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Tsiladoosgi — Falling flowers
618
The snow fall drizzled down gently, almost silently from the heavens. It bathed and covered the lands in a blanket of pristine white. These lands had been different; changed by the frigid, invisible grasp of winter everywhere. These lands had certainly been robbed of their lush, greener resources. It was early morning, where the few sparse rays of the sun began peeking out over the eastern horizon with a dim flaxen glow. It was the hour of the day where all creatures of the lands were catching their prey and collecting their food early, despite how the cold ice and snow had made most of these activities considerably more difficult for others than most.
With the bronco that was her steed and her method of travel, Aidan had lifted his head and gave a resounding snort; eyes from behind his long lashes surveying the land that he had been familiar with several times before. Asha too let a longing gaze take place upon the lands before her, noting the subtle changes here and there from what she could see; mainly from what the seasons had done to take away all of the greenery. Still, home never looked anymore enticing whether it was covered in ice or not. Home was home, and no matter how far her wanderlust decided to take her, there would always be a place in this world to return back to. A refuge. A safe grounds. A place of knowing. Her bow was strapped across her back; a prized item that had kept her survival strong while she was away, with several arrows also strapped above the bow contraption itself. Shaking her head lightly to herself, there was a barrage of weaponry and items she had left behind in her cabin, and even more so was she eager to walk through her wooden front door and toss herself on the closest cushion she could.
Jaya had sent her a series of dreams, dreams that had been both unsettling and captivating. The original reason was that Jaya had sent her signs of her younger sister and of the rest of the Tribe that didn't make it in the first migration to these newer lands; there had been something gone terribly wrong, and she had seen it as her duty to go out and seek this problem. She knew Dawali had his hands full here, and while he probably didn't want her to originally go in the first place, she felt as if there was no choice to be had in the manner. The others had been holding up well, but there had been a striking famine in their area.
And, to her surprise, Aiyanna had disappeared from the site. It was for a valid reason, and Asha had stayed as long as she could with them. When it was time to go, she had spent some time on the outside with herself, Jaya, and Aidan, simply letting wanderlust and adventure capture her heart while it was still for the taking. She would not regret her leave that was a little longer than it should have been, for there were many lessons and elements of life that she had learned. Asha would return as a much wiser individual indeed.
It was early morning, and Dawali could be anywhere at this point. Her aging father sleeping away, waking up to duties, hey, maybe even still fishing? She had wondered, with an amused smirk, how much better he had gotten with fishing from all this time. Giving a gentle pat to Aidan's neck, it was the signal to tread forth in the snow. The trio would head in the direction of the village, at a slow but sure pace.
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<3 I didn't think it'd be logical for him to be walking around, besides I never roleplay stuff happening at his place. I hope it's ok! :]
Word Count: 463 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
His legs were resting on the ground and his behind on the top level of his three-stepped stair to the wonky door of his little building. He called it a den, but it was more of a leaky, unpredictable little wooden construction. Sure, it stayed up — that wasn't the problem. It was the holes in the walls and the snow that entered through the front door if the winds were harsh enough. It was the fact that it was so small, and he daren't light a proper hearth in it to keep himself warm. And so he had figured, today, to simply sit outside. It was just as cold inside anyway. Grumpy, he nibbled on dried fish as he mumbled to himself, not quite content with his situation. So, Hemming and Ember, was it? And this winter, would it just end already? No, it would probably get tonnes worse before he got a break. Little Cambria would come tomorrow, as well, and he had to prepare for her visits. To find the herbs needed, sometimes dead animals to show her how a body worked; the importance of heads and necks and blood and such. The importance of what not to do, and how simply applying cloth could save a life. She needed to see it, not just hear him speak about it, but he was having a rough week and this was not his ideal day. Chilled winds rippled his short fur some places, and one gust broke through the wall of hair his mane consisted of. The Chief chivered audibly and made several deep-throated noises of discontent as the cold air hit his neck. No, it did not suit him at all. Perhaps when the winter was over, he could ask Hemming if he could aid him in building a better hut for himself. Or maybe he could not, it he and Ember was to be an item. Oh, this pile of dung he had put his foot in. Well, he hadn't really done anything, but still. Sometimes, perhaps, it would be better off for him if he didn't think at all. And never spoke. This little... issue of his now was always tearing at his mind whenever he had spare time, so he made sure he didn't have any spare time. Problem was, with the winter being cold and his hut unreliable, doing things all day every day made him weary as hell. He felt 6 years older than he was, and he was just waiting for his eyesight to fail, his joints to crumble and his hands to shake. Oh the glory of growing old.
The red wolf male sat in his own silence and his tail was still. Cranky, sour and uncomfortably cold. This was Dawali the past two weeks.
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That's perfectly fine. (: I wasn't sure how to start it out this time, so I just sort of went with what came off the top of my head. Haha.
This winter held a peculiar harshness to it, or at least the young Amara had thought so herself; especially for one that was living the rogue's lifestyle, and could only find the comfort in home wherever she decided to rest her head next. Her lingering destinations had changed dramatically since leaving the original tribe lands, for Asha had not, and in some manners could not, stand to stay in one single place for too long. Ah, the tell-tale symptoms of wanderlust; it had struck her just as severely as the virus did to her mother. Maybe a day and a half tops to stay in one location, until her interest would cast herself with her steed and her Spirit Guide somewhere else for exploration. The winter was a harsh one indeed, but it would also prove to hold many lessons learned and maturity. She had been in her own company this whole time, with the only prospect of her Spirit Guide to help her, and Aidan as a means of transportation. This journey for the second time around proved to reveal some things about Jaya, mainly their similarities. She couldn't help but have found a much closer, understanding bond than before. There were different techniques that she learned in order to interpret his ways.
Slowly making ways into what was proclaimed the "village", there wasn't a soul to be seen at first. It was just as she had assumed; everyone sound asleep yet. The snow fall here was at least lighter upon the ground than in the mutual territories, for the steps of her kind had worn the snow thin and more manageable to walk through. Asha had remained upon the high top of Aidan, simply observing all of the tell-tale structures she could remember. They did not change or age like a human did, for most stayed the same ever since they were first established. It wouldn't be until in the distance there was a familiar abode that was of her father's residence, squinting her eyes to get a better look at the individual who was out this early, and lo and behold there was a surprise to be seen on the very steps of his entrance. Immediately did her heart threaten to leap through her red pelted chest, and her ears instantly flicker and straighten. My, to see the sight of Dawali again, it filled her with such a feeling of exuberance! Asha had really missed her Agidoda truly, and she couldn't waste anymore time to not remain another second without seeing him again.
Tapping Aidan on his flank with her heel to pick up the pace a little more, the stallion whinnied as he approached the doorsteps. Her heel tap again would signal Aidan to halt at a comfortable distance, and turn to his side in order for Asha to get a good, clear view of her father before her. There was something of a victorious, exhilarated smile that stretched as far as it could across her muzzle. To come was then an amused, hearty laugh, as her assumptions were on spot when she had been wondering about his fishing skills; there he was, eating a fish. "Well, I do have to say that while I was gone, I've been looking forward to Agidoda's wonderful fish. Is that one you have prepared yourself?" Her voice rang clear with her trademark sarcasm that was especially reserved for Dawali and Dawali only, but of course her father would always know that she was just kidding around, like always.
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Hehe, well it fit pretty well! 
Word Count: 626 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Only rarely would anyone find Dawali in such a foul mood, and even more rarely would they be able to understand that he even was in such a mood. He never saw the point in spreading the unhappiness, and so he very rarely complained. If someone was to come along, he would likely just pretend that everything was dandy. After all, that was a better way to spend the time while one socialized with another person, too. Though, with the right people, if prompted, he would complain. Or rather.. explain his foul mood. Mischka had been one such person — he had always been able to trust that she would understand that he did not complain solely for the sake of complaining, as many do. She would understand his intentions, and she would make him feel better. And during some days such as these, he remembered again that he missed her. Of course, he never did forget her, but now it was years since her death. Some days passed when he forgot to remember her, in a sense. He missed her easy personality; how she truly had gotten him, understood him, been able to live with him and explain to him what he himself was thinking. Sometimes it was nice to have a companion. Gvihita understood and gave an indignant scream from above. Or at least, that's what Dawali interpreted it as. He mumbled something rude back at her, for no matter how much she tried she would never be able to convince him that she was understanding. No, if there was ever something she could tease him with, she would do so. She would seek it out for the sole purpose of seeing him miserable. In that sense she was intolerable, but it was quite entertaining when he was not offended, and she was offended that he was not offended, as if he had wasted her precious efforts. He cared about his spirit guide, and he was certain she was fond of him as well, but they did little else than bicker like an old couple, especially during the winter.
He gnawed on the dried fish and mumbled to himself, almost not noticing the change in the scents around him. Still, though, some moments passed after the point where he should have known, and he lifted his head to look out in front of him. No one. But he could have sworn.. no, there it was again. The wind carried with it the scents of his daughter, and he was certain this time; he was not being lied to by his own imagination. Sitting still, he could soon spot her as she approached him, looking all fiery and full of mischief as usual. He was about to spring to his feet, but she was already speaking and he would let her finish; he knew his daughter. He chuckled once she reached the point, glanced at the fish in his hand and then simply dropped it to the ground. Those two arms reached out for his daughter to come to him, for he would simply not allow her to simply sit atop that horse when she had a father to hug. He chuckled as he did so, and at first he wondered if he should try to muster some response, but found none. It didn't matter much, he knew all she had wanted was to deliver that line anyway. "Ayule! Get down from there and hug your old cranky father!" His voice was had a pretense strict ring to it, and his face matched very much to it. Oh yes, he was giving the orders here. Aidan had her so much to himself, he could go somewhere and play now, for this was Dawali's little baby girl.
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Her father had looked like the way she had always remembered him, and it was as if she was stepping into the past once again, and coming back where she had originally left off. Seeing her father again had strangely made it seem like her journey out into the wilderness was not long but very short, as the time had already arrived to where her wanderlust was enervated and she was satisfied enough to make the journey back home. However, Asha didn't leave the lands for any old reason just to wander — there had originally been a very good reason as to why. Jaya had sent her a series of dreams and flashing scenes in her mind that revealed troubles with the original AniWaya tribe that didn't follow. The first time it seemed like they had been plagued by some sickness, and now, it was simply the change in weather that had them struggling a little. That, and Aiyanna was surely having her hands way more full than she realized. After Asha had left, she had no idea that Aiyanna, at some point, had made a journey to the very AniWaya lands that were here.
Seeing the gesture in which his russet hued arms outreached to his daughter perched high upon her steed, and not to mention the command given to where she wouldn't be able to get out of giving him a hug even if she had a plan to evade it, there was a joyous chuckle that reverberated in her throat as the Ayastigi wasted no time to leap off Aidan and then lunge to dive right into Dawali's embrace. Aidan had given a soft whinny, as if commenting from the peanut gallery on how much Asha had missed Dawali throughout her journey. And this was no exaggeration, for everyday that happened to pass, she had wondered how Dawali had been holding up with the tribe, how he was doing with himself. Snuggling right into his embrace, she buried her face and muzzle into the many dark braids of his hair, and lingered in his arm. Oh, it was certainly so good to see and feel Agidoda again! As her connection with Aidan and Jaya had been one that was fulfilling and close, there was certainly nothing closer than a father and daughter bond. Nothing closer than someone who was of your own blood, someone from which you descended from. Dawali was the only individual in her life right now to which she was physically and mentally tied to, and vice versa. The two had to stick together, no matter what at this point. Her sister was beloved as well, but who knew where her sister was off to now. She was fulfilling her own dreams and aspirations. Asha knew Aiyanna had also loved Dawali just as much, but Asha had a distinct bond with Dawali at this point that was spirited. They were all that they had of their own lineage at this point, in the present time.
Remaining buried in his embrace, Asha tightly hugged Dawali like an anaconda squeezing the life out of its prey. She didn't want to let go at any point yet, even if it was suffocating poor Agidoda to death. At his words of old cranky father, Asha mumbled a reply against his braids. "Old cranky father? Okay, yeah, you're getting somewhat old, but what's with the crankiness part? Cranky and Dawali don't seem to mix too well in the same sentence." She noted, as it was said in half amusement, half concern.
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Word Count: 716 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
It had been too long since she had left. In the meantime, Aiyanna had come by to speak of what was happening, and she had left again, too. Leland had come by — this would be Dawali's secret. Asha would never have to know the condition of her previous... fling or whatever it had been. Still, to this day, Dawali thought of the husky male from time to time, and with a great sadness in his heart. Leland had left the conflicts he had created in AniWaya behind, and it seemed to the chief that somewhere along the road he had walked, the husky had died. Not physically, for in that sense he had returned, but with nothing left of the friend Dawali had once known. Asha needed never to know that, for by now the Chief was certain that Leland was truly dead, both physically and mentally. It was better if his daughter thought he had simply up and left to seek a good life elsewhere, than if she should carry in her heart that great sadness of knowing that her friend had been utterly broken by his life.
She sprung from atop Aidan and almost flew at him, and his lanky arms wrapped themselves around her immediately. Perhaps too tightly, but what could a father do? He had been worried sick, but no one would have known, and he would not have spoken of it. It was better to wait in silence and see, than to voice one's worries and enlarge them. But now as she was here again, and he knew that nothing could harm her (for he would never let that happen!), he realized that perhaps some of his weariness came from this. Never knowing how one's daughters were holding up was a great strain on him, perhaps a greater strain than he had anticipated, and half of that burden lifted itself the moment he could verify that yes, this scent, this form, this lanky russet female was here now, and she was safe. Aiyanna's doings were still in the dark to him, but still he felt immense relief.
Still hugging, he relaxed a little — perhaps she would like to breathe? — Though she still clung to him. Family reunions in this tiny little trio of Amaras usually happened this way. Sickening to some, perhaps, that these emotions were displayed so openly, but to the old Chief it was how this world worked. His family was what he held most precious in this world, above all else, even his own life. Asha spoke into his shoulder, teased him in a way, but still he knew her; she really did want an answer to the questions, even if they were playful. His hands released her and landed on her shoulders, pushing her away from him so he could look her at her properly. "Well, now. Does this face look like it's cranky anymore?" The best liar could not have pulled it off, for his face was one big grin from ear to ear. The reds and grays were split in two, separated by a long row of pearly whites. He was healthy, though he was older than most, and you could see it on his teeth. Still, a part of Dawali knew what she had meant, but he did not like to complain. If she wanted to know, she would continue to interrogate, but there was no time, for he would ask her things first. "How have you been, child? And where have you been? Aiyanna came by, she said you were with the tribe, and then she returned to you. I hope everything is well over there?" Here came the part where he hoped that her answers would soothe the worries that held his heart, the part that Aiyanna owned. He had never been as close with her as he was with Asha, never finding the time in times of war as one of few medics. And then they had traveled, and she had been lost to him for so long. He was glad that she was still alive, but by any scale that was not enough for him. He would not really be satisfied unless he had them both here, but he knew that that would not happen. One could always dream, though.
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-is shocked about the Leland bit- D: 712
Everything that was the essence of what home was here, these tribe lands, none of it had dissipated from her mind and heart, not even for a second while she was gone. Her departure was because of the sake and well being of the tribe. Most of the central tribe might have been in these lands, but there were also others that were still scattered about out there as well. Even while she upheld her duty and perhaps even her father's honor of checking up upon her sister and the others that were still out there, there wasn't a day where she could take a stroll on memory lane of the times that she spent here. In particular, Leland had never left her mind. In fact, he had consistently been on her mind ever since. The first time she had forgotten the charm he had made her when she had first left, but this second time, she had made sure to bring it along with. It was the only thing she truly had of Leland at this point, and would cherish it for as long as she could. Her mind would always question where he was at, what he was doing, how life was for him. It was strange, for one night Jaya had seemingly brought her a series of dreams where she pictured herself running after Leland. He had been running, and running, and running. Leland had proved impossible to catch, although he kept turning around and murmuring something. It had been incoherent to her at the time. The dream had been strange, but she had thought nothing of it; just another nightmare. Asha would never realize what Leland's fate truly had been.
For now, she couldn't think about the past, and only focus upon the present that was happening now, in Agidoda's embrace. She was actually surprised by the way he hugged her a little too tightly, and couldn't help but chuckle some more to this. As he loosened his grip a little, she decided to do the same, as oxygen was probably just as essential to him as it was to her (her "old man" father probably had to take it a little more easy in some instances!) As Dawali's smile had spread true across his russet muzzle, the smile of her father couldn't help but make hers ten fold to widen. Ah, how adorable! At his quip of coming out of the haze that was his crankiness, Asha then gave him a wave of a finger. "Well, it certainly better not be now that I'm back." Asha responded playfully, although her face happened to soften a little. "Agidoda, I really did miss you, though." She then said, a little more sincere than her typical sarcasm was. Before she could say anything else, the Kalona went into the barrage of asking the questions she was expecting him to ask her. With that, Asha nodded when Dawali mentioned that Aiyanna had stopped by. Asha had convinced her to go see Agidoda, even if it wasn't for long. Asha had an inkling about how Dawali was so concerned over his daughters, and well, who wouldn't be when someone's little girls were all grown up and on their own in the world? "Oh Agidoda, you won't believe what I've seen and experienced on my journey! I could say I've definitely came back a little wiser and tougher than I had been!" She exclaimed, and would hold off the story about herself and the incident with the ravenous grizzly bear in a little while. As far as where she went, well... there were too many places to say! "Uh, as far as I were I went... well, I've seen plenty up north, went across several mountain ranges, and... a couple other random places I can't remember." They were all very far away, and most of which didn't even have a name in most instances. As far as everything back with the original tribe, Asha was glad that at least there was some good news to deliver. "Everyone has been great, actually. They had a little incident with bad weather, but after that, everyone has been quite healthy. There's even new Ayules, too!" Asha exclaimed, knowing that Dawali was probably very interested in such.
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Leland thread. Aiyanna was here only briefly. She joined and fell inactive. I think we decided that she was just visiting shortly before returning to Asha and the rest. She didn't comment on the status of the other tribe, so that ball is all yours :] And yeah, Leland = sadface :/ He's dead now, though Dawali doesn't know that.
Word Count: 675 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
She continued to tease him, playful comments that he knew only reflected her affection. To him, these games only meant that she was comfortable enough around him to release herself from such tedious things as rank, convention or politeness. Of course, he would expect these things from her at the appropriate times, such as in public happenings, but this was not such a time. This was the reunion of a daughter and her father, and all the rules of society were forced to bend to their strength.
His smiled broadened (if possible!) as she commanded him first, and flashed honesty at him second. He hugged her again, briefly, as he quietly repeated her own message back to her. "I missed you too, child. More than you can know." She would understand one day, when she had children of her own. Or perhaps she would not, for a father's instinct was different than the mother's, or so all the fathers he had ever known had claimed. Dawali was not certain of what to believe; for all he had seen, his own and Mischka's feelings were the same when it came to their children, except on the subject of upbringing and discipline. Sometimes it had been hard to meet in the middle, to compromise, and to follow up on it later, as well. But all in all the two had agreed on most things, and if one parent was worried, the other could certainly find that emotion inside themselves as well. Now that Misckha was gone, it sometimes felt as if her portion was stuck in him, that he carried twice the normal amount. He had no one to share them with, and perhaps this was the main cause. Perhaps it was not at all — Dawali certainly didn't know. All he knew was that this was gone now, and would stay gone as long as his daughter remained in sight.
He watched her as she told him of the wonders she had seen, of all the things she had done on her journey. He could have tried to hide his pride, but it would have been futile. Her eyes shone as they did when she was excited, and he could only imagine how they would have shone when they saw all these new and strange places. He noticed the word tougher but put it to the back of his head for now. He would ask of that later. His yellow gaze followed her excited features as she explained, and now he sat back down onto the stair in front of his house as he listened, nodding every now and then, in the appropriate places. Oh, so there were litters now, far back in AniWaya — what he considered the real AniWaya? That was great news. The red wolf male saw it as a sign of health; a tribe that was in trouble did not have litters, they spent their time doing more important things, like surviving. His eyes lit up, and his ears moved eagerly, curious about whose litters they were. But, he feared that if he asked, he might learn of whose they weren't, and besides, the tribe was big. There was a much bigger chance that he didn't know whoever it was that had children, than that they were actually friends or relatives of his. If it were relatives, Asha would have specified. He knew this. Dawali patted with one white-fingered hand on the stair next to him, offering her a seat, as he inquired further about just one little detail. "What's this about the weather, though? Another storm?" A storm had been the reason for their delay in the first place, and then disease had struck them. Now, it seemed, the old tribe was healing, but still bad luck stalked them. He wondered why, and had done what he could to find out, but no answers were avilable to him from the spirits. He could only home it would get better in time, and that one day, they might be able to come here, too.
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Aw, poor Leland. :/ Thanks for that snippet of info! And, sorry this is a little short; uber, uber sleepy at the moment. O_x 535
The closeness of family had always been an important element in the Amara lineage, since the very first days where Asha was able to grasp a comprehensive understanding of this concept. Even though she herself could vouch for saying that while Aiyanna was her sister who she loved very dearly, Asha could say the same that her closeness with her sister wasn't exactly as close as she wanted it to be in the present. Asha had wanted their sisterly bond to be even closer, but of course fate and life would play out in such a manner. In no doubt had she been immensely proud of her younger sister for taking on such a grown up and very serious responsibility with watching over the original members of the AniWaya tribe back in the old lands. Yet, there had been some days to where she felt as if a part of her had been missing. Even though she did not feel the same for her mother (for she knew her mother was "with" her in a strange, unexplainable reason), something told Asha that Aiyanna should be here with her and Dawali. Asha could only imagine how Agidoda could feel about it, and for Aiyanna's absence, it had only made Asha's bond with Dawali himself stronger than before. He was all that she had of her bloodline as of now, and vice versa. This time it couldn't be broken.
Agidoda had been patient as the Ayastigi explained the basics of what was experienced on her journey, and of news from the old lands. At least the news she delivered this time wasn't about the passing of adults and children; news from the previous time that even made herself feel queasy to think about. As the Kalona patted the space next to him upon his stairs, Asha obligately obeyed the gesture of Agidoda and took a seat right next to him, as close as possible. As Dawali had questioned what sort of weather predicament had plagued the old tribe lands, Asha wouldn't hesitate to explain further of what happened. "An usual cold front. It had first rained for at least four full days, then the snow came for at least a moon cycle and a half for them. Deep, and constant." Asha said, shaking her head in disbelief of the explanation itself. Not even she knew why bad weather and sickness plagued them. She might have not been as spiritual as Dawali might be, but figured it might have been something that the Spirit Guides had to be controlling or blessing upon them (although such a thing wouldn't be called a blessing in the least). "It's very strange. What do you think it means?" Asha said, in means to interpret this strange string of events with the old tribe lands. Was it a sign that they should leave to the new lands soon? That something was to come for them, whether it was a blessing or a curse? Asha had, in a sense, always looked up to Dawali to provide some sort of answer, whether it was correct or if it was an assumption. He had always been wise of himself, or at least Asha had thought so.
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Go sleep, silly! I just got up, uber sleepy too ><
Word Count: 626 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
His eldest daughter moved to sit with him, and as she further elaborated on this mysterious "bad weather", his mind repeated to itself a few times that she was really here. One arm moved to hold her shoulder, and the limb rested there comfortably, their bodies touching in some places where they sat on the narrow stair. He could not quite get over how she had come like a ray of sunshine to light up a very dreary morning, and a very cranky male. Though he knew he missed the presence of his family (he had grown up in a big tribe full of Amaras, after all), he had not realized to what extent he had done so before his daughter's face had suddenly appeared in front of him. Dawali would never ask any of his daughters to stay for his sake, even if he secretly wished they would, because he refused to be a parent that tried to guide his children in the direction he wanted them to go, rather than guiding them in the direction they wanted to go. In coming here, now, Asha told him that their wishes coincided, without needing to express it in words. Her actions stated that she liked it here, and she wanted to stay here, and so, with him. Knowing this, his world was a little more complete, and his smile was a little bit broader.
As ever, Asha and Dawali's conversations quickly moved from playfully sending comments back and forth, to more philosophical or serious subjects. But then, usually, they would move effortlessly from that to again resume their teasing of each other. Their relationship was built on this conversation form, flowing from subject to subject, with elements of play in between. Sure, Dawali could have been that very serious and grave father that was wise and dependable only, but when he carried this deep love and fascination for children it would have been unnatural if he had not been playful. The red wolf enjoyed nothing more than to see the pleased smile of a child; his own in particular. But now he was not playing anymore, and he sighed and looked out in front of him as if thinking for a very short moment. "I don't know, Asha... Perhaps these are the trials that our people must endure in order to succeed in our search for a new and better life." Rarely did he speak with such heavy words, but now they were speaking of spirits, of fate and direction. He believed what he said, always, when his sentences took a dip into the realm of spirits. He was a priest, a Gola Watsi by profession. He could deal with the dead, and he knew what to do to ease that realm in that context, but he had no idea when it came to the larger picture. Perhaps he should know, for he was the Kalona, but his rank had been a thing of necessity, and he lacked the proper training beyond priesthood. In his own eyes, he thought he made a pretty good Chief, but of course there were some things missing from him compared to the silent grandeur that Ayegali had carried. There was no way Dawali could know these things, and he had asked Gvihita, who refused to answer. Asha had in all likelihood recieved a cold shoulder from her own guide if she had asked it; there were some things they refused to talk of. And so, the two only members here that had come from the original tribe could only cross their fingers and toes and anything else that could be crossed, and hope that their friends and family could at last, one day, set foot here — and stay and thrive.
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Word Count: 397 I actually get more than enough sleep at night (6 hours +!), but it's my college books and reading them for hours that make me sleepy, haha. 
As one of her Agidoda's arms reached around to rest casually upon her shoulder, Asha could only smile warmly to this gesture and scoot in a little closer to her father to where they would be in each other's aura. These moments, just like how they used to be when she was still an Ayule yet, were priceless; snuggling close to Dawali to listen to a tale before bed time, or to listen to him recite wise words that one day she herself could say to the tribe and her children with such confidence and knowing. Dawali was pretty much her biggest influence and idol, and while there were traits that she shared very much like Mischka, she could say that she had had a very satisfied and fulfilled childhood with being raised only by a father and without a mother. There were times to where she felt a longing for a motherly bond or touch, but Dawali had certainly done the best that he could for his daughters to make them as happy and satisfied with life as possible.
As Dawali had registered a response to her inquiry, Asha simply let his answer linger in silence over their head and ears for a moment. Well, that certainly made sense. The Spirit Guides interpreted things in a strange way, sometimes, and sometimes they made strange things happen. There were several times to where an obstacle that was not needed had came in front of her, and knowingly Jaya had set that obstacle there for a reason, even though it had seemed quite unnecessary at the time. "Suppose your right. I guess making yourself a stronger individual through experience will get you there. There's no short cuts to anything worth getting, or something like that?" Asha mused, casting her amber glance toward Agidoda, and then focusing on a different object in the distance. It was then she gave a simple shrug of her shoulders, and then turned her gaze back onto Dawali, admiring silently of all the braids and accessories he had woven into his mane like hair. "How has AniWaya been while I was gone? I see things are seemingly the same, it looks..." She trailed off, giving a glance to all of the silent abodes around them. Seemed like there had been nothing too dramatic that had happened in the village, as far as looks went.
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Your table is uber cute :] Oh and btw, Asha grew up with her mother, but Aiyanna did not. Mischka died shortly after Aiyanna's litter was born, and Asha was from a litter a year or so before that. So Asha was raised by both parents 
Word Count: 673 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
She moved closer to him, and Dawali was thankful that his daughter could be so comfortable around him. Not everyone could when they were adults, but the Kalona was thankful that this was not the case with his daughters. It felt comforting to know that he could rely on them as they had relied on him when they grew up, and that they were not afraid of being his friend when he was finished bringing them up. In one sense he would never finish being a father, for he would always worry and fret over them, but now that they were adults his powers were limited when it came to trying to control their lives and guide them onward, and thus — in a way — he was finished being a father, and had started being a friend. In this relationship that was something in between an active father-daughter relationship, and a friendship, Dawali felt at ease. She knew what he needed, and he knew what she needed, and neither was afraid of sharing these things with one another.
He chuckled as she rephrased something that he would have spoken in much heavier words. True, it was "something like that". Sometimes, one could only grow if meeting resistance. Dawali had changed much since his encounter with Brennt, for example, but at the time he had been heavily conflicted. He had known his duty, but had hesitated in executing it, and with good reason. But now he felt as if these problems, these issues that had forced themselves upon his mind had helped him to become the person he was now, and he liked himself. He was thankful for the trials that the spirits put in his way. "I suppose so. And also, what else can we do, but endure?" That last sentence could have been spoken with a dark voice, but to the Chief it was not a bad thing. Enduring things made you stronger, just like Asha had said, and strength was necessary in a harsh world. If one wanted to live, there was nothing to do but endure.
He sighed as if thinking when she asked what had happened here since she had gone. "It might look the same, but it has changed, if only a little." Again his mind flew to Leland, but he forced this thought away. He could talk about Catherine's litter, but presumably it was also Leland's doing, and it would probably not please her to hear of it. His eyes shifted from one place to another only very briefly as he excluded these two things from the list of things he could say, and then he spoke. "We caught a bull earlier in autumn, and I hope to put him to some kind of use in spring. I don't know what with, but if he proves to be useless he's always food." He smiled and winked at this thought, but he was dead serious, really. Often enough he had considered putting it down for a feast, but he had resisted the temptation. As long as they had enough food, he was better kept alive."And then Hemming and I finally managed to build that Town Hall up by the ceremonial fire, so that's handy in the winter. Oh, and on a personal level I have started teaching a young girl by the name of Cambria, in Crimson Dreams. Her pack has no priests, and she wants to do something about that." He had been impressed with Cambria when she had served him her quite ambitious goals, and he continued to be impressed by her as he continued to teach her. Other than the things he listed, and the things he did not reveal to her, little had happened. Auréle had had a litter and disappeared with it. Ember had made their friendship oh so much more difficult to live in, and Hemming was proving more and more of a resource to the AniWayans. In truth, despite how it had been winter, they were slowly progressing and developing.
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Word Count: 564 Thanks; Sie made it, and all of her stuff is pretty much awesome. Thanks for the information, once again! I really need to take some time one day to update Asha's wiki so I can store all this info in there!
Absorbing the words of Agidoda, what he said had made comprehension. Life was composed to be of enduring every single aspect that it provided, from the high points to the low. One couldn't exist without the other, something that she had learned from both of her parents when she had been very young. Asha had at first thought it was possible to withstand negative aspects of life, but for any positive ones to prevail, there had to be a fair share of negativity. It was the balance of this world, possibly even the universe. Everything seemingly had an opposite to it, and it was the way life was able to prevail through the opposites. These were matters she didn't tend to think of in depth from time to time, but Asha noted that when she was with her father on several occasions, there would be miraculous deep and interesting conversations that would get her mind thinking more about the greater aspects of the world. Her father had been one individual that opened many doors in her mind, through his own experiences and his teachings. Mischka did too at one point, but Asha had not been old enough yet to fully appreciate what was taught during the time, or fully comprehend what she was teaching to her. All in all, her voice had fell silent, but she had nodded in acknowledgement to what Dawali had said about enduring, for it was true.
Listening with patient and interested ears, Dawali went on to explain about the tribe lands here while she had been absent. There were little, maybe even subtle changes, and Asha was actually interested in hearing of bigger changes, but of course her hopes would be wound up. Still, she listened as Dawali recited catching a bull in the later year, in which there was a peculiar smirk to appear on her muzzle. Bull, huh? That'll be an interesting thing to deal with once Spring rolled around! She never had the taste of bull before, but she figured maybe the bull could be of better use for some hardy labor around the tribe lands. "Ah, a bull. Those sturdy, bulky things huh? Maybe we can put him to use for plowing the tobacco fields; I read something about horse labor in a worn book on my travels, and we would just need the contraptions in order to do it." These particular contraptions, she wasn't sure if Dawali knew what she was speaking of, but would have to elaborate if needed in the best description she could. The idea of getting back to village life and helping out the tribe was exciting, and she couldn't want to do such things again! Hearing about Dawali and Hemming building the Town Hall, well, that was certainly news of happiness to hear! Finally they all had a place for meetings and recreations to go underneath a dry roof, if needed. "That's great! I'm looking forward then to future meetings!" Asha expressed, her mind briefly traveling to Hemming and the day they had the mock sword fight; a memory that instantly brought a smile to her muzzle. Dawali further elaborated on teaching a young girl from Crimson Dreams about priesting, and Asha's ears perked forward. "Oh yeah? There's not too many of those around, so that's good to hear. How does she like AniWaya in general?" Asha asked curiously.
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Yea, Sie is a table machine xD Hehe, yeah just ask if there's anything you've forgotten from last time or whatever. I tend to remember too many details about too many things when it comes to my own characters and their key relationships xD also: <33 the wiki
Word Count: 606 - SoSuWriMo
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Dawali's eyebrows popped as his daughter served him creativity on a silver platter. Right! The bull could be of use, just like the horses! In all honesty, Dawali had hoped it could just be fattened and kept alive as aliving food storage, but once again his daughter proved that she was her mother's daughter. He smiled broadly and his eyes wandered as if pointing out that his mind did it too. Yes, plowing. Tobacco fields? The girl was a mind-reader, or perhaps she had forgotten since her last visit that they had no such thing, though he had been planning to change that come spring. He smiled and nodded. The only challenge would be to train the thing, but given how dim it seemed to be, it might not present a big problem. His hand moved from her shoulder to suddenly pinch at her cheek, without it moving away from behind her neck. He did this because he assumed she would hate it; she had the words, and he had the power of making her embarrassed. Too bad there were none of her friends around to laugh at her. "Well aren't you a bright little girl?" He winked at her once before his face grew into his normal self, and he was finished teasing her. "No, really, that's clever. Your 'Doda never would have thought of that — you got that wit from your mother." The smile he flashed her now was affectionate, both with seeing the similarities this girl had to his deceased mate, but also with an certain amount of certain amount of pride. "I'm going to try and see how moldable he is first chance I get."
Dawali was looking forward to future meetings as well, if only to proudly show off the building he and Hemming had built. It was a proud and tall building, sturdy and able to withstand a winter storm if need be. He knew he could count on that one to keep standing, unlike his own hut which was falling apart more and more every day. Wind went right through it if fierce enough, and sometimes there would be this howling sound accompanying it, though it wasn't going around corners, just through his home. It was deperssing, but he didn't have the energy to do something about it now in winter. Perhaps now was the time he really should be fixing it, because now was the time he needed it, but it didn't matter; Dawali didn't want to spend his winter trying to force frozen wood to cooperate. It was better to wait for spring to thaw the wood — and himself. Dawali didn't comment on his daughter's mention of the Town Hall; nothing more than a smile and nod was neeeded, and as the female showed interest in Cambria he decided to elaborate on that subject instead. "I think she likes to visit me here, and she is friends with Noir as well, you know, the Aston girl? She came here with an injured dove she wanted to help, and ended up leaving with a promise from me to teach her. I showed her the horses and she seemed to approve of them, as well." He winked now; there was not one single little girl that he had ever shown horses to that did not get excited about them. Perhaps it was a gender thing (though many males loved the animals dearly as well), but girls tended to go bananas for the creatures, their eyes lighting up like little fires in their presence. Asha would know what he meant; her bond with her own steed was very, very close.
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Word Count: 416 Muchas gracias, as always! I'll definitely send you a PM to hoard me some information once I get working on my wiki one day.
Her facial expression beamed when he had praised her on such an idea, but with his fingers coming up to pinch at her cheek, she couldn’t help but laugh and attempt to swerve her head out of the way from that gesture she remembered he always used to do when she was but an ayule, and how sometimes it honestly did bother her in the presence of her sister or even some of the tribe members. “I know, right? Nah, but really. Just came off the top of my head, you know? Or maybe mom really is telling me things beyond the spirit world, and I’m just taking all the credit from her.” To this she gave a playful wink, and of course as always, lightly joked with her Agidoda. Even Mischka herself was not protected from Asha’s teasing, although she would always be a respected figure in Asha’s life, through and through. At the prospect of waiting things out to see how time would adjust to the bull, Asha nodded in compliance. “Sure. If he’s worth something, anything let me know. I’ll have Aidan kick his butt into shape. He’s still riley as ever, you know.” She noted, as some things never really changed, and especially with her fiery steed.
With the mention of the Town Hall passing over their ears quickly, the young Amara listened as Dawali explained how Cambria enjoyed visiting the Kalona in the tribe lands, and how her interest in priesting was profound and passionate. When her Agidoda mentioned Noir, Asha’s russet ears instantly perked up. “I very well do know her. Funny, Noir herself found a little duckling hatching the last time I seen her. But, that’s nice to hear of. Do you think Cambria’s parents approve of such a thing of her coming here to your tutoring?” Asha had questioned, for some parents were a little strange and awkward with such things, but seemingly from what Dawali said, it appeared like Cambria had several dates to where she came here already. Hearing of how Cambria had enjoyed the horses thoroughly, Asha nodded and gave a glance to Aidan who was situated not too far away from them, simply grazing and idly listening to their conversations from a distance. “Well, if Cambria ever needs a horse tutor, I’m definitely willing to give it a shot with her. Was there a horse she likes in particular here?” Asha further questioned.
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Yarrrr, go for it! Also sorry for this wait. I've been doing too much stuff at once again ><
Word Count: 576
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
Her reaction was just what he wanted to see, and she seemed both slightly bothered and amused while trying to dodge his fingers. He laughed heartily, both at her move, and the joking words that came after. Indeed, perhaps Mischka was attempting to tell him something through their daughter. Or, which was much more likely, she was in fact ignoring her old mate entirely and only telling their daughter things, for that was how she had been, and how he would always remember her. She had been a caring and loving mother and mate when it was required of her, but during the rest of her time she had found no better entertainment than to joke at her loved ones' expenses. Asha had inherited this side of the female entirely, and Dawali had picked up a trick or two along the way, as well. "Well you better give credit where credit is due, or you know how cranky she'll be." Asha was proud like her mother. He was certain that she would be quite furious should someone take her idea and present it as her own. His thoughts had no time to linger there, for the image of his daughter's horse smacking the bull around forced itself into his mind, and he chuckled again. His yellow gaze flew to the male horse, and there was a sparkle of humor in the two orbs. "Promise me you'll go gentle on him," he said, clearly directing it at the horse. Half a smile crept up on his face; Dawali was quite pleased at his own joke.
His vocal chords moved to produce sounds, and a low chuckle escaped his throat at the thought of Noir and her Baby Duck. The silly things that childhood brought with them was often discarded when an individual came of age, but Noir took this business very seriously. He was uncertain whether he thought she would ever entirel give away that side of her to adulthood. "I don't know if they approve, but apparently her mother is a leader in her pack, and I told Cambria to take her along one day should she wish to see to it that our deal is okay with her. I know I'd want to check up on it myself, had it been my daughter traveling to visit a grown male in another pack every third day, Chief or not." He expected Savina to come along any of the times Cambria came by, but so far he had not been as lucky as to meet her. He could only take this as a sign that the female leader approved of the arrangement. His eyes lit up when Asha immediately offered — though, to the wrong person — to teach the child to ride horses. It would be a good time for this seeing as it probably wasn't too long since Cambria had shifted for the first time. His line of thought was interrupted by the question Asha asked, and now he chuckled again. "Hehe, I couldn't tell; there were too many stars in her eyes. But she'd probably love that. I could call for you next time I see her, maybe, and you can get to meet her." Dawali was one of those who never could stand not to have children around, and he had found an outlet for his paternal instinct in his young student. It was only natural that Cambria could meet his daughter, in that sense.
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Word Count: 412 If you would like, I would think this would be a good place to wrap this up for now, yes?
Yeah, her mother certainly would be the type to put her foot down on matters that were strictly accustomed to her. Now that Mischka was brought up, Asha was careful to only really ponder about the individual she was for so long until she had to shut her emotions down completely. She was a beautiful individual inside and out, and while there was a side of her that knew it wasn't fair and that her time came way too soon for her to depart from the rest of her family, Asha knew that life in general was only to keep things at balance. There would be no favors or special conditions for anybody in this world, no matter if you were the wealthiest individual out there, or the healthiest, or the most intelligent. If your time came, that was your time, plain and simple. The good thing about it was Mischka could still live on between them through good memories, laughter, and inside jokes. She was always there, even if she wasn't there physically. "Yeah, she'll curse me with many moons of nightmares. I swear, I'm pretty certain that was her." Asha mused, with a smirk. Reverting back to the conversation about the bull and Aidan, Asha rolled her eyes. "You mean Aidan go gentle on me." She said knowingly.
Explaining the bout with Cambria and her situation with her parents, it made common sense enough that of course they would be wanting to check up on their daughter to see how she was faring within another pack. At least the parents were willing enough to give their daughter a chance to bloom and learn new concepts within the Tribe, and Asha could only look forward to even more new faces and even new potential members that would be willing to embrace their customs. "Well, that makes sense, then. I would actually like the idea of more visitors coming to us, sort of like foreign exchange students, or something." Maybe AniWaya can get a whole business running, with teaching everyone how to horse back ride, or grow tobacco! As far as meeting Cambria and setting her up for a lesson one day, Asha nodded to this. Seems like they would have to pick out which mare would be best for her. "Oh, I'd definitely like that. At least it'll give me something to do instead of always putting holes in things with my arrows and whatnot." Asha mentioned with a brief shrug.
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Yeah that's work. I am poo  Slight pp here to just end it, I figured it was okay since it's very little and very logical? It's just her entering his den when he invites her in Also slight ramble; weird oO
Word Count: 472
come dance with the west wind and touch on the mountain tops
The father and daughter stood musing on the subject of one dead female, and just then a wind flew past Dawali as it often did; mostly in the form of a certain eagle. Mostly, she let him know like that, too lazy to appear, and too hyper-active to stay. But now, the Chief thought to himself, he would have liked to imagine that it was not Gvihita, but the very person they spoke about, that somehow broke through for a little moment and flew past her daughter and widowed husband, briefly there but not. Imagination could be one's enemy, but it could also be salvation. A small smile of a different sort crept upon his face for a split second, one of wonder, sadness, and nostalgia. The conversation continued, however, and the smile was replaced by one of amusement, and as they joked on the training of the bull, Dawali forgot about that small moment in which he would like to insert the memory of his first, and only, love. She was not dead to him, but vibrantly alive, for he knew what happened to the dead, and he knew that she would never be gone. She would never fly past them in the form of a gust of wind, either, but this illusion was welcome; it reminded him of what was lost, but still precious.
Dawali smiled as he observed how Asha shared his devotion to passing knowledge on, and the general openness in which he took great pride. He would never feel more proud than whenever he got the chance to admire his children, either openly or in secret. He nodded to her words and smiled back at her as he spoke. "Yeah, it's not only pleasant, but constructive in several ways. We have no alliance with her pack just now, but I'm certain that bonding with the daughter of the leadership can't go wrong." All in all, it was a great deal for him. He felt useful, he got to be around children — which he adored — and he maintained a good relationship with his neighboring pack. What more could he want from any sort of exchange? Asha expressed that she'd like to offer the child some training with riding a horse, and Dawali smiled at the thought, imagining for a second the image of an ecstatic Cambria atop a horse. Judging by the look on her face in the stables, she would have trouble breathing from exhilaration. Not unlike most young girls on their first ride, really.
The father moved his hand as if inviting the daughter inside, before he turned around and entered his den. The other figure followed him inside. The two Amaras would continue their musing and nostalgia in the more comfortable shelter of a primitive wooden hut, where there was food and fire and fellowship.
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