Traversing Worlds

Arc One Ch. 6

Through the gathered tears that rolled down the sides of her slightly tipped back head Kira who took in an impossible amount of stars hidden behind the moon. While the sight could be called breathtaking it seemed a bit too literal as the song continued, an obvious weight had formed as it settled within her chest and just from a careful inspection could say others felt it too.

The moon reached its peak and that is when a final cry of goodbye came from those gathered around this strange little clearing. Kira found that after giving such an emotional cry at the end those turbulent emotions and memories settled down into a peaceful calm. Discreetly looking around the group she found others with the same look of serenity to them as well.

Distant memories long forgotten by the original surfaced of a story about the Moon Goddess told during a communal gathering around the fire. The tale told of how the first wolves of their kind had come to be here, a blessing of live given to them by the Moon Goddess. As for the proof of this conviction they pointed to the Trees of Life which protected them from harm against many threats throughout their long history. Even their song of parting had been gifted to them by the Moon Goddess as a way to protect their soul and memory till they reached her eternal embrace.

While walking in an absent minded manner Kira found the idea of this Moon Goddess suspect but didn't care enough about it to look further into it, since the unknown entity wouldn't get in the way of her carrying out the main task.

Arriving back on the main path their large group slowly began to disperse as each made their way home. Kira found herself being hug by each of the family before the actual parting with a few parting words of love, encouragement and to stay safe. Receiving so much affection from the family made Kira start to wonder what drove the original back to the Pine Wood pack that was located so far away, since she could have relied on them in finding out the truth together.

Feeling someone grab her hand while in such an absentminded state nearly caused Kira to jump from shock, turning to see Edith she gave the older girl a smile. "You need to pay attention more while walking." She said pulling her a bit further from more cluttered area of the road.

"Thank you Edith I am feeling a bit absentminded." Kira confessed truthfully as she lifted her face up to the moon still high up in the night sky.

"I will hold your hand but from tomorrow on be a bit more aware of your surroundings alright?" She spoke in a soft and gentle voice that showed worry for her which was answered back with a simple nod of her head.

That night as everyone else went to bed Kira instead brought forth the original's memories to go over. From her mind's eye she examined this particular time period and found an answer she wasn't expecting, war, more specifically a territorial war with a rather old rival pack who's always been aiming for a piece of the Stonemason pack territory. Alpha Granit of the Stonemason pack taking precautionary measures decided to send away a large portion of young and expecting mother's, unfit to fight elders and children too young to shift from the territory. Thing from here started making a little more sense about why the original had split off from her only relatives and why this close nit and caring family would allow such a young female to leave on a long and dangerous journey back to another pack alone.

Edith woke up in the early morning just as she did every other day of the week to get ready so she could go help out with the communal meal. Yawning she got up from her warm blankets to do a few routine stretches. It was only after finishing up that the oddness sunk into her mind still muddled with sleep.

"Kira?" She called out to the younger girl who didn't appear to be in bed. In a few swift steps she stood over her bed and pulled back the covers finding it empty and cold. Fear sudden filled her body as an icy chill made its way through her blood stream.

Taking a deep breath trying not to go full panic mode Edith focused on Kira's scent that smelled a few hours old. Following the trail she reached the entrance before turning to head down the mountain. Turning back inside Edith went to find her father knowing that he would already be up and ready to leave.

He sat at the dinner table with a few documents, though not uncommon such things were still rare to see. Looking up from the page his gaze found her own before becoming hard. "What's wrong Edith?" He asked in a hard voice as he got up showing protective body language.

"Kira isn't here." She said while looking visibly shaken up at by the conclusions her mind was conjuring up. "I tracked her scent out onto the road where she headed towards the base of the mountain." It came out in a rush as she kept to the most important points.

Kurou nodded while clasping onto her shoulder. "You did well Edith tell your mother I will be back after looking for Kira." He said in a strong voice that helped the raising panic within Edith's chest settle.

From there they split, Edith still looking worried but no longer in a panic while Kurou held his own worries for his niece. Stepping into the living room he allowed the wildness to bleed into his eyes as the shift took place. His body long accustomed to this sensation shivered slightly as he no longer stood as a man but as a large stocky salt and pepper colored wolf.

For a moment Kurou's mind became muddled and unfocused under the influence of his beastly side before he mentally brought it to heel.

Edith stepped back into the kitchen and watched from a safe distance as her father took on the form of a wolf. Seeing this familiar bestial form had her freezing to the spot as she noticed how irregular his breathing became in the strange posture he stood in for a brief moment. To see his head lift up with a pair of clear intelligent eyes had her releasing the breath that got stuck in her chest.

There had been many stories of others losing control over their bestial side due to a variety of different reasons but many had one thing in common and that is an instability within their mental state.

Keeping her distance she silently watched him scent the area and quickly pick up the same trail she had just followed from her room.

Kurou found that his daughter told the truth about Kira's scent headed towards the base of the mountain.

He jumped to the conclusion that she wanted to try making it back to the Pine Wood pack now before the snow fell. This was something he also felt like trying but knew about many of the risks involved that she wouldn't yet know about. So to him it made sense to hold off on such a treacherous journey in favor of a safer path that only became available in warmer months that one so young might take recklessly without proper consideration.