Thicket of Secrets ...and the moonlight overthrew you

For @Niles. Backdated to Feb. 1st. Nighttime. May need to skip to morning in the next couple posts ^^

Niles was, quite possibly, the greatest thing in the world. Cas had decided firmly in her mind that he was at least among the greatest things in the world, at the very least. He was kind, softspoken, a great listener, and a perfect gentleman. He didn't seem to mind her incessant talking and tangents and less-than-easy-to-deal-with personality. He took her with grace and ease, like he'd just accepted who she was and everything that came along with her with no problem whatsoever.

She'd come to realize that the strange feelings in her chest that being around him was stirring up were different and wild and likely very wrong of a wolf who was doomed to die to feel. But, she supposed, it wasn't wrong of her to admire him; her experiencing these unexplored emotions was not, in itself, wrong. It would only be bad if he started to feel them, too, and she doubted that would happen. There wasn't very much impressive about her, and she was fairly certain he only thought of her as a friend who was taking him to a safe place and a new pack.

So, there was nothing wrong with it. Not at all.

She'd spent most of their journey up past the ocean of brambles talking about Wild Rye Fields and what he could expect upon coming there. That @Drestig was a kind, good leader. That @Askan was an ass. That @Icicle was kind of awesome. That she'd found @Adelayde bottoms up in a snowdrift before even joining the pack. That everyone would probably love Niles and that he had nothing to worry about at all.

The northern lights traipsed across the sky, lighting up the world around them in varying shades of bright, vivid colors. Cas absolutely loved the northern lights; how you could barely see the stars through them, and how they looked like magic coming down to touch the earth. Kind of like a rainbow, but better.

She'd spent most of the time since they'd begun in the sky looking up, grateful that there were no trees to block out the light. However, she was still glad to reach the Thicket of Secrets - it meant a nice, sheltered place to rest up for the next day. Cas' legs were tired, and her paws throbbed where the thorns had embedded themselves into them. They hadn't started bleeding again, but she wouldn't have been surprised if she was limping.

She walked into the woods first, casting a glance back at Niles and offering him a small smile of encouragement. "We can stop in here," she assured, knowing that he would probably be tired, as well. The thickness of the bushes and trees around her was surprising, and ignited her claustrophobia a bit, but she didn't let it bother her. Carefully, the silver-dusted girl picked her way through the woods, until there was a place that was clear enough for both she and Niles to lay down comfortably.

The little wolf plopped down halfway underneath a bush and scooted over so her companion could lay, as well. The woods were lit up, bathed in green, purple, pink, and yellow light. It looked like something out of a fairy tale. "Isn't it beautiful?" she questioned, looking up to see the lights between the trees above them.

(This post was last modified: Feb 05, 2017, 02:06 AM by Castel.)

RE: There is an active change in the Northern Lights! The sky lights up in greens, blues, and even shades of purple~

When they had started to walk away from the blackberry fields, there was no denying that Niles had reached his ideal level of being comfortable. He could have very well been taking a stroll with Ravenna or his father. What as more was the fact that he was talking. Actually talking... and he had only known Castel for a couple of hours at most. They talked about mundane things for the most part, but he did share what Willow Ridge had been like and how his sisters had been his role models (Ravenna, Isolde, and what he had heard of @Morganna). What he mostly talked about, though, was finding ways to figure out what her favorite things were in the world: her favorite color, favorite snack, favorite plant, favorite flower...

What she did talk about in turn, he soaked up like a sponge. He knew of the proper etiquette when talking to Leaders (his parents had made sure to drill those into his head at an early age) and, after the initial details were laid out, decided that he might learn to like Drestig. About Askan, however, he chose to hold his tongue; he would cast his judgement when and if they ever met. He chose to also do the same for Icicle and Adelayde. That they would love him, though, he couldn't be so sure, but if there was anything to be had from that, it had to be comfort. Any place that wasn't Willow Ridge was better than trying to eke out a living on his own.

All around them, the world grew dark. The sun set and the stars came out, but it wasn't the sky that Niles had his eyes on. Most of the time, as she led him through the thickets, he was looking her over, stealing glances at her face, her jawline, her cheeks, the bases of her ears. Creepy stalker dude, indeed... or... perhaps, infatuated love fool? Half the time, he pretended he hadn't been looking at her at all, simply smiling each time their eyes met - even if only briefly. For the most part, he did get a chance to admire the northern light, if only 'cause she had pointed them out.

He had walked a few steps passed her when he realized that she had stopped. He beamed at her, his tail wagging as she told him that they could stop. His legs ached and he was mentally exhausted but, somehow, he hadn't realized it until she had actually slowed her pace and chose a spot beneath a hedge. With slow steps, he followed after her, standing still as she settled down. She slid over to the side and he made himself comfortable in the space in front of her, to block out the chill and yet, still leave enough space from her elbows forward as not to "trap" her.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked. He was about to ask, 'What?' But, instead, he looked at her and followed her gaze upward once more, taking in the colors of the night and finding himself in awe.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

Watch me fudge up the colors of the northern lights xD - Also, you can move it forward to daytime in your next post, if you want. Like, have Niles be coming back from his little escapades with Dea and Cotton, bc Cas just wouldn't wake up.

Cas was loving being able to talk to someone so freely, without feeling judged or like she was getting on their nerves. She was also loving just getting to know Niles, and letting him get to know her. Like that her favorite color was green, like the leaves on tree in the springtime. That she didn't have a favorite snack - everything was pretty good to her. That her favorite plants were blueberry bushes, because there were no thorns on them. That her favorite flowers were the blossoms on cherry trees - especially when they fell down toward the end of their season, like gentle pink rain.

She didn't think too much of him staring at her, because she was doing quite a bit of staring, herself. She felt like a creepy stalker dude herself, from noticing all these minute details about him. For example, that his white muzzle contrasted so starkly with his dark black fur around it. That he was too skinny; that she'd have to make sure to find him food pretty soon. That his eyes - which she'd initially thought to be colorless - actually reflected the colors around them. Instead of being just gray, they were every color, all at the same time... and when the northern lights came out, they were incredible.

She reflected his smile when they got to stop, all too happy to get off of her paws. She licked the pads lightly, wrinkling her nose a bit when she tasted blood. Fortunately, not much, if any, was coming out, so she just put them back down in the snow, and then mischievously pressed them into Niles' flank when he lay beside her.

She realized what he was doing when he gave her enough space, but also used himself as a windbreaker, and as sweet as that was, she didn't want him cold. So, she whined dramatically - "Why are you so far awaaay?" - and rolled over to press her side against him. "I'm cold!" No, she was pretty much fine, since she actually liked the cooler weather, but he didn't really need to know that. It would be better for the both of them to sleep close together.

Speaking of sleep, Cas could already feel her eyes drifting shut, especially with the added warmth of Niles at her side. She burrowed her nose into the fur at the base of his shoulder and sighed. Every muscle in her body was aching, to a point where it felt like her very bones were in pain. She yawned once, and because her body was so starved for sleep, mumbled a muffled "G'night," before she drifted off.

Latter part of post: Morning, Sunny, -5 ° F, -18 ° C. Just before Niles' meeting with Deacon in the evening. Think we're good with timing, later "this" evening is when Niles meets Deacon and spills the beans. xP So, they can have this day from morning 'til late afternoon... whatever they'd like to do/talk about~

His attention was snagged away from the northern lights when she took notice that he had left a considerable amount of space between them. "Why are you so far awaaay?" she whined. Niles, being the big puppy he was, just tilted his head in confusion like those puppies on Youtube who had never heard a whistle before. "I'm cold!" Again, his lips parted to form something like an 'o' shape. Though, before he could even do anything - scoot closer to her or get up and settle much closer to her - she did him one better. She just rolled over so that their sides touched.

His whole body tensed, having never shared this sort of closeness with anyone who was not apart of Willow Ridge before. For several minutes it was awkward, but as she made herself comfortable (going as far as nestling her nose into him), he slowly began to relax. He felt her jaws part though in a yawn and he froze, staring down at her as he peered over his shoulder. She told him "G'night," through his fur and the way she said it, not saying the "ood" part of "good" and skipping right over "night," reminded him of his father. It was comforting, really, and he silently thanked her for that as she grew still in the reaches of slumber. He remained in his sphinx-like position for a time, keeping watch over the surrounding woods until he had a hard time keeping his eyes open, but mostly, he continued to admire the display of lights. After all this time within Relic Lore, he had never seen such a beautiful sight and to have shared the view with someone else was something magical within itself. A part of him was so certain that if she hadn't even looked upward, he might not have followed suit and witnessed the northern lights with his own eyes. Even as he lowered his head, he stole one more glance upward. If he hadn't been so tired, he was sure he could have marveled at those colors all night long until the sun stole them away.

After the third time that the purple had revealed itself among the ribbons of teal and magenta, he drifted off to sleep and for the first time in what seemed like ages, he slept soundly.

---

By the time the sun had peeked over the heights of Mount Dire some distance away in the east, Niles had awoken. He unfolded his left paw and stretched his forelimbs as far as they would go without disturbing Castel. As if to test whether she was sleeping soundly or close to waking, he dared to lift his head and peer down at her again. That gray touched crown was still there at his side and those sky blue eyes remained closed. He smiled, wanting to touch his nose to her temple in something like a 'kiss' but not having enough courage to do so. If anything, he would let her sleep for as long as she could. He wasn't sure just how far away the Fields were, but he knew from his and his father's travels that they would need what energy they could save up for the journey ahead.

Once or twice, he thought to see if he could scavenge for something, but twice his mind urged him to get up. There was an itch in his limbs and the awkwardness was bound to settle in again if he remained there wide awake. It took some pep talk but as soon as he was able to stand up, he was quick to look his little friend over and made sure she was all right. The whiskers on his cheeks just barely grazed over her sides as he ran his nose through the air just above her. She was still breathing; and, when he was mostly certain she would be all right in his absence, he crept away.

A lift of his leg provided him some relief and when he surveyed the rest of the sunlit thicket, he wondered what he might look for to bring back for Castel. He stared at his tracks in the snow, knowing he could find his way back to her and vice versa, and did his best to put that worry to rest. In truth, he was probably one of the few wolves in Relic Lore who forgot to use his nose. He opted to meander through the tall bushes and vine- and moss-covered trees, determined to not wander too far for her to worry but to at least get a good feel for the area in order to find something useful that he might 'gift' to Castel.

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

xD Watch me fail at figuring out the timelines.

Cas had gone to sleep warm and sheltered, and woken up cold and alone. She looked up at the sky between the trees and could make out that it was probably around midmorning sliding into late morning. A yawn parted her maw, and she stretched, feeling more refreshed and relatively pain-free, for the moment, but decidedly Niles-less.

For a moment, she was concerned that he'd left; that he'd decided she really wasn't so lovely after all, and perhaps gone back to the home and sisters she'd heard so much about. Then, of course, logic took over and she realized he'd probably just gone for a walk, or maybe gone to get something to eat. So, she got to her paws and stepped around the Niles-shaped indention in the snow beside her. She shook out her fur, fighting off a bit of the chill in the air. It was colder this morning than she'd imagined it'd be, and she decided she needed to get moving if she wanted to not become some sort of wolf-sicle.

The silver-splashed girl followed the big pawprints that led away from where they'd made their makeshift den, and followed after Niles' trail. It wasn't hard - even if she hadn't been using her nose, she'd be able to see which way he went. Unsurprisingly, the trail led her in through the vine-covered trees, and she huffed in soft annoyance. It wasn't that she hated trees, or anything, but sometimes it felt as though she were trapped again in that tiny fence, with no means of escape. And these woods, she found, did it worse than forests like the stonewatch timbers did. It was like she was afraid that the vines themselves would wrap around her legs and tie her down to the forest floor, unable to escape if she needed to.

The little wolf brushed off the feeling and instead just searched for her larger companion, placing her smaller paws in the imprints of his. Unfortunately, Cas had a relatively short attention span, and was distracted by the sound of birds chirping to her right. She veered off-track and crept toward the noise, tail waving a bit, and she grinned when she encountered a flock of small, brown birds in a tiny clearing up ahead.

Cas might have been small, for a wolf, but to these birds, she was like a juggernaut. She tensed, then shot forward, through the flock of avians, yipping the entire way. Obviously, chaos ensued, as the birds released alarm cries and took to the air.

Or, well, most of them did. One or two remained behind and began divebombing Cas' head, chasing her away from their place. The girl laughed, allowing herself to be driven away by the painless pecks and bodyslams. She laughed, running back to the shelter of the bushes, and watched the entire flock of birds land back down on the ground, proud of their achievement at driving off the 'dangerous predator' that Cas obviously was.

Cas didn't bother calling for Niles, after that. If he were anywhere close, he'd have heard the chaotic cacophony of sounds that Cas had pulled from the swarm of birds in the clearing. She cringed, hoping he hadn't been hunting, because she likely would've just scared off any prey in the immediate area.

"Sorry!" she called to no one in particular - mainly, she was just apologizing for disturbing the nice, peaceful morning that she expected anyone around her had been having. There was hardly a such thing as a 'peaceful morning' with Cas around, because she greatly preferred those chaotic, messy mornings that involved terrorizing starlings and causing a lot of noise.

s'all good~ <3  c:

Niles had been preoccupied considered what might have been a 'proper' gift. When he was younger, all sorts of curios delighted his sister Isolde. From cracked shells, jagged eggshells, and gnarled branches to single-leafed twigs, snails, smooth pebbles, and dead butterflies with vibrant wings, Niles had found them all. The greatest of these, though, had been an actual live frog. With winter on its last legs, he was sure he wouldn't be able to find something as interesting and thoughtful as a frog, though. So, he searched with his nose to the ground and head low as he scoured the snow where tracks had broken up the crystalline surface.

He peered under bushes and disturbed the broken branches that laid on the forest floor to no avail. Even the occasional creaking of the branches above yielded nothing that inspired true curiosity. It didn't even seem like the area was rich in prey. What might have inhabited this part of the Lore were probably all fast asleep beneath the snow, hibernating with dreams of the warm sun in Spring.

The Lyall had just finished sniffing a fallen log when he heard it... heard her. Her voice came up as light-hearted as ever in what seemed like a amiable "Sorry!" in the midst of commotion that could have been wings or anything really if it were light on its feet. His hackles rose and he immediately set out in her direction, searching for her small figure through the trees until he found her scent trail. The way he had broken through the underbrush, he might as well have been a juggernaut of a quarterback pushing through the opposing football team. He had been so focused on the birds that had taken flight from the area that he hadn't seen her there, tucked away in the bushes somewhere on his right. His first thought was that maybe Deacon had come by, stalking him and discovering Castel with his musk on her fur. Her tone didn't make it seem like she was in any danger, but with how his brother had reacted towards him, Niles felt every need to protect her.

His eyes darted over the area twice; a third sweep had him search the ground. His own tracks had muddied where she had frolicked into hiding. "Cas?" he called out, a little too wary as his guard hairs prickled. He might have been inexperienced in fighting but if it had come to tooth and nail, he would have fought for her - even against his own brother. A large forepaw lifted and his ears swiveled to the sides, ready to run to her should she call out again. He barked after her a little louder the second time, in case she had been chased further away, his brow creased and plagued with concern. "Castel?"

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

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

She hadn't really thought that she would worry him, but surely enough, she heard him approaching with about the subtlety of a bear through the underbrush. Which, since she had had the subtlety of a stampeding herd of caribou herself, she had no room to talk. For a moment, she felt almost as though she'd done something wrong, but then she realized that was probably a silly idea. She'd only been playing, after all - how bad could she have done?

She remained quiet for a few seconds, expecting him to find her straightaway, but soon realized that she would probably have to meet him halfway when he called her name - not once, but twice. She sheepishly crept her way out from under the brush she'd been using for cover from the birds she'd pissed off, and moved toward the sound of his voice.

Her tail - which had been raised and waving as usual, dropped when she caught sight of him, even moving to lightly curl around her hocks. He looked... angry? His hackles were raised, he was stiff, and he looked almost like he were ready for a fight. She tensed, as well, prepared to defend herself, should he be angry enough to snap at her. Even though it was obvious who would win in a fight between the two of them - and Cas knew it, too - she couldn't help but take on a defensive posture. Perhaps even a little nervous... or frightened.

But Cas didn't get frightened. It was more that she was scared that she'd just done something to lose her new friend; to make him upset enough to possibly leave her alone and go back home after all. But all she'd been doing was having fun - she was positive he'd enjoy chasing the birds off, too, if he tried it. Maybe she'd scared off something he was hunting. If that were the case, then she did deserve his anger - it was winter, and food was scarce. The little wolf should've been more careful.

The girl did relax upon seeing the concern on his face, and set her tail back to wagging, even though she kept her posture low. So, that was it. Perhaps he wasn't angry at her, but at what he perceived to be a threat to her safety. She'd messed up and scared him, and she felt bad for it. She moved over toward him, keeping her body submissive in a wordless apology. "I was just playing - chasing the birds," she explained, blue eyes raising to try and meet his gray ones. "I didn't mean to scare you."

To his side, the little sprite emerged, tail wagging as she adopted a submissive stance. Niles' let out the breath he had been holding. She was fine. All the hoopla had just been her, chasing off a bunch of birds. It had all been out of play. The taller yearling lowered his head to bump his nose to hers - a gesture that he had picked up from her - in comfort. He had just wanted to be sure that she was all right.

"That's okay," he assured her, his tail waving over to one side then the other. "I just thought... something happened." He looked her over again, just to make certain. He even twitched his nose a few times in case he might have missed the scent of blood. There was none. Just bird, forest, ivy, dirt, and the distinct lupine scent that was Castel...

"I was a lil' scared," he admitted with a small chuckle. "Just wanna be sure you were okay." Goodness knew how terrible he felt when he had woken up within the den without Isolde tucked up against his side. "S'Least I can do." He smiled at her now, his grimace completely gone, even if he realized now that he had been unable to secure something for her, food, gift, or otherwise.

"I told you it was dangerous to be out 'ere," he kidded, stepping back towards the east and hoping she would join him. "Can't be too careful."

we can say goodbye, just head home, but if we're going to be alone
Chimera is currently traveling with Niles and may hop into this IC thread!

His facial expression relaxed when he spotted her, and she breathed a soft sigh of relief. "Everything's fine!" she assured, feeling her face burn just a bit - in a good way - when he touched noses with her. Well, that was a new one. But, still, it felt nice, and she brushed her muzzle along his in return. "Just me scaring a bunch of poor little birds."

She laughed breezily when he said it was the least that he could do to make sure she was okay. "You don't owe me anything," she told him. "I was actually kind of worried about you when I woke up and you weren't there." She chuckled again, scanning him up and down, before continuing, "Less worried about you, because you're a frigging giant, but more worried you were going to go back to your home." It would've been a perfectly legitimate thing for him to do, because of course, they'd only just met, and he could go wherever he wanted. It just kind of brought up an unsettled, sad feeling in her chest.

His joke brought a genuine giggle from her, which rarely ever happened - ever. "Yes, because starlings are such a threat." Her voice was teasing in return, and she followed after him eagerly. "Are we going to get breakfast?" she asked, feeling her stomach give a small rumble now that she'd gotten some of her appetite back.