Mountain of Dire Alone Again

Clearwater Tarn

Tulip had been wandering in the smoke for days, walking aimlessly with no sense of direction. Her mind was just as clouded as the smokey landscape. Which way was north? Which way was South? The woman did not know. What was her name? Where...where was she? The old wolf felt her paws turn wet and looked down at the water blankly...oh, she was Nulla. That's right. Her chin reached closer to the water and she lapped at the edge. No...she was Tulip. Right?

The woman looked around herself and called out in a shaky voice, "'Olas." She was frightened. Everything was so confusing and she was in and out of knowing what was going on. One thing remained constant, she didn't know where or why she was here nor how she came here, or where she came from. Just that...it seemed she was alone in this smoke. It was heavy and made her breath wheezy. She was tired...so tired...

Tulip stepped back out of the water and laid down, curling herself into a tight ball and allowing her eyes to shut. It didn't take long for her to slip into a light sleep.

She knew she shouldn't have wandered so far by herself, but Di was hoping she might be able to find her mom or sisters. It felt wrong, having it just be her and Galen left. Stella and Leo were still around, sure, and while Di loved them they just weren't the same. She missed her mom and littermates. It wasn't fair that Magg still had both her parents and her brother and sister - Mona taking off hardly counted, since Magg didn't get along with her anyway and the Eastfall-Slayer girl had at least said goodbye. Diantha didn't have even that.

Diantha was nearly a day and a half's journey up the mountain when the smoke settled in. She could barely see ahead of herself, let alone down into the valleys. She paused, thinking about turning back and trying to find her way home, when she heard the faint swish of water. The yearling turned instead toward that, walking cautiously and squinting against the burning air. Breathing itself hurt, and she coughed. It didn't take long to reach the water and she bowed her head to drink, the cool water soothed her throat and Di took as many big gulps as she could before sitting back.

She nearly tripped over the small wolf curled up on the shoreline. After staring for a moment in shock, Di cautiously prodded her side with a paw. "Miss? Are you okay?"

A tentative touch had hazy yellow eyes flickering open, the woman inhaling sharply. She coughed a few times before wheezing out a simple, ”No.”

Tulip lifted her face to gaze at the blurry figure standing above her. She didn’t know who they were, but she also didn’t know who she was. A name rung out in her head and she asked softly “Olas?” Who was that…anyhow? The old woman coughed again, ”The air hurts…” She blinked her watery eyes.

Slowly she got up on shaking legs, stumbling a few steps before catching her balance. She stood there with shallow, raggedy breaths, and watched the tawny girl in front of her.

TULIPDAY  

Tulip has a speech impairment that causes her to talk with a severe lisp and has selective mutism. I will not be writing her words to reflect this (outside of going mute), but ask those who roleplay with her to understand it's implied.

The old woman - and she was old, Di was shocked to see, how did she get up here? - blinked up at her and bluntly answered her question in a rasp. After a moment of squinting the dark woman asked a question. The yearling blinked at her. "I don't know what an Olas is," she said apologetically. "Is that someone that you know? Can I help you get somewhere?" She was on a mission, but her parents had taught her manners, and she wasn't about to leave someone out here like this! Especially not when the old woman coughed and stumbled to her feet with a complaint about the air.

"It does," Di agreed, carefully stepping up to offer her shoulder as a stabilizer. This old woman was small. "My name is Diantha," she said. "My pack is close; please come with me? We have a healer, and we can get you out of this smoke for a while." She really hoped the old woman agreed.

The other wolf didn't know who or want Solas was either...Tulip felt that deep within she knew. She strained to think back, but her mind was as clouded as the mountains were smoky. "I'm not sure...do I know you?" She asked in a wheezy breath, willing to trust this wolf over her own understanding, but wanting to know. "I don't know where I'm supposed to be." She admitted, rolling her shoulders and looking around confused. "Somewhere." She muttered before another cough consumed her.

Tulip mindlessly leaned on the younger woman when it was offered, as if not consciously aware of the decision to do so. "Name...name...name." She repeated back with brows knitted tightly together. Her face that of extreme concentration, like the tighter she made the muscles the more likely it'd come to her. Instead, her old name came, not the one that bore truth and love, "Nulla". The girl continued to talk and Tulip continued to cough. Her ear straining to hear over the awful noise, "Out of the smoke? Yes....out of the smoke."

TULIPDAY  

Tulip has a speech impairment that causes her to talk with a severe lisp and has selective mutism. I will not be writing her words to reflect this (outside of going mute), but ask those who roleplay with her to understand it's implied.

Diantha watched, her heart breaking a little, as she watched the woman struggle to think. She'd never met anyone like this - @Moonshadow was old, but nothing like this. Mostly just slow, but that hadn't stopped her from being loving and helping with the littles. Well, just one little this year. Still helping, though. Di shook her head. "We haven't met," she said, and had no response for where this stranger was meant to be.

She offered the name Nulla. "It's nice to meet you, Nulla," she said gently, placatingly, and then bumped her with her shoulder just enough to encourage her to start walking. "Yes, this way. It's a bit of a walk but we can get to the Cove today." Maybe a little slower, depending on how long Nulla could walk without having to take a break.

The old woman watched the younger wolf shake her head no, frowning with disappointment. She rasped out a defeated "Oh" and left it at that. Her head hung a little now. She'd hoped they knew something since she seemed to know nothing. The old woman sighed, stirring up another rib-shaking cough.

Tulip forced a smile at the girl's words, not quite in the mood to respond to her pleasantries. She wanted out of this smoke! It was starting to make her cranky, evident by the forming scowl on her face that she failed to keep at bay. "Too much in the air..." she muttered out in a wheezy complaint. She walked slowly alongside the child, leaning against her lightly for support. "Yes, this way. It's a bit of a walk but we can get to the Cove today." The woman froze at the mention of the cove, dull eyes brightening. Her ears stood tall and it was like a breath of life had been pushed through her lungs. "The cove? I love the cove!" She rasped out, the excitement causing her to cough.

She started to move again, an ever slight more pep in her step. Her mind began to stir and from her mouth poured words, "'Olas will be there." She spoke so surely, "'Oon and Kajika. I bet they're waiting for me!" She looked over, "How long have I been gone...since don't know you?" Her brows knitted together, her tail tucked between her legs. She was suddenly aware of how she was willingly walking with a stranger! Not to mention if it'd been a while, she could be in trouble! While she was more able to comprehend, Tulip was in a younger state, unaware of the painful years her mind skipped over...if only for a blissful moment.

TULIPDAY  

Tulip has a speech impairment that causes her to talk with a severe lisp and has selective mutism. I will not be writing her words to reflect this (outside of going mute), but ask those who roleplay with her to understand it's implied.

The old woman continued to wheeze and grumble about the air - until Di named the Cove. That seemed to strike a chord with the woman, as she suddenly brightened and a new pepe came into her step. It was almost enough to make the yearling pause, but she didn't want to stop moving in case doing so interrupted their momentum. She might as well use this energy while they had it and get Nulla as far as she could.

Di's head tilted. She was certain she'd never met the woman, and she didn't think anybody like her had gone missing before she was born. It wasn't like the Cove had been around that long before her. And she definitely didn't know an 'Olas'. But then she spoke two names that did sound familiar. "Kajika's not home right now, but are you talking about @Moonshadow ?" Di asked, encouraging the older woman to move faster. "Moon is there."

Nulla's next question once again sent a pang through Di's heart. She seemed so confused, so sad. "I'm sorry Miss, I don't know," Di said as gently as she could, "but I'm only a yearling. It might not have been that long. I bet Moon misses you, though," she added, hoping to throw in something to cheer Nulla up. The sooner they got her to @Aquene, the better.

Tulip's face dropped at the news, "Where is he? And yes, 'Ooon-sha-dow." She struggled with saying her dear friend's full name. More so than with other words. Her heavy lisp continued with all she said, but the difference was notable. She'd worked hard over the years to pronounce Kajika's name near-perfect. She hadn't seen a reason to call Moon her full name and Solas hadn't pressed the matter. Perhaps it would've been more respectful if she'd taken the time, but this never occurred to her. She smiled a classic, big, toothy Tulip grin at the yearling's next words. She took to the faster pace, still leaning against Diantha.

"Oh...okay." She replied, nodding softly, "A year? Gone a year?" She rasped out with a hopeless note. How had she betrayed them like that?! What caused her to leave? Surely she was in trouble. "Wait...if you're a year old..." Confusion spread all across her face. An image flashed within her mind but it didn't make sense...it was blurry and bloody....there were others...The painful memory couldn't quite make its way through, but she knew, she knew something bad had happened. "I got hurt somehow." She whispered, trying to remember, "I miss 'Oon too...I've been looking for her." She replied, wondering how many moons had passed. "I think...I think I've been looking for a long time."

"speech"

FALLEN TREE Cove

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

TULIPDAY  

Tulip has a speech impairment that causes her to talk with a severe lisp and has selective mutism. I will not be writing her words to reflect this (outside of going mute), but ask those who roleplay with her to understand it's implied.

Nulla did confirm she was talking about Moonshadow, and that made Di feel a bit better. There was something she knew, then. Something Di could help with. If she knew Moon, then her adoptive grandmother could help her. Di really wanted to help her. Her good mood switched quickly again though, sad, because it had been a year. Di offered a hesitant lick to the back of one ear, hoping to comfort the woman. "It'll be okay," she soothed. "Just keep walking. We can take as many breaks as you'd like, and Moon will be there when we get back."

The dark woman referenced getting hurt, and Di worried she'd somehow brought up painful memories. She didn't want to make Nulla any sadder right now; she needed the energy to get back to the Cove. Di didn't think she could drag her, and didn't trust that she'd be able to find her again if she ran ahead for help. Nulla would either vanish into the smoke or forget she was meant to be waiting and wander off again.

"It'll be okay," she said again. "You'll be okay." Di would get her back home.