Why are there stars?

Ray couldn't help but giggle when Astrea pointed out the downfall of having so many older siblings. Ray scuffled a step closer to whisper to the star woman, her eyes wide and innocent. “You should try ten Aunties and Uncles” Perhaps she had inherited a little of Glacier's humor. She scuffled a step back again to give them both some room and settled down into the grass to get comfortable in preparation for the story. Astrea wouldn't immediately start the story, instead, she would go on to ask what drew Ray's gaze. The little girl shrugged “Why do berries taste sweet?” she said, half cheeky, half hypothesis. “I don't know. There interesting, there shiny and distant. There a part of our family through you. I just want to understand them” she concluded, hoping that was explanation enough. She wasn't even sure it was true, that was just what came to mind when she really dwell upon it.

Now Astrea would start the story, and she would have the child's full attention. Her bright eyes watched the Star Wolf, the gaze questioning and curious, encouraging Astrea to tell her tale. “Elements” Ray said, when Astrea gave a little explanation and paused, the little one wasn't sure if she was suppose to show she understood or keep quiet and listen. She liked how Astrea automatically started to speak about the stars. She didn't yet understand how it related to the elementas, but she could tell it was a subject that meant a lot to her Auntie, and there was something about watching someone speak about their passion... she had learned that if she was quiet and observative she could see a side of that person they might not show otherwise. A side where their eyes lit up, and they became somehow more.
Not that patience and quiet was a trait she practiced often, she just knew that she took the time and effort to, it could be worth it.

When Astrea started to explain the gifts of the first litter, Little Ray's brow furrowed and you could see she was concentrating and listening with all her effort. Unmovable ice? A protector? Why, this star sounded an awful lot like her daddy! But he wasn't not star, he was a creature of flesh and blood. But lightning was explained for the second of the litter, and Ray was left with little doubt – this was her family Astrea spoke of. But what was the darkness that chased them away? Her daddy never mentioned this, never mentioned being kicked out by his parents. A thought struck her then, she had always thought it was off that it was just her and Roar, no other children in such a big family. Where they the litters being kicked out now? Would she and Roar draw the darkness and be cast from their nest? A shiver ran through her body at the thought.

She tried to organize and file away her questions for after the story. For the moment, she concentrated instead on the second litter, remembering what Astrea was telling her so she could look for the relevance in her auntie's and uncles. When it came to the Third litter, she was a little bit confused? Reflecting light of the other? Needing each other? She frowned, but couldn't find the answer. She decided to logic it out a different way, who was the third litter made of? What had her father told her? Lets see.. Selini, the moon, Solaris, the sun, Astrea the stars, and.. and.. she was sure there had been one other? Anarchy or something? What was his element? She frowned, but it didn't come to mind. Oh, but wait! Reflecting elements? Maybe she meant the sun and moon, they where opposites weren't they?

The last star, that could only be Astrea right? But Sera frowned, the explanation was a little confusing. And hadn't her daddy told her that Solaris and Astrea had both done the element thing of their birthing? At some point she had concluded that the three she knew of the last litter where a joined team in guiding the wolves in all that element stuff she didn't understand yet. Well.. that was a good point, she didn't understand it yet, so she could hardly voice an opinion. As the last litter was sent off, the story would come to a sad turn, and Ray frowned, breaking her commitment to save all her questions till last. “Is that why I have no grandparents? The darkness ate them?” she wanted to know. Luckily, the end of the story wasn't far behind that, and she would be able to unload all her questions then. “If the universe star is the guiding one, why does Selini and Solaris have the Relcilious or whatever its called rank too?” she asked “Or is that for something different?” barely pausing for a breath let alone to give Astrea time to speak, she continued. “So if you can describe all the elements how would you describe 'Frost'” she wanted to know. After all, she was given no explanation to her 'element' and no suggestion to what might 'call' to her. She paused, and then asked the question that had frightened her earlier. “And is that why there's no other children? Did they get sent away?”