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Description
Having gone through the doors at Nagruk’s suggestion, Tenebrae finds her attention captured by a warm, green orb, its friendly tinkling coaxing her into following after it. The strange light stays out of reach no matter how much Tenebrae speeds up to catch it, and eventually she settles into a comfortable lope, yawning widely and grinning a little when the little spirit in the lantern does the same.

“Where are you leadin’ us,” she asks the wisp, more to keep herself awake and alert than for any expectation of an answer. The wisp’s tinkling sound goes higher for a moment, and Tenebrae blinks, looking at it a little closer, her head tilted. “Huh,” she nods, “alright, then.” Just because she can’t understand the answer doesn’t mean it isn’t one. She keeps walking after the wisp, enjoying the peace – so much of this journey has been dangerous, or strange, or wonderful; it’s so rare that its peaceful.

Just as Tenebrae begins to drift off into a daydream, her thoughts wandering briefly to her pack and the hope that Isira and Terisias are taking care of them, she’s abruptly pulled back into reality by a sharp, piercing cry. She stops, her ears flicking up, the small cry pulling at her heart, some instinct in her recognizing it immediately. She looks around almost frantically, her eyes wide, and wisp jingles again, catching her attention as it floats forward.

She follows after it quickly, finds it hovering over a tiny, snow white tokota pup nestled at the base of a large, ancient tree. It’s far too young to be out here, Tenebrae thinks, leaning down to sniff the small creature; its eyes aren’t even open yet. It cries out again, and Tenebrae nuzzles it gently, looking around. In the lantern, Achak moves, pressing its little face against the glass to study the pup closer, keenly interested; Tenebrae sets the lantern down beside the pup, looking at the little spirit inside.

“Watch him for a moment, will you, Achak?” She asks of the spirit before stepping away to sniff the ground, searching for signs of the pup’s mother, or their pack. She circles the area once, twice, again, but finds nothing – no scents, no sign of the pup’s mother, and she returns to Achak and the helpless pup, frowning up at the wisp. It tinkles brightly once and then fades away, and Tenebrae sneezes in surprise.

“Hey, no wait!” But it’s no use, the wisp is gone, leaving them alone. She sighs, turning back to the pup, her ears flattening against her head.

“You poor thing,” she murmurs quietly, a low whine mixed in with the words. Achak taps the glass and she can almost sense the question in its face. She glances at the little spirit’s face pressed against the glass and then back at the pup. “Of course we’re going to help it,” she tells Achak, as though it might speak back, and then leans down to give the pup another comforting nuzzle.

She’s surprised to feel warmth suffusing her body, a sense of peace almost overwhelming her, and she steps back. The puppy is glowing, a soft white light enveloping it and Tenebrae watches as it begins to grow larger and larger. She turns her face away from the blinding light, turning back to find herself nose to nose with Aga. The great forest spirit smiles and touches her nose to Tenebrae’s.

“You face such hardship on this journey we have set you on,” she begins softly, shaking her head. “And yet you still show such kindness to those in need. There are so many in this world -yours and mine- who could use such kindness.” The forest spirit offers a rose and Tenebrae takes it, filled with wonder. “Take this, young one, and share it with someone close to you.”

“Thank you, Great Aga,” Tenebrae murmurs, dipping her head to the great spirit. She has not forgotten the mercy Aga showed her in the burning forest, and she does not take the spirit’s kindness for granted, now. “I will use it well.”

Description
Having gone through the doors at Nagruk’s suggestion, Tenebrae finds her attention captured by a warm, green orb, its friendly tinkling coaxing her into following after it. The strange light stays out of reach no matter how much Tenebrae speeds up to catch it, and eventually she settles into a comfortable lope, yawning widely and grinning a little when the little spirit in the lantern does the same.

“Where are you leadin’ us,” she asks the wisp, more to keep herself awake and alert than for any expectation of an answer. The wisp’s tinkling sound goes higher for a moment, and Tenebrae blinks, looking at it a little closer, her head tilted. “Huh,” she nods, “alright, then.” Just because she can’t understand the answer doesn’t mean it isn’t one. She keeps walking after the wisp, enjoying the peace – so much of this journey has been dangerous, or strange, or wonderful; it’s so rare that its peaceful.

Just as Tenebrae begins to drift off into a daydream, her thoughts wandering briefly to her pack and the hope that Isira and Terisias are taking care of them, she’s abruptly pulled back into reality by a sharp, piercing cry. She stops, her ears flicking up, the small cry pulling at her heart, some instinct in her recognizing it immediately. She looks around almost frantically, her eyes wide, and wisp jingles again, catching her attention as it floats forward.

She follows after it quickly, finds it hovering over a tiny, snow white tokota pup nestled at the base of a large, ancient tree. It’s far too young to be out here, Tenebrae thinks, leaning down to sniff the small creature; its eyes aren’t even open yet. It cries out again, and Tenebrae nuzzles it gently, looking around. In the lantern, Achak moves, pressing its little face against the glass to study the pup closer, keenly interested; Tenebrae sets the lantern down beside the pup, looking at the little spirit inside.

“Watch him for a moment, will you, Achak?” She asks of the spirit before stepping away to sniff the ground, searching for signs of the pup’s mother, or their pack. She circles the area once, twice, again, but finds nothing – no scents, no sign of the pup’s mother, and she returns to Achak and the helpless pup, frowning up at the wisp. It tinkles brightly once and then fades away, and Tenebrae sneezes in surprise.

“Hey, no wait!” But it’s no use, the wisp is gone, leaving them alone. She sighs, turning back to the pup, her ears flattening against her head.

“You poor thing,” she murmurs quietly, a low whine mixed in with the words. Achak taps the glass and she can almost sense the question in its face. She glances at the little spirit’s face pressed against the glass and then back at the pup. “Of course we’re going to help it,” she tells Achak, as though it might speak back, and then leans down to give the pup another comforting nuzzle.

She’s surprised to feel warmth suffusing her body, a sense of peace almost overwhelming her, and she steps back. The puppy is glowing, a soft white light enveloping it and Tenebrae watches as it begins to grow larger and larger. She turns her face away from the blinding light, turning back to find herself nose to nose with Aga. The great forest spirit smiles and touches her nose to Tenebrae’s.

“You face such hardship on this journey we have set you on,” she begins softly, shaking her head. “And yet you still show such kindness to those in need. There are so many in this world -yours and mine- who could use such kindness.” The forest spirit offers a rose and Tenebrae takes it, filled with wonder. “Take this, young one, and share it with someone close to you.”

“Thank you, Great Aga,” Tenebrae murmurs, dipping her head to the great spirit. She has not forgotten the mercy Aga showed her in the burning forest, and she does not take the spirit’s kindness for granted, now. “I will use it well.”