Riddle Heights bury me 'til I confess

Any SMP members interest in joining in ^^

Silence had enveloped his every waking moment as he refused to say so much as a word to anyone, including Maeve, Tannis, and Vitani. The tawny pup that had once been full of energy and never without a word to say was silent, constantly, because none of the words that came to mind felt right anymore. His mother was dead, and his father had disappeared without taking him or his sister with them. They were alone with a woman amongst them who had made them just what they were – orphans. Wren was curled up, hiding from the rest of the world which had become more of a habit than he was willing to admit. He was staring nowhere in particular, lost in a daydream while contemplating what to do next.

There were stages that someone was supposed to go through, and he found himself in the second stage. He was angry, a raging bull ready to strike despite lacking the physical capacity to do so. His denial had passed when he realized his mother was never going to wake up, and that he had lost her forever. No, he was furious, taking multiple faces to the rage he felt burning inside of him. When he thought of anger he thought of Aponi and Datura and Kyna.

It was wrong. He knew he shouldn’t feel angry with his agemate because of the actions of her mother, but he couldn’t help the fact that he was angry – she had both parents while he now had none. Granted, he had a sister and she was a lone child. The child rose onto his paws, shaking his head while collecting himself into an emotionless, still child. He slowly sauntered around, giving nothing away inside based on reactions. That wouldn’t help anywhere.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

After her last adventure outside the safe little world provided by Silent Moon Plateau and the wolves therein, Kyna had decided it best to continue her short adventures inside the realm dictated by her mother and father. Nothing bad had happened, exactly, but it was frightening still, and the young girl wasn’t certain she was ready to repeat that experience just yet. (Worse still would be earning her mother’s ire, or losing the tentative bond struck between herself and her father so recently.)

Perhaps it wasn’t as exciting among the rocks so familiar and true, but excitement wasn’t exactly what the wolf spun of fire and gold really desired. She was content here, puttering aimlessly around the territory while her parents tended to whatever it was adult wolves did when the puppies weren’t around. Generally, she was fine to be her own company – as an only child, she quickly became comfortable with the notion of entertaining herself. It was not often she had @Maeve to play with, and it was even less common now that Aesire had died, and her friend’s father had disappeared.

Why did he do that, she wondered. What would she do if @Phineas were to vanish suddenly?

Deciding she did not wish to dwell on the matter, the girl instead continued her journey, wondering if perhaps she should attempt her hunting skills again when she realized one of her agemates was afoot. A quick scent of the air quickly informed her it was not her best friend, but Wren – the brother that was never supposed to know about their secret club. Ears folded back as she approached slowly, curiosity driving towards the swarthy cub. “Wh-what are you looking at?” she asked tentatively, voice so soft it was little more than a whisper. “Wr-ren?”

The girl swallowed hard and took another few steps, halting once she was a few steps away from the boy. Kyna dared not get too close, remembering his sister’s complaints – and there she stood bashfully, glancing down at her thick paws before daring a quick look at the other puppy. After only a few seconds she turned to follow his gaze once more, and seeing nothing, the child tried again. “…you wanna play with me…maybe?”

A wild dissertation appears!

@Kyna <3

There was a certain uncertainty to Wren, and it was something that made him unsure about himself and made him wonder what he was supposed to be doing. He was torn, a constant battlefield that was his mind waging back and forth, weighing pros and cons of the situation to figure out what he was supposed to feel. Anger, hatred, disgust, all of which he targeted at the family that now held the reigns to the Plateau and their matriarch, Kyna’s mother. He had been adamantly ignoring them: Phineas, Kyna, and Aponi. It wasn’t like they had ever taken an interest in him before or him in them, so he simply left it as it had been before the events that led to his mother’s death.

But he had seen it, and he knew the truth. His mother hadn’t slipped or fallen like the pack had been told… no, Aponi had pushed her off that cliff, and there had been other witnesses taking her side. He was surrounded, and now his father was gone too leaving him as the last line of defense to defend his sister, something he silently swore he would do. He heard a voice, and instantly he turned, a blazing look being burned down into an almost glare as he looked upon the princesses form. She asked if he wanted to play, acting innocent. She probably was, he knew, but he still couldn’t trust anyone in the pack, not even his sister who had spent time with Aponi and her daughter. He shook his head, turning away from her to walk in the other direction while upholding his silence.

If they wouldn’t listen, actively listen to his side of the story and believe him, then he wouldn’t speak. They didn’t think his voice was important, so he would not burden them with it.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

Perhaps Wren couldn’t hear her, she thought. Even the princess knew she wasn’t a terribly loud creature, and for a moment, she considered clearing her throat and trying again. Aponi always spoke clearly whenever she needed anything – the alpha always got exactly what she wanted, and never had a need go ignored, as far as the pup could tell. Ears swiveled about her head like tiny radar dishes, giving away her uncertainty as the girl battled with reticence and curiosity.

It occurred to the child all at once that she had been heard, she was simply being ignored. Fiery eyes opened wide, head raising by inches as her ears flipped forward, realization cresting over Kyna as the male staunchly refused to acknowledge her. After a moment, he shook his crown and turned, padding away and leaving the girl with a choice. She could pretend this entire event never happened, allowing her agemate to topple her and deny her very existence, or she could…do something.

Ears flipping backwards and plastering against her skull, the child steeled herself as she broke into a trot, quickly closing the gap between herself and the boy. Whatever had happened to make Wren so angry, she knew well she’d nothing to do with it, and while she might not understand how to process the event yet, the princess well knew she had no reason to become penitent. Coming up on the other pup’s right side, she threw her muzzle out, bumping into his flank. “Don’t,” she whispered, courage only extending so far. “Don’t…be rude.”

A wild dissertation appears!

He thought he might have been home free, that Wren wouldn’t be forced into an attempt to socialize anymore, but it failed as the rambunxiously silent child went and bumped in in the flank, causing him to turn towards her with a disapproving glare in his eye and a frown on his muzzle. Rude? She thought that he was like this because he was being rude? No, it wasn’t rude, it was outright anger, and hatred, and disgust for everyone in the pack. He couldn’t take it out on his sister, because his sister was around the same place as him, but he saw everyone else as responsible, and it was how he had managed to make it through the days knowing that his father was gone and his mother was never going to wake up.

Wren sighed and turned away, his tail lashing from side to side as his emotions warred within him, between the want to growl, snarl, and chase Kyna away and the pitted desire to simply collapse and fall into an emotional blob of sadness. He couldn’t let himself do either… he had to stay strong and tempered, for Maeve. They were orphans, and they needed to stay strong… right? His teeth gritted as he fought to keep his fur from bristling with the confusion between rage and pain that he was feeling. He felt like his life was being torn to pieces, and everything he had held dear was being taken from him.

Who would be next? Vitani? Tannis? Would they leave him in some form too? He wasn’t sure if he could lose his lifelines and the only wolves in the pack he actively knew with some comfort. Kyna wouldn’t understand, because her life as a princess was perfect. She’d never know pain.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

Why wouldn’t he speak? The puzzling situation silenced the young girl for a moment, ears falling backwards against her head. Her tangerine eyes studied the cold look in the other pup’s expression, her shoulders slumped slightly under the frown. No matter how rude Wren might have been to her in that moment, the princess simply couldn’t muster the steel to make him apologize. If her mother were here, surely she’d have something to say about it. (But would she scold the boy, for not playing nicely? Or would she have a stern word for her own daughter, displeased that the honeyed child was unable to stand up for herself?) A soft whine escaped her throat and by the time she glanced back up, her agemate was already walking away again. Why was he so determined to leave? Hesitating with one paw up for another few seconds, Kyna bumped forward into a trot again, padding after the other puppy. Ears remained flat out to the side, her head low – she was not a subordinate, she should not be subordinate, but could not bring herself to raise her voice or her flag and assert herself. Again, she bumped into Wren’s flank, coming up to his shoulder, and around in front of him before she stopped, hoping to keep the other cub for leaving again. “Hey,” she said meekly, glancing at Wren’s face before glancing back on the ground. Her tail was hung low, and she gave the boy a second look. “What’s…wrong? Why…this?” Why won’t you talk? KYNA AQUILA-ARGYRIS

A wild dissertation appears!

Awww, no one can deny Kyna for long ;~;

How was he supposed to feel? He laid out the facts, tried to think like his momma had always told him to and he sorted and sifted through what he knew. What he knew? His mother and Kyna’s mother had been fighting when he saw her momma push his off a cliff. She landed and she was limp, and he stayed with her until Tannis, Tani, and Kyna’s dad showed up and tried to pull him away. Since then he had stayed away from the rest of the pack, and he had held a silence.

Silence remained golden and deafening, despite brief interruptions from the agouti girl who was continuing to follow him. Part of him did feel bad because as far as he knew, it was not Kyna to blame but her mother instead. His eyes closed, remaining shut as his muscles tensed slightly, calming himself down from the raging anger that he had let burn him to the core. She asked why he was acting the way he was, and he did something he didn’t expect, or even think about for that matter. The tawny boy turned towards Kyna, coldness fading from his eyes as the unsure feelings he had present in his eyes started to peak through. It could be summed up as a mixture between melancholy and confusion.

This was Kyna, whom he thought would never hurt a fly. They weren't going to break out into a DONNYBROOK if he did speak. Still, that didn't mean that she would listen or believe him. He collapsed, his butt collapsing to the ground as he stared at his paws on the ground. There were tears present in his eyes, though he didn’t dare let any escape. He was torn between actively speaking or holding it in like he had promised himself to do. Still, he did manage to keep his silence.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

I still question her future diplomat skills.

Finally, finally, the other puppy stopped, acknowledging her existence outside of something to be disdained. It was amazing how one wolf could make her feel so very small and insignificant – but that was one of the costs of becoming a wall flower. Something changed, something caused the boy to defrost, but without the words, Kyna struggled to decide what exactly it was that had changed such venom into something so much softer. Sadder. The melt came with the presence of water, and the girl found herself sucking in a sharp breath, taken aback by the polar reversal.

What had she done!?

Taking one step back, the princess glanced back over both shoulders – if ever she needed an adult, now was the time! Unfortunately, it seemed neither her mother nor father were afoot. (As much as she worried about Phineas, she vastly preferred his presence over any other adult, her mother notwithstanding, and the alpha was the only other wolf she’d trust in such a situation.) Quickly, the girl realized she would be left to her own devices and stepped forward into the other puppy’s space, a soft croon escaping her lips.

What did her mother do when she was upset?

Gingerly, she reached forward to press her nose to the other puppy’s crown, a tentative lick rolling off her pink tongue. “S-sorry,” she whispered, entirely unsure what she’d done to upset Wren so. Still, he wasn’t crying before she’d followed him, and now he was, so the honey-kissed child was certain she’d done something to inspire this. “I-- S-sorry. Can I help?”

A wild dissertation appears!

War continued to rage in his head, creating senses of doubt he didn’t want or need as his eyes showed his struggle, fighting back everything that he was feeling; he wanted to call out, scream, cry, but he couldn’t; he wanted to find his way back to some semblance of something he knew but he couldn’t. He couldn’t. He just couldn’t. He drew in a breath, holding it for a second as his head turned slightly, looking at her with sad eyes. He made a choice at that point, seeing the girl so distraught just proved she wasn’t like her mother, who had committed such a heinous crime against his family. Something he witnessed… but who would believe a pup over two adults? No one, that’s who, so he wouldn’t even try.

“It’s not you Kyna… my mom…” He didn’t know if he could get the words out as his eyes clamped shut, trying to get the words out but he felt like he was choking on the air instead of breathing it. “Someone killed her, Ky, I saw it.” The nickname just kind of slipped out from him, but it was more from the fact he didn’t know if he could say anymore. He was struggling to keep it together. “My dad’s gone too…” He explained, turning to look at her. What had he just said? He just said he was an orphan, that was what, and in all honesty, it terrified him. What was he gonna do without parents? Would Kyna understand? He had no idea.

Swift as a Deer. Quiet as a Shadow.

Wren Destine-Caravello

Fear Cuts Deeper Than Swords.

“S’okay,” the puppy murmured automatically, not in the least bit offended. (At least, not once she’d noticed the drastic shift in emotion from resentment to misery.) Gingerly, she reached forward in a movement mirroring something her own mother would do when the agouti child was upset, pressing her wet nose to her agemate’s crown. She snuffed once, pressing her muzzle into Wren several more times in tiny bumps, trying to soothe the other wolf as she sighed. Whatever she was expecting the other cub to say, it certainly wasn’t that.

Kyna froze, flame-touched eyes growing wide as she tried to comprehend the notion. Wren had seen-- Wren had seen his mother die? If anything had ever happened to Aponi, she had no idea what she’d do. The woman was everything to her, and at once she understood some of the sadness welling up in the male’s eyes. Making a quiet noise, she pressed herself closer, wrapping her chin over the boy’s shoulders in an attempt at a comforting embrace. There was nothing she could have done or said to ease that loss, she thought, but perhaps simply being there would mean something…?

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, having no idea what else to say. She’d invite Wren and his sister to come live in her den, but had a strong feeling her mother would have a few choice words for her. Instead, she twisted to lick at his ear, at his crown, anything that might prove comforting as she whined. “…do you want…to look for him? I’ll help.”

I can do that.

A wild dissertation appears!