Broken Timber Pines Beware The Frozen Heart

All Welcome, but I was hoping @Eirian or @Narimé. Or maybe @Yuka

RE: Nalda, you've gotten your tongue stuck to a chunk of ice!
- Late morning, Freezing fog - 3 ° F/ -16 ° C

Nalda Zamora Well SHIT! This wasn't good at all. She'd been so thirsty, she'd considered chewing snow, but knew from bitter experience the uncomfortable side effects that might ensue. Of course she should have figured it would be the same with ice, but she'd been so frustrated when she found the creek iced over, well, there hadn't been much room for clear thinking. Here she had gone out of her way to find running water, and then there was none! All the little stream had to offer was ice, a thin streak of it running all the way along the bottom of the riverbed. The slate and russet girl had groaned in irritation seeing it, ears flattening as she looked round desperately for another source to quench her thirst. Of course there was nothing; What did I expect?! She rolled her eyes, sitting back heavily in the snow, as small flurry rising around her as he bony rear bumped against the ground. After that, it didn't take long for her to throw caution to the wind. Pouting didn't help he, still burning, thirst, and as she sat there, smoldering, golden eyes running up and down along the frozen creek, she realized that most every water source she knew of would be the same. So what am I doing exactly?! If everything was iced over, she really had no other option; How bad can it be? That's what she had thought, and then she had gotten up, walking down to the frozen water with her nose hanging right above the ground. A new problem arose when she realized there was no real way to get at the ice. It was frozen smooth, and short of licking the surface, there seemed no good option. Then she noticed the rock. About the size of two paws on top of one another, the smooth surface showed that it had been lying in the stream for years, slowly polished by the running water. As fall had stilled the water, more and more of the rock had poked above the surface, until only the bottom sliver had still been covered. Then the frost had come. And that's where luck had struck. Where the rest of the creek had frozen into a solid sheet, the presence of the rock had caused the expanding ice to crack, pressing up around it in promising lumps. Nalda made her way to the stone, pawing at the ice to try and free a suitable piece. When a nice chunk finally freed itself, she wasted no time in clamping down on it, longing for the sweetness of moisture on her tongue. The first few moments were bliss, small droplets of water instantly melting off the ice and rolling into her throat. Then she began to feel the cold. Icy needles stabbed through her teeth, frost burning at her cheeks. With a small shriek, the young wolf parted her jaws, moving to spit out the frozen lump. And that's when she realized that it wouldn't budge. The chunk of ice had frozen stuck to her tongue; Shit! Word count: 512 ”Speech” Thoughts

Fall-of-rain @ DA

Hm? Befuddlement contorted the features of a pale crimson streaked face as a russet hued ear swiveled to and fro upon a swiftly risen skull, the muffled echo of a shriek piercing the late foggy morning too out of place to be ignored. Even despite the tempting, partially shredded corpse of a winter preserved rabbit that was suppose to serve as Eirian's breakfast awaiting between his front paws. Darting a pair of eagle sharp, citrus tinted orbs about the ivory frosted landscape nothing seemed amiss at first. No peculiar scents other than those of the pack and the aroma of fresh tilled soil from his labor recovering his would be meal within a partially frozen over cache greeted his senses when he inhaled sharply a few time either. Odd.

Determined to locate the source of the mystery shriek, all thoughts of devouring breakfast were abandoned. Cream painted limbs plowed through the concoction of deep snow and thick, brittle vegetation petrified in time until the first warm rays of spring could melt away Father Winter's latest enchantment. Every now and again built muscles sprang or coiled to avoid colliding face first with a toppled timber dusted in the mage's fine powder that nearly masked the sturdy wood to be camouflaged with the surrounding layout. At first no signs could be detected by the driven brute, the freezing fog helping little in his expedition. If anything it made things harder by cloaking the world in a semi transparent layer of white nearly high enough to surpass his shoulders. How Eirian hated winter and its trickery. He couldn't wait for the season to be over.

Onward the Asurn maneuvered and as luck would have it a set of tracks appeared in the semi compressed snow. A sign surely to whom had interrupted his morning meal. Following precisely in the steps of their maker, the tank built Timber wolf could feel his hackles raise uneasily as he was guided along the banks of a crystallized creek long since stilled by the frigid temperatures. Averting his gaze from the set of tracks upon the ground, Eirian had not expected to encounter what came next. No more than about three wolf lengths away the dark and russet hued coloration of Nalda whom belonged to that soot colored woman with the dandelion eyes appeared and vanished behind the finicky veil of fog. And something was lodged between her jaws from what he could witness at this distance, but what exactly he could not tell. "Nalda is everything alright?" The dark agouti pelted man questioned curiously, a brow quirking skyward while he slowly crept forward to approach the young female. The once bristled guard hairs swiftly flattened back into place. Had she made the shriek he heard?

Nalda Zamora Winter had earned yet another irredeemable mark in her imaginary records. Frankly enough was enough! It felt like this blasted season had lasted all her life, full of cold and snow and ICE! Nalda's mouth was slowly growing numb, freezing water melting off the cursed lump, dripping down her chin. Yet it still wouldn't budge. Goldenrod eyes were wide, scanning around in growing desperation, looking for some manner of escape, without knowing what it might be. Instead she saw a figure, coming quickly towards her through the fog. While the silhouette was blurry, the young girl could quickly rule out the pack members she was familiar with, based on the size and coloration. This was one of the males, someone who had joined after the last meeting and didn't have regular contact with the pups; Oh no! Now she was searching for an actual physical escape, but it was too late. His voice rang clearly through the quiet forest, and Nalda froze in place; Shit! What was she supposed to do now? She couldn't actually answer, the chunk of ice still utterly stuck between her teeth, but she very much wanted to stop his approach if at all possible. An attempt at a dismissive grunt proved a bad plan, the sound managing its way out her throat sounding more desperate than assuring; Oh for..! The russet lass ducked her head, oversized ears flattening back against her skull while she backed slowly, like a mouse desperately searching for a hole to hide in. Her tail was curled up along her belly, cheeks hot with humiliation. Not only was someone gonna see her in this condition, but it was gonna be a stranger; WHY?! Admitting defeat, she struck down her gaze, waiting for him to come and see for herself. And then, to her utter shame, a tiny, distraught whine slipped out her blocked mouth. Kill me. Word count: 315 ”Speech” Thoughts

Fall-of-rain @ DA

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

Whatever type of response Eirian may have expected in his mind upon entering the scene he was surely not going to be receiving it from the young girl. Slowly the distance between them melted and with each new expanse of space tucked beneath his snow dusted paws the scenario became more clear, much to Nalda's dismay. For a moment a look of confusion etched itself onto the features of his tawny hued mask, brows knitting together in a similar state noticing not only the large chunk of ice jutting out from between the hunkered girls jaws, but russet audits also caught the distraught whine that managed to escape past the blockage.

Unbeknownst to the Timber male that Nalda silently wished for his presence to dissipate back into the fog, he advanced closer until a mere wolf length separated the two. It was here that Eirian finally halted and narrowed citrus optics while lowering a russet skull to examine the lodged chunk of ice better. "Hmm.." He mumbled more so to himself, unaware of just how uncomfortable the child was becoming from more than just the frozen bit of water. The oblivious male chalked up the curled tail against one's stomach and flattened ears to the conundrum she found herself in, not to his own doings. Having ice stuck to your tongue surely couldn't be an enjoyable experience.

Lifting his left forelimb, a creamy paw experimentally tapped ever so gently against one point of the obstruction that jutted out the side of her parted jaws to determine how stuck the thing was and boy did it feel stuck. "Um.." The older male fumbled, unsure how to go about this knowing already he had no idea how he was going to remove the damn thing. He obviously couldn't just yank it off her tongue so that plan was tossed into the gutter. Oh, how the poor child was in dire need of a better savior.

Nalda Zamora It was no use, he was coming straight for her and she had nowhere to run. Besides, although it was deeply painful for her to admit, she needed help. Eirian walked straight up to her, nose almost brushing hers as he inspected her predicament closely. A choked squawk was all that passed Nalda's freezing lips, eyes turned firmly down in mortification. The adult took his time, apparently no more accustomed to such a situation than the unfortunate pup; Probably no one else has ever been THIS stupid! Another sound was elicited when Eirian applied pressure to the protruding part of the ice chunk; while his touch was almost feather light, Nalda felt it tug at her tongue, and did her best to inform the grown up of her discomfort. It seemed to work, as the tawny male ceased his prodding, but now he was just watching her, nothing but a sound of thought lifting from his maw. Despite her embarrassment, the russet tipped girl found herself lifting her eyes, practically glaring at the adult who seemed all too content simply looking on; DO something! She wanted to snap at him, but her jaws were locked, tongue and lips numb from the frost. She was effectively unable to form words. She did manage another whine though, more demanding this time, teeth clicking against the ice. The lump had started shrinking, melt-water running out the sides of her mouth and down her chin. But it was going incredibly slowly and the dramatic pup feared she might die from starvation before she was able to eat again. With a grumble, she turned down her head; No use these adults! But if Eirian didn't know what to do, would anyone? No, she would have to find something out herself. She looked around, trying to get an idea from the surroundings. But all she saw was ice and snow, more cold; I don't need cold I need..! 'warmth' She attempted to yelp, though the actual sound that left her mouth was more along the lines of: "Uarf!" She spun around, staring expectantly at the bulky male. Surely now that she had found the answer for him, he would be able to help her. She didn't really put much thought to how, that was his job, he was the grown up! Word count: 385 ”Speech” Thoughts

Fall-of-rain @ DA

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

A sheepish grin and short lived chuckle passed over his lips catching the glare the young girl offered the older male, a resolution to this problem still nowhere in sight. The whine she followed up with doing little to ease the growing lack of confidence Eirian had in solving the issue, but the brute had to think no matter how hard it would eventually end up hurting his head in the process. Now what did he know about ice? For starters he knew it was cold, annoying and stuck to ones fur if they weren't careful enough when crossing any source of water. Ice also melted in - "Uarf!" Nalda interrupted his thoughts, warranting a confused furrowing of his tawny brows. What had she said?

The large male watched as the rust highlighted girl spun herself around, elated as if she had some how solved the mystery. A tilt of Eirian's head portrayed the confusion still etched upon his crown, citrus irises finally noticing the chunk of ice lodged between her jaws had somehow managed to shrink if only a tiny bit. Then it finally hit him square between the eyes. Warmth! That was what she needed and a brief look of triumph replaced the confusion having deciphered the girls muffled words, but then again confusion set back in. How was he suppose to offer her warmth in the dead of winter?! Obviously he wasn't about to be as foolish as the Zamora child and lick the icy thing just so his tongue could get stuck too, but then how?

Creamy furred lips pursed in thought as silence dragged on between them, the charcoal dusting of his tail flickering in and out of his peripheral vision. An idea struck! What if he used his tail to try and warm the ice so it would melt faster. Could it work, though? Eirian had not a clue, but it was worth a shot and was definitely a better idea than licking the ice chunk himself. "Let's see.." He murmured curiously while positioning himself just the right way to drape his plush appendage over the girl's snout and protruding icicle. This better work and she better not get snot on my tail. He thought to himself.

Nalda Zamora Why wasn't he reacting? She'd given him the answer, clear as day, yet it seemed to be unfathomably slow to sink in. Finally it seemed to dawn on him, his face lighting up in what appeared to be understanding. Nalda could have rolled her eyes, though she refrained, figuring it was best not to antagonize her only source of rescue. So she remained frozen in place, while Eirian seemed to drift back into confusion. Bat-like ears flicked, she could almost hear his mind creaking as he thought, a scowl settling on her russet face. Meanwhile, water continued to drip steadily down her chin, an involuntary shiver running through her; The ice might be melting, but she was starting to freeze. Her faith in the adult was all but gone, and she was starting to wonder if she should leave, seeking someone else's help. Though the thought of revealing her plight to anymore wolves was less than appealing. Then he suddenly spoke and she looked back up, tilting her head at his pointless statement. But instead of explaining, he was turning away – Is he giving up?! – then suddenly her face was covered in fur. If she'd been able to, she had a few choice words she would have liked to shout at him, now instead she could only blink at the coarse, dark hairs, pulling back to free her face from the tail assault. The pounding in her head had intensified, and she found it harder to think straight, so she was half out of the odd embrace before she realized what he was trying to do. Already she could feel warmth starting to build around her snout. Oh… She thought meekly, eyeing the agouti man through the flurry of black hairs. They tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze, though she doubted it was possible. So she tried taking long, deep breaths instead, exhaling slowly, to help warm up the fur and accelerate the thawing process. It didn't take long for her to feel the effect, the slow trickle of water growing into a steady stream. Still it was no speedy task, breaking down the sizable chunk of ice, but at least it was happening, much faster than it would have, had she been on her own. Her golden eyes trained on Eirian as they both waited, curios mind starting to churn eagerly. She knew so very little about him, though that was true for all the males in the pack, present or past. Part of her wanted to learn, perhaps study him like she had the woman, and non-wolf beasts who shared the lands with them. Another voice whispered in her mind that there was no point, soon enough he would be gone as the others, disappeared without word, like all men did. The pup sighed, feeling her jaws starting to give as space opened up between them and the ice. She shuddered as her teeth scraped against the cold, hard surface, turning down her eyes to stare into the dark mass of hair surrounding her snout; His tail is getting wet… Word count: 514 ”Speech” Thoughts

Fall-of-rain @ DA

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

At first there was space in abundance for doubt that his tail would be capable of getting the job done, but just when he was about to give up on his idea and began to peel his appendage away a sudden seeping of coldness and moisture into the charcoal fur of his banner proved his idea was right on the mark. Had the young male been raised differently he may have allowed his relief to be made known by a released sigh deflating his lungs, but an Asurn was not the type of wolf to put emotions on display for the world to see. It was deemed a weakness. So silently Eirian stood there, stoic features and bright citrus gaze void of any emotion upon the situation.

Gradually Eirian could feel the chunk of ice lessen beneath his banner, the increasing presence of moisture weighing down the usually light fur proof enough without considering the stream of liquid traversing down Nalda's open pipes. A russet ear pivoted upon hearing the girl sigh and feeling her jaws shift mildly beneath his tail, unsure if it was meant to portray her own bordem having to wait like this, relief this unusual answer to her problem was working, or in regards to something else entirely. He paid it no mind, though, as the chill greeting his banner finally become too much. With a swift motion he lifted the bundle of fur and gave it a few harsh lashes away from the child, not wanting to accidentally whack the poor girl in his attempts at ridding some of the accumulated moisture. Eventually once satisfied his tail was dry enough, he let it fall back upon the top of her snout. This was going to be a long process.

(This post was last modified: Mar 18, 2016, 06:36 PM by Eirian.)

Nalda Zamora It was awkward to say the least, her nose buried in his tail fur, eyes staring at his back through the scruffy, dark hairs. He didn't even look back, proudly held head turned pointedly forwards, only the movements of his ears showing that he had any attention on her at all. She was quite happy about this, not knowing what she would have done if he'd been staring at her the whole time, not able to speak or in any way communicate while the ice was lodged between her jaws. Now instead she just stood there, ignoring the ache in her joints, breathing slowly, in, out, in, out. The water continued to drip from her chin, wetting Eirian's tail and making it grow heavy against her muzzle. Then suddenly it lifted, a tiny gasp escaping her as the warmth disappeared from her nose. What was he doing? The chunk of ice had shrunk considerably, but it was still far from gone; What's the deal?! She would have snapped at him, had she been able, now she just glared at the back of his head. At first she wondered if he had gotten bored, decided it wasn't worth his time helping her out. Then he began shaking his tail rapidly, droplets of water raining all around it, a number landing on the russet pups face. She closed her eyes, snorting lowly, but otherwise didn't complain, she realized the necessity. Once Eirian deemed his pelt sufficiently dry, he placed the tail-tip back on Nalda's nose, and she continued to blow warm breath into it, creating a tiny pocket of warmth around the ice block. And it was back to waiting, moment after moment passing as water slowly ran out the sides of her mouth. The clump was still big enough to keep her from clamping her mouth shut, so she figured it would be a while yet until she was rid of it. Oh well, patience was a virtue she had in abundance. Another few moments passed, silently apart from breaths and heartbeats, and the slow drip of the melt-water. Then the sensation in her mouth changed, prompting a surprised, gurgling exclamation  from the girl as she pulled backwards, free of her aid's tail. With a retch, she bowed her head, dropping the remainder of the ice onto the snow, spitting violently. Finally the heat had succeeded in dislodging the frost from her poor tongue, enough of it melted to make her able to spit it out of her cramped jaws. Once she was free of all the ice and water she shook her head intensely, a shutter running all through her body. When her gaze finally lifted to the agouti male, she was opening and closing her mouth continuously, face wrinkled in discomfort. Most of all she wanted to run off, turn there and then and scurry to a hiding spot where she could wallow in her shame. But her ma' had raised her to be respectful, and she owed Eirian thanks for his help. When she tried to speak though, only a creak came out and she had to pause to cough. Once the fit was over, she finally managed, in a rusty voice: "Tha-anks." Word count: 535 ”Speech” Thoughts

Fall-of-rain @ DA

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

Returned to a state of waiting the russet and charcoal coated man focused his attention on the looming horizon to keep his mind busy while they duo waiting knowing well enough that conversation would be utterly pointless considering it would be a one sided one. A few offered grunts and groans from the dark coated girl didn't make for a nice, pleasant chat now did it? So as patiently as one could possibly be in a situation such as this he waited, gradually feeling the weight upon his tail grow the more liquid melted from the chunk of ice lodged between poor Nalda's jaws.

Apparently he wouldn't have to wait as long as he guesstimated when he felt movement beneath the plush of his tail, neck craning back to catch Nalda slipping from beneath his tail to lower her head with a retch. 'Oh great, now she's puking and is gonna choke on her own vomit!' He thought unaware of what was exactly happening with his tail blocking his view. One half turn later and it dawned on him just what exactly was happening. No longer was a chunk of ice wedged between her jaws, the girl now maneuvering said body part continuously as his gaze picked up on the sizeable chunk plopped squarely between her paws now. Well at least that was over with.

A rounded russet ear rotated forward when the young girl dared to speak, his ears met with the sound of a coughing fit instead. Raising a brow he waited for the fit to cease before finally hearing a token of gratitude from her, creamy skull nodding in silent acknowledgement. "You're welcome, just don't go licking any more ice." Eirian retorted in a half sarcastic tone, a grin actually managing to tug at the corners of his leathery lips. "Now run along and do whatever it is you pups do and stay out of trouble." A nudge of the top of his snout to her shoulder urging her to continue on with he day before his creamy limbs began to saunter off. It wasn't exactly the smoothest exits, but Eirian felt the encounter had reached enough of an awkwardness on its own and there was no use adding fuel to the fire. If only they had a fire to begin with.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2016, 09:32 PM by Eirian.)