The Gardenkeeper's Daughters

Nat- 11

 There are others now, all of them crowding around us with deep low voices that echo about the clearing.

"Who is she?"

"Is that the Green One and her companions?"

"He is leaving, then."

"May he have good fortune."

Gash casts a warm smile on all of them in turn, stating plainly, "The angels I told you about have come for me. I will have to depart upon this eve."

"You will receive the feast of heroes, my son!" calls one of the biggest Canis of all, standing near the back, and the crowd echoes her sentiment.

Well stocked as we are, a feast is sounding pretty good at the moment. Several Canis escort us away from the cleaning, Gash following excitedly.

"Feast of heroes!" Gash whispers to me. "What an honor!"

"I wish we had had a feast when we left. They practically shooed us out of our old pack." I mutter bitterly.

"Harsh. Anyways, do you like it?"

"Your home? It's beautiful."

Gash nudges me, pressing into my side and making my whole body tingle all the way up to my Verhamera's Horns. "I like to think so." He says.

 In the distance, something roars far louder than any beast or monster, making my whole body ring with its sound. "What's that?" I ask, concerned.

"You'll see." he says, as the guides stop. Before us springs an enormous waterfall, water gushing down from a gap high as the trees. It almost seems to be shouting something in a low and immensely loud voice, though I can't quite make it out. Awestruck, I stand before it, the force from the water cascading making my fur ripple in the wind.

"It comes from an ancient spring, given to us by the first settlers here. Bathe and be cleansed for tonight." says a guide.

Aislyn immediately walks towards the waterfall itself before being steered towards the pool below it.

"It will break you and your wings." a guard informs us.

Well, that's pleasant. I think, but I say nothing aloud, trying not to insult Gash's home or customs.

"Can you hear that?" Lotus asks.

"Hear what? Hopefully it's not another Obsidian attack." Vivian says, tail and head raised from the water as she stands on the shallow edge of the pool, shivering.

"There are voices." Aislyn says.

"Non-villagers would not hear them. The angel and the butterfly dog are exceptions."
Aislyn and Lotus both grow bashful at this, leaving the water and trying not to shake off. I myself let the water hang, not knowing how sacred it is, though my body itches to shake off and at least numb the cold spreading over me in the chill air.

"You have keen friends, capable of hearing the spirits. It is an exceptional gift for an outsider to have. Not that it would not be expected of Verhamera's angel and the butterfly dog." A guide tells me on the way back. "Oh yes. Is it tradition not to shake off after bathing? You and your companions look very cold."

"I-I just..." I say, but without hesitation Vivian begins shaking vigorously, having heard us.

"Could've told us!" she half laughs, half accuses.

"My apologies." Gash says as we return to camp. "I thought you would know. Next time, I'll try to be a little more culturally sensitive!"
"We're only a month's walk from here." Vivian points out.