Sacred Grove If You Only Knew...

Angier had mentioned the Swift River wolves.. in their latest meeting. After his disappearance, Vlarindara ventured slowly towards the borders of Swift River - scared that she'd run into wolves she didn't intend. Angier was her goal.. for she wished to speak to the other wolf.. The male... she rather fancied. At least there were things she had to tell him - things that couldn't be left unsaid. Vlarindara had already accepted the fact that Borden had gone back to Jaysyek.. in fact, she preferred it. After all, even if for some reason the heterochromic alphess rejected him..Vlarindara knew she wouldn't feel right should for some reason he chose her.

Limping painfully towards the pack lands she knew made up Swift River, Vlarindara stopped about ten yards outside the borders, staring into the territory.. before she began moving along side the scent markers, hunting for a hint of Angiers scent. So focused was she on finding his smell that she didn't see the ditch that broke the ground in front of her path.. It wasn't a very *large* ditch..but a ditch nonetheless. A startled yelp ripped from her muzzle as her front foot slid into it, toppling the thin form into the deapths. She landed in a thin stream of water where she lay still.

The fall had scraped her left side along the edges of the thing, tearing further into the open sores upon her side.. And leaving the crumpled wolf in copious amounts of pain. However.. when she could breathe without the stream of pained whimpers that had escaped her for the last five minutes, the white wolfess started to take stock of her injuries. Other than the fact that she was bleeding - and her body ached more than ever.. she didn't *think* anything was broken.. But.. how to get out? ..had she fallen straight into Swift River Territory?

Table by Katsuma. Coding by Ryn

<i>Angier's kinda in limbo, I think, right now; half-assuming he's apart of SR for the time being... Will edit if need be. :x</i>

<blockquote>For the past few days Angier had been skirting around the borders of Swift River, sparing what time he had aside from tending to the pack's borders to look for Vlarindara. For some reason or another he had actually been convinced that he would be unable to lose her in the vast forests of Relic Lore. Today he found himself walking along a new part of the territory, quietly cursing to himself as he went about how he should have been looking out for the ivory lady as well, not just for his own sake. After all, she too, he felt, absolutely needed a pack's help. He strolled casually through the grove until the tree line thinned out. Once he broke through the foliage, he began to run.

He raced through the open grasses, eating up the ground with such speed that by the time a ditch came into view he hadn't realized he had strayed well away from Indru and Corinna's markers. His pace slowed to a jog and as he stooped to inspect how deep it was and ponder what could have carved it through the earth, pained cries filled the afternoon air. He thought of the youths he had seen glimpses of through the trees and instantly darted towards the sound. <b>"I'm comin'!"</b> he barked. <b>"Hang on!"</b> Oh, the River leaders would have his hide if he didn't take action...

After trying to pinpoint the distressed individual's location he peered over the edge of the trench then to the left and the right. There, in a huddle of stained fur and exposed skin, something or, rather, <i>someone</i> caught his attention. He gritted his teeth and he emitted a whine of his own. <i>How could he not recognize her?</i> <b><i>"Awww, Vlari,"</i></b> he sounded, his ears lowering in torment as he eyed the state she was in. He peered around at the landscape above ground as if to check for any passersby. Then, ever so slowly, he inched his lengthy limbs over the edge in the earth, eventually sliding down the steep, root- and rock-lined soil. <b>"What're you doin' 'ere, sweet'eart? What 'appened to ya?"</b> Once all four of his paws found the water-lined bed, he padded over to her, grazing his nose gently over her side. The sores on her body up close made his stomach churn; he shouldn't have left her on the mountain... at all... or when he did, he should have at least waited until she was asleep in hopes she wouldn't have gone off on her own. <i>Now look where they were...</i> <b>"Can you move at all?"</b> he whimpered.</blockquote>

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She took a few minutes to figure out once more where her legs were in relation to her body, and the white she-wolf struggled to get said legs beneath her so she might stand. It was during that painful process that she heard a voice, and lifted her head upwards to focus on it, frowning when she saw Angier peering over the edge. Well hell.. She'd hoped to find him when she *wasn't* in some sort of trouble. A sigh slipped between her lips as she struggled to her feet, biting back the whine that threatened to escape her lips when the sores upon her shoulder stretched uncomfortably.

The touch to her side gave her the last grunt of strength to get to her feet, splaying them wider than she might have normally before glancing to the darker male that came forward. "I..." She lowered her head, folding scarred ears over her neck before focusing on the ground at her feet. "I came looking for you...Y-You'd mentioned Swift River.. so I'd..hoped that I might find you here." Now that she was standing, she realized it only hurt the wounds upon her side to do so.. and shifted to recline her haunches beneath her, relaxing the taught skin over the injuries.

"Th-There were things I wanted to tell you.. that I *need* to tell you, but.. i had to find you furst." And find him, she had apparently. Slowly, she lifted her head so her left eye could focus on his form, despite her wounds a smile curving her muzzle. "Guess I found you...or..you found me...rather." Truth be told, Vlarindara didn't trust herself to try to climb back up - not yet at least.. so she'd rest here. Just a few moments.

Table by Katsuma. Coding by Ryn

<blockquote>She had come looking for him and had hoped that by coming to the River pack's land she would be able to find him. He winced as he watched her stand up, warily keeping on eye on how she moved and if he needed to step forward to 'catch' her. She seemed all right and when she seated herself, he slowly stepped closer to her as she stated that there were things that she had to tell him. Instantly his forehead creased. <b>"What things?"</b> he asked in a warm tone, smiling from her little quirky statement about how he had found her instead of the other way around.

Angier cast his gaze to the skies above them then to the winding channel that unevenly arched through the earth on his right. It had rained a few days ago but he had not even thought about how it would affect the landscape beyond the river. It didn't even occur to him that the rains would carve their own waterway through the earth in order to create temporary pools. At least the ditch had been nearly drained for the most part. He assumed the little stream that now used it came from the Mountain of Dire's melting snow cap. His eyes darted back to her face patiently, still smiling as he wondered what information she had to impart.</blockquote>

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He spoke to her, and she lowered her head before sliding her ears back against her skull, an odd smile upon her lips. "I-.." Well, now that she was here.. what did she tell him? How did she get the words to work right? Vlarindara frowned, shaking her head before she sighed, shifting her position nervously.. "How... are you doing..?" THat was.. incredebly lame, but she was hoping to glean some kind of information of how his life was going now.

The wolfess sighed, knowing how lame her effort at conversation was and shifted again, nervously picking up a front foot then placing it once again upon the ground. "W-what did ..you mean on the mountain? About..s-staying with me?" At the time, she'd thought that he'd meant simply staying with her for the duration of her stay upon the mountain, but Vlarindara was...wondering if there was something else there.

Perhaps it was the season -the fact that spring was generally a 'breeding' season for most wolves. Not her, of course as she knew that in her condition, having any sort of pups would probably kill her.. but perhaps the feelings of the season remained. She watched him quietly with a single amber eye, the other clouded and unseeing. Her feelings for him - were they a feeling of 'white knight' in armor? o r something more?

Table by Katsuma. Coding by Ryn

Angier's large ears rose atop his skull, attentively pointing skyward as he hung onto every syllable of her words. She stuttered, then shook her head and he wagged his tail in response. If she needed time to compose her sentences, there was no doubt that he would calmly wait until she straightened everything out in her mind. His eyes continued to study her as she sighed and adjusted her stance. "How... are you doing..?" she asked. His smile broadened and he answered her quietly, keeping his answer brief as not to hinder her from sharing what she had initially wanted to say."I'm fine... now."

Her voice filled the air again with a question and he lowered his head to level it with hers before tilting it in inquisitiveness. Truthfully, a part of him thought that she never would have asked; the other part, however, burst into fireworks within him. It also spurred a few butterflies to take flight from his chest and flutter wildly in his stomach. It seemed like it was his turn to stutter. "I-I…" He turned his head away as bashfulness began to get the best of him. "I-I just want to make sure you're all right," he began. "After all you've been through, just... excuse me if I cross any lines but... I want to take care of you. He…" He almost choked on the word that clearly meant to blame his brother for his carelessness, and had to clear his throat. When he resumed, he slowly brought his pale gold eyes back to her face. His voice became even as he voiced his sentiment, "He shouldn't have done what he did... You deserve so much more, so much better."

(This post was last modified: Oct 24, 2013, 08:00 PM by Angier.)

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OOC: Just want to say.. zat table eess adorable.. 8D

The silence stretched on as Angier spoke, Vlarindara letting him have the chance to get his words out this time, though she did watch him, listening intently to the words he had to say. The dirtied wolfess felt her ears fall back against her neck as he cut his words off at 'he', her eyes lowering to the ground. She knew there was some kind of rivalry between the two Lyall brothers, but Vlarindara honestly wasn't sure what that rivalry was, or if she was stoking the fire so to speak. However, she did lift her eyes to meet the amber ones of the darker wolf standing before her.

"What..happened to me was not because of anything Borden did.. From the beginning it was my own decisions.. the words I chose to say, the actions I chose to do.. N..None of it was his fault. Not really." Not ever. She hadn't been clear enough when she'd told him she loved him that day, and because of that, Jaysyek had wormed into his heart, taking her place. She hadn't remained at her post the first time of leaving Grizzly Hollow to find Raigo - and had returned to Kiche who left a scar across her face. The second time of her departure had been her own choice as well - leaving her blind in one eye.. Because of her choice to challenge Jaysyek.

Nothing was the fault of the Grizzly Hollow Lyall brother or his family. Vlarindara accepted that, but she had also accepted that there was truly no chance in hell of her ever finding a place within Borden's heart again. Of that much, she was sure. Shifting nervously, the lady stepped forward to press her nose tentatively into Angier's pelt near his neck, inhaling the scent of the wolf before her. The moschate air about him made her smile, her matted, ragged tail wag very, very gently. "I made a mistake more than a year ago." Her words were spoken quietly.. mostly into his fur so long as he didn't move.

"But I won't..make the same mistake again." She pulled back, just enough to watch Angier's face in silence before speaking. "I don't...know for sure where this road will take me.. or ..what consequences I have down the line. I don't know how things will go.. or what further mistakes will be made on my part, but I do know that...there is one constant in my life right now.. Despite how.. often we lose track of one another.. and that constant is you, Angier.. Since I met you.. I've..been..curious.. interested in you. That didn't wane when I found you were Bordens brother - if anything, it grew.. more. I-..I like you.. Alot. Maybe even.. L-love you.. but I don't.. know myself what that really means.. that.. word that holds so much weight."

Vlarindara lowered her head, ears folding against her neck. "With that one word, lives can be broken or created.. Bridges of fate completely turned another way. I...don't know where we go next.. But...I can't take another step without saying it." That had been her mistake before - not telling Borden how she felt about him. She'd thought that she'd been clear enough to the masked Lyall.. but evidently, she had not been. Or, Jaysyek had made a bigger impression. Who knows anymore.

Table by Katsuma. Coding by Ryn

"What..happened to me was not because of anything Borden did.. From the beginning it was my own decisions.. the words I chose to say, the actions I chose to do.. N..None of it was his fault. Not really," she voiced. He swallowed, he probably looked foolish to her now. But still, his eyes pleaded. The least Borden could have done was to prevent the outbreak or whatever had caused Vlarindara to hurt... to suffer. With an ego as large as his, he should have easily put a stop to the incidents. His ears lowered as she paused briefly. Well, maybe he should have done something come to think of it.

He kept quiet, his patience evidently layered thick on every part of his body by the way he stood still with his eyes trained on her every facial expression and weight shift. She had his full attention. He held his breath as Vlarindara moved her nose close to his neck; his brows creased as she admitted to making a mistake, almost mumbling into what was left of his winter coat. "But I won't..make the same mistake again," she added. He let out a small sigh of relief. It gave him a sense that things would get better for her.

Her voice rose again and as he gently leaned into her, he eyed one end of the waterway, listening while he tried to see if he find a spot that looked easy to scale. She might need his help, no doubt, and he could only hope the freshly dampened earth on either side of them would not slip under their - or, rather, his - weight as he climbed alongside her. She withdrew from him and he turned to look back into her mismatched eyes. His faint smile was still there, it had just been suppressed by his concern over how they were going to get out. Go on, his eyes implored her again, the triangular points on either side of his head lifting again to show that he was paying attention. Vlardinara revealed that he was the one constant thing in her life, that she had been curious about him... that even though she learned he and Borden were related her interest never gave way. In fact, it had only pulled at her more, just enough for her to confess to liking him. Loving him. However, she did not yet know what love really meant. Either way, no matter what the word might have sparked within him, she would not venture into the next chapter of their life together without simply saying it.

He beamed at her as if he had been tickled or given the happiest news on the face of the earth. In fact, he had been rendered speechless... With his usually compliant personality and the rivalry with all three of his brothers, he had been led on by his uncle that love was not in the cards for him. Only until now did it occur to him that not everyone had a life like his uncle, who had bound himself to his brother's pack by the unrequited love he held for his leading lady. No, with Vlarindara, this love would be different. Maybe the feelings would be given and received on both ends. Maybe it actually wouldn't matter if they couldn't have a family of their own; he would suffer his leaders' strict scoldings every spring to defend her but voice that he had no intention of challenging his lordship's reign. He would just be there to love her and her alone. And, just, maybe, it would be enough.

His eyes welled up as if something had accidentally blown into them. He blinked, trying hard to recompose himself before her. A part of him wanted to blame his moschate pelt and the hormones in the air... but in the end, he found he couldn't. It ultimately made everything make sense for once. That his wanderlust had been triggered by finding someone or something... and the sensation of feeling at peace with her could only denote that his search had ended. That he had found her. "Vlari, I..." nervousness crept into his words. But what was there to be nervous about? That she wouldn't return his words? He had to remind himself that he was on the receiving end of it all. "I l-love you too," he stammered, slowly pressing his wet nose to hers. "There hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you since we met." His gaze raptly bore into hers, as if he were almost afraid of what she might say or do as a reaction.

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Silence reigned for quite some time as Vlarindara felt...oddly worried about his reaction to her words. How he'd respond - how he'd feel in return. She knew that if he simply say 'Go away' she would. And she wouldn't look back-at least not physically. He did, however lean into her side and it gave her a measure of strength - of warmth. Then again, she worried that she was only making him cold and wet as she was, having fallen INTO the water to begin with.

The words that came next stopped her breath where it was, eyes widening despite the right one being unable to see. The confession made her heart combust and fly, galvanized tortured limbs into action as she pressed closer into his side, injured ears curling forward to look at him. "Angier, I don't..want to cause trouble for you. You're.. a pack wolf now, aren't you? I smell other scents than your own on your hide. I can't.." Join Swift River.. or Copper Rock. Her heart truly lay with Grizzly Hollow - despite all her fears about the pack and the lead wolfess.

"I don't want..to cause you trouble with your pack.. Your leaders. I've caused enough hurt to those around me to do it more." She shifted, nervously taking a step closer, her thin muzzle lifting to rest upon his shoulders with a slight whine. She didn't *want* to leave him, but truly knew that if she did stay with him in a pack, it would..perhaps be far harder to refrain from being mates in every spirit of the word..Though..perhaps..if she grew in better health, next year she might be able to see if his pack - and ...if she lived in one.. was large enough, to request ..permissions to pursue that.. avenue. It wasn't unheard of.. right? For lower ranked wolves to be allowed to mate. Or.. was it? "But..I don't want to leave either."

Table by Katsuma. Coding by Ryn

"So what?" he questioned, his tone of voice still warm and nonchalant. "I only owe them a few favors. I won't stay with them forever..." Another smile slinked along his muzzle, and again it was pulled downward. She told him that she didn't want to cause any trouble. He shook his head as if to ridicule her,"You don't and you won't..." Vlarindara moved to lay her chin over one of his shoulders. In turn, he graze his lips over her thin pelt. "You don't hurt anyone," he tried to comfort her and somewhat make her take back her words. "Even if you do, wounds do heal if given the time."

"Tell you what," he started again, tilting his head so he could meet her gaze out of the corner of his eye."Maybe in a little while we can be together. But, first, you need to heal... to get better. Please... Take care of yourself for me.... For us. I wish things hadn't taken such a downturn for you, but there is time to repair what time has done. I, myself, have to tend to things I've put aside." He grimaced and took a step back to look her solemnly in the eyes. "I know you don't want to leave, and I don't either, but there are things we must do... time we must sacrifice in order for us to be truly together. If we can spend the other half of a lifetime with each other, wouldn't you agree that a few months in comparison is a simply a little more than a blink of an eye?"

Angier planted a kiss to the space above her brow. "When the time is right, I will find you. I promise you that. I will find you. Nothing will keep me from you then." His eyes flickered to the sides of the trench and he cracked another grin, "Not nature's fury nor pack ties... not even a ditch." He waited to see how she would take it all in, then after a while he proffered, "Are you all right on your feet? Whatcha think about getting out of here?"

(This post was last modified: Mar 30, 2012, 08:06 AM by Angier.)

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