Wild Cherry Orchard the thing with feathers

(I'm gonna play this as <b>before</b> Ava joined Poison Path since she needed to do a lil more exploring before signing her life away :p)

A little bird gazed down at her from the fullest branch of the cherry tree, its tiny bill and fluffy head giving it an adorable, puppy-like look. Ava's brilliantly colored eyes paled in comparison to the feathers on the little bird's back. They were a lovely, iridescent blue-green, spreading out over the little bird's head and back before integrating into his main body's grey-brown feathers, while his underbelly was pure white. She was familiar with his kind - they were Tree Swallows. Cute little things - there had been plenty of them where she was growing up. Now that she was eye to eye with one again, the dark female found a pang in her chest. She missed the Tree Swallows. She missed home.

Wolf and bird had been watching each other for a few minutes now. She sat in the shadow of the cherry tree, her dark form straight and her honey-colored eyes alert. Her coat was full and shiny and her bones were hidden beneath firm, compact muscles. She was neither small nor large - just the average size, though with beautiful form, for she had grown up on the hunt and it made her strong and smart and fast. Ava couldn't fight for shit, but disregarding that she considered herself a wolf of skill. Such a creature was the wolf - of beauty, and cunning, and speed and bloodlust, and yet she found herself fascinated by the little bird, occasionally chirping at her as it teetered on the branch.

The dark female slunk onto her belly, legs outstretched before her. The bird took three hops tot he edge of the branch and whistled a little tune, to which Ava lifted her head in the air and softly howled the same tune. She felt strangely happy and at home with her little bird friend.

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2012, 02:06 AM by Ava.)

art - threads

the suns going to shine, and sometimes the clouds will rain.

The song of spring sang merrily throughout the lands of the lore. It's lyrics were notes of a new begining, a time to restart, and for the gloom of winter to be gone. What a happy song it was. The girl, though young and not born actually to quite witness this season before now, she did think it might be her favorite. Could she really tell? She was not even a year, and someone might tell her it was too soon to make up her mind --to be so certain. She could change her mind? Nothing was ever set in stone, not this. With her eyes wide, and bright she watched as the snow melted, and the rains began to cease at last the sun shinied waking the sleepy heads. My how the lands had awakened with life again, and she tried to wrap her mind around the concept. Why did it snow why couldn't it just be spring? When she took her time, really contemplating this change she looked to her life and decided everything needed an end to get a fresh new start. Or something like that. A deep breath she filled her lungs of the rich scents, seeming multiplied by the power of rain. She was not sure where to start her exploration for the day.

No real place in mind, her paws settled over the soft carpet of the earth in a quick trot merely pulling her along. She took her time viewing in the new landscape wondering if she'd remember her old trails by all this budding green. The landmarks were merely matched in her head with what they looked like with change. The more she padded, the more confident she became, and she knew what she wanted to see. The bad patch of forest, the haunted dark part Kiche had been to. What she could vaguely recall being at for a pack hunt. Doing her best with the map of her memory she followed along the edge of the Cedarwood Forest trying to decide directly where it was.

She was welcomed with the strong scent of her home, and almost wanted to explore it knowing she might find someting to eat. Her stride became choppy, and she pushed herself to part from the familiar forest. She did want to see what else spring had done. Instead of finding the Wildwood she came to the edge of Wildcherry Orchard. It was there she found the flocks of many birds. Right away they appealed to her. They were pretty, and making all sorts of tunes with their chirping voices. They actually did not seem to mind the company of a young wolf below their perches. A broad smile she took her time strolling along looking for different colors, or a different species when the song of a wolf rang out. First she was alarmed, and her paws stopped dead. Once she realized the wolf was singing with a bird, and no where in her view she had to find them. She'd never known another animal to be so friendly.

Quietly she tried to be sneaky, seeking out the pair with open eyes upon the lightest of movement. Then she saw a dark female beneath a cherry tree. She balked for a moment, afraid this was the wolf who had tried to harm Trisden.

Together the wolf and swallow had fallen into a song - sometimes the bird chirped, and Ava howled back, sometimes Ava howled something new and the bird chirped it verbatim. And occasionally, perhaps when the swallow was feeling less like a bird and more like a wolf, it would improvise on Ava's tune. <i>Show-off</i>, Ava declared in thought, although she truly was enjoying her company.

A happy, four-toned song escaped from the dark female's parted maw, but suddenly there came no response. She had lost his attention - he had hopped to the left of the branch and twitched his wings a little bit. Her little tree swallow whistled a high note of alarm and fluttered from his perch, heading another tree over and twisting through the fruit-filled branches until he found one a few feet higher than he had been on the last tree. Ava tilted her head and rose to a sitting position, disheartened that he had left while the rest of her birdie friends rustled in the trees, shifting around in a frenzy of chirps and uncertainty.

She had risen to follow the swallow when she realized what had happened. Ava was almost embarrassed to be shown up by a bird, but she quickly soothed her ego by reminding herself that Ava and her kind were the predators - and little Tree Swallows like her friend couldn't afford to be off guard, as the black wolf had been when another presence came upon their gathering. Ava quickly looked left, where the little swallow had been preoccupied, and laid her amber eyes upon their guest.

It was a young wolf, small enough for her to tell she could be a yearling at most, hiding amongst the shadows. Though she her form was somewhat hidden, Ava could tell there was something keeping her from revealing herself - most likely fear, as the black wolf was pretty sure she wasn't being hunted down - fingers crossed - so it couldn't be an attempt at an ambush or something more sinister. Almost immaturely, Ava was torn between greeting the new wolf and continuing her birdsong, though she quickly figured a compromise.

Swinging back toward the bird's new perch, Ava trotted to sit beneath the tree and half-faced the white female, taking a lazy, unprotected sort of posture. Then, muzzle raised, she called a little welcoming song - which the swallow, once again safe, repeated - and hoped to lure the younger wolf from hiding.

art - threads

the suns going to shine, and sometimes the clouds will rain.

Arlette's presence did not go unoticed in this part of the grove. The sparrows began twittering of her trespassing, singing for all to hear there was another wolf roaming the grounds. She only pressed her ears tighter to her skull, her tail about to curl beneath her hind limbs. Oh, no. The wolf would spot her any time now, and she hunched trying to make her gangly form disappaer into the surrounding bracken. To Arlette's horror the little bird was staring right at her, and the wolf had come to inspect what was causing the noise. When she thought she would be commanded to come forth, or maybe even pounced upon she almost believed the dark lady had not seen at all her. Suddenly, her vivid amber eyes pulled away from her, and for a moment Arlette was safe.

She craned her head, peering around her cover with wide, curious eyes as the wolf turned back to her bird singing the tune they had once before. The girl turned in turn watched the little bird, capitivated by all of this, and if he would sing once more. He again followed in to with the lady their notes blending, rising, and falling she had goosebumps from the eerie yet beautiful sound.

She gulped back, the crash of fear that had wrecked havoc upon her slowly lessened. More bravely she pulled herself out of the bracken. She did this most cautiously, and as quiet as she could manage not to disturb the little creatures again. Her paled yellow eyes large, and drawn to the female wolf she came into the open revealing herself to the accompanying crowd. Her body was not very relaxed. It was tight, and her limbs drawn close together, her white neck lowered submissively. Somewhere there was courage, even if it was not quite showing.

Keeping her backside pressed to the other trees, she slunk a little closer before shuffling her large paws together. Eyes would shift from predator to prey, and she had to raise her ears to listen to the beautiful music. When a note had quieted, she blinked before quietly saying, "That was beautiful." An many a question could part following her words, but she kept her black lips sealed not ready to speak further. Another part of her aware some strangers were not very acomidating to curious youngsters, and she would assume this one was no different. In fact Arlette was still very much prepared to run away as fast as she could at the first sign of displeasue from the dark coated lady.

Ava kept a watchful eye on the young wolf. She didn't dare stare directly, lest her company's stomach bottom out and she ran away, so she simply glanced from the corner of her eye every once or twice, hoping she would no longer fear her. Ava, after all, could find nothing frightening at all about her physique. No broad shoulders or blood-stained teeth, not even a scar to break her black fur apart. As the stranger slowly revealed herself, Ava was intrigued by her unique look. She was somewhat jealous of those eyes - pale yellow, which was a very pretty color against the purity of her white fur, yet there was a tinge of green beneath it. The girl's adolescent figure confirmed that she wasn't quite yet fully grown, yet she was closer to being an adult than she was to being a pup. Ava straightened her spine to greet their guest, though she made sure to do so slowly and not to look aggressive in her new stature.

The white wolf's soft-spoken words caused her tail to wriggle pleasantly in the grass behind her, the new motion taking the tree swallow's attention for but a moment before it flapped its wings toward the white wolf's approach. Ava smiled broadly. "<b>Thank you,</b>" she beamed with honestly, quite pleased that someone other than herself found this hobby to be pretty and not innately silly. The swallow as well cheeped quite happily, and though his meaning couldn't be discerned by wolves, Ava liked to think he was thanking her as well since their song was indeed a joint effort. Content with the way the situation was working out so far, Ava decided to extend her an invitation. She motioned toward the pale-colored wolf and chirped, "<b>Come then, you look like you have a song or two within you. Sing something.</b>"

She was more or less hoping to ease those stiff legs of the white female's, or at least show her there was nothing hostile in her voice or poise. Despite her fear, Ava was happy to know the younger wolf didn't find her crazy for singing with the birdies. While the swallow teetered on the branch impatiently, Ava maintained a watchful eye out on their surroundings in case somebody else happened to be intrigued by the predator-prey gathering. The last thing she wanted was for the young wolf to run off, for Ava had become quite intrigued by her demeanor. Maybe she would find the birdsong relaxing enough to stay and chat a minute.

art - threads

the suns going to shine, and sometimes the clouds will rain.

She tried to keep her composure steady, but had a hard time at it. Every movement caught in her paled, yellow gaze from one bird hopping to a different branch to the small flutter of a bud. She had to try to hold herself from flinching. She didn't want to seem any more a coward, and had thought she'd grown out of her jumpiness, but new situations were finding to be the cause. She was coaxed from her hiding, noticing how the black coated lady kept herself in a neutral stance. This made Arlette less wary, and hopeful the wolf wasn't about to harm her physical or verbally. The wag of a tail only furthered her rapdily beating heart it would keep beating another day. Significantly her rigid posture, was not quite so bound in invisible knots. Catching a wide smile, the simple words of gratitude Arlette offered a half smile, almost sheepish. The smile grew at the little chirps of the bird, and she found herself staring at it's beautiful coat. How many times had she tried to make friends with other creatures and failed. Here was proof it could be done."Hello, little swallow" she quietly told him, wanting to say more, but afraid her own chittering woudl scare him.

She was perfectly happy where she was, when the lady spoke of singing. Bashfully, Arlette tipped her nose, and let her eyes settled somewhere at the ground. She did like to sing, and had much when she was little. Recently she hadn't in awhile, afraid she had no beautiful voice. Her pale brows dipped, and any could see she was thinking about it. She could try....

"Okay," she managed to finally answer, a very subtle wag of her tail. Her eyes wandered from wolf, to bird and she took in a deep breath. Here goes. She tipped her nose upward, and strumming her vocal chords she opened her mouth letting the sound free. It was a bit of a low note at first, and not very strong. She did not let her fear break her, but continued testing another higher note, letting it ring with new strength. She tried to stick to the same melody, but found herself singing something her mother oftened hummed. She did not sing long, soon letting the note fade eyeing the bird then sylph for approval.

Watchful eyes remained on the young wolf at all times, though her expression was not only pleasant, but anxious to see if she would actually do as Ava was doing. Frankly, she was surprised nobody found her to be a little imbalanced for playing sing-a-long with birds in a cherry tree. She still found it hard to believe, perhaps because it was too good to be true, but then the young wolf's maw went to the air and Ava straightened her spine, happily anticipating the wolf's own song.

As the wolf's notes finished, the little tree swallow tittered pleasantly, ruffling his feathers and hopping a branch down to be closer to the small, white wolf. Then he repeated the song back, teetering on the branch almost as though going with the beat, and he repeated it not once but twice. Ava wasn't surprised he prefered her - a smaller wolf was a smaller threat was the most obvious thing, but her posture was demure and her pale eyes were gentle. Most importantly though, her song was <i>beautiful</i>. Ava even felt a twinge of jealousy for how quickly the tree swallow had taken to the smaller female, but then again, she realized, she had taken to her just as quickly. Ava would've been quite sad had she run off out of fear, and it also made her excited to share the little piece of worldly wonder that she had discovered. If you sing to a bird, sometimes, it might sing back.

Dark jaws parted to escape a happy laugh, turning her golden gaze from the bird back to her wolf company. Seeing the look in the white female's eyes, Ava nodded vigorously, and spoke over the swallow's contented chittering: "<b>That was amazing. Much better than I was singing, anyhow - he clearly likes you very much.</b>" Ava looked back to the branch where the swallow was fixated on the smaller female, in case she might sing again.

"<b>Perhaps you ought to give your friend a name?</b>" Ava suggested, thinking it might help finally destroy the tension if the female thought of the situation not as strange, but as friendly.

art - threads

the suns going to shine, and sometimes the clouds will rain.

The swallow appeared pleased by her performance, and she bashfully smiled, waiting to see what someone of her own kind thought. Birds must have good hearing, but were they the best judges of a wolf song? When he sang back her very tune, she felt her heart swell in a feeling she'd hardly felt. It made her feel overwhelmed, and lightheaded with the warmth. She was overjoyed to hear it, and had to keep from happily giggling. He sang it again, and she smiled from ear to ear. "Thank you," she murmured to him, aware her eyes might have been moist from her leaking emotions. Her yellow eyes shifted, and her pale mask became smooth. Ava laughed, but there was no hint of malicous only the joy Arlette might have expressed.

The young lady ducked her head, but was still proudly smiling. She did not think she had been better than Ava, as she was a humble creature. She knew to take an honest compliment graciously. "Th..thanks," she stammered, obviously more timid with someone of her own kind. She was trying, and hoped someone would understand how hard it was for her..how much of an effort this was. She briefly tipped her chin upward to the little fellow, and quietly hummed to the little bird. She was surprised by the mention of naming him. She blankly blinked, looking past. A name? She had no idea, she'd never really thought about things. Most were just squirrels, and chipmunks nothing special. She'd never talked to one to give them a name.

"Umm," she quietly turned her eyes back to the wolf, almost eager for suggestion. A name....hmm. She knew two names, Prosper and Theodore. Those were her brother's name, and they did not fit the bird. Her white teeth carefully dug into her black skin. She thoughtfully looked back to the bird, who looked at her with his intelligent eyes. He deserved a regal name. "How about Ruiko?" She said, half grimacing when she sounded it out, feeling it might fit the bird. Ruiko had been the first kind stranger she had met, though he was quiet compared to this bird. Maybe she shouldn't.

The white girl's actions showed so much restraint - Ava couldn't help but wish she could somehow ease the poor thing's anxiety. Unfortunately, she found herself terrible at comforting others. She was thankful the small wolf was close enough to her full size as well. Following her youngest siblings' death she couldn't look upon pups without feeling anger and pain - she almost wondered what would've happened if the female had looked her part any better. Even as watchful as her eye was, she made certain not to stare intensely at the smaller wolf to ensure her curiousity was not taken as creeper behavior. The little tree swallow was not so careful, flapping its wings and peering into her yellow eyes without any concern. Watching the two creatures who made up her company brought a small smile to Ava's maw.

While the white female considered a name, Ava glanced upward at the tree swallow. His iridescent feathers caught the sunlight and it made him almost sparkle, much like the she-wolf's pure coat of white. Just their appearance indicated so much that they were special guests to have in her presence. In her travels Ava had yet to meet any creatures looking quite like them. Then again, this would have to be the place to find them - a little orchard of cherry trees, beautiful green leaves dotted with rich, red balls almost like decorative bells. Her attention returned to the young wolf as she made her suggestion, a brilliant smile reinforcing her quiet words. <b>"Ruiko? I like it. I think it suits him anyway,</b>" Ava commented while the swallow in question preened his feathers. The name itself sort of sounded like the trill of a bird; the more she considered it the more fitting it sounded. Somewhat surprised with the revelation, her amber gaze would fix itself on the white wolf with intrigue.

Now she wondered much of the small thing, though she doubted to could get her to reveal much at all. Still, Ava could try. "<b>Speaking of, I'm Ava. What's your name?</b>" She prompted, doubting she would have reciprocated. The black female would wait and judge by the amount of reluctance she'd receive to her question before attempting to learn more.

art - threads

the suns going to shine, and sometimes the clouds will rain.

She was entranced by the bird, as he was her. She stared into his intelligent eyes wishing he could tell her all about himself. This was what she had always wanted to do with other animals, converse with them finding out what their lives were like. If they were alone she might have rambled about herself actually, telling him about the forest, and maybe hoping he'd visit her there. With Ava there the idea seemed silly, and she had not yet warmed up the dark coated lady to be sharing too much information. In time she could, but being wary was her best defense. She was not extremely paticular about who her friends were, but she had to know them first.

The best thing Ava did was flash a beautiful smile at her suggestion. It was almost like the youth's were sparkling, eating up the form of praise. Everyone wanted to be accepted for who they were, and their thoughts acknowledged, and Arlette was no less. It was an easy way of winning the lass over. "I guess he doesn't mind," she said with a half smile, letting her eyes meet the amber pair, before watching the little bird again. It was odd seing one so still, and she could stop looking at him. She was sure he'd get scared and fly away at some point. He almost didn't seem real.

The swallow shook himself, sleeking down what had puffed in his vigorous movement. Her ear would sharply turn in the lady's direction. Ava. Simple sounding, but beautiful name. She easiliy placed it to her memories where she would soon not forget her nor the feathered Ruiko. It couldn't hurt to tell her a name. Arlette," she said with a wave of her tail. She was almost approbate of Ava. She was not entirely sure. She actually wanted to know more about her. Her small nostrils twitched if they might tell her what she wanted. She really couldn't pick up much, just strange scents she did not know. "Do you have a home?" She put, her words slowly drawn from her mouth.