Riddle Heights The Lost Song

<blockquote>She hardly paid any mind to the rocks digging into her side, or the crispness of the breeze as it raced down from the mountain to scour the heights and buffet the tawny beast who had made her bed in the open. Her only companions, small twisted trees that managed to eke out a living from the barren soil, were a stark reflection of the tattered remnants of a once proud wolf. Everything could have been so different.

Everything <i>should be</i> so different.

Her winter coat had been growing in since the days first began to shorten, but still offered no respite from the unforgiving terrain of Riddle Heights. She had walked from the Lost Lake until she could walk no longer and still she lay where she had stopped. But sleep eluded her, and what fleeting moments she did capture were haunted with the scent of smoke and the high pitched howl of her cub.

She told herself to <i>breathe</i>.

The smallest tasks were becoming harder with each passing day. Drinking. Hunting. Sleeping. Things she should have been able to manage without thought suddenly became a chore. Breathing. Walking. It all just seemed so hard. Even her eyes though open could no longer truly see. The world was a blur, one endless blur with no end in sight. She had to get back to Adonis.

Rhysis was gone. Bella and Datura were gone. Far beyond her reach now. <i>Lilly…</i> She just didn't know what had happened to her youngest. There was no scent of her on the borders... which could only mean...

The mournful howl took her by surprise but did not falter in its song. She knew that this was wrong, that she was courting danger to allow her voice to be heard so close to her former home, with no idea of who was near or who had passed. But now that it had found its way from her heart and into the sky there was no way to contain it, and so she surrendered herself to the song of the lost.
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(This post was last modified: Sep 07, 2012, 01:14 AM by Naira.)

It was another day. Poison Path was stable; its pups in perfect health and growing up well. The winter did make Tlarx a bit nervous, but who wouldn't be? He prayed for a gentle cold season, one that would spare the pups this year. Though the tiny wolves were not his own, he, alongside Athena, had taken them under his wing. The large man moved along in silence, paws touching cool stone as he scaled down the heights. After a few minutes, he reached soil, wear his paw struck a small sapling of some sort. Looking down at it in an almost apologetic manner, the beast forgot what he was to do next when a howl strung through the air. It was woeful. No, it was more than that. It seemed tormented; a whirlwind of emotions. With his ears straining forth, the man wrinkled his muzzle, head cocking slightly in confusion. This was no cry for attention. Something was wrong. Something had happened. With his muscles working furiously beneath his thick coat, Tlarx set off, moving swiftly along the gray stones as he made his way toward the caller. His breathing became heavier the farther he traveled, jaws parting to allow his tongue to loll and pants to be expelled. The moment of truth had arrived. There before him was a tawny woman, her figure obviously feminine, but worn from the life of being a lone wolf. The black saddled wolf peered at her cautiously, tail rising in dominance as he took a step forth. Front paws gripped into the stone as he parted his jaws to speak "Miss, are you in need of assistance?" It was a simple question, yet the crucial tone within it made it more than that.

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It's funny how things can change so quickly in a blink of an eye.

Athena had been trying to keep a broken pack from falling into the depths of disaster and failure after her ex leaders abandoned the pack, her and especially their own children. Her efforts had succeeded. Poison Path was still going strong under Tlarx and her. Life was good. Bella and Datura were well (for the most part with Datura) and she had loyal and dependable pack members. She had abandoned the idea of Rhysis and Naira coming back a long time ago; their scent no longer detectable. The Leader had no idea that that was about to change, in a blink of an eye.

The silhouette of Athena could easily been seen dancing along the shores of her home, making a short border run before going to back to check on the cubs. The pink scar underneath her eye had healed by now, permanently leaving her with a memory of the crazy bitch, Shadowstorm. Her leg still got sore every once in a while, since getting caught up in the landslide on the mountain. Overall, she was still in good condition for everything that she's been through. Her mind was set on keeping the borders strong after Shadowstorm came through; she was more alert than ever. Which made it easier to find the scent that she didn’t expect to find on her borders.

She had stopped to strengthen up a spot along the borders and as she was about to move back along, the scent wafted into her nostrils. That scent would never been forgotten. It couldn't be. At first she was frozen, a front leg lifted off the ground in a pointer dog position, her tail held high; then she was off. If Naira was still here, Athena would find her. However, she didn't know what she'd do when she did find the ex-leader. The trail led her back towards the Lake, then it took a completely different route. The tawny woman was heading towards the Heights.

The Leader didn't stop, her emotions were running high at this point. She was too busy figuring out what she was going to do when she found her, that she didn't catch her mate's scent in the rocks that she gliding over effortlessly.

Then came the voice. That unmistakable voice of hers.

The woman stopped once more, her paws skidding across the rough gravel. Something was different then the last howl that she heard from Naira. This time it wasn't joyful and happy, this time she sounded broken. A part of her wanted to believe that Naira deserved everything that she may have been through, but the other part couldn't decide what to think. Should she open her heart out once more to the woman and possibly have it thrown back at her again? Or should she give her exactly what Naira did to her.

Her legs moved forward once again, the scent of Tlarx finally came upon her and she felt slightly relieved that he was here. His presence always calms her and she might need him by her side for this one. Her fiery eyes soon caught the sight of her mate and ex-leader. Her face hardened, her whole demeanor changed. The emotionless woman stopped slightly in front of her mate, her eyes pinned on the woman before her. No emotion could be detected from her, just the sheer glare of her fiery eyes upon Naira could make want to run and hid.

But her voice was worse, much worse than her hardened glare. The only thing that she wanted from this woman at the moment was the simple syllable that escaped her ebony lips.

”Why?"

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

OOC: Ok, this is after she bumps into Chant. I was going to write something up to explain why she vanished. I'll just work it in here instead. :p

<blockquote>As the strange wolf approached, the tawny wolf rose to her feet unsteadily, settling herself into a defensive stance. Her ears were pinned back and her tail tucked low. Her lips were pulled taut as an involuntary whimper escaped her chest. It had been so long since words passed her lips and at first, she struggled to comprehend the blanketed mans question. There was only one answer. Her mouth struggled to form the simple word and the noises that escaped her mouth weren’t words, but more a combination of meaningless growls and whines. Finally she found the noise she was looking for. <b>”No.”</b>

She tried to turn on aching legs but something was holding her in place. There was a familiarity about the mans scent that held her in place. Her brain was moving slowly as if coated in the same mud that weighed down her coat and pained confusion worked its way onto her face. The wolf at the lake smelled like this wolf. So perhaps he was another she <i>should</i> know. The last one had seemed to know her well enough.

Another wolf made an appearance, she smelled just like the first, although this one sparked a memory. Fleeing in the night. The howls of their enemies at their heels. Her breathing stopped.

<i>Why?</i>

Again the tawny wolf looked puzzled, pained. Her hollow sides heaved as her breathing resumed. She clawed through her memories. So many memories. And then her world came tumbling down.

Nobody knew.

How it would look.

There were no words. Only pain.

She had been betrayed. Betrayed by her own blood. But he wasn’t her family. The cold white wolf before her was. And in their eyes, she had abandoned them.

There was only one name she could find and it tore at her guts. After what seemed like an age she released it in a small unsteady whisper.

<b>”Kanosak.”</b></blockquote>

Tlarx shifted his weight from side to side as the situation grew tense. His mate was quick to arrive, placing herself just ahead of him. He could feel the cold stare, even if she was not looking at him. Blinking, he cocked his head in an unnoticeable manner before piecing the puzzle together within his mind. This was an ex leader of Poison Path. This was Naira. With silence overtaking him, his ears twitched as Athena spoke one word. Why. The question seemed to break the still ear, causing an uncomfortable air about. Tlarx took a step forward now, putting himself beside his mate. It seemed the wolf before them was uneasy; odd vocalizations escaped her throat before she spoke of a name. Kanosak. Who the hell was that? Athena had never spoke of a wolf by that name. With his curiosity peaking, he remained silent, awaiting the reaction of his mate beside him.

(This post was last modified: Sep 06, 2012, 10:52 PM by Tlarx.)

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Her mind was fuming with emotions, yet none of them could be seen on her hardened face. The woman before her, the once strong, confident leader was now just a tattered skeleton of her old self. Life hadn’t been easy on her, but life wasn’t easy on Athena either. However, Naira seemed like she got the short end of the stick.

Life wasn’t easy on those who caused pain to others, now was it?

Silence enveloped around them as Naira searched for the words. Her ear twitched slightly as Tlarx stepped forward to stand next to her. Would he figure out who this was? Her eyes glanced over towards the chocolate ones of her mate. The cold, hard glare softened and her eyes spoke the words for her. Her face, too softened and was replaced with what she truly felt; confusion and pain. She didn’t know what she truly wanted Naira to tell her, but she didn’t expect what she did tell her. Kanosak. She had heard that name before, but where? It finally came to her; it had been Naira’s brother who was the Creek’s second. What had happened? Had he died? Why did she leave her whole pack and two of her cubs for him?

It didn’t make sense.

Her cold stare, flickered in confusion, but she quickly recovered her anger beginning to rise within her again. The words came out in a sudden snarl, her tail and hackles rising along with her voice. ”That’s it? He’s why you left us? He was that special that you would abandon your whole pack and two of your cubs?” She was yelling now, growls and snarls escaped repeatedly out of her rumbling chest. ”He’s why you would leave all of us without even saying anything?”

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

OOC: Ok so instead of actually writing the speech, she is narrating it as it happens... if that makes sense.

<blockquote>As the words left Athena’s mouth her heart broke a little more. <i>Two.</i> What happened to Lilly? And where did Rhysis go? She held no calm mask on her face. Her emotions played out as plainly as if she were to speak them.

Finally Adonis made his appearance, and the sight of her son, half starved and unsure, tore down the walls that had been holding it all back. The walls that had been blocking it all out, so they could survive. Words came back to her now, although her voice didn’t carry tone.

She wasn’t just remembering it. She was reliving it.

<i>The storm. She usually found so much peace in the rain. She smells, the sounds. Curled up tightly with her little family surrounding her everything should have been perfect. But it wasn’t. It wasn’t a peaceful awakening as she jerked away from her dreams with her heart thundering in her chest. Something was missing. Someone was missing. Taking quick attendance she realised with a sick feeling in her stomach that Adonis was gone.

Leaving her mate asleep with the other three, she knew he couldn’t have wandered far. The den was only tiny, still he shouldn’t have made it past the entrance. But from the moment her head poked out of the den, she knew it was far more sinister than that. The air reeked of Creek wolf. Of her brother.

Panic and rage quickly descended on the new mother as she took chase, her brother had always been faster than her but he was unfamiliar with the mountain terrain. The path he took led out of Poison Path and away from the lands of lore. Her heart was thudding as quickly as the rain fell on her back. She had to find him before it was too late. If it wasn’t too late already.

She arrived in time to see her stowing her son inside a hollow tree, when his fugitive glance landed on the sodden form of his raging sister, however, she could see the cogs of his mind turning. This was not the caring loving brother she remembered. This beast was mad.

She saw the flash of teeth and her maternal instincts flew into overdrive. She barreled at the golden wolf knocking him away from her still blind son. She heard as his teeth clicked in what would have been a fatal blow and a dark rage descended on her.

Nobody threatened her babies.

They fought, for what seemed like an age. As the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled they battled, until only one was left standing.

As the haze of the battle left her, her brother was still breathing. He made several attempts to get up but collapsed back in the mud. She growled a warning. He would do best to stay down if he wanted to live. She had taken an eye, and his golden coat was stained red. She fared little better herself. Finally taking note of her own injuries, her hide was torn and she herself was struggling to stand... but she had to get home.

She collected her sodden son from the tree he had been left in, after checking him over to make sure no harm had come to him. She limped on for what felt like a lifetime. She hadn’t realised how far she had run. But now her path was blocked.

The heavy rain had loosened the earth and a landslide now blocked her path. She tried howling for her pack but she was still too far away to be heard, and the rain would wash away her scent. Despair descended on the tawny wolf. She was trapped.</i></blockquote>

(This post was last modified: Sep 06, 2012, 11:38 PM by Naira.)

The silence kept a stronghold on him. His mate acknowledged his presence briefly, peering over at him before returning her harsh gaze to Naira. Acidic words spat from her slender muzzle; Tlarx was almost taken aback. He stood still, though, unmoved and calm. This was not drama, no- it seemed more like a confrontation. Brown eyes fell upon a dark figure that approached the tawny woman. It was thin, just as she was, but it was much smaller. A pup. This was one of the missing ones. The large gray man took in a deep breath, his ears still pressed forward as the tension of the situation grabbed at the wolves. The pup was clueless- did he know he had other siblings? Tlarx felt as if his presence was unneeded at this point, but he did not want anything to happen to his mate. He'd stand by her side, providing support as well as protection.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v201/bluepups/AthenaTable.png);background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding-top: 200px;padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; text-align:justify;">Her acidic eyes stayed pinned on the broken ex-leader, daring her to answer. She didn’t know what she wanted to hear or even if she wanted to hear anything. Athena would just assume it as an excuse, but before the woman could respond, the starved body of Adonis appeared.

At first she didn’t realize who it was, it had been so long since she had last seen him. But, she never forgot about him. His famished and broken frame pained her, her eyes softened as did her heart. She focused on Tlarx’s breathing, the rhythmic sound soothing her. It was the only thing keeping her from crumbling into pieces.

Why now? Why couldn’t they have just stayed away? Saving her a bit of sanity to work with. Her emotions had just gotten under control, but now they were a maelstrom. Her fiery eyes flickered back up to Naira as she began to speak, her voice not at all what it used to be.

Then it all made sense. Kanosak, Naira, the pups, Rhysis, everything made sense now. The Leader’s demeanor changed as she took in the defeated mother’s story, actually believing it. Her ears flickered back as she leaned forward to nuzzled Naira’s muzzle affectionately. Athena wasn’t a cold creature, not to family.

She leaned back, taking her place next to Tlarx once again. ”I am truly sorry for what you had to go through Naira and Adonis, you didn’t deserve that.” Her eyes flickering to Adonis once more before turning back to Naira, ”Would you like to come back home?

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

Just realised, this needs to be pushed back to after her meeting with Rhys...

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c58/becuffin/caved.jpg) bottom no-repeat; background-color: #301e4e;"> By the time her tale was through, she slumped, exhausted. It had been so long since she had talked like that. Her throat was sore and her emotions exhausted. She couldn’t pine anymore. She couldn’t keep the walls up, and all the memories came flooding back. It was too exhausting. The nudge to her muzzle lifted her spirits some... but her heart was still in pieces. She still hadn’t told them the worst part. She had blocked the memory of the crazed black wolf from her mind, in the hopes that it was all a bad dream, but now she knew it to be truth. Athena would need to know. They all deserved to know... But before she would have a chance to speak, words left the white lady’s mouth that she never expected to hear. come back home... She fell to her side and rolled, stomach and neck exposed, the closest she could manage to an answer right now. She wanted to come home so badly that she would do whatever was asked of her to get there. There was little more she could offer than her exposed creamy throat. After a moment, she got back to her feet but kept her carriage low. “There’s more...” she whispered in cracked tones. “I... we...” She corrected with a worried glance to her son. Her voice dropped lower in the hopes he wouldn’t hear. She had managed to conceal the truth from him for this long, he didn’t need to know now. Her muzzle moved to Athena’s ear, between the alpha pair so Tlarx could hear her next words as well. “We saw Rhysis... He’s mad... He tried to attack Adonis.” and he did attack me... she thought silently. Those words she doubted would need to be added... the admission that something in him had broken tore at her guts. He was out of his mind. He was lost to her... for now. “I asked where Lilly was and he... he collapsed... We got away... but... well he’s down there. Somewhere...” The look of concern, she could not keep from her eyes, but it was purely concern for her children. The pack would need to be on high alert in case the mad king came prowling at their borders.

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