Tikqra

Before there was Tikqra.. There was but one fate-touched pup; yes, fate-touched.

"Riha!"

But what did she know?

"RIHA!"

She was always beckoned forth by the tapestries of midnight, bejeweled by swirling brightness.

"Come back into the den! It's bedtime!"

And the same colors replayed night after night in the land of slumber. Holding in her excitement each time she was summoned to bed, she scampered back to her mother, a blur of noise and gray. "Okay okay okay!" she yipped, rushing under and past the legs of her mother. "I just wanted to keep stargazing for a bit longer, mother." Riha made a beeline for her nest, crashing into the fibers of mossy and feathery comfort before her little, magical world was resumed.

Dreams galore poured in. Dreams of the young playing and the old resting.. But she always saw herself in these dreams, watching hunts, spars, battles, and more atop a rocky archway fit for the faux-throne of some pack leader.

Only one other wolf believed what she dreamed; this wolf was a young male around her age, one who grew up by her side and who she would take as a mate once they were both ready for the duties and responsibilities that came after matrimony. He was her everything, she was his everything. The stars gazed down upon them in favor each and every night, until one fateful day..

As Riha closed her eyes to head to sleep, a cool breeze swept through the forest, carrying with it the faint howls of distant ancestors. Sleep wrapped 'around her, carrying her to yet another dream. But this was no dream of stars and milky ways over meadow fields. The stars materialized around her, their ethereal forms blending seamlessly with the mist that curled between the rising trees.

They came faster than she could react, gaping and gasping her way through the start of the scene. Each spirit bore the essence of a different era, their wisdom and experiences etched into their spectral beings.

"You must take them beneath the stars, where the flowers never die."

What?

Her? Lead?

Was that what they meant?

Riha stood transfixed, her eyes wide with astonishment as the spirits of the wolves from yore revealed their purpose. The notion of forming a new pack, a sanctuary for the lost and eccentric, filled her heart with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. It was an unexpected path laid before her, one that required her to step beyond her comfort zone and embrace a role of leadership.

The spirits sensed Riha's hesitation, and a wise old spirit, adorned with a silver-streaked mane, stepped forward. "Riha," it spoke gently, its voice carrying a soothing cadence, "we understand your surprise and the weight of this task. But it is within you to create a haven where those who wander alone, misunderstood, and different can find solace and acceptance. Your empathy and understanding will be the guiding light for this unique pack."

"But–"

He raised his paw for silence, tail raising, billowing over his frame like a sheet of mist. "We have been with you since the first day of your life. Your calling is thus, and yours to complete. Such is the promise."

"N-No way!" It sounded way too good to be true, biting her lip and lowering her legs and ears.

"Heed us further, will you?" the old spirit rumbled.

Riha listened intently, her curiosity and determination gradually eclipsing her initial surprise. She realized that this mission bestowed upon her by the spirits was not a coincidence; it was a calling.

Yet she couldn't do it alone. All these emotions rushed through her head; fear, hope.. You name it, it was there. When the spirits made her body rise into the last of night, awake and with their message ringing in her ears, she knew who she had to speak to.

Remember this as well–if you do the will of the stars, those who follow you will never forget that; they will see this reminder each and every day, bright and colorful.

"What on earth shall I do? Give up?" she whined to her mate as she found him out on the early morning patrol that day, sticking to his side and pawing at the dirt.

"Of course not," he said hastily, although the tone was tender; as tender as could be after his head was swarming with knowledge that was brand new. "But can no one else take the challenge? I think not." Still, he went with his gut; went for his love for Riha, because she was more special to him, in his eyes, than any spirit. She deserved to be heard.

"My mother could whip a new pack into shape," Riha mumbled with a half-smile.

He gave a snort in response to her joke, failing to suppress the slight uplift of his lips. "A few come to mind, " he said beneath his soft smile. Even in such moments as these did she ease him. "Some wolves who could come with us.. perhaps, but only you could lead us."

Riha leaned into his warmth and softness, sighing and gazing into his sights. "The stars really know how to get their way."

And as he turned his eyes to her, he caught hers already on him. The male studied her face closely, warm eyes lingering down at hers there as if his pleas would change her mind. It wounded him--the sight of her worriment, that she could sense. Had he the power to grant the wish of escaping to some far off land, away from all this madness, perhaps he wouldn't be feeling as worried as he currently was. But that worry was borne from love.

"Curse your courage, darling," he sighed between his teeth as his longing gaze was broken only by the shake of his head in defeat. She tried to smile back, nuzzling his nape. His poor heart would ache for her safety, but he could not disregard the desire for justice that sparkled in her eye. Only a blind man could miss it, and what a shame that would be. It really was quite beautiful. He was beautiful, and brave for taking up her word.

"I feel like I must do this, my love."

He stared deep into her complex depths, the colors joined together by hope. "You are right. If this is truly something that you need to do for the sake of doing what these dreams seek of you.. then I'd never dare try to stop you," he soothed, eyes darting back over to the shadow of the woods. "Your dreams are nothing of evil. They are the light to the dark of the world." The sky continued to sink into a deeper shade of pink, now painted with streaks of handsome gold, lavender, and periwinkle as though copying the shades of the best flowers in a meadow.

Riha chuckled, eyes like dewy petals as they skimmed his gentle, onyx face. A new pack under a new sky; a new dawn. Her fate would be woven into history; into spirits she had heeded since she first opened her eyes. She patted her beloved's back, speaking with but a flowery breath.

"Let's do it."

One by one, she encountered wolves who had faced rejection, discrimination, or simply struggled to fit into the rigid structures of traditional packs. Riha shared the tales of her encounter with the spirits and unveiled her vision of a pack that celebrated diversity and embraced each individual's unique strengths. She offered them a sanctuary, a family that would accept them unconditionally.

The lost and eccentric, initially hesitant and skeptical, were drawn to Riha's sincerity and unwavering belief in their inherent worth. They began to gather, forming a new pack that defied societal norms and welcomed the unconventional. Together, they forged a bond, their differences becoming the very threads that wove them into a strong and harmonious unit.

And all who, empowered by her speech and daring enough to ignore the scorn of those who denied it all, joined the couple. They would be closest to the stars atop the mountains, closest to their guidance and closest to their home; the sky.

The pack's ascent up the rugged slopes was arduous, their paws leaving imprints on the rich earth as they climbed higher and higher. The air grew crisper, carrying with it the scent of pine and the exhilarating freedom of the open skies. Riha's heart swelled with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty, as the weight of her responsibility settled upon her shoulders. Arriving at the summit, a vast plateau embraced by rocky cliffs, Riha surveyed the land that would become their new home. A sense of serenity and possibility permeated the air, as if the spirits themselves had blessed this sacred place. Tall trees swayed in the gentle breeze, and a crystal-clear stream wound its way through the landscape, providing life-giving water for the pack.

And the surrounding flowers.

Showered in gifts Riha was and proclaimed part of a Matriarchy, for most of the wolves she took into her court and who believed in her were dames. All sang with howls to the moon as it floated to its apex, praising the spirits and the young couple that forged this new road for all to travel down.

Erysimum and Lycoris were what the people called the couple now. They renamed themselves to forge a deeper, more valuable connection with the living and the dead; they who had done so much for this hub of gathering folk no one else took in.

What were the spirits to think?

As a testament to her unwavering dedication and the profound impact she had on the lives of her pack, the spirits of wolves from yore chose to bestow upon her a remarkable gift. One evening, as the moon reached its zenith, they gathered around Riha, their ethereal forms shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

She faced them all, bowing her head yet standing tall and proud for following the orders of those she listened to and to those who listened to her.

"What now?" she dared to ask.

The same spirit as before strode forward, making the dream all the more raw, all the more emotional with his words.

"A gift from us; the greatest gift one can earn."

With a cool touch, the spirits infused her coat with a shimmering radiance, transforming its color into a rich clover green. The vibrant hue, reminiscent of the lush forests that surrounded them, symbolized her connection with destiny, a mark of her being fate-touched.

She awoke with a jolt once the color passed all strands of her coat, her heart full and soaring. As the pack caught sight of her transformed coat, awe and reverence swept through their ranks! They knew that she had been chosen by the spirits, destined to lead them on this extraordinary journey. The vibrant green became a beacon of hope and a sign of their shared purpose.

"This is me."

It was the new her. This was all to be her new life, for she cried tears of joy at the start each time she realized this and ran it through her mind. The stars were truly one with her.

That was how Tikqra came to be.

[Written by the lovely REBBYSTAR #97149]