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Procyon's Journal

Oh, how I have nothing to do! I haven't seen anyone for days, and though I know Dee is around, I'm sure she's attending to her thoughts, and listening for any strange happenings in the castle. I can't help but pace my room, and look out the windows. The forest below seems appealing, but dark...I'm not sure it would even be safe to go out into the woods. It's just that lately, I've been getting this feeling...as if I need to reclaim my freedom.

My Kithain brought me a beautiful dagger, and I've been practicing with it. I have crafted a target that I've hung on the wall...It's a nightshirt, stuffed with straw, and I throw the dagger at it, aiming for the place where one's heart would be. You never know what kind of creature you will encounter here, and though I mean no harm to those of my Court, I am a bit concerned about our rivals of the Sun. I do not know much about them, for the only people I know are those who are my own age. They know as much about the Sun Court as I do, which frankly, isn't very much. I feel the need to seek out more information, and I think that will be my next step.

Perhaps exploring the lower levels of the castle will allow me to bump into an older Fey...I rarely trek down there, but I think it may be for my own good...

I cannot wait for the end of winter. The cold wind leaks through the cracks in my chambers, and in the dead of night, when I am asleep and cozy under the furs of my bed, I can feel icy breezes playing in my hair. Perhaps I should leave the fire burning bright all night long, to prevent this. I would rather not become ill from poor insulation. And there is always the option of stuffing the visible cracks. That may actually be more effective.

I've been reading more as well, and my skills are becoming better. I can finally get through an entire page, which used to take me hours. It's amazing what can be found in books. I've never had much interest in the printed word, but I do appreciate what knowledge books offer. You can find out so many things from the printed word...Perhaps I shall take up reading as a hobby once I become more proficient in it. We shall see, I suppose.

Well, that is about all for me. I think I'll go out and explore now...Seems like an appealing adventure. I just wonder if Dee would like to come as well? Maybe this time, I'll go by myself...

Thoughts on the Spider and the Sun Court

Walking back through the hallway, cloak wrapped tightly around her, Procyon thought back to her conversation with the Spider Fey, Aranea. At first, she had gotten the feeling that the woman did not like her...But she was glad that the older woman loosened up a bit once they got to talking. Procyon had no reason to make enemies within her own court. She felt that all of those of the Moon should be her close allies, regardless of their attitudes. She felt a bond with those of her blood, and though she might not feel the same way about some things that they did, she felt kinship with those of the Moon.

But there was one thing that caught Procyon's attention. Aranea had seemed calous and unfeeling...When the subject of the Sun Court kidnapping was brought to her attention, she seemed proud of the mission. Were those of the Moon Court--of her own Court--so cruel that they would enjoy the torture of others?

Procyon thought about this trait--it was the first time since being released from her window that she saw the cruelty of one of her own Court. All of the other Fey she'd met were kind, and not at all scary! But Aranea had seemed threatening, powerful. Procyon now had utmost respect for the Spider. She was one woman that the Raccoon would never cross. She knew better than that. The Spider Fey would be an excellent ally, she thought. As long as she didn't demand that Procyon kill any Sun courtiers, the Spider and teh Raccoon should get along.

Procyon had no reason to hate the Sun Court. She knew little about them, and even her own court had locked her within her stained glass tomb by pure accident. She had no reason to hate the Sun Court...though she supposed that the battle over land was important, she didn't think much of it. None of the Sun had wronged her, and until they did, she would resist the torture or murder of any Sun courtier, even thinking that she could learn something valuable from them.

She had reached the stairs by this point, and was about to head up them and back to her chambers, when she heard and felt the grumbling in her stomach. Food. Skipping around the staircase and back down the hallway, she neared the kitchen. She could feel warmth coming from the cozy room, and upon further inspection, she could hear voices...

The Tea Party of DOOOMMMM! -- part two

Amazed at the change in the little girl, Procyon's eyes widened as she watched Astra climb atop the wobbly stool, ready to perform for the room. She could tell that this Fey loved attention, and realized that she cherished her time in the spotlight.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be lovely, even without your instruments," she said, heading to the kettle to pour herself a glass of wine. Once she'd filled her cup, she sat down on the nearest stool to watch Astra's performance.

The wine warmed her, and she smiled as she watched Astra sing. Her voice was crisp and beautiful, and the song brought a shiver to her spine. Once it was over, Procyon clapped heartily for the little girl. "That was excellent! Did you make that song up yourself? It is truly haunting, but lovely just the same."

Astra beamed at the praise, her smile shining on her face as she turned to Procyon. "I didn't make it up, no," she answered, folding her hands primly in her lap. "My mother sang it to my brother and I to help us sleep. I remember it because it was the one song we heard every day. I know a bunch more, too, but I'm out of practice..." She sighed then, looking down at her hands. "I just came out of my window... and I can't find my brother, either."

"Well, you certainly sound like you've been practicing...But then again, I'm not a good judge of pitch and tone...I'm defintely not a singer, though occasionally I'll sing to myself. You, on the other hand, are defintely a pro. It was a lovely song."

Procyon was coming to like Astra, even though her first impressions of the Fey weren't very pleasant. Though she had been indignant at first, the child seemed to be warming up. Perhaps it was the praise that brightened her spirits...

"You just came out of your window? Well, welcome home again! Isn't it good to be able to stretch your legs? It was one of the things I really missed about being trapped...I get antsy quickly." Procyon noticed the slight despair in Astra, and had to ask about her brother, even though it might hit a nerve. "When was the last time you saw him? Maybe if you know what his totem is, we can look around and see if his window is still around...If not, he could be roaming the halls right now! You never know...Always have hope Astra. All of the Moon Court will eventually be released, and I'm sure your brother will be here too."

Astra sighed softly, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them as her arms wrapped around her legs. "I don't know," she murmured, shrugging softly. "His name is Melidora... he's a bird fey. I don't remember what the name of the bird it, but it sounded like he was royalty." Pale blue eyes flicked towards the raccoon. "I wish I'd stayed in the window if he's not here. It doesn't feel right when I'm by myself."

That much was true... she hated being alone, and Melidora had always been there. Now that he was gone, it was like there was something always nagging at the back of her mind, reminding her that she was alone. "He sings too... his songs make people angry sometimes, and he likes to make up songs about people." A faint smile quirked across her face then, as she remembered some of the more vicous barbs he'd come up with when they were younger. "Most times, they didn't like it. But it was SO funny!"

Mephiti blushed and stammered a thank-you at the praise, awkwardly hugging her old friend. She smiled at the trio--quartet, as Astra entered--before her inherent shyness kicked in. The skunk fey moved to place her plants on the counter, moving towards a fireplace placed close to the back of the room that was likely used to roast meat over; she only assumed as such, as she never used it for that. She smiled at the future bard's song as she got the fire going and hung her day's work over the fire to dry.

After wiping her hands on a fairly clean dishrag, she returned to the group, just in time to hear that the wine was ready. Smiling warmly at Pteryx, she retrieved mugs from the cabinet, one for each of the group save the bat, and ladled some into one for herself. "Thank you for heating the wine. I hope you don't mind our intrusion--the kitchen just seems like the place to be today."

Dionaea thought quietly. So she was Astra, Melidora's sister! They'd been looking for one another. Dionaea silently thanked Pteryx for the wine, her mind churning over this new information. If they had been looking for one another, best to let them know.

"Astra," she said quietly as a moment of silence, "Melidora is here. And looking for you. I met him briefly in the hallways a few days ago. He would like to know that you are alive and well, I think. He told me of you and your wonderful songs, though he sings beautifully as well."

She found an open bench and sat down, wondering what it would have been like to have a sister or brother. Procyon was about the closest she had to family.

Astra stopped dead at that... and if she'd had something in her hands, she would have likely dropped it with how fast she turned to look at Dionaea. "You've seen him??" she asked, slipping from the stool and nearly running over to the older girl. "Where did you see him? Is he okay? He's really looking for me??" The questions came out in a rush, the girl's excitement bubbling up to the surface as she nearly bounced on her feet in front of Dionaea. "Is he well? Are mother and father here too?"

Dionaea was happy to see that her remarks hadn't angered the child that now bounced in front of her. Good thing she had met Melidora previously! She remembered most everything from his and her conversation, since it had been the first meeting she'd had in too long.

"He is quite well, actually, and yes, he was wondering if you were about too. He did say he was looking for mother and father, but hadn't seen or heard of them, and neither have I. His chambers were relatively near mine, if memory serves." She was glad she could be of help, but something told her that Melidora may not be as happy to see his younger sister as his sister was to see him.

No matter. Melidora did want see her again, she was sure. Family was supposed to be important, after all.

Pteryx, lulled by the warmth of the wine and the room, and the sweetness of the child's voice, fell back into the half-asleep trance she'd had earlier. She couldn't help it. Pteryx, as jealous of them as she was, still felt comfortable enough around these girls.

And there was something calming about hearing the old songs once more. It had been a very long time since the songs of the Moon Court had been sung.

The clapping snapped her out of it again. Pteryx smiled for the first time. "The song is very soothing when you sing it. Like how I remember it was sung before the curse."

As she spoke, Pteryx carefully sliced some of the bread and cheese for Astra, put them on a plate, and slid them towards the child. "It's the best I can do for you. But there's butter somewhere, and there's jam somewhere as well."

For someone who'd just been huffy about being asked to pour wine, Pteryx had been pretty good about giving Astra food...

"Thank you," Astra replied, nibbling on a bit of the food, even though she seemed VERY distracted now. Her brother was here... he'd been seen, he WAS freed from the curse! It wasn't too terribly long before Astra just couldn't keep herself still any longer and pushed the half full plate back onto the table. "Thank you for the food," she said, curtseying politely to the four of them. "But I have to go and find Meli. If he's here, he's got to be looking for me too!" With that, the girl darted off, disappearing from the kitchen once more.

Taking a swig of her wine, Procyon watched the delight on Astra's face when Dee mentioned that she'd seen him. She was glad to see the girl happy, and at that moment, she wished her mother were still around...or at least trapped in a window somewhere. That would at least give her hope of seeing her again some day. But that wasn't the case. At least she could be happy to Astra and her brother reunite. "Good luck Astra!" she shouted to the girl as she ran off down the hallway, feet pattering across the stone cobbles. "Nice to meet you!"

Turning back to the three teen Fey, she chuckled. "I'll bet she's really excited," she said. "It would be nice to have another family member here. What's he like Dee? You said you met him?" Curious about the male members of the Moon Court, Procyon wanted the details...She couldn't help but be curious about those of the opposite gender. After all, she didn't even know any of the men of the Moon Court.

Dionaea waved to Astra as she left, hoping the reunion was something Melidora would enjoy as much as Astra would. She sighed, hoping for the best. She thanked Pyeryx for the wine and turned back to Procyon, sipping quietly at the warm wine. It felt good to have that warmth radiate from her center.

"Melidora is a wonderfully talented singer. He sings about death and anger and war. Something like our theme song, I suppose. I like him very much. It was good to not only meet someone new, but to meet someone with the ability to sing. It was comforting..."

She trailed off, thinking about the haunting melodies Melidora produced. She wondered where he was at that moment. "Procyon, have you met anyone else from our Court?"

"I'm curious about his songs now...You've piqued my interest," he Raccoon Fey said, running a finger along the rim of her cup. "Our theme song, you say? I'd have to hear it again, and I'm sure it'd come right back to me," she said, her brow furrowed in thought. She couldn't remember the song...it was only a slight memory at the back of her mind.

Turning back to Dee, and her question, Procyon perked at the thought of telling her friend all about Aranea and their meeting. "As a matter of fact, I have met another of our Court that I had never seen before." She gave a dramatic pause, just for effect, and continued. "Her name is Aranea...She is the Spider Fey. A Black Widow at that." Her lips curled into a smile. "She is the Court alchemist, and I believe she is quite powerful...At least that's what it seemed like..."

Pteryx listened to all the talking, sipping the wine and letting the warmth send tingles through her cold body. She'd met Aranea a long time ago, when Pteryx had snuck down to look at the Sun Court woman.

She shifted on the stool, stretching out her limbs from their set positions. Pteryx was feeling drowsy again. She wanted to start walking or moving soon.

Waiting for a pause in conversation, Pteryx casusally asked, "Has no one else noticed that our Court is desperatly in short supply of something?" She wasn't interested. Not at all. But, even if she was, it was a fact.

The women in the Court couldn't share lovers, after all. That would result in a lot of bloodshed.

Dionaea's interest perked. She thought she had heard more voices than she had seen people. "Aranea? A spider alchemist? That sounds very good, especially since she is our ally. The Sun Court wouldn't know what hit them, I think." She smiled and sipped her cup, liking the way the warmth radiated through her body.

To Pteryx's question, Dionaea nodded. "There's only one man I know of, and he is but a child. Why do you think so many of the Moon Court is female? Not that it's a bad thing, mind you, but..." She wasn't about to finish that thought, at least not out loud. Being female, we all have our urges now and then.

Mephiti frowned, lost in thought, occasionally taking idle sips of her wine. Her furred ears perked at the mention of the Court's alchemist, and again at Pteryx's question. "Perhaps it is a part of the curse?" she offered. She had never met any of the men of the Moon Court either, come to think of it.

"Yes, she would be an excellent ally," Procyon replied, her face flushed from the wine. "She is quite intimidating..."

Pausing, she stopped to think about what Aranea had said about the men of the Court. "Well ladies, it seems there are more men about than just Melidora. Aranea told me of others...I believe there's Lupinus, and Corvus at least. She didn't mention their totems, or anything else about them, for that matter. But she did say that they had not been seen in a long time. I wonder where they could have gone?"

Though Procyon had never had contact with a male Fey (at least not since she'd been released from her window) she was curious about them. Could it be that being with a male would be fulfilling in some way? "Do you all know much about these men of which we speak? I don't seem to be very informed about the ways of the opposite gender..." She giggled girlishly, her serious tone thrown off quickly.

Finally...Spring has Sprung!

The Raccoon crept down the hallway, moving as silently as her feet would allow her. She'd seen the changes in the weather over the past few weeks, and she'd finally decided that today would be the day to roam outside around the castle.

After all, she'd spent very little time in the out-of-doors since she'd been released from her stained glass tomb. There was only a fleeting moment that she'd stepped foot outside, but she'd quickly retreated, back to the warmth of her quarters. She didn't like the winter. At all.

Heading through the kitchen, she went down the back steps, which curved around to ground level, leading her to a door that would take her around the back of Umbra. As she pushed the door open, her wings fluttered a bit in the fresh spring breeze, and she inhaled deeply, breathing into lungs previously filled with musty castle air.

Boy, was it good to be outside! The sun was shining, and the trees had begun to sprout leaves--though the Moon Court's trees weren't nearly as impressive as those nurtured by the Sun Court, Procyon liked the knotted dark wood that the Moon Court forest consisted of. Even the trees looked dark and ominous, and Procyon knew most of the Sun Court didn't dare to venture into their forest.

Though she'd gotten used to walking on two feet, the Raccoon was ready to jump right back into her old habits, crouching almost instantly on all fours and bounding off into the woods, looking and listening to everything around her.