Iridescent Lagoon i'm a sucker for pain

Overcast-9 ° F, -23 ° C

must be out of my mind

renier lyall

to come begging for more

The sky was a dull silver, almost white. With his chin titled up, golden eyes piercing the pale ceiling, it seemed to hold a threat more snow would come. But, maybe then it would warm up a little. A rough sniff, he dropped his head, and padded closer to the shoreline. There was a drip to his nose with the chill biting against it. A minor irritation he continued to fight against. But, he had no want to go to the Ridge, curl up and nap. The rogue needed a moment away from the willows. There was a lot of doom, and gloom cloaking them. It was hard not to give into it. Maybe, the others would think he hadn't a heart. He was good at being stoic. Hiding emotions. It seemed important to hide weakness. How weak the Ridge was. He thought of what he would do should a lone wolf pick up on it. Try to take advantage. His favorite idea was sending them off swiftly with teeth. Why the second was hurling questions at them until he could decide a motive. If maybe, they should have chance to stay. No such wolves came. The Ridge continued to feel dead. There began thoughts of changing things.

Looking across the frozen lagoon the air felt stifling here too. He knew why. He loved and hated this place. All that had happened here. There was a twitch in his cheek, as he ground his teeth, and walked further out. Paws crunching the snow beneath him, muttering how it should just dam well snow. Until his foot met the ice, and slowly stretched forward on its own accord. A half chuckle choked itself out, and he slid his other legs forward just enough. But the slick surface, caused him to teeter in place, close to sending him on his nose. Ears twisted back, he again skated forward trying to get the hang of it.

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(This post was last modified: Jan 02, 2017, 04:58 AM by Renier.)

•            Eido wasn't quite sure what brought her to the Iridescent Lagoon. Since she had arrived at Relic Lore, she had mostly stuck to the east - in the Red Fern Forest and the Spectral Woods around Long Lake. The dense forests had helped satisfy her need for shelter and cover and safety. After spending most of her life on the tundra, however, Eido was quite used to being out in the open. So, the travel across Fireweed Rise and Hush meadow had been simple - second nature, almost. She had stuck close to the ground, hopefully hidden from prying eyes or dangerous predators that might want to make a meal of Eido, as she was not nearly the largest creature in this land. Relic Lore, she knew, housed many wolves of varying shapes and sizes; not to mention the fact that she had, indeed, scented bear a time or two. Fortunately, she had not scented any trace of the disease that had robbed her of her original pack. But the other scents were slightly worrying, so she decided to play it safe.

•            The Lagoon was nice. Cold, of course, but so was everywhere else. Still, it seemed that the trees over toward the east blocked out the wind chill much better than the area around the Lagoon. Eido felt the breeze bite through her thick fur and ruffle her scruff from behind. Not for the first time, she found herself missing Neel, with his own fluffy pelt that matched her own. She and her littermate would often pad side-by-side through the open tundra, taking refuge in the warmth of one another's pelts when it got too cold out.

•             She wished that that was how she could picture Neel now - tail wagging, with his own orange eyes alight with mischief and excitement. Now, however, her memory of him was tarnished with the image of frothing slobber and white fangs jumping at her own face. Eido had narrowly avoided being bitten that day and infected with the disease that had afflicted her family. It had taken almost every good memory she had made with them for her entire life and morphed it into some hideous nightmare that she could not escape from.

•             Eido was brought from her thoughts by the sight of movement up ahead, on the ice that had crept its way along the surface of the Lagoon. She perked her ears and tilted her head to the side so that her right ear was pointed toward the other wolf on the ice, as she could not hear out of her left ear. The smaller wolf crouched low as she moved toward the other wolf, her paws making little sound on the soft snow underfoot as she approached. She almost laughed as she watched him nearly slide onto his nose on the ice - she had never seen anyone try anything like this before.

•              Thoroughly fixated by the odd sight of a wolf skating on ice, Eido was not paying attention to where she was placing her paws, and ended up accidentally placing both forepaws on the surface of the Lagoon. Her pads skidded across the surface, and she let out a high-pitched yelp as she slid down onto her belly on the ice, out from underneath the bush she had been crouching in.

@Eiodolon

must be out of my mind

renier lyall

to come begging for more

For a single millisecond he almost lost his grace, but skittered to a stop. A wisp of white fell from his lips, from the frigid air. It was best to be starting back now. He was getting a little farther out here they he had wanted. He turned his head to see, just in time he spotted company. The warning in his mind never reached his tongue to form into words. The rogue grimaced as the shrill cry hit his ears, and the brown and cream wolf fell flat. 

A likely stranger, but it wouldn't stop him from offering his help. He would have ran in any other situation. The ice...

 A hint of concern crinkled his brow, and with careful thought, he meandered over to her. Tail, low, softly beating behind him to show he wasn't a threat. Sure enough, as he drew closer she did not scent of anything but herself. Something was familiar, but he didn't  know what. For the moment he was more worried if she was hurt. "Miss? Miss? Are you okay?" As they were strangers, he kept a distance of a half-wolf between them. Golden eyes attempted to reach her own. "That was a nasty fall."

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A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

@Renier

In a circumstance where she would be familiar with the wolf that she had fallen gracelessly over in front of, Eido likely would have been a bit embarrassed and just leap up to her paws and play it off. However, this was not that type of circumstance, and she had no idea who this wolf was. Which meant, of course, there was always the chance that this could be a dangerous situation. Once a sheltered young wolf - a yeasayer who knew nothing of the harsh actualities of the world, - Eido now understood that not everything was good and safe and happy. So, it would come as no surprise to her if the larger wolf on the ice would decide to attack her, or drive her off, or worse. Eido tensed and gathered her paws underneath her, attempting to be ready to run if the need arose. The ice would make such a task difficult, but hopefully not impossible.

"Miss? Miss? Are you okay?" Huh. A question into her wellbeing was certainly not what the younger wolf had expected from this situation. "That was a nasty fall." Yes, it had been, but it was more of a blow to her pride than anything. She often cursed her clumsy paws for putting her into situations such as these. But, the male in front of her didn't seem to be any real threat at all - quite the opposite of what she had expected from the situation.

Though he seemed nice enough, Eido was not willing to take the risk of offending him. She lowered her posture a bit and offered him a small wag of her tail, putting herself in a sort of submissive position. This wolf carried the scent of multiple other wolves on him, as well, so she would not be surprised if he was in a pack - perhaps they were even nearby. She hoped she hadn't crossed any borders in her trip through the forests and meadows - she had been careful to avoid any scent markings that she'd come across.

"I've had worse. No one has ever accused me of being particularly graceful," she informed the streaked male, her orange eyes rising to make eye contact with him. Embarrassment started to burn her fur as another realization hit her. "Um, I wasn't spying on you! I mean, I guess I was, but I didn't mean to. I was just looking around and I found this place, and I saw you, and..." she trailed off with a sigh, realizing that she was rambling unnecessarily. She did that often when she was frightened or nervous. She took a half second to collect her thoughts, and waged her tail once more. "I've never seen a wolf slide on the ice like that before."

(This post was last modified: Jan 03, 2017, 04:05 AM by Eidolon.)

@Eiodolon

must be out of my mind

renier lyall

to come begging for more

With a moment or two she managed to collect herself into the up right position. But, seemed to come to the conclusion she was over ranked and kept her frame low. She'd have to be pretty cocky out in neutral territory for it to be a problem to him. Yet, it put him at ease to see her wag her own tail in turn. He'd feel worse if she ran off like a spooked deer.

A half grin crept up his muzzle, but he did nothing more. Her eyes met his, he blinked, unprepared for how bright of orange they were. Especially, contrasted against her paler coat. Ears tipped forward trying to catch her words. He hadn't really thought about it, and gave a shrug of his red shoulders. He doubted she had had any ill intent. A soft fall of her sigh, he attempted to speak to assure her it was all right. All that happened was his mouth opened, and he closed it again. For a brief second his sight caught the movement of her tail, and his brows furrowed. She commented on his "ice skating" and it was his turn to be embarrassed.

"Oh that." He forced a chuckle. "I hadn't either...it's a bit tricky....not much reward.." He cleared his throat, trying to keep his pads steady on the bit of snow he'd found himself on. Renier didn't spend much time on playing or nonsense. Ice skating was just that. Even as a pup it had always been about quickly learning to be an adult.

"I'm Renier, from Willow Ridge, a bit east of here. You been traveling long?" But, it seemed like it was a prying question, and he fumbled. "I mean....guess everyone does their fair share."

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(This post was last modified: Jan 03, 2017, 05:01 AM by Renier.)

@Renier

Eido relaxed further at the male's obvious attempts to be friendly. Her naturally timid nature and cautious streak tended to get the better of her, and she expected almost all encounters to end badly. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her irrationality was incorrect this time. The situation was awkward, but not dangerous. She straightened up a little, though she still made sure that she was positioned lower than the red-brown wolf. It was not difficult, as he had around a half-foot's difference of height on her, especially when she had to keep her legs bent at an angle just so in order to keep herself from falling on her stomach again.

She let out a small, easy laugh in return when he mentioned that the skating was tricky and unrewarding. She had assumed that most things to do with play fell into the unrewarding category, so she didn't quite understand why that would be an issue. But she got the feeling that this wolf was not one who indulged those sorts of impulses often at all, so she made no comment on it. Best to save his pride, if she could, she assumed.

Renier, huh? He looked like a "Renier," in Eido's opinion. "That's a nice name," she complimented genuinely. "My name is Eidolon, but since that's a mouthful, I prefer to be called Eido." She was definitely not surprised to find that he was from a pack, and she forced herself not to feel uneasy at the revelation. Since she had become a lone wolf, Eido had only really encountered either aggressive packs, or packs that carried the scent of the disease that her family had. This seemed to be safe.

He seemed to think his question had been too pressing, or perhaps too personal. She relaxed a little more and, though her tail was still low, she waved it back and forth to show that she hadn't been bothered by it. "I've been traveling on my own for almost half a year now," she replied. "But I've only been in this place for a few days." She let out a tiny laugh. "Besides you, the only other creatures I've seen here have been a few rabbits and a goose that tried to kill me."

Her paws slid a little bit on the ice underneath her, but she was able to gather her balance this time. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you out here instead of in your pack?" Her eyes widened slightly as she realized just how personal that question might be. "Of course, you don't have to answer. We can just talk about sliding on the ice or geese some more." That... was slightly more awkward of a statement. Yes, Eido, you probably just should have asked the question.

@Eiodolon

must be out of my mind

renier lyall

to come begging for more

He noticed her attempt to relax, and found himself more at ease.Before, he wouldn't have cared or made an effort. In fact he wouldn't minded being all intimidating, and cold. He couldn't decide if it was a good or bad change, and pressed the thought aside.

He hadn't made anyone laugh in awhile, and when hers caught his ear he wasn't sure to smile or feel foolish. He remained neutral, neither quite making a decision. She didn't seem the kind to laugh at a wolf cruelly, he'd known her for about five minutes. He tried never to make a solid judgement so swiftly.

A faint smile pulled at the side of his muzzle and her compliment. He tried very hard to place hers to his mind. If he had to say it he didn't want it to come out wrong. Like his mother she went with a nickname. Eido. He tried it on his tongue,"Pleasure to meet you, Eidolon." But, he would likely call her by the short version. If there was one thing that hadn't changed about the Lyall it was being taken as a fool was his least favorite.

The yearling didn't seem to take offense, or think him a creep for his inquire. She answered with little trouble. It made him think she must be close to reaching her second birthday if she'd been alone for so long. But why? Yearlings did branch out there was always a story there. This he avoided asking out right.

There was that laugh again, and he smirked. "Oh, really?" He had had some unfortunate run ins with overprotective geese he wondered if it had been around the marsh where a particular grumpy one resided.

Attention drifted to her toes, he about moved forward to help when she stopped herself. This time asking a question of her own. He wasn't sure how much he wanted to share, and his mask had smoothed all expression aside. He didn't think it would hurt to be honest. She wasn't exactly a threat in his eyes. "We lost a member awhile back, and I needed to get out of the atmosphere." It was just another blow to the Ridge, and he felt it would hang over it for some time. Hoping to drop the matter he changed the subject. "We can get off the ice if you want, unless you feel the need to practice your ice sliding?" He teased.

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@Renier

Eido took it as a good sign that the male was beginning to relax a bit. She was very aware of his body posture, still making sure that if he were to become irritated with her presence that she would know and be able to react without Renier even having to say a word. He didn't appear to be upset with her being there, which she was grateful for, because it was very nice to be able to have a conversation with another wolf after so long on her own.

She tipped her head slightly when he half-smiled. It was the first, unforced expression she had seen on his face since they had begun speaking. Well, of course, apart from the concern when she had fallen on the ice. All wolves looked better with a smile on their face, in her opinion, and the action brought a smile onto her own muzzle. She dipped her head in acknowledgement of his compliment. "It's nice to meet you, as well," she responded, her tail beating steadily behind her as she grew more relaxed and confident with the conversation. Although Eido was quite timid initially, she did love conversation and interaction, as long as it was pleasant. In fact, she rather thrived on it.

 Ah, that stupid goose. She flattened her ears and huffed in an overdramatic show of exasperation. "It wasn't my fault that it decided I would make a better meal for it than it would have for me," she reasoned. In fact, she hadn't been hunting the goose at all when the "attack" had occurred. She had just been minding her own business, and she supposed she had just gotten too close for the mean creature's comfort.

Eido had been concerned that her question would be too prying, but it didn't seem to bother Renier. Her heart ached and went out to him at the revelation that he had lost a pack member recently, and her tail stopped waving abruptly. She certainly knew how it felt to lose a packmate - it was almost like losing a piece of oneself. She considered her words carefully before speaking. "I'm so sorry," she breathed genuinely, and she would have said more, but he seemed to want to drop the subject, so she complied.

"Hey, for your information, I could certainly be the world's best ice slider. Watch," she stated before taking a few steps to build up momentum, and then dropping quickly to her stomach so that she slid out a few feet onto the lagoon. Her legs splayed out and her chin to the ice, she looked flattened. It was silly, yes, but she expected that it would be effective in lightening the mood. She waved her tail from her position on the ice, stirring up some of the snow on the surface.

(This post was last modified: Jan 04, 2017, 12:07 AM by Eidolon.)

@Eiodolon

must be out of my mind

renier lyall

to come begging for more

He couldn't help faintly chuckle at her acting. It was quite a display easily given. "Well, you wouldn't be the first wolf I'm sure, nor the last" he added, but didn't elaborate. That thing had to be pretty damn old by now. He wondered if it would make it another year, or if it was merely his offspring with the same ornery genetic makeup.

It was hard for him to offer much of a response to her apology. Her sympathy for the situation was seen, and kind in its own manner. She appeared rather genuine. Especially, given her young age. He would guess she had quite the soft heart. He barely gave a nod of his head, glad to see more was not needed. He only briefly, pondered if the two Archers would recover from the loss of their sister. They were the ones most effected. Something only time may fix.

Dark, fine lines about his eyes scrunched as she struck a happier note. He was trying to decipher her. He'd a figure by her grace she would rather leave the slick surface. She seemed eager to show him she could very well slide. "Oh, you are?" He questioned in disbelief but there was a tease to the undercurrent of his voice.

Then by her word she gained speed, and rather swiftly with some balance slid across on her stomach and limbs, white tail proudly wagging in turn. A laugh broke from his muzzle, and he shook his head. Well, that was one way to do it. Since the Lyall wasn't one to be bested, and before he could change his mind, the rogue zoomed one paw than the other. Then with speed fell to his rump where he glided almost to Eido. "Dang you beat me." His mouth opened, and he panted from brief exercise. The numbness that began to sink into his hindquarters had him quickly standing. "How about two out of three?"

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(This post was last modified: Jan 08, 2017, 11:13 PM by Renier.)