[html] Moon Phoenix
September 27, 2006
Luperci
Shardsofemerald[at]yahoo[dot]com
AIM: o petit mort
I’ve been here forever. XD
It had been a long time since he had left here. Only a month and a half, but it still seemed like forever from his point of view. Standing at the borders of his long-time home, Moon’s silver paw held onto a rope that led to a horse’s bridle. He couldn’t remember living without his companion, Zorion. The massive black war horse had found the silvery wolf lying nearly dead on the ground on the side of the road and had, for some reason or another, managed to rescue him and bring him to the other wolves. There was a town, and a large black wolf with green eyes, named Roman d’Angelo, had nursed him back to health. They had much to talk about during their weeks together, and it surprised him to find out that Roman was from Bleeding Souls, just as he was. The large black wolf looked eternally sad to Moon, but he never really asked why. He was a very kind, gentle giant and knew a lot about keeping horses, building things, and the town they lived in. It was far north of their shared home, sitting atop a small hill that overlooked the sea. Roman had told him that many times ships sailed back and forth from their port to England or France, and he had never once gotten on any of the vessels. He had never wanted to, it seemed.
Moon admired the fact that Roman, even though his family was gone from him (the story was told late one night after Roman had been drinking) and his leg was healing from a break, he had never once left that small seaside town. The silver wolf had promised to find whatever remained of Roman’s family and tell them of their plight. His broken arm and fractured ribs were healing nicely, while Roman’s large leg was still slow to respond to medicine. It was getting better, but traveling, even by horseback, was out of the question until it was completely better. Meanwhile, he was using a cane to do his daily activities and had actually bound his leg in a wooden cast that was easily removable for sleeping and washing. Moon thought that his inventions were genius. He could build tables, chairs, houses, and all manner of other things that wolves in the town used. He was their carpenter, a woodworker, and Moon had the opportunity to learn a thing or two from him. Spending weeks with a wolf from the same part of the country made Moon remember how much he missed home, so after he had haled nicely and had been able to repay Roman with his labor, he and Zorion, who had become his horse and very best friend, had set off to Storm, hoping to relay any messages that Roman had given him. In his bags were packed many things – wooden cups, plates, bowls, and eating utensils like forks and spoons. He had a gift for everyone in his family, even the newly born pups he had remembered leaving behind.
Sadly he had never found his sister, Sun, but he knew that she was safe somewhere. Their bond was very strong, and if she was in any danger he would know straight away. You sure they’ll want you back? Zori asked, eying his canine companion as they both stood at the borders, restless with anticipation. Zorion knew all about Moon’s family. They had spent many days and nights together simply forming a bond and it seemed that one of those bonds became telepathy. Moon’s animal instincts were kicking in and he could understand animals that weren’t wolves or other canines, which seemed to be called something like Lower Speech. He understood and talked to the animals, in turn become a sort of animalistic creature in himself. He felt more in tune with nature than ever before and he had finally come out of his shell. In fact, he had met a few wolves in town and had made some lasting friends, all of whom promised to send messages back and forth. One of those wolves had a falcon named Iye that would carry parcels and notes from his owner to other wolves about the country. He had been a very interesting fellow, Ion.
I’m positive, Zori. He knew I was going to return and he knew what I was doing. Even though he had never accomplished his goal, he had been gone far too long. With a look of warning to his black, gold-eyed equine friend, Moon threw back his head and let forth a resounding howl, calling his father, the alpha, to the borders. He had some very interesting news for the brute.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Understandably, the massive male felt utterly exhausted from the past year. It had been filled with extreme highs and lows, from his painful courtship (if one wanted to call it that) of Iskata to becoming alpha to almost getting involved in a war with Inferni. Throughout it all, though, his family had been there for him, backing him up and giving him the strength he needed. Even if some of his children went, he knew Sun and Moon would return to him eventually. He missed them every day, but had his duties and his other younger children (which yesterday had gained a new addition) kept him from brooding.
Still, the patriarch remained ever alert at the borders for the return of his wayward children. He didn’t know when they would return exactly, but there was something in the winds that told Phoenix someone was nearby, on their way. Call it fatherly intuition, maybe it was even his psychic ability alerting him, he just new someone close to him would return within a few days. When the border-call came Phoenix was instantly on his feet and running quickly to the source, ebullient. The Moon he found coming back to Storm seemed quite different from the shy boy that had left, but Phoenix would know his firstborn adopted son anywhere, anytime.
Without hesitation Phoenix approached the other male and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. He was surprised to feel muscle underneath, and he drew back to get a closer look at the boy he’d once had to carry all the way from the city to these lands cradled in his arms. “You’ve grown up,” he observed, a hint of disappointment tainting his voice despite the joy of their reunion. He was sorry he’d missed it. | [/html]
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"Course I have, Dad," he said softly, looking at his father’s expression. He seemed disappointed to have missed his son’s maturation, but he still wasn’t completely grown. He had his childish tendencies still and always loved a good tumble. And aside from just growing up, he had matured emotionally as well. He was no longer shy or introverted. While he wasn’t necessarily an extrovert now, he wasn’t as unwilling to approach a stranger as he had been before. Now he was comfortable in his own skin and knew his own strengths and weaknesses, which lent him a very comfortable lifestyle. There was so much that he wanted to tell his father, but it couldn’t all come in one meeting. He’d start with the things he could fit into this reunion and then continue later, once they had time to settle in. "I didn’t find Sun, Dad. On my way to find her I fell off a steep cliff and broke my arm," here he pointed to his left arm, where there were a few scars along both upper and lower parts. "Zorion here," he motioned toward the horse at his side, smiling at the beast as he bowed his head respectfully.
"He saved my life. Brought me to a wolf that used to live here named Roman d’Angelo. He lives in this city by the sea up north, where the wolves there wear clothes and work as the humans used to. It was so cool to see." Now that he was finished with his little reverie, he turned to his father and smiled. He patted him on the back, finally able to see his father eye-to-eye. Well, at least he didn’t have to strain his neck looking upward. He was taller than he had been before, as well as more muscled, but he was still short for a regular-sized wolf. He didn’t care one bit that he was shorter and stockier than normal; he liked himself just that way. There was nothing in the world that could stop him from loving himself now. The messenger bag that he usually carried was strapped to the saddle on Zori’s back, and he remembered suddenly that he had presents for everybody. "You remember Naniko? Well that’s her father. He’s such a neat guy – he taught me how to work with wood and I made some presents for all of you." He stopped for a moment, allowing his father to soak in all of the knowledge.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Okay, I’m gonna officially accept you here and now instead of prolonging the inevitable any further. Perhaps we could open this up to any other members of the family who want to greet Moon?
here was still a considerable size difference, which suited Phoenix just fine. It would be a long time—if ever—before Moon stopped being his little boy. Granted, Phoenix couldn’t pick him up or sit him down on his lap any more, but that was okay. They didn’t have to do that to be close. And Moon wasn’t done growing up just yet. From the smell of him, even if he was now full grown he had yet to reach full adulthood, and Phoenxi could still be there for him to guide him. Even if he couldn’t teach Moon fancy skills or such he could still provide the younger male with the benefit of his experience.
Phoenix listened to his son’s tale, soaking up every word. It wasn’t until Moon motioned towards the horse that Phoenix took notice of it, and he regarded it somewhat nervously. It was always a strange site to see wolves living and working with other animals. He only hoped that the horse wouldn’t grow skittish living amongst a pack of wild wolves and end up harming a small pup. Obviously they would have to discuss Moon’s intentions to take care of the beast; for now, they had other things to catch up on. “Sounds like you had an… interestin’ time,” Phoenix observed, wrapping an arm around Moon’s shoulder. “Kansas is gonna be so excited t’see you back. Everyone is. Welcome home, son.” | [/html]
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Haha, okay. <3 Anyone who knew Moon, feel free to jump in!
"How is he?" Moon had missed his little brother, the one who had taken to him immediately. He could remember being scared that none of them would like him, but his little brother Kansas had seemed to like him more than his own father at times. But he had probably quickly grown out of it since his departure. The little cream pup with blue eyes was probably all grown up now. Moon couldn’t imagine seeing his siblings again. He missed them a lot, but sometimes he felt like something was missing from his life other than them. It was most likely Sun, his other half. She had always been there and now she wasn’t. It was a weird feeling missing half of yourself, but the boy was strong enough to know that she was alive somewhere, and she’d return to them someday.
Moon wrapped his own arm around his father’s waist and smiled, leading Zorion on the right side of his body. Zori was used to many wolves being around and was very gentle despite his brutish appearance. He was a very good being and would never harm a flea without a very, very good reason. There was just too much resting on his shoulders, like Moon’s trust, which he valued above most everything. They had a very close, personal bond that only very openly honest people could form. Both of them were happy about their friendship. "I can’t wait to see everyone," he said as they headed toward home, finally relieved to me home again. It was nice to be in a familiar place that he could navigate without thinking too much. He was both excited and nervous about seeing his family again. "How is Iskata? And the other kids?" So many question for a young lad!
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Considering how Sun and Moon had first found out about his mateship to Iskata, Phoenix had been worried at first that his adopted children would grow jealous or feel replaced by his biological children. The patriarch loved them all equally and treated them the same, but he had worried about disharmony within his family. Fortunately Moon had taken to the pups and they all looked up to him, Kansas in particular. It made Phoenix happy to see all his children, blood or otherwise, living peacefully. Moon could even teach the pups a thing or two that he couldn’t.
“They’re all doin’ fine,” Phoenix answered as father and son walked on. “You have a new little brother as well. Yesterday I found a small pup who’d been abandoned by his real family an’ took him in. His name’s Glider.” Just when Phoenix had feared he was losing his family, one had come back and a new member had joined the ranks in just as many days. Today was a good day. It was odd to have his son’s arm wrapped around him, but only because he still thought of Moon as the small boy that used to hang around his den. It felt good, though. “You’ll get t’see ‘em all soon enough.” Partially out of joy, partially out of dramatics, Phoenix swun his head all the way back and let forth a howl as loud as he could manage, declaring the exciting news to the rest of the pack: his son has home. | [/html]
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"Another sibling? You’ve got a knack for collectin’ ‘em, Dad," he teased, laughing heartily as they walked side-by-side. There was a definite difference between the two Moons – the one of the past and the one of the present. "What’s he like?" It was in his nature to ask questions and to always learn. He was going to always have a thirst for knowledge, whether it was painful to him or not, and he wanted to always know the truth. He felt like a true adult now, though, because people trusted him and actually took him seriously now.
His father’s howl made his ears ring, but the elated feeling swelling in his chest overrode any discomfort elsewhere on his body. Zorion moved along beside the two wolves, calmly walking as if he had always been with these two. He was used to the presence of werewolves and didn’t mind working with them to get a job done, as long as he was able to put in his two cents as well. Moon and Zori had a working relationship that was strong and tight-knit, something that Moon liked to remember. He and his animal friend got along well, worked together well, and actually enjoyed each other’s company. From what he had read in his books, humans had rarely had this kind of a friendship with their animal partners.
As they had approached the den, Moon noticed that there was very little activity around its opening. "Where is everyone?" Were they out playing? Whatever the reason, Moon was excited to see his family again and to rekindle their relationships. He missed his family entirely too much during his time away and now that he was home again, he’d spend many days and nights reforming their friendships and regaining trust. Whatever it took, he was prepared to go through anything to be a part of the family again.
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[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... efinal.png);background-repeat: no-repeat; padding-bottom:140px; background-position: bottom center;">Well, if nobody else replies to this by tommorow night I guess we'll archive it, eh?
Phoenix was caught a bit off-guard by Moon's joke, since he couldn't recall the last time he'd actually heard his son speak satirically. Moon had always been like him, serious and stiff around anyone who wasn't family. Phoenix had always wanted to see him come out of his shell but at the same time he could relate to his son better back when he was shy. Still, once over the shock he chuckled a bit. It was so incredibly rewarding to see the little boy he'd raised become a well-adjusted adult. he was already proud of Moon and he looked forward to seeing him become a responsible adult and someday hopefully having a mate and family, carrying on his name.
"He's a real sweat little boy," Phoenix said, smiling a bit. There was something about Glider that was disarmingly charming. Phoenix didn't pity him, but his sad backstory did make him feel for the boy. Gilder reminded him of himself somewhat, though he'd been fortunate enough to find someone to take him in before being on his own for too long. "But he keeps actin' like he's afraid we're gonna turn on him any minute. I think his original family abused him, or somethin'. I know the abandoned him, but I ain't gonna force him t'talk about it jus' yet. He needs t'learn he can trust us." Even though he'd only been around for a day, Phoenix had become quite attached to the boy and hoped he was there to stay.
Finally they arrived at the den, which sadly was empty. It was the same den he had brough Sun and Moon home to and raised them in, and now sheltered four more puppies alongside him and Iskata. he'd had to expand it a number of times since he had first excavated it. Even Moon had his own little add-on, which remained just the way he'd left it. "They're pro'lly out playin'," he said, not too worried. "They should be back b'fore too long. In th'meantime, we can have some quality father-son time. Haven't had that in a long time." | [/html]
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