Iridescent Lagoon you haunt me.

@Capella
WC: 1020
LIKE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO MATCH LENGTH, I just kept writing and this happened
<3

Slowly but surely things were falling into place once again for the back luck magnet. The two wolves he had completely devoted himself to had disappeared, and Lachesis wasn’t sure if he would ever see them again. Of course, he remained hopeful, but he also had to continue on with his life. While he missed Capella terribly, XIX refused to allow his sorrows consume him. He had been a brittle mess after arriving back to Cut Rock without Ana at his side; with puppies in the pack Lachesis could not afford to retreat back into his shell. Especially with the pack numbers dwindling the medic had to focus on recruiting strong, loyal wolves to serve under Maksim.

The Lachesis that had arrived in Relic Lore over a year ago was long gone. His experiences had molded him into a well-versed, wiser, and far more confident wolf. After struggling to deal with his unusual past and adapting to his new, feral surroundings XIX had finally become who he was meant to be. Part of this discovery had been successful because of Anastasia; she had been there for him when he had needed him, and had helped him deal with his integration into the ‘feral’ world he had once been so fearful of. She had been his voice when he lacked one, and she selflessly nurtured the troubled yearling. It was also the loss of Anastasia that had pushed him into bettering himself; she was always a thought in the back of his mind whenever he made a decision he was not sure of. While he had allowed himself to grieve her disappearance, he also knew that he couldn’t remain in his depressed state. He was of no use to the pack if he was holed up inside his den; if he couldn’t take care of himself why would Maksim trust him to take care of the pack?

So he had changed – he had cast aside his misery and returned his focus to the pack, along with his role of medic. XIX drowned himself in his work: he was constantly searching for plants and hungry to learn more in order to better serve Cut Rock. While he knew there was still much more to learn, he was confident in the knowledge he already possessed.

As the numbers had decreased in the pack Lachesis had also been positioned as the pack’s Second; a rank that he was taking very seriously. Although he was a ‘hippie’ at heart, the slender medic would do whatever necessary to defend his position in the pack. He would forever be loyal to Maksim, and was eager to help his leader in any way possible. Nineteen would also not allow any new wolves to try and take his rank from him – as a dramatically changed wolf, he would fight for it.

His once strained relationship with Bastet had also taken a turn for the better. She, like Capella, was incredibly important to the deer-legged youth. XIX had been determined to fix things between him and the exotic raven, as he refused to lose another wolf in his life. At first he thought that it might have been loneliness that had pushed him toward Bastet, but he knew deep down that it was something else. Their sour meeting had left an undesirable taste in his mouth, and he could not tip toe around her any longer in the River densite. Now things were mended between the two, leaving Lachesis feel content; he had missed her and her strange accent. He was committed to putting more of an effort into their friendship/relationship/whatever it was; he would not push her away. XIX could not do that to her again.

Giving his head a quick shake, Lachesis dismissed the thoughts that had pooled inside of him as he moved silently through the territory. He was exploring the north end of the Lagoon in hopes of stumbling across a loner in search of a pack, but his head was far too clouded for him to focus on his task. They were positive thoughts, but they were still a distraction. With his inventory overflowing Lachesis was also refusing to search for plants to keep his senses alert. Cut Rock needed members, and he was determined to find a loner who possessed the qualities Maksim was looking for. The glow of the morning sun illuminated the Lagoon as he strayed away from the water, his pale eyes searching for movement in the distance. His deer-like body kept close to the tree line, his movements uncharacteristically slow as he observed his surroundings through narrowed brows. With the arrival of fall lone wolves would soon be searching for packs in order to survive the winter, and XIX was determined to recruit some of them.

Morning dew clung to his pearly white fur as he continued his leisurely walk; the air was crisp and stung his damp nose as he inhaled the many scents that engulfed the territory. Perhaps it was too early to be out searching for wolves… Any sane wolf would be sleeping at this hour. Lachesis, however, had developed some insomnia in Capella’s absence. His sleeps were replaced by sporadic naps throughout the day, which he felt helped him function better. Nineteen enjoyed his nightly walks; there was another side of Relic Lore to be discovered under the cover of darkness. Despite being mentally stable, Lachesis was still occasionally haunted by nightmares of his visit to the mountains with Anastasia. As of recently, these nightmares often included Capella – so the shorter the sleep he had, the less frequent these nightmares were.

He couldn’t help but wonder if he should of asked Bastet to join him; as a Scout she was definitely much better at tracking wolves. XIX was good at tracking plants and avoiding wolves, as he was normally an extremely solitary creature. It was too late now – it would be pointless for him to return back to Cut Rock. Next time, he thought to himself as he glanced over into the trees. There had to be someone lurking among the foliage…

stick with those who stick with you

Everything after her initial consciousness was a blur. Only vaguely did she remember pulling herself from the damp floor, or the splitting head ache that scattered her thoughts. There were only three things she was sure of, three very small clues that helped her remember she was alive. One, everything hurt. She was in a tremendous amount of pain, limping through the cave system in search of an exit. Two, she was tired. More exhausted than she thought possible. Her eyes were even playing tricks on her as shadows melded into strange creatures. Three. The white pelt, and vivid heat of another. Somehow she knew that's what she was looking for. The owner of said pelt, he would answer her questions.

Her first taste of sunlight came with mixed emotions. It was good to feel heat against her fur, but it wasn't good enough. She still felt empty, seeking another heat that seemed to allude her. Choosing which way to go had been easy, feeling a pull from the East. With nothing else to go on, she trusted her gut enough to keep going.

There came a point when Capella began noting things as being familiar. A bush here, a grove of trees there. Almost as if she had traveled this way before. At least it confirmed that she was heading in the right direction, but couldn't it mean she was headed in the wrong one? What if she had been running away from something? Each step that took her closer to home, brought with it a bout of paranoia. What if she had been chased away or forgotten? What was she even heading towards? Would he be there? Who was he exactly?

Her stomach was already doing somersaults when got her first taste of reality. Shade. Reliving his death once more, remembering that she wasn't there for him when he needed her most. His face, and how he had saved her from an inevitable fate. Her head hurt worse, and the scent of blood was overpowering. Capella felt sick in every sense of the word. She wanted to scream, to crawl back into the cave and let herself go, but she couldn't. Shade wouldn't want her to throw away the gift of life, so she pushed on, hoping to remember more through Shade. That couldn't have been all, there had to be more. Somehow it lead to a flash of white fur, but it was blurry. Just like her dreams. How did it tie in?

Capella hadn't realized her thirst until the scent wafted towards her. It was a sickly sweet smell, and familiar at that. She had been here before. Crossed this land on her way into the Lore. There it was! Her second memory. She was remembering, slowly but surely. And then, she knew. She could taste him on the air, the same Earthy aroma that had haunted her dreams. He was her white pelt, her lighthouse, her everything. Her best friend. However, something was missing. A perfume usually linked to his own, but who had it belonged to?

worlds are ruined this way, and we've all been there time and time again.

@Capella <3

This time last year Lachesis had his blue-eyed dove at his side. They had left Pitch Pine together after Shade had passed in order to start over; there was too much sorrow attached to the land they had once called home, and neither wolf could remain there any longer. She had been the one to introduce him to Maksim and his former pack, Darkwater Rapids, and it was because of her that he was now completely devoted to the agouti male and his new pack. His loyalties would always remain with Cut Rock, unless something drove him away. After months of struggling with his inner demons Lachesis was now an established member of the pack, and had been both promoted and given a respectable role. He desperately wanted to live up to his titles and prove to Maksim that he was fiercely loyal to him and the River wolves. Which was why he was so determined to find wolves to recruit; the pack needed to flourish. They needed to be prepared if something were to happen – winter was soon approaching, and Lachesis worried that it would be a repeat of last year.

He shuddered at the thought. It had been the snow that had stolen Anastasia away from him, and consumed her. Nineteen would always remain positive that she had found her way off the mountain and had found a pack outside of the Lore to call home. He had to be positive; his sanity depended on it. The thought of her dead… he couldn’t.

A flash of bright, sunflower eyes crossed his thoughts. What of Capella? Was she calling another pack home? Or had something else – something much, much worse – happen to her? No. Anger gnawed at his stomach as these thoughts crossed his mind. He needed to remain positive about her as well, regardless of how bitter he was over her disappearance. As frustrated as he was over her absence, he was still devastated – he missed her, terribly, and wanted her to return to Cut Rock. But would Maksim allow her to return? Only if her reason was justifiable – he knew Maksim had no time for bullshit, especially with their dwindling numbers.

A frown creased his dark lips as his thoughts lingered on the pale, sunflower-eyed girl. Her memory was so vivid that he could almost smell her… wait. His long, stilt-like legs stopped abruptly, nearly causing the medic to topple over as his maw swung around rapidly. No… nonono! Was that really her, or was he losing his mind? Had all his grief finally caught up with him and distorted his sense of reality?

His ears were pinned forward as he listened to the sound of another maneuvering through the foliage… It couldn’t be… Had his positivity paid off? XIX inhaled once more, letting the familiar scent to linger before his legs subconsciously began moving in her direction. He continued sniffing at the air in disbelief as a flurry of different emotions consumed him.

As much as he wanted to believe it wasn’t her, he knew deep down that he was.

And Lachesis wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Once her pale form came into sight XIX realized something was wrong. Her scent, although warm and welcoming, was all wrong. There was a strange stench clinging to her pelt, something eerily earthy and … musky, but she was also hurt. He stopped once more, his throat clenched as he searched for something – anything – to say. As much as he wanted to run toward her and embrace her there was something holding him back. Of course he was overjoyed at the sight of her, but there was also anger… betrayal… confusion. Why had she left and suddenly returned after being gone for weeks?

Most importantly, how would Bastet feel about her return? He had just mended their relationship, and cared for the raven-coloured female immensely… he couldn’t stand to push her away and hurt her again.

How did he feel?

Lachesis wasn’t completely sure. He was elated, but troubled. His sunflower had returned, but along with her presence came an abundance of mixed emotions. Unsure of what to say, or how to react, he stood there with his lips pursed and legs stiff. He was worried that if he spoke bitter words would fall off his tongue and stain the air between them with distain. There was something wrong, and XIX did not want to make it worse. He just wanted answers.

stick with those who stick with you

A momentary lapse in judgement, a few seconds of pure disbelief, and her sunny gaze met his. It was just enough time to write off the possibility of a fever dream, and then it was gone. Her eyes were on the ground once more. The sight of him had forced a surge of emotions to prickle up her spine, threatening to drown her in their wake. It began with excitement, her body vibrating while her lips attempted a smile. Nearly there, the roller coaster shot downward, spiraling faster than she could handle, landing in a pile of fear. There was no mistaking the suspicion in his eyes, no feigning ignorant bliss. They were broken, their friendship already shattering across the air. Strangely enough, she'd gotten the chance to notice how much older he seemed, but Shade's passing had aged them all, hadn't it? And time never had the decency to befriend her, and it had no qualms destroying all that was precious to her.

"I..." Tumbling over her thoughts, Capella fought for words. But what could she say? She hadn't a single clue as to what she was doing on this side of the mountain with the demise of Pitch Pine was glaring them all in the face. The dandelion-eyed girl might have told him that, begged him to help her understand why she was so far from home, but that wasn't her place anymore. What she needed to do was beg his forgiveness, tell him how sorry she was, but her lips were stubborn, and she was shaking. It was all she could do to concentrate on keeping her teeth from smashing together as the wound on her crown began to throb. The girl was a mess, caked in her own blood and filthy with leftover dirt from the cave in. But most of all, she was stupid.

Once again, yet for the first time that she could recall, Capella hated herself. She knew she needed to speak, to say something, but with everything that stood between them, how could she? The girl left when her pack needed her the most, when he needed her the most, and for what? A silly cub's dream? She'd ruined it all. Thrown away any hope of mending the rift between Lachesis and herself, and there was no going back. No fixing it.

How could she have been so blind? Her home belonged to others now, and there wasn't enough room for her. She had to leave, no she needed to leave, and this time Capella would do it right. She would start by apologizing to Lach, giving him the goodbye she should have given him in the first place. Then she would seek out Karpos to make sure he and Adsi would be safe. Only then would her mission be complete.

"Lach..." And so she began, still tripping over her tongue as she struggled for words. "I.. I should have b.. been there." Choking back tears, she continued, her voice filling the silence between them. "I.. I'm so s.. ss.. so sorry. I kn.. know you'll n.. never forgive m.. me, but, but," Eggshells again, why was it always eggshells? "P.. please, I.." A warm trickle fell from her crown onto her neck, and the scent of blood invaded the air. Her trembling must have reopened the scab, but she couldn't stop now. She had to finish, to give herself closure. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, and for, for Sh.. Shade. I should h.. have been. I wo.. wont pretend to, to know wha.. what you went through.. b.. but I tried to.. to find you when I got b.. back. I.. I really did, but no one kn.. knew where.. where you went.. and I.. I'm so.. so sorry."

Maybe it was the overload of emotion, or her injuries, or both, but she felt her body shutting down. The shaking was so bad that she thought she might be ripping apart at the seams. Black spots dotted her vision, but she held herself together. Capella needed to hear his judgement. After all, it was the only one that mattered. She would accept his wrath, revel in it, because it was all she deserved.

worlds are ruined this way, and we've all been there time and time again.