Drooping Willows A Throne of Bones

It had been some time now since the traveling duo had departed from the shores of the Scowle and its plethora of crevices that made both excellent hiding spots for the developing pup and served as a rendezvous point. Their once waterfront property Claw had actually grown quite fond of had now been exchanged for the likeness of depressed-looking trees to one side and wispy, gnarled ones on the other that didn't bode well but were more tempting to explore than sad-looking ones.

Already having explored what lay somewhat beyond the more spooky-looking trees and finding an interesting Valle within, the marbled pup had decided it was the depressed-looking side's turn to show him what it had. He wondered if there were others his age on that side like there had been on the other. If so, did they know of any fun games to play? A heavy yawn split his maw apart as the first rays of sun managed to break through the sparse canopy above and filter down below.

A certain glint in the retreating darkness caught Claw's eye. Bones.

Ever curious, Claw trudged closer and closer until his eyes grew as wide as the pile of bones he stumbled upon. "WHOA!" He exclaimed, clambering without care towards the top of the pile, various bones that sat on the more fragile side chipping and breaking free under the weight of his paws. Now, this was fun.

Word Count: 238

shadow reveals what daylight obscures

Iseldir was exploring on his own again today. Since his initial discoveries closer to home, he was eager to see what else he could find nearby. What else might the willows and world beyond hold in store for the young Archer pup, only waiting to be chanced upon? Of course such discoveries were best made in secret and then shared. It was the most fun that way. Perhaps he had wandered a bit far, today, but he was only stretching his limbs and testing his capabilities. There was nothing wrong with that, right? His nose and ears twitched as he trotted along beneath the graceful willows, paws stirring the dried leaves without a care.

It was only when he heard an odd rattling sound that he stopped to think twice. There was a dry, brittle clinking noise that his ears swiveled to catch, as he tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Izzy tilted his head to one side. A part of him was nervous, but the unknown was exciting, too and besides, there was nothing particularly threatening about the noise. It was just odd.

And so, he prowled ahead, excited to see what new discovery he might find.

He had certainly not expected to see a strange pup, dancing atop a pile of bones! Izzy stepped closer, his eyes widening as his jaw dropped. "Oh!" he let out a breath. What a treasure! His tail began to wag. "Hiya," he ventured a greeting, a little unsure how to proceed. He'd never met anyone outside of his own pack and family before. Besides, the Archer lad was not one for a lot of words. But, he was ready to try to make a friend!

Iseldir Archer

The sound of shattering bone beneath clambering paws did well to hide the sound of stirred leaves under the weight of approaching paws, leaving young Claw unaware of his new guest. So unaware and enraptured in his findings that when ebony ears picked up on the faint voice it sent the marbled child tumbling back down. "Huh?" Claw swiveled his head with such quickness toward the source of the voice that one of his rear paws slipped on a bone that cracked under his weight. Tail over muzzle he went somersaulting down the mound and landed with a breathy oomph at its base.

"Ow." Claw exclaimed while lifting a paw to rub at the center of his crown for a moment to ensure the dancing stars he saw behind closed lids faded away before daring to open his eyes. Once they did, though, olive-tinted eyes immediately honed in on the owner of the voice that had spooked him enough to send him rolling with ears splayed back in embarrassment. What was it with everyone sneaking up on him in these parts?! "Who are you?"

Upon initial inspection, this boy seemed right around his age and sported an equally dull-looking coat like that girl back in the woods although his fur didn't look as dark as hers did. Were they related?

By the picking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes

shadow reveals what daylight obscures

The other pup turned, and lost their footing, tumbling down the skeletal mountain and back to terra firma with a rattle and a resounding thump. Iseldir hurried closer, stopping just short of the scrambling form in case the other wanted space, concern coloring his features. Were they okay? Did it hurt to fall like that?

But before he could form his own question, there was one being asked of him. "Is..." he began as the other boy was clearly inspecting him. It was an odd feeling, being scrutinized so, but Iseldir found himself studying the other boy in return. He had a dark pelt, like himself and many of the wolves Izzy knew, but it was dappled and swirled with streaks of lighter color, like sunlight through trees. Pretty, he thought.

Only then was he aware it had been far too long since he'd been asked his name and begun to answer. Embarrassment began to bubble up in his stomach, a new and unwelcome feeling for the Archer boy. This wasn't going how he'd anticipated at all.

Everyone else he knew was easy to understand and talk to... they knew what he meant, and he didn't have to try so hard to get his words out, either. Why did his name suddenly feel stuck in his throat? "Iz," he finally stated more firmly, trying to move on as quickly as he could. Iz was good enough, his own family called him that anyway! "You?" he echoed in hopeful return.

Iseldir Archer