The Wildwood just a half life

@Yennifer

You can skip over it 'til the last paragraph or so, this accidentally turned out to be a character study C: Duckweed is a small, pale-coloured yearling, for your reference.

"There was a fire around here, I heard."

Silence.

"It was before I was born. The family almost died but the children made it out safe."

Silence.

"I think it's good they stuck together, looked after each other when they had nobody else. No parents to protect them."

The silence was enforced even harder after that.

Bella sighed, shaking her head.

How was it possible that during the whole last year, her youngest had been a shining light against his siblings, an open defiance to Wolesh's dominant genes and influence on his eldest children. His blatant neglect of Duckweed had deeply saddened the mother, but she had hoped it would mean that Duck, at least, would not grow to emulate him. Wolesh had many strengths but each and every one was countered with a hard negative, and she had never been sure if his sum total was positive or not. Family and her refusal to abandon it had forced them together, Bella making the most of an unfortunate situation, and though she loved her offspring she was secretly terrified that they would live out Wolesh's legacy instead of her own.

Duckweed, weak and fragile and innocent, had been her hope. Whether or not she had more children in the future was now uncertain, something she had quietly dreaded but accepted when Wolesh had been alive. Though Bella desperately wanted to wipe the Calor name clean and let it begin again, sometimes, in the dead of night, she wondered if it would be better to let it die with Wolesh. Whatever family he had outside of her and their children she had never known, and a Calor family who lived hundreds of miles away was no concern of her own. Here, in this part of the world, she had agency over it. To nurture it, and let it blossom, or to strangle it now in case it turned out venomous? Watching Wolesh die had been difficult on many fronts. Knowing that he lived on in Crow, Snake, Fox- no. He lived on in Ahkna, Staleek, and Tauza. Bella would publicly deny them those names as long as she could, in the hopes that her legacy would prove dominant over his own, but Foxglove had begun to ignore her name. What was Bella supposed to do with that?

Duckweed was untainted with one of Wolesh's names, but he still had Wolesh's blood running through his veins. It must have been a life of conflict, she mused, having both herself and their father exist within them, halves to four new wholes. She saw herself in Staleek's reflection the most but also the least, with his chocolate fur but cold eyes. In Duckweed, an almost perfect image of his father, she had seen glimpses of herself, though he was cursed with those pale eyes too. They all were. Where was her part in their creation? Had Wolesh's genes strangled her own in their conception? Or was it their upbringing which had caused it, her easy love competing poorly with his which had been harder to earn? She could not have been wrong in loving unconditionally, being there for them above all else. Parental abandonment had been her own undoing. What had been her childrens'?

Silence fell over them, familiar and heavy, and Bella wanted to cry out in pain. Every step towards her mountain brought her joy, but at the apparent expense of her son's. But how could she fix him if he could not explain the ailment? There was only so much love could mend, and she did not know the right words to soothe him. Nothing she tried worked. A small seed of doubt told her to turn around, to forget the lake, but was that a sacrifice she could make? Was it even the solution? She had asked him, to no response. Did she had to give up everything of her own in the faint hope that it would provide Duck with some comfort? Was her job as a mother to ruin herself for their sake? Belladonna had given everything else for them, had devoted her life to them ever since their conception. Did she have to give him this, too?

Before long, Bella's tale of the forest fire was proven true; the evidence of destruction opened up before them, taking them from a dense, ancient forest into a young one, life steadily recovering from the disaster. The fresh greens were beautiful, the relatively young trees determined to prosper in the aftermath. The smell of smoke and burnt things was long gone, but she could imagine it. To live through such a thing was a hardship she barely dared imagine. She thought of her own children caught in such a thing, and how they would survive if both she and Wolesh had perished. It was not hard to believe that Crowfoot, Snakeroot and Foxglove would have endured, with their fierce hold on life.

Glancing at Duckweed, she was surprised to catch him staring hard at her, and for a moment their thoughts lined up perfectly. Duck's eyes narrowed as Bella's widened, and after a long second, he peeled away, body language hard and hostile. She whined after him, but he marched on, and the mother and her shattered heart was forced to follow.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Stratocumulus clouds hung low in the sky, drifting slowly to the west while highlighted orange by the rising sun. Though the forest was new, crickets could be be heard chirping softly in the grass below her feet while small herbivores made their daily rounds; the life a fire could never destroy. The temperature, even this early in the morning, had been slowly rising while giving the air a heavy, almost damp feeling. "

Perfect..

" Yennifer thought, limbs hanging over the edge like leaves in the wind.

The forest was alive again but dead trees, though far and few in between, still littered the forest floor; resting against their living peers as if to say "Hey, help me out!". The she-wolf had found one low and horizontal enough to climb; laying against the dead bark while soaking up the near midday sun, she contemplated what her plans would be for today. Half in thought, a raise of the head gave notice that she was not alone. Making their way through the baby foliage was a wolf...a female wolf, and what seemed to be a child leading the way. Not exactly sure, Yennifer's piqued interest forced her to call out for answers.

" Well gosh, if I knew I'd be havin' company I would of made myself a lil' more presentable. " Yen let out a harsh laugh, "

Fille

, do you by any chance need a paw with that, I would be glad to

aider

. The lil'

garçon

look about ready to rip ya'll's fur right off. "

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{ occ notes - - Noooo no, I'm gunna read all of it I love long replies B) Thank you for posting!!
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(This post was last modified: Jun 25, 2015, 05:38 PM by Yennifer.)

CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

Haha I don't usually make them too long, but I'm glad you read it! Thank you for indulging me! :3

His shorter strides should have made him easy to catch, but she could not match the fury in them and actually struggled to keep up. That was until an unexpected voice cut straight through their family problems and Duckweed stopped dead in his tracks, having completely unexpected interruption or an audience. Heat rushed to his face, his throat tightening in the softest of growls, and the sound of that was the catalyst for Bella's abrupt halt. He had never growled at a stranger before at such little provocation. The woman's words, at first, washed over her as background noise, the mother so caught up in the ailments of her child, but she processed it slowly in the back of her mind regardless. "Duck," she called, pleading, but he didn't even look at her before continuing his forceful march towards the mountain.

This time, Bella did not have the strength to pursue. Ears falling flat, tail drooping, she watched her son's white rear disappear, a low whine of her own fading with the sight of him. It was at that point that the stranger's comments filtered through to the front of her brain, and though she had no understanding of the foreign words, the general meaning persisted. Rather than become angry at such a flippant observation of her predicament, the tawny wolf deflated, her attention shifting towards the woman who had spoken even though her eyes could not leave the last spot she had seen Duck.

"What did I do? I... don't understand. He doesn't act like this. This isn't him, this..."

This was Wolesh, and Duckweed wasn't supposed to have any Wolesh inside him at all.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

It seemed the younger wolf gave no heed to Yennifer's call and proceeded to continue through the underbrush. He had heard them alright, but refused to give any sign that he had. A rush of anger flooded the she-wolf's head, how dare this young pup treat her and his mother with such disrespect; he deserved a talking to. He had better pray she did not get her paws on him once they catch up.

" Now boy, I best hope you didn't hear me or else yo' in for a world of hurt. " regardless of her small size, Yennifer's harsh voice boomed like that of a fallen tree after him. " You best be listenin' to yo' mamma or I will make you, the

Loa

not lookin' after no lil' brats! "

With that retort, Yen turned her attention to the young wolf's rather emotionally exhausted mother who seemed too far lost in thought; did she even know she was there? Yen had the feeling that the remark was not directed to her, but more the strange she-wolf herself. Dealing with children was a chore, a chore Yennifer prayed she wouldn't be stuck with all too soon.

" Miss, is you okay? Yo' boy seems to be on a mission for the devils himself, I'd watch out if I was you. If you wantin' to be catchin' up to him we best be makin' our way. " she asked, now shifting her concern back to her now immediate company.

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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

The stranger's scolding words would have been lost on Duck, for if he refused to acknowledge his own mother's cries, why would he care about anyone else's? But they hurt Bella, to hear him called a brat, and know that it was true. How had it turned out like this? Her sweet, small duckling, impressionable but gentle, vulnerable to his siblings' cruelty but only because he craved their acceptance. Or was she wrong on all those counts? Was this who he was, when not being regularly suppressed by Snake and Fox? No, she would not believe that.

Bella finally shifted her gaze to the dark woman as she was addressed, recognising kindness and sympathy in the tone and words. Having expected a pleasant trip with her boy, some friendliness was extremely welcome. She regarded the kind stranger, the inky fur and yellowed eyes which reminded her of her own mother, a gold to combat the greys she was normally surrounded by. Worn out by dealing with Duck's angst, she did not have the strength to search for any deception in the stranger's face, and instead accepted the warmth eagerly, craving some understanding. "Thank you," she breathed, surprised at the woman's unnecessary solidarity but grateful for it. "I'm not okay, I'm not... not okay at all. But I should, this is- " This was her homeward road! This was the treasure she had tried to enthuse her children for. This was the new start for them all, a clean slate she would build for them. If they were just going to bring Wolesh here, and poison it, and even Duck was helping drag his corpse, then -

Another soft whine escaped her, and she gave the dark woman a desperate look before trotting after her boy, not expecting her to follow but quietly hoping for the moral support to continue.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Though she was right next to her, a look into her eyes told Yennifer that she was far away, at least in spirit. A wolf as kind-hearted as this shouldn't be forced to make the journey alone, specially with the terror that was currently footfalls ahead of them. Yen didn't mind the company seeing as it was a blessing from days walking alone and trying to entertain herself. Falling inline next to her, the she-wolf tried to strike conversation yet again but in a more relaxed tone.

" I'm sorry miss, my mama said that these tenderfoot youngins' should respect they're elders and with what just happened n' all got me seein' red and such. I hopin' you is okay? " giving her space, Yen continued to look forward out to the road in front of them, " Now what happens to be under that

boug's

fur that got him so riled up. I don't mind stayin' with ya' till things start to cool down, ifin' you don't protest to it. "

Yen had never intended getting into their business; though she secretly loved to learn the inner lives of others, it seemed like a whole can of worms to her. Gazing up at the sky as they made their journey, the she-wolf wondered what she had gotten herself into.

250 words

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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

To Bella's strangled joy, the woman followed after her, and the simple act of having somebody walk beside her was enough to give her strength. She desperately needed some solidarity. There were glimpses of happiness in this journey - her mountain, her kept promise, Ash - but each was merely punctuation to the cold sentences which was travelling with this new, changed Duckweed. See, she wanted to say, force him to listen, not everything is hard and distant - not everyone thinks you are dirt.

"...ifin' you don't protest to it." "No," she breathed, looking again at this dark angel, come to give her company when she so needed it. "I don't mind at all. Thank - thank you."

But what was ailing Duck? That was an immense question, one which was tearing at her, one which she had once known the answer to - but the question had changed. This wasn't her sad, lonely, mistreated Duckling. This was something angry and hurt. "He's... I think..." Was this a reflection of her failure, that she could not see into his heart? Was it because he was closing her off, his one true ally, or because she was blind to someone right in front of her?

"He's... troubled," she said eventually, though her expression tightened - that much was blatantly obvious. "His father was... not a kind man. Not to him. Neither are his siblings, but... but that's Wolesh's influence, they'll grow out of it. We're leaving that behind, we've left it behind." The mountain was a fresh start, a new beginning, for all of them. How could he resent that? The others would have wanted to stay, she knew that, but Crystherium would have crushed Duck. This was for him. She had run for him.

HAVE YOU ANY DREAMS YOU'D LIKE TO SELL?

Walking side-by-side gave Yennifer some comfort. Though selfish at heart, lending a paw in need every once in a while seemed to get her karma going and put a soft spot in her heart. Even though they looked nothing alike, Yen found some sort of kin-ness to her own mother. How dotting she was, how tired she became and how supportive she was until the very last days of Yen's packhood. They met at an unlikely turn of events but the she-wolf was grateful for company anyway.

" Ya'll wecome miss... I never caught your name I supose'." Yen thought for a minute, she must have forgot it didn't she? Staring ahead, there was not even a glimpse of their troubled yearling. Whatever had upset him Yennifer defiantly understood all too well.

" It's alright miss, probably some sort of ragin' emotions yearlings go through. Bein' young and all I suppose. I gotta' brother, had a brother, he was a twin and I understood him better then I did myself. Point is he acted just like that at a young age, practically the whole time I knew em'.. " Yen paused, reminiscing back on painful memories. " Never did no good with authority, but give it some time; he'll grow up and learn to love his mama. "

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CORVUS OCULUM CORVI NON ERUIT

"Oh," she breathed, knowing the woman was right. Caught up in her own problems and blessed with unexpected company, basic manners had gone out of the window. "Bella. My name is Bella. Yourself?" She looked again at the dark wolf, noticing for the first time her unusual left eye, though she did not comment, thinking it rude and out of place.

She listened quietly as the woman spoke of the fires of youth, and her experience with her own littermate. Bella wondered if the woman was a mother of her own, though she supposed not; the story would be of her own children rather than a sibling. This did not discredit her comments, and Bella was grateful for the alternative view, having had little in the way of support when bringing up her offspring. She had had no parents or guardians to help in anyway more meaningful than cold, impersonal advice, given by those who might mean well but empathise little. All she had was the knowledge of the kind of parent she didn't want to be - and had to hope that was enough.

I thought he already loved his mama, she thought sadly, but instead looked at the woman as they paced, gaze subconsciously drawn to that unusual left eye. She was supposed to be sociable, now, but there were far more pressing matters than striking up a casual conversation. "Thank you for your solidarity, but I need - I need to catch up to him, and you shouldn't have to get messed up in someone else's problems. You're very kind to have cared. I hope you're right about him."

With that, she offered a weak but genuine smile before turning her pacing into a quick trot and then a run, knowing that her son's strides might have been sped by anger, but slowed by his shorter legs. Whether or not he wanted to be caught, though...

(This post was last modified: Sep 01, 2015, 01:34 PM by Belladonna.)