Dotw: Meeting at midnight

Difficult as it often was to find time alone, every star-filled evening was a godsend. The warchief’s tasks always took up so much of the days, and he revelled in the time spent dedicated to his place in Vektren-- but sometimes he could wish only for the silence of the night and the talkative stars above.

This night took on a different shade; eyes long adjusted to the deep dark of twilight, it wasn’t a chore to sense the bright ivory pelt of another wolf approaching in the periphery of his vision. A huff, quiet and impatient, expelled from Heel’s nostrils in expectation of some request or report or another, but instead of receiving Kiero as a charge, the warlord simply stalled his greeting, flicking an ear to acknowledge his presence and welcome him to speak.

          Kiero

-Enjoying the silence Chief?

Kiero had spent the last two night strolling around, taking a short nap here and there when his body decided to stop his prancing around without a goal and restore some of the energy he used. His naps never lasted long. Something always woke him up. New sounds, sometimes new smells. From time to time distant chirping that became louder and louder for each day that passed.

- If you cant sleep Im sure I have some herbs that could help.

Heel’s muzzle turns to indicate a WELCOME to the other Vektreni, providing him permission to sit a spell. He was to cherish this time alone and in silence, but the conversational way about Kiero this night seemed different enough to be tolerable.

“I was.” But it’s with gentle amusement that he turns this bitterness to Kiero, meaning nothing by it in any genuine sense. “But herbs are unnecessary. It’s less that I can’t sleep and more that I don’t wish to.”

          Kiero

-Ah. A fellow moon wanderer. Nice to see others enjoy night time as well.

Koi embraced chief’s invitation to sit down and did just that. He decided to sit a bit away from the silver coated wolf to not intrude into his personal bubble. He was close enough to talk to him without having to shout. Breaking night’s silent but still enjoyable sound with loud voices was the last he wanted to do. It was simply divine. There was no doubt in Kois mind that night had been created by their gods to give them small

-I don’t think I have met anyone else who enjoys staying up at night. Most of the others seem to prefer sleep.

Any annoyance from Koi’s arrival seemed to have already dissipated by the time either of them spoke again; the evening was too quiet, too tranquil, for such nonsense. The Warlord pulled a long breath in, enjoying its fullness, and released it again before responding. This came with a glance, a soft, amused smile.

“Perhaps the others have better luck seeing the Gods in their sleep. But I have trouble. It’s easier to see them in the trees, or the sky.” To see HER, more than anyone, more than everyone-- but this he kept to silence.

          Kiero

-True that. But since sleep isn't exactly my best friend, I had to learn to find that connection through other means than sleep. Like the sky itself. Deep,dark and endless… its perfection is shown when the moon gets eaten by the sky, covered in darkness. And those stars… a reminder. Every single star is a reminder of all enemies we have, enemies we will eliminate to let the darkness take over.

Koi shifted a little there he was sitting, his eyes glimmering lightly in the darkness. There was another thing that fascinated Koi, but also made him burn with jealousy. The moon was free, just like the stars. While the stars choose to stay in that one spot, they could move away if they felt like it.

His place was imprinted within Vektrens boarders and unless he had a babysitter, he was not allowed to leave.

He missed those times he travelled around, from place to place. The freedom to see change locations. While he didn't regret joining Vektren and felt burning passion for the Gods and their will, he had hard to accept the fact he had to stay inside the borders.

With every word Koi shared, Heel found himself more and more thankful for his company. It was impossible NOT to; his green eyes followed the indication of the darkened sky above them, stretching out over the landscape. It really became an endless sea, so much more PERFECT than the spotted portion below. Not only that— it seemed a great deal more MANAGEABLE, the idea of wiping the little pinpricks of light from the sky.

Quiet, Heel’s eyes drifted curiously aside at the other wolf, reading him, WATCHING him.

“The first time I saw Her, She was a tree. She grew from the tree, I think. I tripped over one of Her roots and almost fell to my death.” The memory, bittersweet, had never been shared aloud before; but it felt fine to do so now. This was his place, after all, and they shared in this worship. “Maybe the tree grew from Her instead.”

          Kiero

-I`m reminded of her presence every day. Whenever I have hard time to find something that is crucial to keep everyone at good health or in case of emergency, the wind carries a light scent of needed herb. Even if it was completely clean a second ago,no matter how hard I tried to use my nose to find it, it is the wind that leads me, and not my nose.

Koi looked at Heel from the top of his ears to his claws, and made some notes. He could see their warlord was at great physical health, at least from what he could see. If there was any underlying issues, issues that couldn't be seen by an eye, usually came forth later on, or when a certain action triggered it. For now, the only thing he could say was that Heel was at its finest health, ready for  whatever may come in his way.

This little reveal was an impressive one; Heel found himself breaking eye contact with the dull clouds and their pinprick stars above to return Koi’s observant gaze. He’d not thought to BOND with the other wolf over so personal a mixture of beliefs. He found himself GLAD for it.

“It’s fascinating to learn how She chooses to show herself to each of us.” Heel replies, after many long beats of silence, and then his eyes turn from Koi’s to the landscape ahead of them once again.

          Kiero

-Indeed it is! I bet there is no way to tell how she will show herself to someone until she does.

Koi nodded and raised up to his paws. The night was still young, and he wanted to interact with the rest of the terrain during nighttime to learn more about their land.

-I have to bid you goodbye, Chief. It's time to re-discover Vektrens land at nighttime, with have its own mysteries and secrets to reveal. If you want to join me, you are free to do so. If not, you can catch me some other night when you need a companion for a moment.

Chuckling lightly to himself, the cream coloured wolf turned around and turned his head toward Heel,waiting for his reply.

The offer was tempting, certainly: to carry on dancing in the moonlight beneath Her majesty, discovering a world that he, as the Warchief, did not really know. He had dabbled on his own in the metaphysical senses of Her being, but to have someone so attuned to Her as a guide--

Dare he turn it down?

“Thank you for the offer, but I think that our talk has helped to prepare me for sleep.” Just what he needed, it seemed. “Perhaps another time. I’d enjoy seeing you in your element.”