Turtleback Lake 620,000 casualties

Open to anyone!

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

The land almost seemed familiar around his paws, emerald green eyes locking on the sight of the Lake… had he been here before? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t think he’d been but the only times he’d been this far south were the times surrounding the fall of his birth pack, the murder of his mother… could it be he’d found those lands again? He’d been looking; he just never expected to find them that soon. It’d been so long and yet it seemed like nothing had changed. At least not with the scenery. So much had changed, and he knew that to be fact.

The earthy man kept his course, carefully pressing through the soft and cold snow he had become accustomed to. He didn’t even know where to begin. No, he wasn’t getting his hopes up… not until he could be sure of where he was. There could be hundreds of lakes like the ones he’d grown up near, like the ones he’d passed through on his journey north. Don’t get ahead of yourself. The wise words of his mentor had rung through his head time and time again… he would want him to keep pushing on until he was certain… right?

He took a deep breathe... he could feel it in his bones. He was getting close to whatever remained of Silent Moon Plateau, the territory he'd been born in, spent nearly half his life in...

It'd taken three months of adventure, but he could feel the journey coming to a close.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

Askan had never seen a frozen over lake before. Of course he knew that water could freeze when it was cold enough, he'd seen the occasional frozen over ponds, but never a lake. Granted, there weren't any lakes in his homeland, and this was his first winter in Relic Lore so it wasn't exactly his fault. Standing on the edge, Askan pushed his foot, hard, down onto the ice and with pointed ears, he listened to the popping sounds of it crack beneath his weight. At first he has been tempted to walk out onto it, but then quickly decided against it. The last thing he wanted was to drown and or freeze to death. Not only would it be a mortifying way to die-he wanted to die in a dignified way, with purpose- but it was also very important to note that he had no intentions of dying anytime soon. Askan was a busy man, he had a long list of goals he wanted to achieve and he'd be damned if some cold water was going to get in his way. With his mind made up-sating his curiosity was not worth the risk- Askan turned around to leave but paused in his tracks when he noticed that he wasn't alone. How many times had this happened? He'd gotten preoccupied and a wolf had managed to catch him unawares, most likely not on purpose but the point still stood. Askan needed to be more aware of his surroundings. He had to do better. He would do better. With a grumble, Askan waded through the deep snow- it almost covered his legs- with the intention of questioning the stranger. A loner most likely. Was this what it had come to? Approaching loners as though he wanted a friendly chat? Well damn it, he didn't. It probably showed too, with his hunched shoulders and scathing glower,his natural go to expression. But whether he liked it or not, winter was here and Wild Rye Field's was smaller than he liked. Sure, there was nothing wrong with being a small, tightly not pack. But Askan worried... So much so that he was willing to bite the bit and talk to loners, to see if they were worthy. If not, then it was no skin off his nose. He could afford to be picky. "You lost?" Askan asked, his tone somewhat more neutral than usual.

Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2016, 03:29 PM by Askan.)

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

He was well on his way south, ignoring the sound of the other wolf in the area. If the man avoided him, then he’d do the same to the man; hell, he’d probably ignore Askan’s presence regardless. Wren was use to keeping a small company of wolves, and even then he didn’t manage to disclose very much. He wasn’t the foolish and naïve child he’d been a year ago… far from. His nose twitched as the scent grew closer, emerald eyes turning with his light colored head to look at the man though he said nothing. His ear twitched, head tipping lightly to recognize his presence and confirm that he knew that he was there but there was very little to say.

You lost?

Why would he think that? He exhaled softly before shaking his head in a manner to suggest that his answer was “no”, eyes narrowing a little in a confused manner as his head tipped to the side, curiosity hinting at his features. There were things he wanted to ask, sure, but patience was key and he hadn’t used his voice in so long that he’d practically forgotten what it sounded like… He knew what his thoughts and dreams sounded like, but he was almost certain that if he tried to speak that the man would just be met with a cracking and disheveled tone that made Wren sound weak and broken.

He knew, perhaps this man himself was lost and was just trying to cover up the embarrassment of being lost by assuming that Wren himself was lost? He wasn’t sure, but he did want to find out. He didn’t look like any wolf that Wren had ever met – his fur was a lot darker in most places, not that the man minded the change in appearance. He’d grown up around lighter wolves, the darkest of them being Phineas, Aponi, and Erebos who’d all had grey fur, monochromatic hues… the wolves he’d fallen in with after he’d willingly abandoned his family were mostly white, occasionally russet or earthy like Wren himself.

That was the one thing that perhaps should have bothered him that hadn’t – abandoning family after he’d been raised to think it was everything… they’d all let him down when it counted, and he saw no reason to support them in return. There had been no pity, perhaps a little mourning over his mother, but nothing for his father or his sister… nothing at all.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

A shake of the head. Was that it? Was that the only response the loner could muster. Really? He couldn't even manage to utter a simple no? Aska intended to be polite, he was working on coming across a bit more civil, but it was hard to remain so when it felt as though he was being dismissed. Sure, the stranger had responded, and that was better than nothing, than being outright ignored. But Askan couldn't help but assume that the wolf hadn't verbally responded because he didn't think Askan was worthy. That he wasn't worth his time, that he might as well shrug him off in the hopes that he would leave him alone. Well piss on that. Askan wasn't one to be ignored. He wasn't one to be brushed off like a bit of lint on your shoulder. He was loud and brash, he didn't demand attention but he expected it. He believed- or at least he acted as though he did- wholeheartedly that he deserved the respect of others, even if he hadn't earned it yet. And this little display? It was completely and utterly disrespectful. Civility be damned, Askan had tried, he truly had but this ass had to completely disregard his efforts and throw them in his face. And for what? What had Askan done to deserve this? Nothing, absolutely nothing. Or so the Yukon wolf would so adamantly claim. Screw him. Damn him to hell. "What was that? Didn't quite hear you." Askan tsked, deciding it wasn't worth the effort to push him to say no. He'd already made his point, Askan had read him loud and clear."If you're not lost then, what you doing here? Don't you got somewhere better to be?" It's true he'd approached him with the he intention of trying got recruit this tawny mutt, but Askan could be pretty quick to change his mind, if pressed. First impressions were key with getting in Askan's good books, and so far the loner had done little to gain his approval. In fact,he was doing a very poor job of it. This situation could be salvaged, he wasn't completely unreasonable, but it'd be an uphill struggle. Askan wouldn't make it easy. Not that he ever made any social interaction easy, try as he might,he imagined most wolves would rather talk to a tree than him.

Dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Dec 28, 2016, 03:33 PM by Askan.)

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

Was it a little disrespectful to not speak? Apparently… but Wren was equally disrespectful to everyone he didn’t talk to and the fact that this man was taking it so seriously almost shocked him. Come on, it wasn’t like he’d never had anyone react in that manner before, wounded egos or some shit that Wren wasn’t prepared to deal with that day. What would Askan have done if he was physically incapable of speaking to other wolves? He’d probably view it a different way, and while Wren could speak to wolves, Askan didn’t know that, he only assumed that he was capable.

The wolf was quick to judge Wren for it, and Wren honestly couldn’t care less. He didn’t have to explain himself to anyone or anything. He wasn’t required to speak to someone and if they were so entitled as to think that he needed to stroke their ego even more, then they could piss off. He visibly tensed defensively, though he still remained silent, when the man started his outrage, demanding he move on. That was what Wren had been trying to do before his man so quickly interrupted his venture south.

He wanted to scream out at him, but he reigned it in and stored it all inside. He’d learned a long time ago that words never got a wolf anywhere… that he needed to show his actions rather than his words. His confusion intensified his tail wagging softly as he looked around. Askan had come to talk to him, and if he thought Wren should be grateful for his presence, then he had another thing coming. It was more rude than anything and he deserved no proper de rigueur that he might have gotten had he not reacted so brashly. Instead, Wren politely looked at him with that confused expression in his eyes, not staring or meeting his eye because he’d been raised to believe that to be rude and that was one thing Wren liked to think he wasn’t.

His paw brushed slightly through the snow to the side as if going to take a step, wondering if the pack wolf had anything to say to him... any other way to accuse and slander Whisper further.

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

I just could not resist tossing Neha in here. She will be standing to the side, just quietly watching, for now.
<3

Why had she come up all this way in the first place? The answer to that was long forgotten and hardly a concern of hers anymore. One could chalk it up to plain old, simple curiosity. Besides, the lands north and slightly east of her home, were all but unexplored by her itchy paws. A little visit to see what these northerly regions were like could hurt. Unlike many of her travels, this time Neha had no purpose in setting out to collect herbs. With winter in full swing, the snow and bitter cold had ensured that all the plants were long dead.

Her mind and spirit were still unsettled, but not nearly as much as they had been earlier. Her talk with Moonshadow had settled some of her anxiety, and since then, an idea had begun to form in the depths of her mind. With Namid still caught in the same emotional cycle, Neha was now considering the possibility of yet a second visit to Grizzly Hollow. But first, given the season, the young female wanted to make sure she was physically fit to travel. Managing the mountain at this time of year was no small task. But then again, Neha was a wolf who had been born and raised in some of the most rugged terrain in Relic Lore. With it as her backyard, she was as comfortable as could be.

Her descent had led her in a northeasterly direction, in which the land flattened, unsurprisingly. Deep snow covered the ground, and with her frame being on the more petite side, it reached nearly chest height. Huffing softly with exertion, Neha pushed forward stubbornly in her best attempt to flatten out a path in front of her. Too much more of this and she may just have to resort to leaping instead. The mirror like surface of water had caught her eye. It was a lake, and an impressive one at that. Enough to rival the size of the one back home. It was distinct in that it had several islands in the middle, she noted. Eager for a closer look, and perhaps a glance for fish beneath the ice, Neha had failed to notice the pair of wolves nearby. That is, until one of them, the darker of the two, spoke up. Mid stride, she paused, one paw suspended mid air. What was all of this about? With a shake of her head, she turned to move on and go about her own business. 

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

Askan didn't notice the appearance of the second wolf, perhaps if he had he might have calmed down some. It hadn't even occurred to him that the loner might not be talking, not because he didn't want to but because he physically couldn't. And why would he? Never in all of his life had Askan met a wolf that was incapable of speech. He'd met plenty of wolves who didn't want to speak to him- for obvious and numerous reasons- so he merely assumed that the same rule applied here. Sure, it was rather small-minded of him, but could he truly be blamed? Probably, Askan was in the wrong here, he kept pushing and pushing for a verbal response when the other clearly didn't want to give one. But would Askan see it that way? Of course not. The Rye wolf just didn't understand what he was playing at. Why was he being so difficult, so petty? Askan wasn't asking for much, he just wanted him to be civil, to talk and tell Askan what he wanted to know. But no, apparently that was too hard. Apparently, Askan was asking too much. Once more, the loner responded with body language, rather than 'language language' and Askan gritted his teeth in blazing frustration. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Sure, body language conveyed a fair amount of information. Askan could see that the loner was baffled by his reaction and that he too was frustrated. But did he have to come across so bloody neutral? As though Askan was making a big fuss out of nothing? Askan felt the fur along the ridge of his back stand on end, as his lips thinned into a disdainful scowl. "Why are you being so difficult?" Askan asked, automatically lunging at the space between them, his teeth snapping at air."I asked you a question, answer it! What do you want?"

Dawnthieves.de

@Neha @Askan

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

Wren might have not been baffled by the behavior of the other wolf… if it hadn’t been for the fact that Askan had been the one to seek out and start an interaction with Wren, rather than Wren putting himself in this situation for no good reason. He didn’t budge, didn’t even flinch, when Askan scowled and snapped his teeth, the aggression level growing tenfold from before, at least in Wren’s mind. Wren had noticed the second wolf in the area, unlike his uptight companion it seemed. Again there were no words, but a couple steps backwards. He made it clear that he wasn’t looking for a fight, trying to find a way to show the man that he wasn’t intentionally doing this… he was, but that was beside the point.

The pack wolf was miffed that he was being “ignored”, but if that were the case, Wren would have just walked away and continued on his journey. He gulped but it was hard going down. Perhaps if his mutism had been a physical thing like a missing tongue or scars on his throat, then he could show it… but it’d been completely mental, and psychological… he wasn’t sure that he knew how to truly speak anymore. Sure, he knew words, but he didn’t know how to say them.

He just wanted an answer to the question but Wren couldn’t provide it, less from stubbornness and more from the fact that the situation was tense and putting pressure on him to speak was the way to get him to shut down completely. Not shut down shut down, but more of his brain refusing to comply with his demands for movement of mouth. His eyes softened a little, trying to find some way to convey it all through body language – it’d always been one of those difficult things to tell wolves without using words… the fact that he couldn’t speak…

His fur remained flat against his back, his tail lowered, a slight wave to try and show that he wasn’t aggressive or outright disrespectful even though Askan thought he was… anything to diffuse the situation, even if he thought that Askan was a royal prick who needed to be put in his place… as a loner he couldn’t afford it. He didn’t have a pack to rely on if he could get injured and for Christ’s sake he just wanted to visit his mother’s grave!

Ashbash 2016 - Ian Schneider

Her paws, normally a cream color, now muddied, had only just planted themselves at the edge of the vast lake. Her alert brown eyes skimmed the surface of the ice for an opening, from which she could drink. Finding none, she settled on a spot where the ice looked thin, batting at it with her paw to break it up. The water splashed up against her leg, making her flinch. It was cold! Colder than she thought it would be. Giving her leg a small little shake to dislodge any remaining water droplets, she bent her head down to drink.

Her lips had been barely coated with moisture when she heard the shout from one of the wolves behind her. She might not have been here long, but she had a pretty good guess which one of them it was. At first, she considered continuing quenching her thirst, but as more words from that gruff voice followed, she changed her mind. She didn't like what she heard one bit, and being the outspoken girl that she was, Neha would not sit by on the sidelines. It was the shout of the older male that struck a nerve, and with a flinch, she whipped her head around to the pair.

Seconds later her body was moving again, this time directly towards the two unknown wolves. She didn't care if they didn't know her. What she did care about was the pushy, almost aggressive attitude Askan was giving towards Wren, who had so far, done his best to remain non confrontational. She approached them from the side, so that both parties would have a clear view of the slender figure heading towards them. "Hey!" She shouted firmly, tail raised in level with her backbone. Boldly, but not brashly, she strode right up to them, her chocolate eyes fixed firmly on Askan. She was non aggressive, but clearly unwilling to back down as well. Brows knitting together, she directed her attention solely on Askan, prepared to physically place herself between him and Wren if need be. "Leave 'im alone would ya? You can't force him to talk if he doesn't want to." While she too was not yet aware that Wren had more or less, forgotten how to speak, by choice, her take on his silence was anything but condescending.

 

 

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.