Wolven hearts. (Closed for LunaWolf72)

[Niriate]

(( This thread is originally closed for just Luna, but if you want to join us, feel free to PM me and we'll talk.

The plot for this RP is the anime series Wolf's Rain, only adapted. Enjoy))

It was the year 35 ATN (After The Nuke). The once lush forests of Siberia had turned into icy deserts where blizzards and hailstorms had free reign. Cities were few and far between, often millions of people hiding away in the cold underground slums trying to forget the reason that they were there.

The white-grey wolf spoke to herself as the blizzard raged around her, even for an animal as hardy and weatherproof as her, this blizzard was especially fierce. Still, she had to continue, she knew there was a city nearby, so she had no other choice.
To anyone that would've watched her, she would've looked like a normal human girl. Around 25 years old, about 6 foot tall, Caucasian or Asian heritage with a long, black ponytail riding down her back. They would watch the girl plow through the storm wearing only casual clothing, jeans and a shirt.
Had there actually been anyone around in this blizzard.

They consider us extinct.. things of legends. They tell each other that our species perished during the First Winter, just like so many others. How wrong they are. We never vanished.. we never even left, we only proved once more, that the animal kingdom is always one step ahead of humanity.

The lights of the outskirts started to penetrate through the blizzard, causing the wolf to grin widely and let out a howl in victory.
Destination reached She purred to herself Now.. to find who I am looking for.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

I am the Den Mother. No, really. The children gather to me on many a night, surrounding me with their questions, with their hopelessness, their needs. I provide. The outer shell hides the truth from them. I look human, except for the ice blue eyes. I am human...except for when I am not. The icy world outside is harsh, terribly harsh, and the children all have needs. I provide for them, because I am the Den Mother. It is what my kind, my tribe, have always been; the keepers of story, of lore, of children.

"Melisandre, are you going to stare out into the night, forever? The stew pot is boiling, don't you know, and..." The high, piping voice ground to a halt as the short woman turned her eyes toward the speaker.

"I am coming, Kip. I can smell the stew, you know?" The woman's voice was low, almost a sensual growl. Her blue eyes focused on the young one, her full lips curving up into a bright smile as she finished her thought. "It's just I have the sense that someone is near. Maybe, you and Jordan can go take a look see?" She tilted her head, slightly.

The young girl smiled and bobbed her head. "Yes'm. We will go...soon as you check the stew." Laughter, high and piping, low and seductive...heard over the howling of snow and wind.

I am the Den Mother. I don't know what else I could be.

 

[Niriate]

"Remember, my dear Alissa. There is a tribe of our people, the oldest known to our history. They have provided needy refuges with a home, food and companions since the dawns of time."

"Where are they then.. and now can I know it's one of them?"

"In every city you will find at least one of them, for the needy are many and spread around the world. And do not worry about finding them... they will find you first."

She walked around the guardhouse, keeping to the shadows cast by the thousands of buildings made from stone and iron. Even in the relative protection of the city's deserted outskirts the blizzard was still in firm control.

Temperatures barely ever reached above freezing, hurricane winds whipping up massive snowstorms that could last for days. Humans barely ever surfaced again once the full effects of the war had settled in.

The wolf sniffed the air as she felt the winds lessening the further she walked into the city. The snow was still drifting down, but it was far more comfortable without the streaks of wind in her face.

She knew that there had to be one of them in this city.. The fabled Den Keepers.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre moved forward, patting the little one on the head and beckoning for the girl's brother to join her in the kitchen. Jordan moved quickly, his wide blue eyes more serious than his elder sister's, his hair~ white blonde to Kip's darker tresses. The wolf smiled down at him, fingers reaching to pluck at his ill cropped hair.

"I want you and Kip to go to the old well in the center of town. Wait until you see a lone female. She will not be someone you know, she will be a stranger. If she feels safe to you...bring her here. She will need help and I can not leave to go to her." Her ice blue eyes flew to the corner, focusing on the lone toddler sleeping in a scavenged play pen. "So, you bring her to me. Understand?"

The boy nodded and headed out into the main area, grabbing his sister's arm on the way. Melisandre sighed and turned back to the large, cast iron, stew pot. Dipping an old ladle into the contents, she stirred it, allowing the savory smell to waft up into her sensitive nose. Her mind was a blank slate, she never knew how she became aware of the need others had for companionship, for safety. She just ALWAYS knew.

"You will never be alone, but you will be lonely, Melli. Never doubt that. There will times when you feel you will never find someone like you. Each of us has our charge. To tend to the broken, the scared, those who can not do for themselves. Being a wolf under those circumstances is HARD. I tell you true. We belong to a pack and being alone is doubly draining on those like us." The words were a whisper in her memory...just like the woman who had uttered them...her mother.

Melisandre sighed and covered the pot, and then returned to her station by the window. The new one would be here soon...and then, she would offer what she had, just like always. The Den never closes...but Gods I wish I had another wolf to help me...

 

[Niriate]

While our illusion is perfect for humans, others can see right through it. And recently humans have started to learn to use that fact.
Yes, we are being hunted. They think us creatures of legends, murderous and deadly. While we used to be part of the world just like all others. We only hope that the elders still remember who we are.

Alissa walked into the clearing, the snow covered most of the broken structures already, leaving only an old well bare. It was a dreamy, yet sorry sight as she walked further into the open.

The girl knelt down, seemingly unbothered by the snow. She smelled the white ice, trying to pick up a scent of someone she'd maybe recognize.

"Nothing.. Then again.. why would they show themselves? From what Grandmother told me, they would find me, not I them." She looked up into the heavily clouded sky, the snowing was easing off slightly but it would only be a matter of time before another blizzard would pick up.
"Mother... Grandmother.. I will not fail you. I will find the Den Keeper and make a new home for myself.. One that you never had."

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Kip and Jordan had walked for an age, it seemed, their young eyes the only thing visible beneath the layers of old sweaters and heavy jackets from ages past. They held hands and fought their way through the high drifts of ice cold whiteness, searching, always searching, for the one Melisandre said would be waiting.

They reached the town square, the place with the old well, an hour or so after they set out. Amazingly enough, a young woman was there, wearing no coat, head bowed against the cold. Kip, the more courageous of the two, released her brother's hand and stepped forward. Her sense of something not quite right was very strong, but the woman did not scare her. Instead, she felt like Melisandre to the young girl. With a quick glance and a beckoning hand to her brother, she finished the journey to the woman's side.

"Ma'am? Our friend, Melisandre? She sent us for you. Will you come??"

 

[Niriate]

Alissa looked up at the two younglings. There was something strangely familiar about them, like she had seen them before. But that would be impossible.

Wait.. they aren't children, atleast.. not in the way they look to be. But that would mean that... Yes.. It has to be.

"If she is who I except she is, then I'd be glad to come with you." She smiled gently at the confused faces of the two children. "I'm sorry, I just have a feeling that I have met your friend before."
A blatant lie, but it would be enough to ease off any suspicion.

She stood up, unfased by the bitter cold, even in her unsuitable clothes. The gift that we had been given had many levels of expression. Some of us would turn into normal humans, others kept their feral nature. Ones like Alissa had only their visible appearance changed, like a mask over their true wolven heart.

She smiled down at the two cubs. "Lead on then, little ones"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre felt the connection once her two foundlings located the newest one. Her breath caught on a sharp inhale. Kip's reactions were strong and very soothing. This woman feels like...me? Melisandre didn't allow that thought to continue, shutting up the hope, shutting down the need for validation. This new one was just an older version of her foundlings~children who had wolf in their backgrounds but could no longer access the feral. Shaking her head, the wolf allowed her ice blue eyes to close for just a moment.

"No need to get excited, Wolf. She will be just like ALL the others. This lonely little life you lead is making you crazy with longing for another one, like yourself. Might as well forget it, Melli. Your mother warned you, long ago." Her internal voice was crisp, sarcastic, adamant but it didn't stop her from wishing that the statements were not true.

The hour while she waited was long and long, her patience lagging from wanting to see this other with her own eyes. The small house she had established smelled of home, of den, of comfort...of children and love, of food. A hint of vanilla, of sandalwood and oak hung in the air and provided a soothing atmosphere. It wasn't impressive, this small shack of a house, only clean and well kept for the area, only warm and filled with light. Melisandre found herself wandering from place to place, seeing it all with new eyes, trying to guess how the new one would feel when she saw it.

She hoped the other would be pleased. Moving to the window that faced the deserted street, she waited, ice blue eyes wide, bottom lip poked out, being chewed by sharp white teeth. She worried and fretted until she saw the three coming through the drifts of white.

 

[Niriate]

"She has to be one of them, how else would she have known that I was here.. she couldn't have smelled me, not with that blizzard that just passed. I'll have to play this cool though, most of us didn't even believe that 'they' even existed. Except my mother and grandmother ofcourse."
She smiled a little to herself as she was lead by the two youngsters. She knew that she was going to get the answers at some point, being patient was the most important now

The snow had slowly lessened into a gentle drizzle of white, making the air slightly warmer, if only to the touch. As the three came close to the hut, her feral nose immediately caught the strong scent of the woman inside. There was no mistaking for her, the person the younglings had called Mellisandre was definitely wolven.
But was she the one that she was looking for? The chance was high, but there was only one way to know for sure.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre fought the urge to step forward, her body atremble with anticipation. Finally, she couldn't fight the urge any longer and went to the door, pulling it open just as her foundlings and the newest one, reached the broken down porch. The woman's scent hit her, rolled over her; all musk and woods, all wolf and wildness. Melli's legs weakened. This woman was wolf...not one from here, not a true follower of the WAY...but a true wolf.

Melisandre straightened up and smiled, her blue eyes gleaming. Her voice held a hint of timbre the little ones had never heard before and they looked at her askance. She tried to shake it away, to modulate it, but she was WOLF...and there was no way to deny it to the one who stood before her.

"Hello, youngling. I am Melisandre. Please come in from the cold..." a lower voice, barely registered to any ears that were only human, "not that you notice the cold any more than I do...."

Melisandre stepped back and motioned the three inside, shutting the door behind them with a decisive *snick* as the latch caught. She moved gracefully, all hints of her unease hidden behind the well worn facade.

"Are you hungry? Would you like a warm place to rest?"

 

[Niriate]

Alissa smiled lightly, nodding to the older one that was standing in the door opening as the younglings scurried back into the warmth. Her heart jumped in joy as she heard the lower, lupine voice. Her guess was correct, at least.. mostly.

"It's been a long journey for me, so a place to rest would be very generous of you. Food would also be very welcome, if you have some left that is. I haven't eaten in a good few days."

We can deal with hunger much better then our form suggests, we were taught that at a very young age. Still... I wondered if Mother was correct. If she really was one of the Keepers.

'Then again.. from what I was told.. they have been living as humans for decades. And then there are these little ones... are they wolven too? Or are they just humans? And if they are.. why would she take humans in?'
Too many thoughts for the moment, it started to dazzle her as the warmth of the fire surrounded her.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre sent the the young ones into the kitchen for warmth. She waited a few moments, until there was no one near by to hear their conversation, and then she leaned forward, her hand grasping the other wolf's wrist.

"I am the Keeper of this place. These young ones are under my protection. Fully human they are, but their lineage contains wolf and they are...sensitives." Melli's eyes dropped, for just a moment, the ice blue warming slowly. "I usually don't have another pack member of any tribe. One hopes you want to stay on for a while...at least until your feet lead you on another path."

Stepping away, Melisandre smiled slowly and beckoned the other wolf forward.

"I know it has been awhile since you have had something warm, that you did not have to chase. Please join us for our evening meal. I will do my best to answer any queries you may have...after the younglings are down."

With no further ado, the elder wolf turned and headed for the kitchen and the stew that bubbled in the large pot. Kip and her brother had began serving the others, a total of 5 children ranging from five or so to mid teen. The toddler was aware and stared in fascination at the newest one, her chubby arms reaching for the young wolf, her voice a coo.

"Welcome to the Den, Alissa. Please...make yourself at home."

 

[Niriate]

As the two wolves locked hands, Alissa could feel her heart jumping into her throat. What she had been told was true after all, she could barely believe it.
"It... It's a great pleasure to meet you, Meli.. I.. I was told that you and others like you lived amongst the Humans. I just didn't think I'd find you so easily."

She let out a soft whine, while smiling widely. "I'd be more then happy to stay, for as long as it would take. Finding you was the goal of my search, mostly.."

She followed the Keeper into the main room, smiling and nodding at the children that were already huddled up near the fire.
In times like these, it would often prove hard for us to keep our true form from emerging. We are social animals, family life is key to many of us. How I managed it, having finally found my goal, I don't know. Perhaps it was just pure instinct.

As she saw the toddler, she knelt down and nuzzled her nose with her own, showing a little of her true form. She smiled widely as the little one squealed in pleasure, letting out a little purr of her own.
Sitting down at near the fire, she sighed a little. The biggest part of her search was over, at last.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

The evening went well, better than expected. The children accepted the newest one with nary a word, smiling and offering her choice bits of bread, getting up to refill her bowl with warm stew. Melisandre was pleased and excited. After all, no wolf had passed through this way since the young one, Kiba.

After dishes were washed and put away, once the children were down for the night, Melisandre beckoned Alissa into her room. It was the one place that was off limits to the children. With a slight smile, she waved the youngling to a chair and flopped down onto her bed.

"I find that I have much to tell you. There was a young wolf that passed through here a moon ago, named Kiba. He was searching, so he claims, for Paradise. I didn't know what to make of his story though I do believe that he was telling the truth, as far as it went. I remember his excitement when he found my little cache of flowers~he said they were important." Melisandre's voice trailed into silence as she thought back on the young male and his urgent quest. A slight prayer to the moon for his continued safety before she opened her eyes and looked to the other wolf, once more. "I am not sure what you have heard of the Keeper's or our Dens. There are only a few of us left. I am the only one in this section of the world. What we do is simple. We search for, and protect, human younglings that are wolf touched. They are considered Fae and odd in the world outside. Our mission is one of preservation...keeping to the old ways and helping lone wolves that travel through."

The flow of words dried up as Melisandre studied the lithe lines of the wolf lounging so loose limbed in her chair. The wolf looked tired and in need of rest, relaxation. With a slight headshake, Melli cleared her mind of the thoughts that boiled within her skull and stood up.

"There is a bathing room to your left. Please run yourself a hot bath and relax. You may doss down in here with me. Nothing relaxes, as well you know, as cuddling one like yourself."

Standing up, Melisandre' began to strip down, leaving only a pair of briefs in place. She wasn't body shy, and she doubted that the youngling was...but she did not want the other to feel pressured. With unconscious grace, she folded her clothing and placed it away, before pulling back the comforter and sliding into the bed.

"Make yourself comfortable, Alissa. I have much to teach you, if you are willing." A quieter voice... "And I would love to have one like myself to hold...."

 

[Niriate]

She sank down in the chair, sighing relieved as the younglings had finally gone to bed. She listened carefully as Melisandre explained.
"I have never heard of this Kiba that you speak of, but he seems to be someone similar to me." She gently scratched her chin as the topic changed to Meli herself.

"Well.. what I know about your kind is all from what my Mother and Grandmother have told me. You see... I'm the last one of my pack, the others have all gone to the stars. It was their wish that I left the forests and make use of the special gift that we have been given so many years ago."
She smiled a little.
"You could say that I'm a human touched wolf." Grinning a little, she looked up towards the ceiling covered sky. "I don't know why it was given to us.. but I know that many have used it to the best. The first ones that did were known as the Keepers, the ones with the most experience in hiding it.
That is why I was asked to locate one of you."

There was more to it then I told her that day. But the deaths of my pack were still relatively fresh in my memory, and I wasn't ready to share the most intimate secrets yet.
I hope that she's forgiven me for that now.

Alissa nodded politely at her caretaker as she slid off the chair. "Then I'll go freshen up, these bones could really use a break, I can tell you that." She walked over to the bathroom, sliding into the steaming hot bath after a few moments.
After drying herself off, several minutes later, the human form suddenly blurred. It only took a few seconds for the grey-white wolf to paw onto the carpet. She bore her fangs in a grin as she hopped up onto the bed.

In a tone only used by wolves, she spoke.
"And in turn, I will inform you as much as is needed. And besides.. my pack was made of females only, so why change?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

The youngling had allowed her true form through. Melisandre smiled slightly and removed her panties, tossing them to the floor before allowing her own true form to shimmer toward the surface. Her wolf did not really match her human seeming. Silver gray and coal black, not the warm chocolate of the skin she had chosen for herself. The only thing that remained, that did not change, were the ice blue eyes. She nuzzled Alissa with her muzzle, wrapping her tail around her withers and relaxed. The scent of the other wolf brought comfort to her and she drifted into dreams with nary another thought.

"I don't want to leave, mama. Why should I? My life is here, my loves. This is where my cubs are!"

The silence grated. It tore at her heart, exposed the raw emotions that being thrown from the pack brought. Her mother, her teacher, only stared at her with emotion bright eyes. Not speaking, only waiting for Melisandre to see the sense of what she was asking. The young one would...she was smart.

Melli dropped her eyes and allowed her human seeming to come forth, standing straight and tall. Coal black hair whipped past her shoulders, cocoa brown skin gleamed beneath the pale moon, tears tracked freely over high cheek bones. She spoke, her voice low, melodious.

"It is because I change at will, is it not? It is because my seeming is perfect. You are kicking me from kith and kin to search for lost HUMANS! Just because I have learned the lessons you taught so well? How is this fair??"

There was no answer. What answer could there be? There was only silence.

Melisandre shifted slightly, her body flowing from her true form to human and back again. The dream wasn't new. It was as old as her sojourn to this forgotten land. So many years, alone. So many trials faced. Moving closer to her bed mate, her sensitive snout seeking the fur behind the ear...finding it. Utter peace. Sleep. Dreamless.

 

[Niriate]

Alissa blinked at first when she heard the voice, stirring her from half-sleep. She listened in awe as she heard Meli talk in her own sleep, most likely dreaming.
Her tail whisked over the bedsheets as she was, perhaps unwillingly, given insight into the history behind the Keeper.

As Meli fell silent again, she gently lifted her fellow wolf's snout from her body, laying it down on the pillow. She then placed her own muzzle near the other wolf's ear, whispering.

"It is not fair... Live itself isn't.. but that doesn't mean we should resent it. We are what we are, dear Meli. You know that as well as I do."
Her tongue gently lapped over the fur just behind the grey-coloured ear.
"I travelled hundreds of miles... days and nights, just to find you. To make sure my pack would survive, for I was the only one left."
She sighed softly. 'The memory of my mother, my sisters, my grandmother and all others burnt heavily in my heart. I could not let them down, they put their trust in me, their dying wishes.
It was in that most intimate of moments that I felt the weakest I had felt since leaving the forest.'

Rising up from the bed, she walked out of the room and the cabin. Although the moon was barely visible through all the high buildings, she could feel it's presence. Finding a nearby snowdrift she sat on the cold ground, raising her head and letting out a loud howl.
A voice given to her sorrow, joy and all other emotions.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Eyes fluttered open as the lonely howl split the night sky. Glancing toward the night stand, Melli resumed her human seeming and sat up. Alissa had gone out. That was her voice lifted to the heavens. Her voice calling out in love and pain. Obviously, she needed to be alone. There were many things that the youngling had not shared and probably would not share until she began to feel safe.

Melisandre' stood up and wrapped a thick woolen robe about her small frame and headed out. She should go fix the wolf something soothing to drink. Something to help ease her heart. With no sound, she went into the kitchen, stepping over the children that bunked on the floor. Tea, a bit of honey? She found her own private mixture~chamomile, frest mint, rose hips. She brought the water to a rolling boil and removed the pan, dropping the leaves into the water. Time to steep.

Her mind was empty. She wanted to help. She would. The youngling had only to ask and it would be done. The problem was, Melli didn't believe for one moment that Alissa would ask for the cessation of pain. She needed to remember her losses. In the same way that Melisandre herself had done. Without that knowledge of pain, the joys the days brought were hollow.

Pulling two earthenware mugs from her cabinets, she strained the tea through cheesecloth, adding a teaspoon of honey to each filled cup. She would give the young one a few moments more.

Time moved slowly. After five minutes, Melisandre' stepped to the house door and opened it, allowing her nose to point her in the proper direction. The girl was alone, sitting on a drift, hidden by shadow. Dropping her robe, Melli resumed her true form and moved quietly nearer. Her mind voice was better served by being in true form.

"Alissa, I have made tea for us. Your mug is on the table. Please come drink with me."

Ice blue wolven eyes focused intently, a furred body sat close enough to touch, but not too close. No crowding for the youngling. Not when her pain was there in every line. She pushed her mind voice out again...allowing the pain the other one felt to roll over her.

"Please?"

 

[Niriate]

As she heard the wolven voice come from behind her, she slowly gazed over her shoulder. If wolves could cry, it would show in her eyes.
"Give me a little longer, I'll be with you in a moment.." Alissa nodded to the elder, lowering down on the snow and putting her head on her paws.

They say that in times of weakness, you learn who your true friends are. Learn who you can really trust, and who is just a sham. From the little time I had known her then, I knew that she was something special. Someone with a dark secret, probably even darker then my own.

A couple minutes later, Alissa rose back to her feet and walked back into the cabin. As she crossed the threshold, her body vaguely shimmered before it was replaced by her human form. She let out a small chuckle as her nose picked up the scent of the honey'd tea.
"Smells good, hope it tastes as good too." Keeping her voice low, she carefully stepped around the sleeping children towards the table.

At times, it's easy to forget you story. In the company of friends, loved ones or others. And sometimes there are stories that you will take with you for your life. Stories that are always there, never go away and influence you forever.

What would've happened if I wasn't on this journey? The Moon may know... All I knew was that I needed Meli's help, and she needed mine.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

She had come inside, with her sweet scent and soft voice. Something within Melli...eased. She followed the young one into the kitchen, her head cocked as the softly growled words reached her ears. Obviously, her tea was good!

"Please, sit, drink."

Silence as Melisandre' debated making the offer. She was sure the young one..."Alissa, damn it, you can at least THINK her name!" would not want to be made to forget her losses. She was a strong one, this wolf, and deserved her pain. But rules were rules. The keepers kept the forgotten lore, they held to the old ways, the made it possible for wolves to become whole~either one thing or the other if desired. The offering to erase the hurt was integral. It had to be made. How would she react?

"I have an offer for you. Tis part and parcel of what Keepers do and as such I have to explain, to tell you..." Melisandre' allowed her voice to fade out. This was hard. When the other lone wolf had wandered through...he had wanted to keep his memories, he needed them. Melli could sense that this one needed her memories as well...but the offer had to be made.

"I can take away the memories that cause you harm and help you return to your most natural form. Not just for a while but for always. Some wolves do NOT want to remain two legged, nor do they want the seeming of humans. I can help return you to before. I will not do so without permission, but I can do it."

Melli's voice petered out. She couldn't do it. There was something about this young wolf that reminded Melli of...herself. Strength through adversity. Alissa had it in spades. She didn't NEED to forget. Just like Melli hadn't needed to forget...ever. She shook her head and brought ice blue eyes to bear on the wolf before her.

"Never mind. You do not need my offer. Drink your tea, Alissa. Relax and then please...come lay with me. I am weary. I am an old wolf you know...much older than I appear."

 

[Niriate]

The younger wolf smiled gently, snickering to herself from the tone that Meli had started to use to her. It was a very motherly, if not a little overly caring.
The cup sat between her hands as she sipped, closing her eyes in a moment of reminiscence.

"While I thank you for the offer, I can't forget who I am.. it's the only thing that keeps the memories alive. The thing that keeps my pack alive, inside me. Returning to who I was before the gift came is also not an option.."

She sighed and looked over her shoulder to the door. "We're hunted for who we are.. the two legs keep us hidden most of the times. But there are fewer and fewer safe places in this land...

To become who I am not, would be to betray the last wishes of my pack."

Hunted to near extinction had it's positive sides, funnily enough.. people started to forget your species existed, thus you could allow yourself to be spotted..

As the door creaked, the two of them looked up. The young girl looked wide-eyed at the two, as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.
"I.. I. I thought I..." Kip stuttered as she shuffled on the spot, cheeks blushing a fierce red colour. "I... I knew I felt.. something but.. ."
Alissa smiled lightly and waved the child over, hoping to get her in before Meli would get angry and send her away.

"You told me yourself that they were sensitive.. I'm surprised it took them so long." Her arm slung over the girl's shoulder as she pulled her close, looking at Meli for a reaction.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre' had heard Kip a moment before she entered the kitchen with her stammered explanation. The girl was always waking and stumbling about, her sensitive nature and semi-feralness made sleep a very delicate thing to maintain. Melli was all set to wave Kip in and give her a good cuddle when Alissa took the lead, calling the youngling in and wrapping a protective arm around her thin shoulders.

"You told me yourself that they were sensitive.. I'm surprised it took them so long."

Melisandre' grinned and took another sip of her tea, her eyes closing slightly.She had felt Kip since the little one's eyes sprang open from some odd dream. Of course, Melli couldn't see into the younglings dreaming head but she could feel the fear and agony that had brought the girl searching for pack, for comfort.

"I usually offer to let her cuddle with me after one of these dreams...she needs warmth and snuggles. You don't mind, do you?"

Not giving either one a chance to answer, Melisandre' began to clear the table of their tea things, pouring a little of the dregs into a smaller earthen ware cup for Kip and offering it with a smile. This was ritual and Kip knew it as such. She sipped the tea once and then again, the slightly cool brew bringing a frown of distaste to her mouth. Finishing it, she put the cup down and said a small well loved prayer. Her voice cracked slightly but the words were said with something akin to grace.

"My father~ the Earth, my mother~ the Moon.
Keep me, cherish me, protect me.
As above, so below~ so mote it be."

The table clearing was accomplished in a trice and Melisandre motioned Kip to proceed them out of the kitchen and back the hall into her private den. Her eyes latched onto Alissa's and she mouthed an answer to her ealier question...

"It never takes Kip long. Her claim to the pack is closer than anyone's except for her brother. I am her grandmother, you see?"

 

[Niriate]

Was it a surprise to me? Probably not, I honestly can't tell anymore. Those days I felt so many different things that it's hard to remember exactly what I felt.

Alissa nodded shortly as she followed the two others into the den. "I had.. suspected something like that." She replied with a gentle smile. "There was something similar between you and her. At first, I didn't know exactly what it was.. but I started to figure it out along the way"

She closed her eyes and murmured a grace, incantation or something similar to those.
"Mother Moon, clear my view.. Father Earth, guide my steps.. Brother Forest, keep me healed.. Sister Stream, bless my soul.."

At the questioning glances from the two, she snickered a little. "Something my mother taught me, it's passed down to all daughters in my pack. They say it soothes the soul and asks for nature's protection over it's denizens"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Eventually, the three females managed to return to the haven of Melli's room. Melli stripped and shifted, clambering up on the bed and whining softly as Kip climbed up and placed her head on her grand mother's rump. Her eyes slid closed as she waited for the other one to join them and silence dropped, sleep came and the warmth of well remembered dreams and family.

Morning came soon enough. Melisandre' had resumed her human seeming in her sleep, her hair disarrayed, her strong brown arms wrapped tightly around the youngling. She had never figured out WHY her body slid from one shape to the other without her conscious thought...she just knew that it did and she had no control over it.

Kissing Kip's forehead, she awakened the girl and, with a gesture, sent the young one out into the house to build up the two great fireplaces for warmth. Then she slid out of her nest and went to the bathroom to slip into clothing better suited for the other ones here, those who were not blood. Her eyes hadn't really focused to see if Alissa had stayed or if she had strayed away...but it didn't matter. She was wolf kind and as such, she needed the peace this little oasis provided...for a while. If she wasn't in the room, she wouldn't have went far. Being alone is hard...Melisandre' knew that very well.

In the kitchen coffee was perking~just chicory true~ but good smelling. The oldest children had begun the task of gathering the eggs from the few chickens in the back and grabbing the bacon from cold storage. Melisandre' started the wood stove and got out her favorite cast iron skillet. Time to get some hot food into the kids, and into the youngling when she was awake, aware and ready.

 

[Niriate]

Eventually, Alissa returned to the cabin. Where the young wolfling had been, nobody asked, for it was not theirs to know. The only thing that was striking, was the fact that she had managed to pick up a new set of clothes that gave her a much more accustomed look.

She smiled at the younglings as she manoeuvred her way into the kitchen. There was no need to inform Meli of her arrival, most likely the grandwolf had already smelled her true form coming back.
She sat down at the coffee table, stroking a hand through her snow-covered hair, spreading the frozen water into the long black strands of hair.

"I have a request to you, Meli. When you have the time, I would like you to tell me more about that other wolf that passed through here. The one you called Kiba"