Among the bushes...

[Jane]

It was dusk. The light barely filtered through trees overhead, soon in would be dark. Within the bushes on the edge of the heart of the Caern, a set of golden eyes that reflected the remaining light glinted.

The bushes didn't stir at all, those who passed by could hear quite breathing from inside and the occasional low whine.

[Shade]

A wolf padded up to the bush. Her white coat would have been striking if it wasn't slightly mangy; coarse and quite short, almost like a dog's. She was a scrawny little thing, not nearly as sleek and powerful as her bones seemed to want to be. Her eyes were brown and wide.

She stopped a few feet away from the gleaming eyes and crouched in the cool grass slightly to one side of the cub, not blocking her exit in any way. Simply present. She wagged her tail, once, then sneezed.

[Jane]

A black wet nose inched out of the bush. Sniffed and then was slowly followed by a muzzle and then a set of eyes. Upon close inspection, the eyes where actually blue, with black flecks in them. It had been the light reflecting that had made the eyes golden.

Her fur was a gleaming white.

Another low whine came from her, eyes shifting around seeming to take in the entire surroundings.

[Shade]

Explains settled into the grass and watched the new cub with her head resting on her crossed paws. She flicked her ears back, then forward again. Her hind legs were flat on one side, leaving her belly slightly exposed, and she seemed to be doing so not as a gesture of submission but of confidence. Nothing to worry about. I'm safe; this place is safe. No need to hide, though you can if you really want to.

[Jane]

A beautiful pure white wolf (silverfang purebreed 5), crept out of the bush. She inched forward on her belly. Huffing the air, eyes darting back and forth, body tense, seeming to anticipate an attack that didn't come.

When it didn't, her ears flicked forward as she shiffed the air next to wolf's face.

[Shade]

Explains returned the gesture, whuffling a bit. She kept her movements slow and obvious, entirely content to let the other wolf set the pace of the encounter. The cub was clearly spooked, and Explains was just fine with letting her control the introduction.

[Jane]

Daughter nuzzled side of the wolf's face huffing gently into her ear as she curled up laying half on top of her and promptly feel into an exhausted sleep, breathing calming for the first time since the wolf first encountered her.

[Shade]

Wolves technically cannot chuckle, but Explains made a good try at it. She curled herself around the cub, nuzzling the top of her head, then raised her head to keep a watchful eye out.

Poor pup. Rest easy now.

[Deleted]

A faint breeze and the tell tale echo of a distant song passes through the heart of the caern gently as the grass not far from the caern stone spreads out as if someone was sitting there. Then as if he'd always been there, Guy was sitting with his back leaning up against the caern stone. His voice was quiet but strong, "I'm going to overlook that a cub got so close to the heart of the caern before being discovered. Make sure she stays wary, this is no place to simply take a nap. The spirits are stronger here and willing to take risks when bolstered by the energies so close to Herne's heart."

[Shade]

Explains nods. Without shifting forms, she manages to communicate the following in High Tongue.

"I'm not planning to sleep. But I want her to rest a bit; I believe she came here because she felt safe here, and she's had a rough time. If this is where she's comfortable, is there much harm in letting her stay a few hours, if I promise to keep both eyes open?"

[Deleted]

Guy settles himself into his spot and pulls a flask from his jacket pocket, "Aye, it's fine if she wants to feel safe with you watching over her. I'm just not going to be happy if a cub gets lost in the Umbra because it took a nap in the wrong place. It's easy to slip through from one world to the next in places like this."

He takes a long pull from his flask and turns his attention up to the stars.

[Shade]

"I won't let that happen," she said, firmly, and resettled. "Although I'm surprised Carries-the-Burden left her here. Last time I looked he had her under his wing."

[Deleted]

The Englishman snorted quietly at the last comment, "Carries has many paths and burdens to move through this world. He's going on an important trip to his homeland and needs to focus on his preparations. Cubs can be cared for by those of us with Rank, positions and time."

His gaze falls down to the flask in his hand as thoughts pass through his head rapidly, "Though the Denmother is ill-disposed at the moment, so I suppose the Grand Elder will have to look after the cubs and Cliath until she returns. Not to mention with the Warder position changing hands, things are going to be a little disorganized for a short period of time, if I were a Dancer and knew anything about this place, I would take the next couple weeks as a time to steal into a caern and kidnap a fresh cub..."

[Shade]

She is quiet for a moment.

"...I'm still only a fostern, but I am also Talesinger, now. I can at least manage to keep a few cubs and cliath out from underfoot for a couple of weeks, I think. I mean, unless it'd be overstepping, or there's something I'm not taking into account..."

She trails off uncertainly, looking down at the cub nestled against her side.

[Jane]

Her fur shivered at the word Dancer, but she stayed asleep.

[Deleted]

A chuckle escapes his lips as he sits there, he looks up and gazes over at the two wolves laying nearby him. An absurd situation to most people. Then he looks directly into Explain's eyes, "When you think you're ready to watch over your juniors you'll know how to worry better than that. Don't think about the cubs and Cliath, your job as a Fostern is to seek Renown and praise our Mother Luna. That's all. Until you've reached Adren, let those of us that have do all the worrying."

[Shade]

"I've just been feeling, lately, like I'm ready to try and do more but I don't know where to start. Like something's missing. But there's so much I have to settle within myself before I'll feel... ready, I guess, to actively seek the next step."

She shakes her head a little. "Whatever. Things happen at their own pace. Um... actually, though, there is something I've been meaning to ask you, rhya."

[Deleted]

Guy inclines his head towards her, "Speak."

[Jane]

An ear twitched... is was apparent she was listening, with her eyes closed.

[Shade]

"I am Talesinger now, which means I'm responsible for collecting the sept's stories and telling them at moot. I only know the end of Vasili-rhya's; and I know you were there from the beginning. So I was hoping you could set some time aside to tell me what happened, and who else I should talk to. Other than Vasili, I mean; I'm sort of working my way up to him and anyway, I'm betting he'd rather be with people he knows and trusts for a while, and not pestered with my questions."

She seems a little nervous about asking, and rather wolfishly avoids meeting his eyes, since that could be construed as challenging rather than supplicating.