The night was dark and moonless, and it usually suited her down to her bones. The wind whipped through the trees with a echoing WooOooOooo, like some mournful canine begging for companionship, Yeth hound... she thought to herself momentarily, then buried the childhood tale down, deep down.

Just in case, she ignored the calls and continued to stride forth, no real destination in mind, but a restlessness that could not be quelled by movement alone. It was nights like this that made her remember. Remember the pain, and the blood, and the pitiful cries of children long since given over to another. It had been a night like this... almost a year ago now. She hadn’t even waited for them to open their eyes.

Curse her sister for even bringing it up. The Archer couldn’t even bring herself to ask what they had been named in the end.

A break in the trees, providing the slightest illumination from the stars above, fell on a snowshoe hare, mid-moult. She could have screamed for the timing of it, but only managed a bitter chuckle instead. Matilda Archer knew what she was looking at, and she was far too smart to risk causing offence. "Hail, Spirit." She couldn’t keep the bitterness from her tone, wondering if the oft-silent puca would deign her with words on this occasion, or vanish into the night once more, after doing just enough to land her in the shit.

"speech".

riders on the storm

Kichi had found some time to himself. Lurid kept a close eye on him when she wasn’t hunting or sleeping but this was some time to himself. Glancing over his shoulder he imagined her little polar bear was around somewhere, but it was giving him space and that was enough. There was a part of him that wondered if Lurid was just letting him slip away from their den just to allow him time to collect thoughts by himself.

He was a little pup with a lot on his mind. The wind blew through his grey and white coat and it was welcome. Kichi was attempting to hop up on a downed trunk, small by comparison of the large majestic trees, but still quite the mountain for such a young pup. He had managed to get his front two paws and chest up against it when the wind knocked him right back down with a soft ‘oof’ sound.

Ok, so maybe he needed a running start? Kichi backed up and started his charge forward when he heard Matlida call out. His body was already committed to the jump though even if his mind suggested it not wise. The small fuzzball had gotten up on his perch! Much more in plain sight now, especially with the bit of light bouncing off the white markings.

The small pup was silent regarding Matilda, deciding what to make of the stranger. Lurid probably wouldn’t like him talking with someone while she wasn’t about. Could she be dangerous? He had no memory of other wolves as dangerous, just well just things he wouldn’t think about right now. “Me?” Curiosity won out. No one else was around, right? “I’m not a spirit, I’m Kichi.” The pup glanced back towards the den questioning himself on what he should do. Again curiosity won over what he was probably supposed to do. Besides, maybe interacting with a stranger would help him forget the bad stuff.

The Archer’s attention was focused on the snowshoe hair, it’s mottled coat standing out clearly against the snowless ground. It’s ears flattened against it’s skull, and it darted into the underbrush, right as a small voice declared that it was no spirit. Fiery eyes fell on the monochrome cub and her heart caught in her throat. Regardless of what it thought it was, she knew it might as well be a spirit for what the Puca knew she would see in it. She threw a glare after the trickster spirit, her teeth clenched momentarily, before she schooled her features back to blankness and addressed the cub. "Mmm, shouldn’ go givin’ out yer name so freely child," Surely there was an adult around somewhere looking for this one? Did she dare lay down to make herself less threatening when she may have to flee with little notice? "there’re creatures in th’ woods that’ll use it against yer." She settled on taking a seat instead, at least it wouldn’t be such a scramble to get her feet beneath herself if need be.

Obviously this one was lacking an education, one her own children wouldn’t miss out on with their grandmother at the helm, but maybe this was the universe giving her a small chance to make up for just... abandoning them like that, before their eyes had even opened. "Didn’ yer Ma warn you about the fae?" The wind sent another eerie howl through the trees, enough to make her fur prickle and puff out to stand on end, "Or the Yeth hound?"

"speech".

riders on the storm

WC - 261
TC - 828

Kichi watched her glare with simple puzzlement, the innocence of youth not understanding what she was concerned about.  “What’s wrong with giving out my name?” The mention of ma had the young pup’s eyes widen as the memory of sitting in their cozy den and listening to his mom talk to him.  It didn’t matter what she was saying in was her voice and the security he had felt in her presence. Kichi didn’t want to be a weakling though, so the liquid that had appeared to be filling up those little eyes was blinked away, focusing on her questions instead.  “What are fae and yeth hounds?” The voice was thick at the beginning but curiosity was a powerful thing to a puppy which helped with strength to brush aside those painful memories.  He had no knowledge of the things she mentioned but imagined they had to be dangerous by how she spoke of them. It was dark out, the perfect time for a pup’s imagination to to play on the shadows and tones of a conversation.  There was a mystery in the night and it had the the grey wolf pup’s attention absorbed into the promise of learning something of importance. WC - 202 TC - 1030 "Speech"   Think

When he confirmed his obliviousness to both, her tongue clicked behind her teeth. It’s like the wolves here wanted their spawn carried off in the night. "Well, they’re two very different beasties," She began matter of factly. "Y’should never give th’ fae yer name, there’s power in it, they can use it ter bind yer to their lands, make yer do things yer wouldn’t normally consider, like walk right off a cliff. Or they’ll trap yer an’ send a changeling ter take yer place. Thing is though, changeling’s can’t live on our food. They cry, an’ whither, drain their would be parents of life until they either offer the changeling back to th’ woods, or it wastes away ter nothin’. But if they don’t offer it back, yer’ll never see ‘em again. There has ter be a trade. They’re tricky things, fae. Y’should never take food strangers offer yer either, especially not yer’ve accidentally stepped into a ring o’ mushrooms. If yer eat food that’s been offered by ‘em, well, yer won’t find yer way back home. They’ll either keep yer..." She let her voice trail off for a moment considering, well, the boy had wanted to know. "Or they’ll eat yer." She let her voice trail off, the buzzing of cicadas and the hooting of an owl in the distance, a heavy stepping deer in the undergrowth cracking branches as it went all added to the chorus of the night. She couldn’t have asked for a better soundtrack.

"The yeth hound though," She began again, "well there are less rules ter keep yer safe when it comes ter dealin’ with him." She wondered if the child would still want to know more, leaving the floor open for him to request that she continue.

"speech".

riders on the storm

wc - 294
tc - 1324

Kichi stood up long enough to rearrange himself on the log to a more comfortable seat than the way he had landed on it.  Curious eyes were fully focused on the wolf and this story she would tell.  Indeed with the darkness around it really did put all the focus on the one talking. Talking about the potential of being stolen by a changeling already had his little jaw opened to give that proper expression of an awed ‘wow’ to it. The last part of being eaten had a grimace and squinting eyes closed manner of reaction.  He was good enough to wait until she was finished for the slew of questions. “You talk funny like I don’t know.  Different.”  Great first thing to comment on, but he’d been wondering about the different way she spoke for a while. “So, you said never take food but then you mentioned when in the ring.  So why never if it’s the ring that it's dangerous.  How big are the rings? Like can you tell you’re in one or are they so huge you don’t see all of it? What if there are leaves on top of it, that still counts?’  What happens to you when you get taken? Where do you go, is it a really bad place? Like…” Here Kichi paused as he couldn’t think up a good frame of reference. “What about the yerth hound? What do they look like? What do they do?” Kichi was bought hook line and sinker into all of it.  Wait until he tells Lurid about all the stuff he just learned!  There was so much information that his mind was sorting through it too much for anyone facet of it to build up much fear in him, but once he soaked it in that could be a totally different story.  Still, looking at his past was fearful enough that perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad?  Either way, the little grey and white pup was eager for the information. WC 334 TC 1658 "Speech"   Think

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, from the mouths of babes... "An’ how do yer know yer not th’ one tallkin’ funny, huh?" She asked, a brow raised archly. "Where I come from, everyone talks like me." There may have been common words, but Matilda’s mother had a habit of running her words together and dropping the starts and ends of her words, when she chose to speak. After all, words were nothing but wind. Actions were what mattered to Morganna Archer. She expected her children to act similarly.

He had a lot of questions, especially about fairy rings. "Th’ ring is a doorway, an’ they can be any size. Safest bet is ter not take food offered by strangers, an’ never give ‘em yer full name. The realm th’ fae live in is other. Some say it’s the most marvelous place with endless parties and the most beautiful wolves yer ever saw, others say it’s dark an’ terrible, full o’ ugly little creatures that jus’ want ter eat yer. But there aren’t many that have ever made it back ter tell th’ truth o’ it, so I suggest yer always play it safe. Best not ter meddle in what we don’t understand."

As the conversation turned back to the yeth hound she considered reclining, then thought better of it again. She was surprised an adult hadn’t yet arrived to run her off or demand a blood price for lingering so long. Instead, she rose to her feet, deciding this one would probably be a passing tale. "The Yeth hound is an ancient an’ lonely beast. He prowls th’ woods at night..." as if on cue, the wind blew between the trees, carrying an almost mournful howl along with it, (though it was only wind). "Lookin’ fer cubs tha’ aren’t in their dens. He calls them to him with a sad an’ lonely song, an’ then ‘e takes them." Her voice was solemn, "Sometimes th’ bodies are found... frozen, or drowned... or worse. My own mother lost a sister ter’im." Her eyes were washed out in the moonlight, distant. "Some say ‘e looks like a big black wolf, with eyes that shine in the dark like small moons..." She lazily shifted her weight from one foot and then to the other. Her head dipping and stance becoming more predatory in the dark. "Some say he is a she..." With a growl lacing her final words she pounced towards the child, a dangerous look on her face, though to an observing adult there would be visible mirth in her stance rather than aggression. Her teeth snapped in the air over his head as she made her escape through the underbrush. Let him think he had encountered a monster tonight. Perhaps he’d be more inclined to stay where he aught, for a little bit longer at least.

"speech".

riders on the storm

-Tilly exit-

WC - 478
TC - 2136