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 Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:21 am
Well, to be truthful, she hadn't either, but she had seen someone fall, and then the aftermath. It wasn't a pretty sight.
"Kara drowned in a river," she told him carefully, starting her lessons. "She always was the river wolf, alpha of a great pack, in the world of water, but she loved the river too much, and it took her back. Kara is the river now."
She broke her stare at the whitewater and glanced back towards him.
"Unlike the river, Kara has a heart, and she gives back to those that show the love," she wasn't sure if this made any sense at all, but it didn't matter. It wasn't a knowledge, but an understanding.
"You can't kill without knowing that you've taken a life. Then you apologize, but say you wish to live." It seemed very similar to those Native American traditions. The humans that lived so close, but at the same time, there was something very different about it.
"If you don't, the river will cease to flow, or take you away in its floods." Pavati had never seen them herself, but Thinks Like Fire had told her that a long ways away, where dirt reigned supreme and rivers were scarce, there were sudden onsets of rain that swept you away to eternity.
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Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 10:36 am
Alexander sat on the soft riverbank, looking into the cool, reflective waters. He had never seen the river as anything but a cure for wolfish thirst, and he was having trouble changing those views. Luckily for him, the blue male was young and his mind more open than adults. The full-grown wolves had passed by the river so many times without looking twice that he imagined they never could. If he wanted to learn something new, now was the time to do it.
His ears swiveled over to Pavati, listening to her every word but not lifting his gaze. Maybe Kara was someone very important to her. Maybe this whole obsession with ‘the river’ was Pavati’s way of grieving. Alexander thought he should get to the bottom of that before accepting the learning process. The blue male dipped his nose in a gentle nod, acknowledging what she said. Afterwards, he softly asked, “Who was Kara?” and hoped it wouldn’t offend her.
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Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:33 pm
"Kara is the river," she told him again, raiding one furry brow at him. Was it so hard to get? Kara = river. That was a finality.
However, if he'd asked her who Thinks Like Fire is, she might have given him something. "We call the river, Kara, because that's what the spirit name is."
She was really bad at this if she hadn't made that clear enough. Time to move on.
"Okay, let's go find breakfast," she told him, but didn't set out. She figured he could find it. Pavati never had been a very good hunter. Father or mother always brought home the chow.
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Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:55 pm
Alexander wasn’t sure if he wanted to dive into the subject of spirits just yet. Partly because he thought it would take a while, and partly because he was close to starving now. Alexander simply nodded at the female, signaling that the river’s name was now officially Kara in her presence.
Silently the larger pup hoped Pavati was a quiet stalker. He didn’t need her ruining his meal twice in one day. “Okay, let’s go,” the blue male said before leading the way down the riverbank. His kept one ear turned back to listen to Pavati, but the other swiveled in all directions searching for dinner. A few times Alexander paused to sniff the air, the ground, or a tree before continuing on his search. Every now and then he would look back to the female to make sure she was still there.
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:49 am
Pavati had never been on an actual 'hunt' before. Sure, she'd gone with mother and father and watched, but being with someone her age, it felt like she'd be more part of the action. Smaller things were easier for her brain to process. The pack took down big things, and she couldn't fathom ever hunting something that large. Besides, this food would be different, it would be centered around a growing belief for 'Kara'.
She didn't say anything, just hoped he could locate the food. She certainly couldn't. Alexander would have to play the 'man' so to speak.
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Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 1:29 pm
Alexander peeked back at Pavati, and noticed she was following along faithfully. Contented by this, he continued listening and sniffing for prey. It was harder than usual because they were near the river. Sure, many animals came to this location for drinking the water, but other wolves knew this too. The river was where the most wolves hunted, so prey could be scarce sometimes. On top of a lot of competition, the smaller animals were extra-sensitive and aware near the river for just this reason. However, Alexander persisted, determined to catch something for his starving belly.
After yet another stomach grumble, the blue male caught a whiff of something on the air. Was it… could it be…? YES. It was a rabbit, Alexander’s favorite victim. He crouched low in the grass, tucking away his tail and ears. The dark pup left him and his companion far enough away that they couldn’t pounce yet, but they were also out of direct scent and ear shot. He looked back to Pavati, awaiting instructions.
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:25 pm
This was as far as Pavati ever dreamed that they would get. In fact, she was almost froxen with fear. What if she did it wrong, told Alexander something slightly off and Kara damned them all to deaths in the river because of it. She pinned her ears back to her skull, and searched around her frantically, anywhere to go, any sign that everything would be okay.
There was nothing.
Pavati took a few deep breaths and tried to relax her muscles, which were shaking from anxiety. "Go ahead and kill it," she whispered, "What comes after is more important." She hoped that was right. She knew the Native two-leggers whispered things to their little spirits before they went, but she didn't think the river had any control over the movement of rabbits.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 7:10 pm
Alexander watched Pavati intently as she gave instructions. He immediately became calm and collected when the instructions were to just go ahead and do it. The young male was unaware of the worries engulfing his companion. This, however, was a good thing. If Alexander was worrying about every little detail to avoid making mistakes, he would never be able to succeed in his kill. He just had to let it flow. Much like the river – smooth and natural.
The pup’s ears and eyes were fixated on his prey, not missing a beat. His nose was searching the surroundings for anything that might startle the rabbit. Luckily, the rabbit began munching very carefully on some vegetation, and Alexander took the opportunity to strike.
It happened very fast; much faster than a puppy should be able to complete such a task. Alexander was getting older though, and more fit and competent. He had crawled so slowly along the ground, letting his pelt camouflage naturally with the surroundings. It ended with a well-placed pounce and a quick snap of the neck.
Alexander trotted back to Pavati, rabbit dangling from his mouth.
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Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 6:46 pm
Pavati paced while she was waiting for Alexander to return, her mind was flooded with thoughts and emotions, and she could place none of them in the right spot. He'd kill the rabbit soon, and then she'd have to 'feel' what Kara wanted. It was good they were so close to a river, otherwise she may have been even worse off.
She almost stammered when he walked up with the rabbit, but managed to catch her words at the last minute. It was hard to be sincere, for she wasn't sure what she was doing was exactly right.
"Good," she said, and started to patter back towards the water source. "Now you must wash it, but careful not to lose it. Sometimes the river can be greedy." She paused for a moment, realizing her brilliance. "Washing it tells the river you are thinking of it, and it will send the rains to feed the grass that feeds the rabbit. Next year will be a good year," she told him gently, pondering on what else to say and do.
"Oh," she stopped, a frown crossing her face. "Kara likes livers."
It was a simple fact. If you gave the river the liver, it might just grant you something. "If you give it a liver, I think it might save your life someday." Pavati wasn't sure how the river would do this, but her heart told her this was the case.
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:51 am
Alexander could taste the brilliant blood on his tongue and he was excited to eat this meal. The pup was sure he was close to starving, feeling the pain in his empty stomach. But it would be filled soon. Very soon, he hoped.
The rabbit dangled to and fro as Alexander padded along behind Pavati. He could smell the delicious rabbit meal and it made his mouth water. Patience, he reminded himself, was an important trait to uphold. The blue male nodded in understanding as Pavati instructed him on what to do and how to do it. He realized she couldn’t see the nod because he was walking behind, but he did it nonetheless.
Upon reaching the river, Alexander pulled forward, trying to hurry their mission and get some food I his puppy belly. Teeth clamped down hard on the rabbit, in an attempt to keep hold. He lowered his neck, dipping the rabbit in the river and swished his head right to left, allowing the water to wash over his prey. Satisfied, Alexander pulled in back out, faced Pavati, and set the rabbit down between them. He cocked his head to the side and asked, “Wanna share?” As an afterthought, he added, “When we get to it, we can drop the liver in the water, too.”
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