Spectral Woods White Guardian

I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. @Ice Keeping her border interaction with Serach vague.Set a few days after.

At first, she thought she had imagined it. Being gone so long from the Bend had taken its toll on her and she was just conjuring up who she wanted to be there in her head. After her meeting on the borders, she had stuck around for a few more days, hoping that her senses would adjust but he was still there. For years she thought he was gone and that was why he had not returned to them after such a long period of time. If he was truly back, it meant that he had done what he could to return and Jessie felt the slightest bit guilty that she had left. I deserve happiness though. She thought about it for awhile and knew that she could not continue on her journey before she spoke with him. The woman was not going to abandon this idea either way and just as she had a few days ago, approached the border. It was almost amusing that she had thought about this moment for so long but now that it was happening she was not so sure she wanted to face him. He had been a passing thought in her mind after he disappeared but it had been quite some time since she ever thought about his return. She found the timing out and random. He must be so old now. Eyebrows were drawn together as Jessie stood at the border, unsure of how she wanted to go about this. What was the right thing to say to a man she thought to be dead? With a deep breathe, Jessie lifted her small head back and called for Ice individually. She did not want anyone else showing up to this meeting. She had no doubt in her mind that they both needed answers.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

<3 Three paragraphs in something disturbed me and I lost my flow entirely, sorry.

There was a little sunlight playing on his nose, teasing his eyes each time the wind blew to shift the trees. It was one of those wintertime joys, blissful moments between overcast skies and early sunsets, and his northerly birth had taught him to appreciate them. Thus, he was laid out on his side, thick fur insulating him from the coldness of the snow, and let the warmth play across his body. Now that some time had passed.. Triell leaving didn't hurt quite as keenly, and the beckoning voice of the Wildwood had grown fainter, turned from ragged screams to the peaceful breath of sleep. He didn't doubt that it would wake again, that something would cause his longing to flare up, like an old wound, but for now, that deep, secret desire was dormant. Ice preferred it that way. He wanted to live a few years here, in peace, before the dragon's call became too great and he crossed the mountains one last time.

All in all, he felt.. content, for the first time in many years. Mostly everyone was gone, but he still had a little left—and he had that which was new, a blessing disguised as a female yearling. Among the snow and trees, with breeding season just around the corner, he actually felt hopeful. Perhaps, this time around, life wouldn't be a disaster. For once at peace with the world, Ice remained motionless in the snow, suspended halfway between waking and sleeping. He could live like this. Friends, family, sunshine.

A call split the serene morning, and Ice's eyes opened. In one smooth motion he had risen halfway—he was a Guardian of this pack, it wouldn't do to doze off when someone was at the borders. But.. the moment he had made it to standing he nearly fell over again. What? That voice... He looked to the borders, breath smoking into the air. He knew that voice and it had cried out for him. Not Serach, not Aponi, not just the pack, but him—Ice Aesir, of swift rivers and old oak trees by crooked creeks. But what was she doing here? She should be to the north and west, playing with her daughter, and having fun with that old badger Askan.

He barked, loudly, and tore up the snow as he set off in the direction of her call.

She was a piece of his past, a fragment of another time, of another wolf. She had been through heaven and hell with him. She had been the one to find Rissa. It was her sister he had been hunting.

The trees shifted as he moved, until he could see her between their trunks. She was somehow smaller than he remembered, silver gray and green-eyed. Keen and fierce, merciless and warm. Smiling, he slowed from his dash, to a jog, to a walk, until he stood in front of her, tail swaying proudly—happily—over his back. He wanted to fall down, elbows and chest to the ground, to yip and hop and prance, but something about seeing her again filled him up with light and a kind of overwhelming solemnity he couldn't shake. He needed to see her a little longer, draw in the scents of the northlands, touch her.. "Hello Jessie," he breathed, silver eyes twinkling, and reached out to touch his nose to hers.

let the stars above shine in your soul

Honestly, it's a gift to be able to thread with you again. <3

The gray woman would not believe it until she was him. No matter how many times it was confirmed, she needed to physically see him to know that Ice was not some illusion someone decided to concoct in her mind. She waited at the borders, her tension surely seeping into the snow beneath her paws. It had been years since the last time they had come into contact, with Ice going away on a trip to find her sister, a lost cause. It was not hard for her to remember what they had gone through together. She still avoided that area as much as possible, a vivid reminder of what they lost. That trip had surely bonded them, the mental scars a permanent memory in their mind. Paws thundering against the ground and a familiar bark pulled her from thoughts of the past. She still refused to believe anything until she saw him. The pepper-and-salt colored woman waited at the borders in anticipation, desperately wanting to cross and meet whoever was coming halfway but knowing that it was no longer her place to do so. She could feel her heart beating anxiously in her chest as the paw steps neared and as the white guardian finally came into view Jessie inhaled sharply, not quite believing what all the signs pointed to. Emerald eyes softened as the large male slowed to a stop in front of her, so many unspoken words between them. She would not bother asking whether or not he found Cali, knowing that her family was always one for abandonment. After all this time, you gave back. Jessie swallowed the lump in her throat, willing herself to be strong, to show him how much she had grown in his time away. Oh, so much has happened, my old friend. She looked into familiar silver eyes and felt another part of her heart start beating again upon physical contact. If it was anyone else, she would have pulled away but it was Ice, and even with the years apart she still trusted him. Jade eyes beamed up at him, her voice a soft sigh, "Ice." The woman inhaled his fresh scent, wanting to remain there forever but there were so many questions unanswered and Jessie had a family she had to get back to. None the less, she took this time to appreciate the contact, unsure if she would have a chance to ever return and see him again. Her words were sincere when she spoke, "I've missed you. So much has happened." She did not want to throw out accusations and did not want to force any questions on him. They had both done interrogations at the borders together before and she had no right to subject him to any such thing. What mattered was that he returned to Oak Tree Bend, his home, and where he most likely expected her to be.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

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

More than three years ago, Ice had disappeared from Oak Tree Bend, for, as the months stretched, had likely seemed to be forever. A pack time and again abandoned by their lead male did not easily hold on to hope, not when the nights stretched long and dark and lonely. He's not coming back, Ice, and why would he, when he had taken two of his sons, and merely left? A ghost in the dark—

I came back. Stubborn, and afraid, oh so afraid, of how he would be welcomed, but love and longing had been stronger. No matter how hard the return, if he hadn't even tried, he would never have forgiven himself. Old and lonely and steeped in guilt, he would've died on some mountain, no longer able to justify the breath whistling in and out of his lungs.

What remained now was to trace the threads of his past, back to their core, and then, away, into whatever future they had found themselves in. Some were out of the question—dead, or too far away. And some.. well, some, he just had to justify leaving the pack for a while to find, and.. with them so few, now, and winter still holding on hard to their lands, he hadn't wanted to. It was cowardly and stupid but it was the way things were, and thus, Jessie and Kisla had had to wait. It hurt, and he was ashamed, and he did his best not to think about it lest he go mad from it, but sometimes it came to the forefront of his mind, like now.

Kisla had visited in the winter, but Ice had been away, just a few days—scouting, hunting, dreaming, trying to forget. She had been gone when he came back, and it had taken him days to stop thinking about her all the time. How was she faring, in this vast, cruel world? She had been so fragile, so timid, so.. so afraid.

And now, Jessie stood before him—small, fierce, beautiful, and so alive. Their noses met, and he inhaled sharply at the electric jolt of years arcing through him. Here, finally, at last—and things begun to resemble what they should've been. He sighed, heard his own name breathed, and made to press this cheek against hers, if she'd let him.

"I've missed you too," he breathed, drunk on the scent of her fur and of memory. Bodies flashing in the sun. Light arcing across a mountain, glittering on the snow. Corpses. Hunts. Just days spent on the banks of the river. Hotei. He inhaled, and pulled back a little, just to be able to look at her. He was proud. He was proud that she had stayed, for a while at least. Proud, that she had found herself a mate, founded a pack. A small smile curved his lips. "I heard you have a daughter now. Congratulations."

let the stars above shine in your soul

She closed her eyes and embraced him readily. There was so much history between the two of them. She sometimes wondered if he stuck around if she would have been shielded from so much heartbreak. Hotei. Ice had sent him away and the Tainn had no doubts that it would have continued being the case had he remained with them. Jessie took this time to take in all of him, knowing that she should be on her way home but needing to be with this man. A shaky breath escaped her as he pulled away, emerald eyes searching his face for any clues. What she saw reflected what she always hoped for. Ever since she heard of the possibility of his return she feared of what he would think, especially if he knew that she was doing alive and well. The two of them had always stressed loyalty and a part of her still felt guilty for leaving the home she was familiar with for so long. The small smile that formed on his lips meant the world to her. Jessie felt as if part of her world were finally being put back into place. She swallowed, hs words making her eyes glisten, a hint of sadness in the depths of them, "Oh... She's beautiful, Ice. You should come by some time to meet her. And Drestig." The likelihood of that happening, she knew, was very slim. They were both very busy and now with half the pack gone Serach was going to need support, even if he didn't know he was receiving it. Jade orbs softened, along with her voice, "Serach has grown so much. I'm sure you're proud of him?" She had met a far cry from the boy that argued with her at the meeting before she left almost a year ago. The Tainn never knew how much the Donata boy meant to Ice but Serach was his son. The fact that the Aesir man returned after all this time, with everyone gone, was a testament to his loyalty but Jessie also wondered if it had more to do with the fact that his son remained.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

Triell leaving had closed the book on a chapter full of philosophical ramblings and questions about morality, doubt, passion, and need. It had sealed the fate of so much, at last, once and for all, demanding that Ice make a stand, and take a side, but in a way much more subtle than his thoughts had ever made it sound—it was simply a decision to understand, and to not hate those who left to find their own fortunes. He could be at a loss without them. He could be sad they left, and that he would not really see them anymore. And he could be irritated with their timing, though he guessed that there was never a good time for leaving—but he would never doubt the fire flaring deep, the need to get away and cry their own names to the sky. Make their own place in the world.

And for that reason, he could never hate Jessie for leaving. And from what he had gathered, it had been a better time—Triell strong and proud at the Bend's helm, Serach so passionately advocating a stay.. Spieden around... The small smile on his face grew softer as Jessie's eyes changed. Don't be afraid, he wanted to say, even as he wondered, had she been afraid? —of him, and how he would receive her?

If he believed himself worthy of Serach's forgiveness, even if only just barely, then she, too, was forgiven.

"I'd love to," he promised quietly, even though his heart pricked with guilt. There was so much do to.. so many places to be, but he was just one wolf, and as his world had grown larger, he found it increasingly hard to prioritize. "I might not be able to get free until the summer months, though, but I know where to find you. Your ray of sunshine told me," and the wry smile curving his lips told that it was, perhaps, not a ray of sunlight, but rather a lump of charcoal, although one Ice was oddly fond of despite their tense meeting.

Then talk turned to Serach, and it was Ice's time to have his eyes soften. Serach was.. everything and more, his mother's son to the bone, and each time Ice watched him his heart ached with pride. He didn't know if his first days of leadership had been fumbling, but he was good at it now—not too demanding, not too lax, wanting function but also family. Hurt, of course, by Triell's behavior and Spieden taking off, but not broken. "I am," he said after a moment, "and he's taken Aponi as his mate, if you didn't know." It was on his tongue, a hesitant confession that he wasn't sure of Aponi because of her heritage, but he swallowed the words. This was the future. It didn't need past sins clogging it up. So in the end, the only thing he said about it was "I approve".

let the stars above shine in your soul

She searched his face, his eyes, his body for any sign that what she said affected him. Ice responded with what she wanted to hear, unknowing of just what would happen in the span of time that passed before the summer months finally arrived. Her eyebrows shot up, however, when Ice mentioned her subordinate. Askan... Jade eyes narrowed in on the white guardian, her lips curving up into a smile. He's joking. Askan was a pain in the ass and had it not been for his loyalty, Jessie would have gladly demoted him to lowest by now for his attitude. She doubted Drestig would allow it, the two had formed a bond since their first meeting. I guess that means there is something more wrong with me. At the mention of Serach, Jessie's heart stilled at the shift in her friend. Oh, Ice. For a time, the Tainn wondered whether her white friend was truly happy and after Marsh's death, she never thought she would see a smile grace his face again. But now... Maybe he finally has a chance to grasp the happiness he deserves. Yes, Ice had left them, but he had returned. The mention of Aponi did not surprise her but her eyebrows furrowed, jade eyes scanning Ice's face for any sign of the opinion he held for the woman. Jessie had never particularly liked her during her time within Oak Tree Bend. While she did everything a pack member should do, Jessie had never felt as if she could trust her and while that was not saying much, the Tainn always stuck to her gut. Ice's voice reigned down like a judge's gavel, his approval resonated throughout her body. She would not go raising her voice now, she was no longer within the Bend and had no right to be voicing her opinion. That's what got me in trouble during the final meeting. A sigh escaped her, a smile, that was a bit forced, curved its way onto her features, "As long as she helps Serach and makes him happy, that's what matters." The wonders of being a parent. Her heart ached with longing to be back with her own child. What Percy must thing of this long absence! And yet...as she stared back up into icy blue eyes, she found her heart could not let her move onto Hearthwood quite yet. Being near Oak Tree Bend brought up memories she wished could be buried and yet now she felt as if she had to bring something up, to make him someone understand the extend to why she needed to leave. Her voice was soft when she spoke, "Did anyone tell you about what happened to Hotei?" At the mere mention of his name her heart twisted and she once again wanted to curl into a defensive ball and weep, but she remained strong, forcing herself to look at her friend in the eye. She swallowed and took a deep breath, readying herself for what had to be said if the answer was no.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de

There were gaps in his knowledge—what had happened to Jessie, and why? How had she met Drestig? How had that bond formed? Had they left for the same reason Aponi had challenged Spieden? And was she happy over there, in her golden field of rye? Well, soon to be golden; it was still winter.

She had been with them in Swift River, and thus, she had suffered with them. Just like everyone else in that pack, she had carried those memories with her. Ice had struggled to find happiness in the midst of it, and had struggled until oblivion had clobbered him senseless. Distance had healed some of the hurt. A parent's love had healed more, and given new things—he was home, even if home wasn't really home and everything had changed.

There were things she weren't saying. There were things guarded by her bright green eyes. He was older, but so was she.

"Her only redeeming factor," he said with a snort. Aponi was damned by her heritage, but the love he saw in Serach's eyes each time he looked at her wasn't something he could question, or challenge. He hadn't approved at first. He.. well, to be fair, Aponi had a kind of dark grace and competence that reminded him of Corinna. In time, he was sure he'd forgive her her birth, and come to appreciate her as more than just his son's wife.

But things were going darker. Bleaker. Sadder. Something changed in Jessie, and—it felt like he had known her for years, but how long was it, truly? It couldn't have been much more than one a half year when he'd gone missing. He hadn't even spent two whole years with the wolves of Swift River and Oak Tree Bend. He swallowed. It had felt like so much longer.

"Did anyone tell you about what happened to Hotei?" He stilled. He couldn't remember what about Hotei had rubbed him the wrong way, but whatever it was, it had been deep and instinctual and compelling. He had been ready to tear the male apart on several occasion, and Jessie was the only thing protecting him from Ice's wrath. It was familiar; it had been like that with Naira and Triell, too.

Either Ice was a judgmental bastard, or else everyone else had really, really bad judgment.

Slowly, he drew closer, and put his nose against her cheek. If he had a good guess in his body, Jessie had loved Hotei, and Hotei had met his end, somehow, somewhere. Whatever it had been, Ice certainly had no clue. "No," he replied softly, something sad in his pale gaze. He knew what it was like to lose your loved ones.

let the stars above shine in your soul

The grey woman arched an eyebrow in question at Ice's response to Aponi. She remained silent, however, not wanting to stir up trouble in the ranks. That's exactly what Serach doesn't need right now. None the less, it warmed her heart to see that the white guardian had not lost his preference for strong opinion and justice. Despite it not always being in her favor, it was one of the qualities she admired most about him. During her time in Swift River and Oak Tree Bend - in the short time he was there - it had kept them all safe. In the end, all had gone to hell. Though, she supposed, it might had been quite obvious. Jessie had stuck around longer than anyone and finally felt the need to cut her umbilical cord. The petite woman did hope that relations were better and that one day she would be able to repair things completely between hers and the Bend wolves that remained. When the white male reached out to comfort her it was like a balm had soothed a wound. The Tainn exhaled shaily eyebrows creased together in aguish in memory of her loss. She pressed her muzzle against his cheek with renewed vigor, inhaling his reassuring scent. At least he had returned, back from the dead it seemed, since he had been gone for so long. When he pulled away, emerald orbs locked with blue and the petite lady recognized the same sad expression she had seen in her own eyes whenever she gazed at her reflection. No, she didn't need to dredge up the past and tell him all that occurred. It would only hurt her. Besides, should he desire to know all that transpired he could ask someone else who was not so attahed. The look in his eyes told her everything she wanted to tell him anyway. Marsh. It had been a hard time for them all but Ice had been so much closer to the silent guardian. And oh, how Jessie understood now. It was getting late and she still had to be on her way to Hearthwood. It was only a matter of time before the winter winds picked up and Drestig worried all the more for her safety. It would do her no good to only support the argument he made before her departure. With this in mind, she stepped closer to Ice, shutting her eyes tight and softly pressing her muzzle against her cheek before running it up against his ear in a sign of affection and farewell, "I hope to see you soon, my friend." With those final words, she backed away, a smile offered towards him before her slender form trotted in the direction of Hearthwood River.

foxstox @DA & Dawnthieves.de