Wolven hearts. (Closed for LunaWolf72)

[Luna_Wolf72]

Turning once, Melli's eyes flicked over the form of the other, a small smile drifting over her face. Her voice, when she spoke was quiet, husky.

"Let me get breakfast done and give the younglings their tasks for today. After that, I can give you all the information he left me with."

Eyes closed as Melisandre' thought on her vistor. He had been travelling North, looking for others'. Looking for a clue as to what he should be doing next. His excitement over the simple flower she had brought away from her tribe's birthplace had been....odd. She knew that the young one was searching for something...by the Mother, both of them, were. Melli wasn't sure if her words would help Alissa find a place to start....but she would try.

"You want some coffee? "

 

[Niriate]

Alissa smiled a little at the seemingly simple offer "I'm not much of a coffee person, but as long as you put some decent amounts of milk into it.. " She grinned to Meli as she briefly walked out of the kitchen to check up on Kip and the other younglings.

Life was brewing in the little cabin, the arrival of the unknown halfling not adding to the peace either.
Alissa smiled turned melancholic as the memories of her childhood started to flash before her eyes. The young wolf cubs chasing eachother in the grass, playfully fighting with one another as the older ones kept watch.
With a violent shake of her head, Alissa brought herself back to reality and walked back into the kitchen, sitting back down as she waited for the older wolf to finish her daily rituals.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

The children had eaten and been given tasks for the day~not difficult in this white world, this end place. After all, what could you tell the young one's to do except find kindling, hunt for any others who have a need and scavenge anything useful? Melli smiled at the melancholy thoughts. She had been here, alone, with only a small remnant of her family for far too long. Finally though, things were finished and she turned to face Alissa, bringing two mugs of chicory coffee to the table and placing them carefully before collapsing, bonelessly, into a chair.

"What I know of the other one isn't much. He was searching for Paradise, a place only for those like us, I suppose. My small flowers, the one's I kept, and grew, from my tribe's homeland caused him so much joy! I could never understand why but he said that it was close to the Lunar Flower, maybe an offshoot, not the real thing, but close.

He asked me if I had seen any other loners in my time here. I couldn't answer him as each wolf must decide what I learn from them and what I don't. Others have passed through, as you are doing now, but I never learned if they were loners."

Melli shrugged, a liquid, purely human motion.

"He asked me for one of my flowers. Said they helped to clear his head, clear his mind. Reminded him of long ago and far away. He was so young, so very young. Of course, I gave it to him. He was looking for, searching for, a place....Freeze City? Not here, further away. I gave him provisions for when he could not hunt and helped him to get his mind and body together. He left a little over 6 moons ago....."

Her voice, quiet, husky, stopped. There was nothing else she could add to the story of Kiba...at least not now.

"That is all I know. Do you think to join him and the others he will pull toward him as his journey progresses?"

 

[Niriate]

Alissa listened intently, eager to pick up anything that could help her find an answer to the questioned that had started to boil up into her mind after finding Meli.

"Do you think to join him and the others he will pull toward him as his journey progresses?"
She shook her head slightly, scratching a little over a spot that itched in the back of her neck. Probably a flea...

"I don't know Meli. I never thought I would get to this point, let alone so quickly." She smiled briefly to her fellow lupine. "My Grandmother never said anything about a second part of my quest. I suppose she didn't know of Kiba as well."

Looking down, she took a sip of the, for her, strong beverage. "Are there others out there where a lone traveller could find a temporary home? Others like you."

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

"Are there others out there where a lone traveller could find a temporary home? Others like you."

Melisandre thought for just a moment, her eyes closed, her brow wrinkled. "I am not sure. I had heard there were others, farther South, long ago. When my mother trained me for this outpost, she never said. I assume I am not the only one...but...."

A moment, a slight movement, as a tidal wave of loneliness and hurt crashed over the older wolf before she shook it off. The youngling had things to do, a quest, maybe, to fulfill. Wanting company, no matter how badly, was no excuse for not helping her move on.

"I haven't left this place for an age. The children here have needed me for so long. I never tried to find out."

Melli shrugged and took another sip of coffee and then allowed her eyes to focus on the young one before her. The young one was strong and scarred in a way that meant she had struggled and hurt and hidden the hurt from others. She wasn't one who would trust or listen, easily. Not if it meant going against what she believed to be needful.

"I wonder if there would be a way to discover if there are others?"

 

[Niriate]

Alissa sighed a little as she saw a flash of pain in the eyes of her friend, pain that she knew very, very well. She sipped the beverage, trying to get things on order in her own mind.

Lifting her head, she listened to the faint sound of the wind howling through the abandoned buildings around the cabin. A sound that had had been her only companion for several weeks.

"I.. don't know. I can't remember if my Grandmother said anything about that. I just remember her describing your... group, if you will. Saying what you did, how long you've done so."

Was she supposed to look for others? Or was she meant to stay here and build a new pack? She caught herself berating her family, shaking her head violently in response. Cursing the dead was a lowly act, dishonering the spirits.

"Look Meli, I don't know if I should stay or go. If I'd go, I have no idea where I'd be going or for what purpose.
But if I stay, I might not be fullfilling the requests of my family and pack."
It was clear that she was torn between the two choices, a youngling like her shouldn't need to make choices like those. Let alone when she's the sole survivor.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre' shook her head, her heart hurting for this young one. She had no answers. She couldn't say 'Stay here with me.' What if that was the wrong thing to do? What if that wasn't what was needed?

"All I know for sure is that you have time. I can always use the help. Being alone for so long without a help mate. Someone who understands..."

Melli's head turned as she allowed her eyes to roam the small shack, the children who needed her, the stacks of dishes. She felt adrift, cut off, as if the way was no longer clear. As if things were no longer simple. Maybe they weren't. Maybe she was supposed to find out what the youngling~Alissa, dammit~wanted and help her.

"I have never felt this kind of confusion before. I should have a clear cut offer for you, I should be able to direct your path."

Her voice lowered to a barely there murmur.

"But my own needs prevent that I think."

She looked up, eyes capturing Alissa's.

"I think I should go to the well at the town's center and give in to inner debate. Will you watch my cublings until I return?"

 

[Niriate]

"I think I should go to the well at the town's center and give in to inner debate. Will you watch my cublings until I return?"

Alissa nodded shortly, she could see the inner struggling of the elder wolf as their eyes met eachother.
"Ofcourse I will. Take as much time as you need Meli." She smiled in an attempt to cheer up and encourage the elder.
It was a strange thing, the two of them having such different feelings, and yet in essence they were pondering about the same thing.

Her hand reached out for Meli's. "I'll keep watch over the little ones. You just try and get your head back together, alright?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Slipping into the dead white world, Melisandre allowed the change to come, shifting from woman to wolf in less time than it takes to tell. Her furred body protected against whistling winds and her loping strides covered ground much faster than her human seeming could. She had to think, come to an understanding of what was needful. She couldn't do that with Alissa around. She wanted the young one to stay with her.

She needed silence to think, to plot, to allow the elder spirits to send her a sign. The well came up fast and Melli stopped, her head cocked as she gazed at the barely covered hole in the ground. Low to the ground, she slunk into a nearby alley and resumed her human seeming before returning to the town's center. Thought, meditation. She needed to do these things. She sat, eyes closed and allowed the silence to well up inside and carry her away.

A flower. A single flower. White on white. A scent like snow and sunshine. Like moon on water. Like wolf rut. A youngling, head down, striding into danger, another one by his side. Tsume? Darting red shape. Whisper of words in the silence. "Come. Freeze City. Both or neither."

Eyes open as snow begins to fall. Cold barely touches her but she shivers nonetheless. She has an answer. What will the youngling do? Who will care for her cubs if they both leave? Eyes note the hidden light and judge the time. She wonders as she stands~have the younglings eaten?

 

[Niriate]

"And that is how I came here." Alissa smiled to the younglings as they were sitting in a small circle around the fire, who were listening with open mouths and wide eyes, staring in amazement at the girl. Had she shown them her secret? Perhaps, it was hard to tell.

"Oh, hey Meli." She said as she saw that the elder wolf had returned to the cabin, the younglings running up to their caretaker and hugging her legs. "I was just telling them how I got here, and of some of the stories I brought from my former home."
Her eyes fell down slightly as the pangs for her pack returned. One of the older younglings, Kip, tugged gently on Alissa's trousers.
Lifting her up, the child whispered "Don't worry Miss Alissa, your secret is safe with me.". Alissa smiled and nodded back "Thanks dear, I appreciate that."

She stood up and started to help Meli in herding the children to bed. The two of them had things to discuss, private things, sensitive things.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Mellisandre' had returned and listened, just outside the door, as Alissa told her travel story to the cubs. The children were oh so very quiet, practically enthralled and Alissa's voice had an underlying tension, a sing song quality, that was soothing. Eventually, Melli shook her head, brushed fallen snow from her shoulders and stepped inside.

The little shack was warm, the kitchen clean, the cublings drowsy and happy as they huddled about her. She touched each face with cool fingers and listened as they chattered, quietly. Her eyes rose from her charges and landed on Kip and Alissa. Of course, that one had seen. There would have been no way for her not to have. She was her grandmother's blood and strong in the touch.

Within half an hour, all the cubs were down,. Melli and Alissa returned to the haven of the kitchen. Melli set about preparing the last bit of chamomile tea. She needed the sedative effect, other wise she couldn't guarantee she would get through this conversation with out crying. An uneasy silence filled the room, both waiting for the other to start. Finally, when two mugs had been filled, two horded teaspoons of honey added, Melli returned to the table and sat, pushing one earthenware mug in place before the youngling.

"I have had an answer of sorts. It is true for me, not true for you. And your decision affects mine. During meditation...a flower, a voice, a figure and a statement. 'Come. Freeze City. Both or neither.' I assume I am being led away from my home but not without a companion."

Melli shook her head, tears welling in the crystalline depths of her eyes. One hand came up and brushed them away.

"That is MY answer. I leave with you or I stay here, alone. You are not meant to be trapped inside these walls. It is not your way. It is not MY way but at least I trained for it."

 

[Niriate]

She nodded quietly as the elder wolf explained her vision, smiling a bit as she saw the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Freeze City... I've never heard of that place, though I'd assume it's a similar deserted wasteland as this is.." She sighed a little, followed by a sip of the honeyed tea. "Both or neither... so either we both go there, or we both stay here.." She repeated the vision to herself slowly, trying to decipher her actions on it's words.

Her hand rose up to rub along her temples, the dilemma visibly bothering her. "Let's just say, for argument's sake that we both go there.. what happens with the little ones?" She gestured towards the bedroom door. "Because, from where I sit, that is our main issue.. " Her hands kept roaming around, animating her debate.
"I guess Kip could come with us, she's old enough to withstand most of the weather out there.. but what about the other ones..."

She looked at her friend. "We can't take them all with us, can we?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melli's head dropped, her eyes visibly filling with tears that she dashed away one handed. That final question had been the very thing bothering her the most. There wasn't anything to be done with the cublings. She could not drag them across unknown wastelands. She wouldn't. Add that to the way her vision was given to her~both or neither? It seemed hopeless.

"I don't know. I honestly don't. I won't drag any of them out into this mess. Not even Kip. They were vouchsafed to me. That means I have to keep them together. I have to keep them safe. I can't do that out there."

Melisandre's voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't know what you should do. I only know that if you head to Freeze City without me, you may be hurt or killed before you get there. Both or Neither. That is what I know."

Melli stood up from the table then and moved to the door. Something, someone was coming. A few minutes later~there was a knock, soft, almost a scratching. Melli flung the door wide and looked out. Standing just before her was a young female, no more than 16 years of age. She was bony and looked half starved. There was a scent~like flowers or meadowsweet. Melli looked at the newest one with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, may I help you?"

The girl focused and stood up straight, the air of fragility falling away from her. Her voice, when she spoke was a deep contralto~thick with some unknown accent.

"I am Nadine. I have come to help you. May I enter?"

 

[Niriate]

Alissa peeked from the kitchen corridor as she saw Meli talking to someone, she couldn't see who or what, because the elder wolf was blocking her view. There was however a very familiar scent drifting into the cabin, a lupine scent mixed with different flowers or herbs.

Who was it? Was it a friend? Or a stranger like she was? What was it doing here?
If it was indeed a friend, it could provide a solution for them. That was, of course, expecting that it was someone friendly and capable of doing the job.

She decided to leave Meli with the newly arrived quest for now, the young wolf went to check up on the sleeping young ones. It may just be one of the last times she'd see them sleeping.

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre' stumbled backward and motioned for the young breeed to enter. Obviously, there were other things going on, things that couldn't be read in the wind. This female shouldn't be here. Yet she was. The girl stepped inside and gave a brisk all over shake. Her voice was lightly accented~something vaguely Slavic. Her hair was white blonde, her eyes clear sky blue. The air of fragility didn't dissipate. If anything, getting a good look at the young one only increased the want to protect her.

Melli waited for a moment, wishing that Alissa would come back and help with this newest problem. Although something warned the elder wolf, maybe Alissa wouldn't see Nadine's arrival as anything but the gods providing for a needy wolf and her cubs. Another head shake and Melli opened her mouth to speak. The young one raised a hand to forestall her.

"I know you wonder why I am here now? I have been journeying for over a month. My elders sent me to replace you. Said you had a job that needed to be completed to help all wolf kind. I am the only on of my kin who has enough training. I was sent to take over."

Melli flopped down into a chair. 'Travelling here for over a month? That means she left her home before Alissa ever arrived.' The thought was scary. Melisandre' didn't want to leave. She had worked very hard to make this place safe for her pups. She didn't want to turn it over to this young untried git of a girl.

"Well, please get comfortable. i am waiting for Alissa to return from checking on the children. We can discuss arrangements after she returns.' A huff of breath. "Would you like some tea?"

 

[Niriate]

The younger wolf closed the door to the bedroom behind her as she turned to her friend and the new arrival. She blinked in confusion as she saw the slender teenager sitting here, who was even younger then she was. And slender was an understatement, she looked almost emaciated.

'Bloody hell.. who is this girl and how did she get so thin' She thought to herself as her nose picked up the scent of wolf, mixed with several pines and, ofcourse, snow. But those were things she'd have to think about later.

"Hello there." She smiled and nodded to the young one. "I'm Alissa, but Meli has probably already told you about me." She sat down in a chair, equal distances from both of the other females, to keep an illusion of neutrality.

"So, what's going on? Who are you girl, and why are you here?"

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

Melisandre' gave a low sigh once Alissa slipped into the kitchen. She still felt stuck and she was hoping against hope that the other wolf wouold be able to offer an alternative to what was about to happen. Giving a world weary head shake, Melli made the introduction.

"This is Nadine. She started travelling over a month ago to reach me. She is to take over my post so that I am free to travel on, with you, I suppose. By myself if necessary. I have a geas. A thing I am supposed to do that will help the wolves, the tribes, our kind. I assume that must mean a journey into the white, down to that place where Kiba went~Freeze City."

A sad head shake, a whisper. A sigh. "I don't want to go, Alissa."

Melisandre' stood up then and turned toward the stove, her eyes filling with crystalline tears. Hands scooped chicory root out, set it in the boiling water to steep, pulled the water away from the heat. Quick hands plucked three worn mugs from their accustomed places and added a touch of pure cane to the bottom of each one. By the time she returned to the table, she was, once more, under control. She set the mugs on the table and sank back into her seat, before picking up her own mug and sipping the hot liquid.

Melli looked at the tiny thing with a quirked eyebrow, her voice soothing, damned near blank of all emotion. "Have I gotten the right of it? You are here so that I may move on?"

Nadine shrugged and then nodded, her delicate fingers plucking at the table cloth, her huge eyes drifting back and forth, from Melli to Alissa and back again. Another nod and then she spoke. That voice didn't really match her appearance.

"Yes. I am your replacement. If you choose NOT to leave then I am to travel with the other one, toward Freeze City. That is my geas."