Lost Lake All My Life

All her life she has been searching for something; something that would satisfy her. She’s getting close, closer to the prize at the end of the road. But whenever it would come around, it would be taken away. Leaving her with the feeling that she feels the most. The feeling that comes alive when she sees his ghost. The ghost of her father haunts her in her dreams and in reality. Images of the past flash before her eyes, leaving her cold and wounded. She’s proud of nothing from her past. Never telling a single soul about the horrible, but right things that she has done. Not one wolf alive knows about her wicked past and she plans to keep it that way for a while. Walking through the beaten down path towards Lost Lake, she glanced up to stare up into the rising sun. The pale lady felt like waking up with the sun, enjoying its gentle rays of warm. Winter was finally over; Spring as come along. The trees were growing their buds and flowers were starting to pop up from the soil. Times like this were hard to come by when it was all peaceful and beautiful. Havoc would soon arise. If all went well, the plan would go smoothly. But one thing stood in their way. Breeding season. Oh, yes. The lovely hormones and new feelings that you only experience once a year. It can literally make a wolf go crazy. Athena was fast approaching her third birthday, but it wouldn’t really change a thing. She’d look the same as she did if she was two. Time was the deciding factor. In time, Athena would grow slightly taller and longer, making her look even more feline than ever. Hopefully, she wouldn’t run into any hormone love-struck males on her trek to Swift River, or she’d have some trouble on her paws. She was irritable and was in no mood for any love games. She was on a mission and didn’t need to be interrupted. Especially, not by any lover boys. That’s for sure.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

His foray into lowland woods ended unpleasantly, the big wolf ran back toward northern heights and burning thin-air mountains. He ran with ears back, legs stiff, lips tugged into the barest implication of an angry scowl. Vafri reminded himself as he ran – life kept him lonely for a reason, better that he never questioned that. The urge to push at everything hummed deep within his veins and Vafri climbed, breath gushing out in shallow bursts, legs protesting as he climbed higher. Bristling pines cast his pale coat into shadow but the lanky wolf still felt sunlight stream down intermittently, still felt the warm press of the sky’s gaze. He longed for stars and for the ceiling’s blind eye, the hangnail squint of a dying moon. Sunlight never changed; it just burned on and on and made the air too hot and never made him want to think up stories for it. Vafri trotted uphill under cover of the trees and irritation pounded at his skull as hunger rattled in his gut. Sometime soon he thought he ought to quit this running and go find carrion to pick at. Feeling quite far on the living side of life though Vafri didn’t want to worry about food. He worried about senseless things instead, and ran until his lungs hurt and his legs. Tongue lolling weary from his mouth, the pale wolf slowed to a walk eventually and paced along the spine of a narrow ridge. Dry swallows spasmed in his throat; nose up, Vafri sniffed at foreign air and tasted just the faintest blanket of cool water. That piqued his interest. Head down, breath shallow pants, he padded on until he was quite certain he’d managed to miss it, wherever the water was. Moisture so high up in the mountains liked to hide, he thought – in cracks and crannies, rushing through the rock and full of fish and… Vafri’s stomach rumbled. With a snort, he trotted off again and turned down an incline, hopping from spot to spot down the path. His tongue still lolled out gracelessly, and dark eyes darted back and forth with wary energy as Vafri descended. Eventually he glimpsed a flash of deep cerulean up between the trees. With a stretch of his long legs and a grunt after an especially daring leap, Vafri spotted the lake up ahead of him. Cold, it promised, blue and shimmering and lovely. His ears came up and his tail gave a brief wag as he put more effort into hopping down, paws flitting down the mountainside as if he were part mountain goat. When he reached relatively flatter ground he paused and sniffed the air again, rejoicing at the cold damp taste of mountain water and clean, cool air of such heights. He smelled something else, though, too: something only a little familiar. Vafri recognized the scent as another wolf. Day cycles and diminishing starlight told Vafri he was coming once again into that time of year when females smelled far better to him than they did when snow fell. He hesitated, one paw lifted, and for a moment wondered if he ought to seek her out or choose to avoid the problems this might cause entirely. He smelled no one else, though; doubtful that a pack lived anywhere too close he padded on in silence, tongue snapping back behind his teeth. It couldn’t hurt, could it? Just saying hello? Now that he knew she was somewhere around here Vafri had a hard time trying to ignore it. What if she snuck up on him as he passed her by and turned out to be some kind of crazy murderer? What if she was friendly? Or interesting? No, he simply couldn’t ignore anyone, and forgetting for a moment about getting a drink he trotted along, nose twitching to the ground, ears pricked and swinging gait loose. The prospect of greeting strangers always put him a little on edge, scared and excited and expectant. After a bit of time though Vafri thought he caught a glimpse of white moving ahead. A high-pitched bark flew from his jaws. Tail wagging, he bounded forward, hesitated, struggled to compose himself. No need to be that friendly… ”Hello?” Vafri kept his head up as he trotted, dark eyes scanning for the figure he saw up ahead. ”Hello?” He rather hoped it wouldn’t end up a hallucination. Vafri liked to think he was as sane as any other wolf, but clearly making up strangers to occupy his brooding mind was not a normal thing to do.

[ sorry this is so long o.o ]

Escaping the confines of the brush, the white girl finally caught sight of the deep, blue pool. It’s so lovely. Whenever Athena came here, whether to get a drink, bathe, or just sit here and think, it has always been a beautiful sight. Head down she started to pad up to the bank of the lake to take a much-needed drink. Mid-step, she caught the scent of wolf in the air. Growling slightly to herself, ”Dammit. Almost.” She had been hoping she didn’t run into any wolves while on her trek, but that isn’t going to happen. She thought maybe she could just get out now, especially since it was a male, but she needed to meet as many wolves as she can, if she’s going to be of much use to the future pack. Taking a deep breath, she positioned herself slightly towards the trees in case she needed to run. Peering through the trees, she sighted the white male. He looked large, of course. That was all that she could gather about him until he got closer. Her eyes were pricked forward, listening for his approach. Suddenly, the male let out a high pitch bark. Athena jumped from the sudden sound that she wasn’t expecting. Her ears laid back slightly in frustration, but as soon as they did, she put them back up to try and look friendly. A growl threatened to escape when the male instantly started to bound forward towards her, tail wagging and all. Then instantly, he collected himself, thankfully, and started trotting towards her. ”Hello?” She thought about answering him, but felt he was too far away to really start making a conversation. ”Hello?” This point she almost thought the male had to be blind or something. Maybe he can’t see me? she thought. Stepping forward, she finally decided to answer him. ”Hello.", she said with her French-British accent. Keeping her head up regally, she listened for the man’s response.

OoC: Oh, it’s all right. It’s better than being super short(:

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

“Hello.” The answer to his harried greetings cut in smoothly over Vafri’s louder tone. He stopped almost immediately, ears cocked forward, head tilted just slightly off to one side, and blinked. His dark eyes found her quickly as she moved a mere step toward him, and the big male’s tail gave another halfhearted little wag. He wondered for a moment if he did seem quite insane, looking for her while she stood right in front of him, but put it off as a trick of the forest and the altitude. Vafri was no idiot, after all (was he?). Slightly put off, he stood unevenly several paces away and resorted to blinking and sniffing delicately at the air. ”Didn’t see you there,” he stated at last. The easy laughter in his tone conveyed more joviality than Vafri really felt; he began to wonder if the she-wolf was an apparition or a ghost, and felt the muscle up over his shoulders tense just the slightest bit. But that’s stupid, Vafri told himself. Swallowing down all hesitation, he padded nearer to the stranger on soft feet, all too aware of the weight in her golden eyes and the way she held her head up, adamant. He let his own skull down submissively and paused about a wolf-length away, simpering. ”Bit tricky, these trees. Good for hiding in – and getting lost.” He tried not to stare too much but she was rather pretty. Vafri wondered why it was so difficult to make himself seem very small and unintimidating – even with his head down, tail down, body loose and unthreatening he was still lanky and fluffy and just sharp enough to look the part of predator. Ah well, she was a wolf too, wasn’t she? Though she seemed a bit uptight with the way she looked down at him and the weird slant of her voice. ”I’m not, uh, somewhere I shouldn’t be – am I?” he asked at last. The last thing Vafri needed was to find out that her packmates were hanging around ready to tear him up. He glanced over his shoulder warily, tried to ease his mind by thinking that her scent was the only very recent one.

[ and I apologize for being such a slowpoke. exams are unending. ]

(This post was last modified: Mar 24, 2012, 08:51 PM by Vafri.)

As the rather large and lanky form continued to come closer, the she-wolf held her ground. Her stature my be small, but she was fierce and this brute didn't seem like he wanted to cause her harm. Which was a good thing. "Didn't see you there." At his smooth laughter, she started to loosen up and let out a sweet chuckle. Though, she didn't let all of her guard down, that would just be plain insane. She sat back on her haunches while the male tried looking harmless and passive. This would be something she'd have to start getting used to, with her being a pack wolf now.

With the pallid male only a wolf-length away, she felt unusually comfortable with the wolf. He wasn't threatening like most males were around here. He seemed friendly and a bit childish, which was never a bad thing as long as it wasn't too much. "Oh, yes indeed. Soon enough, though, you'll get used to them." Her first day in Relic Lore, she came in from the east by the Mountain of Dire. She trekked through them and had gotten used to them quite fast. Now during her free time, she tries to visit the glorious seen and clear her thoughts. Maybe he'll find a place like that here, like she has.

His last statement was unexpected. She had only been in Swift River for a couple of days and he could already tell she was a pack wolf. Hopefully, he wasn't scared since they were in neutral ground, far from Sacred Grove and the others. This, though, put her slightly on edge. What if he did decide to attack her? She wouldn't be able to hold him off very long with his large size. Though, it did seem that she wouldn't stand a chance against any opponent with her small size, thankfully she had been trained when she was younger. So, she could hold her own, but it would depend on the circumstances. Eliminating these thoughts, she focused back on the conversation. "No, you are fine. Neutral territory." She left out that they were a bit far from her pack lands, in case he had any ideas...

Ohh, it's okay. I know how it is lol damn exams XD

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Dark eyes followed as the she-wolf sat, and Vafri read no steel-hard tension in her muscles, no flicker of the lips to bare teeth, no heat in the amber eyes. He relished this distinct lack of fear; too often smaller wolves looked up at him and bared their teeth, and rolled off warnings of what might happen should he prove the foolish one and move to kill. Vafri always laughed at them, but it was bitter laughter and it fed that little shadow he called cynicism deep inside his heart - perhaps I am a danger? Here at least he found no darkness – only sunlight, and the dappled patterns tree boughs made down on the ground. He let his eyes gloss over her once more, then turned and blinked down at the lake, and wondered if he ought to sit or stand or bounce in circles here and there. It was too bright a day to relax; the sky moved on too slowly, stared at him with that great livid eye, and Vafri wanted to start running again. He told himself that bolting away from strangers was a stupid idea, and immediately plopped down on his haunches. ”I suppose,” the big wolf answered her statement with a sigh. He wasn’t sure he could get used to being closed, in really. He missed the open stretches of white tundra, the streaking cries of strange wolves halfway across the world carrying like angels’ songs beneath the sky. He couldn’t trust this forest; he couldn’t trust the wolves he found here, even if he wanted to. She confirmed that with the subtle, nervous flicker of her eyes, the way she hesitated but a moment before answering his question. Neutral ground, thought Vafri. Vague enough to be an answer he approved of, but the practical side of his mind latched on indignantly. She smelled but very faintly of strange wolves now that he was closer, though he assumed most everyone he met inside this forest belonged somewhere. Loners like himself lived short, lonely lives. They rarely looked too fit, or too happy, or too comfortable - and she was comfortable despite that subtle waver in their conversation. ”Good,” was all Vafri said. His bushy tail curled up around his forelimbs and he yawned. ”Mother always said it was bad manners to wander in on someone else’s property. Don’t want to be rude. Though I guess I’ve already done that as I haven’t introduced myself. Vafri Seigaldr, of no pack, and no land.” He smiled, a brief flash of yellowed eyeteeth against the blackness of his lips.

irfaV Seigaldr. She locked his information in the depths of her mind. Now that she knew his name, she would have a harder time forgetting anything about him. She has always been this way, never forgetting anyone she has met. She must have gotten it from her mother. Her father always forgot about the wolves he met and sometimes it would get him into trouble. Nevertheless, she was proud that she did not get her idiotic father's traits, well besides her white coat. Everything else, though, she was a replica of her glorious mother.

She let out a quiet chuckle. Her mother always said that to her too. She was always worried about her little daughter since anehtA was always on her own exploring the mountains and such. Thankfully, though, she never got into any major trouble. Only a couple loners tried to get at her, but she was too clever and quick for their dim-witted minds. She too then introduced herself. "I'm anehtA Moon, of Swift River in the lands of Sacred Grove. It is nice to meet you irfaV." She concluded politely with a dip of her head.

|| Ash is welcome to make an appearance in any thread. ||

Athena, she introduced herself. He swallowed the sound of her pack name too, ears moving slightly as he nodded at the words. He'd been a loner such a long time... every now and then it seemed the pack wolves knew, and skirted him and all his lonely rituals as if he might rub off on them. Athena seemed quite friendly, though. Might be she was young. Might be she hadn't been a pack wolf for too long - or that she had, and chose loneliness as a form of rebellion. He recalled a time when he sought company to teach his loneliness a lesson, and recalled that it hadn't gone so well. So what, exactly, was he doing now? Making the same mistake again was Vafri's trademark; that, and thinking thoughts he had no right to think. For now he wondered who exactly she was in this Swift River group, and what it might be like to live in a place called Sacred Grove. He pictured pressing silence and the low, invasive murmur of quick water. He pictured sunlight dancing through the leaves and fracturing against a laughing stream. "Do you like it?" he asked with a tilt of his head. She must, he thought - because wolves are supposed to live in packs and all of them like it. Except, he thought too, that he still liked racing light across the earth's old bones and shouting witch songs at the moon, and crooning love to tracks of color in the night sky. Did pack wolves do those things? Did pack wolves have their own songs and their stories, things to light up children's eyes? His own eyes lit up as he thought about it, and shoulders hunching just a little Vafri leaned in. "Is it fun? Being around other wolves? Do you... have friends?" That such a thing should strike him as uncanny was, itself, more telling than any truth he might have given out.