Iridescent Lagoon they're the ones that stay the same

For @Tomen only.
Backdated to July 10th, if you dont mind? Unusually chilly, sunset.
Sub-territory discovery! Devil's Whisper is a natural, land based blowhole found within a hidden inlet at the northern tip of the Iridescent Lagoon. It is sourced from a closed, underground system that was long ago separated from the renowned Caverns. The dark, long tunnel is a foot wide in diameter, and from it, when the differences in pressure becomes too much between the connected cave and the outside air, a gust of wind escapes at speeds of up to 30 mph. This rush of air also pushes out minerals and debris that have gathered within the tunnel, coloring the gust a shimmering silver as it escapes over the water and into the curtained limbs of the willow trees that hide this firth out of view from the rest of the Lagoon.

The sun was falling low within the sky, alight like an emergency flare as if asking to be saved from being swallowed by the horizon. It flooded the sky with deep magentas and purples and golds, the colors smearing and streaking over everything they could reach through the canopy. The water carried its taint, as did his own coat as he sauntered along the shore, disturbing his normally pallid existence. He'd always thought a little color would make him look a bit more substantial, but the hues dancing through the pale silver of his fur only made the yearling appear even more ethereal than normal.

Also like a ghost, he moved without a sound as he navigated the painted terrain. His pawsteps were mindfully placed, disturbing nothing as they brought him to his goal. With a brief glance around him to ensure his solitude, Sven stepped forward and disappeated amongst the low hanging willow branches that shrouded his destination.

It was still there, something that should have been obvious but mildly surprised him all the same. Discovering the bottomless hole had nearly frightened the boy out of his skin, at a young and highly impressionable age. Then, he had only been able to rationalize it on the basis of religious stories told to him by his mother. That led to nightmarish, fantastical musings that, as a matured teenager he knew were not true. It made the memory seem dreamlike, yet here it was just as he recalled.

Gathering his long legs under him, the boy settled his haunches onto the ground. His pale eyes locked with the black, gaping hole expectantly. Would it shout again at him, turning the air silver? If it was a regular occurrence, he would very much like to bring @Attica to show to her. Sven wanted that she be afraid of nothing in this world.

To be a runner - in role, because he already was a runner, it was kinda weird to think about - he would first have to become a scout. To be a scout, of course, he would first have to join the adult ranks properly, not just as a yearling, but he had no control over that - that would happen in time. Besides, waiting for his second birthday would give him all the opportunity he needed to train to be a scout so that he could earn the role immediately, and runner not long afterwards!

It was silly, but the thought of being the pack's official runner was privately exhilarating. I'll send Tomen Attaya-Lyall, Grizzly Hollow's titled runner, to get that message off right away. And then it would be his duty to move fast, not just his own personal pleasure, and he could spend the rest of his life doing what he was best at.

And Nineva would probably be the same - doing what she wanted, what she was good at. Hearing the word leader fall out of her mouth had changed his reality in ways that he didn't yet fully understand. Perhaps that was partly why he was out here now, lurking around the edges of the lagoon, practising his sprinting and information-gathering to prove to Veho that he was a perfect fit for the role, which also conveniently gave him a good excuse not to think about the fact that one day Nineva was going to leave him behind to fulfil her own dream. Nineva Hervok, leader of... well, it would be Whisper Caverns, probably. And he'd just be some scout of the Hollow, nothing special. And that's where they would fit in life, because that's what made sense.

Who was he kidding with this runner stuff? This sucked.

Trotting over the debris of the forest floor, debating whether or not it was time to go back (despite having discovered nothing, he was crap at this), he paused and looked out at the lagoon. Gazing out at its clear, calm surface, he pondered the situation of the sea wolves, knowing how badly they all wanted to home - perhaps with the exception of @Pip, who seemed genuinely happy here - and knowing that Nauja had already left them. They weren't made for this place, of earth and trees and grass. They were made for sand and shells and salt. He was surprised that they had stayed for so long - but selfishly happy that they had, because he enjoyed their company, and their presence made Grizzly Hollow feel more alive.

A soft whoosh caught his ears, and though deep in thought about the Mizunos, he turned his head to look towards where the sound had come from, only to see a strange shimmer in the air just beyond those willow trees. The silvery burst melted into the air and was gone, and he stared at it, uncomprehending. "What...?" he whispered, and then pushed his feet towards it, drawn in by a surging curiosity. Only moments later he was looking at the white back of some strange boy, perched in front of a small dark hole, but it meant nothing to him and he drew no connections. "Hey," he called, stopping short a very comfortable distance from the stranger, not wanting to cause alarm, "did you - uh, did you see that too?"

The wait had been uncomfortable, so alone in the quiet of this peaceful place with nothing but his own thoughts. He didn't much like it there, inside his head that is, and it took some extravagant mental dancing to keep the bad at bay. Mostly, he thought further of @Attica, and all the things he wanted to show and teach her, and @Sahalie and the progress he was certain she was making pursuing her goal, for they were the only purely good things in his life that were not attached to the darkness. When finally the pressure built and the air gave, the sudden blast of air and release of that ethereal, shimmering dust startled him before causing a grin to overtake his pale features. The gaposis between this experience and the first were lost upon him as he could only think how wonderful it was that he would indeed be able to show this curiosity to his sister.

The minerals settled around him and into his fur, and he would probably be glittering for some time to come until his next bath. His tail thumped happily against the ground, and just as he was about to hoist himself back onto his long legs, a voice behind him gave his body another, much less pleasant jolt. Immediately recognizing the words as belonging to a stranger, Sven spun around, body low and chin tucked in preparation for the worst. His silver eyes were narrowed as they locked upon the Hollow heir, and several things fell into place at once within his mind. This other boy smelled of Rook's tribe, was about Sven's own age, and had that faint but distinct mask upon his face that all of those undesirable Lyall's possessed. Was it at all possible... ?

A question had been asked of him, but the Archer's silent and disdainful stare made it clear he had no intentions of giving answers. Indeed, it took some thought before he could bring himself to say anything at all, unsure of where would be the surest footing in this conversation he'd wanted to have with any of the Hollow wolves for so long.

"You're from the Cedarwoods," he stated, "you know Rook Lyall, then."

Hostility was not something common in Grizzly Hollow, so for a boy who was very used to easy (if sometimes a little melancholy) smiles and friendly ears, the distinctly aggressive way that the stranger flipped about immediately put Tomen on edge. It was like he'd come and insulted the guy's mother or something! Ears flicking back in discomfort, not really sure how to interpret the cold reception, he took an uncertain step back, wanting to reinforce that his approach really had been innocent. Maybe he should have just walked on by.

The pale fur and sooty nose of the stranger in front of him meant nothing, stirred no familiarity at all, so when his age-mate seemed to know who he was and where he was from, it was magnitudes more startling than the unexpected initial reaction. "Uhhhhh," he said, ever eloquent when made speechless, the bewilderment clear on his face. The wind blew in the stranger's favour (was he a stranger?!), but Tomen made sure to poke his nose forward a little and try to catch a whiff of the guy - and there was something to recognise, at least. That pack in the willows. But Tomen had never bothered them, mostly because it had been made very clear to him to leave them alone. He suddenly felt very self-conscious and a little afraid. How did this white wolf know so much about him and why did it seem so important?

Wait, no - he didn't know exactly who Tomen was, otherwise he'd have probably identified the Hollow wolf as Rook's son, not just an acquaintance. The warm, sweet manner of the pale wolf didn't exactly encourage Tomen to admit the close relation. Something just made that seem like a bad idea. "Uh... yeah. I know him." It wasn't a lie! Why did he feel so dishonest? "You're from the Ridge, right? Do you - how do you know him?"

The other boy answered affirmatively, and Sven felt his lips draw back in a silent snarl as his tail slowly began to curl upward. None of it was necessarily intentional, but the physical reaction to this confrontation was difficult to quell. What he wanted to do was snap in the guy's face, to back him into a corner and demand answers. If that didn't result in an outright fight, however, it would probably just run the kid off, and as much as Sven just wanted to vent this pent up aggression on the Hollow wolves that he had been bottling up for over a year now, getting actual information was far too important.

So he attempted to control himself. While he couldn't quite get his hackles to flatten and his tail refused to lower past his spine, he at least was able to cover his fangs and hold nothing more severe than an intense glare upon his face.

He had to think carefully, too, about his words. That was difficult. As much as he had played the scenario over and over again within his head of finally confronting Rook, he had nothing prepared for a run in with a subordinate and anyways, all of that had been over the top and fanciful. Chances were, no one would react as he imagined they would. He'd learned that lesson plenty in life.

"He took my mom," he finally answered, more honest than may have been wise but what was the use in pretending he was some great conversational acrobat? That was out of his bailiwick, but if it came down to it, maybe straight up interrogation wouldn't be. For now, he might as well test the waters with the truth.

"Piety Santoro. Did you know her?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 11, 2016, 09:57 PM by Sven.)

As he feared, the admission of the grave offence of knowing Rook Lyall did not exactly make the pale stranger's manner any warmer. Tomen swallowed, slow and hard, but resisted the urge to take a step back. He had nothing to be ashamed of - that he knew about, anyway. Just what had his father done, or had been blamed of, to be worth this kind of reaction? Inside of Grizzly Hollow, Rook's reputation was, at worst, of a weak-willed and flaky leader. What about outside of the pack?

The answer that came back was so unexpected that Tomen's mind flatlined for a good couple of seconds before rebooting, and it was so ridiculous that he let one bark of laughter out before catching himself, because appearing to make a mockery of something this weirdo found very serious was probably a terrible idea.

I mean, he was talking about his mother being stolen, or something, which was hardly a joke, but Rook? A kidnapper? That was just... no.

"Yeah," he admitted, all the amusement having quickly fled from his face after his initial (and deeply regretted) reaction. "She's my... uh, Hocus' daughter, but she went missing ages ago and, I mean - maybe, uh, it was someone else, or I'm wrong, but... my - uhh, Rook wouldn't take anyone. He's not... he doesn't do that. Why would he do that?"

(This post was last modified: Oct 14, 2016, 03:28 PM by Tomen.)