Turtleback Lake now that she's back in the atmosphere

@Naia

Anneliese was on the hunt, but that didn't stop her from taking a moment to appreciate the beauty that was the oceanic lake spread out before her. She had yet to travel this far north before, and now wished she had done so sooner. It was absolutely breathtaking. The sun was completely unobstructed from bathing the land in its heated light, and the white gleam accented every divot in the water's minutely rippling surface. Here and there, ducks and geese and jettisoned themselves through the air and down under the water's surface, bursting back into the air a few meters away. Across the way, faintly visible on an opposing shore, a small family of mule deer satiated their thirst and fed upon the banks. The peace was palpable, and it sent waves of nostalgia over top of the blonde knight.

She recalled her days at Cut Rock River, how unfortunately short lived they had been. Mostly, she had spent her time with Lalani if not completing some kind of service to the pack. Her vision glazed over as she imagined what the landscape before her would look like if iced over and coated in great mounds of snow, the wind howling fiercely around her. Mind drifting, Anneliese thought about one of the few adventures she'd had under Maksim's keep...

She thought of ice skating, the grip her paw pads always supplied her lost once upon the slickness of the frozen water. Lalani's uneven smile and wobbling gait as she tried to manage upon the solidified lake appeared in her vision, her lost friend never straying from the side of the mute known as Taras that Anna had only just met. She remembered how the pitch black female had behaved around him, how likely it had been that she had found herself falling for him. Anna never did discover if the feeling had been mutual, if there would have been any hope for the two of them if the storm hadn't swallowed Lalani up. She remembered too, the friendly scout that had joined them. Naia had been her name, a pretty girl that Anna had only ever heard good about, who had been her own skating partner that day.

The snow storm in her mind thawed, returning her to scenery at paw. Anna felt a deep sense of remorse and longing fill her chest, but she swiftly swallowed the feelings and pushed them down to a place where they could no longer be felt. Regrets did no one any good if she only dwelled on them. She was here to do something about them, by being the wolf Oak Tree Bend needed, the loyal member that she had failed to be for Maksim's pack.

PLOT WITH ME!

Naia stood on the shoreline of Turtleback lake, letting the gentle waves lap up over her paws. The cool water felt heavenly under her feet, which were hot and tired from her morning’s travels. She smiled as she remembered the last time she found herself upon this bank, splashing around and cutting up with young Orren Baranski. It was his brother she searched for now; the River heir that had seemingly just disappeared as soon as the pack arrived in their new home.  No one had seen hide nor hair of @Aleksei Baranski since setting foot in Kingfall, which was troubling to say the least. Naia’s mind couldn’t help but drift to the Crest wolves’ predicament with their missing princess, who they had been searching for since winter. The scout hoped dearly that Aleksei could be located shortly, and the Baranski parents wouldn’t have to endure the torture of waiting for news for as long as as @Noble Lagina’s parents.  

Naia’s honey stare drifted over the water to rest on the islands locked in the middle of the lake. Orren had been fascinated by the islands and had dearly wished to visit one, and it was likely only Naia’s prudent discouragement that kept him from trying to swim out. What if Aleksei had heard the same siren call as his brother, and he had swum out to strand himself on an island? Perhaps he had injured himself on the island and been unable to get back home.  Naia waded a few more steps into the lake, knowing that now that the thought had struck her, there was no way she could leave the islands unsearched. Naia inhaled in preparation; the last time she had visited a lake island she had gone over ice, which would be considerably easier than swimming the distance.

As she breathed in, she tasted a very distantly familiar scent on the wind. Had she not just been thinking about her last midwinter trip across a frozen lake, she might not have been able to place the scent at all. “Anna..?” She called out hesitantly, disbelief quite evident in her voice. What were the odds that the arctic woman from her past would pop up just as she was planning yet another lake crossing? The scout’s honeyed gaze found the woman standing upshore, white fur reflecting the summer sunlight. She smiled warmly, trotting toward her long-lost packmate. It smelled as if the snowy-pelted lady had found herself a new family, which Naia was happy for. Although Naia could not recall the exact circumstances around Anna’s departure from the River, she remembered that @Anneliese’s friend Lalani had run into trouble settling in with their family. Perhaps the friends had found a family where they could both be at peace.

 

(This post was last modified: Jul 07, 2015, 04:25 PM by Naia.)

Being so lost in thought, Anneliese hadn't the chance to interpret Naia's presence and the signals it emitted, much less register them as known and familiar. Still, when the faint calling of her nickname drifted lazily toward her, her dull-tipped ears swiveled to meet the single word and her brow furrowed as she wondered who could possibly be this far from home that would know her. Beryl eyes took up a search, landing upon the petite woman within moments. Warmth immediately filled them in that instant, and a mixture of competing feelings swirled within her chest.

"Naia?" she questioned, as though she couldn't believe that this chance meeting was real. If she were any more of a romantic, she might've assumed her thoughts to have summoned the River scout. Breathing deep, she once again allowed Maksim and Kisla's scents to fill her lungs, laced thickly with Naia's own scent. So they still thrived, but something was different about it all. Certainly, there was no reason for the woman to be all the way out here, was there? Over the mountain and so far north?

Her own paws pushed her closer to the other woman, those emotions that battled within her making themselves more clear. She was ecstatic to see her past comrade again, to witness her safety with her own eyes and for the silent confirmation that Maksim's kingdom had not fallen in her absence. But she was also afraid. Naia was approaching her with a sort of happiness in her eyes, but what if that initial feeling was fleeting? What if she judged Anna for leaving them behind, for deserting the pack? Even worse, what if she asked her to return to them?

Foregoing any sense of personal space, Annelise didn't stop until she was directly in front of Naia, head bowed and crown pressed against the plush down of the other woman's chest. Her eyes were closed tightly, and her tail hung limply between her hocks.

"I'm so sorry..."

PLOT WITH ME!

Naia’s old friend strode directly into her embrace, and the Timber lady greeted Anneliese with equal warmth and enthusiasm, resting her check upon the arctic’s crown lovingly. The scent of oak trees draped over the snowy lady like a blanket, and Naia knew in a single breath that Anna had found her current home among friends; Kisla’s birth pack, in fact. Naia sighed, happy to provide a hug to an old friend that was so obviously in need of one. The River scout’s tail flicked back and forth in contentment, for if she was being honest with herself she had needed the hug as well.  Her happy life had been slowly crumbling, and it was only a matter of time before it fell apart completely.. and then where would Naia turn? Who did she have to hug and comfort her?  

A whispered apology met the River woman’s ears, and they lifted to attention. Naia pulled gently away from Anneliese to meet her eyes with an earnest gaze. “You have nothing to apologize to me for,” she insisted.  Anna’s previous actions would likely bar her from re-entry into the pack, but as far as their friendship was concerned, there had been no damage done. Naia wished the kindhearted woman had said goodbye, but on the other paw she could understand why that would have been difficult. Naia would not fault the other woman for following her own path. “I’m just glad you’re safe. And happy..?”   Wolves entered and disappeared from Naia’s life so quickly, it was common for her to find herself wondering what ever happened to this or that acquaintance. It was rare for her to actually have an opportunity at some real answers. 

So grateful for your endless patience. <33

(This post was last modified: Aug 22, 2015, 03:34 PM by Karina.)

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

The woman had never been one for lachrymose interactions, and yet she couldn't help but tremble as Naia disregarded all of her expectations and embraced her. For the first time since childhood, she found herself willing time to stand still so that she could keep this moment for as long as possible. She had expected each and every one of Maksim's subordinates to know her as a deserter, the worst of betrayers, yet here her old friend was, caring for her as though she had never affronted the River wolves at all. The warmth exuding from Naia help to melt away a portion of the stifled sorrow Anna had held buried deep within her breast since that wretched night.

As the other woman pulled back, Anneliese looked up into her eyes, ears curved back against her skull. She need not search for genuity within Naia's as eyes, as it was clearly that every word she spoke was earnest. Still, Anna found it hard to believe. How could she not have anything to apologize for? Did she think too highly of the blonde paladin, expecting her to have a better reason for leaving than pack without a word than what had truly occurred? Or did she simply not care? How could she not?

She continued on with a question that lingered in the air between them, and the Schroder woman found she could not answer. No, she wasn't happy. Oak Tree Bend was a horrid fit for her, and some days it felt as though she didn't have a pack at all. But that was her penance, and she was determined still to make the best of things.

"I deserted the pack, Naia," she whispered. "I broke Maksim's trust, all of the pack's trust. I won't be truly happy until I make up for that."

It was the most honest answer she could give, for she did not want to burden Naia with having to listen to her complaints about her current pack, nor did she want to cause the other woman any worry over her well being.

"But I'm working on it," she said, finally offering a small smile.

PLOT WITH ME!

Naia had offered Anneliese the chance to ignore the transgressions of the past—to interact in this fleeting moment as if there had never been hurt, worry, or betrayal.. and Anna turned it down, choosing instead to dwell in these feelings. Naia never should have expected anything else; despite her friend Lalani struggling to fit in, Anneliese had been a River wolf through-and-through. It would have torn her apart to break loyalty as she did, not matter how noble or justified the reason, and she would not easily forgive herself for this. Naia nodded solemnly at the ivory woman’s reply, knowing that any more comforting she attempted at this point would only intensify Anneliese’s guilt. In this moment Anna did not consider herself worthy of consolation, but her words hinted at what might make her feel better.
“I.. might have a way for you to do that. To make up for.. it.” She said, hesitating as she wasn’t quite sure what to call Anneliese’s desertion. Her transgression, her mistake, her betrayal? “It could at least be a start,” she said hurriedly, before the artic could provide any sort of morose reply along the lines of “nothing could ever make up for what I’ve done” (as Naia knew she would answer were she in Anna’s place). The scout waved her tail encouragingly, hoping her old friend would jump at the offer. Helping the River wolves was the only plan Naia think of that might lift some of the pain from Anneliese’s shoulders, as it was becoming increasingly obvious that words alone would not do the trick. 

@Naia so sorry about this... hopefully we can wrap this up soon?

In all honesty, she hadn't expected Naia to hold any sort of solutions within her being. When the words tentatively fell from her friend's maw,  the blonde paladin's rounded ears pressed forward, quivering with eagerness. Was there truly a way for her to make amends? Anything she could do that might assist Maksim and his pack? Details need not be exposed for her to leap at the offer, so heavy was her guilt to bear. While she had joined Oak Tree Bend in hopes of reaching a point where she could return to the Baranski dynasty, the oppressive nature of the pack itself as well as those inhabiting it had done quick work in smothering the woman and her aspirations. She felt mired, suffocated, lost. Yet here was Naia, willing to shine a light for her, to show her a path back to where she so desperately wanted to be.

"What is it? I would be happy with anything, anything that would be of use to you all," she insisted, tail picking up to wag a few times behind her. It didn't matter how truly useful the mission was to Hearthwood River and its luminaries. What mattered was that at that instant, Naia had given Anneliese hope, an ethereal thing that the knightly woman had not felt to be in reach in a long, long time.

PLOT WITH ME!