Ghastly Woods Run for the Night

Note to self. This is after Nari's first meeting with Sloane.

Midnight New Moon, Cloudy, Pitch black out and 18 degrees F.

"BADUMP...BADUMP...BADUMP..." Narimé's heart thudded in her chest. She awoke to the sights and sounds of the ghastly woods. Breathing quickly the young females eyes dashed back and forth gazing out at the inky blackness looking for the bear.

After a few minutes her eyes adjusted and Narimé finally began to understand that it had all been yet another terrifying dream. Nari had been having this particular dream almost every week normally, but after meeting Sloane at the Lagoon several days ago Nari had been having the dream every night. She barely had any sleep while she thought of all the things going on around her. Pack stuff mixed with thoughts of her old family, thoughts of Sloane and her father, and thoughts of how the world could be so stupid and unfair jumbled around in her head at nights often keeping her from sleep. Then when she did sleep Narimé would have that dream of the bear attacking her and both her father and Sloane would be killed trying to protect her.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whined to herself wiping away tears onto her foreleg. Sighing Nari wished she could figure everything out soon. She was tired of being confused all the time. She wanted to go back home to Willow Ridge..Is that even my real home? She asked herself this. Home is where I feel the safest, and where I am accepted by others, but most importantly; home is where my family is..

"But, who is my real family?" This was the real question that got to the young wolf. Gazing around at the unfamiliar surroundings Narimé tried to clear her mind and figure out what she was doing next. She often left the pack for a number of days either to hunt, or to search for friends and family. Now that Nari knew her father was dead she no longer had to search for him. Plus Sloane was no longer missing. He had searched for her too and they had finally found each other at the Lagoon a second time. So she no longer had anyone to look for. However leaving the pack when she was having trouble helped her to think and figure out what she was supposed to do.

After her meeting with Sloane Narimé was very confused about a number of things. Her heart was split between her pack and the wolf she felt so much for. She left the night after she returned to Willow Ridge pack with a rabbit for the caches. She traveled northward wandering through the lands she had already explored and looking for new places. Eventually Nari made her way here to Ghastly woods and explored for a bit then settled down to sleep.

Ears perked listeneing for danger. She heard pawsteps. Was someone else out there? Narimé moved her bluish purple gaze to the place she'd heard the pawsteps and waiting watching intently on that spot. "Who is there?" She stood up still wary of the possible danger that lurked in the shadows.

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May your path be the sound, of your feet upon the ground, carry on...

Isen was traveling, searching for her sister. A family. Maybe even a pack. But to no avail she knew. She'd been on a hunt for her sister for a year now. No hope, but giving up was the same as giving into the flames of hell. She could never do that. A scent reached her, smelled of pack. Being new she could barely tell a loners scent from a packs, but this she knew. A pack, she went over, just to investigate. But all the same. "'Ello there stranger. I am Isen Aranna. Have you by any chance seen a young girl. About your age, blue eyes. White fur. Goes by the name Ashanti?" She asked, hoping desperately that she'd know her.

Isen peered around, the volant leaves rustling almost cried out. This was a creepy forest. She looked at the wolf in front of her. She looked a bit trouble, Isen hadn't been in range to hear her ask about family. So she could not answer. She wanted to help this wolf.

Narimé finally got a good look at the stranger. In the dark all she could discern was that the wolf was female and had a coat of gray and rust. Nari's nose told her that it was a loner who had found her sleeping place. When the stranger spoke it was in a non agressive tone which calmed Narimé. The silver wolf took note of the loners name then thought about her question.

"I'm sorry. I have met a lot of white wolves but no females with blue eyes." She tilted her head while apologizing. It seemed Isen was searching for family much like Nari once had.

"My name is Narimé Lagina, and I'm from Willow Ridge pack." She gave her name as it was only courteous to do so after Isen had given hers. So far this wolf was a good wolf in Nari's eyes. She began to hope for Isen to find her friend.

"So...if I might ask. Where are you going next? " Narimé sat back down and kept her tone a neutral one. Most wolves who were loners had a specific goal in mind. Whether that goal was to find someone, someplace, or perhaps find a new pack. Narimé wondered what Isen was going to do next.

(This post was last modified: Nov 18, 2012, 08:20 PM by Narimé.)

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(299 Words)
(I apologize for the lateness)

Isen looked at the younger girl, she was a bit curious in Narime'. The curiosity shown in her eyes remembering her past deviance with the voices. With Sybil and Destin. She'd nearly gone insane on them, but she hadn't heard the voices sense. He question reminded her of what she was looking for. "I'll continue on then, I will find Ashanti. She's the only family I have left and I won't let her go. She's my only sister for Aranna's sake." She let one tear slide from her eye. A single tear, that's all she could bare to give. For tears shed are wasted when you find thou of what you seek.

Isen looked at Narime'. She hadn't asked much information out of her, so she seemed to find it alright to bombard with questions. She thought about something she had never thought about. She thought about giving up her hopeless journey to find missing little Asha. She called Ashanti, Asha sometimes. When Ashanti was really upset, and Isen tried to comfort her, then Ashanti was 'My little darling Ashi.' But mainly, it was just Asha. She looked at the sky, she wondered what she should do. Her eyes on the prize, she knew in her heart was too great to sell out for her own selfish reasons of giving up. She knew she had to continue forward.

Isen looked at Narime' with a questioning gaze, she'd never heard of Willow Ridge, her ears perked with interest, her nose catching a good scent of this wolf. She saw Narime' as someone neutral, she had no opinion of yet. She let her tongue come out and lick her muzzle slightly. The dry air made it feel weird to her. Her tail wagging ever so slightly from side to side.

Narimé felt bad for the female. The silvery wolf closed her eyes imaging another she wolf who looked like Isen but maybe taller or possibly a bit shorter with white fur. Nari wouldn't just ignore those sad feelings. Not when she had felt close to the same sadness.

"I will kep my eyes out for a wolf matching that description. If I find her I will tell her that her sister is worried and searching for her." Narimé gave the female a smile noting the single tear that dropped from her face.

"When I first came here... I was seperated from my father." She closed her eyes going over the memory in her head. "We were attacked by a bear at an elk carcass, and when we fled he went one way while I went the other.." She sighed letting her old feelings of anxiety shift her for a moment as she watched the scene unfold in her head.

"It rained that night so we weren't able to back track to each other. I found my way into this land and survived for a short time on my own before joining a pack." She paused opening her bluish purple eyes and gave Isen a look of understanding. "I searched for him for months and months, and he must have searched for me all that time too." Her eyes narrowed remembering her recent trip to Poison Path and finding out the bad news. "A friend of mine in a different pack had found my da dying in the mountains. She...tried to help. However he was too far gone.. and well.." Narimé didn't finish her sentence. She guessed Isen would come up with how her story ended.

Instead Nari looked back on her short life and realized how lucky she had been to meet up with all the wolves she had during her travels as a loner. The young woman had been just a naive pup back then, lucky to have such a good father who gave all the food he caught to her instead of feeding himself.

"Even though my ending was bad I never gave up looking... I guess I'm trying to say for you to never give up." Narimé gave a slight smile again. Her tail was unmoving while old depressed emotions ran through her. I shouldn't dwell on those memories. Don't just forget them, but look to the future instead. She told herself while waiting for Isen's response. Most of Nari's friends knew her story. She only told those who had good intentions. This wolf was neutral but she hadn't shown a lick of rudeness or aggression. No, instead she only showed worry and care for her family. That was a good wolf in Narimé's eyes.

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(254 WORDS)

Isen listened to Narime', they once had one thing in common. A missing family member. Her dad had gone missing and she understood how it felt. "My mum, dad, siblings except for Ashanti. they were all murdered. Murdered by my aunt. I refuse to call her family after that. The only reason Ashanti is alive is because I managed to smuggle her out before my aunt killed her. She was suppose to wait, but I took too long, I told her to run if I wasn't there by midnight. I never made it. So I've been looking for her, and I pray to Aranna that your right about this not being a bitter ending. It's almost like I can feel that she is alive. But perhaps I'm going insane."

She was letting her emotions get to the best of her with this encounter. Normally she'd be a steel wall. Not being able to know down the bricks. but this talk of Narime's dad and her sister, it made her heart defenses drop. It was because she knew she could trust Narime with this information. Why she trusted a wolf she barely knew? She had no idea, maybe it was a metamorphosis?

As she waited for Narime's response, she thought and thought about things she could possibly say to Asha if she found her. That was her nickname. Asha. She had no idea what she would say, could she say anything to make up for it. No, she could never say could make up for it.

The silver young woman listened intently as Isen spoke and felt the pang in her heart deepen. Not only was this kindred spirit searching for her sister, but most of their family had been murdered. The rust and gray woman's story reminded Narimé of how there were many wolves who had stories to them. Stories that might be far worse than her own sad tale. Closing her blue violet eyes Nari nodded thinking to herself.

When Isen finished with a worried crack in her voice the young hunter looked back up again with a glint of compassion in her warm gaze. She really wanted to help this woman. Even if it was just by helping to support her while she was emotional.

"Don't worry miss. If you got Ashanti out yourself then she is fine." She smiled then stepped forward tentatively and poked her nose against the womans shoulder trying to make her feel better. " She's probably just a little lost while looking for you, we'll find her." Nari took a step back again and nodded her head. Her blue eyes holding the truth, that the young woman would help Isen search for her sister.

Just like when she was searching for Sloane or her father, Narimé made a little plan that she would ask about Ashanti to any new wolves she met. Plus her pack mates would soon hear her question when she got back to Willow Ridge. Perhaps one of them had seen the worried womans sister.