses. The air that Bran's wings stirred blew towards the side of her face, and felt his familiar pressure upon her right shoulder. He quorked, as if the sound was the energy that gave her the sign to move forward. Slowly, the cloaked woman approached the pair, more sounds and scents making themselves known to the silver one. She stopped a little ways away, and thumped her staff on the ground audibly. Then, with her other pale colored hand, she swept it in a circular motion in the empty air in front of her. "Cyfarchion, children of the earth," she croaked in a small voice, suddenly aware of the dryness in her throat. Pushing her staff to the crook of her arm, the mystic pressed both aging hands together, and swiftly brought them up to her forehead and bowed her head down, two motions acting as one. "Namaste."
An accompanying laugh came from Temo to join in Jace's laugh as he looked at her, his eyes moved down to the bulge of her stomach. It made him happy every time he saw her and her protruding belly. His face changed as a thought struck him, "I wonder how your horses would take to pulling a cart?" He said half jokingly before turning back to the fire.
Temo poked the fire settling the wood down into the growing bed of hot coals and caused a shower of sparks to float skyward with the smoke. Some more sparks are loosed from the coals as he placed more apple wood pieces onto the flames and settled them into the coals. Happy with the fire, Temo lifted the grill and carefully placed it on the brick circle that is contains the fire.
Ears rotated and was followed by his head turning to match the direction his ears went when he heard someone approaching. He saw a dark figure in the twilight of the evening slowly come to them and materialize into the firelight. Temo was surprised to see an elder had chosen their family to partake in an evening meal with. In his birth pack, elders were scarce and it was a great honor and sign of good luck to come when an elder chose your family to dine with, especially when it was a special meal such as this one.
With a quick glance at Jace to see that she was not bothered by the newcomer, and trepidation, Temo stepped closer to the newcomer, with the welcoming hand gesture of the pack he returned the greeting "Namaste." Remembering something that his father had taught him if the need ever arose, he bowed down and continued in a quiet voice, "Would you honor us with your presence at our humble meal, Revered One?" The question was only a formality as, usually when it is asked, the answer had already been chosen upon.
yaaaay crazy people party! Jace is slightly hysterical XD
5+
She snorted and grinned at his idea, her head turning towards the two horses that were grazing out back of the house in their fence surrounded garden of grass and herbs. The nameless white stallion looked up as she looked over and stared hard at her before snorting and turning around to trot away. The grey mare was more friendly although she was still unridable, her pregnancy not the only reason for this. She watched the two wolf-not wolfs as they fiddled about with thier hot bright beast. Jace snorted again and turned back to her beloved mate,
"Not bloody likely, they'd be more likely to throw me off and run away. I think the mare will be giving birth soon, she looks about ready to pop." Her gaze returned to the flickering fire and Temo's pleasing form as he placed the grill they would be using to BBQ the deer meat over the flames. The fur on her neck rose and prickled and floppy ears swiveled to pinpoint a jingling noise coming from the deepening darkness. A sense of excitement filled her and she pushed herself to her feel with a small amount of difficulty to greet whomever it was that was coming.
The aged woman that came into view was both small and yet strong and she was special in ways Jace would not and could not even begin to understand or fathom. She was touched, whether by gods or angels or some other mystic beings Jace did not know but she felt that power, the otherwordliness that set the fur on her neck prickling with anxiety and contentedness. Jace only just resisted the desire to throw herself at the floor and fawn at the feet of whomever she was like a moon struck child about to hear its first ancient stories.
In slight shock, Jace performed the customary greeting , her hands coming to her face and her words gently said,
"Namaste, Elder one. Welcome." Temo asked if she would join them and Jace waited patiently for he answer, muttering to herself reverently in her own northern language. She felt the years slip away and saw herself at her beginning, barely even half a foot tall and staring up at the kind, warm faces of those who had lived through the ages to gather up stories of wizened old meanings and repeat their wisdom to those who needed it. The firelight shifted and glinted in the Ancient one's eyes, revealing the depth of thier uselessness to Jace. She was blind! What an awful thing to befall such a less deserving creature, to lose your sight, Jace could hardly imagine it and the idea filled her with horror and sadness, she had no idea that the hybrid woman had been blinded before she could even see, that she had never used her eyes in the way that Jace had done and had lived her entire life in relative darkness. She wanted to weep for that which was lost, and she wanted to care for this old woman as though she were her own mother, despite the fact that she had barely said four words to she and Temo.
We'll kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun
Slowly, her body felt drawn to the fire, seeing its shadows dance along the ground and the warmth that felt good to her skin and bones. When she was within proximity, the male spoke first, to which Bran answered first, and the woman winced slightly as his talons gripped into her shoulder. 'Meal! Corn!' His high pitch screech could be heard into the evening, already feeling welcome as he bounced off of the hybrid and down onto the ground, cocking his head up at the meat that sizzled above the fire. Thumping the end of the staff on the earth once, the raven quieted. "That would be most kind, child," she said with the tiniest of smiles at him. "I have nothing but words and wisdom to give you in return, but sometimes it is all one needs.. this I know."
And then the woman spoke, and Neha's nostrils did not lie of the children this one would soon bear. A careful nod was placed in her direction, before she spoke into the flickering fire, moving as if it, too, were alive. "Please, my children. Nehalennia will do," her free hand waved at them, as if to send away the titles that the pair had given her. "I need not be aware of my body's age. My wits are still about me." A toothy grin this time, as she approached as a guest upon their celebration. With patience, her feet shuffled forward, the end of her staff moving side to side until it came into contact with something hard and flat. The sound was of wood, the stump of a tree that must once have been mighty. "Ahh.. diolchaf goeden hon gwych ar gyfer ei ddefnydd i mi," she murmured, moving slowly to sit upon nature's own chair. Her body slightly protested, as it was wont to do, but years of sitting and kneeling to pray had kept her muscles in motion.
Bran hopped along the ground towards his master, jumping to her cloaked lap, one eye never leaving the meat. He quorked eagerly, but was settled when a frail silver hand came to lay on his back. "Nevermind Bran, he will not harm you. This I know." He responded by ruffling his dark feathers. 'Know! Know! Corn?' Her staff swung to lay by her feet, being placed gently upon the earth as if it were a child. Milky orbs swirled in her eyes as she looked at both in turn, her left hand comfortably resting on the bird's back. "How far along are you with child, child?" The old woman asked, and the pair would soon learn that her questions were to the point, or ofttimes not at all.
Nayru had gone through the vineyards and the orchards, gathering the fall fruit that clung to branches and vines. The small woven basket that dangled from one arm consisted of apples, grapes, and carrots pulled from the Abbey gardens. Nayru knew better than to offer the grapes freely, as the fruit wrecked havoc upon canine livers when consumed in large quantities. Yet the apples and carrots she found had found a niche in the palate of some of the Jiryu's mostly carnivorous brothers and sisters. Nayru was determined not to show up to any Mabon meal empty handed and she felt the bounties of the plant life in Ichika most fitting that night. By the time she had finished her small harvest the sun was leaking into the earth's sphere, the streaks of red and gold seeming to bleed and soak up into the soil of the distant horizon.
Nayru knew a large gathering was awaiting her at Cerne Rise. Saul and Gideon would already be there, she supposed, knowing Saul had prepped much of the meal and Nayru didn't think Gideon had anywhere else to be. Melee, Range, and Wretch would be there as well if but else might pop in Nayru couldn't guess. She knew it would be one of the larger Mabon meals happening tonight, but there was time enough to get to it. Even after they ate the guests would linger and Nayru could be among them. The energy in the air was calling her, as it once had in Dahlia. The decay of summer was asking Nayru to wander, to be the ghost she once was and feed off the others' celebration. She did not resist that call.
Nayru moved by houses and clearings where fires cast warm light and some that were too dark to discern the making of distant voices not. Sometimes she only caught their scents, such as the wafts of Arye and Pripyat that clung to the shore as she moved along the beach, as if they were to spend their Mabon away from everyone up in the lighthouse. Usually it was the left over trail of slain deer or other animal that lead her to the outskirts of the other meals. It was the trail of the deer that lead Nayru to the gathering where for the first time that night she moved out of the shadows and became less a phantom and more a breathing creature.
The ink splotched lady with the cherry eyes came upon them just as the eldest of the three introduced herself. Temo and Jace she knew already from the several gatherings Ichika had had, and because ever the watcher Nayru knew everyone who moved in Ichika. As silver braided lady turned her attention to Jace, Nayru's curious eyes too fell upon her form as the Jiryu set down her basket of fruit. Without saying anything of the matter, Nayru threw an almost giddy, girlish smile at the expectant mother and then clasped her hands together and bowed at the three assembled, mostly mouthing but almost whispering the greeting "Namaste."
Temo busied himself around the fire. Turning strips of venison already on the grill and placing the new strips that Jace hands him to sizzling on the grill. Hands full, he did not do the hand gesture greeting, but replied "Namaste, Nayru, " to Nayru, "and welcome to our humble fire." An occasional sizzle noise would come from the coals as the juices dripped through the grill and flash into steam. The smoke swirled around him and the others carrying the aroma of the cooking meat to their olfactory senses.
The grill full of sizzling strips of venison, Temo disappears into the house for a few moments as he gathered a few items that were readied earlier that day and stored in the kitchen. Temo was surprised that there were guests. He hardly knew anyone around these parts and thought they all would have others to be with on such a special occasion. He was happy that other felt that he and Jace were worthy of their presence.
Arms all loaded up with several platters stacked together with several water skins full of water, he carefully walked through the door and approached the fire and group that had gathered around the fire. He placed a tray with the skins on a round that was set on end within easy reach of the guests and circled around to the other side of the fire pit setting the trays near by for loading the cooked meat onto. Slipping some more pieces of apple wood under the grill, Temo fed the fire and then turned the strips of meat. The strips that were done, he started piling onto a platter.
I spent about ten minutes trying to say her name XD
3+
Jace watched with amused silence as the black and white colored bird bounced from his mistresses shoulder and proceeded to hop across the ground towards the cooking meat that she and Temo were tending to. She was about to offer him a piece but before she could the aged hybrid called out to silence the loud mouthed raven, her hand stilled and then fell to her lap. Forgetting momentarily that the woman was blind Jace grinned sheepishly as she was chastised for drawing attention to the elder one's age, then the woman introduced herself. Jace noticed that from the darkness their bi toned leader materialized into view.
Jace returned her giddy smile and performed the ritual greeting, "Namaste" once again falling from her lips in a whispered tone. She waited patiently for Nehalennia to take a seat upon the old tree stump. Jace stood to her feet as Temo disappeared inside to gather up the trays for the food as was proper, they could hardly expect thier guests to eat from their laps. Jace gesture for Nayru to take a seat on one of the many assorted chairs that she and Temo had scavenged from around the town. They had acquired so much stuff ow that the houses around them were being used as storage for convenience.
"Please sit Nayru, I'm guessing your feet are tired." The firelight threw her shadow over several feet and reminded her of the autumn dances her pack used to perform around a great fire to celebrate the changing of seasons, the shadows had been long and had taken on a life of their own, moving with grace and intertwining together
Nehalennia was the first to ask of her pregnancy and Jace mentally counted back the days,
"I'm almost three weeks in, they should be born after winter has taken hold but I am not worried though, any children of mine shall be northern survivors like myself, gifted by Artoi with thick coats of fur and an endurance that out ranks most over types of wolf." Artoi was the goddess of the arctic that blessed the arctic wolves with their massive coats and their ability to outlast the winter's bite. She turned her gaze to Nayru now, "Jiryu, I apologise for not coming to you with this news sooner, we have been busy trying to fix up our home before the snow comes but that is no excuse really." She hoped the leader female could forgive her lapse of duty.
We'll kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun
Soon, another approached, and Bran beat the air with his wings once, and quorked. It was almost a message, and for unexplained reasons Nehalennia nodded down at the dark messenger of the world. The other had the light scent of an orchard upon her lithe form, and when the male called out her name the old crone lifted her head up in the direction that she last heard the woman. Her nostrils flared, and she produced a yellow toothed smile. Her coyote companion had told the old woman of the female leader, and she lifted her right hand and made an arch, the same greeting she had given the pair.
"Ahh, so you are she that the wild stallion spoke of," she said aloud, as casually as if the others would know whom she referred to. Blank eyes remained unblinking as she looked in the Jiryu's direction, as if studying a face she could picture in her mind. "Cyfarchion, menyw o heddwch." Wisps of hair waved gently upon her brow, silver strands illuminated by the moonlight above them. "Forgive this old woman for not standing up. The strength of the old is their ready counsel.. ee-hee-hee. This I know." The jackayote stated, a dark ear moving forward.
When Temo began to transfer sizzling meat onto the large platter in hand, the white necked raven pushed off of the old woman's lap and lightly perched on the man's shoulder, his need to feed greater than any manners the bird could provide. 'Namaste! Corn!' He screeched into the male's ear, a greedy eye on the meat just feet away. Nehalennia ignored the bird's boldness, eyes drifting towards the glow of the fire. The woman remained silent until the mother to be finished speaking, and her grin diminished to a comfortable smile on her silver face.
She had known many a woman grow up and have children of their own, and those children have children, all continuing the cycle of their blood. The hybrid had helped with the birthing of new life many a time, but it was in the gods' hands to say whether they would give a newborn pup its first taste of air. The still ones were simply meant to return to the earth, with a greater purpose than to live a life amongst Her children. Neha would say none of this to the expecting female now, but would not deny the truth if given. Current thoughts shattered as the raven called out into the night sky, repeating what Jace had just said. 'Snow, snow, snow!' The single word was harsh, like the biting cold weather itself.
The greetings the Jiryu received were befitting of her rank, and yet Nayru was still capable of feeling awkward in face of the respect the others bestowed upon her. For every individual greeting the three gave her, she bowed to them separately, and deeply. Nayru could not forget that her whole purpose was to serve them in whatever rank she held. That she and Razekiel were considered leaders did not baffle her, in such groups someone had to lead and fate had placed them there, but never did she think that the others needed to treat her any differently than they might treat the pack Soteki. All creatures came from the same force and ultimately returned to it, what happened in between was hardly enough to give one authority or position over another.
At Jace's offer to sit Nayru nodded and instead of taking one of the seat arranged she knelt by the fire side, picking up a stray stick near by and idly poking at the flames. Once settled comfortably on the ground she turned her eyes back to the others,"Do not apologize Jace, good news, whenever it reaches me, is still good news." Nayru made a mental note of when Jace said the puppies would be due. The Reiseki had to be told, and then the Oshin that they did not have. Saul might fill in for the position, if Jace felt the need for a medic at her side. Before the birthing though a celebration would be in order and Nayru was glad that in such a short time Ichika seemed to have many reason for celebration.
The older had spoken the most elaborate greeting to her and Nayru considered her for a moment. The woman's age was far more an accomplishment than any Nayru had to claim and from her kneeling position beside the fire she shook her head just once and her voice, almost too soft to hear about the crackling of the fire, called out to the blind woman. "You need never to stand for me . It is enough a sage in within my presence." And then Nayru turned back to the fire, glad for the warmth upon her face that she might had gotten at Cerne Rise but was more than content to receive it at another's hearth.
you are here now, that is the important bit. | +344
The fire crackled and popped sending glowing embers to follow the smoke up into the sky. The fire provided a pleasant heat that helped warm the soul as well as the body and it's warm light flickered about them. The fire also provided the heat to cook and the smoke from the apple wood provided a new flavor to the succulent meat that was laying above on the grill. The smell of the cooking meat weaved about them and tantalized the noses that breathed it in.
As he turned some of the strips of meat and took the cooked ones off of the grill, he put new strips in their place to cook. He chuckled when the raven lit onto his shoulder which turned to a cringe and his ear laid back flat onto his head when the bird squawked into his ear. Temo gently scratched at the raven's crop with a claw, "Namaste friend," he quietly said to the bird, "Sorry fella, I do not have any corn," he continued.
The bird cocked it's head looking at his hand and gently pecked at it in hopes there was some food there. With a chuckle, Temo picked a small strip of meat that had cooled off from the platter and presented it to the eagerly awaiting bird. "Here, try this and let us know if it is ok" he asked,, with a chuckle of the feathered friend that was perched on his shoulder. Temo knew the answer would most likely be favorable.
Temo straightened up and took the platter of meat and set it down on a stump within reach of the guests. "Eat up and enjoy," he said to everyone who was gathered around and being warmed by their fire. After putting more firewood onto the fire, he grabbed an empty platter and started to fill it with strips of meat that were just finishing cooking. Other strips got turned and new strips added. There was plenty to go around and the remaining bits will be put into storage after it is cooked and cooled.
harrdy har babies 
