for the goddess-- [open]

[Ϻinέrvă]

Aditi

<sup>Aditi's limbs felt stiff and clumsy as she stretched. She had spent the night at the base of Hagen Mesa, wanting to arrive at the top in time for the sunrise. Her parents believed that sunrise was the best time to ask Eperna for anything, as the sun goddess would feel fresh and be more approachable. Aditi was unsure if this superstition had any bearing--her parents weren't quite the fountains of truth she once thought them--but she felt compelled to follow the tradition in honor of her family.

This would be her first time here alone, and only her second time at the festival. Her legs shook in the cool pre-dawn air, betraying her nerves. To offend the goddess, or any of the wolven deities, was a serious offense. Aditi dissected her memory of her first offering, trying to dig up any necessary incantations or actions. At six months, she had been young enough for her parents to present an offering on her behalf, so her attention had often wandered. She could recall an invocation of Eperna's name and a request, but not much else.

She turned to a patch of ground next to where she had slept, the soft mound of dirt marking it as tomb of some object. Cream paws worked at the soil, sending great sprays of dirt out between her legs. Soon she had unearthed her offering: a small turtle shell, complete with a turtle inside. The creature was dead of course, a feat that required a great deal of Aditi's meager patience. She had crouched as still as she could next to the shell, then snapped the creature's neck when it finally poked it's strange head out. Aditi examined her gift, wonder whether or not to eat the animal inside before giving the shell to Eperna. No, she decided, feeling that the goddess would enjoy the meat before she used the shell to decorate her golden palace.

Awkwardly clamping her jaws on the tapered edge of the shell, Aditi began the trek up Hagen Mesa. By the time she reached the highest point, copious amounts of drool were dripping from her lips. The thin band of gold on the horizon told her she had timed her journey just right. Soon, Eperna would rise and bring her radiant light to the world.

Aditi could not help but feel a sense of awe at the sight of the sunrise. The multicolored sky provided the perfect frame for the sun, a brilliant sphere of light to bright to gaze upon. The point of Hagen Mesa was the first bit of land to be illuminated, the green grass turned golden. Laying her offering in the light, Aditi raised her snout to the warm rays.

"Eperna, Queen of the Summer, please accept my offering." Aditi spoke to the empty air, feeling a bit silly. The threat of the goddess' wrath propelled her through the rest of the ceremony. "I give you this shell in hopes that you will give me safety and protection. And for my family . . ." her voice died as a lump rose in her throat. After a moment she continued. "And for my family I ask for the same protection." Wherever they are, she thought sadly.

The she-wolf lowered her muzzle and sighed. She had used a much grander tone than she usually had, which she had at first thought very fitting. Now, she wondered if it sounded pretentious. She wondered if Eperna even cared.

With nothing else to do, Aditi watched as the sun rose, listening to the birds welcome the goddess back from her slumber.</sup>

[DIVINE WOLVES]

EPERNA

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Sunlight sparkled dew lay heavy on the morning's sweet grasses, the earth and moist coated in a rising light as the day began. The land was bright and inviting, warm and welcoming to the new day. Her new, beautiful spring day. It was a festive air of regalement dancing through the flowers, sprinkled with the emboldening salsa of warm, alluring summer. Contagious, it rippled through the meadow, making the vibrant grasses wave and flowers burst into bloom at the fresh start. The season of balmy air waves and sweet nights filled with glowing, glittering stars had finally made a debut. Summer was here.

In all of her splendor, a she-wolf waltzed through the luscious scenery, her sparkling features only illuminated further by the sun's temperate rays that made her red tinted fur burst with a blazing color of heated sienna. She, in fact, was stunning perfection. The female's legs skipped rhythmically over the hillsides, sides heaving not with exhaustion but a strange, untamed wildness that glinted in her eyes. This, then was Eperna, the maker of time and the country itself, browsing her creation as he nose brushed the earth's floor, lungs breathing deep as lavender and bright flower aromas greeted her kindly.

With regret Eperna moved on. From her sacred meadows wings seemed to sprout and allow her the grace of flying, like a phoenix that fluttered magnificently through the ashes of a long, forgotten life. Her eyes surveyed the land as she twisted and swirled through the air, currents of cold and warm alike ruffling her fur, a soft, glittering dust cascading over the land in her wake. It occurred to the goddess she heard a pleading voice; far away but how distinct! The cardinal wings flapped southbound, Eperna's red ears flipping in anticipation. By voice memorization alone the she-wolf knew who it had been that had howled her name from the large stone rock. Aditi. As the name flashed through her mind pictures raced into her, the emotions tearing into her with a wave of sadness.

However clear the path to her dear parents was, it was not her job to reveal that to a wolf so young. The hardships and trials of life would be Aditi's guide. With a sweep she appeared before Aditi, a flash of startling light behind her. The she-wolf before her had made her wish known plain as day. But Eperna simply dipped her crimson head, golden eyes boring into her subject.

"Yes, my child?"

The difference between the mortal and the immortal was obvious. Eperna's head was adorned with a beautiful shimmering crown of roses, the blossoms piled daintily on her chiseled features. A sweet aroma of summer heat and wild nights fell around them, the darkness of night and the brightness of day echoed in her eyes that flickered before Aditi's own. It wasn't often she appeared to wolves, even if this was her own festival. But something needed to be done for this wolfess, this young life. Sparkling with the brilliance of the holiest heavens, Eperna let her ruby red wings fall gently away, her image nothing more than an ordinary wolf of the spiraling sky. Again, her velvet voice hit the air, a pleasant sound with the quality of dignified church bells in crisp winter snows.

"What do you desire, my love?"

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[Ϻinέrvă]

Aditi

<sup>As the sun's light spread to cover the rest of Ravensbruck below her, Aditi marveled at the sight. The details of every tree and blade of grass were sharp and clear; she had never seen the world this way before. Her brown eyes blinked against the bright illumination. She suddenly realized the sun was brighter than it should have been. It's brilliance grew until she was forced to turn her head away to protect her eyes. What's happening? she thought, panicking.

"Yes, my child?"

For a moment Aditi believed she heard her mother's voice, that someone how Eperna had worked a miracle for her. But as the light abated and she turned her head, Aditi found anything but her plain and quiet mother. This fae was clothed in a coat of fur so red it nearly matched the roses that circled her head and her composure was nothing short of regal. At first the femme seemed to have wings like a bird, but when Aditi blinked they were gone.

"Eperna," Aditi whispered in awe, knowing it couldn't be anyone else.

"What do you desire, my love?"

Now Eperna's voice sounded like that of a goddess. It was musical, light and lilting, and powerful, deep and resounding. It was warm and comforting, but also strong and demanding. Aditi couldn't imagine a voice more beautiful. When she tried to speak, her own voice sounded like the caw of a raven in comparison.

"I came to ask of you safety and--" Her pretense and carefully constructed speech dropped away as tears sprang to her eyes. "My family, ma'am. I want them to be safe and happy. I want to know where they are." She looked up at the goddess, her voice wavering and her eyes pleading. "I need your help, Eperna. I'm alone now and . . . I'm scared."

The reality of Aditi now showed; a lost puppy, scared and confused. Her heart ached for her mother, something that Eperna--not only a mother to Farun and Turpa, but considered the mother of all wolves--would surely sympathize with. At least, Aditi hoped she would.

I'm standing next to a goddess! Excitement filled her soul as she realized the miracle happening in front of her. Though each pup born in Ravensbruck was taught to worship the gods, Aditi suspected that many never truly believed. She knew that her own dependence on the gods fluctuated according to circumstance. Eperna had done her a world of good just by appearing. Now Aditi knew someone cared, and at that moment she felt that was all she needed.</sup>

[DIVINE WOLVES]

EPERNA

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"I came to ask of you safety and--"

It was with a restraint that Eperna said nothing yet, her ruby red ears pricked with eagerness at Aditi's speech. Granted, she already knew what this she-wolf wished for, but it wouldn't hurt to allow her to speak for herself.

"My family, ma'am. I want them to be safe and happy. I want to know where they are."

At this the goddess's facade softened, her tail lowering in a mutual feeling of loss and longing. It must be hard for her to deal with the distance of her parents, her kin, without a clue to their whereabouts.

"I need your help, Eperna. I'm alone now and . . . I'm scared."

Eperna eyed Aditi a moment before closing her own auric hued eyes, her buzzing mind focusing on what she wished to give Aditi. With a quick spin on her rounded paws, Eperna moved herself and Aditi to a meadow of red, floating flowers and drifting poppies of sweet yellows and blazing pinks, the colors vibrant and sparkling against a soft sea of sweet verdant grass. It was Eperna's rumored meadow, the one where Iudex would sleep beside her at night and together dip head first into the rolling valleys of night as dusk fell gently over them. They would play pup-games and hold mock fights, wrestling each other lovingly to the ground, fire in their eyes. Shaking away the immobilizing nostalgia, Eperna dipped her head and spoke.

"Welcome to the Schonn Meadow, Aditi."

Now that Eperna thought it over, she never recalled bringing a mortal wolf to these hallowed grounds. Maybe she should make that a bigger habit of hers. With grace she strutted over to a nearby creek, flickering her ears so Aditi would know to follow. Before them lay a bubbling, cackling creek and the goddess lowered her ebony nose until a cold chill rushed through her body; it infused her skin with a feeling of racing in the brushing wind and enjoying wild nights of glory and passion. Yet as the emotions fled through her it passed suddenly, the hasty beating of her immortal heart the only remainder of what had occurred. As Eperna pulled away from the waters they smoothed over like glass, tiny pictures forming on the solidifying surface.

Before the two she-wolves rose a small image of Anahita, Aditi's mother, romping over a hill with her mate, Pitam. It was a surreal picture of the two as they raced beside each other, their forms sparkling and vague in comparison to the vibrant, bold colors of the grass below them. Regardless, their howl cackled through the silence that had grown up between the mortal and immortal, shattering quiet closure and bringing their faux forms into life. The scene changed and before them laid Moda, his coat darker than before yet more solid looking than his parents. In contrast, the scenery around him was more believable, the grass dried to a crisp and the trees hanging low leaves off their bowing branches.

Eperna hoped that Aditi would realize the truth of her parents and how that connected to her brother's current location.

"I will always be with you."

Barely a whisper, Eperna's soft breath hung near Aditi's ear. But when the she-wolf would turn to look at the goddess next to her, she would have disappeared and the fantasy of the Schonn Meadow would melt away, lost to only a figment of blazing imagination.

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[Ϻinέrvă]

Aditi

<sup>When Eperna turned around, Aditi's heart sank. She had angered the goddess. She had asked for too much or spoke to casually. The chance of a lifetime stood before her and she let it slip away. The young femme would have continued berating herself, but at that moment she noticed the burst of color around her.

If she thought the sunrise was beautiful, it paled in comparison to this magnificent field. Everywhere she looked there was something new to delight her eyes. The sky was a shade of blue more pure than anything she had witnessed before. It stretched over them like a blanket, so vast and deep Aditi felt she could lose herself in it. Eperna said something she couldn't quite catch. It had something do to with the meadow, so Aditi felt she should say something about it, too.

"It's absolutely beautiful. I could stay here forever and never get tired of it. It's just . . ." Aditi struggle to find a word that could encompass everything about the meadow. "It's so . . ." Her brain failed again to supply her with a word, so she let the sentence lay unfinished. Besides, Eperna was already on the move.

It took two steps of Aditi's to keep pace with each one of Eperna's flowing strides, but the sudden rush of adrenaline in her veins made it effortless. When they reached a creek, the goddess lowered her head to the water. Aditi watched, confused, and wondered if she was meant to drink as well. However, when Eperna freed her muzzle she gave no order, but merely settled her gaze on the clear water.

As Aditi's own eyes took in the stillness of the water, an image began to form. In less than a second, she could see her parents as clear as if they were standing in front of her. A grin split her face and her eyes grew bright. They looked so happy and free, with nothing haunting them. The backdrop was a place much like the meadow, with hues brighter than any color on earth. With a jolt, Aditi realized what Eperna was showing her. "They're at peace." Her voiced wavered, threatening to fail her. She knew the words were true, but she would still grieve for them.

The next scene brought conflicting emotions. It was Moda, but larger than when she had last seen him. She supposed he was bigger than her now, though they had always been tied as pups. He was obviously very much alive, as the desolate place behind him had no place in paradise. She took in the angry red stripes on his sides and the blood in his fur. "Oh, Moda," she breathed, knowing the reason for them. "We'll never learn to keep our big mouths shut, will we?" Back when they were all together, she and her brother would say this when their mother chastened them for speaking too boldly, grinning mischievous grins at their impudence.

He was alive. She should focus on the positive. He was alive and at the Rock. If she went there she could find him, maybe take him back to her new pack. But the thought of walking in the place where so many lives were ruined and so much innocent blood shed made her nauseous. Yet the thought of leaving him there to suffer his fate filled her with more revulsion. She wanted to ask Eperna for help, but a soft voice silenced her, like a breeze tickling her audits.

"I will always be with you."

The breeze became a strong wind that carried the words away. It dried her eyes until she was forced to blink. When Aditi opened them and turn to the goddess, the ruby form had vanished, along with the meadow. She was once again at the summit of Hagen Mesa, alone. What she had seen in the creek echoed in her memory, every detail etched into her brain. However, it was already hard to recall exactly what Eperna looked like, or the colors of the meadow. Not even the sweet smell of roses remained to indicate that the goddess had ever appeared. Aditi searched the dirt for paw prints and gasped. The turtle was gone, leaving only a small indentation in the ground.

With renewed hope, Aditi traveled back down the incline. When she blinked, the image of Moda broken and bloody burned behind her eyelids. However, it only fueled her determination to one day find him. In a burst of energy, she broke into a run, hearing Eperna's sweet voice in every breeze.</sup>