<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/9a/Zhergan.jpg)</div><strong>Character name</strong>: Ts'udzagha Zhergan<br/><strong>Who:</strong>Astir<br/><strong>Where:</strong>Kayax<br/><strong>When: </strong>Early morning<br/><hr/>Zherghan saw Astir approach him with caution in his steps and it seemed as if the shaman grew a size bigger. He usually walked around with his legs a little bent. It kept his muscles strong and ready and it helped to impose upon the betas by simply stretching his height a little in their presence. The long owl feathers that arched his headdress even seemed to flare. Astir had a gift that he was not aware of but the seasoned shaman didn't believe he was ready to fully embrace that gift. He was older than Danae, but he had yet to truly open his eyes. Now that he approached he still saw the sad little motherless child, dark and troubled by what he saw in the world that others did not.<br/><br/>"You would assume that the Alpha's rest takes precedence then, Astir? That her comfort is more important than the safety of our tribe?" He shook his head with the smile of someone who knows better and walked past him towards the Shaman's House. Ts'itu's shadow hung over the long house overlooking the village. "Dark times approach, young one, you'd better heed the whispers on the wind or be left slack jawed on the edge of a wolf pit with spears in your back..."<br/><br/>With that he took off up the path towards his own little realm. Halfway up the hill he started to notice his age, or rather the fact that he had been travelling since the moon stood high the previous night. He stopped for a moment and noticed that he stood not too far from the newly arrived sacrifices. They were anxious, nervous, some even a little afraid. Most more so now that he stood here. The Atallans could subconciously sense the mystical connection the Tikaan shamans' had to the world around them and it made them uneasy. He looked them over and his eyes caught on a very young woman with flowing blonde hair and strong brown eyes. He narrowed his eyes, his blue one almost sparking as he called to the beta attending to the herd of sacrifices.<br/><br/>"That one." He pointed to the young girl. "Send her to Skrida down by the forge. Her hands do well for forming leather and precious stones into things of use." Turning away he started walking up the hill again, without any further words to the beta or the sacrifices. He had never claimed any sacrifice, nor had he any interest in it. But he had a knack of seeing their talents. Or rather he saw the spirits that surrounded them and listened to their counsel. Finally arriving at the vicious wolf head that was the entrance into the Shaman's room of the house he was about to walk inside when he saw Ts'itu sitting along the long side of the house, seemingly about to fall to sleep.<br/><br/>"Greetings, esteemed Alpha." he proclaimed as he walked up to her. A smile was playing in the corner of his mouth. He could see a little of her younger self on the surface where she sat. But the shadows around her had grown stronger with the years and it worried him immensely. "I heard you were ambushed. And I can hear the spirits whisper about Delk'ali's injuries. Surely you could find a better place to rest than in the snow?"<br/><br/>He hunched down next to her and brought out his seers pouch. He brushed the snow of the ground in front of him and sighed. "Dark times approach, Alpha. The ambush was only the beginning. The spirits of the sky spoke of major changes throughout the land." He emptied the pouch over the spot on the ground that he had cleared, knuckles, teeth and strangely shaped stones spreading out in a pattern. Pulling back the right sleeve of his thick pelted robes he bit deep into his wrist and let the blood fall over the bones and stones. "The other tribes are boiling with envy and fear. The Atallans are growing out of their bounds and their pride and bravery grows with them. If it doesn't change soon enough, it will be too late for us to stop the avalanche. Full out war is soon upon us and if we don't act we won't survive another winter..."