Heartleaf Creek wishing on a star that's just a satellite

RE: Oleander, you find a bunch of freshwater mussels at your nearest water source.

July 10th; Mid-morning; Broken Clouds; 67.91° F, 19.95° C.

When Oleander had gotten lost on one of his escapades, all he could think about was what it meant to be a Valle, to be Clover's son... Several times over he considered never going back home. To leave his familiar wilderness and all the twists and turns of his beloved Creek. The urgency to be with his mother and in a place where he felt he belonged was but a tiny nudge in the right direction. Maybe one day he would break free, Like Archer had done. He grimaced. Any time he thought of Eros and Archer, he felt like a runt. An unwanted toy. The shortest stick. If Violet and Marguerite were right in their decisions to leave, why hadn't he thought so too?

He shook his head and rolled his shoulders as he found his favorite part of Heartleaf Creek. It might not have been a secret place, but it was one of the few places where pretty shells and an easy bite could be found. If he ever left his mother and father for good, he was sure he would take a mussel shell for good measure... to impress a girl or two. For now, he stood at the water's edge, scanning the shallows for the dark circular forms. He would return to Dead Empress Backwater, but not before he gathered up an offering first...

some fairy tales are more than true

The yearling's mind drifted back to her family today. She thought about how she'd never fit in, how her siblings didn't want her. There was a pang of guilt at the thought of her weeping mother asking her not to go. She had to. She had to break free for herself, escape the indifference some gave her and the taunts from others. Still...if she'd made the right choice then why did she still feel like a stranger amongst these wolves? It was better than back there, but it wasn't the family connection she'd always longed for. She was just another set of paws for them and that was all. Perhaps just another mouth. Sage bowed her head down at the thought, a frown prominent on her face.

How could she ever be more to someone than just the unwanted child? A shaky sigh left the girl as she tried to push down her own emotions. The thoughts that enjoyed ripping her apart whenever she was alone. Alone. When wasn't she? The Backwater wolves were kind, sure, especially @Eros and @Seri ....but she still left so alone. Stop. Breathe. Another shaky sigh.

Just as the young Hervok was about to step out behind a tree she spotted someone new. Had she seen him before around the pack she didn't remember. She checked the air to see if he was a loner or not. He was looking into the water and such piqued her interest greatly. Fishing? She didn't want to interrupt and he smelt alone. If he turned out to be a threat her pack wasn't far away. The girl remained where she was standing, peeking around a tree that hid most of her frame. She did her best to be quiet and not once did she consider what she was doing might be offensive. She just wanted to learn a thing or two."She speaks" She walks She thinks

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Dead Empress Backwater

Oleander had been wading about in the shallows when the hairs on his nape stood up. His brow furrowed, lifting to the opposite bank and where the river ran in stronger currents. He had felt this feeling before. Like eyes were staring at the back of his head. Heat prickled up and down his spine and he swallowed. If it was one of his brothers, he wasn't sure what he was going to say or do. He had not talked to either of them in what seemed like ages now.

Truthfully, he had expected his mother. She seemed like the only one who would have the mind to seek him out. He knew she was busy with his younger siblings, though, and he doubted she would leave pack borders. They were still too young to be left alone for long.

When he turned around, his heart gave a leap. The pale figure peering around a nearby tree trunk was not Clover. She was darker, not by much, but still... her light eyes stared at him.

Facing the youth, he tilted his head. She was not someone he recognized, being somewhat estranged from the rest of his pack and all. Yet, there was something familiar about her.

It seemed that his little unexpected escapade had given him some perspective. Before, he might have responded with the type of venom that begged everyone to leave him alone. Instead, his brows rose and his tail gave a small wag. Whatever poison and bitterness he had, he withheld for another time.

His voice was mellow, almost indifferent, but he was taken by her stare, "Hello there."

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage was content to watch the stranger, hopeful he'd catch something. She just wanted to watch. An uneasy feeling twisted her gut when she noticed the smooth strands along his nape rise. She took a step back to hide further behind the tree even though it would be much too late. His gaze was cast upon her, his head cocking to the side. A strange feeling erupted in her chest. His eyes...they were like dandelions. So yellow. More rich in color than even her favorite flower.

Her tense muscles melted away when the stranger wagged his tail. She released a breath of air she'd unknowingly been holding and wagged her own tail. She padded forward shyly around the tree so that she was fully visible. Her head was low, ears tucked, a bashful expression on her face. She parted her jaws to speak but nothing came out. Her belly did a summersault as a hot wave of embarrassment cascaded over the girl. When was the last time she'd been so nervous she choked up entirely like this?"She speaks" She walks She thinks

(This post was last modified: Jul 20, 2023, 04:37 AM by Sage.)

Dead Empress Backwater

As their eyes met, he turned about to face her. She emerged from behind her tree; he lifted a paw in curiosity. His ears rose, but she did not speak. He swallowed and bowed his head, averting his gaze as if to give her space and time to collect herself. He hadn't meant to be so forthcoming. It was easy to forget he was so tall and potentially intimidating with his spindly build.

Oleander's paw came back down and he rolled his shoulders before giving his coat a shake. Everything in his body language conveyed that he harbored nothing petty or malicious.

The more he looked her over, the more he wondered if she lived nearby or, heck, if she was a part of the Backwater. Her size offered the assumption that she was young, but not as cubbish as he thought at first. He fought the urge to decode her with his nose. He wanted to be proper and courteous, as his mama had taught him.

"I'm Oleander," he introduced himself, hoping to break the ice. "My family's from the Backwater. You from 'round here?"

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage watched him bow his head, adverting his gaze. She mimicked him, shaking her pelt, but to ease her nerves rather than appease the stranger. She hadn't wanted him to look away from her. His eyes were something the yearling wished to gaze into longer. She took the moment to look him over, noting their size difference. She didn't usually feel small but right now she felt incredibly so. It wasn't that their height difference was all that grand, but that the girl's anxieties shrunk her down.

"Sage" She managed a whisper, her voice soft and velvety. She smiled big for a moment, nodding her head. The thought of her smiling too big, and looking silly, faded her grin into a thin-lipped smile. Still, she swished her tail back and forth a bit more eagerly than before. Shakily she raised her voice to be heard better, "I live there." She looked to the water he'd been wading in, gesturing with her muzzle, then looked back at him curiously. She wanted to ask, but as their eyes locked again she glanced at her paws. "She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater

"Sage," she smiled. Pretty. Perhaps after the prairie sage he had seen in the northern wilderness. "I live there."

Oh.

Oleander's eyes went wide and he lifted his gaze to look at her once more. His head tilted to one side as it had only moments ago. He wondered how she had slipped by him... then again, he remembered his penchant for solitude. "Ah," he mused. "Nice to meet you."

It was then that he noticed how her eyes went to the scenery behind him - oh, right, he was supposed to bring something home. Mussels. For Mama.

"Do you, um," his tongue seemed to betray him as he stumbled over his own words, "you familiar with the Creek?" He quirked a brow and repositioned himself so that his body was parallel with the waterway. "Used to play here as a pup." The memory made his tail wag and a small grin appeared on his maw. The muscles in his face felt weird. It had been a long time since he had cracked a smile.

The curve in his body and the lift in his waving tail invited her closer before he returned to the water. His gaze went back down to the shallow pool at his feet, "The mussels are easy eats this time of year."

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage's brows knitted when his eyes went wide. Had she done something wrong? Was he simply shocked? Then his head tilted and baffled her furthermore. All thoughts of not being able to read the man left her quickly, her cheeks felt hot at the casual, "nice to meet you" that left his lips. She smiled sheepishly at him, "You too. Her soft-spoken voice back to a whisper.

Her smile grew a little at his question, "I-I visit it...to uh try and fish." She wasn't the most elegant with her words, still shaky and quiet. Her sweet voice was only a murmur among the noises around them. Sage watched him smile, feeling more at ease as he continued on to talk. She dared to approach at his invitation, coming up beside him within reaching distance, but leaving a comfortable gap. She didn't think he'd hurt her nor that he was lying about being from the Backwater. She wondered why they'd faded from his pelt, but didn't doubt him.

The yearling looked down into the depths curiously. Inquisitive emeralds studying the water as she spoke, "What are mussels?"

"She speaks" She walks She thinks

(This post was last modified: Jul 20, 2023, 05:38 PM by Sage.)

Dead Empress Backwater

With a paw, he batted at a submerged stone, causing a cloud of silt to kick up. There wouldn't be anything underneath it, of course, he was just pacing himself. It helped him hold his tongue and keep from bombarding her with questions. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off.

Sage's answer did nothing to help the smile on his face soften. He hoped he would draw her closer. Looking down at the surface of the water, he glanced over at her reflection. The image of the pale, rippling wolf mimicked what he was doing, staring down into the river bed, "What are mussels?"

"They're like... rocks," he began. "Erm, shell creatures." Golden eyes tore away from her to focus on the task at hand. He scanned the clusters of stones underfoot now that the silt had finally settled. "Break them open and they're a chewy snack." Here, he gave a small chuckle. If his cub-self listened to him now, little Oleander would have thought he was silly. 'You can't eat rocks. Like snail shells? Yuck. What do you mean chewy? Ew, gross.'

Coming back to the present, he stepped forward and plunged his face into the river. While his steady footsteps might have looked skillful, the way he dunked his head into the water was... less so. With his ears back, he might've summoned the imagery of a feeding goose or duck. Water dripped from his saturated summer coat as he stood upright. In his jaws, he held a small striped object.

"'Ere," he yipped through clenched teeth. A few footsteps brought him back onto the shore; then, with the wrinkling of one side of his muzzle, a sharp CRACK. What might have looked like a pebble was split in half on the sand. One side was intact while the other had splintered under the force of his bite. Stuck on the half that was still whole was a slimy, tan-colored blob. Oleander beamed at the yearling now, curious if she would try it, "Check it out..."

(This post was last modified: Aug 14, 2023, 09:27 PM by Oleander.)

they say pray it away, i swear,
OLEANDER VALLE
that I'll never be a saint, no way

some fairy tales are more than true

Sage leaned forward a little, watching the dirt spread through the water, expecting something to happen. Nothing did and she felt a little bit of disappointment. The female failed to notice him staring at her reflection, looking eagerly into the rippling current for something unknown to her. What did it look like? Did it swim like a fish- perhaps similar to a rock since he'd overturned one? Then he spoke, confirming the idea she'd had. The yearling couldn't contain the excited smile that overtook her youthful features. "Shell?" She questioned him, glancing over with expressive eyes. Her heart sped up when she matched his golden gaze briefly before he looked away.

"Oh?" Chewy didn't sound all that good...but the fish were from water, and they were delicious. Perhaps she could at least try one. She watched enthusiastically as he began searching the rocks for a mussel shell. He dunked his head and she was tempted to copy but thought it best to watch and learn. It didn't take him long to discern what was what and she was impressed. They looked similar to her, but as he pulled out of the water clutching the shell she took note of the stripes.

The male returned to her, offering the shelled creature. The loud crack had her ears pressed forward, head tilting, "Does it hurt to open them? She asked softly while inspecting the damaged piece. "Check it out..." Her head swiveled to look, met with the unsuspecting tan blob. She came up and nosed it, sniffing the shell. Tentatively she stuck her tongue out to run across the slimy surface. The texture made her gulp uneasily, but mustering her courage, Sage picked the mussel from its shell. It was flavored similarly to the creek, with a subtle undertone that reminded her of mushrooms. It wasn't bad- it wasn't great. Awfully chewy. She swallowed and announced her opinion to him, "It's weird."

This didn't stop her from approaching the water as he had and dunking her head in like manner. She searched the creekbed for a stripped rock for as long as she could hold her breath. Then popped up for air, shaking her head. "I don't see any." She wanted to learn how to do this. They weren't very yummy to her, but if he liked them...maybe others in the pack did? Any way to contribute had to be a win."She speaks" She walks She thinks

Dead Empress Backwater