Dances of Celebration, Joining Of Two Hearts

The young pup rushed into his embrace, taking Tyr completely by surprise. He couldn't remember a time when someone had so whole-heartedly accepted comfort from him, and the way the pup snuggled so trustingly against him, hiding his face from the world, made Tyr's heart melt into a squishy puddle. Another pup and an unusually coloured female approached to comfort the boy, and Tyr turned his own face away uncomfortably. He fully expected the boy to go with one of these wolves, who obviously knew him well, but to his surprise he didn't budge.

Occupied with the pup as he was, Tyr nearly missed the reason for the whole meeting, and when he heard Erani speak his name stiffened and bristled in surprise and discomfort before he realized she was simply welcoming new members to the pack. He forced himself to keep his attention on her, though he knew none of the names or events she spoke of and felt more than a little lost by it all. Finally her gaze swept over him and the other wolves she'd spoken to recently, and began to talk about new rankings. He was to be an Eta, the Valhallan rank for a healer, a fact that still shocked and scared him, and now Erani added that he was to be training under Imena, Eria, and Cormalin - none of whom he actually knew. He curled closer around the young pup, trying not to let himself shake with the fear that was rising around him. Until now it had been a distant assurance, that he would be able to train and become something. But actually being assigned mentors made it real, made the possibility of failure much more close.

Erani had moved on to something else by the time he'd brought his panicky breathing under some semblance of control, and the pup was looking up at him. The pup's words made him melt all over again, almost, though not quite washing away the fear that still gnawed at him. How rarely he had heard someone say thank you to him, completely sincerely like that? The pup walked away, and Tyr looked around to realize the meeting had turned to a mating ceremony while he was occupied with himself.

Tyr's mouth twisted cynically. A mating ceremony. Part of him mocked the innocent naivety of a pair pledging to each other, ridiculed the very possibility of love that deep, while another part of him longed for just a taste of it with a strength that choked him. Even if it weren't a ridiculous idea for two wolves to achieve that, it was impossible for him. A useless, crippled, coward of a wolf... who would want that in a mate? Climbing to his feet, Tyr took the example of the young pup and limped away from the gathering. It didn't even matter to him if eyes followed his departure and judged him for it; he just couldn't stay there and watch anymore.



"Speech"

Nothing to gain, everything to fear