Swift River a soul ablaze

<blockquote>Laid quietly in his usual place inside the now-cavernous den, so empty so <i>empty</i>, Kinis watched the world change.

Alongside the quiet eagerness to witness snow, that which Ruiko had promised, Kinis was discovering that the changing seasons had other things to marvel at. It had been made entirely clear that the drying water was not meant to happen, but sometimes Kinis had to wonder if that was true; the world was changing around him so drastically that he found it hard to believe that the trees changing colour was natural, but the river disappearing was not. Which sounded the more bizarre?

It was fortunate that the change had been so gradual; Kinis still retained a very, very healthy fear of all things bright orange, hot and noisy, noisy like the crackling of brittle leaves. It had certainly given him a shock the first time he had crumpled one. Looking up, he had seen the tree in its copper glory, and had shivered. If it had not been so still, it would have been easy to believe that it was on <i>f</i>...

No, he wouldn't think of the word.

Just as quickly as his life had been altered when he was so young, his life was changing now. His family was gone, and Ruiko was all that was left. He was being taught to hunt, encouraging instincts he had so far been the victim of more than anything else. He was growing up with a dry throat and a hungry stomach in a world which was changing colour and temperature and he wanted so damn much to know why.

He feared, though, that answers would fall into one of two categories; unpleasant, or unavailable. There didn't seem to be happy solutions anymore. Ignorance was a torture to be endured.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>

Poor Kinis. D: He's so adorable though.
Perhaps he come at a wrong time. This pesky thought had been following him around since the moment he learned of Wildwood's lack of water. It was usually swiftly whisked away by the realization that he had been fortunate to have found his way back at all. And also, that it was important for him to be here now more than ever. Ruiko was left alone (to raise two whelps none the less). This was a time that could weigh down the shoulders of any male, no matter how strong or fearless they may be. This was why it was so important for Ruiko, Kinis, Borilla, and himself to stick together. It was the only way they would make it out of this.

Large paws carried the proud, resilient man into the mouth of a barren den, where an unfortunate, downhearted young puppy lay. His despair was beyond recognizable, Avalloc could feel his sorrow. Turning and facing the place from which he had entered, the aristocratic Timber mix reclined onto his haunches. "It gets better,"came a velvety voice. It was unfortunate that these bad times had fallen upon a child, but the truth was that he, along with every one else, was just another of mother nature's innocent victims. "In due time."

(This post was last modified: Nov 23, 2010, 11:31 PM by Avalloc.)

<blockquote>There!

In a way, Kinis had been waiting for it, but that didn't make it easier. He had almost gotten used to it just being him and Ruiko - just like you get used to sucking on a lemon - but it seemed... strange to have had another. Not only that, but Borlla had returned. Kinis wasn't entirely sure how he had gone so long without any real contact with this Avalloc, but then, he had never gone out of his way to be sociable. He barely felt worthy of demanding his own brother's attention.

Still, he was a part of Swift River. As bizarre as it was for the pack to contain non-Tainn members, Kinis understood that Ruiko trusted Avalloc. Therefore, Kinis trusted Avalloc. He did not leap away in fear at the unexpected dialogue, but could not help twitching slightly, his ears falling back in instinctual wariness. For the most part, the boy did not move - save for a dip of the head and sweep of the tail in acknowledgement of a superior - and merely kept a close eye on the non-Tainn as the other spoke.

So cryptic. So many things to question. Was it right to contradict someone you didn't know? <b>"It only seems to get worse for me,"</b> was what Kinis finally settled on, accompanying the words with a small smile in order to dispel much of the bitterness behind them.</blockquote>

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<i>at least... that's where I'm supposed to be...</i></center>