Hush Meadow flawless

Lachesis found a pair of shed elk antlers. come join me for RE points! weeee Partly Cloudy — Current Temperature: 72° F/22° C <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#838136; font-size:12px;">you're a doll, you are flawless but i just can't wait for love to destroy us The boy was in desperate need for some time alone. He adored spending most of his time with Anastasia – the pair were two peas in a pod; two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle – but he wanted some time to think about the preposition that Reaper had given the two Arctic wolves. As much as he wanted to belong, and wanted a pack to call home, the yearling was skeptical of the fiery-eyed loner’s plans. He wasn’t sure it was right for the dynamic duo, but he knew that Ana had hope. She was completely smitten by Reaper’s promises, and he knew that there was nothing he could do to convince her otherwise. This made her happy, and that was far more important than his own happiness. It was the dawn of the second day that Lachesis stumbled into the large meadow that cut into the land, his paws weary from traveling as he was met by tall, lush grass. It was a warm welcome, after being shadowed by tall trees for so long, to feel the heat of the sun on his back. The spider-legged yearling paused for a moment as he stretched his forelegs, tail curling in pleasure at the unexpected warmth. After being prisoned by the forests of Relic, XIX enjoyed any time out of the darkness he could get – especially when it came to a meadow such as this one. A few moments had passed before he started back up again, his long legs cutting through the long grass of the meadow. From the variety of scents being carried by the light breeze Lachesis could tell that there was pack nearby, which meant he had to be extra careful treading through the area. The last thing he needed was accidentally stumbling onto pack territory and being snapped at because he was too stupid to realize there were borders. At first he had been so reluctant in exploring the lands of Relic Lore, wanting only to stay close to Anastasia and keep away from the feral wolves. But now, after Ana had helped steer him in the right direction, the boy couldn’t get enough – he wanted to see everything that the lands had to offer, and meet as many wolves as he could. He especially wanted to meet more wolves like Capella, from the woods up North. Without warning, the boy caught his forepaw on something and tumbled forward, his long legs struggling to find something to grab on to. Falling on to his back, the boy lay there for a moment, head spinning while he tried to figure out what had just happened. Exhaling with a loud ‘huff’, XIX glanced back with his back still pressed against the earth, eyes narrowing as he started at the object he had tripped over. Blinking, the boy rolled over and pushed himself into a stand, his body low to the ground as he crept forward. He had never seen anything quite like it before – what looked like sticks painted a deep ivory, the twigs reaching toward the sky at a sharp point. The two sticks were stuck together, a perfect mirror image of each other, and the boy was amazed at how he had not seriously injured himself on the strange … thing.

stick with those who stick with you

I'll take that offer! I'm just going to play it like they have never met-- if that thread in the spectral woods miraculously revives later, we can figure something out then.

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Naia had reached the southern border of Relic Lore on her quest through the Pass, and she had found absolutely nothing. It was incredibly frustrating, really. Every legend from Naia's puphood described the location of the Hidden Tree wolves in exactly the same way: head south through the Great Pass and onward until you simply stumble into the promise land-- a sort of wolven utopia where prey abounds and packs are at peace with one another. The young wolf had followed the directions to a tee, but had smelled nothing and met no one that resembled anything from a Hidden Tree legend. That's what you get for chasing fairy tales, Naia could almost hear her snobby littermates telling her.

The strangest thing was that Naia could feel in her gut that she had found the right location. Each new place she discovered in this vast and diverse country was more beautiful than the last, and she could imagine no place that could be closer to heaven than this one. If she had found the Hidden Tree lands, where were the Hidden Tree wolves? Every pack that Naia had encountered so far just smelled wrong-- too secretive, too fearful, too ambitious-- and every wolf she met had his or her own unique brand of crazy. Even so, the young wolf was beginning to think of this strange land as home despite that fact that the Hidden Tree wolves remained.. well, hidden. It's not that Naia was set on just this one particular pack; if she met a family of wolves with the right smell and the right attitude, she wouldn't hesitate to join. Living a solitary life was against her nature, and she knew that if she remained alone for much longer she could very well end up a mental case herself, not unlike those she had discovered along her travels.

With the goal of finding a pack, or at least a small group of others that seemed hospitable, Naia had turned westward and journeyed deeper into the lands of Relic Lore. Her nose to the wind, following the faint scent of pack wolves had brought her to an open meadow. From the way the grasses kept twitching, Naia guessed that the meadow was teeming with the sort of prey animals that enjoyed roaming around in the early morning. Rabbits, perhaps. The young female was thinking about pursuing one of the twitchy-spots nearby when something more interesting caught her eye-- or rather, her ear. It sounded as if someone or something had collided heavily with the ground, and Naia cut her way through the grasses to investigate the source of the noise.

To her amusement, the female came across a gangly wolf that appeared to be even younger than her, but perhaps that was just the expression of awe across his face as he studied a freshly-shed pair of elk antlers on the ground. From her crouched position in the grass a few wolflengths away, Naia could smell that the lad was a loner like herself. Naia knew that she should just leave the stranger to his business, but her curiosity got the better of her. Who was this ghostlike youngster, and where was he from? Certainly not these parts, if he stared with unblinking fascination at a such a common sight as a pair of antlers dropped in a grazing meadow. Standing up at her full (though rather unimpressive) height, Naia called out conversationally, “It makes you wonder about the sort of beast that could drop a rack like that, huh?” She wagged her tail amicably, but decided not to approach the young male just yet. The other wolves Naia had met so far had been rather skittish, and the last thing she wanted to do was provoke an attack.

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sounds good! :D<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">you're a doll, you are flawless but i just can't wait for love to destroy us Lachesis smelt the female before her voice rang out over the grass, his pear-coloured eyes landing on her approximate location as he waited for her to appear. Luckily the stranger was a fellow loner, and although he was supposed to be looking for packs to join, the boy would much rather be in the company of a rogue like himself. There was less rules and formalities when it came to meeting another loner — he was good at being a loner, and he was frightened for when it came time to seeking membership within a pack. He knew that Anastasia wanted to be a part of whatever Reaper was planning, and even if he expressed the doubts he had about the strange Arctic he knew that he could not change his companion's mind. A faint smile worked its way onto his dark lips, his warm gaze studying the petite female that stood before him. XIX was getting much better at handling the feral wolves of Relic Lore, and he hoped that Ana was just as proud of him as he was of himself. Lachesis wasn't even sure if she noticed his progress lately — she was so enthralled by Reaper's ideas that he could have picked a fight with another wolf and she probably wouldn't have noticed. Stop it, XIX. The green monster called Envy was starting to rear its ugly head once more, and Lachesis soothed his thoughts by focusing his attention back to the tawny female in front of him. She seemed friendly enough — and offered a good distraction from his haunting thoughts. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"I've n-never seen these o-off an elk before," he commented, his gaze falling back to the antlers between the two wolves. Lachesis had not known that elks could even shed their antlers — he assumed that they kept them, just like ears or a tail. Perhaps the antlers were like a wolf's pelt, and they shed them at certain times throughout the year. The yearling had so many questions swirling through his head, but he wasn't sure if the loner knew the answers to all of them — the only creature that would know was an elk, and he could not understand the strange calls they made. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"My n-name's Nineteen," he added with a soft nod once he returned his gaze to the rogue female.

stick with those who stick with you

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As the stranger looked up at her with a small smile, Naia took a few hopeful steps toward the youngster. Perhaps she had finally found a wolf with whom she could enjoy a simple conversation… no sudden, unprovoked attacks or bolting at the drop of a feather. As she moved forward, more smells rolling off the strangers pelt met her nose, and she could tell now that the young arctic had been traveling this country for several weeks, same as her. It also smelled as if he had a companion, a female loner. Maybe the two were looking to band up with other lone wolves? The stranger seemed nice enough—well, at least he wasn’t conspicuously insane right from the get-go. If companionship was what he was offering, Naia certainly wouldn’t refuse.

The ghostly stranger replied, and Naia cocked her head at his stutter. Was this lone wolf afraid of her too? Naia would never begin to understand the reaction that others seem to have to her presence. As far as she knew, there was nothing even remotely threatening about her size or demeanor, and yet others treated her as if she wanted nothing more than to burn down their den and eat their babies. From what Naia had seen this place was paradise, but the wolves here acted within some sort of doom-and-gloom topos, as if danger hid around every corner. The contrast was more than a little disconcerting.

As she studied the young male’s expression, Naia came to the conclusion that he wasn’t afraid exactly, just a little unsure of himself perhaps. She could understand that—it was unusual for a yearling to leave home so early, and he was probably still in the process of navigating his place in the world. She nodded to him as he explained his reaction to the shed elk antlers. ”Aye,” she told him, ”It’s similar to how we drop our winter coats. This a sure sign that spring is here!” She turned her face up to the early-morning sun and smiled, feeling the warmth as it radiated through her fur. Last summer, when she was but a yearling herself, had been the happiest time of her life. She fondly remembered the long days chasing slow, fat prey and falling asleep on warm, musical nights. “I bet the two of us could take on this beast, now that it has dropped its weapon,” she told him, more as a joke than anything else. Even without its antlers and elk was a formidable opponent, especially for two scrawny wolves such as themselves.

”Nineteen,” she repeated his name as he introduced himself. A number for a name? Heavens, no wonder this youngster seemed so uncertain of himself. What sort of puphood must he have experienced, growing up as a number? Naia knew it would be impolite to ask, but she stored the question away for later. Perhaps once he was a little more comfortable, she could ask about where he came from. ”I’m Naia, ” she answered, ”and very happy to make your acquaintance, Friend.” Although he had introduced himself as such, Naia just could not bring herself to call him by a number. She continued, her voice takinging on an eager tone. ”I happen to know a game we can play with these, if you don’t mind ruining them.” The female took another few steps forward, now only a couple wolflengths away from the lad. ”See there at the base, they actually come apart. For the game, each of us makes a wish, and then we pull on separate ends, like pups fighting over a bone. When the two prongs come apart, whoever ends up with the largest piece will have their wish come true.” It was a silly pup’s game to be sure, but Naia had a feeling that Nineteen could do with a little whimsical fun.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;"> As much as the pale yearling enjoyed being a loner with Anastasia at his side, he knew that his friend was growing weary without a pack to protect them. XIX felt as if the life as a loner had been meant for him — he was finally good at something — but his blue-eyed companion needed the comfort and protection of other wolves. She was more than capable of defending herself, but she was far more suited to the life of a pack wolf than Lachesis was. The only pack he had ever known had been tainted by the grubby paws of the two-legs, and had not adequately prepared the youth for life outside the reserve. If he had not stumbled upon Relic Lore with his snowy companion, Lachesis would have returned to the Pack with his tail tucked between his legs. But now that he had explored more territories than he had ever imagined he would, the boy was thinking less about returning home. His parents and the other members of the Pack were suited to that lifestyle, and as the boy explored more of Relic Lore he realized that he was not suited for reserve life. Although he had hated Pyrrhus for forcing him to leave, if his brother had escaped the strange creature and they crossed paths once again Lachesis would thank him. He never would have met Anastasia if it hadn't been for that night when Pyrrhus dragged XIX out of the reserve — he never would have discovered himself. 'This a sure sign that spring is here!' A smile spread across his lips at the words of the stranger, his tail giving a soft wag behind him. They had barely exchanged words and XIX had already decided that he liked this loner — she was not like the other wolves he had met in Relic, and she reminded him of the dandelion-eyed girl from the woods North of the meadow. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"It's p-probably hiding now that it's n-naked," the boy commented with a flash of a wink in response to the loner's joke. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"Naia," he tested, the smile still pressed to his dark lips as he stored away the name for future reference. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"N-nice to m-meet you, Naia — that's a v-very pretty name." His ears perked up once she mentioned a game, his attention fully dedicated to her words as she dived into the game description. Pear eyes widened as she explained that whoever had pulled the biggest piece would be granted a wish — he liked this game! He nodded excitedly once she finished, his tail wagging frantically in excitement. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"Let's destroy them!"

stick with those who stick with you

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As she spoke, Naia took note of her companion’s amicable reaction with more than a little relief. Finally, another wolf that seemed normal… or at least more predictable than the other Relic wolves she had met so far. Naia wondered not for the first time what it was that could possibly have made the inhabitants of this region so jumpy around each other, to the point that they could barely hold a friendly conversation. The slight female’s ears perked up to attention as the ghostlike male spoke for the first time and... delivered a joke? It was so unexpected coming from the seemingly-tentative Nineteen that a silly giggle escaped from Naia. Still grinning, she shook her head in amusement as he winked at her.

He spoke again to compliment her name, his humorous tone replaced by sincerity. Flattered, Naia cocked her head as she received his kind words. ”Thank you,” she answered, hesitating briefly before adding, ”I was born Naida, but when I left home I changed it just slightly. I like to think I myself changed just slightly too.” This was a little more personal than she usually got with strangers, normally preferring to keep interactions light and happy. However, Naia thought that perhaps if she put the idea into his head, Nineteen might choose a new name for himself as well—not a number, but something appropriate for such a unique and charming lad.

As soon as she finished explaining the game, Nineteen nodded eagerly. The young female grinned as he added, ”Let’s destroy them!” and his word were all she needed to pounce into action. In two graceful leaps, she covered the distance to her companion and took hold of her side of the antlers. She shook them with a playful growl, her honey colored eyes shining merrily as they silently challenged Nineteen to join.

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<b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">you're a doll, you are flawless but i just can't wait for love to destroy us XIX was glad that he was no longer as skittish as he had been when he first arrived in Relic Lore — he was still incredibly awkward and anxious when meeting new wolves, but with the help of Ana's lessons he had improved dramatically. He knew the stutter would go away eventually, and he was growing more confident with each feral wolf that he came across. Once the pair joined a pack, he knew all of his habits would disappear and that he would appear almost completely normal. Now, when he encountered a wolf like Naia, Lachesis felt more comfortable and was able to break through his shell. He so desperately wanted to be accepted — by Anastasia, more than anything, and the wolves he came across during his travels. <b style="font-family:georgia; color:#353535; font-size:12px;">"Naia suits you," he commented softly, a little taken aback that she had shared something so personal with him. They were strangers, and still in the process of introducing themselves. Naia, Naida... Lachesis couldn't tell which one he liked better, they were both pretty. Short and sweet. Her playful demeanor reminded him of the sunny eyed girl from the Woods by his old den (who he also needed to visit again, since last time he ran into her Alpha by accident), and it was refreshing. The boy decided he was going to share his given name with the agouti female, but just as he was about to speak she had jumped at the antlers, grabbing her half between her jaws. With his tail wagging frantically behind him XIX dived at his half, gripping the bone as he gave Naia a nod to signal that he was ready.

stick with those who stick with you

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With another playful growl, Naia signaled that the game had begun. She pulled hard on her side of the antlers, digging her feet down into the tall grasses of the meadow. Her teeth scraped across the hard surface of the antlers as she tugged, and the small female relished the feeling of tooth-on-bone. She decided at once that she had been eating small game for far too long, vowing that her next meal would have delightful bones like this for chewing. Pivoting on the resistance coming from Nineteen’s end, Naia twisted her half of the antlers downward. If her companion twisted his side upward, they could work together to create a tear at the base. That was what Naia enjoyed so much about this particular game; it may be a competition on the surface, but if either wanted to succeed they had to work together.

As she tugged, Naia realized that she had completely forgotten to make her wish. Where to even begin? Should she wish for a home, a pack? That seemed like the obvious one, although to be honest her most recurrent craving of late had been for something even simpler: just a traveling companion would suffice. Now that she was closer to the pale lad, she could smell the distinct scent of another wolf wafting from his pelt. It seemed that Nineteen already had what she desired, and though she was just a little envious she was also happy for him. Life was hard enough for a yearling, especially a lone yearling. At least he didn’t have to be lonely as well. Lost in these thoughts, it almost came as a surprise when she felt the antlers starting to give. She met Nineteen’s gaze with a fierce yet delighted look of her own, her stare silently communicating to pull harder, that they were almost there….

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(This post was last modified: Jun 27, 2013, 09:52 AM by Ice.)

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Toes wiggled as his claws dug into the soil, jaws gripped tight around his half of the antlers. With unexpected strength, the lanky yearling twisted his head as he continued to pull backward, body hunched over the ground. This was fun! Joy filled the loner's body as he kept tugging furiously on the bone, quiet determination fueling his movements. He wasn't particularly concerned with making a wish — he didn't even know what he would wish for! — XIX was just interested in enjoying himself. Being around Anastasia recently had become frustrating, as she was often busy doting Reaper to give XIX any more lessons. The boy did not trust the strange Arctic male, and did not understand why his companion did not see him the same way. He knew that Reaper was a smooth-talker and had said something to Ana to cause her to completely fall for his plans of an 'organization'.

He could feel the bone starting to slip out of his jaws as he pulled himself away from his thoughts — he was losing focus! Mentally cursing himself, Lachesis tugged his side upward just as Naia pulled down, his brows narrowing as he began to put all of his strength behind his movements. He knew that they were getting close, the base started to crack and pop as they continued to tug on their respected sides. Adrenaline was taking over as XIX twisted his head up, claws digging as he shuffled backward...

Crack!

stick with those who stick with you

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The pair of antlers began to pop and crackle, further energizing the small wolf as she pulled with all her strength. She could feel her paws sliding forward as Nineteen did the same. The two were a near-even match, but with both operating at peak performance the other’s size gave him a slight edge. With final growl of exertion, Naia tugged the prize downward as her opponent pulled up, and the antlers came apart with a resounding crack. The tawny female suddenly found herself tumbling end over end, the soft grasses of the meadow cushioning her contact with the ground. After a few rolls she came to a stop on her side, laughing so hard the she didn’t even attempt to stand at first. The tumble was always her favorite part—it reminded her of being a pup again.

The memories of home were somewhat sobering, and her giggling subsided after a moment or two. The female gingerly rose to her feet and shook the dust out of her pelt. “Nineteen?” she called out, glancing around for her companion. In the tall grasses, his position would be nearly invisible until he stood as well. The tawny wolf’s gaze fell upon her antler, which had landed a couple wolfslengths from her crash site. She crossed the distance in a leap and appraised her piece as it laid on the ground. Perhaps it was a winning piece.. It was difficult to know for certain without having the other half to compare. She took the bone up in her teeth and once more turned her searching gaze toward the direction that the ghostlike male had disappeared.

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