#i am both a deer and the wolf that consumes him- we are all one in the same

[fagdykevash]

i'm the hottest deerboy on the block (<- coincidentally the onyl deerboy on the block)

[jaskierswolf]

The White Wolf (2/3)

Previous - Shifter!verse

Geraskier - 2.1k

TW: blood, animal death

______

Geralt gnawed at the venison shank that he gripped between his paws. Geralt had stalked a doe with ease through the forest, combining his tracker skills as a witcher and his new wolf senses. Taking the prey down had been harder. He was used to fighting with swords not his teeth and he’d tripped over his paws more than once trying to pounce but eventually dinner had been his. He tried not to think about the raw meat he was consuming but the more human part of his mind still recoiled as he tore the carcass to shreds with his teeth. He was hungry though. They hadn’t eaten since breakfast and even then it hadn’t been much.

His ears twitched as he heard a twig break nearby. He stared into the darkness of the trees, and sure enough the sound of Jaskier’s endless chatter floated through the air and Geralt could smell his honied chamomile scent from where he was resting. Geralt huffed and went back to his dinner. Jaskier would see to Roach, there was fuck all Geralt could do to help.

Jaskier burst into camp wearing one of his many doublets, judging by the shapes of the fabric it was one of his dark blue ones but for Geralt, colour was but a distant memory. Unfortunately, his hearing had only gotten better. Jaskier was humming away as he always did, until the moment he saw Geralt. Jaskier squinted at him in the darkness.

“Is that… blood?”

Geralt barked and looked over at the rest of the carcass, hoping Jask could see it in the darkness. To this surprise, Jaskier just started laughing.

“Oh wow, Geralt. It didn’t take you long to get the hang of this did it?”

Geralt let out a low growl.

“Oi, none of that. It’s a compliment!” Jaskier knelt in front of him and buried his face in Geralt’s fur.

Geralt could feel Jaskier’s fingers grip into his fur. It felt… not unpleasant, similar to how it felt when Jaskier brushed his hair. He could see why Jaskier enjoyed it so much. Geralt bumped his head against Jaskier’s and nipped at his ear.

“I missed you too, dear heart.” Jaskier kissed his nose and then began to strip off his clothes.

Geralt gave a short quick bark and tilted his head.

“I’m hungry,” Jaskier whined. “but I am not eating that as a human, my stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

Geralt snorted. Jaskier’s explanation made sense. He’d never really thought about it before. Jaskier tended to just steal from Geralt’s plate when he was in animal form, although Geralt couldn’t help but remember how Jaskier had gobbled down an entire deer in one bite when he’d shifted into a dragon. He certainly wouldn’t manage that as a human, Jaskier barely finished his own plate of food when he was human.

Once Jaskier clothes were tucked into Roach’s bags and the mare was safely tied to a nearby tree, he shifted. Geralt couldn’t see the dark coppery colour of his fur but he could picture it clearly in his mind along with Jaskier’s never-changing blue eyes.

Jaskier barked happily as he landed on four paws and he pounced at Geralt. Geralt snarled as he was pushed over onto his back and Jaskier bit at his ears. Geralt tried to bat Jaskier away but the shifter was more practiced with his wolf form and Geralt was still struggling to get control of all four paws. He huffed as Jaskier’s collapsed on top of him with a howl.

Geralt howled back before he could stop himself then snapped his jaw shut with an audible clack of teeth. He snarled at Jaskier who had rolled off him onto his back and was yapping away in a sort of strange laugh. Geralt snorted and went back to his dinner, turning his back on the other wolf. Jaskier whined and trotted over to him but Geralt kept turning away. If Jaskier wanted to laugh at his misery then he could find his own deer to eat. Jaskier let another long pitiful whine and nudged Geralt’s head with his muzzle.

When Geralt looked over at him Jaskier was doing his best wolfy version of a pout, his eyes were wide and he looked miserable. Even in this form Geralt couldn’t say no to his mate. He nodded towards the rest of the meat. Jaskier barked and wagged his tail as he dug into his dinner. Geralt watched Jaskier for a few minutes, feeling oddly satisfied that he had managed to provide for them both. It had been his hunt, his kill.

The wolf instincts were different. He was still him, and he still felt human enough but there was a calmness to being a wolf that he hadn’t anticipated. It didn’t matter about coin, or lodgings, or monsters. He could just… exist. They ate in silence until they’d both had their fill, the rest of the carcass would be taken by scavengers once they’d abandoned it but it was now completely dark and the day had been long. Geralt curled up on the ground with a heavy sigh. Jaskier flopped down next to him, using his back at a pillow and wrapping his tail around Geralt’s front paws. Geralt nudged Jaskier’s back legs with his nose and let out a soft whine.

Before long they were both snoring soundly in the forest.

___________

When Jaskier woke up he was still in wolf form. It was rare for him not to change forms in his sleep. More often than not we went to bed in one form and woke up in another but Geralt’s presence as a wolf seemed to have stabilised his own instincts to shift. He’d learnt more about his shifting in the last few hours than he had in his lifetime. Even the books in Vesemir’s vast library had yielded nothing but Jaskier now knew deep down that shifters were meant to live in packs. He’d guessed that whatever form the pack leader took would dictate the forms of the others.

Part of him wondered if he’d ever met any shifters and just hadn’t managed to recognise them and he was sure no one would ever suspect a lone shifter. He couldn’t help the howl that tore from him at the break of dawn. He missed Geralt’s family. He missed his pack. They’d met up over winter but it was now nearly summer and he was so alone. Only he wasn’t alone. Geralt joined in with his howl. Jaskier cut himself off and stared at Geralt. Geralt slowly stopped his own howl and then tilted his head at Jaskier. Jaskier barked and bounded over to Geralt, licking and mouthing at his snout.

Geralt let out a low growl and bit Jaskier on the ear. He rolled over and wagged his tail before finally shifting back to human. He gazed up at Geralt his a dopey fond smile and laughed as the wolf licked his face. He buried his fingers in Geralt’s fur. “Now as adorable as you are, my darling. Shall we try and find another mage?”

Geralt nodded and butted their heads together.

“Any ideas on where to start, dear witcher?”

Geralt nodded again.

“Excellent! Let me get dressed and see to Roach, then we’ll get going, alright love?”

Geralt’s ear flicked and Jaskier took that as a yes.

___________

The Temple of Melitele had only been a few days away from the Sorcerers crumbling tower. Jaskier spent his nights as a wolf beside Geralt and his days as a human so he could keep an eye of Roach. Roach was impressively not fazed in the slightest by Geralt’s new canine look. She even seemed to recognise that the wolf was her witcher. Jaskier supposed travelling with a shifter for two years had helped. Jaskier hadn’t been sure where they were travelling until Geralt had insistently tugged at his hand, pulling him through the gates of the temple.

Nenneke had been fiercely protective of her students when Jaskier nervously approached the temple building with a fucking ginormous wolf by his side but Geralt had just laid down on the ground and wagged his tail as Nenneke stared down at him.

“Geralt of Rivia?” Nenneke asked the wolf with her hands crossed in front of her chest.

Geralt nodded.

“And you are?” Nenneke turned to Jaskier.

“Jaskier. I’m Geralt’s friend,” Geralt let out a low growl. “and partner.” He amended and scratched Geralt behind the ears. “We’re looking for a mage or sorcerer or someone who can help with umm… well.” He gestured at Geralt.

“There are no mages here, but I might know someone who will be able to help you with your predicament. How long has he been like this?”

Jaskier frowned as he counted back the days. “Four days?” He glanced at Geralt who gave a quick nod. “Four days.”

“And he still seems like himself?”

Jaskier’s fingers gently tugged at Geralt’s fur as he thought. “Yeah, I think so. He still grumbles when I talk too much, except I know he’s not really mad because he wags his tail!”

Geralt gave a low growl but sure enough his tail was still beating steadily against the ground as Jaskier scratched behind his ears.

“See? It’s brilliant. He absolutely hates it of course. Oh his diet has obviously become a little more raw meat than your average witcher but that’s to be expected,”

“But he’s not becoming feral.”

Jaskier shook his head. “Nah. He’s actually quite cuddly.”

Geralt nipped at his fingers.

“Oi! Bad Geralt.”

Nenneke looked unimpressed. “Geralt, can you understand me?”

Geralt barked and nodded his head.

“Remarkable. Unfortunately you’ll have to stay outside. I’ll have a riot on my hands otherwise. Jaskier, you may sleep inside for your stay here.”

Jaskier frowned. “Ah, umm. Well actually, it’s a generous offer, venerable Mother, but you see,” He glanced at Geralt.

Nenneke raised an eyebrow at him. “You would rather stay with him in the cold than spend the night in a warm bed?”

Jaskier scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly at the priestess. “That just about sums it up, yeah.”

Nenneke laughed and threw them a knowing smile. “Have you tried kissing him? True love’s kiss has been known to cure all manner of curses.”

Jaskier felt himself blush but he brushed it off, putting his hands on his hips and flashing her a toothy smile. “Dearest Nenneke, I have a degree in the seven liberal arts from the esteemed university in Oxenfurt, I am a bard, poet and troubadour of famed renowned, and, I might add, an unparalleled lover. I am well aware of the power of true love’s kiss.”

“So have you tried it?”

Jaskier scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Of course I’ve tried it. Wait… what sort of kisses are we talking about here?”

Geralt let out a long drawn out whine and covered his snout with his paws.

“Exactly, I love him but I’m not about to start making out with a wolf not even…” he cut himself off, Geralt might trust Nenneke but he was still reluctant to reveal his true nature to anyone outside of his pack, not unless he was forced to. “not even Geralt is that cute.”

“I will contact the local sorceress,” Nenneke said sharply, and Jaskier got the feeling that she didn’t really like him very much. “Make yourself at home in the gardens. Geralt?”

Geralt’s ears pricked up.

“Don’t scare my girls.”

Geralt nodded.

“And you, bard. Keep your hands to yourself. I know your sort.”

Jaskier gaped and put his hands on his hips. The accusation wasn’t entirely unfounded, at Oxenfurt he had loved freely and abundantly but he was with Geralt! Even if his boyfriend was currently a wolf. He wasn’t about to go cheating on his partner. He bit his cheek to stop a scathing insult flying out at the priestess. He may not believe in the gods but he knew it was foolish to be purposely disrespectful. Instead he put on his most charming smile and bowed. “As you wish.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and he winked. Geralt nudged his hand with his snout and Jaskier dug his fingers into the thick fur on Geralt’s neck. He glanced down at the wolf and tilted his head. “Shall we go find some shelter? Then I’ll see what I can do about finding us some food.”

Geralt wagged his tail and nuzzled against Jaskier’s leg.

“Thank you, Nenneke. We appreciate your assistance.”

“I’ll leave some food in the courtyard, try and stay out of sight.”

Jaskier nodded. “We will. Thank you.”

_____

Next

[oneiroi]

First Hunt

I sat down on a fallen log and shrugged off my ruck, letting it thump heavily onto the forest floor. I was surprisingly calm, given the circumstances, as if my mind had flipped on autopilot. Without thinking, I produced a pack of cigarettes from my shirt pocket, brought one up to my lips, and lit it. After replacing the lighter and the rest of the pack I hunched over and drew deeply. I exhaled, resting my elbows on my knees, then withdrew the cig and watched it shake in my hands. Maybe I wasn't so calm after all.

The panic hit me again. All at once like a blow to the chest. I must've sat there and cried for hours. Not that soft, dignified weeping either. I mean the sort of sobbing that makes your entire body ache and soaks your face with tears and mucus. Real ugly crying.

You'd think someone in that state would be at their absolute limit. That if the situation got anymore dire they would simply keel over and die of shock. I guess I didn't. I heard a twig snap behind me, and fight-or-flight kicked in. In a moment I was on my feet with rifle in hand, now-forgotten tears still dripping from my chin. I whipped around and locked eyes with an owl, hardly three yards away from me. In my state of surprise and relief, all I could do was stammer out, “Uh, hey there.” Guess I spooked it, because it flew right back off the way it had come.

I shook my head and tried to take stock of the situation. I was miles into the forest, and I did not know the way out. I had about a day's worth of water, but the only food was back at camp. I had my cell phone, but no battery. I had my rifle and six loaded magazines, most of which were stuffed into my ruck along with a change of clothes.

I weighed my options and found that I really only had one: find my way back to camp. Then what? See how long I could last on canned beans and granola bars and wait for someone to wander down the trail to save me? Unlikely in these parts; I had been sent out here for a reason, after all. At that moment I fully believed that I was going to die in those woods. Nevertheless, I decided there was no sense in waiting around where I was, so I lit another cigarette and began walking in what I guessed was the direction I'd come from that morning. I had snapped branches and left boot-prints and depressions where I'd stumbled and fallen in the mud on my mad run away from camp, so it was not difficult to retrace my steps. Time-consuming given the distance adrenaline had carried me, but not difficult.

As soon as I caught a glimpse of my green tent a chill ran down my spine. Rifle shouldered, I crept up to camp as quietly as I could and looked around. Everything seemed to be as I'd left it. My tent stood upright with a single large gash down one of the sides where I'd cut it open to make my escape. Ash, dead coals, cookware, and firewood were scattered all over the camp. Ben's orange tent was torn to shreds, the canvas in tatters and the poles snapped everywhere and in every-which-way. And it was empty, which came as a surprise.

I had been expecting a body, or at least some blood, but there was no trace of Ben anywhere. The destroyed tent and sleeping bag were the only evidence that I hadn't come out here alone. Even his gun, ruck, and boots were gone. I let out an awkward, choked laugh and fell to my knees, relieved that my friend might still be alive out there, somewhere. 

But where the hell had he gone? The only obvious tracks I could find were my own blunders from the previous night, and if he'd gone to find me he certainly would've succeeded. He was the one that actually knew what he was doing out here, and even I'd managed to follow those tracks.

I searched for a lead until sunset, careful not to stray too far from camp, and came up with nothing. I certainly didn't want to be wandering through the woods in the dark again, so I prepared to hunker down for the night. I dug a few fuel tabs and a can of beans out of the ammo can we'd been storing our odds and ends in and started a small fire. My stomach was tied up by nerves, but I forced myself to eat a bit before I crawled into my sleeping bag.

It was very difficult to fall asleep, what with the circumstances and the hole in my tent, but I managed it eventually. I dreamt that I was wandering through the forest, naked. There was a deep warmth in my gut and a sort of mindless euphoria. The trees were singing to me in soft, soothing tones, and the branches bent before me to clear a path deeper into the wood. Eventually I came to a giant tree, carved into the likeness of a man. Great branches sprouted from his head, formed into magnificent curved horns. The roots at the base of the tree were in the shape of a rough throne, upon which sat a tall beast. Broadly human in shape, but with the head of a goat and long, predatory claws for fingers.

The beast opened its eyes when I approached and stared at me, still as stone, without so much as a twitch of the nose. I knelt before it and found myself speaking, "Ave imperator, morituri te salutant." The beast's clawed hand came to rest atop my head, and with that everything went black. 

It felt as though I was falling and suddenly, as if from all directions at once, I heard a woman's voice, "You, my favored son, must not succumb to the Beast's call. Have no fear on this night, for I am watching over you."

I was awoken by the call of an owl. It jolted me upright in my sleeping bag, immediately alert, and within moments I was outside of the tent with my rifle at the ready. The owl sat on a branch at eye level on the other side of camp. It took flight the moment I looked at it, wings beating silently in the night. I thought for a moment about how bad of an idea it was to begin looking for Ben before first light, but I lit a cigarette and began walking anyways.

I walked to the owl's perch, and continued straight from there, my path lit only by the light mounted on my rifle. I had no idea where I was going or what I was looking for, but something was urging me forward. After an hour of walking, I heard the baying of wolves break out close by.

I rushed towards the sound to find Ben sitting motionless against a massive tree, which I immediately recognized as the one from my dream, where the great Emperor of Beasts had sat upon his throne of roots. It lacked the carving and the throne, of course, but it was unmistakable. Two wolves circled him, hunched down with ears lowered. As I stood and watched, they began to approach him, slowly but surely closing their circle. One of them finally darted in, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. I brought my rifle up to bear but hesitated for a moment. I very clearly remember thinking, "I'll hit Ben if I miss," to which I heard the woman's voice reply, "You won't." I pulled the trigger only once and the pouncing wolf crumpled into the mud as the rifle's thunderous report echoed through the woods. The flash blinded me for a moment, and when my eyes opened the other wolf was gone.

I rushed over to Ben to find his head and face caked in dried blood. I reached out and touched his shoulder, causing him to jolt awake. I had to hold hold him down as he thrashed and raved, shouting in a language I didn't recognize. We struggled for a few minutes before I heard something large running towards us. Something with hooves. A great deer crashed into the small clearing and darted through to the other side, quickly vanishing in the thick brush. The sight of it calmed Ben immediately. I had released him in fright at the animal's sudden appearance, but he simply lay there staring towards the sky.

His voice came in a breathy whisper before trailing off, "High on a stag the Goddess held her seat…"

I looked at him, breathing heavily, and asked, "Fucking what?"

He broke down sobbing, and we just sat there together for a while. Eventually he sat up, the tears slowed, and finally stopped. He wiped his face, smearing dirt through the dried blood. He staggered to his feet with a nervous chuckle and turned to face the tree. Casting a glance at me, he spoke, “Well, here we are.”

“So, what now?” My hand anxiously ran up and down my rifle’s handguard as I spoke.

Wordlessly, he stepped back away from the tree and motioned for me to do the same. We stood there and stared at the monstrous tree for a long while. We both knew what had to be done but there was something holding us back. I swear I could almost make out the tree singing to me, just as it had in the dream. I felt at peace, there before the Emperor’s tree, but there was something else gnawing at my mind. “You, my favored son, must not succumb to the beast’s call.”

I held my breath, raised my rifle, and fired all twenty nine rounds left in the magazine straight into the tree trunk. Something black and viscous oozed from each new wound on the tree. Ben and I watched in awe as the leaves withered and fell before our eyes like rotting snowflakes. 

After a few moments Ben turned towards me and spoke, "Hell of a first hunt, hey?"

"Yeah," I replied, "Let's get out of here."

The hike back out was uneventful. We walked through our campsite, but didn't bother to take anything with us aside from the ammo can. We marched dutifully and silently back to the more well-established trails, and finally reached the trailhead at midday. We climbed into Ben's truck, still without another word exchanged between us, and I fell asleep nearly immediately.

I dreamt of myself and Ben in a wondrous temple. I watched from afar as Ben knelt before a marble statue of a maiden clad in a green mantle. He stayed perfectly still save for his lips, which were mouthing a silent prayer. I watched him for a few moments before approaching another statue, this one a muscular woman holding a shield and spear. I threw my arms around her, buried my face in the nape of her neck, and wept softly. The marble grew soft and warm, and I felt strong arms embrace me as a hand ran gently through my hair. She made me feel safe, loved even. I never wanted to let go, but all things must end.

Ben woke me with a slap on the chest. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around groggily. "Right, here's your place," he said.

He had clearly cleaned up his face somewhat, but his forehead was still smeared with blood and dirt. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Ben smiled warmly and said, "It's nothing. I'll call you in a few days, alright brother?"

"Yeah, I'll see you."

I went into my apartment and shrugged off my ruck, letting it thump heavily on the carpet. I felt safe back in my own home, but I was preoccupied. Lost in thought, I produced a pack of cigarettes from my shirt pocket, brought one to my lips, and lit it. I replaced the lighter and the rest of the pack, and that was that. My first hunt had been a success, and I would spend the next few days resting and waiting to be called again. Ben had warned me that the first hunt would be the hardest; I only hoped he was right.

[colourpatternist]

Lucien let out a bark of laughter and fluffes his wings up as his two housemates recounted a story together. His face red from the alcohol consumed by the four of them that night, one which had already turned in for bed a few hours earlier.

The two girls across from him were the only ones who knew about the biggest crush he had on Fenris. From the moment Lucien held him after Fenris had fainted from sleep deprivation in the park the day they met and had nicknamed him "Golden Wings", the blond man felt himself falling in love.

He couldn't help but blush even more and fluff his already fluffed up wings as he thought about the wingless wolf animason.

"Thinking about the cute boy, Lucien?" Vera instantly called him out, recognizing the lovestruck lion's body language instantly.

The tall man felt his tail give an annoyed twitch, as his daydreaming had been so very rudely interrupted.

"So what if I am? You think of Rebea all the time!" Giving a childish pout and glaring as he slightly slurred his words.

"Unlike you, we are living reality, Luci" Rebea counteracted, in a rare turn of events. Lucien let out an offended gasp, not believing how his own friends could call him out like this.

"How could you say something like that!" He put his hand on his forehead, brushing his bangs, as he dramatically fell backwards on the couch he was sitting on. "You know I can't just ask him out! You've heard him say he's never been attracted to dudes before!"

The deer woman raised an eyebrow, knowing that both sides has some feeljngs for each other, even if one hadn't realized it quite yet. She turned her head, ignoring Luciens overly dramatic and drunken acting, and noted the time on the clock.

"Looks like it's getting late, I think we should all turn in now, dontcha think, Bea?"

Lucien tried reading the time on his phone as he let out a big yawn, showing off his very so slightly pointed teeth. Unable to read the time, he decided he was probably too tired anyways, and pocketed his phone, before slowly standing up.

He stretched his large wings, being careful about his surroundings, even in his sleepy intoxicated state. He bid the girls good night and headed to his room.

The girls giggled to themselves as it seemed Lucien had forgotten about letting fenris sleep in his room until they got more settled in.

Lucien stumbled into his room, not bothering to turn on the lights as he took of his shirt and walked over to his nightstand to plug his phone in.

He felt slightly confused seeing another phone already charging but didnt bother to question it further as he walked to the other side of the room to shed his jeans and shimmy into bed.

It wasnt until he rolled on his stomach and layed his arm across his bed when he realized someone else was in his bed. Fearful that he had somehow mistakenly went into Vera abd Rebeas room, despite going to bed before them, he shot up and looked at who was in the bed.

Relief flowed through him as he saw it was only Fenris, who was quietly snoring and slightly drooling. Lucien lowered himself back down, assuming the position he had before with his arm across Fenris's chest. Cheerfully smiling to himself, he closed his eyes and let his hamd drift closer to the wingless mans hand without taking hold of it. Lucien then soon shortly fell asleep to the rhythmic breathing amd body heat that radiated from the much smaller man.

[frederickwiddowson]

Leviticus 11:20-42 comments: dietary restrictions for the ancient Hebrews

Leviticus 11:20 ¶  All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you. 21  Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth; 22 Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. 23  But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you. 24  And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even. 25  And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 26  The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean. 27  And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even. 28 And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you. 29  These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind, 30  And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. 31  These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even. 32  And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed. 33  And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it. 34  Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean. 35  And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you. 36 Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean. 37  And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean. 38  But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you. 39  And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even. 40  And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even. 41  And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten. 42  Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

 How we read this passage is important. Flying things, or fowls, that creep, a reference to insects, that move along the ground as if they were walking on all fours like a horse or a cow, were forbidden. This is clear because insects have six legs and both God and Moses would have known that so then we are compelled to understand the reference to four legs as the way they move.

Entomologists report that there are five types of insect legs. One type are cursorial or running legs. Saltatorial legs are for jumping. Raptorial legs are for hunting. Natatorial legs are for swimming. Fossorial legs are for digging burrows. With regard to flying insects, the context, if they have four legs to run on the ground with they cannot be eaten. But, if those insects have distinct legs for jumping, Saltatorial legs, as well, they can be eaten. Other insects cannot be eaten.

Looking at verse 26 I need to review some things and add to my understanding. A hoof is the tip of the toe of an ungulate mammal by today’s classification. Even-toed ungulates like sheep, deer, goats, bison, and pigs are said to be cloven-footed. Odd-toed ungulates would include horses, asses, zebras, and rhinoceroses, called unicorns in the Bible. A unicorn has three toes so it is not called cloven-footed as that is for even-toed ungulates but it does divide the hoof. The divided hoof of an odd-toed ungulate is not clovenfooted.

Verse 29 and onward tends to clear things up for us about the purpose of things being clean or unclean as it appears there is a strong concern for reasons of disease and health. It does then appear that God’s commandments regarding clean and unclean things has to do in part with matters of public health.

Here may be rudimentary rules of sanitation in a world without antibiotics or an understanding of the germ theory of disease. With such a large group of people wandering about such a consideration must have been paramount. While God did promise;

Exodus 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

 Deuteronomy 7:15  And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.

 And gave a warning;

 Deuteronomy 28:60  Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

 With His withholding diseases from them and also providing prudent restrictions on their diet and the handling of dead animals there appears to be a pattern here. Yes, it can be argued that He did not want them handling or associating with animals that were worshipped by the heathen but virtually every animal was worshipped by someone as man’s religion degraded after the Flood.

Romans 1:22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and

fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 Weasels were considered bad luck in several cultures. The Greek god, Apollo, was worshipped, among other ways, as a mouse demon who could send a plague of mice when angered. His sacred animals were a wolf, a raven, and a lizard. He was the god of knowledge, music, and prophecy as well. Apollo can easily be viewed as another type of Satan, one of many gods who represent attributes of the adversary. He is the brother of Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, known as Diana to the Romans.

The following is a description of Satan in the garden of Eden. A tabret would be a timbrel or a tambourine. Note Satan’s influence over music.

Ezekiel 28:13  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

 And his promise of enlightened knowledge in Genesis 3.

 Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 Note also the worship of Apollo’s sister, known to the Romans as Diana.

 Acts 19:35  And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

 I bring this up in the context of Leviticus to underscore the idolatry endemic to the ancient world with regard to animal worship but also I want to emphasize that the public health aspects of the naming of clean and unclean seems more consistent. Still, we will know the whole story behind this in eternity. One argument against the public health theory is that in the episode in Acts where Peter sees a sheet descending from heaven with all sorts of unclean animals in it God tells Peter;

Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

 So, clearly this is a reference to ceremonial uncleanness as pigs are still pigs and weasels haven’t changed much in 2,000 years.

One other note, see how the mouse was hinted at as being part of ancient diets and perhaps worship?

Isaiah 66:17  They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine’s flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.

[creativitytoexplore]

The Canister By James Rumpel https://ift.tt/31YrahY Desperate scientists risk the Earth to send a message of warning back through time; by James Rumpel.

2063: The canister sat in the middle of the elaborate mechanism. Its metallic surface sparkled as it reflected the device's myriad of lights which constantly flickered on and off. Two individuals, each dressed in a lab coat, stood silently staring at a control panel. Eventually, one of the men broke the silence. "You are sure there is no one else out there?" "I am," replied his cohort. "Since the last round of mega-storms, every known base and individual contact has been silent. It has been two weeks. If there was anyone out there, they would have answered our transmissions." "Are we absolutely certain we want to do this?" asked the first. "Creating a wormhole on the planet's surface will destroy it. It will rip the Earth to pieces." "The Earth is already dead. If there's any chance of us getting a warning back far enough to stop this, we have to take it." Both men heard a thunderous roar. A klaxon began to blare, sounding a warning. "That's another super-sized tornado. We can't wait any longer." "But what will happen at the other end of the wormhole? We have no idea where or when the other end will open. It could cause the same damage there that it will here. Could we be destroying history?" "Our ancestors have already lived their lives, and look where that got us. I'm initiating the program. Maybe someone will get the message and we can avoid all of this." He entered a code into a keypad adjacent to the monstrous machine. He shrugged his shoulders and hit ENTER. "Here goes nothing."

1407: Ottucke crouched to examine the dew-covered grass. The Wampanoag tribe's most experienced hunter easily located two small drops of blood. The deer, an arrow stuck in its left flank, had passed this way. It would have made its way into the deep woods in search of a hiding place. Many of his tribe were fishermen. They harvested the gifts of the great water. Ottucke preferred the woods. He enjoyed every aspect of a hunt. Ottucke slowly rose to his feet and silently walked towards the edge of the forest. His eyes searched the ground for any other indicators of his prey's trail. As he moved gracefully through the clearing, he noticed a strange flash of color in the deep grass and flowers to his left. He carefully approached the area from which the glimmer had appeared. Resisting the urge to notch an arrow, he parted the grass with his hand. What he found was something that he could not begin to understand. An object, the size of a small wolf, lay amongst the yellow goldenrods. It was the shape of a tree trunk, round at both ends. He found the courage to reach out and feel the mysterious item; it was cool to his touch. Ottucke could not identify the material of which it was made. It was hard as stone but smooth like the pebbles found by the shore of the great water. He noticed strange, unfamiliar, symbols on the surface of the object. Ottucke was happy with the simple life he lived. He considered the many questions he would be asked if he returned to the tribe carrying this strange thing. Others would be curious and want to know more about its origin. He did not need or want to know. Instead, he left his discovery right where he found it. He had a deer to track. He quickly relocated the trail and continued his pursuit. The canister remained mostly hidden in the weeds and flowers. There it stayed for a long long time.

1695: George Masters and his son, John, had made great progress in clearing the underbrush and stumps from what was soon to be their new field. This particular piece of land was a significant distance from the settlement and their home, but was not as overgrown with large trees as most of the woods. George steered the oxen and plow along the left side of the cleared area. John swung his ax downward into a large stump. The dark soil, along with many roots and stones, folded away from the blade of the plow in waves of brown and green. As George neared completion of the third furrow an unusual clanging sound drew his attention. On top of the upturned soil was a cylindrical shaped object. Its silver hue gave the appearance of a valuable item. George stopped the oxen and moved to examine his discovery. He bent down to pick up the item but stopped, frozen by fear. There, etched into the side of the object was a message. "John, come see this," he shouted. George's teenage son immediately obeyed. He rushed to the side of his father. "What is it, Father?" "Look at what has been turned up by the plow. Do you have any idea what it is or how it got there?" "It looks like a small barrel, but made of iron or some other metal. Maybe someone from the town was storing something in it." The young man was just as confused by the appearance of the object as his father. "But, look at the writing on its side." John bent down to inspect the canister. He read the words engraved on the silver surface.

PLEASE GIVE THIS CANISTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BETWEEN 1960 AND 2020. THE EARLIER THE BETTER. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO SO. THE FATE OF THE EARTH IS AT STAKE.

The message was followed by a list of names.

JOHN KENNEDY, LYNDON JOHNSON, RICHARD NIXON, GERALD FORD, JIMMY CARTER, RONALD REAGAN, GEORGE H.W. BUSH, BILL CLINTON, GEORGE W. BUSH, BARACK OBAMA, DONALD TRUMP.

"Some of those words do not mean anything to me," proclaimed John. "And I do not recognize any of the men listed." "It is some form of witchcraft," decided George. "What should we do with it, Father?" "We cannot take it to the village. We would be accused of sorcery. Go back to the cabin and get a quilt. Do not tell anyone why you need it. Do not tell anyone about what we have found. We will wrap the quilt around it and add rocks for weight. We will then throw this aberration into the river." "Yes, Father," The younger man took off running towards the family home. George knelt and began to pray.

1891: Finally, one of the nets seemed to be offering a tiny bit more resistance. The morning had not been productive for Aaron Keefer. His first three attempts at catching fish off the New England shore had only produced a few undersized cod. This cast, however, seemed to promise more success. Sure enough, as Aaron pulled the net into his fishing boat, he spied a fairly large number of the brown and white colored fish. The fisherman dumped the contents of the net into the hold and was surprised to hear a distinct metallic clunking sound. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the glint of silver amongst the flapping fish. He pushed the fish aside and scooped a cylindrical canister from the hold. The object was about two feet long and less than a foot across. It was much lighter than he expected it to be. Aaron placed the strange item on the deck. It was tightly sealed. Whatever its contents were, they appeared to have been protected from the ocean for however long they had been hidden in the water. He was about to begin to attempt to open the container when he noticed some writing on the side. After pushing some mud and scum aside, Aaron read the message. "Now, that is very strange," Aaron announced to no one. He had a habit of talking to himself: an understandable consequence of many long hours alone on the boat. "I should take this home and see if it is worth anything." For about a week, the mysterious canister was worth a couple of drinks and a few hours of conversation. No one in the small fishing village knew anything about it or cared much beyond initial curiosity. The trip to Washington DC would have been too time consuming and expensive. Eventually, Aaron went on with his life, forgetting about the strange object. The canister found its way into a crate in a crowded corner of the basement of Aaron's cottage.

1954: Thomas Keefer dropped another load of junk onto the tiny lawn of his great-grandfather's home. How had the old man collected so much garbage? It was bad enough that Thomas had been forced to attend the amazingly boring funeral and wake of his great-grandfather, but the fact that he had been coerced into helping clean out the musty old house was torturous to the nine-year-old boy. He had never been that close to Grandpa Aaron. In fact, Thomas had always been a bit spooked by the old man. He always smelled weird. "Can I be done now, Dad?" asked Thomas. He hoped there was just enough whininess to his tone that his father might feel sorry for him. "Go get one more crate, then you can take a break," responded his father as he sorted through the previous load of junk. Nearly everything that had been brought up from the basement of the dilapidated old cottage had gone directly into the waiting dumpster. Thomas sighed heavily and slowly began descending the stairs into the hell that was the old man's basement. He glanced around, looking for the lightest remaining box. "What's that?" he asked himself as he noticed a shiny silver canister tucked behind a pile of rotted and decayed fishing nets. The boy pushed the useless equipment to the side and grabbed the container. Using the dim light that seeped through the warped glass of the lone window located high on the wall, Thomas examined his discovery. He was amazed at how light the large cylinder was. He was even more interested in the strange message carved into it. "This could be really important," he thought. "I better keep this and give it to the president in 1960. I'll be a hero." Thomas grabbed a small box of jars and proceeded to take them to his father. After being granted a short rest period, the boy quickly snuck back into the basement and grabbed his discovery. He raced back to his own home which was only a few blocks distant and found a hiding place for the canister in the storage room above the garage. Thomas had no desire to share his find with anyone else. He alone was going to deliver the cylinder to the president when the time came.

1963: Thomas Keefer had the canister concealed inside of a large burlap sack as he approached the White House security guard. He had completely forgotten about the mysterious object until he rediscovered it while packing for college earlier that fall. When he had found it and once again read the first name of the list engraved on its side, he knew he had to deliver it to Washington. He still wanted to be the sole person credited with the discovery. He had been waiting for the first opportunity to take a road trip and make the delivery. With fall break and Thanksgiving coming the following week, he had found a way to get out of Friday classes and made the trek from Boston that morning. The guard looked confused as he examined the canister Thomas showed him. "I'm not sure what I am supposed to do with something like this," said the guard when he finally spoke. "Let me go get someone who might know how to handle this. You just stay here." A second guard remained with Thomas as the first walked away. The canister remained in Thomas' bag. It was nearly an hour later when Thomas finally took a seat across a desk from a chief security officer. "You know," said the middle-aged, balding man. "We get all sorts of things delivered here, most of it we just toss or put into storage somewhere. What you brought, however, is very strange. It is so odd that we're pretty curious about it. We're going to have some experts from the Smithsonian have a look at it. If they think it's worth it and safe, they'll give it to the president." He clipped a tag onto the cylinder. "Where did you say you got it? "I found it in my great-grandfather's house about nine years ago. I noticed..." The phone rang, interrupting Thomas' answer. "Just one minute," the security officer raised his hand toward Thomas as he answered the phone. "What?" The officer uttered only a single word but the horror and shock it portrayed were unmistakable. The man was already rising from his chair as he hung up the telephone. "I'm sorry, you're going to have to leave. We have a much bigger emergency to deal with. The President has just been shot." The guard took the canister from Thomas, haphazardly tossed it into a bin with some other packages and immediately escorted Thomas out the door. Thomas, shocked by the announcement and his hasty removal, did not put up any resistance. He had done his duty. He had delivered the canister. Maybe when it was opened, if it contained anything important, he would be contacted.

2048: President Susan Cheung was sitting in the main office of the temporary capital in Springfield, Illinois when her chief assistant entered the room with a stack of papers and an odd-looking canister of some sort. "Do you have the death tolls from the Colorado flooding?" asked the President without any pleasantries. This was not the time and the President was not in the mood for pleasantries. "Yes, Madam, the destruction is far worse than we thought." The aid handed over a packet of papers. "I've also got estimates on the food shortage in the upper Midwest and the latest on the three hurricanes approaching Florida." "There aren't still people living down there, are there?" "A few stragglers, but most were permanently evacuated last year." The President took a deep breath. She noticed the silver canister that the assistant had set down near the desk. "What is that thing?" "The people at the science institute asked me to show it to you. It was found by one of the divers exploring the remnants of DC after the most recent tidal wave. As near as we can figure it was found in the 1960s and was supposed to be investigated by the Smithsonian but it appears to have never gotten there for some reason. It was found in an old warehouse..." "You still haven't told me what it is," interrupted the President, a slight hint of frustration made its way into her voice. "Sorry, Madam President. Here's the interesting thing, they think it was sent from the future. It contained all sorts of warnings about the greenhouse effect and climate change. It even had blueprints and computer files on how to produce clean renewable energy. You know, stuff that was discovered in the late 2030s." "Well, a lot of good that does us," scoffed the President. "If it was too late to reverse the damage fifteen years ago, it is clearly too late to help us now." "The scientists are guessing that they used a wormhole to send it back in time, hoping to get the message to the past early enough to prevent the global damage. If someone would have opened the canister in the 60s maybe everything could have been prevented." The President paused, biting her pinky fingertip. "Well, it doesn't do us much good now. Send it off to one of the research bases. Maybe they can find something useful, something that might help delay the inevitable." The aide nodded his head. "Yes, Madam." The aide quickly left the office. President Cheung glanced out the window. A black wall of clouds approached from the west. Multiple bolts of lightning flashed in the sky and thunder shook the building.

[tenoutofonehundred]

I’m wishing for the one I love to find me

I’m currently obsessed with Henry Cavill while in quarantine, and I am also very gay for Lily Collins so I made this! Link is to my Ao3 version. https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238784

“Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?“ 

 The queen looked deep into the eyeless face before her, daring the face say any name but hers. The face is silent for longer than it should be and the queen grows impatient. 

 "My Queen, for eighteen years you have been the fairest woman in the kingdom. But now…the title passes to another. Snow White, your stepdaughter.”

 The queen shakes her head, fear growing in her eyes, “She died years ago! The huntsman killed her when she was thirteen! I have her heart!” She grabs the box from its pedestal and opens it to show the apparition. The face merely stares at her before going cloudy. The fog clears to reveal the woman in question: Snow White. Happily trudging up a hill to a lighthouse on a cliff, to meet a girl with a red hood. 

 "IMPOSSIBLE!“ The queen raises the box and throws it to the ground, shards of wood flying everywhere. A feral snarl takes over her picturesque face. “The hunter who was supposed to kill her so long ago has failed. Even as a wretched werewolf he was unable to kill her!?”

 The queen screams and rips her books from her bookshelf, throwing them across the room in rage. When the red subsides from her vision she pants heavily on the floor. A book had fallen open during her tryst and lies before her. A smile cuts across her face as she reads the description.

 "Very well. I will curse him with insatiable hunger until Snow White is truly gone for good!“ 

 Into the woods~~~~~~

 Snow White maintains her pure demeanor from childhood, but her eyes now carry the weight of her kingdom. After the huntsman had failed to kill her, she had been taken in by a group of dwarves who worked as Robin hood bandits. They taught her swordsmanship and survival in the unforgiving woods. Now she escorts the child of the lighthouse keeper into the woods to visit her sick grandmother. 

 "What’s it like? Adults taking you seriously? I wish my parents saw I wasn’t a kid anymore…” Red riding Hood prattles on about adolescence while Snow keeps an eye out for danger. Even so, she still has a playful spark. “I have more responsibilities as an adult. One of them is keeping you safe.” Snow laughs, flicking the hood off Red who glares and yanks it back on.

They’re not too far before they come upon the fork where the main road hits the shortcut. Snow looks down both paths before nodding,“We’ll take the shortcut.”

 "Mother said not to!“ Red blurts, then slaps a hand dramatically over her mouth. Snow lets out her tinkling laugh and places a reassuring hand on the smaller girl’s shoulder.

 "Yes, but you have me.” Snow pats the handle of her rapier before heading down the darker, denser road. Red shrugs and follows. 

 Much too near for comfort~~~~ 

 The werewolf runs through the forest, silently but deadly. The only thoughts in its head are primal commands: hunt, feed, kill. A small dear is unlucky enough to fall in the path of the beast. The werewolf barely stops to consume the mangled deer before taking off again. The blood attracts a man on a large white horse. The trail of blood leads into the woods. The horse is urged by its rider to canter into the dark recesses of the forest. 

 On a bridge over a river~~~ 

 "Oh no. It’s the three Ashley’s.“ Red shudders and mimes gagging as Snow frowns at the three girls spitting on innocent passersbys. 

 "They don’t seem like they’ll be much of a problem.” Despite Red’s protests she squares her shoulders. Snow marches to the bridge as Red trails behind, fervently wishing to be invisible.

 "Uh oh! What us THAT? A zombie? LOL! I guess they ran out of flour for your makeup!“ The Ashley’s high five as Snow steps onto the bridge. She gets to the center before the children block her way.“Hold on sister! You gotta pay the toll!” Snow looks down her nose at the blonde girl almost the same height as her in roller blades. 

Really? Is this bridge owned by you or by the kingdom?“ The children glance with confusion at each other,“Because last I checked, the kingdom owned it, therefore I demand to see your seal from the lord allowing you to collect a toll.”

 "Ugh! Fine, you don’t have to pay! Geez old lady, what crawled up your pants and died?“ The bubble gum pink girls move to the side to allow Snow and Red through, grumbling loudly to each other.

 Snow confidently steps past, with Red following closely on her heels, less confidently. "Wow. You sure handled them well!” Red’s eyes sparkle with admiration as Snow shakes her with a sad expression.

 Several minutes later on the bridge ~~~

The werewolf knows he’s approaching his prey, smells the fear from Red before the bridge. The Ashley’s barely have time to scream before they are swallowed into the black abyss of the wolf’s stomach. 

 Back in the woods~~~ 

 "That’s the third trap we’ve almost stepped in! What kind of hunter leaves traps everywhere?“ Snow angry resets a tree trap near the area by the road they had stopped for lunch. While her back is turned, Red quickly steals a couple cookies meant for her grandma. The container seems a little more bare than it was when the two set out. 

 Snow shakes her head before sitting next to Red on the log. With a grin she playfully bumps her shoulder into Red’s. "Sooooo, any cute boys in town?” Red turns the same color as her cloak, staring intently at the leaf covered ground.

 "Um, no. Nope. No one. Boys are kinda gross.“ She stammers before her face twists into a grimace. Snow laughs at her obvious disgust at the thought of the boys in her town. "I’m sure you’ll find-” a scream cuts her off, and she jumps to her feet, sword out in a fighting stance. She blindly reaches behind her to shield Red, who clings to her basket in fear.

 In the trap that Snow had just reset hangs a large man in a sheepskin jacket, groaning in confusion. "Excuse me sir, are you alright?“ Snow tentatively asks, watching him writhe upside down.

 He looks up and gives the two a sheepish smile. "Well, yes, but all the blood is rushing to my head he he….think you could get me down?” Snow glances at Red before nodding. Red creeps with Snow as her shield to the ropes holding the trap up. The man falls with a thud as it’s undone.

 "Thank you kindly. You’re both just so sweet…“ He advances on the two, and just as Snow raises her sword in preparation his teeth grow larger and sharper, nails growing into claws as he reaches out- A bang breaks the tension. 

The man howls and takes off into the woods. Snow whips around to look at where the noise came from. She squints and grunts as she is forced to look into the setting sun to see their savior.

 "Are you alright?” The man asks, musket still aimed at where the man had been. “Talk to my attorney Cowboy.” Red snaps before she can stop herself. Snow squints and shushes her rude tone. 

 "Talk to mine. You’re on my property.“ The man seems more amused at the small girl’s snarky comment than offended. "Did you untie that trap?”

 “Yeah. You need to be more careful about where you put those traps! You caught that man and almost caught us!” Red moves out from behind Snow to glare up at the hunter, hands on her hips. Snow sighs and sheathes her sword.

 “That wasn’t a guy. That was a werewolf.” Snow’s head shoots up, eyes wide with fear. Her skin turns paler than its usual shade. 

Red is just as quick as Snow’s reaction, causing the hunter to focus on her. “Yeah right! I bet you made that up!” Snow grabs Red’s arm protectively, dragging her back several steps, while shushing her again as the hunter stiffens in his saddle. 

 “You’re just a spoiled little kid. Look down at your Gucci’s, angel.” Both Red and Snow look down to see paw prints scattered where the man had been. The prints were far too large for any natural animal to have made.

Dismounting, the hunter advances on the pair as Snow moves to place her hand on her sword. “That werewolf attacked and killed both of my parents.” Snow can feel Red go lax against her and she glances down in concern.

 Red is staring with her mouth agape at the hunter. Snow glances back up and sees why. The hunter is dashing, now that Snow can see him out of the glare of the sun. Soft brown curls frame his suntanned face, his green eyes reflect the sun and make them look like a stained glass window.

 “Thank you for protecting us. We appreciate it.” Snow nudges Red who stares transfixed at the man. He walks over to his trap and Snow catches him trying to hide a smile.

 “Who are you?” He has given up and is almost laughing as he turns to look back at Red, who turns her respective color and rushes through her introduction, words blurring together as she tries to expose as much of herself as she can.

 “Who, me? Everyone calls me Red riding hood. Because I always wear this red hood!” The hunter is smiling in amusement at Red’s clear infatuation, and Red is stammering even harder as his dashing smile lights up his face.

 Snow watches with fondness and smiles at the young girl in her charge. The hunter seems to notice this and turns his attention to Snow. “My name is Hunter. You must be her sister.” He extends his hand and Snow takes it. Before she can shake it, however, he brings it to his lips and places a soft kiss on the back.

 “My name is Snow White.” She can’t hide that she is charmed by the rugged beauty of the hunter, and doesn’t try to hide her gaze as she checks him out. “You are mistaken though. I am not her sister. I am her escort.�� 

 “Well I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I didn’t escort the escort to the road. Follow me, Snow White.” He smiles and slowly drops her hand as if he didn’t want to let go. 

 Red’s face twitches in jealousy and blurts out, “So how do you know that guy?” The trio fall into line on the narrow path; Snow leads, with Red walking her bike behind her and craning her neck to look back at Hunter, who walks his horse.

 “I told you. The werewolf killed my parents.” He explains to the clueless child that werewolves can change at any time, and can take the image of their last victim. Red drinks it in with rapture. Snow remains quiet as he describes the horrific incident that took his parents. 

 “I’ve met this man before. He tried to kill me too.” Snow says softly. Hunter is too far away to hear but Red stops short in her tracks, causing the huntsman’s horse to snort in alarm at the sudden halt.

“He tried to kill you?” Red is staring in disbelief at her guardian. The beautiful adult she had always idolized had survived a werewolf attack. She now knew why Snow practiced her swordsmanship for so long 

 “It was a long time ago. He lied to the queen and said I was dead. The queen must have found out that I’m still alive.” Snow suddenly went pale as her face dawns in realization. Twirling to grab Red, she brings the child closer, “Red, we have to hurry to your grandmother’s, she could be attacked.”

 Snow is barely containing her anxiety, her whole body twitching from the need to run. Red takes her hand and squeezes it. “Its OK Snow. The wolf isn’t after me. Hunter can walk me to the road. You go on ahead.” 

 Snow looks torn, and looks up at Hunter for guidance. He sends her a reassuring look. “Don’t worry angel, I’ll get her to the road safe and sound.”

 “Thank you. You’re too kind” Snow whispers before turning and running into the woods. Its several seconds before the two left standing in the forest can no longer hear her footfalls.

 At grandma’s house~~~ 

 The wolf can smell Red faintly from his position near the house on the cliff. He knows that she’s not inside, but the human part of his brain knows she will be. He sits down to wait. 

 The wolf doesn’t have to wait long. He hears Snow White running to the house. He howls to let the queen know of her presence. The queen appears beside him in a puff of fog, summoned by his howl. She watches Snow White head for the house.

 “Let’s pay a visit, shall we?”

 Running through the woods~~~ 

 The only thing Snow White feels is panic. She brought this here. The wolf was here because of her, and anyone who died was her fault. She skids to a halt, panting and gasping for breath. Thoughts stream through her head; the memory of her mother dying, her father being poisoned by her stepmother, the huntsman trying to kill her once again. The responsibility she had to the town to keep them safe.

 Snow sinks to the ground, pants turning into sobs. “I should have let him kill me the first time!” She sobs, barely breathing as the tears continue to flow. 

 The tears stop an incalculable time later. All she knows is the moon is higher than it was when she had stopped. Sniffing, Snow gets to her feet and prepares her sword. Setting her jaw, she looks to the house.

 “I’m coming for you huntsman. This ends tonight.”

 Inside the house~~~

 The wolf takes the form of the grandmother, getting into her bed and waiting for Red Riding Hood. The queen puts on her own disguise: an old woman making apple cider. 

 The expected knock sounds at the door. “I’ll be right there! These old bones aren’t as spry as they used to be!” The queen cackles and hurries to the door. Snow points her sword at her face as soon as it opens. 

“Where’s Red’s grandmother.” She asks in a polite tone as she herds the old hag inside with her sword and closes the door. She smiles politely but coldly, her eyes icy as she crowds the hag further in.

 “She’s sleeping dearie! She is sick you know! I’m her good friend from down the road.” The panic in the old woman’s voice has Snow lowering her sword sheepishly.

 “I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” The old woman relaxes and hobbles over to the kitchen to show her the apples as Snow sheathes her sword.

 “Would you perhaps like an apple? You did come all this way.” Snow takes the offered apple in reconciliation. The peel is too red, too shiny. However, she has also not eaten since lunch, and by now the moon is high, casting shadows in the dark house. 

 “You’re very kind. Thank you.” The first bite confirms the apple is perfect: the inside is crunchy and sweet. It’s the most delicious apple Snow has ever had.

 The queen watches Snow fall to the ground. She lets out a cackle as the apple rolls across the floor from Snow’s limp hand. The old woman brings out her dagger- and stops as the door swings open. 

 Red steps into the dark house. “Grandma? I brought you soup!” Looking around, Red lights a candle and starts up the stairs. Opening the door to her grandmother’s room, she finds several lit candles around the bed. “Grandma?”

 The wolf stares at her from his disguise. But something isn’t right and Red knows it as she feeds her grandma the soup.

 “What big eyes you have grandma…” the light glinting off those eyes is too bright. “And what big ears you have grandma…” the wolf is losing control over his form, beginning to turn in response to his meal creeping away. “WHAT BIG TEETH YOU HAVE!” Red screams as the wolf lunges at her. 

Bolting down the stairs, she aims for the door but the wolf is too fast. He leaps over her head and snarls at the small girl. Red screams again and runs into the kitchen, desperately opening drawers looking for a knife or anything to hurt the beast with.

 Semi-human laughs spill from the werewolf. “There’s no place to run!” He lunges at Red, who barely dodges him. Back to the living room she grabs the sharpest object she can find: steel knitting needles. Just in time, the werewolf is upon her! Plunging the needle straight into his chest, Red gasps as the wolf’s own momentum impales him further on the needle. 

 He howls in agony and falls to the ground at Red’s feet. She stares, gasping at her own deed before running out the door. The wolf angrily rips the needle out of his chest and watches it heal up. Red is almost to the tree house when the wolf gets her.

 Right in the doorway, the last thing she sees is Snow White in a gold and glass coffin before being swallowed by the wolf. His task finished, the wolf stops. The command to kill has left along with the insatiable hunger.

~~~

 Reverting to his human form he falls to his knees. “What have I done?” He whispers, bringing his hands to his face. There’s no sign of the monster beneath his skin. Skin that glows in the moonlight. His shoulders shake with sobs.

 “End my suffering!” He wails to the moon. The moon who views his deeds with a cold eye, and is both judge and surveyor of them.

 The crack! Of a gun breaks the silent forest. The werewolf stiffens, then falls forward. Hunter lowers his gun and presses his lips together.

 The body of the werewolf explodes and people appear everywhere just as the sun peaks over the horizon. The sky lights up in shades of red and orange as the people rejoice in their freedom.

 Embracing his parents, they share a tearful reunion, as friends and neighbors cling to each other in glee. Red hugs her grandmother, and promises to never, ever go into the woods again. Hunter looks up, hoping to see Snow among the crowd of survivors. His smile drops as he looks around, panic slowly settling in.

 As the people begin to return to their homes, he still sees no sign of Snow White. “Red, have you seen Snow?” She shakes her head as her grandmother thanks him profusely. Soon it’s only Hunter and his family with Red and her Grandma. Still no signs of Snow White. 

 “Wait! I just remembered! She’s up there!” Red points to the tree house. Hunter rushes to climb to the house. Red starts after him but is stopped by her grandmother. “This is something that only needs two people.” 

 Hunter pauses at the top of the stairs. He imagines Snow White’s body with a dagger in her heart. Steeling himself, he opens the door and steps in. 

~~~

 The newly risen sun shines on a coffin of gold and glass, and on the body of Snow White. She has a new, white dress that reflects the sunrise; gold and red lights dancing across the walls. 

Hunter can only look at her body before falling to his knees. “I’m sorry Snow White. I’m sorry.” He leans over to place a kiss where he wanted to put one since he saw her. A soft kiss on her rose red lips that taste of strawberries. He rests on her side, tears quietly tracking down his cheeks.

 “Hunter?” He shoots up the weak sound of his name, gasping as he looks into Snow White’s beautiful brown eyes. “Snow!” He grasps her as she sits up, helping her to sit, embracing her once he can. “I thought I lost you.”

 “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” This time it is Snow White who kisses first. Hunter picks her up during the kiss and stands.

 “What are you doing?” Snow laughs as he carries her bridal style out of the small room.

 “You know, I don’t think you can walk. I’d better carry you.” He looks smugly at Snow as she smacks his chest while laughing. He thinks her laugh is the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard, her smile the most beautiful sight he’s ever seen. 

~~~

 Red squeezes her grandmother’s hand in disappointment. Her grandmother looks down at her crestfallen face and croons sadly. “Its alright. I’ve got ice cream in the freezer.” Red nods and follows her inside, taking one last look at Hunter as he sets Snow down and introduces her to his parents. 

 Snow looks just like a bride, she thinks before she closes the door firmly behind her.

Unseen by the crowd, the huntsman had slipped into the woods, curse lifted and now completely free

 The sun shines on the fallen figure of an ugly hag; crushed on the rocks below a tree house attached to a house on a cliff.

  ~And they all lived happily ever after ~ 

~~~~~The End~~~~~

[angisam]

Your wild side

chapter 1 - Contact

(words: 1.251)

I am not going to lie, my English is bad, to save time and effort I have used translators and I have reviewed them. I think it’s ok all.

tag: underfell , wolvesfell ( To create for Sanspar)

diferent universe, maybe gore, bad language

note: 1º I writting something and forgotme if there are something misspelled

AO3

en español

Snowdin has always been in an eternal night, a difference of other parts of the underground as  waterfall or hotland, snowdin doesn't count with a luminous flora or lakes of incandescent lava for the  way natural , the bit light that is in the regios is due  to The magical artificial light, which was enough to see where you were going, evidently the most enlightened places was the nearby of the city and all the The path until reaching the ruins. The sentry station and the different puzzles didn't follow a straight line from the ruins to the city for any casual reason, it was well known that if a human fell to the underground they would leave the ruins and (at first) follow the path Well illuminated before dark forest is easy to get lost.

Only those monsters best suited to survive in dark areas were those who dared to venture deep into the forest without risk of being lost or surprised.

His sense of smell and Papyrus's confidence with Dogamy and Dogaressa had been the reason he had asked for help for this mission. Papyrus was quiet, thoughtful for his future moves he would make when he heard footsteps approaching him.

"Commander, we think we have found a clue," Dogamy immediately reported. "There is a trail of footsteps that corresponds perfectly to the monster we saw days ago." Dogaressa explained as he pointed northwest. There were a few seconds of silence until Papyrus finally spoke - "ARE YOU SURE?" They both looked at each other and simultaneously expressed - "completely" - "YOU CAN RETURN TO YOUR ROUTINES" - he said as he followed the direction Dogaressa had previously pointed out. "Commander, are you sure you want to go alone?" - Express Dogamy - "I KNOW CARE  MYSELF" before continuing to look at the couple - "DO NOT SAY ANYTHING THIS HAS NOBODY" - "you know we are a loyal dog commander" say dogamy before they see Papyrus disappear into the darkness of the Forest.

After walking a couple of minutes in a straight line he found the trace of footprints, they were quite in sight. The snow covered the ground with a few inches which was advantageous for not to lose easily.

The pattern of  footprints confirmed that its owner was on all fours, were oval with a triangular metacarpal pad and four digital - wolf footprints - there was no doubt that those tracks belonged to him, it was good news to find her in this part, the forest of Snowdin was actually much larger than could be observed with the naked eye, any foreigner who is not out of town would surely think that it was only a small plot with some trees but actually there were two sections of the forest; The upper part, which surrounded the populated areas of few hectares and another low part full of animal life like deer or rabbits mainly, but curiously no carnivore, somehow a few animals (enough to not disappear) were trapped in the underground together with the monsters, before the humans sealed the Barrier. This meant something really beneficial, in a world where food could be scarce at any time, it was really good to have a source of resources available, there was wood to build and animals to feed. The only disadvantage is that the monsters could not feed directly from that meat, the flesh needed a purification process to make it fit for the consumption of the monsters. Monsters need magic to survive, and a great source of magic was in their food, a monster could consume non-magical food for a while but in the long run would bring trouble .... Papyrus knew he couldn't go far, after tracking for about 7 minutes, it was becoming a real problem to follow a trail, the soft snow of the past had given way to a floor practically covered with hard snow, he had no other track that he could trace But one of the things he had learned during his first days of training is that any living thing leaves a trace no matter how small. He was not mistaken, after taking a closer look he found some scrub with the bottom somewhat shattered, after looking more excauciatively found behind some stains of blood ... fresh. It could be observed that the blood marked a trajectory, it was not as easy to follow as the traces but not impossible. A few meters away the forest gave way to a small baldness covered with snow and a considerable mound of rocks. But what I really call the interest of Papyrus was the big bulk placed on top of one of the rocks of the mound.

"SANS! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus ran to where his brother was, but only to take a few steps towards his direction. Sans responded with a warning growl and immediately placed himself in a defensive stance toward him.

"DAMN IT YOU CAN'T EAT THAT, AND STOP GROWING ME" - I command - "I AM YOUR BROTHER AND BOSS!" - the place may have been dark but the blood in Sans's mouth and the rabbit gutted on the rock were more than visible. "DISGUSTING" -  Papyrus  express more relaxed. Sans continued with his continuous grunts showing his sharp teeth.

! I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU BUT THERE ISN'T NOTHING TO FEAR, I HAVE COME TO HELP YOU "Some of what Papyrus said seemed to convince him perhaps it was the softest thing I used but he was no longer grunting and his posture had relaxed, but in his face there was even mistrust.

*Another step more* - and this time Sans stepped back and his new ears rose in the direction of the tall skeleton in front of him, his posture was no longer defensive now curiosity and intrigue emanated throughout his being- ["Good signal"], the commander thought, keeping him focused would reduce his desire to escape, if he escaped knowing who to see him again. There was only one meter of distance between the two, and now the new morphology of his brother could be better observed; His face and body apparently did not seem to have changed if we did not have pointed ears but his limbs were completely different; His arms and legs had been replaced by canine legs filled with ... hair surprisingly was what most impacted Papyrus, hair covering his new parts.

 * Another step even closer * the skeleton in front of him began to make new noises but this time was sniffing to whe

Papyrus confidently extended his hand to Sans to hug him and examine him more closely.

 "SANS, I CAAAHHHHHHHHH !!" Papyrus grabbed his brother's neck in an attempt to stop his attempt to rip off his arm, during a horrible seconds of struggle where Papyrus really believed that his brother was trying to rip off his arm, Throw the wild skeleton out of reach. The wolf skeleton was thrown one meter behind Papyrus which, when he was again on his feet, launched his escape into the depths of the forest, but his attempts were in vain as a wall of bones of a light Bright blue prevented him from leaving

"SANS, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE AS THE LAST TIME, IT'S NOT AN OPTION"

thank for read it ^^

[lilymu22]

I was scanning through some things and realized that I didn’t upload part two like I had promised...two years ago. Sorry! Well, here it is, for anyone who actually remembered it! Enjoy!

Thunderhoof remained quiet within the darkness…alone. He didn’t know where the autobot had disappeared to, and he didn’t know where he was taken. All that was filling his head were voices of his sire.

Words that told the decepticon how much he had disgraced the family name. Words that spoke about how shameful the elk con was.

Words from his own sire that described how much he wished to disown the pathetic bot.

A thousand voices all talking at once, repeating the same thing over and over and over. “S-stop.” Thunderhoof begged as he covered his audios, “P-please s-stop.” The shaking decepticon fell to his knees. The darkness quickly consumed the lower half of his body as the elk con continued his plea. Tears streamed from his optics as he hunched over.

“Pathetic.”

A figure stood before the scared con. Swirls of multiple dark colors hid away the figure’s image, but the outline was perfectly clear.

“T’ think, I had t’ deal with a pathetic piece of scrap like yous.”

“I-I’m s-sorry…”

“Sorry ain’t good enough, you little fragger!”

Thunderhoof winced at the harsh words.

“Yous was suppose t’ be tough! Yous was suppose t’ be strong! Yous was suppose t’ carry on our family name!”

The scared bot hunched over even further, wishing, praying that the torture would stop.

“Yet, here I am hearin’ yous make some stupid wish t’ make yaself tough?! Yous couldn’ do that on your own?!”

“I-I t-t-tried.” The scared con stuttered.

“YA DIDN’ TRY HARD ENOUGH!!”

Huge optics glared down at the shaking elk con from the background. Pillars suddenly rose from darkness. The shadowed sire sat upon his thrown, making the youngling feel small and helpless.

“YA COPPED OUT IS WHAT YA DID!! T’ LAZY T’ DO ACTUAL WORK LIKE A REAL MECH!!”

The crying little mech continued to apologize, but voice fell upon death audios.

“I DON’ EVER WANT T’ SEE YA FACE AGAIN, YA HEAR ME?!?! YA AIN’ MY KID!!!”

That sentence repeated nonstop. The young deer con wanted to scream, but no sound could be made among the angry cries of his sire.

“THUNDERHOOF!”

The sound of his name was accompanied by warm light. He look up, and to his surprise he saw Bumblebee reaching out to him.

“Thunderhoof! Grab my hand!”

“B-bumblebee?” the youngling could no longer hear the voices that screamed in his head. The autobot leader tried to get closer to the bot, but it was hard for body to move. “Please, Thunderhoof!” he pleaded, “Give me your hand!”

The little con desperately wanted to reach out. He wanted to leave this place, and feel safe again. Yet, he was still scared.

What if the autobot took him to a place far worse than this?

What if he truly deserve to be here?

“Thunderhoof, please!”

“I-I c-can’…I-I ain’ s-strong e-enough.” Thunderhoof stuttered weakly.

“Yes you are!”

The little deer con shook his head violently, “N-NO I-I’M N-NOT!” Too ashamed to look at the yellow bot in the optics, the little con lowered his gaze to the darkness that continued to consume him, “I-I…m-made a w-wish t’ make m-me s-strong. I-I w-was t’ w-weak t’ d-do i-it on m-my o-own…”

A frown appeared on the autobot’s lips. Bee felt bad that Thunderhoof felt this way. That, in the elk con’s optics, he was too weak to become strong on his own.

“Thunderhoof…you’re the one of the strongest mechs I have ever known.”

“I-I’m n-not-”

“Yes you are. You were the one who saved Grimlock when he was attacked by a witch. You protected your team.” the yellow bot smiled, “we may make the wish, but in the end, it comes down to us fulfilling it.”

The little deer con look up at the autobot leader with surprise. The only time he had heard that phrase was…from his sire.

“No matter what happens, I’ll always be proud of ya.”

That’s right, how could Thunderhoof forget? No matter how many times he screwed up, his sire was always there to encourage him.

He reached out to Bumblebee, ready to grab the bot’s hand. The mech was ready to leave this horrible place. He was ready to go back to his team and apologize for putting them through this mess. That is…until he saw it. The dark substance was spreading across his arm. If he touched the yellow autobot, there was a good chance that he would be infected by the stuff as well.

Bee notice the bot’s hesitation, “It’s okay, just give me your hand!”

There was a good chance that the corruption could damage the yellow autobot’s gem, but he was sure he could handle it. He just needed to purify Thunderhoof’s soul gem-

He froze.

Behind Thunderhoof were crimson optics glaring up at Bumblebee. The same glaring optics that has been haunting him in his dreams.

“HELP ME!!”

Bee snapped out of his dazed and turned his attention back to the elk con. The darkness is consuming him in a much faster rate. Thunderhoof desperately reached for the autobot’s hand, but the substance continued to pull him away. “NOOO!!” Bumblebee cried out as he struggled to reach the youngling’s hand. The very darkness begin to cover Bee’s arm. He could feel the burn as it melt his armor. He can’t go any further, and darkness is trying to melt him alive. The yellow autobot stared into the scared optics of the elk con.

“Thunderhoof, grab my hand!”

“I-I can’!” tears formed in the youngling’s optics, “I c-can’ reach y-yous-”

“Yes you can, Thunderhoof!” said Bee, “You can do it!” It was then that the autobot gave the elk con that same kind smile, the smile that he gave Thunderhoof back when he rescued the decepticon, “I believe in you!” The youngling’s optics widen. Suddenly, all of his fears fade away, and in its place…was determination. With a loud cry, the decepticon broke free. No longer a scared youngling that couldn’t save himself, he was back as the strong mafia bot that stared fear in the optics.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Outside, both teams fought frantically against the stone witch. They had finally started working together long enough for Bumblebee to get inside the witch’s head. Since then, they were tasked to keep the stone witch from escaping while also staying alive. “What’s taking that autobot so long?!” screamed the bounty hunter magical bot as he dodged another one of the witch’s attacks. “You think he’s a goner?!” questioned the crab decepticon. Strongarm slammed the attack back with her hammer, “No, he’s not! Our leader is still alive!”

“And how do you know?!”

“Cause Bee said he was going to come back!” answered Grimlock as he crushed one of the living busts with his tail. Steeljaws sliced a few more of the stone minions in pieces before dodging the witch’s stone arm, “Well, he better get here before we’re all dead!” The barrage kept going, until it came to a sudden halt. The magical bots pause as the watch, one-by-one, each witch minion fall to the ground and shatter. Soon the witch’s head begin to fall apart, until it was exposed. To bots jumped out of the exposed head and landed on the floor, panting from exhaustion. “BEEEE!!” the dinobot rushed up to yellow autobot and gave him a bone crushing hug. “Grimlock!…Easy!” Bee struggled to say. Steeljaws ran to Thunderhoof’s side and kneel beside him. “Thunderhoof,” he placed his clawed hand on the elk con’s shoulder, “are you alright?”

No response.

“Thunderhoof?” he shook his companion a bit. The decepticon didn’t respond. The room shook underneath them, and soon the pillars begin to crack. Bumblebee caught sight of the change and yelled, “The barrier is breaking! Everyone, run!” None of the magical bots waste anytime fleeing the room as the pillars fell apart. Grimlock placed Thunderhoof on his back and ran with the group. The walls broke down, and the plant life was wilting away before their very optics. “This way!” Bee ordered as he led the groups through the decaying maze. The floor was breaking apart faster than they could run, tripping Sideswipe in the process. The red autobot fell face first on the ground. As he looked up, he could see the maze falling into the abyss behind him. Strongarm quickly helped her distracted companion on his feet and pulled him along, “This is no time for gawking! Come on!” A section of the wall broke free as it fell. The crab decepticon caught sight of the debris falling his way. Before it could make contact, Grimlock destroyed it with his fist. “Move it, Clampdown!” called the wolf con, snapping the decepticon back into running.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The teams made it out in the nick of time. They all watch as the barrier cave in on itself, returning the subway to its former form. The dinobot set the elk con on the ground. Steeljaws marched up to the autobot leader and pointed to the unconcious form, “What’s wrong with him?! Why isn’t he responding?!”

“Thunderhoof is in stasis.” Bumblebee explained, “His soul gem is recovering right now. Give him time, and should be awake in a few days or so.” Steeljaws optics narrowed. They both stared each other down, neither of them flinching until the wolf con finally walk away. “Alright, I believe you. I will be taking my pack and leave, if you don’t mind.” he then turned to look at the autobot on last time, “But, if Thunderhoof doesn’t show any signs of recovering. I WILL haunt you down.” Bee simply nodded as he watch the decepticons gather their unconcious comrade and leave. “But, sir!” Strongarm ran to the yellow autobot’s side, “We’re suppose to capture them!” He open his mouth to speak, but his knees gave in. Luckily, Grimlock caught Bumblebee before he could hit the ground. “Maybe, we should go…” the dinobot suggested.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

The decepticons had returned to their headquarters and placed the elk con in his berth. Steeljaws stared down at the decepticon’s soul gem, that was now completely grey. The hunter bot leaned against the frame of the wall and crossed his arms, “So, how long do we have to wait?” The wolf con did not move his gaze away from the gem.

“.…I don’t know.”

[velondra]

Kalimdor Collective Kaldorei Memorial Service, 4 August 2018

8/4 18:03:31.282  Arilyne bows before Telrien. 8/4 18:03:34.022  Telrien bows down graciously. 8/4 18:03:35.701  You curtsey before Telrien. 8/4 18:03:38.981  Vivaaldi bows before Telrien. 8/4 18:03:43.281  Kysderal bows before Telrien. 8/4 18:03:47.334  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Excellent, you have all made it here. 8/4 18:03:48.174  Aalesia bows before Telrien. 8/4 18:03:48.514  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Commander, I was just welcome our newest recruits and our Sha'tor allies. 8/4 18:03:48.904  Soleth-WyrmrestAccord nods in greeting. 8/4 18:03:50.004  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord inclines his head at Telrien 8/4 18:03:51.885  Klement bows before Telrien. 8/4 18:04:02.664  Telrien eyes you up and down. 8/4 18:04:12.355  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Ah... yes, welcome to the Collective. 8/4 18:04:34.424  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: Thank you! I am honoured to be here... even under such terrible circumstances. 8/4 18:05:05.146  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord looks over at the dwarf next to him, offering him a significant, if short, nod. 8/4 18:05:08.616  Caelvin nods at Kersal. 8/4 18:05:13.475  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: As you will hear, the circumstances are fine. 8/4 18:05:21.246  You smile at Telrien. 8/4 18:05:36.740  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: If everyone is ready, I would like to move over to the simple shrine placed here. 8/4 18:05:43.640  Arilyne nods at Telrien. 8/4 18:05:53.270  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord nods back to Caelvin. He quickly whispers, "Glad tae see yer well." 8/4 18:06:58.458  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord eyes everyone across the face. "If there is no objection, I would like to begin." 8/4 18:07:23.699  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord murmurs: "Well as ever," as they walk. "You too." His gaze settles on Telrien. 8/4 18:07:26.258  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord gestures for Telrien to continue, even though she has no real bearing over any of this. 8/4 18:07:42.608  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord moves aside so that Kersal may see beyond her. 8/4 18:07:54.759  Arilyne looks at Telrien. 8/4 18:08:21.532  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord fidgets slightly, looking somehow both weary and restless all at once 8/4 18:08:34.972  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord folds her arms in front of her, raising her head to watch the old bear. 8/4 18:08:49.102  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord places a hand on Vortigen's arm to still him, offering him a tired but reassuring smile. 8/4 18:09:07.431  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord sighs and nods. "As you know, we gather here to both remember and honor those lost. Both in the fighting along Ashenvale and Darkshore, as well as those during the burning of Teldrassil." 8/4 18:10:45.836  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: It is a strange thing, at times, how the mind adjusts. In times of war, we expect warriors to die. We mourn them, and honor them as heroes... 8/4 18:10:46.865  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord returns the faint smile and manages to hold still as he turns his attention to Tel 8/4 18:11:25.389  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Yet, when those who are attacked in their homes are killed, we move on to a level of atrocity. As if some line were crossed. 8/4 18:12:18.734  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: And in the past weeks, we have lost many to both levels of moral wrongs. The Horde has shown it has forgotten its honor. 8/4 18:12:54.340  Klement-WyrmrestAccord inclines his head as he listens intently, a small frown on his features. 8/4 18:13:12.202  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: And today, we will remember all those who perished. That their souls might find rest, and that their death not be senseless and vain. 8/4 18:13:43.125  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord looks off into the distance behind Telrien with an emotionless expression. 8/4 18:13:58.345  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord lowers her eyes to patch of grass just at Telriens feet. Her hands gripped tightly together as she listens. 8/4 18:14:10.737  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Even on a personal note, the Collective has lost some of their own. Among them a young woman, barely in her first centuries. A young woman of promise, of potential, of a life yet unlived. 8/4 18:14:18.787  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord 's gaze drops to the grass, a glare passing over her features as if the plants had done it all. 8/4 18:15:19.892  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Sister Thythena wish to join the Sentinels. To protect our lands and lives. To some degree she achieved this as she helped in the evacuation of Darnassus. 8/4 18:16:03.808  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord jaws tighten at the word Sentinels. 8/4 18:16:10.059  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Life is a fragile thing. We may be here, thinking, knowing, imaging, reflected. And in the next moment, in a time between seconds, we are gone. 8/4 18:16:27.917  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord whispers quietly to herself:  "Rest well, Sentinel Thythena." 8/4 18:16:59.193  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: But, also, life is strong. Look at the tree above us. Nordrassil, the crown of the world. 8/4 18:17:36.089  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks up, spreading his arms. "It grows tall, strong, sturdy." Telrien beings his attention back down. "And here, are her roots." 8/4 18:17:48.909  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord Glances upward--he cannot "see" the tree, physically, but its life-force pulses with vibrant energy 8/4 18:18:29.781  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: The roots feed the World Tree, as with any tree, They dig into the soil, and take what is good. Much the same way the wolf hunts and eats the deer. Or that the deer eats the grass. 8/4 18:18:54.492  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: The truth being, life does feed on death. While death feeds upon life. It is a balance. 8/4 18:19:01.252  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord closed her eyes. She heard about the Sentinal who helped the Sha'tor and the Collective during their battle at Darkshore. Who rose to the skies to fell the bats... It seemed in an instant, her age caught up to her. 8/4 18:19:56.252  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: But today, we feel grief for those claimed from this side of the balance. They were loved, they were our friends and family. Our worlds. 8/4 18:21:24.095  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks down and sighs, then lifts his head to continue. "I barely knew Sister Thythena, and now I will never have the chance. She was young, frivolous, full of life. Eager. And she enjoyed life, down the smallest pleasantry. Sweets, deserts. A good view." 8/4 18:22:37.386  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: And so I grieve. For what could have been, what she might have accomplished before her future was stolen by a greedy and irredeemable corpse "queen". 8/4 18:22:58.083  Kymaeaa-WyrmrestAccord digs her fingers into Anton's mane. 8/4 18:23:06.955  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord opened her eyes, but her expression remained somber. 8/4 18:23:36.290  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord frowned, but remained respectful. 8/4 18:23:40.782  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord sighs, his characteristic smirk entirely absent for the moment. 8/4 18:23:45.322  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord folds her arms across her chest, bowing her head. 8/4 18:23:52.642  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord holds his neck. "I feel it as my heart beats slow, barely perceptible. As my thoughts are weighed down with dark, heavy clouds. As I stumble toward learning what I could do, if anything." 8/4 18:24:23.517  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord removes his hand from his neck. "But it is the capacity to feel consuming grief and pain and despair that also allows me to embrace love and joy and beauty with my whole heart. We must let it all in." 8/4 18:24:49.250  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord momentarily turns away and uses his beard to dab at the tears on his face. 8/4 18:24:56.229  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: You cannot stop the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can stop them nesting in your mind. 8/4 18:25:21.273  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord quietly hands the Dwarf a silken handkerchief. 8/4 18:25:33.534  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: For sorrow and grief may seem similar, but one will destroy you, and the other will empower you. 8/4 18:25:58.059  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord silently accepts the handkerchief and mumbles out a thank you through the tears. 8/4 18:26:25.309  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: We should say not in grief they are no more, but live in thankfulness that they were. 8/4 18:26:57.243  Klement-WyrmrestAccord takes a deep breath and looks up to the skies. 8/4 18:26:59.406  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Because if the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. 8/4 18:27:18.985  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord absently runs his thumb over a totem clutched in his hand. 8/4 18:27:39.648  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord takes out a small trinket and holds it tight in his hands. 8/4 18:27:43.488  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into eternity. Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality. 8/4 18:27:44.447  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord 's glare softens. 8/4 18:28:09.642  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord quietly wipes tears from her eyes. 8/4 18:28:14.743  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: That is why we remember. Why we grieve then accept. Why we honor their passing. 8/4 18:28:35.267  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Grief is in two parts. The first is loss. The second is the remaking of life. 8/4 18:29:07.843  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: So let us all give thanks that we knew those we loved, even if they have been taken from us. 8/4 18:29:47.855  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: They will live through us, and we will carry that weight. And we will be sure their loss was not for nothing. 8/4 18:29:56.695  Telrien bows down graciously. 8/4 18:30:25.791  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Farewell Sister. Ande'thoras-ethil. 8/4 18:30:44.283  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Would any other wish to speak? 8/4 18:30:58.724  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: Very briefly, if I may? 8/4 18:31:05.675  Arilyne looks at you. 8/4 18:31:07.055  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Of course. 8/4 18:31:07.795  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord stands straight, unblinking. His features are expressionless during Telrien's speech, though his eyes seem to flare once or twice with that eerie blue glow. 8/4 18:31:31.979  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: I was born in Eldre'Thalas, amongst the Shen'Dralar in distant Feralas. 8/4 18:31:49.663  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks upon Velondra as his ears flicker. 8/4 18:31:59.566  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: When my people fled the city after the Cataclysm, though there were those who opposed it, we were granted sanctuary in Darnassus. 8/4 18:32:11.929  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: It was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. 8/4 18:32:31.946  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: And for all the years since, it is the only home I have known. 8/4 18:32:44.352  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord says: Words cannot express how very much I shall miss it. 8/4 18:32:55.395  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord , overcome, can clearly say no more. 8/4 18:33:09.515  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord nods. 8/4 18:33:09.935  You cry. 8/4 18:33:10.365  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord nods her head once thanking Velondra for her words. 8/4 18:33:18.697  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord nods solemnly. 8/4 18:33:28.668  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Any others? 8/4 18:33:40.657  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord crosses his arms, frowning in sympathy, but keeping his silence 8/4 18:33:58.273  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord says: Do not weep for what it has become, treasure what it was. 8/4 18:34:02.433  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord looks to Telrien, "I only wish to say goodbye, and I am unaccustomed to the ways of your people for this." 8/4 18:34:04.808  You nod at Redryn. 8/4 18:34:11.690  Arilyne looks at Kysderal. 8/4 18:34:22.522  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Your customs are just as welcome, friend. 8/4 18:34:50.354  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord says: I will then, Brother Telrien. 8/4 18:34:57.563  Arilyne smiles at Varistus. 8/4 18:34:59.403  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord nods. 8/4 18:35:02.594  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Please. 8/4 18:35:11.684  Vatherya looks at Varistus. 8/4 18:36:15.298  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord waits for his Exarch to speak before he carries on. 8/4 18:36:21.299  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord looks down to his hand just now feeling the coldness of his blood running from his palm and puts the trinket away. 8/4 18:39:10.316  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord nudges Soleth lightly, making sure the old druid hasn't dozed off, as he's sometimes prone to do at the worst possible moments 8/4 18:41:24.152  Soleth-WyrmrestAccord gently padded Vortgens arm, letting him know he was still awake. 8/4 18:42:32.305  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord lets her hands fall to her side to allow the evening breeze to run through her fingers. 8/4 18:43:16.887  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord says: Our people have known loss for as long as I have been alive, and one thing we have learned, is that life is to be cherished; protected. My heart breaks for the kaldorei. In a time of great loss, our own comfort would come from knowing that the souls of 8/4 18:43:16.887  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord says: our dead would be looked after and shephered to the Light. I am unfamiliar with the traditions of Elune, but from the blessings I have witnessed with my own eyes, I pray that your lost have found their way to your beloved goddess. Thythena Wildseeker was 8/4 18:43:16.887  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord says: brave, that much I saw in Darkshore - I, and the draenei, are honored to had fought by her side. Dioniss aca, Thythena. Light carry us all. 8/4 18:44:04.406  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord bows her head respectfully to Varistus. 8/4 18:44:11.716  Varistus bows down graciously. 8/4 18:44:19.736  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord smiles gratefully at Varistus. 8/4 18:44:22.245  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord nods solemnly. "Thank you Exarch, for your words." 8/4 18:44:49.548  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord inclines his head at Varistus after a thoughtful pause 8/4 18:45:10.691  Klement-WyrmrestAccord nods to the Exarch´s words in silence. 8/4 18:45:41.751  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord nods at his Exarch's words, ackowledging the wisdom in his old friend. He moved forward, looking nothing like the wide Elder Sage he was and everything like a tired old man who wished for nothing but to trade places with the one he lost. The old krokul 8/4 18:45:41.751  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord reached the water's edge and placed the totem in his hands at its edge. He paused here in a moment, collecting his will together. 8/4 18:45:52.961  Arilyne looks at Kysderal. 8/4 18:48:56.379  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord watches with a curiosity of these people and their ways. 8/4 18:49:29.436  Romathis-WyrmrestAccord fluffles his feathers and nests back down. 8/4 18:50:17.919  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord watched as the totem was pulled, as if by tiny hands deeper. It started to glow until it seemed a small wisp floated above the water's surface. Kysderal sighed, "Here we are my dear....the air is much more clearer up here. It will be easier to breath." 8/4 18:50:17.919  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord Tears started to stream down the Auchenai's old, weathered face. It almost seemed like tiny hands reached up to wipe them. "It is time to rest, young one. In your Mother's arms, may you know peace. I know...when I see the stars" he chokes on his words 8/4 18:50:17.919  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord before taking a deep breath, "I...I know you will be smiling at me. I will remember our songs." 8/4 18:50:53.787  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord took a moment to compose himself before turning to address the others. 8/4 18:51:10.563  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord tilts his head in interest and to kind of hide the tear the was forming. 8/4 18:51:16.104  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord weeps at Kysderal's words. 8/4 18:51:26.417  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord bowed her head solemnly and sighs. 8/4 18:51:40.893  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord blubbers into the handkerchief he borrowed from the priestess. 8/4 18:51:54.417  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord dabs at unexpected tears with her sleeve, looking a little startled. 8/4 18:52:32.576  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord furrows her brow, her lips downturned. 8/4 18:52:41.088  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord a single tear slides down the Exarch's cheek. He makes no attempt to wipe it away, simply standing with his hands clasped behind his back. 8/4 18:53:01.769  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord studies the Elder Sage, trying to grasp what just happened. Trying to put her mental image of the Krokul together with what she now witnessed. 8/4 18:54:03.781  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord watched, expressionless, though underneath her gloves her knuckles were white as she held it together. 8/4 18:54:06.492  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: You live a thousand lifetimes but this doesn't get any easier. You guide a thousand souls but this doesn't get any easier. You know that such is the way of life, but it never gets any easier. It never does. Every life, every soul. Just as precious as the 8/4 18:54:06.492  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: last. Just as precious as the next. 8/4 18:54:51.179  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord unconsciously nods in agreement. 8/4 18:57:31.069  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord 's eyes widen slightly at Kysderal's words. They follow the path the wisp took for a moment before snapping back to the draenei. 8/4 18:57:36.369  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: In days of old I counciled the giref stricten, but the words do not come to me anymore. You live to long. You lose the reasons why. Why do you survive when so many younger and fuller of life passed? I no longer ask why. I endure so that the lost and the 8/4 18:57:36.369  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: fallen are remembered. Even if I am the only one who remembers. Even if you are the only ones who know. 8/4 18:58:49.846  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord 's old, for a kaldorei, face seems to set in solid agreement with the Elder's words. 8/4 18:59:59.944  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: Know this, even when the words fail. When the memories seem like ghosts in the haunted halls of your mind: Know that you are here so that the lost and fallen are remembered. The enemy only wins when they have destroyed our memories. When they have 8/4 18:59:59.944  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: destroyed our hope. But always know, if nothing else; where there are tears, there is hope. 8/4 19:00:37.802  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord clasps her hands behind her back, nodding in agreement with the words of the Elder Sage. 8/4 19:01:16.337  Telrien eyes Decain up and down. 8/4 19:01:19.769  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord bows. The wisp floats away, the giggles of a child echoing across the waters. The spent totem sinks into the depths, the only marker in memory of a young spirit gone too soon, returned home. 8/4 19:01:25.809  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord turns back to Kysderal. 8/4 19:01:43.079  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord swallows hard against the lump in her throat. 8/4 19:01:59.269  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord looks directly ahead with a face void of emotion. 8/4 19:02:07.123  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord watches the totem in fascination. 8/4 19:02:15.444  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord weeps quietly. 8/4 19:02:29.654  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks about. "Any others?" 8/4 19:02:58.042  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord looks down the line for those that wish to speak. 8/4 19:03:03.053  Klement-WyrmrestAccord takes a ragged breath and smiles briefly at the Elder Sage before focusing on the sinking totem and the waters before them. 8/4 19:03:18.653  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: No? 8/4 19:03:28.177  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: I will lead us in prayer if no one else wishes to speak, Commander. 8/4 19:03:49.661  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord nods. "Please, Priestess." 8/4 19:04:19.795  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord pulls back her veil to reveal tired, somber eyes.  She then clasps her hands neatly in front of her and stands stoically before those gathered. 8/4 19:04:48.154  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Sisters and Brothers, we have gathered this eve to remember our lost loved ones and— 8/4 19:04:52.014  Decain-WyrmrestAccord listens quietly, his face blank of emotion. 8/4 19:04:57.295  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord pauses suddenly mid-sentence.   8/4 19:05:08.023  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord raises a brow, curious. 8/4 19:05:16.886  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord focus sharpens, having been somewhat in a daze before. 8/4 19:05:21.657  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord  flickers an ear. 8/4 19:05:24.407  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord then deeply sighs as her shoulders slump and her head hangs defeatedly. 8/4 19:05:37.880  Vatherya raises her eyebrow inquisitively at Arilyne. 8/4 19:05:52.454  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: You know, in the many years that Elune has allowed me to serve in Her name, I have presided over thousands of memorials like this one.   8/4 19:05:59.088  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord tilts his head, sensing something amiss 8/4 19:06:13.589  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  So many in fact that now the words are memorized, routine and effortless.   8/4 19:06:28.117  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord frowns. 8/4 19:06:36.033  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord raises her head and takes a moment to lock eyes briefly with each person gathered. 8/4 19:06:49.595  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord cocks her head to the side a bit, paying more attention to the sudden candidness of it all. 8/4 19:07:19.187  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: These memorials have become just the predictable step in the endless cycle of death. 8/4 19:07:37.568  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: A cycle in which our people valiantly give their lives in wars caused by the selfish few with power.   8/4 19:07:59.620  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord tightly curls her hands into fists by her side causing her sharpen nails to cut the skin of her palms. 8/4 19:08:24.098  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord 's hands begin to curl and unfurl. 8/4 19:08:27.530  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord remembers the last time he heard Arilyne lead a prayer. His chin lifts, eyes glancing towards the sky--the kaldorei custom, as she'd explained it. But this seems different, so his gaze settles once again. 8/4 19:08:27.890  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: But, as your Priestess, I *refuse* to believe that those that died in these recent days are just worthless pawns in that never-ending cycle.       8/4 19:08:30.131  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord his ears twitch and his posture stiffens as he listens to Arilyne 8/4 19:09:00.227  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord body begins to shake with rage as blood trickles out of her clenched fists.   8/4 19:09:28.779  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: They are more than pawns, they are people, *our* people! 8/4 19:09:44.224  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord looks to her right at Varistus, then at Vatherya, before turning her gaze back to Arilyne. 8/4 19:09:53.347  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: People who had families and friends whose hearts are now senselessly shattered. 8/4 19:10:02.477  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord begins to narrow his eyes with a look that is both solemn and approving. 8/4 19:10:07.877  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  And for what reason?! 8/4 19:10:16.476  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  Pride?  Selfishness? 8/4 19:10:21.277  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord regards Arilyne with concern. 8/4 19:10:30.438  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord growls through gritted teeth: “…..Hatred?” 8/4 19:10:55.480  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord sets her jaw, eyes narrowing dangerously.  She nods her head. 8/4 19:11:02.601  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord his lips peel back from his sharp teeth in an expression that might be a snarl or a smile--maybe both--and the fel-fire in his eyes flares brighter for an instant. 8/4 19:11:33.022  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord raises her shaking hands before her eyes and seeing her own uncontrollable rage, breaths in deeply to center herself. 8/4 19:12:06.321  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says, barely above a whisper, "Sister..." 8/4 19:12:15.057  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord with a calmer yet still shaken voice:  “So tonight, if you will allow me, I would like to give a prayer of a different nature.” 8/4 19:12:25.789  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord looks to the crowd for signs of approval. 8/4 19:12:30.082  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord seems to grin. 8/4 19:12:38.832  Redryn nods at Arilyne. 8/4 19:12:39.272  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord inclines her head, knowing the rage all too well. 8/4 19:12:45.154  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord is cautious and concerned but doesn't object. 8/4 19:12:53.087  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord arched a brow. 8/4 19:12:56.066  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord might also have accidentally grown claws, which he recedes back into his fingers. 8/4 19:12:57.026  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord gazes in Arilyne's direction, an unusual look of fondness on her face. 8/4 19:13:02.853  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord gently nods her head, a small smile tugs at the corner of her lips. 8/4 19:13:03.124  Kymaeaa listens intently to Arilyne. 8/4 19:13:09.696  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Please hold the hands of those nearest to you so we may become one before our Goddess. 8/4 19:13:41.581  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord reaches out for Kysderal and Vatherya's hands 8/4 19:13:44.573  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord quite violently takes the hand of Kersal. 8/4 19:13:48.123  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord 's expression falls flat a little, but she grudgingly reaches for the death knight's hand. 8/4 19:13:49.453  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord extends his arms, palm up for those beside him. 8/4 19:13:52.865  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord wrinkles her nose but holds her hands out to her left and right in respect. 8/4 19:14:04.468  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord offers a hand to Vortigen in silence. 8/4 19:14:13.819  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord places a hand out of Vivaaldi to take, but grasps Klement's. 8/4 19:14:22.431  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord wobbles a bit on his weak knees as he gets grabbed, and extends his other hand towards Caelvin. 8/4 19:14:25.621  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord looks from Kersal to Riverdown and moves to take a step back just as his hand is taken. He stays, lightly clasping in return. 8/4 19:14:27.340  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord extends her other to Velondra, shrugging at the demon hunter ahead of them. 8/4 19:14:32.541  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord gently takes Vatherya's hand, taking Varistus's other hand. 8/4 19:14:40.682  Klement-WyrmrestAccord raises an eyebrow at the whole display. In silence, he reaches for the Exarch´s and Kymaea´s hands. 8/4 19:14:45.572  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord raises her eyes to the sky. 8/4 19:14:48.532  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord takes her neighbor's hands gently. 8/4 19:15:10.265  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord lifts his eyes toward the Mother Moon as well. 8/4 19:15:26.547  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Goddess of the Moon, 8/4 19:15:37.368  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Creator of Life and Warrior of the Night, 8/4 19:15:54.921  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: We have gathered here to ask you to carry home the spirits of your children, -- 8/4 19:16:06.001  Decain-WyrmrestAccord keeps his hands folded on the reins of his saber, continuing to look on quietly. 8/4 19:16:19.207  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: And take their emptied shells back into the earth to become the seeds for life reborn. 8/4 19:16:47.164  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: And as you take home these brave warriors, please also look to the warriors that remain. 8/4 19:17:13.488  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  Allow your grace to steel their minds and stir their hearts so they may rise up as one single, unified army. 8/4 19:17:47.075  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  An army so powerful and great in their resolve that the Horde will regret having ever spilled a single drop of Kaldorei blood. 8/4 19:18:32.776  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: And if more are to die in your name, then so be it but this time.... 8/4 19:18:48.826  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: ……this time let it be now on our terms. 8/4 19:19:12.628  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord grins with a toothy, fanged grin. 8/4 19:19:27.981  Velondra-WyrmrestAccord feels uncharacteristically bellicose. 8/4 19:19:36.303  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord growls lowly in her throat, a predatory tone. 8/4 19:20:03.819  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord lowers her gaze and stands proudly and defiantly before her people. 8/4 19:20:36.133  Decain-WyrmrestAccord gives a small nod to the speaker. 8/4 19:20:45.663  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Sisters, Brothers -- 8/4 19:20:48.573  Caelvin-WyrmrestAccord 's chin lifts, as -this- is a prayer he feels more suited to make. 8/4 19:21:34.565  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord lips curl showing her fangs and a warrior expression. 8/4 19:21:41.185  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says:  Ana'duna thera!  ((Revenge will be ours!)).   8/4 19:22:00.325  Arilyne bows down graciously. 8/4 19:22:12.967  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord says: Andu-falah-dor! 8/4 19:22:19.838  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says through a grunt: "Tor ilisar'thera'nal!" 8/4 19:22:41.672  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord nods in approval, a bit aggressive for this old pacifist but there was a righteous spirit to it. 8/4 19:22:43.552  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord says: We will make them suffer as we have. 8/4 19:22:46.902  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Thank you, Sister. 8/4 19:22:50.443  Arilyne nods at Telrien. 8/4 19:23:24.806  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks around at those gathered. "Some of you are young. Some of you are unaware of our ways." 8/4 19:23:31.766  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: So I will make it known. 8/4 19:23:54.887  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord letting go of Varistus and Vatherya's hands, she muttered under her breath. "Aar-don'sha, ki kahl'dos." ((In the Light, we triumph)) 8/4 19:24:33.015  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord narrows his eyes and growls before going on. "The kaldorei do not suffer injustice. We do not allow those would march on our -homes- to go unpunished, unchecked." 8/4 19:24:47.656  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord quietly echoes Vivaaldi's sentiment. 8/4 19:25:42.780  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: As our Sister has said, many of our own were -burned-. And for what? The will of some damned woman who believes her own tragedies make her wiser? Smarter? Stronger? 8/4 19:25:51.390  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord snarls and spits on the ground. 8/4 19:26:37.977  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: There was a time our own people fought the Trolls of ancient times so fiercely they came to fear us, and would not come near us for superstition. 8/4 19:27:04.435  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: There was a time our own "queen" sold us to the Dark Titan for comfort and power. And they fled from us in the end. 8/4 19:27:41.025  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord growls and regards the wilderness around him, then, his ears still keen to Tel's words, he nudges the old druid at his side once more and whispers something in his ear. 8/4 19:27:45.846  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: There was a time they returned, and we once again drove of a cosmic army of untold power from our world with tooth and claw. 8/4 19:27:52.415  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord smirks, clearly relishing the words. 8/4 19:28:21.137  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord slams a foot forward. "And this damned "banshee queen" thinks she is the on to ruin us?" 8/4 19:28:56.659  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord suddenly feels like the air is a little thick, at the mention of Sargeras and the implication of Archimonde. 8/4 19:29:05.860  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord mutters "She seems to have forgotten we broke the Legion -and- the Scourge...and that our people have endured far worse than anything she can muster." 8/4 19:29:08.732  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord a low rumbling growl echoes from the Priestess's throat. 8/4 19:29:20.994  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: If she were so wise from her suffering, so smart from her willingness to look into the dark, she would know. She would know that the day she stomped within our forests and set fire to our homes, she truly set fire to her own fate, and that of her people. 8/4 19:29:50.978  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord shifts uncomfortably; this is not the memorial she was expecting. 8/4 19:29:50.978  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: I know not what the "Alliance" will do. I do not care. 8/4 19:30:08.670  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord lets out a small demonic growl. 8/4 19:30:25.063  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: This vile witch-bitch came to our children, our innocents, our very being and existence, and she spat on it. 8/4 19:31:20.506  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord crosses her arms, understanding the full extent of the Kaldorei's rage. 8/4 19:31:35.485  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: So I will bring the fight to -her- home. Even if I am alone, even as if I single bear I run toward the walls of her precious tomb and am felled by a thousand poison arrows, I will roar that it will shake the foundations of her home, that her ears... 8/4 19:31:51.230  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: ... would never go a single day without hearing its echo. 8/4 19:32:31.016  Redryn-WyrmrestAccord says: You will not be alone, you will have my blade with you. 8/4 19:32:37.869  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Elune is the Night Warrior. And her children as well. We will claw her from this world. 8/4 19:33:08.978  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord looks up toward Nordrassil and roars in a great ursine roar, with no hint of kaldorei voice within it. 8/4 19:33:31.533  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord steps forward. "Brother Rainwhisper. If I may?" 8/4 19:33:32.383  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord takes a few snorting breaths. 8/4 19:33:46.944  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord snaps his neck at Vaelenne. "Of course." 8/4 19:33:48.974  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord shoots Starshade a warning glance. 8/4 19:33:56.884  Klement-WyrmrestAccord clears his throat and glances at Varistus. Well then. 8/4 19:34:06.765  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord takes a deep, steadying breath, looking around at those gathered. 8/4 19:34:09.296  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord , a little taken aback at the sudden out burst, she turns her attention to the lone ren'dorei. 8/4 19:34:09.955  Kymaeaa-WyrmrestAccord tightens her grip on Anton's mane. 8/4 19:34:16.036  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: Brothers and sisters... Allies of the Sha'tor. 8/4 19:34:27.157  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord narrows her eyes at Vaelenne. 8/4 19:34:52.547  Varistus-WyrmrestAccord looks at Klement from the corner of his eyes and flicks his eyebrows briefly. Impressive speech. 8/4 19:34:56.058  Vaakren has joined the raid group. 8/4 19:35:36.859  Caelvin nods at Vaakren. 8/4 19:35:53.016  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: I've heard words of compassion, of sorrowful farewell. Of rage. There must be justice for Teldrassil.. for those who have fallen in this unjust war. But I would urge you, beg you, to avoid becoming that which we rage against. Innocents must not suffer for 8/4 19:36:01.506  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: the Banshee Queen's actions. 8/4 19:36:16.936  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord narrows her eyes on the young Priestess. 8/4 19:36:25.767  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord snorts. 8/4 19:36:32.908  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord nods 8/4 19:36:35.888  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord returns Caelvin's nod.  They were here in solidarity, and any personal disagreements can wait. 8/4 19:36:36.968  Klement-WyrmrestAccord nods to the Ren´dorei. 8/4 19:36:57.451  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: We hurt, but is it right of us in our hurt to inflict that same pain on others? Does that not continue this cycle of bloodshed that got us here in the first place? 8/4 19:37:14.874  Kersal-WyrmrestAccord takes a moment away from dabbing at tears to nod at Vaakren. 8/4 19:37:22.536  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord says: This cycle will continue until we dismantle the Horde. 8/4 19:37:27.287  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord mutters something about "abominations" and "do not bleed". 8/4 19:37:40.098  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord snarls.  "There are no innocents in her city of abominations, Sister." 8/4 19:37:41.287  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord places a hand lightly on Kersal's pauldron as he approaches, a solemn expression painted across his face. 8/4 19:38:17.430  Vatherya-WyrmrestAccord furrows her brow in thought.  This was a grey area, not the clear black and white of the war with the Legion.  She was unsure, a soldier her entire life but how does that translate to this? 8/4 19:38:26.422  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: I ask that you temper your bloodlust. That you remain the people who I have come to know since joining your ranks. Not sink to the level of the Forsaken. 8/4 19:38:54.620  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord growls softly, and sighs. "I draw the line myself at murdering children...but anyone of fighting age, and anyone who wields a blade against the Kaldorei? I will not show them mercy." 8/4 19:38:55.690  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord frowns, "Please give her peace as she speaks, as she has give us as we did the same. She speaks from the heart as we all did." 8/4 19:39:02.328  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord narrows his eyes. 8/4 19:39:48.704  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: We respect the opinions of each member of our collective, Elder.  Even if we do not agree. 8/4 19:40:02.315  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord mumbles in Darnassian. 8/4 19:40:20.418  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: [Darnassian] Careful, Commander. 8/4 19:40:50.906  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord says: The Forsaken must pay for their actions. The Horde for its complicity. But I would not orphan children and widow mates more than necessary, and I would not strike out at the defenseless. I would urge you all to show such restraint as well. 8/4 19:40:56.747  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord eyes shift over to the left, catching the whispers of darnassian spoken in secret. 8/4 19:41:00.399  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: [Darnassian] That she would even think we could sink to their level... she does not understand us and our ways. But she has her right to speak. 8/4 19:41:18.151  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: [Darnassian] So let us show her that respect and educate her on our ways in time. 8/4 19:41:21.671  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord snorts, trying to steady himself. 8/4 19:41:27.607  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord looks back to Vaelenne and listens. 8/4 19:41:29.071  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: [Darnassian] Of course. 8/4 19:41:31.873  Vaelenne-WyrmrestAccord sighs. "That is all." 8/4 19:41:43.786  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: [Darnassian] Thank you, Sister Starshade. 8/4 19:41:55.378  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Thank you, Sister Starshade. 8/4 19:41:57.299  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord says: Wise words, thank you. 8/4 19:42:03.474  Klement smiles at Vaelenne. 8/4 19:42:05.154  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord is simmering on rage, struggling to keep her mouth shut. 8/4 19:42:07.364  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Your words ring with hints of truth. 8/4 19:42:30.507  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord clears his throat.  "Even as a servant of the Light, sometimes we are called upon to make difficult decisions.  We save who we can, but some times call for retribution.  At some point, a decision must be made to put down the aggressor for the good of 8/4 19:42:37.557  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord nods absently at Vaelenne, his face twisted into a grim, thoughtful scowl. 8/4 19:43:02.949  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord says: every other living being, and we can only trust in the light that we have made the correct decision." 8/4 19:43:24.246  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord whispers: *a ripple of void energy laps at the fringe of your mind a few times, then subsides* 8/4 19:43:43.018  Arilyne smiles at Varistus. 8/4 19:43:45.219  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Life feeds on death. Death feeds on life. We will all find our places among that balance in the weeks to come. 8/4 19:43:51.118  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord says: "I believe that this is one of those times.  Would you sit by while she repeats her actions?  What is next?  Stormwind?  Ironforge?" 8/4 19:44:16.942  Aalesia-WyrmrestAccord resists the urge to prompt the Exodar. 8/4 19:44:20.324  To Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord: Velondra's thoughts are somber, as she remembers her home as it was. 8/4 19:44:52.277  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord hopes that if no one says it the Horde will forget that the Exodar is there, just like Blizzard 8/4 19:45:26.267  Vaakren-WyrmrestAccord says: "No.  We must end this threat here and now, and once it is ended, work to restore the peace that this world so sorely needs and deserves.  I have known valor from orcs, and tauren, and trolls.  But there is no valor in what has been done." 8/4 19:45:46.888  Klement looks at Vaakren. 8/4 19:45:53.340  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord whispers: *A voice of unknown origin whispers quietly, comfortingly.  "You have the power to ensure such travesties never happen again.  Destroy them all..."* 8/4 19:46:01.911  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord swallows his breath and nods in agreement. 8/4 19:46:08.651  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord nods her head in approval to Vaakren. 8/4 19:46:20.255  Varistus nods at Vaakren. 8/4 19:46:55.668  Vortigen-WyrmrestAccord speaks under his breath in his rough voice "Excuse me...I need to go think about what's been said. Ande'thoras-ethil, friends." 8/4 19:46:59.388  Vortigen bows down graciously. 8/4 19:47:07.548  To Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord: Velondra frowns, her thoughts generally given to matters of fashion and etiquette. 8/4 19:47:15.848  Telrien bows before Vortigen. 8/4 19:47:22.178  Soleth bows down graciously. 8/4 19:47:26.300  You curtsey before Vortigen. 8/4 19:48:01.946  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Do any others wise to speak? Otherwise I would deem this ceremony concluded, and those lost rightfully remembered. And to be avenged. 8/4 19:48:42.920  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: No? 8/4 19:48:58.642  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord bows his head. 8/4 19:49:01.552  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord decides best to hold her tongue, it has been a long night and tempers flared. 8/4 19:49:16.064  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Then let us one last time thank Elune - or that Light - for all the blessing we have, for keeping out lost, and for resolve to do what must be done. 8/4 19:49:33.079  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Elune be praised. 8/4 19:49:42.999  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: Farewell, everyone. Andu-falah-dor. 8/4 19:49:46.759  Telrien bows down graciously. 8/4 19:49:50.190  Arilyne bows down graciously. 8/4 19:49:51.420  Vivaaldi bows before Telrien. 8/4 19:49:55.294  Ríverdown bows down graciously. 8/4 19:49:57.043  You curtsey. 8/4 19:50:01.944  Kersal bows down graciously. 8/4 19:50:03.784  Vaakren bows down graciously. 8/4 19:50:08.554  Caelvin bows down graciously. 8/4 19:50:21.346  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord turns away from the group, and as she starts to distance herself stops in her tracks. 8/4 19:50:21.597  Kymaeaa-WyrmrestAccord bows respectfully. 8/4 19:50:21.807  Kysderal-WyrmrestAccord watches the water for a little bit, lost in thoughts, before finally taking his leave. 8/4 19:50:25.897  Arilyne-WyrmrestAccord says: Please excuse me, I wish to meditate with my Goddess this evening. 8/4 19:50:31.467  Decain-WyrmrestAccord nods at the speaker, then checks the straps on his satchels as he prepares to leave. 8/4 19:50:43.427  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord says: Why didn't you say you were here?! 8/4 19:50:45.287  Telrien-WyrmrestAccord says: I must go make my own preparations. 8/4 19:50:58.799  Ríverdown-WyrmrestAccord pulls Decain, trying to dismount him. 8/4 19:51:04.079  Vivaaldi-WyrmrestAccord says: [Draenei] Forgive me Exarch, Hierarch, I must head back to the Islands ASAP. I wish you all well. 8/4 19:51:10.639  Decain-WyrmrestAccord slides off his mount

[under-the-lake]

Fenrir and Greyback: a liiiiiiitle digression about werewolves - part 2: Ancient Greece and Rome

I chose a philosopher werewolf for the starting picture this time - or so it looks to me - given that both Ancient Greece and Rome are the cradle of our modern philosophies.

What do werewolves do in Continental European mythology? Well, they bite and contaminate. But not only do they do that. They do much more. It actually depends on where the story belongs to, and when it came out. However, the usual idea is that there’s a curse or an involuntary shape-shifting. Unlike some shape-shifters that can change at will and aren’t necessarily as brutal and cruel as the ‘common’ werewolf, or not brutal and cruel at all. I mean, shape-shifting is common in some shamanic cultures, for instance, but they don’t involve barbaric acts or cruelty towards people. They do involve werewolves though, in the sense that they are indeed wolf-men/women.

I am speaking of ‘continental Europe’ about werewolves because since wolves have been extinct in Britain for centuries now, tales about werewolves didn’t really stick on Albion. The last wolf on the island was killed in Scotland (Pertshire) in 1680, but it’s reported that the last Scottish wolf was seen in the 18th century, and some say one was spotted as late as 1888. The stone that is in the picture below even reads : ‘To mark the place near which the last wolf in Sutherland was killed by the hunter Polson, in or about the year 1700, this stone was erected by His Grace the Duke of Portland, K.C., A.D. 1924’. One thing is sure, though, there aren’t wolves on the British Isles today. There’s been talk about reintroducing them, especially to help biodiversity grow, since it’s been a bit lowered by the growing deer population, which, in the absence of predators, is the real king of the forests. Nothing concrete yet though. Of course that doesn’t mean there’s no werewolf stories on the British Isles, but they are not as important in culture than they are in, say, France or Germany.

While the concept of the werewolf (wer = man, from the Latin vir = man, and wulf, in Old English) is strongly linked to the Middle Ages, the Witch Hunts and the rise of Christianity, men transforming into wolves has been widespread in cultures predating our Middle Ages by far, or in so-called pagan cultures.

The word ‘werewolf’ has an equivalent referring to a shape-shifter in almost each European language. Some have more than one word, though, due to the versatility of the idea (being an actual shape-shifter or ‘simply’ embodying the nature and spirit of the beast), or to the importance of wolves and werewolves in a particular mythology, like the Norse one, for instance. Of course, the word has the well-known synonym of ‘lycanthropy’, from ancient Greek, meaning wolf-man. This particular term hasn’t been used as widely as ‘werewolf’ in vernacular languages, because it’s been linked to a disease by Ancient Greeks. The symptoms were such as ‘too great or ravenous appetite’, and were used by scholars like Galen (it’s not exactly Galen, actually - the text containing this bit about werewolves has been falsly attributed to him). The scholars considered lycanthropy a disease and not a transformation.

There are tales about young men disappearing for nine years and turning into wolves after hanging their clothes on a tree branch, such as told by Pliny the Elder. However, it appears that actually in some ancient tribes, young men were initiated to hunting magic by being taught by ‘wolves’, returning to their village nine years later, fully grown men, ready to marry and start a family. Hard to find anything but ‘it is said that’-stuff anywhere though…. So let’s just jump into the subject without further ado.

Ancient Greece and Rome with a little detour

What we, in a christian civilisation, call pagan* civilisations or societies (I hate just saying ‘pagan’ societies. We are all pagan to someone - *see footnote about spelling.) have often had wolf or wolfish creatures as gods. We often think, in central Europe - that is, if you’re not learnt in that subject, which I’m definitely not - that Mediterranean civilisations don’t have wolves. We associate wolves with cold and winter and The North. So definitely not Greece or Italy. Yet that’s a mistake - and for instance, I know there are wolves in the Apennine, but I never associated that with tales or folklore and now I come to think of it, it feels totally weird.. Today, two species of wolves roam the Mediterranean region: the Golden Jackal (Canis aureus, Linnaeus 1758), the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus, Linnaeus 1758). I counted the Jackal among the wolves because we are talking human to animal transformation and not strictly biology, and anyway they are both of the genus Canis so they are brother-species. They are sympatric in some regions, but mostly parapatric, the Jackal inhabiting more desertic and hot places like the northern part of the Sahara desert (first map), whereas the wolf is typically a wood-dweller (second map).

Wolves have not always been seen as something evil, but there’s often been a threat associated to them. Ancient Greece knew a festival called the Lykaia, the main Arcadian festival, dating back to before 3000 B.C.l. It was held on Mount Lykaion (the Wolf-Mount, see picture below) and involved the young men of the tribe, the epheboi. Mount Lykaion has been a sacred mount in Greek civilisation, and is also one of the candidates to be the birthplace of Zeus. As for the Lykaia, it’s an ancient ritual during which an animal would be sacrificed to the god (a weather god, and later Zeus, who along with being the boss, was also the god of thunder and lightning). A single piece of human entrail would be mingled into the animal’s. Some like Pliny the Elder relate that there was actually human sacrifices. He was speaking centuries after the events. No remains of human bones have been found there to this day though, meaning archaeologists haven’t been able to confirm or infirm the statement. As we know, flesh isn’t easily preserved…. HOWEVER I stumbled upon this while looking for pictures for this paper: a publication of the Greek-US research team who are working on the Mount Lykaion site have discovered a human tomb complete with bones and all in the middle of the central altar on Mount Lykaion… the remains are currently being studied but if the boy wasn’t sacrificed, there was at least something important related to humans there, given the prominent position of the grave…  So. Back to thema. It’s said that whoever eats a morsel of the sacrificial mix gets transformed into a wolf and can only return to their human form after nine years , at the date of the next festival, on the sole condition that they didn’t consume human flesh in the interval. This seems like the first ever mention and foundation of the myths of werewolves in Europe.

In Ancient Rome, there was a pastoral festival in February, called the Februa (‘purge, cleansing’) which  later became the Lupercalia . The idea was to purify people and the city. The festival started and ended at the Lupercal, the cave in which the she-wolf (Lupa) had fed Romulus and Remus. A goat or a dog were sacrificed to Lupercus but also to Lupa. Yet from what I read, that’s where the comparison ends. The people actually run naked in the town with only a goat skin, which is due to the fact that a lupercus is the Roman version of the Greek god Pan, the faunus.

To make a small detour outside Greece and Rome, let’s mention that wolf-human descent or having a wolf as a tribe ancestor is something quite widespread. Genghis Khan (1162-1227), for instance, claimed his tribe stemmed from Bortä-Chino, the blue wolf, who represented the sky. The mother of the tribe would be a Doe who represented the earth. They would be the Khan dynasty ancestors. We also know that the Turkish people has a wolf in its history: the Hiongnu people was slaughtered and one only child survived, by chance. It was rescued by a she-wolf who fed him. The she-wolf became his wife and they gave birth to the first of the Tu-Kiu people, namely the first Turkish folks. The cave where the she-wolf fed the boy was a place of worship in which the king made a yearly sacrifice to commemorate the deed.

Yet the Lykaia story is probably the best foundation we have for the myths of werewolves in central Europe. There are of course other stories. And here I’ll tell you five: the famous Lycaon one, and then I’ll mention a Virgil poem, and a couple of other tales by Pliny and Petronius briefly.

Lycaon

In Ancient Greece, the closest to what we now consider a werewolf is told in the story of Lycaon. There are many accounts of the tale, but all involve Lycaon serving Zeus human flesh (often one of his own sons) to test his being omniscient, and most of them have Lycaon transformed into a wolf and a lot of people destroyed by lightning.

I’ll tell you a short version of the story found in Ovid’s Metamorphoses: At the beginning of times, Zeus found himself angry at how the people on Earth were behaving. He decided to go and see for himself if the reports he was given were true. He transformed into a man, and roamed the country, always giving certain signs to show his arrival. When he was arriving to Lycaon’s kingdom, people were praying, like everywhere else, being humble and grateful to see the king of gods.

However, Lycaon wasn’t. He already had the reputation of being a savage and ferocious monster. He didn’t trust the man to be a god, so he decided to test him. He had some prisoners, beheaded one of them, cut him in two and boiled one part while roasting the other. He then served these dishes to Zeus, to see if he was omniscient and could discern the falsehood. Zeus could, of course, and made the house crumble down as a punishment. Lycaon had escaped, though, but was heard howling in the countryside, vainly trying to speak. He turned his fury and viciousness onto beasts, slaying some, and thus becoming more of a wolf each minute, growing fur, not walking on hind legs anymore but on four legs. He became a wolf. However, he kept from his original self the fury and ferociousness.

In this version, we can imagine the story goes in reverse for Greyback, in HP. He keeps part of his werewolfish traits when he is a humanoid (for want of a better word). In both instances, though, the traits are viciousness, cruelty and fury. Both also keep something physical of their previous life: Lycaon, according to Ovid, keeps the colour of his hair, and the fierce eye he had before, whereas Greyback is more furry and has that will of biting that remain throughout the month, and maybe some cannibalism. Both characters are vicious from the start, though. You can’t serve human flesh or develop a taste for biting and killing for pleasure if you aren’t rotten to the core…. Or at least so much that it’s sort of irreversible.

Moeris

In Roman literature, we have a poem by Virgil, written in 39 B.C. and called Alphesiboeus, in which the author describes the situation where a man called Moeris makes some sort of potion out of herbs and turns into a werewolf, to

‘ [...] hide

Within the woods, oft call forth spirits from their deep-dug graves,

And charm away to other fields whole harvests of sown corn.’

It’s one of the earliest references to werewolves. Some of the ideas here might have helped build the medieval idea of werewolf transformation, that often required some magical balm to be applied on the body. Virgil doesn’t make Moeris a bad man whereas the medieval thought was that the werewolf was an agent of the Devil or at least manipulated by him. However, it is thought today that it was only hallucinations on the part of Moeris, and that the herbs he took had some drug-like effect on his brain, addling it enough to make him believe he was one.

The main trait of this werewolf is that he is able to raise dead spirits and spoil harvests. Greyback doesn’t have such traits, nor does Lupin. The only thing they have in common is that while being werewolves, they are inhuman, and are therefore able to do things humans wouldn’t. Moeris can awake the dead and perform some kind of magic, whereas werewolves ‘just’ bite and contaminate other humans.

The Thief and the Innkeeper

This is a fable by Aesop (5th century B.C.), and while the moral is that not all tales are to be believed, it still depicts some of the ‘usual’ traits of the werewolf. Here’s a summary:

A thief hired a room in an inn, in the hope of stealing something worthy enough, that would help him pay for his stay. After some days of fruitless waiting, he saw the innkeeper dressed in a beautiful new coat, sitting at his door. The thief came and sat down next to the innkeeper. The conversation went on nicely for a while and then began to flag. The thief started to yawn and at the same time began to howl like a wolf. The innkeeper asked him what happened, and the thief told his story: ‘First hold my clothes, sir, or I shall tear them into pieces. I don’t know when I got this habit of yawning, nor why these yawning crises were inflicted on me as a punishment or for any other reason. What I do know is that when I yawn and howl for the third time, I actually turn into a wolf and attack men.’

Then he started a second series of yawning and again howled like a wounded wolf. The innkeeper got scared, rose from his seat and attempted to run away, but the thief had got hold of his coat. The thief said: ‘pray, sir, wait and hold my clothes or I shall tear them apart in my fury when I turn into a wolf.’ At the same moment he yawned for the third time and set up a terrifying howl. The innkeeper, scared out of his wits, left his coat in the thief’s hands and ran for his life. He barricaded himself into the inn. The thief walked away with his new coat. Every tale is not to be believed.

In this tale the werewolf is only told to be howling and there’s a hint of the man being cursed. Even if it’s a downright lie to the innkeeper, it is probably still based on some sayings that were common at the time. You don’t just make up such things.

If we compare with the HP werewolves, Lupin indeed considers being a werewolf a curse, and the wounds are said to be cursed in Bill’s case. Greyback, on the other hand, transformed this curse into a strength and a want of revenge (can’t bring myself to say he turned it into anything positive). He must be a very sad person deep inside.

Versipellis - A change of skin

According to Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, people can change skin, and he tells a story to explain the origin of the name ‘versipellis’. He tells about an Arcadian tribe from which a boy is chosen to swim across a lake after having suspended his clothes on an oak, and by reaching the other shore he’d transform into a wolf. He’d be living amongst his fellows for nine years, and after that time, if he hadn’t touched humans, he would be able to swim back, take his old clothes from the oak and get back to human form, only nine years older.

Pliny concludes with ‘how far can the credulity of the Greeks go!!’. One could think it’s about the shape-shifting, but that’s most unlikely, since many other beasts are discussed in the Natural History, like dragons and basiliks, and Pilny is completely fine with them. So he’s not actually ruling out the werewolf per se, I reckon. He probably thinks the literary conventions are too laughable for him. Getting to your old clothes after nine years and finding them where you left them and in a wearable condition seems too far-fetched, whereas fantastic beasts are totally all right...

A Graveyard story

Petronius (1st century A.D.), in his Satyricon, 61-62, gives another account about werewolves, that again displays some of the traits that will pass down to our medieval stories. Here’s the bit about werewolves:

[Two men are walking along the road, the narrator and a soldier, who was a guest in the house. They are going to visit a lover, Melissa.]

We were walking at about cockcrow, the moon shining full, and soon came about the tombstones [they were alongside the road], and my man went to look at the epitaphs, while I sat down and began to count the graves. When I looked back at my friend, he was taking off all his clothes and putting them by the roadside. I was feeling sick, but I didn’t budge. I was rooted to the spot. My friend peed around his clothes, in a ring, and then suddenly turned into a wolf. Believe me, I wouldn’t lie about this to save my life. After he had turned into a wolf, he began to howl, and run off to the woods. I got up and went to take his clothes after having recovered from the first shock, but couldn’t, because they had turned into stone. I was freaking out in terror, but I drew my sword and went to my lover’s home, slaying shadows on the way. When I reached her house, I was feeling like a corpse, sweating all over and hardly to be revived. My dear Melissa was surprised to see me up so late, and told me that earlier a wolf had come and worried all the sheep, attacking them and bleeding them like a butcher. He didn’t win completely, though, because the slave had made a hole in his throat with a spear. When I heard this I couldn’t sleep at all, but on daybreak I went home to my master’s house and when I came to the gravestones along the road, the clothes weren’t there anymore, but there was a pool of blood. When I reached home the soldier was lying in bed, with a doctor looking after his neck. Then I realised he was a werewolf. I never could have a meal with him afterwards.

What comes out of this story is the cruelty, the sort of free boundless cruelty of werewolves. That links without hesitation this story with Greyback, who actually enjoyed it. There’s no hint about that soldier liking it or not.

There’s the full moon, which is the first mention I have seen of it in the texts I’ve read. I’m not much learnt into the subject so if anyone knows of an earlier mention of the changing occurring at full moon please comment below, thank you.

There are also some of the signs that are going to be used in medieval accounts, like the peeing in a circle around the clothes. Also, the fact that you take off your clothes is something that is going to be a medieval trait as well, whereas ‘modern’ depictions don’t care much about that. Lupin, in PoA, doesn’t take his clothes off before turning into a werewolf (yet that might be because he was taken by surprise), but neither does he ever mention him ‘changing’ when he talks about the shape-shifting. As for Greyback, well we know he bites even when the moon isn’t full, which means he’s wearing clothes all the time.

I never saw clothes turn into stones in the other stories I’ve read though. Usually it’s the one thing that can be taken or burnt or destroyed in any way to either save the werewolf or prevent him from turning back to human again. It’s the first time I saw that version.

What can we draw as a first set of conclusions here?

Well, we have the first foundations of the Central European idea of werewolves in the sacrifices on Mount Lykaion in Greece some millennia ago, and some developments of their characters. The ‘taking-off the clothes’ is common to many of those tales, but surviving apparently only into the Middle Ages (see later), in both Christian and non-Christian stories, though with different meanings and powers. Full moon appears in Roman times, un-human traits as well like some sort of magic that can recall the dead, beastly cruelty though is there from the start and seems to be the main link between all those werewolf accounts. It is also the one, along with full moon, that has survived until today, and that Rowling used in her books.

Footnote:

* It has been pointed to me that the word ‘pagan’ should be written with a capital letter because ‘it’s a religion’. I chose not to write it like that for many reasons: First, for me, pagan is not a religion. It’s a word coined by Catholics to define all the religions ‘by default’, whatever their number of gods or other deities, beliefs and structure, by sort of denial, for not being catholic. As if there were nothing better than being a Catholic, and that it’s the only legitimate religion. That was the basic way of thinking not so long ago, and I know many people still think like that, but it’s not the case for me. To me, calling all other religions than Christian ‘pagan’ is discrimination. Second, because that word groups together beliefs and customs and philosophies and society structures that are so different from each other that I can’t use one single word to name them. They all stem from different roots, were born in different parts of the world, grew up often independently of each other, and I feel that if I use one word to name them it’s saying they are a group of ‘undefined societies not fitting with mine’ and I definitely don’t agree with that. Thirdly, and more pragmatically, on a grammatical point of view, there’s no reason to capitalise the ‘p’ in ‘pagan’ because it’s not pointing to a particular religion; it’s an adjective. No dictionary writes it with a capital letter.

Sources for part 2:

Page 394

Asma Stephen T., On Monsters - An Unnatural History of our Worst Fears, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2009

Landry Jean-Marc, Le Loup: Biologie, moeurs, mythologie, cohabitation, protection… Delachaux et Niestlé, Paris, 2001

Lecouteux Claude, Elle courait le garou - Lycanthropes, hommes-ours, hommes-tigres, une anthologie, José Corti, Paris, 2008

Ovide, Les Métamorphoses, Garnier-Flammarion, 1966, pp. 46-48

Rowling, Joanne K., Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Bloomsbury, London, 1999

Aulagnier, S., et al., Guide des mammifères d’Europe, d’Afrique du Nord et du Moyen-Orient, Delachaux et Niestlé, Paris, 2010, pp. 100-101

Encyclopedia Mythica: werewolf: http://www.pantheon.org/articles/w/werewolf.html

Live Science: http://www.livescience.com/24412-werewolves.html

Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/art/werewolf

Wikipedia, Lupercalia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia

The werewolf in Ancient Greece: http://www.jasoncolavito.com/blog/the-werewolf-in-ancient-greece

Werewolves: the myths and the truths: http://alam25.tripod.com/first.htm

Virgil’s werewolf: http://www.werewolves.com/virgils-werewolf/

Plato: Republic, 565, d)-e) http://www.inp.uw.edu.pl/mdsie/Political_Thought/Plato-Republic.pdf

Lykaia festival: https://prezi.com/fru8ahbadfps/the-mysterious-ritual-of-lykaia/

Aesop’s fables: http://www.aesopfables.com/cgi/aesop1.cgi?sel&TheThiefandtheInnkeeper

Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, chapter about wolves  : http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D8%3Achapter%3D34

Petronius, The Satyricon 61-62: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2007.01.0027%3Atext%3DSatyricon%3Asection%3D61

News Network Archaeology, new finds at Mount Lykaion: https://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.ch/2016/08/human-burial-found-in-middle-of.html#tvw3SbRkGybf2akI.97