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WC: 700+
Finn dreamed. In that endless, physics defying space within all minds, she floundered in a blue ocean that stretched so far into the distance that she could not tell where the sky ended and the water began. She sank, little bubbles dancing up from her thrashing limbs, before she gained the surface once more and sucked in a hasty breath. And so it went, over and over again, till her lungs burned and her legs felt like lead in the water. Finally, she gave in, though her heart pounded in fear at the thought of sinking into that ineffable darkness. Glancing down, her last mouthful of air escaped with a gasp, as she saw her father, as lean and cruel as he had been in life, hanging on to her tail. Below him, her grandfather, below him, his father, each generation succeeding down into the cloudy murk. Finn looked up to see a grinning maw and icy blue eyes in a face not unlike her own, and she sank for good this time as she realized just who she was looking at.
Awakening with a snap and a snarl, Finn bumped her head on the low ceiling of her den and keeled over, dizzy and confused. Her head ached sharply, but her dream was fuzzing and slipping away faster than grains of sand through a sieve. Soon all that remained was the memory of blue, blue eyes. Her own, perhaps? The face they had sat in was like her own… Maybe. Finn ground her teeth and shook her head, getting back to her feet. Dreams were useless things, nonsense tarted up as realizations about oneself and the universe. She would have none of it! Stretching her whip-thin body, and smacking her jaws at the taste of dirt that had crept into her mouth while she slept, Finn peered out of the small entrance to her new home.
Home. That was a funny word. She hadn’t expected to find it so readily on her tongue. But this was home, at least as long as the pack here tolerated her, and she would enjoy it while she could. Finn took in a deep breath through her nose, mentally shifting through all the different scents. There was one she recognized, Naniko’s, but the rest were shrouded in mystery, as she had not met their owners yet. Finn could also catch the faint whiff of Alastair, since she was so close to the mouth of the warren. He was likely a little anxious at these new developments. Up until this point the pair had journeyed closely together for years. Finn turned back into her den and onwards to the little cubby where she had made her bed. There wasn’t much to see except dirt and a bit of straw, but something glittered with colour even in the darkness.
It was a red ribbon, brilliant as blood. Finn had recovered it as she was cleaning out the place. Perhaps it had belonged to a previous occupant, perhaps an enthusiastic magpie had carried it in. No matter, it belonged to the she-wolf now, and she knew just what to do with it. She picked the cloth up carefully between her teeth, and loped out into the woods that surrounded the entrance to Anathema’s caves. Alastair stood amongst the trees, looking worried. Finn paused, wagging her stump of a tail to let him know the coast was clear, and he trotted out to meet her. He must have been truly concerned indeed, for he pushed close to Finn, trying to affectionately butt heads with her as he had seen canines do, nearly taking out her eyes with his antlers in the process.
“Here, here, you silly beastie.” Finn muttered from around the ribbon. He kept his head low, and Finn tossed the cloth up into his tines, wrapping it and tangling it so even the fiercest wind could not shake it loose. She sat back to admire her handiwork. The red shone in the bleak daylight, caught in Alastair’s antlers like a banner. Even the deer seemed rather proud of his new accessory, tossing his head lightly and prancing in a small circle about Finn. She laughed, the sound sending a few nesting grouse to the air with it’s abrupt harshness. “Get you gone, now.” She said, nudging the deer back to the woods, “I’m not sure if they’ll allow something so much like prey near here, but at least that ribbon might give a hunter pause if they are stalking you.”
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In Anathema, canines took their destinies into their own hands. Naniko had a more hands-off approach, encouraging independence from the members. Independence beneath her ruling, anyway. Canines could choose laziness and sit as Zepars for their entire stay...or they could decide to get up off of their arses and do something for their pack and gain a reward - rank. The tiers in the pack were for hard working pack members who wanted to make something of themselves. It wouldn't be easy to master a trade...but once one got to the top, they could train others and relax a bit more. More highly ranked members were given harder tasks and were asked to do more by Naniko and Alaki, but they were also more respected.
She'd been growing closer to her owl friend Xian with each day, bringing it mice in return for its loyalty. Naniko had found a new use for the raptor - watching her children. Now she was padding back with one silver-toned son and one black and brown son in tow, both of their heads held low. Severus had nearly gotten mauled by the badger by the time she had reached him this time, and there was no telling what might have happened if Xian hadn't alerted her. She'd hired the owl on just in time. Severus' brother, Judas, had watched it all happen without doing anything to help his brother. He would be punished as well, eventually. Xian looked this way and that from her perch upon Naniko's shoulder before changing her mind about her mode of transportation and taking wing for the trees above.
A small gasp of surprise from behind her made the Angela look off into the distance as they neared the caves, and she gave a sharp, reprimanding glare backward at the children as a warning as the three canines approached the newest pack member and her companion. "Finn." She greeted, stopping sharply when they reached the pair. She assumed that the deer with the ribbon in his antlers was the companion she had mentioned. "This is the one, then? Children - if you see this deer running about, do not try and harm him. He's a companion here, a protected creature." The boys nodded solemnly, not speaking, their minds still full of thoughts of the reprimands that they would get once they were back to the den.
Table by Jenny! [/html]
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WC: 500+
Finn smiled widely, her teeth showing in a skeletal-sized grin. “I am in your debt, then, D’Angelo. As embarrassed as I am to admit it, this creature has saved my life more than once.” Finn looked past Naniko’s legs, taking in the two young pups and winking at them. “Though I’d never let him get eaten, he does make for good bait.” Her gaze returned to Naniko. “These your’s then? They have your look.” Finn chirped conversationally. The wolf was in high spirits after four days in Anathema. Her belly was full, she’d slept in a warm place, and no one had even given her a crossways look.
“So, if I remember correctly, your name is Judas, and your’s is Severus.” She said, nodding first at the silver pup, and then at the black one. “I am Finn Fidh, son of Cuhlain Fidh, son of Fergus Fidh, son of Faolán Fidh. I could go back farther, but I’d like as to bore you with that sort of stuff.” She glanced over her shoulder towards Alastair, her eyebrow cocking in slight surprise that her deer had vanished. “Ah, he’s never one for company, specially not our sort of company.” Finn observed, before turning back to Naniko.
“What brings you by this cold winter noon, D’Angelo?” Finn asked graciously, her attention full and avid on the white wolf. Her distrust of the female luperci had started to wear away after the past few nights. Naniko had been so gracious, even if it was masked in that brusque tone of hers. She had given Finn food, then shelter, then furs to keep her warm. She allowed her deer free run of the territory without trying to run him down and eat him. Though Finn still couldn’t help the frisson of nerves every time she saw a luperci perform some alien task with their opposable digits and two-legged stance, she was starting to at least get along with them.
And besides, Finn had seen the carefulness Naniko exhibited when training that beautiful owl accompanying her lately. The she-wolf was of the opinion that any wolf that could get along with something entirely un-wolflike without violence then they had to be a decent enough sort. Cruel wolves took out their frustrations not only on those their equals, but also those they perceived as their lessors. Finn had observed the stables, filled with neighing, bleating, meowing animals, and in doing so her general opinion of Anathema had risen a little. Deep inside there was a voice saying: “This could be it, this could be the place.”
But, prone as she was to pratfalls, disappointments, and generally having the rug pulled out from under her paws, Finn kept this opinion carefully preserved and out of side of her general daily functions. Hope was such a fragile thing, but so sharp when broken. And the funny thing about hope, was that you never got used to being let down, no matter how often it happened. Brushing away these gloomy thoughts, Finn tugged herself back to the present, awaiting Naniko’s words.
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WC: 544
There was something about the female that Naniko found attractive, in all honesty; she'd been romantically attracted to all sorts of canines in the past and found nothing wrong with holding feelings for both males and females. Finn had her own scars and looked a bit rough around the edges…but that was something that the Angela found refreshing to look at. She was a canine with character, with individuality. Each one of those scars told a story. Her own scars were deep, and she did not often think about them or talk about their origination with anyone. They were simply a part of her body, as normal as anything else. She’d grown up believing that it was normal to have some imperfections, and that a scar wasn’t really what mattered. It was whether you learned a lesson after you got it. Naniko had become stronger from hers, she felt…she’d gotten them from defending others from evil, so she was not afraid to show them to others and did not try to cover them up.
She looked Finn over, trying not to linger too long on any particular part of her while the tattered canine spoke. Naniko replied easily enough, slightly puzzled at what sort of situation Finn could have gotten into that would have required a deer’s assistance. ”How? I’m just curious – I can communicate with some creatures, but others puzzle me. I’ve never been one to speak with deer” Every animal had its own personality. She wondered what had driven this deer to choose to protect a wolf, a creature who would normally hunt such an animal without a second thought. What did each creature get from the relationship that benefited them?
The darker Judas piped up when his name was mentioned, looking up at Finn with a frown. ”No, I’m Judas. My brother is a fool – I would not want others to think that I were him.” He said clearly. Severus looked shocked at his sibling’s words and growled quietly, staring him down. He was no fool, and Judas would pay for this conversation later. He’d show him who the real fool was. ”Stop. I’m not afraid to send you both home if you keep this up.” Naniko warned quickly, trying to break up the argument before Severus had the chance to defend himself. Finn introduced herself to the pups as well, and they gave her short bows in response to her words. They didn’t want to go home quite yet…and would have to behave, lest Naniko follow through on her threat.
”I came out to see what these two were getting into and found them trying to take on a badger if you can believe it.” She said. The pups seemed proud that they had managed to get away from the badger without being harmed and held their heads high until their mother looked back at them once more. ”Foolish children nearly got themselves killed. Badgers can be ruthless if you catch one on the wrong day. Have you gotten settled in, yet?” Hopefully the furs had helped spruce up Finn’s den a bit. The caves could get rather cold in the winter unless one had the proper materials to build a small fire inside and the right kind of ventilation.
Table by Jenny! [/html]
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WC: 500+
Holy god, Finn talks SO MUCH. 
“I had been a little foolish, and decided to go bothering a cougar while I was in Ontario.” Finn replied simply. ”We’d been fighting at the top of a large scree of rocks, and I slipped. Of course, the whole damn thing seemed to fall on top of me, cat included. I was completely pinned, and just about to shuffle off the mortal coil, when this crazy beast comes jumping out of the dark. He knocked the cougar clean off, and beat the thing half senseless with his hooves before it finally grew the sense to turn tail. And then he helped dig me out.” Finn turned her pale gaze on the deer, contemplating him. He seemed almost immune to her contemplative gaze, however, and she came no closer to an answer for his actions than that night many years ago.
“We can’t even speak the same language, tell you the truth.” Finn murmured. “But he watches my back, so I do the same. It’s probably the most basic of rules you could find.” The little wolf corrected her, and Finn blinked, taken aback. She had gotten it wrong! How embarrassing. She cringed a little inwardly, though she was too stoic a being to make such a helpless gesture outwardly. She glanced at the the three other wolves. They did not seem to care about her mistake. In fact, many would have brushed off such a thing without hesitation. But for Finn, such a hiccup was a glaring default in the gleaming, ceaseless machine of the she-wolf’s mind.
“My deepest apologies then, Judas, Severus. I shall never mistake either of you for your brother again, seeing as how you are both quite unique.” Finn said, recovering from her minor shock with some fumbled grace. “And you should listen to your mother. Badgers are a right pain if you get them truly riled up.” Finn presented her right forepaw. “I lost these toes to a badger.” She said gravely. “Serves me well for sticking my foot down his den. I would’ve probably done the same.”
“Oh aye, quite nicely. The cave you showed me is very fine.” Finn said. The furs Naniko had generously donated were currently employed as Finn’s bed, or rather, nest, since she buried herself in and under them when it came time to sleep. The cave itself was not large, in height or size, but it was cozy, and Finn found herself at ease between those thick, stone walls. Most importantly, however, was that it was hers. Finn had never had a space to herself. When she was young she shared the den with her brothers. In her rambling years she had no home. But now, now there was a place she was tied to, and Finn was finding it rather pleasant.
“I know of something that might entertain your sons, at least for a little while, Naniko.” Finn began, her smile growing rather mysterious. “Have you two ever heard of the faerie wolves of the western mountains?” This was an old story, and it tasted familiar on her tongue. Her father had told her it when she was still too small to leave the den, and her grandmother had told her it on the old wolf’s deathbed. The faerie wolves of the Rockies and the Fidhs had long been entwined in tale and fate, and involved a direct ancestor of Finn’s, so it had always been a legend near and dear to her heart.
She closed her eyes a moment, rifling through the drawers of memory till the scent of the pine trees and snow in the moonlit night, with just the hint of sea salt, filled her nose. The story was there, the words wrote out in stone as if she had spent hours of her time memorizing each one. The gods knew she probably had. Finn had spent more than a good share of her life speaking her words to the empty air, dancing the dance of a story weaver alone, or with only a deer for company. And Alastair had never shown any particular appreciation for her stories, so it was likely that the nuances of plot fell upon ears that were either deaf, uncaring or both.
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WC: 792
Every canine had times in their lives when they felt like they were playing the part of the fool. She'd had plenty, herself. The Angela had been abandoned at a very young age and had ended up being adopted by a female named Iskata in another pack after a grievous fall had nearly taken her life. She'd broken a leg, but she had learned from that mistake and had never played around the cliffside ever again. She had only ended up with a few short months of peace before her life had been disrupted once more, though. Iskata had given birth to two other pups and had weaned them before completely disappearing and leaving them to her to care for. At that time, she'd been only seven or eight months of age herself - caring for pups was nearly impossible for one adult by themselves, much less a half-grown whelp who barely knew the basics of hunting for herself. But she'd pulled through. Her last and final lesson of puphood had been a harsher one when she had encountered Iskata near the beaches of Inferni. Her mother had not recognized her and had even tried to attack and kill her, and Naniko had ended up having to shift to get away from the crazed wolf. She'd seen her years later, but had not tried to interact with her; she could not understand a canine who would abandon her children and try to harm them and refused to acknowledge her after the day that Iskata had nearly killed her.
The pair of pups listened intently as Finn told the story of the battle that she had faced with the cougar. They gasped when she mentioned falling off of the cliff, grinning in triumph as she explained the deer's rescue. Awesomeeee!" Judas exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Hey Sev. Later we should play Wolf vs Cougar with Octavius. You can be the deer." He said, smirking. His brother gave a long whine, shaking his head. "No, you never play fair. And you can be the deer. I don't wanna." Their mother shot them an intense glare and the two quieted almost instantly, looking between Finn and their mother innocently. Naniko and the two children didn't comment on the fact that she'd swapped the two pups' names around. It was her first time seeing the boys, and Rome wasn't built in a day. It would take a while for her to get used to the pack and to learn everyones' names. "I forgive you" Severus said, making sure that his mother's friend knew how he felt about the matter. Judas simply shrugged, yawning.
Naniko was glad to hear that Finn was adjusting to live in the caves. She was glad she'd picked a home below ground where the majority of the pack lived (though many canines chose to live above the ground), as she felt that this was a much safer option than living anywhere else. The cave system had rear entrances, escape tunnels, and a labyrinth of unexplored tunnels that they had yet to even discover. Most of the cave exploration had come to a halt after Naniko's sister Selene had died in a cave-in the year prior. She had the rank of Cave Explorer on the roster, still, but was much more cautious about who she allowed into it. It was a dangerous job. "I'm glad you like it here. It's been our home for about a year...I can't imagine living anywhere else."
She was surprised to hear that Finn had something that could entertain her children. They were really difficult to keep busy at times, always wanting to get out of the caves and into the rest of the territory...something that would keep them inside for a little while would be perfect. She liked to be able to watch over them and was especially worried after what had happened today with the badger. She gave Finn a hopeful smile. "I don't know if that's possible. But they did seem to like your story about fighting the cougar...I bet they'd like to hear more stories. I haven't got any of my own other than the ones written down in a few books I own...and they tire of hearing those over and over." She explained. "Let's go back to the den and sit around the fire." She made a motion for the others to follow her, heading back inside of the caves and making straight for her denning area. "It's not great..." She trailed off. Even as the leader she lived simply. She had a large King-sized bed in one corner, a fire pit in another, and the entire den was littered with tables and shelves full of old human artifacts. "But it's home"
Table by Jenny! [/html]
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WC: 1,700+
Sooooo much wordsssss. >.>
Finn smiled at the two pup’s idea to make a game out of the event. But there was a soberness in her eyes, knowing that someday it would no longer be a game. Childhood was so fleeting, for some it never happened at all. She had killed her first wolf at just over a year, guided by the but merciless paw of her grandmother. What Finn had not learned from her father, she’d learned from his mother. Morrigan Mac Suibhne had already been a legend about the mountains before Finn was even born. Tall as a bear and tough as rocks, she fought her way to the top of the hierarchy and clung there with an ageing, but no less iron grip. She managed to sire three equally fierce sons, “The Blood Brothers” as they were ironically known, for they were all children of different fathers. Cuhlain Fidh had been one of those.
So it was with all this legacy upon her shoulders that the recently disowned, battered and disheartened Finn took instruction from her. She had killed her first wolf on a snowy day in December. He had been a young thing, same as her, but brash and proud and full of himself. It had been an easy thing for the skinny she-wolf, for she had been taught by the best. It was all downhill from there. Finn Fidh had excelled in the art, and soon left that little den in the mountains, abandoning an almost homicidally insane Morrigan. And then she had fought her way across the country, to end up standing where she was. Though she doubted any family from home remembered her, she knew she herself had added just as well to the bloody heritage of her family as any of her uncles or father.
It was an effort to draw herself from these gloomy thoughts. Living in Anathema was wonderful, but now, with idle time and pleasant feelings, it was far too easy for her mind to become untethered and drift into the dangerous waters of her past. Alastair nudged her lightly with his shoulder, and Finn blinked with surprise to see Naniko motioning for her to follow. She glanced at the deer, grinning in her customary way. It really was like they were siblings. That simple gesture had been enough to remind Finn of the present day, and draw her out of that invisible funk that hung about like smog. The she-wolf turned and followed Naniko, her long legs keeping her close behind. The deer did not, simply watching from the trees as the disappeared into the caves, before snorting softly and retreating into the pristine, snowy woods.
“Any home is a fine thing.” Finn murmured, flashing Naniko a smile. She would not be so rude as to mention aloud that she had not had anywhere that could be called home in over four years, that would be crass and purposeless, so instead Finn turned her eyes towards the artifacts. “What are all these?” She inquired, inspecting each object with and curious, penetrating stare. After a moment, she realized her mistake. “Ah, but you did not bring me hear to tell me about these things, I came here to tell a story!” She looked to Naniko hopefully, “But I wouldn’t object if you could tell me about a few of the more interesting ones later on.” The she-wolf sat and cleared her throat.
“As I said before, this is the story of the faerie wolves of the Rocky Mountains. This was a story told to me by my father, and belongs to my great-great-grandfather, who was, coincidentally enough, also named Finn Fidh.” The she-wolf’s voiced smoothed out and growing more expressive as she immersed herself into the story. Even her posture changed, straightening somehow, becoming more impressive, “Now, when Finn was very young, he was abandoned by his pack. He was a troublemaker, you see, and very quickly his antics had earned him the scorn and annoyance of the leaders. His parents, who are no longer mentioned amongst the Fidh bloodline for this very reason, left with the rest of the pack in the dead of night, crossing the waters to the west and taking up residence on the island there.”
“Finn Fidh was abandoned, and soon he awoke to realize this. Having spent more time causing trouble than learning the skills dearest to the wolf, Finn was a terrible tracker, and could not follow his family. Alone in the deep, dark woods of the coastline, night set in, and soon the young wolf was in real danger. A cat, much like the cougar I had fought, had crossed the mountains to the east, and journeyed down into the valleys. He was a monster of a beast and his name was Bayard. Muscled and sleek with eyes like golden coins, and teeth like knives. He had a taste for the tender flesh of pups, and so it was with macabre glee that he took up Finn’s scent, stalking through the undergrowth towards him on paws as wide as horse’s hooves.”
“The little wolf stared in terror at his doom, rooted to the spot, unable to move.” Finn leaned forward, pale eyes wide as she stared at Judas and Severus. “The cat tensed, leaped!” Here she reared high, as if about to jump, “And little Finn closed his eyes, awaiting the final blow that never came.” She sat again, neatly tucking her stump of a tail close to keep the end from getting cold. “He opened them again, looking about in wonder. For here he was surrounded by wolves that glowed in the darkness, and moved in all shapes and sizes and colours. There were some as tall as your mother is now, but on all fours. Others had antlers growing from their heads, or the wings of birds. And none were alike in shade and hue. Some were golden, others a brilliant red, some orange and black, some even green! Or blue!”
“They surrounded Finn and urged him to his feet, and with his new pack he ran, silent in awe and wonder. These creatures were the faerie wolves. In all the stories of my youth, they were the protectors of the land, though whether they truly existed as creatures of flesh and blood, or spirits from another time, I cannot say. Finn grew into adulthood among these myriad creatures, learning their mystical arts. His trickster nature grew stronger, and along with his intelligence and wit he soon had the entire countryside on edge with his tricks. He swapped the heads of deer and wolves while they slept, and snag a tune so scandalous that the clams gasped in shock and he stole the pearls right out of their mouths. His hearty laugh sent creatures near and far ducking into their dens and hovels.”
“There are a thousand stories of the great Finn Fidh, and I am ashamed to say I know perhaps only a quarter of that. There are some tales that speak of him stealing the moon so that he might replace it, and watch everyone going about their business from above. Others that speak of him getting tricked himself, though these are very rare. The one that I love the most is the story of how he met his mate, Sian a Tuinne, my great-great-grandmother. She was one of the faerie wolves herself, you see. It is said her pelt was the colour of a night sky, all blues are purples and inky violet. And strewn through her fur were tiny motes of light, so that she truly did twinkle like the stars.”
”Despite being a particularly wise and respectable example of her kind, but she was oddly captivated by the lively jester that had grown up amongst them. In turn, Finn was firmly of the opinion that Sian was the most beautiful she-wolf in the entire world, and often played pranks upon her in a sort of foolish courtship. Growing tired of constantly waking up in the mornings buried by wreaths upon wreaths of fresh flowers, or spontaneously growing a pair of giant dove wings, or having the single ray of sunlight shine upon her constantly, even on the rainiest of days, Sian hatched a plan. She would beat Finn at his own game, hopefully stopping this silly business for good, while also agreeing to be his mate.”
“Luring Finn down to a secret pool in the depths of the woods, she encouraged him to drink, doing the same herself to prove the water had no spell or glamour upon it. So, Finn took a great gulp. But he had been deceived. The water could not effect one of the faerie, for they were already saturated in whatever magic originated from the pool. Upon consuming it, Finn was struck by a sudden strangeness, and found himself suddenly growing roots. He became an elder tree, overhanging the mere. Sian laughed aloud at fooling him so, and Finn found he had no quick reply, for he did no know the language of trees. Sian left him there, but returned every morning to pour a little water from the pool on Finn’s roots, and to bask in his shade while the sun rose high.”
”Eventually, Finn learned the language of the trees, but it was a slow and patient speech, brought to life by the creaking of branches and sighing of the leaves. He and Sian spent these slow days conversing, and just like that a century passed. Upon the centennial of him becoming a tree, Sian sang the spell that broke the curse, and Finn Fidh snuffed the air as a wolf once more. He had changed greatly while in the tree, and the years had made him calmer, kinder. He and Sian became mates that day, in a great and colourful celebration that lasted a whole week. And sometime later my great-grandfather, Faolán, was born.”
Finn blinked slightly, like a movie player that had run out of tape, she had suddenly come to the end. “So that is the story of how my ancestor joined the faerie wolves of mountains, became a tree, and began the line of Fidhs.” The she-wolf stretched, vertebrae crackling. “If you ever wish to hear more, I will gladly tell it. There is a story of how Finn Fidh made peace with Bayard in his adulthood, and how they became fast friends later on. Or the story of when Finn tried to rope all the birds in the forest together, so that he might fly. But for now, I think we shall leave it at that.”
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WC: 1010 :3
She didn't mind explaining things to others about the objects in her den. Many were pieces of pride to her - the bed, for example. She and her apprentice Grace had hauled it back from the city piece by piece, day after day until they had been able to reconstruct it. Afterward, they had gone back for a bed for the cinnamon canine as well. When they had brought each one back, they'd had to puzzle through how to get it all to fit together right. Without screws she had thought that it would be impossible for her to get the frame together correctly...but it seemed to be the type that could be put back together without any outside help. Each little arm on the frame had fit together very well, nice and tightly. The first time she had sat on it she'd almost expected it to collapse beneath her weight...but it had held. And it still held her, as well as the one or two pups who still chose to sleep in her bed some nights. She didn't know if it was normal for children to sleep in the same bed as their parents at five months of age...but she didn't have the heart to tell them no some nights. They still had bad dreams at times or would wake up unable to fall back asleep. Then she would sit up with them and comfort them, stroking their fur until they were able to drift back to sleep. The Angela spent many nights up awake in her bed reading aloud or to herself from the various books that she had brought back from Citta Umana and Halifax over the years. She'd nearly memorized some of the textbooks on herbs by now, and a few of her favorite tales she could tell by heart. Her insomnia was both a curse and something useful, depending on the night. Sometimes she liked to be able to stay up all night trekking the border or looking over the slumbering canines that lived in the caves...but other nights she just wished that she could fall asleep like she used to be able to before the addiction that had gotten her kicked out of her last pack.
"I've got many things - some dishes, old devices that no longer work...some of those really puzzle me..a knife set, this big bed, countless books, and many other old unworking objects" She said, pointing to each item as she said its name. Naniko wasn't used to having visitors inside of her den and Finn was fairly new..but she didn't mind. She as doing her a service by entertaining the pups with her story, a story that Naniko was interested in hearing as well. She settled down to listen as the pups did, sitting cross-legged. Judas came to her before his brother could, settling onto her lap. Naniko reached down to pat his fur absently as they both listened, roughing it up and patting him backwards and then forwards again as the story went on. It was a very intriguing tale indeed, unlike anything she'd heard before. The Angela listened eagerly, gasping at certain parts and giving other appropriate responses where necessary. She seemed to be caught up in the trance as well, and sat silently for a few moments after the story had ended. When she did look down at Judas to see what his reaction to the story was, she was surprised to find him fast asleep there in her lap. Severus too seemed to be in a deep sleep, his breathing coming slow and deep. She looked to Finn then back down at the boys, gesturing that she was going to take Judas into the other room. She stood up and went around the fire to the small cave off to the side of her own, setting him down on the large pile of furs that the children often slept on together. She came back for Severus next, picking him up carefully and placing him next to his brother. The mother looked over both boys for a few moments to make sure that they were asleep, watching for the movement of their breathing to be certain of it.
She then re-entered the main room, crossing it to sit next to Finn once more. "I'm amazed - normally they have trouble settling down and falling asleep. I should read to them more often..find some new books in the city that they might enjoy or something. Because I've never seen them go to sleep so quickly" She confided. Naniko stretched her arms out, jaws opening in a wide yawn before snapping back shut. "Thank you for telling us the story - it was very interesting. My own family history is dark...full of inbreeding and backstabbing..and treachery. The D'Angelo name was once a very famous one around the lands." Her family name had been synonymous with the words "insane," or "evil" at times in the past. But not all were alike, and she was one of the more mild in her family. Naniko got up to sit by her bed, opening up a box on her bedside table. "You wanted to see a few artifacts? I've got a very interesting one...it's even useful, now." She pulled out the piece of blown glass that she had found years before, in the city. She had only learned what it was supposed to be used for more recently, around a year earlier. "You can use it to smoke things. Certain types of plants." She explained, pulling out a small baggie containing bits of greenery. Naniko held the pipe out to Finn to show her, reaching into the bag for a nugget and breaking it in half. She put the other half back and set to pulling the first apart, separating out the stems and seeds from the good part of the plant. "Have you ever smoked before? I can help you..hold it for you and tell you how to do it. You don't have to, though, if you don't want to. "
Table by Jenny! [/html]
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