Alabaster

Alabaster (formerly 'By Memory') - Author's Notes and Terminology

Fernkiss has been my MOC (Main Original Character) since I was 11. She is now more commonly referred to by the name Fern, as I have grown and she has grown with me.

Until about the age of 16, I did not realise why I felt so strongly for Fern. At times, I could feel her presence with me, and I just knew it was her. If I was ever being pushed around, she'd press against my heel. In times of happiness, she ran along with me, feeling the energy of us both flow and flow.

In my 16th year of life, I discovered Therianthropy. Below are definitions that I feel fit -

Therianthrope (a believer in Therianthropy) - "Therianthropes ... are people who have spiritual connections with a given type of animal. ... Often therianthropes feel that they share some part of themselves (mind, soul, etc) with their animal, essentially feeling that their "two halves" are one in the same. ... n.(from Greek "ther", wild animal, and "anthropos", human) A person who feels a strong spiritual connection with a particular species of animal. Therianthropes may define the connection as totemic (having an animal spirit guide or guardian, or a religious connection to the archetypal spirit of that animal) or the result of reincarnation from an animal form into a human one. Therianthropy has existed for millenia in tribal cultures across the globe and also in popular religions such as Buddhism, but the word itself is a recent coinage." (Urban Dictionary, 2005)

I realised my connection to Fern was spiritual, and through meditation, realised that she had always been there as my guide. Through some of my toughest trials, she's been there, egging me on and getting me to choose my gut instinct. My love for her is real, through and through.

This is her story; her re-imagining upon my discovery. She's still the same old soul, only deeper and wiser through our discovery of each other.

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Story Terminology

Heartland - the land in which a Pack or Band has settled. No Leader may change this, except in times of dire need.

Pack - a family of wolves, not necessarily always made up of family members, but together nonetheless. They are all bound by Pack Law, which is universal in its terms and is no different between the Packs.

Band - nearly always a family group; often one that has broken off from a Pack to traverse the lands and experience life along the way. Unless needed by their Pack, all wolf families are allowed to do this, and are always welcomed back to their Pack. Some Bands form when members that have been exiled come together to form a Band - if they recruit a plentiful number and establish a clear Hierarchy, they can become a Pack. They are not bound by Pack Law, but instead have their own rules and ideologies, and this is often why Bands do not form Packs.

Alabaster - although some definitions term this colour as a yellowish-pink to yellowish-grey, this word is simply another word for white, as indeed 'alabaster' is a synonym of the more commonly-used word.