Secret Falls Leave Out All The Rest

I've taken my beating
I've shared what I've made
I'm strong on the surface
Not all the way through
I've never been perfect
But neither have you

So if you're asking me
I want you to know

When my time comes
Forget the wrong that I've done
Help me leave behind some
Reasons to be missed
Don't resent me
And when you're feeling empty
Keep me in your memory
Leave out all the rest
- Linkin Park, Leave Out All The Rest

Early evening, moderate snow - Primarily for @Askan but @Reyes also very welcome.

A light but persistent snow had been falling for the past many hours, slipping between naked branches to form a thickening blanket along the forest floor. Even the areas lying in shade of the tightest knit canopy didn’t go free, an icy wind blowing the flakes into every nook and cranny. It made traversing the dense woods even more difficult, especially for an elderly wolf with a bum leg. He’d been half dragging it for a long while now, leaving more of a trench than distinct tracks in the snow behind him, slowly refilling as he went along. He’d hoped it would get better as he got deeper into the forest, but the change had been so subtle, he hardly even noticed - except of course for the increasing number of tree trunks he had to swerve to avoid. Things weren’t improved by the fact that he wasn’t entirely sure where exactly he was going. Griffin’s directions had been a little lacking, ‘in the middle of the woods’ hardly singling out a specific spot in this area; Evidently the boy had been a bit overwhelmed by all the trees. Drestig did not blame his son though, taking on the journey to search for his sister had been a big responsibility to put on such young shoulders, and he’d carried it out admirably; Even if it was pointless… Or well, not quite so. While Gale could not return to the Fields with news of Sphinx, he had brought his father some other intell, and he had wasted little time in following up. It wasn’t an easy trek, even if he had had better directions, his leg would still have slowed him down. It wasn’t supposed to cause problems anymore, the hunt had been months ago; For heaven's sake! But still it grew stiff in the cold, locked up, and started hurting after only a medium distance. He wasn’t gonna wait any longer on this though! And finally, he found himself at the clearly marked borders, heavy breaths forming large clouds in front of his snout as he watched the woodland. On the surface, there was nothing special about it, nothing to suggest it any better than the Fields. But yet, this had been their choice, and he had to believe they had made it for a reason. Breathing in deeply, he raised his head and called loudly for his former second, voice strong and even, despite his exhaustion. Then he waited, standing stock still in the spot, back straight and head held high. His leg ached with a slow, persistent throb, trembling slightly under his weight. But he didn’t move to take it off, refused to show any sign of weakness; Not now! Word Count: 452 Thoughts ”Speech”

dawnthieves.de

(This post was last modified: Feb 23, 2018, 08:32 PM by Drestig.)

Askan wondered if he was ever going to get used to it, the near constant howling at his borders. He wasn't complaining, he preferred this over trespassers by a long shot, but it was winter, weren't things supposed to be quiet? It wasn't as cold as it had been the other day, Askan was grateful for that as he headed north, his breath steaming from nose as he galloped on, drawing ever closer. There was something familiar about the call, but try as he might he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was, no doubt, someone from his past, but who? Another Selwyn? Askan glowered at the thought. He wasn't ready for that sort of bullshitery today, the tedium and heartbreak that would no doubt come along with such a meeting.

As such, he emerged on the scene with a grumpy disposition, his teeth gritted and his ears itching to twitch back against his skull. Instead of being met with a pair of yellow eyes, he saw orange. Drestig. In a flash, as though swept away by a hurricane, his annoyance was replaced with bemusement, then a warm, tingly sense of endearment. He had hoped to see the Old Man again one day, but he hadn't anticipated it to be this soon. He didn't know what to say, or even what to do with his tail. He settled for a more neutral response,he wasn't wagging his tail like a honey-high pup but...he certainly wasn't displeased. He just was here.

Taking a better look at the Old Man...he really did look old. The past few months had not been kind to him, his muzzle was riddled with grey hairs, as was the rest of his pelt. No longer did he look distinguished, yet regal, if anything he just seemed tired, right down into his bones.

Askan couldn't but state the obvious.

"Wow... you look like shit Old Man. What happened?"He breathed, his voice tight with a lingering sense of concern barely hiding beneath the surface.

A young deer has been separated from the rest of its herd. Hunt Opportunity

Taking slow, deep breaths, his nostrils filled with the scents of this, Askan’s new home. There was a strange mixture of new and familiar along the well defined border, a persistent scent of moisture clinging to the odors of moss and deciduous trees he remembered from Oak Tree Bend, old memories now; So old… Reyes and Askan had left their clear marks of course - leading together, Gale had said; Go figure..! He almost smiled, despite the persistent pounding in his leg, now starting to spread through his shoulders and up the back of his head. Through the mess of mixed feelings in his chest, the old man felt pride rise to the surface, eyes glistening in the frosty breeze. There were many other markers on the borders, they had managed to assemble a good following, and… Is that..? It was hard to discern the individuals, but he thought there was more familiarity along the borders than the two leaders, had they been joined by someone else he knew? Before he had time to investigate further, a dark figure burst from the trees, seeming to have run all the way there, ready to bark a few choice words at his visitor, though his tongue was apparently tied at the sight of him. Drestig snorted amusedly, shifting ever so slightly in the spot, to try and relieve his leg just a little. Bright yellow eyes swept his body, expression turning from annoyance to surprise. Again the elder wolves mouth twitched, feeling the inkling of a smile, but just than a fresh stab of pain rushed through his shoulder, changing it into a grimace. Askan’s words, though no more unfriendly than his usual jargon, seemed a taunt right then, speaking a truth that the Fields alpha knew very well, but was not at all interested in hearing right then. He laughed humorlessly, leaning further backwards to rest more weight on his hunches and thrusting the damned leg out to one side, offering a brief rush of relief. “What happened?” He echoed, looking the younger wolf dead in the eye, sneering; “Doing my damn duty, trying to feed my family is what happened!” He spat, turning down his eyes with a grunt as the pain returned, like a strike, admonishing his outburst. It wasn’t fair to blame Askan for his pain, and it wasn’t why he had come. Taking a deep breath, he looked back up, giving his head light shake to throw off the resentfulness. “I just… Bull got the better of me, had to happen sometime.” His voice was lower now, less bitter, but still dry as sand; “I’m… Not as young as I used to be.” And then he managed a smile, small and stiff, but real enough, accompanied by a low huff of laughter. Ember eyes turned to the trees around them, his body finally starting to relax into a proper seat. His tail swept slowly over the snow behind him, and then back, too lazy to be called a wag, but an amiable sign all the same. When he spoke again, his voice was barely more than a whisper, thick and gruff; “So you’ve chosen to settle? Trying your own paw at taking the lead?” He was smiling lightly to himself; That’ll do him good..! The smile was growing, but just then, a fresh gust of wind brought the scent of the border strongly to him again, that familiar note once again nagging at his brain. The expression on his face stiffened and his eyes widened, voice louder and colder once more when he asked; “Who else have you got here?” Word Count: 603 Thoughts ”Speech”

dawnthieves.de

Drestig did not seem to be in a good mood, he was like a shadow of his former self, bristly and quick to snap. Nothing like the Old Man Askan used to know. He wasn't sure what he'd said wrong, he'd spoken to him as he used to and yet...was he no longer allowed to? Was that it? Once he'd left the Rye had he severed all ties, were they nothing but allies now? Askan frowned, his brows pinching as he regarded Drestig once more. He was never one to hold back his opinions but perhaps it would be best to at least try, in case he insulted the Old Man even more.

As it turns out, the Old Man had gotten hurt, quite badly from the sounds of it. Maybe that was it, pain made anyone cranky, even the most amiable of wolves weren't immune to it. Certainly seemed the case with Drestig.

"Shit, sounds rough." Askan rumbled, glad that it wasn't worse. The damn beast could have killed him with a kick in the right place. "Neko patched you up, right? You sure she'd want you wandering about, even now?" He doubted it, the Old Man still didn't look well. He should have been at home, resting. Should have known better, stubborn as he was.

The Edge Lord followed his line of sight to the trees, his expression softening as he took view of his home, his kingdom. He imagined that Drestig, like his son, wouldn't think much of it. Not enough open space, too crowded, bla bla bla. The Selwyn had grown to love this place, it's nooks and crannies, the smell of the earth and the rustling of branches. Askan had never believed in heaven, paradise, but this was his little slice of it.

"Mm, me and Reyes. Hasn't collapsed around our ears yet."He smirked a little, as if that would ever happen."Remington. Percy." He said, wondering what Drestig would think of that."Got one of the Notch's pups too, along with a kid from...Quaking Vale, I think it was called. You know me, cleaning up everyone's messes. Mostly youngsters, couldn't tell you why though.They've flocked here like birds".

(This post was last modified: Mar 09, 2018, 10:25 PM by Askan.)

"Askan is like one of those weird bird magnets, man. Here they all come."

Never mind that he had recruited Hawthorne himself (and she, in turn, recruited Sachiel more than either he or Askan could claim). He'd been responsible for Cottongrass, too…but then the kid wandered off like he did, and Reyes had decided it was for the last time. You couldn't keep a wanderer in one place, and he wasn't going to waste his energy on it.

The burly male appeared with a yawn, shaking out his winter coat as he settled himself near Askan. He was as fluffy as ever, though with the days growing longer, he'd start getting that god-awful prairie chicken look any day now. The wolf caught his trail of thought, moony eyes falling back on Drestig. "You look like shit, abuelo," he snorted, unaware that Askan had said the same thing moments before. "Maybe you should stop off and see Lachesis on your way home."

REYES | Dead man walking.

His leg protested loudly at this fresh tension in his body, but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. Something about that scent, some small note was resonating deep within him, more than just an old memory. Meanwhile, Askan seemed more concerned with his wellbeeing, something that might have touched the old man, had he not been so focused on that fragment of familiarity, playing tricks with his nose. As it was, he simply shrugged his healthy shoulder, smiling stiffly; “I made it here, didn’t I?” He certainly wasn’t about to admit his possible error in judgement. It had felt all important for him to come here, to see the pack his former second had build. And as the dark lad continued to speak, it became increasingly clear how right that instinct had been. A hint of amusement played on his greyed muzzle at the little joke, but he was still too tense to truly accept the joviality. And then fell the bombshell. The first name received a flick of an ear, as silverred brows knitted together; Remi..? Was that it? But, though it sent a small pang through him, knowing that she hadn’t found the Fields worthy of a second chance, yet had still settled with their former members in the end, it didn’t seem significant enough to nag him like this. However the second name..! It was like an icy wind had suddenly picked up, sending cold flushing all along his body, ruffling his fur and filling his ears with noise, drowning out the rest of Askan’s words; Percy?! For a moment every part of him was frozen, inside and out, then heat started to rise within, bubbling to the surface to make his skin burn like fire. He stared at the younger wolf in wide-eyed shock, trying to string his muddled thoughts into coherent questions, when suddenly the trees parted, and a new figure appeared. For a moment he was confused, having forgotten entirely where he was, and he simply turned his stare onto Reyes, wrinkling his brows at the seemingly meaningless sentence; Bird magnet..? He shook his head, uncomprehendingly, frowning at the ground as he tried to regain focus an muttering under his breath: “Pe… Percy?” His mouth was dry, head still spinning, but he was starting to see clearly again, the turmoil of emotion rising in his chest breathing new life into his tired bones. Head snapping back up, bright ember eyes looked again at the burlier man when he spoke ense more. The comment did not exactly serve to lighten the elder wolf’s mood. “We’ve covered that!” He stated, curtly. As to whether he would be seeing a healer on his way home, that was up to him alone, and there were much more important things to talk about; “Percy’s here?” His head swivelled to look back over at Askan, a strange hollowness to his voice, soon replaced by a mounting panic as he asked: “Is she alright? What happened?” And then, with a little more of an edge: “How long has she been here?” Word Count: 511 Thoughts ”Speech”

dawnthieves.de

Askan shot his mate a sharp look as he appeared on the scene. Typical for Reyes to announce his presence with some sort of smart comment, as if it was all his fault that the Shallows were yearling central. It was a bit strange but it wasn't such a big deal, they'd all grow up eventually anyway, it wasn't as though they'd be stuck as kids forever. Still, the Selwyn was and always would be a bit of a softy when it came to Reyes. He was glad the southerner was here, ruling by his side, even if he was a shit from time to time. Bumping against his mate's shoulder, Askan redirected his attention towards the old man- who no doubt wouldn't appreciate what Reyes had to say.

Grimacing at Drestig's curt words, Askan couldn't help but feel as though he didn't know Drestig anymore. Yes, he was in pain, that much was clear but he felt so different, out of sorts that the Edge Lord didn't know what to make of this all. Why had he come here? To snap and get pissy? No of course not, it was all about Percy. Good to know the Field hadn't forgotten about her. Hmph.

"Ran into her around near the start of Autumn near the lake, she's been with us ever since. Askan told him, matter of fact. "Nothing happened. After Bojack brought her back and she decided she didn't want to be there anymore, could barely remember a thing and it was stressing her out. Ran into her by the lake and she asked if she could come with, I said yes. Here we are."

It was a little insulting really, that Drestig thought Askan couldn't keep an eye out on her, especially considering he'd been doing it since she was real small. His brows pulled together as his lips turned down in a typical 'Selwyn scowl.'

"What's this about? You turn up looking half dead, pissier than a mother goose."Askan tutted, his tail flicking behind him. He didn't understand what was happening and that frustrated him, endlessly.

(This post was last modified: Mar 16, 2018, 10:39 PM by Askan.)

Ah, he was here about his daughter. Reyes supposed that made sense. He didn’t have the same…grudge against Drestig when it came to the yearling; he knew his mate was soft on her, but he really didn’t have the same relationship with the young Avalon. Frankly, he didn’t have any sort of relationship with his own father, so he wasn’t about to judge what Drestig did, or didn’t do. He clearly still cared. That was enough for the older Edge Lord.

Reyes sat on his haunches, near Askan’s side – and allowed the younger man to explain the short story of how Percy came to be a member of Shallow’s Edge. She was one of the memder wander-y members, yes…but she did always come back. Silver eyes flickered back to Drestig.

“Did you want to see her?”

REYES | Dead man walking.