Skeletal Hill But Death, It Caught You in a Bad Mood

For @Neha

There were bones hidden under the snow. It was—without a doubt—the creepiest thing he ever saw but at the same time he couldn’t bring himself to be too surprised. The wolves he met so far were all idiots. It was only a given that some of them—or most of them, he didn’t care—were batshit insane. And here he always thought his mom was bad when it came down to being unreasonable. But at least the old witch never hung carcasses in trees or hoarded bones in messy piles.

He swore there was something in the water. Something poisonous or hallucinogenic because there was no damn way someone healthy and clear-headed could act so dumb all the time. From pieces of shit that didn’t know respect to cowards that started fights they couldn’t finish without outside help. He saw and fought them all within one week or arriving and he was sure there was another long week of similar bullshit to come.

God.

The sooner he found somewhere cozy to hide in the mountains the better. It probably wouldn’t be long until his parents came and begged him to come back. They needed him. Without him around the pack would fall apart. He was the one always filling caches, patrolling borders, and kicking asses. His mom and dad liked to talk big game about how they made the pack from nothing, but he was the one that kept it afloat.

And it was probably that very same attitude and mindset that got him kicked out of the pack in the first place, but like hell would he ever acknowledge or accept that fact. He was awesome. The best at everything he did. His parents would understand the moment he crossed the borders.

With that last thought—Daighre focused on going around the pile of bones and towards the distant mountains growing bigger with every step.

 

As she meandered deeper through the forest decorated with the skulls and bones of many a critter, Neha felt a shiver go down her spine. Every follicle of fur felt like it was standing on end. Through all of her aimless wandering over the months, she had come across many places. Some peaceful, others gloomy. But as the hill composed of skeletal remains crested before her, this place was like something straight out of a nightmare. She had finally found the perfect environment suited to her. A mirror reflection of her mood and psychological state of mind.

Yet, even as her cracked pads shuffled slowly through the hoard of bones, she paid her surroundings no mind. Dull brown eyes fixated emptily ahead of her, into some unseen void. When her gaze did happen to land on the occasional skull of a wolf, she saw a glimpse of the future. Her icy heart cracked but did not shatter. The tear stains marring her cheeks and face were long since dried. She had been blessed one last time to see her mother, Namid. But then just as quickly, cursed once again with the devastating news her role model delivered. She had wanted to follow her, to stay by her side but couldn't bring herself to set foot in the Cove again. Not when she knew what she'd find. Wraith like, she moved to climb and sit atop the pile of gathered bones. Looking down at the collection of white snow and ivory remains, she battled a silent debate within. Move on, or stay here and wait until she was just another fossil.

 

(This post was last modified: Feb 24, 2018, 04:01 AM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

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

The wolf climbing the pile of bones in the middle of the clearing wasn’t exactly subtle. Her scent not only filled the area like noxious gas, but he could also hear her every step and movement. There was the quiet crunch of snow underfoot followed by the more distinct noise of bone clicking against bone. But it must have been her lucky day or something because Daighre didn’t give a shit about her or anything she did or might do. She could have been a serial killer and the one that hoarded bones but if she didn’t acknowledge him or even breath in his direction—he was okay with leaving her the fuck alone.

He had places to be. There was a mountain calling his name and like hell was he letting anyone else interrupt his journey.

If she wanted to sit on her pile of bones all day she could do that. She could even kill a man. Or, wait… Probably not the last part because he didn’t want to get involved in her mess as a possible suspect if anybody found the body. He had an image to uphold. One that involved not having others thinking he was a murderer.

Whatever.

It wouldn’t change the outcome either way.

The bitch could do whatever she wanted as long as it didn’t involve him. He hardly spared her a glance as he passed the base of piled bone.

 

She had been so caught up in the storm of her depression and anger that she hadn't bothered to check if anyone else was in the area. She assumed that there wouldn't be another soul around for many miles. After all, no sane wolf would want to linger in such a dismal place for long. Empty brown eyes focused on one piece of bone in particular. An unmistakable skull of a wolf, it's lower jaw missing. As those empty sockets stared back up at her, her skin prickled. Her teeth clenched. It could belong to anyone. Either of her brothers...her younger sister @Ismena who had vanished without a trace. And what of her father? Could he have suffered such a cruel fate to have succumbed to an early death?

Damn it! It was all too much. Too much to bear just thinking about it. Her temples throbbed, the inside of her head feeling as if it were being squeezed from the inside out. With a sudden snarl, she slammed a paw down against it. Under the force of the impact a loud crack sounded, accompanied by the crumble of bone splitting apart under her paw. Her anger vented, she was able to focus again. After a few breaths, her breathing evened out and her eyes latched on to a figure passing by. Tight lipped, she scanned the wolf for any sign of recognition. His golden blonde fur and red-orange eyes didn't raise any flags. She huffed audibly, letting a cold, humorless smirk come to her maw. "Not the nicest place to be taking a stroll, is it?" She called out, lacking any sort of warmth in her voice, stepping forward just few paces to make herself known.

 

(This post was last modified: Mar 01, 2018, 10:14 PM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

She was having a temper tantrum.

What kind of adult had a temper tantrum in the middle of nowhere on a pile of bones?

And it was in that moment Daighre knew he was surrounded by psychopaths and dumbasses. It wasn’t like he didn’t have his suspicions beforehand. How the hell could he not when every wolf he met was either the epitome of sickening friendliness of unrepentant aggression? But he didn’t think anyone would be so obvious about it. She didn’t get the memo, apparently.

His body stiffened and he tried—the keyword being tried—to get away. But there was the distinct snap of breaking bone and then she was before him. Why? Was all he could think. Why him? He didn’t do anything wrong in his life. It could even be argued that he did the exact opposite, that he didn’t everything in his life right. He was the perfect son that stayed home and helped his parents. (Not that said parents appreciated his efforts.) He even tended the borders and filled the caches. But apparently none of that was enough to get the higher powers to fuck off.

‘Not the nicest place to be taking a stroll, is it?’ She said.

The heavens might as well have struck him down right then and there. Small talk was the bane of his existence. Another pointless chivalry he couldn’t ignore without everyone and their moms attacking like he tried to kill their entire family. His eyes narrowed and his paws stumbled to a halt. Maybe if he told her to leave without actually saying it…

“Uh huh.” That was it. The perfect sentence with just the right amount of cold apathy and blunt disinterest. He couldn’t get any blunter unless she actually wanted him to tell her to leave. And with that taken care of, Daighre moved to step around her.

 

Should he take a moment to get a real, good close look at her, the younger male would see that Neha was not only in the right state of mind emotionally, but physically as well. One glance at her thinned body and unkempt fur would hint that she had been through a lot. The fact that she didn't seem bothered by skeletal remains around them was also another clue that she wasn't quite right.

Her eyes narrowed as she examined him, taking note of his distinctly sour expression. Who had shoved that stick so far up his ass? But then, she was one to talk since she didn't exactly go walking around all chipper either. "Then why of all places here?" She inquired coldly, sneering as he passed by a little too close to her for comfort. Ever since her heart was broken, she did not take kindly to those of the opposite sex getting within a few feet of her. "Unless you enjoy being surrounded by death, I'd find a way out if I were you."

 

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

There was something horribly wrong about her. It was becoming more and more obvious with every passing second and Daighre knew better than to argue with the ill and insane. But she opened her mouth and his body froze where it stood. His paws stumbled to a halt in the powdered snow and a growl rumbled from deep within his throat. Her every word struck him as diseased.

‘Unless you enjoy being surrounded by death, I'd find a way out if I were you.’

His mind reared and his thoughts jumped as the pieces fell into place. From the bones to the way the stranger acted—to the way every stranger he met acted, like they were sick or possessed. And maybe the wolves he met did have something wrong with them. Something that ran deep below the skin and spread from host to host until there was nothing left but tainted flesh that needed to be trimmed and culled. Was she the cause of it all? The witch that wrought destruction upon the land and all who inhabited it? He didn’t believe in myths or fairy tales but if the hag was going to act like she was from one, he would gladly play the part and be the hero that slayed her.

“Is that a threat?” He asked with his voice sharp but gaze even sharper. His body was stiff and his hackles were raised as he took a step towards her. Just one small step into her personal space and nothing more as his lips pulled back in a sneer.

 

A new sort of energy began to boil, rippling through her body. It grew stronger with every beat of her heart. Despite all of her anguish and self pity, Neha felt oddly confrontational. And not in the good way where back in the old days she'd bravely rush in to defend the weak. No, this was more in a trouble stirring kind of way. Receiving his growl, she only offered a sharp flick of her tail, stiffening her legs to show that she wasn't about to yield to some teenager. In her eyes, she had said nor done nothing wrong.

Apparently he thought otherwise, twisting her words and taking them as a threat. And perhaps they were, in a sense. Her lips tightened into a thin line. "No." She ground out firmly, brown eyes locked icily onto his angry orange ones. "It is simply a suggestion. Look at you. You seem healthy enough. This is no place for your kind. Only the damned like me." She hinted at her own woes. But Neha didn't need nor want no pity. As he took that one tiny step too close, her tail flagged over her back, unkempt hackles beginning to bristle. "Hey, back up outta my space, pretty boy." She warned darkly.

 

(This post was last modified: Mar 02, 2018, 01:57 AM by Neha.)

Neha can often be found close to Aleister's side and therefore may appear in any of his threads.

She talked about the place like it was a hellhole. About how he didn’t belong there. But she was the one preventing him from leaving in the first place and she had the nerve—or rather, the stupidity—to act like it was his fault when push came to shove. If she wanted him gone then all she needed to do was let him leave. It wasn’t complicated. It was a basic fact of life except she was too dumb to understand and Daighre didn’t know why he even bothered anymore.

Everybody was stupid. He was the only wolf that had enough brain cells to form a coherent thought in the whole entire world. The place was turning him into a goddamn broken record, but it wasn’t like he was talking out of his ass. His tail raised over his back like a banner and his ears rolled forward in unspoken challenge. If she really wanted him gone she would be smart and submit. But nothing in life was that easy and so Daighre verbalized his thoughts.

“Fucking make me, then.” He snapped. See if she had any fire to back up her threats and bullshit.