The Wildwood Birth of a New Day

<blockquote><font style='margin-left:20px;'>Traveling inland, he had made his way north along the coastline before diving deeper into the depths of the woods. Days had passed since he’d seen the ocean; his home along the sandy shores where the sun radiated against the beaches and made them glisten as though the sand was diamond specks. Paws carried him quietly through the brush, not a sound audible to even the most sensitive ears. Nimble for his size, the slender frame of the male was easily mistaken for an oversized feline. Flowing elongated tail swayed from side to side with each step; his hips swaying in an almost feminine manner as he stepped over a small fallen log. The ground cracked at his steps upon entering a desolate forest. Ears pricked forward, his flickering golden gaze dimmed with the sadness of the devastated woods. He had never seen the aftermath of a forest fire and it was a puzzling sight to behold. A paw lifted, noting the debris clinging to his pad; the scorched leaves that lingered amidst the silent trees. Something tragic had unfolded here; the tension could be felt in the air. </font>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>A raven’s cry broke the stillness of the woods. Eyes darted to the skies, noticing the rising sun as the stars faded to let a new day dawn. Soft breeze blew calmly through the trees, rustling the dead branches that clung loosely to the once proud timber. Like his father before him he had a tendency to enjoy the wonders that nature could provide. To see the aftermath of her fury was disheartening. He felt his lungs clench tight before taking another soft step forward. Sounds of flowing water drew him further into the depths of the wildwood, hoping to see life beyond the darkness. Not long passed before he found the creek that ran through the forest. Glancing at the receding lines, he could tell that water had fallen past its normal size. A drought? Curious. Leaning forward, Orion took a quick drink; letting the cool waters chill his stomach and satiate his thirst. </blockquote></font>

Without a home to call her own, Lífdís Eyjólfur lived the life of a true nomadic – many moons saw her pale figure resting beneath the blanket of stars, while only when rain and storms came would she seek the shelter of a hollow or cave. The evening prior was no different, but her night had been more unsettled than usual, and her dreams had quickly drifted to nightmares, which had caused her to awaken in a light cold sweat. A gasp escaped her slender ivory muzzle, and as the silver-streaked she-wolf rolled on to her stomach, her cinnamon eyes fell upon the gentle beckoning of the sun’s rays. Already she had forgotten what phantoms haunted her sleep, but it did not change the foreboding that rested well in the pit of her stomach. Her meeting with Indru was not far from her mind, and the sudden disappearance of water was embedded to her worries.

The sharp cry of a raven stirred her muzzle to lift from her settled position, and as her eyes sought the shrouding branches, it was the gentle shift of foliage that gained her attention. Her gaze fell upon a wolf – her initial impression was the handsome shades of his pelt.. but even more interesting, he was lapping at a small pool of water. Blinking, the she-wolf suddenly shifted upward, her silver-tipped ears perked forward as she regarded him with curiosity. Perhaps she and Indru had been too quick to jump to conclusions. Watching him quietly, she debated whether or not to disturb him from his thoughts and peace.

<blockquote><font style='margin-left:20px;'>A few laps of water was enough to stifle the dryness of his mouth. Salmon tongue ran the length of his muzzle, taking in all the water droplets clinging to his ivory mask. Even amidst the travesties of the decaying forest dew still clung to the crumpled leaves with the moist morning air. The chill sent a shiver down his spine, his fur rustling as his muscular shoulders shook. Morning had always been an enjoyable time of the day for him despite the fact it meant the stars would soon disappear. The warm rays that graced his pelt was a welcome feeling. Dawn was such a beautiful moment; almost ethereal in how it stirred the world in waking. Even so, he loved the oncoming approach of night as the sun set over the distant ocean horizon. The stars would come out and illuminate the darkness with their twinkling presence. His father did not share the same affections for the sky; he preferred the earth beneath his paws, attributing his heavenly stare to the grandfather he never knew. So many things in common. The brute wished he could have met him…</font>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>A sudden shift of the wind alerted him to another’s presence not far from where he stood. Intense golden stare surveyed the immediate surroundings; searching for the owner of the new aroma. She was off to the side, watching him with interest. Ears pricked forward with full alertness as he looked the fem over. <b>“Good morning.”</b> He offered with a pleasant tone in his melodic voice. A warm smiled was given as well to show he was not a threat. Slender frame turned to face her, a few steps taken closer towards where she was before giving a dip of his muzzle in greeting. <b>“I did not know anyone else was here.”</b> Perhaps he had been intruding on something? Or worse yet, he was on pack lands without realizing. However, she did not smell of others. Orion fell silent to learn what reaction and truths she may hold.</font></blockquote>

Her cinnamon eyes traveled the length of the wolf – his gold pelt was a fine color, and his eyes seemed to settle upon the sky above. The stranger seemed almost humbled by nature, which was a quality she did not find often in her fellow kind. As his tongue smoothed past his lips after quenching his thrist, the ivory dove swallowed in turn, only now realizing how dry and pained her throat felt. Stirring now from her resting place, the slender arctic hybrid gave a languid stretch of her sinuous muscles, her jaws opening to a tongue-curling yawn. She remained silent through all of this, and just as her eyes befell upon the silent male once more, it was then that he seemed to notice her presence.

He was pleasant, especially at such an hour in the morning. Many she had come across during her travels had been cross during earlier hours.. However, the life of a lone wolf gave little time for a set schedule of sleep, and the she-wolf assumed he was much like her; he slept when he could, rather than settling down at night with a pack. “Góðan dag,” she murmured in a sleepy response, her eyes drifting back to his features as she realized she had spoken in her native tongue. “Good morning,” she offered in repetition, a small smile lingering upon her muzzle now. At his next words, the girl lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I have been awake for hours. It’s a quiet morning.”

<blockquote>It appeared he was not the only one that would wake far before the sun greeted the skies. After all, no one said that when the sun was asleep, that wolves must sleep as well. Moving away from the receding creek bed, he came to sit not far from where she lay. Muscles rippled beneath the fur on his shoulders, causing an almost wave effect to spread across his velvet fur. Lithe legs maneuvered to lower his hindquarters to the ground next to a nearby oak tree. Flowing tail curled around his forepaws in the process, concealing them from sight. He offered a pleasant smile as he glanced the fem over with his familiar intense golden stare. At first he was surprised to have such sudden company and the fact that his guard had been let down. Not once did he think that another would be so close after seeing nothing but empty forest and rotting wood. Everything had been so still until the sound of the creek flooded his ears with an overwhelming power. Drawn to the water’s edge as though instincts knew it would likely be the only water he found for some time. Yet he still only drank what was needed to quench his thirst despite the drought creeping across the land.

<b>”I’m glad to hear I am not the only one that enjoys the early morning hours. The world is so still during that time. As though everything has stopped for a single moment and serenity consumes the land.”</b> Perhaps he was speaking rather boldly in regards to how the morning darkness felt to him. He only presumed that she might have experienced the same sensation. If he was wrong, he would know soon. Should she think him a fool he would accept the fact and move on to the next subject; that is, unless she got up then and there and left. His head tilted to the side in curiosity, wondering what her reaction would be to his sudden statement. </blockquote>

For the initial moment of first impressions, the pale dove allowed her cinnamon eyes to rake across the body of the intriguing male; his pelt, with the intricate woven honey upon white was a handsome combination, and aside from her run in with Indru, this wolf seemed to be one of the kinder strangers that she had happened upon. It was a refreshing change, as the loneliness of her rogue life was beginning to grow weary.

As her companion lowered himself to a sit, the she-wolf took the opportunity to smooth a few stray hairs along her outstretched forepaws, removing some of the forest floor’s grime that had spattered against her light pelt. It was more of a morning ritual than a self-conscious effort, and when the male spoke once more her eyes drew up to him, though she only paused momentarily in her grooming to give him a half-hearted smile. “I had never thought of it that way, but now that you speak it.. I can feel it too. Mostly I hate wasting the hours of day away with sleep. Time is precious.” Canting her muzzle slightly, the arctic hybrid gave a nod toward him. “My name is Lífdís Eyjólfur.” The interlude was exceptionally brief between the two wolves -- especially when the ivory she-wolf felt her hunger stir after waking up to another day. With a bow of her muzzle, the girl was soon off, never once considering her short meeting with the wolf might have been considered rude, for she was a rogue and she answered to only her desires and urges.

(This post was last modified: Oct 19, 2010, 07:26 PM by Ruiko.)