Round Stone Crest Time Never Stops

Backdated! This thread takes place after, "Exhale Carbon, Inhale Misery."

Trees loomed above, darkness enveloping the lands, there was no moonlight to light the way. The stars were absent in the deep navy blue sky, covered in a thin layer of silver lined clouds. A lone owl hooted off in the distance, it's music carried by the whistle of the wind. A pair of shadow figures moved mauka, one much lighter and smaller than the other. Her light pelt tuck out like a sore thumb against the mountain side. Her paws were weary and her heart troubled. "Gent, are we almost there?" She whispered in defeated tones, muffled by the animal hides that belonged to their den back at the Glade. Perhaps she should have never moved them to Heart Leaf...took her defeat against @Aideen like a strong woman...or gone to @Titan to explain what had happened. Either way, she hadn't made the right decision and now there was a gaping wound within her painted breast.

Climbing the mountainside had made the she-wolf's limp worsen, the normal off beat sound more notable than usual. Any other day she would have shown embarrassment, but instead Danica's mind was foggy with memories. Lessons, snuggles, and little "I love you mommy,"  moments. His closed eyes grin, a goofy look he often gave when excited...like that one time @Hudson had paid the two a lovely visit. Or how about the stupid make belief stories she would tell, and someone dependent on her to wake up to every day? Kisses and hugs, play dates and laughs...all washed away with the rain. Coming to a stop, her voice cracking, "How can I go on?" She asked @Gent with moisture lining the rim of her lower lids.

It wasn't long till the wolves were on the move again, the strong scent of pack borders infiltrating the woman's nostrils. Finally she looked up away from her silvery paws, taking in their surroundings uncaringly. Trees, rocks, normal things Dani didn't care for as she tromped over the sacred line, cowering close to the large King of Round Stone Crest. Anxiety nipped at her, and she chuffed quietly at the man, whining softly like a lost child. "I don't belong here...I can't do this..." She muttered growing closer to him, pressing lightly into his warmth for protection from the big ol' world.

---

"Oh, There ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees, I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, there ain't nothin' in this world for free."

ROUND STONE Crest

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(This post was last modified: Nov 08, 2015, 03:04 AM by Danica.)

He glided alongside her, a vigilant sentinel at her disposal. There was solemnity to this sojourn, and yet he felt as though things were finally falling into place. This was where she belonged, it was where she should have been from the moment he discovered her pregnancy; perhaps even before. Everything would have been alright, if only she had been under the umbrella of his protection within his mauka home. He could not change the past, but he could put an end to things getting worse. Gent had been unable to save the Keep, Lugh, Minka, Daniel; he would not fail with Danica.

Are we almost there? she asked him, and he touched his nose to the ruff of her neck, answering, "Nearly, sister. Just little ways more and then we can rest."

How can I go on? she asked him, and he braced his shoulder against hers, encouraging her wordlessly, unwilling to let her falter.

I don't belong here, I can't do this, she whispered, and at last he ceased his strides, turning his visage to face her. The leviathan pressed his forehead to her's, pale eyes locking with her beryl gaze.

"This is exactly where you belong," he swore to her. "Everythings going to get better now, Danica. I promise you. We are going to get through this together."

( @Raela I'm sure Cadence wouldn't mind if you joined, if ya wanna jump in? I mean, it is a join, lol.)

His soothing words cooed into her light towers, gentle touch causing her to glance over into his icy blues. A small breath of relief released itself to create a puff of white. Danica trusted him greatly and nodded mumbling, "Okay." quietly in her hushed tentative tones. He was the one person who hadn't left her, abandoned her, and yet- she failed to follow his example.

She gave into him, pressing her weight gently onto his strong frame as they walked, a soft rumble coming from her chest. Lovingly she butted her head into his shoulder, as if to say thanks. It seemed that no matter what, whenever the man was could be around, he was truly there for her full heartedly. His unexpected stand still caused a small gasp of shock, his face suddenly pressed to her own. She looked into his eyes, her own full of hopelessness. She stared back, taking in the details of his globes, mesmerized by their beauty. She stuttered out a reply, "I'll try for you..."

Danica waited, relishing the moment of support from @Gent. He was there...he was there, everything would improve just like he promised. Gent was a man of his word, and he'd be the one to unlock the door to her next chapter in life. She just had to let him lead her in the dance before them. Dani sighed, pulling back, "I can do this, because you're with me." She spoke confidently despite the gaping wound. Immense pain burned her chest, shooting out sharp fresh waves when thoughts of her little lost...no, abandoned, blossom crossed her thoughts. Having faith in the next stop was overwhelmingly difficult, and inside she screamed out his name in furious wails. She begged the world to just. give. him. back! Squeezing her lids shut and breathing for a long moment she recollected herself, then stepped forward opening dark jewels. She wasn't Danica nobody anymore, she was Danica Lieris and this was her rebirth, this was her fresh start.

---

"Oh, There ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees, I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed, there ain't nothin' in this world for free."

ROUND STONE Crest

TEMPLATE © NDA OF RCR & RPG-D

(This post was last modified: Nov 15, 2015, 05:31 AM by Danica. Edit Reason: Improving )

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@Raela
Alright, would love for you to jump in now please <3

Because he was with her. The sentiment flared up conflicting emotions within him, but he refused to allow them to taint his confidence much less shiver their way unto his exterior for her to witness. He wanted to do this, to fix her, to regain his control over the world and those who he claimed as his within it, but his past failures, Daniel's own death, all attempted to rally against him and shake him. Her future rested entirely upon his own shoulders, and the burden was immense, but it also was his light at the end of the tunnel, his chance to turn the world back onto its paws.

He shook out his thickening coat, the thin layer of animal skins belonging to the pale girl shifting slightly upon his back, and offered her a nod, before realizing that her gaze had grown distant and she had been lost once more to her thoughts. A chuff was thrown out into the air to garner her attention once more, and he pressed forward, moving on. She had been hesitant about meeting the rest of the pack, and so no call was thrown into the air, and his strides did not take him to the peak where the majority of them would lay in slumber. Gent would not pressure her into interaction that she was not yet prepared for, fully willing to allow her time to grieve in whatever way she desired. His plan was to dig out a separate den for her, halfway up the small mountain, a respite all her own.

He had told her of his planned departure, and since that moment she had been vigilant. Whenever the man returned she wanted to know. It was a good excuse to patrol the border; though it kept her from passing along the entirety of it. So much had been lost in the last few days; and so much of the pack was in shambles. She was still so new to leading; and with her mammoth counterpart gone well, it was more frightening than she would have liked. Her faithfulness was rewarded on the back of a wind; bringing both his scent and the scent of the young woman he had told her about. Danica presumably. His old friend from when they were young. The name and now the scent had brought her a memory of the meeting they'd had in the orchard; and the peculiar way she'd acted. It froze her in her tracks for a cautious moment before she was moving; loping along at a brisk pace around the mountain's edge. As much as she wanted to greet her dear companion she also knew that she ought to be present to welcome this new member of their ranks. She supposed that if she had to learn how to lead a pack that this was a good duty to start with. 

The agouti woman came upon them swiftly; slowing once her golden eyes had picked out their forms from the surrounding foliage. Her ears pricked up considerably as she trotted in; inadvertently making her injury all the more visible. It was curiosity that drew them there. Already she recognized the girl; and Raela instantly felt relief that Gent's quest had been a success; and that it had not taken long. He was very much needed here. The matriarch's eyes went to him first; brimming with a kind of somber welcome and thankfulness for his safe return. Her tail swished to life in that moment; though with much less vigor than it once had. There was little to be happy for right now. 

Then finally she appraised Danica; stopping a few feet from the pair and slowing her tail's motion even further. This girl looked as melancholy as they all did, and it made her want to be warmer. If all that Gent had said was true then Danica had suffered more than either of them. She dipped her head in greeting. "Welcome," the older woman said quietly; unable to keep some of the sadness and awkwardness out of the word though she smiled softly. There was a moment of hesitation and she glanced cautiously between the newcomer and Gent. What was she supposed to say?

            

(Crappy and quick, sorry. :( )

Nothing was said once more and therefore silence fell over them like a cape and her legs moved mechanically. Dani was simply going through the motions. Her mind was not focused on the reality around her, but drifting to what was supposed to reality. When Raela came she shied, cowering back into herself, head hidden within Gent's warm black fur in shame. A Gentle, sadden, welcome pulled her out, ears perking almost curiously. Stuttering out a whisper of a reply she said, "Thank you...I don't deserve this...so thank you Raela." Danica's own mother had exiled her, how could anyone want someone like herself among their ranks? She was scum! The bearer of a child who's life diminished through her own selfish stupidity. Yet, against the odds, she stood welcomed into a haven, a sanctuary, for lost souls it seemed. Tears shimmered upon her lower lids, hardly visible in the utter darkness.

Peering up at @Gent for a moment she waited to see if he would speak, but she was weary and impatient. Exhaustedly she dropped the skins she held to rest her haunches on the ground. Surely they'd be moving in a moments notice, but for now, perhaps, he'd let her rest.

---

"I saw love once."

(This post was last modified: Nov 28, 2015, 03:54 AM by Danica.)

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He scented @Raela drawing near as they moved forward, and halted his steps, waiting for the woman to meet with them. Of all the pack mates to have noticed their arrival and met with them, Raela was the only one who would have been welcomed in this moment. Surely, her comforting presence and well-spoken words would only help ease Danica through this transition, that much Gent fully trusted. Her presence, when at last it arrived, was just as soft as he'd expected it to be, and her smile was briefly returned by the beast, yet it seemed she was at something of a loss for words herself. Perhaps it was what should have been expected. After all, what could one say?

When Danica had buried her face in his fur, he had touched his nose to the back her neck, a comforting rush of ear escaping betwixt his teeth in an attempt to soothe her. When Raela greeted her she relaxed, which he was thankful for, and when she reclined, so did he, adding that which he'd carried to the small pile she had created. His side was pressed firmly against hers, a constant and reassuring presence to say she would not be alone here.

"My sister has come to live with us," he announced, certain that his partner would not argue the matter with him. The emphasis was an attempt to make clear not only the relationship that he wanted to be expressed to the rest of the pack, but also that this was to be a new start for the young woman, separate from her life at the Woodlands. "I'm gonna dig her her own den," he added, throwing a gentle smile toward Danica, "so that she can have her privacy. Would you uh, mind helping, Raela?" Perhaps the occasion would open up a chance for small talk between the two women.

At first it was quiet; not even Gent seeming to know exactly what to say with this refugee on their doorstep. The way Danica had crumpled pulled Raela's ears back reflexively, as if to make herself less threatening. The other wolf was far from a child, but she hid herself in Gent's towering form much like one. The new Queen was thankful for her stuttering response though; and the faint smile returned to her features. Again she dipped her head just a little. "You're welcome," she affirmed, swiftly removing her eyes from the submissive girl's to find Gent once more. His voice sounded firmly; a reflection of what the King had told her earlier. She instantly recognized the gesture of calling this wolf his sister, knowing full well that his real blood relative was a white witch that had taken a chunk of her ear months ago. This girl was nothing like that; surely. 

Whatever she had thought of the woman before; whether of her strange, variable demeanor or the young age at which she'd become pregnant, it was brushed aside with her companion's declaration. This female was different than the one she'd met. Tragedy had found her and it seemed, changed her. Now she was a destitute girl seeking shelter; and Rae was never one to deny it – especially if her cohort was so sure that this was the right choice for the pack. Gent comforted the distressed newcomer in much the way he'd comforted Rae herself; and there was a warmth in seeing him so close to someone besides herself or the children that it threatened to make her smile once more.  He had changed so much as well. 

She was lost in these thoughts until the black mammoth addressed her directly once more. Danica was to have her own space; and Raela found herself nodding swiftly in agreement. The pale wolf before them now didn't look like she needed to be forced into meeting the whole pack as soon as she went to sleep that evening. Her smile returned as Gent's did, and to his request she nodded yet again. "Of course," the older woman confirmed; now smiling gently at their new charge with a couple swings of her tail. A thought occurred then; and the agouti Queen glanced between them. "Where were you thinking of putting it?" She asked lightly to both parties.

            

(It's so hard to write with her now, I'm at a lost to what it feels like to loose someone.)

Shame bore down on her, how wretched was she to kill her baby then come belly down to another pack? Danica belonged along some riverbank, washed up and forever lost. Left to wonder alone till her days ended- hungry, sore, and forgotten. The young woman glanced over to Gent, a soft purr like rumble escaping her chest. She butted her head into his shoulder, and hid her many sorrows for his sake...

Dani looked shyly at Rae once more, nodding in response. Her nervous expression with that familiar mixture of humiliation written on her fluffy face. She forced a smile, but it was clear as day that the wolf blamed herself. Everything was upon her paws, blood of the very life she so eagerly brought into the world...she'd taken that...Her shoulders slumped, Dani frowning as she looked at the ground deep in thought. Words drew her back in to the surreal universe around her. "Do you have anywhere like the Glade here?" She whispered sadly, "Somewhere Daniel would've liked to stay?" The woman stood taller, fighting back a sob that nearly cracked her voice. The Lieris girl wished not to cry so soon in front of her new found Queen of the Crest.

She cast her jewels back onto the dark man, half expecting him to say no, yet hoping he'd know of something. Perhaps a neat look out over the mountains nearby in which she could slumber and mourn. A place so high it would be like she could almost touch the sky and meet paw tip to paw tip with @Titan 's sister Malia and her own kin Tacoma, Ashton, and lil Daniel.  

---

"I saw Love once, came in the shape of lil fluff ball."

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He hadn't expected @Raela to turn down his proposition, and yet he felt relief when she vocally agreed to help. It wasn't just his help that @Danica would need, and he knew this. While he would do everything in his power to be her support, he was very well aware of his own limitations when it came to emotions. Where he could not be enough, he fully trusted Raela to be able to pick up from and fulfill the rest of the young girl's recuperative needs.

A smile was given to them both, diminishing subtly as Danica spoke up. A place that Daniel would like? Immediately he thought of the Glen, of Minka's resting place, unable to consider Daniel as he had been living. She was asking for the boy's sake, but instead he considered what would be most peaceful for Danica. The two separate visions could meld, couldn't they? He would find the happy medium. His gaze wandered past them and beyond the timbers as he searched his recollections for a suitable place. Several ideas popped into his head but were dismissed after fair consideration.

When at last he had thought of a place, he asked them to follow him, and led the way. By the end of the night the trio had made decent progress on a den for the girl, enough to store her furs and give her a place to sleep for the night. It would take more time to truly shape a home for her, but for the first night Gent had deemed it well enough and allowed Danica time enough to sleep. After Raela had left to return to the rest of the pack at the main den, and Danica had curled up within her new shelter, Gent lay just outside of the threshold, immediately available to her should the need arise.

His pale eyes looked out over the vantage point he had decided upon, a ridge branching off of the western end of the mesa. Below it flowed the river, easily accessible to the young girl, while a littering of crab apple trees afforded Danica her privacy. Hopefully it was enough to make her happy, to keep her happy, he thought to himself as at last his eyes fluttered closed and he drifted off to sleep.

(This post was last modified: Dec 01, 2015, 05:12 AM by Gent.)