Grizzly Hollow the beauty of futility

There was nothing left. She had steeled herself for it, but hadn't fully expected to truly find no trace of the pack that been more formative in her life than her own birthplace and blood. Her long legs felt weakened as they walked the desolate wood, but that cold fire within was beginning to rise again and soon she locked the quivering muscles with her quiet anger. What had been the trade-off then, the worth, the point?

Could she have done something to stop whatever had happened if she hadn't chosen to fruitlessly chase after Tomen? Or had this simply been the Hollow's unchangeable fate? It had fallen once before, after all. Just like the Caverns, the reincarnation of which she'd treated as such a priority but never came close to bringing to fruition.

Her breathing was steady but forcibly so. Nineva could feel such trivial things as her heart and soul trying to break apart inside of her and collapse altogether as her mind struggled to accept the nothingness she was now left with. Those calm inhalations transformed gradually in barely-contained huffs as her monovision turned upward to the night sky. The canopy allowed only small glimpses of the stars, but she wondered of those she saw if any were what remained of the wolves she'd once loved.

Dead or alive, they were gone. The Caverns were erased from this earth, and now the Hollow too. The Woodlands could never be her home, especially now without the presence of even her extended family. The world was empty, but that void did not feel as suffocating as she might imagine, as one of the tightly wound strings within her snapped.

Her claws gripped the hard earth as her teeth grit together, mismatched gaze lowering to take in the gloom of the forest instead of the starlight. She was fucking done propping up other wolves' failing systems anyways.

(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2017, 12:36 AM by Nineva.)

 

It felt strange to be traveling out away from the Draw. He had told @Treyah of his plans, a silent plea to hold the fort down while he was away, before informing @Maera he would be gone briefly. It was hard to tell her that but he had managed to do so. Kerberos knew -actually hoped - that she would be okay.

He headed west towards the cedarwood forest. The Rigel knew there used to be a pack over there. Even heard Treyah mention it before. Yet as he moved through the woods it seemed so...lifeless. He could not scent a border. If there was one it wasn't being well-taken care of. Without even knowing it he would soon be moving towards the old stomping grounds of the Hollow wolves.

There was one scent that tickled his nose just the faintest bit. It was hard to place a face to it right away. His brain tumbled around ideas of who it could possibly be. He caught a glimpse of silver through the trees and his lungs sucked in a deep breath. He remembered now. The tall girl with her mismatched eyes.

"Nineva...?" He called out softly as he stood a few yards away, giving her enough space to either initiate the conversation further or flee from it while still possible.

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Her turbulent emotions were strong enough to keep her from noticing changes within the world around her. She couldn't recognize Kerberos' scent upon the fall wind, nor could she hear his approach across the pine needle-ridden forest floor. Yet she heard her name slip off his tongue, and her body betrayed her by swiveling so eagerly to see who else dared walk among ghosts seeking rest in this place. That spark of hope that was clinging so determinedly to her heartstrings dared to anticipate the sudden presence of @Veho, or even him, but as her monovision settled upon Kerberos instead, the glaciers within her gained ground. They both were gone, and useless to her regardless anymore. After all, she couldn't save them, and they certainly couldn't rescue her.

Nineva's ears fell back, disinterest clearing her features of any pointed expression. She thought she remembered him, the one who was so fascinated by her mismatching eyes. His enthusiasm had been amusing to her then. Now, she felt... simply nothing.

"Hello," she called back, taking notice of his cautious distance. Did he know what had transpired here? Was it even worth asking? She knew the most likely answer; that the Hollow had simply continued to run the course it'd been set on despite Veho's belated attempts to steer it back into safe waters. Rook probably took off, maybe Oula too, and the patchwork of broken families simply hadn't been able to hold up against the weight of reality.

If she ever had a family, she would be damned if they ever fell to the same fate.

(This post was last modified: Nov 10, 2017, 12:53 AM by Nineva.)

"I'm sorry if I'm intruding." His voice trailed off in the slightest. Kerberos had thought he'd be informed of a pack in these woods but he certainly hadn't smelt anything that would indicate such. He couldn't even pick up the scent of others on her. Perhaps he had been misinformed...or perhaps something worse had happened. Was it rude to ask?

He took a few more soft steps forward, position as neutral and calm as could be. "I wasn't expecting to run into anyone." The Draw leader admitted honestly. He had expected his trip to lack anything worthwhile. "I'll be honest, it's kinda nice to bump into a familiar face." A small smile threatening to tug on his features. They were by no means best friends but he was sure they weren't on bad terms. He even remembered being rather fascinated by her. Maybe that had been a bit childish of him but Kerberos had certainly been softer then.

have you checked out my player preferences?

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

"You knew they were gone, then?" she asked, unable to herself despite her reservation. Nineva had always been a wolf that craved knowledge, and information on that which pained her was, unfortunately, not exempt from this. After all, if there was a surprise at the end of the Hollow's tale, it would do her well to know it, so that she might prevent it from happening again in her own pack.

The one that she would be damned if she was postponed from creating again. She'd put off her future to try and stay the Hollow's, and look where it had gotten her. No more. She would pursue her own goals and no one else's.

"How long has it been?"

A younger Nineva would have liked to not just acknowledge but return his sentiment of appreciating this second encounter. At the moment, however, she was far too numb to feel anything good.