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 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 12:44 pm
It sounded like chaos, that attack. Senka had been in a few battles, herself, but nothing that sounded that horrific. And he said they were a peaceful pack? Hers was a pack of warriors. Their territory was a target for many packs, so an attack in the night like that, one that reached all the way to the dens, would not be entirely unexpected, though it would be rare. It would not be something that would throw them into confusion. But for a pack as peaceful as Maroln’s? She could only imagine what it would have done to them. Senka felt her heart clench in sympathy as he finished his story.
“I am sorry,” she said quietly, though she knew her condolences would do him no good.
They had done nothing for her, either.
“I will not pretend to know what it is like to lose your entire pack, but I have lost someone close to me. My mentor, Bryanni.” Senka sighed. “Just before I left on this journey, the sickness finally took her. It tore through her body, ravaging her, reducing her to little more than skin and bones.” An image of the once-proud wolf came to Senka’s mind, coughing up blood, her fur dull and matted. She blinked it away. “Her body is ash, now. Her spirit is with the gods.”
It looked like there would be no escaping the morbid, after all. Not today.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:04 am
No, it wasn't the same at all. Still, Marlon could recognize someone trying to sympathize when he saw them, and he appreciated the effort with all of his bone-weary body. She had been a patient listener; he was sure he'd rambled off a few times. Hopefully, the story would do some good somewhere. If nothing else than to preserve the memory of Jewels in someone aside from himself. That was something.
The concept of gods confused him, but he let it rest. He'd heard that some wolves held strange beliefs and this sounded like one of them. Maybe though... it was a way of comforting themselves after grief. He knew that if they all had a soul, a spirit, the thought that it lived on with these 'gods' creatures meant they weren't really dead.
He really wished that were true. It would mean Helena was still... somewhere, happy. That wasn't how life worked, though.
Marlon had had about as much thinking about Helena as he could take for a day. He inclined his head at Senka, which looked odd since it had been drooping already. "I'm sorry for your loss. Is she why you're traveling now?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2011 12:40 am
“Yes and no,” Senka replied, sensing Marlon’s need to change the topic. Besides, it was only fair that she share something of herself, after forcing him to tell her so much that brought pain to him. “Bryanni was the pack’s storyteller before me. For whatever reason, she chose me to be her successor. My training had just finished before her spirit joined the gods.”
She sometimes wondered if Bryanni had held on so long just to make certain that all of her knowledge was imparted to Senka before she left the world. Bryanni had certainly been stubborn enough to do something like that. And dutiful enough. In some ways, it had been a relief when she had passed. At least she was no longer in pain. But Bryanni was the closest thing Senka had ever had to a mother. It was no easy thing to lose her and it was something that she preferred not to dwell on.
“It is a tradition amongst my pack for the new storyteller to go on a journey after their training is finished,” she continued. “It is a way to prove their worth. When I return, I will receive the title properly, but that is not really the point. I am only what I am now because Bryanni saw something in me. So yes, in a way, she is responsible for my travels.”
Bryanni had taken a directionless youth and given her purpose. She had given Senka something to pursue. Something to occupy her curious and intelligent mind. Something that could give her life meaning. And Senka would be forever grateful to her for it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 6:29 am
"How much longer do you have on your journey?" Marlon inquired, not wanting to belittle Senka's generous retelling of her own loss by thanking her. The only way he could get around that was to move beyond it.
He glanced up, trying to determine the time through the trees. Watching pups meant he'd been used to keeping odd hours, so journeying in the daytime didn't bother him much. Wolves were flexible with that sort of thing. What did matter was how much time he spent delving into the past with other wolves.
Well, then again, where did he have to be?
Hunting, he reminded himself. I still need to hunt, and we're too near the Reign's lands now...
"Senka." He hesitated, then forged on, hoping that this would help her journey rather than getting him into all kinds of trouble. "The pack. The one that came. I didn't know then who it was, but I found out later. Their lands... they're close. You should avoid them if you can. If they find out your pack is one they haven't visited, they'll demand tribute. You know, they'll demand you give them some kind of payment periodically. If you refuse..." His eyes darted down momentarily, but it seemed as if he wanted to drive the seriousness of his point home and he met her eyes again. "You don't want them to know where you're from."
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Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:22 pm
Senka had been about to answer his question when Marlon continued without bothering to wait for an answer. His words caused her gaze to sharpen. He said that he hadn’t known then who they were, but he certainly seemed to know the identity of the murderous pack, now.
“Might I ask which pack it is, so that I might be certain to avoid them in the future?”
Although she was asking, she had a sinking suspicion that she already knew the answer. After all, how many packs full of wolves that vicious could there be? Especially in one area. Still, she wanted confirmation. Best be certain.
Not for the first time, and probably not for the last, Senka was glad she had left the Reign of Terror’s lands none the worse for wear. Her luck really was something supernatural. Then again, even if they had shown an interest in her pack, she doubted that they would bother to travel so far to harass them, or that they would be very successful if they did.
Senka felt for Marlon and his pack – it was not something anyone should go through – but her pack was used to threats and it would take more than even the Reign of Terror to take down their warriors. If worst came to worst, and her pack did fall, she doubted that there would be much left of the other pack, either. No point in worrying over what could have been, now that the danger had passed. Nonetheless, the more she learned, the more certain she became that she should probably avoid their lands on her return journey, however many interesting tales the pack had.
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:40 am
"They call themselves the Reign of Terror." He was almost glaring at the reminder of the vicious killers. "They picked an apt name for their... pack, I promise you."
Could they really be called a pack? A pack was meant to be a family. A unit that worked together for the good of their members. How could training killers and going to out to massacre other wolves be part of being in a pack?
When he finally drew himself out of that thought, he realized Senka didn't really look surprised. Either she had an admirable bluffing face, or she already knew something of them. He didn't feel angry at her, as he could have for being forced to recount the pack's name when she already knew it; he felt weary and lost.
"I have to go." The thought of being anywhere near them made him desire to move on, to get away from this place and the memories he'd dredged up. He was no fool; he knew he was far enough from the Reign's lands to be safe. It was just a driving urge, to put this experience behind him. He rose to his feet to make the declaration final. Sorrow suffused him. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Good luck on your journey, Senka."
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Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:00 am
Senka winced slightly when he said the name, but she really was not at all surprised. The more she learned about that pack, the less she wanted to do with them. A pity, when they had so many stories, but perhaps she really had been naïve when she had walked their lands. She was not the type to fear anything, not really, but she was beginning to learn caution. Perhaps that would help keep her alive in the future.
Then, Marlon abruptly announced his intention to depart.
“I-” she stopped. What could she say? Stay and chat a while longer? He was clearly no longer content to participate in this conversation with her. Then again, with all of the painful memories that she had forced him to recount, she could hardly blame him. Perhaps she would not want to talk to her, either.
“Thank you for sharing your story with me,” she said instead. “I promise you that I will put it to good use.” It would not take away his pain, she knew, but perhaps it would help to know that his story would be used to warn others. Perhaps it would even prevent something like that from happening to another pack.
Senka hesitated once more, but forged ahead anyway.
“I will not say that time heals all wounds, because it does not.” She knew that all too well. “But it can help dull the pain. I hope you find your happiness again someday, Marlon, and if you are ever looking for a pack, you would be welcome in Incendia Ignotia territory.” Too much? But it was true. They had many pups that needed tending, some of them full-time. Not all of their members were warriors. Well, she doubted that he would be interested in coming, anyway. At least, not anytime soon. Still, it could not hurt to extend the invitation, in case he ever changed his mind.
“May the gods bless you and guide your paws in your travels,” she said at last, with the tone of a priestess bestowing a blessing. She meant every word.
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:45 pm
"If I find myself in your territory..." He didn't even know where it was, did he? He thought she came from the north, but for all he knew she was from the deep southern portion of the content. He'd never been anywhere else. All he knew was the forest and packs within a day's walk of the Jewels' former territory. He was slowly expanding his knowledge of Telk now that he was traveling, but for all he knew Incendia Ignotia could be the next pack he ran into. He wouldn't make promises he couldn't-- and at this point didn't want-- to keep.
He seemed to realize the pause had gone on for too long, swallowed back his thoughts and instinct to run from his past, and smiled slightly. Senka had done him no wrong. She deserved as much politeness as he could muster. "Maybe."
Her gods seemed to be something she put a great deal of confidence in. Maybe all wolves with strange penchants like hers were so instilled with belief that they felt comfortable blessing even those who had no idea what they were talking about. There was nothing Marlon could think of to say to that, but he inclined his head in acknowledgment of her well-wishing and, with a last slow, sad lowering of his eyes, turned away. His paws carried him back in the direction he had been heading before their encounter, his mind full to the brim with new meetings and memories.
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