Blackberry Fields you are all four seasons

Nightfall, light snow, 17F/-9C.
Anyone welcome EXCEPT members of Round Stone Crest -- I'd like a stranger to find Ari and determine her fate. If no one responds in two weeks, Ari will move on.

They left, and they never did come back.

The Last of the Laginas was not quite the title Marianna had ever imagined herself with. In fact, princess as she once was, the large cub had never pictured herself as much more than any other wolf. So much had changed, so much – her heart still ached for her mother, gone in the blink of an eye. Her mind still wrestled with the fact that she could have left with Kino and Kova; she thought to stay, but for what? There was so little for her left at Round Stone Crest, and every day was dismal and grey. How quickly her brilliant kingdom had come crashing done.

Ari had ventures from the territory with no true intention. Oh, she hoped to find her missing siblings, but even the girl knew well that a peripatetic wolf was unlikely to find what she was looking for. She could not explain what guided her, far and away, the furthest she’d ever been, and she did not want to stop walking, even as her feet grew cold and her muscles sore.

Only when thirst rasped against her dry throat and hunger clawed at her empty belly did the young female realize she had no idea where she was, so far south. Had no idea who anyone was. Oh, she could hunt for herself, some small items, but despair crept into her tone as she lifted her nose and howled her loss to the sky.

I am so alone.

hope you don't mind Greer joining!

With the darkness on his side Greer was in his element. His departure from the Ridge had been put on hold temporarily, much to his displeasure. At first the shadow prince thought that it was cold feet; that he was worried about leaving his family behind. As much as he wanted to remain close to his family, the yearling was desperate for change; something new. Which was why he was constantly scouting out new areas of Relic Lore—he was also scouting for a potential home. The Plateau—and the home of the moon princess—was his first choice, but he was still keeping his options open. The more he procrastinated his departure the more Greer realized he was scared of commitment; scared of confinement. As much as he didn’t want to be ‘tied down’, he knew it was inevitable. While he knew he was capable of surviving on his own, the life of a loner was never a permanent option.

Snow dusted his shoulders as he moved quickly, heading north. This was a part of the Lore that he had not fully explored during his travels—at least at night it was highly unlikely that he would encounter a stranger. Greer knew that he shouldn’t be avoiding others, especially when he was looking for a new place to call home. Old habits die hard, he thought with an amused smirk as he continued through the snow, his lithe body maneuvering gracefully under the cover of night. This was where Greer excelled; where he felt the most at home. For the most part, the yearling was nocturnal—he preferred his adventures to occur at night, but did not object to daylight.

As he wandered into unknown territory, his pace slowed. Although his surroundings were nothing but shadows, it was oddly welcoming. His mood was considerably lighter as he trekked through the snow; so much lighter, that instead of steering clear of the scent of a stranger, he pursued it. Most of those he encountered at night were like-minded, which was why Greer was curious as to why the female was here. As much as he preferred to be on his own, Greer could not deny the puppy-like curiosity that bubbled up inside of him. He remained at a respectful distance, his mercury gaze studying her for a few quiet moments before he woofed a soft greeting. 

Always happy for @Greer time! Thank you for joining, and sorry for the wait!

Were she not so distraught, Marianna might have noticed the presence of another before he was all but upon her. Her head jerked sideways, grey eyes comically wide as the woof greeted her ears. For half a second, she expected to see one of her missing brothers. The girl even perked up, her tail wiggling behind her – but the stranger was swarthy, not silver, and he was not Kino, and he was not Kova. But there was no fear in her eyes as she picked herself back up, loose coat swinging as she shook.

Childhood had not taught her to fear strangers, nor had it taught her suspicion, or hurt. It had brought upon her mistrust, perhaps, and the realization that wolves did not always mean what they said, but this man had said nothing, and so was filed only curiosity still.

Ari chuffed back, and tipped her head to one side. “Hi,” she greeted the stranger, large ears tipped forward as she studied him. Less than a year yet, and she was still a big girl, still with the weight of a pack wolf, a luscious coat, and a broad body. “I didn’t think anyone else was out here. Do you live here or something?”

 

A wild dissertation appears!

I never mind waiting <3

Encountering strangers so… mundane. As nice as the younger female appeared, Greer was mentally kicking himself—and his overwhelming curiosity—for approaching her. Perhaps it was the darkness that had pushed him into interacting with the lone girl; the night attracted strange creatures, most of those who were similar at heart. Being a creature of the night, he was intrigued by the presence of the girl; most would be tucked away inside their den, dreaming of chasing bunnies and the like.

She seemed surprised by his approach and—was that, disappointment? Clearly he was not the drone wolf she was looking for. She spoke her own greeting, filling the delectable silence with her voice as she proceeding on, asking if these fields were his home. Initially he shook his head, his mercury gaze focused on the tawny female as he motioned behind him with a gentle flick of his maw. “Willows home,” he answered simply without further explanation. “You? This home?” His low, silky voice filled the air once more as he returned the question to the girl, his curiosity only growing. She was not  much younger than him—had she boldly stepped away from her pack, or was she out here for other reasons? Perhaps she was simply seeking solitude, like Greer. It always excited the raven to find wolves who were similar minded to him and took joy in the quiet.

There were dozens of reasons why the girl was wandering around at night, but he wouldn’t know precisely why until she gave him an answer. Greer disliked being nosy but he couldn’t help it—he was still as curious as he had been as a child, just shoved inside a sort-of adult body.

Oh, Marianna thought.  He talks weird.

For a moment, she only studied the shadowy stranger in confusion, head tipping to one side as she tried to decide if he was something to worry about.  Like no one she’d ever met, but then, no one had ever given the fallen princess a reason to fear.  So after only a brief silence, she rolled her broad shoulders in a shrug, and decided to stay where she was.  It was a call she’d made for company, after all, and it could have been worse.  (How, she wasn’t quite sure, but forethought had never been the Lagina child’s forte.)

“No.  This isn’t home,” she sighed, face falling as she glanced around the unknown fields, covered in snow.  All that white got disorienting.  In the storm, she’d gotten lost – home was somewhere.  Turning back to Greer, the youth shrugged again, apathy clear as a sigh billowed from her black nose.   “I live in the skinny trees.  The Crest.  Do you know it?  I can’t--  Find my way back.”

A grimace.  Did she even want to go back?

What she wanted was to find her brothers.  What she wanted was her mother.  What she wanted was for @Gent to love her again – but none of these things seemed possible.  But what else was there for her in this world. “I don’t know where to go.”

(This post was last modified: Feb 24, 2016, 04:03 AM by Marianna.)

 

A wild dissertation appears!

The shadow was aware of his broken way of speaking but he was uninterested in fixing it. The less he spoke the better — and if that meant speaking in choppy increments, so be it. He had spent the majority of his childhood lurking in the shadows and observing; speech had always been of little importance to the Archer. Excelling at stalking and scouting was far more important to him than interacting with others and indulging in conversations — gross. Avoiding others at all costs (for the most part) was number one on his to-do list. There were a few exceptions to the list, but even that list was slowly dwindling… Those he once thought himself close to were becoming strangers, and Greer was feeling more like a guest in his home than a permanent resident.

After a moment of silence the female spoke once more, starting her home was elsewhere. Crest, she said, giving name to the ‘skinny trees’. The name sounded familiar but he was unsure of exactly where it was. Despite being an excellent scout, he would excel even more if he actually spoke to those who inhabited the areas he scowered. “Greer not know Crest,” he responded quickly, the word rolling off his tongue with unfamiliarity as his mercury gaze narrowed. It was not anywhere close to the Ridge so he had never paid much attention to it's whereabouts, nor had he encountered many wolves from the area.

She was quick to disturb the silence once more. He blinked slowly at her words, unsure of what she meant by them. Did she literally not know where to go, and wasn’t sure which way her home was. Or, was she looking for something new, something different, and didn’t know where to go; where to start? With his head cocked slightly to one side he savoured her words for a quiet moment before bringing his silky (though choppy) voice to the surface: “Where want to go?” 

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The young female sighed heavily when the stranger admitted he’d never heard of her home. Marianna knew it was a long shot, but if anyone could point her in the right direction… Her ears flopped out sideways, lips twisted into a knot. It made her wonder how far she’d actually traveled from the timbers in that snowstorm and the time since. Would she ever find her way back?

The smudge’s voice brought her back to the present, tail twitching behind her as she shook the thoughts for her mind. They wouldn’t help her right now. “I dunno,” she answered honestly, shrugging her broad shoulders. “I was looking for my brothers. Now they’re gone.” Going back to Round Stone Crest wouldn’t find Kino or Kova, but at least she wouldn’t be hungry anymore, she supposed. But if the stranger didn’t know—

She sighed and shrugged again, clearly at a complete loss. “Maybe you’ve seen them? They’re both silver with blue eyes – Kino and Kova. Oh! I’m Ari, by the way. What’s your name?” the once princess finally remembered to ask, glancing back over at the dark yearling. Maybe he’d seen one (or both) of her brothers in his travels, even if he hadn’t known of her home.

 

A wild dissertation appears!

Awkward Greer is awkward >.>

Greer was beginning to realize how useless he was to the sparrow-coloured female. He did not know of the pack she used to belong to or of the brothers she mentioned. A frown creased his lips as he studied her for a moment, his brows narrowed softly. “Sorry,” he started, his head tilting as he spoke: “Greer not see them.” He blinked, unsure of what else to say to the disheartened girl. “Name Greer. Greer of Willow Ridge.” The Archer prince was not fond of introductions and did not care to learn the names of those he encountered. It was near impossible for him to get away without giving his name due to his broken way of speaking, but it did not mean he was interested in learning theirs.

He shifted his paws uncomfortably, silence falling over him as he raised his gaze to the girl once more. “Greer not see many wolf. Greer keep to Greer. Not talk to many.” Hopefully that would make sense to Ari and explain why he hadn’t come across her silver brothers. The silent prince was always partial to helping females — they weren’t as bossy or arrogant as males — and he genuinely felt (sort of) bad for not being able to help her more.

Unsure of what else to say the Archer prince fell silent once more, his ears falling flat against his skull.