Pure Moonlight (closed)

[heartofcourage]

Luna watched her father stand and leave the two of them alone. She knew this was hard on all of them, not only because of Jan's past but also because of what had just happened to her. It would take a long time for all of them to get back to that happy place they had enjoyed.

"I'm willing to wait for you." She said softly as she looked towards Jan with a small smile on her face. "I want to go see Arys to make sure that she's doing alright. Perhaps you'd like to go with me."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sure. Arys was that little girl, right?" Jan asked as he stood up beside her. "She was really sweet but she hardly said anything to anyone but Urubay on the way home."

 

[heartofcourage]

"She was a sweet little girl." Luna said with a smile. "And I think Urubay is still hanging around to check on her. It would be nice to see both of them again. We went through something that bonded is together no matter what."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Then let's go. I kinda liked them myself." Jan offered her his arm with a smile. It wasn't out of the ordinary. He could be a gentleman when he wanted to be.

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna took his arm and gave him a smile, kissing his cheek as he offered to take her to see Arys and Urubay. That made her happy and it meant a lot to her that he was treating her so well. It had wounded her greatly to hear that he was flirting with other women, even if it was just for fun.

 

[KieranSoares]

Urubay's daughters and Arys' mother had all come to Inverness since word had returned of the Ghis and Maliar successfully freeing a number of slaves taken from Scotland. They'd come in the hopes that Urubay and his mate and Arys and her father were among the free. They had both joy and deep sorrow at seeing just the two return, but Luna had heard that Arys' mother had welcomed Urubay's family, the minotaur Orin, and the were dragon Osa to join her so they could all build new lives together.

They now lived between the Lunar village and Inverness and had set up a secure little camp near the stream bridge along the path to town. Thanks to the kindness of the lumbermen in the region, they were going to receive enough lumber to build a cabin just big enough for them all to have safe bedrooms until they could pool the funds to expand it.

When Luna and Jan arrived, Urubay was on the edge of the camp with his two teenaged daughters, both of them very pretty but also very athletic and powerful, and they were helping him shear the branches off a tree he'd felled for firewood and for some building.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Urubay." Luna called out as soon as she saw him, hugging him tightly as his daughter's paused in their duty to see who this white wolf was. "I'm happy to see that you're doing well here. It looks like you've made a lot of progress."

 

[KieranSoares]

"More than I could've ever hoped for so soon," Urban nodded with a smile. "Girls, this is Lunar Maliar, the woman who helped Arys and I." He wrapped an arm around each of his daughters. "Luna, this is Esera," he nodded to the light gray teen, "And Mora." The second was a dark, soft grey. Both were a few years younger than Luna at fourteen and thirteen. Each politely said hello with grateful smiles though they seemed a bit shy and very curious.

"And Jan, wasn't it?" Urubay asked, reaching out to shake Jan's hand as the ten wolf nodded with a smile.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Esera. Mora." Luna said with a smile as she greeted each of them as Urubay shook Jan's hand. "I'm glad that all of you decided to stay. You'll find its peaceful here."

"Luna!" Came a cry and soon Luna found Arys wrapped tightly around her waist, the white wolf cub squeezing her for all she was worth.

"Just the girl I came to see!" Luna said with a wide smile, hugging Arys back.

"Urubay sent me for some of Ma's cookies. It's almost break time." Arys said, glancing over at Urubay as she offered him the little sack full of oat and honey cookies.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Thank you, sweetheart," Urubay said with a smile. "Come join us, kids. Arys' mother has been waiting to meet you, Luna." He motioned them on toward the little camp. The fire had been built up with stones and transformed into a standing oven with some ingenuity and a few bricks here and there. An absolutely gorgeous chocolate brown Wolf was tending to it with grace and patience that reminded Luna of Ellen. At Urubay's call, she looked up and straightened her long white tunic in the company of guests.

"Luna and Jan," she greeted them, knowing about Luna's care for Arys and Jan's rescue mission from her daughter. She was not shy at all about stepping right up to hug them both tightly. "Thank you so much... I can never tell you just how lost I was without Arys." Her voice was soft as could be and she seemed to be fairly fragile not unlike Arys herself, but probably more so.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I only wish more could have been done for your mate as well." Luna said softly as she greeted Arys's mother.

Arys was busting around the campsite, fairly vibrating in excitement. She had never seen the little girl so bright and vibrant and it all seemed to be thanks to Urubay. He doted on Arys, made sure that she had what she needed and treated her like one of his own daughters.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Giruar was a good man and a wonderful father... But I think with Arys and these new friends of ours, I can make it without him. I'm just glad I still have someone at all," she murmured. "Oh, I haven't even introduced myself, have I? My name is Juna, I come from the Deruin near Glasgow."

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna smiled kindly as Juna introduced herself. "I'm happy to see Arys so bright and active. I worried about her while we were in Rhodes."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oh, I can imagine. She doesn't bounce back from sadness quite like most children. She takes s long time to think it all over." June turned to watch Arys race up to Osa and Orin who had returned from town with a few supplies.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Watching her Da die will be with her for the rest of her life. The fact that she's willing to move forward is a good sign." Luna said softly as the white wolf cub hurried forward to greet Orin and Osa as they brought back some supplies. "If she has nightmares, let me know."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think Urubay chases those nightmares away for her... He's nothing like Giruar was, but he's everything Arys needs in a father figure. And Urubay's girls just love her." Juna sat down beside the makeshift oven and soon everyone else was joining them. It seemed Osa and Orin were getting on well, already like brother and sister. Juna seemed to enjoy Urubay's company and he hers, and the three girls were already like family. Jan received no criticism from the group regardless of his past. He'd proven himself to them through and through and he seemed very comfortable among them. And Luna could not have been a more welcome guest and companion to her fellow former slaves.

 

[heartofcourage]

They are a meal together and Luna was impressed with just how everyone seemed to be healing. Everyone had their own scars but in time they would heal. After lunch, Luna walked with Urubay to the little plot of land he had been tending. It was lush green and had two saplings growing near the fenceline. She knew some were folk planted trees in honor of those they had lost and it seemed that the little plot of land had helped him immensely.

"It's beautiful, Urubay. If you want to make some extra coin, let the healers come to pick your herbs." Luna said softly as she looked over what he had there.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I was considering something like that. But I'm hoping before long that I can leave this to the others and be a blacksmith again... I understand that a blacksmith in town is selling his shop and I hope I can make some sort of deal with him... I'm good at farming and gardening and all, but a forge is where I belong." It seemed fairly commonplace that werefolk blacksmiths were usually fairly dark in the fur. Especially in black werefolk, any singed fur or char was harder to see.

 

[heartofcourage]

"You should talk to Petu. He can help you get set up with everything you need." Luna said softly as she looked over at Urubay. "Arys seems happy. And Juna seems to be leaning on you for support too."

 

[KieranSoares]

"We've all lost integral parts of our lives. But we happened to have ended up with friends that can help us. If for nothing else, we would stick together for Arys' sake. But we stay just as much for each other. Osa and Orin stay because they already love it here. I stay for the safety. Juna stays because she has no place else to go anymore."

 

[heartofcourage]

"My uncle tries his hardest to make sure that everyone is taken care of and that it's safe. If there's not enough work to go around, you can seek employment in Inverness. There are enough kind hearted people that would give a were a job." Luna said softly as she moved closer to examine the trees. "These should grow big and strong here. This one will harbor a fungus that is good for the skin."

She touched the leaves gently, smiling softly as she looked over at Urubay. "I'm sure that your mate and son are very proud of you. You've done so much for everyone to make sure that they're happy."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You certainly played a part in that. You and Arys were really all I had, but you kept hope that we could get out even long after I'd lost it. Having been in chains so long and having a brief freedom taken away, I had nothing to hold onto. Not even thinking of my girls could pick me up anymore."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Your girls are lovely, Urubay. They'll make you very proud." Luna said as she hugged her dear friend tightly. "And I'll always be around to make sure that you are taken care of as well. You deserve the chance to find happiness."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Thank you, my dear," Urubay murmured, kissing her cheek. He was grateful, more than she'd ever know, not only for what she had done for him in Rhodes, but what she had been willing to do to protect him and Arys.

Luna returned home that night to find Kreston perched in an open window, eyes closed with a steaming mug in his hands. The Moon shone down, lighting up his ebony fur nearly blue. When his amber eyes opened to see her, he set the mug aside and slipped from the sill to meet her with a gentle embrace.

 

[heartofcourage]

Luna hugged him tightly, sighing softly as her father's arms held her like she had wished so many times during her capture. "Is Ma back?" She asked him softly.