Riddle Heights I Was Different Then

For @Greer but if anyone else wants to hop in, just ask first!

Rain had turned to sleet and had Larkspur thought of the gods in the way others did — that they were closely involved in the lives of mortals — he would have thought that they'd be damning him. The weather continued to be terrible, which only had him thinking that it could get worse. With how his luck was going, maybe a all-out storm could hit and sweep him off of Riddle Heights' rocky slopes. The recent rainfall had everything wet and the sleet had everything cold, then being on top of a mountain made for a particularly precarious situation. Larkspur was more at home in the mountain than he was in an aspen forest, but he wasn't foreign to the dangers of mountain climbing.

It had been a few days since his departure from Quaking Vale, and he knew if he crossed the mountain and headed north then he'd be where he was supposed to be. Instead, for now he planned to continue east and explore the other side of the mountain. Sahalie hadn't seen much of it and it didn't exactly feel right for a big part of Relic Lore to go unexplored by him. He was enjoying his alone time, and besides the weather, found the beginnings of his trek to be comfortable. He'd gorged on a deer a few days ago and although knew he'd need to hunt soon, figured he might do better to make it off of the mountain first. The wind whipped back and forth, sleet and rain making it hard to see and harder to concentrate. He supposed it was inevitable that he'd fall, because after so long on a mountain it was easy to get comfortable. His paw slipped out from under him and sent the pale man tumbling, with only a fallen tree to stop him from falling down any more.

Larkspur groaned and growled, but decided to lay in a heap and suffer for a moment.

sorry for the delay :* @Larkspur

His daughter was now four days old and today was the first day that the shadow ventured away from the dens. Despite his paws aching for a longer trek Greer opted for a shorter patrol, visiting old haunts and searching for something warm to bring back to Kyna. Their pack was still small—the only recent addition being the bundle of russet fur tucked against his mate’s creamy stomach—but they worked well together. He was no Morganna but he was trying. Prior to his departure from Whitestone he had grown comfortable in the northern pack. Despite being harnessed to the rock Greer was given more freedom than most, his long legs stretching over the tundra as he sought out the silence he craved. However, now, at the helm of a pack, silence did not come so easily. He was still adjusting; learning. He did not know how to lead a pack but he was an Archer—that had to mean something, right?

Winter was still holding on, despite the arrival of the scarlet Archer. A grimace was etched into his dark lips as he trotted through the sleet, his brows narrowed as he struggled to maneuver over the rocky terrain. He had grown accustom to the stone living on the monadnock during the snowstorms that had previously plagued the lands of Lore. He moved slow, his movements precise as he fought against the wind and rain. As his fur grew water-logged he regretted his excursion but he was determined to not return without meat dangling from between his teeth.

At first he thought the sound was thunder clapping overhead. The corners of his mouth dropped, his nostrils flaring as his nose pointed to the sky. He was greeted by the scent of another; although it was drowned out by the heavy rain Greer was still able to tell that it was fresh. And close. His curiosity pushed him forward, his thin legs navigating over the stone with haste. The shadow was greeted by a heap of white fur a few metres below him. It was apparent that the alabaster male had tumbled down the rocks—a clear sign that he was foreign to the mountainous landscape. He gave a sharp woof to alert the wolf of his presence: are you okay?

Larkspur stewed while he lay there, cursing himself for being so careless. If anything, he needed to take steps to be more careful while traversing the mountains. A wrong step could end terribly, and he should have considered himself lucky that he hadn't broke anything. Or as far as he knew he hadn't. Lark had preferred to sit in the unknown, fearful that his trip may have been cut short. The icy rain tickled his ears and just about as he had decided it was time to get a move on, a shadowy figure stood in the place that he'd fallen from. The dark wolf barked, and in reply the pale man flashed his teeth.

Never taking his eyes off of the younger boy, Larkspur carefully stood. Nothing was broken or hurt enough to not move, but one of his wrists hurt enough for him to let it hover above the ground. He felt trapped, but the man didn't seem outwardly aggressive in any way. Gaining a more sure footing, Larkspur stood a bit taller. He glanced around, but his gaze eventually turned back to the dark boy. He lifted his head and spoke loud enough for @Greer to hear him above the sleet and rain.

"Know a good spot to wait this out?"

(This post was last modified: May 11, 2017, 02:29 PM by Larkspur.)

feel free to PP them arriving to the cave, etc <3

The shadow dared not venture any further. He was not stupid—straying too close to an injured wolf was a recipe for disaster and the Archer was not keen on losing a limb (or two). Instead he waited, silently and patiently, for the pale wolf to respond to him. To let him know that he was still breathing and not seriously hurt. The rain soaked through his thinning fur, causing his thin legs to quiver as he surveyed the rock leading down to the crumpled man. There were a few spots that appeared easily accessible but it was the undesirable conditions that worried him. One wrong step and he could end up like the pale stranger—or worse.

As the wolf bared his teeth in his direction Greer did not flinch or move from his position on the rock. His curiosity rooted him to the stone despite his mind screaming at him to flee, for he was not looking for a conversation. The Archer watched as the older male peeled himself from the ground, his scarlet eyes focusing on Greer’s dark frame. A question was shouted through the rain, the words barely audible through the falling sky. He gave a short, sharp nod before he began scaling down the rock that chalky stranger had previously tumbled down.

He moved slowly, each step being taken after a quick calculation, his brows narrowed darkly. The shadow was becoming quite the mountain climber since living on the monadnock and, now, the heights. However, he was not as nimble as his russet mate—yet.

Once he reached the bottom he motioned for the pale wolf to follow him with a sharp flick of his nose before he streaked forward, seeking out one of the many mountain crevices that littered the area. There was one close to their current position, cut into the rock and offering moderate shelter from the sleet. It would suffice until the weather became a little more bearable to travel in. 

after 10 years haha :'))

Larkspur let @Greer get a little ahead of him before he hobbled along. He was careful this time, if a little bit too late, limping and doing his best to stay off of his injured wrist. It'd probably make his time exploring a little bit slower, but he'd be damned if he went back. That wasn't to say he couldn't. He could just as easily lie to Sahalie and tell her there was no kid. Larkspur inwardly sighed as he limped behind the dark man, cursing himself for being such an idiot the whole way.

Eventually they arrived, the spot that would shield them from the rain hardly big enough for comfort. Not wanting to stand and freeze in the rain, he stepped just until he couldn't feel rain on his ears and plopped down. Larkspur licked at his wrist to massage it, frequently bending it to test it. For a few moments he kept at it and ignored the man, maybe hoping that he'd go off on his way. He didn't. Finally he looked over to Greer, briefly wondering if he was a mute. He'd never met one before, but he'd heard of them.

"I don't need a babysitter. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself."

is ok :*

Greer could tell that the pale wolf wanted nothing to do with him and the feeling was mutual. A jagged grimace was cut aggressively into his dark lips as he lead the older male through the rain. While he movements were cautious and much slower than he would have liked (due to the stranger’s limp) the Archer-Lyall moved with haste, for he wanted to rid himself of his unexpected company as soon as possible. Kyna would be happy with him for helping the neighbours, even if he was being a grump about it. Happy wife, happy life.

Once they reached the cut in the rock the shadow stepped to the side, allowing the injured wolf to enter first. Greer did not care for shelter—not yet. The rain, although treacherous on the mountain, was oddly soothing. Paired with solitude it was a winning combination.

A single brow rose as the older male spoke, his words sharp as they cut through the rain. His gaze hardened, brows narrowing slightly as his grimace deepened. He shrugged in response, maw falling to the side as his mercury gaze fell to the paw Larkspur had previously been licking. “Bad?” He asked, his nose twitching. He did not care if the pale wolf was injured just as long as it was not serious. He did not need a wolf from one of the neighbouring lands dying on his land. That certainly would not go over well—with both his neighbours and his scarlet mate.

(This post was last modified: Jun 14, 2017, 06:30 AM by Greer.)