Secret Falls One of a kind

I know!! As soon as I noticed I couldn't help it, I had to write it in.. xD

Karina tilted her head once more as she watched her companion puzzle out their relation, but it seemed he wasn’t able to share any more details than those they already knew. If Kisla’s name was unfamiliar to him, then their connection must be more distant than Karina originally thought. Be that as it may, Oak tree Bend wolves meant no harm to any daughter of Kisla, and so the princess felt safe in Darrah’s presence.

He began to laugh at their situation, which Karina had to agree was pretty ridiculous. She wagged her tail amicably, though her anxious nature prevented her from completely letting her guard down enough to laugh with Darrah. Now that she was standing in front of him, it struck her that he looked less like a skunk and more like her packmate Karpos, though she had never seen Karpos so much as smile let alone laugh like this.

Her raven companion’s enthusiasm matched her own as they spoke of the eye-color coincidence, no doubt a Tainn family trait. He complimented her eyes then, and the princess was taken aback as she felt proud of her eyes, for just a split second. It was an unusual feeling for her, considering how much time she spent cursing the very eyes Darrah found attractive. If only they worked better, Karina thought fleetingly.  She smiled demurely at his praise, and she noticed a strange, yet familiar feeling growing in her stomach and squeezing her insides. It was a sensation she hadn’t experienced for many moons, not since her little crush on Karpos had waned.

The girl’s energy was rising to match her companion’s, and she wagged her tail encouragingly although the distracting feeling in the pit of her stomach was making it difficult to pay attention to the actual words he was saying. His eyes blazed like hot coals when he got excited—just as Orren’s did—but there was something different, something... softer.. about Darrah’s gaze.  He ended on the word “bored,” which effectively captured Karina’s straying attention.  He couldn’t get bored! Then he would leave, and they had only just met!

“B-bored?” Karina stuttered out, grasping for something to say that might entertain him. She took a breath to steady herself before continuing. “Is that why you came to swim at some other pack’s waterfall?  You must be brave..” Gone was the image of terrified Darrah from minutes before-- trembling and wide-eyed as he begged her not to hurt him--  all memory of that wolf was gone. In his place was Darrah the shining knight, Darrah the King-to-Be, who would protect her from the scary waterfall wolves.

   

    
 

She's so adorable too!! You play her so well X^X!!!! Wanna archive after one more round?  

The peppered yearling had noticeably began to talk less, though even still all seemed well. There was no mistaking her energy level was rivaling his own, nonetheless the prince wished he were able to enter her thoughts. What was on her mind? He admiringly gazed at the young female, noting certain characteristics he'd not yet appreciated on anyone else. 'Her pelt sure is beautiful..' The prince's smile grew soft at the thought. 'Who knew eyes could be so.... So... Appealing..' What was this new feeling?

Karina's words startled Darrah. Brave? Not so much, he hadn't even the slightest clue another pack lingered around the area, but he couldn't possibly tell her that! Not when she'd already thrown him on such a high pedestal! "Oh, I..I uhm.." anxiety making it's way through his bloodstream once more, the young Tainn swiftly shuffled about his thoughts for something.. anything, to keep his new found 'bad boy' demeanor. "A-actually.." Actually nothing. He wasn't a liar, and he'd keep it that way if up to him. Defeated, the boy regrettably decided to tell the truth. "Agh.. Actually, I've been working rather hard on some pack stuff.. I just sorta.. Wandered to this location to waste some time.." he sighed. Why couldn't he of been more adventurous like his sister? Ashamed, Darrah let their conversation briefly fall into silence.

When he finally mustered up the courage to speak again, it was with a lot less confidence. "B-but I think everything happens for a reason.." well aware of his stutter returning, Darrah awkwardly broke his gaze from the beauty. "I-I think I ended up here in order to meet you, and that's pretty neat.." What was he saying? "I-I'm sorry.. I'm embarrassing myself." he wanted to crawl in a hole and die, unfortunately his nerves kept him frozen in place. 'I'm never gonna see her again after this, am I?'

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

Awww but they just got to talking without being terrified! We can wrap up if you want though, perhaps they can plan an actual date without all the terror and embarrassment..? xD

Karina found her companion’s next words surprising—being called “brave” would have been the highest compliment to Aleksei and Orren, and she remembered the Downs prince Kova had been quick to claim that accolade as well. She had though all boys considered themselves brave, but here was Darrah dismissing the decoration with shame in his eyes. Darrah the shining knight had disappeared almost before the idea had been completely conceived, but Karina was not disappointed in the slightest... In fact, it was a relief to know that should they meet again, Darrah would not expect her to join him in some terrifying adventure. Her brothers, Kova.. they all wanted to go do stuff, when what Karina really liked to not do stuff.

The stretch of silence tormented the girl, but with her voice caught in the vice grip of her social anxiety she was afraid to speak and say something else that would distress her brand-new friend. She wagged her tail encouragingly as he spoke again, telling her that things happened for a reason. The princess took a curious step forward, wanting to know more about this idea of his—what sort of happenings, and what sort of reasons?—was this a spiritual thing for him..?- He caught her off guard by providing an answer to her one of her unspoken questions. "I think I ended up here in order to meet you.."

“Oh!..” was her brilliant answer to his conjecture. A million ideas about what he could have meant by that remark swirled around in her mind, and as she thought about one possibility in particular, she felt her face grow hot and her paws start to sweat. ”I’m embarrassing myself,” Darrah finally said, which was so far from the truth that it shocked Karina out of her anxiety-induced silence. “I don’t think so,” she told him, making an effort to capture his gaze with her earnest sincerity. “I’m glad you don’t like all that dangerous stuff,” she ventured, “If you did.. it would be hard for us to be friends.” The word friends felt slippery on her tongue. She certainly wanted them to be friends, but the term somehow didn’t seem to quite cover the sort of relationship she desired.

“You see I.. I- I’m scared of everything.” It was an admission she had made to playmates before, but it never got easier to say somehow. What would everyone think if they knew she was more deer than wolf? The heated feeling in her body had risen to an uncomfortable degree, and she turned coyly away from her companion. Feeling the overwhelming desire to change the subject, she stepped into the pool with a glace to Darrah. “You came to swim, right?” Wading into the cool water felt heavenly on her overheated paws. “It’s beautiful,” she said, submerging her entire body save her eyes, which she kept hovering above the surface so she could continue to admire the waterfall.

   

    
 

Though he hated to admit it, courageousness would never be Darrah's forte. The way Karina didn't seem to mind, well, it really meant a lot to him. 'It's not like I'm a baby or anything.. I just prefer to keep it safe!' exhaling, the prince knew he still had a lot of growing up to do before he'd be ready to take on the throne. At least in this particular scenario he actually benefited from being a wimp, something he was positive wouldn't ever happen again. 'Once in a blue moon.' he smirked, now quite pleased with his decision to take the day off.

It saddened the Tainn to believe Karina was truly afraid of the world, perhaps because it was a thought he could personally relate to. Being fully aware of the terrors that resided in this world would always be rough, he'd always wished he could be just a little more oblivious to the fact. 'I'm not sure how to respond, but I get it..' He took a few steps closer to the girl, wanting desperately to comfort her even though she still remained a stranger. Why all of a sudden was it so important to him that she remained happy? Paws shaking and body uncomfortably hot, he searched for something to break the silence with, something to make her feel less alone.

The young female quickly turned away from the prince, and he instantly feared he'd somehow done something to upset her. He waited a moment to see how the situation would play out, and felt a sense of relievement when she seemingly just wanted to go for a swim. He watched as she admired the falls, feeling a strange sense of awe. He was hesitant to join her, but eventually found himself in the water again. "It's definitely beautiful.. I'd stay here forever if I could.."

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

(This post was last modified: Jun 10, 2015, 10:33 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

Darrah let the conversation transition to a happier, safer subject; the beauty of the waterfall. From the way he spoke about it, he had obviously sought this place out when he could have been hunting or fighting or doing any number of other things. That told Karina that he was a calm, relaxed soul (unlike Aleksei) who appreciated the natural beauty of the world just for what it was (unlike Orren). Karina knew that you didn’t always have to be doing something exciting to be living life to its fullest, but she had never met a male her age who would agree.. not until Darrah. Without tuning, Karina could tell when her companion entered the water behind her because his movement caused ripples that fanned out over the ones created by her own motion.

  “I’d stay here forever if I could..”
 

“Me too,” Karina found herself agreeing at once, and she lifted her muzzle out of the water in order to speak her concurrence. Would anyone even notice the old princess was gone, with their precious new princesses to look after?  The image of Kjors, her teacher, sprang immediately to mind, serving a helping of instant guilt to the girl. Of course Kjors would miss her! She, his precious gem, was all he had in Hearthwood River! It was sad to think that Kjors must be lonely when she wasn’t there, but also deep down it was slightly satisfying to know that there was at least one out there who would always love her most. “Did your parents have a new litter this year?” The topic shift made sense in her head, seeing as the new Baranski litter was the primary reason she would want to stay at the falls forever (as long as Kjors visited of course!) and it did not occur to Karina that Darrah might find the question random or even intrusive.  

   

    
 

A part of the young prince really wished they could remain at the falls forever. He liked it there, and he sure liked her! Though he knew the fantasy could sadly.. Never become a reality. She'd mentioned a pack residing somewhere nearby, they wouldn't stand a chance against them alone! If that wasn't enough, they had their families to worry about. Darrah had duties to attend to back home, the possibility of him 'running away with a stranger' was slim to none. He sighed, allowing himself to slip away in thought. Was it even practical to believe he'd one day rule the bend? Perhaps if he hadn't owed so much to his pack-members, he could run away. Or maybe he was just being selfish again..

Karina's question felt a bit out of place, leaving the Tainn feeling quite puzzled. What brought her to ask such a thing? "Uhmm.. Yeah..." He'd answer regardless, with difficulty of course. While it made him feel awful, Darrah actually found it challenging to remember the names of his new siblings. Of course they were highly important to him, but visiting them meant dealing with his mother! That wasn't a situation he found in his 'comfort zone' just yet. "A boy and a girl.." He'd gotten a glimpse of them once. One looked a lot like he, and everyone else did. The other however.. It was a question he forbid himself from ever asking, but was that puppy even @Triell 's? The mention of their names eventually hit the boy, and he was able to properly answer her question." @Drift and... S.. @Sahalie ?" The prince knew he'd have to visit them sooner or later, though for everyone's benefit it'd have to wait until they were able to leave the birthing den.

"Oh! How about you? Any new siblings this year?"

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

(This post was last modified: Jun 14, 2015, 07:49 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

Darrah hesitated noticeably over her question, and Karina swung her head around to fix the boy with her curious, cloudy gaze. She cocked her head as he continued to haltingly offer information about the litter, obviously (to anyone but Karina) at a loss for what exactly she wanted to know. The Baranski girl was normally quite intuitive, but she was so wrapped up in her own roiling thoughts that she was oblivious to her companion’s confusion. She simply listened to him with her unwavering stare, brow furrowing slightly as he stumbled over the pups’ names.  Was that a nervous stutter, or a forgetful one? Was Darrah perhaps another unenthusiastic older sibling?

He turned the conversation back to her, and Karina broke her stare and looked down demurely. She opened her mouth to answer and then stopped short of speaking. Sweeping her periwinkle eyes back out over the waterfall, she nodded her answer instead. She let a silent moment hang between them as she watched the waterfall, mesmerized by its majesty. Before she knew what she was saying the words were pouring out, like the riverwater cascading over the mighty falls.

“Two girls, princesses. Everyone says they’re perfect.”  If she hadn’t been submerged up to her neck, Darrah would have seen her lash her tail in agitation at the word “perfect”. “You said you were the Prince of Oak Tree Bend, but.. now aren’t you really just a prince?" Karina glanced sideways uncertainly, wanting to see Darrah’s reaction but feeling as if with the question, she’d revealed too much of her own troubling emotion. “Does that.. bother you at all?”

   

    
 

Darrah could feel the drastic change in atmosphere after he'd asked his question. Perhaps this was a bit of a touchy subject to the female? He'd only meant to be polite by returning her question, was he actually in the wrong for doing so? The soft nod she gave as an answer summed up the Tainn's assumption enough for him to know something really was amiss. 'Karina...'

Silence quickly fell upon them, and the prince was completely oblivious as to what he was supposed to do. 'Should I... even say something?' he held his head low in a bit of frustration, though not the same kind he'd experienced earlier in their conversations. 'I.. don't know..' he slightly allowed his eyes to move toward her again. 'I don't know what to do...'

It was truly a miracle when she once more began speaking, though the question at hand was quite odd. He'd never thought of his siblings as competition before. Was that what this was about? "I suppose I am just a prince now.." although in reality he was still the rightful heir. If Darrah's eyes truly hadn't deceived him, the newest male Tainn wasn't exactly a Tainn at all. However Darrah'd never use that against him. " I guess it could bother me, if only I'd allow it." he smirked. Sure, there was possibility that Drift would one day rule the Bend.. But was the situation at all likely? Not so much. "I've got enough confidence in myself that I'll one day rule. Whether it be the Bend, or me making a whole new pack is another story." he'd worked so hard toward the goal of one day being king, no way he'd let all the effort go to waste. "Does it bother you..? Being just a princess?"

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2015, 06:01 PM by Darrah.)

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.

How odd. Karina had never considered her worries as thoughts that she had any control over.. as if she could just not let herself be bothered. The princess’s head tilted slightly to the side as she thought over that idea, that her anxiety was something she chose to feel as opposed to something she just had to live with. Darrah was smirking, and Karina wondered what it was about the conversation that had amused him. Was she being ridiculous, worrying so much about being overshadowed by the new litter?

Darrah then spoke of self-confidence, another idea that was completely foreign to Karina. How could he really be so sure things would turn out the way he planned? Things never went the way Karina imagined them, and she wondered what it would be like to live in Darrah’s world, where his destiny was already laid neatly out before him.  The girl tried to imagine her companion as a ruler, hulking and formidable as her own father, but she utterly failed at conjuring up this image. Try as she might, she only saw wide-eyed and soaking wet Darrah, looking up at her with wide, terrified eyes and begging her not hurt him.

He turned the question back around on her, and Karina wrinkled her nose at the implication. Was she really so bratty that she couldn’t share the spotlight with her sisters? Perhaps that was the case.. but she had to think it was more than that. “It’s just hard to know my place, or what to do.. now that I’m not the baby, and the pack already has two healers..” Typically the yearlings looked after the cubs, but they were not yet old enough to leave Kisla’s side and even once they were, Karina was not fond of the idea of being her little sisters’ chew toy. “I’m not heir to the throne, like you.”

   

    
 

I'm SO sorry. Life has been crazy, things are looking better as of recent so I shouldn't ever take that long again! I feel so bad :(

Darrah thought long and hard about how to comfort his crony; though coming up with the right words to say was rather frustrating. The Prince couldn't relate. Well, perhaps he could, but not in any way helpful toward the conversation. "What makes you think that, Karina?" the Tainn's voice grew softer now, wishing to showcase empathy and understanding. Was the female not a princess? Did that not automatically deem her fit for the crown? "I'm not sure how your pack works but.. Ideally in oak tree bend, one of Triell's kids will land themselves upon the throne.. Are you not the Alpha's daughter?" Or could it just be she hadn't the confidence to fight for what she wanted?

Putting Karina's current pack aside, Darrah wondered why she wouldn't just strive for what he called his 'plan two' "..If being alpha is the case, why haven't you considered making your own pack?" It was a plausible outcome, with a little determination anyone could make a pack. Even the peppered beauty in front of him. "Or could it be you'd much rather be a medicine wolf..?" The Tainn wasn't sure his family had someone bearing the title these days, though now that he thought about it hadn't the role sounded rather important? Oliver had landed the role in the past, but that old friend was long gone now.. But this wolf wouldn't leave Hearthwood Creek for the Bend, there'd be no way.. "I suppose the real problem lies within leaving home, huh?" That being the case was a little more understandable, the prince himself shuddered with thoughts of departing from all he's ever known, but he'd do what was necessary to rule.

Darrah was born to rule.

One king, One crown.

Darrah Tainn

At some point,

I started looking at the ground more than the sky

It’s hard even to breathe.