Lost Lake The Road to Hell Is Paved with Good Intentions

Set directly after <a href='http://relic-lore.net/index.php?showtopic=3165' target='_blank'>This Thread</a>.

The tawny woman marched on the Lake with purpose in her step. Had the elements the capacity to bend to her will, the earth would be cracking beneath her heavy steps, splitting the earth in two, with her and her children on one side and the pack of dogs on the other. She seemed calm from an exterior perspective, cocky and insubordinate to the white wolf that was approaching her at an increasing pace perhaps. The only warning of the maelstrom to come, the cold hard glint of her golden eyes - no longer lit with care or joy, but cold, hard intent. She would no longer do things their way. There was no point to following the rules they had set out, if they were only going to bend and break them to keep her down. This meant war. But war of a different kind. A small smile graced her lips then, not of joy, or love. No, this was a twisted, cold smile to match her battered heart. She had never told a lie in her life. She wasn't about to start now. But avoiding the truth, she had... That would all end now. She didn't need to call her children. They always tugged at her core. It was something she knew Athena and Ava would never share with them, no matter how hard they tried. They had been a part of her once, and always would be. Call it mother's intuition if you would. For once, they were all nearby each other. But how to break the news? A quite meditation may work for Bella, but she knew Datura didn't have the patience, although he may have already formed an inking of recognition on his own. Of course Adonis knew... Perhaps it was her daughter this encounter needed to be focused on. She could hear the rushed steps at her rear, but the queen in her balked at acknowledging the pretender to her throne. They were in sight now. She needed to focus on the task at hand.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2012, 11:49 PM by Naira.)

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 world had been rocked out of control, a whirlwind of madness when Naira and Rhysis had up and left. They didn’t know at all what to do, how to move forward, or how to feel. It was chaos. But, after a few weeks everything seemed like it was moving forward. Everyone was trying to get on with their lives. However, everyone can easily hid things behind a mask. Poison Path’s “abandonment” was especially hard on Athena and Ava, having been the founding and longest reigning members of the newly created pack. But, they were able to hide their devastation behind their masks. They tried to move on, but there was still that part of their heart and soul that had longed for their leaders to return, to take back their places as their king and queen, but they were too late. The other part of them had moved on.

Now, they were back, throwing their once peaceful worlds into a whirlwind of chaos once again. They had been pulling through, moving on, but now all the process that had made was useless. A few months passed, the chaos quieted, but never completely left. Only the simmering embers of the once raging fire remained. Everything was well. Until gasoline was thrown onto the chaos, the raging fire coming back once again.

She chased after the tawny woman, trying to catch up with her to speak some sense into her. If she went through with what she thought Naira was about to do, it would crush Bella’s little heart. Indeed, Athena knew Bella and Datura would need to know sooner or later, but telling them out of the spite of it could back fire on both of them. If she could talk some sense into the maddened woman, they could avoid devastating the children. “Naira! Stop, let’s talk about this.” She shouted at the determined woman.

Her pace quickened as they got closer and closer. She was almost there, just a few more strides. “Goddammit Naira. Think about what you’re doing,” she hollered once more.

Oh, how she hoped they would understand.

(This post was last modified: Nov 30, 2012, 01:59 AM by Athena.)

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

<blockquote>The log didn't stand a chance. The tall boy's shoulders rolled, his rear in the air, his legs coiled and ready to spring whilst he focused with all his might on making the right jump. If he kicked too hard, he would over spring, too little and he would come up short. He wondered briefly if other wolves had the same trouble trying to work out the distance. He'd not really socialized much with any wolf other than his mother, he liked it that way, but it made learning the ropes and basic techniques that much harder, especially with her MIA most of the time. He was doing alright, he supposed, but he was never going to be proud of himself, no matter what great fete he achieved.
His back twitched, his tail flicked and he prepared to make the leap of faith... until the scent of blood hit him square in the face. The log was forgotten in an instant as his head elevated, his nose trembled as he tasted the metal in the scent. <i>Mother.</i> A flash of panic filled him and he turned, bolting through the woods that surrounded the lake as quickly as his long legs would allow. He had to find her. He had to find her now.
It was funny really, how much concentration he had to put into getting around every day, but when his mother was in danger, at least in pain, he had no trouble swerving here and there, missing every trip and fall he could have made. Perhaps his disability was more mind over matter then he realised.

The forest grew thinner until his paws left soil and earth and met hard stone and sand. He saw her then, her golden figure almost merged with the colours of the sand but he knew without a doubt it was her. She was marching with purpose, her expression stony and cold. His pace increased, seeing her gave him a boost of energy but his long strides grew shorted as the White Witch appeared, marching behind her and catching up steadily. She didn't look like a threat, but the smell of his mother's blood was too strong for him to ignore. He pushed onwards, but it would take him a little longer to reach the other side.

<i>I'm coming Mum. Hold on.</i>
</blockquote>

Athena's cries fell on deaf ears. She only had eyes for her targets. She could see the loping streak of black in her peripherals, closing fast from the other side of the lake, and knew Adonis would be at her side in a heartbeat. The sting of the cuts on her head finally working their way through the adrenalin that was slowly leaving her system, concern for her son's reaction when he finally reached her. He hadn't seen her fight since the night he was stolen. She knew she must look a fearsome sight, her fur stained with blood, both her own, and to a lesser extent, the blood of Chantille about her muzzle and smeared on her chest. Ash had even clamped down hard enough to tear the skin at the back of her neck, near her shoulder. He would pay for that, for even if Nina didn't have it in her heart to seek revenge, Naira certainly did. 'Think about what you're doing.' Suddenly, the fire was back as she rounded to stare the white wolf down, not afraid to raise herself to her full height in the process. "Perhaps if you'd done that to start with we wouldn't be in this mess." She growled back deeply, the will to fight still coursing through her veins. She had only been this angry once before in her life, and she had left her brother for dead. It was taking all of her self control to stop her from throwing herself at her former friend now. My how quickly they had all moved on. How conveniently she had managed to find herself a mate. All the pieces fit far too perfectly. "It was you, wasn't it?!" she accused, sudden realisation dawning so clearly on her face. It was all too perfect. And now she had Ash to back her up and keep the former leader down, to stop her from reclaiming her rightful place. She had been willing to do things the honourable way, but there was no honour here. There was no doubt in her mind. This had been their plan all along. "You sent him didn't you? You sent Kanosak to steal Adonis in the night!" It was no longer a question in her mind, but outright accusation. It was the only reason she could find for them to give up searching so readily. They had wanted them gone all along. There was no stopping her now, no reasoning to be made. She was set on her path and the truth would be out. The time for tip-toeing was over. The truth had to come out eventually.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2012, 11:50 PM by Naira.)

Hope this is okay, Sarah <3

<blockquote>Had she been alone, Bella may have heard the sound of fighting on the wind, may have realised that something was wrong. Wrapped up in Datura's company as she was (for she tended to focus on her brother when they were alone, to make sure that she did not do something to upset or irritate him more than usual) all these signs were missed. When he wandered further down the lake's edge without her, though, a cool breeze blew and a chill ran down her spine. Ears lifting and twisting, she glanced out towards the forest, looking for nothing in particular.

She stared for a few moments at the calm of her lands, feeling relaxed, but the breeze blew again. She was reminded of that time she had heard unnatural things on the wind, of the strange fear it had borne in her. Her mother had comforted her, and the memory helped to calm her, though she could not shake the feeling...

Then the breeze brushed past her face again, and this time it brought a whisper of her mother's voice with it, the words indistinguishable but the urgency clear. Despite needing to hear more, to understand, her ears flicked back, disturbed.

<b>"Datura?"</b> she called quietly, wanting his presence, the small comfort her larger brother could provide, even if just so she wouldn't be alone. She needed to know what was going on, because something... something was wrong. <b>"Datura?"</b> she called again, more desperate, tail tucking around her hock in growing distress. Then Naira's voice rang out, the words lost to distance but the accusation was there, the hurt, the anger.

<b>"Datura,"</b> she whimpered, heart slowing as she realised they were getting louder, wanting nothing to do with the anguish which was heading in their direction.</blockquote>

Once those words slipped from her mouth, the tawny woman had turned around to face her faster than she had ever seen the woman move. Athena no longer had to chase Naira – no, now she was facing her. At least she had listened, but her posture was unwelcome. Her black lips quivered in a threatening nature while her own body answered the woman. Tail high like a beacon, she stood face-to-face with Naira in a game of dominance. ”Perhaps if you’d done that to start with we wouldn’t be in this mess.” As those words escaped Naira’s mouth, her anger rose, her lips curling up into a snarl. “What would you have wanted me to do, Naira? Have them growing up without any parents? They would have been crushed to know at such a young age that their real parents were gone. When they had grown old enough to understand, they would have been told,” Athena answered back, her teeth bared in rage.

How could Naira put the blame on her? She was the one that had left, maybe not at her own will, but how was she supposed to know? She had sworn to Rhysis that she’d protect the children with everything she had and she has done just that. Athena had shielded them from all evils, physically and emotionally. The thought of anything hurting them made her heart throb with pain and sadness. She wouldn’t be able to bear it. She would always keep her word to her former leader, even if he was believed to be insane. A part of her didn’t want to believe it while the other part knew it had to be true and was preparing for the inevitable.

”It was you, wasn’t it?!’ Naira went on, her anger rising once again. What the hell was she talking about? As quick as she thought of that question, Naira had answered it. The accusation was clear in her voice; Naira really believed that she had sent Kanosak out to get Adonis. ”Why the hell would I ever do that?! I’ve never even met your brother, let alone spoken with him. How could you say that?” Her hurt was evident in her voice as she continued on. ”I loved you. I loved all of your children. I loved Rhysis. You were all family to me. Why would I ever do that to my own family?” She asked her fiery eyes filled with anger and hurt. She still loved Naira, but she didn’t trust as much as she used to. However, with the months that followed Naira’s return, she had started to trust the woman once again, but now that was all gone with the wind that was combing through her fur.

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

Hmm. So torn which way to go. Let my fingers do the work here. <3
Also permission from Arya to PP the hit. :D

<blockquote>Why did she had to be so far away? His lungs were burning, his legs felt like jelly but he pressed on. He had to get to her, had to help her. He could smell her blood. He hadn't smelt it so strongly before. Sure the odd scrape or scratch, but this... he thought her very heart was bleeding. So he ran, harder, faster.

He passed a thicket and heard the whimpering of Bella, his sister. She must have heard the commotion and her call to their brother, but it didn't appear that either were running towards the trouble like he was. <i>Always the outsider.</i> he thought for a moment, but he shook his head and threw the thought right out of his head. He pushed passed where she hit, running as fast as his paws would take him until he was finally close enough to see his mother and the wounds she sported. Her head, her shoulder. She looked terrible, angry and it only spurred him on faster. His blood was pumping in his ears, his breath was haggered and he did not hear what they were talking about. All he saw was the white witch, first she had chased his mother, then she bared her teeth as she spoke.

That broke him. No one was allowed to get away with that. Not now. Not ever again.

He pushed all he had left into his paws, willed himself to fly as he approached them. He didn't hide his entrance, no, he wanted the white witch to see him coming. To see him brush past his mother, and barreled right into the white witch. He thrust all his weight forwards, turning his head at the last moment to force his shoulder into her. It hurt, but the crack he heard as she went flying backwards and landed on her side made it worth it. He stopped himself from going over there and biting her face like he wanted to, he simply stood there in front of his mother, forever her live shield and waited for the witch to rise again. He said nothing, what could he say, instead he bore his icy cold gaze at the wolf... ever the spitting image of his father, prepared to defend her until his last breath. He didn't know the ins and outs, he hadn't heard their topic of conversation, all he knew was his mothers blood was splattered on the ground at his feet... and that just would not do.</blockquote>

Athena's words caused her pause, but she did not answer yet. Inside, a twisted smile wished to force its way upon her face as she watched the smaller white woman assert herself. Her own stance not budging an inch. It was clear to her now, as it should have been from the start. She could never be just another pack wolf, wandering about her daily duties, as much as Athena could never return to that role either. They had reached a fork in the road indeed, and she could not expect the woman before her to live with the constant threat of a challenge looming over her head. Eventually, she would have to leave. The next words to leave the white wolf's mouth, quelled the woman's rage even more than the first, and for a moment, she wished she could have taken it all back. But only for a moment, it was better for everyone this way... Still, she could not keep the hint of an apology from working it's way into her eyes. She didn't want to do this. She needed to. Her posture slackened a little as she tried to pull herself together. Rhysis had been the only one to ever see her lose control like this before and even then it had not been this bad. Yet, she would not lower herself to befit her rank. In her eyes, they were equals, whether Athena wanted to admit it or not. Her next words carried a gentler tone, the weariness of it all clear on her face. "They are old enough to handle it now... and I think Datura may already know." She had never told Athena of the day she found her son scrambling about in the Ghastly Woods, it was after all, their little secret. She could not be angry at her son for doing what had come naturally, but he hadn't exactly gotten off lightly either, his own shame enough punishment in her eyes. "Bella may remember on her own with the right guidance." She said next, her tone growing softer as her toes dug into the earth and the scent of the lake, the same Lake that had embraced her with so much care on the night of her return, washed over her. She couldn't be angry if she was going to do this right. The cubs had just begun to open their eyes and squirm about the den when she had vanished, and although the memories would mostly be of dark warmth and milk, and the beat of their siblings hearts against one another, they should still be able to recall the scents and the sounds of the first dark weeks of their existence. Or at least she hoped their memory was as good as their brother. He tried to hide it, but she could tell that night still lingered with him at times. He didn't sleep nearly enough, in part to her own night terrors, but she knew he had nightmares too. Time in the wilds had been neither easy nor fair on the Aquila mother and son. She heard his frantic paws beating behind her and it caused her a moment of alarm when the young wolf didn't stop. It all happened so fast she was hardly aware of the outcome before her son came to stand in front of her again. He had grown up so much. She was speechless.

(This post was last modified: Dec 31, 2012, 11:50 PM by Naira.)

Her fiery eyes watched the woman before her, her heart beating rapidly like an angry stampede of gazelles. Naira paused before responding; she began to expect the worst, a fight, causing her to tense up slightly. However, the posture of the former leader slacked as if something had dawned on her and everything seemed to turn in a more civilized, gentler manner as she too relaxed slightly. She had expected angry, hostile words to be thrown at her, but that wasn’t at all what she got. Naira was right; they were old enough to understand. Athena’s need to protect them from everything had blinded her from seeing that it wasn’t her right to keep that away from them. They needed to know.

Naira continued, her words gracing her ears far better than before. Athena feared the most for Bella, her naïve, gentle soul could be easily devastated. But, Naira was right again. It was their right to know, she couldn’t shield them forever. Before she could respond, however, the sound of another racing towards them echoed through the lands. Her fiery eyes followed the sound until she saw the lanky form of what had to be Adonis. She trailed him until he was almost upon them, but he didn’t stop; her eyes went wide in confusion and shock. Before she could move out of his way though, he collided with her.

Snap.

Pop.

She was on ground before she knew it. As she lay on her side, her fiery eyes looked up towards the young boy. Why he did that she did not know. She slowly tried to get up, but when she flew backwards, her weak ankle landed awkward. The first snap had been their shoulders colliding with each other, but the pop that came after it had been her ankle. However, she managed to get herself on her other sturdy legs while she carefully cradled her out-of-place paw. Her eyes slowly moved up to face the boy, but she was dumbstruck. She didn’t know what she had done to deserve that.

(This post was last modified: Dec 13, 2012, 08:55 PM by Athena.)

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

It was another day of scouting about and patrolling. The white wolf was coming down from the den site to begin his territorial walk... but first it was to the lake. He needed time to reflect on himself and gather his thoughts. The water always seemed to help him do so. With heavy paws slapping cool stone, he began his descent, unknowing of what he was to witness.

There was a scene before him. The black-backed man came to a slow, then eventually a stop. Standing against the gray stones, his eyes watched as Naira and Athena seemed to yell at each other. Emotions were high within the air; he could feel it from many, many lengths away. Yet, the leader could not make out what they were saying. He took a step forward, unsure of if he wanted to interfere. Within a few moments, though, he decided it was a good idea to do so.

Adonis shot out of no where, flying into his mate at lightning speed. If Tlarx had blinked his eyes, he would have missed in. With ears flattening, the wolf observed his love stumbling and landing awkwardly. Something was definitely wrong. Squinting, Tlarx kept silent, but began to run toward the situation. His heart pounded within his chest as he came into earshot. "Might I ask what is going on here?" His voice was deep and stern, rumbling within his chest. Slowing, he paced up to his mate. With a nuzzle to her neck, he observed her leg, almost wanting to snarl. The wolf was a professional at keeping himself calm and collected, though. Slowly, he turned his gaze to Adonis.