(See All?) Announcements
251 Users Online
Bing, Chan, Adelard, Google, Apollo

once bitten and twice shy — Secluded Spring 
Print · · Subscribe · 0 Loves ·
Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva
For @Orionis only
-20° F, -29° C | Partly Cloudy | Wind: 3 MPH | Mid-morning
adelayde artemieva

Letting her mate know she wanted to take a two day trip overall south to scout out the other smaller herds that seemed to avoid the heart of their hunting territory. The larger herd that traveled through the Lowlands must of taken themselves more east towards their allies. Plus, this time alone would do good for her. She hadn't had a night to herself since her children were born (not that she was really complaining). However, as much as she thought she wanted to take a day away, the anxiety building up at the thought of not having her children within her sight almost made her turn back to the Rye. She refused to let the worry break her. They were going to be fine. Laike, their watchful father was there as well as the rest of the Rye that doted on them. The little family hadn't had any troubles with the twins, the wanderlust trait absent for now.

With the snow deep through most of the territory, it took her longer than expected to get to the Spring. When she did arrive, the scene that was painted upon the trees and frozen spring made her pause in awe. Adelayde really loved the way the snow clung to the barren trees as her mismatched gaze flickered towards the spring's bank. Someone already broke the bank ice to expose a little water, however, the cold night froze it over once again. Careful not to slip, the tawny woman used her front paws to bounce down upon the thinner ice until it broke under her weight. The ice cold water flooded through the hole, soaking her paw. She was quick to quench her thirst before she left the bank to dry her paw on dry land.

It was then that her mismatched gaze found a small shape, dark enough to contrast with the crisp snow. Investigating further, it was a young fox, but there was no sign of life left within the kit. Sunken in sides indicated the canine may of perished from starvation. Sadness filled her face as she settled upon her haunches, looking down at the poor baby.

Played by Arla who has 42 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Orionis Rigel

The boy wasn’t really sure where he was going anymore. Everything was a blur, especially with the sudden appearance of the strange white stuff falling from the sky. He could feel himself growing weaker as the days passed. Food was growing scarce and his frail body was becoming thinner with each passing day. He did not know how much longer he was going to make it; he wasn’t sure he even wanted to. The boy was not sure he would ever see his mother again and there was a part of him that believed she had stopped looking. It had already been so long. Seasons had come and gone. Wouldn’t she have found him by now if she was still searching?

A frown creased his thin features at the thought, his body trembling against the breeze that pushed through the trees. He was not sure which direction he was heading in—all he knew was that he was heading up. He hoped it would lead him to his mother, or to someone familiar. Maybe the wolves of the lake—the ones he was related to. At this point, the boy did not care. He just wanted someone to find him. Someone to take him in. Someone to feed him.

He pushed through the snow, his body still quivering violently against the cold, determined to find some kind of warmth. Some kind of security. His eyelids felt heavy against the cold and it was a struggle to keep himself awake, but he kept pushing… he knew it had to keep moving or he wouldn’t make it… he had to stay warm.

But he couldn’t keep up. His thin legs collapsed beneath him and he sunk into the snow, a soft whine escaping his frail body. As much as he wanted to push himself into a stand keep moving forward he couldn’t… he was too tired… maybe he just needed a quick rest first. A quick nap and then he’d start back up again…

Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva
adelayde artemieva

As her bicolored gaze looked down at the lifeless fox, her tawny ears twitched at the sound of crunching snow and a soft whine from behind her. While the sound was faint and light, she knew it was more than another little fox. Tearing her gaze away, Ade searched the winter scene, quickly spotting the contrasting dark body that was fallen and motionless against the snow covered ground. The mother was quick on her feet, slowly approaching at first as her gaze inspected the body.

Sunken sides were apparent even with a thicker winter coat covering his body, Ade was close enough now to tell this cub was alone with no other scents clinging to his frail body. Her gaze softened, realizing this poor boy was starving and alone during the harsh winter. Shaking her head before looking around, hoping that by chance his parents were actually out there and her nose was just fooling her. But it was only him and her with the soft wind whispering through the trees.

Hey sweetie, come on stay awake for me, she cooed lightly, her nose prodding his chin. He needed a meal, but she didn't want to leave him alone any longer to go get him one. It was also dangerous for him to fall asleep in this condition. Who knows how long he's been alone? For too long, she concluded. Come on, open those eyes for me.

Played by Arla who has 42 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Orionis Rigel

The snow, while cold, was soft; comforting. The powdery snow cascaded around him, cocooning his frail body as he succumbed to the snow. He was no longer interesting in fighting against it. There was no use. He was too tired to fight. He just needed to rest… a quick nap… then he could keep pushing forward…

It wasn’t as cold as it was before. Or maybe he was too numb to notice… it did not matter. Not anymore. Maybe this was where he was supposed to end up. Maybe he was not meant to go forward anymore. He had already searched for so long… if his mother had not found him by now was he even supposed to be found? A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he sunk deeper into the snow, his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. It was a good spot for a rest… he just needed to recharge… but the darkness, like the snow, was comforting. He was not ready to wake up just yet. In his dreams he was with his mother … some days it was better than being awake.

A voice, paired with a gentle nudge, attempted to rouse him from his delirious state. His nose wrinkled as he attempted to recoil away from the voice, but he was too weak to move. His sides shook as a small cough rattled his frail body, his thin legs curling tight against his chest. He did not want to wake… not yet. He was far too tired. Come on, the voice came again, urging him to wake, open those eyes for me. He groaned, softly, in response as he turned his nose in her direction. She did not smell like his mother but she smelt safe. But he was so tired… he did not know if he could open his eyes just yet… 

Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva
Sorry for the late response!
adelayde artemieva

Fear was beginning to creep into her veins as her mismatched gaze swept across the young canine, his frail form becoming more evident the longer she investigated. As she softly talked to him, slow movement spread through his body, but the cough that rattled through his bones scared the mother even more. Adelayde was afraid the same thing was going to happen to this wolf cub has it had to the fox kit. She wouldn't let it happen even if she had no idea who this child was. The simple fact was he is alone and nobody this young should be alone in winter.

He was alive at least as his nose turned in her direction, but that was all the response she would get from him in seemed. The young boy was dangerously thin and in this weather, who knows how much longer he would survive on his own. A soft whine slipped from her lips as she prodded him again, this time more urgent as she urged him to open his eyes. She remembered seeing a den not far from where they were as she had passed it beforehand. The den seemed old and perhaps abandoned, but it would get the two of them out of the elements.

Sweetie, I'm going to get you somewhere safe and warm, she told him before she nudged him again. Though this time she tried to dig her snout under his front legs in attempt to lift him onto his shoulders, where he would drape his front body over her. If he allowed her to do so, she intended to get him out of the elements where she could then get him something to eat and keep him warm. Once he was rested and fed, she would take him home to the Rye. He was sickly, but appearing to be because of starvation instead of illness.

Played by Staff who has 4,811 posts.
A nearby creek is full to the brim with fish. +3 Health
Played by Arla who has 42 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Orionis Rigel

There was comfort in her voice. Something luring him to the surface, begging him to open his eyes… and he wanted to. Really, he did. But he was just so tired… he just need a few moments longer to rest… then he would open his eyes. The voice, it did not sound like mother, but it had been so long since he had heard his mother’s voice he was not even sure what it sounded like anymore. He was not even sure he would recognize her, or vice versa. He did not look anything like he once did—now he was just skin and bones.

He coughed again and shuffled toward the voice, his eyes moving frantically behind his closed lids as he weighed the pros and cons of opening them. Of waking up. Of surviving. Was it ready to give up… without really living? He had spent nearly half of his life on his own, struggling to survive and desperately searching for his mother. But he was no longer sure his mother was looking for him, which made him want to keep his eyes shut and have his body dissolve into the snow. But, it also made him determined to keep going. Because he did not need her to survive. He did not need her to keep pushing forward.

He had to do this for himself.

Her voice came once more, offering safety and warmth. He liked that idea. He hummed in agreement and leaned into her nudge, his rusted eyes struggling to focus on the figure behind the voice. She pushed her snout beneath him and at first he recoiled from her touch, his russet gaze blinking open, but once he realized what she was trying to do they slipped shut again as he allowed her to hoist him onto her back. He hummed once more: her cue to take him to the safe place. 

Played by Arya who has 292 posts.
Inactive No Rank
Adelayde Artemieva
adelayde artemieva

Her chest tightened again as her mind ventured back to the frozen Rye where she had left her children. To imagine losing any of her children, especially in the heart of winter, she couldn't bear thinking of it. Instead of focusing on "what ifs", Adelayde needed to get this boy to safety and manage to get him out of the cold. The boy was much smaller than her children, but he was still going to be difficult to move.

A hum lightly vibrated from his throat at her words of warmth and safety, enough for Ade to figure that was his yes. However, when she nudged under him, his body tried to recoil from her as fear and uncertainty must have rolled through him. But she continued, showing him exactly what she meant by her touch which eventually led to his body to relax as another hum came from his chest.

Once she had him positioned as best as she could upon her sturdy shoulders, after shifting his weight back and forth to create enough momentum to move him, she slowly began to shuffle back to the den she previously spotted. He was lighter than she had imagined, making the trip easier on the mother once she found a solid pace where he didn't have the potential of falling off. They eventually made it back to the abandoned den after trudging through multiple snow banks and drifts created from yesterday's stronger winds.

Luckily for them, the wind swept the snow away enough from the entrance for the two of them to enter without digging through any snow while leaving a pristine hill blocking out the rest of the elements. This would keep them more insulated had the drift not been in front of the entrance. Ducking as much as she could to get the dark boy into the den, once they were safely inside, Ade slowly brought herself to the ground and rolled him gently off her shoulders. Her mismatched gaze looked upon him silently before she moved to comfort him with her warmth, hoping this would be enough for him to open his eyes. Once she got him warm, she planned on searching for his next meal, but Ade wanted to make sure he was okay before she left him.