Like A Thousand Stars
Tonight dreams escaped Serene completely, and although there were ways to set her mind to rest, tonight she craved something more. So her paws, those paws that had traveled to so many different lands, traveled across the midnight hours without any particular direction in mind. Her eyes were not searching the shadows for herbs as she usually did, but rather they looked up and beyond. Thousands of stars lit up the autumn night in an array as beautiful as it was mystical. Such magnificent beauty blessed their lives every night, and yet did the average wolf take the time to appreciate it? No, they were all asleep in their dens, turning a blind eye to the godly beauty given to them.
But not Serene, tonight the fawn woman felt the need to admire such beauty, for who knew when it would be taken from them. As she was lost counting the various balls of light, she became blind to the objects laying in her path. Suddenly her wandering paws tripped over a fallen branch, springing her forward in a tumbling manner into the brush. When she came to a stop, she was in long grass beside a lake, but that was not what captured her attention. Tiny bugs flew across the sky with beautiful flickering lights, blending in with the night sky in a vivid picture she would not soon forget. "Fireflies..." She whispered in awe.
"Speech"
Her dreams were full of bubbling creatures and faces devoid of eyes and when she finally awoke Aerndis didn't dare try to sleep again. She got to her feet and did what she always did, she started walking. Being on her own had lost its luster. She was feeling lonely and hurt and wondering if anyone was even looking for her… maybe she should go back to Dauntless' old lands. Maybe everyone had gone back there? She just didn't know. All she had were questions upon questions and a wandering aimlessness in her heart. Yawning she moved in the direction of where she'd seen a lake earlier in the day but to her astonishment it was surrounded by twinkling lights. Her jaw dropped open. They were like stars! Oh cool! With a grin on her face and her fears behind her she bounded forward, swatting at the little stars. They were tricky but she'd catch- "Eep!" She tripped and was sent rolling into the lake. "Ahhhhh!" Scampering back out of the frigid water she shook out her coat. Well boo! |
Lights twinkled and dazzled as the insects moved about, illuminating the grass and water with every flicker. It was like nothing the woman had ever seen before. Perhaps in her pup hood had she seen one or two, but this area was infested with the beautiful critters. Completely distracted by the lights, she wasn't aware of another's presence until she her a loud splash followed by a yelp. Immediately Serene launched forward, forgetting the fireflies and stars and focusing on the danger. When she came upon the lake, she was met with the most irregular and stunning site.
A young pup stood before the fawn woman, drenched in the lake's water, but that was normal compared to the young one's complexion. Her coat was dyed in various blues, reds, and purples, swirling and dancing in a beautiful array. Serene blinked out of shock, not quite sure what to say. She had never seen such beautiful colors on a wolf, though she supposed it could be possible. Look at her, she had odd markings of circles and dashes all across her frame, so who was she to judge?
Finally overcoming her shock, the creme female shook away her surprise and smiled softly at the young one, tilting her head low to look eye level with the young woman. "Um, hello there." She kept her voice calm and soft as she spoke, looking around the lake for signs of others. When she didn't see or hear anything, she looked back at the pup with a concerned smile. "Are you lost miss?" Where was her mother? Why was she alone? Something deep and primal tugged at Serene upon realizing the child was alone, something protective. Who was this pup?
"Speech"
Aerndis gave her coat another good shake, sighing at her fur sticking up in all sorts of places. At least autumn had been warmer so far but she'd have to be more careful in the future. Winter was not a good time to trip into a lake. She supposed it was a sign of maturing that her survival was starting to weigh heavier on her mind. She'd been lucky so far, surviving on scavenged meals and the few hunting experiences she was able to have with other loners. Slowly she was developing her own skills as well but she was still a bit underweight and struggling to get the hang of living on her own. She jumped as a voice spoke and she turned her head to see a gorgeous, creme-colored woman staring at her with a ruby gaze. The woman seemed really nice and Aerndis bounded toward her, tail wagging. "Hello!" Hey, maybe the woman would want to go exploring with her! That was one way to turn the sour situation of getting drenched around. It hadn't even occurred to her the other might have seen her prat fall into the lake. Aerndis shook her head as the woman asked if she was lost. "Nope," she chirped. Then she hesitated. Well… technically she supposed she was since she didn't know where her family was but she'd been lost so long she wasn't sure she could really call it being 'lost' any more. "My name is Aerndis, what's yours? Do you want to come exploring with me?" |
The pup jumped at her words, and Serene felt a little guilty about it. She hadn't ever met a pup before, and though her instincts told her to be kind and gentle, she didn't really know what to expect. But quickly the colorful girl was bouncing towards her, seemingly excited to see her and the fawn woman just stood perfectly still, allowing the young girl to do as she pleased. The little girl greeted Serene and she smiled softly. She seemed like a very sweet little pup and it made Serene's heart feel full seeing her. But when she said she wasn't lost, it made the fawn woman's brows crease together. If she wasn't lost, then she knew where her parents were at least, right? Or how to get back to them? Suddenly the pup introduced herself as Aerndis, and asked if Serene wanted to go exploring with her. It felt strange, but she couldn't very well leave a lone pup either, right?
"Aerndis, that's a very beautiful name. My name is Serene." Once again the tall woman looked around for any signs of the young one's parents, just to be sure. When she saw no one, she gazed back down at Aerndis with curiosity in her eyes. "I would love to, as long as your parents are okay with it? Perhaps they're nearby and I can ask them for us?" She offered, trying her best to accommodate what Aerndis wanted and also trying to see if she was okay. As a pup, Serene was never left unsupervised, and as an adult, she couldn't see herself ever leaving her pups alone either. So why then was Aerndis alone, in the middle of the night, out in the open? A bear could've eaten her, or any number of predators looking for a midnight snack! It was easy to say Serene was not at all impressed with this pup's parents. In the slightest.
"Speech"
"Ohhhhhh your name is pretty too!" Serene was a pretty and peaceful sounding name. She was glad that the older woman liked her name. She liked her name to. At the mention of her parents though, Aerndis' face fell and she shook her head. "I got separated from them a few seasons ago." She wasn't quite sure why she'd said 'them' when it was her mother who raised her. She'd only met her father once and she'd been scared of him. Though right now she would have loved to see him again. If anyone knew where Artemis was it would be Angelus. Anyway, there was nothing she could do about it now. "Come on, let's go exploring!" She bounded back toward the lake and started bounding through the cattails, teeth snapping as she seized one between her jaws. She let go and grinned at Serene. |
Aerndis was such a beautiful little girl, such pure heart and soul. Perhaps that was why Serene was drawn to her, drawn to this place of stars above and below; someone wanted the fawn woman to meet this pup, for what reason, she couldn't be sure. Upon hearing that Aerndis was separated from her parents, the blonde fae's heart sunk in her chest. Such devastation in a young girl's life had her concerned beyond compare. Before Serene could comment further on the matter, the playful pup bounded away from her, back towards the way she came.
She contemplated pressing further on the separation, but decided why bother? Why cause the girl to relive such memories that could make her sad or upset, when Serene could play with her, make her happy, even if just for a little while? So the pale woman sprung after Aerndis, laughing as she saw the pup attack innocent cattails. "My, what strong teeth you have, Aerndis. What a fine hunter you will be one day." She praised, a large grin across her maw as she spoke. Tipped ears flickered over the cattails, noticing how many of the fireflies were resting on the stems.
A playful grin replaced her smile, "Wanna see if we can catch some?" She would then bound towards the awaiting insects, jolting them from their resting positions and forcing them back into the sky, lighting their way as they did. Like a wave of lights, the fireflies scattered from around Serene, floating around the midnight sky once more. Amber eyes turned back to the pup, hoping she enjoyed the show, and might partake in the little hunting game.
"Speech"
"Thank you!" Aerndis chirped as Serene compliment her strong teeth. Her little chest puffed out with pride. She really liked this woman, she was so nice and good-natured and of course the girl loved being complimented on the talents she most wanted to grow. "You bet! I want to learn all about hunting and exploring. Some day I'll be a well known explorer and I want to learn to hunt so I can take care of myself and help out my mama when I see her again." Aerndis had long silenced doubts that she might not see her mother again. She was confident she would find her family again, she just had to be patient. "Wanna see if we can catch some?" Aerndis nodded her head vigorously. "Yea, let's get 'em!" She crouched down low, her ears flat against her head as she watched the insects for a moment before joining Serene in leaping into the air. They shifted and scattered and Aerndis bounded around the lake, slipping through cattails until a triumphant cry erupted from her lungs. "Serene! Serene! I caught one!" She had her paws cupped on the ground where she had pinned one of the weird glow bugs. Her expression suddenly shifted to concern. "It won't burn me will it?" |
Listening to the little girl go on about how much she wants to explore this world, to concur every terrain in her path and become well known, it made the fawn woman smile warmly. It was sweet how passionate a young soul could be about their goals in life, but it was also concerning how unafraid Aerndis was about the unknown. Sure Serene was probably the last to lecture about how scary the world could be; she herself had only just begun to explore beyond the very woods she grew up in. But Aerndis was so young, so alone... she should still have someone to look out for her. Then the pup spoke of mastering the art of hunting; a very basic skill of survival, but one could become an unstoppable force if they could master all the elements included in the art. If Aerndis was serious about wanting to travel, learning to hunt would be extremely important to her survival. She would need to learn how to tackle creatures of every size, shape, and color.
"You cannot have one without the other. To travel this world you must be able to take care of yourself first. Becoming a master hunter will suit you well, but don't forget the other essentials, like basic healing or fighting." Her words were soft as she spoke them, but the wisdom that she intended to share with the pup was evident. After Serene had scatter the lightning bugs about the meadow, the blonde woman would glance back over her shoulder to watch the colorful girl stalk and pounce. An adorable scene of course, but there was actual technique in her movements that made Serene wonder if they were taught or natural. Hearing her name turned her attention away from her thoughts, and quickly did the woman bound through the tall grass to find Aerndis. Low and behold, she had captured one of the tiny critters. A wide smile spread across her maw, like a proud mother, her tail wagging lightly behind her.
"Well done Aerndis!" She praised, happy for the young girl. Hearing the concern in her next question almost had the woman laughing, but she managed to suppress it just enough to answer her question. "No, sweet girl. The bug's light is only a display, not an actual flame. They are beautiful, aren't they?" She hummed, watching as light would flicker slightly within the girl's paws. Amber orbs would then turn to focus on the pup's face once more, wonder and amazement on how such a wonderful child could exist, and be alone. Once more Serene would prod at Aerndis's situation, trying to better understand her predicament. "Aerndis, where did you last see your mother? Maybe I could help you look for her?" She so desperately wanted to help this pup. To help her find her family and to make sure she was safe. Every fiber in her being told her to do all she can to ensure Aerndis happiness.
"Speech"
Aerndis beamed as Serene praised her. She was glad that the bug wouldn't hurt her. She had tried very hard not to squash it after all and as she gently shifted her paws she peered inside to see the little bug glowing a way. It was like she'd caught her very own star! "Yea, they really are." She pulled her paws away completely and released the firefly back into the sky. "I'd like to learn to fight and heal to eventually but I don't really have anyone to teach me and hunting and exploring are what I'd like to master first. I'm still young though so I think I've got lots of time." She hoped she did anyway. As adventurous as she was she had no plans of dying young or at all really. Aerndis gazed at Serene quietly for a moment and shrugged. "I guess at the Waterfall Peak in the north. That's where we had our pack before it dissolved. I've been back there a few times but I never seem to find anyone." She grinned at the woman's offer though. "If you want to see the Waterfall Peak though I'll show you, maybe we can go exploring on the way?" |
This child continued to surprise Serene as she spoke. Such wise words coming from someone so young, the fawn woman would like to think it reminded her of herself, when she was much younger. Serene hummed happily at her words, "I suppose you're right. Within time, you will find teachers of each element. That, I am sure." Of course Serene would offer to teach her healing when the time came, but Aerndis was right that she would have enough time to learn it all. Ears perked upon hearing where she had last seen her folks, causing the blonde woman's mind to swirl with thoughts and possibilities. Her pack had been dissolved, that alone was enough to have the woman's curiosity to peak, but the fact that her parents could still be lurking in the area, looking for their precious girl, that gave her hope.
When asked if she would like to join Aerndis on her journey, Serene was heavily tempted. Such a young girl should not be out in the world all on her own. But Serene had other promises to fulfill, journey's of her own to take and she didn't know if she could bring the fiery pup with her or not. Or even if she would want to come. A sadness overcame the woman as she looked out over the land. "I would very much like to stay with you, Aerndis. Travel the world with you and see what you can become," she sighed before continuing, "but I have a friend in the Weeping Willows to visit, and another down in the Empire. I fear I have kept them waiting long enough."
Serene would then turn to face Aerndis, hope in her amber eyes as the fireflies continued to hover and glow around them. "You could come with me though. There are so many along the way, we could ask if anyone knows where your family is. Plus, if that doesn't dig anything up, we could always go back to the falls after?" It was the best offer she could make, and she so desperately wished the young girl would take it. To have to leave this place without her would make her so terribly sad, but at the same time, she would understand. Why would she agree to leave with Serene anyway? They barely knew each other and traveling the world together might not be the best of choices to make. But it sure would make the woman happy if she did.
"Speech"
Aerndis knew the rejection was coming before Serene even spoke but she didn't hold it against the woman. Serene would have her own life she needed to get back to. She watched the flicker of sadness drape over the woman's face like a veil and explained she had a friend in the Weeping Willows she needed to visit and another in the Empire. Aerndis smiled and nodded. "That's ok! Maybe we'll run into each other again." She was about ready to continue on her way when Serene said that Aern could go with her. Aerndis hesitated. She wasn't quite sure what to make of Serene's offer but then what did she really have to lose? "Ok, I'll accompany you to Auster but I want to do some exploring of my own to." Serene struck her as being on a mission but she didn't want the mission to get in the way of exploring new places. "After you! Where to next?" |