Jasper Rocks Cool Nights

For @Oula

The air was still crisp and cool as pale yellow eyes took in the night sky between the cedartrees and white breath escaped her with every breath out of her black nose. The apprenticed healer felt like this might be the perfect time to have sometime to herself, even if she had spent most of her time alone these past few weeks. There been instances where she had been with her packmates and gladly interacted with them, like upon first meeting Squeak. But she felt like having some space of her own, for a short time.

But Amaryllis had felt somewhat nostalgic, after meeting the young hunter, and decided to take an evening walk towards the creek, where she had first meet Yvly. .

However, it appeared her memory of how to get there was as misty as the day she had been there, as she arrived at a frozen pond, instead of a creek. Huffing softly, Amaryllis edged over to where frozen water meet rock and studied the rocks that made up the small rock pool and surround ing edges. It must had been fed by the creek, when it was running smoothly.

'Fish must get caught often enough in this pool.' she thought to herself as her eyes swept over to where the creek ran into it. 'I bet it is very pretty when it's spring.' and she considered coming back here, once it was warmer and the water was running into this little pond. If would also be a good spot to hunt, something of a thoroughfare for those who had the patience to fish here. And surely some helpful plants grew here as well, so she would have to visit again come spring.

Taking care to look around as an idea filled her head, she took a deep breath, and cleared her mind. She found a good spot to lie down, a small patch free of any rocks that would dig into her as she settled down before rolling onto her back and staring up at the stars twinkiling between the leaves of the canopy.

After speaking to Veho about...things, she just needed some space to think.

@Amaryllis

The cream and grey leader tread quietly under the shroud of night, her ears tuned to the soft sounds of the forest. Needled branches whispered overhead, and somewhere a great horned owl hooted plaintively. Nothing seemed out of place as Oula completed her circuit of the borders, but she wasn't quite ready to settle down for the night. A restless tinge still flowed through the hot blood of her veins, nerves still high from the season. There was still some time before she would be able to tell whether her rendezvous with Veho had worked as planned, and the uncertainty of it had her on edge.

Oula found her mind wandering, back to her home, and to her late friend and mentor, Rorik. She couldn't help but wonder what he would have thought of all that had happened, the turn her life had taken. His death had gone avenged, and she had all but deserted their regiment... With the wandering of her mind, her paws followed suit. Trickling water met her ears as she made her way to the rocky stream where she seen him once before that fall, an ephemeral glimpse through the veil.

Her skin bristled as she followed the ice-choked brook, sage eyes peering hungrily through the dark in hopes she would be lucky enough to catch another glimpse. Nothing showed itself to her, and Oula knew she would likely have to rely on the Veho's expertise in these matters to have more than a chance at seeing, let alone speaking to her comrade.

Huffing in defeat, Oula rounded away from the stream only to catch the scent of one of her packmates on the breeze. Wondering what someone else would be doing out at such an hour she followed the whisp of scent. She came upon the smaller female laying in the snow alongside a frozen pond. "A bit late to be out, isn't it?" She neutrally remarked. After all, she was out here too.

Thoroughly startled by another voice seemingly coming out of nowhere, lost in her thoughts as she was, Amaryllis clumsily leapt to her feet. For a brief moment, she feared it was an unknown wolf trying to sneak up on her and displayed accordingly. But she soon caught the scent of cedar woods and other smells she had come to associate with her pack and almost as if out of guilt and perhaps something else (Maybe a splash of fear quickly flashed in her eyes before it vanished), she lowered her tail and belly closer to the ground and covered her teeth, her eyes lowered to the ground.

“My apologies, I was startled. I did not realize there would be another out here this late at night.” She murmured with a decent amount of sincerity. Flicking her eyes up, the gray scaled female took in the appearance of the other. Was this the other leader of the pack, the one that maintained the pack besides Veho? She knew it wasn’t Yvly or Squeak and she was aware of only three or four other wolves that she had scented within the pack lands that she had yet to properly meet.

Deciding that either way, it might be safe to stand up properly, though she kept a submissive posture towards the other either way, the woman tilted her head slightly. It was a quirk she had developed, since getting her scar, particularity in the cool aired nights like this, when the skin felt a little tight. “I suppose it is somewhat late,” She agreed to the other’s question. “I...just wanted some clarity so as to clear my thought I guess.”

There is a moose carcass that has been scavenged by coyotes nearby. +15 Health

Quite suddenly the resting figure before her scurried to her paws, for a moment looking as if Oula had come to eat her. Oula kept still, creamy paws firmly rooted to the snowy earth, not wanting to add motion to the mix and cause further alarm to her subordinate. Oula watched as the flicker of fear made a brief appearance across Amaryllis's features, her tail remaining at ease as the other female drew down in submission.

Oula shook her head slightly as the Amaryllis apologized,the leader's short tail giving a congenial swish. "It is I who should be apologizing, I hadn't intended to frighten you." She watched as the smaller wolf came to a stand, submission still evident in her posture. Her small brown ears flicked as Amaryllis mentioned needing to clear her thoughts, wondering what it was that could be plaguing the newest member. Not that it was particularly surprising, often by circumstance, lone wolves carried their own ghosts, but she hoped that it was nothing within the boundaries of their home that was troubling her so.

"I suppose you could say I seek the same." Oula admitted with a self-conscious tightness at the edges of her lips. "Have you been settling in with the pack alright? If there's anything I can help you with, I hope you would let me know." Oula firmly offered, feeling rather protective of her packmates as of late.

 

 

"Thank you for the offer." Amaryllis smiled slightly. This woman was kind, like most of the wolves she had met so far in Grizzly Hollow. "I've been settling in well. Veho and I spoke about becoming an apprentice healer to him, so I can help the pack as much as I can." Even with Veho as both a healer and a leader, if she could learn all that she could off him, It would be benifical for the pack to have two healers instead of one. The duties that came with the position could be spread between the two and the pack would not have to rely solely on him should something happen within the pack. And should something happen to Veho, hevean forbid, then there was another who could help him.

The grey scale wolf blinked, realising the two hadn't actually meet face to face, so the other might not properly know who she was. Though it could be possible Veho or another had already mentioned the would be healer to her, it still felt right to introduce herself.

"Oh! Since I don't believe we've formally met yet, I am Amaryllis. Though I am also fine with Lily." She had noticed it with Yvly and Veho, having the dual names of Crystal and Merlin. Was it a common theme amongst the pack? To have two names instead of just one? Or just a coincidence that at least three of their number held two names? And she assumed it was safe to speak of these dual names if they were a thing within he pack, so others would know.

Oula nodded as the woman explained her plans. She liked it when others had the motivation to make more of themselves. Veho was an experienced medic, and Oula was sure he would be an excellent teacher. It would be good for the pack to have another healer to depend on when Veho was occupied with the tasks of leadership.

Ah yes, introductions. Oula searched the smaller female's grey features, finding the thin marks of bare skin that doubtless held a story behind them. It wouldn't be hard to commit the face to the name.

"I'm Oula Whitebark, leading beside Veho." She said, a proud fluff of her snowy white chest. "As well, you may call me Lyonesse in the company of those outside the pack." She said with a slight smirk. The aspect of codenames was one that was still slightly amusing more than anything else. How long had she thought Veho's name was actually Merlin! Sometimes the name still threatened to slip off the tongue, for how long she had been mistaken.

"Well, I'll leave you to your evening musings, then." Oula said, her shoulder shifting slightly as she began to turn, hesitating if the female had any last remarks before she would return to the den.

 

Amaryllis dipped her head as Oula turned to leave, understanding that there was little reason to hang around. It was clear Amaryllis wished to be alone and past the introductions, there was nothing to speak about. Though Amaryllis hoped she did not come across as rude towards her leader and had given a decent first impression.

"I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." She turned back to the little creek as Oula disappeared into the small amoint of trees around it, settling down again thouhh slightly more alert than she had before. She would stay there for a few more hours, gaze upturned towards the sky and the stars held within it's inky darkness that filtered between the leaves before returning to her own den.

(This post was last modified: Jun 05, 2016, 03:50 AM by Amaryllis.)