Secluded Spring The Wanderer's Fence - Printable Version +- Ruins of Wildwood (https://relic-lore.net) +-- Forum: Library (https://relic-lore.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=23) +--- Forum: Game Archives (https://relic-lore.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=26) +---- Forum: Relic Lore II (https://relic-lore.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=32) +---- Thread: Secluded Spring The Wanderer's Fence (/showthread.php?tid=2596) Pages:
1
2
|
The Wanderer's Fence - Cessair - Jun 24, 2012 The sky was clear. Even under the thick canopy of trees, Cessair could feel it. Surely, this was a good day for traveling. Never blessed with a place to stay, Cessair had become a wanderer by nature. Naturally, then, she continued to wander even though she felt like she was now home. There was just one thing about this home that was missing, however, although Cessair couldn't quite figure out what. Nonetheless, she continued walking, confident that whatever it was would soon turn up. Cessair focused instead on the scents that swirled around her as she moved, learning to recognize each new smell that she had never experienced before. One smell that Cessair easily distinguished wasn't exactly new. A refreshing scent of fresh water had suddenly enticed her to change directions. Thirst did not plague Cessair at the moment, but a drink of water would never hurt. Besides, she could probably also catch a fish; she had been growing rather hungry. As Cessair drew nearer to the source of water, another scent also began to grow stronger. It grew so strong, in fact, that even though Cessair was closer to the water than before, she could no longer smell it. All she could smell was the strange scent, yet it seemed oddly familiar. Where had Cessair smelled this before? She backed up several steps until the scent wasn't so overpowering, then sat to think. For some reason, Cessair could not bring herself to walk any farther. This was the first time she had come to any sort of barrier to her travels. What should she do now? Cessair began to trot parallel to the line from which the odd scent was emanating to see if she could get around it. She did not want to stop wandering today over something as simple as a smell and a weird feeling. The Wanderer's Fence - Nina - Jun 24, 2012 [dohtml] [/dohtml] The Wanderer's Fence - Cessair - Jun 25, 2012 Too engrossed in her own thoughts to notice the signals of an approaching creature, Cessair started when a wolf suddenly appeared and spoke to her. The lighter brown female was standing just a little behind the line of scent that Cessair had been pondering as she mentioned a pack border. Of course! With widening eyes, the young female finally realized that she had been snooping around outside a pack's territory. Her mother had told her about packs before she was killed. It had been so long since Cessair had directly encountered another wolf that she had almost entirely forgotten what they smelled like (except for her own smell, but that was so much a part of her that she didn't even think about it). "I'm very s-sorry. I didn't mean any harm..." Cessair was about to take a step forward, but then froze with her paw hanging in mid-air as an expression of a sudden realization crossed her face. She quickly leaped backward, then proceeded to back up several more paces instead. Now that she was a bit farther away, the startled wolf sat and cocked her head to the side. She wanted to delve into conversation with the wolf in front of her, but was so bewildered that she couldn't bring herself to speak. Somehow, the wolf in front of her reminded Cessair of her mother. Perhaps this was because the female appeared older than her and somewhat ragged, with various scars and one eye sealed shut, but still gave off a radiance of former beauty. Cessair had a sudden urge to be on her best behavior. If she could get into conversation with this wolf, maybe she could ask about her missing brother. As she continued to gaze at the wolf who had saved her from potentially earning the wrath of an entire pack, the thought crossed her mind that this wolf may not have conversation in mind. Just to be sure, Cessair decided to initiate the intended chat. "I'm Cessair. What's your name?" The Wanderer's Fence - Nina - Jun 25, 2012 [dohtml] [/dohtml] The Wanderer's Fence - Cessair - Jun 25, 2012 Cessair started again when the wolf in front of her responded to her question. She knew why she was overreacting to everything, but she inwardly told herself to stop doing that anyway. The last stranger wolf Cessair saw had killed her mother. As she thought this, the small wolf shrunk in stature a bit, but straightened again after a few seconds as she tried to reassure herself. If this new wolf was anything like the last wolf she met, she would have been dead already. Upon re-analyzing this wolf's treatment of her so far, Cessair realized that she must actually be very kindhearted. But why then was this Nina's eye ruined so? She must have been in some serious fight. Cessair hoped with all her being that it was some other wolf who had initiated the battle. Still, an intense curiosity burned within her, and she longed to learn what happened. The young wolf studied Nina's eye as well as she could from the distance she was at to see if she could deduce anything. It surprised Cessair to realize that the horrible scar, which should have struck her as grotesque, did not really bother her. All of the nightmares and flashbacks that portrayed her mother's mutilated corpse after the merciless attack, Cessair figured, must have hardened her to such images. It took Cessair a moment to realize that she was staring rudely at the wolf in front of her when she should have been speaking respectfully. Horrified at her inconsideration, she shook her head violently and searched for something to say. Looking left, then right, she decided to comment on the land itself, and maybe this stranger's pack, too. "From what I've seen of the forest around here, it is teeming with life. I'm sure your pack is very prosperous." Hopefully this would be enough to spark conversation so Cessair could start rolling out questions -- as politely as possible, of course. The Wanderer's Fence - Nina - Jun 25, 2012 [dohtml] [/dohtml] The Wanderer's Fence - Cessair - Jun 25, 2012 Noticing more signs of friendliness from the wolf before her, Cessair began to calm down a bit. She realized that if she wanted to stay in this vast forest that she stumbled upon, she would need to break her wandering habit. To do that, some sort of tie to the land was in order -- maybe just a friend, or maybe joining a pack. The latter could wait, Cessair decided, until she met more wolves and got a fairly accurate picture of how she would be expected to act. For now, she would stick with finding a friend or two. The golden wolf gave Cessair permission to ask any question. She was still determined not to ask about the scars, so she began instead to decide how to ask if the other wolf knew anything about her brother. Cessair figured that the only way to properly indicate just who it was she would be trying to ask about, Rowan would need to be described. It would be a risk, indeed, as a flashback would almost surely attack if she thought too much about him. Maybe if she spoke fast enough, she wouldn't have to think too long and could avoid this consequence... "Have you seen a male wolf about the same age as me, but a bit bigger and with a muscular build and a grey and white coat and dandelion-yellow eyes? I've been looking for him for a while -- his name is Rowan and he's my brother." Cessair had forced the words out all in one breath. As soon as she finished, she bowed her head and concentrated on breathing so she would avoid dwelling on the memory further. After a moment or two, her eyes turned upward and focused on the older female's expression as she awaited a response. The Wanderer's Fence - Nina - Jun 25, 2012 [dohtml] When the girl finally spoke, Nina froze. Brother. . .she was looking for her brother. A lost look made its way onto Nina's face, one filled with pain and longing. Her own brother had tried murdering her. How did she know this female wasn't looking to kill her brother? The only thing she could think of was the name. She didn't know the name at all. She had never encountered another wolf by the name of Rowan. She wouldn't lie to the female and she couldn't. She didn't know this male. So she couldn't help her. Opening her mouth, she spoke in a deadpan voice, "No, sorry." The Wanderer's Fence - Cessair - Jun 25, 2012 When Cessair asked if the other wolf had heard about her brother, she did not expect an affirmative answer. Every instinct told her that Rowan was long dead, by now surely nothing but decaying bones. Still, her heart told her otherwise. He had saved her life, and she felt like it was her duty to find him and repay him. Even if he were dead, the least she could do was to ask around. With that question now out of the way, Cessair needed to change to topic so she could stop thinking about her brother. She was already considering a new point of conversation, even as she awaited an answer to her question. When the "no" finally came, the other female's voice held a tone that struck Cessair. Did she offend the wolf somehow? Quickly, she ran through everything she had said that might have triggered such a response, but came back with nothing. An idea suddenly struck her; what if this wolf had actually met her brother, but was denying it for some reason? If that was so, she certainly did not hide it well. Cessair was at a loss. She did not want to think that this wolf would lie, especially because she seemed so kind. On the other hand, she still lacked the knowledge of what had caused all the scars, and whether they were a result of this wolf's own aggression. Cessair decided that the best path was an apology. Unable to collect herself, she fixed her eyes on the older wolf's paws and slowly stammered "I'm s-sorry. Di-did I... Offend you?" The Wanderer's Fence - Nina - Jun 25, 2012 [dohtml] When the female's words came she knew an apology was in store for the young girl in front of her. She didn't mean to act as rude as she had, but when the word brother had struck her, there was no going back to her thoughts Too many things had happened from her father's point of her view when he had been in his life, trying to steal her back into the Hervok family, she had curtly refused. She was going to life her own life and that was what she was doing. They couldn't hold anything over her head anymore, she wasn't part of them anymore. She might have been tied by blood, but she was never truly one of them. Opening her mouth, she spoke more gently to Cessair, "I'm sorry. You didn't insult me. I was just reminded of my own brother, you are fine." |