Luna Hill Color Me Purple

Gone Tomorrow

The young female's heart was racing to the point that she could hear its pumping of her blood. She knew nothing of the technical aspects of what it took for a heart to beat; she only knew that when she ran, her body devoured all nourishment she had at an accelerated rate. Which would be good...if she had any nourishment. Since she hadn't in quite some time, she was beginning to feel the effects. Her pace was no longer frantic, and she settled into the legendary lope that her species was known for. She could go for days like this, but her body was screaming at her to shut down and take a break.

Tongue rolling out of her mouth, her sides heaving, she whined somewhat pitifully as she left flat land and scaled the snow covered slopes of Luna Hill. It was not a steep incline by any means, but she could feel her legs burning as she moved. "Ouch!" Soprano voice proclaimed as the young body of mottled gray and white fell into a heap, not even all the way to the top of the hill. Legs underneath her, she didn't even bother lifting her head, but merely surveyed her surroundings from her stationary position in the snow. It was the middle of the afternoon - not exactly prime time for other wolves, so she was safe in that regard. Not that she was worried. Since her return to Relic Lore, she had yet to come across anyone, or anything, unfriendly. So it was doubtful that she was in any danger currently. Forcing herself to breathe slowly, she settled herself, shifting her body so if the need arose, she could summon what reserved energy she had to get to safety. Setting her head down on the ground, she closed her eyes; not taking long before she was gone to the world in a fit of sleep.

The winter months were always the hardest and even though this was now his third winter, Indru still found himself shocked at the rapid change between winter and summer. It made him relieved that he had a pack and his family close by so that he could look after them, but it was the few missing Tainn's that worried him most of all. It was a half hearted attempt to find food that Indru decided to leave the pack's boundaries and head towards Blackberry Fields, he knew anything he did see there would be most likely difficult for him to pull down on his own, but he wanted to stretch his legs instead of waiting and worrying for his siblings.

Many prints broke the snow, one of the good things about winter, and it made it easy to track prey through the snowy, open fields. But nothing caught his attention and he drifted idly, heading for Luna Hill in the hope the height advantage may let him scout something in the distance. Some wolf tracks were heading the same way, not belonging to anyone he recognised, and he noticed that they seemed fresh, the snow only recently crushed, and his curiosity was piqued. Briefly he wondered if it was a wolf from another pack, Honijo's old one maybe... But when he inhaled deeper he did not smell any traces that gave way to belonging to others, a loner then. Unfortunate for them. Then, as he neared the hill an indistinct shape could be seen almost at the top and the tracks clearly belonged to this wolf so, with a burst of energy, Indru ran up the hill towards them.

Careful, or you'll slip all the way back down. He called out, trying not to startle the female on the ground, the friendly humour he meant in the comment clear in his voice. Life of a loner was not ideal at this time of the year, if really it was ideal at all, and he presumed she was fatigued from hunger and stress. Approaching closer, slowly, he kept his posture non-threatening yet alert as he peered at her, are you okay? A light sniff told him she had no injuries, no exposed or open ones anyway, and he wondered how long she had been in Relic Lore. Indru had seen many lone wolves pass through and they all began to blend together, maybe she had been here before, or maybe she had been here a while, though he doubted the later as surely she would of tried to join a pack. I'm Indru Tainn. He introduced, waiting just above her on the slope a friendly distance away, after all it could be a trick to catch something stupid enough to approach too closely.

Gone Tomorrow

She never dreamed in color. Everything was always in black and white. Once she had questioned her mother if that was a normal occurrence, but her mother did not have the time to deal with her child's dreams or desires. She dreamed of them now, shadowy beings who haunted and tormented her. Ares and Ciri, the parents who had always loved her, but who had always had a distant sense of love. In the background she saw the distorted figure of Arietta, the she-wolf that had driven Cori to leave her home as soon as she was able to. Even further back in the gloom were the misshapen forms of her siblings, wolves that she would probably never again meet. They had not been driven out of their home like she had been. She remembered running, the landscape flying by her in a whirl. She had left the comforts of Relic Lore behind her, but had not returned home - too afraid to admit that she had been wrong. The smokey forms faded away into the darkness, replaced by the more distinct forms of the wolves she had met along her journey. Borden's face came to the forefront, and she felt some comfort at his smile. But he was flanked by a stark white male and a gray-scaled version of the brown alpha who had chased her off his lands so long ago. Alexander and Indru. On the one side, Alexander was offering a kind smile, while on the other, Indru was growling something fierce, though her dream came without sound.

"Are you okay?"

The voice broke through, and Corinna returned to a state of wakefulness with a start. Head lifting so fast that she could feel bones crack, she jumped to her feet. Snow flurries that had been kicked up by her sudden movements rose up in a wild whirlwind before settling again. Green eyes wide, the female immediately took in the colored tawny colored male. He had to have been the source of the noise that had woken her. But, how was that possible? She didn't see color in her dreams, and she didn't typically hear things either. And yet, the wolf who stood before her was the shadowy, growling alpha. Indru.

He introduced himself as such, which confirmed her initial suspicions. But, this didn't make sense. She wasn't still sleeping, was she? If she was, then this was a new experience all together. But...Indru wasn't in Relic Lore, was he? He had left, Swift River was left under the leadership of Ruiko, his brother. Granted, she hadn't known the circumstance of which he had left, so she supposed he could have returned without her knowing. She certainly hadn't kept tabs on him. The last she had seen of him was when he had escorted her out of his borders. Eyes narrowing, she looked at him with fresh eyes. He had introduced himself, which meant he had not remembered who she was. "I know who you are. You were the leader of the Swift River wolves," she told him, her tone dry and neutral. Was this chance offering her a way out of her struggles? After all, she could hardly be trespassing in his territory now, and there was no real reason for him to be here. She would see, and while she was certain that she would never forget, it did not mean she was unwilling to forgive.

(This post was last modified: Jan 31, 2011, 07:26 PM by Corinna.)

He'd startled her it seemed, against his best efforts to avoid that, and Indru felt a flicker of annoyance at himself. He backed away, giving the wide-eyed female some space, and peered at her curiously as she seemed to struggle through some internal thoughts. She had leapt up with more energy that he had first expected that she had and this fact pleased him, perhaps it merely exhaustion that had led her to this state, maybe she had been travelling a while.

Indru was somewhat suspicious of her intentions when her eyes narrowed at him but she spoke he smiled, nodding but not really confirming her story either. I'm sorry then, he began, still watching her carefully, as I can't remember meeting you. Gently he leaned his muzzle towards her, sniffing lightly at her and testing her scent, there were definitely no recent traces of a pack or anyone he recognised on her and she smelt solo and without companions. A lone wolf then. So many crossed his path, either remaining in Relic Lore for a while or moving straight through, and he wasn't surprised he didn't remember her.

Taking a step towards her he titled his head slightly to the side, attempting to calm her from her previous shock with friendly gestures like he remembered Lifdis had done with him. Are you okay? He inquired again when he remembered that she had not answered him before, wondering if she would deny any need for help and leave or actually seek the help a pack wolf could offer.

(This post was last modified: Feb 01, 2011, 01:22 PM by Indru.)

Gone Tomorrow

For a moment, the she-wolf hoped that maybe she too would be remembered. After all, wasn't it better to be remembered for something, no matter what it was, than nothing at all? She thought so. But alas, it seemed that she had not left a lasting imprint, and she wondered curiously if there had been others before and after her who had ventured across Indru's path and been subject to his anger. But, right now, he didn't seem particularly angry, and he seemed genuinely concerned about her well being. "I'll be alright, I think. I'm just tired..." she paused for a moment. "And hungry." She added after with a half smile. He had been born and raised a pack wolf, and with the exception of the past couple of months, he had never really known what it was like to be away from his family and without a stable food source. She on the other hand, had been living in a state of constant hunger for months now. Her hunting powers that had served her so well in her home pack were futile here when she was on her own. She found things to eat, eventually - it just took time. "I'm Corinna Donata, by the way," Cori piqued up again, dipping her head in his direction. Not that he would remember the name. "I visited your borders a couple of months ago looking for a home. You, eh, escorted me out." No point in beating around the bush with it; he would either remember or he would not, the least she could do was remind him about their initial meeting.

Much of Indru's life had been spent in a pack but he was not adverse to time on his own, most recently travelling back to Relic Lore before his family and then when he had suffered at the hands of the drought himself which turned him delirious. It was his explorations into a lone wolf as a yearling that had put him off remaining on his own for long; many times he had decided to leave like his siblings before him only finding himself heading back, homesick, before long had passed when he craved his families security. I can imagine, he smiled sympathetically at her mention of tiredness and hunger, a lone wolf's life is not one I would pick, especially not at this time of year. It wasn't phrased like a question, but the curiosity behind her decision was clear, but he didn't want to pry into her business, especially when she was weak.

Indru was pleased when she seemed more relaxed with him and offered him her name (again, it didn't ring any bells with him) and he stepped closer to her again, a companionable distance between them instead of a wary and unsure one. He listened to her words carefully, catching the emphasis to mean that it had not been the most friendly meeting they could have had, and he shrugged lightly, a smile on his features again. I guess that means that I found you a little bit beyond the borders, then. Indru noted back, a vulpine smirk on his muzzle, he knew he would not of been unwelcome to a wolf that was inquiry a respectful distance to the borders, so she must of been trespassing. If that was the case, he wasn't entirely sure that the error lay just with him as she seemed to think, but it was water under the bridge in his eyes. Why are you not in a pack now? Most wolves had found one by the winter, and even if it had not gone swimmingly with his own at the time, there were others after all.

Gone Tomorrow

She watched him close the distance between them, naturally easing the tension that always seemed to appear when two strangers first met. After all, they were strangers. She knew where he came from, knew his leadership history, but that was all from observation - a skill that all lone wolves were quick to detect. Not that Indru was slow on the uptake either. His comment about her status as a lone wolf did not elide his curiosity, Cori could very clearly hear the undercurrent of curiosity. It was a comment curiosity, after all. It was strange that she would still be on her own even after the harshness of winter. "The water dried up. I left Relic Lore to survive. I came back when the water did. I like it here, I don't particularly want to live anyplace else," she told him, cutting her story down to the nitty-gritty of what was actually important.

Cori's face flushed as he commented on her trespassing. Not that it mattered. He didn't seem particularly annoyed about it now, and her shoulder wound, from where he had bitten her, had long since healed up. So she supposed it was probably time to let it go as well. Slipping back down on her haunches, the gray female relaxed for a moment, before noticing that she was sitting on a downward slope in the snow. Beneath her, she could gradually feel the snow give way, and she got back up in a bit of a hurry, shaking her body so as to remove the snow that clung to her hindquarters. Grinning, she took a few steps forward so that she was level with Indru and not in danger of being swept away by the snow. "Why?" she answered, registering that he had asked her a question. "Well, for starters, there's only two packs in Relic Lore - not much of a choice there. And, well...I'm afraid of heights, so Midnight Plateau is out," she explained, her voice growing softer as she admitted her fear. "And I haven't made it to Swift River yet, so right now it's just me."

It seemed then, the pair had something in common with their somewhat recent returns and when she divulged information willingly he was quick to do the same, I left with the water, also. He was pleased that she seemed healthier and more comfortable with him than when he first came across her, though nothing had changed their conversation had seemed to give her a burst of energy. I took most of my family with me, though some stayed behind. As stubborn as Ruiko was he had refused to leave as well and loyal Kinis had stayed with him, it had been worrying to separate their only just healing family but it had felt necessary at the time. Besides, even though Ruiko and Kinis had survived it didn't mean that the entirety of their family would have if they hadn't left. At the mention of her sentiments on Relic Lore however he laughed, smiling at her and nodding in agreement, I know what you mean. I was born here and unlike some of my siblings I could never leave it. The forest was home now and even his short time away from it had felt strange, most wolves would of moved on when the drought struck and not came back, but Indru knew he would always return.

The mention of their previous meeting seemed to slip past conversation easily and Indru was happy to let it, he held no grudges as she hadn't done it again, besides compared to some lone wolf's he knew she was a saint. Corinna began to explain why she had no pack and at her mention of her phobia Indru smiled lightly, hmm, I've never heard that before. Do you know why you have a fear? To Indru the idea was foreign, no one in his family had any fear that was not the norm and it intrigued him. He and Ruiko had many memories on the mountain, testing their limits, honing their strengths, and he couldn't imagine having a fear that limited his travel. Perhaps I can help you conquer it sometime, he offered, part serious while part joking as well. She mentioned Swift River though and he titled his head to the side, it frustrated him — as it had recently — that he did not have the authority to do what he linked within the pack. He was so used to being the lead wolf that it felt strange to delegate, but it wouldn't be fair to dampen her chances with Ruiko by interfering, I can help to escort you there if you like, he offered with a smirk at the mention of their last time at the borders. At least now she would be able to cross them to find Ruiko with permission.

Gone Tomorrow

She had wondered what had happened to the original Swift River leader. When she had returned and discovered that Indru's scent was nowhere to be found, but rather had been replaced by his brother, Ruiko, she had been confused. At first, she had wondered if a confrontation had broken out between the two brothers. She was one of three siblings, the idea of a sibling rivalry was not a new concept to her. But, despite everything, she was glad he had returned. Cori didn't know Indru on a personal level at all, she had only met him and Ruiko before briefly, but somehow things seemed more at place when the Tainn family was reunited. Their parents had made the original mark on Relic Lore, and it was only right that their offspring was continuing it. "That drought was something...I'm surprised that any one decided to stay around and tough it out," she mused. Ironic, considering that she and Indru were standing atop the snow - an abundant source of water if need be.

Cori's attempt to lower her voice when mentioning her fear of heights did not go unnoticed. He picked up on it, smiling at her, though his confusion was evident in both his face and his tone. She grinned back, a bit sheepishly. Shrugging her slim shoulders, she spoke up, "My birth pack lived at the base of a group of mountains. When I was maybe half a year old or so, I went exploring in the foothills. I lost my balance...and it was only sheer luck that I landed where I did and not on the rocks below. Ever since then, I've avoided heights like the plague." Whoever said that childhood experiences didn't have an effect on the adult life was an idiot, or Cori was the exception to the rule.

Gray ears perking up, she looked at him with wide eyes in surprise at his offer to help. She had told quite a few of the wolves she had met about her fear, and surprisingly none of them had offered to help her overcome it. And yet, he had. "You know, I would like that. Thanks, Indru," she returned, smiling at him. She didn't care if he might have been joking, she was unable to elide her joy at the potential possibility of overcoming her biggest fear in this world. His reference to their past meeting made her flush, but she flicked her tail in enjoyment, glad that they could reduce it to jokes. "I would like that. I've been meaning to seek out Ruiko. I like to be on my own...but I'm a pack wolf at heart, you know?"

He listened to her story with interest and understood how it could create a fear, though he was sure somewhat similar experiences must have happened to him and Ruiko with the speed and carelessness they used to scramble around. Though he knew that any one of those incidences the pair of them would of been to interested in beating the other to even dwell on it, and if they had, Honijo would of soon sorted out any fears by leaving them up there if they had too. Me and my brother we were so careless, we used to scramble and fight up the mountain over there with no concerns for anything. He laughed at the many memories, but we were too interested in beating the other to ever get scared. Though they had been reckless it had not been looked down upon, these were the sons Rihael had wanted and Honijo only ever encouraged them to sort out their own differences between themselves.

His offer seemed to please her and he laughed as he confirmed his offer, well, we'll make it a date then. I will cure this fear and one day we'll reach the top of the mountain. Indru meant it quite seriously now, he had not been up the mountains as of late and introducing Corinna to them slowly would be fun, besides he had not tried to cure a phobia before. It will definitely be worth the effort. He knew firsthand the mountain was stunning and he could always remember looking over it into the lands beyond with a desire to explore them, he was sure Corinna would enjoy the sight after being afraid of them for so long. She wanted to be in a pack, it was something he understood without thinking, he never understood the desire to want to be alone, and wolves were social creatures after all. Off we go then! He announced, suddenly half sliding and half running back down the hill creating snow clouds as he did so. At the bottom he tried to slow his pace, worried that she would fele weak again and stopped, waiting for her to follow before continuing again.