[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... oveban.jpg); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> This was longer than I anticipated XD 500+
The sky was overcast and the wind had a definite chill, but for now the rain had stopped and so the young Cadet had taken out from her home to try and see if she could go visit her dear, good friend Noir. It had been so long since she had seen her! Leafy had still been her new catpill charge the last time the two girls had played and now he was a butterfly and free. Thinking of Leafy was a little bittersweet. It felt so good to have done a good job taking care of him and helping him change into a butterfly, but letting him go had been hard even though she knew it was the right thing to do. She didn't have anything to take care of anymore and it left a bit of a void in the girl's life. That was one of the reasons she was braving heading outside her home to go look for her friend. She missed the Aston girl and she wanted to see baby duck and see if they could find something else for her to take care of. If anyone would have a good idea about that, it would be the blond girl.
Her chocolate fur was all poofed out, attempting to keep her warm from the biting wind. Four paws walked quickly over the land that separated Crimson Dreams from AniWaya, wanting to make it to the safety of the tribe as soon as possible. Once she was there she knew she would be fine again because being out here in the open, unclaimed lands made Cambria nervous. Sea orbs were trained ahead and ears pointed forward and she was soon thankful that she had been keeping close attention to the way ahead. There was a small lump in the yellowing grass that could have been easily missed and she went over to investigate it.
When she got close she noticed that it was a mourning dove, but that was odd. Why was it on the ground. Startled by the appearance of a predator the bird tried to flutter away, but to little success. Something gripped the wolf's heart; it was hurt. Ears flattened against her head in worry and concern. She had to help it! She backed up and started to shift into her optime form, knowing she would be much more able to help in that form. Once she was she slowly approached the injured bird again, cooing softly so as to belay its fear of her. Carefully her hands reached out and picked it up, bringing it to cradle against her chest. She could feel its heart beating rapidly and she hoped that it would calm down soon and realize that she only wanted to help.
Well, now she had the dove, but how could she help it? There was no healer in Crimson Dreams. Wait, hadn't Noir said that AniWaya had a doctor? What was the name...Dawali? That was it, yes. Doctor Dawali. Determined, Cambria stood back up and walked the remaining distance to the edge of the tribe's lands. Arriving at the fence she bent back her head and howled for Dawali, hoping with all her heart that he would help the poor dove.
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come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
A young howl reached his ears and he lowered the knife in his hand, for a moment giving his full attention to the sound. It wasn't someone familiar, and he didn't know that many individuals outside his tribe. Who could it be? Hastily tucking the knife into his belt and putting the arrows-to-be inside his den, his thoughts circled this mystery. Clear to him, it was a female, and a young one, but who? There was even a hint of urgency in that howl, and the Kalona wasted no time. With long, powerful strides his lanky legs carried him closer and closer to his tribe's borders. Rain made the ground slippery, and it wasn't better that he had to cross the river to reach his destination: the river bank was soggy and unpredictable these days.
In time he could see the fence that circled their land ahead of him, and a solitary figure standing by it — no doubt the one that had called for him. As he drew nearer, he saw it was a young female, holding something in his hands. A bird? His curiosity was tickled, and as he approached her he couldn't keep his eyes from studying both the little creature and the stranger. Introducing himself as he always did, he tipped his head downwards with a smile, lingered there and spoke his name, before rising fully again. In the human world, it might be considered a small, polite bow. "Name's Dawali Amara. Can I help you?" His gaze moved from the bird to the stranger's face, noticing if it was hurt and wondering if that was her affair. After having raised two girls himself, and followed Noir through growing up, he wouldn't put it past this young girl either.
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After her call was completed the girl felt a little foolish. Here she was, with an injured dove, on another pack's doorstep, calling for someone that she had never even met before. She swallowed nervously. Had this not been such a good idea? I mean, she couldn't have just left the poor thing there, but what if Dawali was a busy man and would get angry about a random girl he didn't know calling him to come help a dove. There were a lot of wolves who wouldn't really care about an injured animal and she was starting to worry that this Dawali might be one of them. What if came and told her off for being stupid and foolish and wasting his time. A shudder ran down her spine and she was starting to wonder if she should just take off before anyone had a chance to find her here. But she had already called for him and it'd be even ruder if she left now. Unsure as she was she stood her ground, hoping that her fears would be unfounded.
She didn't have to wait long before an interesting figure approached her. She had never seen anyone quite like him before, with the feathers and beads in his braided mane. As he came up to her and introduced himself he had a kind air about him and didn't seem mad or annoyed at being called by a stranger. Cambria let out a small, inaudible sigh of relief at this. He was very polite, and she bowed her own head in response to him. "Hello Mister Dawali, my name is Cambria Marino. I'm from Crimson Dreams and I'm good friends with Noir who lives here. I was coming to visit her, but on my way I found this dove, and he's hurt. I don't think he can fly. Noir told me that you were a doctor and I was wondering...could you help him?" The young girl looked up the man with a pleading in her sea foam eyes.
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come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
The young girl mirrored his greeting. Few ever did, and it caused him to smile gently at her. She was innocent and sincere where she stood, carefully stating her business and her reasons for calling him. His head moved to rest, tilting to one side, and he smiled at her, secretly amused. Certainly, she was a friend of Noir. No doubt the two girls got along great. This one was by far more eloquent than the tribe's most enthusiastic little girl - though she wasn't quite as little anymore. Her demeanor never ceased to amuse him, however, and this Cambria was another one of that kind. Just like his daughter Asha had been as a child, too. He hoped Cambria's world would never shatter: that was the best for little girls. The flowers and the little animals to help and all of that might slowly fade, and that was better than having to experience such things as his own little girl had endured. "Noir's friends are my friends," he said with a gentle smile.
He bent down to look at the dove, speaking to the girl at the same time, explaining what he was thinking. "Hmm..." It seemed frightened, and Dawali couldn't blame it. The poor thing, in the hands of one of its world's biggest predators, and another one's snout right in its face: surely it believed it would die! Dawali smiled wryly. He would not really have thought twice about this little bird and its fate, but young girls proved to him the importance of life over and over again. Wary of the bird's panic he raised his hand and gently felt the bird for injuries, such as a broken wing or leg. As the bird jerked quickly when his fingers reached its left wing, Dawali believed he had found the problem. "I think its wing is broken." This was not bad news, but not good either. It needed two good wings to be able to fly, of course, and it was fixable. Usually, such injuries fixed themselves, if only the bird could be kept safe from predators who considered it a free meal such as.. well themselves, among others. "It should be fine if you keep it safe so no one eats it, I think, and make sure it gets rest and food.", he said, looking at Cambria's face. He wondered if it was in pain. It was hard to say, when it was clearly distressed at being poked around by two wolves.
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He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back, despite her worry about the poor dove in her arms. Dawali had a good aura about him and she liked that. It made sense for someone who was a doctor to have a good feeling about them. It probably helped his patients relax. If Cambria ever needed a doctor she wanted someone nice like Dawali. Her tail gave a short wag as he said that he was friends with Noir's friends. She wanted to ask about the blond girl, but that could wait until he gave his ruling on what he could do for the dove. That was the most pressing matter. She watched anxiously as he looked at the bird and carefully felt its wings and legs for what could be hurting it. Cambria could feel its heart race and once again she feared that it would get scared to death. She repeated the soft cooing noises she had used before, hoping to keep it at least a little calm. At it's left wing the dove jerked away and a soft whine came from the girl.
A broken wing? That sounded awful! Cream-tipped ears folded against her head in sympathy for the creature she held. She wanted so badly to make it better and take away its pain. The young wolf was expecting the worst but Dawali's suggestion for how to help it seemed relatively simple. "Really? That's all?" That wouldn't be a problem at all! She could keep him in the mansion just as she had with Leafy. He wouldn't fit in the jar, of course, but maybe she could find a box for him and put a blanket or towel in it so he could be comfortable. "I can do that. What all do they eat?" Figuring out a caterpillar's diet had been easy, a dove would be a little more complicated though.
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[html] Marit fail, blame the university :[ Word Count: 308
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
She seemed to trust him easily, another likeness to Noir. He remembered for a moment how Noir's trust had placed her in the jaws of a cannibal and the events that followed, but quickly pushed the images away. He didn't want to think about them, and Noir seemed to be coping, so there was no need to dig up a painful past. The girl in front of him shared her sympathy for little creatures, and although it was technically food she held in her hands, it was charming. When one's heart extended to those who usually recieved no sympathy, how could it be a bad thing? If strange, it only showed him how much love someone could harbor.
He smiled carefully when she replied, surprised. Nodding, he confirmed it: that was indeed "all". But it wouldn't necessarily be easy and the wing might not heal. If it was unlucky it might never fly again, and if it was lucky it would be fine as long as it kept from being eaten until it had healed. "Yep, that's all. But just be prepared that it might not recover fully. We'll just have to wait and see." If he began to wrap the wing or try to break it back, he could do more harm than good. It was one of those things he'd just have to leave to nature — his hands were too big and clumsy. He glanced at the little bird again and replied to her other question, and now his knowledge was not as solid. "They eat insects and seeds and such I think. At least that's what I've seen them eat, though I've never investigated it, to be honest. Maybe you could collect insects or small plants and such." Curious, he wondered whether she would pity the insects, too. He had never given it much thought himself.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... oveban.jpg); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> No worries, university ate me too D: 300+
Cambria had more compassion that was perhaps healthy for a predator. She had never shown much interest in hunting and only did so when she absolutely had to and couldn't get someone else to help her. The tender girl didn't like hurting anything, even if she had to do so to eat and survive. Sometimes she wished that wolves could just eat seeds and fruit and plants like the smaller animals so they could all just live and not hurt or eat one another. She understood it was just the way of the world and not likely to change, she only wished things were different. Birds had never been thought of as food though. They were too pretty and nice to want to eat. Besides there wasn't too much to them. Just feathers and bones. Why would anyone want to eat a bird? It seemed plain cruel to her.
She was surprised that all it needed was to be protected and fed. Though it was a little scary to hear that it might not actually heal all the way. Part of her urged to her to ask Dawali for more help, but the logical side quieted her, knowing that he was already doing everything he could. "Okay," she said somewhat dejectedly. "I hope he'll heal alright." Even if he didn't though, and couldn't end up flying ever again, she'd still take care of him. A little selfishly, whether or not he healed completely, she hoped that he might stay with her. Letting them go if the wanted to was always the best, but she missed them when they left. Maybe the dove would grow to like her and want to stick around. "I see, that's what I've noticed too. Hmmm, do you think they'd have bags of seeds or something in...the city?" The city was not somewhere she really wanted to go, but collecting seeds would be difficult and she worried about not being able to find enough.
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[html] Word Count: 441 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
She seemed somewhat disappointed when he said it might not heal, but it was better to hand her the truth now than to let her discover much later on that the bird would not be able to fly. And it would also discredit him in her eyes, and he could bear no such thought. Children needed to learn to believe in others, and being lied to by adults was certainly not how they would do so. Smiling, he nodded as he agreed with her. "So do I. There was a good chance it might fly again; only time would tell. But life on the ground was no life for an avian creature. Perhaps it was comparable to how Gvihita stuck with him despite belonging to a different realm altogether (or so he believed, as she refused to share her secrets with him). But he knew she could go there, as she left his side frequently. That didn't mean she left him, for she was there in an instant when he needed her, even if she had been gone for days just before that moment. In that sense, and the physical sense, Gvihita could still fly. She was not grounded, and he hoped the dove would be able to visit the skies again when it healed, just as Gvihita undoubtedly visited some place where wolves could not go.
When the young girl asked him where he thought she might find seeds, his ears perked and his face took on a secretive look. "They might, but I know an even better place for seeds." tempting her, he was thinking of their very own stable, where grain and seeds for planting grain was kept until sowing season. Tossing his head abruptly in the direction of the working fields he indicated that she should follow him. "Come along, I'll show you." One little dove could not eat up all the seeds they had, for he had made sure they had much more than they would need in spring. Better to be safe, he always thought, and there was no telling when one could need a little extra. Now was one of those times, and he smield at the girl as he started walking away from the border and towards the heart of his tribe's lands. She had been here before if she had played with Noir, so she would have seen it before. Whether she had seen the stable and its horses, however, he did not know. If not, she had a great experience in store. Girls seemed to love those things, for some reason. They went all squealy, and the thought made him chuckle.
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As unwelcome as the reality of the situation was, she did not begrudge Dawali for being honest with her. It was much better to know how things could go then to be convinced that everything would turn out alright and then to have her expectations shattered. Being prepared to handle all possible outcomes was better, even if some of them were bleak at best. When he said that he also hoped that the dove would heal a smile came back to her face. Maybe some people would think her foolish for caring so much over a dove, but it was just the way she was and she wasn’t about to change. Having dealt with the physical and psychological trauma that she had made her incredibly empathetic to anything that was in pain and so while it may have been one sided at the moment, she felt a connection to the bird and wanted to ease his suffering as those around her had worked to ease her’s.
Her head cocked curiously to the side as Dawali told her he knew of a good place to find seeds. Right as she was about to ask where it was he tossed his head in the direction of the heart of the territory and told her to follow him. “Okay. Thank you,” she replied quickly as she held the dove closer to her body again. It was so very nice of him to take her to someplace that had seeds that she could use to feed her new charge. He was not obligated to do any of this, she knew, because she was not a part of his pack. So the fact that he was doing all of this for her made her so grateful. Eagerly she followed him and couldn’t help but wonder where it was they were walking. Her experience inside these lands was very slim as she had only played with Noir here once when she had still been very little. The only things she remembered were the hole in the ground Noir had come out of and the flower patch where they had pretended to be butterflies.
As the two wolves walked deeper and deeper into the tribe’s lands a thought came to Cambria. Crimson Dreams did not have a healer anymore, and that was not good. She was getting older now and was able to do more things and in not too long would be counted among the adult members of the pack and as of now she didn’t think she had very many special skills that she could contribute to her home. “Dawali, how hard is it to be a healer?” Maybe it would be beyond her limits, but she wouldn’t know if she didn’t ask.
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[html] Word Count: 593 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Dawali smiled, and as he started walking Cambria followed happily. For a moment Dawali remembered Brennt. What if Dawali had not been an honest, trustworthy person? What if this Cambria followed anyone who said they would help her this easily? He thought of when Noir and Océane had been injured, how it had stung in his own heart as he had put ointments on their wounds and wiped away their tears. It had been his fault, for not killing the damned beast at first chance. He had virtually allowed the monster to wander freely, and because Noir was so trusting he had hurt them. Cambria seemed to trust in Dawali as easily as Noir had, and the chief could not help but worry. Of course he was glad that Cambria trusted him, because he knew in his heart that he was trustworthy, but if he had been a monster such as Brennt... there would be no telling what trouble Cambria could get into. But this was not his own child, and he had no right to lecture her. He would just have to pray and hope that she would never cross the path of a sick-minded person.
Her interest in his field was unexpected; everyone seemed to enjoy having a medic around, but few wanted to become one. He turned his head to look at her, and smiled with his eyes and mouth as he replied with what he believed to be the truth. "Well... A healer has learned a lot about herbs and plants, and about the body, too. Like how to make sure the blood stays inside someone if they are bleeding, or how to mend a broken leg." He had been lucky as a young wolf, to learn from the masters of the tribe. Now, in AniWaya, he was the only one with medic skills on his level, and yet he wasn't even a master. It was strange, how the future altered everything and by the time it became your present you had become a different person from a different world. "Then we know about how to make medicine from the plants, and we learn all the signs that someone is ill, or something else - it could be positive. For instance, I can tell when a female is going to have a litter almost before she knows it herself!" He smiled at her. Most of the situations a medic would handle were about suffering of some kind, but not always. "It isn't that hard, because when you really want to help someone you will try with everything you have, you know? But sometimes it's hard when you can't really help, like with the dove. I want to help it, but we can only wait and see. That is the hard part of being a healer." He paused, and his mind flew for a second to Mischka. Golden eyes followed the ground as they moved forward. He had never felt as helpless as when he realized he could do nothing for his mortally ill mate. It certainly was the hardest part to look at someone you cared about and wanted to help, and tell them that you were lost, and they could not rely on you to save them. It had taken a long time before he had been able to face himself and his motherless daughters after that. Shaking the thoughts away, he looked back at Cambria. "But if you really want to help others, you have the most important part of being a healer already - motivation."
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Dawali really need not worry too much about Cambria trusting people she did not know too easily. This was a rare occasion where she would actually chose to be alone with and follow someone that she did not really know. However, just because she didn’t know him that well did not mean she considered him much of a stranger. Noir had told her about him and said that he was a doctor. If Noir trusted him and he was a healer then Cambria had come to the conclusion that Dawali was someone that could be trusted. If she had never heard of him before then she would not be following him so blindly now. The young Marino child was much more cautious of strangers than many her age were and it took more than one kind gesture to win her confidence. The only wolves she knew outside of her pack were Noir, Alexey, Conor, and Rurik, and out of those one was her cousin and one was his caretaker. The mere fact that she wasn’t in Crimson Dreams’ lands today was an oddity as she almost never ventured away from her home. At home she was safe, but outside of it she could never be certain. This was her friend’s home though and she trusted this man and so she was at ease.
As Dawali began to explain to her all the things a healer needed to know it seemed a daunting task. She would need to know all about the body and plants and how to make medicines and how to know when someone was sick. It all made perfect sense of course, a healer would need to know all those things, but it still was intimidating to the wolf who had so little self confidence. Then he said it wasn’t that hard and she was momentarily confused, but the reason he gave made sense. Yes, if you wanted to help someone you would do everything you could. The question was though if she would be up for such a task. It sounded like it could be a hard profession to take, but if she didn’t try it then she wouldn’t be able to know. His last words cemented this in her head and she looked back up to him with as much confidence as she could muster. “Dawali, could you teach me how to be a healer? We don’t have one in Crimson Dreams and I want to be able to help my family and friends if they ever get hurt or sick. I want to be able to help the pack.” The girl wasn’t good at much, but maybe she could be good at this with the right teaching and guidance.
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[html] Word Count: 569 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
They walked together and Dawali smiled to himself, his head far higher up than Cambria's, and not necessarily in sight. He was always happy to help someone, especially children. He'd learned to be responsible from being in a big family with long and strong family ties to other places. He knew what not to do, and had been taught from the start that he should be respectful and useful. Right now he felt useful, and he was flattered that the child had come to them, and not another pack. Noir had been talking about him, it seemed, and it had made an impression. It was not often that the Kalona recieved praise; after all, what good is it to him? All he can do with it is strengthen his ego, and it is not necessarily a good idea to further strengthen the ego of a person in charge. No, as a leader it was more important to him to give praise than to recieve it, though of course it was always fun when that occasionally turned, and he was the reciever. They walked in silence for a bit, and Dawali didn't mind. He was quite comfortable with silence, as he was quite comfortable with most things.
Cambria's face was very sincere as she asked him if he would teach her, and a little star of amusement shone in the corner of Dawali's eyes. This was not negative, however. Her ways and her earnesty reminded him of his daughter once, when she had seen a horse and wanted one, but was still too young to ride it. She had had that same very earnest face, but of course she had been crying at the same time, always willing to play on dad's weaknesses. This girl who stood in front of him now did not seem to attempt to play him, besides, her eyes had that very grave seriousness to it, and he would not have been able to resist it even if he had wanted to. Dawali was always happy to share his knowledge, for he believed that that is what it is for. If no one shares their knowledge, their race is doomed. The young should learn what their parents and grandparents have spent years learning, and then go on to discover more things — thus the wisdom of a people lived on, even if the individuals did not. Dawali smiled at the young female. She was not, strictly speaking, of "his people", but her argument could not be avoided. If their pack had no medic it would be disastrous should any of them get hurt. Cambria was right to take the initiative, and he admired her for it. Halting, he replied to her, but bent down a little. He was tall, and he wanted her to see in his face that he meant what he said. "Cambria, I think that's very brave of you to do that. Very brave, and very smart, too." He paused, and rose again to his full height as he did so "I'll gladly help you, but the teaching would have to happen in AniWaya, because I would spend too long traveling to and fro every time if not. It's just because I have to stay here as much as I can, if they need me. Do you think we can do that?" Cambria was a smart young girl; she would know what he meant.
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There weren't many people she felt instantly comfortable with, and the fact that she was able to be comfortable around Dawali spoke highly of him to her. The male seemed kind, gentle, wise, and thoughtful; all of which were qualities that the gir greatly admired. He reminded her a little of her parents and perhaps that was part of the reason she felt so at ease around him. It would not have surprised her to find out that he was a father and had daughters of his own. Generally speaking, those that had children of their own were more patient and understanding in dealing with all children, even one so bashful as Cambria was. Though she had to admit that she had surprised herself in her ability to call for the AniWayan medic and to be straightforward with him in her requests. It was her desire to first help the dove, and now to help others, that drove her. Without that pushing her forward she most likely would not have been able to muster to courage and composure.
It was a great thing that she was asking of him and she knew it. With all that she needed to learn it would be a long and perhaps slow process requiring a lot of time and commitment from the both of them. Adults ran busy lives and it was not as easy for them to make such a sacrifice of their time as it was for one Cambria's age. If she had known that he was not only the healer but the leader of the tribe she would have felt guilty asking this of him for she knew how busy leaders were for her own mother was one. It was an endless job leading a pack and she knew how hard her mother worked and knew it must be the same for other alphas. Apprehension filled her as Dawali stooped down to look at her at her level, fearing that he would not be able to grant this request. The words that came from him were wholly unexpected and she was momentarily dumbfounded by them. He thought she was brave? He thought she was smart? The compliments flooded her and made her cheeks flush, such a surprise his words were. Usually in such a situation she would ask the question "really?", but from his face she could tell that everything he had said he had truly believed. It was astonishing to the girl that he saw those qualities in her.
When he said that he would train her her tail wagged slowly to and fro. The one condition made sense and she didn't think she would have any problem with it. AniWaya was quite close to Crimson Dreams and so making the trek between the two would not be a problem for her. She would just tell her parents what she was doing and when she was leaving so they would know where she was and would not worry. Cambria's head nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I understand, I can do that." It was a very small price to pay for what he was going to help her with. "Thank you so much Dawali, thank you, thank you!" With him to help her she thought she just might have a chance at this.
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[html] Word Count: 550 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Cambria blushed back up at him and the old male smiled gently. It was important to let those with aspirations know that they were supported, admired for their drive. The opposite could be found in Attila. Attila, who had spent most of his days simply lying around doing nothing useful, or in fact preferably doing everything that was the opposite of useful. Of course, Dawali had hoped to see that he too someday found a purpose in life, but when the young male had left to be on his own he still had not found any such development in the boy. It made him heavy at heart to think that they lived purposelessly, as if not having challenges in their lives robbed them of the ability to see the big picture. Attila represented the very opposite of this young girl, and it was comforting to be reminded every now and then that not everyone were wandering this land aimlessly. The admirable goals that Cambria so openly professed made him feel as if there was hope for the generations to come.
She accepted his one condition immediately, and Dawali thought that even if her parents had not yet met him, they were welcome to come and see him at some point. They would perhaps be interested in knowing that their daughter was not traveling to AniWaya weekly to meet with a weirdo. Nodding, Dawali glanced quickly at the stable, which was not far away from them now, before looking down at the young girl again. "Good! And if your parents want to meet me and check that this is okay, just bring them along if you want, and I can speak to them." Pausing, he could not decide how best to rephrase what he intended to say. His kind had no concept for weeks, and so did not divide the year into any more entities than days and moons. "I think maybe meeting every third day or so should be good, what do you think?" Her goals were mature; he would treat her thereafter. Serving him these goals had quickly convinced him that Cambria was no child anymore, even if she might not be an adult, either. Attila still was, probably, though he was far older than her. It was strange how one person's development could differ so from another's. "And we will probably not start with herbs straight away — it's more useful in spring when they can be found in their natural form. But we can start in a few days with talking about the body, maybe." He had several pouches of herbs stored away, but it would be hard for her to distinguish one from another when they were already dead and deformed. Using the horses and other large animals as references, in addition to himself, he could teach her about bones and the neck, and some important areas that needed to work in order for someone to survive things. His knowledge was nothing compared to what the humans had had, but logical sense and the ability to see cause and effect had helped his profession greatly, and he had studied under one of the best medics of the tribe in his youth. It would still be a formidable amount of knowledge for Cambria to fit into her mind.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... oveban.jpg); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> SoSuWriMo 479
His smiles were as gentle as his demeanor and while she still felt somewhat flustered it did much to abate the reddening of her face. Braveness was not a quality she believed she held, in any degree. She had promised her aunt once to try to be braver, but it was a hard thing and she hadn't had many opportunities to try, probably because she purposefully avoided situations that were frightening to her. It was only when she was faced with no alternative that she would face something that scared her. This was one of the reasons why the world outside Crimson Dreams remained nearly wholly unknown to her. There were dangers out there beyond imagining and once she set foot outside her home her protection disappeared if she were alone. It was not something she was brave enough to face. Dawali thought she was brave though for wanting to do this, and she wondered where in her he saw that quality.
The fact that Dawali was conscious to the fact that her parents might have questionable feelings about their daughter coming to another pack so often served to strengthen her trust in her new tutor. It was very nice of him to offer to meet with them. "Okay, I will! I bet my mommy would like to. Do you know her? She's the Commander, Savina Marino." Her mother had brought her here once, but it had not been to visit Dawali, so there was a good chance of him not knowing her. She didn't leave the pack lands often either, being the leader and being so busy keeping things in order at home. How often they needed to meet surprised her a bit, but it didn't show on her face. Once again, despite the fact that she hadn't expected it, it did make sense. There was a lot she needed to learn and so a lot of meetings would be required. "That should work, I think. This isn't too far from home." If the tribe lay further away it would have been a problem, but given their close proximity she thought it would be doable.
Cambria nodded at his words. She was eager to learn about the herbs, but it was winter and so there weren't many around. Starting with the body would make much more sense. "Okay. I can't wait for spring though. It'll be fun to learn about the plants." That and winter was too dreary for her liking. The girl's moods could take a nosedive so easily that the fewer reasons for her to get depressed, the better. This constant overcast sky did nothing to make the world seem brighter. It then occurred to her that in the spring she would turn a year old. That seemed so strange, for she did not feel as if she were close to being a whole year old.
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[html] Word Count: 609 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
She agreed to most of what he said, and he smiled at her as he did so. He had heard of this Savina Marino, but only indirectly. The Chief was not aware of the fact that she led Crimson Dreams — perhaps that would explain why they seemed peaceful. Experience told Dawali that tribes with male leaders were more prone to war, and tribes with female leaders were more prone to be peaceful, even if they could suddenly lash out at one. This thought almost made him chuckle, but he stopped himself. It would not be fitting with a chuckle here, and perhaps the child would think he was laughing at her mother. Nodding to her instead, he kept the humor inside, though some leaked out through his eyes as well. "I have heard of Savina, but I haven't met her yet! But maybe I will soon, then. It sounds like a plan." His words were decisive, but not orders at all. He was merely concluding this part of the agreement. He nodded again when she agreed to meet so and so often. It would be a workload for him, but it also depended on how long her concentration would last every time they did meet. And since they started in winter time, they would have an advantage. He had less to do during that season, and she would not feel the pang of the full medic-package hitting her right away. The herbs were many, and different, and the only thing one could do to learn them was memorizing them. They would not have much to practice on, and that was good, but it was still harder, then. It was not like becoming a carpenter, when you can build so many things you want for practice. Saving lives was a delicate art, but Cambria seemed motivated. It would go well, he was certain of it.
They went back to small talk, and walked on towards the building visible not far from them. Yes, Dawali looked forward to spring also. His coat was not impressive for the winter at all. It was short, it was thin; it was made for warmer places than this. Still, as long as he kept himself active he didn't notice it that much, but his joints could ache from time to time because of the cold and the workload. If he sat still, he could be cold, but he always had some blankets with him, and a fire was not always that hard to get started either. Dawali nodded at the young girl. "Yes, I'm looking forward to spring, too. It's so much more comfortable for an old wolf like myself."
They were close enough now, and Dawali halted a second. He was not sure if Cambria had ever seen horses, and so he should prepare her. "I have loads of seeds in there, but there are also some horses that live there. If you want, I can go in by myself to get the seeds, or you can come along. Have you seen horses before?" Some children would perhaps be easily scared by them, and some would not at all. He did not want to put the fear into this one today, just over a few seeds. But if she wanted to come along, she would see that even if they could be scary, they were not dangerous, not when standing in the stable at least. They could be dangerous to a young female, especially the wild ones and even the ones he had tamed and held here, but when they were all separated from them it was hard to harm someone, even by accident.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... oveban.jpg); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Can't believe I got the exact same word count as last time o_o SoSuWriMo 479
The girl wondered if her parents would be proud on her for taking on this task. Though just as that question started in her mind she knew the answer would be yes. There wasn't a single time she could think of where her parents hadn't been proud of her and the fact that she had gone out and instigated this on her own was a big deal and they would not miss that fact. She may have been a shy and self conscious girl, but one thing she could always rely on were her parents to back her and give her all their support. Cambria knew she was lucky to have such wonder parents and she found herself really wanting Dawali to meet at least one of them. "She is very nice, and brave and smart. I think you would like her. I think she would like you too." If she liked him then there was no doubt that her mother would. Savina was much more personable to begin with, a trait that had passed to her sister and not to her. It was okay though, she knew there was no controlling such things.
Now that she had (and was) experiencing all the seasons she definitely liked the warmer months better. There were more colors in the world and being outside was much more pleasant then. Not to mention right now there were no butterflies, and that made Cambria sad. She hoped that Leafy had found someplace warm to be and was still alive and happy. She didn't know how long butterflies lived, but she hoped that her old caterpillar would live and long and full life. "It's more comfortable to me too. I miss the flowers and the butterflies. But Dawali, you aren't that old." He didn't look that old to her. Yes, he was an adult and clearly very experienced, but he did not look old. In fact she hadn't ever seen anyone that looked all that old.
When Dawali halted she looked up at him quizzically, but soon enough he explained why he had stopped. She had seen the building ahead and could smell a faint but unknown scent, yet she hadn't thought much of it. Honestly, she had no idea what a horse was, but the fact that he was offering to go get the seeds by himself made her wonder if they were dangerous somehow. Still, the idea of standing out here waiting by herself wasn't all that appealing either. "No, what are horses? Are they dangerous?" Surprisingly there wasn't any fear in her voice, only curiosity. Clearly the Kalona was looking out for her well being and she trusted that he would not put her in any risk. If the creatures weren't dangerous then she would go into the barn with him to help carry the seeds and see what these things were.
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[html] Yeah that happens to me sometimes. I always think that those who control-check the counts is going to think I messed up and forgot to count or something :p It's strange though.
Sorry about the length here, I've gotten so used to long posts because of SoSuWriMo ><
Word Count: 739 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
The girl described her mother happily, and Dawali smiled at her as she did so. It was good to know that there were good parents in the world. He thought for a moment of all those pups who came wandering on their own, abandoned by the only life line they had in the world. And he wondered at all the fathers of the pups of AniWaya — it seemed the tribe attracted either females who wanted pups but not mates, unlucky females, or females in love with males that were simply missing anything similar to a paternal instinct, or even a sense of responsibility for their actions. Either way, all of the litters that had ever been born into the tribe had been fatherless. The females seemed to think that it was okay, or at least to some degree, but this was something the Chief just couldn't understand. He could understand the pleasures of the body (he was no eunuch!), but not that someone would go ahead and do these things without considering the consequences, or at least be prepared to face them, just like that. Sure, it happened in his own culture, too, but then at least they had the decency to bring the children up together. Not like this, with all these puppies who had no father. Luckily, Dawali was always ready to play father for them, but truth was that no pretend father could compete with a real one, one that shared your den and loved and cared for your mother. It seemed that this Cambria had such a life, a complete family, and one that she was greatly fond of. It made him glad to see that such things did occur, even in these lands. "She sounds lovely, like her daughter." Like his own daughters, in fact. Both of them. He winked at Cambria with a little smile.
They spoke of spring, and the more he thought about it the more he realized how much he disliked winter. Well, not disliked, perhaps — that was a strong word. He just had a strong preference for the warmer parts of the year. The winter was beautiful with its calm blanket of ice, its snow-capped trees and muffled silence. But the spring was the reflection of birth itself, when new life sprung from every corner, every little crack, in all kinds and forms that not even the sharpest of imaginations would have thought possible. Perhaps it was only because it came after the winter, when all was silent and unmoving and dead, that spring had such an effect on him, but this he knew; he never felt as alive as he did when the scents of spring reached his nose. It was like a kick in itself, and he remembered that he was only 6 years old — only. But now, he felt like an old toad that would soon need a walking stick or something, aching all over. He chuckled at the girl as she expressed her love for flowers and butterflies, and stated that he was not old. Perhaps not in her eyes, but truth was that there weren't all that many of his age that he knew. Everyone he knew were 4 years or younger — quite the difference, both in mentality and time. "Hehe, maybe I am not young, Cambria. But I certainly am at least five times your age!" He wasn't sure about that one, but even if she was a little bit over a year he would be right. He found it hard to tell sometimes, and given Cambria's mature goals she could be older than he thought she was.
She had never seen horses before, but she didn't seem scared of the idea, just curious. "They're pretty big, bigger than me. Like a deer, maybe, a large male one, but without horns. They're not dangerous, but some think they can be scary because they're so big." That was the best explanation he could give without showing them to her. "Think you want to come along and see them? They won't be able to reach you, so don't worry about that." If she wanted to, she could pat one. He remembered Noir's extreme joy over being with one and petting one, and when she found that she had one waiting for her. Why these females were so eager to be around the animals, he didn't know, but he thought it was pretty charming and cute either way.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... oveban.jpg); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> I know, that's exactly what I was thinking too XD No worries  as long as you don't expect me to match it it's all good, hehe. 516
Cambria loved her family with all her heart and to think that others were not so lucky as she was made her sad. The person that instantly came to mind was her cousin Conor. She didn't know the specifics of his family life, but she knew that Alexey was his primary caretaker and the Koios woman was not his actual mother. If she had known the truth of his situation it would have made her even more sad. Conor was a wonderful boy and he deserved more than life had given him thus far. Now matter how shaky their start had been the two connected by blood had become close and it was in her nature to want the best for those she cared so deeply for. Conor had been there for her when she had needed him and she hoped that one day she would be able to be there for him in a time of need. Cambria felt her cheeks burn again at another compliment from Dawali, her tail wagging shyly. She did not think she was anywhere near as lovely as her mother, but it was very nice of the Kalona to say so.
Age was not something she thought of much when it came to others. Really there were only two categories in her head: adults and kids like herself. She had yet to meet anyone younger than her and even though Conor was a little bit older, she still stuck him in the same category as she herself was in. Cambi didn't even know how her parents were really, she just knew that they were smart and wise. Dawali also seemed very smart and wise and he did not look incredibly older than her parents and so she did not consider him to be as much their senior as he actually was. The figure he gave her was a bit surprising, but the girl still didn't think he was that old. "Yeah, but I'm really young, not even a year old. Almost anyone would seem old compared to me." Dawali's fur wasn't graying and she knew nothing of the aches in his joints. To her he seemed no older than any other adult that she had encountered.
Her sea foam orbs watched her mentor with interest as he did his best to explain what horses were. She hadn't seen many deer in her life, but she had the basic outline of their appearance in her mind. Imagining them without antlers wasn't too difficult, considering the females didn't have them. She had no idea why they would be keeping these horses, but they didn't seem that scary. "Sure, I'll come in and see them." She was feeling a little adventurous and he had said they couldn't get to her, so she would be safe even if they did try to frighten her. "Why do you keep the horses here Dawali?" The only guess she could make was for food, but that seemed unnecessary to her. Surely there were plenty of deer and other game to hunt without keeping animals inside a building.
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[html] Hehe, don't worry about that. I think I'm damaged for life, I've become this word-spewing machine oO
Word Count: 807 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
The girl almost did not realize her luck. And neither did Dawali, in a sense. He knew of the horrors in this world because he had seen the effects, he had heard the stories. But he had never experienced it or seen it directly, and in this sense he was lucky. Like Cambria, Dawali had grown up well taken care of. Those who caused conflict or broke laws had been cast out, and so the environment around the male had been stable and loving throughout his early year and all the way into adulthood. Even after he was on his own had his parents always been someone he could depend on, much like the way he was always offering to assist his own daughters. The Chief — no, the personality beneath the title, the one he had always been, at least as long as he could remember — had throughout his life realized these truths: that he was lucky, seemingly favored by what ran the world they lived in; that he was forever in debt of those who had created him, had brought kindness into his own world and taught him what he knew, and lastly; that he would forever have a need to help anyone who came and asked for his aid, and anyone who did not, no matter what species or what pack they belonged to. This was a view that many in the old AniWaya had not shared with him, keeping old grudges against neighboring tribes, but Dawali knew that he must do that. It was the only way he could repay the world for all the good things it had given him.
The Kalona chuckled, and the feathers and beads that embellished his mane moved as if the little laugh moved like a wave through them, rippling them as if they were small waves on the surface of a pond. True, he thought, and Cambria was clever. A light of amusement shone in the corner of his eye as he replied. "You're very right, Cambria," he said, pausing a moment to reach out and poke her shoulder very lightly. "If only every girl in the world was as clever as you, I wouldn't go around saying such silly things." She made a lot of sense, and though Dawali would forever feel old when around these youngsters, he could comfort himself with that thought: his back was yet to bend like an old and crooked bow, and his teeth were still in his jaw. Hell, even his pelt was still its fiery red and white and gray, and until neither of these things remained as they were now, he should not feel old. Because he wasn't.
He smiled at her as she concluded that she would follow, and his one arm moved in a gesture, as if telling her to come along. He had only taken a few steps closer to the building before she gave him a question, and he answered as he kept walking. That bird was probably hungry, poor thing, especially after being dead scared of wolves for some time. It would probably take it some time to learn not to panic just because their scent was around. "We keep them here so they can have a roof over their heads at night. Horses would otherwise just lay down out there to sleep, or even stand up the whole night! It's better for them to have some shelter, and also we keep their food here. It's much too cold outside, and they can't find much grass underneath the snow." It was part making sure the animal was healthy and had what it needed, and half making sure they knew where the horses were. Much closer to the stable now, Dawali extended an arm and removed the safety lock on the door, openied it, and revealed a hallway that parted in two directions. One led to the males (and the bull he had captured) and one led to the female animals. The small hallway continued forward into the storage part of the building, but Dawali took only a few steps inside and stopped where the "roads" crossed so the girl could see the animals. Light shone in through openings and some cracks in the walls and roof, and one of the older female horses, the one whose booth was closest to him, whinnied at him lightly. He put his hand on her neck and patted her, all the while looking at Cambria to see what she thought about it. "A beauty, isn't she?" His gaze moved to the horse as he spoke of her, and she looked back at him, though he could never tell if they understood a word he said. It seemed to him that they understood emotion, though, and she was very calm and seemed pleased, so perhaps it was true.
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