Windsong Fjord rust is showing on my armor

It had gotten cold, but she didn't know whether to attribute it to the climb along and through the mountains or not.  It made sense to Vesper that things would get colder up in the higher elevations, because after all the mountains had been more than just smattered with snow across their peaks.  The views had been something but at that point in her journey she was a touch too weary to appreciate them.

And of course, there was the matter of hunger that troubled her too.

Daybreak came with the same cold that had lent to her a restless sleep.  The tossing and turning had become too much and finally she had pushed up from the stony earth and set off, nestling and weaving her way down into the lower reaches.  Had there been a decent goal in mind, she would have been making good time, but her destination was as directionless as the winds had been over the last couple of days.

Where she had hoped to find refuge from the winds in the steep canyon of the foothills, there was little.  The trees offered what they could; the sun did the same, at least when the clouds didn't hide it away like some precious trinket not meant for prying eyes.  A shiver struck her involuntarily, her breath a plume that choked itself out shakily.  A whine that could only be construed as hopeless followed, and Vesper reluctantly plopped down to rest with the next tight grouping of timber.  She hadn't anticipated any of this, but then again things had been tumbling away pretty swiftly from picturesque.

@Kisla

(This post was last modified: Apr 17, 2017, 03:09 PM by Vesper.)

This would be one of her last excursions from the borders of Hearthwood River, and after informing her daughter, Lekalta, where she would be in case anything happened, the regal had swept away as quickly as she could. She simply desired a day or two to clear her head – especially after her run in recently with Ice. She could still see the cooler glare he had fixated upon her – she had never seen him so angered, spare for his warpath on Rissa’s revenge. Even then.. he had held an air of sorrow more than anger.

But it was done now. There was little he could do while he remained in Oak Tree Bend, and she would not pull him away from his true son. These children were hers, and hers alone.

Daylight cast itself across the land before her as she made her way to the fjord – she avoided the lowlands for now. The cold had blanketed itself across Relic Lore just as it had begun to warm up, and she found herself bittered by the notion – at least until another came to view. Tawny fur adorned the girl’s body – and pausing, hesitant despite the youthful appearance of the stranger, Kisla was weary of taking any chances in her state and wanted to leave enough space between the two should she have to flee.. as much as she hated running from a fight.

sparking up my heart

The cool air did little to deter the call of wildlife in the boughs above, and slowly she felt the lull of a nap pulling at her overwound vigilance.  It was hard not to feel just a little hopeless, as though this particular event was the worst thing in her life up until that point.  There had been other calamities, at least of a sort, that had given her chase day and night.  Some were very real concerns and others, well... who wasn't prone to snowballing the what if's in the world.

But even with the undoing of her waking thoughts, she fought the urge to relax bitterly.  When had things begun to feel so over complicated that she could not handle them?  When had the earth become so filled with avarice that it prompted upheavals as it had done?  Why it seemed just a short while ago she had been stomping around just a little more triumphant about things, a little more at ease with the situation she found herself cast into.  Vesper heaved a sigh into the snow, holding back the urge to begin a whine that may have been inclined to turn into a snivel.

And then, perhaps just like her introduction to the world as she was finding it, another figure emerged from the wood ahead.  The lulling nature around her was pulled away as her eyes fixed sharply on the hesitant matron.  Vesper's head rose, her brow furrowing in wonder as a jolt of recognition passed her features -- was it?  She blinked once, twice, and the illusion disappeared as quickly as it came.

She winced, not so much in physical pain as it was disappointment.

At that point in time, she was more than certain she wouldn't catch up.  Her jog through the region had only been offset time and time again and this time was no different.  But it was their way and she was much too old to have a search party summoned on her behalf, had there been the option to do so.  Her head sank and ears slicked back to her skull, body turning away in partial submission.  She didn't want any trouble and that much she wanted to make clear.  The last thing she wanted to do was stir up anger from a soon-to-be mother; instinct told her that would have been more unwise than skirting a bit too close to someone's home.

(This post was last modified: Apr 19, 2017, 03:33 AM by Vesper. Edit Reason: accidentally some words )

A lynx has left behind the remains of a deer. +5 Health

As hesitant as she was, it seemed unwarranted – the other turned her muzzle down, ears flattening as she submitted quietly. Kisla could have taken her leave there – been on her way to continue her thoughts in the solace she sought, uninterested in intruding upon the others equal moment of solitude. But there was something somber about the girl before her – was it sorrow that clung to her, or was Kisla simply projecting her unspoken thoughts on to the other and imagining things?

She skirted closer, her pace slow, her eyes fixated upon the girl. There was little threat to be found, and while her own form held herself proud, it was more to maintain control lest the other was dishonest in her actions – after all, she had met more than one submissive wolf who had used such actions as bait.

“Are you okay?” Her voice called out across the winterscape – spring might have fallen upon them, but the snow continued to grip the lands of Relic Lore. It was still not a friendly time of year for a lone wolf. Pausing now at a respectful distance away, the Baranski matriarch allowed her eyes to sweep over the girl, her ears flickering forward as she awaited a response – gauging if her company was even welcome or warranted.

sparking up my heart

oh no word vomits... also this cold is awful but seeing baby pictures on facebook the other day made my morning <3

A surge of pain overcame her, the white hot sear of everything suddenly overwhelming her.  Vesper considered for a fair moment just burying her face against the ground and covering it as best as she could to block out everything around her, but it seemed futile.  Much like the progress she had been making to catch up.  It seemed that no matter how far or how quickly she had gone, she had been left in the dust, so to speak.  Not unfairly or intentionally of course, this she knew would never happen.  But even she knew there came a point when optimist crossed over into fantasy and well, she had long entered that territory without thought.  She couldn't have even put a figure into how many weeks she had been fumbling around now, driving forward with far more energy and enthusiasm than her body could power.

She let out a breath, her vision obscured for the briefest of moments by the plume it created.  It was a tense exhale, quiet but nonetheless strained to match her equally taxed state of mind.  Her body wasn't in much better shape either; she was a bit more than travel-weary, she was thin and ragged.  No doubt looked the part too, which hurt her more than she was willing to let on.  She'd probably looked it when she had set foot into this place, no wonder someone had already tried to drag her home with them.  It had taken her a few days to realize what that had been all about, and she hardly took offense to it.  It had seemed a good idea.  It still seemed a good idea, but she hadn't the fanciest clue how to retrace her steps at this point.  It too, seemed pointless.

Fresh footfalls stirred her out of the collision of her thoughts.  Her gaze settled again on the matron who drew closer, her tawny coat tousled gently by the exchange of chilly winds.  She didn't close in that distance all the way – who would blame her?  Vesper's gaze sank to her feet as they stopped and surprisingly, the yearling held back a whine.  Now was not the time to go pulling the baby card, good lord no.  Instead at the query, she tried to think of a way to sum it up because she was far, far from all right.

"You ever... have one of those moments where everything you thought made sense but it doesn't any more?"  Her words came out slowly, the picking and choosing undeniably precise.  She didn't even know if what she said was making a whole lot of sense.  Nothing out of the last few weeks was making a lot of sense at this point; Vesper wondered if she would have been in a better situation had she come to this realization earlier.  Perhaps she would have forged a much different path than the one she was on. "I'm sorry," she offered in turn with a shake of her head, "I hope I'm not, like, I don't know, not supposed to be around here.  I'm just so tired and everything is coming apart and..."  She huffed; it was a weak attempt to laugh.

(This post was last modified: Apr 29, 2017, 06:20 AM by Vesper. Edit Reason: LISTEN HERE RANDOM LINE BREAKS FFS )

She studied the girl – there seemed to be consideration on the youthful wolf’s features, but Kisla could not truly tell – she did not know her. Still, the words were spoken with a sense of caution, and the honeyed woman felt a small pang for the stranger as she continued. She knew that feeling all too well – it had encompassed her for more than half of her life, and she was all but devoured by it now.

She had simply chose to ignore it.. swallow it in to a void she carefully tucked away in her mind, and dare not retract. But the stranger waited upon her for a response, and with her own careful consideration, she tilted her muzzle lightly. “Yes,” she finally allowed, but she chose not to offer more details. Her life was not on display for a girl outside of her pack – and even those within the borders seemed to know less and less of her.

“This is neutral land. My home is back that way,” she motioned with her nose to the direction of the river. Taking pause then, she decided to take a chance – an invitation to a wolf she knew nothing about, but who seemed to need an act of compassion.. even if from one as stony as the Baranski matriarch. “If you’re looking for a home, we could have room for another.. as long as you aren’t an asshole.”

sparking up my heart

How much easier life would have seemed had she possessed even a fraction of the ability of the matron in front of her. Though she did not divulge the details of knowing about misery, her answer seemed honest in spite of her stony demeanor. It was probably better that way, for there was a part in Vesper that presumed she was being childish, far too silly for a yearling to be and worrying about something that was likely not to come to fruition. But the discouragement was budding and building continuously, branching out to cover any bastions left that she had of hope.

But if there was at least one thing going in her favor, she had at least not stumbled across someone's grounds in a fit of melancholy and ignorance. For any wayfaring stranger that was an easy death sentence, and that was also on top of the unfavorable weather conditions they were having. Vesper's gaze followed the motion of the matron's muzzle as she gestured and strangely, she felt relief flood over her – she had avoided being an aggravation.

What followed next was an invitation that did not tempt her – at least not right there and then. It would linger at the back of her mind all the same, as it was not the first invitation she had received. But it was a kind gesture and one that she had hardly expected. The kindness of others should have been comforting and to an extent, it was. And as for being an asshole, well, Vesper wasn't so sure she fell into that category. She hoped not. It was intimidating enough just to be on her own.

"Thank you," she said, finding her voice once again. Her ears stayed back, submissive. "But I'm trying to find the rest of my family... we had to leave where we were before winter. The ground dried up, the prey left," she found herself explaining. Her eyes found the ground at the River matron's feet again. Together they had scraped through the winter no worse for the wear, but the same winter had separated them for more than one reason.