Heartleaf Creek Fabrication

The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

Misfourtune

One word that might fill the mind of a wolf that crossed paths with Faol. His life had merely been controlled by the ebb and flow from night to day, no real accomplishments to hold under his belt. The black male seemed to float through life on the thought that he might live forever, that with each days passing he didn't grow older. However, the gray along his handsome face had nearly over taken the black that had once been so thick and dark. His muzzle a salt and pepper version of what he used to be. He was almost five years. He could tell by the warming of the weather, usually a month or two before the snow started melting. His life had grown no different with the passing of each year, and he didn't expect this one to be any different. In all honesty Faol hadn't seen his life as misfortunate for he had seen many places, experienced things with wolves that he no longer had any connection; and his heart did not yearn for the past.

He had been wandering the Northern Eden for weeks and this spot seemed to draw him in stronger than any other place had. He could tell that this piece of the land was much like an island, that the creek surrounded it's borders and created a pristine looking landscape. The age of the trees seemed to be much older than the others along the outside, and for a moment he thought that the creek might have been a protective barrier to something that had happened outside it's borders; creating a small but noticeable utopia. He stood within in the center of the limits of the snaking stream, his figure blending into the freezing fog like a anonymous shadow.

There was a stillness in the air and his eyes burned a dull shade of yellow as they cut through the fog searching for the something that brought him here. He couldn't see anything, but he could feel it. Like it was watching him from the Heavens, urging him that he needed to be here. Silently he cast his eyes to the sky. He was searching, silently asking Fate why she had told him to come here, but her answer was silent. There was nothing but fog and and endless white sky to acknowledge his question.

The ivory male once more found himself straying to the Northern parts of Relic Lore. It was a two day journey, and yet ever since his recent conversation with the lady Elettra, the ivory male had been unable to stay still for very long. The aspect that she and Koda were not mates rattled him to the core, if only because he was dangerously close to wanting her for himself. Yet she had given no insight or hints of reciprocation, and instead the Argyris male took to keeping himself busy.

The day found him following a creek; the swirl of thick fog cloaking his pelt in a dampness that was uncomfortable, though he paid little mind to such. Instead, his fiery eyes remained focused upon the waters beside him, noting the bits of ice that drifted along the surface of the still moving waters. There was no sign of fish within it’s more shallow depths, and the Ridge male could only assume that the cold had such a potential meal buried within the muck at the bottom.. waiting to resurface come the warmer signs of spring.

While it seemed quiet, the brisk wind carried a scent to him, and when the large male glanced sharply up from the creek, his eyes scanned the terrain before him, his figure stilling. The wind told him of the presence of another, and soon enough, Phineas’ eyes fell upon the other beast, surprised he had not noticed him sooner. Upon the opposite side of the waters, the dark male stood, silent and seemingly deep in thought. With his tail sweeping the air behind him and both ears flicked forward intently, the Argyris male awaited for the stranger to take notice of him – surely the wind had carried his scent to the stranger as well by now, despite the thicker fog that surrounded them.

The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

The fog had dampened the ground and had it not been for the wind that swept past the two wolves Faol might have not noticed the other wolf for quite sometime. A fresh scent swirled about his black nose, causing his concentration to falter, and he turned to see the ivory colored male. His yellow eyes searched over the male opposite to him, seeing as their figures were very alike, aside from their coloring. His stance did not convey hostility, but one had to be wary of strangers. His coat was thick and stinking of the pack scent, and Faol's nose instinctively curled up slightly at the end to show his disapproval. However, his fur did not rise and there were no flashing of teeth. The scent that laced the air was not like the ones he had crossed in the area, and so the black brute assumed he had an quittance from his duties.. or maybe he was some kind of spy. Nonetheless, the male was confused as to why he was here and why he was standing there like a fool with a blank stare on his face.

He was almost angry with the intruder for eliminating his conversation with Lady Fate, but then this could be her answer? Letting out a low gruff bark he introduced himself, skipping his name for the time being."Hello, stranger," he said, his ears turning forward and his tail curling at the end like a worm baking in the sun.

He didn't have much of an introduction to give to the male, but his demeanor did not appear that he would be one to try and cause trouble. Perhaps the white male too felt the rare comfort within the borders of the creek and he was coming to ask his questions and exhaust his mind of day-to-day stress. Faol supposed he would soon find out.

He regarded the dark wolf for a moment, his gaze withholding his emotions like a stoical mask. Yet upon the greeting, even as hesitant as it seemed to be upon the lips of the unknown male, the Argyris wolf dipped his muzzle slightly in terms of his own, his tail giving an idle flick behind him. “My apologies, I did not realize another was so close by until the wind picked up,” he admitted, a soft sigh escaping his lips. Of course, the fog had hidden the other from him, but the ivory male was nonetheless berating himself for a moment of foolishly relaxing his guard.

His eyes fell to the creek once more, unable to decipher what the land he was in truly looked like. The coiling fog gave little in the way of allowing him to see, and so when it swept past once more, curling about the darker wolf before him, Phineas shrugged his shoulders back in a light stretch, uncertain if his presence was welcome and if he should stay. “I’m Phineas Argyris of Willow Ridge,” he introduced, his fiery eyes flickering over the other in an attempt to gauge his reaction and perhaps gain some insight to the stranger’s thoughts. They seemed close in age, though it was impossible to tell, but the ivory male found he was slightly relieved with such an assumption; for the most part, the wolves he came across in Relic Lore were younger than him by at least two to three years.

The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

The two wolves stood before each other, obviously sizing the other up, assessing the situation. The other wolf was large as well, but completely opposite in coloring. He shared little words and even less emotion when speaking to Faol. The fog that surrounded them made it harder to make observations, but he too noticed that they might be close in age, and one wolfish eyebrow lifted in surprise. He had yet to come across another wolf older than him, or even equal in age, and he relaxed a little knowing that they stood on more equal physical grounds; perhaps metal as well. The man introduced himself, including the title of his pack, the smell that Faol has quickly picked up on. As the wolf expressed his apologies to the black wolf it felt as if he were more so apologizing to himself for letting his guard down.

"A pack wolf, eh?" he mused with a light chuckle in his tone. Faol had nothing against the wolf personally, but he asked himself why the man would be wondering from home. The white wolf's scent didn't register anywhere in his mind from any region close. However, he might not have traveled into his hometown. Taking another breath, he released his tense tail and offered a half decent smile. "I'm Faol.. of Nowhere," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2013, 10:06 PM by Faol.)

The ivory male gave a light shake of his pelt – more so a means to relax himself than anything else, and as the darker male introduced himself as a lone wolf, the Argyris wolf allowed a small smile to flicker across his features, though he doubted the other would notice it through the fog.

There was little to be said amongst strangers. The interlude itself only maintained a level of awkwardness, and while it was likely wise to simply give a courtesy nod of politeness and make his leave, Phineas instead chose to stay, surprised that a wolf of around his age remained as a loner. Though it hadn’t been too long ago when he himself had been in such a position, though it was likely the male’s stories and past were vastly different.

“Well Faol of Nowhere,” he mused lightly, his shoulders shrugging back in a leisurely stretch. “Do you plan to stay in Relic Lore or are you just passing through?” After all, many he had met had simply disappeared without him seeing them again.. it was far more likely they had continued their travels to other valleys.

The distance between the two males stayed vast, but their words were not prying or rushed. It felt as if they both understood the unlikeliness of their age within Relic Lore, but neither spoke of it. Although this Phineas was claimed to a pack and Faol was not, their aura's didn't possess the attitude and instinctual dominance that adolescent males usually carried with them. It was nice for once to exchange words with another that didn't plan to recruit or maul him. Yellow eyes turned away from him and back to the surrounding land with the confidence that this male wasn't going to make any sudden movements - he just didn't seem the type. Faol's answer seemed to have stricken him funny, but it was the truth. The black male was quite honestly from nowhere, or at least nowhere that was even relatively close to the Lore.

It took him a minute to register the ivory male's question. His livelihood was left not to himself, but to Fate and he didn't give much thought about it. Growing up with no one to teach you the lessons of life, he found himself learning things the hard way. Everything he knew was based on instinct and experience, but he found himself all the better for it. Turning back to his company he spoke, "I do not know. I've wandered these lands for sometime, and I find the Lore to be very vast. Except for a run in with a poisonous fungus, and a shady female my time here has been enjoyable."

Talking about those past experiences made him think about the lone female that was searching for her male. For a moment he wondered if she had found him, but quickly his mind switched to the silver female Sagacity. She occasionally would flit across his mind like a flake of silver, and he would remember the day she had helped him and opened her den to him to allow him to sleep off the side effects of his ignorance. Peering past the fog he felt Fate's presence leave him suddenly. "I plan on leaving soon. Is your pack close? I will stay out of their borders as a friendly gesture," he said to the male, a small smile curling into the corner of his salt and pepper maw.

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2013, 04:04 PM by Faol.)

The darker male gave a brief description of his stay here – the dry humor that seemed to lace his words drew a sardonic snort from the ivory wolf, and the hint of a smirk etched upon his lips. “Poisonous fungus and a shady female,” he mused in repeat, his own words holding the hint of a light tease. “Sounds like you’re time here has been both interesting and efficient so far,” he offered, realizing his own time spent in Relic Lore had been to dote upon the pack that had taken him in.

He did not regret joining Willow Ridge – in truth, he found himself finding the place home if only because of his growing fondness for his pack mates.. a certain dark lady included. Yet restlessness grew upon him as spring approached ever closer, and he knew that come breeding season, he would need to define the next path he was to take.

His attention reverted back to the other as he spoke, his own eyes drifting to the direction of his home. “Willow Ridge lies just south of here. Elettra, the lead female, is strict when it comes to such matters, so the offer is appreciated.” There was a small pause, and while he would have questioned the male where he planned to go, he found himself leaving such a topic in the air. Had Faol wanted to discuss the matter, he would have brought it up, and Phineas was not willing to encourage the male to join the ranks of Willow Ridge when he seemed content to be on his own. “Traveling during the winter is a risk,” he mused then, his eyes flicking back to study the male. At five years of age, both were in their prime of life – they held experience, wisdom, and the strength of a still younger wolf. He was curious to the patht his male longed to take. “But it seems the season as treated you well.”

Ooc: Damn, this thread is 3 months old. xD I'll get this last post up and if you can squeeze one more then we will have enough for LP. Which Faol desperately needs >.<

Ic:

"This season has. I cannot complain. If I am not dead then I am doing well," he said. Although a chuckle laced his words, every wolf knew it was the truth. When you're a loner - if you are alive, you are grateful to be so. A small grin lifted Faol's face at the thought of what Lady Fate had brought him here for. It was not what he was expecting, but it was something to learn from nonetheless. It was few and far between that he had come to cross paths with another so close to his age. Someone that had enough experience to gauge him from a light conversation and not create unnecessary hostility. It was almost as if She had shown him this kindred spirit in hopes that they would remember this meeting if they have the chance to meet up again. The white male had come from a pack south of where they stood, and Faol gave his word not to create any ruckus for them. Winter was hard enough on its own without the constant patrol for thieves in search for a den cache. Faol was still reckless enough to try, but smart enough to know when to keep his word. He had a certain type of respect for the opposite male, a feeling of camaraderie.

Faol took a moment to shake the dampness from his pelt, and stretch his long legs. It wasn't too long until sunset and he was going to have to find a place to den up for the night. He would be looking for something particularly dry tonight considering the dense fog. His bushy tail swayed in a friendly gesture before he turned his back to the male, yellow eyes meeting with orange."I bid you farewell, Phineas. Perhaps we will meet again," he said, dipping his head in a friendly gesture.

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013, 02:46 AM by Faol.)

The darker male’s words struck a chord of amusement within Phineas, and the ivory male felt his tainted lips curl in a brief smile. It was refreshing to come across one not only of his age, but more of his dry sense of humor as well. He made no comment on the more somber statement however – such was true with life, whether you held a pack behind you or not. Nature had a tricky way of interfering with matters of all sorts, and the alabaster wolf recalled how quickly his life had changed from proud Leader and father to abandoner and rogue and back to pack wolf. All within a year of his life.

Faol made to rise, shaking his fur as he did so. Phineas was quick to follow suit, his fiery eyes casting out upon the path he would take that would lead him back to the Ridge. Both ears flickered at the sound of the other’s voice, and as Phineas swung his muzzle in the direction of the lone male, he offered a nod of farewell as well. “Keep safe on your travels,” he offered, his tail giving an idle flick before his shoulders rolled back in a light stretch.

Without much more hesitation, the Argyris wolf was once more taking the direction to home. His task of familiarizing himself more fully with the lands had given him the unexpected and brief interlude with a stranger, but one that he had found more settling and soothing than what he had found even with his own pack fellow pack members. Whether or not he ever saw Faol again, he almost doubted such things. The wolf seemed hesitant to settle just yet, and the lands that stretched beyond Relic Lore were just as plentiful.