Hot Springs I just don't stack up next to you

Feeling out of place in her homeland, Sagacity took to wandering again as soon as she felt physically able to do so. She felt tired, drawn out, with a low reservoir of energy. This she pegged to exhaustion from healing, plus perhaps a tinge of depression which she wasn't quite willing to acknowledge yet. It hung about her like a cape drawn about her shoulders, one which she refused to admit was even there, to the point where she denied that she would need to shrug it off. She mourned not for the fact that she had been attacked and used; she only felt anger toward whoever it had been that had attacked her. She would find him again one day, she promised herself, and he would not survive their next encounter. But she felt sadness, something which followed her as closely as footsteps left behind in the snow. She mourned the loss of children which could have given her a part of Rhysis that she could have had for her very own- a part of him that Naira could never claim.

She caught the scent of water tinged with an odd scent. She'd never smelled water quite like it before but felt drawn to it, to investigate what it was. She felt warmth in the air which mingled with the cool mid-morning breeze, and found herself moving more quickly when she realized that the warmth intensified the closer she got to the hot springs. A thin haze rose through the trees ahead, and she marvelled at the fact that water could be so warm, even at this time of year.

It looked much like any other water source, though it was much warmer and perhaps a bit more opaque, though she wasn't sure if she imagined that or not. Warmth rose from its surface; she lowered her head to smell the water and decided she did not want to drink it- it smelled too strongly of earthy minerals. But she placed one front paw in the warm water and then the other- the sensation was delightful. She looked around, wondering if others would think her mad for moving further into the warm waters, but the temptation was too strong. She waded in until she was up to her elbows and slowly, carefully, lowered herself into the hot springs, closing her eyes and sighing in the rapture as she was engulfed in the warmth of the mineral rich waters. For the first time since her return to Nomad's Pass he felt relaxed, warm and healed.

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The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

Ah, the life of a wanderer was never boring. Heavy gray paws fell in the distance, accompanied by the burly form of a black male, striped with white aging fur. It had taken him sometime to travel from the woods located in the Northern parts of the Lore, but he had taken his time on the trip. His nose lay toward the ground, stopping only when the scent of an easy meal crossed his path. As he continued his travel he noticed that the land seemed to lend itself in a certain direction, as if there had been many generations of wolves that had taken this path, their footsteps forming the Earth into a unknown trail. If one was not looking for it then they might not even notice it was there. The gift of instinct was well versed within Faol's fabric and he stopped for a moment to check his surroundings. He was still confined within the trees, but the land parted ways ahead, appearing to circle. The verisimilitude that it was to surround a body of water was definite.

He had smelled the faint stench of a pack while moving around their outer limits, and making sure to not cause enough ruckus to disturb any members that might be snaking their way around the borders. Astonishingly, he had only one run in with a pack wolf, Phineas, and their meeting was friendly nonetheless. Yellow eyes searched the sky for a moment when pepper colored ears caught sound of a circling raptor, in obvious pursuit of prey. He moved forward.

Through his venture around the unknown lake, he could suddenly feel the pulsation of heat. It was heavily carried by the wind and felt like a soft touch when it split his fur. He was happily surprised by the feeling, and lifted his head up to greet the sensation. Some wolves might not have known what they were experiencing, but Faol knew the moment the strong scent burned his nose. He made his way to the edge of the springs, filling his large chest with the vapor. A small smile tugged at his otherwise hard features, but fell quickly when he noticed a figure in the distance. Their scent was unintelligible from the heavy mist, so he was immediately alert. A low bark escaped his throat in an acknowledging greeting.

(This post was last modified: Apr 16, 2013, 10:52 PM by Faol.)

It took her a few moments to adjust to the strangeness of the warm waters. The mist swirled around her head and for a little while it was noticeably harder to breathe than it had been before she'd come to the pool- she chalked this up to the mist, though, and the humidity. With her eyes closed and her body relaxed, she was able to enjoy the sensation further, feeling the waters move around her softly, gently, caressing her body. She felt calm and serene there, and all tension eased away from her shoulders and limbs. She couldn't smell very well, over the scent of the mineral-infused waters, but she simply invested faith in the hope that no one would come near her in a harmful way, not when the surroundings were this peaceful, and not when she was this relaxed. Part of her doubted anything would happen simply because of the odds- she'd already been attacked once, she should then not have to worry for quite some time of a similar thing happening again.

One of her ears drifted lazily toward the sound of a low bark. There was no urgency in it, it had merely been a greeting. She opened her eyes and turned her head, peering through the haze as she tried to make out the figure standing there- she could hardly make out any features, but recognized the colour and shape as being a large, dark-coloured fellow, fairly tall. The colour of his pelt reminded her instantly of two wolves- first, of the stranger which had attacked her and second, Rhysis. But she didn't recognize the build as belonging to either of them. For a moment he was a stranger to her eyes, hardly discernable until she saw the full, thick, plushy tail.

She squinted, trying to make out a clearer feature, but the haze was too hard to see through. Sagacity sat up, warm water trickling down her slicked grey pelt which became significantly darker when wet. With her head slightly higher the mist was not so thick, and she thought she saw, when a puff of a breeze shifted the mist, the glint of yellow eyes. "Faol?" She asked, voice proclaiming easily that she wasn't entirely sure if it was him or not, but she felt confident enough to make the guess.

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The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

Although the sensation of delight had quickly melted away once he took notice of the other wolf, a small pang of surprise shot through his ears when a familiar voice spoke his name. Ears turned fully alert, his head lifting to peer through the foggy atmosphere; almost like a deer would whilst hearing footsteps. His yellow eyes flickered, a black smile hardly pulling at his stone face. He could not see her through the fog that moved so swiftly, but it was almost as if he was facing hallucinations once again. Relaxing his posture, and wiping the grin off his face, he made his way over to the silver pelted female. His tail swayed easily in the hot breeze and his shoulders rolled with each step he took. Paws could feel the heat from the rocks pushing up through the leather of his pads, as his dark fur became beaded with warm condensation.

She was almost invisible in this setting, had she not been moving he might not have noticed her at all. The water soaked her pelt, and for a moment he felt ashamed to be looking at her small figure with fur matted down to her lithe frame. The smell in the air, and the heavy mist made his head swim in a calming way. He approached the side of the pool where she had immersed herself, but he stayed far enough away for comfort. "Fancy meeting you here, Sage," he said. His voice sounded as if it had crawled from deep within his chest. Of all the wolves he could have run into, what were the chances that he would see her again. The female who had willingly opened her home to him, but they had not spoken since. Faol did what he needed to in order to survive, but for once someone had helped him. Although he wouldn't outwardly admit it, he would help this woman if she ever found use for him.

He didn't answer at first so Sagacity sat a bit taller, the wet hairs along the back of her neck lifting a bit, though weighed down somewhat by the moisture. He was quite still and for a moment she lost sight of him completely, until she caught sight of movement. He was approaching and the sterling female tensed, ready to spring backwards with a spray of water should he charge toward her. She was sure she'd seen the glint of yellow eyes through the fog, but maybe she'd imagined it, as she'd wanted so badly not to see the hue of lime green. Her lips tightened as she watched, turning her head swiftly for a moment to glance about- she could have been surrounded, for all she knew.

But her mind was put at ease when he came close enough for those eyes of his to be seen as clear yellow, and his pace was relaxed. It was Faol, she realized, with relief. She hadn't seen him since the incident with the mushrooms- at that point in time she hadn't been entirely sure of him, but he'd been gentled considerably by sobriety, and therefore left her to assume that any hostility she'd sensed had been because of the mushrooms.

She gave him a small smile when he spoke at last, his voice somewhat coarse but not without allure and gentility. He was a bit of an enigma to her- had she not met him in a near-frantic state she might have understood him better, but as it was she was still somewhat left in the dark about him; it was hard to forget such a memorable first meeting, and difficult for it not to have an impact on her perception of him. But to his credit, however, was the fact that he'd recovered quickly and had done no wrong even while possessed by the infliction of temporary insanity. "It's nice to see you again, Faol," She said. "Keeping out of trouble?" She asked in a jokingly churlish way.

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(This post was last modified: Apr 24, 2013, 06:23 PM by Sagacity.)

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It was almost surreal for Faol to have come across the silver pelted female by complete serendipity. Although their last meeting was memorable, he was sure that it left her confused about him. Whether she ever thought about his well-being was unknown to him, but often he would think of hers. He wondered about the girl and if the Lore was treating her as well as it had treated him, but he would have nothing to give him answers. Until now. Sagacity had proved herself to be a whangdoodle in his mind - and a constant one at that. A faint smile parted his lips when she said it was good to see him again, but you couldn't help an old fool for his expression when there was no one else to say such things to him. It had been a long time since he had heard his name said, remembered, like he used to so often. He blinked slowly, glinting yellow eyes taking in her image."It is good to see you too, Sage. I have wondered where the Lore had taken you," he said, his voice not giving away his emotions. "I have been well. I have made my way around the Lore, and the wolves have given me little trouble," he said, lifting furry brows to emphasize his surprise.

Although Faol was older than most of the wolves he had come across, he was not yet to be stricken down and called an elder. He was still handsome in his way. His face was expressive, but eyes were hardened like pools of sunlit amber. His once soot colored maw and large feet were now peppered with white to show his age; his experience. Looking at Sage made him miss the vibrancy of his youth, the power, the raw emotions. He had grown into an experienced man, with years of fights, love, and death in his past; and they all faded eventually but left physical attributes.

Sage was kind enough to start a conversation with him, given he had intruded on her without knowing, and he was more than happy to oblige her. "I always stay out of trouble, my dear. It's easy when you don't get caught," he said, giving her somewhat of a coy smile. "How about yourself?"

NYAHAHAHA WHANGDOODLE!!! Today's word of the day is almost as good :D

Sagacity had only been given a slight glimpse of who Faol really was the last time they had met. It had been enough to assure her that he was reasonably safe, especially given that even while intoxicated, he hadn't harmed her. It was too easy to become aggravated while consumed by the grip of mushrooms, but he hadn't harmed a hair on her body. This alone meant a significant amount to Sagacity who had, uncharacteristically, given him enough of her trust as to let him stay in her den that night. Not enough to share it with him or to frequent it much after that, but she hadn't run out on him, in the very least.

She hadn't expected him to be a QUACKSILVER or a demon- and he proved her right. He was mannerly and calm, and seemed fairly sincere about what he said. Truth be told, Sagacity had expected that they might see each other again- there had been a feeling that had accompanied her whenever she went out scouting that she might find him again. She'd even decided that if she came across his trail, she would have pursued it in the interest of finding him- just to quiet the little voice which insisted they would meet again. And here he was- she hadn't expected to see him there, certainly not while she was in the middle of a sauna-like bath, but she wouldn't complain. It was as good a time as any.

Sage, relaxed, allowed herself a small laugh at his comment and she nodded. He seemed like the type who might enjoy a bit of a thrill now and again, so long as the repercussions were avoided. She nodded appreciatively when she asked about her own experiences. "I've been keeping busy. Haven't had to play 'hero' in a while though; life's getting a bit boring without someone to save." She joked.

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The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

Ooc: sorry for the ridiculous wait. I just started a part time job :P

Ic:

"Well, I have to admit, I would rather be friends with a hero than a damsel in distress," he said, a small chuckle breaking the gruff tone in his voice. Faol had not had the time to properly thank the woman for helping him, and he figured that now would be a good of time as any, but it wasn't particularly easy for him to admit."I do wish to thank you for helping me. I was out of sorts, and now I can see that you are not a dark hell hound after my very soul," he said, remembering the shape shifting creatures that had appeared before his yellow eyes. Although the silver female before him stood, Faol took the liberty to set himself on the steaming rocks a comfortable distance from her mineral pool. The warmth radiated from the stones and soothed his aching feet. The leather beneath was rough and callused from many a moon traveling. His body let go a sigh of relief as he felt the slow process of his pain ebbing away.

The two wolves had come across each other in such bewildering circumstances that he was curious as to why she was here. These pools were not easy to find, he had only come across them by mere chance, so he figured that she must be staying somewhere close by. The quaintness that comes with one's voice when speaking with mere stranger had not faded from his voice, but his inquisitive nature always got the better of him."I assume you have a den somewhere close?" he questioned. Of course Sage didn't have to answer if she didn't want to and after he thought about it - it really wasn't his business. The male found himself subconsciously attempting to get to know this Sagacity better; it was something he was not normally known for doing. However, it seemed to come natural with him, and it left him feeling rather confused. He wasn't quite sure if the feeling was paternal or lustful. Either way he said nothing more and fell silent. His yellow eyes laying on silver fur.

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013, 02:20 AM by Faol.)

Sagacity chuckled softly when Faol subtly hinted that of the pair of them, he was the damsel in distress and she the hero. A true reversal of traditional roles and she wasn't entirely sure she'd ever considered herself as a potential hero before in her life. She didn't consider what she'd done for Faol a huge service- instead, she considered the situation in a way which made Faol seem more like a savior, given that he'd managed to control the savage part of him which had awakened on that day. He'd spared her and she knew she'd been close to being attacked- had she said the wrong things, of course.

She winked one yellow eye at him churlishly when he spoke again. "Or am I?" She asked playfully. A hell hound? Probably not. She shook her head. "I'm as likely to be a hell hound as I am a hero," She admitted. When he sat close to the water, she watched him, but then sat down as well, her hind quarters sinking into the warm waters. A shiver ran up her spine and lifted the hair at her nape; it was an unusual feeling to sit in water so warm, but it was relaxing and pleasant.

She gave him a slight look of surprise when he asked about her den. "Looking to spend another night?" She asked playfully, coyly avoiding a direct answer to his question.

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The path to Heaven lies

Faol Bayard

through miles of clouded Hell.

Faol noticed that Sage didn't seem to take to compliments very well. It caused him to shake his head for a moment, thinking her silly to be such a way. Personally, on the other hand, Faol thrived on compliments and exaltation on his behalf. Funny how the first time they had met he wanted to gnaw the pelt from her back, and now they sat in friendly conversation encased by the warming comforts of their surroundings. He caught on to the coy gestures she had given him in response to his question, and it caused a laugh to roll from his chest. She had taken it differently then he meant it, but it was all harmless fun. Faol had no response for her other than the sheepish smile that had parted his maw to reveal large canines. "I don't cross many lone wolves in these parts. I just assumed a pack would scoop up a pretty, young wolf like you," he said, returning the same coyness that she had given him moments ago.

His own isolato from the other wolves within the Lore caused him to steer away from pack life. He had turned to the Fate's to handle his life, letting things happen without question. He had managed to spend the last four years of his life without becoming a pack wolf. Their sense of family and ranking annoyed him. He once had joined a pack in a rare phase of wanting to live more honestly, but it seemed that they were the liars. He was never fully trusted and made to feel like an outsider even with their pitiful acceptance. After fighting with a fellow member, leaving him nearly immobile, he stole away with some of their cache and a greater hate for packs then before he had arrived.

"Although I despise them, I wouldn't want to be a female wandering these lands alone," he admitted.

(This post was last modified: May 28, 2013, 04:07 PM by Faol.)