njól

NLT: https://open.spotify.com/track/2djaEQHew...gBB_OKemoA ATTN: @Persephone

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 She awoke suddenly, startled and seeing only stars—
 No, not only; they took shapes, constellations in the face of the Sun, her Sun, and clumsily the cub bumbled toward no one and no thing as though to capture the fleeting vision that had been quick to come and quicker still to leave. The radiant vision scored her mind and razed its fields to barrens, so like the sun would to any eye that looked upon it for too long, and then there was only the feeling of wet, of cold, of loneliness crowding in on her as she blinked past tears—
 Tears, or rain, or both. Her bumbling steps forward were ended abruptly when she bumped into a tree, falling messily onto her side. Her ears flattened meekly atop her head as she looked 'round, the waters falling from the heavens a soothing sound. She sniffled, quiet, as her eyes beheld one of the tallest trees she could remember seeing. The girl rose to all fours, taking cover beneath the moss-laden conifer.
 She did not know what to do, now... and so she simply sat, watching and waiting.

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The gentle rain was a comfort despite the way it made her fur cling to her body. She had always loved the sound, loved taking a nap with the fall of rain filling her ears. Persephone might have done just that, too, had she not just woken up with the feeling that she was needed somewhere. She wasn't sure what made her feel that way, or why, but the little goddess knew better than to ignore such things. And so, she'd risen from her bed and ventured her way through their quiet forest, moving along pathways she knew like the back of her paw.

Eventually, a scent wiggled its way into her nose, one that the little honey wolf didn't recognize. She knew part of her should be alarmed, perhaps upset that another wolf was on their territory but there was something about this scent. It was so fresh, so... something. She couldn't put her paw on it. So, instead of diving after the trail, Persephone took her time following the scent, all the while remaining cautious and careful.

She heard the sniffle before she saw the little pup, ears pushing forward in concern as she scanned her surroundings. Bubblegum eyes passed over her at first but quickly came back, centering on the tiny thing as soon as Persephone realized. 'Poor thing,' she thought, trotting closer with a soft frown pulling at her lips. “Hey there.” Her voice was gentle, kind. “Are you lost?”

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 Her ears swept backward as there was another rustling—
 What was that, she wondered, holding her breath—
 Nothing, it turned out, for there was a stillness that came next that brought Eirlysï much peace with the quiet. The quiet falling of raindrops soothed her, and she swayed in place as her eyelids began to fall downward. Tired, she was very, very tired... sleep nearly took her, though when the voice of another came she was shocked back to wakefulness.
 Scrambling backward, Eirlysï peered upward beyond thick lashes to see a gentle face there. But all the gentleness in the world could not save Eirlysï from her present distress as she remembered that this was a stranger, and that she was in a strange place... what should she do? 
 Have courage; be brave...
 A soft murmuring against her feathery ears, still pressed tightly against her crown, but even still the young girl still could not command her tongue properly to form thoughts or words entire. “U-uhm,” she stammered, and whether it was the rain that made her eyes water or her emotions as she looked to Persephone (and just as swiftly, averted her gaze shyly), it was quite clear even without words that the answer was yes.

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The tiny thing startled, freezing Persephone in place. It was obvious, the answer to her question, as the girl stammered and looked up at her with forlorn eyes. Like so many others, like herself and her King, the pup had probably woken up here entirely alone. If she was lucky, she'd have even a few memories, but there was no telling.

“It's alright,” The honey wolf offered, a soft smile take her features, a slow wave of her tail conveying that she was friendly. Safe. Making herself smaller, less threatening, Seph lowered herself to the forest floor, laying before the pup in an effort to make herself more approachable. She could only imagine what it had looked like from the child's point of view, a strange looming over her. “Do you have a name?”

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 The other made themselves smaller, which did help... a little. Eirlysï came no closer, though. No, the back of this tree held her in a manner that made her feel protected, and it was her childlike imagination that convinced her that it would protect her if she needed it to. Surely it would know without her asking? The cub made herself smaller, too, pressing herself against the bark as her gaze shifted toward her own paws, as though they were the most interesting things she had ever seen.
 Which, incidentally, was actually the she-wolf of honey before her. And so it was no small wonder that her gaze drifted, slowly but surely, to the others broader paws that looked quite warm. Even still, her flanks quivered with her nerves as she stared, gaze drifting back to her own... and the blade of grass between them. Little raindrops caused the tip of it to sag, and Eirlysï moved to save the day by lapping gently at it so that it could stand a little taller.
 Eirlysï did not mean to ignore Persephone the first time; her own terror caused her to hear little else but for the workings of her imagination. She did hear her the second time, though, and her soft gaze swept upward. She did not know her own name, and so tilted her head.
 Here, the girl had nothing—and no one—that she knew. All was lost to her, and she sniffled quietly. Youth made her blissfully unaware to the misfortune of that, as well as the gravity that accompanied it.[/indent]

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“Oh.” Concern swept through her at that tiny sniffle, ears switching back against her skull as her heart broke for the equally tiny pup. “It's okay,” She reassured, crawling forward an inch or two, laying her head upon the ground so that she had to look up at the girl. She didn't move much after carefully scooting forward that little bit, wanting nothing more than to sweep closer just then and curl around her. Warm her. Comfort her. Protect her.

“Are you cold?” Voice still soft as could be, Persephone tilted her own head a fraction, bubblegum eyes never moving from that miniscule, tremoring form.

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 She was cold.
 As the other made themselves even more smaller, Eirlysï seemed to unfurl, some. No longer was she hunched into herself, though she also was not standing at her tallest. A tentative step forward to sniff at Persephone gingerly before she turned back around to wedge herself against the tree again, heart hammering. 
 You are being very, very brave! she commended herself, but the voice was not her own. A soft smile, then, that was quick to disappear as she thought it best to answer the other. 
 And so she did, nodding slowly. Using her ankle to wipe the water from her eyes, she blinked bashfully at the honey wolf. This time, her gaze did not turn away.

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Again, the Goddess of Spring was as still as could be, flattening herself against the cold, wet ground as the girl ventured forward. Even as she retreated to the tree, Persephone stayed right where she was, simply watching, a patience that was second nature to her taking over. When the puppy didn't move away from the tree again but instead held the older female's gaze, she smiled, soft and small.

“That was very good,” She praised, an ear flicking, flinging a drop of water away. “Can I come warm you up?” It was obvious that the pup was skittish and rather than demanding that she come closer, the honey wolf asked the girl's permission, hoping she'd say yes. In the end, Persephone would no doubt bring her home to her own den, out of the rain, but for now, the child set the pace.

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 The stranger, smaller against the earth, was patient; the young girl warmed a little for her lack of movement, and for not being crowded. For it, she seemed to bloom as a flower would in their season... but the petals had yet to fully open to reveal the whole of her. Persephone asked something else of her, and Eirlysï seemed to hold her breath and think very, very hard.
 She had just done something good, and now, she did not want to do something bad... and so, she thought it perhaps best to be honest. But then, there was nothing to lie to she gathered. Eirlysï could let the other come and warm her, but she was not yet ready for the other to come closer... even if she did want her to. 
 So for a long while, Eirlysï both said, and did, nothing. Eirlysï did not want the other to come any closer. But after a long enough time had passed, Eirlysï took some slow, ginger steps toward the woman. She did not run back to the tree this time, though her body language suggested she would do so should something frighten her.

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That small smile spread as the girl seemed to unfurl from herself, lifting her head, no longer cowering quite as much against the tree trunk. Even if the answer was no, the honeyed goddess would stay in the child’s presence, unwilling to leave her in the various elements all on her lonesome. Curiously, there was no answer. The child simply watched her, and she watched back, everlastingly patient.

As fate would have it, her patience would be rewarded after a while; the little girl crept forward, her movements slow and cautious, a quiet tension in the air that would certainly shatter if Persephone so much as breathed.

And so, she held it, the patter of rain against her fur the only movement in their still little scene, pink eyes warm and inviting as she waited.

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 No movements, none at all...
 Several more minutes passed before the nameless girl settled into a seat. Even more passed before she lay near enough to the other, eyes watchful. But the rain soothed her, and the other neither moved nor spoke. She seemed to fight sleep with remarkable resolve for one so young and so tired... but, before long... her eyes remained closed as her breathing grew deeper.
 The nameless girl slept much like the dead.

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Carefully, so so carefully, Persephone curled around the tiny girl. There was no attempt to wake or disturb her, instead opting to keep her warm and safe through the rain. Only when she woke would Persephone lead her to the den and get her settled, already protective of the small creature she didn't even know the name of yet.

Fade
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