Ren makes sure to keep a subtle eye on the three shifters as they move closer to Kamiki Village, watching for any of the familiar signs of being overwhelmed that some newcomers experience, especially now that they know that at least three of the strangers can sense Konohana. Shadow and Silver seemed to adapt to the weight of it fairly well, but there’s no telling how their— pack-members? Clan members? How do these people classify themselves?— anyway, there’s no telling how these others will react.
It’s always a danger, bringing strangers into the village, but it’s not like there’s many other options, especially with Amaterasu so interested in them.
“It’s not too much further,” Ren says as they orient against the eddies of Konohana’s presence and adjust their path a bit. “We’ll come out atop a small cliff near the village’s entrance. It’s a bit rough to climb down, but the only other way down is a few kilometers back that way—” Ren gestures in the opposite direction of their current path— “so hopefully Amaterasu will be back shortly so she can ferry us down.”
Or they’ll figure out some sort of rig to help the other four down; they can make it without too much effort — their training and time spent with Amaterasu made sure of that at least — but they aren’t going to force anyone else to jump down an outcropping nearly twice the height of a human.
“We’ll be fine,” Briar repeats with a shrug. “Well… I guess depending upon how high up it is. But if Erich and Alexis could make it down in their wolf forms, we won’t have any issues with it either.”
Ren just arches an eyebrow at the man, then slants a look over their shoulder at the only person in the group that hadn’t transformed when Amaterasu used her celestial brush technique. They can’t see a single glimmer of power around him, even when they focus their senses, so—
“One of us will carry Gregor down,” Briar says before Ren can ask. “It won’t be hard.”
“If you’re certain,” Ren says dryly, not willing to argue it any further; if Briar is so confident, then Ren will let the man be. Worst case, Ren can jump down and come back with help. Ladders, maybe, or ropes. Something to let the group climb down.
And maybe it’s finally time to consider carving steps into the cliff-side, especially if this is going to become a thing between their people. Whatever that thing might be— shared suffering of Amaterasu’s interest, perhaps? Or maybe some trade— their clear, careful grasp of the language aside, it’s obvious that they aren’t native to Nippon, which means they’ve likely newly arrived and are in need of assistance.
(And in need of friends.)
(Ren had not missed the cautious, wary way Gregor had watched them after Briar had been returned to his human form.)
(Such caution spoke of bad experiences and worse reactions, of expecting bared teeth instead of outstretched hand.)
(They will do their best to prove that expectation wrong.)
(It’s all they can do.)
The forest finally opens up, pulling Ren from their thoughts as the near the cliff, and they pause, half-turning to watch as the four visitors step from the trees and—
“Woah.” “The hell is—” “That tree—”
They lift a hand to cover their mouth, unable to resist a grin at the noises and exclamations of the four as they catch sight of Konohana for the first time; even as the four devolve into a foreign language, their awe is clear to see, writ large across their expressions and making their powers glitter like excited fireflies.
(This is always the part that Ren enjoys the most.)
(This first sight of the massive Konohana, towering bold-powerful-ancient** over their little village.)
(It never ceases to grow old.)
Ren lets them marvel, not in any hurry to usher the others along, and just… enjoys the moment: awe-filled faces in front of them, Konohana’s warm-loving-protective power behind them, Amaterasu’s barking—
Instinct makes Ren leap aside, a touch of power pushing them further than humanly possible, even as Amaterasu tumbles through the space they’d just occupied, eyes wide and ears canted in betrayal as her momentum sends her flailing past—
“Woah, woah, woah! Watch where you put your paws, furball!” a tiny, shrill voice drifts up from the heap of white fur and ethereal flames as Amaterasu finally comes to a stop. “You’re more energetic than usual and I’m not sure I’m enjoying it!”
Amaterasu huffs, drags herself to her feet, and then gives herself a great big shake.
“Ah!” the little voice shrieks, as a small speck goes flying from atop Amaterasu’s head, tumbles through the grass, then launches itself back at Amaterasu with an infuriated noise. “Is this any way to treat your Envoy, furball?!” the speck shouts as it darts up Amaterasu’s back and leaps across her head to bounce atop her nose, radiating fury. “I come all the way from the north every year, when my great-grandfather only had to make the trip once, and this is the respect I g—uagh!”
The little voice cuts off as Amaterasu whips her muzzle around and snaps the speck up, then cants her head towards Ren and the other four.
Ren coughs and covers their grin, even as Briar stares at Amaterasu then slants a glance their way.
“What…?” is all he manages to get out, before Amaterasu’s ears flatten and she sneezes, spitting the speck out onto the ground in front of her.
“Eugh! Dog spit!” the speck gripes. “I wish Great-grandfather had been lying about that habit of yours, furball, I really do.”
Ren bites back a laugh and interrupts before the two can get any further into their usual first-meeting routine. “Issai-san, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Wh—? Oh! Ren-san, hello there. What are you doing up here?” Issai asks as he darts back up Amaterasu’s back and settles atop her head again. “This isn’t part of your usual area, is it? I know furball here doesn’t usually come this way, so I was really surprised when she leapt the cliff like that.”
“We had two visitors last night than Snowball took an interest in,” Ren explains, then nods towards the four very perplexed people nearby. “These four are part of the same community. They’re newcomers who’ve settled in the forest back a ways.”
“Oh.” Issai turns towards the group. He’s too tiny for Ren to see many details at this distance, but they can see the way his hat tilts as he looks them over. “Why’s furball interested in them—”
“Issai-san, please don’t—” Ren tries, but—
Flicker of parchment and ink. Curling sweep of dawn-red—
With a yelp, Briar and the other two transform back into wolves.
“Ah,” Issai says into the silence that falls, voice filled with understanding-exasperation-exhaustion as he watches the three wolves pick themselves up. “Yeah, alright, I see furball’s interest, now. Though, I don’t recognize them at all, so…”
Ren hums in agreement as they send Gregor an apologetic look; they hadn’t meant to let Amaterasu transform the others a second time, but, well… telling the Sun Goddess ‘no’ only tends to last a limited amount of time. Gregor, at least, doesn’t seem too bothered by it, though Briar is practically radiating annoyed confusion and is giving Amaterasu the most put upon look Ren has ever seen a wolf give.
Amaterasu, on her part, just gives a canine grin right back, her tail wagging and her ears perked forward.
“The two in our village are currently stuck in their wolf forms, thanks to Snowball,” Ren says as they politely turn away when Gregor makes to ‘call them back’ into their human forms, wanting to give the three at least the illusion of privacy since they seem to shift without their clothing.
And isn’t that an interesting tidbit of information to add to the (rather tiny) collection that Ren currently has. Between that, the fact that they’re wolves and not dogs like the Oina usually are, and the apparent inability to control their own shift, Ren had suspected they weren’t members of the Oina tribe, but the confirmation from Issai is nice.
(But that still leaves who exactly they are.)
(Gregor had mentioned a ritual to tie their lineages to the moon, but… why would their ancestors do that?)
(What purpose did it serve?)
(And why require someone else to change back?)
(So many questions and so few answers…)
“Is that why furball came barreling up and snatched me from the bird I was riding without even a by-your-leave?” Issai asks in exasperation, then does something that makes Amaterasu’s head twitch back with a whine. “You could have just turned them back yourself, furball! You do it to the Oina often enough!”
Amaterasu whuffs and turns her head aside, staring towards Konohana as if the great tree is the most fascinating thing in sight.
Ren bites back their amusement and diplomatically offers, “How about we finish our journey to Kamiki Village and have the rest of this conversation in comfort, after reuniting these four with their missing leaders?”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Briar states dryly as he steps a bit closer, brushing at his sleeves as he casts a narrow-eyed looked at Amaterasu. “So long as we can actually speak without constantly being transformed at random times.”
“Don’t worry too much about that now that Issai-san is here,” Ren says with a small smile. “Poncles have the ability to understand and speak with animals, including shifters like the Oina, so I have no doubt he’ll be able to understand you as well.”
“Right, you can leave the translations to me!” Issai chimes in, bouncing high off Amaterasu’s head and spinning in the air. “I’m the great artist Issai, current Celestial Envoy to this lump of fur. It’s nice to meet you!”
Briar stares at Issai for a long, blank moment of incomprehension, then sighs and murmurs, “I’m not even going to ask,” so quietly that Ren can barely hear it. He closes his eyes, gives his head a sharp shake as if to clear it, and then says, “Right, thank you, Issai-san. And thank you Ren-san, for bringing us here.”
Ren smiles warmly at Briar and say, “You’re very welcome. Now, come, just a bit further and we’ll arrive.”
When Briar gives them a sharp nod of agreement, they turn back towards the village and start to lead them along the cliff towards the best area to descend. It’ll be easier to get everyone down now that Amaterasu is present and can (probably) be bribed into helping, but that’s no reason to jump down just anywhere.
The cliff near the village entrance should do just fine.