Fool's Gold Chasm i'm about halfway through a cabernet

Backdated to 7/6, the first rain. Woya has begun a garden at Rhaegara's grave, which she and Levi plan to maintain and primarily use for medicinal plants and assorted orange-colored blooms, so heads up to the pack! It can be considered common knowledge to all. (: @Adelard @Enera @Wrynn @Isomne @Marrah @Geminia @Augustin @Armand @Apolline

She hadn't noticed the sky since she'd begun her work, head determinedly down as she manipulated the earth beneath her paws for hours. Deep below Woya's hunched frame rested the Rayvne matriarch that had been far more loved in her time than her trauma had ever allowed her to realize.

This was far from her first time at Rhaegara's gravesite; that heartbreaking visit had been pursued as soon as the Chasm alpha had felt physically able. After, she'd come as often as she could manage with seven children and two yearlings to silently pay her respects and properly process her friend's death. As the days shifted to weeks, a thought had taken root as she considered the future of the plot. It could be lost to nature's chaos, or...

She'd spoken with Leviticus, seeking to learn the plausibility of fully executing her vision, and was informed that it could indeed be done. The younger wolf seemed pleased with the idea and committed to assisting her. As she tilled the earth and planted the tiger lilies she'd carefully excavated, he was elsewhere in the territory procuring a selection of utilizable flora to join them. When finished, she stepped back from her task to survey the results.

The earth was dry but at least now softened by her activity, and the plants held firm with minimal propping thanks to their large root systems. The petals were withered at the tips from lack of rain, and transplanting them would not help. What she need to focus on getting now was-

The first droplets of the gathered storm began to pelt her crown, and formed tiny baubles upon the flowers, highlighting the vivid orange they still retained. Woya blinked, and tipped back her head to look upon the grey, heavy clouds that had formed from the white-gray blanket that had previously dominated the sky. Rain. She could hardly believe her own eyes, and stared even as rivulets of water began to form throughout her fur.

(This post was last modified: Jul 15, 2022, 02:36 AM by Woya.)

I need you to know that the 2Cellos version of 'my heart will go on' started playing while I was writing this

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Two months. Two long, agonizing months since her mama left her here to fend for herself.

Enera knew that wasn't entirely true; @Adelard had made it clear she could still rely on him, and Woya had been as supportive as she could be with how busy she was, and there was Adonya and Savonya... but that didn't change the fact that Enera felt alone most days. She was lost. She didn't even feel like she had @Marrah to lean on anymore, and it wasn't even her mother that had died!

Two months since Enera felt like her world all but ended.

The sky promised rain at last, so Enera finally dragged herself back to where everything had gone wrong. She wanted to talk to her mama, even if her mama couldn't talk back in the same way. She wanted to spend time alone there. Nobody else ever-

Someone was there. Woya's pale form was hunched over the ground that cocooned Rhaegara's body, digging. Enera felt her hackles begin to rise, even when the leader stepped back to reveal the flowers she'd finish planting. As the raindrops began to fall Enera lurched forward. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

It wouldn't be her only surprise. Enera's voice sounded from behind her, not just suddenly present but also with an angered force behind it. Woya turned her head to peer over her shoulder, and it only then occurred to her that perhaps the yearling would have liked to have also been consulted about what became of her mother's grave. She stepped to the side before turning to better face the girl, allowing her an unobstructed view of what had been done.

"Planting tribute to your mother," she answered with a voice that was tender, hoping to ensure not to be misunderstood in intent or attitude. Gone were the days she would scold the pale youth, regarded just the same as her siblings which Woya fostered and, by now, very much considered just the same as her own blood. After everything that had happened, they would never again be able to do wrong in her eyes, and she would fiercely defend them from anyone who claimed otherwise.

(This post was last modified: Jul 15, 2022, 09:36 PM by Woya.)

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera hadn't held any sort of animosity, fear or otherwise, towards their leader in a long time, but now her blood boiled with rage at the thought that she might desecrate her mama's grave. Her mama. How- how dare she, how dare she disrespect her in such a way! Even if they didn't get along, even if Woya didn't like Rhaegara, how could she-

Before Enera could reach her and start tearing up the work she'd done, Woya's answer came gentle. Enera stopped and stared at the woman. "Dig- digging her up is a tribute?" she snarled, not understanding in her haze of pain. "She- she- she deserves to be at rest! She's earned that!" Rhae had been through so much in life, Enera suspected so much more than she'd even told her. She should be safe here, not have to worry about them trying to dig her up-

Woya's brows knit as she began to witness the full depth of Enera's anger with her. She certainly wouldn't have expected this, had she known- the youth's frantic words clarified the situation, and she was shaking her head back and forth to emphasize no before she even realized it.

"Of course she does," the leader agreed empathetically, moving closer to Enera.

"Honey I'm not digging her up, she's much further down than the plants need. I would never do that. Making this her place, permanently, is why I'm doing this."

She could say more, but this was a conversation, not a lecture, and so she gave pause to allow the girl time to process and respond to what had been said so far.

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera's words were met by a rapid head-shake, which only stoked the fires within the youth further. Her chest puffed and she snarled deeply, ready to lash out at Woya, ready to snatch her sisters away and find somewhere else for them to be, somewhere with wolves who cared, not the once-Scary Lady who hated their mama so much that-

"Of course she does!"

The rain was coming down harder now, but Enera barely noticed. Woya continued to speak in her gentle tone, coming towards her, and her words doused the flame burning in Enera's lungs. She shrank away from her, ears back and tail tucking under and backing up a few tiny steps. She was bigger than Woya now but at the moment she felt just as small as she had when she'd been a puppy.

Enera wanted to be angry. Being angry hurt less than the raw grief that tore at her now. She wanted that spark, that fire, to keep her warm and burn the pain away, but as the raindrops fell on the flowers and tugged at their petals their color finally registered in Enera's mind. Just like mama's eyes.

Her gaze flicked back to Woya, eyes wide as if it might help her see through blurring vision. "I- Sh-she- You..." She couldn't find the words.

Just as swiftly as the maelstrom of fury had seemed to come over her, Enera released that anger. It was as though she'd completely deflated, and sympathy and empathy both raged within Woya as she witnessed it all. Her ears were sealed firmly against her soaked crown by now, and rivers of rain coursed through her pale pelt. After so long without, there was little discomfort in that moment over being caught in the downpour.

The yearling was unable to get out a full sentence, and her alpha wondered if it was because she didn't have the words or if, like herself, she had far too many. Woya let silence fall between them for a moment as she considered what was most important for her to tell Rhaegara's eldest in that moment.

She'd really thought the Macieo would desecrate the other woman's final resting place... ?

"... I know that you're the most hurt by what happened to her. Yet you run yourself ragged every day taking care of us regardless of how unfair that is."

The twins might have been her focus, but her efforts had likely helped to save Woya's life through the final stage of her pregnancy and recovery after, and her own children benefited as well from Enera's providing and presence; all this when she was most deserving of time for herself to grieve and begin to heal.

"That's something y'got from your mom, as I'm sure you know. I thought, maybe this would make Rhae happy..." she reclined beside Enera, and her gaze wandered toward the disputed gravesite.

"Levi's bringing plants that he can use to keep the pack healthy and help in emergencies. She'll still be a part of us, still be taking care of her girls... and when everything has rooted and bloomed, it'll be nearly as beautiful as her. Breathtaking and unmissable, so that this place won't ever be forgotten, even after we're all gone..."

Emotion had built in her voice, and she tried to push it back down with a bright smile, facing Enera once more. Tears had formed in her eyes regardless however, and they appeared at the corners as her raised cheeks pinched her lids closed.

"We all loved her, En. Deeply."

(This post was last modified: Jul 16, 2022, 12:31 AM by Woya.)

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera slowly sank to her haunches and then her belly, staring first at Woya and then blankly straight ahead as the leader moved beside her, still speaking. The water soaking into her fur was cold, but she could barely feel it. Enera flinched away from Woya's words. None of it's fair! she wanted to shriek to the sky. It's not fair that mama's gone and we're here just suffering and I'll never get to see her again- But all of her energy was spent, and she couldn't muster the rage again.

Hearing her mama's name spoken out loud stabbed deep into the girl. She turned away, but it didn't stop Woya from continuing to explain. They were turning Rhae's grave into a precious place, somewhere they would all remember her, and their leader was right - it would make Rhae happy.

Enera finally looked back to Woya as she professed that they'd all loved her mama. But not as much as I did, she thought. She sniffed. "I... I just miss her so much,," she finally said. "I miss her so much!" she buried her face in Woya's shoulder, tucking against her as much as she could as the sobs finally broke over her.

She couldn't know if she was truly saying the right things, and she was aware of that. What else could she do, then, but speak from the heart and hope for the best? Enera's sadness took hold, causing her to don an appearance Woya had never witnessed before Rhae's passing. When she spoke again, the dam breaking, she pressed into the leader for comfort. The sheer unfamiliarity of such a moment between them startled her briefly, and Enera's frame dwarfed hers as she rested her weight against the smaller adult.

Woya remained steady, and pressed her temple to Enera's rain-slicked crown as the girl cried.

"I know you do," she murmured in response, "how could you not?"

The youth could lean on her for as long as she needed, both literally and figuratively.

(This post was last modified: Aug 24, 2022, 12:39 AM by Woya.)

had a dream so big and loud

JUMPED SO HIGH I TOUCHED THE CLOUDS

Enera cried, probably harder than she had since the day mama died. It felt brand new again, like she'd only just lost her instead of months ago. She'd thought she was getting better, that it was hurting less, and now- now she could barely think, barely breathe, and all she wanted was to smell her mama one more time, hear one more story, curl in tight against her side for one more night. She wanted to raise her sisters with their mama together, a proper family.

She didn't know how to do this. Why didn't she ask mama about how she survived losing her own parents? She could have helped her with this. The one who Enera could trust to help her, to teach her and guide her through this, was the one hurting her. How dare she? How dare she leave her like this?

"I hate her for leaving me," she said savagely, without stepping away from Woya's side. Her embrace was the closest she could get to her mama. "I- I- how could she not tell me what to do before she left? How could she-" Enera was breathing fast now, struggling to get out the words between the heaving gasps. The world was beginning to spin around her.

How could she?