Larkcall Lowlands The Return Of Darkness

Mid morning - Partly Cloudly - Blistering winds, but not quite blizzard level - -11 ° F, -24 ° C

Frigid air whipped and whirled around a thinned copper silhouette that trudged at a snail's pace through the never ending sea of white, lids clamped shut firmly against their will to keep out unwanted snowflakes from sneaking in and stinging the pair of citrus orbs that lay dormant beneath. Not a single sense of direction other than forward; and perhaps a bit of staggered this way and that due to the pummeling winds bombarding the man on either side it seemed, as paws blindly stepped further out in front only to sink who knew how deep into the snow that claimed this god forsaken wasteland.

Faintly his nose could pick up on the scent of others near by, but Eirian had no intentions of seeking out the locals. They needed no assistance from the murderous Asurn in wiping themselves out for they sealed their own fate the moment they decided to settle down in wherever the fuck he was. "H-how the f-fuck could anyone l-live out h-h-ere." The words were stuttered between breathes and heavy body shivers a hair above a whisper, the unforgiving winter winds stealing his voice before it could properly leave the confines of his mouth. How long had he been traveling through these flat lands? Truthfully it felt like weeks, but the copper man had lost track of the days long ago. Keeping track of when his last meal was was even beginning to become a struggle for himself. Not even the carcasses he came across offered much nourishment for the rogue. Whatever meat may have been frozen to the icy bones once upon a time already picked clean by whatever scavengers roamed about.

There was no time to stop for long, though, for surely Eirian Asurn would join the graveyard of winter claimed souls if he allowed his withering frame to stop even for a moment. He would be damned if he let a creature as pathetic as a coyote or other parasitic carrion eater get a taste of the glorious Asurn flesh that cloaked his body. He had to keep moving. There was still unfinished business to be attended to..

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2017, 03:47 AM by Eirian.)

@Eirian Hope it was okay of me to toss Cas in there - she knows nothing about Eiran xD Poor kid.

Castel hummed as she trotted through the hills and valleys that made up her new home. She didn't think she was still inside Wild Rye Fields' borders, but she figured as long as she didn't go too far, she'd be okay. It was pretty chilly; the day after she'd joined her new pack, and she'd woken up early to go for an impromptu adventure. The frigid air that cut through the hills did the same with her fur, but it was a welcome feeling; she'd always preferred the cold to the heat, even though spring was her favorite time of the year. There was just a certain appeal to winter. The little wolf hadn't been walking for too long before she spotted a large, copper-colored wolf not too far away, looking like a splash of molten metal against the snow behind him. With a wag of her raised tail, Cas loped along toward the stranger, not a care in the world to drag her down. Her packmates were kind - relatively speaking - and she'd had a warm place to sleep and food to eat the night before, so, really, she wasn't in a sour mood at all. Unlike some, Rye wolves she knew. Upon closer inspection, this wolf seemed quite thin for his frame, not unlike herself, and appeared to be grumbling to himself, and Cas' heart went out to see him shaking so hard. Concern flashed in her blue eyes as she ran forward quicker, brows knitted together in worry. "Hey - um, sir," she greeted, wagging her tail and lowering her head just a bit to express that she wasn't a threat. "You look like you're freezing; are you alright?" she asked, slowing down once she got a bit closer and looking up at him with worried blue eyes. Though Cas was, indeed, generally a carefree wolf, she couldn't help but worry about a man lost in the middle of winter and freezing his tail off in the fields. Seeing him shaking even worse up close, the littler wolf stepped forward in a hesitant move to push her flank against his - if it was allowed - to share some of her warmth. Of course, she knew nothing of this man - he may snap her head off just for approaching him like that, but Cas really wasn't concerned with that at the moment. She was concerned with not letting this wolf make a small glacier of himself in this weather.

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2017, 04:10 AM by Castel.)

@Castel Totally fine. Although, big bad Eirian isn't gonna come out to play quite yet so she may be spared ;)

Eirian couldn't have traveled more than a few feet before crunching snow beneath paws that did not belong to himself soon rose to accompany the constant howl of the wind that whirled and tore at his fur like a ravenous monster, russet ears straining to lift from their pinned position against the back of his skull to better gauge just where this new sound was coming from and ensure himself that the noise was just mother nature playing tricks on him, but it was hard to tell just by hearing alone. Halting, his limbs sank a few inches into the unmarked trail he had been making for himself during his travel through the lowlands. Lids forcing themselves open to cast their citrus gaze out into the wintry void that surrounded him for signs of this unexpected, unwanted guest despite the constant sting and profuse watering the combination of snow and wind caused.

Instinctively a charcoal dusted banner rose defensively above his spine and muscles tensed beneath dull copper fur that now puffed out to make his thinned frame more intimidating once his gaze came to fall upon a distant, moving silhouette that stood out starkly against the white backdrop in an array of colors that closely resembled his own color pallet. Busted. A weak, low rumble;a pitiful excuse for a growl, formed in the depths of his chest as he watched the wolf come closer, ears pivoting forward to catch the question directed at himself. Of course he was fucking freezing, so no he wasn't okay! He was stuck in bumfucknowhere, in the middle of winter while running on what little fat reserves his body had left. There was no holding back the snort that came forth, the warmth of his breath expelled in a large puff cloud. 

"M't-totally f-fine." He retorted in a sarcastic tone, the shivering of his body doing little to help plead his case otherwise. Guard hairs bristled immediately the moment her flank touched his own, dark lips curling to reveal tarnished teeth in warning. The touch was unexpected, but not entirely un-welcomed in such drastic conditions as the ones they were currently faced with.  Had it been under any other the Asurn may have lashed out and shown this girl what his powerful jaws were made of, but the cards were not in his favor this time. Alas, once again the vial creature was forced to slip into his disgusting disguise of the 'good wolf' he had sworn he had retired since the fall of Broken Timber Pines and the day he ended an abominations life with his jaws. Whomever this stranger was, they held the scent of others upon their fur and where there was a pack there was food and possibly shelter from the unrelenting conditions winter had to offer.

I know, I know, he had mentioned earlier that he had no intentions of visiting the locals, but the art of survival made a desperate wolf take desperate measures. It wouldn't be a permanent ordeal. Just temporary, until he could gain some of his weight back. Swallowing the bile that slowly crept up his throat, he pressed his flank back against that of her own. Accepting the warmth her smaller body offered. "So w-what's your n-name?" He questioned, a clear tone of disinterest laced underneath. While she looked like she could pass for a pureblood, the Asurn had little doubt she wasn't anything more than another abomination the world needed to be rid of and those scents that lingered on her pelt most likely belonged to more unholy beast. Sadly, the same beast he may be needing to ask for help. The thought alone had him inwardly cringing.

(This post was last modified: Jan 23, 2017, 05:19 AM by Eirian.)

There was something rather... odd about this wolf. Something that sent Cas' instincts on edge and told her that she might be better off leaving him to freeze in the snow. But she couldn't do something like that - her heart just wouldn't let her - though she had a feeling that her heart may have gotten her in a bit over her head in this situation. She didn't miss the way his lips curled up when she pressed her side against his, and her entire body tensed at the possibility that she may need to run away at any moment to avoid being maimed or killed for her kindness. As it turned out, running was not necessary. At least, not for now. The bigger wolf pressed against her, and she reciprocated, sharing some of her warmth with the starving, freezing wolf. She was skinny, herself - her appetite still was not back to where it needed to be, and she had only eaten a bit the day prior because she had still been feeling too ill. Her stomach tightened uncomfortably at the idea of food, and she mentally shook off the disgust she was feeling. His query for her name surprised her a bit, and she looked up to meet his eyes. She made sure to keep her posture high, expressing that she wasn't afraid, even if he'd just bared his fangs at her. "You first," she told him simply, her voice breezy and lighthearted, even if the situation was more than a little tense. She didn't know why she was so hesitant to give this stranger her name - she'd never felt that way before - but... there was something wrong about him. Pushing past her doubts, she smiled and pressed her cold nose to his shoulder in an attempt to be friendly. "I mean, you did just look like you were going to bite my head off for trying to help you. A little lady such as myself can't just go around giving her name to aggressive strangers she finds freezing their tails off in the snow," Cas said, putting an abundance of drama and play into her words. She widened her blue eyes and gave the male a pouty look, faking timidity, before she broke character and laughed. "After all, you probably could just reach back here and rip my throat out if you wanted. There's nothing stopping you. It's what I'd get for trying to be nice."

There are several fresh rabbit tracks in the mud. Hunt Opportunity

The woman's frail outward appearance was not missed by the observant male as citrus irises gave her smaller frame another look over when her body pressed further against his own, the cold press of her nose to his shoulder in some form of comradery warranting a low rumble to form behind chattering teeth that was once more stolen by the winds that constantly tugged at their fur.  Although Eirian was accepting her help and the minuscule amount of heat she produced that did not mean by any measure he was open to the idea of friends, or any form of relationship that held no beneficial value to him to be frank. 

There was no stopping the eye roll that followed suit behind her words insisting he offer his name up first since; as she reminded, it was he whom had been the rude one during this encounter and what exactly was there to stop him from doing just as she said? A dark snicker fell from his lips and his citrus gaze locked onto the blue hued counterparts she owned, the corner of his lips slowly creeping back into an equally dark smirk before it was wiped clean from his face. A nonchalant shrug following the words he was about to say in an indifferent tone as if it was no big deal..

"Y-ya throat wouldn't be the f-first I've torn from another, but you're of use to me right now so c-count your blessings." The frigid induced stuttering gradually decreasing the more his body began to warm up from the body heat she produced. "N-names Eirian Asurn. Now do I get to know yours? I can't just go walking around these parts without knowing the name of someone who stopped to help me." The dramatic banter she had concocted turned against her now with the hint of a small smirk adorning his inky lips.

Cas snorted and started to guide the bigger wolf down the hill a bit, toward a thicket that would hopefully provide a little bit of a windbreaker and keep the two of them out of the cold. "Well, geez, aren't you a gentleman? Of course, I'm only alive right now because of your unending goodness. I'm sure you'll just snap my neck as soon as this is over," she said sarcastically, turning big blue eyes up to meet his. She could clearly hear from the lessening of the chattering of his teeth that he was getting warmer, which was good. Cas still had no way of knowing just how evil this man was; she was just concerned for his wellbeing. Even if he had just threatened her, in a way. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Eirian. Thanks for not killing me," she laughed, pulling herself away from his flank to crawl in underneath the thicket and fluffing her fur out to welcome the minor degree of warmth it offered. "My name is Castel Noor, but everyone just calls me Cas," she explained, wagging her tail as she waited for her acquaintance to join her. The little wolf cleared her throat, settling down and pressing against the corner of the inside of the thicket to grant the larger wolf some room. "So, Mister Asurn. Can I ask what you're doing up here in the Lowlands? Because it's kind of... a lot colder up here than down in the forest? And you seem to hate the cold, so it doesn't make much sense that you'd be up here," she reasoned, tipping her head and angling her ears forward.

Another roll of Eirian's eyes was the copper male's response to her sarcastic tone, shivering limbs sluggishly following the agouti woman's guidance toward a meager piece of thicket which would hopefully shield them from the buffeting winds and allow the near frozen man to warm himself up more. "I j-just might unless you c-continue to be of use to me." He retorted once more, words spoken in half truth. So long as she continued to be of a beneficial gain her jugular was warded from having the points of his teeth sinking into the tender flesh. The moment that ceased was another story..

A shiver immediately ran its course along the length of his spine the moment her body peeled away to slink into the confines of the thicket, the warmth she had offered quickly siphoned away by the frigid conditions like a ravenous succubus. Not much coaxing was needed on the Asurn's behalf to dive in close behind her, his larger frame shifting about the enclosed space to find a comfortable position among the vegetation which oddly reminded the man of the time he had shared similar close quarters with that woman Morganna. 

Once settled, his citrus gaze wandered away from the dreary opening and over toward Cas's face, an ear twitching in response to her question. "You're a nosy one aren't ya?" He snorted, lowering his head to rest upon the tops of his outstretched forelimbs before continuing. "Obviously I know it's warmer in the forest, but I need to cross this wasteland first. I have unfinished business I need to attend to and this place is just a minor set back." Eirian informed, gaze shifting upward to meet her blue eyes. "What kind of idiot settles in the middle of nowhere, though?" Question ricocheted back upon the girl, vaguely referencing not only herself, but that pack she seemed to be living among if the scents upon her fur meant anything at all. 

Cas laughed at his chattered, thinly-veiled threat. The thought occurred to her that most wolves likely would have been afraid of the metal-colored man's sinister proclamations, but the silver-dusted girl was not one of them. It was probably the fact that she was already on her deathbed that caused her lack of fear - she was already facing the scariest threat she could've imagined: her own body. "I've done nothing to warrant you killing me. Hell, I may have even saved your life. You can't hate me enough to want me dead - you don't even know me well enough to," she told him, curling up at his side and continuing to warm the beast. "I didn't even know you at all, and I didn't want you dead. That's why I helped you." Kill 'em with kindness. Another noise of amusement came from the little wolf when he mentioned her being nosy, and she nodded. "I prefer the term 'curious,' but yes. I guess I am nosy," she told him, and laid her head down lower than his as he spoke. A slightly submissive gesture, and one that was out-of-character for her, but she figured he would be the type to appreciate such a thing. She rolled her eyes when he finished and smirked. "Gawd, you're so dramatic. Firstly, it's really not a 'wasteland.' It's so open; there's so much room to run, and nothing's blocking you in. It's freedom," she told him, curling up and laying on her side. "Secondly, saying you have 'unfinished business' makes you sound like a villain in one of the stories my dad used to tell me. It's kind of cheesy," she joked, though she didn't doubt he would be irritated with her. "Hey!" she whined indignantly. "I'm not an idiot. I'm just hot-blooded. I happen to like it up here," she informed him, setting her maw into another dramatic pout. Then she sighed and closed her eyes, finding that she was actually more willing to tell the truth to this stranger. "To be honest, I'm only still up here because I'm not strong enough to travel around a lot, and the Rye wolves were nice enough to let me stay with them until I inevitably die from this weird... illness I have. After all, I'm not contagious, so I won't get anyone sick. This is just where I'm going to stay until I die." Geez, it depressed her to say that; she wanted to adventure and go places and see the world. She wanted to grow up and have a family, or maybe just live the rest of her life as a wanderer. "It sucks, but its my life now. Guess that's why your grumpy ass doesn't scare me," she said, adding a laugh to try and end the sentence on a higher note.

Nosey, curious, was there really any difference between the two words to truly make either one a better option for the other? Regardless both of them lead to someone's nose being plunged where it didn't necessarily belong, but Eirian gave a shrug of indifference toward her choice of wording before citrus irises watched the petite woman lower her head into a submissive reflection of his own posture. The copper male couldn't contain the small lick of heat that suddenly flared at his core in response to her silent admittance of his superiority, his bred down desire for dominance over all things sated for the time being. Oh how he missed the weight of a crown upon his head and the power he controlled at times. 

A snort of sorts followed by a short lived laugh filled the small capacity they resigned in for the time being, a creamy brow arching upward the moment the word villain tumbled freely off her tongue. "W-who's to say I'm not a villain? You d-don't know me, nor what I've done, or w-what i'm capable of." He paused for a moment, brow arching a smidgen higher upon his face. "F-freedom, or a death sentence? I've been walking t-through this wasteland for a few days now and there has h-hardly been a single trace of food, nor life for miles until now. Even the c-carcasses are picked clean right now to the frostbitten bones. Tell me again that's not fitting of a wasteland." A small rumble of annoyance to this woman's insistent need to make the best of everything he said sounded within the inner depths of Eirian's chest, but why she had come to think this way was soon to be revealed.

So apparently she was ill and practically lying on her death bed. For a moment his head lifted in piqued curiosity, orange hued gaze focused intently upon her facial features while she continued to inform the Asurn about her condition, another small, short lived bout of laughter falling from his inky lips when she dared to call him a grumpy ass. Lowering his head back down upon his paws, creamy lids came to a close as the shivering of his body began to die down to a mere tremble. Chill induced stuttering all but gone as well. "Well my grumpy ass is more than c-capable of bringing your misery to a swifter end if you'd like." He taunted, a single lid lifting to peek at his company. It would be a mercy killing wouldn't it? Although a part of him did believe she was better off letting whatever illness was ailing her take its course. She was just another abomination after all and no such filth deserved to be put out of such misery prematurely. To aid the weak went against his moral code.