Secluded Spring Eyes on Fire

<blockquote>It was late, and she could hardly keep a lid on her mounting list of anxieties.

Not only was the female in the process of <i>painstakingly</i> bonding her pack together, but spring was just around the corner - something she was reminded of regularly throughout the day as quirky changes in her mood and behaviors were becoming more and more noticeable. Though it was her ultimate ambition, becoming a mother almost seemed like too much to consider at the moment. The thing she'd had on her mind for days was the encounter with the dark man, Rhysis, whom she'd discovered was searching for her Volkan. The leader's instincts now more than ever had her on a complete edge, and the scent he'd been leaving at their borders was pressing her to take action beyond rallying everyone together.

With the sun beginning its descent, Aeylen paced. There was no denying that he posed she or Volkan, or any other member of the family, much threat within their own borders, where they were so militantly protected now, and with Ruiko nearby. But what if Volkan was not here when Rhysis came looking for his long lost sister?...What if she was no where near the protection Aeylen had silently vowed to give to her? <i>What if something bad happened?</i> This thought alone had been haunting her since the Aquila male's midnight departure.

She didn't look to the moon for advice, nor comfort from the stars as they began to emerge from the blue wash sky. There was no courage to be given by the tanglewood, or divine knowlege to be handed down from whatever gods may be, in order to help her. A task that would be no-problem-whatsoever had it been one of the others was now staring the regal female in the face.

On the same note, prolonging this any longer wasn't going to benefit anyone. With the last traces of daylight fading to the west, she sang for Volkan, <i>a soft calling with her eyes on fire.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Though her eyes had been closed, Volkan wasn't sleeping. Yet she was dreaming, head rested gingerly on her paws as the wind whispered in the quiet dusk of late afternoon. In her head, she replayed, and couldn't help replaying, Triell showing up to her little Bramble Falls cave that day. It seemed like ages ago now, but she could vividly remember the way he smelled, his scent intermingled with that of the falling rain.

A howl interrupted her thoughts, and when she opened her eyes, it was nearly dark. Night had fallen around her. It was Aeylen's voice, though this call sounded somehow different from the one she'd heard before the meeting. Could it be just for her? A little excited by that idea (was something important about to happen?), Volk got to her feet, glad she hadn't been sleeping. Any dreaminess vanished from her mind as she pointed her body toward the source of the howl, her lithe frame weaving in and out of the now-familiar trees of the Secluded Spring.

Soon, within minutes, she found Aeylen waiting for her. Her leader, regal as ever, stood alone, confirming Volkan's suspicion that the call had been meant just for her. Without hesitation, she stepped out of the darkness into the now-moonlit clearing, the Secluded Spring's waters serene as usual - it never failed to capture her. Aeylen looked exactly like she belonged here. Volkan approached, giving the usual greeting - one that by now, she carried out with little of her previous trepidation - and took a step back. "Nice night," she commented simply, an honest grin crossing her face as a soft breeze ruffled her perpetually tousled gray fur.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 19, 2012, 06:56 PM by Volkan.)

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<blockquote>Within time, the eerie silence of the darkening scene would be replaced by distant movement. The static-colored female would eventually emerge upon the horizon, merely a speck at first. <i>This was it</i>, she thought inwardly. Head falling slightly, she gulped down the cruciality of the circumstances. Though her reason attempted to console what she had thought to be a paranoid anxiety, her heart thumped painfully at the instinctual notion that something was indeed very wrong.

As the yearling approached, the leader's tail would flick to the side, shifting her weight as she, somewhere, summoned the strength and will to proceed.

A grin fragily spanning her mask, she lowered her muzzle to accept Volkan's greeting, offering a quick lick of her cheek in return. The female nodded quietly in agreement - it was certainly a nice night, beautiful, though she was unaware it would quickly become jaded. Fighting the urge to make small talk in an attempt to avoid the matter at hand, she immediately began her address.

<b>"There is something you must know."</b> Allowing only a moment of silence, honey colored eyes connecting intimately to Volkan's, she continued smoothly. <b>"I have met a man named <i>Rhysis</i>, who claims to be of your bloodline-"</b> Taking a breath, the Tainn watched for the Aquila female's response. <b>"...<i>He is searching for you</i>, and he is here, in Relic Lore. He has requested a meeting; I told him only that you were protected and the decision would be yours..."</b>

Brows coming together in a tight line, the energy of her concern culminated in the golden pools of her gaze.</blockquote>

this was a little hard to write. apologies if it doesn't make sense.
<blockquote><i>"There is something you must know."</i>

As soon as those words hit the air, Volkan's entire being melted. Suddenly the quiet night around her was stifling, had fallen upon her like a trap. The darkness was inescapable, and it cemented her paws to the ground as Aeylen's mouth moved. She read those words as if in a nightmare, all senses numb, dull as only her heart threatened to burst from her chest. A million times she had seen this word spoken, the name she didn't even dare say in her head, the name that turned her into an unfeeling shell of a wolf. A million times this scenario had happened in her mind. But— this was happening. This was happening. This was real.

Her eyes became holes of ice, fixed helplessly on a point somewhere far beyond Aeylen's face as her limbs shook uncontrollably, gave out underneath her. All she could see was the face of a wolf, slowly blurring, and all she could feel was an overwhelming, bone-crushing weakness that dropped her to the ground, eyes still open. In that instant, her mind replayed the name like scratches on a broken record, screeching in her moment of pure torture. She was going to die. Going to die. Going to die. Going to die.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2012, 07:08 PM by Volkan.)

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It's just fine, Chels :)

<blockquote>Just as soon as the words were spoken, Volkan's body language was transformed.

Where, only moments before, the storm cloud of a wolf had seemed to be herself, she now stood before her leader paralyzed by <i>fear</i>. Disbelieving eyes fell to take in the intensity with which the yearling's legs were shaking - she did look, in every way, defeated.

It was impossible for the leader to know what was flashing through her packmate's eyes as they stared past her, fixed on some sight in the background, but Aeylen was certain that Volkan was not considering the texture of the bark on the trees, or the shadows of the forest that surrounded them. It was a <i>different</i> kind of darkness that was visible in the static-colored figure's icy glare, one that was much more freightening, and <i>alarming</i>.

<b>"Volkan..."</b> the ever gentle voice called to the wolf who seemed a million miles away. <b>"...Volkan, what is it?"</b>

She could hardly stand this. Flashes of the possible outcomes and their consequences whirled in her mind as she held her breath...</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2012, 10:34 PM by Aeylen.)

<blockquote>She felt as though she had fallen from miles above in the air. Suddenly she was back, laying on a cold, hard ground that chilled her to the bone. A pair of legs stood over her. For a moment, she simply sat there, defeated. She was swimming in a whirlpool inside her mind, circling over and over again around the drain that was the thought of him, a thought she had dreaded since her first day in Relic Lore. <i>He is searching for you.</i> The exact words she'd grown so used to fearing.

Yet, she knew it was true. Her brain had accepted it as cold, hard fact while her soul struggled to let it sink in; shakily she began to get to her feet, a characteristic boldness taking hold in her pale eyes. She wore no shame for what had just happened, as the fear was now such a familiar part of her that she could no longer deny it. But she could accept it, could embrace it. Could harness it, turn it into rage, the rage that had driven a thousand fantasies, the images of his gruesome death. It awoke a dormant part of her, one that refused to be left in her puphood. There, at the culmination of her haunted days, the only words she knew to be true fell from her inky lips.

"Kill him,"Volkan stated, nothing but resolution in her dry, darkened voice. Finally, the hollow eyes found Aeylen once more, though a certain fire burned steadily within them now. "We have to kill him."</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 19, 2012, 06:55 PM by Volkan.)

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<blockquote>Where surprise had been her first reaction to the way Volkan had seemed to lose all hope, the leader was now <i>shocked</i>. Aeylen's suspiscions had been confirmed, but the words spoken by her companion had led from confirmation to action in a split second. <i>"Kill him. We have to kill him."</i>

The regal shewolf would step away, breathing slowly as her plans began to spindle together, meanwhile dwelling on the black man's words, spoken to her through the teeth of a <i>dangerous</i>, gifted deceiver. With her back turned to Volkan she was sure the female would be unable to see the murderous look that she knew full and well had overtaken every inch of gentility, mercy, and patience that was the core of her personality. Fierce, narrow eyes would rip a glance across the empty landscape, cursing every shadow that had managed to taint her perfect world. A deep breath would do little to cool the burning of her nerves, but seemed to, otherwise, clear her head.

<i>Volkan's will would be done</i>.

Stealing a skyward glance, the shewolf's honey-hued eyes would solemnly beg the stars for forgiveness before she quickly turned to face her counterpart.

<b>"So be it."</b>

There was no interest to be held in the origins of <i>this</i>, this nameless, faceless <i>thing</i> that had crept into her life, but a part of her knew that Volkan - standing strong, now, with a menacing to her pale eyes - had meant each word. Therefore, it was critical to get the facts straight, one way or another, now or never.

Her tone was eerily reserved, completely dissonant to the glare of malicious intent written on her face...

<b><i>"Tell me the story."</i></b></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 23, 2012, 03:35 PM by Aeylen.)

<blockquote><i>"So be it."</i>

Just like that, the vengeful thoughts that had echoed in Volkan's mind since the day she had last seen <i>him</i> were manifested. They were real. They had become words, and had now poisoned the peace that Copper Rock Creek had fleetingly enjoyed. The burning resolution that lit her leader's regal face only emboldened the hatred, the determination, in the silver wolf's eyes. As she received Aeylen's simple order, a choking feeling tightened her throat, and she stared at the older female, momentarily at a loss. Stretched, the moment seemed to wear on forever.

She hadn't told anyone. It wasn't even a part of her fantasy, the one that involved watching him die. Seeing his disgusting, scrawny frame being torn apart was a vivid image that plagued her dreams. But this— the necessary, vital step between this moment and the manifestation of that image, made her want to hide, made her want to run a thousand miles before she told anyone. How could she <i>tell</i> anyone this? Anyway, she couldn't make Aeylen understand. She couldn't tell the whole story... yet, here she was, standing here, being commanded to. Volkan didn't see it as an oppressive order from authority; it had to be done. The time had come. A deep, prolonged sigh filled her slender frame, pale blues tracing the ground.

"He's my brother," she confirmed, and just the admission of that seemed to have taken great effort. After forcing it out, though, she knew she couldn't turn back. Slowly, she continued. She didn't even know where to start. "...Our pack. We're warriors." Not usually one to bring up that fact, Volkan finally found Aeylen's gaze with a light shrug, knowing some of her Relic Lore friends might not have expected it— though it didn't bother her, the things she had seen, for she knew nothing different.

"Dad... he's... harsh. He's cruel. And he just— hurts people, does whatever he wants to do. He doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself," she went on, her voice slowly gaining courage, tinged with hatred. "He had all these weird, these secret mates. And one of 'em was my mother.

"We found out, me and... him, my brother," she added, unable to bring herself to say that name. Not yet. "Dad found out, needed us out of the pack. So we wouldn't tell anyone, so the legion wouldn't turn on him. So we left." Kicked out, exiled, left. Same thing. By now, she was pacing, large paws idly crossing the ground as she spoke, now casually somehow. "So... we left, him... and me. Ran, travelled as far as we could, heading North. And then—"

She stopped, icy gaze finding Aeylen, as though the realization had hit her for the first time. But now, it was clear in her eyes, and she embraced the involuntary shiver of rage that seemed to engulf her entire body. The final words of her story came halfway through a snarl. "He attacked me," She hoped, dearly hoped, that she would not have to explain how, testing the silence to see if her leader had understood.

In this moonlit instant in the dead of night, the weathered young female's mind was painfully clear, even while her very soul was ablaze. The moment of her confession would be one that changed her — and she could feel it.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 28, 2012, 10:52 PM by Volkan.)

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<blockquote>As necessary as it was to get to the root of the conlfict, Aeylen could cleary see the subtle distress on Volkan's face. The steel coated female let go of a lengthy sigh before turning her eyes to the leadess, who would meet her gaze reassuringly. It was true that they knew little or nothing of each other's lives before the founding of Copper Rock Creek, but those times had faded well into the past. A darkening hour had brought them together now, and there was no time to be wasted. Aeylen was <i>right there</i> beside Volkan, openly extending her protection, companionship, and confidentiality. The devil himself would not be able to lay a rotting finger on her without risking its subsequent amputation at the mercy (or lack thereof) of the Tainn's jaws.

It was an eerie story, and at one point the tawny wolf came to wonder what it would have been like to have been raised in such a family, one much different than her blood pack. And to be betrayed by both a father and a brother...it was a true tragedy. In retrospect, Rhysis' demeanor and request all those days ago served well to hide whatever his true intentions may have been. He had been a snake then, but soon enough he'd be a dead man walking.

Her heart throbbed as she helplessly watched Volkan speak

Volkan's explanation of the situtation was satisfying and saddening, and Aeylen was quick to want to ease Volkan's mind, acknowledging her words with a gentle nod. Like a mother would look over a troubled pup, the leadess' amber eyes would rove over the shewolf's silvery features without having passed any judgment.

<b>"I am sorry to hear that, Volkan, truly...Be assured that Ruiko and I will do everything in our powers to aid you by any means in this."</b> The last thing she wanted was for her to be <i>alone</i> in this, but...hadn't she been alone all alone, or at least until now. She took a moment to make sure her counterpart hadn't lost any of her composure by rehashing the painful memories before continuing. <b>"If you ever need...<i>anything</i>..."</b> her eyes darted between each of the shewolf's silver ones, as if to emphasize the 'anything' with a moment of silence, and the leadess was genuinely serious. <b>"You must know that he <i>will fall</i>," </b>she spoke. It was a task most likely easier said than done, she was sure - she did not underestimate Rhysis' cunning - but <i>who could survive</i> the demise she was certain Volkan was orchestrating? Rhysis had surely been formulating a plan of his own all along, a thought that stirred a low growl from her throat. She wondered what Ruiko would make of all of this, though the sting of fear that jetted down her spine at the thought of what he would do was almost enough to silence the headstrong female.

Her gaze would shift from her packmate to the thin layer of fog that hovered just above the silty earth of the creekland. Information needed gathering; Rhysis' location, the status of his health and social ties, and information about <i>anyone</i> who would <i>dare</i> to stand in the Creek pack's way.

It was expressly Volkan's decision about what course of action to take from here, but one way or another, she and Aeylen needed Ruiko's reinforcement and support. He needed to be informed.

<i>When Volkan was ready</i>, the three of them had much to discuss.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 09, 2012, 07:42 PM by Aeylen.)

Eee sorry Allie! I've been putting off my longer responses 'cause of my wrist. I feel bad making you wait :[
<blockquote>Volkan stared blankly at her leader's paws. In the moment before Aeylen spoke, though it was only an instant, she felt the weight of a familiar evil descending upon her. Her mind felt crystal clear, and in a split second it replayed isolated moments, memories that chipped away at her defenses. Those little things he tended to say, just the tone of his voice— that self-righteous, sarcastic, manipulative deep voice, always correcting, always finding faults. Vignettes of his slimy face filled her mind all in that moment, his snakelike grin, his nasty, salty smell...

And yet, she saw it now, clearly than ever before. Standing before her new leader in a new home, coat painted by the light of a few renegade stars in the black night, Volkan realized where she was. Who she was— how far she'd come, and the reality of <i>him</i> having travelled here— became somehow tangible to her. Her soul was singed by a hundred or a thousand stinging words dripping with his voice, his exaggerated drawl. But he did not <i>have</i> to define her. Relic Lore was hers now, <i>her</i> home. There was no room for him here within the <span class='word'>palladium</span> of the new life she'd made for herself.

Up to this moment, it had overwhelmed her, the cloud of his words and his actions. But now it was as if she stood miles away on a mountaintop, looking at her life from far above. At that distance she could see her pain. Watery, it settled in her eyes as they found Aeylen's at last, her leader's soft but determined voice breaking the silence of the fleeting moment in which so much had become clear.

<i>Ruiko.</i> At the mention of his name Volkan exhaled what seemed like an hour's breath, and nodded. She already knew what this meant, had already tried to come to terms with it. His fiery gaze, at the meeting— she couldn't forget it. It demanded an answer. Ruiko needed to know— <i>deserved</i> to know. It was the story she should've told him long ago, the hidden 'catch' behind Volkan's fierce loyalty to the Tainn family... she <i>needed</i> Ruiko. At this point, she could only hope he'd understand. But with Aeylen's blessing, she knew they would keep her safe. If she'd only assumed it before, she now knew it to be true.

<i>"You must know that he will fall."</i> The words touched her heartstrings. At once she blinked as if to blink away her sorrow, icy gaze narrowing. A half smile crossed her rugged face, meek, though mischief was brewing somewhere inside her mind. The reality— it was grim. This battle would not be an easy one.

"He's— dangerous," she told her, eyes betraying the thankfulness that her words could not express. "He's... I don't know... what's out there," she admitted, looking to the sky, "...But I believe in good and evil. And... he is evil." She looked to Aeylen with a new urgency. "He will kill... he will destroy this place, everything you and Ruiko have worked for. He wants me, but he won't stop at anything. And... I'm sorry."

Suddenly a wave of guilt washed over her, and she sighed, shaking her head. "I should've told Ruiko from the beginning. I never meant to endanger you, or the pack, or even Swift River," she admitted, tail swishing once at her ankles. "But I needed the protection. And I couldn't tell anyone, all I could do was... wait for... him to come. Hoping that he wouldn't, but somehow... I knew he'd find me. And I'm so sorry—"

Shame, frustration. She'd been a time bomb, and soon, everything could explode.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Apr 15, 2012, 08:20 PM by Volkan.)

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