Lost Lake Way down we go

@Flair

The large greyish wolf followed Flair towards the lake that she spoke of, the thought of actual cold water making her feel especially thirsty after attempting to drink whatever the hell that other stuff was.

“You know your way around huh?” Gwendolyn huffed lightly as they arrived at the lake, light eyes carefully taking in the landscape around them and more importantly, the lake water. While she trusted Flair wouldn’t pull another prank on her so soon after, the lass didn’t trust the water at first, with it not being a long walk away from where they were before. But it wasn’t steaming, it was the proper sort of colour for a lake in winter and as her nose touched the liquid, it was breathtakingly cold.

So she took a few sips before stepping back and falling onto her hunches, just looking at the scenery around them. She had never really climbed a mountain before and had really only done it because she'd been bored. She'd also wanted to see the views from high up.  

(Directly following This thread - 1/21/21) <3

The grey woman’s comeback had gotten nothing but a derisive snort as Flair started to lead the way through the thin band of pines blocking the view to lost lake. It was only a short walk and as they cleared the last trees, the vast reservoir of fresh water stretching out before them, the fiery girl turned to her companion with a wide, cheesy grin, tail swishing smugly behind her; Ta-da! Her posture spoke clearly.   As Gwen took to the water, cautiously, Flair openly indulged the compliment, puffing out her chest jerking up her chin exaggeratedly. Only when the other wolf sad back, clear satisfaction on her face, did she relax too, giving a small chuckle as she sat down across from her. Russet ears danced as she shook her head lightly, casting her amber gaze around at the landscape, much as her new friend had done moments before. “Not really,” she admitted, shrugging her shoulders as her eyes returned to the other woman; “I’ve only been up ‘ere for a few days.” She’d spend those familiarizing herself with the paths leading through the woods all around the lake – forged by the many wolves who had once lived here, but were now so inexplicably gone. It wasn’t hard really, once you knew where the lake was, but of course, Gwen couldn’t know that yet; She will soon enough…   Flair yawned widely, tilting her head as she raised a hind paw to scratch lazily at here ear. Now that there little adventure was over and Gwendolyn had sated her thirst, she figured it was time for proper introductions; Or it would have been, if she’d had any manners to speak of. Instead, she asked plainly: “What’re you doing here anyway? Don’t tell me y’ were born ‘ere too?” It seemed every bloody wolf she ran into these days was a returning child; Just one big reunion…! It was kind of creepy. Word count: 320 ”Speech" Thoughts

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"Nah, I was born far away from here." Gwendolyn shrugged, her eyes flickering over to Flair, curious as to why she added a too to her question. Had the reddish wolf met many wolves thus far that were born around here? And that made her briefly wonder if Flair grew up around here and a small spark of hope burst in her chest. If she was, could that mean....?

However, as quickly as the feeling sparked up, it was quickly stamped out. The gods surely wouldn’t be smiling down on her that much, if the first wolf she met in these new lands knew anything about her father. It'd be great luck for sure, but Gwendolyn didn't think she'd be quite that lucky as she debated whether to mention anything to Flair. Yet something told her to try regardless, because otherwise the small splinter thoughts of what if she did...? would haunt her forever.

"Though uh, my Ma died a while back and last she knew, my Pa was up this way." She blinked rabidly as her heart clenched slightly at the thought of her mother, the memory of her still somewhat raw. It still messed with her some nights, when she'd suddenly wake up during the night, thinking there was a familiar weight leaning against her. Yet as her fuzzy mind slowly caught up and realised there was no one around, that it was just her now, somehow, that hurt even more then it ever did before. But taking a deep breath, Gwendolyn pushed on.

"No idea if he's still kicking it or not though, he'd be pretty old by this point if he was." Gwendolyn tilted her head slightly, still curious about why her friend seemed so...weirded out about meeting old pups returning to their old homes. "What about you? You from around here?"

Ah, so it wasn’t some strange curse or something, perhaps Flair had just been especially lucky in her previous encounters; Or unlucky… Depending on how you looked at it, she supposed, but then, it had brought her here which was working out pretty well so far. Still, it was a relief to meet someone from ‘far away’ as Gwen put it, someone without all the baggage that the Lore wolves.   Or perhaps not. Flair cringed inwardly at the grey woman’s next words; something having apparently pushed her to spill her entire backstory in one swoop; Perhaps just to get it over with? It came off as almost indifferent, but ambers eyes spotted the wet glistening in the opposing silvers, an unexpected pang going through her russet chest. She wondered if this stranger had been sent on her journey by the passing of her parent, much like Flair herself had, several years ago.   On a search too it would seem, though judging by her comment about her father’s age, she wasn’t too optimistic about finding him; Fortunate… Flair thought, considering the seemingly empty state of the Wildwood. Still, if Gwendolyn had hoped for any answers, her chances where probably close to zero now. Flair rolled her shoulders, trying to find the right grimace as she contemplated how to break the new to the other girl. But then the thought was pushed from her mind by the sudden question. “Oh, uhm… Not up here,” she answered, looking at their surroundings again with a wrinkle of her nose; “But not too far, down in th’ woods.” She made a casual motion to the west, down the mountain side, then locked eyes with her new friend again; “But the place’s mostly empty now.” She couldn’t think of a gentler way to say it. Word count: 299 ”Speech" Thoughts

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Some disappointment filled Gwendolyn as silver eyes met amber ones but what Flair had said honestly didn’t surprise her. All the signs when she first arrived here were that there had been wolves here once but they were now long gone. Well worn trails, though still easy to pick out if one looked close enough, were overgrown with no-one treading a familiar path and there clearly had once been grand pack dens that were now reduced to burrows for other animals to claim whenever. A part of her had felt a pang of...something when she had stumbled across one before making it up the mountain and had taken shelter in it for the night. The girl had never grown up in a pack but the idea that the place she saw as nothing more than a temporary stop for her had been a home to others once upon a time, carefully picked out and crafted to offer a welcoming refuge to its inhabitants had given her a brief sense of melancholy.
The idea of a pack seemed nice, at least for a brief time. No need to worry about if there was any food or having to find shelter each night and having wolves to call family...

But at the same time, the idea of being tied to one place for so long terrified Gwendolyn. She had been a drifter for so long, since her birth, the thought made her skin itch and burn at the thought of others relying on her or vice versa. She liked the freedom of a loner’s life, as dangerous as it could be. Shaking her head clear of all the thoughts that had built up in her head, Gwendolyn snorted slightly, thumping her tail down decisively as a way to tell herself to stop being a depressive bitch and remember she had an audience to her sadness. Because of course she’d get emotional around the first wolf she’d seen in months.

Flair surely didn’t want to deal with a bawling idiot like her, if her statement had been true about only meeting children returning to their homeland. They were probably all emotional about seeing their old homes and where they grew up. Though it did make her ponder what made this place so special that so many were apparently returning, Flair included. Even trying to imagine the place filled with wolves befuddled her mind, especially knowing that this place was where her father had supposedly craved to be beyond all else, including his mate and child?

“Figured as much - you’re the first wolf I met here.” Which was true. The red wolf was the only other creature, sans some animals like deer or rabbits she had seen traversing the area, let alone the mountain. “Sides, all I know ‘bout him is his name and I got most of my looks off him apparently? Dipped well before I could get to know him in any way.” The words dropped from her lips rather bluntly and matter of factly, as though she was stating something about the weather instead of talking about a missing father she’d never known.

Her comment clearly affected Gwendolyn, though the large wolfess did her best to suppress whatever emotions roiled within. Flair’s ears flicked backwards, her gaze shifting back and forth uncertainly. She wasn’t good at dealing with feelings, her own or others’, and she didn’t know how to comfort her new friend. Biting her lip, she lifted one leg to rub against the other awkwardly, mentally kicking herself for saying anything at all.   But Gwen seemed to recover quickly, or at least get enough of a hold of herself to continue talking without appearing too emotional. And Flair jumped on the opportunity eagerly, anything to avoid the awkwardness. She shrugged one shoulder, casting her gaze around the lake area which did look abandoned at present, the other residents either out for the day, or hidden by the dense pines all along the shoreline. She turned her gaze back to Gwen, giving a faint smile, but before she could answer, the grey wolf continued speaking.   Again she was rather candid about her past, managing to make the comment sound completely detached from feelings she had shown just moments prior. Flair felt pushed of centre by the back-and-forth shift, unsure how bluntly to speak herself, out of fear of setting off another wave of emotion. Amber eyes simply studied her friend for a moment, trying to judge her answer before she finally cleared her throat, asking tentatively: “Well, what’s the name then…?” As far as looks went, there wasn’t much help; Apart from her size, Gwendolyn looked rather average, the mix of rust and grey a common variation on the standard timber agouti. Flair doubted very much that she’d recognize the name either, but it seemed the most natural thing to ask, like at least she was making an effort. Word count: 296 ”Speech" Thoughts

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@Flair

Ah damn, the woman knew she should have just stayed up where she once called home and not bothered to come looking. She was never good, intersecting with others and their lives as a small flush of embarrassment flared through her as Flair brushed her legs against hers, in an attempt to console her. Which she was grateful for but damn it, it didn’t make her feel less awkward at how her emotions went.

Her ears flicked over to Flair as she asked what the name was and Gwen was more than happy to answer, if only to keep her mind off her embarrassment momentarily.

“His name was Rayne Flint.” It still felt weird saying his name, even ages after knowing it, because to her, it was just a name. But her mother choked on it those first few times she spoke it to Gwen and even later, still said it with a kind of sadness that made the girl ache for her mother. “Not sure why I want to find him but uh, my ma passed a few months back and guess it’d feel...nice to know what’s happened to him too ya know? See if he’s already up there, waiting for her or not.” Her words were true, she’d grown up without the man in her life yet there was a very small niggling at the back of her mind to know what his fate was. She’d just hope it wouldn't be weird for Flair to hear her explanation for trying to find him, as small of a chance she had for it.

"Sorry 'bout all the this by the way, s'been a while since I've been around civilized folk like yourself." She tried to say lightheartedly, attempting to lift the tone away from...wherever her dang tongue was taking it. "Besides, it's not like you'd know anything about him or that right?" She jokingly added, bumping her shoulder against Flair's gently.

(This post was last modified: Mar 13, 2021, 11:35 AM by Gwendolyn.)

She wanted to help, she really did – for what ever reason, she felt some kind of connection to this, her newest friend – she just didn’t think she could. With so many wolves having passed through the Lore, before and after her time, it just wasn’t probable at all that she would know who the girl’s father was. Still, Flair kept her ears attentively perked, doing her best to show real effort on behalf of her friend.   Like earlier, Gwen’s simple answer was followed by a torrent of other information, picking up the fiery lass and washing her downstream, before she had time to react; Or even think! All she could do was watch the other intently, nodding in appropriate places while she tried her best to follow the others stream of thought. Briefly, she felt a fresh pinch of empathy at the familiar notion of someone waiting beyond. The concept of an afterlife had always been to abstract for Flair to spend much time on, but she had felt comforted, knowing her own father was buried with Nina and her kin; That he isn’t alone…   She managed a weak smile, tilting her head a little as the grey woman’s words finally came to a stop. Noting how awkward she felt, Flair rushed into a reassuring answer, returning the shoulder-bump as she said: “It’s okay, I understand how… Did you say Rayne?” Unbelievably, the name actually did ring familiar, now that her thoughts had finally had time to catch up; “I actually… I knew a Rayne once…” The memories were vague, her having been only a pup at the time but, now that they had been unlocked, she suddenly looked at her new friend and did see a familiarity there. A large man with russet and grey fur, more grey then, from age, and rather quiet, solitary. But she had known him, he’d been her mother’s friend. “He was… In my pack.” Word count: 321 ”Speech" Thoughts

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“Yeah? He had a limp too, if I recall.” Gwendolyn didn’t know how common a name it was, which is why she’d said his last name as well, because she truly didn’t expect anything from Flair and just figured she’d answer the question as best as she could.

Yet her jaw dropped open as Flair went on to say she did used to know a Rayne, back when she was in a pack. For once, Gwen was left speechless as her mind was left reeling at the sheer and utter luck, the sheer coincidence of having met Flair and hearing her say those words. What were the chances that the Rayne Flair was talking about was the same one she was looking for?

“You’re kidding?! Do you know where he is now?” The words were blurted out before her brain had properly geared back up, because the gods had to be pulling a prank on her. She’d expected to never find anything about her father, or at least have it take till her own death to know what truly happened to him.

But someone, somewhere must have thought it’d be funny to toss a boulder in her way and see her falter because that’s exactly what was happening.

“Fuck, sorry, that’s - I just never expected - ” Now it was Gwen’s turn for her mind to keep racing at a hundred miles an hour, trying to calm down before she really scared Flair off. Because, otherwise, she’d be busier than a bee in spring, trying to temper her own emotions and words. So taking a deep breath, Gwen stood up and took a few steps away to just shake out her pelt, seemingly defusing the cluttered energy she felt in her skin. Even though it felt like there were a hundred bees under her skin, waiting to burst out.

“I’m sorry, I really am.” Turning back to Flair, a tinge of sincerity coming from her voice as she spoke, her tail swinging behind her slightly in nervous excitement. “You just surprised me, that’s all. Figured I’d never find anything on him ya know?” Giving herself another shake, Gwen settled back down, though now on her stomach a few feet away and facing Flair. “Uh, do...do you remember what happened to him?”

It was impossible, and yet it was true. Flair didn’t need the extra description, for as she looked at Gwendolyn she was certain, despite the haziness of the memories; Unbelievable! She couldn’t help but smile at the larger woman’s reaction, tail wagging at the clear shock on her face. Of course her mirth only lasted for a brief moment, before Gwen’s next question flattened it immediately.     Her memory of the man himself might be vague, but his whereabouts were not – Flair had been to Rayne’s gravesite several times with her mother. The fiery girl swallowed hard as she watched her new friend reel with the news, eventually jumping up to move aside, presumably to gather herself, though the vigorous shake seemed a rather odd way to do it; But who am I to judge…? Really, she was glad for the time herself, trying to think up the best way to break the news to the energetic woman. She’d mentioned herself that she thought he was dead, but that was still different from Flair having to confirm the suspicion.     Finally, Gwen settled down, apologizing for her outburst, though she didn’t need to. Flair shook her head, mumbling a: “No, it’s alright…” her tail gave a faint wag around her hocks, but the smile had died on her lips, eyes drifting to her paws. The grey dame asked again, and red ears flattened against equally red head as the smaller wolf gathered herself to speak. She forced herself to look up and meet Gwendolyn’s silver eyes, clear sadness in her own ambers as she said: “I’m sorry Gwen, he… He died, a long time ago, when I was still a pup.” Her voice was small, as if trying to minimize the impact of the words, though she knew she couldn’t. She hated having to say this, no doubt causing hurt to the other female when they’d only just met.     Again she reached out awkwardly with one paw, trying to offer comfort, though she didn’t really know how, or how it would help. Still, she felt an immense need to do something, anything to try and lessen the pain. So finally she added: “I… I know where he’s buried, if you want to…” That was all she could get out, eyes once more returning to her paws; I wish I had better news… Word count: 390 ”Speech" Thoughts

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