Soft Breeze

RE: A white stag has appeared; all welcome.
Evening, 6pm.

He needed to get away from the borders, he needed to map out more than just the Secret Falls. His paws had followed the border, one he was now sure was well established, and only the border for far too long. A change of scenery might do him good. So, the Baranski had set off without a word. Darkwater Rapids would be fine without him for a day or two, wouldn’t they? Perhaps he should feel a little guilty … should he had said something to Ava before his departure? Truthfully, he hadn’t strayed too far from home at all so perhaps his worries were needless. The red hills he was now kicking a dusty road through stretched for quite some way, it seemed. Huffing as he lifted himself onto a nearby flat rock, Maksim allowed his eyes to drift across the scenery. Directly in front of him lay a forest of fire—Red Fern Forest—, as if embers were trapped within its leaves. Further south was a thick woodland—Spectral Woods. North was his home, the thick woodland that hid the Secret Falls. And then he looked up to the great mountain that cut the land in half. The pack had migrated here from the other side and the guardian never doubted its strength the entire walk. Nature was a weird and wonderful thing sometimes. Speaking of weird, a movement of white caught the large brute’s eye and, curiously, he focused his gaze upon it. What the hell? A stag, alone and of an intimidating size, strode down where forest met rocks. That was not the odd part, however. A coat of pure white adorned the beast and a fine set of antlers, too. The Baranski had never seen a white deer so it perplexed him immensely. Like a ghost, it moved silently through the thin treeline. Maksim squinted and tilted his head, wondering if he was seeing things. Ghosts weren’t real, right? He’d had this conversation with Ava not too long ago. The soft breeze carried the scent like a ribbon on a stick, erasing all thoughts that it was something paranormal. Ha! He snorted; how stupid of him to think, even for a brief second, it was a ghost. Still, it was so strange. With his green gaze still locked on the herbivore, something else stood out to the male. Something was on its head, something colourful and smaller than the antlers. The more the guardian looked, the more questions popped up in his head until, finally, his dark lips parted and he voiced his confusion with a single word: “What?” There was a bemused look in his awestruck gaze. What indeed. MAKSIM BARANSKI “the only thing we’re allowed to do is believe we won’t regret the choices we make”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall

White limbs had long grown accustomed to her traveling, even her dark pads were rough, able to take on rockier terrains. Those were not changes that captured the eye, the only significant one was her coat was now clean, starting to shine by her better health. She still couldn't bring herself to return to the other side of the mountain. Wouldn't let herself revisit the remnants of the hollow, or seek a familiar face. After talking to Taima she was pretty convinced nothing would make her feel better. Nothing could replace what she had walked away from. It was as if she had punished herself to exile, her quiet steps leading her through the haze of blue alone. Inside she wished she was immune to her lifestyle like her strengthened muscles, but was there a quick, permanent cure for loneliness? She didn't think so.

Aware only a few hours till the sun would wink behind the red hills, she thought it would be a nice place to spend the rest of her evening. Nice and easy to find she meandered through the trees to meet them.

All the way thoughts of a rabbit teased her stomach, knowing she could find her way to their warren and have something to do. Whether it was from the heat that still surrounded her, she felt to dull to unfocused to attempt a hunt. Turning, her pale, yellow eyes captured bits of head through the thinning trees. The young lady began to pick up a three-beated gait, ideas of exploring the unclaimed hills.

That was what Arlette was doing, walking ever inch, letting her eyes sweep against small cracks, finding a very small crevice her head barely fit into. Somewhat of a smile, she pulled herself free, wandering further thinking she was on the edge of some great find. And maybe she was.

First she didn't notice anything, until she went to check the color of the sky. It was then she spied a great bit of white that was out of place this time of year. Unmoving, her eyes strained, knowing it was not a wolf, but something else. Something much, much bigger. Dark nostrils quivering, she took a hesitant pull forward, and then another. It looked to be a great, white deer. Eyes quickly blinked, if they would wash it away. It was there, walking along like a quiet ruler of its kingdom. Wanting a better look, she snaked through thick grasses, continuing to trek the same direction of the deer.

A question reached her ears, plain and simple. "What?" The pale would jerked to a stop. Again found wondering if this voice belonged to the deer, as that one day in the woods she was convinced a bird had spoken to her. "Ehh, sorry?" She murmured, she had not yet seen the strange object on its head nor the masked wolf.

Maksim hadn’t really been paying attention to his surroundings; both eyes were locked on the deer who strode with long, powerful and proud steps. When another voice returned to his ears after he had voiced his confusion, the guardian jerked his head back in a very surprised manner, as if someone had slapped him across the face. Ears were suddenly strained and perked forward as bright green eyes washed across the landscape of the red hills, searching for the source of the voice. There. He slowly stepped forward, toes almost curling over the edge of the rock as he twisted his head ever so slightly. A white wolf was crouched among tall grasses, not looking at Maksim but rather at the deer. How curious. Leaping from his dusty vantage point, he landed with a heavy thud on the slanted ground. Being sneaky had never been his strong point. He much preferred making his presence known, preferred straight up face-to-face conversation. A few steps forward were made, before he averted his gaze from the white wolf to the white stag who was now looking straight at them. Seems he’d made his presence a little too well known. “That,” the Baranski began, nodding at the deer and the now rather visible pointy colourful thing sat between its antlers, “I meant to ask what is that?” Maksim had never even seen a human so it was safe to say he had no idea that it was a party hat, meant for celebration. Even if he did know what it was, the question of how did it get on its head would have continued to perplex him. “I’ve never seen something so odd.” MAKSIM BARANSKI “the only thing we’re allowed to do is believe we won’t regret the choices we make”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall

Arlette believed in ghosts, not the kind that were misty figures who tried to scare you. Rattling chains and screaming booooo. Ones that lived inside her, part of her memories, and had haunted grounds. There was something special about the white stag, but she had no idea. She never understood encrypted messages, or seeing signs in nature. The only time she had been "given" one it had shifted her life, and not in the way she wanted. Since then she didn't trust what they might mean. This..was it just meant to be looked on as something different? Unique? Special? Why did she rack her brains over these silly things?

Off to her right something hit the ground, something very large, an Arlette found herself bit by bit melting in with the grass. In her mind she was picturing a large cat, eager for a white wolf, and a white stag. The antlered creature had noticed it too, and Arlette could feel her heart pound against the earth beneath her. There was that bit inside of her that needed to look, even if it was a cat she wanted to see its face.With courage found, lifting her triangle shaped face, she saw a bright eyed wolf who looked like another ghost. His eyes were too green she quickly told herself, averting her gaze. After meeting Taima she didn't have any want to gawk at this one.

The male spoke, gesturing to the landscape.With an excuse to turn her head, politely, she squinted, looking more closely upon the deer. There certainly was something on his head, was it an antler too? Lips in an unknown frown. "Me neither.." Voice was clipped, and quiet while she offered a fleeting glance to he wolf she knew was a stranger, but didn't quite seem to be. Lettie felt bad, being quiet, not more easy going and soft spoken. Be someone that anyone wanted to talk to, listen to. So she tried a little harder. "Never seen a antler like...that. Or a deer. You..think it means something?" She asked, watching him closely to gauge his reaction to see if he thought the idea stupid.

(This post was last modified: Aug 07, 2013, 01:45 AM by Arlette.)

Now that he was closer and she had cast her gaze almost hesitantly on him, Maksim could make out her features. Her face was thin and feminine and her eyes were pale yellow. If he was given the chance to look for longer, he might have seen the flecks of green within them or her thinness, an obvious trait belonging to loners. Sadly, as soon as the girl looked at the guardian of the Rapids, she almost immediately looked away again. Had he done something wrong? Was there something on his face? Perhaps she was just shy or naturally submissive. He wouldn’t pry though; he could at least respect her personal space. He internally shrugged as he looked away from her and to the deer again. Perhaps she thought he was a bear or something stalking through the grass and was now flustered with the entire situation. It was hardly the first time it had happened and certainly would not be the last. He was briefly reminded of Itai, the first wolf he had met in the Lore. Maksim was oblivious, however, to the fact that this female he was now in the presence of was reminded of a ghost from her past, simply due to the way he looked. It seemed that she had never seen a white stag or anything else like it either. Maksim pursed his lips slightly, furrowing his brow a little as he stared at the angular, colourful object that adorned its head. What on Earth was it? It couldn’t be an antler, could it? No, it looked far too flimsy and weak. And shiny. It was a mystery how this creature had not been killed by now. Surely its coat, white as snow, made it stand out to any predator that roamed the Lore and wherever else the stag had been. Then again, the fur was thin and the muscles were obvious beneath its pale skin. It had a fierce pair of antlers, too, ones that would easily knock the wind out of a pouncing hunter trying its luck. It had certainly earned its place in this world. If anything, Maksim admired it. Not because he saw the ethereal beauty of it but because of how proud it seemed to be. How defiant it was as it lowered its head to the grass beneath its hooves, chewing carelessly in the face of a natural predator, like it was daring the two wolves to try him on for size. The girl spoke again and Maksim hummed quietly, mulling her question over. Did it mean something? It certainly didn’t sound stupid. Turning his head back to her, he briefly smiled. “It’s a good omen, I’m of that certain.” A sight like this was certainly a rare one and its arrival could only mean good things to come. Maksim’s mother had been somewhat superstitious and though she had never really believed the story of the serpent who tried to eat the world, she often spoke of good and bad omens. He too could shrug off things like ghosts and giant snakes with a hunger for devouring planets but something like this that he could see with his own eyes … now, that was entirely different. That was believable. “Perhaps it’s a sign that we’ll both get what we seek.” Maksim sought leadership and loyalty. What did she hope for? Goodness, how could he possibly even attempt to imagine what she wanted from life when he didn’t even know her name? “Ah, forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Maksim Baranski, guardian of Darkwater Rapids. Could I inquire as to who you are, miss?” MAKSIM BARANSKI “the only thing we’re allowed to do is believe we won’t regret the choices we make”

(This post was last modified: Aug 10, 2013, 03:13 PM by Maksim.)

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall had mostly always been a soft spoken child, with a tender heart, having little ounces of courage, with a great awareness and yet often a fear of the world. The moments passed, the white stag continued on his slow journey stealing pieces of grass, if knowing they weren't about to harm him. Lettie found it easier to be in the masked wolf's company, by stealing glances of his features. If another look distinguished him as the stranger he was. Though she was always smaller than Borden, she knew he was clearly broader, heavier. A defiant member of a pack. Was he of Magnolia Glenn? The young lady didn't voice the question, something she often seemed to do these days. Hold her tongue.

Staring, she found herself carrying a wisp of a smile watching the deer. If it didn't care where it was going, or what happened tomorrow. It wasn't careless, but care free? Sharply, her white crown turned to meet his gaze, if checking to see if she could without flinching away. Again she couldn't quite get over how green his eyes were. More verdant than spring blades of grass. Whether it was his smile, choice of words, or the confidence in which he spoke them she found her nerves settling. "Aw, so you believe in omens? Or just good ones?" There was only a small amount of tease to her voice which had actually smoothed, sounding more its regular alto octave. Arlette didn't care if he did either way. Sometimes it would be nice to have something real to believe in. She had use too, but not any more.

The gentleman spoke again, and she found the faintest laugh playing in her throat. "Maybe, if I knew what I really wanted. But, what about you?" There must be something, but quietly a tired sigh came out. "You don't have to tell me," she said with a silly shake of head. Feeling a little shame she had let that question get away.

If playing a proper gentleman to a T, he apologized kindly, and told her directly who he was, inquiring so spotless of herself. There was a nagging bite of concern, but she brushed it away because she didn't want to be afraid of nothing. He sounded quite noble, if a hero of a story. Finding herself not quite smiling, she saw no harm in answering. "Nice to meet you Maksim. I'm Arlette Dieudonné Lyall, but my old home is merely an empty forest now." Lightly, she shrugged as if this shouldn't matter much. The pale wolf wouldn't know yet that Kade and Ava had moved here, and had started Darkwater Rapids yet or she would have inquired more. It sounded just another place she didn't know, and wouldn't.

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2013, 02:22 AM by Arlette.)

She seemed less tense at his mention of omens and the tease in her voice was a little refreshing for some reason. Still, he couldn’t help but crack a slight smile and shake his head. “Not just the good ones. But if I can see something with my eyes and it is believable whilst being almost unbelievable, then surely it must mean something.” Maybe his explanation would be a little odd; it certainly could be viewed as so, but to the Baranski it was nice to have something to believe in. Despite it all, omens of any variety rarely affected his life choices. He might have been an entirely different wolf if he had allowed them to alter his course. So yes, Maksim believed in omens but he believed in himself more. She spoke again, another question with a hint of laughter, and he had to think back. What did he truly want? Given the chance to think about it, the guardian looked back to the careless white stag. When he was younger, he wanted adventure and new things. As a loner, he had wanted salvation from the loneliness of the wilderness and a means to survival. Now, as a guardian, he wanted the protection of his pack and to prove his worth. Through them all, however, one thing shone out and linked together the chain of events: leadership. You don’t have to tell me. Turning to, once again, look at the white girl he smiled. It may seem silly, but maybe it would help her find what she wanted. “Perhaps, one day, I would like to see myself as a leader. Raise a family.” Someday he would. Someday … With a shrug, the woman introduced herself as Arlette Dieudonné Lyall. If the guard had known the previous leaders of Grizzly Hollow, he might have mentioned her father or her mother. Perhaps, maybe, Kade or even Ava would know her but, fortunately or not for the Lyall girl, Maksim himself had no knowledge of her name or her heritage. “The pleasure is all mine, miss Arlette.” The Baranski often tried to be a gentleman, unless situations called for a warrior, and rarely was his disposition put out of joint. Again, his attention returned briefly to the stag and Maksim followed its slow movement with his green gaze. “What do you make of it, hm? When you look at that stag, what do you think?” MAKSIM BARANSKI “the only thing we’re allowed to do is believe we won’t regret the choices we make”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall

The good ones. If only they were the only ones. She kept that to herself. There was a curious twitch to her triangle ears about his further explanation. She didn't know why, but she found herself in silent agreement with that. How could she look upon the stag and not see he wasn't just another deer? If it wasn't for the very stag she wouldn't be making a new acquaintance, oddly enough talking about omens. "Yes, but sometimes I think they get interpreted wrong," she muttered almost inaudibly to hide the bit of bitterness she hadn't known she carried till then.

The masked Guardian appeared thoughtful, and Lettie found her face soften, an interest spark to her light yellow eyes. Then he smiled in turn, and with all certainty spoke what couldn't have been less than the truth. Arlette can't quite hold his bright, green gaze thinking, sifting through memories, and perhaps trying to hear her own heart. A half smile stretched across her cheek, muzzle dropped partially while she gave a glimpse between the wolf and prey. "I believe if that is what you want you'll see the day," she answered, her voice reverent. If it wasn't for a few wolves who wanted the same she wouldn't exist. While she didn't see herself as one of the ambitious, stubborn kind that made leaders she could easily picture him as one. Why, maybe his similar features, or the little she knew of him she didn't know.

Casually, she titled her head, dropping it in a subtle nod that could well count for respect in turn at the end of his sentence. She often wondered if wolves really meant that when they said those words. That was neither here nor there, and sharply she drew in a breath letting her fill her lungs, slightly stretching her limbs. It was very easy to watch the stag continue his steady journey than thinking of something better to say. Shyly her ears dropped to her crown, surprised by his own questions rattling off. It was only fair she give him a reply, and she forced her tail, the ridge of her spine to relax. What seemed like more than a moment, her light eyes traced his frosted coat, trying to hold onto what popped into her mind. "I believe he's a sign of hope, of a continuous future....Maybe, we are not as alone as we feel." There was faintest fill of sorrow that made her eyes feel wet, but there was also a lightness to her heart thinking of unseen guardians. Thinking that she had to be alive for a reason when others were not.

"Do you believe such a thing as fate? That you..live for something other than just...existing?" She couldn't help, but quietly add so cautiously if her very words were fragile, and someone against her might hear them and shred them to tiny pieces.

(This post was last modified: Aug 23, 2013, 06:15 AM by Arlette.)

The sourness in her voice was a little surprising, though Maksim merely nodded in agreement at her words. Things like the stag before them both could definitely be misinterpreted. There were no rules written in black and white, no guidelines or exceptions to know of when it came to deciphering such things. It was simply what was felt in the heart and god knows that it could get its signals mixed at the best of times. Still, he kept his mouth closed and decided against saying anything in response. Arlette had her reasons for what she said, Maksim decided he had best not pry. Her private life was hers. His bold statement about what he would hope to be his future caused a smile to creepy across her soft face and the guardian of Darkwater Rapids was satisfied with her reaction. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt at the idea of leaving Ava and Kade to start his own pack. They had given him so much, and he had given back in return, that Maksim couldn’t help but feel like he owed them his life. Loyalty was a good trait to have, that much was obvious, but a strong sense of it could be more of a hindrance than a help. Still, he had left his birth pack to continue his family’s line elsewhere and build a name for himself; he could leave the one that had planted his roots in Relic Lore too. “Perhaps, but we won’t know until it happens, hm?” A crooked smile pulled at his dark lips. Time would only tell. The way she almost stiffened and dropped her ears at his question caused Maksim to frown slightly. Had he said something to offend her? Had his questions been too bold? Arlette was such a meek thing, though not nearly as bad as that odd Charlotte girl, it was almost like she thought she were a mouse in the presence of a hawk, ready to swoop down and snatch her up for a light snack. He watched her attempt to relax, concerned gaze drifting away from her almost hesitantly to look at the white stag continue its slow journey across the red landscape. His ears swivelled and pricked at her words. Her words seemed to pour from her heart and Maksim returned his gaze to her and nodded slowly. Did she feel alone? What had caused miss Arlette Dieudonné Lyall to feel such a thing? Whispers of words were spoken and, once again, Maksim had to think. Fate. What did he think of fate? His life was not out of his control. He had made decisions for himself. He was his own wolf. “I think that we make our own choices in life, that we tell our own stories, but that does not mean I think live to simply exist. We live to experience everything that we possibly can, to be the best that we can be. We have the choice to make our story a grand one. That, Arlette, is what I think.” He wondered, briefly, what her reaction would be. Would it be what she had expected him to say? Or something else? MAKSIM BARANSKI “the only thing we’re allowed to do is believe we won’t regret the choices we make”

we are shining in the rising sun, as we are floating in the blue

Arlette Dieudonné Lyall

Arlette would not offer more, thinking if he had noticed he did well to pretend he hadn't. That was fine with her. Right now she didn't want the shoulder of stranger. She didn't want pity. It simply felt good to let it out the frustration in small ways. Maybe, one day she could hope all of the invisible torment would be gone for good. Or at least lightened. While the young lady would not regret having Merlin for a friend, she hated how time, his parents, and this "omen" had twisted his life, and then how they had forcefully tried to weave them together. Now, he seemed so far past recognition, so deluded by these fake signs.

However, he didn't exactly agree with her about his future. Pale, yellow eyes glimpsed his face, seeing he didn't mean to offend. His words still made her feel like a child. Lightly, her shoulders shrugged. "I guess, but that will remain your choice if it happens or not," the pale wolf murmured. Afraid she might be pushing her limit she avoided meeting his verdant gaze. She knew her family history well enough to know if you wanted something like that bad enough you could have it. At least, the way Grizzly Hollow had been formed seemed that way. Arlette also knew for such a life you usually had to give up part of your old one. So the world was always a place of give and take.

She wished she could assure him it was nothing he did to make her this way. It was simply who she had become being the youngest in a litter of five. White Cove had made her worse for wear, killing any confidence she had gained while reaching adulthood. Again, she didn't want to tell such things. They would surely come out wrong. When the Guardian thoughtfully nodded, least in her mind, it didn't hurt to breathe. She realized the sky hadn't fallen, and he wasn't about to poke fun of her thoughts. By that time Arlette felt well more in control of her emotions, almost a peaceful feeling staring upon the antlered guest.

The question hung in the air, and she could feel a bit of panic, clawing at her stomach to take hold. Tilting her muzzle in his direction,she quietly took in the features of his face to distract herself. For a moment she thought he might not have an answer either, and wanted to tell him that was fine. His voice finally broke the stillness, and she realized she only wanted to hear him speak his own thoughts. It didn't matter if they were few or little, along the same ideas or not. They confirmed what she had felt, and thought lately. She had always wanted to know if there was a bigger picture, and if one could change it by small actions. She wanted to think some things happened for a reason, while others didn't. "I haven't always believed that, but lately I feel life has to be that way. Its just...some days make more sense then others," she tried to explain, offering a meek smile. "Thank you, for letting me pick your brain. Most, just try to feed me or tell me I should be going," while it wasn't funny, she laughed.

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2013, 12:59 AM by Arlette.)