Author's Notes: Hello Everyone!

This story is a collaboration by two authors: Maudiebeans and Miss Famke. It is great fun creating this tale together and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!

Summary: After catching each other's eye during a crucial meeting of the nations of Ivalice (The Truth is Never Simple by Miss Famke), War-chief Supinelu of the garif and the viera Hala, Leader of the Salve-Makers find their paths are destined to cross once again. Follow their story as it unfolds through the eight phases of the moon cycle.

Theme Song: Maudie found the perfect song: "Dela (I Know Why the Dog Howls at the Moon)" by By Johnny Clegg. Give it a listen to step into Supinelu's boots.

Kudos:

The wonderful idea of the Garif "Howling Hour" originated with the very talented Baschashe in her story "Heirs to the Throne". (We love you Amy!)

Also, an awesome garif image on DeviantArt by AthaMaarit called "Yummy Fish" was an inspiration to the fishing scene in this chapter! Thank You Maarit for kindly letting us mention you!

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XII belongs to Square Enix.

.• Why The Dog Howls At The Moon •.

Chapter 1: There You Stood

Waning Gibbous Moon

Golden, shimmering dusk had fallen over the village of Eruyt that lay nestled in the tree-tops of the dense and humid Golmore Jungle. The viera priestess and her council had gathered together inside the large domed structure that over-looked The Fane of the Path. Set apart as a meeting place for the elites and elders, the interior of the Circlet of Divine Light was arranged with over-sized pillows where the long-legged viera could recline in comfort. The six village elders formed a loose circle around a wide-mouthed urn that flickered with the blueish glow of magicked fire. Jote listened raptly as Hala and Rael relayed the stirring information that they had learned during their journey abroad to the palace of the fledgling Dalmascan queen. The meeting of nations had gone very well up until young Queen Ashelia had unexpectedly fallen ill during the conference. Even with that unfortunate event, many new opportunities for communication had opened to viera and all the other peoples present as well. The web connecting the nations of Ivalice was quickly becoming more interlaced.

Still, it was difficult for Jote. She was deeply rooted in the ancient customs of the viera and the arcane beliefs of the wood. As she listened to Hala and Rael, however, she understood that times were changing very quickly. It was becoming clear that if the viera were unable to adapt, her beloved people would become obsolete. The priestess could hear it in the words of the two viera that had returned from Dalmasca, they were exuding a hopefulness that she had not seen among her kind in many long years. The nations were coming together peacefully and perhaps it was time to begin welcoming their cooperation.

Rael looked to Jote, "Great-chief Uball-Ka has extended to the viera an invitation."

"Of what nature is this invitation?" Jote shifted her slender body, leaning toward the fire to gaze directly at the Chief of the Wood-Warders who sat directly across from her.

Rael glanced at Hala, who in turn seemed to shrink nervously in the wake of her gaze.

"The Great-chief has invited us to send an ambassador from Eruyt to stay among the garif."

Jote leaned back, blinking in surprise, and thought for a moment before asking, "An ambassador?"

Small and delicate for a viera, Hala cleared her throat before speaking in a soft voice, "Uball-Ka expressed to us an interest in strengthening the alliance between our peoples." She looked to Rael before continuing, "The limited amount of trade we have allowed with the garif in the past has been greatly beneficial to us both. He asked that we convey his gratitude to you, Priestess, and his hopes to see our symbiosis grow stronger."

Jote pondered the idea for a moment, waving the long fingers of her clawed hand at a small white moth that had been drawn in by the fire's glowing light. "What is this ambassador to do?"

Rael and Hala looked to each other for a moment.

"Live among the garif," Rael's answer was simple. "Learn of their ways, and teach them of ours in return."

Jote furrowed her snow-white brow for a moment and once again leaned forward, causing her long hair to spill into her lap, "for how long is this viera to live among the garif?"

"One moon cycle." Rael and Hala stated in unison.

The priestess sat back one last time and narrowed her eyes in thought. "The full moon is beginning to wane as we speak." She looked to the five viera around her, "Let us choose this ambassador quickly then, and send her on her way."

Quiet murmurs sounded among those gathered.

"If I may, Priestess", a council member to Jote's left spoke up, "Rael and Hala have already formed a connection with the Great-chief, it is my feeling that one of them should be appointed to go."

The viera leader nodded and looked back to Rael and Hala. As her eyes fell upon the gentle salve-maker, she shrunk ever-so-slightly under her gaze. Jote eyed the two of them for a moment before continuing, "As Leader of the Wood-Warders, Rael, you are needed here in Eruyt. Hala, as Head of the Salve-Makers, I believe you have the most to gain by spending time in Jahara as the garif are renowned for their knowledge of herbal remedies. You will go."

Like narrow cylinders, Hala's ears remained upright, yet rolled tightly closed. Her gaze fell to the flickering azure flames between them. She struggled with her words for a moment, before responding in a voice barely audible to those gathered around her.

"Yes, Priestess."

...

He was exhausted in the wake of his long and eventful journey to Dalmasca, then back home to Jahara.

Lying upon his broad back, the war-chief shifted again upon the simple thatched bedding inside his hut. Being a mature male garif at times was a curse, like now. He moved again, finally finding a comfortable position, propped at slightly upright angle by his huge antlers. He folded his arms over his burly chest and beneath his white painted mask, closed his eyes to sleep.

Normally, he was able to subdue his thoughts and create within his mind a dark void that brought deep, restful sleep with it.

Tonight he was not able to do this.

He grunted, vexed, as his eyelids fluttered open and his auburn colored eyes peered into the darkness of his small home. He tried again to extinguish the images in his mind's eye, but every time his eyes fell closed, the memory of her pervaded him.

Her face was so delicately beautiful; her dark brown skin perfectly smooth. Her silky, white hair was cropped short, exposing her feminine, graceful neck and shoulders. He remembered her soft voice, and the sweet smell of her and most of all; he remembered her wine-colored eyes watching him from across the Dalmascan assembly room.

Surprising himself, he hit the floor of his hut in frustration, his fisted hand sending up a small puff of dust from the earthen surface. She was viera. His mind's wanderings were completely inappropriate, and most importantly, she was a creature he would most likely never again lay eyes upon. He had to get her out of his thoughts.

Hala. Her name was Hala.

Supinelu would never forget.

...

Without realizing he had even fallen asleep, he awoke with the early light of dawn and sat up with a low grunt, the defined muscles in his bare lower abdomen tightening with his motion. Reaching around to the back of his muscular neck, his strong fingers worked out the familiar stiffness there. He sat cross-legged for a short time with the auburn, feathery down around his head and neck ruffled into disarray.

Suddenly, the lowered wooden blind to his hut was lifted unceremoniously, sending in a harsh beam of white desert sunshine. Silhouetted by the bright, invading light, the masked face of his friend Hsemu peered inside.

"Will you ever learn to respect the privacy of others?" Supinelu asked with a small sigh and squinted up at the warrior, the pupils of his reddish hawk-like eyes narrowing into thin slits.

Though he was now of higher rank than Hsemu as well as all the other warriors in the village, his old friend still insisted on treating him as if they were peers, as they once were when Supinelu's older brother Kadalu was war-chief.

Hsemu scoffed, "It is not as if I would find you in the company of a female."

Supinelu had begun rising to his feet, but stopped to give Hsemu a hard glare. To this his friend barked a laugh and waved an arm, beckoning him to follow.

"Forget getting dressed, it is being said that a good number of Ozmone trout have moved upstream. Let us collect ourselves a hearty breakfast."

With that, his friend dropped the shade, casting Supinelu once again into the shadows.

...

Wearing only brown linen breeches and holding his Partisan Spear at his side, the war-chief stepped into the warm early morning light that bathed the earth in front of his hut and all the Lull of the Land. He looked to his left and saw that his brother Kadalu's bungalow was still tightly shut against the rising sun.

The pleasures of retirement, he thought to himself with a small smile.

His bare feet moved over the heated terrain that led down the slope in the direction of the cool, rushing Sogoht River. As he neared the sandy bank, he caught sight of Hsemu already wading out toward the deepest water, spear in hand. No others had yet roused and wandered to the river's banks, so Supinelu had his choice of spots to fish.

He preferred the waters next to the wooden bridge near the village entrance. The fish always seemed to gather in the rare patch of shade cast off the small hand-made overpass. At this time of day, no one would be trudging overhead, so the small brown fish would remain undisturbed and easier to stick.

Readying the spear in his strong grasp, Supinelu moved slowly into the rushing water. Unprepared for the raw, penetrating cold, the garif sucked in a quick breath as his muscular body shivered. He bent at the knees and scanned the shoal, becoming rock still save for the gentle sway of the long leather-wrapped and beaded tassels that hung from behind his ears.

He gazed into the limpid water, seeing his own poised reflection upon the surface and passing just under it, a small, mottled trout swam lazily past. Tensing his body, Supinelu lunged with blinding speed, piercing the fish through the middle and sending up a spray of cool droplets. He grinned and lifted the tip of his spear out of the water, watching the little fish twitch stupidly upon the sharp apex. He glanced up and caught sight of Hsemu, who had yet to score a prize. His friend flashed him a rude gesture, and then turned his back to him, readying his own stance once again.

The war-chief chuckled to himself as he removed the fish and tossed it onto the bank of the Sogoht. He then moved back into the river; the sun glinting off the round beads of water that rolled off his red, feathery shoulders. Lifting his spear, he again scanned the water beneath his own shadow.

Then his breath caught in his throat.

Supinelu blinked his eyes once to be sure of what he was seeing. Gliding into view just under the waters surface, was one of the most rare and legendary animals of garif folklore. The creature stopped its gentle meandering and simply remained in the war-chief's shadow, as he stared in disbelief at the pearly colored fish hovering next to his bare feet.

A Moon fish.

Moon fish remained hidden in the murky depths of only the deepest, blackest waters, and so had evolved into a perfectly round and flattened shape, looking precisely like the full moon. Catching sight of one was almost entirely unheard of, and such a sighting was told by his father, Geomancer Yugelu, to be an omen of great luck and bounty to come for those who were fortunate enough to see one.

The war-chief stared in awe as the sun's rays penetrated the water and illuminated the Moon fish's iridescent scales. The fish began to glow so brightly that Supinelu raised one hand to shield his eyes. He glanced down at his bare chest and was stunned to see a swirling ghostly light being reflected upon him from the Moon fish below. Then as soon as it had begun, it was over. The luminescent fish moved through his shadow and disappeared into the ripples of the stream beyond.

Still stunned, he raised his eyes toward Hsemu. His friend was staring at him with his weapon hanging loosely at his side.

"What was that light Supinelu?"

He blinked at the warrior for a moment then lied, "I...I do not know." He didn't think anyone would believe him if he told the truth of what he had just experienced.

Hsemu grunted once and waved his arms dismissively at him, returning to his task.

...

Later, the two large and soggy garif crested the hill that lead to the center of the village. They both bore bountiful strings of Ozmone trout, plenty enough for everyone. Supinelu was pleased to see a crackling fire was already underway, he grinned as a few warriors clapped him appreciatively on the back, and he handed the fish over to a youth that was offering to do the roasting. As he made to sit by the fire and dry himself, Low-chief Sugumu hunkered down beside him.

"Great-chief has requested a gathering of all chiefs at The Elderknoll after our morning meal."

Supinelu nodded in understanding. It would be his responsibility to relay the information he and Uball-Ka had gathered during yesterday's meeting of the nations in Dalmasca.

After a quick and delicious breakfast, Supinelu changed into his finest traditional War-chief's vestments. Every time he pulled on the decorative, jade-green armaments, he felt honored and proud of the position he had attained. There was a time when he had thought it was a role he was to undertake alone, however, some good hume friends had taught him otherwise. The fledgling Queen Ashelia of Dalmasca had been among them. As he sauntered toward The Elderknoll, he took a depth breath, feeling hopeful for the future of all Ivalice.

...

Great-chief Uball-Ka sat proudly at the head of the circle of chiefs and elders, his mighty body and monstrous antlers, greatly adorned. Many sat cross-legged around the small crackling fire of the Elderknoll, though Supinelu was one of the few that chose to remain standing. The gathering had gone well, his fellow chiefs seemed receptive and even pleased with the information he had shared with them. Now as the meeting was winding to a close, many of them were chatting quietly among themselves about the role Jahara and the garif would play in the changing Ivalice.

Supinelu was about to lean over and murmur to Uball-Ka when a garif guard approached the gathering, causing the elders to glance in his direction.

"Please forgive the interruption Great-chief," he said while lowering his head before his elders and gesturing in deep respect, "visitors have just arrived in Jahara."

"Visitors?" The huge, elderly garif placed his palms over his knees and leaned forward.

The warrior nodded, "from Eruyt."

Supinelu's eyes widened under his mask, as the Great-chief released a loud laugh and clapped his hands together. "I did not expect them to respond so quickly, if at all. This is good! Send them in."

The War-chief's breath froze in his chest as two very tall armored viera wood-warders passed through the opening in the wall. Masked and armed with great bows, Supinelu saw right away that neither viera was familiar to him. Not realizing he had been holding his breath, he now released it in a relieved (but somewhat disappointed) puff. He continued watching in a daze, however, as the two guards stepped apart and glanced back over their shoulders at a third viera that slowly stepped forward.

It was her.

She was nearly a head shorter than the two wood-warders flanking her, and instead of black armor she wore a sheer white, sleeveless dress with matching decorative cuisses over her thighs. Her face bore no mask and she was more stunningly beautiful in the warm, natural light of day than he had even remembered her to be. He vaguely began to feel something amiss and looked down in horror to see the contents of the large wooden tankard in his right hand dribbling over his boot and darkening the dusty ground at his feet. Quickly he righted his mug, blushing furiously under his mask.

Great-chief Uball-Ka rose as quickly to his feet as his old bones would allow, and as the other garif saw him stand they all swiftly got to their feet as well. Hala stepped forward gazing timidly at the large gathering of imposing garif that had all stood in her honor, towering over her. As her eyes fell upon him, Supinelu was sure he saw a flash of pleasant recognition pass over her delicate features.

Uball-Ka extended his open palms toward the viera and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, "Hala, It is good to see that you have come."

She in turn, bowed her head before them all, "Thank you Great-chief for the invitation, I am greatly honored."

He nodded his huge cumbersome head at her, obviously greatly pleased by her presence.

"Welcome to Jahara."