[Sekirei]

Byakko was starting to feel his age now. Resting with Rapture sleeping between his large paws, the oldster sighed. The ruination of his left face twinged a bit as phantom pain brought to him memories of how it had happened. Looking down at his oldest granddaughter, Byakko knew in his heart he wasn't going to be around to see Akutan and Kyra have their own pups. Things were changing again, albeit not on the surface, but most of it good. He was just very tired and while fortunes were changing for the better where his nephew...no, his son, were concerned, Byakko felt depressed. While a side of him still longed to see his beloved Silverstream and his family who had gone before, the thought of what he would leave behind made the once-proud and strong Fringe Dire ache. Or maybe the long years from being separated from Silverstream were finally catching up to him.

He loved Raka dearly. She wasn't a replacement goldfish for the beautiful silver and grey dire that had stolen Byakko's heart when he first arrived in Nardir's previous forest but the old man had to admit that he never quite got over her. Then there was the loss of his mother when he was much younger, followed by X's death years later. Then Starfire having all the problems that led her to give up on life and Storm following her. Byakko was also wrestling with his failures with Aylie. While the failure was on the Clan as a whole, the monochrome Fringe felt the heaviest responsibility for Starfire's death knowing that he didn't intercede to correct Aylie as he should have. Then Aylie also had her differing views on how the Clan and Nardir should work. Her being let back in without any visible improvement confused Byakko as much as it did Ticonderoga. He didn't see how that made any sense. Sighing and giving his granddaughter's white hair a lick, Byakko just watched the rest of the pack going about their lives since the quake. His family hadn't returned to their copse of trees but Akutan had run some recon and it seemed the den area were a loss. A tree had toppled and managed to break the family boulder in two, which Byakko took as a sign of upheaval to come.

"I wonder if I'll survive this." he mused.

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"I wonder if I'll survive this."

"The Byakko I remember would not doubt his victory over any challenge."

The Dark Moon approached him from the edge of the group, coming to stand near where he lay.  She spared a glance for the girl sleeping at his feet,  but her tone was quiet, and unless he raised his, they would not wake her.  Sadness filled her eyes, and it was clear that she was thinking on something.  Did he blame her for the hardships he and the pack had to endure?  She certainly blamed herself.  They both wore scars now.  Mercury's chest bore the mark left on her by Loath, a deep, dark V that raked across her chest.  Another visible mark was the small scar over her ribs behind her left foreleg, a mark she had not had before she disappeared.  In addition, a small multitude of scratches dotted her face and legs, hidden beneath her fur.  She was no longer unmarred by the world, and it was more than her body that reflected it.

Byakko had been younger, stronger, more alive when she had last seen him.  But then, she had been a young Queen then, a shadow for her sister's glory.  Mercury had been the sword and shield for Nardir, her coat marred so that Alana's could remain clean.  But now she was more.  She was a fighter, a hunter, a messenger.  A dog, a wolf. What she didn't feel she was, was a Queen.  She returned to Nardir with no expectation of rank or crown.  After all, she hardly deserved it after her failures.  But she had needed to be something, had confessed to Alana that she could not bear being idle and unproductive.  She was now a Parallax, but as of yet, she was uncertain of what that meant.  She was uncertain of much these days.  It saddened her to hear Byakko seem the same.

"I have missed you, Elder."  She said with an uncertain smile.

☿

[Sekirei]

"The Byakko I remember would not doubt his victory over any challenge." came a voice from nearby. Byakko just chuckled as Mercury came over. He didn't have many memories of her as a pup. Regrettably, the Clan generally kept to itself on a normal day and back then, it wasn't like she and her sister were wandering around the pack lands even after they ascended to co-alphas. Sometimes, he wondered if the Clan's semi-autonomy and adherence to their Old Ways was an obstacle for the rest of the pack and the alphas. It was one of the doubts that still plagued Akutan, especially now that he was patriarch. "The Byakko you remember was also much younger without so much death and survivor's guilt hanging over him either. These days, I'm just patiently waiting for my time," he said, playfully. "I have missed you, Elder," Mercury said, unsure of herself. Byakko just invited her to sit or lie with him. "And we have all missed you and are nothing but joyous that you've come back alive. It is definitely more than I can say for my mother who had disappeared when I was just barely old enough to take over my birth pack, only to learn years later that she had been killed," he said. He didn't hold the loss of Nardir's forest against this young she-wolf. She was a strong, able fighter. Loath was just better. He wondered if Mercury could identify with him a little better if she remembered that he was formerly royalty himself. He hadn't been able to take his place as Alpha of Lindras but he still understood what it took to rule.

"So much has changed since I joined this pack long ago. I came here to find my sister and then our father came back from the dead, so to speak. I saw Shen and Kokutan step down, Kyril and Alpine drift away, you and Alana rising to take their place. I fell in love with the most beautiful she-wolf in the pack and lost her to the Black Wolf just as quickly. Loss. I have a lot of it in my life. Some losses were preventable. Others weren't. But I gained much in return and through it all, I never forgot where I came from and what must be done to protect that which I hold dear, even now that my time grows short," he said. He looked down at Rapture who just twitched a foot. 

"And I have many regrets."

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"The Byakko you remember was also much younger without so much death and survivor's guilt hanging over him either. These days, I'm just patiently waiting for my time,"

He tried to make light of it, tried to be the gruff old man.  But the weight that he bore was getting too heavy, and where once she had seen strength like granite, she saw flaking sandstone.  Perhaps waiting was an apt term.  Didn't those who came before expect the mantle to be taken in their place?  She was grown, and had been without the support of her pack.  And yet somehow, she expected him to still be that solid stone, despite all the weathering he had seen.  Once more, it was a selfish thought, and she realized it was another piece she was losing.  Mortality was becoming a stark reality indeed.

"And we have all missed you and are nothing but joyous that you've come back alive. It is definitely more than I can say for my mother who had disappeared when I was just barely old enough to take over my birth pack, only to learn years later that she had been killed,"


"I... almost did not." She confessed.  "Not because I was unable... because..." She trailed off, at a loss for words.

"So much has changed since I joined this pack long ago. I came here to find my sister and then our father came back from the dead, so to speak. I saw Shen and Kokutan step down, Kyril and Alpine drift away, you and Alana rising to take their place. I fell in love with the most beautiful she-wolf in the pack and lost her to the Black Wolf just as quickly. Loss. I have a lot of it in my life. Some losses were preventable. Others weren't. But I gained much in return and through it all, I never forgot where I came from and what must be done to protect that which I hold dear, even now that my time grows short,"


She barely remembered her parents, and while the warmth and love she felt were solid and concrete, the instances blurred like colors in water.  She was starting to forget things, pieces of her childhood that were now barely there.  Did she remember the path from the den to the meadow where she used to play?  The edges of past and future were blurry, leaving only the present in recent focus.  And here she was seeing another piece of Nardir that would not remain for many more seasons.  As all creatures did, Byakko was sensing his timeline ending.

"And I have many regrets."

"As do I."  Said the Dark Moon, her gaze drifting upwards to stare at the sky. "So much loss, so many miles, so much time."

Mercury wondered if she would ever be able to atone for what she had done to Nardir.  She was trying to adjust to the changes that Alana had made, but she hadn't quite reintegrated.  She still wasn't quite sure of what her role was, and was uncomfortable in her Nardiri skin.  She had hoped that the Elders would be able to help her find her footing again.  But now, it felt more like two old souls who weren't quite sure where the light was.  She sighed, sitting down heavily beside him with a soft thump.

☿

[Sekirei]

"As do I. So much loss, so many miles, so much time." Mercury said, before sitting down heavily next to him. Byakko looked at her from the corner of his gold eye. "Mercury, tell me straight because Ticon, Akutan, and I can't understand. Why is Aylie back? We sent her away to learn how to function in a pack because she was questioning how things were done and being insubordinate. Then the pack we sent her to fell and then she comes home after so long. It's plain to us that it doesn't seem like there's been much improvement with her." he began. He looked down at Rapture, still sleeping away without a care.

"I'm not going to sugarcoat things but my sister is dead because of Aylie's past actions. After everything that happened with Loath, her misbehavior and refusal to fall in line was the last straw for her. She just couldn't keep going, especially since Father died. Sure, it makes Sister look very weak but who can rightfully blame her when she was always a sensitive soul who lost so much at once? Then there's Akutan. He's finally getting over it but for a while, he was in a dark place. Starfire's death hit him the hardest of everything that had happened since Loath kicked us from the forest and he blamed Aylie for the longest time. For now, it seems reconciliation is impossible and it doesn't seem Aylie will cause us, the family who failed her, any trouble. I've given up on her. She has too much of her father in her and that's where my worries are starting to get to me. It's never been implied by anyone in the pack but I'm afraid that my Clan's semi-autonomy is going to start a problem and Aylie may be the one who starts it. If that's the case, she could be waiting for me to die because I'm the only one standing between them and any who has an issue with how my family operates. Once I'm out of the way, that's when she or someone like her could make a move to turn the pack against us." he said.

Byakko sighed, recognizing that he was ranting which wasn't like him at all. Where had his confidence gone? Probably fled him like his youth. The rest of Nardir didn't seem to care that the X Clan held to their own traditions and operated semi-autonomously in the past. Why would they start caring now? Aylie was also content to ignore them and didn't seem interested in causing trouble for them. That was the scary part for the old man. What if it was to lull them into a false sense of security and once Byakko's protection was lifted with his death, she pounced? She knew how Akutan ticked. Get him riled up enough and he often let his mouth get away from him. 

He sighed again. "Forgive me, Mercury. It's unfair for me to unburden my worries to you when you've only just come home and are likely struggling to find your own way here again. Alana has changed things since you've been gone but my family has remained consistent and constant in our Old Ways so the changes that were made didn't affect us. I should've remembered that. I suppose I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill and I don't have as much to worry about as I believe. About the only comfort I have, aside from my grandpups, is the fact that soon, Nardir will be out of my shadow. Once I'm gone, you will have nothing to fear from me ever again. You probably don't remember but I'm the most dangerous wolf here because of the Fury. I haven't fallen to it in a long time but it's still there bubbling under the surface. I'm the only one left in the pack with it, at least in my family. My descendants and Starfire's descendants are all Fringe mixes so none of them can express this curse. That said, I offer my services to you if you have need of them. My time is short but I think I still have plenty of time to help you find your way again." he said.

The Fury. Byakko hadn't thought about it in a long time. He couldn't even remember when he fell to it last. It was in the old forest, he knew, but he forgot when and why. All he knew for certain was that he was the last pure Fringe Dire left in the family, if not the entire pack, and he stood as the last internal threat Nardir had been living under since he came here a long time ago. Most wolves who knew this about him were either long gone or just never thought about it. Byakko never forgot it. It had always been bubbling just under the surface, just waiting to express itself when certain conditions were met. The old wolf had lived it for so long that it was merely background noise to him, unnoticed but still mindful of. When he had been younger, Byakko never saw himself as a threat to his pack. Just another way old age had opened his eyes. Older and wiser now, Byakko was now fully aware of just how much of a danger he was to himself and everyone around him. At his age, falling to it again would certainly kill him. He wasn't as strong as he used to be and probably couldn't withstand the extreme conditions the Fury brought with it. And that was without outside forces acting to stop him. If the Fury didn't kill him, the pack certainly would. It had no bearing on his strength, just his awareness and the downside of seeing threats everywhere when under its power. Such a terrible curse the Black Wolf had placed on his most ancient ancestors. Which made it all the more victorious for Byakko because once he was dead, the curse of the Fury was forever broken on his side of the Lindarian bloodline.

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"Mercury, tell me straight because Ticon, Akutan, and I can't understand. Why is Aylie back? We sent her away to learn how to function in a pack because she was questioning how things were done and being insubordinate. Then the pack we sent her to fell and then she comes home after so long. It's plain to us that it doesn't seem like there's been much improvement with her."

"It is true that Ayliyra is out of harmony with the pack."  Mercury conceded,  "However, many can attest to our own wayward youths. Aylie must learn to function within the pack, and she will never learn cooperation exiled and alone."

"I'm not going to sugarcoat things but my sister is dead because of Aylie's past actions. After everything that happened with Loath, her misbehavior and refusal to fall in line was the last straw for her. She just couldn't keep going, especially since Father died. Sure, it makes Sister look very weak but who can rightfully blame her when she was always a sensitive soul who lost so much at once? Then there's Akutan. He's finally getting over it but for a while, he was in a dark place. Starfire's death hit him the hardest of everything that had happened since Loath kicked us from the forest and he blamed Aylie for the longest time."

She listened to his explanation patiently, letting him pour out the aching that was part of the weight upon his soul.  Byakko seemed content to lay all of the issues at Ayliyra's feet.  Blaming behaviors that. at least in Mercury's own experiences, amounted to teenage rebellion.  Aylie was hardly to blame for the situation with Loath.  Did Akutan bear her a similar blame?  Mercury certainly would understand, but to say it was the fault of a girl who had barely been more than a pup at the time seemed hardly fair.

"I do not deny that it has been a hard road for your family, but it was hardly Ayliyra who lost Nardir."

That was my doing.

"Ayliyra has many memories of being cast aside."

"For now, it seems reconciliation is impossible and it doesn't seem Aylie will cause us, the family who failed her, any trouble. I've given up on her. She has too much of her father in her and that's where my worries are starting to get to me. It's never been implied by anyone in the pack but I'm afraid that my Clan's semi-autonomy is going to start a problem and Aylie may be the one who starts it. If that's the case, she could be waiting for me to die because I'm the only one standing between them and any who has an issue with how my family operates. Once I'm out of the way, that's when she or someone like her could make a move to turn the pack against us."

"The X clan gained that autonomy through deeds for the pack.  Perhaps a better question is whether or not that autonomy is continuing to be earned."

He spoke about her like she was the enemy, but from the convoluted story she had heard, and from what she had gleaned from Alana, Ayliyra's main problem was what it had always been.  She didn't think things through.  She rushed in, took her initial assessment as the only facts she'd need, and barreled through situations when she should have paused to take a moment to learn about the situation.  Brashness was hardly a malicious quality, and for Byakko of all to turn on her for it, Mercury sighed.  He was telling her what he thought, and she would respond with equal honesty.  If he thought his clan was being given special privileges, perhaps he needed to be reminded on why they had been granted them in the first place.  X had been a strong member of the pack, and his clan had followed in his line of duty.  There had been no question about how they had come to position then.  Why should it be so now?  A nugget of information to think about.

"She is young, and impulsive. Brash to the point of recklessness. Overeager beyond fault." Mercury assessed. "But she is also passionate, and eager to defend her ideals."

She sunk to her belly, laying down for a moment and looking out over the territory.  She could not ease his worry, nor the paranoia that flavored his view from too many sour situations.  Instead, she had to assure him that she would be able to protect his family from the ruin he perceived, as well as assure him that she was making a sound decision.  She could not offer a lie, and would not repay his honesty with deceit.  The Dark Moon sat in quiet contemplation for a time before she answered.  And in the end, it was neither assurance or an altering viewpoint that she offered. Instead, she took the weight from his shoulders, and placed it on her own.

"Forgive me, Mercury. It's unfair for me to unburden my worries to you when you've only just come home and are likely struggling to find your own way here again. Alana has changed things since you've been gone but my family has remained consistent and constant in our Old Ways so the changes that were made didn't affect us. I should've remembered that. I suppose I'm probably making a mountain out of a molehill and I don't have as much to worry about as I believe."

"I will take responsibility for Ayliyra."

"About the only comfort I have, aside from my grandpups, is the fact that soon, Nardir will be out of my shadow. Once I'm gone, you will have nothing to fear from me ever again. You probably don't remember but I'm the most dangerous wolf here because of the Fury. I haven't fallen to it in a long time but it's still there bubbling under the surface. I'm the only one left in the pack with it, at least in my family. My descendants and Starfire's descendants are all Fringe mixes so none of them can express this curse. That said, I offer my services to you if you have need of them. My time is short but I think I still have plenty of time to help you find your way again."

She scoffed, a dry huff that escaped sharply from her muzzle.  She didn't mean to make light of his condition, but since she had left Nardir, she had learned it was not the fault of a single bloodline, but a multitude.  Byakko was, by no means, a unique monster.

"I remember, Elder." She cocked her head to look at him. "But know, your condition is not as unusual or final as you may think.  I have met others like you, and they are no more monsters than any of us can be.  I do not fear you. As ever, I welcome your council."

☿

[Sekirei]

Byakko listened and contemplated on Mercury's words. Perhaps he was wrong about things where Aylie was concerned but still...the past spoke for itself. His giving up on her was a sign of how weary he was and how apparent it was that he wouldn't be able to guide Akutan much longer. The boy had more reason than Byakko did for how he felt about Aylie's paw in things. The oldster just didn't know what to think anymore and thus settled for his own perception. Teen rebellion was normal, sure, but she seemed to take it to an extreme he had never witnessed before. Rebelling against parents was one thing. Rebelling against higher-ranking wolves was another. One just didn't do that, teen rebel or not. He also knew he wasn't the only Fury-bound wolf in the Straits. It was the reason his breed had been outcasted from Inaria once upon a time if the birds were to be believed. However, the fact remained that he, himself, was the only monster Nardir was living with. He was content to let Mercury believe as she wished on all accounts. The youth generally didn't see things the way elders did.

She did bring up a good question. Did the X Clan continue to earn the semi-autonomy it had organically cultivated since Starfire established herself here? He didn't think any of the clan members had done anything to warrant scrutiny. Akutan had lost his way for the longest time but his issues never brought him under serious fire with the rest of the pack, outside the usual clashing personalities, especially where Sansa was concerned. He knew, as Byakko did, that Sycon looked down on him but Sycon looked down on just about everyone in the pack so it wasn't like Akutan was being singled out. He did his best to avoid conflict. Sara was the perfect cinnamon roll she was born as and never caused trouble. She was a Halo, after all. Byakko was confident things would continue to go smoothly.

Letting a smile come across his maw, Byakko looked at his granddaughter. "Well, enough of my gloom-and-doom ramblings, young Mercury. In spite of my troubles, I have a lot to be thankful for. I married my youngest off and she gave me this little one and two siblings. My nephew is getting ready to make that step himself with Kyra. I'm proud of our progress and my work is about done. I hope you eventually find someone who makes you happy. In the meantime, is there anything in your heart you wish to share with me? I'm here to advise and if I end up croaking before at least setting you on your path, then I did a very shoddy job at doing what my rank entails and I can think of several wolves in the afterworld who would be really cross with me." he said, his voice light but the offer was sincere. He wanted to know if anything was weighing on the dark she-wolf's mind and he wanted to be of counsel. Rapture still slept like a rock.

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"Well, enough of my gloom-and-doom ramblings, young Mercury. In spite of my troubles, I have a lot to be thankful for. I married my youngest off and she gave me this little one and two siblings. My nephew is getting ready to make that step himself with Kyra. I'm proud of our progress and my work is about done."

She listened to the him speak about his family, and watched him regain some of the life she had seen in him when she was younger.  The X Clan was deeply rooted in Nardir, and she contemplated her own question.  She could think of a few reasons to preserve their ways, and the autonomy was useful for the most part.  Making a mental note to speak to the others of the X family later, the Dark Moon gave Byakko a smile.

"I hope you eventually find someone who makes you happy. In the meantime, is there anything in your heart you wish to share with me? I'm here to advise and if I end up croaking before at least setting you on your path, then I did a very shoddy job at doing what my rank entails and I can think of several wolves in the afterworld who would be really cross with me."

Still putting her before himself, just as he always had. Mercury hadn't really thought about that aspect of life for herself.  It wasn't that she didn't love, but there had always been a job, a purpose.  Domestics just seemed so... beyond her.  It wasn't at all surprising that Alana had found a mate and had children.  At least, not in Mercury's view.  But for herself?  She couldn't picture it. A yearning squeezed her heart, making her stomach clench.  She wanted to, but she couldn't.  Another light that seemed to belong in Alana's world.

"I am not sure that is the kind of path I am meant to walk."

At the moment, Mercury wasn't even sure if she was on a path at all.  

☿

[Sekirei]

"I am not sure that is the kind of path I am meant to walk." she said. Byakko just chuckled. "Perhaps but in my experience, no wolf should walk alone. Maybe it's not for you or maybe it is. I've never been a fan of anyone denying themselves happiness if there was a chance they could be happy and one must never let someone else's happiness dictate whether or not they should have the same. I had to watch my nephew...or rather, my son...Akutan do just that for the longest time since my sister died. It was hard for me to see him that way. But now he's taking his life back and I couldn't be prouder." he mused.

He gave her a wise smile. "That's just my take on life, young one, and it's rooted in my experiences of having watched Akutan grow up the way he did. Whatever path you choose is entirely up to you. All I desire is that if life hands you the opportunity to be happy, take the chance. It's okay to be selfish once in a while. For now, focus on building your life here back up again. I can help get you started if you don't know where to begin or how to start. I've been preoccupied lately but if you have a rank now, work at that rank. New paths will open in time and you'll find your way again. Take each day as it comes, plan for whatever future you feel calling you, learn from any mistakes, and work towards that goal. Soon your hard work will pay off and you'll end up where you need to be." he explained. The old man looked down at his granddaughter again. Rapture was stretching her little legs out as she draped a forepaw over his own. Watching her sleep without a care in the world made him smile fondly and long for the days when he, too, had been that young. His mother, winds bless her soul, had been his rock up until her untimely death.

"This little one has but one obligation to her family. That's to take over for Akutan one day and become the first matriarch since her great-grandmother, my mother. Aside from that, I wish nothing more than for her and her siblings to live full lives, perhaps have families of their own one day and official ranks they can be proud of. I won't live to see those days, just as I feel in my heart I won't live to see Akutan become a father, but I'll always be watching whenever the wind blows. Your parents are also watching, Mercury. Shen and Kokutan are here with you as long as the wind is felt in your fur. Let them be your guides when I can't be. Let Akutan also aid you. He has never given up on his dream to be an adviser to royalty, much like me and my father. He's content as the Maelstrom and he's gaining the experience he needs to take my place someday. There is nothing you can't do." he finished.

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"Perhaps but in my experience [...] I couldn't be prouder."

The Dark Moon thought about what her Elder said.  Had she denied herself happiness?  What made her happy?  The safety of her family and pack, of course.  But was that happiness?  Her brow furrowed slightly.  She hadn't really thought about what made her happy.  When she had been young, she had been happy learning, becoming the warrior princess she had been. But the prophecy had told her her place was at Alana's side, and that she must become her sword and shield.  She had stopped dreaming for herself, instead always putting Alana, and Nardir, first.  When she was defeated and taken, she had focused on getting back home.  Had only accepted her life as a dog as a means of survival.  Had her team made her happy?  She certainly enjoyed their company, but she always prepared herself to leave them.  Mercury realized she didn't know what made her happy.

"That's just my take on life, [...] you need to be."

Improving at her rank she could do.  Mercury had always been a diligent worker, and had no trouble throwing in her effort to achieve a common goal.  While Alana ruled aloft, Mercury had always been among the people.  She was still their princess, always would be, but she toiled and bled alongside them.  She would never consider the possibility of doing anything else.  The real question was what future would she hold. With Alana as Queen and heirs already in place, Mercury was removed from the succession.  She wouldn't have to rule anymore.  Or so she thought.

"It would seem I must formulate what I want from the future." She mused. "I have never before considered one solely for myself."

"This little one [...] the wind blows. Your parents are also watching, Mercury. Shen and Kokutan are here with you as long as the wind is felt in your fur. Let them be your guides when I can't be. Let Akutan also aid you. He has never given up on his dream to be an adviser to royalty, much like me and my father. He's content as the Maelstrom and he's gaining the experience he needs to take my place someday. There is nothing you can't do."

At the mention of her family, Mercury felt her heart clench.  Closing her eyes, she recalled them in her mind. She had been so young when they died.  Their reign had had their own trials, and it had caused them an early demise.  She wondered if it would do the same for Alana, and wondered if she, somehow, would be relieved of that fate along with her crown. Could they guide her?  She had no oracle.  Now way to call upon their spirits.  Could Byakko help her reach them?

"Would you teach me how to hear them?" She asked.  "And extend an invitation to Akutan to speak with me. I feel there is much we should discuss."

☿

[Sekirei]

"Would you teach me how to hear them? And extend an invitation to Akutan to speak with me. I feel there is much we should discuss." Mercury asked. Byakko chuckled lightly. "It's not really something I can teach you. It's something you have to learn on your own. The spirits of those who went before are not really heard. Rather, they are felt and it comes down solely to how you interpret the winds. By paying attention to the winds, or lack thereof, it can give you insight into what's going on in your life or even the entire pack, given your particular social standing. If you practice, it will become second nature. For instance, I've noticed that whenever something was troubling either an individual or the entire Clan, I would always feel as if the wind itself was uneasy. Akutan's spoken of it a lot, particularly when Aylie came back with you. He said the wind had a nervous energy, doubtless my sister's soul reliving her own failures where Aylie's concerned. He took it to mean that she had some ulterior motive for returning and he was obsessive about that for a bit." Byakko explained. His ears drooped a bit. There was no way around the fact that the Clan had failed Aylie in many ways, which was why she didn't have the highest opinion of them now, or even the whole of Nardir if memory served him correctly. With Akutan no longer obsessing over the idea that she would try to take his place as head of the family, he (and the Clan by extension) was content to ignore Aylie and be ignored by her. Peace was all the Clan wanted after so many upheavals and tragedies.

"To be fair, we Lindarians don't use the winds as a way of foretelling our futures. It can give insight into our lives at the present time but more often than not, we use the wind as a source of comfort. Our traditions say that wolves were created from the wind and it's to the wind that we return, regardless of whatever beliefs we had in life. With that value at the core of our tradition, it eases the mourning process when someone we love has to make the journey to the Afterworld after the Black Wolf does his duty as judge. We grieve for those we've lost but we also find joy and comfort in knowing that they're still with us when the wind blows." he then added.

He shifted to lean slightly against Mercury. He figured he hadn't really said what she wanted to hear but he had no doubt that he said what she needed to hear. She seemed a bit lost in her life at the moment, having spent most of her youth putting Alana before herself. That was all well and good but if you live that to the extent of sacrificing your own well-being (whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually), you were just condemning yourself to a life half-lived. He felt proud that she had said she would have to start thinking over what she wanted in life, aside from Alana. That was the first step. If she did her soul-searching and came back to putting Alana first, then that was fine as well because she had at least entertained ideas of what she wanted for herself. Akutan lived and breathed his heritage but all his past and current goals were for the benefit of no one but himself. He didn't pursue Kyra for the sake of expanding the Clan's dwindling numbers. He pursued her because he realized he wanted her. Byakko wasn't blind to his nephew's base desires. He just chose to play ignorant because Akutan's life was his own and as long as he wasn't breaking any rules, it didn't matter what he was getting himself into. Kyra made him happy and that was the important thing.

"Anytime you want to speak to Akutan, just give him a call and he will answer. He's nothing, if not reliable." he said after he was done reflecting on things.

[Mercury]

The Dark Moon of Nardir                    ☿ "Being brave means to know something is scary, difficult, and dangerous, and doing it anyway, because the possibility of winning the fight is worth the chance of losing it. - Emilie Autumn

"It's not really something I can teach you. It's something you have to learn on your own. The spirits of those who went before are not really heard. Rather, they are felt and it comes down solely to how you interpret the winds. By paying attention to the winds, or lack thereof, it can give you insight into what's going on in your life or even the entire pack, given your particular social standing. If you practice, it will become second nature. For instance, I've noticed that whenever something was troubling either an individual or the entire Clan, I would always feel as if the wind itself was uneasy. Akutan's spoken of it a lot, particularly when Aylie came back with you. He said the wind had a nervous energy, doubtless my sister's soul reliving her own failures where Aylie's concerned. He took it to mean that she had some ulterior motive for returning and he was obsessive about that for a bit."

What he was describing sounded a lot like what the Oracle had provided.  Was the power somehow buried within the X line?  Not enough to be Oracles, but maybe a little?  Their line had served Nardir's leadership since they were founded.  Yes, she would be very keen to speak to Akutan.  If he was able to listen to the Mother's voice, she wanted to hear it.  But she was not so sure she would be able to do it herself.

"To be fair, we Lindarians don't use the winds as a way of foretelling our futures. It can give insight into our lives at the present time but more often than not, we use the wind as a source of comfort. Our traditions say that wolves were created from the wind and it's to the wind that we return, regardless of whatever beliefs we had in life. With that value at the core of our tradition, it eases the mourning process when someone we love has to make the journey to the Afterworld after the Black Wolf does his duty as judge. We grieve for those we've lost but we also find joy and comfort in knowing that they're still with us when the wind blows."

She nodded her head, understanding that there were many crafts that could harness the magick of the world.  She knew very little herself, having gone on to practice the more earthly arts.  She was a simplistic fighter.  But perhaps, now that she had returned, she could focus on developing other skills.  If she could unlock her spiritual senses, perhaps others of Nardir could as well.  Who knew what talents could be uncovered?

He leaned over, and she leaned back into him with a comfortable thump. The Dark Moon closed her eyes and sighed, exhaling feelings as well as her breath.  It was good to be back among family.  She couldn't speak to Alana yet about all that had occurred, but it felt good to be able to once again ask someone for advice. She hadn't been able to ask the elder dogs of the village.  They were wary of her, and rightfully so.  She was wild despite her collar and her master. She was a wolf.  But here she was forever a daughter, a sister, a moonchild of Nardir.  Her home still existed, buried under the new and unfamiliar.

"Anytime you want to speak to Akutan, just give him a call and he will answer. He's nothing, if not reliable."

"The X clan has always been the most stalwart of allies, I have no doubt I shall continue to find it so. I will speak to him soon."

☿

[Sekirei]

(I think this is a good place to end the thread. If you'd like to start one with Merc and Akutan, I'll be happy to send him there)

[EhwazAzi]

That sounds great!