The Wildwood Fire & Ice

Ayla trotted along at a steady pace relieved to rid herself of the dark prince that had belittled her so much. Irritation was still nagging at the back of her mind as the words repeated over and over in her mind "No, not this one. I changed my mind."A snort erupted from her maw in disgust. 'Someone should teach that guy a lesson. Take him down a few pegs at the very least!' she thought hatefully. She could live the rest of her life without seeing that ignorant man. Ayla stopped and sighed heavily as she tried to calm her raging mind. With a sudden shake of her ivory pelt she sat down and inhaled deeply, letting the cold air cool her angry mind. Closing her emerald flecked orbs slowly she began to feel her tense form relax finally. She tilted her cranium back so her ebony muzzle was pointed towards the grey sky and she smiled as tiny shimmering snowflakes fell around her. She watched a small flake land momentarily on her warm midnight nose before it melted into liquid. The flakes began to cling to her already silvery white pelt but she did not shake them off, just watched the tranquil scene around her. The only thing that would make the woman happier would be some companionship, or better yet, a family. Ayla lowered her head and looked around her and spied a pair of ruby cardinals fluttering around in the branches above. They seemed to be dancing in the slowly falling snow. Ayla let a beaming smile play across her inky lips as her grey orbs watched the cardinals perform their number before her.

(This post was last modified: Feb 18, 2016, 08:52 PM by Ayla StarRiver.)

OOC Comments: Hope you dont mind me throwing Tyne in! :)
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Cold air filled his nostrils with a fiery burning and filled his fur. Snowflakes were falling slowly but the yearling was moving too fast to notice. It had been a while since the agouti male had simply run. Running and hunting had been his two go to stress relievers; allowing him to focus on the ground beneath his large paws and on the burn of his muscles. The ground currently beneath his paws was unlike anything he’s experienced before. It was hard and didn’t give under his pads like the sand and soft soil of his home did. He felt as if he was actually moving faster than he had before.
 
Tyne ran with no regards to where he was going, simply dodging boulders and trees as they come. Deciding to spice things up and test his banking skills the large male takes a sharp right turn. His rear end swings out causing him to almost lose his balance and fall. He is able to regain his footing quickly however when he looks up again he sees a silver wolf in his path. His eyes widening in panic the tawny male tries desperately to stop. He hits a patch of ice and completely topples over crashing into a bank of snow - Oooph - Luckily he misses the other wolf but his pride will most definitely be bruised.
 
His head spun as he slowly unburied himself from the snow bank. The stranger was silvery in color with black dusting her ears, nose, tail, and muzzle. She had shining silver eyes that had speckles of emerald, unlike anything the yearling had ever seen. “Uhhh, sorry ‘bout that miss” he stammered clearly embarrassed. “I didn’t realize there was anyone around”. He looks at the frozen patch of ice that caused this whole incident furiously. Damn ice, why was there so much damn ice?!?
 
“Speech”    Thought

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OOC: Oh not at all! Everyone is welcome to join :)

Ayla's eyes widened with surprise as her tranquil moment was shattered by a sudden fury of snow. She stifled a yelp as a figure blew past her and landed a few feet from her. Ayla stumbled backwards and looked at the tawny yearling in confusion for a moment before a brilliant smile broke across her features. "Well that's one way to make an entrance." she giggled. "Its alright, its pretty slippery now that everything is starting to melt around here huh? Plus it doesn't help that I nearly blend in to the snow." Ayla walked slowly towards the male and nudged him gently in an effort to help him up.

Ayla stepped back and studied the man before her. His pelt was a mix of rusty reds, dark greys and milky creams and he was large, larger than she. Thought his lankiness and oversized paws told her he was still young and had growing to do. His golden eyes seemed friendly, if not nervous. Ayla allowed her ink dipped tail to sway friendlily behind her as it was help at a neutral height. Her dark ears were shoved forward with interest. This wolf was very different from the last wolves she had encountered, he seemed nice. She quickly shook the nasty image of Skoll's arrogant face from her mind and sat down. "I think it would be appropriate to share my name since you almost ran me over." she cooed playfully. "My name is Ayla StarRiver. I am not really from around here. Just kinda wondering, hoping to find something, err someone. Anything really since going home is not really an option." she chuckled.

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

OOC Comment: Yay! :D
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Her light-hearted response allowed the tawny male to relax. “Yea I guess it is” he says with a small chuckle. “You do blend in but luckily you’re not completely snow colored” he stated as she helped him up. “Thank you miss” he said giving her a smile. She was quite a bit smaller than he but looked as if she was about a year older. The agouti yearling gives his pelt a good shake to dislodge the snow that clung to it. A chunk of snow flew off his tail as he flicked it and hit a nearby tree. Drawing his attention back to the silvery woman and her comment about the melting snow, he scoffs “Yea this stupid snow is melting. I hate it”. His tail slowly swishes behind him as he sits, kicking a mound of snow with his large front paw.
 
Her playfulness drew him from his mini fit about the snow. “Nah I thought maybe I’d just come by, practically run you over, and be on my merry way” he joked giving her a playful grin. “It’s nice to meet you Ayla StarRiver, I’m Tyne Kersey! I'm not from around here either, if you couldn’t already tell” he smirked.
 
Ayla’s statement about not being able to go home brought back the very thing he was running to forget – home. The tawny male shifted where he sat; looking at the ground and with a shake of his head he looked back at her. “Why isn’t going home an option” he intrigued curiously, his audits erect to catch her answer. Maybe she had been ripped away from her home by some unknown source too. Realizing that he was probably being intrusive he quickly took back the question. “Uh sorry, you don’t have to answer that”.

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Ayla's grin faded at the question as pain flashed in her eyes. She sat back on her muscular haunches slowly and closed her eyes to collect herself before opening her maw to speak. "No, it is ok. I should be able to talk about it. I am sure this will not be the last time I am asked. I lost my family during a disaster. I was by the stream getting a drink when the ground began to shake violently all around me. I ran as fast as I could dodging splitting earth and falling trees. When I reached the den sight I saw them...but only for a moment. I saw my mother and father slip into one of the openings of the ground and become swallowed as they fell into the abyss. I will never forget the smell of that day. The gapping cracks smelt like rot and death and it permeated the air. The smell of overturned earth from falling trees uprooting and boulders smashing into the soft ground was prominent as well. I had to leave, I couldn't stay there with the memory of my family's terrified faces and screams haunting the disturbed land I once called home." Ayla finished with a shaky breath. Closing her eyes once more she breathed out heavily and put a smile once more. This smile was not as beaming as her last but it still held warmth.

The woman shook her head with a exasperated look, "Oh boy, judging by how my last few days have went and the wolves I have met, nothing would surprise me anymore. I am not one to 'hate' anywolf but this guy really was a piece of work. I can go the rest of my life without seeing Prince Skoll." she spat harshly. "I am sorry I shouldn't be ranting like this to you. You must think I am a nut." she said rather embarrassed of her outburst. She looked up at the male shyly feeling rather self-conscience of herself suddenly. Her dark ears lay flat against her head as her now as she nervously watched the younger mans reaction, hoping she didn't scare him off.

As she told her story, horror mixed with great sorrow filled his entire being. He could never imagine anything like it and could not help feeling a great amount of sympathy for the silver woman. “I – I am so sorry to hear that. I know there isn’t anything I could possibly say to possibly help, but I also lost my family…well part of it anyways”. His words left his ebony lips as he gave her an apologetic look. She was able to give him a smile after telling him her story, which made him admire her ability to do so. Match her warm smile he thanked her for sharing with him.
 
The tawny male tilted in curiosity when Ayla mentioned a prince named Skoll. He had never heard the name before but based off what his companion is stating he didn’t want to meet this ‘Skoll’. “Unfortunately some wolves have no regards for others” he said with a slow sad shake of his head. Her comment about the agouti male thinking she was a nut made him laugh. “Welllll – you were sittin’ out here all by yer lonesome self” he teased with a playful smirk and a gentle wag of his tail. Reading her nervous body language he tried to reassure her “Ya don’t need to be nervous around me, I'm not one that’s easily frightened” he cooed putting his nose beneath a little bit of snow and flicking it towards her. He hoped to lighten her mood because he was picking up that she was really on edge.

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Ayla's smile brightened at Tyne's words. Lifting her head back to its normal height she tilted it slightly to the right, "So what brought you around this place, if you don't mind me askin?" she said curiously. Her ebony ears were shoved forward attentively. Her emerald flecked silver eyes seemed to shimmer as the woman looked at the man. This was the first experience that she had had with a man that was not negative since being on her own. Her hunger for companionship was dwindling as she relaxed in the presence of Tyne.

While the hunger for companionship was shrinking, a growl from beneath her reminded her of another hunger. Her midnight nose began to twitch as a scent reached her searching nostrils. Involuntarily her mouth became saturated with saliva at the thought of food. Ayla swallowed continually trying to control the moisture that threatened to overflow thought her jaws. She stood waiting for the males response before offering to share a meal with him. With her stance alittle stiffer than normal from trying to control herself, she looked at the male intently. He really is sweet. I am glad he almost ran into me. Ayla thought before letting out a small giggle.

His tail wagged more when he saw that his new acquaintance mood had brightened. She relaxed and asked the question that the tawny male knew was comin’. “Ha I wish I knew!” he exclaimed with a shake of his head. “Some of my packmates and I mysteriously woke up here with no memory of how we got here. Last thing I remember was me on a hunt to replenish our caches when there was commotion on the beach with the adults all yelling to run. I turned to run and everything went black. I woke up with a splitting pain in my head.” He shuts his eyes and crinkles his coal nose at the memory of such pain.
 
Looking back at shining emerald flake eyes he heard the faint sound of her stomach growl. With a light laugh he asks “Ya hungry? I think I can smell a deer carcass not too far from here”. He motioned with his cream cradled muzzle to his left where he believed an easy meal was located. Smiling he stands up giving his long rust dusted legs a good stretch; they were stiff from colliding with the mound of snow. Funny how things happen he thought to himself as he realized that he was kinda glad for almost running into the silver female.
 
“Speech”    Thought

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Ayla lowered her head and looked up through her dark eyelashes at his words. Her face heated with embarrassment as she spoke quietly, "How could ya tell? I suppose I could eat a bite or two." she giggled. She stood up quickly and shook her pelt vigorously in an attempt to rid herself of the tiny flakes that had clung to her already white fur. She shook so hard she nearly slipped on the icy ground below her. Her forelegs slid to the left causing her to nearly fall into the man. Luckily she caught herself before she collided with him. Now her face was really bright red and visible under her ivory cheeks. "Oops. Sorry Tyne. I almost ran into YOU this time." she mused before leaping away gracefully.

Ayla bounded forward excitedly and because she did not want to see Tyne's face now that she had about fell into him from shaking to hard. Gosh I can be such a clutz she thought annoyed by her actions. She looked to make sure he was with her before speaking, "I am sorry to hear about your family. At least you are alive." she beamed at him. Boy was she glad he was alive at that moment. She really did not like being alone and he really was good company. Ayla's tail wagged furiously at the thought and she even let out a happy yip as the smell of venison became stronger. As she bounded over a small hill the fallen animal came into view. She stood practically prancing in place she was so excited to finally eat plus she had someone to share with. It was the happiest the woman had been since losing her family.