Turtleback Lake english sun, she has come

RE: It's cold enough that a rare 'sun dog' has appeared in the sky!
OOC NOTE: Backdated to before Hazelnut met Ryder.

Hazey pulled up short as she reached the edge of the lake. She'd never been here before, but that wasn't saying much. There were a lot of places in the world that Hazelnut had never been and never would be. But this place, it was beautiful. Standing on the banks, she could make out a string of islands in the lake. She didn't trust the ice quite enough to make her way to them, but perhaps next winter she'd give it a go. Or maybe in the summer when the sun beamed overhead and the waters were calm. Not today, though. For now, she'd just have to be content with observing. Taking a seat, the pale wolf waited, content to watch the sun set on the horizon.

(This post was last modified: Mar 28, 2024, 10:33 PM by Hazelnut.)

The leader often felt restless these days. Her scent had not changed as it had in years past, yet she felt the familiar itchiness and discomfort. She wondered if it was because of the stress or if this was just what happened when you got old, things just didn’t work right. As she walked Finley absently wondered if even if she had plans of it - which she didn’t - she would have even been able to have a litter this year at all. But, absent minded wonderings were all that this would ever amount to, and it wasn’t like wolves had doctors who could explain how aging changed fertility.

Still, she couldn’t just sit around and so the mother took one of her more frequent scouting trips back to the lake. It felt comforting this time of year, it was where her and Jethro had really started their relationship. Even that memory felt tinged now, not knowing whether or not he was okay and so she turned her mind back to the path she had charted in her head. A familiar one, which might have been her mistake, a more challenging route might have given her less time to think about things she was avoiding.

Green eyes watched the sun begin to set over the lake that had once been her home. But, before the sky could really begin to change colours the sun seemed to flash and a hazy ring formed and hung around. Tilting her head, her paws slowed until she was standing still, watching the strange occurrence with curiosity.

Hazelnut watched the sun fall in silence, watched the sky turn from blue to pink and orange. She wondered if her mother was out there somewhere, staring up at the same sunset, or her father.. or by now she could have had a whole bunch of siblings, and maybe they were watching it too. Either way, it made her feel a little less alone.

Pale ears caught the stranger's approach, swiveling toward the sound. She would have turned to face them, too, if the sun had not snatched her attention first. It flashed, just slightly, and a sort of halo formed around it. Her head fell to the left, then the right as she stared the ring of light down. "What is it?" She asked, her eyes never leaving the horizon. Perhaps the stranger would know, and if not, then at least she'd have confirmation that someone else had seen it too.

She had been so wrapped up in the sunset and the memories associated with this place that she had not noticed a wolf blending into the snow. Had she had her wits about her the mother would have noticed the smell at the very least, even if her appearance was almost perfectly camouflaged. It wasn’t until after the sun flashed and she heard the voice that Finley realized, but even then she couldn’t tear her green eyes away from the sight.

It was mesmerizing, and it felt like if she looked away for even a second she would look back and it would be over. She was starting to get that weird dark, reflective, patch that developed in your vision from looking at the sun for too long but she couldn’t help it. It had been a second, but she answered anyways, ”I don’t…” trailing off, her voice full of wonder she started over, ”I’ve never seen this before.” It was starting to sink lower in the sky now, but the halo remained bright around it, brilliant against the orange and pink sky. This moment was special, and it felt like a sign, but of what she wasn’t sure. Was this a message from Jethro from the otherside? Or a sign from the universe that everything was going to be okay? Or maybe it just meant nothing at all.

The woman didn't seem to know what the phenomenon was either, which made it all the more interesting. Now, Hazey wasn't all that religious. She'd never really been, but something about this.. this thing felt special. Meaningful, even. And if they were both able to see it, then, "Do you think it's a sign?" But if it were a sign, then a sign of what? From what? Perhaps her mother had found her way up there somewhere and was trying to let her know that things were okay.. but.. but that wasn't a conclusion that the woman was ready to come to.

Hazelnut had to remember to blink, lest the sun take her vision and leave her with just the memory of whatever this brilliant halo in the sky was.

It was almost as if the stranger had read the leader’s mind. Finally she blinked, hard, and then refocused her vision on the other girl who had once blended in so closely to the snow. Young, though not as young as her own children, and pretty with a plush white coat, the contrast of the dark markings of her eyes which stood out now that she was really looking her over. Finley had never used to believe in signs, thinking them silly and only wanting to believe in what was tangible in front of her.

Becoming a mother had made her more sentimental towards these sorts of things. Plus this, this was directly in front of her, and hard to deny. She eventually nodded once, slowly, then said, ”It feels like it is….I just don’t know a sign of what.” What or who was trying to tell them something? And what message could they possibly be sending both her and this stranger? It felt comforting that she was here, if it was also something for this girl then it could not have been from Jethro. Or was she just becoming more senile in her old age? Looking for things that weren’t there because it would make her feel better.

Then again, what would be wrong with that? Finding a little comfort. Finally, she remembered her manners, ”I’m Finley.” It felt like the stranger deserved to know her name since they had shared this together.