Hush Meadow 505

Snow blanketed the entirety of the meadow in a comical fashion, unblemished in some areas but mostly dotted with the tops of grasses like tombstones in a graveyard. It was only late evening but the sun had long fallen, taking with it the few prey animals that dared to wander the field with little protection, and leaving silence so still it almost seemed like a threat. From her amber gaze the horizon looked so simple: a stark white ground clashing against the pitch black sky. There was a nothingness so astute clinging to every aspect of the Hush Meadow - a perfect, uncomplicated place for a phoenix to rise from its ashes.

Ankle-deep in the frost Ava left a straight line of broken paw prints. It would've been easier to come through the mountains - that was the way she had left, after all. To re-enter through the meadow was more symbolic; this was the first soil of Relic Lore she'd ever touched after all. But she'd grown quite used to the lack of stone's scent in her fur and in truth, the idea of returning to her old haunt still frightened her, a fact which Ava would keep contently to herself even if asked.

She would not go to seek them out. Not yet, anyway.

All wounds had been replaced by scar tissue, tough and untouched, at least until she conjured up the idea in her head that it might be wise to return. Unfinished business, so many words left unsaid, an entire life left unlived... who could bear it? Not she, certainly. Though tonight the icy touch of winter's night served well to leave a blanket of ice over the memories in her unpicked brain. After all, now was not the time to fill herself with regret - something like food would be more practical, all things considered. Living lone for several months had left her weaker than usual with a gauntness that showed in her face and a slowness in her step that was entirely uncharacteristic of the fleet-footed huntress.

And yet for all her hardship the fire in her eyes burned brighter than perhaps it ever had; a deep-rooted red shining past the golden touch of her amber eyes as she moved slowly but with dedication across the eerie field.

Ava had blamed the dysfunction of the Poisoned wolves for driving her out, but that had to be farce; it was nothing more than her own maladjusted will that had moved her from the Lake. Solitude at first had been a welcomed relief but it proved only to stifle her ability than uplift her spirits. The last time she had been within the Lore's boundaries she was taken under oath swiftly. Rhysis found her, fed her, and gave her an immediate in: be a founding member, help create his pack. It'd been a swift choice, one with which she fought for a moment's time, and yet ultimately Ava gave her entire self to the cause. And through it all she'd bled for them, but she'd bled beneath them - the founding fourth, the third, the Second-in-command. Never was she head of the table. One thing at least was certain of her return: this time she wouldn't be so complacent.

As the dark figure broke further and further into the white-blanketed Meadow it was clear that no frostbite in her toes or woes in her heart would stop her. Head held high, here she was: Ava, rid of poison, daring to blaze a trail of her own.

(This post was last modified: Jan 04, 2013, 11:03 PM by Ava.)

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He was not clueless when something was not right, far from it. It might be an inner sense because he was a mischief maker himself, so when Borden and Kade had spoken they could not hide the worry, and anxiety in their hearts. Renier had noticed strange things too, among their home, and further away to the places he had dared venture. It made his nose burn, and his legs want to tear away with him. The adults were hush, hush, making him grind his teeth. When would he be considered a part of the circle? Could they see his growing limbs, the weight that had begun to fill him? He was not such a useless, little helpless child...no. He was going to prove it to them, by finding something himself.

"Ryvet, come on already. Haven't you marked enough?" Irritation laced Renier's voice. (as if anything else ever did) Pointed ears flat to his head, he let out a low growl to urge his brother to move quicker. Didn't he know he didn't haveto pee on everything? Surely, they would be able to follower their own trails back to the Hollow before they were caught by mother...or Kade. Something that made a pinch of guilt pluck his heart, but he ground his teeth, and took another step in the snow. They wouldn't tell him, and he was tired of their careful ways. Moving along, the golden and tawny wolf kept his eyes down. There was still nothing that caught his attention when he begin to scent the white snow, and dead grass. There was prey around, but what else lurked in the darkness?

"Ryv!" He yelled again, his thin patience gone with the cut of his brother's name. He hated doing this alone, it was dark, cold, and it wasn't worth anything if he kept losing sight of the white wolf. Was he screwing with him again? Whipping his head around, his golden eyes stretched along the shadows trying to see if Ryvet was about to pounce. There was something, a shadow out there?

"Ryv?" The edge of his silver guard hairs rose along his spine, beefing the young Lyall up. Something was out there, and he couldn't tell if it was his brother or not.

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2013, 12:45 AM by Renier.)

Of course it had been Renier’s idea to sneak out after dark. Sure they were bigger now, but something had been off in the forest lately and their parents had been keeping them close. After the freedom they had grown into, it was stifling and even Ryvet’s feet began to itch for adventure. So, carefully they snuck, picking their way between the sleeping bodies of the Hollow wolves.

He could hardly believe it when they made it out without someone waking and telling them to go back to bed. Suddenly, excitement filled his lanky body and along with it came the almost uncontrollable urge to pee. But he held it, until they had passed their parents markers. He may as well make use of what he had, this way, they could find their way home no matter how dark it got... hardly breadcrumbs - he wouldn’t have to worry about forest creatures swallowing up this trail.

His brother’s voice cut through the darkness. Just as well, he was running on empty. With a roll of his mismatched eyes the pale pup slunk forth, all but vanishing in the pale quilting of snow that littered the meadow.

Another call of his name from ahead brought a sigh from his chest. “I’m right ‘er ya’ ninny!” he called out as he slunk forward. “C’mon, we better get back before Kade f-” his words were cut short as the dark shadow loomed. His tail tucked between his legs and his ears pinned to his skull. He should have known better than to speak the guardian’s name, it seemed every time he did, there he was. They were in trouble now...

I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation

TAIMA LYALL

You're living in the past, It's a new generation

Her brothers' attempts at being sneaky did not go unnoticed. As soon as she felt one of them rise up from her side, she immediately closed her eyes, rolling on her back and allowing her forearms to tuck close to her body and her hind limbs stretch as far as they could go. The careful tiptoeing about the warm burrow made her ears twitch as she pretended to still be asleep. Once they had gone, she shifted, her eyelids fluttering open just in time to see Ryvet's tail lift from the main tunnel. She rolled back over, listening in anticipation for the questioning that would spill from their father's mouth upon being discovered. Nothing. Silence.

Frowning, the young lady gathered her feet as quietly as she could beneath her and started up the underground passage. Without further questioning where the duo had gone, or where Borden had taken up his post, she adopted a hurried pace. It had been a long while since she had thought of foiling their boys-only adventures. She kept her distance, led easily along by the stench of her brother's urine. She assumed they were going somewhere far; Ryvet, while he had always been the careful one, had never been as adamant as this until now - marking every couple of feet versus the usual meters their parents usually made.

"Ryvet, come on already. Haven't you marked enough?" Renier's voice pierced the evening air and it gave Taima a start. She stopped beside a thick shrub, listening as her masked brother called out for Ryvet once... then twice... It wasn't unusual for them to become separated from another but to hear Renier's impatience give way to a more uncertain tone the second time was strange. Not too far from where she and Renier stood, ivory boy's voice readily replied, "I’m right ‘er ya’ ninny!" Taima gave a snicker. Boys... She strode forward, ready to try and ambush one of them when Ryvet sounded out again, “C’mon, we better get back before Kade f-”

Ohhh, they were in trouble now. She smirked, emerging just within view of both Ryvet and the dark figure. Her tail lifted haughtily as she eyed the shadow. "Yer in trouble now!" her voice boomed, not caring at this point in time if she also got in trouble for sneaking out. "An' Kade's gonna tell Mom and Dad. GROUNDED!"

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The emptiness in the air ended abruptly, but uncertainly - was that a voice she'd just heard? Ava came to a slow halt, ending the delicate crunch of snow that rang in her ears and turning her head to peer into the vast night. For a brief moment the wind stopped blowing and the world felt dead once more. A moment's worth of breath held later, Ava exhaled and returned her attention to her prior engagement, concluding that whatever she'd heard had not been real. But as she lifted a paw into the air once more the silence was crudely interrupted, prompting her to nearly face-plant as she tripped over her own gaunt legs.

This time she knew she heard it right. One called - Ryv - and the other responded - I'm right here. Gathering herself Ava refused to balk; her steps continued calmly even when her heart rate jumped. Their voices echoed across the empty plain, shattering the silence completely and greedily taking the she-wolf's attention. Ever so curious as to just who it was out there screaming the night-cloaked female made no hesitation to pivot on her heel and head directly toward the source. Pups feared the dark, but not she. Besides, any wolf out there making such a racket was either incredibly naive or a mastermind of ambushes come directly for her, and one seemed more realistic than the other. Of course, she kept one ear on her surroundings... just in case.

Against the snow she stood out almost violently, a pitch-black shape in the stark whiteness with a pair of gleaming amber eyes. There was no way she could sneak up on whoever she was approaching even if that had been what she wanted. The gentlest of winds brought her their identification and eased her mind to some extent - they were only kids, and one of them was peeing on just about everything he could find. She didn't bother herself with the faint familiarity their scents brought her. After all, she'd lived here before and it was only logical that nothing would be entirely alien to her. Whatever pack they were from was not Poison Path and that was reason enough for her to continue.

Ava descended upon the wolves, their forms becoming clearer and clearer as she approached. They were indeed still cubs - not fullgrown; but maybe halfway there. Whatever they were doing out alone in the night they seemed very uncertain of, and particularly worried about -

Kade? Was that what he'd just said? Were these Grizzly Hollow's latest children?

Her footsteps faltered. She was awfully close to them now, at such a distance that they would surely notice her as long as their bickering subsided. It was too late to disappear but she was not at all prepared to face him, to explain to him, to beg his forgiveness. From their direction came a swift arrival, her heart stopping; That was-

Not Kade, and far from it even. Ava could not deny her relief, though it was short lived as the new arrival's sharp remarks rang forward. A limp smirk hung meekly at her jaw at the she-wolf's threat of a child's punishment, as if being confined to the densite for bad behavior was the worst consequence of their midnight romp. She could not deny there was a touch of mischief left in her mended mind - oh, she could certainly mess with these kids. She almost wanted to, perhaps pop out at them from the cover of night just for the sheer tickle of it. Of course, Ava liked to believe she had matured in her time away. She couldn't indulge in such shenanigans, especially not if their presence would bring his. When she saw him again after all this time apart a cruel puppy-scarer wasn't exactly the impression she wanted to go for.

... But how could she be expected to resist?

Ava had stopped within earshot and definitely close enough to warrant their attention; now she brought herself even closer with a few delicate steps, her movement smooth and almost serpent-like. "Oh, you're in for it now, alright," she teased, standing still some few lengths away from the brood. "And I'm certain that Kade is the least of your worries out here..." Her voice was void of snarl but the threat was still obvious - now all she had to do was come up with a persona. Who would she be for these silly youngsters tonight? Perhaps the Guardian of the Meadow, angered by some child pissing on everything she owned? Or she could be the Devil herself, out to snack on a fresh selection of her favorite food... Amber eyes blazing through the darkness she awaited their reactions to calculate the perfect next move.

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2013, 07:15 AM by Ava.)

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Renier wanted one thing, to be fearless. He wanted to stare at a monster, and not lose his nerve.

The multicolored wolf shot his head to give his brother a scornful look. I'll give you ninny, his eyes said, the end of his tail giving a rigid flick. Renier was ready to jump on Ryvet, see if he liked being rolled in the snow out here as well. He was already insisting they go back. This was what could drive Ren mad. They had only gotten here, go back? They had nothing! This was why he had wanted to leave him. Always foiling the plot before it had began. What if he couldn't stomach mom's face? Who was the real ninny? Ryv shut up on his own accord, and a creamy brow shot up. What? With extreme caution he would pull his head around, and notice the gleam of eyes in a black figure.

Kade?! No, he shouldn't be here already. The boy felt his guts churn, but he did not slink like his sibling. If that was not enough his rotten sister pulled herself from hiding, rubbing their faces in it. SHUT UP! He wanted to yell so he could focus. His nose was itching, and telling him to turn his head back around. A nerve in his limb began twitching for his want to pounce and prove them wrong. What happened to them being on his team these days? Listening to him. How easy they sold out these days, shouldn't this be easier?

Defiantly he stood waiting for his scolding, or merely the cold silence of the forest Guardian he feared, respected, and at times disliked because he was jealous. Yes, let him make them go back. What would there mother say this time? Nothing ever changed Ren's mind, and nothing ever would.

The shadow wolf came closer, and when the moon reflected burning eyes like the sun Renier knew his heart began to race, and no way was this Kade. The further his hackles raised, and he flinched his lip. It was a lady, and she was warning them. This would not do, or set well with the young man. They had ever right to be here, and if she was going to have a fit she better get the facts straight.

"Says who?" He responded, his voice as deep as it would be before reaching a full year with a look that might have been scary if he was older, but was likely amusing on his young face. "There is three of us, and only one of you."

Pale brows drew together at Taima’s gleeful crow. Why did she have to be here too? He was sick of being grounded (given he was the only one that paid it any heed while his siblings still ran rampant about the countryside)...but it wasn’t Kade’s voice that slipped forth from the dark wolf’s mouth, no...this was a female wolf...

WITCH! he wanted to shriek into the air, after all, what more could such a dark creature be out at night, in a meadow, stalking young pups like she was? His heart raced and it was a good thing his bladder had already been emptied, else he may have found himself in a most embarrassing predicament. He inched closer to his brother with half a mind to bite him out of her hypnotism and into flight as he should. Her eyes burned, if he had ever been unfortunate enough to see a fire he would liken them to embers, but he had not, and so all he saw was blood in her gaze.

He froze in place, terror clear in his slack jawed stare as the words slipped cleanly from her tongue. Ryvet almost fainted when the words left his foolish brothers mouth. She was going to eat them. He was sure. They were all going to die here and their parents would never find them. He knew Taima would make terrible fun of him for this if they ever managed to get out of it alive. But right now, he doubted that was something he would ever have to worry about.

I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation

TAIMA LYALL

You're living in the past, It's a new generation

The girl smirked, turning to the dark figure with the wag of a tail. "Grounded, grounded, grounded," she repeated in a sort of sing-song tone. Her chest puffed up but her posture crumbled as soon the stranger's voice reached their ears. "Oh, you're in for it now, alright." Taima's ears perked up with shock at first then lowered as a gasp fled into her lungs. The woman continued to tell them that Kade was the least of their worries. This being was not Kade. In regards to identifying the Guard, it seemed she would never be able to correctly differentiate him from all his look-alikes

Her eyes flickered to her brothers, wondering if she would even be able to reach them before this creature of the night came any closer to them. She might have run to save her own hide, but her nerve was renovated by Renier's challenge. Her glare returned, prompting her ears to rise back up atop her skull. "Yeah," she backed up her brother's statement. Keeping her eyes on the ember-eyed shadow, she inched towards Ryvet, her tail lifting ever so slightly. Her ashen sibling might have succumbed to fear, but if this pitch black demon wanted to prey on him for his weakness, she would have to get through both her and Renier.

"You leave us alone," she growled. "You don't even know who you're messin' with."

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These damn kids.

They were going to be the death of him.

As if keeping track with Taima on a daily basis wasn't exhausting and time consuming enough, the boys now insisted on sneaking off in the middle of the night; unfortunately for them all, the guard found little sleep to be had tonight, with darkness or danger just around every bend, and was within ear shot of the main den. They may have slipped past their mother, but their father had left specific instructions to keep an eye on the children before he and Danton departed, and the shadow of a wolf planned on upholding his end of the agreement.

He took his time stalking the trail of the Three Stooges, at times stopping altogether to ensure that his presence would not be noticed. It was not until the pups crossed over the border that he became wholly frustrated. What were they thinking! Or, what weren't they thinking...It was one thing to play in the dark within the confines of guarded territory, but to venture this far out was ludicrous and irresponsible. For all any of them knew, himself included, the ghost of a monster that had been killing the local vermin could be right out there in front of them, waiting...

Quietly he took in a deep breath before quickly pressing forward. This had gone far enough.

Before he'd made it to the threshold of the meadow the bickering began. First Renier, then Ryvet, then Taima, their trademark phrase "grounded," his own name, and...a most curious voice. For a spilt second he held his breath and his mind raced to put an image to the sound. He could have sworn he'd heard it before...Or had he? Whoever the third party was seemed to be ruffling their feathers, and quite simply he had it in mind to let her. Maybe they'd actually learn a good lesson, and if there was a turn of events, well...he was not far.

(This post was last modified: Jan 10, 2013, 02:12 AM by Kade.)

Her fearsome stare lessened for a second as the mottled male drew himself up and retaliated. Damn, he was too smart. Was the Meadow Guardian bit going to work on this one? Ava would've balked and shifted into responsible-adult mode, had his brother not given a more favorable reaction. The sheer wideness of his mismatched eyes begged her to exchange a little more banter before seeing if their will was ballsy enough to defeat her rusty act.

Stepping the tiniest bit closer she countered, "And you're each half my size and, I'm willing to bet, half my strength," Ava hoped the darkness would hide the boniness of her frame and that in addition she might look a tad taller than she really was. Of course her statement had been a hyperbole, but it was the delivery that truly mattered. Confidence was all she needed to get them to believe they were still nothing more than anklebiters. "What a shame you've got lip to spare, when it's actually your brother who inherited the brains." She turned her gaze sharply on the pale fellow, trembling beside his littermate. I'm talking about you, sweet thing. He was her best piece in this game. As long as those legs continued to quake in their metaphorical boots, Ava had a string to pluck.

She brought her head up high and straightened her legs, using as much of her height to her advantage as she could. Their sister chimed more assertively than she'd ever heard a child speak and for a brief second she felt irritation in her blood - but she couldn't let them spoil her fun, not yet. Somehow she'd get them to bite. And regardless of their little growls, they'd all scooted inward on each other - a classic huddle of underlying fear. Ava took a grander step forward now, speaking severely down her nose to the fiery female: "Cedar clings to every hair on your head, girl. You don't belong here."

Oh but they would not be swayed with mere words, Ava could tell. Her tone was sickly sweet like a hidden poison, her stare unrelenting, and for the slowest of moments she drew her lip upward, running her tongue over a row of sharp teeth with the most crooked of grins tugging at her features. Ava let them glisten under the starlight for a little longer than was natural, if only to fend off their remarkable confidence. Then, with an eerie softness, "Won't you tell me just what you're doing so far from safety on so dark and cold a night?Of course, she was completely oblivious to the arrival another shadow lurking beyond her area of play, whose very presence slandered her teasing. So long as she and the Grizzly Hollow kiddies both were oblivious to the faithful and well-foreshadowed Guardian in their midst, the upper hand was hers.

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