Riddle Heights An Honest Liar

The sky she called him. So far away its gaze just brushed his pallid fur, the serpent’s burning eye cast winter light across the jagged spine of the horizon. Small before the earth’s old bones the white wolf paused to look. Morning poked long fingers into crevices of rock and stroked the trees; Vafri shivered in the coming light. Eyes stinging, the big wolf bounded away. Sometimes, he liked to feign a deep and utter terror at the sight of day. Legs pumping like the pistons of some great clockwork predator, he dodged tree trunks and barreled up the slope until his lungs gasped and his toes stumbled. Somewhere nearby, the little hole he called a den stood casually abandoned but the white wolf blazed on past as if some force of nature ran hot on his heels. For a while the speed blurred his thoughts and only the sleek mechanical pull of muscle moved his bones. Vafri forgot his empty stomach for a bit. He forgot the thoughts he had about the sun, and morning, and how many days walking. Up, up he catapulted like some lost son of the sky snake and then breathless paused and turned to grin a wolf grin toward the sky – all teeth, ferocious and unfriendly. Unpleasantly warm, the lean wolf shook himself and uttered a snort. ”Can’t catch me!” He sprinted off again, all haste and lolling tongue and driving legs. Without time to worry why he ran off, Vafri robbed himself of time to worry and time to think about what else might live here. He wanted to get up high, and kiss the stars and kick his heels against the sky. It was colder up there and harder to breathe and beautiful… And lonely.

The sun, the largest of all stars, had long began to rise at her back. She did not pause to look at it as it started to lift over the many lands it brought light. She welcomed the heat of it's rays that began to grow, and the brightness it cast while she started her patrol of the forest. For it just mean today was a new day, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for another. It meant it was that much closer to spring, and her children ever quicker to reaching their first birthdays. She had no option, but to accept it. It was with a dim smile, and an gentle sigh she marveled at it. The columns of light were soft against the pale blue, making it strength into the rich hue. What was her favorite was how it struck through the branches, and trunks of the trees casting the first shadows of the day. Yet, the sun was not something she had awoken to look at, and she continued her rapid trot knowing just where she wanted to go.

Riddle Heights.

Now, she had mostly avoided the rocky, steep slopes. Since she had now, almost a year ago, pushed Ozera from there dire stretches she had wanted nothing to do with it. It was a reminder of the bad memory, and the changing circumstances of her life. So why would she be headed there? The leader wanted to be alone. She had a tough choice ahead of her, and she didn't want to be disturbed. She wanted a quiet moment apart from the familiar to collect her thoughts. And so she had made quite the trail, first the borders, and than zig zagging along the creek, through the grove, and now to the edge of the earth that began to rise. If someone wanted to follow her they could, but it might take them some time to figure out where she had went.

While her mismatched eyes fell upon the scattered evergreens, and the hard stones with snow splashed here, and there she took in a great breath. It was beautiful, like most of the Lore, and just as she had remembered it. In all truth she did miss her first home of Relic Lore. She had loved to look down upon the valley, and marvel at it's vast expanse. Today the heights would be the highest she would go. It was with a bright smile she began climbing a somewhat familiar trail as if she was leaving the world behind her.

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2012, 11:15 PM by Jaysyek.)

The forest fell away, its vanguard pines like lonely soldiers staring at the sky. He left them all behind, and even when he fell back to a languid trot he moved on up. Sunlight lanced down clean and clear against the white wolf’s hide; bored with trying outrun it Vafri searched his mind for something else to do. The lingering scent of pine still tickled in his nose, and drew out a sneeze when he slowed yet more to walk across the naked hills. Halfway to his goal he forgot why he wanted to get high and wondered on it for a moment. Night made better climbing; day’s single eye just burned and fizzled on his fur and made the air too hot. And daylight sky was too big, more like emptiness and silence. His ears twitched. The silence always hit him hardest. Struck by a sudden pang of curiosity, the big wolf paused and swung his snout down toward the forest. Still the trees stood solemn in their places, needled arms outstretched despite the constant lack of threat. Vafri always thought the pines stood far too serious; he like the hushed whisper of grassland better, or the halfway laughter of the snowdrop flowers. Suddenly the earth felt warm beneath his paws and dark eyes narrowed, Vafri sighed. The day dragged on filled up with white noise, with the skitterings of little lively beasts and all their mundane nonsense. Vafri watched the forest like it worried him, though in truth his mind was spinning back to things he thought of when he walked alone with nothing better to do – thoughts like who might live here, who might find him, what they might do… Surely bigger beasts than wolves prowled in the hills. Surely bigger wolves than him imposed some order here. He thought of running off again when something caught his eye. White flashed down by the trees – like doves, like sunlight on the water. He recognized the gait of a wolf, and slowly lowered down his head to blink across the space. Run, urged that part of him that thought of mundane things like hunting and sleeping and staying alive. The other parts keened toward the stranger, and suddenly adrift inside his own head Vafri skirted back down toward the trees. He moved low, like a hunter except jerky movements of his long legs hinted more at fear. All the while his dark eyes followed her, that stranger in the trees. Did she see? Should he stop? He never knew just how to act around the others, whether he should run or fight or cower on the ground. Mother’s lessons got so hazy… half-remembered things all jumbled up inside his head. He should have paid attention more. He should have kept an eye on things that mattered. Giving up his flighty posture as a coward's stance and not at all desirable, he hesitated nearer to the strange wolf and pricked up his ears. Worst it can do is try to kill you, Vafri tried to reassure himself. It looked small, at least. ”Oy!” He shouted out before his brain could think up anything quite stupid for his mouth to say. At least when he made it loud his clear voice sounded confident, full of assurance – contradictory to the way he stood with his head down and his weight shifting from side to side. Vafri made an effort to lift up his head and took a step downhill, caught between deciding if he ought to be the owner of this conversation. Rolling on his back to someone smaller felt too irritating to be done so early in the morning, but getting his feet chewed off might hurt. ”You, uh, what are you doing?” It came out like an accusation anyway and Vafri cocked his head, eyes narrowed.

Casually she worked her way up the slopes in a steady fashion, pacing herself. She was in no hurry to get to the top, and she actually wasn't quite sure if she was ready for the feelings that would awake when she looked above the lands. She would not only recall Ozera, but thoughts of the future were heavy upon her. She could not easily suppress them into the dark corners of her mind.Besides she'd come a long way, and wearing herself down any more would not do. Neither would making a mistake, and plummeting down, wounding herself. If she was out of commission she would be furious with herself. The trip home would be very daunting. The lady was not the clumsy, awkward young girl she had been, and it would take something much larger to be her downfall. With her mouth half opened, her ears perched forward, and her eyes lit with the life within she began her descent upward. She felt each contour of stone, dirt, and few particles of snow she met along the way against her coarse pads. Each touch rough or smooth helped aid her in where she should place her other paw, and if her next hold was too loose or just right. Such was the way she conquered the heights.

Rapid breaths, she hufffed and puffed taking in great bits of air. She felt exhilarated, glad to have ridden herself of all her anxious energy. She paused if once to look behind her, but did not stare long. The height could easily make fear reach in, and control her if she let it. A distinct snort of dislike her foreleg stretched, and she pulled up higher, and higher.

Sometimes she would hum to no one but the wind, and sometimes she had to catch her breath again. She was almost to her location, letting her eyes wander for a place to ponder when that's when she heard it. "Oy!" She skidded partially down the hill losing her grip. However she quickly was on the defense. Her hackles rose in a sharp ridge along her spine, and her ears twisted back. She crouched low to the earth, her muscles coiling beneath her white, and silver pelt. She didn't like the fact he was above her, and she on incline, but it wasn't like she had a choice. Mismatched eyes she did not let him slip from view.She had not noticed him before because she'd been keen upon looking at the ground beneath her. Now he was looming closer, and he was bigger than she. Maybe, she was intruding on his own turf. She kept her posture steady, not yet showing teeth or growling....not yet. The way he moved was nothing of real dominance, but he seemed to move assuredly. Slowly her ears pricked forward, and her eyes blinked taking in his muscular, white figure.

Within her she could feel the small tingle of protest in her hocks. She did not dare finish her climb since she might end up moving to a spot worse than the one she was in. She waited for him to say anything really, and to no surprise it was a question. She decided to go with the short version, though she thought she was stating the obvious. "I was hoping to reach the top, to think for a bit, and glance at the lands," she answered ready to be adamantine if need be.

He smelled defensiveness there in her posture. To be fair, Vafri could hardly blame the smaller wolf – he stood above her, bigger to all appearances, and hardly made his tone too welcoming. All this occurred to him after she responded though, and slowly the big wolf lowered his head and inched nearer. ”I see.” Ears pressed back a bit he simpered, tail giving a hesitant wag. ”It’s nice up here,” he added, making conversation best he could and aware all the while that he probably sounded stupid, or suspicious, or any other negative word that started with an s and might make her hesitant. Vafri preferred to avoid a fight though if he could; big and wiry though he was he always proved to be too slow of reflex and too timid, and violence rarely worked out in his favor. He had a hard enough time catching rabbits, really. ”Up there too,” continued Vafri, fishing for things that made sense. He turned back toward the heights behind him, well aware that he left his throat exposed to her and hoping that she took it as a gesture of peace before he turned back, relaxed now by the sound of his own voice more than anything. ”I like being up high, you know. Things are much clearer close to the sky. Good for thinking. And other things. What’s your name? Mine’s Vafri.”

Her eyes steady upon him, she didn't mean to stare, but wasn't about to let him out of her sight. When he moved closer, she had to stop herself from moving backward. Moving down was not exactly an option. The rotation of his ears, and the flick of his tail caught had her attention. Her own white tail meekly wagged in return in silent expression. She found nothing odd about his statement. She had use to enjoy climbing along the rocky stairs, and it wasn't strange it appealed to him. She only questioned if he was making it his home. A a calm expression, she replied "It is, I use to sorta live up here....once upon a time." Why she shared this, she didn't know. It was merely what she thought sounded right.

A hint of a grin worked on the side of her lips, this time she only nodded her head in agreement. When he turned he had left himself in open, and what assumptions, and bad scenarios she had made up crumbled to nothing. Relieved to move she was mindful where he was, and than began climbing to find a more suitable place to stand. Some flat ground was just in reach, and she let out a silent sigh when her body was more horizontal than vertical. He did not lose her attention. Her ears tipped in his favor, and she reclined to her haunches to see the view. It was not quite how she had remembered it, it was actually better. A sense of ease washed over her.

"It is isn't it?" She couldn't agree more with his insight. It was a reason why she'd struck out this way. Seeing the valley from a new perspective, from this one, made her not feel so worthless. It reminded her there was a bigger picture. "Kinda gives an openness, you remember there is more than just yourself," she added, curious to what the other things were. Instead of asking she put the thought to rest, repeating his name in her head. Vafri. Turning her head in his direction she replied, "My mother named be Jaysyek, most know me as Jayse." Usually she just said Jayse any more. Briefly she couldn't help but glance upon the valley. She couldn't quite describe how she felt.Before she lost herself in some thought, she looked upon him once more. "I hope I'm not intruding on your moment of peace."

Vafri might have snapped the tension with a breath; he felt it hanging brittle all around them. One wrong move, one misplaced word, and this little meeting might become a larger lack of understanding. Carefully the big wolf watched this female, careful always that he kept his eyes low and he watched her in periphery. If she chose to attack him Vafri planned to run, but hoped it wouldn’t come to that. He liked company every now and then. The movement of her tail in answer to his own was comforting, but the tone of her voice went farther in truly promising he would not die a painful death. ”I do live here,” quipped Vafri in response. A split-second later he amended that, almost automatically. ”Sort of.” The way she phrased her statement made him wonder if he’d found a kindred spirit, and his posture echoed relaxation as he turned to look back up the slope. When he looked back he found the smaller wolf now smiling, and his own long face split in an answer. Much happier with the circumstances now, Vafri shifted aside to give the she-wolf room at finding a more comfortable spot. He sank down onto his haunches and peered at the swath of land below, all thickening forest and tall needled trees. She spoke her name, and Vafri nodded in response. ”Jayse. Pleasure to meet you.” He cocked one dark brown eye back toward her. ”Not intruding, not at all. Sometimes it’s nice to be alone up high, feel the sky at your back and all the world below. But it’s better at night, and I wasn’t doing much. Gets a bit lonely, you know, living at the top of the world… Sounds like you thought better of it, though. So why come back?” He was curious, as Vafri ever was, and asked the question – personal as it might be – without quite realizing that it might sound outright nosy. He was, of course, a nosy wolf, though. It was only a matter of time until he found more questions to ask, and ways to evade any of her own – almost like a game, something he played unconsciously, instinctively.

"Sort of?" She asked, a grin tempting to shift the dark side of her right lip. He had said he did, and now was correcting himself. She was most interested to know what he meant by it. Did he choose to live here, want to live here, or just came and went often preferring to come back? Her questions could become an endless ramble, and she shot him a look when she voiced her question, her mismatched eyes flickered with a curiosity beating within. The Heights were certainly not an entire poor choice for home. She had enjoyed stepping at her burrow to the view below each morning, and seeing it over her shoulder each night. She kinda figured that was the draw, the way he talked about this place, and the own look he carried. She curled her right hip under her belly, leaning on it almost. The beautiful,slowly changing picture of white, green, gray, and bit of blue called for her attention. She pin pointed her home, Swift River, and some of her favorite haunts. They were quite far, she wasn't sure she felt anchored to them on this high plain.

The white blur of the man's form, her left paw lifted uncertain, until she realized he was only trying to find a suitable spot to sit, and relax. He was certainly interesting, she was kinda hoping he was a bit of a talker. She would love to listen to someone else for a change. It would surely take her mind off her own life. "Aw, good to hear. I hate disturbing others." Well that sounded not quite how she wanted, and she smirked at the double meaning of it. The smirk was erased, and her ears rotated on a downward direction as he continued to speak. His voice was friendly, and upbeat to her ears. She quietly bobbed her head in a bit of agreement, and mere acknowledgement of what he was sharing. The sound of it he didn't mind her company least for the moment. She was drawn to his tone it was smooth despite his words being a bit here and there. She had no trouble following, she often felt she thought, and talked that way. And she was happy listening. When she came to know he'd asked her a question,what had been a smooth mask fell to a point, and she shuffled her steps. It wasn't really a huge pry into her life, maybe he was just curious like she'd been. She took a moment to answer."Well, my new life is quite chaotic really, and I missed up here...where it's so serene. Thought maybe I could steal a moment to myself, and ease my mind." White shoulders lifted up in a shrug, falling where they'd been. She could go on, but had no mind to explain further.

Dark eyes traveled her face briefly, mischievously, as Jayseyk questioned his half-statement about residing in the heights. Rather than answer Vafri bared the very tips of his eyeteeth in a vague kind of grin, head canted to the side, and left her wondering. He was quickly becoming comfortable however – enough that his gaze lingered a moment too long on the strange, uneven lights of her eyes. Really Vafri ought to notice something like that right away, but he supposed it wasn’t very odd to miss the color of her eyes when he was concentrating on looking everywhere else. Still, they were strange – blue and gold – and even as he looked away a small pang in his chest demanded that he look again until his curiosity was sated. He’d never seen a wolf with blue eyes before; he wondered if it meant something, if she was water-born or somehow closer to the bright side of the sky than he could ever be. Vafri lifted his chin and blinked at the faraway vault above them, thinking. One ear twitched as Jayseyk spoke again, and the lanky male turned to blink at her again – politely as he could, of course. He made a point of not looking her in the eye too long, and tried to study the movement of her mouth instead. It wasn’t too hard really; she said some interesting things, he thought, and Vafri wondered what she meant by them. Chaos had always been the meaning of his life; he feared stagnation as he feared the stilling of his own hot blood, the quiet sleep his quick heart would inevitably take. Turning to blink at the world unfolding out below them, Vafri sat silent for a rare instant. ”I don’t envy all the people living down there,” Vafri said at last, more sober than before – though only for a moment. ”All that noise and scratching at the dirt, and close air…” He twitched, and moved to scratch at his cheek with a hind paw before continuing. ”I don’t think She even sees them, most of them. Us. I mean, I don’t blame you.” Awkwardly he stammered and then sat blinking at the other wolf, heart beating a little faster. It was only a matter of time until he slipped up and said something weird. Usually Vafri was able to bury it in all the other things that flew out of his mouth, but suddenly his mind felt blank. ”I’ve never met anyone with sky-colored eyes,” added Vafri, thoughtful. He really should be old enough to know that was a bad excuse, but he hoped at least she wouldn’t ask him what the hell he was talking about before. So long as no one else knew about the sky, he could live up here on top the world almost alone.

[ Really sorry I'm so slow. School just keeps throwing midterms at me >< ]

There was playfulness to his eyes, almost daring her to play or challenge what he said. She had no want. He could say the moon was his, and she would have only laughed in amusement. He could live wherever he pleased, or dared. If she was brave enough to be alone she would have liked it up here too. She had not cared for the pain of loneliness, the constant fear, and rumble of hunger. Would she trade her new life for her old? Somedays it sounded appealing to never worry about another but herself. She had found the hard way she was incapable of not caring. She frequently gave a damn about everything, and everyone no matter how hard she tried to resist. It was a curse, and blessing to worry about everyone's eudemonia. And so she hardly noticed he had become aware of her strange colored eyes until he could not seem to look away. Then her white eyeslashes brushed over them as if to conceal her oddity. Her eyes were just a part of who she was, and she did not know if he stared because he thought they were bizzare or beautiful. Nor if he was being intrugied or disturbed. It'd been awhile since anyone payed much attention to them she often forgot about it until she was stared at like this. Trying not to let it bother her, he appeared an interesting, but kind male and didn't believe in any harm. When he made a point not to meet them again she began to wonder.

Her words were meant with a moment of silence. It did not bother her, she had enough going through her mind it was nice to focus on the sounds of life beyond her. The simple sway of the small cut of grass that rose above the snow, and the tumbling river somewhere below. Taking her time to enjoy the settled calm she too let her eyes wander to the lands of the lore. When he spoke her ears twitched, and she listened. She was inclined to smile at what he said. He sounded like he'd had his own fill of life, and it's dastardly ways. Who could really escape this life, but in death? Who knew what awaited any in death. More trials and tribulations? She did not smile at the frank serious turn this conversation had taken. She was listening intently to each tone that pressed from his lips. Then tipped her nose downward, studying the rock at her paws. "Ey, quite wise of you to say. Do you mind if I ask about She?" She detected a hint of something spiritual perhaps, and wondered if they might believe in a Creator, if possibly it was the same one. If he wanted to withdraw from it she would by no means pry. Kiche was the only spiritual being she had met, and their views were different to say the least.

She was not sure if she detected some nervous air to him, or not. The idea of her making someone uncomfortable just seemed silly to her. Whatever it might have been it would have to wait. His next statement was placed with a safe of carefulness. So he had been looking at her eyes. The edge of her lip twitched almost in a smile. "Awe, well my mom had blue eyes wild, and lively like the sea I was lucky enough to inherit them to a point," she barely met his own dark eyes before letting hers fall back down. Most quietly she took a moment to swallow, I actually did know a boy too, but his were much like the patches of sky breaking through a stormy day." That boy was Theodore who would never see the light of day again. She half wondered if blue eyes meant death. Amelie's had been blue too hadn't they? She briefly pondered, found herself being too still. With her ears folding back, she shifted her shoulders not sure she should comment on his.

No worries :) I have plenty to keep me busy.

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2012, 07:25 PM by Jaysyek.)