Broken Timber Pines A monster of your own imagination

Special tags for @Mathuin and @Astrid

Eek returned to the scene almost unintentionally, and now that she was here her face contorted into a sneer. There was no sign of the pack that once lived here, beyond a few snaking trails and an abandoned den. She came across her own disused tunnel and thought for a moment that perhaps she should make use of it once more but why would she? Her work here was long done. She had to keep travelling south, she was sure. Eirian had to be around here somewhere.

Perhaps, she had come seeking some confirmation that the wolf she left bleeding in the dirt had died, but then, they were a sentimental bunch. If she hadn't dragged herself off to die out of sight they probably buried her in the dirt like a child's favourite fur scrap, denying the inky woman one last chance to gnaw on a disused femur, or to find a way to shatter what might remain of an empty skull. Not to mind though. Spring was in the air and while her own exploits over the season may have failed to bear fruit that didn't mean her companion was likewise unlucky in his endeavours.

An eerie quiet came over the clearing and the dark look on her face promptly melted into something far more childlike in its innocence. Coaly ears turned forward, the left torn from her battle on this very ground and her eyes widened. To compensate for the missing appendage that was her tail, her rump began to wave in its place. "Hello?" she called sweetly, wondering just who else might dare walk through this old graveyard.

He was a bit sleepy today, unaware of how many times he had climbed over that same fallen tree or how many times he had kicked the same stone closer to the river. The large yearling was tempted to nab Astrid to inform her or even invite her to take a nap with him. That was until a voice called out in a rather friendly tone. He shuffled through the slush to find an older female with some nasty scars and a missing tail. Mathuin wasn't one to judge by looks. "Hey there." He called out with a soft smile as he closed some of the distance between them. "You lost or just passing through?" While he certainly wasn't a very well-traveled wolf he was familiar enough with the place to point someone in the direction to get out.

His head awkwardly turned around, positive Astrid would come bounding onto the scene any moment. "I got a friend with me so if someone comes crashing in it's likely her." The large yearling's tail wagged happily as he spoke of his closest friend. Truthfully she was the longest time he had had a friend so that kind of automatically made her his closest. His green eyes returned back to the dark female before him. She was certainly a sight to behold. Childish curiosity made him want to ask what had happened both to her tail, ear, and chest but he bit his cheek. His mother had certainly taught him better than that.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid bounded along through the forest, tiptoeing across the tops of tree trunks and squeezing her way under fallen logs. Given her rather uncomfortable dunk straight into an icy river not long ago, she used a bit more care in her acrobatic antics. She hummed a small, directionless song as she went, feeling in good spirits now that the weather was warming up just enough to start to chip away at the great mounds of snow that still lay heaped across the ground. Her wild and wiry coat was looking even wilder as clumps of fur began to slowly work themselves free, bits and pieces of golden fleece coming off against each tree she brushed past. 

Astrid didn't follow Mathuin too closely, often getting caught up in whatever little wonder the forest held. She trailed along like a rubber band at times, slowly drifting away as she investigated some curiousity before suddenly snapping back to Mathuin's side, attaching herself to the taller boy like they were conjoined twins. Again Astrid lingered behind, this time inspecting a rather disgruntled looking old toad who appeared to have freshly emerged from it's toadly winter hibernation. It was the first amphibian she'd seen this year, surely it was a sign that spring was on its way. She laughed as the grouchy looking creature emitted a loud croak as she prodded it, immediately thinking she just had to show Mat what she'd found.

As if on cue, Astrid came bounding through the undergrowth. "Mat! You just gotta see this! It's like, the biggest toad I've ever seen!" She yipped as she stopped beside Mathuin, nudging her friend in the cheek with her nose before she noticed the little black wolf standing before them. A sunny grin lit up Astrid's face, her tail waggling frantically as she looked over the female. She was so small, and oh, that tiny little bobtail! "My, you're just the cutest little thing!" Astrid exclaimed.

(This post was last modified: Apr 26, 2017, 05:29 AM by Astrid.)

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

The first to approach was a young boy, eyes the colour of freshly churned ocean at the bottom of sharp rocked cliffs and he asked if she was lost. Eek managed an enthusiastic shake of her head, small voice breaking free, a little hoarse from disuse over the winter months, "I used to live here..." I used to lead here... But to voice as much would betray the demure façade she worked so hard to maintain and that would hardly serve in her own best interests. When he mentioned a friend, she gave another ghost of a smile, small frame shrinking down in mock shyness, Really, there was no need to gang up on little old her.

As if on cue however, a golden blur tumbled onto the scene, smaller than the first but full of energy. Her rump continued to wiggle, compensating for her lost tail as the young wolf gushed on about a toad, her shy smile morphing into something larger though still not quite reaching her eyes. She chuckled at the girls declaration, ears folding back and head turning in a way that would make her seem embarassed at the compliment. "Thank you, your coat is stunning!" she responded, tone laced with joy and envy the wolf herself did not feel. "Would you mind showing me the toad too?" Perhaps, if she played nicely, she might be able to get some information that might be of use to her.

His eyes widened for a moment when she said she used to live here but the yearling didn't look too much into it. "I can see why. Nice place." The thick-furred tail beat at the air with ease. Astrid and he had been enjoying all the adventures here. It wasn't very hard to see how or why someone would pick to live here be it just two loners or a whole group.

Mathuin didn't fail to notice that small cowering movement. "Come on now," He smiled warmly. "she's real nice." He explained. On cue, the honey girl called out to him about a toad before she saw their company. Mathuin awkwardly listened as they complimented each other. Was this what girls did? It was weird so he hung out in the background.

The large male's ears perked as the stub-tailed girl asked if she could join them. His shoulders lazily shrug and he gave a glance to Astrid. "I don't see why she shouldn't see too." He was curious to go see this toad thing. Especially if Astrid had been so excited about it. Granted Mathuin came to terms that most things seemed to excite his bubbly friend. "How big was it? And, uh, what exactly is it?" He asked with a half frown. There weren't many of those things (toads) back home. If there was he certainly didn't have them by his creek.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

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

@Eek

Astrid's golden face beamed in a sunny expression as the little bobtail returned the compliment. Her tail wagged as Mathuin called her nice, dipping her head down bashfully. How nice of him to call her nice! "Of course! We can all go together." She answered as Mathuin shrugged at her, nodding her angled face vigorously at the silver eyed female's request. If there was any rule that Astrid lived by, it was certainly 'the more the merrier'. Her paws danced beneath her, the girl gallivanting in a circle around her two companions as she bumped Eek's behind and Mathuin's shoulder, herding him forward towards the amphibious discovery.

"A toad, you toad!" Astrid laughed jokingly, her tail swinging a merry beat as she nudged her nose into the fluffy ruff about his neck. She looked at Mathuin, her smile pausing for just the slightest beat as she realized he truly had no idea what she was talking about. "Hmm... They've got big bulgy eyes, bumpy skin, kinda brown... They make a big croak and their necks turn into a big bubble! Usually they live where its wet, I think this one was takin' a nap 'cus of all the snow." She explained, smiling to herself at the thought of the strange little creatures. As it was, the ground beneath them began to squelch with each step from the new snowmelt. Astrid wiggled her toes in the mud, "I think he's up here somewhere, just past that stump..." She pointed with her narrow snout.

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts