Dragonveil Fold pitiful baby boy

For @Astrid || Dragonveil Fold, Sunset, Patchy rain possible, 73 ° F, 23 ° C

He really hated this whole ordeal and was kind of over it. Maybe he should have just sucked it up and stopped his search. But something told him he'd hate himself much more if he gave up. Most of his energy was put into finding the honey-hued girl he called a friend. What energy he did have left after searching went into small meals. Pitiful boy he had become.

Mathuin wanted to curse this mountain, wanted to see it crumble but he knew that was rather impossible. He might have been big but he was only a yearling wolf. He was no mountain or God. The most he could do was kick some loose stones and whisper a gentle "Damn" underneath his breath. He wondered if Astrid had crossed it again or even worse - got sucked into the rapids again. Every time he thought about those dumb rapids his stomach seemed to twist. He thought about Astrid and how much she resembled a drowned rat as the water tugged at her. It was enough to make him want to vomit sometimes. When had he become so sensitive? Dad and Mom certainly wouldn't have been proud of that. A soft sigh escaping his lips as he thought about them. They probably didn't miss him very much or at least still worry about what he did.

The large Whitebark kicked a loose stone as he watched it roll down the hill. It was less rocky here but the fact was, rocks were still present. Maybe he was just bitter at everything right now. Or maybe he really did hate anything that resembled the large mountain. His green eyes watched as his rock landed into a source of water much softer than the rapids some way from here. His large paws carried his beefy form towards the small shore. He could probably use a drink. His masked head lowering slowly to lap at the cool water. It was nice he supposed. Helped him feel the smallest bit better.

Removing his attention away from the creek he saw a cave in the sunset's light. Without a warning, his heart sunk deep into his stomach. This was like the place Astrid had been dreaming of. Minus the cattails. He wasn't so sure what those were are but this was the closest he had seen so far. An obvious frown tugged at his face as he stared blankly at the cave in the glow of the evening. Pitiful, pitiful baby boy.

Astrid's wanderings brought her to and fro, as much the dandelion seed on the wind as she had ever been. She hadn't met too many wolves, but that wasn't anything new. Either her noisiness or exuberance seemed to frighten off the more cautious travelers, leaving her in a peace that was much too peaceful. What it was that brought her towards the mountains again, she couldn't really tell. Perhaps in the back of her mind remembering it as the place her and Mat were last together. Of course the labyrinthine ridges of Dire taking her in directions she could have never predicted, bringing her to a surprisingly verdant patch of the mountainside.

Astrid couldn't help but notice how beautiful it was here. Perhaps it was the first touches of early summer that brought such liveliness to the mountains, giving everything a soft painted glow as the sun sank towards the horizon. Verdant foliage sprung up beneath her paws, bugs buzzed in her ears and songbirds flitted overhead.  Astrid's heart felt light, as if her skipping paws might carry her into the sky if she jumped just a little bit higher, where she herself might fly with the birds. The air was lush and damp, the heady herbal perfume of plants in bloom filling her lungs with each breath.

Astrid's nose caught a familiar scent amid the greenery, her narrow snout brushing along the ground with long blades of grass tickling the sides of her face. Could it really be? She hadn't exactly given up hope on finding her friend again, but after so long apart and so many miles under-paw, it was seeming less and less likely. Her tail began to swish quickly behind her as she followed the course of a stream, her small white paws moving faster as she found a much larger pair of prints in the mud along the shore. 

"Mathuin!" She cried as soon as the taller wolf came into view, breaking into a run as she raced towards his side. The girl took a flying leap towards the boy, her forelimbs wrapping around his shoulders as she showered his head with a barrage of kisses mixed amidst happy whines.

(This post was last modified: Jun 03, 2017, 08:12 PM by Astrid.)

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

His mind had gone completely blank looking at the cave. With the sun setting, he had to figure if maybe he should have been inside it instead of gawking at it. He wasn't sure if he was scared what was in the cave or what wasn't in the cave. Astrid wouldn't be in the cave but a bear or mountain lion might be. Mathuin genuinely was unsure which was worse. Obviously, he had made it this far without her (despite every restless night and bad night's sleep) but there was something that felt wrong about sleeping in a place that was almost just like she had described.

It was then that something sucked him from his dreary thoughts. His own name being called out in a familiar voice. Before he could even fully process it a weight was on top of him and sent him downwards onto the ground. Limbs awkwardly tangling with honey and cream ones. Honey...honey! "Astrid!!" He barked and for the first time in a while a smile tugged at his features. Returning the kisses she gave him. Mathuin happily held onto the found girl the best anyone with paws could. She was back and he was not willing to let go so soon.

His tongue swept across her forehead and cheeks in an evaluation. She was alive. She was well. He couldn't have asked for anything more. His back against the hard, cool earth didn't matter. His lungs screamed for him to breathe because he had been holding his breath without even knowing it. A deep intake of air soothed his lungs but his nerves still frantically coursed through his large being. "You're alive!" He whined as he did his best to bury his face into her plush coat. Her scent was different from the last time they had met but he had been expecting that. Without him by her side, their coats not mingling, she had lost any traces of him just as he had with her. Now he could fix that. If she wanted of course.

"I missed you." The large yearling said as if that wasn't already obvious enough. "Where did you go? Did you look for me? I looked for you. I don't wanna have to look for you again." For once he was the blabbermouth between them. Mathuin wasn't going to bother trying to contain himself or his mind. "Are you staying with me again? I mean you don't have to but," But it was lonely without you, it wasn't the same, sleeping was awful, I was always so anxious. "you make adventures fun. Even if you aren't always a safe mountain goat." He cracked a smile as his tail wiggled underneath him the best it could. The yearling was glad to have his adventure buddy back. Mathuin had so much to tell her but he wanted to know everything he had asked about first. Maybe then he could finally relax and return back to normal. Well, as normal as one could be with the kind of antics he got up to.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid's voice bubbled up in joyous laughter as his tongue flicked out over her face, the girl's tail swishing so fast it was little more than a golden blur in the fading sunlight. Mathuin was here, he was real! Not a dream or her overactive imagination playing tricks of sound and shadow, but real flesh and warm fur wriggling against her own frantic greeting. Even though his fur was thinning into its summer coat, she had forgotten just how big the younger wolf was. He was like a big soft teddybear, and she smooshed her face into his coat as he exclaimed that she was alive. "Of course I am!" She laughed as if there was any other alternative and not entirely in touch with her own mortality. What else would she be, a rock?

Astrid had settled down enough to let Mathuin speak, setting her chin down on his fluffy chest as she listened to the questions pouring out of him.

"I'm not a very good looker," Astrid admitted, "I went around adventuring by myself for a while, but it really wasn't as much fun without you." She admitted, her tongue flicking out to sweep over her black nose.  "I had no idea where to look, it's so big out there! Forests for miles and miles any direction I went. I figured if I was meant to find you again, by fate it would happen. And here you are!" She said with a big grin. "And I'm not letting go of you this time!" She playfully growled, quickly reaching forward and gently tugging on Mathuin's ear.

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

He listened to her explain she wasn't a very good looker. "I don't think I am either." The large boy admitted with a grin. Surely if he had been a better looker than he would have found her far sooner. He let her speak despite constantly wanting to blurt out that he felt the same.

While he was no believer in fates or things from above he assumed that she was right. By some kind of fate, they had been here at the same time. Not a minute too late and not a minute too soon. Inwardly he was thanking this fate. That was until Astrid tugged on his ear. He growled with affection. Missing her contact. Playfully he took one of his front paws and tried to swat her ear kindly. Mathuin was glad she wasn't gonna let go. Truthfully their splitting had been a bit of an accident but he was determined to prevent it from happening again in any way he could.

"So, uh, Astrid." He started off slowly and ruffled her scruff to buy himself some time. "What do you think about finding somewhere to stay? Like a pack? We could keep adventuring as scouts or something but in the case, we ever got split again we could know where to find each other." His green eyes nervously looked up at the orange and purple sky. "It was just a thought. I don't mind if we keep adventuring but I don't wanna lose lose you." Mathuin kept his gaze up at the sky but his brows obviously furrowed as a frown dug into his face.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid relinquished her grip of Mathuin's ear once he batted at her, nipping at his cheek before she rolled off of him, settling onto the ground beside him with her pale own belly pointed up, her nose tucked into the groove under his jawbone.

Astrid hummed thoughtfully, the gears obviously turning behind her doe-brown eyes as she considered Mathuin's proposition. Before, she would have never considered it. She liked the freedom that being unattached gave her, she could come and go as she pleased, no one to be responsible for but herself, and now Mat. The pack wolf she had run into in Sacred grove had introduced her to the idea, its not easy on your own, she recalled her saying. Astrid didn't seem to think living on her own was particularly difficult, if only because she couldn't recall a time when she had done anything else. It was simply how things were. But Mathuin seemed to like the idea, so Astrid would consider it.

"Mmmaybe," She began as she pulled her snout from Mathuin's mane, slowly warming up to the thought. "But where would we go?" She asked. Again, she recalled Leotie, and how very lost the wolf looked despite having a place to call home. "I ran into a pack wolf down in Sacred Grove, but I dunno, she didn't look very happy. I wanna live where wolves are happy." She explained.

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

Even if her answer wasn't solid it was better than what he had been expecting. Mathuin had expected the honey girl who seemed so hooked onto freedom to outright say no or maybe even disappear again. Instead, she asked him an understandable question. One that he hadn't entirely thought through. Felix had been a pack wolf but he left home because things were confusing. Mat didn't wanna be where things were confusing just like Astrid didn't wanna be where wolves were unhappy. Enoki had been kind but that meant crossing the mountain again and taking another long trip. It wasn't the trip so much he minded it was more or less the mountain. Greer and Iyes had a home on the mountain which earned an automatic no from him. So where did they go?

"I don't know where if I'm being honest. I wanna live where wolves are happy too, Astrid. I want us to still be happy and be able to have adventures." Mathuin easily came to terms with he would put their own wants and needs among anyone else's. If Astrid wasn't happy he would have no qualms about packing things back up and heading out into the world again. He didn't want to lose her which meant making sure she was still as happy as she was the first day they met. "I really don't wanna cross the mountain again." He admitted and turned his head some to catch a glance at the sunflower wolf next to his side. "Do you?" If she really absolutely wanted to he supposed he'd suck it up.

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid didn't really expect Mathuin to have an answer, she'd only wondered if he had a place in mind when he brought up the question. It seemed their roguish lifestyle wasn't up quite yet, as they had to find a pack to call home first, somewhere nice where the wolves were happy. 

"Nuh uh," Astrid grunted in response to his question with a shake of her head. She'd cross the mountains again if she really had to, but it wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. "My legs are still sore from that ridge I climbed up yesterday! The view was great, but..." She stretched all four of her limbs out above her, briefly looking like a fainting goat before she brought her paws back in. 

Astrid's gaze swept towards the heavens, watching as the bright pinpricks of the stars began to make their way through the violet canopy of the sky. There was something about the mountain air that just made the stars seem so much brighter. Maybe it made up a little bit for all the climbing she'd done to get here. And finding Mathuin of course was well worth the sore muscles she'd earned. "I'm so glad I found you," Astrid wriggled closer in against Mathuin's side as the cool evening breeze tickled through her honeyed pelt. 

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts

A sigh of relief left his slightly parted jaws as she declared they would not be crossing the mountain. He chuckled at her demonstration of a fainting goat. "I think I can understand that feeling." He may have had the muscle and stamina to climb over such rugged places but that didn't mean he wanted to. This little slice of heaven amongst hell (a.k.a The Mountain) had been his saving grace. A calm creek and places with grass for him to relax. Not to mention the view here was just as stunning as the peaks. Even the stars were beginning to creep out as if to help solidify his opinion.

The soft sound of his tail thumping against the ground beneath him almost matched the beating of his heart. When Astrid leaned into him he did too. Whether if it was because of the cool breeze or her kind words, he wouldn't tell. "I'm glad I found you too." He awkwardly placed his chin on top of her head. Youthful green eyes looking more at the rock and grass surrounding than the starry sky. "You could have easily left me. Especially when I got sprayed by that skunk." Although the incident had been awful at first he could easily look back at it and laugh now. "But you didn't." He had to have been the happiest yearling in the world to have such an amazing wolf stick by his side.

(This post was last modified: Jun 22, 2017, 12:52 AM by Mathuin.)

Astrid & Mathuin
The Adventuring Peanuts

Astrid whined happily, unable to contain a joyous little wriggle that worked up her spine. Her tail swished merrily from side to side against the ground as she nuzzled her head against his chin that rested on her honeyed crown. She couldn't have asked for a better friend. The sunshine girl was always happy, but she couldn't believe how much happier she was with Mathuin by her side.

Astrid laughed at the memory of the skunk. To think that had all happened on the first day she'd met him. It was certainly quite the first impression, and boy, did Mathuin stink after that! Water barely subdued the stench, but at least with time the malodorous scent had vanished from his coat. She much preferred Mathuin in his non-stinky form. But she'd been impressed by the bravery he displayed, none-the-less. 

"Oh I'd never! I mean, if I went in first it would have got me instead!" She giggled, before she quickly grew still and quiet. Her dark brown eyes rolled up towards Mathuin, who she couldn't quite see with his head perched on top of hers as it was. "You wouldn't leave me if I got sprayed by a skunk, would you?"

Astrid + Mathuin

Two Pure Peanuts