Blackberry Fields everybody sees the wind blow

there's a girl in new york city,

calls herself the human trampoline.

sometimes when i'm falling, flying,

or tumbling in turmoil i say

oh

so this is what she means.

she means we're bouncing into

graceland

"You don't know what you're talking about," she teased, affecting an air of mock-offence which crumbled almost instantly at the sound of her son's laughter. His smiles were beautiful, and once upon a time so rare that she made a special effort to notice and cherish every one. The merriment came easier to his eyes these days, for live in the Woodlands was good, was healing. An anxious, angry, lonely boy had joined alongside her, and like the flower which blossomed from something small and withered into something vibrant, Duckweed was changed. Bella had skirted around the topic with @Aideen and @Miccah, but out of respect for the fact that her son wasn't a child any more, she'd resisted the urge to pour her eternal gratitude on them too heavily. They had helped to give him purpose and strength, a confidence which she feared would never emerge, which she feared had been quashed out of him in infancy. She could hear his stutter lessen in severity, see how his tail didn't spend all its time tucked tightly underneath his body.

To think that she had once worried that he might never be able to care for himself, how he might need her forever, and look at him now; the pack fed well and often on the fish he caught alone. She knew that he hadn't yet realised it, not quite, but Duckweed had grown out of his need for his mother.

"Sure I d-do, you always come back s-smelling of crab-apples!"

She just laughed, nipping his ears in a teasing reprimand. He sprang back but couldn't avoid it, he could never quite escape her most terrible wrath. The cold in his legs had been banished from the walking, for the journey from the thicket to the river in the Blackberry Fields was more than enough to get a runt's muscles warm. The easy company was yet more distraction, and though Duck noticed it, he couldn't pinpoint the moment when his mother had stopped being an overbearing and patronising presence and had instead become... more like a friend. As though they were actually equals, and not just in the simpering way she had always insisted it, urged him to believe it, but for real. More than that, Duck was beginning to catch himself thinking about the others as equals, too. Not in terms of rank politics; Aideen and Miccah and Bane were above him, always, and his deference towards them was effortless and made him feel good, made him feel whole.

No - they were equals because they were all wolves, all working together trying to survive, to maintain their little sanctuary in the thicket, and because they treated each other with respect. Sometimes when he woke up from a bad dream only to realise what waited for him in the waking world, it made him feel dizzy.

The river loomed ahead, flowing slow and steady. The water on the dryer parts of the river bank had turned to ice, the crystalline mesh draped over the rocks and dirt and creeping into the edges of the water. The constant flow prevented the delicate formations from getting very far, the crystals clinging to the sides of boulders and anything which stuck up out of the water. The further you got from the water, the more rapidly the thin layers of ice turned into thick planes of snow, until all the world was starkly white.

"Here?" She saw his mind change gears, switch from his teasing into that all-business mode she loved to see. Fishing had always been something that he took charge of, and she had long, long ago stopped being the instructor. She watched through lazy lids as he glanced over the water, looking for something, lips pursed in concentration. Once satisfied, he nodded, and she jumped on up to follow after him as the fisherman took them down to where he had selected, a content wag in her tail and smile on her face.

In the distance, the mountain loomed tall and silent and coated in white, but she cast it only one lasting look before settling her attention comfortably on her son. He waded into the shallow water, navigating the smooth and freezing boulders and rocks, and she took a seat, prepared to watch and assist when instructed.

Warning: Mild Profanity

I can be the monster I can be the teeth sunk in your skin

"Fucking bullshit." The statement was proclaimed in an aggressive tone of voice, a single creamy paw lifting to strike out at a portion of snow bank that threatened to hinder the Asurn's task more so than it already was. The scattered flakes fluttering back down to earth like they had the first time they fell from the sky. He should have found her by now, could have been tucked in some unsuspecting pack's warm den to wait out the cold and snow if he had, plotting his next move, but no. Instead Mother Nature had taken her wintry cruelty out upon Eirian and misguided him with its treacherous snow, eliminating all traces of Eek's scent that would have helped the copper male find her new location.

First he had a run in with some creepy stalker near Secret Falls, then a lovely encounter with the abomination that knocked up his poor excuse for an Asurn cousin. Now, he was.. Citrus eyes narrowed against the blinding snow that glistened beneath the rays of sunlight; false pieces of hope that promised warmth and in turn offered nothing more than a reality check that Winter was far from over, attempting to gauge where he had wandered off to now, but how the fuck was he to know where he was? Everything was painted white and any tell tale markers of specific regions were camouflaged. The final product? Everything looked the damn same. Even the water that long since transformed to ice at his side looked like every other source of water out there.

Russet ears immediately pricked forward to an alert position when the once quiet land surrounding him began to be filled with the sound of laughter and distant conversation, a twitch of leathery lips already preparing to reveal tarnished teeth. Obviously the fallen patriarch was not in the mood for any more strangers, but the sudden gurgle of his stomach had his mind singing another tune. Wolves meant food and food meant a chance at a free meal for himself. Creamy limbs trudged onward through the thick snow, fueled now by the desire to fill his aching gullet. This encounter had better be worth it.

Ashbash 2016 - Mathew MacQuarrie 

(This post was last modified: Dec 07, 2016, 09:25 PM by Eirian.)

The fish flew through the air with unnecessary dramatics, the confused creature twisting and flailing as it came to land on the ground near to his mother. Just like he'd taught her, she snapped it up and gave it a good swift bash to the skull - not quite as efficiently as him, but it was enough to kill it. The small fish lay limply on the snow by her side, the third to be caught. Nodding curtly in approval, Duck turned his attention back to the water, dissatisfied by the thin pickings but glad that they had been able to find something worth taking back to the thicket.

His legs shivered slightly, submerged to well above the ankle and practically soaking wet up to his chest. Fishing without a funnel was splashy work. Still, his concentration and contentment overrode his ability to register the chill, for by now it was merely associated with this singular act he was so good at - and as such, held a positive connotation. He'd feel it more keenly on the walk home, as the water evaporated out of his fur and took with it any remaining vestiges of warmth, but it was totally worth the suffering.

By happenstance, the runt glanced up, beyond the river, a thoughtful frown on his face which quickly turned into a more apprehensive frown as he spotted a russet wolf stalking through the snow, on their side of the river. He made a soft sound to alert his mother's attention to the possible company, not that she would mind one bit - but he hated fishing in front of strangers. Maybe they would be left alone.

@Eirian

Caught in a daydream, idly licking away the taste of fish scales, Bella had missed the look on her son's face - but her ears pricked up at his chuff. Obligingly she followed the direction of his eyes, mind still pulling out of the pleasant fog that had briefly but intensely descended upon it - perhaps reminded by the sound of trickling water... Upon spotting the orange-pelted stranger, the chocolate woman smiled, ears raising, tail brushing amicably against the ground where she sat.

It didn't take much sleuthing to realise he was headed straight for them. As good as he was with the wolves of the Woodlands, Bella knew that Duck was still wary around those he didn't know - and not without good reason, given his horrific trauma - but those kinds of experiences were few and far between. This was a peaceful part of the world. Bella had not known a land so tranquil as the Thicket of Secrets. "Afternoon," she called warmly, waiting for a greeting or some acknowledgement from their unexpected company.

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2016, 01:51 PM by Belladonna.)

Details about Eirian's encounter with Gent are going to be very vague since that thread is in progress, but it will be clear he had to have been in a fight of some type by how rough he looks.

I can be the monster I can be the teeth sunk in your skin

Russet ears pivoted forward as the warmth of a woman's voice breached the frigid air once his paws crossed that invisible threshold that concealed him from view up until this point, it's jolly tone disgusting enough to send a chill down Eirian's spine far more stronger than the elements ever could. His dark coal nose lifted part way to the sky, inhaling deeply in an attempt to discern just whom he was about to share his precious time with, but not much information could be gathered from the amount of distance still laid between himself and them. Whether the woman and the other individual heard it, or not, a cold snort was the copper male's response to her greeting, the expelled breath swirling upward in a cloud of vapor while his paws continued to cross the remaining distance between them until just a couple wolf lengths was all that remained.

Remaining silent where he stood citrus irises roamed over the bodies of those before him, first taking in the paler of the duo whom was situated the closest and seemed to be fishing within the bone chilling water that had yet to freeze over like the shallower parts further downstream. Pale white fur, grey hued eyes darker than those Eek held herself, a lanky, small physique for a male pointing either towards one weak son of a gun, or the runt of its litter. Definitely not signs of pure Eastern Timber such as himself, let alone a wolf worth his time. The apparent frown that marred the boy's face doing little to aid his case. Eirian made no attempt to hide the look of disgust that contorted his handsome facial features, quickly moving on to give the other wolf further up the snow bank the same examination.

Now this one, the woman whom had called out earlier in that vomit inducing tone of voice looked to be a little more promising.If not at least a lot easier on the eyes. A small hmm reverberated within the Asurn's chest, taking in the contrasting features to the weakling he had surveyed only moments ago. All in all it saddened him to admit, though, that even she was nothing more than another abomination placed on this earth despite almost being able to pass for a pure bred. The only correlation he could make between the two being a variety of other scents upon their fur meaning that somewhere around here was a pack and the idea that another pack was filled to the brim with unholy beast like Broken Timber Pines had been; until he and Eek wiped the land clean of their putrid existence, meant his work at cleansing these lands as a whole was far, far from over. These nuisances were always coming out of the woodwork and now more than ever needed to be stopped before they continued to spread their filthy genetics into the world. Luckily for these two tainted souls their savior had come at last. The idea alone almost had a sinister smirk beginning to curl its way onto the man's leathery lips, salmon tongue wanting to slither its way out from behind its ebony curtain to glide across his lips while imagining the pleasant sound of these pathetic creatures pleading for their lives to be spared only to be met with his version of a merciful fate instead.

Clearing his throat the man smoothly slipped back into his disguise worn so flawlessly during his stay among the hellish beast of Broken Timber Pines, deciding the silence had gone on long enough and that now it was time he received some answers. If they cooperated, perhaps he would make their deaths less painful, but Eirian wasn't one who liked to make too many promises. "My where are my manors? I sincerely apologize for barging in like this and my brash entrance, but I'm searching for a friend of mine. You see, this snow had a funny way of separating us after we were attacked by a group of loners and why.." He paused, head lowering a fraction while a meek bout of laughter left his lips, letting his sob story work its magic in tugging on the pathetic heartstrings of these fools who he bid all his money on being emotional creatures by default. The minor details plugged in solidified by the roughened shape he now stood before them in after his encounter with Raela's garbage sperm donor.

"Can either of you tell me where I am?" Eyes flickering briefly between the fish at the woman's side and up to her face, believing her to be the one that would take charge in this situation. "M-maybe spare a bite to eat if you can?" For an extra flair of theatrics the copper male forced his body to begin shivering in even intervals as if the frigid air had began to take its toll on him, charcoal dusted banner wagging disgustingly low for a wolf as prideful as himself before letting a whine escape his lips, knees buckling and forcing his body to collapse into the snow before him. Surely his performance was believable with how harsh the winter could be on a lone wolf. How could a woman who was purely put on this earth to bare children ignore the maternal instinct to help a soul in need?

Ashbash 2016 - Mathew MacQuarrie 

(This post was last modified: Dec 08, 2016, 08:52 PM by Eirian.)

Her neverending desire to be friendly to everyone who passed by earned a roll of his eyes, but whatever. At least they'd probably just pay attention to her and ignore him, which was how he liked it. Trying to refocus on his previous task, Duck couldn't help but glance up every so often to see the russet stranger making a beeline for them - and just happened to notice the odd look on the loner's face as their eyes met. Had he not spent so long in the Woodlands and allowed himself to be distanced somewhat from the traumas of his youth, the open disgust would have been more quickly recognised - but as it was, he was left doubting, having only caught a glimpse of the expression.

It still left him feeling uneasy, and as he dropped his gaze back to the water, he knew his heart wasn't in it anymore. He'd have to wait for this wolf to go away.

The sweet tones of the stranger's voice reached his ears, and Duck winced at them, but only because that cemented it; this was an encounter that couldn't be avoided anymore. Good job ma, he thought silently, glaring at the back of her head. Who knew how long this would take? They had told @Aideen that they'd be back not long after sundown, but he wanted to catch more than just three measly slips of fish, and now his whole time estimate was out of whack. Grumbling quietly to himself, far enough away from the two wolves on the bank that they wouldn't be able to hear, he listened unsympathetically to the stranger's plea, only looking up when he saw Bella glance his way.

He knew this was going to happen. Fuck sake. He shrugged, and turned away so they wouldn't see his scowl, and stared hard at the river.

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

@Eirian

Naivety and no apparent reason to study him closely meant that Bella completely missed the sour look on the man's face when he glanced towards her son, which afforded her no cause to be defensive or wary as he approached. His appearance was, to Bella, very much that of a loner down on his luck - and the Calor was a kind and charitable soul whose heart instantly went out to the russet man. His impeccable manners only warmed her further, utterly deceived by his charade, and she listened to his eloquent tale with increasing sympathy.

She was already wondering if it might be possible to take him back to the Woodlands with them, for other than his loner hardship, he seemed a healthy and strong sort, only weakened by the harsh season. It did no good to be too keen on recruitment, though, for that was quite the selfish notion - not when he had more pressing needs to attend to.

His sincerely spoken requests had her snared, and her brows knit in concern as he collapsed, a note of empathy in her throat as she glanced towards Duck, still stood in the river. Their eyes met instantly and she knew he would be unhappy about it, but his shrug was consent all the same. Smiling and raising from her seat, Bella took a step towards the man, gesturing to their modest pile of fish with a paw.

"Of course! Help yourself, please - we all have to look out for one another at times like this. I'm sorry to hear what happened - we're in Blackberry Fields, northeast to the Thicket of Secrets. Where did you last see your friend? Can we help you find them?"