Riddle Heights Shadow Of The Day

The night was silent. Peaceful. The clouds had gathered overhead that day and for a while the lone wolf had been expecting a heavy onslaught of rain – but it seemed he had been lucky and he had managed to make his way a great distance through the rocky mountainous terrain with little hassle. Though no matter how far he had come and no matter how much his body ached and pleaded for rest, the male was not about to settle himself down for the night anytime soon. A white fog clouded the air before his half-parted lips as he let a soft sigh ebb into the lonesome twilight quiet. He preferred to travel at night when things were still and dormant. There was less chance of predation and therefore hopefully less chance of an unpleasant encounter. Besides it was cooler at night and if there was one thing Daedalus couldn’t stand in the world it was sweltering beneath the desert sun.

Fiery amber eyes traced a smooth line across the far horizon, curious to see just what kind of place he was aimlessly heading to. He’d always enjoyed a little unpredictability but when it came to rely on where he’d be spending the next day or two he couldn’t help but feel a little anxious. Nether the less he swiftly recomposed himself and continued his ascent across the mountain. He moved quickly at a comfortable pace to keep himself moving – after all, the more land he covered now the less time he’d have to spend travelling tomorrow. His body strained as he clambered up onto another ledge but the male refused to slow his pace. It was going to be a long, tiresome night and one he would surely regret by the sun rose the next morning.

There was something utterly exciting about traveling by night. Borlla felt as if no one was in charge of her and the entirety of Relic Lore was her oyster. She felt like a loner. But, of course, there was always the luxury of returning to Swift River when the sun rose, knowing that she'd be fed (whether by herself or by whatever someone else caught), and knowing that she was safe. As Borlla Tainn reached her first year of life, she knew that the luxury would have to end eventually. She'd be...A lone wolf at some point in her life.

But why couldn't she just stay within Swift River forever? It wasn't in her blood. She remembered when Indru told her that he and Ruiko couldn't be in the same pack together, one always having to be beneath the other. They were leaders. Borlla felt like that. It was okay now. She'd come to terms with her youth, though she was certain that she wouldn't be stuck at the bottom forever. But eventually she knew she'd have to take Swift River, or leave it.

As she climbed the smooth rock known as Mount Dire, she occasionally looked up at the moon, and her tail curled over her back. One day she'd probably have to fight Indru. That thought was scary, but she knew she'd do it honorably. Not like her stupid older sister had done. Snorting, Borlla shook her head, and finally sat on a ledge, not wanting to go too far up the mountain and end up getting lost. She'd already gone farther than she had before, and it was rather unfamiliar ground. She could always see the ground, but getting back there was the hard part. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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Quietly he moved along the mountain paths choosing which ever direction appealed to him at that particular moment in time. Being lost within such an unfamiliar landscape the timber wolf had yet to gage in a certain sense of direction. Instead his movements were erratic and unguided and he snaked his way forwards – occasionally inspecting the terrain around him out of pure curiosity. Out in the middle of no where there wasn’t much of interest to keep his occupied for very long, he had fleetingly picked up on the scent of a male bear somewhere in the mountain but not wanting to disturb a creature potentially three times his size he had taken no further action. However, just recently within the last few yards he had also picked up another scent: one that he was by far more interested in pursuing.

Black nostrils flared wildly as he inhaled the she-wolf’s scent. His ears flickered curiously as the male paused momentarily to take the time to analyse her pleasant aroma. A sense of intrigue flashed across his expression then as he determined the female to be no older than a year. Compelled now, the need to find out more about this young stranger sat within the wilderness at such a time of night forced him to take a sudden change in direction. Obediently he followed in wake of childish curiosity strait into the sights of a beige coloured girl whom sat still and contemplating upon a smooth ledge on the mountain. Fiery amber eyes glanced up to her face and implored for her attention. It was late and she would surely catch a cold if she were to stay out all night.

She never expected company, even though it always seemed to show up. And she didn't mind much either, to be honest. Unless, of course, the company wanted to kill her or something. But it was good to have someone to talk to, especially at night, when silence didn't necessarily mean that you were alone. Obviously, Borlla wouldn't be talking to herself, either. That would just be strange. Taking a subtle inhale, she caught wind of the male before she heard or even saw him. She'd been sitting relatively still to begin with, but with this new evidence, she seemed to freeze.

Ears flicked back, and her eyes shifted towards him. The fur along her hackles rose, but only for a moment. He didn't seem to be much of a threat...If anything, he was begging for attention. Well, without actually begging. Shifting her body slightly, she met his eyes, and blinked, her tail flicking over her paws, unconsciously warming them. It was spring, but it certainly wasn't warm.

<b style="color:#32527a">"Who are you?" She asked curiously, though there was an edge to her voice. There always was one, honestly. It was like she didn't want him to be there. He would make company. Borlla liked company. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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The timber wolf had turned up unannounced. Daedalus paused in his advances a few metres before the young female and watched with casual interest at how she responded to him. He had half expected her to quick turn and hide away or maybe even warn him off – but she did neither, and so the male continued to linger within the shadows beneath her ledge. His ears perked forwards, curious, as he gazed quietly up to the girl in soft beige fur. His stance was neutral with his tail comfortably by his heals and his shoulders loose and relaxed. He could feel the cool air riding up his back as he settled himself down to sit and promptly gave a quick shake to avoid himself shivering. From the corner of his eye he caught glimpse of her rising hackles – and for a split second – his muzzle wrinkled in apprehension.

"Who are you?" There was a sharp, almost demanding tone to her voice then when she questioned him but Daedalus simply shrugged it off with a sarcastic flick of his tail. A humoured smile slipped across his charcoal lips as he glanced up to her briefly, his head tilting slightly to one side. <b style="color:#8a321c">"Daedalus." He replied, his voice still hinting at his suspicion surrounding her. It was obvious by her appearance alone that she was well looked after. Her pale fur with thick and luscious and he could sense no ailments on her. <b style="color:#8a321c">"Do you come up here often?" He asked calmly, trying not to sound too patronizing. She surely had a den somewhere where it was warm and safe; the male thought it strange that she was out in the cold with no obvious reason to be.

By the way, you totally got Borlla's 200th post. -high five-

Borlla noted almost bitterly that her company was older. It was hard to tell, but she could just assume. There weren't other "pups" running around except for that one she'd met the other day, Raigo. It was a sense she had. Like, she wasn't allowed to have friends her own age. Or friends at all for that matter. Weldering had disappeared again, and she was done with him and anything that she'd felt towards him. Thinking about it now was almost a little heartbreaking, but she pushed the thought of him aside, knowing that the feelings never would have been reciprocated anyway. She was a kid, right? Borlla huffed, focusing her attention on the older male again, ears twitching slightly.

Looking down at him gave her a sense of power, but it was also slightly annoying. While he spoke, she gauged the distance to where he was, and figured that her rather youthful body could take the jump should she choose to do so. <b style="color:#32527a">"Nice to meet you, Daedalus," Borlla said, almost absently. At least his name was pronounceable. <b style="color:#32527a">"Not really. My home is rather near to here though." A smile crept up her muzzle and she couldn't seem to force it down, so she didn't. Rising to her paws, she paused for a moment before she jumped down, landing almost expertly beside the timber male. Her legs greatly protested, but at least they supported her. She tried not to show her mild discomfort. <b style="color:#32527a">"Do you?" Borlla countered, twisting around to press herself against the bottom of the ledge that she'd jumped from. The stone was cold and she instantly regretted it, leaning slightly away from it. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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He watched with mild curiosity as she seemed to glance away absentmindedly. As his eyes slowly washed over her face it became clear to Daedalus that the young girl was lost in deep thought over something. A part of him wanted to intrude and find out just what it was she was thinking so hard over – but the more considerate side of him reminded the timber wolf that everyone had secrets and that he had no right to go delving into matters that did not concern him. His gaze flickered to the floor as he sat their quietly, contemplating his next move, with his muscles tense – refusing to shiver against the cold bite of the wind. The female snorted and almost instantly their eyes met again. Daedalus’s lips tugged into a small smile as she greeted him before smoothly canting his chin in respect.

"Not really. My home is rather near to here though." Russet ears perked as he caught the smile that promptly spread along her lips. His brows curved up in amusement and he calmly stepped back as she jumped down neatly to land by his side. His tail curled upwards over his back and swayed slowly behind him – that smile, it intrigued him. She returned his question and the timber wolf gave a small dip of his chin, his eyes averting to glance down at his feet. <b style="color:#8a321c">"Just passing through..." His sentence trailed off, as he turned to her suddenly, suspicion dancing within his fiery eyes. <b style="color:#8a321c">"You have no intention of going back, do you?" He wasn’t trying to judge her; he just wanted to know were her loyalties lay. But either way, whatever she was up to, Daedalus couldn't just leave her out in the cold by herself. <b style="color:#8a321c">"You could come along with me tonight?" He asked coolly and he rolled his shoulders back dominantly. <b style="color:#8a321c">"I could use some company..." He breathed, his hot amber eyes flicking down to her as he waited patiently for her reply.

(This post was last modified: May 17, 2011, 06:08 PM by Daedalus.)

Borlla didn't know anything about males. Hardly. Growing up with large overbearing brothers, she only knew that they could be well...Overbearing! Or stupid. Usually stupid. She shifted her rear against the stone, and her tail curled, moving against her back. This one, Daedalus, didn't seem stupid. Or overbearing. Of course, she knew nothing of him except for his name. One point for him. Not even Weldering earned that check. Borlla'd taken it away from him. Her nostrils flared, and she attempted to memorize his scent. Borlla had decided that she was rather good at tracking, and if he didn't do anything stupid, then she'd want to find him later.

She stared intently back at him, noticing that his eyes weren't that different from Indru's. Definitely brighter than hers. It was then that she truly started staring. The same smile failed to leave her muzzle as she did so, but at least she could hear him. However, the moment the question came forth, she frowned, looking quite offended. Rising to her paws, she side stepped, getting herself out from against the wall, and moved around near his side. The question didn't sound suspicious, but she wouldn't bet her life on it. <b style="color:#32527a">"I'm quite happy in Swift River, thank you." The response was mostly true. She'd been given no real reason to leave, yet, nor was she really old enough.

Besides, she'd just started to fix things with her brother and her sister-in-law. Leaving wouldn't do anyone any good. <b style="color:#32527a">"I could?" The frown slipped into something neutral and her brows rose. She'd stopped staring by then, though it was quite an interesting question. She was a big girl. What reason did they have to come looking for her past a certain hour? The pale girl giggled, and the smile reappeared, <b style="color:#32527a">"Why not? Where are you going, exactly?" Her rump wiggled in the air, and she moved around behind him, sitting again. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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As he watched the smile fade from her lips, and instead be replaced by a rather offended looking frown – Daedalus bit back softly at his own raven lips as he gazed at the female anxiously. Had he really presumed too much and perceived her in completely the wrong way? Smooth russet ears drew back against his head with uncertainty as she stepped around to be by his side. "I'm quite happy in Swift River, thank you." A side ways glance was quickly offered to the girl as he tried to gage her expression for any small hint that she might be lying. Unfortunately, the light was not in his favour at the chance was swiftly stolen from him. With a casual shrug of his shoulders Daedalus gave a small grunt out of stubborn disbelief.

Apart from the fact that the timber wolf refused her answer to be true did have some interest in the pack she spoke of. Swift River: The name in itself was a fair giveaway. It would undoubtedly be located somewhere near a river – but which river he had no idea. It got the male thinking though: he had yet to find any source of water since ascending the mountain and it wouldn’t hurt to find out where he could later stop for a drink. "I could?" His attention immediately turned back to the girl, giving a gentle nod in response. "Why not? Where are you going, exactly?" A dark grin spread across his mouth and his teeth flashed bright beneath the moonlight. <b style="color:#8a321c">"Who ever said I had a destination in mind?" He teased, the humour present within the warmth of his voice. His tail swayed playfully behind him. <b style="color:#8a321c">"How about I do a deal with you? You get to choose where we go for tonight, if you promise to take me back to Swift River in the morning..." Everything tonight was up to her should she choose to compromise with him.

Borlla shivered again, and shook herself lightly as she sat, trying to fluff herself out. It wasn't hard, admittedly. She was rather fluffy to begin with. Clearing her throat, she met his gaze again, certainly intrigued. So, she got to choose where they'd go? If she took him back to Swift River when the sun came up. She wondered how Indru would take that. Well, hopefully. Borlla let out a little hmm in consent, and turned to look out at the landscape. <b style="color:#32527a">"Where to go, where to go?" The tawny girl mused, not really looking at any place in particular. She preferred to stay on the mountain, honestly, as she hadn't explored it much since that funny wolf had been trapped with her in that storm. Spooks, or something.

<b style="color:#32527a">"Let's go further up the mountain," Borlla announced, turning around and nodding. She'd just decended a moment ago, but paid no attention to that fact. As she moved past him, she grinned, and began to make her way up the rocky path in the moonlight. <b style="color:#32527a">"speech."

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