Aurielle Adravendi

After a day or two of travel, the Spirit spotted the distant wall of Valhalla as she led Rhaegara from the Rocks that stood to the north of the pack lands. There was a sense of the season turning, a bite in the air, a scent that sang of Winter on its way. She mused, wondering what Winter might bring. Relief from her heat, for one, though Red had been a help this time. Sadly, she felt no hint that a second litter was on its way. Perhaps next year, then. Perhaps it was good to have the children spaced out. The pack was near to brimming with wolves, plenty of them pups, and one member was a horse. Ah, that was a point she’d forgotten to make! “By the way…” She began and grinned at Rhaegara as they drew nearer to home, “There is a horse with a horn living among us. He is a pack member who recently joined. His name is Taliesyn. I forgot to mention him earlier, but he is an equal among us, so, not food.” She chuckled softly. No doubt it might come across as odd to have a horse among their ranks, and not even as a beast of burden but a full member. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Rhaegara had travelled alongside the Spirit towards her homelands for a day or two, taking in the sights as they made their way from the north. The throngs of winter were started to fall upon them, and it made the southern heat more bearable for her pelt, which was thicker than that of the average wolf to account for the harsh climates in which she grew up. Carlys had been chatty the entire way, wanting to know everything and anything she could about the lands they travelled through and about Valhalla as a whole, and Rhaegara found amusement in her friend.

It was Aurielle’s words that caused a soft tilt of her head, wondering what she could have forgotten to mention before now… a horse? These lands were strange indeed. Just when she thought she had gotten used to things like wearing armor, and pelts that glowed… a horse joins a pack of wolves but not as a next meal. “A horse?” She had to ask again, more puzzlement in her tone than anything else. How peculiar it all was. “Does he participate in hunts and such?” She had to wonder how that dynamic would work out, and if a horse could truly participate in a hunt like that.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Aurielle Adravendi

She chuckled softly at the mystified look on Rhae’s face as she clarified, ”A horse, though not like any horse I’ve ever seen before. You’ll see for yourself once yo meet him, though you might recall him from the festival fights. He entered.” Her head cocked thoughtfully. She’d have to see what the stallion thought of being a sort of spy among the prey herds. They’d be unlikely to spook and he would easily be able to walk among them and sus out injured and ill animals. Something to consider. “I don’t know about actual hunts, but I suppose if he’s willing he could be eyes among the herds, and pick out injured and sick animals without running the chance of spooking the animals.” She smiled as she drew to a stop, gesturing at the stone wall that stood taller than either woman. “This is the wall. My father started it as a simple line of stones to act as a teaching aide for pups and a visual reminder to loners and other pack’s wolves.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Just when Rhae swore nothing else about this land could surprise her, she learned of a horse joining a wolf pack… it was puzzling, though now that she thought about it, she did recall a horse entering the festival fights. She nodded. She would have to talk more with him, get to know him a bit in order to understand his psyche, and of course to know him more as a creature as well.

Her words seemed to reach the Spirit, as she watched the woman’s heart cock to the side and weigh over her words. Truly curious. It was a good idea, if Rhae said so herself. “That is ingenious.” Who, after all, would suspect a horse working with wolves? An herbivore working with carnivores? “Just when I think nothing can surprise me, this land throws something new at me.” There was a lightness to her tone, a hint of amusement. She still had a lot to learn.

She looked up at the wall as Aurielle gestured to it, a soft smile spreading her maw. It was taller than her! She supposed it would take time to adjust to the shock that everything seemed to bring. “It’s stunning.” She added to the end. “I imagine it does well to keep unwelcome visitors out?”

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Aurielle Adravendi

The Spirit chuckled softly, as she added, “He’s actually not the first horse to do it. His mother actually lived with Valhalla of old for the majority of the time it stood then. Small world.” She stood to let Rhaegara examine the wall, smiling. “You would think that. Most do respect it, but some tend to like pushing boundaries. And of course, raiding parties will be determined to trespass regardless of what you have up.” She passed through the opening in the wall, nodding at the well-worn path that was trod down by paws on patrol. “I have plans to mimic the castles I’ve seen, and see what kind of stonework can be done to build them too high for even the tallest to climb.” Her tail flicked lightly in thought as she paused, studying the walls for herself. Red had remarked that she might not even need to tear the original wall down. And she could see that layers of protection could be useful. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Her eyes widened at the mention of his mother having done something like that before him. “Valhalla of old? Was there a Valhalla before the one that currently stood?” She asked with a confused tone, a soft frown on her features. Her head cocked curiously to the side to bring up the question because it was interesting, to think about the idea of having more than one Valhalla. Was that a common thing, or was her Tribe just different in that aspect as well? Rhae wasn’t sure.

She started to talk about the wall, a soft smile as she nodded. It made sense. It certainly provided a good defense to the border. It had always puzzled her how packs had gone on defending their territory when it was so big and open unless there was a wolf patrolling it. This was a much better solution. “Are you continuing to build it, or is this as high as it will be?” He asked curiously.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Aurielle Adravendi

At Rhaegara’s puzzled query, Aurielle nodded. “Generations ago, now. Hm, let’s see. My grandmother Surreal refounded this current pack a year or so after her mother was challenged for Valhalla the prior and fell in battle. It’s a very long story.” She chuckled softly. And so, it was. Her great grandmother Erani had been part of the Valhalla that had settled in these lands after the devastation of Mount Animi’s Eruption in the old land had driven every pack in that continent to flee for their lives. For now, though she answered Rhaegara’s query on the wall, gazing over it with her own eyes as she said, “As our knowledge and skills grow, I intend to find a way withing the means of our kind to build this thing as high as it can go. Whether it might see over the tops of the hillock as high as a tree, or simply reach five wolves’ heights. My son may well be able to achieve a method where we can split stone.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Rhaegara continued to be mesmerized at the thought. She had never heard of a pack being broken up and then coming back together again… though she supposed she likely wouldn’t hear of it. Gosh, this land really was so strange to her. “It sounds like an interesting one though.” She offered when Aurielle brushed it off as a long story. It was a story she wouldn’t mind hearing in full sometime, though likely not for quite some time as there was much to do in terms of settling in and making a name for herself within the pack.

Curiosity lingered in her eyes as she started to explain the depths she would take to building this wall, a fascination lingering in her eyes. “That’s very high.” Even the height of five wolves seemed towering in her mind, as if nothing could break through it… and splitting stone? That seemed impossible to her. Then again, a glowing wolf, corporeal in form, seemed impossible to her as well, as did wolves wearing armor to protect themselves… so maybe splitting stone wasn’t all that impossible. Perhaps it had just seemed that way to her.

"Rhae"  "Carlys"

Aurielle Adravendi

Aurielle grinned, head tilting as she admitted, “Valhalla has a custom that I’ve sort of given up on, called Story Time. It may sound like something for young pus to go to and hear stories from elders, but in truth, I wanted it to be for everyone. Whether it was stories and legends from their own culture, a pup’s story about the battle with the monster they conquered, or a funny story from a patrol. Sadly few came to the ones I called, but perhaps I can breathe life into it again.” Her eyes tracked into the air, where she hoped to build the wall, nodding in agreement at the young woman’s remark. “It will take much work, and a great deal of help from our primate friends, but I do think we can manage it.” Even if it took generations. Her eyes were determined, glinting keenly as she traced the air again, the mental plans that always lurked at the back of her mind running calculations. The wall needed to be large enough for two wolfs as large as her father and Red, or larger, to pass comfortably without disrupting each other or risking accidentally shoving one off. “It will take a lot of stone, certainly. And some of the primates say sea shells, ground down, can be mixed with some other components for a mortar to seal the stones together. Should be a lot of fun to try.” Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think

Rhaegara hadn’t even considered all of the different customs she would need to learn. Perhaps it simply hadn’t occurred to her that there could be customs that differed from her Tride, head tilting to the side as she listened to Aurielle explain this ‘Story Time’ that Valhalla used to do. She hummed softly, finding a definite intrigue in it. “Anyone can share a story? I have a few customs from my Tribe others might find interesting.” She knew she had a few of her own that she would be more than willing to offer up.

Valhalla was a beast all it’s own. It was, without a doubt, interesting to immerse herself in such a well-defined culture. They had thought of everything, and she meant everything. Rhaegara truly didn’t know what she could possibly offer in return for the knowledge she would gain. It all was a little overwhelming, but she would find a way to push through. They had even figured out how to seal stone? “You all have certainly learned quite a bit.” Where did she even begin trying to find her way? Where did she even begin in contributing in a meaningful way as she had set out to do?

"Rhae"  "Carlys"