Memories of Home
16 May 2024
[Song to go with it]
“It's a full moon. In Vykrest, there would be a celebration. At the festival circle, enclosed by the forest, packs would gather to howl, sing and play the harps, bathed by the bright light, and perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon spirit, Luanoka, playing chase among the trees.
“But festivals were never much my thing, and father hated taking me to them. Back when mother was alive, it was their favorite part of the month... but he told me that without her it felt too painful to keep going, or even to celebrate from home. But I did not mind. Being just father and I, we were hardly the kind of pack that would have much fun anyway.
“Still, I liked the full moon. Ever since I was a pup, I'd wander off alone into the woods near home and go see Arkaven Lukalla -- an ancient guardian tree of my hometown. I went there often, but during a full moon, it felt particularly comforting. Perhaps because everyone was busy elsewhere, and I knew nobody would come around. Perhaps because I felt so... lonely. There at my secret spot, with no one around to hear me, I would howl the few songs I remembered from when mother was still around to play the harp.
“I never got to see Luanoka, and I'm not sure if she even really exists. And the arkavens might be nothing more than just old trees, but there was something special about that raven that always hung around Lukalla. Even though it was night and it should be asleep, the raven would sometimes come to find me during the full moon just as it regularly did in daytime. And although it was in no way a pack, there was a connection between me, the tree and the raven, and that connection always felt stronger under the moonlight.
“Here in Houndsdagger, however, there is nothing. Nobody seems to even notice the moon's beautiful glow tonight. At times, it feels like home was an entirely different world. It does not bother me, since this has always been a lonely time for me... But I do wonder if Lukalla misses me as much as I miss it right now.
“And I wonder if the raven is still around..."