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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:21 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:08 am
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Siiri had been rather absent-minded in her night wanderings, and had found herself heading towards a place she had never been near - towards the forest. Her mother had never wanted her wandering near it when she was younger. She had stayed away until now, but it seemed fascinating now that she was headed towards it.
But, old fears rung true, and Siiri didn't venture too close. As her eyes ran along it, though, she caught sight of a figure. It was dark, and shadowy, and if it wasn't for the splash of red she probably would've just thought that it was a figment of her imagination. Her eyes squinted, and she wondered who it could be. Against her instincts, she took a few steps closer, but kept her eyes aware of the impending treeline.
"C-careful..." She almost didn't utter the words, but she worried that the other was getting too close. Perhaps she was just being overly cautious, but her bones said that no one should get too close.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 1:26 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:10 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:53 am
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"Yes."
Makuu didn't make any move to wave her away as the lioness approached, in fact she seemed eager to share in the possible joys that the forest could offer. "Yes, gifts and whispers." Repeating the words made her feel wonderful. This is what she needed, to share the story.
"I come here infrequently, but frequently enough to see what there is to see." Makuu mused out loud to answer (kind of) the questions that the lioness had. "I never used to come here, like you I had a healthy fear of the woods." Admitting this made her shiver, the stories they had been told were likely very similar to those that the lioness with her were told. "From birth my..." She paused briefly in inhaled. "My mother told us about these woods. They were not to be provoked, or taunted, and that they held the souls of lost vikings."
"Those were old wives tales I'm learning." She said, sadly, and her gaze flickered between the lioness and the woods once again. "Now it holds her soul." Makuu let her eyes drop to the ground. She couldn't think of the day that tragedy stole her mother from her. Of course it was always a possibility and the debate was whether or not she fought honorably. There wasn't a doubt that she died in battle though. Her brow furrowed as she considered the new Warlord.
"How could a place so haunted have her?" Makuu cringed slightly at her own question and finally returned her gaze to the lioness as though the question was posed for her.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:11 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:24 am
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:37 am
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"I'm sorry for that. They must have been valiant." Siiri tried to be comforting to this stranger. She let her eyes return to the forest, considering it in a slightly different light. It wouldn't surprise her if viking spirits were restless - after all, it was in their nature to be passionate, unrelenting.
It was hard for Siiri to truly empathize. She had never heard anything from the forest, never considered it more than what she'd heard from her mother when she was a cub. Perhaps it was a symptom of such loss that this lioness was finding whispers and comfort in something so haunting. After all, if the soul of someone she loved resided within, she'd probably look at it in a different light.
"I...I'm not sure." Siiri dropped her head, looking at her paws. As it stood presently, she didn't think she could ever step foot in there. "Are you planning on going in?" Her eyes returned to the dark lioness, and she had some concern for her. If she went in, would something terrible happen to her?
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 3:53 am
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The comfort was well received and Makuu felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. "They were." She replied and decided to pull herself away from the tree to be closer to the stranger. "They have been and will always be an inspiration." Her eyes glistened lightly as she stared hard into the forest.
"I do plan to eventually go in, but probably not today. I want to wait until I see her image once again, then I may follow it." Makuu wondered if she would see her mother in the forest one day. Or perhaps that sighting had been a coincidence. "My only fear is that if I go in there, unguided, that I will end up a lost soul in a physical form and I'm not sure what happens to those who end up like that." Another spine tingling shiver crept down her back and left her trembling for a quick second before she was able to get herself under control again.
"Until I see something to push me that way, I won't enter, and I hope that you won't soon be considering these things. They tell you that it is honorable to die in battle, this is always our goal, but they don't discuss the mourning period of those left behind when the battle is gone." She closed her eyes briefly. "Or I suppose they do, but you don't know until you suffer a loss." Makuu hadn't sat down when she moved closer, her heart began to feel the weight of her loss once again.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while." She moved back to the tree and sat down, eyes glued to the forest in front of her.
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Posted: Sun Aug 04, 2019 4:09 am
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"I'm glad you were able to have someone like that in your life." Siiri smiled, feeling herself slightly relaxed for the first time since being this close to the forest. "I hope the spirit only guides you." She didn't dare mention anything further - she feared that any spirits might wish harm on those who entered. She was glad that the lioness would stay away for now, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of impending danger. But perhaps that was just her biased viewpoint.
"I think I'll keep my distance." She let a small smile creep up, but it didn't look overly joyous. She was grateful that she hadn't suffered a loss like this lioness had, pushing her towards this mythic place.
"Oh, of...of course." She offered a soft smile, dipping her head slightly to respect the other's wishes. She could feel the pain coming off of her, and she wanted to give her the spaced she so desired. At least, she could rest easy knowing she wasn't about to wander into the forest. "I wish you well on this night." Siiri gave one final parting before turning to head back on her way. She paused for a moment a few paces away, glancing back at the lioness, but then continued on.
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