Lost Lake up up & away

Ava matched his wave-killed laugh with a brilliant one of her own when her plan worked, absolutely thrilled with herself. She watched for him as he resurfaced, ready to bail at the first sign of joke-gone-wrong. But there was none, and she was more than pleased to find the banter kept going. Ava tilted her head almost cheekily.

"<b>That's because I'm an impressive lady,</b>" she smiled, hoping he didn't actually find her as conceited as she was sounding. "<b>I set the record for the best executed swan dive when I was but a yearling,</b>" she joked, keeping her eyes on him as he swam about in front of her. With a big gulp of air, Ava suddenly slipped back under the surface, swimming beneath him to appear on his other side, giddy as ever.

"<b>So, what've you got to show for yourself?</b>" she challenged playfully, tredding water like she was queen of the lake.

art - threads

<blockquote><b>"Best swan dive, huh?...I bet your swan dive from that cliff over there beat that record. Hands down,"</b> he teased lightheartedly, recalling the woman's previous plunge. For a moment he'd thought she'd lost control and would topple off the side or trip, but she'd kept it together long enough to execute the dive with a certain, young grace. The shewolf managed to glide her way beneath his paddling legs before resurfacing on the other side.

<i>"So, what've you got to show for yourself?"</i>

Immediately a string of thoughts flashed through his mind. <i>Scars,</i> the obvious answer. A shying grin swept over his features as he made his way back to where his paws touched, wading in the chest-deep water stoically as he considered the answer and the question in silence briefly. Warm, silver eyes would stray to the glistening surface of the water and the waves created by the amphibious wolves before casually tracing back to her golden ones.

<b>"You're looking at it,"</b> he offered honestly. Everything there was to his life right now was standing before her, really - a humbled wanderer of man, searching for the missing pieces at the place where, until now, he'd enjoyed the solitude. But, he knew with all of his heart that there was more to show, more to the story. To the west was an ancient cedarwood forest, and it was the home of everything dear to him - the pack he'd <i>die</i> to protect and honor, the angel who'd brought him back to life, and three young souls to whom he'd sworn he'd never abandon. Pride swelled in his broad chest; the Hollow wolves had seen their share of turmoil through the winter months, but he knew the changing season brought hope, and when the time came <i>he would make things right</i>.

<b>"...and a name, <i>Kade</i>,"</b> he would add charmingly before continuing with caution. <b>"I am...Guardian of Grizzly Hollow."</b> It was, perhaps, the only title he was truly proud of, an honor to be the first, a position given by Jaysyek, herself, though he was no longer the only one.

He would leave it at that, for now, forgetting the pack and place he'd purposefully left behind as his gaze swept across feminine features of the dark woman's face; in an instant it was as if the quaint, obscure cove were all there was to the world.

<b>"Does...<i>the impressive lady </i>have a name?"</b> </blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Mar 29, 2012, 05:04 AM by Kade.)

If it weren't for the increased gravity beneath the water, Ava's tail would've been wagging gracefully instead of awkwardly thrashing - unlike her legs her tail had never been trained for water use. She was just so <i>flattered</i> that it almost made her coy little flame of a smile burst into wildfire... almost. The night-colored female maintained her composure, allowing her body to be carried toward the shore by the gentle waters. When her knuckles dragged along the rocky bottom she stood, no longer lazily floating in the water. The water came about below her throat, which she liked. The feeling of submersion was almost a dream state, so different from the wind in her fur and the dirt beneath her paws and the earthy smell of wolf territory. Here the ground did not bend beneath her strides, the air was colder and cleaner, and the scent of the terrain seemed to stay put. Unlike the ever-changing forest and its constant slew of inhabitants, the mountain was quiet, and slow-changing. Every new critter's arrival was noted by a strong new scent.

Her attention returned as the black male answered her question, a curious expression befalling her face. The first thing she thought of was his handsome figure, but his tone had been too sincere to imply it was a well-deserved vanity he meant. Upon closer inspection of the wolf, Ava came to an understanding. There were, distorted in the water, scars upon his well-muscled frame, and though he wasn't a behemoth of a wolf his body spoke of experience and health, which made the dark she-wolf feel smaller than she was. Her body was still somewhat lanky - she hoped he wasn't judging her as she had just done to him.

Ava masked her insecurity with a bright smile, wading slightly closer. She liked the wolf, she could even say she liked him a lot for their first encounter, and for whatever reason putting a name to the face greatly pleased her because now, she could remember him. <i>Kade.</i>

Job well done - she was impressed. Looking at it practically, it could've been that he was a witty, attractive, skilled male who had found himself a place of worth somewhere, but girls, you know, what do they know of practicality? Ava just <i>liked</i> him.

"<b>It's nice to meet you, Kade,</b>" she spoke finally, a playful tone still ribboning through her voice while honesty shone in her gaze. "<b>I'm Ava, just a wolf of no importance or specialty.</b>" Her voice held nothing of self-pity or sadness, but rather an enigmatic quality. She truly was but a lone wolf - to whom did she matter? Sure, she had a future plan, but it wasn't as if they couldn't go on without her. Now she wondered what he would make of her, that there was literally nothing to make something of herself, and if she had shown up in Grizzly Hollow - wherever that was - with a less than stellar entrance, what would he have thought of her then?

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<blockquote>He would issue a subtle nod in the lady's direction, acknowledging her greeting without sparing any attention to take note of the fading daylight. <b>"The pleasure is mine, <i>Ava</i>,"</b> he replied gladly, smoothly emphasizing her name as he spoke it for the <i>first</i> time. There was a quality about it which seemed to fit her perfectly - dark, elegant, feminine...mysterious.

Now that the two were officially on a first name basis, he had every intention of learning more about her. Where had she come from? Who <i>was</i> the 'he' she'd mentioned? What in the hell was she doing jumping from a cliff? More importantly, <i>where had she been</i>? A long-time bachelor, one could say Kade wasn't too concerned with women, or romance, though there was <i>one</i> in particular who'd changed his life completely. But this girl...she seemed...<i>different</i> than most. She was youthful, full of life, outgoing, sassy, and clever, not to mention she liked to swim and had the best swan dive for miles. <i>She just glowed</i>. What was her story?

A warm gaze would shift from Ava's bright, expressive eyes to her lips as she spoke and back, a docile flicker to the tip of his plush tail as he slid to his belly. As easily as it would have been to kick back and watch the sun set at his new companion's side, there were too many things he wanted to know, now. <b>"Are you...from around here?"</b> Speaking of stupid questions - could there be anything less intriguing to bother her with? On the same note, what better a place to <i>begin</i>.</blockquote>

<i>The pleasure is mine, Ava.</i> Never would the she-wolf had thought that a simple exchange like that would make her feel so elated. She liked the way her name slid off his tongue. It made her feel pretty. She turned away briefly, noticing the gradient of the sky as the day began to fall. Her eyes glittered in the sun's remaining rays as she watched the descent, before turning her gaze on her reflection in the water. She looked quiet unlike herself, with her amber eyes glowing lighter than they truly were from the sun's light and a dopey half-smile playing along her lips still. The slight shake of her head that Ava gave to herself broke the image in the water with a gentle ripple, and she turned toward the land knowing the water would grow cold soon.

Ava slunk to the shore, the droplets of water following the curve of her shoulders and the slope of her spine to fall from her dark fur onto the stoney ground. The distance she put between herself and Kade was well-calculated: far enough to satisfy the respectful distance of personal space, but close enough to satisfy her own desire to hold on to their interaction. The she-wolf considered his silver gaze, and found that within them reflected her own sun-lightened golden eyes. They were a fine complement, she realized, and turned her head away again to wonder if the same could be said for themselves as she'd like it to.

If mind reading had been in her prowess, she would've been more than pleased to find him wondering as much about her as she was wondering about him. <i>Kade</i>, she thought to herself for the pleasure of hearing his name. Ava had kept her distance from other wolves for a long time so her new encounters in Relic Lore were indeed interesting and welcomed, yet she knew that wasn't enough to explain her fascination with this male.

"<b>I'm fresh blood, actually,</b>" she quipped playfully. "<b>I haven't even been in the area long. One day I set off from my home, and months of travelling north later, I ended up here.</b>" She smiled as she spoke, though she couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness in her heart as she said it out loud: She was months and months of travel away from her broken home, which was probably non-existant now any way. No family, no friends, <i>no future</i>. Perhaps that was why she had taken Rhysis' offer so quickly. Desperate for help and belonging, any wolf would have.

Quickly the thoughts were aborted from her mind. What was the use in regretting something that hadn't even happened yet?

Still, she couldn't help but wonder about this male's pack. "<b>Is the Grizzly Hollow around here then?</b>" She tried to come off as nonchalant, although she was quite consumed with wondering if perhaps it would be nearby to where she would end up settling...

(This post was last modified: Apr 01, 2012, 12:34 AM by Ava.)

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<blockquote>The way in which she'd look upon herself in the water oddly reminded him of how'd he'd once looked to the refletion of the Marsh waters for an answer to his own life questions. Was she, too, on a search for herself? Before long Ava would fail to shake the persistent smile from her face and proceed to join him, and the male would steal a glance along the length of her slender legs before hushing his eyes to the darkening wood to the east. To the man's delight, the first spring firefly flashed in the tall grasses lining the cove's shore, and then another, and another...It would seem that their flirtatious swim awoke more than just their interests.

The landscape was now veiled in shades of violet and navy as the last bright rays of light fell upon the nook, a pristine silence hovering in the spaces around the pair of dark figures. The shewolf settled just far enough from him to leave a comfortable distance inbetween, and when the remnants of sun illuminated the honey hued shades of her eyes he would hold her gaze as she spoke.

<i>Fresh blood?</i> He wondered silently if she was now <i>fresh pack blood</i>, as well.

<b>"It is,"</b> he replied softly, regarding his home having taken note of her casual way with her words. <b>"It is just less than two days to the west and north, <i>makes for breathtaking journey.</i>"</b> he added in the latter part on a whim. It was true, but perhaps <i>she liked to travel</i>...Shifting his weight, he leaned the slightest bit closer.

<b>"Do you belong to a pack?"</b> If she did, they may not take kindly to the scent he was bound to leave upon her, granted their relative proximity. </blockquote>

Fireflies danced in front of her nose, their orange glow beautiful against the purple backdrop of the sky. They seemed apotropaic, almost, as their light was the only thing breaking apart the approaching darkness. Squinting up into the sky, she could just barely see the beginnings of stars. For the first time in a while she was incredibly disheartened to see night falling. It wasn't often that she was really, really invested in whatever she was doing for the day like this. She could remember being a pup and never wanting the sun to go down (even though she usually fell asleep before it was perfectly dark anyway) but it had been a long while since she had a childish desire like so. Their playful swim had wearied her in the way that only water did - her breaths were deep, her muscles sore, and yet her mind was so very awake. Sliding down on to her stomach, she let her long, dark legs reach from her as far as they could. The stretch in her tightened muscles was that delightful mix of pain and pleasure, but Ava chose to ignore it and lay her head upon them.

She laid on the cheek furthest from the handsome male so she could still watch him as he spoke. Despite the tire of her body, her eyes were still very much alive, shining as the day quickly darkened. The desire to follow him home was definitely probing her brain, and she flirted with the idea for a moment. What if she did? Like really, actually, truly did? She cracked a smile to herself, though it quickly waned. That was her alternate reality - like her life could have been, but not. Somehow, she couldn't see herself having the balls to change the future she had already agreed to. A gentle sigh escaped her maw for only a moment before she masked the dullness in her eyes and glanced back over toward Kade.

"<b>Breathtaking? Sounds a little biased,</b>" she teased, tilting her head more in his direction. "<b>And I really would like to take the trip. But... I will be in a pack, very very soon,</b>" she answered, though there was no flirtatiousness in her voice this time. Ava was simply being truthful. "<b>I met someone, trying to start a new pack, and I agreed to help,</b>" she explained simply. Ava quieted herself, watching him carefully, secretly wanting to know if that disappointed him as much as it did her.

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<blockquote>She would lay her head upon her foreleg, eyes reaching upward to watch the words he spoke. For a moment he nearly felt guilty for keeping her up when it was plain to see that she needed rest. <i>Breathtaking? Sounds a little biased,</i> she quipped easily, and he would throw his muzzle up in the slightest in appreciation of the humor behind her words.

And then the conversation would take a serious turn, even if it were only temporary. The hard tone of her voice was like a contradiction to her words. On the one hand, she was <i>almost</i> a member of some pack, but something about the way she stated the fact made it seem as though she were in a way disappointed. This made little sense, and the man's brows would draw together as he thought about how this was so. <i>She'd agreed to help?</i> Help by being a part of the group? Did she plan on staying?

<b>"I'm sure your pack will benefit from your presence and <i>impressive swimming</i> skills,"</b> he replied thoughtfully, attempting to reimplicate the play in their exchange. <b>"You know...serving a pack loyally..."</b> he would drift from his words briefly, looking to the surface of the water and the young stars reflected in it. Would he choose to remain loyal to Grizzly Hollow, in the shadow the Lyall male had cast upon it? Would he end or sacrifice his own reign or life to thwart the imbalance that had plagued them all? He didn't want to consider it any further, remembering why he was here at Lost Lake to begin with. <b>"...<i>Honor them</i>."</b> His message was fragmented and probably didn't make any sense to the young shewolf, but his intent was genuine. There was nothing more noble than to stand by the decisions one chooses to make, and <i>honor</i>, at least in his mind, was the golden rule.

Kade was in no way disappointed by her assertion about her new pack, instead offering encouragement. <b>"You will be well fed and not without company - many wolves are not allowed such a privilege,"</b> he continued smoothly, thoughts of who the mystery male in her life was still. <b>"This man, is he your mate?"</b> There was no point it beating around the bush, after all, the pair were only just friends, <i>right</i>?

In a natural movement, the stout man rolled to his side, laying his own head on the wet sand of the beach without taking his silver eyes off of her.</blockquote>

Picking up on his attempt to lighten the mood once more she took the bait, musing, "<b>Yes, indeed. Ava: Lead Swimmer. That'll be my title, that no one could ever take from me. <i>So</i> much more important than protecting the pack, of course.</b>" Her smile was crooked, partially from laziness and from how bad her joke was, but it got the point across that she wasn't trying to be angsty.

The next of his words came out quite confusingly, as though his thoughts were interfering. She cast him a curious little gaze, uncertain about his meaning. Honor <i>who</i>? Likely her pack in general, leaders and followers, brothers and sisters. Briefly her eyes flickered away, resting her gaze on her dark paws. Ava was rarely certain of anything. By no means was she a pessimistic wolf, that wasn't what uncertainty had to mean all the time. She was rarely putting in 100%. Sometimes she got extremely attached. Sometimes she would find something she wanted to do and would do it for a long while, but eventually, something would give out and she'd be on to the next. It went along with her chameleon personality - she mimicked whatever it was that she was around, for the comfort of it. Glimpses of her insecurity, of her honesty, of how carefree and often careless she truly was, were typically rare. Had he not caught her in a moment of freedom, she probably would've been a different wolf entirely - though Ava was glad that was not true.

"<b>I'm quite excited for that part,</b>" she admitted happily. It was true that without a pack she would never return to her full strength, and what a misery that would be. She was practically dying to be able to hunt through the herds once more, to run and explore without tiring so quickly, and (now thinking of it) to take a refreshing swim without collapsing upshore at the end. The gratuity in her eyes for his reassurance was replaced with a gleam of humor, though, at his next question. "<b>Nah,</b>" Ava chuckled at the very idea, "<b>Not at all! He's actually a complete stranger.</b>" Hearing the words from her own maw made her stop and look at herself critically. A complete stranger. Either she had an amazing sense of adventure or she just lacked common sense. Before she thought too far into it, the dark she-wolf closed off the introspective part of her mind. <i>Whatever</i> was all she could say about her future. Who cares what happened to her? Maybe the pack wouldn't even come about. Or maybe it would. And maybe she'd fit in just fine. And maybe she wouldn't. Or perhaps somewhere soon in her future something unexpected would happen, like a wild cougar attack or a huge wildfire, and she'd just die. There was no way of knowing. <i>Whatever.</i>

Edging the topic away from her love life or lack-thereof, she chided playfully, "<b>So I can't help but wonder if you're over here, Guardian of Grizzly Hollow, who's over there... y'know, guarding?</b>" Though she did actually hope she was not keeping him too long.

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<blockquote>So she held no true ties to the man in question, and all the same would be a pack wolf, and with all of the luxuries. <i>It sounded like a win-win to him</i>, but hell, what did he know about winning, anyway.

<i>"So I can't help but wonder if you're over here, Guardian of Grizzly Hollow, who's over there... y'know, guarding?"</i>

He would grin at the irony warmly, but it would be short lived. Yes, there were many who patrolled the territory now, some more so than he, and he knew that Cedarwood Forest was well protected. But guilt <i>still</i> poisoned him. What worth did he possess if he was not on the border himself, fulfilling his duties? What if something had happened in his short absense? Did it? <i>Jaysyek...</i>He was nobody, a loner even amongst his family, and knew they all would probably be just fine should he never set foot in Grizzly Hollow ever again.

The inward, endless, irrational blithering was pushed down, back, far away once more. He'd come to <i>hate</i> it - the uncertainty of the future, and the sting of the past, including his more recent past. But it was all now just fuel to the fire he would set upon his life.

<b>"Gosh, I hope someone is!"</b> He gasped sarcastically, eyes opening extra wide as if he'd come to a life changing realization about having left without issuing a temporary replacement or something. A short fit of laughter ensued, but eventually he'd clear his throat and lean in even closer to her. <b>"There are many wolves in the Cedarwood forest, none of whom have any problem seeing to it that their realm is protected."</b>

<i>He was running out of time</i>, even the dark female had spoken the words that had been running through the back of his mind. It was time to go...<i>home.</i> He may have joked around, but the reality was that he was far from where he needed to be, and the people who needed him to be there. Knowing he was about to have to say a first goodbye, the man's pale silver eyes would sweep over the shewolf's face - from ears, to nose, to lips, and <i>to her eyes</i>, where they would stay with reverent intensity. <i>Beautiful Ava.</i>

He was glad it had been her to stumble upon him.</blockquote>