Verdant Mosses Lost Without You

@Inkheart
<3

A puff of willowy smoke escaped into the air, released as Zia parted her lips in a soft sigh. Her life hadn't turned out what she hoped it to be. Not in the least. Oh sure, she may be a member of a strong, large pack and kept well fed and warm on cold nights. But she wasn't anybody special. She was a no one there, just another unrecognizable face in the crowd. She had no special bonds with any of them, no friendships. There was Triell of course, but he had his own matters to worry about. Running the pack was hard enough, but now that his mate Nayeli had returned, with some unwanted company as well, there was little time to be wasted on heart to heart conversations. As Spring drew near, Zia did what she had done every year thus far. She isolated herself, keeping well away from the watchful eyes of her packmates. Soon she would be in heat again and the last thing she wanted was to be around any happy couples during this time of year. It made her stomach tighten into a painful knot at the thought. Everyone else seemed happy, content to have found their partner in life, while she, was left with no one. She refused to sit by and watch in sorrow and envy, while the couples rejoiced the coming of Spring. 

There had once been a time in her life where she too, could have had the happiness that so many others had known. But fate had been cruel, whisking away that chance from her and the one wolf she would share her heart with. Last year, she had been foolish enough....arrogant enough to have turned her back on Phineas out of spite. The ivory leader who she had served so faithfully in Magnolia Glen, had built the pack with and placed herself in danger only for the safety of his children. Back then her role was definitive, her presence always acknowledged in one way or another. The bonds she had formed there, had been far stronger than the distant relationships, if any, she had made with the Bend wolves. The silvery woman had traveled some distance away from home, intent on putting as much space between her and other wolves as possible. She headed to a region where she knew, without a doubt, that was inhabited by no pack. Perhaps here, in the Verdant Mosses, she would find the tranquility she so desperately thirst for. Carefully, she stepped over the fallen logs at her feet, so as not to trip. The ground was still a chilly mixture of mud and snow, which was slow to melt thanks to the minimal amount of light let in by the trees. Somewhere around here, she once knew, a pack had made their home. But any traces of their existence had long since been wiped away.

Just to keep herself occupied, Zia looked half heartedly anyways. Poking her nose into thick bushes, or investigating a hollow crook in a tree. While she searched, she also kept an eye out for anything that would do for a suitable den site. She did not plan on going back to the Spectral Woods any time soon, so she might as well make herself comfortable. The faint calls of songbirds broke the silent air, a sure sign that life was slowly returning to this part of the Lore. Her eyes closed shut in what appeared to be a pained moment. If only there was some way to rekindle the flame of life in her deadened heart, then all would be right with the world. As she found an opening between a cluster of three rocks, she slipped inside and curled up on the cold, hard ground, letting the bliss of sleep overtake her.

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2015, 01:37 AM by Zia.)

The nomad had grown weary once more. Travelling after having gotten lost and believing that those he had left behind were better off without him. Inkheart had always been a solo man so this was certainly no different. Even living just outside of the land he loved was torture but it was a life that he fit into and had no problem adjusting to. It was simply easier this way. Though after months, a year maybe, of travelling solo-style and coming across his sixth birthday he felt a little sick. The dark and charming wanderer had never pushed to have anything in his life aside from giving his loyalty to the pack that Phineas had raised from the ground up. Even then he had not bothered with making very many friends -- except one. His Zia. The feelings he had for her had lived deep within his heart where he dared not to touch. Women were leeches; at least, for most of his life he secretly believed that once you were married to one it was hard to have personal space. So upon realizing that he was six, he decided he would go right back where he had the best chance of a real life. The life that he probably should have had by now and the one that he had let slip away.

Across the open grasses and wooded areas, dark paws tred across the mosses and felt the birds above chirp melodiously but he paid no attention. Inkheart was driven and when he saw something, he wasn't going to dally around. The loner was prepared to begin again. As one would expect he felt his fate graze his nose briefly as the scent of his wanting women passed over. "Zia," he whispered onto the wind, lowering his head to the ground and began to sniff for her trail along the territory. Inkheart was too smart to believe that his mind was playing tricks on him. Too determined and confident that what was his would be here. 

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In her slumber, the warm blanket of darkness was comforting. It shut out the real world, enveloping her in an endless void. Little did she know, that moments after she closed her sapphire eyes, that the very wolf who was occupying her mind, had now reappeared again. She laid in her makeshift den, her slender silver furred body curled in on itself in the form of a tight ball. Every now and then her sides would heave with labored breathing, her closed eyelids squinting shut even tighter. Peace and silence were not lingering, as she had wished. Now her sleep had been interrupted by the company of dreams.

Suddenly she was back, up on the soaring rocky peaks of that cursed mountain. Air so cold and bitter that it pierced even her thick pelt wrapped all around her in a violent gust, while a sweeping veil of white blinded her otherwise clear vision. Yet Zia was not alone. All too aware of the familiar presence at her side, her paws carried her forwards over the treacherous terrain with haste. With her vision almost useless, she was guided by scent and touch alone. "Hurry! This blizzard is only going to get worse. We need to make it down the mountain...just a little further!" She urged her dark coated companion, nudging his shoulder to make sure he was still there. She didn't know how long it had been, maybe a few minutes, or maybe hours, but somewhere they must have took an unfortunate wrong turn. A thunder like rumble from the heights above grew louder and louder, shaking the earth beneath their paws. They couldn't see the blinding wall of white rushing towards them until it was too late. Stubbornly, Zia resisted Inkhearts pleas to seek shelter. She would never leave her friend behind! But....looking at that tidal wave of snow coming their way, she knew that they would both be lost to the mountain if she didn't act. The pack had suffered enough already, and she couldn't afford to let them down. So with tears streaming down her cheeks, Zia turned and ran, leaving her ally to face the wrath of the avalanche alone.

With a half shout, half yelp, she awoke, snapping her head into an upright position stiffly. Her entire body was rigid, hackles raised along her spine instinctively. Her eyes, which were normally so calm, were frantic as she searched the empty expanse of the Verdant Mosses outside her shelter. Taking a moment to regain her breath and calm her racing heart, she shook her head slightly. It had been nothing but a silly dream. Yet...it seemed so real. If she hadn't known any better, she could've sworn she had smelled him. The scent still lingered too, tickling her nose. Shuddering, she laid her head back down again. Maybe she had truly lost it this time, and she was still dreaming after all.

(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2015, 01:30 AM by Zia.)

The two of them butting heads in a situation like that wasn’t farfetched. It was hard to leave behind something that could be permanent but for a while after the avalanche had halted, he could help but wonder about going back. Magnolia Glen was his home, Phineas had certainly made that very clear for him but when given the opportunity to be alone he had a tendency—a habit, rather—to jump at it. After a while it became obvious that being alone was no longer something that he completely craved and felt inclined to participate in. Inkheart was six years old with nothing in his life to show for the experiences he had had.

“Zia?” he called out a little louder, following his nose and hoping that he was headed in the right direction. If anything, she was someone worth going back to. There wasn’t anyone else that he had really made connections with in his time in the Wildwoods of the Lore and if anyone could tame his wandering heart again it was her. A sound echoed nearby and the orange-eyed hulk swept towards it in a hurry, knowing her voice and reacting to its panic. Though things had been rough and would likely always be, he wouldn’t bail on her a second time. Inkheart was done (for the second time) being some homeless rag doll that vultures found scavenging the wild paths of the world. Ink just wanted a home and a family to greet him but the only way to that dream was hiding away only a short distance away where she had fallen asleep. 

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A shiver raced up along the length of her silver furred spine as she recalled the images that had flashed behind her eyes. The only part of them she ever wished to see again was that of her dark knight. But that was wishful thinking, she knew. Shutting her eyes, she shifted on her belly restlessly, trying to force herself back asleep. All she had to do was make it through these next few weeks while the influence of changing season affected her hormones, then she'd be back to her old self.

The slumber she had been wishing for, yet dreading all the same did not come. The haunted memories of that dream, that fateful day kept her awake. The clear image of his handsome face, his burning orange eyes seared into her memory. Even his scent, comforting and familiar, still teased her nose. And if she didn't know any better, it seemed to be getting closer, stronger. With a rough shake of her head, she rose, forced to duck low to avoid bumping her skull against the stone roof of her tiny den. She would settle this right now. If she did not go out and put her suspicions to rest, then she would surely go insane. Once she confirmed that her emotions were just playing tricks on her, then she could settle back into the uneventful, bland role she played in life.

Treading smoothly through the mossy woodland, she allowed her nose to guide her, taking her to where the scent seemed strongest. At any moment, she expected it to disappear, confirming that she had been imagining things all along. But it was there alright, beckoning her forth like a bee to honey. Then, a voice. His voice, calling out her name. She stopped dead in her tracks, as if frozen in time. How could it be possible? Had Inkheart really returned? Her heart fluttered, and then as if guided by some unseen force, she sprung into motion, racing forward to try and locate her long lost companion. "Inkheart?" She called out, a definite note of bittersweet hope in her voice. "I'm here...I'm here!" At last she got a glimpse of what she had been looking for. A dark splotch of inky fur among all the brown and green vegetation. A small brook was all that separated them, but as the platinum female raced forward, she cleared it easily. And then she was there, out of the shadows and into the light. Back by his side, where she belonged.