Sierra Hills End of the Dream

For @Arion <3 - set after Iopah's rank challenge, so we can keep it slow/vague until we know the outcome.

RE: Nalda, a little bat catches you off-guard.
- Dusk, Partly cloudy - 32 ° F/0 ° C

She was thinking. She'd been thinking a lot lately, taking long walks and wondering about the world, her place in it. And it seemed every time she did, she ended up further south. It wasn't a conscious decision, but her thoughts constantly drew to the Spectral Woods; Oak Tree Bend..! She had no more ties up here, nothing keeping her to the falls. And yet she lingered, not so much because she didn't want to leave, but rather, she wasn't sure where to go. The Bend seemed the ideal choice, winter was coming after all, she wasn't dumb enough to think she could survive without a pack. So what kept her? Fear, denial, laziness, apprehension… Pick one!

Instead her mind toyed with her, drawing her into complex contemplations while it let her unknowing paws down along the Sierra Hills. Until eventually she woke up, feeling her hackles rise as she realized what had happened; AGAIN! Then she would growl at herself, turning tail and heading back towards the Pines. Because, in the end, it was familiar, it was easy, and even if it didn't feel anymore like home than these rocky paths she wandered, there were a few things there she still cherished.

Today she'd been out so long, it was the fading light that finally called her back to reality, golden eyes blinking and narrowing. The stones around her looked violet in the dusk, shadows lining every crack and crevice with black. A grunt fell from dark lips and she turned up her head, stretching her back as she stared up into the indigo of the cloud-dotted sky. Her legs were stiff from walking, but still she turned around, ready to head back. Why? A small voice would ask in the back of her mind as she took the first steps, and she would have answered it, if the cliff hadn't suddenly attacked her. "Shi..!" Her voice echoed as she jumped away from the dark spot she had assumed to be nothing more than a shallow depression in the rock. A small shadow fluttered past her, it's wings forming a distinct silhouette against the sky as it flew from the small cavern and out to hunt for the night. "Piece'o'..!" The young wolf exhaled, glaring after the bat before turning her attention to its hidden home, eyes turning to golden slits as she gazed into the darkness; What a big baby I am! But she had to admit, it was quite a neat hiding space.

Word count: 416

Thoughts ”Speech”

(This post was last modified: Nov 29, 2016, 01:09 PM by Nalda.)

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

<3 sorry about the wait on this! @Nalda

The falls were feeling less and less like home as the days went by. Despite the pack being his birthplace, like Nalda, there was nothing tying him to the land anymore. His father had disappeared shortly after Arion had entered the world and his mother had suffered an accident that had taken her life — and Inkheart's return was about as likely as Zia coming back from the dead. Nalda and Ember were the only reason why he had not abandoned the Pines after his mother’s death. However, even with their presence, Arion still felt like an intruder. It was why he was always out and about, exploring the neighbouring territories and getting familiar with the different terrain. He did not really know what his future plans were; Arion did not like planning that far ahead. He did not know if he planned to remain a member of the Pines or explore other options. All he knew was that, wherever he went, it would be with Nalda and Ember at his side as he could not leave without them. He had promised them that they would stick together.

As the night began to creep onto the land Arion slunk away from the Pines once more. He slunk through the trees, his dark body blending into the shadows as they expanded across the land. It was not until recently that the smudge discovered how perfectly suited to the darkness he was. His obsidian pelt made it much easier for him to slink away, unnoticed, into the shadows. Which, also, made it easier to sneak up on unsuspecting wolves.

It did not take him long to stumble upon Nalda’s scent, his brows knitted together as he began following her trail. When he had first met Nalda, many many moons ago, the smudge had been wary of her. She had been stubborn and quiet — even a little angsty, perhaps — which, at the time, was the complete polar opposite of the out-going, bubbly personality Arion possessed as a cub. However, as they grew together, Arion began to understand her more and appreciate her differences. Now, he couldn’t envision his life without her (and Ember).

“Wha’cha looking at?” He called out as he spotted her tawny shape among the stones, her shadow stretching across the ground as the sun began to fall behind the horizon. A soft smile was perched lazily across his liquorice lips as he approached her, his sea-green eyes looking around curiously to see what had startled his friend.

Promise I'll be quicker to respond from no on so we can figure this all out. And a tag for @Ember to jump in whenever you can <3

The last rays of sunlight cast deep shadows over the russet rocks, hiding the small cave in perfect darkness. Narrowing her eyes to try and see  through it, the yearling poked her head through the opening, sniffing curiously. Other than the bat, and possibly a couple of its friends, it didn't smell like the space had been occupied in a while, and as her eyes adjusted to the dimness, Nalda could see why. While the opening was wide, the space behind quickly narrowed, forming a passage that looked to be a tight fit for any larger wolf. The walls were oddly smooth, bending in and out in wavelike patterns, marked by only faint stripes, formed by running water eons ago. Now the tunnel was dry. Intrigued, the yearling took another step in, craning her neck to try and see further. As much as she strained, she couldn't spot the back wall, but in the distance she saw what looked like light, filtering down into the corridor.

She was standing like that, halfway into the cavern, when the voice sounded suddenly, making her jump. Engrossed in her exploration, she hadn't heard his approach, and it was lucky that the cave-ceiling was so high, or she would have knocked her head. Now instead, she just swore under her breath, pulling back out to face the unexpected company. "Fuck, Ari!" She grumbled at the boy, a smile slowly spreading on her lips; "Y'scared th'life out'a me!" Had it been anyone else, her language would likely have been much worse. But now, meeting her friend's teal gaze, she chuckled lowly, shaking her head at her own start; So jumpy I am tonight… Usually it was her sneaking up on others, not the other way around. Of course, her mind had been rather preoccupied as of late.

All the more reason to take this chance for a reprieve, just a few moments of feeling like an adventurous pup again. Wagging her tail lightly, the slate and russet girl smiled ruefully at her companion, cocking her head towards the dark cave entrance; "A'found a tunnel o'some kind! Wanna see where i'goes?" She felt almost giddy at the prospect, skipping around and back towards the opening, eager to continue the exploration.

Word count: 314

"Speech" Thoughts

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

have no fear, embers here to ruin the good mood

Since her mother's death, the girl all but disappeared. Unable to comprehend the loss, unwilling to confront the pain, she had hidden herself away from the drifting remnants of the pack. Only when her throat burned for water did she crawl out into the open, but once the fire was sated she would vanish again. This was nothing no one else had ever dealt with before, she told herself. Nalda had lost both her parents at such a young age. Arion had seen his mother dead too. But how? How did they manage to carry on? It was possible, and yet seemed so far out of her grasp.

As was the way of many things, it took time for her to begin to see where they might have dredged up the will to survive. A bit more time passed, and she began to take care of herself again. A little more, and she was able to manage the energy to begin considering what was next for her, now that the Pines were no longer a habitable home.

On this day, she finally mustered the willpower to seek out the only remaining ties she might have left.

Arion was more present in her mind than was Nalda. The girl still had difficulties trusting her would-be sister, yet simultaneously craved closeness. Maybe this was it, maybe now that she joined them in their orphan status her and the other girl would finally form a bond stronger than simply being of the same pack. If that didn't happen, though? Ember would easily survive. It was Arion that could crush the young woman a final, irrecoverable time.

It surprised her how far the trail led, and her heart beat steadily faster the longer it took to track the down, as she couldn't help but lament over the possibility that they had left her behind. By the time she found them, her emotions were mounting once more, thickening her throat and causing her temples to ache. She heard Nalda's voice bounce around, happy as though the world wasn't shattered into a million pieces. Ember wanted to call out to her, wanted to trust that despite how rough and condescending she had always been to the Reinier child, deep down she actually cared.

She couldn't.

"R..." she sniffled out, tail curling between her hocks as she gazed up at the two of them, several heights above where she pitifully stood.

i'll try to be quicker im really sorry guys :c @Nalda @Ember

He had not meant to startle his friend, but it did not make it any less amusing. A smile rolled, clumsily, across his features—a rare phenomenon for the brooding Celencio. He was absolutely captivated by the cave that she had stumbled upon, but he was far too amused by his frightened friend. “Looks like there’s still some life in there,” he retorted as he tapped her nose with his own, tail wagging enthusiastically behind him. For a moment, he was happy. It would be brief, and he knew it, but he would relish in it. These moods did not make an appearance very often—it was getting harder to break through the wall he had created.

The tawny wolf spoke once more, her excitement surpassing her fright as she motioned toward the cave. Arion had never explored tunnels or caves before. He had stumbled upon them, yes, but when he was alone. Unfortunately, R could not muster up the courage to explore them on his own just yet. But, with Nalda, he was up for anything, even if his moods fluctuated like the weather. He started to answer, a rare giddiness envelopingg his words as they dripped off his tongue: “Yeah! Let’s g—“ ‘R…’ His head snapped round, pale orbs widening as they landed on the pale girl. The boy’s features softened immediately as he took a step toward her, head tipping to the side. “Hey, Em,” he greeted warmly, his tail giving a soft wag behind him. You okay? he wanted to ask, but the words did not come. 

(This post was last modified: Dec 05, 2016, 07:54 AM by Arion.)

"A study in empathy" by Nalda. @Ember is up.

She didn't get far. Her paw hadn't even crossed the threshold when a whimpering voice caught her back-turned ears, breaking through Arion's enthusiasm and wiping the smile off her own face. As always, their den-brother was quick to answer the new arrival, and Nalda reluctantly turned back as well, walking up to the dark boy's side, looking down at the pale girl below. Her nose wrinkled slightly. Ember looked pitiful, crouched and dejected, thin – like they were all starting to get – an all around miserable sight. Since the adults had left, she'd mostly kept to herself; Understandable I guess… After what had happened. Nalda had shed no tears for Iopah and her idiocy, it was the way of the world that she should be punished for not knowing her place. Now Ember was the one suffering though.

The russet-tainted girl needed little empathy to know what her other den-mate was going through, after all she'd tried it herself. Part of her wanted to sourly remind her of that; Get over yourself..! Yet, surprisingly, she held her tongue. Looking down at Ember, beyond the weakness, she saw for the first time not nuisance, but someone more her equal. It was an almost staggering realization, that they were the same now, they were all lost. Nalda wrinkled her brow, glancing sideways at Arion who was still watching the lighter girl compassionately. Had she been alone, she doubted she'd have even hesitated to turn the other youth away. Now she did a double take, knowing that her attitude might very well drive Ember away, with Arion trailing behind her. And as much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want him to leave.

So she looked back, trying to see what he did. She'd never found a friend in Ember, or her boorish sister, but she hadn't exactly given her much chance, certainly none since they were very young. Now, there was not much chance that the Reinier had grown any less boring or mindless in that time, but she could at least give it a try; For Arion… A small sigh fell from her lips, and she bowed her head a little towards the girl below; "Y'done hangin'round th' Falls?" Her tone couldn’t exactly be called friendly, but it was certainly a lot less acidic than usual, and she accompanied it with the tiniest quirk of her lips and a lazy sway of her tail; Take it or leave it..!

Word count: 409

Thoughts ”Speech”

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile

She had interrupted. Arion's smile was lost, and Nalda's own always-judging face appeared. Ember felt sick, like maybe she should have stayed in the ground and let the snow bury her. She hated feeling like that.

But there was sunshine in R's voice, and she clung to it. She tried her best to focus on him, knowing that she would not like whatever the other girl had to show on her face. Yet her eyes still glanced here and there, and while Nalda's dial wasn't as frosty as it usually was when turned her way, Ember was still far from okay with the look she was being given. Ignore it, ignore it, she told herself, and was almost successful until that rough voice spoke out, tongue lazily dripping each syllable.

Something new began to burn inside the girl.

She hated that accent, or whatever it was that kept Nalda from speaking normal. She hated her constant air of superiority, how she was always patronizing and condescending when she spoke. She hated that she was so close to Arion yet had never given two shits about Ember or her sister, despite them all growing up together through the same hardships, and she certainly hated how the boy seemed oblivious to just how cruel and disrespectful the girl truly was, even when Nalda made no secret of it all.

Most of all, Ember hated who she was right now. Depressed, sniveling, lost. Her throated burned along with her eyes, which she only now realized had been pinning a glare onto the girl who could have been her sister. She forced herself to look at Arion again, to remind herself that the earth wasn't completely scorched.

They had made promises to each other, after all.

"I want to go to the Bend. With Sahalie, and Kyna. Would you come with me?"

POOR ARION

The two girls were polar opposites. Nalda was fiery and outspoken; a little more on the carelessness side, but loyal all the same. Ember was quiet and methodical; more cautious and sensitive than the golden-eyed sparrow. Their differences did not make him like them any less. He actually liked them more, for if they were too similar he did not know if he would be able to spend so much time with them. However, because their personalities differed so much, they often butted heads. And Arion hated being in the middle.

Nalda’s voice pulled him away from his thoughts, a crooked grin unfolding across his ebony muzzle. The smudge was certainly done with hanging around the falls—he wanted nothing to do with this place anymore. While there were dozens of good memories tied to the land, there were also a handful of undesirable ones. Memories he desperately wanted to get away from and leave behind…

His attention refocused on the pale girl as he waited, patiently, for her response. He did not have to wait long.

The Bend? He blinked, unsure of what to do. Sahalie would be there, which would make it more tolerable. The second name he did not recognize, but if they knew Ember or Sahalie they couldn’t be awful, right? A small frown creased his features as he glanced over at Nalda, his tight chest. He wanted to go with Ember—they had made promises to each other and Arion did not want to break them—but what would Nalda want to do? Arion wanted to go with her, also. He could not imagine being separated from them… they were the only family he had left. He couldn’t lose them too.

“I would like to,” he started, his voice unsure as the words tumbled off his tongue. “Where do you want to go, Nal?” Please say the Bend, please say the Bend… He did not want to choose between the two of them—he couldn’t.

Shallow water has trapped several fish in a small pond. Hunt Opportunity

All she got in answer was silence, silence and a glare unlike anything she'd ever seen on that pale face. Something strange bubbled in her chest at that, the faint hint of smile fading from her face as she stared back, meeting the unspoken challenge. She despised Ember, just like her mother – her whole family and their self-righteous happiness – a whimpering weakling coming to others because she couldn't handle herself. And yet; At least she isn't pretending..! In that meek show of defiance there was more strength than, frankly, the bitter girl had thought there even was to find inside the puny Reinier, and she wasn't hiding it behind pretend kindness like Iopah had. Nalda straightened up, a narrow smirk curving her lips anew; What'a you know…

That small thread of newfound respect didn't change the fact that the brat was, not just staring her down, but ignoring her as well, turning to Arion rather than answer the question. Russet brows furrowed in anger, her teeth grinding behind tightly closed lips; Who does she think she is?! She'd been willing to offer truce, grandly she'd approached the other girl with an open mind, and what was her reward? A slap in the face! That little bitch! She was just like her mother. So fine, Nalda would not be stupid enough to pity her a second more; Let her look out for herself for once! But of course she didn't. Instead she despicably pleaded for Ari to go with her, pointedly ignoring the third party. Anger flared hotter within her, hackles beginning to rise as she watched the whelp cower and beg, no doubt doing her best to try and charm the dark boy into following her, because she was oh so miserable and it was so very sad.

Nalda could imagine nothing better than to tear that sad face up, unfortunately, Arion probably wouldn't be pleased. But he wasn't so enamored with her plight that he neglected his other friend, and in the midst of all her fury, the darker girl felt a warm tingle as he turned to her. It blossomed into smugness as she met his eyes; They wanted to go to Oak Tree Bend. A wide smile spread on her lips, the flame of anger cooled by ice as she nodded lightly; "Sure, le's go t' th'Bend…" Golden eyes turned to the shewolf below, face a pleased, friendly mask, but edged in frost, just like her voice as she continued: "I've got family th're." She drawled the word, meeting Ember's eyes directly with her gold glare as she did. Had the situation been different, she might even have felt a bit guilty at this bizarre twist, suddenly she was the one of them who had most. But as it was she was far too thrilled by her vengeance, the smugness settling over the coals of her former rage, filling her with a joyful warmth; That's what you get!

Word count: 491

Thoughts ”Speech”

Because of work, my activity will fluctuate every other week. For more information and OOC preferrences check out my profile