As summer wore on, showing no soon relief for the weary and overwarm, Steren was left quite glad she slept through the day and received no visitors, except maybe the occasional pack member drifting nearby to ensure she hadn’t died up here yet. It was a peaceful existence. Quiet. Exactly the sort of life she was ever so pleased to be living. Familiar, for she had lived like this for an entire lifetime before it was all cut short.

But even she had a secret summer indulgence. On warm, quiet nights, when even the crickets seemed hesitant to chirp, she would descend the mountain. Easier said than done, but she would descend either way once the sun had sunk low on the horizon, just a sliver of gold. Thus, by the time the moon was high, she was there. A quiet meadow, spotted with what was almost stars brought to earth. And when she stepped out into the field? They rose in bright, flashing clouds, scattering light around her in every way. Fireflies, insects she had always been enamored with. They set her coat alight with their glow, and she raised her nose just enough to be an attractive landing pad for a large female, who sat on the bridge of her muzzle and flashed her rear.

Hello.. She whispered to the bug. It didn’t reply of course, but she couldn’t help the childish giddiness that rose in her gut, a smile creasing her features. It was worth a night missing the sky she had all but chronicled now, to enjoy this small moment in time.

Thorvald

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His night had been eventful. Filled with things he hadn't expected, bright things that might blossom into something more. Who knew? Not him that was for sure, but the moon had risen high in the sky as he wandered towards his home, tired and feeling hazy.

He wandered into a field and he was met with fireflies, they flew into the air and scattered around his large body, illuminating his orange form with a glow that made him seem near ethereal. Blinking pumpkins he scanned the field and noticed another he'd never met before.

Thor tilted his head towards the sky and sniffed a few times, noting they smelled like mountains he approached her with a gentle chuff. Stopping a few feet away the male waved his tail in a friendly manner. Hyvää Iltaa... (Good Evening...) He greeted her with a small smile and a dip of his head to her.

The fireflies illuminated another here among them, casting him in an ethereal glow she caught when she turned. He was made of fire in her eyes, and for a moment her heart stuttered. She remembered the snap of the embers and the hiss of the sparks as they crawled for her feet. The hints she could still catch in her own scent.

But then she blinked, and he was just a man. A tired man, looking at her with the bleary eyes of someone with little sleep. She flashed a smile in return as the soothing hum of the language of the norsemen rolled over her ears.

Good night. She murmured with a dip of her head, remiss to break the quiet of night.

Come to enjoy the fireflies? Part of her almost hoped no, but she knew she couldn’t lay claim to a natural phenomenon.

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She greeted him back with a Good night and he chuckled, noting that it was indeed night and no longer evening. Night... It sure is... He chuckled again and rolled his shoulder's a little. She questioned whether he had come to see the fireflies and Thorvald shook his head slowly, the large cranium moving back and forth in answer, Ei (No)... I was just coming to pass through and saw them from a distance. It is quite beautiful here... He noted as he looked around and gazed off here and there to admire the beauty of the night and all its wonders coming to life.

He wondered if there was a way to capture these beings... Then suddenly he was transported backwards in time almost, his gaze becoming a little far off as he suddenly remembered children with jars filled with lights, the skies lighting with blinking glows like embers. A sigh escaped his nose as he shook his head a little as if to come back into himself and smiled again warmly down at the smaller wolf. Have you? He asked after a moment of silence due to his flashback.

He seemed to have more on his mind than sleeplessness, Steren mused as his gaze went distant. She reached out with a paw to catch one of the bugs on the edge of a toe, bringing it to her face.

I did, yes. Her face softened.

I’ve always admired them. Like stars, brought down for us to interact with. I used to stand at the window of my tower and watch them. On nights like this, I’d go out and catch as many as I could. I would release them soon after, mind, but for just a moment.. It had been like holding the sky in her palms. She watched the firefly lift off and rejoin its fellows.

Pardon me for the trip down memory lane. I’m Steren Prideaux, I’m an astrologer. I’ve taken over the old fortress in the mountains above here, so I’m sorry to say I’m a bit detached from pack happenings. Her face split around a sheepish grin, gaze flicking down and away.

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Remembering an earlier conversation he had with Tyr, where he mentioned a woman in the mountain who talked about stars, he chuckled again, a warm sound and nodded. Ah yes, Tyr mentioned you... It is nice to meet you, I am Thorvald... I... Am not an astrologer... But I do enjoy the stars... He dipped his head a little and sighed. They are beautiful things, great things that we can learn from, stories for the young... He mused, I Live in the forests off over that way... He explained and jerked his head lightly off towards the direction he was headed.

I try to stay in touch with the pack happenings but... I have been caught in my own world... I need to stay on top of things better... He mumbled, a little ashamed of himself for the lack of information he could give the woman. We had a hunt for the festival... Which was quite lovely if I do say so... He was able to explain that, it was something he knew for he arrived for the hunt and had visited the cairns for the festival.

Tyr had mentioned her? Steren tipped her head to the side in a thinking gesture, before letting out a little chuff and rolling her eyes.

All good things, I hope. If he said anything bad, it is exaggeration and should not be relied upon. She said primly, sticking her nose into the air for but a moment before she was back to listening. The man was Thorvald, and she tipped her head to the side for a moment with pursed lips.

Are you like Tyr? One of the gods of the Norsemen? If so, my, what a small world we live in. And how ordinary a mortal like she. Though, she found she didn’t quite mind. Being a god seemed difficult at the best of times, she would rather keep to her towers and her charts.

I watched the festivities from a..bit of a distance I’m afraid. I’ve never been quite the people person, I lived alone beside a lake for most of my life. Studying. In hindsight, perhaps part of her could see how she’d been accused of witchcraft in the first place. But it shouldn’t have been enough to land her here.

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He chuckled again at her words of anything good or an exaggeration and he simply shrugged, leaving it at that, he would tell her if she pried but it was simply not enough to really bother with. She questioned whether of not he was a god and Thor shook his head, Ei, simply a Norseman in... Quite a strange place... He commented. The way the man had been thrust into this world was surely a rude way and he wasn't looking forward to having to do that again anytime soon... He hoped that was his only entrance into another world he'd be making... Though he didn't plan on dying anytime soon.

Steren explained that she watched the festivities from a distance and wasn't much of a people person. Living alone and studying. Ah... I have never been a man for books or studies... I am no
Typerys (Fool) but I am not a man of studies... Thor explained, rolling his shoulders and pulling himself up a bit. What might I ask do you study up there...? He questioned, flicking his nose and pointing it towards where she said she laid her head.

It was like Thorvald had blundered straight into her trap, and the poor man didn’t even know what he’d triggered. Steren brightened, her ears standing straight up, and her tail starting a frantic to and fro near her ankles.

I study the stars! It burst breathless from her chest, and she bounced forward a step away from Thorvald, her face pointed skyward.

The stars are different here. The constellations are different, some I’ve never seen, others in places they shouldn’t be from my memory of my star maps. Some stars are new! Her enthusiasm guttered out, and she let her face fall.

It is, however..quite difficult to map the stars without hands. My paws may carry me quicker than I’ve ever run before, but they are not the greatest for drawing in scale. Or drawing at all..really.. Sadness rose in her breast, but she tried to shove it down.

However, I do the best I can. I have some rocks I’ve been using to carve into the stone, test runs, and I’ve been getting less wobbly with time. Soon, I’ll have a star map again, even if it isn’t nicely illustrated. Steren let her lead fall, looking over her shoulder to the flame colored man.

After I have my map? Well, I have always been interested in herbalism. Perhaps now I will get the chance to actually learn it.

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Suddenly, as if excited, she lit up. Her ears going erect and her tail swishing behind her haunches back and forth to mirror her excitement. Suddenly she busrt out that she studied the stars and went on to explain the things about them. That they were different here, some were new, some in the wrong places, and Thorvald nodded, listening to her with a nod here and there.

She mentioned it was difficult to map them without hands and Thorvald sighed, nodding with understanding. He too had noticed how hard it had been to do things without paws, simple things like hunting and scratching an itch behind the legs.. She explained that they weren't great for drawing and he held his comment till the end of her rambling.

She mentioned that she was trying to use rocks to carve into stone and he tilted his head in curiousity. Then she explained herbalism was her next venture.

Well, many things are difficult without hands... One can't scratch an itch easily anymore... Drawing isn't even the half of it... He agreed before moving on, I would like to see your maps sometime, they sound quite interesting... And herbalism? Not my cup of tea... I could teach you the ways of hunting... Could have... Now it seems I just squish them with my fat Perse (Ass) He laughed deeply, the sound coming from his belly as he tossed his head back as if amused by himself.