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The persistent rain had melted most the snow and turned the rest to ice, creating slick patches here and there upon the ground. Leland avoided them expertly, wishing that they had been the cause of Asha’a accident rather than his own bumbling actions. He did not think that the girl had told her father the cause of the accident and with them both being as busy as they were, the husky doubted that their leader had gotten the full story. It had to be addressed; the longer it went unspoken of the more intense guilt Leland felt. Of course, Asha had forgiven him, but Dawali hadn’t even had a chance yet, not knowing the fault fell on Leland’s shoulders.
The burly copper male would tell him today, barring any loss of courage. Two legged, he moved along, trying not to think so much on it the closer he approached Dawali’s home. He was far from excited to see Dawali’s face. The male had become a friend of him, giving him a home, and trusting him around his daughter, despite the suspicion that the leader had had when Leland spoke too often of Asha. And now… now Leland felt he had broken a snow globe before he had even opened the gift box. Shaking away the thoughts, Leland paused, then called out loudly, summoning the red wolf. Dawali? Ya there, pal?
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Dawali sat inside the hut he had made as his own, musing at Gvihita's increasingly odd behavior. The bird was overly energetic lately, and whether it was because of spring soon taking over the lands, or the large changes they had all gone through since coming here and settling, he didn't know. He - too - felt good. Better. Mischka was not as often on his mind as she used to, and whilst others might feel guilty for that, Dawali did not. She was dead, gone, in another world with the rest of the deceased souls of this one, and she would be happy there. He should not linger on her in this world - it was time wasted. This hut was too large for him, but he had made it so on purpose, perhaps hoping that Aiyanna would stay with him there as she was the youngest one. Asha had broken loose from him just as the tribe had broken loose from their previous claimed lands, and she had minded her business as he had minded his own, since then. Adults, responsible, but she was still young and would always be his little girl. He thought perhaps she knew anything about Aiyanna's whereabouts, but he would not bother her with calling for the oldest daughter. He would ask her once she approached him herself, for Dawali was afraid of stepping on her toes - as with any female.
Just as his mind returned to the form of his deceased wife, not in grief but in curiosity around her personality, a voice rang outside - one he recognised. So, Leland wanted a word? Glad to be approached by his young friend, Dawali quickly got up and threw his feathered mane over from the left side to the middle for the sake of balance and comfort (there was not a vain trace in Dawali as he knew of). On his way out the male turned and shot Gvihita a stern look filled with humour; the bird had squeaked indignantly at his sudden leave and change of attention focus, but he merely chuckled at her and went outside to meet the husky mix.
Leland! What brings you here?
He spoke, smiling, as he was still moving down the three steps outside of the hut, his tall form moving rapidly towards his friend. He was oblivious to the fact that Leland did not look 100% as his usual happy self, for his enthusiasm at seeing him overshadowed everything else.
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Leland was not disappointed, Dawali quickly, almost instantly appeared and the husky could not help but return the smile. It had been a while since they had spoken and Leland did genuinely like the red wolf, even if Dawali would be disappointed with Leland after today. Hopefully he would understand, it had been an accident after all. Yet even knowing this, when Leland tried to formulate the apology and explanation the wrong words came out. Hey thar! Jus’ though we needed some catchin’ up friend. How are ya? His tail wagged happily, unconsciously. Perhaps they’d have a pleasant day before Leland told him, at least they would both enjoy themselves and be in a good mood that way.
Clearing his throat, as if he had a major announcement Leland once more grinned to the male. It had been Dawali would have taught him all about Aniwaya, so it was only natural he should share his news with the male. I found my spirit guide... Leland paused for effect, holding his breath. Asha already had seen the creature and knew, and Pixie was often with him anyway. He could not hide her identity forever and she had no qualms about showing herself in front of others. Leland would have to get over the embarrassment of her species and youth eventually. A kitten... real cute too. He smiled, it was okay if Dawali laughed, he trusted Dawali enough for that.
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Dawali interpreted, and assumed, everything in the mix's behavior to be positive and glad, as one would when meeting a friend. The male could sometimes be quite oblivious to signs in others that might reveal their true feelings - one could say that Dawali Amara was kind to a fault, and quite credulous. The wagging tail behind Leland was more than enough to tell the red wolf male that this occasion was nothing more than "catching up". The mix in front of him spoke with an accent which continued to please Dawali every time he heard it, despite its oddities and strange shortening of words. As his feet landed on the ground, after traversing the three steps that led to the door of his hut, he planted his behind on the top step - letting it be his chair. Sitting down like this was much more comfortable, and he put his elbows on his knees and let the lower parts of his arms point inwards, so the hands dangled in the space between his knees, nearly meeting but just not. Curious, he studied the form of his friend - shifted, as he was. The male had been quite sceptical to this when first confronted with the idea, or so he had seemed to Dawali, and yet here he was on two legs. Astonishing! He was glad that the mix had decided to embrace this form also - not only was it useful fr the pack as so many chores and doings required hands, but it also made him fit in better. Dawali felt it was strange when he looked around and saw (almost) only non-shifted tribesmembers - a stark contrast to the times of the past, when the tribe consisted mostly of members who were heavily bound by the traditions of their people. Thus he was glad, and surprised at this change in his friend. As yellow eyes twinkled in his direction, the red tail curled up around his bum as he made himself comfortable, and while doing so he also replied to the question Leland gave him. I'm fine, thank you! Looking forward to spring now, I'm pretty tired of all this snow, to be honest. And you? I see you've moved on to a wholly different form of living, there, how does it suit you?
Leland cleared his throat as if he had some important business on his chest, and once it was revealed Dawali smiled - quite satisfied. He was glad that one member, so new as he was, had gone that far already. Some strangers who were included in the tribe by marriage spent years even, on just deciding whether they wanted to know their guide at all, as they found the whole deal very strange, and some even fount it frightening. The ones that grew up with it in the tribe saw it as the most natural thing in the world, and most kids couldn't wait 'till they were grown enough to be let on to their journey. Once the male in addition revealed the species of his guide, Dawali let free a chuckle that fought for freedom from the confinement of his throat. A kitten, eh? Pixie? Well now, if that's not going to be a hit with the ladies then I don't know what will! The red wolf winked and his ears and tail moved a little bit before resuming their positions, as if mirroring the playfulness of Dawali's mind as he spoke. I'm glad to hear you have met her, though. Now you are whole, too. Dawali was a spiritual man, as he ought to be with his position within the tribe. Leland had yet to meet the spiritual Dawali, but with the spring season coming up the new members would all have an eye-opener, he suspected.
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Dawali indeed noted the change in the male, at least the external one. His friend would have been surprised at all the inner changes Leland had gone through, but he did not mention them. Many of them were private, and many of them were apparently with how he acted now, how he tried and tried again the tribe’s different ways of doing things. His shifted form was just the first of many changes that had taken place. Where once he had been uncomfortable on two legs, he now felt at ease in either form. I’m still gettin’ use to everythin’, but so fer so good, yeah? He wasn’t sure if he was trying only for himself, or perhaps if he was trying for Dawali and Asha and the rest of the tribe too. Either way, he was content with the progress thus far, though he was pleased too to find other outsiders like himself had trouble adapting. He wasn’t the only one who had to acclimate, but he felt that he was doing a fine job of it so far.
Leland smiled at Dawali’s encouraging words, though he wasn’t sure if he believed in the whole business of being whole. Perhaps though, the male knew what he was talking of. After all, Pixie had known him when she had first laid eyes on the husky, as if she had been waiting for him. If she had not always been a part of him, how then would she have known? How would she be able to guide him as the spirit guides were expected to do? And yet, the tiny calico kitten seemed more a nuisance than anything else, but Leland did not mind her. She was growing on him. Aye, a kitten. If she wins me some points with the ladies, then so much the better. Leland did not mention Asha had already met the tiny creature. Saying her name meant he would have to admit what he had come her for. Suddenly it seemed much to daunting of a task. Well, ah, Dawali. How about you and me catch a spot o’ dinner, yeah? He’d have more courage after the hunt.
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Dawali smiled and nodded at Leland's response - it was satisfactory in every way. He was indeed getting used to everything, and faster than Dawali had expected. Faster than most others it seemed, as well. Spring was coming, and preparations would soon enough be necessary for everyone to take part in. Those who had not yet worked on their shifted way of living would soon get a hard nut to crack, for most of the work they were facing this spring and summer required two hands, and two legs, and often also the help of a horse. They would have to rise a town council building as well, for the winter, but it wasn't necessary to start working on that until a few moons yet. All in all, though, it meant that if most had not yet experienced the good progress that Leland was an example of, there would be great challenges to overcome for this tribe, to ensure their survival next winter.
The mix took his joke easily and offered a response that again made Dawali chuckle. His mind went to Gvihita, who certainly wouldn't win him any points with the ladies. She was shy, too, and proud, and would not show herself to anyone, almost. Even Asha had not seen her, and if Mischka had it was news to him. Aiyanna and Tayui were the only ones he knew had seen her besides himself, and that said quite a bit about her. A lot of other people's spirit guides were visible all the time, for example... The line of thought was cut short as Leland suggested food, and suddenly the male did notice a certain grumbling in his stomach. Gvihita appeared to him on his shoulder, though still invisible to Leland; she enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. Dinner sounds good, Leland! I didn't notice I was hungry till now. Hang on, lemme just get my bow.. Rising from his seat the red wolf turned on the step and went inside for a few moments, before returning outside again with a bow and quiver. He did not know whether this was the hunting Leland had thought of, but the sub-leader thought he might as well encourage that to be learned as well, since the mix seemed to be going so well anyways.
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Leland nodded happily as Dawali agreed he was hungry and that indeed a hunt was a good idea. Of course, as Dawali turned back into his cabin Leland was left alone and in that short time he was free to think. Should he shift back down? How did one hunt in this form? He had never hunted on two legs, fished yes... but not very successfully. The copper hued male didn’t know the proper procedure, he had never hunted with another tribe member before. Most of all he did not wish to shift now and seem foolish later when Dawali reappeared. Mismatched eyes moved to the bow in the male’s hand, and Leland knew what it was and what it was used for. Nodding as if he had expected it, he turned to lead the way.
Earlier I found some wapiti runnin’ ‘bout over that way... He gestured with his hand the way he had come from, looking to red wolf for approval. I don’t think they could ‘ave gotten too far, yeah? Leland moved in that direction when Dawali did not protest, before stopping abruptly. Best to be honest, even when it wasn’t always easy. Admitting his ignorance with a bow was easier than admitting to hurting his daughter. I don’t know how to use one of ‘em. Bows an’ arrows I mean. There. So simple.
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Leland had done his homework and already knew of the possible location of their dinner. Smiling, Dawali took a few steps in the direction he had motioned once the husky mix started moving that way as well, until their pace was halted by his companion stopping abruptly. The mix did not know how to hunt with a bow and arrow - and Dawali had not expected him to do so either. Of course, he wouldn't say so as it could imply.. well, he didn't know what, but people got offended for strange things. There were so many things in their tribe's life that was different from the pack lives around here though, and thus he hadn't expected Leland to pick up everything at once. He'd come far already, and very fast, and it was better to take one thing at a time. Smiling, Dawali touched the bow with one hand as he spoke. Have you ever seen one in action? Dawali let one arm behind his back, elbow pointing towards the sky, as he deftly pulled one feathered arrow from his quiver, so Leland could see. If the mix wanted to he'd teach him, but a hunt was not a good place for a beginner. One would have to know how to use the item before it would be of any benefit for a hunt.
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Dawali seemed to accept the piece of information easily enough, and Leland realized that Dawali had probably assumed as much. This did not bother Leland, rather in fact, the respect he had for Dawali grew at that moment. The red wolf was wise, able to anticipate the struggles the new members would have with Aniwayian life, and able too to accept their shortcomings and encourage them to grow without being disrespectful. Leland knew at that moment he was not wise enough, not now, not ever, to be a leader, at least not on his own. He would have to have an intelligent man like Dawali at his side. Thankfully, he was not a leader and would not become one. He didn’t want to. He wanted to be a friend, a mate, a father even, but never a leader. It was best to leave that up to those who were made for it. Dawali had that making.
No, I’ve never seen ‘em work before. He had noticed the members of Aniwaya caring them about in their backs at times, but hadn’t seen one in action. Today would be the day he guessed. Smiling at Dawali, he indicated he was okay with learning now, or just standing back and letting Dawali take care of the hunt and learning afterwards. Whatever his friend saw fit to do.
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Dawali nodded at Leland's response and played with the arrow in his hands as he looked around. Quickly spotting what he was looking for - a tree with a fairly thick trunk, and of the right kind of tree - Dawali took a few steps forward and took the bow from his back. Showing Leland how it looked would take only seconds - if he wanted to learn properly Dawali could teach him later, if he wanted. Or someone else could. Right now though, his stomach craved something to be put in it, and the mention of those wapiti hadn't quieted it. Taking the handle in his left hand and stretching it straight out in front of him, shoulder level, he grabbed the wooden piece attached to the string with his right hand, arrow already placed between his fingers, and pulled the strong, but elastic string backwards, shoulder level. He had no plans to break this arrow on a tree, however, so he didn't stretch it far. This is how it's used, basically you aim along the arrow - it's quite simple. When I want to shoot I release the tension on the string here, and the arrow goes flying. Of course, the more stretching, the more power. Deftly, his hand let go of the string and the arrow shot forward, hitting the tree trunk, but not penetrating the bark. Instead the arrow fell to the ground, and this had been exactly Dawali's intention. Making arrows was one of the most boring things the male could think of. Jogging calmly over to the tree he picked up the arrow and shot a glance at it - good, it was still useable. And now the mix would have a rough idea of what it looked like, could be handy for the coming situation he meant to put him in. Surely the male had hunted on four legs, right? So how about those wapiti, then? Care to scare one in my direction, and I'll shoot it at an angle safe for you. Would best be something young though, can't take a bull with just one or two arrows.
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Leland watched the air fly and he had been expecting it to, he had a vague idea about how these things worked. Dawali’s explanation helped to describe the how it worked and Leland nodded gratefully. He knew the male did not intend a full lesson now, but he was grateful for what he had learned. He was always eager to learn more, and hunting was a bow seemed a good choice for his next lesson in Aniwayain life. Leland had never much been one for hunting on four legs, he could do okay… rabbits and other small game, but bring down the bigger, swifter animals was trickier. Due to his genetics, husky and malamute, his form was bulky, and while he was built for running, he excelled in endurance, not just speed. He did okay, he ate well, but hunting with a bow seemed like perhaps, if he did it well, would be easier.
Ah, sure thing! Leland nodded, he could scare one of the critters out. Taking a moment he shifted back to his lupus form, and it really did take only a moment. Leland’s skill and speed at shifting was increasing too. It was strange then, to be so much lower than Dawali, but he only smiled and nodded at the male, leading off the way to the wapiti. Leland kept a brisk pace and the wapiti weren’t so very far off. As the approached, Leland nodded off towards where the herd was and he then circled around, as to not alert the creatures to his presence. The herd wasn’t large, but he spotted his target quickly. The doe was younger, but not a fawn. He never would have picked a fawn. Taking a long breath, Leland mentally prepared himself and then off he went, pawing thundering at the doe, aiming to steer her both away from her herd and towards Dawali simultaneously.
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Word Count: 484
Leland nodded at him, and as he sat down and started to shift to his four-legged form, Dawali waited patiently. He was quite astonished, in fact, at the speed the husky male managed to apply to the whole operation, seeing as he'd picked it up only lately. As soon as Leland was done he started to move in the direction his finger had pointed minutes earlier, and without a word Dawali followed in a jog. It was nice to feel warmth, energy and the blood moving in one's body when you were going to the hunt, no matter how easy it was, or how smoothly one knew it would go. Dawali was confident that with Leland chasing the prey and himself shooting at it, it'd go do down quite easily. Gvihita flew overhead, her strong wings flapping audibly - though to Dawali alone. He glanced up at her, but as usual she was unreadable. There was an eagerness about her, though - as there was with himself.
They found them, and after a few moments' circling Leland started into the herd. The red wolf male already had positioned himself at a comfortable distance, and had an arrow at the ready. He spent some time, however, understanding which of the animals were Leland's target, but quite quickly it was obvious that a young doe was the to-be meal this time. Leland was skilled in guiding his prey, and as the other wapiti started in different directions he was soon on her tail. One eye closed, Dawali followed her movements with the tip of his arrow as he aimed, waiting for a good moment when he knew Leland would be safe from a stray arrow. He aimed the first one at the front, the area between the start of the upper legs and the throat, for the large veins that could quickly reduce her movements by half in not long, and eventually simply killing her by blood loss. One arrow went flying, and Dawali did not waste time to see if it went in before he reached behind and got a new one at the ready, aiming for a moment and letting that one fly as well. Fleeing, she changed angles with him constantly as Leland chased and steered her around, and the arrows might land anywhere. Dawali did however have quite the amount of training in this skill, and normally it took no more than ten or fifteen arrows to take one down if one had a poor aim, and by now he had sent four or five flying. A smell of blood and a sense of pleasure flashed through his brain as Gvihita shrieked inaudibly above them, and Dawali's heart beat rapidly in his chest, feasting on adrenaline. The steady stream of arrows that flew from his form would continue until the doe fell, either by the feathered arrows, or Leland's teeth. Either worked.
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The arrows soared and Leland grew a tad nervous, they landed into the wapiti seemingly effortlessly. Running so close to the wapiti, Leland wondered what would happen to his skin if Dawali’s mark was off, but it did not matter. The animal he had been scaring was down, arrows sticking out of her skin like quills and Leland slowed, then stopped, standing next to the fallen creature. Surely they only needed one, the husky did not take more than he needed, finding it wasteful. They could dine on the doe and still have more to take home. Waiting for Dawali to appear, Leland set about the task of shifting back to his Luperci form, it seemed he was beginning to be most comfortable in that state than any other.
The transformation went much more slowly this time, his body tired from the chase and from shifting only right before that burst of speed. It was painless, but the slowness of the process bothered him. Dawali would come upon him mid-shift and while he trusted the male completely, he would feel more vulnerable. Perhaps it was only that, with the hunt over, Leland felt he should speak up now. Even if Dawali already knew the cause of his girl’s ankle, Leland had to apologize all the same. Dawali at least deserved that from him. Complete with the shift, Leland’s odd eyes moved up from the ground, ready to meet with Dawali’s.
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The doe fell and for a second Dawali simply stood there, another arrow at the ready, watching Leland slow down and eventually stop to stand by the dead prey. A few moments passed, and then the arrow was back in its quiver, and the bow on the red wolf's back. Adrenaline was still pumping through his system, even though he'd been standing relatively still (he'd moved sideways every now and then to angle himself better, but that was it). Gvihita still soared above, screeching like only an eagle can, and then she landed by the dead animal, for only him to see. Eager for food, and to congratulate his friend on a smooth and easy kill, Dawali jogged over, to find that Leland was shifting back. Seemingly made from courtesy, the red wolf then sat down in a lotus-like position, waiting until his friend was done. As he sat there, he did not watch his friend, but instead unpacked a few things from his pouch and began making a fire. He didn't know about Leland, but he had always preferred cooked food himself. Soon small flames were dancing restlessly among the twigs he'd found in his immediate vicinity. It took him only a minute, having practiced much of his life, and the season was getting drier. Waiting for his friend to finish his shift, Dawali averted his eyes and placed his gaze onto Gvihita instead, who was bristling proudly where she sat perched on "their" kill. A soft smile was on his face, much with affection for his female companion, but an amount of pride for his friend, who was making such good progress in his tribe. Almost nothing pleased him more than such things.
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Fully shifted, Leland collapsed, his long legs sprawling out as he observed Dawali. The hunting and shifting had taken a lot out of him and he stayed silent as he regained strength and breath. The flames ate at the dry twigs Dawali fed to the fire and Leland couldn’t help but make the corny metaphor that the twigs were his courage, the fire time eating away at it. Now was the time to speak, but he found he was almost too tired to. Tired from the hunt, which was normally a good feeling, his body did not want to move. Emotionally drained from keeping something from his friend, his mind froze up.
Leland regarded the meat and moved to tear a piece away and bring it to the fire. His claws worked like crude knives and he pulled away a sizable chunk of flesh. Leland hadn’t eaten cooked food before, he remembered once upon arriving here the strange canine cooking in the library, but there was a first time for everything. Living in Aniwaya meant he would probably eat such meals many times. As he handed the meat to his friend, his mouth suddenly opened. “I didn’t mean fer it ta happen, but I was the one ta hurt Asha. Her ankle. She was runnin’ frem me, all in play ya know? And she fell.” There it was out.
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As the fire slowly ate the food provided for it, Dawali stared into the orange and yellow, waiting for Leland to finish shifting. He wouldn't start cooking any of the meat until he'd asked Leland if he wanted it raw or not - it was better to wait. His gaze turned to his friend again when it was obvious that he was finished with the change, and then they followed the mix form as Leland rose to tear meat off of the dead doe. As the flesh changed hands, Dawali's white fingers arranging it on a long stick and trying to arrange it properly so it would stand on its own throughout the roasting process, his friend spoke, and the yellow gaze gained a curious touch. Mostly because he hadn't known Asha's ankle was hurt. Perhaps Leland assumed Asha and him had more contact than they did - most families did. But Dawali was an old person, at least in his own mind, and he didn't want to force her to spend time with him. She was independent, like her mother had been, and he knew it was important for the young. No matter their relationship, the news made him uncertain. If her ankle had been seriously hurt he knew Asha would have come to him - she knew very well of his medical skills - and he trusted her judgment on her own injury. Thus, it was no big a deal. What puzzled him so was why his friend felt it necessary to tell him. Now that he thought about it, his daughter's name had been mentioned in nearly every conversation the two had taken part in. Dawali was by no means a stupid man, but he hated assuming things about others. He liked to have things told him directly, and to speak directly, so it could not be misunderstood. Women always found a way to misunderstand anyway, but he knew Leland did not. Suddenly, he put some thought to the subject of their friendship, and what it consisted of. Asha and Leland's, that is. That in turn made him turn his thoughts onto his own friendship with the mix. If he was interested in his daughter all he needed to do was to say so - Asha was not stupid. She would do the right thing. It seemed obvious now, to Dawali, that the reason for Leland's presence among the AniWayan ranks was not himself, but his daughter.
His face was casual still, while the thoughts ran through his mind. In reality, it took only a moment or two, but it was long enough to be noticeable. As Dawali looked up from the meat he was handling, and onto his friend, his face showed nothing out of the ordinary. One eyebrow arched, seemingly in concentration with the arrangement of flesh and stick, he looked at Leland as he spoke, before letting his eyes return to observe the task his hands were executing. She never told me her ankle was hurt.. Was it serious?
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OOC: You write too much. Can close this now, yeah?
Leland’s words perked at the words of his friend, as he watched the fire slowly get roasted by the flames. Dawali had hesitated and he did not seem all too concerned, as if he mind were on other matters aside from Asha’s ankle. Leland was surprised to hear that Asha had not told her father. It took a moment for Leland to find his voice. “Not too serious, I should think.” He didn’t really know the extent of Asha’s injuries but he went off what Asha had told him. “Says she’ll be set right soon.” He cleared his throat for no particular reason and turned back to the fire. Now with the news off his chest he was suddenly very hungry. Ready to try something new.
“I jus’ wanted ya to know. What happened I mean.” And that I love your daughter. The other thought was just an added on idea. Never spoken. Dawali should know how he really felt, but Leland couldn’t find the words for it. Even when the words were clear and true in his mind, they got stuck in his throat, clung to his tongue. It wasn’t easy telling a father that his daughter was the object of one’s desire, so Leland just opted not to. “I’m sorry, I’d never want ta hurt her.” It was the closest he could come to a confession.
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