Secret Falls Disenchanted

It's just another night and I'm staring at the moon. I saw a shooting star.

It was a stillness that oddly, but comfortingly filled the night as a lone shape could be seen among the rocks that lined the bottom of the falls where the water pooled before flowing out. A single paw dangling over the edge of said rocks to swat in an almost pup like manor at a small school of silver minnows swimming among the submerged branches and stones that have managed to fall into the body of water, darting in different directions each time her paw struck the waters surface before reforming their school moments later.

A quiet sigh escaped her jaws as Enoki gave up on messing with the tiny fish, raising her body to full height as she took a small leap down from her rock and onto the soft soil that was constantly kept moist by the sprays of water coming from the cascading falls only a few feet away. Stepping closer to the waters edge, she lowered her head and lapped delicately at the water to quench her slight thirst and allowed the silvery beams of moonlight above to cast upon her black pelt, illuminating the patches of white she was adorned with.

Once her belly was filled with as much water as she could muster she lifted her head and turned her attention skywards towards the small beads of light that littered the sky in brilliant displays of twinkling reds, blues and mostly whites. Mesmerized by these small sources of lights that were so greatly dwarfed by the lunar sphere, Enoki lowered her haunches to the ground and kept her focus on them. "So enchanting." The female whispered to herself, becoming lost in the moment and the beauty of what nature had to offer.

As the moments passed, her ears would give a slight flick at the sounds of the night around her, but her amber orbs remained on the dots of the sky. Occasionally a meteor would shoot past across the sky, leaving behind a small banner of light before it would disappear seconds after the rock flew by. Stunning the things that a person sees when they take the time to stop and watch. What a beautiful moment to be alive.

Bitterness surpassed the wave of sadness he felt at the realization that Borlla Tainn had not only abandoned him, and her pack.. but their children. The pale female hadn't said a thing to him about the matter, and yet when he realized she was not returning from whatever adventure her day had set out upon, the regal male had trailed after her nervously, almost expecting to come to the sight of blood or death -- something that had kept her form her fmaily.

But he hadn't. He hadn't found anything. Her scent had faded, and it became only too apparent she had just simply left. That night, he had curled his large form around his three tiny children, his eyes unblinking as they stared at the entrance, as if she would come back any moment.

She hadn't. Days had passed. Nights. His children questioned him, and he held no answer for them. Zia too had disappeared, and now, more than ever, he had never felt more alone in his pack.

So, for one selfish day, he slipped past the borders, and made to venture out. Perhaps he would find Borlla. If anything, he hoped to find answers. Instead, darkness enveloped him, and while sleep would have found him, he could not rest. Soon, he would need to turn around and seek out his children.. before they thought something had happened to him too.

Moving closer to the water source though, he heard a faint whisper. Jolting, as if shocked from his thoughts, the pale wolf stood, his eyes scanning before him before he could make out the silhouette of a form -- as dark as the night. He did not speak.. instead, he moved to the waters edge, his nerves on edge as he bent his muzzle down to quench his thirst.

(This post was last modified: Aug 11, 2014, 08:41 PM by Phineas.)

@Phineas Enoki had not noticed the slow advances of the Magnolia Glen's leader just a few feet away from where she was positioned and it wasn't until she heard the faint lapping of water behind her that made her ears perk into alert and her body tense. Alone in her thoughts, or so she thought she was, her guard had been dropped to admire the beauty above. Oh what a careless mistake to make, especially in the dead of night. Taking in a deep inhale she caught whiff of the male's scent and immediately her body whipped around to face her galaxy invader. Or was she the one invading? It was true, the scents of pack members could be detected among the brush and shrubs around her. Yet, she could not detect the scent of a territory boarder where she stood. Perhaps she stumbled upon a well used path of the pack? The male made no sound, no threatening displays of power as most leaders would do upon arrival of a loner near their home. Either way, not wanting to ruin a beautiful night and make enemies, her inner instincts that have kept her alive all these four years kicked in. Lowering her frame close to the ground she brushed the soil of the earth with the underlying hairs of her belly while laying her once forward facing ears flat against the back of her head. Amber orbs focused on the male before her, not even sure if he had noticed her presence. Boy, what an idiot she'd feel like if he didn't, but then again it was better to play the safe card and assume he had. It wasn't in her nature to express power towards others. Enoki was the type of wolf who could do just fine scrapping by below the rest, though by no means did she enjoy the day to day torture of having to look over her shoulder.

Khalliysgraphy @DA & CathleenTarawhiti @DA - Table by PuppyThief

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2014, 06:20 PM by Enoki.)

He sensed her movement – any enjoyment he might have gotten from quenching his thirst was put aside from sheer nerves – he would have been surprised if she could not sense it, and yet the Argyris man struggled to maintain control. Or, at least a decent form of it.

Finishing his drink, he lifted his muzzle then. His tongue slid across his lips as he removed the water droplets upon them, and only then did his eyes shift from the creek and to the she-wolf. Fiery eyes burning brightly against a pelt of variegating ivory, he had always considered himself a plain specimen – the same could not be said of his current companion. Intricate markings of ivory cascaded her nape – markings he had not witnessed before.

His curiosity was not piqued by her rather stunning appearance, however, but more of the simple gesture of submission she revealed to him. Dipping his muzzle down in a more silent greeting, he studied her briefly before slowly reclining back, as if the aches in his body were from an aging wolf rather than the emotional exhaustion that clung to him like heavy weights. The end of summer is peaceful – the promise of a cool autumn is beginning to show. But the winter, he clucked his tongue then, casting her a sideways glance then. That is a harder season for a lone wolf. Of course he expected she knew as such – she was no pup, but youth was still etched to her features. As far as he was aware, there were no other packs on this side of the mountain spare for the Glen and the Oak Tree Bend wolves – she would need to journey for days to even see the other packs.

@Phineas A quick flash of curiosity etched itself upon the features of her face as she picked up on the sense of nervousness that seemed to radiate from the ivory male now that his attention was drawn to her. Enoki knew not of his life nor troubles that plagued him, but what was there that could possibly cause a wolf such as he, a king among his land, to be so troubled? And just like that the look of curiosity on her face returned to a neutral state moments before the male began to speak, his voice lacking the nervousness that clung to the air surrounding him. His back haunches lowered to the ground as he spoke, giving the piebald woman a chance to adjust her own position to match his and become more comfortable before the conversation continued. As she listened to his words, her amber gaze focused on the broadness of his large chest, a chiseled feature that portrayed his undeniable strength that lay dormant beneath the long strands of ivory fur. An impressive and intimidating male he was in comparison to Enoki's starkly different coloration and slimmer frame with no thanks to her lack of successful hunting causing her weight to be under where it should be for a typical wolf of her size and age. But that was the price to pay when one was a rouge. Hardly ever did one come across a lone wolf in mint condition. Her coal tinted ears heeded his words as they faced forward to catch every syllable he spoke, dipping her head slightly in a silent response to his well known facts. "I don't care much for the Summer. It's an irritable season for a dark hued wolf such as myself and Winter is indeed a hard season to get through when one is a loner, but I do enjoy Autumn." A slight form of a smile played with the corners of her black lips, hardly noticeable against the graying guard hairs that lined them as she allowed her gaze to meet his for a split second before dropping back down respectively to the curvature of his chest. "I enjoy walking among the trees that have reached the half way point in the Autumn foliage. The colors are very beautiful that time of year before winter comes to dormant the trees."

Khalliysgraphy @DA & CathleenTarawhiti @DA - Table by PuppyThief

Her words were confusing to him – his own pelt, as stark and ivory as it was, shielded the heat from him just as it did the cold – but it was not just his arctic heritage that offered this insulation to him.. but that of his heritage as simple wolf. It seemed strange to him that she did not have the same thoughts on the matter, and his eyes swept over her dark coat once more. Your fur does not keep you from overheating? Perhaps she simply meant compared to others, she seemed to find the heat more unbearable – or, perhaps, she simply preferred the colder months. After all.. a wolf’s pelt kept them insulated from all temperatures.

The topic however, switched to the autumn, and he gave a small nod. His eyes flickered away, distracted as he was. It seemed surreal to him, to sit here and attempt conversation with a complete stranger when his world had just fallen apart. Yet somehow, it gave him opportunity from having to return to his reality just a little bit later. You will enjoy Relic Lore then, he offered, his eyes finally settling back upon her pretty features. This would be his third autumn within these lands, and it seemed so strange how much had changed since he had first come upon these lands. He had swept aside his past from Asphodel Meadows and entered the pack of Elettra Archer – a she-wolf he would fall for, though the feelings would never be reciprocated. It only occurred to him now how foolish his mateship with Borlla had been – both held the same goals and plans in mind, and rather than falling in love, they had fell to convenience.

Now, his second relationship was ended, and he was raising three children by himself.

@Phineas "Your fur does not keep you from overheating?" She paused her words to allow a soft and lighthearted chuckle fall from her lips in response to his question before she continued on about Autumn. Maybe he couldn't understand what she meant since he had the luxury of being lighter in color. The ivory of his fur made him a prime insulator all year round no matter the outside temperature unlike herself where in the heat of summer the black guard hairs that framed her silhouette; minus the white pie-balded areas, absorbed the heat from the sun much more quickly. This in the end made her grow hot earlier in the day than any lighter counterpart come the warmer months of the year. After her chuckle had fallen silent she continued her ramble about her personal favorite season, changing from speaker to listener once she had finished. "You will enjoy Relic Lore then." were the offered words from the man before his once distracted eyes settled back unto her. She gave a small dip of her head in the form of a nod to this already known fact, but knew he had no clue she had came upon these lands once before the year prior. She was very much a stranger still to the Lore and its inhabitants minus a very small handful of wolves who she didn't even know still called this place home or not. "I believe that I will, yes. I had enjoyed my previous trip here, though I hadn't stayed for very long." She spoke after allowing an acceptable amount of quietness to follow his words, her tail curling itself around the broadness of her back haunches. She had spent maybe only a couple months here and left just before the end of summer in these lands and it had been during the early spring she first set paw on Lore soil, within fireweed rise to be exact on location. That was where she had been confronted by one of the matriarchs who happened to have a belly swollen with the prospect of life. A dark queen by the name of Elettra Archer.

Khalliysgraphy @DA & CathleenTarawhiti @DA - Table by PuppyThief

She simply chuckled at him, and had he cared any further, he would have questioned it once more – his own pelt, a brilliant ivory, was meant to deflect the heat and keep him insulated in the winter. Never before would he have considered this advantage until talking with her.. but it was also likely something he wouldn’t think about again.

Why did you come back? It was a simple question – the conversation remained stagnant, at least in his opinion, and while it might have been the opportunity to ask the she-wolf if she would have liked a place within his ranks, he could not bring himself to do so. Magnolia Glen felt more and more like a prison sentence than the home he had built with his mate, and now that she had scampered off to god knew where, he was left to pick up the pieces.. and allow his bitterness to grow. After all.. what was the point of stirring a pack to flourish if his thoughts only lingered now on uprooting them and staking claim elsewhere? Especially when it was likely she would take the stance as the reigning lead female – having a complete stranger at his side for dominance did not settle well with him.

Rolling his shoulders back in a light stretch, the pale wolf drifted his gaze away from her to study the surrounding area – he had never been one to dwell on the beauty of an area, yet at that very moment, he found himself sorely missing the western side of the mountains. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the wolves upon the other side – Narime came to mind.. perhaps one of the only wolves in Relic Lore he could tag on the title of ‘friend.’ Somehow, his days at Willow Ridge had seemed far more carefree then they did now.. and if he had thought Elettra had broken his heart.. it paled in comparison to the absolute shattering it had taken from Borlla.

"Why did you come back?" Was his simple reply. A reply that made the conversation seem stagnant to her, no interest behind his words or hint of care. This led to her taking her time in answering his question, pondering her answer thoroughly before responding. Why had she returned? All she had done the past year was follow wherever her heart led her and it happened to be back here. There was nothing here for her though, maybe the chance of finding a home, but that was it. She had no wolf to call her friend, hell she could hardly call Elettra an acquaintance after their first and only meeting at Fireweed Rise. She was the definition of a loner, through and through. "I do not know why I returned." She paused mid sentence to give her ears a small flick. "All I have done is follow the path my paws have made and it led me back to the Lore." Her answer was true enough and deemed it a fitting enough answer to his question. Her ears rotated to lay back against her skull for a split second as the lead male's gaze drifted away from her and off into the distance, clearly in a distracted manor. Enoki couldn't help but grow slightly uneasy with a sense that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not in a danger sense, but in a way that rubbed her wrong with thoughts of being a nuisance to the ivory male. It was in his gaze, though she saw only a corner glimpse of it that longing and troublesome thoughts held his attention to the fullest. Allowing her own gaze to wander off, she tilted her head in the opposite direction of him and stole a long look at the night sky that continued to shower them with tiny flying dots of light, her thoughts running home to the Calarosa Mountains where her family remained, or she assumed still remained. It was hard to say with the famine that struck their lands once more, but that wasn't what captured her thoughts in that moment. It was loneliness. Though in the company of another she felt the pain of loneliness in her soul. She had been separated from them for three years now and missed the familiar comfort of a home, of family. She couldn't call this place home. The Lore was home, yes. That felt right beneath her paws, but this place the falls...the Vale, it didn't feel right to her. The piebald woman doubted she could ever call this place home, find comfort among the rocks and twigs though she was born and raised a mountain wolf. As a twig snapped under her paw, not realizing she had even shifted to stand, her thoughts were brought back to reality and her gaze once more returned to the nameless ivory male who she had yet to introduce herself to. "I don't think I've told you my name yet. My name is Enoki Ashrelle." Her amber orbs settled on the white tinted hairs of his chest, respectfully avoiding eye contact as she spoke.

Khalliysgraphy @DA & CathleenTarawhiti @DA - Table by PuppyThief

The conversation was simply passing the time – neither dwelling too far in to personal matters, which Phineas appreciated greatly. It always left him in awe how many times he would come across a stranger and hear their life story – something that always had made him uncomfortable.

She introduced herself, and the male, sweeping his eyes upon the frosted fur along her nape, dipped his muzzle in acknowledgement. Phineas Argyris, he mentioned, slowly standing now as he gave his pelt a quick shake. His eyes drifted away from her momentarily, another clear action that he was not quite as invested in this conversation as he should be. There was simply too much on his mind.

I should be going. I shouldn’t have left my children alone as long as I have, he rumbled quietly, his tail giving a flick as he barely withheld a small frown from darkening his features. Naturally, they would have been fine in the care of the other pack members, but as it stood, Phineas did not find himself trusting in them just yet.. there were too many new faces.

Pleasure to meet you, Enoki, he offered then, shifting his weight as he made to begin moving back to Magnolia Glen. I hope your paws lead you somewhere you can call home eventually. With that, he dipped his muzzle once more, his eyes drifting over her pretty features before he turned. His pace was q ucik lope as he moved toward his pack lands – despite the simple fact he was newly single and the creature he had just met had been enticingly pretty, he never did look back.