Hush Meadow The Dark Days Are Over

Mid-afternoon. Partly Cloudy. 62°F

She just needed to get away. Away from all the pressure. The lovely cubs even. She just needed time to herself. To think things through and decide what she has to do with Poison Path. She didn't want to stay in Fireweed Rise for too long. There were too many mixed emotions there. Love, betrayal, and hurt. Not a good place to be when you need peace. So, the Leader made her way towards the abyss of open fields. The long grass invited her towards it's depths where she could easily disappear in their height.

She stopped in her tracks on a small knoll to overlook the meadow. It seemed like nobody was around, she her sleek body moved on. Finding a suitable spot to lay, of course on high ground, but tall enough grass to hide her from any unwanted visitors, but low enough for her to see them coming. She lay down, gently allowing her body to relax. A light slumber overtook her, but she was alert still to here any sudden movements. She was that stupid to allow another to sneak up on her.
speech

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

After parting ways with the timid fae, Sibyl, Steel had found a small shelter and stayed in the same meadow where he'd found her at the bottom of a trench. Not wanting to travel more in the inclement weather, he'd holed up and now he'd been here a couple of days. Feeling a familiar itch to move on, he caught himself a late breakfast and lazily wandered across the meadow. He had no reason to hurry, his only concern was that he be on his way. He's stayed in one area for a couple of days and that was more than enough for him.

For some strange reason him mind whirled around that thought. Searching his memory, he couldn't remember staying in one place for even a week other than his birth den. The train of thought had no bearing on anything, so he wondered why his mind dwelled on it for more than an instant. Much like his body, his mind was always on the move. Constantly processing the world around him, which was likely why he liked to travel so much. He would get bored quickly. He had to admit that, if nothing else, the muddy fae he'd helped save had broken up the monotony. Thankfully, she was back on her way to her pack and he was once again on his own... as it should be.

Even as his mind mulled these things over, his keen eyes scanned the terrain ahead of him. The wasn't much to see, save endless tall grass. He sighed. This was definitely not his favorite place so far. Then something caught his attention. The breeze that had been gently moving the grass to and fro strengthened for a moment and caused the tall grass to bend a bit further downward, revealing a white form on slightly higher ground. A dozing wolf. Great. Without even a conscious thought, he altered his course with a grunt of irritation to take him more westward, farther from the stranger. <i>What was it with this meadow and sleeping wolves?</i> he thought with a low growl.

Her light doze was interrupted by the smell of an unfamiliar wolf. Her fiery eyes snapped open immediately and her head rose slightly, enough for her to see over the large grass. The breeze was now shifting the grass from left to right, swaying in unison. Off in the distance, luckily not too close for his sake, was a black and white wolf. By the scent she collected, he was male and loner, but had scent of female on him, however. So, a lady's man? She snorted, recalling the first time she met Valiant, the woeful male. She studied him a little longer, until he turned in her direction as if he spotted her.

She had no reason to hid, so the graceful woman stood up on her high-top, her fiery eyes on the male. As if he didn't care that she could easily attack him, he turned his back on her and began to walk another way. She swiftly jumped down from her perch and started to approach him, the tall grasses yielding away from her like the sea. "Hey you!" She yelled out to him, her tone no where close to aggressiveness. The beauty stopped about 10 wolf lengths away from him. He was large, almost as large as Tlarx, but the signs of loner life was upon him. However, he was still in fine shape for a loner, his muscles weren't worn out, but a pack wolf would still be in far better shape then him. So, the Leader stood to wait if the unknown male decided to turn back and face her. Perhaps, she'll even spark up a conversation. If he was lucky.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

As Steel changed direction, he sincerely hoped that he had escaped detection by the white wolf. Unfortunately, fate was not on his side right now. The other had jumped down and followed him, calling out to him. He did nothing to hide the shiver if irritation that crawled over his shoulders. Social niceties told him to turn and greet the fae, his own guide to life told him to turn away and leave her behind as quickly as he could. His lips curled slightly at fate making him squirm like a puppet on a string.

He told his feet to keep moving, but for reasons that were <span class='word'>imponderable</span> to the male, he turned and laid dark stormy blue eyes on the female. She was attractive, the male in him had to admit, but that meant little in the scheme of things. He wanted nothing to do with any wolf, no less the complications that a female might bring. No whelp of his would ever lay foot on this cruel earth. Yet, he faced her, rather than leaving. <i>Why?</i>

The strength of her voice he approved of, for Steel had no patience for weakness and this female exuded strength. That was at least something. Behind her confidence, he detected some inner turmoil, perhaps what she'd been dwelling on before. Yet, now she invited him into her solitude. He once again ordered his feet to take him far away from her, but he heard a deep, gruff voice grunt,<b>"Name's Steel."</b> He stifled a curse when he realized that it was his own unfamiliar voice.

He finally turned around after a few long seconds, seconds she used to analyze the male in front of her now that she was closer. He was large, but he was more wide than tall. A feature that is better used in fighting. His fur hid the muscles well enough, but under her calculating eyes, she could almost see everything. His fur was a mixture of dark greys and black on his back, fading into a pale silver along his sides and legs. His large paws were constantly white along with his throat and underneath his muzzle. Black circled his dark blue eyes that she held regally.

He did indeed have beautiful eyes, but many times she learned to never trust those who use their eyes to manipulate. It may not be the case for him, but she was sure he knew about this dazzling feature. In reality, she preferred chocolate brown ones. His deep voice, similar to Tlarx, but he had a snippy tone to it, answered her. Introductions already, must be skipping a few parts, but why would she care? "Athena. Athena Everfall." She answered, using her new acquired last name. If he knew many outside of Poison Path, most wouldn't know her by that which was good in her case. "New here? I haven't seen you around these parts." She said, knowing she had to be sucking at this conversation crap. Practice makes perfect, right?

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

He was still yelling at himself in his head when the white female responded and introduced herself. <i>Athena Everfall.</i> As her name rolled off of her tongue he had the strangest feeling that it was the first time that she had said it. What an odd notion. This was an excellent reason to avoid others. What did he care about her name or how she said it? He should be long gone from here, but for some reason he stayed for this female. He turned further towards her, his strength evident without any effort on his part and analyzed her for a moment. She was graceful and reminded him of what his mother must have been like before her fall from grace and marriage to unending bitterness.

The urge to leave was still strong, but he answered her inquiry anyhow with a voice that was still rough with disuse. <b>"Yes."</b> He was not one for conversation. Aside from the female that he had helped the other day, this was the most that he had conversed with another wolf in roughly two years. His general rule of thumb was to avoid others and keep to himself. He was a very self sufficient wolf and needed no one. He had never felt as if the lack of social interaction was a detriment to his well being, yet it seemed that there was a definite feeling of awkwardness that hung in the air. Almost as if she too were out of practice with social niceties. Obviously not so much as himself though. <i>Now what?</i> he wondered. When you are alone, conversation is unnecessary.

She could tell Steel wasn’t one for small talk. He acted just like she used to, before she was practically forced to express her feelings and question others. It felt odd, like she was put into another foreign body. Conversation wasn’t her strong point and it never will be, but things must be done in times of crisis. Of course, this wasn’t exactly a crisis, but her dieing pack was. Perhaps, Steel, the bulky, young man that he was, could make it in with the mountain wolves. His bones and muscles could take it, Tlarx surely had and both of them had similar builds. All it took was heart and dedication. However, how would she get Steel onto her side and be as loyal as Ava or the other poisoned wolves?

It would take time. Time that she still doesn’t have. If there was one thing that she wished Rhysis and Naira would have left her with, it would have been time. Time for her to think of a solution with the Swift River feud. Time to think out the cub’s future. Just time for herself. However, that was a gift that she wasn’t going to get. Probably not ever. But, with the disappearance of Naira and Rhysis, this could all end. Everything could be okay and there wasn’t a need for time. Tlarx once told her everything would be okay in the end, but it still isn’t okay. It must not be the end.

That’s why she needs this wordless, brawny man to help her get some time to grasp onto. Even if he didn’t like to talk, she could work around it. He could live in peace without anyone bothering him, as long as he served for her, for Poison Path. He could become great. Become the greatest Guardian Poison Path as ever known. Treena would have a fit about it, but it wasn’t about her glory. It was about the glorification of Poison Path, of it’s future. She would rather die than see Poison Path fall. She would rather have her tail ripped off by Triell Tainn himself than see Poison Path crumbled like an avalanche down their own Mountain of Dire. It wasn’t going to happen as long as she had a say.

Her words weren’t in a rush, but rather spoken in an assertive, yet persuasive tone. She needed him and he needed her even if he couldn’t see it. “Join me within my pack. You could live in peace within my lands. No bothersome loner nagging at your tail. You could have all the food that you can devour. In return, I only ask for you complete and udder loyalty and devotion. Your strength would be lethal. You could become greater than any other being that walked Relic Lore.” She finished with her fiery eyes pinned on his steel blue ones. The look in her eyes could persuade any Swift River wolf to bow down at her feet. It was a look that she only used in times of desperate need. A look that could kill. Or in this cause, provide a whole new life for another.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

His brief grunt of an answer seemed to spark something in the white female. She looked him over with appraising eyes and seemed satisfied with what she saw. But her words confirmed his fleeting thought. She wasn't the least bit interested in him on a personal level, which was fine by him. Instead, she wished him to join her pack and pledge his loyalty to her. He scoffed inwardly at the idea. <i>Why would he serve another? He paid no mind or fealty to any and he liked it that way. He <b>was</b> his own world!</i>

Yet, the fire and passion in her lit a tiny flame in him. He had no need of glory, but something about this snowy female called to his long dead soul. Again he asked himself, why he was still here? <i>Why had he even stayed to listen to her entreaty?</i> He shook his head with a low growl, not at her, but at himself. His world had always been black and white, just as his own pelt. It never changed and he had never wanted it to. No matter where he was he lived by a code and that code involved no one, save himself.

This confident female, Athena, had just introduced a shade of gray and his mind was thrown off kilter. He never changed. Ever. He gave her a bold look and said, <b>"I need no one."</b> Yet, instead of storming away from her, he almost seemed to wait for her response. The inner battle with himself raged on with no outward signs other than the darkening of his eyes to midnight blue.

I saw your post in the chat & I don't mind that he's difficult. Frankly, I love difficult(:

Silence wrapped around them like a blanket in winter time. She waited for any expression or sound from the black and white male. Any thing at all. A sound, a movement, anything that could point her to his decision. His strength would be a great asset to Poison Path. Their male numbers were down, only two made up their ranks. Ash hasn’t made it towards her borders yet, but she hoped he would still come as well. The silence was beginning to become too much for her. She needed to know. Now.

A low growl escaped from the male’s throat and her position changed from neutral to defensive in a split second. She wouldn’t have known what or who he was growling at, but from experience, it could be anything. Her neck was held low, while her ears laid back against her head protectively. Her stance was lowered down to a crouch and her lips slightly bared her canines. With a bold look and a bit of attitude, Steel responded with almost familiar words. If someone had asked her a long time ago when she was a yearling, she would have said the same exact words. Now, she knows she would have been terribly wrong. She does need others. She needed family and friends. Ones to keep life worth living. Steel was going down the wrong road and she was going to try to redirect him. Wow, she was becoming too motherly.

She snorted softly to herself and rose from her crouch. “I thought like you once. I thought I needed nobody. I was in my own world and I created the rules. But, now I know that no one can live their life without another being to share it with. If you need no one, what are you going to do when you get stuck? What are you going to do when you get lonely? What are you going to do when you get hurt?” Her voice got louder, growing in intensity and emotion. What if she didn’t have Poison Path right now? What would she be doing right now? Trying to catch a decent meal to sooth her aching stomach? Would she be trying to walk around with a broken leg after a hunting accident? Or would she be sitting on an outcrop in the mountains somewhere, wasting her life away with nobody? It’s a good thing she doesn’t have to find out.

”You couldn’t do anything. You wouldn’t have any friends or family to help you out in your time of need. You would be stuck in whatever situation you’re in. A situation that you would either die of starvation, dehydration, or mental insanity. Do you want to live your life like that?” She paused for a moment, letting it soak in. She was beginning to become quite a speaker. “The offer still stands. Call for me in the mountains if you change your mind.” She finished, turning back towards Poison Path, back to her family. A family he was welcome to join. She waited a minute for his response, but if he needed time to think about it, she'd be on her way.

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2012, 09:59 PM by Athena.)

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

(It's a good thing! He is my most difficult character, overall. He should keep things interesting! You can archive after your next post, if you like... I'm sure that he will show up at the borders eventually. Athena had made an impression on him! )


At his growl, the white female reacted defensively, having no way of knowing that it had not been meant for her. He could certainly appreciate her instinctive reaction. What he was not sure that he appreciated was her long heartfelt retort. Who was she to question how he lived his life? He lived alone and worried for no one. No one worried for him. That was the way that he liked it. He had lived over three years of his life in near perfect solitude and he was doing just fine!

She gave him all the reasons why he shouldn't live as he was. All logical reasons, yet they went against every grain in his body. He had been molded into the strong independent wolf that he was and his life fit like a glove. Why would he change things now? He was incredibly healthy and robust for a loner. He had not played well with the two wolves that he had met so far, so why make it worse by joining a <i>group</i> of wolves? He had obviously failed miserably at one on one and it could only be worse with more wolves. He shook his head in frustration, eyes midnight blue with agitation. She had him thinking about things that had never even been the tiniest flicker of a possibility. He was not ready. Would likely never be ready.

As Athena told him that the offer still stood and where to find her, a flash of his sister went before his eyes. She would have jumped at the chance to be a part of something, but she was the yin to his yang. The two siblings couldn't have been more different. When the pale female turned back towards her home, something made Steel call out in a gruff voice, <b>"I will <i>think</i> about it."</b> Then he turned away from her and trotted off at a steady pace without a backward glance.

(This post was last modified: Jun 28, 2012, 10:34 PM by Steel.)