Spectral Woods Can you see the desperation?

@Leaf
RE: The northern lights are particularly brilliant tonight.

The sun was just slipping behind the horizon as Deneb set out, leaving behind the borders of his new home. Not that it was so new to him anymore... others had joined after he had, but he still knew that the leaders neither knew nor trusted him. Not really. He didn't care so much that they didn't know the real him, the real Deneb Cygni - that was a privilege he bestowed upon no one. But he would have liked if they'd showed a little more faith in him... after all, he had joined at the end of winter, and had been following Phineas's orders quite dutifully: filling the caches, patrolling the borders, and doing his best to keep his foolish brother, Albireo, in line.

Since that day when he'd joined the Glen pack, spring had arrived to the lands with a fury, changing them beyond recognition as it banished the last traces of winter. No longer were the woods around the Glen desolate and lifeless... though the male was pleased to see the forest had not lost all of it's eeriness. But he recalled his alpha's words, back on that day, hinting that when spring arrived, there would be some sort of mission over the mountain that he wanted Deneb to take part in. The pale wolf paused, his coin-like eyes drifting upward across the darkening landscape until they fell upon the white-caped mountain far in the distance. The spirit lights had already begun to dance tonight, adding brilliant streaks of green to the fading sky. For a moment the Cygni allowed himself to take simple pleasure in the beautiful sight, thinking of those he'd lost dancing across theheavens, but soon enough his thoughts turned dark once more, disrupting the moment of inner peace, and he shook his head with a huff, padding on through the shadowy trees. Spring had come, and Phineas had made no more mention of going venturing to that distant place.

Perhaps he had good reasons - being the father of a new brood of whelps and all - but Deneb was going a bit stir-crazy. The way the whole pack was fussing over the new additions didn't help either. Thinking of cubs only brought forth painful memories in the smoky white wolf, and awoke festering resentments. His thoughts would inevitably turn toward his brother, toward his desire for revenge... but the time was not yet right for that, and so Deneb struck out, away from the hub of the pack, seeking a change in scenery tonight. He'd ventured further than usual, meandering closer to the looming peak as the lights above lit his way. Something would have to change, and soon, or he felt as if he would lose his patience. That would still be better than forgetting what had brought him here in the first place, but not by much. "I haven't forgotten!" he called out toward the lights, toward his sons, knowing it was unlikely anyone who mattered was close enough to hear him. "I can't bring you back but... I can make him pay for what he did." These words were quieter, uttered as a growl under his breath. It was highly foolish, he knew, but the tirade had made him feel a little better nonetheless.

Don't forget there's a price you can pay,

deneb cygni

because I am the game and I want to play...

Oh, I enjoyed your post, Kaitlyn. You're a pretty good writer!

Lucky for the stir-crazy wolf, Little Red Riding Hood was close and ready to entertain. Having recently made a new acquaintance in Relic Lore who seemed to be fond of her presence, the little wolf felt elated. She bounded through the silence of the woods and basked in its blue light, her coat adopting an unnatural purple sheen. No matter, she was little match for the colors that swirled high above beyond the forest's canopy. Though she still did not know the name of these magnificent lights, she decided they were the most propitious form of weather--if not a bit magical. Her home had been a place full of magic, and not just the kind that made the leaves themselves come alive. They gave life to the wolves themselves. It was not as if the magic was limited to her pack and to the woods they claimed, but it was clearly felt there and unsuppressed by the evil that lurked elsewhere. Here, it was not as obvious to her and search as she might, she was still empty-pawed. But Kite had given her hope, though she would never admit that her hope had ever ever been lost. To admit such loss would have been too great for her to recover from. Nothing could dampen the little wolf's mood. Nothing at all! So when she heard the outcry of a wolf who did not carry the nearby pack's scent, she sought him out. Her curiosity often got the best of her. However, it was as she continued to listen--barely catching the quiet bitterness of a regretful soul--that her feet came to a slow and her once radiant face darkened. She realized she had no place entering into such resentment, but the Little Red of tales old had never been known for her caution. "Revenge can be a salve to your conscience, but its peace is too costly for most," she said. She only partially hidden by the foliage of a bush, keeping close to her namesake, but otherwise had an assured stance. It was not nearly as dominant as her voice, however, which did not seem to match who she was--and yet even though this wolf did not know her and her way of speech, it was clear her voice was heavy with seriousness. She did not smile. Leaf was a wolf who delighted in finding laughter in all things, but when it came to this, no humor could be afforded.

Thanks! Your post is pretty dang awesome, too!
I'm excited to see how this thread goes, these two are such opposites xD

The catharsis provided by his outburst was only too fleeting. Deneb let out a weary sigh as the echoes of his words faded, only to hear them answered by another voice moments later - ivory ears perked up instantly, and his eyes glinted as he scanned the perimeter for the source. His tail rose upward stiffly, only to flick slightly in some unreadable emotion as his gaze settled upon the source of the words. An empty platitude, spoken with total assurance, by a young lady veiled in the shadows of the underbrush.

Deneb let out a small chuff, eyeing the girl for a moment before deciding whether to say anything back at all. To his eye, she seemed quite young, especially to be handing out life advice with such fervency. "And what is cost, to someone who has already lost everything?" he asked after another moment of silent scrutiny, wondering what she would have to say in response to that.

Tipping his muzzle upwards a few degrees, the smoke-and-ivory man stepped forward a pace, then another, sniffing at the night air to little avail. No wonder he hadn't noticed her creeping up on him. The air felt almost dead tonight, with only slight eddies and currents to weave through the trees, carrying information. As always, his features were a mask - he wore it habitually, even when he thought himself alone. For the moment they did not convey hostility, or even irritation at having been interrupted on his search for solitude and peace of mind. Instead they were colored with a mix of skepticism and benign curiosity.

Don't forget there's a price you can pay,

deneb cygni

because I am the game and I want to play...

Undaunted by the other wolf's gaze, Leaf felt the smallest of smiles creep upon her face. It was not one of mocking but rather of amusement. To her it had become a game, a riddle to wrap her budding mind around, a puzzle to be completed with no missing piece. For the time being, she forgot her earlier seriousness. Her mind flitted to and fro. "To someone who has lost everything," she repeated with thoughtfulness, "the cost is entitlement. They feel it is their right to have the world. But once revenge is exacted, they realize they deserve much worse." The smile on her face did not spread but rather grew darker on her face, and if it were not for the odd light that glowed in her pale green eyes, she might have appeared malicious. Instead, she appeared as one out of touch with the world. The fairy who had lost its bottle home. "But it makes little sense to talk about others," she said benignly. She blinked, and the graveness of her features vanished with what must have been a sincere smile. Poking her head a few centimeters outwards, she peered at the male. "After all, you still have many things to lose. I can tell." Her tail, though out of sight, began to sway gently, and it touched the tip of her nose. Her mood was once against shifting to seriousness, and yet she did not mind having her heart swell with whichever emotion came in. "You'll lose their respect," she said. She was referring to whomever the other male had been speaking. The dead one or ones. "You also contradict yourself. Because the fact is, you can't bring them back, and this fellow can't either. He can never pay you back for what he did. You're old enough to understand such." Her tone bordered on condescending, and yet it did not have to be understood as such. Her face was once more unsmiling, and there was yet another odd light in her eye. This time it seemed sadder but not pitiful. She could not pity a wolf who could not accept the fact of death.