Sleep wasn't coming. Áskell lay tossing and turning in his den, unable to find rest. The moonlight filtered into his den as bright as sunlight and it seemed to charge the night air, setting him on edge and making it even harder to find peace. Eventually Áskell gave up and slipped outside his den into the hum of the night. A rich violet sky stretched out above him, streaked with stars that were echoed by the dancing fireflies below. They seemed to shift and hum in and out of the trees. He sighed. There wasn't much he could do about the weirdness of the night other than to endure it.

"Áskell?"

Áskell skidded to a halt at the voice. "Dad?" There was no way… he heard the voice again and started following the fireflies toward the direction of his father's voice.

Something had awoken him, a soft whisper on the wind that seemed to bounce off the walls of his den and directly into his dreams. Jigsaw did not wake gently, and had he been a species capable of sweat his fur would have been matted with it. Though the dream had ended, the eerie and unsettling feeling remained and he felt almost claustrophobic within his den. He tore from the den, wide eyed and panicky and unsure where exactly he was headed, until the voice called out once more to him. "Jigsaw?" In the waking hours it was easier to recognize, and almost instantly tears pooled in the orphan yearling's eyes. "Dad?" The voice was fading, and Jigsaw chased it desperately until a new figure came into view. "A-Askell?" His voice was equal parts disappointed and relieved, and he dropped his head to let slip a single whimper. "I thought I heard..." No, his brother would think him foolish for admitting that their father's voice had led him here.   "Speech"

[/b][/color]

Áskell's stomach flipped, his fur standing on end as he listened hard for a reply. The only thing that answered was the wind. It picked up, sending the fireflies scattering for just a moment until they reformed their ranks. At that moment Jigsaw arrived, clearly shaken. As he spoke Áskell's heart started to race. "W-wait… did you hear it to? Did you hear dad?" If it had just been him he could easily shake it off as a figment of his imagination but if his brother had heard it to then could it possibly be real?

"Hurry!"

Áskell jumped and looked to Jigsaw. Had he heard it to, oh man, oh man… "Dad talked about a spirit world before. Maybe he needs help! We have to find him." He noted the fireflies moving away from them and the sound of the voice drifting away on the breeze, urging them to hurry. "Come on, let's follow those fireflies!"

Askell did not think he was crazy, in fact it seemed both boys heard the same ethereal voice. "Yes, I heard him too." Jigsaw confirmed, attempting to keep his voice from shaking. Why both yearlings were called by their deceased father, Jigsaw couldn't even begin to understand. He'd never really allowed himself to believe in religion or the supernatural (or really anything that he couldn't see and touch) but the voice was clear, familiar and undeniably his father. It sounded once more and Askell turned to him as he turned to his brother. "Spirit world?" Jigsaw questioned hesitantly. It didn't seem like a real thing to him, but how could he deny it to Askell when their father was beckoning them forward? As unlikely as he wanted to believe it to be, there did seem to be a sense of urgency in the detached ghostly voice. "Okay!" He agreed, sprinting after his brother after the fireflies. "We're coming, Dad! Where are you??" "Speech"

[/b][/color]

Áskell felt a mix of relief and anxiety as Jigsaw confirmed that he'd heard it to. Ok, well, Áskell wasn't crazy but then that meant their father really was calling to them. He'd never paid much attention to spirits or any talk of the spirit world and now he was wishing he'd have asked his father more about it before the man had passed. With his brother agreeing to go and following alongside him Áskell took off after the fireflies. He scrambled through the nook, weaving through redbud trees after the fireflies, trying to follow the wave of them toward an unknown destination.

"Keep Going!"

Áskell kept up, trying to ignore the cool breeze that seemed to be pushing them along, edging them forward. As he ran he could remember now stories his father would tell of some spirits and how they would play tricks on mortals, luring them to their deaths. His pace slowed a little but at the urging of the voice he continued on. There was only one way to find out what the voice belonged to.

Askell

There comes a point in your driven running where the voice suddenly drops off, like it hadn't existed at all. At the spot where the voice had led you to, fireflies dip and bob softly in the too-still air almost as if they are waiting for something, or someone.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Jigsaw ran after his brother and the alluring voice, eyes wet with unshed tears that threatened to spill over any moment. What would the pair do if their father - who was dead, of that he had no doubt, had had to be living in a spirit world - was actually in trouble? What if Harbringr needed them? Would they need to die, to join him in that plane of existence from where he called to them? Jigsaw didn't even want to approach the subject and he whimpered aloud as he ran. Askell slowed (being cautious and intelligent, most likely) while Jigsaw sped up in desperation to reach the voices' origin. There where the voice faded, fireflies hung in the air. They bobbed slowly, though there was no wind to carry their wings. "Dad?" He called out to them, hesitant.   "Speech"

Jigsaw

Your call echoes off the trees, longer than it should before finally fading. There is a deathly silence for a moment, you can't even hear your own breathing and then... You hear a buzzing by your ear... No, in your ear... No, it's inside your head. Try as you might you can't seem to dislodge it.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that..

Jigsaw heard his voice echo loud and clear, longer then any echo had any right to be through mere trees and he felt the fur upon his scruff raise in reply. Though Askell was nearby, he felt suddenly excruciatingly alone - unable to hear even his brother's calls or pawsteps. The silent phenomenon drew on, and on, and Jigsaw wondered if this was what death was like, quiet and lonely, when suddenly a violent buzzing began in his ear. He threw his upper end to the ground and covered his ears with his paws, whimpering although he could not hear himself cry. No matter how hard he scratched at the ear it continued to buzz angrily from somewhere within his skull, and the more he scratched at it the louder it became. Eventually his paws came away bloody and he threw his face further into the snow, bracing himself against the sound and accepting that there was nothing he could do to stop it, waiting for this punishment to subside. "Speech"

It Continues for Jigsaw...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

Áskell raced across the land, chasing after the fireflies but as he went it seemed like the voices were fading. "Dad? Dad where are you?" He slowed and looked about. The fireflies had slowed and were gently bobbing nonchalantly about the nook. Áskell looked up at the moon then back around at everything going on around him. It was far quieter than it should've been and he slammed his foot into the ground in frustration. It couldn't have all been in his head if Jigsaw had heard it to so what the hell had it been? Were they both just crazy in the exact same way?

Áskell caught up to Jigsaw and called out to his brother but as he did Jigsaw threw his head down and covered his ears with his paws. "Jigsaw! Jigsaw, what is it?" He crouched near his brother but nothing he said seemed to go through. This had to be the work of a foul spirit, tormenting them and the fireflies were surely its messengers. Áskell eyed the fireflies for a moment then bounded forward, trying to catch one between his paws so he could take a closer look at it and maybe interrogate the little creature.

It Continues for Áskell...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

Áskell caught the firefly between his paws but it did nothing to help his brother. "Hey, listen here spirit, leave my brother alone!" He yelled at the firefly and peered closer, trying to see if it really was just a strange firefly after all and not a spirit. His heart hammered in his chest. He didn't know what answer he wanted. If it was just a bug then perhaps all of this was in their heads and what then was he supposed to do? If it was a spirit how was he supposed to bargain with it? What did spirits even want? And in the end would any of that even matter? Spirits could take animal form couldn't they? Like that owl? He just wasn't sure. Minute by minute he was finding more questions and not a single answer.