Blackberry Fields run away

For anyone. Perhaps a non-SW wolf, or someone who knew Slyscar?

He ran. Ran as fast as his long, lanky limbs would allow him to do so, stumbling and tripping all the while through the brush and shrub of the thick forestry which made up his home. Tangled and entrapping, the woodland left the child wondering aimlessly within the thicket, who looked to the skies for the moon's guidance out from this mass of madness.

Far from the den he had left behind, he was certain he could smell the familiar scent of the borders Hollow once had guided him to. He used this as his marker, pushing forth as the scent became stronger and soon, with a glee, he was beyond them, pushing still through the massive forest he had all his life thought his sanctuary. He wanted nothing more to leave this place at the time being and with it, the liars, the secret keepers, and those who looked at him with pity, far behind him...

Broken free from the Secrets, he stops suddenly with a gasp at the vast, open landscape that lay before him. Tons upon tons of grass and small berried bushes and nothing else as far as his newly changed eyes of orange could see. He hesitates, fearful of the unknown but with a drive to seek out answers for himself. Answers he could trust that did not spill from the mouths of those who had lied to him. He would find his father, dead or alive.

Breaking forth into the open twilight of a bright crescent moon and clear starry skies, he could see the world in ways he had not seen before. Not so much green and comfort of protective inclosure, he could see now for the very first time how open and how large the world was beyond the safety of home. Fear within his pushes an adrenaline to make him move faster, harder, as he works to crossing the distance between home and the foothills of the mountains. Panting deeply, the child strides up the length of what seems a mountain to him. Atop the Luna Hill, he falls to his rump, breathing deep as eyes strode over the expanse of land from this view. He could see his home to the right, the mountains to the left, and move fields beyond that continued on to the world of Relic Lore. "Wow..." Whispers the word from the child's lips, and then he is silent, listening only to the crickets within the quite of the night.

BANE Aranna

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

The wolf moved with a look of determination in his stride, creamy pale limbs pulling him over countless miles under the light of the slivered moon. His mouth was held the slightest bit open, each breath coming in a pant, drawing the scents of the night in closer towards him. Somewhere the sweet scent of fruit drifted on the wind, and Albireo steered towards it with a grumble in his belly. Despite his outwardly determined appearance, Al was truly on a meandering course. Whatever it was he was looking for, he knew his old pack didn't have. Soon the open fields he trekked through became choked with thorned vines. Easily a bird could see the vibrant moonlit fruits tucked in the brush, but the wolf's monochrome sight had him searching with his nose, teeth picking off what little pieces of sweet sustenance he could find. He'd heard a story about a fox and sour grapes, and missing the moral he had to agree that the higher ones weren't worth the effort, and thusly must have tasted disgusting.

His traveling momentum had slowed, every so often Al pulled aside to pick the fruit from the branches. He would have continued on like this through the night had something else interesting not caught his senses. A wolf, young, and far enough from any pack for the border's scent to be undetectable from where he stood. He lifted his head, breathing deeper and still could smell no one else besides the cub. Other, older scents criss-crossed the field, and this place was decidedly more populated than where he had been traveling. Ducking his head back down he trudged onward, following the tendril of scent up a small knoll. Sure enough a dark boy was perched at its top. Al made a noise somewhere between a woof and a whine, a sort of questionless question to catch the boy's attention. Al drew closer, ignorant of the beautiful landscape the hill looked out upon and instead watching the cub through beady dark eyes. "Hey kid, what are you doing out here?" Albireo asked, his voice gruff and accusative. He didn't mean it to be, and his tone owed it's awkwardness to a lack of recent use. He didn't care enough to apologize though, and instead waited for a response from the cub with a pleasantly benign expression, tail lazy at his hocks.

Albireo
a tooth for an eye

(This post was last modified: Aug 30, 2013, 07:49 PM by Albireo.)

@Hollow had once thought to bring him here, to the edges of their homeland out to the skirts of the fields so that he may see that the world was not 'all like this' - all forest. Though the night caused him unable to see as far as he wished, the large, towering rocks Hollow had called mountains were clearly there, much taller then the trees as he had said. Perhaps the man was not all filled with lies and perhaps indeed the lie had been to keep Bane's ill feelings at bay and yet still the lie hurt him none the less. He had rushed off in that hurt and rage, bringing him to the sit upon the hill he held now. Having been previously filled with adrenaline, settling and easing his weary muscles instantly brought Bane into a fit of tiredness and underlining hunger. Still, he had no intention of going back, not whilst he still felt this way, not until they decided they would tell the whole truth and nothing but. Sure they said his father had died in a war, but what war? Against who and how? What wolf had killed him and why? Of course, Bane could only assume his dad was a great Guardian and had protected his life and his pregnant wife with his life. This could not be farther from false.

Sure enough deep within his thoughts of the day that had just passed, Bane did not notice the other wolf's approach through sight or sent and so, slightly jumped at the woofing noise which he had offered him in greeting to allow him to know he had arrived. Once more upon tired limbs, they quivered a moment, eyes of now bright orange, twitching over the other, much larger and adult wolf questioningly. He did not like confrontation and was weary of those he did not know. Still, the adult's demand forced answer from Bane who had been taught to adhere his own mother's questions promptly. "I ran away." It was simple as this and he had no intention of lying. Though he had not gotten far, running was most certainly what he had done throughout the remainder of the day until he had ended up finally here and for the first time beyond the borders of home.

BANE Aranna

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2013, 08:30 AM by Bane.)

The cub seemed to have not noticed Al's approach, something the wolf hadn't intended, hopping up and practically spinning to face the older wolf. The tired shake that rattled in the pup's limbs incited the instinct of chase in Albireo, as if the young wolf were no different to him than a squirrel darting into the brush. Al's weight shifted forwards in anticipation before he settled back into a neutral balance, all fours held firmly on the ground. The boy wasn't going to run, so there wouldn't be anything to chase. Instead, he listened, nearly forgetting he had asked anything until his mind reeled back into the present reality. He stared blankly at the boy until he remembered his question, almost looking as if he wouldn't respond at all.

"You ran?" Albireo finally asked. His dull brown eyes skimmed beyond the hill, not seeing anything to run from. "From what? Nothing is here," His leathery black nostrils flared as he breathed, nope, nothing. "So it must be gone now. Where is it? What was it?" Again Albireo started to lean forward, an unfitting intensity sparking in his oddly plain eyes. His voice was curious, pressing, aggressive all at once. He couldn't help it now, and he started walking closer to the black scrap of a wolf until he stopped, seemingly reaching the end of an invisible leash with an abrupt jerk, several feet from the cub. Al offered no explanation for his behavior, but this time his stare seemed to say he hadn't forgotten his own question this time.

Albireo
a tooth for an eye

(This post was last modified: Sep 02, 2013, 07:09 AM by Albireo.)

I just have to say, I love this post for Bane. This very moment shapes a part of his personality I have in his profile for him to have for the years to come. :3

With the stranger's slight shift into his direction, Bane shifted back, his body tense, his long limbs uneasy with the feeling in his gut, which pulled and twisted within him. The air was silent once more for some time as the stranger seemed to relax before him and then with time, questioned - a lot. The child felt further pressured, unlikely of the confrontation he was given or the stare in which the stranger gave in what seemed demand for answer. This is why Bane had always stuck back from the others of his pack. This is why he took to keeping silent in his observing, learning what he needed to know by watching and finding out on his own then to be lazy without using the time and strength of his mind by simply asking promptly. The stares he had been given his his youth (mostly by his mother) shaped the dislike he held for them now and so the airs along the boy's back stood on end.

"...Not an it." Bane spoke and, with the approach of the other wolf, stood his ground for as long as he could possibly muster. His toes bent downward, pressing hard into the earth below him as though to help him keep his place without falter. He wanted to run, run like he had with the other pups when he had first met them, run like he had when finding out the news his father was dead. But he didn't this time. Refused. The basic 'fight or flight' mode in the child had been shaped by this very moment within his life - he would run with a will to feel the miles rush under him, to distance himself from everything else in the world - but he would not flee any longer. He would fight like his father had. He would not be a coward. "I ran from Home."

BANE Aranna

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Sep 04, 2013, 08:30 AM by Bane.)

The boy answered him, not only in word but in deed to the unasked question of his bluff. Unbudging, not prey and deserving of some shred of caution. Al knew the young wolf would hold little experience, but even then the boy knew enough to stand his ground, perhaps even fight back if pressed.

The cub elaborated, what he had run away from was a place, rather than thing. Home, specifically, which was still a nebulous concept for Albireo. A place with warm bodies to sleep beside, at the least, and Al had fled just the same as a hare from a lynx, or a Boy from Home. A smile slowly crawled up the edges of Albireo's black lips, a sort of greasy, alien expression that seemed to be on the brink of slipping off his face.

"Me too. There is no home now, for me. For you? Will you go back? Is there even anything left to go back to?" By now the smile had vanished, it's maintenance forgotten. It left nothing behind but his blank stare, a canvas scraped clean. Albireo shuddered, backing up a step, head starting to duck before the unseen chain yanked in reverse, holding him from any sort of retreat. His eyes, which had been wandering, snapped up and locked on the bright orange of the boy's, but Al didn't move any closer. Like a flag, his chalky tail furled outward and level with his spine. His stomach burned, sour grapes or shame, did this cub think he could just chase him off like that?

Albireo
a tooth for an eye

As soon as he had left, Nina had jumped off of her throne and demanded that everything stay put. Of course, in that time period, she had forgotten about the past troubles that her leg had given her and pushed off, following the scent of Bane. At first she had believed that she had caught up with him, but just as quick the dark fur ball had disappeared within the thickets, giving Nina a hard time in finding out where he was. The darkness and seclusion of the thickets was given her a harder time than expected to find the boy, but eventually she had found that scent trail and pushed on, her strong legs propelling herself forward. Slightly shocked at how far the boy had actually managed to go, she pushed through the woodlands coming upon the barren field. Now it would be easier to track the boy without all the thorns and trees at every turn. Following her head to the ground slightly, she inhaled and continued on, hoping that she would find her friend’s son soon. Eventually, she did see the black boy…but he wasn’t alone. Breath catching in her throat, she allowed her legs to shoot forward, coming to a halt a little while away from the pair, seeing as there was no danger, and approached with a walk the rest of the way, her emerald eye focusing on Bane.

Breathing a sigh of relief at the realization that he was not harmed, she chastised him lightly, kind tones in her voice, "Bane…you shouldn’t have down that, sweetheart…you scared us…" Her golden head then tilted towards the loner. It was obvious that Bane and Nina bare the same scent and that they were from a pack, but these weren’t her lands and she knew the proper respects. Her posture and tail remained in a neutral position, nodding her head briefly to the loner, "I’m Nina Reinier…" She then let her gaze shift back towards Bane, a small smile painted on her lips. She would give him no pity, for she was sure that if she gave him such a thing that he would possibly hate her even more…or just hate her in general if he didn’t already. The alpha had not appreciated the lies that had been told to Bane. Their pack might have been filled with secrets that they shared with one another…but they were truthful ones, not the lies that Hollow had filled the child’s mind with. She wanted to comfort him, but at the same time she would hold back until he asked for such a thing, after all, she was not his mother.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.

He questions, once more, persistent in his goal for knowledge though proved to have chosen the wrong pawn to toy with. Though Bane remained in his placement, he stuttered for something that would seem correct. Of course he would go back, right? He had no where else to go. By why go back when he would just feel uncomfortable there with those who lied to him and those who pitied him? Hell, he didn't feel comfortable here, ether. With this, he came to the quick conclusion he did not want to be here with this stranger or back home with the 'secrets of the woodlands'. He wanted to be by himself, with the only one he felt he could trust at the moment. Fitting, since he had grown up in a den with no siblings and a single mother who did her best to stray as much as she possibly could. Loneliness was something that he knew well and though he had not particularly liked being lonely, he was used to it and in it, sought comfort in what he knew.

"I-I don't know..." He speaks first and though keeps his placement, shies his eyes away from the man who stared intently at him, taunt and on edge as his tail stilled straight out in the air. Why was the man acting this way? His question would have to remain unanswered as Nina made her arrival, a wolf he know took to understanding to be the 'Leader' of the pack he was in. Bane shifted his attention to her, saying little on the manner as his eyes shifted to the Loner male and back again. "If mom was so scared, why didn't she come?" His words barked, perhaps a bit more harshly then he had originally intended. "If she cared, she wouldn't look at me funny. Wouldn't avoid me." Though his mother tried to desperately to play the part now, he would not forget his earlier years in life alone in the den, cold and hungry when his mother had not yet gotten enough over her rape to stand the look of him. Of course, he did not know this, did not know why she acted this way. With only him now that his father was dead, you would think she would stick to him like glue....right?

BANE Aranna

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Sep 09, 2013, 06:58 AM by Bane.)

Al's exit here, unless anyone wants to stop him ;)

Albireo waited on edge for another answer, visibly growing more tense as the boy grasped for something, anything to say. The rather plain response of 'I don't know' left Al somewhat dissatisfied, though he couldn't say what he had expected instead. He sighed, frowning with visible disappointment as his tail fell, already turning to leave before something else caught his attention. Tawny fur, gilded pale in the scant light of the crescent moon, appeared over the ridge, a female wolf of similar scent coming to stand close to the dark cub. She seemed to be some sort of babysitter to the kid, and Al hesitated, expectant that she would shake some sense into the wayward pup. He wished that she would, but she immediately set about chastising the boy in sickly sweet tones, and Al's frown transformed into more of a sneer.

"It's no wonder he's run away, if you just let him do as he wants." Al had ignored the opportunity to give his own name, but couldn't help himself from the unsolicited advice that had slithered out of his vocal chords. His dark eyes met the single green eye of the female's, noticing for the first time that the other was held shut. He seemed to be sizing her up, tail rising in an arc and feet shifting on the grassy earth as if he were about to do something. Instead, he snorted, glancing to the vibrant tangerine of the child's eyes before he turned, walking away as far as they would let him. Something about the two just made him sick to his stomach.

Albireo
a tooth for an eye

Though she was not on Secret Woodlands lands, she did not like the disrespectful way he spoke to her and as he walked away from her, she let her tail curl over her back, a short growl escaping her muzzle as she replied to him, her tone harsh and snippy, "Those within my home do as they please and deal with their consequences for bad actions later. Do not tell me how to rule." With those parting words for the male, she turned back towards Bane, a small sigh escaping her muzzle as she sat down in front of him, nudging his cheek in a companion-like manner. With his words, she replied with ease, letting her voice take on a softer tone than it had with the departed loner, "I did not allow her to. I figured you would want a little bit of time to sort your thoughts out, hmm?" She tilted her head at him in a questioning manner, letting a small smile grace her features in an attempt to cheer him up. Though she knew he was young, if he honestly wanted to know what happened to his mother, than she in no way had any right to deny him such a thing.

Breathing deeply, she spoke calmly once more, her green eye taking in the young man in front of her, "Your mother has gone through much to bring you into this world, my dear. And though I spoke to you the truth about your father...it is not the whole story…and that is not my story to tell." She paused for a moment, letting the boy sink in what information that he could, "It is your mother’s story to tell when she feels it is the right time, do you understand me?" She tilted her head once again, making sure she was looking down upon the boy, but with the respect and equality she would have given to someone similar to her own ranking, as if they were equals. She then once again spoke, her voice firm when she spoke, "And if you need to know, as your friend if you ever need anything, I will always be there to help…" It didn’t have to go without saying that she would treat him just as she would any pack mate. Nina would not give him special treatment and somewhere inside of him, she thought he knew that.

It seems when you're around, my life is complete.