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Ehno, in Old Red.
To open her mind. To find the possibilities.
Soft hands ran along the gnarled warped and rough board of wood. The light was dim with in the old barn, yet good enough to examine the planks. She needed to be open, needed to think about every option and all the possibilities. She could paint this, cut that, stack and nail those. Perhaps she could find a saw, or maybe she could set up a space here. Away from all the noise and distractions of the Manor. It was not surprising that her art would spill out from the sunroom and into other areas. She would like to not clutter the hallways and common spaces of the mansion. Maybe here? The question stayed with the tall woman as she scavenged another piece of wood from the large pile and looked at it.
The Earthen toned Church wolfess stepped back, crouching to see it at eye level and finding it suitable. In the keep pile it went. She figured that no one wanted these, and so she would keep the good stuff for herself. It was nice to be busy, and she was happy to have a project to work on. She was thinking of many things as of late. Ares was a one of the happier thoughts, and so he was on her mind often. The gray and black male made her think of all the possibilities, and she felt her mind open to many of them. The pups that had just arrived home to the Manor filled her thoughts as well, though too small and fragile for a Nanny’s touch. Soon though, the parents would need another set of eyes to watch over them. If Jaz ever planned on sleeping again.
Her mother was not far from her mind, the news from Anu had been hard, but the young wolfess had taken the cue from her adoptive mother and remained steady in her response. Feeling replaced, discarded and forgotten could not be stopped, but letting them known could be controlled. The next piece was twisted, bowed and ugly. She lay if flat on the dirt ground. It was warped and would not lie flat. Not good enough. But the grain and the color made her hesitate as she began to move it to the discard pile. Slowly she moved it and then stopped. Perhaps it was beautiful in its uniqueness. She threw it then, at the very thought. No, she thought as it crashed into the pile of weakened wood.
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Ehno had taken to leaving the manor once again, feeling both more at home in Crimson Dreams and more confident after spending time with his family. It was quite a shock for him to find out that he was an uncle to two more squirming little puppies, but it was a pleasant one. He was so very grateful that his wayward sister had a successful pregnancy and did not have to face the pain of loosing a litter again. He still found it difficult to accept the fact that he was not around to learn about this or her quick mateship with Jazper. Internally, he berated himself for missing such important moments in his family’s life, but this was the way he had chosen to handle things. If he was determined to live between two packs and two families, he would have to be prepared to miss some precious moments from both. So with this thought in mind, the male steeled himself against such ways of thinking, knowing that sulking would only make the adjustment that much harder for himself.
The Major stepped around the old, tall barn, intending to make his way to the shore of Rabbit Lake nearest the windmill. A clattering noise from within the barn halted him in his trek, though, and he changed his course to investigate it. The chocolate-hued male stepped easily through the large doorway, amber gaze scanning the building quickly for the source of the noise. He spotted another wolf within the barn and he froze immediately. It was the Church girl, who he hadn’t seen or spoken to much at all after her mother’s tryst with drugs and subsequent departure from the pack lands. She had been so shy when she was younger, yet still so pleasant to talk to and spend time with. He wondered briefly if the young woman before him had changed all that much since her days as a youth, but another thought jumped to the forefront of his mind and cut that question short. How much did she know about what happened between him and her mother? How much had the Dreamers who did know tell her?
He suddenly found himself feeling very nervous, unsure what he should do and unsure about how she felt about him now. The tiny cowardly part of him screamed for a swift retreat, but the Italian man knew better than to pull such a move. Doing so would only solidify the wall that may have stood between the two, creating an irremovable boundary. He justified his decision against fleeing by telling himself that he needed to know whether Mati was oblivious to his involvement with her mother or if she resented him for it. The optimist within him was certain that staying here couldn’t be so horrible, and thus he remained where he stood at the entrance of the large old barn. Still, the butterflies of nervousness fluttered within his stomach.
“Do… do you need any help?” he called, hesitant. He anticipated a cold “No” in response, but he could do nothing more than test the waters for now.
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Yet another piece subjected to the beating of weather and time. It almost turned to dust in her hand, crumbling against her touch. Her paws were large, just as large as any male’s, but they were kind hands and slow and light in their touch. Still the wood was too weak to live, and so she discarded it without another thought. The next, ragged and looking like a piece of old red siding. Mati placed it into the keep pile, decided on its color alone. A voice came to her ears, accented and deep in tone. The girl had not expected any company. And as she turned to affirm her guess of whom it was she was indeed met with the sight of Savina’s brother. Mati was surprised to see him, unsure if he had deserted them or not. It was a harsh, and an incorrect thought. Mati scolded herself, what was she? An ignorant pup? If he had decided to leave for good it would have been with a sincere intention. But whether or not if he was going to leave was not the only stigma surrounding the male. It was why he would have needed to.
“That would be great.” She spoke, a false smile coming to her face. She was unsure why she accepted his offer, for Mati could not decide if she was angry for him sleeping with her mother or for giving yet another reason not to come home, or for truly killing any hope that her two mothers would somehow reconcile. Maybe she would finally come to terms with all those notions. Strong arms picked up the next piece of wood, and slow and calmly placed it in the good pile. She felt the urge to throw it, to take the pent energy and anger and expel it. But it was her choice to show the confusion and the other revolting feelings, and she chose to hide them now.
“I think I’m going to paint on them.” Mati explained, hoping to not show any of the turmoil as she had with Princess. The girl had been able to pick up on the anger she felt and within a few seconds had asked out right why Mati hated her. She didn’t hate Ehno, and hoped he wouldn’t ask her such a things. “You don’t need them, right?” Mati assumed he wasn’t doing any carpentry lately, but it wasn’t always right to just assume things.
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Ehno didn’t realize that he had been holding his breath until Mati accepted his offer for help. He was surprised at how nervous he had been and that the girl accepted his offer at all. He pictured himself in such a bad light sometimes that he would wonder why anyone wanted anything to do with him at all. He knew beat himself up for things far too often, but that did not change the fact that he felt it was well deserved. He entered the barn and stopped beside the pile of weakened wood, keeping a respectful distance from the Church girl. He eyed the separate piles of wood and the unexamined planks silently. Mati explained her intentions for the wood and Ehno began to get a fairly good idea of what the young woman was doing here.
He shook his head simply at her question. “No. I have more than enough supplies to use for now. It’s all yours.” Between the turmoil of Cambria’s accident and his recent departure, Ehno hadn’t touched his workshop much at all lately. He would have to take up his hobby in earnest again. It would sharpen his skills and allow him to take his mind off things at the same time. It seemed like a wonderful plan to him. He lifted an unexamined plank, amber gaze drifting over it for a moment. At first glance the piece looked to be in good condition and sported an interesting swirling pattern in the grain. Yet further inspection revealed the wood to be weakened and warped at one end, the result of rainwater slowly poisoning it. An otherwise beautiful piece simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Major clutched it in his hands and stared at it for a moment.
“How has your painting been going?” he asked, feeling that he should say something, anything, to break up the silent tension he felt in the room. It was a safe topic, and a cowardly one. He didn’t have the nerve to bring up any of the drama transpiring between their families. The Italian man did not have the right to spring such a heavy topic on her especially after all that he had done to make the situation more complicated. If she truly could not allow the matter to simply rest between them, she could always bring it up herself. Until then he would be content with idle and slightly strained chatter. He justified his decision by focusing on the genuine curiosity that lay within his words. Ehno remembered that Mati had taken an interest in art even back when she was a young pup, and he wondered how much she would have improved by now.
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She could tell he was uneasy, and she had to fight to find a place inside her that cared. She should, she should be welcoming and be glad that he was home. Mati needed to forget the things that had happened, for they didn’t even encompass her. Only her mother. It was not often that she thought of the alabaster woman, slowly letting go of the idea that she would be able to ever hold onto her. She still had many that cared for her, and she slowly accumulated more and more of those important souls. Nothing would replace her birth mother, but she was finding that there were beasts out there that could matter just as much. If not more. That sort of love had never been lost to her, so why could she not look at the timber wolf and forgive?
Mati looked at the planks as he answered her, “Thanks” was all that was said. A small smile to make the words genuine was added and Mati went back to her picking. The next was good, sturdy and heavy. It was dry, sheltered by the others that had been on top of it. It was smooth on the one side, as if someone had sanded it down. It looked cared for even with the years of its caretaker’s obvious absence. She placed it gently along side the good pile. She thought she would use it first. Her ear turned at the sound of his voice, glad that he was interested in delving deeper into conversation, yet not unhappy with the silence. “Stuck at the moment. And I have no more canvases.” She spoke, finally returning her gaze to his when the piece had been placed perfectly.
He looked like the same beast that she had known before, not changed other than the weary look on his face. His color was still the chocolate brown swirled among the cream of his chin and chest. Gold eyes looked at her, undoubtedly wondering what she saw as she looked at him. Mati would always use her eyes before any other sense. While the rest used their nose first, Mati would see before smelling. “I remember the house you had made, and figured I could paint on wood too.” She spoke, softly while her eyes were torn from his form and placed back onto the pile of boards.
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[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... banner.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;"> Many apologies for the late response! >: 300+
Slowly the tension seemed to seep out of him. Part of it remained, and he was almost certain that it would stick with him for quite some time. But the longer he stood there in her presence, the more his initial unease would simply evaporate; no longer pressing so heavily on him, but still hanging there in the air around them. The continuing conversation did well to make him feel a little less awkward as well, and he began to wonder why he’d been quite so worked up in the first place. The girl mentioned being stuck with her work, and Ehno could sympathize with the feeling. There had been times where he had stood in his workshop, tools in hand and with no inspiration or direction to speak of.
The mere mention of that old house he had made, the first carpentry project he’d taken up, brought back memories of days not all that far past. He remembered sitting on the floor in the manor’s living area, explaining his work to a young and curious Mati. Amber-gold eyes looked to the young woman as she examined the pile of old planks. She had grown so much since that day, but she was still much the same. Her interest in the arts remained strong, and that little fact reassured Ehno that some things would always remain the same, no matter how complicated life could get. No matter how much those complications could change a person.
He lifted another, smaller piece from the pile, turning it in his hands as he looked it over. “That’s a good idea. Problem solved.” He smiled slightly, hesitating for a moment. “You know, you could still paint that little house. If you want to,” he added, gaze drifting from the small plank in his hands to the earthen hued girl once again. That had been the original plan, hadn’t it? The little model of the manor still sat upon a shelf in his workshop, completed in form, but still devoid of color.
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no worries :]
The barn was expansive, the ceiling set high above the pair. The air was made cold by the old construction’s drafty form, and if she looked up she would see that the roof was not complete. When it snowed, small flakes would find their way though the large rafters, dotting the dirt floor. Their voices were lost in the open space, and as he spoke his words were almost lost in the empty building. His tone was still hesitant, tension lingering in the syllables. Her eyes caught his small smile, wondering if she was only making things harder for him. Did he deserve a moment’s rest? Was he worthy of a few seconds without the guilt that was thickly written on his face? She did not think that many would find his actions and absence appropriate when thinking of the loyalty a Dreamer must posses. But he was responsible, the Church wolfess would give him that.
Mati was surprised, “You didn’t paint it?” For some reason she had imagined that he had given it color. But it was some time ago, maybe even a year. It must have grown dusty, lost somewhere in a closet. Maybe it was time to revive the small creation and give it the finishing touches it deserved.
It had been so long ago, at a time that was left slightly fuzzy. No one could remember every memory of their childhood, it being a time of such development. But there would be moments that could never be forgotten. Mati didn’t think that she would forget him and his wooden house, their trip to the basement and discovering the canvases. It was a fond memory. How would she feel what she looked back on this moment, if she remembered it… The Earthen toned lady moved and turned to face the male. A small, forced, smile cam to her face and she spoke with a tone that she willed gentle. “Will you help me, bring some back?” Mati wanted to forget, to move forward. It was not an easy task. The tall woman took hold of some of the boards, to bring back to her studio.
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Ehno shook his head at her surprised question. “Nope. I finished putting it all together, but it’s still lacking color to bring it to life.” As soon as he had finished setting up his workshop in one of the empty room in the manor, he had set the little building on one of his new shelves, taking it down every so often to tinker with it, give it a little more detail. He came to a point where the small model felt complete, after which the model watched over him from its shelf while he took on other carpentry projects. “I figured that you still wanted to paint it, once you were old enough to shift. You seemed rather interested in it.” A tiny smile clung to the corners of his lips as he thought of the found memory. My, how times had changed. “I guess I never got around to giving it to you… You’re still welcome to liven it up, if you’re interested.”
How late this simple offer came. So many things had happened since then, stealing his attention away all these months. The more recent of those troubles included Ghita’s sudden disappearance and her subsequent reappearance. And of course there was the occurrence that shook all of Crimson Dreams, in one way or another: Naniko’s fall from grace. Add in Ehno’s own twist to the situation with his involvement with Nani, and eventually unexpected birth of the puppies, and you had the recipe for a rather hectic life. Somehow, The Marino man still found it a little sad that he couldn’t find a single moment between all these happenings to deliver the little mansion to the Church girl as he had intended. Now would have to be as good a time as ever, it seemed.
Suddenly Mati turned to face him, a smile that he could only hope was genuine on her lips. It seemed she was ready to move onto the next step in gathering her new materials by moving them into her studio. He nodded in response to her request and said, “I’d be glad to help.” The words were completely true, no matter how much that nagging part of him suggested that Mati herself was probably not so glad to have his help. Regardless of how the Church girl may truly feel about him now, Ehno still cared for her, as he had when she was younger. That wouldn’t change, even if it turned out that she hated him. He bent over and gathered some of the planks from the good pile into his arms and then waited for Mati to lead the way to her studio.
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SSWM - 500
Mati found it odd that he had left the little wooden house unpainted. It would be impossible for her to let the small creation go unfinished, but such persistence and perhaps perfection was hers alone. Other could allow time to pass before finishing a task. Mati found his thoughts for her a surprise and overwhelmingly kind. The artist could not think of the process as two pieces, with the carpenter starting the process by building the structure and then a painter (of any talent or specialty) moving in to finish the job. But it was almost like that, perhaps Mati was simply more eager to pain it then Ehno. She smiled at his assumption, for it was nothing short of truth. She nodded, “I’ll take a look at it.”. her words were light and though they might not speak her eagerness to see the small house and wok on it the tone in which she spoke revealed her ambition. Though it felt like years since seeing the chocolate male, Mati remembered well what the house might look like. It was likely smaller then she remembered, since at the time the woman had been no more then a pup. Her eyes had watched the floor’s level, and everything, no matter the size, seemed taller and grander then she.
The violet eyes woman waited for his response, wondering if he would help her or not. It wasn’t much of a question, knowing that the soft hearted male wouldn’t refuse. He had been kind enough to speak with her, even when she had been slightly cold and hollow in her greeting. Then once more he had extending his hand and giving her the small house as a tool of inspiration. Mati could not seen the male refusing, though it was certainly his right if he wished. But, with the nod he gave and response that matched it Mati’s worries were lifted and brushed away. She picked up a few of the good boards and with a little balancing she picked up a few more. The two wolves walked out into the open air and without another word the Dreamers walked towards the manor.
At first the female lead the way, but as they settled into an easy pace Mati fell to his side and looked to the ground that she stepped upon. Silence filtered between them, but it was not because she was out of questions to ask or stories to tell. The Church girl was simply unsure of the path to take. Part of her couldn’t venture towards the Phoenix Valley border and even think about the wolves that lived there. She couldn’t, it was too soon and too sensitive and as much as she wished to be able to moved past it she couldn’t. But could she skirt around the issue, and settled the nerves of her stomach? No.
“How are they?” She asked, speaking of his puppies and feeling cowardly for not asking sooner or in a more elaborate way.
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Ehno was filled with an odd sense of relief when Mati accepted his offer to paint the little house. He was glad to think that the little model of Haven Manor might finally be finished, but he was certain that it wasn’t the main reason for his relief. He had to admit that he was glad that Mati was still interested in it because it meant that she didn’t plan to simply shun him from her life after what he had done. It would have been a simple thing for her to plainly decline his offer, yet she hadn’t. Perhaps everything wasn’t as bad as he had made it out to be. It was silly of him to worry so much about such a thing, but he couldn’t help the way he felt. He simply smiled and followed the artistic Dreamer out of the barn.
Silence floated along with the pair of Dreamers as they walked from the barn back to the mansion. Ehno was content with the silence, despite still feeling slightly awkward. He wasn’t sure what sort of direction he could possibly take their conversation, as only the most obvious and awkward topic of his involvement with Naniko seemed to come to mind. So he chose to keep his mouth shut for the time being, as they journeyed back to Mati’s studio. Yet as they walked side by side toward their home, the earthen-hued girl was the one to break the silence with the very topic that was on his mind. The sudden question caught him off guard, ears perking and eyes widening in surprise. They way things had been going so far, he had expected that this subject would be avoided entirely. So when she asked about the puppies, he found that he wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. “They’re… they’re doing well,” he finally managed, surprise making his words hesitant at first. The pair had reached the Manor’s front porch, and Ehno used the distraction of opening the door for them in order to gather his thoughts. He shifted around the planks he was carrying, moving them so he could free one of his hands without dropping any. After successfully moving them around, he grabbed the handle of the front door and opened it, holding open for Mati.
“There are four of them, full of energy,” He said once they’d made it inside, the usual proud smile he had when speaking of them coming to his lips. The Marino man was testing the continuation of this topic with that little statement, seeing how interested Mati was in hearing more. He didn’t know how much she cared to know about them right now, but they were her siblings and he wanted her to know them, even if only through his descriptions. Still, he was hesitant to make any mention of Naniko herself. The Major was unsure how the young woman still felt about her mother, so he decided to not to bring her up for now unless it was necessary.
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SSWM - 616
wow look at that new title... lol xD
Mati was not like her adoptive mother, and did not forgive and she forgave. It was hard to hold all of the faith and hope she so often talked about. It was almost impossible, and Mati didn’t know how she did it. At times she figured it was only a show, that the leader was simply being strong for those around her, or that she was looking at the brighter side for the pack. But the earth bound woman just saw the bright side when no one else could and noticed the good even with the mountain of bad that shadowed it. It felt good to forgive Ehno, even if it was simply in her head and reasons and need to gain forgiveness was all her own accord. She felt a small connection with the Lt General, where ever she might be, and thought that perhaps she was beginning to see the good beyond the bad. In their silent filled walk, Mati was unsure how to feel about his children, though now that the question was asked and the topic in plain sight she felt less upset. She felt like that forgiveness was honest and true, and not just a show to fool herself into thinking she was some soft of 'bigger person'.
As hard for her as it was to ask, Ehno was just as surprised that she had. The Church woman had not hoped to shock him with her interest, and had secretly hoped that he was eager for her to bring up the topic. She had thought that he might himself, though if he had when he had first come across her Mati didn’t know how she would have reacted. He spoke hesitantly, obviously taken aback and told of their wellbeing. Perhaps if they hadn’t been, Mati would have heard word of it. Though she had not spoken to any from the pack in which they lived and so news would be rare. She wondered how often he made the journey to see them. At this point they likey needed their mother more then anything, but raising pups took a pack no matter the age. She wouldn’t want to miss out on anything if she ever had her own.
They managed to enter the Mansion, and it held it usual quiet tone once the door was closed behind them. She nodded her thanks for his polite manner and listened as he commented about their energy and the size of the litter. Four; it was a large and healthy size. Mati did not force the thought of Naniko into her mind. It willed the one time mother figure away and so she let the image of the dam slip away. tragically she didn’t see them at first as siblings, but as Ehno’s puppies. The distance and severed relationship she held with her mother had broken the tie, and Mati did not hold the kin connection, as she should. It was not in a malicious way, but only a reaction to her last memories of Naniko.
“Of course they are.” She commented, with a smile.
She headed down the hall towards her room, the pile of boards in hand. The sunflower painting hung on the nail she had placed there the day she had moved in and fumbled with the door knob.
“I am excited for Ghita and Jaz’s litter. When they’re up and around.” She commented with a small smile, making her into the sunroom. The wide windows gave plenty of light, almost no matter the sort of day. She put the boards on a chair, looking around while adding,
“I’m the Nanny around now, so there’s no chance they’ll get away from me.”
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lol, yeah... soulschat leads to some amusing things. XD And slow Jenny is slow again. :x 522
Ehno followed the younger Dreamer through the familiar halls of the manor, a bit of the shock from Mati’s sudden question still with him. It was an odd thing for Ehno to feel so hesitant to speak about his little ones. Usually the man could find plenty about them to proudly ramble on about, yet right now he had to work to allow his tongue to form those words. Perhaps the unease stemmed from the fact that he had yet to speak of the little ones to anyone who may still harbor ill feelings toward him and Naniko for what had happened. Speaking with Savina had given him some confidence, but this was the first time he had encountered any from Naniko’s first litter after the incident. He took Mati’s comment and smile as an unspoken invitation to continue speaking if he wished to. Throwing caution to the wind, he decided to share some more about the puppies in Phoenix Valley with her. “Yes. Three are girls and one’s a boy. Rio, Lucia, Caprica, and Harlowe.” That knot of nervous anticipation that sat within his stomach when he first spoke of them seemed to slowly fade away.
Ehno glanced around the sun room as they entered. It was filled with warm natural light, the sun’s rays filtering through the wide windows that lined the room. It was perhaps the perfect place for Mati to have chosen for her craft. The natural light gave the room a comfortable feeling and the perfect atmosphere for a creative task. The abundant lighting would provide her with a perfect view of her paints and allow her to create spectacular works without hindrance. He followed the young woman to where she placed the boards she had carried onto an empty chair. The male placed his own bundle of wooden boards onto the chair with hers, moving a few of them to the floor to lean against the chair when it seemed they would topple to the ground.
Mati let the topic shift into a slightly different direction, mentioning Ghita and Jazper’s litter and her role as the pack’s nanny. “You’re the nanny? Well, congratulations.” He peppered his words with a smile. The Marino man was glad to hear that the girl had taken up that task. She was certainly a caring and responsible soul, and he had no doubt that she would do wonderfully at the job. “If the puppies turn out anything like Ghita when she was young, you will certainly have your hands full,” he commented with a grin. While Ehno and Savina had their share of adventures as young puppies, Ghita had plenty of her own as well. She had never been one to be content with sitting quietly around. He wondered just how similar Aro and Sophia might grow to be like their parents. A bitter thought that his children would not have the chance to play here with their cousins crossed through his mind, but he dismissed it rather quickly. He had had enough of those thoughts plaguing his mind lately and he would not need to dwell on them any longer.
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lol
Mati smiled, finding it easier and easier to do so in the presence of the male. The tension was dwindling, though she hadn’t been (or trying to be) upset with Ehno. It was her mother that had made those choices, choices that had not been forgiven or explained. In her mind she played it out that Ehno was caught in the fray, and the result was this litter. Mati couldn’t be unhappy with that, and the names danced in her mind so that they could be remembered.
They stood in her room, and Mati noticed that there was plenty of cleaning and organizing that could be done to make it a bit more presentable. There were not many that came to visit her, as she wished to keep the room closed and quiet for her work. But moments like these came unexpectedly, and she didn’t want to show her less tidy side.
The Major spoke, and her smile grew. She was proud of the work she had did to earn the co-rank, and enjoyed every bit of it too. The new pups would be a handful, as Ehno commented. Mati let a soft giggle coil through her words, “And Jaz?” She asked without seeking an actual answer. “I’m sure they will be quite a hand full.” The Church girl stressed that with both parents would give their pups that extra little bit of energy.
Looking down at the panels Mati found that she could not manage an apology, in hopes of seeking forgiveness for the cold way she had acted. Instead she came out with a, “Thank you,” instead of anything that she had really wanted. “Ehno.” Mati added, pointing the planks with a small grin.
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