a giving tree and a gibbous moon

@Luthais
April 13th, Evening, Partly Cloudy — Current Temperature: 39° F/4° C
Datura is aware that Taima is pregnant, but going to just play if vague on whether or not he's a member of Cut Rock River

"Oh no, I'm fine babe," he had insisted when she had told him, "Just fine." Though she hadn't really believed him no matter how many times he repeated himself. "Really, why wouldn't I be fine?" But he had to get away, he had to get some fresh air because there was no way to process this news with her right in front of him. Feigning the most contrived cough in the world, the golden boy promised he would just be stepping out for a moment to get a sip from the creek and, "no, no you just sit there." Calmly, the boy had trotted away, taking care to wait until there were several trees blocking her view of him before broke into a sprint, rushing headlong through the undergrowth dying to get away from the staggering responsibilities that had been successively dumped upon him.

The father-to-be stood at a tipping point. At his back where the foreboding, ancient trees that marked his mate's heritage, his obligations; in front of him lay a quivering field of reeds that looked like freedom to him. He trembled at the awareness that came over him in waves, behind him was the death of his childhood, the end of an era; before him was the promise of a few more months, just a few more months that he could hold on to. His sigh was rattled by a quiet sob as he felt the world's focus drifting away from him.

(This post was last modified: Apr 14, 2014, 01:11 AM by Datura.)

The evening held a chill that usually went unnoticed to the looming man. As the sky grew ever darker, he had to wonder if it was the time of day or just the clouds; they were thick like clotted cream, furrowed like river rapids. Luthais stood with his figure draped in shadow. His company was in the form of a few sparse trees, their limbs reaching skyward as if to grasp the eddying clouds above - yet never reaching. The stranger surveyed his surroundings with a blank expression, only truly shifting when he heard a sound amongst the stillness - a sudden burst of emotion which, according to the spirit-chaser's mind, was the tearful murmur of the trees. As he turned and began to stride closer, closer, closer, he caught sight of something he did not expect. It was not the trees that made that worrisome sound, but a wolf; no doubt one of the many heathens which plagued this holy land. Luthais did not make a sound. Instead he lurked within the cover of the tree line and watched - curious, but ultimately steeling himself against the stranger and his woes.

pets the pretty writing. sobs because mine is short again :C

He knew he should be excited, proud to be furthering his lineage and forging a tie between two of the strongest families in the realm if Taima could be believed... but he had always imagined this happening far in the future. He wasn't ready, he hadn't prepared. It took a village to raise a child and, heck, they were still wandering aimlessly around this damn forest looking for that fucking bear-hole so that they could create the village. Without any other wolves to protect and feed the squalling babes, it seemed doubtful that the cubs would last more than a month or two before wasting away. "Fuck," he snarled, grinding his fangs together as he abruptly whirled to his left. He leaned his head against a tree, "Fuck."

They were so stupid. So irresponsible.

Without warning he began to rock back and forth, ramming his golden crown against the unyielding trunk of a tree that must have been centuries old. "I'm just a boy," he moaned, as if that would reverse the changes already taking place in his life, "This can't happen. I didn't... I didn't mean to do it." Datura had only wanted to punish Taima, to force her into submission and prove that she would never be free to pursue any other men. He hadn't meant to get her pregnant. His head throbbed as he continued to smash it into the calloused bark of the tree. "This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to me."

Oh gosh. Your writing is super great too, it flows so well. @-@

Expletives flavoured the air. They twined in the branches of the nearby trees and were stifled, but he heard them. Accompanied by a chorus of bestial murmurs, Luthais' was uncertain of his purpose here. Had the trees called for him, or the man? Surely the gods had placed this golden boy before him for some important reason. An impromptu lesson, an introduction to the foreigners in the area. Something. He was restless with his thoughts. Careful with his poise as limbs begrudgingly gave way, forcing Luthais to heed the forest's will.

He lurked like some kind of malcontent; accompanied by the whispering of the aged trees around him, Luthais felt protected, but still apprehensive. It was the sound of knocking that provoked his escape from the forest's edge. He emerged carefully, but not too far. There was a shudder in his limbs - barely perceptible - a tremble of readiness should the stranger be volatile. Luthais did not know what to expect. He did see, however, that the boy was not watching his surroundings. With his head bowed in perceived reverence, the wolf was breaking down the skin of a nearby tree with his thick skull. Peculiar behaviour indeed. Incorrect, the priest mentally chided.

And there he lingered. Half dark with a chilled blanket of shadow across his own figure, and glowering with disdain towards his distraught company. Not a word was spoken - but if the gods did wish for him to help, there would be a greater sign.

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the snow. Hunt Opportunity

The bushes beside him quivered and he went rigid.

It did not occur to the boy to find out who was here with him now. He wasn't interested — in fact, he was livid at the thought that Taima had pursued him. Sensing her presence, the boy's eyes flitted towards her grey paws and back to the crust of tree he had been targeting. "I told you to stay put!" he roared, his posture making it clearly that he wasn't in the mood for her suffocating cuddles. "I said— " carried away by the force of his emotions, his voice intensified to a thunderous crescendo as he head whipped towards her, "I AM FINE—"

His molten gaze crashed landed on an unfamiliar form, some skinny, thistled-coated and a look about him that Datura didn't like. Not Taima. A mixture of shock and embarassment might have dampened his rage, but Datura made no attempt to settle into a less intimidating posture. The boy made an obvious show of sizing this newcomer up, his eyes drifting down very slowly as his expression grew more wrinkled and smug. It was just another loner. They grew like weeds down here in the shadow of the mountain range. The silence about this one made his fur prickle and his ears twitch. "What," Datura sneered, "What do you want?" Somewhere in the depths of his consciousness Datura wondered at this abrasive and barbaric attitude that he couldn't seem to control of lately. Part of him was very aware that this was not the man — not the father he wanted to be, but the other part of him was overwhelmed and at the end of his rope and unable to rally some self-control.

What could he do but stand and watch? The stranger was preoccupied - and so too was Luthais, as a burst of motion made his moody gaze shift sharply. Roused perhaps by his own movement from the forest edge, a rabbit shot out of its hiding place and through the dark. He felt a thrilling desire to give chase, yet held firm upon the loam. Only when the stranger's attention shot his way did Luthais take a step back. He withdrew by only a single eased step in time to hear the rumbling thunder of the stranger. When his golden face turned to intensely stare at him, it was natural for Luthais to grow rigid and refuse to budge wholeheartedly. Despite the clouds looming overhead, the stilted man caught some diffusion; his dark gaze grew warm with it.

"What do you want?" The stranger did not appear pleased to have been found out, and Luthais shared the sentiment. He did not respond at first, struck solemn by the company of the other. Was it his place to speak to these heathens? Was that what the gods wanted? The boy took a gander towards the pit of shadows which the rabbit had vaulted in to, using it as a distraction to quiet his thoughts. When he finally spoke it was with a lilting boyish voice; as if he had not quite matured. "I was only chasing a meal." Luthais fibbed, and began to stride on by without a care - dipping his head only at this point and losing his dominance as he rooted in the soil for his false prize.

The strange stared back at him and Datura was rattled by that stoic, arcane gaze. He seemed unperturbed, and Datura interpreted the outsiders glare the way he would a disappointed parent's tight lips and torturous silence. The awful show of fury had won him nothing from the quiet man, not even a flick of an ear or reflexive snarl. His ears were flung backwards and he could feel his face smoldering uncomfortably. Gradually, mechanically, the golden flag arched over his back was lowered to his ankles and his fur came to lay flat across his back.

When abruptly the stranger's attention leaped to something else, to food, Datura was overcome with shame and dismay. The loner didn't seem to care about him at all. "Hey — No, wait!" A precious-metal paw dangled in the air in front of him. This was just some innocent loner, the first person he had seen besides Taima in quite some time. Though the golden prince had treated him horrendously, he was loathe to let him slip through his grasp. The earthy head of the other man bobbed in front of him and with that the man seemed to be on his way. "Please.. please don't go." Datura needed him: needed his company and needed his advice.

"Can't we... can't we talk?" the boy offered, his voice full of a pitiful yearning. Datura needed to talk about himself —not about Taima, not about Grizzly Hollow, not about the budding embryos in Taima's stomach— about himself.

The lie was enough, and bade him brief passage. The scent of the rabbit was sucked away by frost, so there was nary a trail to speak of, despite the creature's sudden existence. Luthais continued to pursue it - utilizing the prey as a means to an end. Intent, as it would seem, to leave the golden man with his emotions. But this was not to be. With his insistent voice ringing sharply in the traveller's quick-to-flatten ears, Luthais paused, turned, and looked with a distant expression upon his picayune need.

The stranger was desperate. Luthais did not know what to do with desperation - he had never had to face such a thing. It was this superiority that caused him to finally accept that his place was meant to be here, amongst the trees and listening to the stranger. Even if he felt no kinship for the usurpers, Luthais felt at home amongst the trees, and truly did not wish to leave them so soon. If this was what the gods wanted of him, he would comply. It was his duty.

"You owe me lunch." The man stated rather plainly, deciding that it was of great value to have a foreigner beholden to him - at least for the time being. He settled in to a seated position then, promptly lowering his rear and watching the vibrant stranger for signs of conversation. It was not up to Luthais to prompt him; he was only here to listen as far as he was concerned.

sorry about the wait <3 school was rough

The stranger did not appear to be entirely heartless, and Datura held his breath as the pale man turned back. How strange it was to stand in the paw prints of the golden boy who had so often stood in the loner's place: quiet, condemning, dispassionate — waiting for people to get a grip on themselves. But this realization stirred no pity or remorse in the boy's heart when he thought back on his actions. They seemed right, they seemed justified. There was no other way for this man to behave other than in the manner decorum and tradition dictated. Under the austere focus of the loner, Datura bent his head. I have been made weak, he thought, Life has broken me.

He would spend a great deal of time in the coming months reinventing his pride.

Datura shrugged and flicked his muzzle at the mention of his debt in a way that acknowledged its necessity. It would be done, there was no need to speak more on the matter. He did not want to think abut any more obligations. He sighed and then fell silent for quiet some time before he noticed the man was still watching him, unwilling to extend the first olive branch of conversation. The gold boy snorted. Fine. "I was told today that I will become a father," his voice seemed empty, disconnected from the panic threatening to claim his heart, "I do not know what to do. I don't..." — here he choked, his tone turning into a whine — "I don't think I can do it."

"As much as I would like to believe I am a man... I'm not."

(This post was last modified: Apr 21, 2014, 01:55 AM by Datura.)