[OOC: If this becomes a group thread, deadline is the 25th of January, ending at 11:59PM of that day.]

Aurielle Adravendi

It was past time to start Aslaug’s lessons in Valhalla’s script. Of course, she’d wanted to be stone sure on the runes, marks, and all that entailed creating a written language with the few human remnants she had on paw. Enito and Paladin’s Mandrill Ime had been great help, as they were much older than any of the lemurs that had chosen to become Paladin’s or Aurielle’s companions. They had been alive during the time of the humans themselves, though neither was fond of their origin. But they’d come away with much knowledge on the scripts that had been common from where they’d originated. There were so many intricacies. Now that the language was set, she wondered how long she should wait to send out envoys with the idea. Perhaps other packs – Cairo had mentioned a pillar in the Armada with marks like writing – had their own script. It would be good to identify them. She shook her head away from the thoughts and sang for her cousin. The tone stated it was both casual, and requirement; a lesson she was sure Aslaug would be delighted to attend. It was open ended as well, and she wondered if Coran and Aoife might sit in, though she’d already been extensively teaching her children the script as a whole. She retreated to wait in the mouth of the cave, ears perked to catch the tread of paws on the cold ground. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aslaug has been waiting on what Aurielle told her someday, the idea of learning to read was beyond exiting for the young huntress. She was dying to start that and patience was all she could have as she waited for the start of this path she was willing to take beside hunting, something she already mastered. Now it was time to begin with her second affinity. Learning.

Today as she carried the last kill she performed she heard the call from her alpha cousin. It was time to begin? Perfect! She left the dead rabbit ok the hunt pile and trotted quickly to where Aurielle was. Finding her she smiled. "Aurielle! Hello! Did you need me?" She knew the answer but she didn't want to jump to conclusions before she was completely sure she was being called for what she was thinking it could be.

Scripts. Reading. It all sounded so complex to the young woman, so at the news of a lesson, she found herself eager to attend. She made her way into the cave, head tilting lightly to the side as she let a soft grin on her features. She was eager for whatever knowledge she might stumble upon. Carlys was with her, eager to learn as well though she took the prominent place on her shoulder. “Would it be okay if I sat in?” She asked, her voice softer than normal in the hopes that she was not interrupting everything. She still felt like she was learning where to place her paws, and she did not want to misstep.

The warrior took her sat, eyes casting curiously between them as she prepared herself to simply learn. It had been awhile since she had attended a lesson, even longer so since she had attended one that did not pertain necessarily to the art of war, and she had no idea what to expect. As always though, she was certain the questions would simply start appearing once things got underway.

"Rhae" "Carlys"

Aurielle Adravendi

Aslaug was quick to arrive, and Aurielle nodded to the young woman, though she only smiled enigmatically while she waited to see if any others would join in. Indeed, Rhaegara was next to show, and Aurielle grinned, nodding in invitation. After a few more minutes while she waited to see if any others would arrive, she ran her mind a last time over the agenda, and as no one else arrived, she finally spoke. “Thank you for coming. Rhaegara, this is Aslaug, one of my cousins. Aslaug, Rhaegara here is recently joined. Today, we’ll be learning about reading and writing.” Her head tipped as her eyes twinkled at Aslaug, “I did promise. Also, I’ve been working on the ranks of the Scrivener’s Circle. I think, by next meeting, it should be ready to be announced at large.” Her eyes flicked between the two women before she gestured with her muzzle and rose, leading the way to the main chamber, where Ayodele had set up the utensils and first attempts at paper, in this case, the easily peeled bark of a birch tree, as well as several sheets of pigskin on which the letters stood out in stark black ink. “My plan if for the Scriveners to be those who write our histories, myths and legends, as well as missives, treatise, and messages for the Messenger’s Circle to carry. Many things for the future.” She took a seat behind one of the alphabet skins, holding a glowing white paw above the page to better illuminate the letters, letting the two women examine it. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

"Speech" “Thank you for coming. Rhaegara, this is Aslaug, one of my cousins. Aslaug, Rhaegara here is recently joined. Today, we’ll be learning about reading and writing.” Aurielle introduced the female who just arrived as well, a new member it seemed. She smiled brightly at Rhaegara. "Nice to meet you!" Her tail wagged hard in happiness. But soon her attention was back to the Spirit. Finally, she will learn to read and write as Aurielle told her along ago. “I did promise. Also, I’ve been working on the ranks of the Scrivener’s Circle. I think, by next meeting, it should be ready to be announced at large.” She nodded in response but said nothing just yet, she wanted to wait before speaking. Happily, she looked at the piece of skins with symbols on it. Using the Spirit's glowing light she took her time to see. "Ohh What is that?"

Art by CloudyNight

Rhaegara had to admit she was a little shocked when no one else made an appearance. Then again, she was still new to all of these customs. Perhaps others had already mastered the art? She would find time to inquire later. She recognized that there was a time and a place for questions and would not want to pull away from the lesson to ask about something entirely different. She offered a soft and warm smile to the other woman, a dip of her head respectfully in greeting. Aslaug. Cairo had mentioned her, mentioned that she should seek her out to inquire more about. Her ears perked in interest at the mention of the Scrivener’s Circle, and she wondered if the woman might humor her to train in more than one area. She wanted to be a part of the War Circle, but her curiosity did not stop there. She was eager to do more. She didn’t want to stop until she had learned everything, and that curiosity was no doubt going to get her in trouble some day, but for now she saw no harm in any of it. Aurielle held her paw up to offer light, and the woman instantly dove into looking at the different symbols on the page, blinking with a lack of understanding but a clear intrigue. She had never seen such craftsmanship before. She had thought the work on armor to be quite impressive, but it held nothing on the intricate details that came with the markings on the page. “What does it say?” She asked curiously. Carlys craned her head curiously as well. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aurielle Adravendi

She smiled as they exchanged greetings, and at the girls’ queries, she answered first to Aslaug, “These are runes, or, if you mean what they’re written on, various things. Pigskin, parchment, and such. The ink is made from black walnut ground down and boiled. It makes a black ink, like making tea.” To Rhaegara, she added, “These in particular say nothing precisely. It’s our alphabet. Enito was some help with this, putting it all together. He’s old enough that man was still around when he was young, and though he refuses to say what it was like in detail, he is willing to share his knowledge.” She ran them through the alphabet, brushing each symbol as she named the letter. And then she took up a pair of whittled sticks carved into roughly pen-like shapes, offering them to the girls before she took her own and settled before one of the fresh parchments, demonstrating the strokes for each symbol. “Each of us may have our own technique for writing. Ardyn, and Aoife, for instance, can use their paws in ways none of us three can do. Those with primate companions can opt to have their companion scribe for them.” She held the end of the ‘pen’ in her teeth, dipping the end in the ink and slotting the stick between her toes on the right paw. She used her paw to guide the pen, and her teeth to keep it from flying off of twisting from between her toes. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Aslaug watched with all the interest a wolf so knowledge thirsty that she could give, feeling like this thing of writing could benefit her and the pack. There was never a too late or incapable when Aslaug was into learning something, something like this. “These are runes, or, if you mean what they’re written on, various things. Pigskin, parchment, and such. The ink is made from black walnut ground down and boiled. It makes a black ink, like making tea.” She nodded to the new information given. Runes! Something she really wanted to learn more about. She watched Aurielle writing. Explaining that with primates or special paws like Ardyn could make it easier. She needed then a companion. "Where can you find a primate companion?" "Speak"