Dancing in the Moonlight (tag Sahoni!)

[Terra]

Her eyes follow Sahoni for a while before she finally fell into a deep sleep. Terra’s breathing pattern becoming steady as she fell into a slumber and mind constantly spinning despite her lack of consciousness. What was wrong with her?

Terra’s dream was the basic, nightly dream. Her voice low as she muttered her fears aloud only said in the confines of her deepest dreams. Although she held a strong appearance she was truly very ill.

Everywhere in her subconscious floated images of the titans, her friends, Slade, her family, anyone who she’s met and hurt through what seemed to be her eternity spent on this earth. All of them haunted her very dreams.

Snapping awake, eyes wide and face covered in her own tears Terra looked around, fearful. Nothing had happened while she had slept at least; her mind had managed control of the emotions sent wild upon her closing her eyes. Her hands rubbed the salty water and all traces of sleepiness from her face as she stood to her feet. Sahoni couldn’t be bothered; she had only slept a couple hours which was indecent for someone of her age though Terra understood sleep was no longer an option. She would at least allow Sahoni to sleep for a reasonable amount of him.

She walked away careful not to wake him, her feet padding against the dusted ground as she turned back slowly just to check on him. She faced forward once more sprinting to the lake. Now, to practice though that seemed near impossible.

She was much too confused about all these emotions none of them making sense.

She sat down on a rock, unsure. Sahoni seemed to almost need her yet Terra wasn’t the person anyone should set their trust in. She had a large tendency to let people down soon after a friendship was formed. Sure she wanted company, who wouldn’t enjoy some company every now and again?


Terra knew better than to trust herself with such a large responsibility though as she stared into the calm water. Lifting a rock with her hand she held it tightly in her fist then forced it through the water below her. She needed to figure things out and quickly; she hadn’t wanted this boy to get used to her. Terra was only fourteen; she wasn’t someone who had made up their mind on their entire life yet. She still had a lot to worry about and Sahoni wasn’t helping her make such a large decision.

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[Sahoni]

Sahoni curled up in a tight ball. He looked like a giant innocent puppy in his unorthodox sleeping position. His earthy hair swayed lightly in the light zephyr. It was amazing how someone could be in so much peace in his sleep, yet, in his waking hours be so tortured with self-doubt and fear.

The answer was simple though... he was thinking of his grandfathers "Farm". A much simpler time where it was okay and even normal for humans to shapeshift.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Another story!" the little Sahoni asked.
" Again? Alright..." he said reciting his part in this little ritual.
(actual myth)
"When I was a boy this is what the old men told me they had heard when they were boys.

Long years ago, soon after the world was made, a hunter and his wife lived at Pilot knob with their only child, a little boy. The father's name was Kana'tï (The Lucky Hunter), and his wife was called Selu (Corn). No matter when Kana'tï went into the wood, he never failed to bring back a load of game, which his wife. would cut up and prepare, washing off the blood from the meat in the river near the house. The little boy used to play down by the river every day, and one morning the old people thought they heard laughing and talking in the bushes as though there were two children there. When the boy came home at night his parents asked him who had been playing with him all day. "He comes out of the water," said the boy, "and he calls himself my elder brother. He says his mother was cruel to him and threw him into the river." Then they knew that the strange boy had sprung from the blood of the game which Selu had washed off at the river's edge.

Every day when the little boy went out to play the other would join him, but as he always went back again into the water the old people never had a chance to see him. At last one evening Kana'tï said to his son, "Tomorrow, when the other boy comes to play, get him to wrestle with you, and when you have your arms around him hold on to him and call for us." The boy promised to do as he was told, so the next day as soon as his playmate appeared he challenged him to a wrestling match. The other agreed at once, but as soon as they had their arms around each other, Kana'tï's boy began to scream for his father. The old folks at once came running down, and as soon as the Wild Boy saw them he struggled to free himself and cried out, "Let me go; you threw me away!" but his brother held on until the parents reached the spot, when they seized the Wild Boy and took him home with them. They kept him in the house until they had tamed him, but he was always wild and artful in his disposition, and was the leader of his brother in every mischief. It was not long until the old people discovered that he had magic powers, and they called him I'näge-utäsûñ'hï (He-who-grew-up-wild).

Whenever Kana'tï went into the mountains he always brought back a fat buck or doe, or maybe a couple of turkeys. One day the Wild Boy said to his brother, "I wonder where our father gets all that game; let's follow him next time and find out." A few days afterward Kana'tï took a bow and some feathers in his hand and started offoward the west. The boys waited a little while and then went after him, keeping out of sight until they saw him go into a swamp where there were a great many of the small reeds that hunters use to make arrowshafts. Then the Wild Boy changed himself into a puff of bird's down, which the wind took up and carried until it alighted upon Kana'tï's shoulder just as he entered the swamp, but Kana'tï' knew nothing about it. The old man cut reeds, fitted the feathers to them and made some arrows, and the Wild Boy--in his other shape--thought, "I wonder what those things are for?" When Kana'tï had his arrows finished he came out of the swamp and went on again. The wind blew the down from his shoulder, and it fell in the woods, when the Wild Boy took his right shape again and went back and told his brother what he had seen. Keeping out of sight of their father, they followed him up the mountain until he stopped at a certain place and lifted a large rock. At once there ran out a buck, which Kana'tï shot, and then lifting it upon his back he started for home again. "Oho!" exclaimed the boys, "he keeps all the deer shut up in that hole, and whenever he wants meat he just lets one out and kills it with those things he made in the swamp." They hurried and reached home before their father, who had the heavy deer to carry, and he never knew that they had followed.

A few days later the boys went back to the swamp, cut some reeds, and made seven arrows and then started up the mountain to where their father kept the game. When they got to the place, they raised the rock and a deer came running out. Just as they drew back to shoot it, another came out, and then another and another, until the boys got confused and forgot what they were about. In those days all the deer had their tails hanging down like other animals, but as a buck was running past the Wild Boy struck its tail with his arrow so that it pointed upward. The boys thought this good sport, and when the next one ran past the Wild Boy struck its tail so that it stood straight up, and his brother struck the next one so hard with his arrow that the deer's tail was almost curled over his back. The deer carries his tail this way ever since. The deer came running past until the last one had come out of the hole and escaped into the forest. Then came droves of raccoons, rabbits, and all the other four-footed animals-all but the bear, because there was no bear then. Last came great flocks of turkeys, pigeons, and partridges that darkened the air like a cloud and made such a noise with their wings that Kana'tï, sitting at home, heard the sound like distant thunder on the mountains and said to himself, "My bad boys have got into trouble; I must go and see what they are doing."

So he went up the mountain, and when he came to the place where he kept the game he found the two boys standing by the rock, and all the birds and animals were gone. Kana'tï was furious, but withoutsaying a word he went down into the cave and kicked the covers off four jars in one corner, when out swarmed bedbugs, fleas, lice, and gnats, and got all over the boys. They screamed with pain and fright and tried to beat off the insects, but the thousands of vermin crawled over them and bit and stung them until both dropped down nearly dead. Kana'tï stood looking on until he thought they had been punished enough, when he knocked off the vermin and made the boys a talk. "Now, you rascals," said he, "you have always had plenty to eat and never had to work for it. Whenever you were hungry all I had to do was to come up here and get a deer or a turkey and bring it home for your mother to cook; but now you have let out all the animals, and after this when you want a deer to eat you will have to hunt all over the woods for it, and then maybe not find one. Go home now to your mother, while I see if I can find something to eat for supper."

When the boys got home again they were very tired and hungry and asked their mother for something to eat. "There is no meat," said Selu, "but wait a little while and I'll get you something." So she took a basket and started out to the storehouse. This storehouse was built upon poles high up from the ground, to keep it out of the reach of animals, and there was a ladder to climb up by, and one door, but no other opening. Every day when Selu got ready to cook the dinner she would go out to the storehouse with a basket and bring it back full of corn and beans. The boys had never been inside the storehouse, so wondered where all the corn and beans could come from, as the house was not a very large one; so as soon as Selu went out of the door the Wild Boy said to his brother, "Let's go and see what she does." They ran around and climbed up at the back of the storehouse and pulled out a piece of clay from between the logs, so that they could look in. There they saw Selu standing in the middle of the room with the basket in front of her on the floor. Leaning over the basket, she rubbed her stomach--so--and the basket was half full of corn. Then she rubbed under her armpits--so--and the basket was full to the top with beans. The boys looked at each other and said, "This will never do; our mother is a witch. If we eat any of that it will poison us. We must kill her."

When the boys came back into the house, she knew their thoughts before they spoke. "So you are going to kill me?" said Selu. "Yes," said the boys, "you are a witch." "Well," said their mother, "when you have killed me, clear a large piece of ground in front of the house and drag my body seven times around the circle. Then drag me seven times over the ground inside the circle, and stay up all night and watch, and in the morning you will have plenty of corn." The boys killed her with their clubs, and cut off her head and put it up on the roof of the house with her face turned to the west, and told her to look for her husband. Then they set to work to clear the ground in front of the house, but instead of clearing the whole piece they cleared only seven little spots. This is why corn now grows only in a few places instead of over the whole world. They dragged the body of Selu around the circle, and wherever her blood fell on the ground the corn sprang up. But instead of dragging her body seven times across the ground they dragged it over only twice, which is the reason the Indians still work their crop but twice. The two brothers sat up and watched their corn all night, and in the morning it was full grown and ripe.

When Kana'tï came home at last, he looked around, but could not see Selu anywhere, and asked the boys where was their mother. "She was a witch, and we killed her," said the boys; "there is her head up there on top of the house." When he saw his wife's head on the roof, he was very angry, and said, "I won't stay with you any longer; I am going to the Wolf people." So he started off, but before he had gone far the Wild Boy changed himself again to a tuft of down, which fell on Kana'tï's shoulder. When Kana'tï reached the settlement of the Wolf people, they were holding a council in the townhouse. He went in and sat down with the tuft of bird's down on his shoulder, but he never noticed it. When the Wolf chief asked him his business, he said: "I have two bad boys at home, and I want you to go in seven days from now and play ball against them." Although Kana'tï spoke as though he wanted them to play a game of ball, the Wolves knew that he meant for them to go and kill the two boys. They promised to go. Then the bird's down blew off from Kana'tï's shoulder, and the smoke carried it up through the hole in the roof of the townhouse. When it came down on the ground outside, the Wild Boy took his right shape again and went home and told his brother all that he had heard in the townhouse. But when Kana'tï left the Wolf people, he did not return home, but went on farther.

The boys then began to get ready for the Wolves, and the Wild Boy--the magician--told his brother what to do. They ran around the house in a wide circle until they had made a trail all around it excepting on the side from which the Wolves would come, where they left a small open space. Then they made four large bundles of arrows and placed them at four different points on the outside of the circle, after which they hid themselves in the woods and waited for the Wolves. In a day or two a whole party of Wolves came and surrounded the house to kill the boys. The Wolves did not notice the trail around the house, because they came in where the boys had left the opening, but the moment they went inside the circle the trail changed to a high brush fence and shut them in. Then the boys on the outside took their arrows and began shooting them down, and as the Wolves could not jump over the fence they were all killed, excepting a few that escaped through the opening into a great swamp close by. The boys ran around the swamp, and a circle of fire sprang up in their tracks and set fire to the grass and bushes and burned up nearly all the other wolves. Only two or three got away, and from these have come all the wolves that are now in the world.

Soon afterward some strangers from a distance, who had heard that the brothers had a wonderful grain from which they made bread, came to ask for some, for none but Selu and her family had ever known corn before. The boys gave them seven grains of corn, which they told them to plant the next night on their way home, sitting up all night to watch the corn, which would have seven ripe ears in the morning. These they were to plant the next night and watch in the same way, and so on every night until they reached home, when they would have corn enough to supply the whole people. The strangers lived seven days' journey away. They took the seven grains and watched all through the darkness until morning, when they saw seven tall stalks, each stalk bearing a ripened ear. They gathered the ears and went on their way. The next night they planted all their corn, and guarded it as before until daybreak, when they found an abundant increase. But the way was long and the sun was hot, and the people grew tired. On the last night before reaching home they fell asleep, and in the morning the corn they had planted had not even sprouted. They brought with them to their settlement what corn they had left and planted it, and with care and attention were able to raise a crop. But ever since the corn must be watched and tended through half the year, which before would grow and ripen in a night.

As Kana'tï did not return, the boys at last concluded to go and find him. The Wild Boy took a gaming wheel and rolled it toward the Darkening land. In a little while the wheel came rolling back, and the boys knew their father was not there. He rolled it to the south and, to the north, and each time the wheel came back to him, and they knew their father was not there. Then he rolled it toward the Sunland, and it did not return. "Our father is there," said the Wild Boy, "let us go and find him." So the two brothers set off toward the east, and after traveling a long time they came upon Kana'tï walking along with a little dog by his side. "You bad boys," said their father, "have you come here? "Yes," they answered, "we always accomplish what we start out to do--we are men." "This dog overtook me four days ago," then said Kana'tï, but the boys knew that the dog was the wheel which they had sent after him to find him. "Well," said Kana'tï, "as you have found me, we may as well travel together, but I shall take the lead."

Soon they came to a swamp, and Kana'tï told them there was something dangerous there and they must keep away from it. He went on ahead, but as soon as he was out of sight the Wild Boy said to his brother, "Come and let us see what is in the swamp." They went in together, and in the middle of the swamp they found a large panther asleep. The Wild Boy got out an arrow and shot the panther in the side of the head. The panther turned his head and the other boy shot him on that side. He turned his head away again and the two brothers shot together--tust, tust, tust! But the panther was not hurt by the arrows and paid no more attention to the boys. They came out of the swamp and soon overtook Kana'tï, waiting for them. "Did you find it?" asked Kana'tï. "Yes," said the boys, "we found it, but it never hurt us. We are men." Kana'tï was surprised, but said nothing, and they went on again.

After a while he turned to them and said, "Now you must be careful. We are coming to a tribe called the Anäda'dûñtäskï. ("Roasters," i.e., cannibals), and if they get you they will put you into a pot and feast on you." Then he went on ahead. Soon the boys came to a tree which had been struck by lightning, and the Wild Boy directed his brother to gather some of the splinters from the tree and told him what to do with them. In a little while they came to the settlement of the cannibals, who, as soon as they saw the boys, came running out, crying, "Good, here are two nice fat strangers. Now we'll have a grand feast!" They caught the boys and dragged them into the townhouse, and sent word to all the people of the settlement to come to the feast. They made up a great fire, put water into a large pot and set it to boiling, and then seized the Wild Boy and put him down into it. His brother was not in the least frightened and made no attempt to escape, but quietly knelt down and began putting the splinters into the fire, as if to make it burn better. When the cannibals thought the meat was about ready they lifted the pot from the fire, and that instant a blinding light filled the townhouse, and the lightning began to dart from one side to the other, striking down the cannibals until not one of them was left alive. Then the lightning went up through the smokehole, and the next moment there were the two boys standing outside the townhouse as though nothing had happened. They went on and soon met Kana'tï, who seemed much surprised to see them, and said, "What! are you here again?" "O, yes, we never give up. We are great men!" "What did the cannibals do to you?" "We met them and they brought us to their townhouse, but they never hurt us." Kana'tï said nothing more, and they went on.

* * * * * * *

He soon got out of sight of the boys, but they kept on until they came to the end of the world, where the sun comes out. The sky was just coming down when they got there, but they waited until it went up again, and then they went through and climbed up on the other side. There they found Kana'tï and Selu sitting together. The old folk received them kindly and were glad to see them, telling them they might stay there a while, but then they must go to live where the sun goes down. The boys stayed with their parents seven days and
then went on toward the Darkening land, where they are now. We call them Anisga'ya Tsunsdi' (The Little Men), and when they talk to each other we hear low rolling thunder in the west.

After Kana'tï's boys had let the deer out from the cave where their father used to keep them, the hunters tramped about in the woods for a long time without finding any game, so that the people were very hungry. At last they heard that the Thunder Boys were now living in the far west, beyond the sun door, and that if they were sent for they could bring back the game. So they sent messengers for them, and the boys came and sat down in the middle of the townhouse and began to sing.

At the first song there was a roaring sound like a strong wind in the northwest, and it grew louder and nearer as the boys sang on, until at the seventh song a whole herd of deer, led by a large buck, came out from the woods. The boys had told the people to be ready with their bows and arrows, and when the song was ended and all the deer were close around the townhouse, the hunters shot into them and killed as many as they needed before the herd could get back into the timber.

Then the Thunder Boys went back to the Darkening land, but before they left they taught the people the seven songs with which to call up the deer. It all happened so long ago that the songs are now forgotten--all but two, which the hunters still sing whenever they go after deer."
Sahoni listened to his grandfather silently absorbing all he could with wide eyes
OOC: Gah that was hard to copy down TT.TT

[Terra]

Staring into the water, her mind wild and untamed with thoughts of insecurity, her eyes glanced around fearful of how secluded this spot really was.

Her head throbbed with the thoughts of how awful she truly was ’You know he’s probably just using you’ it moaned, ‘Remember, you’re incapable of having friends.’ everything twisted into just gibberish as she began to go insane. “JUST SHUT UP!” she screamed aloud, birds startled by the sudden noise of her own voice. Her head whipped around, suspecting it was Sahoni causing the ruckus rather than her.

No one was there, Terra was still alone

Inhaling deeply, she began what she had to do, train. Her mind working in unison with the earth below her, Terra felt free. She had never wanted to leave this feeling behind, though so hard to maintain.
She glanced over her shoulder, nearing longingly as she moved away from the forest over the lake. She needed a friend but all that a friend could do was make her feel more terrible, or she would end up hurting him.
The water waked under the force of the floating rock, her mind concentrating on the inanimate objects swirling around her. Terra was the ringmaster of her own circus.
Her head fell to her chest looking at the ground below. Something to be proud of, something that should have made Terra comfortable. She had control though she was still quite unimpressed.

Her insecurities had already succumbed her, she felt as though she was about to drown into a place or no return. She may have already reached this extent of self doubt though.

Looking up her arms welcoming the sun’s warmth, Terra said to herself quietly, “I’m not going to give up anymore” with this came confidence, and speed. Terra was ready for anything at the moment and she needed to stay where she currently was at, well for a few more days at the least.

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[Sahoni]

Sahoni yawned as the warm light of the yellow sun. "It's morning already?" He grumbled as he stretched and his eyes fluttered open. Staring him straight in the eyes was a butterfly. It wasn't a pleasant first thing to see in the morning. Its big mosterous eyes and proboscis coiled it looked like mothra decided to pay him a visit.
The wolf guy "ek'ed!" in fright flailing like one of those inflatable things they stick infront of used car lots, that flail around. The butterfly, taking a cue, flew off. Feeling embarrassed, Sahoni put out his fire. "Stupid monarch...." he growled.

[Terra]

Her footsteps soft as she walked towards the camp, a completely new ideology in mind; she was ready to face mountains but coming into such a scene was something she could not control.

Padding to the place she had camped out softly she was surprised to see the teenager scared nearly to death by something as simple as a bug. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Well, that was a lovely show.” She said smiling. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings no matter how funny of a show it was.

She looked down at her feet trying to refrain from the giggles still rising in her throat. “I’m sorry but it was quite a funny thing to come back to.” She said shrugging. Terra was happy, she allowed herself to enjoy life a bit for now. The consciousness of herself was still prominent in her body though she was disregarding it for the while and understood that would be the rest way to rid of such a bastardly thing.

She sat down cross legged looking at Sahoni, pondering what was going on in his head. “You sure can sleep.” She muttered under her breath unsure if she really wanted him to hear it from her.

She was happy, though Terra was much more of a night person it was nice being able to think things through. A massive amounts of things were nice for Terra, she felt lucky for some time.

If only it would last, if her insecurities would be held back by her barrier.

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[Sahoni]

Sahoni grumbled at Terra. “You try waking up with those eyes so close to you they look huge. You would react the same way.” He pouted in a prideful manner. Inside his head he heard a chuckle.
“You were scared, by a butterfly.” The snickering voice said.
“It was a big butterfly to be fair. So laugh it up you chuckleheads. I’m gonna see if I can find breakfast, they have fat looking bunnies around here.”
As he walked away he heard her comment on his sleeping. With a sigh of longing he turned back to her eyes looking around but not at her. “That’s because I was tired, that and when I sleep I feel safe. I’m surrounded by memories of things that were taken from me.”
Walking off he searched for a rabbit.
“Let me do the searching. You’re too weak.”
“No”
“Let me do it!”
“NO!” He said arguing to himself
OOC: Oh no's!

[Terra]

Terra looked at Sahoni clueless to what was wrong with him, it was apparent something was. Listening to him walk away speaking to his self Terra understood she couldn’t be waiting around for him forever. She’d just leave him to himself for some time. Maybe until later that night? Maybe tomorrow, either way she couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with this person mentally.

She stridden into the forest without any general place of going, all she knew was that her stomach was growling and she had managed some money in her pocket. A grin grew on Terra’s face as she thought of a slice of pizza, it sounded very appealing at the moment seeing as she was craving something so vile for her it ended up tasting like heaven on a plate.

She looked around the forest before levitating herself into mid air. Yea, she’d be back for Sahoni, she couldn’t leave without a big exit at least. This was far too minuet for the blonde. Swiveling on the heal of her foot she smiled and begun to float away from where she had previously slept with the clueless teenager.

Yes, it felt amazing to be leaving. She allowed the wind to tug at her hair as she glided away from sight. Just some lunch, practice, a little trouble perhaps, she had to go back though. It was the only thing keeping her from going away as fast as she can and never turning back. She either needed a grand exit evoking emotion or somehow felt an actual attachment to this uneasy boy.