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Haephastus had taken his leave quickly that morning, thanking Geneva for her kindness and patience, and offering the tired leader his quiet thanks, despite whether the worn man had heard him or not. From there he had ventured off back into the forests that he had come from, out of the borders of his new home, to sickly looking tree nestled carefully within the safety of what could have been a grove. It was there, in the empty hole between two roots, that the tired man had stashed his sack of belongings. Hoisting it over his shoulder, Haephastus ventured back off into the rain, seeking out the various cabins that had been mentioned to him. It was easy to find one that had not been claimed yet, and it was there that the tired traveler had settled down.
Despite being musty and dark, the cabin as a whole was in good condition. There were no signs of leaks and the windows, though few and small, seemed to remain intact, only needing just a bit of dusting. Setting his belongings aside, the tired traveler managed to jar a window open, leaving it as such despite the rain that poured in torrents outside. The cabin needed to air out a bit, that much he knew, and he went on about his way. In the corner lay a dusty pile of sheets, which he immediately shook out, tossing them upon the worn couch, which he was certain had seen better days. With little else to do or, at least, little else that his body wanted to do, the man laid down to rest.
An undetermined amount of hours passed before the sound of the falling rain roused him, blue eyes opening up in a haze, blinking away the fuzziness that often came after sleep. Stretching, somewhat stiff from the not-so-spectacular sleeping arrangement, Haephastus pushed himself to sit up, staying a moment before finally rising to his feet. Still musky and stale smelling, the multicolored hybrid moved to the door of the cabin, opening it wide to help air out. Turning then, to face the innards of the cabin, blue eyes swept across the various bits of furniture. First thing was first, it was time to clean.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> The Senex had been sorely tempted to follow Jefferson down the hall after he had accepted Haephastus into the pack earlier this morning, but she had refrained. The one-eyed Patriarch, although his spirits seemed fine, was clearly exhausted from his added duties. She would have liked to talk to him, but decided to save that for another time. He needed his rest more than she needed conversation. She was content to sit by the dull glow of the fire until the rain let up somewhat, then she decided to rise and see how Haephastus was doing. He had seemed quiet, reserved, and somehow troubled - although he seemed to distance himself from that notion.
Geneva emerged from the ranch and wound her way through the pack lands. The air was thick with moisture and the ground was soaked. Haephastus must have sought refuge in one of the cabins, as Jefferson had suggested. Geneva could not imagine the weary man staying out in this kind of weather. Lime green eyes scanned the cabins scattered around the territory, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man from Jerusalem.
The rain returned in no time and the gray wolfess swore under her breath as she dashed, still searching for Haephastus. It did not take the Senex long to spot him. The door opened to one of the cabins, and she saw his frame in the doorway. She approached quietly, as was her habit, and stopped for a moment at the sight of his back. The gray wolfess leveled worried eyes with her new pack mate. His back was ravaged. She knew better than to say anything, at least right now. She cleared her throat a little to announce her presence and spoke in a light tone. "Good day, Haephastus. I'm glad you found shelter."
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Haephastus, not accustom to living in a place alone, continued to stare off into the dusty mess of the cabin. His place back in Jerusalem had been a large underground room, one filled with cots only inches apart from one another, for the rest of his group and all of the defenders of their city to stay. You could keep only what would fit beneath your cot and that was how it had always been. The cabin though, with vast amounts of personal space, was almost overwhelming to the foreign hybrid. His current possessions were minuscule, mostly tools and items for his private well-being, a most certainly wouldn't put a dent in the vast amount of space that was now his. Books, the hybrid man thought to himself, would be the perfect thing to begin with, should be manage to be able to find some.
His quiet thoughts were broken as the sound of the rain to his back picked up once more, bringing with it the quiet mention of his name, a familiar voice, and more melodic words that followed after. Turning abruptly, blue eyes, even through the milky haze that threatened to take them away in the future, spotted the kind woman. "Miss Geneva." He regarded her quietly, lifting his bandaged hand to usher her inside the cabin, just as she had offered him, and out of the rain. "Yes, thank you." He told her again, removing himself from the door way so that she could make her way inside.
"I am not used to such large quarters." He admitted, almost bashfully as his eyes swept across the cabin once more. Pulling himself from his thoughts once again, Haephastus turned more properly toward Geneva, offering her a faint smile. He was rested finally, perhaps a bit more coherent than he had been before his rest, despite the fact that his mind still buzzed with many thoughts. "I will go to learn your borders today." He assured her, though a very faint frown creased his face. "And I apologize, but I haven't yet learned the name of this place, nor the name of the man that I met last night." Perhaps that was his own fault, he hadn't asked the proper questions.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> Lalala, posting from work, 'cause I am awesome (not).
Geneva walked into the cabin, grateful to be out of the cold and the rain. She turned to look at the male who had allowed her entrance, and was relieved to see that he looked much better. He seemed more well rested and more at ease. It was wondrous what just a few hours of sleep could do to change him. When Geneva had first encountered Haephastus, she had thought that he looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He still looked as though he was handling some invisible burden, but Geneva would not question him. The Senex was certain that the Loas would ask for help if he needed it. That was what she was there to do, after all - help in any way she could.
He had seemed almost withdrawn in the early hours of the morning, but now he seemed as though he was opening up just a little. As he admitted that these quarters were larger than the ones he had had before, Geneva guessed that he had once lived with very many people. And judging by his quest for peace, his life had not been an easy one. There was a history of violence written in the brutal script of scars and wounds across his body. Geneva did not need to know the details of his life to guess what his intentions were now.
"I will accompany you, if you'd like," Geneva offered. The lands were awash with rain, and it would be difficult to keep scents straight, she figured. Geneva went on to explain herself a bit more. "I do not have a working sense of smell. I have a unique way of keeping track of the borders."
Geneva shook her head and smiled. "There is no need to apologize, Haephastus. The error was mine," she readily admitted. She had been so keen on getting the poor man out of the cold that she had rushed things this morning. "This place, our home, is Phoenix Valley. The man you met earlier is Jefferson Soul, and he is the leader of Phoenix Valley, the Patriarch. He is the protector and diplomat." Geneva smiled wryly at the use of the last word. The scarred one-eyed male could be very crass at times, and he wasn't the ideal diplomat, but he did the job to the best of his ability.
"I am the Senex, and I am responsible for looking out for other pack members and offering my advice. At this time, I am the second highest ranking member in our hierarchy, although we all work together as a collective whole to achieve goals," she said. Senex or not, she would have been glad to offer her advice and help to any one of her pack members. "If you do have any questions, please ask me. That's what I am here for."
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[html] It would be so awesome if I could post from work. XD
Haephastus watched her carefully as she entered, turning almost immediately to spy a place that she might seat herself. Making his way quickly to the couch, the foreign man grabbed up the sheets, balling them up to toss them back to the corner in a pile. Then, moving away, he motioned with his arms toward the couch. "Please, have a seat if you would like." Polite as ever, as his mother had taught him so long ago. "I wouldn't want to drag you out into the rain, Miss Geneva." He told her at her offer, but his words were not quite finished. "But this unique way that you have of keeping track of them, I might like to learn it." His sense of smell was fine of course, but he was happy to pick up a new skill or learn something new whenever he could manage, he just wasn't sure of the idea of dragging her out into the rain when it was unnecessary.
"Patriarch." He repeated, testing the word. He had heard it once before, perhaps in a book somewhere, and found it somewhat odd to use. "I must admit, this is the first time that I've lived in such a fashion." However, he knew that those simple words really couldn't explain it all. "Jerusalem is a large city and everyone kind of picked a house to live in and stay there. We never really had a leader or a certain name or even certain groups, but I suppose we worked much like a pack does." He explained quietly, keeping the pain from his voice from the fact that he hadn't even been able to see those days, only heard about them.
"If you could hunt well, then you did so. Then you could use your meat to barter with others. If you needed medicine, you would trade it with an herbalist. Everything was sort of like that, really, and everyone had something to offer." He smiled at the thought, despite having never seen it with his own eyes. His mother had taught him different bits of artistry in hopes that, when the war ended, Haephastus would have something other than the ability to kill to go on. He had yet to use his skills for something of purpose, only ever for his own amusement or out of boredom.
"If you don't mind, is there anything I should know about living in a place like this?" It was a vast question and not even he was certain how he should elaborate. "Places that I should go or even how I should address the Patriarch, should I come across him?" Really, any sort of information for him to go off of would have been useful.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> The foreign male was very courteous. He always seemed to be mindful of her. It must have been the way he was brought up. It didn't seem to just be manners; it seemed as though some sort of respect for women had been ingrained into his mind. Or perhaps Geneva was only imagining things, because she had not yet seen Haephastus interact with any female either than herself. Still, his courtesy seemed much more refined than the courtesies of others she had met. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, but she hoped that the man would rest and gain confidence and comfort in her presence. She wanted him to acclimate well; she wanted him to trust her and to use her if he needed to. For some reason, she doubted he would ask much of her.
She smiled softly and took a seat on Haephastus' couch. "Would you like to join me?" the Senex asked. She wanted the man to be as comfortable as possible. He did not seem out of sorts, not quite. Perhaps it was that he was not entirely certain of himself or of the situation. The best she could do for now was simply answer his questions.
"Our members here are all expected to contribute to the overall health of the pack. And much like in your old home, certain members specialize in certain things." The small boned wolfess grinned wryly. She was short in stature and very thin. She was roughly the five feet tall in her luperci form, and now even the children she had watched grow in Crimson Dreams towered over her. "As you could probably guess, I am not the world's most skilled huntress, but if there is a need for food, I do try," she said. She might not be the best defense for the borders, but she still patrolled. She did whatever was necessary. "You may find this strange - because I did when I first arrived here - but Phoenix Valley keeps small herds of livestock - cattle, and others, and we care for these animals. They are our source of food in winter."
Adjusting to Phoenix Valley's lifestyle had been strange, but now she could not imagine another way of life. She tried to think of other things she might be able to tell Haephastus. "We have a small library at the ranch, where I took you this morning," she told him. "You are welcome to peruse it. There is also an old human city nearby, Halifax, with a myriad of human items. It is a neutral territory, and you may look through and take materials from there." Geneva smiled. "As for the Patriarch, simply call him Jefferson. I've never called him anything else," she confided in the scarred man.
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Women, back in his previous home, were regarded as the source of all life and the pinnacle of humanity. Without them, young men would have never learned manners or respect, right from wrong, or any of the million other things that a woman could burn into a child's mind. It had been his own mother that had taught him of compassion, courtesy, respect, and a million other things that made Haephastus who he was in life. It was her teaching that even aided him in battle often. Never kill an unarmed opponent, though in those dire times of war, there was often little choice for an assassin. Spare the women and children, for they are pure of heart and innocent. As few casualties as possible, for whatever that was worth, in a time of war. He had followed her words and her teachings with all of his heart and to the best of his ability and he was certain that she was proud of him, even at the moment of her death, despite knowing that he had failed, a heavy burden that he kept with him always.
Haephastus, regarding her words with a polite nod, moved carefully across the floor to seat himself upon the couch, careful to leave space between them, for he knew that personal space could be a sacred thing. Turning himself, careful not to press his back to harshly against the couch, he faced the woman who had shown kindness to a stranger, smiling a smile that curled straight up into his milky blue eyes. Silent, multicolored ears perked forward to take in her words, listening to what explanations that she could offer. He hadn't imagined that life in Phoenix Valley could be very much like the old days of Jerusalem but the more that she explained, the more similarities he began to notice. "We kept cattle for milk." He noted absently, though it seemed as if they kept theirs for meat instead.
"I will have to visit these places." He said with a faint smile, glad to hear that such areas existed so close by. "My mother taught me to read when I was young but I have not had much of a chance to do so." She had read him everything from fairy tales to text books and he had enjoyed each equally, though there were a few favorites that stood out in his mind. He was certain that he could find something in one or the other that would hold his interest for quite a while.
Regarding her comment about their Patriarch with a simple nod, Haephastus' face took on a more dire expression. The thought of finding books to read brought another issue to light, one that he hadn't quite thought of earlier that day upon his arrival. "I have to tell you, Miss Geneva.." He frowned lightly, continuing the same soft tones that he always seemed to. "My vision is failing me, though it isn't that bad at the moment, I fear that it will only continue to get worse." He didn't have a time frame. He wasn't even certain that he would lose it completely. All he knew was that it had started at some point in his fourth year of life and that it had the potential to cause an issue in the future.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> Geneva watched Haephastus' face as he took in what she had to say. She was relieved to see a smile on his face. It did much to transform his tired features. She could still sense the weariness within him, but she was glad to see that her new pack mate was able to smile despite whatever obviously stayed on his mind. Haephastus was soft-spoken, much like herself. Geneva barely ever rose her voice or spoke above a whisper. Since her time here in Phoenix Valley, she had only ever raised her voice during times of great emotional turmoil or stress. It was hard to get a rise out of the woman.
"We also utilize the cattle for milk," Geneva added as Haephastus spoke. Perhaps adjusting to life in Phoenix Valley would not be difficult for him, something she was grateful to note. Perhaps the male had experience in dealing with livestock. She herself had never heard of keeping beasts that would have otherwise been prey to her. She was not the most capable huntress and she certainly could not take down considerable sized game herself, but it had taken her some time to adjust to caring for the animals. Something about them triggered her more primal instincts, and when she had let the cattle out to pasture she had had a strange urge to give chase. The new lifestyle had been an adjustment to her, but she was glad to know that the adjustment wouldn't be quite so drastic for him.
Geneva's face lit up when she learned that Haephastus could read. There was something about the tone of his voice and the information about his mother that made her think that reading meant something special to him. The woman could definitely understand that. She had been a sickly child, and her father had taught her to read. She had lost herself in stories and the sound of her father's voice when her other siblings had ventured out to play. But she had never felt cheated. In her mind, stories were a sacred thing, and a reminder of the times she had spent with her beloved father.
Haephastus' expression changed, and Geneva's expression changed to one of concern as she listened intensely to what he had to say next. As he disclosed the information about his failing eyesight, she nodded silently. Then her face took on a more softened look. "Thank you for telling me. And please do not feel the need to apologize, for your eyesight failing is hardly your fault. And it is not a reflection on you." The woman thought for a moment. "Jefferson is already half-blind, and he manages well. And the leader before him, Iskata, was blind too. I did not know her, and I have only heard of her, but blindness is not something new to this pack. There will be ways to compensate for that loss, if the time should come. We'll find ways to work around it." Her voice became whisper soft, and her eyes unfocused a little as she spoke again, "I'll read to you if you are no longer able to. Sometimes, if I sit in an empty room and read aloud, and if I concentrate hard enough, I can hear my father's voice." She shook her head and smiled wryly. "Forgive my digression."
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Haephastus was somewhat surprised to hear that they used their cattle in the same way that the denizens of Jerusalem had. Of course, this brought about more options of helping out for the foreign male, for he had assisted his mother with their care many times over, and the care of the other types of animals that they had kept. It was an exciting thing, though he didn't show it, knowing that there was still more that he could do to repay the kindness of Geneva and their Patriarch. She had pulled him out of the rain, a complete stranger, and in to her very own home. No one in his travels had done such a thing, nor would they have ever even considered it, and it only made Haephastus want to work harder for them.
Despite the million things that went through his head in those few moments, when Geneva spoke, Haephastus turned his attention back to her immediately, face stiffening a bit at her words. He had indeed noticed that Jefferson kept his fair share of scars and the fact that the man's eye had been closed but not much thought had been given to that in comparison. They shared something in common perhaps, to have lived through such battles, but Haephastus suspected that the man was just as quiet as he, just as private. The foreign man itched at his bandaged arm a moment, eyes and ears still directed to the kind woman that continued to speak.
Her words, as they went on, practically took his breath away. He was confused and shocked, she had taken him by surprise, and as he sat there watching her, he could feel himself tear up, if only for a moment. "You are very kind, Miss Geneva." He told her quietly, clearing his throat a moment. Who else might take time out of their life to read to an aging blind man? "I will do whatever I can to return your kindness." He assured her, certainty in his voice. It took someone like her, a friend in the making, to give a lost soul a purpose and return their will. "And there is nothing to forgive." The man smiled faintly. "In the quiet, I can often hear voices and things from the past." Though it may not have been as fond as hers, it was true. Often it was feet in the darkness, reminding him of the nights in Jerusalem, laying awake for fear that if you slept, they would send in an assassin to kill you. The screams and the death and the terror, even in the present, he could still hear it all.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v463/ ... Tablep.png); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat; width:400px; border:1px #D8FF00 solid; font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px;"> She could here an infinite sadness in his voice when he admitted that he, too, heard echoes from the past when the air was particularly still. Although she doubted that the sounds reverberating in his mind were beloved echoes. Something about the tone of his voice and the weight of his words indicated something other than happiness. Geneva frowned slightly, but chose not to speak about her assumptions. Sometimes it was better to leave well enough alone.
The woman clasped her hands together and smiled at him weakly, trying to think of a way to move on from the topic. "What have you read? What is your favorite thing to read?" the Senex inquired. Returning to the topic of reading seemed safe. He had seemed happy and surprised that she had offered to read to him. But it was obvious that there was something about the written word that Haephastus loved. It would have been a shame and a waste for him to lose that gift.
Then Geneva remembered that she had offered to help him. "Sometime when you are nearby, please come to the ranch," she told him. Her tone indicated that he could come at his leisure and that she was simply making a request and not a demand. "I'm no cartographer, but I have been keeping an updated map of Phoenix Valley's boundary lines." The gray furred woman had worked to give the map painstaking detail, trying to be as accurate as possible
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After a moment of quiet, Haephastus regretted what he had said. It would have been easier, simpler, to have just assured her that she wasn't the only one, to have kept his personal experiences with it and the pain that it often caused him out of his voice. The situation was suddenly awkward and uncomfortable to him, even though he knew that he wasn't expected to tell her everything, he still felt bad. She had been so kind to him, shown him kindness that he hadn't expected to find in a million years, and there he was, keeping secrets from her. Chewing idly at his lips, he allowed his eyes to wander away from her a moment, staring down at his injured hand.
Her words brought comfort though, even if they stressed him slightly. She knew that it had made him uncomfortable, she probably knew that he was keeping secrets, but she had changed the subject none-the-less. "I read this one book once.." He began quietly, lifting his eyes back up to meet her face. "It was long and strange, I didn't really like it much. Kind of confusing. I think it was called the Bible?" He questioned himself, unsure of whether he had remembered the name correctly or not. "I remember reading a book when I was younger, about a man named Artorius. He was a King and had a group called the Knights of the Round table. I like things like that. And Peter Pan." He couldn't forget about Peter Pan. Captain Hook was a scoundrel.
"Ingenious." He said quietly, referring to the map that she spoke of. "I wouldn't have ever thought of doing it such a way." It would certainly help him out a bit when it came to learning the borders. "I will be sure to stop some time and see it." He assured her with a faint smile. "And to look through the library?" It was more a question, despite the fact that she had told him of it already and offered to let him look through it. "Do you read from there often?" The foreign man queried, not liking to seem as if he were talking about himself the whole time. "What do you read?" If she didn't mind answering the question in kind, of course.
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Geneva was relieved that Haephastus seemed much more comfortable. Although she had grown in confidence sincfe her time in Nova Scotia, there were still times that Geneva doubted herself. She did not like to make others feel uncomfortable, and could get quite self conscious if there was a long pause in a conversation. Although she could appreciate a silence without words, she did not like the feel the weight of memories within the air, especially if she had invoked them. But Haephasuts had quickly followed the direction of her conversation, soemthing she was supremely grateful for.
The gray wolfess brightened, sitting as straight as he mentioned two stories she was very familiar with. Geneva was very comfortable discussing stories. She loved to read, and for so long it had been her passion and at one time it had been her only source of comfort and escapism. "I am familiar with the Legend of King Arthur, although I think I might have read a later version," the woman said. "The character of Merlin has always been a source of fascination for me." Geneva had also read Peter Pan. Most recently, she had read it to Naniko's sons, Salem and Haven, who must now undoubtedly be grown. It had her heart hurt for a moment to realize that she hadn't kept in touch with those in Crimson Dreams as well as she would have liked to, but there was nothing she could do to remedy that right now.
"You are welcome to look through the library," Geneva continued. "It is available to all pack members, and to friends of the pack with permission." The library must be rife with Geneva's scent at this point. She did not have the leisure to spend her days there all of the time anymore, but she did make it a point to add a few new tomes to the collection every few weeks. "Right now, I am studying The Odyssey," Geneva said. "It is strange, and written like a poem, but I enjoy it."
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