avalononline | (Video; UN: queenofthenorth)

[ Gareth's own wolf is the first thing in frame, head tilted. Stoirm still didn't quite get technology, but she could have sworn she heard... Gareth at least nudges her aside, giving her head a pat, and getting a lick in turn, before she speaks. ]

There are no wolves in Orkney, where I was born, but I've read all sorts of stories about them, and even saw a few when I was in Camelot.

But for me, I suppose it's because my King likened me to a wolf, when they saw the way I fought on the battlefield.

(All wolves are welcome. Sansa smiles at the furry face, standing from the grass to follow her direwolf at a slower pace.)

I can't imagine a land with no wolves. (Direwolves might be near extinct, but regular wolves exist in the North.)

You must be very brave and loyal to your pack. The sigil for my family's House features the head of a direwolf. We have long been associated with them.

Our heraldry was a double-headed eagle but... so it was for a lot of houses in the north. [ Gareth sighed, laughing slightly. ]

Orkney's an island, you see. Not much space for wolves to flourish. They did better on the mainland.

[ And so had she. ]

You are from a colder place, too? (Why eagles?) Wolves are fine swimmers, but they would have to be chased from the mainland. That would be cruel.

[ She nodded, grinning. Honestly, with as poor a mood as she'd been in following her berserker rage, and losing control of her magic, this was a welcome and pleasant conversation to be having. ]

Orkney is the northernmost island of Great Britain, off the coast of Scotland.

[ At least that's what it was called in modern times, but she wasn't going to bother with old names if she didn't have to. ]

We were a sort of cultural meeting ground for several peoples. Gaels, Picts, British, Norse. My father, King Lot, is from a line going to the Norse, and my mother, Morgan, comes from the Welsh lands.

[ And as for the wolves... ]

So much of the island was taken up with livestock and trade, I doubt wolves would have been very welcome, so I'm actually glad they never populated there, less they be driven out. But like them, I found my true place in the mainland, in Camelot, serving my King.

Is Orkney associated with eagles? Why does your sigil feature one with two heads?

(The names mean little to her; she has no idea that her North is based on Scotland.)

I assume those are long and ancient lines. My family too is ancient, stretching back to the founding of the Seven Kingdoms and the First Men. Bran the Builder began it all.

(The Tullys, her mother's family, are quite old too.)

Do you like to hunt? Do you have a pack you follow? (With said king being the alpha, of course.) My pack was mostly slaughtered. I've had to learn to live without them and it hasn't been easy.

[ Gareth was going to move past the eagles bit. She didn't get it, either. ]

Your pack... do you mean your family?

[ Besides, that held a lot more weight. Plenty of it. ]

Yes. (She is quieter, controlling herself. The only time Sansa lets her tears fall is in private.)

They were hunted, blamed for crimes they didn't do and murdered.

[ ... ]

I see.

[ What does one really say to that? An entire clan wiped out, under false accusations... She couldn't really imagine it, in its specifics, but... ]

My own family... in the end, though we were not hunted so, we were also driven apart, some to the grave...

(She has no idea. Even now, years later, the horror of it all makes her feel numb. Why did it happen? Because everyone trusted monsters. She won't make the same mistake.)

I'm sorry. (Sansa knows that burden more than most.) You must be strong to have survived.

Edited 2022-03-21 13:05 (UTC)

Well... the truth is, I didn't.

[ She settled herself back, Stoirm returning to slump behind her and provide a pillow for Gareth to lean against. ]

None of us did...

(That is startling news. Sansa looks at a loss for words. What does one say to the dead?)

...how are you... (Alive?)

[ She takes in a breath. This was always a bit much to explain. ]

I am what is known as a "Heroic Spirit". When a person accomplishes sufficient legend in life, they become part of the Throne of Heroes when they pass on, able to be summoned to aid others in times of need.

[ That was... simplistic. And at least partially inaccurate. But it was how she preferred to put it. ]

[Queen of the North? That's an interesting username... Maybe Anna will ask about it later considering she's also royalty from her own world's northern areas. Either way, she has a friendly smile on her face.]

That howling was beautiful, thank you both so much for letting us listen.

Do you mean all familiars by they? I mean I don't know if anyone really knows the answers, but those are really interesting questions.

[and she'd be surprised if her familiar was anything else than a snowman...]

Wolves represent nature where I'm from! They live in their own territory in the mountains and its forests near our kingdom and they really don't like any humans going through their areas, so they'll chase humans away from there... But even when they are dangerous during those chases, I've also heard more than one story of lone wolves, who approached some for things like food, and then they'll lick and snuggle before they leave to return to their pack.

Aaaand I think their cubs also play a lot with all the magical, living snowmen there, because they happen to be in the same area.

(All Northerners are welcome - even if they don't originate from Westeros. Sansa assumes certain qualities will be apparent regardless because the snow and ice breeds resilience.)

I thought someone might enjoy her song. I can't get enough of it myself.

Yes, I do. The ones I've met are very intelligent no matter their species. The bonds they share with us don't seem like an accident; it's almost like this is the path they chose.

(An adorable snowman, right?)

Magical...living snowmen? (Should she be delighted or horrified?) The pups would like the company - (no matter how strange) and every creature is capable of gratitude. Living in the snow is difficult and if you need aid, you don't easily forget the one who rescues you.

Edited 2022-03-14 12:21 (UTC)

[This definitely catches Robyn's attention. She has her own connections with wolves.]

Where I'm from, a lot of people are afraid of wolves. Me father...he's a hunter, and we had to move to Ireland because the Lord Protector wants them all dead. I wanted to help him at first, but...well, things changed.

[Robyn would elaborate more on that, but her own wolf familiar, Rowena, hears the howling from the video and starts howling in response herself. Rowena's normally pretty quiet and solitary for a wolf, but not even she can resist answering another wolf's call.]

Why does your Lord Protector want them dead? (She knows wolves can cause mischief and ruin livestock, but certain measures can be taken, surely?)

Oh... Hello. (Sansa smiles at Rowena, her spirits lifted by the song.) What's their name?

Oh, this is Rowena. She probably wanted to answer your wolf back.

[Rowena stops howling and starts quietly nibbling on her fur to groom herself as though she didn't just have a sudden outburst.]

The Lord Protector wanted to clear the forest outside town for more farmland, but the wolves kept attackin' the woodcutters and the sheep. He kept sayin' the wolves need to be gone so he can tame the land, but I don't think it really needs tamin'.

[Well, Mebh acts pretty feral a lot of the time, but that's the result of living with wolves.]

Hello, Rowena. I think you and Lady should meet. What do you think?

(The last question is posed to Robyn. Lady is very special to Sansa - almost like her original Lady has been returned to her. She doesn't want her wolf - or any wolf - to be lonely.)

No, it doesn't. He should have worked around them and allowed them their territory.

(She doesn't believe any land can be truly tamed - though it can be ruined.)

That sounds like a good idea. It'll be good for Rowena to make more friends.

[Rowena just huffs a little at that, though she doesn't really object.]

Well, he wanted to kill them all and cut down the woods anyway. But I met a girl who lives with the wolves, and her mother went away to find all of them somewhere safer to live. Her mother's been missin' for a while, and I said I'd help Mebh find her, but...well, I ended up here.

Lady would benefit too. Wolves need a pack. (She sounds slightly breathless as she tries to follow said direwolf. Maybe she shouldn't, but every time Lady waits for her, her company is obviously desired.)

She...lives with the wolves? That can't be easy. (Yet it's something her little brother had nearly done.) Who is her mother? You can't help coming here. I'm told time doesn't pass in our absence.

That's what they told me, too, when I first got here. Even though I've been here for a year now.

[Robyn still can't really believe it herself.]

Well, Mebh likes livin' with wolves a lot better than in the town. Though I didn't like livin' there much, either. At least here I can go into the woods whenever I like.

I suppose verifying the truth is impossible. (If they return to their worlds, what are the chances they would be re-summoned?)

Humans can adjust. We grow comfortable with what we know. Why would living with wolves be any different? (Though it is amazing.) I had a brother... He might have liked Mebh.

Edited 2022-04-08 10:41 (UTC)

I don't know if I could be comfortable with just bein' stuck in town all the time.

[Robyn values her personal freedom too much for that. At least here, even though she's living in a city, she can still explore both in and outside as much as she wants.]

Really? Does he like runnin' around in the woods? Because Mebh would probably like him if he does.

I mean, it's a bit complicated back home? Wolves can mean a lot of things depending on where you're from and who you're talking to!

In general, they kind of represent a mix of danger, tenacity, and maybe a little bit of nobility and strength?

Those are nice associations. (She can't deny any of it.) Why is it complicated? Is your world having difficulty with their wolves too?

Edited 2022-03-15 03:17 (UTC)

Oh, sort of. There's not that many left back home from what I understand. People tend to get really frightened of them, especially ranchers. [Which is... well a whole 'nother matter that she's not much of an expert on.]

Really the only thing that everyone can really agree on is that wolves can be really scary if you cross 'em or they're hungry. But also, there's a bunch of different beliefs too. Especially where I lived! So there's a bunch of different beliefs and ideas from a bunch of different people.

Wolves help keep the other animals in balance. If you've hunted them so thoroughly, you must be overrun with deer. (Not to mention it's sad to imagine wolf packs being eliminated.)

My world is much the same. Some fear wolves, others respect them. My family has always embraced their existence. We are tied to the largest wolves of all - direwolves. I can understand a hunter or a rancher fearing them. They should if they value their lives.

There are a lot of deer... and coyotes, among other things. There's attempts to try and bring them back, but it's... not easy. Hm, I'm not really the type of person who should be talking about it though.

[She likes camping and hiking, and so knows a little bit about it. But only so much!]

I think it's more that the ranchers are afraid of them because of their livestock and children. Wolves tend to be more afraid of people and keep away, unless they're really hungry or threatened. But yeah! Not everyone is afraid of them, some people use them as symbols of courage... or as hunters if you serve in a certain part of the navy.

Coyotes? (There is a species that is new to her!) Why not? I think it's nice that humans are attempting to undo their mistakes and I pray they are successful.

(Sansa isn't one to camp outside - unless she has no other choice - but she respects the land and the natural inhabitants.)

The navy? Really? I thought they would use a sea creature before they would settle on a wolf. The men of the Iron Islands use fish for the most part and ships on sigils.

Ah- they're like small wolves. Not really as brave as them. But just as smart and tend to burrow and work together in large groups.

[She couldn't think of any other way to really describe them beyond being like foxes but small wolves.]

For the ships, we do use fish, of course. But every now and then you can hear terms like wolf packs being used to describe vessels that raid commerce ships....

[She frows a bit, submarine campaigns tended to be a rather touchy subject.]

Anyway, 'cause they... well they "hunt" in packs they'd sometimes get likened to wolves.

They sound lovely. (Bravery can get you into trouble. Wolves are often hunted because they won't back down. Maybe coyotes are the smarter of the family?)

Using that terminology does make sense. I can't think of any fish that behave like wolves, can you?

(That expression is seen and she nods slowly.)

But the sailors work together, don't they?

ōkami are regarded as messenger of the spirits in Shinto religion, as well as protectors of the crops. They are a representation of the wild, the untamed.

On a more practical level as it were, dogs in my world are direct descendants of wolves, the result thousand of years of evolution and selective breeding has created breeds that can be as tall as a human to small enough to hold in your hand.

You can see wolves in zoos, a place to view wildlife in cages, but otherwise they are in forests and away from human contact.

All of us have something about us that can't be tamed. These messengers suit us and I'm grateful to have my Lady by my side.

Yes, my world has dogs too. The hounds of Winterfell, my home, for example, are purebred and the best hunters in the North.

Besides the wolves.

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