Lost Lake Every rose has it's thorns

He was all she had, her mother was not anywhere to be found. Maybe she truly thought that it was a good lesson, to teach her children that no one was to be trusted, not even the woman that gave birth to you. She just could not believe such a thing, there had to be another reason. She had to be taken from them, she could never abandon those she raised right? It was a confusing ordeal; the only one she could fall back on was her blue eyed brother. He was always there for her, when she needed help getting through an emotion he would sit up with her for hours. Just listening to her, and now he was gone but she had to find him. The girl could not just sit around and live out her life without finding the one piece of her family she had left, she just couldn't.

Little did she know what the world had in store for her, it had been a rather scary road. Sure she had her love for nature and when the spring season came around she would in a complete and utter bliss over all the flora that would cover the ground. The feeling of soft new grass between her toes, not to mention how the season seemed to put most of the other canines in a rather pleasant mood. Though with every rose comes its thorns, she was alone. Loneliness always stung her heart though for some reason she would shy away from anyone that would dare come near her, her mother’s teaching must have scratched her heart just enough to become shy around a stranger. For the past two years of her life she had gained a stutter, and a strange wave of shyness that would kill any encounter she had with a fellow canine. Over time she learned if a wolf was patient and kind enough her stutter would fade away slowly and soon she would open up to her normal self but the world was scary without someone to protect you.

There were creatures that seemed to give her the creeps, snakes being one of her fears. They would always hiss and some even had a rattle to shake at her, from on wolf she heard they were poisonous and that was the end of her ever trying to like the slithery things. At night the forests would howl, watching her with glowing eyes and the branches rubbed together to make such a horrid sound. Every sound seemed to fill her with fear, she wanted to get over it but without someone to help her she could not seem to overcome it.

Life was hard, a lone wolf is always the loneliest. Having no one to fall back on and no one to rescue them if something were to go wrong, a few times she even went without a single scrap of food because she was not strong enough to take it down. It was all frustrating, nothing she seemed to do was right. Maybe she needed to find somewhere to stay, find others to be around. Would that cure her? Shaking her head she let her legs carry her aimlessly through the untouched snow, leaving paw prints if anyone dared follow her. Her jaded eyes finally landed on a patch of deadly nightshade, knowing where she was now. If there was one thing she could do it was to find her brother, after all she was finally catching his scent. Maybe, just maybe she could find him soon. Maybe, just maybe she would find him here. That was when she broke the silence with a gentle song.

(ooc: so I dunno how this works but there is a joining thread into poison path.. she is just outside the nightshade barrier.)

Steel was lost in his own thoughts. It was actually a rare occurrence for the stoic wolf. He rarely gave any thought to anything but being left alone and just plain instinctive survival. Though he lived in a pack, he was no pack wolf. He didn't thrive in the company of others, it made him highly uncomfortable and very often irritable. Even his own pack mates. Which was why he spent his days on endless border patrols and his nights were even spent far away from the den. The extra warmth that would offer on a cold winter's night was far outweighed by the fact that he'd have to be around others. So, he was a pack wolf, yet he lived alone.

The mindless patrols were no longer enough to stave off his thoughts and his memories. He'd run into a fae that was lost a scared recently and she'd reminded him of his sister so much in the sense of her helplessness that ever since that encounter, his mind was filled with memories of his tiny sister. She'd barely been a yearling the last time that he'd laid eyes on her. When their mother had taught them her cruelest lesson yet. That you could count on no one. Not even your own mother. That was the day that she left and that was the last time that he'd seen Jade. He didn't know if she was dead or alive and he told himself that he didn't care. But deep down under his cold hard shell of ice and steel... he did.

He remembered her luminescent sage green eyes, bright with tears from some new cruelty that Mother had dealt her, begging him to comfort her. And he had. She was the one wolf that he could never say no too, never turn away from... never forget. She'd been haunting his dreams for weeks now and he couldn't understand why, after all this time. Was it being around other wolves? Was it allowing himself to feel and inkling of emotion for the lonely out of place pup, Adonis? He didn't know. The only thing that he knew for sure was that the memories were driving him crazy. This was why he didn't form attachments.

He was overwhelmed with worry for a wolf that was most likely dead. As tender-hearted and weak as she had been, there was no way that she could have survived on her own as a loner. The thought caused a tightening in his heart for she had been the only ray of light in his bleak, dark world. Then, and even now. Suddenly, a sweet voice broke the silence and shivers ran up and down the burly wolf's spine. That voice...It...It couldn't be... Knowing that he had truly lost his mind, he had to chase down this phantom of his mind. He broke into a slow lope that got faster as he got closer to the soft song. When he was nearly there, he slowed and then move forward slowly and cautiously. He smelled another wolf, which reassured him that he wasn't losing his mind and then he saw the tiny fae before him and knew that he had lost it. Stormy blue eyes met soft green ones and time stood still. "Jade?"

Patrols were starting to become continuous. It seemed that none of the guardians within the pack would have any rest, they were all on high alert. Soon, things would be turning for the worst if they did not get more hunters, for they were running low on members. Treena and Ava were gone…no longer a part of Poison Path. He would keep his eye out for them, most definitely, but perhaps more of when he had time, which would probably never be. He was always too busy. Ever since the thread of Rhysis was poured over their heads Ash had not taken a break. He was either patrolling, looking after pack mates, or taking small naps here and there so that he wouldn’t collapse of exhaustion one day or another.

He had figured that all the guardians had set up their patrols quite evenly, though Ash sometimes took extra ones to ensure that no one would cross into the territory, in suspicion that someone might have figured out their patrol patterns. Today, everything seemed to be going by quite fine. No loners would be out and his border run was going by quite peacefully…and then, as usual, it had to be broken. Green eyes flashed in slight irritation, but otherwise were neutral, as he made his way towards where the soft call had been offered up. His paw thudded against the mountain floor lightly, his roughened pads easily moving over the rocky terrain.

When he arrived, he was pleased to see the presence of another wolf, Steel, he believed the mans name to be. Ash nodded to him, his tail lifted highly in dominance as he came to a stop, his eyes landing on another female. Ah…he had remembered meeting this female in the mountains, awhile back it had been. Jade…she had stuttered quite a bit the first time he had met her…being around large wolves probably hadn’t helped her case though. Nodding towards the female, he spoke to her, his tone containing all business, “What is your business on our borders, Jade?” His voice was not unfriendly, but it didn’t hold any emotion in them. He hadn’t been sure the girl would have stayed in the mountains, she hadn’t seemed like the type at the time.

I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

The wait brought an agonizing impatient in the child, her body trembled but not with just fear for the unknown but out of excitement. Would this be the day she was to reunite with her beloved brother or maybe just finding a home that she could call her own? All these questions seemed to drown her mind but still what seems to have stuck was how she got here, if it wasn’t for the yearling that led her to this place she would not have found it. The small woman would have still been roaming out in the mountains and lost forever in the gentle drifts of untouched snow, in her mind she made a mental note. She had to thank Rais for his patience and help; it was the right thing to do at least. Even if her brother no longer took shelter in this poisoned pack.

Reality escaped her as she tried to remember the last time she had laid eyes on her brother, remembering the storm blue of his eyes and the colorless fur. She could even remember the smell of his fur as she laid beside him one last time before he too vanish like their mother, it was painful to wake up without her only remaining piece of family. Her mind shifted abruptly to her mother, her slender frame that was always rattled with matted fur and eyes that had no trace of sanity left. Just the thought of her mother caused her to shiver; she was the only one that truly bit her but her mindset fell back to reality as a sound hit her ears.

Fear settled into her bones as she led her eyes fall on the deadly nightshade once more, jade and storm finally met again. Eyes locking as if one blink and the illusion would fade away, fear fell from her body as her tail began to sway uncontrollably behind her. Pale green eyes widened in surprised as she then brought her body to a stand, popping up slightly like a puppy that had no control over her movements. Jade wanted to answer him when he said her name in question but her tongue seemed to have run dry, she could not find the letters to even say his name. Instead she gave an excited whine followed by a child-like bark as she pranced up to the large man she called her brother, this could not be real could it?

Jade had just found her voice when another male emerged from the thicket, fear reestablished its place in her bones as she moved closer to her brother as if to ask him to protect her but then she realized something. She knew this man; she met him not too long ago in the mountains. Her eyes fell on his position and almost instantly her ears fell to her skull and her tail trembled as it fell between her legs, she was a stranger here. His tone did not hold the friendly tone that he used when they met, instead it was demanding, cautious. She whined once more out of uncertainty before her tongue found its function, I-I, we-well Her voice squeaked before she could find the words to say, stuttering like a trembling fool. To-to find St-Steel here, and uhm.. T-to join Poi-poison P-path Her voice came out in a bell ringing stutter, great she was making just a wonderful first impression to her brother..

(This post was last modified: Jan 05, 2013, 09:48 PM by Jade.)

Steel stood stock still as the sprite that was his sister danced before him with excitement. He had no idea how to react to his long lost sister whom he has assumed dead until only moments ago. What to say? What to do? She was so excited, although she said nothing, merely emitting sounds of excitement upon recognizing him. He truly was at a loss. He was emotionless, yet she sparked something in him. A flicker of a flame that might one day burn bright, but right now it needed to be nurtured into being. Her very presence was doing that to him, but the riot of unfamiliar emotions running through his mind confused the stoic man.

Then his pack mate and second showed up, demanding of Jade her purpose for being on the borders. That, and Jade stepping closer to him in fear seemed to stop the chaos. Ash was his second, but Jade was his sister, despite the years of separation. He moved between the two wolves a bit and his hackles raised slightly in warning. He held back a growl, but his body language clearly told the other wolf to take care with Jade. She was under his protection now. It was the first time the burly male shown any real emotion in over two years.

His green eyes stayed transfixed on Jade as she stuttered her answer to him. He nodded his head to her, but his stature became cold when Steel intervened. The subordinate in front of them was bristling, his stance protective. They were indeed siblings…relatives, perhaps even considered one another family, but so was pack. Ash released a warning growl towards the male. He had earned enough of the second’s respect, but now was not time for Steel to be challenging Ash’s decisions. He would have to accept was Ash did…he knew Jade enough, Chantille knew Jade as well. She should be accepted well into the pack, with easy transitions, as long as Steel did what was required, “I suggest you act differently when an alpha arrives, Steel.” He advised the large male quietly before turning his head.

His muzzle lifted towards the sky, a call for Athena or Tlarx echoing through the silent air. If any alpha were to turn up it would most likely be Athena…Ash hadn’t seen much of Tlarx since he had joined. Only every once and awhile. It might have also had something to do with the fact that Ash had secluded himself from the others for quite awhile. It didn’t matter though…as long as one of them showed up. His green eyes then turned back to Jade…she was far enough off the border, though a little bit more couldn’t hurt. He sighed briefly, awaited for one of his alphas to arrive.

I think I've finally seen the light..in you.

She moved towards her brother not thinking of how he might react with the new male arriving on the scene, she did not think as if he was a pack mate nor as a threat but now as someone she had met once before. Her voice stuttered out a response and yet she trembled lightly when her vision was blocked by her colorless brother’s movements, jaded eyes fixated on his posture and she could not help but feel like she was home once more. A memory flooded her mind before she could even speak, thrusting her into an illusion as she remembered Steel acting like this once before. To their mother, protecting her once more.

It was like yesterday, two children trying to learn a lesson from their mother. Cruelty poured from her tongue as she lashed out at her daughter for screwing up once more, but her teeth did not land on the little girl but on her son. A growl came from his lips as he protected his sister from their own mother, it was a moment of shock and relief but the memory did not hold her attention. Fading away like a day dream and letting her deal with reality once more, what was she to do? Shaking her head mentally she let her eyes slide over her brother’s body, tilting her head curiously at Ash’s next set of words. Her ears fell further on her head, stepping back one step when a growl escaped the man who asked her questions but that was not the only sound that came from him.

It was strange how a howl could mean many different things, this one was a summoning song. Jade tried yo move from behind her brother but fear and anxiety were against her, rooting her feet to the snow covered ground. Gentle flakes began to fall from the sky, swaying like tiny dancers before landing on her small body. All she could do was wait but that was the varying thing that was driving her from sanity, what could she do? Slowly she moved her muzzle to her brothers shoulder, nudging him softly in hopes to calm him down. She let his scent enter her senses, clouding everything else. It was nice to be beside him again, nice to be near her long lost brother. Waiting was not her thing but do be in the same pack life with Steel she had to get use to such a thing.

(Weird post..)

Keeping herself busy was one thing, but keeping her mind busy was another. Athena couldn’t find anything that could keep her broken heart from thinking about the ones that have left her in the dust so easily. It was getting harder with every heartbreak. It was even harder to keep her feelings to herself. Her stoic mask was wavering.

The slender white body of the poisoned leader snaked its way through her daily border run across the snow-covered kingdom. It didn’t take her long to smell the scent of others and soon after her ears were graced with the masculine voice of her loyal Guardian, Ash. His call was for either herself or Tlarx, but she hadn’t seen much of her burly mate lately. It would seem when she needed him the most, he disappears. Her slender legs worked their way towards the sound of Ash and she soon saw the bodies of the colorless Steel, burly Ash, and a tiny wolf cowering behind Steel. Hmmm, interesting.

Her burning eyes looked over the tiny female, her eyes stern, but not aggressive. She didn’t want any funny business here. Loners and Athena never got along. Take a look at her eye for example. The White Queen’s stature was dominant and regal as she came up closer towards the group, settling herself besides Ash’s side. She noticed the stiff and defensive posture of Steel in front of the tiny wolf. Perhaps, Ash and Steel got into a dispute before she arrived? Winter was here and Poison Path doesn’t need to be even more divided than it already is. They needed to become united once again. “What is going on here?”

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

Although his Second had not actually acted aggressively towards Jade, and somehow seemed to know her, her initial fright had brought out some unknown and primal instinct in him to protect her. The protectiveness that he would normally have given a beloved and cherished mate was all transferred to his tiny delicate sister. He had no need or desire for a mate anyhow. So, his instinct landed on her. The words that Ash spoke to him broke through his tension and he knew that the other male was right.

If Jade wanted to join, he needed to make sure that he did not hurt her chances. Honestly, the fact that she had somehow survived all of this time and even seemed to have thrived as a loner surprised him. She was tiny, but she was also fast. Apparently her hunting ability would stand her in good stead to prove herself useful to the pack. If they didn't want her, then he would leave with her. It was as simple as that, but the flicker of hope that seemed to appear on her face when she mentioned joining could not be overlooked. He would have to walk the line, if only for her sake.

He gave Ash a brief nod at his words, signifying that he understood his meaning. Not long after, the beautiful and regal form of Athena emerged from the trees and came to stand by Ash with an appraising look at he and Jade, before she demanded to know what was going on. Although he usually avoided conversation at all costs, this was Athena. The only wolf other than Jade, and perhaps now even Ash, that he had even an inkling of respect for.

Tipping his head towards Jade and then back towards her, he made a herculean effort to speak respectfully to the snowy queen. "This is my sister, Jade. We've been....apart....for well over two years." The body language that he was still exuding told the rest of the story. That she meant everything to him right now. She was the light to his darkness.

His large tail lowered slightly, though higher than Steel’s, when Athena arrived, happy to see her once again. When she stood by his side he gently nudged her shoulder, a sign of greeting and respect. Her commanding voice rang across the area and Ash’s ears flickered slightly, watching as Steel answered her. It was the most amount of words he had ever heard the man say, combined. It was good to see he had some way of communicating to them besides his cold front that he showed them all. His answer pleased his ears, it was….respectable enough. He couldn’t really do anything but stand there and watch to make sure Jade wouldn’t do anything to his alpha, but deep within him he knew she didn’t have the backbone to do so, she was too scared.

If Jade planned to join them, Ash hoped that she had some kind of good skill. Poison Path did not depend on others, and they certainly did not carry dead weight on their backs. He once again bumped his muzzle against Athena’s shoulder, a sign to her that he approved of the younger female. He knew her from experience and so did Chantille, so there shouldn’t have been a problem. Though, in the end, Ash knew that it wasn’t his opinion that mattered, it was Athena’s own…and so he silently waited, curious on how the whole encounter between headstrong leader and shy loner would turn out.

I think I've finally seen the light..in you.