Secret Falls favourites and disappointments

Backdated to somewhere around Oct 14ish. Welcome to anyone in SE but she's calling specifically for @Askan and @Sachiel

Things had been rough to say the least. It was almost like it had been a dream, she had tried for so long to come up with excuses to be away from home and now all she wanted was to go back. The heartbreaking fact was that it had taken the destruction of the Bend for her to realize that she knew the answer to what she had asked Sachiel so long ago, how do you know if somewhere isn’t your home? It felt stupid to have even doubted that now, her home was amongst the oak trees, but that wasn’t an option now. Would there even be any trees left?

Mabel had asked her mother’s permission to seek out the Edge, warn them about what had happened and make sure they were alright. It had been a fortnight so at this point a warning would hardly do any good but to her surprise Aponi had agreed. It had all been so easy and the teen had wandered away from the group as if she was in a daze.

The teen wasn’t sure if the smell of lingering smoke was real, stuck in the trees or maybe up her nostrils or if was just in her head. The sound of crackling was most certainly just imagined so it was easy to mostly convince herself the acrid scent was false as well. It was like the fire wasn’t physically around but blazing inside her skull, imprinted there to never be shaken. As she stood there near the borders she looked as dazed as she felt, it took her more than a few minutes to realize she would probably need to call. She didn’t raise her muzzle as she gave a half hearted howl, short and low before lending off into a shuttering cough. That probably wasn’t a good sign.

It wasn't everyday that someone called for him. Had Askan been the needy type he would've no doubt taken that to heart, gotten all lonely and forlorn. Honestly though, it was a blessing in disguise. Askan liked his routine as it was, throwing unexpected social calls into the mix wouldn't improve it in any way. If anything it would just make him more cranky, people could be so damn tiring after all. So when the raspy howl resounded through his forest the Edge Lord paused mid stride as his ears flicked and his brows smushed together. He didn't recognise their voice but there was something so exhausted about it that he found himself abandoning his patrol and rushing south as fast as his short legs would take him. 

Askan arrived on the scene a little later than he would have liked. He half expected so seem some scraggly loner, all loose skin and protruding ribs but instead he was met with a familiar face. Mabel? Just the sight of her was enough to clear some of the confusion that had fogged over his mind. She was the first Oak Tree Bend wolf he had seen in months and to say that she was in a poor state was an understatement. Whilst she certainly wasn't just skin and bones, her form was hunched forward and lacked the obvious air of grace she'd held when he'd first met her. Her pretty brown eyes had lost their shine and instead were glassy and bloodshot around the edges.

Whatever words he'd had in store dried up on his tongue. Even with the blanketing layer of snow she stood out pale and fragile, like she didn't belong. It wasn't difficult to put the pieces together in his mind, even if she hadn't been caked in soot he would have known. It all made perfect sense and he hated it.

"I smelled the smoke. Is the Bend...?"

guardian 1/3

Sachiel was in a terrible slump.

Even though the threat of coyotes was gone he still felt trapped within the Edge. Going through the motions, tending to his daily duties, providing for the pack as much as possible without having to converse with his packmates. He was a ghost, tending to the caches and monitoring the borders; working feverishly to be as invisible as possible. He would check in with his leaders occasionally, showing his nose just to prove that he still existed. He had chosen to stop sleeping in the main den and often slept wherever his body would drop, but always within Edge territory.

He didn’t feel all there. Not most days.

Maybe it was his changing hormones—gross!—or maybe it came with getting older.

Sometimes he wondered if this was how Hawthorne had felt before she chose to leave. But whenever the thought entered his mind the overwhelming, heavy weight of guilt would consume him and he would have to cast it aside.

A familiar, but unfamiliar, voice rang through the trees, pulling him away from his blue-black thoughts. Immediately his brows snapped together with concern and he fumbled with his first steps before launching himself through the trees. He nearly face-planted a few times but he managed to keep himself upright long enough to reach the lilac-girl and his yellow-red leader.

But the lilac was all wrong. It, too, was muted. Something was not right. She smelt of smoke and wore an expression he did not recognize. He wore a frown as he approached her, his mismatched eyes flitting over her lithe frame to search for physical injuries. May, he greeted, his voice soft as he pressed her nose to her cheek, are you okay? Is the Bend okay? He was more concerned about the former, considering he hadn’t seen his pale friend in far too long, but her family was important too.

(This post was last modified: Nov 14, 2018, 05:52 AM by 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

A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health

Mabel was thankful that her cough had been subdued when the Edge’s leader made his appearance. She was even more grateful that it was Askan who showed first before her friend because she was certain that she would crumble the second she saw him. The alpha’s question was already enough to push her close to the edge of the breakdown she had been toeing. Nodding her head solemnly she murmured, ”Mom, my brother and sister, and I got out in time.” Her voice had once a smooth girlish charm but the coughing fits had left it raspy and raw sounding. Swallowing hard she added, ”My dad went back for my sister and younger brother.” At this point the teenager didn’t elaborate. After all, what would she say? SHe didn’t know if they had made it out, or that they didn’t.

She was going to ask if the Bend was okay, she really was. But, before she could get the words out Sachiel was there pressing his nose into her smoky cheek. His questions cracked her shell, she couldn’t repeat what she had just told his leader. Crumpling into him, pressing her head under his neck her throat was racked with dry sobs. She was far too dehydrated for actual tears but the emotions were there.

Askan couldn't say that he was surprised to see Sachiel rush onto the scene, eyes wide with concern. He knew the two yearlings were close and that was all well and good, but more than that he was glad Sachiel was as watchful as ever. It was fair to say that the yearling been a little lost since Hawth had left. Maybe even a little depressed, but what could Askan do? He wasn't really one for giving pep talks, he had no idea what to say when things got tough. Even now there was nothing he could do that would Mabel feel better, not after what she'd gone through...

Askan cleared his throat as he watched the yearlings huddle close and then at the sound of Mabel's cries his ears flicked back as his expression tightened in obvious discomfort. Fucking hell. So it was all gone? Askan had never ventured beyond it's borders but he knew what it was like to lose one's home. The thought made his heart clench in his chest and his expression shifted once again, hardening like slate.

"Sachiel take her to the infirmary." His tone left little room for argument, firm and resolute like he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Askan obviously wasn't the kindest of men, or even the fairest, but he was honorable. He would not sit idly by and hope that the missing Bend wolves would-if they were even still alive- surface on their own accord. He turned and scowled at the forest over Mabel's shoulder, looking for three wolves at this time of year would take up a lot of wolfpower but... As tempting as it was to just dive headfirst into the search he knew he wouldn't do so without consulting with @Reyes. As much as his mate liked to rule from the shadows his word weighed just as much as Askan's.

"Where did your mother go?" He then asked, after a prolonged moment of silence. Hopefully she'd had long enough to gather herself, though he wouldn't snap at her if she hadn't.

guardian 2/3

Sachiel did not do good with feelings. Hell, he did not even know how to address his own feelings (especially ones regarding a certain salt-and-pepper girl) let alone the feelings of others. In an instant his dear friend went from desaturated lilac to shades of rich periwinkle and deep navy. Colours that mimicked what he often felt on the inside. Colours that did not suit Mabel. All wrong. His frown deepened as he embraced her, his chin dropped over her shoulders to pull her in close. Even her scent was all wrong. It smelt like the smoke they had scented on the wind days before. It smelled like danger.

In typical Sachiel-fashion he did not speak as the girl sobbed against his tawny fur. He was thankful there were no tears, even though it wasn’t a good sign. He did not know if he would be able to remain composed if tears began to drip down her cheeks. This was already too much for him. He just wanted to console her but he did not know how.

Sachiel take her to the infirmary.

Askan left him no room to protest—not that Sachiel would. It was obvious that Mabel was not in the best shape and the boy would do his best to tend to her. He was not the most experienced when it came to healing but he knew enough to get the job done. Reluctantly the boy pulled away from his pale friend and offered a short nod in response as he sidled up next to Mabel, offering his shoulder for her to lean on. He waited as the Edge Lord asked another question, asking the girl where her mother had gone. Had Mabel gone this far north just to tell the Edge wolves of the Bend’s demise, or was there another reason behind her visit? He blinked, his brows knitted with concern as he glanced at his friend.

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

I am so so so sorry for this delay!

There was something so comforting about the tone that Askan used when he ordered them to go to the infirmary. It reminded Mabel of her mother, at least when Aponi had been capable of acting as such, before everything had started to fall apart. It was nice to have someone in charge who knew what to do, but she still held a little reluctance when Sachiel pulled away from her. She had never been within the Edge’s borders before and doing it under such circumstances felt like she was taking advantage of the alpha’s kindness.

Hesitating for a moment, she cleared her throat, ”Is the Edge okay? The fire never touched here?” The thought gave her a sick sense of hope, if they were okay here then maybe the whole Bend hadn’t burned to the ground as well, maybe they would just have to shift their patrols and hunts. But, then she followed suit and allowed Sachiel to begin to lead her through the territory, presumably to where their infirmary was located.

Askan’s questions seemed to almost come through a haze, ”Oh, um. She took my siblings to the mountain, my older sister leads a pack up there.” Talking hurt her throat, leaving it even more dry and parched if that was possible but it also felt so therapeutic somehow. Swallowing hard she added, ”The Heights, I’ve never been there before.” Suddenly she panicked, her family would surely also need medical attention if she did. Would Kyna have a healer? Would they be able to help them all? She had so many questions adn not enough answers.

Askan glanced about, of course everything was fine. Physically anyway. Had the fire spread here...honestly, he didn't know what he would have done about that. The idea of relocating the pack was an awful one, this was their home he refused to be chased from it. No matter what. He imagined that the wolves of Oak Tree Bend had felt that way too, that they'd lived there for generations and had settled their roots deep within it's borders. But now it was all gone, through no fault of their own it had all been laid to waste. Fuck, that truth was a hard one to swallow.

"We could smell the smoke, I planned on sending scouts down south to investigate but..." He trailed off with a limp shrug.

He'd never imagined it would come to this, even if he'd been a little antsy at first his mind had never wandered down that path. In hindsight he wished he'd been more upfront about it, made more of a pointed effort to do something. Wasn't that always the way though? Regrets regrets regrets, Askan had more than he could count and the list was growing. When Mable mentioned that her family had gone to the mountain his gaze wandered to the grey peak in the distance. They'd gone up there? This close to winter and after all they'd been through? He pursed his lips as his eyes narrowed into thin slits, it didn't sound like a wise call but... if they had family up there then it would be as good as a shelter as any. The pack name didn't ring a bell, but the Selwyn didn't expect it too. He'd never climbed the mountain before and he had little interest in changing that.

"Fair enough." Was all he said to that, if he had more questions he would ask them later, for now Mable needed to rest. With a flick of his tail he motioned for the yearlings to follow. "Come, let's get inside."

He had a lot of thinking to do and he'd much rather to do it somewhere quiet where he wouldn't be disturbed.

guardian 3/3 / healer 1/3

He let Askan answer as he guided his friend through the Edge territory, his mismatched gaze sweeping over his shoulder to make sure the lilac-girl was close behind him. Fortunately the fire had not spread beyond the Bend and the Edge wolves had only witnessed the smoke from a distance. The thought filled his gut with guilt—sure, they had been fortunate, but not the wolves of the Bend. Not Mabel. Her family had been chased from their home… only to watch it go up in flames… but Mabel was safe. Her family was safe. They no longer had a home but they were safe. That was all that mattered. Homes were replaceable; wolves were not. Especially wolves like Mabel.

… I planned on sending scouts down south to investigate but … Sachiel frowned at the words. He would have liked to go down himself but other Edge wolves had volunteered … but, obviously, nothing had come out of it. His frown deepened. He wished he had gone—maybe he could have helped her sooner, along with some of her family (and packmates).

Whatever. There was no need to dwell on the past.

His ears twitched as his friend’s raspy voice filled the air once more, announcing that her family had gone to the mountains. The Heights. He blinked at the name. The agouti boy had never climbed the southern peaks as he had been too young when he lived in the Vale, but he had always wanted to explore them. Perhaps the Bend’s move would give him a chance too …

Before he knew it they had arrived in the heart of the Edge territory, the infirmary beckoning them forward as they approached the dark tunnel. He waited for Mabel to duck inside before getting to work and plucking some goldenrod, white fir, and a few yellow rattle seeds. He beckoned her forward with a soft flick of his maw as he settled his hindquarters against the cool ground, his mismatched gaze meeting her golden pools.

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