Hadley returned to the pack that he'd been to before. Here was where he'd first tasted freedom once more. Grace had let him stay with her, protecting him while he figured out how to stand on his own, and Claudius had helped him take those first steps into carving, figuring out how to make things. The ribbon he'd been granted by Anatole was still around his wrist, though dirty from the time that it had spent there, Hadley refusing to remove the gift in fear of the bad luck it had chased away returning.
He didn't want to be too long here, the need to be with Isa still strong. Her scent mingled strongly in his fur as he fiddled with the wooden pieces that he'd brought. It wasn't much, a wooden pendant of the fire that had centered in his time here, and the more useful gift of a bowl, reminiscent of the one he'd made with the exception of the pine tree clearing carved on the side. Lifting his head he howled, hoping that someone would come quickly enough, nervous about his actions.
A strong howl had called for her, and Ulilohi had spent only few moments finishing up before leaving the Great Fire and grant the stranger a chance to speak with her. The large beacon had not been roaring when she found it, but a quick supplement of proper firewood had sparked it up again, and the hot flames roared behind her as she left for the borders in long strides. Its sweet and spicey scents followed her for a long time, but she knew that even if she could not smell it, all she need to was to turn and look to the sky, and its plume of smoke would be clearly visible against the sky. Ulilohi found that she was sad that she could not refuel the fire herself, but it was almost as satisfying to call for Tiva to re-fuel it, and watch as she did so. Either way the presence of the fire and the warmth of its flames had put a lightness in her step, and the councilwoman reached the borders before she anticipated, lost in thoughts of the fire's sensory delights.
A stranger stood lone as she approached, one hand raised in friendly greeting. The giant wolfess was used to dwarfing most wolves she met, often - but not always - also males. It was refreshing to see the form of a male taller than her, though by very little. Still, he had a ways to go to match the scope of her own girth. She smiled broadly as she walked up to him, for once tilting her head upwards when looking at someone. "Unalihelitseti, stranger," she said, still smiling, and truly fascinated by his height. "What brings you to call for my attention?" It was only so much she could do not to flash her eye lashes at him, but she restrained herself. She was the councilwoman, after all, not some frivolous young one out for some fun. She sometimes wished that was not so, however.
It wasn't long before someone came out to greet him. Hadley shifted around nervously, fiddling around with the simple gifts that he'd brought. Maybe a deer would have been better. Harder for him to bring, but definitely a better choice than the simplistic items he had chosen. She looked rather intimidating to him, the clear air of an alpha around her. The submissive male's tail tucked up, hoping that he hadn't done anything too bad with his call. Perhaps she was busy, had other things to do.
The broad smile did comfort him a little, a smile on his own face, if smaller than hers. Shyly he dipped his head down respectfully, choosing not to try and repeat her. Hello. My name's...Hadley, and your pack gave me refuge some time ago. It's not much, but I brought a couple things as thanks. He held out the pendant that he now saw filled with flaws. Flushed with embarrassment the bowl was held out even more reluctantly. She probably didn't want such things.
He responded gracefully to her presence, and her thought went to other encounters and friends she had made in a very similar situation. He dipped his head and so did she, aware that the customs that she had grown up with were very different than those of this place. Once he started to explain, the councilwoman found herself smiling again, both happy to hear that on of "hers" had been so hospitable as to aid the male, and happy that he would value it so highly that he returned. "You are most welcome back, Hadley. And I am happy that you found a friendly place here. We value hospitality greatly." Her hand reached out to receive the item, and she soon held it up to study it. The pendant was carved with skill that far surpassed Ulilohi's: she sometimes amused herself by making ornaments, but was not very good at it, aside from making tiny dreamcatchers. The shape of the Great Fire was obvious to anyone studying the pendant, and Ulilohi gave a wag of her tail in enthusiastic approval. "It is beautiful. How very symbolic." Their Great Fire was at the core of their existence, and the very omphalos of their territory, in perhaps much the same way as hospitality was core to their way of life. Cupping the pendant, she held it gently and paused for a moment before inquiring. Her voice was her usually hoarse deep, but her intonation clearly conveyed her pleasant mood. "How did it happen that you stayed here for awhile? I hope you'll forgive me for not being aware — I travel quite a bit between the southern packs." The brown giantess glanced at the pendant again, quite impressed. She was determined to present the gift to Hadley's benefactor as soon as she knew who it was. It was very obvious, from her stance and her questions, that these bits of a story had tickled Ulilohi's curiosity.
Told that he was welcomed back his tail wagged softly. Hadley did rather like the place he'd temporarily stayed at. The members he'd met had all been very kind. Well, except for Anatole. He'd terrified Hadley before finding out that the hybrid wasn't a trespasser and gave him the ribbon. Her acceptance of the present boosted Hadley's spirits. That was good. He really should have worked on it a bit more, the craftsman always finding flaws in his work, but she seemed satisfied with it.
He didn't know that the fire he'd seen so much of was symbolic. Hadley had an idea that the tribe had different ideas, especially since they had spirits. A fact which still chilled him a little, too close to his ideas of demons and ghosts. They were friendly, true, but he'd preferred not knowing they existed, terrified of them. Asked why he stayed Hadley thought back on what had happened. Grace found me in the woods. I was working on getting supplies for the pack. I was a slave at the time. She said that she could help me become free, and took me here to learn how.
The councilwoman nodded and listened to Hadley's response, both curious and very glad for this meeting. It was a good thing, to keep pack relations well sorted, and Ulilohi had been slacking for some time in that department. In that sense it was very fortunate that someone should stumble upon their pack, and find help here, and come back, even, to return the favor they had encountered here. Still, this joy quickly dwindled and she twisted her eyebrows in confusion. "You were a slave? To whom?" It was common in the Great Tribe to keep prisoners of war as labor, at least for a time. Sometimes they wanted to join the tribe, which was usually accepted without much discussion. It wasn't slavery per se, but as close to it as her home would ever come. Even so, the prisoners were never owned, even if they were put to work. Mostly, Ulilohi feared that this slave owner was near her pack. She would not have her tribe's pups stolen off to some brutal slave owner if she could prevent it. In that sense, this was important intelligence. And, in a sense, a compliment: it was an honor that Grace would have taken Hadley in to care for him and set him free, and despite her alerted curiosity, she felt her heart swell momentarily at that.
Asked who he had been a slave to set Hadley squirming. Explaining that he'd been bought for sex, and by a male, was extremely awkward. Even more awkward was the fact that he was still sleeping with him. He should have stopped, there was no reason for him to keep doing so. It was rather embarrassing for someone who believed he was straight to be doing such a thing. To explain that he did it well enough to be bought for that very purpose was even worse.
His eyes found a tree behind the leader, finding out that trees tended to be very fascinating in shape. They had all those little nooks in them, and none of the leaves were identical. Sooner or later though, he had to answer. Sighing Hadley spoke. Sebastian bought me... In doing so he'd set Hadley free from a host of nightmares, but that didn't make what he'd been doing any less embarrassing for Hadley to think about.
The atmosphere of their conversation seemed to shift into the unbearable when she asked him of his owner, and she quickly regretted asking it. Atisia made it very clear, through a sharp and disdainful tut in her ear, low but loud enough for her to hear, that he, too, picked up on the awkwardness. That, and it was visible in the male in front of her. Had she ruined a good conversation? Long moments of silence passed before he answered, and Ulilohi quickly followed up on his answer when he did, almost as if she'd waited for him to say anything at all, and with the same answer. "I am sorry, I forget myself — this is none of my business." Still, she could not shake the feeling that it could be important to know if slave owners were near her tribe. "I ask your forgiveness. I was worried that perhaps a pack who deals in slaves, or a slave handler was near here or something — obviously, I am protective of my tribe and would want to know of any threats." There, at least she had explained her feelings on the matter. In a desperate attempt to kill any remnants of an awkward moment, the councilwoman tried to steer the conversation back onto the item she had received from the male. "I will make sure that Grace gets your gift of thanks. I am very proud to hear that you have found that AniWaya can be a place of support. It is really beautiful." The attempt was accompanied by a bright smile, delivered somewhat nervously. The spirit guide on her shoulder sighed audibly at her, and she knew he was likely rolling his eyes at her as well, though she was grateful that he had not chosen to comment on anything. It could get very uncomfortable when he decided to force his way into a conversation.
He nodded his head, feeling uncertain of himself. The scarred male did feel like he owed them an answer after all he had done for them. Especially for someone so important. If it wasn't the business of those who had saved their lives, whose business was it? It didn't occur to him that it might be no one's business but his own, too used to having others involved in his life intimately in every detail. He smiled softly, hoping that it would be alright now, moved on.
The explanation made Hadley a little nervous about him telling her about Sebastian. He didn't want Sebastian to get hurt because of what Hadley said. Sebastian's not a threat. The hybrid opened his mouth to speak and found himself incapable of saying who the real threat was. The fear was still too deep in his mind. Instead he nodded his head. Of course...the bowl maybe for the pack's use? Grace hadn't done it all on her own after all.
The male still seemed hesitant, and Ulilohi attempted not to not react to it, fearing she was pushing him onto something he was uncomfortable with. It was no good of her to ruin what could have been a pleasant meeting, when she should appear respectful and hospitable, if Hadley was uncomfortable. She wanted him to leave here with a lifted mind rather than a trod on one. She nodded as he clarified for her, and she exhaled in relief. "I am glad to hear this." A polite smile, and that lid on the topic was closed so far as she was concerned: she would inquire no further. She was still worried, but perhaps Grace could enlighten her some more, without having to trouble Hadley any further.
He offered the bowl for everyone's use, and Ulilohi found herself nodding again. "I will place it in our communal house, where everything free is stored. Perhaps it can be used for other guests in the future as well." It would be a cycle, completed, if that happened, and she felt a little poetic saying it, even if it perhaps made no sense to the other. Atisia rolled his eyes and instead engaged the male in conversation, impatient with Ulilohi's lack of skill to keep things interesting -- in his opinion. "You are skilled." He stated it bluntly, voice high-pitched but clearly male, coming from her right shoulder. The marten stared at the other, eyes kind of beady whether he liked it or not, clearly waiting for an answer. Hopes of easing Hadley evaporated as far as Ulilohi was concerned, and she shifted her stance uncomfortably. Atisia could be a real conversation-killer.
The hybrid managed a timid smile back up at the female. She was certainly very boisterous, confident and sure in her ways. Very different from Hadley's timid actions. His tail wagged softly, picking up at her words. More guests would be there, and the pack would maybe benefit from his small gift. At least he hoped they would. Hadley wasn't too sure if he could make individual bowls for everyone in the pack. He didn't know how many there were, let alone how time consuming it would be.
A male voice jumped in, startling Hadley. He flinched back slightly before discovering the source, a marten resting on the female's shoulder. It was one of those ghost things the pack seemed to have around there. Hadley wasn't too clear on them, as no one had explained, but he knew they weren't dangerous. Claudius taught me how to do that. Most of it was self taught, but when it came to the difficult parts that he couldn't figure out, Claudius had helped him along.
Ulilohi said nothing as she stared at a spot beyond Hadley's face, quite uncertain as to how to react to Atisia's newly started conversation at first. She could barely look at him, since he was sitting on her shoulder. Still, after a short moment, she found the wits to introduce the two. "Apologies. Hadley, this is my blessed Spirit Guide, Atisia." Her hand moved to indicate the marten, and she dipped her head in respect as she spoke his name. She wasn't exactly sure why, it was a reflex that she had learned through interacting and meeting other Spirit Guides during her upbringing, but such a nod was always meant as a curtsy towards the Guide. Now, it was seemingly misplaced, and she grasped one hand with the other in front of her, a bit uncertain and misplaced.
Atisia seemed completely calm in comparison, an expression of his strength, though from his tiny body. "Claudius has trained for many years, but you are young." He stopped there, again. While his words were meant as compliments, Ulilohi could not help but find his insistence a bit awkward. She smiled at Hadley, backing her Guide up but not entirely sure what to say. Just when the silence was awkward enough to bring Ulilohi to say something else, the guide followed up on his statement, this time not quite as short with words. "It is a valuable gift that you have been given. I am certain there are many who would envy such skills, and who already do." With that, he glanced at his charge. Ulilohi gave a nod, as if to confirm. "I can barely craft the simplest of ornaments," she admitted. "We are lucky to have Claudius, as Casa di Cavalieri is lucky to have you, I'm certain."
The female apologized, introducing the ghost as Atisia. A blessed spirit, or something like that. He nodded his head, accepting it as one of the strange oddities. These spirits seemed extremely important to the pack members. They all listened to them, heeding what they said. His hand reached down, touching the blue ribbon again. He might not have gotten it if it weren't for the eagle. Not that Hadley had a clue how to thank something that wasn't there. Or were they? The whole thing was confusing for him to think about.
He grinned, a blush rising over his features at the compliments. Many years of working on the skill. They were simple things, really. Even with the fire one could see the mistakes if one looked, only perfect from a distance. T-thank you. I do my best to help my pack...if maybe I could help, or my pack could...the pack is made to help others. His words stumbled across, trying to communicate with her, hoping the spirit didn't mind his clumsy actions.
Atisia appeared to be satisfied with Hadley's answer and merely nodded decisively before apparently ending the conversation. In time, Ulilohi would become used to salvaging remains of a conversation from his blunt intrusions and sudden ends, but for now she scrambled a little with grasping the situation. She hesitated and made sounds that clearly indicated her confusion for a short moment, before following up on Hadley's spoken words, as if they had been spoken to her. "Our tribe serves our members, and our members serves our tribe -- that is what my father always said." She smiled hesitantly, thinking that this may have been what Hadley had attempted to express. "I always feel best if I can somehow aid my friends with what I'm doing. I think craftsmanship is a good way of doing so -- myself, I am a warrior by training, so perhaps my way of doing it would be simple patrols." Like the one she was, kind of, on right now.
The marten fell silent, apparently satisfied with Hadley's brief performance. It was as clear a dismissal as any he'd been given. The male stood there, wondering if he should just leave now, since the spirit was done with him. Of course, the female was there as well. Brown eyes looked to hers softly, wondering if she wished to speak more, or if she felt that it was done as well. Bafflement covered her, bringing a smile to his lips, tail swaying. It looked like she wasn't used to such things.
He waited politely for the confusion to clear, not feeling a need to acknowledge it, pretending that she wasn't confused at all. The tribe sounds very nice. It was a little easier talking to her, seeing her stumble like he constantly did. His tail wagged at her words. Many of my friends are warriors. Perhaps at some time we could...have the packs come together? Help each other? If they both worked at fighting, that would be good, right?
Their conversation halted with Atisia's retreat, but Ulilohi and Hadley were soon established in conversation again. The brown female corrected her shawl as she listened to the other, nodding eagerly when he proposed collaboration. Ulilohi had not trained properly in a long time, still very much maintaining her obligation to Cour des Miracles and their ban on the rank. It would certainly be a pleasure for her if she found a way to train alongside others, regardless of which pack they belonged to. In fact, it was clearly an added bonus if they weren't AniWayan, as it would grant her the opportunity to establish a friendship across borders. "It would be absolutely lovely, I think, if we could gather and collaborate." There were no drawbacks to the proposition as far as Ulilohi saw it. A strong bond meant more safety, and safety was something she was always striving to provide for the little tribe. "Perhaps, if you wanted, you could convey this to your leadership? They are far from here and meetings are scarce, but I am certainly willing to express my openness through you." Hadley appeared sincere in what he did -- for this, it was quite natural for her to trust him.
Hadley nodded his head with a smile. I'll do that. He owed Anathema a debt, after all. Not a large one, but one to at least do what he could for the pack, delivering messages. They'd helped him gain his freedom after all. With the pleasantries exchanged he looked over, fidgeting with his hands. I should probably be heading back... It wasn't a far trip, but he didn't want to stay too long. He had things that he had to care for in Casa. Not to mention being outside of the pack for any stretch of time made him nervous, knowing Amy was out there.
He agreed, and Ulilohi smiled broadly, expressing her excitement at once. "I'm glad. Thank you." Her hands were clasped together and she released them, a little self-conscious, thinking of her stance and authority. Hadley, however, excused himself and pointed out his need to leave. The councilwoman could hardly ask him to stay, but she nodded as she spoke, half understanding and half insistent. "Of course, don't let me keep you. But you are welcome to stay the night, if you are weary. We have spare shelters in the Village, and fresh fish caught yesterday." It could be that he wanted to give his gift to Grace in person, perhaps? He already knew this place, after all. "Of course, it is a mere offer, nothing else. You are free to come here as you please if you wish to do so at a later time — a friend of Grace's is a friend of all of us." The brown female saw no reason not to trust him; his exterior appeared sincere, and she had no reason not to trust Grace. Her culture was a hospitable, respectful one, especially toward those who extended the same courtesy to them, despite not being in their ranks nor seeking a place there. Smiling, Ulilohi awaited his decision. She was already eager to show Grace the little gift.
He smiled politely as she spoke, tail swaying. Hadley couldn't help but like her. She had a very gentle personality. It was good for him, relaxing. He enjoyed the short banter, despite the slight awkwardness that came from the spirit's interruption. His nervousness was completely gone, despite the slight undertone that remained in the air. It wasn't from him, he knew that for sure. If anyone was being awkward, it was the powerful female that had greeted him. Despite the fact that she was obviously a dominant soul.
Her offer was highly tempting. To stay a night here, and fresh fish as well. I don't know if I could repay you for your kindness... His words were quiet, happy with the offer. Would it really be so bad if he stayed for a short time? No, this wasn't his home. He did have to return to Casa, as much as he would love to stay.
She smiled as he spoke, awaiting an answer. She wasn't certain if what he did say was a dismissal of her offer or not, but she smiled nonetheless. Her tail swung as his did, and she felt herself relax. He uttered a polite phrase, a gesture, she knew. The councilwoman dipped her head briefly in a silent display of respect before she spoke. "Please, you will find only friendly faces here. And if you will not stay now, you are welcome another time."With friends, too, she thought, thinking especially of their leadership. Was it manipulative to see the potential fruits of a friendship with this individual? It was not as if she was making friends where there were no grounds for it: she genuinely liked him. It was easy enough to gather why Grace had wished to help him. To the Anasgayv, it was plain that he was a gentle soul.
