Bramble Falls water cool and cleansing

In the aftermath of the fire (and despite Indru's claim to leadership) Niija had been the rock of the Tainn family; it seemed that most, if not all, of her siblings looked to her and depended on her in this troubling time. Niija didn't mind—she rose to the challenge, for family was of utmost importance to the tawny female—but in making sure that everyone else was comforted she had little time to grieve, herself. Indru entrusted the care of the newly formed pack to her while he and Ruiko taught their little sister, Junai, to hunt and she kept them in check easily with her kind, collected demeanor.

But her inner strength would dissipate quickly without time to rejuvenate and replenish its stores; something impossible to achieve in the presence of her siblings. They demanded so much of her reserves during the tense atmosphere that heralded the death of their parents, the destruction of their birth pack. Not that Niija resented them—how could she? Their grief was understandable and her intuitive nature made her the only one equipped to heal their hearts in the way they each, individually, needed. Still, even Niija would crack under pressure if not given time to recharge.

With a brief word to Indru, her posture stiff and tall—wordlessly challenging him to command her to stay—Niija escaped the freshly claimed territory and made her way to the roaring Bramble Falls. Its noise drowned out her own thoughts and broke down the walls she cast around herself to be the foundation everyone expected her to be. And for the first time she could remember, Niija cried—glad that her sobs were covered by the thunderous cascade of water.

(This post was last modified: Aug 13, 2010, 02:16 AM by Niija.)

None of his family had met her. For this, she was glad — she wanted to meet them on her own time, when she could, rather than have him show her to them. When it happened, it happened. She would follow the course of this relationship and now... well, she didn't know when she would bring herself to meet them. It made her anxious. She danced away from Indru's clutches for the day (hating it, not wanting to) because she knew she needed to know the lay of the land more than she already did. She darted into the stream of Sacred Grove — the heat getting to her naturally thick coat and seeping into her skin — and the smell of her pack was gone (there was no being tracked, she forgot this) — and she continued on her way, following a loud buzz ahead.

The loud buzz proved itself to be more than a buzz, but the crashing of water falling from rocks ahead, crashing onto more rocks and pooling down, down, down. The female wandered around a bit before finding the back of some wolf. She was quick to step back some, before saying Hey there, Having no idea what sort of mood this wolf was in. But she thought it would be best to let her presence be known. Even she could not hear the sobs above the roar of the water, but the shaking back of the other gave her some sort of hint that all was not well.

Sorry about the delay. ;~;

Niija had not heard the other approach and just barely caught the voice over the falls and her broken cries. She hadn't wanted to be disturbed, but life went on regardless; she knew that. Her tears had been some kind of relief, if not the long break she had been seeking. Squaring her shoulders, re-centering her thoughts and forging her protective barrier anew, the tawny female turned to greet the other. Niija had expected to find a sibling—Ioni, perhaps, or Junai.

But instead she found a stranger. No trace of her previous tears could be found upon Niija's cheeks, although a great sadness was evident in her eyes. She knew her strength, her place in the world, and felt no need to hide such apparent weakness in her emotions. Her posture was tall, deliberate and passively dominant as always; the wind of the falls danced in her long fur, making her appear more ethereal and mystic. Her voice strong and unwavering, the druid called to the other over the roaring water, Hello.