Steal Away

@Anastasia

what if i say i'm not like the others? what if i say i'm not just another one of your plays? you're the pretender, what if i say i will never surrender? Maksim had been wondering, following the river down the land in an attempt to further map the areas he knew. He’d passed through the Red Fern Forest, taking care in not trespassing into the territory of Magnolia Glen. Truthfully, the Darkwater guardian hadn’t known all that much about the pack. All he knew was its name, leaders and now its definite location. Perhaps he’d pay a visit at a later date but, for now, his task had already been set into motion. Diverting away from the borders, he continued onwards. It didn’t take him long to pass Magnolia Glen and, after a night’s rest hidden amongst fiery trees, soon he was once again wandering the river side, watching as the current coiled around rocks and obstacles. Calloused paws carried him along, carefully crossing a ford. He paused, mid stride, to lower his head and steal a few laps of cold water before he freed his toes from the icy shallows. The real reason behind his trip was to think, and think he would. He had left home at the age of two to pursue his own legacy, to carry on the Baranski name elsewhere. Was he going to stay with the Attayas and die their loyal guardian, or would he travel to some other territory and become the king he was born to be? After all, Arman would be leading Tall Trees now, of that Maksim was sure. It was tradition, to challenge your father and prove yourself worthy of leadership once you had found a suitable woman to rule beside you. The first born had always thought that strange; women were not the shadows of men in his eyes, they were just as capable. They could fight just as well. Green eyes scanned the scene before him, finally realising just how far his feet had carried him. He hadn’t noticed the transition from red to deep green that signalled the passing of the Red Fern Forest and somewhere else entirely. Mentally shrugging, he continued onwards. It was an oddly eerie place, though it was hardly a spectacular feeling of discomfort. Truthfully, it seemed like a place where monsters from pup’s nightmares would dwell within the deepest reaches, away from the eyes of staring passers-by. Luckily Maksim was far too old for such silly tales and walked on without a break in his step. He continued south until finally he came to a halt, lowering himself to his haunches so that he may sit and appreciate his surroundings. Looking to the west, he found himself admiring the mountain range. High above the world would be where he would claim his territory; where he would rule as leader. Somewhere in those peaks the Baranski would find himself a home and a future.<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">

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

Time had been careless, pushing her buttons without worry and without sentiment. The wolf who had given her a home and a purpose in the Lore had passed peacefully under the careful watch of Spectre. However, that had not meant that Anastasia did not feel hurt by his passing. After all she had come to see Shade as a friend—even if she was selfish by not wanting a temporary position beside him—and now she had no chance to continue to lead underneath him. All she had was a memory of a man pained by the loss of a woman he loved and a father who would not get to see his children grow up. With Lachesis behind to watch the children, Anastasia set off with a heavy heart. Sending a howl out to Ace to let him know that she would be absent for a couple days at best, trying to keep her head straight without judgment. Anastasia had never experienced death aside from the prey she killed and to witness the passing of a man so loved by all it was unbearable to witness. The pack felt like it was suffocating her with the underlying presence of his memories. Little did she know that her journey was leading her to the very place it started—Spectral Woods. With her head hung low but her heart heavy with love for the deceased, she begun to wonder if she would be dead if it were not for his offer. The woods were dark and mysterious, lending her a hand in slinking through it with her broken stature. There was still pride hidden upon her for the pack that she led but how could one hold such pride when the reason you led was because of something so tragic? Happiness was not something that followed her so she might as well find something to bring her more joy in life. From what she had discovered there were no remains of Reaper. The man she had come to trust and maybe even come to love in a significant manner had left—there were no signs of him. A howl for him had gone unanswered so it would seem that Lachesis was the only wolf now that had stuck by her side no matter what.

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2013, 05:30 AM by Anastasia.)

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aww ana, noo ;o;

what if i say i'm not like the others? what if i say i'm not just another one of your plays? you're the pretender, what if i say i will never surrender? His paws ached a little and the brute decided perhaps he should take a moments rest. From his haunches, he lowered down to his creamy stomach and the Baranski closed his eyes. It wasn’t often that he took the opportunity to soak in what warmth he could from the dappled sunlight. Had he ventured further west, he would have been enveloped by the mist and shrouded in eerie blues, however he was further east and, in turn, was closer to the Oak Tree Bend borders (though not close enough to be considered looking for trouble or an alpha). The oddly mossy, spongy ground beneath his was comforting enough and for a brief moment, the guardian was allowed to drift. Maksim knew nothing of Pitch Pine Trail, nothing of the death of an alpha. Darkwater Rapids had its own problems, however. Kade had been scarce on the territory, only the occasional scent by the den site hinted that he was still around. It was worrying, especially considering he had four healthy children he should have been doting upon. Whilst Maksim had made his decision to pursue a home of his own elsewhere, he wasn’t going to suddenly up and out, not until the Attaya male was around again. The guardian couldn’t do that to the children he had watched grow. But what ifs nagged at his brain, poking questions they shouldn't have. What would the Baranski do then? A brief flash of guilt hit him. He couldn’t go, wouldn’t. Not until Maksim was sure Kade was alright, until Ava’s mate returned to his former self. If that meant he had to stay there until the end of his life then so be it. He would not disappear. He was jolted from his bitter thoughts, green eyes opening as he rose steadily from the ground. His neck craned outwards and his ears pushed forward. Someone was coming. Shaking his pelt free from any falling leaves or stray bits of debris, Maksim blinked back the sleepiness of his brief rest. It was then that he saw her. She was small, adorning a coat of snowy white. Though he couldn’t make much out other than that, he cleared his throat before he called out. Maybe she lived around here? <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“Excuse me, miss? You wouldn’t happen to know what this place is called, would you?” With his words, he began to move forward, verdant gaze now managing to make out details: long legs and a smooth muzzle, eyes that looked as if she had captured the purest of water within them. A pretty little thing, indeed.<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">

(This post was last modified: Sep 16, 2013, 10:36 PM by Maksim.)

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

The dainty leader looked upon the scenery finding that she had once again gotten herself somewhat lost. It was the second time now that she had come through Spectral Woods and found herself boggled by the depth of its fog. Turning in the direction that she assumed she had just come from she began to walk back, hopefully with the discovery of an exit. It wasn’t until the voice of another broke the silence of the mist that she brought her face up to look around. After a few minutes she saw the creature who had spoken and he was coming closer. Quickly she tried to hide her disdainful feelings, ashamed of such vulnerable emotions being portrayed on a woman of her size and nature. She knew her appearance gave off the appearance that she was not strong so all she could do was to cover that up and make herself seem less like a target for strangers that may not be so friendly. As soon as the stranger came into sight she recognized him with a pack scent, but one that was unclear to her. He was large, like the males from her birth pack and had some age on him but not by much. He held the colors of a tawny soul, with pear green eyes similar to XIX’s. “This is Spectral Woods,” she answered in a light voice as she gazed upon the stranger without hesitation, “are you lost?” It didn’t take much to get lost here but she had found her way out once before with help, so maybe if they helped each other the path wouldn’t seem so unclear.

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2013, 05:31 AM by Anastasia.)

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what if i say i'm not like the others? what if i say i'm not just another one of your plays? you're the pretender, what if i say i will never surrender? Unfortunately, Maksim was an observant creature and had caught onto the white woman’s feelings by the way she carried herself before she had a chance to mask it. The closer he came to her, the more he could scent pack upon her pelt. Whatever the problem it was apparent she wished for no one to see her like this. Had she dispersed from the pack territory to come here, to allow those feelings she had so hurriedly hidden away a moment of release? Well, if there was a better place to do it than where he was now, Maksim couldn’t think of it. The thick forest was certainly void of judgement and one could release their negativity and woes here, leave them to churn in the mist that hung in the air. Her soft voice reached, light as a feather, as her cerulean gaze watched him without even a flicker of hesitation. Clearly, she was a wolf who was to be respected and knew it. Spectral Woods was the name of this area and the Baranski could certainly understand why. Though he wasn’t one to believe in silly tales of ghosts and ghouls howling in the darkness, he could see why others would chose to find truth in such things. It was certainly different to any other territory he had come across so far. Lost? Well, the guardian knew that he had followed the river down here the whole way so it wouldn’t be much to find his way back to the Darkwater territory. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“No, not lost. Just wandering. Thank you for the information, though.” He offered a friendly smile in her direction, a slight wag of his tail to put truth into his words. Still, he could not bite back the questions that hung on his tongue. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“Ah, do forgive me for being so bold as to ask this, though. Is everything alright?” Usually he was respectful of others and their desire to hide things, his meeting with Arlette being the best example, but the agouti male couldn’t shake the feeling that something just wasn’t right. Something wasn’t right at all. He’d be glad to listen if she should open up. The ear of a stranger could be better than one of a close friend, after all.<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">

(This post was last modified: Sep 17, 2013, 01:41 PM by Maksim.)

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

With it being somewhat of a given that Anastasia was the type to wear her heart upon her… muzzle… it probably wasn’t too difficult to get a read on her emotions. She felt constantly plagued by sadness, guilt, selfishness, and the love that she gave and rarely had returned. They were painful feelings that seemed to have no remedy except to venture somewhere new and find something different. Different was always the best course of actions, it allowed you to think on a different wavelength and to weigh the options between what you have and what you could have. With deep cerulean blue eye she gazed at the masked man before her and received no threatening stance nor fuming hatred. She felt she would be safe in her journeys and hoped that she would not meet the same demise as her fallen friend. “Glad to help,” a genuine feeling that she kept with her always. Anastasia wished to help all that could but it wasn’t so easy to help another when you’re falling down as far as one can go. When he offered her that friendly smile she felt content for the moment, building in her confidence as the warmth of his spirit graced her very self. He was a smart one, this guy. It seemed that he had gone on to the subtle tint of her mood and thus confidently asked of her well-being. “It’s nothing… well, it’s not nothing per say. Just, I was recently promoted to share my rank with another man. You would think it is something to be happy about but the only reason I obtained it was by default of death.” Oh, it pained her to think of Shade in the condition she last saw him. The blood, the rips, everything just seemed to crashed into her mind like a tsunami that never ceased. “His mate that he had taken up not but a few weeks before his death gave it to me so that she could take care of him in his last days…” truth was that she couldn’t handle all the grief that had suddenly surrounded her. Talking to him about things surely helped, as he had guessed, talking to a stranger was better than talking to a close friend. Especially when one was a leader and should not express such worry to their pack. “I apologize,” she finally mentioned as it was polite to do so, “I don’t want to be a burden on you at all. You seem like a nice guy, though.” Anastasia wished to stay with him a little longer, to feel the comfort of a stranger when they had every option to leave and not look back. He had not left but rather asked of her problems—something that she found admirable.

(This post was last modified: Sep 18, 2013, 08:45 PM by Anastasia.)

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what if i say i'm not like the others? what if i say i'm not just another one of your plays? you're the pretender, what if i say i will never surrender? Maksim listened silently as she expressed her feelings in a brief summary. She had been bumped up to the position of leader in her pack, it seemed, but she was not happy with the circumstances of which this had occurred. Death. He frowned slightly; the guardian wasn’t sure if the leader’s passing was due to illness or old age or, god forbid, an injury from a fight but death was always sad, regardless of the cause. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“I’m sorry for your loss,” he offered softly before she continued speaking. The way she said “take care of him in his last days” caused his frown to become more pronounced. It didn’t sit right, didn’t imply a peaceful passing at all. Curiosity bubbled in his mind but he held it down. He wanted to know how the poor sod had died though he felt that asking such things would be disrespectful both to the fallen king and the snowy woman before him. He shook his large head at her words, tail idly flicking behind him. Apologies were not needed, Maksim had initiated the conversation and asked what was wrong. Like apologising for taking something even though someone said it was alright to take it. Perhaps that was just common courtesy, though he chuckled a little at her “nice guy” comment—it was good to have such things appreciated. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“No need to worry, miss. I offered my ears to you, after all.” He offered a small smile to the blue eyed girl, hoping to at least offer some form of kindness in her moment of turmoil. Suddenly receiving leadership due to unfortunate circumstances was … well, it seemed painful. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“So, this pack of yours,” the guardian began, eyeing her curiously, <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“What is it like? More importantly, are you happy there with your current situation?” He lifted his head a little. Yes, his question was brash, bold and perhaps a little sudden. At the same time, perhaps she needed something so immediate and unsuspected to help her think things through. Did she feel uncomfortable in a territory that had witnessed the death of their leader? Did it remind her of him too much? <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">

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

After the life she had lived previously to the Lore she had wished that she could continue on with happiness and stability rather than constantly fearing what she couldn’t see. With the trail of Reaper being gone from every territory she figured she could find him and her call to him going ignored, she could only assume that he had left her. The man she had looked to for guidance and offered her assistance to within weeks of being in the Lore had vanished. Someone that she had come to feel for but now she just felt hurt by his actions. He was supposed to protect her but now she only had one friend, one guardian, one soul through which would follow her. The male was so genuine that comfort was easily available to her through his presence alone, similar to how she felt when she was near Lachesis. They both had a quality in them that calmed her nerves and allowed her to think instead of worry. “Hm?” she answered in curiosity of her current pack. The question that he stated was not worrisome or strange but formal, he simply just wished to know if she was happy there. “I can’t say that I am,” she replied boldly knowing that it might not be the right thing to say if her pack mates had a differing opinion, “my purpose there has long since been over and I feel like nothing is tying me there anymore.” Anastasia had never gained very close friends there aside from perhaps Capella but she had long since vanished. It was then that Anastasia’s mind began to wonder why he would ask such a question but as usual her more imaginative, creative personality took over. It clicked in her head that he was asking because he was going to take her away. This man would sweep her off her feet and get on the metaphorical white steed and ride off into the sunset. Unfortunately, her more adult conscience told her to hold the reigns and not to get caught up in another fairy tale. She needed to hear more and to allow herself the time for him to continue speaking.

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what if i say i'm not like the others? what if i say i'm not just another one of your plays? you're the pretender, what if i say i will never surrender? She seemed more than comfortable to answer his question, boldly stating that, no, she was not happy in the lands she now ruled over. Maksim lifted his chin at her words, a soft “hm” escaping him as he mulled over her thoughts. He had been in a similar situation back home in Tall Trees and, though he knew that honour and loyalty was of utmost importance, so was finding oneself elsewhere. Tall Trees purpose was to teach the first born son and his hand-picked purpose was to learn. He had learnt all he could with his family, learnt to fight and learnt to be a pack wolf. His future, however, laid somewhere else; there was more to learn elsewhere. If the porcelain woman before him was not happy where she was then it seemed luck had introduced her to the right wolf. He could offer her his help. He could, indeed, be a shining knight to sweep her off her feet if she wanted it. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“Then why do you stay with them, miss?” It was an honest enough question, he was genuinely curious. It was strange, wondering such questions for the sake of others. If they needed to get away, felt like their home was suffocating them then surely they would step down and leave. It meant the pack would grow happier, with those who wanted to be in charge at the top. Things balanced themselves out and if a pack did not thrive under its rulers and numbers became thinner and thinner then, well, that was survival of the fittest. A pack could easily die, just as a wolf could. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“If they bring you no value and you find yourself feeling useless then why not simply go?” He shook his head. Perhaps this was silly. After all, a stranger trying to advise a wolf belonging to a pack (and one of the leaders of it at that!) to leave was such a curious idea. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“Forgive me, I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Maksim Baranski, guardian and second of Darkwater Rapids.” He offered a friendly smile, a brief swish of his tail. <b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">“Could I inquire as to the name of my current company?”<b style="font-family:georgia; font-size:11px; color:#70863f;">

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

The male provided a very solid question one that left Anastasia in question. Why would she stay with them? “The atmosphere has changed,” she started while trying to find the appropriate words to express her feelings best, “the wolves that joined previously to the pack’s beginning have mostly vanished and the ones that are left behind know so little about each other.” Shade had now passed and with that she assumed Spectre would be gone soon enough as well so from their beginning days, it left Ace, Lachesis and herself… but in time Ace will have brought up Silver to lead beside him. Ana did not wish to be put in the spot of temporary leader—she craved to lead beside a man that pledged his loyalty to her or that plainly expressed that he could never be interested her in an emotional way. “I have nowhere to go,” she mentioned idly with a shrug as she continued to calm herself down. There was nowhere for her to venture to, no friends elsewhere as their spot amongst the southeastern region had been quite cut off from the rest of the Lore. The mention of a name caused her to realize her own lack of introduction and she suddenly felt as silly as ever, forgetting one of the most important things all because of her upset beginning. “Maksim…” she spoke with a smile beginning to paint itself upon her face, “I am Anastasia Starklen, previous Teacher and now leader of Pitch Pine Trail.”

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