Cedarwood Forest take me down with you

RE: The sky is dark with storm clouds (July 15)
@Renier

A rumble of lightning faltered her steps and she glanced to the sky with curiosity to see that menacing dark clouds had covered the sky with a threat of storms. She sighed, tired of the wet weather and the stench that flowed from her body once her pelt was soaked and slick to her sides, therefore she hurried despite her urge to hunt for food in search of the nearest shelter. There was plenty of cover from trees to choose from, cedar trees dominated the forest leaving it dark and chilly as she walked in resemblance of a shadow toward one who's branches covered more than six feet.

It had not been the first time she'd been stuck in the middle of a storm, in fact it seemed that every time she gathered the urge to venture from her home she ran into issues, this one happened to bring with it a promise of fast winds and cold water; neither of which she enjoyed over the other. Situated safely beneath her perch she gazed, with difficulty, through the cedar trees to estimate the amount of time left before rain would make themselves home to the ground, given a few minutes she figured it was about a half hour more before she'd have to seek permanent shelter.

With the odds stacked against her, and hunger predominately on her mind, she slipped from the safety of her tree toward the clearing with her nose to the ground and ears perked, she was determined to find anything to sustain her as she waited out the storm. Prey scent was few and far between but she was optimistic, and was not against scavenging to find what she needed, in fact it seemed that dying prey had become more prevalent on the Lore and for this she was thankful; she could conserve her energy. As she walked she thought of her pack and their stability, thus far many loyal members remained, such as Lachesis, Naia, Capella and herself, while many others had come only to leave before establishing a name, a purpose, or duty within the pack and this made her shake with anger, where they not anymore loyal wolves around? Shaking her head from such negative thoughts, she felt her heart lurch at the stench of something small and elusive --a rodent maybe-- and she quickened her steps, ignoring for a moment the rumble of thunder that promised the start of downpour much sooner. ""

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

Hold onto faith as I dig another grave

Roaming the familiar woods, the man was still on one debate. Seek the wolves who lived in the north part of the forest, or visiting the den he had been born in. He was a lot closer to the later of ideas. Renier had wandered away from the Cut Rock River pack despite how he had claimed he would not. It hadn't been his intention, but after seeing Taima, talking with her...he had had a long debate through the last miserable hold of winter. Should he tell his parents the news? Taima was alive, but she had had no interest to come with him. What good would that do? Tear open old wounds? Bring on a new wave a disappointment? He had almost...almost gone back to the Reach in mind to slowly break the past events it to the Lyalls. As the days dragged on, he recalled well enough why he had departed the lands. Those reasons were still present. It seemed cruel to go all that way back to tell them of their missing daughter just to leave again. One day, yes he would return. He knew what awaited him. Before he was set for one life, he wanted to keep some of this freedom. This...unknown.

A sudden wind began forcefully shoving his coat the wrong way. An exasperated breath fell from his lips, and he hunched his heavy shoulders. He had saw the ominous clouds, but had hoped the storm would blow itself out before moving further. Apparently not, as tipping his black nose toward the sky the air was thick with the perfume of rain. Even if he wanted to reach the River pack it was unlikely he would reach it before getting soaked. Clicking his teeth, ears flattened to the back of his head. The grey, and russet colored rogue began to make his way to the remnants of Grizzly Hollow.

Maybe he would have made it there in time. Another grumble of thunder briefly drowned out the noise of the wind, and golden eyes caught sight of a moving shadow up, and to his left. The Lyall did not stop, but his paws aired on the side of caution when he realized it was a single, black female. Was she out of her mind? It looked like she was hunting for something. Out of habit a temporarily scowl etched his features, but he forced his tawny mask blank swiftly. The young wolf could not quite hold his thoughts to remain in his head. Over the wind he called out, "I think you'll only have luck getting rained on, miss!" The miss was only another habit, oddly enough.

(This post was last modified: Jul 24, 2014, 04:07 AM by Renier.)

@Renier; I'm sorry for the hold up! Playing catch up now! ><

The storm continued on, weighing down her dark pelt until it felt nearly 5 lbs heavier then it was dry. She pushed forward despite this obstacle, narrowing her eyes against the onslaught of rain as thunder boomed louder overhead to drown out her hearing--she relied on her nose to guide her. Her moist nose lowered toward the wet ground to take in the surrounding scents, only when she caught wind of the stench of male did she slow her stride to a walk and glanced around her. No sooner did she sense Renier did he speak, his words were muffled by the sudden boom of thunder but her attention did not waver, in fact her gaze intensified as she searched his features--had she met this male before--until she allowed her defenses to lower. He did not pose much threat, the storm above would probably cause more harm, and she addressed him in a flat tone as though aggravated by his approach when in fact she was simply hungry, tired and soaked. "I'm hardly afraid of the rain, what about you?" she taunted, the action was uncommon to her personality though hunger made her different, more feral, "you scared of lightning and thunder too?" she continued on, her tail lashing.

Another boom echoed above them, much louder then the previous, and it startled her to her haunches. Forcing her ears back from embarrassment she searched Reinier's face in anticipation of his own taunting--she deserved it after all--and fell silent in wait. No sooner did the thunder pass did another and before long the rain fell faster, harder and her line of vision grew blurry; the storm did not seem willing to let up. Looking toward Renier and toward the umbrella of a tree she had traveled from moments ago she lifted to her legs and wandered in the direction of the shelter, looking back once to see if the other was following. She did not expect the other to, they were strangers after all, but the closest shelter was her tree of protection and she half expected the other to trail close behind.

(This post was last modified: Aug 13, 2014, 02:33 AM by Bastet.)

Avatars by Becca! Thank you!

Hold onto faith as I dig another grave

First he wondered if she had heard him, or simply didn't care. But her dual colored eyes were soon looking him over. The fur along his shoulders bristled from the chill, and the sharpness in her feminine tone. Go ahead, give me a reason to snap, he thought. It was pretty childish to be afraid of a little water. Though one by one the raindrops that missed the treetops fell upon his coat he didn't mind the shower. Out of practicality he rather not catch cold. He would be useless sick. Who but himself would care? Explaining all this seemed stupid,pathetic, and pointless. "Oh, yes that's why I'm running round like prey on the run." He sarcastically bit back. Were all females so grumpy? Or was he fortunate enough to find them?

What he did not expect was her to be eating her own words. The air above them clashed like the hungry belly of an enormous beast and surprised the swarthy wolf. Ren had no retort, not even a flash of amusement. He was far from eager to continue any game of witty come backs. He was ready to move on, get somewhere. It seemed that there were other plans for him in mind. The rain began clattering, pounding everything beneath it with a more urgent force. That was when it grew more than an annoyance so it was with no better place to go he followed her beneath the safety of the same tree. Once in closer proximity he realized the scent hanging onto her coat was of the River, and that he had probably seen her around. Shit. She was probably one of the last wolves he should be sharing shelter with. Hey, he decided not to mention it. He hadn't been in the pack that long. It wasn't like he had went out of his way to be part of it. Did it matter? Hard as he tried to say something, he couldn't find any words that wouldn't lead back to Cut Rock River.

She glanced but one other time to see if Renier was following though by now the rain had come down in full force and limited her line of sight. Disregarding the male, for he had probably left her by now, her speed increased to a full out run as she made for a bee line to the tree; her safe haven from the downpour. The moment her foot stepped beneath the cedar tree she no longer felt rain,and a look of relief came to her face as she settled onto her haunches in a sit to evaluate the area. Looking up, she noticed that the cedar pines were so tight they refused to let any water in, it was a safe spot for any creature wanting refuge from the rain, and she shook her pelt free of any remaining water before glancing around her.

No sooner did she shake the water free did she begin to shiver, it was her bodies response to the shock and she did not fight against it as the movement went from her rump to her head, cold immediately took over. Her mismatched eyes sought out Renier, the male who she thought had disappeared in the storm, he settled like a statue next to her without a word. She did not blame him, her initial encounter with him had been sub par at best, "You followed me..." she started, surprised that he had actually come to sit beneath the pines with her, and when the silence became awkward she couldn't help being the first to speak a second time. "What's your name anyway?" she asked with a cock of her square head. He was correct in assuming the scent from Cut Rock had dissipated from his pelt, she could not detect it from this distance therefore she did not question him as he stared. If he would not do the talking, Bastet was not afraid to do the talking for them.

Hold onto faith as I dig another grave

The rogue had to refrain from saying "no shit" in reply. The best he could do was give a reserved nod in agreement. He didn't know what was surprising about it. It was raining pretty fierce, and the logical thing was to get out of it...even with strange company. There were two reasons for him to hold reluctance. One was her with association with Cut Rock River, and in general he was wondering if dark ladies had it out for him or something. His black cat of the world for seven years bad luck. Since it seemed he was terrible at making small talk she decided to try to change that. He was indifferent, but answered her. "Renier, and you are?" If they were stuck in this together he rather do something to pass the time. He would try to get some useful information.

Giving a gentle shake of his crown to rid of collected water he withdrew closer to the trunk, reclining to his haunches. He was still a bit surprised how quickly the storm had come, but least his coat would keep him warm despite his thinning sides. An empty stomach was the easiest thing to ignore. He cocked his head, his golden eyes drifted to her, realizing for the first time she had eyes like his mother's; they didn't match. The Lyall did well hiding his surprise other than simply meeting her gaze. In his head he was wondering was this another sign? Was that blasphemy to believe that? Clearing his throat to distract himself, he strummed his deep vocals. "What's a pack wolf doing out here by herself? Is food still that scarce?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 10, 2014, 07:44 PM by Renier.)

I really need to stop taking so long in responding. I'm so sorry, if you're ready to end this thread I completely understand and we can tack on an ending soon...

She nodded her head at his response, biding her time a moment or two before giving the male her name, "Bastet," she started and wondered if she should have given her a real name. She had become more secretive with loners, and for good reason, but this male seemed different and because of this she didn't miss a beat in telling him something worth knowing. In case he decided to come searching for her, he now knew of her home and her name. "does your name have a meaning?" she wondered, having hardly been as interested it this until now. Renier, the name was not a common one, in fact it was almost as unique as her own and she liked that, and she decided as she sat beneath the tree with this lone male, that she liked him.

Biting her tongue she glanced around her and noticed that for a moment, the rain had begun to let up but the chill that accompanied it raged on, whipping against her dark coat to separate her hairs and expose her skin to the elements of cold rain and chilly wind; she began to shiver. Closing her eyes momentarily, she looked to Reiner, who had asked her of the health of her pack and she shook her head before answering, "No, things have gotten better since the winter. Our pack is thriving, and our members are strong." for now anyway. She could not have predicted that within a few months time that their numbers would dwindle significantly. "Why aren't you with a pack, you seem healthy and strong, even capable of a skill...are you against leadership?" and her head cocked to the side as she gave him the once over.

It's fine. I'm enjoying seeing where it goes. :3

I left a clouded mind and a heavy heart

Ren viewed her with a thoughtful façade, wondering if she was suddenly hesitant to say more. She hadn't struck him as that kind of wolf. Was the rogue a bit more intimidating in close quarters? Ryvet would have snorted at that idea. Especially now with how much weight he had lost. He did look like hell, and felt that way.

Russet ears softly flicked, and off handily he blinked while placing the answer away with her face. He was unlikely to forget either, not with a face like hers. He couldn't help wonder, "Do you have a nickname Bastet?" It seemed too pretty to cut apart.

"Yeah, my mum told me it means deciding warrior. I'm not quite sure I live up to that," he replied with a casual toss of his shoulders. Did that sound as stupid to her ears as it had to his? He was a full grown wolf, did he really need to mention his mother? It was likely a reflection on how much he missed his family, and what a failure to them he believed he was. He was no "deciding" warrior.

The rain seemed to be coming down more gently, and he too could feel the bite of cold, nibbling his bones. Contouring his muscles in an attempt to keep his heat, it bothered him to see her tremble. The Lyall did not make a move to change it. Instead he acknowledged her answer with a nod, casting his warm golden stare to the ground. "That's good," he managed to comment, though he was thinking there was no way they would take him back if that was so. Especially, after he had left with a worthless promise. Caught off guard, his silver mask jerked up. "No, it's not that. I just I can't be in two places at once." The words came out a bit more quickly than he meant. They probably didn't make much sense. "I mean, I should be with my family, but I want to make my own fate. I hate to go to a pack, and leave again."

@Renier Me too :D

She smiled at him, feeling heat radiate at her cheeks as she listened to him and when he finished she nodded in silence, contemplating what to say next. He seemed like an honest guy, and given his appearance he had once been apart of a pack--her pack--and she felt safe around him as he spilled what little secrets he could give to her. Although it probably didn't mean much to Renier, Bastet was surprised that he would give her that information, it was personal because after it was all said and done, a wolf only had their names to uphold and she had to admit that he upheld his' properly. She could tell from looking at him that he was a warrior, even if he couldn't see it. "No, just Bastet. she had begun to prefer her nickname name over her proper, it was easier for those not of her home land to understand but the meaning meant the same both ways. "My name means love, joy, and prosperity. I think that deciding warrior is very fitting of you." she admitted after giving him a smile.

On the discussion of pack life she felt her ears perk forward, listening as he explained why he was not with a pack. She could only imagine how lonely it was to be without a home, she could not fathom not having others to seek company with and wondered how he had done it for so long, especially with winter not too far off, the male would need to find a home soon, and fast. "our pack does need warriors, would you consider joining, I would hate to see such a wolf like you suffer during the winter." it was worth a stretch, assuming the agouti male obviously had other goals he wished to achieve without the protection of a pack, he was definitely leadership potential, a quality that Maksim would appreciate. "I wouldn't mind helping you to find what you are looking for, maybe I'll find something that I didn't know I was looking for..." she trailed off, hoping the male would accept her invitation.

I left a clouded mind and a heavy heart

Once he thought highly of himself, if being the oldest had made him simply the 'best', blessed with greatness. That had not lasted long, realizing each of his brothers, and sisters had their own gifts. He was nothing special. But mostly, he was hardly anything without them. Especially now. He was just another loner, looking for his next meal. Afraid to commit his life to anything further. If the illness of his father had crushed his past ambitions. Turning him into a scared child beneath his adult facade.

"It's a pretty ... the way it is. I hope it's meaning is a foretelling." he commented, making what was a smile in return, but seemed only like a slight lift of his lip. The rogue wasn't sure what to think of her compliment. Really, he should have been reveled by it. There was little he felt worthy of.

A crooked, dominant smile produced itself on his muzzle. It was no sign of sinecerty nor happiness. "I would be tempted, but since I seem to have an honest bone in my body, I have to tell you I was once part of it. Lat winter. I left soon after vowing to stay and so I doubt either Kisla or Maksim would care to see me again." He had never gotten to speak to Maksim, get any answers to his questions. He wasn't sure they mattered any more. There had to be some dark mark upon him, his words worthless by his actions. The Lyall collected his mask into indifference, thinking Bastet should not want more to do with him either.

Ren could not help, the quick twitch of his russet ears, drawn to her delicate tone. Pleasantly surprised by her offer, because it did not seem an exiguous thing. It was not in him to accept that for many reasons. With rapid intent he meant to end it. "That's kind of you Bastet, but I am not sure what I hope to find." Though he wanted to say, but I'm glad I found you, he did not. He wasn't sure how true those words were, if his confession(since it seemed like a crime in his mind) would drive her away.