Dried Stone Wash Bowled Over

RE: A cold snap seizes Relic Lore in its icy grip!
Weather: Heavy freezing drizzle; 0°C, 33°F

Darkmoon's fur clung to his body, saturated with water. The rain was coming down heavily, and his thin frame shook violently from the cold. The winter had been harsh on him. Relentless ice and snow had sapped what little energy he had stored, and quickly stripped him of any new energy he managed to get in. He had just emerged from the tree line where the thick branches stopped most of the rain falling through, and into the downpour. He looked back at the forest with longing, but needed to cross the boulder field to get on his way. It was too cold this far north, and he knew he needed to move south to survive. Although he should have done this long ago, he had stayed, thinking it would warm up with the coming spring; however it had only grown colder, and he had no idea how long it would last.
    Darkmoon placed a paw on the first boulder, and he instantly slipped. He whined, desperate to keep moving but worried about crossing the boulderfield now. His exhaustion was making him impatient and on edge, and this extra setback was only making him more frustrated. Tossing any plans to the wind, he gritted his teeth and stepped onto to the first rock. His paws slipped slightly but he held on. Breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled inwardly to himself. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. He clambered onto the next rock then the next, but quickly came upon a boulder that was too large to climb onto. He looked around himself for the best path to take, but the heavy rainfall was obscuring his vision and made everything grey. Darkmoon shook out his fur, and with the water briefly out of his eyes, he thought he saw a path that went slightly downwards. With no other choice he tentatively took a step down. This was going to take longer than he hoped.

(This post was last modified: Apr 06, 2017, 06:41 AM by Darkmoon.)

Sloppy but I wanted to get this up. 

She'd vowed never to return to any mountain range, never  ever if her life depended on it and yet she had managed stumble across a boulder riddled range that was slick with ice and rain and the slush of churned up mud. Her coat, durable and thick since winters arrival, kept the rain from penetrating her thin pale skin underneath as she walked very carefully over icy rocks that could easily harm a paw or limb or even her life with the wrong step. She tiptoed with caution, snaking over the boulders as her black tipped nails gripped the exterior with light scraps for extra security until finally her eyes met the welcoming sign of a path and excitement made her scurry faster. Within moments she felt the land come to a descending point and wondered, for a half a second, if this journey would ever end and whether she would survive to talk about it.

She caught blur of a tail in her line of vision and her heart skipped a beat, excitement taking over her, but her paws maintained their slow and steady trek down the mountain, cautious of a slip. She couldn't quite tell if the wolf was male or female, her nose had seemed to fail the longer she stayed in the cold air and icy rain and she narrowed her eyes to keep the rain from clouding her vision, but it wasn't until she was within a considerable distance from the male that she emitted a friendly woof, as if to say wait up as she watched the male maneuver his way down.

 

Graphics by Arya and Becuffin!

There is a deer that was killed by a lynx nearby. +10 Health

Darkmoon froze as a faint woof reached his ears through the pouring rain. His head instantly whipped around to find the source of the noise, somewhere above him on the boulder field. Although it was difficult to see through the sheets of rain, he was able to spy the pale form of another wolf. Surprised and frightened, Darkmoon panicked, hackles raised and heart hammering in his chest; the intruder was in a better position than he, higher up and likely in far better shape than he was. His mind raced to figure out what he should do, when a thought struck him - surely, if this wolf meant him harm, they would not have signalled their presence so quickly? His body relaxed at this, but he kept on his toes in case he had misjudged the wolf's intentions.
    Shaking the water from his fur (however futile), he grave a grunt of annoyance. "You shouldn't surprise wolves like that," he grumbled, unsure if the stranger would even be able to hear him through the downpour. It seemed a strange place to run into another wolf, especially in this weather, and he wondered what desperate circumstances had forced this one out into the open. He shrugged inwardly to himself, deciding that he did not care. Never one for light conversation, he turned back the way he was going with one ear pointed back in case the stranger decided to try anything funny. Carefully, he placed his paw on the next rock and kept moving.

@Rory

(This post was last modified: Apr 08, 2017, 01:09 AM by Darkmoon.)

@Darkmoon sorry for the wait hun!

Given a different scenario, Rory wouldn't have thought twice to interact with the wandering male, but given the fact that she wasn't a big fan of mountains and her current predicament, she was happy to see any kind of face at this height. It was by pure luck that she'd managed to find the wolf and she didn't want to lose him, around them the rain continued to fall harder blurring her vision. Her face lacked emotion while she stood to listen to his words, he hadn't been too fond of her greeting, a justified reaction, but that didn't stop Rory from approaching him as if his words had been welcoming and when she felt she was at an appropriate distance she spoke. "I didn't mean to surprise you. Just wanted to get your attention," she admitted, having assumed that the male wolf probably didn't expect to see anyone so far up the mountain, but unlike her, he didn't seem so pleased to have her company. She didn't particularly mind the cold shoulder he was giving as long as it lead to a safe path off this mountain.

When he turned to continue on with his business the woman found her paws moved much quicker to follow suit, creeping around the boulders safely and stopping only when he stalled in his movements. "I hope you don't mind if I follow you..." she wasn't quite sure if he was as afraid of mountains as she was but it she was certain that she'd rarely met a wolf who actually preferred to be high up and hoped that his trek was leading them downward. "you are heading back down aren't you?" she asked next, flicking her ear backward when rain had fallen into the canal causing a tickling sensation but she was hardly amused. She hated two things most: being lost, and being uncomfortable, and today she happened to be both.

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2017, 07:53 AM by Rory.)

Graphics by Arya and Becuffin!

I didn't mean to surprise you. Just wanted to get your attention. Darkmoon's ear twitched as she spoke to him, but he just gave her a grunt in response and kept picking his way across the boulder field. He could hear her moving after him, but he paid her little attention. As long as she kept away from him she was free to do what she wanted, and he was too tired to bother scaring her off anyway. Still, he tried to move a bit faster to see if he could lose her, but she dogged his heels every step of the way. Geez, he thought to himself, rolling his eyes, she won't quit. He was not planning on interacting with her at all, but when she continued talking to him, he came to a stop, brow furrowed and jaw clenched. He let out a long sigh in annoyance - he did not have the patience for this right now.
    Darkmoon whirled around to face the stranger. The rain was still coming down heavily and it was difficult to really see her, but he managed to catch her eyes. "I'm not sure I can stop you," he said with a shrug, "although I don't really care for your company." He was blunt, but he did not feel the need to sugar coat his feelings to this wolf he had never met before and was likely never to meet again. Looking down the river of rocks and then across to the forest on the other side, he tried to plan his next move. "I am going across," he said in response to her question, "and then I am going down." He could not stand this rain, and if he was going to get anywhere it would be under the cover of the forest. "If you have any sense, you'll do the same," he suggested to her drily, before brushing past her as he backtracked to find an easier way across the boulders.

@Rory

(This post was last modified: Apr 12, 2017, 02:51 PM by Darkmoon.)

Although @Darkmoon  is a jerk to Rory, I like him. I think these two will be fun together :D

It was becoming a trend now, her encounters with the men of Relic Lore were beginning to blur together. It seemed that most of them carried some sort of chip on their shoulder and annoyance was the first emotion they displayed before introductions or understanding of any sort and on a normal occasion she would have been put off and went her own way but she was lost and needed his guidance. She wouldn't leave his side until she was lead back down to safety. She felt the rough push of his weight brush past her and she huffed loudly, clearly annoyed that he'd so brutally pushed past her without so much as an "excuse me" but she didn't speak just yet, deciding to hold her tongue because her eyes narrowed in response. It wasn't until he displayed so much annoyance because of her desire to interact with him that she thought to give him a little taste of her mind. "You don't have to be so rude..." she said, obviously crossed with the male but not enough to leave him be just yet. What was his problem, she supposed to was the weather and allowed him the room he needed to sulk, although she never strayed too far from him.

"I'm right behind you." she voice when he mentioned her being smart in heading down and across. Although the weather was making it hard to detect his scent spot on, she wondered if this male was a loner like herself, but this wasn't the time or place for formal greetings, instead she remained silent the remainder of their walk, wondering if given the chance he would bolt and leave her at her spot. Because of this possibility, she remained close to his heels, not wanting to lose sight of him even so a second.

Graphics by Arya and Becuffin!

Yeah he's a bit of an arse ;o; Sorry Rory ;-;

Darkmoon had only taken a few steps when the wolf shot a retort at him, and his ears instinctively fell to his skull for a moment. Had he offended her? He assumed so, based on her words and the tone, but he was never too sure about these things, having not grown up around other wolves. He looked back at her, but gave a huff, and turned back around. It made little difference, he told himself. Once they made it through to the other side he was sure they would go their separate ways, and he would not have to deal with her emotions anymore. It did painfully remind him of his last encounter with Xolea though, but he quickly shook that from his head. No point dwelling on that any further, he reasoned.
    I'm right behind you, she voiced. Darkmoon rolled his eyes. Of course you are, he thought, almost amused. Was she so desperate for company that she would stick with him despite the way he treated her? In the back of his mind he knew this was a cruel thing to say, but he pushed aside his conscience and continued to ignore her. However, the next moment (as though karma was out to get him), a rock slipped out from under his paw and sent him tumbling down to hit the next boulder. "Oof!" he grunted, as the air was pushed out of his lungs. It took him a moment to get his bearings (and catch his breath) before he pushed himself back up to his feet. "Maybe not that way," he said as he let out a forced laugh, looking around at his paws awkwardly. He was embarrassed that she had seen that, and tried his best to brush it off by shaking out his coat as though it was nothing. Scrambling back up to where she was with a wince, he gave her a quick glance before continuing on towards the trees. "Maybe you're wrong to put your trust in me," he shouted back through the rain. Maybe now you'll leave me alone, he said to himself.

@Rory

(This post was last modified: Apr 20, 2017, 02:13 AM by Darkmoon.)

@Darkmoon sorry for the wait! I'll have more time soon, so if you ever want to spree, let me know!

She could practically slice the tension with a knife--the male didn't want her around just as badly as Rory wanted off this mountain. He would have to put up with her until they were on level ground, she wasn't braving this mountain alone, not with the rain pummeling her thinning frame and the wind pushing her against her will and the constant looming fear of falling to her death. As far as she was concerned, he was her best bet. She could sense that the male wanted his space therefore she hung back a bit, giving him just enough space so that he wasn't necessarily smothered by her presence but close enough so that she could make out each color on his damp pelt if they happened to get separated. The silence that came with being his company allowed her mind to race with wild thoughts, they were quickly forgotten when he slipped suddenly on one of the plentiful slick rocks and it took everything within her to contain the laughter that accompanied him hitting the boulder beneath him. It had to have been karma out to get him, but whatever it was had been precisely at the right time, she only wished she could have seen his face.

He was quick to scramble to his feet and Rory stepped back to allow him more space, it was only when he suggested she not put her trust in him that she chuckled, knowing that the embarrassment that followed had mostly likely prompted his response. "You're doing much better than me," she admitted, her usual agile and grace had diminished the moment she stepped paw on the mountain. Unbeknownst to her leading male, she had slipped more times than she could count while following him but the only difference was that no one had been around to notice. "I'm not the most agile either, must be these dreadful paws." she attempted to joke, but had never truly been good with words, or comforting others for that matter. She only hoped the male could understand what she was trying to say. "I think you're doing fine by the way." she added, more so for confidence than anything and waited for the male to continue his way to potential safety.

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