Spectral Woods not one of those crazy girls

Says @Jessie gets to go first. :3

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall There was a revived vigor to the lady's stride that had once been lost. Where she had found it was hard to say, but she continued knowing what she was looking for. Home. There had to be one out there she dared to hope. Despite Inkheart's help two rows of ribs had begun to poke against her skin just behind her stomach. Arlette did not have her long winter coat to hide it. While she had tried the other alternative, eating more, she couldn't seem to catch enough rabbits and mice. The lone life wasn't meant for her. So on this day, one pleasantly overcast she followed the easy going stream south. One time she caught site of her reflection and took time to try to clean herself up. While some hairs simply would not do as she asked, most smoothed the right way and she was a pure, white wolf again. A smile she closed her eyes, letting herself remember Trisden, and all the times Lettie had won against fear to help her sister. Arlette needed assurance, and she needed a family. While she hoped to find it today, evident in her fast walk, she tried to remind herself it was more likely to face a couple more days alone. With the sole company of a tinkling stream, and red mountains she faced the Spectral Woods. Dark nose trailing the ground she sought a familiar scent, his scent. Stalking into the blue backdrop she was more precise where her paws fell. There was some invisible force that seemed to follow her, one she didn't fear, but made her check behind her looking for a pair of blue or golden eyes. Every time she was faced with nothing but scattered oak trees, certain someone was still there.

(This post was last modified: Jun 20, 2013, 06:23 AM by Arlette.)

Finally she felt as if she were getting use to the new forest that surrounded her. Even though it took time, she found the creek that was within the Oak Tree Bend territory a special landmark to her. It helped her keep track of what she was doing sometimes…even though she could easily follow her own scent. Today however, the grey woman had decided to look outside of her pack boundaries since she had arrived to the other side of the lore. Her slim, small body moved easily through the now familiar thickets around her. She did not feel like she was out of place anymore, even though sometimes she felt on edge. There was something odd about the forest at the other side of the mountains, but she was still trying to find out what the mysterious thing was. At the moment, it didn’t matter though, she felt safe and she was happily making her way and exploring the lands outside of her borders.

It had not been a day that Jess had been expecting to run into someone that she did not know. Usually, when she did, she was ready and prepared for what was coming. But when she turned the corner the woman was surprised to see another girl, who was bigger than her, standing in front of her. In surprise, a loud yelp escaped from her muzzle, her jade eyes taking in the form of the white woman in front of her. Stunned into silence for a moment she simply stared before quickly getting back on her game and offering up an apologetic smile, "I’m um…sorry about that. I’m Jessie Swiftpaw." She wagged her tail behind her in a neutral position. This woman was nowhere near her borders so she knew that she had no right to assert her dominance. Hopefully, maybe…she could make a new friend out of this encounter.

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall The air in her chest felt light, fluttery with the slow exchange from new to old in her throat. Again she swore there was someone following her. Trying to be sublte, she craned her neck in seconds rather than in one. Nothing. White triangle ears fell upon her head, and she made one step forward. Then turned around, her nostrils flaring. What was this place? Much as fear should grip her heart, the familiar touch of it remained absent. The lady was curious, in a state of wonderment instead of frightfulness. The simple of smiles touched her lips. Instead of searching, she began to take in the green leaves that flapped gently with the breeze, giving off a sound like water. Staring at the sandy colored bark of the trees. The time passed her this way as she gazed with a spark of a child in a new world. She had no idea there was another female in the woods nor how close she was to her friend. No, it was only her and the intriguing surroundings that put her at ease. Things were about to go downhill. Lettie didn't see the grey one at first, but she heard the terrible sound. The lone lady, flattened her body to the ground in protection, pressing her sharp pointed ears to her crown. One point her eyes had tightly shut, but they were open wide, staring at the pack wolf she had surprised. Arlette had not been ready to be confronted, she felt her muscles tighten against her bones, her chin tuck to shield her throat. While Lettie was taller, she had yet to be as well fed as the darker toned lady and didn't want any trouble. With no words in mind to say, lucky for her, Jessie collected herself. Actually helping the white lady keep her guard hairs down, and her own tail untuck itself from her hind legs."It's okay. You--I mean I think we gave each other a start." That was the truth, and no need be said about it. "I'm Arlette," she soon offered in turn, her yellow eyes barely meeting Jessie's green pair. Suddenly, the pale wolf grew excited and anxious. "Are..Do you live here?" If she had used her nose, she might have noticed a familiar scent that had though changed by location was still some what the same. The adopted Lyall didn't need to get to eager this was where Fenru was now. There was another pack Inkheart had told her, and she had not picked up borders here.

(This post was last modified: Jul 02, 2013, 10:48 PM by Arlette.)

Quickly, Jessie found that the woman in front of her had not recovered quite as fast as she had, which was no problem. She was no one to judge about who could get out of a daze quicker or slower than herself. It just did not matter to her…unless she just happened to be in an extremely pissed off mood. None the less, the woman in front of her had somewhat of a calming voice, something that put even more ease into Jessie’s muscles that were quickly relaxing. Her gray tail wagged behind her in an easy manner, finding no need to reply to the white girl’s first words, as they were true and there was no need to address the subject. At the name that was given to her, she quickly stored the name into her head, keeping her scent and face to memory before listening to anything else that had to be said.

Tilting her head at the question that was addressed to her, she hesitantly nodded her head, finding no point in hiding her location, as an area nearby probably had the exact scent that she was carrying heavily on her fur. Clearing her throat, she spoke, "Yes…I do. My pack recently relocated here and renamed ourselves." She flicked her tail behind her, looking into the eyes of the woman in front of her. As far as the Swiftpaw could tell, Arlette had no marks from any other pack that she had knowledge of, but that did not mean that there weren’t any packs out there that Jess did not know about. "Do you belong to a pack?" the salt and pepper colored woman finally asked, her gray paws shuffling beneath her.

@Ice please, because i would love for lettie to meet him and be green if he sees fit.<3

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall Arlette didn't find her own reaction out of place, having only reacted seconds after Jessie. She felt welcomed by this new friendly face, and yet her own tail remained still behind her. A bit of kindness didn't mean the lady before her was actually caring or sweet. A lesson she had learned the hard way. Whatever Jessie's intentions Arlette supposed she didn't need to fret about it as what use was a lone wolf to her? And a skinny one at that. Maybe, she like the rest would be happy to give her directions else where. Far from her pack lands, and into the unknown again. Pale, yellow eyes watched her closely thinking she did not want to answer. So slightly, Lettie cocked her head a little bemused as to why. Her white crown leveled, a small twitch of her nose. Relocated here. The tip of her tail suddenly flinched. Did she dare ask the question she sought? The lady worried that might be a secret, unspoken with their new start. A pale brow rose in interest at Jessie's subtle movements. Was she worried or bored? Quickly, the lady shook her head upon the question. "Not any more," quietly she answered, clearing the uncomfortable itch in her throat. Arlette was fairly certain she would ever be a Grizzly Hollow wolf again. Straightening, if only to adjust her posture more comfortably beneath Jessie's height, she let her ears slowly cast forward, eyes flickering briefly to the green of the silver female's. "I am looking for one though. I..was actually wonderin' your pack wasn't once Swift River was it?" She inquired, almost wincing, afraid to offend and yet the briefest of hope sparking in her eyes she was done searching.

(This post was last modified: Jul 09, 2013, 06:00 AM by Arlette.)

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. "We were," he said, padding out of the surrounding forest. Tendrils of blue-cast mist pulled away, as if burned by the touch of a mortal's body, slowly revealing his large, white frame. Dark paw pads met the moist earth, blunt claws leaving little dents in the carpet of soil and leaf; his head was low in a relaxed pose, but his gaze was keen and his tail raised above the level of his spine. This forest was not his to claim and protect, not quite, but it was still close to home. Voices carried easily in the still silence of the woods, and Jessie's yelp had easily caught his attention. It had not been hard for Ice to pick up on their conversation once he was a little closer - a chance meeting, but perhaps significant all the same. His head canted to one side, and with the easy grace of a relaxed predator he prowled up to Jessie, touching his dark nose to the base of her nearest ear in greeting. There he stopped, towering over them both, and peered at Arlette, curiosity in his gaze. Why did she know of their past? He doubted she was a threat; she looked kind, and aside from Indru's betrayal, Ice hadn't had much to do with evil wolves. On some days, he simply accepted that wolves would come and go. They loved for a time, then they went, and Ice was left to pick up the pieces of another shattered existence. It just happened, and was bound to keep happening, so why bother fearing it? "Why do you look for us?" His question was blunt, but not unkind. The River pack had been old, after all, and the wolves of it had spent years making contacts in other packs or with the lone wolves. To find an old acquaintance looking for them would not strike him as odd, nor very surprising, but what he did wonder was what her tie to them was, or had been. He was positive he'd never seen her before. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Lightning said it was ok to skip Jessie.

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall Waiting for the answer felt like several long minutes, though it was probably not even one. A masculine voice that loomed behind the silver stroked wolf answered Arlette. We were. The words seemed to fall into her ears, but did not quite settle in her mind. Quietly, pale yellow eyes blinked, looking as the voice formed into a body of a pale man who she would guess three times her size. Without thinking, her white ears folded back, her face falling down. While she had no idea where the borders were, she took this as their home much like the Cedarwood Forest had been for her and did not want to ruin that. The height of his tail left no question who he was, as he drifted to Jessie, giving her greeting first. Arlette figured he must be Fenru's father, never knowing what had occurred or what was. Despite how he carried himself, the sight of him, there was something light to the silver irises that met hers. Arlette did not shy, or cower, but faintly looked over his features trying not to stare, or directly meet his own. The question, made her ears come up once, before flattening again. Now she doubted Fenru had ever told anyone of that day, or the possibility of her coming. The latter she had not known either, and decided it wouldn't be best to let it bother her. Forcing her body to hold still, she told herself they were what she had been looking for in a sense. The white lady thoughtfully, tilted her chin, letting her sight rest more upon the male. Debating to answer his question. Saying because of Fenru didn't sound right. "I was raised in Grizzly Hollow, and not to long before I was a yearling I met Fenru at Swift River. He..helped me get back home," she explained, not elaborating too much. "After my first birthday...I left home. Another year gone I had to come back, but Fenru told me my parents were gone. He must have thought the rest of the pack was there, but no one lives there now." Eyes looked distant in those last seconds. Quietly she took in a breath, concentrating on letting it fill her lungs, slowly letting it out. She briefly looked at Jessie, and than Ice. "He told me you were moving across the mountains, and I didn't know what else to do but look for him. Look for a home." The rest of the story was hers, and while she may have luck finding her parents her paws had lead her here. She waited to see what Fenru's pack mates would think, if she had a chance at all.

(This post was last modified: Jul 22, 2013, 04:58 PM by Arlette.)

Go me for sucking.

The women spoke for a little bit and Jessie did not know if she should have been wary or overjoyed that Arlette had been from another pack in the past. When she asked her a question she was not entirely sure she should be able to answer and so she went into a pit of silence, trying to think of how she should answer the question but avoid it at the same time. Luckily for her, a certain someone graced them with his presence and she was saved from answering any questions that probably should or shouldn’t have been answered. Upon his entrance a certain light sprang up in her eyes, her tail wagged slightly behind her as she bumped her muzzle against Ice’s shoulder. Immediately she turned silent, listening to Ice’s on slaughter of questions and waited patiently for the answers from Arlette. Flicking her tail, she let her jade green orbs stare at the woman, before letting them drift somewhere else as to not make her uncomfortable.

When her answer came, Jessie was not prepared for it and at the mention of Fen’s name, her stance immediately became tense and protective, her ears pricking forward and eyes narrowing. It was hard for her to force her lips not to pull back to show her canines at the younger woman in front of her. After all, from what Jess could tell from when she had met her, she was no threat…she was actually quite polite. Putting her mind into thinking she was just overreacting, Jessie eventually relaxed and stood comfortably next to her leader, waiting for his response to Arlette’s little story. At least she had not wasted their time with a long drawn out tale of her life like others had. It reminded her especially of Ren, someone who had, in the end, ended up leaving their pack.

Sorrysorry.

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. He wasn't sure if it was something about his presence that did it, or simply something else, but the white she-wolf seemed to become a few sizes smaller in the blink of an eye. Furry ears disappeared against a soft head, interesting pale yellow eyes sliding sideways and away. Ice's head canted to one side, the tip of his tail flicking to the side as if torn between pleasure at her reaction and asking if it truly was necessary, out here in a foggy forest of nowhere. In the end, he said nothing, but he thought he could understand why Indru had become about three feet taller when Ice crouched before him in that damp cavern a year and a half ago. As a leader, you couldn't expect the respect of a loner the same way you could of a pack mate, but you hardly backed down when offered it in this way. Grizzly Hollow? So, one of Borden's; a humorless smile made the corner of his mouth twitch. Perhaps, a child for a child - while the old patriarch cared for Aiyana, they could care for this one, though she seemed at least a year older. And Fenru? Hadn't he, hmm, mentioned something about this..? About showing her out..? Something-or-the-other..? "Mmmmh," he hummed, mostly to himself, still listening, and briefly his ears fell back at her distant gaze. No, of course no one lived there now.. they were all gone, forging their futures on this side of the Serpent, too. "Borden left Grizzly Hollow in the care of Kade, and Kade's mate Ava. But the Hollow was never truly theirs, so they went across the mountain, too. They live further north, and the pack is proud to raise for puppies this year," he told her, not sure if she would want to pursue her old family, or a new one. But still, he couldn't help but notice how Jessie had grown stiff and tense at the mention of the young adult's name. Briefly he glance down at her, frowning, wondering if there was something there - or was she always this protective of the pack's males? "So you want to live with Fenru?" he asked Arlette after a heartbeat's pause, flicking his gaze back to her again. It seemed as good a reason as any, and from what she could tell of her tale, Fenru was the only wolf she knew in here.. and Fenru rarely hung around with idiots. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall Lettie played on the safe side, and was submissive in her demeanor. It wasn't hard to feel the change between the space that kept the two females apart when she mentioned knowing Fenru. Arlette hadn't even told them the whole story, and was happy now she hadn't. Best she could she pretended not to notice Jessie's change. If she thought about it she would lose heart, and have to begin her search all over again. This time even more unsure what she wanted to find. Attention to the white cloaked male she took note of his small reactions, but it didn't give her any better understanding what he was thinking. This had never frustrated her in the past, but she had a feeling he knew more than she did. More bad news. Or not entirely. Ava and Kade's name was entwined together because they were mates. It made more sense why the remains of the Hollow had carried their scents. Briefly, she wondered if Ava had loved Kade when she had met her. It would made sense why she had even met the kind, dark coat lady all those months ago. What a funny, wonderful thing. Even more they were over here too. The young female wasn't sure what to make of that. Lettie did ask herself again if she would like to join them, but the idea didn't appeal to her. They knew her, and why that bothered her she didn't know. Maybe, because she would be the little girl they had taken care of. While Lettie didn't exactly loath that, she wanted to be more. "Oh, I..know Ava.... I'm glad to hear they're together, and a have a family of their own. I was worried what else had happened..." She half stammered, wondering if stranger things had occurred in her absence. There wasn't much more she wanted to say, because she was still repeating it in her head. Kade and Ava. Kade and Ava. Puppies... If she already didn't know what else to say, he would ask her out right a question that made her cheeks fill with heat. Made her jaws lock. When he probably meant it as a normal question, do you want to stay here sounded a lot better. A lot less like you're here because of him. Blinking, quietly, commanding her body to do nothing else she decided she really should think about her answer. Was that why she was here? Yes. It was true. But...If she would have run into these wolves without knowing Fenru she would have considered asking to join too. Whether because they were the old Swift River, or this pale fellow wasn't so bad, and Jessie probably wouldn't have glared at her she didn't know. The truth was if she were to survive she needed a pack. While she rather have Grizzly Hollow that wasn't an option. She had already traveled past wherever Borden and Jayse were. Then she had traveled clear the hell over here. No, going another hundred miles wasn't optional right now unless she wanted to push what was left of her luck. "I guess you could say that," she began, her pale mask thoughtful, while not even daring to look at the green eyed female. "But, I want to start over too. I want to leave the ghosts of my past behind me." Arlette knew being a part of Oak Tree Bend wouldn't guarantee that, it would be a step in that direction.

(This post was last modified: Aug 10, 2013, 10:49 PM by Arlette.)