Intolerable weather

[Uskiya]

The summer had been and still was horrid. The heat was about as high as most thought it could ever go. Many of the prey had been killed off and what was left was scarce. The pups from Ayasha's litter had made it through with plenty to nourish their bellies. Now the pack of Ge-rad was slowly making it's way through the end of summer with a hopeful look towards Autumn. If the weather didn't become frigid and kill off the remaining prey. One could never question the ways of the gods. Well...yes one could but it never really resulted in anything good. At least that was how the nurse of Ge-rad looked at it. She had never gotten a response from the gods and as far as she was now concerned they didn't matter to her. She was just fine on her own..thank you...she didn't need to be going around questioning why the gods did this or that. In fact...it was really just how things turned out. No one knew her life nor had she a destiny. Things just worked out. Speaking of..Uskiya had some work that had to be done and she wanted her grandson Midian to help her. Not that she couldn't do it herself but she wanted to see him.

"See, this just won't do. There is no way I can possibly keep up a den for any new pups if it's out here. " Uskiya scanned the site of an old den she used to use when helping raise pups of the pack. Now most of her den sites where in the middle of Ge-rad in the forested area where it was much safer. She looked to the sky and made a mental note of where the sun was. Midian should be arriving soon. If he was anything like his mother though..time would mean little. She trotted to the edge of the rock beds and glanced out to where the terra was no longer sheltered by the forest. It had been a long time since she had been out there. Actually..she hadn't been out there since Cal had left. She hoped that wherever he was that he was doing well and was still alive. Glancing back to where the old den site had been she wondered about Midian. His father wasn't around nor did he have a grandfather. The mann would have to learn from somewhere.

This task..well there was no actual task really. Uskiya had made it up as an excuse to get Midian to come and see her. She wanted to tell him some things. Sooner or later he would have to realize that his father was a half-bred. Though there was nothing wrong with that, Uskiya knew that Midian needed to know so he could hold that part of him proudly. Purists-as she liked to call them- believed that half-breeds were polluting the genetic pool and ruining everything. Midian would no doubt come into contact with purists at some point in his life and he'd better know about it now. Uskiya sat down on her haunches in the shade of a tree to avoid the heat. She knew the mann was aching for some adventure and some life. Ayasha had been that way as well. And Skep..wherever he had gone off to. Life was what you made it after all. Uskiya was pleased with her life. Pack life was easy for the time being and there was always the security of family. Not that she didn't miss the days when she brushed flanks with danger. But she had been young then and she was older now.

Not that age could stop some vargs from courting danger. She wondered if Midian would leave Ge-rad in search of greater things. It was highly possible. Some vargs barely stayed in Ge-rad while others came and went according to their desires. Some still, some stayed hard and fast. She glanced up to the sky and let out a sigh. This weather obviously wasn't going to change anytime soon. Cloudless as usual some might say the gods were reflecting poorly on the lands of Translyvania. But Uskiya had learned a long time ago that there were no gods to dictate your life. She held this belief only to herself and rarely spoke of anything pertaining to the gods. She wasn't sure how many would find it unpleasurable to think this way and she would rather not get into an argument. Luckily no one ever asked, no one really cared either. At least that was how it seemed now. No one cared to ask anything of anyone. Ge-rad was practically dead. One could say that only three vargs inhabited the terra. Uskiya was one of them, her daughter and her grandson where the other two. The Balkar were either lacking themselves or took pity upon Ge-rad. Otherwise they could easily take over the terra. Translyvania itself seemed rather empty.

[Midian]

The sky overhead was a fairy blue, and the sun glowed radiantly from its center. Its heat was bold and intense; the red-gold wood looked as though the sunlight had sparked a fire in the canopy, turning the leaves into vivid, fiery colors. His face had brightened in awe of this display when he first woke from his slumber that morning, and by midday, the young Ge-Radian had taken it upon himself to act upon this beautiful stage nature had given him. He was no longer a Cub of Ge-Rad, but was now a legendary hero, fighting alongside Fren in a glorious battle between good and evil. "This way, Fren!" he cried, jumping nimbly onto a fallen log. His paws slipped on its mossy surface, but he quickly regained his balance; and he glanced down to the thick bed of leaf litter below him to where his imaginary comrade in arms was pinned against the log, teeth bared against four - no, five! - other hellion demons, with blazing blood-orange eyes. Midian growled, baring his own teeth against their fanciful foes. He lifted himself proudly, slicked his ears forward, and raised his tail over his back. He stood, not quite fully grown, looking so very much like a powerful, capable warrior - albeit, one at miniature. He was indeed a little large for his age, as his grandfather, Cal, had been, but his golden fur glowed warmly in the late summer sun like his father's. His pale eyes flashed - reminiscent of his grandmother, Lydiar, and a bit of his mother too, for they were a creamy blend of gold and blue, with fragments of green. He was becoming a fine young lad, but he still had a lot of growing to do yet.

"Save some for me," he said valiantly, and jumped back down again from his perch atop the log to face the five or six false demons that stood against them. He wagged his tail, and together he and Fren began to battle the six or seven beasts, raking tooth and claw against their scarred and deformed flesh until they fell to the soft ground, defeated. The leaves were scattered around Midian's paws, and dark brown earth was drudged up from beneath the forest carpet, but as Midian glanced at Fren, he knew the fight had still been one-sided, for the duo were the best warriors in all the land, and eight demons could do little to stop them. Nevertheless, the youth knew the entire horde might fall upon them very soon, and he nodded in agreement when Fren said, 'We must go, the brutes have our scent.'

Midian began to charge headlong into the forest, though his pawsteps were light and airy; he made hardly a whisper as he traveled, for he practiced silence every day, firmly believing that stealth was partially responsible for Ge-Rad's skill in the hunt. He also did his best to teach himself to fight more efficiently, to run faster, and to move more gracefully, but he lacked a knowledgeable tutor in these areas, and so, alas, he was accomplished only at remaining silent as he wove through the forests of Ge-Rad. Yet his creamy eyes darted from shadow to shadow, and he made good time despite his insufficient skill: just moments after his battle, he was on the outskirts of the Bedded Rocks, where the tall, black trees of Ge-Rad thinned away to nothing, and flat boulders were warmed to searing temperatures by the snarling gaze of the Almighty Fenris. Just as he closed the distance between himself and these rocks, he saw his grandmother - Uskiya, the only one he'd met. He slowed to a halt, and cocked his ears forward sharply. His quest and heroic battles had all but been forgotten, for he immediately remembered that he'd been charged with the task of helping her earlier. His eyes widened guiltily, and he resumed his onward march with his head held apologetically low. Within moments, the harsh sunlight was glittering on his warm fur, and he was in plain sight of his grandmother.

His tail was beating happily and his ears were slicked respectfully to his skull as he approached. "I'm sorry I'm late, Grandmother," he said as he drew closer. He bumped his muzzle affectionately under hers, and gave her a brief nuzzle. It had been a while since he'd last seen her, and he was ready to make up his absence with whatever tasks she needed him to help her with - he was proud that she would call upon him for his strength. "I was.. ahuh, um, I was on patrol," he coughed with a hopeful grin, feeling slightly embarrassed that he was still playing cubs' games at his age: nearly a year-old. But since his sisters had disappeared, Midian had been feeling bored and lonely, and as still such a young and imaginative pup, he'd made up his own games to keep himself occupied when he wasn't off exploring. 'I hope Grandmother doesn't find out, though,' he thought, 'She might accidentally tell someone and then I'd never hear the end of it from the girls if they ever hear about it. And no way Draeg will want to teach me how to fight - he'd think I'm just some silly pup.' He puffed out his chest, and tried to steer the conversation quickly away from his tardiness. "So, um, what was it you needed help with?"

[Uskiya]

Uskiya looked up with a smile as she saw her grandson approaching. Her tassel wagged in response to seeing him and she let out a small whine. She licked his forehead affectionately in response to his own greeting and smiled fondly at him. "You aren't late. In fact you're not on time either." She smiled mischeivously at him and gave him a playful nip on his flank. "For you to be late or on time I would have to have a time I wanted you here at. She pondered what she had said for a moment before deciding to change the subject. "Ah yes. The task I need your help with. Well it's quite a long explanation you see. I was wandering the forest the other day when I was suddenly surrounded by a huge pack of these black fog like wolves!"

Uskiya widened her eyes. She knew her Grandson was always pretending to be fighting with his imaginary friend. She had done that for a long time. But now she wanted to be involved. After all, what better way to help him with his journey on learning to become a varg than this? She sat down on her haunches and thought for a moment. "I couldn't understand what they wanted from me. They didn't speak. They just stood there and watched me. It was very strange. I haven't told anyone else because they simply wouldn't want to help." She looked to Midian to see if he was following her or if he was skeptical.

"I'm telling you because I know you've seen them before as well. Don't pretend like you don't go gallavanting off into the woods acting like you're the hero of Ge-rad." She smiled affectionately at him. She loved her grandpups, but Midian was the only one that had shown up after they had gotten old enough to begin exploring on their own. Uskiya felt that she had failed them in a way and here was her chance to make it up. After all, Midian's father Kaemon wasn't around and his grandfather was...well...most likely dead. "Your Grandfather was a fighter. But something got to him in the end and he just disappeared. I'm not sure what happened to him. But he would tell you that all the galavanting around won't prepare you for anything unless you feel it in your soul."

She studied him for a moment before letting out a sigh. She wasn't sure if it was her place to tell him that his father wasn't fully varg. But he needed to know so he could embrace it and truly understand what it means to be varg. Varg isn't some pedigree...it's the way of life. "Midian, do you know what it means to be varg? Do you know what it means to feel it pulsing through your veins?" She gave him a gentle nudge with her muzzle and rose to her paws. Lifting her head up to the heavens she felt the breeze playfully bat at her fur. "You see Midian...to be varg is everything. Your first lesson is to learn stealth. How to become part of the landscape. That is where the black fog wolves come in handy." She smiled at him and trotted off in the direction of the stream. Today he would learn. She would teach him.

[Midian]

'Not late, and not on time?' He pitched his head at an angle and quirked a curious brow. Her statement was strange, but he decided it was merely beyond his grasp of understanding. Some things adults said didn't make sense to him even now, but he was confident that his knowledge would expand as he grew older. So he contented himself with defending his flank as she nipped at him, and he snapped happily at one of her ears as she drew away again. He missed it completely, which was all good and well because she needed it to hear him with, 'Right?' He shot her a laughing smile and pricked his ears as she proceeded to enlighten him on account of her unusual statement. A knowing look overcame him, and he nodded slowly. "Oh... hah, I get it!" He rolled his eyes, and playfully batted at her shoulder with a hefty paw. But she started informing him of his task, so he dropped his mischievous pose and stood alertly.

'Black fog wolves?' Midian thought, his smile fading away like mist on a hot summer morning. He was skeptical, but only because he wondered if his grandmother was pulling his tail and poking fun at him. 'Has she seen me playing with Fren?' He hoped not, but as she continued spinning her tale, he decided that it must only be coincidence. She was obviously quite serious on the matter, and while she spoke, he glanced around into the open woods where warm shadows danced to merry breezes, wondering if these black fog wolves were truly real, and if they were watching them at this very instant.

'Pretending to be the hero of Ge-Rad?!' He jerked his head up. 'Drat! I've been discovered!' He frowned disapprovingly. How had his grandmother seen him in his games? Was she some sort of espionage agent? He suddenly realized that she must be pulling his tail. There was no other reason for it. 'But why is she still so serious?' He studied her, with his forehead wrinkled and his eyes slanted. She started telling him of his grandfather whom he'd never met - though he had his large build - and wondered if his grandfather would really have said such things. It sounded like sage advice, and he decided that his grandmother's intentions were good and well, so his anger on her spying quickly faded away. He could forgive her this time.

A small grin pulled up the corners of his mouth.

"Of course I know what it means to be Varg," Midian replied coolly, flicking his ears forward and puffing out his chest. He returned her nuzzle absently. "It means to be wild and untamable and free. It is the power to see in the dark, to scent a thousand flowers on the breeze, and to listen to the falling leaves." He liked her summary: to be Varg is everything. It made him feel apart of something grand and wonderful. Something intended only for his kind. His eyes sparkled and danced. Stealth was today's lesson. The ability to blend into one's environment and surrounding like a ghost. 'Is this how the black fog wolves tie into this? Are they ghosts?' A curving, sickle grin spread up his muzzle and into his eyes. "Alright then," he said in a daring voice. "I'm ready."

[Uskiya]

Uskiya made her way toward the stream. Her grandson following after and probably thinking that she was crazy. But the poor mann had barely been told anything about being a varg or even his heritage. She had decided that it was now her responsibility to inform him. She took a quick glance up at the sky and made note of the way it looked. The fish wouldn't be very active in the stream but it didn't truly matter. She had to weave her story of the black fog wolves. "Midian, what do you know of your father? I mean what do yo....no no. That's not a very good question now is it."

She fumbled with the words in her mind for a few moments before finally settling on a way to say it. She had never truly been taught to be a varg. She had had to learn from herself and from her mate. Her parents hadn't seen her as fit to be varg even though she was pure varg. They didn't think she had enough...varg in her. This had dumbfounded her since she didn't know how else she could be varg. That thought apparently never occurred to her parents as they shunned her. But that was just her life and today was about Midian. These black fog wolves were more or less true. "Let me try this again. She stopped and faced her grandson with a smile. "My parents never thought that I was varg enough to be taught the ways of knowledge. They never thought that I could fill their steps. So they refused...I knew nothing about my heritage or what it meant to feel that freedom. As I grew older I began to see these things....I saw figures in the fog that would roll through my home. Black wolves. Everytime I thought they were real and I waited for them to come charging at me. Everytime they would just disappear as the fog went away."

Uskiya paused for a moment and remembered the black fog wolves she had seen as an adolescent. Sometimes she thought she still saw them. But other times she knew it was her imagination. She looked at her grandson and wondered what he thought of her. He had never been told anything about her except that she was his grandmother. Her adopted sister Lydair would've been here with her telling him about being varg as well. But Lydair had been gone for..a year..had it been? Uskiya shook her head and refocused her thoughts. "What I'm telling you Midian...near the lake there is a spot where the fog gathers. I want you to go there and stare into the fog and tell me what you see. I know it sounds strange..but you need to know what you see in that fog."

Uskiya licked her grandson affectionately on the head and then proceeded to the lake where she would show him the fog. Sometimes when she stared into it she saw all sorts of things. Whether it was the fog that gave her these visions or her own mind wanting to believe...that she was never really sure of. One should never question the desires of the mind. At least it could be dangerous to do so. The mind was often times a very dark and dangerous place best left alone. The rocks that darted around the water were beginning to cool as the sun tucked itself behind a cloud. Uskiya was grateful for the relief and took the opportunity to grab a few laps of the cool water before sitting down in front of the fog that pooled around one area of the water. She waited for Midian in silence. When he was closer she spoke in a whisper. "Look into the fog and tell me what you see."

[Midian]

His sidelong glance was quizzical, but he didn't force the subject. His father? What didn't he know about his father? Was his family keeping secrets from him? Perceiving his grandmother's desire to tell him, he remained quiet and followed her thoughtfully. And while she reflected on her own discovery of what it meant to be a Varg, Midian tried to unravel the mystery behind his grandmother's strange anecdote. 'There must be something about these black fog wolves that will tell me about my father!' he thought, frowning. Try as he might, however, he could not find the parallel. Perhaps he just wasn't old enough to understand.

They stopped, and his grandmother turned about to face him. He was surprised to see her smile - he was very much in anguish about the 'secret' she was keeping from him - but he smiled back anyway and listened with rapt attention. She described a snippet of her history, of her pack and heritage, and began to elucidate her first encounter with the black fog wolves. His smiling face became perplexed. What did any of this have to do with his father? And why did she feel the need to share this with him? He would love to listen to the stories of her past - he loved any tale, biography or legend, cub story or one with sweeping narrative - but now that she'd aroused his concern about his father, about his family, he was too worried to listen to anything but the truth. Thoughts swirled around in his head half-formed as he tried to understand what she had wanted to tell him about his dad.

She paused. His thoughts settled. Was she about to tell him? She looked him over, and he felt almost intimidated by her scrutiny. Could she be reconsidering her decision to tell him his father's secret? Or was she biding her time, waiting for the most opportune moment to reveal the truth? Midian tried to look nonchalant beneath her gaze, even older and more mature too, and he curved his wolfish head and pricked his ears, shrugged his shoulders and held himself casually. He hoped his appearance would exude confidence, pride, and stability - she could be trusted to tell him anything - but there was a nervous flick in his pale eyes that betrayed his anxiety.

She spoke her request. "What?" He blurted skeptically, suddenly dismayed that she wasn't going to tell him the secret outright. But he instantly realized that his outburst wasn't the correct thing to do, and he instantly nodded his head and coughed. "Oh, right. The lake," he said coarsely, turning to face its direction. He sighed, set his shoulders, and with a small glance back at his grandmother - she took this opportunity to lick him on the forehead - he started trotting toward the lake. He was hardly surprised that she followed him, or rather, that he followed her, for he was now certain that this little exercise had more to do with him than his father. Perhaps his reward at the end of the day would be the truth, and for young Midian, that would be enough.

They reached the lake surprisingly quickly, and Uskiya took his small lag behind her as an opportunity to fetch herself a small drink. He approached the lake and the thick fog just as she was settling herself. He stared at her as he approached, suddenly realizing how exactly she looked like a ghost in that eerie white shroud. What if she was no more than a specter playing tricks on him? He growled under his breath, but silenced the thought. It would do him no good to be afraid. She said she had something to show him - or rather, he had something he needed to see. 'Look into the fog?' he thought, echoing his grandmother. He inhaled deeply, frowned, and lifted his head. He gazed into the heavy banks of white mist, feeling a bit foolish as he stood there squinting, and only a mere breath had passed before he asked, a bit exasperated: "What, exactly, am I supposed to be seeing?" Or was his grandmother just playing tricks on him?

[Uskiya]

Uskiya chuckled at her grandson's annoyance and confusion. She could tell he wanted to know why she had brought up his father but to her that wasn't important right now. What was important was to get him beyond the obvious. Many vargs were taught to look only for the obvious and she wanted her grandson to be able to go beyond that and make sense of the abstract and strange. That was the current task. That and she wanted to know if he saw the black wolves as well. She stood up and padded nearer to him. Quietly she watched him as if she were turning over the possible answers in her head and gauging his reaction to each. "When I first stared into the fog I could see nothing. I was perplexed because I clearly felt that there was something there. I actually grew frustrated until I realized that maybe I was looking for the obvious. Midian....a varg should know that not everything is out in the open. Some things are hidden and their meanings are strange. What I saw in the fog were the black wolves. Do you see them, do you see something else or are you trying too hard?"

Uskiya smiled at her grandson and gave him a reassuring grin. She knew this was probably difficult for him since he had never dealt with something like this before. On the other hand though it would make him a greater warrior than she knew he was destined to be. Ge-rad would be proud of him. Even if he left the boundaries of his home his name would be carried on the tongues of the vargs of Ge-rad. She hoped he stayed, but it was up to him and she knew he had his mother's thirst for adventure and that taste for new things. But here he was and she could see the mild frustration. Perhaps she should tell him now.. "Midian. The reason I mentioned your father was because I wanted you to know something. But I've been going back and forth between deciding if it's my duty to tell you or your mother's. But I will tell you here because it may help. And for all I know you already know this. But...you aren't full varg. Your father was half varg half dog. That means you have some dog in you as well. We've had multiple half breeds in the pack before and it's nothing to be ashamed of but celebrated. I'm telling you this because every varg, not matter pure or not needs to know their ancestry and what truly lies in their blood."

Uskiya studied her grandson for a moment. Before continuing. "When I first saw the black fog wolves I figured I was just dreaming. But then it started to make sense. Maybe these were the vargs from my past that I never took the time to know. My ancestors. Maybe.... She trailed off and nodded towards the fog once more. Encouraging her grandson to return his gaze to the fog and try again to see something. It took her a few tries before she was actually able to see anything. Even then she wasn't truly sure what she had seen and what it meant. But life was full of surprises and it was up to her to try and figure out what she had to do to get where she wanted..wherever that was. At this moment though she wanted her grandson to see to truly see what he was meant to see. She had never talked to her daughter about this and she had never mentioned this to anyone. She smiled as she thought of when the pups were born and how defenseless they were. Now Midian was growing up and taking on strange new things that his grandmother had in store for him. But she wanted him to know and to feel the world like many vargs couldn't. She wanted him to have that ability so that he could be the warrior that she knew he could be.