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+---- Thread: a break from monotony (/showthread.php?tid=20286)
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a break from monotony - Alarick - Jan 17, 2022
Working through the winter alone had proven to be the greatest challenge Al had ever faced. Last year, he had had no shortage of support from family and packmates to back him up. This year, he had nothing except himself, his wits, and instinct, to keep him going.
The silence and solitude were peaceful at times, and tormenting during others. Weeks of nothing except the snow and wind to keep him company had both seemed to drag on, his effort to survive never-ending. Days blurred together so that Alarick could not really be sure how much time had passed, since he had last seen noteworthy, aside from the prey he hunted.
Today was an exception, though. Here, amidst an otherwise forested terrain, the former hunter found something almost intriguing. Red - with one notable exception - was not a color often found in the natural environment, during the winter months. The environment was typically drab shades of white, brown, or grey.
So to find a few bright red berries left in this field, was an odd thing. Most curiously, sporadic clusters of them had been completely encapsulated in oddly shaped icicles, preserving them almost perfectly. Some of the bushes had even been completely coated in ice, causing the entire area around to sparkle with radiant light, whenever the sun happened to poke out from beyond the clouds. And the former hunter was content to simply stand for a while to observe this rare, beautiful thing.
RE - Alarick, you find a cluster of icicles in a strange formation. AW if anyone's in the area!
RE: a break from monotony - Avella - Jan 17, 2022
Avella hadn't traveled this far from the Ridge since she and Scully had made their decision. She thought it was time she looked further out for wolves to join her, @Scully, and the small group they'd brought together. So she'd traveled north this time thus far coming up empty. It was a little discouraging but things had been that way before. She had no idea how many wolves had reentered the lore so she wanted to Check as many places as she could.
When she came to the field she wasn't expecting to find the little red berries. Not when all the other berries in the lore had been gone months ago. Continuing to walk through she noticed that they were encased in ice. That was new. What was even more spectacular was the way it all sparkled in the sun. As she was admiring this she came across the figure or a wolf standing there. "I never seen anything like this before," she said loud enough for him to hear.
RE: a break from monotony - Alarick - Jan 18, 2022
Never seen anything like this before. The words so perfectly aligned with Al’s thoughts at the moment, that he almost did not realize that they had been spoken, and were not just some illusion conjured up by his mind. His ears registered the words, prompting him to turn so that his eyes could take in a very real, large figure. The first he had seen since.. quite a long time ago.
”Yeah. It is mesmerizing,” Alarick agreed, finding his voice had grown softer, and a little rough, from lack of use. He resisted the urge to cough a little, instead deciding to wait for the irritating tickling in his throat to subside on its own before he would attempt to speak again, and in the meantime, Alarick let himself take another look at the scene before eventually turning back to face the other.
Something about her, too, became apparent after a second look. He did not often see multi-colored eyes, either. For a moment he felt tempted to comment on it but decided he did not need such a thing to be misinterpreted. Instead, he could go with something much safer, and more polite.
”Good morning, too, miss. I am Alarick. Please forgive my lack of manners, it.. has been a while since I have seen anyone.” The former hunter offered a respectful little bow and small smile with the greeting, opting to saunter forth a few paces. It was nice to use his voice again, though. At least he knew it still worked.
RE: a break from monotony - Avella - Jan 18, 2022
She walked a little futher into the field her mismatched gaze looking all around her. It seemed like every bush was sparkling all around it. At that moment she had the thought that they needed some of these in Willow Ridge. She didn't understand how the berries under the ice were still so red. In fact she was so busy admiring the sight before her that she hadn't even noticed the man hadn't spoken until she'd heard his voice.
The words he spoke were in agreement with her sentiments. She had taken notice that he didn't sound like she thought he should but she chose not to comment on it. Once he had spoken to her Avella moved a little closer to speak with him better. "When you think you've seen it all you find something like this," she added was she inspected one of the snow covered berries. She didn't understand how the ice had formed on it the way it had.
When he spoke again he was very polite but it concerned her that he hadn't seen anyone in awhile. "Good morning to you as well. It's nice to meet you Alarick, you can call me Avella," she stated smiling. Her tail waved softly behind her in a friendly manner. She wanted to make a good first impression. "You don't have to apologize. I've been on my own before so I understand not seeing anyone in awhile."[/b) She'd been there before and didn't want to go back to living on jet own. {B}"Have you been in the lore long?"
RE: a break from monotony - Alarick - Jan 20, 2022
It was a wonder, too, that cold and ice had so perfectly managed to preserve this one small area of life and color. These bushes must have been wet or rained on just before a cold spell had come earlier in the autumn, to freeze everything in the way that it was, now. The other was correct in her statement, but there was one small thing he thought to add. ”Incredibly true. And sometimes, exactly when it is needed.” This sight had somehow been exactly the sort of thing he had needed. Alarick took one more look at the area, before truly focusing on his company.
Encounters with others had also been exceptionally rare, and he did not wish to waste that opportunity, either. Especially as she proved to be incredibly kind and well mannered, in response. He did not need to be sorry, either, for the feeling was understood. Most interestingly though, was the choice of words, that seemed to imply she was no longer alone. Curious.
”It is nice to meet you as well, Avella. Thank you for.. your understanding, too.” Empathy was always appreciated, and better than outright sympathy. Al did not want that. The question posed next though, earned the other an inquisitive look. ”The lore? Is that what this region is titled?” He had not heard it before, from anyone else he had met. Since Avella knew it, that changed things, and made him wonder just how much else she knew about the area.
”This coming spring will mark one year, though, to answer your question,” the former added quickly, not wanting to just answer her inquiry with another. It.. was weird to think about. That he was nearing one year of separation from his family, and still no closer to finding them than he had been.
RE: a break from monotony - Avella - Jan 22, 2022
In the moments that she was caught up in the marvel that was the scene before her she thought of @Scully. She thought that it was a sight he should see. It was something that she'd not forget anytime soon. She also wondered if this happened every winter or were the circumstances just right during this one amd she was just lucky enough to see it. Her mismatched gaze was brought back the the man when he spoke agreeing with her but adding something of his own. She smiled, "Yes, maybe its a sign of some kind." She didn't know if it was for him but maybe it was a sign for her that what she was working towards might actually come to fruition.
She was curious about the man and what he might be doing in the lore. It wasn't a surprise to her that she'd never seen him. There were plenty of wolves she'd never seen before. It's just that it seemed most wolves had concentrated themselves further south.
"I'm happy to meet you as well. Of course, it's not hard to understand when you've been in the same place." She didn't think she would ever forget the time that she'd been by herself. She knew it could be very lonely and hard at times. She was surprised when he asked about the lore. She wasn't sure she'd ever had anyone ask. Even so she was happy to answer. The lore is a big place with lots of smaller areas inside it. This is just one of them, it's called Blissful Berry Patch. Looking around it makes a lot of sense."
"That's a long time to be on you're own." She commented. Avella couldn't really remember how long she'd been on her own but she didn't think it was that long. "Do you mind if I ask if that's what you want to be out here on your own?" She knew she wouldn't enjoy the life of a Rogue hut maybe he was different. Maybe he found it easier than she did.
RE: a break from monotony - Alarick - Jan 23, 2022
Maybe it was some kind of sign, the other mused. That sentiment was a bit surprising to hear, but certainly a welcome one. ”Perhaps it is,” Al spoke with a small nod, allowing himself to contemplate that for a moment. At the very least, this place had brought company, which was a nice gift in and of itself. In the form of a figure that seemed rather polite and understanding, at that.
Avella’s follow-up once more indicated that.. she was not alone any longer. Alarick from six months ago might have been tempted to inquire about that, but as it were now, he could not bring himself to. The woman’s affiliations were her own business unless she chose to share them.
What he did want to know more about, though, was the land. And finally, finally, he had met someone that not only seemed familiar with it but had even been around long enough to know the names of places, too. Even this area, apparently, had a name, though it was just one small area in the much larger region.
”I have seen a fair amount of it, but.. I had not met anyone that used names to refer to anything in this region, until now.” The former hunter smiled gratefully at the other. Even though it seemed like such a small thing, it was nice to know what this region was called. ”Blissful Berry patch, that is most fitting, for this place. How long have you been in.. the Lore, to know the names of areas like this?” Al stepped forth, a notable amount of intrigue present in his question. He had managed to see a fair amount in the months spent wandering, but encounters with others had been scarce. To say he was interested in how Avella had this information, would be an understatement.
The other offered a comment, and then followed that up with an inquiry that gave him reason to pause and think for a moment, about just how much he wanted to reveal. ”I have not been completely alone. I do have a few friends, out there, though it has been a while.” He thought of Levi, briefly, hoping the other man was faring well with his pack, through the cold season.
A question like that was not typically posed without reason, though, and Al was curious to know what that reason was. ”Being alone is not what I want, but I have no other options. I was taken from far away, from my family, and left here with no way to return.” That was the basic summation of his story, anyway.
RE: a break from monotony - Avella - Jan 23, 2022
The idea of finding this sight before them being a sign was an appealing one. The Archer hadn't entirely figured out her beliefs of how the world worked but she'd come across many different ones along the way. It wasn't something she worried about figuring it would come in time. The man that she had run into agreed that maybe it was a sign. The question remained of what but it could also mean that things would bode well for the both of them.
She was glad that she and Scully were going through life together. She couldn't imagine going through life by herself again. Still she often thought about what would happen if he decided that he was no longer happy in the situation. She didn't think her brother would leave her alone with the two sister that had been in the Willows running around and a possible thread.
She didn't mind sharing her knowledge of the lore. Avella had learned a lot during the time she'd spent on her own she felt it was lucky in a way because she'd learned from wolves who'd spent many years in the lore so they could tell her all she wanted to know. Now she thought that it might be her turn to teach someone.
She smiled, "It is hard to know the names of places without finding someone who knows them. Now in the lore there are wolves that know them and ones who don't. It all just depends on who you run into but I suppose you figured that out already," she said giggling a little. The smile remained as he spoke again, "It is quite fitting," she agreed, "Especially seeing a place like this. It just brings a smile to your face." He was also asking how long she'd been in the lore. "I was born here a few years ago before everyone had to leave but we came back." She and Scully had thankfully found each other before they were separated forever.
She was curious about his being on his own. She understood that everyone had their own reasons why they were. Some were of their making and some were not just like some liked it and some did not. She personally didn't like it much. He spoke telling her he did have some friends out there. "I'm happy to hear you aren't completely alone. Sometimes having a couple wolves out there can make a big difference."
He then told her some of how he ended up there but the most important part was that it wasn't what he wanted. Avella smiled, "it's really terrible that you were torn from your family like that," she said sympathetically. "I really can't imaging what you must be feeling." She felt badly for him. The masked wo.an took a couple steps toward him, "But what if I could give you another option?"
RE: a break from monotony - Alarick - Jan 24, 2022
For the briefest of moments, he thought once more of his family and how they would be faring, through this cold season. Much better than he had been, hopefully. They would have all but certainly given up on ever seeing him again, too, by now. It hurt him all the more, knowing he would never be able to ease their grief or pain. That he would never see them again unless those beliefs about the spiritual realm were true. Alarick realized his belief in even that had fallen away recently, which was something he needed to correct.
The other offered some more insight, and.. even laughed a little, something that sounded incredibly foreign - but pleasant. ”It does not help, that others might refer to places with different names,” the former hunter added. It had not crossed his mind before now, but someone could come through this place after them and refer to it as something else, he supposed.
Avella’s rather positive outlook was a refreshing change of pace, though, and something Al wanted desperately to feel once again, for himself. ”If it is this stunning now, I wonder how it must appear during the summer,” he mused aloud, but it was the other’s next admission that was most stunning. She had been born here, but everyone had to leave.
There were not many details as to why or what had caused the populations to leave, but that did not particularly matter, now. He had no reason to doubt this woman, and with the insight she had offered, a few realizations dawned on Alarick at that moment. Enough that he chose to sit back to process it all. ”So, that is why these lands seem so sparsely populated with our kind. That could be.. why I was brought here.”
There was that reason, the purpose, he had lost such a long time ago. It was terrible, and it had been horribly painful to leave all of them behind as the other stated, but at least now he had at least a potential reason for why it had happened. And in her subsequent inquiry,
Avella also hinted at her reason for the previous question. ”Thank you. It is.. painful. Not something I would wish for anyone.” Alarick had let his gaze fall a little at that, but returned his focus to the other to answer the inquiry, and to provide his full attention to her. ”I am curious to hear about this option, though.”
Re: - Spirit of Wildwood - Jan 24, 2022
Vultures are circling something out of sight. Hunt Opportunity! +5 Health