Ƒaiᶇ Şţrⱺᶆ
~~~~~
"Fain, have you memorized the list correct pronunciation and order?" His mother stood behind him. She watched him write the words in the correct order as he mumbled their pronunciation. At the end, she patted his head, "Good you but not perfect. Keep working at it." She soon left him and headed out checking on how camp was setting up. They would stay in this secluded valley till the end of fall before heading south for winter. During this season, the children often had school and were trained for their future roles that they inherited. Fain's parents were the lead magician and lead hunter, and having a knack for both and no siblings, he often was forced to study or train. He sighed. Fain would much rather be climbing trees or exploring the surrounding region than studying magic. He stared back at the book and looked towards the tent flap his mother had left through. Standing from his cross-legged position, crept to the exit listening for any voices. Not hearing anything, he escaped running the opposite way from camp and towards the woods.
Laughing at feeling the wind through his hair and the freedom of no one nagging him. He stopped as he passed by a rather large tree. Smiling mischievously, he began climbing, grasping for the branches. Halfway up, he let go and hung by his legs staring at the world upside down as the sunset.
"It looks like a sunrise from this perspective..." Focused on the setting sun, he didn't feel or notice the branch snap. In free fall, his heart rose. There was a bark, and a dark object flashed in front of his field of vision. Something soft and fluffy met his face and a pair of arms wrapped around him. They landed on the ground the thing breaking the fall. Groaning Fain rolled away and looked over at who had saved him. He realized it was the tribe mutt. Nervous he scrambled back on his hands. His parents had warned him, the thing was dangerous.
But usually what they tell me is for their own benefit... He peered curiously at the person. They had a normal Fae face no fangs, snout, or anything bizarre. Scootching closer he checked to make sure that they were still alive. He nudged the body with his foot. "Are you dead?" There was a groan/growl before the mutt rolled over glaring at him. He quieted as Fain stared at him. Fain slowly reached his hand outward towards him. "Are you hurt? I know healing magic for scratches." The mutt shied away. Annoyed Fain got up and jumped the other child. "Hold still so I can check you over." The mutt struggled before giving in, whimpering, Chanting the spell and gently golden glow appeared over his hand healing whatever cut the mutt had suffered. "That's for saving me...but what are you doing here." He waited for a response but gasped as the mutt ran away. "Why are you running?!" He shouted but was ignored by the retreating figure.
After that first encounter, Fain sought out the wild boy and slowly but surely tamed him. He taught him how to control his different forms with help from his magic books. He also taught the boy how to read using his spell books in secret. He convinced his mother that he was meditating on the spells in the silent woods, but in reality, he was meeting the mutt boy for a lesson. In return, the boy taught him the basic of animals and how they thought, relying on their instincts. Fain also defended the boy from others and healed whatever wound They were able to pull this off for about a year before discovery. Afterwards, the mongrel was banished, and Fain was left heartbroken. He held onto the secret promise they had made with the final gift the mongrel had received from his father.
"Orion, I swear I won't forget..." Tears pricked his eyes as he looked at the wolf toy. Sniffling he stood up and stole one of his mother's spell books. Flipping through the book he found a powerful enchantment that stopped any inanimate object from ageing. He quickly memorized the spell and began chanting. His mother rushed in sensing the large accumulation of magic and tried stopping Fain. After the spell was cast, Fain collapsed exhausted from the overuse of magic. Once he had recovered, it was discovered to the tribe’s horror, he couldn’t use magic, due to his overuse of magic in protecting Orion and the overwhelming spell.
Afterwards, Fain was often confined sent on hunting trips with his father. His taming and training skills were soon discovered as well leading him to apprentice under the camps animal trainer. What happened to the other boy he had no idea, till he returned after a hunting trip to learn that he had been exiled.
~~~~~
He shook his head from distant memories looking down at the face before him.
Is this him from that time? Did he survive on his own? He remembered the man at the bar had the same wolf from his memories. "Was that yours?" He asked not expecting an answer. He ran a hand through the hair.
It has a similar feeling...the face could be the same if I imagined what he looked like older it. He leaned closer and at that moment he heard his name whispered by them. He smiled the words they had whispered just confirmed it. Orion would often beg him to teach him basic feelings. Others were to mean and too cold for him to understand. Feelings were the first lessons, "I'll teach you anything...Orion Valhalla"
