The Wildwood Scream Without Raising Your Voice

<blockquote><span style='font-family: Times'><span style='color: #42432d'><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'><i>M i <span style='color: #948853'>t</span> s u</i></span>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>He</font> woke from sleepy eyes, and pushed quietly out from the comfortable holds of his den. Liquid copper optics scanned the area distant to where he was. Birds flocked in antipodal Vs above, signaling that dawn was approaching. Mitsu cocked a curious but guarded glance ahead before sighing and trotting off. The forest was silent and indigo from the raining colors of an orange sun and a violet moon. The black and white wolf lingered along in the shadows of dense trees, every now and then the canopy would be scarce and golden light would tickle his coat. He was searching nothing short of a hare or squirrel to satisfy his gurgling hunger. Mitsu's eyes lashed back and forth along the path of trees, but hunting at a time like this was vague, and he should have eaten the night before.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Dark</font> paws continued to trot deeper into the Wildwood. The sun's glare became hot against his heated skin, forcing his tongue to droop and his throat to pant. He sat at the edge of the dividing stream and plunged his muzzle into the liquid's chill. The spring filled his stomach, and seized his panting. Mitsu sat back and allowed himself to enjoy the liberty in exhaling.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>As</font> the time past, slowly but surely, the forest began to stir; and before long Mitsu was on his feet again, chasing a dusky colored hare into the underbrush. When he felt his distance close, the wolf uncoiled his muscles to take a high leap over foliage and on the back of his prey. He quickly bit into the hare's scruff, ending its life immediately. He crunched bone for muscle, and before long the honey colored eyes of Mitsu were soft and satisfied. He shoved the carcass into the brush, and began licking himself to rid the undesired bloodstains.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'><span style='color: #948853'>"Salutations."</span></font> He spoke into the gale gingerly, hoping it would carry his call out into the realm of the rest of the world.

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(This post was last modified: Mar 11, 2012, 02:44 PM by Mitsu.)

healing hands of love, like the stars shiny shiny from above.
a hand in the pocket fingering the steel.
the pistol weighed heavy.
his heart he could feel was beating

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Curse his straying mind! He'd loped across half of Relic Lore just on a whim, and now he was more or less paying for it by loping straight back for home, which took him through the Wildwood. Dawn had come, splendid in its fiery colors that slowly churned from deep to indigo to pastel peach and, in the end, blue. Golden sunlight filtered down through the trees, dust motes dancing in the cool morning air. Tail swaying with the motion of his hips, Ice trotted through the forest, a sense of urgency lodged inside his belly. He wasn't certain about what, though, and shoved it aside - thoughts perished, but the gnawing remained, and as always with such things, it frustrated him, nearly angered him. It lurked just beneath his skin, snaking around his movements, rolling out with each heated, hushed pant; harsh, slammed from his throat with violence. He didn't know what it was with him as of late, but he was always so angry; so frustrated, so brooding, so.. different. It scared him, but being scared of it meant analyzing the problem, which meant thoughts, which meant frustration, and so it was all tied together in a vicious circle. Where was the innocence? The joy? Gone, all gone, blown away in the night wind. How queer that once more he stumbled across a wolf with bloodstained teeth, lips and muzzle scarlet from the meal. His mind flashed him an image of Teldias, white and narrow and now a part of their family, but this wolf was different - thicker, sturdier, darker. Darker than Ice, but perhaps of the same robust build. Copper eyes sat in a dark-and-white face, a strange contrast to Ice's pale winter eyes. He hadn't caught the strangers call, merely strolled in here by chance, but his motions ceased and he stood a couple of yards away, as if unable to make up his mind whether to just keep going or stop for a chat. He'd begun to ponder this thing with socialization and random encounters more - how strange it was to simply initiate conversation with strangers, when there was nothing to comment on. Just waltzing up to someone and saying hi, how you doing? was awkward, and still, it seemed to be the only way to go about things these days, unless you ran into people or rolled on the ground when they found you. Still, Ice did not speak, nor shift, nor sigh; he stood as if a statue, a monument that simply had happened to walk in on the scene on its own. A guardian, come to take up its rightful place again. Only the faint heaving of his sides betrayed life as cool eyes rested on the stranger in front of him, iron settling in his heart and along his body; tense, ready, uncertain. Wary. Cold silence spilled from his mouth, no words carrying on his icy breath - he simply, waited. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><span style='font-family: Times'><span style='color: #42432d'><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'><i>M i <span style='color: #948853'>t</span> s u</i></span>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Mitsu's</font> tongue lapped the straying remains of hare from his lips and teeth, keeping keen focus ahead on the jaded wolf trails. The beaten down bracken and gorse made quickly winding tunnels throughout the forest. Where they would spit him out, Mitsu hadn't a clue. These peculiar trails were wound like thick wire, and so many of them crossed, the large wolf would have great trouble getting back to his den. He shouldn't have waded this far into the steep brush. His copper eyes rolled and his two-toned tail twitched. His nose, by instinct, stole a large inhale of sweet spring, expecting the air clotted with stale musk from old relatives - he smelt a large male instead.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>He</font> became erect, hesitantly pricking his left ear tip back and the rest of himself followed, beginning to bristle a warning and pull back the clean lips to reveal clean teeth. He tipped his head questioningly, and aimed a slight bend to his forelegs in case a spring was necessary. Mitsu knew loneliness was a malignant dare, if he was on unwelcome territory he wouldn't leave a threat. The copper-eyed wolf studied his opponent carefully, dissecting every chip of the brute's distinguished eyes. It was a wary decision, but he laid his hackles, and stiffened his neck. <i>'How long was he sitting there?'</i> Part of Mitsu told him the creature was diseased and that he should leave unharmed, but another half was intrigued by the peculiar behavior of the gray.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Mitsu</font> knew no other response. <span style='color: #948853'>"Can I help you?"</span> His voice was light in the air, and it wavered uncertain. Maybe he was just friendly? The copper-eyed still looked for answers, but only found awkwardness in his pale eyes. He still gawked at the preposterous.

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healing hands of love, like the stars shiny shiny from above.
a hand in the pocket fingering the steel.
the pistol weighed heavy.
his heart he could feel was beating

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Suddenly the other gray twisted, jumped to his feet, turning to face the wary, silent guard; Ice's face twitched at the signs of budding violence, tension running up his legs as he lowered his chest ever so slightly. Fire ran along the line of his gaze as he refused to waver, the slight hostility having hardened his uncertain wariness into.. borderline violent wariness. Gods, would Indru even recognize me..? So much frustration had barged into his life, so much confusion and despite the certainty of a pack, he felt out of place. A wolf that once had been so placid and gentle, so easygoing and relaxed, he was now a creature that jumped at every sound and stared angrily at shadows. It seemed that where previously he'd just been able to shake things off with a roll of his powerful shoulders, frustration now had him chewing sticks and nearly erupting. How come violence suddenly lay so close to the surface, where the patience had stretched endlessly before? He blamed it all on the season - spring. He blamed it all on the maleness of his body, on the testosterone, he blamed it on every instinct and inborn desire, blamed it all on anything but his own conscious mind. To blame it on that, would be to accept it, and Ice refused to accept it. Like a stubborn drowning dog clinging to a log in a rushing river, he clung to the hope that once summer came he'd be back to normal, but that was an awfully long time to spend in this state... He let his close scrutiny of the other male remit just a tad when the other flattened his hackles. Ice hadn't even raised his, merely maintained his stony pose. Blowing out a pent-up breath he met the curious copper eyes squarely, without open hostility. He felt as if he was burning up, like a pile of dry kindling just waiting for any spark, no matter how small, to set him afire and make him go up in flames. The intensity of the disturbance within him unsettled him more than he cared to admit. "Can I help you?" Ice's pale head tilted a fraction to the side as he pondered the question, giving it more thoughts than was necessary. It seemed that their little stand-off had unnerved the other male too, but the lack of violence so far he put down to the other, and not himself, like he normally would've done. Gods, all Mitsu would've had to do was look sideways at him and he would've snapped like an old dry twig... He wanted to bury his head under his paws and never look up again. "No," he said after a while, but it wasn't a harsh rejection of the offered help; he'd simply come to the conclusion that this stranger couldn't offer him anything. Not what he needed, at least, which he wasn't entirely certain what it was. "Can I help you?" he queried innocently of the loner. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><span style='font-family: Times'><span style='color: #42432d'><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'><i>M i <span style='color: #948853'>t</span> s u</i></span>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>The</font> other wolf hadn't moved. It was as if he had been shot, frozen, and wavering there, still on four paws until his voice finally broke through bringing action back into the world. Mitsu remit his defensive crouch, calming his mind, and breathing in to relieve the pounding in his brain. He knew it wouldn't take but a simple twitch as if an accident to set him off. He looked like a skilled fighter, knowing by his stoic eyes and sturdy legs. This wolf could easily tangle Mitsu around his neck and with one jerk he would be dead. Pushing the thought away, he sighed, and moved his glance away from Ice's oblique frame.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Maybe</font> this wolf had miniscule trouble introducing himself. Mitsu had remembered times where all he saw was a hot color radiating red and blankness only came to mind. He stepped back a step, keeping an easy line drawn from copper eye to silver. Finally, he became aware of the question as it seemed enough time had passed. <span style='color: #948853'>"No,"</span> he confirmed his question, slightly smiling. <span style='color: #948853'>"I guess that leaves both of us helpless."</span> He broke the eye contact immediately, and rose to his feet, and sniffed the ground before plunging back into thought again. <i>If he didn’t need anything than why was he here?</i> Part of him told him it was just lone wolf territory, but another half told him he was intruding.

<span style='color: #948853'><font style='margin-left:20px;'>”Don’t</font> mind me asking, but where did you come from?”</span> Mitsu still pondered in mid-thought. <span style='color: #948853'>”Do you live here?”</span>

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healing hands of love, like the stars shiny shiny from above.
a hand in the pocket fingering the steel.
the pistol weighed heavy.
his heart he could feel was beating

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It was, by far, one of the strangest encounters Ice had ever had. Even jumping into Indru didn't quite qualify. This was... disturbing, and interesting. It was a maelstrom of incoherent thoughts spinning through his mind, uncertainty and unease mingling with a natural instinct of standing your ground; the result was this, a scene where he stood frozen, and the other... he seemed just as confounded by it all, but taking it better. He had some semblance of a brain at least, and for a moment, Ice was thoroughly jealous. Then, he snorted, even more of his diamond armor shattering and falling off in jagged pieces. It felt like whatever sensation had trapped him had left him free to move again, and as he relaxed his tensed muscles even more, the blood streamed freely through his thick legs. It almost hurt. "Ironic," he said, just breathing the word out into the space between them. And as he began to relax, the other wolf began to move about, hoisting himself to all four and sniffing about. Amused by the change in demeanor, Ice settled down on his haunches. He was still ready to spring up, but for now, he was content to simply observe. ".. but where did you come from?" "My mother's womb," was the first thing he said, then he frowned. "Somewhere across the mountains." His head tilted to the side, pale eyes narrowed. "Or did you mean just now? The southwest corner of Relic Lore. Or, did you mean just just now? The bushes." He cocked his head to the other side, his tone far from mocking although the words themselves could be perceived that way. It was just Ice's inability to keep his mouth shut that was talking. The second question, however, favored Mitsu with a flash of teeth in a quick smile. "No. I don't think any pack lives here." Was he worried he was trespassing? He'd know if he was; the entire Grove stank of the Swift River mix, and the border around their den was... well, it was a bit like walking into an aromatic wall of sorts. "I live with the Swift River wolves in the Sacred Grove, further east." This stranger smelled of loner and loner only, no other scent but his own - and a dead rabbit's - tangled up in his fur. Even from a couple of yards away, Ice could tell there was nothing else on him. "I'm Ice, by the way." .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><span style='font-family: Times'><span style='color: #42432d'><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'><i>M i <span style='color: #948853'>t</span> s u</i></span>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Mitsu</font> often was awkward when he met strangers. It was unknown as to whether or not he had ever been successful at meeting a friend right off the bat. He wasn't cowardly, but somewhere deep inside he knew his heart was reserved. He was puzzled because the world wasn't all fair to him. Mitsu liked fairness an awful lot.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>As</font> Ice felt uneasy atop study legs, so did Mitsu. He used nothing but raw instinct to pick up the resonating waves of distrust. He could hear it in the way he spoke, he could feel it in the ways he was perfectly still, and he could even sense it by the brainwaves churning about in his head. Scholarly Mitsu absorbed these things while he acted as if the thicket occupied his attention. The marbled male never meant to be abrupt - all he could do was ingeminate logic. It would be reasonable to say that he was well acclimated to the feeling of discomfort.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>There</font> was one feeling that remained dominate over all of the usual ones - Mitsu was never nervous, and he caught his own whiskers trembling slightly, unnoticed at their ends. The thought of trespassing, and the thoughts of Ice's marble teeth, nonchalantly made their way into the gray wolf's stomach. It felt like the rabbit came to life again and thrashed in his belly. He snapped away from his coy actions when he heard the other male's voice. He sat up straight with a helter-skelter warrior posture, flicking his copper gaze to meet eyes like snow. It was apparent that Ice hadn't taken small talk very seriously, judging by the frigid sarcasm flying from his teeth. Smoky ears perked, and his tail twitched. <span style='color: #948853'>"Okay,"</span> his voice was slow and hinted disappointment.

<span style='color: #948853'><font style='margin-left:20px;'>"I've</font> just recently come here from the northern lands."</span> He stepped closer, bearing all bravery in his full lungs. <span style='color: #948853'>"I just didn't know if there were any settlers other than loners."</span> He couldn't smell any fresh scents other than the pack vibe sweltering in the air. He didn't want to talk about packs - they made him feel guilty.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>He</font> wiped his head to the right side, glancing off into the brush behind the tall male. He thought of pack life. But he also thought of life alone. It was, well, lonely. But sometimes loneliness was alright. And then the taller wolf spoke again, sensing time for a better subject change. <i>Ice</i>, was seemingly alright. <span style='color: #948853'>"Yes, I'm Mitsu."</span>


[I am so sorry for this. I know it probably doesn't make any sense, but like I said before I haven't written fiction in what feels like six months - so I can call this rusty, right?]</span></span></blockquote>

healing hands of love, like the stars shiny shiny from above.
a hand in the pocket fingering the steel.
the pistol weighed heavy.
his heart he could feel was beating

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. It seemed that their meeting was destined to take a strange, and rather stupid, path. They sat there, slouched yet wary, and for all Ice knew, they could've been speaking different languages. His stream of word had been a bit incoherent and not exactly what one might expect, but they had not been said with any mean intention - the other wolf's reaction was puzzling, to say the least. Bewildered, Ice gave him a long, searching stare, but it gave nothing away. The mottled gray male just turned the conversation slightly, looking guarded but back on his feet now, approaching - threatening? The pale head slid sideways and his gaze narrowed dangerously as he observed the advance, not quite certain what to make of it. "Not here, no," he responded in a voice that was distinctively chillier than before - a clear sign that if Ice hadn't been on edge then, he truly was now, and the diamond mask with all its rough surfaces was crawling out through his skin again. In a swift and fluent motion, Ice came to his feet, braced for anything but trying to not show it too much. The muscles on one side of his face gave a twitch but he tried to school them into patience and stillness, but his eyes never left the other male. What did he want? Why was he trying to edge into Ice's space? Why had he reacted so strangely at the steady stream of words Ice had kept up? It made him wary to speak more, lest he randomly offend the other male. He was confident he could handle himself in a fight, but would much rather avoid it. Mitsu. From the northern lands. Where were the northern lands? North, he guessed, but you never knew. Stoically he kept his distance, back stiffening slightly. He wouldn't budge, but it felt too tense and weird to slink close and greet him either. "Are you just passing through?" he asked after a moment's silence, forcing the words out through stiff jaws. He hadn't been genuinely interested in asking the question, but either they find friend words and the ability to relax.. or he ran Mitsu out. Ice's pride as a pack wolf and his rank of third couldn't let him back down, so if it came down to it, he'd have to stare the rather strange loner down. No way that he would turn tail and run first... But oh, such thoughts are counterproductive to easing tension. Every nerve in his body was alert, hot snakes of fire twisting just beneath the skin. All it would take was a twitch... Ice disliked being so fired up, but at the moment there was little he could do about it. It just.. was. .ice aesir

( I'm a bit rusty too, so no worries. xD )

let the stars above shine in your soul

<blockquote><span style='font-family: Times'><span style='color: #42432d'><span style='font-size:30pt;line-height:100%'><i>M i <span style='color: #948853'>t</span> s u</i></span>

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>Mitsu</font> was sorry for all he ever did to Ice. His copper gaze still held the larger wolf stiffly, drinking in his visible anguish. If he was annoying, he didn't know it. He was simply himself. His awkwardly free self. Mitsu was far beyond simply intrigued, he was <i>engrossed</i> in Ice. He was such a strange character, staring him down as if he were a plump badger thigh. The gray wolf was a little terrified by this and found that switching the subject matter only made conversation worse. This time, when Ice spoke, it was gruff and hinted uncoiling rage. If Ice was reacting to the marbled wolf's movements, than he must not have been able to read welcoming gestures. Mitsu was a nice wolf with no intentions to prick a quarrel with anyone unless there wasn't one other thing to do to defend himself. Naturally, Mitsu shrugged and stared at the ground, displaying plenty of nerves. He knew showing weakness was indeed the worst thing to do in a situation like this, but as odd as nomadic Mitsu was, it was not unexpected.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>The</font> fantast kept his face turned to the ground, like a scolded pup. He despised Ice's reaction. He hated heated conversations, especially ones he didn't deserve. But as soon as he spoke again, the gray wolf thought up a quick soft response. <span style='color: #948853'>"Okay, then it seems I slept in a truly safe place last night."</span> He didn't want Ice's pity, honestly, he wanted him to leave. The unusual uneasiness crept further into Mitsu's brain and he didn't like it one bit. He could usually sense when danger was coming, and it seemed he was close, judging by the stare he saw from the corner of his dirt-locked eye. Then, Ice changed the subject's direction.

<font style='margin-left:20px;'>With</font> that, Mitsu easily sat up and looked at Ice. <span style='color: #948853'>"Well, I prefer to travel. See the world, you know?"</span> Mitsu's light copper eyes were tinted with interest now that the subject was shifted. <span style='color: #948853'>"I'm just here because well, my paws carried me here. I guess I'm looking for somewhere to <i>permanently</i> stay. It's been a while since I've been in a pack."</span> </span></span></blockquote>

healing hands of love, like the stars shiny shiny from above.
a hand in the pocket fingering the steel.
the pistol weighed heavy.
his heart he could feel was beating

( They're not really working out, are they? xDD )

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the   ICE breaks. Ice had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer, especially not when it came to social interaction, but with each passing beat of his heart this meeting just confused him more and more. Something between the pair just wasn't working out, but he couldn't put his paw on it. He'd said something to offend the other, who had adopted a strange attitude, and Ice had cooled off, and now he was acting like a kid about to mewl his face off? The River male couldn't quite keep up with the mood swings, and settled for regarding him in a wary silence. Truly safe? He nearly laughed - such a thing didn't exist. In a moment of pessimism Ice decided that nowhere is truly safe, but the stranger could have his delusions if they pleased him... Which they seemed to do, really. Silver eyes narrowed a fraction and he debated telling the stranger to sod off when it all changed again. By now, the white wolf's mind was reeling and, exasperated with yet another change in mood, he groaned and flopped down on his belly in a remarkable and pitiful attempt to convey his growing frustration. He'd gone from scolded child to interested scholar-like in a heartbeat! Sitting up straighter, interested eyes and ears! Dramatically, Ice craned his neck to peer at the wolf while flailing awkwardly with one paw in the air. "Truly, Mitsu, what is wrong with you?" he asked, more exasperated than anything else; despite the words themselves, his voice carried no anger nor any chill. Just plain old confusion mixed up with a fair leaven of frustration. "Your mood changes like the wind, you seem incapable of holding on to a sentiment about how to act for longer than a few seconds, and-" He worked his jaws soundlessly for a moment, searching for words. "I just can't keep up! It's like trying to hold a conversation with the wind! I'll get a headache!" And thus ended his dramatic tirade, but, lo and behold the miracle that happened in the Wildwood, a note of amusement and crept into his voice and splayed posture. Once he'd worked his way past his irritation at Mitsu's failure to keep to social patterns - thus rendering him a complete mystery to Ice - he actually found it rather funny. You could hardly say that Ice himself acted normally most of the time, and his thoughtlessness had gotten him into one sort of trouble or another more times than he could count, so to meet someone as... unusual... as himself was, unexpected. And confusing. Very confusing. Still bewildered, but with more warmth in them, his eyes stared up at Mitsu, a sign that despite the fact that he was nearly facedown on the ground he wasn't submitting. Just.. enforcing his notion of Mitsu being confusing to the point of mental breakdown. Yeah. That's right. The moment Ice realized that he was, in fact, lying on the ground, he seemed to frown ever so slightly before, and with a very cat-like "of course that never happened" attitude gathered himself into a slightly-less-than-regal sit. And now, the world was supposed to instantly forget that he'd been sprawled on his belly in front of a stranger. Immediately forget it. Or else... .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul