In the Spirit of Helping

Mirussa took a slow deep breath in, hoping to scent the fresh smells of spring somewhere deep beneath the snow, but everything was so frozen that it was hard to smell anything beyond the icy chill. She let out a weary sigh before glancing at her Rockstomper companion, who was diligently rooting around the base of a tree, searching out any plants or mushrooms that may have survived the most recent snowfall. The two of them had set off early that morning to forage for foods and herbs, or anything that could be useful for the village. Many of her fellow villagers were busy desperately trying to break the ice for the poor Heart Bettas migrating back home.

The unlucky nyulop shuddered slightly, though it wasn’t the cold that chilled her blood, but the thought of those unfortunate beautiful fish as they struggled to catch a breath of air, only to be trapped beneath a thick layer of ice. What a cruel thing it must be for a fish to have to breathe air. Besides that, why was this season refusing to give way to the next? It had never dragged out this long before… at least not as far as Mirussa could remember, though some elders reminisced about one or two times when the winter was long and brutal.

With her paw, the dark furred finley scraped some snow away from a bush and tried to see if there was anything among the frozen brush that may be worth harvesting, but alas there was nothing but frosted buds and rotting berries from the season before. Was this a pointless task after all? Mirussa wanted to assist her village however she could, and her skill in foraging was growing better in every passing moon. Yet if there was nothing to forage then perhaps her efforts were best helping the Heart Bettas.

It was then that her light-tipped ears perked up when a distant sound whisked through the trees. Distant voices? Or… waves? Had she wandered that far that she was now close to the village bordering the coast? “Sedge.” Her Rockstomper glanced toward her, “Sounds like we’re close to the East Isle Village, we might as well stop by. At the very least we can gather some seaweed or kelp.” Her companion let out a resigned huff, clearly agreeing that it was better then scavenging with nothing to show for it.

With that the two of them made a brisk walk through the trees, following the sounds of the waves washing back and forth over the sandy beaches. When they broke through the forest they both froze in place when they saw finley running almost frantically side to side along the beaches. They looked as if they were trying to pick things up and return them to the water. “What…”

“It’s the Heart Bettas.”

Mirussa turned toward the voice, her fur bristled slightly in surprise. She saw a tall lucky nyulop with grey fur and an elegant tail. She glanced at the others whiskers to confirm this was indeed a Leporid standing near her. “The… Heart Bettas?” She asked in response before letting out a soft gasp of sorrow and understanding.

“Yes… the poor dears.”

With the thought of joining in on the help, she took a step forward before hesitating and glanced at the taller finley. “You’re not helping?” Mirussa wondered why this one wasn’t there with the others at the beach. She clearly felt great sympathy yet she wasn’t assisting?

“I’m hoping to help in a different way.” This cause the young adult to lift her ears in intrigue, for she always felt that she should help in different ways. So often finley would go in mass to assist, which was great for a number of reasons, but Mirussa couldn’t help but feel that help should be spread out somehow. Yet she never knew how best to do this.

“I am called Teles.”

“Oh! Uhm- I’m Mirussa.”

“Mirussa.” Teles repeated the name, as if musing over it for a moment before she spoke again. “You’re from the West nomadic village, yes? Perhaps you could help me in my endeavor. You see I am looking to learn more magic so that I may help in the best way that I can. I’m looking for others to help and train alongside.”

The traveling nyulop glanced at her companion, with wide dumbfounded eyes. How could she not have thought of this herself? She hadn’t even attempted to learn any magic- it had never even crossed her mind. What a waste! Had she learned magic before, surely, she could have been more useful during these sorts of times. She felt a little foolish but supposed that it was best to start now then even later.

“Y-yes. That is- I’d be thrilled to train with you. Though, truth be told, I-… I haven’t really learned any magic yet.”

“That’s just fine.” Teles said with a reassuring smile, “No matter the circumstance, there is a capacity for learning. I look forward to training with you no matter your level of skills.”

It wasn’t long before the both of them were thoroughly swept up in some scrolls that Teles had with her. There were looking over texts about Spiritualism and talking about their connection to the nature surrounding them. The two nyulops took up a meditative stance as they sat and discussed the depth of the spiritualistic magic and how beautiful and complex nature was…

Water poured life into all things, and the greenery and trees, too, provided health, food, and shelter for creatures, even as they wither away they bleed nutrients and vitality to the soil and earth. The moon would pull at the tides, and provide light in the dark and comfort to those who were fearful- it gleamed with wisdom and guidance, just as the stars that light up the night sky. The sun brought warmth to all it touched, and seemed to breathe life into the plants bathing in it’s light. All these things connected in some way or form. Creatures, just like Sedge, would turn over the soil and allow for seeds to root and sprout. Things will devour parts of nature but provide just as much as they took in return.

Teles pondered over some of the scrolls and seemed unsure of their almost poetic scriptures which seemed more like puzzle pieces then simple words of knowledge and information. Mirussa would analyze them and marvel at the depth of the scripts. The two went back and forth providing each other with insight in one way or another.

Mirussa got excited when she saw that the scrolls implied that one could become entuned with nature to the point when they could understand and even read it. Not just being able to hear spirits but even the weather and seasons. Teles nodded, saying something about how there were Spiritualists that seemed to know the weather before it came. What a thing to know! If she could sense this then perhaps she would have the foresight to do something before it came. Teles added that she would need to gain experience as well, so that she may know what she could do in those situations.

After long hours of discussing and just as much time meditating and reflecting the things they learned, Mirussa was finding the texts easier and easier to understand. Teles seemed pleased for her, though a bit defeated… perhaps it was still difficult for her to understand? She felt a pang of sympathy. Mirussa asked her about what else she knew about other Spiritualists and learned that many would also be capable of taming beasts who had gone out of control. It seemed that they could read them almost or just as well as they would their companion.

Teles then asked if Mirussa could summon any of her magical essence. She seemed eager and excited, but Mirussa was suddenly nervous and filled with doubt. Could she? She may understand magic a bit better, but she couldn’t caste any spells yet. The taller nyulop seemed energized, so she thought she should at least try. She held out her paws, her blue pads facing up, and tried to summon her magic… but would she even know how it felt? When nothing happened, Teles encouraged her to try again. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, Mirussa relaxed her body and tried to enter a sort of trance that she once did during meditation. Focus… focus. Think of how nature is connected… like a spider’s web- strong and beautiful. Focus. Think of the flow of water- how it could fall like gentle rain and spread life, or how it could be powerful enough to crush boulders on the edge of a seaside cliff. It was everywhere. Life was everywhere. Spirits were everywhere…

Teles let out a joyful gasp and Mirussa snapped her eyes open. She exclaimed that she saw it, but when she looked down, her outstretched paws showed nothing. Teles insisted she saw it, but when Mirussa asked what it looked like she gave a soft smile, with glinting eyes, and said that she would soon be able to see for herself. Mirussa puffed out her cheeks in a sort of pout, somehow knowing she wouldn’t get anything out of her training companion.

It was then that Sedge nudged Mirussa with a look in his eyes that was telling her to consider how late it had gotten, and sure enough, the sun had fallen rather low in the sky. She jumped to her feet in shock but crumbled under her own weight and fell onto the sand, warmed by the two finley and single Rockstomper. It seemed her legs had fallen asleep after being in a one position for so long. Urg. Better stretch out before heading out. The two nyulops thanked one another as they flexed their legs and brushed away the sand caught within their fur.

The unlucky nyulop felt a small connection with Teles. They had only trained in a single evening, but a connection was forged, thin but strong in its own right. Maybe she would get the chance to train with her again, learn even more about spiritualism or maybe even some other kind of magic. The leporid certainly seemed to know a lot, despite struggling with magic. The East and West Villagers bowed slightly to one another, a gesture of respect and gratitude, and the end of a session of working together. They parted ways.

As Mirussa ran through the forest shrouded by the approaching night, she could feel a difference. It felt more alive- there was an energy she hadn’t felt before and it was almost as if it were spreading throughout her body. Was this the sense of a growing Spiritualist? The snow crunched beneath her paws as she swerved around the trees- was that the wind whispering in her ears or was it the trees themselves trying to wake up from their winter sleep? She was so much more aware of everything, not just her companion running along her side, but the entire forest. The hard earth beneath her, and the roots curling deep within. Even the crisp frozen air, seemed to have its very own sound, something so very soft and almost glittering in the stillness. She felt… alight.

There were things she never knew and things that were still left to understand. What else did nature have to tell her. What more would she be able to hear and sense? How far could these senses reach? When would she be able to sense the spirits? What sort of knowledge would fall her way on this path she had chosen. Such wonderful thoughts! After a moment, she realized she was grinning and she glanced at Sedge who was watching her with a smile of his own. So many times, she would be sad or worried, but now she was alive with joy and wonder. There was so much to learn and so much to experience.