Mountain of Dire paint the horizon with the right shade of red

Fenru & Jessie first. This is supposed to take place shortly after Aiyana returned without Rissa, so it's dated maybe.. December 5th? Currently sunset, so we've been out about a day tracking north through the Wildwood, currently in the Ghastly Woods, close to the foothills, and pretty much west of the peak. As the thread progresses we'll move up in the mountains (so we'll have to write away some "they traveled in silence for a few hours up the mountain" at some point xD). :3 If you want me to change anything, let me know. <3

you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Days. He felt helpless in the throes of despair, unable to do anything — except keep going. It felt like days since Marsh had let them know Rissa was gone. Like days since Aiyana had returned, alone. To stay inside and mourn, pretend that she was gone, would've been meaningless. If they had — they would've wondered forever, what if we'd gone looking...?, but never known what they would've found. This was better than doing nothing. Through the night they had tracked Aiyana north, the way she had come down, to the point where the girl had lost the trail herself. The snow had not made it easy for them; it seemed to say, she's gone and you won't get her back. Only after casting about for nearly half an hour had Jessie managed to find the trail again, in the wreckage of the southern Wildwood's heart. Focused on their task, the trio had set out again, crossing the Heartleaf Creek in the pale dawn sunlight and into the tangled, ancient parts to the north. The snows had stopped falling mere hours ago, but that would not save them. They couldn't track by vision, nor find the trail of their pads and follow — it lay buried, and only on occasion did they manage to unearth the scent tracks with their muzzles. Instead, they kept spread out to cover as much ground as possible, relying more on the brush of a flank against a bush or tree. By now, the scent of the captor had been burned into his mind, and each time his keen nose found the echo of Rissa's passage, his heart broke in his chest. Something about their quiet, focused journey and the dark stillness of the forest told him they'd probably not see their girl again — or it was just his misery speaking, feeling the raw pain from too many losses, too much turmoil. As the pale winter sun rose on a cold and cloudless sky they pushed on, a steady pace and a steady trail for a few more miles. So far so good — but if the trail would turn east, up the mountains... There were less trees to brush against, less bushes to capture the lingering scent, and he could tell it had snowed here, too, that last night. Noon came and went in silence, their journey bringing them deeper into the tangled heart of the forest, but what he had been fearing seemed to be coming true: their path had angled east all the time. They were getting closer to the mountains. Abruptly Ice stumbled to a stop, blinking his silver eyes in the murky sundown light. Rotating his ears constantly atop his skull, he drew in a deep lungful of air, sampling it. Nothing. Slowly he made a circuit of where he was, his nose touching the trees and bushes around him. Nothing. For the past hour he'd been the one following the culprit's path directly, the other two screening the sides for Rissa's ventures, but he realized that sometime in the past five minutes, he'd lost the trail. "Fenru! Jessie!" His voice was hoarse after a day of nearly complete silence, his belly churning with worry and the first echoes of hunger. He was, somewhere deep down, tired — used to traveling, yes, but not under emotional stress or without breaks. They'd kept going since the darkness the night before, but there was no chance they'd be able to overtake the villain who had stolen their child. There were too many hours between them. Whining softly, he waited for them to come to him — hoping that one of them had the trail, so they could rest a while before continuing. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

The worry and pain of Rissa’s disappearance had rooted them deeply…and Jess was almost sure it was more than it had been when Indru had left them with Torrel and Rihael. The overwhelming sadness of another possible death was on their shoulders, and the Swiftpaw wasn’t sure how many more hits they would be able to take. When the heartbreaking call from Aiyana had reached her ears, she hadn’t wanted to believe what she had thought…but she too had sang a similar song when her own sister had departed with her deceased mate. The pain was hard…but eventually it would be easier for her. It was surely take time, but when Jessie returned, she would make sure that everything would be alright with the young Tainn sibling.

The gray female had been caught off guard when Ice had mentioned her name at the small gathering, finding out about an excursion trip to track the foolish wolf who thought it could take their Rissa away without paying for it. They would make the wolf pay eventually. When Ice had picked up the capture’s scent, Jessie and Fenru had been sent around to look for any wavering signs of the missing pup. The young girl new Rissa’s scent well and any sign of it was easy to pick up…but still, Jessie was quite apprehensive about leaving the company of her companions. Her injuries from her collapse were just starting to heal up she didn’t want to end up hurting herself too much. She had gone out though, without complaint and searched for any trail on Rissa…she had been successful.

The faint scent of the Tainn sibling was hanging on a bush with a few frozen berries on them and Jessie could only hope that the smart girl hadn’t eaten any. She had followed the trail and had come to a stop when she was getting close to the mountains. Doubt crossed into Jessie’s mind as she looped back around trotting back to where she had first found the trail, so that she would remember the route. Not too long after she returned, a tired voice of Ice called out to the two. Her ears instantly turned in the direction of the call as she carefully made her way back to the guardian. Her tail swayed behind her slightly and when she arrived, her small head bumped against Ice’s shoulder in greeting before giving him her report, "I found Rissa‘s scent trail…it heads towards the mountains…" She then waited quietly for the return of Fenru.

I'm half the man I thought I would be

FENRU TAINN

but you can't have what's left of me

Fenru's stamina was clearly one of his better attributes. Not only was he keeping up in pace with Ice and Jessie, he barely let his thoughts stray onto other matters besides the fact that he was determined to rid Relic Lore of the being who had taken his baby sister. Though he had been quiet for most of their journey, every so often, usually wherever Ice had tested the scents against plants and rocks, he would let out a gruff growl. Every sample he inhaled matched and wherever it was present, the perfume that belonged to Rissa accompanied it. The yearling, to begin with, had given himself two choices: to worry or to act. Determined to put an end to this wild goose hunt, the will to act was his only option.

Rihael had gone. Torrel had been abducted. Fenru was not about ready to let Rissa disappear without a trace... without an understanding of why or how she had been plucked from the safety of Swift River territory. A scowl apparent on his face, he pressed onward, his senses alert as the search party eventually came to investigate their immediate surroundings. As Ice had been preoccupied with hunting down Rissa's traveling companion, Jessie began to scan the area for the girl's trail. Fenru followed, his face twisting further in disgust. This monster did not deserve to live. His sister was innocent; after all she had gone through in her short months, he believed Rissa should have been spared. This stranger, however, thought otherwise.

A short snarl ripped from his throat as he padded over to where he thought the rogue's scent had stepped ahead of Ice's trail. It was taking every bit of focus he had left to keep Fenru in line, to keep him from marching up the mountain at random, ready to slay every and any being who came upon him. Gone were the days where Fenru the meek was nothing but a pampered, sheltered prince of his mother's domain; now, in light of all the possibilities he could grasp at in relation to his sister's disappearance, the young Tainn had fashioned himself into a man of want, a soul aching to live and uphold his family's standards. If he had gone missing from the Grove, he knew for a fact that everyone would have come looking for him. Rissa, in this aspect, had gotten the short end of the stick. The pack was still recouping from the heartache and grief. With Ice leading this expedition of sorts, it felt only right to Fenru that he be the one looking out for her in Corinna's place.

The boy was about ready to survey a broken twig hanging from a nearby shrub when Ice's voice called his attention. He watched for a moment as Jessie strode over to the silver-pelted Guard. He steeled his heart and mind as he took a step forward; he did not want to get his hopes up over whatever Ice had found. Falling into step, he joined the two as Jessie relayed her findings. She had found Rissa's trail, revealing that it had seemingly led up to the mountains. Fenru's hardened and he merely glowered as his eyes flickered to Ice's face. No room for pain, no room for full-fledged rage, no room for hope. His dark ears cupped forward, awaiting to hear what the Guardian had found or why he had called for them.

I AM RISSA'S REVENGE

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you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. The longer he stood still, the more convinced he was that the instinctive reaction to rush up the mountain blindly was a bad one. It was treacherous terrain, and who knew what danger would lurk up there? Tired eyes stared up through the thick foliage of the Ghastly Woods, watching as the top of the Dire peak burned a bright scarlet, bloodied by the last rays of the sun. A low growl rumbled in Ice's chest before he lowered his eyes, seeing the form of Jessie come to him through the dense undergrowth. In this forest, he envied her her small size: he got stuck in most things and powered through with brute force. Critically he eyed her when she came up to him, looking for signs of weakness — he'd not forgotten, but forgiven, her fainting spell when that bastard Blaze came into the Grove. She'd become better since then, but a few months of barely eating took more than one to make right again. Fondly he tilted his head to press his cheek against the top of hers, holding steady there for a moment before pulling back. Shifting his weight restlessly, he gave a tired nod at her words, but refrained from speaking. Instead, he remained motionless, waiting for Fenru to come back, too. He'd been closer than Ice had thought, appearing merely seconds after Jessie had. The look on his face wrenched the Guardian's heart, those dark eyes kept neutral, the tight line of his facial muscles, of his back and body; Ice wished, desperately, that he could promise him they'd find Rissa.. bring her back whole and safe, to mend some of the hurt caused to their pack, but within he knew that it would most likely not be so. He heaved a small sigh. "The mountain is treacherous," he said after a moment, not sure if he needed to let them know he'd lost the abductor's trail now that Jessie had Rissa's secured. "I've climbed it before." It wouldn't hurt to get to the treeline before resting, though, and with a gentle nudge to Jessie's shoulder — she was more or less beside him anyway, and he couldn't really reach Fenru from where he stood — he began to walk again. "Set us on Rissa's trail, will you?" Better chase her directly than the shadow of a wolf who had stolen her. "Indru took me up once — the past summer, after he.. came back. Said he'd seen something when he was trapped on the other side, and wanted to check it out." Ice gave his head a small shake. "He never did see it, not from where we were. I'd been meaning to check it out again.. see if maybe he'd taken Torrel that way.. but with the rain washing all trails away, it would've been madness." He didn't really know why he talked why they walked, his voice low — but it felt better, to speak. Or maybe it was to prove to Fenru that Ice knew mountains were dangerous, in case his youth made him want to rush off. He hadn't so far, though, which Ice was grateful for. The white wolf had lived for many years in steep, rocky terrain, but it had been a while since last, and he wasn't sure Fenru had ever climbed one.. or Jessie, for the matter. "We've been going without break for very long. We need to rest, for a short while, before tackling the old Serpent. Better to have the strength to climb it and face our foes, than slip off a cliff because we're spent. There's too many hours between us anyway — there's no way we can catch up, not even if we push on." .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

When she came into contact with Ice she instantly inhaled his scent, taking comfort in his aroma. He was her comfort and the pack’s guardian. Her guardian. Though she was exhausted she knew she would have to push on for the pack…for Rissa. When Fenru arrived, she nodded toward him, her emerald eyes cold and lifeless for the time being. Right now was not a time to mess around, it was complete business. When Ice’s voice addressed her, ears pricked in his direction before she nodded and started towards where Rissa’s trail was strongest…before they climbed high up into the mountains. She was not sure how she would do climbing into the mountains, for she had only done it once or twice before. She would try her best though, she needed to stay on the trail.

Ice continued talking and she merrily let him do so, letting him take in comfort by talking. She listened quietly, her muscles growing tense and heart speeding up slightly. Indru was not a topic that was easily brought up around Jessie, and no one had bothered talking about it either. Until now…she said nothing though, just merrily listened to what Ice had to say. Perhaps it was noticeable that she had gone tense, she did not know, she simply traveled in silence, her ears twitching every once and awhile to show her second that she was listening to him. She didn’t wish to seem rude.

After what felt like hours of travel she reached an area close to the mountains and stopped, her tail flicking briefly and her voice confirming the area quickly, "Here." It would help their traveling later…but Ice was right…they needed to rest. Her gray and white form nodded to him before walking back into the dense forest, not far from the area near the mountains and settled down. Her head placed in between her paws and emerald eyes staring out into the area. She knew that the possibility of them not reaching Rissa was extremely high, but it hadn’t stopped them from trying. The Swiftpaw knew she would try her hardest and it was this reason as to why she rested.

I'm half the man I thought I would be

FENRU TAINN

but you can't have what's left of me

The Tainn's patience was wearing thin and an exasperated sigh expressed his restlessness. Ice responded to Jessie, then began to move again. Fenru's eyes trailed the movement of his hide before taking up a spot three steps behind Jessie. The Guard disclosed that he had actually scaled the Mountain last summer, when Ind-- The boy's face twisted in disgust as he successfully kept a loud, discontented growl at bay. Who cared if Indru had gone to the mountainside in his travels? Who cared if the mountains were actually dangerous? Indru should have stayed with his family. That was that. Having grown up isolated from the world beyond Swift River, Fenru knew the Mountain, above all, was essentially rendered into a dangerous place; especially if Indru had been hindered from returning to his pack for several days. Weeks, even. Traveling with Ice, although, proved that his young mind's imagination often took liberty in thinking up what the real world was not. Compared to the fantastical adventures he had been imagining while on patrol, this trek to the base of Mount Dire seemed like a cakewalk.

Stalking along, Fen kept his eyes peeled and his ears upright, despite how tired he was just starting to become. He was about snap back at the adults, saying that any time spent to rest would be wasting any second that should be used to look for Rissa. Ice's last sentence was quick to make Fenru's hope crash and burn before it soared any higher than it already was. At this rate, he should have accepted that something terrible had befallen his younger sibling. It was mere stubbornness that kept him thinking he would return home with his sister's scent freshly carried in his coat as they shared a path that headed directly into the trees of Sacred Grove.

Jessie pointed out that they had stumbled upon a suitable resting place and as she settled down, nestling her head between her paws, Fenru froze in his tracks. His eyes, seeming ablaze even in the last rays of sunlights, continued to stare daggers at his superiors. He looked to the Guard once more, quiet as he wordlessly defied his suggestion to rest. She's out there, his naive conscience dared to think. We'll really lose her if we stop now... A deep, lupine bark resonated from his chest, followed directly by an even lower growl.

I AM RISSA'S REVENGE

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you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. Walking, and just letting his jaws work, had long been a form of release, a way to relax, for him. His thoughts spun easier when his body moved, different perspectives and insights touching him. Jessie placed them on the trail, and as he walked through the snow he touched his nose to the surroundings, inhaling the fading scent of their lost child. Rissa. A year ago, he would likely not have noticed the shift in the air, but now he did, acknowledging their scents with a flick of one ear. Saying Indru had not sat well with either of them, and inwardly he sighed. Some part of him wanted to be like them, to cling fiercely to the grudge, feel his gut twist at the mention of a name — but he wasn't. He did not forget, he did not forgive, but as much as he could, he did not brood. If Indru showed up at their borders he would not hesitate; he would rip his throat out and shove the words of forgiveness down the mouth they tried to come out of, and let him know that his crimes would not go unpunished.. but just like he'd stopped actively hating Naira and Rhysis for their treachery, he did not allow the wrongs to be forgiven. What Indru had done.. it had been more than just leaving, and given the chance, Ice would claim his vengeance. Some part of his mind — likely the part that was nearly five years old — had thought they would see the logic of him demanding a break. The red-stained mountain peak loomed over them, burning like a dying beacon, but down on the ground the world had been cast in the shadow of night. Jessie settled easily, placing her head between her paws, and Ice's large, white form came next, his edges blurring against the snow. He waited, to hear the sound of Fenru settling, but it never came. Instead, a bark and a growl had him on his feet, snow flying everywhere as he suddenly stood at his full height again, legs splayed, head and tail high, silver eyes blazing in the dusky light and ears swept forward. In silence his own lips twitched, peeled back ever so slightly to reveal just the barest hint of his own arsenal. Ice had age and experience on his side, but had no desire to beat Fenru into submission — he would rather have the yearling understand, but would he be susceptible to rational arguments? "Do you think I want to find her any less than you?" he asked quietly, forcefully; there was a contrast between them, Fenru and his vocal display of dislike, and Ice with his cold, frigid wolf-silence. Words he spoke, but growled not; his fur stood on end, silver gaze steadily meeting Fenru's. "But ask yourself this," he continued, wanting him to see reason — would their months of peace and companionship end here, tonight, because of this? He did not want it. "Would you rather have the strength to save her when you find her, or find her but be powerless to free her?" He hoped the protector in Fenru would listen to this, latch on to the wisdom of it — that if he pushed on and stumbled along, he would not be able to save her no matter what. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul

The silence that consumed them did not last long. The hope for some peace and rest did not come, for a low bark and growl that emitted from Fenru stirred her mind. What fully awoke her was the pound of snow on her back. Her emerald eyes flashed open, anger in her eyes. They were not here to fight with one another, they were there to look for Rissa and find her. It was so she whirled on the male’s as Fenru growled, watching as Ice lectured him. The white guardian was completely right, though Jessie wouldn’t admit it, and she couldn’t help but feel the pull of annoyance as she quietly shot up, snow falling off of her sides as she stalked forward in silence, listening to Ice’s words. She snorted in anger as she came to stand off to the side, silently observing the two of them.

When the second was done speaking she addressed the both of them icily, “Right now it’s quite obvious we need rest. Especially if we’re arguing with a superior when he is looking out for your well being.” Her tail lashed back and forth behind her. Right now was no time for the River wolves to be fighting among each other. They had all lost someone dear to them when it became official that Rissa was taken and arguing with an order would do no good for the small group. They needed to stick together, and if one of them was going to be on edge then all of them would be. The facts were simple.

(This post was last modified: Jan 16, 2013, 01:04 AM by Jessie.)

I'm half the man I thought I would be

FENRU TAINN

but you can't have what's left of me

Ice Aesir was quick to rise back onto his feet, "Do you think I want to find her any less than you?" Another snarl elicited curtly from the yearling's chest. He dared to stare into the Guardian's face, an unbecoming glare wrinkling his muzzle and forehead as he opened his mouth to reveal both his upper and lower set of canines. The silvery man spurred him to think. All Fenru did when he was growing up was think; and, for one reason or another, he had fooled himself into believing that thinking was the weak. Thinking had manifested itself in the form of fear in his mind; in learning of Rissa's disappearance, there was no room for thought. He, the River wolves, his family had to act if they wanted to recover her.

As if having his hero talk him out of his impulsive display of defiance wasn't enough, Jessie's voice added to the commotion. It was like a splash of water to the face, making the boy back down. At first only his ears relaxed as he tried to see the sense the two higher-ranking wolves were pressing upon him. The insolent glare on his face intensified before disappearing completely. One moment the lines and folds on his muzzle deepened then smoothed out. In a final act of impudence, his tongue flicked out past his lips, touching his tongue before drawing back into the mouth behind sealed lips. Wide, amber eyes, paired with brows angled in apologies, actively searched Ice and Jessie's faces for forgiveness. A high-pitched whine pierced the winter air, a soft whimper of apology breaking immediately after it.

Much like a a wind-up toy coming to a halt when all its gears and clockwork lacked propulsion, Fenru reclined down onto the snow, his large paws pushing a small pile of earth and frost forward as his torso and belly came to rest on the ground. His tail twitched uncertainly and a childish yelp rose from his throat. Sorry, it purveyed without words. I'm sorry. His gaze went from one face to the other as he blinked. Seeking to have his apology accepted, he wriggled forward with his elbows and touched the tip of his nose to Ice's chin. He was just so tired.

I AM RISSA'S REVENGE

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you do not know who is your friend or who is your enemy until the ICE breaks. To see Fenru angry was almost like having the sun set in the east, so alien did it feel. Those normally kind, thoughtful brown eyes so full of defiance, blazing, and all of his teeth revealed in a vicious snarl. Ice refused to rise to the challenge, to accept the bait and bare his own — he shouldn't need to, and wouldn't do it. He did not want to cross the line into becoming angry with Fenru. There was no point in it. Better to just stare him out and try to reason. And so, Ice's posture remained dominant, his eyes boring into the yearling's, but he did not growl, did not threaten, did not reveal more than that slight hint of fangs. Behind him Jessie shot out of the snow, obviously irritated with their standoff, but what was he supposed to do? Let Fenru walk all over his rank and then bolt up the mountain and fall off a cliff? No. He was not going to lose more of Corinna's children. He hadn't brought Fenru to lose him in the wilds. Even as she added her own voice, kind of chewing them both out for being male morons, he couldn't help but be aware of how god-damn huge Fenru was. Ice had always been a thick wolf, but he was more sturdy than he was tall. Fenru was all that, and tall. Still, the boy was but a boy... The sands of his patience were running out with each second, and when he thought that the yearling would not be reasoned with, he almost snapped at him. But a moment later, every trace of his defiance vanished like smoke blown away by the wind. Anger was replaced with a plea for apology, and before those eyes Ice felt himself melt. How could he be angry with this protective brother, who merely worried about his sister? For a few more moments he held his pose, his cold eyes unyielding as he pinned Fenru with them. But then, something in him softened. I'm worried, too. The tension left his back with an exhale of air, ears resuming their normal activity as he had no need for their display anymore. Slowly he leaned to the side, to bump his side against Jessie's, watching with a sense of wonder as Fenru sank down and elbowed himself closer. A low grunt, meant as a comfort, was emitted from Ice. Swift River was mostly an obedient, tension-free pack. He had never had reason to berate anyone much, and never to be apologized to in this way. Slowly he tipped his own nose forward, to rest it against the top of Fenru's muzzle. "It's okay," he murmured, tongue flicking out to lick his ears. He wanted to promise him that they'd find Rissa, that she'd be alright and they'd be able to bring her home, but the dead weight in his heart halted the words in his mouth. Indru had sworn to retrieve Kinis. Indru had promised a lot of things. He'd not been able to keep them. Unwilling to bind himself to something he did not know if he could keep, he remained silent, shutting his suffering away on the inside. They did not need his doubts and sorrows. "Rest now, and we'll push on soon." It was a reasonable order, after all. Shuffling around somewhat Ice lowered himself into the snow next to Fenru, seeking to offer him comfort with his presence and warm flank. Before lowering his head he stared up at the peak of Dire, which had been darkened now that the sun had slipped below the horizon. It was night, it was cold, and every heartbeat took Rissa further away from them. Unable to stop time, or rewind it, Ice sighed and rested his large head on his extended legs. Their internal clocks would have them on their feet again soon, but for now, they needed to charge up some of their energy. .ice aesir

let the stars above shine in your soul