Solo Blue Eyed Thoughts

[Colt]

77th of summer, 515 a.v
late morning

There was a cracking of… something, not quite sound, and the chest flashed. Shahar recoiled, but it was no more than a heartbeat of bright, piercing light before the chest returned to what it had been before. Shahar blinked, and after a small while reached hesitantly for the silver container; what had happened? Had the chest taken the things for its own, as the boy had said it would?

He never could have imagined that she would be waiting for him when he opened the lid.

Brilliant white. Ice blue. Soft, small and undoubtedly alive. The puppy raised her head as light was allowed to enter the chest, and her piercing, crystalline blue eyes landed on him.

Hope. The word filled him, not like through spoken sound or gesture, but through the pure, visceral feeling of it. Hope, it came, not from him, but to him.

From… Shahar’s eyes widened. It was impossible…

Shahar stretched out a hand, and the puppy stretched to meet him, putting her paws on the lid of the chest and shoving her wet, obsidian-black nose into his palm.

You?

“Hello,” Shahar breathed.

The pup’s tail began to flick back and forth, and Shahar stroked the top of her head in wonder. Hope. It couldn’t be… could it? This was impossible. And her eyes… they were so familiar in their clarity, as if the pup had taken Hope’s very own. Wide and filled with wonder, those same eyes looked back at Shahar now with excitement, innocence, and, above all, the same beautiful, brilliant hope. The chest had given her to him to guard and love, and it had given him to her to guard and love.

Shahar reached around the pup’s sides and gently lifted her from the chest.

She was heavier than he had expected, and it brought him to realize that she was also quite large; his rough observations of dogs had estimated her to be somewhere around two seasons, but she was easily twice as large as any Luvanor that age. Around her neck he discovered another surprise: a woved metal rope, from which dangled something like a medallion, and on the medallion, in the unmistakeable knotwork of Pavi, was the word “Protector.”

“Protector,” Shahar murmured, setting the pup on the ground. “Is that who you are?”

The pup moved on inexperienced paws, clambering clumsily into Shahar’s lap. Uncertain, came another piercing blue-eyed thought. Unknowing. Nervous. Shahar instinctively moved to calm her, stroking the fur of her back and pulling her into his arms. A small, squeakish sound came from her, and she snuggled deeper into his chest.

Love, she told him. Stay.

[Colt]

Tuka’s approach marked the beginning of Shahar’s departure. She had caught his scent and followed him to the chest, and she chirped curiously when she finally saw him. Shahar glanced at the hunting cat, who closed the distance between them, caught scent of the pup and circled curiously to look.

The pup tensed nervously and shrank farther into the hunter’s arms, fearful of the large, strange animal. Without thinking Shahar began to hum, scratching the back of her ears reassuringly.

“Tuka.” Stay. Shahar reached to scratch Tuka’s forehead, then brought his hand back for the pup to inspect Tuka’s scent. The pup sniffed hesitantly, then looked up at him. Safe?

“Yes,” he whispered softly, resting his chin on the crown of her skull. “Tuka is safe.”

Hope. Again came the same flash of meaning. Friend?

Shahar returned his hand to Tuka, allowing her to examine the scent of the pup. Tuka sniffed, then leaned forward to more closely examine the source. The pup stiffened in Shahar’s arms, but did not move away, instead reaching almost shyly to meet Tuka halfway, nose-to-nose. A moment passed, and it was Tuka who withdrew first, sitting back on her haunches and fixing her Drykas with an inquiring stare. Where had the small white thing come from? What was it here for? Was it theirs?

The mysterious pup cocked her head, then moved to get out of Shahar’s lap and approach her tawny new friend, but she did not get the opportunity––both Shahar and Tuka’s heads snapped up at the sound of others, of men and women that were also coming to see the chest, and perhaps to leave their own offerings as well.

The Drykas stood, carrying the pup up with him; he had lingered too long. The pain, the release, the wonder he was now trying to understand––if there was one thing he absolutely did not want to do, it was to deal with people.

And if there was one thing he absolutely refused to do, it was to subject the pup to the burning eyes of strangers.

Come follow close, he signed around an armful of canine. Tuka slid into step at his him.

Going? Each time she… spoke, Shahar was amazed anew, and he could do nothing but reply.

“Home.”

Love. It was warm and happy, unburdened and unrestrained. Shahar hugged her closer. How was this possible? How did a box take away a tent and bring forth a dog? No, not a dog; she was something different. Larger. Smarter. Wilder. And then, somehow, infinitely more vulnerable.

And somehow, in a way he did not know, she was his.

[Colt]

Shahar headed into the grasslands, where he might wind a place to sit undisturbed and contemplate the creature in his arms. He chose a shallow gully that, come winter and spring, would run with water, but during summer remained dry. He set the white canine on the ground, where she quickly got her feet under her and looked around.

A vague query came from her as she surveyed the land, somewhat uncertain but still optimistic. Still hopeful.

Tuka carved a wide circle around them, still not quite sure what to think of the pup. Shahar could hardly blame her; he wasn’t sure what to think, himself.

The pup caught sight of Tuka and perked, taking a few curious steps towards her. Tuka, unsure but certainly not threatened, moved hesitantly to meet her. The two of them sniffed noses, then faces, then bodies in general, and then the pup went and shoved her nose under an affronted Tuka’s tail. The disoriented uncertainty seemed to have worn off of the pup, who then waged her tail and looked back at Shahar.

Tuka. It wasn’t a name, at least not what most might have called a name. It wasn’t sounds and syllables, but the inherent experience of the cat that Shahar received––the feel of her fur, her scent, her aloofness. It was all the pup’s feelings of Tuka, patterned into a single, identifying thought that was more encompassing than a name could ever be.

Shahar could only stare dumbly.

Having formally met her new friend, the pup turned and bounded back towards the Drykas.

Shahar. It was something he was utterly unprepared for. Adoration. Strong. Admiration. Love. Guardian. Trust. And again, above all, like a brand of fire on a lightless night, hope.

Shahar decided that it was best to sit down. The pup scampered quickly over to him and spilled happily into his lap.

You, he was amazed to find himself replying. Wonder-gratitude-promise-hope-love-guard-treasure-family, all jumbled together into a single piercing thought. His thought for her.

There was no word in Pavi or Sign, he knew, that could have ever possibly captured this creature’s name as it existed in their sharing of minds. Nor one that could capture his, for that matter.

You me, family. She put her forepaws on his chest and stood to bump his chin with her head.

This was madness. Inexplicable, magical, divine, utter madness.

Shahar wrapped his arms around her and held her closer.

I love you.

To the gods, to the world, to the silver chest, to whoever happened to be listening, Shahar sent out a single, pure, full-hearted prayer.

Thank you.

[Tribal]

G R A D E S

Shahar Dawnwhisper

Experience

• Animal Husbandry: 1
• Logic: 1
• Bodybuilding: 1

Lore

• Snow: Telepathic
• Snow: Love at first sight
• Snow: Heavier than most dogs her age
• Snow: A curious creature
• Tuka: Good with dogs
• Snow: A gift from the gods
• Shahar: Thanking the gods

Notes

A beautiful thread, I’m only sorry I couldn’t give you more in the way of skill points. If you think I have missed anything or there is a specific lore you were looking for, please feel free to send me a PM and let me know.