Millard Filmore Campfire - Monday lunchtime - 5/18

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir had been playing his usual game of avoidance for the weekend and thus decided to do something about it.

That was why he was out with a lit fire, putting sticks into the ground around the fire with a few different kinds of sausages, hoping to provide a little lunch and maybe, just maybe, see people. He wasn't worried about the sausages, even though he wasn't that hungry.

Makejoy, growing girl that she was, looked as if she'd eat every last one if no one came.

[open like a fire!]

Comments

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Firekeeper and Blind Seer had entertained thoughts of going hunting for their lunch, but stopped when they saw a fire already going at one of the other cabins.

She gave a nod to Liir and a glance at the different kinds of sausages he'd prepared. "Is for sharing?" she asked, just to be sure.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded.

"Certainly," he told her.

"Red is beef, yellow chicken, and blue is pork," he told her. "Lemonade's in jars behind me."

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"No reading," she grinned. "Good." She appreciated a labeling system that eliminated that particular problem, and snagged one for herself and two for Blind Seer.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Makejoy sniffed from behind Liir's leg, peering at Blind Seer curiously as her tail tried to lift off all on it's own.

"Easier for everyone," he said with a faint smile.

"It's been a while since I think I saw you."

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Don't scare her, Firekeeper shot Blind Seer a warning look. He actually rolled his eyes back at her in response. He was accustomed enough to the rules of this place to know that deliberately antagonizing a pet was asking for trouble.

"Some time," she nodded. "I leaved for some weeks. But, am back now." Well, she'd been back for a few weeks, but there hadn't been any Darkest Night to watch, which was where they usually seemed to run in to each other.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Makejoy inched out from behind Liir's leg and perked her ears playfully. She was already six months old, so she wasn't small, but certainly not full grown yet.

"Nothing too terrible, I hope."

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Well, Blind Seer was a larger-than-average wolf. Small was relative. He did his best to seem non-threatening, curious to see how brave this pup was willing to be.

Firekeeper just shrugged. "We did not wish to forget what being wolves is like, surrounded by so many human things," she explained. "We miss zombies, though," why yes, she did sound rather disappointed by that.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

The pup was brave enough. Liir gave her a look, reminding her to be polite, before she bounded over to say hello and sniff.

"Ahh, well, I suppose I can understand that. The wolves did like to go on their runs..."

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

Blind Seer submitted to this scrutiny with the dignity befitting a Royal Wolf, of course, sniffing politely back.

Firekeeper nodded. "Preserve not have much game, but enough. And no beds, or electrics, or heat from anything but our own bodies and my fires."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

For a pup, Makejoy was very polite and dignified. She did her sniffing and pulled back, then ducked her head in an offer for play.

"Did you see anyone else while you were in there?"

He'd never really ventured in much.

[glacial_queen]

Okay. A puppy and a kitten were one thing, but Karla was not going to believe that someone would be allowed to keep a regular wolf for a pet. Not unless the girl had a gift for taming animals. And as far as Karla could judge, the wolf didn't actually look tame. Well-behaved, certainly, but not tame.

No. Unless she was reading everything incorrectly. The wolf was kindred; or, as Liir put it, a Wolf, not a wolf.

Intrigued, she finished up her sausage and rose to greet the new arrivals. "I'm Karla," she said, with a small bow to the girl, and another to the wolf. Remembering what Jaenelle had said about kindred wolves, she kept her movements slow and steady, and did not make full eye-contact with the wolf. Karla had no intentions of fighting him for dominance juuuust yet.

*Can you hear me, Brother?* she sent on a kindred spear thread, while asking the girl aloud, "Does he speak?"

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"Blysse," Firekeeper replied with a nod. Blind Seer offered a bow of his own, then went rigid as he heard the girl's voice without hearing it. It was a strange and entirely new experience, and he wanted to know what it was.

"Blind Seer speak, yes. In manner of beasts. He understand human speech, but his mouth not made for shaping such sounds. He wish to know what you just do, to make him hear your voice with no sound."

[glacial_queen]

Karla looked at him, confused. "I spoke to him the same way I would to a human male, distaff to spear," she answered as if that was supposed to make sense. It did to her, anyway. "I just...shucked the human trappings, I guess. Isn't that how you speak to him?"

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"I speak in language of beasts," Firekeeper said with a shrug. "Is not the same as human way."

[glacial_queen]

"Oh," Karla thought that made sense. A little. "I spoke to him in his mind. I can speak to anyone who has the gift of hearing me that way. I assumed he was kindred, and all kindred have that ability."

*Do you?* She asked Blysse on a human distaff thread.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

"He is Royal Wolf," Firekeeper said, sharing an uneasy look with Blind Seer at the mention of 'gifts'. "Am not knowing if this is same as kindred." If anything, kindred sounded more like Rose's psi-hounds than Royal Beasts.

[glacial_queen]

"Kindred is a term from my world about members of the Blood who are not human. They are intelligent, wear Jewels, have Craft, and belong to castes, just like humans, but often walk on four legs, not two. Kindred, but not kind," Karla explained.

[kestrelswolf.livejournal.com]

It took her a bit longer than usual to puzzle the meaning of that sentence, with all its unfamiliar terms. "Royal Beasts is stronger, smarter, than Cousins- normal beasts, like such," she gestured to the pets gathered around the campfire. "Some have talents, like humans. But none from our birth pack ever claim these."

[glacial_queen]

"That's interesting," Karla said, thoughtfully. "Our kindred are smarter, larger, and stronger, too, but they all have talents. Your Royal Beasts make an interesting link between kindred and normal creatures. I wonder if there is a connection..."