Ghastly Woods lovely, dark and deep

( <i>RE: Full Moon</i> Set after <a href='http://relic-lore.net/index.php?showtopic=2376' target='_blank'>this</a> but before <a href='http://relic-lore.net/index.php?showtopic=2462' target='_blank'>this</a>. ps, enjoy my cheesy robert frost allusions!!)

Summer was fast coming upon the wolves of Relic Lore and the nights were growing increasingly warmer while the daylight hour grew longer. There was a distinct lack of snow, but none the less the evening was chilly - at least, chillier than it had been in the recent days. Ava wished desperately to blame her insomnia on the nippy air but like every time the sun fell as the couldn't sleep the culprint was her racing mind. The she-wolf fought it as long as she could, trying to will her restless legs to remain put with the rest of her body within her stone den. Naira's children had been born, and she'd just barely been informed of their names - their future lay within the leader's den at the Lost Lake, not out and about in the Lore. Yet the unclaimed territories held a force of magnestism capable of rivaling that of her pack love... and tonight, it overcame.

Forever would she turn to ferwneh to solve her problems, but it suited the coal-pelted female to do so. Ultimately she had been born to run - she was not so used to all the muscle her frame had gained from hours and hours of climbing mountains and leaping and pouncing and balancing. These realizations came to her as she climbed up the passes that guarded their home from those wolves who hated them, taking her toward the Mountain of Dire and away from the glassy Lake that was her usual haunt. Her pawpads had grown tough from pounding on the cold stone, and subsequently her step had lost its bounce - Ava found that she no longer knew who she was. Broken by the confusion that had entangled her like vines, she dipped down the slope of the mountain and sprinted away from the rises and closer to the sort earth to reclaim whatever it was she'd lost.

Ava was not a child, not a daughter or a sister. Feather Valley was long in the past, and so was her history as a nameless loner starving in the wilderness. She was supposed to a Poison Path loyalist, sworn to serve and protect their home in Lost Lake. Not to be <i>friends</i> with wolves that hated them and enlist their help when you found some random guy mauled on the mountain - who could be <i>anyone</i>, maybe even once a friend of Swift River as well. Had Ava known the Sticky they housed was actually the Kinis Tainn that Ice had spoken of she would've likely thrown herself off a cliff and been done with it, but as it was she hadn't and her life would therefore be spared. Yet it was of no consolation to her tonight that she was alive and technically well. She was in no state of mind to be grateful that things hadn't ended up worse than they were. How had she ended up with so many promises to keep?

The connifers that grew sparsely on the mountain's side began to thicken, and then twist, and suddenly Ava found herself surrounded by darkness not only mentally, but physically now. Standing alone in a wood of spooky shadows the Poisoned female felt nothing of peace and everything of turmoil. It was silent but for the sweep of the wind, tugging at her fur as though it brought with it the fingers of the dead. Here she paused, but only for a moment, until the sea of black that had swallowed her spit her back out and Ava began to run again. Now she was hindered by undergrowth she could not see, branches and brush and all flora alike ranging between tickling her tail and snapping at her shoulders as she fought to escape an intangible something. And she would've continued to run until the morning light broke (if it even could in a ghastly place like this) had it not been for the sparkle of light that chanced her as she broke through a web of angry shrubs.

There was a break in the gnarled branches that hung overhead, allowing just a peek of the black sky beyond. Yet tonight the hole in the canopy shone a little differently, and a ghastly silver stream of light streamed through the opening. Ava squinted through the moonbeam to spot the pale moon, complete and round, returning her stare. Was this some kind of joke, played upon her like nature? Had the Gods above that Vafri sang of heard how the stars haunted her and gathered every last one into one giant eye to look upon her and judge her? Or was it meant to do what it had done; to stop her, and provoke thought?

There she would remain, gentle and still for the first time in hours, blindly peering through the gap in the sprawling branches. The nervous energy that had brought her down from their home slowly began to dissapate, leaving the black female feeling drained. But there was no where to go, no solace to seek within these terrible walls - only miles to go before sleep.

art - threads

Beauty? The world knew nothing about beauty until their eyes feasted upon the she-wolf, who sat upon the solid ground, wind blowing in her face. The trees around her seemed to lean over in an attempt to grab her precious fur, but none managed. Her long lean forearms were totally straight, not stiff and threatening, just good posture. Each one was parallel to another in front a clean white chest, which seemed soft and fluffy as it danced in the breeze. She was content, but not comfortable. She couldn’t be comfortable, her own thoughts were worse than jabbing claws in the ribcage. Each one dug, curled around and left her breathless and in pain. Her thin fragile face was relaxed anyways, her jaw loose and muzzle turned upwards to the sky. So much going on in the inside, yet, her exterior was one of an innocent pup. No worries, no troubles, just childhood. Her magnificent eyes were closed, their tranquillity hidden from the nature around.

So, she opened them.

Had the world been noisy in the first place, the view of such a fierce animal’s eyes would have be reason enough to fall silent, but in the dead of the night, nothing stirred anyways. It was wasted, such a memorable moment cursed to a life of privacy and secrecy. It was just her who inhaled the forest like a drug, this was her secret addiction. Of course, she was lonely, but company had served her nothing but trouble. Why dream of a partner, when no good came from it? Ash would’ve been nice, someone to wrap into and talk with. She wanted to feel his heart race beneath her side, to her his soft breathing against her head. Yet, he was not there. She sat alone, curled up in nothingness, like a loner once again. Just like a child, she couldn’t choose what would happen to her future, she was powerless. The emptiness engulfed in the pit of her stomach grew, just like it had when her mother had died, just like it had when her brothers were torn to nothing by the cougar, just like it had when her father turned his back on her and walked into the arms of another. She had been swallowed up in self-pity and darkness, imagining the warmth of a body beside her, feeling a fake tongue caressing the top of her head lovingly.

She was at the lowest of the lows.

A whimper escaped from her clenched mouth, and disgusted with her own weakness the wolf ripped her head to the side and snarled. She wouldn’t cry. She would keep moving. That would keep her mind off things once again. Her heart hammered, pumping her blood even faster. That was only adding onto the stress, making her feel double the anxiety. She wanted to move, she had to move. Staying here in the darkness did nothing but evil, it tinted her mindset in a fucked and twisted way. Standing, she gave a quick couple stretches before deciding the direction that would be best. Without hesitating, or letting her thoughts take control, she started to trot with a steady pace, leaving her troubles behind her. Each step hurt, not because of the branches which curled up in her fur and pulled, but because she was running away from something impossible to escape. It only followed after, like a shadow it moved just as fast as she did. No amount of effort would ever leave it behind, life wasn’t that easy.

What led her towards Ava is a mystery. Neither she-wolves could have any knowledge of one another, it was pure luck. Treena was merely walking on a hunch, her eyes practically closed as she tore through the pain. It was the gap in the trees which really stopped her, golden eyes glimpsing up to spot the fully round moon before Ava. It only added more onto the pain, seeing the beauty of something so far away. It seemed to be laughing at her, taunting its happiness right between her eyes. Look at me, it sang. I am whole, while you are torn in two.

She couldn’t stand the sight of it, and so her face turned and looked at the black female before her. There was no questioning what brought her here. The pair of she-wolves were at that spot together now, whatever the reason. It didn’t matter, none of it. Treena only hoped that her packmate shared the same torture she was enduring that second. She wanted to know she wasn’t alone, that no matter the mask everyone wore they all shared the same agony of life.

And so, her muzzle lifted to the air in an ‘o’ and she howled. She howled her anger at the sky, her hatred for all beautiful things breaking through her vicious melody. Most of all, she sang at the moon, which was thriving and full. It wasn't empty like Treena. It was really alive.

PS: I may just love this thread even though it's ours >.<

(This post was last modified: May 31, 2012, 02:10 AM by Treena.)

There Ava stood, a husk of a wolf - hollow, <i>empty</i>. The moonlight seemed to bathe everything that stood within the pale glow, except for her, as though she were unworthy of being touched by the translucent silver. What was she, but a shadow within the beauty that night had blessed this ugly wood with? Perhaps she was nothing more than a shadow in herself, slipping through Relic Lore and creating problems and leaving even more in her wake when she was finished trapezing around. Even within the delicate light Ava struggled to find the meaning in her existance; was any good going to come of her, really? What if Sticky died? What if Swift River came for their eminent revenge? What if someone came around, better than her, and took her place in Poison Path? Permanence was not guaranteed, and Ava wasn't sure she'd ever been less certain than now.

Someone's pawsteps thunked against the ground - soft in the daytime, but loud like a heartbeat in the dead silence of the black that consumed the ghastly woods. Had she been in any other state, perhaps she would've conjured up an appropriate response and stood to face whoever was coming. But Ava simply did not have the heart to worry about another wolf wandering around in the dead of night. It was god damn horrible to be in these creepy woods, so what approached her was either another lost soul or a murderous killer - and Ava thought for a bleak moment that she would gladly accept either's graces. The steps came to a halt somewhere close behind, and graciously the wind blew against Ava, taking the stranger's scent in the opposite direction of her nose. <i>Alright, universe. You win,</i> she decided, and slowly craned her elegant head to seek whoever had found her - friend, or foe?

"<b>Treena,</b>" came her gentle reaction, breathing the girl's name so softly that it would be possible the other wolf would not even hear her at all. Her pack mate's eyes shone in metal tones, the gold color reflecting the silver of the moon as she too stared at the giant eye. Then she turned her gaze upon Ava and it struck her, how something looked so familiar within the she-wolf's face. Her eyes were shining with bright amber tones, and yet for such a vivid gaze there was something broken hiding within. Thought stopped within her mind and she wondered, almost fearfully, why that painful look was so familiar to look upon... and then she realized it was <i>herself</i> she saw within the ruins of her expression. The black-coated female could make nothing of why they both wore scratched masks or what could cause two girls such heavy hearts. Defeated just as before, no more and no less, she would hang her head away from her newfound company.

Just as she looked away, amber eyes downcast upon the shattered light that lit up the hallowed ground, did Treena lift her head and part her jaws, shaking the darkness and giving life to the dead woods. Or, perhaps, it was something like life, for her howl was full of anger and hate, and yet it couldn't have been more agonizing to hear. Ava closed her eyes, taking the brunt of the sound, wondering if she had misjudged what was in her pack mate's eyes. It felt strange, to be around so much ferocity when her entire spirit was dampened beyond ignition. But as the black female listened closer, she could <i>hear</i> the notes breaking beyond the rage.

Treena's song cried not only of her chagrin, but of loneliness, and longing, and it awoke a flame Ava kept in her heart so fiercely that when the she-wolf turned her eyes upon the moon's glow she saw <i>his eyes</i> instead. For years now had she no one in her life to confide in, nobody to slink to when the ghosts of nightfall came out to haunt her, no comfort to be found within another's warmth. Love had evaded her, until something had mercy on her and allowed her to find the dark-coated man on the stone-pebbled beach that lined the Lake she now called home. Hearing Treena's emotional song prompted an immediate recollection of the strength of his chest, and yet how gently he touched her, and how the silver-touched fur of his coat had the sweet smell of Cedar sap embedded within it. It'd not been so long since she'd seen him last... <i>had it</i>? Why was life moving so quickly?

All at once she hated herself, but she didn't even know what for. Part of her wanted to chase the forest to its end until the trees turned to Cedars, admit defeat and leave Swift River drama behind her. There she could live in the comfort of his embrace, and never go a day without affection again. All that would matter to her was Kade, from then on and for forever. Oh, it'd be so much easier to be that kind of female. But even worse, she realized as she felt the loneliness without him, than facing her problems was running away from them. And what Treena desired from the situation at hand she suddenly appreciated as well; they were not alone, even though the depression that snuck up on them in the night tried to make them feel that way.

Finally Ava threw her dark head to the night sky, facing the moon that had basked her so cruelly in its light, and parted her jaws to join Treena in a song of emotional freedom. From within the depths of her very being she would tear the pain and force it out, her cries reverberating with misery and anger and disdain, purging her negativity to the celestial beings above. The tones of her call, some muddled and others clearer than daylight, would intertwine with those that Treena sung into the night, forming a duet of blatant desperation to be relieved of their distress. Did she care at all about those who were trying to sleep? Most certainly not. Selfish as it was, Ava wanted peace for herself, and certain was she that Treena craved it as well. And so the song would bleed from her, loudly projected through the snaking canopy and onto the full moon.

( Love that thread, girl! No shame! )

art - threads

It was a twisted sort of beautiful, like a lion killing his next meal in cold blood. It was dark, and sickening, yet the grace and power was admirable, it stuck in your memory and wouldn’t leave. You felt sympathy for the pity creature, yet urged the lion to run faster and catch up. Why? The death of another touches you, makes your stomach clench, but still you cheer for the lion. It is because only one can survive, and you know what one will:

The strongest.

It is the law of nature, the boldest unspeakable rule. Why cheer for the prey’s life, when it will feed another, and keep them alive? If they are stronger, faster, tougher, they deserve to live. If you can’t preserve your own life, you will die. It’s a cruel lesson best taught young.

The trees crooked and bent like an elder’s fingers, so deformed and awkward, quite ugly really. They curved in the air like a canopy of anguish, reaching for the females below. Each branch circled downwards, weaving through one another like a basket. It was pure luck to find a gap wide enough to see the whole moon. Treena wasn’t sure if there was another one large enough for miles. The darkness was a type of mist, swirling around them like a butterfly, wings flapping handfuls of glittering dust. The enchanted gloom in which the two figures stood was quite magnificent. It was a perfect setting for the event taking place, such a powerful force-field blocking all other life-forms. The timber wolf held her muzzle beside Ava’s, each piercing note ringing loudly in her ears. Screw the fauna now resting, they’d awake fearfully and arouse each other warningly at the threat. They’d all stare in the direction of ghastly woods, eyes wide and shuffling nervously. It is true that they’d never have hard the howling of such emotion so late at night. The melody created by two females would drift far in the eerie silence, and would be joined quickly by others. Something would ignite desperation inside the sickened creatures, and they too would join in the commotion despite their fear.

Treena could hear the bellowing cries of birds, squawking loudly and off-key. It would rest with the opinion of that person to choose why. Treena liked to think it was because they too felt the agony, the pain, while a human would blame it on total anxiety. Being jolted awake by a deep rumbling howl would scare the crap out of anyone, but there seemed something different in their chirps, something more. The timber wolf’s voice was strangely high-pitched, not much like a howl at all. It sounded like a human girl holding a note higher on the scale, like a professional it vibrated, giving the audience goose-bumps in pleasure. That was why she matched with Ava so perfectly. Each note directed towards the sky she mimicked in her own style, eyes clenched shut and mouth shaking with the effort.

The two females looked irresistible, nothing less than goddesses fallen fresh from the sky. Maybe it was the lightening, once Treena glimpsed at her pack-mate she could see the sleekness of her fur and attraction of her face. Pure black, Ava fit in with the moonlight perfectly, nothing more than a secret and odd fantasy-like dream of any male. Standing beside her, shoulder-to-shoulder, Treena looked just as magical. It was her marbled pelt of colour, and beaming eyes that stood out against the constant black, every photographer’s wish brought to life. Muscles didn’t take away from her dainty bone structure, managing to look fierce and feminine with each new note breaking from her sparkling lips.

She couldn’t sing forever, her narrowed muzzle was slowing dropping down with each desperate inhale. She tried to keep going, though her mind seemed clear and healthy. There were no demons left inside to share, or none as strong as before. She was standing limply, everything drained. There was no madness dragging her forward, finally fatigue began to seep through her body like poisoned blood. Still, she felt no need to sleep. So overtired now, her body was far past the sleeping stage. Instead, her voice finally broke, and she left the birds continue the original song without hesitation.

The moon was beautiful. The stars twinkled around it, but not a single one as bright. It was the main focus, the eye-catching subject in which Treena was memorized. She debated not speaking a word at all, in fear of wrecking the moment which still hung in the air. But, her unblinking eyes and curved body did alter their position ever so slightly. From watching the stars, to facing her pack-mate with an empty face, still managing award-winning charm with blank eyes, her mouth slightly opened. <b>“It has been a long lifetime.”</b>

The words had strong meaning. She said it like an explanation, a tint of sarcasm gripping the end. It was not meant to bring a smile. It was too twisted for the innocent’s laughter. This was no time for jokes. It was dark and incongruous, almost wrong being said by such a woman. Her head tilted slightly as she purred each syllable, not dragging it out, but speaking slowly, using her breath for good use. Almost as if on cue the squawking birds went silent and the pair rested once again in pure heart-wrenching loneliness. Treena only looked at Ava for a moment, before turning her face once again towards the sky and drifting off into insanity. <b>“The moon must have lived a million years more than I, and seen things I’ve never dreamed of, but has it endured as much pain?”</b>

It was a rhetorical question, little more than loud mumbles under her breath. The part of the body which blocked off average thoughts from being said were gone, there was no hesitating, or thinking. She just let it out, speaking towards the tree tops with a tormented smile. <b>“The moon hides away when the stars aren’t near, to be alone in the sky is its biggest fear, and as we all know, when push comes to shove, even the moon, hungers for love.”</b>

<b>“My mother use to sing that song to me, every night before bed. Sometimes I repeat it to myself, but I can’t remember the rest. Now it’s nothing more than a poem, but one I understand. She sang a lot, like Vafri our pack told stories, but not through words. We expressed ourselves through lyric. I hadn’t sung in forever. It reminds me too much of the past,”</b> A smile broke through her tight lips, <b>“but now there is little difference between that past and the future. Isn’t there? It’s like a rerun, always the same damn outcome.”</b> She slowly moved her head back to Ava, nose wrinkling in disgust.

<b>“Like the rise and set of the moon. Bet it gets pretty damn tired two, huh?”</b>

The moonbeams shining upon them seemed to disperse around the two Poisoned girls, in essence singing a different kind of poison out of their bloodstreams. Perhaps it was Ava's imagination, but as she peeked one eye open to view the disturbed surroundings she could've sworn she saw silvery glows break off from the stream that highlighted the females and dance about them, in the same rhythm as their cries. The spectral figures swirled about the broken wolves, their ghostly hands grasping what ever they could and as they did, she began to feel as though their intangible silver flesh was molding to hers and, in some strange way, <i>fixing</i> what the world had broken. And so she closed her eyes, and lifted her dark chin even higher in the air, and belted the last notes out with all that remained of her worn-down soul. Ava caught sight of her song's breath glowing in the moonlight and imagined that was it, disengaging from her body and readily leaping forward as its job had been completed.

Beyond their calls she began to hear the entropy of nature; chaos sounded of the cackles of birds and the whisper of the winds, occasionally a rustle of some ungodly creature called forward by their despairing call. Yet the artists had sang a melody greater than their existance, and any longer that they kept it up would begin to deplete from the strength their relief had left behind. Like autumn leaves in a fall wind their howls would begin to fall apart, piece by piece like each orange leaf floating seperate of the other until they had suddenly disappeared. While their song did not leave the wood in silence - they'd actually awoken many birds and they had taken flight to cry out their own harmonies - it certainly did feel as though the vicious night was missing some integral quality to make it less creepy.

For a moment the two she-wolves would respect the sanctity of whatever it was that had just transpired. Ava, on her half of the silence, soaked in the strange sea that had become of the blackened forest. It reminded her of the tale Vafri told, but not of the hero Ulf or of his trials and tragedies. Rather the metaphor was what she considered, as though their cries had drained the dirty water from their lives and bathed them anew in something clean, something better. And somewhere in Treena's mind the marbled woman was channeling Vafri in some strange way as well, for in a delicate manner she would slowly edge her body to face Ava, and began to speak of the moon and its pain. Her voice was humorless, pitiless, but not hollow. The voice that slipped off her salmon-colored tongue had enough darkness to silence the chattering birds, but not enough to divert Ava's attention. Having just shed a skin of weakness, she could face whatever oddity Treena would display to her.

Gently the woman went on, murmuring prose like it were a riddle. <i>The moon hides away when the stars aren’t near, to be alone in the sky is its biggest fear, and as we all know, when push comes to shove, even the moon, hungers for love.</i> It was chillingly beautiful, and yet so much to contemplate. Ava found herself furrowing her brow and turning her elegant head upon the hole in the woven branches in which the subject of her song hung. The glow was far more gentle now. Where once before it'd blinded her with shame, rage and regret all alike, it seemed to bask her now with kindness. Quietly she flickered her gaze back upon Treena, and wondered if this had been some sort of a set up between the universe and herself once again. There'd been a time when she'd been tormented, and she had ran away from home to come across a nameless Swift River wolf who'd taught her peace through the stars. Now, this...

Ava felt a pang of sorrow for the female as she spoke of her family, of traditions and culture. How sad it was, truly, that life had to move on like that. Yet she felt nothing, not even a hollow reminder of sadness, for herself. She was long since past the occurances in her past, which was a freedom Treena had not yet gained, safe to say from the grim smile that had taken up her expression. Then she mentioned some small piece, a lament in passing - <i>it’s like a rerun, always the same damn outcome.</i>

"<b><span class='word'>Bosh</span>,</b>" Ava proclaimed, her voice quiet and yet strong. "<b>Life is cyclic, by nature. So rebel, if it bothers you.</b>" A pale smile had begun across her dark face, highlighted by the gentle moon. Last time the stars had given her advice, through Ice. Perhaps this time Ava could be the moon for this girl, who was just as lost and desolate as she was. Slowly she sauntered forward, but she would not make eye contact with the marble-pelted female. From her stature, and her speech, and waht little exposure she'd had to one of the recent rankings Ava could tell that she was no wolf of slow wit. The opinions of this she-wolf could never be forced, so there was no point in grabbing her by the ears and forcing her to accept something Ava believed in. She could make her own decision about whether or not it was true, and her black-coated packmate was nothing more than a catalyst or a stepping-stone. So she did not engage her directly, only left her gold-flashed eyes focused on the shadows that wove around them in the eerie night.

Ava flicked her tail in a casual manner that betrayed the grave tone of her further wisdom: "<b>No one in this world holds more power than you.</b>" Here was something all wolves liked to believe but <i>knew</i> wasn't true. There was someone bigger than you, stronger than you, more dominant than you, always. Some thought this inescapable; that it was smarter and would help you survive to just submit. And yet Ava was interested to see what Treena believed about the matter. She faced the abyss solemnly, though her ears were twisted toward the bright-eyed female close by.

art - threads

Treena hadn’t run to the woods to think, she had run to the woods in hopes of getting the demons unclenched from her very soul. It had not worked. The little buggers had wedged themselves so deep into her mind they couldn’t be touched. Not until that second, did her claws even graze one over. She hadn’t imagined such a conversation would impact her life the way it had, so deep in emotion Treena felt she was suffocating her own imagination in the harsh reality. She was forcing herself to realize life in a new way, which did not consist of hope or dreams. It consisted of being truly powerless, like a string-tied puppet she was dancing to amuse others. Hiding beneath the cover of the full moon, gazing at the powerful black she-wolf, she finally felt the control she always had, but never used.

The strings had never existed. She had created them in her own mind as an easy explanation for the world. She had been too little to take control over her mother and brothers and fight the cougar which had ended their life, but she had an option. She had been too young to want control, and so she told herself there was nothing she could do.

That was bullshit. She had let herself stand back and watch.

She had cried at night over the loss, but still clung to the memory in fear. She hadn’t been strong enough to let go like her father, who moved on instantly. She had washed herself in pity, and cursed at him for having the strength. That was why she hated him. She hated him for having that power over himself, while she was still learning to hunt and survive. She had wanted him to go into depression like her, to be weak and empty. He hadn’t let himself do that.

She had.

Then, despite her frustration with him, she hadn’t moved on from that either. She hadn’t left for years. She watched him swoon over a new mate, while the scar of loss was still fresh on her pelt. She had waited till his new ditsy mate got knocked up. Only then she Treena grow the balls and leave.

There was something she could do. There was always something she could do. It was so eerie and quiet, each breath felt like a boom of thunder, echoing through the world and coming back to haunt. She embraced her surroundings carefully, watching the leaves tremble against the fierce wind. It ruffled up her scruff, like the mane of a lion it stayed puffed out for a couple seconds before falling back into its normal place against her neck. Treena didn’t even notice her physical appearance against the silver spotlight, the beauty which radiated off like body heat.

She stepped forward, someone managing to avoid the fallen twigs and awful ‘snap’ which normally came of them. It had been pure luck, but a detail totally overlooked. She had stepped forward towards Ava, standing in front of her powerful glare, searching for more details, her back to the moon. <b>“If we are so strong, how come we cannot change fate?”</b>

The question was rhetorical. She didn’t expect Ava to have the real answer, to turn into a god and give her the meaning of life. That was too easy, though it would be nice. If Ava was a god, which explained her superior exterior, now would be a good time to use her power for good. <b>“We have control over ourselves, yes, that’s true. Yet, how hard is it to just alter someone else’s perspective, or the world? A wolf cannot do such a thing easily. We are not that strong, or maybe it’s a power so deep within it hasn’t been used. We all share that strength. None of us are more cut out for this world than others. It is just a matter of applying it, using it and giving into the flow of the world. Fighting the current gets you know where, only deeper in self-pity. You must accept there is nothing you can do to stop the future from coming. All you can do is edit the way you handle your life and move on. That’s the hardest part. It’s so much easier just to pretend there is nothing you can do than take that step.”</b> She left her voice trail off, speaking so deeply from the mind her words came out louder than she had imagined. She wasn’t yelling. She had been whispering this entire time, only now did her voice rise back to the hidden strength within and graze over every single one of those demons, releasing them, cleansing her mind with a single pant.

Her black and white spine looked almost grey beneath the moon, ears high, tail high, chest high. She was not dominating over Ava. She’d never do such a thing. She was merely accepting her own words, chin lifting as if drawn by an unseen force.<b> “I have lived in doubt, always following, never leading. What is a wolf without real confidence? Faking esteem only gets you so far. I have gone this far in life without understanding. Now, I must blaze a new path for my own.”</b> Her eyes tinted a new shade. A smile of relief was clear upon her delighted face, with each passing breath it grew in the night.

In the forthcoming silence Ava would allow Treena's thoughts to take predominance; her own would be quieted, and should one come creeping forward to the back of her mind she would cast it away swiftly. Well, maybe not <i>so</i> swiftly. In the dead of night, facing the black, it was easy for little worries to worm their way through the grooves of her brain and appear at the forefront of her focus. <i>Your beloved lives in another territory, with another leader, where you cannot be together,</i> the first worm told her. A vicious combination of sadness and frustration clashed together in the quiet surrounding her, setting her fur ablaze with the concoction of emotion. There was nothing she could do about it. Nothing, not yet. It was not the time: that was her mantra regarding all things Kade, and yet it was beginning to wear thin as a mechanism of relief. Lonely nights were the cruelest of afflictions. They both had their packs and duties to serve, and in the daylight when things busied her it was not so painful to think about. But when the sun descended and it was time for sleep, the monsters came out to taunt her and they won.

The worm was kind to her, or so she thought at first. Where the thoughts of Kade would disappear her deep-rooted feelings of failure would bring back thoughs of a different silver-eyed man. <i>Your friendship with the nameless paladin has been obliviated.</i> It hadn't mattered how many times he had told her, struggling to force the words through his clenched teeth, that she wasn't the one to blame. That the fault was on him. That he had done the deception; it hadn't been her. But that was all bullshit. Had Ava not been there, he wouldn't have needed to deceive anyone. The dark thought came to her that if Ice hadn't been there, perhaps she would've been killed, but it would've been better in the long run. Ava tried to quiet the nonsense - she was happy to have her life and preferred it that way, right? Ava loved her leaders, and she would never be angry with them for their betrayal against Swift River... she was angry about the betrayal as a seperate thing, detached and unassociated with Naira and Rhysis. Because of it, and the resulting animosity, she couldn't have her friend easily.

When had these hardships become so real to her?

How quickly did Treena turn around and block Ava's path, a gesture to which she gave no visible reaction as her thoughts disappated and she focused on the mottled girl. Strange, how she'd spoken of helplessness and yet here she was in one swift, contradictory movement to take charge. So it would seem that Treena had changed - no longer weak and without ambition as she had been in the past - and yet thoughts of her previous incapability were what drove her out here tonight. Such was what Ava speculated and she could have no knowledge if she was right or not, but the idea helped her to understand the words she spoke of. At first she challenged Ava's idea with strength: <i>If we are so strong, how come we cannot change fate?</i> It was something she herself wondered quite often and yet she would counter it quickly.

"<b>Do you believe in fate? Or is it just a world of choices, made by other wolves, coming together?</b>" It was perhaps the most logical thing she had ever and would ever say. Yet her tone held no hint as to which option was the right one, for Ava didn't even know herself. Did she believe in fate? Sometimes, when a coincidence was so out of turn that there was nothing else to pin it on. And when she failed, or things did not turn out how she wanted them to, she would blame that on <i>fate</i> as well. It was the fundamental attribution error at its finest, but of course she would fail to notice it. Perhaps when things went well for her she could call upon destiny for its blame once again, but recently life hadn't been so kind to the black-pelted female... and wouldn't let up on her any time soon.

Then she silenced herself and listened to Treena's thought process, following her from the question of denial to the point she would've mentioned had the she-wolf not been smart enough to find it herself. <i>You must accept there is nothing you can do to stop the future from coming.</i> Ava could not hide the delicate smile from her face at that instant; Treena had proven herself to be a brilliant wolf. Emotions, perhaps, were her weakness as were Ava's. It was a youthful impulse to let them take you over and perhaps the skill to control them was gained with age. Maybe it was just one of genes or the personality, as Athena exhibited, always poised and slow to reveal that which she felt. Ava couldn't help but wonder as she met the she-wolf's glowing gaze if honing the skill would bring the girl to power, some day. Then she wondered the same for herself.

Of course, their conversation was not about coming to that sort of power despite how Treena's words might suggest otherwise. Always following, never leading. "<b>Taking charge is as great of a responsibility as is owning up to your past incompetence,</b>" she mused, but her tone was careless. She was not trying to lecture her packmate; the right was not her's. Rather she was only thinking out loud.

Casually she let her bottom half fall to the ground, reclining on her haunches lazily. Then her gaze would flicker over the she-wolf, pondering over everything she had said and the range of emotions she'd cascaded through in the short while that the Ghastly Woods had taken them hostage. Finally Ava piped up: "<b>You're smart, Treena.</b>" An understatement. Smart. Loyal. Fierce. They were lucky to have her; any pack would be. Relic Lore wasn't lacking in homes for loners, so she couldn't help but wonder. "<b>What made you come to Poison Path, anyhow?</b>" It was a precaution, for Ava's insecurities were not demons a song could release. She had to be certain Treena would stick around; abandonment was nothing the black-furred girl wanted to face.

art - threads

The clouds looked blue, slightly moving in the wind. Had Treena blinked, she wouldn’t have noticed a difference. Staring at them now, head tossed over her shoulder, the movement was the only action in which she caught. It drew her closer, as if calling her name. They were all going the exact direction as the other, like attached to a large transparent rope, all being pulled with the same force. The wind blew that way, and they had no control but to follow. She could only see so much, the trees were a brutal pain. Another reason why the mountains were so special, the sky existed there, while here it was nothing but green and brown. The same setting was created by trees and ground, trees and plants, trees and repulsive wildlife. There was no adventure, maybe once a month you’d stumble upon a waterfall, or field of flowers. In the mountains things changed every day. One day a path was safe for use, the next a pile of rubble. There was always a risk, a challenge, and it was beautiful.

It was what Treena wanted for a home. She could explore the same place daily and learn something new every moment. It was open as well, nothing blocking your way. There was room to run freely, to test your own strength by climbing and going against nature. It was fun to break the laws of gravity for however long, pushing your own solid body upwards with each stride. Her back-legs had grown with the undeniable strength of a killer, body full of brawny muscle and threat. Turning her head once more towards Ava, it was clear in her eyes she possessed little violent instinct. Fear was the case for most aggression, paranoia running wild until all she could do was lash out. Still, it happened rarely, and she made sure she had a good chance of winning before doing so.

The air seemed to grow thick and heavy, barley making the trip down the she-wolf’s throat. Maybe it was something to do with the night, or her abhorrent cries within had caused the choking. Either way, it didn’t feel pleasant, and was not welcome. Still, when Ava spoke, Treena listened. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because she felt a surge of relief. Ava had a charm about her, like meeting a mythical creature. She was hard to figure out. Each action came as a surprise, each word a shock, but so highly anticipated. It was hard to believe she was a real wolf, not a new species recently formed by a mad scientist. Each note that left her mouth gave Treena chills, the cleverness of her question seeping into the wolf’s mind. She couldn’t find it in herself to speak.

So, she just listened and watched Ava intently. The words being said were like some dark secret. Beneath the dull light of the moon each thought was revealed and exposed for the truth. Yet, when the black wolf dropped to a sitting position, Treena realized how sore her own legs had become and followed quickly after, back still to the moon. Her own intelligence acknowledged, Treena felt the need to deny it. She wasn’t real smart. She was candid, and reckless. Still, her mind was quickly redirected with the question. Why had she come to Poison Path? Maybe it was because it was the first place to challenge her, and accept of her. Yet, neither of those seemed right in her mind. <b>“It felt like a real home.”</b>

<b>“I went to a pack here in Relic Lore before coming to Poison Path, Copper Rock Creek. Being such a fast-pace loner any male contact was really quite rare, and to come face to face with a brute of that size and stature? I snapped at him, jaws full of air, warning him off. I got out of there with my tail intact, but my luck was running out. I went to Swift River next, not to ask for a rank, but to eat my meal. A male approached, like a bear he was large and thudded across the ground towards me. He didn’t ask my purpose, why I was so close to the border, what I wanted. He dove at me with fangs bared, steel eyes empty. His golden fur covered in scars, I should have run away once I saw that, once I knew he had the experience too. I didn’t. I tried to fight him, a stupid mistake. Barley got my fangs in him once, while I was left bloody and bruised. What kind of monster attacks a loner of no threat?” Her innocent eyes were tinted with a scarred memory as she spoke, tail completely still and forest quiet. “I came to Lost Lake next, thirst driving me. Everything bad had already happened, so once I spotted Rhysis things were almost comical. I wasn’t easy to accept death itself. I was just so damn tired of it all, his approach meant little. Then, when I really noticed the scent, I was intrigued. Maybe it was madness to want to join, to climb a damn water-fall as starved and sickly as I was, but I did. I don’t know what drove me to here, but I’m not leaving anytime soon.”</b>

Laughter bubbled up in her throat, but it wasn’t real happiness. It was almost a dark joke, one only she could understand. <b>“What about you?”</b>

Still reclined a little lazily, Ava tilted her head in the she-wolf's direction as she began the tale she'd been asked for. <i>It felt like a real home.</i> Ava wondered on that for a moment, blazing eyes facing the navy sky that peeked through the crack in the dome of mangy branches. It made her feel vaguely proud to know that was the impression at least somebody got from the Poisoned wolves. The more days passed without Swift River incident, the less she felt their hatred burning upon her back, except for the off day when she would recall the way her and Ice's friendship had crumbled. Or, perhaps it hadn't. Who knew; she hadn't seen the River Guardian in quite some time. That anger that she'd felt resonating from the Sacred Grove made it difficult to feel welcome where she lived for quite some time, but it failed to bother her now. She was a loyal wolf to Rhysis and Naira who were both good leaders in their own right. Treena had seen something like that in them as well when she first arrived at the Lost Lake - an event for which Ava had been absent - and she was perhaps the first of any to truly desire something from the mountains besides easy food and protection. Where the other loners came from, she hadn't a clue, but none of them seemed to be pulling their weight like Treena.

Copper Rock Creek was still a pack unknown to Ava, despite their visit from the tawny leader Aeylen. It hadn't told her much, besides informing her there was bad blood between Rhysis and them as well. As she described her Swift River experiences, the female stood as still as the night for which she was colored, listening to her account. <i>Steel eyes empty...</i> Could've been Ice. <i>Golden fur covered in scars...</i> Not Ice. Her teeth bared at the thought of that male, the silent wolf. Truly he was the cruelest of all that touched the lands of Relic Lore. She almost wondered how their pack was to gain any more members with that beast guarding the border at every hour. He was quite the deterrent, apparently, as Treena had gone there even without the reek of Poison Path in her fur. Worry crept into her amber eyes then as she looked upon the girl. Now she had strength and courage, but back then she'd only had stupid bravery. God forbid if in an alternate universe she would've visited Poison Path only to be chased off and then approached Swift River... Marsh would've killed a skinny mountain-stinking wolf.

"<b>I'm surprised you even made it away from the Swift River guardian alive, after engaging him,</b>" Ava marvelled. She hadn't even gone near his teeth yet he still had her quaking in her boots. "<b>Even more so that you made the trek up the mountain to find us afterwards.</b>" If anything the story of her misfortunes also provided Ava with the means to understand her toughness. Rhysis had even made her climb a waterfall for to gain approval and she still hadn't died. It was unusually cruel, but she'd brought the reek of Swift River, so it had to be expected. Yet Treena's accomplishments were not to be undermined; she turned a proud eye on her packmate and grinned something crooked. "<b>I never would've made it between three packs when I first got here.</b>"

It was an excellent segway, of course, for her own story. Swinging her dark head back to the moon, she basked in its energy before sighing something gentle and considering what of her ridiculous adventures to admit to the female. "<b>The first place I ever set paw in was Hush Meadow. And it would've been the last place I ever walked upon had it not been for Rhysis.</b>" It sometimes surprised her, how she ended up being in Poison Path. After all, her strongest connections of all were forged between the Lady Gang, and yet the one who had even brought them together had been Rhysis. Sometimes she wondered what kind of an evil mastermind he was, for he wasn't as active around the packlands as they were. Yet he always knew what was happening, and always appeared with a new command or a new direction for the pack to take. And besides, <i>he</i> was the one who was so hated around here... "<b>He found me, and I was like you. Well, not beaten and bloodied, but certainly starved and weak like any travelling loner would be. He found me food and water in exchange to promise to serve under him when he created his new pack...</b>"

It occured to her then that perhaps Treena did not know the place Swift River had in their history. "<b>He was only a subordinate in Swift River at that time, so was Athena, and Naira was the Second lady in command.</b>" Briefly, she glanced at Treena. "<b>But it was only a short time before he impregnated Naira and stole away with them, and I came running too.</b>" The howls of that night came to the forefront of her mind, melting into one blasting sound that deafened her. Rhysis' call for them to assemble and run, Corinna's curse upon them, Ice's angered support. She even remembered Naira, running up at the front with Rhysis, looking back upon the Sacred Grove with lament and heartbreak in her eyes. Oh, it'd been quite the mess they made and they still had hell to pay for it. "<b>We have no reason to hate the River wolves, and they have every reason to hate us. On a loyalty standpoint the founding four, excluding me, really did betray Swift River. Rhysis and Naira wanted a family, and a pack, so they had no choice. Perhaps if they had gone about it a bit less trecherously Swift River would not have so much contempt for us.</b>" Her words were stated plainly; she had no judgement for her leader's actions. Ava only stated the facts, as they were. "<b>Then again, they probably would've never gotten permission to leave and begin their own family on good terms. Swift River still wouldn't like us, even if things had gone down 'proper', whatever that's to mean.</b>"

Ava shrugged and took a moment of pause to get back on the actual subject. "<b>I wasn't entirely certain of the choice I'd made for the first week or two. It was frightening to have something so fragile landed on only four wolves to make strong all the while bearing the heat of the nearby Sacred Grove. Rhysis was unavailable. Athena was guarded. Yet Naira was extremely welcoming, and somehow everything just started to work out.</b>" With a pause her eyes would search the air as her mind relived that only two wolves had come and gone from their pack - Fallen and Jedd. The rest of the time it was just them four, and while the closeness of those times was most missed by her... they really couldn't raise children with only four. "<b>Joiners of Poison Path, back then, were flaky. They didn't really stick. We gained two slowly, and then you and the other three appeared out of no where one day. But I was always there. I'll always be there.</b>"

There was nothing boastful about her position, and if anything it was somewhat nostalgic. How strange it was to be the founding member of something, and to have remained through all this time? Yet she had to wonder, if she would <i>always</i> be there. Far away Ava felt <i>his</i> beating heart and knew that some day that would be the drum she came home to. If that home was still Poison Path, who was to tell? Emotions were a selfish need and she had to constantly remind herself that Kade had his duties, too.

Realizing she'd been a little spaced out, Ava recovered with a quick grin and quipped, "<b>Besides, I rather like the mountains. They make you tough.</b>"

art - threads

Each breath hovered above her head, floating in the pale silver glow casted by the moon. It was a ghastly image, kind of creepy, like fog. Treena didn’t hate fog, but it scared the crap out of her. It was mysterious, always hiding something, dulling the sense of sight. It was abnormal, like a shield between reality and fantasy. Was there such a thing? At the moment, life seemed pure fantasy, despite the realization making way though the female’s heavy mind. She heard each word differently, as if taken from a different story, each breath joining the other high above her body. She seemed cold, listening to not only Ava’s autobiography, but the biography of Poison Path itself. Treena had always felt the pack was bigger than it seemed, with such a past the future was even rockier and harder to make out. Yet, it had character. To know this pack had formed with such a history, it made the female feel a little better. Poison Path wasn’t as dark as it seemed. It had been created from the ash of another fire, formed to a little flame which was growing. Of course it was sneaky and cruel, but that was life. She didn’t have to agree to understand. The cards were stacked against them, yet the pack kept fighting through. They’d overcome it.

Another male would be joining soon. Ash had promised his loyalty to Treena, and Treena had promised her loyalty to Poision Path. The domino effect had sent him chasing after her decision. He’d offer up his services, join her. The cubs would be growing too, more fierce wolves to defend the territory. It was only a matter of time. Though the pack was growing strong, rival packs seemed even more of a threat. How humours the case was, that the four creators of a pack were the most loyal now, despite abandoning Swift River. No wonder they were so hated, to be shot on sight. Treena could see it from every angle, but couldn’t find it in herself to choose a side. What was done was done.

Shuffling in spot, clenching on Ava’s every word, the female held that as close as possible. Those words felt like a type of healing medicine, stitching up the open wound. Swift River could hate all they wanted, as long as no blood was spilled, things could stay that way. Poison Path did not need the acceptance of an enemy. There were other packs who could offer up an alliance, though the group was thriving without any. It was only growing stronger as the days past, bonds holding the family close. Treena felt alive being, even a small part, of this relationship. Though, it was obvious she would never understand the relationship between Athena, Naira, and the black wolf before her. She envied it, wanted to feel a part of the group, speak as if she were one of their own.

Of course, she couldn’t, and she wouldn’t try. They had been together since the start, Treena had just joined. Though she was cutting out to be good material, she didn’t fit with the clique. She hadn’t seen Chantille prancing around with the group of girls either, which made her feel better. She wasn’t exactly jealous. She looked at it as a challenge she couldn’t complete, the forbidden fruit she’d never taste no matter what. It wasn’t like they were excluding her, she just didn’t have the trust built up that they did, and it seemed neither did the others. It wasn’t a pick or choose thing. There were no physical requirements. It was an unbreakable friendship. Though the thought was tempting, she wouldn’t pry. She wouldn’t demand more information, force trust to be given, weasel her way after the three of them. She wouldn’t follow after like a lost pup, kicking and screaming the entire time.

That was pathetic, and would win her no brownie points. She’d have to make friendships the good ol’ fashioned way, and staring into the deep eyes of Ava, she felt she had made one that moment. Of course, it wasn’t like a game. She didn’t get some twisted pleasure from making friends. She didn’t sit in her den plotting ways to create a new bestie. There was no way she could have planned this conversation, or this outcome. Instead, a smile fell across her mouth and her tail wagged. Whether Ava felt the same way or not about a new friendship was a mystery, but not an unsolvable one. Forgetting the sorrow, or the in depth conversation, Treena resembled a playful pup as her smile reflected the moon above, practically jumping in eagerness. <b>“Sure do, since joining I’ve gotten into a couple sprawls. I could fight <i>all</i> day.”</b>

She showed her long white fangs mockingly, snapping at the air towards Ava. There was no aggression behind it. Her wagging tail proved that, as did her eye-contact, which was not to dominate as it was to arouse a proper reaction. <b>“I bet I could even take you on!”</b>

That wasn’t true, at all. Had things been played on with a different meaning, the she-wolf would have been submitting on her back at this time, she hoped Ava knew that. The thought of a real fight with the second in command was terrifying, something Treena wished never to endure. Instead, she lowered her chest to the ground, butt high and shaking from her tail’s momentum. She gave a couple bad-aimed snaps, which landed too short or two far away to cause any damage. Plus, they were too soft to break skin. Still, she pretended to be a cocky individual by hopping around on the ground this way, letting out an encouraging bark now and again. Her mouth opened, not to give a fake snarl, but to let out a tinkering laugh and speak through rigid breaths. <b>“Let me just show you how it’s done.” </b>

As a matter of fact, Treena wasn’t sure how it was done at that moment. Figuring she was so slow, and too close for a quick escape, her choices were extremely limited. Her own playful stupidity had brought her too close for comfort, bragging about nothing. Twisting awkwardly, so she was rubbing the side of her muzzle on the ground, butt still in the air, and paws grabbing dirt, she was as vulnerable as ever. <b>“Firstly you gotta intimidate.”</b>

She let out a deep growl, drifting off into hidden snorts of laughter. <b>“<i>Do you find this intimidating</i>?”</b>

(This post was last modified: Jun 10, 2012, 10:18 PM by Treena.)