[ROD] - Elder's Counsel

She had traveled far from the reaches of the tribe's lands, toward the edges of the land surrounding the hub of her known world: Tokodna. The journey without her frequent companion had been harrowing to the young female, her back feeling too light without the saddle and the small woman riding atop her. But without the need to rest and eat like humans did, she made good time as she headed south. The sun had set not long before she found the trail. The scent markers that she'd remembered from almost a dozen seasons ago were still maintained, and the cave was as she had remembered it off the beaten path. Bea had to duck her head at its entrance, seeing a dark shadow outlined by the embers of a dying fire, as the smoke wafted through the natural chimney that allowed it to escape. She stood, her paws firmly planted on the warm earth, as she greeted the male. 

"Nanook," Her voice was soft, as a dire's voice could be. "Great-grandfather. I come seeking your guidance." 

The older male did not turn to face her, his empty eyes staring straight to the back of the cave, the darkness, the only thing he could see. Though she had been relieved to see he still lived, Bea knew he was in the twilight of his life, and wondered if he would be able to respond. She took another tentative step toward the prone figure, before he slowly shifted, lifting his head, turning it to the dying fire beside him. The maw was more pale than she'd remembered, the fading scars dull in the low light. His blue eyes look as if they held the sky. 

"What do you seek?" 

The voice was so soft that Bea felt almost like she'd imagined it. She took one final step toward him, and sat, adjacent to him along the side of the fire. The dire's silver eyes watched carefully as he stood, so slowly, stretching his paws, the skin exposed on his elbows and ankles where it'd grown over, calloused from constant wear against the floor where he slept. His fur seemed more ragged than she'd recalled from her last visit. She wondered if she would ever see him again. 

"My human, she is ill. She cannot come hunt, she is locked in the human shelters, away from me, and I don't know what to do. I feel as if I should not leave her side, but I feel trapped that I cannot go roam my own. Even now, for this necessary step, I feel as if I betray her." The words came out all at once, and by the time she'd finished, she could almost feel the silence when her own speaking came to an end. She heard him sigh, softly, maybe even wistfully. 

"We all lose members of our pack - some when they're are old, some when they are young. It never is easy. But you must move forward on your own." He settled himself into a seated position, his eyes pointed to the embers as if he were watching the smoke as it danced slower and paler. "Your human alpha would not want you to be alone and without purpose. You must do what you have to do. Be the leader for the others that your human tends to." 

Bea could find no words, grateful for his advice, but not wishing to disrupt the solemnity of the mood. She stayed with him, until the sun rose in hours later, the light illuminating the entrance of the cave to expose the art that dotted the walls, that Bea had not seen before. A small source of comfort, she gazed toward the spread-wings of an eagle, as she prepared to return to her pack. 

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Wordcount: 631
HP COUNT:  11 HP (+3 600 words; +5 colored, shaded, bg; +2 starter bonus; +1 show entry bonus)

Bea moving her way to dom :> 
A reference of sorts to this picture from one of the really early Quests: 


Musics: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ephdl5…


Import link and name of Tokota: Beowulf 6212
Chosen soul animal: Eagle
Prompt: Learning is a lifelong endeavor. Depict your tokota taking council from an elder tokota (one of the original starters,) and learning new skills to assist them in their quest for intellectual expansion.
Link to HP confirmation: comments.deviantart.com/1/6133…
Previous tasks: 
   Task 1: HERE
   Task 2: [RoD] - The Next Generation
    Task 3: [RoD] - Learning to Fly