Thicket of Secrets i caught myself

we'll bury the castle.

The day was dwindling to a quiet end. Though weary, her stride did not show it. She walked with a definite sense of worth and purpose. The sun setting to her right, on the western hemisphere, slowly sinking below the high tops of the trees. The last bit of it's light glowing through few places in the thicket that were not encased in the wild growth. A sigh of unsatisfaction, would be the only hint of what lie beneath her coat of confidence. She was solely focused on the ground her paws touched, and the path placed before it. If she had nothing to return to, she would curl up somewhere here, and let the cold sink heavy in her bones.

Ducking her head, she avoided a low branch, and turned around a familiar brush quite aware how close the forest was becoming. All the better, she could see what had occurred today, and see if anyone else had had luck of catching something to eat. Though there was some meat in the caches, it was starting to dwindle, and she was ready to test her new recruits in a hunt for caribou. In recent time her pack had doubled, and she was plagued by how her pack members were "getting along." All the better to call them together, they could work side by side, and accomplish something as a team. Trying to believe if there was any riot, or disagreement she could handle it.

The scent of cedarwood called to her, and she significantly slowed her pace until she was no longer moving. Her pale crown rotated to stare at the glowing patching of orange, and pink sky that hung over her. She was unmoved like a carved figure among the foliage, siting there well after the sky had turned from purple to a dark indigo.

(This post was last modified: Feb 17, 2012, 04:41 AM by Jaysyek.)

<blockquote>Twilight fell upon the vast wilderness of Relic Lore with a peace he had not witnessed in what felt like eternities. The air - crisp, cold, and frozen - dashed through the male's winter coat as he sat beneath a canopy of cedarwood, any traces of innocence still lingering inside his soul clinging to the shades of grey in his eyes. It felt as though he were somewhere else - transposed into some alternate dimension - where everything was <i>perfect</i>, <i>silent</i>, and the sunlight felt <i>warm</i>.

<i>He closed his eyes</i>. If only this scene could stay forever...

But it could not, and darkness was <i>calling</i>, as it had every night he could remember. Like a grain of sand swept back into a vast ocean, the approaching night took him into the shadow, and he could <i>disappear</i>.

The dying sun fading into the earth, the ghost of a wolf was left to his ways. Beginning with a swift departure from the forest, the male made up his mind to bury himself within the horrid tangle that was the Thicket of Secrets. It was a place that was, indeed, near and dear; a place where he'd met the woman who had come to define a part of him. <i>Thoughts of their first hours were like waves of warmth washing over his desensitized body.</i>

Other thoughts strayed into and out of his mind as he navigated, and just before the elevation of the forest floor would rise he came to an abrupt halt. Marked on the tall, dried grasses here was the scent of his closest friend. The dark brute took a moment to investigate a few unfamiliar, aging scents that also traced through the woodland before steadily moving along, drifting with no rhyme or reason to his navigation.

Like a game of hide and seek, he probed through every other nook and cranny he passed along the way, hoping to be surprised by the shining of her mismatched gaze at some point. Unfortunately, there would be no such surprise, and just when the last traces of color seemed ablaze overhead <i>there she was</i>. Like a marble statue, Jaysyek peered up at the sky as though at any second she would reveal her wings and fly with the sun to the beyond, somewhere heavenly. Right where she belonged. A softness crept over his body as he, too, became still, a smile replacing the empty glare he'd kept all day.

Quietly he stood, waiting for ghostly female's attention to part from the stars that he swore lived in her haunting, crystalline eyes.</blockquote>

we'll bury the castle.

Sleep was heavy upon her eyes, aching in her bones. It was almost like her very life source was being sucked away little by little, everything feeding off her strength, her good fortune, and her determination to continue. No matter what twenty-four, seven it was trying to take her to the ultimate ending. The concept of death didn't scare her any more. She actually thought it might be the greatest release of her burdens. What scared her was the what ifs. If she disappeared off the face of the earth who would be the glue then? Who would look after her children? The answers scared her, because she wasn't sure. A shiver raked down her spine, but it had nothing to do with the cold. What didn't kill her was suppose to make her stronger wasn't it? In some ways she was, but every object has a weakness. She didn't feel significantly tougher, just more like a prickly porcupine that should be avoided.

She licked her tongue over her teeth, and clenched her jaws. She should head back, but she did not want to move. It was quiet here. One moment to leave herself behind didn't seem much to ask. The days of pure enjoyment were little. No matter what she was doing, worrisome thoughts carried around like a dark shadow of pain, and misery. Day after day one thing followed after another, she wasn't quite sure how she functioned as well as she did. Would there every be a day when everyone got along, and things functioned smoothly?

Her breath felt tight in the confines of her chest. Her throat felt dry, and scratchy. The idea of walking to Jasper Rocks appealed to her, but at the same time it didn't. Theo, and Prosper were to close, and Jasper Rocks reminded her to well how things had been a year ago. A year. It was such a long time, yet had passed so quickly in some ways. She couldn't believe she had confided to Borden her affections about this time last year. The silver dappled wolf couldn't say they'd been together that long. And she often pondered if they would ever be again.

Slowly her head cast down from the sky, as her eyes absorbed the surrounding darkness. She stood up, turning around when she spotted him. She jumped, her breath spilling from her lips. "Kade," she said, somewhat surprised yet delighted all the same. He almost always seemed to find her in her darkest time. "You passing through?" She inquired, uncertain what he was doing out, and about once again.

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2012, 09:03 PM by Jaysyek.)

<blockquote>With a fire burning in his metallic eyes for her, a coy grin donned the wolf's dark mask. For a moment he would stand in place, not allowing his body to exhibit the excitement she drew from him as he cherished the sight of the flightless bird who he knew was the only reason his heart was still beating. There was something about the Thicket that seemed to always set their scene - that of a could-be love affair between two broken souls who held one another together in some way. He had not forgotten the day he had spent with her in this very place seasons ago, where she had offered only her partnership on an excellent hunt and her comfort at the day's end. How he had taken pride in her, then still only a stranger, as he watched her belly fill, her face pink and red and white, streaked by blood and dirt.

Looking at her now, pride still filled his heart and soul. Jaysyek was a good friend, and he'd come to know her now as a loving mother and courageous leader, someone who he admired. A sway to his tail, the black and silver man finally gave in and <i>just went to her</i>, as though he were pulled by gravity. He paid no attention now to the fading snow underfoot or the romantic hues of the heavens as the sun faded. No notice was taken of the gentle breezes that carried her scent to him, the same ones that rustled through his thick, satin coat. Everything he was and perceived and hoped and loved and <i>wanted</i> was right before him in her eyes, untarnished by the perpetual agonizing pain that she could not hide.

<b>"I suppose you could say that,"</b> he replied to her, his voice calm and steady. In reality he was passing through, dancing with the devil in the coming darkness, challenging him to take one last bit of his shattered soul. <b>"I was actually going for an early evening run, until I spied you from across the way...It's amazing how you light up my path, always."</b> Amazing and nothing less.

<b>"And you, Jayse...Did the stars have much to say as your beautiful eyes put them to shame?"</b></blockquote>

we'll bury the castle.

Her eyes could barely make out the grin he sported, and a pale brow raised in question. "What?" She asked with a curious tone to her alto voice. She was interested in what had brought it on as she had not seen much of it before, and was not sure of it's origin. It en-told something deeper, and she hated the guessing game.

What never ended to surprise her was how could he always look happy to see her. How could he do that? She didn't believe she should easily brighten his day, but the evidence was against her. Her pale face soon smoothed, and she hesitated to move closer. So instead her tail was quick to wave behind her, and a delicate yet happy smile lingered on her lips. She couldn't hide the fact she was happy to see him, and wasn't about to try. Seeing him made her feel more assured she wasn't completely alone in all of this. Least one wolf wasn't mad at her, and her triangle points tipped back. She didn't want to talk about Kiche or Eletttra and would be most grateful if he didn't mention it. Her jaws clenched at the thought. If it came up she'd just work it. Wasn't the worst of things. She silently released her tight grasp, shifting her weight between her paws.

What she really needed was someone to talk to, and confide in. Jayse, she was hesitant to do this. It was like cutting open her layers and exposing her weakness, making her vulnerable. She did not like appearing weak or fragile. She was scared of putting herself on the line. What was beneath her ash stroked exterior would not be pretty in her mind. Whatever this was, this dance they appeared to be doing where no one got to close was making her question herself. Most of all hate her heart. What it craved, and hungered for, what it desperately wanted. It wanted several things, and could not have it all.

She tried to relax her posture, and did to a point when he came closer. She had known reluctance in being close, she had come know him better in time. Maybe not everything, but she didn't question what kind of man he truly was. "Ah," she quietly offered at his short reply. Slowly she let her eyes fall along the silver wisps against his dark pelt. She was caught off guard by his statement, and a flash of her astonishment showed on her pale mask. It was short lived, if even there. She gently shook her head, if to change his mind rather than in disagreement. Beautiful eyes, she was more ready for. A soothing laugh worked it's way from her chest. "No, they won't speak to me." There was no pain in it, just a playfulness that had long been forgotten as her head cantered to view the twinkling lights again. She leaned, drifting to stand by his side, and whispered in his ear, "Maybe, you can tell them it's not my fault...." She did not wait for an answer or reply. She softly nipped at his ear, and sped off into the shadows.

(This post was last modified: Feb 29, 2012, 01:00 AM by Jaysyek.)

<blockquote>The scene played in slow motion, his perceptions of the shewolf who danced before him meeting his mind in fragments. The flash of a coy smile...the hue of the silver-splashed fur of her crown as it contrasted with the shades of her eyes...shadows as they capered across her back, casting a silhouette upon the thicket floor. The man would, dispite every attempt at self-assertion, figuratively fall to his knees as they weakened by the sway her divinity held over him. A redolence of nectar, cherry, and cedar would meet his olfaction as his weight shifted sideways, ears flexing forward. He would treasure the curves of her body and the way her head would lower and sway selflessly at his words.

The grin that had surfaced would slowly be dissolved and replaced by a serious demeanor, his eyes following her slender legs as she moved closer. The motions of her figure appeared effortless as the male's heart began to race. It felt as though he should be sweating, his lungs racking for air. A part of him yearned to take a step for himself, to close the distance between them. But before he would push away his implulse, <i>the distance was closed</i>. The warmth of the leadess' proximity was intoxicating as he could feel her muzzle sliding past his cheek, the longest hairs of his coat bending against hers. His pale eyes would close as words whispered in his ear sent an intimate chill coursing down his spine. <i>Maybe, you could tell them it's not my fault...</i> As the woman's teeth would gently graze the fold of his ear his gaze would return, too late to watch as she turned and bolted into the darkness.

Four paws glued to the numbing earth underfoot, a rush of adrenaline would take his body as an avalanche would seize the mountainside. One by one, each of the male's senses would awaken to a state of hypersensitivity; his pupils dilated rapidly to allow for a quick scan of the surroundings and the path before him, and a warmth would meet his cheeks as he beamed.

<i>And in the blink of an eye the dark figure was gone, the swaying of the plantlife the only indication that the pair had ever been there.</i>

The wind created by his motion ripped past, weaving through the silvers of his coat as tears eventually dripped from the outside corners of his eyes. Each individual muscle would ripple under their own weight as his paws contacted the ground, which was in many places uneven and riddled with debris. The sound of the spray of dirt behind him was quick to come and go as he bounded. Overhead, the stars themselves, <i>despite their shame</i>, would lend their viability and brilliance - the only things he would need to distinguish between shadow and his path as it criss-crossed. A flicker of white dashed in the foreground, and the musclulature of his back and limbs would stretch further and contract harder, a burst of speed propelling him onward. Twisting through the ancient landscape was like second nature, though it was a daunting challenge to keep pace. A quick glance to the left would reveal Jaysyek in perhaps her finest moment - <i>bathed in moonlight, suspended, a ghost unrivaled in grace, </i>inside<i> and </i>out.
</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 04, 2012, 04:07 AM by Kade.)

<i><3 wanted to do your post justice very beautiful each time i read it.</i>

we'll bury the castle.

Would he follow? It was an impulsive drive that had pushed her to touch him, and a need within her that craved for truth. It might appear some kind of game or test on the outside, but it was more a question of the heart. Did two beat the same, one, or neither? What was this between the ash toned lady, and the dark knight who captivated her? Love, or a mere survival mechanism trying to reassemble herself from the deep scars she carted? This was the very question, not only she had asked, but anyone witness to the changing dynamics of the Grizzly Hollow pack.

Right now the leader was not thinking about pack nor what would happen. It was in this moment she lived, propelled by joy of escaping her sober thoughts, and the responsibilities she held. Her heart continuously struck against it's cage played in a melody with the land of each paw step against the melting ground. She moved as if it took no real might or force to fly through the dark shadows, and half luminous back drop that stars let them borrow. The speed uplifted her spirit, and made her feel like a leaf on a breeze with the gentle stroke of air running it's invisible fingers through her thick coat. Though her breath became rough she would not slow. She continued gliding, and bolting through the snaking growth, and small banks of snow weaving in and out with grace powered by an adrenaline rush. She would appear nothing but a tainted apparition who had been left behind, and was running over the grounds she was forcefully tied to, wandering for some kind of peace.

She did not have to wonder if she was being pursued. His paws were like a steady drum beat of their own following after hers. In this chase she was not running away, only embracing a part of her. Mischievously her mismatched eyes pulled in time to catch his dark figure from across the way as he gained upon her. He was like an livened shadow running at her side, and it was surreal when she took a chance to glance at his onyx and steel colored body, moving so fluidly with a fierce grace there was nothing wispy of this shadow. would. And a playful laugh rang from her lips, a smile stretching at along her jaw. They were opposites one dark, and one light almost unreal among the living. She did not look like at his nimble actions for long, not once forgetting how easy she could fall from high. Her brows creased in a determination, and she continued pressing her luck amongst the uncertain ground not sure how far she would go.

Spotting a wide tree by itself, she spun behind it, and pressed her back to it's coarse texture. Her chest fell, and rose quite forcefully while she struggled to silent herself. She couldn't quite cut off another laugh from how light headed she felt. She had little time, and crouched waiting for Kade to come within her sight. Her ears captured him first, and she pounced launching herself into his muscular form. It wasn't quite a tackle, but half of her intent. Then she would attempt to grab his ruff with a soft grasp of her teeth, her white tail beating ferociously behind her.

Thank you :) From my heart to yours.
'Northern Wind' - by <i>City and Colour</i>

<blockquote>Perhaps it was a wind of hope at his back, pushing him forward <i>toward her</i>. Perhaps it truly was gravity, one that was borne to the ghost without her consent. <i>Maybe</i>, just <i>maybe, it was the angel's heart calling for him</i>, begging to be found, forgotten and lost in time. The eyes that had breathed life into the man so many sunsets ago would steal a glance in his direction, before Jaysyek's nimble figure would jet from sight once more. Crossing at an angle to cover the ground inbetween, moist and cold, it would seem as though she'd been swallowed by the enigmatic labyrinth. Consequently the shadow's pace would slow, spirited silver eyes darting high and low, but to no avail. It was tempting to believe that she'd simply disappeared, reclaimed by the heavens, a despairing notion.

The Thicket of Secrets had extended its protection to the pair of wanderers; the night had offered them secrecy, as though mother nature had, herself, brought them back to this place.

He was sure that she was right under his nose, but for the life of him he could not coax the moon to reveal where she'd been hidden away. A second wind couldn't have come soon enough, and without further deliberation the leaden brute raced onward. Just in the distance the Thicket would spare him further trouble, revealing a quaint clearing where the moonlight would grace the forest floor just right. An elderly conifer stood saliently in solidarity, a certain, animalistic quality to its bends and twists, the way it seemed to watch all-knowingly as the man emerged from the wood that imprisoned it. If he were not in such a deliberate hurry to lay gaze to his companion, he may have paused to carry on conversation with the tree-being; perhaps it would reveal the thicket's secrets to him, if his heart were truly noble enough to receive such knowledge.

Just when he'd entertained the idea, his eyes would be torn from the stoic sight as his body swiftly hit the ground with a gentle thump. <i>There she was</i>, he thought as a childlike laughter bellowed from his chest, eyes closing thoughtlessly. Jaysyek's touch was quick to enhance the dreamlike quality of their encounter, sending a tickling through his body as her teeth grazed through his fur. His own tail would thump against the damp earth as he rolled effortlessly to lay on his side beneath her for a moment, holding his breath as if to play dead - a feat that would come and go unaccomplished as an erruption of giggles would mar his act. Eventually, only when his heart was racing faster than he had as he'd chased the leadess, his eyes would slowly open, her face the first sight he would see.

Despite the excitement and play, the chase and the laughter, a serious face would look up the length of the white woman's muzzle and into her crystalline gaze. <i>There were so many things he'd longed to tell her, but had not been able to.</i> A part of him didn't want to disrupt her life; a part of him feared rejection; a part of him was too noble to allow her to entertain such ideas...Some part of him was too cold to allow himself such a pleasure. Gulping down past fears and worries, he would roll to his back, kicking a hindleg to position himself comfortably. Indulgently, the black and silver male would gently press his nose to the shewolf's chest, reminiscently inhaling the sweet scent that reminded him of comfort and peace. After relaxing to a point his head would come to rest against the ground as his gaze locked to hers, wondering if he would become lost in the golden, aqua fury of her eyes.

<i><b>"I tried to tell them..."</b> he whispered.</i></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 07, 2012, 11:11 PM by Kade.)

<i><3 reminds me of Kade a lot.</i>

we'll bury the castle.

Her frame swept into his, almost crushing if she had ever outweighed him, and she would pretend to pin him to the ground. The laughter, his laughter sang onto her heart, and scared away the quiet she had long wanted to cease. The moment was perfect while their limbs intertwined, and playfully she planted another gentle nip to his collar bone. His silver eyes held onto hers, captivating as they always had been. There was nothing dull, or faded to them they burned with his life. Initially they had been what had drawn her so close, almost within him. And the vibrations of his laughter, his heart, his breath was such surreal of force against her own form. Could it only be her imagination being cruel? She realized how caught she was now. A moment of panic struck in the confines of her chest. She was close to wanting to resist, to pull herself away. If she went further, would they recover? What would it mean? There were no words to confirm her assumptions, or what might be his. But she finalized realize how much she loved the man before her. Why else would it hurt if he disappeared? For a moment she felt like she was being swept away in a dark river, forcefully being pulled out to sea, and the harder she might resist, the weaker she would become. Wasn't that what had happened> She'd tried to hold this under control, and could not. She could not continue pretending, or question. She could not quite let herself fall off the dangerous edge, taking the plunge. There was a whisper of another, the face of someone else making her cling to that thin line. This moment belonged to them, and she would never know if she stood in the middle to afraid to venture to either side what was to be. It would seem head first she would jump in. While he rolled to better suit himself, she carried herself lightly above him. She could not pull herself away, not yet. She lightly laughed at his deeper rolling giggles. Slowly a smile coaxed itself onto her warm features, and she only stared at the steel liquid, counting the varying shades lost in it as he was in hers.

The mask of play he wore became smooth, and sober. Her pale brows creased faintly across her facade. What? She would want to ask, wishing to know what might be wrong. Her mouth was not working right, and she was doing well just to breathe within the short distance. He appeared to wiggle from beneath her, and a frown tugged at her lips. She was ready to pull away with shame, and regret. He did not go far, only moving for a better place. She would hold her breath, doubt, fear, and quite quickly relief washing over her white face. She was not sure if the shame that burned in her cheeks was a good sign. She had no time to think. The brush of his leathery nose to her chest she could not grasp anything but the smooth touch, and sound of the air driving into his lungs. Her own eyes began to coat with thin moisture when he pulled away, whispering to her. She pulled herself downward to him, nestling her head against his cheek for a single second, breathing deep all that was him. He might be a wolf of the Hollow, covered in her scent, the hints of the mountain lake it's brisk water, the cold stone of the high peaks, and something that reminded her of home. She was not certain to what it was, it was so familiar pressing onto her skull. Before the embrace went from nice to awkward she glided away, hovering only a second before plopping onto her back next to him. She snuggled close to him to feel his warmth, and charcoal coat against her to know he was really there.

She was very remit she was certain she had to be deep asleep. She laughed, and nudged his nose with her own. Then she looked to the sky, staring into the vast blackness that made her feel so small with the stars looking quite endless. Had anyone ever counted them? She gently began to clear her throat, blinking her eyelids to clear what had been. "They are beautiful aren't they? They, they make me think of home." Her voice was hushed not wanting to break anything, and she tipped her crown in his direction. "Do you think of your home?" She quietly asked, trying to keep his face as not to remind herself too much of her own.

(This post was last modified: Mar 12, 2012, 06:16 PM by Jaysyek.)

Sorries for the wait-age <3333

<blockquote>The glistening of her eyes would not go unnoticed as she watched from above, and he knew that she could not read his mind. The serious mask that had replacd his child-like giggling was merely an outward sign of the matter at hand and how it made him feel. Where would they go from here? As partners? As friends? <i>Was there really something more beneath the casual facade they'd so masterfully maintained?</i> The moment had seemed to swallow them both whole, and the male did not struggle for a second against the current of chemistry that had swept them from their feet.

As the cream and ash female lowered herself to him, nestling closely to his cheek, the man would issue an affectionate touch as his own muzzle would gently slide across the side of her face. The silver eyes that were more or less glued to her shifted skyward as the leadess would settle at his side, nudging her way, brick by brick, deeper into his once empty soul. Though it would be hard to believe that she could ever belong in such a dark place - relatively untouched by any real love - it felt as though <i>she belonged there</i>, as though she'd been there all along.

His wandering mind was snatched from its detour as her soothing, alto voice broke the cool, night air, and he would turn to face her as she spoke quietly. <i>"They are beautiful aren't they? They, they make me think of home...Do you think of your home?"</i>

Memories of the Lake slowly surfaced as he thought for just a moment before giving up the answer she sought. If the stars reminded her of home, was there somewhere outside the dictation of Grizzly Hollow where she belonged? <b>"I think of it everyday, and do miss it very much."</b> He paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should let the words just roll from his tongue. Inevitably, there was nothing he wished to hold back from her anymore. <b>"But my home is in your heart, Jaysyek."</b> They were serious words, despite their easy mention, and he continued without having been touched by their weight. <b>"Sometimes I think of visiting...but I'm not sure what would be worse: straying from you, or the fact that I will come to the realization that I don't need the shore, or my hole in the hill, or the <i>fog</i> anymore...Everything I could ever want or need is right here."</b>

There was a screaming inside of him. <i>Just tell her! Out with it! Coward!</i> Though he would not dare to be so bold with her, his attempts to convey his feelings and give her an honest look into his heart were not in vain.

<b>"Perhaps...I could just throw you over my shoulder and take you with me - have the best of both worlds,"</b> he teased lightheartedly, rolling his head to watch the look in her fiery eyes.</blockquote>