Stargarden never stayed in one place too long, always wondering the swamp. He wasn't very aimless, often with a task on his mind. It frequently involved Bites for Fun, his best friend the crocodile, and other times it involved chasing Frolic the Rock to make sure he never came back. Of course, he always came back and it infuriated poor Stargarden that when he found him again, often right behind him, he'd claw his crane talons at the course surface. He thought he'd won but he didn't, and Frolic the Rock recovered to torment him another day.
"You're a legendary, right? Shouldn't you be acting just a little more refined?" The question had been abrupt but it was clear that it was the voice of a doe behind him. Although he had been engaged in his task, Stargarden didn't seemed surprised. However, he didn't seem entirely pleased. Perhaps it was the rock behind his talons that refused to give up its plight against him, or the moon that haunted him in the sky but what he had for this doe was a taste of her own medicinal herb.
"You're a lovelorn doe, right? Shouldn't you stop fooling around with bucks that will just never replace him?" His voice was smooth, haunting even, even if the words themselves were coarse.
The words caused Wolf Howl to draw back, a confused expression lingering over her face. There was no way he could possibly know that, was there? She stared at him, trying to determine a course of action to take. She had come looking for him for a reason but maybe she should have searched for another legendary, even Nettle or Fiend seemed like a better option at this point. She wasn't going to turn back now though, now after she'd found him, because there was no guarantee she would find another... at least not in time. She was pregnant, and his words rang true.
And then it switched suddenly like a sunny day in winter.
"Hey little rock, why don't you take this brother of yours and throw it away for me. It has been causing me so much trouble. If you do, perhaps I can fix those tears of yours. After all, rocks should be tough." He last of his words spoke with a hint of resentment because he knew how well rocks stood against time.
Tears? Wolf Howl found herself confused at this words. She wasn't crying, was she? It was obvious she was trying to confirm his words, her face brushing her leg to try and wipe them away. Nothing fell upon her but embarrassment. She believed she was crying, did that mean she had a reason to? She regret her choice, withdrawing from the crane slightly with scorn. He lied to her... could legendaries even do that?! She felt so heavy.
Stagarden looked at her with what seemed to be pity as his voice rung out to the sky's heart.
"Oh little rock, won't find these tears because they're trapped deep inside you. You cannot see them but I can hear them little rock, and they scream for help."
It was possible Stargarden was simply insane. Wolf Howl knew the rumours on the legendary that took the form of a crane from the night sky, and the rumours weren't kind. Out of all of them, Stargarden was the least stable of them all. Why hadn't she found Doom, Swan or even Bitterleaf? She didn't know them all by name but you couldn't exactly hide from the rumours of the swamp after it blessed you. You could try but eventually someone found you.
"Look, I am not a rock—" she hadn't even finished her sentence when Stargarden's head snapped toward her direction.
"DO NOT LIE TO ME LITTLE ROCK. ROCKS DO NOT LIE, IT IS ONE OF THEIR BETTER QUALITIES," his voice boomed, and Wolf Howl's whole body straightened out in fear. Oh Motherfather, she just wanted a blessing... and now Stargarden was going to use her as a scratching post like Frolic the Rock!
"Take the rock and be rid of it for me," he whispered, his voice hauntingly soft now, as he kicked it toward her.
The emotional switches were going to kill Wolf Howl, and out of simply fear over anything she slowly approached the rolling rock. She looked at Stargarden, looked at the rock, and then kicked it into a bush with her hoof. Was this good enough? Wolf Howl looked to Stargarden with questioning eyes.
"Satisfactory, now, who are you again?"
Silence was Wolf Howl's only response. He had to be kidding her!
"Oh yes, little rock!"
Spanning his wings wide, Stargarden's eyes seemed to shine even brighter with the soft blue hue of stars. The mouth of the crane body he inhabited opened and closed like a foreign object in the swamp and then closed shut completely. A locked beak, words seemed to flow into the swamp once again.
"Rocks stand against time, and so will you little rock. Nothing will break you and you will carry on, and on, and on."
Silence.
"Now carry on."
Even more silence.
"Carry on."
And in silence Wolf Howl stood in front of the crane, and even still the words continued.
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
And even after she'd slowly backed away, the words continued.
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
"Carry on."
