Patreon LogoYour support makes Blue Moon possible (Patreon)

Hope Revisited( A MissKitty and BlackHeart Collaboration)

Fralia gave her a pained smile and repeated the phrase. “Ego eorum sequitur ubicumque quod sequitur ut facere vestra cum eo semper attendere eius amen solatium filios ejus ad honorem est fidelis semper titulum honorem viro….” she looked at her then and cocked her head. “Would like to know what means?” she asked. The meaning could come later, but, she thought if she knew what it meant, it might help. The words was what she was to say to Keanu during the ceremony.

She was to know the words by heart, learning the full language could be picked up in the meantime. Fralia was also seeing a pattern to the little Human. She was VERY interested in the plants and herbs. This gave her an idea….

Knowing that the Human wasn’t ready to do the ceremony and she didn’t understand WHY she had been chosen, they was letting her take her time, to become comfortable. Fralia was chosen as her guide and teacher since she was her age and spoke the best English. Besides, she had to gather her dowry. Gifts and things that she would be taught to make would be given to her, plus when Keanu started with his courting and gift giving….they wanted her to be a rich bride.
 
She tried to repeat the phrase and the first few words came out fine, but she struggled with the last bit. She'd ask her friend to say it again, perhaps even multiple times. " Yes, I'd like to know what IT means." Gently correcting her friend English as her hands worked with the furs. " The meaning is considered an object, so you need to reference it as such in the phrase. ' It's meaning is..' For example."

Ki stopped for a moment as Fralia explained the words meaning. She wasn't sure if she wanted to say that to Keanu. Her hands gathering her hair, up and off her neck. It was just as warm during the day as it had been in the desert and just as chill in the evening, she wondered if her friend felt that warmth as badly as she did.

" Let's go for a swim!" She suggested putting her work down and taking her friend's paw. The river was deeper here. " Come on, it'll be a nice break. I'll practice more when we are done." A playful grin. " Promise." She drew a little cross over where her heart was located.

By the river, she stripped off her dress, still wearing a plain, simply crafted brazier and an equally plain pair of panties, she waded into the water. Once the water was at waist height she dove forward and slid smoothly through the cool water, when she emerged, looking towards shore she noticed that a pair of icy blue eyes were watching them. Ki didn't know why, but for some reason she asked her friend to tell him, he could join them if he wanted before dipping back under the water.
 
When she came back up the eyes was gone and the wet Wolfen was smiling as she shook her head. She explained to her that he appreciated the offer, but he would take her up on spending time with her tomorrow.

Fralia smiled as she sat on the banks and took her braids out. “He will start with his courting soon. Do not worry. He no force you anything. He, we want you…what is word?” she asked then as she watched Ki. “We want you happy. It is sad that you are here and parents are there…when stronger. They would be welcome here. Warriors with them now to help. You see them soon….” she paused and frowned then spoke slowly. “You will see them soon. Day after tomorrow. I will take you there. We can hunt and gather plants on the way.” she promised her, her English a lot better when she spoke slowly.
 
Ki nodded, glad they understood how she needed her family. She was curious. since they were now close to water, if the humans would settle where they were? create farm land there and hunt from the forest? Or would they be resettled? The benefit to staying where they were meant less work, clearing and the like, but it meant more in making the arid land crop ready

After splashing around with her friend, she climbed out of the water. the water making her feel cleaner and cooler then when she leaped in, her hair, long and wet dripped down the back of her thighs, and even when she wrung it out and re dressed, it soaked the back of her dress.
She bid her friend say the phrase to her again, this time a word at a time, and managed to say it.

"Ego eorum sequitur ubicumque quod sequitur ut facere vestra cum eo semper attendere eius amen solatium filios ejus ad honorem est fidelis semper titulum honorem viro." And asked again what it meant as she repeated it too herself, following it with the names of some of the names of the herbs that they had collected. She also asked if the braids were important, as all members of the pack seemed to have them. She was curious if it was just a fashion thing or if it had some spiritual meaning. She was curious about a lot actually.

The swim and the busy day had exhausted her she didn't mean to yawn but it slipped from her as they headed back. along with a full body stretch that had her arms reaching over her heacd a soft pop in the lower spine. Followed by a satisfied sigh.
 
The female Wolfen’s ears flicked when she heard the spine pop. She then giggled and stopped her and her hands reached out and took a lock of Ki’s golden hair. “Mates weave others hair. But I do for you now.” she then pulled a red leather thong from her dress and tied the braid, adding a black feather on the end. Fralia then smiled at her handy work. “Ego eorum sequitur ubicumque quod sequitur ut facere vestra cum eo semper attendere eius amen solatium filios ejus ad honorem est fidelis semper titulum honorem viro….it is vows. Means ‘I shall follow wherever he goes, to make my home with him always, to attend to his meals, his comfort, his children, to honor, to be ever faithful and honor his title as husband.’ Male has his own vows to say too. Like to hear?” she asked.
 
She nodded. Wanting to know. Suddenly glad it was in a different language. Sure she wouldn't be able to say something that intimate in english to someone she had just met. she moved to her friends back, gently repeating what she had watched her friend do to her own hair. After all, she needed to practice if it was something she would be expected to do for her Husband.

Touching the hair she was surprised, it was the same colour as the rest of her fur, but softer, silkier if it was possible, even wet, it was much like her own golden locks. She listened as her friend explained what her husband to be would say to her. So she would have to make his home? That made sense, from what she'd seen the females were.... Very domestic.

Could she be happy here? Spending her days with Fralia and her grandmother, doing little chores around the village and working with them to support the human settlement. That she could easily see herself enjoying, especially learning what they knew of medicine and natural healing. It was the other half of her life here that she was unsure of. Could she be his wife and still be happy? Her cheeks pinked when she thought of all that being his wife implied certainly more then cooking and braiding his hair.

When she finished braiding she stepped back. She guessed they would have to see in the next few days.

The next day when she saw her parents, her father was walking, or hobbling. He and her mother gathered her in their arms and held on for dear life. even as her father showed them around, proud of wall they had started to accomplish with the help of the Wolfen her mother gripped her arm, having to leave later that day left her and the elder woman in tears, but Ki was just exhausted by the long day of travel and emotion.
 
She made her way to a rock by the river, already the Humans was flourishing under the tribes teachings. They had worked out a system on how to understand each other. Mostly hand and body signals. The Wolfen showed how to clear the land to start to plant crop, how to hunt and gather better and safer.

There was only one depute that Fralia heard about. The humans and Wolfen had went hunting and it was strange…the humans killed more then they needed, and had only taken parts. The Wolfen warriors was confused and argued with the humans. Soon the Wolfen showed that the could use more then what the Humans had taken. What couldn’t be used was buried in the ground where they was clearing for crops.

She smiled to herself. Maybe….they could learn….she finished cleaning the rabbit and packed it up and buried what she didn’t need. As she was washing her hands, Fralia felt a tug at her tail and she looked back and saw a little Human Toddler holding her plumed tail in her hands.
 
Ki looked around silently, wondering just what was so different about the village. There were young, they had been some that had surrounded her when she first came but she saw the way some of the female Wolfen looked at them. Even the wolfish features could show longing.

She put down the sewing she was doing while sitting just outside of her family's tent and went off to find her friend. When she saw her. She was looking at a human child holding her tail. The same look on her friends face. Ki wanted to say something, wanted to ask if she was right in her suspicions but she left it alone.

Instead she went to the elder Wolfen, or her sleeping quarters in the human camp, and when entering the hide tent she stopped suddenly. The elder wasn't there. Instead, she was face to face with her intended. Suddenly she felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her, she knew he was intentionally giving her space. Carefully, she asked where the old Wolfen was first in English then in the Wolfen dialect. her eyes first on him, and then lowered with a blush on her cheeks. She was alone with him, for the first time... Ever.
 
A claw came under her chin and had her to look up at him. He shook his head. “No lower eyes.” he spoke in slow English for her. It seemed he had been practicing. “Zendonii tired. Went home.” he stared at her and then smiled and reached around his neck lifted an eight inch long tooth that had beautiful designs carved into it and was on a braded leather thong. He took her smaller hands and put it in it. “From attack. Big.” he spread his arms out. “Big dirk tooth cat.” he held up four fingers. “Big….teeth. Mean…..what is word? Nasty? Beautiful….fur. Attacks village….have Zendonii…no…no allow…take knife…jump on back. Big fight…big….bite arm.” he held out arm and moved fur to show a sizable divert in his arm. “Bad bite….but I fight, I stab in lungs…in heart…I kill. I keep fur….I give one fang to Zendonii, one to father, one to mother, one to Fralia….I keep one….now….yours.”

It had been the most he had EVER said to her, his eyes glinting as he watched her, hoping his English hadn’t been too bad. For the last three days he had been watching and listening. He wanted to speak more and better before he tried to talk to her. He smiled then, trying to be open and friendly for her. “How English?”
 
She smiled. Her smile was a bit sad, a bit forced but she wanted it to be reassuring. She closed her hand around the tooth then opened it again to place it in his paw. The action could be percieved as a rejection of his gift so as she turned and lifted her hair out of the way so he could fasten the leather throng about her neck.

As he did she was struck again by the pure size of him.

She had to wonder what the story was like in his own language. Perhaps she would ask him to tell her again once it was understood.

"Your english is good. I understood. " She though about what he said and her pretty grey eyes widened. " Your Mother... Father... I haven't met them." Finding it strange, normally wouldn't they be the first she'd meetright? Her husband's family. Zendonii, and Fralia she had met but to be fair, she hadnt really spoken to anyone else.

Ki turned to look at him again as she dropped her hair and the soft sunkissed curls tumbled back down her back. Her gaze inquisitive and sure. As one hand fiddled with the tooth and the other tugged on the braid that Fralia had put in her hair. With that and the tooth. She was starting to look more and more like she belonged with them, well as much as she could.

"Will you take me home?"
 
***

“They dead.” Fralia told Ki the next day as the two gathered herbs and plants, she telling her the names of them in Wolfen. Some of the plants she had never seen or heard of, not in the data base. Some was what mutated. They was about a mile from the village, Zendonii with them, but she was up on a rock mediating as the two young females gathered for her.

“Father, former Threon….Chef. Keanu’s father, was gored on a hunt. He could not be saved. Died two days later and then Keanu’s mother a month after. She died of a broken heart. No love was greater then their own. It happens. Mates will dies close together.” she told her as she picked leaves, teaching her not to pull the whole plant up, unless they could use the whole plant. Fralia lead her over to a thick prickly plant that had inch long thorns that if they scratched you, you would be digging your skin off from the itch. She smiled at her as she took the old thick hide she had and put it over the plant and then safely pushed it down and taking her digging tool, a bone with a sharp point on one end and a small flattened shovel on the other, she dug for the roots, thick fat roots. Using the sharp blade on the pick end, she cut the roots. Shaking the dirt off, she put it in one of the baskets, but cut two root pieces off and peeled the skin off and offered her one. “Sweet….very sweet. Sugar root.” Fralia said as she put her piece in her own mouth and chewed and sucked on it.
 
She made a face but took the sweet root into her mouth , her grey eyes lighting up as she chewed on it. What made it sweet? She wondered. Thinking that perhaps, if she had time after the ceremony, she could devote more of her time to finding out where the sweet flavor came from. She wondered if perhaps the rest of the plant would be useful as well though Fralia seemed to go out of her way not to touch it.

She felt a bit sad for him, having lost his family. They had suffered losses but she'd been lucky to have both her mother and father, even if she did miss them at times, she guessed that the closeness of the tribe helped him cope with the loss.

Ki got a hefty dose of that closeness when they made their way back, loaded down with a basket of herbs as she trailed behind Zendonii and Fralia A but frustrated that the elderly seemed to move quicker then her, even if she was holding a basket full of plant material and the older Wolfen was not. Her frustration even got worse when she stumbled forward and the basket went upturned on the ground. A few Wolfen cuss words , she'd picked up when Fralia and Zendonii didn't think she was listening fell from her lips as she rose out of the dirt and looked around, a red and grey female Wolfen standing too her left.

"Watch where go."

Was the female glaring at her? Ki gathered her herbs and dusted herself off. Did someone not like her?

She asked Fralia about the female. And wasn't surprised to find out she was a friend, without realising it, her hand went to the tooth dangling about her neck.
 
Fralia was hanging the plants to dry as Ki tied them together. “Hmmm….Crozie….do not mind her….she upset you are…” she fought to find the right words, “betrothed to Keanu. She was interested in being Keanu’s mate.” She then nodded at Ki as she winked playfully. “I heard Wolfen words. Learned them fast.” she giggled as she teased her that she had said the words perfectly. “Any Human bad words?” she asked eagerly, it having been her that had taught the bad words.

The cream gold wolf, was really mischievous, in the almost week that Ki had been in the camp, she had seen Fralia between her chores and teaching Ki, she would play pranks and the Tribe always seemed to know it was her.
 
Ki blushed and smiled at her friend all at once. before whispering a few words as well as there meaning, so that Zebdonii did not hear. She wondered if the female... Crozie, had ever had reason to believe there was a chance between her and Keanu. Then stopped herself from those thoughts. Silliness, and jealousy, where there was no need for her to feel jealous. It wasn't as if she loved the wolfen. if he wanted to dally with the female. He was welcome to it.

She caught herself playing with the tooth again.

She asked after him much more often now, sure the female Wolfen must have noticed she blamed it on curiosity and nothing else.

He was around often, on the edge of her vision more often then not, she noticed, there, but trying to give her space. Kind, but she knew it couldn't be that way forever. Eventually she would have to recite that phrase and hear his in return. Then... She shook her head, to clear that thought. knowing she wouldn't be ready

When by torch light one evening, she finally finished her sewing. She held it up and stood back observing her work. It wasn't to rough, in fact, it was quite good. She was proud of herself for having finished so quickly and she wanted to tell her friend, but it was late, and she guessed her friend was sleeping.

Ki fell asleep there, curled up on the soft fur of the project.
 
***

Ice blue eyes was on the girl as she slept.

Today, he was going to spend with her. He had kept away enough, watching and waiting. He knew of her asking about him. Fralia had befriended her, got her used to seeing a Wolfen. Now it was his turn to get to get to know her more…he would start by courting her and taking her out on walks. He didn’t want this arrangement to turn bitter….Wolfen mated for life….

He waited as the sun rose up, a light meal already made for her, a cup of tea with raspberries hot and creamy all set out, beside him was a roll of snow white fur with a bone necklace and a wood box that he had carved and decorated and filled to the brim with beads and other sewing items.

He knew he was trending on tender ground, and one wrong move could harm them both.
 
She awoke softly. Lifting herself from the bed and the furs and yawning. her eyes went first to Fralia's bed and she wasn't surprised not to see her there. Ki had been up much later and the female always did rise earlier then she did. She folded up her finished product and set it aside when she heard movement. Expecting it to be her friend she turned and froze suddenly when the person she saw wasn't who she was expecting.

Ki opened her mouth to ask where the female was but closed it when she decided against it. She accepted the tea. The warmth a comfort first thing in the morning. As she held the tea a blush coloured her cheeks, wondering how long he had been there while she slept. It seemed so intimate. Though she supposed it was something she would have to get used to..

the berries were sweet and as she ate them, the bright red stained her lips just a bit. Not really thinking of the outcome, Ki offer Keanu one. Her little hand holding out the small and plump berry. It wasn't in her palm, flat as she would have offered too an animal for fear of being bitten, Instead she held it out between two fingers as she would have to a human. Waiting for his reaction.
 
His eyes went to the berry and then to her and his wolfish lips turned into a smile and he carefully took it from her fingers and ate it slowly. “Thank you. I wish you good morning Ki. I hope you no mind if I was here. Today….I am all yours. We talk….get to know each other. Word is courting. I have gifts for you.” he explained softly, his English better and better now. “But first….share breakfast with me. “ he gestured to the honey cakes, the bits of meat and berries as well as more of the sweet creamy berry like tea.

Keanu watched her, fascinated by her, his eyes taking in her movements. Her body language. It spoke more to him then her words. Words could lie….body could not.
 
She watched him as well though perhaps not as intently. She was comfortable with the Wolfen now, Fralia and Zendonii's company had seen to that, though she was still distinctly aware of the fact he was male.

She didn't mind, she told him that, she even smiled. A soft smile. nervous but doing her best to seem welcoming. She didn't want to offend.

" It surprises me, how... Human your customs are. The custom of courting... We had it too, long ago, we called it 'dating' at least that's what the database said..." It was one of the last things she could remember reading in the cryosphere, her attentions had just turned to a certain older male and she wanted to know about how to garner his favour.

Now though. she just wanted to enjoy the meal, and the company. her eyes catching the food. At least he'd never have to worry about starving, the amount in front of her far more then she could manage to eat alone. Though, withe the time spent with Fralia, she knew the Wolfen had appetites to match their size.

She could almost feel his gaze, as she ate, as she set down the tea and pushed a stray curl behind her ear, she could feel in almost as sure as she could feel the sun's warmth streaming in through the doorway and windows. It was a fair day, even if the sun was warm, in the early morning the shade would be cool, comfortable for a walk. Where were they going though?
 
“Yes? Or see this way…how Wolfen your customs are to us.” he grinned, making a light joke. He nodded then. “We have….many stories how we came. Nothing too much is remembered before Brother Sun touched Mother Earth and burned her.” He told her but soon changed the subject and just spoke about things in the village.

After she ate and he cleared the spot, he laid out the white fur, the bone and tooth necklace and the box that had jumping deer carved into the lid, their antlers pressed against their strained back. Inside it was filled with beads of wood, bone, teeth, and rocks. There was a shape sewing needle and strong thin leather twine. “There will be more later.” he promised her with a soft smile as he watched her look over the girls.
 
She didn't all together dislike the gifts. but they were overwhelming and in a sense, undeserved, but the added sewing, would at least keep her occupied while she got more accustomed to her surroundings.

Ki walked slowly, and wondered how much of an effort it was for Keanu to slow his pace to her's. Fralia had often grumbled in frustration about her little legs. Ki crouched when she found a little plant, it was good for teas she learned. in winter months when growing food didn't happen easily. It was fragrent and had a sweet but tart scent as it nipped at the back of your sinuses. She imagined that the tea would taste much like the plant smelled. she picked it, but only a few leaves so the plant would still thrive. She tucked them into a belted pouch she had begun carry about her waist. The addition and the necklace with the tooth that she wore t he only really wolfen things on her. the braids in her hair adorned it, but her clothing marked her clearly as a human. Fralia had promised to show her how to make a dress, but, Ki had a inkling that the dress she would learn to make wouldn't quite be for every day wear.

"Fralia told me there was a waterfall near here." She grinned, her eyes bright and eager. "Can we go see that?"
 
While they walked side by side, Keanu watched her, watched as she would pick up the leaves and tuck them away, he making a note for a much needed gift. He heard her ask about the waterfall and he smiled and nodded. “Yes….we can. It…” he paused as he tried to find the proper words, to put them together fluently. “It is not far at all.”

The path he led her down, led to the waterfall. It was a good three miles, but it was cooler that day, a sign that winter was setting in. As they walked, he told her about the prepping that the village was doing, the harvest coming up and the workings with the humans.

It seemed that the humans was going to stay where they was. The land was fertile and there was the fresh water and it was protected. There wasn’t enough time to built the humans their own huts, but the Wolfen was working hard to build them a long lodge that would house the humans over the winter.

Finally they came to a little gulley that dipped down about twenty feet on both sides and like Fralia had said there was the waterfall that crashed down from almost a forty foot drop. There was a cloud of mist in the air from the waterfall as it roared down and flowed into a river at the bottom and then twisted and turned into the woods.

“Ki?”

When she looked she saw Keanu start climbing down the bankment. He paused at the side and then reached a large paw out to her. Offering to help her down.
 
At first she had tried to climb down the embankment on her own, a stubborn streak in her dictating that she shouldn't need the assistance from the male, who's physiology made him far more balanced on the uneven terrain then her own.

So on shaky legs. She put her hand in his paw and she was again struck with the difference in their size. He could easily have lifted her and carried her down the embankment. It would have been quicker, for them both. Instead though, he opted just to offer her his aid. Allowing her to keep part of her dignity and independence. Endearing. She chewed on her bottom lip and averted her gaze at that thought. She was so easily won over with just that little bit of kindness.

She could feel the mist on her hair, and skin, cool as it coated her with a sheen of it.

Ki's eyes took in the sight of the falls and out of the corner of her eyes she watched her companion. She had to wonder, was he hoping for a love match? Surely he had to know it would take more then making her breakfast and giving her things?

She wanted to swim, and upon reaching the waters edge she pulled her dress over her head and set it on a branch of a fallen tree before jumping in. The current. The pull of the current took some getting used to. She splashed her companion on the bank, she wasn't naked, but the undergarments she wore leaving little to the imagination as she climbed out of the water and then pulled her companion in.
 
Keanu let out a undignified yelp at the sudden pull and the coldness that cut through his fur. She had only been able to pull him in because of her taking him by surprise. He rose up, soaking wet, his fur matted to him. He sent her an icy glare before he closed his eyes and then started to laugh. “Childish….but sly move. You are like Fox.” he said as he in turn batted water back at her.

He allowed himself to romp with her like he was a child again and not the Leader of the Sun Clan. He allowed himself to play with her splashing.

Suddenly at one point the picked her up into his arms and fell back with her so that she was sitting on his body as they floated down the stream, he looking up at her with his ice blue eyes.
 
He kept looking at her like that.... Like there was something for him to find, to figure out , like he thought that if he kept looking he would see it.

Ki didnt think that was true.

She honestly didnt think there was anything about her he could figure out by his stare. Save perhaps how to make her entire face erupt in a warm blush that she'd try to hide. Seeing a playful side of him was nice. She imagined that that side would be brought out more if there were more children in the village.

She was flattered to be compared to a fox. The creatures had always been held in hi regard because of thier cunning.

"Should I mate with a fox instead of a wolf then?" Her banter playful. And she'd used the term mate instead of marriage... Becoming much more accustomed to thier way of thinking.
 
He gave a wolfish grin as he looked up at her, “Lose my chance to have a beautiful Fox by my side?” he brushed her wet golden hair back. “My Sun Fox.” he rumbled as they floated along until he looked around and gave her a wide grin and rolled and dumped her into the water again and off of his hard belly.

But he had gotten up and helped the sputtering human up and to the shore where there was smooth pebbles that made up the bank. He led her across the bank to a large rock and motioned her to sit in the sun as he moved to some berry bushes and started to pick berries for them.

“Talk.” he said then. “I want to…what is word? Know you. I want to know you. So please….talk.” he nodded as the sun dried and warmed her and he picked the juicy fruit.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom