Kindred spirits

Kaneonuskatew · 05-13-2021, 12:20 AM

Hearing Tamsyn's lyrical laugh and seeing that big, earnest smile illuminating her face made all of the storytelling worth it. Of course, Kane would have told her all of his stories regardless, since they were tales to be regaled and rejoiced in his many times he had evaded, eluded, and beaten Death. Tamsyn seemed like such a genuinely good and gentle soul with a kind heart, yet she carried so much sorrow and pain with her. She deserved to laugh, especially for the kindness and compassion she had shown him. His ultimate win came when he heard the soft thumping of her tail beating happily against the bed she was lying on. Kane took joy in other wolves' joy, and knowing Tamsyn was having a good time chatting with him did just the trick.

As the mood sobered some, Tamsyn told him how the giant dire wolves had been the cause of her late mate's death. Ah, so it wasn't the illness that had taken her away from her lover and family. He listened with quiet attentiveness while she told him how her mate had locked herself away in the castle dungeons to keep her family safe, wasting herself away, until the wolves attacked their pack. He nodded his head slow in understanding; he had known several wolves who were proud warriors. The thought of wasting away to a slow death would have been nothing short of torture for them, and it sounded like Tamsyn's late mate had been the same. It was respectable, if not a little foolhardy, but he could not fault those who sought their honor and glory by meeting Death head-on. He listened while Tamsyn fought her own emotions to tell him the story, and despite the quiver in her voice, she got it all out. Kane was staring down at his paws dangling off the edge of the cot, collecting his thoughts before peering back up at Tamsyn to lock gazes with the smaller yet fiercely stronger fae.

"If she's anything like the warriors I knew in my tribe, then I'm sure she appreciated you granting her the freedom to find her final purpose in her own ways," he spoke tenderly, hoping it would bring her some comfort to know that he thought she did the right thing. No wolf, especially not a proud warrior, should be allowed to rot away in a cage like a criminal. Tamsyn's voice disrupted his morose thoughts, snapping him back to her with a rapid blink and hazel meeting mint. Her words were hesitant, but curious all the same, and he could see the sorrow he had tried to chase away starting to reappear in her eyes. Who had he lost. Kane swallowed hard, briefly considering drawing the line there—but Tamsyn had been nothing but open and honest with him as far as he could tell. She needed this; this was cathartic to her. Perhaps it could be the same for him. "Her name was Tiva of the Meadows," he answered, voice low, barely above a whisper that sounded like a growl of words as he spoke, deep and masculine. "Once upon a time, I thought I would marry her."

Kane drew in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, turning to look out the window at the stars. He released the breath in a deep sigh, glancing back to Tamsyn. If he was going to tell this story, he was going to give her the decency of looking her in the eyes the way she had when she bore her emotional scars to him. "In my tribe, before a couple can receive a blessing to be mated, they must complete a unity challenge. Usually these challenges consist of something that blend the couple's passions or skills for them to tackle together. Tiva and I were both hunters, so we were tasked with a special hunt: track, kill, and butcher a bull moose for our celebration feast." He paused, lingering on the fringes of the next segment of the story, a rueful smirk playing on his lips. "Tiva was a brilliant hunter, but she was also reckless and arrogant. We managed to track a moose north, and once we found the biggest bull we could, she and I brought it down." The corners of his mouth quivered, caught in a silent growl. "While we were preparing to transport the carcass, he showed up..."

Hazel eyes burned with a hateful fire while he lost himself in the memory of that day so long ago. "The dire wolf... bigger than any wolf I've ever seen. He was snow white, with piercing red eyes, an albino I think. He demanded we hand over our kill. Well, Tiva and I weren't about to surrender all the hard work we'd put in to be wed, so we stood our ground. Only, when he continued to pressure us, Tiva didn't just hold the line... she became the aggressor... She went for the wolf to try and drive him off. I hurried to help her, but the dire wolf was too much for two young hunters to handle. He threw Tiva aside like she weighed nothing, and then he ripped and tore at me, leaving me with the scars on my face." Kane shook his head with disgust as he thought back on how foolish he had been, how many mistakes had been made in the heat of the moment, and how the story ended. "Eventually, he slammed my head into the ground and I blacked out. The last thing I remember seeing was Tiva getting back up and charging him with a snarl. When I woke up, it was almost night. The dire wolf was gone and so was our kill. Tiva..."

Kane hung his head, biting his tongue in his mouth to keep himself from choking on the words, but whether it was out of regret or rage he couldn't tell. "Tiva had been eviscerated, to put it lightly. She was barely recognizable, and very, very dead. I don't know if she suffered or if it was quick, and that probably haunts me the most to this day. The dire wolf, he must have seen all the blood from my face wounds and mistook me for dead and not unconscious. It's the only reason I can think of why he left me alive..." Kane's story drifted off into the ambiguity he found himself in today. There would be no resolution, no happy ending to speak of—not yet. Not until he'd completed his hunt. He looked back up to meet Tamsyn's eyes, an adamant resolution firm in his gaze. "I've been tracking that wolf ever since. It's been over a year, and every time I get a little bit closer. I followed him here, to Auster. I was preparing to face him when... well, here I am now."

He sighed, putting on another weak smile. She knew the rest of the story, since she was now a part of it. He had been gathering the herbs to use as poisons against the dire wolf when Gwyn had been attacked and he had been injured. But this would not hinder his hunt. He would still have his revenge on the wolf that had stolen his lover from him, and then he would have completed his life's goal. What came next? He had no idea. Maybe Death would come for him in his hunt too, and both he and the dire would expire together. If not, he had no next steps planned.

"Kane"

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Kindred spirits

Kane

Kaneonuskatew