Lost Lake up up & away

His exaggerated expression took her by surprise so much that she burst into laughter, the sides of her splayed out body shaking. Laughing along with him she found so much beauty in the melody of their voices together. When the noise subsided the happiness was still twinkling in her eyes, subconsciously replicating his action as he leaned in a little closer to her. Up close she could appreciate the features of his face and how handsomely they came together and perfectly they fit together... she blinked once to clear her reverie. Being a few breaths away from her company was a terrible time to get lost in his eyes - er, distracted! That was what she meant.

"<b>Sounds safe,</b>" Ava commented, her tone impish but in good humor. She lifted her weary head off of her paws and inclined it toward Kade, adding on, "<b>Well I hope you say nice things about me so if I come to visit, the Cedarwood patrol won't run me off so quickly.</b>"

By now the sunlight had gone. From the intent of his gaze Ava knew he was as aware of the inevitable as she was. They both needed to be on thier way - him to a definite location and Ava to skirt around a general area. For a moment she envied him for having a go-to place, but then she figured a place to sleep was never difficult to find. Glancing around the darkened mountain scene, she fancied staying here for the night, but realistically she couldn't. There was no way she would hear Rhysis' call from the mountains - not a chance at all. The black female's expression dampened as she assumed Kade would probably not take the same route out of the mountains as she did. Their goodbye was fast approaching.

Hiding her solemn expression, she allowed a delicate smile to creep to her face. "<b>Night's falling and duty's calling, isn't it, Kade?</b>" She rhymed, amusing herself a little in the process which was displayed with a toothy smile. The name out loud reminded her of its reality. Today had probably been her best day in Relic Lore so far. She didn't want the present to turn into a memory, although it always happened eventually. The disheartenment in her chest kept her alive still, though she worried that when they parted ways she would be too tired to relish the day. She'd fall asleep, and wake up the next morning, alone and uncertain once again. Concealing her feelings, Ava angled her body toward Kade, allowing him to be the first to get up.

Though she said nothing out loud, her golden eyes peering into the silver of his agreed she had been enchanted to meet him today.

art - threads

<blockquote>The way she held his gaze was a painful reminder of all he'd come to lose in his battle for what he'd foolishly once thought could be his forever. But the ashen angel was never his, and he continued to villify himself to make sense of the way things had turned out in the end. It had been his fault all along, to have entertained such a distant notion. Now he was learning to live in the ashes that remained when the fire had dwindled into <i>nothing</i>.

There was no comparison to be drawn between the leadess and the fledgling shewolf who'd so genuinely, strangely pulled at his mamed heartstrings. As quickly as he'd come to remember the past did he rebound to the present, and there was absolutely nothing to be sad about now, as he lay just a muzzle length away from the beautiful woman. She deserved no less than his absolute attention.

<b>"Should you ever make it to Cedarwood Forest, <i>I'll be waiting with open arms</i>,"</b> he whispered to her, as if not to let the Cedarwood patrol hear. Inside, he was kicking himself for feeling the need to make it back to where he somehow still belonged. When Ava's braved the beginning of goodbye with a smile on her face, the smallest spark of hope ignited in the charred remnants of his pathetic soul. He would acknowledge her inference with a hesitant blink, readjusting the his head and nuzzling it deeper into the sand.

He would remain to hold her gentle stare as time passed them both by, the cricket's symphony harping in the darkness, for some time before eventually rolling to his feet. The brute looked down upon her tenderly, waiting for her to ascend as well before speaking.

<b>"You...will be alright, Ava?"</b> He would stay out the night with her if she'd request it, though there was little time left to spare for such heartfelt things. As heartless as he'd become, it did tear at a part of him to leave her behind.</blockquote>

Laying so close that she could see her own reflection within his eyes, the suave tone of his voice as he whispered to her gave Ava a girly smile. Under the starlight she felt the butterflies stirring within her belly, savoring the feeling like she did his company. She refused to look away, not when his closeness was so enthralling and yet so calming at the same time, and she could see he was as reluctant to return to his life outside the mountain the same way she was. For the moments passing while the fireflies danced in the air and the crickets sang along to the tune, she felt entirely carefree and happy. It was almost as if they two were floating back on the lake, just them entirely at peace. But Ava caught the first ripple, the first shift in his position, which broke the spellbinding romance of the moment.

Ava followed his lead and gently pushed her body up from the ground. When she stood she was surprised to see not even the slightest touch of water remaining on the earth, no sign at all of their earlier swim. Time moved too quickly, she lamented, but she refused to allow the cold touch her just yet. Her night alone was coming, but her knight was still here. As long as she wore the rosey lenses there would be no time for mourning. Returning the smile to her face she held his gaze. Standing had added no distance between them; she was still just a step away from being entirely at his side. Whatever intimacy they had forged would soon be broken, but it was not at that exact moment.

"<b>I think so,</b>" the she-wolf responded easily to his final question, a reassuring smile thrown in with the comment. Gently she nudged the other with the side of her muzzle, her shining eyes and half-smile as genuine as her parting words: "<b>Take care.</b>"

Like tearing off the bandaid, she immediately turned away and loped back in the direction she had originally came from. Dark like the night itself, she would slip into the rocky mountain passages and disappear quickly. Only when she reached the cliff from which she had famously launched did she pause and peek between the rocks to make sure he had gone, and when she came to accept that their encounter had sadly ended she would turn and continue on in silence, already recapping the day's events.

art - threads

<blockquote><i>"I think so...Take care."</i>

And with that the dark mystery of a playmate disapeared into the night, his eyes trailing her until she was out of sight. Like a cruel trick, the warmth and feelings of joy and hope faded, seeping from his body to be absorbed by the wilderness.

The winds lashed at his face and eyes, rustling through what was left of his thinning winter coat with no consideration of his presence whatsoever. Lifting an emotionless gaze, the sorrowing man's silver eyes would meet the glowing moon with a hatred that shook him to his core.

<i>Curse you.</i></blockquote>

{end}