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 Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:03 pm
It was spring. Late spring. The time of year when everything was sweet, succulent, and blooming in as many wild colours as there possibly could be - the molten yellows and reds, silky indigos and violets, and pastel blues of a sky brought down to earth, just at this time of year. Heavy fruits and massive, petalled flowers dribbled down their stems to collect amongst the thick, saucy grasses, where they were split apart and eaten as the delicacies they were by all sorts of fauna. Deer and boar, yes, and the occasional forest buffalo, as well…
But Cernunnos was only watching the creatures who called the boundary between Earth and Sky their home. Of the thousands of floral colours there were a million more combinations to be had in the swirling feathers of birds flown in to nest, the sound of their singing both like music and screams that turned the daylight hours into the noisiest cacophony of life and its progressiveness. They were fighting for territories and mates, squabbling over fuits and their seeds, and scraping their beaks on branches to get to the larvae within, all the while nursing up great nests of wide-mouthed chicks that were forever voraciously hungry. So many new lives! So many lives being lived! So many colours, beautiful colours, all in their most vibrant display to both draw attention and ward away potential competitors!
It was decadent, and it was impossibly distracting, especially for the young ornithologist. Not that he was aware his profession had a scientific name - he was hardly aware this was a science in the first place. He loved to see their lives unfold, peeking into lower nests and smiling down at the beaky, ugly youngsters within. Soon they would be masters of the sky, if they lived long enough.
That morning, however, Cern set off from his den with an objective. Watching the birds was fine, yes, and so was learning their habits, but in recent weeks he had found himself being drawn to the collection of their feathers. His own feathered Alpha first gave him the inspiration, and what started off as something quaint to look upon at the very back of his den was quickly becoming a new obsession - when he wasn’t trailing Aduial and seeing to her needs, of course. Perhaps she would delight in his collection, as well, if he found particularly beautiful feathers - if he found, say, blue feathers…
And for that, he needed a jay. Bluejays were tricky, ineloquent things that liked to tip over nests and move themselves in so that the least amount of work would be needed in raising their young. But, oh, how their feathers glinted in the sun…
He would need to travel far enough to find a blue jay nest, scavenge a feather if at all possible, and not be gone longer than a day, should he be needed for any actual work. Still, he was wandering quite far away from his usual haunts - into relatively unknown territory, where he could still smell traces of Draug behind him - and very little ahead.
Surely there would be blue jays this far from habitation. There had to be.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:53 pm
 Sunlight. Warmth. The time for growing. Rebirth. The forest was rejoicing, singing praises to its god. Finch's eyes were closed as she swayed to the music. This was the happiest time of year for the forest-shaman. Her friends were so jubilant, it almost made her forget the past. The pain. The blood. The agony. The fear.
No. It was in the past. It was gone. These were good times. It was a good time of year.
"Yes. Good. Good. A happy season." She cocked her head without opening her eyes. "What was that? A guest? Where is he? Must make nice. Say hello, little bird."
She made her way towards the stranger in her forest, wondering who it could be. Muttering to herself the whole while.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:46 pm
Mockinjays, gray jays, scrub jays...
But no bluejays. Cern pressed onward into the forest, eyes to the branches above his head and hardly watchin gwhere he placed his paws; and, thusly, he happened to stumble a little in his progression. He was careful not to disrupt the roost of sparrows and ground finches as they darted in and out of the low underbrush, but that was the extent of his attentiveness to anything on the ground.
It was hardly a surprise, then, when he all but trotted straight past the clay-red stranger, eyes roving the canopy and watching the flight of a little gray titmouse. The pretty little thing was eager in its business, floating about as it bothered patches of bright blueberries and landing to scuttle in the leaves. Cern paused, taken up with the pretty creature, and only then happened to notice he wasn't quite alone in the forest.
He drew himself up a little straighter at the sight of the stranger, and though she was still quite a ways away, he called out genially, "Well hullo there, my friend! I'm sorry - have I intruded upon your territory?"
He didn't think there were any neighboring packs beyond the ones he knew about, but there was always the opportunity someone new would try to set up a spot for themselves. He did, however, hope she was at least friendly, and chose to remain optimistic about her appearance.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:05 pm
At the sound of the stranger's voice, Finch's golden eyes opened for the first time that morning and she paused in her advance.
"Friend? Finch does not know you, but she would like to make another friend." She tilted her head to the side, curious about this other wolf. "The forest belongs to itself, but it likes Finch. It says she is welcome to call it home."
She tilted her head the other way. She was not worried about the stranger. The trees said he was a gentle thing. "They like you, too. What do you call yourself?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:25 pm
She spoke strangely, but not unkindly. In fact, Cern found interest in what the strange female had to say - or, rather, the way she said it. Third person, regarding the forest about them as though it was sentient. He already knew it lives, and breathed, in the manner that plants and animals tended to - but he smiled at the idea that it could actually be pleased. It probably could, and he believed that - his entire life had been spent learning the doctrines of a pack that coexisted with the forest and its other inhabitants so that all benfited from the communion.
He was happy to know it might like him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, then, madam Finch," he said with a gentle bow of his head, the way Aduial had instructed him several times before in the act of being courteous. "And to meet the forest, as well. It seems to have given me a lot to live up to. I am Cernunnos, though most call me Cern when it comes to conversation. You said the forest belongs to itself? That is an interesting concept, I have to admit - do you care for it, or does it care for you?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:45 pm
The strange female smiled brightly. It was rare that anyone took the time to consider the forest, let alone treat it properly. He was a kind thing, just as the forest had said. And polite! Nice boy. Good boy. Not like so many others.
"Cernunnos. Cern. A green thing like the trees. Yes, yes. He has good manners." She turned to stare at him quite suddenly, her attention having wandered to the trees for a moment.
"We take care of each other, of course," she replied, as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. Her attention drifted back toward the foliage.
"Why is he here, Finch wonders. Will he stay long?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:25 pm
Cern beamed widely, not bothering to notice what other wolves might have called 'odd' in the way she spoke so frankly, as though he was no different from the greenery that she openly personified. No, all he heard was a compliment on manners that could be directly related to Aduial's several lessons in speech and mannerisms, and giving a humble sort of tilt to his head he wondered if she might like to meet this interesting, gentle forest beast. "You are right," he replied, taking a moment to look more closely at the trees surrounding them than he had previously. "The forest does reach out a paw, doesn't it? Or a branch, so to speak. Treat it well, and it will treat you kindly... I am sorry if I've interrupted you and your forest, and I won't stay long if you've no wish for me to. However..."
If Finch could truly communicate with the forest around her, then maybe she could help him out a bit. He didn't want to impose himself upon the delicate she-wolf, and thought on how to properly word himself before continuing, "I've been searching the woods for the better part of this morning, trying to find a bluejay's feather. It isn't a horribly important thing, but I find birds to be enthralling - and their feathers, beautiful! Is it possible that you might know where I could find one?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 7:27 pm
"Visitors. We like visitors. Good visitors who are nice, he is nice." She turned and pawed away from the male, her tail swishing gently behind her.
"We like to help them, too. We can help. The loud birds, the other birds. Not Finch. The fluttery, gossipy birds. Flit-fluttering above. This way, that way. Hurry up, green one. Haven't got all day."
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "And we have all the time in the world."
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 4:10 pm
Now what could that have meant? Not all day, but all the time in the world... oh, but it did make sense, if he thought on it a little. He wasn't the smartest wolf in Draug, but liked the quick conclusion that spoke of roosting times and migratory paths. Bluejays didn't fly far for the winter, but they did close their eyes at night like every other animal - so, there could not be an entire day where a jay could be found awake in the forest. But with their permanent residency, they should be able to find one eventually.
He didn't even consider her to be a loon, speaking the way she did. Besides, loons were just as clever as any other bird species.
Cern still tilted his head slightly, but trotted right along behind Finch, his own tail wagging with the prospects of not only finding the jay, but also in meeting this oddly-worded female who knew the forest on a level he could only wish to obtain. he could have been jealous, but really, he was more in awe of her."They are noisy little things, aren't they?" he smiled brightly, "but very pretty. I'd always liked to imagine they were the kinds of birds to get into everyone's businesses. I'm very glad I ran into such a knowledgeable wolf such as yourself - thank you."
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Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:34 pm
Finch glanced back at him as he followed her, half-listening to the forest, half-listening to the male.
"Yes, yes," she agreed. "Chattering, busy, noisy birds. They gossip so. Noisy things." In truth, they were not her favorite birds, but since they resided in the forest, she saw little choice but to get along with them as best as she was able. After all, who was she to evict someone from their home?
Then, he want and complimented her, even going so far as to say thank you! Well, the red female could only stop in her tracks and stare at him.
"Such praise," she murmured, then her eyes darkened. "Finch is nothing special. Nothing at all. Nothing special. Nothing."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:48 am
Cern frowned. Had he said something offensive? But he didn't think that was quite the case, as was made terribly clear by Finch's more solemn emotions - she believed what she was saying, but she just couldn't be right. "I'm sure that isn't the case," he said earnestly, drawing himself to a stop and shaking his head. "Everyone is special in their own way. It's the truth. I'm sorry, I'm very sorry, but I think you're wrong."
He offered a smile, not sure where he was going in his speech but feeling it was something he needed to say - even if she didn't want to hear it. "Only special wolves can speak to the forest. I've never met another who could do that, and it is unique," he murmured, wondering what could ever make her believe she was nothing.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:16 pm
Finch shifted uneasily, not at all certain he was right. Her tail drooped lower and she seemed to shrink in on herself a little.
He was a nice boy. A good boy, but he could not be right about this. Finch had escaped. She had fled and abandoned her family. She left them all alone in that place, that terrible, horrible, evil place. Her brother and sisters trapped while Finch ran and ran and ran away, leaving them there.
The forest might speak to her, but she was bad, bad, bad. She did not deserve to be called special.
As though they could hear her thoughts, the trees protested. They knew she was good. She was kind to them, and helped her own kind. However, the red wolf did not want to hear it. She had left behind those most important to her. No matter how much she helped anyone else, it could never make up for that.
She did not want to think about it anymore.
Her ears flattened against her skull and she shook her head vigorously before turning back around and moving once more.
"Gossiping ones are this way."
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