Poison Path The Grass is Always Greener...

<blockquote>A smile graced her face and with a shrug of her shoulders she set off. The lake was large and their pack only graced a small portion of it. Setting herself a comfortable energy burning pace. She knew the smaller wolf could easily out pace her, but it was her own endurance she would be testing today. It had been so long since she had simply run the edges of their home.

Leaping surprisingly gracefully for a wolf of her size, she delicately landed between boulders and bounded up hill, downhill again and leapt over logs, anything she could to free herself of the pent up energy she had been allowing to fester inside her. She reacquainted herself with the lands they had claimed as their own, seeing everything with new eyes, and with a little more enthusiasm than the last time she had passed this way.

She hadn't realised quite how large their claimed area was, or perhaps it was simply the hills that made it feel that way. Various scents crossed her nose, mostly small prey but goat was obviously in the mix and something that smelled suspiciously of deer, although she didn't care to stop and observe it right now. There was also the scent of predators. The occasional scent of a wolverine, perhaps a hint of cat on the breeze. That was the only problem with the mountains. They weren't the only ones to call them home.</blockquote>

Enjoying the spontaniety of ariaN's decision avA followed her leader, the muscles in her legs coming alive with the brisk pace. Instilled with vigor, she followed the tawny she-wolf's leap with a bold one of her own. As they weaved through the territory, she remained close to her leader, but occasionally strayed off to the left or right. Together they twisted among the lands they called home. It was an invigorating experience. She hadn't felt quite so alive since her first experience at the Lost Lake...

A memory caught her mind and caused a brief lag in her pace. From their travels she could see the small cliff she had launched herself from and then the happiness she felt helped her speed up once more. Memory lane was a difficult road to walk - it was too easy to cross the line from happiness to sadness, between enjoyment and detriment. Memory had been interfering in their interactment from the beginning, so avA quickly shut off that part of her mind and, for the time being, forgot about the dark-furred guardian. To ease the built-up emotion she felt, avA suddenly splurged on her energy and leapt on top of a tall protrusion in the mountain, and immediately pushed off and returned to the ground nearby ariaN. It felt like flying.

As her paws struck the ground she was shadowed by the silhouette of a bird. In awe she looked above her as a great eagle had taken wing, its black body swooping smoothly in the sky. It turned west with a piercing screech. avA glanced over to ariaN and motioned toward the great creature with a curious smile. <i>Should we follow it?</i>

art - threads

<blockquote>West. West would lead them back along the northern border of their home, further from the lands of lore and closer to the unknown. sisyhR couldn't complain about that. They wouldn't be heading closer to any pack, and it could hardly hurt. Nodding her ascent she altered her course to follow the eagles path. It was taking them uphill, a much more tiring exercise than she was accustomed to, but she pushed herself.

Simply enjoying the stretch of her muscles, the wind in her fur, the clean, crisp mountain air, she fell more in love with her home each time her feet hit the ground until her heartbeat matched the pulsing of the earth beneath her paws. It wasn't as immediately noticeable as the earth in the Sacred Grove, but this place had its own unique song that sung to her heart the more she opened herself to its unique charms.

Slowing as she reached the apex of their climb, she looked down across the earth she had once crossed before coming to the lands of lore. Her family was out there somewhere. Where once her heart may have ached with the thought that her birth lands were out there somewhere, now she only felt the tug of <i>her</i> pack calling her back towards the lake.

The tawny wolf took a moment to simply watch the land beneath them. Yes, there had been adventure out there, and fond memories of a life long gone to the tawny leader. But that was all they were now. <i>Memories.</i></blockquote>

Taking the eagle as her guide, the dark she-wolf twisted her body and sprung in the direction it was disappearing to, taking great and leaping bounds to make sure she wouldn't lose the majestic bird. The uphill sprints were trying on her muscles, but she was driven by the image of her lean shoulders and powerful legs that would become her reality if she continued eating well and exercising like this. To be an honest, able-bodied wolf in no time. The mountain had charmed its way into the heart of the Poison Path wolves, she could tell.

At the highest point of the climb she stopped alongside her leader, lifting her head and looking over at the lands outside their borders while the eagle flew away without a sound. So much undiscovered territory. Usually it would call to Ava. There was a fierce wanderlust burning within her, born of her impulsivity and her love of adventure, but as the looked upon the dark forests and open fields and twisting rivers, she didn't feel the unignorable urge to explore. Her roots were finally coming down, and the fact pleased her much more than she originally thought it would.

Soon, though, the air would grow cold. The sun would fall and the wolves would have to come in for the night. Ava tossed a glance over her shoulder to the rocky path they'd taken up here and then looked back to Naira. "<b>It's almost a shame we have to turn back at some point,</b>" she mused, and then emphasized after a pause, "<b>Almost.</b>" Because truthfully there was no shame at all in returning <i>home</i>.

art - threads

Will wrap it up here :) feel free to archive once you'be read it.

<blockquote>The wind swirled about both their bodies, whipping fur every which way. It was refreshing and left her feeling rejuvinated for the trip back down the mountain. The scent of family blew in her face as she turned back to the heart of their home. She listened closely to the words of the younger wolf at her side, a genuine smile gracing her features.

<b>"Yes. Almost."</b></blockquote>

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