Riddle Heights the flyfreer

<blockquote>Night was falling, and everything was alive. Through the purple evening dusk, Rihael Tainn moved swiftly, beginning finally to become accustomed to the frame he gradually filled out. Messy-furred and determined, he moved through the slowly spreading shadows the old trees above him cast, quickly Eastward. A chorus of crickets and the gentle rustle of the evening breeze invigorated him as he moved along, orange eyes fixed straight ahead. He knew he couldn't spend much time where he was going, or he'd be missed...

Soon he reached the line, more suddenly than he'd anticipated, where the mountain pass began. Curiously, with only a glance behind him, Hael began to ascend the slope. Higher and higher, until the grass faded out in patches beneath his oversize paws, giving way to cool rock. The stone felt great on his pads, and he smiled mischievously to himself as the wind blew more fervently through his thick fur. This was <i>exhilarating.</i> All this time, he'd never ventured into the reaches of the mountain pass that lay so near to his home. But that wasn't to say he hadn't dreamed of this night. And now, here he was, venturing farther into the unknown.

The rush it gave him was addicting. Soon he stopped, overcome with the urge to see how far he'd come. When he turned around, what greeted him far below was a vast, inky expanse of dark green treetops. In the distance, he could see Swift River snaking through a brief gap in the canopies... and there he stood, sure-footed, a brave pioneer of this new world, overlooking his home. It was the highest he'd ever been.</blockquote>

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Walking with her paw, as it would prove, was incredibly difficult. Each movement was laborious and barely any pressure could be placed upon the sight of the wound or else it would threaten to bleed once more. Anyone with experience on a mountain could tell you how rigorous the climb was - and anyone with a limp on said mountain could tell you how damn <i>awful</i> it was to haul your ass up with three legs instead of four. Resilient as ever, though, Ava had made it. She had refused to sink, regardless of the metaphorical anchor her wounded paw was. Laboriously she had dragged her very soul through the climbing mountain passes, panting and whining every so often, but forcing herself through the pain. And in the end, her efforts would prove to be fruitful: she had ended up in the highest of the rises, where her own favorite sunbathing stone lay, and with a horribly performed leap she'd made it up there where the warmed stone welcomed her like an old friend.

Of course, that was hours ago. The sun had been high above when Ava had made her trek, slowly willing her three working legs through the least difficult paths she could remember. Ultimately it had taken longer, not only from her injury but also the winding, completely out-of-the-way directions that the easier paths took her. Stubborn as the ass Ava often liked to be, she couldn't very well admit defeat and return to the flat lands. No, because once she made it, the sunbathing boulder felt so amazing beneath her sore legs that she was certain it was worth it. But that was then, and now the sun was steadily falling as the gentle sound of twilight egging her to return to the den where she knew she belonged. But every time she shifted her weight her body reminded her what a rough journey it had been to the top and made her one whiny girl: she really, really, just did not <i>want</i> to make the trip back down. Did she have to? No, she didn't, she was close enough... but really, she had to. Really?

Luckily her immature fight with herself had an abrupt end when a gust of mountain wind brought with it a smell she could recognize anywhere. Within her chest was an explosive collision of curiousity and fear: never had any Swift River wolf even come near the mountains, perhaps because they didn't know where Rhysis and Naira had stolen off to, or perhaps because they weren't yet prepared for a confrontation. But at the same time, in her current state, neither was the well-branded she-wolf. Her vibrant gaze had grown shifty, frantically picking apart the land-scape she could see.

Thankfully for her added height, thanks to her trusty sunbathing perch, it didn't take too long to pick out a brown and cream wolf she had never seen before, moving amongst the rocky outcrop. Ava couldn't <i>smell</i> age; from here, he looked a full-grown male, and instantly she had to equate him with her only true encounter with a River wolf - which had been the nameless, but very large and strong, pale stranger in the Willows. Heavens above, did they have to breed them all so big and male? She'd had a decent chance with that loony-ass bitch in the field, because despite her greater size she had been underfed and, well, bat-shit crazy. What was Ava, lacking one paw, going to do against a healthy, full-grown pack wolf? Suddenly he stopped entirely. Though his back was to her, a twinge of paranoia raised her hackles for her which she desperately attempted to smooth out while she lowered her head and pressed her body into the now cold stone.

<i>Please don't look, please go away, please continue on your merry voyage,</i> the mantra in her head went as she stared daggers at the intruder, hoping he'd somehow telepathically get her message and indeed skip on his merry way. <i>Please</i>.

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<blockquote>But he had to go higher. He wasn't going to go all the way up, not tonight— he knew it was dangerous. Maybe next time. But here, where the terrain was tricky but not completely unforgiving, Rihael felt like a king. After a long moment, he tore his gaze away from the breathtaking view below him, and began to continue on his way. From here the going seemed like it was going to get a little rougher, so he knew he'd better be careful, being only used to flat, grassy areas. Slowly he picked up a paw and placed it down again, and then another, prepared to take the journey slowly from this point onward—

But a distinct, very unfamiliar scent crossed him then as the wind moved through his tousled fur, and the kid stopped in his tracks. <i>Someone else?</i> He thought to himself, incredulous that he hadn't even thought of another <i>wolf</i> being up here. As to who— or where— it was, he found himself stumped. Through his narrowed eyes, he scanned the scene, lifting his nose to the air to try and pinpoint whoever this was. It smelled... like a female. Was she, whoever she was, hiding from him?

Well, the best way to find out was probably just to ask, Hael reasoned, so he started climbing again, this time with a renewed vigor. Maybe she was up higher? Or if he went higher, maybe he could see her? "Are you hiding?" he called out to the pass, his voice almost, but not quite, deep enough to sound similar to his father's. She had to be around here somewhere! The anticipation had caused his tail to begin wagging, and it did so each time he stopped for a second to gain his footing, shadows crawling slowly over him as he worked his way just a little higher.. He had to find out who she was, where she was, and what <i>that scent</i> was! Suddenly he felt like a sleuth, and was keen to put his tracking skills to work. This was fun... "I'm gonna find you, y'know," he taunted playfully under his breath, making his way slowly, laboriously higher.</blockquote>

(This post was last modified: May 02, 2012, 12:28 AM by Rihael.)

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The male failed to react to her telepathy; a rough exhale from her nose voicing her displeasure that her obviously fool-proof plan had fallen through. But there was no time to brood. With each step he took closer and closer she felt the flight of panic thumping through her heart, stuck between peering over the edge of the rock and praying he would find some path that lead him away from her and ducking down and trying to be invisible so he couldn't see even the dark tips of her ears... but all in all temptation was calling and she had to peek, just so she would know the moment she was safe or not.

<i>Oh shi-</i> Well that had been a bad idea. Who knew how petrifying figuring out the the exact moment he had found her scent, like it was some tangible trinket that he had just stumbled upon on the sidewalk, would be? Now it was only <i>moments</i> before he'd swing around, jaws wide and blood-stained teeth gleaming, and make a leap for her perch to slaughter her like the millions of elk he had probably slaughtered before. At the very least it was comforting to know that the last thing she would ever know of this cruel, cruel world was the comfort of her sunbathing rock. She nestled her head in to the cold stone, closing her eyes for a brief moment as she said good-bye to a good boulder, and wished it would find some other black-furred wolf to come sunbathe upon it soon so it wouldn't be lonely.

And then doom arrived - his voice rang across the mountainside, "<i>Are you hiding?</i>" She knew she was done (for she couldn't see the boy's wagging tail); he was coming, coming for <i>her</i>. And then, another taunt, before he would end her life! "<i>I'm gonna find you, y'know.</i>" Strange, she wouldn't have figured Swift River wolves to want to play with their food... nor to approach their enemy with a tone so... nonthreatening?

Her bright eyes popped open, an undirected scowl appearing on her face. Wait a hot second - did he not know who's scent she was wearing? It made perfect sense to her, for what other reason were his teeth not well-sunk into her hide now? Maybe he was a new recruit? Or her pale knight had put in a good word for her? Maybe they'd just agreed to disagreed and called the whole betrayal, dishonor, we-will-repay-what-evil-you-have-done thing off? There was only one way to find out, really. Ava inched toward the edge of the rock again, lifting her head until just half of her vision was beyond the grey rock, her tail twitching with suspense. He was much closer now... maybe she could throw him off somehow and catch him by surprise? Playing <i>his</i> game against him! It'd certainly be difficult to lose the trail (and it most likely wouldn't work at all) but the least Ava could do was try.

"<b>Nooo, I'm not hiding,</b>" she called softly, letting her voice be picked up and swept away by the mountain winds. Hopefully he wouldn't be able to pinpoint the source of her sound with the howling currents, but the problem was that they liked to howl <i>only when it was convenient to them</i>. She could track a stupid mountain goat for hours in the wind and then the moment she could actually use the cover it would drop dead and let the sound of her paw snapping a twig echo across the whole damned mountain. "<b>And nooo, you'll never find me!</b>"

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<blockquote>When the wind picked up, it sounded like the songs of voices hiding in the rocks, maybe coming from the mountain itself. Their howling had been the soundtrack of his journey up into the pass this far, punctuated here and there with the chirping of crickets that hung out in the bushes he passed. But the echoes that answered the questions he'd thrown out into the gradually darkening night were different, and Rihael's ears perked. He stopped in his tracks, stood upright, and let his nose test the air once more, immediately convinced that he'd heard a reply. He couldn't be hearing things— he could swear that whoever was out there had really answered him!

A wide grin pulled at his maw as he started onward again, ears swiveling to pinpoint the source of the mysterious, distinctly feminine voice that had answered his call. The tricky part was that he couldn't figure out <i>where</i> she was; his head swinging left and right, he tried to find her amongst the bushes and crags, but her voice had come from what seemed like multiple directions at once. The wind up here was fickle, and it seemed to change direction in an instant. Hael could feel this much as it blew through his fur, and on the tip of his wet nose. So maybe the wind was carrying her voice from another location? Maybe she was somehow able to throw her voice around...? It didn't make sense— where <i>was</i> she?

But he wasn't about to let himself get frustrated just yet. The area he'd reached was a relatively evened-out plateau. Ahead of him, the mountain continued its ascent higher into the sky. Around him, there were large boulders and other hiding places. He stopped momentarily, orange eyes narrowing as he took a good, serious look around, his smile having faded into a determined smirk. If he could get her to <i>talk</i> again, he was sure he could pinpoint her hiding spot, with the help of her scent. That was, if the winds would help him out.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" He called in a moment when the wind died down, and everything fell still. He was in a strange place, far away from home, higher than he'd been in his short life— searching for a stranger in the darkness. The sense that this could actually be dangerous was only seconds away from tugging at his consciousness, but for the moment, he felt <i>alive</i> as he simply stood, waiting to see if <i>she</i>, whoever she was, would answer him once more.</blockquote>

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Her skin be saved, somehow it had worked! The words she had cooed on the wind had reached him - it showed when he froze and tested the air for her scent. Despite the little game she had started, Ava still hoped that Poison Path's claim to her fur would magically be carried away by the wind as well, <i>just incase</i> when he got to her and figured out who's side she was on he wouldn't rip her a new one - no need for that, no sir. Ava watched his widening green and his vibrant eyes search the nooks and crannies of the mountains for her, feeling delightfully like the assassin she liked to be but also a severe creeper all at once. The wicked smile that tempted to appear on her face was forced back, as if its appearance on her mug might somehow lead him toward her. Logic? Nah, <i>didn't need it</i>.

He was a resilient one, told of the way he climbed the rocky pass and took on no distraction that the mountain held to prevent him from reaching his goal - which, she realized was technically her. While he searched the stones for any sign of her at all, Ava considered her options. If she'd been any more fleet of foot she could have leapt from her perch and darted somewhere else - keep him lookin', on her trail. Then again, she could've always just turned and run back to the packlands and left him with nothing to find at all - which was cruel, albeit in a funny way. But she knew neither of these were plausible options; Tisa had well taken from her the swiftness that she so loved, and while Ava cursed the silvery bitch for it every day, there was no changing her temporary fate. If she kept hiding, he would have to find her eventually, and while it might be a wonderful moment for him in the second he discovered her the following proceedings would be extremely anticlimactic and her love of the show did not allow such a boring ending. So there was only one option...

Ava, the little chamelon-wolf, would adopt a new role: not of the deadly assassin, and not of some deranged flower freak, but of the troll of the mountain!

Again he called to her, providing the perfect timing for her arrival. In one swift motion she would scooch closer to the rock's edge on her belly, and heave her chest upwards to come to a fabulous sit on her favorite perch. She bellowed, "<b>I am the guardian of the mountains!</b>" Ava's gaze landed on him once again, angling herself a little more to the left as she hadn't perfectly predicted his location as she was revealing herself in a glorious fashion. Able to get a better look at him now that she was beyond hiding, she fixed her amber eyes on him entirely. Finally she could see and smell his youth. He would be a force to be reckoned with soon, for sure, but for now Ava deemed him safe enough for one trick at least. "<b>The river has washed you far from home, boy. Prove yourself worthy, or you shall not pass.</b>"

Regally she sat, her dark paws together and her chin high in the air as she stared severely down her nose upon him. But there was a delicate twitch in the black tip of her tail - if her game went sour, she'd be out of there <i>so fast</i>.

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YOUUU SHALL NOOOOT PASSSS xD
<blockquote>Rihael inhaled deeply. Her scent, it was <i>right here.</i> His eyes were still adjusting to the rapidly shifting light as the moon rose behind him, yet his nose couldn't lie. She had to be <i>right in front of him</i>—

And suddenly there she was, the <i>guardian of the Mountain!</i>, as if a giant bat or something had swooped down and perched magnificently on a high rock above him. Despite the strength of her scent, and her obvious location right in front of him, he found himself a little startled, and a small gasp escaped his lungs as he fought not to take a step backward. His bright eyes wide, he gazed at the female. The gentle moonlight reflected in her own fiery gaze, catching the sleekness of her shadowy coat. She wasn't at all like he'd expected— and Hael found himself at a loss for words, finally wondering if somehow he'd bit off more than he could chew. She was a full-on <i>adult</i>, something he hadn't even <i>considered</i>, and he kicked himself inwardly for not having thought this out beforehand...

Realizing that he'd been standing there pretty much dumbfounded, Hael was quick to return from his moment of weakness. He stood wide-legged, head and tail confidently lifted as she began to challenge him. Her words made his eyes narrow momentarily as a rather harsh gust of wind ruffled the dark fur atop his head and back. <i>She said "the River!" How does she know— my scent!</i> The realization made his heart begin to race. What else did she know? Did she know he was just a kid, that he had <i>no idea</i> what he was doing? Silent, he stared up at her. She seemed so tall, and almost magical, but her scent was just like a normal wolf. And yet, it was a smell he hadn't encountered before. In fact the only smell he'd come across was from that <i>other pack</i>, Grizzly Hollow. Was this weird <i>guardian of the Mountain</i> from <i>another</i> pack? Or was she some sort of weird... ghost thing?

Too skeptical to be afraid, Hael coughed a little as her last words sank in. Prove himself? Wait— what? "Uh... okay...?" Was he supposed to... fight her? Hunt something? Just... make himself look good?

Unable to think of anything else, he just... started dancing. Bobbing his head to a jerky rhythm, hopping from one paw to the other, a forcedly awkward and cheesy grin plastered on his face. He <i>hoped</i> it would work...</blockquote>

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Ava was more than pleased to behold his almost unnoticeable gasp - it meant that her scheme just might work! But besides that he failed to make any other motion, which confused the girl for a hot second. Either he was actually afraid of her (which was a hilarious thought) or he was considering how many pieces he ought to tear her in to (not so hilarious). As always she hoped for the best, keeping a stoic expression as well as a focused stare while he began to react. The male took up a fighting stance, standing strong with a proud and lifted head - perhaps she had been wrong to start this little game. The cool reflected on her face threatened to fail her, feeling a worry tingling in her injured paw as he returned her own stare without fear. Moments seemed like minutes as he matched her unflinching gaze and she tried to see if his orange eyes were actually gateways to the depths of hell. Finally his jaws parted, and instead of the snarl of death he graced her with one measly cough.

Then to her surprise he agreed to her challenge, and then to her delight he decided he would pick how to prove his worth. It would appear his medium of choice was... interpretive dance. Using his head as the metronome to some wacky beat he began a strange sway that bobbed up and down as he went from paw to paw, all the while with the toothiest grin she'd ever seen plastered across another's face. Before she'd found his build frightening, and the dark features of his coat striking. Now, well, <i>not so much</i>. Ava wasn't entirely sure how long she had to let him go on for. On one hand it was a real side-splitter and her cheeks ached with the very effort to keep from smiling at the display. On the other hand though, it had to be just cruel to allow him to continue to do that...

As her jaws parted she realized she couldn't trust herself not to start guffawing so instead Ava swallowed a huge gulp of air and tried her best to look critical, as though she were truly judging his magnificant jumpy dance thing and not thisclose to falling off her rock laughing. After a moment she cleared her throat and lifted her chin, giving him the indication that he would discontinue... uh... <i>that</i>. The dark female tried to look menacing, but there was a wild grin threatening to break through the cracks in her mask which tugged on the edges of her lips and gave her an almost creepy look which she would've been less than proud to see. It wasn't particularly flattering but would perhaps serve to save her act.

"<b>Do you feel you have adequately shown your strengths?</b>" She boomed, having prevented coming down with a case of the giggles. "<b>Are you prepared... for <i>judgement</i>?</b>" Ava was offering him redemption for the silly dance, though she wasn't entirely sure anymore if she was just playing.

(This post was last modified: May 24, 2012, 11:01 PM by Ava.)

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