Skill:
Valeska

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The scent of winter, snow, and pine filled Amaranth's nostrils ... engulfing her senses. It was as invigorating as it was relaxing, a strange and unique mixture that permeated from Valeska's skin; it was home. And Amaranth, though not sleeping, would not move from her position, coiled up around her mate in a position that was just as protective as it was vulnerable.

And she would exhale softly, her breath caressing the fur by Valeska's ears as she further relaxed into the curve of her mate's frame. And Amaranth would do her best to empty her mind, trying to remedy the poison of her past to pave the way for a future that ... perhaps ... possessed a few new faces.

She thought of Alder.

And as she did, suddenly, the den grew brighter.

The starlight itself seemed to come to life, dancing downward from the clear midnight sky in the form of soft buzzing fireflies. The dull hum of their wings filled the den, causing warmth and life to reverberate from the cave walls. Their bodies, so delicate, reflected the light of the moon as if drawn from the celestial sky.

Amaranth's eyes flickered, amethyst gaze shifting to observe the strange lights that surrounded them.

Were they spirits?

There was something inviting about them. Something strangely warm.

Мой свет, (My light) she would whisper, nose pressing gently into Valeska's scruff as the magic evolved around them. Summoning them. Beckoning them. Look.

---

She dreamed of Мать (Mama).

It was rare that she thought of her in recent years. Perhaps it was the advent of her own motherhood taking priority, now fully independent and detached from the empty space where Мать (Mama) had once occupied - she had left only a few months into Valeska's early life, taking her half-sister Harper with her when she had been forcibly removed from the pack over a...

A misunderstanding.

Now motherless and the only child left in the pack with a bitter father to watch over her, Valeska had struggled to reconcile her mother's absence.

'Fake it till you make it.' Valeska lived by this mantra from that day onwards, and in time, the magic of that very belief manifested as surely as the sun rose each morning. It was rare that her smile could ever be dimmed, and she felt with all her heart that everything would - eventually - be fine.

It wasn't fine for a long time, and then Houtu sent an angel into her life that everything changed forever.

She awoke to the gentle pressure of her mate's lithe body curled around her, comforting and warm against winter's chill as Amaranth's nose pressed softly yet insistently into the thick of her scruff. Valeska's eyes fluttered open, blinking sleepily in the dim light. Hmm?

As Valeska's vision adjusted,she realized they were surrounded by dozens of flickering lights, and a strange noise permeated the den while they flitted around the pair like something out of a dream.

I - she froze, afraid to even lift her head as her voice came out in a hoarse whisper - How long have they been here? Like this?

Skill:

---

The twinkling lights spread around them, coating the den as they cast their warm silver glow upon the couple below. Amaranth would lift her muzzle, moving it through the air as if to trace patterns in the ethereal light, her amethyst gaze twinkling with curiosity and fascination.

The buzz was almost like a summoning, a soft drumming cacophony that would build behind her ears.

Valeska would wake, freezing into Amaranth's side. The wraith would coil closer, enveloping her smaller mate in a protective level of warmth while keeping her gaze glued to the invasive beetles. They just arrived, the woman would hum, the melody of her voice echoing softly against the familiar curves of the den wall. And one by one, as the women watched, the fireflies would begin to move, receding from the den in an ermine wave and taking the warmth and light with them.

But they would hover at the mouth of the den.

Expectant. Waiting for the pair to follow.

Amaranth's gaze would turn toward Valeska, ears flicking forward as she tilted her head. I think they have something to tell us. But she would hesitate, suddenly nervous to trust her senses. The last time she had an idea, she'd ended up nearly ripped in half and thrown down a river like a used napkin.

She was afraid to go alone.

---

The fireflies gradually withdrew, and Valeska breathed a short sigh of relief. Normally she would welcome a vision such at this, but after the horrible caverns from autumn, she viewed unexpected events of this flavor with a slightly more skeptical eye.

Tell us? she repeated back owlishly. But they are - they are bugs. I do not think they can talk.

But...

Could they talk?

Amaranth was the more spiritually gifted of the pair... if a stone could speak, then surely her mate would have heard its rumbling tones by now. Taking the notion far too literally, Valeska chose to trust in Amaranth's linguistic knowledge and hoisted herself up.

If your soul feels compelled to speak to the bugs, she said, Then we shall converse.

Taking charge of the situation, the little wolf thrust her head out of the den and took a quick look at her surroundings. All seemed peaceful and quiet with little out of the ordinary... barring a faintly-shifting cloud of lights twinkling mischievously in the distance.

BUGS, she called, WAIT FOR US. WE WISH TO TALK!

They seemed to drift further away.

Come, Amaranth. They are hard of hearing.

Brushing her tail against the golden woman's shoulder, Valeska took off at a brisk trot.

Skill:

---

Amaranth would hesitate, the lack of trust in her instincts evident, and for a few striking moments she displayed vulnerability. It was not often that she hesitated on gut instinct, for that was how she made her way through most of her life. But with her age, perhaps, she grew more aware of her own flaws. She grew more aware that if she made a mistake, something could happen to her.

And that there were those around who cared about that.

Thankfully, she had Valeska to bolster her, and the wraith would offer a hazy smile as she recollected her thoughts. Not all messages must be spoken, she would remind playfully, waving her tail behind her as Valeska would perk up, becoming instantly ready to initiate their new mission:

Bug Talk.

Valeska's booming voice would sound, echoing through the softness of the midnight ... and the bugs seemed to accelerate away from the pair.

"Come, Amaranth. They are hard of hearing."

With a nod, the golden woman would follow, pacing after her wife as they wove their way through the darkness ... together ... chasing after the glittering silver lights. The bugs left little hints of sparkle down the path, glowing like stars. It was as if the sky above had descended, leaving them trailing in the milky way. Everything felt warm, despite the cool colors, and there were trails of light moving all around them.

Amaranth would smile, should-to-shoulder with Valeska as the bugs buzzed around them.

It felt almost sentient.

And suddenly ...

The world seemed to shift around them, hazily transforming. The starlight, for a few moments, was blinding, and Amaranth flinched, closing her eyes for but a second as she pressed into Valeska's shoulder.

Within an instant, they were transported to two lifetimes ago. When Amaranth opened her eyes, she was standing right in the middle of Old Elysium, with the ancient trees overhead and the granite, cracking walls. She recognized it immediately.

This was the world where Amaranth and Valeska had first met.

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