Umbra Copse god, your momma, and me

for @Sachiel
September 8th, 2017

The trick really had almost been too easy to pull off, but Mabel didn’t really care. She had told Reginald she was going to walk herself back to the territory and then once she was sure she was out of earshot (she was out of eyesight almost immediately since his vision sucked) she had simply turned and walked in a different direction. First she had followed the trail that she had taken with her mother and her siblings when they visited with their other big sister - the pup secretly hoped there weren’t anymore. She had been quite enjoying being the oldest sibling until Lila and Kyna had stamped away those gloating rights. Mabel thought the oldest Aquila daughter seemed fine and she liked Lila but they had so much freedom, and Kyna had kids her age! It made Mabel feel small, like a baby and she hated feeling like that.

Thoughts of that trip lead by their mother caused the pale Donata to veer wildly off course, she wasn’t just going to go somewhere she had already been! Mabel was well aware that this trip might end up in her being grounded and she wasn’t going to waste it going the same boring old place. The woods got thicker and thicker as less light seemed to reach the ground, but the spooky setting didn’t bother the pup. She had been born and raised in the spectral woods after all, where shapes in the mist almost always seemed to look like a monster before blowing away. It would take a lot more than some darkness and fog to scare a child of the Bend, unless that kid was Ayla obviously.Everything scared Ayla.

She had trotted along content not noticing that darkness seemed to be getting inkier until it was too late. There was no way she could find her way back at nighttime, she would just have to tough it out here tonight she supposed. Mabel sniffed bravely as if the idea did not phase her, but deep down inside she wished that she hadn’t wandered quite so far alone. Curling up against the gnarled roots of a tree her pale pelt stood out stark white in the dim. Closing her eyes firmly she willed herself to sleep, it would make a good story after all and Corsair would be so jealous. But, were those pawsteps she heard? It couldn’t be, it must be the wind.

It was almost too easy for the boy to slip away unnoticed by his older packmates. They were all too busy to keep an eye on him and his whereabouts, for they had their own duties to tend to. Sachiel, however, had no duties to keep himself occupied. His paws itched for the desire to escape the sea of orange overhead, for it made his head ache and his thoughts jumble together. So loud! He marched between the stripes trees, his head kept low as he fixated his gaze on the path before him, not daring to look overhead. Some of the tangerine leaves had begun to fall and they littered the ground, folding at the edges and turning an ugly rust colour. A small smile tugged at his lips at the sight. Perhaps they would all fall and the little Leigh wouldn’t mind staying within pack territory. But for now his paws practically dragged him away from the dens, taking him beyond the striped trees and into the sage-coloured forest beyond.

The further he went from the Vale the darker the woods became, trees shifting from shades of marmalade to mossy greens. Calm. A sigh of relief escaped him, his mismatched eyes finally lifting from their position on the forest floor. The leaves had changed shape on the trees, turning into thin needles dripping in shades of deep, desaturated emerald. Quiet. His tail wagged. This was better.

The boy was completely unaware of the falling sun overhead, for he was fascinated by the array of green before him. It became easier to breathe—to think—for his head and chest did not feel as cluttered. But the sky was growing dark and Sachiel was starting to realize that he was a long way from home.

His movement ceased as the scent of another attacked his damp nostrils, causing his brows to rise in alarm. The stranger was close. Her scent was filled with youth, much like his own, and his head immediately filled with the soft, blush-coloured flowers he had encountered before. She did not smell like a threat, but that did not mean there wasn’t one lurking nearby. However, his curiosity got the best of him, and he propelled himself forward, his movements slow and cautious. The forest had grown dim, making it difficult for the boy to navigate his way through the trees, and he nearly tripped a number of times. It was a flash of ivory against dark evergreen that alerted the boy of her presence. Was she sleeping? Injured? His head tipped to the side as he took a hesitant step forward, a lump forming in his throat. She did not smell unwell and he could see the steady rise and fall of her chest from afar. He frowned. “You okay?” He called out, startled by the sound of his own voice as his brows pinched together, concern pressed against his pale features.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

@Sachiel sorry for the delay!

The wind that sounded like pawsteps seemed to only get louder, as if they were coming closer. Closer if they were pawsteps obviously - which they weren’t! The wind must just sound weird around here because the trees are so close together that’s all. Mabel was almost beginning to believe her rationalization when the sound got threateningly close and then stopped altogether. Then a single pawstep forward rustled the leaves and the pup could no longer deny that she wasn’t alone out here in these strange woods in the dark. Squeezing her eyes harder than before she fought to keep her breathing even, she didn’t want whatever it was to notice her.

The seconds seem to stretch on into hours as Mabel’s heart pounded wildly in her chest, sending her blood rushing in her ears. The voice that suddenly broke the silence seemed so out of place, it definitely didn’t match the image of the yeth hound that she had procured in her mind. Blinking her chocolate coloured eyes open in surprise the child’s head whipped around to seek out the voice’s owner. It was just a kid! Tail thumped against the ground in relief and a smile spread across her muzzle, everything was fine. ”Oh, yeah I’m fine.” She would leave the part about her being scared out of the story when she told Corsair, ”I go on adventures all the time.” The second sentence was added in haste when Mabel saw the stranger’s concerned look, he wouldn’t rat her out would he?

He watched her through impatient, narrowed brows, waiting for a response that would quench the question that had tumbled off his tongue. Nothing seemed wrong, but he could not be certain. Why else she was tucked in next to one of the towering evergreen trees? Was—was she sleeping out here? His nose wrinkled. She smelt of other wolves, which meant she (like Sachiel) was typically not alone.

A smile broke across her pale features after a moment’s pause, lighting up her face as she hastily responded to his question. The girl was a soft, airbrushed mix of blush and lilac; much more soothing than the obnoxious orange he had left behind in the Vale. I go on adventures all the time. His head tipped to the side, curiosity burning furiously within his chest. He knew that there were other packs nearby, but he had not yet encountered any of them. Until now, that was. The cream-coloured girl with the caramel eyes was the first outsider he’d come across. Which immediately made him feel self-conscious, as the girl had said she did this sort of thing all the time, which meant that she probably met loads of strangers.

“Me too,” he chirped in response with a small, crooked smile. Sort of. Usually just to the evergreen trees just beyond the orange borders of the Vale, but she didn’t need to know that. “You from around here?” He was curious as to where the girl hailed from, for he knew little about the neighbouring packs and their members. Sachiel usually kept to himself, avoiding strangers and keeping his tongue between his teeth.

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

The strange boy did not question that she was often out on adventures and was totally fine being out here alone and she instantly took a liking to him. Her tail thumped harder upon the earth and Mabel’s smile grew as she looked at his weird mismatched eyes. He seemed odd but she liked him anyways, even if it was just because he accepted what she said even though he didn’t even know her. Scrambling to her paws she walked towards him confidently, closer and closer until their noses were only a few inches apart, ”We could go on an adventure right now, together!” That would be so much fun, and now Corsair would be really jealous.

Nodding her head Mabel looked back towards the way she thought she had came from, ”Uh huh, I left this afternoon and now I’m here. I live where the oak trees are, but my sister hates to adventure and my brother doesn’t like to leave her behind.” He did it lots anyways, but not today, today she had come out all on her own after giving Reginald the slip. This was her first friend all on her own, she didn’t have to share it with any of her siblings and they were gonna be so envious of her when she got back and bragged about it.

Suddenly she realized she didn’t even know her friend’s name, ”I’m Mabel Donata aannnddd you’re it!” Pressing her snout against his with a laugh she took off into the woods, just assuming he would chase after her.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

As she spoke the blush intermingled with lilac, turning the air a soft shade of magenta. He still felt relaxed around her, for she seemed keen on being on her own and did not question why he was out without his parents. Maybe it was an adult thing—to always question why cubs were alone. The corners of his mouth fell at the thought. He understood it was more dangerous for him, to be on his own, as he was small and incapable of protecting himself. But he wasn’t an idiot. He knew when to fight or flee. He knew that when a place felt bad it mean to get the heck out! He wouldn’t mind spending a little more time with his parents, but they always seemed too busy for him, so he never wanted to bother them. Plus, he rarely saw them together so it was hard to track them down when they were tending to their duties.

Sure! He hummed in response to the girl, his tail wagging gently behind him. It had been awhile since he had an adventure buddy. The other cub in Quaking Vale had vanished, leaving Sachiel without someone his own age to play with. Not that he minded—he never saw much of Laur-whatever his name was anyway.

His head tipped to the side as she spoke, his dark brows pinched together. She had a brother and a sister? Lucky! I live where all the ugly orange trees are, he retorted with a lopsided grin as he stepped toward her, his mismatched gaze bright with excitement.

I’m Mabel Donata aannnddd you’re it!

He blinked, taken aback by her outburst as she touched her shout to his and sprinted away from him. Oh, I know this game! Without hesitation the boy flung himself forward, his lips stretched back as he scrambled after her, the magenta air around them darkening as he called out his own introduction: I’m Sachiel!

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

hope this pp is okay!

Mabel liked the boy more and more the more he spoke, he agreed to go on an adventure without hesitating even a little. He was definitely much cooler than her siblings, Ayla would have thrown and fit and then Corsair would have had to take a second to decide who he was choosing that day. The cream coloured pup didn’t mind that much really, when he chose their younger sister it gave her an opportunity to go and make him jealous.

They had sprinted off into the undergrowth, the girl’s fear forgotten while she played with the fellow adventurous cub. This had lasted for a while but eventually they both got tired and their game became less and less enthusiastic.Mabel had declared that Sachiel had won, (only because he was a new friend, she never lost at tag) and they had found a new tree to lay under.

When she finally got her breath under control Mabel asked the first question that popped into her head, ”Why would you live somewhere that’s ugly? You should leave and live somewhere better.” The child knew nothing about how pack politics work and to her it should that simple, don’t like where you live? Just get up and move.

The boy chased after the girl without a second thought, his lanky legs propelling him through the trees as they continued their game. He had played a massive game of tag back among the orange trees with his packmates but this was different—better. It was much easier to focus on one wolf instead of a bunch of them. And way more fun. The girl—Mabel—had declared that he had won, and while he felt it was the other way around the agouti did not protest. Instead he flopped down beside her against the tree trunk, his head swirling with an array of bright, vibrant colours.

His ears twitched in her direction at her question, his back pressed to the tree. Sachiel shrugged at first, his lips falling into a soft frown. The girl had a good point. Why did he live somewhere he hated? My family, I guess, he answered after a brief pause, his mismatched eyes narrowing. I can’t just leave ‘em. Could he? No, that was foolish, he couldn’t leave his parents. They needed him… even if they were busy… always busy… he couldn’t just leave. That was preposterous. He was far too young to venture out on his own. 

ridge is a mature character

aka he curses a lot due to his frustation with his memory loss

x

ridge associates colours with moods/feelings & uses them to describe others

Fade with you next post? <3

Mabel didn’t like to see her new friend Sachiel frown, it reminded her of when Ayla did it when one of her siblings wanted to do something she didn’t. He wasn’t about to tell her that he had to leave was he? She had forgotten all about being afraid when he had gotten here but the thought of staying here alone all night was a little frightening. Not that she would ever admit it. Then he had shrugged and given her a brief answer that the pup wasn’t sure he was too adamant about.

The Donata had hmphed in response, as noncommittal as she could be. She would never have left her family really, but she liked to think that she didn’t need anybody. After a few seconds of silence she declared, ”Well if you ever do leave the ugly place you should come see me! Then we could go on another adventure together.” And she could brag and show Corsair her friend who was all hers.

The child didn’t want to sleep yet, but her lids were growing heavy and she fought slumber with very slow blink. It was a lot easier to think about sleeping now that she wasn’t going to be doing it alone.