(Tryout for Floc #50!)
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Name: Silvi
Taken from Latin "Silva" meanning "wood", "forest"
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The Forest Guide
The story of a Flox who earned quite the reputation within the forest they call home.
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Name: Silvi
Taken from Latin "Silva" meanning "wood", "forest"
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The Forest Guide
The story of a Flox who earned quite the reputation within the forest they call home.
>>>>The smell of pine drifted along with the soft breeze that graced a furred face. At the edge of the forest floated a stranger - though not quite a stranger exactly as they had called this particular forest home for ages now - however, a stranger to the rest of the forest they would remain. Their appearance and presence in general was an oddity to the other forest residents who were either afraid or curious though too shy to approach. But this had never fazed the floc, they didn't mind at all. They loved the forest and everything within it. There was a beautiful sound to these woods, the sharp trills and soft calls of various birds overlaid the quiet ambiance of leaves rustling. They could feel the presence of living creatures all around them, whether friendly or not quite so. The auras of these living creatures were constantly moving, some overlapping as their owners walked side by side, some were only a faint, barely noticeable presence in the corner of the floc's mind's eye, and some speed past too quickly to identify. They could feel the presence of the trees too, though less so than the animals. The forest was full of life, it lived and breathed together, and the floc found themselves floating in rhythm with this "breathing".
>>>>Caught in the moment, they began to follow the direction of the breeze with a carefree bounce to their movement.
(Animation © myself, Floc background/design © Alliure!)
>>>>They let their senses guide them around obstacles, though this didn’t prevent them from occasionally brushing against the stray low-hanging branch or two and on more occasions than they’d like to admit, hitting their head against a rock. It was only once the strength of the breeze they’d previously felt began to lessen that they realized they had wandered a tad farther into the trees than they intended. In this peaceful undergrowth they could hear the sounds of all the critters as they wandered by as well as feel the faint outlines of their presence, little creatures skittered around nearby, squirrels clambered up trees, and birds twittered above as they hopped from branch to branch.
>>>>They continued along, passing all sorts of things that caught their interest, but ignoring them in favor of continuing along. Though the only moment in which they actually stopped was when they noticed a young sapling they hadn’t discovered before. New life always brought them joy, and whether it was a young animal or just new plant growth of any form, they enjoyed watching it grow and felt as if it was their responsibility to make sure it was safe. They constantly enjoyed seeing new young trees pop up as the forest was ever-expanding. They floated closer, inspecting the sapling. The young tree grew at the base of its parent, though far enough away that it wouldn't be overshadowed during its growth.
>>>>Well, you’re new! You’ve chosen a pretty nice spot there. Grow well and stay safe, okay?
>>>>They knew the sapling couldn’t hear them, and even if it could, it would be much too young of age to understand what was being said. Was it strange of them to be talking to plants? It's not as if anyone was around to notice..
>>>>Suddenly several leaves crunched under heavy footfall in a proximity that was much too close for comfort, and the floc was pulled from their joyous moment, feeling multiple large presences.
>>>>When the animals appeared, the smell they carried with them in the air as well as their behavior revealed them to be canine. Wolves, the floc concluded to themselves. Though the wolves actually appeared to pay no mind to the floc at all and instead seemed to pause repeatedly in their pace, the sound of sniffing and shuffling leaves could be heard. They were searching for something, prey perhaps?
>>>>One of the wolves paused, seeming to finally take notice of the silently hovering stranger. The wolf made no move to attack nor had its other companions decided to look up from their search. The wolf seemed to be holding an upright, but unalert position. An alpha, the leader of this group, though not exactly interested in showcasing any further dominance over the stranger. The floc knew that if they had eyes with which to see, they would have shared a gaze with the wolf. The eyes they felt watching them were not those of a predator watching prey, rather, it seemed the wolf was acknowledging the floc to be higher on the food chain than even the wolves, and informing them that, to the wolf's kind, their presence was respected. The wolf held this look of acknowledgement for a moment longer before returning to its task and the floc was left to comprehend what had just happened. It seemed not all animals of the forest seemed to see them as a stranger and the wolves were among the few who recognized that the floc was not originally of this world itself and seemed to hold them in what was almost a form of high respect. It was a strange thought to the floc, who slowly resumed their travels, though now not paying quite as much attention to their surroundings as they considered the wolf's actions.
>>>>They wandered for quite some time longer, the air gradually growing colder until dampness graced their fur. The light but cold feeling of mist surrounded them as the floc realized a fog had begun to roll in. The air did not feel too heavy, telling them that the fog was not extremely thick, but still awfully obscuring, given that the temperature in the air had begun to drop significantly and it was now rather cold.
>>>>The weather was an inconvenience for them, though to the floc not quite as much as it would be to other animals. It merely made sensing their surroundings slightly more difficult and they made sure to continue going straight, lest they lose track of the original direction from which they came.
>>>>Ahead, a small and faint presence could suddenly be felt, snapping them out of any last trail of thought they had previously been lost in. The presence of this aura grew increasingly closer and clearer as the floc continued forwards until a puppy-like whimpering could be heard.
>>>>The floc knew that the little creature ahead of them was a wolf, but a young one at that, likely no older than several weeks. After a quick sense of the area around this particular part of the forest the floc could conclude that any likely parents or guardians of the young puppy were nowhere near. Were they lost, maybe? How could such a young child become so far separated from their family?
>>>>The floc moved closer, likely coming into view out of the fog as the puppy seemed to suddenly notice them and the whimpering noise was cut short as the little wolf crouched slightly, alerted of possible danger. The floc approached slowly until they were floating in front of the pup only by a few inches, allowing the young pup to sniff them and discern that they were not a threat. When the puppy narrowed the distance to trot forward in curiosity, it seemed to finally also notice the little flames that fluttered beside the floc. The foxfire seemed to startle the puppy and, scared, it turned and fled in the opposite direction. The floc made a move to follow in quick pursuit, lest the puppy wander too far out of sight, before realizing that the little wolf had only just retreated a few steps and, from the location they could feel, was now hiding beneath a bush that was rather close by. Feeling bad for having startled the young creature, the floc lowered their ears and tilted their head, their tail swishing a few times in an attempt to convey to the puppy what they wanted to say: It's okay, these flames won't hurt you. I promise.
>>>>The puppy remained hidden in the bush for several seconds, watching the floc, before cautiously and slowly leaving its hiding spot to approach them again. It paused, sniffed at the air, then stared, then moved closer. Suddenly, it leapt at the flames, a move that surprised the floc as the puppy tumbled to the ground behind them, having gone right through the flame as if it simply wasn’t there at all. Amazed at this new discovery, it shook itself off and backed up to begin to bat playfully at the foxfire.
>>>> In an attempt to present themselves as a friend and not a threat, the floc leaned forward and gently touched noses with the puppy. The puppy let out a snort and then licked the floc on the nose. This time it was the floc’s turn to be startled, a feeling which quickly turned into joy as they realized their attempt to gain the trust of the puppy was successful. They did a playful flip in the air as the puppy ran circles around them, jumping to “catch” the little flames.
>>>>This puppy was lost, weren’t they? The fog had rolled in and likely separated them from their parents at some point, obscuring view as well as scent trails. The poor thing, merely outside at the wrong time.
>>>>Not to mention, if the floc recalled the time of day correctly, the sun had begun to set by now. It would be extremely dangerous and much too cold for a week-old puppy to be left to wander the woods alone at night. They would have to get the puppy home extremely fast, and yet a part of them knew it would be nearly impossible given that they knew nothing of the whereabouts of the little one’s family and most certainly not the location of their pack.
>>>>..Unless they did! The floc suddenly remembered the wolf pack territory they had spotted during their wandering earlier.
>>>>Whether this puppy belonged to that particular pack or not, it was worth a try and if the pack was willing to accept a lost puppy then it was most certainly safer than leaving one so young to wander alone at night. The puppy was still playing with the flames, and an idea dawned on the floc. They backed up a bit as a test and sure enough, the puppy, though confused, began to follow. The floc began to move gradually farther and farther ahead, each time stopping after a certain distance to allow the puppy to follow. When they paused each time, they grew surprised and amused, since the puppy seemed to be taking the curious runaway flames as a game and was chasing the floc as if they were prey - in a puppy-like way of course. Adorable! It was perfect.
>>>>The increase in the chirping of crickets all around them alerted the floc that it was now growing extremely dark and they began to worry that they will not be able to catch up to the wolf pack in time, though it also meant that their flames would be visible from a much farther distance, and so they increased the distance in which they flew, keeping a constant watch on the little wolf the whole way, practically flying backwards with only their senses to keep them from running into any trees. Then finally, they stopped, waiting as their small companion scampered to catch up to them.
>>>>Sure enough, the little one followed, determined to catch the "escaping" flames.
>>>>In the distance, the Floc sensed a presence that felt almost familiar. The wolves! They weren't too late after all. The floc quickened their pace instinctively, the puppy bounding along after them to catch up.
The leader of the wolves seemed to catch wind of their scent and paused in travel. However, another smell alongside the floc's caught their nose and they sniffed at the air as if trying to match an identity to the smell. With excitement, the puppy finally caught back up with the floc, who had now paused and was also waiting for the wolves to catch attention of the situation.
>>>>All at once the floc felt a flurry of emotions from the lead wolf, as the wolf noticed the young pup that leapt and clawed at the little flames. The other wolves in the group seemed to catch on to what was happening and seemed just as excited as their alpha slowly approached the floc and puppy duo. The wolf lead out an amused snort, the sound successfully distracting the puppy from its repeatedly failed attempts to catch the foxfire. The puppy appeared to take a moment to confirm recognition, and then immediately burst into excited yelps as they leapt up to the wolf that had approached them, who immediately began licking their puppy with intensive care and concern as well as relief.
>>>>I was.. Right? I was right! The floc realized after overhearing the joyous reunion. I did it! I rescued a little wolf! A wave of joy rushed over them and it took them a moment to realize that it was not in fact the aura of the wolves they were feeling, but their own joy and accomplishment, something they hadn't felt in quite a while.
>>>>Once more, the floc felt the gaze of the wolf upon them and this time instead of freezing up, they held that gaze with eyes that cannot open. This gaze of respect now felt to be more than just that, it was one of gratitude, one of reverence. The acknowledgement that within the forest there was one much higher in power than even the alpha of a wolf pack, a guardian with an ancient history which none should harm or allow to come to harm. This floc was a creature with many secrets, some of which even they themselves were not fully aware of. This silence seemed to last for more than just minutes. Then, quickly and finally, the wolves turned and left and the floc remained behind, hovering.
>>>>Knowledge spread quickly of the mysterious forest resident and the otherworldly flames they carried that guide the lost and the floc began to notice the way the animals of the forest seemed to stop whenever they passed, watching respectfully. Word of this forest guardian even spread as far as to find its way to tales shared between the human hikers who occasionally cross the trail that intersects the forest as well as campers looking to stay overnight. Indeed, the floc would even help the occasional lost human, though unlike the residents of the forest, they did not want to appear fully in front of humans. Not all deserved to see the floc for what it was, and so they remained far enough away that their pattern allowed them to remain camouflaged and made the humans' “forest guide” appear to merely be floating flames. This foxfire started their own form of tale in the local area - one of a guardian spirit that appears in the form of flames. A spirit guide, a forest guardian. That was what they called them. The floc began to acknowledge the role that had been placed upon them, they enjoyed helping others and it was a wonderful feeling to know that after all these years the forest they so dearly loved and cared for had truly begun to accept them.
>>>>Patiently, they wait for the one who manages to obtain their key. This human will be the first of its kind to truly come into contact with this elusive forest guardian.
End.
