ORIGIN

Zawadi was elated to hear from Aure that she was now bound to the group and a part of the bonebound family. Then she heard the king suggest to Giggle of asking the bones about something. It was surprising to the cub that there was a possibility the bones could see things gembounds couldn't. Though, the cub could also see things that others couldn't, and she strongly believed it was real. Every time she fell asleep, she dreamed of lion like looking animals hunting in groups in golden plains, and above there was an endless blue surface with no cave ceilings or walls. There were even creatures who walked on two legs with paint on them and adornments, dancing around a fire like some sort of ritual. She shook the thoughts away, bringing her focus back to Aure and Giggle. Though she had spoken in Aure's and Giggle's language for the majority of the conversation, she hadn't spoken in her language, yet. She waited patiently for the two to ask the bones their questions.

@Aure @Giggle

Giggle stared, waiting for a moment.

She'd made a suggestion; Aure had turned, and asked the cub whether she wanted to speak with the bones. Perhaps Zawadi didn't understand? She wasn't answering--just sort of sitting there.

Well, children were young. Perhaps she'd not quite grasped that it had been a question.

"Zawadi," Giggle prodded, "Aure's question was to you; did you want us to read the bones with you?"

Maybe she was just daydreaming..?

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ROLL THE BONES

@Aure

The cub had not fully grasped that Aure had asked her to read the bones with them, and Giggle's question had finally confirmed this for her. Not to mention finally snap her out of her thoughts of her dreams of the surface, and proving that her dreams were real. She looked towards Aure and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry Aure. Yes, I would like to read the bones with you guys." The hyena wondered what the bones would have to say. Zawadi still was just a small child, so of course she was curious on how bones could reveal things to others.

@Aure @Giggle

Giggle nodded, and turned to pace back through Canis.

"The bone pit's a bit away," she explained, trudging the way along the dry rock. Dust puffed in each step, and her head hung low as she walked, an idle posture. "Tell us about yourself, Zawadi, as we go there. Where did you come from? How long since you've hatched? Did you know your language when hatched, or did someone teach it to you?"

Really, they knew little about the cub, or of her past.

"How did you learn to hunt--did someone teach you that? What've you hunted so far?"

Her short brush tail swept a bit to and fro as she curved up the hill to the bone pit, and at last, they reached it.

It was broad--a flat pile of bones sunken into a pit. How deep was impossible to tell, but skulls, teeth and ribs, legs and other bones lay scattered, some old and some fresh, some charred, some yellow and some white. Glinting chips of gemstone showed on a few.

Giggle went pacing in, wading up to her chest in the rattling bones, and looked between the bones and Zawadi, as if making some sort of decision.
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ROLL THE BONES

@Aure

The wyvern had paused for a moment, brows knit in confusion. Had he not been clear enough in talking to Zawadi? Just as he went to ask again, Giggle stepped in. The little cub blinked, as if stirred from a daydream, then nodded. Aure followed his mother dutifully whenever the young Gembound did --- bringing up the rear on the walk to the pit. His ears were perked forwards, listening for any responses given, but otherwise not adding to the conversation.

Then, at least, the worn path gave way to a sprawling collection of bones, which Giggle immediately sauntered into. Aure waved toward the cub with a wing, indicating to follow. Dutifully, he made his way up to the ledge overlooking the bone pit, then rocked down onto his haunches. The whole time, he was quiet and stared into the pit, seeking his father's keel --- it was still in the same place as before, undisturbed since the last reading.

@Zawadi

Zawadi followed Giggle obediently as she led the walk to the pit. On the way, the older hyena asked Zawadi some questions, and wanted the cub to tell them about herself. The little one decided to start by answering Giggle's questions first. "I hatched in a place with a lot of trees and plant life, a forest." She didn't know that the name of that place was Eridanus. "It hasn't been long since I hatched because I am still one cycle old. I already knew the language when I hatched. But, I also hatched knowing a second language, that I like to speak too, but I don't think anyone else knows it. I taught myself how to hunt, which took a lot of work, and so far I've caught mice and rabbits." Zawadi left out the part of her dreams of the different world, which she didn't think was necessary. Giggle walked in the bones, and she followed Aure's direction to follow her in there. She gently walked in the bones, waiting for what was going to happen next.

@Giggle @Aure

The hyena chose a small but heavy bone, after a moment, picking it up in her jaws. She then waded back out from the pit, and after casting a glance at her 'guests,' she turned away.

There was a narrow path that wound up to a ledge that jutted out, overlooking the bone pit, and it was here that Giggle carried the one she'd chosen. It felt like a heavy piece of femur, or the like--she wasn't sure. But after casting a glance down to Aure and Zawadi, she turned her full focus to the bones, and dropped the piece with a lob of her head. She watched it land, watched it clatter back into the bone pit below, and she picked the patterns from the way the others spin and settled. At length, she began to speak.

"They fall away, at first--an opening. There is light--knowledge, imagination, in you now, in what you bring to others. And then the bones fall still, the strong ones, unchanging. You will remain, for a time, strong; but then they fall away, and that is the last that the bones speak of you. A failure, at the end--failed goal, or maybe you come to harm. We'll have to keep an eye on what the bones say," Giggle went on solemnly. "The first two omens are good--or good, and not bad--but the third doesn't bode well. Is there anything else you'd ask of the bones while we're here--either of you?" she asked, glancing down at the pair.

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ROLL THE BONES

@Aure

Aure settled himself down, gaze not leaving the keel until the little cub sat next to him. The bones scattered, moving in unpredictable ways and giving insight into what they may see. There would be strength at first, but then something would go wrong. It was a bad omen, but seemed to come only at the end --- perhaps at death? He shuddered slightly at the thought, almost imperceptibly. Bright eyes flitted to the cub, careful and quick to offer any needed reassurance. Aure looked away only for a moment to shake his head toward his mother. There were few uncertainties in his mind, presently.

Perhaps later.

@Zawadi

Zawadi listened as Giggle foretold what may happen. The words of knowledge and imagination peeked her interest. Was that some sort of foretold future of the dreams? Though she paid attention to every word, she didn't exactly understand, since she was a child. Zawadi sat beside Aure, wondering what that would mean for her. But the cub knew one thing though, bones didn't entirely decide her future, she did. Zawadi looked up at Giggle and shook her head. "No, I don't have anything to ask." The small hyena didn't seem bothered for some reason at the failure part of Giggle's prediction. Her puppy like eyes glanced to the bones again, as a thought crossed her mind. Aure was lucky to have aa noble hyena like Giggle for a mother. She wished she had a biological mother, but she was grateful to have the Bonebound for a family.

@Giggle @Aure

Giggle watched the cub, and she kept her thoughts to herself.

When she spoke, it was with no real trace of them--it was hard to tell what she'd been thinking. "Right. I'm going to take a nap, then, kid. If you want to hang around you're welcome to, but leave the bones alone--and treat them with respect, always. They're all that remains of the dead--and that includes honored allies and friends. If you want to learn more about magic or hunting or the caves or whatever, ask and I'll teach you."

Giggle gave a nod to Aure, and added simply--"Everything been all right with you?" It was a kind question--there was tenderness beneath it, and love for her son--but it wasn't asked in an overly emotional way. Giggle wasn't the demonstrative type, particularly in front of strangers.

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ROLL THE BONES

@Aure