Heartleaf Creek Keep the Coals Burning

@Coal
Ooc: Set between the fight in The Wildwoos & The meeting with Senka at Sacred Grove.

The detour was a necessity after her scuffle in the Wildwood, a large arc in the opposite direction, to make sure she didn't run into any of the two grumpy wolfesses again. But it was time consuming, leaving the beat up girl even more annoyed than the fight itself already had. She was thrashing through relatively clear land now, finally finding her way back on track, the mountains visible on the horizon before her. All around, the grassland bore unmistakable signs of a fire, flames that had, no doubt, wrecked the forest long ago, leaving only black stubbles behind. Now the earth had been taken over by grasses and saplings, making the fox-like wolfs trek much easier, her paws moving swiftly through the meadows; I just hope this didn't make me miss my chance! In truth, the last thing the lass needed right now was another encounter to slow her down, she was on a mission ! And her eyes were set on the invisible goal, finding Rayne's sister and reuniting the two. All that being said, she could surely need a pick up! Until now, the majority of her encounters in these new lands had been of the uncomfortable sort, and her natural enthusiasm had dwindled significantly. Her eyes, which were usually glowing with a bright thirst for adventure, were dull under her heavy, grey brow, focusing only on the ground right before her paws, and her mind was silent. She was going through the motions, low on both spirit and energy, only stubbornness keeping her going on; something needed to change soon! Word count: 267 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

The activities that took place in this strange new country had driven Coal to wish he could find one he could trust, a wolf that wouldn't drive him crazy or be crazy themselves. Who was content just to hang around and not constantly test him and pressure him, who he could look on as an equal. Well, the latter wasn't too likely, a fact proven by his latest encounter with Neoma Flint. It wasn't altogether rare for his hot temper to blow, but females weren't usually his target, and for the most part it did so for much nobler reasons. It had been a bad day. Too rainy, he guessed. Even that couldn't erase completely the jolt of shame he always felt when thinking back to the occasion.

The Bielski had recently chanced upon a smooth, gently flowing stream of crystal clear water and chosen to follow it, sticking to its banks for the greater part of the day. It was rather out of the way, but the truth was, he wasn't going anywhere to begin with so meandering with this creek wouldn't slow him down any. But a soft sigh betrayed his feelings of loneliness, for in all truth he was not the type to remain a lone wolf for long and already had had his fill of the solitary life he had been living since becoming an outcast in Red Ash Gorge. His dark eyes gazed up into the trees and their colorful heart-shaped leaves, thankful for the blue skies, but in his heart grumbling, figuring that it would be all the same if the torrential storms picked up again.

A tired smirk twisted along his lips and he shook off the foul mood that threatened to ruin the beautiful day. The huge, copper male shook loose dirt and leaves from his coat and slowed, bending around a thin trunk to make his way down to the water's edge. His brown eyes closed as he slowly lapped the cool water and over a minute passed until he lifted his great head, and he jerked, startled to see a young female not too far away on the opposite side of the creek. Her head was low to the ground; in fact, her entire being was droopy, similar to what he must have looked like only moments ago. Without a second thought the sand and copper wolf splashed through the shallow creek and ran up the other side shaking the clear droplets from his fur. A grin and wagging tail promised friendly intentions void of harm as he neared the pretty girl.

"Hullo," he said gleefully, happy to find someone who wouldn't likely try and mess up his day.

The sound of running water had been lingering in the periphery of her hearing for a while now, without attracting any specific attention. The remains of the last days' heavy rain still clinging to her fur, the orange dame wasn't particularly eager to approach the creek; so far, drinking water had been in abundance on her journey. So her brain had tucked the gurgling away with the rest of the areas sounds, at the back of her brain, and she'd pretty much forgotten about the water's existence, when a laud splashing made head jerk up to attention, eyes and ears turned in direction of the sound. Copper eyes fell on a tan pelted wolf, thrashing through the stream, and a distant light flickered in their depths. After her last to encounters, instinct brought wariness before curiosity, but the girl noticed the approacher's bright grin and waving tail; Like a banner of good will... The thought surprised her, as it fleeted into her mind. It sounded like something her older brother would say, certainly not something she would never speak aloud. She shook the idea, keeping watch of the stranger as he came closer, her body posture selectively neutral. He was large. Not just normally big, but, almost frighteningly, huge; Damn, is every wolf in this wretched place a giant?! It did give him kind of a comical appearance though, as he waltzed towards her in his happy go lucky manner, apparently untouched by her solemn expressions. And despite her gloomy state, Aideen could not prevent a small smile from curling her lips. The boy introduced himself with one word. A strange one, bearing some resemblance with a greeting, yet different. The slender lass raised her brow, looking up at the colossus with no sign of fear, but rather a substantial amount of curiosity, in her molten metal gaze. The encounter was unexpected, and another slowing of her quest, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome after all; <b style="color:#c7470f">"Good day sir." She addressed him with no small amount of humor, unhidden in her voice; which otherwise was marked by the hardships she'd been through, it's edges rough and the tone deeper and slower than normally. Still, she mustered a real, tooth exposing, smile at the lad, tail flicking curiously as she stepped back and awaited his response. Word count: 384 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

@Aideen

As he climbed from the banks onto level ground, clear water droplets reflecting the sunlight as they fell from his copper pelt, he he could see her looking at him, her body betraying hints of annoyance and worry. That in itself made Coal wonder, but it only last for a moment before her posture changed to one of friendliness and neutrality at the sight of his careless tail swinging back and forth and the all around friendly stature he possessed when he wanted to. He was surprised, as he neared the rust colored, girl, that she was so small. She was a good foot shorter than himself, and now it was no secret as to why she had seemed a little frightened at his first appearance. He had never seen a wolf so tiny before! Granted...he was a Bielski.

Then she smiled, and the idea that he and her could be friends was cemented in the brute's mind as he slowed to a halt before her with his fluffy red banner still waving around in circles. She then answered rather less jovially than he had greeted her initially, but amusement coated her voice, and Coal wondered if he had somehow provided her with a bit of "funny." Thinking back though, he saw no reason for this, and decided to let it go, focusing his attention instead on the other emotions leaking through her tone, those of a difficult past.

But he wouldn't meddle.

The little she-wolf widened the distance between them a little bit which the Bielski respected; perhaps he had gotten a little close before they even knew each other's names.

"I'm Coal Bielski, just a wanderer...wandering around..." His eyes rolled a bit as if to back up the statement. Then he continued, "You look like mighty fine comp'ny, my pretty lass, do ya mind if we share paths for a while?" he finished with a wink and a toothy grin.

Ooc: EMOTIONS MAN!! xD
Also, sorry for using the word "amity", but after reading Divergent I've really grown to love that word!

The way he spoke was foreign to the orange lass, a strange, melodic nature to his rich, deep toned voice, and a an odd pronunciation of some words; Wherever he's from, it must be far away! Aideen's natural curiosity was awakened, and even through the worn haze that had captivated her young mind, she felt her usual eagerness press on, with a wish to learn more about this brute. He seemed lighthearted, cheerful, to a point that might even be called silly, and it was just what the adventurous girl needed! The buff colored wolfs words made her chuckle quietly, and she already felt some of the weight lifting from her chest as she made a quick decision, determined not to let her former encounters effect her relationship with this boy, and lifted her eyes to meet his; <b style="color:#c7470f">"Thank you Coal! I have a feeling you might be pretty good company yourself." She smiled warmly at the huge male, no longer so worried about his size, and lifted her tail high, mimicking his own, waving appendage; <b style="color:#c7470f">"My name is Aideen!" Smile quivering ever so faintly, the fea cleared her throat and added, a bit hoarsely: <b style="color:#c7470f">"Aideen Smoke." In her current state of mind, the homesickness that was otherwise fading, had returned to the sensitive girl, tightening her chest. And the long pelted male, despite his youth, reminded her of her father, with his joyful attitude and friendly approach. Aideen felt a burning behind her eyes, and swallowed heavily, swiftly setting into motion, to suppress her feelings and hide them from the stranger; No weakness! It was her mother's lesson number one, and the tri-colored lass never forgot it! So she moved forwards, beyond Coal, lightly brushing up against him as she passed; a light shiver traveling down her spine as his fur tinkled her own. Taking a deep breath to make sure she had control of her voice, she called back, with a lighthearted tone that was, almost, unaffected by her surging emotion; <b style="color:#c7470f">"I need to keep moving, but if you're going the same way as me... It would be nice to have some company for a while." Her voice nearly broke at the words, but she fought to keep it clean, and hide the desperation in her suggestion; Please! I could really use your amity! Word count: 386 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

From the start this encounter was destined to be an enjoyable one, and Coal was truly glad he had chanced to meet this beautiful girl. The smile that graced his lips was genuine and his heart warmed with satisfaction as his new friend laughed; she looked lighter—happier—than when he had initially spotted her dragging her feet on a journey to who knows where. He was glad he had been able to lift her spirits from the dumps, and now he had a good chance for some company, at least for a little while.

It appeared the rusty female was also happy to travel with him also, for now. The day had just gotten significantly brighter.

But a hint of worry returned to the protective Bielski as she stated her name, though, for it seemed as though she disliked her very identity, or the words brought to remembrance a painful reality. And it wasn't as though she didn't favor the name itself (in fact, Coal found the name very pretty, but decided to keep that thought to himself) but rather the history behind it. His curiosity was perked as to what had happened before this meeting, what had made the poor girl so despondent. What made tears rise up behind her eyes...

However, it was extremely hard to let his thoughts wander too far back in past as Aideen Smoke brushed past him and their sides touched. He stiffened spontaneously, bashfully hoping she didn't notice, but forced himself to relax with a deep, quiet breath before following. He tried to think, to listen, but in reality had no idea what she said next as he tried to focus on the present. Females had this thing about touch and he always found himself extremely uncomfortable when so close, even those he knew well.

A shaky chuckle did nothing to reestablish his dignity as he trotted forward to walk by her side...a good foot separated the two wolves. The Bielski pointedly avoided eye contact with Aideen by letting them wander over the scenery around them.

"So...where you headed?" he asked, hoping to end the awkwardness.

Ooc: Sorry for shortness, I didn't have much time, but I really wanted to get this up for you ^^

A wave of warm joy surged through her body when the sand-muddled boy caught up with her, falling in rhythm with the small fae's shorter steps. They moved swiftly along the swelling creek, Aideen's eyes now lifted to the horizon, sneaking a peak at the large wolf in between every few strides; a faint stiffness seemed to have tainted his gait, but she didn't wonder about it, she was done with speculations for now! All she wanted was to talk, the way she used to do it with her father and sister, in that natural, rushed way of hers that her mother found so irritating; Without thinking first! The continued thoughts of her family, gave the slender lass' smile a melancholic twist, but it was different from the homesickness she had felt earlier. This was the fuzzy warmth of fond memories, nothing like the agonizing longing from before. So when Coal asked his question, the tri-colored girl ignored the strained tone, dispelling the discomfort of the situation with a bright laugh; <b style="color:#c7470f"> "Well Coal..." She replied, turning her head to seek out his eyes with her own copper orbs; <b style="color:#c7470f"> "I'm on a quest!" Her tone was light, filled with laughter and thirst for adventure, but it was lined with a note of steel; it was not a dismissive answer, she was on a quest! Stubbornness shone in her eyes, as she waited for the man's response to this statement, would he laugh? Or understand this adventure of hers? She hoped for the later, but either way, there was no way to rock her determination; I will find your sister Rayne! The dame hoped though, that Coal would have at least enough adventure in him, to provide this little reprieve with some laughs, she needed that today! Word count: 295 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

@Aideen

This prancing rust-coated Aideen bore no resemblance to the beaten down, shadow of a life form that had dragged herself along her path not long ago. Her eyes shone with excitement and carelessness, her tail was loose, everything about her suggested friendship. Coal smiled to himself as he drew alongside her and glanced down to find the girl seemingly bubbling. It was a strange transformation, one that the large male very much welcomed. Of course, the momentary touch which had taken place only seconds ago still added an awkward light to his side of things but he tried not to show it.

The way the she-wolf said his name made the Bielski's hair stand on end as he looked at her with cautious eyes, loving the joy that emanated from the tiny wolf, and wondering why it affected him so. Was it just that he had never been around someone so...outgoing? He wasn't really sure what word to put to how Aideen was acting, but he liked it...too much almost. It was nearly intoxicating, and he wanted to just laugh and run...he wanted to join this young woman on her quest. It was a thought that struck him as odd, for he had his own quest, his own way to go. But even this sent a pang of regret through the copper wolf; he had no wish to leave this one behind. Though only minutes had been spent with her he knew they were friends. It had come too easy.

Mixed emotions tumbled through his mind and he remained quiet for a while, plodding along, facing forward. Unless her "quest" was a simple one, such as a hunt, or finding shelter, or something similarly practical he could not accompany her. A sigh involuntarily escaped his lips and a sad smile replaced his joyful one as he turned to her. "If only I could join you on your quest. What is it?" He hoped that she wouldn't read his melancholy tone as a put down to her jovial mood. The truth was that he was jealous of her now, jealous of her freedom. He was bound forever to his family, and until he had one his life would not be whole.

@Coal
Ooc: MUSESPLOSION!! - And goodness, this is evolving... Strangely... xD

She felt elated, the mere presence of his body next to hers making any remainder of loneliness evaporate, as the warmth of life, radiating off his body, graced her side. It occurred to the lass, that she had not walked with another wolf in this way since she left her old home, side by side in a manner like pack-mates on a hunt. The thought made an inexplicable warmth rise to her tri-colored face, eyes fluttering to her paws as, suddenly, it felt difficult to look at the large boy. The unfamiliar feelings confused the young lass, making her falter out of rhythm for a few steps. She had to pause for a while, shaking her head to clear the warm fuzz that had cluttered her thoughts. Blinking a few times, she looked again to the larger male, watching his earth colored fur wave in the light breeze, cocking her ears at the sound of his steps falling in the moist grass; It's remarkable how little noise he makes... The rust pelted dame shook her body again, and set in motion once more; leaping a few steps to catch up with her companion, just as he turned and look to her, expression oddly mixed. Aideen perked her ears and tilted her head, watching the other with wide, warm eyes while he spoke; questions glistening in the depths of their molten copper. As soon as he finished, she parted her jowls to answer, eager to give the man anything he wanted; part of her hoping to somehow cheer him up with her simple words. But then she hesitated, insecurities seizing her mind; Should I tell him? Could I?! The damsel was torn, on one hand she desperately wanted to keep up her conversation with this lively new comrade, make him forget whatever it was that had suddenly put him down, on the other paw she was bound by loyalty to Rayne; and after her experiences in the woods, she was hesitant to reveal her mission, even to Coal who seemed so trustworthy. She looked him in the eyes, steps slowing as she no longer watched her path, apologies lingering in her gaze as she decided to keep true to herself by not betraying Rayne's trust. But that left her with a new difficult decision: what to tell Coal, who was still watching her, waiting for an answer; I don't want to lie to you! Had he been one of her family members, any lie fallen from her lips would have easily been seen by him, she wasn't that great of a liar, but as things were now, she had the option to tell him a fabrication, simply make up a story... But she couldn't! Her mouth was dry, ears flicking nervously, eyes scanning the other's for something to ease her choice. <b style="color:#c7470f">"I... I'm searching for someone..." The reddish fae finally said, a sigh leaving her maw along with the words, as she such had found a way to stay true to herself both in keeping Rayne's secret, and not lying to Coal. She smiled at him, a slightly shaky grin, but one full and genuine, reaching all the way to her ears, which twisted playfully when something inside her made her add: <b style="color:#c7470f">"But I'm not in too much of a hurry, I have some time..." She had no idea where it came from, neither the words, nor the strange honey-like tone they were spoken in, a few moments ago, nothing had been more important to her than completing her quest, but now it didn't seem so pressing. The strange warmth once more rose in the girl's body, her heart beating violently against her ribs , but this time she held the man's gaze, ears falling halfly to the sides while she awaited his response. Word count: 633 I'm not stupid <b style="color:#c7470f">”I've got bark!”

PLOT WITH ME!

@Aideen - Coal....really?

She appeared uncomfortable and immediately Coal regretted his inquiry as he watched her struggle with words. He didn't like that he had caused her to feel that way and wondered if he should retract it and forget all small talk—it was something he had never become practiced in anyway. An apology attached itself to the back of his tongue but he couldn't bring himself to speak it, for now his curiosity was peaked as to what kind of quest the pretty female was on. His gentle expression encouraged her to go on, never letting his gaze drop from hers when she chose to look at him rather than at her own dainty paws. Finally she managed to force something out in a bit of a stutter but the copper Bielski hardly noticed the difficulty with which she spoke. The first thought that had struck him was that she might be searching for her love, and if that was the case, that he was of no concern.

Undoubtedly the red hues decorating his great head turned several shades brighter as he abruptly turned away from Aideen, trying to swallow but unable make his throat work. Bright eyes burned even brighter as salty liquid born from his embarrassment seeped into the golden pools. Now his entire body felt hot and all in all the huge brute, descendant of a noble and well known family, felt like a wuss. The smile gracing the woman's face went unnoticed while he stared off towards the side of the path; even looking down was out of the question for then she could still see him blinking his eyes over and over again. He forced himself to listened to her voice and try to get a hold over himself, breathing deep and slow until the shivers running down his body calmed and he felt ready to face her again, a lopsided grin on his face.

"Uh...great!" The tone was...hesitant. So many thoughts swarmed through his mind, each of them entirely hopeless and dream-like. It took every ounce of his will to focus on reality and try not to seem too fake, because now that's what he was. Hiding the feelings dominating his being, refusing eye contact, acting like a friend-zoned she-pup. He glanced at her, just for a second, hoping she didn't notice his problem, before letting his eyes dart back to the most interesting trees in the opposite direction.

(This post was last modified: Oct 31, 2013, 03:03 PM by Coal.)