my sun and stars

silver & gold

the moon of my life

July 28th; Early Morning; Overcast; 66° F/19° C

The moment Mapplethorpe had left the den to start his usual routine, Taima had woken up from an unpleasant dream. Her usually smooth brow had been wrinkled and her dark ears had been lowered. The day before, she had asked Mapplethorpe to tell her something important that he had learned since coming to Nomads Pass... Now, she wished she hadn't. Swallowing the whine that was building in her throat, she quietly stood up and stretched each of her stocky silver limbs before making her way over to the cavern mouth and stepping outside.

It wasn't the brightest of mornings but she supposed she could do with a bit of rain. Anything that would help bring her mind off of her nightmare was welcome. Even in the waking world, as she stared at the faint beams of sunlight, she couldn't help but to still picture the group of wolves that had once inhabited the mountainside nearby. @Arlette's family, she decided, just so that she could pretend in her mind that whatever had happened to the wolves who had once lived there still had someone to carry their legacy... if Trisden's friend had ever actually lived there before.

The white-pelted pack danced and played and the warm gusts of wind brought Taima's head up towards the location where the old Advisor had mentioned the place where he had gained some insight. Midnight Plateau. Without even double-checking to see if @Datura was still asleep or out of the den already, she strode forward and towards the part of the Pass that would bring her up to where she could get the best views over the western ends of Relic Lore.

It had taken some time but she had managed it before the sun even cleared itself of the horizon. Up along the rocky shelves and gravel-adorned pathways and underneath a crooked scrub pine tree, she found the place Mapplethorpe had described by sheer luck alone. He had mentioned only coming here once in pursuit of someone but had never returned after that. For whatever reason, Taima now saw why. The area was secluded and tucked well away from any prying eyes but the aura that shrouded it was asphyxiating.

It was apparent that someone had lived here once upon a time, and when they had left everything was still in its place. She cautiously moved to investigate the den to her right but once she was inches from craning her head down to peer inside, she stopped, afraid of the memories that might influence her as an additament to her dream. Moving to sit near the ledge, she tried to collect herself. She wasn't so sure anymore about her life as a queen here; Naira might have carried the title well on her own, but here... Taima felt that under her Prince's shadow, there was no power or influence to be had. Here, she was a self-appointed heiress with no family or friends, just torn roots and a fondness for the company of ghosts... like that Arlette Dieudonné.