Broken Timber Pines Comes The Morning

for @Arion and @Ember

- late afternoon, Light snow - 36 ° F/2 ° C

It was snowing again. Would it ever stop? A few days ago the ground had been almost clear, but then; More snow! This spring everyone was raving about seemed to just be one big joke, snow and ice prevailed while the sun was hidden behind iron clouds. Dark, golden eyes loosened from the steely sky dotted in flurries of white, the almost-yearling shaking her head to rid it of the white dusting that had gathered in the russet hairs. She was so done with snow. Her opinion didn't seem to matter though, it kept coming and there was nothing she could do about it. A heavy sigh fell from her lips as she shifted in her spot, lying curled up on a relatively dry spot near the den entrance. With the weather like this, she didn't exactly feel like moving anywhere, and there was nothing she wanted to do anyway. Her mother was off somewhere she didn't know, so seemed to be the case with Arion, and both @Iopah and @Eirian were hopelessly busy with their pack stuff. How was a girl to get any entertainment?

As it was she was growing moody, grumbling about the unfairness of it all. The older she got, the more the adults expected of her, she could no longer get by lazing and daydreaming all the time, everyone was asking her to do things. It was such a drag! Gotta hunt, gotta patrol the borders, what was the point? More and more, this pack thing was getting on her nerves, expectations, others… But what was the alternative? What could she do other than stay and struggle it out? Nothing. So she continued to brood, turning over in her spot of stamped earth, glaring out at the white world. She felt stuck, and unlike all previous times in her life, she couldn't think of a way to fix it.

Word count: 314

"Speech" Thoughts

i don't know whats going on in embers life rn at all

She had been intent on actually spending the day in action, enjoying the sun and stretching her legs. After sleeping away half the day first, of course. One step at a time, after all; it was still difficult to get herself to rise when she didn't have @Bracken nudging her awake, tail wagging and eyes bright with excitement for whatever adventure the day held. Ember had always thought her sister relied on her; she would never have imagined that she leaned so heavily on Bracken as well.No matter how much of it was her fault, however, she knew that she could not keep fading away. She was still needed, even if just by her mother, and that was enough. Yet when only a short few hours passed and the sky opened up yet again to let down more fat flakes of snow, her mind darkened once more and good enough whispered between her ears of the progress, if it could be called that, she had made today.

Slinking, she made her way back to the communal den, ears down and eyes hardly taking in what they saw of the ground before her striding paws. Nalda's scent filtered through the air, and that was nearly enough to give her cause to turn around and find some other shelter. @Arion hadn't seemed to resent her like she'd thought he might, but the russet girl absolutely failed to maintain Ember's trust and so had been avoided since the cream girl's return. Was she still her friend, her pack mate, someone that she would go out of her way to help and would step before harm to protect? Of course. But trust? Absolutely not, and Ember did not want to risk finding out that Nalda might return none of those sentiments, did not want to hear her judgment or suffer her anger.

Yet she also had not the spirit to turn back around, and anyways, if she didn't bother Nalda, the other youth wouldn't have a reason to bring it all up, would she? Quiet as a mouse, Ember prayed that this was true as she crawled into the den and found herself a corner to curl up in.

sorry for late reply @Nalda & @Ember <3 
is it okay if we set this before Arion finds Zia? can only handle so much super sad Arion :c

While his mother had returned to the pines the two had remained rather distant — mainly because Arion was avoiding her. He would deny it if he was asked, but the smudge was a little upset with his mother. Zia had disappeared briefly with what Arion felt was a lacklustre excuse, but he dared not voice his thoughts. She was still his mother after all, and no matter how upset or angry he was with her, the feelings did not linger. The silver fae would be there for him always; he could never allow his anger to fester longer than it needed to.

However, with her recent absence, the boy was feeling uncharacteristically blue. Her disappearance brought back old feelings of abandonment as he attempted to revisit memories of his father. But the memories never came. There were so few of them that his father remained nothing but a shadow. Arion had accepted this long ago — he often pretended he had no father, or he had died. It was much easier than believing that his father had chosen to abandon both him and his mother.

The snow had started once more, causing a grimace to frame his slender maw. Arion had not yet decided where to adventure to today; the smudge had slept in later than he had anticipated, and he blamed it on the cold(er) weather. Instead of leaving the pines behind, the boy slunk around the edge of the dens, unsure of where his paws were going to take him. Just as he was about to take off, movement caught his attention. His frown only deepened as he studied the russet girl, her restless behaviour mimicking the way he felt inside. He approached her, cautiously, before settling down beside her, his teal gaze focused on the falling snowflakes before them. The smudge did not speak — for once, he embraced the silence around them. 

Absolutely: Before Zia's death and Koda's return (and Nova's disappearance) all moms-no dads. @Ember's up - I think they're all a bit lost atm <3

Her eyes were half closed, muzzle resting across outstretched paws, scruffy, russet tail tip covering her snout. She was absently tracing the snowflakes with her gaze, hoping to lull herself to sleep, when she noticed another clump of white moving diagonally to the snowfall. Golden eyes blinked fully open to watch Ember cross the clearing, her head down against the weather. Nalda moved slightly, pulling into a tighter coil to make room for the other pup to pass on her way into the den. It was understandable enough that the girl would wanna find shelter, in fact it was a wonder to the Zamora that anyone had chosen to go out at all, though she had always struggled to understand the motivation of the wonder-twins. Now Ember seemed to have realized her mistake though, and Nalda would gladly let her back into the warmth and dry – ever since Bracken disappeared her sister had become much more quiet, which wasn't entirely unwelcome. The thought almost made her feel bad, almost. Still, as her eyes kept following the tawny lass until she slit into the darkness, the Zamora felt a stab of pity for her, for so long she had been the only one with a father, and now she had neither him, nor her sister.

Nalda sighed, shifting again once the paler girl was safely inside the den, her gaze once more travelling out over the snow. It had become a stable of her life, fathers going missing, her world was now 0 for 3, and she would have considered it normal if it hadn't been for the remaining mothers, desperately searching for their lost partners. Nalda herself had given up her search long ago, Camio was no longer more than a distant memory, and one she resentfully pushed from her mind whenever it came up. Her thoughts were interrupted by more movement, this time from the opposite end of the clearing. Unlike Ember, Arion was easy enough to spot, a blurry shadow against the white backdrop. Again the young female watched silently, though one ear perked amiably at this approach. Like the Reinir, her dark friend seemed rather glum today, though in his case Nalda found it harder to guess the reason, it seemed unlikely that the weather alone would put him down. Yet his eyes seemed dull, ears and tail low as he slumped through the snow.

The dark mood became fully apparent as he kept silent, even once he'd settled beside her, not fully sheltered from the flurries. Nalda looked up at him, a furrow forming on her russet brow. She was not good at cheering, he was usually the positive one, but never the less she felt a need to try something. Glancing briefly over her shoulder, into the darkness of the den where Ember was cowering – and possibly listening – the grey girl thought a moment before offering her best attempt: "'tis quite th' bustle here all of'a sudden." She made a point of turning her eyes away from the den and back to the boy by her side, such signaling the presence within, then she moved her attention back to the snow, voice flat as she mused: "Guess 'm'not th'only one who's tired of snow." That was all she had, if he didn't want to talk he could stay silent and she would take the hint, as always perfectly fine in quiet company. Or he could take her words as the encouragement they were, answering as much or as little of the implied question as he liked; I never really enjoyed the phrase 'what's wrong'…

Word count: 599

"Speech" Thoughts

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

-squeezes btp puppies- @Arion

Ember pressed her spine along the warm earth of the den's curved wall and pulled her limbs inward to rest against her stomach as she laid upon her side. Her cheek rest upon the ground, one ear hearing nothing but vibrations while the other remained only mildly alert atop her head. She was not tired, making sleep a difficult option to pursue, but still her body uncharacteristically reveled in the chance to relax.

When Arion joined them, she did not move. He sat by Nalda, perhaps didn't even notice Ember's presence, and she had mixed feelings about that but ultimately felt that it didn't matter and so thought little on it. Silence continued to dominate the den, and her depression made her alright with that in a way that she'd never been able to be previously, even when trying her hardest in the middle of the night while everyone else was trying to sleep.

Then, surprisingly, it was Nalda that broke the lull with her voice. Ember's single available ear lifted to take in the words, but she found they didn't mean much and her interest waned swiftly. Tired of snow. Maybe that was the stupid reason the adults kept taking off. She was beginning to doubt that the ones they did have were any better.

His toes wriggled in the cold substance, a deep frown cutting into his charcoal snout. Just like Nalda, he was tired of the snow. Tired of the cold that accompanied it. Tired of how it seemed to chase away the adults. Tired of how it limited his adventures outside of Broken Timber Pines. It made him feel claustrophobic and trapped; he longed to stretch his legs and explore that lands of Relic Lore that still remained a mystery to him. Now that they were old enough to test their boundaries he hoped that Ember and Nalda would accompany him — along with Bracken, they were the only wolves he enjoyed spending most of his time with. The thought of exploring Lore with his den mates caused a soft smile to appear, but it did not change his subdued demeanour. He was still sick of he snow, regardless of what adventures might come out of its disappearance.

Nalda was first to break the silence, which was out of character for usually sullen girl. He gave a soft grunt of agreement, his bright gaze fixated on his fiery-eyed friend. “Spring is taking too long,” he mumbled in annoyance, his tail twitching behind him. The trio’s behaviour was quite unusual. Weeks ago they had been engaging in snow fights and burying each other in the substance. Now they were sitting here moping about it. Or perhaps they were moping about other things and didn’t know how to talk about what was actually bothering them.

Arion wasn’t good at talking about his feelings; in fact, he avoided them at all costs. He especially did not want to discuss them in front of girls. He was supposed to be the ‘strong’ one; the one who took care of the girls not the other way around. Ember remained tucked away, keeping her voice to herself as she listened to the pair engage in small talk. They were all in a predicament; they all had wolves that seemed to wander in and out of their lives, which only added to their depressed manner. “Everything alright?” He asked suddenly as he studied her out of the corner of his eye. The question was directed at both the dark girl and his pale friend who was apprehensive about joining them.

Ah spring, that most elusive of promises. Supposedly it came after this cold, dark, colorless season, every time the adults said. Personally, the pup remembered little of the thing, she'd still been an infant when it turned to summer. Though that she did remember, and longed for oh so terribly. It had been winter before, they claimed, happened every year; And this too shall end… Nalda mentally gagged, adults would say so much crap, make so many promises. She didn't trust any bit of it, didn't trust anyone of them. She almost laughed at the sudden directness from the boy by her side, almost. But what actually left her mouth was just a dry, breathy: "Ha!" Devoid of any humor. Because it really wasn't a funny question, not the intent behind it, nor the answer.

"No?" She said it breathily, shaking her head lightly, the questioning tone not a mockery, but simply reflecting her own uncertainty. Golden eyes turned to the dark lad, expression unusually soft as she asked: "Are you?" It wasn't just that it was the right thing to ask, she really was concerned for him, and rather sure he wasn't. Hell none of them where, how could they be? This whole thing was a farce! Adults disappearing left and right, and the remaining one's thought the best course of action was to be away most of the time too, leaving the pups to handle things on their own. Nalda frowned at the ground, kicking up a puff of snow with one, creamy front paw; This is so stupid!

Sighing, the surly girl lifted her head and glanced over her shoulder into the depths of the den, eyes half closed. "Is she?" She murmured, a small grain of sympathy in her voice. At least she hadn't been that old when it was her… Looking back at Arion, the dark lass shrugged, a defeatist look on her face. Right now the whole world seemed pretty rotten.

Word count: 327

"Speech" Thoughts

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

@Arion
wow i'm sorry ember is not having a good day. this is her exit.

Small talk. Ember didn't like it, didn't want to listen to it, and so she attempted to block out their voices. Curling up tighter, she hoped to muffle the sounds of her pseudo-siblings speaking but the acoustics of the den would not allow the girl such a triumph. Then something that seemed simple but was deeply felt escaped Arion's mouth, and she couldn't help her attention snapping back to the duo. Nalda's answer was dry and honest, and it did not surprise Ember that she would return the question. None of them could expect the dark boy's response to be any different. @Eirian seemed to be the only soul within Broken Timber Pines that was 'alright' thanks to the lack of family he had to abandon him.

No, what caught Ember off guard was the softest words Nalda had spoken yet, barely reaching her grasp. Is she alright? There was even emotion in it, and suddenly the waning flame felt sick somewhere just above her stomach. Burrowing into herself as much as she possibly could, a few more moments were wasted trying to will herself into another world before finally she gave up. The frigid cold was better than this and what she was feeling. With an achingly empty chest she hoisted herself back up onto her paws and made her way out of the den, silent as a ghost as she swept past the two friends.

She didn't know what it was that was chasing her away, and didn't even want to think on it. She just wanted to be numb.

(This post was last modified: Jul 29, 2016, 11:47 PM by Ember.)

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

<3 @Nalda wrap this up in next couple of posts?

“No,” he responded softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he tore his teal gaze away from his golden-eyed companion. Things were not alright and he did not know why. Was this what growing up was all about, being grumpy and upset for no reason? If it was, Arion wanted no part of it. He was growing tired of being sad and feeling frustrated all the time, and he was sure his friends felt the same. Life had not been so easy for the trio as of late — he hoped that things would improve for them soon. Arion could handle being sad on his own, but seeing his friends in the same situation did not sit well with the smudge. He wanted to help them but he didn’t know where to start.

’Is she?’ The words were directed at their pale companion, who remained in the depths of their den. He swallowed, hard, as he shrugged lamely in response. He did not know if Ember was alright; like Arion and Nalda, she was not the type to open up about her feelings. Arion wanted to ask, as he wanted to be there for his friend, but he did not know how to approach the situation. Words were to his strong suit and R worried that he would say something that could upset her.

A stirring in the den tore his attention away from the sparrow at his side. His sea-green gaze followed the pale figure of Ember as she swept past them. Clearly the girl wanted to be alone and did not want any part of their conversation. “I don’t think so,” he mumbled, finally, in response to Nalda’s question.