Ghastly Woods Waving through a window

For dear @Cyril <333 Addy left WR around 2/25 and will be back by late 3/3

It had been a long time since she’d seen her best friend, approximately two months if she could remember correctly. She’d been wondering how he was doing, if he was taking care of himself. Addy didn’t doubt it, as she knew that he knew that he had to keep his strength up to appease his mother. He never wanted to worry her, it was certainly part of the reason he’d accepted her rabbit on their journey to return her home. He was protective of @Piety and she knew that as long as the pale woman was around Cyril would be the closest form of okay that he could be. Still, she wanted to see him with her own eyes. So, she’d informed @Sven and @Ravenna of her roughly week long departure then headed up to the place that the dark boy had described as his resting place.

The trip was long but she couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy it. She needed to hone her sense of direction and it was easier to navigate this time around since she’d been there before. Once she’d entered the southern end of Ghastly Woods she moved until she was skirting the mountain edge. Somewhere along here she would find her friend and the thought made her pick up her pace in excitement. Slowly, she began to smell more and more scent mingling here and she wondered just how many wolves had suddenly joined their merry band. She knew of @Lorcan , the thought bringing a sour taste to her mouth, but she pushed it the back of her thoughts. For the moment she only had concerns for Cyril.

At a certain point she stopped and decided it would be easiest for her to call to him. So, she lifted her head and called out to him. Come and get me!. Her tail wagged and a mischievous grin settled on her maw as she went to hide, rubbing herself against various trees and swerving and crisscrossing to try and confuse him. Then, she hid in a thick patch of shrubbery with the knowledge that her dark pelt would hide her quite well.

(This post was last modified: Feb 28, 2018, 07:21 PM by Adeltra.)

<3

The mountain wasn’t the same as the tundra, or the monadnock, but it was slowly becoming a home to the sullen boy. He was trying to move forward, to be happier. It was what his father would want—and for him to stop blaming himself. He just worried that if he stopped thinking abut him, and focused on getting better, that he would forget Wraith. And that was almost as painful as the grief he carried with him.

Now that they had found a place to settle down in Cyril owed his friend in the south a visit. To keep her up to date on what was going on in his life, just as he had promised. He worried about her, too, especially after what she had told him during their last meeting. The boy hoped that the tensions in the south had settled and that there was no longer a possibility of war, but as the days passed his worries only continued to increase. Being so far away didn’t make it any easier. It just made him miss her a lot more.

He had descended down the mountain to start his trek to the willows after seeking permission from his mother. He liked keeping @Piety in the loop when it came to his excursions, just as much as he liked keeping @Adeltra in the loop when it came to their whereabouts and their plans. They did not plan on moving anymore, which would make visiting each other a lot easier, even if it was a bit of a trek. However, as the base of the mountain met the gnarled forest a call sounded through the trees, beckoning the Kael-Santoro forward. It appeared she had found him before he had gotten the chance to make the trip down south. Immediately a smile wove its way onto his dark features as he sprung forward, chasing her scent through the trees… only her scent was everywhere. She was trying to trick him… and it was sort of working. His pace slowed as he glanced around, his brows pinched together as he searched for her familiar shape among the trees… Del?

The dark Archer sat in waiting for a few moments, honeyed amber gaze searching her surroundings for the dark form of her age-mate. A thudding of paws was slowly heard approaching and she forced herself to still the excited wag of her tail, determined not to get caught. She watched him follow her trail, swerving and sniffing in an attempt to find her out. A grin stretched across her maw, content with her handywork. Ravenna would be proud of her mischief skills.

The girl watching his turns, taking into account their pattern. She quietly gathered her haunches beneath her body, preparing herself as he began another turn. Then, as his back was to her she leapt from the brush and tackled him with paws flailing. She stood on her hind-legs, a forearm slung over his shoulder for grip as she playfully nipped at his ear and cheek. Gotcha! she laughed in a maniacle fashion, tail wagging happily.

(This post was last modified: Mar 02, 2018, 03:40 PM by Adeltra.)

His expression grew more concerned as he spun around, his yellow gaze searching desperately for her ebony fur among the gnarled trees. She couldn’t have gone that far… but he couldn’t quite pinpoint where her scent was originating from. The bridge of his nose scrunched up as he continued forward, his ears cupped forward as he tried to listen for her.

Just as he thought he located her hiding spot the girl sprung out from a patch of shrubs and launched herself at him. He stumbled back at the unexpected attack, his hindquarters folding beneath him as she slung an arm over him. Gotcha! An exasperated laugh escaped him as he attempted to shrug her off of him—she was getting a lot stealthier than he was. He’d need to brush up on his skills before he made his way down to the south; he couldn’t let her win that easily. What are you doing here? He asked quickly as a worried expression made a home on his dark features while his yellow gaze swept over her, searching for any injuries hidden beneath her ebony fur. I was on my way to see you, he confessed, his lips curling in a sheepish smile as the words filled the space between them. He couldn’t stay away from her for long; he just hoped that his mother (and her friend) would allow him to continue his visits south even when they established their haven as their own. 

(This post was last modified: Mar 02, 2018, 04:56 AM by Cyril.)

Her head tilted curiously when he seemed worried about her, his brows pulling together and yellow gaze checking her over. Sure she was okay, why wouldn’t she be? She definitely felt horrible that her cousin had been stolen again, downright pissed really, but in the end she blamed it on Morganna. If they had just gone with her plan in the first place none of this would have happened. Revon would be happily back with her family and Addy wouldn’t have his guilt hanging off her shoulders. But, other than that things felt about as normal as they could be.

When he mentioned that he’d been on his way to see her her smile got brighter. Wow, they really were two peas in a pod weren’t they? What, I can’t come see my best friend? Someone I haven’t seen in two whole months? she said, emphasizing the end. It wasn’t either of their faults and she knew that. Life kept them busy, especially her. She stepped back and looked him over, also making sure he was alright. Wow, you’ve grown a lot, she spoke, brows raising. He didn’t seem like he would be quite as big as her cousins, but he’d definitely grown quite a bit since their last meeting.

He rolled his eyes at her comment before nudging her shoulder with his own. Only two months? He teased, his lips pulling back as he flashed her a wide, cheesy grin. I thought it had been longer. It certainly felt longer than two months—he hadn’t realized that much time had passed since he’d last seen her. Cyril could only imagine how much had happened during that time, for the last time they met the ebony Archer had told him about all the drama going on in the south. Which prompted about a million questions in his head, poised and ready to dive off his tongue. But, for now, he refrained. He did not want to bombard his friend. Not when he was trying to enjoy the fact that she was here, in the north. That she had come to see him.

A single brow raised at her comment. Wow, you’ve grown a lot. He blinked, dumbfounded by the statement. Have I? His nose wrinkled as he glanced down at his gangly legs before he spun around in place in an attempt to get a better look at himself. Cyril hadn’t noticed his sudden growth spurt—he didn’t really pay much attention to his appearance. I guess you do look a little smaller, he hummed in amusement as he stopped, his plume swaying behind him as he flashed his friend a quick wink. But she had grown, too, in their absence. She wasn’t as big as him, and probably would never reach his size, but she certainly wasn't as little as she had been two months ago. They were both starting to almost look like adults. Gross.

An amused grin settled onto her features as he spun around, apparently trying to see what she had described. But, no sentient being could really keep track of their subtle change in appearance especially if that change was growth. It seemed to happen out of nowhere even if it really had been taking place over weeks. Centimeter by centimeter, inch by inch, they all got bigger or, in old age, perhaps a little shorter.

Her muzzle crinkled when he said that she’d gotten shorter, paw lifting to bat at his muzzle. Hey, watch it. Small but mighty, remember? she mused, fully aware that she was perhaps a little vertically challenged compared to the giants in her life. The girl didn’t mind it, however. It didn’t mean that she would do her job to any lesser degree or that it put her to a disadvantage. And, if there were to be any disadvantages she could easily rectify it with some good old training. Hard word never killed anyone and if she was going to get where she was going, which was one day the top, she’d have to do a lot of it.

How have you been? Anything interesting happen? she asked curiously.

There is a family of deer nearby. Hunt Opportunity

Small but mighty. He laughed as dodged her paw. It was an accurate description for his charcoal friend. Yeah, sure, he hummed as he nudged her cheek with his nose, amusement still written plainly across his dark features as he teased her, whatever you say. But their jesting didn’t cover up how worried he’d been about her, especially after everything she had told him during their last meeting. The missing cub, the tension between Willow Ridge and their mountain neighbours, her missing mother, sick father… but the girl appeared to be in good spirits, so that had to be a good sign… right? He hoped.

Initially Cyril shrugged at her question. He was better, kind of. Sort of. Trying to be, especially after the dream he’d experienced with his father. Forgiving himself wasn’t easy, neither was moving on. Blaming himself for his father’s death? That was easy. Much easier than accepting the fact that his father was gone and that nothing was going to bring him back. Okay, I guess, he answered with another shrug. We found a place to live. Up the mountain a little, that’s why I was coming to see you. To tell you. But none of that was important. Not until he got some answers out of her. And you—what’s been going on in the south? Did y’find the missing cub? He hadn’t seen the scarlet cub anywhere near the northern woods, or the mountain. Hopefully she had been returned to her parents by now… 

Addy rolled her eyes as he nudged her cheek, her own honey pot gaze crinkling at the corners. She missed this, missed being with him and just playing around. Pretending there was nothing wrong with life, pretending everything was easy even though in all reality it was incredibly hard. She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder with a hum.

Her auds stood at attention as he spoke, listened raptly and taking in whatever he said eagerly. So, they’d officially found somewhere to settle down? She gave a quick sniff, verifying that he hadn’t joined a pack or something. Not that it would have been a bad thing, she just...wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Her sniff showed the presence of many different scents, but it wasn’t quite strong enough or unique enough to be considered packish. More like they were just on the cusp. Did they have something planned?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by his question directed at her and she blinked, pausing to organize her thoughts in the best way possible because, really, the whole situation was a big mess to begin with. She plopped her butt down. Yeah, we found her. Morg and I, that is, she said, but the pursing of her lips showed that it wasn’t the happiest thing. Revon was with a black and white yearling. I wanted to chase him off. We coulda done it, two almost yearlings and a full grown adult, but Morg decided to let him come back to the Scowle. He was running some sorta BS from his mouth about being from the Heights, but he didn’t smell like them and Revon was waaay too uncomfortable for that to be true. But Morg still insisted, she relayed with a huff, tail swaying angrily. I stayed at Pookastone for a couple weeks to keep an eye out on ‘em, make sure he didn’t try to make off with her in the night. But, waddya know, he did anyways. We weren’t there but a couple weeks and then they were gone. I shoulda listened to my gut, shoulda made the guy take a run for his buck but instead I listened to Morganna and what did that get us? she grumbled. She wasn’t bitter. Not at all.