Embody Me

It'd been a long time since Kaija had seen her father, but she'd been feeling restless as of late and had made it a priority to catch up with her dad. She was struggling with feeling torn, between staying in Valhalla with her mom and brothers, or embarking out into the world on her own. The wanderlust ran strong through her veins and urged her to go out and explore all the world had to offer, seemingly in direct opposition to another, smaller part of her brain that wanted to stay and protect Arne and Fidelias and her mom and make a name for herself within the pack. Kaija wasn't used to not knowing what to do, either; she was a wolf who didn't hesitate in many situations and feeling torn between different courses of action was something quite new to her. She wasn't the type to dwell on things long, instead preferring to make decisions on a whim and hope for the best.

This new feeling of uncertainty was precisely why she'd gone east until she picked up a hint of her father's scent. The journey to find him had taken the better part of the day, and by the time the two of them caught up - not that either of them had really much news to share - the sun was just beginning to set. Though she wasn't terribly close to Kai, mostly because her father was a wanderer himself and rarely stayed in one place for long, she found it easy to confide in him and talk about what was on her mind. Eventually she expressed to him that she too had a desire to venture out and see the world. At what cost, though? It was a decision she couldn't, and wouldn't, make lightly. Truthfully Kaija wasn't even sure she'd find an answer, especially not today. But her father's company helped, and as the sun sank deeper below the horizon and the world was blanketed with a comfortable, cool darkness, she found herself growing less anxious of what the future might have in store for her. She'd figure it out, Kai told her, seeming certain of that. Maybe not today, or even next week, but eventually. Maybe she just needed to talk to her brothers to see what they thought of things.

Most of her thoughts about the uncertain future faded away as the sky darkened to a deep shade of almost-black blue. The few clouds that had dotted the sky had parted just before sunset, and their idle wanderings had taken them into a once-luscious valley. It seemed like this place had seen better days but the fading sun made it difficult to see the true effects of the harsh summer these lands had endured. Still this place was teeming with more life than many of the lands out west. What was beneath her paws wasn't what intrigued her though. The stars seemed even brighter tonight than usual and Kaija was transfixed by the sight. "You know things about the stars, don't you?" Kaija asked her father as they finished the climb up one of the sides of the gulley, finding a better vantage point to rest and watch the stars.

"Some things," he admitted thoughtfully, humming as he tilted his head high and looked up. Kaija followed his gaze, shifting her body a bit to see where he was looking. It took him a while to find what he was looking for, but when he did he gestured to it and her wide-eyed gaze followed. "There are a few bright stars here. The three stars in a row, tight together, you see those?" He didn't look away from the sky, though Kaija acknowledged that she saw them after a moment of searching. "Now if you look up this way," he tilted his head slightly and she followed. "There is a tight cluster of stars. You see?" Kaija nodded, taking a moment to realize he was focused on the sky and likely couldn't see her. "Yes, I think so." What it was supposed to be though, she had no idea. "Well. Some say those stars are the origin of all the cold that exists in the world. I, however, think that's just a foolish story parents tell to frighten their children. What I've heard more often, though, are that those stars are a pack of wild dogs, chasing after a moose. I'm not sure I believe either story, but that's what I've been told," Kai admitted with a chuckle. She squinted and stared, deciding she definitely didn't see either thing, but her mind was racing to make pictures out of the brighter stars, which she supposed was exactly what her ancestors had done. "That's boring," she said finally, nudging her dad with one of her paws. "But I think I see a mammoth if you look close enough. You know, those big beasts that have been stomping all around? Well, were stomping all around. Not sure if they're still here or not." Kaija leaned in real close to him and lifted a paw, trying to trace the outline of a big head and its massive tusks.

Though she wasn't sure whether the stories that could be found in the stars were important or not to her, she did find enjoyment in drawing pictures in her head as she gazed up at them. Every time she looked up she saw different patterns, finding it difficult to recall the last one she'd seen. Even when her father bid her farewell after she insisted she should head back home, she was distracted by the clear night sky. Kaija wasn't sure she'd ever seen such a pretty view, really. Eventually, growing sleepy from her walk and her continual head-craning to look at the stars, she settled down in a patch of grass. She really wanted to get back home before the sun rose but that was a long journey and a nap sounded nice. It wasn't long at all before she began to doze off, slipping into a light sleep before she made the rest of the trip back.

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