Riddle Heights loving fear

Gone Tomorrow

"Indru Tainn you are a demagogue!" Corinna yelled sharply at her leader as she followed along obediently in his footsteps. She had been dragged her against her will, that was her story. Except that she had followed along quite willingly when Indru had asked her to accompany him on a trip. She hadn't noticed really when they had began to increase their elevation, and it was only now that they were clearly preparing to scale the heights of Mt. Dire was she truly petrified. No matter that the two year old had told Indru that she would venture there if he accompanied her, that was a long time ago. It had been a month since she had joined the Swift River pack, and she had hoped that Indy would have forgotten. But the brute in front of her was true to his word, and he had tricked her into coming with him today.

Her steps grew slower and slower as they progressed, and she began to sweat, even though the March sun barely warmed the earth beneath it. Her sides began to heave, and green eyes flicked back and forth in their sockets nervously. "Indru...", her voice was no longer a shout, but a whimper. Coming to a stop, she wagged her tail pathetically behind her and whined at him. "I'm scared. Do we have too?" They hadn't even left the safety of the trees yet, really, they hadn't done much climbing. But the fear of continuing on this journey was driving her crazy, and she wasn't sure if she could take it anymore. Cori could be brave, if she wanted too. But everybody had a fear that they couldn't overcome, and this one was here. "Please, Indy."

At their first meeting (well, what Indru liked to call their first true meeting) Indru had promised, perhaps a tad jokingly, to try and cure Corinna's fear of heights. Indru knew she would be reluctant — who wasn't when they were forced to face their fears — so it had required him to be a bit more covert, but now it seemed she had realised his intentions. A deep, booming laugh was Indru's response to whatever insult Corinna had shouted at him this time as he shot her a glance over his shoulder to check she hadn't turned tail and ran yet. She had been in the pack a month now and rested at his side in the hierarchy, the most dominant female of Swift River. Indru was surprised at how much time he had spent with Corinna over the past month and was even more so at the feelings he had felt in response.

The boy slowed his speed as Cori did, matching his pace to hers so he prowled along next to her only just ahead, a slight show of his dominance. He sensed her increased tension and turned his head to the side to watch her, frowning in concern when her voice came out as a whimper. She stopped then, her tail waving behind her, and he continued to walk forward until spinning to face her just as she pleaded with him. No, we don't have to, he reassured, smiling at her and pressing his nose to her cheek affectionately and waving his own tail as he tried to reassure her, briefly dropping the weight of his muzzle on to the top of her head to try and soothe her with his closeness. But we could try a bit further, he suggested, speaking softly into her ear and brushing his head against hers comfortingly.

Think of the views you could see if you made it higher. The idea of being afraid of heights was a novel idea to Indru, but he understood fear itself, and how great you felt when it was conquered. Besides, a fear like this was limiting in its ways as though Indru did not frequent the mountain now he would hate to think of himself as barred from it. I know you can do this; his voice was strong and confident as he met her green eyes with his fiery ones for a moment, nodding at her. But, if you want to be a chicken, we can home now, he teased lightly, tail wagging behind him again to show that it was meant in good jest.

Gone Tomorrow

It would be a lie to say that the she-wolf hadn't grown accustomed to Indru's presence. In the time that she had spent in Swift River, she had gradually come to dominate her side of the hierarchy, though that was an entirely unintentional feat. She figured it had more to do with her being the only female who frequented the Swift River territory made her the most dominant of them all. But beyond that, it meant that she spent much more time with Indru - which wasn't a bad thing. At some point, she had realized just how much she had come to rely on him and come to trust his judgment, more so than she had expected. But feelings were not something that most could control, and she was happy to let her emotions lead her on the right course. Even if it meant scaling this godforsaken mountain to keep him happy.

The weight of his skull upon her own was comforting, and she leaned into his gesture, breathing in his scent as she buried her head into his chest. He was at least taking her pleading into consideration, but his encouragement to go further was frightening. What if she fell and lost her footing? Then what would she do? Grumbling, the noise from her throat indicated her displeasure at the decision to keep going, and she crinkled her brow at Indru as he dared to call her a chicken. "Fine, let's keep going. I can make it a little further." I think. She gulped awkwardly, hoping that maybe she could just swallow her fear and it would disappear forever. But as the pair continued on their trek, she found herself growing more and more nervous again. Being close to Indru gave her comfort, so she began to close the lead he had in front of her, walking as close as she could to his side, her fear mounting with every step that they took. "How the hell can Alexander stand to live here?" She asked allowed, remembering that the white furred beast was master of this domain, or at least a certain section of it.

Orange eyes watched the emotions play out along her face as she thought on his suggestion to go higher, the more time he spent with her the more he could recognise the changes in her face and it pleased him to know that he was starting to really know her. More importantly, each time he learned more it was not displeasure he felt but a growing fondness and protectiveness over her, especially from other males that they met on their travels. It was a relief in ways that Swift River only had one other male, Avalloc, who was like a brother, though Indru was sure that he had noticed how his body instinctively angled to shelter her. Breeding season was a strange thing, and while it was not the first one he had been alive for it was the first one the prospect of breeding himself had been something to consider, and it had only fuelled Indru's desire to stay by Corinna's side as much as he could manage.

She agreed then, somewhat begrudgingly, to continue their trek slowly up the mountain and Indru flashed her a handsome grin before he leaned forward to place a kiss quickly on the side of her muzzle coyly. The large male turned quickly on his feet, loping a few paces forward before peering over his shoulder at her, his tail waving behind him in obvious pleasure as he tried to reassure her off her safety, as he waited for her to catch up. When he got closer he noticed that she closed the gap between them, their fur mingling as they walked, and he leaned slightly over to bump her gently with his shoulder. She broke the silence with a question then; asking of a male who he presumed was the new leader of his uncle's pack. Unable to stop himself his fur had bristled along his spine just slightly as a spike of irrational jealously had rolled in his stomach, but he hid it as best he could, laughing instead and shaking his head. It's not bad up here when your used to it, he explained, thinking back the many times he had spent on his mountain, though he was unsure whether he would enjoy it so much living here. I have fond memories here being a pup. Indru was lost in thought for a moment in memories of family outings or trips with Rihael and his siblings as they climbed to harden their limbs and strength their muscles, it had been hard going but worth it when you reached somewhere to take in the view. I'd love to take my pups here too, it was a presumption that Indru would have eventually have pups of his own, if he wanted the pack to flourish and continue it was a necessity, and the idea was a thrilling prospect, especially since it had fallen to him to be the guardian of two of the youngest Tainn's.

I won't let you get hurt, his tone was serious unlike his playful nature minutes ago and he turned his face to the side to meet hers for a moment, I promise. Their elevation had been increasing for a while, but it was only now that the trees had started to become thinner and the soil slowly start to turn harder beneath their paws that truly showed they were near to climbing.

Gone Tomorrow

Truth be told, Corinna had been somewhat oblivious to the season at hand. The weather had become more mild, but it would be a long time before all of the snow completely melted and the sun was the dominating feature in the sky. She was two years old, almost three, so this would be her first breeding season where she was potentially able to become pregnant. Obviously she had noted the lingering scent that seemed to surround her wherever she went, and recognition that it was her going into heat had eventually followed. While she was the female lead, she had not presumed that it meant much more than she was the most dominant female in Swift River. While she had spent a lot of time with Indru, she did not want to presume that it meant something special, though there were times, she began to doubt that. The way he brought his eyes to meet her and the happy feelings it set off within her were not in common with her other relationships. There was something about the dark tawny brute with the fiery orange eyes that caught her attention, and held it.

Grinning, the she-wolf's tail wagged almost shyly behind her as Indru placed a kiss on her cheek. Their interactions were always like this, playfully affectionate, and the gray hued female loved it. Feeling comforted by the alpha male beside her, she began to lose some of her fear, focusing instead on her companion as opposed to the trees giving way beside them. She listened carefully to his story, nodding her head in understanding, though she herself could not imagine ever climbing where they were now as a pup. Though, the mention of him bringing his pups up here caught her attention, and she cocked her head to the side in a quizzical manner, as she was known to do when confused by something. "I didn't know you wanted pups," she mused quietly. Of course he would, he was the pack's alpha, it's leader, the wolf whose job description said "Father of the pack". But she didn't know that Indru himself was keen on it. "I guess I've never thought about it myself. I was never in a position where that was really an option for me. In fact, that's why I had to leave my home pack in the first place - alpha female didn't want me, along with the other females, around. Just in case."

It felt good to be opening up to Indru, and it turned her attention away from what they were currently doing. She stopped as he made her a promise that he would protect her and make sure she was safe. She met his eyes again- something she was now completely unafraid to do. While her smile did not touch her lips, her gratitude was all in the eyes. Leaning in, she placed her own kiss on Indru's creme cheek, wagging her tail as she did so. Turning back to front, Cori began looking around, and she felt some of the tremors come back, as she noticed that the trees were thinning and the ground was becoming rockier beneath their paws. Eventually, they would be able to see just how high they had climbed already. "You're sure this is worthy it, Indy?" She asked, her voice hesitant.

(This post was last modified: Mar 10, 2011, 03:51 PM by Corinna.)

For the vast majority of his life Indru had been part of the Hidden Tree pack. It had been founded and then led successful by both his parents, his uncle taking on the role of his father's second, and while other wolves not of their family had drifted through their ranks at various times (mainly the winter season), it had always been mainly family. Though he could remember times when a male had stayed past winter and had been around for breeding season, how his father would bristle at any stray look towards their mother by the male, and how they would almost be banished from approaching her. During this time it would be rare to see his father from Lani's side, even when it was just her brother and children in the pack. Before Indru had only noticed the change in scent from a passing female lone wolf, but it had been uninteresting, as without being in a pack or in a dominant role the scent was weaker. Now, though, he had begun to understand his father's behaviour as if he smelt the scent of any male nearby during his travels with Corinna the Tainn could not help but to bristle and pull nearer her protectively. She was the strongest and healthiest female in the pack which had been proven by the rank she now sat upon and coupled with his affection and growing adoration Indru found it hard to part from her for even short periods of time.

Her tail wagged after his sly kiss on her cheek and he tried to pretend to not have noticed but his own waving in response gave him away and he flashed her another quick, toothy grin. She was confused, and he was pleased at how easy and quickly he could identify this before her head slide to the side to give her away, and he nodded at her statement which seemed to warrant elaboration. Of course, he confirmed, a bemused expression on his face, though he knew it was a duty that was expected of him it was one he looked forward too and saw as an honour as well, I'd love to be able to teach my pups things, to protect them and seem them grow. Though it had always been a thing he imagined, perhaps unrealistically, with his parent's alive to give him advice to let his own pups flourish, but they had given him enough already, he was filled with memories, and he had spent many hours looking after his younger siblings. Her story drew a sympathetic smile to his face and he pressed his nose to her cheek as they continued walking.

Suddenly then, after his promise to keep her safe, he placed her own kiss on his cheek and a slow grin curved his face as he woofed happily at her, his own tail waving behind to match hers. When she turned her demeanour changed and Indru saw her tremble lightly under her fear before she asked him if it was worth it. Just imagine how you'll feel conquering that fear, and the views you'll see, he encouraged, his voice was strong and steady and he kept his posture relaxed and calm in the hopes that it might help soothe her worries, if only slightly. But I don't want to scare you, Cori,we can go whenever you want. When she agreed to stay in his pack after Ruiko left he had taken on the role of protecting her and keeping her safe, while he wanted to help her to overcome her fear, he didn't want to cause her distress and something she didn't want to do either, we can take it in slow steps.

Gone Tomorrow

This was the nice part about being able to spend time with Indru, being able to talk about their histories and their families. She obviously knew more about him and his family than he knew about her's, but that was to be expected. She lived among his family, whereas her's...were nowhere to be found. She had left them behind, and had taken the Tainn's as her ersatz family, and she was perfectly alright with that. But the thought of potentially having her own puppies, now that was a thought that scared Cori. Not that she had to worry about that; Indru had stayed protectively by her side since she had first gone into heat, his posture making it clear to all others to stay away from her. It was cute, and it was nice. The she-wolf could fend for herself if need be, but it was nice to have Indru there - he was far more intimidating than she was, and she just liked being around him.

"You're going to be a great father, Indru," she confirmed, beaming at him. It was true, after all. Cori had seen Indru's interactions with Borlla and Triell enough to know that he truly cared for them as a father would, and she certainly liked them both enough. "I hope you do have pups," she mused after a moment, pausing as she navigated her way over a particularly rough trek of stone. "I'd like to help care for them. Can't let you have all the fun with the cute little things." She finished, after she was sure that she had made it successfully and wasn't in danger of tripping. That was the last thing she needed; she was nervous enough without falling off the edge. Her current state of nervousness was obviously visible, and she knew Indru was doing his best to keep her calm. But Corinna was scared, and despite the views at the top, she doubted they were good enough to make it worth it. His reassurance that they could leave whenever she wanted too was nice, but so were his last words. "Small steps, Indru, small steps," she told him, her voice a nervous laugh. And that was how she reacted, one paw in front of the other, her eyes glued either to the immediate ground in front of her or the male who was walking patiently beside her.

Breeding season was a tense moment, made even more so when a male — pack or stranger — was nearby. He was quicker to anger and react than before and took a protective stance over Cori without thinking, she was of his pack and he wanted to keep her safe, but the thought of her breeding with another male caused his spine to shiver in envy. He watched her often even when she was unaware and doing other things, admiring her from afar and watching her interact with the pack happily; she had already proven herself a great addition. At her comment he grinned over at her, his tail waving wildly, a proud expression on his face, it was in his eyes on of the greatest compliments. You would make a good mother, he responded honestly, she was clever and strong, more than able to look after her pups and teach them how to be good assets to a pack.

A silence fell as he watched her again more intently, bewildered and embarrassed by the sudden rush of emotion he felt as he met her green eyes, his orange ones burning before he pulled them away to look up behind them to see how far they had come. Her next comment made his stomach plummet even though he was not fully aware why and he waited for a moment after she had finished, pausing his movements as well, before he looked at her and got the courage to speak. You don't want pups? Or perhaps, a more fitting answer is that she didn't want pups with him, his stomach contracted at the thought even though it was not a concept or idea he could remember considering before. This was his first breeding season as a leader, the head of the pack, who was expected to breed, always before pups had seen so far off.

She was nervous and he shook his head to try and free it from his suddenly melancholy thoughts, trying to stop himself deciphering the meaning of the whirling in his stomach. He licked her muzzle gently again after her nervous laugh, aware that it might mean something else to him than it did to her. You'll be fine, I promised, after all, he had said she would be and whether she felt the same his promise was still effective. I'll keep you safe, and his voice was strong and confident again, the slight sad tinge to it gone and hidden away as he turned to smile at her.

Gone Tomorrow

If Cori had been human, her creme cheeks would have turned a bright red at her leader's blandishment. How could he judge her a good mother when she had no experience at it? Granted, she had taken on a somewhat motherly role in the pack since she had joined. She had taught Triell how to hunt beaver, and she had taken care of him after he was wounded when those idiots trespassed into Swift River territory. Pressing her lithe body against Indru's side, she dipped her muzzle beneath his own and nudged the soft fur of his neck there, grinning. "Well thank you, Indru. I'd like to think that I would be, if I ever had the opportunity."

Pulling back, she continued to walk beside him until they both came to a momentary pause. Looking at him, her ears flattened against her head anxiously, and she tried to wag her tail in reassurance. "Of course I would, Indru," she said after a moment, gathering her thoughts before speaking. "But...I was never born to be a leader, like you. So it was never something that I thought too much about." Green eyes met his own and she willed him to understand. They had come from different situations, but that did not mean that their end goal was not the same. "That is...until recently." She added after a moment. Head stretching forward, Cori tugged playfully on the loose fur of Indru's shoulder, pulling him into movement yet again. His simply being there was doing wonders for her nervousness, and while she would not be venturing this path again for a long while, at least now she knew that she could at least make it this far. So long as they were careful and picked their steps wisely, they would be okay.

A low growl started in the back of her throat as Indru licked her cheek, and she felt the rush of emotion that came with every contact they made, and considering how much they touched, that feeling came often. It was a pleasurable growl, and Cori returned the favor, licking the leader's cheek in return. She giggled at his reassurance that he would keep his promise that she would be safe. "I'd like that," she told him, casting her eyes away almost bashfully as she looked at the trees falling away around them. "Especially if that's a lifetime promise." Bringing her eyes back to meet his, she smiled at him and wagged her tail. Indru's company was one that she wanted to be a part of for the rest of her life, and she would do everything in her power to ensure that happened. For while the instances had been few and far between, that had been times when she too felt the green eyed monster awaken within her as Indru was dealing with the other non-Tainn family female member of the pack. They had all gone into heat, and no matter where one went in Relic Lore, the smell seemed to permeate everywhere, and while she seemed little concerned for herself, she was worried that one day Indru might return - some random stranger with him. The thought made her stomach twist into knots and she had to remind herself that it was her Indru had decided to accompany today. As if to satisfy her own insecurity about the matter, she closed the distance once again so that they were walking side by side with minimal amount of space between them. At the very least, her own scent mixed with that of Indru's would at least ward off any wandering females looking for an eligible bachelor.

He smiled at the words she spoke in response to his returned compliment about parenthood and wondered briefly what she would do if she was given the opportunity. She was the pack's female leader, and of the strength, health and age to have pups, yet he found it curious how unaware she seemed to be of these facts. How unaware of the allure she had, especially at this time of year, especially over him. Indru growled pleasantly as she pushed herself closer to him, brushing his chin along her head before quickly dipping his muzzle and nipping gently at her scruff, the affection in his actions clear. The two had gone beyond just simple friendly responses to each other now, at least to Indru his actions around her now meant more, and he placed a telling kiss on her shoulder as she pulled away, the previous smile still curling his face.

They walked further still and pride hummed along his body as he watched her slowly begin to conquer and chip away at her fear, she was still showing even greater strength and it only made him more pleased to have her lead at his side. Corinna's ears flattened and he immediately went to brush his head along her spine to reassure her before he noticed her tail wagging and realised she was trying to reassure him after his question. Her answer made sense, yet again it gave nothing away over what she thought of him and Indru tried to hide the dejected feeling until she made it no longer necessary, the words she spoke after a pause stopping him for a moment. The tug on his fur brought him back to life and he followed, letting her lead and take them as far as her fear would allow, his mind whirring as he trailed along as tightly next to her as he could manage.

The promise, and the reassurance of it, had been heartfelt and he was pleased that she believed the truth in his words, responding with a quick lick of her own on his cheek. She spoke again, her eyes flitting away and back to his often enough that made him think she was bashful, an endearing yet silly quality as she was clearly not aware of her effect on him if she was afraid. Then it will be. He spoke with utter confidence, his tail curling proudly over his back and his face breaking into a grin as he walked closer to her face, almost unconsciously trying to show his ability to protect her. I'll keep you safe for as long as you want me too, Corinna, and Indru stepped closer to her, pressing the side of his face against hers before pulling away slightly with another kiss to her muzzle, eyes meeting hers determinedly, to make sure that the implication behind the words was not missed. If you want me, I'm yours, his voice was a whisper now as he waited, fires dancing in his bright eyes.