make the streams for our children flow

Shiloh Dawnbringer · 10-19-2012, 08:44 AM

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Meant to post this sooner but Robert Downy Jr.

The Virding’s call rang out across the territory, and Shiloh straightened from where she’d been hunting deeper in the woods. Her ears flattened at the note of the summoning, knowing that this would be a meeting where attendance was expected. She wanted to shift, first, but her dress was back home and she didn’t want to show up in public Optime and naked. Stifling a growl, she loped through the woods in her Lupus form, the wind tousling her white fur as she trotted toward the noise like a dog.

The she-wolf finally reached the meeting, her blue eyes automatically seeking someone to latch onto. The leaders—and Colibri—had their children in their arms, and she allowed herself a brief smile before beginning to walk slowly toward the gathered Vináttans to find a place to stand.

She thought about standing next to her nephew, knowing what this might mean for him, but he was with a very familiar dark she-wolf. Shiloh was too polite to scowl in her direction (for Teme’s sake, since the girl was blind she thought, though then again she’d thought her lost and helpless too), but she was far from pleased. She found the reddish-brown fur of Oak, but he was with someone who could be a sibling and a pair of older females who seemed to be a couple. Niernan was snuggled up next a pregnant wolf, an entire zoo gathered around their feet, and though many of the animals were cute the whole scene filled her with distaste.

Embarrassed, and not knowing the last wolf—a male elder—Shiloh plopped her rear down in the dirt and curled her tail over her paws, deciding to be prim and alone for this, despite her stomach aching.

Shiloh was spared having to dwell on her loneliness when Lilin began the meeting, stating that it would be to introduced the children, and then suddenly went into congratulating Colibri for her promotion. White ears stood tall with disbelief, and Shiloh glanced reflexively toward the chocolate-furred woman. When had she been promoted? It looked like news to Colibri, too, who could only mumble that she’d do her best. Though she threw a polite smile in the female’s direction, Shiloh was a bit dubious. Was Coli ready for something like this? There were a lot of other wolves who’d been around for just as long and would be confident enough to lead, too, though they maybe didn’t know the culture as well as the rune-bearing wolf.

Miskunn stepped forward then, explaining a Norse naming ceremony, and Shiloh reared up onto her hind legs to get a better look. She’d only seen snatches of the children during the hurricane, though she’d a little more time with her niece and nephew; Colibri’s litter was almost unknown to her. Sprinkling water onto the children, Miskunn named them, and went on to name Saul and Lilin’s children.

Saul drew out the necklaces that most Vináttans wore, coming forward and placing them around the children’s necks, and welcomed them to the pack. The moment was one of significance—the first children born into the pack, the first legitimate children for Saul, the first such naming ceremony, of many things.

Shiloh realized that little whimpers were leaving her, and had she been human she might have wiped at her eyes—but her canine biology showcased her happy crying in other subtle ways. She thought about smothering her whimpers and ceasing her shaking and tail-wagging, not wanting to show weakness, but she was damn proud to be here, proud to be a Vináttan, proud of her brother. She was swollen with love, and she let that love out with gentle whines, congratulations and welcoming and joy.

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