HOME | DD

Description

“And this emancipation… it would bring you happiness?”

Sekuli’s voice was gentle and without judgement, but Faolan still had a hard time holding her gaze. It was still hard for her to admit that she wanted to be anywhere but Mhor territory, despite her family awaiting their return. Even the ache to see Aislin again wasn’t enough to make her feel ready to end their journey and head back home. She felt shame, mostly, but the conversation she’d had with Theia echoed in the back of her mind so loudly, she couldn’t not bring it up to her friend.

“I’m… I’m not entirely sure.” The breath left her lips and she could feel the dark gaze on her again, but she still couldn’t bring herself to look up again. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with them all, I just—that place—”

She shook her head, and Sekuli tilted hers, and for a brief moment Faolan was sure those dark brown eyes could see right to her core.

“Your discomfort is peculiar.” The owls tone held a bit of a confused note, but she simply shrugged her wings, ruffling her feathers in the pleasantly warm breeze. The simple action made her feel more at ease. If Sekuli was at least acting like it wasn’t a big deal, then maybe it really wasn’t.

“Yeah. I know.” She was almost certain she was the only one in the pack feeling like this. The stifling energy around the area only seemed to affect her, so clearly it was her problem, and not anyone else’s. It only served to make her feel more isolated. “What do you think?”

There was a long, drawn out pause. Silence hung in the air around them, only periodically filled with a few chirps from an early cricket, ready to sing into the evening. After several beats, Faolan finally swung her gaze around to watch the barn owl, who gazed up toward the sky, dark eyes drinking in the rose streaked sunset.

“When I came in search of Mhorian wolves, the spirits gave to me the image of a dark wolf.” She began in her usual strange lilt, and Faolan thought back to when they first met, having heard this line before. “But… in this vision, I saw no pack.” Sekuli brought her head around, spinning it several degrees too far to look back at her companion. “Curious. Would you not agree?”

“Sekuli.”

“I believe your mind is not yet made up, if you are coming to me with such questions.” The owl’s words were a little more direct this time, and Faolan closed her mouth once again. “Go home, Faolan. In your heart you have not yet decided and cannot come to a conclusion. For the moment, your pack requires your protection. Aid them. Take time to reflect.”

A slow nod was all she could offer back, but the speckled bird continued on.

“If, at a later date, your longing to leave brings you to the border, I will join you.”

“You don’t have to--”

“The spirits guided me to your side, Faolan. I should think I will not be so easily left behind.” For the first time in a long time, Sekuli’s voice was firm and solid, not the soft, airy tone she usually spoke in. Faolan fell silent for several more beats, before her mind was made up.

“Thank you.”

____

Some more... serious chats with Mhor's resident owl.
Don't worry, she IS coming home.

Description

“And this emancipation… it would bring you happiness?”

Sekuli’s voice was gentle and without judgement, but Faolan still had a hard time holding her gaze. It was still hard for her to admit that she wanted to be anywhere but Mhor territory, despite her family awaiting their return. Even the ache to see Aislin again wasn’t enough to make her feel ready to end their journey and head back home. She felt shame, mostly, but the conversation she’d had with Theia echoed in the back of her mind so loudly, she couldn’t not bring it up to her friend.

“I’m… I’m not entirely sure.” The breath left her lips and she could feel the dark gaze on her again, but she still couldn’t bring herself to look up again. “It’s not that I don’t want to be with them all, I just—that place—”

She shook her head, and Sekuli tilted hers, and for a brief moment Faolan was sure those dark brown eyes could see right to her core.

“Your discomfort is peculiar.” The owls tone held a bit of a confused note, but she simply shrugged her wings, ruffling her feathers in the pleasantly warm breeze. The simple action made her feel more at ease. If Sekuli was at least acting like it wasn’t a big deal, then maybe it really wasn’t.

“Yeah. I know.” She was almost certain she was the only one in the pack feeling like this. The stifling energy around the area only seemed to affect her, so clearly it was her problem, and not anyone else’s. It only served to make her feel more isolated. “What do you think?”

There was a long, drawn out pause. Silence hung in the air around them, only periodically filled with a few chirps from an early cricket, ready to sing into the evening. After several beats, Faolan finally swung her gaze around to watch the barn owl, who gazed up toward the sky, dark eyes drinking in the rose streaked sunset.

“When I came in search of Mhorian wolves, the spirits gave to me the image of a dark wolf.” She began in her usual strange lilt, and Faolan thought back to when they first met, having heard this line before. “But… in this vision, I saw no pack.” Sekuli brought her head around, spinning it several degrees too far to look back at her companion. “Curious. Would you not agree?”

“Sekuli.”

“I believe your mind is not yet made up, if you are coming to me with such questions.” The owl’s words were a little more direct this time, and Faolan closed her mouth once again. “Go home, Faolan. In your heart you have not yet decided and cannot come to a conclusion. For the moment, your pack requires your protection. Aid them. Take time to reflect.”

A slow nod was all she could offer back, but the speckled bird continued on.

“If, at a later date, your longing to leave brings you to the border, I will join you.”

“You don’t have to--”

“The spirits guided me to your side, Faolan. I should think I will not be so easily left behind.” For the first time in a long time, Sekuli’s voice was firm and solid, not the soft, airy tone she usually spoke in. Faolan fell silent for several more beats, before her mind was made up.

“Thank you.”

____

Some more... serious chats with Mhor's resident owl.
Don't worry, she IS coming home.