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[Kaya Wolf Moon]

This is a private RP with my Soquili, Hollow Tzalmon. Please DO NOT post without permission!



Kaya Wolf Moon's Teepee

 

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

It was a quiet morning. Unusual for him. Then again, it was an unusual morning in general. Not the least part of which was due to the fact he was without his bonded, Shinzui. Shinzui who would typically be bounding around with the energy of a puppy, getting into this and that and calling on Hollow to wake up and get a move on already. Yes, it was different without his friend’s earnest pestering. But Hollow needed this. He needed some time to himself. Not because of anything the wolf had done. No, it was something within Hollow himself. Something that just desired a bit of alone time. To think and to contemplate. As expected, his friend had understood. He hadn’t even bothered asking what was wrong but had instinctively seen whatever the something was. Hollow always wondered how his bonded had been able to do that with him. It was something very few could do. In fact, there was only one other who was able to do the same- his adoptive father. A small smile flitted across his features. His adoptive father, Wolfheart, was a force to be reckoned with when it came to finding adventure and seeking to defend. He was the one who had taught Hollow everything he knew about life. The one who had looked into him and seen someone worth helping.

The feline walker settled against the cool stone of the mountain face, gazing out into the lush field before him. He had found this place the day before. It appeared large yet cozy. The mountainside was dotted with various caves and pathways that denoted some use but nothing constant. He had picked the one he felt most secure in, which just so happened to have the best view. His first night had been spent getting used to the area, to its different noises and habitat. Today, he was determined to simply exist. Perhaps find some food later on but, for now, he was content to merely sit and ponder. Ponder what exactly? He wasn’t sure. He hadn’t been able to pinpoint what it was he needed. Distance to think about it was the obvious course to take. Which he had. But now that he was alone, he found that he still couldn’t quite put his claw on the matter.

“This is where they’d come in handy,” he sighed. Maybe it hadn’t been the best idea to leave Shinzui behind. He could’ve probably already explained whatever Hollow was needing with one quick glance into his eyes. Again, he and Wolfheart were good like that. A fact that both bothered and comforted. Bothered because Hollow hated being read so easily. And Shinzui had a propensity to push things into the annoying realm. Comforted because it provided him a sense of camaraderie he hadn’t been used to feeling at first. If nothing else, there would always be those two willing to help guide him and walk him through whatever difficulty he was having. So then…why had Shinzui let him be alone? Obviously, Hollow had said he wanted to be alone. That was one thing, but the wolf had instantly agreed without a fuss. He didn’t think it too weird at the time but now…Now he had to wonder if this was some sort of lesson being taught. Hollow snickered. “A lesson brought on myself? That wouldn’t be anything new.” How many such lessons had he brought on himself growing up? Too many to count.

WC: 577  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Hollow stared out into the field feeling a bit of melancholy. So many lessons. Necessary lessons, granted. Life lessons. All dating back to that one fateful day. The day he’d come to be discovered by his adoptive father. He remembered little from before that day. Probably due to the fact he had only just popped from his basket the day before that. What he could remember clearly were the yearnings. The desire to hunt and kill, to maim and conquer were foremost in his mind until the moment Wolfheart had come traipsing by. Hollow recalled how, in his feral state, he had launched himself at the larger stallion. Eager for a meal, he completely underestimated the other’s skills. It could be said that it counted as his first lesson. That overestimating oneself and underestimating the opponent would fare badly. Although, he hadn’t really had much in depth thought up to that point either. He’d mostly grunted and growled, doing whatever urge hit him in that instant.

Wolfheart had charmed him in that tussle. The older stallion’s abilities were clearly superior to the newly popped walker’s. Hollow had barely landed a tiny scratch before the gem was emplaced on his chest. Then the emotions came. New levels of thought and feeling opened to him in the blink of an eye. The initial flood confused him. Stilled him as he sought to sort through everything all at once. His adoptive father had seen the alteration. Without batting an eyelash, he deigned to accept him as his son. To guide him through all the new occurrences welling inside. To teach him what it meant to be kind and just. In short order, he had his second life lesson learned- emotions were powerful things. Not to be taken lightly. And so it had been with him. He growing up in the care of a non-walker who treated him as his own and learning what it meant to live with thoughts and emotions. Of course, there were times when he wished he didn’t have such things. Not least of which was when he was bashed or forced from a land merely because of his species. He couldn’t fault the others for their prejudices. Wolfheart had been careful to explain about his species and what outsiders might perceive of him. Still, it did bother him at times, having someone judge him for things outside of his control or purview.

Truth be told, those preconceived notions were the reason why Hollow tended to travel as much as he did. Wolfheart made sure he understood that he could always return to him no matter the circumstance. There was no question that he cared for him. Yet the walker couldn’t bring himself to stay with his father. He gave different reasons each time. He needed to stretch his legs a bit more, needed to find his true love, so on and so forth. His latest excuse being that he needed to find his children from his not so friendly encounter with another walker and charm them. When he’d found out there were children born from that debacle, his instinctive fear of the trauma they could induce drowned his consciousness. He tried to locate them on his own, failing each and every time to even track them. It’d been to the point where he eventually agreed with Shinzui to go to Wolfheart for help. Which, as it turned out, was only slightly more fruitful. The elder stallion had good ideas for locating them but said ideas required they cover a lot of ground. A feat more easily done in two groups instead of one; thus, Hollow and Shinzui had been traveling on their own, seeking one daughter while Wolfheart searched for the other.

WC: 623  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Both stallions had come close to their goal, very close, but Hollow’s children always managed to slip through their grasp. He was finding the one named Dead Reckoning to be especially wearisome to deal with. Her antics caused him no small amount of stress. The years since her birth were littered with tales of death and destruction. It pained him to know his own children were out there in the world being every bit as malevolent as his species was known for, being everything he tried not to be. Hollow frowned. “Nothing’s simple anymore.” And it hadn’t been for awhile. How he longed for the days of simplicity. When he had no responsibilities aside from his usual chores. He missed the walks with his father. Missed the easy way of life. He stilled, understanding dawning on him. He didn’t just miss the simpler times. He missed his home. The walker had done everything he could to stay away because of the discomfort he felt from a few of the surrounding villagers, yet it still called to him. His father called to him. The need to hear his voice, to listen to his tirades about good and evil, to be in his strong presence bubbled to the surface. Within a second, this feeling he’d been having for the past few weeks became clear. It was homesickness.

Hollow had never been homesick before. He prided himself on his independence after all. Yet it all made sense. He’d been away for so long at this point that it was bound to happen. Honestly, it surprised him that it hadn’t happened sooner rather than later. I guess that’s why Shinzui didn’t push it. The wolf knew Hollow needed to work out the emotions on his own. That’s how it always seemed to work out. Drawing in a deep breath, feeling like he had a better grasp, the feline turned his gaze to the horizon. “Maybe it is time I head home. For a little while anyway.” His children could wait for a bit. It was time to be a son again.

FIN

WC: 347