when you let her go

For @Dziban <3

As the sun took its leave, leaving gentle footsteps in its wake, the scarred survivor curled up within the deserted badger den underneath a tall cedar tree. Her alabaster coat disappeared within the increasing darkness, concealing her from obvious detection. With her tail tucked over her marred face, the snowed-in entrance and her thick winter coat acted as additional insulation against the cold elements of the night. If only another was with her in this frigid night. Together they could have kept themselves warm against the harsh winter air. It was still unknown to her that, that was how she had survived her accident. Without the body heat of her unknown savior, she would have been lost to the world. Without this angel, Athena wouldn't be alive. With no obvious memory of her angel, she was oblivious to what had happened to her about a month ago. The only symptoms that she noticed was increasing amounts of headaches and when she tried to remember something, she'd experience sharp pains and she'd give up on her attempt. As she drifted off to sleep, a dream came to her on this particular night...

Her fiery eyes were blind to the world, but her other senses were alive as ever. The steady drip of water and the echo of it hitting a solid surface was the first thing she focused on. Broadening her senses, the dull scent of dirt was prominent, but there's was something else within the air. The scent of another, particularly the scent of a stranger. She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't move. It was like she wasn't in control of her body at all. What's going on?.. With no control of her body, she focused on what she could and that was when she heard the footsteps of another. What was that? Who was that?.. Trying to force herself to wake was useless, her body wouldn't listen to her. Unknowing what was coming, she prepared herself for the worst.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Setting behind snowy clouds, the sun fell from the Earth. A starless night poured over the land, taking every last bit of the sun's heat away from him. Tonight, like every other night, the silver male chose to stay within the same damp cave he had brought the stranger to. Her scent still lined the walls, but each day it grew lighter. Soon she would be nothing more than a memory, and he was ok with that. Too frequently a healer would grow attached to their harder cases. They would obsess over them until they found another whose attention they needed more. Dziban was no medicine wolf. He had the knowledge and skill, but he never had the heart. Some wolves could be healed, and some could not. Either way, it would always be his fault, and that didn't sit well with him. Dziban would much prefer the excitement in his bones as he flew through the trees in pursuit of his next meal. He was a predator in every sense of the word, built for survival.

Closing pale eyes, he curled his face beneath his tail. It was the only way to keep body heat when the winter's merciless breath blew through the opening of the cave. It had been much warmer with a coat of snowy white beside him. With that thought, he allowed the peaceful waves of sleep to take him.

For a moment there was only darkness, and he couldn't help but wonder if the freezing temperatures had finally taken him away. The light trickle of water falling into a pool beside him signified that this was something else entirely, and the male forced his eyes open. He was curled up on the floor of his cave. The musky smell only serving to prove this fact. Was he awake? Swiveling his head, he locked onto a snowy form that should not have been there. She was gone, probably miles away, wasn't she? Cautiously he stood, making his way over to her. The female seemed to be sleeping, but not in the calm manner she always did. Her body was tense somehow, as if she were having a nightmare. Was this a symptom? Had something gone wrong?

"Wake, my dear." His own voice poured from his mouth, but he hadn't meant to say it.

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2014, 05:20 AM by Dziban.)

With the purr of the stranger's voice, her fiery eyes snapped wide open. Unexpectedly, she was met by the darkness of the cave. Her eyes, being closed for so long, weren't adjusted to the stark darkness. But, finally, her burning eyes found the voice's founder. His agouti painted body was toned and shaped like an experienced warrior, though no visible scars supported that theory. However, the way he held himself surely did. His pale yellow eyes seemed trusting, but Athena could see there was a coldness beneath the surface. No matter what he looked like, this male was still a stranger and she would defend herself if it came to that. Hackles rising, pointed canines exposed in warning, she released a grumbling growl in warning. Not know this man, she wasn't about to let him go on trying to sweet talk her.

Athena had no recollection of what had happened or where she was, so letting her guard down would be her biggest mistake, even if the man thought he knew her. Slowly, she began to rise to her feet, her eyes still locked on the stranger. "Don't move any closer," she hissed through her bared teeth. Her petite body began to move backwards, but her movements were hindered by the cave wall. Growling in frustration, she lowered her neck to protect her throat if he decided to attack with her cornered. With her fiery eyes glowing with frustration, she growled another warning to him to not move any closer to him. She wasn't afraid to fight back like her scarred face clearly showed.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Her panic was understandable, but he had no intention of moving away. Pale eyes bore into her familiar face, without a need for submission. Wherever they were, they were on an equal playing field. She held no more claim to the land than he did, and Dziban was not bred to be a coward. "If I wanted you dead I would have left you along the cliffs." His tone did not patronize, but he felt a need to ease her nerves. After all, he'd spent so much time wondering where her story began, that having her run off for a second time would just be unbearable.

He watched her, only allowing a mild interest to play across his face. In his opinion, wolves with ashen fur were rather banal. Common creatures who although beautiful, seemed to rely too heavily on their own vanity. Flawless coats with glassy eyes as blue as the never ending lakes. There was something different about this girl however. Her eyes betrayed her heart, as they came to life. Frustration was evident deep within her fiery irises. Scars etched themselves into her skin, marring the all too often perfect coat of white. This female had a story to tell, and one way or another, he was going to have her tell it.

"Who are you?" Once again, his own voice fell from his throat, without being told to do so. There was something strange about this place, now that he had time to think about it, but he couldn't quite place it. For some reason his words were not his own, but he was obviously speaking them. Whatever the case, it didn't deserve much thought, as his attention turned back on the pale form in front of him.

His pale eyes bore straight into her soul, searching for the answers to his untold questions. He yielded at her request and didn't come any closer which put her nerves at ease only slightly. His words confused her, but also relaxed her. What cliff was he talking about? Grumbling in confusion, her body slowly molded into a more relaxed state, but she was still tense in confusion. She tried to remember back to what he was talking about, but she couldn't find anything. All she remembered was her childhood in her family's pack then traveling on the run when she killed her father. Maybe he was confusing her with someone else that he helped.

They stood in silence for a few moments, both staring at one another. His pale interested eyes roved her petite body, examining every fur and scar littered on her frame. She did the same, this time slower than her first panic inspection. Her fiery eyes trailed the contours of his well muscled body, noting the slight peppering of grey across his coat. His pale yellow eyes matched the tan coloring of his body, however, flecks of darker mystery littered his irises. Curiosity ran through her veins as she stared into his irises.

His next words broke the spell. His voice was kinder this time. The words were like a whisper leaving his ebony lips. "Athena, Athena Moon," she answered, her eyes questioning him in response. "And you are?" She asked, her velvet voice echoing in the dark cave.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Her posture shifted, allowing a light layer of the thick tension between them to lift away. Her relaxed stance in turn permitted him to switch most of his weight to his hindquarters. Unfortunately she didn't seem to be nearly as calm as he would have liked. Confusion still clouded her eyes, forcing him to question their interaction. Was there something strange about the phrase he had just uttered? Silence fell upon them, leaving each to their own minds. He spent the majority of this time wondering what was going on in her head. Of course it was possible that she didn't remember the time he spent healing her. After all, she was never truly conscious, only coming out of it every once in a while to mutter names, or phrases. Or maybe it was just the fall she wasn't able to place her paw on. In his experience as a healer, he'd found that many wolves couldn't remember certain traumatic events. The mind seemed to have some type of memory block, likely to stop the recollection of something that might be unhealthy for the soul.

He let it go as she spoke her name. The stranger whose life he had saved finally had a name. Athena Moon. It was fitting really, as Athena was a powerful name. One given to a warrior, and if the scars on her face said anything, then she too was a warrior. In his travels he had learned that it was possible to tell a lot about a wolf, simply by their names. Those with soft names, had a tenancy to be delicate, and those with strong names were usually the opposite. Whether the name made the wolf or not was an entirely different question.

Dipping his head lightly in greeting, he began. "Dziban Thanne my lady. Son of Trieste, and Melsandre; Formerly of the Salt Sea." Titles. He hated them, but still he used them. It was the proper way to introduce yourself in his birth pack, and something that had stuck. Had he held a rank, it would have replaced his parent's names, but as he held no true place, it was left out.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

The tension in the air slowly dissipated as both of them began to relax. As the man shifted to his haunches, she decide to do the same. He seemed to mean no harm, so Athena slowly started to let her guard down. When he introduced himself as Dziban, she could finally put a name to his face. "Very powerful name. I love your mother's name," she mentioned with a smile. Her mother had a lovely name as well, Penelope. Elegant and dainty, exactly how her mother was in person. However, Penelope was also the strongest woman that she had ever known. She was able to put up with her father, though Athena never knew why she was even with that terrible man in the first place. Her mother deserved so much better than that bastard. A grimace began to form upon her face without her even realizing it.

A slight breeze moved through the small cavern and ran through the dull, white fur of the petite woman. Feeling uncomfortably cold next to the dark and frigid wall, she moved away from it and closer towards Dziban, close enough to where she could feel some of his warmth. The cold had begun to seep into her winter coat down to her unusually thin body making her begin to slightly shiver. As she looked down at her body, she hadn't realized how emaciated she had become. Her dull fur whisked out in all directions, making her look unkept and untidy. Dirt and twigs were tangled within her coat, as well. In all her four years, she had always tried to keep her coat well groomed and clean. What had happened? Looking back towards Dziban, her lugubrious expression said it all. "What happened to me?"

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

"Thank you." He had always been fond of his mother's name, but then again, she was his mother. Her name was always plastered through his youth, at each milestone and precious moment. The mother that everyone was supposed to have. For a brief moment his mind betrayed him, and he was left to wonder how that creature had raised their cubs. Did she show them love, and affection? Had she used a firm hand in guiding them, or a soft? How many were there, and what did they even look like? No. He couldn't ponder things without answers. He'd already been through this, and he was afraid it he had to go through it again, he might not come out the other side.

Thankful for the distraction, he listened as Winter's air crept upon them, lashing through the cave without mercy. It was having trouble finding it's way through his thick coat, but he was sure the icy chill would have no trouble reaching her skin. His ponderings were confirmed as the ashen female made her way towards him, likely hoping to steal some heat. Moving forward just a touch, and lessening the space in between them, he gave her a slight, respectful nod. He wasn't trying to catch her off guard, or have her think he had any ill intentions.

Then another blissful diversion, that wasn't so easy. Her eyes said it all, told him of her turmoil, and her strife. Unfortunately, he could only tell her a small piece of what she wanted to know. Only a tiny sliver of her life. Looking away from her for the first time, he actually felt bad. He couldn't help her anymore, he had nothing to offer after this. "I found you, barely breathing at the bottom of the cliffs. I don't know if you were pushed, if you jumped off them of your own accord, or if it was an accident." Those three possibilities seemed to be the most likely, and not one to coddle, he had to let her know. "Regardless though, I brought you back here. You slept most of the time, but once in a while you would utter little phrases, or things that I presume to be names. When I knew for certain you were going to wake up, I left you with food, and then let you go on your way. That's really all I know, and I'm sorry I couldn't be of more service to you."

When she settled closer to Dziban, he didn't rejected her close proximity instead he seemed to welcome it. He understood what she was trying to do and helped her close the gap between them. With a gentle smile in return to his gesture, she was thankful for his burly figure and coat to shield her from the frigid winter cold. Her body wasn't how it used to be. She had lost a lot of weight and was much weaker. However, she still no recollection of how she had dissipated so quickly. Athena didn't even remember why she was where she was in the first place.

Thinking that Dziban knew what had happened to her, she looked up at him with hopeful eyes. However, as he was about to tell her what he knew, he turned away from her gaze and his expression quickly changed. Was he ashamed to tell her what had happened? Was it pity in his pale yellow eyes that he didn't want her to see? But, as the story rolled off his tongue, she wasn't worried about his pity. Instead, she was speechless for a moment. With his story, she still doesn't remember this fall either. Was he telling her the truth or was he making it up for her sake? "What was I saying in my sleep?" Perhaps if he could answer this, she'd believe him and it may help her remember.

The turmoil entered her fiery eyes once more as she thought about the possibly of his story actually being true. Had she almost died like he said? Was there more damage to her than what was on the outside? How did she even fall off the cliff? Had she tried to commit suicide or did someone push her like he said? Questions whirled inside her head, but there were no answers for them.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||